My brain is fried

Ug, I had one week to prepare a presentation and after working on it 5 hours a day for the last 7 days, I'm pooped. And no, I didn't put it off till the last second, it was just assigned and I was the lucky one who got to go first!
At work tomorrow everyone is dressing up. I'm just going to say I'm Bristol Palin. That'll be funny.
I found out today that I only have a to take 6 credit hours to keep my financial aid. That is fantastic! Because actually I will only have to take one class and do an independent study in the lab on my own time. Can I research jumping abilities of newborns?
I am very nervous for the upcoming election. There is no natural way Obama should lose, but people cheat, steal, lie, manipulate and con their way to the top. Plus, Bush is an idiot who will do anything to help his cronies. They all should be tried and convicted of war crimes.
Well I'd better get back to my report on Crossbridge force enhancement in skeletal muscle fibers: a review. Yes, it is as exciting as it sounds!

Introducing our DAUGHTER

So today we finally found out that we will be having a daughter! I think we both expected it but its very different to actually refer to this "thing" as a girl. We can now say "her" or "she". Life for us had already changed when we found out we were pregnant but now it has changed in a very specific way. It's amazing to see a new life and all of her little features. It truly is a blessing. Below is the link to the video of the ultrasound. We wanted to put it up so people can see it but we will be coming back later to add audio commentary so people know exactly what they are looking at. The video is the ultrasound and doctors now make DVD's of ultrasounds which I think is pretty cool. We'll get to show this video the first time our daughter brings home a boyfriend...when she is 25 years old. Because we all know that she will not be dating until 25, done with college, and working full time. That's just how it will have to be. Enjoy.

See the video here: http://gallery.mac.com/qallen24

(p.s. this link is also on the side bar under the name "Web and Photo Gallery")

Belly!

I'm putting these up for Tiff right now, I'm on my way to work so I'll come back and add words later!

I am a Graduate Student

I am writing this 2 hours before my second midterm of my first semester in graduate school. You may be asking yourself, "shouldn't Amanda be studying, cramming like a mad woman?" Ha, silly you. You see, I have spent the last X amount of years watching Quaylan go through a master's and doctoral program, and I learned from him. Even though our programs are completely different, his involves thinking and comprehension, mine memorizing and more memorizing, I learned that by doing a few hours of work each night is necessary in grad school. If Quaylan was studying, I needed to be studying. And wow, it works. I was ready for this test last week; when two students admitted to me that they hadn't studied at all, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. This is grad school, it is very different than undergrad and way too many students don't realize that until they are forced out of the program. I am so grateful that I have such a wonderful, hard working husband who has led by such strong example. I am fully aware that if it weren't for him, I still might be employing my undergrad study habits. And thank you Quaylan for all your hard work, even though I still think quantitative research is better than qualitative!

1,2,3,4, and 5! Definitely Kicks!

I was sitting in my fabulous muscle cell physiology class yesterday busy writing notes when I felt it, pow! I small little flick very low in my stomach, right where the baby is sitting. Hm, I thought, could be just a spasm. I tried to stay as still as possible. BAM! There is was again, like someone was flicking my stomach from the inside. This definitely was not a muscle spasm or ligament stretch. I have been feeling those and this was very different. Pow, bam, kick! There it went again. Now, you have to picture me sitting in a class of 30 with a teacher lecturing and everyone writing frantically. I am sitting as still as a statue with the biggest, cheesiest, all teeth smile on my face. Hopefully everyone was too busy to notice the crazy girl who apparently seems to really enjoy the enzymatic responses of eccentric exercise! Then I had to ask a question and move and away went my little guy. So, he/she is definitely there moving around punching on his/her mama. I also can feel when he/she changes positions, especially when he/she moves right over my bladder! Wow, get outta my way cuz I gotta go! I can feel flutters at night after I've been laying still but this was the first time I felt real tiny kicks. So I'm excited, and tired, oh so very tired. Why does everyone lie and say it gets better after the first trimester? Why don't the books say, "you will be exhausted from conception to birth; you will be so tired that you will start to fall asleep hanging out with your girlfriends in a restaurant drinking your virgin daquari, you will also nod off in the middle of a study group." See, if I'd known that I wouldn't feel so bad! Oh well, I felt kicks and that's all that matters!

Ug

I really didn't want to go this route, but I can't help it. I am so sick of the McCain/Palin idiocracy. Really Mrs. Palin, "Russia is here, this is water and here is Canada" is your answer to foreign policy???? Well I was born in Douglas and Mexico is right next door so I'm as qualified as you. I also get so sick of everyone saying, "Well she's just like us." Hm, I heard that before, about a President we all could have a beer with. And look what he's done. Does anyone remember that Osama Bin Laden said his goal was to FINANCIALLY DESTROY THE U.S??? Well he has suceeded. And why do "conservatives" vote for McCain/Pain because they are "pro life?" What about the life of soldiers? What about the life after children are born into families that can't feed them, schools that can't teach them, and a country that doesn't provide health care? Oh, I guess prolife just means denying contraception and you've done right with God. And it's ok to have a child at age 17 as long as your mommy and daddy can pay for it all. Also, if the government is so dead set on defining when life begins, where is my tax credit now? Oh, I see, my child is only a baby to the government when they don't have to do anything about it. I am so tired of people thinking that they are doing right by God as long as they vote pro life and against gay marriage. Guess what? That doesn't affect me! Heath care, the raping of the environment for oil, lack of economic security, that affects me and the majority of Americans. But thank goodness those gays didn't get married because THAT would destroy my way of life. Do your research, do fact checks, realize that if McCain/Palin are elected we will live in a society like V for Vendetta. Where we fear everything and have no freedoms. Democracy isn't lost overnight, look at Russia and Germany. It is a slow process where citizens give up their freedoms willingly under the rouse of protection. So vote, but understand why you are making the choice you are making and what it will do for you over the next 4 years.

Hiya belly

So in one week I went from having a flat belly that only pooched out when I put some food in it to this: A belly that's always there now! It feels so weird, its hard and I can feel all my muscles stretching and pulling. No kicks yet, but I'm waiting anxiously! Enjoy!