I was originally planning on blogging regularly this year… focusing on, if not every day, at least 4-5 times per week. Unsurprisingly, that has been quite difficult, and although part of it is I have too much work, and part of it is there’s nothing interesting to blog about, the other part is that there was an elephant I didn’t want to mention and I found it almost impossible not too.

So instead I blogged some, but kept most of it un-posted.

Drumroll please…

We found out about eight weeks ago that apparently we are highly fertile. Yes, we managed to get pregnant the same damn month we got married—hello Christmas 2009. You were good to us, weren’t you? :P

Today I’m supposed to be 13 weeks, although according to the ultrasound yesterday, I’m 13 weeks and 6 days, so frankly how they calculate that is beyond my understanding. If at my first ultrasound they said I was 7 weeks, 1 day and at my second ultrasound (when I should’ve been 12 weeks, 6 days) am 13 weeks, 5 days… the baby grew faster? I time-traveled? The kid is just extra-long because Chop is tall? (That’s the one I’m hoping for.)

At around 7 weeks I started feeling not so hot. My liver issue, which they thought was because of estrogen/hormones, appears to definitely be because of estrogen/hormones. My LFTs were all elevated, I was terribly nauseated, exhausted and itchy. My dad started me on the SAM e again and the nausea and itching went away and the LFTs went down.

Unfortunately the itching is returning with a vengeance, so we’ve upped my dose, but sleep and every day life has become quite irritating.

In good news, the baby is kinda cute—although it’s a true my side thing to stick your butt in the air when you’re supposed to be taking a picture. Sooo typical.

I’ve also added a new category, Peanut, and have posted all the posts into it, by their correct date.

My LFTs came back last week—elevated, as expected. I now have an appointment with my liver doc, an appointment with a new, hi-risk OBGYN at the best hospital in the area and a inordinate level of stress that I’m trying to corral.

We upped my SAM e, which has helped immeasurably with the slight itching and overall exhaustion, but I’m still slightly freaking out. My mother is really no help, talking about several months of bed rest, them potentially moving in toward the end (kill me, seriously) and the possibility that we will have to induce me early.

Personally I’m trying to take a positive approach to the whole thing… and it mostly works, on days I don’t feel sick or really tired or my side is really sore, lol.

I started SAM e yesterday and I’m frankly terrified. I’m having symptoms of being sick again, and after checking with my Dad, decided to try the treatment that worked four years ago. So far, I’ve been hardly nauseated at all and the itching is mostly gone—but no one knows what SAM e does to babies, so I’m basically freaking the fuck out.

My OBGYN isn’t in today and my LFTs (liver tests) aren’t back yet, so basically it’s take a couple of pills and hope nothing bad happens. Very discouraging, to my mind.

There’s something called cholestasis of pregnancy, where in the third trimester you get itchy and your body isn’t putting out enough bile because of the hormones. I’m pretty sure I’m experiencing that, but in my first trimester, which is probably a bad sign. It is bad for the baby, and the suggested treatment is everything that never worked for me before when I was sick—so in my mind, this treatment is the only way to help.

It’s a very disconcerting feeling, wondering if my taking the SAM e (which is an over the counter pill) will help me, but hurt the kid.

It’s very hard to be low-stress lately.

February 3rd
Yesterday we found out that I’m pregnant. I had an inkling last week.. relatively constant nausea, total exhaustion and um, very sensitive boobs, lol. It looks like I’m about 7 weeks along—I go see a doctor next week and we’ll get a more firm answer—and my due date is September 17th.

Which means we’ll have a baby before our first anniversary lol, and a three month old at Christmas. And, oh yeah, I’ll be three and a half weeks pregnant on our honeymoon, lol.

So far it’s mainly the nausea and exhaustion that is doing me in. I’m already on prenatal vitamins, too, which are huge and NOT gel capped—wtf, hi, ill over here?!

No major cravings, I’m just eating a lot of oranges.

2009 has been equal parts awesome and awful. I can’t remember any other, aside from perhaps 2006 (sick, but met the Chop) and 2003 (my Nana died/my sister got divorced, but moved to the East Coast), where there was such an equal amount of good and bad.

January
We elected a new president, and although it hasn’t been all roses, I’m still glad he’s it.
We started planning the wedding and getting pressure for our “no gift” policy. Sigh. And I lit our oven on fire.

