Who Knew...

...that the cable company actually wants payment for their services! ^.^

Well, we knew that ...but in order for us to have some sort of Christmas, something had to be "let go" and that just happened to be our cable bill ... phone, internet, and TV.

Unfortunately, we're not well off or living comfortably ... each month is a struggle, but we always make it work out and find a way thru. Jaimie and I are really starting to think there's someone watching out for us and helping us through these tough times until I can get my daycare going in February.

If anything, we know we have each other. Love may not keep a roof over our head, but it definitely helps us figure out *how* to keep that roof over our heads! They say finances is one of the top things that can tear a married couple apart. Well, so far, the "bumps in the road" have only made us stronger!

And, truthfully, two weeks without TV and internet isn't so bad ... I actually get things done around the house instead of sitting here on my bum typing away at the keys. And, I got a few books read! I usually get too lazy for that when the idiot box is around. =D And not having the phone ringing off the hook for Miah is nice ... I swear, last night when the phone came back on, the phone rang three times within 15 minutes. How did his friends find out so fast?! lol

So hooray for being unplugged ... even if it was only two weeks. I will admit I did miss the internet very much ... especially now that it has its new-found use of chatting with family in Florida, California, and Jersey/PA via the webcam! But, at least it's back up for when Jaiden decides to make his appearance ... pictures and webcam galore!! Yay!!

Guessing Game!!

I added a link to a fun little guessing game over on Baby Ohz' blog. When you're there, just click on the banner in the post to take you to the game and enter your guesses for the baby's birthday, weight, and length. Baby Ohz *is* a boy ... so don't guess that one wrong!!

I'm going to close the game Saturday night (12/20), so get your guesses in quick! The winner will receive a restaurant or movie gift card ...so if you plan on guessing, please be willing to email me your address (if I don't already know it!).

Also, if you feel like 'sharing' the fun with other friends and family, please do so! The more guesses, the merrier! =D

Dilation, Effacement, and Station ... Oh My!

Before getting pregnant, the only times I heard things like, "She's 5cm dilated!" was if I was watching 'ER' or 'A Baby Story'. I really had no clue what exactly dilation, effacement, and station meant ... just that it was something that happened when you were in labor.

Well, after checking out nearly every book about pregnancy from the library, I finally learned what those three little words actually referred to. Now it's time to pass my knowledge on ... that way when I start talking about it more ('cause we're close to the end now, folks), you'll have an idea of what I mean! =D

For some reason, I picture my cervix kind of looking like one of those icing tubes that bakers use to decorate cakes. At the bottom is the small opening where you attach the nozzle and squeeze the icing out into pretty flowers or swirly shapes. But, if that icing tube was a cervix, the opening at the bottom would start to get bigger and thin out and you'd end up with an 8 lb blob of icing on your cake ...I mean, an 8 lb baby in your arms!! =D

Dilation is the process of the mouth of the cervix opening and widening, which allows your baby to pass through. This is measured in centimeters. For most of a pregnancy it should be 0 centimeters. In order to deliver a baby the cervix needs to stretch open to 10 centimeters.


Effacement is the shortening, or thinning, of the cervix before or during early labor. Prior to effacement, the cervix is like a long bottleneck, usually about four centimeters in length. As effacement takes place, the cervix then shortens, or effaces, pulling up into the uterus and becoming part of the lower uterine wall. Effacement may be measured in percentages, from zero percent (not effaced at all) to 100 percent, which indicates a paper-thin cervix.

And, lastly, station is how far down the baby's head has come into the pelvis. If the baby has dropped, but has not yet settled into the pelvis to begin his decent, it is measured in centimeters as a negative station. This negative measurement goes from -3 to -1. Once the baby has settled into the pelvis, but before he starts his descent to the birth canal, it is referred to as a zero (0) station. Once the baby starts heading towards the cervix, it is referred to as a positive station from 1 to 3.


So, aside from informing the masses, there really was a point to all this preggo-speak. I went to my doctor yesterday and she checked me for the first time. It definitely hurt and was uncomfortable, but she did say that she was purposefully picking a fight with my cervix and that it shouldn't be as bad the next time she does it.

