Reagan and Sera are one year old!  Can you believe it?  Yeah, me neither.  Does anyone even read this blog anymore?  Well, if you are reading, here's a treat for ya - video of the girls "enjoying" their first birthday cake.  Ah, the things you can get away with as a baby!


 

Wow - lots of breastfeeding talk going on in the blogosphere this week.  The Atlantic published The Case Against Breastfeeding.  A popular blogger breastfed another woman's baby, and got publicly blasted for it.  Someone suggested that moms who are having a hard time breastfeeding should give up after two weeks.  Then there was the great breastfeeding in public debate that got so heated, it has a part 2.

I've finally joined twitter: http://twitter.com/5rottens. Love it, but the inability to search for people is frustrating. Hope they fix that soon. Aside from that, I think I'm addicted!

Actually, they were one month old a few days ago, but I just got around to posting the photos.  Hey - at least I took them on time!  Click the photo above to see lots more, plus a few of Levi.

PS - Reagan's on the left, Sera's on the right.  :-)

This isn't going to be much of a birth story, since I had a c-section.  Let's face it, even when it's completely necessary (which I've no doubt mine was), most things about a surgical birth just kinda... suck, and I'm not interested in writing all the details.  So...

I started having contractions Friday evening.  They weren't terribly strong or even all that regular, but they were definitely different.  We decided to go ahead and take the kids over to Mom and Dad's, just in case.  Around 10pm or so, I was sure that I was in labor, so I called Abby (one of my midwives).  I could tell from poking around my abdomen that Pixie was still breech.  After some discussion, we decided it would probably be best to just head on to the hospital, and she and Kelly (the other midwife) would meet us there.

A little backstory on how we decided the hospital would be best... the day before, at my 39w appointment, I was 4cm dilated, and Pixie was still breech.  After a lot of thought and discussion with Abby, we decided that with me being as far along as I was, attempting a breech birth at home was probably just too risky.  We had no idea how big the babies were, and although it was still possible that Pixie could turn once I went into labor, we all felt that the best place for me to be was in the hospital.  If I got there and the ultrasound showed that she had turned, great... off to a birthing room we go.  If she hadn't, than surgery it would be.

Sidenote: Yes, I know that breech birth in the hospital can be a safe option.  However, the safety hinges on having an attendant who is a) willing and b) experienced and skilled with breech births.  I had neither.

We got to the hospital around 11:30pm.  Checked in, went back to triage, and the OB on duty came to do an ultrasound.  Sure enough - Pixie had her butt right above my pelvis, and didn't show any signs of budging.  A cervical check showed me to be about 6cm dilated.  It was time to get moving.

-Insert lots of icky stuff in preparation for surgery here-

We got into the OR at 1:40am, Reagan (Pixie) and Sera (Dixie) were born at 1:59am and 2:00am respectively, and I was headed back to recovery at 2:30am.  Thanks to a digital camera, Lee was able to film the birth while pretending he was just taking pictures.  If you're interested, you can see the video here:  Reagan & Sera's Birth.  It's surgery, so yes... it's bloody.  Don't watch while eating lunch, or if you have a weak stomach.

There are three things that helped me be ok with having a c/s:

1) I went into labor.  I can't begin to describe the difference that made to me.  If anyone faces a necessary surgical birth, I highly recommend waiting until you go into labor, if at all possible, rather than scheduling it.

2) Abby and Kelly were at the hospital with me.  Their calm reassurance that I was doing the right thing was wonderful.

3) I basically demanded that the babies come to the recovery room with me, assuming they had no immediate medical issues.  Of all the things I pushed back on that night, I pushed the hardest on this one, and won ("hospital policy" is that all c/s babies go immediately to the nursery for observation for at least an hour).  Being able to bond with them and nurse them immediately was HUGE.  I will never forget Reagan latching on for the first time... I don't think I've ever seen a brand new baby latch so enthusiastically!

The one thing I wish I had pushed harder on was having Lee with me during the prep for the surgery.  They wouldn't let him come in until the surgery started, and I think having him there for all the icky stuff prior to the surgery would have helped a lot.

Overall, I'd say my hospital stay was a good one.  The nurses were all very nice, and most of them were genuinely impressed with how quickly I was recovering and adapting to nursing two babies.  One of the night nurses told me, "Most of my moms with ONE baby are freaking out about nursing - I just can't believe how great you're doing and how calm you are with two of them!"

A few things I'm glad I either learned from friends who've been there, or figured out on my own:

- DEMAND that healthy babies come to recovery with you.  This is so incredibly important for bonding and the start of breastfeeding.  I can not imagine how miserable I would have been, sitting in recovery for two hours without my babies. 

- The nurses are not trying to torture you when the come to get you up and moving.  It's essential for a quick recovery.  Don't overdo it, but definitely get up as soon as possible, and continue to get out of bed frequently.

- Bring your own comfy pajamas, and shower and change as soon as possible.  You will feel worlds better once you're clean and in your own clothes.

- Bring (or ask for) several extra pillows for nursing.  The most comfortable position in which to nurse is the football hold, and it's hard to do without supportive pillows.  A Boppy is out of the question for the first few weeks - you won't want anything across your belly.

- Anyone who's given birth in a hospital has laughed at the disposable net underwear they give you.  TAKE HOME AS MANY PAIRS AS POSSIBLE!  Unless you normally wear gigantic, stretchy underwear, most of your usual underwear will continue to be uncomfortable for awhile (truth be told, mine still is!)

- Take your pain meds on schedule.  If you wait until you're in full-blown pain to take them, you'll be behind the curve, and wind up taking more meds in the long run.  I talked to my nurses, and they helped me find a schedule that kept me as comfortable as possible while still being alert enough to care for and interact with my babies.


So... that's my birth story, of sorts.  Although I am sad that I didn't get to have the birth I wanted, I have no doubts that this is what was best for me and the babies.  I know there are many women who are bitter and angry about their surgical births, and I'm incredibly thankful that I don't feel that way.  I do think that waiting until I went into labor made all the difference for me, along with standing up for myself, having a doctor I trust, and having all the right support people with me.

Did you know that of the (relatively limited) studies that compare vaginal breech birth and surgical birth outcomes, there is not ONE that decisively shows one method is better than the other?  Surprisingly, most of them conclude that vaginal breech birth is safer.  However, the caveat is that breech birth is safer than c/s only with a skilled attendant.  In absence of an attendant experienced in breech births, the risks are about the same as c/s.

Ugh Ugh Ugh!

When I was deciding between home birth and hospital birth, I felt I was choosing between two very safe options.  Now, I feel that I'm choosing between the lesser of two evils.  Trouble is... I don't know which one is the lesser, and I can't find any magical source to help me.

I find the general misconception that a c-section "guarantees" a positive outcome disturbing.  There ARE NO GUARANTEES.  Every decision made during birth carries with it its own benefits, and its own risks.  Contrary to popular belief, surgery is not automatically the safest route to take.  It's just the route by which an OB is least likely to get sued, even if things go horribly wrong, because everyone will be able to say "we did all that we could."

Although Dr. Jenkins, Abby and Kelly are listening to my thoughts on the matter, it's frustrating that they seem to think my idea of a "perfect birth" and my desire to avoid a c-section are at the root of my concerns.  I don't have an idea of a perfect birth, and I've never said that I want to avoid surgery at all costs.  Every decision that I've made to this point, and the agonizing I'm doing over the decision facing me now, is because I want to do what's best for the babies.  I wish I could find a way to make that exceptionally clear to all involved.

Pixie is still breech, and Dixie is breech again.  Had my 38w appointment with Dr. Jenkins yesterday, and there they both were - heads side-by-side at the top of my abdomen.  Dr. J didn't say, but as best I could tell, they're both footling.  They're definitely not Frank (neither had feet up by his/her head), and I'm pretty sure neither one was curled into full-breech position. 

After some discussion, we decided it would be best not to have Dr. J check my cervix, due to the potential to start labor and force an emergency c/s.  So, no idea if I'm any closer to getting this show on the road.  The interesting thing is that when Dr. J checked me at my 37w appointment, he found me to be 3cm.  However, when I saw the midwives the following week, Abby said I was 50% effaced, but not really dilated at all.  Not sure how that's possible... I guess it could have something to do with the babies continually shifting positions, and putting more or less pressure on my cervix at any given time.

