The tripod which leaneth

Obviously people have noticed that it's been a while since I posted on my photoblog. I winced as I looked at my statcounter and saw that on some days I had either one or even zero visitors. That is part of the problem of starting out with a goal of posting one photo per day. You think, "Oh, it's just one photo a day, how hard can that be?"

And then you try it...and unless you are sitting in the lap of luxury with literally nothing to do all day, it is a very difficult feat to accomplish, am I right?

Nevertheless, I am here and now proclaiming (I thought that word would have the best impact, plus it goes along with the title much better) that I am going to give a much greater effort of posting more photos. Keep in mind that we have dial-up. Ah, now you feel bad about taking Leaning Tripod off your favorites list, don't you?

Diet of pills

I was partly wrong about where my pain was coming from. It wasn't the prednisone (which I'm back on, by the way), but rather the baby aspirin. Yes, even though I've been down this road before, it took my being in some rather unbelievable pain last week to realize, oh! It's ulcers!

I'm making light of it, because really, what else can one do? And I am not going to go into deep discussion on ulcers here, so don't worry. All I'll say is that if you've had them before, you can recognize them again. Trust me to just blindly take the baby aspirin that the doctor asks me to take without seeing on the bottle that it says "talk to your doctor if you are dealing with any of the following..." and one of the things on the list is ulcers. I wasn't dealing with them at the time, but thanks to good ol' aspirin I am once again!

This led me to call the doctor on Monday to ask if I could please have a prescription for Nexium (and if you know me, you know I'm in real pain to be asking for MORE medicine). The nurse wanted to make sure I wasn't mistaking the pain for acid reflux. Um, no. And it's hard to explain to some in the medical profession sometimes that you know your body much better than they do, no matter how much they have studied. I'm in no way a difficult patient, but I'm also not the type to keep my mouth shut if I disagree (I made three nurses leave my hospital room four years ago because they tried -- three times -- to do a test on me that I'd already had the day before).

Now, don't get me wrong, I value doctors and nurses greatly. I had a doctor who devoted more than a year to finding my diagnosis, and I will never forget that. But always remember that your body is your own, and you must know what you're putting into it (can I get an amen, Sarah?). In short: Read the aspirin label, silly!

Sharing

I might not get to post over the Thanksgiving break, so I thought I'd leave a quick message...

I really don't talk much about painful (physical) stuff, mostly because I like to keep things here light, but I will say that throughout the weeks I have occasionally experienced some pretty bad abdominal pain. I was trying to figure out if this was pregnancy stuff or just Behcet's stuff, but ended up deciding with my internist that it was probably the combination of taking baby aspirin (which I was instructed to take by my OB for various reasons) and prednisone. So...I stopped taking the prednisone! That led to several days of 'okay-ness' followed by a day of 'Okay, I have to take it today' but since then I still haven't taken it. It's really my decision, and I'm trying to keep the meds low. Sometimes the side effects are worse than the symptoms. Crazy world, but there you have it.

Not sure why I'm sharing all of that, but I guess it's just what came out when I began typing. Hope I'm not worrying anyone, because I'm really okay...just dealing with those aches and pains of life. I find that I'm becoming more attached to this baby that I don't really know, and I will suffer through what I must to get to meet him or her someday.

Everyone have a safe and happy holiday!

Oh baby!

The disappointing news is that we did not get an ultrasound done at the appointment this morning. Still, the doctor used a hand-held doppler and felt around for the heartbeat, which didn't take long. We heard the whoosh-whoosh-whoosh going right along. I asked Casey if he could hear it, and he could. There were also these occasional kind of knocking sounds, much louder than the heartbeat, and we were told that this was the baby moving around. It all happened about five hours ago, but I still can't stop thinking about it, and how wonderful it is...and how there is this person doing somersaults inside my body, but I don't even feel it yet. He or she is probably doing everything to get my attention, and I want to say, "I'm here, kid! I know you're there, and we'll communicate soon, okay? Just hang on!" Don't tell the doctor, but just before he walked in I gobbled down a mini-Snickers. I think that's probably why the baby was so active.

Our next visit is on December 14, the day before I am 17 weeks. That is when we'll have our next ultrasound. Four weeks sounds like a very long time, but it also sounds very close. It's so hard not being able to see what's going on in there! The baby is probably thinking, "It's so hard not being able to see what's going on out there!"

Friday's Feast

Click on the post title or the link in the sidebar to have a feast of your very own!

Feast Seventy / Friday, November 18, 2005

Appetizer

When do you feel impatient?

I will admit, I feel impatient a lot of the time. I guess one of my worst times is when I'm in traffic with bad drivers (and most of the time I tend to think they're all bad drivers).

Salad

How many times in your life have you had a broken heart?

Should I count fifth grade? A boy agreed to be my boyfriend (that's how it went back then) and then at the Skatin' Place that night I saw him sitting and holding hands with another girl. Ouch. But I guess I won't count that. I think it's been about two times -- I've had many more crushes than that, but my heart was really broken only twice.

Soup

Name a book you would like to see made into a movie.

They're actually doing this! There's a book called The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio that I read a couple of years ago and loved, loved, loved it! Then not long ago, I saw Julianne Moore talking about the movie! Click here for the official site. I'll still answer the question, though. There is an amazing book called Love is a Wild Assault, written by Elithe Hamilton Kirkland. I think the title is taken from a poem, not even in the book, so it's a little misleading. I just couldn't put this book down!

Main Course

If you could thank one teacher for what they taught you, who would it be and what would you thank them for?

I actually have had the honor of being able to do such a thing. My favorite teacher ever was Mrs. Brown in the third grade. She looked like an angel and was just a wonderful, patient person. When I was a freshman in college, I found her number and called her to tell her I had decided to be an elementary teacher (although that changed later on, but I don't think she minded). Then about five or six years later, I called her again in a crisis because she had been through some horrible things in her life and made it through, and I thought she could give some pretty good advice. The amazing thing was, her daughter was living on the campus in my town! We planned a meeting for that May, when her daughter would be moving out, and had lunch together. I made sure to get a picture of the two of us together, and I will cherish it always!

Dessert

What is your favorite kind of pie?

Something tangy, like pink lemonade...but that's the kind of thing that changes for me. Tomorrow it might be Boston Cream!

Andrea is reading this when she should be doing her grocery shopping

Readers, I want to give you a really good reading experience today on my blog. And how will I do that, you ask? I just don't know. All I know is that I'm going to give it my very all here, and if you don't like it -- well, I hope you'll still come back!

I've been given the go-ahead on talking more about the pregnancy, with things like "lay it on thick lady!" by Andrea, a faithful reader. Anyway, whether it is a sad thing or not, I got incredibly excited when Casey called this morning to suggest that we have McDonald's for lunch. Seriously, I was like, "(Gasp) That is WONDERFUL news!" And I'm pretty much down-playing the enthusiasm. And yes, it was another Big Mac meal. Right before we ate, I was like, "Ooh, I feel yucky" and couldn't imagine eating even half of that sandwich, but wouldn't you know it...I wolfed it all down in no time!

I will do my best to post some belly photos...very conservative photos, mind you. And just so you know (and those of you who have been pregnant know this already), you really don't start showing with your first until you are in your fourth, sometimes fifth, month. Needless to say, not much to see yet. I know, I know, I hounded a lot of my pregnant friends for pictures! and more pictures! when they were pregnant. How many did I see? Um, one. No joke. I either had to visit them in person or...well, yeah, that's about it. See them in person. Fortunately, I'll be seeing several people in person in February (are you ready, Sarah?), so I'm hoping that will do it for them. When my brother visited this past weekend, my mom told him, "You're going to be the first one of us to see Tracey pregnant," although when he saw me I really didn't look much different than before. Really, it is deceiving. I mean, people at church talk about how thin I am, but there is the bloat, people...the bloat. My pants don't fit the same anymore, but I'm still wearing them!

I hope everyone's excited for the Thanksgiving holiday. I used to work at a job in which I had to work Thanksgiving Day every other year. The other years I had to work Christmas Day. Just knowing that I don't have to do that anymore is enough to be thankful for, don't you think? And I keep thinking about what this time next year will be like. We will, Lord willing, be toting a six-month old around next Thanksgiving! Wow. More thankfulness.

Tomorrow morning, Casey and I will see the ob again. Only this time, if we have an ultrasound, the baby will have knees (you might be laughing, but they honestly don't have knees for a little while!) and we could possibly see its spine or even see it sucking its thumb! There are so many new things about our baby that we don't know. The color of its eyes is already decided, even the color of its hair! This week its vocal chords have been finishing their forming, so who knows if we'll have a little singer on our hands. And in a few weeks, the baby will be able to start hearing sound, so you know I'm gonna have those headphones on my belly playing Sting! Okay, maybe not...maybe just some classical music.

A post in which you will discover that I really didn't write much of anything

If you own a blog, you will understand that from time to time you just want to take a break. I've been feeling that way a lot lately, mostly because of how tired I have been from the pregnancy (and sometimes a little ill). And then part of it is just because I have felt like I have absolutely nothing to say. I guess I hit a dry patch or something, and I'm assuming this has happened to most other bloggers...am I right? My two previous 'rambling' posts were written more because I didn't feel I could even piece together more than a few sentences of continuous thought. I am not announcing at this time that I am taking a break, I guess I've just been thinking about it more lately.

