Making the Trek

I would consider myself a very patient person with most things. I don't loose it to often, but once in a while something will get to me. In this case, it's The Valley. I'm not sure exactly what cities are included in The Valley, but it's something like Chatsworth, Northridge, and Woodland Hills etc. I'm sure there are a few others in there that I forgot.

Anyhow, driving in The Valley makes me want to rip my hair out. Seriously. It makes me want to drink hard liquor. My parents drive to and from there everyday, and have done so for as long as I've been around. Bless their hearts, I don't know how they do it and keep their sanity.

For those not from around here, the Valley is this long long long stretch of streets with 1000 street lights, and possibly the worst drivers on the planet.

The freeway is on one end, and if you need to get to the other (like I do to get to the Dr. every week) you need to drive all the way down. Maybe my all freeway commute to work has spoiled me. I'm used to hopping on the freeway, driving 80 ish the whole way and then getting to where I want to go. Not hopping on the freeway, then hopping off the freeway, and spending 30 min stuck behind some crap car that is going 20 miles under the speed limit practically clunking parts as it goes.

This is complimented by then trying to park at Kaiser. Anyone who has been to the Kaiser Woodland Hills facility can agree that it is enormous, and parking there can be a bit crazy.

First, you have many elderly people trying to drive. So already it's mayhem (no offense to you elderly people out there...). Then, you have others who are apparently confused by the size of their vehicles. I'd have to say that an F250 is not considered compact. By any stretch. Yet somehow they try to squeeze their vehicles into parking spaces that are better equipped to fit a 10 speed bike than a car. And by doing so take up 3 spaces instead of just one. I ended up just giving up and parking at the very top. I mean it has a nice view, and I could use some exercise right?

After all that, finally I arrived at the Dr! What an adventure. I do have to say that I really like the Dr I'm seeing now. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to see her because she is a specialist for high risk pregnancies, and I hope not to be considered high risk for too much longer.

At least I'm free from The Valley for now. Next week I get to try to conquer the Panorama City Kaiser, which I hear is even bigger than the Woodland Hills one. Wish me luck!

Mind Boggling

Earlier this month Jimmy and I had our 4th wedding anniversary. 4 years! It's crazy, that's like all of high school. I wonder if I'll ever get used to being married sometimes.

Sometimes it will just hit me, and I still can't believe it. I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and think "Ahhh!"

I'm letting someone see me like this? A boy none the less? I'm not sure how you all look first thing in the morning, but I don't look so great. At this point I think he has seen me at my absolute worst, and yet he is still here.

I'm a pretty shy person, and I don't let a ton of people in. I mean really in. And sometimes I just start thinking about the fact that there is someone out there who knows everything there is to know about me, and loves me anyways despite it all.

He does some pretty strange things too, and I love him despite it all. When I start really thinking about it, we are so lucky to have found each other. We don't have a ton in common, but we make each other happy ( for the most part!) and that is what counts!

If you Can't Beat Em...

It's no secret that Jimmy is a bit of a video game nut. He has a talent for stuff like that. I guess it's the hand eye coordination thing?

I've tried to play with him before and I couldn't even get my guy out of the corner! There are too many buttons on controllers now! Anyhow I always end up getting shot mercilessly while I'm stuck facing a wall and can't even see my attackers. Not so much fun in my opinion.

But earlier this month I mentioned that I think I'd like a Wii, so for our anniversary a couple of weeks ago guess what I got! Yay!

Playing on the Wii doesn't seem as complex as playing Call of Duty ( or in my case attempting to play Call of Duty). Plus, this is something I figured we could do together. And get some exercise while we are at it! In my mind video games have always seemed like a waste of time...but I don't mind wasting time reading a book. Or watching TV for that matter. Or sleeping. Is this so different?

Granted Jimmy is much better than me at every game we play...again with that hand eye coordination thing. We tried to play some Wii sports thing this weekend and it was almost laughable. I just got reamed at every game we played. Maybe I just need some practice?

Last night we played the new Super Mario Brothers and it was so fun! We had a great time. And I didn't get stuck in any corners. Not that I didn't die over and over and over again, but at least I could see who was killing me this time!

Jimmy and I don't have a ton in common hobby wise (we knew this from square one so no surprise there) so it's really nice to have something that we can do together and both be enjoying.

Too bad we can't both be cleaning, or exercising together instead and enjoying that... Oh well, you can't have everything!

5 Months Down

So time just keeps trudging on! I've gone to the Dr every week for about 1 month now, and so far the baby's heart beat has been fine 3 times, and jumping like crazy 2 times. I'm wondering how long this weekly visiting will continue...hopefully if the heart beat is fine again next week not too much longer. This is another time where I can see how it would be much easier to be a housewife while pregnant!

I was offered the opportunity to go to Tokyo for a few days, all expenses paid back in September. Finally a perk of being a travel agent! Of course me being travel starved I jumped on that! I got my passport all ready and patiently awaited my travel dates. Well, they finally came! Middle of February it looks like.

And, well I’m not going anymore. Yes I was still planning on going if my Dr. said it was ok. I know it sounds crazy...but this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. And they say the 2nd trimester is the best time to travel right? I mean people run marathons while they are pregnant! I had barely gotten the story out today before my Dr said "Nope". No way, not a good idea (I can hear my Mom breathing a sigh of relief as she too was less than thrilled with this idea).

I figured the Dr. might say something like that. With all that's gone on, I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. At least now I have my passport ready to go if something like this ever pops up again (and say I'm not 5 months pregnant).

I'm still wearing my normal clothes...well at least trying to anyway. I'm using all sorts of safety pins and hair ties to keep my pants together. My shirts are getting shorter and shorter I've realized. Ones that used to be nice and long are now not so much. I think it might be time to hit up the maternity section!

Our baby still doesn't have a name. I have one name in mind I like, and some people agree, and others don't. Unfortunately one who doesn't agree is my husband. Curse. I have a feeling this poor child will be "baby girl Cuillard" until they force us to name her at the hospital.

I often find myself sitting and just thanking the Lord that I don't throw up all the time anymore. With the exception of my stomach bug, it had been like a month. Whew! It feels so great to be able to eat, I'll never take that for granted again!

Lastly, I built Mitzie a kitty jungle gym for Christmas. The assembly was a bit challenging, but I figured it out all by myself. I am woman, hear me roar!



She loves it in those cubbies. When she is hiding in there if I walk by she will jump out at me. I think she thinks she is being sneaky and that I can't see her in there.



A girl I work with knows I love to dress my cat up (yes I'm one of those people), so she gave me a cat sunhat for Christmas! I love it! We strapped it on Mitz, and well she was patient with it for a little bit before she used her paws and pulled it right off. It's still a little too big for her, so maybe once summer gets here it will fit on her better. Then my baby, my cat and I can all wear sunhats together! Yay!

Baby Aerobics

Well these past few weeks have been wild to say the least! Unfortunately 2010 has not brought good health to my family. In fact quite the opposite!

My Dad, my Mom and now my Baby have all hit some stumbling blocks recently.

If you toss in my bout of food poisoning or stomach flu from the other day it's almost laughable!

I keep waiting for Jimmy to call me and tell me he fell of a roof or something, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

I don't feel like re hashing all that though so I'll just sum up some of it quick, I'm not sure how many details my family wants me to release to the public.

The baby's heart beat keeps jumping up way way to high. They saw it in the big ultrasound, and had me come back to check. When I went back it was fine, but my Dr. in her infinite wisdom had me come back one more time to check, and sure enough. Her heart beat kept shooting up, then coming back down, and then shooting up again. I'm not sure what she is doing in there, but she needs to cut it out!

This was not the best news I could have received, but it could be much much worse.

For now I have to go back to the specialist once a week so they can monitor it. As long as it keeps correcting itself it will be ok, but it stays to high for too long it will be a problem.

They might have to put me on medication for it, but they aren't sure right now.

I can feel her moving all over the place in there now. I think maybe she is doing baby aerobics, and that is why her heart rate keeps jumping so high. At least she is exercising at an early age!