Pregnant Friends

These ladies are friends of mine from the credit union. The one in gray is due in mid-June, the one in the middle is due the first week of July (like me!). We are all having girls. I think that Chinese calendar might be onto something. ;) It's been fun being pregnant with them since we get to chat (and vent) to each other about all the things that are happening to us and the stupid things people say. My college roommate is also pregnant right now - she's due in October.

Dave mentioned last night, while reminding me to practice my hypnosis because I slacked for a couple of days, that we have basically 8 weeks left. (Technically, we have 10, but he's so convinced that I won't go past 38 that he doesn't even count that far.) 8 weeks!! Holy crap. On one hand, that's a long time to manage my sugar and worry about the baby. On the other - HOLY CRAP!

I find that I have some mixed feelings about her impending arrival. Not that I don't want her, or anything like that. I'm so excited about meeting her and starting this new part of my life. However, the closer it gets, the more I realize that it will no longer be just me and Dave. That makes me a little sad. He's going to be a great father, and I can't wait to see him with her, but it will never be the same again. I find myself needing to spend as much time with him as possible in these last few weeks. The weekends and the evenings aren't long enough! I think I've fallen in love with him all over again through this whole process. I have the same crispy, end of summer feeling that I had the first time I fell in love with him - when the days were long and the only thing that mattered in the world was the two of us. It's one of those things you think you will never feel again. What a blessing God has given me! I can't wait to fall in love with him again and again as our family grows and our lives change together.

29 Weeks

There isn't much to report on baby progress this week. She's growing. That's about it. :) She should weigh about 2 lbs 10 oz right now, according to the calendar. I believe this to be true, even with the diabetes and the constant comments about how huge my baby must be already because my belly is. From what I've read, it's from this point forward that she would gain extra weight if I don't keep my sugar under control. I also read a very interesting tid bit about predicting the baby's birth weight. Apparently, the most reliable method, over ultrasound, fundal height measurement, and palpitations, is.... the mother's intuition! *GASP* Imagine that the mother might have a clue with what's going on in her body! (Notice the sarcasm? I'm about tired of being told how huge my baby will be.) Have mercy, I sound grouchy. I think she'll be in the seven pound range, and I've believed that for quite some time now.

I've learned some interesting things about gestational diabetes in the last week besides that it's in the last weeks that the baby packs on extra fat if the mother's sugar isn't controlled. Apparently, when the mother's sugar isn't controlled, energy that is supposed to be used on developing the lungs is being used to store that extra sugar as fat - thus, when babies of diabetic mothers are born early (as is prone to happen) they have an increased chance of underdeveloped lungs. Also, the fasting sugar level (the first one you check before eating in the morning) can get wacked out overnight as if you feasted at a dessert buffet. This is because while you are sleeping, the placenta is releasing hormones that prohibit the use of insulin. Basically, you have done nothing to cause it to skyrocket but still it goes higher than it is supposed to be - as is the nature of gestational diabetes. Little things like using perfumed hand sanitizer or lotions can affect your sugar levels if you do not wash your hands first or use an alcohol prep pad. And the biggest of all, which I already knew but had confirmed this morning, even if you eat like the diet says, some approved foods will still make your sugar level too high. :( I got my glucose test strips in the mail yesterday, so I've now embarked on the adventure of figuring out what I can and can't eat (within the diet) to keep my sugar where it's supposed to be. I'll say this, I know when it's back to the fasting level because that's when I'm suddenly, painfully, nauseously starving.

More on the big belly - which, I happen to love and think is beautiful regardless of the ignorant comments I've received. I attended a baby shower for my friend who is about a month ahead of me over the weekend. There were 4 obviously pregnant women there, including one who was being induced this week (yesterday). One of the ladies walked up to me and said, "You look like you are the most due here. When are you due?" I laughed. And said, "July."

More written therapy...

Last week was my regular doctor's appointment and it included the 1 hour glucose tolerance test. I failed it. I went back yesterday for the three hour test. I failed it, too. :(

I am now officially classified as "high risk" because of gestational diabetes. Obviously, this was not part of my plan. Let me clarify that the best explanation for gestational diabetes is that the hormones from the placenta make the insulin I produce less effective so that it can no longer handle my regular sugar intake effectively. I have NOT been sitting around gobbling up five pound bags of sugar, or otherwise eating any more sugar than I ever have in my life. That's not what causes this. Prior to pregancy, my blood sugar was always very normal.

I have a diet to follow and will be monitoring my sugar at home. I go back to the doctor in 2 weeks, and will continue to go every 2 weeks until I reach 36 weeks (then I'll go every week). As long as I keep my sugar levels where they are supposed to be with my diet and exercise, I don't have to have insulin shots. (Please everyone, pray that I don't have to have insulin shots. I don't know if I can give myself a shot, plus I don't want to deal with all the headache that comes with managing insulin and sugar levels.)

Diet and exercise are fine. I can do those things (Oh, how I will miss Coke and chocolate ice cream!), my worries about this are the implications it has on my health, the baby's, and my birth plans. For me it means that my chances of having gestational diabetes in subsequent pregnancies is 2 out of 3. Even though I will most likely be back to normal after birth, it increases my risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life (I didn't really need any more help there, but God made me this way and it's my responsibility to take care of this temple.)

For the baby it means a risk of her growing too large, which then increases the chances that I may need to be induced early or end up with a c-section. It also increases the chances that she'll be born early spontaneously, though, if I control my sugar it shouldn't be so early that there are adverse effects on her. There is a chance that she could have high or low blood sugar at birth and need some special attention for that, and that she could be more at risk for diabetes later in life (She doesn't need any help with that either!). There are also some scarier risks, but they are usually in extreme cases when sugar isn't controlled or the mother had diabetes prior to the pregnancy.

For the birth, it blows the lid right off of my best laid plans. Things could go just fine with me going into labor spontaneously and delivering her without a hitch (that's the plan), but the high risk classification just opens the door for interventions. It's fairly common for doctors to induce at 38 weeks to prevent the baby from growing too large. Inducing early increases the risk of a c-section because the body isn't ready to give birth yet and induction fails. Carrying the baby to term with diabetes increases the chances of shoulder dystocia (when the head is delivered and the shoulders get stuck in the birth canal) because of a large sized baby (babies are considered large if they are over 8.8 lbs). Given all this information, it's difficult to say with any accuracy how big the baby will be until it gets here. Even ultrasounds late in pregnancy can be off by a pound or more, and just because I've been diagnosed with a diabetes does not mean I will have a huge baby. I have lots to think about, and lots to discuss with the doctor.

On to happier things. I am 28 weeks 1 day. She is about 10 inches long and 2 lbs 7 ounces, according to the pregnancy calendar. Last week, the doctor measured me for the first time and I measured right on time at 27 cms. While I may LOOK huge, I'm actually right where I'm supposed to be. So there!

