Category Archives: Everyday Life

September 7, 2009

All quiet on the home front – week 17

By terraluft

Week 17 kind of slipped by me without much fanfare. It almost seemed anti-climactic this week with nothing major to worry about and nothing exciting to look forward to. Some of the highlights of the week were: We went camping and yes, I slept in a tent at 4 months pregnant much to the amazement of several of my friends. I actually got the hubby to measure where I want the desk from the baby’s room to come to final resting AND admit that it is a good spot in the house for the new computer location – something he has been resisting for several months. (Now to get him to actually move furniture… but one step at a time, right?) We measured the ginormous window in the baby’s room for curtains and/or blinds since the existing blinds are broken. And, I took our daughter shopping for the first baby items. She went crazy wanting to buy every cute baby outfit she laid eyes on and I had to steer her to the basics and the practical – like onesie’s and pajamas and socks/booties. Together we got a solid start on things we will need to welcome her little sister home in a few months.

I went to the doctor for a routine appointment this week – where I heard the heartbeat and got the first measurement of my growing belly. My blood pressure is still extremely good and even on the low side (yipee!) and my baby bump is measuring exactly as big as it should be for my stage of the game. I begged my doctor to sneak me into the ultrasound room and tell me what I am having (of course I didn’t mention it would be a second opinion!) and he laughed and looked at my chart and finally said the only thing he could do was to make my next appointment in only 3 weeks instead of the standard 4 weeks – putting me right after I hit the 20-week mark. I guess I’ll take what I can get and really, I just want my trusted OB to tell me the girl parts are still the girl parts before I continue spending money on pink things a little baby boy wouldn’t be caught dead in.

I’m still only 2 lbs heavier than I was at the end of my HCG regiment (and realistically that was the time of conception!) but my Dr says not to worry since I’m staying very active (although NOT running like I’d like to be and feel very up for every day!) and the baby is obviously thriving in there. Maybe the baby will just eat my ass and thighs and I won’t gain more than a few pounds through the course of the entire pregnancy! Wouldn’t that be a nice pipe dream…

Leave a comment | posted in Everyday Life, Pregnancy

August 23, 2009

Highs and Lows – Weeks 14 & 15

By terraluft

The last two weeks (weeks 14 and 15) were a crazy roller-coaster ride of highs and lows. First, we went in for the dreaded and fearful genetic screening tests. We decided to do it just for piece of mind but with all the talk of my “advanced maternal age” and statistics being thrown around and things they were testing for that could go wrong, I admit I was a little more worried than I probably should have been. Call us cold and callous but it was such a relief when both the hubby and I were honest with each other about the fact that if there were indications of severe problems, we would most likely choose to “interrupt the pregnancy” which I guess is the polite way of putting it. (As a woman, I am so glad I have that choice and it is still a legal option in the USA – even though I hope never to have to make it!)

The testing itself was also one of the highs because as part of the screening we got to have a pretty extensive ultrasound. We were able to take our 7-year old who LOVED seeing the baby and getting to be involved. It was so surreal to watch the monitor and see how feisty and lively the baby is – constantly moving around and waving at us – and yet not be able to feel one bit of it yet. At one point the baby had decided to flip over and wasn’t cooperating so we took a break (OK, I had to pee so bad!) and my daughter became like this drill instructor reminding me that I was supposed to be pushing on my tummy to get the baby to move around. It was so much fun to have her there with us and feel like she was a part of the whole process. After a great discussion with tons of our questions answered by the genetic counselor, we headed home for the process of waiting – something which I don’t do well AT ALL. This all happened on Monday and the counselor said (and I quote!) “if you don’t hear from me with the results by next Monday, give me a call”. I of course figured we would hear long before the following Monday….

