Talk about alot of catching up to do... but what else is new with me?

Well.... it's been a bit since my last blog.... although it totally hasn't been my fault this time... REALLY!! I've actually had the time to blog about the updates in my life, however, just have lacked the ability..... sooooo totally not my fault! The only real long term access I've had to the internet over the past few weeks has been my Blackberry, just to check emails and things here and there, and since Michael has been here and gone alot on business these past few weeks and takes the laptop with him, and I am now unemployed, I've been cut off from the world! Ok.... maybe not that dramatic or anything, but still... I haven't had the good ol' internet at the drop of a hat these days... so thanks to Michael leaving his laptop at home today for me, I've been able to accomplish the important things I've been missing out on.... Ya know... checking up on blogs, and looking at pictures on Myspace... ya know... life therneanting stuff like that. Wait... I did manage to pay my cable bill this morning... so that within itself was productive, because lord knows since I am now unemployed, that if I miss paying my cable bill and have it stuff off... I may miss one of the old school episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 on the Soap Net that I have grown accustomed to watching daily and reliving the 90's. LOL

Ok, so on to my updates. Obviously, in a previous blog, I had talked about our Palm Springs office closing on April 1st, so... I have now joined the millions of people in this Country that are unemployed. A few days a week though, for a few hours, I have been going into the Riverside office to do a few things here and there that have to do with the closing of our Palm Springs office, but unfortunately, that work is starting to become less and less for me, because all the loose ends are starting to get all tied up. Let me tell you... I am really having a hard time with not working. I have never, in all my life, not woken up in the morning and had a "purpose". Whether it was full time school or full time work for both of them, I have never had the opportunity to wake up and go "hmmmm... what should I do today?" It's a really strange feeling for me. I know that Michael and I had already decided that once the baby came I was going to stay home with him, but that's different. At least I knew that when I wasn't working then, I had a responsibility to take care of our son, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be sitting on the coach munching on bonbons and watching Days of Our Lives, because taking care of a child and a household is a full time job for sure. But now, I've got 2 months before Noah gets here. Everybody keeps saying... "Enjoy this time and get some rest because you'll appreciate it in a few months when your not sleeping"..... and I know that's the truth... but goodness gracious when my little mental alarm goes off at 7am telling me to wake the hell up and do something productive it drives me crazy!!!!!

On my last blog I talked about Michael and I making an offer on a house, and since then, the bank accepted our offer and our new home went into escrow, which is set to close and have us move in *hopefully* on the 24th of April..... yes.... I know... 11 days from now! Hopefully everything goes through with it by then, especially since we're supposed to be out of our townhouse no later than May 2nd!!! We went for our home inspection last Sunday, and everything was amazing in that house. There were, of course, a few minors things that need attention. One of the two water heaters is in need of being replaced, and there is a tiny leak under one of the dual sinks in the master bathroom, and the filters need to be replaced in both of the air conditioning units.... big deal. However, the seller didn't have the propane tank filled prior to our home inspection so there was no way to test the heat or the range or the hot water... so we have to wait for the seller to fill up the propane tank and have those modalities inspected before FHA will accept the loan... so we're hoping that won't delay our escrow process any further. Also, the seller is supposed to cover the septic tank inspection as well as the termite inspection, and as far as I know of, that has yet to be done yet as well.... so we'll see if come May 2nd, Michael and I are living out of our 5th wheel trailer in the backyard at my parents house. I guess as opposed to blogging, I could be getting our house boxed up, but to be honest with you, I already used up all the boxes Michael brought home for me, and it didn't actually pack much of anything in those boxes either. I think most of those boxes were DVD's and a few misc. things from my downstairs coat closet and from the desk in the spare bedroom.... and those few things filled up 5 boxes already!!!! I have a feeling this is going to be an interesting process. Moving into a 3500 square foot home is supposed to be easy coming from an 1,100 square foot town home.... but you also have to factor in the 4 bedroom house that Michael has packed up in a storage unit in Lancaster..... and the fact that all of the shit I accumulated in the 2 years and 3 months I have lived in my current home(along with a husband and his belongings and all sorts of wedding gifts to boot) I imange this isn't going to be a pretty picture come moving day... especially when one of the parties moving is 8 months pregnant! It's times like these when a nice strong drink are in order.

