Busy, busy...

It's been over a week since my last update and with good reason -- I'm a mother of two now, so finding time in between feedings, changing diapers and cuddles is a little difficult, but I love it. In fact, I feel like I'm more hands-on with both of my children now than I have ever been before. I really want to achieve "Super Mom" status, if possible, even if at times I feel like I might just lose my mind. :o)

My labor with Christian was mostly uneventful. Mark and I showed up at the Pavilion for Women on time last Tuesday and within the hour Dr. Hulsen had broken my water and my labor had started. I felt like a complete boob because I asked for the epidural around 11am, after 2 and a half hours of labor. I was still sitting at 2cm dilation and in a lot of pain. After speaking with my nurse (who convinced me when she said it could take up to an hour before the anesthesiologist showed up) I got the epidural and the rest of my day was spent laying in bed and alternating between watching TV, checking the internet on my iPhone and sleeping.

Around 3pm, I started to feel nauseous and I got the shakes really bad. The nurse came in and gave me a shot of Zofran, which was like heaven in a syringe. I felt so much better after that.

Dr. Hulsen came in and checked on me a couple of times throughout the day, as I slooowly progressed. By 6pm, I was still only at 6cm and convinced that I was not having the baby on Tuesday. At 6:30pm, Christian went into tachicardia and they had to stop the Pitosin. My contractions were coming too fast and he was basically being squished. It scared the hell out of me. There were three nurses scurrying around my room, one was monitoring the baby, another was putting oxygen on me and the third was having me change positions. Luckily the baby's heartrate sorted itself out.

Around 7-ish, they started the Pitosin back up again and after increasing the doseage once I started to feel something weird down yonder, like something was "oozing" out. I called the nurse in and she did an exam on me and noticed that the baby's head had moved down considerably and all that was in the way was a piece of my cervix. She had me push just a little bit to see what it would do and the baby started coming again. So she had me keep my legs crossed and called Dr. Hulsen because she was afraid if she kept me in the stirrups that the baby would just slide on out. :oP

Dr. Hulsen arrived around 8:30 and the whole feeling in the delivery room was just...well, fun. Seriously. There were three nurses, Dr. Hulsen, myself and Mark and all of us were just making jokes and laughing the entire time. Even when I was pushing, I was cracking up. It was just so laid back and before I knew it, at 8:57pm Christian was here. All 7 pounds, 6 ounces of him. I only pushed for maybe 15 minutes and most of that time was waiting for the contractions to come. The first thing Dr. Hulsen said when he came out was, "He has boy parts!" :o)

The first thing Mark and I noticed was how much Christian resemebled him. He has Mark's lips no doubt about it and his nose, but he also kind of reminds me of Aidan when he was a baby too. And he's so tiny, only 18 inches long.

Mark and I got to hold Christian for an hour and then the nurses scooted him away for his bath. In between phone calls to family and friends, I got to finally eat. I was so hungry! At 11pm, when the feeling had returned to my legs, they took me and Christian up to the second floor where I got to spend another hour with him before they took him to the nursery. The nurses had remarked that he was such a calm baby -- he didn't even cry when they bathed him!

The next day I wasn't allowed to eat because my tubal ligation was scheduled for 2pm. Mark brought his mum and Aidan up to the hospital to see me that morning. My step-sister also stopped by to give Christian a few cuddles before heading off to work. At noon, I said good-bye to my family and they wheeled me to pre-op before my surgery. Those two hours were like the longest of my life, but once the nurse came in (about 30 minutes before the surgery) and gave me a shot of Zofran and Versaid, I was just fine.

After the surgery, I was in A LOT of pain but I suffered through having visits from my Dad and my friend Allison. Once they were gone, though, I laid in bed and cried. The only thing that helped was taking 600mg of Ibuprofen and Vicodin at once. That didn't even really stop the pain but it put me to sleep, which is what I needed.

Much to my suprise, Christian and I were both released from the hospital on the 5th. I thought I would at least be there until the 6th, if not longer because of my surgery but there I was, basically out on the curb by noon on the 5th. I seriously felt like they kicked us out of there. Healthcare just isn't the same, even as it was 4 years ago.

Mark's mum kept Aidan overnight for our first night home. Mark and I took turns with Christian and he is such a good baby. He's just so calm, all the time. Even when he's hungry, he rarely has to screech or anything. He just starts sucking everything in sight. :o) Of course he's not sleeping through the night yet, but getting up every 2 or 3 hours isn't so bad because I just go right back to sleep when he does. I keep telling Mark that's the secret -- sleep when the baby sleeps. He hasn't listened to me yet though.

Saturday was our postpartum check-up at the hospital. My check-up went fine (I was a little swollen but that was it) but Christian had lost a lot of weight (he was discharged at 7 pounds 2 ounces) and was down to 6 pounds 14 ounces and his bilirubin levels had skyrocketed. Our doctor had a home healthcare service bring a phototherapy bed out to our house and my little 4 day old had to lay in the bed 24 hours a day unless we had to feed or change him.

I was devastated. Just seeing him in that bed broke my heart. I just cried and cried, but luckily both of my sisters were here for support and Mark came home from work to be with us too. After 48 hours and two more blood tests, Chrstian's levels were low enough that he didn't have to lay in the bed anymore. I was so relieved.

