Updates

**I passed my 3-hour glucose test last Saturday (after failing the previous 1-hour test), so no gestational diabetes for us. Thank you God!

**First childbirth class was Tuesday night and a bit goofy, but I think they'll get better. Every Tuesday for 2.5 hours for 6 weeks--they'd better get better! I did get a nice back rub from George since the lady leading the class had the guys practice helping their ladies relax, just like they'll do during labor (ha ha. Hopefully!).

**Dad is continuing to improve. He looks great and doesn't need the cane around the house. Resting at home and several hours of physical therapy a week are working wonders.

**I got to talk to Zack last Saturday! He is 2/3 of the way done with Marine OCS and so excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel (his words). After Thanksgiving we'll start making travel plans to go to Quantico for family day & graduation/commissioning on December 11 & 12. Can't wait!! Here's a link to a photo of him: http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/Icons%20and%20Photogallery/fall2008/D%20Co%20SULE%20I/008.html

**Baby is doing well and starting to sap all of my energy. and making it difficult to stand up from sitting or lying down. and pushing on my stomach so I eat way too much and then am miserable. and thumping away at my insides. But it's worth it. 2 months left--we can do this!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dad is home!

Dad got to come home from the hospital today! He and Mom are both so excited. I think being home will help him more than anything else. His liver enzymes are still high, which is why they kept him a day longer than originally thought, but hopefully those will go down as his body starts to heal. His mouth droopage is almost unnoticable now, which rocks, because that's bothering him the most. He'll walk with a walker for a while and will have physical therapy twice a week for four weeks.

I'm pretty proud of myself that I haven't really had a breakdown through all of this--I think I turned my emotions off early last weekend when Dad went back into the hospital. It's easier to be stoic and do what I can to help them than it is to stress out over what is or isn't getting done in my own life. Now that Dad's home and getting better, must continue to be stoic and unemotional, or else the breakdown might happen!

Odds and ends

It's election night, and I'm jittery waiting to hear the returns. Que sera, sera--but still!

I'm SO glad the never-ending barrage of calls, pamphlets, mail, radio spots, and TV commercials are over after today. We had two political calls Saturday, three Sunday and four or five yesterday. Whatever will we do with our time after today?!

Zack is doing well in Marine OCS. He now has liberty regularly--every weekend, I think--which helps a lot. He has just over a month left!

My dad has been in the hospital as doctors tried to figure out why his legs are weak, mouth and eye are drooping, liver enzymes are high, he has shooting pain in his legs, etc. etc. He was admitted last Tuesday, and after an MRI and multiple other tests came back clear (no stroke, thank God), released Wednesday. He went back in Friday because his legs gave out at a checkup with the neurologist. The doctors finally diagnosed Guillian-Barré Syndrome, in which the body's immune system basically attacks itself; it happens after a virus or other illness, and Dad has had a cold/been feeling lousy since the middle of September. So they are treating him with immunoglobulin something or other infusions, one a day, with the last one Thursday. He may get to go home Thursday or he may stay longer--there are still a few more tests results the doctors want to be sure to rule out anything else.

So it's been a pretty stressful week or two, but we are so thankful because he's finally getting treated and because it could be so much worse!

Dad and Mom got to feel the baby kick on Saturday, which was cool. He is now big enough ("the size of a small pot roast" according to my pregnancy book, a description that is just really creepy) and moving so much that we can see my abdomen shake and move when he does. Very Alien-like!

Hopefully more photos coming soon!