This was Stowa's very first Christmas. We didn't really do anything special but I did buy her a little shirt that says Baby's First Christmas. She also received a little dress that isn't specifically a Christmas dress but is definitely a holiday dress.
So this morning (well, it was around 11am) I get her all dressed up in her little dress, take a couple of pictures and then sat down to email them to family and friends. Except today the camera and the computer decide that they are no longer compatible. Apparently they have broken up. They won't even try to talk to one another.
I just hope they can make up soon because if not, I have no problem going all "Office Space" (remember the fax machine scene?) on them both!
ETA: It was a Christmas miracle! After I threatened them both they magically started to cooperate. Still not working like they should but at least I'm getting somewhere.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas
Hope everyone has a great day!
Itchy doesn't really do Christmas so it'll be a pretty normal day around here. I've got plans to make a big dinner but we'll see how much actually gets done (standing for long periods of time is still causing me pain, stupid c-section). Itchy also has to work this evening so Stowa and I will be on our own. Tomorrow we've been invited to a friends house for food and games, but Itchy has to work, so we'll see if that works out.
Itchy doesn't really do Christmas so it'll be a pretty normal day around here. I've got plans to make a big dinner but we'll see how much actually gets done (standing for long periods of time is still causing me pain, stupid c-section). Itchy also has to work this evening so Stowa and I will be on our own. Tomorrow we've been invited to a friends house for food and games, but Itchy has to work, so we'll see if that works out.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Dang it
So I had something I was going to write about but every time I get a minute I forget what exactly it was. It must not have been that exciting.
Anyway, here's a rather strange story for you. Itchy, Stowa, and I had to go to Home Depot the other day. While Itchy was dealing with cutting boards cut Stowa and I walked around. We passed by a guy with a 3-4 year old little boy. The little boy was all excited because I had a "real baby". Like he was really, oddly, excited about seeing a "real baby". It became clear why when a few minutes later Stowa and I walked past a lady that had a doll in a car seat. Yeah. She was walking around with a doll (not realistic looking at all) in an infant car seat. Yep, I'm judging her. Weirdo.
Not much else going on. Stowa is smiling and talking a lot more these days but stops as soon as the camera comes out. It's pretty funny.
In only 2 more weeks we will be going to Itchy's parent's house for 6 weeks. I'm not looking forward to it. Especially since Itchy won't be there to be the buffer. I really hope they don't think things are going to be like they were when they came here to visit. You know, where the only time I get to hold my baby is when she is starving (because his dad wouldn't just freaking give her to me when she was showing hunger signs). That's not happening.
Luckily for you guys, I will need to vent a lot. This should produce some funny stories.
Anyway, here's a rather strange story for you. Itchy, Stowa, and I had to go to Home Depot the other day. While Itchy was dealing with cutting boards cut Stowa and I walked around. We passed by a guy with a 3-4 year old little boy. The little boy was all excited because I had a "real baby". Like he was really, oddly, excited about seeing a "real baby". It became clear why when a few minutes later Stowa and I walked past a lady that had a doll in a car seat. Yeah. She was walking around with a doll (not realistic looking at all) in an infant car seat. Yep, I'm judging her. Weirdo.
Not much else going on. Stowa is smiling and talking a lot more these days but stops as soon as the camera comes out. It's pretty funny.
In only 2 more weeks we will be going to Itchy's parent's house for 6 weeks. I'm not looking forward to it. Especially since Itchy won't be there to be the buffer. I really hope they don't think things are going to be like they were when they came here to visit. You know, where the only time I get to hold my baby is when she is starving (because his dad wouldn't just freaking give her to me when she was showing hunger signs). That's not happening.
Luckily for you guys, I will need to vent a lot. This should produce some funny stories.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
1 month old
How is it possible that a month has gone by already?
Pregnancy goes by so slowly and then you have a baby and the days fly by. It's not fair. Being pregnant sucks but the newborn days are fun. And exhausting. And painful. But way better than being pregnant.
Stowa is doing great. She's starting to "talk" to us which is fun. This morning she was admiring the baby in the mirror which was adorable. I'm a little afraid to type this as I don't want to jinx myself but she's also sleeping pretty well at night. We get up every three hours to eat but she goes right back to sleep 90% of the time. She may look nothing like me but she may have inherited my love of sleep.
Itchy is still on vacation. It's been really, really awesome having him around the last month. I'm sure Stowa and I would have survived if he would have had to have been in school but life is a heck of a lot better with him here.
The cats and the baby seem to be getting along too. Cuddles and Patches both sat on Stowa's lap the other day (while Stowa was sitting with me, we don't leave her unattended with the cats just yet). Patches is being rather obnoxious though. She's always been naughty but it seems worse these days. I'm sure it's just that we're a little more tired and she's getting less attention (i.e. she's bored).
Pregnancy goes by so slowly and then you have a baby and the days fly by. It's not fair. Being pregnant sucks but the newborn days are fun. And exhausting. And painful. But way better than being pregnant.
Stowa is doing great. She's starting to "talk" to us which is fun. This morning she was admiring the baby in the mirror which was adorable. I'm a little afraid to type this as I don't want to jinx myself but she's also sleeping pretty well at night. We get up every three hours to eat but she goes right back to sleep 90% of the time. She may look nothing like me but she may have inherited my love of sleep.
Itchy is still on vacation. It's been really, really awesome having him around the last month. I'm sure Stowa and I would have survived if he would have had to have been in school but life is a heck of a lot better with him here.
The cats and the baby seem to be getting along too. Cuddles and Patches both sat on Stowa's lap the other day (while Stowa was sitting with me, we don't leave her unattended with the cats just yet). Patches is being rather obnoxious though. She's always been naughty but it seems worse these days. I'm sure it's just that we're a little more tired and she's getting less attention (i.e. she's bored).
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Happy Birthday to me
It's my birthday! I officially turn 29 for the first time today.
Itchy had to take the NAVLE today (it's the national licensing exam, he needs to pass it in order to get a job later) but he's had good luck taking big tests on my birthday.
No big plans for tonight other than feeding and snuggling with Stowa. Oh and I will be enjoying my birthday gift. Itchy came home with a back massager chair thingy and a DS game. The massager rocks. The game looks fun too (Sonic). Good job Itchy!
Itchy had to take the NAVLE today (it's the national licensing exam, he needs to pass it in order to get a job later) but he's had good luck taking big tests on my birthday.
No big plans for tonight other than feeding and snuggling with Stowa. Oh and I will be enjoying my birthday gift. Itchy came home with a back massager chair thingy and a DS game. The massager rocks. The game looks fun too (Sonic). Good job Itchy!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Snow
We have snow. Not a lot and it's already starting to melt but this morning when Stowa and I got up there was snow on the ground.
It's things like this that make me miss The Island.
On a side note, our computer is a piece of crap. The f key has fallen off, the I key only works if you hit it just right, and several other keys are starting to do the same thing. It's really annoying. Anyone know how to get the f key back on? And stay there?
It's things like this that make me miss The Island.
On a side note, our computer is a piece of crap. The f key has fallen off, the I key only works if you hit it just right, and several other keys are starting to do the same thing. It's really annoying. Anyone know how to get the f key back on? And stay there?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Stowa Update
So babies are demanding little people. They take up a lot of time. It doesn't help that you can lose hours just staring at them. Anyway, in case you hadn't figured it out Stowa is the reason I haven't updated recently.
She is 2 weeks old today. We've already broken her. She has her first cold. It's Itchy's fault. He was sick while we were in the hospital. Then I caught it. Now poor little Stowa has it. She just looks like she feels awful.
She had another check up today. She's thriving. Aside from the cold. The doctor was impressed that she was so alert. She's gaining weight well.
Oh yeah, I've been meaning to tell you this for about 2 weeks but I keep forgetting. Remember how when I was pregnant with Stowa, she would start kicking like crazy when Nirvana came on the radio? Well she still likes Nirvana. One day while we were still in the hospital, Itchy was on baby duty while I showered. Stowa was getting fussy (I'm sure she wanted to eat again) so Itchy tried playing some Nirvana. Sure enough, Stowa totally stopped crying.
Also we took Stowa on her first trip to Target today. Hard to say if she liked it or not. She was fussy and sleepy because of her cold. She mostly just wanted to be held.
She is 2 weeks old today. We've already broken her. She has her first cold. It's Itchy's fault. He was sick while we were in the hospital. Then I caught it. Now poor little Stowa has it. She just looks like she feels awful.
She had another check up today. She's thriving. Aside from the cold. The doctor was impressed that she was so alert. She's gaining weight well.
Oh yeah, I've been meaning to tell you this for about 2 weeks but I keep forgetting. Remember how when I was pregnant with Stowa, she would start kicking like crazy when Nirvana came on the radio? Well she still likes Nirvana. One day while we were still in the hospital, Itchy was on baby duty while I showered. Stowa was getting fussy (I'm sure she wanted to eat again) so Itchy tried playing some Nirvana. Sure enough, Stowa totally stopped crying.
Also we took Stowa on her first trip to Target today. Hard to say if she liked it or not. She was fussy and sleepy because of her cold. She mostly just wanted to be held.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope everyone has a great day filled with whatever makes you happy.
Our day has been just that. We've spent the day as a new little family. That makes us both pretty happy. We have a lot to be thankful for this year.
On a different note, it turns out that Itchy can cook. The jig is up. He made a fabulous dinner tonight.
Our day has been just that. We've spent the day as a new little family. That makes us both pretty happy. We have a lot to be thankful for this year.
On a different note, it turns out that Itchy can cook. The jig is up. He made a fabulous dinner tonight.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It's a girl!
Stowa arrived on November 16th 2009 at 7:58 pm EST. She weighed in at a surprising 8 lbs 2 oz and was 22 inches long. She has lots of long dark hair and dark brown eyes. She's also very cute. And totally worth all the crappy pregnancy stuff (but man oh man will I use it against her!).
Cute huh?
You can go ahead and skip this part if reading about labor and delivery doesn't interest you or if it's going to gross you out.
Labor started early Monday morning. Well, late Sunday night I guess. Itchy was studying and I was playing Nintendo. I went to bed at about midnight. I couldn't sleep (the rash and the heartburn were keeping me up). Right around 1 am I noticed that the "Braxton Hicks" contractions were making my back hurt. I kept an eye on the clock just in case. They weren't very regular so I tried to ignore them. When Itchy came to bed at 2 am I gave him a heads up. I wasn't sure that they were going amount to anything but he should be ready just in case. Well, after I told him that he was ready to go! He insisted that we start packing a bag and that we time the contractions. Turns out that the contractions were consistently coming every 5 minutes or so. They seemed to be getting stronger too. Pretty soon, the contractions got really painful. Only problem was that all the pain was in my back (a little something they like to call back labor). Walking around was the only thing that helped with the pain. I told Itchy to go lay down for a little while and I tried taking a bath. Sitting made the back pain worse so I got up and walked some more. The cats were up with me and were nervous. Can't blame them.
Sometime around 6 am Itchy got up and we timed a few more contractions. At that point they were coming every 3 minutes and were strong enough that I couldn't talk through them. Itchy went to take a shower and get ready to leave. I called the clinic and told them what was going on. They told me to head over to the hospital to be checked. The ride to the hospital was downright terrible. Sitting in one position was not helping.
Anyway, we get to the hospital and get checked in at about 7am. A nurse does an exam and declares that I am 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Baby was at -1. I have to lay in bed for an hour on monitors and the back pain was killing me. I just wanted to get up and move around. Itchy was great and was doing everything he could to help but there isn't much that helps with back labor.
At around 10 am I decided that I wanted pain meds. The original plan was to go all natural, but I was open to the possibility of using meds. I had never done this before and wasn't sure how bad it was going to be. Turns out it was pretty bad. So they give me the maximum dose of an injectable drug (I forgot the name). It does nothing. No relief at all. It seemed like it made the contractions stronger and closer together. And I had to stay in bed. I gave it some time (as suggested by the nurse) and then asked for the epidural. There was no way that I could take that level of pain all day long. If someone had said, this is all be over in x amount of time, I would have been ok. I think. So around 11 am I got the epidural. I still felt the contractions and the back pain. It was enough to let me sleep though. I napped on and off until about 4 pm. My doctor did an exam and I was almost fully dilated. She thought I'd start pushing in about an hour. And she was right. But she was leaving for the day so a different doctor would be delivering the baby.
Just before 5 pm I started pushing. Stowa was still up pretty high, higher than they thought she should be. One of the nurses also noticed that there was meconium present in the amniotic fluid. They started getting things ready in the room and called the NICU pediatrician to give her a heads up that the baby would need to be looked at. I just kept pushing with every contraction.
At about 6:30 pm the on call doctor came in to check progress. She said that the baby was still up really high. Turns out that Stowa was facing the wrong way. Instead of facing my back she was facing my stomach. This was making it nearly impossible for her to fit under the pubic bone. The doctor tried to manually turn her. Ouch. Holy hell did that hurt. The doctor suggested a few other positions for pushing and said she'd be back in 45 minutes.
The next 45 minutes were awful. I was even more determined to push the baby out but despite my efforts it wasn't happening. The doctor came back in and the baby was still up high. She really hadn't moved at all. She was still tolerating the pushing but the meconuim was a sign of stress so we knew she wouldn't for much longer. It was obvious that she couldn't or just wouldn't turn either. The doctor recommended a c-section. I reluctantly agreed.
I was terrified. Itchy was terrified, though he didn't tell me that. I could tell that he was just trying to be strong. Once the decision was made though, time flew by. Staff was running around trying to get things ready. It was emotionally overwhelming. My brain is still trying to wrap itself around everything that happened. Before I knew it though, Itchy was in scrubs and I was on the OR table. I cried throughout the whole thing. It sucked. Even thinking about it now makes me cry (which I'm sure has a lot to do with hormones). Stowa was out in no time. Her first cry was probably the best sound ever. I couldn't see her but I could hear the doctors and nurses doing stuff. Itchy went over to meet her. He got to watch them clean her up, suction out the meconium, weigh and measure her. Before they took her to the nursery Itchy brought her over to me. I couldn't really even see her. We took a couple of pictures and then Itchy went with her to the nursery. I was sewn up and sent to recovery. After about an hour Itchy joined me in there. He showed me pics of the baby. I couldn't believe how big she was. Or how much hair she had. I had to stay in recovery for another half hour and than I was transferred to the postpartum room. Half an hour after that I finally got to meet Stowa.
So anyway that's what happened. It took me dang near a week to find time to write this all down. I'll proofread it later (maybe). I'll also add pictures later (no maybes there, I will add pics).
Itchy's parents are in town right now to meet the baby so we're hanging out with them at a hotel. That's another story in itself.
Cute huh?
You can go ahead and skip this part if reading about labor and delivery doesn't interest you or if it's going to gross you out.
Labor started early Monday morning. Well, late Sunday night I guess. Itchy was studying and I was playing Nintendo. I went to bed at about midnight. I couldn't sleep (the rash and the heartburn were keeping me up). Right around 1 am I noticed that the "Braxton Hicks" contractions were making my back hurt. I kept an eye on the clock just in case. They weren't very regular so I tried to ignore them. When Itchy came to bed at 2 am I gave him a heads up. I wasn't sure that they were going amount to anything but he should be ready just in case. Well, after I told him that he was ready to go! He insisted that we start packing a bag and that we time the contractions. Turns out that the contractions were consistently coming every 5 minutes or so. They seemed to be getting stronger too. Pretty soon, the contractions got really painful. Only problem was that all the pain was in my back (a little something they like to call back labor). Walking around was the only thing that helped with the pain. I told Itchy to go lay down for a little while and I tried taking a bath. Sitting made the back pain worse so I got up and walked some more. The cats were up with me and were nervous. Can't blame them.
Sometime around 6 am Itchy got up and we timed a few more contractions. At that point they were coming every 3 minutes and were strong enough that I couldn't talk through them. Itchy went to take a shower and get ready to leave. I called the clinic and told them what was going on. They told me to head over to the hospital to be checked. The ride to the hospital was downright terrible. Sitting in one position was not helping.
Anyway, we get to the hospital and get checked in at about 7am. A nurse does an exam and declares that I am 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Baby was at -1. I have to lay in bed for an hour on monitors and the back pain was killing me. I just wanted to get up and move around. Itchy was great and was doing everything he could to help but there isn't much that helps with back labor.
At around 10 am I decided that I wanted pain meds. The original plan was to go all natural, but I was open to the possibility of using meds. I had never done this before and wasn't sure how bad it was going to be. Turns out it was pretty bad. So they give me the maximum dose of an injectable drug (I forgot the name). It does nothing. No relief at all. It seemed like it made the contractions stronger and closer together. And I had to stay in bed. I gave it some time (as suggested by the nurse) and then asked for the epidural. There was no way that I could take that level of pain all day long. If someone had said, this is all be over in x amount of time, I would have been ok. I think. So around 11 am I got the epidural. I still felt the contractions and the back pain. It was enough to let me sleep though. I napped on and off until about 4 pm. My doctor did an exam and I was almost fully dilated. She thought I'd start pushing in about an hour. And she was right. But she was leaving for the day so a different doctor would be delivering the baby.
Just before 5 pm I started pushing. Stowa was still up pretty high, higher than they thought she should be. One of the nurses also noticed that there was meconium present in the amniotic fluid. They started getting things ready in the room and called the NICU pediatrician to give her a heads up that the baby would need to be looked at. I just kept pushing with every contraction.
At about 6:30 pm the on call doctor came in to check progress. She said that the baby was still up really high. Turns out that Stowa was facing the wrong way. Instead of facing my back she was facing my stomach. This was making it nearly impossible for her to fit under the pubic bone. The doctor tried to manually turn her. Ouch. Holy hell did that hurt. The doctor suggested a few other positions for pushing and said she'd be back in 45 minutes.
The next 45 minutes were awful. I was even more determined to push the baby out but despite my efforts it wasn't happening. The doctor came back in and the baby was still up high. She really hadn't moved at all. She was still tolerating the pushing but the meconuim was a sign of stress so we knew she wouldn't for much longer. It was obvious that she couldn't or just wouldn't turn either. The doctor recommended a c-section. I reluctantly agreed.
I was terrified. Itchy was terrified, though he didn't tell me that. I could tell that he was just trying to be strong. Once the decision was made though, time flew by. Staff was running around trying to get things ready. It was emotionally overwhelming. My brain is still trying to wrap itself around everything that happened. Before I knew it though, Itchy was in scrubs and I was on the OR table. I cried throughout the whole thing. It sucked. Even thinking about it now makes me cry (which I'm sure has a lot to do with hormones). Stowa was out in no time. Her first cry was probably the best sound ever. I couldn't see her but I could hear the doctors and nurses doing stuff. Itchy went over to meet her. He got to watch them clean her up, suction out the meconium, weigh and measure her. Before they took her to the nursery Itchy brought her over to me. I couldn't really even see her. We took a couple of pictures and then Itchy went with her to the nursery. I was sewn up and sent to recovery. After about an hour Itchy joined me in there. He showed me pics of the baby. I couldn't believe how big she was. Or how much hair she had. I had to stay in recovery for another half hour and than I was transferred to the postpartum room. Half an hour after that I finally got to meet Stowa.
So anyway that's what happened. It took me dang near a week to find time to write this all down. I'll proofread it later (maybe). I'll also add pictures later (no maybes there, I will add pics).
Itchy's parents are in town right now to meet the baby so we're hanging out with them at a hotel. That's another story in itself.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Fantastic news
It's what we've all been waiting for!!!
I was diagnosed with PUPPP yesterday! Hooray! Oh, you thought the baby had arrived? Sorry. I guess that would be fantastic news as well. But she seems to be quite happy where she is.
Anyway, PUPPP stands for Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. Fancy words for a HORRIBLY ITCHY RASH. Given that, you may be wondering what exactly is so fantastic about being diagnosed with PUPPP. My answer for that is nothing. There is nothing good about it at all. I just don't have that sarcastic font figured out yet.
So yep, I have this horribly itchy rash. It's spreading on a daily basis. My doctor is less than concerned. She told me to take diphenhydramine and use hydrodocortisone cream. The rash is not harmful to me (I disagree, the itching is affecting what is left of my mental health) or Stowa. The only effective treatment is to give birth. Apparently it goes away about 2 weeks to a month after delivery.
Here are some nerdy stats for you:
Stowa defied the odds of birth control (only 2 out of 100 women get pregnant while taking the pill)
50-75% of women will experience morning sickness, but only 10% will have morning sickness past the 12th week (I was lucky and had it until about the 20th week)
I can't find the stats for pregnancy related heartburn, but I'm fairly sure that not every one has raging heartburn everyday, with no way to relieve it, for their ENTIRE pregnancy.
Only 1 in 200 pregnant women will get PUPPP
Of those pregnant women, 70% of them have boys
Yeah. I feel like I should go buy a freaking lottery ticket.
I was diagnosed with PUPPP yesterday! Hooray! Oh, you thought the baby had arrived? Sorry. I guess that would be fantastic news as well. But she seems to be quite happy where she is.
Anyway, PUPPP stands for Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. Fancy words for a HORRIBLY ITCHY RASH. Given that, you may be wondering what exactly is so fantastic about being diagnosed with PUPPP. My answer for that is nothing. There is nothing good about it at all. I just don't have that sarcastic font figured out yet.
So yep, I have this horribly itchy rash. It's spreading on a daily basis. My doctor is less than concerned. She told me to take diphenhydramine and use hydrodocortisone cream. The rash is not harmful to me (I disagree, the itching is affecting what is left of my mental health) or Stowa. The only effective treatment is to give birth. Apparently it goes away about 2 weeks to a month after delivery.
Here are some nerdy stats for you:
Stowa defied the odds of birth control (only 2 out of 100 women get pregnant while taking the pill)
50-75% of women will experience morning sickness, but only 10% will have morning sickness past the 12th week (I was lucky and had it until about the 20th week)
I can't find the stats for pregnancy related heartburn, but I'm fairly sure that not every one has raging heartburn everyday, with no way to relieve it, for their ENTIRE pregnancy.
Only 1 in 200 pregnant women will get PUPPP
Of those pregnant women, 70% of them have boys
Yeah. I feel like I should go buy a freaking lottery ticket.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Good news
Itchy's mom had brain surgery today. So far the doctors think it went well. We'll know more in a few days.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Nope, still no baby
I am pretty much done calling people. Apparently I can not call anyone without them answering the phone with "Are you in labor?" or "Is she here?". It is annoying. Unless I have to, I won't be making anymore phone calls. I don't even want to answer my phone anymore either. I don't know if I've made this clear, but Itchy and I are pretty freaking excited about this baby. It's kind of a big deal to us. We'll make damn sure that people know when Stowa arrives.
Itchy and I got some very crappy news over the weekend. It sucks a lot. Itchy's mom was admitted to the hospital after having some trouble controlling the right side of her body. The cancer has spread to her brain. Just having to type that makes me cry. I really can't go into the details of it because we really don't know what the hell is really going on. Everyone has a different version of what is happening.
Itchy and I are making plans to get to her as soon as possible after the baby is born. Stowa and I will both need a doctor's ok to travel that far so soon after delivery. Really hoping that everything goes well and we don't have any complications. It's really important to me and Itchy that his mom meets the baby.
Itchy and I got some very crappy news over the weekend. It sucks a lot. Itchy's mom was admitted to the hospital after having some trouble controlling the right side of her body. The cancer has spread to her brain. Just having to type that makes me cry. I really can't go into the details of it because we really don't know what the hell is really going on. Everyone has a different version of what is happening.
Itchy and I are making plans to get to her as soon as possible after the baby is born. Stowa and I will both need a doctor's ok to travel that far so soon after delivery. Really hoping that everything goes well and we don't have any complications. It's really important to me and Itchy that his mom meets the baby.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween
We only had two trick or treaters come to our door last night. Well, it was in the afternoon which was a little weird. Despite the fact that we have a ton of kids in the neighborhood, I wasn't sure if we'd get any. You never really know what to expect when you live in an apartment. I had candy just in case.
They made me laugh though. After giving them a handful of candy they pointed at the belly and asked if it was real or just part of my costume. I told them it was all too real. Then they caught a glimpse of Patches who is still wearing her lovely e-collar. They thought it was hilarious that I dressed my cat up as a clown.
They made me laugh though. After giving them a handful of candy they pointed at the belly and asked if it was real or just part of my costume. I told them it was all too real. Then they caught a glimpse of Patches who is still wearing her lovely e-collar. They thought it was hilarious that I dressed my cat up as a clown.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
How very interesting
So the vet we saw on Saturday called. I missed her call yesterday regarding the blood work and urinalysis. But all of that was totally normal. I was a little surprised that they did a heart worm test and a thyroid panel, but I guess we did ask them to do a complete workup. So yeah, all of her blood work was normal and her urinalysis was great. It's good to know that she's a pretty healthy cat despite being horribly overweight.
Anyway, the vet called today to go over the results from the pathologist. This is where it got interesting. Very interesting. The mass was NOT cancer. Yay! Instead we've got a (rare in cats) cyst. It's pretty unusual to see these types of cysts in cats. But this was confirmed by 2 board certified pathologists at a reputable lab. The doc took wide margins when removing the cyst and it was confirmed that the edges were clean.
While the cysts are rare in cats, when cats do get them it is almost always associated with arthritis. So Patches is probably arthritic. No big surprise there. She's a big girl. Arthritis is a hell of a lot easier to deal with than amputation.
Patches is always going to be prone to getting more of these cysts so we have to keep an eye on her. They appear to be painful for her so we'll remove them as they appear. The doc recommends taking more radiographs of her elbow (the site of the cyst) to look for more cysts and to monitor the arthritis. However, because Patches would need to be sedated for that to happen she recommends waiting. So we'll get those done the next time she has to have something done (she'll need a dental soon anyway).
