All of the above...or below

Haven't posted in a while, so quick update...

Allergist, prego specialist, meetings, ideas, planning, printing, emailing, vacuuming, time-outs, hugs, laughing, phone calls, shopping, budgeting, shopping some more, budgeting some more, driving...driving...driving, vet visits, antibiotics, teaching, conducting, begging, praying, cooking, combing, bathing, walking, swinging, crying, napping, wishing, hoping, ultimatum-giving, bootie-kicking, dusting, smashing, freaking out, sleeping, scratching, pill-popping, rearranging, singing, no-no-ing, good-girl-ing, sniffing, washing, drying, folding, looking away, eating, wondering, opening, closing, shivering, sweating, tossing, turning, heartburning, dancing......existing.

Unbelieveable Daytime Messages

I just want to say right off the bat that I'm talking about sensitive issues in this blog post. Issues that some might drop their jaw at or blush about. However I feel they are real-life issues and I am moved enough to freely share my opinion about them.


I'm watching Oprah right now and just have to say I'm shocked at the message being put out on her show today as well as another show I caught a few minutes of prior to this. I thought, its nap time, I'm going to get a little talk show fix today instead of snoozing.

Before Oprah started, I watched about 5 minutes of Maury. Ok, normally I think Maury is full of cowslop and I wouldn't give it a second of my time, however, nothing was on and I had a few minutes to kill before Oprah. They had just started talking about t-shirts they were selling on the Maury website. These shirts said something to the effect of "I AM the daddy" with a fancy "M" logo underneath. Maury was very animated and excited about the shirts and, of course, each member of the audience got a free shirt that day.

On Oprah, Dr. Laura Berman is the guest and the show started out discussing masturbation in children and teens and how important it is to teach your children (up to the age of adulthood) the importance of taking the reigns when it comes to self-pleasure and their bodies. Her justification is that by doing so our children, primarily daughters, are less likely to have pre-marital intercourse with the first person that makes them feel good or valued.

PUT THE BRAKES ON! I am shocked at the messages that are being given by these talk shows. I respect Dr. Berman as a professional, but strongly disagree with this message!! And need I say much about Maury and his promotion of celebrating the fact that on national television some dude confirmed that he is the father of the Gerber-cute baby on the big screen behind the "couple" (which loosely translates into a one night stand) sitting on the stage who were just beating up on each other because the mother didn't believe that out of the 5 men he was THE one.

I just have to say that I am extremely grateful that I know that God designed a Plan of Happiness that involves strong families with a foundation based on the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that I belong to a church that has a rock solid program for children and youth that teaches numerous values from the age of 18 months to 18 years. I am thankful that I have raised my children to NOT be as selfish as these t.v. personalities are teaching our children to be, while masking these lessons of "me me me" with the promise of a more powerful self or a control.

