Ok, I'm still working on getting pics of my husband and I in costume to post. I know how desperately everyone has been waiting for them, but you'll just have to stop holding your breath. I swear I'll post em when I've got em. I may also post a sonagram pic but I dunno. You really can't see much in there.
I had a great Thanksgiving - complete with too much turkey and too much shopping. I promise myself every year that I won't shop on Black Friday, but I end up doing it anyway. Maybe next year I'll freeze my car keys in a block of ice the day before. That should keep me otherwise occupied, right?
The baby is doing really well, and so am I. I do wish the lil booger would quit playing hackeysack when I try to sleep, but apparently it's just training for after he's born. My friends and family warn me not to expect sleep for a good 2-3 months after the birth. I hope they're wrong! So far as I know, my glucose test came up negative, so score another win on the healthy baby side. I am a little nervous about pre-eclampsia though. My feet swell and that's one of the symptoms. I'll prolly ask the doc about it next week at my appointment. I am in my 7th month, third trimester, 28th week, 196th day, 4,704 hour. I think. Wish me luck!
Ok, this entry is like a week late, and there's so much to tell that I don't know where to start. First - the reason this was not typed up last week - I got REALLY sick. Apparently, you can get this stuff called oral thrush, which is basically a yeast infection in your mouth. Gross, right? I have NO idea how I got it, since I wash my hands obsessively. Anyway, I didn't know what I had, so I went unmedicated for nearly a week, where I couldn't eat or talk or drink anything warmer or colder than about room temp. I lost about 20lbs, which is BAD when you're pregnant, especially to lose it in 1 week. I FINALLY got around to calling the doctor (well, my husband actually talked to her) and got medicine (which is NASTY!). So, now I'm mostly better and the skin in my mouth has grown back, so it's all good.
Now, about ren fair. First off, strange men with sexual favor wheels on their chests should not be toyed with. They are dangerous and unpredictable, especially when the spinner lands on 'Kiss Anything.' Second, being the only sober person in your camp sucks. Third, when the weatherman says it might be chilly at night, be sure to bring more than blankets and pillows, or get ready to sleep in your car. Seriously, though, I had a great time. I met some really nice people from Austin, one who manages and produces for some AWESOME local bands.
I got to see some great acts, including my perenial fav To the Hilt. You've never seen anything until you've seen comedy swordfighting. I also, for the first time, saw Cast in Bronze perform. It was so beautiful - imagine sitting in a cool, sunlit grove, light gently filtering through the trees, while the air vibrates with the pure tones of 42 bronze bells. The Carol of the Bells actually brought tears to my eyes, and not just b/c I'm all pregnant and emotional. Justin cried too. The guy who performs on the bells was pretty neat too. I got to talk to him after the performance, and had him autograph his cds for me. He wears a full black suit and mask so that only his eyes peer through a golden heron mask, and his fingers protrude from holes in silken gloves. It was great. There's so much more, but anyone with the patience to read this far impresses me, so that'll be it for this entry.
Well, the sonagram went fine and the baby is OK. Not that I was worried, but confirmation of good things is always nice. My mother in law did alright . . . only a lil weepy and mostly coherent.
I'm going to the Texas Renaissance Faire this weekend and am REALLY excited. If you're going to be there too, feel free to stop by our lil campsite - just look for the ugly blue canopy and a flag with 3 crescent moons on it. We never get to go on Halloween weekend b/c a dear friend of mine doesn't like to deal with the crowds, but this year we talked him into it! YAY!!! It's supposed to be one of the best weekends for costumes, and I LOVE looking at other people's designs . . . gives me ideas for next time. Anyway, I'll have more after I've actually gone to it.
Ok, since last post I lost my job as a video editor at VTV. I kinda miss working with media everyday, but I don't miss working for assholes. My direct boss there was a sweetie, but corporate execs are almost always (in my experience) some of the most awful people around. Anyway, I got another job as an admin assistant, so now I do business paperwork for my in-laws. It's nothing fancy, but I make enough to cover my insurance bills and since it's part time, I have more time to prepare for baby.
No new news on the baby yet - I'll be going next week for a full sonagram to check on the his physical development. Basically, it's just a standard check to make sure each of the major organ groups is developing. My mother in law will be coming along, and is very excited to see the sonagram. I am not thrilled at the prospect, since I know she'll be all weepy, but I'm more interested in how the baby is doing.
It's been awhile since my last post, but that's because things have been soooooooo busy. My great grandmother died, and I miss her . . . she had a beautiful funeral and the procession to the graveyard was like 1.5 miles long. I think a lot of people will miss her. She was so awesome - she used to tell me stories about traveling through the west looking for work, traditional courtship, chores the old fashioned way, and naughty fun with moonshiners and rum runners. I wish the baby I'm having could have known her . . .
Speaking of the baby, we had an amniocentesis done and we are clear of any form of chromosomal abnormalities. I am really happy we don't have to worry about trisomy 18 or 13, because if it had been positive for that I would have had to abort, and that would've been really sad. As it stands, we have a healthy baby BOY!!! I can't believe it's a boy . . . now, should I name him Thomas Egan or Colin Jareth? Choices, choices.
Well, my great grandmother has gotten worse. Because of the cancer, her body is no longer processing toxins out of her blood. This has caused her to be more confused and even demented. She attacked the nurses and my aunt the other day because she thought they had stolen her baby, and then later refused medication as she believed we were trying to poison her. Now the hospice nurse is keeping her sedated so that she will stay calm and mostly asleep until she passes.
