I'll SACRAFICE for MY family...

Husband and I were in the "big city" for the Thursday Dr appt...so happy he was with me since Minnie was giving me a run for my money for much of the day... Braxton Hicks just would NOT let up today so they wanted to make sure that all was swell with her and that we still have some time before she makes her appearance... it is and we do. :) PHEW. Now... if only I could get my stomach to stop cramping up every 4-5 minutes :)

After the TWO HOUR AND 15 MIN. appt we decided to go to my fav. Mexican place in the "big city" (Laura Jane I kinda felt like I was cheating on you!?!? :) and SIL J asked me very nicely to please eat some salsa for her... um... OK. TWIST MY ARM WHY DON'TCHA? So here is the proof SIL J... I'll sacrafice for my family like this ANYTIME :)
AND because I'm PG and because it is true that I often think about food for much of the day :) on Wednesday J.T. brought some OBNOXIOUSLY large grapes to hypno-birthing... I honestly thought they were worth blogging about... seriously... The Dude thought they were slices of apples in the ziplock bag... We are pretty convinced they were grown by a nuclear power plant but we all ate them anyway :)

Good times with two very PG girls crammed in the backseat while our Husbands *might* have been getting D&D :)

Random. Because I can. It's MY blog :)

This is the detergent we have here at work in our kitchens. It reminds me of my Nannie T. I don't typically eat cereal. Few reasons... I could go through a box in one sitting (even NOT PG), the milk just messes with my blood sugar and I can't ever take enough insulin to make it worth it... HOWEVER... I bought this new Newman's Own Sweet Enough Cereal (ok the NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP TOTALLY SOLD ME) Vanilla Almond so that Husband and I could throw a little crunch into our yogurts and it IS SOOOOOOOOOO AWESOME!!! Tastes LIKE FROSTED FLAKES. Seriously yummy. And seriously... DELICIOUS! :)

I like my english muffins just about burnt. Just like my Grampa.

I brought pitas with sharp cheese in them to toast for lunch a couple of weeks ago... JJ said.. "That reminds me of Nannie W..." :) Me too JJ... she might not have been a CHEF but she made stuff WE liked :)I am blessed by being friends with both a hairdresser AND a barber. I think this is a blessing to me because they are FANTASTIC listeners. I think they must teach you that in hair school... I want to be a GREAT listener. They are good examples to me :)

I listen to Saved By the Bell every morning while I get ready for work. It is how I tell time. I know when the commercials come on how much time I have left to get ready.

I only have at MOST 19 days of work left before I'm out for maternity... oh.my.goodness.

cereal , soap, pitas, saved by the bell

Two Weeks ago on Columbus Day...

Minnie was 5lbs 7oz according to U/S and we (Husband and I) were a LITTLE concerned that she was in the 77% for weight... considering that she had gotten progressively higher in the %.

Obviously that is a concern for the diabetic PG Mama... if Minnie is to get in the 90% or higher I will not get an "option" of a c-section they will just schedule it...I was assured at my weekly Dr's appt that Thursday that it had NOTHING to do with my sugars, my fluid level was all where it was supposed to be (if my sugars were high I would have more amniotic fluid than "normal") and I was asked if I had SEEN Husband and the fact that she was a little on the "bigger than average" size could have EVERYTHING to do with genetics and NOTHING to do with the diabetes. PHEW. (except for the part where she was in the 77%... yeah. Hard time letting that one go :)

They check her size every 2 weeks... and Monday was a size check. Minnie is now estimated in the 69% for weight at 6lbs 2oz... and I'm pretty sure... at LEAST 1/2 that weight is being carried in her (insert my last name) bum and her FEET. The tech scanned this pic of her foot and said "do you see that footprint? She's pushing on your side" I said... "DO YOU FEEL HOW CLOSE IT IS TO MY RIBS!?!?" :) She giggled.

You should be able to click on the picture above to see it bigger...

She also tried to get another 3/D pic for me but that dern placenta is most def. in the way. She did mention... "well I see some BIG CHEEKS!" Hrrrmmm... I wonder where she gets THOSE from?? :)

Keep up the good work Minnie... lookin' like we'll see yah after Thanksgiving :)

Speaking of...

sweet rides...

guess who ELSE got one at the shower on Sunday?? :) How SPORTY is Minnie going to look in THIS toolin' around her Daddy's track practices?

