It's a Trap

Ever since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I've been dreaming about all of the things I can eat again once the baby is born. Nevermind what my doctor says about needing to follow the diabetic diet for the rest of my life because just having GD makes me twice as likely to develop type II diabetes at some point in my life. I'm planning on making some adjustments to my diet, but for a little while after I have the baby I am going to take a break and eat things that I have missed. I told Rob that after the baby is born, I expect a pound of See's chocolate. He said he would "see what he could do."

Last night, we went to Costco, and Rob started looking at some Kirkland Signature assorted chocolates and asked me if I would be OK with getting those because they were so cheap. I told him to keep on walking to another part of the store where he could buy a gift certificate for a pound of See's. We got to where the gift certificates were and he's looking at the package and he started complaining about how much more expensive the See's candy is above the Costco brand. I said, "What, I'm not worth the See's?" This guy walking buy with a cart full of kids says to Rob, "Don't answer that. It's a Trap!"

Needless to say, Rob got the See's certificates.

T Minus 5 Days

Not that anyone cares for an update on my cervix, but there has been no change since last week. Still 1 1/2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. My mom, Rob's mom, and the labor and delivery nurses kept telling me that I would go into labor before my induction next Monday but apparently all of the pressure in my pelvis hasn't been doing a darn thing. Now I know why a lot of doctors don't even do progress checks... it's just dang frustrating when there's no progress during a week. And you know what my doctor said to me? "Frankly, I'm glad that there's no progress because I'm going out of town tomorrow and I don't want you to go into labor while I'm gone." Well, OK. When he puts it that way...

I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, but the last few weeks have been really hard. I've never known such discomfort in my life, and just when I think that the discomfort can't get any worse, it does. I am grateful, though. I start to think about the miracle of bringing life into the world and the more I think about it and the more I get into actually doing it, it seems like more of a miracle. I'm simply fascinated by how it all happens and it's been a huge test of faith. It would be an understatement to say that I like to have control over a situation. In this situation, I have had to give up all control to Heavenly Father and remember that my little girl was His daughter before she will be mine and that I have to trust that He will take care of her and me. It's still hard, though. And the next few days will be hard, too.

And speaking of hard... who knew that pregnant bellies were as hard as they are? I've always been a little squishy around the middle and expected the squishy layer to surround and protect the bump. Not so. And since I never made it a habit of rubbing pregnant women's bellies, I never knew they were so hard.

T Minus 12 Days

I had 2 doctor's appointments today... one with the perinatologist and one with my regular OB. Last week, my regular OB said that there was not a chance that I would be induced early because first time moms and inductions usually turn into a c-section. Today, after having an ultrasound and seeing that this little baby isn't so little (7 lbs 14 oz) with almost 3 weeks to go, the perinatologist suggested that I be induced sometime next week (38 weeks), but not later than 39 weeks. Well, my OB is subscribing to the no later than 39 weeks instructions and I'm being induced on Oct. 18. Which is a little weird, since I'll be 39 weeks next Saturday. But whatever... 5 days early is 5 days early. I'm excited, but a little scared. I just hope that everything goes well with the induction and that, to quote the perinatologist, my "cervix is favorable." At my appointment today, I was 1 1/2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I don't even know if that's good. I just keep reminding myself that whatever it takes to get this baby here, and here in good shape, is what has to happen. Wish me luck!

Will Your Parents Protect You?

When I was growing up, I never doubted the answer to that question. I always knew that as long as I told my parents the truth about what happened, they would both go to bat for me. My dad told me that he would even stand up for me if I smacked a bully in the face and got sent to detention... as long as I tried other non-violent means before I resorted to face smacking.

Lately, Rob and I have been talking about how important it is for our children to know that we will always protect them and stand up for them. That's what parents do. And when something bad happens to your child, they need to know that you will protect them if they tell you. Like in the case of bullying or heaven forbid, something even worse.

I was watching Today on NBC and they were interviewing a disabled girl, who was a victim of bullying, and her parents. If you haven't heard the story, the girl comes home and tells her dad that kids on the school bus have been making fun of her, calling her names, and even throwing condoms at her. The dad walks onto the bus and goes nuts, yelling at the kids and even cursing at them. Now, I'm not so sure I would have done it the way that he did, but I would have defended and protected my child from that sort of treatment, too. Now this dad has been charged with some sort of misdemeanor for "assaulting" the kids on the bus. What about all of the assault that was committed against his disabled daughter? Where is the justice in this situation? Why is their no punishment for the bullies and their parents, or even the bus driver?

I probably would have contacted the school before charging onto the bus and unleashing a tirade of profanities. But if the school didn't take any steps to stop the bullying, I probably would have taken matters into my own hands. What would you have done?

If I Could Sum Up an Entire Decade...

The dude on the far right in the acid washed denim suit, cowboy boots, plaid shirt, skinny tie, and mullet would be the epitome of the 80's. Nevermind the geeky guy on the far left. I married him.

Warning: Late-Night Coupon Clipping Can Be Dangerous

Last week, the Costco coupon book came and I was so excited because there were coupons in there for lots of things I need, like diapers, wipes, laundry detergent, toilet paper, Cascade, and other basics. One of those other basics happened to be maxi pads. I haven't used a maxi pad since I learned the fine art of tampon use back in 1995. And I must say that life has never been better. Whoever invented maxi pads should be shot. Well, maybe not shot, but flogged with something. Neverthless, the time will soon come when I will need the maxi pads. Which was why I was so happy about all of the coupons that Costco had this month. I was patiently waiting until the sale date started.

I couldn't sleep last night, much like every night, so I got up and decided to make my Costco list and clip the coupons I needed. I saw the Costco book sitting on the bookshelf and began looking through it. For some reason, I wasn't finding what I thought I originally saw but then I found the maxi pad coupon. I started clipping it and thought to myself, "I know it's been a long time since I bought these things, but since when do they come in sizes S-XL?" I dismissed my thought and finished cutting it out again only to notice a line that said "Comes in both mens and womens styles." That really threw me off for lots of reasons. The first being that men don't need maxi pads. I looked at it again and was pretty sure I cut out the right coupon. The picture looked right. The box colors were right. But for some reason, the brand name wasn't sounding right. I know about Always, Stayfree, and Kotex. But Depends? Yes. That is right. I thought I was cutting out a coupon for maxi pads, but I was really cutting a coupon out for adult diapers. Not that there's much of a difference between the two. And to make matters worse, I was looking in the wrong book. I'd picked up last month's. I need help.

The Dog Days of Summer

The summer is winding down and so is my pregnancy. I'm in my 32nd week and I keep thinking that 8 weeks seems like such a long time, but really it will go quite fast. And depending on how big this baby gets, it might even go quicker than I can even imagine.



I've been working really hard at controlling my gestational diabetes, but it is pretty hard. My doctor put me on a medication that is supposed to help, but my blood sugar is still all over the place so I'm not really sure. What I am sure of is that as soon as the baby is born I am going to eat some potatoes and a brownie sandwiched between 2 pieces of white bread. With a side of white rice. And some fruit. And some carrots. Oh, how I miss all of those foods.



I'm supposed to start once weekly non stress tests this week. I'm not really sure what that involves except for going to the hospital and getting hooked up to some monitors for a while. I guess it's just to monitor the baby's movements and heart rate to make sure the baby isn't under duress. I've been promised that I can watch TV while I'm there.



Rob has been working hard at getting some things done around the house in preparation for the baby. Well, I'm not so sure that the baby cares about having a new water heater and the hole above the shower fixed, but it sure does make me feel more prepared to have a baby. Rob starts school again this week, so we're kind of in a hurry to get the baby's room cleaned out now. Because once Rob starts school again, UVU will own him.



We went to the temple the other day and performed a bunch of sealings for my ancestors. It felt great to get that work done. I want to try to go to the temple as much as I can in the next little while because I know that it will be pretty infrequent once the baby comes. While I was there, I was being directed to the end of the locker room and then also down to the end of a long row of lockers. I was waddling pretty good because I had to go potty and it was super hot. The lady directing me to the locker said, "I'm sorry to make you walk so far, but it's just good that you're up and around this late in your pregnancy. All of this walking will make that baby come any day now." I then told her that I had 2 months left. She then said, "Oh, by your size and the way you were walking I just figured you were almost done." I know she meant well, but she didn't do much for my self esteem.



I know this hasn't been all that exciting of an update, but there's not much going on around here. Now that I'm finished with school, I don't have a lot stressing me out except for the baby preparations. I'm not getting out much these days except to the doctor and Costco, so nothing really funny to report.

I'm an all-you-can-eat buffet!

It's been quite a while since I've blogged. From my blogger surveys, I know that blog readers don't like it when bloggers don't post regularly without an excuse. So here's my excuse, and I think it's a pretty good one. I'm pregnant. 'Nough said, right? My brain doesn't function normally right now - it's a condition called "Pregnancy Brain." I know this because that's what my doctor told me. I seem to forget everything. About a month ago, I got a call from the girl who does my eyebrows and she said, "You missed your appointment. Is everything OK?" Yeah, I guess everything is OK. I just completely forgot. And have you ever had those dreams where you have a test/paper due, and you forgot to do it? That happened to me, too. And on the same day I forgot about a test, I got a phone call from a friend's kid who sells knives saying, "I'm just calling to confirm my appointment with you, is 4 still OK?" That one really had me because usually once someone reminds me that I've forgotten something, it all comes back to me just like Celine Dion says in that one song. But this time, it didn't all come back to me. I think he was the confused one and not me.

So I have to say "Bravo!" to every pregnant woman who has been able to keep things together during her pregnancy and live a somewhat normal life. I haven't been able to do that. And I've felt a lot of guilt about it. I can't keep up with things like I used to be able to, and the smallest thing like doing the laundry has become a major chore. We finally got rid of the cat and decided to de-cat our bedroom first. We washed every surface in there and vacuumed everything. After we were done, I needed 2 days to recover. That's not normal for me. I don't think that's normal for anyone. And then after that whole thing, I ended up being put on bedrest because my blood pressure was so high. And for some reason, the bedrest stressed me out even more since I only had 3 weeks of school left. I was cleared to be off bedrest by my perinatologist, with the order to continue tracking my blood pressure at home and to monitor myself for things like severe swelling, headaches, nausea, and pain in the upper right abdomen. So far, the BP has been cooperating at home. It's just when I go to the doctor that it's high.

After I thought I was through with the bed rest thing, I had to go take my glucose screening test. I failed. I had to take the glucose tolerance test next. I hope to never have to do that again because it was the most awful thing I had ever experienced. Until the next day, when I woke up with a searing pain in the rear. Robert took one look at it and said we needed to go to the hospital right then. So we did, and it was an abcess and it had to be surgically dealt with. Even with numbing, the pain it caused was worse than a kidney stone. I cried and screamed, and the doctor just kept saying, "Just let it all out, cry if you have to." I'm glad I had his permission, but at that point I didn't think I needed it. The crazy thing about it was that Robert had an abcess back in June and I laughed at him when he acted like he was going to die. Now I know that he really thought he was going to. Even after we got back from the doctor, my whole body started to hurt and I came down with a really high fever that night. That was scary because I wasn't able to feel the baby move during that time. We went back to the doctor as soon as we could, and they gave me some antibiotics and let me listen to the baby's heart. I felt better after that. So I guess the moral of the story is not to laugh at your husband's pain because it might just turn around to bite you back. And abcesses aren't even contagious.

One thing I'm learning not to think or say is "it can't get any worse than that," because it can and often will get worse. My results came back from the glucose tolerance test and I failed that as well. I have gestational diabetes. For the baby, that means that she is at Chuck-a-rama 24 hours a day. There's too much sugar in my blood and it is going straight to her hips, thighs, and butt. Or I should say that it can. The biggest danger is that the baby gets too big and comes too early with underdeveloped lungs, or that she stays in me for the full term and becomes a giant 12 pounder. In that case, a vaginal delivery might not be an option. She could also have problems regulating her own blood sugar once she is born and the Chuck-a-rama kicks her out. For me, the danger is that if I don't control my blood sugar that the diabetes would stick around even after the baby is born. Gestational diabetes can also lead to toxemia. So it's no good for any of the parties involved, really.

I've been hooked up with a blood sugar monitor and am testing 4 times a day. The diabetes nurse was really hoping that my diabetes test gave a false result since I had the abcess and an infection, but after monitoring for a few days, it doesn't look like that's the case. I'm able to keep my blood sugar really low during the day, but after dinner it goes up way high and stays that way during the night. Physical activity helps, but it doesn't seem to be making too much of a difference at night. It is possible that I just need to eat on a more regular schedule so that my body can anticipate when I will be eating and start producing insulin to get ready for the food. I'm finding that it's a lot of trial and error in seeing how my body reacts to different foods and different activities. I hope that I'm able to control my blood sugar with diet and exercise alone, but as the baby gets bigger, it gets harder for me to move.

Along with feeling guilty about not being as spry as I once was, I feel guilty for all of these problems that have cropped up during pregnancy. I feel like I can't even do what I was created for and that I'm already a bad mother even though the baby isn't born yet. I keep thinking that if only I were younger, skinnier, and didn't like brownies so much that I wouldn't be having these problems. My doctor says that my genetics are playing a bigger role than anything else because he has young, skinny moms that have high blood pressure and diabetes and heavier moms that don't have any problems. My mom didn't have any of the problems that I'm having, but my sister did and so did my grandma.

If you've even gotten this far, you probably think that I'm complaining and I just need to buck up. It has been extremely hard, but I have felt a lot of tender mercies along the way and have experienced more joy than I ever have. If anything, the difficulties I'm experiencing have helped me to feel a greater sanctity for life and for the divinity involved in creation. My mom reminded me that women are in partnership with Heavenly Father to bring souls into this world. I'm feeling like the lazy partner right now, but that's OK because my partner is God. I've also learned a lot about faith during this pregnancy. I have a tendency to want to control everything around me, but I have just had to sit back and have faith that God will take care of me and this baby. I've learned a lot about forgiveness, too. Especially how to forgive myself. I've heard of rough times tearing couples apart, but as I have had to depend on Robert for more and more, I feel like our marriage has become stronger. When we got married, I absolutely knew I had made the right decision but didn't really have the foresight to see all of the ways that our marriage would bless both of our lives. I am grateful for my husband and especially grateful for the covenants that bond us together for eternity.

So on those days when I feel like things can't get any worse than they already are, and they do get worse, they also get better because I realize how blessed I am. I also realize that I'm a lot tougher than I thought I was and that I can do harder things than I ever thought I could do. With help. Which is why I have decided to get an epidural ;)

The Burbs

When I moved to Provo from LA, I was expecting Provo to be some sort of Mayberry or wherever Beaver Cleaver lived. Not that anything bad ever happened to me while I was living in LA, except for maybe the one time when there was a drive-by shooting at the gas station on the corner, or the time that we got locked into our elementary school while the police were searching the area for an armed and dangerous fugitive. But those were minor incidents. Provo turned out to be a lot more exciting than I thought it would be and I've seen more action in this town than I have in LA.

People keep asking me if I have any new crazy neighbor stories, and this time it just happens that I do. Remember the people who threw the dirty diapers out on the porch? They moved out. That condo has been unoccupied for some time and the landlord has been around a lot showing people the place. She rejected a lot of people for stupid reasons like having a dog or being Mexican. And then she started harping on me for not taking care of the rose bushes that the previous owner had planted and not picking up trash on the grass. I told her that the last time I checked I paid the HOA $135 a month to do the yard work for me. And then she called the fire marshall to report that the people downstairs had too many children in their condo and that she was sure they were breaking some kind of fire code. Turns out 3 kids in a 3 bedroom condo is just too many in her eyes. And she also keeps calling me Amanda or Amber... no matter how many times I have told her that my name is Jen.

So one day, we hear from another neighbor that the place next door was finally rented. I kept wondering when the people were going to move in because I hadn't seen a truck or any movement really. I could just tell that the light above the stove was on and I'd hear a dog bark every once in a while. I thought that was strange since she turned other people away for having a dog. We'd heard on Friday that someone had moved in and on Saturday there was some sort of commotion going on outside. We opened the door to find 3 police officers standing on the porch between the husband and wife while they hurled insults at each other and their two kids stood by. I heard one officer tell the wife that they were going to take her to jail on some other charges if she didn't pipe down. And she kept yelling at the husband that she had receipts for the iPods that she had and that she didn't steal them. And I must say that they both looked really buzzed on something.

Later that day, we ran into another neighbor at the grocery store and she said that her husband had gone down on Thursday night to ask them to turn off a fan that they'd had running for a long time and that the house smelled like drugs when he walked in. He also said that the husband's eyes were bloodshot and he was having a hard time getting words out. He did, however, manage to get out that the fan was on in order to hide the sound of his wife beating him. I don't know, maybe I'm old fashioned, but telling someone you've just met something like that is awkward.

We heard from the police and other neighbors that the husband was escorted off the property and asked not to come back. The police told us it was just the stress from moving that caused the domestic dispute. Again, maybe I'm old fashioned, but I don't know anyone who has become so stressed from moving that they needed to get the police involved.

Knowing that the husband was gone, I thought it strange when she left her kids home alone that night and didn't come back for several hours. I thought about calling the police, but I wasn't sure how old the kids are and I am pretty sure that I was babysitting when I was 9 or 10. The oldest boy seemed like he was about that age.

Rightly so, people in the complex were angry about the things that had been going on with the new neighbors. Our condos might look like something straight outta 1978, and a little ghetto, but I can tell you that most of the people who live here are not ghetto. We have a neighborhood watch, and other stuff like that. I say most because just yesterday Rob and I saw a drunk guy taking a leak on a tree. And we're not sure that he actually lives here. Anyway, so many people were upset about the new neighbors, that the landlord received a bunch of complaints and decided that she needed to evict the tenants.

She came on a Tuesday and told them that they needed to leave and that they had 24 hours to do it. They told her they'd be gone by 2 pm. At 2:30 pm, there was no stirring in the condo. The landlady came over and apologized to me for renting to such crummy neighbors. I asked her if she'd checked any references or anything before letting them move in and she said that she didn't because they paid her with a check from the church, and she thought that if they were church people they would be good tenants. From what I could tell, there wasn't a whole lotta churchin' going on with those folks. But whatever.

A few minutes later, their door opened and they started carrying things out to their car. They had everything but their food out of the condo within 20 minutes. And they left all of the food. The landlady came over and asked if she could borrow a broom and a dustpan because they had left a mess. I brought it over to her and saw that they'd left more than a mess. It did smell like drugs over there, and laundry detergent. I'm not sure if they did it to be spiteful or to cover up the smell of drugs, but they poured laundry detergent over all of the carpet. Their dog had messed on the carpet, there was a ton of trash on the floor, and holes in the walls. I felt bad that the landlady had to clean all of this up, but not too bad because she should have done a little background check before she let just anyone move in. I offered her our vacuum and gave her some trash bags but didn't stick around because I'm not sure what they were smokin' in there, but I was pretty sure that it wasn't going to be good for our baby.

So what's the moral of the story? Willowbrook knows how to keep it classy. Also, never rent to someone without doing a background check. The other moral of the story is that we need to sell this place and buy a house with no conjoining walls.

How cute is that little baby face? And she likes to bend herself in half with her feet above her head. That's just how she rolls.

Drumroll, please!

Sorry that it's taken me so long to post, but Robert has been sick with something disgusting and awful for the past week and I just haven't had the time. He's sort of better today, but still has a long road in front of him. I'd elaborate, but it's kind of gross. Lets just say there's a lot of sterile gauze and antibiotics involved.

I went in for my level 2 ultrasound on Wednesday to make sure that the baby is OK. I guess I was mistaken in thinking that the 20 week ultrasound was just for finding out the gender of the baby. The tech told me that it's actually just to make sure the baby is developing properly and has all of its organs and limbs and what-not, and that being able to see the gender is secondary to all of the rest.

The tech was taking a lot of measurements and clicking and doing all sorts of stuff, but wasn't really telling me and Robert what she was looking at. I kept saying, "Is that a penis?" She kept telling me that it was just the cord, and that it had 3 vessels, so all was good. I started getting really impatient because a) I had to go to the bathroom really bad and b) I just wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl. She started saying things like "Here's your baby's brain," and I would say, "That's nice. Where are my baby's private parts?"

While the tech was not looking for the gender, we got to see some really cool things like the thigh bone and the heart and the kidneys and the chin and lips. Our little baby was hiding its face most of the time, but then at one point it moved both of its hands and we got to see its little face. We're not sure who it resembles yet.

I think our baby got tired of being poked and prodded, so it just turned onto its tummy and wouldn't let the tech see its gender. The tech had me get up and go to the bathroom and move around for a little while, and I also drank some chocolate milk, but the baby still wouldn't move for her. She then said, "You can come back next month and we can try again." I almost started to cry because I felt like I'd been waiting for this moment my whole life, or at least 20 weeks of my life, and then I was going to have to wait more. Luckily, the doctor came in and said that she would try to find the gender.

It took the doctor a little while, but she was able to get a butt shot. There was nothing between the legs, so she said that it was highly likely that we were having a girl. I asked "how likely," and she said, "90% because sometimes boys can hide." She did a little more prodding and then showed us what looked like labia. I hate that word, but whatever. So yeah, we're having a little girl!

We both were positive that we were having a boy, so I think we were both a little shocked at first. We'd spent so much time talking about boy names, and to be honest, it was getting a little hairy because my dad got involved and he was insisting on the name Lee Roy. He said it is very manly. So, I am grateful that we're having a girl because now I don't have to listen to my dad extol the virtues of Lee Roy. And girls are just so cute and fun. And you can dress them in pink and put stuff in their hair. And you won't get pee in your face when you change a girl diaper.

I wish I had some pictures to post, but the ones the tech gave us are so bad that you can't even identify what they are. One is supposed to be a face and the other is supposed to be the crotch, but honestly I can't tell one from the other. And that's a bad thing.

Maybe I can get her to take some better pictures next month. My blood pressure is still a concern, so I need to start seeing the perinatologist once a month and she will do an ultrasound every time. The funny thing is that when I record my blood pressure at home, it's never high. Just at the doctor. The perinatologist is assuming it's just because I am nervous, so she's not going to put me on medication, but my OB is freaking out about it and wants to put me on meds and bedrest right away. I'm not having any symptoms of preeclampsia, so the perinatologist just wants to keep an eye on me and she wants me to keep recording my BP at home. As long as it stays low at home and I don't have any symptoms of preeclampsia, she said I can just keep doing things normally. I hope it stays that way!

The PedEgg & Heeltastic

I decided to review these products together because, as some of you probably know, I have this weird obsession with how my feet look. I had someone say something nasty about my feet when I was a teenager and I've been really diligent in pedicuring them ever since. And now that I'm pregnant, it seems like the nasty feet fairy has visited me and I needed some serious help because I can't keep paying Asian ladies $25 every week to keep my feet soft and callus free.

I tried the Heeltastic first with little results. It promises softer, smoother heels & feet in just days. I guess that would depend on how dry, cracked and callused your feet are to begin with. I used it for a week and didn't get any results except for greasy stains on my sheets near the foot of the bed. And the greasy stuff didn't wash all the way out of the sheets. So, Heeltastic's claim that the product is easily absorbed is not totally accurate. It felt really greasy, and there was even a warning that walking on flat surfaces after applying Heeltastic could be dangerous. It did have a nice odor, kind of herby and fresh, and I liked that it came in a stick applicator like deoderant. I hate having to wash my hands after touching my feet, and with this product I didn't have to worry about that. https://www.buyheeltastic.tv/flare/next?tag=osaf&sisearchengine=55&siproduct=affiliate&clearppc=1

Next I tried the PedEgg. I think this is a great product. It's just as effective as paying Asian ladies to shave the calluses with their crazy blades or cheese graters, but not nearly as uncomfortable or expensive. It really did a good job of getting rid of the rough stuff and smoothing out the calluses. It was easy to use, but it promises that it keeps the dead skin in the little receptacle until you're ready to throw it out. Not so. There was a light dusting of dead skin on the carpet after I'd finished. I had to vacuum. And if you tip it the wrong way, all of the stuff comes pouring out of the holes. Not cool. But other than the mess, it worked great. I would suggest using it outside or in the bathtub. http://www.pedeggtv.com/index9.html

Next I tried using the Heeltastic after I'd used the PedEgg and then putting socks on to keep the greasy stuff on my feet and off of my sheets. I think using the two together is a good combo. The Heeltastic seems to be a little better than lotion at keeping the feet from getting callused again.

So if I were to tell you where to spend your money, I'd say to get the PedEgg instead of the Heeltastic. You can buy replacement blades and other accessories. And I just saw a commercial the other day from Dr. Scholl's and it looks like they've come out with the same thing. I don't know how it compares in price.

PedEgg: A-

$10 at most drug stores

Heeltastic: C+

$10 at most drug stores

As Seen on TV

I'm going to start a blogging series of reviews of "As Seen on TV" products. All of this started last week when my Spanish teacher showed us a Spanish version of the ShamWow! commercial. Hil-ar-ious! Since then, I've been having dreams about ShamWow! and Billy Mays (may he rest in peace). I've decided to turn my dreams into a reality and try these products out. Walgreens and Wal-Mart both have a substantial section of "As Seen on TV" products, so I'll have these at the ready for review. My list so far includes: Wonder Hangers, ShamWow!, HeelTastic, PedEgg, and maybe the Tospy Turvey Tomato Grower. Have you wanted to try some products but aren't sure if they're worth it? Let me know what your ideas are so I can add them to my review series.

Folklore

I'm taking a class right now called American Folklore and for my final project I needed to chose an aspect of what could be considered modern folklore and explore it. I thought it would be a long stretch, but I chose blogging as the aspect I would like to explore and my professor thought it was brilliant. I guess traditional folklorists would only consider stories told face-to-face as actually being folklore, but I think that since technology has come into play, we need to accept that.

So, my project is going to be about blogging and how, as a form of folklore, it represents American values. I need to interview 8-10 bloggers about their blogging experiences, and these experiences will be used in my paper. I only need to do a few of these interviews in person, but the rest can be through e-mail or over the phone. So don't worry if you're not local. I promise it won't take much of your time. If you want to participate, let me know by leaving a comment and I will contact you within the next few weeks for an interview.

Baby Stuff is Tricky

I'm having an incredible urge to buy baby things. I've already picked out a crib and changing table/dresser from IKEA. My sister bought the same one from IKEA and it served Tyler well until just a few years ago. And I don't mean that he was in a crib until he was 5. The crib turns into a toddler bed, so that's a plus. But if we get our way we'll have more than 1 child, so who knows what the plans will be for how long the crib will stay a crib. But as far as other stuff goes, I just don't know what to get. I know absolutely nothing about strollers, car seats, high chairs, baby baths, etc. For the large purchases, I'm not stuck on getting a boy or girl color scheme because I do want things that can be used for either sex. This stuff is pricey, so I'm looking for longevity here. I've already decided that I like primary colors for baby rooms, anyway, and will advertise our baby's gender with its clothes and hair accessories or lack thereof. Hair accessories, that is. Not clothes.

So, I'm sort of stuck. Anyone have any good ideas for where to register for baby things or which brands are more reliable than others? And when should I start getting this stuff?

Too Damn Bad

I realize that this post's title will most likely offend 2/3 of my readers, but I'm in a mood today. Let me tell ya. Most people probably don't know the extent of things, but my pregnancy is considered to be "high risk" because of my blood pressure being high. I've been really blessed that it has stayed low enough for over a month, but there is a likelihood that it will get higher. I guess I have genetics to thank for that. In addition to the "high risk" factor, I start to cramp and bleed whenever I'm on my feet for "too long." The "too long" is arbitrary, because I can't put a specific amount of time on it, I just know when it is happening. So far, the cause of this happening has not been determined. Anyway, one of the triggers seems to be walking the 40 miles from the parking lot at BYU to my classes, carrying 90 lbs of books on my back. Rob's mom suggested that I borrow one of her handicap parking permits so that I can park closer, but somehow I feel guilty about doing that because I'm not a disabled person. I figured that I would follow the rules and request of the parking department that I be able to park in one of the closer lots.

I sent in my request yesterday and received a response this afternoon. It was, by far, the rudest response I have ever received in my life. All BYU had to say was, "sorry, your request has been denied," but instead they sent this long explanation about there being 700 pregnant women on campus at any given time and how I should have thought about the repercussions of getting pregnant while being a student, before I got pregnant. The response also recommended that I maybe not go to school while I'm pregnant if I need special priveleges. I don't know if this is BYU's typical response, or if some parking official just thought this up off the top of his head, but they ought to know better than to send an e-mail like that to a pregnant lady. What bothers me is not the fact that the request was denied. I can work around this, make my own accomodations for not having to walk so far, but the response just added insult to injury.

And everything seems to be adding insult to injury these days. I don't remember getting so upset about the stupidest things before I was pregnant. And I certainly never cared about the cat that I don't like or saving the children. I know it's just the hormones causing me to feel this way but, even in knowing that, I still can't control it.

I just have to keep looking forward to when I will finally have a baby and will also be finished with school. I have 4 classes between me and that diploma, and I will finish it this time... unless I'm put on bedrest, in which case I'll do what I can independent study and go back after the baby is born to take that last dumb Spanish class. And yes, I will take that handicapped permit, thank you.

The Cat's Gotta Go

Anyone in the market for a 4 year old black cat?

That's right, we're going to get rid of Kaydee. I've been hearing all sorts of stories about cats smothering babies in cribs, peeing on baby stuff, and getting downright mean to the baby and the parents when baby comes home. I don't want anything like that to happen to our baby, so we decided we should find a new home for Kaydee. The problem is, every single time I think about just putting her up on KSL or Craig's List, I feel all sorts of trepidation about giving her to a stranger. I'd rather give her to a home that I know will take good care of her and will be aware of all her cat quirkiness. Nobody seems to want a cat, though. I know we still have time, but the longer she is still with us the more I feel bad about giving her away.

A few weeks ago, Kaydee went outside while Rob was loading some stuff into the car. Neither Rob nor I noticed that she went outside, so the door was closed and we both went to bed. I thought I heard some cats fighting that night, but since Kaydee isn't an outside cat, I didn't think it was her. It wasn't until noon the next day that I started to notice that she wasn't around bothering me like usual. I asked Rob if he'd seen her, and he hadn't. Then I heard some meowing and I saw Kaydee come out from under the BBQ. I think she'd been hiding there all night. I opened the door for her and she scurried into the house and hid in the closet for most of the day. And then later that night, we were watching TV and we heard a sound that was almost like a person falling down the stairs. We looked outside and saw Morris, the neighborhood tom cat, right outside the sliding glass door. He was taunting Kaydee and she wanted a serious piece of him. It ocurred to me then and there that I've seen Morris molesting neighborhood cats on previous ocassions, so he probably had molested our cat the night before. No cat should have to go through that.

And now I feel even more guilty about getting rid of Kaydee. Rob keeps telling me that she's only a cat and she'll get over it and so will I, so I just need to make the commitment to give her away. I still want to give her to someone I know will take good care of her, so if you know of anyone who would like a cat please let me know.

Guilty Feeling

Today while I was shopping, I was asked at every single store I went to whether or not I wanted to donate $1 to cure cancer/save the children/cure diabetes. Who doesn't want to cure cancer and diabetes and save the children? But who wants to donate $1 every single time they go shopping? I wish that they would ask the question a different way because when I say no, I always feel guilty and I feel like the cashier probably thinks that I don't want to save the children. I do want to save the children, but I prefer to help in other ways. But then I feel silly giving a long explanation about why I'm not going to donate $1. It's a catch 22, I guess.

Exciting News

This probably isn't news to a lot of you who read my blog, but I bet it's going to be a shocker to some. Robert and I are expecting a baby on October 23! I wanted to wait as long as possible before making a general announcement because of what happened with my last pregnancy, and also because I've had some problems with this pregnancy, too, that I wasn't sure would resolve. Very early on (around 4 weeks) I was having stabbing pains in my side and I feared that I'd had another ectopic pregnancy. I went to the doctor and after a physical exam, he said that it was unlikely that I was having another ectopic, but he sent me to the hospital for an ultrasound just to verify his thoughts. It was amazing to see a yolk sac exactly where it needed to be. It was such a relief. It turns out that I had a massive cyst on one of my ovaries, and the pregnancy hormones were kicking it into high gear. My sister also had this problem during her pregnancy, so it appears to be hereditary. The other good news is that my current doctor doesn't believe that I'd had an ectopic pregnancy last year. He said that the symptoms just didn't fit and that I should have had a second opinion. Hind sight is 20/20, right.

I've also had a lot of cramping and bleeding and some other scares, but all of them turned out to not be such big problems. I have to drink a lot of water, otherwise I get contractions. The cause of the bleeding has never been determined, but my doctor isn't terribly concerned. I also have to realize that I have limitations, which is hard. I keep telling myself that I can do anything I want to, but in reality, it isn't so. I've struggled with it from time to time, but I know that growing this baby is the most important thing I can do, and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Rob and I just feel so blessed. I won't go into details, but this whole pregnancy has been the closest thing to a miracle that I've ever experienced in my life. One thing that I will tell you about is my high blood pressure. At about 8 weeks, I went to the doctor because I'd gotten either food poisoning or the stomach flu and could not keep anything in me. I noticed that for the 4th time in a row, my blood pressure seemed to be high. No one ever said anything about it, so I asked the doctor and he looked at my records and said that he was not comfortable with how high my blood pressure was, but that it was most likely not related to my pregnancy. I do have a family history of high blood pressure, so he thinks it is related to that. He sent me to a peri-natologist who told me that I'd be on medication for it within a month, and that my risk for pre-eclampsia or toxemia were higher than someone who'd had normal blood pressure, and that I'd most likely be on bed rest for most of the pregnancy. I was really scared about the whole thing and prayed like I'd never done that things would turn out OK. And guess what? So far, my blood pressure has been normal for the last month. Nothing short of a miracle.

We'll find out in 4-5 weeks whether we're having a girl or a boy, but my inner feelings say it is a boy. I guess only time will tell.

Funny Stuff From Costco

The other day, Rob and I ventured off to Costco between conference sessions. I love Costco for so many reasons. I just wish I had a camera or my phone with me on this particular day, because I saw and heard some pretty funny things.

There was a group of people there, all women, who were wearing shirts that said "Team Jacob... Because Edward Bites."

Can I start a "Team Charlie... Because He's a Real Man" club? Let me know if you want to be a part of this club, and I'll get some shirts made and we can all go to Costco at the same time.

Costco was also giving samples of their new (but really are old and they just haven't sold them in years) cinnamon rolls, and the lady handing out the samples says to me and Rob, "Have a cinnamon roll. They're not to die for, they're to live for!"

The funny part about the whole thing is that she didn't sound very enthusiastic. She actually sounded like the people who work at the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. You know what I'm talking about, right?

There was other stuff I found funny, but would probably end up offending someone in my retelling of the story, so I'll leave them out.

What's some of the funny stuff you've seen at Costco lately?