Sunny With A Chance of A Son!

Joe and I celebrated 8 years together yesterday. EIGHT. We didn't do anything special, just wished each other a happy anniversary multiple times throughout the day and smooched a bunch but it feels pretty momentous. Eight years ago at that fateful No Pants Party we became a couple. I'm so grateful to have found him. He's my best friend, my husband, the father to our pups and now son. I love that man so much.

Holy shit I have a son! AHHHH! I gave birth on 2/5/14 after waiting FOREVER for this stubborn little boy to make his debut. He finally joined the world and we could not be more in love with him.


The birth story, oof, get ready...

 Monday (2/3/14) I woke up at 8AM and went to the bathroom and when I wiped it had the pink snotty look. I called my mom to verify it was my mucus plug, she said it sounded like it, then I started having some contractions so we both got excited. I hung up with her and jumped in the shower and then went to my OB appointment at 10. I told them about losing my plug and the contractions, when the OB came in she wanted to check me. I was at 80% effaced and 1cm dilated. So we did the fetal heart monitoring and checked my fluids on ultrasound and little boy looked good. She said to go home and labor there as she thought he might come that night or Tuesday morning. So Joe and I got really excited and went home. I called work to let them know I was in labor and called my team to let them know I would miss the show that night. I called my doula, my pal Jenn, who is a registered nurse. She was on a 12 hour shift in the ICU at UCLA so when she was done she'd come over. I called my pal Kathy (who I've known since first grade) and she was going to drive up from San Diego that evening to be here. I labored at home all day and that evening. Everyone rolled up after dinner time. We all stayed up pretty much all night, they all crashed around 3:30am-8am. I slept in maybe 10-15 minute intervals from 3-6am waking up with every contraction.

Tuesday I kept laboring and the OB called around 12pm to ask how everything was going. She was worried since I didn't come into the hospital that night. I said I was great just laboring and she told me to go to the hospital and get checked just in case. They could always send me home. So I ate some ramen and Joe did a load of dishes and we all headed into Cedars Sinai. I got checked into Labor & Delivery and we waited about an hour or so for the midwife to come check me out. By then I was dilated 5.5cm and at 100% effaced and baby was at negative 2 station. So they decided to keep me there. I labored in the hospital for awhile. Things were going well, contractions were getting longer and stronger and closer together.

 At 4:58am on Wednesday my water broke, I felt a gush of liquid and it was clear. Later the liquid turned a bit brownish so they said it was a plus one meconium and we needed to watch it to make sure it didn't get worse. That also meant that a pediatric team would need to be there at delivery to check baby boy to make sure he didn't aspirate any of the meconium. The contractions then got unbearably strong. I got 3 shots of fentanyl (1 every hour) they took the edge off the contractions but that was all I could get so then the pain came back and I felt nauseous from it and the nurse said I turned green. Joe convinced me to just get the epidural even though I hadn't wanted to before. The pain just felt so localized to where I had my spine surgery, it felt unbearable. They hooked me up at 7:52am to the epidural and that was sweet relief. Then labor slowed. Contractions were every 5-7 minutes from the every 1-2 they were before. I stalled at 8cm dilated, still 100% and baby was at 0 station. The doctor really recommended the pitocin even though I didn't want to as she had waited until 1:30pm and I was just stuck. She said she would give me 2 more hours to try to make something happen by shifting positions in bed. At 3:30pm I was still stuck so we did the pitocin and did loads more shifting. They up-ed the pitocin VERY slowly since I didn't want it and baby boy's heart rate stayed steady and he was a champ. I started to get a little fever so they were watching me and then decided to put me on antibiotics just to be safe for little man for delivery.

By 7pm I had finally hit 10cm (which no one could believe, even me) and I was fully dilated and baby was down to a +1 to +2 station-it was amazing news. So the OB gave the go ahead that I could push and try to get baby further down. We started pushing at 7:52pm. For about an hour or so it was just to get him to a +3 station. Then we really started pushing to get him to the pubic bone. He kept getting in and going back. They let me watch in a mirror when you could actually see he head start to poke through a bit. It was CRAZY. And my labia was so swollen and purple and totally unrecognizable. I'm glad I looked but so weird!