By the way, I LOVE my doctor. I asked him a ton of questions last week and his answers were right in line with what I wanted to hear. He made me feel better about some things, and I trust him even more now to do what's best for me and the baby. The best part - I talked to him about hypnosis and he seemed intrigued. He has some training in hypnosis for childbirth, but he's never had the opportunity to use it. I will be his first patient to use that method. He wanted to know what program I am using and the websites where he can read more about it. He's very supportive!

On that note, I have solid confirmation that the techniques I've been practicing work. The other night I was lying in bed and my knees were throbbing in pain. I don't know why, but I had taken some Tylenol and it wasn't doing anything for me (drugs don't work as well when you are pregnant). I decided I would try hypnosis to see if I could make them stop hurting. It worked! It worked so well and so fast! It's very affirming to know that my mind is so powerful.

I hate my clothes!

Not really, because I just got new, fun spring/summer clothes that actually fit. However, I am having one of those days when, if it was socially acceptable to walk around naked, I would strip right now without thinking twice about it. I cannot wait to go home and change. I'm contemplating cooking dinner naked, but I'm planning to grill on the front porch and my across the street neighbor might be offended and the one next door would probably enjoy it too much. I bought new bras over the weekend, and while this one is a thousand times more comfortable than the others, it's still driving me bananas. I cannot stand the feeling of it on my ribcage - which keeps getting wider and wider! I've been trying to plot a way to go without a bra for the next three months, but sadly, I don't think that's going to be possible given the professional environment in which I work. This is going to get even better when she is actually long enough to kick me in the ribs.

I'm finished whining now.

99 Days!

I can't believe it, but I only have 99 days left! That's based on a due date of July 10th, so who really knows? The doctor just keeps saying "the first week of July." All I know is that she'll come when she's ready, and not when "they" say she should be here. I'm hoping it's right on time, but we shall see. It's still hard to believe that I'm in double-digits now. I can't wait. I get more excited to meet her every day.

According to my pregnancy calendar, we are 26 weeks today and the baby weighs about 2 lbs. and is about 9 inches long. Also, she can open her eyes now so she's practicing her blinking skills.

I have changed my diet to make sure that I'm getting enough protein, and I swear the swelling in my feet has been better! I read that eating a high protein diet (75-80 grams a day) reduces the risk of preeclampsia. Since I am planning a natural birth, I need to stay as low-risk as possible. Now I'm just trying not to worry about the number of calories I'm eating, though I find I'm not eating as much or as often. The protein makes me feel full longer, and I'm sure lean meat, eggs, and cheese are better for me than chocolate chip granola bars and Pop Tarts. I feel pretty good about my diet, but my most recent downfalls are real Coke (only 8 0z a day) and chocolate. Two caffeine containing junk foods that I should probably avoid, but chocolate makes the world a better place and 8 oz of Coke a day aren't going to kill us.

If you weren't already aware of my decision, you may have just done a double-take about my natural birth plan. It's something I've kept fairly quiet because people's reactions are generally less than desirable - that's putting it very nicely. It's something I'm really excited about so I finally decided I would write about it here. If you have something negative or derogatory to say about the decision, please keep it to yourself. I don't need to hear it, and I assure you I've done plenty of research and I'm not blindly naive about birth.

Birth is a completely individual and personal experience for everyone. I believe with everything in my being that natural is the best method for me and my baby. I've researched the pros and cons of using medications and all the various interventions that could be involved, and I just don't want any of that if it can be avoided. And, I believe it can be avoided. I have a number of reasons for my decision that I won't go into here, but primarily I believe that God gave me these hips for birthing babies. :) My body is designed to give birth, and it knows how to give birth if I just let it. I've never been anxious or scared about birth, and the more I prepare for mine, the more excited I get.

I'm planning to use hypnosis as my birth method. Before you roll your eyes and laugh, let me correct the idea that hypnosis is what you see on TV when people are made to do crazy things. It's not nearly as wacky as it sounds, and it makes good sense to me. Basically, it's a state of deep relaxation that allows your body to function as it was designed. The proven theory behind this is that pain leads to fear and that leads to tension, which becomes a vicious cycle that makes you feel more pain. When your body is tense, it fights against itself and can't function as efficiently as it would if you were not tense. Anyway, I have a study guide and CD's to teach me how to relax and put myself in a state of deep hypnosis. I will also learn to administer my own natural anesthesia. It's all about the power of the mind controlling the body. A little education - when in hypnosis, I will be aware of my surroundings, and I will me able to move and talk as I see fit. I will still be in complete control of my body, and I cannot enter hypnosis unless I choose to do so. I have been practicing for a couple of weeks now and I love it! It's so relaxing, and so affirming. I have complete confidence that I can do this.

If you want to know more about my reasons for choosing natural birth and you are open to the idea, feel free to ask me. I'd hate to hog the knowledge if someone is truly interested in what I've learned - not in dissuading me.

The next three months are going to fly by.

"You're gonna have this baby in June."

That's what Dave said to me as I stood naked in the bathroom after my shower Sunday morning. Apparently, my belly is looking even huger these days. The "Wow, how much longer?" factor has increased greatly as I've had several strangers and many friends and family comment on my rapid belly growth in the last week. June is fine with me, as long as she waits until after the first week, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I believe she turned head down over the weekend. Sunday night I could feel her moving like crazy, like she flipped over. Then Monday, I was suddenly feeling kicks in the top part of my belly where I had not felt them yet. Head down is a good thing, but I think it's also contributing to my extra bathroom trip in the middle of the night. It seems I'm now on a two trip schedule rather than just the one trip I've been taking for the last several months. Also, I can't seem to sleep in a way that doesn't make my back hurt in the morning. I think it's just the weight of the belly, and it doesn't seem to matter how many pillows I have. I'm up to four right now, but that's because I've had to have two under my head to breathe (I have a cold right now). Dave is envious of my pillow nest. :)

I can tell that the baby is getting stronger and bigger because the kicks and punches are much stronger now. I can also see my belly move most of the time when she kicks or has hiccups. Dave can feel it, but she's a sassy one already. Any time I put my hand on my belly while she's moving, she stops. This means that when he tries to feel it, she usually stops - unless it's bedtime.

I got a little worried over the weekend because I barely felt her move at all Saturday. I decided to sit on the porch and drink sweet tea and eat a granola bar and wait to feel her. I did. She moved a little, but was much more subdued than normal. I've come to the conclusion that the basketball tournament wore her out on Friday. She was moving almost non-stop all Friday morning and most of the afternoon. That's not her normal schedule. :) I don't know if she loved it or hated it, but the noise really got her stirred up. I think she slept most of the day Saturday.

