I Have No Idea Where This is Headed

I seem to have a complete aversion to anything looking remotely like work today. So I thought, "Hey, I'll write a blog." Except for one minor detail. I really have nothing to say. No wonderful stories to share, no dead dogs on the side of the road to tell you about, nothing. Maybe I share to many stories verbally and then forget to mention them here too. Or maybe my week has been nice and dull for a change. Or maybe, just maybe I'm to tired to notice.

Except for Wednesday. Wednesday was a great day. I was fortunate to be working from home that day, so I got to open the back door and let the fresh air come in. I needed that warm fresh air, it was a fuel that had been missing from my system for those long winter months. I wanted to hop up, and dance around the room with the stereo blasting. I was even tempted to clean while I danced. But instead I was glued to the couch dealing with needy customers. And then I started thinking, and planning and wanting to pull out all of my craft supplies. Instead I grabbed my dusty sketch book and jotted down my ideas. And then I called my Dad to share my ideas with him and see if he had what I needed "in stock." Dad does have a rather large inventory. See Mom, this is why we don't throw anything away. You never know when you (or I) might need it.

Remember not that long ago when I stated that I was showing? One moment I thought I was just starting to show. The very next day, I looked down and thought, "Holy Crap!" And it is a strong little baby in there. Yesterday (or was it the day before? I really can't remember) I got punched or kicked hard enough that I actually said "ow." Out loud. Oh, apparently baby doesn't want me to tell this story. I just got kicked in the side. Anyway, when I say "ow" out loud it means one of two things. 1. It really did hurt. 2. I saw it coming and I thought it was going to hurt, it usually does not. So my sweet little baby's movements no longer feel like weird gas bubbles. They now feel like getting elbowed in the gut, from the inside.

And now I have to actually try and get some work done. As my To Do folder is filling up and my time is running out.

Just Call Me Hormonally Challenged

Saturday was a challenging day. Mason was on call this weekend and had to run off to fix the world. By the time he got home, I was busy getting ready for a birthday party we had to go to. As soon as I stepped out of the shower, I had a raging hunger with nothing in the house to eat. I sat down on the couch and sweetly mentioned to Mason that I was hungry. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting him to do about that, but it clearly wasn't what he chose to do.

K: I'm hungry.
M: We're going to eat at 5.
K: No we aren't. The party doesn't start until 5:30, and you never eat right when you get there. Plus it's 3:30. That's two hours away, I'm hungry now. (At this point, I'm starting to get a little short with him).
M: Then eat some crackers. Eat an apple. Eat a banana.
K: Forget it. (Start to storm off)
M: Well, what do you want me to do about it? You want me to go get you something?
K: I want you to at least offer a better suggestion then "Eat an apple." Which wouldn't fill me up, not to mention we don't even have any of those things! (I am now crying as well as yelling because I can actually hear the words that are coming out of my mouth, I just can't stop them).
M: Are you trying to tell me to go to the grocery store? There are nicer ways to ask that.
K: Just forget it. (Storm off to finish getting ready an try to stop crying).

Mason then stormed off and out to the grocery store, and by the time I stopped crying he was home bringing groceries in. So I went out to apologize for my complete overreaction and explain that I just got frustrated that he didn't seem to understand that pregnancy hunger isn't like regular hunger. Regular hunger goes like this: Hmm, I'm getting hungry. What should I make for dinner? Pregnancy hunger goes like this: If I don't eat something RIGHT NOW I am going to DIE!

After that lovely example and further explaining that I was sorry but I couldn't help it, Mason then made the mistake of telling me I needed to "get that under control." I'm sorry, how does one go about getting their hormones under control? Telling them to "get that under control" is not the way. I was oh-so-close to yelling "You did this to me!" Lucky for him, the front door was open, and I did have a little remaining control. I will give him some points though, after I was finished getting ready he was heating some soup on the stove and if I couldn't wait for that, then there were doughnuts on the counter. And the soup was the perfect thing to fill me up without making me too full to eat at the party (I also bowled the best game of my entire life, but that's a different story).

Boy is he going to have fun when I go through menopause.

