Random ramblings....

Some things I've thought I needed to note for posterity:
(Though I have NO memory any more...especially with words, which drives me...what's the word? Umm...you know, not comfortable, ummm..frustrated...NUTS! That's it...NUTS!)

• I can't believe I've broken down and done it but I have. I have used, a couple of times in the last few days, parking spaces designated for "Expectant Mothers" and I was very thankful for them. Mobility is increasingly becoming decreased and while I HATE that I'm using them, as I said, I'm so thankful they exist. Especially since that sadist chiropractor keeps aggravating my piriformus whatever and making me miserable.
• Deciding on important things really makes my whole indecisiveness genes come out in full force. JUST when I think I know what cloth diapers I'm going to order, I see a review of another brand that leads me to another website that leads me to another brand that leads me back to option 1, and then I have a mess to think about. And deciding on a pediatrician? HOLY COW. There are a few in the area that people adore...but hate their staff. OR adore, but hate the staff and the waiting time in the office OR just don't like even though EVERYONE else loves them. OR seem to be *perfect* and so very highly recommended but a good 40 minute drive, which then makes one of my prime considerations of quick and easy access sort of moot. UGH...I'm hoping that in the next two weeks as I meet them, I'll just get that vibe...waiting time in an office is a concern because I don't want a kid any sicker than they already are, but I also understand that to have a good doctor who is willing to see you whenever you need them to, you have to wait. And really...what doctor is going to own up to long waiting times? SO...I'll just have to see what the next two weeks hold.
• I think it really is amazing that a pregnant body really does have a mind of its own. I do not like chocolate. "Yes, mommy, you do," says my boy--and who am I to deny him? Crazy. 3 months ago the thought of a Krispy Kreme donut (something normally loved--but *NOT* when hot!) made me want to puke. Two days ago? I totally detoured across 3 lanes of fairly busy traffic (using the lights, of course) to get to the Krispy Kreme drive-thru, giggled with glee as I bought a dozen donuts (just for myself) and literally could not open that box fast enough. Since when can I eat a dozen donuts by myself in 2 days? Or am ALL over Chic Fil A chocolate milkshakes like they're going out of style. Chocolate.
• Feeling a human being move around in your body is weird. Miraculous, yes...but weird nonetheless.
• I don't think it is fair that there are SO many more cute girl things than there are boy things in stores. Yes, there are some really cute boy things out there. But let's be real...the infant clothing industry focuses VERY heavily on girls and not-so-much on boys. Maybe that's a good thing, though, because I could probably go bankrupt.
• I am huge right now. SO huge I'd almost have a friend take a picture of me looking like I did the other day in a dressing room trying on a skirt just to prove it...but it was HORRIBLE! The PT lady said I gave new meaning to the word waddle? Yeah, well to look at me, you'd think I give new meaning to what one looks like when they swallow a yoga ball. The big size yoga ball. Too bad John isn't around for pictures, ha ha!
• I've been super impressed with my coupon-ing ability--even in this little area. It's work to peruse the ads, but little savings add up and I get so excited! Sunday I got two bottles of my saline solution and a tube of toothpaste FREE after rebate--that's $14! Yesterday, I got 4 mondo-size boxes of Lucky Charms (they are not only Magically Delicious, they are a fabulous night time snack!) for $12 and some change at Giant. If you bought 4 boxes, at $4.99 each, you got $6 bucks back. PLUS, I had a coupon for $1.00 off two and the cashier was SO nice she scanned it TWICE since I bought 4! It was awesome. I know, I know...nothing like Maria's deals, but baby steps--that's what I'm saying. I also got several deals at CVS and ended up with $8 in the extra bucks, which I then applied to other sale stuff. It DOES add up.

Okay...enough rambling. All this talk about Lucky Charms has given me incentive to get off the sofa (which kills me to sit on, so it's never long anyway!) and have a snack.

Oh my goodness is lots going on!

WHEW...I feel like the last few days have been whirlwind! There's so much I've been planning on writing and just not enough time to do it. I don't want to have mega-posts either, so I'll try to bullet and be brief. Try being the operative word.

• Matthew is "thriving" according to the doctor! Our appointment was yesterday and he weighed 16 oz. The sono tech said that's dead average, I wasn't destined to have a large baby (fine with me!), and amniotic fluid and placenta and all that stuff looked great. Then the doctor came in, looked for the kidney (Uni-Kidney he still is!), didn't find it but said all was well, he's growing fine and thriving. I told John as a mommy, I LOVED hearing the doctor say "thriving." They'll continue to monitor throughout pregnancy and closer to the due date, they'll do a last ultrasound, write up a report and have it ready for the pediatrician for when Matthew is born. More than likely, when he's born, they'll do a renal ultrasound, confer with Children's or Bethesda and go from there. Depending on our pediatrician's advice, he'll most likely just be monitored at a yearly physical for kidney function, but all in all, he should be just fine. So many people only have one kidney, whether they were born that way or donated, and knowing he only has one will just be a little more of an advantage in precaution--though the specialist said that nowadays with protective gear, even contact sports are not necessarily out of the picture. So, long story short, it was a great day and I loved seeing him again. I have been sort of sweating this last month out, hoping for good growth and amniotic fluid, and God has provided! He's gained 7 oz. (I gained 5 pounds!) in 28 days and at the next appointment, he should be a 2 pounder! The pictures weren't super this time because there was something going on with their machine, but I still love them.
  

Face is a bit blurry, but that's my angel!

This is his profile...already looking like he's furrowing his brow!

• After hearing Matthew was thriving, I finally felt a little better about registering, which John has been pestering me about for a while. It was very, very strange for me to do that because for years and years, I've always bought OFF the registry for others...haven't even THOUGHT about having one of our own! I'm also a bit uncomfortable 'signing' up for things for people to buy. The presumption that people will buy makes me feel weird, though I LOVE that people register because it makes gift buying so easy and I HATE it when I know I'm going to buy something for someone but have NO IDEA what to get. In any event, it was weird. We registered in Annapolis because the Waldorf Babies R Us has the WORST customer service EVER (I just got off the phone with their corporate office complaining because there is just NO reason for other stores to be lovely and theirs to be HORRID!) and whenever I go to Waldorf, they act as if I ought to be charged for breathing the air. But I digress...the gist was, we registered and John had fun. We also got a SUPER deal on a stroller. We've already bought an infant car seat and stroller frame to get us through the first year or so and give us the opportunity to not have to have the huge travel system (difficult for me to deal with, really) and then had planned on getting a Britax convertible for once he's forward facing and the Chicco Capri for stroller duty. Well, while registering, we came across 2 Peg Pereggo Aria OHs that were on sale for $80! This is a $200 stroller that gets great reviews, is a *little* bigger than the Capri but has better features and was a super deal--they just had too many of them! Well, I was glad to take one off their hands, and even John was glad about the great deal we got. Here's a picture:








• Since our last visit in Annapolis, I've been craving two things...Macaroni Grill's Pinot Grigio Chicken and Cheesecake Factory's Blackout Cake. I haven't had much as far as cravings go--beef, bacon and Granddad's Brown Rice have been it, really. HOWEVER...as much as I do not like chocolate (no, I don't...never have...like Rollos or Reese's but only because of the caramel or the peanut butter), Matthew DOES! Yep...I've ordered chocolate cake, pudding and even ate cheesecake the other day (another NOT LIKE of mine) because it was chocolate. Funny sense of humor that little guy has, huh? Anyway, imagine my extreme and utter disappointment when we got to Macaroni Grill and I was told that they DO NOT MAKE THE PINOT GRIGIO CHICKEN ANYMORE!!!!! "What?!" I asked in disbelief. "Does Macaroni Grill not realize I am PREGNANT and have desperately been craving that?" Yeah...guess not. So, I logged right on to their website and ranted and raved. We'll see what that does. On the upside, I *did* get the Blackout Cake and it is divine, really. I'd share, but it's gone.

As this is lengthy, here's other news:

• Dixie is still so mourning Raleigh. The other day, she brought his bandana downstairs to us...gently holding it in her mouth and looking at us like she didn't understand. Me neither, Dixie...me neither.
• We got Raleigh's ashes and will be putting them with Random's this weekend and letting them go in the woods he loved so much. We got a card from our vet that made us cry our eyes out and we are getting through day by day.
• John's gearing up to leave on Tuesday for hopefully a month, but probably more like a month and a half. I'm dreading that, but being a military spouse, I can't complain because him being gone could be SO much worse than it is.
• I went to a GREAT conference on Wednesday and it was like God planned it just for me. The speaker was Frank Kros of the Upside Down Organization and it was basically a whole day about the brain differences between boys and girls. It was an AMAZING conference, and in the next few days, I'll blog about it because there are lots of things I want to remember as the mother of a son. I love that. The mother of a son!