According to Dr. Gina's measurements, I am a fingertip width dilated and 50% effaced. That means that something's been going on down there ... and I'm glad for it! =D Does it mean that Baby Ohz will be here this weekend? Probably not. Most first time moms deliver *after* their expected due dates ... so I foresee a January birth (tho I'm definitely not hoping for one! lol).

From now on, I see Dr. Gina each week until I give birth. She has given me the option to be checked or not based on if I'm stripped from the waist down or still fully dressed when she comes in the room. =D No matter how painful or uncomfortable having her shove her fingers up there may be, I'm way too curious to pass up the opportunity to know how my body is progressing!!

So, next week when I post my 'stats', you will all be fully knowledgeable of what exactly I'm talking about ... that is, if you took the time to read thru all that! lol

The First Snow

We woke up this morning to a nice little coating of snow over everything. This is the first real snow of the season that we've gotten, and I just love seeing white everywhere! I took a step outside on our back porch and snapped a couple pictures ... but this was well into the day, so some of the snow melted. But it's still mostly white out there! Yay snow!!



It really reminded me that Christmas is coming soon ... so I updated my player to Christmas songs! Yay!! Tomorrow we should be putting up our Christmas tree and some lights, so I'll update with pictures of that later! I love Christmas!!

Come with Me to the Land of Nerd

Before January 2006, when the Burning Crusade expansion came out for World of Warcraft, there was a big, scary dragon named Onyxia that resided in her lair in the Swamp of Sorrows. Large groups of adventurers would attempt to slay this dragon, but many were never seen again.

(Warning: This video is an animation of a 40-man raid's voicechat while attempting to kill Onyxia. There is adult language and themes, not to mention a lot of nerdy WoW-speak, so please don't watch if you're offended by such things! Don't forget to turn off the music from the player before clicking Play below!)

Since Burning Crusade, Onyxia was all but forgotten ... the new areas and challenges of Outlands called to many adventurers. There were still a bold few that would hunt Onyxia, but mostly she was left to gather dust in her cave of fiery doom.

A few nights ago, young Prince Vallangaard and his lovely Priestess Avanaar decided to pay a visit to Onyxia's Lair. Many moons before they had entered her lair, only to be thwarted by her guards. This was their chance for vengence...


Had they been fully prepared for the battle they would face, they would surely have beaten her. But she had a few unexpected tricks up her sleeve ...

After speaking with many locals, and some adventurers who had managed to escape Onyxia's claws, Prince Vallangaard decided to mount another attack against her Royal Dragoness. This time, however, he recruited the beautiful paladin, Alyssaria, and his elven son, Terrashard, to help battle the dragon.

With the help of Terrashard's ability to track Onyxia's movements, and the added damage and healing provided by Alyssaria, Prince Vallangaard and his companions battled long and hard. And in the end, they had their victory over the dreaded Onyxia!!!


And though they were rewarded greatly for slaying Onyxia, the greatest reward was working together as a family ...a three-man team... and beating down this feared and long-forgotten foe.

All of Stormwind now knows of their deed that day. Onyxia's head hangs at Stormwind's entrance, showing all who feared her that she is no more!

Three cheers for the Team Supreme!! =D

Baby Shower by Mail

Jaimie and I had our baby shower by mail on Sunday. We ended up doing it a day late because Jaimie had to work Saturday. Baby Ohz got a lot of wonderful stuff from all his family and we're very thankful for everything that was sent for him!!

Jaimie took lots of pictures, and once I'm done editing them, 'Grams' will be sending out the slideshow and I'll post them here too!!

I am thankful for ... (2008 Recap)

Thirty days of giving thanks this November. Here they are!

** a winning season for the Carolina Panthers! **

** my life with Jaimie **

** webcams to connect family across the country **

** a roof over my head and food on the table **

** hard-working men and women **

** photo-editing programs **

** a crazy, funny step-son **

** creative and inspiring people **

** my digital camera **

** late afternoon naps **

** awesome music to sing along to **

** Wednesday Mom and Gma talks **

** hair ties **

** warm baths **

** freaky fast, freaky good food **

** Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion **

** shoes that fit **

** library days **

** awesome friends **

** payment plans **

** water **

** watching football with my Jaimie **

** hot coffee on a cold morning **

** sleeping in till noon **

** a healthy baby **

** generous people **

** piles of orange and yellow leaves **

** cold weather **

** the two most amazing parents **

** my wonderful Jaimie **

Here It Is! Maternity Photo Session

Monday night Jaimie and I set up a studio in our room and took some really great maternity pictures! With our creative geniuses combined ... we ended up with some awesome pictures!! =D lol

Also, thanks to Google's free photoeditor, Picasa 3, I was able to add effects, like soft focus and black & white, and remove stretch marks with the retoucher!! lol (Note: I'm not ashamed of my 'battle scars', but I will say that the pictures look a lot better without them!) ...that made them look all purty!

Here are a few of my favorites, followed by a photo slideshow of them all at the bottom:

Sneak Peek! Maternity Photo Session

Hehe, I totally feel like Corinna with my little "Sneak Peek". =D However, unlike Cory, my pictures are *not* professional, but I tried my damned hardest to get 'em to look like it!!

I had brought up the idea of doing a maternity photo shoot to Jaimie about a month ago. I had originally wanted Corinna to take pictures for us, but because we live so far apart now, it was pretty much impossible! But, using her creative spirit for inspiration, I 'hired' Jaimie to be my photographer! =D

We set up a mock studio last night and snapped away! Here's a couple ... but just wait, the best is yet to come!!

Not Necessarily ...

... a "God-freak." But I do appreciate great music. Hence, why I've added my "God Rock" playlist to the blog today. =D

Last week ...or a couple weeks ago (I can't remember! lol), Jaimie was downloading some songs by Stryper ... a metal Christian group that he used to listen to. It reminded me of some really great Christian rock I listened to back in high school (thanks to Cory!), so I had him download some Newsboys for me. =D I hadn't heard their songs in years, and as they were downloading, I hoped they were as good as I remembered!! Just so happened, they were! And, as an added bonus, Jaimie liked 'em too.

This morning, after Jaimie rocked out to a couple songs before leaving for work, I put on 'Shine' and 'Take Me to Your Leader' by Newsboys and rocked out a bit. =D That lead to making a playlist for my blog (which has taken eons, because the regular one I use didn't have my Stryper song!). But I have succeeded ... and hopefully I can pass along some great rock songs to others!

Again, it doesn't matter what you believe ...whether you're Catholic, Protestant, Agnostic, Atheist, or Satanist ...Good music is just that. Good music. You don't have to believe in anyone's God to appreciate a rockin' song.

So I Don't Hear It From My Mother!

A couple months ago, I got "scolded" by my mom for not taking full-sized monthly belly pictures. =D She wanted to see more than just my nakee belly, I guess. ^.^

So starting in my sixth month (when I got "scolded"), I've taken a monthly picture of me *and* my belly. =D I could have *sworn* I posted them on my blog, but could only find my 6 month picture on Jaiden's blog. So now I'm playing 'catch-up', I guess. =D

Here we go:

6 months
7 months
8 months

Maybe it's just me, but I swear it doesn't look like I got much bigger! lol (Now my stomach is yelling at me: "Do you see these stretch marks? I know they're itching you to death, so you have to *know* you're stomach's bigger!") Okay, I can totally see it in my face tho ... bleh! ^.^;;

I'm hoping that this weekend or the next, to take some wanna-be professional looking photos. I've been looking at lots of sites and have some poses in mind (hands making a heart over the tummy, Jaimie kissing the tummy, etc), and have already thought about setting up a mock-studio in the basement. =D We'll see how it turns out. Thank heavens for digital ... we can take *tons* of pics and sort thru them! =D I still wish I had a better camera to take them with tho! lol *Actually* I wish I had Jacksonville's Hottest Photographer!!!! But I'll make due with the "Hottest Photographer" in my house ...my Jaimie! Damn, he's sexy! =D lol

Nesting?

I visited my blog a few hours ago to add today's "I am thankful for..." and after listening to one of the songs on my playlist, I got the urge to grab my mp3 player, put on my headphones, and start cleaning the house while belting out whatever song was playing at the time.

Jaimie was on his way home for lunch, but told me not to let that ruin my plans. So while he secluded himself in the office, I went nuts vacuuming the entire house. I even went so far as to bust out the attachments and get all the baseboards and corners and also the ottoman! ^.^

Once I was done with that, I went out on the back porch and swept all the leaves off it ... I had been getting slightly annoyed with them being blown inside when I'd open the door to let the dog in/out. It was definitely nice to walk around in the cold air while sweeping ... I got myself all hot inside doing all the vacuuming!

After that, I grabbed Luna's pillow and blanket and threw them in the wash. I swear, that dog sheds like no tomorrow. While I was outside, I gave her a good brushing and ended up with a "tribble" on the brush! lol

Next, I sat on my bed, debating how we could rearrange our room and the living room just to make things 'different'. I think we'll leave them the way they are tho. =D However, my shoe rack in my closet will be moved to the closet near the front door ... that way I have more space in my closet for other things!! =D

While I was sitting on the bed, Jaimie came in and asked if I was okay. I told him about rearranging things and he just smiled and said, "You're nesting, love." I kinda realized that while I was going nuts with the vacuum ...but I really didn't want to totally admit it. =D But, regardless of my cleaning frenzy, it totally feels great to have a *super* clean house. LOL I've always been way too lazy about cleaning (I *hate* it), so it's really nice to see it look good. =D

Next up ... having Miah clean his room and his desk. I swear, I can't see his floor anymore ...and I absolutely refuse to go in there anymore for fear I'll step on something hidden underneath the layers of clothing and hurt myself. But I remember those years, so I try not to freak out too much! =D

Anyway, off to make something to eat then get back to work!! Yay for nesting!!! =D

32 Weeks (OMG, That's 8 Months!)

Today I had an appointment with my OB, Dr. Harper-Harrison, and using her little swirly chart I'm 32 weeks pregnant! I can't believe that's 8 months!! Holy crap!

Jaiden was much more cooperative this time when she used the doppler to check for his heartbeat. He only tried to 'escape' once. =D Last time I saw her, he was playing hide-and-seek! =D

Dr. HH is so nice and is great at answering my questions. I prepared a 'list' to bring with me, 'cause otherwise I'll forget what I wanna ask! We started talking about labor today ...starting with pain management options. She's not all about pushing meds on people, which I like a lot! And I let her know that I understand pain meds are available, but I want to try to 'do it on my own' first. I'm not some 'natural birthing' fanatic ...but since I've never done the whole 'labor' thing before, I'd like to give it my best go. =D

In the following weeks, we'll be talking about C-sections and episiotomies and such. She seems like she doesn't like C-sections unless they're absolutely necessary, so I like that very much. =D Barring any medical emergencies, I'd really like Jaiden to come out on his own! =D

My next appointment is in two weeks -- Nov. 20th. Hooray!!!

Clearances, Thrift Stores, and FreeCycle ... Oh My!! (Now with Pix!)

So yesterday I got a free $10 gift card in the mail from Kohl's. I had gotten one back in September, but never ended up using it (I just couldn't find anything I *really* loved). Well, today I went back, figuring if I couldn't find a cute maternity shirt on sale that I would browse their baby section.

I ended up with *two* adorable baby outfits (which I will post pics of as soon as I'm not on the library computer!). One says "Mommy's Monster" and the other says "What happens at Grandma's house, stays at Grandma's house". I thought my Mom, aka "Grams", would get a kick out of that.

So for two brand new outfits I payed just over $10! Woot! Add that to the outfit I bought at the thrift store last week and I've gotten three outfits for Jaiden for under $15.

Also, I posted a "Want Ad" on my Yahoo! FreeCycle group asking for baby items. I got an email this morning from a mother of three boys who has bags and boxes full of stuff that she's not going to use anymore (her youngest is two and she said she's done!). So, tomorrow, I'll be getting lots more stuff for free!! This woman is the reason I added 'generous people' to my list of things to be thankful for. It is selfless, charitable people that really make this world a great place. I hope to one day be able to donate all my children's 'old' items to a new, first-time mommy like me!!

Okay, so I've been holding all that in since I left the house a few hours ago. And since I had my weekly library trip today after my doctor's appointment, I thought I'd 'splurge' while I was here! lol When I get home in a little bit, I'll post pics to this thread and add another about my doctor's appointment. Till then...

**Pictures!!** Here they are. =D

Being Thankful

I got this idea from Jen's (aka Monty) blog and I hope she doesn't mind me using it! On my sidebar I am adding a "I am thankful for..." list for this month and each day I will add something 'new' that I am thankful for.

Thanksgiving has always been a wonderful time. When I was younger, living in Florida, my aunts, uncles, and cousins would fly or drive in from New Jersey and California to gather at my grandparents' house for Turkey Day. It was always filled with a lot of warm memories and tons of fun!

Like Monty's post mentioned ...many people "skip over" Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas. I can't tell you how true this is. Just this last weekend ...the first couple days of November ...I was driving through the neighborhood and what did I see?? A couple outside their house hanging up Christmas lights. Seriously?! At least wait until December, people!!

So make sure you don't skip over Turkey Day. Be thankful for at least one thing in your life and celebrate it with your friends and family!

Adventures in Pumpkin Carving

Last night was our designated "pumpkin carving" night since Jaimie had school Wednesday. So after watching 'Pursuit of Happyness' (which is a great movie, by the way!), Jaimie, Miah, and I set to work on the pumpkins we got from Vala's on Tuesday.

Now, the last time I carved a pumpkin was in, like, 2001. And that was the first time I'd ever carved a pumpkin on my own. So I was completely rusty. Jaimie and Miah, however, were old pros. I swear, they had theirs done in about 45 minutes ...while I was still whittling away at Jaiden's tiny pumpkin. Jaimie taught me the finer points of pumpkin guts scooping and how best to scrape out the inner walls ... All things I was making harder on myself! lol

Since I'm a complete perfectionist when it comes to certain things, I had to make a pattern for mine and Jaiden's. Jaimie and Miah, however, just cut away at their pumpkins! I did Jaiden's first, then worked on mine.

All the pumpkins turned out fantastic! It's so cute to have them all lined up next to each other on the table ... a little pumpkin family! =D

We're going to run out and get some candles to put in them tonight for Halloween, so I'll be taking a few extra pictures of that, along with my pumpkin seed roasting adventures!

Also, before I leave you with the slideshow of our pumpkin carving adventures, I found the "Legend of the Jack-o-Lantern" while doing a search on how best to roast pumpkin seeds. I never remember hearing about this, so I thought I'd share!!

"There was a stingy drunkard of an Irishman named Jack; who tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree. Then Jack quickly cut the sign of a cross into the trunk of the tree; thereby preventing the Devil from climbing down. Jack made the Devil swear that he wouldn't ever come after Jack's soul again or claim it in any way. However, this did not stop Jack from dying and when he did he was not allowed into Heaven, because of his life of drinking, being tightfisted and being deceitful. And because of the oath the Devil had taken Jack was not allowed into Hell either. "But where can I go?" asked Jack. "Back where you came from!" replied the Devil. The way back was windy and dark. The Devil, as a final gesture, threw a live coal at Jack straight from the fire of Hell. To light his way and to keep it from blowing out in the wind Jack put it in a turnip he was eating. Ever since Jack and his "lantern" has been traveling over the face of the earth looking for a place to rest."

For more history of Halloween, click here!

And finally, "Our Pumpkin Carving Adventures!"

The Tradition Continues

Last night, we made our annual trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. This was Jaimie and Miah's fifth or sixth year going, and my second. When explaining Vala's to friends and family members, I have a hard time coming up with the exact way to describe it. Other than sending you to their website, I would have to say Vala's is a very quaint, countrified, simplistic version of DisneyWorld! lol

They have some shows, the Pig Races being my favorite (omg, those piggies are too cute!) ... they have walk thru attractions, like the Haunted House and the Pumpkin Mine ... there is tons of good food to eat ... and they have a Hayrack Ride that takes you out to their pumpkin fields where you can pick your pumpkin right off the vine. These are only a few of the attractions they have, and tho they are no where near the technologically advanced Disney rides and attractions, it is truly a wonderful experience for the whole family and I have looked forward to going every October!!! =D

This year, Jaimie, Miah, and I were able to see and do a lot more. For one, we went a little earlier, so we had more time. Also, it was just the three of us ...whereas last year we went with our friends, Pam, Tom & Erryn and their little girl Akyna. As any "park aficianado" can attest ...the larger the group you have, the less you get done!

Last year we were not able to take the hayrack ride out to pick out pumpkins because it got too late ...so this was the first year I got to experience this. Jaimie and Miah also had not been in a few years because something always seemed to come up (time constraints, mishaps with falling in water, weather conditions). So it was almost "brand new" for them too. The ride out to the pumpkin fields is fairly dark and it has a little bit of a "creepiness" factor ...especially riding past the fields of corn! All I could think of were the movies "Children of the Corn" and "Signs." lol

We wandered off to the part of the field were not many people were looking ... most people stayed near the "football" light because they were not as prepared as we were ... Jaimie brought a flashlight! lol We searched the pumpkins for the ones that "spoke" to us. Jaimie found his right away ... Miah found his next ... and I kept wandering around saying, "Oh, but that one's so cute ... wait, no, that one over there is great too!" I swear, I would have taken about five pumpkins home with me if I could have!! Finally, I approached a pumpkin that looked promising. As I walked up next to it, I got my foot caught in the vines around it. It seemed to me that my pumpkin had found me first and wasn't letting me leave without him! =D

As we loaded ourselves back on the hayrack ride, Jaimie leaned down and grabbed a small pumpkin. "This one is Jaiden's," he said. So *all* of us came home with a pumpkin that night. =D We're going to be carving them tomorrow ... so look for my next update for pictures!!




We upheld "old traditions" ...having chili bread bowls and going in the haunted house ...and started new ones, like getting hot cocoa while we walked around. And let me tell you ...hot cocoa on a cold night is D-I-V-I-N-E. ^.^ I look forward to next year when all of us return ... this time with Jaiden getting to experience his first pumpkin patch. I can't wait to see his reaction to all of it!

Lastly, I put together a slide show of all the pictures I took. Thankfully, this year I brought back-up batteries ... but it still got dark rather quickly, and my camera doesn't like nighttime shots! lol But I have the wonderful memories of last night stored in my head, so the limited amount of pictures isn't too bothersome. =D Until next year, Vala's...

Call a Plumber!

Oh, wait ...I sleep next to one every night! =D

I jokingly told Jaimie this morning that I was going to need his services as a plumber because the girls have sprung a leak. I told him that I have the home warranty plan, so if the leaks can't be fixed, he will be able to replace them at no cost to me! lol

Unfortunately, his area of expertise in plumbing doesn't involve the leaks I'm experiencing with my girls. I guess this will just have to be a lesson to me that they truly enjoy their supportive, comfy sports bra more than being "let free" for a night.

I Love My Jaimie! <3

Friday I felt the first flickers of an oncoming cold. Jaimie and Miah had both been sick over the past week, and I *almost* thought I was gonna dodge the bullet. Saturday I woke up with my nose more stuffy than normal and feeling a little froggy. Jaimie had to work, so I just stayed curled up in our nice warm bed and rested.

I got up around 10:30, my head feeling fuzzy. After consulting the "guidebook" my doctor's office gave me, I took some cold medicine that I'd bought for Jaimie a few days prior. I tried to check my emails and read thru blogs and play a little WoW, but I just felt miserable. So I went and laid down on the couch.

Jaimie came home a little while later with Jimmy John's. We'd never had it before and let me tell you ...it completely blows away Subway, Quiznos, and Blimpies combined!! lol Even in my blechy state, it still tasted absolutely delicious! hehe

After lunch, we went into the office, but Jaimie could tell I still wasn't feeling good. He asked if I wanted to lay down and I told him, "Yes, but I missed you all day and don't want to spend time away from you." So what does my hero do? He goes into Miah's room (he was at his mom's for the weekend) and pulls the mattress off his bed and puts it on the floor of the office! So I grabbed a pillow and a blanket from our room and curled up on my make-shift bed.

Finally, my meds wore off and I was able to sleep, which my body had been so desperately trying to do since about noon! I probably slept for about four hours or so, but I woke up feeling much better! All thanks to my Jaimie who did something as simple as give me a place to rest in the same room he was in. Because of his love and care and attention, I woke up feeling absolutely fantastic on Sunday!! No sniffles, no sinus pain, nothing!!

Yes, I most definitely love my Jaimie!!!!!!!!

I Guess Studying Does Pay Off

Last Wednesday morning I drove up to the hospital for my 3 hour glucose tolerance test (GTT). They drew my blood for the "fasting" reading, then I got to drink an even more sugar laden Glucola.

I got my blood drawn three more times after that, every hour. Before the second blood draw I was feeling kinda blechy and very tired. So the two nurses who had been drawing my blood set up a bed for me in one of their nuclear stress test rooms. =D I ended up napping for an hour ... so that definitely made time go by quicker. I felt a lot better after the nap too ... and after the third blood draw I called Jaimie. As I was talking to him, he came up behind me in the hallway and surprised me! =D He was only able to stay for 15 minutes or so, but it was really nice having him there even for that short amount of time.

By 11:45 am, I was done with all my blood draws. They gave me a Sprite and graham crackers to make sure I had some sugar in me before I left. But I *so* stopped at McDonald's on the way home and got a chicken sandwich!! I was starving! lol

I had my first actual doctor's appointment on Monday. I got to meet the doctor that will be delivering our little Baby Ohz (pending any unforseen circumstances). Her name is Dr. Gina Harper-Harrison and she's very nice. =D She showed me the results from the ultrasound and my 3 hour GTT. I only had one abnormal number ...you need at least two to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. So yay!!! No G.D. for me!! =D The abnormal number was after my nap ...so I don't know if that had something to do with it or what. *shrugs*

As for the ultrasound results, she said everything looked great. She likes to see the baby within at least two weeks of your expected due date, and aside from his big ol' pumpkin head, Baby Ohz was right on track. Apparently his head was measuring at about 30 weeks (I was 27 weeks at the ultrasound) ...so when I told Jaimie about it, he joked that someone must have thrown a pumpkin on his head, like in World of Warcraft, for the Hallow's End festival. =D Yes, we're total WoW G.N.E.R.D.S. =D Here's my "artist's rendering" of our little Pumpkin Head ...I'm sure he doesn't look this maniacal ...but who knows...


Otherwise, everything else has been going well. I ended up using my mom's idea of going on my local Freecycle group on Yahoo! to get 'free stuff'. I'm going to post about baby stuff in a week or so, but first tried posting for some maternity pants ('cause all I have are two maternity shirts and a pair of clam digger maternity pants! lol). I ended up finding a woman who gave me a grocery bag of maternity shirts and pants!! Woot! I was totally psyched about them ...and I have to say, I think the shirts are fantastic!! I look awesome with my cute little baby belly! =D Here's two pictures we took Sunday and Monday of my new duds!





















And, lastly, I caught Luna being cute Monday morning and luckily was able to get to my camera in time. We have an ottoman that goes with our couch ...but we rarely use it. Luna will sometimes jump up on it and look out the big window in our living room. Well, this time she'd made herself nice and cozy up there and was just staring out at the neighborhood. She is just too funny sometimes. =D So I leave you with her royal cuteness: