short fuse

Pregnancy. 

I’m so over it.

sidewalk is finished!

I just noticed that Ivy over at Shakyard linked to my previous sidewalk post.  I need to check my blogstats more often!  Thanks!

Here is the finished product, landscaped by The Accountant and all. 

  

Bean Update - 35 weeks

Or should I say Samantha update? 

35 weeks as of yesterday.  Almost there folks!  I am so ready to get this kid outta my body!  It feels like I’ve been pregnant forever. 

Tomorrow is our childbirth class and I’m a bit nervous about that.  I don’t know if it is going to freak me out more than I already am or make me feel better because I’ll supposedly be armed with knowledge.  I’m the kind of person that sometimes needs to follow the “ignorance is bliss” motto so I am wary.  I think I’m most nervous about any videos they might feel the need to show us.  Whenever that stuff comes on the Discovery channel or TLC and I don’t cover my eyes in time, I feel sick to my stomach and just cringe.  I don’t understand why childbirth has to be such an agonizing process for a woman.  If it is indeed, because of Eve’s big screwup in the Garden of Eden, she had better grab her fig leaf and run because I know a lot of women who are ready to pummel her with bushels of rotten forbidden fruit when and if they see her.

There have been some positive things about being pregnant.  

I no longer have to feel self conscious about my belly fat because it’s now more of a “belly mountain” and it’s supposed to stick out!  Instead of wearing clothes to try and hide the jiggle, I can now wear clothes that accent the bump and be proud of my baby gut. 

In general, people are nicer to pregnant woman.  I had three men practically fall over themselves to open the door for me at the store the other day.  When I drop things, people can’t wait to pick them up for me.  People (especially women) seem to smile at me more too and seem a bit more polite and considerate than normal. 

Feeling baby girl move is quite amazing and I’ve actually been able to see my belly move in jerks and waves for several weeks now.  I’ve learned that when I drink cold water or anything carbonated, she gets wiggly. The Accountant has been able to feel and see her move several times and that is such a wonderful thing to experience together. 

Of course, there is also the negative to consider and I try to do so with humor if at all possible. 

When you consider what you did to become pregnant in the first place, the irony of the next nine plus months seems quite cruel.  I have never felt more un-sexy and unattractive in my entire life than I have over the past several months.  And this includes those awkward adolescent years so that’s saying something.  To the women who say they just “looooooved being pregnant” and never felt more sexy than when they were with child…I have a bushel or three of that rotten fruit saved just for you.  About the only thing more appealing about me physically these days is my fingernails and hair - it’s true about the hormones making nails stronger and hair look healthier.  But those strong fingernails are attached to ten of the chubbiest, most water logged, puffiest fingers you have ever seen.  I can’t even make a fist without wincing, I’m retaining so much fluid.  And my feet, same story.  Ankles, what are ankles?  Will I ever see them again? 

Sleep is elusive so I am tired all the dang time.  I have to sleep on my side and build a fort of pillows all around me.  This, along with the 5 pound protruding belly, make turning over quite the ordeal.  It is a process of moans, groans and grunts, followed by heavy sighs when I realize that I might as well get up and pee before turning over anyway.  When I finally do manage to roll myself out of bed I feel like I’ve been beat up.  Hips are aching and all joints are stiff and creaky. 

Getting around is becoming a joke.  I no longer walk, I waddle.  Getting out of the car requires a big push to the backside from The Accountant.  I waddle slowly and am easily winded.  It’s what I imagine an overweight duck or maybe a penguin must feel like. 

It’s been quite the journey so far.  I read a different perspective on pregnancy on a message board the other day.  It said that God knew what he was doing by making pregnancy so uncomfortable and last for so long.  It was because that by the time baby is ready to come out, we are so happy to get past this stage of being miserable that we welcome the pains of labor.  I don’t know if I fully buy that line of reasoning or not but it’s something to consider I guess.  Regardless of my complaints, I am so excited to be getting so close to meeting Samantha and am going to believe that all of this will be a distant memory and all be worth it once she’s here.  But when she gets to be a teenager and gives me any sort of grief, I’m going to show her this post and hope she feels guilty. 

 

 

and so…

Here I am once again.  Needing to go to bed because I can’t seem to get enough sleep lately but also needing to get the laundry switched from washer to dryer so I have some pants to wear to work tomorrow.

As usual, I have nothing of substance to say so will just ramble for a bit here. 

I realized the other day that I never posted about the end of my first grad class that was giving me fits there towards the end because of some crazy paper I was trying to write.  Bottom line - I made it out, with an A.  Yeah, I’m one of those annoying people who whine and complain about how I’m going to fail and then get an A.  I know I know, I hate those people too.  Will I go back to school?  I think so but time will tell.  I am going to turn in the Leave of Absence form so I don’t have to go through the reapplication process next spring.  So I guess you could say I’m keeping my options open.

Work baby shower was very nice a couple of weeks ago.  We got two strollers.  I think we’ll keep both of them though - one for each car.  The nursery is quickly turning into a baby disaster zone with shower gifts and things our lovely friends and family are picking up for us along the way.  The car seat and one of the strollers is put together and the nursery is ready to go except for the wall decor.  I’ll post pics once it’s in a bit more of a finished state.  My church is giving us a shower on Sunday so that will be nice. 

There will be a yard sale at Abode Finn this Saturday.  I dread it because it’s going to be so dang hot but it will be super nice if we can get rid of some of our stuff.  The Accountant has done nearly all the work getting ready for it and I am so appreciative.  Whatever doesn’t sell is going to Goodwill I guess. 

Bedtime for me.  Not that I’ll sleep but at least I can go through the motions.  More later taters.

briefly2

I am so behind on reading and commenting on you guy’s blogs but will catch up soon, really! 

I’m back from Baltimore, thank goodness.  Not all that impressed but it was ok.  May post more about it later, or not.  I’m just really glad to be home.  Flying while pregnant is NOT fun.  I don’t recommend it. 

Tomorrow is my gestational diabetes test so I get to go “drink the Kool-Aid” and hope all goes well. 

G’night.

briefly

Is that how you spell “briefly”?  It looks funny.

Paper done!  Hallejuah.

I’ll be in Baltimore for the next few days. 

I’m tired.  And uncomfortable.  But very happy.

See you guys later!

does this bean make me look fat?

Kidding, of course.  Here’s the latest on my expansion…

wisdom from ye olde day planner

They who want milk should not sit in the middle of a field and wait for a cow to back up to them.

- Lillian Katz

Hello

Hi Bibi. 

from one of my favorites

A Book

There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!

-Emily Dickinson

just sad

Like most, I have been constantly checking the internet for news and updates about today’s tragic shooting at Virginia Tech.  There’s not much you can say is there?  It is horrible, heartbreaking and disgustingly unnecessary. 

quickie

Preds win!!! 

A lady got robbed at the carwash in Springfield last night, at knifepoint, chased the guy down in her car, he was arrested.  Apparently he had just gotten out of jail.  Brilliant. 

Off to P’ville/Sharon area for some much needed family time.  And my dad is making chocolate oatmeal cookies for me! 

Later. 

Happy Birthday!!!

To my husband!!  Love you to pieces!!!

Dear Gods of the Television Universe

How many times do I get to watch the Lady Vols play in the NCAA Championship game?  Never.  So why did you choose to kill my DirectTV signal with the storms just as the game was getting good and started?  If I ever meet you face to face I will pound your skull flat with my bare fists. 

Love,

Finn

Update: TV came back up with the 2nd half…Congrats Lady Vols!!  And I have a mad girl-crush on Candace Parker

it’s that time of year again

unlucky number 7

Let me just say that 2007 is turning into a royally sucky year.  That is all.

lazy sunday

Well the last TN team is out of the men’s NCAA tourney with Memphis losing to Ohio State last night.  I’ll still watch the rest of the games, just won’t be sure who to root for.  Still have the Lady Vols though!  And they are kicking some Marist tail right now.

I have the headache from you-know-where today, had it last night too and it is just sticking around for fun I guess.  I get a bad one about once a month, not usually migraines but bad enough.  Lucky me. 

The plan for today is to dig up the NYC hotel information I printed and run it by my friend who lives there so she can make sure I don’t pick one in the wrong area if you know what I mean.  Then I’m sure there will be more basketball viewing, a perusal of the newspaper and I’ll continue to procrastinate on washing my car.  Or maybe I’ll just go back to bed and nurse my aching head.  Oy. 

stolen meme

I swiped this from the fabulous Miss Devylish.  I hope she doesn’t mind.

1. Finish this statement five times: “It’s ok…”

a. It’s ok to make mistakes, even big fat juicy ones.  Learn from it and move on.  C’est la vie.

b. It’s ok to stand up for yourself by speaking your mind, taking a stand or otherwise asserting  yourself.  Just try not to be a bitch about it.

c.  It’s ok to be 30-something or older and still like Justin Timberlake.  Really, it is.

d.  It’s ok to not like everyone.  As a matter of fact, sometimes I think I don’t like most people.  And that’s ok.  I have good friends and a good nose for realizing when someone I meet will be in my life from that point onward or not.

e.  It’s ok to do housework naked.  I’m just sayin’.

