Austin Antics

LiftOff

2012-01-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

Last night I got a phone call… I was lying haphazardly on the sofa with a blanket sort of half-watching the football game, according to what I saw on Facebook it must have been a big game. Whatever. In the midst of this, my phone rings with a number I don’t recognize from out of state. I almost hit ignore but decided I was curious about who was on the other end. “Is this Lindsey?” the voice was kind and sweet so I answered cautiously (I’m always leery of numbers I don’t know)… after a round of somewhat awkward introductions I learned I was talking to a woman named Alana, the wife of one of my co-workers, Evan. Evan isn’t a co-worker that I know well, we work in different departments and he is very quiet (this may surprise you, but I’ve never in my life been described as any form of “quiet”). I was about to experience the most inspiring & intriguing 45 minutes of my life as a parent (so far). I guess I’ll back up and explain how this all came about…

Back in September, my co-worker Melissa was attending a U of O football game (I know, I know… but I still like her anyway) and on the shuttle to the game she ran into Evan and his soon-to-be-wife, Alana. On that Monday Melissa came to me and said “I met Evan’s fiancé this weekend, she was lovely, outgoing and had the most unique eyes I’ve ever seen.” I looked at her for a minute, wondering if she was going where I thought she was… “I think she has the same eyes as Olive. I think you should go talk to him.” After a few rounds of figuring out how to bring it up to someone that I’ve barely said ‘Hello’ to, I was off and running… and he was off on his honeymoon for a few weeks. Argh. I checked out all the photos in his cubicle, she was beautiful but she was wearing sunglasses in every photo. That made perfect sense. When he finally came back I fumbled through an uncomfortable conversation with him. I was really scared of offending him, and I think I was just about to until I told him about Olive. I asked if he would ask if his wife was willing to talk to me. I didn’t hear anything from him again. I approached him again a couple weeks ago and left my number with him, really hoping that she would call…

After getting through the start of the conversation, I explained what Olive had and learned that Alana has nearly the same thing. It sounds like there may be a few differences, but in general… they are pretty close. Close counts with a condition this rare. From here, I just asked her to tell me about her life, I could have listened to her for hours upon hours. The entire time I was talking to her, Olive sat on the floor, staring at me without moving or making a sound, it was like she knew something big was happening. With every word my heart getting lighter, letting go of fears that I didn’t even know I had. Alana told me that her vision is definitely affected but she can drive, she played sports, she loves to ski & snowboard, graduated from college & has a great career… The kids in school thought it was awesome, it was the first thing Evan noticed about her; she doesn’t like fireworks and can’t see 3D. Trivial things to most people, but I went to bed and slept soundly, for the first time in exactly 10 months & 19 days.

Alone

2012-01-12T12:04:00.001-08:00

The last couple posts I’ve written were pretty upbeat and feel-good-ish… I don’t expect that this one will turn out that way, unfortunately.

I’m just really struggling within myself lately. Each time I’ve been through one of these surgeries I get myself into a bit of a “funk” from being sidelined and also because constant pain isn’t super easy for me to deal with. I am getting a bit bored of just sitting around, watching TV and putting away laundry. Monday I got myself upstairs and made a new bag, I was really excited to be sewing again but I hurt so bad afterward that I had to take some pretty serious drugs to just get the pain under control, I don’t think the new bag was worth it. Above the pain though, I just feel like I’m sitting back and life is happening all around me. I’m so lonely, sure I have my husband, kids and family members… but I really don’t have any friends nearby. I look at my older sister who has lots and lots of friends, most of them she made at work but I don’t work with many women, and none of them are near my age. There are groups to join for stay-at-home moms, but that isn’t me… Even if I wanted to join them, most meet during working hours. Not to mention that I can hardly be called a mother at this point in time since I’m unable to take care of my own children by myself.

Sean has been taking great care of the kids, but he hasn’t been able to get to do any duck hunting this season. That is really getting to me… I know that most people say “Oh, there is always next year.” Or “It won’t kill him to not get to go hunting, big deal.” But, it is a big deal, it is to him. Duck hunting isn’t just an activity or sport to him, it really is his life. Sean is really concerned that this will be the last year that his dad will be able to hunt with him, and I took that away from him. I can’t help but feel like at some point down the road I’m going to look back and think that this period of my life was the beginning of the end. Although he hasn’t said anything of the sort, I can feel this silent resentment growing towards me. I called everyone I could think of that might be able to help me out over the weekend so that he could get away but everyone was busy. After I hung up from the last call, he didn’t say another word the entire night, he was so disappointed. And I don’t blame him at all, not even a little tiny bit. I just don’t know what to do to make things better, if there is anything at all.

Sorry for the pity party post… but I need to get all this stuff off of my chest. And also, I wouldn’t hate it if someone had a suggestion or two for me.

This

2011-12-28T09:27:00.001-08:00

This morning I looked at the calendar and remembered that it’s almost my old college boyfriend’s birthday. We will be camping over the weekend so I decided I’d give him a call… of course I had to google his workplace for a phone number since I didn’t have that anymore. I was actually kind of nervous, I felt like I was in high school again calling a cute boy. Not like I was a happily married mother of 2 calling an old friend. Funny. Anyway, I think he was pretty surprised to hear from me but it was fun to catch up real quick. (Before anyone gets all “what are you thinking!” on me, my husband knows all about the old boyfriend and even stated: he’s totally cool, I guess I can see why you dated him” It’s all good. Sean is all good.

He is probably on my mind because when we were dating he took me on all kinds of extreme sports adventures; I spent more of our relationship in a cast than out of one (no joke). After a fateful day of mountain bike racing with him, I had a very badly broken shoulder, full of pins… the same shoulder that needed the repair I just had.

Anyway, this post isn’t really about him… the whole thing just got me thinking about how different things are now. I’m a grown-up, a real live grown-up. It feels like in the blink of an eye I went from a twin bed, studio apartment, top ramen and all night cram sessions to two homes, mortgages, a (wonderful) husband, career, beautiful girls and driving an SUV. In a lot of ways I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished, in other ways… I’m a little sad. You work your tail off to get somewhere and then one day suddenly notice “I’m there, this is it.” I know that I won’t have any more babies, I probably won’t ever buy another home… these are good things, but they are still kind of… I don’t know if sad is the right word, maybe “affecting” or “poignant” are better.

If my life ended today, would I look down at it and feel proud of what I accomplished? Yes, definitely. If I could go back and change the way I did certain things? Of course (Insert Darius Rucker Song This right now…). I suppose at this point is when we turn our focus to our children and start working to make sure that they have all those moments that my husband and I have been fortunate enough to have experienced. That is what it’s all about, isn’t it? (Well, and looking good in your new jeans while you’re doing it.)

This is What I Love

2011-12-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the holidays, I thought I’d share some of the things that are making me happy right now, in no particular order:

*That almost-too-big-for-her-face smile that Baby Olive is rocking these days.

*My job and all my wonderful co-workers.

*Each day when Natalee asks me “Mommy, is it one day closer to Christmas?”

*My iPhone.

*Grandparents who are always happy to give us a break.

*My sister, because she is more a part of me than anyone else on the earth (like it or not!).

*That Sean got out of bed last night to go tell Natalee how much he loved her (when he thought I was asleep).

*Baby Olive sleeping all night long.

*Our Christmas tree, it’s the only thing Natalee asked for this year.

*Music that makes you want to sing along.

*My husband, even with all his quirks, I wouldn’t change a single thing about him.

*Christmas cookies, ~~imperfectly~~ creatively decorated by kids.

*Hot Starbucks on a cold morning.

*Afrin, seriously… how did I survive so many colds without it?

*Grandma Olive, what’s not to love?

*Those moments when you think “Oh my, I’m turning into my mother” and then you smile about it.

*Shelly… ok, and Holly too. She is finally pleasant to have around.

*A warm, comfortable home.

*The burden of too many people to visit on Christmas day.

*Needing smaller clothes, it's a great "problem" to have.

*Heated blankets.

*All my friends and family, especially the ones that leave comments:-)

What are you loving these days?

Here and Now

2011-12-22T11:45:00.001-08:00

Hold on to your hat… this is going to get random.

I think this is the first year since I was a little kid that I’m not all “Grinch-y” and I’m actually enjoying the holiday season. When you ask Natalee what she wants for Christmas she always answers “A tree” so we got it up around the 2^nd of the month and she just loves to look at it. The houses with lights are fascinating to her; the excitement is palpable and makes it hard to not get excited about the season.

I just booked a waterfront RV spot for New Year’s. That will be a lot of fun. Usually, Sean is always duck hunting over New Year’s, but since I’m still unable to do much, we will spend the holiday together. I’m excited to get to the coast; we will do some crabbing off the dock… Natalee will get a kick out of that. Hopefully she can ride her bike and we can fly a kite. These things are exactly why we decided to buy a trailer! You should join us, it will be great!

Our computer died (again)… isn’t it awesome when that happens? It is especially great at Christmas when we have tons of extra money (you picked up on the sarcasm, right?). I just hope I can get the pictures that aren’t backed up yet. Then I hope to use the thing for target practice.

I’m back to work, part time. Working part time totally kicks ass. 8 am to noon? Yes please! I wish I could do this every day and still get paid full time. What was that? No, not everyone wishes they could do that. While I was off, my biggest accomplishment was watching The Good Wife from the first episode of season one all the way up to the current one. It’s my new favorite show. Totally love it. Do you watch it? I kind of want her to get back together with Peter all of a sudden…

I’ve lost almost 40 pounds since we started Weight Watchers… I need some new clothes in the worst way; hopefully there are a couple things in Santa’s bag for me to wear.

That’s all for now, folks. I’ll be back sometime soon… promise. Until then, have a wonderful holiday season, stay safe and warm and enjoy the food!

Miss Me?

2011-12-03T16:52:00.001-08:00

Wow... I officially made it through the entire month of November without a single post. Aren't you all lucky?

The month started off pretty awesome, I spent 4 days in Las Vegas with one of my best friends, Kelly. It was great to just hang out and catch up, oh and sleep all night long. Kelly was also nice enough to not wake me up in the mornings. It was basically like heaven.

We spent one evening on the Strip just walking, people watching and enjoying the lights and everything that is "Vegas."

Then we went to The Hoover Dam, my nerdy engineer gears were spinning like crazy. It was so crazy impressive. Then I made Kelly walk over the bridge. She wasn't super excited as she says she doesn't even like to drive over it, I asked if we could bungee jump off of it (no, they don't allow that... bummer).

Can you see how teeny tiny the cars are, for perspective? You probably have to zoom in to even see them.

Proof that it is possible to be in two places at once.

So, after a great trip.... it was time to head home. I had one day at work and then my surgery. That totally sucked, but at least Dr. Yummy was part of that plan. The bad news: He definitely saw me naked because I was in a different shirt after surgery then when I went in.

I told him I was taking his picture for my blog, I think he thought I was joking. Next appointment I'll tell him he's an internet sensation.

Oh, but I did get a little crafty. They told me to bring an old t-shirt that could be cut up the back, I would be wearing it for 4 days. So I cut a t-shirt myself, put a snap at the neck and then sewed on ribbons up the back so it could be tied shut. The staff thought it was great, I thought it was awesome that my shirt actually stayed on that long. I guess with enough pain and enough drugs, you worry a little less about that stuff.

After surgery, my mom took my picture. Luckily she took good care of me so I still like her. I've spent the last few weeks recovering slowly, watching The Good Wife on DVD and trying to figure out how to dry my hair with only one hand (I put the hair dryer in the towel holder, works awesome). The bad part is that I can't hold Baby Olive or take care of her at all... the good news is that I also can't do laundry, make dinner or help with the dishes. You win some, you lose some.

Alright, it took me about 2 hours to type this with 1 hand so I'm going to get back to my TV, I think Tori & Dean are waiting for me on my DVR.

Ouch

2011-10-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! This post isn’t about Halloween at all, but how freaking cute are all the little kids in their costumes? Oh my! My boss brought in his kids, his daughter was a ladybug (always a cute choice) and his son was a gorilla complete with gorilla butt on the costume. I almost died. Another co-worker brought in his little Elmo. Love them all. I can’t wait to get pictures tonight of my girls when we trick-or-treat with my niece and nephew. We are just going to the little shopping center in town, I don’t think Natalee is ready for door-to-door quite yet.

Back to me, that’s what this place is all about after all. So, remember way back when I said all the guys here were doing push-ups and they sucked me in? While we were doing them my shoulder started to hurt but I figured it was because I had been lazy for so long. I took a little break and then got back to it, more hurting. I started seeing my trainer: lots and lots of pushups, more hurting. I finally went to see a doctor, he told me it was likely a partially torn rotator cuff and prescribed physical therapy. It kept getting worse and worse so I finally went back. Dr. Bad ordered an MRI and had me come back. After the MRI he said that I had a bone spur and it needed to be cleaned up with a quick surgical procedure. I’d be back at it in a few weeks. I mentioned it to some people at work, people that I really trust, and they were horrified that I had gone to see Dr. Bad and even more horrified that I’d let him operate on me. I was a little surprised since he had done a great job repairing my ankle a few years back. But, the doubt was in my head so I called up a local shoulder specialist. He is supposed to be very good and I didn’t even think I could get in to see him. I talked to them and sent over my MRI and they said that they would talk with him and get back to me. I got a call just a few hours later; they said “Dr. Wonderful would really like to see you this week.” So I went in, he walked in the door and the first thing I thought was “Wow, he is really good looking!” and then I thought “Wow, he is really young!” The first thing he said is “I am so glad you came in to see me…” it turns out that Dr. Bad was about to do the wrong surgery on me. It really wouldn’t have hurt anything, but it wouldn’t have fixed anything either. At this point, I am in so much pain I am barely functioning day to day. Dr. Wonderful will be repairing a 360 degree torn labrum (the labrum is what holds the shoulder in the socket, as I understand it. Right now I can pull my shoulder out of joint and any given moment) and he will be removing a portion of my collar bone since it is bone on bone and most of the bone is deteriorated. It will be a long hard recovery (and I probably won’t be able to type much for a while, so don’t be offended if I can’t comment on your blogs. I will be reading them!), but I can’t wait to feel better. Surgery is on the 16^th… right after I get back from visiting my friend Kelly in Vegas!

I will be off work for 3 weeks, keep me entertained via email, FB & Twitter, ok? Also, send me movie or TV on DVD recommendations. I think I will sign up for the Blockbuster by Mail thing. I am thinking of renting ‘Big Love’ was that a good show? Also, I will try to take a picture of Dr. Wonderful before my surgery, I hope he doesn’t see me naked or anything…

5 Question Friday!

2011-10-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that it’s Friday… aside from the obvious reason, my mom will be back from Vacation today. I hate when she is out of the country and I can’t talk to her whenever I want. She has been in Aruba and my Dad has been in Hawaii, I have been an orphan for the last two weeks… OK, let’s get started on today 5QF.

1. Do you prefer cotton, silk, or flannel sheets?

Oh, we are big fans of fleece sheets in our house. If I could devote my life to an inanimate object, it would totally be fleece sheets. We only have one set (in every size), so we wash and wear… wash and wear. It might be time for a second set.

2. What time zone are you in?

Pacific… although it seems like all the rest of the blogosphere is in the Eastern time zone. I like to think that is why I always feel 3 hours behind.

3. What is your favorite part of the holiday season?

I’m not huge on Christmas and all the commercial stuff that comes with it, but I do love the atmosphere. It’s cold out, fires are burning and people are generally cheery (unless they are shopping, of course). I also love love love the time with my family, there is just something different and better about family time around Christmas. This year all of our gifts will be handmade. Money is tight, but I also think that handmade gifts are much more special.

4. What is your favorite "wintry" drink? (It doesn't have to be an "alcoholic" drink!)

I totally love Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks, but it is like a million (ok, 10) points. It is good, but not good enough to give us 1/3 of my points for the entire day.

5. In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world?

We were just talking about this yesterday. My Co-worker said it’s the guy that drives the mobile drug testing van, I think it’s the guy that cleans out the port-a-potties. I don’t even care to walk in there, I can’t even imagine having to clean it and then have to drive around a truck full of all the stuff you just sucked out of them. Yuck!

That is all for today, folks… Have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend!

Picture This...

2011-10-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I did something I haven’t done in a very long time, almost an embarrassing amount of time… I took out my camera. The weather was gorgeous and my sister brought her kids over so we took a few with them. On Sunday we headed out to a family members duck club to take a some pictures and got a few great shots. I just wish we had someone there to get some pictures of all of us (we did get two shots with the self timer).

So, after far too long without pictures to show you…

All three above were from last weekend at the pumpkin patch

Natalee loves her cousin Kellen

This is pretty much the best way to get them all to stay still for a picture

She is, generally, a pretty happy baby (finally!)

Self timer semi-success

That is Holly in the front, isn't she big now??

I think this one is adorable!

In case you're wondering, yes... I made their outfits. I couldn't find anything in the right colors in their sizes that didn't cost a small fortune.

What was I just saying?

2011-10-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said that I was totally rocking this single parent thing? Well, that’s over.

I’m officially and the end of my rope. Mostly because I’m exhausted… Olive got up four times last night, I think she is getting some new teeth. Or she just hates me already.

We also have that dumb dog. The night before she woke me up about 5 times. I may have sent a text to Sean that read: “I f*cking hate your dog. Seriously.” I used to send him ones like “I love you” and “Have a great day” but not anymore.

He is also leaving town this weekend to go hunting. I was supposed to go visit a very good friend next month in Las Vegas but it got shut down because of money. The funny thing? That ticket cost the exact same amount as one hunting license.

None of this is Sean’s fault, but I’m sick of it. He offered to try to get onto a job that is closer to home… but far enough away that he’d have to leave by 5 am and probably wouldn’t get home until 7:30 every night. At least with this project I have him home on Fridays.

Last weekend I stopped at the mall. I didn’t buy anything but I tried on some jeans… mostly because I was curious about what size I am now. Uh, that would be between a 4 and a 6. It was a nice bright shiny spot in my weekend. I wish I was rich so I could buy a whole bunch of them. All of my other jeans can be pulled off without unzipping them. This leads me to my next complaint: I want to eat an entire loaf of bread, and then maybe some French fries and wash it down with a bowl of ice cream. Luckily, that little tiny number tasted a lot better than any of those snacks.

Oh… here is a picture of Sean from last weekend. Yes, those chickens tasted even better than they look:

Did you watch this week’s ‘Parenthood’ yet? I love that show. If you didn’t cry then you have no heart.

I want to make minestrone soup this weekend. Do you have a good recipe for that?

Nonsense

2011-10-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I made a new purse, it is adorable. It is very “fall festive.” Sean isn’t so sure about it. Yesterday I went with him to a doctor appointment and we had a conversation that went like this:

Sean: “I don’t really know about that purse.”

Me: “What do you mean? I love it!”

Sean: “It’s just too big…”

Me: “It’s perfect, I have kids.”

Sean: “What does that have to do with anything?”

At that moment, the nurse calls his name and we start to walk back to the exam room.

Nurse: “Oh, I love your purse!”

Me: “Thank you, Sean just told me it was ugly”

Sean: “I did not say ugly, I said it was too big!”

Nurse: “Well you have kids, right?”

I laughed, Sean shook his head and announced that all women conspire together. The nurse… she asked for the pattern to my super awesome purse.

I made my co-worker pose with it, mostly because I'm wearing grey and hot pink today so it really didn't match well.

Here is the pattern, in case you’re thinking “that bag is perfect, especially because I have kids!” I used Amy Butler home décor fabric. The bag is awesome, but it is kinda heavy even when it’s empty because it is made of heavy-ish weight fabric and is also canvas lined.

