Happy Halloween...

Scared yet?
Because you totally should be.

I am a self described wimp when it comes to horror movies...

...but my sister always wants to go to dinner and a scary movie for her birthday.

My solution?

Hide behind a hooded sweatshirt for most of Paranormal Activity III, and have Trevor give me whispered play-by-play in the theater.

The result is the ability to dream peacefully after watching said scary movie, while - ironically - my sister is forced to sleep with the light on.

I might not know MOST of what happened on screen, but I am well rested. I consider this "winning". Especially in the face of my exhausted (and still slightly terrified) sister on Sunday afternoon.

Awesome.

Pregnancy has done nothing to make me more rational...

Gosh. I am so behind. The State Fair ended and apparently so did my ability to write and think clearly.

Actually, I've been ill, but I can't really blame that because I didn't know I was sick until the doctor told me at my appointment on Wednesday. Apparently, I have a bladder infection. Or, rather, I have HAD a bladder for awhile and no one told me. I don't know why, but I got the impression that I've had said infection for at least two weeks. Possibly a month. Either the infection wasn't that bad at earlier appointments, or the doctor thought it would clear up by itself. The nurse had mentioned to me that they had found blood in my urine and signs of an infection at my prenatal visit on October 12th, but it was just something that they were monitoring. The doctor didn't seem to be concerned. At least he wasn't until this last Wednesday when suddenly the amount of blood and level of infection made him start to act nervous, prescribe antibiotics and start describing the signs and symptoms of a kidney infection.

So that was fun.

I've never had a bladder infection before, but apparently there are often no symptoms of said infection in pregnant women. Except, you know, frequent urination, but since that is also a side effect of being eight months pregnant it never occurred to me that I was sick. I find all this fascinating since I've heard bladder infections for the not-knocked up are pretty painful.

Also, bladder infections are common among those with child. Something about several pounds of baby causing urinary reflux. I dunno.

In any case, I have been feeling rather worn down lately. Almost as if I was about to come down with something, but my body just hadn't gotten around to it yet. So, I guess the bladder infection explains a lot.

Of course, since I am neurotic, I almost refused to take my medicine. I've just grown accustomed to not taking any meds except my prenatal and the occasional Zyrtec. Getting an infection while pregnant made me feel like a failure as a mother. I called Trevor in tears from the pharmacy because I didn't want to take the antibiotic.

He told me I was being silly, and a kidney infection would be much worse.

I also cried to the pharmacist and had her double check that the meds were safe for Thor. She promised they were and also reiterated that a kidney infection was *seriously* no picnic.

But I wasn't convinced yet. I also googled the name of the antibiotic and read for myself that it was safe to take during pregnancy once I got home. Then, just to be sure, I checked online what would happen if I, say, didn't take the pills. And, well, apparently a kidney infection is something I don't want to screw around with.

Who knew?

So, I have been taking my medication like a good girl.

Bother.

Apparently I have trust issues when it comes to my doctor. Trevor says I deserve it since I chose my OBGYN because he let it slip during our initial interview that he didn't like Rick Perry. I stand by my opinion that this is an important qualification for the individual who will help bring our first born into this world.

Of course, now that I know that I actually have a bladder infection, the swollen lymph nodes in my groin make more sense. Part of me thought it was normal to have some swelling down there (Hey, Jenny McCarthy mentioned it in her book!), and the other part of me was sort of convinced I was developing man balls. I'm just rational that way.

In other news, my doctor now has me counting movements, nudges and kicks. I have to log ten of them in the two hours after I finish dinner or call the office immediately. This doesn't sound stressful unless I mention that dinnertime usually coincides with Thor's evening nap. Hence, I generally wait an hour before inducing fetal movement with the cunning use of an intentional sugar high. I drink orange juice, eat a cookie or piece of chocolate, etc. On Amy's birthday I even had Trevor bring me a spoon full of birthday cake icing. This can't be healthy. In my defense, though, neither would the panic I would experience if I didn't get my ten movements in two hours and had to go to the hospital.

Take if from me. Pregnancy is nothing less than nerve-racking.

Same goes for bladder infections.

The End.

It doesn't look good for Game Seven...

...but Haskell is still sporting his jersey...

...and is behind his Rangers 100%.

Teddy and Game Six of the World Series...

His hopes were high, but - after watching 11 innings and coming so agonizingly close - it just wasn't meant to be.