There's a chance that the first two masses that were removed were the same freaking thing. Itchy believes that it was cancer the first two times. I'm not so sure of that. While I am happy that it's not cancer, it's annoys the hell out of me that The Island vet didn't do more. The first mass should have been sent out to a real lab. I'll never ever let that go. Never. When the second mass showed up, it should have been sent to a real lab. Not some stupid lab in the Caribbean. Yes, it would have cost more. But since I was footing the bill for it, why did that matter? I would have paid extra. At least give me the option.
Anyway, I'm freaking estatic with this news! We'll get Patches started on some supplements for the arthritis and then we'll work on her weight loss. She's got a lot to lose but at least she gets to keep her arm!
Anyway, the vet called today to go over the results from the pathologist. This is where it got interesting. Very interesting. The mass was NOT cancer. Yay! Instead we've got a (rare in cats) cyst. It's pretty unusual to see these types of cysts in cats. But this was confirmed by 2 board certified pathologists at a reputable lab. The doc took wide margins when removing the cyst and it was confirmed that the edges were clean.
While the cysts are rare in cats, when cats do get them it is almost always associated with arthritis. So Patches is probably arthritic. No big surprise there. She's a big girl. Arthritis is a hell of a lot easier to deal with than amputation.
Patches is always going to be prone to getting more of these cysts so we have to keep an eye on her. They appear to be painful for her so we'll remove them as they appear. The doc recommends taking more radiographs of her elbow (the site of the cyst) to look for more cysts and to monitor the arthritis. However, because Patches would need to be sedated for that to happen she recommends waiting. So we'll get those done the next time she has to have something done (she'll need a dental soon anyway).
There's a chance that the first two masses that were removed were the same freaking thing. Itchy believes that it was cancer the first two times. I'm not so sure of that. While I am happy that it's not cancer, it's annoys the hell out of me that The Island vet didn't do more. The first mass should have been sent out to a real lab. I'll never ever let that go. Never. When the second mass showed up, it should have been sent to a real lab. Not some stupid lab in the Caribbean. Yes, it would have cost more. But since I was footing the bill for it, why did that matter? I would have paid extra. At least give me the option.
Anyway, I'm freaking estatic with this news! We'll get Patches started on some supplements for the arthritis and then we'll work on her weight loss. She's got a lot to lose but at least she gets to keep her arm!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Crazy Cat Lady
Remember how I told/showed you how much Patches liked the baby chair? Well, she is the proud new owner of her very own chair.
It's not the same but close enough. She's napping in it now. Itchy thinks I'm nuts but he's glad I got it for her.
In my defense, it was cheaper than buying a new cat bed. Half the price actually.
I'll get pics later.
ETA: Pictures
Cuddles in his bed, looking annoyed because I kept playing with his foot.
Patches in her new chair. Doesn't she look cute in her e-collar?
It's not the same but close enough. She's napping in it now. Itchy thinks I'm nuts but he's glad I got it for her.
In my defense, it was cheaper than buying a new cat bed. Half the price actually.
I'll get pics later.
ETA: Pictures
Cuddles in his bed, looking annoyed because I kept playing with his foot.
Patches in her new chair. Doesn't she look cute in her e-collar?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Update
Yesterday's trip to the vet resulted in one very sad and dopey kitten and two very broke owners.
The vet made the decision to do a full workup yesterday. I wasn't expecting that. A full workup for Patches involves sedation, so I was thinking that they'd want her dropped off sometime this week. But the vet we saw was cool with getting everything done right away even though she got totally behind schedule.
They ended up doing blood work, a urinalysis, radiographs, and they removed the mass. The mass is being sent out to the experts. Hopefully we'll have results by the middle of the week. It's nice that we won't have to wait an entire freaking month (like we did on The Island) to get some answers. Not to mention that it's being sent to a real accredited lab with real board certified pathologists instead of some unknown lab on some island somewhere.
Patches was pretty out of it when we got her home, but once she got comfortable she slept most of the day away. I made her a cat cave (I like to build forts) that she seems to be enjoying. She doesn't seem to have much pain today. She's not loving the e-collar but she can't be trusted.
The vet made the decision to do a full workup yesterday. I wasn't expecting that. A full workup for Patches involves sedation, so I was thinking that they'd want her dropped off sometime this week. But the vet we saw was cool with getting everything done right away even though she got totally behind schedule.
They ended up doing blood work, a urinalysis, radiographs, and they removed the mass. The mass is being sent out to the experts. Hopefully we'll have results by the middle of the week. It's nice that we won't have to wait an entire freaking month (like we did on The Island) to get some answers. Not to mention that it's being sent to a real accredited lab with real board certified pathologists instead of some unknown lab on some island somewhere.
Patches was pretty out of it when we got her home, but once she got comfortable she slept most of the day away. I made her a cat cave (I like to build forts) that she seems to be enjoying. She doesn't seem to have much pain today. She's not loving the e-collar but she can't be trusted.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Trip to the vet
Today we have to take Patches to the vet. She was limping pretty badly (but not badly enough to stop running for food) about a month ago. We thought it was because of a spider bite. We had seen quite a few spiders in the apartment a few days before the limping started. After about a week she seemed fine. Until Wednesday.
Wednesday night I noticed that she was limping again. Same leg as before. Which just so happens to be her cancer leg. Yeah. I was worried about this a month ago when the limping started, but now, I was freaking out. I grabbed her and started feeling for a lump. Which I found. In pretty much the same location as the other 2 masses. Itchy felt it too so it's not just in my head. What are the odds that this isn't cancer?
Wednesday night I noticed that she was limping again. Same leg as before. Which just so happens to be her cancer leg. Yeah. I was worried about this a month ago when the limping started, but now, I was freaking out. I grabbed her and started feeling for a lump. Which I found. In pretty much the same location as the other 2 masses. Itchy felt it too so it's not just in my head. What are the odds that this isn't cancer?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Stowa
Look kid, it's time to talk. It's been real fun and all, but this needs to come to an end soon. It's true your parents are slackers and we really aren't "ready" for you but we'll figure it out. We always do. You need to get accustomed to this anyway. We wing it a lot. You'll see.
The thing is you need to make your debut in the next 3 weeks. It's really your dad's fault. He is the one with the wacky schedule. He's starting a new rotation on Monday. He'll be on that rotation for 3 weeks. This would be an ideal time for you to arrive. He won't have a ridiculously insane schedule. He'll most likely be able to get time off and be there for your delivery. Not to mention that he won't have to go in early (and by early I mean before 6 am) and he'll be home at a reasonable time. It's more like a regular 9-5 job (and by 9-5 I mean 7-7).
The rotation that he starts after that won't be as flexible. It's a lot more demanding. It will require him to have weird hours. Odds are he'll be getting called in at all hours of the night. He could be in surgery when you decide to arrive therefore causing him to miss out on all that fun. Now surely you don't want your dad to miss this, do you? I didn't think so.
I'm not even going to mention how *uncomfortable* I am. I will once again remind you that the longer you wait, the harder you will have to fight with the cats to reclaim what was suppose to be yours. Patches will fight dirty. I'm not saying she won't share, but (she might not) you'll have to wait your turn.
I'm not above bribes. Name your price and we'll talk. I'm sure we can strike a deal.
The thing is you need to make your debut in the next 3 weeks. It's really your dad's fault. He is the one with the wacky schedule. He's starting a new rotation on Monday. He'll be on that rotation for 3 weeks. This would be an ideal time for you to arrive. He won't have a ridiculously insane schedule. He'll most likely be able to get time off and be there for your delivery. Not to mention that he won't have to go in early (and by early I mean before 6 am) and he'll be home at a reasonable time. It's more like a regular 9-5 job (and by 9-5 I mean 7-7).
The rotation that he starts after that won't be as flexible. It's a lot more demanding. It will require him to have weird hours. Odds are he'll be getting called in at all hours of the night. He could be in surgery when you decide to arrive therefore causing him to miss out on all that fun. Now surely you don't want your dad to miss this, do you? I didn't think so.
I'm not even going to mention how *uncomfortable* I am. I will once again remind you that the longer you wait, the harder you will have to fight with the cats to reclaim what was suppose to be yours. Patches will fight dirty. I'm not saying she won't share, but (she might not) you'll have to wait your turn.
I'm not above bribes. Name your price and we'll talk. I'm sure we can strike a deal.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Is this wrong?
So I had to buy Cuddles a new bed the other day. Well, make that another bed. The new bed certainly isn't going to replace the old bed. Anyway, he's been spending a lot of time in his bed lately, and since it's in the bedroom, it means that he's spending a lot of time alone. Which makes me sad. He usually hangs out with me. I thought that having a new bed that would stay in the living room would solve this problem. It worked pretty well. He really likes his new bed. He's been hanging out in the living room with me again.
Now the problem is that I feel bad that Patches didn't get a new bed. She doesn't have a bed at all. Sure she has the cat tree. And a pile of blankets on the love seat (which let's face it, belongs to the cats). But she has no dedicated bed of her own. She's never really shown an interest in having one. She's usually pretty content with sleeping on the floor, my neck, my bed, a pile of paper on the floor, or any old cardboard box that she can fit into.
But now that Cuddles has a new bed and Stowa's stuff has been filtering in, she's taken a sudden interest in their stuff. As seen here:
She's been sleeping in the bouncy chair since it was put together. I can't blame her, it does look awfully comfy. And she fits in it pretty well. Part of me thinks that I shouldn't let her sit in it. But then I can't come up with a single valid reason why she shouldn't sit in it. But what about when the baby gets here? I may occasionally want to put the baby in the bouncy chair. But Patches looks so cute sitting there and I feel bad kicking her out. I don't want her to resent the baby.
So I'm thinking about buying another chair. For my cat.
Now the problem is that I feel bad that Patches didn't get a new bed. She doesn't have a bed at all. Sure she has the cat tree. And a pile of blankets on the love seat (which let's face it, belongs to the cats). But she has no dedicated bed of her own. She's never really shown an interest in having one. She's usually pretty content with sleeping on the floor, my neck, my bed, a pile of paper on the floor, or any old cardboard box that she can fit into.
But now that Cuddles has a new bed and Stowa's stuff has been filtering in, she's taken a sudden interest in their stuff. As seen here:
She's been sleeping in the bouncy chair since it was put together. I can't blame her, it does look awfully comfy. And she fits in it pretty well. Part of me thinks that I shouldn't let her sit in it. But then I can't come up with a single valid reason why she shouldn't sit in it. But what about when the baby gets here? I may occasionally want to put the baby in the bouncy chair. But Patches looks so cute sitting there and I feel bad kicking her out. I don't want her to resent the baby.So I'm thinking about buying another chair. For my cat.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Invasion
The apartment is being invaded by Asian Lady Beetles. It's freaking gross. There are hundreds of these damn things hanging out on the sliding glass doors. A few have managed to find a way in. I guess that it's just that time of year, but it's grossing me out. Bugs usually don't bother me. We have an agreement, they stay outside and they live. They come inside my house and they die. It's win win. But there are just so many of them. I don't want to kill them but I want them off of my door.
The internet says that soapy water will deter them. I'm going to give it a try.
Umm, yeah. That really isn't working out so well. I think I just let in more bugs. If I could go outside without being attacked by these damn things I'd walk to the store to buy bug spray.
The internet says that soapy water will deter them. I'm going to give it a try.
Umm, yeah. That really isn't working out so well. I think I just let in more bugs. If I could go outside without being attacked by these damn things I'd walk to the store to buy bug spray.
Monday, October 19, 2009
I'm in for it now
So I had my first appointment with the doctor that is suppose to deliver Stowa today. As you may remember, I was going to a NP at the PPC up until two weeks ago. I was routinely transferred to the OB because I'm 37 weeks pregnant. Stowa is technically considered full term at this point. She can come at any time now. If she waits for another 5 weeks she's never going to be able to get Patches off of her stuff. It'll be round after round of baby vs. cat for the bouncy chair! Maybe we can get people to place bets on it?
Anyway, I didn't get to choose my new doctor because of stupid insurance issues. When I found out who I had been assigned to I Googled her. Turns out most of her patients haven't liked her. Most of the reviews said that she didn't have the best bedside manner. For the most part the reviews are dead on. She doesn't seem to have much personality. Whatever. The appointment was fast with little to no chit chat. I can handle that.
Everything with Stowa is fine. Still growing as she should be, heartrate was good, and she is still head down. I apparently am fine as well.
However, I did get the H1N1 vaccine today. According to many, many people I shall come down with some terrible disease at any minute. Wait, this might be it right now. Nope, false alarm. Turns out it was just more heartburn. Whew! I am officially part of the "government de-population program" now. I've always wanted to be a part of a conspiracy theory! It's so exciting. I really wish that there was a universal sarcasm font. It would be oh so appropriate for this.
Anyway, I didn't get to choose my new doctor because of stupid insurance issues. When I found out who I had been assigned to I Googled her. Turns out most of her patients haven't liked her. Most of the reviews said that she didn't have the best bedside manner. For the most part the reviews are dead on. She doesn't seem to have much personality. Whatever. The appointment was fast with little to no chit chat. I can handle that.
