Game Plan

I have many things I would like to post about and I even have started loading pictures for a different adventure, BUT first this....our game plan since graduation.

I was thinking about this line from...you guessed it...You've Got Mail:

Birdie Conrad: You are daring to imagine that you could have a different life. Oh, I know it doesn't feel like that. You feel like a big fat failure now. But you're not. You are marching into the unknown armed with...
[pause]
Birdie Conrad: Nothing. Have a sandwich.

This is where we stand "marching into the unknown armed with....Nothing." Not really nothing, there is a cool framed DDS degree sitting in our living room. The nothing at this point comes in the form of solid job opportunities.

Rich has had two offers that seemed great on paper, but weren't right. We are still trying to find that RIGHT job and we are willing to wait for that to come. So until then, we are still here.

In fact being a "5th year senior" (by staying in the same apartments with the other students from our church) has some definite advantages, like living so close to so many friends-although we are seriously sad about all our close friends who are moving on, saving money, not having to do yardwork, calling maintenance when we need something fixed (who cares if they just paint over the water leak in our ceiling), going to the pool, and not having to pack just yet.

The Doug Funny Closet...no more

I always wondered what it would be like to be Doug Funny, who wore the same exact outfit every single day.

I am sure there is a certain level of convenience that comes with not having to think about what you are going to wear and just put on the same thing everyday. Rich has gloriously rocked the maroon scrubs for four years now. Many of them are starting to wear out in the hind region. He has passed his boards and graduation is less that 3 weeks away. We are so excited! Fortunately, the maroon scrub phase is coming to an end!

Royal wedding party

Some people throw sweet parties and others just show up. I happen to part of the latter group and went to a sweet royal wedding party. Complete with herbal tea, crumpets, trifle, "Eton Mess," and wedding cake. We were asked to dress up for the event. I came from work (and lets face it I only have so many skirts that fit these days and I need to reserve them for church), but made sure that I sported a hat. This hat was a beauty. Loaned to me from Mammie and it was fabulous! Thanks for the party ladies.

I know this picture is very silly, but I needed everyone to be able to admire the tulle train on the back of the hat.

Monument 10 K

I am a huge fan of the Monument 10K. Last year I volunteered at it and had a great time, but I must admit that part of me was really wishing I had been running in it. Rich and I had a great time running this year. The rain was forecasted and never came and it was a beautiful morning. I passed a group dressed up as characters from Monte Python and yelling "bring out your dead!" It was awesome. Some day we will have to dress up, but until then we love how everyone else dresses up.

Rich busted out this race with only 2 training runs (both of which happened 2-3 most prior to the race). I had to stop to stretch and was running behind Rich and he didn't know it. As we ran past a band playing music he started clapping his hands over his head and singing along. It cracked me up because everyone else is so focused on running they don't get as into it.
Comparing our "26 week" bellies! HAHA

If only....

I got this message at work a couple days ago:

"Will be traveling on a plane. Is there a pill to get there and back? Only needs two. Call rx into costco"

My response: I don't think I can prescribe LSD. (funny enough this is exactly what Rich said when I told him about the message)

But honestly I would be down for a pill that you swallow and you are transported to your destination.

I think this is strange

I recently found this while looking at different classes I could take here in Richmond. While the pill form seems less nauseating to me, I still feel this is a little creepy

Placenta Encapsulation

The idea of "What to do with the placenta" rarely comes up for most parents while preparing for baby. If you're planning a birth center or home birth, your midwife might ask but rarely will an OB bring it up (Note: You can get your placenta from a hospital birth as well!)... but who would ever think of ingesting it? Right?

Mothers have been consuming their placentas since the beginning of time. All mammals, even herbivores, eat their placentas and contemporary women are looking at this practice with new eyes, returning to a ritual that is older than human memory. Consuming the placenta returns valuable nutrients and life force to the mother. Birth can sometimes leave a woman feeling drained physically and emotionally, which are risk factors for baby blues and postpartum depression. Consuming the placenta is one way to reduce those risks to promote a joyful postpartum.

Some mothers choose to eat the placenta. Others choose to swallow it as a pill. Placenta encapsulation is the process of dehydrating and encapsulating the placenta after birth for mothers to consume as dietary supplements.

Benefits:

Your baby's placenta, contained in capsule form, is believed to:

• Balance your system and avoid the "Baby Blues"
• Replenish depleted iron and give you more energy
• Lessen bleeding postnatal
• Increase milk production
• Help you have a happier postpartum period
• Hasten the return of uterus to pre-pregnancy state
• Be helpful during menopause

Ingredients

The known ingredients that give placenta its healing properties are:

• Gonadotrophin: The precursor to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
• Prolactin: Main hormone to produce milk.
• Oxytocin: For pain and bonding, produced during breastfeeding to facilitate bonding of mother and infant.
• Thyroid stimulating hormone: Boosts energy and helps recovery from stressful events.
• Cortisone: Combats stress and unlocks energy stores.
• Interferon: Stimulates the immune system to protect against infections.
• Prostaglandins: Anti-inflammatory.
• Hemoglobin: Replenishes iron deficiency and anemia.
• Urokinase inhibiting factor and factor XIII: Stops bleeding and enhances wound healing.
• Urokinase inhibiting factor and factor XIII: Stops bleeding and enhances wound healing.
• Gammaglobulin: Immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections.

Information regarding fees for Placenta Encapsulation can be found here.

What not to say....a tutorial

If you by chance come across a pregnant woman and you are wondering what would be an approptiate thing to say you have a few options:

1. Don't say anything at all about her body...this is by far the safest option

2. Tell her how great she looks and that you can barely even tell she is pregnant (if it is early on) or something about the cute baby bump being the only part that makes her look pregnant or you could even mention how she is rockin the cleavage...you may be lying but I think there is a place in Heaven for liars who lie solely for another's self-esteem.

3. Make comments such as, "I knew it was a girl, because of the way your lab coat was so tight over your bum and you know they say girl's steal a mother's beauty" or "your little face is getting so cute and round" (the word cute doesn't make it any better) or "oh I can tell you are pregnant because you are starting to waddle...well not really waddle it is just the way your jacket is getting caught on your butt you could tell...I mean you look cute" (I think she realized it was awkward but didn't know how to stop saying that) or "your bottom is getting so much wider" (this one was particularly awesome because I told her it didn't make me feel good and she replied...."baby got back!!")....I have heard all of these comments and I ...well I don't really know, I think they speak for themselves.

I would like to take this moment to apologize for anybody that I have said this kind of thing to...I am a fool. Please forgive me.

Also, as I was trying to prepare myself for what I would look like as my face continued to "fill-out," I discovered what I could do with my camera.

I guess I could end up looking like Jay Leno.