Did THAT just happen?!

Anyone pee their pants at work today?  No?  Good...me neither. 

Good times in the ER

Today started out pretty normal.  Woke up with Nate at 5:30 to make lunches and then headed back to snuggle under the covers for a little bit before getting up for work.  Skipped my morning walk with Lexi Lou...someone must have known I would be needing extra rest today.

I arrived for work early, as I usually do, and headed to my first class.  The student I work with had a short conference with her professor at the end of class, putting me about 2 minutes behind on getting to my next assignment.  Doesn't sound too bad, but when you have to disassemble and pack up a bunch of equipment, navigate through and around crowds of students toward a new building, and then reassemble aforementioned equipment, all within a 10-minute time frame, 2 minutes can make or break you.

I guess I was feeling the pressure.  About 100 feet in front of the entrance to the building -- one of the busiest on campus, of course -- I tripped over myself.  Or my shoe.  Or a crack in the cement.  Or something that caused me to fall hard to the ground on my knees, then my belly, and finally my hands -- er, brand new iPhone.

Of course, panic surged and, as several students surrounded me, I burst into tears.  On any other day, I would have stood up, red-faced, brushed myself off and headed to class.  But not today. 

I am a mom.

I have a baby to protect, and all I could think about was making sure she was safe.

A very kind student called for help and stayed with me until they arrived (along with several other onlookers...as though I wasn't mortified enough at that point).  I weighed my options and, though I was feeling well and Emma was flip-flopping around inside, I agreed to be ambulanced to the hospital.

Mom and Nate met me at LAC-USC and patiently waited the 6 hours it took for the doctor to feel comfortable releasing me.  After blood tests, fetal heart monitoring, exams, fluids, and an ultrasound, she said Miss Emma looks "excellent."  Phew! 

Thankfully all is well.  We can't wait to meet our little girl, but she's not quite ready to meet us yet, and we are happy to wait!

A minute to spare

I have been on an involuntary hiatus.  It feels like I haven't had a moment of down time in the last few weeks.  But I'm not going to complain because wonderful things have been happening! 

Miss Emma is active as ever and I have been able to share many of those moments with loved ones.  I am going to miss that feeling in my belly so much when she arrives, but being able to stare at her cute little face every day will make up for it, I'm sure!

I was blessed with gifts and tons of love at a beautiful shower, my favorite part of which was when Grandma Geeps walked through the front door!  What a fabulous surprise for my mother-in-law to fly in from Texas to celebrate with us!!  (More to come soon...)

And I managed to survive two flights and a few days in the Mile High City without my feet exploding.  Which leads me to my newest venture...

I have brilliant timing and have decided to begin a new career two months before birthing my first child.  The good news is it will allow me to live my dream of being a stay-at-home mom (or, more realistically, a work-at-home mom).  In a nutshell, I'll be captioning on TV now.  Mostly local news, but in cities across the country.  Super excited to broaden my horizons and have yet another growth opportunity in the field I love.

The training was in Colorado for 3 days.  With my doctor's approval, I boarded a plane to Denver.  All travel, accommodations, and meals were compliments of the company I will be working for.  Mom decided to join me for peace of mind (both hers and Baby Daddy's).

I spent three days learning the ropes with these lovely ladies...

Yep...Rebecca (on the right) is due two weeks before me.  We had a lot of fun training together and I found comfort in having someone to relate to.  Turns out we don't live too far from each other either...maybe there will be some play dates in the future?  :-)

Now, back to the exploding feet dilemma.  I was prepared for an uncomfortable plane ride.  I figured the seat might feel a little tighter and I was going to have to get up and walk around a few times to keep the circulation going.  What I wasn't prepared for was the ever-increasing ballooning of my tootsies that wouldn't cease until at least a day after I landed back in California.  Apparently altitude is not a friend to the preggos...

One week prior to my trip.  Feet beginning to swell.  Already miserable.  Looking back, not so bad after all.

Day 1 in Colorado.  Note the disappearing ankles and sandal imprints.  Ouch!

Elevating in elevation...not very effective.

Day 2 in Colorado.  Yep...my (c)ankle is approaching twice the width of my foot.  Seriously?!?  I love my normally tiny little ankles...this one is still hard for me to look at.  ;-)

Back in California about 30 minutes post-flight.  If I had a pin, I could've popped 'em.

Thankfully, the ankle gods have been kind since I've been home.  They're not quite what they were pre-pregnancy, but I have faith they will get there come Christmas. 

And just for a giggle, I discovered this little trick one day when I was laying down...Emma Lynn making her appearance known.  (View from laying on my back looking toward my belly).

Now you see me...

Now you don't!