It begins. My son is now asking for a pony. "I want a pony to bring home here". I told him that ponies don't live in houses. It's only a half-truth, they wouldn't be allowed in our neighborhood.

I hate relying on people. We have had childcare lined up for a date for going on 2 weeks and have we gone out at all yet? Ugh. I hate that this same person takes niece because niece really will be marginally neglected otherwise but because we ask nicely and play by the rules we get taken advantage of?

Yes, it's just a movie, and it's free, and all that, but I hate finding out an hour beforehand that this preggo won't sit in an icy cold theater for 2 hours. Tonight it's happening come hell, high water, or grandma's house.

Well, my blood pressure is down! Woot! It was like 128/74 - the lowest it's been in months. I'm just so happy. Lots more listening to the HB cds and protein and ice cream. Baby was very active again. I really like the doctor I saw - she's the closest to a midwife a doc can be, and she hypnobirthed her 3 kids.

Also had class #2 last night. That was fun. Weird small world stuff with one of the dads who's getting his MArch. I feel huge though learning when they were due - a full month before me. Lucky first timers. We did some self-hypnosis and I, the skeptic, was surprised by how effective it was. Almost scary to feel that cottony numb feeling. If I can feel cottony and numb when in labor, perfecto.

People with dogs that they treat as kids need to learn that good parents discipline their kids. When your dog bites my perfect son, don't tell my husband not to kick her. How's about you put her away? She still sat under his chair throughout dinner licking his toes, which btw, he didn't like, since she'd bitten him once. Morons.

Other than that, not the worst weekend. Once again, I'm in the six month Building Technology penalty box. I really don't understand what I'm doing wrong, but I have no choice other than to take it again, on the same arcane CAD program, as my state will allow no else. I hate it. I hate that I'll have a 6 week old daughter when I'm next eligible, so I likely won't get to it until she's older, and I'm older, and it'll be 2006. Ugh.

We also went to see the moving wall last night. I wasn't sure how it'd be, a replica of a very powerful place. I thought it was pretty well done overall, and impressed that our little blue-collar town hosted it, and so respectfully.

I was all hot and bothered about boobies when I went to waterfront park to do my relaxation. En route, I see a youn gmom with her 2 month old-ish baby, nursing him right there for the world to see (well she used a receiving blanket, but there was no denying that he was having lunch). Warmed my heart and put me in a much better relaxation place.

Then I got into it. First time trying outside at the park, and it still worked. I can't believe I can gt into it, cause I'm such a nuts-and-bolts gal. But when the 12:30 drawbridge horn sounded, I opened my eyes in a groggy haze. When the lady told me I was going to come out alert on 5, I felt like a million bucks.

However, I still wasn't in enough of a state to use the ATM, and my card was retained, as I screwed up the password in my meditative state. At least t hey were able to get it immediately and I just have to wait 24 hours to use it again.

Had another peek at bambina yesterday. She's beautiful, all 2 lb 1 oz of her. Still a girl, and very active (which I knew ;o). Hubby got to be there, which was very exciting. He hadn't "seen" her in a while. The tech was great, taking her time, showing us all of her parts and tons and tons of face shots. She tried to do the 3d thing, which looked cool in real-time but she was just too wiggly for a still.

I guess if you have high BP they check for growth in the baby and premature aging of the placenta and fluid. That all looked great, but I'll likely have to go back. Maybe another shot at the 3d face.

She looks just like big bro to me in this one:

Let me tell you. It's not all that relaxing when you go out, find one shady spot that gets the harbor breeze, sit in the grass to listen to a relaxation tape and you can't figure out wtf is wrong with the (okay, like 10 year old) discman. Not that I've even tried to use it in the last 3 years, but it let me hear a bit of track one, and when I skipped to two, forget it. Maybe it doesn't like the heat either. It's hard enough to find 27 minutes of quiet time to listen, and I could even deal with whatever bit me while I was in the grass, but no. I figure that peanut m+ms will serve as today's relaxation.

Update: Apparently it was the heat. I can hear it *now*. Ugh.

Welcome to the third trimester. Apparently this pregnancy is going to be bookended with nausea. Or I have a little bug. It's not horrible but man. Maybe if it were 20 degrees cooler out I'd feel better.

A happy thing - we had our first hypnobirth class last night. That was really nice. Of the 4 couples, we're the only one who'd ever done it before. Ah the fun of watching men's first experience seeing a baby come out of a real live vagina on video. It was nice, relaxing, and I feel like it'll help us. I don't buy into 100% of it, but if we come away with some tools to relax, I know we can do this thing. I brought my discman today - I'll find a shady spot on the grass to do my "rainbow relaxation" at lunchtime. Realistically, that's the only time I have, toddler free.

Speaking of, Sue-sue is back full force. Last week without her was hard. All of the eggs in her hanging plant are now baby birdies (redpoles) so that's fun for all.

Tomorrow I get another peek at girly. I hope she's still a girl.

Dear owners of Sandlewood Pointe,

There is such a word as handle, and one sandal, but no sandle. Please check into these things before you put it on your sign.

Today during my nap I had my first real vivid labor and birth dream. The birth itself was amazing. I was reading about homebirths when I snoozed off, and in the dream, I don't think I was at home, but I caught her myself. That was pretty cool.

Apparently any bloodwork at our office gets run by the docs. Sooooo my blood is fine. But the BP is really higher than they want to see it at this point (duh).

So I have to switch to the doc. I know it's not a big deal but it makes me want to cry.

Really I shouldn't have any issues with labor + delivery. I'll still get my natural birth in the tub if that's what I want. It's just more a medical model that I'm afraid of. I love my hour long appointments. I love that they know where to get the good prenatal massages and take the good yoga classes. I know that a doc will prescribe BP meds, and that might be what I need, but I still feel . . . not good. Don't do this to a hormonal pregnant woman.

I feel so dumb because it really doesn't matter.

As an aside, the doc wants another u/s before I even get in there, so I'll get to see her again in a week.

Already she's different than her big brother. She's more lots of dancing and bopping and kicking, whereas Nino was all about the big body roll type movements. I can put my hand there and just feel a rat-a-tat like she's doing a dance. I love it.

Which put me in a better mood after going out, pressing the walk button at the crosswalk, the light turning red, visibly pregnant, and still no one stops. Run a red light to prevent a pregnant lady from crossing at the crosswalk when it's her turn? Rrg.

In general, on edge, as my exam results will come in the next 2 weeks or so. But any day could be it, really. Eek.

My child makes me laugh non stop. This morning I put on his baseball outfit. I asked him what it said on his shirt and he went "red sox!!" and did this little "rah-rah" dance. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything funnier.

My back hurts today. I need to go for a walk or something. And the a/c wasn't on in the office all weekend so I'm dying. I'm just gonna complain a lil bit.

Yesterday was niece B's high school graduation party. Who said she could get so old? She was like 6 when I met her. G was a superstar, it was fun overall. Hot but good.

Not much else this weekend. I know it's kind of pitiful when I notice and appreciate Pine-sol's new fresh scent. I'm okay with that. I haven't seen DiTi in 2 days though. Mao is very friendly. I hope all's okay.

What a fun, crazy weekend. Saturday was the big fun parade. Nino loved every second of it - fire trucks, bands (and dancing, of course), giant balloons, old cars. Saturday night made some new friends (college pals spent the night) and breakfast Sunday. Sunday night got to hang out with cousin Sophia ("I love my cousin") again. Monday morning breakfast in Gloucester, then to the pool party for a while, then to grandma's to hang out with the cousins.

And yesterday was our forced day off. Got stuck in boatloads of traffic trying to run errands and return something to Kittery. Ugh. Then we spent the afternoon at the beach with Susan and Marisa. That was fun.

Now back in it.