Taking the Scenic Route

I took in the collection from the 24 hour urine test today.  When I was filling out the paperwork for the labs and pre-registering for the delivery (same office, so I decided to do both) I realized I was really having to work to focus my eyes.  After having the blood draw, I went back to my doctors office to see if they could test my blood pressure because I just feel really ‘off’ and was having some problems focusing my eyes.  I can do it, but I really have to work at it.

I feel like I am having low blood sugar issues actually.  I am just a bit off balance and almost dizzy, but not enough to really be major, it is just that I have to actually concentrate on walking to keep from running into things.  My brain just feels really fuzzy and I keep getting lost mid-sentence at times. 

My blood pressure is up a tad…145/94, my reflexes aren’t quite normal, but not as bad as they could be, but my eyes are still fine.  He is thinking that my symptoms might indeed be low blood sugar related to the protein loss.  Basically, the baby is taking protein, my body needs protein, but it is releasing protein instead of using it.  I think he was very glad I brought the test in today.  (I was just supposed to have it done before Wednesday). 

He wasn’t ready to move the delivery date up quite yet, but I think it hinges on just how much protein I am losing.  I get the sense that bp is usually the major issue with pre-e, and although I am quite a bit above my baseline, I am still only in the mild range.  If the protein loss has ramped up too much that might signal time to go though.  Kidney failure is not worth risking at this point in the pregnancy.

oh..almost forgot the most important part…the baby is fine.  good heart rate and reacts to stimulation.

Achazia, female, Hebrew, the Lord holds

Anastazie is a 4-syllable girl’s name. Anastazie’s ethnic backgrounds include Czech.

Artemisia, a 5-syllable girl’s name of Greek origin, means: Perfection; gift. Artemisia is also a name in the category of Flowers

Audrey, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Old English origin, means: Noble; strength. Audrey’s ethnic backgrounds include French. Entertainers with this name include Audrey Hepburn (Movies), Audrey Hepburn (Stage/Theater) and Audrey Meadows (Television). Historical figures with this name include Audrey Flack (Art/Literature). Nicknames for Audrey are Audie. Other names associated with Audrey are Audrie, Audry and Dee.

Azalea, Female,  Arabic, Democracy

Azalia,  Female,   Hebrew, spared by Jehovah, Azaria

Azaliah, Hebrew, Near to God, the name of two men in the Old Testament.The sons of Meshullam and the father of Shaphan

Azaria, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/Hebrew origin, means: Blessed by God.

Azarria, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Blessed

Azland, Female,  Aza, Azalyn 

Azrael, Female, Az 

Azura, Female,  Persian, Azure

Constanza, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Italian/Spanish origin, means: Constancy.

Elizabeth, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Gods oath; dedicated. Elizabeth’s ethnic backgrounds include Scottish and English/Welsh. It’s religious association is Biblical (see Mt 3:1). Entertainers with this name include Elizabeth Cotten (Musicians), Elizabeth Montgomery (Television), Elizabeth Seal (Stage/Theater) and Elizabeth Taylor (Movies). Historical figures with this name include Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Art/Literature) and Ruler (World Leaders). It has religious backgrounds in Biblical and Saints. Nicknames for Elizabeth are Belita, Besse, Bessie, Bessy, Betsey, Betta, Betti, Bettine, Ealaside, Elizabet and Elsabet. Other names associated with Elizabeth are Babette, Belle, Bess, Beth, Betsy, Bette, Bettina, Betty, Eilis, Elisa, Elisabet, Elisabeth, Elisabetta, Elise, Elissa, Eliza, Elsa, Elsbeth and Else. (family name)

Ezarra, a 3-syllable girl’s name, means: Dear.

Genevieve, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Celtic/Teutonic origin, means: Fair; blessed; white wave. Genevieve’s ethnic backgrounds include French. Nicknames for Genevieve are Gena, Genevra, Genny, Genovera, Janeva and Jen. Other names associated with Genevieve are Geneva, Genevieve, Gennie, Gina, Guinevere, Jennie and Jenny. (deviation of my name, almost-family name)

Hazel, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Old English/Teutonic origin, means: The hazel tree or nut; reddish-brown. Commander. Hazel is also a name in the category of Color. Nicknames for Hazel are Aveline. (family name)

Helen, Greek, bright one, torch light (family name)

Isabella, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew/Spanish origin, means: Consecrated; Gods oath. Isabella’s ethnic backgrounds include Italian and Swedish. Entertainers with this name include Isabella Rossellini (Movies). Historical figures with this name include Isabella Bird (Explorers/Pioneers) and Ruler (World Leaders).

Izabella, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Consecrated; Gods oath. Izabella’s ethnic backgrounds include Polish.  Isabella’s ethnic backgrounds include Italian and Swedish. Entertainers with this name include Isabella Rossellini (Movies). Historical figures with this name include Isabella Bird (Explorers/Pioneers) and Ruler (World Leaders).

Jacqueline, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew/French origin, means: To protect; to hold another back. Jacqueline’s ethnic backgrounds include French. Entertainers with this name include Jacqueline Bisset (Movies). Nicknames for Jacqueline are Jackelyn, Jacki, Jacklin, Jackquelin, Jackqueline, Jaclin, Jacquenetta, Jacquenette, Jacquette, Jacquie, Jaquenetta, Jaquenette and Jaquith. Other names associated with Jacqueline are Jackie, Jacky, Jaclyn, Jacquelyn, Jacquetta, Jacqui and Jaqueline. (family name, childhood friend who passed away name)

Jazlynn is a 2-syllable girl’s name.  (this one is a strong front-runner for the middle name.  variations of “Lynn” are the middle names of my mom and I, and “jaz” has been my screen name over the years….standing for “Jennifer And Zach”.  It has a meaning unique and special to us)

Jezzenia is a 4-syllable girl’s name.

Katarzyna, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/Polish origin, means: One of purity; beloved. Katarzyna’s ethnic backgrounds include Polish.

Katarina, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/various origin, means: One of purity; beloved. Katarina’s ethnic backgrounds include Swedish and German.

Katherine, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Greek origin, means: One of purity; beloved. Katherine’s ethnic backgrounds include Scottish. Entertainers with this name include Katherine Helmond (Television). Historical figures with this name include Katherine Mansfield (Art/Literature). It has religious backgrounds in Saints. Nicknames for Katherine are Carin, Caron, Caryn, Cassy, Catarina, Cate, Catha, Cathe, Cathee, Catherina, Cathi, Cathie, Cathleen, Cathlene, Cathlin, Cathyleen and Cati. Other names associated with Katherine are Caitlin, Caitrin, Caren, Cass, Cassie, Catalina, Caterina, Catharina, Catherine, Cathrine, Cathryn and Cathy. (family name)

Laura, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Latin origin, means: Victoriously crowned with laurels. Laura’s ethnic backgrounds include Italian and English/Welsh. Entertainers with this name include Laura Branigan (Musicians). Historical figures with this name include Laura Ingalls Wilder (Art/Literature). Nicknames for Laura are Lari, Laur, Laure, Laureen, Laurey, Laurice, Lolly, Loralie, Loree, Loreen, Lorelie, Lorie, Lorinda and Lorine. Other names associated with Laura are Laraine, Laurel, Lauren, Laurena, Laurene, Lauretta, Laurette, Lauri, Lora, Loren, Lorena, Lorene, Lorenza, Loretta, Lorette and Lori. (family name)

Letizia, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/Italian origin, means: Gladness; joyous. Letizia’s ethnic backgrounds include Italian.

Morgana, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Celtic/Welsh origin, means: A sea dweller; born by the sea. Other names associated with Morgana are Morgan.

Razalia, Hungarian, a rose

Tatiana, Slavic, Russian equivalent of ancient Italian myth name, a fairy queen.  Diminutive: Tanya

Zahara, a 3-syllable girl’s name, means: A flower.

Zaida, Female,  Arabic, fortunate one

Zaira, female, Arabic, rose, Zariah, Zari

Zarah, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, popular Old Testament name, means: A princess; Sunrise, rising of light, Zara, Zarry, Zari, Zerlinda

Zelia, Greek, Female, zeal

Zaylin, Female,  Zayla, Aylin

Zebina, Female,  Greek, one who is gifted

Zenaide, Female,  Greek, one who has devoted his life to God

Zenevieva, Slavic, White Wave – same meaning as Jennifer, spelling similar to Genevieve which is the root name for Jennifer

Zerlinda, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Teutonic origin, means: Calm; beautiful.

Zerelda, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Teutonic origin, means: Armored battle-maiden. Nicknames for Zerelda are Zeralda. Other names associated with Zerelda are Serilda.

Zethel, Hebrew, Olive Tree, Zethel was one of the descendants of Benjamin and the chief of a tribe in the Old Testament

Zinah, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Persian/Greek/Hebrew origin, means: A woman; hospitable; of Zeus. Zina was one of the decendents of Levie in the Old Testament. Zina

Zipporah, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Beauty; a bird. The wife of Moses and the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Nicknames for Zipporah are Tippi, Tippie and Tsiporah. Other names associated with Zipporah are Ceporah and Zippora.

Zora/Zorabella, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Arabic/Slavic origin, Zorah was a town in Judah belonging to the tribe of Dan.Birthplace of Samson, means: Aurora; the dawn, place of wasps, Nicknames for Zora are Zarya, Zohra, Zorah, Zorana, Zorina and Zorine. Bella is Italian origin. Means beautiful  (Zora Belle is a family name, but we would probably combine it into one name – Zorabella, with Zora as a nickname)

Zulema, Female,  Arabic, peace

Zuriel, Female,  Hebrew, God is my rock, tribal chief in the old testament

I had to recopy my list.  Because I had cut and pasted the original list to death, the html code was a nightmare to do strike-outs.  lol.

Working on getting the similar names cut down to the spelling/version we like and eliminating names that would be a nightmare to pronounce.  (the last name is already going to be spelled every time somebody hears it, we don’t want the first name to be really terrible.  Although, I am not going to get too hooked on the spelling thing because even with the name “Jennifer”  I am often asked how I spell it.  These days, it is almost impossible to avoid that)

Feel free to comment, especially if there is a strong association with a name that I might not be aware of.  Some associations aren’t going to bother me, but association is what kept the name “Jezabel” off the list.  It is actually a very pretty name, but there is no way on earth I would use it. 

Edited to add after some comments:

Thank you Lisa!  Yeah…I was going to look up the meaning of that….”Angel of Death and Final Judgement” is not exactly the meaning I was going for in my daughter’s name.  I think you are right that it is one of the Smurfs too, but the “bad” guy (human) was Gargamel  (sp?) I think.  He might have created the Smurf you are talking about though.  (the Smurfs are so far in the deep recesses of my brain I am not 100% sure on that either, but I do recognize that Azreal is at least very similar to one of the Smurf names)  A friend of ours also pointed out that it was one of the “real life” people who played Batman, in addition to Bruce Wayne, in a comic book series.  Granted…you have to be an uber comic book geek to know that, but I think it got knocked off the list with the first mentioned association.  lol.

Constanza also needed to go when we realized that there might be people who try to shorten it by calling her “Connie”.  Not a bad name, just a really bad match to our last name.

It can stop snowing now.  It is easier to appreciate it since we have electricity and don’t have to drive in it, but if we have an emergency, it will be a bit scary.  The roads are now considered “treacherous” and there are people I care about that have to be out in them.  The list of cancellations is getting insane.  I don’t think anybody in Kansas is going to have church tomorrow, and tons of other community events have been canceled all over the state.

