Health Reports on Halloween

Today was a bummer day in the health report department. Lots going on, but I'm not at liberty to spill about anyone else's report besides my own. I found out today that I failed my 3-hour glucose test. So I officially have gestational diabetes. I tried to call Betty to get some info (she had GD with all her pregnancies, I think) but she wasn't answering. I'll cut her some slack, though, she just had her baby on Saturday.

I did a little reading up on it to find out that no one really knows why GD occurs. There was some jibber jabber about how the placenta makes hormones that blocks the mommy's ability to create insulin or the insulin's ability to absorb glucose thus increasing the glucose level in the blood. Then the scary news about the risks for both mommy and baby of getting diabetes later on in life or becoming obese. All good things to know, I guess, but here I am obsessing about whether or not I'll have to prick my finger four times a day to monitor my blood sugar. Ugh. Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps and I have to shudder.

It's always the small paper cuts that give the most pain, right? So I'm not entirely crazy to wonder about it. Of course I have never had a severed arm or anything that traumatic, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I do know that I won't be able to do the dishes... because I haven't done them since the day I got skewered. Well, that's one way to psyche myself up. Maybe this won't be so bad.

I should count my blessings... the pain in my hand is not as acute anymore. I can close my fist without wincing. There is a one inch bruise there to match the one below my elbow which is a slightly darker purple. My two elbows are OK, too, where the bruises are not as large.

So I will survive. I can do this.

Woaow! I feel good!

I'm really feeling good right now! Maybe because I haven't actually done what I really want to do yet today, but because I'm done doing all the stuff that I have to do today. My slate is cleared! I just finished my last deadline for the week/month... technically, I could keep going, but I don't have to! Sweet relief!

One of the really great things about having a job in California and living in Texas is that I could be reading a book instead of working and they'd never know it! That sounds really bad, but it's actually a win-win situation because they don't stress about whether or not I'll make the deadline (haven't missed one yet) and I don't feel anybody breathing down my neck. It's a zen thing. I try not to work on Saturdays, but I like having the choice in case I've taken too many liberties with my weekdays. But just in case my obscure blog makes it back to the ladies at work... I really was sick this weekend.

Really. I was. I went to bed early on Friday, stayed in bed most of Saturday, and spent a little time in the living room with the family on Sunday, but mostly kept to the bed. And when I was awake I printed and read all 249 pages of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. (Thanks to Josh's mom for sending me the link to download the book in pdf format. If I could have sat at the computer and read it, I would have, but see, I was sick.) That was a good read. Not sure if I liked how it ended, but I'm looking forward to watching the movie to see how that ends. I'm told that it's different.

I'm still trying to find the words to describe the feeling I get when I'm reading perfectly polite Jane Austen-ish English when the guy is in the room and the girl is, too, and they don't know that they like each other yet, but they're making observations and discovering it. (This usually takes five to ten pages.) What is that feeling in your heart when it just kind of builds and builds, but it's stronger than butterflies and higher, not in your tummy. It's that feeling in high school that makes you want to call your BFF and retell the story of the hottie that deigned to speak to you at school that day. Sometimes the feeling makes you cry. It's like you have to in order to get some release. I know Josh could probably explain this musically. Anyway, I cried a few times while reading the book, but it wasn't at the end.

This feeling could also be attributed to the time when you started dating and falling in love with your husband. It's the feeling that gets you when you have no expectations, the phone rings, you answer it and it's him. It takes you by surprise. It's new and once it happens, you can't replicate it or make it happen again. Not really. I guess that's why falling in love for the first time is so memorable.

Hmmmm... this is not what I intended to blog about. So excuse the lack of transitional sentence, but let's change the subject. By the way, I had such a hard time with transitional sentences in 11th grade and didn't actually get it until my first year at a community college, so that's why you've probably heard me apologize for my not using them in the past. It's a way for me to brag because I'm letting you know that I know what they are, but choosing not to use them right now. :)

How many of you use gmail? Like you actually have a gmail account and go online and get your mail from there? Do you ever use the built-in chat? If you type a semi colon and parenthesis like I just did up there it will slowly turn and become a happy face. Totally cool. Use gmail! Go get an account and then send me an email and then we can chat. It'll be fun!

OK, back to something else that I'm feeling good about today... blog comments.

