Merry Christmas....a Little Late! :-)

Well, I hope you all had a good holiday. This year, since I can not travel in my state, Travis and I did the Christmas thing alone...for the first time since two Christmases before we got married. Now, you could look at this as a sad thing...yes, we did miss family....OR, you could look at it the way we did. RELAXING. We decided not to do gifts this year, but to spend that money on dates (movies, dinners out, etc). We love going to the movies, and when Owen arrives, we will not be doing that as often as we normally do. So, since I have been on my Christmas break we have seen Juno and a sneak peek of 27 Dresses. Both great, I reccommend them to everyone. We went to eat at our favorite roadside place on Pacific Coast Highway....and we will venture out for lunch at one of our new favorite places today (hopefully). We will also be attempting to go to a taping of Ellen on January 7....if Owen doesn't decide to come before then, we will see.

We spent Wednesday night in Labor and Delivery. It was lovely. I went from having zero contractions to being in severe pain...so we went in and I was having legitimate contractions and labor. I puked a couple times, and the nurse just smiled and said, "that's labor." Awesome. Well, they ended up giving me a shot to stop the contractions...they did not stop. SO, we thought he was coming 4 weeks early. Well, eventually I stopped feeling the contractions, but they were still happening according to the monitor. So, they wanted to keep me over night. At 5 am, the nurse told me I could go home, because the unfelt contractions slowed down enough. I am already dialting, among other things (i will spare you)....which could signal quickly approaching labor, or another few weeks with a bun in the oven. To put it in the words of my doctor we saw Thursday, "I think it will be sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be surprised if you went at midnight tonight, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was another 3 weeks." So folks...there you have it. Owen will be born sometime in the next few weeks. :-)

Since our lovely practice trip to the hospital, our bags are NOW packed, and MOST things that we needed to get done are done. Owen's room is finished, the living room is rearranged, our room is somewhat rearranged and the pack and play is set up in there for him to sleep in when he comes home. The car seat is in the car (has been for about 3 weeks now). All baby things washed. And thanks to a little mishap with Worcestershire sauce on Christmas day our refrigerator in spotless.

Anyway...we had a nice Christmas by ourselves. Travis made a big breakfast for us Christmas morning, and we had an early dinner. A few days before Christmas we started making our Christmas treats. We made and decorated sugar cookies, we made peanut butter balls, puppy chow, chex mix (hence the need for the Worcestershire sauce), and we made a Pumpkin and Chocolate pie.

Side note: Travis has affectionately taken to calling my swollen feet/ankles/calves CRANKLES. He says it is because they make me cranky. Well, I think if most of his legs were uncomfortably swollen, he'd probably be a little cranky too. :-) He does rub my feet and fat ankles (or Crankles) every night for me, though.

Ok, here are a couple pics of us making our Christmas treats. Have a good weekend!
Well, I can't find them right now, I will psot them later.

belly pics

Well, I am officially done with work! WOO HOO!! Today after the Christmas party at work we went to the store and bought stuff to make lots of Christmas goodies tomorrow!! It will be fun. I am glad to be finished with work and now I can finally rest. :-)

Here are my belly pics.

34 weeks (above)

35 weeks (below)

prayers

We have a friend that has cystic fibrosis. She is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. Please pray for her recovery - as it will not be as "easy" as those of us who have regularly functioning lungs. Thanks.

7 more days...

of work!! Next Thursday is MY LAST DAY of work!!!!!! WOO HOO!! Well, until April when I will go back for about 4 weeks - then Travis graduates and we will move BACK TO TEXAS!!!!!!

I am very excited, but I am too tired to show much excitement. I have been trying to get over this crappy sickness. I ended up having to do an antibiotic - last resort. I was trying to make it without having to take one during my pregnancy....but, I did not succeed. I have managed to lose my voice 95%, though. That has been great at work trying to communicate with the kids - I think they think I am trying to play charades. I have had to use my hands alot. One little girl asked me today if this was my real voice. Sadly, yes. So, if you call - expect to be talking to Travis.

Yesterday a little boy came over and lifted my shirt up and asked with his face to my belly "where's the boy??" The kids don't understand that I can't just show Owen to them yet. This particular little boy is getting VERY frustrated with me about it. To them I have been pregnant FOREVER, and while I would agree to an extent, they are way more impatient than I am.

Some interesting things are happening to my body. I am quite slow these days...among other things. I am definitely in the end of my pregnancy, and I feel it. A friend of mine told me tonight that she thinks Owen will come early. I'm not opposed to that, actually. As long as it is AFTER Christmas - I am good with that.

Last Tuesday was my birthday. We went out to dinner, just the two of us. We decided that I would put some Christmas money toward a late birthday present to myself. At my staff Christmas party we received a very nice gift card to a very fancy spa here in the Los Angeles area. So, I am putting Christmas money with that gift card and treating myself!! The plan is to go this Saturday for about 4 hours - for a pregnancy massage, a fancy manicure, and a fancy pedicure!!! It will be so nice!

