prayers, voodoo spells, & vitamin-C requested

The class I subbed for today had 6 kids and the teacher out today. I got a call at the end of the day telling me the teacher officially has the flu. I usually don't worry too much about getting sick, but I have gotten a flu shot for the last few years (well, not last year, because I wasn't in the special groups that qualify). this year I didn't either. I switched to Peder's insurance, and am still trying to figure out how this new system works. I don't even know if I could have once I got pregnant.
Anyway,
I agreed to come back again tomorrow before I knew how many were out, and with what.
So now I am paranoid. I just don't want to be sick. For the first time in forever, I cannot financially afford to be sick and I m terribly limited in what I'm allowed take for an illness.

Here's hoping there is power in paranoia.

Lord, I've been having fun with this:

Following a discussion of the name "Nevaeh", (heaven backwards) I was wondering what my parents were trying to subliminally communicate when they named me:

A RASH

or more completely:

A STAFF MOTHER
SO, A FARM THEFT
A HOT FARM FEST

or even more completely:

A FROTHY KAFTAN'S TERM
A FRANKEST RAT OF MYTH

Find out what subconscious thoughts your parents had about you

Answer to question #2

We have decided not to find out whether the baby is a girl or a boy. Peder felt that way from the beginning, I was adamant about finding out. (I'm only a little bit of a control freak) But as we talked to other parents about their choices, I heard a million great arguments for waiting -especially with the first. I expected to keep going back and forth on this issue, but now I feel pretty strongly.

So that's what a craving feels like

People have been asking me 3 questions:
1. How are you feeling?
2. Are you going to find out if it's a boy or a girl?
3. Are you having any cravings?

I have told them about my spinich & grape desire, but really nothing has felt any more necessary than in the past. People are just way more willing to help me out.
Until last night. Up until last week Peder was worried that I was starving to death. Nothing ever sounded good to eat. Now, I can hardly stop eating. I can be painfully full and still want to taste things. I am craving flavor. So last night, as I was on my way home from visiting Ellen & Pam, I had the idea to stop at the grocery store and get something fruit flavored. Not actual fruit, mind you, we have plenty of that at home, I wanted something completely artificially flavored. I realized that I didn't have any cash with me so I abandoned the idea, but not after almost getting off at each the three possible freeway exits to the grocery store. I figured I'd get home, eat some fruit or something, distract myself with TV or something and be fine.

No dice.

By 9:30 I made up my mind to get into Peder's cold car (mine was in the garage) and drive all the way to the store. I am a pretty practical (lazy?) person. I cannot think of a time in my life where I have craved a food so much that I would leave my warm house, late at night, solely to go out and get one particular food item.

I also discovered that there is a reason that the non-pregnant one goes to fetch the craved food. We now have enough artificially flavored fruity snacks to make it until spring.

Nothing interesting

is happening in my life lately. Even the mundane is extremely so. Well there is the whole baby thing, but there is only so much you can write about that without seeming super obsessive.
We took out the Christmas tree yesterday. I had undecorated it, and deprived it of water a few days ago, so it was well on its way to fulfilling its Christmas destiny and becomming a major fire hazard. I kind of miss it, but I'm glad to have one less task staring me in the face. I just hope the garbage system is still taking trees. I have a long history of missing that deadline and leaving a very old tree in my yard until I get motivated to cut it up in late summer. When Peder first visited my home in 2004, he was greeted by my tree frozen in its base on my front porch. It is amazing how long a tree will last frozen in water. I think I took it out some time in mid-March. It had hardly lost any needles at all.


Update: They did indeed take the tree. First time in four years. Yay!

Sock monkeys in utero

So my dear friend and "brother from another mother", Bill has let it slip that this whole pregnancy thing is a huge practical joke he is playing on me. (If you've ever seen the movie The Game, you know the kind of thing he is talking about)

So after he explains that everyone is in on it, (including Peder. But not my ex, who loves practical jokes, Bill won't give him the satisfaction). I wondered aloud what exactly will be coming out of me when I go into "labor". After throwing out a few ideas we settled on a sock monkey. Once that was decided we began discussing what I need to do to have a happy, healthy sock monkey. Bill reminded me that sock monkeys in utero can hear, so I should be playing jungle music for it.

But now for the big news: Our little sock monkey has a heartbeat! We had our first appointment with the NP today. They asked me 4 zillion questions about my health history, twice, weighed me (pleased to see that the scale matched ours at home. I've never had that happen) and did a few other things I won't mention in mixed company. She said things look good. She measured the heartbeat with a doppler. at first we heard my heartbeat, and then after an entire agonizing minute, we heard The baby's. 172 beats per minute. Very cool to hear. Though I suppose it could have been anything. I was stuck between holding my breath, laughing and crying when we heard it. Following that bit of excitement, I gave 4 vials of blood, among other bodily fluids and we went for pizza at Divanni's.

I think I slept all weekend.

That can't be true, because I cleaned the kitchen (including some cupboards), reorganized the linen closet, and cleaned up the bedroom. But in between each of those things, I laid on the couch and slept.
I think I am trying to distract myself from working on a nursery. I keep thinking about moving us into the big room and setting up a nursery in our current bedroom. I keep asking Peder to remind me that if we do, we have to heat the front bedroom. That also makes me think about how hot that room gets in the summer with it's western exposure in the afternon. Ugh.

Done-da-done-done!

Just called the company that manages my "silent mortgage", and they have already submitted the paper work to release me from the loan! Yaaaaaaaaay!
(When I bought the house for 50% of the listed price, they set up a mortgage for the other half that I didn't pay on, so I'd be liable if I didn't live here for 3.5 years, which I will have on Sunday)

This means as soon as the county receives the documents, we officially have over 50K in equity and are free to re-fi or sell if we so desire. Not that we necessarily want to, but we can, which is such a good feeling!

Got a job

Don't get excited. It is only my first sub gig of the new year. I guess that is my resolution: To work like a maniac until I get something regular. I did two weddings this weekend for peanuts. One, I booked long ago and the other I did on the cheap for a friend. I don't mind, they were both beautiful weddings and it is nice to have something to keep my editing skills from getting rusty. But wow, they wore me out.
Anyway. Not much else to say, I spent what felt like the entire week last week with my new accountant learning Quickbooks. I have to say, it rocks, and makes my business/financial situation so much clearer. It appears, that despite its liabilities, Aurillia Video made a profit last year.

2007

We had a very low-key New Year's weekend. Lots of napping.

Saturday, Peder took me to get yummy wild rice soup (a craving I have beeen having) and we hit Barnes & Noble to get a pregnancy book I've been wanting. (It blows What to Expect When You're Expecting out of the water) Then we stocked up on new year's celebration supplies (Baileys, & fireworks). Then it was nap time.
Sunday we met Hans, Rachel & the kids for breakfast at one of my favorite breakfast places, Bread & Chocolate in St Paul. Went home and, you guessed it, took a big ol' nap.

We watched a movie & the new snow fall, my parents dropped by, I managed to make it to midnight, but not much beyond. Slept the whole night through (now that is a cause for celebration!) In the moring, before going to my parents's for the traditional New Year's day lasagne feast, Peder and I discussed what we were doing,
10, 20, and even 30 years ago.

1977 -My family would be moving into a new house (the one they still live in) from our duplex apt. on Cedar Ave, my brother would be on his way.

1987 -I attended a "sleep-away" camp for the first time, and really learned a lot about pre-teen girls. I started Jr. High at a school away from most of my friends.

1997 -I was going to school in Mankato, and was about half-way through my Bachelor's program. I also got married that year.

2007 -I am starting a business, am married to my forever husband, we have an amazing house, and we are expecting a baby.

It is amazing how life changes so quickly.