Juli - can I just say that I have a lot of respect for the way you spell your name? It's elegant and not silly like if it had an e on there. No offense to the Julies out there, but Juli is unique. It's especially cool as a shortened version of your real name. Girl, you can snoop on my blog anytime. Shoot, you can subscribe and send me comments any day and on any subject. I officially welcome you to my blog. Besides, I have snooped on your blog before, too, so we're even. And I totally dig that you and your husband are into Halloween. It's probably my favorite holiday because of the candy. I probably shouldn't--at least until I hear back about my glucose test-- but I'm eating Brach's Milk Maid Carmel Candy Corn right now, and these things are so good! I'm making the kids trade stuff from their Trunk or Treat stashes in order to have any.

So anyway, if anyone out there reading feels like leaving a comment, please do. Although I do understand the weird spying thing if you choose not to. I also understand the not wanting to crash the family party of comments by relatives. That's the main reason why I wouldn't want to comment. I didn't comment on Susie's blog for a long time because she has like a million comments already from her gajillions of siblings. She had to force me to leave comments on her blog and now I'm friends with her sibs that I've never met in person. It's fun to get to know people by what they write... misspellings and all!

But I have met you in person, Juli! You're my surrogate BFF. I love your family. You guys all dig each other. I love that Kristen loves her sisters and now has sisters-in-law to love, too. Your mom is dang cool. We went to her house once to swim in the pool and after we were done swimming, the sun was going down and she busted out the graham crackers, marshmallows and giant Hershey bar to roast in the pit. That was a neat experience. So simple, and FUN!

So welcome. And let me just steal a line from the Olive Garden... When you're here, you're family!

3-Hour Glucose Test

Ugh! I got stuck with a needle six times today.

I had to pee in a cup and get my blood taken right when I got to the lab. No problems. Then I had to drink the yucky glucose drink and wait an hour before peeing in a cup and giving more blood. The second time to give blood, I offered my other arm.

There's nothing quite like the horror of getting a needle pushed into your arm and no blood comes out. The nurse began pushing the needle around this way and that to find the vein. I was trying to remain calm. I really do get a little panicky at the last second before the sting of the needle pierces my skin, so it was hard going.

She took out the needle and decided to try a spot on my arm just below my elbow and a little inside (the more sensitive side). My consolation prize was that she was going to use a smaller needle. It was the kind attached to a long hose that she had to screw into the plastic thing at the end that the vials get pushed into. She gets it in and the blood begins to flow on down the hose and then stops before it reaches the plastic thing at the end. Again, she pushes the needle this way and that. Only now, one of my feet is in the air and the other is stomping. And she watches a little bewildered then says "Are you OK?"

She takes the second needle out and I say, "OW!" So, no, lady, I'm not OK, but I'm still being patient and I'm still wearing the understanding face that says, "It's OK, these things sometimes happen." So then she eyes the back of my hand tells me make a fist, and gets another little needle with the hose. She sticks me again, and again has to push the needle back and forth and in this spot, it REALLY hurts. My feet are doing their thing again, and I'm saying out loud, "Oh, please, go! C'mon!" As if my blood needs verbal coaxing to come out. And then Eureka! The hose starts to fill up, and we're watching the red line make its way on and on and we're barely breathing as we watch it, silently coaxing, "Go! Go! Go!" This time the blood makes it to the end, but stops after only an inch of blood is in the vial. She shakes her head and says that it might not be enough, but my blood very specifically needs to be taken within five minutes after the hour mark. She checks with someone and, whew, it will have to do. She tells me that in the next hour, she'll have to use the same arm she did the first time.

Oh, man, I was not wanting to come back again. Did she mean in the same exact spot as the first time? Something about that doesn't seem right. Like kicking someone when they're down. I still had two more times to get stuck (at minimum) and I really needed someone to vent to. I made a friend with a lady also doing the three-hour test. She was the one to hear me complaining about the bruises I had just received--whether she wanted to or not--but I like to think that we were rooting each other on for the next two hours.

The third and fourth times I got stuck in the same spot on my first arm. It kind of sucked to first get the stinging alcohol swab over the little owie I was already sporting and then the needle goes in the same spot. Eww! I was so relieved to see my blood flowing without any problems.