The Mooning Gymnast

Today's post is brought to you by the makers of The Mooning Gymnast. Wait. That doesn't sound right. Okay, let me start over... Today's post is brought to you by The Mooning Gymnast!

I went to the doctor on Thursday, and since Mason has to save his vacation days so he can spend some time with us after the baby is born and we didn't have an ultrasound scheduled, he didn't come. So Mom and Miss O came instead. Mom was so excited to hear the baby's heart beat, little did she know she was also going to witness the acrobatic styling of The Mooning Gymnast. Instead of strapping on the heart monitor Dr. B decided he would rather take a look at the baby. Miss O thought the ultrasound was the WORST commercial she had ever seen, there was no music, no bright colors, nothing. Mom and I however, we were fascinated as we watched my little baby flip over to face my spine, flip over to look at us (sort of) and then flip back over to moon us. Hence, The Mooning Gymnast. Dr. B said some people are able to feel them moving at this point, but I couldn't yet. I'm not gonna lie, I was feeling a little cheated here. Oh wait, I have an awesome baby growing inside there. I'm not getting cheated at all! Friday evening while shopping with Mom and Sister, my little baby woke up and started flipping around. How do I know this you ask? Cause I FELT it!

We have just over 3 short weeks before we can (hopefully) see if we are having a boy or a girl. According to Dr. B, my week really starts on Saturday, not Thursday like I had originally thought. So today, baby is an avocado. Little Cado is getting taste buds and ear bones. Wait, that means he/she can hear now... I'M NOT READY FOR THAT YET! I don't have my song picked out yet! I haven't even started shock therapy on Mason and his video game potty mouth (violent games make him say very bad, no good words)!

Okay, we are going to have to hurry and pick a song. So here are the top 2. I had to veto Beautiful, I just can't get the creepy video out of my head.
Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole

I'm Afraid

I'm afraid that the constant pregnancy hunger has officially started. I eat until I'm no longer hungry (cause eating until I'm full is just plain uncomfortable these days). Five minutes later, I'm hungry again. I mean, really hungry.

I'm afraid that one of these days the hormones will get the best of me and I will actually say out loud what I am thinking to those who overstep their boundaries and annoy me. Regardless of who that person is and how it may effect my future with them.

I'm afraid that the baby will come long before I get all this laundry put away. I'm not even counting what hasn't been cleaned yet.

I'm afraid of September. September scares me to pieces. Surprisingly, the brand new baby concept of September scares me the least. Being in 30 million places at once with a brand new baby, raging hormones and a worn out body stresses me out to no end.

I'm afraid that my stomach is going to be so large this summer that I will fall over just by standing still. Not really, but I can imagine it happening, in the cartoon world anyway. It already feels huge, and it's just started.

I'm afraid I will never be able to get this, this, or this. But I can't wait for Miss O to have a cousin that may end up looking just like her (especially since she looks like her Aunt La-la).

It's Official

I'm showing. Sister said I looked like I was early in my pregnancy. Which I am, so that works out well. But what really convinced me, are all the people I walk by in the hall at work, who after looking me in the eye to say hello, glance down at my stomach. Clearly trying to figure out if I've gained weight or if I'm having a baby, but still to afraid to ask. So apparently Mason was right. But don't tell him, wouldn't want him to get a big head or anything.

This week, we are an orange. A 4 inch, 2.5 oz orange. Orange is learning about proportions this week, as the head is no longer the same size as the body and the legs are growing longer then the arms (both complete with functional joints). Apparently if could see my baby right now, I would laugh, as Orange tests out the developing muscles by making lots of funny faces.

Since we get to find out if Orange is a boy or a girl in about a month, I thought it would be fun to see if we can't figure it out here first, with old wives tales.