I had a doctor's appointment last week, and everything went well. This wasn't with the specialist for trisomy 18 or 13, just my regular ob/gyn. We listened to the baby's heartbeat and had another sonagram. She says everything looks good, so I'm happy. That and I just love getting more sonagram pictures for my baby book. Of course, once again, weenit refused to get in a position where we can determine it's gender . . . Maybe next time, right?
Some sad news in this entry, I'm afraid . . . My great grandmother is dying of cancer right now. They just diagnosed it Monday, and gave her about 10 days to live. She's very traditional, and has decided to refuse treatment. I'm a little upset about this because she has a pretty serious case of Alzheimer's and is confused so often that I'm not sure if she made this decision in her right mind. It's hard enough to know what you are signing when you're on serious pain medication, but imagine adding the confusion of memory loss every 5 -10 minutes . . . However, I respect her decision. I visited her last night and about half the time she wasn't sure who I was or where she was. It was disturbing, but also comforting, as she has no recollection of her illness.
On the pregnancy front, I'm apparently at a 1% risk for a very rare disorder called trisomy 18 or 13 (yes that's really the name) and have to go in for more tests soon. I'm not sure if I should be worried or not, since it's such a low risk factor, but per the doctor, it's odd to have even that much of a risk involved. I'm trying not to get worked up over it, but the disorder causes some pretty severe birth defects, and that's scary. I could write more on this, but I just don't feel like it.
I got my very first sonogram on Tue and it was very strange and exhilarating. My kid is apparently very active in there, even though I can't feel it yet. It was freaky to see it jumping around on the monitor as the doctor tried to listen to it's heartbeat. It was also really cool though. Knowing your pregnant is one thing, but actually seeing the baby and hearing it's heart beat is just . . . awesome. I was also relieved to finally get my test results back confirming that the chance of this baby having Down's is extremely low. I worry about that kinda thing . . . Anywho, that's about it for this entry.
Today is a kinda sad day. My husband's dog ran off and we haven't been able to find him. He has a collar and tags, but that doesn't mean anything really. He actually left on Sat. night, but I haven't been worried until now. He runs off all the time, and always comes back, but he's never been gone this long before. I feel guilty about the whole thing too, because I never really liked that dog. Now he's gone and Justin is sad . . . Maybe I'll get him a puppy. Then he'll feel better.
On the pregnancy front, things are looking pretty good. My next appointment is Aug 9 and I'm excited - I should be able to see the baby and hear it's heart beat. I have been feeling a little sick lately, but it's not too bad. To be honest, I think the big fuss over morning sickness has more to do with Hollywood portrayals of what it should be versus what it actually is. Then again, maybe I'm lucky.
I went to my first prenatal exam, and that was freaky. There's nothing quite like being prodded and poked for upwards of an hour. The worst part was getting my blood drawn. It's not that I'm afraid of needles or that the sight of blood makes me pass out. It's that I have hard to hit veins, and it takes many jabs and lots of probing to hit a vein. Now I look like some kinda junkie, with huge bruises on both arms and on the back of my hand. They needed 8 vials of blood and will be taking more at my next appointment. I think I'm being tested for every disease known to man.
I am excited though. At my next appointment, I'll be getting a sonogram, so I'll be able to see the baby (as a vague greenish dot) for the first time.
So, big update since the last time I wrote in here - I am pregnant. 7 weeks in, as a matter of fact. It's a pretty big and scary thing - all that responsibility
No, I haven't been morning sick, or moody, or craving freaky things. I have had to lay off caffeine and start drinking lots of water and milk (ugh), though.
As far as the stuff I've been waiting on - I still haven't heard from Angrymonk . . . but my camera is in the mail, and I've gotten to post on shadefall so it's all good.
This seems to be a time in my life where I am expected to cultivate patience. I don't think I'm achieving this goal - but no matter how eager I am, I can't seem to reach a resolution on anything.
I am waiting to post in the shadefall wiki- I've made a character, started a sketch - but can't play until the academies have been introduced.
I am waiting for sketches from angrymonk - I am really excited to see what he's done with my character concept for Dako, a black robed wizard I've been playing in a Dragonlance D&D campaign. But no matter how excited I am, good art takes time . . .
I am waiting to hear back from a person in Hong Kong from whom I am buying an expensive (for me) video camera. I want to pay thru escrow.com, but they have to agree to it before we can proceed - so far, no word. I am really worried about this b/c I agreed to buy the camera already, but don't want to send $ via wire transfer, no matter how good the seller's 3 years of feedback have been. But, I really want my camera. Now.
So you see, lots of waiting, no resolution. Will I learn patience, probably not. Will I try my damndest? What other choice do I have?
The concert was great, but that was about a week ago - and now I am going INSANE with boredom. I think I'm going to the movies this weekend, but I dunno. There are only two movies out that I wanna see right now - Howl's Moving Castle and Land of the Dead. Maybe I'll go to a matinee . .
I am going to see New Blood Revival tonite!!! SWEET!! I really can't wait. Just a few more hours - i must be patient!
So, about me . . . I like mostly heavy metal music, so this concert is a bit of a deviation for me. NBR is more like ska than metal, but they are so good . . .
Why do i like metal? well, mostly b/c it's a great way to get out any aggression i might be feeling. It helps me create because it's fast beat and i really like the complex rhythms. I dunno, I like it for a lot of reasons. Anyway, that's good for now, I think.
I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to write in here. Diaries are usually private places to express your deepest thoughts and feelings. I suppose this is more like a "HEY! You wanna know more about me?" section. In which case, I guess there's a lot to tell. It's not that I'm interesting, it 's that I'm busy, and had a really odd upbringing. Oh well, more to come later.