The Funky Bee

2011-02-11T17:14:00.002-05:00

Wow...really trying to get used to this whole living with a full fledged toddler! As rewarding as every day is, especially when this kid says something new or learns a new trick, this is hard work!

Recently the boy was sick, I mean really sick, for the first time. I guess there are some good things to not having your child in day care, although if he was, he probably would have been sick a few more times and this one wouldn't have been so dramatic. Oh my god, this kid was a mess. I literally had to hold him for 2 days straight. By the end of that second day I was ready to throw in the towel. I did not know how I was going to make it another day. Thankfully the kid decided to get a little better after that! Maybe he sensed that his Mother was getting ready to take off...

We were invited to a neighborhood play group a couple of weeks ago. Boy was that fun. We'll never go back. I'm just waiting to get the email asking why I haven't been responding to the latest invitations...This is what I've discovered by attending a play group with people I don't know. A) I don't like your kids, B) I don't like you, C) Now I know why I have my own friends, and D) Thank god I never have to hang out with you again, I hope!

I'll try to keep this brief but in a nut shell, the "host" of our play group proceeded to hound me about getting my kid into pre-school (he's 19 months old) because all of the deadlines are just about over. I need to hurry up and get him into a good place for 2 year old's, especially if I plan on having any more kids. Apparently, according to mom of the year, you can't have two kids in the house at once. Would love to get her and my Grandmother, mother of 11 children, in a conversation together. AND, her bratty, red headed, bully kid - why are they always red head's? - decided to pound on my kid the whole time. Ever toy he touched was snatched away, he was pushed to the ground when he wasn't looking and then you know what? I had enough. I was this close to punting the kid across the room but decided that probably wasn't setting a very good example so instead I decided we'd just never hang out with these weirdo's again.

Otherwise, being a mom is great. Just wish I had a little bit more "me" time. Guess I'll have that when my boy goes off to college. Then I'll be sad and want my baby back. You just can't win!

Why, thank you Costco!

2010-12-11T23:56:00.003-05:00

So, the boy and I ventured out to our local Costco the other day for an industrial package of butter and a few other essentials. It was a quick trip and as we were checking out, the boy in the cart to the left behind the cashier, me, on the right in front of the cashier in order to pay, a very nice gentleman asks me if I'd like a box. Well, of course I would. Box my stuff up my man and make my life a heck of a lot easier. So, the kind man does. And as I swipe my card, sign, retrieve my receipt and start to walk away I finally notice the box that the very kind boxer gave me...

Oh, ummm...thanks? Holy lord. I had to hold back from laughing. Immature? Perhaps. But all I could think was, "wow, my trash men are gonna get a kick out of this one!" I mean, SERIOUSLY? Was this a joke? I briefly considered switching boxes. I think I even spied a couple of people looking out of the corner of their eye and giggling as we left, but I decided to say, oh...who the heck cares? Yes, I bought condoms. 6,000 of them. What's it to you?

Please, practice safe sex girls and boys!

SERVICE!

2010-11-23T10:41:00.004-05:00

There are a couple of places that I just dread going. One is the cellular phone store. Have you ever noticed how the people that work there are like used car salesmen? They are so slimy and swarthy. I can't take it. And they're always trying to sucker you for more money, the more expensive phone, etc. Just give me what I came for and don't try to swindle me, Thanks!

Another place I can NOT stand going is the car dealership. And I'm not even talking about the sales department, which is, you know...car salesmen. I'm talking about the service department where you take your car to get the oil changed and if you're really lucky, to get some other "service" done where they basically ass rape you and make you wait a few hours while they do it...

I am currently sitting in the service department waiting area at my car dealership as I type this. Oh lovely day. Thankfully my issue is under warranty so really the car dealership is just ass raping it's self this time, hooray for me! Oh thank heaven for technology because now they have free wifi here. So, not only am I bored to tears (figures today I have almost no work to do), I can write about it!

I want to know why no one has written the television show that takes place in the car dealership service department. I am writing it now as I sit here. I think I'll call it something really clever like, "Service" or "At Your Service". Here are the characters... You've got my service advisor, he looks and moves like a turtle. His name is Larry. He sits in a high cube right by the door and although he is the most socially awkward person on earth and obviously can't be bothered with mundane questions like, "Can I get my oil changed today?", he sits right inside the doors where every person comes in and has to speak to him. Call me crazy but shouldn't the receptionist be there? Or at the least, someone with an ounce of social graces able to say hello with a smile on their faces? OY.

Then you've got the middle aged, family man who loves to talk to everyone about anything. And his side kick, the 20-something young lady who likes to talk to middle aged guy and flirt, bat her eye lashes, etc all day long...GAG! There's the receptionist who is SO loud. I now know that she came back to work after her 3rd child, she lost some weight but has a lot left to lose and likes cranberries...hooray!

Okay, maybe this is just entertaining because I'm sitting here right now and it's the only thing keeping me sane. Scratch that idea. I guess this screen play/show idea won't go very far!

Hope everyone else is having a more interesting day than I am!

2010-11-06T21:41:00.002-04:00

Before becoming a parent there were obviously lots of things that mattered almost not at all in my carefree, casual lifestyle. One of those things that I am thinking about tonight especially, that I am just realizing really pisses me off, is Daylight Savings Time. What a bunch of bull this is! I mean, back in the day, I don't care if I change the clocks, I just go to bed an hour early or later and then same thing in the morning. With a child, it doesn't work that way!

I am praying that this kid does not wake me up at 6am tomorrow. How do you have a logical conversation with a 1 year old about the importance of Mommy and Daddy's sleep and explain that he is going to have to adjust his internal clock so that he doesn't eff up the routine?

Once we get him back on track it will be right in time to "Spring Forward". Yipeee!

2010-11-01T21:11:00.002-04:00

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year around here. I love that everywhere you drive right now the leaves are turning a brilliant rainbow of fall colors. I mean, the reds and yellows, oranges and greens are so beautiful right now. One of my neighbors has a tree that is literally changing every color right now, it's so pretty!

What I hate are the local political ads that are airing right now! Ugghh I think I've said this before but really, these ad's are so pathetic. I will admit that I'm not completely up on my local political candidates and their platforms. I know a little about a little but I am a bad local citizen, I know. With that said, do these candidates think that bad mouthing and trash talking the other candidates will make people vote for them, or not vote for their opponents? It's almost comical but really, it's just sad. They call each other crooks, call each other out on so many shady dealings they've been involved with and then say, "vote for me!" or "I approve this ad". Seriously? They are all a bunch of crooks!

And here's the kicker, and the one that really threw me over the edge...there is a "woman" in DC that I am ashamed to say is currently running a 30 second ad that shows an image of (Parental advisory - the next sentence is not suitable for children) a bloodied late-term fetus, followed by a picture of two more fetuses, blackened and scarred by a saline abortion. Another ad begins with the stuff of "miracle of life" public-TV documentaries - before resolving into a photo of President Obama followed by a pair of dismembered fetal limbs, set next to a dime to highlight their proportions. This is where I draw the line! I don't care what your political, religious, spiritual, whatever, views are, this is completely unacceptable, uncalled for and horrific! And apparently this poor excuse for a human being agrees! She herself says that these ad's are "vile", yet she thinks they're effective and so will continue to use them. At first I was angry at the networks that would even allow this type of crap to air, but guess what? There is a very convenient loop hole! Apparently federal law states that holders of broadcast licenses are required to air federal candidates' advertisements unedited in whatever time slots they can afford. And this whack job found this out and according to her, is the only one that ran with it.

I hope this woman, and all these other politicians that claim to have our best interests at heart, rot in hell, all together, in one, miserable, political party. I will be voting tomorrow. I will be voting because it's my right. I'll be voting because a lot of women gave their lives to make sure that in 2010 I could vote with no question. I'll be voting because, tragically, someone will vote for that woman and people like her, and I'll be voting because I don't want whack a do's like that nut job representing me, EVER! Happy Election Day all. It's sad that a day that should make me feel patriotic really just makes me kind of sick...

2010-10-23T12:04:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a long time. Life has been up and down around here. I started working a contract job, which has been great and keeping me very busy, but also allowing me to be home and stay connected with my little man. It's also nice to be making some money. That part can never hurt!

We're in what I like to call a stand off with the bank for our construction loan. Our builder was ready to start our project months ago...just waiting on the bank. I am so frustrated I can't even see straight. We have also been paying for a rental house that we don't live in yet for the last 3 months and that feels GREAT!

My boy is growing like a weed. He is so smart and adorable...of course, right? And he is just the apple of my eye. And...now for the bad news. So, we were very excited to be adding to our family. Our little boy was going to be a big brother and then, just when we thought we were about over the hump, I was three months pregnant, and I lost the baby. I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that I am no longer pregnant. It's a very odd thing. We are sad and I'll be honest, this sucks. But, I know this happens to many women, all the time. It's crazy how common this type of thing is, and you just don't realize it until you're going through it yourself. I am very lucky to have lots of support from my wonderful husband, friends and family. And just looking at my little boy reminds me every day how absolutely blessed I am already. Things will be okay and hopefully in the future we can add to our family again. Only time will tell.

Now, I'm going to hug my boy, my husband and my pooch and try to catch up on any of you that are still out there!

2010-08-18T07:01:00.002-04:00

So we had the big storm that knocked power out for 4 days. We recovered. We moved on.

Last Wednesday a man comes to my door and I open it - I never do that. He's selling meat. I know, sounds odd, it's a suburban thing, believe me, my friends that live in the city had never heard of such a thing.

Anyway, so he has a refrigerated truck and I examine the goods and end up buying close to $400 worth of meat and seafood. Everything looked phenomenal and the timing couldn't be more perfect after the last storm.

The next morning the baby wakes up around 7am and I notice how unbelievably dark it seems for being so late. Okay, must be a little rainy out...go to the living room and see that it's thundering, lightening and raining pretty hard. Well, that was just the beginning. I swear I thought I was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz...It was such a violent storm that at one point the rain and wind were so conflicted that you couldn't see ANYTHING. It was like looking outside into a gray mass. The dog was scared to death. The baby was growling back at the thunder (my how the behaviors have switched). And all I could think was "PLEASE, DEAR LORD, DON'T LET THE POWER GO OUT!!!"

The power flickered a few times. No big deal. Then...BOOM! Gone, out, darkness...The power went out again. This time it went out for only 2 days but somehow I think it's all my fault. I jinxed it by restocking our freezer. So, once we were able to venture out and assess the damage we could see that the damage was extensive! There were numerous trees down on my street alone. With those trees came the power lines. When we were finally able to venture out of our hood in the car it was frightening. It looked like a war zone out there. I am assuming it was another tornado because there were actual areas where a whole cluster of large trees was just cut off as if they were chopped in half. Leveled. It was strange. We went to my in-law's for one night and one day. No matter how "lovely" it is to visit people. It's never like being at home. I just wanted to be HOME!

Lights were out for days and days. Traffic was a mess. It is amazing and scary how dependent we are on electricity, but more so, the power company! Yeah, power's great but you kind of need the power company to come out and restore and maintain it...

I contacted the meat guy to ask him to come back and pick up our lot but he gave me a lesson in dry ice! Did you know that they sell dry ice at Safeway grocery stores? I didn't but I sure do now! He also taught me how to use it in a fridge and freezer. I was thankful for that because it saved us lots and lots of money and headache! Anyway, power is back and we're back to normal, until the next time. Really considering investing in a generator...

2010-08-05T23:01:00.002-04:00

This is what our lives have become:

Yes, our bath faucet is now covered by a bathing Elmo. Why? Because our child now rules our lives. And we're okay with that. Although I have to admit, it's been a little frightening pulling back the curtain to take a shower and seeing him just sitting there. Oh, it's only the beginning. I can't wait to see what's to come!

2010-08-03T06:58:00.002-04:00

Holy Hiatus! Okay, I know, I've been gone a long time. What have I been doing? Well, let's see. About a week and a half ago I decided to offer my laptop a little bit of white wine without asking it first. Whoops! My bad. Had I asked I might have found out the easy way that my computer does not in fact like white wine. Who knew? I mean, I thought for sure that everyone liked a nice, cool, crisp glass of white wine on a steamy summer evening...

Well, after much worry and crying and praying that my hard drive was still in tact, borrowing tools from a neighbor, taking my laptop apart to try and salvage it, I finally took it to the computer doctor where I was told that it would cost a cool $1200 to send my machine back to Apple for repair. Now if I were drinking coffee at the time I was told that I would have spit it all over the very helpful young man that relayed the message. Thankfully for him, I wasn't.

* Okay, side note - WTF is up with the Apple store? I tried to go there first to take care of my laptop but I couldn't even get in. What is wrong with people? Why do they "hang out" at the apple store? I mean, I understand if you want to go try out a new product or have something to buy, or, as I was, there to assess some damage and get some advice, but I literally had to walk out because I couldn't make my way to the back of the store to talk to the appropriate person for my needs. Go home people! Or go to Starbuck's and play with your laptop there with the other douchies that hang out there all day. At least that's more "acceptable" these days...that's also a whole other post for another day*

Okay, sorry for that...long story short, I had to buy a new computer. It was the only economical solution. The old machine was basically fried. Thankfully my hard drive was still in tact and I was able to migrate the old info to the new machine. I am still beating myself up for my stupidity and am trying to put my new machine in a bubble so that nothing can get into it. I've also decided that no food or drink will get near this thing...Let's see how long that lasts.

So, in the midst of this debacle, we get a really big, but really fast moving thunderstorm. We were actually in the car during the storm and I was admittedly scared. If I was driving we would have pulled over for sure. The wind kicked up. The sky was an eerie shade of dark. It was raining in such huge, forceful sheets that you could not see anything in any direction. It looked like a white out when it snows but, umm, it wasn't snowing. Anyway, in the 15 minutes we were in the car, the storm had already passed, BUT we were dodging huge downed trees, branches, etc the whole way home. It was strange really that such a quick storm could cause such damage.

Then we got home. And the power was out. And we hung in there. Then it started getting dark and we started thinking of the baby. SO, we went to stay at my parent's house. This was Sunday. On Monday there was still no power. On Tuesday there was still no power. On Wednesday evening the power came back on. I know, doesn't sound too bad but staying at someone else's house, no matter who they are, with a baby and a dog is never easy or comfortable. But we were grateful we had somewhere to go because it was stifling in our house. No air moving is not a good feeling. It's like your suffocating. Anyway, we finally got back into our house just in time to throw away two refrigerator and freezers worth of food away. It wasn't fun, nor can we afford it, but there was no other alternative. We did salvage some things earlier in the week with coolers, but really, how much food can you lug around with you?

Anyway, we're finally back home and back into the swing of things. The summer is going swell. We've been beaching and having play dates. Mommy (that's me) is going away with the ladies this weekend and would you believe, more than anything else, I'm looking forward to sleeping uninterrupted? HA! What a lame-o I've become.

Anyway, coming to check up on all of you. Hope Everyone is well!

Cupcakes...

2010-07-04T23:15:00.003-04:00

Okay, am I the only one over the whole cupcake craze? I think I am. And maybe it's because it's the one thing I can not do myself so I'm done with it. Plus, aren't we a little inundated with them at this point? I mean, they're everywhere. I don't think there are as many cake shops or bakeries in DC right now as there are cupcake shops...Don't get me wrong, I like looking at all the fancy cupcakes that people make/decorate and how creative people get with them. My MIL got me a cupcake cookbook for Mother's Day for God's sake (I did not ask for it! It was completely unsolicited). Anyway, you should see some of these things. Sharks and kittens and anything else you can imagine! But really? I'm over it. I'd rather hit my neighborhood bakery any day. Just the thought of looking through the glass cases filled with donuts, napoleons, chocolate eclares, cakes, cookies, breads, danishes...oh you get the picture, makes my mouth water. And the smell makes my heart swell. Nothing like the smell of fresh baked goods.