Driving home, I could barely grip the steering wheel for the bruise on the back of my right hand. I'm worn out! I feel like I survived a great ordeal. Kind of like a child who just got immunization shots. I think I'll go lie down now and dream that I passed this test or plead with God to make it so.

Nothing Sugary

I did so well today... When I volunteered at my kids' school this morning, I resisted Shipley's Donuts. And then I ate a sensible lunch... pretzels and a chicken salad sandwich. No dessert. No cookies. Nothing sugary. I drank water all day. No IBC cream soda or Sprite or hot chocolate. No candy or chocolate.

I did great until about an hour ago when I busted out the sour gummy worms while watching Grey's Anatomy with my honey. I popped two in my mouth and was like, "Doh!" He told me not to swallow it, so I spit it in the trash. What a waste. Then I decided to hit the hay and my throat was kind of scratchy, so I popped in a Ricola and did another, "Doh!" I spit that in the trash, too.

Here's the thing... if I had messed up and eaten that donut, it would have been a whole 24 hours before my glucose test. I probably could have gotten away with it. But no... I wait until 8 hours before the test to blow it. All my effort today in staying away from sugar has left me with a sticky, sweet smelling trash.

What's the moral of the story? Eat the donut!! I should have quoted Homer's other line, "Must. Eat. Donut."

Dave Ramsey

I blogged about the ride to go see Dave Ramsey, but I never did get around to saying how I liked his Live Event. If you have read his books and listen to his radio show, then you can get away with not going to his Live Event. BUT it is dang cool to see him in person and to laugh at his antics. He's a really great presenter. And hopefully, it will motivate you to that "gazelle intense" state that he's always talking about.

A couple of things that I thought were cool: 1. All of his materials were on sale for $10 each, and 2. He gave away t-shirts to the crowd that say "I See Debt People" on 'em.

One thing I think all parents should teach their kids is shown in this video clip I found on youtube... no one under 21 should be allowed to go out into the world until they understand this concept.

Super Mario Bros.

OK, I finally finished getting together all the elements of the boys' costumes. Here's Seth as Mario and Zack as Luigi. Their sizes are perfect, but in "real life" Luigi is Mario's little brother.

I found the overalls at a thrift shop for $4.31. I found the gloves at the 99¢ store. I got the hats for $1 each I think from my normal apparel supplier and the green t-shirt. Seth already had the red shirt. I cut out the mustaches from brown fabric scraps. Same with the white circles with M and L. So for less than 10 bucks we got two costumes that the boys really, really like.

Now we just have to figure out what to make Sarah for Halloween. She's against being Princess Peach, as I would be... we're not really Peach material.

What are your kids going to be for Halloween?

Josh and the Piggies

Josh made dinner tonight. I love it when he does! He got really creative making piggies with spam, rice and nori, and it sparked everyone's imagination. We were free expressing ourselves while we ate.

Seth made one with arms. Zack dumped his snout in egg yolk pretending it to be mud. Sarah rolled up pieces of the piggy in nori and ate it like little sushis or musbubis.

The little piggies were almost too cute to eat, but after a couple of grocery runs... I was ready to stuff myself -- and I did.

BTW, I have bought $930.11 worth of groceries in the last 6 weeks for $443.47 (saving $486.64 minus $13 in newspapers). Woo hoo! Go me!

There was a mistake on the list for a couple of things at Kroger, so I didn't buy them. And then I hit Randall's really quick and was able to find a good sale over there on candy. I'll have stuff to hand out at Trunk or Treat now. (Whew!) Oh, yeah, and I went to three different thrift shops today and found a couple of pairs of overalls for the boys for $4.31 (for both!). Way cool. Now I just have to sew some white gloves for them and they'll be styling as the Mario Bros. for Halloween.

What smells like a**?

My husband and I have a few issues. I'm only bringing myself into this because I know I'm not perfect, BUT this blog is really about him and how he can't just say, "What stinks?" or "What is that awful smell?" or pick up a mop/broom/sponge and scour the entire house until he finds the offending smell and be done. No... my husband comes home from work almost everyday and says, "It smells like ass." (There I said it... in case you couldn't figure it out with the asterisks in place, but now that there's no question... I'm putting 'em back in because one of my issues is not being able to say that word without feeling like I'm cussing.)

