The low point of American Cinema

On my way back from Kansas City tonight, a friend and I were discussing American cinema and its nadir.  I propose this.  What do you think?  You'll have a hard time topping roller skates, feathered hair, leg warmers, Olympian Muses, and Olivia Newton John.  Try it.

And if you have time, Britta and I both thought this was amazing.  Gene Kelly at his best.  On roller skates.  Yes.  Roller skates.

Bodycentric

My mom warned me that pregnant women become very bodycentric. I am constantly preoccupied with what's going on with my body. Here is my 24 week picture. I don't feel like my stomach looks that much bigger than my 20 week picture, but it sure feels bigger! There were a lot of things I was expecting with pregnancy, like food cravings, changing body size, backaches, etc, but here is a list of pregnancy related body things I did NOT know about or expect:

1. Charley horses. Who would've thought leg cramps were a part of pregnancy? I even have a book that warns me not to point my toes while I'm pregnant because I am susceptible to leg cramps. Weird. They've woken me up at night sometimes.
2. Bloody noses. Again, what's the connection to pregnancy? I don't get it. But they happen.
3. Gas. Yuck. nuff said.
4. Being SOOO hungry. I knew I would need to eat more being pregnant, but I didn't think that included hunger pangs as if I was living in a poverty stricken third world country every morning. If this is how babies feel when their hungry, no wonder they cry.
5. Wimpy joints (because of hormones not extra weight gain). I think I vaguely remember hearing about this one before I got pregnant, but it changes the way I do everything. I can't cross my legs for more than 10 or so minutes before my knees hurt. I can't run anymore because my knees hurt then, too. I can't lie on firm surfaces on my side because my shoulders will hurt. Speaking of lying down:
6. Not being able to lie on my back. I miss this one. If I lie on my back the weight of the baby hurts my spine, cuts of blood flow through my body, and interrupts digestion.
7. Insomnia. I don't think I've slept a fitful night of sleep since Thanksgiving, and it's not because I'm uncomfortable, it's not because I feel the baby all the time, it's just because my body won't stay asleep. This pattern has gotten really really annoying really fast.

I know there are dozens and dozens of other symptoms that some have and some don't during pregnancy, and there will probably be more that I experience. So far it's been a fascinating adventure, and it's only just beginning.

Feisty little girl

Scott's mom and sister stopped at our house last night on their road trip accross the country, and I got to play with one of the newer babies in the family. Lily is half Jack Russell terrior, half Pomeranian, but 100% action! She hardly stood still for a moment. I was surprised and delighted I got this picture. It looks like she posed, but it was seriously a split second pause as she ran past me.

Random ramblings of a pregnant lady

Ok, I seriously ate an hour and a half ago and I have hunger pangs as if I haven't eaten in days.

This morning as I was lying awake in bed and thinking of many things, I wondered how to spell the letters of the alphabet. Many of them are obvious, but I got stuck on H and W... aitch? eightch? For W would it just be double-you -ewe -yoo? Is there a proper way to spell letters? It's a pointless thought, I know, but it made me curious. Has anyone else ever wondered this?

It's cold outside

It is 6:30 am.

The temperature is -9 degrees Farenheit.

We have ice coating the inside of our old windows.

Our car won't start.

It is a cold day.

Life before baby

What a week! 50+ hours at work, 20+ hours with church responsibility, and 100+ hours of exhaustion... and I'm still not done. Sorry for the lack of a real post this week. Hopefully next week will be less hectic!

20 Weeks

Happy New Year everyone! For documentation sake, here is what I look like at 20 weeks. I'm in that slightly awkward phase where I don't quite fit into most of my regular clothes anymore, but I look like I'm wearing a tent in maternity clothes.

Thanks for all the guesses on gender... and we have an announcement: it's a girl! Well, we're pretty sure. We have a very modest baby. During the ultrasound she had her legs crossed at one time, her legs tightly together at another, and the umbilical cord between her legs at another time. The tech said she was pretty sure it looked like a girl and pointed out to us what we should be looking for in the ultrasound. It was neat.

Now, on to the name game...