Sleep Position:
Left side - Boy
Right side - Girl
This is really more of a question of what I want to face. Mason and his snoring or the alarm clock reminding me how tired I am going to be in the morning. Lately, I've been sleeping on my back the most.
Verdict: N/A

Upset Stomach:
Extreme nausea - Girl
I don't think a slightly uneasy stomach on some days counts as extreme.
Verdict: Boy

Soft or Dry Hands:
Soft - Girl
Dry - Boy
What if my hands are soft and dry? The same as they were before I was pregnant.
Verdict: N/A

Food Cravings:
Citrus - Girl
I do crave large amounts of orange juice, while all the other juices sit there unnoticed by me. Fortunately Mason notices them.
Verdict: Girl

Adult Acne:
Break-outs - Girl
Aside from a few here and there, I'm mostly clear.
Verdict: Boy

Graceful or Clumsy:
Graceful - Girl
Clumsy - Boy
Well, I've only tripped once so far and I did that same thing when I wasn't pregnant.
Verdict: Girl

Face Weight Gain:
Fuller face - Girl
Hmm, I'm going to need a second opinion on this one. I don't think my face looks any fuller, but I also think that happens later. Is my butt bigger? Cause I heard that means girl too.
Verdict: ??

Sugar and Spice:
Craving salt - Boy
Craving sweet - Girl
As you know, I crave both. French fries followed by ice cream would be a great meal.
Verdict: Twins, one of each.

Mood Swings:
Moody - Girl
I don't think I am, but I could be wrong. I've only cried once so far without knowing why, poor Mason tried to leave the room to give me space and that made me cry harder. I didn't want him to touch me or look at me, but I didn't want him to leave either. Whatever Kayla, whatever.
Verdict: Boy

High or Low Stomach:
High - Girl
Low - Boy
It might still be to early to tell, but I'm going to say high.
Verdict: Girl

Baby Weight:
Baby weight in the front - Boy
Baby weight all around - Girl
I think it's still a little early for this one, but so far it appears to all be in the front.
Verdict: Boy

Pendulum Test:
Back and forth - Boy
Circle - Girl
Hang on, let me find something to make a pendulum out of... Pendulum #1 Circles. Pendulum #2 Little to no movement. Pendulum #3 Little to no movement. Pendulum #4 Both. Circles over the hand, back and forth over the belly.
Verdict: I have no idea.

Show Me Your Hands:
Palms up - Girl
Palms down - Boy
I can't do this one now, I know what it means and I'm thinking about it. Someone catch me off guard and ask me.
Verdict: TBD

Toddler Advice:
Boy toddler ignores belly - Boy
Boy toddler takes interest - Girl
Anyone have a boy toddler I can borrow?
Verdict: TBD

Eat Garlic Test:
Garlic seeps out of pores - Boy
No smell - Girl
I haven't noticed me smelling like garlic after I eat it, but I might just be used to it.
Verdict: Girl

Key Test:
Pick up a key by the round end - Boy
Long end - Girl
What if I pick up keys by the handful?
Verdict: TBD

Evens or Odds:
Age and conception year both even or odd - Girl
One even, one odd - Boy
Verdict: Girl

Baby's Heartbeat:
More then 150 bpm - Girl
Less then 150 bpm - Boy
Verdict: Girl

Stress Test:
A child tends to be the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.
What?! How about who was less stressed about finding out about the pregnancy? Cause that would have been Mason. But who is less stressed most of the time would probably be me.
Verdict: This one is stupid. N/A

Dream Meanings:
Having a girl - Boy
Having a boy - Girl
Too busy sleeping to dream - Go to bed earlier
Verdict: Go to bed earlier.

Breast Size:
Right one fuller - Girl
Left one fuller - Boy
Do I really want to blog about my boobs?
Verdict: Wouldn't you like to know.

Score:
Undetermined - 10
Boy - 5
Girl - 7

And the girls have it. But don't go buy any girl clothes yet Mom (even though Linda already did) I still think it's a boy.

Double The Pleasure

I keep trying to get a non-pregnancy post in here. But it seems I'm just having a hard enough time keeping up with my weekly baby updates, hence the double whammy today. But today, for some reason I'm locked out of all the internal programs I use. I wasn't earlier this morning, but now I am. So I have a few moments to finally blog.

The other morning Mason and I had a debate over whether or not I was showing yet. He insisted that yes, indeed I am bigger therefore I am showing. I argued that while I may be "thicker" I'm not exactly showing yet. So, I need an objective, brutally honest 3rd opinion. Cause I could be wrong here. I could be in complete denial. I mean, really. Who should I believe here? The person who looks at me every day without judgment, or the hyper critical person who stares back at me from the mirror?

So anyway, last week we were a peach. You know what happens to peaches? They develop vocal cords! It's unfortunate I will have to wait so very long to hear them working. Peach is also now able to "breathe" and create urine. I used to be grossed out by the fact that babies have to breathe, eat and swim in their urine. But then in Art History (of all places) I learned that if you are ship wreaked and have no source of food or water, you can survive by drinking your own urine. Okay, it still grosses me out. A lot.

Moving on. We are officially no longer a peach, even though baby is growing peach fuzz this week (which will fall out right before birth). We are now one of my favorite fruits to feed to children. In fact, when I was young I used to LOVE to eat them. Now I prefer them mixed with sugar and water. After all, when life gives a you a LEMON, make lemonade! Little Lemon is able to wiggle all ten toes and suck his/her thumb. Unless Lemon turns out to be bald, he/she is growing hair on his/her head. Lemon is also growing eye brows and eye lashes. Apparently this is the hair week.

Last but not least... I need your help. I'm testing my sisters theory. When she was pregnant with Miss O, they played one song over and over on the radio. After Miss O was born, this same song calmed her when she was crying and put her to sleep when she was denying being tired. Whatever she is doing, she stops and listens to it. She recognizes it within the first few notes, it is her song. So the question is, does Miss O just like this song a lot, or does she remember hearing it before she was born? I think she remembers it. This is where you come in. In order to test this theory, I need a song. A good song. My sister got lucky with the song they over played, it's a good positive song. The main radio station I listen to prides itself in not playing the same song twice in a week. Which is actually why I listen to them so much. Anyway, I'm looking for an upbeat song with a positive message. None of those wonderful you cheated on me so now I'm going to key your car type songs (I really do love that song). So far I like Beautiful and this version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. So I need you to either tell me which one of those is the one, or tell me what it should be. Or both. It can be new or old, any genre, whatever. It just has to be awesome.

What's Better Then a Lime? A Plum!

I know all the books and articles I've read say Plum should be moving around a lot in there, but yesterday morning we got to actually see it. Plum was moving quite a bit last time too, but seeing a cashew move and a baby with visible arms and legs move is completely different. While I still can't feel my little Plum moving around, Plum can apparently feel me. If I were to apply pressure to my tummy, then Plum would squirm (or dance as I prefer to think of it) in response. I wonder if that works if I eat to much... Anyway, we seem to have a very active child, which I look at in two ways.
1. I'm screwed. Never will I know what it means to sit down again for 5 consecutive minutes. Or even worse, the thing that I am most worried about, I will have a child with the same sleep abilities (or lack there of) that I have.
2. If I remember correctly, Miss O was almost always sleeping during during her Ultra Sounds. And she has become a VERY active future mountain climber, track gold medalist, Nobel Peace prize winner. So I may end up with a very lazy child. Honestly, I think I'd rather never sit down again, but I may eat those words later.

We are officially out of the "danger zone" according to my doctor. And it appears that most of the developmental stage is complete, but not all of it. The intestines are developing and the stomach isn't far behind. We are now focusing on growing and fine tuning our abilities. For instance, Plum could start sucking his/her thumb any day now. Since Plum had his/her hands by his/her face yesterday, I think it will be happening soon if not already. Fingers and toes are starting to wiggle and curl. But most importantly, in just 2 short (but feels so long) months I will be able to stop calling my child he/she. If Plum cooperates we will soon know the gender and I can start painting the nursery. I would say that I have started nesting, but I haven't made any efforts to get the room ready except for planning how I want to paint it and arrange the furniture. In my head, it is done and stunning. I just wish I knew which picture in my head it is actually going to be.

The funny thing is, I have a better idea of what the room will look like if it's a boy, but absolutely NO names. If it's a girl, I haven't settled on any wall colors or designs, but I have a name all picked out. Although I may have to rethink it, Mason forgot about it so that must mean he doesn't love it so much. But then again, every time I suggest it, he likes it. Soooooooo. I'll just keep suggesting it. And then probably completely change my mind once I meet my little bundle of joy.