The good news(?) is that no one is anywhere near my pelvis, and apparently there's still plenty of room to move around in there, so there's still a chance that one could flip vertex and get their head engaged. 

The question is... how much longer can I stay on this emotional roller coaster?

I had a long talk with Abby on the way home from my appointment, and we talked about the possibility of moving my scheduled c/s date up to next week, in order to increase the likelihood that I would have Dr. Jenkins.  Abby seems to think that at this point, that might be the best route to take, since the idea of having anyone other than Dr. Jenkins sends me into high-stress mode.  Which is true, but I think that scheduling the surgery prior to 40w makes me stress even more.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what these babies might be trying to tell me...

- Maybe Dixie flipped back to breech to clue me in that trying to birth the first baby (Pixie) breech would be a bad idea.
- Maybe they're both breech because, for whatever reason, one or both of them won't be able to tolerate labor and vaginal birth.
- Maybe they're both breech because they're just not quite ready to come out yet.

It's that last one that nags at me.  I mean yes, they are definitely full-term.  Other than maybe a couple of days on either side, there is no question about my dates.  However, some babies *do* need longer to cook, or normal gestation wouldn't be up to 42 weeks.  Maybe that's the case with these two?  I don't know - there's just something about cutting them out of the womb before I go into labor that seems utterly WRONG to me.  If there were some indication that they needed to be out, than absolutely, but so far, there's not.

I guess all I can do right now is go with my gut, and my gut is telling me to leave the scheduled c/s date where it is (July 28 - 40w4d), and give the babies more time. 

In the soul-searching I've done over the last 24 hours, I realized that in my heart, I've already let go of the possibility of a home birth.  Letting go of natural birth is harder, but I've always been ok with having a surgical birth if the situation warrants it once I go into labor.  Scheduling a surgical birth before I'm sure the babies are ready, though, is not something I'm prepared to do. 

Contractions have slowed waaaaaay down.  Guess I'll have to go to work tomorrow.  :-P

Probably just as well, though, since I can't tell what position the babies are in at all.  Usually I can feel around and at least figure out where their heads are, but I'm finding it impossible today.  I see Abby and Kelly on Wednesday... they'll probably be able to tell (sometimes even they have trouble, with two in there).  If not, Dr. Jenkins will do an u/s on Friday, so I'll know for sure.

Been having contractions every five minutes for HOURS now; since about 7:30 this morning.  Although they're definitely different from BH, they're not getting any stronger, or more frequent, or... anything, really.  C'mon babies - shit or get off the pot.  :-P

Well - I've officially made it to full-term... I was 37 weeks yesterday.  Doesn't sound like that big of a deal, I guess, but with twins, I think it's something to be pretty proud of.  Especially since I've also managed to avoid the other things that tend to go along with twin pregnancies - gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, anemia, bedrest, etc.  The midwives and Dr. Jenkins all seem pretty amazed at how healthy I've managed to be.  So - go me.  :-)

Had my weekly non-stress test (NST) and visit with Dr. Jenkins yesterday, as well as my home visit with the midwives. 

The NST was completely normal, as usual (although I was slightly annoyed that they left me on there for so long, I was able to get a little catnap).  The visit with Dr. Jenkins was good.  He did an u/s to check the babies' positions.  Dixie (baby B) is vertex - YAY!  Unfortunately, Pixie is still breech.  S/he needs to either get head-down, or get out of the way so that Dixie can come out first.  C/s is scheduled for July 28 (40w4d), just in case.  Neither Dr. Jenkins nor I think I'll go that long, and he is completely ok with me going into labor, checking positions of the babies, and going from there.  I haven't talked to him yet about how he feels about attempting a breech birth if Pixie is still not vertex when I go into labor.  I'll discuss that with him next week.

Research is somewhat limited, but from what I've been able to find on vaginal breech birth vs. surgical birth:

-  Risks of vb are lower than c/s if baby is in Frank breech position (butt presenting, legs straight)
-  Risks of vb and c/s are about the same for baby if baby is in full-breech position (butt presenting, knees bent)
-  Risks of vb are significantly higher than c/s for baby if baby is in footling breech position (one or both feet presenting)

So... based on that and my gut, I've decided that if there's a butt presenting, I'd like to attempt a vaginal birth.  This is assuming that both babies are doing well during labor, of course.

