Friday, November 19, 2010

Friday Fill-In Fun (with a dash of rant and thankfulness thrown in)

Graphic courtesy of Tonya!
*Click on the image above graphic to get to the Friday Fill-In headquarters, hosted by Janet!*

1. Why does it always seem like my colleagues disappear when it's my lunch time, which means I either can't go or have to put it off?

2. Our perceptions of ourselves and those around us affect how we see the world.

3. Thank you for all the support you have shown me over the years, both for my blog and personally.

4. Christmas is my favorite holiday because I love the decorations, music, and courteousness that often abounds. Except for those few exceptions who think shoving and elbowing to get to the front of the line at the store are acceptable behaviors. And the extra impatient drivers who swoop in and steal the parking spot you've been waiting for. Oh, add to that the people who make so much fuss over saying Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Who cares?! The intention behind it is the same. Smile and say thank you.

5. I am feeling SO especially fat these days. I know it's par for the course when you're pregnant, but when your doctor tells you not to gain more than 10 pounds for the entire pregnancy, and you've already exceeded that . . . Well, it doesn't make a person feel at her best. At least not this person. And no, it's not all that comforting right now to know I'll lose a lot of weight once the baby is born and I'm breastfeeding.

6. The proverbial they say we can be whatever we make up our minds to be, and yet somehow I don't think I could be a walrus no matter how much I wanted to be. Maybe in my next life.

7. The weekend ahead is looking rather bland, but oh so heavenly from my standpoint. I have nothing significant planned. It's pretty much a free for all. I should enjoy it while I can, eh? Soon my time won't be my own. No matter, I am very much looking forward to those days too.



I should call this section my personal corner. It's where I sometimes ramble about the mundane--about what is going on in my life--or not going on as the case may be.

I had my 24-week prenatal appointment this past week and was able to hear the baby's heartbeat again. Such a wonderful sound! The doctor gave me that nasty deliciously sweet concoction to take in about four weeks to make sure my body is doing what it should be with all that sugar I consume. I was so relieved when I saw how small the bottle was. Nothing can be as bad as drinking that gallon of salty dishwater solution I had to take for the colonoscopy. Anyhow, I am a little worried about how the test will turn out, given my penchant for sweets/carbs and the fact that I'm overweight.

This next Monday I am scheduled to meet with the specialist so we can get a good look at the baby's heart. I am looking forward to seeing the baby again. If only wombs had little windows we could peek into now and then without having to visit the doctor . . .

On the work front, it looks like my new schedule will begin the beginning of December. At first it was looking very likely I would have every Monday (along with the usual Saturdays and Sundays) off, but now I seem to be slated to have every Friday off instead. With the new assistant manager working Tuesday through Friday, and my manager in meetings all day Monday, she felt it would be better to have me there every Monday in case something came up. So, unless something happens between now and the next pay period, I can look forward to every weekend being a long one soon. It does make for a longer work day, but only by an hour. I wonder if I'll ever see my house in daylight again? Not this time of year, anyway.

I have just about resigned myself to the fact that our move will not happen before the baby comes. With my luck it will be right around the time the baby comes, in fact. The city cogs are turning ever so slowly . . . It does make preparing for the baby difficult. I haven't done anything really. I don't want to fix up the spare bedroom, not knowing if we'll be here or not--and for how long. So, I have been spending a lot of time researching and waiting, window shopping and waiting, and trying not to dwell on it too much. As someone who is a big planner, you can imagine it's been especially tough on me.

My next door neighbors haven't helped matters. I am even more ready to move than before. While cleaning the backyard, my husband discovered several different types of pills that had been tossed onto our side of the fence. A quick search online and we discovered they are psychotropic medications--for mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia and Bi-Polar Disorder. Riley is an indoor dog, but he does spend time in that backyard, and I immediately grew fearful and angry. What if he'd gotten into those pills? Not only could they make him sick, they could kill him. Neither my husband nor I think that anyone was trying to intentionally poison our dog, but it doesn't make the situation better. Unfortunately there is not much we can do. The police cannot do anything nor can we. So, we wait. And pray that moves come sooner than the baby. Please. Pretty please, with a hot fudge sundae, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top?

Next week many of you who are Americans will be gathering with your families and friends for a big feast. I will be joining the throngs of people at the movie theater and then heading over to the restaurant for my Thanksgiving dinner. I really appreciate that so many restaurants nowadays stay open for people like me on such big holidays--and don't think I forget the people who are working to make that happen! Big tips and extra kindness are about all I can offer, but we really do appreciate that these people have to take time away from their own families to serve us, the not so important (to them) people.

This season, I am also thankful to my wonderful husband who has been in my life for just over 19 years now (married for over 12 of those years). We've had such a rocky road this year, and yet he has been nothing but generous, supportive and loving. And although I haven't sent him out in bad weather or the middle of the night to get me a Dairy Queen blizzard (as if they'd be open!), I know he would go in a heartbeat if I asked.