The CountryRents *might* be a LITTLE obsessed with both MINNIE AND Jeep stuff :) lucky Husband and I :) :)

P.S. Minnie wants to race Baby T and Ho-Hahn in THEIR Jeep strollers :) Say mid-April/early May 2010??? :)

P.S. 2 ~ I will confess that I'm going to make Sky push Minnie so I *may* have an unfair advantage in SPEED :) hope Minnie learns early to HOLD ON!!!! :)

BLESSED ~ The Weekend Report Part 2 of 2

After church on Sunday, Glory (whom I didn't even GET a picture with... ggrrrr) asked me to come down and get some of her homemade chicken noodle soup in our function hall... I kinda figured that SOMETHING was up when I had seen that she and her Husband had driven separately to church, the Country Rents were in different cars and when, during my Sunday School class someone walked in with a bag of chips... :) ~ see the said chips there on the end of the AWESOME foodie table? :) I walked in to the ADORABLE table settings and the women from SWBC blessing Minne, Husband and I with a surprise shower :)

SIL L was there with Baby Bit... not sure how she feels about the camera...

or maybe it is because her Mama is lookin' a LITTLE bit sassy here with her ripped up tights :) Lady on the left...had all KINDS to do with putting this pah-ty together... LOVE HER! :)

Hands and Feet cookies are a STAPLE at any shower that MIL has anything to do with... cookies made by Sky and SIL L, frosting... by MIL (oh yes Bets... be jealous.. :) yum yum! :) AND How CUTE is that cake!?!?

Tracy, this is the BEST you're gonna get for a 34 (and 2 days) belly shot... sorry :) CountryMum lined up Sky to help me and she was the BIGGEST help...I have said it before and I'll say it again... EVERYONE needs a SKY! :)

SIL L was given STRICT instructions to NOT LEAVE MY SIDE :) so she didn't :) she kept great track of ALL that people blessed us with...

Even doing double duty to snap photos AND write at the same time :) She has waited for this day for a LONG time :) She is VERY VERY excited for her big brother (even though it kinda looks like she's MAAAADDD :) She's not! :)

I had to work my way through this entire table... and could NOT have done it without Sky handing me each of the gifts and then taking care of them behind me...

(she's 8! you didn't think she'd do it without having a LITTLE fun of her own DID you? :)Ah...the chicken soup maker :) I did tell her she had better NOT be lying about HER HOMEMADE chicken soup JUST to get me into the function hall :) she wasn't :) it's in my fridge and I can't WAIT to eat it tomorrow! :)

Yes... we were BLESSED... There is NO chance this winter baby is NOT going to be snugly warm...

or dressed to the NINES! :) (NOTE the color green... this lady KNOWS me :) it was most DEFINITELY one of my FAVORITE gifts... I can't WAIT to put Minnie in these coordinating pieces :)

ah... she's incognito now... def. wasn't a fan of the camera pointed at her paparazzi style so she's covered up in her dark sunglasses :) P.S. this is Ho-Hahn's VERY DISTANT future wife... if I have anything to say about it and well... if you are GA or Brando... you know I have ALL KINDS of say :) hee hee hee

it was SO fun to see people's excitement and to open all the things that will at some point or another... fit on this "teenie getting not so tiny" person who keeps jamming her foot under my ribs...

but it sure was EXHAUSTING :)

We are BLESSED beyond BLESSED... :)

*SPECIAL THANKS TO MAMA H for taking most of the pictures just so I could BLOG about my OWN shower :)

The Weekend Report...Part 1 of 2...

We saw these guys... (along with L&L and the CountryRents) for brief visits Saturday... can you guess why Ho-Hahn is SO excited? or why CJ can't stop beaming and JJ looks ALL geeked up?

Ho-hahn is saying "nah-nee nah nee boo boo, I know the big fun!!"

and I couldn't be MORE excited for my Uncle...he deserves it... he's such a great guy and he waited 14 YEARS to have a new (to him) one...it even came with the little pe-tone lights on the top that he LOVES to run when he plows his own yard AND some fancy smancy wheels that my Daddy thinks are cool... I sure can't wait to ride in the back with my friend/cousin Minnie and Reebsie...

