ooooo-eeeee-ooooo

Hello hello and welcome faithful fans, all two of you! Big shout out to Dave and Elayne! My two fans - you rock!

ok - if you make the spooky sound that is described in the title (if you've seen iCarly Season 1 Halloween espisode, you know what I'm talking about - sort of G - E flat - C ish... hey, I have kids, it's my only frame of reference) you will now be entering the world of the paranormal. That's right, you heard me: PARANORMAL. Why? Because that's what's going on in my humble abode. I do believe there is something here besides me and the fam, and so do they.

Now anyone who knows me well, knows that I do believe in the spirit world. There are things that have happened to me that I've talked to a few people about, not many, because then people just think you're nutso (which I am, but that's beside the point). I am convinced, however, that there's something following me around. And whether it's something or some things, and whether it's following or just individual occurrences that are independent of each other, I don't know. But I know it's there.

Let me give you a little history.

I first noticed "something" at my parents' , my childhood home, in my late teens/early twenties. Specifically, it was the distinct feeling that someone just sat on my bed. It wasn't scary, but sort of comforting, and frankly it was just a sensation that I didn't even really give any credence to, a sort it thing that happens when you're falling asleep and half-dreaming. And it would happen at any time of the day - if I was going to bed at night, or taking a nap in the afternoon. When my sister moved out, and my bed was moved to where hers was, it stopped. And then over time I'd notice things that I never told anyone, because not everyone buys into this stuff, and I figured everyone would think I'm nuts, which really isn't that out of the realm of possibility. Here's where things start to get freaky, and I feel really dubious about even putting this here (Chip Coffey deliver me). When my Ex and I were dating, I'd stay at his apartment frequently, even if he was away, because of a short-lived hobby of cake decorating. In a nutshell, for each week's class I needed to bake a cake, make tons of frosting and do some tedious decorating to bring back for critique, and I needed to not do this at my own (parents') house for various reasons, so to the apartment I went. More than once I was there without him there, and just stayed overnight because I'd be late and it was halfway to work. So on two occassions I saw something that made me jump and I wasn't frightened but I sure ended up rubbing my eyes and wondering if I saw what I thought I saw, even though I can clearly see this in my memory even today. Both times, when I was completely alone, Ex was out of town, once when I was changing, once when I was taking a (very rare) bath, I saw the exact same thing in my peripheral vision: an 8-ish year old, dark-haired boy peek around the corner of the door at me and then duck his head back. It only happened twice and I've never seen him again (at least I think not) but it was enough to make me suck in my breath and hold it for a second. Once of those things you know you saw, and then it's gone. And I may even delete this paragraph later because it's weirding me out that I even wrote it.

So the next bit of oddities when the kids are born. Always, whenever laying in my bed, usually napping with a wee infant, I'd feel someone sit down on the end of the bed. Always, there was no one there. And again I don't think much of it. Until Doo-boy was born. He was the one I insisted upon having an epidural for. I wanted one for the others, only they decided they weren't going to wait for me to get one. So with the last baby boy, I demanded and I got it. Ah blissful numbness...and itchiness. I don't know how people go to sleep with one, I was itchy up to my nose where curiously it stopped, but no matter, fabulous. First time I am in labor with a baby and comfortable. And......fabulosity over...the battery in the pump dies....fabulosity over.... battery gets replaced...dead again...now I have a feeling like a knife in the left side of my stomach and I'm ready to die and no one has a clue as to why these batteries are dying in the blink of an eye. Third battery in but I'm ready to go, and I decide I'm going to push ridiculously hard to get this kid out, dammit, because this hurts! Turns out Connor's got an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck two times and comes out a very not-lovely shade of bluish-grey. Thankfully two (there was a nurse in "training" there) wonderful nurses rubbed him with a towel like a newborn puppy, oxygenated him, and now here's a beauteous boy asleep on the couch next to me with chocolate on his face and sweaty moppy hair. After thatin the hospital - two more things, both when I was completely alone. I was in the bathroom, no one in the room but Doo-boy, and no sooner did I shut the bathroom door, then I heard my name in a loud whisper as if someone was on the other side asking if I was in there. I opened the door immediately and no one was there. Only Doo-boy in his bassinet slumbering sweetly. Okaaayyyyy. The next time, I heard Connor's name, same loud whisper, very clearly about 11pm. I was wide-awake, my room door was closed, curtain around door wide open so I have a clear view of the door, all lights on, and not a soul came in. I joked around later saying my room was haunted, but besides "thinking" I heard my name, there was the coincidence of the epidural pump not working and the drug wearing off so that I could have this baby sooner that I care to think about, if it had taken too long. But then I get home...and the last thing that I can say is...same scenario as before, laying in bed trying to nap a little with the baby, and I feel an entire hand on my head. I mean a whole hand on the side toward the back of my head, but not scary, kind of comforting and loving. I don't know what that was but even now, I remember exactly what that felt like. I was quite awake, only laying there with my eyes closed. And I sure didn't open them, but there was no one else in the house.

So fast forward, to now. Here we go again. Only this time I'm NOT the only crazy one. No no no, this time a few other people have witnessed the strange and unusual in my house. Something or someone is playing games here and I'm not the only one who has witnessed this. Stay tuned....