TGIF!!!!

Oh, thank goodness it's Friday.

I'm at work.
Every day that I come to work--at least one thing happens that makes me think: 'If I werent here today, this wouldnt be my problem.'

It's only 11am, and I've already had that thought at least once today.

Clearly--it's a sign that I should be a stay-at-home-mom!!! :)

What else...
Damon & my mother-in-law are at my house working on home projects. She's awesome. She doesnt work & comes to our house to help out. That rocks! They are going to finish the kitchen (I pray, I pray, I pray), paint this hall area near the laundry room, and hopefully start painting the Dining Room...That's his plan anyway...
We've already gotten into one disagreement this morning about the kitchen...he took the cabinet doors off. We painted all the cabinets...he wants to just leave the doors off the top cabinets & have all open shelves, and put the cabinet doors back only on the bottom. Well, I dont want that. Just trust me--it wouldnt look right. On top of that--he'd never patch the holes from where the cabinet door brackets were screwed on. No--if we're going to sell the house--put the doors back up & let the next owner decide if they want the doors on or not. I busted my butt painting 1/2 of those doors! I'm so not flexible on this issue.

Okay...I'm getting paged...I gotta run.

Random thought...if I were a celebrity...

I was just having this random thought after I heard that Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise are together.

Here's my thought--if I were a celebrity--I'd have all of my closest friends spread random rumors about me--all good of course! Then, I would just watch the gossip spread like a wild fire!
Seriously--Katie Holmes...moving on up if your hanging with Mr.Cruise!
My first thought on the matter though: isnt she a bit young for him? I mean, couldnt he be her father???

Talked to Gammy this morning.

She's been in the hospital since 4/13/5 with her knee surgery.
She says she may be going home today...but I asked her if she can go up steps or not, and she says that they have not gone over that with her yet...well, she cannot enter her home without going up steps. So, I reminded her to talk to the physical therapist about that.

We've got a lunch inservice today.

Mark & Jana are coming in on Friday. Their Dallas reception is on Saturday night...what am I going to wear????

Not much else here.
The baby was very*very*very active in the evening yesterday. He usually sleeps all day & then wakes up around 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning... Well, around 7 last night he was moving a bit. Probably because I got into bed @ 7!
Yes, that's right. I was in bed at 7...asleep right after the 10:00 news. I was pretty proud of myself for staying up that late!!

Good news....Dad's moving to Austin!

Well, good news...Dad got the position in Austin. He found out yesterday. They wanted him to start May 1st...but he'll be starting May 16th instead. Who could arrange a move from California to Texas with such short notice??? Crazy.
Anyway--it's been so long since I have been able to drive to see my dad. I wont know what to do!!!! I'm so excited for him & proud of him!!

A little worried about the baby...
I feel like a neurotic mom-to-be.
I had an ultrasound yesterday. At the end of the ultrasound, she said that our baby weighs approximately 1 pound, 9 ounces. Then I log onto pregnancy weekly...or babycenter...or something, that says my baby should weigh approximately 9 ounces. So, I'm either going to have a 20 pounder---or something is off here! I dont know...and I just think--well, if it was THAT abnormal, she would have walked down the hall & told my doctor. So...who knows...
And of course I am 2nd guessing my own hearing-- maybe she said, "your baby weighs 1 pound, the average is 9 ounces." But Damon swears our baby weighs 1 pound, 9 ounces.

My goodness...I'm giving birth to the Michelin Man!

Another Sono today...he's still a boy!

Well, we went in at 10 this morning for another sono. He's still a little boy...and stubborn too. The sonogram took sooooooo long. She has to measure everything...and he did not want too cooperate at all. At first, she said he was moving a lot. Then, when she needed him to turn or move, he would not budge. If she needed to see his face, he'd turn & show her the back of his head. If she tried to measure his femur, he'd curl up & show us his feet.
...please, please dont let it be like this forever!!!! ...a prediction of things to come perhaps???