We've also discovered that she likes music. When Dave plays the keyboard or when the music in church is loud enough, she moves all over the place. She went NUTS when the bands were playing at the ball games over the weekend.

We are 25 weeks today. I think my hunger has finally slowed down some, thank goodness. It's hard to practice self-control when you are STARVING all the time. I've decided that the guidelines they give you for pregnancy weight gain are a joke. I'm supposed to gain about 25 pounds because my weight before pregnancy was on the high side of normal. I am just a few pounds short of that goal today, and I have 106 more days to go. I had a meltdown about this after my last doctor's appointment, but then I started thinking about those women who started overweight and are only supposed to gain 15 lbs. I don't know if that's possible. I cannot explain to you the HUNGER. I was so blessed not to be sick the whole time, and I'm so thankful for that, but the trade off for that is hunger like I've never felt before. Are you just supposed to not eat when you are starving? Anyway, I evaluated my eating habits and found that the only thing I was eating on a daily basis that was really bad was Pop-Tarts. 410 calories for 2! And 2 come in a package together! I quit buying them. Luckily, my appetite seems to be almost normal this week, so maybe it will stay that way for a while so the weight gain can slow down. All in all, I feel good about my pregnant body. I think my belly is pretty and I can't tell that I've gained much extra anywhere else.

I still don't need to hear that I'm huge from every person who lays eyes on me. I already know it, thank you.

Riddle Me This

HOW is my belly going to grow for three more months without my belly button bursting wide open? It's already flattened out to the point that the scars that used to be on the inside are now on the outside. Sometimes it feels and looks a little bruised. In my imagination, I see myself waking up one day to a beautiful and completely natural sun tattoo of stretch marks radiating from around my belly button. I hope that doesn't happen. I've also solved the mystery of how an innie becomes an outie. If I mash on the skin around my expanded belly button, it pops right out.

We, Timothia and I, are 24 weeks along today. According to my pregnancy calendar, she weighs about one and a half pounds and is about eight and a half inches long. She feels bigger than that to me. Also, some of my weight gain is now going directly to her so she can fatten up (Hallelujah!!).

I had a doctor's appointment last week and I finally got to see her face, sort of. She still tried to turn it away, but we got a good profile shot of it. She was sucking on her bottom lip. Her lips and nose look normal and her heartbeat was good. She is the picture of health; however, she is sucking the life blood out of me. Following a couple of scary near fainting episodes (one that happened while I was driving to work), I found out that I am a little anemic right now. Let me tell you that it was a relief to know that is why I've been so tired, faint, and short of breath - all the while thinking it was supposed to be normal and wondering how much worse it would be as I get bigger. I just had a feeling that it wasn't normal and when I pressed the doctor about it, he decided to test me. He also tested my thyroid, but I haven't heard the results on it yet. I have a feeling it will be normal. I started on iron supplements last week, and I can already tell a difference in how I feel.

I also started walking regularly (finally, thanks to Daylight Savings time) and I think that is helping me feel and sleep better. I read that it's also supposed to help the swelling because it increases circulation, and I hope that's true because my right foot (just the right one) has been swelling quite a bit. I am on a mission for a couple more pairs of cute flip-flops because that's all I'll be wearing soon.

I officially cannot see my feet anymore and I am so thankful for the warm weather because I can wear clothes that fit again! My belly has outgrown most of my long-sleeved shirts, but the short-sleeved ones feel great. Oh, I did manage to paint my own toenails over the weekend, but Dave will soon be taking over that job. He offered this time, but I wanted to try it myself.

We have a busy weekend coming up. Two days of NCAA basketball (Yay! We are going to the tournament Friday and Sunday) and the Spring Fling at church. I will be painting faces, and I think Dave is going to help me with that. It should be fun.

A Guide for Talking to Pregnant Women

Disclaimer: This is a rant stemming from the snarky attitude I previously mentioned. It was triggered again recently. Since writing is a sort of therapy for me, I’ve decided to just write and get it out. I’ll feel better. The disclaimer is this - it might step on your toes, so if you have a problem with that, either put on your big girl panties or stop reading now.

I’ve heard about and have had several experiences that have convinced me that people don’t know how to talk to pregnant women. It’s as if all tact and manners leave them when confronted with the thought of new life growing in a woman’s body. I’ve been thinking there should be some sort of pamphlet given out at the OB’s office that these women can hand out to well-meaning, but clueless family, friends, and strangers when they say and do dumb things. These are the things I would include.

1. First and foremost, pregnancy is a state of wellness. Pregnant women, except in special cases, are not injured, disabled, or seriously ill. Thus, they do not need to be treated as such. Some fawning and special attention is welcome, of course, but it isn’t necessary to follow me around trying to take things out of my arms and asking what you can do for me over and over again (especially when you’ve never acted this way before). Also note that the question, “How are you feeling?” gets really old when it’s followed by, “Really? You feel fine?” If I say I’m fine, take my word for it. I promise you probably don’t want to hear all the things that make me feel occasionally miserable anyway. Remember, pregnancy is normally a healthy state of being.

2. This goes along with number 1 – Pregnant women are still capable of thinking. True, some blood that normally flows to the brain is redirected to the uterus, but that doesn’t mean I need scolding and instruction about every little thing. Believe me, I know my limitations all too well and I would in NO WAY endanger my baby out of sheer stubbornness. If I need help carrying/lifting/bending/squatting/selecting my food or beverage/resting/etc., I will ask for it. I don’t need a lecture about what I should or should not be picking up or carrying. I don’t need to a lecture about the food or drink you observe me consuming. Pregnancy doesn’t make a woman an idiot.

3. Unless you are their doctor, pregnant women do not need to hear your comments on their weight, belly size, or any other sort of expansion (nose/hips/face/butt/thighs, etc). Comments like, “That baby is just growing so fast” are okay, but “Dang, your belly is huge since the last time I saw you” is not. Can you see the difference? I am aware of every ounce that I have gained. I know how many more pounds I can gain before I go over the goal that my doctor set for me. I know how much I’ve gained in each month of pregnancy. I know what the average rate of weight gain is at all stages of pregnancy, and I know how that weight gets distributed. As you can see, I’ve thought a lot about it. Simply because of this fact, you should not say anything to me about my weight or size. This point also goes for the women who haven’t gained much weight at all. Believe me when I tell you, they are just as worried about their small size as I am about my big one. In this day and age when eating disorders are rampant, the very last thing that a pregnant woman needs to hear is your observation or criticism of her weight.