Pricks and Pokes

Went to the allergist/immunologist yesterday, finally! After 13 weeks of constant hives and strange swelling I was able to talk to someone that knew enough to do more than just tell me to basically deal with it. I answered 15 minutes worth of questions and was told I was going to do skin testing to find out if it is an external allergen causing my reactions. I knew what this entailed. I've seen my son tested for allergies before.We get to the "testing" room and the nurse tells me to put on this paper shirt that opens in the back, sit in the chair and face the painting and she'd be right back. OK, put on the paper shirt, which was a relief because it was like a sauna in there in the first place, sat in the chair and faced the painting. She comes in with three clear, plastic containers full of covered needles sitting in miniature pools of liquid (the allergen). Nursey proceeds to tell me she'll be right back, there are two more trays. Eek! She drew four columns of at least 10 lines across the top of my back (I lost count) and without giving me even a second to protest, says "Ok let's get started" and prick! the first stab and a split second later the second stab. This woman I swear pulled out two extra arms when she sat down behind me because it went fast. However, after the first couple of columns I was starting to not be able to fake that it wasn't hurting. I began holding my breath and gritting my teeth. I thought...ok, this is nothing compared to labor...I've been through worse...it'll be over in a minute... all the while trying to hold a conversation with her about her red headed daughter who was such a surprise because she is full Mexican and her husband is white, but tan. Huh??20 minutes and several bad magazine articles later, Nursey comes back and says "Wow, you've had no reaction at all! So that means now we inject you with the same allergens." Uh...what? Apparently you can have a different reaction if the allergen is fully injected under your skin. OK, bring it on, I think to myself. A few shots in the arm and I'm outta here! So I change back into my normal short sleeved shirt and wait. Nursey number two comes in, who, by the way, looks like she just finished junior high yesterday, with another clear, plastic container but this time its full of shots. I had myself convinced not all of those were for me, but again...wrong! She starts writing on my upper arm. This was one day I was glad for my bountiful biceps and the extra layer of mommy fat that has accumulated since I got prego! She begins injecting me and about halfway through I stop her (really because I needed to breathe for a minute) and asked her how many total injections there were. She says "Hmm...I've never actually counted...29!" 10 minutes and a weird article about elderly intimacy later (I'd read all of the others...I had no choice) Nursey #2 comes back and says "Wow! No reaction at all! Doc will be in in a minute". Doc comes in, prescribes me a double whammy of antihistamines (sinulair and zyrtec taken at opposite ends of each day) and says come back in two weeks. If this isn't working after two weeks, we'll see what else they can explore. Not much, I'm afraid, while I'm prego, but at least I'm on the right track now. He agrees it is something internal causing the reactions. He even suggested it is a freak pregnancy "thing" and it could disappear after having the baby. Well wouldn't that be nice! Only time will tell...theme of my life.

P.S. Great office, professional staff, very knowledgable and patient doc/nurses.

Baseball Season

Here are a couple of pics of Tater at his first baseball game.

No Amnio

So I saw the specialist in Apple Valley last week and his opinion is the amniocentesis is not indicated. I cannot even explain the load off my shoulders at this point. He did an ultrasound, said baby looked completely normal as did his "surroundings", so no reason unless I absolutely wanted one. Nope! No thanks!

Gunnar is enjoying the strength in his little legs and arms and pretty much lets me have it all night long (and most of the day too). You know I was really hoping this would be my laid back, chill child, but alas...my children just don't come in that type of package. I'm sure he'll be spunky and rambunctious just like his brother and sister. Pregnancy insomnia is setting in nicely and I've resorted to propping myself up on all sides with pillows and listening to my Pandora station every night until around midnight before I can relax and settle my mind enough to fall asleep. I have an appointment with an allergy doc on the 14th to see about these "hives" and the swelling that I have. My OB is convinced its just PUPPS but I don't buy it. I'm waiting on a referral letter from Tricare to see a cardiologist, but I don't know if that will come together before we (hopefully) move. I swear, I'm an absolute mess when I'm pregnant. My body cannot function well with life inside! I just pray these next 4 months go quickly.

Tate has started baseball and is one of the best on his team. I saw pictures of him playing and my little boy looks like a teenager! I suppose he's not really that far off from it. I'm hoping with this possible move to CO and our exit from the Army, he will feel more comfortable coming home and staying. Part of me is dead since he left. I don't feel as happy and every time I think of him I not only realize how much I miss him but it actually causes me pain to think of him going through his daily motions, baseball practices/games, bus rides, field trips, trips to the park, sleepovers...all without me there. Come on Med Board! I truly feel like our plan is to move and have him home. It feels right. Med Board packet is supposed to go out this week. Husband had to send part of it back to the dictator because he failed to mention anything about surgery, physical therapy, unrepairable-ness, etc. All he managed to put down about his knee was that he was in pain. I wonder what qualifications one has to have to write up these critical documents for the soldiers?!

On the bright side, its bright. Sunny again, weather is gorgeous. Spring in the desert has become my favorite. The smells of the desert grass and flowers is wonderful and the temperatures stay in the 70's most days. That is until the end of the month when things will really start heating up again!