Then the doctor was called and came in, she really couldn't believe how well I was doing. I was in stirrups with my doula pushing on one leg and Kathy pushing on the other leg. I was holding and pulling on handlebars. Joe was giving me water in between each push. I pushed more, they put me on oxygen in between pushes to help with baby and my fever spiked to 101 due to pushing and hard contractions. Baby was in my pelvic bone then and we were working so hard to get him through. Those last 30-45 minutes of pushing were awful, the plastic smell of the oxygen, then extreme pressure in my undercarriage, feeling like I couldn't breathe and being told to slow down my breathing, then the horrible pressure to push only to work so hard and not get him through. It was tough. I got to the point where I was just wishing for an episiotomy to get him through. Then I was pushing and he started to come and it felt like I was being torn open and burned with a blow torch at the same time. They kept saying push to 10, now give me 5, now 3, and out from somewhere deep inside came the most primal scream I've ever made or heard. It just burst out and he came out too. I guess my OB had grabbed his head and twisted him and helped pull his body out while I was pushing it. Then it was the relief of the burning stopping and the feel of a huge gush of blood and they put him on my tummy.

 The cord was short so they had Joe cut it right away. The drugs had TOTALLY stopped working for me at that point. Once he was cut they put him on my chest and were wiping him and I was crying and saying "that's my baby, that's my precious baby". Pediatrics said he looked a little blue so they took him to the warmer. The doctor was pushing my placenta down with "massage" on my belly (which really feels like they're reaming on you). She delivered my placenta which apparently was HUGE and had the entire caul intact which I guess never really happens. They packaged that up for my doula to take and turn into capsules for me.

Then whilst my OB began to use 4 shots of lidocaine to numb my vag (redheads are notorious for high anesthesia tolerance) to sew me up the peds team announced my boy was 11lbs. 15oz. and the whole room erupted with "WHOA!" and "Oh my god" and "Damn" and "TWELVE POUNDS!", then they read off his length of 23" and Joe cut the excess cord off and they suctioned his mouth and nose just in case. They put him back on my chest while I was being stitched up and ow-ing because it still wasn't all the way numb. The OB and nurse told me that I tore completely normally for a first time mom and that they were shocked it wasn't more as I'm a redhead and he was so huge.

I held our boy and Joe came over and I asked Joe if he looked like our Finnigan and Joe said yes. We both cried a little and smooched him and each other. It just felt so complete right then. After that we thanked everyone so much, the girls hugged me, I thanked the nurses and the OB. I just felt so overcome with gratitude for our little man, for a healthy baby, for a great though painful delivery, and for everyone who supported us. The room slowly began to clear out. They wrapped up the stitching and gave me a catheter when I couldn't pee in a bed pan to empty my very full bladder. The nurse helped pad me up and put on the mesh undies. They had me breastfeed Finn. They transferred me to a roller bed since I couldn't walk to get to a wheelchair. Then they wheeled us off to the mama wing and everyone congratulated us on the way.

All the nurses on the newborn wing were so sweet and Joe went to the nursery for Finn's first bath (he pooped FOUR times during his bath), he passed all his screeners, got his vitamin k and eye drops, was dressed and swaddled, ate some more, and then we all passed out. All the nurses agreed he was the biggest baby they had ever seen delivered vaginally (a.k.a. I'm crazy) so they all called him big guy and me wonder woman and everyone agreed he was the cutest baby. Loads of jokes about him being toddler sized over the next couple days. Pediatrician said he was doing great (our first appointment was Monday-all looks great!) and my OB came back the next day and checked me and said I was swollen but that it all looked great. So we got all cleared to leave Friday once the pediatrician checked the circumcision my OB did Thursday night.

All in all it was a crazy, painful, horrible, miraculous, amazing process and I wouldn't do anything differently. I'm glad I went sans drugs as long as I could, I'm glad I got them when I really needed them, I'm glad the pitocin went really slow and worked, and I am so glad I delivered him myself. I know I can do anything now. And my heart is so full. I cannot even express how grateful I feel and how in bliss I am. It really is a hormone high. I just love that little guy and Joe and our friends and our pups and our nurses so much. It's ridiculous.

We've been home a full week now and I just cannot get enough of this baby boy. He's perfect. Every breath, cry, snuggle, smile, poop, coo, everything just seems so right. I love being his mama already. He is the love and light of my life. His puppy brothers love him something awful and cannot stop giving him little licks and sniffs all the time. Joe is so smitten with "his baby". We all just love this Lil' Dude so much. After 60 hours of labor, 3 hours of pushing, all 11 lbs. 15 oz. and 23" of him is all ours and we cannot get enough. He's our precious boy, Finnigan.

