Teatopia

True Confessions

Now that I am over halfway through my pregnancy, I am starting to think about labor. It's not the pain that scares me, but the idea of accidentally pooping or peeing on my doctor.

Please comfort me.

See? I'm Keeping Busy! :-)

Today was one of those days when you just want to stay at home and snuggle. We had some pretty bad storms today, and my morning began with chasing my toy poodle down the street in heavy rain in a short nightgown. Gracie, our darling rat terrier, hates to go out in the rain, and she usually hides if she thinks we're going to take her out. But Wrigley likes the rain, and anything else wet or dirty, especially mud.

This evening I had dinner with my parents and then stopped by Barnes and Noble to pick up something to read. I ended up buying Queen Noor's biography. I've been pretty into Islamic books lately. It's interesting to me to learn about cultures different than my own. I'm such a dork. :-) I also tried to find Josh Groban's Christmas CD, but it turns out he doesn't have one. I heard "O Holy Night" on the radio and just knew it was him, and it turns out it was, but that one song is on one of his regular CD's. That man sings like an angel.

Tomorrow, I'll be crafting. My tea arrived from Harney & Sons today, so I'll be packaging that up tomorrow in some cute Christmas packaging to send out this week for the teaswap. I'm also expecting my package from this round of BBM3. Can't wait to see what my partner sent. :-) Oh, and if you haven't signed up for the next round, you can do that here.

Bye Bye, Sweetheart

This morning, bright and early at 5:45 am, I droppped James off at the office to meet his co-workers. Shortly after, they left for Orlando. Each year, James attends a big convention where companies all over the country get together to promote their products and ideas. James is a software enginner and he designs military training programs for the Department of Defense. All of the companies at this convention are somehow connected to the military. It's pretty different from his job in Maryland working with robots. I'm just glad he doesn't have to travel as much with this job. When we were dating, he'd sometimes go to Japan for a month or two, now it's only a week or two out of the year. However, it seems to be hitting me harder this time. Blame it on the hormones, but I feel sad. I suddenly feel ridiculously lonely. I am wondering what I'm going to do without James until next Friday. I'm also sad that I have to go back to work tomorrow after 5 days off.

I should be doing something productive today, but I've been pretty lazy and restless. I've been watching the Food Network most of the day, causing me to eat way more than either me or the baby needs! (It's about time I got really hungry though!) Now I think it's time I got off my butt and did something productive!

Happy Belated 20 Weeks to Me

Yesterday, I hit the halfway mark of my pregnancy. Hard to believe I am halfway to meeting my precious daughter. I'm sure these next 20 will be filled with lots of preparations and growing. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's a preview of some of the yummy goodness from Chez Hannah. Last night I baked a rum cake that turned out just perfectly. It really pays off to have patience and let the cake cool completely before turning the bundt pan over. And of course, the alcohol cooks off, so I can have some! What I really wish is that I could send you the smells coming out of my kitchen. When Emeril talked about smell-o-vision, he was really on to something. I'm not sure which smelled better, the rum cake, or the garlic I roasted under the broiler this morning for the roasted garlic smashed potatoes I made. Who wouldn't love something with a cup and a half of heavy cream, a stick and a half of butter, and a cup of sour cream? Yum! Currently in the oven is a cheesy squash casserole.

We watched the Macy's Day parade this morning, and my baby girl kicked me repeatedly, reminding me of what I am most thankful for this year. I even saw my stomach twitch slightly at one point-- my first outward view that something is indeed living inside me! I have so much to be thankful for this year, so here, by tradition, is the cliche "What I'm Thankful For" list:

--the baby girl growing inside me, and the knowledge that next year, our lives will be greatly enriched.
--my husband, James. A girl couldn't ask for a better partner.
--my family. We are headed my mom's in an hour. I am thankful for our many family traditions.
--my children in fur coats-- our puppies :-)
--our home. It's not new, we've been here for a little over 3 years, but I am as thankful for it as I was when we first married and moved in.

No More Work This Week!

I had dinner at Red Lobster tonight with a friend and the Peanut kicked and squirmed through much of dinner. It makes me so happy to feel her move. :-)

I am *so* happy to be done work for the week. It feels so good to know that the alarm will NOT be going off in the morning. I just wish James could stay home with me. He's been so busy with a research paper for his master's. I've missed him so much. I seem to be extra attached to him lately. It's probably hormones.

I hope everyone who is traveling for Thanksgiving has a safe trip. We're staying here and going to my mom's. I am making a few dishes, which I will post about in the next few days. OK, off to take a bath and change into pajamas. Nip/Tuck is coming on at 10:00!