We were so tired that we both just got up from an hour and a half nap. It was nice. Travis has one more final on Thursday, then he is done for the semester!! :-)

I have heart burn. Tums are NOT working. Any other ideas?

Updates

Hello everyone! Long time, no real post. Not that any of you care that much about daily or weekly posts. ANYWAY...

We had a good Thanksgiving with my family in Texas. I had a little shower on Thanksgiving day with the fam. It was fun and I got some cute stuff. The plane ride home was horrendous, as my ankles and feet swelled up marshmallows. I was quite uncomfortable. That was pretty much my first swelling episode, and I can say I am not a fan.

I am posting some pics now. I have a belly pic, but you will have to ignore my Rudolph nose. I am quite sick with a sinus infection, ear infection, and bronchitis. YUCK. Not fun. So, on my belly pic, only look at my big belly, not my sad sick face. Ok? Last week at the doctor she told me that Owen is already head down. Hopefully he will stay that way.

I also have a couple of pics from Thanksgiving. Not many of my pictures were very good, so I am only posting a couple.

33 weeks Preggo. 7 weeks (give or take) to go.

A cute outfit I got at my shower.

Me and Travis with my nephews.

Ok, that's all for now.

HELP!!!!!!!!

If anyone reads this in the next few hours....HELP!!

I am going to a work Christmas party tonight and I need to make a side dish. I want to make something good and really tasty. SO....PLEASE HELP ME. Leave me a comment with a good recipe, or if you have my e-mail address just e-mail me. It probably needs to feed roughly 20 people.

Ok, friends, family....random blog stalkers. SERIOUSLY. Leave me a comment. I NEED HELP!!

THANKS.

Hello!

Nothing much new to report. While we were in Texas for Thanksgiving we miss yet another round of fires in Malibu. Sadly, one of my kid's lost his house, and one of my friends lost her house. I am tired of fire. I think I will stick to storms and move back to Texas.

Owen has the hiccups right now. It is sort of funny. Poor kid.

We have a doctor appt on Thursday morning, so we should hear the heartbeat again. That never gets old.

Anyway...I will update again when I have more interesting information to share. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

30 weeks

Hi folks. We went to the doctor today and things are looking good. I am measuring exactly 30 weeks and Owen's heartbeat was great. I am right on schedule for gaining the one pound a week, since it has been 2 weeks since my last appointment and I have gained 2 pounds - bringing me up to 11 pounds.

Here is my 30 week belly shot. It only gets bigger from here. :-)

Here are some more pictures from Owen's photo session the other day. He is so cute.

OH BABY!!

Today we had another 3D sonogram!! Thanks to my mom! THANKS MOM! :-)

He was NOT active at all. He was sleeping and really did not want to move away from my placenta that he was using as his pillow. :-) So, initially we could only see half of his face, but Travis started talking to him and got him to move his face so we could see most of it. He is so dang cute. He has fat little cheeks. Here are a few of the pictures.

In the picture on the left that is his foot up on the right side. His leg was all the way up there! Too funny.

Ok, I don't have much more time. I will have to post more pictures tomorrow, and my 30 week belly shot...so stay tuned!! :-)

Ahhh....

Gingerbread Latte!! MMMMMMM good! It is that time of year. Starbucks holiday flavors are out!! WOOHOO!! I am ADDICTED to Gingerbread Lattes. Of course, now I get decaf, and I don't get them as often. BUT, when I do...MMMMMMMMMM.





















School at the new location has been going smoothly. Of course, the diet regulations are hard for some of the parents to follow when it comes to packing thier kid's lunches. At the Jewish Center, they are a dairy center, so no meat is allowed. Meat and dairy mixed is not kosher....SO, our kids can't bring turkey or ham sandwiches. They can bring tuna, salmon, PB&J, eggs, cheese and yogurt for protein, but that is hard for some parents to deal with. Unfortunately, when a child opens their lunch and we find meat, we have to pack it back up and not allow them to eat it. The kids have actually been more receptive to that than the parents.

Today I went to get my flu shot. It is a special shot for babies and preggers. Since I have asthma, I teach preschool, and I am pregnant I was told I HAD to have a flu shot. So, Travis and I went down to my docs office. Since I was "overqualified" for the shot I didn't have to pay the $30, and the lady looked at Travis and said, "I need to give you one, since she is pregnant." And, they didn't make him pay either!! My shot was half the size of his (because it is preservative free)!! :-)

The weather has been cool here the last few days!! I love it! Of course, by Monday it is supposed to be back up to 78. BOOOO!!! It is stinking November!!!!! GRRR.