So, yesterday was Independence Day, and I decided that I'd be clever and bring cupcakes. So, I did my research, I scoured the books and the web to find a cute cupcake to make that would show off my spirit and pride! Well, there are tons of web sites now that are dedicated to cupcakes. This one in particular is so freakin cute and might I add that the author of the site is one talented mama, it's called Cookies and Cups, check it out. You'll be impressed and hungry by the time you're done looking at the site. The one problem that I have is that she makes everything look so easy. You look at the pictures, salivate, then say, Oh yeah! I can do that. Well, guess what? You can't do that. You can try and try and you can't do it. Maybe if you practice on a few hundred dozen cupcakes, but really, no, you can't do it!

Here was my dilemma. So I see these "swirled" cupcakes that she makes.

Easy peasy right? I mean, according to her, you just add two colors to your piping bag and ta da! It just comes right out so nice and even and swirled and you look like a rock star cup cake decorator!

Well, of course. I whipped up some red, white and blue icing. I dumped about half of each color into my piping bag, because really, if you can do two colors, you can of course do three, right? Yeah, remember that time in preschool when they taught us that red and yellow make orange and blue and yellow makes green, and oh yeah, red and blue makes purple? Well, I must have been absent that day. And I also must have been crazy when I thought I could do this piping technique on my cakes. And I probably used the wrong kind of icing, but that's besides the point...

Yeah, I know, once I saw that the colors were coming out mixed as opposed to "swirled" I could have given up, but I couldn't justify wasting all of that icing, especially because most of the people eating these cupcakes would be under the age of seven and really, do they care what they look like? I think I saw 3 kids at the cookout licking the "purple" frosting off and tossing the cake anyway so I guess it was a success.

Once the muddled mess continued to come out of the piping bag I just gave up and started scooping the icing out of the bag and spreading it with a knife.

Thankfully I had a little of each color left to cover the second batch in individual colors. Those looked a ton better and I wanted to kick myself for even trying the fancy one's. Here is the second batch and what I should have done from the get go:

And when I was done with this whole debacle, it was midnight, my feet hurt and I was exhausted. Cursing cupcakes and promising myself I'd never do this again. So thus completes my foray into the world of cupcake decorating. I can assure you that the Cake Boss will not be calling me any time soon and if my child ever asks me for cupcakes for his birthday or a school event he better be happy with blueberry muffins because that's about all he's getting out of me, and they don't have to be iced!!

2010-06-08T08:43:00.002-04:00

Okay, who knew taking care of a child all day meant less time for blogging and reading other people's posts? Obviously not I!

We have been busy little bees, taking advantage of our summer so far and enjoying every minute of every day together. We went to Florida in the beginning of May with my parents and then Daddy came and joined us later in the week (someone has to work in this family!). A few weeks ago we went to visit my best friend in Virginia Beach for a few days. We've been to the zoo with friends and our little man has celebrated a 1st Birthday!! I for one, can not believe it. Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday this little monster came into our lives. A little helpless baby. Now he's a toddler and full of energy and personality. He's an amazing little guy and he makes me laugh constantly.

Anyway, I am, understandably, not missing work. As busy as we are and as hard as it is to take care of a child every hour of every day it's a million times better than sitting in as office and missing all of the milestones. We're enjoying every minute of it!

Our home renovation is almost a joke at this point. We're in the process of firing our current builder and interviewing new one's in the hopes of one day getting this damn project off the ground. We'll see what happens. My hair might be gray by the time this whole process is over but whatever...

And now, I'm going to neglect my child to go read some of your blogs. Hopefully the dog can watch him for a little while. They get along well so I should be good for a little while.

2010-05-06T07:38:00.002-04:00

So, a "progress report" on being home for a couple of weeks now...

Well, it's wonderful! It also helps that the weather is getting so nice and that makes it easier to get out and do things. Although this picture doesn't really do it justice, it's really nice to be driving down the road against traffic in the morning screaming, "haha suckers!"

Okay, I don't really do that, but I do get a very warm, fuzzy feeling looking at all these cars in grid lock, waiting to get to the office when we're on our way to Grandma's to hang out and do fun things!

Now, with that said, it's also extremely hard! It's hard to be with an infant going on toddler all day long. I know this sounds really lame and ridiculous, but I get less done now that I'm home than I did when I worked. Everything is done on the baby's schedule, whether I like it or not. Believe me, this kid is a joy and I love spending my time with him, but as any mother can attest, it is difficult! Trying to keep the house clean alone is a monumental pain in the arse. You have to learn to do some things that you would never have dreamed of with a kid in your hands and other times you have to learn to just let the sucker cry for a few minutes while you do what you need to do, but that's a whole other topic...

We're going to Florida on Monday with Grandma and Grandpa. Our first attempt to take advantage of Mommy being off work! And we're really looking forward to it. I think this is going to be the best summer ever!

Now, on the travel note...I have been thinking about a Kindle. I am personally really against them. I don't know what it is, I just love the feel, smell, turning pages, of a real book. I love to sit down with a real, life book and just dive in. BUT, we're getting ready to go on a trip and I am thinking of all the books I'd like to take. Obviously that's just not ideal. I can't justify bringing all the books that I "might" want to read when I need to actually bring clothes and things for a baby...Oh well. Maybe when I hit the lottery I can buy a Kindle just for travel purposes. I guess I should start playing the lottery...

Hope all the Mom's have a fabulous Mother's Day!

2010-04-20T09:04:00.002-04:00

Well, my last day of work went off without a hitch! Yippeee, I'm FREE! My wonderful husband, of course, sent me a beautiful bouquet of the most amazing multi colored roses to the office. It was a nice way to go out. In a touch of class, and a bit of mimicry, my ex-boss ended up sending me a bouquet of tulips to the house the next day. It was a nice gesture, too bad my husband had to show him how it's done...he he

We haven't had a day at home yet, which is probably good. We've been running around, getting all of Mommy's errands done. I am looking forward to a day at home one of these days soon. There are also some realities that hit you pretty quickly. One of them being, this is no vacation. There's a reason people make a point to emphasize that being a stay at home mom is a full time job. It's funny, I started a small, 165 page, book the other day thinking, "Wow! I'll finish this book in a day or two". Yeah, I failed to realize that I actually have a child and family to take care of all the time. No real down time to just hang around and read books unless they feature the characters from Sesame Street! Reality check #1, I'm sure there will be plenty more. But I don't mind. It's nothing but wonderful not having to go to work in the morning and spending this time with my boy.

Now I'm going to play on the computer for a little bit while the boy plays with his toys and watches the Wiggles...Life as I know it now.

2010-04-12T13:34:00.002-04:00

Well, Thursday is my last day of work for the summer and I can't wait! I have so many plans for the summer but I'm hoping that we can also just relax and enjoy it a little bit too. I don't want to be too rushed around the whole time then say, where on earth did the summer go, which I am almost certain I will anyway!

Not much else going on around here. Mostly trying to get our home renovation in order, which is becoming less fun every day! The thought that this might actually happen seems like a dream so it's hard to get excited about it.

The weather here has been nothing short of amazing lately. Crisp in the mornings and reaching a high in the 70's every day. Sunny and warm! My kind of weather. The only horrible thing is the pollen. It is really effecting me and the baby this year. We are both miserable and I've been praying for some serious rain! Anything to wash away the yellow tint to our lives.

Other than that, life is good. I have no complaints. I just count my blessings every day. And I'm really looking forward to finishing some books now that stupid work won't be in the way. Happy Monday Everyone!

BEST BUDDIES:

2010-03-26T12:01:00.003-04:00

I have a very short fuse when it comes to stupidity, stupid people, ignorance, what have you. I just can't take stupid people. I know, it's not a positive trait to have. We are taught to love all people, to have patience and I'm sorry, sometimes I just don't, and it gets the better of me.

In the days surrounding this health care reform bill passing, as you all may be aware, living in the Washington, DC area makes these things some how "touch" us more. We feel the effects, good or bad, of these things that have to do with government. People feel entitled to comment and protest and act on behalf of our government here. Like we own a part of this because, well, it's all happening in our back yards. And I understand. People all across our country and the world are very passionate when it comes to politics, what "side" we're on and how we feel about certain political stands.

Unfortunately, there are also A LOT of very stupid, uninformed people around here. And the funny thing is, most of them love to post their stupidity on Facebook for all the world to see. There are some people that LOVE to call the Prez a socialist. I would LOVE to ask those people if they know what that word means. Some people, and this is really funny to me, say that our President has ruined our economy...HA. Remember the state of the economy when the president took office? Oh, and this is one of my favorites, "Can you believe the president is going to fine us if we don't have health insurance? What a socialist! What country is this?" - Oh right, because it's safe to walk around without health insurance! Would you really want to not have it? God, people are insane.

I would love to ask these idiots if they could state 10 facts about the health care bill. Not crap they've heard on Fox News, or that they are repeating because some other idiot said it in front of them. Really, 10 facts, good or bad, about this health care bill. I bet not one of them could do it. Hell, I don't think I could do it myself. I will admit that I don't know all there is to know about this health care bill, but I don't pretend that I do. Nor do I bad mouth either side of the political spectrum because of it. I just keep my mouth shut.

What I do know is that this health care bill is supposed to help people. People that don't have health care and that need it. This is a horrible hypothetical, but think about it this way, what if your child was diagnosed with a disease and when you went to your health care provider about it they said that it was preexisting condition and that they were dropping you. And then, you had to do everything you could to make sure your child got medical treatment, so you went bankrupt getting your child the medical attention that they needed. So now, you're on the brink of being homeless and not being able to feed your family and you're still not even sure your child has had all of the treatment that they need but you can't afford to pay any more doctors, so your child is going to have to go untreated. This bill is going to prevent crap like that from happening. It's funny how if you put yourself in the shoes of the people that this might help, it somehow doesn't sound like such a bad thing...

I will admit that I don't understand all there is to know about this bill and I probably never will. I'm not a highly political person, nor do I understand or really care for the politics in this country. But what I do know is that I'm not dumb enough to open my mouth when all I have to say are stupid things that I know nothing, or next to nothing about!

Wheew, rant over. Good day!

2010-03-22T11:43:00.002-04:00

Well....the deal is done! I am officially laid off...again! And I'm not sad about it. I'm actually very, very happy! This is a blessing in disguise, or maybe just a flat out blessing. I can't wait until my last day, my short severance, and most importantly, the summer home with my boy!!!

I am going to have the best summer ever. My son will be walking and talking this summer and I'm going to get to experience it, not just hear about it from someone else! We're going to go to the beach and the pool. We're going to take lots of walks with the pooch and just seriously have an amazing summer!

I am lucky enough to have a husband that is okay with this. He is truly the best man in the world. I know things will be a little bit tighter when it comes to money but we can do it. I know we can make this work and I have all the faith in the world that this is the best choice for all of us. Life is good, and it's only getting better.

Here's to no more bosses, no more work, no more employee's dirty looks! HA. Bye Bye jerks...

Yayy! I hope everyone else is doing well. I'm coming to check on you all...more often now for sure!

2010-03-16T10:02:00.002-04:00

I know, I know. I'm a big loser and where on earth have I been. Well, I don't freakin know. One day it's February and all of the sudden it's March 16th! Hmmm, where should I begin...

Well, the baby is awesome. He is getting lots of teeth, which is not awesome, but he's a tough little guy so he's been a real trooper with it. He is sitting and crawling like a maniac and standing, which worries me because that means that walking is next and that is so scary. We started swimming classes at the YMCA and he loves it. He splashes around and blows bubbles. He's gonna be my little water baby!

Work is weird. I have a weird feeling that I might be getting laid off, which also might be a little bit of wishful thinking, but I know that's probably not a thing to wish for right now. We shall see.

Once again our renovation looks like it might be happening soon but every time I think that we get knocked down and peg and have to start from square one. We are starting to move our things out of the house and getting the final paperwork finished with the bank so we can get that dough. We're hoping our appraisal will be higher resulting in more cash but not betting on it. There is a chance we'll be living in a house with no appliances or furniture, but hey, at least we'll have a roof!

This past weekend my amazing husband sent me on a spa weekend with two of my best girlfriends. We went here:

http://chesapeakebay.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

He has a friend there who gave us a hook up and upgraded us to a suite. The suite was bigger than my house! It had a dining room, foyer, two bathrooms, a bar, living room, a gas fire place in the bedroom and the living room...Ummm, it was AMAZING. And on top of that, we had the most amazing spa treatments!! I had a facial, a head/foot/hand massage, a full body massage and a mani/pedi! I was in heaven. Seriously, I know I've said it before and you all may want to gag but I have the best husband in the world. He is truly the best human being on earth. And he thought of all of it himself, he arranged it all himself and he did it because, as he says, "I am a great Mom and wife and he loves me". WOW...

Otherwise, not too much going on. Same old crap. Life I suppose. I hope everyone is doing well. Here are a couple of shots of the boy since it's been so long and he's growing like a weed:

Have a good one Everyone. Hopefully I won't be gone for so long this time...

2010-02-09T08:30:00.003-05:00

I am seriously going to be 300 pounds by the time winter ends around here...Eating, drinking, sitting in the house and absolutely no physical activity, unless you count falling down the steps in order to make more drinks, is going to really take it's toll. I guess I won't plan to wear a bathing suit this summer!

So all told we got anywhere from 24 - 30 inches of snow in places over the weekend. Now is the big dig out. It's been slow going because the snow is so heavy!! And when the plow did go by all it did was make a huge wall around all the cars. My husband has 36 inch tires on his Jeep and the snow wall was taller than that!! BUT, The hubby has been working non-stop to get us all cleaned up for....MORE SNOW!

Yes, it is supposed to snow again this afternoon and they're predicting, wait for it.....anywhere from 5 - 20 more inches of snow. HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! It's comical at this point. Everyone I talk to is tired of being in their homes and going stir crazy. I honestly don't mind it so much. The more it snows the longer I get to stay home with my two favorite boys and my pooch. No work, no obligations, no where that I have to be except right here in my nice, warm home! We have food, we have alcohol, we have formula and diapers. There's not much more we need! But at this point winter may never end. Damn Groundhog!

The only thing that worries me is that we seem to have a bit of a situation on our back porch. And no, I don't mean a fast talking, Italian guy with ab's. There is water dripping through the roof and along the window seams...The hubby is going to get up there and get some of the snow off so that the roof doesn't fall through but that doesn't make me feel any better either. I'm scared for him.

Here is a time lapse video that someone in my neighborhood shot while it snowed last Friday into Saturday. It's super cool, check it out:

AND - you're all going to love this. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me but, I fell down again this morning!!! This time I stepped on to the front porch WITH THE BABY IN MY ARMS and that water that I thought was on the porch was, in actuality, a sheet of ICE!!! I really am truly an idiot.

I was never quite good at the splits when I was in gymnastics as a youth but let me tell you, I did a pretty good splits today! And guess what...that shit hurts! I now have a very bruised and bloody ankle, a very sore groin and a very bruised inner thigh. But, I held onto the baby. Don't ask me how. I guess it's a Mom thing.

I am now on house probation. I am not allowed out unless someone else is holding the baby and I am accompanied by a stable adult. I think I'm fine with that...

2010-02-06T22:57:00.003-05:00

Well, once again the weather-peeps were spot on! It snowed from approximately 10am on Friday until about 5pm today (Saturday). And we have about 22 - 28 inches of snow! It's NUTS! And I am so completely grateful that we didn't lose power because apparently half our neighborhood has no power. My parents lost power but were prepared with a generator and have since regained power, and my in-law's are without now as well!