Yesterday was his 1 week check-up and Christian woke up with a goopy eye. Our doctor believes that his tear duct hasn't opened up yet and that's why it's infected. So we have eye drops we have to give him three times per day. Already there's a noticeable difference. The doctor also told us that she believes his bilirubin was so high because of Christian's rapid weight loss. Since Saturday he's gained back 2 ounces but he still has a long way to go. He's also grown 1 whole inch!

I guess that pretty much brings us up to date. Aidan is doing great with the baby and loves helping us with him. We also make sure to pay as much attention to Aidan as we do to Christian. If one of us is with the baby, the other is playing with Aidan. It seems to be working well although Aidan still throws the occasional toddler fit.

Today is Mark's first full day back at work, which is a relief because he only brought him $100 last week, which made me extremely nervous. It's lonely being at the house by yourself, even with two kids, but I know he has to work. Why can't we all be independantly wealthy?? :o)

Well the baby is starting to fuss so I should probably close for now.

Finally!

I have reached the final frontier -- even though I'm just five days shy of my actual due date, Dr. Hulsen has given me the green light to be induced. So tomorrow morning, Mark and I will wake up insanely early (for us, nowadays, anyway) and head to the Women's Pavilion to start my induction at 7:30am. Dr. Hulsen is going to break my water and then start me on the Pitosin. I'm hoping that by tomorrow evening I will be holding my new little one, but you never know what'll happen. I could end up with a 24 hour labor like my step-sister. O_o But if the Pitosin works even half as well as it did with Aidan, then I'll have my baby in no time.

I am excited and terrified all at once. I'm glad to be finished with the pregnancy but terrified of what is to come. Labor sucks, no doubt about it, and each delivery is different so one cannot predict the outcome. I just hope everything goes smoothly.

I have a bit of a headache so I'm going to close for now. But I'll leave you with the last of my BabyCenter updates:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

38 Weeks and hardly any sleep...

My growing tummy and my husband's horrible snoring are keeping me from getting the amount of sleep that I want these past couple of weeks. I used to LOVE to sleep, in fact it was my favorite thing to do. Now all I do is toss and turn and when I do eventually fall asleep, that's when Mark decides to come to bed and muck it all up with his nose noise (OMG. How can he not HEAR himself?!). It's starting to get to the point where we are arguing constantly because I tell him to roll over (he doesn't snore if he sleeps on his stomach) and he gets peeved because I've woken him up to do so. If anything ends this marriage, I'm afraid it will be the snoring. Not because of divorce, but because I will smother him with his own pillow out of aggravation.

Since I've been off of work I've done a lot around the house -- little by little. I'm definitely in the nesting stage of the pregnancy but my Sciatica has been keeping me from being able to really accomplish all the things I want to do at one time. So each day I do a little here and there. Yesterday I cleaned our bedroom from top to bottom. I haven't done that in months. I washed all of our bedding, dusted and vacuumed and put things in the basement that had been hanging around our room for far too long (such as a couple of old pieces of wood under our bed, my Knifty Knitter long loom set, and some canvas Mark brought home from work). I also packed me and Christian's bags for the hospital so should I go into spontaneous labor, I can just grab them and run (or waddle).

Mark took me shopping on Tuesday to return the baby shower items that were unneeded and I ended up getting a swing, a really nice diaper bag and some Dr. Brown's nipples for the baby bottles Crystal gifted me. The swing wasn't the one I wanted, but we really couldn't afford anything else, so it will make do for now. Honestly though, we really don't have the room for a regular size swing anyway. Yesterday I made another purchase, this time online, for the Dr. Brown's Formula Mixing Pitcher. I can't wait to use it and see how it works.

Mum finally gifted me my crib bedding set. She said she had a "feeling" that I was going to go into labor and didn't want to wait any longer (unfortunately, her feeling wasn't correct). Friday morning I went over to her house to pick it up and by that afternoon, the crib was finally set up. I love it! The dinosaurs are so cute and the colors match perfectly with our new crib. My sister couldn't believe it that we only paid $96 for the crib! I went out and got the matching mobile and receiving blankets that same day.

I really feel like I'm totally ready for the baby to come now. I've washed and sterilized all of the bottles and nipples, I have a couple packs of newborn diapers to last us for a couple of days, a couple cans of formula (they same type they use at the hospital), all the baby's clothes are washed and put away and like I said before, our bags are packed. Now it's just the horrible old waiting game. I've never gone into spontaneous labor before and to be honest, I'm terrified of it. If I'm at home when it happens, that's just great but I have this fear of being in the middle of Walmart and suddenly it happens. Now I know enough to know better and to know that when you go into spontaneous labor, the pain comes on gradually (unlike being induced) and when your water breaks, it isn't like it is in the movies, but it's still scary to me because of the unknown factor.

Tomorrow is my 38 week check-up with Dr. Hulsen. I'm hoping that doing so much shopping (and walking around) this week kind of helped out in the dilation area. Unfortunately I just have this sinking feeling that when he checks me tomorrow I'll still be at one measly centimeter. Bah!

***

Anywho, here is how the baby is developing this week. I only have three more updates via BabyCenter to post so this baby better come before then! :o) Maybe my next post will be from my hospital bed! A girl can wish, can't she?