You should check out Travis' blog. (link on the right). He has been out to the picket lines of the Writer's Guild strikes 3 days this week. He is writing a paper for one of his classes and he has gotten alot of interviews and what not. Anyway...it is pretty interesting. He got some more info today...so he will update again soon.

Ok kids...have a good weekend!!

Random things, and Pictures

Well, I hope you all enjoyed Owen's Halloween wishes on the last post. :-)
1. As a good many of you have noticed, I added a couple of little polls on the right side of my blog. I need an explanation from ALOT of you...Why in the WORLD are you so convinced that he will arrive at least 3 days (or more) early?? Seriously...leave me a comment and let me know this. Because I am convinced that he will be at least 3 days late...maybe even a week late. So...if you haven't voted on the polls yet...go for it!! BUT...please leave a comment on here and let me know what you voted for!!! So, those of you that have already voted need to leave a comment and tell me. For whoever voted that he will be small...bless your heart. :-)



2. Ok...on to other things. I had a baby shower yesterday and a baby shower last Sunday. They were both very nice and fun. Owen will definitely be well dressed.

Shower Number 1

(entry table, gift table, fun balloons, family friends Brice and Vicki)

Shower Number 2

(gift table, party favor)

3. Travis and I went to part one of our prepared childbirth class on Saturday. I really enjoyed it, and it was very interesting. This next Saturday is part two, and it will be the active stuff for pain management and what not. It should be fun.

4. The preschool where I teach had moved locations...we are now using rooms at the Malibu Jewish Center. They have been so nice and great to us. It should be a good time. The kids start tomorrow, so we will see how it goes.

5. I am officially in my THIRD TRIMESTER!!!! Crazy. I am on to the every two weeks doctor appointments. At my appt. last Thursday Owen's heartbeat was perfect, I was measuring exactly 28 weeks, and I discovered I have only gained 9 pounds (how in the world that is possible, I do not know). At any rate, I am right where the doctor wants me, and since everything looks and sounds great...I will for sure get to fly to Texas for Thanksgiving!!! WOO HOO!!!

6. We had orientation today at our new site for the parents. One of the dads asked me, "so, your ready to pop huh?" I responded, "nope, I'm only 7 months." His response to my response was, "DAMN!!" Geez, THANKS ALOT!!! I wanted to throw it in his face that I have only gained 9 pounds, but that probably wouldn't have made a difference. I am sure that other pregnant ladies get those types of reactions from people about how big they look, at least I HOPE I am not the only one. Am I the only one that it bothers?? I hope not.

7. I did go to the site of the preschool that burned down. I have pictures, but, I didn't figure anyone really wanted to see them, so I didn't post them here. If you really do want to see, then let me know in the comments and I will post a few.

That's all for now folks. Have a good week.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

No it's not a Jack'O'Lantern...

It's an Owen'O'Lantern!!!

Pictures and Things

I have to say, it is weird not going to work today. I am trying to relax and use it as a time to get things done - but under the circumstances, considering the reason I am not at work, it is sort of difficult.

The good news today is that the Santa Ana winds are almost non-existent today, and some of the roads have opened back up. Pepperdine resumed classes today, so Travis is across the street at the Law School. I am doing some laundry and getting the apartment ready for Travis' parents who arrive this afternoon. We opened the windows to try to air out the place, it smelled like a giant barbeque happened in here. It is smelling better. And all I have to say is thank goodness for Febreeze!! :-)

Ok...here are a couple pictures from the fire damage from right around this area. I don' have any pictures of the preschool site yet, hopefully on Friday.

This is a picture on part of the mountain directly behind out apartment building. You can see the green tree in the right side of the picture tha twas not burned. The rest of the mountain used to be green.

This is one of the parking lots at Pepperdine. Pepperdine is a very green campus, and the entire area surrounding these cars is nothing but black char.

This is a bank down the hill by Ralph's grocery store. Some embers blew over and caught this tower on fire and it collapsed.

This picture shows a field here in Malibu full of fire trucks.

Ok, now for a belly picture. This picture is a week late...sorry. This was at 26 weeks, I am now at 27 weeks. I look tired. Ha Ha.

Update on Fires (again)

When we left yesterday, I looked back behind our apartment building to see the flames coming down the hill. It was scary. Now, watching the news here it is crazy. I thought I was in danger, and we drove away fine. People's cars caught fire (not here at Pepperdine, but other places in Malibu) as they were trying to evacuate. The important thing to note is this: the news and websites keep spinning the Malibu fires as "celebrity homes in danger", etc. Well, so much more goes on here than just things involving celebrities. Malibu is not just about famous people. There are families and students and professors and working people. Many of them lost things, some everything. One of Travis' favorite professors lost his house. I have read and heard that some people were turning their noses up at the situation in Malibu, and some saying things like, "well, they deserve it" or "well, they can afford it." NO ONE deserves this. It is not ok to happen to anyone, I don't care who you are. Just because someone has money doesn't mean a devastating fire is not a big deal. And, not everyone here in Malibu has money.

We are actually back at our apartment on Campus now. We got home not too long ago. All roads are blocked off that lead to Pepperdine, so we thought it would be difficult to get back. But, at the road block we told the police we were trying to get back to our apartment. They asked for Travis' student ID and let us right through. So, here we are.



As far as other things go...the church where I work (worked), Malibu Presbyterian Church, was completely distroyed. We had some dear preschool pets, Rosy the rabbit, Sweetheart the guinea pig, and 4 ginormous goldfish - and they were all lost. It is terribly sad. I went to a meeting this morning at my boss's house with a few of the other preschool teachers and the pastor of the church. The church leaders are in good spirits, and confident that good things will come out of the situation. They had excellent insurance, and things will be covered. As the pastor stated, "the building burned, but the church didn't." And, that is the attitude they are taking. Which is good. So many churches in the area have offered help and there are places where they can hold services on Sunday mornings.



As far as the preschool goes, there are options they are exploring, and many locations have offered help for that cause as well. So, according to my boss, I am (and the other teachers) on a "vacation" for it looks like 2 weeks (at least) until they can figure things out.



It was very sad to watch the church building burn on the news. Especially the preschool wing and the playground.

This is a picture of the edge of the playground. The little house there is in the sandbox, well, it was. It is no longer. The preschool staff will probably go to the site of the preschool on Friday to check things out, and kind of grieve I guess. So, that will be an interesting day.

Travis' parents are supposed to come out here on Wednesday, and I have my first baby shower on Sunday. That should be fun, and hopefully all of the fires will be over by then. The Santa Ana winds just make the fires so much worse because they are so strong, hurricane force at times. But, they are supposed to go away by tomorrow evening...so, here's hoping.

We Are Fine!

Updated: Malibu Pres has burned, so we don't know what will happen with Jeri's job and the pre-school. There was a guinea pig in the church that we think didn't get out, but the rabbit was gone, and a few of the people who worked for the church did get in and get all of the important documents for the church and the pre-school, so thank goodness for that.

There is also a castle that looks over Malibu, which is a complete loss, it was someone's home. There are a few other buildings burning, but it's all away from us, so we are good. Just keep praying for all the people losing their homes and that everyone continues to be safe.

Original Post:
There is a fire in Malibu all around Pepperdine. We were evacuated, we got some of our stuff and are safe at our friend Allison's house. There are currently no flames on campus, and they keep all the buildings wet if the fire starts to come, so our stuff should be fine, although a little smoky.
It appears that Malibu Presbyterian Church has completely burned down, so we don't know where they will move the Pre-School, but as far as we know no one was at the church. It doesn't seem that anyone has been injured, so just pray that no one gets hurt or killed, and that no other buildings burn.

Again, we are safe and will try to keep you posted.

The Verdict is....

NO GESTATIONAL DIABETES!!!!!!! Hooray!!

Also...if you have looked at my ticker on the top of my blog...I am now below 100 days on the countdown to Owen!! Fun!

I have a funny story from work today. I hope it doesn't offend anyone...but I am going to put it on here anyway. It is something that a child said...unaware that they were saying anything wrong.

We were painting firetrucks in art today, and one little girl was there that has a bit of a speech problem. She is only three. Well, when kids create art, they get very proud and want you to notice every detail about their art. She said to me, "Mrs. Tidmore, look at my firetruck." EXCEPT: it did not come out firetruck. If you take out the "tr" and put another "f" instead, THAT is what she said. That's right. You said it right. She said, "Mrs. Tidmore, look at my fire*uck." She was saying firetruck, but that is not how it was coming out, thanks to her little speech issue. It was hilarious, but of course I couldn't laugh at her. And she kept saying it. Every time she added anything at all to her firetruck, she wanted me to notice it.

Anyway...have a good week.

UPDATE: well...one more couple in our apartments announced she is pregnant...so that makes 5 of us having babies. Although, there is one down because one baby was born lat night! It is going to be so much fun around here!!

In Case You Were Wondering...

I survived today. Just barely. I won't get the results from the GD test until Monday, but my terrible 1/2 day is finally over and I can put it behind me (at least for this pregnancy).

It was worse than I imagined it would be. I really didn't think the drink could get that much worse. BUT, I was oh so wrong. IT.WAS.HORRENDOUS. Half way through drinking it I was BAWLING and telling Travis there was no way I could finish it. My stomach was already killing me, as I had not eaten anything in many, many hours - that made it so much worse. I was gagging as I drank it, and, so sorry for the graphic descriptions - but I was literally swallowing to keep the vomit down. It was so terrible. We took our portable DVD player so we could watch DVD's while we sat in the waiting room. (we got there at 7:00 am, left at 10:45 am)

Before I drank the mess, they took my blood. Then they gave me the drink and I went out to the waiting room where Travis was to drink it. Then I was supposed to let them know, exaclty one hour from when I finished it, when to take my blood every hour for the next three hours. So, I finished the drink at 7:38 am (yes, it took them that long to even draw my blood the first time and give me the drink), and at 8:38 am I had the first blood taken. I was hanging in there, not feeling good at all, but I was still upright. Well...about 15 minutes after she took my blood that first time I started feeling SO SO terrible. I was light headed and really nausiated. I was so sick, Travis told me I needed to tell them. So, I went up to the desk and the nurse took one look at me and told me to come back to a room. And, that room is where I laid for the next 2 blood tests, while we watched "How I Met Your Mother" season one on DVD.

By the time the last blood test was taken my nausea was subsiding, but my stomach was hurting so bad from hunger. So...we went to a little place we had never been before to eat. We had seen it from the highway (it is on Pacific Coast Highway, between Santa Monica and Malibu), but I always thought it was a bar, so I never even thought about the place. Well, we saw it on a Food Network show called "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." IT WAS AWESOME!! It is called Patrick's Roadhouse.

It is a little hole in the wall joint with a great atmosphere, and I am bummed that we didn't find it before now. Anyone that comes to visit us between now and the time we leave here will be eating at Patrick's Roadhouse. Another great thing about that place: right behind it is a hidden little Mexican restraunt whose sign reads "TEX MEX." HOORAY!!! I am so excited to eat there. Maybe I will like it. The Mexican food out here is so not good. At all.

So, after my bad experience at the doctor's office it was nice that my day was redeemed by such a yummy place to eat. My body was so happy to have some protien in it!! I got eggs and bacon and the BEST whole wheat toast I have ever had. Everything had a really good flavor. And the price was way affordable, not like most of the restraunts in this area. Hooray for great finds!!

Well, now that I have bored you to tears, I will leave you to watch "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network. :-)

Thanks for "listening" to my venting about my bad experience. I was told by the nurse that most women that have to take the 3 hours glucose test get pretty sick, so at least I wasn't an odd ball. :-)

Annoyed

After taking the glucose tolerance blood test, I was told I would be notified within 2 business days if the results were less than desired. So...since Saturday is a business day for my doctor's office...today, 3 business days later than I was told initially I would be informed - I got the call from my dr's office that I need to come in and TAKE THE THREE HOUR GLUCOSE TEST. I am not going to lie. Curses came out of my mouth. Along with tears. The nurse told me on the phone, "the drink is the same number of ounces, but twice the glucose." I shrieked. She asked if I was ok. I told her no. The mere THOUGHT of drinking that putrid mess makes me vomit a little in my mouth. So, not only do I have to subject myself to the nastiness that is this "drink," but I also have to fast for 8 hours prior to arriving at the dr's office, and 4 hours after that. So, I will go 12 hours without eating or drinking anything. I will NOT be a pleasant person. IF I don't eat every 2 to 2 1/2 hours I get VERY cranky. So, no telling what I will become when not only can I not eat or drink, but my stomach is full of sugar. VOMIT. I am starting my prayer now that I won't vomit.

Also...I need to take two iron supplements a day because my iron is too low. Fabulous. What else??

Also...a mother asked me last week, "so, your almost 9 months right?" my reply, "No...just 6." Today, the SAME mother said to me, "So...any minute now huh? That baby is ready." WHAT?!?!?! Did I not just tell you 6 days ago that I am ONLY 6 MONTHS PREGNANT?!?! Come on. That made my day...then I get home to a phone call from my doctor's office.

Needless to say...I am not in a very good mood, and I am pretty bummed about the prospect of having to drink that mess again. Not to mention that I DO NOT want Gestational Diabetes. And it seems pretty strange that I could have it considering my diet consists of VERY little sugar since I got pregnant. I guess if you don't eat sugar or sweet stuff, anyone would come up as diabetic on a blodd test after being made to drink 12 ounces of pure glucose. SICK.

So...my Friday will be spent in the dr's office, hopefull not puking.

TO TOP THIS ALL OFF: we just had a fire drill. Ridiculous. At 8:30 pm. There are tiny babies that go to bed early, and they went around and knocked on everyone's door and even made the tiny babies be woken up and taken outside into the cold. RIDICULOUS. We don't need fire drills. We are adults. We know what to do if there is a fire. GRRRRR.

This just in...

Travis felt Owen kick for the first time tonight. :-) It was fun. Then he sang the following song to my belly:

(to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Twinkle Twinkle Little Owen

How I wonder what you're doin'

Hangin out in your momma's belly

One day you'll have peaunut butter and jelly

Sometimes it definitely looks like I have an alien in my belly. My stomach moves all over the place, it is funny.

Anyway...Have a good week!

'Tis the season...