February
We picked our wedding spot, caterers and photographer—and they all turned out to be absolutely perfect.
A dear friend lost her husband.

March
We went on vacation in Ireland, which was amazing. Even though I have a little bitterness about not moving there, lol.
My dryer crapped out, three of our favorite restaurants closed and, oh yeah, that 15% pay cut. Damn the recession.

April
We went and saw David Sedaris, the world was introduced to Susan Boyle and the Chop and I decided to start house hunting.
I had to go to Vegas for our conference; we put an offer on a house that turned out to be the lemon of the century (hello $30k in fixes)… and so we pulled out.

May
Went to a very entertaining wedding of a good friend—and on the same day, found the house we would buy.
We house-hunted every weekend.

June
Bought our house, switched states and marked four years of blogging.
Moved out of my favorite place and left my home of four years.

July
Quit one job and got another. Kept the other job as a client for more money and less pain—win, win.
The dog decided to inaugurate the house by using the basement as her personal toilet—very. bad.

August
Oh god, the wedding planning. And the DMV. And the lack of air conditioning. August was rough.

September
Convinced my parents I should be able to wear red at my wedding. Built the wedding website.
Wedding planning. Hell. Went dress shopping. Double hell. Worked like a dog.

October
Went to TX, where my awesome godmother made my VERY RED dress!
Worked like a dog. Went to ME with my mom and sister—where we fought constantly. Tried to convince Chop that we should elope already goddamnit.

November
Went back to WA for a bridal shower, where my awesome cousin surprised me, which was lovely. My family came for Thanksgiving, which was also surprisingly lovely.
Counted down to the wedding, with all the insanity and annoyances that came with it. Worked like a dog.

December
Got MARRIED—now I get to wear an additional shiny, shiny ring. Went to MN for Christmas and had so much fun. Am planning to spend New Year’s happily ensconced at home, with my husband.
Went through so much insanity during the week of the wedding—and the wedding. Dealt with every possible crisis that could come up. Am still exhausted from the entire year.

Very happily got married, which made the entire year worth it.
Isn’t my husband the cutest?

Well the Chop and I took the plunge on Friday. :) The wedding was crazy (we didn’t go to bed till 4AM) but awesome and we really enjoyed the party. There was major drama (uh, almost-sex in the steam room—not us—and crazy dynamics of family), but all in all we had a good time.

Plus, hi, super shiny new ring!! :D

Today marked four years since I started this blog, and my first day as a homeowner.

In those four years, I’ve:

moved four times.
graduated college.
quit one job and started another.
started my own business.
fallen in love.
gotten engaged.
become part-owner of a crazy dog.
been dangerously ill.
gone through 2 1/2 laptops.
bought a house.

It’s nice to look back and have a record of at least a portion of my life. I’m planning to blog more regularly now that the stress of this year is mellowing into only wedding stress, but we’ll see how that goes.

Thanks for being along for the ride. :)

So the Chop proposed Friday night (and yes, I said yes, lol), and while normally I’d be happy as a clam, my parents were not as enthused as I would’ve preferred

Instead, my parents gave me a bit of grief because the Chop didn’t ask permission for my hand—I should note that I find this practice archaic and told him he didn’t have too, and in fact, I’d prefer if he didn’t. Unfortunately do to that, my parents were, according to them, “very surprised.” Which I also find odd, as we’ve been dating for two years and have mentioned several times we planned to marry.

Whatever. Friends, my cousin and his relatives were very happy and congratulatory, so I am holding on to that, and ignoring the less-than-heartfelt congrats from the parents. Figures anyway, lol.

It’s verrrrrry shiny… :) That solves a lot of problems, lol.

Alright, I found this via the Very Good Taste blog and it’s really entertaining. He put together a list of 100 food items every omnivore should try, and it’s a little scary how many creepy things I’ve tried—61/100 on this list.

Instructions
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare — no way in hell
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses — extremely stinky cheese, gag
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper — i’d like to keep my mouth not on fire
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi — bleh
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects — only if I was stranded on a desert island.
43. Phaal — see #26
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini — gag
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads — so many no ways, no hows, nu uhs
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian — cannot get past the smell
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis — double gag
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill — so disgusting
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish — dirty water fish, bleh
95. Mole poblano — amazingly, you can do something bad with chocolate
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake