Happy vacation!

After working thirty hours at work the last two days, I am finally on vacation. I wish that I could say that I am as prepared this time to go on holiday as I was the last time, but that's definitely not the case. I sent an email to Queenie and C with a list of about seventeen claims that need checks sent on them or something period done on them, and I don't think Queenie's going to be too happy, but it simply could not be helped this time. I wasn't working all weekend. As it was, I wasn't happy that I worked fifteen hours on Sunday. But, I'm not sick, my throat is not closed up, and that's a GOOD thing. I plan on couching, vegging, and stitching all day today, doing nothing productive except going to the gym, and then starting tomorrow, I'll start the cleanathon. I just need one day to relax. I haven't stitched in well over a week because of work and finding out that I'm pregnant, and I miss it. I started three pieces in my rotation (Noah's Submarine, the Precious Moments Noah's Ark, and my baby afghan) five years ago with the expectation that I would finish all three by the time I had a kid, that nebulous deadline, and now that deadline has been pushed up to seven months and two weeks from now.

That's right, I now have a due date! My doctor's office finally called back yesterday, and set my due date at June 21st based on the date of my last period, which I am fairly sure is correct. Back then, I didn't really pay attention to it because we weren't trying and I was certain that I'd have another cycle again before getting pregnant. But they told me not to worry...they are going to schedule my first sonagram at my first appointment (November 11) and as I have sonagrams, they'll adjust my due date. They told me that I'm going to get to hear my baby's heartbeat at my first sonagram. That gave me a warm funny feeling, that's for sure! Right now I just don't feel pregnant...I feel sick, and there's a difference. The nausea hasn't been too bad lately...it just seems to be an overall feeling of ickiness and it worsens after I eat. The worst is being so tired all the time and the halitosis...I have bad breath and a bad taste in my mouth all day long. I'm trying to remember to brush my teeth after I eat every meal to help with that, not to mention the fact that I can't have my teeth cleaned by the dentist until after I deliver. At any rate, it's weird to think of myself as six weeks pregnant, since that's what the doctor considers me to be. I still feel like I'm only a few weeks along. That whole date thing is just weird.

Not much else new is going on at the moment. That pretty much sums it up. I'm just so glad to be on vacation! I have this insurance exam to take in December, so I need to schedule that and get my books out, and I really need to get my pregnancy diet straightened out. I'm having a much harder time with the food than I thought I would. I've been SO used to eating to lose weight for so long. It's hard to adjust to the other way and eat to provide nutrients for growth. Yesterday I had cereal with skim milk and a banana, lunch was turkey meatloaf and an apple, I had a fat-free ice cream pop for a snack, and dinner was chips/salsa and a chicken salad at Chili's. I had fat-free yogurt and popcorn before bed. I drank water all day and had some herbal tea in the morning. I just don't feel like that's enough food, but it's hard for me to make myself eat more than that! I'm going to try better today though...and I need to eat some vegetables. At least I'm doing well with taking my prenatal vitamins.

I have so many memes to catch up on. It's pretty bad. Grab a snack and settle in...

First, Sunday Brunch:

1) What do your parents do for a living? My dad is a mechanical engineer, and my mom is an administrative assistant to a food broker.
2) How old were your parents when you were born? They were both 22.
3) What is the most important lesson that you learned from your parents? There are so many that I learned, but one of the most important lessons was when my dad told me that I WOULD use math later in life, even though I didn't believe him at the time. Math and Spanish are about the only skills that I use on a daily basis in my job.
4) What is the harshest discipline that you ever received from your parents? I was grounded a lot, of course, but one of the harshest punishments I ever received was when my car privileges were taken away for a few weeks the summer before I went to college and my mom threatened that they wouldn't pay for college.
5) What is the thing that you are the most grateful to your parents for? Life, of course, and sending me to college.

Second, the Stitching Blogger's QOTW!

What are you working on right now? Ha ha! You can see it at the right! Right now I have Fairy Grandmother, Once Upon a Time and Celestial Medley going, and I need to pull out Emerald City today and get it going. I haven't touched that project in 3 1/2 years, so it'll be a nice change! Almost like a new project!

Third, the Tuesday Twosome...

What is more annoying...
1. Having to look at someone who has food stuck in their teeth or spittle in the corner of their mouth? Spittle. How can you NOT know it's there?
2. People who don't wash their hands after using the restroom or don't flush the toilet after using it? Flushing the toilet. At least with the hand thing, that doesn't affect me AS much because chances are, you're not touching their hand, but if they don't flush and you're next in line, that's just gross.
3. People who take your parking space that you have been waiting for or cutting in line at the store? They are both pretty annoying, but if I had to pick one, the parking space because you are waiting so much longer. At least in a store, you have stuff to look at while you wait.
4. Getting an unimportant phone call in the middle of the night or having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? The phone call.
5. Staying home on the weekend because you are dateless or going out on a date with an obnoxiously annoying person? Going out with an annoying person. At least if I stay home alone, I can entertain myself.

Fourth, 3x Thursday...

1.Are you generally a paranoid person? How so/how not? Nah. Not really. Sometimes I think people are talking about me, but that's it.
2. Are you one of those people that's afraid of always loosing your job? If so, do you have just cause to think this way? Why/why not? For some reason, I am always afraid that I am going to lose my job or be fired, even though I've never even been on verbal warning ever at my job and I'm the highest ranked adjuster in my office. I can't explain why I feel that way. I guess it's part of my perfectionist attitude that never thinks I'm doing enough, as is evident from my first paragraph up there!
3. Name 3 things that you are paranoid about. Getting fat, losing my job, and that people are talking about me behind my back.
Bonus Question for Comments: What's your favorite song about paranoia? That song "I always feel like somebody's watching me".

Fifth, Theater Thursday...

1) Which fictional movie president would you most like to see sitting in the White House? That's a funny question, but if he was a real character, I'd say Harrison Ford in Air Force One.
2) Do you think the movies accurately portray the circumstances surrounding the life of the US President? Uh, NO. I think it's a MUCH harder job than anyone realizes unless they've actually been there.
3) A number of TV shows recently have featured the POTUS as a main character (The West Wing, 24). Would you accept any of them as the real US President? No way.
BONUS) What actor (or actress!) would you like to get the chance to play a US President on screen? I think Susan Sarandon would make an interesting presidential character. It'd be funny to listen to her diatribes, that's for sure.

Sixth, Thursday Threesome...

Onesome: Lights!- What do you think of the trend to light up houses for *every* holiday? It used to be just Christmas and maybe Halloween, but lately the stores have been full of Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day lights. Oh, and Thanksgiving/Autumn and... Honestly, I think it's NEAT! I love looking at all the lights when I drive around at night! I can't wait till I have kids so I can do goofy stuff like that! This is going to be the last year we don't put up a Christmas tree...starting next year, it'll be up every year!
Twosome: Camera!- What's your preference? Digital or film, black and white or color, portraits, candids, or just whatever catches your eye? I prefer color digitals so I can email them and post them on my blog. *smile* But I guess when I have kids, I'll start doing film pictures. *sigh* So many things will change...
Threesome: Action!- Do you have a favorite sport? Do you follow the local high school or college team, trek to the kids' games each weekend or are you all about the pros? To be honest, I could care less, but I have to admit that I have been rooting the Sox on all the way. I'd love to see them win the Series because I think they really want it!

Seventh, the Friday Forum...

1) Are you a spontaneous person, a planner, or somewhere in-between? Have you ever gone on a spur-of-the-moment road trip or vacation? When, and did you have fun? When I was in college, I left one time for the weekend after deciding about ten minutes prior to visit my boyfriend at the time because he had told me that his car broke down and he couldn't come visit. Ha. It would have been nice if that had been the truth...the truth was that he did come to visit...he just kept on driving past my school and went to the beach to see another girl. Chicken.
2) Are you a baseball fan, and do you plan to watch the World Series? Who do you think will win? Do you go to a lot of baseball games or mostly watch them on TV? What is your favorite baseball game food? I think the Sox will win, and I've been watching it when P has it on. I can't remember the last time I went to a baseball game, but it was a Rangers game a few years ago with people from work at my old job, so it has to have been at least four years. My favorite baseball game food is pizza.
3) If someone gave you $25 right now and said that you had to spend it within the hour, what would you buy and why? I'd either head to Best Buy for some new DVDs or to Walgreens for nail polish. I love both.
4) Name three things that you're looking forward to in the near future and why. Delivering my first child, going to Florida for Thanksgiving, and my five year anniversary next Saturday.
5) Do you know any foreign languages? Which ones? If you could become fluent in any language (writing and speaking it),which one would you pick and why? I speak Spanish, but I wouldn't consider myself fluent in it. I do pretty well with it though to communicate with my customers. If I could become fluent in any language, it would be Spanish because it is a skill that I use all the time with my work. If I could just find some extra time to take some classes! My company has already said they will pay for it since I'm the only bilingual adjuster in the office.

Eighth, the Friday Feast...

Appetizer Name 3 things that you are wearing today. Black capri pants, teal underwear and a gray t-shirt. (I'm still in my pjs!)
Soup Who was the last person you hugged? My husband.
Salad What do you like to order from your favorite fast food place? Steak and Shake has recently moved up to my favorite fast food place above Chick Filet. I usually order the Frisco melt (burger on sourdough bread with cheese and bacon), a small french fry and a milkshake. This is why I don't eat there often!
Main Course What time of day do you usually feel most energized? Usually in the morning after I eat and walk the dogs, but now that I'm pregnant, all bets are off.
Dessert Using the letters in your first name, write a sentence. Every rainbow is colorful always.

I think eight is quite enough! I'm going to go eat some breakfast, walk my sulky dogs, and then settle on the couch with my stitching to start the vegetation. I can slowly feel life coming back into my body. Slowly!

Have a great Tuesday!