My boy has now seen more snow in his little life than I think I have in mine! Here we are playing in the snow today:

The hubster and I took turns, okay, I only had one turn, but we went out multiple times to shovel and dig out a little, oh and for the pooches to play so I will for sure be sore as hell tomorrow. The snow is SO heavy it had to be shoveled in layers (hence the major power outages). Beyond that, we've been prepared. We have food and lots of alcohol and, you know, all the non-essentials to make our lives happy. I decided to make the baby some food tonight so I got out the chicken and veggies and fruits and got to work. The baby was asleep and it was also time to get to drinking. We decided, hey, we have a world of slush outside, let's use the snow to make some creative drinks.

I blended up some gorgeous strawberries and combined them with margarita mix, some triple sec and some tequila. I decided, hey, let me run out back and get some snow in our glasses and then I'll fill them up with the strawberry margarita concoction like a margarita slushy. I start heading down the steps in my flip flops (ding! ding! ding! Brilliant!) and then, in slow motion, feel my legs coming out from under me. I screamed my husband's name as I flew through the air landing violently with the concrete steps in my back, my ass, my arm...I don't even know! I think I was in shock! The only thing going through my head was, "PLEASE don't let me be hurt so badly that I need an ambulance because that is going to be impossible!!!"

"Say what?"

My husband and dog were outside within seconds, god bless them, and I was flailing around on the ground trying to figure out what hurts and what the hell just happened. I basically crawled back in the house and got in the shower immediately. My arm was turning black and blue already and I had a big red mark across my back and my ass that felt like it was on fire. I think I was a little in shock - for reals. Currently I am on 3 Advil, a strawberry margarita and a vodka, berry punch because if I don't drink heavily I am very scared of how I will feel.

I can already feel my back and my side tightening up and I fear for tomorrow! I am so thankful that this didn't end up worse, I know, I'm an idiot. I should have just gone walking down a steep flight of snow packed, concrete steps with banana peels on my feet! I'm just happy it wasn't worse and that I'm alive. If I can get some good pic's of my already forming bruises I'll post them. We'll see how thankful I am tomorrow. As for now...liquor + ibuprofin = all gooooood!

Success! and Here we go again...

2010-02-04T19:40:00.003-05:00

Well, the trip to Florida was a success. Our little angel did so well on the plane ride there and back. When we landed back in DC on Tuesday and Kai woke up from sleeping the whole trip, he stood up and the woman behind us said, "wow, I didn't even know you had a baby up there, he didn't make a peep!" and I said, "I know, he's such a good baby!". I was a very proud mama.

The baby LOVED the ocean, as I suspected he would! The swimming lessons are going to happen in the next month because this kid is the kind that will walk right into a swimming pool because he likes the water. I plan to make sure he knows what to do once he's in!

When we got home on Tuesday evening, I dropped the boy and the hubby off at home and headed to the store to get the "essentials" since they were calling for snow. As I walked out of the store I noticed that it had begun to snow and the parking lot was a shit show of people trying to get in. I was glad I got in and out when I did. It was tough going from this in the morning:

To this by the following morning:

What a rude, cold, awakening!

So, now it's Thursday and they are calling for a major storm here starting tomorrow morning. "Blizzard like conditions with accumulations ranging from 16 - 24 inches"...My trust of the weathermen, as you know, is not 100% so I'm still a little skeptical, however, I know I'm in the minority when I say, BRING IT ON!

I hope it snows so much that we don't have to go to work on Monday. My office already closed for tomorrow since it's supposed to start snowing in the late morning and they pretty much don't want to add to the mayhem of everyone in the city driving home at the same time causing a total grid lock, and I am very happy about it! I think it's smart and hey, who wouldn't? I get to stay home with my two favorite men, and pooch!

I'll let you know what happens here and our total accumulations once it's all over. How nice it would be to still be sitting on a beach in Florida, but I'm not, so I've decided to embrace winter. I don't really have a choice!!

2010-01-27T10:14:00.003-05:00

Oh my god, I know, I know! I've been completely M.I.A.! I'm so sorry. Hmmm...what's been going on?

Well, we had a sick baby for the first time. Not fun, not fun at all!! It was an experience but at least we got through it and know how to deal with it for next time! There is nothing more pathetic and sad than a sick baby. Trying to guess what they're feeling and what they need is almost impossible and all you want is for them to feel better. Then, after the babe got sick, I got it, then the hubby got it. It was no fun in our house!

I have started making the baby's food. I never thought I would but I started reading things and even though I've been feeding him organic baby food I just feel like I can do a better job feeding my kid than anyone else. SO, I went out and bought a whole bunch of produce and meats and got to work. I cooked, I boiled, I steamed and I blended, I froze things and Ta Da! I made a shit ton of baby food! And it's deelish, if I do say so myself! I made chicken dishes, beef dishes, salmon dishes, veggies and fruits. I added spices (not salt), but many spices, to get my little monkey used to eating good food and in the hopes that he will not become a picky eater in the future if he's exposed to the kinds of spices we like in our food now. He has been enjoying all of it and that makes me so happy! Here is a shot of him enjoying his Apple/Blueberry/Banana breakfast one morning:

I can't believe how big my little man is getting! He is 8 months old and I just can't even believe it. It seems like just yesterday he was born, and at the same time, I can't remember life without him! He is just too cute. He's blabbing away, saying "mama" and "dada" and "baba". He has started waving and trying to say "bye bye". He is so on the verge of crawling. He just can't get moving forward. He has the backward motion mastered but that is not the direction he really wants to go. It's truly amazing how they change.

Here he is enjoying a beer with Mommy and Daddy:

We are taking our first family trip on Friday, by plane! We're going to Florida for a long weekend and I am nervous and worried and just hope we can be organized enough not to screw it all up! I hope he doesn't cry and disturb the whole plane. I hope he doesn't have a lot of issues with his ears. I hope we have everything we need, I hope we don't forget anything or bring too much. Oh my god, this is stressful, BUT I am anal and I'm a planner so I think we'll be okay. We're just gonna get to the airport 6 hours early to be safe! Anyway, Sorry I've been so M.I.A. Work has really been busy and I guess life has been too. Sick baby = severe sleep deprivation so there has been nothing on my mind but work and home to take care of the fam. I am going to check in on everyone now. I haven't looked at anyone's blogs in SO LONG!

Hope you're all well! XOXO

2009-12-19T22:16:00.002-05:00

It's been snowing here for the last 24 hours...Oh wait, that's an understatement, it's been "Blizzarding" here for the last 24 hours. We currently have somewhere in the 20+ inches range of snow outside right now. I haven't seen this much snow around here since 1996 and before that, I think I was about 5 years old, it may have been 1981 or something?

The weathermen predicted this huge storm for the last few days and if the weather people around you are anything like the weather people around here, they are NEVER right. When they don't predict a storm, or tell us it will be rain, we get 4 inches of snow. When they predict a blizzard, we get an inch of rain...they got this one right!

I made sure to be on the safe side and hit the store on Friday on my lunch break to get the non-essentials! Everything you can think of to make almost every type of cookie on the planet and every junk food item that we might not have to make nachos, wings, you know, the very important foods you would need should you be snowed in. And yes, I neglected to get extra baby food, that is what a horrible parent and eater I am!!! Okay, we have plenty until we get unsnowed in but damn I felt like a big jerk when I got home, put everything I bought away and then looked over at where I keep Kai's jarred food and though, wow, didn't even cross my mind to make sure he had enough should we be snowed in for longer than planned...Thank goodness I do have some organic pears and bananas and some veggies and happen to be "culinarily" (I know, not a word) talented should I need to make him more food.

Anyway, the dog has been having a BLAST today. She and her little doggie friends have been out gallivanting, wrestling and whatever doggies do, in the snow. At one point we had 5 dogs in the front yard playing. I think all the neighbors needed to get their stir crazy pooches out of their hair. And at one point it was hard to tell who Lucy was since 3 of the 5 dogs were black labs! The snow got so deep at one point the dogs had to hop around like rabbits to clear it. It was quite amusing to watch.

All of our Christmas decorations that were anywhere on the ground are currently lost. Our poor little penguin was the first to fall victim to the snow. Then we lost the reindeer's head and I think the little snowman's hat is the last thing peaking out. I captured the covering as it progressed throughout the day.

Here are the decorations at 5am when we woke up:

Here are the decorations around 9:45am:

And finally, I can't even tell you what time this was, but the damage was done by then:

And finally, here is a shot of our little monkey out in the snow for the first time. He loved watching the dogs hop around and kind of got a kick out of the white stuff, but it's just too damn cold out. It's not usually this cold when it snows but it's staying put around 25 degrees and that is cold! So, our outing was short lived, but fun!

I've baked 3 different types of cookies. We're trying not to eat them all ourselves since they are meant for gifts, and I plan on at least 5 other types tomorrow. Woo hoo! Getting snowed in is fun, if not bad for your waist line! Hope everyone else is having a great weekend too.

2009-12-15T13:01:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me but I don't really care...You know what I hate? I hate parents who make it a point to tell you, "I don't let my kids watch tv" or whatever the restriction is on their children and television watching.

You know what? My kid is 6 months old and he watches tv. He loves Blue's Clues and Play with me Sesame and Barney and Ni Hao Kai Lan. And you know what? When I can sit him down in his chair and get 20 minutes of time to get things done while he's entertained, it is GREAT! And seriously, it's not like I'm sitting him down in front of porn. I mean, I don't know if you've watched children's programming lately, but it's pretty freakin smart. I don't see how it can be bad for them. I mean, they are teaching them things. Colors, shapes, how to say words in Chinese!! (which we'll probably all need some day soon when the Chinese take over - HA!)

When I was little the television was my baby sitter. I mean, it sounds awful but it wasn't that bad. Believe me, I loved it. I mean, I wasn't allowed to watch tv while doing homework or while we had dinner but I watched A LOT of television as a child, and as much as I'd like to think some of them were "educational", for the most part, that kind of programming didn't exist then. My earliest memories of shows that I watched were Sesame Street, 3-2-1 Contact, The Electric Company, The Muppets to name the good one's. Then it goes down hill. I watched a lot of cartoons - Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Heckle and Jeckle, etc. I loved the Carol Burnett Show, The Jeffersons, Good Times, and to this day, one of my favorite shows is Three's Company. And I will defend my mom by saying she HATED that show and never allowed me to watch it. But let's face it, kids can kind of get away with things when their parents are at work or making dinner or what have you. And guess what, I didn't turn out to be some psychopath or numb skull from watching too much tv. I think I'm a pretty healthy, smart adult.

I think my child is going to be just fine and that watching television isn't going to make him some worthless bum! I mean, he seems to enjoy it and I can truly say that tv for children these days is a LOT better than when we were kids. I mean, our kids have their own channels dedicated to educational programming. When we were little we had to watch what was on and then wait for Saturday morning to watch cartoons.

What do people think they are gaining or doing for their kids by not letting them watch tv? Do you think your kids will be smarter than mine? Do you think they'll read more? I love television, but I also love to read. I read at least a book or two every couple of weeks. I also read to my kid. I believe there should be limits as they get older. Yeah, they can't watch 20 hours of tv in a day but in this digital, technological age we are in, how could you keep your kids away from it? One of our friends who recently had their second child told us that they didn't let their first child watch tv until he was 2 years old and now that they let him he's ADDICTED to it. I don't want that to happen to my child. I want him to know it's there and choose to watch or not when the time comes. I don't want a 5 year old that won't go outside because he wants to see this show that's on tv. I want a 5 year old that says, I've seen that, I know what tv is and I can come back to it any time I want. Right now, I'm going outside to play...

Anyway, rant over.The End...

2009-12-03T13:03:00.002-05:00

So, I'm very proud of myself. This is one of the very delicious deserts I made for Thanksgiving! I made an upside down pecan pie (not pictured) that was just heavenly and I made this Four Layer Pumpkin Cake:

The picture from the recipe:

The one I made:

Not too shabby, huh? It was pretty tasty too but quite difficult to cut. If I ever make it again I will for sure only make it 2 or 3 layers...

On another note, I have a super funny, crazy, baby/music story. So, we try to expose the Boy to lots of different music (no country, sorry...). When Daddy wakes up with him they generally listen to music or watch videos. When we're in the car we listen to all kinds of music. When we're just chillin in the house we have music playing.

Well, a few weeks ago I was driving to my parent's house and Adele's song "Right As Rain" came on and his reaction was adorable! He was smiling, singing, laughing, kicking his legs. It was hilarious. So, when we got home that night I decided to see if it was really that song that made him happy. Well, I played it and we danced around and same reaction. He loved it! So I put it on a mix cd I made for the car and every time I play it he lights up.

Last night the drive home was horrendous. It was raining, there was traffic for miles. I was about to lose it and then the Boy started to melt down. After being in the car over an hour (what should have been a 30 - 45 minute ride) I did not blame him. He was SCREAMING, I wanted to cry because there was nothing I could do for him, nor could I pull over since I was in the 3rd lane on the highway in completely bumper to bumper traffic. It was not good!

So, my mom calls us in the car and hears him screaming and suggests, "why don't you play that song he likes, just play it over and over." Well, holy shit, it worked! As soon as it came on he quieted to a whine, by the second playing he was smiling and singing, by the third time he was quiet and by the fourth play he was asleep and we were just about home. My kid is going to be Adele's number one fan I think!

I swear, her voice has magical powers. I guess what they say is true, Music soothes the savage beast, or the savage baby, whatever you've got going on.

AND, on a side note that I didn't even remember until much later...When I was about 5 or 6 months pregnant I went to see Adele live. I wonder if there's any correlation. How crazy would that be? All in all, I'm so glad my baby likes music. I hope he continues to as he grows.

2009-11-24T11:25:00.002-05:00

Uggh, I feel horrible that I have been so M.I.A. lately. I guess it's a combo of nothing really exciting going on, and being so busy just dealing with the minutia of every day life!

Work has been really busy. We were just bought by a larger company. I was hoping for a mass lay off like the last time I was involved in something like this. But alas, not much will probably change...bummer!

The boy is going to be 6 months old in a week!! I can not even believe it. When people told me it would go by fast I had no idea that it would be like if I blinked I might miss it. He is such a great little guy. He is so mild mannered. He's always laughing, almost never fussing, and he's just a sweet little guy. I just want to eat him up. I am also not convinced that this isn't some cruel joke. I like to call him our "trick baby", you know, the one who is so sweet and so good that he tricks you into having more...Let's hope the next one isn't a terror!

Anyway, I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I wanted to say that I miss all of you and I haven't forgotten you, even thought it looks like I have. I plan to go check in on all of you now and hope I'm going to see loads of good news and updated posts, unlike my blog... I hope everyone (in the U.S. that is - happy belated to those in Canada) has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

2009-11-05T14:38:00.002-05:00

Aaaan just like that...Fall is gone and winter is here.

As pretty as the trees are when they begin to change color, it sure is drab and dreary when all the leaves fall off very shortly there after! Oh well.

So, I finally went and did something for myself. I bought some new clothes, that fit me!! I guess it's been a combination of laziness, exhaustion, having no time, I don't know but I have seriously been still wearing my maternity clothes up until about a week or two ago. At first I was just too scared to get my old jeans down from the attic because, let's face it, who the hell wants to put their old jeans on just to find that, Ta Da! They don't fit? Not me! So, I just stuck with the clothes that were falling off of me. At least they hide everything. Anyway, I finally got all my clothes out of the attic and put all the maternity clothes away for good. I was very excited to find that two pairs of my old jeans fit me. Granted, they were my "fat jeans" and they were snug, but they fit!! That my friends is some very serious motivation! Plus I forgot about all the cute jeans I had before getting knocked up that I'd really like to get back into. I still have a lot of weight to lose but I'm on my way.

