JTOK Chatter > Page 394

Just Totally Unbelievable

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Tom officially got orders to Detroit yesterday…and he’s supposed to check in no later than October 31, 2008.

Of course, things could change again at the drop of a hat, and he was still going to go talk to [someone]…so it may not be 100% guaranteed. But nothing like thinking about moving/selling/relocating within three months to freak you out.

Lord.

My mind is whirring like crazy and it feels like my head is going to explode.

The thing that just gets me is that yes, I know the military doesn’t care what our life is like, they just know they want someone there and hubby fits the bill so he gets chosen. But it would, quite literally, create a major financial hardship for us.

Houses here aren’t selling. Houses in our price range sell, on average, in about six to nine months (unless you price it to lose money, which we obviously can’t do financially-speaking). So making us move to Michigan within three months, where we will obviously need to pay rent/another mortgage, without having sold our house, is ludicrous. There is no earthly way we can afford two mortgages, especially if they just made me quit MY job. It just flat out doesn’t make sense and, frankly, pisses me off.

As a sidenote, he wouldn’t actually be an on-the-streets/in-the-schools actual recruiter. He would be the Operations guy, doing all the planning/scheduling/etc., and making sure it all runs smoothly. Completely non-IT-related. So nothing he can bring ANY of his experience to.

It’s crazy. They like to tell us they looked at a bunch of people and compared everyone and whatever, and determined that HE was the best qualified.

BULLSHIT.

They looked at a list, pointed their finger at someone, and said “this guy.”

Tom then called to tell me the latest RIDICULOUS statement. He was talking to someone (I believe a Major in charge of the monitor program) about not being able to sell the house that quickly, that we talked to a Realtor and it’s averaging 6-9 months, yada yada yada, and the guy said “Well, you have three options. One, be a geobatchelor [which means I stay here and he goes there, not sure how that works money wise but it’s not an option for us]. Two, sell your house for a loss. Or three [and this is the doozy], you can foreclose on your mortgage.”

What the hell kind of military advisor advises someone to FORECLOSE ON A MORTGAGE? Completely asinine.

This BS is precisely why we were going to get out of the military. It’s ridiculous.

Oh, also…if he takes this “three year” job they’re forcing on him? He is, effectively, being shoved out of the marine corps, because he will miss the opportunity (twice) to take the schooling he would need to become Major. Talk about a kick in the ass. (Not that he was planning on staying in that long, but just the fact that they don’t know that, and are still sending him here… Ugh.)

He also found out he cannot drop his papers (i.e. tell them he wants to get out) now. Because he has actual PCS orders, and you can’t do that when you have orders. You have to do it before you officially get orders. How convenient.

The only other option, he said, is REFUSING orders, and he’s not sure exactly what that entails or means. From what we have gathered, it wouldn’t actually do that much or be that detrimental…it would, of course, effectively end his career, but he wasn’t planning on staying in to retirement anyway. He would have to stay here a bit longer, but then we could continue on with our previous plans of him looking for a job and us moving in about six months.

I told him to ask what if he has a special needs family member…if I was a high-risk pregnancy, maybe that would keep us here. (Chances are decent I might be. I have an appointment in two weeks that might help determine that.)

So, needless to say we’re stressed. Tom should find out more Monday, but until then, we’re trying NOT to think about it. If we have to move, there is just SO much to do—and Tom doesn’t have the time and I don’t have the energy.

Stay tuned.

11 Weeks

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From WebMD:

Your fetus, about the size of a large lime, measures about 1.75 to 2.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about three-tenths of an ounce. About now the rapid “swooshing” noises of the heartbeat may be heard using an electronic Doppler device. Fingernails and external genitalia are showing distinguishing characteristics, and the baby is swallowing and kicking, although you still won’t feel it. Your uterus is almost big enough to fill your pelvis and may be felt in your lower abdomen. You may also be seeing changes in your hair, skin, fingernails or toenails.

From Baby-Gaga (sometimes a little more humorous take, but not always):

Maybe you’ve noticed… your baby is a super-duper grower! Your lil’ fetus will be gaining a substantial amount of weight this week and has already achieved fruit-size-status comparable to a plum. What’s more, your little scientist is already starting to explore their body, focusing most intently on touching their head, and especially their face and mouth. Their mouth in particular will provide them with hours of entertainment. This happens not only because your baby is gaining coordination, and is therefore able to move a hand on command, but also because their palms have gained sensation and can actually “feel” what it touches.They’re also developing their swallow reflex this week. And lastly, your baby’s smelling and other olfactory senses will begin developing this week, which when combined with the maturing taste buds, will provide your baby with their first experiences of taste and smell.