In the meantime, the following Monday was time for Girl Scout camp which I had signed my daughter and I up for months before I was pregnant and included many hours of planned horseback riding activities. I called my doctor and asked for specific permission on whether it was safe for me to be riding or not (with fingers and toes crossed!) He gave the green light which kind of surprised me considering the “no running” rule but I said THANK YOU and didn’t question it. Now “camp” implies somewhere in a rural setting – in this case, up a canyon about an hour from home. As we were driving and I was trying to navigate to a new location without the help of a male or GPS, in the back of my mind was “today is the day I get to call and bug them about my test results” with the plan to make that call when we arrived. HA! Little did I know we were driving into not only 3 days of horseback riding and camp songs, but 3 days WITH NO CELL PHONE OR INTERNET SERVICE. Of course because I am a good and responsible cell phone citizen and try not to make calls or text (or read Facebook updates) while driving, I didn’t realize this until we were there and what turned out was miles from the nearest service area. I carried my phone with me the entire first day and every time we came to a new spot in camp, I would check to see if I had service there. It was so frustrating when there was never a single bar – especially when we were surrounded by flushing toilets, showers, and electrical lights. I got over it quickly and enjoyed camp but always in the back of my mind was the hope that there would be a voicemail with good news waiting for me when I was back in cellphone range.

Wednesday arrived and that afternoon we bid farewell to camp. I turned the cell phone back on and waited for the inevitable alerts of incoming voicemail and text messages I was certain to have missed to signal our official arrival back into civilization. Came they did – but not until we’d been on the road for more than 7 miles. (Good lord!) When we stopped for the slushy I’d promised my daughter, I checked the voicemail and NONE OF THEM WERE FROM THE GENETIC COUNSELOR. I was pissed… if there’s one thing I hate it is people who do not meet their commitments. I don’t care what you tell me to expect, I will expect them. Since I was told I would get a call LAST WEEK and that if I hadn’t heard I could call on Monday and it was now WEDNESDAY and I still didn’t know what the tests had shown, I was not a happy camper.

Several days and several phone messages later – each one I’m sure in a more bitchy tone than the previous one – finally resulted in the genetic counselor calling me on Friday. After all the anticipation and accompanying worry – which was exacerbated by the fact that I had signed up for a service through my insurance company where I was able to see the test results but still not know what they meant – we got the news that I am officially in the “low risk” category for genetic disorders. What a sigh of relief. We have one more step in the genetic testing processes which includes more blood work this coming week to measure the specific markers for 3 genetic disorders. Because I am low risk, it is merely a precaution and we expect everything to be smooth sailing from here.

The next big step is that this week I am far enough along to find out what the sex of the baby is. Totally frustrating is that there are three different places you can go and pay for an ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby and because we live in Utah, NONE OF THEM ARE OPEN ON SUNDAY. So, that didn’t work out today and who knows when we will have time during the week to go before we leave for the last camping trip of the season on Friday. We are hoping to squeeze it in as early as tomorrow if we can get an appointment so stay tuned!!

Meanwhile, I am still feeling great, getting some of my appetite back for things other than cold cereal, and am finally able to walk without inner-thigh soreness from my horseback riding experience. I tell you, there is one good thing about being a horse girl, and it is toned thigh muscles! I am starting to be able to feel little movements from the baby and besides the very unmistakable baby bump it is the first thing that makes it in-your-face real for me. I still worry about how I will love another child as much as I do my first and how I will go back to sleepless nights and carrying a diaper bag and everything else that goes with having a newborn but man, am I excited!

Leave a comment | posted in Everyday Life, Pregnancy, Society

August 12, 2009

My new favorite quote

By terraluft

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

A very dear cousin sent me this quote today and said when she saw it she thought of me. Indeed it very accurately sums up my philosophy in life – well, that is if I had ever actually taken the time to DEFINE a philosophy for my life. More accurately perhaps is that it sums up how I act. I’m always going to be the friend who tells you exactly how I feel about {insert topic, whatever it is we happen to be talking about}. And I won’t lie if, yes, those pants make your ass look fat. If you don’t want to hear the honest answer, don’t ask the question. I don’t ever apologize for being outspoken and opinionated because I’ve learned exactly what this quote says – those people in my life who matter never mind that I say what I think and most of the time I am endeared to them more because of this quality. The converse is also true – those that do mind don’t matter to me because anyone not willing to allow others to have an opinion AND FREELY EXPRESS IT shouldn’t be allowed the same consideration to express their own, or in the very least have anyone give a shit what their opinion is since they won’t listen to what others have to say either. I can’t tell you how free and easy living life this way is or how uncomplicated life becomes. I pity those who care more about what other people say or think about them than just being themselves. What a time and energy waster that is! So, here’s to being who you are and saying what you feel – WHATEVER THAT IS – and thanks Yayma for the great quote!

