a change in location

http://thelittlechum.blogspot.com

Still Sleepwalking

Although throw some late-August sweat into the picture. Ah, yes. Theeeeeere we go. I, who once couldn't sleep unless I had at least two covers, flees from even a mere sheet and requires a constant fan in the bedroom.

My parents surprised me last week. Sneakily flew to Kauai and proceeded to spend the next week doing my laundry, cooking my meals, moving my furniture, buying me rocking chairs, bringing me boob pumps and otherwise generally being useful. I cheered them on from the couch, briefly felt bad, then resumed watching the Olympics. Who ever knew fencing could be so mesmerizing?

But thanks to their efforts, plus some elbow grease from Nick, we now have an actual space in our bedroom where the baby could feasibly dwell and be changed. Right now I'm just enjoying the Feng Shui of the open corners and unobstructed views into the jungly backyard.

We recently acquired a tv. Ostensibly it is to be used only to watch dvd's but I sneakily conspired to get the free cable hooked in. I wanted Olympics and Democratic Convention. Nick is threatening to cut off the gravy train at some point but the real reason is that he can't say when. I can flick it off. He ends up watching some early 80's concoction on the Sci-Fi Channel. But should that impact me and my responsible Michael Phelps addiction? I say no.

Sleeping My Way Through It All

I am officially a half zombie. It's like I haven't fully caught the zombie virus but am partially incapacitated. Will I become a full fledged, flesh munching, street pacing ghoul? Only time will tell. Check back in September.

My current disturbing symptoms: Staring eyes, a brain that doesn't seem to comprehend the finer points of anything much, and a tendency to drool at inadvertent moments like in line at the grocery store.

It's like my body senses the third trimester is a week away and is fully "wake me when there's a baby here somewhere."

What Can I Eat?

Good thing my mom isn't technologically savvy enough for the blog world! Otherwise this latest title would have her speed dialing me with warnings about the doom that will be my ass by the time Lil' Chum springs into the world.

I am literally hungry all. the. time. This symptom has ramped up this week resulting in me waking up two nights ago at 3.30am and last night at 4am acting like that "feed me seymore feed me" plant from Little Shop of Horrors. I've been able to swig some OJ and tough it out but end up laying in bed for another hour listening to the dulcet sounds of the machismo roosters and fantasizing about chocolate milkshakes. I have been fantasizing about chocolate milkshakes frequently these days (sorry Nick) but have actually only indulged in one. (bow)

This is my payback for every time I ever judged a pregnant woman with greasy hands and a french fry hanging out the side of her mouth, guts straining some too cute shirt. This is me doing my Bill Clinton impersonation of feeling your pain.

So what would I like to throw into a dog bowl and eat all together if I was to throw caution to the wind? Hmmmm: (and I'll sacrifice shame for bold honesty) pad thai, veggie chicken nuggets, cucumbers, lobster, french fries and maybe a coconut macroon....wait make that two. All washed down with a Thai Iced Tea.

I'm Back

So I've pretty much slept, ate, and laid around catatonic for the past 1.5 months I've been absent from the internet. After getting through a day of work jumping back on the computer to think of something reasonably witty or interesting seemed like an epic task. I read somewhere that being pregnant is like climbing a mountain everyday. To this my dear husband and dear sister (who has moved into our small outbuilding "shanty" next to our tiny home) snorted. I think milk even came out their respective noses. But dammit that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

All the I read about the 2nd trimester (which I'm rapidly approaching the end of) says that I should be feeling vividly energetic, like before I ever got pregnant. To that I say "bah" and then take another snooze. That being said, I love having this small growing life in me more than anything else that has ever, ever, ever happened to me.

I also have learned that I make a steadfast "rule" about pregnancy and then break it almost as fast. Like how I was NOT. GOING. TO. LEARN. THE. SEX. We were going to do it old school and thumb our noses at this new-fangled technology that my great-great grandmothers didn't need. Nick was perplexed at my decision. It seemed to not take into account that fact that he really, really wanted to know the sex and thought it was a positive way to bond with the little creature who shares half his genetic heritage.

This took me aback. I have to share pregnancy decisions? This isn't all about me? Suddenly it was like I was back planning our wedding and just heard Nick hated the funky chicken song. Everyone hates the funky chicken song but I wanted it because it would be ironic. We didn't have the funky chicken song. And we found out the sex because I love my husband and anything that will help him get closer to the wiggly friend I get to know feel on a daily basis is probably the best choice.

So it's a boy! This is him. About 4 weeks ago. The shock was how similar my new favorite guys looked:

Coconut Bliss....I think I love you, but what am so afraid of? I'm afraid I am unsure of a love there is no cure for...

www.coconutbliss.com brings out the secret Partridge Family lover in all of us...

I recommend Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Lemon love.

We have a visitor coming to stay, I here someone struggling on the driveway below so should go rescue them

16 weeks

My belly is losing the pert cuteness it had maintained for weeks 14 and 15. Why is it indented? This isn't rhetorical, I really want to know why the hell it's indented.

My boobs are getting huge. I'd put them up for you to marvel at but that might overly gratify some of the folks who've arrived at this site by googling "Huge+Young+Nipple."

I mean (A) Really, that's what you're after? and (B) Really? That directed you to my lil' ol blog?

Heck, maybe I'll throw them up after all, just to give you some sense of satisfaction as opposed to the puzzled look you must have wondering (A) Where's the Huge, Young, Nipple? and (B) Why the hell is this chick's stomach indented?

Pledge Poisoning, My 6th Grade OCD, Bad Dream

So I was checking our "clothes horse" (aka the indoor drying rack) to see if any clean tops were dry enough to get away wearing to work when I noticed a dead body. An anole bit it right next to the window where Nick manically sprayed half a bottle of Pledge through the screen trying to kill off an army of bees attempting to colonize the western house wall. While my hate of anoles is substantial...I don't trust their furtive jumping, dominance displays or generally angry look they get in the eyes, I felt a little bad if this one suffered from Pledge poisoning.

I've come home early to work on my math final and as you can see it's going well. What else is going on?

1. I tried drinking some barely diluted cranberry juice and think I have burn away part of my throat.
2. Cheesy potatoes are my new all time favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner.
3. My sister Megan is moving in sometime early June, date TBA
4. The temperature has been perfectly perfect, low 80's, mostly sunny with a great trade wind. Ahhhhh....
5. Remembered this weekend that in sixth grade I built a shrine to God and couldn't pass by it without tapping my nose to the ground three times, made it awkward when I had friends visit.

Weird Dream of The Week: I was driving down a busy highway in what looked like a mix between Minneapolis and Sin City. Suddenly I noticed there was a dead boy lying in the lane, clearly run over, in a green and white striped t-shirt. I passed him and checked in my rearview mirror. Yup, definetly dead. No blood, but the angle of his neck and legs were wrong, all wrong. Other cars were now passing him so I kept driving. After a few minutes I realized, "Whoa, I just left a dead kid lying in the middle of the road and justified it because so did everyone else."

Tonight I think I'm going to root on dreams of butterflies and gumdrops.

14 weeks

She's a Maniac, Maniac....

So today I had my first clear taste of what it's like to be a hungry, really hungry, pregnant lady. Think of a rabid pit bull mated with steve irwin and cloned to a single hormone of a 7th grade boy. Yes it was frantic, angry and over the top.

I was sitting at my desk politely conversing on the phone when I suddenly thought, "whoa I'm kinda peckish." A second thought slammed into the first that said, "Get in the car woman and get me something, anything to cram in my mouth immediately or this body is hijacking you to McDonalds."

There is a subway down the road. I drove dangerously fast. There was traffic. I screamed (inwardly than outwordly) at the other cars. I considered parking in handicap. I decided my craziness didn't outweigh some sweet lady with a walker (yet) and ran to the counter. "Meatballs, pickles, onions." I couldn't believe myself, this must be a cliche pregnant Lea.

But no, it was me.