4. Pregnant women don’t need your commentary on the way they walk. A bit of education on this point: a pregnant woman might waddle for a variety of reasons. Number one, the distribution of her weight changes drastically as the pregnancy progresses. This alone changes her gait as she learns how to balance and carry the new weight. Number two, the ligaments in her pelvis become pliable so that her hips can expand in preparation for delivery. Some women might not notice this at all, but some are very well aware of it as it can be quite painful. Regardless, all her joints get a little more loose than normal because of this process (it isn’t just the ligaments in her pelvis that are affected), and this will change the way she walks. Number three, her feet and legs hurt! She’s carrying more weight and she balances differently. Number four, you have no idea what other aches and pains she may be experiencing. Most pregnant women I know try very hard not to waddle, so just don’t comment on the walk. If you aren’t convinced, try strapping a 10+ pound bowling ball around your middle and see if it doesn’t make a difference.

5. A pregnant woman knows when she’s out of breath; she doesn’t need you to tell her. More education so you will understand why she’s out of breath (and thus, not have to ask): In the second trimester, 40% of a woman’s blood flows to the uterus instead of to the heart and lungs as it normally would (normally, only 4% of blood flows to the uterus). Because of this, her blood pressure is low and she is often out of breath (just from normal things like getting out of bed). In the third trimester, she may still have low blood pressure, but the baby may also be pressing against her diaphragm (that’s the muscle under the lungs, not the contraceptive – she hasn’t used those in quite a while) making it hard to breathe. She probably already feels like a moose, so there’s no need to comment that she sounds like one, too.

6. Don’t press a pregnant woman for the baby’s name. If she doesn’t volunteer it the first time you ask, it isn’t your business. She might not know the name yet. She might have just had a fight with her husband about the name. She might have known the name for months but decided that SHE wants to be the first to call the baby by it’s name after it’s born (as opposed to having people ask about the baby by name while it’s still in utero). She might not want to hear your commentary on the name she’s chosen or the name you think she should use. If she doesn’t tell you the name, she has a reason. (A mini-rant that applies only to me and is in no way a generalization about all pregnant women: When I tell you that we have chosen to wait until the baby is born to name her, just shut up about it. I don’t need to hear that I’m crazy or I don’t know how hard it is to pick a name. We didn’t name any of our pets before we saw them, so it’s a little hard to imagine naming our child before we see her. It would be typical for us to pick a name and then change it once we see her. That’s how Dave and I work. If you need to call her something right now, she goes by Timothia.)

7. Pregnant women (really all women) don’t need to hear that they look tired. Of course they are tired. Growing a human being is hard work! I can’t speak for what happens in the third trimester since I’m not there yet, but I can tell you that early in the pregnancy she begins waking multiple times per night to pee. As the belly expands, she has to wake up to TURN OVER in the bed because it is such a production given all the pillows she must use to get comfortable enough to sleep in the first place. Just keep that observation to yourself and do something nice for her without making a big deal about it.

So, what should you say to a pregnant woman? Some good options are:

“You look great!”
“You are just glowing!”
“Your maternity clothes are so cute!”

I feel better now. :)

An Update on Me and Timothia

There isn't much to report as far as the baby-growing goes. She's growing; so am I. Dave humored me and took a picture of my belly. I am 22 weeks and 4 days today. That means we are on the downhill slope, it also means that my belly is supposed to be this big. The t-shirt I'm wearing is one of my regular t-shirts - it won't fit for much longer, but it still fits now. Also, those are regular work-out pants. I feel the need to point these things out because there have been plenty of comments on how big I am and how much weight I've gained and about how I walk. Those aren't things you should say to a pregnant woman, even if your intentions are good. I'm working hard not to stress about my weight gain; I don't need to hear 10 times a day how big I am. Also, if you were suddenly carrying a bowling ball in your abdomen, you would probably walk funny, too. Not to mention that my feet hurt all the time now and my back gets stiff when I'm sitting. Anyway.... I still feel pretty good otherwise. There are some minor complaints, but I've decided that I love the second trimester. I feel mostly normal most of the time. I now have to make a pillow nest when I sleep to support both my belly and my back. The weight of my belly strains my back at night if there isn't a pillow stuffed behind me. I told Dave today that we may have to sleep in separate beds soon because I don't know how we will both fit with my expanding belly and all of my pillows. :) I am still sleeping well most nights, as long as the cat leaves me alone.

The baby's name will not be Timothia. As I said before, we will name her when she's born. However, due to the extreme number of times we are asked her name, we tell people that she will be named after Dave: Timothia Davida. So, now we call her Timothia. :)

She moves all the time now and she has hiccups pretty regularly. I like it when she does because that is strong and consistent movement. I enjoy feeling her move in there. It's the neatest feeling in the world, sort of my secret. It makes me smile when I feel her.

I go back to the doctor this week and I'll be getting another ultrasound - yay! It's fun to see her in there. People ask me where her head is and stuff, and I have NO clue. :) I hope that when she gets bigger I'll be able to tell, but it all just feels like flips and pokes and hiccups to me. I do know when she's on my bladder, but that's about it.

Some New Pictures to Share

I finally uploaded some pictures from my camera, so I thought I would share a few of them here.

This is the view of the snow from our front porch. It didn't last long, but it was beautiful. It snowed here again Friday night and Saturday morning, but we didn't get any accumulation.















This is our house from the street. I would have posted some pictures of Georgia playing in the snow, but she was so nutty that all of the pictures of her came out blurry.















This is my latest art project. I was asked to donate a painting for a door prize for our Spring Ladies' Night Out program. This is what I came up with, so hopefully they are worthy of giving away. The three are a set. The pictures of the paintings didn't come out too well with or without the flash, so forgvie the fuzziness. It's hard to take a picture of a picture.

It's a Girl!

Saturday night at my sister’s wedding reception, we revealed that we are having a girl. Actually, she made the announcement. Since it was her reception we were high-jacking, it only seemed appropriate that she be the one to tell it. Plus, she made me tell her first anyway since she allowed us to reveal it there. :)

Prior to the announcement, my belly became a crystal ball by which random people were predicting the baby’s gender. That was ……………..interesting. Literally, a few people walked up to me, put both hands on my belly, and rubbed it while saying thoughtfully and with certainty, “It’s a boy.” According to the ultrasound, they were wrong.

Immediately following the announcement (and I mean in the next breath), people began yelling out, “What’s her name?” She doesn’t have a name yet, and my standard line for that question will be, “We will name her when she’s born.” My compromise for finding out the gender (because I really wanted a surprise) is that the name, once we choose one, will remain a secret until she is born. Dave is in agreement with this because he doesn’t want people sitting around the hospital waiting room saying, “When is (insert name here) going to be here?” I agree that would be weird, plus WE will be the first people to call her by her name.

