Good Cop/Bad Cop

Well, the good news is my pre-eclamsia test came back negative.  So far, I'm just caring 20 pound ankle weights made of water.  Which by the way, makes for exhausting stair climbing.  I went to the mall with my sister the other day in search of a non-existent perfect yellow dress, and after a few hours I was ready to be carried to my car.  I was worn out.  My back hurt, the muscle I irritated almost a week ago grew angry, my feet were done and even my hips hurt.  Mason blamed it on my lack of working out (how he came out of that discussion alive, I'm still not sure).  I blamed it on the watermelon strapped to my stomach.  He's seen how easily I get winded these days, and how it is a struggle just to get up from the couch, so why he thought working out would be the reason I don't know.  I mean, I knew some things would be more difficult, but this is just absurd.  It seems the only thing that still moves correctly are my arms.  Plus, you know you look bad when everyone tells you to sit down at a BBQ (when that's you've been doing all day) and your boss gives you her chair at a meeting.  If my ankles weren't actually hurting and the meeting hadn't already started, I would have turned her down.

The bad news though... I failed my glucose test.  Which means I have to take ANOTHER three hour version of this don't eat or drink anything except this yucky syrup like substance for almost 12 HOURS.  Cruel and unusual punishment.  Plus last time, it made me burp, which brought back the oh so delightful flavor.  Not looking forward to that part.  I'm trying to think positively about this though.  If I fail the second test, then I get to be on a very restricted diet, which means the cookies I'll be craving won't stick to my thighs.  The baby and I will also be eating healthier and there is nothing wrong with that.  I'm just really glad that our team BBQ at work was today and not next Friday.

Which brings me back to Good Cop.  I now officially have two recipes for my future cookbook.  Cookie Apple Crisp and French Vanilla Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies.  Hmm, I see a trend here.  I wonder if this is going to turn in to a cookie cookbook.

And in case you were wondering, it feels really weird when your toes are swollen.  I mean, really weird.  And I am quite sure you were all wondering about that.

Really Wanting a Pool Instead of a Yard

Hello 3rd trimester. Good bye sleep. It seems like the universe is against me getting a good nights sleep before I have to give up on sleep all together.  "What? You're exhausted?  Here, let me make it difficult to find a comfortable position.  Wait, how did you fall asleep?  Let me bring a super loud thunderstorm with hail to your window, that ought to wake you up.  Or better yet, let me put something outside on the deck so Koby will feel the need to bark his head off and wake up the whole house.  Okay, now what... I know, lets see how many places we can put Mason's elbow to annoy you, and we can make him snore too!  Won't that be fun!"  For the record, no it isn't fun.  It isn't fun at all.

Our baby is the size of a squash, even though it looks like there is a watermelon in there. I am measuring at 31 weeks, while my baby is only 28 weeks old. There is so much fluid in me that my doctor seems concerned about pre-eclamsia. Not that I have it, but that I am perhaps walking a fine line. Not that there is anything I can do about it. If I get it, there is only one thing to do, deliver the baby. Did I mention that I am only 28 weeks along? The blood test will show what my current levels are and allow Dr. B to monitor them more closely. Because even though my blood pressure and protein levels are fine, the swelling is outrageous.

Personally I'm not that worried. First of all, judging by the drum playing gymnast inside of me, I'm sure she is a fighter. Second, my feet have swelled before when I wasn't even pregnant. The first time I was about 12 or so and I forgot to put sunscreen on my feet at a car show. I may have gotten a little sun poisoning that year, and my feet got nice and fat. When I flew to Europe which was about a 16 hour flight, I had NO swelling. But when I flew to Hawaii, which was only a 10 hour flight, while sitting down to dinner that evening, I actually felt them inflate. FUN. Then a year or so after that, at another car show (with sun screen this time, you don't make that mistake twice) my feet magically grew. In other words, maybe my bladder isn't as big as I think it is. I just carry the fluid in my feet instead of processing it like a normal person. Except this time, the swelling isn't confined to my feet. It has moved on to my entire body. My arms, wrists, legs, chin, and perhaps worst of all, my butt. Seriously, wasn't that already big enough?

In other news, it's finally here!  Project 365 is up and running. Please come and join me there as well, I'm sure I could use the motivation.

Ahhhh!

Am I 28 already? How did that get here so quick? All week I've had to keep reminding myself that this week is birthday week, not next week. And now, there is a HUGE birthday sign hanging in my cube blocking my view of the calendar so I can't verify the actual day. You know, cause the signs, balloons, streamers, cookie cake, lunch outing, text messages and Facebook comments aren't enough to actually convince me what today is. I must be getting old or something.

I did treat myself to some birthday shoes yesterday, since my flip flops are getting small and I was having a ginormous foot day. I found a pair of sandals that are adjustable! Thank you Addis for making my summer a little less scary. So in honor of my birthday, I'm going to show some of the shoes that I would love to own, but my feet wouldn't even be able to look at...

