Robin Williams Live in Tampa!

Big Dave made a surprise announcement over the holidays -- we're going to see Robin Williams live in Tampa in March. His last comedy tour was back in 2002, and I don't think he stopped anywhere in Florida then.

I'm very excited and looking forward to the show. I really need some fun, and an evening with the unpredictable Mr. Williams is just what the doctor ordered.

Hopefully all will go well with the next dr's visit, so I can go to the show.

Bring on the insanity!

Here we go again!

Today I am 13 weeks along, according to yesterday's sonogram. The doc had a hard time getting a picture this time around because the little one wouldn't stop moving long enough for a clear picture to be taken. It almost looked like he/she was dancing. Either way, the good news is so far it's a very healthy and normal baby.

The bad news, I am now on modified bed rest. This basically means I am supposed to be laying down most of the time, but I can get up to do minor things, like get a meal, do paperwork or other light duties. But the doc still make it clear I was to be a couch potato as much as possible. I survived it before, and I'll survive it now, but I'm definitely not a happy camper at having another month of inactivity. It's a lot easier to get through morning sickness when you have something to occupy your mind, like work or the usual daily tasks. It's infiinitely more difficult when you have little/no distractions.

Big Dave, meanwhile, is the ultimate proud papa. He usually has a big goofy grin on his face, and he greets me every morning with a big, "Hottie mama!" We're in the process of deciding on a boy's name (we have a girl's name all picked out), but so far his suggestions have been vetoed by me. Among his offerings: Jebbediah, Eziekiel, and, my personal favorite, Long Duck Dong (fans of Sixteen Candles will understand). Who knows, we may hold a baby naming contest! Stay tuned for details!

14 Days and Counting!

Only 14 days until the doctor's appointment, when hopefully I will be allowed off of bedrest. WOHOO!

What's really surprising to me, though, is how little sleep I get while on "bed rest". I have to tinkle every 2 hours. Then there's the morning sickness, which hits any time it darn well wants to, no matter how I feel on the matter. During the day there are many phone calls and other interruptions. At night, more saluting of the porcelin goddess. During the wee hours of the morning, I wake up to either tinkle or salute, sometimes both. Then I can't get back to sleep until my stomach settles down. By the time I fall asleep again, a new day has started, complete with phone calls and various issues needing to be addressed.

But there are some advantages to being on bed rest. The "kids" are infinitely happy having a human to curl up with 24/7. I've been catching up on my DVD viewing. My mother hired a cleaning service to give my house a good once over. I have not had to clean a toilet or do the dishes in over 3 weeks. Best of all, my husband has started to realiize how many "little things" I do around the house, and has started to appreciate all the time and effort I put into making things run smoother. I guess he never questioned before how the bathrooms were always stockpiled with clean towels, or how we never seemed to run out of paper towels or toilet tissue, how the clothes magically traveled from clothes hamper to clothes hanger, all clean and smelling fresh. Now he knows. And I think he's come to appreciate my lists more than ever before.

In the meantime, I anxiously await the doctor's visit and long to hear the glorious words, "Get out of bed!"

When It Rains, It Pours

Another family emergency to deal with -- Big Dave's dad had open heart surgery last week to fix some blocked arteries. This forced Big Dave to go back to st. Pete for a couple of days to make sure everything went smoothly. My mom came up to take care of me. This morning we got a phone call from Big Dave's mom -- his Dad is not doing as well as expected, so he's running down there again to help his Mom with the doctors, insurance, etc.

I don't think I've ever seen Big Dave so stressed. And there's very little I can do to alleviate any of the pressures. It's such a helpless feeling, and I hate it. I'm sure when all is said and done we'll look back on these days and laugh it off, but I think we could use a few of those laughs right now.

Surprises - Good And Bad

As most of you know by now, I am pregnant -- approx 9-10 weeks. We discovered this in early November when I successfully tinkled on a pregnancy test stick. To say we were thrilled is an understatement. We scheduled an appointment with the ob-gyn for the normal 12 week first prenatal at the end of December. The weeks went by with some minor morning sickness, but otherwise everything was normal.

And just when we thought everything was sailing along smoothly, there were complications, which necessitated a trip to the ER, and then a visit to the ob-gyn. Long story short, I am now on bedrest until December 30. Sounds like your idea of heaven, right? To be ordered to stay in bed and do nothing is most people's idea of the ultimate vacation. But I'm here to tell ya, it's not all it's cracked up to be. I'm used to being up and about, doing things. Even while watching TV, I'm usually wandering around the house getting minor chores done. When I have to sit still for longer than 20 minutes, I start to fidgit. I'm the planner in the family. I make the lists (chores, groceries, etc) and see they are completed. I'm constantly juggling several to-do items in my head at any given time. To be forced to relinquish control over everything to someone else is incredibly difficult. To be forced to prioritize is both humbling and frustrating.

Fortunately, I married a very good man. Big Dave has stepped up and has tackled the tasks of running the house and businesses with gusto. He cooks my meals, he brings me snacks, and he holds my hair back during my morning sickness episodes. If that's not love, than I don't know what is.

In spite of all the frustration and difficulties (I wish morning sickness would stick to a schedule, for pete's sake!), we are looking foward to the Dec 30th appointment, when we get our next ultrasound. It'll all be worth it when we see that healthy beating heart.

And the Holidays aren't even here yet!?!?

It's been a crazy time around here, with some minor family issues to be dealt with. Last Sunday I get a phone call around 9am from my mom, informing me that instead of leaving Tuesday for their fall trip, they were leaving immediately, and were we ready to take their pets? So we anticipated their arrival for 3pm, and waited. And waited. And waited. Turns out, they broke down in Brooksville, and could we come rescue the pets? So we drove down to Brooksville and picked up 1 human (Mom), 1 dog and 2 cats. Dad stayed with the car to get it to the repair shop first thing Monday morning.

Monday morning arrives, with a phone call from Dad stating that the computer in the car burned out, and a new one needs to be ordered, but they can't find any in the state of Florida. It must be ordered from Georgia. Estimated date of repair completion : Wednesday. This means I have my mother in my house for 2 1/2 days. Count 'em, people. 2 1/2 days of my mother dropping cleaning hints, eating hints, lifestyle hints and otherwise getting on my last nerve. Meanwhile, the part is supposed to be overnighted on Tues, and arrive on Wed. When Wed. arrives, the tracking number for the part states the part never left Georgia. Excuse me?? After many phone calls, it was determined the part is actually in Florida and should show up by noon. Sure 'nuf, around noon the mechanic starts work on installing the new computer. None too soon, since my sanity is now at a breaking point.

Fortunately, Big Dave and I had plans to go to a play on Wed evening, so we left the house, and when we returned, the 'rents had cleared out. But not before an additional note from my mother, which read in part, "Thank you for your hospitality. Found some franks and beans growing penicillin in your fridge. Didn't know what you wanted me to do with it, so I just threw it out. Hope you didn't want it for anything."

There are so many replies to this, I wouldn't know where to start, so instead I just tore the note into little pieces and went to bed.

I don't suppose I can boycott the holidays this year. Or can I?!?!?

And the winner is...

Big Dave is this year's Pumpkin Carving Champion, with his touching portrayal of a pie eating contest gone bad. He has yet to collect his prize (1 wish granted by me), but he says he will need time to come up with a good one (which not only makes me highly suspicious by also slightly disconcerted). In the meantime, we thank you for taking the time to vote.

This Halloween was different for us. For the first time in many years, we did not go to Halloween Horror Nights or Howl-O-Scream. Instead, we went to the movies, then picked up some candy and headed for the town's main street, where the annual Trail of Treats was carried out in full regala. Kids decked out in their Halloween finest (or scariest or goriest) walked the street and begged candy from the local vendors on Main Street. Since Big Dave and I live too far out in the country to get any treaters, this year we decided to bring the treats to the kids. We picked a spot on the sidewalk, then waited for the kids to come to us. Unfortunately we underestimated the amount of candy we needed, so we ran out in about 15 minutes. But now we know how to plan better for next year. The most popular costumes seemed to be fairy princess/barbie-esque gowns for the girls, and either Transformers or Star Wars for the boys. One family dressed as pirates, from Mom and Dad as Captain and First Mate, to a little boy and girl (deck hands complete with disturbing scars) to their pug dog (a pirate wench). All that was missing was a parrot.

Speaking of winners, Congrats to President-elect Barrack Obama on his historic win. While this election was certainly one of the most heated and devisive, it also had the highest voter turnout in decades. Good news for democracy. I know a lot of people waited hours in line to vote, but certainly it was worth it. Americans have the opportunity to voice their opinion and choose their leaders - a right not shared by many people around the world. And while our system is not perfect, we are fortunate to have the ability to work towards changing what we don't like. What an amazing idea!