Also, I’ve gotten a lot of, “Are you excited?” Well, duh! Of course I’m excited. I’m having a baby that we planned. I was excited before the ultrasound, and the gender of the baby didn’t change that one bit. Oh, also, the walls of the nursery will still be blue. Just because she’s a girl doesn’t mean she has to be all pinked out. At this point, I don’t know if I personally will by anything pink for her just because I know that everyone else who was desperately hoping for a girl will be buying pink. In case you were wondering, I was desperately hoping for a healthy baby, and it looks like that’s on track, too.

I’m feeling snarky today, so I’m going to tell an amusing Dave story in hopes that I don’t go off on a rant about all the things that people are saying and doing about this pregnancy that are on my last nerve. Generally, I wake up at 2 a.m. every morning to use the bathroom. This is like clockwork. Occasionally, I decide that I’m too tired to get up yet and go back to sleep for about an hour before I wake up again at three. Apparently, 3 a.m. is the time that Dave usually gets up for his snack and television show. (Don’t ask – I don’t understand his nighttime habits.) Twice in the past week, I have gotten up at three and gone to the bathroom. I always leave the light off because, hey, I’ve been using a toilet for 27 years, I can manage in the dark when I don’t want to completely wake up. Both times I’ve gotten up at three, Dave has immediately gotten up and followed me to the bathroom. Knowing that he doesn’t realize I’m awake and sitting on the toilet in the dark, I say, quietly, “I’m in here.” To which he exclaims, “OH!” This is the point that I think he wakes up. Then he goes to the other bathroom and on about his routine. This morning, since the exact same sequence of events happened for the second time in a week, I just laughed and laughed at him until I fell back to sleep. When I wake up at two, he never moves. He’s a funny nighttime person.

Back to the ultrasound… We got to see everything except her face. Every time the teck got close to her face, she covered it with her hands. The bonus about that is that I get to have another ultrasound at my next appointment so they can look at her face. All of her organs and the other things they check looked normal, and her growth is right on track for her fetal age. They gave me an adjusted due date, but my doctor says we are still calling it the first week of July. He doesn’t really believe in a due date, and I tend to agree with him. Also, she wasn’t moving around during the ultrasound, regardless of the fact that I drank a Mountain Dew on the way there to get her moving. Next time, I’m going to do anything special and maybe she’ll move more.

The ultrasound really seems to be what Dave needed to start getting excited about the baby. He has been reading my book more and he learned that she will soon be able to hear outside sounds. Now in the mornings, he sings songs to her. He has also started working on the nursery. He put up the shelves that will hold all of our kid stuff, and we put together the crib over the weekend. We still have to get a bunch of stuff out of there and rearrange the furniture, but we’ve made some progress.

That’s enough for now. I will be 20 weeks tomorrow – that’s half way.

Stories from the Animal House

Animal House as in the house where animals live and funny things happen, not the wild frat party house.

As most people who read this blog know, I leave a window cracked for the cats to come and go while we are at home. This plan has worked famously for two years, even though they bring me dead things (and sometimes live ones) as presents. However, I've had to start closing the window even when we are home. Recently, I've been suspicious that a cat other than mine has visited us. There has been more than one occasion that I smelled a strange cat in my laundry room, where the cats' food and litter boxes stay. I've wondered if another cat has come into the house, but thought surely a weird cat wouldn't just wander into someone's house. (I don't know why I thought this, given the stray puppy episode that happened before we even moved in there.) Anyway, I heard some bumping around in there the other night and for some reason I thought I should check it out. I guess it didn't sound like either one of my cats jumping to the floor (I can tell which one it is by the way they hit the floor). Just as I opened the door to the laundry room, a HUGE fluffy black cat was exiting the window. I was right! We did have a strange house guest. Apparently, he has been coming inside to mark the litter boxes and, luckily, he did not figure out how to use the pet door before I figured out that he was visiting. A scrubbing of the laundry room ensued to get rid of the smell and the window was immediately closed. All is well now and the cats are adjusting to coming to the door and yelling to be let in/out.

That brings me to my next story. Since the window is closed, Jewel came to the front door making the death cry (the one she uses when she has a prize for us). I told her she could come in, but the mouse had to stay on the porch. She obliged. Once she was inside, I noticed that the mouse was still alive and seemingly only slightly injured. I decided to move it off the porch to give it a fighting chance. When I picked it up, the tiny little beast BIT ME! It did not want to let go either, so I sat it down in the mulch in the flower bed and waited for it to calm down and let go of my thumb. When I checked later, it was gone. That was my first mouse bite - which is amazing considering I've rescued a few.

I know I'm a strange woman. Most women would be screaming in a chair if there was a live mouse around, but I just can't stand to watch them kill them. It's okay if they just show up dead, but I don't need to see the process. Lizards are okay, but I rescue them too if they are fortunate enough to escape the claws. They also bite, but I've not had that pleasure yet. Don't you think I would be a good boy mom?

In baby news today, I am 19 weeks 1 day now and my Pregnancy Calendar says the baby is 8 inches long. My ultrasound is this afternoon, so we should get some idea of how big it really is. The calendar also says that my feet are going to start growing now and will probably grow at least a 1/2 size and stay that way. I have to admit, this is one pregnancy thing I hope to avoid. My feet are big enough already. I'll never be able to find cute shoes if they get bigger.

I can feel the baby moving fairly regularly now at certain times of the day. Dave tried to feel it last night and couldn't. It was kicking pretty hard, but I guess not hard enough yet. Jewel settled in for a nap on my belly. The baby kicked at her several times, but she never moved so I don't think she could feel it either. One of these days that is going to be a funny scene.

We Have Movement!

Last Wednesday, at 18 weeks exactly, I finally felt the baby move (and knew with relative certainty that it was the baby). Let me first say, it didn't feel like butterfly wings or flutters or any of that other mushy stuff people have been telling me. Perhaps it might have felt like that at some point and I missed it or just didn't have a clue, but that's not what it feels like now. It felt like someone was poking me from the inside. Then there was another movement that felt like it was flipping around in there - sort of like bubbles rising (not gas bubbles, this couldn't be mistaken for gas as I've never felt this feeling before and it was in the wrong location). There is a noise that I associate with the flippy feeling, it's "bloop bloop." Ah! I just realized what it is! Remember when you were a little kid and you pooted in the bathtub (every kid did it, so don't deny it) and you could feel the bubbles rise to the surface? THAT's what it feels like, but stronger! Another person described it as feeling like popcorn popping inside your belly, and I can concur with that description, too - but not butterfly wings. Anyway, I felt it, and it's been getting more regular since then. At first it was about once a day and now it's a couple of times a day. It still surprises me, but it's really cool. I can't wait for Dave to be able to feel it.

