Well, at least I get paid by the hour

Spent whole weekend working. Really. Big deliverable: the site redesign I have been working on since Sept. Monday you can check out www.tahoe.com to see some of my handy work. I played a major part in the Tahoe Guides, User Registration, Plan Your Trip, and MyTahoe pieces. Right now I am just sitting around waiting for the final word that I can stop working for money and start catching up on homework.

Good Belly Laugh

I just came home from a birthday lunch with Rick and Osa was barking and growling at me as I walked towards and unlocked the back door. I couldn't understand what she was so upset about. Then she ran past my legs and straight to the fish pond. And there was an 80 pound yellow lab taking an afternoon swim with a tennis ball right in our pond. I couldn't stop laughing.

Rick hits 5 x7

Rick's b-day is tomorrow. Ah 35. Nice to know I still have three and a half years. Our plans: Cheeburger for dinner followed by pool. Hmm, we are slowly succumbing to lives like parents (but not too much like our own parents).

In fact my body looks more mom-like everyday - why can't I be a Demi Moore style mom? Does Linda Hamilton have children? Can someone recommend the plastic surgeon who will lift my boobs and shrink my bum after all my breeding is complete? That or a personal trainer is all I ask for.

Rick however has been getting younger this year. The warm weather allows for even more bike riding, and somehow he discovered a Colorado-style bicycling-maniac buddy here in Williamsburg,VA. I can't wait to ride my first century with him towing a Burley.

Two weeks till our gender identifying ultrasound. Unfortunately I will not be able to break the penis/vagina news on the blog as the McTodd Compromise On Gender Discovery Of 2008 was to keep it to ourselves. (I wanted to know, Rick didn't. I can't keep a secret to save my life so we could never compromise by only having me know. I will try my hardest not to tell anyone and ruin Rick's fantasy of making the "It's a boy!/ It's a girl!" phone calls.)

Ethics Class Discussion Board Making My Head Spin

Is it Virginia? Something in the water that makes my otherwise perfectly reasonable doctor a Republican? Something that makes people still put Ron Paul signs in their yards even though he isn't running anymore?

My weekly ethics class discussion board is on ethical relativism, and we are supposed to mention the Alice Walker novel "...Secret Joy" which is a follow-up to "The Color Purple" and mentions the African practice of female genital mutilation. This is a pretty easy ethical decision. Female genital mutilation is disgusting! Abhorrent! But, there are women in my class defending the practice on the grounds that: "

Many times we must realize that all cultures view things differently. In her case, when she returned to Africa-she should have adjusted back to the culture she was in. For example, if i moved to a different country I would have to adjust my actions to that culture." - REAL FRIGGIN QUOTE.

My response back to this women asked her is she wants he clitoris removed. I may be breaking the classroom rule on polite discussion board entries. Argh!

Bringing My Head Above Water

I haven't been able to post in a while just due to daily hassles. I thought I had appendicitis (and the dr is still ruling it out), but probably just have something called "round ligament pain":

"A ligament spasm, an involuntary contraction or cramp, usually triggers a sharp pain. These spasms are found more frequently on the right side than the left because of the normal tendency of the uterus to turn to the right." - Web MD

Unfortunately the appendix is also on the right side of your body, so I get the added bonus of several bruises on my elbows and wrists from blood extractions for white blood cell counts (which are naturally elevated during pregnancy, so we need to take several to determine if there is an upward trend).

So, I start PT next Tuesday (you and me Minty J), and cannot wait, I am hoping that hour long massage is part of the treatment process. And I might get that awesome support belt shown above.

One the plus side I got to have an unscheduled ultrasound, and saw little Clemetine (now our official nick name) suck its little thumb, wave at me, show me a full foot print, and show me its full spine. Amazing.

Rick and I are traveling to Norfolk where the XO of the naval base is selling his used baby jogger. This will be the first baby item we will buy, and I am both excited and extremely scared. It makes it much more real.

Back From The Big Easy

Rick and I just returned from a 5-day jaunt to New Orleans. NOLA is a very strange place to vacation while pregnant. No booze (and there was an absinthe bar, or faux absinthe bar, I would have loved to of tried the stuff). No smoking, or even hanging out in the incredibly smoky bars because it makes me feel like I will puke. And I get comatose tired around midnight, so I couldn't even waddle down Bourbon street at 3AM and watch the scene. Despite these hindrances I really enjoyed the trip.

Rick got to partake in NOLA craziness as we also traveled with our official new orleans tour guide, aka Steve A., who grew-up in the city and stayed through college. Traveling with an x-cook to his glutonous home town is a treat I wish for everyone. On Sunday I actually ate dessert with EVERY meal. Really! This helped me gain the pregnancy pounds, but unless I have 1 fetus in my belly, and another in each side of my bum, well, I don't think the continual slurping of butter and cream was exactly the prego diet my ob has in mind.

Not that the entire trip was checking off of the seven deadly. Steve was on a scouting trip for a group of 75 volunteers who are heading to NOLA in a month to rebuild some homes. For 5ish hours on Friday we were given a tour by Pastor Bruce of the hurricane damage in the various wards and parishes, and got to meet the families whose homes Steve will be working on. Rick will be getting the photos from the whole trip online shortly, and I think the photos will speak louder than any words.