 

Partly Sunny With A Chance of Punching People in the Throat

I would have to say my two biggest pregnancy pet peeves are the following:

1.) When you touch and/or grope my stomach without permission. I really don't care how well we know each other, ASK. Ask EVERY time. I cannot emphasize this enough. ASK EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU WANT TO TOUCH OR RUB OR MOLEST MY STOMACH. I am not big on being touched normally, especially on my stomach. Just because it's bigger and contains a person definitely does not allow you to invade my personal space without permission. It is NOT okay. Seriously NOT okay. In fact it bugs me even more because that is my child, I am vulnerable right now and so is he. NO TOUCHING. Make eye contact with me, ask, usually I will say yes unless I am REALLY not in the mood for it. I understand it's cool and interesting and you want to know, so I seriously almost always say yes. BUT FUCKING ASK ME. Otherwise no matter how much I know or like or even love you, I may punch you in your throat. Or grab your stomach. Or touch your boob or penis. That's how it feels to me. It feels like a violation if there is no permission. So just ask. Please.

2.) Hearing about how huge I am or how huge my belly is or huge some other body part of mine is. I get it, it is pretty big. I am carrying an almost 10lb. child. I know how big I am. I am also very self conscious about how big I am. There are days I feel gorgeous, honestly. There are also days where I feel disgustingly huge and covered in stretch marks and gross. So to hear you say "You're huge!" "Look at how big your ankles are!" "You have sausage toes right now!" "That belly is going to explode/pop/burst!" makes me want to punch you in your stupid face. Seriously. When is it acceptable to EVER say those things to anyone? So just because I'm pregnant you get a free ride to be rude? I don't think so. I had an ass-clown at Trader Joe's ask me yesterday if I was having twins because his sister did and she was HUGE (complete with a hand gesture to show how huge she was).  I'm not kidding when I say I wanted to pummel this guy. How rude can you be?! How stupid?! You're an ass-hat! I should have asked if he was getting braces since his teeth were so fucked up and 4 years of braces made my teeth perfect. It is not okay to say shit like that. NOT OKAY. Say it in your head but do not say it to an overly emotional and vulnerable pregnant woman who no doubt has already said horrible shit to herself in a bad self-esteem moment. Don't be a dick.

I know I sound like a see you next Tuesday a little but seriously, have people lost their common sense? In a normal situation it isn't okay to just grab, touch, grope, rub, or molest someone so don't do it when they're pregnant. In a normal situation it isn't okay to comment about how huge someone's anatomy is-it's really rude in fact. So don't do it when that person in pregnant. Use the common sense you have, please. I don't think it's that hard. And if it is that hard for you just be prepared that if you do that to me I may just punch you in your throat and/or face and say something horrible to you in return. That might just happen.


Other than those two things driving me nuts things are good. Just getting impatient to meet my Lil' Dude. He doesn't seem to be wanting to exit any time soon. I saw my delivery OB today who after fisting me told me that my cervix is still closed but has softened to about 50-60% effaced. She is still pushing for induction and I am still fighting that with all my mama might. If I dilate at all by my appointment Thursday she'll strip my membranes which is a natural (and super painful) way to try to kick-start labor. Good times. As of right now it just seems like Lil' Dude is content in there so I am trying to be patient with him. Although he has to know I am way more stubborn than he is so if we're doing a battle of the wills I will win. I have 29 more years experience of being bull-headed and stubborn so he's in for it. Until them I keep eating spicy foods twice a day, walking a lot, having "date night" with my husband, eating mango & pineapple, nipple stimulation, rubbing oils on my hoo-ha, and bouncing on my exercise ball to try to get this little giant out. We'll see if it takes! Until then everything is ready to go & Joe and I made 7 dozen pierogi and 4 pans of golabki for our freezer to have for meals after baby arrives. We are prepared! :D

Hope all is well with you dear Chickens!


 

Sunny With A Chance of ANother Letter

To My Son,

Oh my gosh, you're almost here! We're at 39 weeks and 2 days which means you literally can come any moment now. You're Dada and I are so excited to meet you buddy! I just wanted to say some things before you get here to remember these last fleeting moments with you so close to my heart.