I Want to Grow

Some days I look *so* big, and others, I don't. The smaller me (like you saw in the picture yesterday) is accurate because if I was really that big, it wouldn't go down. Babies are solid. I don't think it's bloating or gas. I just seem to look bigger after I eat. You can tell from my picture that I actually am not very big for being half done. When am I going to grow? I'm not keen on gaining a ton of wait, but I want to at least look pregnant. Teachers at school today were marveling at the fact that I am so small that none of the kids even know. I want to look pregnant. :-( I can *definitely* tell I am growing and my tummy is rock hard, but just not big. Does anyone else think I look rather small?

I am so glad tomorrow is my last day of work this week. I have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off. Sadly though, James is leaving on Saturday for a business trip in Orlando, so I won't get to spend my long weekend with him. I'm excited about Thanksgiving though. I am making cheesy squash casserole and Tyler Florence's roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Yum. Maybe all the eating will help Peanut grow? I can feel her wiggling around, but I sure can't see much from the outside!

A Day in Pictures

Kofta Curry: beginning to cook the meatballs

Kofta Curry: It's ready!

Palak Panner (spinach with cheese cubes)

And last but not least, me at 19.5 weeks before I have eaten ANYTHING. This is an accurate picture of my bump. :-)

Good News

Congratulations to my friend Shokufeh who gave birth to a boy! I was right! (they let the sex be a surprise).

Also, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the best one yet! It was my favorite book, so I had high hopes. I definitely was not disappointed. Go see it. You're in for great special affects and a good laugh!

A Little Too Late

Someone tell me why my Yahoo Pregnancy Group has been discussing birth control methods for the last few weeks-- pills, condoms, IUD's. Um, it's a little too late for us. I'd rather talk about the wonderful consequence of NOT using birth control. :-)

Lemon Water, Sexy Foreign Films, and My Appointment

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh . . . lemon water and a hot movie. What more could I ask for? In the shower about an hour ago, I suddenly wanted a glass of ice water with lemon so badly I thought I'd die. At least I have healthy cravings, right? :-) Thank goodness I had lemons on hand. I am watching a movie called "The Lover" (no, I don't watch dirty movies). This is actually a great foreign film about a 15 year old French girl living in Colonial Vietnam who meets a handsome, rich man from Hong Kong and they have a passionate affair. It's a quiet movie, beautiful really. It's the autobiographical story of Marguerite Duras. I loved the book, but it is quite a passionate story. She explains her affair with, ahem, great detail. It really is a sexy movie, except that I'm pregnant and tired and am not even able to comfortably shave my legs anymore, so it probably won't have much of an affect on me. :-)

And speaking of being pregnant, I had an OBGYN appointment today. I hadn't gained any weight since the last time. Go me! He agreed that I'm not showing much for 19 weeks, but he said it's normal for a first pregnancy. He also asked me if I had felt the baby, to which I responded "oh yes!" My uterus is almost right behind my belly button now. I also got to hear my baby girl's heartbeat, which was great! I have an ultrasound scheduled for December 5. Can't wait to see the peanut again!

A Family Tradition

Last night we went to one of my favorite annual family Christmas traditions. Ever since moving to Georgia 4 years ago, we have gone to the holiday night at our local grocery store. They have a Thanksgiving meal (pictured above), and other tasty samples: apple cider, egg nog, holiday ice creams, etc. My grandma, who is now home from the hospital, came and so did my parents, sister, and uncle who is visiting. Walking around eating Christmas cookies, turkey, and listening to Christmas carols totally put me in the holiday spirit! :-)

I forgot to mention that a couple weeks ago, I went to a Chritmas craft fair and bought a hand-made Christening dress for the baby. I'll post a picture of it. That fair is another great holiday tradition. What are you favorite traditions with your family?

Miracles Do Happen

What started out as simple research for my next OB-GYN appointment turned into an amazing discovery—one that will possibly affect me for the rest of my life. It made me love my husband more than I ever thought possible. His life is truly a gift, and here’s why . . .

I had always heard James had severe epilepsy as a child, and that it mysteriously disappeared when he was about four. Not knowing the type or the circumstances, this really didn’t strike me as terribly special, until last night when I learned more about what he had wrong.

James developed a severe and dangerous form of epilepsy as an infant. Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome is extremely severe and uncommon (making up about 1-4% of epilepsy cases). Status epilepticus (a state of continuous seizure activity) affects about 90% of those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and that was true for my husband. He seized almost constantly, and the doctors told his mother he would probably end up severely retarded and/or handicapped because of the continuous brain activity. This is true in 75-95% of the cases. This syndrome usually continues through adulthood. Many affected people need to live in a residential (adult foster care) group home when their parents are no longer able to care for them. James, like many, had to wear a helmet at all times and could never be left alone. Unlike most forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome can rarely be controlled with medications, and oftentimes the medications cause other problems in themselves. James’s was not able to be controlled with medication, so he seized all day and all night.

Fast forward a few years to age four. James had been suffering since infancy, and one day when James’s Uncle George (who just past away) was watching him, a miracle happened. Uncle George was watching a man preach about faith healing on TV, and during a prayer, Uncle George carried James to the TV and placed his hands on the screen and together, they prayed for healing. George said that at that moment, he knew James was healed. When his parents returned, George told them to take James off his medicine—that God had healed him. They obviously had enough faith to obey, because they took James off his meds right away. He never had another seizure again. Even those of you who are not “religious” per se cannot deny that something miraculous happened to my husband that day. What would have been a difficult life for my husband—one plagued by continuous seizures and most likely mental retardation, ended up being a life of happiness and accomplishment. James is one of the Godliest, most intelligent men I know. He graduated college with a 4.0 GPA. He believes whole-heartedly that God saved him that day. It makes me wish I had known Uncle George better because his faith helped heal my husband. If we have a son someday, I want to call him Aidan George.

James told me last night—when we learned more about his condition, which by the way can be hereditary—that he doesn’t think we need to mention it to the doctor. He says that God healed him completely and that we don’t need to claim any of it. Our daughter will be fine. James’s faith moved me to tears last night. I looked at him last night as he slept and I thanked God for healing my husband. I can’t imagine never having known him. Oddly enough, I feel completely at peace about this. I guess my faith was strengthened by my husband and his Uncle George.

Wiggle Wiggle, Kick Kick

It seems like our baby girl has grown overnight, because all of a sudden I can really feel her. Last night I laid on the couch to watch TV with James, and I could barely concentrate on the show because of all the activity in my tummy! I've had to lay still and really pay attention for flutters up until now, so this was exciting! Then today, as I was putting away groceries, I felt what must have been a kick (not hard, but definitely a kick) right in the bladder and I darn near peed my pants. She must have gotten a lot bigger because my whole family thinks I've popped and I can really feel her now!

I have an OBGYN appointment Thursday and hopefully an ultrasound next week. The doctor said it would be next week, but I just realized it's the week of Thanksgiving, so we'll see. I can't wait to see how big she's gotten!

Willow the Pillow

Last weekend, James got me a body pillow to sleep with. We read in "What to Expect When You're Expecting" that it helps to sleep with a pillow under your legs, especially in the second trimester when you can no longer sleep on your back. I am still getting used to it. It's just so big and it feels like a third person has begun sharing our bed. Because we are now sharing our bed with a giant pillow, we decided to name him. James suggested "Willy" and then said, "no, Willow. Willow the Pillow!" I cracked up because my best friend in middle school and I named a big pillow on her couch "Willow the Pillow." We used to sleep on it when we'd have sleepovers. Weird, I know. :-) Anyway, I'm still not sure if Willow is prohibiting sleep or just taking a while to get used to. I miss sleeping on my back. :-(

Every Weekend Should Be a Three Day Weekend

Today my mom took my sister and I for tea at our usual spot, Rose Cottage. I also got some Christmas shopping done and cleaned the house a bit. Now I'm home, waiting for James to get here. He is working on his master's degree and his professor scheduled an exam for this afternoon on his off day. Poor James. :-( I am here, catching up on e-mail and feeling little wiggles here and there in my belly.

I am hoping we'll go out and do something tonight. I have been feeling kind of restless and I really hope James will be in the mood to go out, especially since I'm wearing my cute maternity shirt-- the kind that ties in the back-- and some cute pregnancy jeans. This hot mama wants to show off. Now if we only had somewhere fun to go . . . there is nothing trendy or neat in this town.

Overstepping the Line?

My friend B really worries me sometimes. He is gay and lately has become rather promiscuous. I know it's his life, but as his friend, I worry that he might have something and not know it. I have encouraged him to get tested, but he still hasn't. He might be spreading something around and not know it. Without getting into the details, he has been with a good many people. He's a great guy, but like many, he equates love with sex. I care about him so much. Should I keep bugging him or back off? If I had something and only found out due to a friend's urging, I'd probably be thankful. As someone who is rather conservative, I'm actually not at all judgemental when I give him advice, and he knows I have good intentions. He knows we are different. I just want him to be ok. Should I back off or continue my urging???

