Wednesday, April 30, 2008

My grandma, kickin' ass and takin' names!

Talked to my mom tonight about my grandma who had surgery Tuesday to remove a tumor from her colon. They did the surgery. Tumor was larger than they thought but they think they got it all. Word this morning was the respirator was out but Gram was sedated as she has a stomach tube, etc. Talked to my mom tonight and apparently Gram decided she didn't like the nasal oxygen tube and the stomach tube. and pulled them out, and got out of bed and tried to totally unhook herself! Apparently when mom spoke to her she sounded like good ol' Gram! Needless to say, there's a 24 hour nurse now at her bedside.

At 87, (88 in June) gotta give the old lady credit for her spunk!

Glad to know I'm descended from such strong Eastern European peasant stock!

Democrats everywhere!

I am in Saratoga, NY, for the New York State Democratic Committee spring meeting, spending the night before the big meeting tomorrow. I'm the Montgomery County Democratic Chairperson and a member of the State Committee.

Tomorrow we vote for delegates to the National Convention. I'm an Obama girl in a Hillary world. We'll see how that goes.

Anyway, all the big statewide dems are in the house.

More later.

Monday, April 28, 2008

The voyeur in all of us

I am absolutely in love with this site:

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

Since 2004, people have sent in anonymous post cards with a (generally really juicy) secret to the owner of the site. It only updates once a week, but I wish it did more frequently. The creator actually publishes books periodically of the postcards--I just bought two of them. Totally addicting! Definitely worth a look!

My old boss (Paul Tonko) just resigned as president of NYSERDA to throw his hat in the ring for our open congressional seat (joing 6 other democrats) this September/November. This should be interesting, as he has the most name recognition, but has some catching up to do with the fundraising. Should be interesting.

Friday, April 25, 2008

thumpa, thumpa, thumpa

Went to the ob/gyn today. I'm at 6 1/2 weeks. Got an ultrasound and actually saw the baby's hearbeat. I didn't know the little bag o' cells had a heart yet! In fact, I told hubby to stay home because there wouldn't be anything to see. Oops.

Anyway, it feels real again! I saw the little live thing in me! Woo hoo! I'm having a baby!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

coming soon--photos!

We haven't exactly entered the digital age here at casa de B. My desktop computer is from my first year of law school (2001); my laptop is pretty old too, old enough not to have a single input for a digital camera memory card, I learned today. But that's okay, I don't actually own a digital camera. I use film.

But tonight I borrowed my friend Dave's digital camera, as I'd like to post photos. I just thought I'd take a bunch of pictures of things I'd eventually want to write about, and have them saved into my hard drive for that time. And, I didn't really want to have to ask Dave to download and burn a cd with pictures of the cats, my pimpin' Buick, or the other random shit I wanted to take pictures of. But, my laptop does not have a slot for a memory card. Neither does my PC, but it does take floppy discs (yes it's that old.) So, good ol' Dave will have to burn me a CD or email me the pics, so they will be along eventually. It was funny, when he offered to upload (download?) the photos if my machines were too obsolete I told him that they weren't the kind of photos that I wanted him to see. (hmmm.) He said, "oh, private photos," and was thinking, no doubt that lysol wipes would be needed to sterilize the camera upon return, and probably wishing he didn't agree to loan me the camera (and hoping to hell I knew how to delete, lest he see the deviant photos I was sure to take). To which I replied, "No, just pictures of dumb shit for my blog." He was probably relieved.

So, trip to the OB tomorrow. I'll get to see the little lentil bean as I'm scheduled for an ultrasound. I'll also get to see if the fibroid grew at all. Hoping that works out okay.

I do have a scanner--also circa about 2001, but that means if I get an ultrasound photo, I can post it! So stay tuned!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

B, Esq.

I have one of these on the door to my office:



Doesn't that rock? I think I might get one for my car too.

baby or lentil bean?

According to babycenter.com, my baby is the size of a lentil bean this week. Interestingly, each week babycenter chooses a food item to describe your baby. Probably because it is easy to visualize, but it is kind of creepy. Last week, he was only a sesame seed, but next week he will be a blueberry, and then a kidney bean!
(graphic from babycenter.com) I would be more inclined to say he looks like a garden slug, but maybe that doesn't make moms to be feel all warm and fuzzy. But seriously, a pink humpback whale blowing a big bubble while chewing gum?

Babycenter also has a "what's going on in your uterus this week" link.
Other than knowing that there's a baby growing in there, that's all I need to know about my uterus ever, thank you very much! But there is an interactive uterine map for any deviants out there...

Found out today that my grandma, who is stil a ball of fire at the tender young age of 87, has colon cancer. She's having a tumor removed next week, and should be okay. It's hard to predict if she will be able to come home after the hospital or if she will have to spend a period of time in a nursing home. She's definitely gotten frailer over the past year or so, and this last hospital scare really made me begin to realize her mortality. She has certainly had a good long life, and I hope she is around for many more years, but I never really thought about the fact that she. will. die.

Shocking Bethany fact: I go to church on Sundays. I'm in the choir--natural because I love to sing, and it kind of makes the church part more likeable because I get to sing the whole time. Anyway, each week the pastor asks everyone if anyone wants to share any praises or ask for any prayers. Other shocking Bethany fact: this is an opportunity that would let me talk, to people, in a big group! But, I always sit there silently. Last Sunday, I wanted to ask everyone to pray for my grandma, but I was just afraid to. I thought I would not be able to talk about it without crying. So I just ended up tearing up in the choir section facing everyone in church who probably couldn't figure out what the heck I was up to. I'm just usually able to be so vocal, but was so intimidated, like if I said out loud that I was worried that my grandma might die, that it would come true. Strange. Must be hormones.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Drive me batty.

Did you ever hear about the movie Snakes on a Plane and the best lines ever uttered in a movie (Samuel L. Jackson)? If you didn't, this will be lost on you:



Mother F***ing Bats in my Mother F***ing Attic.

We have bats. Lots of bats. Hubby went upstairs to get some rubbermaid bins out of the attic so I could swap out my winter stuff for my summer stuff--covered in bat pee and poop. There's only one enclosed space up there and we have TONS of stuff--furniture, baby stuff, just tons of stuff in boxes and bins and bags.

Panic ensues. (mine not his).

I call him from work because I decide it is absolutely imperative that we hire a bat guy immediately lest our things be ruined and our baby get rabies. I find three names in the phone book. Bat guy #1 calls me back and sounds like he knows what he is doing, tells me the proper way to rid a house of bats and then bat proof it, for a range in price from $1,800 to $4,000. Bat guy #2 sounds like a crazy old coot and says he will come to the house with a sprayer and gallons of bat death which he can spray in the attic to kill the bats (but somehow this chemical won't harm me) and then he will collect the dead bats in a bucket and leave. The colony will then smell death and not return for the season, for the low price of about $300. Bat guy #3 is called "Adirondack Dundee" in an apparent ripoff of the deceased crocodile hunter (he dressed the part too). He sounds reasonable, has a website with helpful information, and can come the same day. He comes to the house, walks us through the attic (ok walks hubby through the attic while I stood on the top step too creeped out to do any more) and shows us where the bats like to be, analyzes the poop (yes I know it's called guano) and tells us we have about 5-25 "big browns" in residence. This guy then does a basement walkthrough and we go outside with him so he can point out all of the places that bats and assorted vermin could crawl in through the roof, sophets, etc. He then quotes us a price of $3,695. We pay him his $100 inspection fee and vow to think about it.
Four grand could insulate and drywall my attic! Instead, it will freakin' bat proof? Not too sure what we are going to do yet, but the bat hunter said we could put stuff near the window (bats hate heat and light) and under plastic sheeting and it should be okay. Apparently bat droppings aren't really dangerous unless there are huge quantities and then they can grow some death toxin or something. He knew I am a lawyer (I like to work that into conversations with potential contractors) so I think he chose his words carefully, so I'm not so worried, but more grossed out by the whole thing.


