Soundtrack of my Life quiz

According to the random selections given to me by my Media Player

Opening Credits: This is How A Heart Breaks - Rob Thomas

Waking Up: Walk This Way - Aerosmith

First Day At School: Numb - Linkin Park

Falling In Love: Fix You - Coldplay

First Kiss: All The Things She Said - t.A.T.u.

Fight Song: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall

Breaking Up: Life is Life - Opus

Prom: Book of Days - Enya

Life's OK: If I Had A Million Dollars - Barenaked Ladies

Mental Breakdown: What About Everything - Carbon Leaf

Driving: Dragostea Din Tei - OZone

Working Out: Shut Up & Drive - Rihanna

Flashback: Pride&Prejudice: Duel Of The Fates - John Williams

Getting Back Together: Every Time We Touch - Cascada

Wedding: Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy (Dance Edit) - Big & Rich

Honeymoon: Shuffle or Boogie (FF VIII soundtrack) - Nobuo Uematsu

Birth of Child: It's The End Of The World As We Know It - R.E.M (how appropriate!)

Final Battle: Tried So Hard - Linkin Park

Death Scene: Resurrection (The Passion of the Christ soundtrack) - John Debney

Funeral Song: Always Look On The Bright Side (of Life) - Monty Python - Eric Idle

End Credits: Dragula - Rob Zombie

Wow! I got some good stuff off of this, and it’s fun!
You there!
Go do it!!!!!

A huge update: "Why Negative Thinking Is Normal", Movies and Knitting... plus other various babblings.

So, I found an article in Parents Magazine that I thought I would share a section of. Part of the reason I'm sharing it is because it made me feel a lot better about some of the negative things I had been feeling since coming up to the end of my pregnancy. These are some thoughts people have had and why they are considered normal, according to the latest issue of Parents Magazine (p. 66):

" 'Almost every mom-to-be has mixed feelings about having a baby,' says Lucy Puryear, M.D., author of Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting. She told us the negative emotions women normally experience when they're pregnant - but are afraid to talk about.

" 'I hate being pregnant!' Morning sickness, fatigue, and other uncomfortable symptoms can make some women resent those nine months. But you shouldn't feel guilty. 'Just because you don't like everything that goes along with your pregnancy, that doesn't mean you aren't really excited to be a mother,' says Dr. Puryear.

" 'Will I be a good mom?' It's not just first-time moms who worry whether they're up to the job of raising a child. Even if you planned to have more kids, it's still normal to wonder whether you can handle a bigger family once you get pregnant again.

" 'I don't look like myself.' Freaking out about your expanding stomach doesn't mean you're vain, says Dr. Puryear: 'We're used to having control over our body, and it can be hard for some women to give up a little of that control during pregnancy.'

" 'What if my labor is a nightmare?' Most women are nervous enough about giving birth (How painful will it be? What if something goes wrong?), but friends, family, and even strangers can send your anxiety level into overdrive. 'As you get closer to your due date, people feel the need to tell you the worst delivery-room tales!' says Dr. Puryear. It's mystifying and rude - and irrelevant. You never know what giving birth will be like for you until it happens. Remember that most of the time, everything goes well."

So, now that I've read that, I feel much better in knowing that I'm not the first woman on earth to not be totally thrilled with my entire pregnancy, and that it's okay for me to want it to be over and done with (and not just for the benefit of being a mom after the fact).

Moving on:

Saturday morning we spent about 3 hours at the hospital because I was having terrible back pain, but no contractions. I also thought that I might have been leaking some amniotic fluid, but nothing really panned out. I was barely dilated still (only about 1cm - the width of a finger tip), and only about 20% effaced, which is definitely not going to get me anywhere with having a baby, since you have to be 10cm's dilated and 100% effaced. They ended up sending me home with exactly what we thought - back pain. *sigh*

Last night John and I went to the movies with our friend Andrew and saw National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. If you saw the first one, the second one was much the same idea, and very enjoyable! As usual, the first is pretty much always better, but the second one was still really enjoyable too. I'm looking forward to going to see Narnia: Prince Caspian in May. I should probably re-read that book, since I don't really remember it. I've read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe several times, but Prince Caspian only once. There are a few other things that are coming out that I'd like to see also, but I don't think John has any interest in them. I'd like to see Atonement, and I wanted to see August Rush, but that's not in theaters anymore. I'd also like to see I Am Legend, which I keep hearing is really good, but has some scary parts. We were lucky in that we got a gift card to Smitty's in Sanford for Christmas, as well as a coupon book that has coupons for the movie theater in Portsmouth in it - tickets for only $6!

