Liar

I had the best of intentions--Really! I was going to post about my birthday and the lovely four day weekend and random baby related things, and then...and then I got sidetracked.

D surprised me on my b-day and brought me breakfast in bed. Aw. After watching something on DVR, we went to work out. We also saw Harrison's new blockbuster and I simply cannot wait until July 18 to see the other big movie of the summer. (And I know there are other big movies, but that is the one I am waiting for.) Because our new favorite movie theater is at a mall, we did some shopping to let the nachos digest before heading to Big Bowl for dinner. Yum. Once home, we collapsed in bed because apparently that is a really big day for us.

And my four days off: Fantastic. I spent most of the time being a lazy bum, but also got out of the house to shop for maternity clothes. I can't find anything I like. Plus, most of them are still too big for me even though my clothes are too small. I need a happy medium. So I've resorted to wearing empire waist dresses and T-shirts that are too tight. I simply adore my Bella Band, though.

Oh, and I found out that Zimm is having a girl! She is due October 15. And my friend Lisha is due December 2. And -R-, of course, is due about the same time that I am! I know so many pregnant ladies!

I think that wraps up this update.

The Big Announcement

Dear Internet: I'm pregnant.

So, those of you that knew, you can now admit to knowing what you know. Those of you that didn't know, sorry, I had to get around to telling some people before I could let you know--and I might have tried to tell some of you IRL, but you cancelled plans on me to, you know, find a place to live since you need to vacate your SOLD home in a few weeks. You know who you are.

So, on with the news:

• I'm 16 weeks along. For those of you that don't count your life in weeks, that means 4 months.
• Estimated Due Date = November 2
• D and I are both very excited.
• Yes, we were trying. No, we didn't tell anyone that we were trying--so if you're surprised, you're not alone.
• I found out the day that I started my new job.
• I told D .23 seconds later by calling him into the bathroom to look at a pee stick by the sink. It was tres romantique.
• I only had 1 or 2 days of nausea. That sounds wonderful and all, but I was constantly convinced that something was wrong because I was without symptoms. I did, however, get every virus that family, co-workers and strangers on the street had, so that was tons of fun.
• We plan to find out the gender of the baby and to share that information. That appointment will most likely be in the middle of June.
• We plan to share the name of the baby once we decide on it. We will not ask for input on the name and your opinion will not change our minds.
• This weekend I started to look more pregnant and less lumpy.
• I felt the first official movement last Wednesday night (5/14) but didn't believe it until I felt it again on Sunday (5/18). BP08 likes (or doesn't like?) Mexican food!
• We are referring to the baby as BP08; you may or may not get where that comes from but it is of absolutely no importance so don't worry. :)
• Not only have I been neglecting this dear blog because I have been busy with work and sick, but also because every time I had the opportunity to write, all I could think to write about was the baby that I had not yet told you about. I will work hard to continue updating and not become only a baby blog, but no promises and hey--aren't baby posts better than no posts at all?

Four Monday

Ummm...today I find last Friday's flower picture a bit disturbing and scary. Just FYI.

And today--today I am shamelessly steeling the idea of a four-themed-meme from L Sass (although it is a slightly different one I received via email from Mom):

Four things I did 10 years ago (1998):
1. Won my first MJBT (scratch singles bowling tournament).
2. Saw the end of my first real relationship that started when I was 16. It ended in the fall of 1997, but the heartbreak continued well into 1998, as did the transition into friendship. The friendship later had to end because it became unhealthy on all sides, but I still treasure the lessons learned from the entire experience.
3. Had 11 shots of cheap vodka, attempted to prove I was sober by counting to 10 (went something like 1-2-3...major time delay...7-8-9...), woke up puking and chugged 2 liters of water, went back to sleep and awoke to have eggs for breakfast. Looking back, I feel somewhat lucky to be alive and also very stupid.
4. Took a job at Dayton's and proceeded to accrue tons of credit card debt.

Four things I did 5 years ago (2003):
1. Got engaged!!! (May 16, to be exact)
2. Quit LTF (so glad to be back now!) but was still in the best shape of my adult life thanks to daily lunch hour walks and my now discontinued orange/pineapple lactose free SlimFast. (Now I work out and actually eat healthy and still cannot get back to that fitness level--getting old really does suck.)
3. Attended at least 7 weddings between spring and fall.
4. Bought a house with D and spent 2 months fixing it up before moving in.

Four things I did 1 year ago (2007):
1. Celebrated a new promotion in Development (May 14).
2. Had a surprise party for D's 30th birthday.
3. Missed my 10 year reunion for high school, but attended D's and decided missing mine wasn't all bad.
4. Spend a week in Paris with Mom. It was a fantastic vacation that I had wanted to take for years and all the pieces finally fell into place. I'm glad to have shared that experience with my mom and hope that next time we can convince D and Dad to come along.

