The Night Life Ain't No Good Life

The other night Kent and I were lying in bed talking and the subject somehow turned to all of the crazy people and things that happened during our loft living days. We ended up laughing our asses off and thanking our stars that we got out of there with nothing but a bit of liver damage. The building itself was art and there was an art gallery in the lobby where they would host exhibits and hold receptions for the artists. It was a lovely place to live. Some of the people who lived there were crazy though. Here are just a few things that happened:

1. Our next door neighbor got kicked out of the building after he was caught on the security camera getting a blow job from a transvestite stripper after a party in our shared garage. (He was the one who told us this by the way). He ended up moving home to Arkansas to live with his father instead of having his father visit his cool new place as they had planned.

2. Our new next door neighbor's ex girlfriend went into a rage and set his car on fire in our shared garage. The blaze was big enough to set off the sprinkler system in our place and charred his car down to the metal. Somehow my jeep which was parked right across the garage was stinky but unhurt. The cops and fireman were there for 3 hours trying to put the thing out.

3. We moved units after that and were woken up in the middle of the night by a blood curdling scream coming from next door. There was horrible shouting and a barking dog. The woman was yelling please don't kill me. We called the cops but of course she didn't press charges and we heard many more scuffles after that one.

4. The very snooty, very respected heir to the Pillsbury fortune lived on the third floor. He was notorious for not speaking to anyone in the halls or elevator and always had his mistress with him when his lovely French wife was out of town. He swerved his BMW into the parking lot one night so drunk that he literally whipped it out and pissed right there next to his car. Then he barely made it to the elevator without falling. I wish I could give you a better visual, but the guy wasn't young. He was my mom's age pissing in the middle of the parking lot where anyone looking out their window could see.

5. One night some guy asked Kent if he had a tool they needed to take apart some furniture because he was helping someone move out of the building. Kent said yes and went to help and I went up to our loft. He had been gone for quite a while so I went to check on him and walked into the unit they were moving. As I walked into the hall I walked right past 4 huge black guns leaning against the wall. We both got the hell out as fast as we could. Kent said later that they were AK47s and when the guy noticed Kent looking at them, he gave him a look of warning and moved them into the hall. Fucking scary shit.

Booby Day

I just realized that it's the 29th tomorrow. What is so special about the 29th you ask? Well, that is the day that the Shrimp's Fairy Godmother gets her new boobs! Yay for the miracle that is reconstruction. I know she's documenting this newest chapter in her cancer experience as she has been the entire ordeal. One day I fully expect you'll read her resulting book which will no doubt be a best seller. Maybe I can get her to give us a sneak preview on this here blog some day soon. Congratulations on your new girls Trina!

Shrimp Week #33

Week 33
Originally uploaded by KATIEmagic.

Starting at about week 26, your baby has slept and awoken at regular intervals. He closes his eyes when he sleeps, and he'll even dream during the last month before birth. No one knows what babies dream about in the womb, but they show reactions ranging from frowns and smiles to crying and kicking. Asleep or awake, you may feel the kicks in a new place around now--in your rib cage, just below your breasts--as he moves into the head-down position where he'll probably stay until birth.

In other news:
I hope no one was alarmed by the lack of posting and lack of a countdown at the top of my page. We had a house full of people starting Wednesday night and my brother just left around 9 last night so I've been a busy girl and didn't even get on the internet for those days (gasp). Don't know what the hell happened to the tickerfactory, I'll have to go hunting for another one. All is well here, the baby is kicking and making me pee a tablespoon every five seconds. We put the car seat in the car yesterday so all that is left to do now is pack the hospital bag which I refuse to do until we get closer. Tick tock people!

Black And White In Technicolor

Ross
Originally uploaded by KATIEmagic.

Mourning for Someone I Didn't Even Know

I started listening to the Glenn Mitchell show in college 10 years ago. Since then don't think I've missed more than 10 shows. It was something I looked forward to every single day. His death was sudden and will leave a hole in my life even though I didn't know him at all.

