Pictures

Here's a couple new pictures from the ultrasound I had yesterday. We definitely confirmed that she's a girl (I left out that photo)!
It was great to find out that she looks healthy and is in the 60th percentile in weight. Which is nothing to worry about. No sign of any effects of the gestational diabetes. The doctor that came in to look at the ultrasound results flat out told me my fasting numbers are not gestational diabetic- that they are normal and that I must be on the really low end of the spectrum.
She looked really cute in the brief glimpses we saw of her. Cute chubby little face.
It's nice to have good news and to see our little one. I might possibly get another ultrasound in 4 weeks if she is still measuring big- we'll see.
We didn't even think we were getting another until a couple of weeks ago so this was just an extra little bonus.
One of the images freaks me out a little bit because it looks like her eyes are open. Ultrasound images are pretty strange looking!
She looked much better on the monitor.
Those little feet keep creeping closer and closer to my ribs. Things are getting a little cramped!

Sleep

I'm finding that sleep happens on an every other night basis lately. Probably due to third trimester woes. Recently baby was very active, I mean, very active. So active that it felt like someone socked me in the belly in one area- it was all sore and uncomfortable from her kicking the same spot over and over again. I wonder how often this will happen?
I keep thinking, here I was bitching about the women who just said "you just wait..." meaning that I'll begin feeling so miserable soon and now I'm wondering if I will begin feeling miserable now. Still, I see no need to frighten a poor pregnant woman when we already have so many worries as it is.
There seems to be good days and bad days. I really can't complain about the kicking in any serious way because it's just so cool.
The ultrasound is on Tuesday. I'm getting excited and am already dreaming about it. Well, dreaming about arguing with nurses and then my boss pops into the dream and I just get pissed and wake myself up and tell myself that I really do not have to tolerate bad nurses or bosses in my dreams since I can have some sort of power over my dreams at least!

Well, it's probably obvious that I've haven't had enough sleep because I just feel like I'm rambling today.
Wish I had something funny or witty to blog about like the other bloggers I read at 3 in the morning but I often chuckle to myself though the day about this and that and just don't have the energy to write about it later. I am glad that blogs are out there though. They often do the job of making me forget about my worries or little aches and pains for long enough to get sleepy again during my late night sleepless stretches.
Well, I got up, let the dogs out and back in, fed the cats, made coffee, tested my blood sugar (a little high for some reason) ate my breakfast- the same thing I eat EVERY day and think I'm going to go lay back down and nap. I might as well try to get in a cat nap while I can.

Zoie

About 2 weeks after we adopted Odie I got a call at work from Mr. Manx. He had to go in early and arrived at around 5Am. It was right around this time of year so it was very dark still. He told me this black dog with, what looked like, white eyes was hanging around his work and looked really freaky at 5 am. She was a very cool looking dog, but was very spooked. Anyway, being the dog lover I am, I went over there after work to check the dog out. She barked at us and acted sort of fearful and aggressive. I knew she was probably hungry and food might turn her mood around so I got some leftover lunch meat and started tossing it to her. I got to where she almost ate out of my hand but would bark at me right after she took the food so I was too scared to try anything else.
She was basically living in the back yard of the abandoned house next to his work. I'd go outside sometimes and sit by her and she would get close- but she'd stay in the fenced in part of the abandoned house (I guess she figured it was the closest thing to home she could find) with me on the other side.
A coworker of Mr. Manx would do the same thing on his lunch hour- just hang out with her between the fence. This went on for a few weeks until I get another call from Mr. Manx asking me to guess who was inside his work...I couldn't believe it. One day his coworker decided to grab a stick and threw it thinking she might play fetch. Well, that was the way into her heart. It wasn't 30 seconds after she retrieved that stick that she was a changed dog. He led her into work and she greeted everyone with wags and licks. Mr. Manx and I decided that we'd bring her home since it was a Friday and it had started sleeting outside that day. I could tell that she'd already wrapped her paws around our hearts.
I was really worried about how she would do with Odie. We finally let them go off leash and there was one short growl/bark from Zoie and they've been buds ever since...I guess they just had to work something out. Odie was still an 8 month old pup and it was obvious that Zoie had recently had puppies so maybe she took him in as her own.
We soon decided that we were going to be a 2 dog family.
(I'm waiting for the baby to kick Zoie one of these days. She loves to lay her head on my belly!)

Zoie has the most beautiful sky blue eyes that look striking against her black fur. She loves to retrieve and is obsessed with her "kong" We had to work out some food issues at first. She got a whole steak I took off the grill, a couple chicken breasts, a whole sandwich off the counter...I think that's all the big things. We soon established some basic rules regarding dog food and human food. I guess living on the streets will do that to a dog.
One really great thing about her is that she came obedience trained! She sits, stays, lays down, shakes and will pretty much do whatever you ask of her. She's the big cuddle dog I was missing.