Four things I did yesterday:
1. Watched my dad compete in a bowling tournament because that's what we do--if one of us isn't bowling, we watch whichever family member is. At least the bowling centers are smoke free now.
2. Went shopping for sundresses and discovered that summer dresses are really not office-appropriate.
3. Put clean sheets on the bed--we do this often, but how I love sleeping wrapped in clean sheets.
4. Ate dinner with my family in early celebration of my first 29th birthday. And I'm excited to have my leftovers for lunch today!

Needed Some Color

Because it's Friday and it's Spring.

I really don't care how digitally altered this picture is--it's kind of pretty and certainly unique.

I promise I will start posting more next week.

**picture courtesy of a forwarded email

Working On Saturday Sucks

I am preparing for a two day fundraising event that happens next weekend. I have been working long hours for weeks now with my two co-workers and I can tell you that although getting to the office when it's dark and leaving the office when it's dark sucks, it also really sucks when you have to come to the office on a weekend and it's sunny out. Boo! to long hours of work, but Yay! to comp time!

The Crud

I just need to whine. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. (Is that how the saying goes?)
I've been sick off and on for 5 weeks and I've had enough. I know there is some terrible stuff going around and a lot of people are in the same boat, but I just want to be done with it. I want to sleep through the night without coughing. I want to function with a clear head. I want my normal energy level back. I've been to the doctor 3 times; it's just a virus--a cold, the crud. I hope you're not suffering from it, but if you are, I hope we all recover soon!

Truce

In 7th grade I thought I was quite the prankster. No, I never did the saran wrap on the toilet or rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer, but I did play a mighty fine April Fools' Day joke on my dad; and from this I gained first hand experience as to why you never pick a fight with someone bigger, smarter or more ruthless than you.

It all started with a mid-day phone call to Dad's office. Jan, his secretary, told me that he was out to lunch but that he had his cell phone on him (yes, my dad had a cell phone--a huge, lug it around in a suit case cell phone--in 1991). I had built up the courage to make the initial phone call, so I wasn't about to stop there...I dialed his cell phone from the main office at my middle school. When he answered, I delivered the news that I had been expelled or suspended (I can't remember which as neither of them seems at all believable to me know) and that he needed to pick me up from school immediately. I must have been fairly convincing as he said he was on his way.

I hung up and had a hardy laugh with a friend who was planning to play the same trick on her mom. I don't really know where we came up with this idea or why we thought it was funny, but at the time it was hilarious. After the laugh, I called my dad back to say "April Fools!" He was not laughing. He just left a client at lunch. I was in T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

Nothing really came of my prank. I think he said that I had him and he was glad I called back within a short time frame. I think he also said something along the lines of 'pay back is a bitch' but he may or may not have actually said 'bitch'; I can't recall.

A year went by.

In 8th grade I got braces. I actually liked having braces as it made me feel older--and got me out of school for check-ups. In March my mom took me to the orthodontist and my next appointment happened to be scheduled on April 1. My mom scheduled it; I thought nothing of it. As April Fools' Day drew nearer, I asked my dad if he had planned his revenge--he said he had a few things he was thinking about, but nothing was planned yet.

The morning on my ortho appointment, my mom could no longer take me and my dad took me to the office instead. The whole way there I was skeptical, I kept questioning him about what he was going to have them do to me. His response was that my orthodontist was a busy person and it was a professional office--how would he ever convince them to help him play a joke on me? He's in sales--he's very convincing.

My appointment was very routine: assistants coming in and out and changing my bands and tightening brackets and then the orthodontist came in. It was an X-ray appointment. He reviewed them and said that I wasn't making the kind of progress he had hoped for. The assistant came in with some kind of contraption...he explained that it was Reverse-Pull Head Gear and that I needed to wear it 24 hours a day for a month and then we would re-evaluate my progress. As the assistant fitted me I tried to negotiate: only at night for 2 months--3 months--an entire year! No. No. No.

They handed me a mirror and tears were streaming down my face. The office was silent. My dad leaned over and said, "April Fools' Day." My jaw dropped (well, as far as it could with the face mask on) and I was immediately relieved. He put out his hand and offered, "Truce."

Now you may think that my dad is horrible and mean and evil and 'how could he do that to his daughter--watch her cry?' and all of that. I get it, but really, I don't think it was any worse than me calling him out of a client lunch pretending that I was in massive trouble at school. He said he didn't have this planned all along, but when the opportunity arose that morning he called the ortho office and asked if they could help him out. He didn't know what was in store, only that it would be something mortifying to a teenage girl.

So now we have a truce and a funny story. I'm glad I can let April Fools' Day come and go without worry. Any pranks you care to share?