So, I went shopping the other day. I decided I didn't care what size I had to buy or how much it cost, I needed to get some jeans and tops that fit me and that I feel comfortable in. I ended up buying 4 pairs of jeans, 3 sweaters and 3 tops. I was very happy and it felt good to put some normal clothes on. And I have to admit something so lame and embarrassing...So, I'm in one of the shops that generally caters to people way younger than me, but their jeans usually fit me. Well, they fit me this time too, it was just the largest size they had. As I'm at the register paying I blurt out, "I just had a baby and I'm trying to find some clothes that fit"....Ummm, yeah, the two "kids" behind the register could have cared less. The female basically looked at me like I had 3 heads and the guy, bless his soul, was like, "oh cool", or something like that. Oh my god, I am old! Don't ask me why I said it but I did. It was out there and I couldn't get out of that store fast enough. One bonus however, was that each pair of jeans that I was buying were about $50+ a piece and when he rang them up they totaled $35 for both of them together!!! Major score. I paid, then I ran out of there so fast there may have been smoke coming from behind me...

Anyway, I am happy to report that I am now dressing like a normal person. I will however consider taking the maternity pants back out for Thanksgiving...he he...

2009-10-26T11:11:00.003-04:00

Well, Fall has arrived, winter subsided so it's now actually fall-like around here with the colors and the weather.

I am tired, which seems like no matter if I sleep all day or not, will never change. Don't get me wrong, there is and never will be an opportunity for me to sleep all day, that was just a figure of speech. Despite the end to all of the damn weddings we've had to attend and participate in, we continue to be busy beyond believe because, well, I don't think we know how to be un-busy. It seems like the weekend comes around and the activity is non-stop. Thankfully we had the entire day on Saturday to do pretty much nothing, except eat PEAS...

Then the evening came and it was back out for Mommy and Daddy. I hate that I have to say this, but drinking isn't even fun anymore. Just the thought that I'll have to get up in the middle of the night or the butt ass early hour the boy has decided he likes to wake up now (sometimes 4am, sometimes 6am!) makes drinking almost a punishment to myself. Now, the hubby is a tremendous help, but still, the majority of the time I am up even if he gets up with the baby and I feel like I can never drop back off to sleep the way he can. I am very jealous of that gift!!! Don't get me wrong, I still very much enjoy drinking, it's just the thought of how I'll feel later that makes it almost not worth is...waa waa waaaaaa!

Showing up to work today I was tired and extremely depressed. I was walking in the door suppressing the desire to cry! UUggghh! I wish I could win the lottery because I so don't want to be here, but alas, I have no choice! This just sucks. I would rather be anywhere but here. And to top it all off, I have to go to an off site with work in a few weeks for 3 days. I am wracking my brain trying to think of any possible way to get out of it. The last thing in the world I want to do is go away with work people for 3 days! Other than the guarantee of a couple of full, uninterrupted nights of sleep, which is very tempting, I do NOT want to go. If you've got any feasible ideas of how I can get out of it please feel free to leave it in the comments...All ideas or welcome!

Anyway, maybe I'm just sad because it's Monday and hopefully it will get better. I hope everyone is doing GREAT!

2009-10-21T10:30:00.002-04:00

Well, it finally stopped raining here and the weather has gone from winter back to fall. I am over the cold weather already and winter hasn't even arrived!!! I have a feeling it's going to be a long, cold winter around here and I am dreading it!!! It was in the 40's and raining constantly at the end of last week into the weekend but thankfully by Monday it stopped and we got a peak of the sun. The temps are finally rising again and we're back to typical October weather in DC. I think it's supposed to be about 70 degrees and sunny today.

Things are normal around here. Just doing what we do. I know...boring!

We finally got approved for a construction loan to renovate our home. SO, now we're waiting on the architect to re-work our plans. It feels like this process will never happen or be done. Now the next step is trying to figure out where we'll live while this home improvement happens. This could be a sticky situation but we'll see what happens. Hey, if all else fails, we'll live in a Pod outside our house.

Last weekend was the first weekend in almost 4 months where we didn't have a wedding or some other function that we had to attend. I think Kai was shocked to see me and Daddy home with him the whole weekend. Poor kid may never get into a routine. I am so glad we're done with all the weddings. Now, I hope nothing else comes up because we are ready to hibernate for the winter!

Anyway, nothing to report. Going to check on everyone now...

2009-10-08T08:54:00.002-04:00

Wow...where the hell have I been?

Okay, so my life, although busy, is still as lame as usual...Work has been super busy and our weekends still suck because we've had weddings or some event to go to every weekend. This coming weekend is the last one for a while. So we just need to get through this one and we'll be okay. And although I'm in this wedding, which is a total pain in the arse, it's one of my best friends so it will be fun!

My little, precious baby is not such a little baby anymore. He is growing like a weed. And although people say it goes by fast, you have no idea how incredibly quickly this time goes by. Kai is already 4 months old and weighs 15 pounds!! And he gets cuter every day.

He started eating cereal the other day and he loves it...and so does Lucy! Let me tell you, she is a great clean up tool and apparently she loves rice cereal too! Who knew? Kai laughs and smiles and babbles and is truly a good baby. I really feel blessed.

Above and beyond that, having a kid is hard work! I am lucky enough to have the best husband in the world who is so extremely helpful and hands on but wheww, this being an adult thing is not easy. Working, taking care of a baby, a home, a dog, a husband, being busy on the weekends, babysitters, not getting to spend enough time with your family on the weekend...holy crap! Life is truly not the same. The good far outweighs the bad but man is it different around here these days!!

What have I become? I am working from home today, I have a tree guy outside removing a stump from our yard, I can't get the Wonder Pets theme out of my head, I have a sleeping baby in my arms and have mastered typing with the index finger on my left hand, and I need to go let my barking dog out...ah domesticity at it's finest!

See you all soon...

2009-09-21T11:44:00.002-04:00

This weekend was another one of those running around the whole time type of deals. We had ANOTHER wedding to go to on Saturday, which was very nice, but sometimes I just wish I could spend the weekend with my husband, baby and dog with the freedom to do whatever we want whenever we want. It's funny how working all week makes your weekend time very important!

Today the hubby is off work and so he gets to spend the day with our little man. The only thing better than my mom watching the baby is my husband! If I could have a stay at home husband I totally would. Too bad I don't make enough money to bring home the bacon for the family, but that's okay!

The weather here was perfect all weekend but I wish it would just stay this way. There was a slight chill in the morning and evening but the days are sunny and in the 70's. I don't want winter to come. I can feel the bite of fall in the air but that's as far as I would like to go in terms of the seasons...I love being able to wear a light sweater or sweatshirt at night but I don't want to have to bundle up in big, bulky winter clothes.

This week is going to be a doozy in terms of work. I'm going to be very busy, but I think that's a good thing. Makes the days go by faster and hopefully get me home sooner to my family. Hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful week ahead. I plan to, I'm trying to anyway!

2009-09-18T13:24:00.002-04:00

Positive Attitude...Positive Attitude...I will keep a positive attitude...

Smile on my face

Happy, Happy

And all that good stuff...

It's Friday after all, right?

2009-09-11T09:48:00.003-04:00

Uggghh! This whole working thing sucks! Why can't we all be rich, or better yet, why does money have to rule the world? This week has been pretty tough.

It's raining today so that means that no one in the D.C. area knows how to drive anymore.

I woke up this morning around 6am, before the husband, before the baby, before the dog...Got myself ready and packed up the car. I even had to wake the poor baby up to go meet my mom to drop him off. And I was out of the house before the hubby or the dog even woke up. It's a rainy, dreary day out. No one feels like going out on a day like today!

I got the boy off for his drop off and then headed to work. It took me over an hour to get in. The beltway was like a parking lot. I will never understand why rain does this to the roadways but I should always expect it because it's a constant around here.

It's days like today that just break my heart. It's days like today that I just want to be home with my baby. He was so cute and so sweet this morning. He woke up with a smile, even though it was an abrupt wake up. His little smile and gurgling just melts my heart. But, unfortunately, it's what has to be done. Since I am not inherently rich I do have to work. So, I've decided that I am coming to work with a good attitude and a smile on my face because let's face it, there are lots of people out there that don't have jobs and need them. Time to suck it up and do the right thing. Maybe if it wasn't 9/11 and raining cats and dogs I might feel a little better...Thankfully it's Friday. Let's just hope next week goes better.

2009-09-09T14:53:00.002-04:00

Today is my 3 year wedding anniversary to my wonderful TSO! And, because he is the best husband ever he sent me these beautiful flowers to my office:

It's hard to believe we've been married for 3 years, let alone together for over 11!!! It still feels like yesterday when we met for the first time. He is the best husband, partner in crime, best friend and father to our son that I could ever ask for. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life, not to mention he's super sexy too (sorry, had to throw that in there, you can all gag if you want!). I'm a lucky, lucky girl (and so is Lucy and Kai!)...

I LOVE YOU TSO! Here's to many, many anniversaries and thanks again for my beautiful flowers.

2009-09-03T20:45:00.002-04:00

Well, we've been in the Outer Banks all week enjoying the clouds and intermittent drizzle. I wish I could say we've been experiencing sun and sand but that's just not the case. We've gotten some sunny moments here and there and have taken full advantage of every ray we can get out on the deck but for the most part it's just been pretty overcast and not so "beachy". I guess we can't be too bitter, we've had some really good beach weekends over the summer in Maryland and have been able to take Kai every time without it being too hot or unbearable for him.

Lucy has had some serious quality beach time. She and Daddy have trooped down to the surf a few times this week where Lucy has made a mad dash for the water (I'm such a proud mama) and has chased the birds with a vengeance. That's my dog! She has also been super spoiled, as usual, by getting a special trip to the doggie store for treats and even got her own burger on our last outing to Five Guys. What other dog do you know that gets a $5 burger all for herself?

OGO commented a while back asking if I ever got my midnight purchase, the exercise machine I bought after seeing it on television while feeding Kai in the middle of the night. Well, the answer is yes. I did get it! It sat in the box in the back room for about 3 weeks. Then, I finally had a chance to put it together and I've used it a total of 3 times since putting it together. It's funny how little time you have to yourself when you have an infant to take care of. That being said I have vowed to myself to make a point to work out at least three times a week once we're back and we're back to a real routine - work, exercise, etc. I have to say, using the machine, it was kind of fun but also felt like it was working the areas that it's meant to - the abs and legs. I am looking forward to using it when we get home!

I am so not looking forward to being back at work and into the real deal routine as of Tuesday. I have to say, this week has been great for Kai's routine. We've had him bathed, fed and in bed by 7/7:30pm every night and HE HAS SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT THE LAST TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW - I know, I'm jinxing myself by saying this, and hell, we may get home to discover that he only sleeps in North Carolina, who knows, but I sure as hell hope not! He has been fussing around 3/4am but he has just wanted his passi then it's right back to sleep until around 6/7am. That's almost 12 hours of sleep. God, if this continues it will be a blessing.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the world's cutest baby, Enjoy!

2009-08-26T13:16:00.002-04:00

Well, today is my first day back at work. I don't feel overly sad and I didn't cry, oddly enough! It may be because I am kind of easing into it. And maybe because I thought it was going to be so unbelievably sad and unbearable that I psyched myself out and it's not that bad? And to be quite honest, knowing that my mom is watching my child gives me such peace of mind. I feel so unbelievably blessed and know how lucky I am to have this as an option. I mean, who else would you trust more to watch your child than your own mother?

Today I came in to work at 10am and I will probably leave in the next couple of hours. Just trying to get my computer back up and running and get into a few of the things I left behind. I will do the same thing tomorrow and then may or may not have to come in on Friday.

Next week will be our last "vacation". We are headed to the Outer Banks for the week. And then, September 8th will be the real deal, all in, full time, back to the grind! I think this week is going to really prepare me for it.

Today on the way into the office it felt very strange driving in the car alone. I didn't have to check on the boy or think of what he might need in the next hour or so. I was just alone. No one to consider for a few hours. The drive in was fine, nothing noteworthy. When I got to my garage I remembered how to get in, which was good. I did however almost forget what floor my office was on! I guessed correctly and made it to my desk in one piece. IT came to reinstate my network access, HR did all of the necessary paper work, and voila! I am back to being a full time employee...

I am looking very forward to seeing my little man (and the big one too) when I get home. I think this working thing is going to work out just fine. Now, I just hope my mom doesn't get burnt out on watching my baby. We need to keep our Grandma/Babysitter employed full time!

The Crimesolvers Edition...

2009-08-17T19:57:00.002-04:00

So, last night/this morning at 4:30am, The Boy decides that he's hungry. So, I get up to make him a bottle. For some odd reason, mostly what I like to call delirium, I grabbed my cell phone, went to the kitchen, made a bottle and then began to head back to his room.

Usually on my way back I always look out the front window to do my neighborly duties. I check to make sure our cars are still out front, I check to see if the weird dude next door is home or not since he tends to keep really weird hours, and I look to see if any lights are on in any other neighbors houses, you get the picture. Just a quick sweep of the street.

Well, last night/this morning, as I am doing my normal sweep, I see what appears to be two men walking really fast in front of my house. Double take, huh? The next thing I see, as if in a dream, is two men that are now INSIDE my new car!!!! INSIDE! In a panic I flip on the front porch light which makes them not even flinch, and simultaneously I dial 911 on the cell phone that is miraculously in my hand, hey, where'd that come from?

As I'm speaking to the 911 operator I decide to flick the lights on and off as to hopefully deter these idiots from stealing my new car! This time, it works! The guys in my car take off running up the street. The 911 Operator lets me know that two cars are on their way, one being a K-9 unit so please contain your pet for everyone's safety. A short 5 minutes or so later the cops arrive. One unit continues down the street, one stops in front of my neighbors house and I walk out to meet him. As I'm walking out I notice that my neighbor's car's interior lights are on too and it hits me. These little ass holes are breaking into cars to steal things, not the actual car...

Aaaaannd, that's when it hits me. I am an idiot and I left my iPod in the car AND I'm an idiot because I don't remember if we locked the car last night when we were trying to get a dog, a baby, bags and packages in the house from the car and neither does the hubby so we're thinking no, we did not lock the car. Which, in hindsight is probably better because they couldn't cause more damage by actually breaking into the car.

So, the cop tells me not to touch anything but is it possible that anything was taken out of the car. And that's when I realize and tell him that yes, my iPod is likely gone. I can also see inside the car and notice that the middle console and the glove compartment are both open. Boooo!

So, as I'm conversing with the officer he gets a call that two suspects were apprehended a few blocks away. I was shocked! WOW! There is NO WAY they caught these guys. Then the officer asks me if I'd be willing to identify them. I was really nervous that they'd see me and come after us or something but the officer assured me they wouldn't see us with the spot light on them. And so, I positively identified what turned out to be two 16 year old little shits AND got my iPod back!! The thieves also had lots of other stolen goods in their possession; a blackberry, another iPod, pockets full of change, etc...

They were arrested and their parents, who probably care a whole lot seeing at these youths were running around town stealing out of cars at 4:30 in the morning, were going to be called. The officer said at most they would probably end up doing some community service but as far as we're concerned, justice was served because we got our property back in one piece AND those little thugs get to be super uncomfortable spending a night in the clink!

And so ends another exciting night in the life of the mom of a two month old...

2009-08-12T09:25:00.002-04:00

Hmmmm, let's see...what's been going on?

Well, my hubby went to Vegas last weekend and I truly realized how hard it is to have an infant on my own, as if I didn't know already, but that was a real eye opener. It was nice to get him back.

I'm on my way to getting my butt back in shape. I'm drinking my shakes and trying to exercise any time I can, which is not often, but I am none the less. I think things are starting to shape up. I can fit into things that I couldn't about two weeks ago so that's a good sign!

