I Might As Well Just Get It Over With...

So... turns out that I am going to have a baby.

Not even kidding.

If you are passed out right now (or vomiting or hyperventilating) then you know exactly how I felt when that little stick turned blue.

(If you are doing a touchdown dance or congratulating your Superman sperm then you know how Justin was feeling...)

We weren't trying.

I have been putting off writing this post because I was SO HOPING that by this point in the pregnancy I would be getting over the shock and be excited.

Turns out I don't really deal well with change/surprises/unplanned major events. Add to that 24-7 nausea and some dry heaving and you've got one pretty annoyed Emily.

Us Bostics... we don't handle stomach illness. We pray to die. And I am not embellishing that at all.

So in between my little chats with the Lord and laying on the couch watching Kardashian and Band of Brothers marathons, I really haven't had much time to be happy about our little addition.

(And I had to miss my girls weekend that I was really looking forward to which made me mad. I am sure Caroline is secretly glad because I would have surely puked in her car.)

So, please, please don't leave any comments about how selfish I am being, or how I should be so happy to be able to conceive, or how there are people out there dealing with xyz, etc. I really do KNOW all of these things. Just pray for me, please.

Here are some logistical details...

I am 11 weeks and due on NEW YEARS DAY.

Really? Poor kid. Never gonna have a party just for him/herself.

Of course Justin is hoping for a 2009 baby to get the tax write-off. Imagine that.

I am taking Zofran every day. It has helped me to sit up and get myself to work. I would trade all my previously loved narcotics for a couple Zofran without a second thought.

Of course I want a girl. That should not surprise.

And I will spare you the pic of the ultrasounds because it really looks like a blob to me. I think ultrasoundographers (did I make that up) have great imaginations.

That is all.

I will write more in a few weeks, when I feel better. My doctor PROMISED. I am holding him to it. (And he is just so cute, I can't not believe him!!)

BOOORING

My life it totally NOTHING.

Seriously.

I have zip to write about because I have done ZIP. And have plans to do zip.

The highlight of last week was paying $14 for a freaking cheeseburger at the hotel while chatting with some friends in the rain.

And that is as dramatic as it gets.

It was a pretty good cheeseburger...and I was very hungry.

So here is a picture of my new/old couch.

Justin found it in one of his tenant's vacated trailers.

Do you know that people get evicted and run off and leave ALL their stuff? I guess they are afraid the police are coming to get them, but they really do it all the time.

That's fine with me, because we just sell it in a yard sale and pocket the $$. Thank you evicted tenant.

Anyway, it was a decent sleeper-sofa in need of recovering. (I made sure the tenants were okay on the cleanliness scale, don't worry)

And now it is beautiful!! We put it in the office:

And here is something fun for you to know...last night on the season finale of One Tree Hill, I saw the same fabric on a chair in Lucas & Peyton's nursery! I knew I had good taste...

Little Isabelle likes to sit on it and look out the window.

Do you know that she is named after Izzie on Grey's? I did love her. What do you think are her chances of coming back next season? I just can't let it go..

And while I am typing this drivel, Justin is hard at work.

I tell him that I HATE those cargo/carpenter pants, but he doesn't seem to care what I think.

I'm going to take a nap or something equally as exciting.

Peace and Love.

Help Me Help Myself

I have a few questions, and I need some answers.

1. How does one get her parents to move from Dothan to Fairhope? I am missing them terribly, and can think of nothing that would make me happier than if Kay & Greg lived here. It's really quite pathetic. (And I've already tried the "I'll have a baby" route. Didn't work.)

2. At what age does is become inappropriate for one to roll out of bed and go to work/errands/etc...? I know this was perfectly acceptable behavior in college, but I seem to have not gotten out of the habit. I'll rush out of the house in terrible clothes, barely fixed hair and no make up. I'll be fine with that until I catch a glance at myself in a mirror, and then I am just embarrassed. Is this okay to be doing at 28? Should I be taking time in the morning to look pretty? I'm really at an impasse here...

3. This is not a question, but I need some new books to read. Suggestions?? I like lazy fiction reads...must be some drama involved (no Mitford series for me).