Shrimp Week #32

(go to flickr to see the stretch marked bare belly version of this weeks pic) This week is a milestone of sorts: Babies born after this time tend to do well even if they are premature. Nearly 10 percent of babies are born before week 37, when they officially come to term. At 32 weeks, all major organs are functioning except the lungs, which may need further time to develop. But your little one doesn't exactly look like a rosy cherub--he weighs about 3 pounds, and his thin, wrinkly skin hasn't filled out with the layers of fat that develop later. Luckily, in many cases, all he'll need is some time in an environmentally controlled isolette to become the chubby angel you imagined.
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These last couple of weeks have been quite a remarkable time for my pelvic region. The shrimps head is grinding away on my pubic bone every time I stand up. My very lower back is achy all the time and my days of walking like a normal person are officially behind me. In Wall-Mart this afternoon I practically cleared the isles just by walking (read swaying) down them. My hips feel like they're going to pop out twice a day. Finding a comfortable sleeping position is next to impossible. Thank goodness I no longer have to climb in and out of my Jeep every day.

Sue B. Forrester

Sue
Originally uploaded by KATIEmagic.

Yes, I am one of those people who name their cars. I blame it on CanaMa.

No longer do I have to lay (lie?) awake at night crunching numbers in my head. No longer do I have to weigh the pros and cons of this or that car. No longer do I have to sweat what the dealer will give me for my trade in with one window.

Since we started looking for a new car we've both really wanted a Forrester. But we didn't think we could afford one. Luckily we were able to find a used one in our price range. I didn't even change the oil or clean my Jeep before we took it in and they paid it off people. They paid it off!

The whole process was relatively painless and has me wondering why we waited so long to do this. The only crap part was seeing my credit score which is abysmal thanks to the student loan fiasco (and a couple of blemishes which are totally my fault).

Still it's a small price to pay for the weight that has been lifted off of my shoulders.

We got exactly what we wanted.

Wish Me Luck

Today we're going to buy a family car (hopefully anyway). I. Am. Not. Looking. Forward. To. This. Wish me luck.

Passing the Time Until D(ue)-day

This morning after our Doc appointment (gained two pounds, the shrimp sounds great), Kent and I went up to the third floor to labor and delivery. I wanted to ask about taking a tour and pre-registering for delivery. The benefit of going up there is, of course, that you get to see the newborns in the nursery. It was a totally different feeling than I had a few weeks ago when I was there. At that time all I could think about was how big they looked and how the hell I was supposed to push one of those out. Today I wanted to weep from the beauty of those little creatures. We walked out of there with big goofy smiles on our faces.

My days are starting to feel completely irrelevant except for the fact that they get us closer to Ellis's arrival. I'm sleepwalking through work, dinner, life, just daydreaming about meeting him for the first time. There is a constant nagging feeling of anticipation. I wish I could shake it because I want to treasure each moment of being pregnant too. Even the whiplash inducing mood swings I've started having this week will be a lovely memory soon.

It's hard to think about anything but seeing his face. I'm convinced he's going to arrive early even though I have no reason to think so. My brother and I were both late, and the due date means a whole lot of nothing. I know that. I just can't stand the thought of having to wait any longer than is absolutely necessary.

Do you hear that Ellis? You're to be finished cooking by December 30th. I'm sure you're willing to oblige your poor mother, right?

Ready, Set, Nursery

Last night I cleaned out all of the trash that had piled up in the nursery and Kent stapled any falling wires to the wall so the shrimp can't get tangled. The only thing missing is the crib bedding we registered for. It has quite a bit of green in addition to blue which is why we got the green rug. If you're wondering what's what just head over to flickr and check out the notes. So picture the bedding when you look at these:

Shrimp Week #31

Week 31
Originally uploaded by KATIEmagic.

He's entering a growth spurt. For the next eight weeks, he'll gain weight faster than he increases in length, at the rate of about half a pound a week. The bigger he gets, the harder it will be to "see" him on ultrasound and get a good estimate of his size--the margin of error increases to 15 percent by the end of the third trimester. But he's definitely growing fast, and you'll notice that his kicks will start to feel more like squirming as he runs out of room to roam.

Secret Lovahs

IMGP2038
Originally uploaded by KATIEmagic.

I just walked in the living room to find these two just inches away from each other and both asleep. They may talk a big game with Tucker all "I'm a cat I hate you filthy mut" and Chloe all "I'm a dog I must chase you around the house repeatedly until you swat my face". But deep down, they love each other.

Introducing BetaEllis

One of the things Kent and I have been a little concerned about is how the dauggers will behave around the baby. They are both very sweet and well behaved (for the most part) dogs so we're not talking about jealous aggressiveness but loving aggressiveness could be a problem.

When they like someone, they really try to let them know. Chloe jumps to try to reach your face and give you a big 'ol kiss, and Bella dog licks and steps all over your feet. When you're sitting down Bella dog likes to stand in your lap (all 65 pounds of her) and put her face right up to yours and just smile at you or if she wants to play she brings the toy right up to your face in the same manner. That's great and fun and we love it when she does that but it's not going to be a good thing when one of us is holding the baby. She's heavy and clumsy and one mis-step could be really painful for the little guy. She has never stepped hard on her sister even when they're playing rough so the concern is probably completely unfounded. Even so we've been wondering what to do about it.

This week a package arrived from CanaMa to help us with our problem. All of the baby books and dog books recommend this technique so we're going with it.

Introducing BetaEllis:
Tripping out over the mobile

Getting to know his big sister Chloe

Kickin it con mami


The minute I introduced BetaEllis to the girls they knew he was something to be gentle with. They both love helping me put him down for his nap, and are fascinated with diaper changes. Bella hasn't grabbed one yet but I'm sure that's coming. It's a little slower going on the couch-Bella dog-in-lap situation, but we're already making progress. Of course it's a lot easier with Kent home to help. A fact that I'm sure that will become even more crystal clear with FinalProductEllis. In the mean time it's nice to be able to practice with BetaEllis. Thanks CanaMa!!

I Just Knocked Over A Glass Of Water With My Belly

Which has nothing to do with the rest of this post, I just thought I'd share. It's just that big.
Remember this hideousness? The wall paper that made me want to poke my eyes out every time I walked into the kitchen? It's gone! And I didn't have to do shit.
It now looks like this. The calming effect of the blue is really amazing to me. I never realized quite how jittery the other stuff made me feel until it was gone. I feel like I'm in Cuba or somewhere tropical. All that's left to be done are a few touch ups and I can mark this one off my List Of Things Which Must Be Accomplished Before the Baby Because They Will Never Get Done After He's Here.

Shrimp Week #30

Week 30
Originally uploaded by KATIEmagic.

By this week, your baby's senses are developed to the point where he can taste, touch, see, and hear what's going on around him. He'll also react to stimuli--for instance, if you poke your belly, he may kick or hit back at the spot you've touched. It's exciting to interact with your baby even before he's born. Try rubbing your belly and talking gently to him when he kicks--you may find that you're already able to calm him down.

It's Like Waiting For Santa

I am now officially counting hours instead of days until Kent gets home. He should be here (earlier than planned) late tomorrow night. Thank the gods!

Let "Freedom" Ring

Stepping onto my soap box now:

"In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..."

This is what we sell when we "spread" democracy on other people. We tout the separation of church and state, the benefit of a secular government. Yet we have a shitty record of upholding the words of our own constitution. "That all men are created equal"; they obviously didn't mean to include women in that statement. Women shouldn't have rights! Our society would fall apart if we allowed women to vote! And black people? Please. They are not even human beings. How could we possibly include them in our democratic processes? It says right there in the bible that women and black people are not equal to white males. We can't go against GOD.

Oh, and gay people? They're sinners. They're going to hell for loving one other. How can we allow them the same rights as straight people for Gods sake? If we allow them to file some paper work that says they are legally married our entire society will crumble. I'll have to shield my child’s eyes from expressions of love, like a same sex couple holding hands in public. We'll let them fight for "freedom" sure as long as they don't tell us they're gay. Those pansies won't make it out anyway and we could use the bodies. We all know that those gays don't have those "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". So instead of voting to secure the rights of men lets all take a vote to make sure that some men and women don't have rights at all. Let’s take away equality under the law. That just makes sense.

Seriously, I ache when I think about all of the pain a judgmental "Christianity"* based "you’re with us or against us" mentality has caused people in this country. Even if you believe that homosexuality is a sin, how do you make the leap to the idea that governmentally forcing your beliefs on other people is a good thing? How can people truly believe that loving someone who happens to have the same anatomy as you, will corrupt our children? I will not ever understand it.

Today I'm voting not to pass an amendment that would ban same sex couples from being allowed to legally join in marriage. It will be an exercise in futility here in Texas. I can only hope that by the time my son is my age he will look back in disbelief that people felt this way. I hope it will be a bad memory that this country once again tried to take away peoples rights to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Stepping off the soap box.
*Christianity is in quotes because the word as it is used to intimidate, and legislate is not a true representation of that religion. WWJD? I'm thinkin' he wouldn't judge. So there.

Random Much?

I've been kind of a comment slacker lately. I've actually been working full time the past couple of weeks so there's less time to think of stuff to say in comments. But I've been reading you all and I promise to be better about comments next week.

Today I hit the wall. I've turned into one big sniveling ball of missing my husband, and boy do I feel pathetic. I've talked to him every day but man I miss his face. I think I can attribute this wall hittage to having to go to my ob appointment today alone. It was pretty uneventful. The shrimp's heart sounds good, my blood pressure is excellent and I've lost a few pounds since my last visit (which I've been assured is nothing to worry about since the shrimp is still dancing in my belly like a disco prince). The stupid nurse fucked up and said my weight out loud even though I've told her I don't want to know. I know it's just a number but sweet lord that's a high number. From that number I have about 60 pounds to lose AFTER the baby weight to get down to where I want to be. I don't know exactly how many I've put on since I got pregnant, but I really don't want to know because then I'll have to face the number I started with. Fuck. Weight sucks my ass. The good news is that I don't have to worry about it for another two months or so. My next appointment is in two weeks. We're in the bi-monthly appointment phase people, that's close.

My dad still has not apologized about last weekend, or even mentioned it. However he's insisting on coming by to help me paint the kitchen this week. I guess it's his way of making it up to me. Which it totally doesn't, but at least he's trying and I'll get a painted kitchen out of it.

Shrimp Week #29 Behold My Concentration Face

For the past six weeks or so, your baby has been listening to your voice (along with the voices of your partner, older children, and anyone else who's been talking to your belly). Speaking to your baby is not only a key part of prenatal bonding, but may also form the basis of language development. Babies who have been spoken to in utero recognize and turn to familiar voices immediately after birth. There may also be links between prenatal stimulation and the development of speech and IQ. Conversely, studies have shown that songbirds hatched from the nests of silent foster parents don't sing.

Nashville Smashville

Ah Nashville, the trees, the hills, the constantly talking about being pregnant with someone who KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! I had so much fun hanging out with Drew. Look, it's Drew! I got to help her register for baby stuff, and watch chick flicks, and eat, eat, eat. I can't believe it had been so long since I've seen her. It felt like no time had passed at all. She has the cutest little bump I ever did see. She's always been a little thing so I'm totally jealous of how cute she still looks.

I got to visit with GiGi her kitty and meet Venga her newest addition.

Oh, and her husband too. Hopefully I'll see her again in April after she has her little boy or girl. (Now I'm calling it shim, since she doesn't know). Drew is a chiropractor so she's always current on natural remedies and alternative medicines. So I not olny got to hang out with a great friend, I also learned a ton.

Look, it's the controversial nekkid statue. Nope, I'm not sure why they're all so happy that they're about to fall off the hill. Thanks for showing me the sights you guys! Can't wait to see you again.