Nope

Nope, not pregnant.

Worry

Today on my way home from work, I began having some serious cramping. And when I got home, I noticed some spotting. Am I getting my period after 32 days? Or is it really just spotting? Or worse, am I having a miscarriage? Is fate laughing at me because I called the doctor today?

The doctor suggested going and getting an over-the-counter pregnancy test. So we'll know. One way or the other. Tomorrow.

Wondering...

Before we decided to try and get pregnant, I thought that pregnancy tests were a waste of money. If you're trying, and you miss you're period, you're pregnant. End of story. However, I'm beginning to see their benefits. I'm in the stage of 'am i late? or pregnant?' I could go out and get a pregnancy test. And it could tell me I'm pregnant or not. Of course, if it was negative, that wouldn't mean I wasn't pregnant, just that I would have to wait some more. Sigh.

So, I wait.

Jealous

E and I just found out friends are expecting. Their baby's been cookin' for about a month. And I'm jealous. This was supposed to be our time for the exciting news! OK, yes, we're a bit behind them and all... So, hopefully by time it's our turn to give the good news, I'll be done being jealous, and just happy for them.

And now I'm thinking, as I type this, I've been having some incredible mood swings today, and the intense smells are back... Maybe our news is just around the corner... Here's to hopin'.

Doubt

This morning I woke up with a bad headache. And I realized that I'm 26 days from the start of last green bean week. And I thought, Oh, that's why, it's just about time for my period. Queue the sad, pessimistic thoughts...

My incredible sense of smell is gone. And I'm sure it was just a fluke, I didn't really have an increased sense of smell. My chest is only sore because it's almost green bean week. My stomach cramps are gone, and that was really a non-sign since it was probably due to using those muscles picking up EG's 2 1/2 year old off the slide. And the headache is a sure sign that Aunt Flow (I've never called it that, but it seems somehow appropriate right now) is on her way.

Will the pessimism go away with the headache, I wonder?

Pregnant?

OK, so, to heck with Evan, I can keep from posting this until the time comes when we're sharing. We're trying to get pregnant. We've been trying since the last time my magic beans came up for re-upping, about June 16. Of course, that was green bean week, so we've been trying since then, but, you get the idea.

Since then, I've been seeing signs of being pregnant. My sense of smell is the biggest sign, I'm smelling EVERYTHING: the smoke of a neighbor's fire, the kitty box that was recently changed, the day lilies (who knew they had a sweet smell?)... And then there's the cramps. I've had cramps for the past week, and a couple of days ago, it was bad enough that I decided to take some Tylenol (I'm trying to be baby friendly, just in case). Of course, a couple of days before I was playing with EG's toddler, L, and I had sore muscles from that, so it could have been due to that... Add on top my sore breasts, and I'm wondering...

So, we'll see. In a short while I'll either get green bean week, or not. And we'll know.

Hail Storm

Summer time finally came to our neck of the woods this weekend. It was hot and muggy, it got up to 85. We'd planned to have E's family over for an afternoon cookout and the weather was cooperating. People arrived after 2pm, and everything was going well. Until we started up the grill around 5. That's when the summer storm hit.

It started with big fat rain drops. Then it turned into a downpour. And still, we were outside under the umbrella, giggling about the summer storm, counting Mississippis between booms of thunder. That was, until the hail started.

The hail was coming down in 1/4 inch chunks at first. Then they got bigger. And they didn't stop. At one point I ran out to rescue something from under the umbrella, and got hit by some of the larger pieces. It stung, more than I was expecting. The hail kept coming down as we watched from inside the house and Garage-Mahal. And it didn't stop until the ground was covered, it looked like it had snowed.

The rain, thunder, and lightening continued for a while, even after the power went out. And we talked about the phenomenon we'd just experienced. E's aunt had never seen a hail storm before in her life. She'll always remember this cookout!

The next day I went out to survey the damage. The veggies in the garden are flattened. The peas are all bent over. The peppers, which had been blooming and starting the baby peppers, now barely have any leaves, let alone flowers or baby peppers. The lettuce is completely flattened, splayed out like a mat on the ground. And my raspberry bushes, which for the first time in 3 years have berries, look like someone ran over them with their car. It's so very sad.

Another casualty of the hail, the rhubarb and katalpa tree. They have holes in the leaves, like someone shot them with a shotgun. Two folding chairs with cushy seats suffered the same fate.

OK, so, the silver lining. My rain barrels are full. I'll probably still get some peas. The spinach is so voracous that, while the hail did some damage, it's going to keep producing. It's early enough to plant some more for the summer. And, since we don't have the big garden ready yet, we'd bought a farm share at a local organic farm, that is just outside the path that the hail storm took.