I pulled a tricky wife trick on Dave this weekend, and it had great results. :) Dave hasn't been super excited (maybe not even a little excited) about this whole baby thing to date because it's not very real to him yet, and it's quite overwhelming for him. He's started expressing some interest since my belly started getting bigger, and he was a little more interested when I started telling him about cool things about the baby - like that is was moving all the time, not that it's tail has disappeared. :) Anyway, I need him to be educated about fetal development, but more importantly about labor and delivery, because he's my rock and I need him to know what's going on when we get there. I have this book he gave me, called "A Child is Born," that is full of week-by-week pictures of the developing fetus (real ones taken inside the uterus) and a summary of what's happening to the baby and to the mother at that time. It's a really neat book. It also has very graphic pictures of labor and delivery - though not a very detailed explanation of the process. Well, it FINALLY occurred to me over the weekend to leave it on the back of the toilet in the bathroom. He took the bait. :) This morning, he said, "I looked at pictures of the baby in your book." I was so happy. :) Previously, he thought it looked like an alien and didn't want to see pictures. This is a step forward. He's also told me he's getting excited about the ultrasound, which is this week. I think it will be so cool for him to actually see the baby. It should make it a little more real for him. (By the way, he knows I do things like this, so I'm not giving away any secrets. The best way to get him to eat fruit is to leave grapes and pineapple in a bowl on the counter.)

I found my first stretch marks the other day, too. I'm happy to say they aren't on my belly (yet), but on my boobs. Who'd have guessed it? I would, that's who. These things have grown so fast and just keep growing. That's okay, it's nice to have cleavage for a change.

In other news, I got Georgia a new toy over the weekend, and it may be the new favorite over the frisbee. It's my favorite anyway. It's a wand that holds a tennis ball and you fling it as far as you can. I can throw one so far with that thing, and she loves it. I love it because I no longer have to pick up the slimey ball with my hands. :) We played so long that I had to make her quit before she fell out.

The cats are still acting like cats. Gypsy's behavior has improved all around since I brought home a new scratching box for her. She was starting to use the couch, and was really aggressive toward Jewel (chasing and picking fights all the time). The couch scratching has stopped, and the fighting has greatly decreased. I guess she just had pent up frustration and needed something to take it out on.

Ever Changing, Always Growing

This pregnant body is an interesting thing. Last Friday, I wore my regular jeans modified with a rubber band (because while they fit, it was uncomfortable to button them). Sunday, I tried to wear the same jeans, and the wouldn't even zip! Two days, I tell you, and now I'm wearing maternity pants full time. I guess it's really more about the hips than the belly though, because the same maternity pants were still too big a week ago, and now they stay up with no trouble. I knew my hips had started spreading when I put on a pair of regular dress pants two weeks ago and they split when I squatted down. :) My butt doesn't seem bigger (though I admit I may be delusional), so it has to be the hips.

I walked Georgia last night for the first time in WAY too long, and it felt weird in my belly. It's starting to protrude and feel heavier all the time. I walk around all day long, but going for a walk for the purpose of exercise was different. I really need to make that a regular habit again so that I'm not completely exhausted just from walking around with a giant belly. Oh, and it definitely won't be long before I can't stand in the shower and shave my legs because my belly is in the way. I realized last night that I was already having difficulty with that task - when did that happen?! I'm just amazed at how fast some of these changes happen!

I'm still waiting on that burst of energy that's supposed to come in the second trimester. I'm beginning to think someone made that up to encourage pregnant women to survive the debilitating fatigue of the first trimester. I'm not exhausted like I was then, but I've had no super energy for anything. I was planning to use that burst of energy to scrub my house, but at this rate I better just suffer through it and then have a nap. :)

Dave has been having sympathy symptoms, though I'm not sure he's totally bought into the idea. He says he's gained weight (I can't tell it) and his feet are swelling and hurt all the time. He's been sleeping hard and fast, which is virtually unheard of for him. He goes to bed when I do and gets up with the alarm in the morning, and he's usually a nighttime wanderer.

I'm also still waiting to feel this baby moving - though probably not as patiently as before. :) Dave was leaning his head on my belly the other day and I asked him if he heard anything in there. He tilted his head like he was listening, then yelped and said, "It grabbed my ear!" He's crazy and I love him for it. It made me laugh and laugh. He's really good at that.

His parents have bought our crib and changing table, and it should be delivered next weekend. This is somewhat inspiring me to clean the house and start working on cleaning out the baby's room. We need to add some shelves and move some stuff out of there to figure out where to put the baby furniture. It's very early still, but I feel like time is flying by and I don't want to be caught unprepared.

16 weeks

I am 16 weeks pregnant today - that means I'm starting the 5th month. All this dating stuff gets very confusing. Anyway, this is what my calendar says about the baby:

"The fetus is about 5 1/2 inches long and weighs 3 ounces. It can swallow! It has preliminary toenails and can move its eyes (though there's not a lot to see in there)." I'm not sure about the 5 1/2 inches because some things I read say 3 1/2 - who really knows?

Also, I found this more interesting information on another site:

"Genital organs clearly differentiated, grasps with hands, swims, kicks, turns, somersaults, (still not felt by the mother.)" Dave will especially like that bit of information.

1 Pound

I went to the doctor last week and I have only gained one pound in the four weeks since my last appointment. This is very good because last time I got a mini-lecture about gaining too fast. Most days I look pregnant rather than just fat now, but there are still some days that I just look fat. I'm starting to get significant looks from those who don't know, so I know that I'm at least making people suspicious now. Last week, I was in a meeting and I would bet my life that the lady sitting next to me turned to the guy on the other side of her with her hand covering her mouth and said, "Is she pregnant?" and pointed! LOL! I almost laughed out loud. I find it entertaining to watch people speculate. One of the guys that I worked with in Australia is here this week, and I'm pretty sure he's been told that I'm pregnant because when I walked up to shake his hand this morning, he immediately looked at my belly. That's another amusing thing for me. As soon as you tell someone, they look at the belly. Every person does that without fail.

Enough with that ramble. At this doctor visit, I sacrificed 4 tubes of blood (not as bad as the pint I was imagining). It took three pokes to find the vein for some reason. Usually they get it on the first try. Luckily, it doesn't hurt me and there are no ill affects unless I happen to look a the needle if it's in or near my arm - then I faint. I learned that the hard way the first time I gave blood and looked down at my arm while the needle was still in there. The next thing I remember, a cute boy was picking me up off the floor.

The appointment was quick and easy. I asked some questions and he checked the heartbeat and that was that. The heartbeat sounded good, but I forgot to ask what the rate was this time. I go back in four weeks for the big ultrasound - that will be on Valentine's day.

I still haven't felt the baby move yet. Dave asked me the other night, "What does it do in there?" I explained that it's moving all the time, playing and testing it's new muscles and reflexes and entertaining itself. That it probably sleeps when I'm moving around and plays when I'm resting, I just can't feel any of it yet. He thought that was really cool. I plan to drink some sugar and caffiene before the ultrasound so it will be doing something cool while we are watching. I have to wonder if the animals can sense the baby moving. Georgia was sitting in my lap the other night and she suddenly moved over so tht she wasn't directly in my lap, but leaning on me. I wondered then if the baby did something to cause that. It was weird.

