Alabama Tracks

My 30th birthday is coming up this week and I really haven’t been too excited about it.  I’m not looking forward to actually being 30 but I really wasn’t anticipating the hoopla over the actual day.  I think it has been due to my focus switching from me to my baby.  Not to mention that birthdays in our family have been a family affair for many years (birthday parties with friends ended around 2nd grade) and something that we look forward to.  Knowing this year was not going to be spend together on the actual day but a few days later, I was content on letting the day come and go.  That was until Saturday. 

My husband left early Saturday morning to go pick up the dresser for the nursery from him mom’s.  After asking several times if he wanted me to go with him to keep company, I gave up as every time he said no.  I fiddled around the house and decided that I would get out to run a few errands so he wouldn’t have to do all of them with me when he got home.  So off to Hobby Lobby, The Dollar Tree, the post office, and Crawford Fabrics I went.  While in the fabric store I got a call from my friend Sarah (who lives in TN.)  We chit chatted a bit while I looked around and then drove home.  She was in the process of checking out at Target so we ended the call and I proceeded to do a few things around the house.  In a matter of about 10 minutes, my doorbell rang.  I opended the door expecting to see my neighbor, only to see Sarah.

She explained that she and Joel had been conspiring for months for her to come down for my birthday and that I wouldn’t expect her to come seeing that they just came down in July.  I told her that I knew that Joel had been planning something for my birthday but I was expecting dinner with a few local friends, certainly not this.  As we waited for my husband to come home, we chit chatted over this and that.

Later that afternoon, we headed out to register for a few baby things and to look at fabric.  I was told that we should plan on heading home around 4:30 as Joel had done call ahead seating at Carrabas for dinner.  So off we went.  As we drove into the parking lot of Carrabas, I saw Holly and Jonathan and the puzzle was complete.  Joel had invited them as the second part of my surprise.  At the close of dinner, I agreed to have the waiters sing to me ony because I wanted the ice cream they were offering and Joel gave me my gift.  For weeks now I thought I had him pegged as to my gift.  Boy was I completely wrong.  I opened the box to find a pair of peridot hoop earings that have stones all the way around the hoop.  They were beautiful. 

My husband pulled on over on me this weekend with something that I really didn’t think that he would coordinate.  By weekend’s end, I was spent.  Sunday night we laid on the couch watching a movie and were in bed by 9:45 and after watching a little bit more tv, we went to sleep by 10:15.  I can’t say that I got a lot accomplished this weekend but I did enjoy myself.  Joel did really well with this surprise and I enjoyed my day.  We’ll still celebrate with family this weekend so I’ll get the best of both worlds. 

I’m so looking forward to seeing family as it has been a while and no one has seen me pregnant except for the pictures.  We’ll laugh and cut up, drive, and drive some more but it will be worth it all.  Truth be told, I think we’re all a bit “family sick” and ready to be recharged.

Today Squiggle is no more. Today it has a name. Ruth Kristine. A girl. And, according to the sonographer, quite healthy and normal. At least normal for a 5 month pregnancy.

At first I was concerned. It was just sitting there. It wasn’t moving. Shouldn’t it move? You know, do tricks or something? The assistant ran through it in rapid fashion. She drew circles, made colors appear and kept hitting that “Normal” button. Apparently normal is the default.

Then she started kicking. I felt elated and somewhat vindicated. The baby was kicking fluid. Erin could feel it fine but her attempts to get me to feel it have been unsuccessful. I’ve had my hand on there and she’ll point and I really couldn’t say I felt it. I managed to see one minor kick on Sunday but that’s been it thus far. It’s been frustrating but the frustration is gone now. She does indeed kick and I cannot feel her yet. I’ll give it another month before I can feel it regularly.

So there she is. Your Hitchcokian picture of Ruth. Thankfully, we already have a room for her with a view.

that when you’re pregnant, people think that you need to see every baby that comes by?  We’ve had a few grandmothers come by work lately with their “new mom” daughters showing off the new baby.  Most of these people I do not know so I have found it awkward to “ooo” and “awe” over their new baby.  While it is nice to see a new baby and start to get it in my head what I will be dealing with in just 4 months, it kind of puts me in a wierd spot.  I like not being the center of attention in most areas and this certainly is one of them for now.  I’m sure it will change and then the focus will be solely on the baby and I’ll fade into the background automatically.  Just an observation for this morning. Enough of that soapbox.

 We have just 1 more “real” day to go before we get to our Thursday morning appt.  Squiggle has been very active this week though it still is just internal. I thought I saw my belly move yesterday when it kicked but I can’t be positive.  Sunday night I had a hard time going to sleep and part of it was due to the party that was happening in my belly.  I started playing the Michael Card CD to it last night and couldn’t help but cry as I listened to it as well. 

My boss has just asked that I participate in a conference call later on with a candidate who is organizationally challenged.  I love the fact that I am organized but it gets me into some interesting scenarios at times.  I’m hoping all he’s going to ask that I do is offer suggestion or take notes.  Unfortunately I think he’s going to ask that I try to coordinate political events on her behalf.  Something I’m not comfortable with at all.  All he has told me thus far is that she is working out of her home trying to call potential supporters of her campaign and that she says that “this person said that they would host an event for me” but then she doesn’t have any follow up.  It smells of calling for pizza to me. 

Work is incredibly slow today.  I’ve done two short things all morning and I’m about to pull my hair out.  The rest of the week doesn’t appear to be promising either as both bosses will be leaving for 3 days this week to go out and meet farmers.   I might be working some crosswords to pass the time.  Lunch can’t come soon enough today…

 

I’ve looked forward to this day the entire week.  The thought of more home time, more sleep time, more time to do what I want to do.  I am so looking forward to this weekend.  Not because I have anything special to do, just because it means down time.  I’m relishing in it here lately. 