For those of you who are out there thinking, "Enough about the pregnancy! Give us something else...please!" I am truly sorry. Okay, maybe not truly sorry, but I am a little sorry. You try being pregnant and not talking about it every waking hour! There are so many crazy things going on with my body -- like a human growing inside of it, people -- that I am sure I am a very normal woman, unable to begin a thought without somehow including pregnancy.

At the moment, I am struggling to hold both eyelids open. Sadly, that is the only way I can think of ending this post.

Rambling on, Part II

A comment was made by Ruth after my last post that I should be taking pictures of my growing self and posting them for all to see. Easy for her to say! Actually, I have been taking a weekly 'belly photo' -- but I will never post those on my blog. Never. I'm sure I'll take some other photos down the line, so I'll consider posting those. Besides, Ruthie, you will be seeing me in February, and by then I'll be showing quite well...isn't that enough?

Today I am 12 weeks pregnant. Now, most people would say, "Oh, that means you've finished you're first trimester!" You would think so, wouldn't you? But no. According to, well, everything I read, the second trimester begins at week 14. That means I have one more week to go. And while we're sort of near a subject, I will mention yet another pet peeve of mine. For example, I am 12 weeks today. That means that I have completed twelve weeks. Tomorrow, I will begin my thirteenth week. I won't say I'm thirteen weeks, but I can say I'm in my thirteenth week. My pet peeve is when people have already completed whatever week and still say they're in that week. Silly pet peeve, isn't it? Yeah, I know.

It's fun having a houseguest come to visit who has never seen where you live -- your new house, your town, nothing! My brother is quite an enthusiastic person anyway, and so I know that he will be easy to please. I'm not the best entertainer kind of person, and we haven't been here that long anyway, so I don't always know where to take a person. I pretty much just take them to places that I like and hope that they like them too! But Trevor loves football, so I think the best part is that we're taking him to a big college game Saturday, plus having a pre-game bonfire sort of thing at our house the night before with the college students. And when I say 'bonfire' I really mean 'campfire' -- but doesn't bonfire sound better?

Remember in my last post how I was bemoaning my yarns? Well, they arrived that day. They were probably sitting in my mailbox as I was typing. What's exciting about these two particular skeins of yarn is that they are the final two that I need to finish my scarf! So, in my spare time I'm knitting away, hoping to be done in time for the very coldest weather. Yesterday I said that I should just start wearing the thing around as I knit, because it's already close to being as tall as me, no kidding.

Ruth, do you really think Bobby Jon is next to go? I'm just not sure. I was hoping to see one of those crazy flip-flop moments last week that are so rare, but they are the best. I do enjoy the loyalty in the game, but it is a game, and there are times when one or two people could turn the entire thing around (remember Pappy and Neleh?), and when they choose not to or don't even recognize it, I am quite disappointed and I tell them so. What, you don't talk to your TV when you're watching Survivor?

Junebug has become cuter and cuter to me as the days go by. I can't explain it -- maybe it's a motherly sort of preparation thing. Regardless, it doesn't matter what she does (unless it's scratching me, which is pretty rare), I think it is too cute. And if you haven't been paying attention -- Junebug is the cat.

We have discovered that, not only is some other animal besides Junebug eating and drinking out of her bowl at night (not that we're surprised), it is a deer. A deer! The really cool thing is that we have been able to watch a mama doe and her baby cross right through our backyard. I've taken some pictures, but it's tough getting really good shots through the back door window. Still, it's a neat thing to have deer wander through the yard.

Number of Big Mac meals consumed in the past two weeks: 3

Number of non-Big Mac McDonald's meals consumed in the past week: 1

That first bite of a McDonald's french fry to a pregnant woman: priceless

Rambling on

I have arrived at that point in the day when it is time for a mini-box of Milk Duds.

Saltine crackers that sit next to minty gum in your purse will taste minty -- you've been warned!

Husbands are a wonderful thing, especially when you are a poor, pitiful mass of pregnancy hormones.

If you give the cat one tiny little morsel one evening while you're preparing dinner, she will never forget. Every moment from then on, you will be in the kitchen and turn around to find her directly behind you...waiting for just one more.

The cat will, however, occasionally forget how to find the back door.

If you guess that Casey is fascinated with hearing about all of my pregnancy aches and pains, you would be wrong.

If you guess that Casey is very patient with hearing about all of my pregnancy aches and pains...you would be right.

Who would have guessed that the Paolo family would make it this far on Amazing Race?

Likewise, who would have guessed that Stephanie and Bobby Jon would have made it this far on Survivor?

Yes...I watch some reality TV. You know you've done it too!

