Bitchin' Kitchen

i'm in that place again where i'm too sick to write, so i'm going offline for awhile. (yes ... still in the hospital. they don't know what's going on with me and either do i.) please know i love and miss all of you so much. thank you for all your wishes and thoughts. much love always.

Most of my Amazon is now here!  I'm still waiting on one thing - the David Cook CD I pre-ordered.  I don't look for that to come before November.

I got my Pocky Saturday (whilst still in the hospital), and I got the rest of it today.  I just got done watching Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie. I haven't seen that movie in so long, I'd forgotten how much I love it.

When we were growing up, every Saturday night was Pizza and Movie Night.  We'd make homemade pizza - I would almost always get stuck frying the sausage - and rent movies.  One movie for the grownups, one for the kids (which my brothers and I took turns picking out).  One time when it was my week, I saw the MST3K movie and grabbed it.  I think it was on Comedy Central in those days, or maybe it was Sci-Fi.  Either way, it's not important because our cable company didn't carry either at the time.  (It carries both now, of course.  Meh.) But I'd heard a lot about the show, and since it wasn't commonplace then to release seasons of TV shows on video, I figured it would be the only way I'd get to see it.

And my brothers and I LOVED IT.  We watched that movie probably nine times in the 24-hour span we were allowed to keep it.  And we'd rent it at least once every couple of months (and NO, it wasn't always me that picked it out), until our parents got sick of it.  I bought it on VHS several years ago, and last week ended my six-year search for a copy of it on DVD that didn't cost over $100 (it really went for that much on Amazon at one point).  And now, I am happy.

Of course, I'd be even happier if this seven-and-a-half pound person inside of me would quit using my bladder to play DDR.  Oh well, by this time next week, I won't have to worry about that. 

(insert panic attack about being a good parent here)

Life was so much easier when it was Pizza and Movie Night.  (Which, I think, is a tradition I'd like to start up with this kid, provided I don't get stuck frying the sausage.)

I am watching Boy Meets Grill.  Voluntarily.  And I am enjoying it.

They say you crave weird things during pregnancy.  I just didn't think this included Bobby Flay. 

I think I might be going crazy.  HALP

::smoooooch::

:)

So Thursday was a circus of events.  Not getting into it again, but mehhh.

Thursday night, close to Midnight, I woke up to pee.  I went back to bed, and I got up a few minutes later because I felt something wet.  My finger was bleeding - this little thing on my right ring fingertip my doc says is a wart just randomly started bleeding.  It had done that before, only this time it didn't stop for anything.  So my mom took me to the ER at 12:30 am.  They finally got it to stop - they injected it full of lidocaine and cauterized it.  I finally got home a little after 4 am.

Had a doctor's appointment at 10:40 on Friday.  I thought it would just be quick fetal nonstress test. quick sonogram, home.  NOPE!  My blood pressure - and I already have pregnancy-induced hypertension - decided it would be fun to skyrocket, so my doc decided it would be fun to admit me to the hospital for 24 hours of observation.  I disagreed.  But I did it anyway.  Ben had to cut his last trip short a few hours, but my mom and his met me at the hospital (eventually). 

They put me in a bed and told me that I could only get up to pee.  They also - and I thought this was weird - they also collected my pee for the whole time I was there.  I think they test it all for something. I'm not sure.  But the nurses were really cool, the food was halfway decent, and I had a lot of fun with the adjustable bed.  Tim and Kim came into town - they had to get a hotel because they were supposed to stay with us, but my bp said NO WAY - and visited me.  They brought their 4-month-old Emma - she is so cute!

They finally sprung me on Saturday afternoon.  My doc allowed me to go to my shower yesterday, which was really fun. I got a TON of clothes for Allyson, ensuring my child will not go naked. I also got a lot of the big stuff on my registry, like a stroller and a high chair and the pack-n-play.

I had another appointment today.  My bp is...well, it's better, but it's still not great.  I've had some contractions (I guess, I don't know what they feel like but that's what I've been told) and I am dilated a little, plus Ally is an estimated 7.5 lbs. So the doc said that if I don't go into labor on my own by the end of the day Sunday, he'll induce me on Monday.  As in, one week from today.  As in, two weeks before my due date.  Did I mention A WEEK FROM TODAY?! 

Insert Ben and I totally freaking out.  A WEEK!  ACK!  At least we have the room sort of ready!

YOU GUYYYS!  A week!!

I go for another appointment Thursday.  I'll let  you know how that goes.

Anyway, I'm on bedrest until then.  I expect I will be bored.   (I do get to get up and pee and shower, but that's it.)  Bleh!

So what's up with you? :)

With (opening for) Joe Raciti and the Pure Premium at the Lily Pad in Inman Sq.
http://bigego.com/index.php?page=calendar&display=1177&artist=368

The band that's actually playing sounds cheesy as hell, so I don't know if I'm going to go.

the one jd is the natural BOMB.

( just a few reasons why )

Apparently Freezepop will be playing at the Atrbeat at night thing in Davis tomorrow evening.

http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/programs/artbeat/2008/index.html

So here's the thing with this kid, right:

If it's been awhile, and she hasn't kicked me, I get kind of freaked out - OMG is she okay? That sort of thing.

But lately, when she does start kicking, it's sort of uncomfortable and I want her to cut it out.

I don't get it!!!

I slept like absolute poop last night because the next-door neighbor had their radio on and blasting terrible music. It started at 11, and I don't think I got silence until nearly 2. I know it was the people next door because I put my ear to the floor and then to the wall.  Besides, Justin (the downstairs neighbor) isn't that much of a dick.  And it was pretty loud in the bedroom (the wall next to their apartment), but I couldn't hear it at all in the living room.  I tried to sleep on the couch, but it hurt my back.  So it was off and on until the music stopped.  I didn't want to go over and say anything because that guy's had the cops called on him a few times for domestic disputes.  Why no, I'm not sure why our landlord hasn't kicked him out either.

I predict today will be filled with lots of naps.

Mom is finally done cleaning my bathroom!  YAY CLEAN BATHROOM.  And Ben comes back tomorrow!  And there's a Cardinals game tonight!  Today's going to be a good, nap-filled day.

it's only a few days until kfhacker's Run to Sonoma to benefit research on crohn's disease and colitis. she's doing this run "for me" and i still couldn't be more touched and amazed. i wish i could be there for her at the finish line but sadly i'll still be in the hospital... i'll see her either this friday or the next sunday or monday... i am so proud of her!

if you want to donate to the cause, please do so here -- that would be lovely. if you want to read her training blog, which has on several occasions made me weepy, it's here.

can't wait to see you very soon karen!

Government center farmers market is very nice today.

Also in the news:

more on Marzilli:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/07/16/marzilli_victimized_us_2_more_allege/

BNL's Stephen Page arrested for pot, cocaine:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h0JdciAhWayMpb0qxT-jgxMJ4qrQD91USK000

And they still don't know what's causing the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/15/AR2008071501656.html

My thoughts on the All-Star Game can be summed up thusly:

More like Dan UGH-la, am I right? 

Seriously, what the crap was that?  As I told Ben in an e-mail, this was also the one time I was NOT happy to see Brad Lidge screw up.  I can't blame Lidge, though, he warmed up like seven times.  Dan Uggla, however, can kiss my ass.

I tried to stay up for all of it.  I failed, because I gave up in the top of the 14th.  At that point I didn't care who won, so long as the game wasn't still ongoing when I woke up this morning.

My mom is still not done cleaning my bathroom!!  She's become kind of a perfectionist, which is actually sort of nice.  The tub was in dismal shape when we moved in here four years ago - hard water stains and lime deposits and that.  I have tried everything I can think of to get rid of it, but nothing has worked.  Turns out, all I had to do was call my mom.  Woman is a genius.  She thinks she'll be done by tonight.  Truth be told, I'll sort of miss the company when she's finished, as it's only Wednesday and Ben doesn't get back until Friday.

She has asked me to wrap presents for my shower.  She's in charge of the prize things (door prizes, stuff you win at games - and I am SO GLAD we are having games; I went to Ben's cousin Megan's shower and there were no games and it was dull), so I assume she means she wants me to wrap those, but how freaking hilarious would it be if she was making me wrap my own presents?!  Not very, but still.

I took some of my birthday money and bought a prepaid Visa card with which to go on an Amazon shopping spree.  Which I did:

- 2 boxes Men's Pocky (I can't find it anywhere around here; that stuff's awesome)
- 1 copy Super Troopers (Dan took our copy a few years ago, and I've been itching to see the un-Comedy Centralized version forever)
- 1 copy Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie on DVD (I have it on VHS, but I've been looking for the DVD forever - I almost did a dance when I found it)
- 1 copy of a Sims 2 stuff pack (Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff)
- I also pre-ordered David Cook's upcoming album.

Not too bad.  My Pocky has already shipped, I should get it by next Monday (when the rest of my stuff, save David Cook's CD, ships).