On Being Sick and Not Looking Pregnant

It's no fun being sick when you're pregnant (heck, it's no fun anyway). Yesterday I developed a heavy cold and fever. I left work a bit early, was in bed by 8:00 and woke up determined to go to school (I am trying to save all my sick days for maternity leave). Now that I'm here, I am wishing I had stayed home. I took some tylenol, but I am pretty limited as to what I can take since the baby is getting a dose of my medicine too.

At least I only have 2 more days this week-- YAY for no school Friday.

On another note, I look less pregnant today, leading me to believe that part of the growing tummy I noticed must've been water weight or something. I am almost halfway through and still no obvious belly. I am just really surpised because I thought I was popping, but apparently I was retaining water. Bummer. Can you believe that most of my students still don't know? Think I'll have popped by Christmas??? I initally thought I'd be big by Thanksgiving, but now I am doubting it.

Yet Another Reason

Reason #738 why James and I are meant to be . . .

Much to our surprise, it turns out that James also is Rh negative. Thanks, honey. No Rhogam shots for me. Yippeee!

A Milestone

Yesterday, a stranger recognized me to be pregnant. I was buying a Christmas ornament for James that had a baby elephant on it, but before you think "DUH!", this was the first time that the sales clerk didn't ask me who it was for. The other day, I bought some baby clothes and the girl asked if they were for my baby. I said they were for my unborn baby girl and she said I didn't even look pregnant. She was surpised I already knew what I was having. Now I wait for the day that someone notices without any hints. I was even wearing baggy clothes yesterday (I had a sweater on over jeans), so I was trying to hide my growing bump if anything. :-) James thinks it is starting to get more obvious. I said I didn't think so, but it's hard I guess to judge when I look at my belly in the mirror every day!

Spicy Food Kick

I desperately want to go eat Indian food for lunch-- what can I say? Last night Korean, now I'm craving Indian food-- I want something SPICY! But, alas, I don't have anyone to go with. James doesn't want any and my usual Indian food partner, my friend B, is in Atlanta.

Would any of you nice internet folks like to fly to Columbus, GA for lunch? I really do hate to eat alone.* :-P

*Does it still count as eating alone if you have a little bambino in your tummy eating right along with you??? hehe.

You Know You're Pregnant When . . .

. . . You can't stop eating rotten cabage (kimchi) and just a couple months ago you'd sooner have eaten poop.

Random Things

I didn't get the chance to post yesterday, so here are some random things I've been doing:

-- last night, I volunteered to serve the Wednesday night supper. I am getting to be good friends with some of the people in our young adult Sunday school class. Some have very young children, others don't, but all in all, it's a nice mix of friends and I'm thankful. It was a long day though, leaving me very tired this morning.

-- I got the results back from the cystic fibrosis test I took. I'm not a carrier, which mean peanut doesn't have it. They also tested for other things, but they escape me at the moment. Today I am going back for routine bloodwork and also a test to see if I'm a carrier of Down's. *fingers crossed* I have a very active peanut though and I just know she's going to be as smart as her daddy. :-)

-- I wore my regular pants today. Although I can proudly say that I fit in them still, they are a bit tight and I doubt the peanut like being squished. (*note to self, only maternity clothes from now on).

-- the changes taking place in my body amaze me-- the changes other than my growing belly. I have a stuffy nose, darker nipples, a puffier face, and you can see my veins easier. Weird!

Halloween

I hope you all had a nice Halloween! We went to my parents' and ate pizza and handed out candy there. I was planning on dressing up as a nun again, but I forgot my costume, so I dug through my mom's costume box (she's a high school drama teacher) and found a black cape and this crazy, black wig. I looked pretty weird, but we had fun. :-) I baked a Halloween cake, which I sort of ruined by writing on the cake with what I thought was a tube of decorating gel, but ended up being food coloring gel. I had to scrape off all the letters, but it stil tasted good.

I was thinking that next year our Halloween will be so different. Our little pumpkin will be 6 months old. I can't wait to dress her up!

After handing the candy out, we watched "Poltergeist" (Lisanne, I read that you did too!) That movie has always freaked me out. Did you know that the little girl died while making the 3rd movie? Freaky. I also watched "Rosemary's Baby" over the weekend (kind of freaked me out since I'm pregnant), but it was fun!

What are your favorite scary movies?