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August 9, 2009

Week 13 – The good, the worrisome and the bittersweet

By terraluft

Week 13 was marked with another doctor’s appointment. It was such a crazy roller-coaster ride! First, I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time – strong and steady and totally amazing. Then, I got super depressing news – no more running (or anything high impact) until I deliver. I know, I just got his blessing to run 4 weeks ago but in reviewing my chart from my last pregnancy he realized I have a short cervix which means no running this time around. It made the fact that my first trimester was so filled with queasiness and exhaustion that I couldn’t run even more heartbreaking considering I could have been running that whole time in blissful ignorance until I was ordered not to and now I didn’t even have that. Oh well, I will have to get over it and lament the loss of the months I had envisioned running with a cute little baby bump until it got too big and I surrendered to walking and cherish the last two or three weeks I’ve been enjoying it. Walking will now be the mainstay and I’ll take what I can get. After all, I’m not so totally selfish that I would risk my baby just so I could run and I’m glad I found out the risks now than had I continued running and had problems later.

After that little blow, we talked about genetic screening and I got to hear my new least favorite phrase ‘advanced maternal age’ more times than I cared to count while my nurse tried to get me an appointment with the genetic counselor next week since it has to be done before I’m 14 weeks. We decided to do the early blood test screening which is non-invasive and will give us an idea based on OUR genetic markers and not simple statistics what the odds are for a genetic disorder or defect. I am a bit less apprehensive when I heard that there is ‘only’ about a 1% chance with my ‘advanced maternal age’ of having a Downs Syndrome baby and that there is an even higher chance of causing a miscarriage with an amniocentesis. A blood test and another ultrasound and then we’ll know our specific chances of problems and then decide if any further testing is warranted. I’m looking at it as a smart and routine test – ahem, considering my ‘advanced maternal age’.

After all the ups and downs are behind me, the fact remains that I am still healthy and still pregnant and well past the point of any early miscarriage concerns. And, in about 3.5 weeks we can go and find out what we are having. I’m SO not waiting until the doctor visit ultrasound which won’t happen for 8 MORE WEEKS. It is worth the cost to go to Fetal Photos and pay for them to tell us as soon as they can tell what the sex is. I have now started and abandoned knitting both a light blue and a white with girlie colored bits baby blankets. Neither of which had my heart in them because what happens if I spend all this time and effort and I picked the wrong flavor? So, I came into some really soft red yarn and have settled on my own version of a unisex color and am happily knitting away in between my trying to fit enough reading time into my still shortened evenings to finish the MASSIVE book club pick for the month.

I’ve officially entered the “it feels so great to be pregnant” period that I remember from my first pregnancy and I’m glad I get to be one of the lucky few who feels that way about being pregnant. I had a full-body massage earlier in the week which did wonders for my little bout of sciatic nerve irritation and overall aches and pains and enjoyed an evening at my girl friends new pool with friends who helped me put the whole ‘advanced maternal age’ into perspective with laughter and fun. Here’s to another good week ahead, even if it doesn’t include running!

Leave a comment | posted in Everyday Life, Pregnancy

May 14, 2009

Almost there

By terraluft

I have 3 days left of HCG injections and I can’t believe it has seemed to fly by! I am happy to report I have not cheated once – NOT ONCE! It is not the easiest weight loss treatment due to the specific meals you must eat but with a bit of planning it really isn’t impossible. I haven’t been hungry, I don’t crave sweets and carbs like I did at the onset, I have a ton of energy, I feel fabulous and my clothes are literally falling off of me now! 20 days in, I’ve dropped 21 pounds. With three more days to go, I’m thinking 25 isn’t too lofty of a goal! With my first 5K under my belt (I had to walk it but I did it!) and an average of 13 miles a week of cardio, I’m ready to hit the ground RUNNING next week. It is like looking forward to a reunion with a long lost loved one you haven’t seen in months.

Leave a comment | posted in Everyday Life, Running

April 7, 2009

Bitten

By terraluft

I have officially been bitten by the running bug. I never thought I would ever be a runner. I have always chosen water sports or bicycling as the preferred method of exercise and quite frankly thought runners were a bit off their rockers. I don’t exactly know what happened but I think I have become one of those runners. I of course have a long training road ahead of me before I can actually run any significant distance but man do I crave just the act of running. I’ve been taking advantage of the fitness center on site at the new job and been working out on the elliptical or the bike about 3-4 days a week for the past month or two. But then, the elliptical just wasn’t enough and I wanted something more strenuous. I took a page out of my husband’s playbook and hit the net for some research and found tons of sites for running. Now, I am equipped with a 30-day training plan designed for people just like me who haven’t run a day in their lives and promises to turn me into a 3-mile a day runner in a month. Today was day 3 of training. It is amazing how good I feel – my legs are sore for a while after the workout but never lasts into the next day so I can easily train every day. (It is even weird to listen to me right now! Train every day? Who am I?) I will chronicle my training in hopes it might keep me on my rocker…

Training guidelines – “30/30 Program”
Train for 30 days / 30 minutes a day
Must walk the first 10 minutes and the last 5 minutes
Middle 15 minutes, alternate running and walking until you build up ability to run the entire 15 minutes straight. Very beginning goals are to run for 30 seconds, walk for 90.

Day 1 – morning jog/walk outdoors on mostly flat route. Had the dog with me. I don’t have a stop watch so I couldn’t judge exactly how long the jog intervals were. I just ran until I couldn’t anymore and then walked until I could run again. Really out of breath after the running parts but pushed myself to run 4 intervals in the 15 minute time frame. Noticed later in the day my ankles were really sore. Funny the muscles you use differently depending on what you are doing… This was actually the second time I went “running”. I attempted to just run a mile a couple of weeks ago and thought I would die plus my hips hurt for days. That was before finding the training program. Training is much better than jumping in blind…

Day 2 – indoors on the treadmill. Wow, I can run longer than I thought! Averaged 90 second running intervals with 1 minute walking in between. Legs were really sore – especially my calves – but stretched really well afterwards. Ankles are still a bit achy but better than yesterday and they didn’t bother me WHILE running, just afterwards. Felt good and I was less out of breath today. Had an epiphany on one of the last intervals. I had been running like I always do and was so tired and out of breath but wanted to push myself to run for another full 90 seconds. I changed my stride and instead of bouncing more up and down I kept my upper body stable and flat and just moved my legs. OMG, it was like finding a burst of energy for actual running instead of bouncing. Can this be what the hubby calls being an efficient runner? Look at that, already making progress…

Day 3 – evening outdoors on the same mostly flat route. Had the dog with me again which hindered me today. Might leave her home next time instead of fighting to keep her from sniffing and running to the fences of all the other dogs in the damn neighborhood. Still was able to run several intervals and by using my new and improved stride I was less out of breath than the last time I ran outdoors. Again couldn’t be specific on the time and due to doggie issues didn’t get as many long running intervals but still a good workout. Ankles aren’t noticeably store today – nor is anything else come to think of it. I can’t believe I’m training every day!

