Warning: Rambling ahead!

So, my friend Duck posted a blog today that got me thinking. This started out as a comment to her, but I thought is was worthy enough to share here and I had more thoughts to add.

This whole blogosphere thing is so strange when I really stop to think about it. I read so many blogs and I feel that I truly know and understand these women (I read mostly female blogs. Mostly dealing infertility). Some of them I wonder if I have ever even commented on. They don't even know I'm out there, living their story along with them. Sometimes I feel awkward. Should I let them know I'm here? A complete stranger. Laughing and crying, hoping and feeling bitter with them. Or would it be scary to think that some strange person knows their trials and tribulations?

When I first started blogging, and finding new blogs, I came across one that I followed for awhile. I commented now and then. One day, the girl commented back. She said, "Thanks, but how did you find my blog?" I was embarrased. I felt like maybe I'd been intruding. And I honestly couldn't remember how I'd found her blog. Probably through the random clicking on someone else's blog list. Either way, I never went back to that blog. I erased the link. Probably not what she meant at all, but I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Since then, I've been much more reserved in my commenting. I know that I LOVE comments, but maybe others really just want to use this space as a place to journal and maybe keep in touch with family and friends. And I try to respect that.

Not all are strangers though. Some I have established a relationship with. Whether through blogs or message boards, there are women I have never really met that I now think of as "friends." People that have shown so much support and joy and sorrow to a complete stranger. I don't even know if they realize how much it all has meant. I wonder if we will ever truly meet. Ever really "talk" to each other. Would we get along as well in reality as we do in the anonymity of the internet?

Do any of you have these thoughts? Do you comment away? Or do you do a lot of lurking like me? If you're a lurker here, please feel free to comment me. I promise I will try not to scare you off. :)

Blech!

Apparently, I need to find a new toothpaste. Crest Whitning with Scope and the baby apprently don't agree with each other. Like, I actually threw up this morning after brushing my teeth. (It was wonderful, let me tell you.) And I hate vomiting (then again, does anyone like it? I didn't think so.) It makes me cry and sniffle and cry some more. Luckily, I hadn't put on my makeup yet.

But then of course I'm faced with a dilemma: to brush again or no? I decided no, rinsed really well with water and used mouthwash. Sorry for the TMI, but I could just see a constant circle forming. Brush, vomit, repeat.

So, any new toothpaste suggestions?

Stupid, stupid neighbors!

I'll give more details on the crappy situation they've put us in later, but suffice it to say I can't stand my neighbors. Remember the ones whose dog jumped MY fence, came into MY yard, and attacked MY foster dog? Yeah those ones. They're now trying to say that they shouldn't have to pay for the vet bill because "We're getting rid of the dog."
So apparently, if I shot one of their kids and then got rid of the gun, I shouldn't have any consequences? I seriously can't stand people right now. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRG!

Normal?

So, I hardly ever weigh myself. Comes from years of being overweight I suppose. But this morning I really wanted to know how much I've gained. My jeans are all pretty tight now even though I'm still not showing a damn thing. So anyways, I got on the scale. And I've LOST 10 pounds. Is that normal? Is it hurting the baby? I knew peoplw lost weight during pregnancy but I thought it was due to morning sickness and stuff. I'm able to keep all of my food down and have been throughout the pregnancy. Please just tell me I'm crazy. And then tell me that I'm not suddenly going to gain a bazillon pounds now that I've voiced concerns over this lost weight.

Howie's Home!

Well, back to us at least. He hasn't been adopted yet so no "home" for him yet. He was thin to begin with but now he's even thinner because he didn't eat at the vet for two days. He's gaggy and coughy because of the huge seroma (a fluid filled lump the doctor says will go away on its own) on his throat. But overall, he seem pretty happy to be back. He's curled up next to me under a blanket right now. He's such a sweetie. Thanks for all the well wishes.

Also, today I am going to see Twilight with my mom and little sister. Yes, we are all in love with a fictional story and fictional characters. I'm trying to keep an open mind about the movie. I know that there is no way that it's going to be anywhere close to as good as the book. And they're probably going to change things around and omit stuff that I think needs to be in there. But, I am hoping that I still enjoy the movie. It's been awhile since I read it so at least all of the details aren't completely fresh in my mind.

Have any of you seen the movie? Like, love it, hate it? Have you read the books? Are you as in love as I am? Haha! Have a great Sunday everyone!

A long overdue update.