On the baby front, everything is going great! I've been really lucky to have such an easy pregnancy so far, but I am starting to really feel pregnant now. Last week, with Michael out of town again, I decided that I was going to clean the house, top to bottom in an effort to pass my free time. Well... I made it through the entire downstairs and dusted the bedroom, and cleaned the two upstairs toilets, but somehow or another, my poor body would just not allow me to finish vacuuming the upstairs and finish cleaning the two upstairs bathrooms. I was done! My back was so sore and I felt like I was 90 years old. The easiest tasks, such as bending down to pick something up, I am really starting to feel. But, considering I am 31 weeks pregnant, that could very well be expected. I haven't quite hit the almighty "20 pound weight gain" mark just yet... but I am teetering very close to it! Some days I am 17 pounds and others I am 19 pounds... but either way.... I haven't reached that point yet!!!!

The reality that I have a newborn on the way.... VERY VERY SOON.. is finally starting to hit me alot more now. Michael and I had one of those 4D ultrasounds done about a week and a half about and it was truly amazing. Of course, and you can defiantly tell this kid is going to be stubborn as hell, just like both of his parents, because he decided he was going to sleep instead of be awake during the ultrasound. Now, since I could first start to feel Noah around 5 months, he has not stopped moving the entire time! I swear to you that kid is boxing the inside of my uterus like a punching bag 24/7, but the day that he's going to be on camera.... nooooooo.... he decides it's nap time! Both Michael and I tried talking to him to get him to move his little hands that we're covering his face, and all he managed to do was move his hands from in front of his face, to his ears, as to cover them and tell us, "Shut the hell up... I am sleeping!" After a few more minutes of poking at him and talking, he finally started to wake up and move around, in fact, at one point, he crossed his arms across his chest and started frowning and pouting.... obviously he was not pleased with the fact that we had disturbed his sleep..... I am sure I'll probably get a few months of payback on that one. When I am pacing back and forth at 4AM begging my child to go to sleep, he's going to be saying.... "Yeah mom, that's what you get for disturbing my sleep.... how does it feel??" All and all though, we got some amazing shots of him on the ultrasound and it really was a very emotional experience. You see the regular grainy ultrasound shots at your Doctor's appointments and your not sure if what your looking at is a head or a foot or a knee or what, and you feel that little body move inside of you all day, but you don't realize how real it is until you can look at your child, thanks to modern technology, and see exact distinctions of his little face and body. It really was very wonderful, and anybody who's pregnant, I highly suggest getting a 4D ultrasound done, because they are amazing and worth every penny.

Last week, Michael and I went on a tour of the maternity ward and hospital at St. Bernardines, where we will be having Noah. I actually have insurance through Kaiser, but Kaiser instructed me that they were in the process of remodeling their labor and delivery ward at the Fontana hospital and that they were referring all labor and delivery patients to St. B's instead. Which I was ok with because I had heard St. B's had private rooms and was a reputable hospital. The hospital puts on a free tour and dinner for prospective patients a couple times a month, so Michael and I went last Tuesday to check it out. Holy crap.... obviously there is something in the water because there were about 50 pregnant couples there taking the same tour. I told Michael it's because the economy is bad, and instead of people going out and doing stuff and spending money, they are just staying home and having sex! The tour was very nice. The hospital was very clean and the rooms were very nice and I really felt comfortable in that hospital. In fact, it was very strange discussing things like epidurals, and how many people are allowed in your room during your delivery, and seeing the bed where in 9 short weeks, I'll be delivering. It was another very real experience. I had to laugh because I have been one of those people that hasn't gotten into the whole "new age" of pregnancy or labor and delivery. I've taken care of myself just fine, and have read the books, and to be honest with you, have the shit they try to pump your head with is ridiculous. Eating organically, and hiring a mid-wife or a doulla to assist in your pregnancy and pain management. People are watching way too much of "The Baby Story" these days, that;s for sure. One woman, in our group, actually asked the nurse, "Excuse me... do you guys keep any birthing balls on hand?" and the nurse, who looks like she's been a nurse since the beginning of time said, "Honey, let me tell you, you are NOT going to feel liking bouncing around on a ball while your in labor and frankly, we're not going to allow you to, I know it's all nice and wonderful what you watch on the "Baby Story" but that just isn't a reality here". It was so funny! Seriously, the way I look at it, epidurals are done everyday to millions and millions of women and everything is fine for both the mother and baby. I would rather be comfortable, managing my pain, so that when my kid comes out, I am not so riddled with exhaustion and pain that I can't focus on the enjoyment of holding my son for the first time. I don't want to be bouncing on a ball or have some crazy woman sticking needles in my ankles or massaging my pressure points... no way... put me in my bed, stick me with my needle, and leave me alone to deliver my child with minimal pain. End of story. That's MY birth plan thank you very much! Tonight Michael and I start our Childbirth Education classes so I am pretty sure I am in for another dose of a reality check this evening. I can't believe that when these classes are done, I'll be 35 weeks pregnant... YIKES!!! That's crazy!!! He'll be here before I know it!!