I had a very open discussion about the possibility of a breech birth with the midwives at my home visit last night, and they are on board.  That's a relief - I really thought that a butt presenting when they arrived while I was in labor might mean an automatic trip to the hospital.  It doesn't.  Long as I'm comfortable with it and the babies look good, we can stay at home.

What else?  Oh yeah - I was 3cm dilated yesterday.  I'm not getting *too* worked up yet, since I've been known to hang out at 4-6cm dilated for weeks.  However, it's good to know that things are starting to happen.  Mama's tired... these babies can vacate the premises anytime!

Bush Signs Bill To Take All Newborns' DNA
http://www.infowars.net/articles/may2008/020507DNA.htm

S. 1858: Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007

How does this stuff get through the Senate, the House, AND signed into law without the general public ever hearing about it?  Or maybe everyone has heard about it, but somehow no one cares?  How is there not public outrage over this??

I truly fear the direction our nation is headed.

So, I finally got around to loading a bunch of photos to Flickr, and a bunch of videos to YouTube.

This is by far the best photo I've gotten of all three kids in a long time:



You can see more photos here: 3rottens on Flickr

And you can see videos here: 3rottens on YouTube

Enjoy!  :-)

Never in my previous pregnancies have I wished for the pregnancy to be over.  I knew that no matter how uncomfortable I was, things only get harder once the baby is out.

This pregnancy is definitely the exception!  As of this morning, I'm measuring 46cm.  For those of you who have never been pregnant, or have just forgotten, each centimeter typically coincides with your week of pregnancy.  So, if I were 34 weeks pregnant with a singleton, I would measure around 34cm.  Um... I'm 34 weeks pregnant, and measuring as if I'm 46 weeks pregnant.  Yes - I'm uncomfortable!

My back is killing me, I pee every 43 seconds, I don't sleep for more than 14 minutes at a time, and I'm convinced I'm going to die from heartburn.  Seriously, babies - we're past all major (and most minor) risks associated with premies.  Really, you can come anytime now.  Really.

Yes, yes, yes... taking care of two newborns will be a ton of work and blah, blah, blah.  I'm still absolutely certain that I'll get more than 14 minutes of sleep at a stretch at least occasionally, the heartburn will cease, and my ankles will return (they've been disappearing with swelling on a regular basis).

Much as I want to birth at home, I feel well prepared for being either at home or in the hospital.  The thought of fending off interventions during labor in a hospital isn't nearly as daunting as it was even a few weeks ago.   My only concern now is getting Pixie (aka Baby A) to turn vertex.  Although really, after a few weeks of freaking out over a potential surgical birth, I'm feeling pretty zen about the whole thing.  The one thing I do know is that the procedure will NOT be scheduled.  If I go into labor and Pixie still hasn't turned, and doesn't show any signs of budging, then fine... I know at that point that the healthiest thing for everyone is to just get the babies out as safely as possible, which likely means surgery (there is some limited research that supports vaginal birth if Baby A is in Frank breech position, but that is only with an attendant skilled at breech birth.  Sadly, with the vast majority of breech babies being delivered by C/s, vaginal breech birth is a dying art.)\

Of course, I still have to have the whole "I'm not scheduling a C/s" conversation with Dr. Jenkins... that will happen at next week's appointment if Pixie is still breech.  I'm quite certain he's not going to like it, but he can't force me to schedule the surgery, and they certainly can't start without me!

Pregnancy is going great... I'm frickin' giant.  I'm as big now as I was at the end of my other pregnancies, and I still have 11 weeks (give or take) to go! 

We've decided to go with a home birth.  I've been guest blogging about it here and here over at The Lactivist, if you're interested in the details.

Someone over at The Lactivist linked me to this video... I will probably watch it at least daily from now until the babies are born:

First of all, the ice and I are decidedly NOT friends.  I slipped and fell for the second time in as many weeks, on the way into the doctor's office, no less!  I'm seriously considering locking myself in the house until the weather is consistently 50 degrees or above.

