Getting Excited About a Cold Christmas.

So, this is the first year in about four, that we will not be traveling somewhere warm and sunny for the holiday/birthday marathon that happens in the Burg/Chambliss family. We have either been in Costa Rica or Mexico, but due to the impending addition to the family and the fact that I will be ten million months pregnant at that time, we will be spending our first Christmas here in Seattle. 

I have started to collect Christmas things. I have lights, some ornaments and this morning I got a tree skirt. I am kind of excited. I have two weeks left of school before I go on "Maternity Leave". I am planning on reading and playing Mario Galaxy on the Wii. I haven't played it yet, because of my inability to play video games, but I thought I would give it a try. I should probably read up on the baby books though. Ehh...we'll see.

Or if you have any suggestions for some good fiction, send it my way. I need to get all this econ and policy framework reading out of my head.

This morning when we woke up, the sunrise was just ridiculous. So I ran up to the roof and snapped some pictures. Again, I am flooding this blog with poorly photographed landscapes. But it is all about the colors anyway. Incredible.

This next one is Christmas two years ago in Mazatlan. That's my mom, brother, former fiance, and me. My dad is taking the picture. Notice all the short sleeves on Christmas day. Not this year.
I am excited to decorate the apartment. I will post pictures when it finally happens. I will probably post pictures of the Thanksgiving festivities first. Woohoo. I love Thanksgiving.

All clear on the diabetes front.

Alright, test results are back in and someone writing this blog does not have gestational diabetes. Woohoo. I do however have low iron count.  Which would explain the craving for Red Mill burgers and the sluggish feeling. I thought I was just wanting junk food and feeling lazy. But, hooray, I have something to blame those two things on. Yum...Red Mill Burger with no onions and extra pickles. I think I know what I am sending my wonderful husband out to get for dinner as soon as he gets home.

Anyway, I was worried about that diabetes thing. I have been trying to be healthy. I have been going to the UW swimming pool a couple times a week for the past few weeks now. I try to go at least three times a week, but sometimes it is only two. Life is busy after all. I have been trying to swim between 1200 and 1800 yards each time I go. It depends on how busy the pool is. I get the rage similar to the stroller rage I would get at Green Lake when the strollers would be in the wheels lane while I was trying to roller blade. I vow to always have my stroller on the correct side of the walkway. Just because strollers have wheels, it doesn't mean they belong on the wheels side. Anyway, that aside, I have been trying to swim at least two miles a week and on the days when I can, I like to walk around Green Lake. So, trying to exercise, trying to eat rightish. Blah...I need to eat more iron. More burgers, more lentils, more green leafy vegetables.

Today, however, was a beautiful day in Seattle, a perfect day for a Green Lake walk, but walking up the stairs last night, I managed to turn my ankle. All my weight is oddly distributed and I am not sure quite how to maneuver myself around. So rather than use this beautiful last day of sunshine to go outside, I took a nap and took some pictures using the natural sunset, which occurs at 4:30 in the afternoon, by the way. The first two are not from the sunset.

This is a silly picture. I was trying to get the raindrops on the window, so I lit the candles to illuminate the rain. It didn't quite work the way I had hoped, but I do enjoy reflections.
The light comes in into the bedroom in the morning through the blinds. I love the little dots. I also like sleeping in late enough to see when the light comes in the window. Since we're heavily into the short days now, sunset happens around 4:30 and sunrise comes around 7:30. We get get roughly eight hours of daylight and will be getting less and less as we head towards the Solstice, otherwise known as my husband's birthday. (circle C Rob Chambliss)
Sunset on the books.
Sunset through the Blue Chalk Plant.
Sunset and shadows.

So, it is 5:12 right now and pitch black out. All of downtown is sparkling. The Paramount Sign is glowing. Aurora is a ribbon of white lights, cars heading north away from downtown, with an edging of red lights.  Aurora is quite lovely when you can't see the hookers.

It seems only a short time ago that it was daylight till 10:00 pm. Oh well. The next time it is late till 10, we'll have a son. And we'll be stuck inside trying to establish good sleeping patterns anyway. 

Waiting for some Blood Work

So, I am just sitting here, watching the Cosby Show. I just drank some pretty gross liquid and have to go have my blood drawn to see if I test positive for gestational diabetes. I really hope I don't have it. I am worried that my blood sugars might be off because I had delicious honey-lavender ice cream with lemon curd last night. Yum. Oh my god. It was amazing. It was from this place called Molly Moon's in Wallingford and it is the best ice cream ever. I am trying to limit my sweets because I have heard that in the third trimester, the baby is just getting bigger so I am trying to just feed him healthy stuff. But, during the baby class last night, the teacher kept talking about a soft cervix, which I think is pretty gross,and all I could hear was soft serve, which is ice cream, which is delicious. And I had to have some.

This is my second attempt at the Glucose screening test. The last time, I drank the orange liquid as prescribed and then within maybe fine minutes, I had thrown it all up. It was an amazing color, and I only wish I had taken a picture of it. It reminded me of when I was a kid and would throw up after taking Pepto Bismol. That stuff is DISGUSTING. But the puke after would be that same pink chalky shade...pretty. And then my mom or dad would have to clean up. Man. Being a parent sounds gross. Wait...is it too late to rethink this plan? Ha! What plan? There was no plan. Anyway, if I learned anything from those days, it is to not feed kids pepto bismol. Unless they are being bad. Just kidding. But the Glucose test barf was similar in that it was the exact same shade as the sweet drink. Imagine Orange Crush or mandarin Jarritos spewing from my mouth. It was awesome.

