Hungry little monkey

I forgot how 24-hours infants are. I remember Kitten sleeping quite a bit, but this one? Not so much. She eats. Alot. The nursing has worked out this time, thank god or we'd be in the poor house, but I feel like I'm in the milking booth at the fair. I'm on tap.

Kitten is pushing boundaries now with Meimei. I think she is realizing that this thing is here to stay, so it's time to see where we all stand in the pecking order. This should be fun.

We're home

Calleigh Mae was born Thursday, 8/24/06, 10:29 am, 7 lbs. 1 oz., 18 1/2 in.

Warning: This post contains graphic material that may not be suitable for all readers. Viewer discretion is advised.

We went in as scheduled on Thursday morning for induction. By 6:10 am, I was hooked up to the Pitocin drip and they were upping the dosage every 20-30 minutes. At 8 the doctor came in and broke my water. There was meconium in the fluid and they said it was a good thing we were in for induction. I will not explain meconium, google it if you don't know and really must.

I warned them that we went really fast with Kitten after they broke my water. The anethesiologist came in immediately for an epidural and by about 8:45, I was hooked up. One side started getting numb pretty quickly, but the other was not getting numb yet.

An hour later, the Earth exploded. With about 5 minutes of ramp-up time, I hit a 10 on the pain scale. Had I been able to speak coherent sentences, I wanted to ask if maybe we could dial back the Pitocin until we got the epidural situation figured out, as it clearly wasn't working. However, it came out as a demonic growling moan, so I didn't quite get my point across. Pants mentioned that perhaps the contraction monitor wasn't in the right position, as it was barely registering contractions at all and I was tearing off the bed rails. As if I cared what the monitor said, I actually took my last 30 second break between contractions to move the monitor, which then immediately registered a 10 (Richter scale). This sent the nurses trucking in, as clearly Hell had vomited its demons into my room.

So the nurses come in to witness me speaking in tongues and are trying to get me to lay quietly on my back so they can "check me". And yes, that means exactly what you are afraid it means. Now, laying on my back has not really been a viable option for the last 4 1/2 months, so I'm not sure how we all jumped to the conclusion that this is what I was capable of at the time. But the nurses insist for at least a minute or two that I attempt to let go of my death grip on the bed and roll over.

And then. Then I figure out very suddenly that it is time to push. And I politely let them know this, as they seem to want to help. But lo and behold, we must wait for the doctor to come. Like I give a rat's ass if he's there or not. But I wait. And he shows up. And I am informed that we must wait for the doctor to get a gown on, as he is wearing bright khakis and a lovely polo and it would be a shame to get anything on them. And for what feels to me like half an hour but is probably about 46 seconds, the nurse continues to tell me we are waiting for the doctor to get covered up before I can push and I finally manage a snide comment because I really just want her and everyone else to shut up and stop touching me.

So then the doctor is ready and they announce, "Okay you can start pushing" like I can just turn the channel and watch something else. This takes a minute to change tracks. But I start pushing, which actually is the best and worst of all scenarios. Pushing alleviates the pain you are in trying to stop the pushing, but creates an entirely new realm of pain. I remember screaming, in one of four semi-complete sentences that didn't involve taking the Lord's name in vain, that I couldn't do it anymore becuase it hurt. I don't think I even believed it when I said it, but it seemed like the thing to say at the time.

Then she was born. They put her on my stomach just long enough to cut the cord and get her over to the isolette to suction the meconium out of her lungs. I got stitched (rather quickly, I might add, thanks doc!), but they kept her in the isolette for a while because her temp was a little low. Thank god for digital cameras, Pants was able to take pictures and even a short movie and come show me.

In the end, we are all fine. Meimei bounced back quickly, I didn't disintegrate or bleed to death, and everyone is happy, healthy, and home.

And next time I will actually talk about the kid.

Annoying people

Ok, let's just start with the fact that I am watching entirely too much TV. I admit it.

So I am watching Buy Me tonight and the couple is selling their house because they're getting a divorce. But the house isn't selling because it's priced way too high and is completely cluttered and crappy looking. But the lady is pissed at the realtor because she doesn't think he's doing enough to sell her house, even though he's told her the price is too high and it's cluttered with too much crap. There are two dining room sets in the house, for crying out loud, but they won't clean out the rooms or paint over the bright green paint in the main portion of the house (see bathub pictures for color comparison). Additionally, there are foundation problems, but she won't pay to have them fixed because the money is in reserve to pay the taxes.

But like everyone else, the couple is mortgaged up to the eyeballs and can't drop the price on the house because they need the money, even though no one in their right mind will pay what they want for a house with that many issues. Then they finally get an offer, $48K below their asking price (which is what other realtors are saying the house is worth in that location anyway), and they won't take it. They finally drive off their agent, who quits in disgust.

On a similar show two days ago, the couple is selling to move to another city that has cancer clinics with doctors AND alternative medicine options under the same roof, as the wife has very agressive cancer and believes she needs both traditional and alternative medicines to cure it. But for someone who keeps saying "selling this house could save my life", she sure doesn't want to clean out their weird crap or lower their price at all, even when it is discovered that there is a toxic waste dump only 800 meters from the house. The government tests confirm that no toxic waste has seeped into the well, but still, would you buy it? When it's already overpriced? And completely cluttered and 80s-looking? I know I am supposed to feel bad for someone who is probably going to die soon, but when she keeps saying that she isn't taking care of herself because of the stress of selling the house and then rejects THREE perfectly good offers, I just can't help but not like her.

People, listen to your realtors. They know what they're talking about. Clean out your weird, ugly crap and do some market research on the price. You can't base a price on what you think you need to get out of the house. Prices are based on the market and what the house is worth in the location it's in. Not on how much you are mortgaged at or how much money you think you need to get out of the house. LISTEN TO YOUR REALTORS, PEOPLE.

Last chance

Last chance to get in name suggestions and votes on the current list. Let me know, flood me with names. The Irish requirement has been thrown out for all intents and purposes, but it does get you bonus points. The only real requirements anymore are that the name isn't on the (American) most popular lists for the last several years and that it's not tragically cutesy. Also, it shouldn't make any icky initials with our last name (pretty much throws out any "B" names, BM is not a great monogram, but my mom's is BS and she manages, so what the hell).

Thursday's the day

I'm scheduled to go in on Thursday morning for induction. I am fourth on the list, so first to get bumped if they are overcrowded. I have to call at 5 a.m. to see if I can come in. But if I go in, they will break my water, so that's it. If they break my water, we're there until we have a baby.

So there it is. Thursday's the day unless we go in sooner.

Get mama's prying bar

So yeah, getting up off the couch now requires alot of grunting and basically rolling off onto the floor and climbing to a standing position from there. Thank god we ordered the ottoman with the livingroom set.

Hey, Molly Ringwald's on Medium this week.

I didn't even know Gerald Ford was still alive.

On Maury today, a woman was testing the 11th man for paternity of her daughter. When he turned out not to be the father, she freaked out and ran backstage (which apparently is required when the man isn't the father). Then, crying hysterically, she said that it felt like God was punishing her and SHE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY. Now, I'm not one to believe that God punishes people in this manner, but obviously this woman thinks He does. So, if she believes that God punishes people for bad behavior, and she's testing the 11th man for paternity of her kid and he is not the man, is the correlation not obvious about what God might be punishing her for?

Still here

No baby yet. I'm still here. I might go walk Ikea today to try to get some things moving. I have quite a few things to do here too, so maybe not.

Kitten was a touch crabby this weekend, crying at the drop of a hat. Don't know what was up with her, but her eating was off too.

El Presidente broke into programming this morning to talk about the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, so I was forced to watch the E! True Hollywood Story on Punky Brewster. Do I not care about Lebanon? It's really just that watching Bush speak and answer questions makes my skin crawl. I feel dirty.

Meimei is moving all over the place and it's been mentioned that I look shrink-wrapped, that you can almost pick out body parts I am stretched so tight.

I don't think I would hug Bob Barker. He just seems really lecherous and creepy.

How come Jews can eat the front half of the cow and not the back half?

I didn't notice that all news was JonBenet focused until Big Daddy pointed it out, but it's true. I think I know why this case has always been such big news, but can we just wait for the DNA and stop speculating and rehashing?

By the way, this case was so big (in my opinion) for the following reasons:

• Timing: killed on Christmas day - does it get more tragic than that?
• Affluence: Rich family, nice house, wealthy, quiet town (this type of thing doesn't happen here...)
• Oddity of crime: Kidnapping turned to murder, body found in house by own father, weird ransom note on paper from the house, etc.
• Cuteness factor: If the kid had big ugly buckteeth and bad skin, this wouldn't have gotten nearly as much play
• Botched police work: this plays into everyone's secret love of a conspiracy
• Parents under suspicion: This is just the cherry on the voyeurism cake, adding scandal and the slight ick factor that keeps people coming back, giving everyone a black and white issue to argue - did they or didn't they?

Random Thoughts

Have you noticed I do a lot of these lately? That's because I can't hold a train of thought for more than 46.3 seconds.

Kitten climbed all the way up MIL's basement stairs this evening. Don't worry, we're not that awful of parents: Pants stood behind her the entire way up. But he did let her do it herself.

I have been nauseous all day today. It's like having morning sickness. AGAIN. Fantastic. I'm hoping this is a precursor to labor.

Pants lost the wireless mouse for the laptop, so I have to use that stupid little finger pad. Argh.

I'm exhausted. And not wearing pants. But of course, I have a really hard time sleeping now, wherever I am.

I am a recent convert to Dog The Bounty Hunter. I never watched it before this week, but now I'm hooked. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

I think this kid is just really meant to be a Virgo and she's holding out for the cutoff date.

Check out Dooce's hate mail from today. Can you believe those people? How can anyone berate her for discussing her own cancer like it's a bad thing (for shame!). [In annoying, chearleader voice] I mean, how dare she be concerned about her own cancer when other people have cancer too? God, what a bitch. [Ok, chearleader voice is too annoying, even in my own head, and stops here] Um, people, cancer isn't a competition, and you don't have to be the worst afflicted to be worthy of sympathy. Get over yourself and stop belittling other people's issues like you are the only one allowed to suffer.

I don't doodle. My notes are clean, just writing on a page in long hand. Full complete sentences, usually. No flowers in the margins, no stars, dogs, or cute little bunnies. I just don't doodle. Every once in a blue moon, if a meeting or conference call is really boring, I will color in some of the letters on the handout. Does that make me weird?

Predators

So, who knows if this nutbag actually killed JonBenet Ramsey, although it's looking more and more like he didn't and he just has a really unhealthy obsession with the case. He's clearly a nutbag and if he didn't molest this child, he almost certainly has molested many others.

Oprah has caught 4 of her 12 molesters by posting them on her website and discussing them on her show. These people are wanted by the FBI/police/authorities and have been on the run from the law, some for 10 years or more.

This is all great that these people were caught. Fantastic. These predators can victimize hundreds of children in a short period of time, so great, get them off the street.

But don't think that kids are safe, or that this is even the worst kind of predator. These are wolves. But even worse are the wolves in sheep's clothing, those that we know and who seem okay. Or maybe they don't, but we ignore that bad feeling. I don't worry about some weirdo breaking in and molesting and killing my kid, ala the Ramseys, I am much more concerned about people we are supposed to trust along the way. How do I know their teachers are safe? Soccer coaches? Parents of friends?

These people are much worse than the stranger out of nowhere. The people that gain their trust not only victimize kids, but create doubt in themselves because they trusted someone they shouldn't have. Or worse, if the predator is someone close, they can no longer sort out love and hurt.

I guess that, once again, the only way to help my kids is to ensure they are secure and confident. Predators leave kids alone if they are not easily victimized; one of their greatest talents is picking out the kid who won't tell. It's the reason that kids who have been victimized once tend to be victimized over and over again. Self-esteem is the cure, the vaccination, the everything.

Current Dilation Status - 3

Yep, we've moved to a Level 3 (and that was a firm 3, not an "oh, about 3"), and yet another vigorous exam (I was warned this time, thanks). Doc said if it would work, it would be within 48 hours. Oh, and the good news was he's estimating 7.5 lbs, which is about my guess. I never thought about it, but because I am so short-waisted, I stick out much farther and it's a bit misleading.

If none of this works, I get to go in on Tuesday, 2 whole days early, to discuss induction. Now keep in mind, we're discussing it, not actually doing it. That I know of. I think they schedule those things, not just send me over to the hospital in the middle of the afternoon because I'm on the edge. So it probably wouldn't actually be on Tuesday.

Last night, I actually started to get that feeling that I would always be this pregnant and uncomfortable. I know logically that can't be true, that if this keeps going they're going to help me out and eventually will just take the kid. But I actually started to feel this was permanent. I never had that happen with Kitten and didn't know what other women were talking about when they said that. So now I know. The insanity starts creeping in at about 39 weeks.

Toxic Wounds

Oprah says there are no coincidences, so it must be as prescient as I think it is that Dooce did an article yesterday on Alpha Mom on a new book about mothering and that there was an Oprah today on passing on our toxicity to our daughters.

The women on Oprah today couldn't figure out how their daughters came to believe they were ugly, when the women themselves believed they were horribly ugly and said so all the time. The women believed that simply by telling the daughters they were beautiful, the daughters would somehow be able to avoid the same feelings of self-hatred, even though the daughters witnessed it every day. Do as I say, not as I do.

And as for Dooce's article, it was at least partially about the passing on of genes to our daughters and what they do with them. Lord knows we have some toxic genes between Pants and I, as much as no one else wants to admit it. The sheer amount of addiction in my family should be an indication. The amount of addiction in Pants' family is similar, in addition to his grandfather's suicide.

The gist of the book, however, was that we have to equip our children to deal with their genes, that it's more of a poker game than a chess match. What can you make of your hand, can your personal confidence overcome the crappiness of your cards?

Naomi Wolf said that mothers who exude self-confidence and self-love vaccinate their daughters against low self-esteem. The psychologist on Oprah said that we make the mistake in trying to fix our problems in our daughters and not in ourselves. When we don't fix the issue in ourselves, it's reflected in our daughters and defined, almost more so, no matter how we try to head it off.

I am ever more thankful that I spent some quality time in therapy before getting pregnant, before having my kids, before infecting them with my toxic crap. Our genes are toxic enough, I hope to give my girls at least a fighting chance at playing their hand smart, with confidence. Which makes it that much more important for me to stay on my meds all the time, not just most of the time, to get help when I need it, go back to counseling if I need to. It's not just for myself anymore, but for my girls. The healthier I can be, the healthier they will grow up.

Random Thoughts

Bathtub babies are automatically cute.

For those of you who have not experienced it, check out the lime green bathtub. Yum.

My cat has gotten very pushy this week, like I stay home to pet her. But only when she's not napping. When I hook up the wireless mouse to the laptop, she lays on my arm and is then angry when I move the mouse. Currently, she is standing next to me, staring at me and purring. And now that I have acknowledged her presence, she is continuously banging her head into my arm.

Everytime I stand up, I have to pee.

Kitten lost all her nukkies last night and was quite upset about it at about 10 to 4. I went down and gave them to her, but then she wanted to get up. I didn't pick her up, and she fussed for a few more minutes. I think she then played for a while, then fussed, then finally went down around 5, although I vaguely remember going back down there about then and putting a nuk back in. No wonder she was still asleep when Pants got her up this morning.

Everyone wonders why I call my husband Pants on this blog, except those who were involved in creating the name. P.S. - it has nothing to do with who wears the pants in this family.

My navel is now an outie. And it's not as bad as I thought it would be. The stretch marks are much worse.

Yep, still here

I thought losing my mucous plug on Friday meant labor was imminent, that this kid was getting out.

I looked it up online, though, and by "imminent" they mean "within the next few weeks". Well crap. Like I didn't know that. So, at the outside, only a couple more weeks left.

Tomorrow, I look forward to Sylvia the psychic on Montel. Yay Wednesday. Maybe I'll watch a movie.

Fallon?

First of all, due to the previous discussions, Fallon is off the list. It is a proper Irish name, but no one likes it but me and it obviously has the capacity for unfortunate mispronunciations.

And for the record, it's pronounced like Phallic, but with an "n". Phallin. And now that I have made that unfortunate connection, it's definitely gone.

Unfit

Or, The Making of a Future Felon

And what is it that Kitten is playing with? Yep, it's a power drill. But don't worry, the batteries were nearly dead. And we took it away as soon as we found out she was actually strong enough to pick it up. When she nearly impaled her leg, we took that drill right away from her.

I know Kitten, your parents are miscreants. Perhaps even worse, when Jaysan and Ang came over on Saturday, Kitten was playing with an empty pill bottle, a sports betting magazine, and my outdated license. That's right, that's what we're promoting in this household. Internet sports betting with a fake ID, but only when you and your babydoll are appropriately drugged.

Sitting around

Still here, no change. Still crabby.

I am now hooked on Dumb, The Game. I have used the discussion forums far too much, but they aren't allowed to give answers, just hints, so I still have to do some figuring. But yes, I cheat quite a bit with the discussion forums.

Other than that, no change. Argh.

Random Thoughts

Department of Homeland Dilation Alert System - Current state of dilation is somewhere between 2 and 3.


So, we stopped giving Kitten the eyedrops because SOMEONE was sure she wasn't sick and she developed more eye goo. So we're back on the eyedrops, but 2 days behind.

Kashka came and spent the day with me, despite her accidental poisoning at El Toro. Yay Animaniacs! Saw several episodes that I hadn't seen before, but I think later ones get better. Mime Time, Randy Beaman's friend, etc., had yet to make an appearance.

Parents came this evening, went to dinner with Kitten and us (Kitten ate an entire half of a grilled cheese, plus about a third of Pant's Cream of Broccoli soup). They are back off tomorrow morning, bright and early.

MIL and SIL are coming tomorrow to continue with the wallpaper removal in Kitten's room. And I think BIL and family might come tomorrow, now that Kitten is, again, no longer contagious. Don't worry Kashka, it's mostly a kid thing, adults usually don't get it.

Oddly, we're having one of the busiest weekends we've had in a long time. And now the internet is working again (apparently just had to turn off the modem and turn it back on.)

It occurred to me on Friday morning in my grandfather's bathroom preparing for the funeral services that we don't have a full length mirror in this house. Not even one that shows anything below chest level. And the reason this occurred to me is that I actually caught a glimpse of my still-expanding personage in the bathroom mirror. And now I know why the nurse said something about me "popping" since my last visit.

And now for the common sense/birth canal discussion portion of tonight's blog; I believe it's really only appropriate that, if you are going to provide an exam meant to send someone into labor, it's only right to warn that person first before they are arched three feet in the air. I'm just saying.

Talk Radio now sucks

So I have been flipping through KTLK the last couple of days and Lambert and Janicek have been replaced by some guy calling himself Minnesota's Mr. Conservative, and he's even more of an incompentent ass than Sean Hannity. At least Hannity has skills; this guy's just a see-through nut job.

And now this morning there was no Andrew Colton and Kelly Guest. Maybe I was up too late for them, but some other guy was on, and he was also a complete Conservative moron.

So the voice of liberalism has once again been shooed off the radio. Which leads me to wonder why democrats just can't make it on the air. And I think I came up with it.

Mainstream society doesn't care about hearing a reflection of themselves on the radio every day. Most people are moderate, intelligent people, and it's boring for them to hear someone reflecting that back to themselves. They would rather listen to music.

Ultra conservatives, however, seem to get off on listening to someone, day in and day out, tell them the world is ending and that they should be scared out of their wits. It seems to feed them to hear someone validate their anger and maliciousness. It must become like a drug for them to keep coming back day after day, hour after hour. Sean Hannity's slogan? Three hours a day, that's all we ask. Isn't that sick? That you would devote 3 hours of your time EVERY DAY to someone you don't know because your fragile world view is so fragile it must be bolstered THAT OFTEN?

Apparently there aren't enough people like me who just want to hear two somewhat educated people debate current issues.

But there seem to be legions of people who need a drug-addled hypocrite to tell them the sky is falling and to brow-beat (in absentia) the people they feel most threatened by. Wow, what a sad life that is.

Stay in or Move out?

There's been much talk lately (Ms. Huis, Dooce) about toddlers climbing out of cribs. It has started me thinking, although we probably have quite some time before we ever have to deal with this issue.

I know, you are all saying, "they do it sooner than you think." Actually, Kitten is such a wuss that despite her fairly decent physical strength (she grabbed the side of the scale so hard when the nurse tried to weigh her AT BIRTH that her fingers had to be pried open) and rather determined will, she never stood up in her crib before a year old. At which time MIL begged us to put the crib mattress on a lower setting. It was still at the top setting, usually where you put it for newborns. Kitten just never showed an inclination to go anywhere. Kid wasn't even crawling yet. And it was so much easier for me not to have to bend over so far in my large state. And I normally only get stuff done while she's napping, which precludes me doing any work in her room.

So for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because there just was no real reason, Kitten was over a year old before we moved the matress in her crib off the highest setting.

So we don't anticipate having to deal with the crib/big bed issue for quite some time. She actually does stand up in the crib now, but not all the time. In fact, I'm usually a bit surprised when I come in and find her standing, still to this day. Usually she's either still sleeping (mornings) or is either sitting or kneeling in there.

There was some BRIEF discussion (and by discussion, I mean it was mentioned and promptly shot down, as any insane comment should be) about not getting another crib for Meimei, just moving Kitten to a toddler bed and using her crib for Meimei. Obviously, someone was delusional. If the kid isn't crawling out, DON'T REMOVE THEM FROM THE CAGE. I want this containment to last as long as possible, thanks, and I will not willingly give it up.

Besides, Meimei's crib was eventually obtained for free. And she will stay in it until she's 10, thank you very much.

So what will I do when Kitten does start escaping the crib? Or when she is entirely too old to be in one (which I figure will be sometime around potty training time if she hasn't escaped yet)? Um, yeah, I don't know. We probably can't let her have the run of the house. She looks at us now, says no, and proceeds to do exactly what she knows she is not supposed to. So I'm thinking that's not an option. It's either going to have to be a gate in the doorway, although we always close her door at night, or the child-safe knob on her side of the door. That thought used to make me cringe, but now, not so much. Call me a fire-whore, but I think that the idea of a 3-year-old freeing themselves in a conflagration is a little unrealistic. I think we would have to go and get her, or send the firemen in through the window.

Dear god, why do I even consider this stuff? I have been brainwashed!! MIL actually wants to pay to have a direct door put into Kitten's room, which we fully intend to do EVENTUALLY (for those of you who have seen the odd floor plan in my basement), because the firemen might get confused and not be able to save my child. Um, wouldn't they just go in through the window?

ANYWAY, this has gone somewhere that shames me to my very core. One should not live their lives as if there might be a horrible tragedy around every corner.

As an added bonus, when I spoke with someone at work about moving into the new house and mentioned that Kitten would be in the basement (which she was in the townhouse, and believe me, her basic needs have always been met; this is what monitors were made for), she felt compelled to tell me that a friend of hers had a fire and would never again allow her children to sleep on a different floor from her. Huh? If something threatened the life of my child, I would chew through the floorboards to get her out. I don't think holing us all up in the same room just in case something happens is the correct way to live my life. Nor is this the lesson I want to teach my kids about life. ("Mommy, why are we all sleeping upstairs when there are two perfectly good rooms downstairs?" "Well, honey, I am a paranoid freak who can't let go of the idea that some horrifying tragedy will take you away from me. Please never leave.")

Okay, this has really gone downhill now. I think blogging after, say, 11 p.m., might be banned for me in the future. Or things will just continue to get weirder until I either give birth or start drinking heavily.

Pants doesn't think she has it

So, Pants doesn't think Kitten has pink eye this morning, that this was all for nothing. I think he's on crack.

He somehow got the impression last night at Urgent Care that they sorta thought it might be pink eye, while I distinctly heard from at least 2 people, "Yep, that's pink eye." The only question was whether it was viral or bacterial. From what I read online, the ooze was definitely indicative of bacterial, which requires antibiotics, as opposed to viral, for which there is nothing they can do.

And apparently, Pants is in denial about the ugly red spot in the corner of Kitten's right eye and the general puffiness still evident in both eyes.

I don't know why he doesn't think she actually has it, maybe he's just torturing himself about the concert.

Primordial Ooze

Kitten has pink eye. It's pretty icky, eyballs oozing, swelling, gross.

So Kitten will be home tomorrow from daycare (contagious for 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics) and Pants is pretty bummed.

Let me explain: it's not that he resents Kitten's being sick. It's that he has a plane ticket to Chicago in the morning and a ticket to Tom Waits tomorrow night. This was scheduled weeks ago, before all the drama with Meimei and before we knew how miserable I would be at this point, and certainly before Kitten's cold took hold and moved into her eyeballs.

So although Pants knew it was touch and go based on contractions, this was not the end to his trip that either of us foresaw. It was basically a go for him until this evening when Kittens' eyes swelled up like she had been punched. Now with Kitten staying home tomorrow, I can't keep up with her so Pants has to stay home too. So plane ticket is wasted, Tom Waits ticket is currently unused.

And Pants is out in the garage moping.

Hello, I'm huge

Woke up last night at 2:30 thinking it was finally time, very painful contractions, but they didn't seem quite right. They were kinda more on one side than the other and I didn't get much of a break in between. So I moved to the couch and watched Pretty in Pink on HBO, then some other show on Discovery Health Channel that I had actually seen before on Stone Babies (don't ask) and finally fell back to sleep about 5. The contractions calmed down quite a bit on the couch, so maybe just a position issue.

I brought Kitten to daycare this morning, returned home, and fell asleep on the couch. For 5 hours. So I guess I won't get much done today. But my sleep has been so screwed up, so I guess I needed it.

Oh, and my grandma died today. She had Alzheimer's, so it's more like we lost her a long time ago, and Mom has been telling me for days we expect her to go, so this isn't unexpected or unwelcome. Services are on Friday.

And now I have to go report myself out on Disability. I am now, today, considered disabled. I feel disabled, I guess, so what the hell.

Messing with HTML

So, I figured that instead of whining to all of you that put in the work to figure out how to customize your sites, and since I really don't have much better to do anyway, I am working through a tutorial on HTML. I still haven't figured out all the bugs, but I did get a list to appear.

But I can't get it indented the same way everything else is. Hmmm.

And I can't get a tagline to appear under my title in any sort of formatted way. Hmmmmmmm. Will try again tomorrow.

Destined for a particular lifestyle

Ok, apparently some people think we should actually start trying to name Meimei. In fact, after "Dear god, when are you due?", this is the most common question we get.

So I have been reviewing baby names and check out what I found:
http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/

My favorite bad name? Gayden Sledge. Although I think it's for a boy, so we're out of luck on this one. It was allegedly culled from actual sources (announcements, yearbooks, etc.), so somewhere out there, there is actually a Gayden Sledge.

And our frontrunners?
Lauren, still a top contender.
Calleigh, a new one that I kinda like. (not pronounced like KAY-lie, more like the Calla Lily)
May, Pants's favorite, although we agree it doesn't seem to fit our last name. Or LaMaySheequa, whichever rolls off the tongue better.
MIL likes Kale and Kaelin, but since we already know a Kale, probably not that one. And Pants' cousin married a Kaelin, a guy at that, so I don't know. I like the names, but hate confusion.
We've discussed Jacinda/Lucinda, but we're on opposite sides of that slash mark and can't agree.
Pants kinda likes Savannah, but I kinda don't.
We both liked Drew, but no one else seems to. But no one liked Kitten's name at first either.
Brooke has been mentioned, but not again. Kinda nice.

Long Night

So, last night I go to bed at 11 but can't sleep. Combination of just being awake and my back and hips being sore. Then, as I am finally dropping off, Kitten wakes up and needs to be held. This little cold has gotten her up the last two nights in the middle of the night. She doesn't want a bottle, she just wants to be cuddled for a couple of minutes.

So at 2:00, my evening was mine again, but I still haven't slept any. I catch the Soup on E!, set myself up on the couch, and try to get comfortable. The bed is no longer a viable option. So I get slightly less uncomfortable on the couch and fall asleep, sort of.

So I slept like crap for about 6 hours before Kitten was up again and needed to be taken to daycare. Now I need to get showered and go get my tabs renewed and the address changed on my license. And mail Pants' car insurance premium. Then get in a nap somewhere and attempt to get the dishwasher loaded and some laundry done. At some point, I need to pick up some groceries. And pick up the livingroom before Kitten gets home.

Cutest

P.S - Your pants are multiplying

So kitten now has 12 teeth. Yes, THREE came in this week, although two of those are still just jagged bumps poking through the gums. And this is on top of a cold. Either this teething thing gets less painful as they get used to it, or this child is the illegitimate spawn of Wonder Woman.

Yep, still better without pants.

Speaking of which, AKJ's pants appear to be breeding in my closet. Ever since we moved, your pants keep cropping up everywhere. So to speak. Of course, now that I prefer not to wear any.

And please do come over Monday with any folding/mailing. Company is welcome, my upstairs is baby safe, and ice cream is an acceptable bribe.

I need to clean my bathroom. Is it wrong to avoid it, although it involves no heavy lifting and would take about 10 minutes?

Stuff to do

I went out and got some stuff to make baby announcements for Meimei. I think they'll be cute, but I think I need some more girly stuff, they're looking pretty boyish right now. I'm going to mock one up and see how it looks. I'm terribly afraid I'm going to try to get crafty while I'm home.

I also started writing a piece on selling your home that I hope to publish here when it's done. Not that I'm the expert, but I couldn't find anything on this online when we were doing it, so I thought I would put together some of the tips we got and that we've heard from other people selling now.

I've had a few contractions today that were pretty good, but no more than 2-3 an hour. I could be here awhile.

Twiddling my thumbs

Sitting here at home, watching Real Genius (which has miraculously stood the test of time, when most movies from 1983 would really suck on later viewing), attempting to think of something to do today. I have already spent some quality time draped over a yoga ball, as recommended by my clinic, and will be going back on the ball as soon as I am done here.

So what to do? Maybe unpack a few boxes. Maybe clean out the fridge and pick up some groceries. I have been surfing the web for hours, but I'm afraid I'm going to start spending money, so I have to stop.

Oh, and now I have a raging sore throat. Fantastic. No wonder Kitten's been so tired and crabby this week. I wonder how much it will suck to be in labor with a cold.

Home for good

Had my appointment today, and I'm still in the same place. 2 centimeters. So all of the pain, discomfort, "annoying" contractions, all for nothing. They got me nowhere. And now I understand that the contractions I had last time were pretty mild, pretty weak, and they only kept me there because my water had broken. Slightly. And had resealed itself, but apparently they don't care about that. So, more to look forward to.

The only good part is that I got written out of work for the remainder of this hell. And really only because I can't sit upright in a chair anymore for more than 10 or 20 minutes. Not because I am miserable, can't stop crying, am sick to my stomach most of the time, have horrific back pain, can barely walk, have horribly sore hips, and am still having contractions at least every 10 minutes.

So I'm here now for good. Kitten will still go to daycare, I can barely keep up with her for the 2-3 hours she is home at night before bed. This would be the perfect time to catch up on my scrapbooking if all that stuff wasn't still packed. The baby's room is done except for hanging the balloon lamp and the other thingy, which I probably shouldn't do. I might be able to unpack a box or two in our room, maybe put away some stuff in the office. I can at least file our mortgage and closing paperwork, I would think.

Maybe I will make Meimei's announcements instead of just bringing her into Penney's and having them done. I guess this would be the time to do it. I don't know what else I'll do.

Free at last!

Still at home, have my weekly appointment today and will try to get written out of work. I'm a woman on the edge, I think I have a good chance. I picked the wrong time to run out of Zoloft.

(Don't worry, I have finally dragged my lazy butt downstairs to log into the Walgreens website and order a refill to be picked up at my NEW location.)

On the bright side, here we are on Blogger and I am much happier. I spent hours last night trying to get my Comcast site to do what I needed it to, but sadly, although part of my JOB is to edit and publish a website in FrontPage everyday, I now know what "Comcastic" means: confusing and backwards. So I am giving in and blogging here and although I thought it might be cool to use the feature to use blogger on my Comcast site, I probably will not switch it over unless this site forces me to (ala MSN).

So, yay for Blogger.