Skype Time

I have a growth ultrasound tomorrow! It's so nice to see him and that he is groing on schedule. :-) Definitely alleviates my fears. I didn't find out till Monday evening that I had this appt. b/c they didn't call me to let me know! So annoying. I am hoping to get home at a reasonable time.

My best friend and I are Skyping and talking on the phone all this week since neitherone of us was able to travel to each other. I am so thankful we live in this time!!! Makes staying in touch super easy. We have watched a movie together so far. Basically we have just been taling and talking. lol We never run out of things to say. ;-) Plus, it's nice to see each other. We are hoping to paint together eventually. I love my sister in heart so much!!! She is the bestest. :-)

I think I will draw until we can Skype. I've been dying to watercolor lately. I have to make time to work on the lion picture and Peter Rabbit. I need to work with my true painting love. It's nice to get paid for the banners, but I get tired of acrylic when I love watercolor so much. Oh, my midwife wants to see pics of my work so I'm hoping order some pics so she can see them. Probably banners and watercolor pics.

Oh, I painted this saying, but I sent it off to my friend without taking a pic of it!!! Frustrating. She is going to try to get a pic for me so I can have it on file. :-)

I had a pretty good day Saturday! Ben and I went out and had so much fun together. I love him lots! :-) I was so glad I was feeling well enough to do something with him.

I've found some pretty good Christmas ideas on the internet now that I can sew. So excited!!! Can't wait to make them. :-) And they look pretty easy, too so that is awesome.

I'll try to post some pics next time.

The Day

I had my OB appointment today. My friend, Charity, took me b/c the HOP (Special Transit Bus) didn't have a Medicare/Medicaid patient going at my time. I can only go to Temple as long a Medicaid patient is onboard. I have no idea why they have that rule. I mean c'mon I pay there and back. Oh, well. So I had to use my manual which I hate b/c 1) it is uncomfortable 2) it won't fit in the small bathrooms in the OB rooms 3) it would be a pain to weigh since I didn't know its weight (Now I do. lol) and 4) I can't move myself in a manual. But we made it. :-)

I got to see the baby again today!!! He is getting so big. And cute!!! In 2-3 weeks I have to have another growth ultrasound to make sure he is still on schedule. I go back to my OB in two weeks. Well, less than two b/c I already had an ortho appointment scheduled that day. I'm not about to change that one! I would get way to behind in my braces schedule. We can't have that! lol Anyway, I'm going to be going to the docs a lot in August. Sigh. Not fun.

So they ran bloodwork!!! They agreed that they need to make sure there is nothing wrong befor ethey say officially it's this or that. But my midwife was actually there this time!!! She is so so nice. Anyway, she told me that in the 2nd trimester is when most women experience a lot of headaches so that could be what it is. I was like why didn't anybody tell me that before??? That's what I kept saying - is this something to expect or could this be something else. Crazy docs. Oh, she also told me I most definitely do not have to sleep on my left side!!!!!! YES! It bothers my j-tube so much I couldn't take it. I am so glad. Now it won't bleed anymore. :-) And hopefully, stop hurting me. Oh, when the midwife came back with my OB, she said he agreed with all the bloodwork you suggested. LOL ;-) He added a couple more, too. I thought that was hysterical, though. I can't believe I'm 24 weeks!!! I so hope I can make it the whole way.

I finally had a good doc appointment when my midwife and OB are there. The OB I like. lol I hope he is the one there for my delivery.... I really really don't want the other guy..... But if Pattie is there maybe it won't be so bad. :-) Oh, she wants me to bring pics to show her my watercolor paintings. Any of my artwork, actually. So that's cool.

I need to work on the baby's pics tomorrow. I've been so exhausted the last few days I coudln't do much of anything. If I get lots of sleep tonight I should be able to. I sent my story out to Highlights yesterday. So excited! hope it sells! I haven't heard back from my school about my last ever assignment with them. As soon as I do, I will fix what they suggest and send it on out. :-) I really want to sell my stories. I write them for kids to read and enjoy. Not sit in a box at home. Anyway, that's all for now. I have to go finish supper real quick. Chicken and pastry - one of Ben's faves. :-)

Frustrations

I go to the OB on Thursday, and they better listen to me and help me!!! I am so super bugged at all my docs right now. I have been having horrible headaches for 5 weeks. They thought it was dehydration, but I've been drinking more and flushing more , and it is not helping!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so sick of this. Plus, they haven't checked my bloodwork in awhile, and I want to make sure everything with my nutrition is good. I am so tired of being the doctor and nurse and having to deal with all  this at the same time. C'mon people, DO YOUR JOB! I'm doing mine and then some. I am so sick of this.

God is def helping me through this, though. Even though I'm bugged, I know He is in charge, and He is more than enough for me. I know He will work this out. I just need to keep trusting Him. :-)

I need to go to the post office tomorrow, pick up some meds, and take some library books back. Then home to rest. Oh, I'm sending out a new story tomorrow!!! I'm hoping this is the one that sells. :-)

Game Craze

So guess what I have been into lately? Scrabble!!! lol I've been playing it on pogo.com for free. But Mom found my computer game I left at home, and I should get it Monday!!! Yay! I remember when Mom and I played Scrabble almost every night. We were very evenly matched. She would win one night and I would win the next. It was so fun. It always took at least 2 hours to play each game, but at least we never got bored with nothing on tv. ;-) The times when we weren't on a Scrabble kick we would play Skip-Bo. That was when I was the only one left at home. I wasn't used to not having somebody to hang out with what with being the youngest of five. Mom was so great about it. She would stop things she needed to do just to make me happy. She knew I wanted to do something. :-) That was also when my friends had moved away so I was left alone by my siblings moving out and by no friends. But oddly enough I didn't really miss it too much b/c of Mom being there for me. Besides I never could go out much with my friends when they were there b/c of my health. It's a good thing I love to read!!! And paint. And I don't mind being alone. :-)

I've been practicing with my sewing machine before I start quilting my quilt. I so do not want to mess it up!!! I also started my dad's Christmas present and did a preliminary sketch of Peter Rabbit for the baby's room.

That's my update for now. :-)

Contest

Short update: We got the money from Chase!!!!!!!!!! Yay for G-PACT!!!!! As soon as they decide how to use this money for awareness, I will let you guys know.  I am just so so thrilled. :-D

Vote for G-PACT!!!

Anybody who reads this and has a facebook account, please please vote for this charity. Here's the direct link: http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/233092178-gastroparesis-patient-association-for-cures-and-treatments-inc 

I have gastroparesis along with 5 million others. Gastroparesis is partial paralyzation of the stomach so my stomach doesn't empty anything I put in it fast enough leaving me feeling really nauseated, bad stomach pain and abdominal pain, and feeling full and bloated after a small amount of food. It is a horrible diease robbing me of the joy of eating and drinking anything I want. The bad thing is the only drug the US allows us to use has bad side effects so most of us can't even take it!!! I am on lots of nausea meds everyday so I can drink and eat some food to keep my stomach from getting even worse than it already is. But I get most of my nutrition through a j-tube. A j-tube bypasses my stomach and goes directly into my small intestine. My small intestine is slightly delayed, too but not as bad my stomach. I used to be on IV nutrition. I had that for 2 years, and it was way more dangerous than the j-tube. I've been on the j-tube for a year. I had symptoms for a few years before I was diagnosed. I'm only 26 and had trouble since I was 20. It seems to come more to women especially ones in their 20s. I get so tired of going to the ER or being in the hospital.

Anyway, G-PACT is a small organization and really needs this $20,000 to help increase awareness. Please, please vote!!!

Miscellaneous Stuff

I painted this banner for my case manager as a thank you gift for all she does foe me. I matched it to the colors in her house and then red and purple b/c those are her favorite colors. But she decided to hang it in her office! LOL So much for matching her house. :-D

This banner and the next one were commissioned. Somebody else what's me to do one, too. I have it it all ready and prepped. I just need to draw out the design. Then I'll paint a dark brown instead of the medium brown to match her decor better. i can do her initial and the brown until I get a picture of her colors. I know her colors, but she said they are muted so I don't want to start painting without knowing for sure what they look like.

This is the first outfit I got for the baby!!! Isn't it too cute?! I love it. :-)

This is my baby bump. :-) I can't believe I'm 22 weeks and am 5 months!!! Time sure does fly. :-)

It rained all day today again. So unusual for Texas. My plans for tomorrow are to draw out the banner, and then work on my story. I might paint some. Not sure yet.  I need to go to Hobby Lobby sometime this weekend to get some more rods, dowels, and paint. I also want to look at their fabric b/c I need to figure out what scheme I want to do for the grocery cart cover for the baby. I know I don't want a jungle print. That's about all I know. lol

Hope you all are doing well!!!

A Story and the Fourth

I have to tell you something ironic. I was at the orthodontist and decided to have the HOP pick me up at the library b/c they have the hardest time finding me when I'm at the orthodontist. The library is to the right of the orthodontist but in the same area. Well, I went down the side road for all the buildings so I could get on the sidewalk. The ramp was right at the end of the sidewalk so I got on safely without any cars around. Once on the sidewalk, I realized that there was no ramp to get off it!!! It just ended with a big step. Not a small step. More like 2 steps in one! So I had to get off where I came on and get on a real road - not just one for the office area. I waited for the cars to go by then zoomed on and off before the other car got close. I HATE driving on roads. It feels so unsafe. Scary. But once I got to the library, they had doors that opened with a push of a button so that was cool. I'll probably do that every time so I can get some books and wait in the coolness. :-)

My heart rate has been getting faster so I have to rest more now. I'm 22 weeks!!! And in a few days I will be 5 months pregnant. Can you believe it?!

Ben and I will be moving to Savannah in December instead of July. We had to do paperwork saying b/c of my high risk pregnancy I need to stay with docs that I am already established with. They agreed!!! So so glad. I know it will be harder to travel with a baby, but at least I have the peace of mind knowing that I'll have docs to take care of us before he is born. I'm so excited we are having a little boy.... Can't wait to see what he looks like. The artist in me. ;-)

I painted a banner for my case manager as a thank you gift for all the help she gives me. I'm hoping to give it to her tomorrow. I painted it to match the colors in her house. I got another order for a banner so my sewing machine will be all paid for. I have it, but since I've had to be resting more I haven't used it yet. :-) I have a couple more painting projects to get done. I'm trying to decide if I need to sew the quilt first or paint first. I also need to finish my story. I finally started it. I just haen't had time to finish it yet. Sigh. My health needs to cooperate for me. :-)

Hope you all had a great Fourth!!! We did! I love July Fourth. We watched three kids for a friend and then watched the fireworks from our front porch. It was awesome. Oh, I made a homemade apple pie - even the crusts were homemade!!! - the first time I've ever done that. Ben loved it! I was so glad especially since it killed my hands. lol But it was worth it to make him happy. :-)

That's about it for now.