Awkward Silence

I feel like there has been an awkward silence in the interaction between me and my blog, and by proxy with you, those who read my blog seeing as how I only wrote three posts in June, as compared with the averaged 10 posts for the past five months.  (yeah, I totally did the math there.)

I kind of feel like the weirdo new kid again, with my hands in my pockets, sort of rocking back and forth, whistling quietly, wondering what to say to the cool kid standing next to me eating pretzels.  "So, what else is new, he he?" I might have asked.  And it was always my lucky day when the cool kid responded.  In hopes that you will respond to my "so, what else is new?" He he, I'm gonna jump the gun and tell you what is new with me, as if you cared.  Awkward.

Turns out I don't have a hernia. Have to get that out there quickly.  People keep asking, and I just feel bad that I haven't spread the word yet.  I had a post-op appointment with the surgeon last week and when I told him of my concerns I was told that people think they have a new hernia after the surgery all the time.  In fact, it is just a little pocket of fluid.  When they fixed my hernia and pulled my intestines back through to where they should be, a cavity was left where the intestines had been, and fluid rushed to fill it in.  So they said.  I'm no doctor, that's why I thought it was a hernia.  They said it would be there for a few more weeks or so, and then should go away.  PHEW. Close call my friends.  But we're safe.

So, what else is new?

My grandpa sold his house.  One of the last remaining physical links to my childhood, gone.  I wrote a post about that house a while ago, so maybe you remember how sentimental this place is for me.  My sister wrote a post about it earlier this week.  If you care to read either of those, find them here (one of my favorite posts) and here (the walk down memory lane my sister wrote).

This morning as I was getting ready I decided to put on makeup.  It's been hot, so I haven't even tried to care, but today, I said, let's get wild and put on mascara.  I pulled it out and realized I was holding the waterproof.  I don't even know why I have waterproof. I started to put it back and then I thought to myself, "Self, what if you cry at church today? Won't you wish you had put on the waterproof mascara THEN?" Yikes, when your self starts talking to you like that, you listen folks.  So I dabbed on some and off we went. Opening song today in church was The Star Spangled Banner, appropriate enough.  I was fine through the first verse.  Started falling apart a little in the second, and completely lost in in the third. I was so glad for that waterproof mascara don't you know.  Blame the tears on whatever you like, I'm just glad I had the write mascara on.

A while ago I wrote a post about my concerns and suspicions that Hallie might be a sleepwalker.  A few nights ago my theory was either completely confirmed, or we had an intruder in the home.  Here's what happened:  I was in Heather's room feeding her, it was maybe 1:00 in the morning.  I was wide awake because I had been up reading.  I heard a door latch click, as if a door was being opened.  I looked out into the hallway, which I can see from the couch in Heather's room, but I didn't see anything in the dark.    I strained to listen.  I heard footsteps on the stairs.  I was starting to get creeped out, I listened harder. I heard footsteps on the main floor.  Then, nothing. Nothing. Nothing.  Fully goose bumped and about to throw up, I put Heather back in bed and ran in to wake up Devin.  We creeped out into the hallway and looked down the stairs into the darkness.  Then I remembered my theory about Hallie being a sleepwalker, so I checked to see if she was in bed. I walked over to her room, and her door was open.  She was actually in bed, sound asleep, but we never leave her door open when we put her to bed.  Devin had a panic attack, then we all went to bed.  Just so you know, it was one of the scariest nights of my life.

And to finish off, one of my dear friends sent me an email earlier today reminding me of an email I had sent her a couple of years ago, when I had just weaned Hanna and was feeling weird about my "new" body, again.  It made me laugh remembering it, so I'll share with you.  Enjoy.

So... yesterday I was getting ready for church.  You know I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed.  None of my clothes really fit anymore, again.  Devin said that I go through different clothing sizes more quickly than Hanna does, what with gaining weight from the hypothyroidism, to being pregnant, to nursing, to not being pregnant or nursing, to being pregnant a second time, to nursing a second time, to not doing either and actually being healthy... needless to say, certain parts of my body have changed shape and size again, and then again, and yet again.
As I stood there, looking at my body, this is what followed, in my mind:

I mournfully accessed the situation.  I was wearing my smallest bra, and even so for the first time in 15 years was seriously considering resorting to stuffing it.  How else was I going to fill it out?  I told myself I was being ridiculous, but I couldn't stop thinking that parts of my body that formerly had an important function were now totally useless, like the lumps in cottage cheese.  I paused.  Actually... I looked slowly down over the rest of my body.  That's not a bad comparison I mused, somewhat morosely.  I'll spare you the details of all the comparisons I mentally made to myself and cottage cheese - but let me put it this way.  If it were an SAT question, then "Angelina Jolie is to jalapeño peppers" as "Amy is to cottage cheese" would be the correct answer.  I told myself not to worry about how I looked. After all, in the great salad bar called life, who notices the cottage cheese?

And, finally, perhaps a picture?  One in which I look terribly awkward, but Heather looks so adorable, yes?  And, may I call your attention to my sister sneezing in the background? So funny.

YOUR TURN. What else is new, with YOU?  Don't leave the awkward girl hanging, ok?