One of my favorite parts of being pregnant might be that even though throwing up is never fun, it has at least happened with a lot of laughter. In fact, if you have previously read this post, you'll note that Rob made me throw up just by making me laugh.

So, I have to leave in about 20 minutes for the lab. I could just go on talking about barf. But maybe I won't. That would be silly. Thats enough barf for now.

Great News for Futureman

Happy Happy Election Day!!

This is the third presidential election that I have been able to participate in, and it is the first election where I haven't been crushed emotionally after disappointing and shady results.

I feel very good about Futureman's toddler years.

What a relief!

Fingers are still crossed that Prop 8 in California is not passed. No on H8! 

A Swift Kick to the Face

So, Rob has been feeling the baby move for a couple weeks now. He is pretty much amazed by it and is having a hard time keeping his hands to himself. Which is fine, it isn't like he's a stranger or something.

But last night was really exciting because we could actually see Futureman moving around. A part of Rob still thinks that I am the one making my belly move, but it has become 100% Futureman. Last night, as we were in awe of the Lava lamp qualities of my new body, Rob was laying his head on my belly when Futureman delivered a swift kick to his face. Good Work Futureman! I'm sure you and I will get along well.

I've heard of Pregnancy Brain...

but is there such a thing as pregnancy apathy?

We are 27 weeks pregnant and I just don't want to do anything. Halloween was on Friday and I just couldn't be bothered. I am too tired or too disinterested.

I don't want to do homework. I don't want to get ready for the baby. We have nothing for the baby. Well we actually have ton of baby clothes, but I certainly haven't had anything to do with that. We just have some wonderful friends, whom I am incredibly grateful for. But the baby doesn't have anywhere to sleep, or anything to be changed on or anything. I am not even really freaking out about it. And freaking out about things is what I do best!

 I don't want to cook. I keep forgetting to bring my camera with me. I don't want to read for pleasure. I don't really want to read baby books, but I'm trying to at least do baby class homework. I just don't want to do anything. I am just in a state of waiting.

That isn't entirely true. I went to yoga on Saturday and it was incredible.  A place called Yoga Mama.  It is a beautiful old school house about a mile away from our apartment, a little past the zoo. I walked there and it was just such an incredible fall day. Then there was an hour and a half of challenging yet gentle prenatal yoga with other moms-to-be. And then I walked home in a post yoga daze with a gentle fall rain just barely falling. It was a beautiful morning. It reminded me that maybe I should just do yoga, be a yoga teacher. That would be ideal.  

One thing I am freaking out about is wondering what to do with this baby once he comes out. How am I supposed to go to school? We certainly can't afford a nanny and day care for infants...aside from the price, there is a wait list of like two to three years. Apparently some people plan their pregnancies. Some people are just so fancy. Ha. Not us. We're living on the edge. Anyway, school after baby makes me nervous. What about my internship? Billions of people go about their lives once they have children. We must be able to do it, right? I don't know what to do. If any one has ideas or knows what to do, please let me know. 

Oh...and another thing. What are we going to name this person? I had no idea what a responsibility it is to name a person. Right now we like Emmett, Milo, and the new contender is Beckett.  I loved Waiting for Godot when I read it in high school in Mr. Ault's class. I was told that it is Existentialism at its finest. I don't really understand it, but I still liked it. Maybe I should read it again. Because if being pregnant isn't existential, I really don't know what it. Something is certainly going to happen, we just don't know what or when or why or at this point who.

Who? Who is this person going to be? If we don't agree on a name, he is really going to be Futureman Elliott Chambliss on his birth certificate.

Ugh. So life is currently full of questions and then apathy in response to those questions. Again, would that be existential? 

According to Wikipedia (the world's most incredible although sometimes inaccurate source of information)- existentialism is "a sense of disorientation and confusion in the face of an apparently meaningless or absurd world" 

Alright...maybe its the change in weather we had overnight that is bringing out the blah. Last night was a blustery stormy night here in Seattle. I just miss the warm sun. And tank tops.

Ugh.

Well, if Hill is blogging...

Around 7:30 this morning. Look at Mt. Rainier, what a profile. South out the window.

Looking east at 6:30 this evening.  Also a reflection of our To Kill a Mockingbird poster. 

...than I had better blog also.

I have just been so busy with kind of not interesting stuff. I've been sick; three days ago, I might have used the adjective "deathly", but I've gotten over the histrionic stage of my illness.

Here's a highlight of the sickness: Rob made me laugh so hard I threw up. And then he almost threw up. And then he had contractions. That was fun. It was just like when we first started dating and Becca and I got so drunk and proceeded to tag-team the toilet bowl, while Rob held both of our hair out of our respective faces. There was a lot of laughter that night too. Laughter and singing. 

The baby has been going nuts, he still really seems to like econ. And Rob has finally been able to feel him. Rob is going to be such a good dad. He brought home a special present for Futureman today. A tiny little polo shirt. So cute. We love the Penguin brand. Although he didn't bring home any pants for the boy. Oh well, like father like son, I suppose. 

The other day, I looked down at my stomach and noticed a corner that I have never had before. I think it was a fist. And he has been throwing his 'bows around like a fiend. Ouch. And I think the other day he was doing some sort of jig.

In other news, it was an absolutely beautiful day in Seattle. I went for a walk around Green Lake and should have brought the camera, the colors were incredible. I'm going to try again tomorrow, and before we know this whole blog is just going to be pictures of the view from our apartment and Green Lake. Oh well, I don't go anywhere else anyway. I do have to get some shots of campus though. The University of Washington looks like a movie campus. And in the fall. Wow. It almost makes me forget about all the work we have to do! Eeek. I have so much to do in the next four days! Memos like crazy!