10 Random Things About Me

1. I’m extremely obsessive. Not on the clinical, need to be medicated scale, but enough that it interrupts my daily life. My work desk is usually pretty immaculate. My DVDs are alphabetized, my books are in size order, my underwear is lined up neatly in my drawer, and my clothes are hung in color order – short sleeve to long sleeve. Yet, you can walk in our house and it looks like a tornado just hit it. I’m trying really hard not to pass this unreasonable trait onto Scarlett, though I may have already failed.
2. I’m obsessed with reality television. It used to mostly be limited to MTV shows (The Real World, Road Rules, etc.) but I now watch everything from the RR/RW Challenge to Extreme Couponing to Hoarders to The Kardashians.
3. I’m terrified of not having a close relationship with my kids. I’m not sure why, because I don’t have anything to base it on, but I just am.
4. I’ve never had a career goal in life. I’m not sure if it’s because I could never think of anything that I loved enough to want to do or if I’m just lazy. Even now – I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.
5. I really enjoy entertaining – even though I have a generous helping of anxiety when I do it.
6. I hate milk. HATE IT.
7. I have a major disbelief in organized religion. I don’t agree with most things that most religions preach. Yet, there is some part of me that really wants to join a church and wants Scarlett to be part of one too. Chances are slim that we’ll find one that Ben and I both agree on. Me for the beliefs, him for the historical aspects. (If they’ve persecuted Irish at any point in their history, they’re out.)
8. I’m very needy and have very little self-confidence. I really hate that I constantly seek reassurance and validation from people, even my own family. Lexapro made that a little better.
9. I clean out my ears neurotically. I know it’s not good for me, but if I don’t do it every day, I feel totally gross.
10. My two favorite movies when I was a pre-teen were Cobra and Commando. I still adore watching them!

Less than two months... or even less than that!

I just came back from the OB's office for my 31-week evaluation. (It was supposed to be 30, but got rescheduled.) Everything is going along well, as it should be. Even though my appointment was incredibly short - mostly due to the baby's unwillingness to pose for pictures - I did learn some things.

* The baby is 4 1/2 - 5 pounds right now, which is about perfect. Not overly big as they first thought. I could still have a 10-lb baby, but it isn't looking so right now. We'll get official measurements at my next appointment in two weeks.

*Although I am a normal size, outwardly, my doctor has high doubts that we'll make it to our due date, even moved up to 39 weeks. Due to the shape of my uterus, the position of the baby and history of pregnancies like this, Doc thinks that it's likely that I'll go into labor early. As much as going early appeals to me, I really don't want to.

* I do not have gestational diabetes. Barely. I was two points below the cutoff. I really need to curb my sugar.

* I have a slightly low iron count. It's not surprising, given my intolerance for some meats. Something else for me to work on.

I guess we'll keep on trucking!

Stuff aplenty

We're beginning the painstaking process of sorting all of our baby gear from Scarlett. I knew we had a lot of stuff, but I had no idea it was SO MUCH!

Boxes upon boxes of clothes (mostly pink), bottles, toys, books, odds and ends...

I feel glad that I saved so many things, but exhausted that I still need to go through it!

Proof is in the picture

The picture on the left is me the day before delivering Scarlett via C-Section.

The picture on the right is me now - two months before delivering Baby Bacon.

Wow.

A more restful night

Last night was my first night sleeping upright in the living room chair. I wasn't excited to start this trend and I put it off for entirely too long. I really hate the idea of not going to bed in MY bed, next to Ben, in the room next to Scarlett.

The pain and sleeplessness has gotten to be too much, though. So I gave up and moved to the living room, where I slept upright in our lounge chair, surrounded by pillows and propped on the ottoman. Surprisingly enough, I slept pretty well! I still got up twice during the night to pee (to be expected) and I still woke up a little stiff, but it sure beats the hip pain! Added plus - watching whatever drivel I wanted to as I slept! Only two more months to go!

Although unrelated to this post, I really wanted to post this family photo which my MIL took the day after Christmas. Pretty darn good, I think!

An almost St. Patty's Day Baby!

WE FINALLY HAVE A DATE! Pardon my excitement, but we finally scheduled our C-Section! Baby Bacon's birth date will be March 19, 2012 (barring any unforeseen circumstances). We'll head into St. Elizabeth's hospital at 5:30 a.m. that morning for a 7:30 a.m. delivery. The doctor gave me the choice of St Patrick's Day, but I chose to delay for a couple of days. As Ben said, "I don't want the baby thinking I always get drunk on his birthday!"

I learned a few interesting things at this appointment, my 28-week checkup:

* Strictly speaking numbers, I've only gained 2 pounds this pregnancy and nothing in the last three appointments.
* Bacon is already breech - feet down - and won't be flipping around. Thankfully we know about my uterine situation or the doctor may have wanted to do an inversion. He's running out of room and so he's placed his head in the space where he has the most room, which is near my ribs. Its makes breathing awesome. :( This is also why most of the movements I feel are nearer to my crotch than to my ribs.
* Bacon was definitely on a sugar high from the Glucol drink. The nurse had a hard time focusing his heartbeat and he kept kicking her when she did. He also didn't care to get his picture taken, as he turned his back every time we attempted. I'm not sure if this bodes well for his personality!
* I forget how routine these things are for doctors. My doctor had to schedule the procedure for an early time so that she could still volunteer in her son's classroom. Good for her!

The clothes make the baby

I think I've been in denial. Well, maybe not denial, but definitely not in reality. I just can't believe that I'm having a boy! I was sure I was going to have another girl - not because of my female/motherly intuition, but because that was just the way it was going to be. My mom had all girls, a lot of my family members either have all boys or all girls, I had a girl and I just couldn't fathom having a boy.

As time has passed, I'm getting a little more used to the idea. I occasionally still call Bacon "she" and I always pause nostalgically at the little baby girl clothes. However, after building up a nice supply of baby boy clothes from Christmas presents and hand-me-downs from my friends, I think I'm starting to accept this "boy" thing.

Sure, the little girly tutus are cute, but who can resist a little bowtie or onesie with a bear on the butt!