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

50th Post!!

This post my marks my 50th update! Yay!

This post also marks my 37th week of pregnancy, which means...[drum roll please] that Christian Adam is officially FULL TERM. Which means if I were to spontaneously go into labor in the next five minutes, Dr. Hulsen would have no reason to stop it. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. I had my check-up this afternoon and I'm holding steady at a whole centimeter dilation. Boo!

Yesterday was my baby shower, thrown for me by my mother-in-law. We had a great turnout and I mostly got clothes, but I don't mind. I did get a few doubles of things and a couple of items that I didn't need, so with the money I get back from those items, hopefully I'll be able to pick up a few misc. items that were overlooked (for example, a diaper bag, a swing, more bottles, etc).

We had a bit of a crisis last week. I had Mark bring up the parts of our old crib on Thursday so that I could put it together while he was at work. Unbeknown to us, somewhere between our old duplex and moving into our new house, we lost a very important piece of the crib that would help lock the side rail into place. The company that originally made the crib is no longer in business and even if they were, we really don't have the time to order a new piece. So Mark gave me the go ahead to pick out a new crib online and we would buy it in store. Unfortunately, most of the cribs online cannot be found in the store, so I started to get a little panicky. My husband, however, is the most awesomest guy in the world and he found a very beautiful cherry crib on the Kmart website that was on sale. At first I thought it was a lost cause because it was sold-out online, but Mark called our local Kmart and they had three in stock! He picked it up that evening and we put it together after Aidan went to bed. It's gorgeous and I love it. Crisis averted!

Other than the crib drama, not much has been going on around here. I have been doing a little bit everyday to get ready for the baby. Laundry is the hardest thing for me to do because carrying the baskets up from the basement aggravates my Sciatica. I have also been reading a lot and watching old seasons of "House." I can't believe I still have three weeks before my due date. It feels like an eternity.

Oh! I did my pre-registry at Anderson on Friday. I didn't have to watch the epidural video again, which was a relief. I also sent off my papers today for my cord blood donation.

Well, it's getting late so I should jump off here and get Aidan ready for bed. Here's where how the baby is doing this week:

How your baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

hmm...

I just logged on my blogger page out of boredom and discovered that I haven't updated my blog since the 5th. How can that be? I could have sworn that I updated last week, but I suppose I hadn't. Then I realized that the 5th was just last week and I'm not as behind as I feel that I am. :oP

Let's see...well, at last week's exam Dr. Hulsen did do the Group B test, which came back negative. w00t! I was also diagnosed with a yeast infection though, which sucked but the medicine I was prescribed worked wonders and my nether regions have not been swollen since. Yay for modern medicine! During my pelvic exam, Dr. Hulsen said I hadn't thinned or dilated yet, which was a complete bummer but it's still early!

We also spoke with the doc about me having my tubes tied after the baby is born. He said that he could do it while I'm in the hospital, post-delivery, although he wanted Mark and I to think about it carefully because it's a pretty important decision. After the appointment, Mark and I talked about it and decided to go ahead with the tubal ligation, that is if my insurance pays for it. I am finished having children at this point and have no desire to be pregnant again.

At this week's exam I found out that I am one centimeter dilated!! Mark and I also talked to Dr. Hulsen about my shortness of breath, which was causing my hands and feet to tingle. He said it was normal however it's going to get worse within the next couple of weeks. I'm not sure I have dropped yet and found out that since this is my second child, I may not drop at all. Ug. We also talked about when I would go on my maternity leave and Dr. Hulsen left it up to me. Mark and I told him we would see how the week went and discuss it at my next visit.

Well, that evening I started to spot, which is normal after a pelvic exam when you're preggers, but by noon the next day I was 99.9% sure I had lost my mucus plug and was still spotting. I couldn't tell if I was having contractions or not though -- I kept thinking that I was imaging them.

The spotting and mucus continued through the night, so I made an appointment to see Dr. Dalla Riva yesterday morning (Dr. Hulsen was off work). He examined me and said I was still at one centimeter but that he did notice the spotting and the mucus. So we decided that going on maternity leave early would be the best bet for me, especially since I work so far away from home.

It's bittersweet going on leave early -- the good part of it is that I get to relax and have a lot of time to prepare before the baby arrives. The bad is less money, less time post-partum with the baby and I tend to get bored really easily. I also have to miss my work baby shower which was supposed to be today at noon. I asked Mary Anne if it would be okay if I still attended and she said she was uncomfortable having me there when I've been told NOT to go to work, even though I wouldn't be working. She said if anything should happen while I'm there (like go into labor), that Express-Scripts could be held accountable. Bummer. Mark is going to drive me up to work on Monday so I can pick up my gifts though so it won't be so bad. It just sucks missing out on the lunch and the cake and all that fun stuff.

Physically I am feeling better today. No more spotting, a few Braxton Hicks scattered throughout the day, but nothing serious. I spent the majority of yesterday on the computer, doing nothing but today I've made myself a list of things I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to get the pieces of our crib upstairs today and I was going to assemble it myself, but when I went down to the basement to take a look at it, it's covered in cobwebs and dead flies. EW. I'm going to make Mark clean it off. :oP

I guess that's all I have to update about now. Here's where I am at 36 weeks:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

The Holiday Season is over. Finally?

It's Monday morning, my first day back after a five-day hiatus from work. It's also the last sign (for me anyway) that the Holiday season is over (the first sign being me and Mark taking down our Christmas tree). I know some are relieved when Christmas/New Years is gone, but I get a little depressed. It's such a happy time of year, or at least it's supposed to be. :o) I just keep telling myself that next Christmas is going to be awesome because I'll have two little boys running around!!

New Year's was great. We had Allison and her husband Terry over as well as my step-sister and her husband. We played Guitar Hero World Tour and a round of Trivial Pursuit (I won!). It was definitely a good time and I think it was almost better than bowling for New Years last year.

I haven't been feeling great, physically, lately. I've been really swollen in my nether-regions which no one warned me about until I googled it. I never got swollen like this until after Aidan was born, so it as quite a shock when I looked down and saw the monstrosity that was there. I felt really embarrassed to call Dr. Hulsen or Dr. Dalla Riva about it, so I called the nurses at Anderson and they told me to alternate between sitz baths and ice packs. So far, both have helped a little bit but it still sucks. I feel like I've been riding a horse for a week straight and sometimes it hurts to sit down.

I'm still suffering from the shortness of breath as well and that sucks. It's suppose to get better the further the baby's head travels downward, however I'm thinking because I'm such a tiny person to begin with, that just isn't going to happen. :o/

And I'm totally freaking out now because one of the girls that was pregnant here at work (and was due the day before me) had a stroke last week. They had to take her baby early (obviously) and apparently the baby is okay, but I haven't heard about the girl. It scares me because she is only a year older than me. I hope she's doing okay. I'm going to have to ask around to find out.

I have my check-up with Dr. Hulsen at 5 this evening and it will be a pelvic exam. I'm assuming he's going to do the Group B test (why wouldn't he?) and I'm hoping that I've already begun to dialate. With all that's going on down there, something better be happening!!!

In non-baby related news, Mark and I bought a new car last week and it definitely has all the room we need for our new little one. I love that car so damn much too. I look forward to driving to work now instead of loathing it. I'm sure that once the new-ness wears off I'll hate the 40 to 45 minute drive again, but now it's just fun.

I guess that's it for now. Here's where I am this week...only five weeks to go!!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Back to work!

I hope everyone had a very Happy Christmas (I'm saying "happy now" instead of "merry" because I'm trying to be cool like the English people *grin*). Ours was great but there were it's moments of family drama which sucks, but it happens whether you want it to or not. Aidan had a great time and loved all of his gifts. Christmas was awesome for him this year because it was the first year he REALLY understood everything that was happening. He opened almost all of his presents without help and I loved the look on his face when he got something he truly wanted. There were so many wow's. It was adorable.

Christian didn't recieve much in the way of Christmas gifts. He got a book from his Aunt Amber, Uncle Andy, and his cousins Zeke and Olivia and a Snugli from his Aunt Crystal, Uncle Nick and cousin Chelsie. I'm really looking forward to using the Snugli. I asked for one when I was pregnant with Aidan but no one ever got it for me. :o) Mark's family took bets on how much Christian is going to weigh when we were together on Christmas Eve. I think I had the smallest weight with 7 pounds even and Dallas guessed way over 8 pounds. Everyone else guessed in the mid-7 pound range. That was really fun, to get the family involved.

I am 34 weeks today and really feeling it. I've been feeling out of breath more and more lately and I hate that, plus my vaginal muscles and back have been killing me. 6 more weeks! That's kind of exciting and frightening all at the same time!

Here's how the little one is doing...I have to get back to work now. We're working Sunday thru Wednesday so that I can have a four day weekend this week. Then it's back to the old work schedule, at least until the end of January. :o)

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

See what your baby looks like this week.

SO TIRED.

I'm chalking up my exhaustiveness (is that even a word?) to the fact that I am very pregnant. Or it could be the extra hours they are making us work. Either way, it sucks and all I want to do is lie down and take a nap RIGHT NOW. I was so nervous that I wouldn't have been able to get my house cleaned in time for Christmas morning, but my husband came through and is helping out as much as he can while watching Aidan. I love you honey!!

Yesterday was my monthly OB appointment and all is going well. I gained three pounds since my last visit and Dr. Hulsen said it's a very good sign that the baby is hiccupping. It means his brain is functioning correctly and his neurons are firing and all that, apparently. While measuring my stomach and using the dopplar to listen to Christian's heart, it was determined that he is now head down, which means he's ready for delivery! Well, just about anyway!

I spoke with Dr. Hulsen about going on maternity leave early. He said that if I start dilating early, he's all for it especially since I have to drive so far to work everyday. So yay for that! My next appointment is in two weeks and after that I see him on a weekly basis. :o)

I guess that's all I have to say right now. My mind is very numb from sleepiness so I'm going to go take a walk to wake myself up. In case I don't update before then, Merry Christmas!!

It's almost Christmas!!

It's after 7am on a Sunday and I'm at work. I'm scheduled to work Sunday thru Wednesday from 5 to 1:30 everyday so that I may have Thursday, Friday and Saturday off. I'll be back at work next Sunday as well so that I may have a four day weekend after the New Year. It sucks having to get out of bed when my husband gets to stay home but having those few days off in a row pretty much makes up for it.

