Reality Check

Because I had a huge reality check last night, I thought it would be a good start to RESTARTING my blog.

I used my blog for a school assignment last quarter which is why I haven't posted anything personal on here in awhile.

However, I am going to try to keep you all updated with what's going on in my life from now on! (this is a very very hard thing to accomplish for me... if you have read previous posts, I have made this statement a couple times now!)

Monday.
This was my first day off of work.  I had my 24 week check up and everything looked great besides the massive weight gain. I gained 10 lbs in a month... mind you, they did not take into account if I had gone to the bathroom that day yet (gross I know... but it can add a couple lbs right?).  My blood pressure was completely normal though, so they said not to worry just to be careful for the next few months :) 

Then they measured Payslie and figured out where my weight went... using the measuring tape on my belly, she was measuring at 26 weeks! 2 weeks ahead... so she must have had a major growth spurt! Boy am I in trouble if she keeps this up!

The rest of the day, I did laundry and picked up the house.  I started to have a lot of lower back pain to the point where I kept having to sit down and put my feet up.  This continued until bedtime and a little into the next day.

On Tuesday, instead of back pain, I had nausea.  This is a normal symptom of pregnancy, but I havent had a day of morning sickness!  I drank lots of water and made sure I wasn't hungry, but I couldn't get rid of it.

By 5:30, I was in the dressing room at Ross and felt liquid get squeezed out.  I won't go into detail, but it was enough to make me concerned and it happend a couple times so i called my doctor.  They ended up sending me into labor and delivery to double check that I wasn't leaking amniotic fluid or going into labor!

They hooked me up to the doppler and watched everything.  According to the tests, it wasn't amniotic fluid so I was safe to go home.  However, I am supposed to keep an eye on everything and if it happens again, head straight back :)

Payslie was so active at the hospital!  I felt as if she was moving around more then she usually does... maybe it's because of the pressure of the doppler?  The midwife kept making comments on how the scan showed the maturity of a 30 week baby and not a 24 week baby :)  That she is an overacheiver and it's no wonder I have been feeling her move since 13 weeks.

Yay for passing on our genes!  So far, Payslie is just like her mommy and daddy :)  Be ready world!

Crowdsourcing "F"

Following the railroad track with her eyes, she searched for any type of movement.  When she could see no further, she decided to slowly push herself up to look through the grass. The only sound that could be heard was the wind, and the slow but stressed breathing of her "troops". 

Scanning the surrounding area, she noticed in the distance behind them, a dark feature standing in the trees.  She knew it couldn't have been a zombie.  If it had, the zombie would have attacked them by now.

Motioning to her troops to crawl off the tracks, she slowly stood up waving to the shadow.
"Hey!  You in the trees!"  The shadow inched further into the trees, but she heard a response.  Was that the same voice she heard earlier high up in the tree informing them about a corn field?

Ted Talks

I have to say, that while most of the visuals were entertaining and kept my mind from wandering, I felt that they also added some confusion.  There were a couple parts that were moving so quickly that I didn't understand completely what was going on.  I had to pause the video a couple times and rewind so I could better understand his point.

However, I also felt that the visuals provided a great way to explain what he was talking about.  I tried to listen to the video while working on something else but couldn't understand what was going on; I had to keep my eyes on the screen.

I wasn't in class last week to be able to draw parallels, but from what I have read from other blogs I can see the connection.  I never put much thought into how I read a comic, on screen or on paper, I just naturally did it.  However, it makes sense how it can be confusing without direction and what it could take to make a comic easily understandable, or easily read, on a computer.

I can draw connections from today's class and Scott's speech.  He spoke about blind faith and how scientists or inventors have a lot of trouble promoting ideas when there isn't proof it will actually work.  I had to promote my dumb product first today, and feel I got to experience that first-hand.  I have never promoted a product and had no idea what I was supposed to do.  Because I went first, I couldn't even watch other people to get an idea of how to present.

Run, Lola, Run

Remember the choose your own adventure books?  I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THOSE!  They were my favorite to read as a child and the movie reminded me of those books.  I actually was considering getting a couple for the kids I nanny so that they may experience them before I saw the movie.

It was interesting how they made a movie into that format.  It seemed a lot like the choose your own adventure books, but at the same time it was very similar to any video game.  I have only played one RPG, Zelda the Twilight Princess, but my husband has played many.   You choose your own path and do what you want to do, but if you screw up, you have to start over or back track and fix everything.  He has started playing with the game guides so that he doesn't have to start over and can follow the game step-by-step.

The movie also made me think of my own life in a personal way.  What situations have we created just by the way that we have reacted?  Could it be my fault that someone isn't happy today?  Could I have made another person's day by smiling and saying hi... and later instead of committing suicide they decided to live?  That's a pretty deep thing to think about, but at the same time, the movie was also implying this thought.  Each time she interacted with another person, their future was shown and each time the story changed, their future changed.

How can we live our lives in hopes to touch others in a way that helps and not hinders them?

DICE Video Response

I was amazed at most of the views that Schell had regarding online games.  However, I wasn't surprised :)  I nanny for 4 children in 2nd and 3rd grade and they are all addicted to ClubPenguin, Webkins, an online wizard game, and many other online games.  They are constantly asking their parents for money to buy the latest equipment for their characters.  It saddens me that times have changed so drastically from when I was a kid.  Children have their own computers and choose to play those instead of go outside!  I am constantly trying to pull them off the computer so we can go play at a park or something else entertaining.. but they always beg to get to the next level.


Schell mentioned that one day things will become unified, such as the iphone.  I can see where people would argue against this, but at the same time, I completely believe it.  Our world is becoming a computerized world.  We don't even talk face to face anymore, but rather communicate through text or chat rooms.  Shopping is even turning into online shopping and eventually we may not even have outside malls.  Not that this has anything to do with unified products, but we are a changing world and will do what it takes to make things easier.  Haven't there already been game companies that have joined together in the past?  How is that not believable that we could have just one game console in the future?


He spoke a lot about earning points for things that we do.  I laughed about this thought, but know we are headed in that direction.  Prizes/points motivate people to do things and it could be used to make this world a "better" place.  I'm not sure that this would work for everyone, but at least everyone would brush their teeth?!?  One thing that concerns me is that when we continue to receive prizes for what we do, we learn to not do something without gain.  If you give a child a piece of candy every time they go use the potty, they will expect that candy for years and will throw tantrums if they don't get it.  I am afraid that if we give points for everything we do, people will stop doing things out of the goodness of their heart.  Does that make sense?


I thought the video was hilarious.  It made me think of what our world is becoming and where we are headed... not sure if I really want to be a part of the game that we are all going to play :)

Day 6

Whatever Tickles your fancy...
Well... considering it's been a couple days since I have blogged... I can write about a whole lot!  A lot has happened in the last couple days... some that I can't go into detail about... but life is definitely changing once again!  Just keep us in  your prayers :)

Day 5

Favorite quote.
I know I didn't post yesterday, so I will be doing two.  It's really hard for me to think of quotes... I have a short term memory I think haha.  But I really like the quote that my friend used during her 25 days of blogging:

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman

I have also always loved the quote, "never quit smiling because you don't know who's watching" or something like that.

 If I think of more, I will post them as comments :)