Everything with Stowa is fine. Still growing as she should be, heartrate was good, and she is still head down. I apparently am fine as well.
However, I did get the H1N1 vaccine today. According to many, many people I shall come down with some terrible disease at any minute. Wait, this might be it right now. Nope, false alarm. Turns out it was just more heartburn. Whew! I am officially part of the "government de-population program" now. I've always wanted to be a part of a conspiracy theory! It's so exciting. I really wish that there was a universal sarcasm font. It would be oh so appropriate for this.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Not liking this
I'm really not liking this. At all. It's cold here. It's only going to get colder. This will be the first winter Itchy and I have had since 2005/2006. I do not care for it. The thought of snow is just gross.
Hibernating sounds like the way to go.
Hibernating sounds like the way to go.
Monday, October 12, 2009
36 weeks
Yep, somehow or another 36 weeks have gone by. It's gone by really fast. Life has sort of been a whirlwind since April. So many changes all at the same time. It's a little overwhelming when I sit back and think about all of it. And it's not at all what we had planned.
Anyway, I've got pictures for you. Here's the 36 week belly.
Here are the other two blankets I made for Stowa. Nothing fancy, but they should be warm. Normally I don't care for the tie together (no sew) fleece blankets. They just aren't my thing. But I had left over fabric and didn't want it to go to waste. And yes, those are cats. The crazy cat lady's baby has 2 cat blankets to match all the cat clothes that she has (Stowa has a lot of clothes with kittens on them).
Let's see, I put together more baby stuff over the weekend. I don't want to freak the cats out with all this baby stuff so I planned to do a little at a time. It worked well with my procrastination plan. Not surprisingly, the cats are more interested in the now empty boxes than the actual baby stuff. Anyway, here's the baby swing (thanks Grandma!) and chair.
Lastly, I can't remember if I posted this before or not. Itchy and I decided that it would be kind of cool to have a solar system mobile for the baby instead of the traditional babyish mobiles. So we bought this do it yourself kit. Let's all remember that I am no artist. I can't even draw decent stick people. But I think this turned out pretty well. We have little glow in the dark stars that we can hang up as well.
Anyway, I've got pictures for you. Here's the 36 week belly.
Here are the other two blankets I made for Stowa. Nothing fancy, but they should be warm. Normally I don't care for the tie together (no sew) fleece blankets. They just aren't my thing. But I had left over fabric and didn't want it to go to waste. And yes, those are cats. The crazy cat lady's baby has 2 cat blankets to match all the cat clothes that she has (Stowa has a lot of clothes with kittens on them).
Let's see, I put together more baby stuff over the weekend. I don't want to freak the cats out with all this baby stuff so I planned to do a little at a time. It worked well with my procrastination plan. Not surprisingly, the cats are more interested in the now empty boxes than the actual baby stuff. Anyway, here's the baby swing (thanks Grandma!) and chair.
Lastly, I can't remember if I posted this before or not. Itchy and I decided that it would be kind of cool to have a solar system mobile for the baby instead of the traditional babyish mobiles. So we bought this do it yourself kit. Let's all remember that I am no artist. I can't even draw decent stick people. But I think this turned out pretty well. We have little glow in the dark stars that we can hang up as well.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Tour
Itchy and I went on the hospital tour today. We did end up being the only ones on the tour. No big surprises, everything was pretty much what I expected. The only thing that I don't really care for was that you have to change rooms after delivery. It's not a huge deal but most newer hospitals keep you in the same room from the time to get there until you are discharged. Moving seems like a hassle but whatever. All the rooms are private which is all that I can really ask for. They really encourage breastfeeding as soon as possible after the birth and have lactation consultants there every day. They have a nursery available but encourage moms to keep their babies with them as much as possible. It's the only hospital in the area (from what I've read) that has a Level III NICU. Obviously I don't want to use the NICU but it's good to know that it's there if we need it.
Let's see, the tour guide basically told Itchy that his role will be to do whatever I want and need. She also said that my idea of laboring at home for as long as possible, not having people hanging around in the waiting room, etc were good ideas. Not that Itchy disagreed with that stuff, but it's good for him to hear it from someone other than me.
Itchy and I also talked about the whole grandparents visiting after Stowa arrives ordeal. And yes it will be an ordeal. His parents are so unpredictable. My mom has asked what we wanted her to do. She's also (much, much) more likely to be helpful around here than Itchy's mom. In an ideal world, I want the first day or two at home to just be Itchy, Stowa, the cats, and I. Then my mom would be here for about a week. After that, Itchy's mom and dad will come for up to a week (I'm sure they'll want to stay longer than that but seriously, one week is more than enough).
Reality is that Itchy's mom will pull the "I'm dying" card (which she is, but it's not like waiting for a week is going to make a huge difference. If it were, I'd make damn sure she got to meet her granddaughter). She's made comments that she wants to be here for the birth. I don't know if she's planning on trying that but I wouldn't put it past her. That would just suck. What the hell are they going to do before the baby is born? Sit on my couch and wait for me to go into labor? Yeah, that won't be awkward. So let's say that Itchy can talk them into waiting until after the baby is born. They are going to want to be here *right* away. I'd rather not be recovering from child birth with his parents trying to help. I'm guessing his mom's idea of helping will be holding the baby, bashing the cloth diapers, and trying to sneak in formula. Want to be helpful? Do the dishes. Not to mention that I'm not really cool with breastfeeding in front of Itchy's mom and dad. But really, who knows what is going to happen? You just can't predict crazy. Maybe they'll get here and be really respectful and helpful. Maybe they won't make me uncomfortable. Maybe they won't just want to sit at my house 24/7 without giving Itchy and I time alone to figure out this whole parenting thing. Maybe I'll be on such strong medication that I won't even notice that they are here.
Let's see, the tour guide basically told Itchy that his role will be to do whatever I want and need. She also said that my idea of laboring at home for as long as possible, not having people hanging around in the waiting room, etc were good ideas. Not that Itchy disagreed with that stuff, but it's good for him to hear it from someone other than me.
Itchy and I also talked about the whole grandparents visiting after Stowa arrives ordeal. And yes it will be an ordeal. His parents are so unpredictable. My mom has asked what we wanted her to do. She's also (much, much) more likely to be helpful around here than Itchy's mom. In an ideal world, I want the first day or two at home to just be Itchy, Stowa, the cats, and I. Then my mom would be here for about a week. After that, Itchy's mom and dad will come for up to a week (I'm sure they'll want to stay longer than that but seriously, one week is more than enough).
Reality is that Itchy's mom will pull the "I'm dying" card (which she is, but it's not like waiting for a week is going to make a huge difference. If it were, I'd make damn sure she got to meet her granddaughter). She's made comments that she wants to be here for the birth. I don't know if she's planning on trying that but I wouldn't put it past her. That would just suck. What the hell are they going to do before the baby is born? Sit on my couch and wait for me to go into labor? Yeah, that won't be awkward. So let's say that Itchy can talk them into waiting until after the baby is born. They are going to want to be here *right* away. I'd rather not be recovering from child birth with his parents trying to help. I'm guessing his mom's idea of helping will be holding the baby, bashing the cloth diapers, and trying to sneak in formula. Want to be helpful? Do the dishes. Not to mention that I'm not really cool with breastfeeding in front of Itchy's mom and dad. But really, who knows what is going to happen? You just can't predict crazy. Maybe they'll get here and be really respectful and helpful. Maybe they won't make me uncomfortable. Maybe they won't just want to sit at my house 24/7 without giving Itchy and I time alone to figure out this whole parenting thing. Maybe I'll be on such strong medication that I won't even notice that they are here.
Friday, October 9, 2009
One more thing done
It hasn't exactly been the most productive week. This was Itchy's first week back to school after having the last 6 weeks off. It was weird not having him here. At least for the first couple of days. The cats and I are back into our normal routine. Or close to it. They seem to want to snuggle a lot more these days. Patches in particular. Cuddles has always been a lap cat (he's in my lap as I type). Patches wants to be held a lot more often. The three of us spent a good hour this afternoon just snuggling on the couch this afternoon. This really isn't a bad way to spend the day. In fact, I highly recommend it.
Anyway, one of the things on my to do list was to schedule a tour of the hospital. Having never been to the hospitals around here, I thought it was probably a good idea. Since I didn't know which hospital I'd be going to until last week (when I finally got my insurance figured out), I couldn't really schedule this until now. So tomorrow I'm going on a private tour of the labor and delivery unit at the hospital. The hospital does scheduled tours twice a month. You have to sign up to go on the tour. Apparently, no one else has signed up so I'll be the only one on the tour. At least I can be sure that my questions will be answered.
Anyway, one of the things on my to do list was to schedule a tour of the hospital. Having never been to the hospitals around here, I thought it was probably a good idea. Since I didn't know which hospital I'd be going to until last week (when I finally got my insurance figured out), I couldn't really schedule this until now. So tomorrow I'm going on a private tour of the labor and delivery unit at the hospital. The hospital does scheduled tours twice a month. You have to sign up to go on the tour. Apparently, no one else has signed up so I'll be the only one on the tour. At least I can be sure that my questions will be answered.
Monday, October 5, 2009
For Pete's sake, another one
Yes I had ANOTHER appointment yesterday. I wish I could just call it in. I'm pretty sure that I can take my own blood pressure. I can also tell them that yes, I do have mild swelling. I could have taken the "signs of labor quiz" over the phone (I passed the quiz by the way, Itchy totally failed when I asked him the same questions last night). The only thing I really needed to be there for was the flu shot I got, but honestly, it would have been easier to just walk over to Walgreens. I think I start my weekly appointments now. This was also my last appointment at the PPC. I'm being transferred to the OB that is suppose to deliver Stowa. Don't worry, it's not because there is anything wrong. It's just the policy at the PPC. Preggos get transferred at 36 weeks. Which is next week for me. No one needs to start calling to ask if I'm in labor.
Anyway, I've got pictures for you. Nothing all that exciting, but it's better than me just bitching about my heartburn (have I told you how bad it's been lately? It's terrible!).
Here is Stowa's dresser. It's a re-purposed entertainment center. Itchy and I bought it off of Craig's list (it came with our living room furniture) when we first moved here. We later bought a TV that was way too big to fit inside of the entertainment center. Since it was just sitting around, I thought we'd make it useful.
Obviously, I've got some folding to do. My organization skills are sub par. Not to mention that I haven't actually taken tags off or washed any of her stuff. I had a "what if Stowa is a boy" moment a few weeks ago and haven't yet been able to cut tags off.
I told you Stowa had a place to sleep. I know it may not look like the tent is on there very securely, but it is. Besides the cats have not shown any interest in it at all (despite the fact that Patches is in the picture with the Pack N Play and the dresser).
This is one of the blankets that I made for Stowa. I haven't taken pictures of the other two yet.
Sorry, Blogger won't let me rotate the picture. But since the little birds are facing every which way, it doesn't really matter.
That's pretty much it. I'm working my way down the "To Do" list. Since I'm at a point where it involves making phone calls and having to interact with people, I'm doing my best to put it off. I don't feel like talking to stupid people at this point. I also hate making phone calls. Email is so much easier. Did I mention that involves insurance? I hate dealing with insurance. It's stupid and no one ever gives me a straight answer.
Anyway, I've got pictures for you. Nothing all that exciting, but it's better than me just bitching about my heartburn (have I told you how bad it's been lately? It's terrible!).
Here is Stowa's dresser. It's a re-purposed entertainment center. Itchy and I bought it off of Craig's list (it came with our living room furniture) when we first moved here. We later bought a TV that was way too big to fit inside of the entertainment center. Since it was just sitting around, I thought we'd make it useful.
Obviously, I've got some folding to do. My organization skills are sub par. Not to mention that I haven't actually taken tags off or washed any of her stuff. I had a "what if Stowa is a boy" moment a few weeks ago and haven't yet been able to cut tags off.
I told you Stowa had a place to sleep. I know it may not look like the tent is on there very securely, but it is. Besides the cats have not shown any interest in it at all (despite the fact that Patches is in the picture with the Pack N Play and the dresser).
This is one of the blankets that I made for Stowa. I haven't taken pictures of the other two yet.
Sorry, Blogger won't let me rotate the picture. But since the little birds are facing every which way, it doesn't really matter.
That's pretty much it. I'm working my way down the "To Do" list. Since I'm at a point where it involves making phone calls and having to interact with people, I'm doing my best to put it off. I don't feel like talking to stupid people at this point. I also hate making phone calls. Email is so much easier. Did I mention that involves insurance? I hate dealing with insurance. It's stupid and no one ever gives me a straight answer.
Friday, October 2, 2009
At least she's got a place to sleep
I put my procrastination aside for a little while today. Stowa won't have to sleep in the laundry basket.
The cat proof tent arrived today. The online reviews were mixed as to whether it works with the bassinet portion of the Pack N Play or not. Since we are going to be using the bassinet part of the Pack N Play, I wanted to make sure the tent would work or at least be rigged to work. If it wasn't going to work, I wanted to know now so that I could come up with an alternative.
