Technology sucks, but I still won in the end.

I have to start out this post by noting the ridiculous amount of time it has taken me to bring it to you, my readers, this day.

First, there was the video. I think I sat in my chair for a good 2 or 3 hours between yesterday and today, camera at the ready, waiting and waiting and WAITING for this baby to kick regularly enough for me to catch it on camera. I got a number of segments that were a few minutes long and had the baby kicking a couple times.

Then, as Matthew was busy this lunch hour, I took it upon myself to take my own update photo. We'll see how it looks in the end, because it's really hard to know if the focusing is alright when I'm not standing in front of the camera, but am setting the self-timer (behind the camera.) I had to take a lot of photos because I didn't know where to stand, what I should pull back, tuck in, etc etc. It probably took me another 30 minutes.

Then I decided to make a video of all the little clips where the baby is kicking, so that you don't have to sit through 15 minutes of footage to see 5 or 6 kicks. Aren't I so nice? The video ended up being less than a minute long, which kinda bums me out after all the work, but I think it's pretty cool, nonetheless.

Anyway, the making of the video was the world's biggest pain. My videos were not in a format Windows Movie Maker recognizes, so I had to download a converter, convert each one (sorry, the trial version I downloaded put watermarks on the middle of all the videos. Oh well.) and then work on putting it together. Then I had to save it. Sounds simple, right? Except I unwittingly saved it as the wrong file type. Then I made a youtube account (just for you lovely readers) and tried uploading the video. Matt said it would take 5-10 minutes to process. I waited (patiently, I might add!) for over 30 minutes. Then I clued in that the file type was wrong. Then I explored WMM and thought I figured out how to make it the right file type. I didn't. I tried again. SUCCESS!! So I upload it. It still takes forever. I try it another time because it's going too slow. The other time works, but then the video won't play. Delete those ones off of youtube (because if I try to upload it again, it'll say it's a duplicate. I KNOW.) Upload again. And again. And again. It finally worked at 4:45. Total amount of time for the video fiasco? 3 hours. All because I love you readers.

Then around 7:45 I start fiddling with my camera, trying to upload my pictures to my computer. I have a new computer with Vista, which does NOT have the handy dandy Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard. I've been dragging and dropping each individual photo onto my desktop. I think, "There has to be some easier way!" I investigate on some forums. I download Windows Live Photo Gallery. Works like a charm, until half way through importing my pictures, the battery on my camera dies, halting the process.

I holler "ARRRRG!!!" at the top of my lungs, and think to myself, "I hope this baby doesn't have anger management issues because of me..."

I stomp out to the car, get Matthew's camera, steal his battery, put it into my camera, and away we go. Starting the whole importing process all over again.

Which brings us to now, as I've been writing this while Windows does its thing with the importing. Total time spent this evening on camera/picture stuff? 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Total time spent between yesterday and today, just to bring you 2 photos and one 1-minute video? Umm...7 hours. If I low-ball it.

Things that have gone completely undone today, as all I've done is fiddle with technology? Apple sauce I was going to make, vacuuming, laundry, dinner for my man, at least one phone call I was supposed to make, bed being made, the list goes on.

And oh my heck, I JUST go back to Windows Live Video Gallery and discover that it's just not importing my pictures, and that it had nothing to do with my battery copping out on me! The hilarious part is that I'm now back to doing what I usually do to import photos using the useless, non-existent photo-importing function that is Windows Vista: dragging and dropping each individual photo onto my desktop. AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Life feels just a little comical right now!

It hasn't been a bad day though. I've learned how to make videos on Windows Movie Maker so next time that'll take me no time at all. I've also got Windows Live Photo Gallery which I'll figure out some other day and make it work beautifully. I can tell it'll be a nice program (when it starts recognizing my photos as the wonderful photos they are.) I've gone for a walk with Matt, wrote in my journal, had the missionaries over, emailed some friends and made plans with them (hurray!) read my scriptures, and enjoyed being pregnant. Which is what this post was really about.

So. Pregnancy stuff.

Well, today I am 28 weeks and I'm very excited. I've noticed that's becoming more and more frequent, and that each passing week feels like a new milestone. Also, now is when I start seeing the midwife every other week, rather than every 4 weeks. I'll be doing that until 36 weeks, at which point I'll start going in every week. Crazy happenings. I feel like this is where everything picks up and really nears the end. I know, I know, every day that passes brings me closer to the end (or the beginning!) but it's starting to feel close, that's all.

I have a midwife appointment tomorrow, so if there's anything interesting to post about after that, then I'll write tomorrow late morning. I find many things interesting though, so expect a post.

Until then, I'm going to wow you with all the stuff that I have been diligently working away at, in anticipation for this blog post.

First, a new belly shot:

It took a lot of self-control to wait the 2 weeks before taking another belly shot. I feel like it has grown so much and is really popping out. The odd thing is, when you look at the comparison shot, it doesn't look that much different. Here's the comparison:

That's comparing today (28w 1d) to 2 weeks ago (26w 1d). See what I mean about the difference though? It's not that astounding. Not nearly as big as I thought it'd be. Maybe it's because I figured out how to pull my shirt right, so that it showed my shape better. Maybe it's because I discovered a new way of doing the arm thing so that my shape still looks nice and not hunchback and dowdy. Who knows? But rest assured, there is, indeed, a baby in there, and MAN he has been kicking constantly, proving to me he's still there and very much alive.

Oh, just in case you're interested, here is a 6 week comparison shot, dating from 22 weeks, 24 weeks, 26 weeks and 28 weeks.


Yikes, that's way smaller than I thought it'd be. You'll have to click on it to see it better.

I also took a new silhouette photo today, as the last one I took was at 18 weeks. Here it is:

I'm happy with how it turned out, although perhaps it'd be nicer if the background was brighter. I'd throw open the curtains, but we have two evergreens that are seriously fighting to take over our front window. We can see through 1 foot of the more than 3 feet wide window! Needless to say, they're coming down in the spring.

Anyway, I'm going to finish up this post with my video that I made. Here's hoping it'll actually load properly to my blog! Goodness knows everything else has worked against me today. Here goes nothing.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qPOVNwo-f0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]

So far so good! Okay, so I know I don't have to write my commentary like this because if it doesn't work I can just go back and change what I wrote, but isn't life more fun this way?

Anyway, I'm going to bed now. I'm sick of technology and would really love to just go to sleep and forget it all for a while! I'm praying that I don't start dreaming of computers and cameras chasing me with their jaws wide open...