1 Comment | posted in Everyday Life, Running

March 26, 2009

Full Integration Bliss

By terraluft

OMG I thought I was addicted to the Blackberry before but it was nothing compared to what I have going on now… Before, I thought it was super neat to have access to email and internet anywhere and when I first acquired the new-to-me one I have now it was great but I had gotten over it so much it was like… Eh – especially since it wouldn’t download all my contacts or my calendar and I still had to manage those on my PDA. The two days it took to finally figure out why it wouldn’t sync with my Outlook calendar and contacts last week with my IT folks was painful but I didn’t complain since it is a personal smartphone which they didn’t have to support. And now that I am fully functional? I am like a drug addict who once in a while would smoke pot and then finds the joy of hard drugs… Or at least how I think that would feel like. I can blog from anywhere! I can be on Facebook all day! I can Twitter at a whim! All the things I couldn’t do when my Blackberry was locked down to only work-approved things so I didn’t know about and which are now at my thumb-tips blows my mind. I am one seriously happy and seriously addicted girl albeit more effective at those said addictions. I am rejoicing at all the free-time I will once more have available… Maybe I will get back to some serious writing again!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Blackberry

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March 21, 2009

Inconsiderate and oblivious

By terraluft

What, exactly, is wrong with people? We were at a local restaurant a few weeks ago and what I observed is still bugging me. So here I am with more ranting and raving. Normally our beef is with the service or the food – why is it SO hard to find good service in the food SERVICE industry? This particular night, however, we had a fabulous waiter who was attentive without being at our table too often. No, the beef this night was with two workers – I think you call them hostesses? – who stood right behind our table performing the menial task of wrapping napkins around utensils. I get that it is a mindless type of duty but if you are standing adjacent to customers trying to eat would you really be as mindless as these two who stood there talking loudly and bothering multiple tables around them who could hear every word? A normal person would probably notice the annoyed stares from the patrons but these two were totally oblivious and carried on for 10 minutes. I wonder though, is it me who is just abnormal and this is what “normal” has become? More often than not the majority of people around me are inconsiderate and oblivious to their impact on others far outnumbering those who are considerate and observant. Is this a type of social evolution similar to where we think nothing of walking around with a telephone attached to our ear and carry on conversations inconsiderately imposing our chatter to others around us where without the technology it wouldn’t be expected? I know I pay attention more lately to how my behaviour is impacting those around me – although is doesn’t seem to be the normal thing to do. What a shame…

Leave a comment | posted in Everyday Life, Ranting and Ravings, Society

February 10, 2009

Off the Wagon and noteworthy sightings

By terraluft

They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step… After cold-turkey and the ensuing Blackberry withdrawals from my very real habit, I have fallen off the wagon and have my very own little black beauty – I love eBay… – that I will never have to give back to an employer. The best thing is that being removed from the habit for a while I was able to break the Pavlovian cycle of addiction so far as I can tell. Now, isn’t that what all addicts say? My own version of ‘I can handle it’, I suppose. My rationalization seems sound. I no longer have a job where I am required to monitor email 24/7/365 for notifications of system problems and can actually leave my work AT work where it belongs minus the few on-call shifts I have per month. Thus, my mentality about my Blackberry seems much more sane and grounded. I can go hours without pulling the thing off my hip and some nights it stays in my purse where I don’t think a thing of it unless it rings. An addiction broken and a new and hopefully non-precarious balance has been erected. I feel so proud of myself! Of course, now I covet the iPhone and am waiting patiently until it is widely available on my wireless carrier of choice…. Ah, the irony!

On another note, I saw the funniest bumper-sticker I have seen in a very long time yesterday on my commute home. Some background is probably in order so the irony isn’t lost on the crowd…. Up until about 3 years ago I had a seriously bad-ass Jeep Wrangler. It was lifted and I was always getting “fix-it” tickets because the tires stuck out too far and I refused to ruin it with sissy mudflaps. I had personalized license plates that read 4X4GIRL and the requisite “Jeeper” bumper sticker that reads “It’s a Jeep thing… you wouldn’t understand.” I dare you to find a Jeep that doesn’t have that saying posted on it somewhere and you’ll have a pretty hard time of it. So, there’s the setup. I’m driving home and I see this huge sticker that goes the entire width of the rear window of this stock white Chevy pickup and it says…..

“I got your Jeep thing… and now it hurts when I pee!!”