The plus side though:  My dad runs the snowplow for their township.  This snow will mean some more income for him when they really need it.  I have a feeling he won’t be getting much sleep in the next few days.  At this point, visibility is still good because we aren’t getting the typical Kansas winds right now…breezy, but no blinding wind.

Lots of prayers going out tonight for safety.

3:34am.  After laying in bed awake for an hour, getting more sore instead of finding a comfortable position, I decided to get out of bed.  Put a pot of water on the stove to combat my dry eyes & notice there is more glow from the windows that is normal for such early hours.  Open the door and I am greeted with a blanket of snow and big flakes softly falling.  I pull my coat over my shoulders and sat outside for a while, listening myself breathe in the silence of the morning.  Just beautiful.  The lights reflecting on the snow made the night bright.  It was as quiet as a city can be, and the only movement was the gentle snow.  Eventually, I hear the sounds of the salt trucks drive by on the highway and see the warning lights reflecting on the building.  The chill is finally enough for me and I go inside.  Amazing moment.

We have been asked that once or twice *cough* 

The short answer:  we don’t know yet. 

The long answer:  probably one of these names:

Achazia,female, Hebrew, the Lord holds

Adorabelle, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Latin origin, means: Adored; beautiful.

Aitza is a 2-syllable girl’s name.

Alzena, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Arabic origin, means: Woman.

Anastazie is a 4-syllable girl’s name. Anastazie’s ethnic backgrounds include Czech.

Arabella, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Latin/Teutonic origin, means: Altar; beautiful. Nicknames for Arabella are Arabeile and Bel. Other names associated with Arabella are Ara, Bell, Bella and Belle.

Artemisia, a 5-syllable girl’s name of Greek origin, means: Perfection; gift. Artemisia is also a name in the category of Flowers

Audrey, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Old English origin, means: Noble; strength. Audrey’s ethnic backgrounds include French. Entertainers with this name include Audrey Hepburn (Movies), Audrey Hepburn (Stage/Theater) and Audrey Meadows (Television). Historical figures with this name include Audrey Flack (Art/Literature). Nicknames for Audrey are Audie. Other names associated with Audrey are Audrie, Audry and Dee.

Azalea, Female,  Arabic, Democracy 

Azalia,  Female,   Hebrew, spared by Jehovah, Azaria 

Azaliah, Hebrew, Near to God, the name of two men in the Old Testament.The sons of Meshullam and the father of Shaphan

Azaria, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/Hebrew origin, means: Blessed by God.

Azarria, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Blessed 

Azadeh, Female,  Latin, Persian, dry earth; detached, free of material things 

Azaziah, Hebrew, Whom God Strengthens, a harp player at the temple during the time of David.Father of Hoshea

Aziza, Female,    Swahili, Turkish, precious,   Azize, Azy 

Azland, Female,  Aza, Azalyn  

Azrael, Female, Az  

Azura,Female,  Persian, Azure

Constanza, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Italian/Spanish origin, means: Constancy.

Elizabeth, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Gods oath; dedicated. Elizabeth’s ethnic backgrounds include Scottish and English/Welsh. It’s religious association is Biblical (see Mt 3:1). Entertainers with this name include Elizabeth Cotten (Musicians), Elizabeth Montgomery (Television), Elizabeth Seal (Stage/Theater) and Elizabeth Taylor (Movies). Historical figures with this name include Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Art/Literature) and Ruler (World Leaders). It has religious backgrounds in Biblical and Saints. Nicknames for Elizabeth are Belita, Besse, Bessie, Bessy, Betsey, Betta, Betti, Bettine, Ealaside, Elizabet and Elsabet. Other names associated with Elizabeth are Babette, Belle, Bess, Beth, Betsy, Bette, Bettina, Betty, Eilis, Elisa, Elisabet, Elisabeth, Elisabetta, Elise, Elissa, Eliza, Elsa, Elsbeth and Else. (family name)

Ezarra, a 3-syllable girl’s name, means: Dear.

Genevieve, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Celtic/Teutonic origin, means: Fair; blessed; white wave. Genevieve’s ethnic backgrounds include French.Nicknames for Genevieve are Gena, Genevra, Genny, Genovera, Janeva and Jen. Other names associated with Genevieve are Geneva, Genevieve, Gennie, Gina, Guinevere, Jennie and Jenny. (deviation of my name, almost-family name)

Hazel, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Old English/Teutonic origin, means: The hazel tree or nut; reddish-brown. Commander. Hazel is also a name in the category of Color.Nicknames for Hazel are Aveline. (family name)

Helen, Greek, bright one, torch light (family name)

Isabella, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew/Spanish origin, means: Consecrated; Gods oath. Isabella’s ethnic backgrounds include Italian and Swedish. Entertainers with this name include Isabella Rossellini (Movies). Historical figures with this name include Isabella Bird (Explorers/Pioneers) and Ruler (World Leaders).

Izabella, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Consecrated; Gods oath. Izabella’s ethnic backgrounds include Polish.

Jacqueline, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew/French origin, means: To protect; to hold another back. Jacqueline’s ethnic backgrounds include French. Entertainers with this name include Jacqueline Bisset (Movies). Nicknames for Jacqueline are Jackelyn, Jacki, Jacklin, Jackquelin, Jackqueline, Jaclin, Jacquenetta, Jacquenette, Jacquette, Jacquie, Jaquenetta, Jaquenette and Jaquith. Other names associated with Jacqueline are Jackie, Jacky, Jaclyn, Jacquelyn, Jacquetta, Jacqui and Jaqueline. (family name, childhood friend who passed away name)

Jadzia, Polish, Princess

Jazlyn is a 2-syllable girl’s name.

Jezzenia is a 4-syllable girl’s name.

Katarzyna, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/Polish origin, means: One of purity; beloved. Katarzyna’s ethnic backgrounds include Polish.

Katarina, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/various origin, means: One of purity; beloved. Katarina’s ethnic backgrounds include Swedish and German.

Katherine, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Greek origin, means: One of purity; beloved. Katherine’s ethnic backgrounds include Scottish. Entertainers with this name include Katherine Helmond (Television). Historical figures with this name include Katherine Mansfield (Art/Literature). It has religious backgrounds in Saints. Nicknames for Katherine are Carin, Caron, Caryn, Cassy, Catarina, Cate, Catha, Cathe, Cathee, Catherina, Cathi, Cathie, Cathleen, Cathlene, Cathlin, Cathyleen and Cati. Other names associated with Katherine are Caitlin, Caitrin, Caren, Cass, Cassie, Catalina, Caterina, Catharina, Catherine, Cathrine, Cathryn and Cathy. (family name)

Laura, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Latin origin, means: Victoriously crowned with laurels. Laura’s ethnic backgrounds include Italian and English/Welsh. Entertainers with this name include Laura Branigan (Musicians). Historical figures with this name include Laura Ingalls Wilder (Art/Literature). Nicknames for Laura are Lari, Laur, Laure, Laureen, Laurey, Laurice, Lolly, Loralie, Loree, Loreen, Lorelie, Lorie, Lorinda and Lorine. Other names associated with Laura are Laraine, Laurel, Lauren, Laurena, Laurene, Lauretta, Laurette, Lauri, Lora, Loren, Lorena, Lorene, Lorenza, Loretta, Lorette and Lori. (family name)

Letizia, a 4-syllable girl’s name of Greek/Italian origin, means: Gladness; joyous. Letizia’s ethnic backgrounds include Italian.

Morgana, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Celtic/Welsh origin, means: A sea dweller; born by the sea. Other names associated with Morgana are Morgan.

Razalia, Hungarian, a rose

Tatiana, Slavic, Russian equivalent of ancient Italian myth name, a fairy queen.  Diminutive: Tanya

Zahara, a 3-syllable girl’s name, means: A flower.

Zaida, Female,  Arabic, fortunate one 

Zaira, female, Arabic, rose, Zariah, Zari 

Zarah, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, popular Old Testament name, means: A princess; Sunrise, rising of light, Zara, Zarry, Zari, Zerlinda 

Zelia, Greek, Female, zeal

Zaylin, Female,  Zayla, Aylin 

Zebina, Female,  Greek, one who is gifted

Zenaide, Female,  Greek, one who has devoted his life to God 

Zenevieva, Slavic, White Wave

Zerlinda, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Teutonic origin, means: Calm; beautiful.

Zerelda, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Teutonic origin, means: Armored battle-maiden. Nicknames for Zerelda are Zeralda. Other names associated with Zerelda are Serilda.

Zethel, Hebrew, Olive Tree, Zethel was one of the descendants of Benjamin and the chief of a tribe in the Old Testament

Zinah, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Persian/Greek/Hebrew origin, means: A woman; hospitable; of Zeus. Zina was one of the decendents of Levie in the Old Testament.Zina

Zipporah, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Hebrew origin, means: Beauty; a bird. The wife of Moses and the mother of Gershom and Eliezer, Nicknames for Zipporah are Tippi, Tippie and Tsiporah. Other names associated with Zipporah are Ceporah and Zippora.

Zora/Zorabella, a 2-syllable girl’s name of Arabic/Slavic origin, Zorah was a town in Judah belonging to the tribe of Dan.Birthplace of Samson, means: Aurora; the dawn, place of wasps, Nicknames for Zora are Zarya, Zohra, Zorah, Zorana, Zorina and Zorine. Bella is Italian origin. Means beautiful

Zulema, Female,  Arabic, peace 

Zuriel, Female,  Hebrew, God is my rock, tribal chief in the old testament 

We lean towards names that have a longer, more elegant version, and a shorter nickname for daily life.  Zach & I are actually “Zachary” and “Jennifer” and like the fact that we have the versatility.  As a kid I was always “Jeni”, but I started going by “Jennifer” around college.  I can always tell when people knew me growing up, because they are the only ones who still call me by Jeni.  lol.

Yeah, we have some decisions to make before this little one makes her appearance.  We have actually managed to cut the list down quite a bit at this point, but we are really having a tough time eliminating enough names.  Can you tell?

edited to add:  made some cuts.  Adorabelle did not seem like a good idea in retrospect, and some of the others were awkward to pronounce.  Jadzia we like, but can’t get the Star Trek character out of our heads.  lol.

Not much going on here.  Zach has been grading papers & finals all day.   I have been listlessly browsing the internet and watching tv. 

My doctor appointment was not terrible, but not great either.  Did the non-stress test (monitor baby’s movements, heartbeat, and contractions) again and those results were fine.  My blood pressure was 138 (or 139, can’t remember) / 91.  Could be worse, but not very good.  I am still spilling too much protein, so I get to collect urine for 24 hours again.  This time I got a hat though, so that will be easier.  He did say he was probably not going to do the Strep B test though because the protocol for Strep B is the same as it is for a preterm baby, and he is pretty sure this pregnancy isn’t going to be able to wait until January.  He is still hoping to make it until after Christmas though.  I guess the results of the urine test will help decide that though.

Zach got Zane a multi pack of some play-do knock off tonight and I am sitting where I can see Zane singing, talking and playing at the table with it.  He just made a ’sandwich’ with it and is pretending to eat, complete with sound effects.  lol.  He is having a lot of fun.  He did a good job behaving in the waiting room today and I was rewarded with a joyful greeting as he ran to me and hugged me when I came out of the office.  Made me feel like a million bucks!

This is a long shot, but I was just wondering if anybody has any ideas for a thesis topic.  Zach needs something before next semester and hasn’t come up with anything yet.  Right now his main knowledge is databases and web programming. 

I had a really fun time yesterday, but I tired myself out and spent the evening on the couch instead of posting about it.  lol.