First, I love you so much Lil' Dude. I cannot stress that enough. I am so excited to hold you in my arms but I know I will miss our time with you in my belly. You're so close and I can rub and pat and talk to you all the time. You must know how much I love you bud, I say it all the time. Plus in there you're getting to hear my heart so I know you know how it beats for you. Goodness sakes this household loves you. Mama, Dada, Colonel Mustard & Zebbie too. These 3 guys have been snuggling you and Mama extra hard, they can't wait to meet you either! Just know you are going to be surrounded with so much love.

Second, your extended family cannot wait to meet you either! Papa/Djadja & Gamma/Buscia are coming out in February just to meet you little man.  We're going to let you pick what you call them but just know they're so excited to meet you and love you so much already. The rest of the family (on both sides) can't wait until Spring when we bring you back to Michigan to introduce you to everyone. Get ready to be smothered in snuggles and kisses little one!

Third all your honorary "aunts" and "uncles" or Mama & Dada's pals also cannot wait to meet you! Everyone is busting at the seams to know when you're going to arrive. Not just here in L.A. but in Chicago, Michigan, and New York too. You're going to be welcomed into this world with so much love little one. You are already so loved and anticipated, I know you can feel that.

We just want you to arrive when you're ready, come out healthy and strong, and to be ready to be loved on by so many folks. You're a lucky little man to be so wanted and loved already pal. We're prepping extra hard to make sure everything is nice and clean and cozy for your home-coming and we've taken all the classes, prepped our hospital bags, set-up & cleaned all the stuff we have for you, are constantly cleaning the apartment, are set up our cloth diaper service to properly guard your little tush and kielbasa from wet & dirty stuffs, and are preparing meals to freeze so we can not have the bother of needing to cook a bunch once you get here. We're just so excited buddy! All this prep just keeps reminding us that you will arrive any day now!

We're trying extra hard to get your puppy brothers ready to meet you. They're extra snuggly right now and we expect a little jealousy to happen but we know they will love you so much. I think Colonel is going to think you're his baby and though Zebbie can be tentative with some kiddos I think he will take to you like he did to your cousin Staszie. They already love all your swag and will want to play with you (and all your toys) tons. We're going to have such a fun time with all three of you, I just know it.

Buddy, I just want to remind you of our agreements and to promise to you again all of these things. I want you to know that I love you first and foremost and that I will try my damnedest to provide you with all the love and guidance you need. You just get ready little guy, this is going to be pretty epic. And even when you hate me, you just remember that I love you. That I have loved you this whole time and will always love you. You just remember that I suffered through 24/7 punches and kicks from you ya big giant because I love you. No matter what you are perfect to me. Dad and I love you SO much. Just finish baking in there and come out soon. So many of us want to meet you and love you!

 I love you Lil' Dude, with all my heart.
*Mama*

 

Sunny With A Chance of 2014!

Well hello Dear Chickens and welcome to this glorious New Year! Am I right?

Ours started off with such an amazing surprise-we got to go to the Rose Bowl! Due to the amazing generosity of a Spartan alumni family I helped set-up a birthday party for at the restaurant I work at on a day we were closed this family offered Joe & I two free tickets to The Rose Bowl to see our Spartans triumph against Stanford. It was the MOST amazing day and such a once in a lifetime opportunity for us. We sat in the 4th row on the 45 Yard Line. I was maybe ten steps from the field. I was behind the Spartan bench, could see every play in front of me (no need for the big screen or binoculars), the band played right to us, we met Rich Homie Quan (he's apparently a big rapper, I'm too old to know who this was I guess), and we sat in front of the President of the university and the Board of Trustees-it was CRAZY & PHENOMENAL. I cannot stress how amazing this all was and how thankful we were and are to have been there. It was such a great start to our year!

Such an awesome and amazing and perfect day! 2014 is continuing to be pretty glorious as our Lil' Dude is going to be here soon. We've packed our hospital bags, installed our car seat, have the apartment pretty much set-up for him, are making meals to freeze for postpartum, ordered the breast pump through the insurance, are doing our diaper service set-up & demo tomorrow, have someone on-call to watch our beloved pups, and are just waiting for our guy to arrive! We had a bit of drama with the insurances switching but my new insurance through Blue Shield & Covered CA has agreed to cover Cedars Sinai for me which is where I am set to deliver so that was a HUGE load off of us. Now we're just waiting for Lil' Dude to want some more space and come out to meet us!