Husband's new sweet ride... :)

You know those things that you NEEEEEED to get DONE before the baby comes... like her laundry, her room, the shower needs to be cleaned upstairs (and probably down) the freezer needs to be filled with easy to pop in the oven meals... you know... all THOSE things that we GIRLS think about... ??? :)

This... was Husband's concern... we KNEW we needed a truck for ohhhhh only about a year and 1/2 or so... but Husband likes to take his time to make big (or little :) decisions (and something that I LOVE and might not love all the time :) about him... he makes well informed, smart for our family, choices. He made another one this weekend... His "checklist in his mind"... is done. :)

Phew. Because now I can get him to work on MINE! :) (How's that shower cleaning coming Husband? :)

Just a "fun" little comparison...34 Weeks...

How far along: 34 Weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 33 lbs at my appt yesterday ~ Monday I should find out how much of that they think is Minnie

Maternity clothes: course...but I STILL prefer jammies...I did break down and buy some comfy yoga pants but they are too BIG and keep falling down... can't a girl catch a break!? :)
Stretch marks: ah... yes... I made it to 34 weeks and now I have two on either side of my belly button....NUTS.

Belly button: Out

Sleep: What's that?
Baby movement: Oh I can tell you where her behind is and the foot she is using for leverage to move around is in the picture below...:)
Food cravings: anything Pumpkin (except pie...) loving the pumpkin muffins right now
Food aversions: I ate a cheeseburger from McDonalds... I think EVERYTHING has come back now... WHOOHOO... :)

What I miss: Advil, Creamy Caesar dressing, wine, sleep, pants that don't fall off...
Looking forward to: SLEEPING IN tomorrow
Best moment this week: Finding out that Husband has to "practice" massage for our birthing class... yes please :) my back is killing me :)

Milestones: I have all my Dr's appts scheduled through when she will probably be here by... YIKES! 5 weeks +/- a few days and COUNTING...

Husband Pregnancy Quotes, Part 3

Setting the stage...

Country Mouse barely awake sipping the coffee sweet precious Husband left on her nightstand before he got into the shower...
Husband... out of the shower, opens the bathroom door says Good Morning and then...

Husband: How much wood did you get done?
Country Mouse: (need I remind you..."barely awake") huh?
Husband: How much WOOD did you get done?
Country Mouse: (coffee must be hitting the brain) uh oh... was I snoring AGAIN?
Husband: (snicker snicker laugh laugh) I was downstairs watching SportsCenter and I could hear you all the way up here. AND you were laying ON YOUR SIDE!?!?!?
Country Mouse: ack....sorry... :(

Seriously... it just keeps getting better :)

A Vent...bypass go and do not collect $200 if you are looking for positive happy...

*

I emailed our HR dept on 9/22... yes... a MONTH AGO about getting my ducks in a row for maternity leave... last year at MANDATORY benefits meetings they told us they were doing away with the "maternity benefit" where salaried employees were getting full pay for 12 weeks and hourly were getting 6-8 weeks depending on their delivery because we were getting a BRAND NEW STD POLICY that we'd never had before... this is what the STD policy says in our Personnel Manual:

SHORT TERM DISABILITY

If an eligible employee is unable to work due to an accident, illness or injury for a period of 15 calendar days or more, they may be eligible for Short Term Disability benefits:

Employee Eligibility:Any regular employee who works 30 or more hours per week.

Elimination Period:

• 15 calendar days
• Must use any available accrued time (sick, then vacation) during the elimination period.

Benefit:

• Company paid benefit of 60% of salary up to a maximum benefit of $1500/week
• Option for employee to “buy up” to 70% for a maximum benefit of $2000/week
• 11 week maximum benefit period
• If the employee’s inability to work continues beyond 90 calendar days then they would immediately transition to Long Term Disability and benefits would continue.

Employees will have the option of using accrued time to “wrap around” their 60% or 70% of salary benefit allowing them to get up to a maximum of 100% of their current salary (must use vacation first, then sick time).

Once the Short Term Disability benefits stops, if the employee is still Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligible then they will have the optional use of any accrued vacation time, but not sick time during the remaining period.

