Research Blahs

I did practically no homework this week.  Bad, bad Kara.  I shudder to think of all the things I have to do in the last 6 weeks of the semester.  At present I am working on my research project, trying to get the official summary document ready for my committee to review it on Monday and start/finish the informed consent documents this week.  I may have already said this (multiple times), but no one should have to do research while being a full-time student.  It's ridiculous.

Ranting aside...

After all the nice weather we got over Spring Break, we got another mini-snowstorm.  It has been wicked cold this week.  Today seems pretty nice, but I haven't been outside yet to verify.  On Tuesday there was a gas leak on the lower campus.  We got out of class ten minutes early because all evening classes were canceled.  Ryan fought through the traffic to pick me up, and it took us an hour to get home.  We could have left the car at school and walked home faster than that!  It was very exciting, to say the least.  On Wednesday we went to the Field House to do some for-real exercise.  Ryan lifted weights while I walked very slowly on the elliptical trainer.  It is kind of funny how fast my heart rate can get with such little effort.  We babysat for the Baileys that night, always fun.  Ryan started to get sick Thursday night.  He is asleep on the hide-a-bed  now.  I'm glad he's sleeping, hopefully it knocks out his fever.  Later this afternoon we are going to eat tacos at the home of one of the women in Ryan's English class.  He says she doesn't speak much English, so I've been having conversations with myself in Spanish in my head to practice.  We're bringing Heidi along, so we should be fine.  And oh man, authentic tacos!  Mmm... yummy.  I've been looking forward to this all week.

The glucose drink for the gestational diabetes screen was not terrible, nor was the RhoGAM shot I received in my bottom.  We have our next appointment with the baby doctor on April 1st.  I am now at 29 weeks.  The book claims that the baby weighs about 3 pounds now and is only a few inches away from his length at birth.  Good thing, because the poor kid is probably pretty cramped in there.  He went on a kicking spree last night which Ryan and I both got to feel.  Enjoy it while it lasts, little one.  In a couple months, kicking anything but air is going to hurt your little feet.

A Good Week

I got to visit Cassi in Las Vegas this week.  She drove out there with two of her roommates for their Spring Break, and I tagged along for a couple days.  We got to see Criss Angel's show, and the fountains at the Bellaggio, a highlight for me!  Ryan got to live the bachelor life while I was gone, which he enjoyed.  

The weather here in Salt Lake has been gorgeous lately.  Last night we enjoyed it by playing catch outside our apartment.  Today our friend Terina and her Maori cultural group performed at the opening of a new Rumbi Island Grill.  We stopped by to watch and got free food!  It was really neat.  We went to the temple afterwards.  At home now, I am getting ready to make green Rice Krispies treats for a St. Patrick's Day party at Heidi and Elisa's.  Tomorrow we are planning on geocaching in a neighborhood across the street from us.

Here I am at 28 weeks.  Only 12 more to go!

Spring Break!

Finally, the day students across Salt Lake City have been waiting for... I can't even begin to express how relieved I felt catching the TRAX yesterday morning after class.  I did a lot of being lazy yesterday waiting for Ryan to get home.  Today we've been doing our "chores" during commercial breaks (Nacho Libre was on tv!) and our apartment is looking much more tidy.  I'm looking forward to my mini trip to Las Vegas to see Cassi in a few days.  

My parents picked up their car in Germany this week.  It sounds like they are having a great time trekking around Munich.  They have a good trip planned, including castle tours and a visit to Amsterdam.  You can see their pictures at their blog page.  

Only 13 more weeks of pregnancy to go.  That makes it sound like only a little time left!  I am still adjusting to the belly.  It feels like as soon as I get used to it, it gets bigger!  Here is this week's picture.

I know, my walrus print pj bottoms are awesome.  This week our baby has more taste buds than he ever will, according to the baby book.  Supposedly he can taste what I eat now, and might even react to it!  That sounds exciting.  No reaction to last night's potato soup, though.

Friday Night Fish N Chips

Yet another busy week.  I keep telling myself that there is only one week left until Spring Break.  Of course, once Spring Break is over I don't really have anything to look forward to until finals.  Yesterday I gave my research proposal to the Research Oversight Committee.  They approved my project, which was nice.  Now I have to really get to work!  This research project is part of our graduation requirements, so it is kind of a big deal.  I'm glad to have this part finished with.  

We also had another OB appointment yesterday.  We listened to the baby's heartbeat again.  Ryan thinks he can hear the heartbeat just by putting his ear to my stomach.  As I can't bend over to do it, I guess I'll take his word for it.  In 2 weeks I get a RhoGAM shot and I get to do the glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes.  Oh joy.  According to the baby book, our little one is over nine inches long!  I look at my stomach and wonder how that is even possible.  Nine inches is pretty long.  How does he fit in there?  And how can I grow big enough to fit a whole, finished baby?  These are the important questions of life, people.

Here is a picture of me holding our baby as much as I can.

  

To see the sideways belly comparison pictures, you can visit my Facebook album.

Last night we went over to the Baileys' to learn how to make fish and chips from Terina, the pro.  Sooo yummy.  We also played Rock Band.  I've resigned myself to suckiness at all forms of electronic musical instrument simulation, because I stink at Rock Band and Guitar Hero.  Oh well.  I can still play the clarinet.  Sort of.

Finally, here is a picture of something random and funny I saw at the grocery store this week.

Wippity Wipes!  Oh yeah!  No, I didn't buy them, but I really wanted to.

The baby is hanging out in my ribs right now, which is really uncomfortable.  I'm going to go walk around the apartment in an attempt to jostle him out of position.