So, before I got pregnant we had been exploring renovating our house. Well, it was at the height of the economy problems and we were unable to get a loan. Actually, we were unable to get loan/bank rep's to even call us back for a time there so that was a little discouraging. Well, now that the boy is here and our family is expanding, we are revisiting the idea. BUT, now we're trying to scale back our original big plans. We're talking to the bank and the builders now to see what we can do so please wish me luck that this will actually happen. This process is so frustrating and discouraging, sometimes I think we'll never get this done. How do other people make this stuff look so simple. I see people doing renovations to their homes every day. Why does my situation seem so unattainable?

Anyway, it's been about a gazillion degrease out the last few days. The dog doesn't even want to go out...The a.c. bill is gonna be through the roof!

Hope you're all staying cool and enjoying the summer!!

2009-08-04T08:52:00.003-04:00

Well, Kai is 2 months old already! I feel like it's been a million years and I feel like it was just yesterday that he arrived. He is truly a blessing. But, with that said, all of the planning, reading, advice and getting ready for a baby will never fully prepare you for how your life will change. It's a day to day learning process. As a parent, all you hope is that your child is healthy and happy. And you pray that you're not doing things wrong and screwing you kid up for life!

It's frightening how quickly he grows and changes. I've already had to put a whole drawer full of clothes away that he can no longer fit into. He's so aware and looks around at everything. He smiles and laughs and tries to talk to us.

Last night, for the first time, we put him in his crib for the entire night. Not because he wasn't ready before now. He probably would have been happy in the crib weeks ago. I just wasn't ready to let him go yet. And I'll admit, I was sad. I guess it's the first of many times that this kid will be moving on and growing up. And yes, I spent a good part of the night watching him on the video monitor!

I go back to work soon and as much as I know I need to for many reasons including my sanity and financial stability, I have a feeling I am going to be a bit of a mess at first. It's very hard to spend all of your time with your baby and then abruptly be away from each other for 10+ hours a day! I don't even want to think about it yet but it is fast approaching. It's funny how time flies.

Here are some shots of my little man, whether you like it or not ;O)

2009-07-24T13:19:00.003-04:00

So, a few years ago we were heading home from the beach and along one of our Po-dunk, back country routes we came across a grave yard. In the grave yard was a huge sign that said, "ICE CREAM SOCIAL HERE SATURDAY". To this day I kick myself for not stopping to take a picture. I mean, it was so absolutely ridiculous and hilarious. To this day, every time the hubby and I pass that grave yard we say, "ice cream social!".

Well, a couple of weeks ago we were passing by and there was a sign in the "yard". I had to stop and take a picture. It was no ice cream social but it still made me giggle...I guess in a small town with limited resources you gotta do your partying, your mourning and everything in between in the same spot. I think I'll pass on the home-made ice cream at the chapel by the grave yard...

The Dangers of Late Night Television

2009-07-23T08:33:00.000-04:00

Before the boy was born and we were getting his room ready the hubby decided that we needed to get a television in his room. I didn't care either way but decided yeah, middle of the night feedings would be much more pleasurable with something to look at besides just the wall.

Well, if you've ever watched TV at 2, 3, 4, 5am you will know that the majority of what's on is infomercials. Some things are utterly ridiculous. Others seem kind of interesting. Everyone's seen the Snuggy and the magic juicers but man, there are some things out there that I've never seen before. And the bad thing is, I am tempted to buy some of them.

I've already bought one thing! Don't laugh at me but I got the ab circle pro. Now, I may be an idiot for buying this but at least it's a piece of exercise equipment and lord knows I need to get back in shape after having this baby. I hope I don't regret it and I hope I actually use it. It arrived last Thursday and then we left for the beach so I have yet to put it together or use it. But I also started this post this past Sunday and am just now getting time to actually finish it!

I am also tempted to buy other things when watching in the middle of the night but I have to stop myself. Let's hope this is the first and last thing I buy. I don't want to become one of those Home Shopping Network addicts!! HAHA Next thing you know we'll be bankrupt all because of my middle of the night shopping habits! Beware the late night television ladies and gents!

2009-07-11T12:48:00.002-04:00

So, I've finally come to understand what all those experienced parents out there have been warning me about..."Get some sleep, Get some sleep"...You hear it all the time when you're pregnant and even when the baby is first born. People are always asking, "are you getting any sleep? Is the Baby sleeping?", and other similar questions. I now FINALLY know what they mean. And I now know what functioning on literally no sleep feels like. And for all of you who don't know, it doesn't feel so good.

It was one thing to go out drinking until all hours and have a hang over and function on little sleep the next day. You know, you grab some coffee, maybe a coke or two, eat a greasy cheese burger and some french fries, for those of you who partake in the ganja, a bong hit perhaps, a nice nap in the middle of the day if you're not working and blamo, you're good to go! HA! Good luck new parents...

You know that whole nap thing? It doesn't happen with a baby. Unless of course you are the smart cookie who can sleep when your baby sleeps. Which, is the advice that everyone gives you. And believe me, I try, and I'm sure most new parents do try that but I think everyone would agree that this tactic is not always possible. Yes, the dishes will be there when you wake up, or in 6 months, that is if you're finding time to eat, let alone eat things off dishes...Yes, the house work will wait around for you, but there are things that you just can't let go and when can you do them? When the baby sleeps. Your windows of opportunity are small. You have to take them when you can. You have to answer phone calls, emails, etc that have been already sitting for 6 days. There's laundry and bottles that need cleaning and Oh yeah! You have a poor dog that needs a walk, some affection, some attention and, oh right, to be fed.

I am also not quite sure how people do this on their own. I admire single parents more than I could ever imagine. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful, attentive, helpful, thoughtful husband who gets up in the middle of the night when he knows I've done it more times than we can count, who makes us a bottle at 6am when he's got to get up for work in an hour and probably won't be able to get back to sleep. He takes baby duty when he gets home from work so I can do things like pee and shower and to just get a break even though he's been working all day...This is definitely a two person operation. If I had to do this alone I think I would be in tears constantly. I mean I know you just do what you gotta do but having a baby is not easy.

NOW...with all that said, it's all worth it. 100%. Having this cute little monster look up at me and smile with his big blue eyes. Having him coo and gurgle at me and try to tell me about his day. It makes my heart swell. He is such a good baby. He only fusses when he truly needs something - we'll see how long that lasts. And I know that he is going to grow up so quickly and that kills me. I am trying to hang on to every moment of this amazing time. I really am a proud mama. And with that said, and I hope I didn't scare any of you non-child having peeps, here are some pictures of my adorable babies:

One who needs no explanation, our Lucy:

And, our little Kai, who for some reason, every time we bathe him, his hair sticks straight up on his head. It's adorable and hilarious and another reason why I love this kid to pieces:

2009-06-26T09:19:00.003-04:00

So the boy and I are riding down the road yesterday and out of no where comes this..."thing"! Speeding up behind us and weaving in and out. I thought I was in an episode of Scooby Doo because you don't regularly see phantoms that look like this in real life. Anyway, along comes what I can only describe as a monster on a motorcycle...You be the judge:

Seriously, I've never seen a motorcycle helmet like this and I even tried to google it and only came up with helmets with mow hawks or other funny things. This helmet was seriously scary! The face was pretty scary too but I couldn't get a shot of it, I'm actually surprised I got this picture to be honest. It was like a Skeletor face and then the creepy hair was blowing in the wind. Has anyone ever seen these helmets?

Note to self, must tell the boy there is absolutely NO motorcycles in his future and NO scary helmets, for any reason...

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

2009-06-22T10:56:00.001-04:00

Another good reason to be done with Breast Feeding!

Ahhh...welcome back vino, welcome back!

2009-06-17T22:52:00.002-04:00

So where was I? Okay, so, parenthood...yes, it's very time consuming. My husband went back to work today and that was sad. I did cry, but that's nothing new. Having a baby makes you, well, me, very emotional. I think I've cried more in the last 13 days than I've cried my entire life. Wow, who knew?

So, I'll start off with my very first rant. Yayy you who gets to read it! Now, I am going to start off by apologizing to anyone who I may offend with this rant because I know that the subject I am about to broach is one that people feel extremely passionate about but since this is my blog it's too bad. You'll just have to deal with my one sided opinions. And here we go...

So, I was all ready to breastfeed my child. Not only was I "ready" I had done my homework. I read all the books, I bought all the "gear", I was in the gung ho breastfeeding camp, and with all of that ammunition I had no reason to think or imagine that I would fail at my attempts.

Things started out well. The baby latched on to my boob within minutes of being born. I though, hooray! This is going to work, I knew I could do it. And, it was working. For the first couple of days the boy was sucking away and in turn, peeing and pooping, which means he was getting something, right? Until the meltdown and then the pumping revealed that in actuality I was not getting any actual milk, or at least not enough to feed my baby significantly.

My point really is this, in recent years, breastfeeding has become this mandatory thing that all mothers must do. If you don't, you are poisoning your children with the dreaded formula. I mean, we are all victim to the information, or rather biased opinions that are put out there, myself included. Without really knowing it, the books I was reading were basically poisoning me against feeding my child anything but breast milk. There were quotes like, "if you're doing it right it doesn't hurt". BULL SHIT! Talk to anyone in the world, successful or not at breast feeding, that shit hurts! I know I gave up pretty quickly but I was in tears at how badly it hurt. First being suckled like a cow by the boy and then being pumped like a cow - my nipples were bleeding and raw...I know, it's a hot visual! Believe me, no one was more horrified than I was!

You know what else? Some people just can't do it, and you know what else? It's okay. If formula was so bad for children then how come so many millions of them eat it successfully every day without consequence? I felt so horribly guilty and depressed that the whole breastfeeding thing wasn't working out for me. Believe me, I have some pretty big tits, the fact that they don't produce milk has completely baffled me! But, that's just how it works sometimes. I mean, I just gave up and nothing ever happened. No engorgement, no soreness, nothing. No milk!

I by no means have anything against women who do breast feed. If anything, I am envious. I think it's a completely personal thing and some people love the closeness it gives them with their children. It's a beautiful thing. I am just so over how big of a deal it is these days. One of the first things that every person I speak to, male or female, asks me is, "are you breast feeding?" I am not joking, and I'm guilty of doing it to other women. My freakin mother in law was about to call the La Leche League on me to have a lactation natzi come to my house, that's how passionate she is about it.

From now on I will never ask another woman if she is breast feeding. It's none of my business and I would never want to make anyone else feel as guilty as I have for stopping. And, as I've done some research, I am not arguing that nothing could be better for your child than breast milk, however, did you know that in studies it has been proven that breast fed children only suffer from approximately one less cold than formula fed children? My mom didn't even attempt to breast feed me - in those days the word was that breast feeding was not cool, oh how times have changed, and I think I turned out pretty perfect! And I think my kid's on his way to being pretty perfect too...

2009-06-12T15:18:00.002-04:00

Well, hello there. Finally starting to feel a little "normal", whatever that is...So, hmmm, what's been going on? Well, as I said before I had a very long day of labor on the 3rd. The entire time my doc was pushing for a C-section. I think she just wanted to go home for the evening. Well, I'm certain she just wanted to go home. But I held my ground and I was confident that I could do this. And, with a little bit of prayer and time, we made it happen and our boy was born, healthy and happy!

The first couple of nights in the hospital were nothing short of surreal. It's like, huh? Where am I and what is going on? And all we really wanted to do was go home to be honest with you. The labor and delivery nurses were amazing, knowledgeable, sweet, caring. The overnight/maternity ward nurses were fucking idiots. One would be decent and the next one would be a total asshole. I had to ask one nurse to take my way overdue I.V. out of my arm 6 times - no joke! I almost took it out myself but decided she "might" be a little better qualified...I should have just let the baby do it.

We came home on Friday and thus began our new life. What can I say? we're still getting adjusted. I assume we will be for the next 18 years. Saturday was our meltdown night. After attempting to feed my boy all day (I started breastfeeding exclusively in the hospital) he decided after our 8:45pm feeding that he would no longer take the boob. Not only would he not latch on, he only wanted to wail at the top of his lungs. From about 9pm - 3am he just cried and cried and cried. And then I cried and the dog cried and the hubby was seriously as close to tears as I've ever seen him! We had no idea what to do. It was heartbreaking.

At about 3:30am, in our delirium, I remembered, thank god, that I had some sample formula that they gave us at our birthing classes. I made a bottle. The boy ate. The boy slept from 4am - 8am, mommy slept, daddy slept, pooch slept. And my mom, who might be an angel from heaven, came to our house to let us continue sleeping while she looked after the child. Life was good!

So, the next day my best friend brought over the breast pump I was planning to borrow. I stuck my sore nipples in the utter milkers and started the torture. Almost in tears from the pain, I stuck it out for about 10 minutes and low and behold, I got about 15 drops of "milk" out of my ta ta's. And then the light bulb moment...Ah Ha! I've been starving my baby for the last 24 - 36 hours. Yayyy! No wonder the little guy was so pissed off! I felt so guilty but thankful that I remembered that we had formula in the house.

Since actually eating, our baby has been a heck of a lot happier, go figure, as have mommy and daddy! Note to all future and current parents; always feed your kids!

More to come...

Welcome...

2009-06-06T22:15:00.002-04:00

Kai Robert. Born on Wednesday, June 3rd at 9:38pm, weighing in at 7lb's 1 oz and 20 inches long.

It was a very long day/night. We checked into the hospital to be induced at 4:30am on Wednesday. We began the inducement around 6am and only 15 hours later delivered our healthy baby boy! I'm not gonna lie, that was one of the toughest things I've ever done. My husband is truly a rock star! He was so loving and perfect all day. I couldn't have done it without him (in all senses).

We came home Friday afternoon and Lucy has been amazing. God I love that dog. She loves Kai already. She cries when he cries and loves to sniff and lick him. We are all trying to get the hang of all this...It gets better every day, thank god! More updates to come...

2009-06-01T11:07:00.002-04:00

Waiting...Waiting...Waiting...

Oh Baby!

2009-05-26T18:57:00.002-04:00

Well, we had a doc's appt this morning and apparently the baby has dropped even more, which I can't even imagine without it coming out, and I am 2 almost 3 cm's dilated! The doc doesn't give me until next Wednesday, June 3rd and if I do make it that far she wants to induce, but it's not likely we'll make it.

I'm happy that we made it through last weekend. I'm hoping this kid will give us one more but we'll see how that goes. I would love to last until next Monday. I just want to make it to June but we'll see.

I spent the majority of last weekend feeling quite uncomfortable and having what can only be described as cramps. So, I'm sure we're getting close. All I can say now is that I'll keep you posted! Wish me a painless delivery...HA!

Updates...

2009-05-21T16:12:00.002-04:00

So, we bought a new car! The dealer decided to give it to us for what we wanted...he he he..so we are now the proud owners of a black, 2009, Chevy Traverse. It's purdy and it has the new car smell...mmmm!

In baby news...We had a doc's appt on Tuesday and the doctor says that this little guy is fully cooked and ready to go. He has dropped and is in the eject position. I have been feeling very uncomfortable and kind of crampy lately, which the doc assures me is probably a little bit of false labor pains. Our doc is also pretty sure that we won't make it to our June 10th due date. YIKES! Basically, this little dude can come any time. I, of course, have been making myself very nervous and doing a lot of praying and talking to the baby, asking him to please give me another week or so. We have our hospital tour on Monday, a doc's appt on Tuesday and an appointment to have our car seat installed on Wednesday - HA! Both my mom and my MIL are away this weekend and I would hate to have to cut their fun short with the call that, "hey, guess what? we're in labor, time to come home!" I'm certain they wouldn't mind but a frantic drive home when you're hours away is not really a lot of fun.

SO - Please pray for me that this kid will just hang in there for a little bit longer - bet you've never heard a pregnant lady wish for a longer pregnancy have you? But, I just need to do a few more things before our little man arrives. We'll see what happens. I'll keep you all posted!