Today I am 33 weeks along and I'm feeling very pregnant even though people are still trying to convince me that I'm not "that big." I find myself getting tired easily and even my maternity clothes are starting to feel a bit snug on me. Only 7 more weeks and Christian will be here. That feels like no time at all, actually.

I'm so happy that Christmas is just 4 days away! I can't wait to see the kids faces when they open their presents, especially Aidan's. He's just going to be blown away by what we got for him. I also can't wait to open my presents either!! :o)

Tonight is the CheapTRX Christmas party and I'm looking forward to it, but not looking forward to having to go home early because of work tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not too tired!!

I also have my monthly check-up with Dr. Hulsen tomorrow. After this one, I believe I start seeing him either weekly or bi-weekly. O_o

And now I must return to work but here is how the little baby is this week:

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

32 weeks! Egats!

So I've hit the 8 month mark (even though people don't believe me and they tell me my math is wrong, but I checked What to Expect... twice, and yes, I am in my 8th month) and I'm freaking out a bit. I just have so much stuff to do, but I think we've finally figured out a place for Christian's crib in our room. Granted, it's going to make life a little more difficult for me because it means getting rid of my nightstand (which is covered in books), but such is life.

I've been headache free for over a week now and am super happy about that. It's so nice to feel good again!! We got all of our Christmas shopping finished and everything, sans one gift, is wrapped. We've also decided to hold my side of the family's Christmas Day at our house, instead of my parents house this year. I'm really excited!! I love being a hostess!!

I took Aidan to see Santa on Saturday along with my step-sister and my new niece. Aidan was so excited. I wish I hadn't forgotten to bring my camera because the look on his face was priceless. Granted, he refused to sit on Santa's lap, but he was ecstatic nonetheless.

I don't have much time to update right now, so I'll just go ahead with how Christian is doing this week:

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

A late update.

I'm 30 weeks and will be 31 tomorrow so this update is coming a little late. My health has been suffering since Thanksgiving which is my reason for my lack of blogging. Ever since the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I have had the worst cluster of headaches. I was actually hospitalized overnight (again) and left Anderson with not much more knowledge about what was wrong with me than I did going in. According to my OB and neurologist, I am suffering from pregnancy-related migraine headaches, but according to my regular doctor I have a really bad case of sinusitis. So I have lots of Hydrocodone for the pain (which doesn't really do anything except make me sleepy) and I've been on antibiotics since this past Wednesday. And guess what? I'm still suffering. I wish they could just cut off my head!

Regardless of my health, though, Christian is doing just fine. He's apparently way more healthier than I am, which makes me incredibly happy. I just wish I felt well enough to enjoy it. I haven't been to work since before Thanksgiving and I'm starting to go a little stir crazy, but I really can't do a job where I stare at a computer for 8 to 10 hours per day when my head is pounding. I can take small intervals (such as right now) but after 30 minutes, I need a break. Most of the time, if I take a nap I feel okay for awhile afterwards, but eventually the headaches come back. *sigh*

It sucks because money is going to be extremely tight now and it's Christmastime, which makes it all more depressing. Mark and I have a little nest egg set aside for gifts, but we were planning on splurging it on us and using our regular money on our family. Now it looks like our nest egg will go mostly towards the family, which I really am okay with. Mark is a little sad about it though. Oh well. It's not about receiving anyway, it's about giving.

I'm also freaking out because we literally have like zero room in our house for an extra person. Mark wants to keep Christian in our room, which I was okay with when I thought it was just for a few months. Apparently he wants Christian in our room for like the first year, which means I have to figure out how to squeeze a crib in somewhere and I have no clue how I'm going to do this. I still have like nothing for the baby, with the exception of some of Zeke and Aidan's old clothes that I picked up from Amber's house. I am literally almost at my wits end. I was hoping to obtain some of the baby stuff at Christmastime, but Mark's family isn't planning on buying gifts for Christian until the baby shower, so hopefully my family comes through!!!

But anyway, here is where Christian is this week:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

And here is where Christian will be tomorrow (because I have no clue when I'll jump back on Blogger this week):

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

T-minus 11 weeks and counting...

I am halfway through my 29th week and I can't believe that I have roughly 11 weeks left of this pregnancy. It seems like such a long ways away, but then again with Thanksgiving tomorrow and Christmas in less than a month, I'm sure the time will fly by pretty fast.

As much as I'd like to say that we're ready for Christian, we are so totally NOT. Other than updating our registry and talking a couple of times with Mark's mum and aunt in regards to a baby shower, we really haven't done much in paving the way for child number two. It's not that he's unwanted by any means -- I am ecstatic to be a mommy again. We have just been, well, lazy.

We are so ready for Christmas though! We put up our Christmas tree on Monday night because Aidan was at Mum's and Mark was home, so it seemed like a good time. Usually I put up the tree by myself the day after Thanksgiving, but I didn't know if I'd have the energy to put together a 7 1/2 foot tall tree this year. It was so nice to decorate it with Mark though, after two years of doing it by myself. :o)

We had Aidan's Christmas pictures taken on Monday as well. Thanks to Portrait Innovations we were able to get the prints the same day, so I'm half-way finished addressing my Christmas cards. If all goes well, I will be mailing them on December 1st, which will be a new record for me!

We've talked amongst ourselves about gifts for the family and whatnot, but we really haven't nailed down our Christmas list yet. Mark and I have both been making Amazon Wish Lists for each other, but even that was hard for me. Other than a few books and the most awesome pair of jammies known to man, I don't really have a deep want for the things on my list. :oP Don't get me wrong, everything would be nice to have, but I'm not like dying to have any of the items.

Well, I need to get back to work. It's our last day until the 1st. w00t!! Until next week, here is how Christian is doing:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

See what your baby looks like this week.

It's here.

Today is the day of the dreaded glucose test. I just keep telling myself it's only one hour out of an entire day and that I can deal with that. I'm sure that drinking the glucose stuff isn't even half as bad as I remember, but right now all I can think of is puking my brains out. Wish me luck!

I am officially the biggest klutz in the world. On top of having issues with my kidney's and the Sciatica, I can now add knee pain to that list. Early yesterday afternoon, I decided to stop by Mark's work to spend some time with him. There shop just opened their expansion and I hadn't seen that either, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. We walked down Grand and had lunch at this super yummy place called the Gelateria. I had the best hot ham and cheese sandwich ever made, by the way. I highly recommend it.

Anyway, on our way back to the shop, I tripped on the sidewalk but instead of just tripping myself up a few steps, I did an almost face-plant on the concrete. Luckily I sometimes have the reflexes of a cat, and threw my purse as I was falling down so that I could throw my hands out in front of me, protecting my tummy from damage. Unfortunately in doing so I skinned up my palms pretty bad, but other than that I felt okay.

Mark showed he was the best husband ever because not once did he laugh at me. He took me inside the shop to clean me up and while he was disinfecting my hands, I told him that my left knee was bothering me. I was a little aggravated because the fall tore a whole in my expensive maternity khaki's, but that wasn't the worst of it. Mark lifted up my pant leg to expose a huge abrasion and my knee began to swell. Whenever I put weight down on it, my kneecap just didn't feel right.

William, Mark's boss, got out the first aid kit and put some Neosporin on the abrasion and put a big piece of gauze over it. My knee was throbbing by this time, so I thought it would be a good idea to go to the Urgent Care center to be looked at. So I drove all the way back to Illinois to the Urgent Care center in Edwardsville. Luckily they weren't busy at all and I got right in. Unfortunately I was stuck with the same jackass doctor who told me I had asthma or acid reflux last year when really all I had was a sinus infection. So the visit didn't go all that well.

First off, he wanted to X-ray me and when I asked him if that was safe for the baby, he looked at me as if I had sprouted another head on my shoulders. He was like, "Baby?" and I told him I was 7 months pregnant. Then he basically refused to treat me. He said there was nothing he could do for me but he did want to give me a tetanus shot. Um. Why? It wasn't like I tripped on the sidewalk and fell on a rusty nail. I told him I wasn't comfortable with that and that I would update my tetanus shot after the baby was born.

So what did he do? He gave me a prescription for antibiotics and sent me on my way, with instructions to keep my knee iced and elevated until Monday. Why antibiotics? I guess he figured that I would get a mean infection from my non-wound. WTF? That guy was a total quack.

Mark and I collectively decided not to get the antibiotics filled and just talk to Dr. Hulsen today. Because I was feeling rather poopy (and sore!) last night, I decided to forego seeing "Twilight" at midnight and catch it sometime today. I came home, elevated my knee and iced it for 20 minutes every hour until I went to sleep. I can walk on my knee today, but it still hurts like a bitch. Taking a shower was the WORST. It burned so bad. It's still really swollen and I'm starting to develop one of those gross blue-ish purple bruises on it.

I'm just glad the baby is okay. It's weird, all day yesterday something just didn't feel right. Like driving to work, I felt like everyone was being really reckless and I just felt like something would happen. I'm just glad it was me bumping my knee on the sidewalk and not something much, much worse.

Well, I should get my butt in gear and eat some breakfast. Looks like a bland morning of toast and a banana for me! Yum!!

Why I am not a math wiz.

I was wrong last week. NOW I'm in my third trimester. :oP I kept thinking to myself, "That just doesn't sound right," so in the middle of last week I opened up my copy of What to Expect... and realized that I was a week off. Ah well.

This week is the dreaded glucose test. I took the entire day off of work because I wasn't about to sit and wait all day to take the test and I really didn't feel like taking the test and then go to work. So I'm taking the test at 9:15 and then I'll have the rest of the day to recover. :oP I'm sure it won't be horrid at all, but I'm such a baby about doing stuff I hate.

Mark and I went to Walmart last night and messed with the baby registry. I have to say, Walmart kind of sucks. They really didn't have much, so I'm going to have to go online and make sure that I have everything on there that I want. Mark's mum has decided to throw me my baby shower after Christmas, so that should be fun!

I bought Christian a bib that says "I love my Big Brother." :o) It's so cute!

Other than that, not much is going on.

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Baby Center says that the baby is only 14 and some inches whereas What to Expect... says the baby is around 16 inches. :oP

We have reached the final frontier...