There is a great feeling in knowing that someone chose you to call and talk to about their troubles. It's nice being a 'friend in need.'

My yarn hasn't arrived...why hasn't my yarn arrived?

One of my brothers will be here for a visit this week, from Thursday to Sunday!

I am excited to have this baby. God is good.

MDA Update and Friday's Feast

The lock-up went well. We were all given a very nice, catered lunch and had access to phones in order to call people we knew to bring money and come 'bail us out.' Casey came to visit me, and got to see me get my mug shot taken 'behind bars' -- lots of fun. Only thing is, I still don't know who put my name in!

Time for Friday's Feast. Click on the post title or the link in the sidebar to have a feast of your very own!

Feast Sixty-Eight / Friday, November 04, 2005

Appetizer

What was the last game you purchased?

I am pretty sure it was the Lord of the Rings version of Trivial Pursuit. Bought it for Casey a couple of Christmases ago. Fun stuff, and Casey is really good at it, but the technical questions are out of my league!

Soup

Name something in which you don't believe.

I have to be a little nit-picky here, because I'll hear people say, "I don't believe in such-and-such a thing," when in actual fact, the thing or event or lifestyle exists. Really, I guess I'm just bothered by their choice of words. I would rather hear people say, "I don't agree with such-and-such a thing"...okay, I'll get off my soapbox. Now I have to answer the question! Halloween having just passed, I'll say that I don't believe in hauntings -- haunted houses, that sort of thing.

Salad

If you could choose a television personality to be your boss, who would you pick?

Lorelei Gilmore, because she can have fun, plus I could work on my witty banter.

Main Course

What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

People don't like it when you want your own way all the time. I don't know if my parents had worded it that way to me, but after hearing it come from my own peers (when I was pretty young too) it hit me hard. When you are young and selfish and self-centered, you don't really look bey0nd yourself, and so when others point this out it is quite the eye-opener. Yes, I still have to work on dealing with 'not getting my own way' -- but I think all of us want our own way at one time or another.

Dessert

Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

Bright and full of light...lots of big, comfy pillows. Lots of books, knitting and cross-stitch projects, and one of my favorite classical CD's playing in the background. I think I would like Junebug, my cat, to be there as well because having her sleep near me when I'm on the couch is always a relaxing thing for me. I also like the idea of sheer, flowing curtains, and maybe walls that weren't too busy with wallpaper, but rather had a warm tone to them. And candles, don't forget candles! Can you tell I'm not a natural interior designer?

Getting locked up for good

In less than two hours, someone is coming to the office to take me to "jail." My name was given by...I have yet to know who, to be a part of the MDA Lock-Up. It's a really neat thing that they do. In order to get out, you have to post bail, which is the donations you have collected. I will find out who sent me there when I go at lunchtime, and for the life of me I just can't think of who it could be! I haven't raised all of my 'bail money' but I'm hoping they'll still let me out...otherwise they are going to just let me take a nap there this afternoon.

I'll update later...

Celebrating normalcy

I promise I am meaning to update Leaning Tripod, and also to post some pumpkin pics here...sigh. I have all these things I want to do, but usually by the time I get home from work my body just begs me to lie down.

However, I did write yesterday about beginning to feel more 'okay'. And today, people, today I think I am really and truly heading out of that first trimester yuckiness. Hopefully I'm not jinxing it all right here and now, but I just had to say something about feeling good for a change! I am unfortunately still super-tired, but I can deal much better with that when it's not accompanied by the yuckiness. And yes, that's the word I'm choosing -- yuckiness.

A week from tomorrow, one of my brothers will be flying here for a visit, so that is quite exciting. I haven't seen him since last Christmas! Several family members came for a visit in July, but he couldn't make it then. I realize how hard it is to get away and make these plans, so I am thankful that he is giving us so much of his time. Family is such a blessing.

Trick or...never mind

I'm sure I'll regret this later, but at the moment I am thoroughly enjoying our leftover Halloween candy. I haven't really been a part of the Halloween scene for some years now, and so I wasn't prepared for the lack of trick-or-treaters at our door last night. We had one. Yes, a tiny little Dorothy (minus Toto) in her tiny little ruby slippers. It was already past seven o'clock, so I should have just dumped the entire bowl of candy into her bag, but I didn't. This is the exact reason why you buy Halloween candy that you like -- might as well, because you're the one that will end up eating it!

You know you haven't been feeling so great when you suddenly have a moment of feeling okay. This 'okay-ness' really surprised me this morning, and I wanted to tell someone about it. "Hey, I feel okay for this moment in time -- maybe it will last a while!" And for the most part, it has lasted. I am breathing, I am eating well, I am feeling OKAY. I am on my way! Ain't it grand?