My sketch show also opened which is very exciting. We are playing every Monday night at 7pm until the end of February at The Second City Hollywood. Tickets are $10 ($1 for current Second City students, Free for those in the Industry with a business card). Check us out if you are in L.A. the eight of us in the show wrote it, produced it, and are starring in it. Me, My Selfie, & I is such fun and I am so excited for this final capstone on my Conservatory Program at Second City. Please come see me be a dork on stage!

So far that's what's been happening this month. Pretty great kick-off to 2014. Cannot wait for all that this year has in store & cannot wait to meet our Lil' Dude soon! Take care dearest Chickens.


 

Sunny With A Chance of 2013 Review!

Hello dear Chickens! It's getting to be the very  end of the year and I've been reflecting on this crazy whirlwind that was 2013. So here is my 2013 in Review:

January: We left MI after visiting our families on New Year's day. I got approved for my back surgery on Jan. 4th (which was HUGE). Colonel turned 3 on 1/14 (I can't believe he's almost 4, WHAT?!). We went to Las Vegas to visit our pals at Dog is God in Reverse before they moved to Alaska and had a mini 10 year reunion with her and our pal Trevor (Chemics!). Watched the SAG awards and loved them as always. Fell in love with Kid President and his amazing motivational talks. I went to The Ellen Show, ended there was no room for us, sigh.

February: I walked a Color Run 5k with my Second City peeps and it was AMAZING. I want to do another one. I met Keith Coogan with my pal Heather (who had the BIGGEST childhood crush on him ever), he's SUPER nice! The Shakespeare nerd that I am got super excited about Richard III being found. I got sick, boo! My surgery got moved back (boo) but only by a day (phew). The webseries 2 Hopeful Spinsters I was an actor in and did wardrobe for premiered with a season opener starring my pals and Michael Madsen! Joe and I celebrated SEVEN years together on 2/12/13. Colonel Mustard broke his ankle on that same day and I bawled my eyes out, I do not do well when my buddies are hurt. He then got a cast that he wore for quite a few weeks to heal, he also chewed himself out of those casts multiple times. I finished Conservatory 4 at The Second City Hollywood Training Center and had to take a break from moving on to Con 5 and graduating as I needed spinal surgery. I found out I had an enlarged thyroid and had to deal with that crap. I had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin and found out that I should never take that (or any penicillin) again so I don't die. I got a bit down and freaked out here.

March: I had a last hurrah before surgery and got to spend the night laughing with good pals who wished me well before surgery. I felt a mixed bag of emotions before surgery here and honestly felt like I was facing my own mortality. March 5th at 5am I went in to surgery. This day changed my life. I was so scared, Joe and I said goodbye just in case, I crawled naked onto a freezing surgery table, I woke up in bed with a huge scar down my front to Joe's face and beautiful flowers and well wishes from family and friends who are like family. I was fixed after 10 years of broken. It was a hard week in the hospital, really hard, but I started to heal. I went home on 3/9 and lived on pain meds for a bit. I got thrush from being in the hospital and cleared it up by oil pulling with coconut oil. My mom came out from MI to take care of me for a week and it was a great week of being super spoiled. Then Joe had spring break and took care of me for another week. Then my pal Benny came out from NYC (on tour with Beauty & the Best) and took care of me for 2 weeks. I was quite spoiled whilst healing up. I got a sweet handicap parking pass which really helped me a lot. We got our wedding photos back, they were gorgeous! I had a lovely Easter with pals and got to spend the day outside, even though I got a sunburn.

April: April is Autism Awareness month and it is very dear to me as my cousin has Autism. We celebrated Zebbie's 1 Year Gotcha Day, cannot believe how fast that flew and how it seems like we've had him forever. We celebrated the birth of Gwendolyn Everlast a.k.a. our pal Natalie. We also went down to San Diego and spent a weekend with our pal K Mac-Bakes. The Boston City Marathon bombing happened which broke my heart. Texas quake happened which also broke my heart. I bought Betty Goes Vegan and my stomach rejoiced. I saw End of the Rainbow starring Tracie Bennett and it was magic. Got a much needed tax refund-huzzah! We lost my cousin Ronnie which was really hard. Loads of states passed Gay Marriage Equality bills and I rejoiced.