I Can't Think of a Good Title...

2011-09-29T08:29:00.001-07:00

This morning I went to Starbucks to get some coffee (big shocker there!) and someone pulled into the handicap parking spot (with a permit), which is fine, except that three people who appeared perfectly healthy and able bodied hopped out and went in to get their coffee and pastries… that drives me completely insane. I work with a woman who has a handicap permit and often parks in one of the two available handicap spots here… in my opinion, if you are well enough to do either Zumba or Kick Boxing every night of the week, you probably don’t need to be taking a spot away from someone who is truly unable to get around.

Last night I made pumpkin bread… it smelled (and tasted) like yummy fall deliciousness. Except that every time I make it, it gets a little overdone on the bottom… not burned but just over done. Should I try lower temp and longer cook time?

I wrote a letter yesterday regarding wages that Sean didn’t get paid from a State Job back in April. I was angry and frustrated that the person “helping” me was on vacation again. So I decided to send it to her boss, but Amie convinced me to aim higher… so I sent it to my senators and my congressman. I was shocked when I got a call from Senator Jeff Merkley’s office only 3 hours later telling me that they were going to do what they could to help us out. I always thought writing to your senators was like shouting from a rooftop: it probably makes you feel better but doesn’t actually accomplish anything. My opinion is changing.

Sean is coming home tonight. I can’t wait to have him back for a couple days but I’m happy to report that we are actually settling into a very nice routine. I am going to survive the next 3 weeks just fine!

At daycare yesterday, Natalee and her friend Grace were talking about boats… Natalee said to Grace “But, my daddy’s boat can swim under water!” I choked on my lunch when I read that (my daycare provider sent me a text to tell me). It is amazing the things that they pick up on!

That’s all for now… what are YOU up to?

Eye See You & Other Random Thoughts

2011-09-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Oh my… what day is today? Tuesday? Sounds like a good day to spew out a bunch of random stuff.

First off… Olive’s eyes! We went back up to the big hospital on Friday (note to self: never schedule a 3:30 Friday appointment in the city). The doctors were thrilled with her progress, they said that she is doing and seeing much better than anticipated. I’m not all that surprised as she is really showing us how much she can see lately. In December we will go back and have her eyes dilated again so that they can get an idea of her prescription. The doctor said that was most likely just going to be for their own knowledge and to see how things have progressed since she was last dilated in May. I really couldn’t be any more excited about this news.

Last week Sean got laid off at work. They told him that he didn’t need to worry about being out of work anymore (which is why we finally decided to buy the trailer) so this came completely out of left field. It is only for a month or so, but in the mean time they told him that he could go work on a job in Coquille. His first response was “Where the hell is Coquille?” and after we worked out that it was about 4 hours away in a town with absolutely nothing to offer, we decided that there really was no other choice than to go there to work. So, he packed up the trailer and off he went Sunday night.

Here is the thing: None of this is his fault and I don’t blame him for a second… but I hate that he is gone. I hate that I’m left with 2 kids and 2 dogs and a house to take care of alone. I hate that the thought of getting off work makes me almost panic with anxiety over how I’m going to do it all. I am a crazy mixture of angry and jealous over his situation. Before he left he asked if he could take Shelly (our older dog), I told him there was no way he was taking the one piece of calm that was going to be left in the house. We decided that he would take Holly (the “puppy”) and then he could train her after work… but just before he left I said “Aren’t you taking Holly?” and he replied “No, she is too much work.” I almost lost my mind at that moment. Last night, while expertly juggling all of my “household” duties, he called and told me that he managed to get 60 cable channels to come in… I nearly hung up on him. Like I said: Not his fault, but OHMYGAWD I’m drowning here!! Natalee woke me up THREE TIMES last night to tell me that she was going to go to the bathroom and then Olive got up at 4 this morning. Now, I know that I CAN do it all… but I don’t want to. I didn’t sign up to do this all alone and it sucks. He will be back Thursday night for the weekend… I am counting down the hours.

Is that too much whining? Sorry… I’m in a whiney sort of mood today. In better news: I made this awesome dinner last night (thanks Tracee for the link!). I think my crock pot will be getting a workout this month. Send me your Weight Watchers friendly recipes if you have any (I don’t care if the points are calculated… just nothing that is super bad for you).

Fat Ass Friday

2011-09-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

It’s Friday… Hell Yeah! Actually, it’s Wednesday but Sean and I are out in the wilderness in our beautiful new trailer, with no kids on an elk hunt. So, hopefully this will auto post like it is supposed to. (If you are planning on robbing my house when I’m gone, don’t. The kids are there with some adult supervision.)

Well, last week we didn’t go to Weight Watchers. We spent the weekend before at Sean’s parent’s house, and they have some seriously good snacks there. I got a cold on Sunday looked in the pantry where I found some of those pink & white animal cookies. I grabbed a handful and texted Sean that we were skipping Weight Watchers because I didn’t feel good and I needed to eat. Apparently, that meant “Game On” and we had pizza and ice cream and pretty much whatever for a couple of days. Yesterday we were both pretty scared to go weigh-in. It didn’t really help that my sister was doing her training there. I didn’t let her weigh me, but she was sitting right next to the girl that did. Not to worry though… I lost 3.8 pounds! I am thrilled. Sean lost 4 and he is also pretty excited.

This brings me to a total of 26.2 pounds lost. I feel great and I can’t believe how well things are going.

Sean has lost a total of 27 pounds since we started WW. He has lost almost 40 since his peak weight last year. He doesn’t even look like the same person. I’m so proud of him!

I’m linking up with Brandy for Fat Ass Friday (if things go according to plan anyway), won’t you head on over and join me?

I Am A Warrior

2011-09-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am NOT a runner… I’m pretty sure that I’ll never be a runner, mostly because I hate running. I work with a bunch of guys that are totally into running, or they are into beating each other so they all try to run farther and faster than the next guy (remember the push-up competitions? It’s still going on. I quit after a torn rotator cuff and realizing that I didn’t have enough testosterone to win.)

Anyway, last year these guys signed up for the Warrior Dash, but I was pregnant so I couldn’t participate. This year they talked me into doing it, and I talked Marni into doing it with me (since I would not be able to keep up with them.) Marni finally agreed after a lot of begging on my part. Once we got there, she swore at me… A LOT.

I guess I should explain the Warrior Dash. It is described as “3.18 Hellish Miles” with obstacles:

1. Deadweight Drifter – basically going through chest-deep water and over spinning logs

2. Road Rage – running through tires and over wrecked cars;

3. Great Warrior Wall – scaling a wall with a rope;

4. Rubber Ricochet – running through hanging tires;

5. Deadmans Drop – climbing a wall and going over the other side;

6. Chaotic Crossover – climbing across a net made of rope (this one made the quads burn, I was actually a little thankful for all the damn squats my trainer makes me do);

7. Barricade Breakdown – “hurdle” over barricades and crawl under barbed wire (this was definitely my least favorite);

8. Satan’s Steps – Basically uneven and unsteady platforms, you have to jump from one to the next all the way across;

9. Assassin’s Escape – go up steps and down a fireman pole (I was disappointed that Marni didn’t do this one upside down);

10. Cargo Climb – go up cargo nets;

11. Warrior Roast – leap over flames; and finally

12. Muddy Mayhem – crawling under barbed wire in the mud.

We were freaked out, seriously. But we decided that we had driven all that way so we were going to give it a try. About halfway through we were both saying “Next year, G and Sean have got to do this with us!” It was so much fun. And, we didn’t even come in last place. That is a big accomplishment. We would have been even faster if we hadn’t stopped along the way to take pictures of each other and the obstacles. One of the very most impressive feats of the day was the fact that Marni kept her camera in her bra in a Ziploc and it didn’t get ruined. Ziploc should totally sponsor her.

After it's all over, we jumped into this beautiful pond to clean off...

Another impressive feat: I did the whole thing with a still-torn rotator cuff. I think my rehab took about 16 steps backwards, but I don’t care. I had a great time and accomplished something I never thought I could do!

Also, my shoes came clean in the wash... they look like brand new still!

5 Question Friday!

2011-09-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I’m beat. Like, tired to the bones… Lots of people like to tell me how “good” we have it with Olive, but exactly none of those people have actually lived in our home. She is definitely getting better, but still hours upon hours of screaming almost every night. We tried switching her to soy formula thinking that maybe she was lactose intolerant. It didn’t seem to make things any better or worse. So, finally… after resisting medication for a long time, we are trying some Zantac twice a day. She absolutely hates it. She spits and gags when we give it to her. We are on day 3, things seem a little better but that could still be in our minds as we search desperately for something to help. Now she has stopped sleeping through the night. (Blogger hates my iPhone photos... sorry!)

In happier, more fun news: Natalee started preschool. She LOVED it, when I dropped her off she was like “See ya later mom!” and I walked out with a couple other dejected mothers, all of us expecting more resistance to our departures but glad that our kids seem to be pretty well adjusted.

This was also a great excuse to sew her a new backpack! (Again, iPhone photos... grrr!)

Sunday is the Warrior Dash… please pray that I survive. On my way out yesterday my trainer said “I’d wish you luck, but I don’t believe in it and you’ve totally got this!” That statement made me feel much more confident.

1. What ringtone do you have on your cell phone?

That depends on who is calling… for most people it is “Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean. When my mom calls it is “We Weren’t Born to Follow” by Bon Jovi. When Sean calls it is R.O.C.K. in the USA by John Mellencamp. I like to change them up all pretty regularly.

2. What is your favorite memory from this summer?

As it is every year… it will probably be when it’s finally over. Actually, it is probably getting our new trailer. Sean and I left after work, drove overnight to Boise, ID got there at 3 am, slept in our car for 3 hours then went to meet our new trailer. After about 3 years of looking it is strange to finally have it in our backyard. It was also strange to spend that much money on something without ever putting eyes on it. It was all done over the phone.

3. Paper books or ebooks?

I’m a big fan of the Kindle app on my iPad, but there really is nothing quite like an actual book.

4. If you could have one home upgrade what would it be and why?

A bigger laundry room. Oh my gosh, I would just love to have a full on mud room… and if anyone needs one, it’s our family. I definitely see this upgrade in our (not-too-distant future).

5. When was your first serious boyfriend/girlfriend?

College… Freshman year, Corley McFarland. I was so in love with him, but like so many other things… it just didn’t work out. Not to worry though, I ended up pretty damn happy! (I think he did too, but I haven’t heard from him in quite a while.)

That’s all I got today, check out Mama M for more Friday fun!

5QF: It's been too long

2011-09-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how long it has been since I’ve done a 5 Question Friday, but it sounded like fun this morning… so here I am.

Before we start that though, can I get a “Hell Yes!” to the fact that it is no longer August? It’s no secret how much I despise summer so September 1 is always an exciting time for me (and yes, I realize that summer isn’t actually over until September 21 but I commemorate early). This year I celebrated by dying my hair DARK and getting hot pink highlights. It looks so great, I totally love it. I wish that the months went something like this:

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

June and then back to October again. I only threw in June so that there was a month when I was like “Yep, this is why I hate summer, I have to keep some perspective.

Alright, lets get on with 5QF already!

1. Shoes in the house - yay or nay?

Well, I’m not one of those people that has a sign at the front door to take your shoes off or anything like that. I don’t really care if you wear them in my house but I prefer to have them off. I don’t think you can ever really be comfortable with shoes on.

2. What do you call them- flip flops, slippers, thongs, etc?

Flip flops… my mother-in-law went into a store recently and asked where the thongs were and they took her to the underwear department. I honestly wish I could have been there to see that entire exchange.

3. What song are you almost embarrassed to admit you know all the lyrics to?

I’m not embarrassed about any of them… I love all sorts of music, but if I had to pick it would probably be something like “Ice Ice Baby” or “Informer” (By Snow, do you remember that song? I must have a thing for white rappers.)

4. What is the best quality to have in a friend?

Um, they should probably like me. I mean, I can be a lot to handle so the friends that I have are pretty spectacular. Also, you have to be willing to laugh at me, right to my face because I will probably do it to you too. If that bothers you then we won’t last too long.

5. Do you know what you want for Christmas?

Yes! I want a new heated throw blanket. My last one stopped getting warm. Sean thinks a blanket that plugs in is the most ridiculous invention of all times, I think it is brilliant. I saw them on the shelves at Bi-mart recently so I know they are available and would be so great in the new RV. (Hello, Mom… are you listening??)

Head on over and visit Mama M for more 5QF fun!

Bright Light

2011-08-18T08:07:00.001-07:00

I have some good news to share!!

Last week we took Olive back to the eye doctor. They did their normal array of tests and said that her "bad" eye has improved from 20/600 to 20/360 in about 3 weeks. Her "good" eye hasn't changed and is still 20/270. The fact that her "bad" eye has improved so rapidly and to a level very similar to her "good" eye tells the doctors that there is a bit of hope that she may end up with "nearly normal" vision in her left eye (the "good" one). The vision she does have in her right eye is really only in the lower part of her peripheral vision. We believe that the location and size of the Coloboma is blocking most of her central vision in the right eye. We are hoping that with continuing to patch the left eye, her brain will start to "fill-in" the pieces that are missing. If the vision in her left eye does develop to nearly-normal, I think that will help her brain to fill-in those gaps as well.

We have new vision insurance at work (Olive's eye appointments are covered under medical, not vision) so I decided to go to the eye doctor as I have a heck of a time trying to read street signs. I got some new glasses (I can't wait until they are here, so cute!) and we decided that Natalee should have her eyes checked too, just to be sure that her eyes were formed properly. Her eyes look totally normal, but so does Olive's left eye. Anyway, they said she is a bit farsighted, but nothing to be concerned about yet. She was a total trooper having her eyes dilated and everything on the inside of her eyes looks perfect. What a relief!

Natalee saw a different doctor than I did, but same clinic. I told my doctor about Olive and she apparently told the other doctor about it. He kept walking over to see Olive and talk to her but she was wearing her sunglasses. Finally he said "So, I hear she has a Coloboma…" I said yes and let him squirm a while because I knew he wanted to see it. After a bit I said "Oh, did you want to look?" "Oh, I'd love to!" so I showed him and asked him if he sees very many of them… He said "Well, no… this is the first one I've actually got to see." So, I guess it is pretty rare. I asked about glasses for her, he said that some Colobomas respond well to glasses and some don't at all. We just won't know until we can get a better idea of what she actually sees and how it is affecting her. My friend Christin's little girl just got glasses and they are the CUTEST.THING.EVER. It makes me hope Olive gets to wear glasses just to be that adorable.

Fat Ass Friday

2011-08-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

*This was set to auto publish yesterday and it didn't work. So dumb.
Finally Friday!! Yay!
The other good news? Weight Watchers is working! We were both really nervous about our weigh in this week because we spent last weekend at the lake, and you know how lake weekends go. But, we tried to be really good (even though Sean's friend made Guacamole, yum!). Despite the lake, I lost 1.8 pounds this week for a total of 18 pounds lost and only 2 pounds to my goal weight. Sean says I should set higher (lower?) standards for myself, I guess I'll see how these next two pounds go. I'd really love to lose 10 more, but that is probably not all that realistic.
Sean lost 3.2 pounds for a total of 20 pounds lost. He hasn't set a goal weight yet, but he is thinking maybe 10 more pounds. I am so proud of him, and to be honest, I'm proud of me, too. I'm actually loving the process of getting dressed and I bought a bikini this year, something that I never ever thought I'd do again in this lifetime. Even better- I found it on clearance.
Time to go meet my ~~torturer~~ trainer. Go visit Brandy and join in!

Real

2011-08-03T08:28:00.001-07:00

It's time to get a little bit honest here… I'm struggling. Things with Olive are getting a little more real, a little less maybe or someday.

From the time that Olive was born and we learned that she had something wrong with her eyes, we have said "Well, she may not be able to see… but she probably will." And as much as you say that, I don't know if you ever really realize that she may not see. Her vision is almost fully developed and it isn't good. She is about 20/300 in her "good" eye and about 20/600 in her "bad" eye. (Babies are usually born with vision about 20/400 and at 6 months it has improved to roughly 20/25).

I've become aware of how much impact this may have on her life and ours as well.

When I go to the driver side of the car to get her out she does not respond to me, but when I go to the passenger side she laughs and smiles at me. Not coincidentally, that corresponds with her "good" and "bad" side.

I went to Target to get a few things yesterday and decided that I wanted to get her a new toy. Something that lights up with lots of bring colors because she really enjoys those things when we go to the eye doctor. I couldn't find anything… I went online and found what I was looking from a company that makes toys for visually impaired children. The toys are about $4 but the shipping was about $12. Ridiculous. I just want a toy for my kid that she would enjoy but can't get it for any reasonable price.

Natalee was watching Dora yesterday and they were doing something with colors and shapes. How will I teach Olive those things? What about letters? How do I teach her that? Pretty much everything that we teach our young children is based on seeing those things.

I've heard that the most successful visually impaired adults are the ones that had parents who made them do everything that their siblings did too. Same chores, same activities, same expectations… But, I don't know where to even begin with those things. When she is old enough for school, will our local schools be able to accommodate her? Will she be teased if she is "mainstreamed" or will she thrive despite everything? Will we have to move to somewhere with better resources? Will Natalee resent any special help that Olive needs? How do I teach Natalee to be compassionate?

Fat Ass (almost) Friday

2011-07-28T07:06:00.001-07:00

OK, I'm a few weeks behind, sue me. (Although, this is early because I'm afraid of not getting to it tomorrow) I did actually write a post for last week and I even wrote it ahead of time! But, then I ended up working nights (and days, too)… I completely ran out of steam at about 2am Friday morning and didn't come in to work for the day. In fact, I didn't get out of bed until nearly 1pm and the post fell to the wayside. All this to say: there is a lot to update on today!

Weight Watchers is still going well, as of Tuesday I have lost a total of 15.8 pounds. I am only 4.2 pounds from my goal weight… which is coincidentally my high school weight! Holy crap, I'm going to have to update my driver's license. My mom always says that her license weight is more like a goal weight than her actual weight. (We might all be in trouble if they were searching for us… "That is definitely not her; we're looking for a skinny girl!) I had to go buy new cheap work jeans because my old ones pulled off without even unbuttoning them and Sean doesn't like me wearing designer jeans while playing in the mud and trenches at work, he also doesn't like the idea of my pants falling off while I'm there.

Sean has lost 18 pounds. He looks great… he is "winning." Whatever.

My friend Christin and her family are moving far far away… I am really excited for them and their new adventures. They have 3 little ones, 3, 2, and 4 months… I think their drive is about 2,000 miles. I'm not sure how long that will take but for me it would be about 10 Xanex, a handful of Ativan and maybe a few Valium thrown in there for good measure. Thankfully, she is a much better, and more patient, mother than I am.

I'm linking up with Brandy for Fat Ass Friday… join in!

Snapshot

2011-07-13T15:20:00.001-07:00

How about a little snapshot of what has been going on in my world?

I mentioned in my last blog, whenever the hell that was, that I was thinking about giving up this whole blogging thing. I guess I'll keep it up, but I'm not going to worry much about it. I just wish I had something monumental to write about… now that I've gotten married, bought a house and had 2 babies the excitement is pretty much over with.

