Day by Day

Things have been good today. One of my sweet Dr.s who reassures me by his calming presence, told me that everything was looking even better today, in regards to the ultrasounds and monitors. However, several new but minor complications seem to be arising. The rash is worse and they decided to try an anxiety medicine to maybe help stop the itching. It completely knocks me out, but works like a charm. However, since yesterday I have been having a couple of low bps. Today I had one that was like 104/49 which they say is completely unacceptable and harmful to the baby since she is used to thriving on high pressures. The docs. are completely puzzled about the situation, but for now I have decided I will just itch. It is not worth delivering our child for a little relief. Relief for me will come soon enough. They have also decided to test my liver and gallbladder, as they say sometimes they do not function properly during pregnancy, which could be the source of the rash. PLUS, my glucose levels have been elevated during my labs, so now I get a finger prick after every meal, which may lead to ANOTHER shot every day of insulin. I actually am becoming quite the champ, I think, between the IV's, blood tests, and shots. I would never have thought I could do it...I used to cry when I had to get my blood drawn! It's amazing at the strength that comes, and what you can go through. I just keep thinking of how much bigger and stronger she is becoming, and with the Lord's help, November 16 will be here before we know it. Right now, Ella weighs 2 lbs and 14 oz, and if she can stay on track, she should weigh almost 4 lbs. when she gets here. Please continue to lift us up in prayer. God is doing amazing things here daily, and I thank each of you.

I was thinking tonight of what I would normally post about this time of year. It would have to be the overwhelming beauty of the fall...the crisp in the air. There are so many fun things I am missing out on like the fair and the fall festival at our church. But next year...I have been outside 2 times since I have been here (in a wheelchair at that) but both days were cool and windy. I love the fall! It seems fresh and hopeful.

I feel like my posts are always so serious, so I have decided to do a post inspired by an e-mail that Lori sent me a while back. I know this is a long post, but this will make me feel semi-normal instead of like I am trapped here in the hospital (and am praying to continue to be for a while.)

So...

25 Random Things About Me:

1)I LOVE to write. (Can you tell?) I have written several children's books, and hope to one day have them published. I like to think of special children in my life, and write books for them. I wrote one for Jack for his birthday (called "Uncle Tractor" about him and my Daddy), and I wrote one about a sister pig with Tara's Piper in mind. (Tara loves pigs.)

2)The Umpa Lumpas terrify me. (You know from "Willy Wonka"...) Clowns freak me out too. And there's this movie (NOT A CHILDREN'S MOVIE) that we watched as children called "Return to Oz"...There are scary people in it with squeaky wheels for hands and feet, (called "The Wheelers") and they chase kids...SO SCARY...Also, spiders. HATE spiders.

3)When I was a child, I had a blanket that I rubbed over my lips and through my fingers until it literally was a small thread. Even now, when I am anxious or nervous I catch myself rubbing my shirt tail with my fingers.

4)I was adopted at 3 months old to the best parents EVER. My mother has always told me that if she had birthed a child it would have been me because the Lord put us together as a family.

5)I am TERRIBLE at sports. All of them. Except bowling. (Is that a sport?) I was actually on a bowling league and did pretty well. So was Jason. We quit it because it was on Sunday nights, and we missed going to church.

6)There are only 7 people/groups that I have, as long as I can remember, said I would see in concert before I die, and I have seen 4 out of 7 of them. (Elton John, John Mayer-LOVED him for a while before he started talking instead of singing, Stone Temple Pilots, and Train.) The three left are Sting, Dave Matthews, (MY FAV.) and Aerosmith. I have also seen Gary Allen, George Jones, John Conley, Disturbed, Fuel, Maroon 5, Five for Fighting, Ray Boltz, an awesome concert comprised of several Christian singers (think the lead singer from Third Day), and several others I'm sure I am forgetting. Each one has been different and awesome, but it's hard to beat Elton with just a piano for 3 hours.

7)Jason was my best friend in high school, and I would have never dated him then. I met him when I went to Andalusia High School (for one year), and we even had a notebook we wrote in and passed back and forth in English. I still have it! One day I was going to be out of school (I think it may have been my birthday...) and just to kid him, I told Jason I was having my tonsils removed. Well, he went to the hospital, and even brought me a little puppy as a get well present! I felt TERRIBLE! That turned out to be Jason's favorite dog he ever had,though! And look what God had planned!

8)I have two dogs and a cat. My cat, Maisy, is beautiful with long gray hair and green eyes. Jason got her for me Christmas 2001, after I had moved home from Auburn. I had a cat that I brought home with me that got outside,and my big bulldog, Pup, killed it. Maisy was a replacement, and she is the best cat ever. She is definitely not a people cat (most people that come over don't even know we have her), and she hates the dogs. If they get close to her when they walk by, she slaps them, and sometimes draws blood from their nose or their ear-whatever she catches. Sometimes sweet little Happy will be asleep at the end of the bed, and she will jump up and start to chase him, knives ready. He is terrified of her. So is Tip.

9)Happy (my little white poodle mix) I found 3 months after we got married at my cousin Kelley's house. We drove around the neighborhood all afternoon looking for his home. We finally found where he lived at the man acted like he didn't even want him. He told me I could have him. I left him, though, and cried all night. I called him the next day, and he told me to come get him. So, I did. Kelley told me I should have named him "Circles" because he turns a million circles a day. He is really smart (he knows to speak, say please (yes, he does them differently), throw and catch his toys. In other ways, he's really dumb...he will not walk by anything that is on the floor; he will just stand there and cry for hours until you pick him up. He is also terrified of plastic bags, and any noise a dish in the sink may make.

10)Tip was an anniversary present for J. I regretted it so much at first because he tore my house to pieces. Now, he has my heart. He will go outside when we have the baby, and that will be a big adjustment for him (and his daddy.)

11)My favorite movies are "Serendipity" and "You've Got Mail". Such a girl, right? Best drama if you need a good cry-"The War" with Kevin Costner.

12)The funniest show that I have EVER seen is "The Office." You may have to watch it a couple of times to catch the humor, but it is addictive. My other all time favorite shows are "The Gilmore Girls" and, yes, "Gilligan's Island."

13)Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and I try to watch a Christmas movie every day in
December, which my husband loves.

14)I once rode in a hot-air balloon over the desert in Arizona. It was amazing.

15)I love to fly and travel, and hope to continue to do lots of both.

16)Jason proposed to me under a big tree at our church after we had a big fight.

17)I am severely allergic to seafood. We went with Tara and Timmy to a Japanese Steakhouse a couple of years ago for my birthday. They kept the shrimp separate but used the same spatula and I had to stop 4 times on the way home because I was so sick. It seems to get progressively worse as I get older.

18)The best lasagna I've ever had was in Ecuador.

19)The worst food I've ever had was in Ecuador.

20)I love rainy days and Italian food.

21)I do not understand how to use E-Bay. It confuses me.

22)I hope to finish school and teach one day.

23)I have a scar on my knee from when I fell on the tennis courts in the 6th grade. I remember I was so upset because I messed up my favorite pair of jeans.

24)I was a cheerleader in highschool, and in the LBW Ensemble in college. I absolutely loved both, but could never imagine myself doing either in the present day.

25)My first car was a turquoise blue Lumina that we referred to as the Luminator. I used to take it mud-riding, and pack as many people as would possibly fit in there. My parents would get SO mad.

So, there you go. A few random things about me. Will post more soon, and try to be shorter next time.