I could carry on with many of the silly Zoie quirks but this is probably a long enough post about a dog! Maybe someday I'll list some of Zoie's peculiar habits...
Zoie loves people, especially my brother (who is in Iraq). Below are both Zoie and Odie saying their good byes the last night he was here. She's a pretty sensitive dog and I swear she knew he was leaving.

Dogs

I thought I would take some time to share what it is like living with three dogs.
So our first dog we got after losing two really, really awesome dogs in a house fire (they were our "first" dogs as a couple- this is a completely different subject though) is named Odie. He's a medium sized, white and tan terrier mix with a curly tail- kind of looks like a Jack Russell with some beagle in him- who knows, he's a mutt.
He's the smartest one of the bunch and the only male. He likes to snort when he's happy, is a snuggly little guy who loves to jump on my lap and law down like a little baby so I pet his belly- this is difficult now with my big belly! He was a little escape artist when we first got him- thankfully, we have better fence and he seems less interested in escape!
Odie has multiple barks. One actually sounds like a yodel, it is one of the funniest barks I've ever heard- he saves this bark for certain dogs we see on our walks...no clue why. Other barks are extremely high pitch and annoying- reserved for when he gets pissed off at our other two dogs (usually during fetching, when he can't catch the ball).
Odie has never been much of a "humper" (thankfully) until just recently. We have two large female dogs that love to play and wrestle in the living room. I noticed recently that Odie was not joining in the wrestling, but would get this peculiar look in his eye. I watched a little longer and saw him slowly approach them and started humping one when they were really distracted- now it doesn't matter which dog or which body part- whatever he can get away with, he'll try. This seems to be his new favorite game, which usually results in some yelling. Nice, my sweet little boy has developed humpington's disease. He's also the smelliest of the bunch. He's still my buddy though.

Each of our dogs has a sad story, but I won't share that. They have all been adopted and rescued from bad situations. I like helping doggies- whether it be my dogs, or local shelter dogs. They show you how grateful they are in many ways. I've been walking dogs at the shelter for over a year now (and attending the occasional adoption or shelter "function") but have had to give that up recently due to pregnancy. I have enough of my own to keep me busy for now!
I must start some dinner so will continue with the dogs later.

Darth H

So when I was like 4 or 5 years old I was Darth Vader for Halloween.
I looked nothing like this- but this picture still makes me laugh.

Lilly pads

I decided to add some pretty pictures tonight.
We bought a crib today! Yea! It is a $500 crib that's 5 years old that was used only about 10 times or something. The woman's kid wouldn't sleep in it (he slept in her bed- is still there after 5 years). Anyway, I felt pretty comfortable buying it used under this condition. It didn't cost anywhere near $500 either.
It's nice to know our little child has a bed now.
Maybe I'll post some pictures of the house renovations at some point. We have most of the drywall up in the front room. Not nearly completed yet- but better than looking at beams of wood and wire.
For now I feel like seeing something pretty.
These pictures were taken this summer at Allerton park- one very cool place.

storms be a coming

I think we finally have a storm on the way. Actually, a tornado watch is out right now (along with our cat who we can't get to come in!!) but it looks like the cell is slowing a bit. I hope it is anyway, one tornado is enough, thank you (our city/neighborhood/house got hit by one a couple years ago)
Oh, how we need the rain though. The ground is dry and my allergies are in full force. Maybe the rain will get some of that crap out of the air.
Well...I guess when there is nothing better to talk about, there's always the weather. I happen to like observing and sometimes talking about weather though so maybe I'm just a weirdo. Well, I already know I'm a weirdo...

Oh, dietitian said my blood sugar numbers look great and I should start testing 2 hours after my meal- if I stay where I'm at, the doc my have me test less. I really, really think stress was a factor- but this is just me. Doctor-types don't like to be questioned too much.

I've discovered these no sugar added ice cream bars with chocolate and peanut butter- and that I can eat a slice of my favorite pizza and a big salad and my blood sugar is good! I don't want to push my luck, but it sure is nice to have some things that will satisfy those preggers cravings....mmm.
I'm hoping that I can keep up this healthy eating after she's born. It feels wonderful to know I'm giving her so many healthy nutrients because she's just growing like crazy!

It's so strange to have this little being inside of me. I can feel her getting bigger and feel like I can actually feel an arm or a leg sometimes when she moves - or as Mr. Manx likes to call it "squirms"

Mr. Manx just turned on that caveman commercial show- it sounds really stupid in the background - I have to check it out just out of morbid curiosity.