For the first time since Halloween, I actually went out to do something other than go to the doctor.  To illustrate how housebound we have been:  we went out to the car to go, and realized Zane’s car seat wasn’t in there.  lol.  It was still sitting in our living room from when my parents took him out earlier in the week.  How sad is that?

Anyway, we had a gift certificate for Old Navy, so we went SHOPPING!  Zach got 2 pairs of badly needed jeans (he only had one pair), Zane got a sweater since he didn’t have one and my hands can’t make one right now, Zane also got two thermal shirts & a package of socks.  For the baby we got some fleece pants (diaper friendly) and a little jacket that matches it, and some socks & a fluffy pair of warm booties.  It was so much fun to shop.  Old Navy is near the mall entrance and they have shopping carts to lean on, so it isn’t as hard to shop as normal mall stores.  I still had to stop and sit on the floor for a bit a few times during the trip, but it was really nice to get out for an hour.

Before we went to Old Navy we went to another department store.  The ‘normal’ prices are waaaaayyyyy our of our price range, but they have the most kick butt sales on kid’s shoes I have ever seen.  $125 shoes for $20 because they are last season’s shoes.  He has been very excited about his new shoes.  His toes were hitting the ends of his shoes, and they were canvas and not very warm, so he really needed some.   I have a 3 year old that wears size 12 shoes.  Whoa!  That kid has some serious potential to be tall!

On other notes, my aunt is making me a Boppy.  Her church group made a bunch for a charity, so she has a pattern and asked my mom if she thought I would like one.  My mom gave her an enthusiastic YES!  (thanks mom).  So, now I can take that off my list. 

I got an email from one of my mom’s friends (I know her too, I grew up with her and her girls are just a bit older than me) who kept running into holistic care for pre-e all week, even though she wasn’t looking for it.  She decided to email me.  Evidently, magnesium is good for helping prevent/treat pre-e.  I looked up food sources of magnesium and chuckled at the list.  I guess my body knew what I needed because the list pretty much mirrored my diet the last weeks…nuts, green leafies (for me it has been spinach), cereal (especially oatmeal and shredded wheat…the two I have been eating a lot of), potatoes (the skins have been what I have been hungry for, which is where the magnesium is), bananas, beans, and, although a bit lower on the list, chocolate milk (I usually am NOT a fan of milk and can only tolerate it with chocolate, but have found myself actually wanting it in the last weeks), and chocolate in general.  lol.  It is sort of cool to realize you are doing a good job of listening to your body.  Plus, eating so many nuts was sort of bothering me.  I like nuts, but more of a once-in-a-while thing because of their fat content.  I have gone ahead and eaten them since I haven’t been gaining a lot of weight, but I couldn’t eat them without wondering if I was dooming myself to gaining too much weight.  Knowing that there is something specific in them that my body is needing right now, besides the fact that it is a reasonably healthy fat, makes me not cringe when I find I have eaten a bunch of nuts. 

Finishing on a happy note here…the baby has been really active recently.  It is really good to see my tummy moving around and feeling her again.  I know that not feeling her doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong, but feeling her active definitely means good things, so it makes me very happy, even when she is kicking me in uncomfortable places.

Our apartment was almost on TV!  (they stopped shooting right as our car would have come into view)  There was an older gentleman that was robbed and kidnapped today and driven to our apartment complex.  It was almost exactly what happened to Zach’s best friend when he left here one time earlier this year.  Zach is on the phone trying to get his friend to call the police, but isn’t having any luck at this point.  His friend is scared now that the older guy will sue him.  He was totally freaked out when it happened.  It does explain why we saw police cruising through the complex earlier tonight. 

I wish there was a way to know exactly what apartment the guys were in when the got arrested so we know if was the same person/people, but there is no way to find out (that we know of) without betraying our friend’s confidence.  I desperately wish he would report it, but I can understand his fear.  He has a wife and three kids and is very low income and wouldn’t have to resources to protect himself if somebody tried to take revenge.

The guy is fine and got his wallet back and the suspects were arrested.  Thank goodness!