OMG it still makes me laugh! Of course, if I still owned my beloved Jeep I could never admit to appreciating this sticker but… I don’t! So kudos to the creator because that is some seriously funny shit!

2 Comments | posted in Everyday Life, Random or philosophical thoughts

January 21, 2009

The phantom hand

By terraluft

Just when I thought I had figured out a way to deal with the insanity of my high traffic cubicle aisle – all hail the iPod playing very loudly in my ears – another anomaly has surfaced to drive me over the edge. The other day I’m sitting in my cube, working away, attempting to ignore the drivel of the two inconsiderate workers who just happened to stop right there to have a personal conversation and what do I see but a hand hanging over my cube. (reeee reeee reeee) I couldn’t help but stare at it. It had hairy knuckles. It had a watch on a cheap band. I wanted to reach up and poke at it to warn the body attached that someone was on the other side of the wall. The hand still haunts me…

Other than the incredible diversity of people inhabiting the same floor as I do at work – which has really no bearing on what I’m doing there – I am truly enjoying my work at the new job. I have opportunity to grow and am working with old friends and new. And who can complain about a workplace that sets up multiple large viewing screens for the presidential inauguration yesterday and encouraged everyone to come to watch instead of killing the bandwidth in the building. It just doesn’t get better than that!

1 Comment | posted in Everyday Life, Ranting and Ravings

December 27, 2008

Where’s Waldo… writing group style

By terraluft

My so-called FABULOUS life: Holiday Bloopers – “Once”ers, can you find the hidden word among all the silly holiday posting?

It’s totally an inside joke… One of my fellow writers put a particular word in his manuscript and now we all are tasked with hiding it in ours. And just like when you buy a new car and then suddenly all you see on the road are ones just like yours, I now see the word everywhere. Like on some random blog by an athlete who went to the Olympics for track and field and then didn’t qualify for her medal race.

In light of the insanely silly season that is upon us, I thought that at least some would appreciate the fun! And those of you not in on the joke, I’m wondering what words jump out at you that could possibly be “The” word. There, now we can all have some word sleuthing fun for the holidays!

Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice, Merry Yule, Happy Kwanza, Merry Christmas, etc. etc. Or, in the words of my cousin…. “Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate”!

2 Comments | posted in Everyday Life, Writing

October 25, 2008

I’m back!

By terraluft

All praise the Internet gods… We now have Internet service at home and the withdrawals are over. Well, that’s not entirely true since I still don’t have a Blackberry. BUT, it is getting easier to live without one and don’t feel like dying because I may not get one for a while. That has more to do with the fact that it isn’t very practical right now when I have a brand new phone and am learning to live without Internet on my hip and constant email activities. I might have had a problem bigger than I have previously admitted and I’m going to just see how long I can take it. Should make the hubby happy anyway.

So, a week into the new job and I’m loving it. Every day I get a bit more info and training and like it that much better. The co-worker from the old job has only called me three times this week so apparently is going to be fairly okay without me. I don’t miss being on call and am relishing the time in training before I know enough to be on call again. Being in health care is a bit weird for me since I swore I didn’t like people enough to ever be in that field. Although I still get to deal with the very impersonal and logical computer system I love so I can’t really say I’m doing what folks who are really giving patient care do. Weird still… I’ve spent my offline days working on the book outline and am getting very excited for the kick-off of NaNoWriMo in a week. And the new writing group is meeting for the first time this week. Life is good …

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October 19, 2008

Envy and Withdrawls

By terraluft

Okay, I didn’t even make it two days without finding an Internet connection to check emails…. THANK YOU ACE!!! I had nightmares last night about the (as the hubby puts it) corporate sabotage I did by leaving my former co-worker in charge upon my departure. And I now know that an upgrade to the home PC is a must after having spent 20 minutes online with the neighbor’s sweet system. Tomorrow I’ll find out just what I’m getting into at the new job and can’t wait for the adventure to begin. One thing is certain, I must find a different phone or get a Blackberry of my own. Texting without a full qwerty keyboard just simply blows!

1 Comment | posted in Everyday Life