My good friends (Nancy and Nancy) from my old job called yesterday to inform of me some news.  It was something that we had talked about for many years, but something that I just couldn’t believe until I knew it was really happening.  Nancy S. is leaving Training and going back to the sales floor.  I was shocked!  It all happened so quickly but I know that is where her heart has been.  Training was something at one time that she could enjoy and throw herself into, watching as light bulbs came on in people and the sales started to come in, but as corporate politics develop so have the expectations of the job.  No longer was it fun or enjoyable.  It was something that she had to do and would buy her time until she could go back to what made her so good to begin with.  It was something that I witnessed first hand while I worked side by side with her.  I too experienced it. 

Nancy is one that looks forward to change.  January 1st is her favorite day of the year as she can look back and look forward, plan, organize, and start fresh.  She thrives off it.  This job change won’t be any different.  She knows the company (it’s the same one), she knows the product, the customers, the rules to the game but things have changed for her since she was a sales rep years ago before training ever entered her mind.  Her catalog is all marked up ready to go.  She’s got her desk picked out as well as her cubbie partner and she’s got a great outlook.  I’m so proud of her.  A Chicken Butt she is no longer.  (An internal nickname as she can threaten to quit but she can’t ask for time off :)) 

 Anyway.  We are now counting down the days until we find out just what Squiggle will be.  5 days not including today.  I’ll find out the morning of the 6th day.  We are both excited which is refreshing to me as I can finally see the anticipation building and the attachment forming for my husband.  It is now very obvious that I am pregnant which I knew would be a trigger for him to really start taking part in the pregnancy.  I should be receiving my Sleep Sound in Jesus cd today if not by Monday so I will be able to start playing music to my belly.  I’ve not felt it move lately so I’m hoping that as I start playing music, I’ll start to feel movement again.

The heartburn has been managable the past 3 days without the use of Tums.  I’ve had a slight case here and there but nothing major.  We are planning on stopping by the health food store though this weekend to pick up some papaya enzymes in the event that it picks up with a vengence again.

So with that all said, I believe that pretty much wraps up my week.  I’m ready for my change of pace.

It feels like it should be Friday already with the week that I’ve had.  Today is actually the first good day this week of which I am extremely grateful.  It is like a breath of fresh air. 

Last night I got some really good news though that seemed to set my mind on a new track.  The phone rang and groaned and muttered that I wasn’t home.  It had been a bad day and I didn’t want to add any more drama to it.  My sweet husband answered and told the person on the other end that I was available.  I picked up the phone, said a lack luster “hello” and was greated with “How would you like it if I lived in Birmingham?”  It was Big Mama from college - otherwise known as Julie.  I couldn’t believe my ears.  I was so excited.  We had been waiting to find out where her husband would get a job and I of course prayed fevrently for Birmingham.  This will be the first time that one of my closest friends will actually live within 2 hours drive.  She’ll even be able to come for the baby!  After jumping up and down and asking if she was pulling my leg, we settled down for a good hearty couple of laughs and about an hour of coversation.  It was as if I could breathe just little bit lighter.

I told my husband later that I somewhat felt guilty for being so excited one of my friends was moving closer because I felt like I needed to make a closer friend where I am.   As I talked through my feelings about the whole thing, I decided that as much as I wanted a close kindred spirit of a friend here in town, I really wasn’t at a stage in my life that I can put a lot of effort into making a friendship.  After all, to get a friend, you have to be a friend.  My life right now focuses on the friendship with my husband as we await the arrival of Squiggle (soon to be named next week.)  So for now I will relish in the kindred spirit friendships that I have made through the years (mostly in college as they were my family for 4+ years) and still find so much joy, encouragement, and challenge. 

On another note, we still have our pesty little Springtails.  We don’t have as many of them but they still show themselves in smaller quantities every few days.  We’re doing our best to keep the areas dry as to not encourage them to stick around.  We think we’ve seen them outside on the side of the tomato pot but I’m not completely convinced that they have moved for good. 

Sleeping has been getting interesting.  I’ve started sleeping almost sitting up with more pillows under my legs.  I am sleepign better as a result and it is curbing the acid / heartburn that I’ve been having.  It’s the only thing that I’ve had other than some sciatic nerve pain in my hips so I can’t really complain.  I bought some Tums last night to have on hand at work.  If anyone knows of a homeopathic remedy, I would greatly appreciate it.  The past two evenings I have been able to drink a glass of milk and keep it at bay.   Today, I’ve not had any which has been nice.

We had a terrible rain storm here last night.  I made the comment that it was a hurricane type rain.  It just got so nasty outside.  I was in the bathroom with Lily at one point and the thunder was just a booming.  Her ears winced and she kept turning her head to find out where the noise was coming from.  She bolted for under the chair we have in there.  I’ve never noticed my girls being afraid of the thunder, but this little one is very much so.

Tonight after choir I will be putting my wedding picture order together finally.  After three years, I will be finally able to order the rest of the pictures that I’ve wanted to put together a nice Creative Memories album.  We’ve sold enough of EBay that I’ll be able to cover the costs.  I still have 150 + shoes to sell on Ebay but I’m making progress.  I’m so excited to finally be able to move with this project.  Up until now, we just haven’t had the funds available.  Hopefully I’ll be able to submit the order soon and get them back before the baby.

There have been a ton of other things that have happened within our lives with extended family but I haven’t felt like I’ve been at liberty to write which is why I remained quiet for so long here.  Now that things are settling out I hope to write a little bit more consistently and breath lighter.

 

Here we are at 17 weeks!