That's all. Please help me.

P.S. I'm sorry for posting the gross pictures. I hope this will make up for it...There are few things cuter than this little girl...

The Last Post About My Ear, I Swear (I think...)

I haven't died.

But since the ear is all I've been "doing" the past two weeks, it's all I've got to write about.

And I've got these really great pictures...

So...

I had my surgery. Last Wednesday (April 1).

Yes... had surgery on April Fools Day. No joking about that.

I had some pain earlier that week and went immediately to the doc to make sure I didn't have another infection. I've been pretty freaked about infections.

Did I tell you that I have a new doctor? Dr. Norris quit me! I really thought we were making some progress together...Now I am seeing his partner. Dr. Hixon does tympanoplasties.. Dr. N does not. Whatever. I am sure they had a fabulous time discussing my case... and my psychoticness...

So Dr. Hixon said that it was time for the operation. No more waiting.

I had a lateral graft tympanoplasty, and here are some really cool (and somewhat disgusting) pictures from the microscope during the surgery. Don't look if you don't like blood. (I think he took these so that he can write about me in a medical journal!... not really)

The first one (the dark one) is looking down into my ear with an otoscope. The glowing yellow thing is the malleus bone. Notice that you can see the area behind the bone because I HAVE NO EARDRUM.

The second one is after they peeled back the ear. Same picture, just closer.

The third one is after he removed the excess skin from around the malleus.

The last one is after he replaced the eardrum with a graft! And you can't see through it anymore!

I know that is way too much information, but I find it really fascinating. I showed this picture to every person who came to visit me.

The operation took about three hours, and I was asleep for four.

There is nothing like anesthesia sleep, my friends.

Lortab/Phernegen sleep is pretty close. I kept doped up for about five days. It was great. If I talked to you during that time, I apologize.

Here is my incision:

I was really excited when I discovered that they SHAVED MY HAIR.

Thanks for that. It makes wearing a ponytail so very attractive.

I got my stitches out two days ago, and am on the mend (nothing but Advil since Tuesday).

Most of the swelling in my face has subsided, but my ear still sticks out pretty far. Justin keeps calling me an elf. Dr. H swears that it will go back to normal soon.

Oh, and the left side of my tongue is still "numb" to taste. Any food that makes it to that side of my mouth tastes terrible. Very very weird.

I have packing on both sides of the new eardrum, so my hearing is much worse, but should all be peachy in six to eight weeks.

And then I shall write a lovely post about how wonderful it is to hear.

Until then, surely I can find something else to write about. Because I am sure you are sick of reading about it.

I am certainly tired of dealing with it.

Peace and love.

Trauma-Rama

Remember reading those little reader letters in YM and Seventeen magazine?? I've been thinking about that this morning since my baby brother called me at 3:50 a.m.

He has no concept of time.

What I am about to write is traumatic, yes. But not so much in the "started my cycle in gym class in front of my crush who probably doesn't know my name" kind of way...

So really the title is just something that came to me in the wee hours. Bear with me. It is early.

Okay...so I should have gone to medical school.

I have correctly diagnosed myself so many times that by now I would have been a gazillionaire for only treating myself.

I really am deaf in my left ear. I was not exaggerating or being a hypochondriac.

And here is how that happened:

I got a drainage tube inserted in January to alleviate some of the pressure problems and residual fluid left over after my sinus surgery last July. My "narrow passages" weren't allowing my Eustachian tube to drain properly...

Standard procedure. The did it in the office. It burned like the fire of a thousand suns. I almost passed out, and the nurse had to get me a wet rag and make sure I didn't vomit on her. Not embarrassing at all.

Well, you know how they (whoever "they" are) say that a negligible percentage of people will have an adverse reaction to some portion of every procedure?

Well in this case that percentage is .0026.

And I am that person.

Mama always said I was special...

Apparently I have zero tolerance for Phenol, the drug used to anesthetize the eardrum. It is used to both numb and cauterize the area of the eardrum that is about to be operated on--so you don't feel it and it doesn't bleed.

Pretty much what happened is that the Phenol killed my eardrum. Seriously. The blood supply never came back, and it essentially died.

To make matters worse I developed a fungal infection--very common around here, but it further damaged the eardrum.

Goodbye eardrum. It was so nice to have you around for 28 years.

Here is a before and after for your viewing pleasure:
I really should be a graphic designer with those mad photoshop skills.

Basically, my ossicles (hearing bones) are flapping in the breeze.

My doctor actually said that.

I am going to have my eardrum replaced soon (probably May). I had no idea that could be done, but you know... the miracle of modern medicine. It's called a tympanoplasty. And they will have to CUT MY EAR OFF and glue it back on. HMMM...

So, the bad news is that I can't hear jack. And I have a huge hole in my head.

The good news is that my hearing should return to normal after the surgery... So far I have no permanent nerve damage. And I am not in any pain. I am, however, exhausted by the end of the day from just hearing noise.

And exhausted from finally being off Prednisone after 10 very long days.

Has anyone ever taken that? Seriously I thought my mind would explode. I was all over the place--getting up at 4:30 a.m. TO DO STUFF. That is so not me. I think I even freaked Justin out with my get-it-done-ness. I know it worried him when I couldn't stop to take a nap. That is certainly a clue that something is not quite right.

Anyway, if anyone wants to write an article about me in a medical journal, Holla.

Happy Anniversary to Me & My Man!

Today is my & Ju-C's FOURTH wedding anniversary! I really can't believe it has been that long--probably a good thing, huh?

I have ZERO wedding pictures on this here laptop, so I took this one off of Facebook... I can always count on Jill to have a picture of everything...

March 5, 2005 at Mathews Manor

Justin looks like he is about to pass out. Too bad I am not that skinny anymore... those were the good old days...

I know I am still skinny... just not THAT skinny. No comments about that, please.

I digress...

Justin and I give traditional gifts for anniversaries. That means I have to wait until we are married like a million years before I get any jewelry out of this deal. Year four is flowers/plants (and I told him that diamonds in the shape of flowers were perfectly acceptable).

He did not agree... I have a beautiful arrangement of pink and white lilies and tulips sitting on my kitchen island. {And a "Team Edward" t-shirt that should arrive tomorrow. My man has a sense of humor...at least I know he won't be embarrassed when I actually wear it.}

I bought him a tree.

I had never purchased a tree before, but found it quite fun and very easy. I got it from this online orchard...Willis Orchards. There are pictures of all the stuff they have so you just click and pick. His is a Meyer Lime and should fruit this year!

We have never had any citrus trees, but I have wanted one since we moved here.

Maybe I bought the tree for me??

No, no. Ju-C is certainly a yard man. We're (He's) going to put it in a large planter so we (he) can move it around when the frost comes (you know those two nights...).

We had a nice, quiet dinner at Mateer's. It was so nice to get some "face time" with no distractions. No phone calls... I forget what that is like since we don't eat out too often. You know, to a real restaurant...Chick-fil-A doesn't count.

Justin's business has been really busy (thank the Lord!). He's one of those overachiever types (what does he see in me???) and it was just good for us to get away from the house and work and church if only for a couple hours. His mind needed a break.

I'm thinking we need a vacation.

I keep waiting for my check from Publisher's Clearing House to come every day so we can go to Italy.

What if you really did see me on one of those commercials one day??!! That would be awesome!

I'm going to go to bed and pray for that.

Behind...very aware...

What I've been up to: (in pictures, because the words just aren't coming today)

I made cookies for my little friend Julian's 2nd birthday party. He had a railroad theme.

and then I made Valentine cookies for my Monday night Bible study girls...
And then on Valentine's Day, we went to the KOER Mardi Gras Ball. So fun!! This little lady was having a large time...
Me and Ju-C at the ball... These are our friends Jay & Laurie (Julian's mom and dad). They invited us to the ball.

And then I got the stupid tube taken OUT of my ear. I brought it home in a nice little baggy. I am even more sure than ever that Dr. Norris thinks I am a total psycho.It's amazing that something this tiny can cause so much trouble. I still can't hear and am waiting (oh so patiently...) for the large hole in my eardrum to heal up so maybe I can hear again. The End. I hope to have something funny to impart at a later date...