Doh!

Eight months and still looking more fat and less pregnant...

I had lunch with a high school friend today who has the same due date as I do.

And, well, no one would think twice if she parked in the expectant mother parking space at Whole Foods.

Me on the other hand? Yeah, my lack of a significant (or obviously) pregnant belly apparently made said friend feel like she needed to eat a salad for lunch.

Even among friends I am an outsider.

Le sigh...

Thor's First Baby Shower...

The shower was held at Melissa's house on Sunday at 11 AM.

The theme? Books for the baby! Isn't that awesome?

And, yes. I am stealing all the following photos off of Mel's facebook page (THANK YOU!):

The living room.

Cake balls, quiche and fruit.

Ginger muffins and salmon spread sandwiches.

Book banner.

Party favors (Hersey's dots are fabulous, by the way).

We played the string game...

...and I learned that most of my friends are a$$hats. Anni's was long enough to stretch floor to ceiling, Gretchen's was longer than she was tall and Kelly just kept pulling string out like it was going out of style. The smallest string won, thankyouverymuch!

Then Anni translated books into Spanish and read to Susie (who speaks English).

Photo with the fabulous hostesses.

I even let them touch my belly
(they deserved it).

Photo with Grammy Pammy and Auntie Amy
(who won the string game and used it as a reason why she deserved to grab my stomach).

Now Thor just needs to learn how to read!

~ The End ~

Foggy Monday morning...

Goodbye Sandy...

After ten years and nearly 200,000 miles, Trevor and I said goodbye to "Sandy" the Chevy Trailblazer.

It was a sad day for me, because I am nostalgic. Trevor and I started dating just a couple of months after he purchased Sandy, so, in a way, the car will always remind me of the early "us". We went on our first date in that car (Trevor still insists I only started dating him because I was swept off my feet by his new ride). We have been on countless road trips to the ranch and Durango in that car. We were an engaged couple in that car. Homeowners. Newlyweds. I even spent the last (nearly) eight months being pregnant in that old champagne colored SUV. Funny how an inanimate object can represent so much personal history somehow. It was hard to say goodbye, and I made Trevor promise to take a few last photographs of Sandy in the driveway before he took her for their final ride together on Saturday.

Trevor, on the other hand, was excited. Because he got a new car.

Out of respect for Sandy, I won't blog about Trevor's new car yet. He hasn't named it, and so far I've only been irritated with all the newness.

Actually, no. I've been irritated with Trevor because he is being a little anal with his new ride.

Thanks to Halley, I'm not allowed to drive the new car. Something about pregnant women and questionable driving. This may or may not also be the reason why I've only been allowed to ride in the car ONCE. And that was in the backseat.

Secondly, it took Trevor 30 minutes to park the new car in the garage because he was so worried he was going to hit something. This might be a rational new car owner thought if it weren't for the fact that my mother was helping to spot in the front and I in the back. Despite all this, however, Trevor STILL managed to not pull in the garage enough to allow the door to close, and had to back out and start over.

And, yes. Our garage is plenty big for both our vehicles and is recently cleaned out and free of any obstacles or debris.

Then it had to go and hail last night, which Trevor took personally EVEN THOUGH his new car was safely tucked away in said clutter free garage.

But the best was this morning. We took separate cars to Sunday School because I had my first baby shower at 11 and Trevor was going to the Cowboys v Rams game. Trevor left about five minutes before me with all the Sunday School materials, but I still managed to get there nearly TEN MINUTES before he did. Trevor blamed it on "traffic", but my sister later passed him on Mockingbird going 20 mph. Apparently, having a new car has turned Trevor into the driving equivalent of a ninety year old blue hair.

I keep threatening to spit in it just help muck it up a little so he can get over it already.

Which again might explain why I'm not allowed to go anywhere near his flawless new vehicle.

Miss you, Sandy! You were fantastic, loyal and surprisingly hearty regardless of your advanced mileage. Plus, the dogs and I were allowed to ride in you which is more than I can say for your replacement.

At this rate I'll have to drive myself to the hospital when I go into labor. A) Trevor would never let me near his new car if my water might break inside it, and B) At the speed he drives the new car, I would be forced to give birth by the side of the road. Trevor would never be able to drive the FIVE MILES to get to the hospital in time! That would require him to go faster than, say 3 miles an hour and he might hit a pothole or something.

