Stone Philips Jr. makes an appearance and then I met some celebrities.

 I (don't) have really good luck when I am pregnant.  I can't complain because for the most part I have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies and for that I really am truly grateful.  However, I have also been hospitalized at some point during 3 out of the 4 thus far (mysterious pain/first time pregnant induced paranoia, kidney infection and one parasite in Utah in the middle of winter...still scratching my head about that one.)  I would like to draw our minds back to July of 2008 when I had my first encounter with "a stone" just a couple of months after Hazel was born.  (You are so lucky, I linked to two separate posts, just in case you were looking to spend more time on the computer.)  On Thursday night of last week I took Abby to the mall to use a gift card and finish showering her with birthday attention.  We walked, a lot.  When we got home I was hurtin' big time but it was just my feet and general feeling of "oh my gosh I don't like toting around all this extra baggage".  But them my lower back started to hurt.  It got increasingly worse, rather quickly.  I was panicked because I had this kind of back pain twice before, one for the kidney infection and one for the kidney stone...neither experience was what you would call pleasant (unless you count the point at which I received morphine from our doctor friend, all perfectly legal like.)  We called the cuz that just lives down the way and headed out to the hospital - it's not really a proper visit to the ER unless it's after 10pm, keeping in mind of course that Clark and I are usually passed out on the couch by 10 or 10:30.  That makes the story more pathetic because I was already super tired.  The hospital staff was kind and all, but after 3 hours at the hospital including an ultrasound to rule out the possibilities, the official diagnosis was a muscle sprain in my back and I was sent home with instructions to take Tylenol every 4 hours.  My cousin Mike put it lovely when he said that was like getting a band aid for a broken leg.  We got home and Clark promptly dropped off into a deep slumber until I woke him up with my sobbing at 3am.  I was in so much pain I thought I just might die.  I let him fall back asleep while I tried everything to get comfortable with this "back sprain".  I dug through bins to find the maternity support belt thing, I tried to sleep in the chair, I tried an ice pack, a heating pack and finally a bath with water deep enough to relieve pressure from the extra weight pushing on my back (ie big belly.)  I got back into bed finally at about 4.  4:30 rolled around rather painfully and I had the sudden need to visit the facilities where I (stop reading if you think I am disgusting) gave birth to our second son, Stone Philips (son one, of course being born back in 2008 - we called him "Rocky".)  Was it wrong that I wanted to call the resident back at the hospital and tell him that Tylenol wasn't really sufficient and that his diagnosis was SUPER DUPER WRONG?! I didn't, because I am nicer than that.  Plus, at that point I was feeling so incredible (the pain was gone immediately) that I woke Clark up just to tell him that the diagnosis was wrong, I felt amazing, and would he like to meet his peppercorn sized son?  You'd better believe I saved it.  I saved it for a just a day or two to be amazed that my body made something so incredibly wrong.
Conclusion of the story: I do not like having kidney stones.
What I have learned: If I can pass a kidney stone on nothing but Tylenol, perhaps I could do a natural childbirth after all.
Oh my goodness, I am much more long winded than I thought I was.  But not really.  I always knew that I talk too much.

Moving on to more interesting topics.  My biggest fear about the little aforementioned malady is that I was going to miss a conference that I had signed up to attend on Saturday.  Clark was asked to be an escort at an American Mothers event several years ago by a good friend's Mom that was involved in the organization - so I was somewhat familiar with them.  It's a great organization.  I am tempted to get involved myself, you know, with all my spare time and all.  It would be worthwhile.  I was able to attend one day of the conference and I really enjoyed it.  When I saw who the speakers were that day, I couldn't resist.
One, was the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.  The awesome thing about the conference was one, it was right in downtown DC, a mere 30 minute drive and two, there were only about 150 people there which meant that I got to sit second row and really feel like a part of it.
Ree was hilarious.  She spoke about how she got started and how her blog was really the medium into getting herself out there.  If you don't know who she is, you should.  But be careful, you will gain 30 pounds, just like that.

This picture is when I told her that half of my belly was from her "knock you naked brownies" and the other half was her stuffed mushrooms.  Delicious.  She also may or may not have sung a schizophrenic duet of Endless Love while showing pictures of her basset hound, Charlie.  Very entertaining. (note to self: I do not care for pictures of myself while pregnant.)

Then I got to meet Shawni Pothier whose blog I love to read.  Her parents write my most favorite parenting books ever and she is an inspiration herself.  Also, she is very tall.

After a delicious lunch of crusted tilapia, forbidden rice and creme brulee, we heard from Allison Sweeney of Biggest Loser (and Days of Our Lives, if you're into that kind of thing.)  She spoke about her platform promoting healthy habits and balancing her family and career and then opened it up to questions.  She was very genuine and nice but definitely more "celebrity" like.  She didn't have time to visit much because she was off to an appointment with Michelle Obama for a private tour of the white house.  ooh la la, so important...I had to rush home early to make sure my house didn't smell like urine before the babysitter came.

Since she was so pressed for time they did group shots with her.  The ladies representing the Virginia chapter of American Mothers were kind enough to let me squeeze (and I do mean squeeze) in their picture. (I felt slightly under-dressed...pregnant people cannot be trusted to dress nicely, especially if they think that being comfortable is more important.)

Shawni spoke after lunch about some great ideas that I appreciated greatly.  (She was the 2011 National Young Mother of the Year.)
It was so nice to be able to go and associate with great people.  I met a very nice girl right when I got there and was invited to sit with her and her friends for the entire thing.  It was encouraging and validating to be among a group of women, so different, from such different circumstances that share such a strong conviction for the same ideals. 
I was grateful for the chance to go!