February is always intense. I don't know why, really. At our last appointment, I got a bit of a scolding for gaining too fast again, but the doctor also hinted that Isabella is a little larger than average, not just me.

My birthday this year was probably the simplest one I've had, ever, really. Alex kept asking what I wanted or wanted to do - really, I didn't want anything. He's so sweet though, he bought me roses that he surprised me with (I came home to them on the table), and gave me Seasons 5 and 6 of House MD, and on my actual birthday we got to spend the day together just relaxing, walking around Ala Moana, and spending time together. That's really all I wanted. We had a late lunch/early dinner with Mom and Nick at The Pineapple Room which was delicious.

Naturally I paid for it violently, later. Even with my careful timing (we had lunch about 3pm so that I wouldn't have reflux all night, nor would I get totally hungry before I went to bed early), I still woke with forceful gastrointestinal repercussions. I suspect that I am truly intolerant of avocado - I had a Cobb sandwich with avocado. I've had problems with avocado in the past, but usually we were able to at least co-exist, while perhaps disgruntled-ly. I sure hope Isabella doesn't have issues with avocado - she will be Mexican after all, and I believe it would be tragic for any Mexican, even a half-breed of sorts, to be gastrointestinally intolerant of such a staple.

Valentine's day was just as simple. In fact, Alex and I didn't really see each other at all. I started work at 6:45am and he worked the night before so he was asleep when I left (along with most of the rest of the island!) and was scheduled until 6:15pm. Even if I had gotten out of work on time (I was over an hour late), we would have missed each other, because he started at 6pm. But the next day we spent as our Valentine's day. We went to Sea Life Park, which we've been talking about doing for so long! We got to see the dolphin show of course. It was a hundred times better when I was a kid, but that's ok. It was still pretty entertaining. We also got to hang around the loud and smelly sea lions, got some pictures of penguins (my favorite!) and saw another animal show featuring penguins, sea lions and bottle nosed dolphins.

Work has been absolutely insane for me. I'm on a new, experimental schedule: 11.5 hour scheduled days but only 4 days per week and off for 3 days. Sounds like a long day, but if it stays within the scheduled times it's not too bad. The thing is, at work we've been switching our entire operating system from one that was designed to take reservations and dispatch transportation around the time of the Titanic to one that was designed much more recently - but still has so many bugs that it rivals Joe's Apartment. This is resulting in everyone in our department working zombie hours. There was one night that one of my supervisors literally stayed overnight. And did not sleep. The regular staff has all been putting in insane hours. Full timers are getting tons of overtime, and part timers are working close to 40 hours per week. It helps to know that everyone is contributing and working their butts off, like a team, but it's definitely wearing all of us down. Everyone is snappy and groggy and deliriously giggly at different times. Our brains are for sure fried. This also means that my 11.5 hour days have become 12 to 13, one night 14, hour days without the scheduled lunch break. (Don't worry, I eat and feed Isabella - it's just in between phone calls and radio checks and money deposits.) Depending on how fast we can get this system completely switched over, I'm thinking this experimental schedule just won't quite work for me...or for Bella.

So that's February so far. We still have so much to do! We have to hang photos on her walls, install the car seat in my car, we have a baby shower to look forward to, interviewing and picking pediatricians, and the baby classes we've signed up for! Not to mention all the little things we still have to get! Physically I am so very ready for her to pop out. Logistically, I wish we had 3 more months! But it sure is getting to be exciting! I can't wait to meet her, see what she looks like, hear her little voice. Hurry up Isabella!!