Well, not the Christmas season, but my FAVORITE season. October through the beginning of January is my favorite time of the year!! Now it will be through the end of January...since Owen will come then. I love seeing pumkins out and halloween decorations. My favorite actual holiday is Thanksgiving - that is when my entire family gets together, and eats until we are sick. :-) Several times. After we eat you can spot any member of my family sleeping on a couch or bed somewhere in the house, or eating, again! It is fun! Then comes my birthday...and not that we do too much to celebrate that but we always at least go to dinner with friends which is nice. Then it is Christmas, and I just generally like the feel of that time of year. New Years isn't far behind and that is fun because the year changes. And this coming January we will have another tiny person in our house....which brings me to my next topic.

Yesterday I had a doctor appt. I had to drink the nasty glucose drink for the blood test for gestational diabetes. IT.WAS.HORRIBLE. I will not lie, it is the MOST DISGUSTING thing I have EVER put into my body. I have had an aversion to sweet things since I got pregnant (which is against my normal cravings). So, drinking that drink was not something I was looking forward to. People told me it really wasn't that bad, so I had kind of prepared myself for something gross, but doable. NOT. I was gagging and really struggling to keep that crap down. I was literally in tears. It was so bad. I can't handle things that are too sweet these days, it makes my stomach really hurt and it stirs up the little saliva glands that get going right before you puke. It was quite difficult for me. But, I DIDN'T puke!! WHEW. I did NOT want to have to drink that again. I am just hoping that the test is negative for gestational diabetes, because the thought of having to drink that stuff again makes me sick.

The doctor also took a look at Owen. Owen does not like it when I eat really sugary things either. It makes him lethargic almost. Anyway...he is so much less active when i eat that stuff than when I eat healthy things. Sugar does not pump him up it knocks him down. So, she put the wand on my stomach and the poor kid was just laying there with his arms over his head waving his hands. He was also opening and closing his mouth which was cute. His heart beat was great. We discovered that he has VERY long legs. Which is good, because I have virtually no legs. :-) I hope Owen is at least as tall as Travis. The doctor also told us that we have a REALLY BIG BOY on our hands. She told us to prepare for a baby over 8 pounds. I am only 6 months pregnant, and she is already telling me my kid is huge. Scary. She also told me to be prepared for the possibility of a C-Section since I am petite and Owen is not. :-)

I know doctors are wrong all the time regarding the size of babies when they are born, so, maybe Owen won't be over 8 pounds. Travis was 8 lbs 12 oz. AHHHHH. I was only like 6 1/2 lbs, if I am getting that right. Is that right Mom? Anyway...I might be giving birth to a toddler. ha ha We will see. I am definitely all baby. My stomach is getting bigger by the hour.

Anyway...I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Random Bits

Not alot to say, but bits and pieces. So, I will do another random blog.

1. Britney Spears. I am not even going to touch the entire situation with the custody of her kids - BUT, I will say that I wish people would leave her alone about her VMA performance. Not that the actual performance was good, because it wasn't. It was terrible, in fact. However, people are ragging on her about how fat she was and how terrible she looked. Now, despite her ragged hair extensions, I honestly thought she looked fabulous for having given birth to 2 kids.

2. There is a little girl at school that has a speech issue. She is cute. She calls me Mrs. T wars.

3. Another little girl told me that I should name my son Candy Randy or Baby Boy Tony. HA I don't think so. :-)

4. I get pretty tired of parents at school telling me how I should give birth. Most recently, a mom told me that having a baby without an epidural is the most dangerous and life-threatening thing you could do. Hmmm...I HIGHLY doubt that. What did everyone do before the epidural was invented? Now, I don't knock those ladies that have had an epidural - but since I can't have one (due to rods in my back), I have been left to explore my other options...looks like natural is the only other option. ha ha And, I am ok with that. But this particular mother was APPALLED that I was even considering natural birth, and told me that I was basically taking my life into my own hands. Holy cow lady. Get a grip. God didn't create the epidural in the first 6 days, so I think I will be okay to join the other millions of women that gave birth without it.

5. I have a scar from when I had my belly botton pierced. It is slowly moving it's way up my stomach. It is funny. It isn't a small scar anymore. It is stretching. Good thing I am not much of a vain person. I think it is kind of funny to see where my scar will be every couple of days.

6. I am tired, and up WAY past my bedtime.

7. Goodnight.

Kids are Funny UPDATED WITH PIC

Today was a busy, crazy day at work. But, some funny things did happen.

1. A little boy and a little girl were playing playdough together. They said they were making pizzas, so I asked them what kind of pizzas they were making. The little girl replied, "CHEESE!!" and then the little boy (4 years old) said, "Prosciutto/fungi." He said this completely seriously. I couldn't help but laugh. Leave it up to a Malibu kid to prefer prosciutto and fungi over cheese. So bizzare.

2. I was standing next to a little girl (4 yrs old) and she looked up at me and said, "you know, I think your gonna have a baby." I said to her, "what gave it away??" She just laughed.

3. Another little girl (3 yrs old) walking next to me said, "whoa, look at your belly. It is getting so big. Probably because the baby is getting so big, huh?"

4. The same little boy that tells me he loves me all the time walked into my room and hugged me and rubbed my belly and said, "Oh Mrs. Tidmore, I'm so glad your baby is still in your belly." ha ha I said, "ME TOO!!"

Ok, I am 23 weeks tomorrow. So, I will probably post a belly pic on this same post as an update, so check back.

Here is my 23 week belly shot. Not great, but it'll do.

Relief

This first week of school is over. Whew. It was EXHAUSTING. I could barely do anything when I got off work. I am so glad today is Friday and I get off early on Fridays. :-) We went to Motherhood Maternity after work because I needed a pair of jeans. I actually got my jeans that I have been wearing the last couple months on ebay. They worked out great, but I have outgrown them. I wore the jeans on Tuesday and they still fit me okay (not great), but today when I wore them they were very uncomfortable. I must have had a growth spurt! ha ha

It is VERY cloudy here and chilly outside. I love it. It has not rained here in about 6 months, so I am hoping it rains tonight.

Today I sort of freaked out one of my kids without meaning to. It is the same little boy that told me he missed me this summer and asked if he could meet "my boy" when he comes out. Well, today he was in front of me and jerked his head back and got my belly. It didn't really hurt, but I said, "you bonked my baby." He said, "OH NO!!! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry Mrs. Tidmore. I'm so sorry." He was pretty distressed. I told him it was no big deal it didn't hurt me, I was just kidding with him. And he said (with HUGE eyes), "Did I hurt your baby?!?!?" Poor kid. I assured him "my boy" was fine. I felt bad that I made him upset. Oh well.

Is this guy for real???

So, this guy is suing God?!?! What?? I mean, come on. What does he expect to gain out of this? Read the article here:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297121,00.html

In other news, today was the first day of school at work. There's a whole new batch of little guys. They are exhausting. I am so tired. There is one little boy that was there last year. This is his last year before he is off to kindergarten. Anyway, he is a bit of a bahavior problem - but for some reason he REALLY likes me. So, today as he comes into my room he hugged my belly and said, "Oh Mrs. Tidmore I love you." Then he rubbed my belly and asked me, "Can we please meet your boy when he comes out?" He is very sweet. Last Friday at orientation he ran up to me and hugged me. When I asked how his summer was he told me, "It was all great, except you weren't there!!"

I also heard some funny pronunciations of my last name.

• Tigmorg
• Timwork
• Turdmore (the kid that said this was really small, and totally didn't know what he was saying!!)
• Tidmonk

These are all very original. Most of the parents still call me Mrs. Tidwell. It drives me nuts.

September Showers....

Bring October babies! Well, in this case it does. I went to a baby shower yesterday for a girl that lives in my building. She is due October 24. There are 4 of us having babies actually, 2 due in October, 2 due in January. I debated on posting this picture, because I look ginormous, especially compared to the other 3 tiny women in this picture. I blame it partly on the white shirt I am wearing, because white is NEVER slimming - and I will blame it on the fact that I am short, so my poor son is very cramped. Anyway, here is the Preggy Club.

Left to Right: Katherine- due October 12, Shellie- due October 24, Me- due January 23, Emily- due January 25

I color coded the names by what we are having!! Blue means boy, obviously, and pink means girl. Emily is green because she hasn't found out yet. She is very close to my due date and you can hardly tell she is pregnant. I really felt fat yesterday - I tried to laugh it off, but man, by the time I actually have this kid I will be HUGE. The other girls are still so tiny and cute, and then there is the white mass in the middle of the picture! Boo. They were all VERY tiny prior to getting pregnant, but still - they are still so tiny. Not fair.

So, yesterday my son was literally sitting on my bladder. For about 3 hours I was going to the bathroom EVERY FIVE MINUTES!!!! It felt like I had been holding it all day long - so I expected it to take a while to pee. (too much info, sorry - but I need to vent.) No. It took about 1/2 a second to pee, and I felt SO MUCH better. But then, 5 minutes later I felt like I had not gone in hours again. Like I said, this lasted 3 hours. Travis came home in the midst of this and could tell I was frustrated and asked what was wrong. I said, "your son is sitting on my bladder." He laughed. He has NO idea. Normally Owen just lets me know when it is time to empty my bladder by gently punching it. And by gently I mean it starts of soft, but if it takes me too long to get to the bathroom he starts wailing on it. Like I said, he has no room in there. If my bladder is full it is taking up his space. He doesn't like it. I don't like it either, simply because it really doesn't feel good when he uses my bladder as a punching bag. Although, I much prefer that to him just sitting ON my bladder for a few hours. I did not like that. At all.

Poor Owen. He is still so small and already fighting for his space. When he gets to be 5 pounds he really isn't going to like my bladder, or any of my other organs in there. I also have rods in my back which doesn't allow for much moving around of the insides. There was this mom at my school that I just felt so sorry for last year because she was pregnant and HUGE. I could tell she was uncomfortable. ALL the time. Well, I am afraid that will be me. It isn't Owen's fault, he can't help it. I've only gained three pounds - so my largeness is literally ALL baby (and the things that go along with that). Owen accounts for roughly a pound of that.

Alright kids. I am done here. Maybe I can find an outfit in my closet that won't make me look quite as large as I am to wear to church.

A few things...and a few pics

Nothing fabulous to blog about on its own really, so here is a list.

1. Our church had "cowboy church" today out at a ranch where movies used to shoot. It is funny, because many folks wear cowboy hats and cowboy boots. I am from Texas and I don't own either.

2. Upon arriving to the grocery store after church today we witnessed a mom coming out of the store with her set of twins, as well as her set of triplets. HOLY COW!! We were not the only ones shocked - there were many in the parking lot staring. 5 kids under 5 years old. No thanks.

3. When we were in New York and were in line to get into the Yankess game (boo, it was not worth it) there was a girl and her boyfriend standing right next to me. She says to her boyfriend, "Oh my god, there is a pregnant lady going to a baseball game. That is the dumbest thing I have ever seen." She was RIGHT next to me, and she was obviously talking about me as she was staring right at my stomach. Last I checked Baseball is "America's Favorite Pastime," not "people who are not pregnant's favorite pastime." I was pretty angry actually. I didn't know that I was not allowed to enjoy baseball anymore.

4. I start back to work tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it. I have enjoyed my time off. :-) Oh well, in a few months I will get another couple months of to hang out with my son! :-)

5. We went to the doctor yesterday, and we had confirmation that Owen is in fact a boy! The doc says, "yep, there's the little wee wee." Ok lady. You can say penis to me. I'm not 2.

6. When we were in New York, we took the subway a few times. It was ALWAYS packed. When I needed it the most, someone offered their seat to me. Once it was a teenage boy, and the other time it was a man probably my age in a business suit. It was nice. I know they probably just felt sorry for the sweaty pregnant lady, but that was ok with me. I needed to sit down. :-) So - THANKS to those two guys for giving a pregnant lady a break. It was hugely appreciated, and more than that unexpected.

Ok, here are a couple of pictures. Nothing too exciting, but pictures all the same.

This is the chapel at Princeton University

This is Travis and Kenny. Being silly. :-) Actually, me and Jennifer made them do this. But it didn't take much. ha ha

This is just my favorite picture of my son. Hopefully he will be this relaxed when he comes out! :-)

EDIT: please see disclaimer in comments regarding the guy's picture. :-)

From Coast to Coast

Last Wednesday morning we got up before the sun and got on an airplane to New York City - followed by a trip to Princeton, New Jersey to visit some good friends!! Many planes, trains, taxis and subways later...we are home!!

We had a really great time!! Wednesday evening in New York we met up with a couple friends that left Pepperdine recently and had dinner at a great Pizza joint! Our hotel was neat and not too far from Times Square, and from the window we could see the Hudson River.

On Thursday afternoon we went to a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. Honestly, I wasn't impressed with the stadium, or the people there - so we only lasted through the first 3 innings.

Us at Yankee Stadium!

Thursday morning we decided to see what kind of tickets we could get to see Hairspray - Broadway style!! We lucked out and got second row center seats, and it was AWESOME!!! The cast included Lance Bass (of NSync fame, as Corny Collins), Ashley Parker Angel (from O Town, as Link), and Jerry Mathers (The Beav, as Tracy's dad). They were great.

Friday night we went to see Grease Broadway style!! It was so good!! We watched the reality show last season "Grease: Your the one that I want" and our two favorites won the roles of Danny and Sandy, so we were excited to go see it. Plus, I played Sandy in Grease one weird summer a few years back...so that made it more fun.

Us in Times Square

We went to Central Park and we went on a carriage ride around it!!

A Harry Potter Leggo Display at FAO Swartz.

After our fun time in New York City, we took a train to Princeton, New Jersey to stay with some good friends for a few days. We had a fun time with them and their kids. We hadn't seen Kennan (their son) since he was about 4 or 5 months old - and he is now 2 1/2. They also had a new baby a month ago, so it was fun to meet her! They took us around Princeton University and to the Jersey Shore (the Atlantic Ocean). It was good to see them. Here are a few pictures from our time with them.

Me with Kennan and Brayden

These are us at Princeton

Travis and Kennan at the shore.

Travis and Brayden

Us at the shore

Us and the Rigoulots.

And now for the fat picture! ha ha This is me at 20 weeks preggo!!