Ever been forced into a job that you didn’t want?

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Tom’s version of all the events so far

Last week I received this email from my Monitor’s boss (job relocator).

Marines-

I am writing you all in an attempt to find an officer that is interested in accepting orders to RS Detroit. This would be to serve as the RS OpsO there. As you probably know, RS duty is a challenging one, but it offers an opportunity to be back in your home state and also has the benefit of allowing you to elect either your geographic area preference or resident CLS (EWS for example) upon successful completion of a 36 month tour there.

This is a great opportunity for anyone that is interested. There is some flexibility as to report date, but we are looking to get an officer there by this Fall. Please understand that I got your names via a blind data pull in our system and I fully understand that some of you may be under orders, deployed, etc. Regardless, let me know if you’re interested and we’ll see if we can make it work. Please respond to this e-mail ASAP if you would like to be considered for the position. Negative responses not required.

I have made plans to get out of the Marines next summer after the baby is born, but the thought of going back to Michigan was a very nice thought, but not a real option. Monday when I got to work there was a new email from a Capt stating the same thing. I was still not interested and didn’t respond. Last night I received this new email.

Capt Hudson,

I have a requirement that just came down and your name is at the top of the potential list. How would you like to spend some time in Detroit?

Let me know.

Well, I wanted the official scoop on all the emails and so I called the monitor. He stated that there were several officers that they had sent these emails to and that I was at the top of the list and wanted to know if I wanted it, since I was from Michigan and I could be closer to family. I told him I would let him I would talk to Jennifer and I would let him know today. I wanted to contact the Recruiter Station (RS) to see if it was a job that I could have lots of family time or something absolutely wretched.

So this morning I called the RS and asked to speak to a Captain and I eventually got one. I told him that the Monitor was looking to put me into the position and asked what he thought about the Ops position. The guys said he couldn’t talk about it on the phone in his office and gave me his cell number to call him back in 10 min. I agreed, I was almost speechless, but I managed an audible agreement.

Over the next ten minutes lots of possibilities poured through my mind. I called him again and he said “Do not take the job! If it were me I would not have anything to do with it!” 88|

WOW, I asked what was wrong with it. He stated that it is 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week (sometimes 7), and the work is monotonous and incredibly stressful. The Captain said that even though he had family within a 4-hour drive, he had not visited them more than a few times in the last year and a half due to the lack of time off. (He didn’t hold that actual position, but he helped out there from time to time.) He said if I wanted to talk to the other Captains that he would give me their numbers, but I told him that I was more than satisfied!

As soon as I got off the phone I called Jennifer to tell her the news and then typed a message to the Monitor declining the position:

Thanks for the consideration, but after discussing the situation further with my wife and family, I will have to decline the offer.

I then went to my Battalion XO to let him know about the Monitor’s request and my answer. The XO said another Captain in our Battalion was also hit up for this position as well and that we were the last two officers for consideration. Yuck! I went back to my office to call the second Captain and tell him about the information I had gotten over the phone. During the conversation, the following email came into my mailbox:

Capt Hudson,

Copy all. I have your intent. I want to be fair and let you know that right now this is at the MMOA/MCRC CG [Recruiter Commanding General] level, so I may have to contact you again. I was hoping it could be a win/win. Thanks for getting back to me.

Which translates into “Great, thanks for telling me no, but no is not an option…”

So, if I am forced to take this position, I will be dropping my papers early. Time to start my resume tonight!

Almost, but not quite.

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So we were actually REALLY considering the Michigan move…I mean, it was just too perfect. We even halfheartedly started checking out housing on Realtor.com.

And then Tom called the recruiting post where he would be. And it wasn’t a good sign that the first words out of the mouth of the guy he talked to (would be replacing) said “I can’t talk now, I will call you from my cell phone in a bit.”

Turns out it’s six days a week, 12 hours a day, no holidays—and MAYBE one 72 [actual weekend off] per month. The guy said if he had to do it over, he wouldn’t.

So that cements it for us. We’re continuing with our current plan.

Dammit.

Midwife Appointment

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I just got back from my first appointment with the midwife at my local clinic. (At our orientation, they said since they have so many pregnancies right now, they are trying to spread them out so they don’t get overbooked. Everyone who lives on base or has a high-risk pregnancy goes to the naval hospital, and those who live in town can go to a clinic. I love the clinic since it’s my regular clinic, they know me by name, and it’s two minutes from work.)

First, my blood pressure was high. After assuring them that wasn’t normal, they said they would take it again after my appointment.