Bleh.  I don't want to do anything today.  And I don't have to! HA!

tv commercials are weird. i was watching the all-star game from my hospital bed, right. it's over (goddamn the g.d. AL anyway!), so i was just watching it on mute. i see this group of people and they're painting models of planets.

nice illustrations, happy little saturn ring, happy little postgrad group, maybe. large, round, reddish planets. the next thing i see is, supered over the classroom work, the words "Not all symptoms may indicate prostate cancer. Check with your doctor."

i went O_O! round, large, red planets! prostate cancer! swollen planets being painted! and they're ROUND and STUFF!

wild times around here, always.

WHY IS SHERYL CROW ON MY TELEVISION?!  GITEROFF.

Also: Is it just me, or did Willie Mays look like someone took a dump in his cereal?

I would really like:

A. The National League to win.
B. Albert to do something totally cool.
C. Joe Buck to take a long walk off a short pier.
D. My daughter to quit Riverdancing on my bladder.  I wonder if her Riverdance looks anything like Papelbon's.

My mom is here, finishing up my bathroom.  I should see how she's doing, because at this rate the game won't start for another three hours.

Okay, so I called the pediatrician, and I meet with her on Friday at 3.  I'll be all doctored-out at that point - I go to my OB at 10:40 the same day - but it is necessary because I sort of want to meet the person who will be responsible for my kid's health before I make her responsible.  You know?

So, anybody know what I should ask her?  If it were entirely up to me, it'd be like: "Do you eat beans? Do you like George Wendt? Would you like to see a movie with George Wendt eating beans?"  Okay, so that's pushing it.  But I still have no idea.  We didn't exactly cover that in my childbirth class. 

Sigh.  One of the things they don't tell you about impending parenthood is how the easy things can seem so hard.

Oh, and my grandma totally brought me my baked chicken last night. (And four microwaveable sweet potatoes, and some cut-up fruit, and a tub of butter pecan ice cream, and 14 containers of yogurt, and a bottle of Dreft.  She went a little nuts.) For some reason when she said baked chicken I thought rotisserie. Which is wrong.  But this baked chicken was still delish.

Dan and Kevin dropped off the dresser we're using in Ally's room last night.  They hung out for a little bit afterwards.  My grandma called while they were still here, and then asked to speak to one of them.  SHe didn't care which.  So I asked them which one was available. 

Dan: Kevin.
Kevin (at the same time): Dan.
Me (to Grandma): Okay, do you have a particular grandson in mind?
Grandma: Oh, no, either one.
Me: Great.

I gave the phone to Kevin, because he lowered my computer chair.  He was displeased.  Dan, on the other hand, thought this was fantastic.

And my bestest friend Nancy totally called me last night!!  She'll be up in a few weeks to visit before she leaves for Malawi for a year-long mission trip.  This will be her third trip to Malawi.  I think she's simultaneously awesome and totally nuts for doing this (among other things, one of which being that she's a RED SOX FAN), but it's what she wants to do.  So, I'm happy for her.

Bleh.  Lunch, then laundro, then Hobby Lobby and Wally World.

Dear Brett Favre:

SHUT UP.

Love,
Me :)

**

In other news, HOLY CRAP Homerun Derby.  Too bad the totals reset at the last round, it would have been fun to see Morneau try to come back from that.  Can't believe the big check guy called him "Jason" Morneau, that was funny.

Ben and I like to - I guess collect? Sure - collect the wrong names announcers sometimes call the players.  Our favorite is Manny Ortez (that was actually John Kerry - his favorite Red Sox player, and we're not sure who he was addressing).  We also like Brandon Arroyo (thanks, Joe Morgan!), Brian Looper (Mike Shannon did that one), and my new favorite courtesy Kevin Blackistone on yesterday's Around the Horn: Gary Sizemore.  So Jason Morneau is in good company.

Seriously, Josh Hamilton = awesome. 

Know what else is awesome? This SportsCenter commercial:



"Is... is that bad?"
"It's not GOOD."

Oh, J-Roll.

I should shower and call the pediatrician I'm planning to use.  I tried to call yesterday afternoon, but their office closes at 3:30.  3:30!  But they also open at 7:45, so whatever.  Then I have Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart gift cards to use up, and I need to wash my comforter.  It's a good thing I'm not *actually* on bedrest.
 

http://www.televisiontunes.com/

I had to share this, it is a duty

Doctor today.  Again.  On my birthday, no less.

Welp, my blood pressure is the "same or slightly better" than it was the other day.  (I very nearly asked the doc if that was the technical term, but thought better of it.)  My bloodwork came back just fine.  And according to the fetal test I had to take again today, baby Ally seems to be doing pretty well.  He thinks I have mild toxemia, though - I'm not on bed rest proper, but I'm to take it easy and not go back to work until after the baby.  (Well, if you say so!)