Crybaby me.

Tonight's dinner was a total debacle. Lovely spring night, hubby goes to the store and plans an entire dinner, bleu cheese stuffed burgers, corn on the cob.

We sit down to eat, and after two bits of my burger, I realize that there is no way the melted bleu cheese is even remotely palatable to me. Hubby insists on pausing his dinner to make another burger sans the bleu. I get teary because I don't want his dinner to get cold. He grills burger number 2, and takes his burgers out to eat while he is grilling. He grills up a fine-looking burger, tops it with good old American cheese and brings it in for me. As I attempt to put the burger on the bun with a spatula, disaster. Burger bounces off spatula, into my shirt, slides down the cabinet door and hits the tile floor. Cue more tears. Hugs from hubby, smeared mascara all over his shirt.

Hubby now pulls the leftover semi-frozen ground beef out of the freezer to concoct burger number 3. At this point, I don't even know if the charcoal is still hot...it was. That burger did the trick. As I ate it in front of the TV, toggling between the Daily Show and CNN Election Results (go Obama!) as hubby was downstairs folding the laundry--he did every stitch of laundry in he house today, his last day off.

I really don't deserve him.

If he's half as good a dad as he is a husband, we will have the luckiest, most loved child in the world.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Feeling domestic

I've felt like cooking lately. Had two couples over for dinner last weekend and cooked all day. To the point where I softened butter, put it in my pampered chef gun and made butter flowers for each individual bread plate???

Tonight two more couples are coming over for dinner. I shopped yesterday and planned the menu, but now am reconsidering my thought not to make a cheesecake and may head back to the store to get the supplies???

I can't explain it, because I'm like a walking zombie energy-wise. Was up late (and still managed to wake up at 6:30am) finishing a Jodi Picoult book (Salem Falls) which was the third of hers I've read, and the first one where the ending didn't totally piss me off. I have two more to read (midway through Plain Truth which I was reading for a library fundraiser I was scheduled to be in a discussion panel for, I ordered 4 more of her books from Amazon, before I decided that the formulaic nature and predictable endings pissed me off. Last night's book was pretty good though--it had some characters from earlier books nicely woven in, and an ending that didn't anger me (although it was no surprise). Seriously though, I can't believe they are all best sellers, they are the most predictible books ever! Well written, and researched, but oh, so predictable.

I'll probably read the last two, and then take a Picoult break--no more purchases, maybe borrow them at the 'brary, if I get desperate.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Who haven't I told yet?

Short of a mass email, I can't seem to refrain from telling everyone I see the baby news.

I really would like a glass of wine or three--last time around, I remember immediately feeling different, like my body knew that alcohol would be bad, and I just didn't want it. We had people over for dinner Saturday, and they gave us a really nice bottle of Sauvignon blanc, which will just have to wait for me, I suppose. Only about 8 months, but then breastfeeding, so longer.

Went to Target baby online today. Created a registry. I don't even know what I will want or need, but since I'm used to online shopping every few days, this was the next best thing--I just kept adding things to the list, and it felt as good as online shopping! Too bad I didn't think of this years ago! Anyway, I can go back and delete the items, and start over whenever I feel the shopping bug hit me again....which should be in about 5 days or so.

Man, I'm tired!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Wine without alcohol just ain't wine!

We had a dinner party last night, planned pre-pregnancy. Events at our house generally involve lots of food and plenty of libations. So, yesterday, I purchased a bottle of Sutter Home Fre Chardonnay, 2004. Apparently they remove the alcohol from the wine, and it looks just like wine, with a cork and all. I actually enjoy the taste of wine and though this would be a fun way to partake without telling the group I'm with child.

Silly me.