Singing a Mango Song

Had my first mango of the season today, divine. Just peeled the skin back and let the juices run down my fingers. And yes, I rubbed them off on my skirt at the end and went on back to work.

Next will be mango lassi, mango crumble, mango chutney, mango and ice cream, mango and yogurt, mango and chicken, mango and hot sauce

mmmmmmm

Vog

Glad I don't live on Big Island right now, but we're even seeing some vog way over here on little ol' Kauai.

Yes, No, No....Yes Definetely

February 19th 2008...so there I was with a plus sign preggo stick in hand. My first thought was, "At last." My second thought was, "Oh...my...god." I've been here once before. Last year in May. That pregnancy ended sadly, but not uncommonly in an early miscarriage that was quite protracted and ultimately clinical and invasive. Here I was again deathly afraid that history might repeat itself.

I did some breathing exercises and let the sad thoughts slowly drift off before speeding (sorry baby!) out to Waimea to pull Nick out of his office with an early birthday card announcing, "You're going to be a Dad. Congrats!" I had picked out the card months before, with lovely thick paper and a small nest nestling a tiny bluebird egg, saving it for this exact purpose. It took him a second to actually get what I was on about but his happiness was clear and immediate.

The next day I was scheduled to see an dentist for which I always have to take an antibiotic due to a slight mitro valve prolapse. Would an antibiotic hurt a barely four week old zygote? embryo? I decided to ask my doctor when I went to pick up the prescription and was promptly given a pregnancy test by the nurse. And then another one. Both were negative.

Could it be that I'm actually not officially "late" until tomorrow? What about the two Sigg bottles I drank in the last two hours? I knew I was pregnant. The doctor shook his head, "Let's put it this way, if you actually are pregnant I'll have to reevaluate the brand of pregnancy tests we buy for the office." I felt like pounding my head against the wall but instead I did something worse, started crying. I hate feeling weakness in a clinical white room. Doctors and pregnancy, my ambivalence from last year started to creep back. I went to the lab for a blood test and was promised the results the next day.

The evening, another positive pregnancy test. The next morning, another positive pregnancy test. Nick then forbid me from peeing on any more sticks. "Enough already, we'll find out either way really soon."

Morning goes by...no phone call. Lunch passes...no phone call. 2pm my cell phone rings. "You're not pregnant."

But...the 3 positive tests I've taken? "There is something wrong with your urine" before hanging up.

Oh god...I've hysterically induced a pregnancy. I call Nick. Is it possible I've hysterically induced a pregnancy?

Phone rings again. Same doctor. "Lab mixed you up with someone else. Congratulations."

And so we were off...

Meet the Lil' Chum

We're 13 weeks pregnant! Baby coming Oct 27th to a small island near (or not so near) you!

Kauai Garden Fair

Kauai County Farm Bureau and UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources present

Saturday, April 19th
13th Annual Kauai Garden Fair
Kauai Community College Campus Lawn

On Saturday, April 19th the Kauai Community College front lawn will spring to life with gardeners, suppliers, garden lovers and consumers here to shop the wide variety of plants, landscape products and equipment and to find out the latest gardening information and tips. Whether you garden yourself, seek local garden products, or simply enjoy experiencing the fruits of the garden and tropical landscaping, the Garden Fair is a great way to spend the day!


· One day FREE EVENT for the garden

· MEET OVER 30 garden related vendors, companies, agencies and organizations

· ONE STOP SHOP for varieties of tropical plants, orchids, produce, seeds

· LECTURE SERIES on garden related topics (schedule below)

· UH CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Exhibits – Master Gardeners,

· 4-H LIVESTOCK AUCTION – fun for the whole family

· VEGAN FOOD by Blossoming Lotus, PRIZES AND MORE!


UH College of Tropical Agriculture and HR – Lecture Tent Schedule

9:30am - 10:15am Growing anthuriums

10:15am – 11:00am Growing orchids

11:00am - noon Plant your own, take it home, nutritious eating

noon - 1:30pm Growing tropical fruit trees Milan Rupert

1:30pm - 2:15pm Color Caping: Colors which make you look best

2:15pm - 3:00pm Growing native plants