The babies look great... they're both head down right now (that doesn't mean much at 21w for a singleton, but when there's two in there, they already have less room to move around, so good chance they'll stay that way).  Sexes are confirmed... definitely the same as what was under the cut in my last post.  :-D

And finally... these babies will NOT be born in the hospital, barring pre-term labor (before 35 weeks) or some other true emergency situation.  Otherwise, HELL no.  Wanna know why?  Lemme fill you in a little conversation I had with my OB this morning...

(To note, this was not with my primary OB, Dr. J.  I'm now officially being tag-teamed by him and Dr. R., the practice's "high risk" doctor.  This conversation was between me and Dr. R.)

So we look at the babies and my cervix on the ultrasound, and everything looks great.  He actually described my cervix as "just fantastic," which I gotta say... it's a little weird, but whatever.  He finishes up the exam, sits on the stool and says, "So, what else to you want to talk about?"  Since he appears to be in no hurry, I decide to dive in.  "Well, I was hoping you could tell me a little bit about what the births will look like... I've had easy labors and births historically, and certainly have never been classified as high-risk.  This is all new, and I'm not real big on interventions."

Him: "Well, when you get to the hospital, we'll do the usual things... start the IV, get the monitors hooked up, etc."
Me: "What's the IV for?"
Him: "To give you fluids, since you won't be able to eat or drink, and so that we can administer pitocin to make sure your labor progresses."
Me: "Ok" (I decided I wasn't going to argue anything at this point, because I wanted to just gather as much information as I could)
Him: "Of course, you can almost never get a good read on external monitors with twins, so we'll do an internal monitor on Baby A."
Me: "So, I'll be confined to the bed?"
Him: "Well, you'll probably be able to get into a chair, but yeah - that's pretty much it.  And I don't know if you've had epidurals with your other babies..."
Me: "I did with Jonny - I'll never do it again."
Him: "You're going to have to this time around."
Me: "Why?"
Him: "Well, your babies are both head-down, and assuming they stay that way, you can certainly try to deliver them vaginally, but even if you manage to get the first one out, a lot can happen between delivering Baby A and Baby B.  It's incredibly likely that Baby B will have to be delivered by C-Section, and if you haven't had an epidural, there's no choice but to put you to sleep for the surgery."
Me: dumbfounded, blank stare
Him: "Look, there's really just a whole host of things that can go wrong, and we have to be prepared for all of them..."

He said a bunch more stuff, but I had all but tuned him out at that point, and was trying hard not to cry.  On the other hand, it was all just so CLASSIC "birth is scary, and you don't know what you're doing, and I'm the expert" OB bullshit that I wish I'd recorded to play it back for anyone I could get to listen.

So yeah - no way in HELL I'm walking into a hospital to birth these babies if they're full-term (or close enough to count).  Yes, here, let me walk right into your gauntlet of interventions that will all but guarantee that these babies will have the worst possible entry into this world, possibly put them at serious risk, and ensure that  I'll have a horrific recovery.  Please, I'm all about that!

Fuck the machine that goes PING!

I called Lee as soon as I left the office, nearly sobbing I was so upset.  He responded perfectly... "Baby, settle down.  We can do whatever you want."  He may be a total shit along the way, but he always comes through.  :)

Of course, he followed that with, "When exactly did you become Grizzly Adams?" and something about giving birth out back in the woods.  Yes, no serious conversation can be had without a little ribbing, but that's ok.

So, we are now on a serious hunt for a midwife.  I already have the appointment scheduled at CHOICE for 3/26, and I've left a message for Kathy Mitchell.  If any of you have additional recommendations/contact info, I'm all ears!

I'm tired and cranky and I can't sleep.  Ugh.  And now I've reached that time of night where I wonder if I wouldn't be better off just hopping in the shower and starting my day, rather than make any further attempt to catch some Z's.  Think I'll just post a bunch of random stuff instead...

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I'm completely disappointed that a friend started giving her son formula before they even left the hospital, and he was nursing so well!  Apparently he had jaundice (what baby doesn't?), and a nurse told her that the only way to get rid of it is to feed him formula every three hours.  What the hell?  I know that some nurses say some really stupid shit in the hospital, but that is just... beyond.  And I think the part that aggravates me even more is that she just blindly believed the nurse!  She has two women (me and another friend) in her corner who have collectively breastfed for nearly 10 years total.  Both of us are very open about it.  Hell, when I visited her in the hospital the day after her baby was born, she asked me to help her get him latched on!  Why wouldn't she call either me or the other friend just to say, "Hey, does this sound right to you?"