Anyway, I have a sweet sonogram picture of his profile. I love it. The others are kind of freaky looking. Imagine that cartoon, The Nightmare Before Christmas...well, I have one sono picture where the baby's face looks like Jack from that movie!!! It's cute & scary all at the same time.

They changed my due date from 9/25/5 to 9/18/5. Apparently I am 1 week further along than we thought. It's good news because I'm excited & ready for this baby to be here. I want to meet him so badly! It also makes me feel better about the amount of weight I've gained. :) But, it increases my baby's chances of being born on 9/11, which I just dont want. And, if I return to work after the baby--it means I will be returning right before Christmas. That sucks too.

We've decided 100% that he will go by "Gage". We've narrowed the choices down to Damon Gage or Gage Alexander. Feel free to cast your vote.

Got together with Megan & Susan on Friday night. Got our nails done. Mine still look fabulous & I'm loving it. Remembering now how much I miss manicures & pedicures. I may just have to make a bi-monthly routine of this. It's getting harder & harder for me to reach my toes now anyway.

Bought the movie, "Meet the Fockers"...please, dont buy this movie. We adored, "Meet the Parents", so we thought this would be just as awesome. Well, I can assure you--it's not. We should have known. Sequels as a rule are not as great as the originals. This holds true to that. While we enjoyed "Meet the Fockers"...we could have rented it at Blockbuster, gotten it through Netflix...and saved $20. So--if you live near me & want to see the movie--call me. I'll gladly let you borrow the movie. We wont be using it. Told Damon that we should just sell it on ebay to get some of our money back....

Went to Damon's grandmother's this past Saturday. She's 89 years old. Not doing so well (CHF +complications....) Anyway--very glad that we went. She is just such a sweet, sweet, woman. She's the kind that is never the first to let go in a hug--like she could just stand there & hug you for hours, and never get tired of it. She's very, very excited about this baby...and I'm sure she'll be even more excited when she finds out that we're naming him "Gage". See, Gage is a family name for Damon--it's his grandfather's last name. His grandfather passed away years ago, and Damon misses him a lot. Anyway, I'm sure she'll be excited about the name.

When we left Damon's grandmother's, we stopped at Mom's in Tyler. I really, really wanted to go to this baby boutique in Tyler called "Snug as a Bug"...but they closed at 4. How weird is that? Who closes at 4? (apparently THEY do!)

Got our oil changes on Sunday...
Walked around in WalMart for like 2 hours. I ended up sitting in the furniture area for a while...they were pretty backed up in the oil change department. Damon would have changed them at home--but it's only a few bucks more to get WalMart to do it. They know you'll shop while you're there. It worked...We shopped until my feet gave out.

I'm done typing for now!

Code Blues in Labor & Delivery...

Now I'm crying...Since I've been pregnant, they've called two Code Blues in the L&D OR. I cry every time it happens...because I know what's going on in there & it freaks me out.
Just the thought of these moms coding & they rush them to the OR to cut their babies out...You know it's bad when they are paging overhead, "Any anesthesiologis to L&D OR stat, any OB to L&D OR stat"...it's so sad, and I'm so thankful that I dont have pregnancy induced hypertension!!!! We're so lucky to just have a normal, healthy, pregnancy!

Holly & Kory are having a girl!!!

I just got off the phone with my aunt Billie. Her oldest son, kory, and his wife, Holly, are pregnant, and they just found out this morning--it's a girl!!! Woo-hoo!
Billie was crying when I talked to her--she's so excited!!!!

Holly & I are due right around the same time!!

Met with Realtor last night...now we need St.Joseph!

Here's something I came upon w/ regard to selling a house:

"The tradition is that you purchase a St. Joseph statue, since he was a carpenter and the patron saint of buying/selling homes.

First you pray to St. Joseph for his assistance in selling your house. Then you bury him upside down, either facing away from the house and TOWARD your new place, or facing your place - either way is fine.

Once the deal is secured (read: closed) you dig him up and display him in your new home - and you tell people about his helping you so they do the same."

**********************************************************
dont know if it will work--but it sure wouldnt hurt to try!!!

So anyway...we met with the realtor from Coldwell Banker last night. We're going to do some things around the house to get it ready to show, and then hopefully start showing it in May...we'd like one more round w/ the bulk trash pick-up people so we can get some more leaves raked & get the old washing machine hauled off....
We'll see how it goes. We had a pretty good feeling about the realtor...

What else??
Dad's in town. I may see him tomorrow morning.
Getting together with Megan & Susan tonight.
May be going to Damon's grandma's tomorrow.

Got my TB skin test today. Oh, the joys of working in a hospital... get it read on Monday. I was hoping that maybe pregnant wouldnt be able to get it...then I wouldnt be able to work until I deliver...and then I could have the next 5 months off! Woohoo! What a plan! Ummm...it didnt work. Darn technology & these stupid safe tests!

Have our "big ultrasound" on Monday morning at 10. They'll confirm it's a boy, and measure everything about him. They said it should take about an hour. I'm excited about that. You really cant ever see him too much!

Still no decisions on a name. Damon swears he is going to name the baby while I'm sleeping. So...if any of you hear me screaming when I wake up--you better rush to Damon's side! He'll need your help if "Rance" appears anywhere on that birth certificate.

Woke up with swollen hands...and I have to say that I think my face is getting a bit full... For those who remember...think of me--Freshman year of college...remember how round/fat my face was then. It may be making a reappearance...

On a brighter note--I'm having a great hair day! I still have to wear it pulled back, but my spots are growing back in. The first one--the big one--the hair in the center is growing in white. Oh well--I'm just glad that it's growing back. The top at the crown of my head is starting to grow back too. Has a ways to go of course, but it's a start... And, the small spot on the other side is not growing back in, but it's not getting any bigger either, so I'm glad about that!

That's all I know.
It's payday.
I paid bills (I hate being a grown-up).

We're selling the house.

Damon's not happy there. Says he wont be happy there. Says we need to move out of the city to raise our baby... It's a long, long, very long story--that no, I dont really feel like talking about right now.

But, last night I agreed to call a realtor. We'll just sell & move some place else.

There's sooooo much work that we've done & I hate to walk away from that...but there's so much more to be done....

We'll just sell & relocate.

My head hurts.

Crude, but true......quote by George Carlin.

"The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is
tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A
death. What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You
should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home.
You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to
work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your
retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school.
You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no
responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you
spend your last nine months floating ... you finish off as an orgasm."

-George Carlin


....sent to me by Shelley!

It's a boy!

We found out yesterday afternoon.
It's a boy!
It's a boy!
It's a boy!

...now if we could only agree on a name...

I dont feel so well today.

So, for anyone who called me & I didnt call you back...or anyone who emailed me & I didnt email much back...I dont feel so hot.

I didnt sleep well.

I swear, I think my ribs are spreading apart.
I dont know if that happens when you get pregnant, but that's what I feel like.
And my back hurts.
And my low low belly just feels heavy.

I just dont feel so great.

Aggravated....& proud of myself...

Okay...why I'm aggravated at myself...
I need to go to the airport today after work.
I need to take 3 things with me. Well, I walked out the door this morning without 2 or the 3 things.
So...now I get to drive from Arlington all the way home to Dallas...then back to the airport...then back home.

What an ass-whooping...not mention the price of gas right now. Come on!!!!
All this running around will easily cost me $15!


Why I'm proud of myself...
I found the amortization schedule template in Microsoft Excel, and I plugged in all the numbers...and then I created a spreadsheet showing all the house payments we've made so far, including additional payments & looked at how much the balance changes. Sure--we still owe more than we've paid...and sure, most of our monthly payment goes to interest...but still...I did it. I've only got a couple of holes in there from payments I made out of the joint account. I cant remember my stupid password to the online banking stuff. (It's that Pregnancy Induced Retardation creeping in again).

What else???

I'm at work.
I'd rather not be.
I need to call the dept. of sanitation to find out when our bulk trash pickup is...

Oh--Melissa's getting treated for Lyme Disease! Welcome to 27. Happy freaking birthday. Doesnt that suck? And Kristen's got the flu. I'm telling ya--stay out of St.Louis if you can. There's some funky stuff going around up there!!!!
:)

15w3d....heard the heartbeat again today...

Okay, we did the doppler again today & heard the heartbeat at 146, then 148. I dont think the baby likes the doppler because you can get the heartrate, and then it's like the baby swims away. When you find the heartbeat the 2nd time--the heartbeat is always higher...

Nurse said "that's a boy's heartrate." So, we'll see....

Lots of us are starting to think this is a little girl in here...

I am sooooooooooo sleepy.

I am so sleepy.
At 4:19 this morning--the cat was doing something that made noise that woke my husband up. So what did he do? He yelled at the cat--from our bed into whatever room the cat was in.
My perception....I'm sleeping...I'm dreaming...life is good...I'm asleep...
"DIXON!!!!"
Now I'm awake. It's 4:19 in the morning! Thanks a big freaking lot.

I swear, by 4:20 Damon was asleep again.
I looked at the clock again at 5:19...because I was still awake.
The last time I looked at the clock was 5:30-something...then, the alarm went off at 6:15.

Everyone needs to applaud me for not turning on every light, every tv, radio, alarm, & appliance this morning while getting ready for work. (Damon was still asleep....) I took the high road....but, now I'm sleepy, grumpy, & bitter...and tempted to call the house & let it ring until he picks up!
...tempted...but I wont do it.

Oh--and I was 20 minutes late to work.
:)

15w1d....my baby is 4 inches long! (crown to rump)

Here's what babycenter.com says about my baby:
How your baby's growing: At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but his taste buds are beginning to form. And if you have an ultrasound, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or girl! (Don't be disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down the gender depends somewhat on how clear the picture is and the position of your baby during the ultrasound; he may be curled or turned in such a way as to keep you in suspense.)

...okay--so last week...I thought Wednesday wasnt my day.
Really, Friday was not my day. Oh man, oh man, oh man.
I spent most of the day crying...over everything. And then--at almost 5 o'clock, I tried to pay the car insurance on line & screwed it all up & ended up paying $507.60 on accident. Yes, that's right. $507.60. Farmers will be happy to credit my account, but they wont give me any of my freaking money back.
Of course they wont.
And, although it pisses me off...I have to say this...if I owned Farmer's Insurance, I would do the same thing...if you cant figure out how to make an online payment, that's not really their fault. So, I know it's my fault...but I would still like my money back.
On a brighter note...we wont have to pay Farmer's for a while.

Melissa turned 27. Talked to her last night, and it sounds like she had a pretty fun weekend. I of course still havent given her this years gift (or last years B-day gift...or the 2004 Christmas gift...) But, I intend to mail her gift for this year by the end of the week. It will not require a special trip to the post office, so she's in luck this year.
I would tell you all what it is...but what if she reads this?
(Nice try Melis...you were getting all excited....)

What else?
My nails look like crap & I need to file, buff, & paint them when I get home.
Need to fold a ton of laundry.

That's about all for now.

The Orient Express...

Some day...Some day before I die--I am going for a ride on the Orient Express.
I was looking at some random trip stuff on the internet for interline travel deals. Right now--with the interline discount--it cost $2,032 for a one way, overnight trip...so two days & one night, from London through Paris to Venice. Now, to me, that sounds super over priced for a train trip.
But--at the same time....I really, really, really want to find out for myself if it's overpriced, or worth every penny!

Okay...that's my random thought for the day.