2009-05-18T15:26:00.003-04:00

So, we're trying to buy a new car...why is buying a car such a monumental pain in the ass? I mean, even when you psych yourself out and tell yourself I won't get into the whole haggling with the dealer, it just never goes smoothly. It just never does.

So, because we're having a child and we currently only have one child friendly car we decided we'd start looking to purchase a "new" one. By that I mean that we were ready to consider used, new, whatever was cheapest, what have you. Well, with all of the government incentives and the state of the automobile industry as a whole, we can pretty much afford to buy a brand new car. Probably the one and only time in our lives. And, since we'd like to do our part to help the economy, we decided we'd try our hardest to buy American.

We drove every crossover type vehicle on the market and decided to narrow it down to the GMC Acadia and the Chevy Traverse. Pictures Below:

Well, we've had some quotes and decided on Saturday that we'd go on in to the Chevy dealership and possibly come home with a new car. Well...that didn't happen. Why, you ask? well, because car dealers are a bunch of donkeys. Why is it that they HAVE to play the car dealer game? You know, the one where they tell you the price, you tell them what you want to pay and then they have to leave you for 15 minutes while they go talk to their "boss" to see what they can do.

Well, long story short, the dealer we were working with would not budge. Not one, stinkin bit. He wouldn't lower the price AT ALL. SO...we left. He also made it a point to let us know that he would have no trouble selling the car he brought in "especially for us" (ummm, thanks for doing your job you ninny), and that his dealership was doing GREAT. Oh yeah? Is that why we were the only people there for 3 hours on a SATURDAY? Good luck buddy...

So, now we wait. The continuation of the car buying/haggling game. We wait to see what kind of offer he calls us with and in the mean time, we call other dealerships, tell them what we want to spend on what car and see who bites.

Thankfully, we are in no rush what so ever for a new car. We can deal with one car for months after our child is born and have no problems. It's funny how these dealers think they have you at their mercy. Well guess what dude? We watch the news. You don't really have the upper hand here. You'd think our money would be better than no money but I guess we'll just have to see about that...

I'll keep you posted on which dealer wants to sell us a car!

2009-05-14T12:32:00.003-04:00

I have the best hubby in the entire world...

I know, I know, you can all tell me I'm lame and I'm sure you don't want to hear it, but he really is the best!

My husband is really bad with gifts. And by that, I mean that he can't keep it a surprise. If he's got it in his possession, he can't hold on to it. It's like a hot potato in his hands. SO, I benefited from this recently when he gave me a pair of sapphire earrings!!!

I suppose you would call this my "push" present, but since I haven't quite pushed a kid out, this is going to be considered a "thanks for carrying my kid" gift. Either way I am so very appreciative and they are beautiful!

The earrings match my engagement ring which is a diamond with two beautiful sapphires on either side. Unfortunately I haven't seen my rings in months because my little fingers are too swollen to wear them. SO, once this kid is out I will have another great thing to look forward to! Wearing my real rings again. Currently I am wearing a $6 ring from Claire's that I bought in order to not look like a knocked up hussy running the streets until I can wear my jewelry (no offense to any knocked up hussies out there).

Anyway, I am very lucky to have such a thoughtful man. Now I hope that all of you have the same in your life. Yayyy!

I'll post pictures one day when I can get my rings and the earrings all on at the same time :O)

2009-05-12T08:39:00.002-04:00

Whoo, I swear I can't go without posting for weeks at a time...I feel bad because I can't say my life has changed that much lately (YET) but I just can't seem to come up with anything of any interest to post about. Well, here we go, try not to be bored to sleep...

So, my second shower went off without a hitch. It was at my sisters house and it was so nice. We did play a few games but thankfully they were not bad at all, I won't go so far to say they were fun, but I did have some chuckles and I didn't hate it! I got lots of really nice gifts and it was just a really nice day. Here's a picture of my cake, it was so pretty:

On Saturday I had my mom come over and we went through all of my gifts from both showers and separated any duplicates and then went through the piles of clothes and decided what should be returned, etc. I ended up returning over $200 worth of clothes and toys and I was able to get everything that was left on my registry that I didn't get and really needed. Things like the changing table topper. You know, the important things. There are still things that I don't have and I'm sure I'll be running to Babies R Us the day after the baby's born, but from what I understand, you can never be completely prepared and that is just going to be the case!

Mother's Day here was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect, low 70's, sunny, not an ounce of humidity. It was like a miracle with the amount of rain we've been getting here. We had brunch at my mom's house and I made an Asparagus - sun dried tomato Strata and a Blueberry French Toast Casserole. Holy lord they were good - if I do say so myself. I even took pictures. Oh Yum, I wish I had some now!

So we've been working on our little Lucy, trying to get her as prepared as we can for our new family member. I started playing her the sounds of a baby crying yesterday and she looked at me like, "what the hell is that?". After a few minutes she was just resigned to the "noise". I have to admit, it made me crazy and I almost started crying! hahaha...Was that the effect that it was supposed to cause? It was really scary to think that this is what we need to prepare for and we can't shut it off. I just hope we're able to control it somehow. I've been doing lots of reading but I don't think anything prepares you like just getting in there and doing it. I have to admit, it's getting closer and I'm getting a huge combination of nervousness, fright, excitement and almost a longing for it to be over so I can just get this show on the road.

According to the doctor the baby has turned so at least we're heading in the right direction. Believe me, I feel it! I feel so heavy and stretched to my limit. I am totally waddling now and it aint pretty...

We went to an open house last night at a pediatricians office. One more thing you have to do before you have a baby - get a doctor for them! Who knew? The practice we visited was great but we have one more to visit before we make our decision. I hope we can handle this whole parenting thing, or at least stay on top of it.

Anyway, wish me luck, and wish me no early labor. I don't want to have this baby too early (or too late for that matter). I have my whole maternity leave planned out and going back to work earlier than I planned is not part of the program so wish me luck in having this kid either on time or late! haha...Wow, how my priorities are going to change.

Anyway, I'm going to check on all of you. Thanks for hanging with me ladies!

we're growing, aka, OH MY GOD I'M HUGE!

2009-04-28T10:25:00.002-04:00

So...the little Peanut is growing away and moving around like a maniac. I can not believe that soon we will have a BABY! I had a mini freak out the other day when I realized that in about a month and a half there will be a little person here. No giving him back, no returns. He's here, for good! YIKES!

Anyway, here's a picture of Lucy checking out the baby belly:

I had my first baby shower two Saturday's ago and it went very well. I got lots of really nice gifts, the food was great and the company was even better. It was a great day, and I think because my friends had a lot to do with the planning, there were no games or anything like that. You know, the things I hate, haha.

My last shower is this coming Saturday and I expect it will also be a great one, I am a little worried that there will be games, etc but we'll see. I'll just feign exhaustion and pretend I can't participate. But it should be really nice and I'm sure I'll have another whole truck load of loot to put away, wash and get ready for our little man.

The weather here has been NUTS. We went from seriously cold weather last week to sweltering heat! It has been in the 90's since Friday and even Lucy is over it. She is like, look, I am a spoiled bitch and I need me some shade and some air conditioning. And this is just fine with me because mama feels the same way! It's supposed to go back to normal later this week but so much for Spring. Like usual, we went straight from Winter to Summer in a matter of a day.

Anyway, I am off to actually get some work done. I hope everyone is having a great day!

2009-04-15T11:36:00.002-04:00

IT'S SPRING!!! kind of...

Here is a beautiful picture of a lovely day last week, maybe two weeks ago or so when spring was in the air, the flowers were blooming, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, whatever, you get the point:

Yeah...not so much anymore. I can't even remember that day anymore, I just have this photo to prove I wasn't dreaming! It has been wet and cloudy and dreary and down right COLD out all week and I am so over it. It is so depressing to wake up every morning and see the cold drizzle. The fog that makes it look like dusk and not morning. I hate it and I hate the cold weather and if I don't see the sun again soon, which they say we will tomorrow, we'll see, I am going to start screaming like a mad woman! I NEED SOME WARMTH DAMMIT!!

Tomorrow I get to work from home. Why you ask? Because I get to collect my urine sample for 24 hours to be tested at the doctors office. I know you're jealous, try to contain yourself, pun intended...

Yes, apparently there has been a lot of protein in my urine at each doc's visit so now I must be tested. What does protein in the urine mean? I have no idea. I asked. The doc explained. I still have no clue. SO, I got to take home a very large, bright orange, boldly labeled BIO HAZARD container to keep my "samples" in for a 24 hour period starting tomorrow. Then I get to carry this jug with me to the doctor's office for testing and lucky for me, more blood work. Yayyy! The things you have to do when your pregnant are just down right weird! And, not much fun. Other than sonograms, there's not a lot of fun stuff involved.

I got the baby's bedding washed and the bed made and it looks so cute. It actually looks like a baby could sleep in the crib now! I just hope I didn't attach the mobile wrong because it would suck for that thing to fall on the baby's head. I guess it's not that heavy so we should be okay but I'll have to have the hubster double check it for me. Here's a picture of the cuteness:

All I know is that our kid better like the ocean/beach or he's screwed. We're pretty much shoving it down his throat so he has no choice, huh? Anyway, back to the torture, I mean, work! Peace out...

2009-04-07T13:53:00.002-04:00

Okay, okay, I know! I've been gone for what seems like a very long time. BUT, I have a good excuse. We've been working on the baby's room non-stop and it looks fabulous, if I do say so myself!!

We got the last piece of furniture this weekend, the armoire, and my wonderful hubby got it all put together. I didn't even hear any cursing coming from the room so it must not have been too horrible! The walls are almost completely done with their paintings. I have a few more shells to add to the beach here and there and we want to add our little Lucy's paw prints as well, but that is a two man operation so I can't do that one on my own. The last things I need to get done are to sew the window sheers, I have them slung over the curtain rods for effect but the seems are not yet sewn, and I need to make the crib bedding. I have all the fabric, I just want to wash it before I make it. I'm so excited that everything is coming together so well and I'm happy that the room will be ready before we bring this little munchkin home.

Speaking of the munchkin...he kicks and moves non-stop. It's a little disturbing sometimes. There is truly a little alien trying to get out. It's kind of freaky. I am also still freaked out by the thought that in about 2 months, 60 days!!! We will be bringing a child home! I know I should be getting used to the idea by now but really, I'm just getting used to the whole being pregnant idea. Oh my god, I'm going to have a BABY!!!

Anyway, I am going to catch up on everyone now. Here are some pic's of the baby's room:

www.flickr.com

cooking with gas...

2009-03-24T16:44:00.003-04:00

Okay, that title makes me want to puke a little because I had a religion teacher in high school that would use that phrase when we did something "good"...haha!

Anyway, we really are "cookin" now...My uncle removed all of the "old" appliances from one of his houses and while doing so, gave us his stove. Now, our old stove is the definition of OLD! To put it into perspective, they don't make this model anymore nor is the store that makes our old stove in business anymore. Get the picture? If not, here is a real one for you:

Yes, it's Avocado green! And this is where the magic has happened for the last 8 years in our home! I am shocked that it's held up, but it really has served us well. Many a fabulous meal has come out of the green machine, that's for sure!

The new and improved model is a nice GE stove. It has a drawer below for my pans, that is where the old stove held it's broiler...I'm talking old school! and it just looks so much nicer. I mean, I have nothing against Avocado green, I just don't want it to be the color of my major appliances. So, until this one dies or we finally re-do our house, here is the new piece of equipment:

Fancy, huh? Now, I have to go home and cook dinner! Yayy

more progress...

2009-03-20T15:36:00.002-04:00

So, we had a sonogram yesterday and our little man is growing like a weed. Here is picture of our little alien:

We are also making great strides in the baby's room. Lucy and I have been doing lots of painting and I think we could have it all done by next week. Yayyy!

Today is officially the first day of spring. Although it doesn't feel like it outside, the flowers in our yard sure have taken the hint. They must be tired of the winter too! Here is a shot of some of the pretty flowers that we get to see everyday, until they all die in about a week. There are SO many of them, I don't know how they survive the night time frost, but they do!

Anyway, I feel like in the last two days someone has literally stretched my stomach over one of those huge, rubber, bouncy balls. I had to have the hubby PULL me off the couch last night. It was not one of my finest moments and I am starting to really feel off balance! Anyway, hope everyone has a lovely weekend. I plan to paint, paint, paint, and hopefully get some rest in there too...

Progress

2009-03-16T11:38:00.002-04:00

So, as requested, and I'm warning you...what you are about to see may be harmful to your health. Behold, the huge, baby oven that we call my belly, or what was formerly known as my belly:

The little monster is non stop these days. He has been moving like crazy since Saturday and as cool as it is, I have to admit, it's a little disturbing. I would say that I want some peace but soon enough I am probably going to be mourning the fact that this little person is no longer my little, private, internal baby but a full fledged, crying, pooping infant that I have to take care of from the "outside". He'll no longer be just mine but part of the world. Ugghh, can you believe I'm getting sad about not being pregnant anymore and I'm not even close to delivering? I am such a weirdo...

Anyway, this weekend the hubby and I did lots and lots of work on the baby's room and the rest of the house for that matter. Even Lucy got in on the action as she made many visits to the room we were painting so that she could add her own personal touches. Yes, Lucy now has multiple colors of paint on her tail. It's just her way to show that she was involved and if it makes her happy then hey, it's fine with me!

Here are some pictures of my inspiration for the baby's room:

I love these colors and I want to do a beach theme for the room so these are the pic's that I'm using to base my designs on. I will be painting a mural on one wall and then little beach items on the other walls similar to, but not identical to these pictures. I just think these colors and the beach are so soothing and somehow I think I'm going to need a soothing place to relax here in the next couple of months...

So, I painted the closet first to make sure I liked the green/blue color and it turns out that I LOVE it! It's exactly what I wanted. I made sure to be a healthy, smart, pregnant mama and I wore a mask to paint. Then I realized that paint really doesn't smell anymore. I know my mother in law was so worried for me to be around paint but I think she's remembering the days when you had to basically evacuate your home for days at a time when painting was being done. These days, paint is almost odorless. And, if the room is well ventilated, which the hubby made sure of! Then you're fine. Needless to say, I lost the mask after a while and it was fine!

So, as the hubby did the heavy lifting and the major painting in the actual bedroom, I played in the closet. I know no one will even see this but it's fun and since there won't be any "under water" scenes in the actual room I thought, hey, why not? So here is the baby's closet:

So, that's the progress thus far. I think we'll have the main painting done by the end of the week and I will work on the mural next week. I'll post more pic's when I have more to show.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

2009-03-09T11:41:00.002-04:00

Yayyy! The hubby FINALLY felt the baby move. I think it's because he threatened to ground him the minute he got out here if he didn't start moving for him.

Yesterday we were doing major work on the house - cleaning and getting the baby room ready for painting, etc and after a couple of hours I had to go lay down. It's really amazing how the body begins to react once you're cooking a little person inside. My feet and back were killing me after a little while and there is just nothing I can do about it.

Anyway, while I was laying down, little Peanut was jumping around like a maniac! So I called the hubby in and said, this has GOT to be it, if you don't feel him now I don't know what to say. And, sure enough, the little monster continued doing cartwheels for his daddy. It was a great moment!

It was a beautiful weekend here. It was in the 70's Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Quite the change from our 7" of snow last Monday!! I'm sure it won't stay this nice yet, March around here is known to be 30 degrees one day and 75 the next, but I am so glad that Spring is finally trying to emerge. Warm weather makes everything feel better!

Hope everyone is having a great day!

(P.S. Cold Hands...Belly pic's to come, I think, if they're not to scary to share)

Crazy Pregnancy Dreams

2009-03-05T12:15:00.002-05:00

So, for the last two nights in a row I've had dreams that I've had the baby.