If only I were kidding...

Photo recap of girls day at the State Fair of Texas...

Saturday morning at Lake Ray Hubbard...

We found Thor's hammer...

And then my sister threatened to give me a fake c-section with a foam sword, because she wanted to be an aunt, like, yesterday.

THE END

For Phil...

...in response to his commentary to THIS POST:

Better?

I mean, really: Are cardinals all that intimidating? I guess I don't get why multiple professional sports teams want to use them as their mascot. Panthers, yes. Giants, yes. Kings, yes. Cardinals, no.

Because cardinals are happy little birds that eat at my feeder in the springtime.

IF the Rangers lose another game, though, feel free to pose your cat, Sawyer, sticking his tongue out at a Rangers NHL jersey. Turnaround being fair play and all that stuff. ;P

Guess who just got his celebratory sip of beer?

Haskell LOVES it when the Rangers win.

Take that Cardinals!

Next week I will probably blow off Paul McCartney, because I'm cool that way...

From: Becky
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:06 AM
To: Deals
Subject: thanks

Deal[s],

Thanks again for going with me last night. Hope you had a good time.

Becky


From: Deals
Subject: RE: thanks
To: Becky
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2011, 11:17 AM

It was FUN! I really enjoyed it.

Nora is mad at me because she said that you said that Don Henley was there last night. As in the Don Henley from the Eagles. I assumed it was just someone else named Don Henley, and for that Nora is no longer speaking to me. Was it really Don Henley? As in THE Don Henley. Please clarify.

Deal[s]


From: Becky
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 11:22 AM
To: Deals
Subject: RE: thanks

Yeppers girl. You were almost standing beside him near the door during all the speeches. He was less than 6 feet from you!

Well, sh*t.

In my defense, it seemed more likely that I would be in the presence of some guy that just happened to be named Don Henley than the actual Don Henley.

Becky told me today that she was impressed that I could be so nonchalant in the presence of such a big name celebrity.

And, well, now that I think about it, I DID think it was a little odd that Becky kept pointing at this guy standing more or less next to me and mouthing, "That's Don Henley, Deal[s]. DON. HENLEY".

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don Henley. I get it. That's a guy named Don Henley. Awesome.

(I've never been very observant.)

But, really, it is all good because I got to pet a baby alligator at the same event:

His name was "Gator" and he would close his eyes when you scratched in just the right place behind his ear. It was adorable, unlike my apparent squintiness at the time this picture was taken.

A cute baby alligator totally makes up for the whole Don Henley thing, right?

Anyone?

Almost as if Moo is checking in somehow...

My aunt Mimi found this letter stamped but never mailed in a pile of Moo's old papers, so she scanned it in and emailed it to me.





It must have been written back when I was in college and still playing rugby.

Finding this letter in my inbox this morning totally made my day. I never thought I would have the opportunity to open another one of Moo's fabulous notes or cards ever again.

Funny how something so small can mean so much!

(Miss and love you, Moo! xoxox)

Big Tex made me do it...

Yum.

Mmmmmm...

Before you get all excited, though, Fletcher's has a turkey corn dog this year.

Note: Thank you, Trevor, for pointing out that the last photo could be viewed as "erotic". Yeah, right. Because nothing says sexy like a knocked up woman in her third trimester taking a bite of a corny dog covered in mustard the color of baby poop. I mean, seriously. That is just not the stuff fantasies are made of. Plus, I was just trying to prove I was actually the one eating said corn dog. Because you are a typical non believer when it comes to stuff like this. The end.

It was bound to happen sometime, right?

On Saturday night I rolled over when Trevor got home from the Ranger's game and heard a audible "POP" in my abdomen followed by a searing pain. It was all focused on the area right below my sternum; where my rib cage comes together above my stomach.

At the time I was pretty sure I was dying, but the pain actually subsided quickly and I wasn't even sore the next day. The weird thing is that I suddenly seem to LOOK more pregnant, and I have had several people comment on my baby bump since then. I guess the popping sound and pain were just my abs pulling apart to better accommodate el nino.

Or maybe Thor really does have a hammer in there.

In any event, I figured it was time to take another batch of belly pictures. My apologies in advance to Halley for taking the pictures myself and for wearing my usual black maternity t-shirt.

Depending on which due date you are using, I am either almost 30 or 32 weeks: