So, as I mentioned before, my sister arranged for me to have a Pink for October skin. If you don't see my new, beautiful skin please take a stroll over to the skins menu on my side bar. Mel did an awesome job, didn't she? It's not surprising.. she is extraordinary, to say the least.

I would normally be happy that it's Friday, but not today. I have to work 12 hours today. How will I ever make it? I can barely make it through the standard 8 hours. Blah. I can't wait until I leave this company. One more month and I'm done.

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband!

I am only working until eleven-thirty today so we can spend his birthday, and only day off, together. I already can't wait to get home and I haven't even left yet.

We are so happy that the Detroit Tigers are in the playoffs! I am a couple of days late posting this, but it's been a busy week so far. As most people know, it's the first time in 19 years that they have made it to the playoffs. And, to top it all off, they beat Toronto tonight. Go Tigers!!!

OK, so.. as I stated in this entry, I took pictures of my wonderful husband giving me a pedicure last night. He is such a great man. I love him so much. He was a great sport about the whole thing. Please excuse the enormous size of my swollen feet and ankles.

I think he did a damn good job for his first pedicure.. don't you?

I am going to ten o'clock mass today with Jeremy's mom and step dad. It turns out that they have decided to go back to church after going to our wedding. They were very impressed with our priest and feel that they might be comfortable there. Isn't that exciting? I love it. It makes me very happy. Jeremy has to work today so I am taking Evan and meeting them at the church.

Oh, and I did get pictures of Jeremy doing my toenails last night so I will post those when I get home! And I will definitely have to add them to my flickr account because my sister bought me a new skin for Breast Cancer Awareness and it has ever changing photos from my flickr account on it. I can't wait until it's up! Isn't my sister wonderful?

I've never been much of a water drinker. The most water I used to consume in a day was the water used to make a pot of coffee. After the episode this past week with my feet swelling and ending up at the hospital, I was told that I need to start drinking ten to twelve glasses or bottles of water each day. Now, honestly, I would have to spend much of my day completely focused on such a task to get that amount of water down, but I have been drinking a lot more than I was. And I've pretty much eliminated soda in the process, though I still have a cup or two of decaf coffee throughout the day. After being forced to drink water, I have to admit it's not too bad. In fact, I think I'm starting to like it.

My husband has no idea, but when he gets home from work I am going to ask him to clip my toenails and paint them for me. I can't really reach them [comfortably] anymore and don't feel like paying $35 for a pedicure at the moment. I'll let you know how that goes. Maybe I'll snap a few pictures too. *hehe*

The 3rd season of Grey's Anatomy starts in one hour. Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to watch it tonight. We are recording it and watching it tomorrow because Jeremy doesn't get off work until ten o'clock tonight. I don't know how I am going to resist turning it on. Maybe I should just go to bed at nine and then I won't have to worry about it.

Well, I have been sticking around the house as much as possible today trying to follow my doctor's instructions. My feet are still swollen even though I have consumed more water than ever in my life, but there's not much I can do about that. They didn't seem overly concerned at the hospital so I guess I will just take each day as it comes and hope for the best. If it ever gets to the point that my fingers turn blue again I will make sure to head to the hospital right then and there.

Other than that... I am bored. Jeremy is at work and I miss him. I know.. we are quite pathetic and co-dependent, but we're happy being this way. *grin*

Here is a picture of Jeremy and I at our reception. I love this picture because it's real. Sometimes the best images are captured when you least expect. Please take into consideration that I am 33 weeks pregnant and the size of a whale. *hehe*

We spent a couple of hours at the hospital and things seem to be OK. My blood pressure was back to normal, my blood work came back fine and the baby is doing well. I have to do the 24 hour urine test again because I wasn't given the proper instructions the first time. Fun, fun. I'm not really sure why I have to do this again if everything else is good, but who am I to argue? I think I will take a nap now.

It turns out I have to go to the hospital to be checked out because my hands and feet are turning colors. Not a good sign, really. Wish me luck.

I just looked at the countdown at the bottom of my sidebar and noticed that there are only 49 days left before my due date. I can't believe how soon that is!

On a more depressing note, I went to my doctor's office yesterday morning (not a regularly scheduled appointment) because I was getting worried about how swollen my feet and ankles are. Nothing has been helping - water, feet up, etc. Well, they took my blood pressure and it is high. They also had me urinate in a cup to test for protein and found that too. So, they have diagnosed me with Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. I had to bring a jug home to collect my urine over the past 24 hours. I have to take it in this morning and have my blood drawn. I really need to talk to the doctor today though because last night my fingers and toes actually turned blue. I'm beginning to panic a bit. If I develop Pre-eclampsia they might put me on bedrest and deliver the baby early. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I will update more when I get home.

I saw this on the pregnancy message board I frequent and thought it was hilarious! Just had to share.

Well, I have a few sets of pictures from our wedding and I will eventually get some of them posted here. I'm hoping by the weekend.

Our wedding was absolutely perfect! I'm not going to go into detail at the moment and I have no pictures to post right now, but just wanted to express how happy we are and how wonderful it was. We spent our wedding night at The Dearborn Inn - compliments of my sister and brother-in-law. It was a perfect day from beginning to end and we couldn't be any happier.

update: my sister sent me a slide show of some of the pictures she took at the reception. It is amazing and beautiful and made me cry all over again.

Jeremy and I are getting married in less than two hours!! I just got home from getting my hair done. Everyone is running around getting ready. I'm so excited and SO nervous. I hope I don't throw up when my dad and I reach the doorway of the church. *grin*

We're getting married tomorrow! I'm so excited and nervous and anxious. I am hoping that I will be able to get some sleep tonight. It's been one helluva busy day and I am definitely tired, but I have a feeling that once I am in bed my mind will begin to race and it will take me forever to fall asleep. Here I go... wish me luck.

Jeremy and I keep joking around with each other about how many days we have left to back out of the wedding. Today is the last day. *grin*

We had our rehearsal last night. It was entertaining, to say the least. The wedding coordinator made us all a bit nervous. She kept changing the order of things and wasn't too sure of herself. Of course, she is simply a volunteer through our church and we appreciate that she is doing her best, but we were still nervous about the whole thing. Luckily we know that our priest will guide us through the ceremony.

I am taking another day off today. Jeremy already has the day off and there is still much to do before tomorrow. I wouldn't get any work done today if I went in so what's the point?

It's Wednesday.. the middle of the week... hump day. I'll be glad when it's over because I really didn't feel like getting up for work this morning. I am taking a vacation day tomorrow because I have so much to do. I have to print the programs for our wedding, go to my doctor's appointment, pick Evan up and take him to a doctor's appointment, then we all head over to the church after dinner for our wedding rehearsal. I'm sure there are a few more things in there that I'm not thinking of because I'm not totally awake yet, but you get the point.

Jeremy and I went to the hospital last night for our first childbirth education class. It wasn't all that interesting, but then again first classes never are. It was an introduction and she went over many things that we already know. The worst part about the class were the chairs they had for us to sit in. They were the most uncomfortable chairs ever! How can they expect a bunch of pregnant women to sit for two hours in those chairs? I was shifting every two minutes trying to get comfortable through the entire thing. Next week we need to bring a blanket and two pillows so it should be a little more exciting.

Evan has only been back in school for 3.5 days and already he's brought home TWO different fundraisers for me to deal with. What the heck is that all about? What do they expect from us? I feel like sending them back with a note attached that reads:
You're joking, right?

The average baby at 32 weeks gestation is 18 inches long and weighs about 4 lbs. The baby is taking up so much room now that I have to choose between eating because I'm hungry or being able to breathe. I'm complaining.. I know, but I challenge you to find a woman entering her 8th month of pregnancy that doesn't complain of the discomforts. I really hope the next eight weeks goes by quickly.

