YAHOO!

I love computerized medical records. I had my 3 hour diabetes glucose test today, and although it was a lot of pricks, and a lot of driving back and forth, it wasn't too bad. In fact, they had a flu vaccine clinic today at Kaiser, and I decided to get one more prick, seeing as though I was already stuck multiple times. So, that's been taken care of too now (and it was free, which is always awesome!)

Anyhow, within an hour of leaving Kasier, I received an email telling me my diabetes test results were in, and we are ALL GOOD. In fact, my levels are pretty darn impressive, compared to what I thought it would be. I do have a sweet tooth, and have attempted to make good food choices 80% of the time, but I have allowed myself that 20% so that I wouldn't go crazy. The occasional Big Mac, or peppermint mocha (decaf of course) have been treats for me, and I don't worry about it too much.

SO, no gestational diabetes for me. Yahoo! Thanks for the support!

Just for fun...

Well, I'm at home for 40 minute intervals while I get my 4x glucose test done today, so I have to fill my time...Here's another example of how Ginger might turn out, I swear this website cracks me up!

Ginger cast her first presidential ballot!

Well, not technically, but she was along for the ride! Today I had to go out for my pollworker training class at the County registrar of voters office, and I happened to arrive about 20 minutes early. I noticed they were offering early voting there, so we participated and I am so relieved! There seems to be rumors of panic about election day, with the elevated interest and whatnot, so I decided to go ahead and cast my ballot early in order to miss the lines.

The great part about this was there were at least 20 electronic voting machines set up, everything was amazingly organized, lots of people to help, and I literally cast my ballot within 5 minutes. Now, granted, I knew how I was voting on all of the propositions, presidential and senatorial races, etc. but even so it went really fast! Plus these electronic voting machines had a built in paper printout that I was able to see and verify before casting my ballot. So just in case something malfunctions, our vote will still be counted.

Once I was done, I put on my "I Voted" sticker, and I almost felt that Ginger was looking up at me and smiling. She's proud her mommy is a good citizen :)

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat.....

So, I failed the diabetes initial screen, and have to go in for the 3 hour test on Thursday. The cutoff is 140, and I "scored" a 145, which is just above the level they like to see. The nurse told me over the phone that many people who actually end up with diabetes score upwards of 160-170, so they are just being precautionary, but I'm still bummed at the thought of having to be poked multiple times in 3 hours. I really, really hope that it comes back negative, for both selfless and selfish reasons! I don't want Ginger to have to deal with blood sugar fluxes right after delivery. I also can't imagine abstaining from sweets just as we turn the corner to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Silly me- I'll be fine, but you can be sure I'll be looking for sugar-free and lowcarb alternatives!!

OK, these things are just scary....

I was reading another pregnancy blog tonight, and the pregnant girl was laughing about how scary her "child" came out on this website when she matched herself and her husband, so I had to try it. Yep, pretty scary- the head proportion is as large as her face, it just seems a bit 'children of the corn'...but it gave me a good laugh. Here's to hoping Ginger's forehead is a little more proportional to her face!

Baby Shower #1

I am still collecting pics from the "friends and family" baby shower, but I thought I would post a few tonight as a preview. This was my main baby shower(although my mom's church lady friends will throw me a smaller second shower right after the baby is born) The party was fantastic, thanks to Shanna, my sister, my mom (and Shanna's mom!) and all of the other help that went on behind the scenes. We had about 40 people attend the halloween themed event, and between the onesie decorating station (was a hit with guests!), yummy food and cupcakes, and a beautiful (albeit WARM!) day, I have to say that it was just perfect. Thanks to everyone who came, Ginger is looking forward to meeting you!!!

Here's a pic of how Ginger's room is coming along- it is almost complete, we're just waiting on a backordered dresser!



Present time!



Game time!



Check out the yummy cupcakes my friend Wendy brought- she has a friend who is a baker and these were SOOO good!



Ginger is growing, as am I...

One lucky pregnant girl....

I'll make this short and sweet, but I couldn't neglect to post the sweetest gesture on Paul's part tonight. I can just imagine going back, at 85 years old, and reading through this blog- remembering all of the fun moments of this first pregnancy, and this was one I will always smile upon.

I came home tonight, exhausted after a tough day at work. My feet have been swollen sausages now for months, and tonight was no exception. Upon my arrival home, I find that my husband has gone and picked up a whole load of fresh groceries, and has just plated t-bone steaks off the grill. At the table, there is salad and bread, along with a fresh (caffiene free) Diet pepsi on ice.

Paul is definitely a fantastic bbq'er, especially with steaks (it's what Argentines do best, haven't you heard?) and I was one, happy pregnant wifey. And he held out the best for the end- he picked up a caramel apple pie for dessert, something I mentioned a few days ago briefly, in passing.

I LOVE this man.

Crossing my fingers!