The first night I didn't remember giving birth but we arrived at a restaurant that looked oddly like our local crab house, where my family and our baby were waiting. He was awfully big, definitely not an infant of a few hours or even a few days old. He looked probably 8 or 9 months old and had big blue eyes and blond hair. I just remember continually telling everyone that I didn't remember the birth at all and that I just wasn't ready yet. The room isn't ready, the house isn't ready and we hadn't even put the stroller together for god's sake. I had to run home to go get the car seat to take the baby home from the restaurant - no hospitals in sight...hmmm.

Last night I remember that labor was really hard...?? Then, next thing you know I have another rather large "baby". This one resembled maybe a 2 or 3 year old with really long legs. He had dark brown hair, eyes and olive skin. I kept saying, "See, this is why he kept kicking me, his legs are so long, and that must be why he came so early, he was getting too big"...?

Weird, weird and weird!

The baby is kicking/moving like crazy but he's like the singing frog. Whenever I tell the hubby to come feel my belly he stops. It happens EVERY time. I am not kidding. The hubby has yet to feel the little monster move.

I am assuming by my recent dreams that I am getting nervous about getting things done and preparing for the baby because the room is not finished or even close to it, the stroller is not put together, blah blah blah. And, I think it's dawning on me that we're about to HAVE A BABY! I know there's time but I am a big planner and need everything in order to relax and at this point nothing is in order. I've been told that once I have my shower I'll feel better. I think I just need to relax!

I am also suffering from the dreadful pains of HEARTBURN! And when I say heartburn, I mean the worst, most painful thing you've ever dreamt of. I've never experienced heartburn this bad in my life. It feels almost like I've swallowed a gallon of acid and it is on the verge of coming back up at any moment. It lingers from my chest to the back of my throat at all times and I want to die. AND, the sad part is, it's not triggered by anything in particular. It just happens no matter what I eat or drink or when I consume it. Some dumb whore gave me a Zantac on Monday to combat it. Let me tell you something...that shit does NOT WORK! Tums E-X on the other hand have become my new best friend. I am going to the store at lunch time to buy a case of it.

Wow, who knew all that goes into cooking a baby person in your belly? And that's not even the half of it. Be glad I'm sparing you some of the real gnarly shite! At least, from what I've heard, it's all worth it in the end...until they become teenagers that is. Yikes!

2009-03-02T18:47:00.002-05:00

Well...the vacation is officially OVER...

We went from this:

To this:

In a matter of hours, literally! We got to the airport in the Bahamas yesterday afternoon in about 80 degree weather and experienced the biggest nightmare. It was a joke and we almost didn't get on our flight. It's a wonder to me that anyone got on their flights. To make a long story short, they had ONE security/x-ray belt going for the thousands of people traveling out of the Bahamas on a Sunday afternoon. Note to anyone planning on traveling to the Bahamas, give yourself plenty of time for their inadequate facilities if you plan to ever get home from there.

The trip was lovely. The wedding was beautiful and a ton of fun was had by all. I think I took over 500 photos over the last 5 days! YIKES...

We got home to about 30 degree weather, got to our house, kissed out Lucy, had dinner, then the snow began and it didn't stop until about noon on Monday. I think we ended up with about 7". So, we finally got the snow that we haven't had here in ages. BUT, the roads seem fine now meaning it's back to work tomorrow...booo!

Lucy and Daddy are currently enjoying the snow with friends at the park while big old preggo mom makes dinner at home! If it's going to snow again I hope it keeps us stranded for days. If not, come on Spring!!!

2009-02-26T10:29:00.000-05:00

2009-02-24T11:19:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow the hubby and I leave for the Bahamas!!! And it's a good thing because I am pretty much over this cold weather. It has been the coldest, windiest winter I can remember and it seems like it's never going to end. BUT, I'm hoping the warm, sunny, Bahamian weather makes me forget all about winter for a few days.

One of the hubby's best friends is getting married on Saturday and we'll be there along with the rest of our really good friends to celebrate. This will probably also be the last big trip I can take before the baby comes, so I'm glad it's gonna be a good one! And I hate leaving our pooch but I know she's in good hands. My cousin will be coming to stay with her again and they love each other so I know things will be just fine!

In other fascinating news in my world, I ordered the baby room furniture today. Once it comes I'll post pictures but I am very happy. Now, let's just hope it's the color they say it is...I'll find out in a few weeks!

I hope everyone has a great remainder of the week. I'll think of every one of you when I'm sunning my huge belly on the beach tomorrow (okay, I'm kidding, my belly will be very much covered up, but my toes will be in the sand!)

Poor, Poor Lucy

2009-02-12T13:45:00.002-05:00

Okay, I know, this is cruel and unusual punishment but for as much as we love this damn dog, I will admit that she has to endure some abuse from us. But hey, it's all in good fun! (for us).

A couple of days ago, Lucy and I were sitting on the couch when the blanket kind of fell over her head. She looked like what the big bad wolf would look like wearing grandma's bonnet. Oh my god, it was so funny, and Lucy was having none of it, hence the lack of pictures. I think I almost peed my pants laughing at her...the poor little bitch.

Then, I spotted my vest sitting on the chair and thought, hey, that would look fabulous on the pooch! So, I put it on her. And, quite obviously from these photos, she was not too happy about it:

She looked so cute and so sad. All I could do was laugh and laugh. Here Lucy is looking at Daddy saying, "please help me, please?":

But since Daddy is under my spell also and knows that I'm the boss, he did not help the poor little pooch. He just looked at me like I was crazy and looked at Lucy like he was very sorry.

And here, Lucy just gives up and says, "okay, you got me. I submit to your wacky human antics!":

And yes, I did actually try to put my shoes on her too but she stepped right out of those puppies. She had been humiliated enough! So, yes, it was a great laugh for me, and not so much for little Lucy. God help our future child. I can't wait to see what kind of wacky things we can do to him! We probably won't take pictures though. You know, hide the evidence and all that...

2009-02-09T11:58:00.003-05:00

So, the dog whisperer came over on Friday afternoon to "evaluate" us and our pooch. It went really well. Of course, Lucy didn't jump on him one bit when he came in the door making us look like we were exaggerating her nuts-o behavior. I guess he just exuded leadership because he had her sitting at his feet within minutes. That was enough to convince me, and he used no force or inhumane treatment.

So, the owner training starts next week. We are going to learn how to be the boss and whip our crazy little pooch into shape. She is going to be a well behaved little monster before we know it and hopefully before we bring a baby into the mix!

Speaking of, this kid's got the movement thing going on and is now non-stop! He moves so much. It's pretty cool and at the same time very weird! When i sit back and think about what I'm feeling it's nuts. I mean, this kid is either kicking me or moving his arms around and that's what I feel. Crazy! Lucy has also taken a bigger interest in the big baby belly. She has been sniffing and licking my belly a lot lately, which is so cute and also very odd. I guess she's sharing some inside info with her little brother. I know they're gonna be the best of friends!

So, it's Monday. Blah. Not much to discuss about that. Here's to Tuesday!

2009-02-03T11:03:00.003-05:00

It's snowing again today. Yayy! BUT, it's been really warm the last few days so nothing is sticking. Which also means that I'm at work. Boooo! It's supposed to snow more tonight but I don't think it will amount to anything, as usual.

The baby has been moving around like crazy ever since I first felt him. It's very wild!

So we've decided it's time for Lucy to get a personal trainer...Okay, not a personal trainer, but you know what I mean. We are "interviewing" some in-home trainers this week to come evaluate our crazy pooch to decide if they can come train her and more importantly, US! We've decided that there are a few behavioral issues that we need to nip in the bud before this baby comes because, unlike some families that can easily get rid of their dogs once they have kids and decide they don't have time for the pets anymore, the members of our family are here to stay, no if's, and's or but's about it.

I know that any issues we have with Lucy are really our fault. I mean, she's no monster, she's just a very big dog who doesn't know her own strength and she likes to jump on people and we can't have that. She also likes to listen to us when she feels like it, which is very frustrating. She is so smart and willing to learn, I mean, she knows how to give us high five's, but we have just been very negligent in teaching her some of the more important things, like stay and heal...

It is quite clear to us that once we lost our little Nola and got Lucy we spoiled her beyond belief. We were not diligent about training and obedience, we basically did the opposite of all the good, hard work we put into Nola's good behavior with Lucy. I'm sure it was a mixture of guilt and sadness and just plain stupidity on our parts, but now it's coming back to bite us in the arse. Time to buckle up and show the true ruler of our home, Lucy, some tough love. I'll keep you all updated on our progress.

Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday!

Two Things

2009-01-30T16:56:00.002-05:00

Okay....first, the most important/exciting thing!!! I FINALLY felt the baby today! I was kind of in between laughing and crying - well, I didn't do either because I was at work BUT, I FELT THE BABY! I FELT THE BABY!

I have to admit, I was starting to get a little nervous. When you're pregnant EVERYONE loves to give you their opinions and insights and little tid bits. Some of you may know this...Anyway, I have been hearing for the last month+ that I should be feeling the baby by now. Well guess what? I WASN'T. At first I was just like, okay, it will come. As of earlier this week I was convinced that my baby was dead. I know, I know, dramatic, but what the hell. You spend your entire youth trying not to get pregnant then when you're "ready" for it, you have to protect it and worry every second that anything can go wrong. God help me when this little person is actually here and can get into so much more danger.

Anyway, I was sitting in kind of a scrunched up position, hiding the fact that I was finishing up a book at my desk (more of that in a minute), and I felt this kind of twitching. Then kind of a movement. Then more twitching. I knew instantly what it was! My little Peanut was finally making his presence known. Now I'm sure I'll be begging before long for it to just stop and give me some peace. But for now, the movement is my peace! Yayyy my baby's alive!!!

Ooooh Look! Scary alien looking fetus drawing:

NOW...onto books. Damn you, damn you, damn you Book Club! So, usually we take a poll on about 3 books to decide what we'll read for book club. I wanted Middlesex, but apparently the majority did not! SO, we are reading Twilight.

Well, I have been avoiding this book because I just figured, eh, vampires? Not my thing really. I just wasn't interested. Well, I ordered the book and it came on Wednesday evening. And now I'm done reading this 500 page book in a day and a half, and it only took me that long because I had to do silly things like come to work, go to meetings speak to other human beings, and other things like that...

I know the general audience of these books, and apparently, so does my husband because he is now calling me a teenage girl. Well, so be it. I really liked this damn book. I mean, yes, it's "fantasy" but it was so easy to read. It was full of teen angst and emotion and I just really enjoyed getting wrapped up in it and reading it. Now I have to go get the other 3 in the series...damn it!

Happy weekend Everyone!!!

Random Post

2009-01-29T13:17:00.003-05:00

Okay, is it just me or are our toothbrushes beginning to really resemble our sneakers? I mean, I remember when my toothbrush was one color and the bristles were another. And that was it. Now, if my toothbrush isn't 16 colors I get nervous...I'm not complaining. I mean, whatever. If that's what the toothbrush companies need to do to market their products to us and continue promoting good oral health then so be it. I am a little disturbed by how much our brushes do cost these days. It's almost cheaper to buy a pair of sneakers and rub them across your teeth...I guess that wouldn't be too hygienic. Anyway, here are some pictures for your comparison. Hmmm, maybe Nike is designing dental products these days?

SNOW DAY!

2009-01-27T09:27:00.004-05:00

FINALLY it's snowing here. It has been brutally cold this winter, already, but I haven't seen a lick of snow, or any other precipitation for that matter. It's just not worth having winter if it's not going to do something. I'm all for global warming if it's going to be warm out all year long. I know, I know, not a good thing...

Anyway, it's finally snowing significantly here. There's not a lot on the ground yet but it's coming down steadily and isn't supposed to stop until this evening. And, because I am a super wimp, and because I got cocky once and decided to drive in the snow and got into an accident, I no longer drive in the snow. So, here I sit with the pooch, enjoying a snow day!

Lucy has been going NUTS playing in the snow. She loves it. In a little bit I will be bundling up and we're going for a fun, snowy walk to the park. I can't wait.

Here are a few pic's and a video of crazy snow dog, Lucy!

Yes I Did!

2009-01-21T09:52:00.003-05:00

So, I was just going to stay home and watch history unfold on television but my wonderful, loving and very important husband ended up getting my mom and I awesome tickets to the inauguration with seats literally about 100 yards from where our 44th President was being sworn in. And then, as if that wasn't cool enough, the hubby got the hook up and brought us all the way up to the lower seating area, right underneath the stage to watch the events. It was amazing and it was so cool to witness this day first hand.

In the morning, my mom and I bundled up and joined the hoards of people getting on the Metro, packed in like sardines and made our way down town. Slowly, but surely, we got there. Once in the city we were treated like royalty with the amazing tickets we had. I'm not exaggerating. Once we showed our tickets, the police waived us through at every check point. We passed lots of unfortunate people with either no tickets or tickets that were not as good as ours and made our way to our amazing seats.

Once we were seated the hubby called me to ask if we would like to move up to the stage area...Uhhh, yeah! So, we headed up front. Unfortunately, even being very close up, you could see Obama and the others much better on the jumbo tron, which was still fine with me. His speech was inspiring and really powerful.

As we were walking up to the main stage we passed Halle Berry. She was so cute and I just couldn't help myself, I said, "hi Halle Berry" and she looked and me, waved and said hello. It was funny. Once on the stage area, I missed my shots of Jay-Z and Beyonce, which I am not too upset about, but I did get some fun pictures of some other celebs. There's Denzel Washington, Smokie Robinson, an actress from the show The Wire and basketball player Dikembe Mutombo.

It was just awesome to be part of such an amazing day. We even got to see Executive One take off with Mr and Mrs Bush inside headed back to Andrews Air Force Base and then eventually back to Texas. Bye Bye Bushy!

I know that the whole country, and really, the whole world is hopeful for the U.S. right now with Barack Obama coming into office but it's going to be a long road and there is a lot of work to do. I feel bad for our new president and the tasks he has in front of him. I hope we're not putting too much pressure on him because in reality, he is just one man. He can't solve this country's problems in one day, or even possibly his entire term in office. I pray that he is successful in all of his endeavors and I'll support him all that I can. Despite the state of our nation, it is an amazing time in history and I am so proud to be a part of it.

Since there are so many, here is a link to my pictures from the inauguration:

www.flickr.com

2009-01-19T11:14:00.002-05:00

Happy MLK Day!

It's been a busy weekend around there parts...

Well, Friday night we stayed home because it was butt ass cold out. Okay, not 40 below, Minnesota cold, but it was 7 degrees and windy. Need I say more? So we vegged and chilled and read books.

On Saturday we did all kinds of house stuff then went to the 9:30 Club to see Adele. She is AMAZING! Her voice is effortlessly soulful and perfect and inspiring and bold. I swear if there were no instruments playing behind her we wouldn't even notice. And on top of all that, she's adorable. She's humble and kind of has that "aww shucks" attitude when people cheer her on and give her props. If you have the chance you should definitely go see her. The crowd at the venue was one of the most diverse I have ever seen for an artist. I saw elderly people (and I'm not kidding, there was a frail, probably mid-80's woman in front of us!), there were African-American teenagers up in the front row singing along with every song, there were middle aged white folk, there were men, women, gay and straight. It was actually very cool to see. I guess she is truly an artist for the masses...

On Sunday I threw a little bridal shower brunch at a local spot that has one of THE BEST Sunday brunches in town. I made mini wedding cakes for all of the guests, seen below:

Unfortunately, the 9 guests turned into 4! I decided to try and do something nice for a friend and in the end, people show their true colors. It's so typical. So, my husbands best friend is getting married next month to a girl who doesn't have any family locally and has maybe one or two friends. SO, all of the wives and girlfriends of the men decided it would be a nice thing to have a little shower for her since she wouldn't otherwise have one. In theory it was a great plan, and it did turn out to be a lovely affair. Unfortunately on the morning of, one person apparently fell down the stairs and couldn't come...hmmm, another had to stay home with her sick daughter - her daughter is 16! And the other one, the bride's friend, called the bride to let her know that she wouldn't be able to make it. Whatever. I shouldn't have been offended because really, it wasn't my gig. I know my friends and family would have shown up. The thing that bothered me were the lame, last minute back-out's when they all knew that there wouldn't be many people there in the first place. Oh well, I tried.