I was just noticing how gloomy it is outside today. I looked at the weather channel site to see what the forecast is supposed to be next weekend. It claims to be decent next Saturday - party cloudy and high of 76 - but everyone knows that weather in Michigan cannot be predicted. It shows rain a couple of days prior and more rain the day after! What if they have it wrong and it only rains on Saturday?? I know it won't be the end of the world, but it would be so much nicer if it wasn't pouring the day of our wedding!

A guy goes to the supermarket and notices a beautiful blonde woman wave at him and say hello.

He's rather taken aback because he can't place where he knows her from. So he says, "Do you know me?" To which she replies, "I think you're the father of one of my kids."

Now his mind travels back to the only time he has ever been unfaithful to his wife and says, "My God, are you the stripper from my bachelor party that I laid on the pool table with all my buddies watching, while your partner whipped my butt with wet celery???"

She looks into his eyes and calmly says, "No, I'm your son's math teacher."

* * * * * * *

I'm not one for reading things that people forward to us in emails, but this one was sent by Jeremy's uncle and I thought it was quite amusing.

Since it's the week before our wedding and I just wrote a post about it, I thought it was time to change my desktop. It was the only thing I could think of that was cute and related to getting married.

By this time next week Jeremy and I will be married. We'll be eating our food and thanking God that I didn't pass out at the altar. *grin* I'm a tad nervous about the whole ceremony. Me, seven months pregnant, standing at the altar through an hour long mass? I hope everything goes well. I had a dream last night that we were at the rehearsal and the wedding coordinator was saying all these crazy things about how the whole thing would go and she wouldn't listen to me and I started crying. Dreams are strange.

Jeremy and I are very nervous about the wedding. Not about getting married, but standing up there in front of everyone. What if we forget something we are supposed to do? What if things don't go the way they are supposed to go? Having one rehearsal two days before the wedding doesn't seem like enough time to learn the whole "routine." I'm sure it will be fine, but we can't help but be a little nervous on top of all of our excitement.

I'm a worrier.. I know that. I get it from my mother. I'm already thinking about all the work that I will have to do after the wedding -- getting my social security card changed, my drivers license, my information at work, at my doctors office, etc.. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

I couldn't be any happier about it being Friday. I'm really looking forward to the end of this day (the work day) so I can come home, put my pj's on and just "veg." Doesn't that sound nice?

It's twelve minutes past eight o'clock and already dark outside. Do you know what that means? The seasons are changing! And do you know what that means? Gabrielle will be here soon! I know... 9 more weeks, but that's not too long at all if you think about it. Only 9 more weekends to look forward to before my due date! I'm trying to be optimistic since I feel like I've been pregnant forever and have heartburn so bad lately that I feel like a fire breathing dragon!

It's only the bottom of the 1st inning and the Tigers are already winning 3 - 0 against the Mariners with only 1 out. I love my Tigers!

Next week is going to be super busy. On Monday we start our childbirth education classes, Tuesday I work late, Wednesday is opening mass for religious education (for Evan), Thursday is our wedding rehearsal and Saturday we are getting married! We are so excited.

I took Evan to school today - his first day of 3rd grade. I always take him the first day so I can meet his teacher and see who is in his class, etc. His teacher seems relatively nice so far. I'm a tad upset with myself though because I forgot my phone. I usually take a picture of him on his first day and didn't get to this time. I hope he's having a good day and behaving himself.

"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin killed by stingray at age 44. Read more here...

I can't believe it's September already. Evan starts school again on Tuesday. He's actually spending the weekend with his dad before school starts. I miss him a lot. It's weird not having him here. He only goes over there once in a great while so when he is gone it's extremely strange for me. I can't help but call every day to make sure everything is alright. I won't be going anywhere for the holiday weekend. I wouldn't feel comfortable being too far away with Evan at his dad's house.