For This Child I Have Prayed

Casey Anthony's trial is a summer obsession

Orlando, Florida (CNN) -- Here in the land of Mickey, where parents lavish time and money to immerse their little ones in the magic of childhood, another name has stolen the show: Casey.

Casey Anthony, 25, is accused of killing her doe-eyed toddler and the murder trial is inescapable this summer: Inside the diner, the gym, the hair salon -- even the car wash -- TV screens are tuned in to the coverage and grabbing eyeballs.

At Fields BMW in suburban Winter Park, no one has switched channels in the customer lounge since testimony began four weeks ago.

"I don't think anybody's brave enough to grab the remote," said Whitney Lore, the cashier.

The drama sucked in Trevor Ball this week as he waited for his wife's BMW to be serviced. He fired off a Casey update to her by text: The prosecution rests.

Half the people who turn on their TVs in Orlando during the daytime are watching the trial, says Steve Hyvonen, news director at WKMG , a CNN affiliate. That usually only happens here when a hurricane hits.

So it's no surprise that all the local television stations have abandoned normal daytime programming to carry the trial live. Even the U.S. Open comes in second to Florida vs. Casey Anthony.

"It's the biggest thing that has happened in Orlando in years," said Mike Boslet, editor of Orlando magazine. "The whole world is watching."

Cable TV's usual suspects -- Nancy Grace, Greta van Susteren and Geraldo Rivera -- come and go in black SUVs from "Casey Land," the tent city that occupies a vacant lot across the street from the Orange County Courthouse. The scene is reminiscent of big trials of the past: O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, the Menendez brothers, Scott Peterson.

Why the Anthony case?

"You've got this attractive young mother and this horrible death of a child," said Robert Thompson, who teaches television and popular culture at Syracuse University.

"And then there are all those details -- all the made-up jobs and made-up people and the 31 days the child was missing. Those are the kind of details that make this better than a crime drama," he explained.

"Once you start following this story, you're hooked."

The true-crime spectacle often threatens to obscure a sad truth: A little girl named Caylee never got to grow up. And a teenager with a wild streak had a baby too soon.

For this child I prayed: 24 week appointments

I noticed the last few days that I was feeling more nervous about Jude. I know it's because week 25 looms around the corner. Even after listening to his heartbeat on the doppler, I would still question his lack of movements, as if he's not allowed to take any time to sleep. I hate being that crazy. That anxious. It's not healthy and it's not easy. Thank God my OB appointment put some things into perspective yesterday! I have probably said this before, but I really love my doctor. She put all my worries at ease and assured me I had nothing to worry about, based on how well Jude is doing. I know she's probably not allowed to tell me that nothing will happen for sure, but she seems so confident and pleased with his progress. I couldn't help but feel better about things. My blood pressure is still perfect (113/80) and I even found out from my doctor's report from the ultrasound last week that Jude is in the 59th percentile for his size. Before I left, my doctor gave me the lab order for my two hour glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. That's as far as I got last time with my pregnancy with Avery. I last saw my doctor at 25 weeks and got the order then. I never made it to the test. I had been nervous about it and dreading it. This time, I'll be taking that test, and gladly. Even if I it turned out I had gestational diabetes. I don't care. I just want Jude to be healthy. I don't care what I have to go through for him. Nothing is inconvenient or uncomfortable. All is worth it. All is done gladly and I cherish the chance. Today, I had a hematologist appointment. I didn't see the doctor, I only had a complete blood count done. My platelet count was 225 six weeks ago. Today, it was 201! The normal range is 100-400 so I am very pleased! The phlebotomist told me that all my numbers looked good. She asked me about my pregnancy and I loved when she said, "This is your second, right?" I told her he was. But apparently my whole history was not available to her in my chart because she asked how old my first is. I was not bothered nor offended. I told her that my first passed away, stillborn last year. She felt so bad for asking but I assured her it was okay. I liked having the chance to bring Avery up and talk about her. I feel like I only get to talk about Jude lately. It's nice for Avery to get a little attention sometimes. I never want to feel like she's fading away or being replaced by Jude.

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