On with it… last week I had a dental implant. I was born missing one tooth and the one on the other side is super tiny (the teeth right next to my front teeth), I've had a fake tooth in there since I was in about 4^th grade. I've always wanted to have an implant but they are super expensive and my insurance never covered them… until now! The technology is much better than it used to be so we decided it was time to finally do it, especially since it was the entire reason for having braces again. I had that done Friday morning and it was actually pretty easy (general anesthesia always makes you think that). My mother-in-law came down for the whole weekend to help out with the kiddos and I got to sleep. It was awesome; I want to have some sort of surgery that is fairly easy to recover from at least once a month. I won't show you pictures yet, it looks a little gruesome (although, it actually looks normal as long as I wear my retainer)… I'll have the crown placed after about 4 months and I'll be smiling then!

Yesterday I had my first meeting with my new personal trainer. I was a little nervous about it because I'm so out of shape, but it went really well. He kicked my ass and I'm actually looking forward to going back. I'm a bit sore today, but it will be totally worth it when I'm buying super cute clothes in the (hopefully not too distant) future.

I got to have lunch with my sister yesterday… we had a good time and then we were asked TWICE in less than 10 minutes if we were twins. She is 7 years older than me, so either she looks amazing or I need to sign up for a little botox. I'm thinking it's both.

I need a cupcake, or a cookie, or some s'mores. Damnit.

Over it

2011-07-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

I’m linking up with Brandy today for Fat Ass Friday… and look; I even got it done on Friday. That deserves a prize for sure.

We had our weigh in on Tuesday and I lost 1.8 pounds, which brings me to 9 pounds total. I’m stoked about the 9 pounds thing, but can’t help but think that it isn’t going to work anymore. I hope not, but I’m guessing I’ll have a big fat ZERO next week. I guess only time will tell. Sean lost 1 pound so he is down 6 pounds overall.

I keep thinking about getting up 30 minutes early to go running… but I hate running and I love sleeping. You can see the major conflict here. The funny thing is that I’d probably be less tired if I did it, but my bed is just so damn comfortable.

I think I’m over this blogging thing. I just don’t have time for it, and besides that… my life is B.O.R.I.N.G. so why keep this up? I never have time to read the blogs that I like so even that part isn’t fun anymore. And besides all that, I never feel like I can really say what I think because someone will probably burn my house down. Or, they won’t understand my humor and think I’m being serious… then burn my house down.

If I had lots of time, I’d start a blog that people could send in their stories to anonymously. It would be www.mymotherisinsane.com (don’t get mad Mom; you know you’d have stories to share, too!). My mom is actually pretty cool, but I’d guess that there are very few people who wouldn’t have a story to tell.

We ordered Sean an iPhone last night. He is worried he won’t be able to figure it out. Natalee will be showing him how to use it. A submission to http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/ is in our near future.

Have you visited Marni yet? She is now a super famous blogger after being featured on some other popular blog yesterday. I hope she remembers that we were friends before she made it big.

Less of This

2011-06-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I missed out on Brandy’s Fat Ass Friday… stupid work, taking up all my time. And in relation to that thought… how come two kids is like 10 times as hard as one? Anyone that has more than 2 kids just a few years apart, you are my hero. Thankfully, my husband is amazing and recognizes that I need me time still to keep my sanity so he took the girls to his parents house for the weekend while he went fishing with his dad. Friday night I went to the fabric store alone, came home, put on my pajamas and ate dinner then did nothing else. Bliss. I did some sewing on Saturday… new crib sheets, some pillow cases, a hospital gown for a co-worker having a baby and a new insulated lunch bag for myself (but the pattern wasn’t very clear and I got the print upside down… oops, it’s still cute though). (That "edit image" thing won't rotate my images and it's making me angry).

Please ignore my sewing room disaster in the background

OK, back to the Fat Ass stuff… Sean and I went to weigh in on Tuesday and he asked me how I thought I did. I didn’t feel like I had necessarily lost but did feel like we were just making such better choices about our food so it didn’t really matter. We weighed in and he lost FIVE POUNDS in one week! I lost 3.2 pounds, which brings me to a total of 7.2 pounds. I’m super excited that what we are doing is working. I like to think that regardless of what the scale tells us in the future we will stick with it. I’m hoping that some energy comes along with the better eating because I am tired to my core… even with the weekend off from the kids.

The good news about this weight loss stuff is that my jeans are getting too big; the bad news is that they are True Religion Jeans and that makes me want to cry. I will still wear them though, just need a good belt.

Here is a cute picture of Natalee feeding Baby Olive the other day. I already shared it on Facebook, if you aren’t already my friend… what are you waiting for?

Chicken Little

2011-06-21T07:46:00.001-07:00

There are big changes in the Austin household lately! Nothing exciting, of course, but changes nonetheless.

Sean and I started Weight Watchers. I was really hesitant because I've done WW before and I spent the entire time starving. Seriously, I learned that carrots are zero points, and 4 weeks is my starvation limit before I buckle. However, I was told that the program changed so I decided to give it another whirl. I told Sean I was joining and he said he wanted to join too. I was shocked but glad to have the support. Last week I lost 4 POUNDS! I think it's always that way the first week though. Sean started a week behind me so his first weigh-in is tonight. I'm going to try to write about it on Friday's so that I can link up with Brandy on Fat Ass Friday.

Another big change: Olive refuses to breastfeed anymore. She got lazy with the bottle at daycare I think. I'm ok with it though, because it's her decision. However, I'm totally going to miss the million extra points I got for WW because of breastfeeding. Also, I'm not sure how to keep my boobs from turning into rockets and exploding off of my chest. Ouch.

I need some healthy dinner recipe ideas. We eat chicken every single night now. It's cool because we like chicken and cook it different ways… but if you have ideas we would love to hear them. Last night we made Chicken with Broccoli (just like Beef with Broccoli from the Chinese restaurant, except with Chicken). The only problem with it was that I wanted to eat 10 servings because it was so damn good.

My sister is getting married! This isn't new news, but it's still exciting. And, the very best thing about it (besides all the Happily Ever After stuff) is that it's happening in Cabo San Lucas and Sean and I are planning to go without kids! I am really excited for Julie & Andre, thanks for the vacation excuse guys!

Up next… Natalee was a flower girl over the weekend. I don't have pictures available right now, so that event will get its very own post!

Monday Funday

2011-06-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Today started with an email for a free baby sling from Seven Slings… I’m not sure I need another one, but I’m all for free (well, I had to pay shipping… but whatever). That classifies as a pretty good start to a Monday.

I found a new coffee joint for my morning brew; I’m super excited about it. I only drink decaf but can’t seem to get my day started without it, regardless.

I’m frustrated with breastfeeding because I have plenty of supply for baby, but I’m just not a very efficient pumper so I only get 2/3 of what she needs for the next day while I’m at work. Any ideas?

Speaking of Olive… here she is yesterday. Adorable right? I made the tutu and leg warmers yesterday. I miss getting to be crafty. I got about 8 minutes at the sewing machine yesterday and it just wasn’t enough.

(WHY WON'T IT ROTATE, ARGH!!)

I thought I was going to have to miss my deep water aerobics tonight because Sean is working late so I told Marni, my workout partner, that I probably couldn’t make it. She was super sad because we are planning to use this class to make us look like supermodels by July. Well, Marni already looks like one… This is Marni:

But then… her husband, George, volunteered to watch the girls. George is super hot (he’ll tell you that, too!). This is George:

I’m pretty sure he just wanted to come over and watch some sort of sports on our 60” TV. But it’s all good. I don’t care at all, and I obviously trust him with my most prized possession (the TV, duh).

Yesterday was Sean’s birthday. He wanted an airbrush for his birthday to paint his own fishing lures. I thought that was a GREAT gift, so I read up about them and found the one recommended was about $115, I found it online for $75. I was so excited… then he needed a cleaning kit ($15), then paint… he wanted lots of colors, so that set me back another $100. Turns out this doesn’t come with an air hose, $30 please. And finally, we’re going to need a compressor to run that thing. Another $100. So somehow his great, affordable gift ended up costing me $320 and I haven’t even gotten him anything to actually spray the paint onto. Considering that the already painted lures you buy at the store are about $1.79 each, he’s going to have to paint A LOT of them to be in the black. Hold on… I’ll calculate how many.

That would be 208 fishing lures. Perfect, by the time he is 93 this should be a profitable hobby. Sweet. Oh well, at least he is happy.

All over the place

2011-05-24T07:28:00.001-07:00

I’ve got some random thoughts rumbling around in my head this morning.

Remember when I was doing my odd person sighting of the week? I kinda let that go, because I wasn’t seeing too many odd people. This week, I’m on overload. The other day I saw a guy riding a bike with a rope tied to the seat that was towing a lawn mower. Then, as I was headed back from Olive’s eye appointment in Portland, I saw two guys on the shoulder of the interstate doing push-ups. Now that is hardcore.

Speaking of push-ups. I work in a total testosterone pool. Recently, the guys decided that they should do push-ups at random times throughout the day. I’m not sure how it happened, but I got sucked into their vortex. I am working my way up and did 110 of them yesterday. I also went to an Aqua Jogging class yesterday with Marni (she just started a blog, you should totally check it out… ) and it was way harder than I expected. I figured that we would wear those little floaty belts and chat in the water for an hour, but it was actually a workout. No need to worry though, we still got to chat. We plan to get together to learn how to coupon, since neither of us can figure it out alone. We are fairly well educated people, how can it be so hard?

The working out must be doing something good… I slept like I’ve never slept before last night. To start, I took Olive to my bedroom to feed her and watch TV. I usually read People.com on my phone while I do that. I dozed off and dropped my phone on her (which startled her back awake). Sean came in a bit later and said “Uh, I better take her from you.” I must have been really out of it. I remember grabbing a pillow that I like to put under my knee when I sleep. When I woke up to my alarm this morning it was still in my hand, it never made it under my covers. Then, I told Sean “Well, at least Olive slept all night” and he informed me that she got up once and Natalee got up twice. I felt bad for about 10 seconds, then decided it was his turn anyway. I wish I could have stayed in bed all day.

I want to order some Trouser Jeans from GAP because they are having a 3-hour-only 30% off sale, but I’m freaked out about what size to get. I always buy my pants in long length, but the reviews are saying how long they are. Does that mean long for a normal person or long for someone like me, with freakishly long legs? Or, should I order 2 pairs and just return the one that doesn’t fit? What a pain in the ass.

I want to get a Moby wrap. Do you have one? Do you like it? Hate it? Love it?

Angel Eyes

2011-05-20T07:43:00.001-07:00

Angel Eyes… do you remember that song? I have always loved that song… did you know that Jeff Healey is blind? Ironic isn’t it?

I had a pretty amazing experience yesterday, certainly one worth sharing- in my opinion.

Olive had her appointment yesterday at the Casey Eye Institute, I was a little more nervous than I expected to be. It was at 8AM, so we needed to leave here by 6:30 which meant getting Natalee to daycare by 6:15. We made it out of town on time and miraculously there was very little traffic so we were there early. I got up to the 5^th floor where the Children’s clinic was located and no one was there yet, except for a teenage girl, Stacy, who was also waiting. She was cute, wearing glasses and using a cane to get around. She walked up to me and said “You can come sit with me, I found the waiting area with my cane.” So Olive and I went to sit with her. She sat down and said “So, is she blind?” while looking at Olive. I was taken aback, no one really just comes out and asks me about her eyes (even though they are wondering), but I figured she was completely within her bounds to ask so I told her that I didn’t know. She asked what was wrong and I tried to explain the best that I could. I asked her if she had always been blind. She told me that she always had bad vision, but then it started to get worse and she woke up one day with no vision. She told me it was scary but she didn’t let it slow her down, even though the doctors didn’t know why it happened. She told me all the things she still does and that it really didn’t change as much about her life as you’d think. I was just in awe of this girl… the receptionist showed up and asked us to check in. When I turned back around Stacy was already gone. Meeting Stacy made my day, week, month… what an amazing girl. I wish I could hug her and tell her how much better she made me feel about everything. I was finally not afraid for Olive. In an instant my fears for her happiness were gone.

A few minutes later, Olive was called back. We met 3 different doctors, they put numbing drops in her eyes and had to touch her eyeball with some machine that measured the pressure in them (it was normal, but I didn’t watch that part). They had all kinds of toys and things to see if she was tracking objects, which she wasn’t. Then they held her and kind of spun around in a circle to see if her eyes stopped moving when the motion stopped, and they did! Finally, her eyes were dilated and they were able to look into the back of her eyes. The news was generally good. She does have the retinal Coloboma in both eyes, but the left is only intermittent and may not have much effect on her vision. It is certainly her stronger eye. The right eye has a significant defect, about 20% of the retina and iris is missing. They predict that her vision will be about 20/100 (this means that she will see at 20 feet what a “normal” person would see at 100 feet, I learned something today!). Anyway… they said that we will likely patch her left eye to force the right one to work a little harder. After that, she will most likely wear glasses and function relatively normally. We will work with some specialists to keep her from falling behind until she can really tell us what she sees. These are all just guesses at this point but I feel really positive about the whole thing. I’m so glad that we went there and thankful that I got to meet Stacy. We are in good hands now…

Me, Myself & I

2011-05-17T09:55:00.001-07:00

I was reminded this morning that it’s been a loooong time since I’ve blogged. This is true, but to be honest I’m having some difficulty with the process. I feel like I write about a lot of negative things but on the other hand, I feel like if I just write about all the good stuff it comes off as being arrogant or bragging or whatever. My life is relatively balanced in terms of “good things” vs. “hard things” so why is it hard to write about it?

How about I start with a little update? I turned 30 on Friday. I was not thrilled with the milestone, but its here to stay and I’m pretty much the same as I was on Thursday. I was dreading turning 30, but then I looked at how much my life has changed since I turned 20 (which was a birthday I was stoked about). I’ve graduated from college, bought 2 homes, built an amazing football stadium (among other things), met Sean, had the wedding of my dreams, welcomed 2 beautiful girls to the world. There have been hard things too, but fortunately the good ones are the moments that stick out in my mind.

Yesterday was my first day back at work, it was hard to leave Olive but it’s good to be back. I have no aspirations to be a stay at home mom, so I wasn’t really sad to go back but I just wasn’t quite ready. Natalee was so excited to bring her baby sister to daycare with her that it made the transition a little easier. I think the hardest part is going to be getting ready in the mornings (and not being able to wear yoga pants everyday).

Breastfeeding! It’s going so good. I am so glad that I gave it another shot! I had a successful day of pumping at work yesterday and Olive was happy as can be with her bottle at daycare. I don’t know how long my work schedule will let me keep up, but I’m going to try. (For the record, my employer is beyond amazing when it comes to accommodating for breastfeeding mothers.)

And finally… Olive’s eyes. I’ve been doing some research on them, it turns out that there is one doctor in the country that studies her condition and he is in Washington D.C. He said that he would like to see her when she is a year old. We will likely go out there and do that. In the mean time, I’m taking her to Portland on Thursday to see a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health Sciences University. Sometimes we think she can see, and other times we think she can’t. What I DO know is that she is made exactly the way she is supposed to be. If she can’t see or she needs special help, then she will get it and we will learn right along with her. If she can see, then obviously we will be very thankful for that. I think the hardest part is not knowing, and until she can tell us what she sees, we are most likely just going to be guessing. If I know any more after the appointment, I’ll let you know.

I miss all my bloggy friends, I hate that I’m such a bad one. I need to get the whole RSS feed thing figured out so that I can read them from the iPad. I’ll get right on that!

Here, There, Everywhere

2011-04-18T16:26:00.001-07:00

I've been gone so long that I didn't realize that Random Tuesday was on hiatus... So I'm going random all on my own. Is that like going rogue random?
I'm watching the HGTV Green Home show, I want it. Wouldn't it be amazing to win something like that? One of the bedrooms is all hot pink and green with two little twin beds. It's perfect for the girls. Fate, I need to win it.
I'm working on a simple little baby quilt, but the baby is really cutting into my sewing time. She is sort of high maintenance and doesn't let me craft very efficiently.
I finally found an app that will let me blog from the iPad. That will certainly help me keep up here... Well, maybe. Speaking of apps, I got an iPhone... I can die happy now.
Army Wives... Do you watch it? I watched seasons 1-4 in about 2 weeks and got all caught up on the current season, I love it!
I started Couch to 5k, then I couldn't walk... My doctor said my pelvis isn't healed enough yet so no running. Bummer. I'm looking forward to trying it again soon though.
Natalee is going to be a flower girl in my cousins wedding in June, her dress will be here tomorrow and I'm so excited! I will show you all pictures as soon as I can get her into it (I really hope it fits!).

The other day I was putting Natalee to bed and she said "Mommy, I love you and ever and ever and ever." I think that makes up for all the hard mommy times. Yesterday we saw a man walking his German sheperd and she said "look mom- a FOX!" The dogs owner got a good laugh out of it.

In the Eye of the Beholder

2011-04-18T00:03:00.001-07:00

I have so much to tell you all... But I thought that I better start with Olive since she is the most exciting thing going on right now.
My labor and delivery experience this time was amazing, it was exactly what I hoped for. I had been having regular contractions for a few days, 3-5 minutes apart but never getting stronger. I had my weekly checkup on Monday and I was 3cm dilated. The pain in my pelvis was excruciating and I could barely walk because of it. My doctor decided that baby was getting big enough that she was concerned about my ability to deliver if we waited much longer so she asked me to come to be checked at the hospital on Thursday. We got there at about 7:00 am and I was 3-4 cm and fully effaced so they decided to break my water and things took off all on their own. I got a bit uncomfortable and asked for some pain medication. I was offered an epidural and I accepted even though I wasn't too terribly uncomfortable (I knew what was coming). Unfortunately it didn't work at all "down there." About an hour after I got my epidural I was complete. I went from 7-10 cm in about 10 minutes, I pushed for 10 minutes and she was out with only a tiny tear and no stitches needed. I asked to hold her skin to skin right away and got to hold her on my chest that way for about 20 minutes immediately after birth, it was so amazing.
Shortly after she was born, I remember hearing Sean say that there was something wrong with her eye but I was still still taking in the amazing thing that had just happened and I didn't process what he said at all. The next day I noticed something was a little off about her right eye but I ignored it, hoping that it was just my imagination. On Saturday morning the hospital pediatrician came by and I asked him about it, he had to go look up what it was and told me it likely just cosmetic. About a week later we went to our regular pediatrician for a checkup and he told us she had a coloboma and that we needed to see a pediatric opthamologist right away. I was freaked out, seriously... So much that I didn't even google it. Ok, I did but I only read one article that described the different types of Coloboma, I was confused and tried to ignore it again, but I did learn that it can affect different structures of the eye and that it could be only cosmetic as long as it didn't affect the retina.I held it together until the morning of the appointment, when I finally broke down in fear of what it could all mean for her. I finally let myself wonder what it would mean if she was blind. Thankfully my mom was with me and kept me as sane as possible.
The doctor we saw was wonderful, he was so gentle that she never even woke up during the exam. They gave her drops to dilate her eyes so that he could see inside of her eyes. I was not at all prepared to hear that she had a coloboma in both eyes, and it affected the retina in both eyes. The left is minor and you can't see anything from the outside but the right one is severe. She is missing about 20% of the muscle that controls the dilation of the eye as well as the retina. However, the defect missed the optical nerve. Miraculously, she is going to be able to see just fine. With such a large coloboma, she is very very lucky to have her vision. Her right pupil is sort of "keyhole" shaped instead of round, she will likely be sensitive to light since it can not expand and contract like a normal pupil and she is at risk of retinal detachment if she were ever to be hit in the eye. She does have a blind spot, but it is in an area that is covered by the peripheral vision of the left eye.
For now, we keep the lights low in the house and try to shield her from any bright sunlight. We will have to make sure she always has sunglasses while she's outside and she will need to wear some sort of protective eyewear during any activities where she could potentially be hit in the eye, but the impact on her life will be relatively minor. My biggest worry now is cruel kids and/or insensitive adults making comments about her eye, but we will try to teach her to let those things roll right off her back. She is beautiful and unique and we love her just the same. I tried to get a picture but I wasn't really able to get a good one of her, this is a google image of a coloboma but Olive's is quite a bit more severe:

2011-04-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!! Well, for today anyway. I can't believe how hard it is to sit down and write even though I'm home from work. I have my official return to work date: May 16th. I miss work and all the people there, but I am so NOT ready to leave little miss Olive.
I have so much to update on... I'm not really even sure where to start. How about with this:

(Photo by McCloud Photography)

I know she looks so cute and sweet here, but let me tell you... this kid has an amazing set of lungs and she chooses to use them ALL.NIGHT.LONG. I don't mind too much, but I'm exhausted. Natalee slept through the night at 3 weeks... I would give anything for that right now. I am sure it was because she was formula fed and Olive is breastfed.

That puppy is also keeping me busy... she is a pretty good little dog, but she is still a puppy and just as wild as you can imagine.

Being cute has definitely saved her life on a few occasions. I have very little patience when I'm sleep deprived.

OK... I'm leaving at this today. I'll post all my birth photos soon. They are on Facebook, but if you didn't see them there, you'll get to see them here. They are amazing, and also taken by McCloud Photography.

I'll also let you know about a little medical scare we had Olive and update you on my progress with breastfeeding (it's working this time!). Oh, and tell you about Natalee's latest adventures.

I miss you all so much... not having contact with my bloggy buddies is making me sad:-(

Introducing...

2011-03-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA for a while, but I have a good excuse (and a cute one, too!). I'm so excited to introduce you all to little miss Olive Kelly Austin. She was 8 pounds 4 ounces and 20" long, born 3/3/11 at 6:06 pm. If you recall, her name is one that is very special to us. Also, it's adorable and I LOVE it.

Our labor was pretty easy, only lasted about 9 hours total and I only had to push for about 10 minutes. That was quite a relief compared to the 2.5 hours of pushing we went through with Natalee. The only bad thing was that the epidural didn't work at all in my nether regions so I was lucky enough to get to feel everything.

I made my own hospital gown and it was the talk of the Labor and Delivery floor. I also had a super cute pillowcase and an adorable robe. I'm a little craftier than I realized until I got there.

Another cool thing... my friend Brandy came and photographed the birth. I wasn't sure about this, but I'm so glad she was there. This is the only picture she has posted so far, but I stole her camera after and looked at what she got, I can't wait to share more!

Here are just a few more of little miss Olive, obviously taken by me and not a professional. We are having her newborn pictures taken this weekend. I can't wait to see what she gets.

One more little note: I've written a lot about my struggles to breastfeed Natalee... but I'm actually doing it this time and it's working. My milk came in and I haven't had to supplement at all. Today we had another weight check appointment and she is finally having good weight gain. I am really proud of her and of me too:-) I'll try to be a better blog friend, I haven't opened my reader in over a week... it's probably sorta scary.

I'm Still Alive!

2011-03-01T09:41:00.001-08:00

I know I've been MIA for quite a while, but I am still alive and still pregnant.
I'm 39 weeks today, wow... That is just so hard for me to accept. It freaks me out a little to think that there may be only one (or no) weekends left before we are a family of 4.
Last Tuesday was my first official day off of work... And not a moment too soon. I have developed excruciating pelvic pain to the point that I can't stand, walk, sit or lay comfortably. I cant turn over in bed without a lot of pain, and forget picking anything up. I went to the store today and the gallon of milk almost sent me to my knees. I hope this goes away after the baby is born (the doctor tells me that it will).
Other than that news, there isn't too much to report as things aren't so exciting when your days are spent on the couch playing Sudoku or doing word searches. Oh! I did finish my quilt, I'll have Sean take some pictures. I've been working on random little baby stuff here and there... A new hooter hider, boppy cover, etc. Nothing too exciting, but it keeps me entertained.
That's all I got today, folks... I could use some entertainment and would really love to hear from you. Also, put in your baby guesses on the poll. I'm still pretty dang sure that it's a boy:-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Cheer Up!

2011-02-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it feels like the universe is speaking to me, sometimes it feels like it's laughing at me...
A few weeks ago Brandy and Sheila announced their Cheer Up Swap... I'm really not good at things like that and was didn't sign up because I was afraid of being flaky or having a baby or something crazy like that. Brandy ~~begged~~ asked me to join in, so I did. I was paired with the beautiful Sheila and ended up having a lot of fun with it.
I spent Friday night at Labor & Delivery with contractions every 3 minutes, but I didn't make any progress so they sent me home with some drug that was supposed to relax me. I woke up feeling like I got hit by a train. I didn't really get out of bed at all on Saturday, until Sean came in at about 4 and said "Your swap package is here!" So I got up, and it was totally worth it! Look at my fun stuff I got!

Yes, there was even chocolate. No, I haven't eaten all of it yet.

Isn't this the truth? I promptly made myself a big mug of hot chocolate!

These paper blocks might be the cutest I've ever seen!

Thanks Sheila... this totally cheered me up! Hope everyone had fun and I can't wait to see what you all got.

P.S. There is no new baby news yet except that I feel awful... I'll keep everyone updated as there is news to share. Today I went for a 2 mile walk. It succeeded only in making me feel worse, and my legs are tired now. Sweet.

Is it cold out there?

2011-02-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

I wish I was a better blogger... or that I had something profound to say. I don't want one of those sad stories that most "big" bloggers have, I just want to have something to say.
I have a seminar to go to at lunchtime today, it's about 45 minutes from here and the guys I'm going with are terrified that I'm going to go into labor. Neither have kids and I think it's hilarious that they are so worried about it. Speaking of labor, every night I try to mentally will my water to break, but it's not working. Maybe this weekend we'll get some Eggplant Parmesan. I've never had it, is it any good? (That's about as "wild" as I'll get when it comes to self-induction of labor).
Everyday my boss asks me how I'm feeling, and he actually cares about the answer... I love my job.
I went to a La Leche League meeting the other day, I'm going to give breastfeeding another shot. I'm pretty scared about it because it almost destroyed me emotionally last time, but this time I feel like I have good support. Do any of you want to be a "coach" for me? Pretty please? I'll send candy.
We bought a car! We have been looking for a little commuter that gets good gas mileage for Sean to drive to work, we looked for over a year. We got an '07 Prius. It's actually an adorable car, and was very well cared for. Sean said he got made fun of all day long (he works in commercial construction), but that 45+ mpg made it easy to handle. However, I'm not sure how I feel about it being parked in the garage when I got home last night. That is my spot.
Also, the boat is fixed... Sean and his dad took it out for a ride this weekend. I did check, and no I don't think Hell froze over nor have I seen any pigs flying.
I got Sean some designer jeans for Christmas... he got them altered and finally wore them. After about 10 seconds he said "Well, now I understand why you spend so much on your jeans." It is so good to be understood.

Please send food, the yummy kind

2011-02-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

I went to the orthodontist yesterday, it was supposed to be one last wow-things-look-great appointment, it turned into "Well, we may or may not be able to take the braces off next week" say what? I've had February 16th decorated on my calendar for months... it's more embellished than March 8th (baby's due date). Fingers crossed that they get to come off.
I'm not a huge Valentine's Day fan... I'm not against it, I just think it's a silly holiday (it is even a real holiday?) In an effort to keep things simple & cheap I was going to make Sean a list... 100 Things I Love About You, but how should I put it together? A list on binder paper seems a little high school. Google isn't giving me much on this, and remember that I'm not big on paper craft stuff. I thought about just a cute little jar with all of the little notes folded up in there. What else do you have for me?
I ordered my Bob Stroller yesterday! I also got the handlebar console, and infant seat adaptor. Then I ordered a few baby essentials and a book that I ~~wanted~~ needed. My mom also sent me the quilt that she made me and the one she made for baby, along with the new Joovy playpen that I wanted. ALL of the items are scheduled to arrive (in separate packages) tomorrow. My front porch is going to look like Christmas morning!
Did I tell you guys about my baby shower? I didn't want a shower, since I already had a baby and there is almost nothing that I need (except the Bob and the Playpen...) Anyway, my sister wanted to do a little something so she had a "Frozen Food" shower for me on Sunday morning. It was awesome! We had a group of ladies over for an AMAZING brunch spread and instead of baby gifts, everyone brought a frozen meal for us. Our freezer is fully stocked with really yummy food for after the baby arrives. It is actually quite a relief to know that we are going to eat really well for quite some time after this baby gets here... and I'm not going to have to cook any of it. There is meatloaf, chicken pot pies, lasagna, chicken picatta, Chinese orange chicken, beef stroganoff, chicken & rice casserole, Chicago style chicken with red potatoes, chicken & dumplings... and the list keeps going on. Hell yeah! I'd highly recommend that party idea to anyone!
Friday is Craft Night at my house... I'm hoping to get my quilt top all put together! I'll definitely share pictures (if it looks good).
Why is a really dark place pitch black? Pitch isn't black. That has always bothered me.
That is a lot of words for not really saying anything at all. Oh well...
Click on the purple button for more!

Belly Pictures!

2011-02-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

It's time to take belly pictures again... this time I had a little help. Olive was here this weekend for my "frozen food shower." My friends and family all brought us frozen meals for after the baby gets here. Our freezer is all stocked and I'm so excited to eat some of the super yummy things that people made for us!

I asked Olive to take front and side shots too. I keep saying that this baby is ALL out front, here is some proof (like you thought I way lying). I hate having my picture taken, so this should prove how much I love you all!

The much more telling, side profile shot...

And one from behind (scary, I know).

This n' that & the other thing

2011-02-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

There is no Five Question Friday because Mama M had a horrible loss in her family this week.So, I'm just gonna spew out some random stuff... it's what I do.
You know what word I don't like? Weird. I like to say it, but I just don't like to spell it. It's the whole 'i' before 'e' thing that gets me all tripped out.
I'm still pretty freaked out about my appointment yesterday, so much that I had to get out of bed at 2:30 because it was obvious that there was no sleep to be had. I did get caught up on some DVR backlog, but it is 7:19AM and my decaf coffee just isn't getting it done. Being this tired makes me sick to my stomach, so there's that too.
I did a little sewing last night, rick rack is my new favorite thing. And also, I need to find more things to embroider because that is freakin' cool.
Today is Brandy's birthday... you should go wish her a happy birthday, or send her cupcakes. Or send them to me, whatever.
I'm pretty sure that Facebook has negated any reason at all for class reunions.
Yesterday I went to Target, I wanted some Clifford books and some Play doh. I didn't find either (where the heck is the play doh located?). I did see a kid that obviously got to go pick out a toy. He was really concentrating and trying to get the BEST one, but his mom was clearly annoyed at the time it was taking, she finally said "Hurry up and pick one so I can get my eyebrows waxed!" I'm not sure that is the most motivating thing you can tell a 7 year old kid.
OK, I won't bore you with anymore today... but rest easy, there is more to come.

You're Huge!

2011-02-03T14:22:00.001-08:00

Today I saw a new Perinatologist, the bad news is that he was a total jerk… the good news is that I’ve graduated from the high risk clinic and don’t have to go back there anymore (although, all my past visits have all been positive and lovely). Aaanyyway, we had a growth scan today and baby is big, like really big. He or she is about 6 pounds 8 ounces, 75th percentile. I have just less than 5 weeks to go and this news is stressing me out to the point of finding it hard to breath. Last pregnancy my doctor told me that my pelvis wouldn’t be able to deliver a baby bigger than about 8 pounds. I am tall, but I’m not really a “big” person. Natalee was 7 pounds 5 ounces and I actually had a pretty hard time delivering her.

I called Sean hoping that my oh-so-supportive husband would make me feel better… he told me maybe I should eat less. I know that he was trying to lighten the mood, but it just made me mad (for the record, I really haven’t gained much weight, and don’t eat too terribly).

When I told the perinatologist about my concerns he brushed them off and said “If baby doesn’t fit, we just do a c-section” and then he left. Well, that answer doesn’t really work for me. I have no problems with a c-section, but obviously I’d rather avoid one if possible. I felt like I was just Patient number X and not an actual person. I finally called my regular OB, I’m hoping that she will call me back and calm me down, or at least take me seriously. I haven’t complained at all for the entire pregnancy. Whenever I’m there she always says “it’s so nice to hear you so positive, most people just complain at this point.” So, fingers crossed that she realized how much this is really bothering me.

For the record, I’m not asking that the baby be delivered tomorrow anything drastic like that… I just want some reassurance from a doctor that actually knows me, and that I trust.

The good news is that I have a long-awaited massage and pedicure scheduled for Saturday and I cannot WAIT! This mama needs to relax.

New Month, new crafts and bad gas...

2011-02-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

Yay for February! I just love starting a new month... something new, and not just the bills.
So I'm 35 weeks today... holy crap, when did that happen? The girls at work think I've "dropped" and I sort of think so too, since I can breath again. I have another ultrasound on Thursday so maybe we'll see then.
I can't wait to see 'Hall Pass' but Sean hates to go to the movies... I may have to either bribe him or get my sister to go with me.

I've been very crafty lately, but not very good about taking pictures... these are pictures from my phone, so they aren't the greatest.

This is the first of seven "braids" that will make up the main part of the quilt that I am making. I am really excited about it!

This one I should have ironed before taking a picture because it looks crooked, but it's actually not. It's an embroidered pillowcase (with piping!). It's the first actual item I've embroidered on my machine. I've just been doing scraps of stuff for fun.

This is the diaper bag I made. I made it with laminated fabric. It looks cool but it was a total pain in the ass to work with. I also added "stroller straps." I stole the idea from this tutorial. I just added those straps to the bag that I was already making and changed the strap to work with them.

This is the inside of the bag. The exterior fabric on the left side of the bag is the "stroller strap" before ~~Sean~~ I added the snaps.

Our crafty group is happening... the first "get together" is next Friday, do you want to come? Let me know!

Blogger just ate half of my post. Awesome. I love when that happens...

Yesterday when I got home from work our house was filled with Natural Gas... not just like a little bit of "do you smell gas?" but totally filled. ~~Sean~~ Someone left the stove on all.day.long. This meant a few things for me: After lots of ~~screaming~~ talking calmly, Sean finally fixed our windows that haven't really worked in the 2.5 years we've lived there (they were, apparently, installed wrong). It also meant that I couldn't cook dinner, so we had Burger King... they forgot to give us our fries. Totally lame.

I entered a blog giveaway that I totally want to win. I never win, but I also only enter ones that I really want to win (which isn't too many). Then, I'm always bummed when I don't win. I'm pretty sure they are all fixed anyway. That's why it's always their "friends" that win.

OK... click below if you need more random today.

TGI5QF

2011-01-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

It doesn't really feel like Friday, because I was home sick yesterday... I wish I was just home doing something fun but that wasn't the case. I'm a little better today, but mostly just came to work because I can't really afford to use any more sick time. Money is so dumb.
My mom is home from the hospital after her knee replacement on Monday, seems awfully soon but what do I know?
I went to the OB on Wednesday, baby looks great. She said that she'd be willing to "shake things up" at 38 weeks or so (I think she means strip my membranes, but I'm not totally sure). I don't know for certain if I'd be ready for that, but we'll just wait and see.
I'm about 85% sure this baby is a boy (though I'd be thrilled either way), I just can't wait to find out! I'm feeling completely overwhelmed by the whole thing. I think maybe if I pack a hospital bag I might feel a little better... but I am going to stop by Babies-r-us this weekend just to browse, that might help too (or make it way worse).
OK OK, let's get on with 5 Question Friday:

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?
Oh man, this is a hard one... probably the local humane society. I know they do pretty great things and really could use all the help they can get.

2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?
Snow days?? I wish we had snow days. It's the end of January and 50-freaking-degrees outside. Our winters are so lame here. Someday I will live where there is enough snow that it doesn't warrant snow days.
3. What talent did you wish you had and why?
I wish I loved a sport, and was good enough at it, to get myself through college. How awesome would it be to have played sports through college and not have any student loans? Except that I probably wouldn't have made it through an engineering program then and, my oh my, how different my life would be right now (not better, just different).

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?
That is easy... celebrity gossip. The People.com app is my very favorite on my phone. I hate when other people are like "Oh, did you hear about so-and-so getting married?" and I didn't already know.
5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!)
Well, I don't drink... when I did I used to love Midori Sours, but now I'm a Pepsi strait-up type of girl... or a strawberry lemonade when I'm feeling a little wild.

That's all I've got today... click that button below for more!

Random Time!

2011-01-25T07:07:00.000-08:00

It’s time for those Random Tuesday Thoughts… which is sort of funny to me since I’m random every day, not just Tuesdays.

My blog has a mobile version now. Sweet! It’s totally awesome, you should check it out.

I’ve been on the hunt for a sewing club type thing but can’t find one… so I might just start my own. If I can find anyone to join, I’m thinking a few hours once a month to get together and just sew and chat. Work on projects and learn from each other. Sounds like fun to me! I was thinking about putting it on Meetup, what should the name of our group be?

I'm thinking about making something and doing a giveaway. What should it be? Would anyone even want anything that I made?
Sean calls me almost every day on his lunch wanting to know what is for dinner… I almost never know.

Last week at daycare, Natalee told the other kids “Don’t piss me off” which is not good, but at the same time it’s hilarious. I still laugh when I think about it. (And I wonder what they were doing to piss her off).

My mom had a total knee replacement yesterday, all went well (thankfully). She is in a lot of pain, but still texting me. Hopefully she starts to feel better, or they give her better drugs so that the texts get funny.

My little brother, who is a senior in high school, has some of the best facebook status updates... yesterday: We get it. If you're really worried about finals get off of facebook and get your face in a book.. I guess that is why he is an honor student.

That's all folks, well... for now anyway. Click that purple button if you need more:

5 Question Friday

2011-01-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

It's Friday, I'm doing a happy dance (you're lucky that you can't see it). This week went fast, thankfully. This week at daycare Natalee told the other kids "Don't piss me off." Now, I know exactly where that came from (thanks Daddy) but I'm actually glad she said it there because if we'd have been at home there is no way I could have kept from laughing at it. I've figured out that Natalee really observes us and rather than just copying back what we say, she stores it up and uses it at the right times... this is good and bad. Usually it's just cute, the other day she was watching a DVD and it ended, she looked at me and said "What is going on around here?" But teaching her (and myself) not to say "Damnit!" after dropping something was a bit of a challenge.
For those that commented on my last post: Thank you! I guess we'll just let her be herself and not try to push, as tempting as that may be.

1. Where did you meet your spouse and did you instantly know it was love?

Sean and I met when he trained my first dog, Trigger. I was smitten pretty quickly, but had to send in a friend to get him to look past the trainer/client boundary... my friend wasn't as sure about the whole thing, but did what he was told to do (well, sort of). We ended up together though, so all is well and we have some good memories of that time.
2. What is your favorite room in your house?
This is such a hard question... I think I'm going to have to go with my sewing room. It's enormous, and I get to be all alone in there to just sew, I love it. Sean keeps threatening to use part of it for his archery shop stuff, ugh. It's mine, stay away (it is about 450 SF, but that isn't the point).

3. Can you wiggle your ears?
Yes, can you?

4. What is your evening ritual?
Once we get Natalee into bed... a hot shower, PJs, crawl into bed and usually watch a show in bed with Sean. We go to bed pretty early since we're up at 5 (well, I'm up at 5:30...).
5. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
I'd prefer about 8 to 8.5, but having kids teaches you how little sleep you actually need. I guess I can get by with about 4 (but we might not be friends anymore if you say the wrong thing after one of those nights).