It's usually the trash that stinks and then he just takes it out, but if the smell lingers, then I'm left to hear about the different ways we can eliminate the smell. The current strategy is to take advantage of the cold front that's supposed to hit this week by turning off the a/c and opening up all the windows to air out the house.

Now if you think I'm exaggerating or having a wife-vent moment, I'll give you a case in point...I got permission to tell this story, so no one need worry for the state of my marriage after this blog... it happened on my husband's birthday.

Sarah decided that it would be really cool if we could surprise Daddy by turning off all the lights and yelling surprise when he got home, but I said that he would know we were home if the van was in the driveway. So I called Josh to see where he was to gauge how much time I had to park my van down the street. When I knew I had enough time, I pretended like we were out and about and that we would try to beat him home. I could already hear the resentment in his voice that we weren't already home on his birthday, so I knew I had him.

We had all the lights turned off. Everyone had their hiding places picked out. The plan was to jump out and yell surprise as soon as Daddy turned on the lights. Sarah and Zack were all cloak and dagger peeking through the blinds and saying, "Here comes a car... oh, that's not him," and then a few minutes later, "Two cars are coming... oh, one turned. No, that's not him." And we're sitting in the dark all tense and giggling at the anticipation of it all. Finally, Sarah jumps up quietly yelling, "He's here! He's here! Hide!"

Now, once again, I must point out that I cannot hear. I have hearing aids, but I must not have had them on, or I was too far away to hear properly. What it sounded like to me was that Josh opened the door and started talking to Seth and I thought it was curious because he still hadn't turned on a light. What really happened was that he walked in and said, "It still smells like a** in here." At which point, Seth ran out joyously yelling, "Daddy!"

From Josh's point of view, he about jumped out of his skin realizing that he wasn't alone on his birthday after all. When I got the story from him later that night, I laughed and laughed. It still makes me laugh. We were laughing about it today after I presented him with my latest coupon find...

I bought a $12 Lysol Neutra Air FreshMatic Starter Kit with a $5 coupon. Not the best deal, but worth it for me to help my husband with his issues. One being that he shouldn't cuss even when he's by himself, and the other being -- dude, you talk to yourself? I haven't done that since I was 5 years old trying to keep the boogie man away when I had to go all the way upstairs by myself to shower before bed. I'd pretend to talk to my mom so that the boogie man would know that I wasn't alone and it would keep him from attacking. I digress... what I meant was that I it was worth it to me to show him how proactive I can be about the smell in our house. And the smile on his face when I gave it to him was worth all $7 bucks and then some.

This air freshener dealy can be set to spray automatically at different intervals. Every 9, 18, or 36 minutes the air will be filled with a fresh scent that "neutralizes odors in the air from odor-causing bacteria." There's an a X Press Boost Button which you can push whenever you need it to "deliver an extra boost of freshness" which sounds suspiciously like "whenever someone passes gas" to me. This little wonder comes with batteries and a can of fresh scent that goes inside. It's completely portable or you can mount it on the wall. Josh put it on the wall high above the kitchen trash.

I was a little worried about the smell. I am very sensitive to smells and not just because I'm pregnant. There are some smells that will just plain give me a headache (that once popular perfume Poison being one of them), and some smells that are OK at first and then I can't take it anymore. Well, this one smells very nice. It's a happy smell. I can always tell when the spray has gone off (we set it to every 36 minutes) because I turn into one of those dorks in the Febreeze commercials smiling sweetly with my eyes closed. It smells great!

I'm a little confused about why I wasn't the one constantly, I mean, frequently complaining about the smell. I could tell when I had cooked with oil and that smell isn't a nice one when it lingers, but I just couldn't justify Josh's use of the word a** to describe how our house smelled. Today I was sitting on the little trampoline that is right by the front door and the shoe rack. And I smelled it! It was like someone's dirty underwear! (See, I don't have to use the a-word.) Ugh! So nice to have the mystery solved. It's the shoes!

We're going to have to rethink the whole shoe storage thing. Josh is supposed to build a bench that houses all shoes. Maybe we can enclose it with air holes and then stick one of those automatic air fresheners in it. Maybe we can patent the idea and make tons of money. Definitely a market for it in Hawaii where people take their shoes off at the front door. Would you buy it?