Well in order to find out if the tent was going to work, I had to put the Pack N Play together. That was easy enough. The tent was a little more difficult and I had to get Itchy to finish it because it just wasn't working for me. Anyway, it's all put together and the tent does indeed work. It may not be attached the way that they recommend attaching it, but it's on there and it keeps the cats out. We even put Patches on top of it and it held her weight.
So for anyone out there that is looking at the Tots in Mind Cozy Indoor/Outdoor Portable Playard Tent and wondering if you can use it with the bassinet, the answer is yes.
The cat proof tent arrived today. The online reviews were mixed as to whether it works with the bassinet portion of the Pack N Play or not. Since we are going to be using the bassinet part of the Pack N Play, I wanted to make sure the tent would work or at least be rigged to work. If it wasn't going to work, I wanted to know now so that I could come up with an alternative.
Well in order to find out if the tent was going to work, I had to put the Pack N Play together. That was easy enough. The tent was a little more difficult and I had to get Itchy to finish it because it just wasn't working for me. Anyway, it's all put together and the tent does indeed work. It may not be attached the way that they recommend attaching it, but it's on there and it keeps the cats out. We even put Patches on top of it and it held her weight.
So for anyone out there that is looking at the Tots in Mind Cozy Indoor/Outdoor Portable Playard Tent and wondering if you can use it with the bassinet, the answer is yes.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
What a day
I was in a car accident today. Totally not my fault either. I was stopped at a red light and some guy rear ended me. It was funny as hell. Seriously, I couldn't stop laughing.
Now it wouldn't have been as funny if the dude hadn't been on a bike, but since he was indeed on a bike (just a regular old bike), it was freaking hilarious.
Yep, a dude on a bike ran into the truck while I was at a red light. I'm ok. The airbags didn't even go off. He on the other hand had some road rash and his bike looked a little dented.
Freaking hilarious.
Now it wouldn't have been as funny if the dude hadn't been on a bike, but since he was indeed on a bike (just a regular old bike), it was freaking hilarious.
Yep, a dude on a bike ran into the truck while I was at a red light. I'm ok. The airbags didn't even go off. He on the other hand had some road rash and his bike looked a little dented.
Freaking hilarious.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Another Appointment
All you do when you are pregnant is go to doctor appointments. Or at least it feels like it. I had another appointment on Thursday. Same old, same old.
Stowa is growing as she is suppose to. My blood pressure was high at the beginning of the appointment but when they redid it at the end it was normal. I've been told to be on the lookout for swelling. They didn't really say what to do if I had swelling but if it's like any other pregnancy issue I'm probably just suppose to lay down (on my left side) and drink more water. We also talked about my anxiety issues but I'm told that it's normal. I disagree.
The great and powerful "To Do" list is a little shorter after this week. I got Stowa's "dresser" done. Instead of buying a dresser we re-purposed something we already had. It worked out pretty well and the price was right. I finished two of the baby blankets I was making. Nothing fancy, but they turned out cute.
I probably would have gotten more done last week but I've been distracted. There's a lot going on. To top it all off, Cuddles has been limping for almost a week. We were hoping that it was just a spider bite (we've had a few spiders in the apartment recently) but we can't find a bite mark. I shaved her arm to get a better look, but still nothing. Now she looks like she has a peg leg. She won't tell me where it hurts either. It's her cancer arm which makes me worry. Itchy wants to give it another couple days before we haul her off to a vet.
Stowa is growing as she is suppose to. My blood pressure was high at the beginning of the appointment but when they redid it at the end it was normal. I've been told to be on the lookout for swelling. They didn't really say what to do if I had swelling but if it's like any other pregnancy issue I'm probably just suppose to lay down (on my left side) and drink more water. We also talked about my anxiety issues but I'm told that it's normal. I disagree.
The great and powerful "To Do" list is a little shorter after this week. I got Stowa's "dresser" done. Instead of buying a dresser we re-purposed something we already had. It worked out pretty well and the price was right. I finished two of the baby blankets I was making. Nothing fancy, but they turned out cute.
I probably would have gotten more done last week but I've been distracted. There's a lot going on. To top it all off, Cuddles has been limping for almost a week. We were hoping that it was just a spider bite (we've had a few spiders in the apartment recently) but we can't find a bite mark. I shaved her arm to get a better look, but still nothing. Now she looks like she has a peg leg. She won't tell me where it hurts either. It's her cancer arm which makes me worry. Itchy wants to give it another couple days before we haul her off to a vet.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Surgery
Itchy's mom is having surgery tomorrow. Stupid cancer. Any positive thoughts that you can send her way are appreciated.
ETA: As far as we know (only talked to Itchy's dad-he's unreliable at best) the surgery went well. The entire kidney and tumor have been removed and they didn't see any other signs of the cancer spreading.
ETA: As far as we know (only talked to Itchy's dad-he's unreliable at best) the surgery went well. The entire kidney and tumor have been removed and they didn't see any other signs of the cancer spreading.
48 days
So my due date is 48 days away. Why is it that 7 weeks sound like forever but 48 days makes me hyperventilate (just a little)?
My slacker ways have got to come to an end. That "To Do" list I made weeks ago really hasn't seen much change. By the end of the week I swear I will have at least one thing crossed off.
When is this whole 'nesting' thing suppose to kick in? Out of all the symptoms of pregnancy, why couldn't I have that one?
My slacker ways have got to come to an end. That "To Do" list I made weeks ago really hasn't seen much change. By the end of the week I swear I will have at least one thing crossed off.
When is this whole 'nesting' thing suppose to kick in? Out of all the symptoms of pregnancy, why couldn't I have that one?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Planned procrastination
Itchy and I were going to set the crib up this week. It's still currently sitting in the living room. Since it's leaning up against the (cat's) love seat the cats have used it as a fort. They like it.
However, our plan to set it up has been put on the back burner. I've resorted to planning our procrastination. So much easier than actually doing this stuff.
Now I just need to get Itchy to move it into the other room so that it's out of sight, out of mind.
ETA: Don't worry, Stowa will have a safe place to sleep. We have a bassinet thingy that she will be sleeping in at first. I will get Itchy to set that up as soon as I find a tent for it. Apparently, to keep the cats out we need to put tents up over everything. It'd be easier to just put Stowa in a bubble.
However, our plan to set it up has been put on the back burner. I've resorted to planning our procrastination. So much easier than actually doing this stuff.
Now I just need to get Itchy to move it into the other room so that it's out of sight, out of mind.
ETA: Don't worry, Stowa will have a safe place to sleep. We have a bassinet thingy that she will be sleeping in at first. I will get Itchy to set that up as soon as I find a tent for it. Apparently, to keep the cats out we need to put tents up over everything. It'd be easier to just put Stowa in a bubble.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sorry
I'm really glad that you don't have to tip the UPS delivery man. Or are you? Crap. Now I'm going to feel really bad if I was suppose to tip him. I'll be looking that one up on their website later.
Anyway, a lot of the larger baby items have been delivered via UPS. Not everything is that heavy but it does come in awkwardly sized boxes. Pretty much every time something gets delivered, I think about how glad I am that I didn't have to carry it up the stairs. Not that I would have, since that would fall under the category of "Itchy's job", but you know what I mean.
I felt really bad for the UPS guy today though. Poor guy (I wish he would wear a name tag, I like to know people's names) had to carry the crib upstairs today. A very heavy crib. Without any help. If there was ever a day to tip UPS guy, today would have been the day.
But you have no idea how happy I am that I didn't have to deal with it.
Anyway, a lot of the larger baby items have been delivered via UPS. Not everything is that heavy but it does come in awkwardly sized boxes. Pretty much every time something gets delivered, I think about how glad I am that I didn't have to carry it up the stairs. Not that I would have, since that would fall under the category of "Itchy's job", but you know what I mean.
I felt really bad for the UPS guy today though. Poor guy (I wish he would wear a name tag, I like to know people's names) had to carry the crib upstairs today. A very heavy crib. Without any help. If there was ever a day to tip UPS guy, today would have been the day.
But you have no idea how happy I am that I didn't have to deal with it.
Monday, September 14, 2009
32 weeks
I'm 32 weeks pregnant today. I'm already uncomfortable so the thought of 8 more weeks (at least, since most first babies are late) sounds umm, less than thrilling. My "To Do" list hasn't changed much so I guess I'll be passing the time trying to accomplish that stuff.
Here's the belly picture from today:
I'm wearing the same shirt that I wore in the 28 week picture for continuity's sake. It doesn't look like I have legs in this picture but I still do. I'm just wearing black shorts today.
I'm also going to add a couple of other pictures. Be prepared for the cuteness. It's overwhelming.
Here are the blankets that my mom made for Stowa:
Those blankets are so freaking cute and soft. Totally love them.
Here's the belly picture from today:
I'm wearing the same shirt that I wore in the 28 week picture for continuity's sake. It doesn't look like I have legs in this picture but I still do. I'm just wearing black shorts today.I'm also going to add a couple of other pictures. Be prepared for the cuteness. It's overwhelming.
Here are the blankets that my mom made for Stowa:
Those blankets are so freaking cute and soft. Totally love them.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The details you've all been waiting for
Honestly, by this point I've forgotten most of the trip. But here are a few highlights!
Friday night when we arrived at Itchy's parents house we were immediately told that we were causing his dad to have a severe (rolling my eyes) allergic reaction since we were covered in cat hair. There were fake sniffles, imaginary watery eyes, and everything. His dad may be mildly allergic to cats but he was being dramatic. Once he *thought* that we had showered and changed, the symptoms were gone. Magic! Both of Itchy's brothers and their wives came over that night too. It was the first time everyone had all been together. It was interesting.
I think Itchy, Itchy's mom, and I went shopping for baby stuff. His mom loves to shop. I'm ok with it, but I hate getting ripped off. So when his mom was set on shopping at Baby Gap, I was cringing on the inside. I can find clothes that are just as cute at Target for a lot less money. I didn't see anything there that I had to have, but what can I say, I'm cheap! Itchy and his mom picked out a pair of shoes though. $30 for one pair of baby shoes! I don't even like spending that much on my shoes. I'm guessing they'll be returned for something more practical!
We also went to Target and got a few necessities. His mom and I also had our first disagreement in the middle of Target. That was fun! His mom suggested that we stock up on diapers and when I told her that we are going to use cloth diapers, she threw a minor tantrum. She acted as if it were the most absurd thing we could ever do. I tried to be diplomatic about our choice but she was adamant that it was stupid. Itchy, of course, said nothing. Thanks for backing me up jerk!
We spent some time with friends that night at a pre-fantasy football draft party. Silly drunk boys. On Sunday we spent most of the day at the fantasy football draft. Good lord that was boring. They need organization and a time limit. Hanging out with friends afterwards was fun though!
Monday we went shopping again. This time it was because Itchy told his mom that I needed maternity clothes. I could have punched him. So we went and bought maternity clothes. And his mom made me feel like a freak. She was looking at one of the shirts that I tried on and made a comment about the sleeves being made for giants. She wondered who could ever even wear a shirt like that. Umm, guess what? When I tried that shirt on, the sleeves were too short. Like 3 inches too short.
Tuesday was the day that Itchy and I went the the State Fair! That was fun but all the walking made me sore and swollen. We did run into a friend of Itchy's though. They somehow ended up playing a game of football with 2 other random guys though. It was pretty funny and not that weird if you know Itchy's friend. We also went to Itchy's oldest brother's house that night. I got to meet his daughters for the first time. They are pretty excited about having a new cousin. They had lots of questions and were pretty chatty.
Wednesday: Itchy's mom had a bunch of friends over. They all speak Urdu. I don't. I have no idea what was being said but I'm pretty sure they were talking about me. After they left, you guessed it, more shopping! Itchy's mom had a coupon for a baby store and they were having a sale. We got a lot of cute stuff. This kid has a ton of clothes now. Between my mom and Itchy's mom, I think we could dress triplets! We also went to a friends softball game that night. They lost both of their games but it was fun to watch. It made Itchy miss flag football a lot.
Thursday we spent the day with Itchy's mom and dad. You may notice that Itchy's dad really hasn't been mentioned much. It's because he has no interest in me or the baby. Anyway, Itchy's mom had a couple of doctors appointments so we went with to those. I thought it was weird, but she asked us to go with so we did. When we were in the waiting room of the cancer clinic Itchy and I saw the most hilarious crazy person. I'll tell you more about him some other time, but he totally made me laugh.
Friday, after a tearful goodbye, we drove up to see my family. Traffic was terrible. We sat on interstate for 2 hours. Not moving at all. It was incredibly annoying. But we finally got to my mom's house. Everyone was there waiting for us! They were all pretty excited to see the belly. And Itchy. And the cats. They haven't seen Itchy or the cats since before we moved to The Island.
Saturday my aunt and grandma drove up to see us. My mom went nuts and made a huge meal for everyone. Lots of pictures were taken. Games were played. It was a fun day!
