M.I.A.

..would be the best way to describe me these days..

Where do I start?? I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. Ours was wonderful! I took three Englishmen home with me, cooked for 2 days, ate for the rest, and spent a few hours in the ER. That pretty much sums up my holiday!

I'll explain.. We took 2 friends home with us for Turkey Day, both on the soccer team and great guys to be around - one from Liverpool and one from Norwich - we all had a really good time spending most of it in front of my moms TV which is massive and extremely adored by the boys.. Mark was just complaining the other day about how watching TV just isn't the same on their 30-something inch perfectly fine television. I spent most of my time cooking with mom while they stayed downstairs glued to the big screen playing video games on Playstation or Wii. And they, as a whole, drank more than I ever have in my life.. what? it could be true..

I ate so much on thanksgiving that i actually got to see it all over again.. in the toilet (valuable information, I know. You're welcome.). The next day we went shopping and found some really great winter maternity clothes that I could wear while in England (LEAVING IN EXACTLY ONE WEEK!!) but I was feeling terrible the entire day having weird episodes of stomach cramps and lower back pain.. yes I eventually freaked out. By the way, did anyone else hear about the Wal-Mart employee in NY who actually got trampled to death when he opened the doors to the Black Friday customers??? What is wrong with people? His family is suing Wal-Mart for their lack of security and for causing pandemonium with their advertisements.. they're also suing the NYPD and other stores that share the strip mall with Wal-Mart.. Why don't they look at the security cameras.. Wouldn't you realize you're WALKING on someone?? Please keep that family in your prayers..

By the time we got home at 6, my pains were coming even closer together. Once I hit the 15 min mark I called the on call doctor who told me to go straight to the hospital. Turns out, I WAS really dehydrated which can release a hormone that causes pains like contractions (notice the "WAS".. I drank my weight in liquid and made best friends with the toilet seat). On top of these wonderful stomach cramps that felt like the amazing monthly cramps x10, I had this severe lower back pain that kept me up all night and eventually in my moms bed in tears.. I know for sure I have kidney stones. I had an ultra sound at the hospital yesterday on both kidneys and my bladder (with a little glimpse of baby!) and they ruled it wasn't an obstruction.. thank God!.. The pains have gotten better and all that's left is a dull back ache which restricts me from laying in any other position other than my left side.. BLAH!

Okay I'm done complaining/venting/reliving.. this post was anything but upbeat.. hope I didn't bring anyone down!

On a more pleasant note.. Saturday marks week #27, just one week shy of the 7th month.. can't wait for her to get here. Gerard broke the news to me yesterday that his cousin has a daughter named Lily.. they don't have a close relationship and he hasn't seen him in 9 years but they're friends on facebook (I said who cares!) and I actually cried over the fact that he was hinting Lily wasn't a possibility anymore and I realized how much I wanted it.. I say oh well, I'm keepin that name!!

Since we're leaving next thursday right after (FIVE!) final exams, I probably won't get a chance to get on here again so I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!!