When I started my new job September 25th, I had negotiated a 12 week leave with the County (which I felt was reasonable) and was met with no hesitation. I had planned on working up until the very minute that I needed to deliver, in order to maximize the 12 weeks that I wanted to spend with Ginger. But over the past month or so, I've done some reading about SDI, PDL, and STD and LTD, and have learned that pregnant women have the option of taking 4 weeks, prebirth, that can be covered by SDI (66% of pay). This particular "prebirth" 4 weeks can only be used before, and can't be simply added to the "after delivery" time that I am allowed under SDI, PDL, and LTD.

So, that said, I started looking at the calendar, and realized that if I tried to ask for this time, it would allow me to take off right before Christmas, and have a good 4 weeks before Ginger was due, while still protecting my 12 weeks after Ginger is born. I started dreaming about enjoying good naps, resting during the holidays, snuggling with my puppy, and trying to deal with the fact that I'll be ginormous.

So today I approached my boss, and explained my idea. I would have already gotten 4 days paid off during Christmas/New Years anyhow, and I know executive recruiting comes to an almost hault over the holidays (who is going to fly in for an interview at that time? And who at the County will actually be in their office to interview them?)

My boss went for it! She was completely supportive and encouraged me that "you'll never get this time back" and concurred that hiring will be really slow during that time. I had to fill out an LOA request that still needs final approval from the Assistant CEO/HR Director of the County, but I am crossing my fingers that this works out! If he approves, that means I'll have 4 whole months off of work, which would be a dream come true!

Funny story today....

It's funny sometimes how things have a way of working themselves out. I mentioned in an earlier post that Paul's mom and my mom will be spliting the babysitting duties for Ginger, when I have to go back to work. I feel truly blessed, but also know that I don't want them to EVER feel like they are "the help", and want them to enjoy being grammy (and abuelita). Plus, my mom will have a commute from Temecula to Riverside, which is about 40 minutes each way, and even though I adore her for volunteering to come up twice a week (spending the night then staying the next day) I can imagine that it might be nice for her to have a break now and then.

That being said, next door we have a really nice family with mom, dad, 2 kids (girl age 11, and boy age 8) and grandma, who is the most active, young-at-heart, warm and friendly (bilingual!) grandma I've seen in awhile! They are always friendly with us, and are good neighbors, and for the past 2 1/2 years, the grandma has been a full time nanny to another neighbor's baby. I see them come and pick her up- we've watched her grow, and it's been fun. Recently, the family decided it was time for the little girl to go to day care to start socializing with other little ones, in preparation for preschool. I can tell Grandma has been a bit lonely without her :)

Anyhow- I was mentioning to Paul that it would be so nice to have our next door neighbor (grandma) as a backup so that we don't always have to rely on our moms. We have been meaning to go over there and talk with her, but just haven't had time.

This evening, I was pulling into the driveway home from work, and here comes the next door neighbor grandma to tell me congratulations about the good news. She wanted to wish me good luck with the rest of the pregnancy, and said she can't wait to meet our little one. She then asked who was going to be watching our baby, and I explained that our moms were, but that I was always looking for relief for them. She said she would love to watch Ginger, part time, full time, even if we just needed a night at the movies. AND SHE IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR! I laughed and told her that I've been meaning to come talk to her, and see if she was available. She says "I am at your service!" and I thanked her, truly appreciative that she came to me to discuss it.

I know a lot of new moms that have a hard time finding 1 person who can commit to lovingly watching their first baby. We now not only have 2 grandmas, but 3! Plus, Auntie Shanna (My BFF since 7th grade, who's hosting my shower) is only 5 minutes away and will definitely be a huge part of Ginger's life. We are so blessed!

4D Ultrasound #2- 27 1/2 weeks

Well, I think that almost anyone who actually reads this blog has already seen these pics, as I've posted them and emailed them out last night. But I am going to post them here anyhow. The special part of these pictures is that last night, we brought Paul's mom with us to watch the 4D ultrasound. She was amazed, tearful, joyful, and was so much fun to watch. The screen they display it on is about 10 feet by 7 feet (so HUGE) and there is an awesome microfiber sectional couch and lounge she and Paul sat on while I was in the hospital style bed next to them. She was blown away by the 4D- she had only seen a 3D ultrasound (Paul's brother's wife) once before on the tiny machine, for just a few seconds. Watching her and Paul laugh, cry, and hug together while we were all watching Ginger on the screen was priceless.

She kept smiling and saying how she can't wait to hold her, and kiss her, and we are so lucky that Paul's mom will be watching Ginger 3 days a week when I go back to work (and my mom will pick up the other 2 days, how lucky are we!?!) Plus, I have every other Friday off now with the 9/80 schedule, which means I can relieve Paul's mom and I get to spend every other Friday with my daughter. I know that will be special for me, and I can't wait!

Well THAT makes sense...

After searching, and searching, scouring the internet, researching through Paul's 20 million pinup books, I think I've finally found the artist that I LOVE for her work in pin-up art. And yes, I titled this post "well THAT makes sense..." because it is a "her", not a "him". You'll notice my earlier post, which references T&A, or what the the world of art describes as "overtly sexual overtones"...well, my girl Pearl Frush went in another direction, with her work being described as having a "crisp, straightforward style, her pin-ups and glamour paintings effectively captured the spirit of young womanhood. Her girls were wholesome and fresh, shapely but never overtly sexual. Somehow they were able to look both like movie stars and like the girls-next-door."