I am officially in my third trimester as of today! w00t! We're in the homestretch! I just have to get through the next 13 weeks and then I'll be able to hold, cuddle, kiss and play with my new little boy! Omigosh. I think the reality of it just hit me. I have only 13 weeks to get everything together and other than an outfit, some socks and a pair of pj's, I have nothing for Christian. Egats! Thank God for Christmas!

We had some excitement this week -- I spent Wednesday and half of Thursday in the hospital. That was obviously completely unexpected. I woke up Wednesday feeling just fine and even remarked to myself on the way to work how uneventful this pregnancy has been (in a good way). Around a quarter to 7, I started to cramp and then my back began to hurt. I kind of brushed it off for awhile but then when the pain got so bad that I couldn't sit at my desk, I began to worry. I called my OB's office, but they were closed so I had to page the doctor on-call. Dr. Dalla Riva called me back and asked me the usual questions (was I bleeding, etc.) and then said I should probably scoot my butt up to the office to be looked at.

I left work feeling like I was going to be back there in no time. I even left some of my work on my co-workers desk because I figured I would be back. Mark went with me up to the doctor's office and I'm so glad because driving while you're in that kind of pain sucks. I had to wait forever to see Dr. Hulsen because I didn't have an appointment which really sucked too. When I finally got to see the doctor, he checked my cervix and said it was long and closed which meant that Christian wasn't attempting to come anytime soon but there was blood in my urine and he was concerned about a kidney infection.

So I was sent down to Labor & Delivery to be monitored, get some IV fluids and have an ultrasound on my kidneys. Christian was just fine the entire time, but I was having small contractions which they said was probably just my uterus being aggravated by the back pain. The ultrasound came back to show that I am retaining fluid on my right kidney and it could be because I'm trying to pass a stone or just because my ureters are dilated because of the pregnancy.

Dr. Hulsen and the urologist decided to keep me overnight for observation, making sure I didn't get a fever or my white blood cell count didn't elevate. Ug. I hate staying in the hospital and I hate staying in the hospital hooked up to an IV even more. I hardly slept because of the hard bed and the fact that I had to pee every five minutes. I couldn't eat anything in case they had to take me into surgery to put a stint in my kidney, so I was STARVING. The nurses weren't exactly accomodating either. It was the worst.

I was able to go home Thursday after they checked my white blood cell count, which was better than the day before (probably due to the huge dose of antibiotics they gave me through my IV on Wednesday). They also hooked me up to the fetal monitor just to make sure Christian was doing okay as well, which he was. By noon, I was at home in bed, eating a Big Mac and watching "Stepbrothers" with my husband. That was where I was the happiest.

I still wasn't feeling 100% on Friday so I stayed home from work. Saturday though, I had enough energy to match Aidan which is saying something. I almost got all of the laundry done! Unfortunately, my back pain kicked in early in the afternoon and that shot me down for the rest of the evening. I finally broke down about 2am this morning and took one of the Hydrocodone that Dr. Hulsen prescribed me, but it didn't help whatsoever. Obviously the pain meds they gave me at the hospital were of a much higher dose. :oP

I'm okay this morning just dealing with a cranky 3 year old, who's pissed because I won't let him have his binkie unless it's bedtime or naptime. He keeps trying to tell me he's tired, but Momma didn't raise no fool. He pulled that with me yesterday and ran around for 4 hours with his binkie before he actually took the nap he said he wanted. *sigh*

Anyway, here's where I am this week:

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

*snore*

I'm a little out of it this morning. I was feeling really nauseous so I took a pill and it has knocked me flat. All I really want to do is go to sleep. For now I'm just sitting at my desk, feeling like a zombie because there isn't much else I can do. :oP

I'm 26 weeks today and according to the Baby Gaga website this is my last week before my third trimester, however according to What to Expect When You're Expecting, I will be in my third trimester in 2 weeks. *sigh* Everyone has a different opinion apparently!! I think I'll just go along with Baby Gaga because I'm sooo ready to be further along in my pregnancy!

Thursday afternoon I bought Christian his first outfit, a pair of footie pajama's and some socks. They're so cute! I finally told Mark that I didn't care what he or his mum thought, I felt it was high time I did some baby shopping!! I just don't remember clothes being so expensive, even for Wal-Mart. That's the sign of the times, I guess.

I also had to go out and by more clothes for myself. I couldn't fit into the jeans I had just bought a month or so ago anymore. O_o They were too tight around the butt/thighs area and one of the pairs I bought started tearing where the belly band meets the jeans part. *sigh* I hope I don't get any bigger otherwise I'll be going into the extra-large's and that would really depress me.

I'm so excited that November is here because now I can start planning my Thanksgiving dinner!! Mark and I made our first turkey together last year and it was a lot of fun. I am super excited for this holiday season. I'm going to try to make the most of it. I just wish the weather would cooperate. 74 degree weather in November is just not cool in my book, unless you live in Hawaii.

Well, I think I'm going to take a bit of a nap before breaktime ends so here's where I am this week:

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

25 weeks!!