First Times:

2.  The first time I realized there was someone in my life I would run into a burning building for was:

when I actually did run into a burning building to try and save my Michael Jordan poster and unopened Wheaties box.  Michael is not worthy of my devotion so I will never do that again. *

3.  The first time I realized I didn’t have to have a good reason to say no to someone or something was:

Just now, because I don’t really have an answer for this question or a reason why I don’t.  So sue me.

4.  The first time I scared the beejesus out of myself and loved it was:

As corny as this sounds, it was the first time I rode the Wabash Cannonball at Opryland.  After that first ride I was so dang proud of myself for being brave and thought it was so much fun that I wanted to ride it again and again.  The adrenaline was kickin’.

5.  The first time I walked away from someone or something I finally realized was bad for me was:

I just gave up caffeine a few months ago because of what is now called the great “burning boob” episode.  This was major people.

6.  When I was younger I used to be:

anal retentive, borderline OCD

6a.  And now I am:

willy-nilly, borderline ADD

6b.  Which makes me:

in need of middle ground

7.  An insecurity I’ve never been able to shake:

droppin’ the letter “g” and usin’ an apostrophe instead.  I just noticed that I did this twice before getting to #7, for some reason I am scared of g.

8.  Something I find completely disgusting:

ketchup on scrambled eggs

*you don’t really believe I did that right?

unholy texts

A certain someone was texting another certain someone in church tonight at the local Church of Christ….certain someone #1 began snickering in the third pew because of these gems on the cell phone screen….

“If anyone asks what ur doing just answer, i’m sending viruses 2 the baptists.”

“When the roll is called up yonder you’ll hit send.”

what?

Since when is Chief Serpas an expert on American Idol?  And why do we even care?  Fox17, what is the deal and why is this on the news? 

what you need to know

Have you seen that new show Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?  I think it premiered last night after American Idol.  I didn’t see it but maybe I should have.

At the very least this show has gotta vindicate all the elementary school teachers whose students have asked them in sing-songy whiney voices “but when will I ever use this in real life?”  Because we all know that a game show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy is real life right?  Now teachers can say, “of course you need to know the definition of photosynthesis because you might one day have the opportunity to be on that Jeff Foxworthy show and humiliate your parents, who happen to have fed and clothed you for all of your 11 years without having to know that information - unless your parents are botanists.”

Yes, I’m just being goofy and I’m not advocating that kids don’t need to know this stuff, but overall the concept of the show bugs me.  Maybe it’s just because I was one of those students who asked Mr. Hale in the fifth grade when I might have the need as an adult to recite all fifty state capitals or name the 23rd President.  Again, not to discount the need for learning this type of information as general knowledge, but you gotta admit, you’ve never needed to know the difference between an obtuse, acute or right angle to pay the electric bill.

I think a better game show would be “Are You Smart Enough to Pay Your Mortgage”?

this is not worth reading, trust me

Not much to talk about tonight and I should just go to bed but I’m stalling. 

I was watching some show on TLC this weekend about this family with 16 kids - all from the same husband.  The mom on the show was SUPER cheerful and positive, like ALL the time.  At least all the time on tv.  The family was building a house and doing a lot of the work themselves.  It was quite amazing the logistics of their family dynamic.  A little weird, but interesting.  I wish I could think of the name of that show.  Can you imagine having 16 kids???  I don’t know why on earth or other planets anyone would want to do this - maybe they don’t believe in birth control or something.  She made some comment about when people say they have too many kids that she thought that was like saying there are too many flowers.  I ’bout gagged.  Don’t know why that just popped in my head.  Oh yeah, the attitude thing.

Ok, I think I’ve bored myself to drowsiness now so I’m off to bed. 

my new home

Wow, I’m so excited about my new blogger home I don’t know what to do with myself!!  I’ll be learning more about how to use WordPress in the days to come so I may be tweaking a few things here and there and playing around with the look a bit.  

A big THANK YOU goes out to Lynnster for creating this new space for me!  She is the greatest!

because i like this pic

I have no idea who this person is. DH took this picture in Florence and I like it because it looks peaceful. I wonder what that guy is thinking about as he rows down the Arno river in this beautiful city? I wonder if he appreciates the art and architecture around him or if he’s just thinking “damn, my arms hurt”.

would you like a smile with those fries?

In the Jack In The Box drive through today at lunch I swipe my check card to pay…

Extremely cheery drive through guy: “I’m sorry, it says that you have insufficient funds”.
Finn: “Really?” (reaching for purse to get out another piece of plastic)
Extremely cheery drive through guy: (smiling) “Nah, I’m just kidding, you just looked like you needed a laugh”.

Yikes. How forlorn must my expression have been for the guy working the drive through window to try and cheer me up*? Buck up sister and put on a happy face, it’s not that bad.

*(Not that there’s anything wrong with working in fast food mind you - I’ve done it myself so I can say that.)