I actually thought that it would be like real wine. It even had a year on the bottle! I generally wouldn't buy Sutter Home for myself, but the two brands were that and Inglenook, and it was the lesser of two evils.

Don't try this at home.

When they remove the alcohol, it turns back into grape juice. Really. Tasted nothing like wine. So, save your $5.99 and buy real grape juice, at least there will be vitamins, and you'll get about 3x as much.

How is it that only two days of knowing that I'm pregnant, I am like a walking, talking, exhausted zombie. I think it has to be all in my head, because I can't go from feeling fine on Thursday to feeling like my limbs are filled with sand on Sunday?

Time for a nap.

The picture at the right is hubby at about age 7. Cutest thing I've ever seen. Hope the baby looks just like him!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Oops, I did it again...

So much can happen in a month.
Life slowly got back to normal. Started feeling less sore.
Went back to work, and started working on generating my own clients. Re-joined Curves.
After the mid-February surgical follow up, the OB scheduled a date in April that we were to have the final surgery followup, and then, ideally, get the green light to start trying again.

Last week, my period was due. Had bad cramps for three days, but no period. I just thought my body was playing tricks on me and getting back to normal after the surgery and stress. By Thursday night, I thought I should pick up a pregnancy test, just to ease my mind. After all, I was paying attention to my dates to ensure that there was no sex during any possible time of fertility (although disregarding my pledge to the doc that we'd actually use protection while I was healing). Friday morning, I wake up to still no period. It's early, and I'm not sleeping well and my allergies are awful. So, it's 6:30am, and I take the first pregnancy test in the two-pack. Positive. Decide that I'll try again after I shower. Positive. Pregnant!

Panic. Of course we wanted to start trying as soon as the doctor says I can, but we are about 3 weeks early! I began to imagine every worst-case scenario including a uterine blow-out at the surgery site or the doc saying it's too early and we have to terminate. I crawl into bed to wake the hubby to tell him, tearfully.

Coincidentally, neither of us remember having sex since 3/13, the day of my last cycle...so we actually get up, head to the home office, to look at the calendar and try to figure when we actually could have conceived this baby. We arrived at the Friday or Saturday before Easter. Who knew? Neither of us remember!

Why is it that every woman I know has described a similar scenario when they tell the father to be of their pregnancy. Even the most educated and sensitive men seem to have this caveman moment, that almost instinctual, "Me make baby. My sperm strong." moment. Hubby says, "Damn I'm good," and proceeds to kiss my forehead, and we snuggle in bed for a while.

I realize I have to get to work which is now a family-friendly three blocks from my house, and leave, intending to call the OB when I get to work to see if they want to move up my appointment with the doc, which I seem to think is at the end of April. I decide that a little McDonald's is an okay treat, so I hit the drive thru for a mcmuffin meal. When I get to work, I realize they threw in an extra hash brown, and decide that's a good sign, one for the baby!

At work, I look through my wallet for the appointment card, find it and learn that my OB appointment was that day! I call the hub and we decide it is another positive sign.

Scary bit: the ultrasound showed a small (15mm by 16mm) fibroid, but the nurse said it was not near where the baby would be. I immediately tear up, and fill with fear that this fibroid will exponentially grow and crowd out the baby, just like last time. But, I can't dwell on that.

Hopefully, I'll get an ultrasound at every visit to keep an eye on the fibroid. That's one benefit of a higher risk pregnancy--lots of ultrasounds!

Due date looks to be 12/17/08.

So, I'm 4 weeks pregnant and have already told half the universe. We are having a few couples over for dinner tonight and it will be obvious that there's a reason that I'm not drinking...

In a social setting, I'm always drinking. When you have a husband who doesn't drink very often, it just tends to work out that way. This pregnancy will be a nice break for my liver.

Anyway, our network of friends and family already were with us through the worst pregnancy news last year, so why not keep them informed of the good news.

Truth is, I can't keep a secret. Hubby's like a vault. His parents will probably find out when I'm in labor. I would have told the mailman if I saw him today!