Slowly getting over it

Sorry about the outburst and expletive on my last post. Guess I shouldn't post angry - but blogging is all about expressing myself, and that's what I did.

Really, I hope the individuals responsible for our robbery will come to see the error of their ways, get help, and change their lives for the better. And I am now rethinking how we buy and spend, and how the more stuff you have, the more you have to worry about securing it.

HK and I sure are ready for our vacation next week. We have a wonderful house sitter staying the whole time we are gone. Sorry she doesn't get to play wii after all while she's there!

Only two more days until we can see Uno again! Feel free to vote until noon on Wednesday. : )

A**holes

Our house was robbed. They took our computer, modem, tv, wii, jewelry, camera. Makes it kind of hard to keep up with the online community. I am up at the office on my day off taking care of everything, but I have to go home now and meet the locksmith. Why can't people just leave other people's stuff alone?

But we are fine, and they didn't steal our baby. It's just stuff, we'll bounce back. But it sux right now.

Owee. And there is still time to vote.

Good morning. Thanks to all who have voted! The results are currently 50/50, but there are still six days to go. One of my dear friends sent me an email yesterday saying she could not vote until she knew if my skin was broken out or clear. Ah ha, a new "how can you tell?" answer! My skin has been very clear, so we'll see what her vote is based on that. She has had a boy and a girl, so she's got credibility. : )

The "Owee" title comes from the lower back pain that has settled in this week. Not lovin' it. Definitely going to prenatal yoga tomorrow.

Also, I have a lovely plantar's wart - my first (hey, is that an indication of boy or girl?!?). My OB said I could go ahead and treat it, OTC style. Then, I read in "Fit Pregnancy" magazine that salicylic acid causes birth defects. Hello?! That's the main ingredient in drugstore wart medication. So, I will discontinue that until I talk to the doc again. Anyone have experience with that?

Have a super Thursday.

Aww, how can you tell? (& Polls are open!)

Any else remember a commercial from, maybe, the 80's, for Ziploc bags that went like this: Woman opens fridge and cringes from the smell. "Whose bag is open?" she says. Different foods in Ziploc baggies speak up and say, "Not me! Not me!" Finally one says accusingly, "It's the cheese!" And the cheese looks all sad and droopy and says, "She thought my bag was closed." The lady pulls out the bag of smelly cheese and exclaims frustratedly, "Aww, how can you tell!" Then it goes on to promote the 'yellow and blue makes green' technology.

As a person who has always appreciated a good commercial, I laughed at that one, and I still to this day use the woman's frustrated question when it seems appropriate. My sister is the only one who gets the joke.

People keep asking me if I can feel the baby kicking or moving. "How can you tell?" is my reply. Digestive rumblings, random little pains and twinges, none of these feel new to me. I am a constant testament to the gassiness of pregnant women, and there is usually a lot going on, abdominally. So I have no reason to think Uno is directly causing anything I feel, but, really, how can you tell?

On another note, others seem sure they can tell if Uno is a girl or a boy. Several woman say if the baby is riding high, like a beach ball under your shirt, it's a boy, and if the baby is low and inside, like a sideways watermelon, it's a girl. I am carrying Uno more out in front of me than low and wide. People who adhere to this method tell me Uno is a boy.

One stranger asked me what foods I was craving. If I was devouring all meat in sight, it's a boy, and if I instead prefer to nosh on salads and fruit, it's a girl. "What about if I crave pasta and Chinese food? She was stumped by that.

Personally, I look at HK's family and see how few girls are born into the family, and I think we are more likely to have a boy. HK, Mr. Master in Statistics, assures me it's a 50/50 chance every time, and the OB is backing him up on that.

So how do YOU tell? Any guessers out there? We still have 11 days until the big ultrasound, so use whatever method you prefer and take my poll, upper right. If you want to ask about other symptoms, facts about me, go ahead. Use your intuition and cast your vote, and then we'll let Uno prove us right or wrong.

One more thing: last week I had a dream about the ultrasound where we saw the bits, and it was clearly a boy.

Happy and sad

After more than a month of silence, I am happy to return and report that little Uno is doing great. I had my regular OB appt today, heard the heartbeat, and breathed a little easier. We're 15 weeks along now, and the second trimester is living up to its promises of more energy and less of feeling sick. Very nice.

HK painted Uno's room over the Memorial Day weekend - with "No VOC" paint from ICI. That's "volatile organic compounds" for those who don't know. It has fewer toxic fumes and is recommended for schools, nursing homes, and my baby's room, according to the pregnancy books. It's a pretty, light green, to match a quilt I am making, and I promise to post pictures later. HK did a great job on the painting.

Only one month until we get to find out if Uno is a boy or a girl! I have given up on perusing the baby name books until we know, otherwise I feel like 50% of my time will have been wasted. My belly is getting bigger, and I am loving the hand-me-down maternity clothes. It's so refreshing to let my stomach stick out as far as it wants to, and people think it's just adorable! I am relishing this.

Unfortunately, May ended on a sad note, as our wonderful dog, Max, became suddenly very sick, and we had to say goodbye to him on May 21st. Max was HK's dog for over 10 years, since HK adopted him from the pound when he was just a little puppy. He truly was the sweetest, best dog I ever had, and we still feel his absence every day. Thanks to all our friends and family for your notes of sympathy, and even flowers, too. We are very blessed by you.

That's all for now. If you have a special pet of your own, spend some extra quality time with it today.