He also thinks the baby is measuring "above average," whatever THAT means.  I'd be surprised if this kid weights under eight pounds, he's got me that worried.  But I go back on Friday for a sonogram to see exactly how big she is and to check my amniotic fluid levels, and for yet another fetal test and appointment.   OH OH OHHH And he thinks I'm not going to make it to my due date!  He's not sure when I'll have her - and my cervix isn't... I forget the word, but it's not ready yet - but it will definitely be before Aug. 12.  He probably won't induce me unless he absolutely has to, he said. 

I told Ben that I may not make it to my due date, and he's like, "Um...really?" Heh.  Poor guy.

I'm sick of going to the doctor!  I'm starting to wonder if they have a frequent flyer program for OB offices.  Like, if I go enough times and earn enough points, do I get a free trip to the Bahamas?  Since he wants me to come twice a week rather than the usual once a week at this stage, I'm seriously going to look into it.

My grandmother thinks I need a baked chicken, so she's going to be bringing me one later.  I have no idea why she thinks I need a baked chicken. But she's going to be picking up a few other things for me, too - she kept saying "Do you want this?" And I'm like, "Why not?"  I figure, if she's going to buy it, I'll take it.

Seriously, a baked chicken?

Check youtube later for this morning's Today Show-Colin Firth was just on promoting Mamma Mia, and he was adorable!

There was no white chocolate in my white chocolate strawberry yogurt.  OH THE INJUSTICE

Ben is gone, again.  He's gone til Friday, and then he's not gone for the rest of the summer.  Yaaay!  :) 

My mom came over and started scrubbing my bathtub, because I am at the point where if I get down there to do it I will probably not be coming back up.  She's not quite done with it - she says she needs to buy more Lime-A-Way, or something - but it looks exponentially better.  A lot of this crap were stains that I thought were set in, but she is finding a way to get rid of them.  I think it's the Lime-A-Way.

Kevin and Jessie came over too, to get a recliner we've had in the bedroom for ages.  We don't use it (except to put laundry on), so we're giving it to Jessie since she just moved, has no couch, and has no place for Kevin to sit when he goes to her place.  And Kevin took apart the crib, so when Ben's folks come with our new crib they can just take old crib pieces with them.

OH YEAH Ben's mom ordered us a new crib!  It should be here sometime after Wednesday.  It's a 3-in-1 deal (crib to toddler bed to daybed), which is what I wanted anyway.  And they're getting us a changing table, too.  This means that once the crib gets here, our nursery will be set up.  Huzzah, our kid will have a place to sleep!

Did Birthday Part 1 with...pretty much everyone yesterday.  Since Ben will be out of town tomorrow (and I have to go to the doctor, best birthday ever), he went ahead and gave me my presents: Guitar Hero On Tour for the DS!  And a $15 iTunes gift card, a couple of bookmarks and a copy of a Get Fuzzy book (Bucky Katt's Big Book of Fun).  My mom gave me a steam iron! (Well, I asked for a new iron since my old one has pretty much bitten the dust.)  My in-laws got me a wheeled tote for all of my scrapbooking stuff, a few supplies (like a hole punch and scissors and the like), a gift card to Hobby Lobby, a pair of earrings and a necklace that says "mom" since I'll be one in a little less than a month.  Eeshk!  Plus my dad took me out to lunch and gave me $50.

Fun lunch story: At Denny's, near the tail end of our meal, our waitress asks us if we'd like to have refills on our drinks.  Dad and I politely decline; Ben tells the waitress he can't because "I'll pee the car."  She didn't know what to say to that. 

My grandma has a present for me too, but I'll get that tomorrow. 

My baby shower is in a week!  I'm excited about this.  I am sure I'll be embarrassed by all the attention, but still.  Presents!  And I also know people are going to want to rub my belly, ugh.  I'm weird about it -f or some reason, I don't mind if Ben does it, but anybody else tries it and they're risking pulling back a stump.  I don't care if they're related, either, just... hands off, mmkay?  I don't know, it's just WEIRD.

Bleh. What else? OH.  I was watching this special on BBC America earlier on transvestites and the women they are married to, or something.  I quit watching when we got to the story of Dean, an engineer who went ON TV and said he didn't want his work mates to know what he does on weekends.  Well, Dean, if you're going on TV with this bit of information, chances are good they're going to find out.  It was at this point that I decided to watch the Rockies/Mets game, since the Cardinals have already played and won today.

Okay, so now I'm done.