Maternity Woes

Have I mentioned how much I hate maternity clothes? I feel like I shouldn't bitch since maternity fashions have come a long, long, LONG way since I had Caitlyn 8 years ago. During that pregnancy I was forced to wear hideous sailor suit-like clothes which I thought must have been designed by the same brilliant person who designed BDUs for women. When I was pregnant with Jocelyn we were still in Japan where there are either no maternity shops (a distinct possibility considering how remote we were), or they fooled me since all their clothes are incredibly tiny (which I found very bizarre since, in my opinion, not everyone in Japan is a size 2!). Anyway, this time around I am in a major city with access to some seriously high-end maternity shops. Unfortunately, I can't actualy afford to shop in the same places as Britney Spears, so I am forced to shop on either Ebay (so much cheaper!) or at the regular mall (Mimi is really not that bad). Ebay, of course, doesn't allow you to actually try on the clothes, so I have several pairs of extremely expensive designer maternity jeans which make my legs look like huge sausages an have bands which cut into my belly so that when I sit down it looks like I have two stomaches (sooo attractive!).

There are a couple of brands I have had good luck with. Isabella Oliver is a London-based maternity company which had absolutely gorgeous clothes that are both comfortable and flattering. It's easier to get them on Ebay to try to save on shipping (I ended up paying 1/2 price for a shirt and dress). On the down side, IO clothes are hard to find from a US seller and finding pants from them has proved nearly impossible. 2 Chix is another great brand, but they only sell tee shirts (the one Susanne admired in my CA Wine Country picture is from them, as is my I Love Pickles long sleeve tee). So I am stuck with lots of greats tops and absolutely nothing to wear on the bottom that doesn't make me look and feel heavier than I already am.

My mom took me shopping at the mall while she was here, and I was finally able to locate a decent pair of pants but they are still a little too big (I finally gave in and moved up from a small to a medium but I really need an in between size), so I end up having to pull up my pants every five seconds whenever I walk anywhere (no so attractive when you have a big preggo belly hanging out!). I know they'll fit eventually (probably a lot sooner that I would like :( But it is so frustrating to not have anything that fits! The worst part is that this stage of clothes not fitting right goes on for much longer than the acual pregnancy. It will be at least a year if not longer before I can actually fit any of my regular clothes again. Wah!

Poop Party Part Deux

I just can't catch a break. Tim left very early this morning for Austin to visit Tommy & Vanessa for a few days, so it's just me and the girls this weekend. I don't know if you all remember what happened last summer when Tim left to pick up the kids, but you can refresh your memory by reading all about my joyous adventures with Jocelyn's malfunctioning poopy diaper if you read my old blog post. This time around Jocelyn's diaper had once again leaked but just a little bit, enough so that I thought I'd dunk her in the bath to make sure she didn't get a rash. I put Caitlyn in there with her so that they could play and so I could get her bath out of the way, too. About 10 minutes into it, I hear Caitlyn let out this scream of disgust (I was brushing my teeth), "Mom! Jocelyn pooped in the bathtub!" Being the sensitive mom that I am, I immediately began to giggle (come on, it is kind of funny). I managed to get both kids out of the tub with no poop escaping, and it was actually a lot easier to clean up this time around since it was all floating in the water. Jocelyn, to her credit, looked a little guilty, and was very interested in my cleaning methodology. But I have to wonder what it is I did in my childhood that has caused this shitty karma ;)

My Baby the Pig

I've been meaning to post this little blurb my big sis sent me a few weeks ago, but you all know how on top of things I am :)


"according to the lunar calendar, 2007 is supposed to be a very special year for having children. According to the Chinese zodiac, this will be the Year of the Golden Pig, an event that occurs only once every 600 years. Babies born this year are believed to have good fortune and will lead comfortable and wealthy lives. "

So all I have to do is sit back and wait for my son to start rollin' in the dough and we'll be set. No more IRA for me! ;) On a slightly different note, Jocelyn was born in the year of the rooster, which helps to explain the loud, high-pitched shrieking she has started using as her main method of communication. Caitlyn was born in the year of the Tiger, which helps explain why she used to say she wanted to grow up to be a cat (either that or she just takes very strongly after her Auntie Alexis ;)

I Hate DTS

So I'm finally getting around to filing my travel voucher from my trip to Omaha, and I am discovering more and more why I hate the new Defense Travel System (DTS). The DoD implemented this system because they said it would be easier for us all to get paid after going TDY. Easier for who??!! I used to just go drop off my voucher and receipts with the Finance office, where all the wonderful finance professionals would take care of it for me and money would magically appear in my bank account a few days/weeks later. Now I have to do it all myself online where there is no explanation and no one to tell me what to do. For example, I ended up cutting my trip short by a few days, so I need to reflect that on my voucher only there dosn't seem to be any way to adjust your plane ticket info. I can adjust my hotel and rental car info but not my plan tickets. So now it keeps flashing at me and telling me that my dates don't match. Well, no shit! Now I could go ask the DTS "expert" in our shop, who is basically someone who was forced to attend the training and really doesn't know anything more about DTS than I do. Or I could try calling Finance, but it's nearly 2pm here, which means they've all left for the day to beat the traffic home (not that they answer their phone at any hour of the day, really). Even if I did get ahold of a human, they would probably refer me to the DTS questions website, which never has an answer to any of the questions I actually have. I just hate how the AF has moved to all these automated systems (a lot of our personnel stuff is supposed to be taken care of online now, as well) so it will be "easier" for people to get things taken care of. In my experience all that has happened is that the average person now has to spend copious amounts of time figuring out what to do to take care of requirements rather than just going to someone who's an expert in that area. Bleh says me!

Is It Really Over?

Why does it always seem that when you return from vacation it feels like you never really left? *sigh* We had such a fabulous time. The weather was absolutely incredible; it was about 80-85 degrees on the central coast. We drove up the coast on Friday in our rented convertable w/the top down and stopped at several wineries along the way. Poor Tim had to "take one for the team" and do all of the wine tasting since I couldn't really partake (I could have used the spitting bucket, but what's the fun in that?!). We ended up only buying a couple of bottles, but when we opened one with my mom on our return, it got her stamp of approval, so we must have picked well! Friday night we ate at the resort restaurant (spa food - good but expensive) and spent the night soaking in our private outdoor hottub. Our room was so remote that you have to get carted out by golf cart (you can also walk the path, but it is a long way if you have luggage and it gets very dark out there at night!).

On Saturday we spent the morning at the resort's spa. We both got massages and I also got a facial. It was sooo nice and relaxing! Then we hopped in our little red convertable and took a drive down the coast to Pismo Beach. We had a fresh seafood lunch overlooking the ocean and took a drive downtown, although we elected to skip trying to find a parking space since it was so overcrowded. I think the great weather brought everyone out and down to the beach, and there wasn't enough that we saw that we wanted to stop and fight to see. So we ended up driving north up the coast and stopping in San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and then Morro Bay and just walking around soaking in the sunshine and the atmosphere. It was definately fun (and the clam chowder was pretty darn good), but it wasn't so exciting that it would be something I would want to do every vacation. Maybe it's because our beaches are even better than the ones we visited! I think next time we would elect to just stay at the resort and take advantage of some of the hikes and other activities that were offered. We preferred the first day touring the wineries, but we were pretty alchoholed-out (Tim had a terrible headache by the end of the day) and didn't want to spend Saturday doing the same thing. Anyway, we had another seafood dinner in Morro Bay on Saturday night and shopped at some of the local downtown stores (we almost bought Tim a great used surfboard, but I was really worried about being able to get it home, so we decided to wait). Then we drove back down to the resort to spend another gorgeous night in the hottub.

On Sunday we slept in a bit and checked out around 11 (after soaking in the hottub some more!). Then we drove back down the coast and stopped in Santa Barbara for lunch and some shopping. We also stopped at the outlet mall in Cabrillo has outlets like Coach, Barney's, etc.), but it was so overcrowded (and they didn't have any maternity places) that we didn't end up getting anything.

So that was our vacation in a nutshell. Back to the daily grind :( Anyway, here's a picture of our hottub filling up with mineral water from the resort's hotsprings. Enjoy!

Morro Bay

California Wine Country

My Dad Says I Need to Blog

Well, there hasn't been much to write about lately. We have been super busy at work lately. Wish I could actually tell somebody about it. If anyone has a TS clearance and a need to know, feel free to call me up on your local STE to chat! Ha ha ha. Okay so we intel geeks aren't very funny. But it is gratifying to know that Space geeks are way worse and a whole lot dorkier looking. The problem? I am now so immersed in space intel that I am rapidly becoming a member of both groups, eek!

In the good news department, Tim and I are going on our spa getaway this weekend (his X-mas gift to me), and I am soooo excited! We are going to be in the San Luis Obispo/Pismo Beach area and plan to stop at a few wineries. The spa we're staying at has natural hot springs and private jacuzzis in each room, plus it's so secluded that you have to be ferried over to your room by their private shuttle! It will be just us, nature, and a jacuzzi! Oh, and maybe some of that win we pcik up on the way ;)

Omaha Sucks

Okay maybe I'm biased since it was 80 degrees and fabulously sunny when I left LA yesterday, but it is freaking cold in Omaha! My flights were both full, and I am too fat to lean over and get things out from under my seat :( I have to get out of my seat and squat down to get my belongings. Plus, I've recently discovered that people seem to think that staring at pregnant people is not considered rude. Clearly I did not receive this memo since it makes me feel uncomfortable and I get a strong urge to say things like, "no I don't really love pickles, I am in fact pregnant and the shirt is supposed to be funny. Now please stop staring at me and trying to figure out whether I am pregnant or if I just have a really wide butt!"

Anyway, back to the Omaha suckage. So I get into the airport at about 8pm last night and struggle with my heavy luggage (as many non-pregnant people stare and do not offer to help). The signs in the sirport were confusing, so I ask the info desk where to go to pick up my rental car. they send me outside into the -2 degree weather (according to the internet it feels more like -20 with the wind chill, mind you) and way out past the parking garage only to find out that, in factm the actual rental car check-in is inside the terminal, so I have to go back to get my keys. Did I mention that I am carrying all my luggage and it is -2 degrees!!!! (I did attempt to dig out some of my old winter gear, but I already got rid of all my winter maternity clothes and we couldn't find any gloves or a real winter coat, so I am damn cold!). I get all the way back inside only to find the rental counter empty b/c the guy manning it has gone for the longest cigarette break ever! Finally get my car and discover that mapquest has given me some seriously shitty directions. Example:

Mapquest: go NW on Abbott Rd
Me: which way is NW?

Finally make it to my hotel 1 1/2 hours later (it is 10 miles from the airport). Fall asleep.

Day 2: try to start my car for 15 minutes. Much begging and pleading ensues. Car finally starts. Discover that mapquest has again given me sucky directions. Take 35 minutes to find the contractor site only 5 miles from my hotel. Attend 3 1/2 hours of death by Power Point led by the Monotone Woman. Try to stay awake by drinking crappy coffee. Baby does not like crappy coffee and lets me know...repeatedly! Go to lunch and almost get run off the road by middle aged farmer in F250 truck who glares back at me when I yell and shake my fist (I was very, VERY lucky not to get hit as he nearly broadsided me and I only missed being hit by managing to swerve into the turn lane). Return to conference where we break into our working groups. Informed that I am supposed to have brought some materials I have never heard of with me. Inform working group lead that I have never heard of such materials. Am stared at like I am stupid. Long pause. Return to hotel and freeze ass off.

And I'm supposed to be here until Friday, aghhhhh!!! I think I am going to cut my trip short, though, and try to return after Wednesday's wrap up and skip the second part of the conference. Must say, though, I am not lovin' Omaha!

On a totally different note, why is it that I can find Lexi's blog with ease using the blogger search, but I cannot locate Loki the Dog and his Blog?? Are there more dogs named Loki in blogdom than there are Alexises in Amsterdam?

Why American Society Still Needs Feminism

http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/27/43049.aspx

Reading things like this make me so angry and so sad. It is shameful that a television program would even ask viewers whether or not it was right for a rape victim to try and achieve justice after 21 years. How is this even an issue? If this had been an attempted murder would people still say, well he appologized so it isn't that bad. Rape is murder of the soul, and it doesn't matter whether or not you have experienced it yourself to understand that it is a horrible crime that the victim didn't "ask for." That's like saying that all wealthy people are just asking to be stolen from because they drive nice cars or live in nice homes. No one should have to fear trying to prosecute a crime simply because it occured a long time ago. The sad part of the story is that this woman is lucky her rape occured in the state of Virgina, which has no statue of limitations on rape cases. If she had lived in another part of the country she would have had no recourse despite the fact that he admitted that he raped her!

It frightens me to realize that our society is not nearly as advanced as we might like to think. No one "asks" to be raped, whether she is wearing a jogging suit or a thong bikini, whether she is drunk or sober, whether she is at a frat party or a church study group. How do these situations make any difference in whether or not a horrific crime was committed? It scares me to see that so many people still have these prejudicial feelings towards victims of rape and women in general. Even scarier is the fact that many of these people are women themselves! I am already nervous about having a son and being able to teach him how to be a good man, a man who respects all human beings regardless of their sex. People develop their values from various sources, a major one being their parents, but children also learn from their peers, from the media, and from other environmental sources. It would literally kill me to think that one of my children could agree with some of the sentiments written in by viewers. You don't have to be the victim of rape to identify it as a horrible crime.

The Curse is Broken!

That's right, we're actually having a boy! I was so convinced we were having a girl I had to keep asking the dr, are you sure? He had to show me the baby's bottom view (here's one leg, here's the other leg, and here's this thing in the middle that is not a leg ;) before I would believe him. I went to see a perinatal specialist to get my ultrasoud done since we had all those complications with Jocelyn, so I got the full treatment (4D ultrasound, sooo cool!). He showed me just about everything (the baby even has a healthy liver!), so it was really, really exciting. Everything looks good and looks normal. He said that I have a 20-25% chance of having another preemie, but that gives me a 75% chance that everything will be normal, so things are looking pretty good. Now we just have to pick out a name!