I also want again to say how grateful I am to all of you. My blogging this year has been sporadic and my visits to other blogs even more so. I appreciate those who have stuck with me through the thick and thin of it. I cannot thank you enough for your friendship, advice, book recommendations, and support.

This next week will be quiet at Musings of a Bookish Kitty. I hope you all have a wonderful week. Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!


© 2010, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

29 comments:

  1. Great way to be creative on #6!

    Come on and visit my answers at billyrhythm.com.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your Friday Fill-ins with attitude.

    I do hope that the move comes before the baby is born for your piece of mind. But remember that baby won't care if her room is not ready - she won't care what her surroundings are like for a couple of months - her main focus will be you and her daddy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good luck with the move, I really hope you get to move before the baby arrives.

    Fingers crossed the test comes back fine!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great fill-ins! So sorry to hear about the pill encounter--if that's not an incentive to move, I don't know what is! Here are my fill-ins.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Personally, I think only ten pounds for the entire pregnancy is just crazy, but I'm not a doctor. But I've never heard of anyone gaining that little! And how awful about the threat to Riley! I hope you can move soon. Sending you virtual DQ blizzards to get through this time!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Billy - Thanks! That #6 was a tough one, wasn't it? I had to improvise a bit. :-)

    Sally - Haha! Thank you, Sally. I'm hoping the move comes first too, but I really don't think it will at this point. There's nothing we can do though so I'm trying not to stress too much. It's hard not to worry though. And you're right, the baby won't even notice. :-)

    Kris - Thank you, Kris!

    Teacher/Learner - Isn't that just awful? I'm still fuming over those pills.

    Rhapsody - That's what my friends say too. On my good days, I do take comfort in that. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is really scary about your neighbors throwing out their pills onto your backyard! I hope things get better while you are still there and hopefully your move will happen sooner rather than later.

    I've had a lot of ups & downs with my blogging this year too Wendy but I am always amazed by such a wonderful community we are a part of. So no worries, you take your time and relax. Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your Friday Fill-In this week is very human. You have a wonderful husband!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Iliana - I'm pretty sure the house next door is a halfway house or maybe a group home. There's always something going on over there--ambulances, paramedics, the police . . . I'll be glad when we move!

    The book blogging community is wonderful, isn't it? I feel lucky to be a part of it.

    Alice - Thanks, Alice. I think he's pretty wonderful too. :-) He puts up with me, after all. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  10. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you that you get to move very soon! And one benefit to moving while pregnant? No heavy lifting for you. I know from experience. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Carrie - Thank you, Carrie! Hopefully it will work out, but I have serious doubts it will.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You have a lot going on. Have a relaxed next week.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Violet - It's more like a lot of hurry up and wait. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  14. I SO agree with your rant about Christmas, and I have to add, most of the rest of the time these days (in shops that is). I sometimes think everyone-else must have heard about something fabulous that they have to rush to, but no-one told me. Another thing that annoys me is other drivers not thanking you, even with a wave of their fingers or, heaven fobid, a real SMILE, when you wait for them or give them a bit of extra space to get round a corner, or even just give way graciously. What are we teaching our young people if a smile is so hard to give?

    Rant over. Hope you enjoy your weekend cos mine is going swimmingly at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Grast post, I can totally relate to #1 :)
    And dont fret, everyone feels fat when they are pregnant. I gained about 40lbs with both my pregnancies...lol.
    Good luck with everything!
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Chat Noir - I do appreciate it when other drivers acknowledge a kindness. I try and do it every time.

    I'm having a nice weekend too--it's raining! I love it when it rains when I'm actually able to be home, all cozy in my house. :-)

    Naida - Thanks! I try not to worry too much about the weight gain, but it's hard when the doctor is encouraging you not to gain too much on top of everything else.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've never been pregnant but know many who have been and every woman has gained more than 10 pounds & is supposed to. I'm sure you are doing just fine.
    I hope for yours and Riley's sake that you can move soon. That's just awful what your neighbors did! I am going to hope and believe it all works out well for you. It's wonderful that you will be having long weekends off from work very soon! Be sure to spending your extra day resting & reading!

    Christmas is a wonderful time of year especially when you have children! How fun and different it will be for you next year!

    Enjoy your weekend!
    ~ Amy

    ReplyDelete
  18. Loved your answer to #6!

    I suspect you're right about not seeing your house in daylight for a while once that new schedule starts - but hey, a three-day weekend every week!

    If your pregnancy is progressing in a healthy manner - and it sounds over like it is - I wouldn't stress the actual weight gain too much. Stressing over your impending move - and your pill-tossing neighbors (!) - should be plenty.

    My Thanksgiving-dinner plans have changed due to my latest shoulder injury, but we'll still be eating at home. Have a great holiday, Wendy!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I can so sympathize with you on #5! My last pregnancy I put on over forty pounds, it was scary! I never really lost it all so this time I'm really anxious to keep the gain down so I don't go overboard again. It's so hard for me.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Trust me Wendy, your weight will go down after giving birth and when you're breastfeeding. :)

    I hope everything goes well and smoothly for you, Wendy. And I hope you've a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great Friday Fill ins.

    Shame the move isnt going to happen before the baby is born. Argh how frustrating.

    My OB didnt really weigh me, he said they dont like to do it now because weight is not a good indicator of your babies health anyway.

    I certainly havent gained any weight whie breastfeeding and I did loose weight initially.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Okay, I know it doesn't help when you are pregnant and feel gigantic (trust me there were times I cried) but it will pass. And you will be able to see your toes again :) It sounds like you have a lot on your plate with an impending move and expecting baby...good luck with everything. I'm sure that it will all work itself out. Best advice I can give you is sleep while you can :) Hope you have a great week of reading and a Happy Thanksgiving!

    And my coworkers always seem to disappear when it is time for my lunch as well...lol!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Amy - It doesn't help that even the pregnancy books say overweight women should only gain 10-15 lbs. I'm not overly stressed about the weight gain though. I have my moments though when it gets to me. :-)

    I'm looking forward to a three day weekend every week. Right now, I get that every other week so I've already had a taste of what it will be like. :-)

    Florinda - Poor Riley won't get to go on as many week day walks for awhile. :-( He'll be happy to have me home an extra day during the week though, I think.

    The neighbors sent over a pair of underwear yesterday. Great fun. Although, it could have been the wind if they had it up on a clothes line . . .

    I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving! Hopefully you can make everyone else do all the work since you're currently in recovery. :-)

    Jeane - It's proving to be hard for me too. It's nice to know I'm not the only one!

    Melody - So everyone keeps telling me. LOL I know it's probably true, but it doesn't really help knowing that in the here and now. Especially when my husband is so successfully losing weight on his current diet.

    Caspette - I still hope that the move will happen before, but I doubt it will. We'll know more when we actually get the offer from the city.

    I wish the doctors here were as considerate in the U.S.A. and avoided weighing us! Haha! I've been told by my doctor and the pregnancy books I'm reading say it can cause the baby to be born pre-term, which can bring with it its own health issues. I don't know. I'd be curious to know which is closer to the truth.

    Samantha - Thanks, Samantha. I'm already getting in lots of practice with being up at all hours--since I can't seem to sleep for more than an hour/hour and a half at a time. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  24. You are truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband to care for you!

    I gained 40 and 44 pounds for my kids and lost most of it by the time they were a couple months old. I can't imagine being able to only gain 10 lbs.

    Hope your weekend was pleasantly uneventful!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I gained 60 pounds during my pregnancy and I haven't rid myself of all the extra pounds and my daughter is 10. Sigh. Just do the best you can and enjoy your pregnancy. ((HUGS))

    ReplyDelete
  26. Nothing to do on the weekend?
    ...I'll take bland for the weekend, anytime

    Thanx for stopping by my space in bloggyland.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm so sorry your neighbors are making it stressful and scary for you and your animals. Here's to city cogs moving faster and a move into your new place before the baby, but you know, the blogger above who said that the baby doesn't care where he/she will be, so long as you and your husband are there too. Your arms, your love, make it home. I hope the sugar drink went well - I knew it was bad when I liked it and wanted more and sure enough, I ended up with gestational diabetes.

    There is a lot to be thankful for, isn't there? Lovely post, Wendy.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I worried about the sugar test when I was pregnant too. I started off at a decent weight having just list 20 pounds, but I have a terrible sweet tooth. My test came out okay and I hope yours does too :) My hubby and I had been married 12 years before the baby came too. 2 days after our anniversary!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Linda - Yes, I do count myself lucky to have him. He's a great guy. :-)

    I get back on the scale this afternoon and am not especially looking forward to it. What can I do though? I'm just hoping for a healthy baby at the end of all this!

    I hope you have a great weekend too!

    Anna - The range of weight gain during pregnancy is all over the place, isn't it? I am not sure I want to know where I'll stand at the end of this all. LOL I'm sure it will be worth it though.

    My friend who had twins right before Thanksgiving has already lost all her baby weight, can you believe it? She's really active though--I won't be so lucky, I'm sure! It'll be a fight for me, no doubt.

    S.T.U.F.F. - I love my do nothing weekends. :-) Thanks for dropping in!

    Susan - Luckily the neighbors have been quiet the week or so. And we got good news! The offer is supposed to be coming before Christmas. So, it does look like we will be actually moving sometime in this century! LOL

    Stacy - I have a terrible sweet tooth! Ugh. I was already significantly overweight before I got pregnant and so that's part of the problem.

    So you waited too! I think that will prove a bonus in our cases, having such a strong foundation in our marriages going into this parenthood thing. :-)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to visit Musings of a Bookish Kitty. Don't be shy! I would love to hear from you. Due to a recent increase in spam, I will be moderating all comments for the foreseeable future. Please be patient with me as it may take a few hours before I am able to approve your comment.