The doctor/midwife was very nice and personable. She went through my files (all the paperwork I filled out at the hospital two weeks ago), confirming what I had put and asking more questions.

Due to my age (you know, the dreaded 35 is this September!), she is sending me out in town for a consultation with Maternal Fetal Medicine—to see if I am going to be a high-risk pregnancy or not.

Also, due to past thyroid issues, I am going back to the naval hospital to consult with an actual OB doctor (since it’s a bit outside the scope of the midwife). She said that even if I am not having any issues right now, they can come up after pregnancy, so they just want to be in the loop and take any necessary preventative measures.

Lastly, at the same time I consult with the OB doc, I will also have a consultation with anesthesia—since I am overweight, they just want to make sure (in the case of a caesarean) that my airways are not constricted and an anesthesiologist would have no problems.

I really hope they don’t deem me high-risk, because that means all my future appointments will be on base, instead of at the clinic two minutes from my office.

She asked if I had any questions and I mentioned that I was still sick every day and she said she would give me a prescription for anti-nausea pills. I am debating whether they will work or not, because I really don’t think I have nausea per se (I just feel all around crappy, not specifically nauseous)…but I assured her I wouldn’t take them if they didn’t help.

Then I asked what she thought of me doing the HydroMassage Dry Hydrotherapy.

Hydro Massage: Unique, open design for comfort with a traveling water-jet system for full back and side body massage. Hydro Massage has 39 preset programs for customized, massage sessions that may be recalled at any time with a temperature controlled cooling system. This service is engineered using heat and water pressure to relieve stress, decrease muscle tension, and increase flexibility while leaving tired muscles feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

HydroMassage

This is a spa treatment offered at my tanning place. Since I stopped tanning when I learned I was pregnant, they said I could turn my tanning membership into a spa membership (at the same rate). I had to wait until this appointment to get my answer. So, now, if I want, I can go get a 20-minute massage once a day!

So, after the questions and whatnot, it was time for the exam. She started with the ultrasound—YAY! I didn’t think I was going to have one today (at the orientation, they stressed that we would have TWO ultrasounds, one of which was that day)! Of course she saw the baby, but all I could see was a big black blob (my uterus) and something that I think might have been the head. But I did see the pulsating dot that was the heartbeat! She said everything looked great.

Then, since I had a pap smear in April, she didn’t have to do that part of the exam, but she still had to do a test for, oh, I forget, gonorrhea and syphilis I think (mandated by the state of North Carolina for all pregnant women).

A quick breast exam (which she said was excellent, and no need for a baseline mammogram until I’m 40) and then I was done. On my way out, I had my blood pressure taken again, and it was still elevated, so they just put a note in my chart and will keep an eye on it.

My next appointment (as far as I know right now) will be in 5-6 weeks (at about 16 weeks) with the OB at the naval hospital. I have to wait 48 hours to call the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor, so that appointment could likely be in the meantime.

On the way home, I stopped at Planet Beach, gave them my permission note from the doc, and had my first massage! It wasn’t perfect, but it was nice and relaxing…and it’s something I will definitely enjoy getting out of the office for a few times a week!

Soooooo tempting!

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Good news bad news.

Tom just got an email looking for a recruiter in Detroit, for three years, NON-deployable. Sounds perfect, right?

Except when he would be done, he would be over 10 years, and we said once he’s in 10, he’s in for the long haul.

But man it’s tempting.

The research has started.

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I still haven’t had much energy to sit at the computer and think about baby things, let alone be serious about starting any registries…but that said, I did visit Consumer Reports to start checking out cribs and strollers and car seats.

Unfortunately, I get easily overwhelmed, and as I am sure you all know, there is a TON of baby info out there…so I need to get Tom involved because I don’t have the patience for it all—especially not right now.

That said, I did start a registry at Amazon, but it can’t be taken seriously yet, as we are just putting things on there that we are thinking about/considering (so, two strollers, a crib or two, various car seats, etc.)—and of course, Amazon doesn’t have the exact models that CR recommends because the ratings are about a year old (which further exasperates me, LOL).

But I just wanted to let those of you know who have mentioned it…we will have registries…just give us some time. 🙂

How many more months?

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We have a new keybox system. I was told by the bosses there would be no need for me to keep an inventory any longer. YAY!

Except now they ARE talking about keeping a list of the keyboxes and they are trying to figure out how to do it…which is fine, except OF COURSE they aren’t even considering asking me what I think, since I will be the one keeping the list. I just get to overhear their conversation from where I sit.

Much like when they were considering new means of advertising, which involved a new computerized method of submission, and they didn’t even think to even ask me what my thoughts were.