But here's the thing... it doesn't even seem to bother her.  I mean, she was always on the "I'll give it a try" end of the spectrum, but I really thought that once she experienced nursing, she would find a firmer resolve.  Sadly, I don't think she even realizes that introducing a bottle and formula every three hours two days after the baby is born is darned near guaranteed to tank breastfeeding.  *sigh*

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I'm becoming increasingly... concerned... about the birth of these two babies.  The automatic "high risk" classification is driving me batty.   Ok, sure, the ultrasounds at every appointment are fun, but just thinking about how things will go with labor in the hospital makes me want to throw up.  So, Lee and I are exploring options.  Or well, I'm exploring options, and he's going along for the ride... grousing a bit along the way.  I know that, ultimately, he'll very likely go along with whatever I want... but what I really want is for him to be a part of the decision-making process, and for him to understand why this is so important not only for me, but for our babies.

Currently we're leaning towards laboring at home with a doula (if we can find one that we both click with) for as long as possible, then heading to the hospital at essentially the last minute - hopefully just in time to "catch," but not enough time to hook me up to eleventy billion monitors and tubes and wires.  That would solve the "me and babies in labor" part of the equation, but it likely won't allow for what I know is best for the babies after they're born... immediate skin-to-skin contact, making their way to my breasts, not cutting the cord until well after it stops pulsing, not disturbing them with exams and eye goop and weighing and measuring and all the other nonsense that can absolutely wait an hour or so (or not happen at all) while they adjust to their new environment.

We have an appointment with a midwife in a couple of weeks.  Yes - we're actually considering a home birth with twins.  *GASP*  When did I become so crunchy?  ;-)

The way I see it, my options are to fight like hell to have a normal birth in the hospital, or get the fuck out of the hospital.  I'm leaning HARD towards the latter.  We'll see what happens once we've actually met and had discussions with a few midwives.

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Asha was stolen from our yard on Thursday.  Yes, you read that right - someone stole our dog.  Who does that?!  Lee left her outside when he went to pick the kids up from school.  When he got back about an hour later, both of her collars (one for the electric fence, and one with her tags on it) were laying next to our garage, and she was nowhere to be found.  She's crafty, but no way she managed to get out of both her collars by herself - someone snatched her.

I went straight to the Franklin County Animal Shelter from work, without much hope.  Of course, she wasn't there.  I filled out a little card and explained to a couple of people what happened.  They didn't have any more hope than I did.

Lo and behold - I got a call on Monday.  Animal control had brought in a brussels griffon over the weekend.  It was her!  She was found just over 13 miles from our house, in Westerville.  The only thing I can think is that she must have gotten away from whoever took her - she couldn't have gotten that far on her own.  If whomever took her tried to put her in a fenced-in yard, I guarantee she got away.  She has a vertical jump of around 8'.  It's crazy.

The really annoying part of all this is that I'm pretty sure one of our neighbors had something to do with it.  A few weeks ago, someone kept calling the humane society on us because they felt we were leaving Asha out in the cold too long.  She has shelter out there (under our porch initially, but we've since purchased a doghouse), and at least 75% of the time the goofy dog will NOT come in the house.  When we told CAHS this, they gave really helpful suggestions like, "you have the bigger brain - you're going to have to just chase her down and get her to come in; coax her into the house with yummy treats like hot dogs and cheese."  Um, no.  I don't go out of the way to convince my *kids* to come into the house when I think they might be cold.  I'm certainly not going to chase a dog around the house.  If she's too stupid to come into the house when I'm holding the door open, calling her, and it's 15 degrees outside... well, the only solution I can come to is that she likes it out there.  :-P

Anyway, we have one busy-body neighbor who once proudly told me about how she called CPS on one of the families on our street.  Not out of any true, heartfelt concern for the kids.  No, she primarily just seemed to want to punish them for using her as "free babysitting service" because she was always outside watching her own kids, and these other parents left their kids outside all day and never came out to check on them (noticing a theme here?)