That's all I got today... click that adorable little button below to check out more!

Around and 'Round

2011-01-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

I have some "mommy" questions, and I'm desperately hoping that you all will have some answers for me! (Even Google isn't answering them for me!)
Natalee is smart, like, really smart. I thought maybe I was just biased, but I think she actually is smart. She turned 2 last month, she knows the entire alphabet, can count to 20 (ish), all colors, shapes, can write her letters and is starting to work on spelling and reading. The problem is: I don't know what to do next... I think she's ready for some sort of organized something. She is too young for every sort of class I can think of (swimming, gymnastics, dance...). The preschools all say that kids need to be 3 by September, which means that with her December birthday she will not be able to go until the year after next. Can you enroll them early? Is there some sort of law that calls for that 3 year criteria? I don't care if she spends extra years in preschool, at least she would be learning.
What would you do? What activities do your kids participate in? This is one of the few bad things about living in a small town. I can only assume that big cities have a lot more options for kids activities at this age.
OK, I'm officially on my knees begging you... I'm not too proud for that.

I Wish My Titles Were Random, Too

2011-01-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

This morning I went to get my "Mocha Monday" coffee, since it's only $2 on Mondays... it was a bittersweet moment when I realized that it wasn't Monday, but that my coffee was suddenly costing me another $1.25. Oh well.

I've tried really hard to have a positive attitude lately, but for the last couple of days I just can't breath, and my feet hurt, and I'm tired... I have to recline just right to catch my breath and I always feel like I just ran up 10 flights of stairs. Oh, and I'm hot- as in temperature-wise, certainly not in any other sense. End Rant. I just needed to get that out, thanks:-)

Last week I cleaned my desk, I purged all the old paperwork that was sitting around, filed what I could and put the remaining stuff into folders. It looks so much better, why did I wait so long to do that?

OMG- Do you guys watch Rules of Engagement? I love that show... I could never watch it without a DVR because we have to pause from laughing so hard. I wish there were more funny shows like that... do you have any that make you seriously laugh? I've also been sort of watching Better With You which has some funny stuff, but not quite like the other show.

Oh, speaking of funny... send me some funny movie suggestions. We have Grown Ups at home but haven't watched it yet. If you're looking for something to make you laugh so hard that soda will shoot out your nose, you should check out this website. Just don't do it somewhere that you're trying to be quiet... I read it in the waiting room at the dentist the other day and I'm sure everyone thought I was completely insane.

I want a BOB stroller. I thought I wanted a double, but I realized that there was no way Natalee would be into using it. So, now I want the single (and cheaper) one. That one I might actually be able to talk Sean into... we'll see.

I have some new followers...yay! Welcome! Followers and comments totally make my day, and I try to be a good commenter too, I promise:-)

Check out the UnMom for more Random, or just leave me random tidbits in a comment... they make me happy.

Puppies & Crafts & Bellies... Oh my!

2011-01-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

I think it's past time for some pictures... don't you? This is our newest addition. Her name is Holly and I think she's pretty dang cute. She is 8 weeks old and retrieving like a champ (she also chews up everything in sight...)

Natalee LOVES to play with Holly, and really really loves to be outside.

I know this is mean, but this picture cracks me up...

Holly!

I did a little sewing this weekend... I made an overnight bag. I'm also making a matching makeup bag. Now I just need my husband to take me away somewhere.

Then I made this little nursing/maternity nitie. I wore it last night, and it actually fit! This was my first attempt at silky/stretchy material. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, overall.

And finally... the baby bump at 33 weeks. Whoa!

5 Question Friday

2011-01-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, I am so ready for this 3-day weekend! The best part is that I didn't even know it was a 3 day weekend until I tried to schedule a meeting on Monday the other day and someone called me to tell me it was a holiday. Sweet!
Speaking of work... I sent out a mailing to some neighborhoods in town. It explained a program that we are running and asked for people to call me to set up an appointment. One lady called and said to me (and I quote): "Yeah, um, I just got one of them there letters you sent me." I didn't know anyone actually said "them there" in that context, in real life. (Was that mean? Sorry...)
I went to the OB the other day... she said I have "a lot" of amniotic fluid, but not outside of the normal range. I don't mind, since I feel great... but I'm officially bigger now than I was when I delivered Natalee. However, to be fair, even at 40 weeks with her I still only measured at 31 weeks. I am totally average this time, and was just small last time. Also, my belly is completely out front... if you see me from behind I look exactly the same, you would never know there was a belly out front. It's totally a boy. I'll take a new picture this weekend, deal?
OK, time to get to the fun stuff. Will you join me this week?

1. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get tired of?

Not many. It drives me crazy when Sean watches the same thing over.and over. and over. But, I don't think Pretty Woman ever gets old, or Love & Basketball... one of my all time favorites (In college, I rented it so many times that the video store finally just gave me a copy).
2. What's your biggest pet peeve right now?
Uh, used cars. Sean and I have been looking for one... for A YEAR! I find something and want to go look, he is hesitant, then it's gone and he's like "We should have gotten that car, it was a good deal!" Yep, that's why it's already sold. Oh, or you find one you really like but they want as much as a brand new car... I will never understand that.
3. If you had to describe your best friend in five words or less, what would you say?
I went back and forth on this one... I thought about going with Shelly, she's sweet, loving, energetic, black and furry. But I thought someone might be offended if I choose my dog. So, I'm going with this: Kind, Generous, Hilarious, Stubborn, and all MINE! That would be my husband, he really is my very best friend.
4. If you did not have to worry about money or go to school what would you do for a living?
I'm stealing this idea from Amie, we talked about this a while ago and she had a brilliant answer: A critic. Can you imagine if it was your job to travel around and stay at fancy hotels, eat amazing dinners and experience all sorts of culture and attractions? And it was your job? And people paid you real money for it? How could you go wrong?
5. What is your one "splurge" item, that you will always buy, no matter the cost?
Pepsi. I will never ever buy generic cola, or even Coca Cola... regardless of sales, etc. I may cut back and drink less of it but I won't go cheap. Sean brought home a case of Safeway Cola once and got mad when I wouldn't drink it, I asked him if he'd like me to purchase the cheapest beer available for him. He quickly saw my point and has never brought it up again.

Alright, head on over to Mama M's if you need more 5QF fun.

Random Tuesday (and Everyday) Thoughts

2011-01-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

Wow... did you see the BCS National Championship Game last night? Sorry Oregon, maybe if you worked less on being flashy and more on playing the football we all know you CAN play you'd have won it. I'm just glad it's over. (And just for good measure: Go Tigers!)

Verizon will be making a big announcement today, I'm pretty sure it is about the iPhone. I have my card all ready to pre-order mine. I can't wait! I hope it isn't about something else totally dumb and then I will be bummed.

Sean and I have been looking for a used car for him to commute in and just something to run around that gets good mileage. I drive an Expedition and he drives a full size diesel truck, I'm sure you can imagine what our gas bill looks like. We have really fallen for the Toyota Prius. Now we just need to find one that is a good deal. Have I mentioned that I HATE trying to find used cars?

I mentioned this on Facebook the other day, but seriously... I am LOVING being pregnant this time around. I have a better attitude about the whole thing overall, which helps I'm sure. Also, I don't have the sciatic pain or a 180 mile round-trip commute to work anymore. Now, I drive 2.5 miles to a job that I love. WIN!

I thought of my perfect ETSY shop name, I won't tell you what it is so that no one steals it... except that I'll never actually open any sort of shop. It's just one of those things, ya know?

I'm wishing I had something funny or witty to say today, but I got nothing... so do something random and link up with the UnMom by using that button below!

The First 5QF of 2011

2011-01-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

It's Friday... do you have any big weekend plans? We're hanging at home and taking it easy. Nothing terribly exciting... we're going to check out a "commuter car" for Sean and he is going to go do some duck hunting with his brother. I think I'll plant my rear end in front of my sewing machine... to me that sounds like a PERFECT weekend. Let's get on with this week's 5 Question Friday, shall we?

1. What is your current favorite book, and why?
Right now I'm having a hard time finding the time to read... but I am enjoying books by Emily Giffin and I'm reading Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. My favorite read-over-and-over type book is The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. I read it in a literature class in High School and just loved it.
2. Do you go to the dentist regularly?
I hate going to the dentist. I used to avoid it all together, but I found a good one recently and since I'm putting so much pain, effort and money into getting my teeth all finished (braces off next month, remember!) I'm getting much better about going to see the dentist.
3. What is your worst memory from High School?
I have no idea. I feel like High School is a million miles away and can't really recall any specific "bad" memory. I'll have to think on this one for a while.
4. What do you hope to be remembered for in your life?
Being kind and generous and selfless... oh and for someone to say "man, she sure was crafty!"
5. Are you superstitious or do you have any superstitions?
No, things are what you make them... I don't really believe that the direction to walk to work or the animals that you cross make any difference. Now, do I believe in karma? Absolutly, and she's a bitch:-)

Head on over to Mama M's to check out more 5QF fun.

You Capture: Top 10 in '10

2011-01-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

I have kind of slacked off on You Capture, not because I don't want to participate... I just have a hard time picking up my camera being able to see anything worthy of capturing and then sharing. However, the challange today was "Top 10 in 2010" and I had a few photos from 2010 that I really loved. Here they are, in no particular order! (Hey, stop counting!)

The Year's First Random

2011-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

It’s already Tuesday; I have a hard time believing it’s been a whole week since the last one.

Today I am 31 weeks pregnant. This is crazy to me because I’m actually sort of, kind of enjoying being pregnant this time. I don’t really want it to be over. I remember how much I hated being pregnant last time and couldn’t wait for it to be over.

I’m going to the orthodontist this morning; it’s my LAST APPOINTMENT before my braces come off next month. Oh yeah! Only 43 more days, and only 11 more days until they are all paid for.

We got a new puppy over the weekend! Her name is Holly and I’m a little smitten with her already. I took her to work with me yesterday and everyone else loved her too.

I'm trying to blog from my iPad, it isn't working too well. One negative point for this awesome toy.

I've been doing a lot of sewing, I made a super cute robe. And I've been messing with all the embroidery stuff, or you could call it "wasting thread" but that sounds so much worse than "practicing." I'm in love with that machine.

I’ve started wearing make-up, mostly because I need to now. The problem is that I’ve never really worn make-up so I don’t really know how to put it on. I can get through, but not like some people. My mom wasn’t a huge make-up person either. So where is a girl to learn this kind of thing? I want to be able to look like I’m not really wearing much but get things covered up. I also would love to have amazing, dramatic eyes. Maybe there is a You Tube video for that out there.

Let Me Tell You About Olive

2011-01-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

I was going to write a "New Year" type post, but there isn't much to write... it was a good year, there was more laughter than there were tears and in my eyes, that makes it successful. We're looking forward to what 2011 has to offer and hoping that it has the same positive balance to it. And also, I don't do resolutions because I don't really think they work.
So, since there is no need for a "New Year" post, I'm going to tell you about Olive. I've been meaning to write this for quite a while, but I've been looking for pictures. I know that there are lots and lots of pictures, but I just don't really have any in my possession. Oh well, such is life.
Olive is my mother-in-law, and she is the mother-in-law that everyone wishes that they had (or should wish they had). I'm pretty sure she is also the mother that lots of people wish they had (I have a great mom, too). When Sean and I were engaged, I told him that I'd marry him just for his family.
I'm not sure if I can put into words who Olive really is, but I'll try. Even though Olive is my Mother-in-law, I consider her a friend. I laugh with her and cry with her and I know that she'll always be there, for Sean, for me, for any our kids. I guess that makes us the lucky ones. My mom once told me that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother. Just hearing him talk about his mom I knew that I had found myself a keeper.
Sean calls his mom 'Olive' and my dad asked him once why he called her that, instead of just 'Mom' and he said "because she isn't just my mom, she's one of my best friends." I think that's amazing, and is something to strive for as a mother (although, I have other feelings about that during certain aspects of parenting but as an adult I think it's pretty great). When we run into people that Sean knew from childhood, the very first thing every single one of them asks is "How's Olive?"

Olive taught me to love to take pictures (even though she hasn't been very successful at getting me in front of the camera). She is also the one that taught me to sew and gave me my first sewing machine. I will probably never be as good as her, but we sure have fun with projects together. She always keeps me laughing and makes a mean turkey dinner. She also makes a wicked scrapbook, but I just can't seem to get into that hobby, which is OK because I have a lot on my plate right now.

I'm starting off 2011 with fun, happy, positive thoughts... it's not a resolution, but I think I'll try to make sure that those who are important to me, know it. Happy New Year, may you all be lucky enough to have someone like Olive in your life.

Sew and Tell...Part 1

2010-12-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

I was really anxious to get started with my new sewing machine... but I didn't want to make anything very involved for my first project. I made myself a hosptial gown for the new baby (yes, I had already made one but I like this one better), and then I made my mom one out of flannel for her upcoming knee replacement surgery. This weekend I will (hopefully), make myself a flannel robe for Baby's arrival. I just hope I have the time to get it done. These pictures aren't the best, but they are pictures at least:-)
Oh, and I'm on the lookout for a pattern for a cute diaper bag... please please let me know if you see one!

(Sorry, pictures are in Flickr because blogger won't rotate them)

Random Updates

2010-12-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

I sort of look forward to Tuesdays... not just because it means that Monday is over. I like to read what random stuff people come up with and I like to just spew random nonsense. Join in!
Today I am 30 weeks pregnant, what?!? Yesterday I had an OB appointment and then went to my high risk doc... things look great, and in an unexpected turn we are suddenly watching that this baby isn't too big. If you recall, one of the biggest risks with SUA is a growth restricted baby so this news is very very good. Baby is about 3lbs 9oz, which is right about 70th percentile.
Did you hear the news?? I got my sewing machine!! It is so amazing, I love love love it... and I especially love my husband, mom and mother-in-law for getting for me. 'Wow' is really all I can say about it. I was shocked, beyond the point of being able to have any sort of reaction whatsoever. Sean said he was "disappointed" that I wasn't more excited, but about an hour or so later it really sunk in and I started to cry, Sean said "Now that is what I wanted to see!" I made my first project and I am happy to report that no swear words were needed.
We took our tree down last night, along with all of our Christmas decorations... I was called a scrooge. Whatever, my house is clean.
Every morning, Natalee wakes up with a rats nest in her hair. Right now it isn't too much of an issue because her hair is short, but someone told me that certain pillowcase material will help this... any input??
Yesterday the coffee place accidentally gave me regular instead of decaf, it's amazing (and uncomfortable) what the caffeine will do to you when you don't have any tolerance built up.

Christmas Survey

2010-12-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

This week, there is no 5 question Friday... which is ok because I plan to do a whole lot of nothing tomorrow. Sean and I both have the day off and no festivities until the evening. I need a good day of unwinding. So, I borrowed this fun little Christmas Survey from Kaitlin.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, the bags don't stack well under the tree and I just enjoy wrapping anyway.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I miss the smell of a real tree... but not the watering or falling needles or having to buy a new one every year.

3. When do you put up the tree? After Natalee's birthday... which is December 1st. I don't want it associated with her birthday.

4. When do you take the tree down? If it's up to me, the day after Christmas but Sean likes to leave it for a few days after. I like to get everything cleaned up and tidy, but I'll give it a few extra days this year in my attempt to be less "scrooge-like."

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? To be honest, I don't remember... but I'm sure it was 'Rad'

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad... "luckily" this year he had a bunch of stuff stolen from a tailgate party so I was able to just replace some of that.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Either my stepdad, since I get him the exact same thing every year (a calendar with photos of the grandkids) or my brother-in-law Rob, because he makes very good detailed lists.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Negative.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, they are one of those things that just need to go into the mail... and I like getting mail like that too.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Like I've said before, if someone took the time to think of me I can't really call it a bad gift.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Bad Santa or Elf.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually when Sean's bonus check arrives, which is usually around the 4th of December. I wish I was one of those people that picked things up here and there all year and then was all done with shopping in October.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can recall.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Turkey dinner, yum!!

16. Lights on the tree (colored or clear)? Clear, I wish that ours twinkled though.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Christmas songs aren't really my thing... oh, but Carol of the Bells is a good one.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home and run around to visit everyone like we're on fire.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Um... Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Vixen, Prancer, Donner, Blitzen. Oh yeah!
20. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree? Star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Whenever we can find time? Sean said we should wait until the day after Christmas since we're always so busy... but I like Christmas morning.
22. Favorite children’s Christmas song? Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

23. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The people and the lines and the traffic and... oh, was I only supposed to pick one thing?

24. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our ornaments are (almost) all sort of Nature/Outdoor theme. I LOVE it.

25. Turkey or ham on Christmas day? Turkey, because ham is gross.

26. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new sewing machine, but I'll be lucky if I get socks this year.
27. Does anyone in your family dress up as Santa? We usually hire someone to play Santa at the Austin Family Christmas which is done the week before Christmas. The kids absolutely love it.
28. Age you discovered who Santa was? I have no idea.

29. Eggnog, hot chocolate, or apple cider? Hot cider please, I'll take the spiced one from Starbucks please, yum!

30. Traditional colors (red and green) or other colors? I like the more muted tones, copper and maroon and dark green.

31. Do you have any Christmas decorations on your roof? Uh, no.
32. How does Santa get into your house? Chimney or magic key? Probably magic key because our fireplace is gas... though it does have a vent to the outside so that is a possible mode of entrance.
33. Do you prefer gifts or gift cards? Either is fine, I'm just thankful when someone thinks of me.

34. Favorite children’s Christmas Cartoon? No idea... I'm hoping to avoid that until at least next year.

This crazy place

2010-12-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

Do you ever stop and think about how crazy this whole internet thing is? I totally do, it is kind of mind boggling really.
When I was growing up we had a set of encyclopedias, I loved them and thought that they held all the worlds answers, and the gold leaf on the page edges didn't hurt their credibility in my mind either. I remember my mom mentioning that she had to make payments on them when she first got them but that she thought it was an important thing to have. I would pick random volumes and just flip through them to see what I could find. Now, I just click on my browser from my computer, iPad, phone, or whatever device happens to be handy. You can generally find me checking in on important things like Facebook or People.
This place has made me some good friends, taught me some strange things and provided a few laughs.
I think I'm a better parent because of the things that I've learned from the internet, but I've also learned to turn a blind eye to the people that try to make me feel like less of a mother for the choices that I've made.
I do often wonder how people ever effectively spied on other people before the internet? After my first date with Sean I quickly did a Google search to see what I could dig up on him (not much more than his old baseball stats from college... but I did decipher his age and figured that he might not be exaggerating in the stories that I was soon to hear).
Buying a house... now you flip through listings online and weed out 90% of what you see listed in a few minutes, I can't even imagine going to look at all the houses that we said "no" to after just a few pictures. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of time that went into that painful process.
How about pregnancy? How did anyone ever get through it? Now, you can Google any horrific or embarrassing symptom and find thousands of other people talking about the same thing and be assured that it's normal. It's not just pregnancy though, the internet has made us all medical experts, or hell... experts in any field that we choose to perform a search on, including a plethora of illegal activities (not that I've ever searched for those kinds of things...)
I'm still a big fan of books, I hope my kids choose to pick up and books and flip through them to see what they come across. I hope that my mom keeps the encyclopedias forever so that her grandkids can look at them and enjoy them (or laugh at them).