Frush had a studio in Chicago in the early 1940's, and is known for being one of the top 3 women pin-up and glamour artists in the calendar art market at mid-century.

Here's the catch- because she worked primarily in watercolor and gouache, her originals have been difficult to reproduce, which is why she hasn't had the widespread acclaim of, say Alberto Vargas or Gil Elvgren. But I am DETERMINED to find a few of these prints, somewhere, somehow!!

More difficult than I thought....

You know, it is harder than I thought to find vintage pinup surf decor that hits the mark, so to speak. I've always liked pinup art, it's something that is beautiful and celebrates women in a way that is cute and fun. But lately, I've been trying to find decor for Ginger's room, and maybe it's that I'm becoming a mom- but I'm finding that most of the pinup art is just taking it too far for a baby's room. On one hand, I want Ginger to grow up feeling confident with self expression, but on the other hand, I don't want her to grow up seeing this pinup art and thinking that it is the only standard of beauty!

Usually I find that the truly vintage pinup art (from the 40's and 50's) is more tasteful than the stuff they put out today- it's a lot of "T n' A" nowadays, which is fine, in fact Paul paints a ton of it for clients, but I'm looking for something more middle of the road (I would describe the pic I have at the top of this post as middle of the road). Vintage, classy, a celebration of women, but please if I see so much cleavage and ass that there is no point in wearing clothing, then it probably won't end up in Ginger's room!

If anyone knows of places that have more of the decor that I'm trying to describe, please let me know. It's getting frustrating!

A few new pics...

A few days shy of 27 weeks! We decided to change up the background a little bit, just for fun. Isn't Paul such an incredible artist in everything he does? I have no shame in bragging on his behalf :)

I think Ginger might be set to be a dancer. Or a karate master. Or a kickboxing instructor. Because she has some serious moves that she's performing in my belly, almost all the time. I'm glad that she's an active little girl, I can't wait to laugh and chase her in the backyard, and snatch her up for some kisses and hugs. Oh, Ginger snap, I can't wait for you to be here!!!

My first experience at Kaiser

This morning, I had my first Kaiser appointment for prenatal care, and all-in-all, it went well. I really like that the facility has everything on site, especially now that I am 6+ months along. I started with a nurse, who took all my vitals, then went up to the 4th floor to the lab to draw my blood. Maybe I just got lucky, but every time I went somewhere new, I was taken in/back in less than 5 minutes, just enough time to open a magazine, get into the middle of an article, then have to put it down.

I went back downstairs to radiology, where they set up my final ultrasound appointment. Then, back to OB to meet with the doctor to conduct a full prenatal assessment, and discuss my lab results. I couldn't believe it- it had been less than 20 minutes ago that they were drawing blood, and they already had the results. Cool!

Everything at Kaiser is stored on a computer, which I actually kind of like. I know others feel like it's private information, but guess what, if I have an emergency, or the doctor needs an immediate answer, they can look it up, practically from any room in the facility.

The doctor was really nice, she explained that they work as a team, that I would be assigned a midwife, and that they were going to take good care of me. We listed to the heartbeat, and she said it sounded fantastic. Not just good, but fantastic! That's what I like to hear. She also said that Ginger is sitting really high (which is normal, everyone carries differently), which I already knew as I was showing practically by 4 months!

All in all, I got in and out within a few minutes over an hour, and with my previous doc (who didn't have onsite anything) between the labs and the ultrasound scheduling and driving to all of the different facilities, that easily would have taken me more than a few hours. And on different days, as they all didn't really talk to each other the way that Kaiser functions.

So, I'm happy. I've learned in the past 6 months to have a healthy dose of skepticism with all of the ups and downs I've had with service, but even so, this first visit was great. I have my glucose testing next week, which I've been warned is not the tastiest stuff to swallow. Hope all goes well!

Busy Weekend! (well, for Paul...)

So there was lots of work being done at our household this weekend, and unfortunately, aside from ordering a pizza and lots of hugs and kisses, most of the real work was being done by Paul. He supervised the new window installation, he painted the nursery, and moved all of the furniture, put the crib together, vacuumed, phew that makes me tired just writing it!

We still have more painting to do, but decided that instead of our ideas going right up on the wall, we're going to do something unique, that we can take down 1)to keep forever! and 2) so that if we have a boy in the next few years, we can easily change out the room.

Anyhow, I am so proud of my hubby, he was a hard workin' man this weekend, and it's tough for me to sit on the sidelines and just watch!

Uh-oh.....

I really, really hope that I just slept wrong last night. Today, I've had the worst back pain since I've been pregnant. In fact, I haven't had any back pain at all during my pregnancy, despite having a history of 4 herniated discs in my lower lumbar. So let's just say, I know what back pain feels like, and I dread, DREAD, that this back pain is here to stay.

My friend Jaime, who is about to deliver her baby girl Ryen any day now, told me that her back pain started towards 6 months. If anyone has any advice, I welcome it. Between my swollen sausage feet, and my fear that this back pain is here to stay, I'm not the happiest camper today... :(