First and foremost, I am officially in my second trimester. Hooray!!! Now I just have to hope that everything is progressing normally in there. My next doctor's appointment is on Dec 4th so I'll have to wait it out. ::sigh::

In other not so great news, our foster pug Howie was attacked last night. The people in the house behind us have two bigs dogs and one jumped over the fence and got Howie. Luckily, Mike ran outside as soon as he heard the disturbance and got the dogs inside (Chiisai didn't get touched). He called me, I called the pug rescue, and I got him to the vet ASAP. They kept him overnight and are still keeping him tonight. He's not eating, he's running a fever, and he has fluids filling up his neck where he got bit. The vet has him on IV antibiotics and won't let him come home until the fever breaks and he's eating (completely understandable).

I know there's nothing that we could have done to prevent it, but I still feel horrible. I'm really hoping that he pulls through this. I don't know how I could handle losing another pug after what happened with Yoda. Please keep little Howie in your thoughts.

Just so you know

Umm, and I don't really eat breakfast. But I guess if it's pancakes at 10:02, I'd be all over it! :)What time are you?

Guilty pleasures

Ben and Jerry's Creme Brulee OMG this stuff is sooooooooo good!!! Usually I'm all about the Phish Food (is that band even still around?) but it was nowhere to be found at the store yesterday. So I sat(well stood) staring at the freezer full of pints of ice cream. So many choices. I decided to try the Creme Brulee. And I am soooooooooo happy that I did. It's only 2:00 and I want some. Now! But I will force myself to finish this post. (See, I have outstanding willpower. Bwahahahahaha!)

Worst Jobs in History is hilarious, entertaining, AND educational. SCORE! The History International Channel had a mini marathon of this show yesterday and I was hooked. As a pregnant woman with a questionable stomach, I probably shouldn't have watched though. Would you care for some worm soup? Oh yes, it was a remedy for sickness back in the day. Blech!!! Take a gander though some of those jobs. Makes me so grateful that I live in these times. With my luck I would be the one that had to walk around in stale urine. ::gag::

Ninja Warrior Probably my most geeky guilty pleasures. I mean come on, it's on G4TV (aka the geek channel). Seriously though, some of these people are amazing. Some are truly and utterly laughable. And that's what makes it fun to watch. Just watch the video of "American Ninja" Levi. He's a freerunner and he's frickin'awesome!



What is your guilty pleasure? Have I turned you on to any of mine?

Respect the TURKEY!

Christmas lights should be banned until at least the day after Thanksgiving.

Anyone with me? Anyone? ::crickets::

Now, I don't think of myself as a humbug or anything, but our neighbors down the street already have their lights up and turned ON. Come on people! I understand wanting to get them up early so that you can turn them on ASAP after the turkey has been eaten but geez! Fine. Put them up. You can't turn them on for another two weeks though. Ok?

Oh, and I'm 12 weeks today! Hooray second trimester!!!

Howie

We have a new foster. I know, it's been a long time right? I just picked him up from the vet. He's all caught up on shots and got neutered. Now he's wandering around my upstairs looking sad and forlorn. Seriously, one of the most pitiful pug faces I've ever seen. If I could find my camera I would so post a picture. But he's absolutely adorable.

I don't know what his story is. But, it looks like his previous owners didn't take very good care of him. He's soooooo thin. I can see all his ribs and his hip bones. It's very sad. I can see that with good nutrution and love though, he'll be an amazing looking pug. For now he's wandering with his tail down low and his back end tucked under as if he's afraid he's going to get hit. Sometimes people make me so mad. Why get a pet if you're not going to treat it as a family member?! Arg!

Anyways, that's it for now. I'll try to post pics ASAP.

And you learn something new every day

First, please notice the ticker. I am under 200 days!

Second, did you know that your body's chemistry changes during pregnancy? Yes you say? Did you know that I can affect how your hair accepts things like perms and hair color? Ah yes, apparently this baby does not want mommy to have blonde highlights. It would much rather have a mommy with half brassy, half platinum highlights. It's quite lovely, let me tell you. My poor stylist has been doing my hair for, well, about 17 years and she was at a loss. We have NEVER had any trouble with my hair lifting color. In fact, she has never had trouble with anyone's hair color ever being affected by pregnancy. She had heard it could happen, but never seen it. Hooray, I go down in history. She did all she could to help it, but it's still pretty bad. ::sigh::

So, warning to all....Beware the blonde during pregnancy!

I'm not at work!

Hahahahahaahah! I have a nice FOUR DAY weekend. Since Veteran's Day is Tuesday, the school district gave us Monday and Tuesday off. Such a huge relief. I had another yucky feeling weekend and so I was very glad that I didn't have to wake up and deal with my classroom today. :D

I'm back into another "I'm just not hungry" phase. I'm also having a really hard time drinking enough water. I know, I'm a bad pregnant lady. But I'm doing the best I can.

In other "bad" pregnant lady news, I'm getting my hair done today. (It's not really bad. I asked my doctor and he said it was fine as long as I was in a well ventilated place.) I'm so excited! My blonde highlights really need to be touched up and my hair has gotten so long. (well, longer than I would like it.) Those are some of the great side effects of prenatal vitamins. Your hair and nails grow like crazy! Even I, who has NEVER been able to grow my nails out, have much longer and stronger nails. I think I may keep taking the prenatals even when I don't need to. lol.

Mmmm...food....

Can you count an entire food group as a craving? All I want is vegetables. Specifically, salad and squash. Oh, and potatoes. Oooh, and yams. Grilled corn sounds good too (too bad I don't have a grill). Oh, just bring me over a farm and I'd be happy. Do any of you have any easy veggie recipes that the crazy pregnant lady can try?

Check me out!

I'm past 11 weeks! Officially the most pregnant I've ever been! WooHoo!

Still not looking pregnant. I can feel that I'm getting bigger. My underwear are tighter and by the end if the day, I definitely have to unbutton my pants. I plan on starting to take belly pics next week. If I'll share them on here, I don't know yet. Believe me people (although most of you know me IRL), I am not a tiny person. I'm not humongous but I am definitely heavy. I don't think I'll really be showing any time soon.

Speaking of, well, pregnancy I guess, a few people at work know. Literally, 3. One woman knew the day I found out. She was one person that I confided in about out IF and so she checked up on me periodically. She'd ask, "So, how are ... things?" with a lifted eyebrow. I'd answer back, "nothing special." Well, in our last 2ww, she happened to ask and I answered back, "we'll know in two weeks." She had a huge smile and said, "Well then, I'll ask again in two weeks." The day that I found out, we had a luncheon at work. She was standing next to me in line and looked at me questioningly. I smiled a huge smile and gave her two thumbs up. If she could have, I think she would have screamed and gone running around the building. But she didn't. She smiled and squeezed my hand. Then she said how happy she was and that I needed to bring a video to the ultrasound because they would tape it for you. :)

My VP knows because, strangely, I ran into her when I was leaving the doctor's office after my appointment Tuesday. She was leaving at the same time I was and we rode the elevator down together. Weird. Completely weird. I was holding a package of prenatal vitamins and a "Congratulations on your new pregnancy" booklet. I figured I should spill. She seemed happy enough and said congrats.

Then, somehow, my librarian found out. I really don't mind that she knows. I love her and she kinda knew about our IF. I think lady #1 tipped her off (they're really good friends). She grabbed me on the way to morning lineup and said, "So, you had a doctor's appointment yesterday....?" "Yes," I answered. "And....?" "It was with a doctor." "It was with a baby doctor though, right?" This caught me off guard. "Umm, yeah." "And......." "I'm definitely pregnant." She made a slight squealing noise and told me how excited she was for me. She said she kept looking around at all the pregnant women at school and thinking that it must be killing me. She was so glad that it was finally my turn. Me too!

Anyways, that's my update. I know it's long and rambly but I wanted to get it out there. I hope you're all doing well.

A day of interest :)

Lots of things today. Voting, doctor, and morning sickness.

Ah yes, I had my first bout of morning sickness. Luckily, just a few minutes of gagging and dry heaves with spit and it was over. Here's to hoping that's the extent of my experience with this lovely symptom. :) (although if it means delivering a healthy baby, I'll take it every day)

The doctor's appointment was not what I was expecting. I was prepared to have an exam or at least have him use the doppler to hear the heartbeat. Nope. Nothing. Told me the due date (note the ticker change) and set up another appointment. Asked if I had any questions. That was it. Luckily, he did answer all of my questions. Surprising news (that made my day): I can have sushi! Now mind you, the only "raw" sushi I eat is seared ahi, but I love it soooooo much. I think maybe I'll try to talk Mike into going this weekend. Yum! I can also have hot dogs and lunch meat. And I only need to keep taking the Metformin for 2 more weeks. Hooray again!

Then, they took my blood. Lots and lots of it. 7 vials of it. Well, 6 and then the tech looked at the order again and realized that he'd missed one. So he stuck me AGAIN! I hate needles and have mild panic attacks when they're needed. I wanted to throttle that tech. But it's over and no more for another 4 weeks as long as all stays good. :)

Me and "the blob" voted today. Yes, my voice was heard. I did everything in my power to make the nation the way I want it. I have a sticker to prove it! We'll see what happens. ::watches CNN:: How many of you are with me?

Vote, vote. Votey, vote vote!

Alright, so as I am hoping all of you know, tomorrow is election day. I am so fricking overwhelmed by this whole thing to tell you the truth. I know who I'm voting for, have my sample ballot all filled out and ready to go tomorrow, and am so anxious to watch the news tomorrow as the ballots come in. Traditionally, my state is red. Like, red, red, scarlet red. But all of the talk that I'm hearing is Obama, Obama, Obama. So it will be really interesting to see what happens.

In the interest of trying to get my students involved in politics early, we had a vote today. They have been talking on and off about the presidential candidates for weeks now. Did you know that the election is being discussed on channels such as Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon? Yeah. Craziness.

Anyways, we had a long discussion on what it means to be an "informed voter." That means not just voting for who your parents are saying you should or because you think the person is pretty or has the right color skin. We talked about what we know about the candidates (one of my girls knew a whole heck of a lot!) and what we wanted to know. Lots of the questions were things like "how old is he?", "is he married?", and "does he have kids?" These questions were answered my a wonderful Scholastic News article I had. Hooray!

After those all important questions were answered, we hopped over to the computer and checked out this site. We looked at each of the candidates bios and stats and then chose two issues that we wanted to know more about. The kids chose "war in Iraq" and "education." (I swear to you, I had absolutely NO say in what they picked.) We compared and contrasted where each candidate stood and talkde about what we thought about that. (Truly, I tried so hard not to be biased. There were a few things that I had to make into more kids friendly terms and it was really difficult for me to stick to what the words said. But I think I managed it pretty well.)

Then, we held our "election." I talked about how you're allowed to vote for whoever you want. It doesn't matter if everyone else around you is voting for someone else, you can vote what you believe is right. I also gave them the option of choosing "none of the above" because I want them to know that that's a valid option. End results ::drum roll please::..........................

Obama: 81% (13/16 votes)
McCain: 19% (3/16 votes)

Tada! And I think my kids are REALLY into seeing what happens tomorrow now. I guess we all just have to wait and see. ::shivers in antici........pation:: :)

It's November ALREADY!

I cannot believe how fast time is going. Anyone else?

I've had a very nice three day weekend. Ah yes, one of the perks of living in Nevada is getting "Nevada Day" off. Nevada became a state on October 31st and so we get a three day weekend toward the end of October. When I was a kid, we always got Halloween off and it was awesome! A few years ago, they changed the observed day to the last Friday of the month. Some years, like this year, everything works together and we get a three day Halloween weekend. Yaaay!

Our Halloween was very boring. We don't get trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood, so Mike and I went to a party. We didn't know many people and so we didn't stay too long. I was tired and feeling yucky. But I got to see some of the cutest costumes.

I've continues to feel yucky throughout the weekend. I spent the weekend laying around and sleeping. I've started and finished two books. Mike has been taking care of me. It's been nice (aside from the yuckiness).

This coming week should be nice as well. My first appt with the doctor is Tuesday. I don't know what to expect. I guess I'll find out then. I think I'll switch practices after this appointment though. I'm tired of the hugeness of this one. As well as the feeling that no one really cares and the waiting on hold FOREVER any time I call. We'll see what happens.

How was your Halloween? And do you get a day off in your state? I know some people get Columbus Day off. Are you one of them?

Ah, the nostalgia

Because I'm feeling like crap and need to waste some time, I'm doing this silly music thing. I promise that I'll give an actual blog later today or tomorrow.

So, this came from Katie's blog. Here are the Rules: A.) Go to Music Outfitters. B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year. C.) Italicise the songs you like(well, it said bold, but bold doesn't show up on my blog), strike through the ones you REALLY hate.

1999

1. Believe, Cher
2. No Scrubs, TLC
3. Angel Of Mine, Monica
4. Heartbreak Hotel, Whitney Houston
5. ...Baby One More Time, Britney Spears ::headdesk::
6. Kiss Me, Sixpence None The Richer
7. Genie In A Bottle, Christina Aguilera
8. Every Morning, Sugar Ray
9. Nobody's Supposed To Be Here, Deborah Cox
10. Livin' La Vida Loca, Ricky Martin
11. Where My Girls At?, 702
12. If You Had My Love, Jennifer Lopez
13. Slide, Goo Goo Dolls
14. Have You Ever?, Brandy
15. I Want It That Way, Backstreet Boys
16. I'm Your Angel, R. Kelly and Celine Dion
17. All Star, Smash Mouth
18. Angel, Sarah McLachlan
19. Smooth, Santana Featuring Rob Thomas This always reminds me of college dance class actually.
20. Unpretty, TLC
21. Bills, Bills, Bills, Destiny's Child
22. Save Tonight, Eagle-Eye Cherry
23. Last Kiss, Pearl Jam Love, LOVE! Duck and I used to sing this all the time. I even have the single. :)
24. Fortunate, Maxwell
25. All I Have To Give, Backstreet Boys
26. Bailamos, Enrique Iglesias
27. What's It Gonna Be?!, Busta Rhymes Featuring Janet
28. What It's Like, Everlast
29. Fly Away, Lenny Kravitz
30. Someday, Sugar Ray
31. Lately, Divine
32. That Don't Impress Me Much, Shania Twain
33. Wild Wild West, Will Smith Featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee
34. Scar Tissue, Red Hot Chili Peppers
35. Heartbreaker, Mariah Carey Featuring Jay-Z
36. I Still Believe, Mariah Carey
37. The Hardest Thing, 98 Degrees
38. Summer Girls, LFO
39. Can I Get A..., Jay-Z Featuring Amil (Of Major Coinz) and Ja
40. Jumper, Third Eye Blind
41. Doo Wop (That Thing), Lauryn Hill
42. Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...), Lou Bega so..burned...out.
43. Sweet Lady, Tyrese
44. It's Not Right But It's Okay, Whitney Houston
45. (God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You, 'N Sync
46. Lullaby, Shawn Mullins
47. Anywhere, 112 Featuring Lil'Z
48. Tell Me It's Real, K-Ci and JoJo
49. Back 2 Good, Matchbox 20
50. 808, Blaque
51. She's So High, Tal Bachman
52. She's All I Ever Had, Ricky Martin
53. Miami, Will Smith
54. Hands, Jewel
55. Who Dat, JT Money Featuring Sole
56. Please Remember Me, Tim McGraw
57. From This Moment On, Shania Twain
58. Love Like This, Faith Evans
59. You, Jesse Powell
60. Trippin', Total Featuring Missy Elliott
61. If You (Lovin' Me), Silk
62. Ex-Factor, Lauryn Hill
63. Give It To You, Jordan Knight
64. Black Balloon, Goo Goo Dolls
65. Spend My Life With You, Eric Benet Featuring Tamia
66. These Are The Times, Dru Hill
67. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Mark Chesnutt
68. I Do (Cherish You), 98 Degrees
69. Because Of You, 98 Degrees
70. I Will Remember You (Live), Sarah McLachlan This is the song I associate with my senior year. I wanted it to be our senior song but instead the picked some rap crap that I don't even know. it's probably on this list somewhere and if I knew what it was called, I would strikethrough it.
71. Chante's Got A Man, Chante Moore
72. Happily Ever After, Case
73. My Love Is Your Love, Whitney Houston
74. All Night Long, Faith Evans Featuring Puff Daddy
75. Back That Thang Up, Juvenile Featuring Mannie Fresh and Lil' Wayne
76. Almost Doesn't Count, Brandy
77. Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, Shania Twain
78. Steal My Sunshine, Len
79. I Need To Know, Marc Anthony
80. So Anxious, Ginuwine
81. Faded Pictures, Case and Joe
82. Back At One, Brian McKnight
83. When A Woman's Fed Up, R. Kelly
84. How Forever Feels, Kenny Chesney
85. Amazed, Lonestar
86. Sometimes, Britney Spears
87. Ghetto Cowboy, Mo Thugs Family Featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
88. Out Of My Head, Fastball
89. Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), Jay-Z90. Jamboree, Naughty By Nature Featuring Zhane UGH! They killed Annie!
91. Take Me There, BLACKstreet and Mya Featuring Mase and Blinky Blink
92. Stay The Same, Joey McIntyre
93. Lesson In Leavin', Jo Dee Messina
94. Iris, Goo Goo Dolls
95. Satisfy You, Puff Daddy Featuring R. Kelly
96. Better Days (And The Bottom Drops Out), Citizen King
97. Music Of My Heart, 'N Sync and Gloria Estefan
98. Write This Down, George Strait
99. When You Believe, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey
100. God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You, Alabama Featuring 'N Sync