Speaking of Georgia, she had a rather traumatic afternoon yesterday. It started nicely with a trip to the football field to play football. Georgia LOVES football. Then some dogs came to play. They did fine at first, but one was a Border Collie, and like most Border Collies, it was very dominant. They got along fine, but Border Collie kept herding her when she fetched the ball. The last time she did it, she (the Border Collie) bit Georgia's tongue. I think it was accidental, but it was still traumatic. Now, tongue bleeds look way worse than they are, so I was trying to get her to rinse her mouth to I could see the wound. She barely did and it just kept bleeding. Once we got her home, she started licking her leg (I think she got into some ants on the field) and that made it bleed more. I had to put a towel under her, and I still ended up cleaning blood out of the carpet. Side note - peroxide works wonderfully on blood stains. Anyway, once she quit licking, it quit bleeding and she passed out from sheer exhaustion. She was already tired when the dogs got there to play, so she was really worn out. I didn't even have to tell her to kennel up this morning, and she didn't wait to make sure I got her cookie. Once I caught up with her, she was patiently waiting for me to lock her in.

On the cat front, Jewel did NOT enjoy the snow. She tiptoed through it with her back arched while it fell on her and the look on her face clearly said, "What the crap is this stuff?" I'll post snow pictures as soon as I remember.

A New Adventure

It's possible that most everyone who reads this already knows, but just in case, Dave and I are expecting our first baby! I am 13 weeks along and due in July (10th, they say, but who really knows?). I'll be sharing the adventure in this blog, so proceed carefully lest it's too much information for you.

My pregnancy calendar says this about the baby: "Your baby is now about the size of a lime, roughly three inches in length, and tips the scale at around three-quarters ounce. Your baby's eyes will begin moving from the side of his head towards the front as his face begins to develop. At the end of this week, little ears will move to their proper spot as well. Your baby even has fingerprints now!" This translates into: "Your baby is starting to look less alien and more human." A couple of weeks ago I shared a picture of what the baby looked like at the time with Dave and he said, "We are having an alien?" :) He is getting excited, I think. He bought the baby a blanket for Christmas and wrote it a letter. It made me cry. The baby will use that blanket to go home from the hospital. He keeps asking me when I will have uncontrollable gas, because that's the part he is looking forward to - and apparently, that's the bit of knowledge he has retained in all the things he's heard about pregnancy. He's such a boy. :)

To answer the question, "How are you feeling?", which I've been asked 10,000 times already, I feel pretty good right now. There was some morning sickness in the first couple of months, but it's gone now. I have also recovered from my energy crisis - I have NEVER been so tired in my life. The exhaustion was almost debilitating at times and I'm glad that is over; it is weird for me to be so tired and unable to keep up my normal activities. After coming back from Australia, I was on a serious cooking strike because food wasn't at all appealing to me (yet I still managed to gain 6 lbs. in one month?). Now, I can cook again, and that's wonderful because it's good therapy for me. What I canNOT do is eat steak - nor can I smell it or look at it. I'm almost gagging while writing about it. It was one of my favorite foods, but NOT right now. I am craving salty things, especially pickles, pickle juice (don't DARE throw away a jar of pickle juice in my house!), and olives. It was Mexican and fast food for a while - as in that's all that sounded remotely appealing - but now I can eat most things without pause. This is good because 6 lbs. is too much weight to gain in FOUR WEEKS so I really need to be making healthier food choices. I do not subscribe to the notion that I'm eating for two (it just isn't true - the baby is the size of a lime right now), so I'm trying to be smart and stamp out my guilty feelings because I ate all of my snacks before lunch today. After all, I should eat when I'm hungry, I just shouldn't eat tacos and nachos and Mexican pizzas from Taco Bell.

My boobs have grown a full size already, and judging by the pain, I'm guessing they aren't finished yet. While I admit that I am excited about this part, it presents a challenge that I didn't foresee: most of my regular shirts (not t-shirts) don't fit right now. Hmm. However, for my sister's wedding reception (oh yeah, she eloped on December 1st) I will be wearing a dress that shows my new cleavage since this is the only time in my life that I will have any. Someone said, "But you will have a big belly, too." To which I replied, "So."

Which brings me to another point, just this week I've noticed that I'm a bit moodier than normal. Now normally I have a tendency to get fired up about things when I have a strong opinion, but I'm generally pretty stoic with my moods. Not so lately; there haven't been any drastic mood swings, no throwing of silverware (though it sounds like fun and I'm wondering if I can allow myself to use pregnancy as an excuse to throw something? It's so out of character.), no random and uncontrollable crying, but my level of irritability has increased. I wonder how bad this will get?

There are other random aches and pains, that sometimes catch me off guard and make me worry, but nothing too serious at this point. Those are called "round ligament pain" and that's politically correct for anything from mild stretching in the lower belly to sharp, shooting pain. I just had my first sharp, shooting one and it was interesting. Made my breath catch. I do find it more difficult to get comfortable at night, but once I am, I sleep as well as normal (well, except for the bathroom trips, those are new). I had to steal Dave's pillow to get comfortable, but I figured this was a worthy cause considering he can sleep upright if necessary. My belly isn't big yet (it just looks like I've gained too much weight right now), but it sure does feel heavy in the evenings. I can't imagine what it will be like when it's really big.

The most adventurous part of this adventure so far has been the surprise puke attacks. I said my morning sickness was gone, but the puking is not. My gag reflex is VERY sensitive, so brushing my teeth is always a sketchy scenario - this is when the surprise attacks happen. That's okay though, because I'd rather puke and be done than feel like puking for hours on end.

We will not be finding out (on purpose, anyway) if the baby is a boy or a girl. We both want it to be a surprise at the end. At my last appointment, I got lectured about my weight and I got to hear the heartbeat with the Doppler. As soon as he stuck it my belly, you could hear it - he didn't even have to look for it. It was 150 beats per minute at the time, which is perfectly normal. So far, everything looks good and healthy. I'll have my big ultrasound in February, and they will measure the baby and make sure it is developing normally. I was offered a blood test for Spina Bifida and Downs Syndrome at my next appointment, but I will decline. I don't want to know and those tests aren't accurate enough for me to worry about the results for the rest of my pregnancy.

In other news...
My sister got married on December 1st. I'm ecstatic for her and we are planning her reception for February.

Squirt no longer lives with us. He came home while I was in Australia and left again. I haven't seen him since before I left. I've given up on him. I know someone is taking care of him because there have been sightings and he is quite fat these days.