John is home on a snow day today, which is nice. Not that we really do much on those days, but it's just nice having him around for an extra day :-) Of course, it really throws me off on days of the week. Now I keep thinking it's Sunday again, and it's not!

Knitting has been keeping me busy lately. I should put up some of the photos of things I've been working on lately, since they've all been resized in order to put them up on Ravelry. I don't know if people can see my profile or not, but I'll put the link to it also.

(Above) This is the scarf I made for John's sister for Christmas. It is made of Berroco Pure Merino. I was happy with the way it came out!

These are the mittens (above) I made as a Yankee Swap gift. Unfortunately, I don't think they were as big a hit as I had hoped.... They were made from Lions Brand Wool Ease Chunky.

These (Above 3) are things I made for the baby. The hats are the "Baby's First Hat" pattern from Blue Sky Alpacas and the booties are a pattern that I found online. They are all made from the Blue Sky organic Cotton.

(Above) This is my "Jiffy Beret." I made it for me, because I don't knit things for myself all that often. However, I tried to knit one for my mom, and it didn't come out all that great, so I am considering giving her this one, and I can make myself another one that is a little "slouchier" *grin*
(Above) Another Blue Sky Alpaca pattern - This is the hat from the "Three Piece Baby Set" pattern. I like the way it came out, more or less, though I had some issues with the decreases. Also, I would like it better if it were knit in the round, instead of on straight needles with a seam running up the back. I feel like the pattern could look a lot cleaner that way, but until I figure out how to adapt it, this will have to do! I'm also working on the blanket from this set, but have no photos of it as of yet, because it's not very far along.

I also want to take a minute to share some photos of some things people have knit for me for the baby. I got a great baby sweater from Laura and some adorable bibs from Tina! Since I can't get our Yahoo! Group to put them in the album - some issue I'm having with my ISP talking to Yahoo! - I figured I'd put them here so people can see them!This is the sweater from Laura. Her words on it: "The baby sweater was made from Debbie Bliss Cashmerion dk (I'm so sorry, I thought I put a ball band in the package!) and it's the Crossover Jacket in her book "Simply Baby". I modified the closure a little bit though (not in the knitting of it just in how I finished it)."

These are the bibs from Tina. They are so cute!

I think that will do for now with all of my latest knitting endeavors. I'm not sure what else I have to share, since I feel like my life is an open book these days! Hopefully later this week I'll be back to put up pictures of my new little one in some of my knit creations, but until then...

Well, here it is...

My Baby

The moment you push your baby out (or feel him being lifted from your belly) is one of intense relief and joy -- at least for you. Odds are your darling baby will be screaming his head off. And can you blame him? Your baby just got squeezed out of his dark, cozy home (through an extremely small opening, we might add) and into a world filled with dizzying sights and sounds. The first hour or so of a newborn's life is definitely action-packed. Strange hands pick him up, wipe him off, and suction his nose and mouth to help him gasp those first breaths of actual air. Your baby will have his heart rate, breathing, skin color, muscle tone, and reflexes checked and graded (0-2 points each). This sum will determine baby's Apgar score -- an initial measure of his health (most healthy babies have an Apgar between seven and nine). What else: Your baby will have his umbilical cord cut, receive antibiotic eyedrops, and get an injection of vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting. Then he'll be inspected from top to bottom by birth attendants to make sure he doesn't have a dislocated hip (which can happen during delivery), heart murmur, or urinary tract abnormality, for example. Most of the time, you can hold and even try to start breastfeeding the little guy right away.

When you do see your baby for the first time, it will be a pretty mind-blowing experience. As amazing as it is, don't be alarmed if your baby's not exactly, um, as good-looking as you imagined he would be. Those delivered vaginally tend to have temporarily misshapen heads and puffy eyes. And your baby will probably be coated with vernix, but most of it will be washed off during the first bath. It takes most newborns a few weeks to get that adorable, chubby-cheeked baby look down pat.

My Body

While your baby gets the once-over, you'll be busy delivering the placenta -- the 2-pound, bluish mass of blood vessels and tissues that has nourished and protected your infant over the past nine months. Although you may continue to feel contractions, most new moms are too blissed out -- "I did it! He's here, he's healthy, he's gorgeous!" -- to notice them. If you've had a cesarean, the baby will usually have been delivered in the first 10 minutes of the procedure. Then your doctor removes the placenta before sewing you back up. The entire thing usually takes a speedy 45 minutes to an hour.

My Life

Baby's not here yet? Sit tight. Only five percent of newborns arrive on their actual due dates, but about 90 percent are born within two weeks of it. Most babies will be perfectly safe and healthy hanging out in your womb until 42 weeks. After that, your doctor will likely want to consider inducing your labor by breaking your water or stripping your membranes, or with drugs (synthetic hormones, actually) that either bring on contractions or prepare your cervix. You may not envision induction as part of your D-day, but just remember that it doesn't really matter how your baby's delivered, just that he's born healthy. And look on the bright side: Inductions are pretty convenient -- you'll know exactly when to head to the hospital and get to avoid much of the "is this it?" anxiety many other preggos face. (Induction, by the way, is pretty common. According to one recent study, nearly 20 percent of labors are induced these days.)

And no matter when or how your baby arrives, words cannot express the swirl of emotions you'll feel when you see him for the first time. It's an exciting, life-rocking experience. The tiny person swaddled tightly in that pink-and-blue hospital blanket may seem like a stranger -- or oddly familiar, like someone you've always known. You may feel immediately comfortable with your new Mom role, or a bit anxious about how you'll adjust. No matter what's racing through your head, one thing is for sure: For a good long while, all you and your partner will be able to do is gaze at your baby in complete awe. After all, he's destined to become one of the great loves of your life.

My Thoughts
Well, here we are - week 40. I am 39 weeks pregnant today, and entering into what "should" be my last week of pregnancy. I had a check up yesterday, and the doctor told me that I am still barely dilated, but he checked because of some discharge I had on Monday. Then he basically left it at "Well, we'll see you next week if you don't go into labor before. Next weeks appointment will be pretty much the same, except we'll talk about what happens if you go past your due date." Needless to say, my heart pretty much sank, because I've been so convinced that this baby was coming early my entire pregnancy, that to have made it even to TODAY and still be pregnant is incredibly disappointing for me. Not to mention the fact that I'm always uncomfortable, with lots of back and hip pain. It's normal pain that I'm having, because it's just the weight of the baby pulling my back forward, and the hip thing is because the bones in my pelvis are shifting to allow for the baby to come out.

Unfortunately, along with the physical discomfort comes a lot of other, more "psychological" issues. Mentally, I am uncomfortable with the way my body looks and feels, and it doesn't feel like "my body" anymore. I feel incredibly unattractive, despite everyone telling me that pregnancy agrees with me, and it's hard to want to do anything when it's uncomfortable to walk long distances, and I only want to wear pajamas.

Don't get me wrong - being pregnant has been a really cool experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it's so hard when it's something you really have no control over, and you're just ready to be done. It's also because I'm dying to finally see this little person that has been growing inside me for the last 9 months! I'm dying to see John as a dad, because I know he'll be a great one, and I'm anxious for my little family to grow by one!

Okay, I'm going to go on and rant a lot if I keep going, so I better stop for now.

It's Primary Day in NH

87% John Edwards
85% Barack Obama
82% Hillary Clinton
81% Joe Biden
78% Bill Richardson
76% Chris Dodd
64% Mike Gravel
59% Dennis Kucinich
53% John McCain
51% Rudy Giuliani
44% Mike Huckabee
43% Tom Tancredo
38% Mitt Romney
35% Fred Thompson
15% Ron Paul

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Next stop: Week 39

My Baby

By now your baby has likely reached her birth weight (typically between 6 and 9 pounds) and length (18 to 22 inches from head to toe). She's accumulated enough body fat to stay cozy after she's born, and your placenta continues to supply her with nutrients and antibodies that will help fend off illnesses. If you're planning to breastfeed, your milk will supply additional immune-boosting benefits.

Only about five percent of women give birth on their actual due dates, which means your baby could come a few hours from now or not for another two weeks. But you're probably so attuned to the possibility of labor that every little twinge makes you think: Is this "It"??? Labor may begin in several ways: mild cramps (the most common scenario), your water breaking -- or it may even begin in the hospital, with a scheduled induction or c-section.

