Happy Birthday, Melamonster!!!
It’s Melanie’s birthday today! I hope she’s having fun out in California, getting some good R&R.
Happy Birthday, Mel!
You Can’t Take the Sky from Me
I just got in from Santa Barbara, where I spent a horrendous layover in LA since my plane was delayed 3 hours in South America. Well, it wasn’t horrendous. It was actually pretty relaxing (I’m trying to de-stress myself, I don’t think it’d be good for the baby to be stressed out all the time).
Lucky for me, I brought a couple DVD’s that I’ve been meaning to watch. I’ve had the “Firefly” season for a while now, and haven’t had the time to get to them til now (thanks Wally!). I never really thought of watching DVD’s in the airport til Redpac told me he started bringing movies with him on trips and caught with with last season’s “LOST”.
Let me tell ya, when Firefly was on several years ago, I had only watched an episode. I think it was on a night that I had something else to watch or something - Firefly is done by the same guy (Joss Whedon) that did Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, so I doubt I would have missed it if I didn’t have to.
Now that I’m watching it, I regret not watching it before. It’s a great show. It takes a couple episodes to warm up to, but I’m really starting to like these characters. It’s a mix of adventure, comedy and drama, all rolled into one. Kinda like a futuristic Western story, a crew on the run from the law, trying to survive and helping people along the way. I’m sad now that there’s only one season of episodes to watch.
…and Yes, Walter, I’ll go watch the movie…
It’s OK to be Stupid
One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone doesn’t admit that they don’t know something.
Now one of the aspects of my job is helping other people out, answering people’s questions. I don’t expect people to know everything, I know that I don’t know everything. But what annoys me are questions like this:
Them: “Hey, do you know how to fix blah blah blah?”
Me: “Yeah, just do x and x and x.”
Them: “Ahh, yeah, that’s what I thought. I was going to do that but I just wanted to make sure.”
If that’s what you thought, why didn’t you mention it in the first place? Are you testing me? I don’t think so. I think you’re trying to get the answer but you don’t want to look stupid because you didn’t know the answer in the first place.
Hey, I ask questions from people all the time. When I get the answer to something I don’t know, I say “Thank you” or “Oh, I didn’t know that, thanks.” Nothing wrong with admitting you don’t know something.
No, I’m Just Really Tired
I went to the doc on Monday for my monthly baby check. At my OB, they rotate you with different doctors so you get to know all the ones in the practice, in case your primary one is busy when you deliver, you aren’t with a stranger. I was with a new doctor, who was very nice, but looked like a younger version of the scientist in the old hatch video on LOST.
Lately, I’ve noticed a little swelling - my wedding ring is tough to put on sometimes. Dave was a little worried that I was getting high blood pressure, too (which I guess goes hand in hand with the swelling), and said that he’d take my blood pressure, which of course, he never got to.
So during the exam, the new doc took my blood pressure. I was ready for an exclamation of, “Oh my, your blood pressure is getting dangerously high, we have to give you medication.” But instead, he remarked to me, “Hmm, so you’re one of those barely alive people, huh?”
“Huh? Barely alive?”
“Yeah, you’ve got a pretty low blood pressure.”
“Oh, is that a bad thing?”
“No, not bad at all.”
“Oh, ok. So, what was it?”
“90 over 60.”
Which, of course, means nothing to my mind where the only medical terminology comes from ER.
“Oh…ok.”
The rest of the exam went great. The baby’s doing good, and everything is as it should be. I got some blood drawn, which was no big deal, and I got a flu shot, which hurt like hell. I felt like asking the lady, “Has anyone ever cried while getting this?”
So I have no idea what causes a low blood pressure. I would guess it’s because I’ve been really tired. I always think that people who have hot tempers or lead incredibly stressing lives have high blood pressure.
When I got home, I needed answers, I needed to know if this low blood pressure thing as fatal, so I asked Dave.
“Hey, is having a low blood pressure bad?”
“No.”
“But can anything happen from having a REALLY low blood pressure?”
“Yeah, if you have none, that means you’re blood isn’t moving, and that you’re probably dead.” He said that in his Dr. Duh! voice.
Well, then. I guess that explains that.
Trailer Park
There seem to be a ton of great movies coming out this holiday season. It’s been FOREVER since I’ve seen a movie - last one was “The Wedding Crashers”. It may not seem like it’s been long to you, but me and Dave used to go to movies all the time. Until we got a house and had to start paying a mortgage. Oh, and having that 100 inch screen in the basement doesn’t hurt, either…
But here’s the movies I’m excited to see, hopefully in the theaters, because there’s an experience in the theater you get that you can’t quite get at home. I’m not talking about the teenage kids talking throughout the movies, crying kids or ringing cellphones, I’m talking about that huge screen, seeing all the previews, eating nachos and popcorn and listening to everyone else’s laughter and reactions…
Here’s the list:
Harry Potter - I love the Harry Potter books. I love any book that comes along that kids want to read. I don’t think kids read enough nowadays. I doubt many of them have stepped foot in a library. This book, “The Goblet of Fire”, is my favorite one. There is so much that happens, and Harry really grows up. I can’t wait to see how they translate it to the big screen, especially since this is the first Potter book that is directed by a British director.
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Rent - Every time I hear the previews for this movie, my heart goes all a-flutter. I loved the musical, Dave took me to it when we first started dating. I’ve listened to the soundtrack a thousand times and know most of the lyrics by heart. I’m so psyched that most of the original Broadway cast is in the movie, since I never got to see them in New York. I’m so excited about this one!!!
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Aeon Flux - When the animated Aeon Flux was out on MTV, I was still a kid. It seemed so dark and cool, and a little bit naughty. I had never really seen animation like that before. I only watched a few episodes, but knowing that it’s coming to the big screen, with a raven haired Charlize Theron as the lead, is awesome. I can’t recall the plot, or any of the character names, but I do remember a lot of black leather. I probably won’t watch this one in the theater, but you can bet that we’re going to rent it once it comes out on DVD!
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The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Ahh…I think I’ve spoken of this before, but this book is the book that made my imagination go wild, it brought me to some amazing places and introduced characters that I’ll love for the rest of my life. I got goosebumps when I saw the previews for this, when I saw Aslan for the first time. I think I might go into spasms or something when I watch this movie. This must be the excitement that the LOTR fans had when the movies first came out. All my life I’ve been waiting for this movie (forget that PBS crap). Let me warn you now - my eyes will open in wonder, and in the end, I will cry. A lot.
Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe Trailer
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Chicken Little - OK, I know that Chicken Little is out already, and I doubt that I’ll see it in the theaters, and maybe not even the rental, but the preview is so damn cute I couldn’t help but include it. You have to wait through the regular preview, but the part where he starts dancing is adorable. I love seeing that little guy shake a tailfeather! He’s got the cutest chickenbutt ever!
The First Trimester
Well, the first trimester has been done for several weeks now, but I wanted to go through the interesting changes my body went through during this time - those crazy first trimester pregnancy symptoms. Beware, this might be a little too much information for some of you out there!
-”Morning Sickness” - I never really was sick in the morning, usually it was being extremely nauseous in the late afternoon to the night. At around 3:30 everyday, I’d feel like throwing up (but never allowed myself to) until around 7 or 8 at night. The only feeling that I can compare it to is when you’re really drunk, and you know that after one more drink you’re heading to the bathroom to hug the toilet. It’s like that. Except for about 4-5 hours a day. I’d love to complain more, but hey, it’s not like I was puking all the time….I only felt like puking.
- Moodiness - Dave will tell you that I’ve been really grumpy, but I beg to differ. Just because I tell him I hate him and he stinks about once a day doesn’t mean that I’m grouchy. I’m just sensitive!!! But my moods have been up and down, but not too extreme…and you all already know about the crying part…
- Weight Loss - Yes, I actually LOST weight during the first two months of my pregnancy. I guess my body was working a lot harder than it was used to, so it was burning all my excess weight. I lost about 6lbs the first two months. Unfortunately, it’s all come back, and then some!
- Tiredness - I have never been so tired in my life! I’d wake up in the morning, and I’d still feel so tired. I’m normally not a morning person anyway, but this was really bad. During the day, I just be so slothlike and the only thing I could think of was taking a nap. I was a total night owl before I got pregnant - going to sleep at around 1 or 2 in the morning, waking up at around 6. Now, I’d be lucky if I could keep my eyes open past 11 or 12, I normally fall asleep at 10, sometimes as early as 8. My internet time has greatly been reduced! However, I also end up waking up in the middle of the night to actually go to bed - I normally fall asleep on the couch. For some reason, I fall asleep on the couch easily, but when I go to bed in my actual bedroom, it takes me a while to sleep no matter how tired I am. I think I fall asleep easier with the sound of the TV on, rather than in the silence of the bedroom. Maybe I should ask Dave to sing me a lullabye or something so I can sleep easier. 
- I LOVE FOOD - People have asked me if I’ve had any weird food cravings. No, nothing weird like pickles and ice cream, or cereal and mustard (gross! *smirk*) However, I’ve had a craving for food in general, especially Mexican. I lie awake thinking of Chipotle’s carnitas burrito, and have made Dave make a run to the border for me at Taco Bell to pick up a mexican pizza. Food is great! Food is fun! It’s delicious!
- Feeling full - Although I loved eating, for some reason I would feel sickly full after eating (especially at night). I don’t know if this had anything to do with the early evening sickness, but I’d feel so full that it felt like my stomach was puching my lungs up - it was hard to breathe. I knew it wasn’t the baby, it wasn’t really big enough to take up any room. It was weird.
- Pain in my ass - I have no other way to describe it other than there was a pain in my ass, so bad at times that it made it hard to walk. I later found out when talking to friends that this was the sciatic nerve that was being affected, and it happens to some pregnant women. I never really heard of this before, usually women who had leg cramps, but those can also be due to the sciatic nerve. I need to talk to the doc about this one, even though the butt pains have gone away. That wasn’t something that was really pleasant.
- Boob pain - Yes, I know, too much information, but I think talking about the whole subject of pregnancy is an invitation to provide too much information. There’s no way to talk about it without talking about some sensitive issues. Sensitive like my boobs. However, the boob pain/sensitivity is just a sign that they’re getting ready to grow and produce milk. And who am I to stop my boobs from growing? That’s the biggest perk of this pregnancy! Oh, next to that bringing a new life into the world thing. Dude, once my boobs get huge, I’m going to get some glamour shots done, just of my boobs, just to remember what they look like.
- Pee breaks - I know that women in the later trimesters have to go to the bathroom often because the baby is sitting on their bladder, but I didn’t know that during the first months of the pregnancy I’d be going to the bathroom so much. There were times I was going every 15-20 minutes. It was crazy! Luckily I was working from home.
Hmm, that’s all the things I can think of right now…
Green Puppy Born!
Thought this was a cute story….I’d love to see if the little bugger stays green:
ALHAMBRA, Calif — The littermates of a Northern California puppy may be green with envy.
That’s because a golden retriever born last week is green. The little green fella is one of a litter of four. But his littermates are the usual blond color.
The owner, a dog breeder, says he’s mystified about the green color.
Veterinarians said that it’s possible for a newborn pup’s fur to be green because the placenta, which is green, sometimes rubs off during birth. Whatever the cause, the little green guy now has name — Wasabi. That’s the spicy green mustard put on sushi.
His color definitely sets him apart.
The Denver Channel
Martini Time
Sculpture at Wizard World Chicago
I haven’t posted a random picture in a while. When I was at the comic book convention a couple months ago, I saw a whole bunch of little statues that were pretty cool, this is one of them. The lighting was just perfect and I just love the pose!
Kick Kick Bang Bang
I felt the baby kick the other day when I was on the train.
….or maybe it was just gas.
I don’t know.
But the books say that I should feel the baby’s movements within the next month or so. I’ve been waiting for it, trying to become more in tune with my body, trying to feel it. I lie awake at night in silence, waiting for that little bit of fluttering that they say it feels like.
What I felt on the bus wasn’t fluttering.
It was more like two little pops in my belly.
So maybe it was just gas.
*still waiting for kicks*
Love My Cereal!
Since getting pregnant, I have cereal about twice a day. It’s tasty, it gives me my folic acid and I get the calcium from the milk.
Dave and I sometimes eat cereal together, and just like every other thing between us, we eat our cereal very differently.
Dave pours a whole serving of cereal into his bowl, then pours milk, then eats it. That’s it.
My way is a bit more complicated. I fill up my bowl with milk, then put a layer of cereal on the top, then eat it. When that layer is done, I put another layer, until all the milk is gone. In the end, I actually end up eating more cereal and having more milk.
I never learned how to eat cereal, so I don’t know where I picked this up. When I look at commercials, they all do it the Dave way.
Am I weird? How do you eat your cereal?
