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.

So Called Designated Handicap Spots

This is a rant. lol Ben and I went to see Toy Story 3 last night which I LoVeD, by the way. Anyway, we did get there a little early, but of course the handicap seats were taken. One of them was legitimate, but the other two were so not. Well, the 2 on the floor told their manager. She looked unsure what to do!!! The other woman was like do you want me to do it? And she said no. She finally went up to one of them but they were sitting up  one step. In case you don't know, I CAN'T WALK PEOPLE! Ugh. Anyway, she came back and said that they said that they couldn't move b/c they wouldn't be able to find enough seats to sit together. I was like well, excuse me but you sat in the wrong spot and 3 of your friends were already NOT sitting by you, but in the handicap seats!!!

So the manager was like I don't want to tell them to move b/c they were here first! WHAT?! The seats plainly have handicap stickers on them. Looks to me like they were in the wrong. I personally think no one but handicappers should sit there. The thing that was so annoying was that at other theatres they will always say, if you need us to kick ppl out of the handicap seats let us know. Not so here. But then this woman moved with her son so we did get a spot. She was very kind to move for us. Those other ppl were just RUDE.

So here's the thing. I know ppl think those seats are the "best", but what normal ppl don't realize is that we don't want to have designated seating!!! We want to sit wherever we want. I would love to go hunt for seats like everybody else. I would love to sit up higher, but that isn't an option. I don't want designated parking either! But we have to use it b/c we need the extra space to get me out of the car. I hate how I can get onto the sidewalk at one spot. Did you know that it takes a while to find the ramps sometimes? Or they put it between speedbumps. I'm like are you kidding me???!! Make it harder for me why don't ya. Some stores don't even have ramps! Yes, it's true. Sad but true.

Also, I want to be able to pick any bathroom stall I want, but I can't. If it's dirty, I have to deal with it. No other option. Then there are places where I can't even FIT into the "handicap" stall. I hate it when I get up and have hope that it will work, but then I can't shut the door! Does any of this sound like special treatment to you??? Do you really think it's such a great premium??? But yet, so many ppl use the designated handicap stuff when they don't need it b/c they think it's the best. Get real. I would rather be walking and choosing wherever, whatever I wanted than in a power chair with limited access to anything. Sigh.

I just don't know why ppl can't seem to get it. What is so hard to understand..... We can't help being handicap. It isn't our fault. Why do they make you feel guilty and ashamed over it? It doesn't feel like a luxury to me. It is just another one of those things where you do the best you can with what you have. Don't geto me wrong. I would rather be alive and in this cahir than not. I just hate when ppl don't seem to get it. :-)

Incidentals

Our power was off for 7 hours yesterday!!! From 5 in the evening to midnight. It was so hot! How did people do it back in the day??? It felt so stuffy. It was nice to have candles lit, but the bad thing is that I fell asleep, but woke up when the power came back on... So I didn't go back to bed till 5... The good news is that I had an AwEsOmE book to read!!! It's entitled She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, and it's set in 1891 New York City. It was full of all the details of being a debutante. I am so glad I am not living in that time period! The women stayed sick and weak from the stupid corsets. They caused more health problems than I realized! No wonder women were so frail back then.... At least the ones who wear a corset were. What ppl do for beauty astounds me. I don't want to ever be that vain or insecure. That would be an awful way to live. Anyway, the main character was so real. I feel like I know her. I didn't want the book to end.... Now I want to read more of her stuff!!!

It's inspiring me to finish my last school assignment. I know, I know, I should have it done a long time ago. I just haven't been that well. I am so praying I can get it done on time. Oh, I am working on two banner orders. I need one more so that I can get my sewing machine. Both the banners are the same design just different colors and initials.

Oh, I can cradle my little baby now. :-) My bump is bigger. It's so exciting!!! I go to the OB next week and in two weeks I find out what we are having!!! I bought a set of three small bottles at Target b/c they had them on sale for $10 this week. I might go  back and get the $20 set. It has 3 small bottles, 2 big bottles, and 2 nuks. I want to use the nuks b/c of the orthodontic help it's supposed to give. There is a big yard sale at Pershing Park this weekend. Charity and I want to go and see if we can find some cheap baby things like a bassinet, crib, boppi, etc. I hope we find some great deals!!!