Random (kinda) Christmas Edition

2010-12-21T07:16:00.000-08:00

Oh heeeeyyyy! It's Christmas Week and it's also a totally random Tuesday. I'm kinda over the Christmas stuff (well, the traffic and people at Target anyway).

I only have one more gift to get, something for our Daycare provider. She is am-a-zing and I want to do something nice but I can't think of anything. Any ideas?

I think I could totally get used to this "taking it easy" stuff. I got home from work and got to snuggle on the couch with Natalee, then I fell asleep and then Sean brought me whatever I wanted. Oh, and then I got to go take a bath and eat a piece of apple pie. It was awesome. I have to figure out how to make this last for the next 10-15 years.

Yesterday I used the US Postal Click-n-ship for the first time, how have I not discovered that sooner? I had a package to send and just dropped it in the post office. The line was winding out the door and I in and out, sa-weet!

Yesterday I noticed a neon sign at a florist down the street, it said: Balloons-n-thing etc. Now, is it just me or does that seem redundant? I would think that the 'n-things' would also cover anything that would fall under the 'etc.' category.

I'm putting together a 'labor music' mix, well...2 actually. A nice mellow one and a fun upbeat one. Send me your song suggestions, kthanxbye.

Click for more random...

Belly Picture 28 Weeks

2010-12-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's about time for a new picture... here I am this morning, 28 weeks 4 days. My OB said that mine was her "favorite belly!" which made me feel really good and a little less huge. This time my belly is all out front like a basketball, last time I was lower and not so much out front. It's totally a boy. Have you put in your guess yet? Do it now, just on the right hand side of the screen.

Another Friday, Another 5QF

2010-12-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my OB appointment yesterday. A few people have been asking what's happening and I have an update. I've been having contractions for a couple weeks, the hospital said that I have an Irritable Uterus. After reading about that, I'd totally agree as my symptoms fit the description perfectly. My doctor did a fetal fibronectin (ffn) test, which tells you if you are likely to go into labor in the next 2 weeks. Thankfully, that was negative. My cervix is soft and starting to shorten, but not dilating. At this point, I'm allowed to work but can't go out in the field. I'm on desk duty, but that isn't so bad this time of year. I'll be taking it easy and see where things stand in 2 more weeks.
Alright, on with the good stuff...
1. Do you regift...and if so, do you have a regifting horror story?
Nah, not unless it's kind of a joke.

2. Do you know what you are getting for Christmas this year?
I have no idea. Actually, I'm not sure I'm even getting anything which would be totally fine with me. Sean has been away hunting this week, we are busy all weekend and he's starting a new job on Monday. I'm not sure when he'd have time to go shopping.

3. Who brings the most gifts in your family, you or Santa?
That would be me. We haven't really talked about Santa yet, I'm not sure she would be old enough to "get it," Next year she will be, and we'll do something small for that.

4. What store do you love to buy jeans from?
Nordstrom. I don't really buy them from anywhere else. Designer jeans are one of those luxuries that I splurge on. I'm trying to get Sean into a pair, lately he has been admiring them when he sees other people wearing them. I'd love to see him in a pair of really well fitting jeans.

5. Christmas meal: Big, All Out Meal or Snacks and Apps?
All out, huge meal with snacks and apps.Oh, and lets not forget all the desserts. I usually make 4-5 pies, but this year it's going to be toned down, I'll be lucky if I can make one successfully.

Right Now...

2010-12-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

I'm stealing this idea from Lyndsay, because I think it's a fun idea... it's ok because she stole it from someone else too. And we all know, if someone else does it first, it is fair game.

Listening... to total silence. It isn't something that I get to hear very often.

Eating.... my Cocoa Pebbles cereal. When I was pregnant with Natalee I ate a ton of Cheerios, but this time it's all about the Cocoa Pebbles. It's totally a boy.

Drinking... A decaf white mocha from Starbucks. It isn't very good today... I hate when that happens.

Wishing.... that I felt better, and that I wasn't terrified of having Natalee come home after 4 days away because I have no idea how I'm going to take care of her while feeling like this.

Wearing... Jeans and a pink long sleeved t-shirt that was a hand-me-down from my sister's maternity stash. I had double the clothes this pregnancy thanks to that stash. Sweet!

Enjoying... the quiet of the morning. I started work at 5:30 this morning so that I can leave earlier.
Feeling... contractions, again.
Missing... my dog. When I talked to Sean yesterday I told him "Don't take this the wrong way, but I really miss Shelly." I enjoy the time to myself more than I can ever put into words, but it just isn't the same without the dog there to greet me when I walk in the door.

Thankful... for my family, my job, my amazing coworkers and that I'm fortunate enough to have a beautiful, warm home to return to each night.

Weather... it's cool, super windy and tons of rain. In other words: it's perfect.
Planning... all of our holiday outings/gatherings. It's nice that we have so many people to celebrate with... but it has its downsides too.

Praying... for our troops that can't be with their families this holiday season.

Making... cloth diapers, lots of them! I'm having so much fun with this new hobby.

Wanting... a new sewing machine. This is the one I want, isn't it beautiful?

Needing... nothing at all. It's easy to confuse needs and wants, but there really isn't anything that I need and for that I am thankful.
Thinking...that this baby is going to be a boy, Sean would be so excited even though he swears that he wants another girl.
Dreaming... of snow. I wish it snowed here on a regular basis (more regular than once ever few years). I wish I could look out the windows in the mornings and see fresh snow dusting everything.

Loving... my husband and all the little, thoughtful things that he does for me.

Really Random Time!

2010-12-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

Random Tuesday? Yes please!

Sean and Natalee are gone for the week so that I can rest... they also took the dog. It's lonely and quiet in the house, but I kinda need that every now and then.

My ear has been plugged since I've been pregnant, it's so annoying because everything kinda of echo's back after you speak. It used to be the left one, but now it's the right one. There is no discrimination here.

We have a public restroom at work, and two that are for staff only. I usually use the closer staff one, but the other day I went to the second one... and there are tons of People magazines in there, score! Obviously, more women use the second than the first.

Since my uterus is all ticked off at me, I can't move around at all without crazy contractions... so my work is finding me lost of "desk stuff" to do so that I don't have to be out in the field. I am so thankful for that, hopefully it'll keep me off of bedrest. I'd go CRAZY if they put me on bedrest right now, unless my doctor would be willing to write a note to Sean that instructed him to wait on me hand and foot and do anything I ask, then I guess it would be totally awesome. I'd probably even be able to catch up on Glee. The contractions were bad enough that the other day someone at work (who didn't know about them), said to me "Wow, I can see you having a contraction through your sweater!" That is impressive observation.

My Christmas tree is still standing... I guess I should have been a little less pessimistic about my child and her ability to not break things.

We bought a new puppy... did I tell you that already? Her name is going to be Holly, she is a black lab and will be coming home around New Years. I think we may be a little bit crazy to get a puppy at this particular time, but that is just how we roll.

Check out the UnMom for more!

Baby News and 5QF

2010-12-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start with what is going on with me at this moment, before we get to the fun stuff...
Do you ever have those moments where you start to think about how big something really is? And then the potential impacts of that make it where you almost can't even breath? Well, that is me today in a big way. I've been dealing with a ton of braxton hicks contractions and some real contractions mixed in (for a few weeks now). The cramping and discomfort got bad enough on Wednesday that I had to leave work. I finally called my doctor and they had me go to Labor & Delivery. I was actually having contractions but they are irregular and sometimes my uterus won't relax at all in between. I have what they call an irritable uterus. Hopefully these contractions won't change my cervix at all (which was nice and long 3 weeks ago when it was checked at the last ultrasound). Anyway, I was told to stay home and rest yesterday... that helped as long as I was laying down. Once I stood up, or sometimes even rolled from one side to the other they started right back up. Now I'm thinking: I have 12-ish weeks left of this pregnancy, what if I'm put on bedrest? What will we do? I don't have that kind of time off saved up and we can't afford for me to just not work for 3 months. It's totally stressing me out, which is probably not helping the situation at all. I'm working today and hoping that things stay calm. If I had a job that meant sitting at a desk all day I'd be less worried... but I don't, so I'm stressed and scared.
Enough of that... lets have some Friday fun!
1. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Well, we do Christmas Eve at my Grandparents house where all the gifts from extended family are exchanged (which really just means all the little kids get inundated with gifts, I have great memories of when I was the little kid!). We get up Christmas morning and get showered then open our gifts between just us. There are usually only a few and then we head over to my Dad's house where things get down to business. From there we head to Sean's parents house and do gifts after dinner. It's really an exhausting day, but we're fortunate to have so much family to spend the holidays with. Luckily, we usually do Christmas with my mom a week or so early, which totally saves my sanity.

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie (or candy)?
Oh, homemade Almond Rocha... yum yum yum.

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received?
I don't think there is a worst because they were, after all, gifts. No one is obligated to get anyone anything so I wouldn't ever speak down about getting one. But I can tell you about my most memorable gift! My first Christmas with Sean's family... we had been dating about 4 months and I was a little nervous (now that I know them, to be nervous is just silly). So we open all of our gifts and the kids run off to play with their new stuff. Everyone is chatting and Sean's mom brings out these little tiny boxes and all the adults are like "Oh yeah! Sweet!" So, they know exactly what is going on. "Lindsey, open yours first!" So, I do... and I just stare in the box for a while before pulling out the skimpiest, raciest pair of panties I've ever seen in my life. Everyone laughs and I'm totally embarrassed, then the next person opens their box: same type of thing. This is apparently a tradition in their family, I love it now but I was so shocked I didn't know what to say the first time. Everyone has a "First Austin Christmas underwear story" and I love it.

4. Christmas song that you love?
Carol of the Bells, especially when I can hear it done by my old High School choir... it's amazing.

5. How many trees do you put up?
Ha! We're lucky when we get one up... I don't know how people do multiple trees. And, can you imagine having to take down more than one? No thanks. We did put one up this year, I'm quite proud of myself for doing so.

Head on over to Mama M's to check out more!

Ra-ra-ra-random!

2010-12-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

I decided that I'm going to do Christmas cards this year. I made my address labels last night and I have 100 cards to send out... ONE.HUNDRED! I'm not sure if I should be happy that I have that many friends and family, or horrified that I have to spend that kind of money on postage. I also want to write a Christmas letter because I love when people write those, except that I don't actually want to write it... I just want it all done for me.
Natalee had her 2 year well check yesterday, she is 90th percentile for weight & height, based on that "double your height" prediction, they say she'll be 5'11". We came home and practiced her jump shot, it needs a little work.
I'm 27 weeks pregnant today, I had to look at the ticker on the blog to see how far along I was. I was hoping for 28, but it's still 27. I'm not ready at all for another baby, but work is getting harder and picking up after ~~Sean~~ Natalee is getting tough.
We put up our tree last night, it's finally festive in our house! Should we start a bet on how long it takes Natalee to pull the whole thing over?
I made my first homemade cloth diaper... it needs some work, but I told Sean it was a "learning project" he told me to use cheaper material next time I want to "learn" something. However, I can see how great its going to be to make them. I'm excited to get back to it and perfect my technique. I just wish I could practice it on a new machine. Someday, I will have one.

5 Question Friday!

2010-12-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

Sean has been out of town all week and he's coming home today... hallelujah! He was supposed to be gone one night, but I never actually believed the "only one night" story, I know him better than that. The good news is that my reward is having the entire weekend to sew and Christmas shop, a totally worthwhile trade. Alright, let's get this going:

1. What's on the top of your holiday wish list and why?!
I need a new sewing machine, but that isn't really practical right now... I'd really like an iPad case that is durable and can protect it from Natalee since she uses it more than we do. Does such an item even exist?

2. What is your favorite Christmas gift from the past?
Ah, I'd have to go with my engagement ring:-) But a close second would be my serger than Sean got for me last year, I was totally suprised by that one!

3. If you had life to do over, what would you be when you grow up?
I would have done a 2 year nursing program... a stable job without a billion dollars in student loans. However, it's hard to really say that, because my life would have taken on an entirely different path and I wouldn't have had any of the experiences that made me who I am today. Oh, and I'd have moved to Alaska when I had the chance.

4. When do you put up your tree?
Last year I didn't put it up at all, and if the new baby is as mobile as Natalee was at this time next year, we probably won't put one up then either. But I'm planning on getting it up this weekend, hopefully. I'm trying to get into the spirit this year and be less of a scrooge.

5. What is your favorite Holiday?
Thanksgiving, hands down. It's tons of family, awesome food, eating way too much and watching football with all the beautiful fall colors outside. How could it possibly get any better than that?

Check out Mama M's for more, then link up!

Random Tuesday

2010-11-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

I put up some Christmas decorations last night, actually I put them all up except for our tree. This is huge for me, cause I'm kinda a scrooge and don't really care for Christmas (my standard disclaimer: I love what Christmas stands for, I hate what it has become). Anyway, I thought Natalee would enjoy the Christmas cheer, so I did it... and I was right. But, I'm going to have to hide the presents cause she thinks everything is her present.

I'm feeling totally overwhelmed by all the requests to help the needy this holiday season. Usually I love to help, this year it feels almost suffocating. Probably because I don't have the money to help this year.

Do you sensor what you blog because you know who is reading it, or who might be reading it? I totally do. I wish I didn't... I need an anonymous blog so I can just go on and on about anything I want.

Lately I spend a lot of time worrying about what I'll do with Natalee if I go into labor in the middle of the night. It's totally stressing me out, I need to make a game plan and talk to the other people that will be involved and be done with it. I'm afraid if I ask someone they will be like "3 am? Hell no I won't help you!" and then I'll be even more stressed.

I want to make a Christmas table cloth, and a Christmas table runner (for different tables), maybe I'll work on that tonight, maybe not.

I'm trying to not be all down and negative here, so this is all I got today. What is random in your life right now? Check out the UnMom for more...

Cold Turkey

2010-11-23T07:14:00.000-08:00

It's a cold Tuesday here... but not that cold. It always makes me laugh when it gets cold here (ie below freezing). It is white outside, but barely...it rained really hard yesterday and then it froze last night, but it is a lot less icy than I thought it would be. Anyway, the schools are closed, people will start calling in to work any minute now and all the tire stores will be totally slammed with people buying studs or chains, which are totally unnecessary for the 2-3 days a year that it is icy out. I think it's ridiculous... Hopefully everyone can still get to our house for Thanksgiving though, I've got 50 pounds of Turkey and 30 pounds of ham that won't eat themselves.

Thanks for the sleeping tips, we had a much better night last night... except that when she gets up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night she comes into our room instead of her own. This morning it was 4:45, since it's only 45 minutes before the alarm we let her stay.

My co-workers are supposed to be back today, thankfully. I guess, as long as they aren't "snowed in" with that whole 1/4" we got last night. I've been working solo, covering all of our work since Friday. I'm spent. I'm supposed to be off at noon tomorrow, I'm going to look into taking the whole day instead.

I think I forgot to mention that I'm getting my braces off in February! Yeah! Even though this is my third time wearing them, it is still just as exciting to get them off. I can't wait to eat normally again, and to never have braces again.

I'm trying out the new text alignment for fun this week... I like it, its a good break between the random thoughts.

Sean and I went and looked at new sewing machines the other day, I want. Then we came home and started figuring out what we could sell so that I could have one. We found some great tools that he doesn't use. That is so terrible... but I want it.

That's all folks, check out the UnMom for more!

The Post Where I Beg For Your Help

2010-11-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I tried to be a good mom. And by "good" I mean "fun and easy going." At naptime, Natalee really didn't want to go to bed... after a pretty good struggle, I decided that she could lay in our bed and I'd put on some cartoons. She has never watched TV but I thought she might just relax and fall asleep. I was wrong. She layed there for about an hour but never did go to sleep or take a nap. Then last night she took the iPad and went to lay in our bed again. I guess since she was playing educational games I didn't mind too much. Sean wasn't feeling well and we were all ready for bed at 8:30. That made putting her in bed easy because the house was dark and nothing else was going on.
This is where my big failure really begins: Natalee woke up and came into our room at about 2am, and we let her get in bed with us. She has never slept with us, but "good parents" cosleep so I thought it might be fun to have her in there... she kneed me in the back about ever 4-5 minutes from that point on. Sometimes I could sleep through it, sometimes it hit that spot where you can feel it shoot up and down your back. I thought about getting up and putting her in bed but I was sure she'd wake up and not go back to sleep at all. She was up and about at 4:30. I'm exhausted and I totally lost my temper with her this morning. After we both calmed down she gave me a hug and said "I love you mommy" with her leftover tears still on her cheek. I feel like she got the short stick in the motherhood game.
How in the world will I ever take care of 2 kids?
What is up with her funky sleeping habits lately?
What time do your kids go to bed/get up? (Or, did they around age 2?)
What about naps?
I'm desperate for any help anyone has here. I want her happy, but we both need sleep for that to happen.

Five Question Friday

2010-11-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

Friday!! I'm the only inspector here today and all of us have big projects going, so it's either going to be a long, hard day... or its going to be fast and busy. (On my knees begging for the fast option).
Last night Natalee got up at 12:30 to go to the bathroom... she said she didn't like those wet sheets she had the night before. I guess letting them stumble once in a while really is a good thing, hu?
Oh, and I love you all for the nice things you had to say about my crappy day, it made me feel so much better. And also, I am LOVING LOVING the emails about differences in pregnancy symptoms. So far Nichole is the only one that had 2 pregnancies with the same symptoms and different genders. Oh, and Amie is the blogger I am most excited to get a pregnancy announcement from (hey, it could happen), if she blogs about it it will be hilarious. The sitcom writers will be stalking her blog.
OK, enough about that... lets get on to 5 Question Friday, shall we?

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

I like the classics... I generally can't stand anything that has been re-done or that is written recently. There are some remakes that I love. My mom has "A Very Special Christmas" which is all remakes but I LOVE it... I have great memories that go along with those songs. Hey, maybe my mom can dig it up and bring it to me (hint, hint).
2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?
Generally, we sleep apart. Neither of us like to be hot at night. Usually we get into bed and I'm freezing, so I cuddle up to him to warm up a little, I like his warm feet and he likes my cold feet. A perfect match. Then we both turn over and go to sleep.
3. Have you ever had surgery?
Yeah, too many... I'm a klutz. I had my appendix out when I was 10, I had both of my ankles reconstructed a few years apart, and when I broke my shoulder I had to have that pinned back together. I'm hoping to avoid any more in the future.
4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?
Is it ever actually done? I always have great intentions and then end up running around on Christmas Eve to pick up last minute stuff. Next year, I'll be better.
5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?
I can only pick one thing? I'd have a live-in maid/nanny. More maid than nanny but a little of both would be good. (Hey mom, want to come live with me?)

OK, that's it for this week... check out Mama M for more!

Saying It

2010-11-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

I have a lot to say lately, about nothing really at all. I wish it was Random Tuesday so that I didn't feel like it was just all over the place, but it's my blog and I'll ramble if I want to.
There is an arsonist in town, he (they?) keep burning abandoned homes. The other day a lady that I work with said "I'm afraid our project house will be next" (They bought it, stripped it to studs and then the economy crashed and they haven't been able to do anymore), guess what? Their house burned on Sunday night. The house is burned to nothing... the worst part though, is that is caught the neighbors house on fire and destroyed it. A young family with a three year old little girl. I don't get how anyone thinks that is "fun."

Image courstesy of Albany Democrat Herald

Yesterday was one of those days... where everything seems to go wrong. I forgot about a water shutdown, when I went there to do it, it took an hour longer than it should have. We got it done and got the work done. I had to take some samples to the lab about 20 miles away, halfway there I get a phone call from my contractor "We turned off the hydrant and water started shooting out of the ground." Awesome. Got that taken care of, or at least got the water to stop. Finished my work stuff. Went to have some stupid blood test that my insurance is requiring. They ask me if I'm fasting "Uh, no. I wasn't told to." Sorry, we can't do the test. I get home and call my doctor, they say "Oh, just tell them that you are. It isn't necessary for what we need." Would have been good to know before I had to get a babysitter for nothing. Then I went to Target to pick up a prescription and realized I left my wallet at work. I went home and took a bubble bath, what else can you do at that point?

Natalee had he first bed-wetting episode last night. Changing sheets at 2:30am is awesome.

This morning I wanted some coffee, the coffee stand was out of decaf... they offered to "just make it regular" but I declined. Please let today be better than yesterday.

I think Etsy is so inspiring, I wish I could sit at home alone while it rains outside, sip on a hot spiced cider and just explore all the amazing things that people create.

I told Sean I'd like a new sewing machine last night, and he didn't even get mad about it... he was like "Alright, we'll take a look." Sweet! Although, looking back now... he may have been nice because of the day I'd had.

Don't forget to put in your baby guess... I'm LOVING them:-)

Signs

2010-11-17T07:18:00.000-08:00

Something pretty big happened yesterday: I got up, got ready for work, and then... I wanted some coffee. When I'm not pregnant, I LOVE my morning coffee. As soon as I get pregnant, it is the most repulsive thing on the planet to me. I joke that I don't need a pregnancy test, just let me smell some coffee. They make coffee down the hall, I gag. I walk by a Starbucks, gag. So for me to want coffee is huge. I stopped at the coffee stand and after 24 weeks of being away, they still remembered my order (it's decaf, of course). And it was soooo good, so good that I went back today. So this makes me think... is this baby a boy?
Anything that is different makes me wonder... last time I was obsessed with pancakes (I ate them every.single.day.) and I ate fruit like it was the last food on earth. This time, I like those things but nothing is really jumping out at me (except maybe chicken strips).
What do you think? I started my online baby poll... it's over on the right hand sidebar. Give it a shot. I also want your baby gender/symptom/craving stories and opinions. I was much sicker this time than last time and I seem to be carrying much more out front and higher.
I go back and forth on hoping for one gender or the other... there are so many great things about both that I would be happy either way.

Random (Baby Update) Tuesday

2010-11-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

I'm kinda excited for a little randomness today... even better than writing it, is reading all your random stuff.

I think I'll start with my odd person sighting this week, cause it was interesting. I wasn't sure if I should be amused, or horrified, or think it was actually a good idea. Hmm... so I'm headed down the road and I see a couple on their bikes, one of the bikes is towing a very obviously homemade trailer, made out of old, dirty plywood... a little strange, but nothing to write about. Then I get closer and notice that they have attached to this old plywood a Britax carseat with a toddler in it. So, my thought process is: Well, at least the kid is in a carseat with a helmet on, but look what it's strapped to, and those Britax seats are expensive, surely more expensive than a true kids bike trailer? I don't know, the whole scene was odd. What do you think? Safe? No? Crazy? I'll leave it at: I'd never put MY kid in it.

Speaking of my kid: a baby update! I went yesterday to the OB and the Perinatologist (why do they make you see both?), my placenta moved (Yay!!), my cervix is not dilating and is nice a long (yay!!) and baby is 58th percentile for size, which is really good for an SUA baby (yay!!). The first two items knock me down a ways on the high risk list, so I'm excited about that. I'm pretty sure now that baby will be on or after due date, whereas we were pretty sure it'd be early before the other items resolved. It's time to start my online poll.

We went to watch the Oregon State football ~~debauchery~~ game on Saturday, on the way in the lady was checking bags... I didn't have a bag but she stopped me and said she needed to see what was in my pockets. Hu? A kleenex? She says "No, in your belly pocket" it took me a minute to register what she meant: "Oh, that would be my pregnant belly and I pulled up my sweatshirt to show her my fitted t-shirt. She was pretty embarrassed and kept apologizing. I thought it was hilarious. Sean told her I was lying and trying to sneak in a 6-pack.

Natalee's birthday is coming up, December 1st... and then Christmas. She has tons of grandparents and family that love her to death, she will be innundated with gifts... are we horrible parents if we don't get her much? I'd rather put the money in my her college fund.

Oh! The boat is supposed to be finished this week... maybe, we'll see, but holy cow could that have taken any longer? FYI the boat accident was on Father's Day.

Go get more random here:

Five Question Friday

2010-11-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Five Question Friday! This post marks my 200th post, I can't believe I've had 200 things to say (though some are probably not saying much).
Yesterday was a holiday, which I have been looking forward to for like a month... I was just going to sit at home and relax and do NOTHING. But, then I had to work. Lame, but at least I got holiday pay for it:-)
Onward to 5QF, shall we get started?

1. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you?

Let's see... I think it'd be a close race between childbirth and when I broke my humerus & my shoulder blade. I got an epidural and a baby at the end of childbirth, which dulled the pain so I'm going to go with my broken shoulder. This injury courtesy of mountain bike racing (I don't do that anymore, but not because of the accident).

2. How much sleep do you get at night?
Well, that is a hard one to answer lately. I go to bed around 9:30 usually, and I generally fall asleep pretty quickly but my growing belly is making my back hurt so bad that I'm usually up and trying to ease the discomfort about once every hour to two hours. I'm out of bed at 5:30 but get to sleep in until 7 on the weekends. (My old college-age-self is gasping in horror at the thought of 7am being considered "sleeping in").

3. How long did you believe in Santa Claus? How did you find out that he does not exist?
I think I believed for a long time, until I was probably 8. I kept thinking he didn't exist, but my dad always did a great job of leaving a little doubt... half eaten cookies and my favorite: foot prints in the ashes of the fireplace. There was no traumatic discovery, just kinda growing up and figuring things out for myself.
4. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
Sean and I went and saw "Life As We Know It" a few weeks ago. It was a good movie, but I was really expecting something funny (based on the previews and the cast), it was pretty sad and hard to watch as a parent. I LOVE going to the movies, I wish I got to go more often.

5. What do you wear to bed?
Usually a pajama top, t-shirt or tank top. I can't stand to wear pajama bottoms to bed but I love to lounge around before bed in them:-) I don't like to be hot while I'm sleeping. We usually keep our house around 65-67 degrees, then we close our bedroom door and open our windows. It's like an icebox in there, but all cozy in bed.

Alright, head on over to Mama M's for more 5QF Fun!

Bar Stool Blitz

2010-11-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is almost here! We're hosting again this year... last year that meant about 50 people over for dinner. I absolutly LOVE that we have the space to do these types of things, but the problem is seating... Last year we threw a whole bunch of tables together and made a gigantic dining table. This year, I was thinking about also adding some bar stools to the tall counter, but it's high and it's been so hard to find extra tall bar stools. We've been looking since we moved in. But yesterday I found some options after browsing around CSNstores.com. I need help though, cause I'm terrible at choosing that kind of stuff.

Here is our kitchen at Thanksgiving last year (Madness):

Here is our kitchen on a normal day:

That bar wraps all the way around, but do we put stools from end to end? Or just on the part that is on the tile floor? I think we could easily put 4 over there. I'm not sure... I think I like something like this one:

This one is Made in the USA, which is a H.U.G.E. deal for us, but Sean wants something that swivels... do you think swiveling is that important?

I'm not sure about the whole thing... So I'm begging for input from those much more stylish than I am (and also, it's hard to think critically about your own home sometimes). And soon, I'll be asking for similar help with my poor, boring (but huge and wonderful) master bath.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2010-11-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

First off... a big thanks for the kind comments on my last belly shot. Everyone is so nice to pregnant people, it's one of the best things about the whole experience. I'm enjoying it more this time, I'm trying to be more positive 'cause last time I hated everything about it. I'm not hating it this time, but you still can't touch me, not now and not ever, mkay?

I'm going to see a Chiropractor on Thursday... my back is KILLING me at night and not even my Snoogle is helping anymore. I just want a good night of pain-free sleep and I'll be less of a bitch, or I'll try anyway.

Sean had an epic fail this week... when he couldn't find his phone at 11:30 PM (on a weeknight), he decided to take mine and call it while I was asleep. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to use my phone and ended up calling a coworker of mine, TWICE at nearly midnight. Both times he dialed and then just set the phone down to go look for his. The coworker called back in a panic that something was terribly wrong for me to call him so late, I woke up panicked because my phone was ringing at midnight and it was someone from work: What could be wrong? Sean had no excuse, but we get to make fun of him for a while about it and the coworker was great when I explained what happened. He said "I'm an idiot husband sometimes too, don't go too hard on him."

I'm working on a waterline in the sketchy part of town, but I'm disappointed in my people sighting down there. I had high hopes for the area, I don't think I'm being observant enough cause the job is going all kids of wrong. Oh well, next week maybe.

Speaking of the job, check out this shot I took out there last week (with a crappy point & shoot), I think it's kinda cool. If you're wondering what's going on, leave a comment asking and I'll let you in on it:-)

Thats all for now, click on that purple button for more random thoughts from other totally cool people.

Belly Update

2010-11-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

3 Posts in 1 day? What is happening here? Whatever it may be... here is a belly picture, 22 weeks 3 days
I'm enormous. That is all.

Hey, Look! Pictures!

2010-11-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm terrible about posting pictures lately...even though I do actually take some now and then. Yesterday I picked Natalee up from Daycare and it was a beautiful day so I decided to just run down to the waterfront and let her run around while I took pictures. We also took the dog and it was hard to keep an eye on both of them while still trying to get a good picture. We did alright but I'd like to try again soon, with some help:-)

Natalee is really into shoes of all sorts, especially high heels and Daddy's boots. She drug these boots outside, one at a time so I put them on her (or put her in them, I guess). She loved it and didn't want to take them off, even though she couldn't really move in them.

Five Question Friday!

2010-11-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Friday is here! It's been a pretty great week, but I'm always glad for the weekends to get here.
Yesterday someone set fire to an abandoned house right near my jobsite. The fire department was out there investigating and had to stop by our jobsite. I was talking to the Fire Chief and he invited me to come check out the house. I've never seen anything like that except on CSI, it was pretty fascinating to see how they investigate fire and the things that they can tell from the way that material burns and chars. It was really interesting and something that is certainly not part of my "everyday" experiences. It also gave me even more respect for the work that fire fighters do everyday. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't run into a burning building for a paycheck, but I'm glad that someone will.

Well, should we get on with 5QF already?
1. If you could have any talent and turn it into an occupation, what would it be?

This is hard for me, because I always wonder if a hobby that becomes a career would feel like "work" instead of feeling like "fun" ya know? That being said, I wish that I could be good enough at sewing to sell my stuff... even if it was just at craft fairs and places like that, I wish it was good enough for people to pay for. Until then, I will just keep loving what I do and being happy when I get to do it.

2. Would you rather have a house at the beach or a cabin in the woods?
Cabin in the woods, hands down. I grew up on the coast, it isn't all it's cracked up to be... except that you can not beat the storms that you get on the coast. Besides knowing that my dad was out working in them, I totally loved the good storms we got there. My mom once took us to the beach in the middle of a huge storm so that ~~she~~ we could see the angry waves. At the time I thought she had totally lost her mind, but it's certainly something that I remember fondly.
3. Is there any meaning or reasoning for the names you chose for your child/children?
Natalee was chosen just because we liked it, we chose to spell it with 2-e's because my Father-in-law's middle name is Lee and my step dad is also named Lee, hence Natalee.
There is some meaning behind Baby Bean's names, but we can't tell you about those until baby makes an arrival:-)

4. What is your guilty pleasure?
Well let's see here, I hope I'm not limited to only one, cause I have a few. Trashy TV for one, I love TV and I think I've made that clear here in the past (but I can't get into this whole "Housewives" business... I just don't get it). I also love scratch off lottery tickets, I have so much fun with those imagining all the things I will buy when I win big.
5. Do you live in a house that is deep cleaned or straightened?
Ha! I'm lucky when it's straightened, but we're getting a lot better about keeping it all picked up. I am terrible about deep cleaning anything on a regular basis.

Alright, that's it... click that adorable little button below and check out more 5QF fun!

Laughter

2010-11-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Laughter is good for the soul, right? Is trying so hard not to laugh that it hurts dangerous? I've been sent a few funny links today. I think it's fun to laugh, so I thought they were worth sharing. Please send me some more, because they keep me happy.
First up: You Suck at Craigslist... real craigslist posts with some great commentary. What are some people thinking when they write these? This one might be my favorite, but I've only gotten to read a few so far.

And next... go to Google Maps, here is a link to make it easy...now click on 'Get Directions' and ask for directions from United States to China. Check out direction #29 and #104. Who comes up with this stuff? And who has time to discover it all?

Please please, share your internet humor with me:-)

Random Tuesday

2010-11-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty glad that it's Random Tuesday and not Random Monday, cause then everyone would just bitch about it being Monday all the time (well, everyone except me of course).

Since I work in construction I sort of try to hide my belly from contractors, I think it has the potential to take away any amount of respect that they have for me as an inspector. Friday, one of the contractors asked me if I was "with child" to which I asked him if he felt that I was getting fat. Then I told him he was ballsy, but also correct. I figured he wasn't outside of his boundaries in asking, it was just a risky move on his part.
Yesterday I was putting on make-up and noticed some tiny lines on my forehead, I panicked but then realized that I was the only person that would notice something so small. About an hour later the same guy tells me that I have lines in my forehead for scowling too much. I now will research botox and try to scowl less, although that may require a new career.

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Colorado that we took a few weeks ago. I didn't take many throughout the trip, but we spent a day in Estes Park and I got some there. The town is totally full of elk roaming around, I've never seen anything like it. I didn't take those pictures with anything more than my 250mm lens (that have not been edited, which is why the one is a little dark). They really just let you walk up that close and they sort of pose for pictures. The picture of the two of us is the only one we got, I used a self timer and we are at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

I think that's about all I've got for today. I didn't spot anyone worth mentioning this week. I will pay better attention for next time. Have a great week, and please GO VOTE!

And after you go vote, head on over and check out some more Random by clicking that purple button below.

She's Crafty

2010-11-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

I guess I'll start with the obligatory Halloween picture. Natalee was a cupcake, I thought she was pretty dang cute. She had a ton of fun but didn't understand why she couldn't go inside all of the houses.

Her adorable little companion is my niece, she was (obviously) a ladybug.

So onto my regular post... I've been feeling quite crafty lately. I love that, but I hate that I don't really have time to fulfil all of my crafty ideas. I finally finished Natalee's curtains. They look good but I haven't gotten the flowers painted on her wall yet (probably because that particular project involves my husband and he has been otherwise engaged with our fence). She needs something to hang up on her wall. It's very boring in there.
I washed and folded a bunch of baby stuff the other day (I needed the totes they were in). I commented that I wish I had something that I needed to sew for the new baby because I had so much fun doing that last time. I started to think about things that I would need. So I made my hospital gown this weekend. It turned out cute. I think I'll make another one so that I've got a before and an after. The first one is black and white with red accents. What should I do for the next? I was trying to avoid blue or pink for obvious reasons (though hot pink may still happen because after all, it is for me). I think I'll also make a lightweight robe for the hospital. I couldn't find one last time because they had all winter ones in the stores and I had JUST started sewing, but now I can totally whip one up. I'll see what color I decide for the second gown and go from there. I think a cute hospital gown will be in my baby-shower-gift-giving-rotation from now on.
I am getting all set up to start sewing some cloth diapers. I ordered one off of Etsy for the new baby, it came and it was so cute but it also looked so easy. Sean and I will be making a trip to Portland soon to look for some of the specialty fabrics that are needed. I'm super excited about that project. Sean's mom also has a snap press so that I can use the poly resin snaps, which I very much prefer to aplix (velcro).
I also want to make some muslin blankets like the Aden & Anais ones... but I need to find the fabric. Hopefully in Portland.
I almost forgot, I also finished my quilt... finally. It took me forever, mostly because it sat around forever. It is all minky, which is a total pain in the rear to make an entire quilt out of, but now that it is done it is like cuddling with a little piece of Heaven.

What are you crafting up lately? Got any other ideas for me to work on?

Five Question Friday!

2010-10-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's Friday!! Natalee is feeling much better and that makes me feel much better. My mom and stepdad are coming to visit this weekend and we are going to take Natalee Trick or Treating, she is going to be a cupcake. There is a lot to look forward to this weekend!
Let's get started, shall we? And when you're done leaving comments (hint, hint), go check out Mama M for more 5QF fun!

1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose?

I've been trying to think of a good one for this... at first I was like "The President!" but that would just frustrate and annoy me. Then I was like "My boss!" but that would proabably just make me agitated. So I decided some celebrity because it wouldn't have any effect on me and might be good entertainment. I think Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton would be pretty entertaining.

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting?
I usually budget, it's sticking to that budget that gets to be a problem for me. I am not a big fan of Christmas. In fact, I hate it. I love Christmas and everything that is represents, but I hate the commercial, gift-giving part of it. I don't usually have much to spend and feel bad about it, but then my parents go totally overboard with gifts and I feel so awful that I can't do anything even close to that for them. I'm getting really into handmade gifts lately. I don't know how others feel, but I like it:-)

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done?
I've never done one... I sure hope I don't in the future either. I've done Weight Watchers a couple of times, but I'm not that good at it. All things in moderation, that is how I try to go.

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of?
Is there one that I haven't? Well, not really... but I do love my TV! Let's see, off the top of my head: Greys, One Tree Hill (don't judge me), Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Criminal Minds, Friends, Felicity, ER the list goes on and on.

5. What one song always pulls at your heart?
Hands down: Watching You by Rodney Adkins.

Today

2010-10-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days... not bad, just one of those. We have our annual Halloween potluck at work today, I made a 3 bean casserole that reminds me of being a kid, my mom always used to make it for our sports potlucks (and I totally love this dish, yum!).
Natalee was awake when I got out of the shower, so I went into her room to visit with her before getting up since it was nice and early. She climbed up in my lap and felt like a little inferno. She went potty and I took her temperature. After I took it she said "Perfect!" (obviously, I take her temperature a lot and it is usually perfect), it was 103. I told Sean and then took her to snuggle. I decided I should stay home with her and took her back to our bed. She fell asleep and Sean told me it was silly to take off work when he was already home. But, I really just wanted to stay there. I wanted to leave the TV off and listen to the rain and snuggle with my daughter and smell my casserole and just relax and be a mom. But alas, I went to work... but at least I can still smell my casserole in the crock pot here.
I may have to duck out after lunch, while there is still time left to be a mom...

How Does Random Sound to You?

2010-10-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

I love Random Tuesday, I'm a pretty random girl. Instead of one random day a week, I should really have one day where I'm not random. Ask anyone... I'll send out totally random emails all day long just for the fun of it.
The thing about these blog hops, is that I always get screwed cause here on the West Coast we are 3 hours behind all the other bloggers and have to link up later. Lame.
This weeks interesting person sighting: I was headed out to a project when I see a guy riding his bike. The bike had no handlebars, so being a logical person this guy improvised and used a weed whacker to make his own handlebars. It was certainly inventive, but qualifies as interesting no less.
Sean got some email about how fruit can cure cancer or something like that. Sean hates fruit but now its all he eats. He takes only fruit in his lunch to work but then he is so hungry when he gets home that he gorges on whatever he can find. I don't think that is how the diet is supposed to work.
It's been raining a lot here, that makes me so happy inside. You know what doesn't make me happy? When people write 'alot' instead of "a lot." That drives me crazy.
Yesterday I got to duck into The Inkwell, my favorite store of all times. I didn't get myself anything which is totally amazing, but I did get a gift for Brandy and her new house. Yay for new houses, now I just have to drag my ass to the post office.
Alright, that's all I got since I gotta get to working. Click on that purple button and join in!

Five Question Friday and a Short Update

2010-10-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted... I'm not sure why exactly but I am. I wish that the weekends still meant sleeping in late and catching up on tons of TV. Thankfully, my weekends are full of much more these days, but I still miss those lazy ones.
So yesterday I had another ultrasound and a doctors appointment after. The ultrasound lasted over an hour, sheesh. So far baby is growing on schedule, but I do have a placenta previa. My doctor approached this very gently when she mentioned a c-section, . I think I took it better than she anticipated cause I just said "alright, sounds good, whatever needs to be done" and she was kinda taken aback. Then I asked her if she could find anything that would require bedrest for only 3 days, so that I could lay in bed and rest and no one could say anything about it. She thought that was hilarious, but I was only half kidding. The arrival of the placenta previa is sending me back to the high risk clinic... I feel like I am always at the doctor anymore.
Natalee is rocking her potty training. She did her training on Monday, went to bed Monday night and got up at about midnight to go potty. She woke up dry after that. She had one accident Tuesday morning and none since. She is dry in the mornings as well as after her naps. The best part of it (besides not washing diapers anymore) is how happy and confident it has made her. Last night Sean said to her "Daddy is so proud of you!" and she looked at him and said "I proud of you too!"
OK, enough of that... on to the fun stuff!

1. Who is the better cook, you or your spouse?
A few years ago I would have said me, hands down... but Sean has really stepped up his game. I don't cook too much anymore, except when he is wanting one of those things that I really do make better (lasagna, chicken enchiladas, meatloaf...yum!). But I really depend on him to deliver when it comes to roasts or steaks or any other "meat" centered dish, or and his chicken & dumplings. Yum!

2. How often do you talk to your mom?
Almsot everyday, as long as she isn't out of the country on one of their exotic vacations that they seem to take all the time. I told her it was probably a good idea for her and all her daughters to take a girls only vacation somewhere, I think she actually thought it was a good idea.
3. Are you adventurous in the kitchen or stick to the recipe?
Well, when it comes to baking I stick with the recipe. When it comes to cooking I usually try once by the recipe and then I think about what might make it better and I go from there. Sometimes it is better to leave things alone, but usually it gets tastier as the experiments progress.
4. Is your second toe longer than your big toe?
It is... isn't that one of those questions that are on the "Genetic Testing" list that you do in the 8th grade? Along with can you roll your tounge (yes) and do you have a widows peak (yes again)?
5. Do you dress up for Halloween? (Bonus question: What will you be this year?)
No, I'm so boring. I was totally going to dress up this year though. Natalee is a cupcake this year, so I was going to be an oven and Sean was going to be a baker. But then the oven costume was like $50 and I got all cheap about it.

Click that adorable little button below for more 5QF fun!

Random Tuesday!

2010-10-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

It's time for Random Tuesday Thoughts with the UnMom again... I didn't prepare at all. I usually like to keep a mental note of random things to mention. So we're flying without a net here today.
My friend Carly (AKA Supermom), suggested a book called Toilet Training in Less Than A Day by Nathan Azrin. I found it on Amazon for $0.01 so I splurged and bought it. Sean took it out of my hands and read it 3 times. Yesterday he deemed as the day he would train. I came home from work and Natalee can now (unprompted), walk to her potty chair, pull down her pants, do her business, pull her pants back up, take the pot to the toilet, dump it, flush it and return it to the potty chair. Amazing, especially for one day of practice. We put her to bed without a diaper last night with plans of just changing the sheets in the morning. Somehow her door got closed last night and we woke up to her screaming at 12:30. When Sean went to check on her, she ran out to use the bathroom and then went back to bed. Seriously, I am stunned. (Yes, there were a few accidents but it's still amazing in my opinion).
My cousin got married on Saturday, it was a beautiful wedding and she was a stunning bride. I forgot my camera. I can't believe I did that. But my great friend Brandy was the photographer. After they finished "work" I stole one (or maybe two) of her cameras and started taking pictures... If I didn't like her so much I would have just stolen it. I gave Sean my best "please-buy-it-for-me-eyes" so he asked how much it would be for something like that. After she threw back a number more than some people make in a year he told me to put it down and back away slowly.At least he considered it- for a millisecond.
This weeks comic sighting around town: A panhandler on the street corner with a sign that said "Your ad here." Hey, you gotta give him a little entrepreneurial credit.
Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary... I want to do something fun, but small and inexpensive. I was thinking cupcakes, but that would just be a gift for myself.

Five Question Friday!

2010-10-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

October 15th... yay! I just LOVE October, I wish we could have 10 Octobers, 1 November and 1 January to make a full year. My "little" cousin is getting married tomorrow, I feel really old... but I'm also pretty sure she is going to be THE most beautiful bride I've ever seen, cause she is so beautiful on any given day (and I don't even hate her for it, ha!). Hopefully I'll get some pictures, and then actually download and post them.
Natalee asked to sleep in her big girl bed last night, I wanted to wait until a weekend night, but told her OK. She climbed right in, said good night, gave me a kiss and went to sleep. I'm stoked with our first night.
Alright... onto Five Question Friday, brought to you by Mama M.

1. What is your favorite Halloween candy?

I'd probably have to say Reese's peanut butter cups or Butterfinger... the odd thing about my candy choices, is that I'm actually not a huge fan of peanut butter. I mean, it's alright when it is in stuff... but a peanut butter sandwich makes me want to gag. Yuck. And I've never been a Peanut-Butter-on-the-Spoon fan either.

2. Do you fold your socks?
Yes, do people not fold their socks? How would you ever find the mates? And wouldn't your sock drawer just be a big jumbled mess? I also fold all my underwear, much to Sean's dismay. He thinks that is the most odd thing, is it odd?

3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about?
Hmmm... there are a lot of things I was warned about but choose not to listen. I guess maybe I wish someone had warned me about how lonely thing can get when you grow up and especially when you have a baby. It probably wouldn't have made things easier, or changed my mind at all... but it would have been nice to know that I wasn't the only one that felt that way. But once I started talking about it people were all like "Yeah, it is so lonely, and I totally get what you are saying!"

4. What is the most significant difference between you and your significant other?
Procrastination/contemplation... when I decide I want to do something, I do it rightnow. When he decides he wants to do something, he considers it for about a year (no, I'm not exaggerating). In some situations, the difference is a good one... some things you really do want to consider (for example, buying a house), some things do not require such contemplation (for example, buying a new sweatshirt). I can't tell you how many times I've heard from him "Man, I wish I had bought those ____________ when they were on sale."
5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? (And, just for fun...if your significant other is around, ask him/her what 3 words they would use to describe you!!)
This question is a lot harder than I thought when I first read it... I'd say that I'm giving, book smart (without the common sense to go along), and resourceful. Unfortunately Sean is at work so I can't ask him, but if I had to guess he would probably say "Smart (with the same caveat I noted above), impulsive and impatient... all those would be true of course but mine are more flattering. Ha!

Happy & Well, Uh...

2010-10-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

I missed Random Tuesday because I was out of town. It was great to get away for a long weekend. Lyndsay did a fun post today, so I’m going to steal her idea.

Things that are making me happy:

Sean and I just got back from 4 days in Denver. We had so much fun! One of his best friends got married, it was a beautiful wedding and she is an amazing woman, he’s a lucky guy. Besides the wedding, we just went exploring, it is beautiful there. We went to the Coors brewery, the 16th Street Mall, Bass Pro Shops, and Estes Park. This was our first airplane getaway together.

Sean read a book on potty training and he has decided that he can take care of it. I’m excited about the potty training AND the big interest Sean has taken in it. (Crossing fingers that it works and he doesn’t get too frustrated).

My cousin is getting married this weekend; it should be a super fun wedding. Natalee is going to have so much fun dancing.

Things that are not making me happy:

It’s the middle of October, the leaves have hardly turned and it’s not even cold out. I’m still wearing short sleeves. I am so ready for all my warm, cozy, adorable sweaters.

I hate to wear makeup, but I feel lately like I really NEED to. I’ve never worn it on a daily basis. I need to figure out something light and easy that will get the job done with minimal effort and not really look like I’m wearing much.

This baby hardly moves. I’m 19 weeks now and almost nothing. Natalee started moving regularly at 17 weeks and I thought it would be sooner this time. It would sure put my mind at ease if he or she would just wiggle.

Natalee doesn’t care to go to bed anymore, I knew this was probably coming but it still sucks. I’m hopeful that maybe the new big girl bed will help.

Things I’m not sure about:

Brandy finished her quilt, it got me inspired to finally finish mine (it only needs binding done, but it’s been sitting for about 4 months). But leaving Natalee and Sean to go sit upstairs is hard sometimes. I always feel rushed, even when I’m not.

My DVR is overflowing… when in the world am I going to have time to watch all of those shows?

I’m starving and it’s lunch time, I brought spaghetti-o’s. Meh… they’ll have to work.

Once Again...5QF

2010-10-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

Aw yes…5QF, let’s get this started!

1. What do you listen to while driving?
Pretty much anything that is loud and I can sing along with. I could not live without satellite radio… I’ve been really into the country station lately, but I switch around regularly.

2. What is your least favorite thing about Fall?
Uh, nothing… nothing at all. Well, maybe that it doesn’t start earlier and last longer. It’s my very favorite time of the year.

3. What does your dream house look like, inside and out?
It’s big and clean, the yard is beautiful and full of interesting plants and flowers. The back yard would have some amazing fruit trees, an outdoor kitchen, a pool and a firepit for everyone to gather around. The inside would be spotless, but one of those places that just feel warm and comfortable. The kitchen would be incredible; people would always be saying “Oh, I would die to have a kitchen like this!” We would have room for horses and for Sean to hunt and train the dogs. The garage would be big enough to hold all our “garage” stuff and our cars, but not so big that it’s gaudy, ya know?

4. Would you ever own a minivan?
Probably not, but I can’t say for sure. Soon after Natalee was born we realized that the Subaru we were driving wasn’t going to cut it, so we decided to go big enough that we wouldn’t need bigger in the future. I love our Expedition, except when I have to fill it up with Gas. I wish I had a little Honda or something that got great gas mileage to run around town in.

5. Do you wash new clothes before wearing them?
No, never. Sean hates that… he can’t wear anything that hasn’t been washed. I just think there is something about new clothes. But I won’t put Natalee in anything that hasn’t been washed (I’m loosening up a little about this as she’s getting older).

Alright… that’s it for this week. Head on over to Mama M’s and check out what everyone else has to say for 5 Question Friday.

Bean(stalk)

2010-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our anatomy scan... we had to have it done at the high risk clinic (or MFM, Maternal-Fetal Medicine) because of the SUA, it took over TWO HOURS to complete... but things look alright. The baby is right on schedule as far as size goes. They didn't mention any issues other than the placenta is now covering my cervix but it is early and there is lots of time for it to move still. We were strong and didn't find out the gender, but that meant that we didn't get the digital images because the MFM clinic is required to indicate on the digital images the baby's sex as some syndromes are only associated with certain genders. We got a couple of print outs, but nothing too exciting to look at... Oh, and we looked at some of the 3-D images, it was odd looking, but they said that's just cause baby is still pretty skinny and hasn't put on much muscle mass yet.
Our next ultrasound is in 2 weeks. I'm going to have to convice myself to be good again in two weeks, the next 20 weeks are going to be long, but worth it:-)

Time to get Random

2010-10-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

It's random Tuesday... it's also the day that we are going to another ultrasound, but this one should be kinda cool. As time goes on there is more and more to see in there. I'm just hoping we don't see too much. I was wavering in my decision not to find out the gender... we won't (or we're gonna try really hard not to). Having people share their delivery room discovery moments makes me want to wait:-)
I think someone is stealing water from us. Our water bill this month was astronomical... Sean says that I'm bathing Natalee too much. Seriously, he said that. We don't appear to have a leak and we turned off our spinklers but we still had a $140 bill.
Working with the public has exposed me to a whole new subset of people... I'm thinking about starting an online log of the people that I run into on a regular basis (ok, not really... but it might be funny). Some of my favorites: The lady with the sign that says "Homeless, anything helps" standing on the street corner while talking on her cell phone. Oh! Or the guy and his lady-friend walking down the street hand in hand, carrying a GIANT biohazard container.
I got Natalee her own iPad app yesterday... it's called My First Words, it's basically flashcards where a picture comes up and the word of what it is, then it says that word. She played for quite a while, repeating the words... since I don't even usually let her look at the iPad she was totally stoked to get to hold it all by herself.
OK, that's all I've got for now... head on over to the UnMom and link up!

You're It!

2010-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it is Friday! I usually do Five Question Friday, but I'm going to stray a little this week (the questions didn't really apply too much to me)... Holly was tagged in her blog and instead of tagging someone else, she cheated and tagged "everyone that reads this post" and since that's me... I'm going to participate. So here is the deal... I'll answer her questions and then I'll post my own and tag some of you!

1) What do you look forward to or enjoy most about being a parent?

Some days I don't enjoy much... but most days I enjoy watching her discover things. It's amazing the joy she can get out of the things that we totally take for granted as adults. It's also a lot of fun to get to do those things again that were so fun as a kid.
2) What's something about you that would surprise most people?
Hmm... for people that have known me a long long time, they would probably be suprised to learn that I almost NEVER cook anymore. I used do spend almost all of my time in the kitchen, but Sean does all the cooking anymore. I did bust out a from scratch chocolate marble cheesecake the other day though, and it was AMAZING.
3) If you could be any animal what would you be and why?
I would want to be my dog, seriously... she is the most spoiled animal on the planet, and she's so cute... what more could you ask for out of life?
4) What's the nicest thing someone has done for you?
This is probably not a "normal" answer, but whatever. When I was in college I had this professor... his name was Marv Pyles (seriously, no joke). Up until I took that class (Soils Engineering), I had heard how hard it was and how tough the professor was... I was terrified. After the first couple classes I knew I was going to struggle. I went to him and was totally honest that I was trying but just didn't think I could make it. He spent HOURS every week with me, we did extra assignments together so that I could really understand everything. It was awesome. I rocked the class but more importantly it was the confidence boost that I needed to get through college. I'm not sure I'd be holding an engineering degree today if it wasn't for him and the extra effort he put into me.I've heard through the grape vine that he still talks about how determined I was :-)
5) What are you most looking forward to over the next month?
There are a lot of exciting things happening this month... Sean and I are taking out first trip together that involves flying somewhere (can you believe that?), we're headed to Denver for a fun 4 day getaway. Next week I have a level II ultrasound to check on baby and see if they can see any other defects present because of the SUA. (I'm actually terrified of this, I was all cool about it but I'm losing that confidence that everything is OK). And then my beautiful cousin Brooke is getting married, it's going to be a spectacular wedding (made even better because one of my greatest friends is photographing it!). Oh! And it's our wedding anniversary on the 20th. I LOVE OCTOBER!

Alright... here are my questions:
1. We all have a favorite season, but what is your favorite thing about each season?
2. If you could have any breakfast item brought to you in bed tomorrow morning, what would it be?
3. What is one hobby that you wish you could take up?
4. What is your guilty pleasure?
5. What is your favorite holiday and why?

Alright... time to tag people! I'd love to hear from:
Kaitlin at Ah... My Married Life.
Colleen at As Is Proper
Melissa at Random Ramblings (a quick attempt to get her to blog!)
Sheila at A Little Dirt Never Hurt

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2010-09-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Ah yes... random time, join in it is tons of fun!
This morning I got up and ready for work, and then it hit me: I needed pancakes STAT. Except that I had to go to work and only had about 15 minutes to get there... then I saw Pop's Branding Iron (it's exactly like you'd picture with a name like that). I stopped and asked if they did orders to go, yes they do. So I got a short stack to go. It's like heaven in a Styrofoam container, and only $3.25. My day is saved (so is their number in my cell phone).
Oh, my cell phone... it's on the fritz. When I'm texting it will occasionally choose a word for me and send the text right in the middle. The other day I tried to write to Sean: "Dad, kids and Grandma are coming" and it choose to send: "Dad, kids and Grandma are annihilated." Of course, I laughed for a second until he called me saying "What? What happened?" Yesterday I tried to tell my sister "When Sean gets home" and it sent "When Sean gets recycled."
Last month someone hit my car and drove away. I happened to be standing across that street and saw the whole thing happen. I got her license plate number and called the police. My bumper and tail light were broke, the entire side of her truck was dented in... it was huge. The 12 year old police officer called me later that afternoon to tell me that he wasn't going to give her a ticket because she was "a really nice lady, and she is a supervisor at the boys and girls club" this got both me and my husband a little angry. Not so much because she didn't get a ticket, but because of the reason. So Sean went and talked to the officers supervisor, he said after looking at the pictures there was NO WAY she wasn't getting a ticket. I figured they were just telling us that and we all went on about our lives. I got a call on Friday that she had a pre-trial conference and I was invited. I didn't go, but I was shocked that 1) she actually got a ticket and 2) that she was fighting it.
One last note: it's officially fall... where are my cool days that allow me to wear my adorable sweaters? It's still hot out, this is totally unacceptable.
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Stupid Grass... but at least it's green.

2010-09-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Is it true that the grass is always greener on the other side? I’ve been thinking about this a LOT lately.

I’ve got a cold, as does Sean… I want to lie on the couch and watch all the awesome new shows I’ve got piled up on my DVR from this week. But, that isn’t going to happen because I have a kid to take care of and a house that is in desperate need of a little attention. I start to think about back before I had Natalee and before I was married, when I lived all alone… I keep thinking that I wish I could be there just for one day, but when I really really think back to those days I remember that I was so lonely, married to my work and wanting desperately to just have a family and a husband to love me like crazy. Once you get the things you long for, the other option suddenly seems to have some sort of new appeal. (The obvious disclaimer: I would never, ever trade my family for anything).

When I talk to people that are stay-at-home moms I get all jealous and wish I could do that… and then I think back to the time that I did do that (not by my own choice, but I did it), and I decided unequivocally that it was NOT the job for me. To all the SAHM’s out there: how do you do it? You’re amazing… But this is just another example of that proverbial grass and its level of greenness.

I have a few friends that are pregnant now, and they all know or will find out the gender of their baby… I’ve been pretty steadfast in my belief of being surprised in the delivery room. Looking down when they held up that baby and saying “It’s a girl!” was one of the best moments of my life. Sean says he wishes it was on video because “it was like I could hear all your dreams just come true.” So, now that I have my little girl… I’m wavering on the delivery room surprise. What if I’m disappointed on delivery day? I have no concern when it comes to baby gear or purchases, as everything we have is gender neutral. When I tell people my own age or younger that we won’t find out most are taken aback and kind of confused by our choice (except those that have been surprised, because they know how AWESOME that moment really is). When I tell people a little older, most are so excited about it. But I’m just really concerned lately about the possibility of being disappointed. Having so many ultrasounds with this pregnancy isn’t helping matters either. At one of them, the doctor kind of teased Sean that she knew and he didn’t, it was all in good fun but it makes me kind of antsy to know that others know and I don’t (it makes Sean extremely agitated… in a good fun kind of way). In my heart I know that we won’t find out, unless we get some bad news at our next appointment… but has anyone else ever been disappointed? Whether they found out ahead or not… and how did you deal with it?