Sunday Itchy, my sister and her 2 kids went to my other sister's lake. The kids got to swim and Itchy and I got to fish. I caught more fish than anyone else. Take that Itchy! Itchy fished well past dark. If I had not gone to get him, I think he would have fished all night. He wasn't even catching anything but he didn't want to quit.
Monday morning my mom took us out for breakfast and then to buy a baby book. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at her house. Since Itchy and I had to leave that afternoon, my sisters and nieces came over and we all hung out there. I wish we could have spent more time there but we had to get back here because I had a doctor's appointment.
Overall, it wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be with Itchy's mom but it wasn't exactly relaxing. She's pretty freaking sick right now and that was hard to watch. Since she was a pediatrician she had plenty of advice to give me, but some of the things she told me are just plain wrong. She clearly disagrees with some of our/my decisions. I didn't want to argue with her though. I'll deal with that when I have to. She also kept calling the baby by the name that she picked out. She told a lot of her friends that it was the baby's name. She really didn't ask if we had decided on that name, she just assumed that it is the name we are using. I avoided that subject as much as possible and was vague when confronted (there was a lot of "we're still thinking about names"). Itchy also got very quiet when names were brought up. It's weird, he'll confront his mom about anything else but when it comes to baby stuff, he has nothing to say.
Tomorrow I will try to get a new belly picture up.
Friday night when we arrived at Itchy's parents house we were immediately told that we were causing his dad to have a severe (rolling my eyes) allergic reaction since we were covered in cat hair. There were fake sniffles, imaginary watery eyes, and everything. His dad may be mildly allergic to cats but he was being dramatic. Once he *thought* that we had showered and changed, the symptoms were gone. Magic! Both of Itchy's brothers and their wives came over that night too. It was the first time everyone had all been together. It was interesting.
I think Itchy, Itchy's mom, and I went shopping for baby stuff. His mom loves to shop. I'm ok with it, but I hate getting ripped off. So when his mom was set on shopping at Baby Gap, I was cringing on the inside. I can find clothes that are just as cute at Target for a lot less money. I didn't see anything there that I had to have, but what can I say, I'm cheap! Itchy and his mom picked out a pair of shoes though. $30 for one pair of baby shoes! I don't even like spending that much on my shoes. I'm guessing they'll be returned for something more practical!
We also went to Target and got a few necessities. His mom and I also had our first disagreement in the middle of Target. That was fun! His mom suggested that we stock up on diapers and when I told her that we are going to use cloth diapers, she threw a minor tantrum. She acted as if it were the most absurd thing we could ever do. I tried to be diplomatic about our choice but she was adamant that it was stupid. Itchy, of course, said nothing. Thanks for backing me up jerk!
We spent some time with friends that night at a pre-fantasy football draft party. Silly drunk boys. On Sunday we spent most of the day at the fantasy football draft. Good lord that was boring. They need organization and a time limit. Hanging out with friends afterwards was fun though!
Monday we went shopping again. This time it was because Itchy told his mom that I needed maternity clothes. I could have punched him. So we went and bought maternity clothes. And his mom made me feel like a freak. She was looking at one of the shirts that I tried on and made a comment about the sleeves being made for giants. She wondered who could ever even wear a shirt like that. Umm, guess what? When I tried that shirt on, the sleeves were too short. Like 3 inches too short.
Tuesday was the day that Itchy and I went the the State Fair! That was fun but all the walking made me sore and swollen. We did run into a friend of Itchy's though. They somehow ended up playing a game of football with 2 other random guys though. It was pretty funny and not that weird if you know Itchy's friend. We also went to Itchy's oldest brother's house that night. I got to meet his daughters for the first time. They are pretty excited about having a new cousin. They had lots of questions and were pretty chatty.
Wednesday: Itchy's mom had a bunch of friends over. They all speak Urdu. I don't. I have no idea what was being said but I'm pretty sure they were talking about me. After they left, you guessed it, more shopping! Itchy's mom had a coupon for a baby store and they were having a sale. We got a lot of cute stuff. This kid has a ton of clothes now. Between my mom and Itchy's mom, I think we could dress triplets! We also went to a friends softball game that night. They lost both of their games but it was fun to watch. It made Itchy miss flag football a lot.
Thursday we spent the day with Itchy's mom and dad. You may notice that Itchy's dad really hasn't been mentioned much. It's because he has no interest in me or the baby. Anyway, Itchy's mom had a couple of doctors appointments so we went with to those. I thought it was weird, but she asked us to go with so we did. When we were in the waiting room of the cancer clinic Itchy and I saw the most hilarious crazy person. I'll tell you more about him some other time, but he totally made me laugh.
Friday, after a tearful goodbye, we drove up to see my family. Traffic was terrible. We sat on interstate for 2 hours. Not moving at all. It was incredibly annoying. But we finally got to my mom's house. Everyone was there waiting for us! They were all pretty excited to see the belly. And Itchy. And the cats. They haven't seen Itchy or the cats since before we moved to The Island.
Saturday my aunt and grandma drove up to see us. My mom went nuts and made a huge meal for everyone. Lots of pictures were taken. Games were played. It was a fun day!
Sunday Itchy, my sister and her 2 kids went to my other sister's lake. The kids got to swim and Itchy and I got to fish. I caught more fish than anyone else. Take that Itchy! Itchy fished well past dark. If I had not gone to get him, I think he would have fished all night. He wasn't even catching anything but he didn't want to quit.
Monday morning my mom took us out for breakfast and then to buy a baby book. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at her house. Since Itchy and I had to leave that afternoon, my sisters and nieces came over and we all hung out there. I wish we could have spent more time there but we had to get back here because I had a doctor's appointment.
Overall, it wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be with Itchy's mom but it wasn't exactly relaxing. She's pretty freaking sick right now and that was hard to watch. Since she was a pediatrician she had plenty of advice to give me, but some of the things she told me are just plain wrong. She clearly disagrees with some of our/my decisions. I didn't want to argue with her though. I'll deal with that when I have to. She also kept calling the baby by the name that she picked out. She told a lot of her friends that it was the baby's name. She really didn't ask if we had decided on that name, she just assumed that it is the name we are using. I avoided that subject as much as possible and was vague when confronted (there was a lot of "we're still thinking about names"). Itchy also got very quiet when names were brought up. It's weird, he'll confront his mom about anything else but when it comes to baby stuff, he has nothing to say.
Tomorrow I will try to get a new belly picture up.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Bargain!!
Ever since Itchy and I moved here, I have been looking for a small grill. Since it's just the 2 of us we don't need anything big and I really wanted something that could be used for future tailgating.
I saw a few that would have worked but I didn't like the prices. Of course, given that it was summer (aka grilling season) retailers had jacked up their prices in response to the demand.
Now that Labor Day has passed I was keeping my eyes open for clearance sales. I totally hit the jackpot on Thursday. Itchy and I went to buy groceries and as we were making our way to the checkout we passed by their clearance table. What was on that table?
This:
It was at the bargain price of $6! It pretty much kicks ass.
I saw a few that would have worked but I didn't like the prices. Of course, given that it was summer (aka grilling season) retailers had jacked up their prices in response to the demand.
Now that Labor Day has passed I was keeping my eyes open for clearance sales. I totally hit the jackpot on Thursday. Itchy and I went to buy groceries and as we were making our way to the checkout we passed by their clearance table. What was on that table?
This:
It was at the bargain price of $6! It pretty much kicks ass.
Friday, September 11, 2009
9-11-01
I think everyone is aware of the date today. It's hard to believe that it was 8 years ago already. No one has forgotten or will ever forget that horrific day.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Updates
Itchy and I are back at home. The drive took forever and the cats weren't happy with it. But we all survived and don't have to do it again until January.
I had a doctor's appointment today (which is why we ended our trip when we did, I think we both would have liked to stay a little longer). Little Stowa is measuring as she should be, still head down, and has her butt jammed into my liver. This was the first appointment that Itchy was able to go to, so he finally got to hear her heart beat. It did not move him to tears. Nor did I expect it to. My blood pressure was better this time too.
After my appointment Itchy and I went shopping. We decided to wrap up the baby shopping. After being given so much stuff (our families have given us a lot!!) there wasn't much left that we needed. Our list of necessities is done. I got most of it on sale or had a coupon for most of it too. Of course, I kind of thought that stores would have some kind of Labor Day sales, which is why I waited to buy stuff like the crib. I need to sort though everything once more and make sure we have everything we need but I do believe that we are ready. Now we just have to put things together.
I had a doctor's appointment today (which is why we ended our trip when we did, I think we both would have liked to stay a little longer). Little Stowa is measuring as she should be, still head down, and has her butt jammed into my liver. This was the first appointment that Itchy was able to go to, so he finally got to hear her heart beat. It did not move him to tears. Nor did I expect it to. My blood pressure was better this time too.
After my appointment Itchy and I went shopping. We decided to wrap up the baby shopping. After being given so much stuff (our families have given us a lot!!) there wasn't much left that we needed. Our list of necessities is done. I got most of it on sale or had a coupon for most of it too. Of course, I kind of thought that stores would have some kind of Labor Day sales, which is why I waited to buy stuff like the crib. I need to sort though everything once more and make sure we have everything we need but I do believe that we are ready. Now we just have to put things together.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Details will have to wait
Visiting family and friends is a lot of work. We haven't had much down time. The stories are there though. We'll talk about it next week.
We did go to the REAL State Fair though! Fun fact: Itchy got a hug from a stranger at the fair.
We did go to the REAL State Fair though! Fun fact: Itchy got a hug from a stranger at the fair.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Freaking sad
Itchy's mom is really sick. This sucks. A lot. It hurts to watch her like this. It hurts even more to watch Itchy watch his mom like this.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Checking things off the list
Since Itchy's got some time off right now, we've got a few things checked off the "To Do" list. Once we get back from our road trip we'll really get focused and get things ready.
Speaking of the road trip, both of the cats are coming with us. There's no one here that has enough (any) free time to stop by here and check on them and we can't board Patches. So they get to come with. It'll make things more interesting for sure. Oddly enough, they both have eye infections right now but only in their left eyes. It's weird. They both started signs yesterday. I think it's a conspiracy. So not only do they get to go on a road trip but they get to be medicated for almost the entire time we'll be gone. Good times.
I had my glucose tolerance test yesterday. I had been told that the sugary drink is terrible but it really wasn't that bad. It tasted like concentrated Sprite. Sitting there for an hour was boring as hell, but I forgot to bring my book so it was my fault. There was an interesting conversation between some woman and a records clerk. But I think you had to be there to really appreciate it. I didn't find out the results of the test though which seems weird to me since they should have just been able to use a glucose meter and have results within seconds. Oh well.
Speaking of the road trip, both of the cats are coming with us. There's no one here that has enough (any) free time to stop by here and check on them and we can't board Patches. So they get to come with. It'll make things more interesting for sure. Oddly enough, they both have eye infections right now but only in their left eyes. It's weird. They both started signs yesterday. I think it's a conspiracy. So not only do they get to go on a road trip but they get to be medicated for almost the entire time we'll be gone. Good times.
I had my glucose tolerance test yesterday. I had been told that the sugary drink is terrible but it really wasn't that bad. It tasted like concentrated Sprite. Sitting there for an hour was boring as hell, but I forgot to bring my book so it was my fault. There was an interesting conversation between some woman and a records clerk. But I think you had to be there to really appreciate it. I didn't find out the results of the test though which seems weird to me since they should have just been able to use a glucose meter and have results within seconds. Oh well.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Travel Restrictions be damned
Last week Itchy's mom had what was suppose to be a routine "you finished your chemo, let's just make sure you're still in remission" CT scan. Except instead of getting another all clear, they found a mass. The biopsy that was done this week confirmed the worst. The cancer is back and has spread.
We'll be taking a little trip up there to see her soon.
We'll be taking a little trip up there to see her soon.
Friday, August 21, 2009
I thought that was for the baby
Yeah so the car seat was delivered today. Cuddles naturally assumed that it was for him and jumped right it. He was not interested in the fact that he was in it wrong and that the harness was suppose to go over him, not under him.
Patches* wasn't quite sure what to think of it. She needed to inspect it first.
Being the expert that she is, she quickly determined that it was a suitable place to sit. And she made herself quite comfy.
*Yes, I am aware that she is a big fat blob.
Patches* wasn't quite sure what to think of it. She needed to inspect it first.
Being the expert that she is, she quickly determined that it was a suitable place to sit. And she made herself quite comfy.
*Yes, I am aware that she is a big fat blob.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Fair
Well, the State Fair wasn't quite what I expected. Much smaller and a lot less people. That probably had something to do with the weather report, as it called for thunderstorms all day. The weather actually turned out to be fine. Not too hot and not raining.
I think I over did it a little though. My sciatic nerve has been tied in a knot and is killing me. I'll post more about the fair later (tomorrow).