And it doesn’t matter if I try to speak up and give my opinion, because it won’t matter. Yes, they might listen, but will not take anything I say seriously.

Now you see why I have given up.

And in other news, long story short, my boss has NO sympathy for me whatsoever. After I told her I was pregnant, and how I had felt like shit pretty much 24×7 the past five weeks, she pretty much told me to “suck it up.” Yes, in her joking yet laughing yet totally serious way she has. Isn’t that lovely?

I guess you could argue it wasn’t the very first thing she said. I mean, she did make some small talk asking if we were excited, how far along I was, etc., and then pretty much said “Get up and walk around, you will feel better. That’s what worked for me.”

Which, yes, I appreciate the advice, but like what she does with everything else, she equates it to HER experience and assumes everyone will be just like her. She said she felt bad when she woke up, ate a few crackers, then felt fine. I said yeah, that doesn’t work for me. Then I mentioned that she might see me catnapping at my desk, or have my head in my hands, and THAT is when she said I just needed to “suck it up.”

I don’t need this. I really don’t.

A day or so later, when I actually felt EVEN WORSE, she made a comment to the effect of “Get used to it…you did this to yourself!”

Love it. Just freakin’ love it. 😐

Onions

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So far, the only thing that really bothers me is raw onions.

It started with me still liking to eat them, but the after-effects made me nauseous (you know how onions tend to “stick with you”)—and nothing I did (eating something else, chewing gum, brushing my teeth) helped. So I just started avoiding them altogether.

And then we went somewhere with a plate of burger toppings sitting out. Including raw onions. And I found that I had to move myself FAR away from them because the smell was VERY unsettling.

I haven’t been too picky with cooked onions yet, but if something obviously has them I will tend to avoid eating them.

I can’t wait to see what might be next.

More about the appointment.

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So now for more details about yesterday’s appointment.

I knew it was an orientation-type appointment, but they weren’t very clear with instructions. They said to get there 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork, so I was dutifully there 20 minutes early…and they said “Okay, just go have a seat.” Um, okay. So there was no paperwork.

Tom was there with me, and we watched some other women trickle in, but I didn’t pay much attention to them because, well, it is an OB office. I had to go to the bathroom, but didn’t want to because I had been told (on the phone when I made the appointment) that there would be an ultrasound and it helped if you had a full bladder.

So about 8:35 someone came in and announced something (which I couldn’t hear) and a bunch of the women all got up and left. We still sat there because we hadn’t heard what was said and no one had told us what was going on. The woman at the desk motioned to me and said “I think you’re supposed to be with them.” Oh, nice. So we went over to the counter and she looked up my info and said yes, I was supposed to be in orientation. Well, duh, I knew that, but they certainly didn’t make it easy—someone literally stuck their head in the door and said something in a normal voice. I would have thought someone would have come in, stood in front of us, and made a real announcement. 🙄

So we walked across the hall and of course they were already started, so I apologized for interrupting. We sat down and listened to a powerpoint presentation on things to do, things not to do, things to eat, things not to eat, who to call with problems, etc…everything that was on the handouts they gave us. Then it was time to fill out the paperwork. Ahhhhh, yes, most of which I could have already had done had they given it to me when I thought they were. The woman did have to explain a few things, but it was no big deal.

I now have to pee worse, and it’s about 9:30. They start taking women for their ultrasounds, and of course I am not being called. I make an educated guess that since I have to pee so badly, I will of course be the last one called, LOL. I went in to the instructor’s office (we were back in the OB clinic by this time) and asked if there was any way I could bump up my ultrasound because I REALLY had to pee. She said “Oh, it’s not that important to have a full bladder, you can go to the bathroom.”

>:XX

So I did, then came back to schedule my physical. The good news is that I can have most of my appointments at my regular clinic (a mile from work) instead of having to drive 20 minutes to the naval hospital on base. (This is, of course, assuming I don’t end up with a high-risk pregnancy.)

As I had guessed, I was the last one called for the ultrasound…but it went well. I layed on the table, she put some gel on my stomach, and I made a comment about how Tom was sure there was nothing in there. The tech made a comment about how she would prove him wrong, and said “There it is!” and Tom and I were both like Where? What? We don’t see anything. It looked like a black hole. So Tom said “I still don’t believe it.” So then the tech said “Okay, then here’s the heartbeat, you can’t disagree with that.”

And it was amazing. She timed it and said it was like 175bpm, which was just perfect. She also measured it and said my due date was fine at February 19.

Then she manipulated it a bit to try and get a good picture. It is so tiny that she had to blow it up quite a bit to get the picture you see. And of course she put the Xs on it so we could have some idea what we were looking at. I found it funny, too, that she labeled it BABY. :>> That said, it was over too soon—I wanted to hear more heartbeat. 🙁

Then it was off to the lab for blood work…which I was not looking forward to, only because I know I am NOT a good draw. The last time I was there for blood work, they had six people try to draw me, I had about four needle pokes, and they ended up taking it from the back of my hand (very painful). So I told the tech I wasn’t trying to scare him, I was just warning him. So imagine my total amazement when he got me on the first poke and successfully drew seven vials! I told him I was coming back to him each time!

The Official Announcement

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Something I (we) have been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for has FINALLY happened…Unfortunately, I haven’t quit my job and am still working at the same place…but I will have a “new job” of sorts come February 19th or so!

I had the 10-week ultrasound this morning and there is NOTHING in that picture that is even faintly recognizable to me, but the tech said the head is on the left and the feet (butt?) is on the right. But we did get to hear the little blob’s heartbeat so we do believe it!

I have been dying to say something the past month, to explain why I have felt like crap and why I have been so tired and why I have been offline a lot, but we promised we wouldn’t say anything until the 3-month/12-week cutoff—but then I decided I couldn’t wait, and the 10-week ultrasound would have to suffice! (We were just paranoid about saying anything too soon, since the last pregnancy didn’t end up as we’d hoped. We also didn’t want to get too excited ourselves, since we got overly excited the last time, and then got depressed when it didn’t happen.)

So far, the pregnancy has been MOSTLY awful. XX(

The first four weeks (when I had no clue I was pregnant) were great, LOL. I took the test on Father’s Day and after that, I started to get tired. Very tired. Exhausted, even.

About a week later, I started feeling horrible. JUST HORRIBLE. The strangest sensations I couldn’t even put into words – but definitely horrible. Not morning sickness per se (I never threw up once) but I had nausea, upset stomach, headaches, I could eat a tiny portion but then felt like I ate an entire buffet…every day. I was sleeping a minimum of 10 hours a night and was STRUGGLING to make it through the work day, trying to appear like nothing was wrong (because I didn’t want to tell the bosses). So, work (which is normally hell for me) was 100 times worse because I felt like death. Each weekend was spent between the bed and couch, pretty much sleeping all day. I cursed the day I asked to be knocked up! 😉

But knock on wood, I think it’s over…and none too soon because a month of that was making me insane. The past few days I have felt better (not great, but approaching good) and I hope I only feel better from here on out.

Why are people so dumb?

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We have a table/chair set for sale, and in the ad we put LIGHT ASH for the color. So someone wanted to see it, asked about the color, hubby repeated it plus said it’s about the color of a baseball bat. The guy still wanted to see it, so hubby LEFT WORK to go home and show it (about an hour round trip) and the guy took one look at it and said “We wanted something a lot darker.”

So LIGHT ASH and LIKE A BASEBALL BAT wasn’t enough color description? |-|

My very first 7-Layer Tex Mex Dip

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If you can believe it, I’ve never made a 7-layer taco/tex mex dip, and I wanted to make it for a get-together this weekend. I had most of what I thought I would need but there are slight variations (I googled for some recipes), so asked some friends for their input and ended up with this:

The first three layers of refried beans, guacamole, and green onions (yes, I was a rebel and hid the onions!):

Then a layer of black beans (probably should have drained them more or rinsed them, but you live and learn):

Then the sour cream with taco seasoning (which I made last night so the flavors would have more time to blend):

Then tomatoes:

Then cheese:

No black olives because I hate black olives, and have always said that if/when I ever make the dip, I can elect to NOT put them on!

It was very hard making this and NOT digging in right away…

Jumping to Conclusions

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I swear to god I just thought someone stole my car at the grocery store.

I was in the checkout line and my car was there. I looked away and looked back and it was gone! 88|

Yeah, a car had pulled into the space next to me, blocking my view.

But I love how my mind jumps to conclusions. 🙄

Not-Quite-Morning-Sickness

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I have decided I have Not-Quite-Morning-Sickness, otherwise known as Daily-Oogy-Sickness.

I talked to my mom this weekend and she told me she threw up just about the whole nine months…so I should be VERY glad I am not experiencing that.

But it is just exhausting being so tired all the time. And always feeling out of sorts.

Work days are the hardest—and especially Mondays, after I’ve been able to nap whenever I want over the weekend.

In a perfect world, I would tell my boss I was pregnant and ask if I couldn’t just go in the back and lie down for a bit. Or hell, since we’re talking a perfect world, if I couldn’t just go home at 3 or so, since that is when I feel the worst.

But I know none of that would happen. I am guessing the attitude would be more like “Sorry you don’t feel good, but we still need you to answer the phones.” Which I guess is true, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.

BBQ Rules

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We are in the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine…

  • The woman buys the food.
  • The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
  • The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill—beer in hand.
  • The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.

Here comes the important part:

  • THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
  • The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
  • The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat.

Important again:

  • THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
  • The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
  • After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

  • Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
  • The man asks the woman how she enjoyed “her night off.” And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there’s just no pleasing some women.

Amazing Storm

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Yeah, it was raining and the wind was picking up…so Tom was out turning the grill off (we decided there was no point, with the wind gusting like it was).

So I kept on making my potato salad, and let me just tell you…there’s nothing quite like looking out on the deck and seeing your patio table and umbrella flying across the porch and pinning your husband against the railing. 88|

The winds had suddenly gusted quite a bit stronger and pretty much came out of nowhere.

Hubby is okay, and he managed to get the table and umbrella back down without breaking anything. One metal tomato stake is a little worse for the wear—and I got a little drenched hurriedly hauling chairs into the house so they didn’t end up in the lawn—but otherwise everything survived.

And, of course, within 10 minutes, the wind had died down completely and it even stopped raining. |-|

No blood test.

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I went to the doctor’s office this morning to see what I had to do to get a blood test. Why did I want that? Because it’s guaranteed proof that I am pregnant.

Yes, I’ve had two positive at-home tests and one positive doctor’s office test…but that is the same exact thing that happened the last time—so I just wanted to ease my apprehension with a blood test. ESPECIALLY after the last time.

Unfortunately, they didn’t feel the same way.

They said as long as I’m not having any complications (cramping, bleeding, etc.) then they are to assume I am fine (and if I do have those complications, to go to the emergency room).

I am sure I am fine. I feel completely different than I did the last time (more actual pregnancy symptoms, no cramping and bleeding) but I still wanted to set my mind at ease.

The ladies were very nice about it, though, even joking with me (agreeing with me) that I am thinking too much! :yes:

So, I have to wait until July 17th (my first OB appointment) for blood work and/or an ultrasound.

That’s three weeks.

Three agonizing weeks. |-|

Pregnancy test #2

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Well I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to take another test.

As I’ve already mentioned, I’ve been paranoid since day one, sure that I was going to have another chemical pregnancy…so since I had one test left, I decided What the hell and took it.

The result?

Pregnant.

YAY!

But I’m still a little paranoid. :-/

Exhaustion

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I am exhausted.

All the time.

Soooooooooo much more than I ever thought or expected I would be this early in the game.

I have a few good hours during the day, but mostly I just want to close my eyes and rest…or nap (which of course is impossible at work, and which I don’t really want to do once I get home, because then I won’t be able to sleep at night)…or plop on the couch and not move.

Oh, and I’m tired of peeing 12 times a day, too. I thought that symptom didn’t start until the baby was big enough to press on my bladder…but after some reading, it can apparently happen now, too…something about there being more blood flow?

My appetite is wonky.

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Yes, you read that right—wonky.

I usually wake up hungry, which is NOT normal for me. So I might have a tiny bowl of cereal or a granola bar.

Then right before I leave for work I make my fruit smoothie and eat that. That usually holds me until lunchtime, but lately it’s not enough and I need a mid-morning snack. But not all the time—other days I won’t be hungry until 1:30 or so.

Today was even stranger. I ate my lunch about 12:30 and I still felt hungry, but didn’t eat anything else because I knew I had eaten plenty. Then about a half hour later I suddenly felt too full, like I had gorged myself! And I felt certain I wouldn’t even need to eat dinner. Come 4:45 I was dying of hunger and couldn’t wait to get home and eat. I had a half bowl of pasta and wasn’t terribly stuffed but stopped eating…and an hour later? I felt so stuffed I almost felt sick. Very frustrating.

Then when it was time for bed, laying there, I couldn’t tell if I just still felt full, or if I was going to throw up, or if it was all my imagination. (I was actually pretty sure I wasn’t going to throw up, but I keep expecting “morning sickness” so I think I was making myself sick.) So I just took a Tums and fell asleep.

I know I am supposed to eat six small meals a day—basically grazing—but I didn’t really think about it until today. So it looks like grazing is the answer from here on out.

Was that a cramp?

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For the past few days, at least three times a day, I have sworn I was getting cramps or starting my period. Yes, even though I had a positive at-home test and a positive doctor-administered test.

