Well, at least I don't have....

I am within 3 weeks of delivery, and within 3 pounds of what I weighed when I delivered Harry. Interesting.

Also still miserable. At best, I find myself thinking throughout each day that at least I don't have some horrible thing someone else has. Underboob fungus is a new one I am thankful not to have. Hemmorhoids is another. An oaf for a husband is up there.

I do have a nasty headache though and just a little bit of green snot, which of course I am fretting over.

Munchkin #2

Kate's little brother, Finn, seems to have arrived...5 weeks early. Grrr!!!! Ainsley seems to have learned nothing from her future classmates.

Kind of Nice!

As Kevin mentioned on Harry's World, some friends threw me a shower this weekend. I was kind of against it at first. It is Baby #2, we don't need too many things, I didn't want to be greedy...It was really fun though! It ended up being a small group, partially because I didn't want world's colliding, I didn't want to be responsible for introductions, still didn't want to seem greedy...but also because Tara had her third bout of flu, Barb's on bedrest and Sydney's shifts at work got mixed up. Instead, I got to hang out with just a few friends that I haven't been out of the house to see in many weeks. Another plus is that all of us have kids under the age of 4 (Harry is the oldest). I pride myself on having all types of friends, of all ages, genders, etc...but it's kind of nice to be around people who are exactly like me for a change. It's just easy. Plus, it helped me to feel like less of a freak. Having a kid now is not exactly the same as having a kid even ten years ago. And even though some of my other friends have little kids, they are done having more, and exercising a lot, which just makes me feel bad and, well, fat. Even though we've made friends with some Abracadabra parents, and even though 3 of them are also expecting babies in February, naturally, most of the talk surrounds life with preschoolers. It was a nice change of pace to hear from other neurotic moms who check the baby monitor every hour (okay, that was a dad), or do the hand on the chest to check for breathing test, or are concerned with the poisoned gases in baby bottles and sippy cups...it was even nice to pick up a few hand me downs this time around, like a $200 diaper bag :-)

Kevin enquired when I would have Ainsley's ears pierced.

I told him we'd play it by ear.

Psych!

Okay, here is one semi-good thing about being pregnant: the Psych T-shirt I ordered actually fits! I am so, well, psyched! This is also cool because I think it might shrink to fit, and be the perfect still -wearable size when I run my 5th marathon in Octiber. I've decided to wear it for the following reasons:

1. It's light weight.
2. It has cap sleeves that shouldn't cause chafing while running.
3. The back of it says "I sense you're following me." If you've ever run a marathon, you know how wonderful this is!

I Just Really Want To Hit The Gym!!!!!

I want to start marathon training. And doing sit ups. And sweating!!!!
Every day I download and rip out of magazines new workout routines.
I am soooo ready to be on the upswing!

Conflicts & Gifts

"Baby McDermott" received more presents today! Several cute outfits, tiny flowered socks and soft blankets...and a pink cake with raspberry filling. It was so fun! Of course, it was from a site, so there is a chance I will go to jail for accepting it. I'm still waiting to hear.

3 things that make pregnancy easier (in no particular order)

(Kevin)

My Sleep Number Bed
Psych returns to USA tonight

Not Exactly Watching the Wheels Go Round and Round

I stop work, in theory, January 21. I will have 14 working days this month. By January 21, I will have had 25, yes TWENTY FIVE, site visits. In theory, I should have 12. Well meaning friends have suggested being so busy would make the time go faster. Well, it's not. My days are LONG! Very long. These visits included 6 hours to Salisbury and 6 hours to Charlottesville (round trip times). Many days, I go to multiple locations. That's the hard part...the getting in and out of the car. Yesterday a stupid Escalade parked too close to me. I was in pain for about 8 hours after squeezing myself into the car. My stomach hurt A LOT. I tried to bang up the door to the Escalade, but it was somehow rubbery. I was not ready to commit to anything more sinister, and was unable to get out of the car to leave a nasty note on the Escalade.

I'm not complaining too much, I am just saying the days are not going by quickly. When I get home, I still have email and reports to do. I could start slacking, but I want to do a good job, and I am a little stressed about the neurotic colleague that is covering for me. Turns out, even though he has been at the company longer, my numbers about doubled his last month (no wonder he has time to nit-pick). In fact, I was 3rd on my team of twelve, behind 2 super-CRAs that I don't even have a desire to emulate.

Some people, usually my study coordinators, ask me if I am definitely coming back after my maternity leave. I tell them I am not "stay at home" material. Neither are they, even though one of those super CRAs, one whose last child is already in child, has somewhat decided she'd like to be a SAHM. Sure, now that the kids are OLD! I am a firm believer that kids need experiences too, and it is good that I work. I have no "Mommy guilt." This may have to do with the flexibility of my job, and that Kevin is a super-dad. And that an incredible working mom with a highly well adjusted child just won New Hampshire's presidential primary the other night. Or was it last night? Like I said, the days are LONG.

Back to Hillary...I'm not real fond of her "God Bless Yous" and her paranoia over the pharmaceutical industry being the new evil empire...or of her many other right wing conspiracy theories. I kind of even dig Romney, especially since he did his best to straighten out the convoluted views of Big Pharma, and he has presidential hair. I do support girl power though. It's a shame Oprah doesn't.

It's not that I'm a fan....

I was about to rid myself of Steve Winwood on the drive home today, when a part of Back In The High Life Again caught my attention:

But when you're born to run, It's so hard to just slow down.

It was kind of ironic, too, because I was in the midst of some uber-bitchy self ranting about how only pathetic people with nothing going on in their lives enjoy being pregnant. I had decided that if I enjoyed doing nothing but sleeping and eating I'd be lovin' life, but instead I am desperate to GET OUT! Sure, I want a margarita, and a wasitline, and some new running shoes...but I'd be pretty happy taking my new Ergo to Great Falls with the kiddies and the dog. I thought this 70 degree whether would do me in, but it actually put me in a better mood. And so I enjoyed the rest of Winwood...as I sped down the parkway along the river at a smooth 70mph.

It used to seem to me
That my life ran on too fast
And I had to take it slowly
Just to make the good parts last
But when youre born to run
Its so hard to just slow down
So dont be surprised to see me
Back in that bright part of town

Ill be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again
Ill be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched me once will smile and take me in
And Ill drink and dance with one hand free
Let the world back into me
And on Ill be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

You used to be the best
To make life be life to me
And I hope that youre still out there
And youre like you used to be
Well have ourselves a time
And well dance til the morning sun
And well let the good times come in
And we wont stop til were done

Well be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again
Well be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in
And well drink and dance with one hand free
And have the world so easily
And oh well be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

Well be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again
Well be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in

And well drink and dance with one hand free
And have the world so easily
And oh well be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

Crazy.

Seems the moms at Harry's gym class had no idea I was pregnant. They claim I do not look it at all. Yeah. Okay. Bunch of fruitcakes....but mostly I think they didn't want to falsely accuse!

F^ck!ng Writer's Strike!

I have one thing I can do. Watch TV. And there is NONE on! Can't they just show repeats at least? I HATE reality TV! (unless it involves Scott Baio making an ass of himself). Argh!!!!!

7 weeks!

And counting!!!

Official C-section date is locked in for noon on 2.19.08.