If your delivery is scheduled, you'll check into the hospital and either be prepped for a c-section or, if you're going to deliver vaginally, given something to induce labor, like a prostaglandin gel to soften your cervix or an IV drip of pitocin (a synthetic version of the hormone oxytocin) to start up contractions. If you go into labor on your own (your water has broken or you're having contractions that are growing steadily more painful) call your doctor or midwife for instructions. She'll probably tell you to wait until the contractions are five to eight minutes apart before heading to the hospital or birthing center. This can take hours, especially for a first birth, so try to get some sleep, take a walk, or curl up on the couch to watch a movie until it's really time to go. You may be itching to get to the hospital ASAP, but you'll be a lot more comfy in your own home (and truth is, many delivery wards don't have the room or staff to deal with you until your labor's further along).

My Body

Once you get to the hospital, a doctor will check things out down-there to see how much your cervix has dilated. Once you reach 3 or 4 centimeters, you'll likely be offered an epidural to help manage the pain. (According to the many women who swear by them, the needle prick of the local anesthetic going in -- before they give you the epidural -- may be the most painful part of your entire labor -- but it's quick.) Or you may be set on delivering drug-free, but no matter what you've planned or imagined, it's perfectly fine to change your mind at the last minute. It happens a lot! Women who swore they wouldn't have an epidural find themselves hollering for one, and those who were all about the pain meds may decide that they don't need them after all.

My Life

You've probably been envisioning what your labor will be like for a while now, but there's a good chance the real event won't be anything like you've imagined. Not that anything scary is necessarily going to occur, but there are a million different scenarios, and you just never know how it will go. Your water might break, but if you're not having any contractions, you might need to be induced, for example. Or maybe your labor will progress so fast that there's no time for an epidural, even though you were planning on getting one as soon as you set foot in the hospital. Be prepared to go with whatever unfolds. And know that even if you do experience a little delivery-day drama -- your husband gets stuck in traffic on the way to the hospital, you leave your overnight bag on the front steps in the rain, or you have 20 hours (or 20 minutes) of hard labor -- it will all become a cherished and often-recounted part of your baby's birth story. For all the stress and pain, giving birth really is one of the most incredible experiences there is. Promise.

So, there's the skinny on week 39. That's the week I'm coming into right now. I am incredibly antsy now, and keep hoping that something will happen to trigger labor. Everyone keeps telling me "Walk around, move, etc." Well, those are all the people that don't know how active I've been! For those who don't know me that well, I am a FIERCELY independent person - I'd rather do something myself than feel like it's not being done to my standards. Maybe it's just that my standards are too high - who knows! But I do know that I spent a good 30 minutes outside re-shoveling part of the driveway that had already been done, just because I didn't think it was done well (sorry honey - not your fault, blame the plows), and I didn't think my car would be able to get over the snow. Last night I didn't feel well, but I am pretty sure that I was just having Braxton-Hicks contractions, because it more just felt like my stomach tightening, and it wasn't a very regular thing. I guess I'm just still hung up on the fact that I haven't dilated at all, and I am SOOO disappointed. I don't think anyone that hasn't been through this would quite understand... it literally made me want to cry yesterday, and today, it seems to be the only thing I can think about.

Anyway, I best be getting ready for work. I need to stop at the bank before I go, so I need to leave a little early.

Todays doctors appointment and ultrasound

For those of you that didn't realize it, my baby's due date is 2 weeks from today. Scary huh? So I definitely fall under the "very pregnant" category now, and I am getting to the point of very uncomfortable in my own body. My feet, ankles and legs are pretty consistently swollen, and I have a LOT of back pain.

My doctors office has had "concerns" (their word) about the size of the baby, so another ultrasound was ordered for this week. I had it today at 11:30 this morning. The baby was moving around in there, which made it hard for the measurements to be done, but we got them all! The baby is measuring at between 39 and 40 weeks, which is consistent with the fact that it was measuring around 36-37 weeks when I was at week 34. The baby also measured at weighing 7 pounds, 14 oz (give or take). This is concerning to me, because that means the baby could way over 9 pounds when he or she is born, at this rate. I'm pretty sure I'll hear an "I told you so" coming from my mother-in-law any time now. Both John and his brother were over 9 pounds when they were born, and his mom seems set that I suffer the same fate. At my follow up appointment this afternoon, my doctor checked my cervix, which she found to be "barely" dilated. That made me not very happy at all. In fact, I wanted to cry right then and there when she said that. I thought for sure I'd be a couple of centimeters at this point! Apparently not though. My doctor didn't seem all THAT concerned about the baby's size after the ultrasound, noting that the baby is big, but not to the point of having to have anything done at this point. I discussed the swelling and the back pain and basically all she could say is "yeah, the last few weeks are uncomfortable. Sucks, doesn't it?" I was surprised that she wasn't concerned about the sudden increase in the swelling, specifically.

Anyway, that's pretty much all the news for today. Wish I had something better to share. I'm going to go lay down again, because my back is killing me.

On the road to 2008

Greetings on this first day of 2008! I'm glad to see that we all survived 2007, and hopefully 2008 will be filled with bigger and better things for everyone! 2007 was a pretty uneventful year for me, aside from getting pregnant (that was pretty eventful!), but I know 2008 has big things in store!

I suppose this is about the time that I should be dragging out "The Big List" again (and I will be, hold on!) and looking at what on it needs to be done still. Then I would call those my "resolutions." However, I'm going to simplify my "resolutions." They're just goals I would like to attain at some point, and now, with a baby on the way (any day now!!!) I have more incentive than ever to achieve them - especially the exercise ones. So, here is the big list:

My Big List
1. Take up yoga again
2. Meet my 10% goal, plus 6 pounds.
3. Join a gym or yoga studio and go!
4. Take ballroom/latin/swing dance lessons
5. Start writing in my prayer journal more
6. Finish Final Fantasy VIII, IX and X
7. Start nursing school
8. Walk more
9. Watch less TV
10. Read: The Cloister Trials, Quarter Life Crisis, The Color Purple, Random Passage, Knitting Under the Influence, Friday Night Knitting Club, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
11. Talk to Stephanie and Josh once a month.
12. Get some nice professional pictures of John, the baby and I.
13. Get to 2 more Mike Previti concerts!!!
14. Paint my living room, bedroom, stairway and computer room.
15. Purchase a 5 or 6 foot tall book case for the computer room.
16. Learn to read knitting patterns
17. Knit a blanket
18. Find a new job/return to school for a career I want to pursue
19. Do yoga 4 times a week, at least.
20. Finish the scrapbook for my dad.
21. Train for, and successfully complete a 5K road race

Now, lets look at what needs to be revamped:
1. Meet my 10% plus 6 pounds. I had started Weight Watchers around this time last year. After getting some medical stuff straightened out, I had finally lost my first 10 pounds... just before I got pregnant. So I am going to revamp this goal, a lot with a few others that are similar to it. So now, we group together this, the dance lessons, and the walking more and we get: Return to the same dress size I was in when I graduated high school. This may involve some combination of the things above, it may not. I'm not sure yet.
2. Watch less TV. I'm pretty sure we can team this one up with the books I want to read. So why don't we call it "Less screen time, more reading."
3. Train for and successfully complete a 5K road race. Some of you may wonder why I'm separating this one from the losing weight one. Well, quite honestly, it's a different matter, in my mind. I would like to have the accomplishment of doing something no one else in my family has done, nor would try to do. Also, I look at it as a way to get myself into shape. I don't consider being in shape and losing weight to be the same thing. I have seen plenty of people that are skinny that are not in great physical shape. I would like to be able to model a healthy lifestyle for our child(ren?) and this is the first step to being able to do that.
The rest of these can pretty much stand on their own, but I'm not necessarily in a rush to do some of them. So, lets look at my newly revamped list:

1. Return to the same dress size I was in when I graduated high school.
2. Less screen time, more reading.
3. Train for, and successfully complete a 5k road race.
4. Do yoga 3 times a week. This goes with the being fit thing.
   
5. Nice professional pictures of John, the baby and I (like THAT will be hard) :-)
6. 2 more Mike Previti concerts.
7. Home improvements: Paint the stairway, our bedroom, and stain the deck. When we have time, of course.
8. Knit a blanket. By myself this time.

That looks much more manageable for the new year. I guess I can start with the yoga thing tomorrow. I do have a prenatal DVD. I spent the money on it. I should be using it. The blanket thing won't be hard either. Now that I'll have a baby to knit for, plus a friend that is pregnant, I'll be a baby items knittin' fool!

I guess that's about it for now. I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2008!