weekend wonderful

We took a quick trip up the coast overnight and got a hotel in Morro Bay outside San Luis Obispo. It was so relaxing and incredible to be able to spend so much time with my husband.

We had some nice conversations on the scenic drive, saw some vineyards, and stopped for chocolate milkshakes.

This little country restaurant was so good that we went there for BOTH dinner the night we arrived AND breakfast the day we departed. I bet they have other good restaurants, but we obviously don't care. I ordered the meat loaf sandwich and Mark thought it sounded nasty... and then heartily helped me eat it. It was amazing.

This beach was walking distance from our hotel. I walked down while Mark took a nap the first day and we went together the morning we left... and that time, there was so much beautiful fog that you couldn't see the haystack at all. It was a nice, kind of isolated beach. I found FOUR perfect sand dollars just laying on the beach within 5 feet of each other. A great place for treasure hunting.

month four

I'm sure, Internet, you are thrilled to find out about the sex of the baby. So I must divulge. I'm sure you are just dying in anticipation. But first, let me just say how things have been going.

All downhill... for now. This month has been such a piece of cake. I am rounding out a little bit, with my muffin top growing at proportionally the same rate of speed as my bump so as to just make me look generally round... no basketball shoplifting over here.

I am eating every two hours by mandate of my body... although with the whole muffin top observation, I have started writing everything down so that I will be tempted to pick up "apple" instead of "potato chips."

Here are some random items that I have craved:

• Fish Tacos from Rubios



• Dill Pickles



• Salt on everything



• Anything w/ Italian tomato-based sauce (lasagna, spagetti, pizza, etc)



• Salt & Vinegar Chips



• Potatoes (instant mashed makes a quick snack)



• Sandwiches with everything.



• Avocado



• Garlic Bread



• Jalapenos

Anyhoo, listed like that -- it does seem to have a pattern: tangy carbs. Mmmm. Tangy. Carbs. Apples just aren't tangy carbs.

I am still looking pretty good. No crazy complexion/pigmentation issues. No swollen limbs. No hair falling out. Pretty much, if it weren't for the failed diet hiding in my shirt, you'd never know. I'd know. It's hard not to notice the change in blood pressure everytime I shift position, the weird sensations, dizziness, headache, etc. Plus, I've started feeling the baby rolling around sometimes when I sit still. It still feels a little like a tummy rumble, but in the wrong place for my stomach. Granted, my stomach HAS moved... up in my ribcage. And those rumbles kind of freak me out because it feels like a heart attack. This has been the month of figuring how how in the hay we're going to pay for everything. I think I have us sorted a little bit. Surely there will be some surprises. But, at least we have a plan.

Speaking of surprises, some people would rather not know the sex before the baby is born. Not us. We had to know. Our doctor is 90% sure we are having a... click here to find out.

wow - wow - wow - wow - wow

The greater the failure on the road to success, the sweeter the reward. I am gleaming, beaming, realing, crying, flying, soaring, swelling, proud of myself. I have PASSED Exam 2 (of 9) on my fourth attempt. As is my custom, I will post my actual score when I get it in eight weeks.

There are not a lot of opportunities in one's life that truely confirm your own awesomeness. Whenever I get one, I try to gloat, posture, and trip over my own fabulousness as much as possible. Because for a short time, no one can argue that I really am kick butt.

Ah, happy, happy, joy, joy.

exam season's greatest hits

I am up to 3-4 hours per day of study. This is what I should always be doing, but I usually fizzle out at the 2 hour mark. I guess the 2nd trimester and the reintroduction of coffee has really improved my focus. (Don't worry, I'm only having one 1/2 decaf cup and my doctor says it's okay.)

The last few weeks have been a bit crazy... as always is the case as the exam approaches (next Thurs for anyone curious.) I have continued, as is my custom, to have a life. I just don't take as much care in documenting it as I normally would. I don't have any pictures from my "girls' night" at Mamma Mia! (on stage.) The music and costumes were great, but (and I can't believe the blasphemy of this statement) the movie was better.

The same weekend, I went to the circus for the first time, ever. It was small, but having nothing to compare it to, I was the most value for $10 I've had in a long, long time. A little of everything, and plenty of "akkk - don't die!" moments.

A highlight is that right after the show, Madhuri gave me a big bag of these maternity clothes.... pretty much everything I will need. Study, study, study and fast forward to last weekend... my BFF in college, Tiffany (who now lives 2 hours away in the desert) came, picked me up, and I had a weekend vacation on her turf. She took me for a day trip to Lake Isabella and a quaint town called Kernville where we shopped in some antique stores, got lunch and visited an old museum.

We spent a lot of time catching up on three years time, just hanging out at her place. We also got a drive through tour of the Naval base that she has been working at for the past couple of years as a civilian mathematician for the DOD. Then she drove me back to town and we caught a few hours at the Page Natural History Museum (Tar Pits) which I found out I get free admission through my work! You can look into the area where they are cleaning a big find, including a well preserved columbian mammoth. The tusk is longer than I am tall, I think.

As far as the whole preggers thing goes, I feel significantly better... appetite, energy, etc. Still wouldn't characterize any part of my life as "normal" -- but I can handle this part. I am infinitely greatful for the massage chair topper I got for christmas. I am trying not to think about everything too much (study, study) for now, which is hard. I let myself read a bit today and while sitting very still reading, I felt something. A flutter. Not gas. A flutter! It's early but within the range of plausibility - I think I felt the baby move! Wow. Still no pic of the bump to share. It just feels like the pizza and burritos I was once able to 'suck in' is now sitting out several inches - and who wants to see that? I know, fans. You do. Trust me. No one wants me to be a cute pregnant more than I do. But, you know not everyone has a cute little bump. I want to be one of those ladies who is normal from the back and then she turns around and you think - "wow... she's smuggling a basketball... I wasn't expecting that." But, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to swell up everywhere (given the current disappearance of my waist from every angle.) Don't worry. I will definitely post a pic - but let's just let it get it past the point of being mis-identified as a failed diet/exercise plan first.

Study, study, etc. Now you are all caught up to date and I should go study some more.