After Asha was stolen, I sent an email to the three people on the street I have addresses for, one of them being the busy-body, to let them know what happened and ask if maybe they saw anything.  Two out of three of them responded.  Wanna guess which one *didn't* respond?  Yeah.  Then when she saw that Asha was back, she kind of did a double-take, but didn't say a word to either me or Lee.  Suspicious, methinks.

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By the way, we're pretty sure we know the sexes. 
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Good gravy, this heartburn just might kill me.  I'm taking Zantac twice a day, and still waking up and popping Tums most nights.  I'm also adding regular doses of benefiber to my morning and evening beverages, as well as popping the occasional stool softener, because seriously - shitting bowling pins is just no fun.  My poor digestive system is probably screaming, "What do you want from me?!" but every time I try to take one of the remedies out of the mix, I pay dearly for it.  Whee... pregnancy is fun!

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American Idol is a total load of crap this year.  Ok, it kind of has been for awhile, but this year it's especially offensive.  Ryan Seacrest is an absolute tool.  I'm completely incapable of watching the show real-time, because if I can't fast forward through his schtick, I find myself having uncontrollable urges to stab my eyes out with corn skewers.  And the judges!  Are you kidding me?  I'm convinced Randy is either tone deaf, or he's decided that calling singers "pitchy" makes him sound like he knows what he's talking about.  At least 90% of the time, the singer was not off-pitch.  They may have sucked ass, but they were on key.  Paula continues to be unable to form a coherent sentence, but it's not even fun anymore, because she keeps spewing out the same thing over and over again: "You're so unique!  Rainbows!  Puppies!  Where's my bong?"  Simon is the only one that makes a lick of sense, and if I were him I'd be ready to toss Ryan and Paula off a cliff.

And what the hell is up with Carly Smithson's stylist?  I can't stand her, and really wish she would get voted off already, but in the meantime, could they stop making her look like a hideous cow?  In the packages, when she's done her own makeup and is wearing her normal clothes, she looks good.  She's not traditionally pretty, but she's kinda striking... certainly not ugly.  However, every time she gets on stage she looks puffy and misshapen and generally awful.  What the hell was she wearing tonight?  A blue lamé trash bag?  With it gathered up around her neck the way it was, it kinda looked like one of those things you hang on the door and stuff grocery bags in.  And pink eye shadow?  Really?  Just stop it.

I adore David Cook and Jason Castro, so I will absolutely keep watching as long as they are on.  I'll probably continue watching for the train wrecks, too, 'cause I'm just and addict that way.  :-P

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Alright - that's probably enough random nonsense to make up for a three week lapse in posting.  And it's now 4:19am.  Think I'll go sleep for two hours. 

Everyone in our house - except Lee - is sick.  I thought I was on the tail-end of my illness (which started last Monday), but woke up today with a massive headache and sore throat.  Gracie has had a 102 degree fever for going on three days, plus a headache, body aches, sore throat, snot, and cough.  Jonny and Levi are really low on energy, and both sound like they could hack up a lung at any minute.  Fun times!

Poor Gracie is a total train wreck.  I just put her back in bed, and she asked me to close and LOCK her door so that the boys won't bug her.  Levi is also down for a nap, so I'm getting a little bit of peace (although Jonny is being a total pain the ass, and I'd like to duct tape him to the tree outside).

Ugh - I was gonna write more, but I think I need a nap. 

Lee and I were supposed to go to NYC Feb 1-5, but the trip was delayed due to his dad's death.  Instead, we're leaving tomorrow morning and staying through Wednesday.  Mom and Dad are keeping the kids.  Actually, they took them last night, and they're keeping them until Thursday morning, so Lee and I actually get SIX NIGHTS WITH NO KIDS!

Why on earth am I not sleeping???

Well, I'm not sleeping because this has been a frickin' insane week, and therefore we haven't packed  a thing yet.  Nor have we washed half the clothes we want to take.  Everything that was clean and ready to go for the original dates wound up going to Greenville with us, instead, and therefore needs washed again.  The alarm is set for 5am, and our flight leaves at 9:07am.  We actually decided last night that as long as we have a day or two worth of clean clothes, we'll pack the rest dirty and use the hotel's laundry service. 

