School

So, due to circumstances beyond my control (read: had to work with a slacker partner) my practicum which I was supposed to be doing all summer has been pushed back to the last two and a half weeks of August. Through some whining on our part, we finally managed to convince our advisor to let us go ahead with the project without gaining approval from the rest of our commitee (who decided to take this season to go on vacation) and started fieldwork last Thursday. We then proceeded to cram three leisurely months worth of work into five eight-nine hour days of observation, surveys and interviews. We have now immerged with circles under our eyes and a nervous twitch, but with viable data clutched in our greedy fists. So now we need to cram two months worth of analysis and write up into two weeks. The computer lab at the school with the analytical programs we need has decided to shut down for a week and won't open again until Monday. My partner who possesses the majority of the pertinent data (the interviews) on her video recorder has decided to become incommunicado....which she has been doing all summer...which is why we're in this situation in the first place. Classes start in a week and I really don't want to try to juggle the inevitable 200+pages/week of reading I have to look forward to with analysis and presentation. So, if my partner would get her act together and be willing to put in another week of eight-nine hour days we could be done...or if she'd just give me the stupid tapes I'd freaking do it myself. The report is due to our client by Sept. 7th at the latest, but preferably by Aug. 29th...so in a week and three days. *grrrr* I hate working with other people.

On the baby front, we've schedule our sonogram for next week so if everyone cooperates *glares at belly* we'll know what we're having...boy, girl, monkey or otherwise. I also just found out yet another of Patricks sisters is pregnant. After the initial "yay!" I went immediately to "oh man! Now she's not going to want to give us her baby stuff!!" :( I want to be the only one pregnant in the whole family and get all of the attention. Selfish? Maybe, but it's my first and I want everyone to be excited. Breaking the news to Patricks family didnt' get the response I was hoping, (they all said something like: "yeah we thought you might be") so the least they could do is hold off on their breeding tendencies until I have my baby.>:(
I finally caved in and bought two pair of maternity pants and two shirts yesterday. They're still a little too big, but way more comfortable than what I was wearing...I just don't want to look like a fat slob when I go back to school and have to start interacting with people again. My doctor is putting me on oral steroids to treat my rash. She says she doesn't think it will get rid of it completely, but will hopefully "get it under control." I don't know what she means by that, but I guess we'll see. The last time the doctor put me on steroids I was in fifth grade and just got out of the hospital where I'd been with asthma troubles for a week. The doctor gave me steroids and I gained like fifteen pound in a very, very short period of time. My mother said my face swelled up and it was kind of scary how fast I put on weight....all I remember is eating an entire chocolate cream pie by myself at Thanksgiving....the weight must have gone off again when I got off the drugs as I looked fine in sixth grade. But so now I worry that I'm going to balloon up like an elephant and everyone is going to think it's because I'm pregnant. They're going to think I'm one of those pregnant girls that don't just get a belly, but get fat...everywhere. You know, like Brad John's wife at church. I don't want to look like that. *sigh* So I asked the doctor about that and she said it is a possible side effect, but that it doesn't happen very often. However, if it does, I am to continue my dosage regardless. >:P I just know my baby is going to come out with four arms and a third eye or something from all the drugs I'm taking.