Whatever I feel like talking about

So I have almost felt like myself again yesterday and today. Last night I actually cooked dinner, and miracle of all miracles, I did the dishes. Okay, I'll admit that there were a couple of things that needed to be washed by hand that I just left in the sink like they needed to soak, but the point is that Nate didn't have to clean the kitchen last night. And today, I felt good enough to go grocery shopping. I opened the Goldfish while we were shopping, and the girls were more than generous in sharing with me (maybe I was really sharing with them). I'm still hungry, but I have just felt like a new person these past couple of days. I hope it lasts!

On the Monday evening news they reported the funerals of a former Indonesian dictator and a Palestinian leader, and then they announced the death of President Hinckley. I just thought how glad I am that I had been influenced by President Hinckley's leadership rather than those two other men. What a stark contrast between them. And when I heard about President Hinckley's passing I think I mostly felt relieved for him. What an enormous weight he has carried on his shoulders for so long, and he did it without his wife for these past 4 years. I remember his daughter Virginia Pearce telling how after Sister Hinckley died, for a while he slept on the couch because he couldn't sleep in their bed without her. He is such a wonderful man, and I am so happy that he is now able to rest from the cares of this world.

We went to the dentist earlier this week, and Mike has this book in the waiting room of his office that is called something like, "The Book of Disgusting, Gross, Sick, and Totally Cool Pictures of the Mouth." Something like that anyway, and it really was a cool book. Even the girls were completely interested in it. It had these huge blown up pictures of all kinds of gross teeth, and then a couple of nice shots showing how nice your teeth really can look if you'll just floss and brush. The ones that got me the most were the ones with braces. I couldn't believe the amount of junk built up around the braces. So nasty. I usually think that those decayed teeth pictures only happen to people who don't own a toothbrush, but these pictures made me think that it really doesn't take very long for it to pile up if it can look like that just while braces are on. The pictures really made an impact on the girls because even Nikki agreed yesterday that she didn't need any Sprite because too much sugar is bad for your teeth.

Ugh

I had a message on the answering machine this morning to call the dermatologist about my pathology results from my last visit. Not a good sign because they only call if there is a problem. So, the news is that I have to go back AGAIN for ANOTHER dermal shave. Once again, she said I have some atypical cells around this mole on my back. However, this time she said this "does not necessarily mean it is cancerous." Last time I think I heard that it did not mean cancer. Where did the not necessarily come from? I wanted to check and make sure she wasn't looking at the first results rather than the second, but she confirmed that even the second sample still had these atypical cells around the edges. I can't really blame the doctor for not getting a big enough area. He was working on a patient who was about to fall on the floor. But this means that I HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN!!! Oh, I'm devastated. And how silly is that? It's a simple 5 minute procedure that I can't even feel. I think I'm going to need someone to go with me. I know I'm going to pass out again. I may pass out just thinking about it. I told her I was pregnant hoping that I could get out of it, but she said that's okay this is just a topical procedure, nothing systemic. And I thought nothing could be worse than smelling the kitty litter in the garage right now.

I'M HUNGRY!!

Last week at church a mother of 9 came up to me and asked, "Are you expecting?" What?! Doesn't she know better than that? Talk about a loaded question. My first response was, "Is that a fat joke?" But then, I couldn't help but be nice and answer truthfully. Yes, I am. Another lady overheard her, so the news is out. Earlier than I wanted it to be, but there it is. One of the ladies said she thought I had a glow about me. Ha! That is so ridiculous. I said that to Nate and he said, "Yeah, the only thing glowing around here is the floor I just mopped." :) He's right. I was just so shocked that she would ask. I'm not really looking pregnant yet, I'm just in the fat stage, which is becoming very deserved because I cannot stop eating. And I don't want crackers or salad. I want meat and potatoes or something big and filling with some sustenance to it. If I'm not eating, I'm usually lying down. I think this is some cruel twist of fate trying to get me to realize the importance of balance in all things. I normally love eating and napping, but now I feel forced to do it all the time. I can't complain at all, though, because I haven't thrown up yet, and Nate has been a saint and just helped me out so much. Anyway, this is my reason for not blogging much lately. I've been too busy in the kitchen or on the couch. :) I'm due at the end of August, so we have quite a ways to go and we are very excited about it. Nate's excited for our grocery bill to go back down. :)

Business Schmusiness -- Come Home Nate!

