crossrhodes

I don’t usually comment on stuff like this, nor do I watch or read the news, if I can help it. But this story, which was emailed to me this morning, just makes my blood boil!

For 11 long years, a Guatemalan man saved $59,000 of his measly $5.50/hour earnings as a dishwasher. On his way back to Guatemala, U.S. Customs seized all $59k in cash and refuse to return his hard-earned money because he failed to complete a customs form — A FORM!!! He provided officials with his pay stubs so they couldn’t charge him with drug trading.

Now, deport him for being an illegal immigrant, fine him for breaking a law, and deduct any unpaid taxes.  But give the man a pen to fill out the stupid form, hand him the rest of his money and send him on his way! Hands off the entire stash of cash, Mr. IRS! That doesn’t belong to you! He earned it with his own two hands!

Click here to read the article or watch the video.

Ugghhh!!! It just makes me so mad!

I called Don immediately after my ultrasound yesterday. I got his voicemail and left him a brief but sobbing message about seeing the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. They were tears of joy, of course. But all he heard was me crying, the words “baby” and “heartbeat.” It sounded like bad news and he panicked. LOL! He finally called back and we straightened that out.

That evening, he came home from work bearing a dozen roses for me. Just because, he said, I’m the mother of his child. Awww… We’re pretty sure it’s his, but we’ll know more when the baby comes out. LOL!!! J/K =)

Well, it is Thursday night and I have an appointment with Grey’s season premier.  Don’t call me between 9 and 10 unless you want to talk to my voicemail.

Today is the baby’s first photo shoot! Don couldn’t make it, but that’s ok. I’m glad I had this experience alone between me and my baby… and the ultrasound tech =)

You know, the reality of having a baby hadn’t hit me until now, when I watched with my own eyes the 2 chambers of his/her heart beating. (I know… what more did I need besides the nausea and cramping?! What can I say, I’m a visual person.)

Here’s a snippet from my pregnancy journal today:

It was love at first sight when I saw your heartbeat! I had not expected at all the overwhelming rush of emotion that followed. It is the kind of love I had never ever felt before! You brought me down on my knees in awe and humility that God thinks enough of me to entrust me with a life that is you. You are real! You are alive! Even though you’re barely the size of a Tic Tac, seeing your heartbeat – the manifestation of God-breathed life in me – is the single biggest event of my inconsequential life thus far. I soooo cannot wait to see you face to face and hold you in my arms! How do I love thee, my Tic Tac baby? Let me count the ways.

• I found food, besides crackers, that doesn’t make me sick: CORN!!! Frozen corn kernels, that is. It was the only thing that appealed to me when I opened the fridge/freezer.
• The hormones are kicking! I bawled uncontrollably at a PBS documentary (a documentary!!!) on Japanese encampments in WWII.
• Another food aversion: I kind of like chicken breast now. White meat and even “the other white meat” used to make me gag.

And since my first doctor visit:

• Don and I decided against the cord blood registry.
• My doc switched my Rx vitamins to 2 Flintstone chewables plus OTC folic acid. (And I thought my sister was kidding when she said she took children’s Flintstones on her previous pregnancy.)
• It was Don who first said we needed to go to a birthing class.
• And I’m more and more anxious about the whole vaccination thing. There’s been too much controversy lately since I was vaccinated in the ’70s. So, I’m researching a lot online and bought a couple of books to read.  Lots of stuff to consider.

Wowee! Mi casa is spotless and I didn’t even lift a finger! Well, okay, I put away the clutter before the cleaning lady arrived. And no, I will not feel guilty for hiring someone to clean my house. She didn’t just clean, yah know. She scrubbed it down, top to bottom, behind and under, in just 4 hours. That’s an incredible, non-stop aerobic workout for 4 hours straight!

And look! She even left toilet paper rosettes and folded our towels hotel-style! It encourages me to keep up the cleanliness until she comes back. I just hope the boys can keep it up longer than 24 hours. Nothing is more discouraging to a housewife than cleaning today and seeing the same mess again tomorrow! Makes me want to live alone.