So THIS is what I was going on as far as my maternity benefits... well... they FINALLY got back to me YESTERDAY.... 2 DAYS SHORT OF A MONTH to let me know that no... the STD policy for MATERNITY leave is the 2 week elimination period (where I use my banked sick time) and then either 4 weeks for a vag. delivery or 6 weeks for a c-section at 70% of my pay (I bought up when we started going through the IF treatments) uh... a total of 8 weeks if I have MAJOR SURGERY and only TWO of those will be at FULL PAY?

WHAT!?!?!? WHAT ABOUT THE 11 WEEK MAX BENEFIT!???! Oh... she said that the Insurance CO decides when they will pay the max time frame but it isn't for maternity...

oh.you.have.got.to.be.KIDDING.ME!?!?!?! so if I break my FOOT you'll let me be out for 11 weeks at 70% pay but if I BIRTH ANOTHER HUMAN BEING I GET A MONTH!?!?!

WHY is EVERYTHING a fight. Why is EVERYTHING over in that dept a situation where I have to get mean and nasty and WHY at an employer like mine where 90% of the employees are FEMALE do you NOT have an actual MATERNITY POLICY in the Personnel MANUAL!?!?

Honestly, I don't want this to turn into any sort of debate... we are ALL dealing with Insurance "issues" across this country right now (don't GET me started on Mr. You Know Who's Plan to rule the universe starting with telling me what kind of healthcare I can have) but it is EXHAUSTING to fight these battles for what is RIGHT.

Currents...

Currently: stuck at work... staring at the sunshine outside my window...

Current Book: still haven't made it past Chapter 4 of Crazy Love, read 1/2 of Healthy Sleep Happy Child, and a stack of other baby/PG books that are on my nightstand and in the bathroom and will be starting Baby Wise as soon as I can find a few minutes to spare...

Current Album:
Current Film: Really REALLY wanting a date night IN to watch this snuggled up on the couch with Husband

Current Colors: Current Favorite Links: BRU and Target

Current Drink: Current Food: I wish (click here)

I'd settle for this though...

or anything PUMPKIN

Current wish list: Puh-LEEEZZEEEE


ok... what about this? :) 5-6 more weeks... and Laura Jane is showing up at the hospital with it... :) CAN'T WAIT!!!

The Weekend Report...

What started out being a Saturday to "get things done" around the house... ended in an impromptu b-day party for CountryMum... and sad... there's not a ONE pic of her at her OWN party... what? But before the pah-ty... there was a whole BUNCH of "getting things done"...including "wrides" on Uncle L's "tractor" with Husband...(all pics courtesy of JJ except the one of "Ho-han" :)

and smiley time at Ant Country Mouse INSIDE... :)

When the "grand-Countryrents" showed up there was story hour... and trust me when I say.. this book is HORRIBLE. It is a Magic School Bus book and CJ LOVES to look at the buses and point them out but when you try to read it to him (and honestly I don't even bother because I FALL ASLEEP it is SOOOO boring) he finds other things to keep occupied... scope the videos...

(See...even REBOUND thinks it's a SNOOZER)...

Like distract Bampa with a kiss...:)

if there was ever any doubt on where I get my "germ-a-phobe" ness from...the question has now been answered... :)

Meanwhile on Sunday... who SAYS "church" isn't FUN!?!!?!?? NOT THIS SUNDAY SCHOOL teacher!!! :)

There was also to be ANOTHER b-day party on Sunday afternoon but some other children whom shall remain NAMELESS brought the YIFFS home from their vacation in FL so it was a little family dinner for SIL L and we WILL make it up to you Bri Bri and you WILL get b-day prezzies... don't you worry :) I just hope the present doesn't come in the form of what your brother and sister had... BLECK. :)

Catch Up Post...

Last Thursday Laura Jane came with me to Minnie's bi-weekly appt... this is the room I spend every Thursday in... and that's Betty. Hope she doesn't mind being thrown about on the internet :)
I SURE do love my BFF :)

AND we made a NIGHT of it by trying some place NEW to both of us in the "big city" for dinner... it was WORTH it... YUM YUM YUM!!

totally going back here again...

Thanks for coming to "meet" Minnie, Laura Jane and always getting me to branch out and try new things... I'll work on the "nice" for yah... tee hee hee