My six month check-up went well, although I didn't see Dr. Dalla Riva as I had expected. I got stuck with his nurse practitioner who was kind of annoying and had bad breath. Yuck. Everything is going as planned, nothing really to report. Dr. Hulsen doesn't usually measure the size of my stomach but if I remember right, the inches are supposed to match the number of weeks that you are pregnant. At the time I was 24 weeks but my stomach measured at 27, so that was interesting considering I hear everyday how "small" I am, when actually I'm measuring bigger than I should be!!

My step-sister was induced three weeks early on Friday. She had her baby girl, Chelsie, at 9:30pm on Friday night and even though she was three weeks early, Chelsie weighed a whopping 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long, which leads me to believe that Crystal may have been off on how far along she was. I mean, gosh, if she had had the baby "full term" she might have been like 10 pounds!!

I've been sick with some sort of bug since Thursday so I haven't seen the new baby yet. I was planning on waiting until they came home from the hospital anyway.

Halloween is this Friday and I'm neither excited or unexcited. I'm planning on taking Aidan up to the VFW where they have a Halloween party every year with a bonfire and games and all that. I'm taking him by myself which means we'll probably leave after 20 minutes because Aidan has a terrible time behaving himself as of late. I hate it that Mark has to work and I get to do all these things by myself but what can you do? He already has appointments for that day and it's a Friday, which is usually a busy day at the shop.

I guess that's about it for now. Here's where I am this week:

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

See what's going on in your uterus this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

24 weeks!

I've been feeling really sore lately. I guess it's just my tummy muscles stretching, but at the same time I can't distinguish if maybe I'm having Braxton Hicks, which sometimes start around now. Sometimes I feel just plain sore, and other times I feel really crampy. Nothing feels abnormal enough for me to alert my doctor though, so I'm just taking it all in stride.

Yesterday was my step-sister's baby shower and it really got me in the mood to have one of my own. :oP Even though I don't have anything for the baby yet, I still feel way more prepared this time around, maybe that's because I know what to expect both labor-wise and what I'll need item-wise. You should have seen my sister's face when me and another gal were trying to explain the different types of diapers to her and which ones were our favorites (the girl and I both agreed that we love Pampers). She looked like she was about to have a panic attack. I told her to just try every brand and stick with what works best for her. I know (like I said) that I love the Pampers, however, for the longest time my sister Amber didn't mind using the cheapy Wal-Mart "Parents Choice" kind for her kids. Eventually she switched to Huggies, because the cheap ones leaked too much. Me personally? I can't stand Huggies.They're overpriced and I've never had good luck with them. I don't like the tabs on them and they run larger than regular diapers so it's hard to gauge which ones to get.

But yeah, my step-sister got a lot of really cute stuff (mostly clothes and mostly pink) which made me want to go shopping! :oP

Tomorrow is my monthly check-up but this time I'll be seeing the other doctor at my OB office, Dr. Dalla Riva. He's actually the doctor I initially wanted to see but I didn't think he took my insurance. :oP Dr. Hulsen is out of town and he wanted me to see Dr. Dalla Riva anyway in the even that I have Christian on a weekend in which he's not on-call. Allison loves him so I'm sure I will too.

So here's where I stand for this week:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb.

Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Well, it's back to work for me. Ug. I hate Monday's. Working 10 hours is so exhausting!!

I've hit the 6 month mark!!

How your baby's growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

It's the little things...

I went and got my haircut today for the first time in forever. I didn't get much cut off, just mostly a trim but I did have her give my bangs a good cut. They're now about a 1/2 inch shorter than what they were (they were past my nose, now they're right at my eyebrows) and I feel like a new woman. :o) I am very pleased with my new 'do and I'm sure Mark will be too. He didn't mind I was getting my haircut but he's always really suspicious because he's sure one of these days I'm going to come home with a buzz cut. He'll be pleasantly suprised at how much hair I didn't cut off!

I joined a new forum online TwilightMOMS. I really like being apart of their group, so far. Unfortunately I've already been chastised for posting a topic in the wrong place on my first day. God forbid. Some moderators are so effin' touchy. I'm new, okay? Give me a break! Sheesh.

Unlike the original forum I joined, this group is for ladies who are over the age of 25 and/or have children and/or are married. So its nice that not every other post is "OMG. Edward is SOooOo HAWT!" I just about had it with Twilight Source when a bunch of preteens freaked out because they're doing a podcast at 10:30 in the morning and *gasp* they're all going to be in school! How dare they do a live podcast when (according to the teeny-boppers) all their "fans" wouldn't be able to listen. *rolls eyes*

At TwilightMOMS they talk about "Twilight," of course, but we also discuss other things including TV shows, music, personal issues, etc. It's nice.

***

Pregnancy-wise, I've had the worst heartburn lately. Ew. I hate heartburn. Other than that, I've been feeling pretty good. I've been craving chocolate milk which sucks because once I drink it, within an hour I feel awful. I hate being lactose intolerant. It really puts a damper on eating anything good like ice cream and cereal. *pouts* And yes, I've tried Lactaid tablets, Lactaid milk and even soy milk. They all make me sick. I don't know what my deal is.

Well I'm feeling a tad drowsy so I'm going to lay down with Aidan for a bit then get up and do some laundry. ET is having a sneak peek at the new "Twilight" trailer at 6:30 and then "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy" come after that, so it should be an exciting night, entertainment-wise.

Yeah. I'm a dork.