Ocean City 2008-The William

Last weekend Stan and I decided to surprise everyone by joining them in Ocean City for Sunday. We were glad because we got the chance to spend a lot of time with Betty & John, Millie Aida and Aimee, and John, Maggie, & the William! We got to see William like a big boy this trip riding rides, and going out on the beach...although I am not too sure he digs the water just yet. Here are some of the pictures we took of William spending the day with his Mommy & Daddy, Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Grace & Uncle Stan, Aunt Millie, Aida, and Aimee!

Ocean City 2008- The Sequel

Stan and I had a great time in Ocean City! This year we went down on Wednesday night and stayed through Saturday. With all that time I was able to see all new things in Ocean City! This year we went the same week as Stan's Mom and Dad, Millie, Aida, and Aimee so we got to have a lot of family fun!

We all met and decided to begin our family vacation with some indoor mini golf. Everyone is getting their practice shots in before the big game.

I am voting Millie as the MVP for this golf game. On the 4th hole she hit the ball bounced it off the side of the mountain and it went straight in the hole for a beatiful hole in 1! Then Millie brought back her 'A' game on the 16th hole, where there was a tricky sea diver moving up and down to block the ball. Well he was no match for her and not only did she get past him in one stroke but got it right into the hole for another perfect hole in 1!

After we all ate lunch at the Atlantic Stand (man, did I crave those cheese dogs--could this be a baby's favorite?) we split up for a little bit. Stan, Aimee, and I went to play games at Marty's Playland and ride some rides while everyone else went on a shopping spree at the Route 50 Outlets.

Stan took Aimee on the rollercoaster (her first upside down rollercoster) and she had so much fun they did it again! Here is when they pull them up the first hill in the very beginning.

I guess Aimee liked going upside down because they ran over to the Zipper ride and spun around and around. Poor Stan was white as a ghost when he got off the ride so we went in for something a little more mild. Here is Stan and Aimee on the bumper cars.

SLAM!


Do I see a plot forming, Stan?

Aimee gets her revenge!Here is Stan trying to avoid getting hit...man he drives fast

On Friday Stan and I ate breakfast at Laytons and tried some of their fresh made doughnuts. We learned a little history and I was inspired to create another pirate tale for Audre (I know she can hardly wait!) Then we were off to Rehoboth for the day. Stan and I walked around the boardwalk and played games until everybody got there. We all met at Nicola pizza so I could give the baby his first taste of the red devil. Betty got us a really cute picture Bishon Frise picture frame that looks just like our little baby Sugar, who we were missing the whole time. We all had a great time eating and we decided next we were going to the outlets to do a little shopping. I was grateful I could go to the Maternity store and get some warm weather tops and nice comfortable bras. That night we ate dinner at Windows by the Bay. A resterant with a great view of the inlet. It was beautiful watching the sunset while we waited for our meal. For dessert we headed over to Dairy Queen where I created my very own Nor-easter Sundae (well that is what I have decided to call it). I had an oreo flurry with peanut butter topping and Reeses peanut butter cups. It was good..messy but good! Then we finished our night with a girls and Stan night at the Sandbar for some Karaoke. Aida sang "You Light Up My LIfe" and everyone in the bar thought she had such a great voice. Then brave Stan and I sang "Super Trooper" not only proving that Stan is secure in his masculinity but that it is so much more fun singing with him then by myself. I don't think I have ever felt so confident on the stage before. We were just singing and having fun..Feelin like a #1! (Ha!)

Here is Aida wowing everyone with her amazing talent!

To finish our vacation recap I thought I would put in some beautful OC views!

And since word on the street is Boardwalk One is about to undergo some big renovations I decided to take a picture of the room for posterity.