Well, that was plan enough to get me to go to sleep, but when I awoke with raging heartburn at 2am (as I do almost every night), I couldn't go back to sleep.  So... I went downstairs to survey the laundry situation.  There was some stuff in the washer - a few of my shirts, but mostly Lee's stuff - which I switched over to the dryer, and I found the rest of the clothes I want to take and threw them in the wash.  Between those two loads and the stuff in our closets, we should be able to scrounge up enough clean stuff for the trip.  We've already made a pact that we're not eating anywhere that requires us to dress up, so packing shouldn't require much actual thought.  I also dug out my giant "summer purse" (well, giant to me, not giant by most standards) to pack our toiletries in, and got the things together that we're likely to forget in the morning... perscriptions, OTC drugs, chargers for the camera, phones, and my laptop, etc.  There's not much else I can do without being in our bedroom and waking Lee up, so... I'm sitting here rambling.

In addition to packing in the morning, we have to go to my office to move my car.  Why?  Because I'm an idiot, and when Lee picked me up at work to run an errand this afternoon, I left my coat in his car when he dropped me back at work.  With my keys in the pocket.  And I didn't figure it out until a couple of hours later when I was leaving work.  Oops.  A co-worker was kind enough to drive me home, and it's no big deal for me to leave my car parked there for the next five days, but I'm parked at the back of my "buddy space" that I share with a coworker, which means that they're blocked out of their parking space.  Ugh.  So, we have to add 40 minutes of driving in the morning to go down there just so I can move my car 10 feet.  Joy.

Wait!  I could go do that now!  Duh - how about using insomnia to your advantage there, Anna?  "I am so smart!  I am so smart!  S-M-R-T!  I mean, S-M-A-R-T!"  (pop quiz: anyone know what that's from?)

Ok, so - guess I'm outta here to put on something other than a nightgown and drive downtown, then pack, then go on what will probably be the last vacation ever that's just me and my husband (or at least, the last vacation for a very, very long time).  Yay! 

Lee and I are the Year of the Ox (1973)
People born in the Year of the Ox are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. They tend, however, to be eccentric, and bigoted, and they anger easily. They have fierce tempers and although they speak little, when they do they are quite eloquent. Ox people are mentally and physically alert. Generally easy-going, they can be remarkably stubborn, and they hate to fail or be opposed. They are most compatible with Snake, Rooster, and Rat people.
This fits Lee pretty well.  It fits me ok, although I don't think I anger easily... I *do* have a temper, but I have a very long fuse.

Jonny is the Year of the Horse (2002)
People born in the Year of the Horse are popular. They are cheerful, skillful with money, and perceptive, although they sometimes talk too much. The are wise, talented, good with their hands, and sometimes have a weakness for members of the opposite sex. They are impatient and hot-blooded about everything except their daily work. They like entertainment and large crowds. They are very independent and rarely listen to advice. They are most compatible with Tigers, Dogs, and Sheep.
Hah!  This is sooo Jonny!  Especially the "perceptive, although they sometimes talk too much" and the "very independent and rarely listen to advice" parts.

Gracie is the Year of the Ram (2003)
People born in the Year of Ram are elegant and highly accomplished in the arts. They seem to be, at first glance, better off than those born in the zodiac's other years. But ram year people are often shy, pessimistic, and puzzled about life. They are usually deeply religious, yet timid by nature. Sometimes clumsy in speech, they are always passionate about what they do and what they believe in. Ram people never have to worry about having the best in life for their abilities make money for them, and they are able to enjoy the creature comforts that they like. Ram people are wise, gentle, and compassionate. They are compatible with Rabbits, Pigs, and Horses.
This kinda fits... Gracie can be a pessimistic little snot sometimes, but I'd hardly call her timid or shy.

Levi is the Year of the Dog (2006)
People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.
I had to lol@ "somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric."  True, so true.

The twins will be the Year of the Rat (2008)
People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm and attraction for the opposite sex. They work hard to achieve their goals, acquire possessions, and are likely to be perfectionists. They are basically thrifty with money. Rat people are easily angered and love to gossip. Their ambitions are big, and they are usually very successful. They are most compatible with people born in the years of the Dragon, Monkey, and Ox.
Guess we won't know for awhile yet whether this fits!