May: We had a movie theatre premiere, red carpet and all, of 2 Hopeful Spinsters and it was AMAZING. Stars were there, Joe & I dressed up, it was our first big night out after my surgery. We celebrated our 4th Annual Vegan Beer Fest and it was MAGIC. I actually got in to The Ellen Show and it was awesome. I watched a lot of 90s Nickelodeon shows. Joe and I went to France and it was wonderful. I got super sick in Paris which was NOT wonderful. Turned out what we thought was food poisoning was our son, we panicked then rejoiced once my surgeon okayed us. Then we kept our secret until we were through the first trimester.

June: I was nauseated all month-ugh first trimester was ROUGH. Esther Williams died and my heart broke. Celebrated K Mac-Bakes bday, mys sister's bday, my Tacquito's graduation, struggled through the anniversary of my cousin's death, Father's Day, my pal Bridgey's bday, and Emily's bday. Laughed my butt off at BRF Syndrome. James Gandolfini passed away and my heart broke. Joe and I drove to Michigan (of course our car Rosalita broke down and had to be fixed but it was Firestone's fault). We had a wonderful time at home and I got to snuggle my nephew extra hard. We celebrated the retirement of my high school theatre's dream team.

July: We were still in Michigan for the start of July. Loads more cuddles with my little nephew. Mini reunion with some grade school chums that was pretty awesome. We picked our anniversary/reception spot. I met up with my pal that I had known since I was a little kid and hadn't seen in thirteen years & met her kiddos. We brought back my parents VCR & my childhood VHS collection. It was amazing. Zimmerman got away with murder and I felt sick in my soul. I fell in love with West Wing & Orange is the New Black. Dennis Farina passed away and I was heart broken. We announced our pregnancy publicly. The family I now babysit for and have known since college moved to L.A. I started swimming after a year long hiatus and it felt amazing. Signed up for my Conservatory 5 audition for Second City. Eileen Brennan passed away and my heart was sad.

August: Minnesota and Rhode Island joined those states who gave equal marriage rights to the LGBTQ community and my heart was happy. We found out that I am a carrier for Fragile X and my world came crashing down. I had an amniocentesis to determine if our baby would be born with disabilities, be a carrier like me, or be "normal". Those few weeks before the amnio and after were hell. The results came in here and I felt lost still. There were still so many decisions to make. Our car got towed and we shelled out $300+ for it, blerg! My first pregnant lady brain moment happened when I locked myself out of my locker with clothes and had to wander the gym in a bathing suit looking for Joe. We revealed we were having a baby boy here. The 2 Hopeful Spinsters webseries was apart of the Hollyshorts film festival. I felt the baby move for the first time on 8/23, that was crazy! News of Syria made my heart explode with sadness. I was accepted into the final level of Conservatory at Second City. My pal Monica visited and I got to see the Disney Animation Studios and my brain and heart were so happy I almost died.

September: We celebrated Labor Day with the rascals of Second City Hollywood and it was amazing. I hung with pals and watched Sharknado-it was crappy awesome. I bought my son his coming home outfit (it's this with Bill in blue). Joanna Garcia crushed my dreams of being Ariel on Once Upon A Time so now I hold out hope to be Merida (I have the hair). I let everyone know that being pregnant can be gross here. I wrote a letter to my son here and it's become my favorite post ever and I will give this to him when he is older. I went to my first Dodgers game and wore Tigers stuff cuz I love Detroit for life! My 2 pups were attacked by 2 other dogs and I almost beat the crap out of the dogs' owner for being useless and letting her dogs bite mine and not stopping them or getting them on their stupid leashes. I hate that lady. I graduated up to maternity swimsuits as my bump could no longer be tamed. I got the dreaded pregnancy cold that wouldn't die.

October: We were reunited with our college pal LaFawnduh and received an adorable baby gift from her. Joe and I went to Michigan to celebrate our one year anniversary of marriage. We had a blast and got to soak in some real fall weather, see lots of loved ones, make and eat delicious food, and party it up with pals and loved ones. See the pics here! We got held up in Chicago but made it back to L.A. after a lot of lameness. I hit the cankle phase of pregnancy where my ankles and calves swelled together to form one. My Tigers were kicking ass and taking names. My son received so much swag from all those who love us. Jimmy Leyland announced his retirement and I wept as he will always be my favorite crotchety Tiger. I finished my baby registry on amazon.com (find that right here). Marcia Wallace passed away and my childhood wept. We started our Prepared Childbirth Classes and loved our instructor. Lou Reed passed away, sadness again. I failed my first gestational diabetes test but passed the awful 3 hour one and then almost passed out. Joe and I went as hipster Ariel & Eric for Halloween with the kiddos I babysit and their folks, it was a blast!

November: The mentoring program for kids in less funded schools for writing put on their big show and I was so proud to be apart of it and of those kids' hard and amazing work! It was so special. :) The LAX shooting happened and I got so damn fed up with all the gun violence happening. My Spartans KILLED the Wolverwieners in football and my heart rejoiced. Spartan nation baby! My phone took a big crap and I have been struggling with it since as I can't upgrade until March. Same sex marriage became recognized in Illinois and my heart was happy. We received an amazing gifts of stroller/carseat combo from our pals Lizz & Sherm. I made a list of things to remember here. We hung out with our pals Bridget (came from NYC), Lizz & Sherm (came from San Fran), and Katie (here in L.A.) and it was epic. My son was measuring 4lbs. 6oz. already-BIG dude. My Pops and brother had birthdays and I was sad to miss them. My cousin Kate visited from Chicago and it was awesome. We found a crib we liked! Spartans continued to dominate in football. USC cut off dependent insurance screwing me and baby boy over big time and the hunt for new insurance began. We celebrated Friendsgiving with old pals and new & the kiddos I babysit for and it was a feast of food and good times. We got a storage unit to make way for baby stuff. I did a photo shoot with my cast for the opening of our show in January (check us out here on Facebook or on Twitter or on Instagram).

December: I turned 29 on December 1st and had my baby shower and it was an amazing day. I received an out-pouring of love from friends and family near and far and felt so special. I couldn't have asked for more. We decorated our apartment with our tree, stockings, wreath, etc. and I got into the holiday spirit. Joe turned 31 and I spoiled him rotten and he loved it. My grandma had a mini stroke and I didn't really talk about it to anyone publicly but it's been hard and my brother and my aunt have been keeping me in the loop and I am so grateful to them for all the help they're giving to her and my grandpa. She is now doing better and I am very grateful. I promoted the crap out of my show opening in January and continue to do so, have you visited the pages and liked us yet? You should, it would mean a lot to me. I wrote, produced, and am starring in this sucker. Please show your support! Nelson Mandela died and my soul broke, Madiba means so much to the world and to me. He is an inspiration for all. Paul Walker passed away and my 12 year old self wept. I was apart of this video parodying the Guinness commercial. I performed a lot of shows with my cast-mates of Me, My Selfie, and I (January 6th we open ay 7pm). I met Lily Tomlin and JoAnn Worley both of whom I love and did bits with me about my giant belly and son. The Spartans became Big 10 champs and are going to the Rose Bowl!!! We decorated the tree at our L.A. family's home and were once again awarded the best light crew award. We made a vegan french onion chip dip and my tummy did a happy dance. Second City had its holiday party and I saw so many of the people I love there and got to perform at Gradfest. I hit 9 months pregnant and my son is huge and just dropped causing my hips and pelvis to feel like they're breaking. My Zebbie pup turned 2! My nephew turned 1! We hosted an orphan Xmas and it was awesome and my cousin came down from Beale airforce base and we got to spend time with him and his wife and it was magic. Last night Joe and I went on our last big Date Night as just a couple with fur-babies. We went to Shojin vegan sushi and The Hunger Games Catching Fire. It was so lovely and a nice last big date together before little man arrives. Sometimes it's just nice to date your husband. Now we prep for tomorrow where we get to meet Coach Mark D'Antonio and Coach Tom Izzo-WHAT?!!! So excited!!!! Best Xmas present ever if I do say so myself. Then we spend a low-key New Year's Eve together.

So all in all 2013 was crazy. Major lows but some pretty great highs too.

And for 2014 here is my plan instead of resolutions:
Before Midnight On New Year's Eve: Write down the things you are DONE with in your life on a piece of paper and BURN IT. THEN: write all you want, desire, wish, dream of on another piece of paper. fold it and seal it in an envelope marked "TO BE OPENED NEW YEAR'S EVE 2014". Put it someplace that you'll remember...sock drawer, your Memory Box, diary, etc...When you open it next year, you'll be astonished at how many of those things came true! Happy New Year 2014!

I think this is a much better plan for me than setting resolutions that I forget about. Plus how fun will it be to read that list next year on New Year's Eve. As the year draws to a close I hope you all have a lovely New Year celebrations and that your 2014 is full of love, laughter, fun, and all the good things!

Take care dear Chickens & see you in 2014! :)