Changes, Updates, & Plans

Ok I log onto my blog and everything looks all weird and different...I guess it pays to read those messages they leave. Anyway it looks great and I am happy. We can even choose to not show blogs if we want which will be nice when I want to create a little private weight loss thing.
So tonight I am having a special daddy and Gracie night. I am taking him out to dinner and he is taking me to go see the new Mummy movie. I am excited about getting to hang out with him tonight!!
Then this weekend we are off to Ocean City. I am really looking forward to a nice vacation for a while. I am so excited to go to Nicola pizza and let the baby get his first taste of a Nic-a-boli and Red Devil Pizza!! I won't be able to get in the water or lay out on the beach very much but there is a lot I can do on the Boardwalk. One of my main things is I am going to have to try to remember to take breaks where there is air conditioning and stuff. I am glad John and Maggie will be there with Stan this weekend in case I won't be up for everything (like going out on the water or whatever). I need exercise though so I am hoping that I can get some nice walks in there and get my muscles going.

In other news, I have been thinking a lot about signing up for a prenatal yoga class. My back has just been hurting so much and I have been so uncomfortable for the most part. I know it is due not only to the pregnancy weight but what I was carrying before. I just am thinking about how I am really committed to losing all the weight after I give birth (well you know whatever is possible) and I think I need to start a fitness plan now to get those birthin muscles in order! I am just waiting until Wedneday when I meet with the Perionataologist again to make sure that the physical activity will be ok. (I am sure it will be but I just don't want to go on that assumption and then have complications down the line.)

Space Age Technology

I love the internet no where else can you post all of your random thoughts with horrible spelling and no regards for grammar!! Anyway, I have just opened a brand new e-mail account and I am so proud, I spent my entire day creating an avatar, sending e mails, and customizing my options. I even added the e mail into my cell phone--so I am welcoming myself into the 21st century. All the girls here have yahoo and they always chat over the messenger so I felt compelled to be a lemming and get it myself. I have to wait 24 hours before I can chat though. I think this will be a nice way to stay in touch with everybody. I had another e mail but it never worked correctly. I was always halfway through a important chatty e mail and then BAM all gone with no saved draft. It was horrible, then when I would go to check my e mails it would randomly sign me out so I couldn't delete anything and yeah it was that bad. This is much MUCH better. I just want to be able to send my e mails, check my e mails, and create crazy avatars.
I am looking forward to next week when I will be on vacation!!! I am going to Ocean City on Saturday and coming back Sunday working Monday, tuesday, and part of Wednesday then going to my doctor's appointment and driving back up to the beach to finish out my week! It will be so nice. I think Stan is planning on staying the whole week there but I have to come back for my doctor's appointment and I thought maybe scheduling a little break for myself in between would help me preserve my energy a little so I can do more while I am there. Well it is almost time for me to go which means its time for me to go!

Digging for Bones

Today I have devoted my free time to researching Ancient Greece. I have been looking up everything from Greek history to the myths. I just realized I wanted to be stronger in this area of history so I figured no time like the present to get into that. I actually really miss studying history. It is so much fun to know how people lived and the reasons for what they did etc. I like that a lot more than what is going on right now (stupid election and the neither candidate is good enough to take over thing). I have been thinking a lot about starting to study history more on my own again mainly because I have this feeling like he is going to be a little adventurer--maybe an archeologist or something. I know it is most likely just something I am dreaming for myself but I am placing it on the baby but I don't know. I close my eyes and I see him digging in the dirt for ancient artifacts in some foreign country with thousands of years of mysterys to uncover.

Am I Standing Still

I have a feeling today will be another slow day which is good in some ways (no stress, get some rest) but bad in others (the day is incredibly loooong). I am just hoping it goes faster than yesterday because it was just too slow for my sanity. I keep having to remind myself that I should be thankful for this time since right around the corner is a whole lot of work. A lot of people are on vacation this week so the office is really quiet.

Yesterday I read an article from Baby Center called "Are You Drinking Enough Water" and they had a registered dietician who said that it is good to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water a day. It is good for a normal person to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water a day and a pregnant person should have 64-80 oz of water a day to ward away any possibilty of bacteria in the system and to ensure that no one suffers from dehydration. (I am aware that eight 8-oz glasses of water would be 64 ozs. but my issue is with the dietician giving the lowest number possible to mothers.) What was so funny about this article to me was by 12 p.m. everyday I consume five 16-oz bottles of water (which is equivelent to 80 oz of water). By the middle of my day my water intake has reached what is recommended for the whole day!! I usually have two more 16 oz bottles when I get home. That is just crrraaaazy.

Ever since I found out I was pregnant I did the "Angie Method of Water Drinking" which is always have a bottle of water in front of you. Because it is there you will drink it. I have to say this is very true. I can't resist the temptation of any food or beverage product just sitting next to me all unattended--Have fun with that one Dr. Freud!

Yesterday we didn't go to look for paints or anything, we just stayed home and ate dinner. Actually it was a nice night at the house. I have been working little by little to get things put together and I think things are really coming along.

One thing we have tried to do recently is anticipate what life will be like with the baby and then form plans so that our lives don't change SO drastically when the baby is born. At this point I think we both have the mentality of a young honeymoon couple so we are trying to switch our thinking on everything from the housework to our financial plans. In a way it is really nice because we are working together as a team to come up with ideas and we don't have all this outside interruption so we have had a lot of time to just focus on what we need together and what we anticipate we will need when the baby arrives. I like that because it completely opens up our communication and puts us on the same page about what we each want and expect when the baby is born. I think the switch has also made us make sure we treasure this time that we have together.

Just An Old Fashioned Love Song

Weekend Re-cap:
Saturday:
Stan and I met my mom, dad, Grandma Peggy, Uncle Steve, Aunt Carol, Sammy, and Katie for a "bon Voyage" luncheon for Sam who is going back overseas until December. It was really nice to get to see him again and to have everyone get together at Clyde's and just have a really great lunch. Sam is doing really well and he seemed to be happy to have a small vacation. It's cool he is coming back just a few days before the baby is due!
Then Stan and I met Stan's family at the White Flint Mall where Betty, Maggie, and I got awesome pedicures!! We were celebrating Stan's Momma's Birthday. Then after the pedicure we rested for a little while and did gifts at the house. And then we went to La Ferme (I think that is how to spell it) for an amazing dinner. Oh the chicken was so good and stuffed with spinich. Usually I am not a gravy person but man that gravy had the best flavor. It was a very nice evening.

Sunday: Stan and I went grocery shopping in the morning then I spent the day picking up the house and making dinner. Yes I said I MADE dinner!! Other than that it was pretty low key which was exactly what we needed.


So far today seems like another pretty laid back day here at NIDA. I like that things have been so inactive recently so I don't have to feels so overwhelmed with work on top of everything else. Plus I can rest here a little too. I brought cheese and spaghetti with me today so I am all set on that side and I have lots of water so I am doing good. I am all proud because last night I made a meat sauce from scratch (well kinda I mean I didn't like extract stuff from tomatos etc). My mom has this recipe she used to make so I took that and put my own little spin on it (ok a butt load of garlic and cayenne pepper). poor Stan, my spaghetti gave him really bad heartburn (darn tomato based products and your acidity) so he was up most of the night. It was so good that I had to bring it with me as left overs. I am all proud because I know it saves money to eat leftovers so go me!

Yesterday I went to the grocery store and picked up food for dinners this week. I am trying to get us to stay in a little more because I think we are both really tired of going out to eat and if you really don't want to eat that food then why pay that much to do so. I am also working on getting the house all picked up in case I have to go on bedrest. I figure laying around when the house is clean will be a lot more relaxing then laying around and knowing I can't get up to do anything about all the stuff on the floor. Plus I figure if I do things in small spurts things still get done and it still looks really nice but I am not overexerting myself (if there is such a thing with me) to do them. Today I am going to continue to do the laundry and clean up the bathrooms. Laudry is always an easy task since at this point I am not putting any of it away at this point. I figure on Wednesday or Thursday (since Wednesday is Pants day--holy and sacred) I will sit down and just go to town getting everything folded and put into piles so Stan and I can put everything away.

OnTuesday I am going to try to get the nursery all set so Stan and I can get an idea of what we want to do in there. I was thinking about doing those white board slats halfway up the wall and coloring the rest of the wall a light blue. I just think that might be a little too costly so I may have to re-think my latest design idea but I am not sure since I have no idea how much those things would even really cost. Maybe we will make a special trip out to a hardware store today and look at colors since we have yet to do that. (*hint** hint* Mr. Bear) I think working on the nursery will make me feel better. I have been so upset for the past few days and I think focusing on the good will be a great cure for these recent blues. Plus we can play interior designer which as you all know I am going to LOVE. Stan and I always watch those TV shows on TLC where they are re-doing a house and we get all these cool ideas about things we can do with our rooms. I am just really excited to get into it and see everything starting to come together. I think that physical presence will not only serve as reassurance but will let me know that things are moving along with the house (I guess its just a double reassurance).

Other than that we are just looking to our appointment on August 6th to be able to decide where we Stan and what reindeer games are off limits.

Drowning

I can't even begin to describe my feelings right now, I have been bowled over, pushed around, and am an emotional mess. On top of all the feelings of possibly having to deal with a serious medical situation I have untrained advice flying at me from the four corners of the universe, and people speaking as authorties on issues they have no true knowledge of. So I am laying down the line here and now, I have done extensive research on this myself, I have tried to remain calm in order that I may handle any situation I may have to face with the utmost courage and civility, and I have tried/ currently am trying everything within my power to prevent any issues down the line. To doubt that would not only be an extreme error on your behalf but would also prove how little you know about a person and their love for their child.

I understand that men may not be able to feel that connection with their child during the gestational period due to the obvious seperation but the story is incredibly different for a woman. First, it is essential to understand that as a mother there is not only a physical connection to your child but an inseperable bond that forms almost instantly. The baby is residing within your body and that feeling is not only overpowering but incredibly intimidating. Every decision you make has an effect on your new resident from drinking sodas and eating chocolate to how you chose to live before the baby even came around. Parents can only do the best they can by making the decisions they feel are best for their child and a true parent would never endanger their child by ignoring medical advice. I would like everyone to rest assured that I am drinking plenty of water and I have been for quite sometime.

In addition, I am writing this so that everyone can understand that I am not only extremely offended by the accusations I have just recently had to face but that I have absolutly nothing to hide. I have always lived my life publicly and I tell people anything they want to know. I have tried to be honest and clear on who I am and on my actions (now and of the past).

I understand everyone's concern and I am extremely grateful for the love that I recieve from our family, our amazing friends, and all the people who I work with. My office mate has been bringing me gallon jugs of water to drink in addition to all the bottled water I have been carrying. She has listened and supported and I am eternally grateful for her and her family who have been so caring for me. Also each and every one of my friends has stood behind me, called me to make sure I was ok, and been there to assure me that I have people behind me during all of this. These are supportive actions not ones that only further the emotional insecurities I am already feeling. These actions are not only helpful for right now but will forever be in my mind what gave me strength.

I know I have the appearence of being very happy go lucky all the time and that in general I am an extremely laidback person but please do not forget my craft. I am extremely strong and I am really good at pushing back feelings in order to support others. Trust me that I am very worried but I am not going to overreact to the situation.

Currently, all we know is the fluid level was still low, lower than last time, the baby has been growing at the correct rate, and that next week we have an appointment with a specialist. There is no need to worry now because the baby is not in jepardy at this point and we are doing everything we can in partnership with our capable doctors to ensure that the baby will not incur problems down the line. I understand the situation is very serious and there are negative outcomes but we may not even have to face those outcomes. We have to look at things from both sides and consider the possibilty that everything will be ok. I refuse to allow my mind to dwell any further into those negativities until I am sure that is what I am facing. I have gained a background knowledge as I am sure you have but we do not have the skills to put that knowledge into practice--all we know are the facts in general. One thing I have learned from my many years learning homeopathy from Angie's mom is we all may be connected spiritually but are bodies are not all susinct. Each body has a new mystery as to why it is reacting in this way and generalizations are not case specific facts. It is incredibly important to remember this in the time of self diagnosis (thanks to internet doctors etc).

I would like to reiterate that I am doing everything that is currently within my power to ensure that this baby will be healthy. I am drinking the fluids neccessary and that I am resting as much as my possible. I appreciate your love and care but wanted you to know that a personal attack does not properly convey that support but instead gives me another obstical to face. I understand that your heart is in the right place but I need you to understand that what I need from you right now is simply the kind of support I described earlier.