I am just scared that this can’t be real. And each time I realize I am NOT starting my period, I breathe a little sigh of relief. But it’s very tiring.

On one hand, I try not to think about ANYTHING pregnancy-related, because the more I do, the more excited I will get. But on the other hand, every day (at least 10 times a day) I think “Wow, I’m pregnant.”

Women’s Ass Size Study

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There is a new study just released by the American Psychiatric Association about women and how they feel about their asses. The results are pretty shocking:

  1. Only 5% of women surveyed feel their ass is too big.
  2. 10% of women surveyed feel their ass is too small.
  3. The remaining 85% say they don’t care—they love him—he’s a good man and they would have married him anyway.

Doctor’s test results!

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I didn’t go to the doctor on Monday because I had lost my military ID and thought I would need it at the clinic, so spent Monday morning replacing my ID.

So this morning I went to the doc for a walk in pregnancy test. It was torture waiting for the results—I couldn’t call, but had to wait for them to call!

They finally called and told me yes, I was pregnant, and gave me the numbers to schedule my initial OB appointments. Oh, and the anticipated due date is February 22, 2009. Of course, that can change once I actually see a doctor, but it’s a good enough guesstimate for now (an online predictor said 2/20).

On one hand, I was totally geeked…but on the other hand, I was still trying to pretend it was no big deal because I did NOT want to get excited this early.

Wow. Just, wow.

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How appropriate for Father’s Day:

Of course, we didn’t want to get too excited, considering what happened the last time (they thought it was a chemical pregnancy) because the same thing could be happening again. So while we are happy, we are trying not to get crazy.

And we have decided not to tell anyone until things are, well, far enough along that we hopefully don’t have to worry…

Homemade Hooters Wings

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So when we were cleaning out/reorganizing the pantry last weekend, we saw we had three jars of Hooters-branded buffalo wing sauce. We thought “Hey, we should have a wing night over at Roger and Ursulas!” So we called them and made the plans!

Of course, we didn’t have wings in the freezer, so went to buy some at Sam’s Club. They come in bags of like 10# so we figured with the number of people that usually show up at their house “for a little get together,” we’d better get two bags.

Fast forward to today, the day of the wing night, and I decide “You know what? I am going to mix all the sauces together and maybe add some more spice” so I opened the first jar and it was the consistency of, oh, peanut butter. We hadn’t had Hooters sauce in a loooong time, and I couldn’t remember if that was how it was supposed to be, so I tasted it and it tasted off. I thought maybe it just needed to be stirred, and that was when I noticed the “SHAKE WELL” on the side. Hmmm, not a good sign, as peanut butter never shakes well. :-/

So I looked at the expiration date. Wow—it wasn’t just expired, it was hideously expired. Like March 2005 expired. >:XX

I should have known better, because our pantry often contains items of such age (especially after throwing away brown sweetened condensed milk from 2002 last weekend!), but I was kicking myself for not checking any sooner than the afternoon of the dinner! Yep, at this point it was about 12:30 and dinner was at 6:30 and we had no sauce and people were expecting Hooters wings.

So, I immediately googled for a recipe and the ones I found were extremely different. So I headed off to Top Secret Recipes and ended up paying 79¢ for the Hooters Buffalo Chicken Wings recipe.

Of course by then I was flustered because our plan was thrown for a loop—now I had to run to town to get ingredients, and now we were going to bread the wings (originally we were only going to use the sauce), and the breaded wings had to be refrigerated for 90 minutes, and the wings were still half frozen, and Tom was napping! 88|

So I woke him up, told him the new plan, ran to town, and when I came back we started breading the wings and making the sauce. Phew! (At this point I was VERY thankful that I had already finished making the double batch of tuna salad!)

Fast forward to the conclusion of this saga…

It was only us four for dinner, so we had entirely too many wings (four trays, or about 140 wings) but we put a serious dent in them because they were absolutely amazing—a grand slam hit—and everyone said they were sooooooooooo much better than real Hooters wings. YAY ME!

Inconclusive

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I was a few days late, so decided to take a test.

I used a non-digital test—an old one I had leftover from two years ago, one that gives you “lines” results—that I had never had good luck with.

And again, I had no luck. The test was inconclusive. (The “control” window is supposed to have any type of line in it, any amount of color—and nothing appeared. According to the instructions, that meant inconclusive.)

So I went about my day thinking I would take the digital test the next morning—I mean, what better day to find out if we were pregnant or not than on Father’s Day?! :>>

As it happens, that night we were heading over to Mitchell’s for our Hooters wing night and we were BOTH in a mood to drink. Except I was still pretty sure I was pregnant, so I refrained.

Let’s just say it was interesting to be the only sober one for once!

Would you have said anything?

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So Maggie had a vet appointment last night. They usually get us in early, so we always show up early (like anywhere from 5-15 minutes early). So our appointment was at 5:30 and we were there at 5:15. We walked in and the girl said “Abby?” We said no, Maggie. So, apparently they were expecting Abby.

So while we were waiting, I actually heard the receptionist call [Abby’s house] and leave a message about a missed appointment (although I didn’t hear the whole thing, that was the gist). So now it’s about 5:35, and while we have been waiting 20 minutes (which is unusual), technically it’s only been five minutes since our scheduled appointment.

And then in walks Abby (with her owners, of course!). And what does the office do? Take her first! We were PISSED. I am sorry, if you miss your scheduled appointment time, you miss it. If no one is there in your place, fine, you can be seen—otherwise, I believe you have lost your spot and you now have to wait.

While we were waiting, Maggie was enjoying the fish tank:

They put us in a room shortly afterwards, and then we got to sit in the room for another 35 minutes. Hubby was tempted to go out and complain, but he never did. I was also half-tempted to make a comment like “Do late/missed appointments always get seen before people who are on time?” but although I like to talk big, I am a puss when it comes to things like that.

Maybe they were running behind from an earlier emergency, and then the late appointment just added to it? We could have asked, but didn’t. In the grand scheme it’s not a big deal, since (like I said) we usually get in early (sometimes I’m in and out even before my appointment time) so I figured it all evened out.

Now, if it happens again, or repeatedly, I would definitely say something. But what about in this instance? Would you have said anything?

Random Blather

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I am soooooooooo tired of this heat wave. I swear this is the hottest it’s been since we moved here. Too hot to do anything except quickly rush from A/C to A/C. Tom even says it’s hot, and he was in Iraq (although he does admit Iraq was hotter).

I went to get gas yesterday morning because it was still $3.86 (it had been that for, I swear, two weeks) and I knew it was supposed to be going up this week. So I pull in and there is NO unleaded—just mid-grade and premium. Of course, after work, when they had raised the price 12c, there was unleaded. Bastards.

Why must people try to exit a gas station by making a left turn, in rush hour, at an intersection—when they could just as easily have driven through the parking lot and exited 100 yards farther down where there is much less traffic? Instead, they sit there, blocking the exit for those of us exiting and turning right into traffic (in this case, about 10 cars). So I drove the extra 100 yards and was able to turn directly into the flow of traffic and bypass the jerk who was STILL waiting to turn left.

I love my Tivo peeps. I needed help with something that I just couldn’t figure out so I posted about it—and within 10 minutes they started having answers for me.

On same said board, someone started a thread called “What do you look like today?” and I just love it! Well, everyone loves it, actually! People post pics from their cell phones or webcams or whatnot…and it’s very interesting! After posting about 10 pics myself, I noticed that I look pretty much the same in every one—I just either have curly hair or straight hair—so I said I was going to stop posting, but apparently some of the guys like the cleavage that ends up in some of the pics and have requested that I keep posting. :)) So I posted this one for them today:

Depressing thought of the day: I just happened to login to take a look at our mortgage stuff, and after paying every month for coming-up-on three years, we are just SLIGHTLY under the official selling price. GAH!

I can’t wait for our tomatoes to be ready to harvest! We do have a few jalapeño that are ready to pick, and of course I have been harvesting basil all along, but the tomatoes are what I’m jonesing for. Someday, somewhere, I hope to have a REAL garden!

On another gas note, the Prius has been wonderful! We used to use my car for everything—every run to town, every errand, every road trip—and I had to fill up about once a week. Now that we take the Prius everywhere (and I only drive to/from work), I am only filling up about every 2-3 weeks! 😀 So, we traded paying for gas for paying for a new car. I’d say that was a good trade!

My first attempt at Fried Green Tomatoes – meh.

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So we had some casualties when Tom repotted our tomato plants yesterday:

So I thought I would make some fried green tomatoes. I googled for a recipe, and the first one I found sounded fine – basically cut them, S&P them, coat them in corn meal, and fry in bacon grease.

Step 1 – they look good waiting to be fried:

The first batch I overcooked because the tomatoes were actually yellow, plus I cooked them too long and they got too brown. But the second batch was actually green, and seemed to be going well:

But the overall result was, simply, MEH. Blah. Boring. Completely different than what I have had in local restaurants. I think I need a different coating, so I guess I am off to google more (if we have more casualties—no way I am going to pick green tomatoes on purpose). I am thinking an egg and flour coating?