What's on the iPod

Now and again I'll rediscover a song that I love on my iPod. It's been awhile since I really listened to Neil Young. However, on the iPod came Good to See You from Silver and Gold album. I listen to it and can't help but think of the times I listened to it with friends and hoping to soon listen to it with them again soon. Miss you all more than you know. Download it and reminisce on good times.

Third Trimester

Well, a lot of realizations have been happening this week. I went to the Doctor yesterday and had my glucose test. All the things I had heard about it was so dramatic. "I threw up when I drank the stuff", "I was so nervous about failing it", "You're not supposed to eat or drink anything before otherwise you'll fail and have to take it for three hours", "you'll probably pass out because they'll take blood and you drank all that sugary stuff" etc. I drank the stuff, it was good, it tasted like fruit punch. It didn't have as much sugar as my daily Mt. Dew. I got there, they pricked my finger and came in and said okay, you passed. I smiled said thank you and was on my way. I know I'm very lucky that a lot of other people have issues with this part, but I realized that people are much more dramatic than necessary. I am just going to stop listening to people especially those people who don't even have kids!

I am now in my third trimester, which means I'm 7 months along. Someone said, oh you only have ___ weeks left. Then it hit me. We're now at the point where we're counting down to the birth. I am now going to the Doctor every two weeks to be checked as if I could go at any second. This is all becoming a reality. Um, could we talk about this for a second? How is this going to go?

Robert and I are going to try to take this last trimester a little more easy than we have the past ones. We've successfully ignored the fact that our lives are going to change in three months. Why fret and prepare for something that is so far away. Well, now I'm huge and only getting bigger and we think it's just about time to get the crib together, buy the rest of the stuff that we need for the baby and take some time to relax, not work so much and enjoy our time together. It's going to be a world of change ahead and we need to enjoy each other now. We're excited about this next chapter. It's been an interesting journey and we're not realizing just how quickly the time has gone.

I hope that you all have a restful and fun weekend. For those of you who are going our for beers, have one for me. I hope to be able to post pictures of the crib next week.

Pregnancy in Philadelphia

Well, I continue this blog in Philadelphia. It's about 4:30 in the morning and instead of sleeping like he rest of the world, I'm up. It hasn't been happening a lot, but enough, I can't sleep. I wonder if it is the baby or my body just preparing me for no sleep when the baby arrives, but it's something. It's happened only a few times, I go to bed and I'm so tired. I just lay there....all...night...long. About 4 am I get so frustrated that I get up and do something just to see if that will help. I'm in Philadelphia for work, so there is only so much you can do in a hotel room at 4 am, so I'm writing in this blog.

It's funny to be back in a big city again. I've never been to Philly and to be honest, I don't care to see it. I think it is different to travel alone and discover a city when you're young and alone. I have found it's another thing when you're pregnant. You just feel as though you have to protect yourself now. I walked (well, waddled) around a little bit last night, but then realized, I just don't care about the city. I look at the diversity and think, been there- done that. Take me back to my little town in the South and they can keep their big city. It's funny how time changes you. I don't see the appeal anymore to the smell, the noise and the weird people. I will always visit, but it's just not for me anymore.

I'm heading home tomorrow and I look forward to it. This was a symbol of my last travel as a non-mom. It's not as easy as it once was as I am not the young girl I use to be. Frankly, I welcome the changes, I smile at the past adventures of traveling with work, but I am happy to see them pass me by. I'm ready to go home.

I wish you all a solid night's sleep.

Mo

I'm the Alien's Mother

This weekend we spent nesting. We didn't nest like typical people, Robert cleaned the attic out and I went through a ton of old papers and shredded. Our nursery still isn't put together, but thank God those papers are gone (note the sarcasm). We did get our baby's dresser though and there was no assembly required therefore, I can say that we have completed one piece of furniture.

We had the bad storm come though on Sunday and we spend the majority of the day and night without any power. We read a lot and it was actually nice. No major damage besides a few limbs down, but a tree fell on the light post across the street and mangled it. They clocked wind speeds here at 70 miles per hour. It was a good taste of what a hurricane can do.

