Ultrasound Pic

The pic is up! :) Go here to see baby.

When You Wish Upon A Star...

Well, things look a little better. I went and got the directory of physicians for the dirt cheap insurance that pays 90% (opposed to my next to dirt cheap plan that will only pay 80% beginning in January). My PCP is covered in that insurance plan as is the hospital I plan to deliver at. So, if nothing in that book changes, I'll be able to get cheaper insurance and get more paid for. Who would think that the less you pay the more it covers? Weird. So that is my good news for the day. I scanned the pics of the ultrasound from yesterday but fotolog wouldn't upload them this morning. I'll try again when I get home.

Stress

I'm a bit stressed right now. It seems for every two steps you take forward, you always take one back. I'm stressed about money. The hospital just came out with the new insurance plans. Instead of the I don't pay anything my HMO pays 100% that I have now, my plan changes to 80%/20%. (me paying 20% with a deductible.) Someone said, it's just like everyone else who doesn't have hospital insurance, but I say thats crap. People that generally pay 20% aren't limited by networks. I'm not going to freak out about this right now. I know in my heart that things will work out. Heh, maybe I should stick a paypal button up "help me deliver my child!" I'll worry about it when E's insurance stuff comes out. Maybe if I wish really really hard, one of his plans will pick me up pregnant. One can hope, right?

A highlight of today is that I saw baby. :) It is really slow in the OR so Mel and I went and played on the u/s machine. She's in there alright, and I'm still saying she because we saw a head, spine, a butt, two legs, two arms, some fingers, and some toes and NO penis. :) She does look a little cramped with those long legs though. She had her feet around her ears. :) And she's head down. She sucked her thumb and we saw her doing the "mimicking" breathing, which was way cool. When we took the probe and poked it into my tummy, she promptly gave us swift thump right at the probe! When we talked to her, she responded to our voices. It was really great. We printed a lot of pictures but only two are really great. One of her beautiful spine ( I love seeing all those vertabrae!) and one of her head and toes! Those tiny toes! And she has gotten so big since just 6 weeks ago. I fall more in love with her everyday and I just can't believe it.

Anywho, if you get a moment, send a silent thought our way that things will work out like they are supposed to in January. I'm sincerely scared, and working full time isn't an option. I'm going to try and babysit once a week and take baby with me. I'm also going to try and get a house to clean biweekly. Hopefully that will pull us through. I just know in my heart that I need to be home with baby, and E doesn't seem to be as worried about the $$. The thought of having to pay 20% is a bit daunting at this point though. This is boring to you guys, I know. I'm sorry.

I'm going to go fold some baby clothes that a lady I know gave us and set them on the changing table. I think laying them and seeing what I have and need will help. I'll wash them in December. I'm getting ready to order my clothe dipes pretty soon too. Official nesting has begun I believe. Night night, sweet dreams, and don't let bed bugs bite.

Just call me Buddha

I lost the nursery pic I took so I'll take another and upload that tomorrow. But I did upload a picture of my belly. :) Man I feel huge. So how do I look?

Guess what I'm doing...

I'm painting the nursery! I'm painting the nursery! I'm painting the nursery! Yaaay! Yaay! I'm painting the nursery! Okay enough of that. :) I got my butt in gear and started finishing the job I started oh a month ago. My mom came at 6:30 and started doing the high trim for me and went back to work to put her timecard in. She'll be back in about a half hour. :) Then we are going to do the writing/painting on the wall. :) I know some of you don't do "God" but Erich and I do just not in an over the top way. And remember that the theme is "my friend the moon" (that link goes to a picture of the quilt and bumper I bought.) So the writing on the wall above the rocking chair will say:

I see the moon,
the moon sees me;
God bless the moon,
And God bless me.

It will be cute, I'll post a pic tonight after Erich gets home. (He has the digital camera yet again.) I'm thrillled! :)

I'm alive... barely

I'm here. I have Erichs horrendous cold now. All I want to do is guzzle a bottle of NyQuil, obviously I can't do that. I have the day off, for now. I was a bit ticked yesterday. Went into work and picked cases for the next day. I saw that Friday was not busy, so I asked for it off (they always put you off if we aren't busy, so I figured I save myself the hassle of driving in, especially since I feel like crap). Anywho. I asked, it's always been to my understanding that the first person who asks is the first person who gets it off. Well, I asked and she said she would let me know. I then caught her asking someone else if they wanted it off, they did (who wouldn't it's a Friday for crying out loud) and so I asked her, does that mean I can have it off too? She says, " well I think you can, but call in the morning and see if they need you." Grr... Didn't I ask off first? Yup. So I call just now. They don't need me right now, but please call back around 3 in case anybody calls in. So basically, don't get to wrapped up in painting the nursery Suzanne because you could still have to go to work. I told Erich it was like if he asked his boss Can I have tomorrow off? And his boss said well, "Anybody else want tomorrow off? No? Okay Erich you can have it off then." Those people can drive me mad.

I picked up a baby for surgery yesterday that was born at 24 weeks gestation. Born at 1lb 12oz and 12 inches long. That's where I'm at. Scary to think that that baby came out now, hopeful to think they could be able to save her if she did come out, freaky to think that big of a baby (although he was really tiny) is inside of me! A 12 inch baby inside of me! It boggles my mind. Okay I'm off to nap and then start the nursery. They better not need me at 3 dang it.

**Insert Clever Title Here**

I had a title thought up last night, but for the love of something I can't remember it. Boo. Work is going well. I'm still REALLy exhausted at the end of the day, but that is expected for anyone who is 6 months pregnant and spend her entire day on her feet. They have announced that there will be no bonus (called Share the Vision, which I refer to as Share the Allusion). It's gone. Did I mention that I also didn't get a raise? So if I was planning on staying, which I'm not, I definitely would have changed my mind after that fiasco. But I hear I'm not the only one. **shrugs** They've also taken away the call I used to fulfill so all of us are a bit pissed about that. And they shortened our week. PCTS used to work 40 hour weeks, we now work 37.5 (which is the "norm" in healthcare but it still sucks). I heard they are taking away ECMO call also (different form of call). We no longer get bonus time (a incentive to stay and help when they are in a pinch) and if we get any overtime, we are in trouble. Next thing they'll be saying they are taking away our retention bonus. They have this problem with retention they said. That of 400 nurses they hired last year, they had to replace 350 because of them quitting. Hmmm, so do you think taking away year end bonuses and call and all of the "extra perks" is helping? I don't think so. Anyways enough about work.

Baby is in there kicking away. A gal I work with always talks to my belly now. She assures me this is so baby will know her when she gets here. heh. I told her yesterday to tell baby to get off Mommys bladder. Baby thinks this is a cool place to hang out while I'm on my feet. So I constantly have the urge to pee when really all I can squeeze out is a few drops. Of course I may not have much in there since everything leaks when I sneeze, cough, or laugh. Oh the joys of pregnancy! I'm starting to have to roll out of bed, E helps a ton with that. Getting up is getting a bit harder by the day and I'm still all belly. (Of course I've only gained 6lbs or so so really I am only baby!) I promised you a picture but no one has been here to take one of me. Sorry. I know you are dying to see my beautiful self. ;)

I did cook a lot on Monday. Pot roast, carrots and potatoes in the crock pot and I made green bean casserole and corn casserole. And it must be the baby but I really don't care for green beans. I'll eat them on occasion and I REALLY don't like musherooms. In fact I hate them but guess what. I've been eating this green bean casserole and craving it. If you aren't familiar with green bean casserole, the two main ingredients are green beans and cream of musheroom soup. Go figure. I've got to pack my lunch now. PB and jelly sandwich, grapes, and (you guessed it) green bean casserole. Weird. Love to all. More tomorrow. :)

My girls

I had my 6th month appointment today. Wow. Where does the time go? I'll have a belly picture later on today, Erich took the camera with him. One more 4 week appointment then we go to two week appt. :)

I measured right on target and I have gained 3lbs since my last appointment. A total of 6lbs has been gained this pregnancy! :) She told me she wanted me to gain 4lbs, but she could live with 3. Baby sounds great, 148 bpm heartrate. I will have to do the GTT :( at 28 weeks and be checked for anemia, but I can live with that. She says my blood sugars look awesome. :)

WARNING! THIS NEXT PART QUALIFIES AS TO MUCH INFORMATION.

I woke up the other day to discover that "my girls" work. My poor breasts are leaking. Which this "milestone" would explain the many breastfeeding dreams I have had lately. It kinda makes me giddy, because I was worried that for some reason "they" wouldn't work, but they do. So I'm a bit relieved, though I still don't know why I was worried. Erich thinks its gross and I think he'll be staying away from them for a while. heh.

I had a dream last night or the night before that I had boy and girl twins. I think my subconscious wants to know what this baby is! :) Maybe Wednesday we'll be slow at work and Mel and I can look.

Surgery is as exciting as ever. I love being back at work with the humdrum. It really wears me out though, but I sleep better at night. It's a lot harder to tote the two of us around that place instead of just me. I think it was the right decision and it fulfilled some much needed companionship. I've had a lot of laughs. Melvin keeps coming into the storeroom and sees me picking cases and yells out stuff like "Suzanne is back! :) " Everybody is laughing and says it's like I never left, but they said they all missed me. :) That makes me feel special.

I do have the day off today. I have pot roast, potatoes, and carrots in the crock pot. The house is starting to smell really good. It should be ready when my mom comes for dinner. I'm also going to make green bean casserole and corn casserole for the rest of the week. And I may also make some sloppy joe mix for Erich to make sandwiches at night with. Thats about it.

I'll try and blog more. Since I'm back to my old shift (11a to 6:50p) it'll take some time to get adjusted again. I promise to try and get blogging back into my schedule so I do it daily. I am keeping up with everyone else though. :)

I'm alive!

Well, I'm back working in surgery. It sincerely kicked my butt so much that I couldn't stay up for ER! I had to tape it and I'll have to watch it tonight, which is a big deal for me. Man. So that is where I am, I'm loving it and staying busy and it's nice to be with friends again. :) I'll update more this weekend, though I have big plans to get that dang nursery painted! Sheesh. :)

The Judges Are Out

Well, yesterday (as I was leaving work early) I decided I couldn't take this anymore. Erich seems to be fine with me being jobless in about four months. And this is what I really want to do. I want to stay home and take care of my baby and clean my house and be with my doggies (one of which, Gracy, gets closer to death every day I believe). I want to go and help Teresa out during the day and hang out with her because I miss her and two sets of hands works TONS better with four babies (her triplets plus mine.) It's just that me being jobless scares the living crap out of me. The thought that I won't be contributing. The thought that even though things are tight now, they will be even tighter. I know I don't have to worry about clothes and such for baby. My mom and my in-laws will be over joyed and throwing me clothes. (hopefully) and I'm thankful for people like Rachel who give me stuff. (As a side note, she really rules. I really should drop her an email and see how she is doing.)

I think I'll miss my job. I know that I used to whine a lot about it, but I find myself actually missing the drama. Right now I really need human interaction, like you would never believe. And I really just don't get that here in the library. I am a person who needs to be occupied . I'm sure I won't be bored when baby arrives because she'll keep me busy and occupied and when she naps there will be meals to prepare and diapers to wash, etc etc etc. I think going back to surgery at this point will help the last part of this pregnancy past faster in a more entertaining way. And I think I'll feel better at that point leaving my job having spent time with my co workers (and pocketing some more cash, since I can't leave early as much up there!)

So as I was saying, on my way out of work yesterday I called the OB office and asked that my lifting restriction be lifted to save me from dying of boredom and loneliness. The nurse said she wasn't sure if the doctor would actually be thrilled with that idea, but I think I presented a strong case and I said I wanted to go back. I think she'll let me knowing that I am making this decision of my own free will.

I haven't heard back from the FMLA people yet. I need to call that lady. With FMLA status, if I'm back in surgery I'll be able to take a sick day (even though I don't have any left) in case I'm not feeling well. And it will also cover doctor appointments.

The PTO book also came around to me. Most people took their vacations in June and July. Not me. Knowing that I won't be here in the summer, I thought that was pointless. So knowing that babies in my family don't come early and that I plan to work right up until the end (without taking maternity leave as I would have to pay it all back when I didn't return to work) I took my vacation the last week of January and the first week of February. Baby has until February 14 to come out (though God please don't do that to me, however sweet a Valentine baby would be). I figure if she hasn't come out by the first week of February, I'll return to work and the extra walking and such will just give her a bit more shove to come out. :) Also that two week vacation will also give me time for last minute preparations and some relaxation. So does that sound like a plan?

In webpage news, I haven't heard back from Blogspeak saying it is okay to put comments back up. I'll go check on that now.

Oh and wish me luck that the doctor calls this afternoon and says it is alright to go back to work today. I really want this! (And if she calls before 4 I can go to Associate Health, get cleared, and be in my department with Melissa this afternoon until five! **which means we will head to that ultrasound machine!**)

The Three Little Pigs

I forgot to tell you.. my cousin had her babies! They were born on Friday 6 minutes apart (vaginally! woot!). She said she woke up around 4am and felt like she was peeing her pants, when it didn't stop, she realized her water broke. They left for the hospital around 6am and the boys came one by one the right way at 8:53, 8:59, and 9:05am. :) They are

Mason Andrew
9:05 am
2lb 9oz 14" long

Evan Patrick
8:59am
2lb 12 oz 15" long

Jonathan Avery
8:53am
3lb 16" long

Go here to see a picture of them! :) Oh, and please pray/send good thoughts their way. They will be in the hospital a minimum of 4-6 weeks. They have to weigh at least 4lb to leave the hospital. They are doing well at this point though, and breathing on their own, which is the most important thing.

Book!

My book came in the mail today. The last page made me cry, it said:

"You'll find that this world's
a great place to begin,
but it could use some help ---
which is where you come in.

So now, as my voice
burble-urps in your ear ---
with a bump-thumpy sound
that is not very clear---
the words I am saying
you hear in your heart,
and know that I wish you
the very best start.

It's a scrumptulous world
and it's ready to greet you
And as for myself. . .

well. . .

I can't wait to meet you!"

--"Oh the Places You'll Go! A Book to Be Read in Utero" adapted by Tish Rabe from the works of Dr. Seuss

Blah

Not feeling to chatty lately. Kinda feeling out of it, and just a deep longing to be home cleaning my house, cooking foods that make the house smell of crunchy leaves and good eating. heh. I love fall, especially with my personal heater strapped to my belly, we like the weather.

People have started to refering to me as two instead of one. At first I thought this may be because I feel huge (though I hear I'm not). Now I just think it is because everyone else is coming to the realization that there is another human being trapped within my body. When ordering at the deli yesterday, the guy at the counter said, "you two are hungry huh?" Yes, yes we were. Weird.

I'm learning how to keep my blood sugar up. :) It makes me feel very nice. I love this non constant feeling of nausea. :)

I'm debating about asking to go back to my department. They've had me on a lifting restriction because of my threatened miscarriage way back at the beginning. I have an appt. on Monday and I want to ask to go back. I'm tired of going home early and the measly checks it brings me. I miss my friends/ acquaintances. I miss just the feeling of being around people and seeing neat things and guts hanging out of bellies. I miss the occasional person you get to take to surgery that is pleasant and nice. I miss helping the little babies. I miss doing what I do best-- taking care of people. And I know that when the baby is here I won't be able to work in healthcare for a while. I figure if I go back now, I'll be able to have a bit of fun and do what I love. It will also help the time fly by seeing as it is October now. Leave me a note and tell me if y ou think it sounds like a good idea.

(The comments will be down until later tonight. Blogspeak is having some issues.)

Mutterings

Yet another week of Unconscious Mutterings.

1. Herpes:: syndrome
   
2. Freddy:: cougar
   
3. October:: the hunt for red...
   
4. Hunting:: deer
   
5. MSN:: messenger
   
6. 36:: 6 times 6 is
   
7. Hotel:: towels
   
8. Travesty:: ?
   
9. Health:: condition
   
10. Conditions:: outside
    

Dum Dum Dum Dum

Congrats to Allison!

Can I go home now?

Today, I have the meeting with the dietician. I get to leave work at 11am. It's about 10:10 now. Urgh. I hate killing time like this. Nothing to do.

When I leave, I'm going to call my mom and see if she wants to come in before she goes to work so we can go to the mall to look at maternity stuff. I have an abundance of stuff thanks to very generous people, but what I am lacking in the most are casual stuff. I only have one pair of maternity jeans. I would like at least one more pair and maybe a pair of corduroy khakis/khaki pants (obviously beggars can't be choosers). It's cold now and I need more casual stuff. I don't want to wear the dressup stuff all of the time, I NEED comfort. :) My mom said "well you can dig out your winter stuff now" HELLO! Last winter I didn't have this bulging belly! The sweaters will probably fit and my sorority sweatshirts will fit too. (I always bought those REALLY big) **sigh** It seems wasteful to buy clothes that will only be worn for four months, but really, what am I supposed to do?

It was 45 degrees this morning when I left for work. Highs today in the 60s. I love this weather. :) It's supposed to get down to 38 degrees sometime this weekend. Brrr. Okay I'm going to keep surfing and praying that time passes quicker.

Oh and by the way, I'm feeling better with my new eating lifestyles. I'm keeping my blood sugars up and I feel good. Only thing is I'm hungry a lot so I'm going to have to talk to the dietician about how to fill up my belly without sending me into a carbohydrate coma.

Must See TV

YAY! I just remembered that it is Thursday and do you know what that means? The SEASON PREMIERE of FRIENDS and ER! **jumps up and down holding belly** I have to set the tape so Erich can watch Friends and then I'll go downstairs and work on laundry while ER is on. I can't wait till Scrubs and Good Morning Miami come back too. Then my life as a loser will be complete. I just love the fall. :)

((On a side note, I should really stop jumping up and down. I can feel baby girl swooshing up and down with me probably yelling "will you cut that foolishness out!" She must be getting big! My belly moves constantly and now she has discovered that it's fun to kick my tailbone. Owee! As if my fingers aren't sore enough. The sticking my fingers doesn't hurt, it's the tiny bruises that make it rough!))

I made it!

It's after three almost three thirty. Close enough, I'm outta here! :)

Oh my aching...

head. And it's only two oclock. Could the time please pass faster?

By The Way

Send Allison a hug. She misses her grandma.