Nate's out of town this week. This is his first business trip since he started this job last March, and I wasn't sure I would make it this week. I honestly can't remember a night in the past couple of months where I have done all the dishes by myself. The night before he left he was so sweet. He cleaned out my car (which had spilled milk in the trunk), went to the grocery store, of course he did the dishes, and I can't even remember what else he did on top of packing his suitcase. But he was running circles around me all night.

Things have gone more smoothly than I thought, but there have been a couple of issues. Yesterday, as we were getting in the car to head to dance class, I couldn't get the car started. My battery was dead, and this is the second time it has happened in the last little while. So Joe Brown, who is in our bishopric at church and is just the nicest man, came and looked at it, went and bought me a new battery, and came back and installed it for me. I was so grateful for his service. He turned a headache into such a simple thing for me.

Then, when the girls came in yesterday from playing outside for a while, Hannah was about to go crazy with something in her shirt making her itch. I went over to check it out, and there was an ant crawling all over her. I think I've posted a picture before of what ant bites do to my girls. They don't just get a normal bite. They get huge welts that swell up terribly. We've never had more than two or three on their feet and ankles, but those were bad enough one time to require a shot to stop the swelling from turning an ankle purple. Anyway, she ended up with 4 bites on her torso, and I just didn't know what that was going to do to her. So, I lathered her up with hydrocortizone cream and immediately gave her a dose of Benedryl. And she has been fine. The bites have gone down to a normal size already. It's pretty amazing to me, and I am so thankful that she is okay.

Well, Nate comes home tomorrow night, and I hope the rest of the time goes by uneventfully. We sure miss him.

Maybe I should keep some smelling salts with me

I am so grateful that I have been blessed with good health. I think the Lord knows that prolonged illness would be one trial that would put me over the edge. I went to the dermatologist last week to have a mole removed from my back that had a few atypical cells in it. No big deal whatsoever -- at least it shouldn't have been. I usually pass out when I see needles, but I couldn't see what he was doing on my back, so I thought I would be fine. I made it through the numbing part, and then he came back in the room a few minutes later to do the procedure. I wonder if it was his description of a "deep dermal shave" that to got me. All I know is that as soon as he put his hand on my back I only had enough time to say, "I think I'm going to pass out." The next thing I knew, I didn't know where I was and they were finished with the procedure. Oh, I hate that. Waking up after fainting feels so awful. I'm glad I never went to school for something in the medical field. What a waste of money that would have been. I think Jane Austen would say that I have a "weak constitution." Anyway, I'm better and thankfully I don't have to go back.

It has been nice settling back into a routine this week, but we had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Last weekend we got to visit with Aunt Ruth and Casey, and I so wish we lived closer to them. It is so fun to visit Aunt Ruth's house. And then we went to visit Nell, and I feel the same about going to their house. It's always so good to visit with them.

On New Year's Day we took the girls bowling and had the best time. Once again, I should have taken my camera! Hannah and Nikki were so cute. Nikki and I tied with the same score! But Nate said my score really didn't count because I did rely on the bumpers a few times. Oh well.

In other news, the cat is spending her first day outside today. Actually, she's in the garage because we need to take her to get fixed before she can roam free. It's such a cruel thing to do to her because she is such a social little thing. She just always wants to be curled up somewhere close to where we are. But I couldn't handle the white cat hair on my black couches and the smell of the litter box. Before we got her, we were afraid that Nate's allergies might force us to put her outside, but I'm actually the one she was bothering! I certainly didn't think that one through as well as I should have. Luckily, the girls weren't upset about putting her outside. They don't care where they have to go to play with her, and they are probably glad that I'm not going to have to pull the vacuum out every day!