The baby is progressing nicely. It's starting to get bigger and move a lot more. The kicks are more like kicks instead of thumps. They wake me up in the night and I realize that the baby is a night owl as he/she is quiet during the day. The other night while laying in bed reading (this is the time where he/she really gets going), I felt this strange pulling feeling on my stomach. It was like skin tightening on the outside. I pulled my shirt up and looked down and my stomach was oblong and had a lump sticking out the front. I looked at Robert and he looked at me. I said, what the hell is that? Then I put my hand on the round part and it was hard. I said, "oh my God, I think that is the baby's head!" Robert and I immediately went "eewwww, that is so strange". I laughed pushed on it gently and Robert said, "Don't! You'll poke the baby's eyes!" I, of course, laughed and we watched as it shifted and went back down. It was the craziest thing I've seen yet. It's only done it once after that and I'm realizing just how big this thing is getting.

I'm leaving on Sunday for Philadelphia for a night. It's a work trip and very short, so I won't be able to do any sight seeing. I'm excited to have this small one night trip alone. I realize that this is probably, and hopefully, the last trip that I will take alone for a very long time. It will be good to be in a crappy hotel working on my laptop and a client site to fondly remember my consulting days. I will salute them as they were wonderful to me, but I smile as I take a large step in to motherhood. What a beautiful progression.

We have some friends coming in to town over Memorial Day. Robert and I are looking forward to seeing them. We miss all of our friends so much, so we're really looking forward to being with people our age and having fun. The schedule for the Jones Inn is getting pretty full after the baby is born, so it is really nice to have something to look forward to before the baby arrives.

I didn't want to comment on the Virginia Tech thing, but it seems to warrant itself in this post. I guess when you're carrying a child, you look at things in a different light. I haven't turned on the radio or the TV in two days trying to avoid the non-stop media sensationalism of it all. I pray for the victims family, I pray for the person who did it and most of all I just pray that something will make all this madness stop. I hope more people will stop supporting "dooms day" media outlets who focus non-stop on nothing but sex, death and propaganda. I hope we will all spend a little less time on watching what other people do and focus back on our communities, our families and how we can make things better. Just think how much the world would change if a percentage of people did that. I guess I just look at things in a different light and think what is it going to be like when my child grows up? I think every parent feels that way, it's just my turn.

Easter Pictures

Well, it's been awhile since I last posted. Frankly, not a whole lot has been happening. Robert and I enjoyed our Easter Sunday. We went to Mass and then spent the rest of the day actually resting. It was a beautiful day for us. I took some recent pictures of my ever expanding belly. Just as I think I can't possibly get bigger, I take a side profile look and shake my head. Then I bend down and realize I have to grab something to get back up. It's such a strange experience.

Anniversary

Today marks our second wedding anniversary. It's hard to think that only two short years ago we were living in Huntsville gathered around all our friends and family celebrating our marriage. We've done so much and come so far both in our life and marriage.

I am very proud of our marriage. I think we have such a great friendship and our love grows with each day. It is a very solid marriage and I know that we can go through anything together. We've both grown, matured and blossomed over the last two years. I couldn't be happier or more proud to be his wife.

Cotton is the traditional gift for the second anniversary. Anyone who knows Robert well, knows that he can come up with the most thoughtful and creative gifts. For example, our first anniversary, it was paper. He took some of my photographs that I had taken and got a custom frame made. I can open up the frame and change out the pictures as I want. Technically, it was paper. This year, though we haven't exchanged presents he told me the gift that he was going to get. A cotton hammock- what an original gift!. He told me that he didn't get it because he thought that my big belly would get in and not be able to get out of it. I'm passing it along to those of you who need a gift for year two-that is a great idea.

Movie Review: The Breach. Robert and I went to see this movie this weekend. We're both HUGE fans of Chris Cooper and think that he is one of the best actors. Though he always plays a supporting role, he always breaks though in every role. We had to see this movie as he was a lead. He stunned us with his acting ability. However, Ryan Phillipe sucked. He is a terrible actor and should be working off Broadway some where. Overall, it was a good movie if you can get past Ryan. Worth going to see to see Chris Cooper shine.