Gypsy has learned to catch and kill birds. She DOES eat them, but she also leaves the feathers all over the house and they are the devil to clean up.

Georgia has been glued to me since I got back from Aussie land. I think this is normal for pets of pregnant women. I can't wait for her to meet her new sibling. The cats? I'm less enthusiastic about them meeting the baby. I foresee trouble on that front.

That's enough for now.

Featherdale and the Blue Mountains

Saturday we went on 4 wheel drive tour of the mountains, a wildlife park, and Olympic Park. It was good fun and I got to mark a few things off of my Australia to-do list (i.e. pet a kangaroo - check, see a Tasmanian Devil - check). Every time I've tried to put the pictures in this blog, I've had issues with my Internet connection so I'm posting a link to them instead. See pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/roper.amanda/Sydney?authkey=1UhApAFJQFI

At Featherdale Wildlife Park the kangaroos roam free and it's a very hands-on experience. I was able to pet kangaroos and koalas, and I saw various sorts of other Australian animals that we do not have in the States, including the Tasmanian Devil, Saltwater Crocodile, the Dingo, the Wombat, and so many colorful birds that I lost count. A few words about the animals (because I'm a nerd and I love animals). The kangaroo is the national symbol and Australia is probably the only country that EATS their national symbol (they say it tastes like.......venison, not chicken). To give you a frame of reference, the kangaroos here are like deer at home. They roam free, they become roadkill, people hunt and eat them, and they have a huge population. There are only about 20 million people in the whole country of Australia; there are at least 40 million kangaroos. There are many, many species - no, they aren't all big red ones like you are picturing in your head. The female kangaroos have a very unusual ability: they can reserve an embryo for up to two years. It works like this: Mama Kangaroo usually has two babies at once, an older one that stays with her and a joey in the pouch (for up to six months), plus the reserved embryo. When the kangaroos are hunted by Dingos, the Dingo goes for the slowest - the mother, because she is weighted down by the joey. Mama Kangaroo sacrifices the joey and brings the reserved embryo out of hibernation (or something like that) to develop into a new baby. I don't know how she does it, but it's certainly something I didn't know before I came here. The kangaroos were my favorite because they are inquisitive, like cats or dogs. Some have very soft fur and some have very coarse fur. I thought they were really neat.

Koalas sleep 18 hours a day, so they are pretty boring most of the time. They also do NOT smell like cough drops, regardless of what you have been told. They smell like wild animals (think Zoo). Anyway, the fur is not very soft. It's thick and dense and has a texture similiar to low-pile carpet - this is to protect them from the hot sun while they sleep all day. Also, they are kind of mean, from what I gather. We asked the guy that was supervising the Koala we got to pet if it was smart to put our faces close to it (because the people before us did); he said, "I wouldn't get that close to this one." It was busy eating, but I was still cautious. They have BIG claws.

The saltwater crocodile in my pictures is only about 6 feet long. They get up to 20 feet in length. It is one of Australia's top three deadly animals. And it lives in the OCEAN. That just doesn't seem right. Sharks? Yes. Jellyfish? Yes. (Someone died yesterday from a jellyfish sting, they rank in the most deadliest, too.) Crocodiles? Umm, I think I'll just stay on the beach.

The Blue Mountains are part of the Great Dividing Range - which separates the coast from the desert. They are called Blue Mountains because the Blue Gum trees (also known as Blue Eucalyptus) emit a gas that causes a blue haze over the mountains. I don't know if you can see it in the pictures, but you can in person. The mountains smell like cough drops. It was amazing to see the different vegetation here. One of the coolest things about Australia is that the plant and animal life is so different than anything I've seen before (even more different than the thigh-sized aloe plants in Spain). They have trees still that date back to the Jurassic era. Isn't that cool?

Sunday, we took a ferry to Manly Beach. I did not take my camera there, so no pictures, sorry (though, I'm kicking myself). If I come back (and I probably will), I'll take pictures of it. It is on the Pacific Ocean and there are stretches of beach mixed with cliffs and rocks. It's very scenic and the water is beautiful. It isn't Carribean clear, but its a beautiful blue-green color. The sand, well, let's just say there's no place like the Gulf of Mexico for beach sand. Manly was much more my speed than Sydney. It's a very laid back beach town with a 30 minute commute by ferry to the city. If I had to live here, I think I'd want to live in Manly. Who wouldn't want to go to work by boat every morning?

What else? Oh! I finally had a decent steak last night at a place in Darling Harbour called The Meat and Wine Company. They had meat. And wine. It was wonderful and I wouldn't mind eating there for the rest of the trip. That's enough for now. I have work to do.

More Tidbits

As weird as supper has been, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day here. There is a little cafe across the street from the hotel that has wonderful breakfast and coffee. The coffee here is better than coffee at home, and so is the bacon, and the eggs, for that matter. They are fresher, I think, because they remind me of fresh eggs straight out of the chicken's nest (you thought I would write "butt", didn't you? Or, to quote Miss Sipsy from "Fried Green Tomatoes": "They come straight out the chickens' ---!" Pardon my random movie quote; I digress.). Anyway, fresh eggs are a rarity for us unless you live on a farm.

We found a very good restaurant last night, and I ate shrimp linguine that tasted like something I would make at home. I was very satisfied with that and I can see us going back there.

What else? The birds are very tame. The walk along the sidewalks with you like they are people. One even wandered into and around the food court yesterday at lunch. It's a little gross, but still very amusing to see a bird walking around the food court. They also have bats the size of vultures that sound like fighting cats when they scream. I'll get to see those more up close and personal on Saturday when I take a tour that goes to an animal park. They are HUGE.

Lilies must be local and in season right now because there are arrangements of them in nearly every building. They are beautiful, but the smell starts to get to me after a while. The crosswalk signs (the ones that tell you when to walk - we don't have them in the 'ham but other big cities do) sound like they are shooting you with a laser tag gun when you push the button. Then they beep and beep until you can cross the street.

Yesterday was the Melbourne Cup, which is The Race that Stops the Country. Literally, I think we were the only ones working after lunch. It's a horse race that lasts approximately 6 minutes, followed by continous partying for the rest of the day and night. It's very comparable to the Kentucky Derby. It was interesting to experience it. The whole city was out partying last night. There were lines and lines of people waiting to get into bars and nightclubs.

I know there are other things I want to share, but they've escaped me right now. I'll post them later when I remember.

Some Pictures from Sydney

This is the Harbor Bridge. If you are crazy enough, you can pay $200 Australian dollars to be tied to a cable and walk across the very top of it. I am not that crazy.













This is the world-famous Sydney Opera House at night. I understand that on special occasions they light it up in different colors. It really is impressive. It sort of looks like it's just floating in the water.












This is the skyline from the harbor.












The Opera House from the ferry.

There will be plenty more later.