I don't know why I need these, I just do.

The perfect everyday pump.

But these are a good back-up plan.

I don't know when, I don't know where, but I will find an excuse to wear these.

Don't these just scream my name??


And these. I need these. If only you weren't Coach, then maybe I could afford you.

What is more practical then a red shoe??

My jeans want me to own these.

Whoops. How did that get in there.

See I can be reasonable too.

I'd probably NEVER wear these, but aren't they fun?

But these, these are a must.

Project 365

I'm starting a new project. It's the 365 project, some of you may have heard of it before. The goal is to take at least one picture every single day and post it for an entire year. It doesn't matter what the subject of these photos is. But I'm thinking I might throw in an occasional weekly theme, like landscapes or green. I realize this might be a difficult time to try this, especially in August and September, but is there ever really going to be a perfect year to do this? Nope. Never. Besides I will have a great subject in August. So why wait? Plus, I have the perfect day to start this project, this Friday, May 21st. Which should give me plenty of time to find the right site to host this project and it should also distract me from being yet another year older. I'm hoping this will also help to push me to further develop my technique and push my creativity. Not to mention get me back into the habit of taking pictures and finding inspiration instead of just waiting for it. Which means, (in theory) I'm going to take pictures of almost EVERYTHING, because you never know what is going to turn out awesome.

Oh, and in case you were wondering... I have seen some of our bunnies grazing in the yard and tempting fate in the back yard. You will be happy to know, not only are they nice and big (almost full grown) but they are also now fast enough to not get caught by Koby.

I Normally Don't Like Eggplants

We are now 26 weeks (27 tomorrow), the size of an eggplant, and a VERY strong kicker. Every now and then, out of the corner of my eye, I can see my whole stomach move. Mason got to feel the first one of these belly shakers last Friday. He thought he had felt it and argued with me when I moved his hand. Until she punched again. Let's just say he was in shock. I read a blog not that long ago where her son had kicked her so hard he had broken her rib. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that happened to me. She clearly is going to be a soccer player like her Dad. Which is my least favorite sport by the way. Way too much running involved if you ask me.

We also only have 3 more fruit sizes to go before she's here! I can't wait to meet her, to see her sweet face and dress her up in the cute little turtle outfit I bought her last night. I can't wait to take a thousand pictures of her in her white little tutu outfit from Grandma with Miss O's giant flower head band. And I can't wait to get my artsy groove on with that teeny tiny little baby. This hat would work perfectly for a color tint picture, but I have absolutely no outfits that it matches. But, the picture would be great, and that's all that matters.

Top 10 Signs Your Scale Isn't Lying

10. Your feet look like they belong on a cabbage patch kid instead of your body.

9. You can't even see those feet unless you lean forward.

8. When you do finally see your toes, you sigh because they need to be painted and you can't even reach them anymore.

7. There are new stretch marks to be found every time you dare to look.

6. You have to buy new underwear, because the love handles created by your old pairs can no longer be ignored.

5. You have a hard time not getting food on yourself when you eat because you just can't get close enough to the table anymore.

4. Your laptop now sits precariously close to the edge of the desk, because your belly stops your chair from being pushed in any further.

3. You look at a the spot your husband has left open for you on the couch and your pretty sure you can only fit one cheek in there.

2. Even a pair of flip flops get rejected because they painfully don't fit.

And the number 1 sign your scale isn't lying...

1. Your niece goes to hug the back of your leg and instead her face bounces off your butt and sends her flying to the floor.

I Can't Even Watch The ASPCA Commercials

Maybe it's because we are expecting our own child, or maybe it's just because we have bleeding hearts when it comes to poor, sweet, defenseless creatures. But we have become very attached to the little bunnies in our yard. And very heart broken over the two we had to rescue from the death trap of Koby's mouth.

The first one was harder to witness. We watched as the bunny hopped toward the fence practically right into Koby's mouth. I yelled for him to drop it as I heard the little bunny scream, knowing it was already too late. I cried when he finally released the lifeless body from his jaws. And I'm not gonna lie, I still cry when I hear that little bunny's scream replaying in my head.

The second one, we didn't see it happen. We just saw another lifeless bunny dangling from Koby's mouth. Slightly more mangled then the first, but still just a toy to be caught and carried around. And I know what my dad would say, how that's just the facts of life and all that. But these were my baby bunnies. Sure I didn't feed them or produce them, but I made sure they were safe and getting fed. I ushered them to a safe bush so Mason could mow the lawn without giving them a hair cut. I cared for them the best I could without interfering with their own mothers duties. So yes, that is part of nature, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Dear Bunnies,
Please stay away from the fence. Do not try to go through the fence into the back yard. That is certain death. There is a big red monster who would like nothing more then to make you his new toy. The front yard and the side yard are yours to use as you please. Again, do not go near the fence.
Love,
The Giant Creatures Who Keep Bugging You.