ETA:
Like I said yesterday, the State Fair was not the Great Get Together that I am used to. First of all, the fair is all about the food. Particularly about food on sticks. It's tradition. You go to the fair and eat food on a stick. The second greatest part of the fair is the free stuff. Everyone is giving away something. You can walk out of there with bags and bags of free stuff. Pens, pencils, water, buttons, bumper stickers, your name written in Brail, key chains, yard sticks, hats, water bottles, the Pickle Lady's autograph, etc. It's fun to hunt for all the free stuff.
This state fair had very little food on a stick. Hardly any in fact. Not much food selection either. There wasn't much in the way of free stuff either. I really had to hunt for that. It was still fun though. We were running a little late and couldn't find the building Itchy needed to be in, but we eventually got him there. He was only a little late, so not a big deal. They invited me in the back so I hung out back there until the first surgery. The doctor that had volunteered to be there didn't let Itchy do a damn thing, but he was a large animal guy and a pretty experienced one at that, so it didn't surprise me at all. It would have been nice if Itchy had been allowed to do anything, but whatever.
The first surgery was a neuter. So it took all of five minutes. Not really, but the doc took his sweet ass time and explained every detail and it was still over in about 10 minutes. After that Itchy and I walked around a bit. Looked for tasty food but I wasn't really hungry and nothing looked good. Itchy had a steak sandwich from the Cattle Association which he said was really good. We also had roasted corn which was pretty tasty.
We walked through the barns but really, they weren't that great. The cow barn was empty. In fact, I only saw one cow all day ( a super cute baby Jersey). The pigs are too smelly so we skipped them. The horses were great but it must have been Belgian Draft Horse day because that's all that was there. They were fun to look at but they are some huge freaking horses. The sheep barn was full of Suffolk sheep.
We also went to the Horticulture building but that was not that impressive. Even the giant pumpkins didn't look that big. Eh. We tasted some Honey Ice Cream. It was kind of gross. After that Itchy had to get back to prepare for the second surgery. All of the exciting stuff happened after Itchy went back.
I went to the Home and Arts building. There were some amazing quilts in there. The art work was pretty cool too. After that I walked to the other side of the fair grounds. I walked passed a stand where you could get a henna tattoo. I had no interest in it but the elderly Indian woman that was doing the tattoos really wanted to put one on my belly. Even though I declined she was very nice.
I went through the DNR building, which was nicely air conditioned, and looked at the aquariums. I talked to a DNR employee and asked for fishing recommendations but they could only suggest places that I already knew about.
I walked through the FFA building and determined that FFA is the same no matter where you are. The only difference was how many people are involved. Around here there are way more participants.
There were lots of vendors along the way but I had no need for straw hats, leather wallets, and fleece blankets for the local NFL team. I did stop for a Lemonade Shakeup though. I figured it must be tasty since every food stand was selling it. Turns out it's not very good. I was expecting something like partially frozen lemonade. It was more like sugar water with a slice of lemon in it. Given that people here love their sweet tea (IE sugar water with a splash of tea), this was not a surprise to me.
Then I hit the jackpot and found what I like to call the Free Food building. They were just giving away samples of foods grown in the state. They had a ton of stuff. I didn't even try everything (a lot of pork products are made here) but left there feeling full. Probably since they gave me two huge things of ice cold watermelon. Mmm.. watermelon.
Since Itchy wanted to get back to school as soon as he could (they were really busy and one of his patients was having surgery) he asked me to be back before the second surgery was done. As I was walking back across the fairgrounds I saw an old man fall and hit his head on the curb. He had a pretty good size laceration on his forehead that was bleeding a lot. A fair employee happened to be close by and after he was told what happened, he called for first aid. Surprisingly, of the dozens of people that saw what happened, not many offered to do anything. One woman went to alert the fair employee but no one else really did anything but point and gawk. The old man was with another guy in his 30's (I'm guessing it was his son). I went over to offer the old man my water (I had just bought a bottle of cold water, it was not open yet) since the old guy was all sweaty and looked hot. I suggested that the 30ish year old guy help get the old man into the shade. Once the old man was in the shade and the fair guy got there, they both thanked me for the water and then I left. I'm pretty sure the old man had a little case of heat exhaustion.
I got back to the surgery building in time to watch the end of the spay. It really surprised me how many people were grossed out by the surgery. Since I was sitting in the back a few people asked me what they were doing. When I told them, they seemed genuinely disgusted by it. Not necessarily the idea of the spay, but the actual surgery itself. Even people who were sitting there watching it cringed when the doctor was pointing out the ovaries and uterus.
Once Itchy was done with recovery, we had to go. I made him stop for ice cream on the way out. Not that honey flavored crap we had earlier either. The high schoolers running the dairy barn clearly need to be back in school. Not the brightest bunch. Yikes. The ice cream was good though.
That was pretty much it. I have pictures of Itchy in the surgery booth but you can't tell it's him. I doubt he'd want me to post it anyway. I didn't take many pictures because there just wasn't much there.
I think I over did it a little though. My sciatic nerve has been tied in a knot and is killing me. I'll post more about the fair later (tomorrow).
ETA:
Like I said yesterday, the State Fair was not the Great Get Together that I am used to. First of all, the fair is all about the food. Particularly about food on sticks. It's tradition. You go to the fair and eat food on a stick. The second greatest part of the fair is the free stuff. Everyone is giving away something. You can walk out of there with bags and bags of free stuff. Pens, pencils, water, buttons, bumper stickers, your name written in Brail, key chains, yard sticks, hats, water bottles, the Pickle Lady's autograph, etc. It's fun to hunt for all the free stuff.
This state fair had very little food on a stick. Hardly any in fact. Not much food selection either. There wasn't much in the way of free stuff either. I really had to hunt for that. It was still fun though. We were running a little late and couldn't find the building Itchy needed to be in, but we eventually got him there. He was only a little late, so not a big deal. They invited me in the back so I hung out back there until the first surgery. The doctor that had volunteered to be there didn't let Itchy do a damn thing, but he was a large animal guy and a pretty experienced one at that, so it didn't surprise me at all. It would have been nice if Itchy had been allowed to do anything, but whatever.
The first surgery was a neuter. So it took all of five minutes. Not really, but the doc took his sweet ass time and explained every detail and it was still over in about 10 minutes. After that Itchy and I walked around a bit. Looked for tasty food but I wasn't really hungry and nothing looked good. Itchy had a steak sandwich from the Cattle Association which he said was really good. We also had roasted corn which was pretty tasty.
We walked through the barns but really, they weren't that great. The cow barn was empty. In fact, I only saw one cow all day ( a super cute baby Jersey). The pigs are too smelly so we skipped them. The horses were great but it must have been Belgian Draft Horse day because that's all that was there. They were fun to look at but they are some huge freaking horses. The sheep barn was full of Suffolk sheep.
We also went to the Horticulture building but that was not that impressive. Even the giant pumpkins didn't look that big. Eh. We tasted some Honey Ice Cream. It was kind of gross. After that Itchy had to get back to prepare for the second surgery. All of the exciting stuff happened after Itchy went back.
I went to the Home and Arts building. There were some amazing quilts in there. The art work was pretty cool too. After that I walked to the other side of the fair grounds. I walked passed a stand where you could get a henna tattoo. I had no interest in it but the elderly Indian woman that was doing the tattoos really wanted to put one on my belly. Even though I declined she was very nice.
I went through the DNR building, which was nicely air conditioned, and looked at the aquariums. I talked to a DNR employee and asked for fishing recommendations but they could only suggest places that I already knew about.
I walked through the FFA building and determined that FFA is the same no matter where you are. The only difference was how many people are involved. Around here there are way more participants.
There were lots of vendors along the way but I had no need for straw hats, leather wallets, and fleece blankets for the local NFL team. I did stop for a Lemonade Shakeup though. I figured it must be tasty since every food stand was selling it. Turns out it's not very good. I was expecting something like partially frozen lemonade. It was more like sugar water with a slice of lemon in it. Given that people here love their sweet tea (IE sugar water with a splash of tea), this was not a surprise to me.
Then I hit the jackpot and found what I like to call the Free Food building. They were just giving away samples of foods grown in the state. They had a ton of stuff. I didn't even try everything (a lot of pork products are made here) but left there feeling full. Probably since they gave me two huge things of ice cold watermelon. Mmm.. watermelon.
Since Itchy wanted to get back to school as soon as he could (they were really busy and one of his patients was having surgery) he asked me to be back before the second surgery was done. As I was walking back across the fairgrounds I saw an old man fall and hit his head on the curb. He had a pretty good size laceration on his forehead that was bleeding a lot. A fair employee happened to be close by and after he was told what happened, he called for first aid. Surprisingly, of the dozens of people that saw what happened, not many offered to do anything. One woman went to alert the fair employee but no one else really did anything but point and gawk. The old man was with another guy in his 30's (I'm guessing it was his son). I went over to offer the old man my water (I had just bought a bottle of cold water, it was not open yet) since the old guy was all sweaty and looked hot. I suggested that the 30ish year old guy help get the old man into the shade. Once the old man was in the shade and the fair guy got there, they both thanked me for the water and then I left. I'm pretty sure the old man had a little case of heat exhaustion.
I got back to the surgery building in time to watch the end of the spay. It really surprised me how many people were grossed out by the surgery. Since I was sitting in the back a few people asked me what they were doing. When I told them, they seemed genuinely disgusted by it. Not necessarily the idea of the spay, but the actual surgery itself. Even people who were sitting there watching it cringed when the doctor was pointing out the ovaries and uterus.
Once Itchy was done with recovery, we had to go. I made him stop for ice cream on the way out. Not that honey flavored crap we had earlier either. The high schoolers running the dairy barn clearly need to be back in school. Not the brightest bunch. Yikes. The ice cream was good though.
That was pretty much it. I have pictures of Itchy in the surgery booth but you can't tell it's him. I doubt he'd want me to post it anyway. I didn't take many pictures because there just wasn't much there.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Fair Day
I'm going to the Fair tomorrow. I'm going to do my best to remember my camera but don't hold your breath. Even if I remember it chances are the batteries will die and it will be useless.
The weather is suppose to be crappy. And Itchy told me that as soon as his second surgery is done we have to leave because the clinic here is going to be swamped.
I should really go find directions and parking info.
I should also go to bed since I have to get up early.
The weather is suppose to be crappy. And Itchy told me that as soon as his second surgery is done we have to leave because the clinic here is going to be swamped.
I should really go find directions and parking info.
I should also go to bed since I have to get up early.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Stowa the ninja
So Itchy has this theory that Stowa doesn't like him. He believes this to be true because dang near every time he tries to feel her moving she stops. I don't think it has anything to do with her liking him or not. In fact she's usually more active when he's around. But she does stop kicking when he puts his hand on my belly. My explanation is that she is a ninja. Very stealth. Doesn't like to be detected by others. She certainly can kick and punch like a ninja.
Just a few minutes ago Itchy has sleeping with his head on my belly. Don't worry, this is normal for him. He falls asleep anywhere these days. Anyway, Stowa was kicking him in the head the whole time. Undetected by him. Hilarious to me.
She's going to have to do something about the hiccups if she wants to be a ninja though. She gets them all the time. It's hard to be stealth when you have the hiccups.
Just a few minutes ago Itchy has sleeping with his head on my belly. Don't worry, this is normal for him. He falls asleep anywhere these days. Anyway, Stowa was kicking him in the head the whole time. Undetected by him. Hilarious to me.
She's going to have to do something about the hiccups if she wants to be a ninja though. She gets them all the time. It's hard to be stealth when you have the hiccups.
28 weeks
Itchy can finally stop asking me if we're in the 3rd trimester yet. As of today "we" are. To celebrate I made a "To Do" list. Making the list was easier than actually doing any of the things on the list.
ETA: I did get one thing crossed off the list. Car seat has been ordered.
ETA: Here's a pic from Monday.
ETA: I did get one thing crossed off the list. Car seat has been ordered.
ETA: Here's a pic from Monday.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Didn't we all learn this?
Keep your hands to yourself.
Isn't that something that you are taught at a young age? Your hands are full of germs. Almost all of the time. Even if you just washed them. The next thing you touch is probably covered in germs. Which means that your hands are again full of germs.
I'm really not a germaphobe. I'm not afraid to get dirty. You really can't be if you work or live with animals. But I don't go around touching everything either. I keep my hands to myself. I don't need to spread my germs around and I certainly don't need to pick up other people's germs. I keep my hands to myself.
It seems like common sense. So why is it that other people don't do this? Why do they think they should touch everything? They run their hands along the neatly folded towels in a store, they pick up dang near every piece of fruit in the produce department, and they touch people they don't know.
Last week I was at the mall looking for birthday presents for the nieces. I didn't find anything, but that's not the point. While I was browsing an older lady (maybe 50ish?) touched my belly and asked when I was due. Let's get something straight. I was not looking at baby clothes or any other baby stuff. I was not looking at maternity clothes. Nothing to do with pregnancy at all. I was shopping for my soon to be 11 year old niece. Yeah, I look pregnant but not obviously so. Sometimes the shirt I'm wearing has a lot to do with it. I sure as hell wasn't wearing anything that made it terribly obvious (like a Baby-On-Board shirt).
Anyway, so this lady can't keep her hands to herself. She has her hand planted on my belly and asks when I'm due. I turn to her and say I'm not pregnant. She quickly removed her hand and became flustered. I think she may have mumbled something about being sorry. I'm not sure. I just walked away.
Was it mean? Maybe. Was it funny? Hell yes. She was old enough to know better. Don't touch strangers. A good old hand shake aside (in which a hand is offered, not forced) you have no business touching people you don't know. I'm not real happy about people I know touching my belly. I'm certainly not ok with strangers and their germy hands touching me. I really hope that she learned a lesson.
Isn't that something that you are taught at a young age? Your hands are full of germs. Almost all of the time. Even if you just washed them. The next thing you touch is probably covered in germs. Which means that your hands are again full of germs.
I'm really not a germaphobe. I'm not afraid to get dirty. You really can't be if you work or live with animals. But I don't go around touching everything either. I keep my hands to myself. I don't need to spread my germs around and I certainly don't need to pick up other people's germs. I keep my hands to myself.
It seems like common sense. So why is it that other people don't do this? Why do they think they should touch everything? They run their hands along the neatly folded towels in a store, they pick up dang near every piece of fruit in the produce department, and they touch people they don't know.
Last week I was at the mall looking for birthday presents for the nieces. I didn't find anything, but that's not the point. While I was browsing an older lady (maybe 50ish?) touched my belly and asked when I was due. Let's get something straight. I was not looking at baby clothes or any other baby stuff. I was not looking at maternity clothes. Nothing to do with pregnancy at all. I was shopping for my soon to be 11 year old niece. Yeah, I look pregnant but not obviously so. Sometimes the shirt I'm wearing has a lot to do with it. I sure as hell wasn't wearing anything that made it terribly obvious (like a Baby-On-Board shirt).
Anyway, so this lady can't keep her hands to herself. She has her hand planted on my belly and asks when I'm due. I turn to her and say I'm not pregnant. She quickly removed her hand and became flustered. I think she may have mumbled something about being sorry. I'm not sure. I just walked away.
Was it mean? Maybe. Was it funny? Hell yes. She was old enough to know better. Don't touch strangers. A good old hand shake aside (in which a hand is offered, not forced) you have no business touching people you don't know. I'm not real happy about people I know touching my belly. I'm certainly not ok with strangers and their germy hands touching me. I really hope that she learned a lesson.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
27th week appointment
I had yet another appointment today. It wasn't as boring as the others have been since they seemed intent on freaking me out the entire time.
Stowa is growing fine and seems to be right on track. Heartbeat remains at 156. They confirmed that she is head down.
I had to skip the diabetes test since the only tech that was there was really, really busy. My blood pressure was up. I've got some swelling, which they think is due to the heat and the high blood pressure. It's nothing to worry about but I've been told to avoid the heat and to chug more water. They weren't happy with the number of Braxton Hicks contractions that I'm having either. I'm also on travel restrictions as of next week. I've been told to avoid long car rides. They really don't want me more than an hour away from here.
Then they started asking me questions. Simple questions about my (lack of) insurance; the baby's insurance; have I picked out a pediatrician yet; where will baby's insurance allow her to be seen; do we have a car seat, crib, etc; what will I use for birth control after the baby is born; and so on. It made me feel completely unprepared. At which point my brain started to melt.
Stowa is growing fine and seems to be right on track. Heartbeat remains at 156. They confirmed that she is head down.
I had to skip the diabetes test since the only tech that was there was really, really busy. My blood pressure was up. I've got some swelling, which they think is due to the heat and the high blood pressure. It's nothing to worry about but I've been told to avoid the heat and to chug more water. They weren't happy with the number of Braxton Hicks contractions that I'm having either. I'm also on travel restrictions as of next week. I've been told to avoid long car rides. They really don't want me more than an hour away from here.
Then they started asking me questions. Simple questions about my (lack of) insurance; the baby's insurance; have I picked out a pediatrician yet; where will baby's insurance allow her to be seen; do we have a car seat, crib, etc; what will I use for birth control after the baby is born; and so on. It made me feel completely unprepared. At which point my brain started to melt.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I went to the zoo
Yesterday, in between visits to buy Itchy a phone, we went to the zoo. Not the good zoo in Capital City, just the little zoo in town.
The good stuff: it was free.
The bad stuff: Everything else
They have a Bald Eagle exhibit. But you can't see the Bald Eagle unless you happen to be over 7 feet tall and can see over the fence. The Prairie Dog exhibit was completely empty. The Turkey Vulture and Barn Owl had to share a very small enclosure. Sure you could at least see them, but that enclosure was way too small. They had a pony, some miniature goats, chickens, and a llama in the petting zoo. There were also gibbons and spider monkeys. The butterfly garden appeared to have at least a few butterflies in it, but I didn't actually go in it.
And that was it. At least we didn't have to pay to get in.
The good stuff: it was free.
The bad stuff: Everything else
They have a Bald Eagle exhibit. But you can't see the Bald Eagle unless you happen to be over 7 feet tall and can see over the fence. The Prairie Dog exhibit was completely empty. The Turkey Vulture and Barn Owl had to share a very small enclosure. Sure you could at least see them, but that enclosure was way too small. They had a pony, some miniature goats, chickens, and a llama in the petting zoo. There were also gibbons and spider monkeys. The butterfly garden appeared to have at least a few butterflies in it, but I didn't actually go in it.
And that was it. At least we didn't have to pay to get in.
Birthday guess
Itchy is guessing that Stowa will arrive on November 11th. I'm going with November 17th (even though I tell her all the time it's ok for her to come at the end of October). I'm sure Price Is Right rules will apply so this is one bet I want to lose.
Go ahead and make a guess. I'll add it to the list.
Go ahead and make a guess. I'll add it to the list.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
I feel like an idiot
Want to know how to make yourself feel like an absolute idiot? Here's one way!
First remove yourself from the civilized technologically advanced country for about 3 years. The Island is a great place to do that. There is no need for technology there. Your basic cell phone will do just fine.
Second, move back to the real world and try to buy a new cell phone. I went to Best Buy for this but you can go to the store of your choosing.
That should do it. Or at least it did for me. I'm feeling mighty stupid this evening.
Yeah. Itchy needed a fancy new phone. He had a cheap pay as you go phone that works fine for making calls but he needed something that could connect to the internet. He needs to be able to look things up quickly for school. This is understandable. So we went to Best Buy.
We were swarmed by a very loud talking man as soon as we even glanced at the phones. Which is what we expected. Itchy explained what the phone would be used for and the salesman pointed him in the right direction (loudly). I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Itchy was confused too. We nodded and played along pretending that we had a clue but in reality neither one of us really knew what all the jargon was about. In the end we just grabbed a bunch of brochures and left.
Once we got home we looked at the brochures and goggled the hell out of them. We had to make a few assumptions (more memory? is it really necessary or overkill?) but we found a phone that Itchy liked and that we thought would work.
Then came the service providers and all of their plans. That was fun. You know why so many people just sign up for the unlimited plans? It's because they get sick of looking at that crap and just want it to be over with. We couldn't go that route since we've got the poor. Since we were a little rushed (Itchy wanted to get it done today) we figured that we'd ask the people at Best Buy what plan they thought would be best.
So we head back to the store. Tell Spencer which phone we want and then ask him which plan he recommends. Spencer doesn't really seem to know which provider would be best. Apparently they are all the same. Alrighty then. We'll just go with the cheapest one. After about an hour (It took a while for Spencer to get everything set up) we walk out of there with this fancy new smart phone.
Smart phone my ass. It didn't even have the right date or time. You'd think Spencer could have taken care of that for us or that the phone would automatically be set to the right time (even my $10 phone did that). It took about 20 minutes for me to figure out how to set the time and date. It has too many buttons.
After Itchy got done at school (he has a patient in the ICU) he played around with it. He seemed to like it but he couldn't get it to connect to the internet. Since that is kind of the whole point of having the damn thing, he was annoyed. He had to go back to school again so he asked me to figure it out.
Ugh. I tried. I goggled stuff, read the manuals, cursed at it, etc. Nothing was working. So I called customer service and explained that I was stupid and couldn't figure out how to use the phone. The woman I talked to was very nice and she talked to me like I was five. It took a while but we figured out what the problem was and now the phone can browse the internet. Ha ha phone. I won that round.
I feel so old. Between the fancy new phone, the cable box, and the wireless internet router I feel so out of it.
First remove yourself from the civilized technologically advanced country for about 3 years. The Island is a great place to do that. There is no need for technology there. Your basic cell phone will do just fine.
Second, move back to the real world and try to buy a new cell phone. I went to Best Buy for this but you can go to the store of your choosing.
That should do it. Or at least it did for me. I'm feeling mighty stupid this evening.
Yeah. Itchy needed a fancy new phone. He had a cheap pay as you go phone that works fine for making calls but he needed something that could connect to the internet. He needs to be able to look things up quickly for school. This is understandable. So we went to Best Buy.
We were swarmed by a very loud talking man as soon as we even glanced at the phones. Which is what we expected. Itchy explained what the phone would be used for and the salesman pointed him in the right direction (loudly). I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Itchy was confused too. We nodded and played along pretending that we had a clue but in reality neither one of us really knew what all the jargon was about. In the end we just grabbed a bunch of brochures and left.
Once we got home we looked at the brochures and goggled the hell out of them. We had to make a few assumptions (more memory? is it really necessary or overkill?) but we found a phone that Itchy liked and that we thought would work.
Then came the service providers and all of their plans. That was fun. You know why so many people just sign up for the unlimited plans? It's because they get sick of looking at that crap and just want it to be over with. We couldn't go that route since we've got the poor. Since we were a little rushed (Itchy wanted to get it done today) we figured that we'd ask the people at Best Buy what plan they thought would be best.
So we head back to the store. Tell Spencer which phone we want and then ask him which plan he recommends. Spencer doesn't really seem to know which provider would be best. Apparently they are all the same. Alrighty then. We'll just go with the cheapest one. After about an hour (It took a while for Spencer to get everything set up) we walk out of there with this fancy new smart phone.
Smart phone my ass. It didn't even have the right date or time. You'd think Spencer could have taken care of that for us or that the phone would automatically be set to the right time (even my $10 phone did that). It took about 20 minutes for me to figure out how to set the time and date. It has too many buttons.
After Itchy got done at school (he has a patient in the ICU) he played around with it. He seemed to like it but he couldn't get it to connect to the internet. Since that is kind of the whole point of having the damn thing, he was annoyed. He had to go back to school again so he asked me to figure it out.
Ugh. I tried. I goggled stuff, read the manuals, cursed at it, etc. Nothing was working. So I called customer service and explained that I was stupid and couldn't figure out how to use the phone. The woman I talked to was very nice and she talked to me like I was five. It took a while but we figured out what the problem was and now the phone can browse the internet. Ha ha phone. I won that round.
I feel so old. Between the fancy new phone, the cable box, and the wireless internet router I feel so out of it.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Need to stop planning for anything
The universe has it out for me. I try to make plans and something else gets in the way. Things don't happen the way that I think they should. It's probably for the best, since things happen for a reason, but I really didn't think my plans were all that awful. Whatever universe. You get your way again.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Vet school is stupid
and I hate it.
This has been a craptacular weekend. Itchy has been at school all weekend. I'm annoyed with the way things are run at the school. Things could run so much smoother. They need a little lesson from the vet I used to work with.
I was up almost all night with a vomiting cat. I get a little nauseous when cleaning up the vomit so that didn't work out so well. It seems that Patches is feeling better today but she isn't really eating. I'm sure her throat and stomach are still a little sore from all the vomiting, but if she doesn't eat tonight she's going to have to go see a vet tomorrow. I hate taking her to the vet. She's a beast.
I haven't felt that great this weekend either. Not as bad as Patches but it's been a chore to get anything done.
The highlight of the weekend was an old man. On my way to Target today I saw an old man trip and nearly fall on the sidewalk. That alone wasn't funny to me but his reaction to falling was hilarious. After he regained his balance he shook his fist at the sidewalk. It still makes me laugh.
This has been a craptacular weekend. Itchy has been at school all weekend. I'm annoyed with the way things are run at the school. Things could run so much smoother. They need a little lesson from the vet I used to work with.
I was up almost all night with a vomiting cat. I get a little nauseous when cleaning up the vomit so that didn't work out so well. It seems that Patches is feeling better today but she isn't really eating. I'm sure her throat and stomach are still a little sore from all the vomiting, but if she doesn't eat tonight she's going to have to go see a vet tomorrow. I hate taking her to the vet. She's a beast.
I haven't felt that great this weekend either. Not as bad as Patches but it's been a chore to get anything done.
The highlight of the weekend was an old man. On my way to Target today I saw an old man trip and nearly fall on the sidewalk. That alone wasn't funny to me but his reaction to falling was hilarious. After he regained his balance he shook his fist at the sidewalk. It still makes me laugh.
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