Today we're off work in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. I saw some flurries out the window that made me super happy so we're going to bundle up and take the pooch for a nice long walk since the temperatures have risen a bit. Then it's back to organizing the house...Woo Hoo!

Happy Monday Everyone!

2009-01-16T14:08:00.002-05:00

Well...we went to see the wizard today and it appears that...

IT'S A BOY!

That's right, as one co-worker pointed out, I have a penis growing inside of me. Now that is a visual that just doesn't go over very well, but since I'm so nice I decided to share that with you! Happy Friday and all that.

The hubby is over the moon. I am so happy and just really glad that things look normal and healthy. The baby is growing at a good rate and all things seem to be going well. I'm feeling great and really can't complain about a thing. Now...I just need to figure out how on earth to raise a boy! HA...

2009-01-14T12:25:00.003-05:00

So, fellow blogger Cold Hands kind of got me thinking about this the other day and since then I can't stop thinking about this dumb show.

I'm talking about The Real Housewives of Orange County (and subsequent spin off's Atlanta and New York). Okay, I am embarrassed as it is to admit that when this stupid fucking show comes on I get sucked in like a damn train wreck and often can't change the channel. So much so that I know the stupid stories going on from last week and know the relationships between these whores. It also might have something to do with the fact that Bravo replays this show like 6,000 times a day. Mainly while I'm watching I kind of just sit there with my jaw on the floor, head shaking, wondering, what planet these people come from. For reference, and I know you don't need it because I can assure you that every one of you has seen this show in some capacity, here is a picture:

These women have to be some of the worst people on earth. They are the most vapid, self centered, self absorbed, pathetic, mean spirited, superficial, materialistic, ugly people I have ever had the misfortune of "watching".

Some of them can't move their faces because of all their botox. They are all so obsessed with "looking" young, when in actuality they look like pathetic, plastic old women trying too hard. They do the meanest things to one another and "outsiders" and still, they go to bed happy at night as if they were good people.

A few episodes ago a couple of these dumb bitches went on a trip to Napa with their bitches, I mean, husbands and seriously should be so embarrassed of their performances. They made a big deal about the fact that they were going to a very fancy restaurant, which they are accustomed to of course...While dining on their wine pairing tasting menu, these bitches make themselves look like the biggest morons on the planet. They claim to have great taste and be so worldly when in actuality they are nothing more than trailer trash that happened to come into some money.

While dining on dishes that most uncultured human being would recognize, if not from trying themselves, at the very least from watching the Food Network, they made themselves, effortlessly I must say, look like fools!

When the oysters arrived, Whore #1 let everyone know that she could not stomach them in any way shape or form. Okay, understandable, some people just don't care for the texture of raw oysters. I'll give them that one.

When the next dish came out, some sashimi style fish, perhaps it was tuna, Whore #2 poked at it and then decided, "I don't do the sushi thing". Okay you fuck, why did you order all of this shit if you don't eat it...but I digress...

The next dish comes out and it's some type of bone marrow, which most people know is currently very trendy and considered a delicacy. All of the dinner guests scoffed and just couldn't bring themselves to even TRY the dish.

Next comes the Foie Gras. Fist of all, no one at the table has even HEARD of this dish. So, they ask the waiter what it is and he explains to the idiots that it's duck liver and fat. Personally, I don't care for the dish. I've tried it and it's too rich for my unrefined pallet, however, these upper crust bitches should, if nothing else, have heard of it! Of course W#1 and W#2 agree that they cannot fathom eating duck liver and fat. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? You are eating a meal that is probably about $150 - 200 a person, has a menu designed by a talented chef and you can't even taste these dishes that you clearly have never heard of? UUGGHH! I HATE YOU!

They all eventually leave probably starving, a feeling I'm sure they're used to by now, and honestly, they should have just grabbed a slice of pizza or hit the McDonald's because clearly that's all their pallet is used to. What a waste of space these people are.

There is one chick who is dating a man that is 2 years younger than her father. He is currently, well, in the show anyway, battling cancer. Since this show was taped I heard that the poor man has passed away. Regardless, this girl is constantly picked on and targeted by the other bitches and it's so mean. It's also because she's only 30, hot and the other sluts are so obviously jealous of her. But, don't get me wrong. She's a stupid whore too. Not much about her is honorable or stand up either, she just seems to be a little less deplorable than the other real whorewives...

Anyway, I could clearly go on forever. And yes, it is hard to be as perfect as I am, but let me put it this way, I would never put my life out there for the world to see and be proud of the way that me and my neighbors lived if I had any of the qualities of these people. I guess that's why someone like me, my family and my friends wouldn't make good television. So, as embarrassed as I am that I watch this trash, I am more embarrassed for these women and their families. Oh, and I probably won't stop watching any time soon, look what our society has become...what can you do?

2009-01-12T13:19:00.003-05:00

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! I did something very foolish and gratuitous last week and I am so, so happy about it!!!!

I bought a new computer and it FINALLY CAME TODAY! Do I need a new computer right this second? Probably not. Will I need one in like a month or two at the worst possible moment? Probably. SO, I decided look, I have the cash right now, once the baby is here the thought of a new computer will be out the window, so, I went for it! And yes, my current computer is quite old and even with buying a new hard drive to transfer over lots of pictures and things of that nature, I still keep getting error messages about my start-up disc being almost full, cd's get stuck in my machine and I'm sure you don't care to be convinced that I needed a new laptop!

Anyway, I got a brand new MacBook Pro and Apple was having a promotion for $100 off a new printer, so, I bought a printer that cost $99.99! Yipeeee!!! I can not wait to play with it and love it and snuggle with it and take it to the park, oh, just kidding. But I am pumped!! Now I'll be able to upload all of the baby's videos and pictures effortlessly, he he...

Here is a picture of my shiny, new toy! I think I'm in love...

The baby shower this past weekend didn't kill me but it was semi-painful. The hubby and I have been continuing on our war path of house cleaning, purging, reorganizing our home and as exhausting as it is, we are making a TON of progress and it's looking so, so good! I may even post pictures some time soon. Perhaps when we get the baby's room looking good...? Hope everyone is having as good a day as I am!

2009-01-09T12:34:00.002-05:00

Ahhh the weekend! I don't know about you all, but for me, this week just flew by!

This weekend will be action packed, as usual. Tonight a bunch of friends and I are taking the hubby out to a new restaurant for his Birthday. It's called Founding Farmers and it looks deelish!

Tomorrow I am going to a baby shower for one of my husband's cousins. I actually like her a lot so hopefully it won't be too painful. I've decided to take the advice of one of you smarty pants that gave me the idea for my shower to ask that gifts be brought unwrapped but with gift tags on them so we know who they're from. That will cut down on the whole, let's watch the momma open gifts in front of everyone for the next 3 hours! Why oh why are these things so lame. It's not fair. Just hearing the word "shower" makes me cringe!

On Sunday my MIL will be making din din for my hubby's birthday so that should be a nice, relaxing visit too. And yummy food to boot!

My belly continues to grow and grow. There's no hiding it anymore. I am clearly pregnant!! We find out next week what we're having, hopefully. As long as the little monster cooperates and shows us the goods, we'll know if we're having a little sister or brother for Lucy!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll leave you with some embarrassing shots of the (clothed) ever expanding belly!

2009-01-06T10:20:00.002-05:00

Wow! The holidays came and went but I sure as hell didn't show up around here, did I? I miss everyone so I will for sure be spending the day checking you all out - not while I'm working of course!

So, about 5 or 6 months ago the hubby and I were all ready to start major renovations on our home. We had all of the drawings, we had the builder lined up, we were preparing to pull our permits from the county and then we tried to get a loan...and well, we all know how that goes. It's not even necessary to explain the state of the economy and the fact that TSO and I clearly don't make over $100 Million a year so getting a loan was just not happening. I've never had such problems and even started to worry when financial institutions that we were dealing with just up and stopped calling us back. I guess they figured there was just nothing more to talk about and boy did they have a way of letting us know. Very professional, let me tell you!

Anyway, that's when we decided, well, best not to put the rest of our lives on hold, and we decided to try for a baby. Well, we obviously succeeded at that. Who knew! And hey, you don't need to make $100 Million a year for that little project.

So over the holidays the "nesting" instinct kicked in. We have been very busy. Now, don't get me wrong, our home is small, however, it is very comfortable for hubby, pooch and I and the soon to be intruder, I mean, baby. Hubby's bro and our SIL just recently had a baby and they live in a condo that is a hundred times smaller than our house, has no storage what so ever, no yard, and they are making it just fine. Our problem is our poor use of space. So, we've decided to tackle this problem since it looks like we'll be staying in our house, as is, for a little while at least. And hey, I bet many families, with multiple children, were raised in our home before we came along and I'm fairly certain they all came out unscathed!

So over the holidays we made trips to IKEA and Target. We bought shelving systems and large storage containers, trash bags and suction storage bags...we bought it all! We have been doing a MAJOR purge of our closets, our attic, our basement, our junk. Let me tell you, I think I saw the trash/recycling men flipping us off the other day. I know I would if I were them!

We made our back, enclosed porch into a bit of an organized storage unit. We worked on it for hours and hours and it looks spectacular! All of our overflow dishes, platters, decorative "stuff" and 2 full book shelves now have their own room. I took my clothes down from 3 full closets to 1 !!!! This also has something to do with the fact that I can't wear any of my "normal" clothes right now so they are safely stored in the attic with 3 bins full of shoes that I also can't wear, but the fact that I have everything in one closet baffles even me! AmVets is going to shit themselves when they see the pick up they're gonna have to haul off from our house.

And so, when everyone is talking about their winter vacations and holidays spent with family, I can tell the story of dust bunnies that have been behind things for the last 7 years, clothes that I didn't even know I had, splinters and dirty hands, an aching back and making head way towards a clean, simplified house. YAyyy! Next...the movement of furniture in preparation for an actual BABY ROOM! Yikes...

Oh, and I would post pictures but I bet you'd like to see my organized back porch and my closets as much as I'd like a hot poker in my ass. So, here's Lucy, being cute as usual instead!

2008-12-22T11:45:00.003-05:00

On Friday while running errands on my "lunch break" I saw a sign for fresh seafood on a huge truck parked at a local market in the town where I work so I decided to stop. Not only did they have SO MANY options (lobsters, clams, oysters, mussels, whole fish, etc, etc) it was all fresh and very reasonably priced. SO, I bought two lobsters and some little neck clams for dinner. Let me tell you, dinner was phenomenal BUT, I don't think I have the heart to cook live lobsters. I made the hubby do the deed, as it were, but I still felt really bad about it, especially when he said that one of them put up a major fight.

It was truly delicious but it may be a while before we cook lobsters at home again...

This weekend we got together with our bro/sis-in-law and nephew and had our Christmas dinner and gift exchange since they will be leaving to spend the holidays with the SIL's family out of town. It was so nice. We got to spend time with the little munchkin and enjoy each other's company in a relaxed setting.

On Sunday I went to the Redskins vs. Eagles game. It was cold and windy but we managed to stay warm and oddly, the Redskins won! It was a Christmas Miracle!!

Okay, pardon my language, but being busy and pregnant is a fucking pain! I got to work this morning at a few minuted until 11am! HA HA! I woke up early to make my cookie batters because I have had no time to bake so I decided the only way to get through this is to make the batter ahead of time so that I can just sit down and bake. I made my batter for lime melt-aways, Chewy peanut butter cookies, soft lemon cookies, snicker doodles, and I made brownies that will get iced tonight.

I feel very good about my progress but this little project put me so far behind that it was almost impossible to get into work today! I finally got here and I am exhausted. It is probably a combo of doing too much this weekend and then getting up early today but the holidays will be over soon...halleluya!

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great day and has all of their holiday shopping done. I am going to make a hair appointment for tomorrow. I need some pampering!

2008-12-16T12:28:00.002-05:00

Last night the hubby made us the BEST dinner. It was quite gourmet if you ask me!! He made rib eye sandwiches on foccacia rolls with an arugula mayonnaise and a Gruyere bechamel sauce...yes, fancy pants was in the house! He also made this awesome, light cole slaw. YUM! Of course I took a picture before we devoured it all...

I am so thankful that my husband wanted to try out this recipe because I have been feeling like this baby has been kicking my ass lately. I know it's dumb to feel this way, but I feel like such a lazy ass hole some days. I have all these plans of things I want to do, things that need to be done around the house, errands I want to run, and what do I do? I get some comfy sweats on and I sit my fat uterus, I mean, ass, on the couch and feel like I can't move. That is until my move consists of going from the couch to my bed. I know it's natural and it's understandable being preggers and all but I am just not used to sitting around constantly. I start to feel bad about myself. I am used to being so busy I can't see straight so this is quite a change.

I have been getting the majority of my Christmas shopping done on-line and in stores during my lunch breaks during the day. I think if I didn't do it this way I might not be getting anything done. So, that's one positive.

This morning our little Princess Lucy was being so cute, as usual. She was just sitting in Daddy's chair looking at the Christmas tree. I'm going to assume she likes it. Either that or she's plotting how to destroy it once we leave for work. Either way she looked damn cute so of course, being the proud mama that I am, I took pictures. ENJOY!

2008-12-09T15:32:00.002-05:00

So...the holiday season is upon us again and I am trying my hardest to keep a positive attitude. I am almost 100% done shopping so that is a bonus. I think I have one or two things left to get and then I'm done. Yipeeee!!

I have been sneaking out of work for my lunch breaks and getting some shopping done so it has been even less painful than usual. My serious problem when shopping is seeing something that I want, need, whatever, and buying it while out buying for other people. So far while shopping for others I've managed to buy myself two new rings (they were only $4 a piece so don't judge just yet), a set of holiday guest towels, a new tablecloth, and a few holiday goodies (WHAT? the baby's hungry!) Mmmmm toffee...Anyway, I figure look, I'm not going to ask for these things that I see for Christmas at this point because well, it's just too late and if I want it, I might as well just buy it for myself, right? And even if I ask for it, it's not like I'm 8 and Santa will bring it to me. It's unfortunate being an adult some times. Basically, if I want it I need to just buy it or covet it in the store until it goes on sale and I can afford to buy it...

The hubby has agreed that we don't have to go to some of our normal Christmas Day stops this year and that makes me very, very happy. On top of being tired and grumpy, I just don't think that last stop will add anything to the day. So, it should be a great Christmas.

My wonderful hubby got our whole house decorated with Christmas lights on Sunday, possibly the coldest, windiest day on earth, and it looks awesome! All the lights are hung and working and it looks so festive. Another plus of being pregnant, no one makes you help put Christmas lights up, or anything else you really don't want to do for that matter. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that the hubby secretly likes to do it. He should, I would be proud of how nice our house looks if I were him.

Anyway, back to writing out Christmas cards, er, ummm, work...

2008-12-04T18:57:00.003-05:00

Okay, so we went to the doc's today and had another sonogram and all I can say is WOW! I can't believe that our little blob actually looks like a baby now! Apparently it's only about 7 inches long but it has hands and legs and it was SUCKING IT'S THUMB! It's like I have a little alien in me, but it's very cool! Here are some pic's:

To answer some of the comments...Don't anyone ever apologize for using foul language. I have to admit that one of my biggest fears is that my child will come out and it's first words will be a four letter one, mainly one starting with an "F". Let's just say mama has a potty mouth and I don't see it getting any better. I mean hey, I can't drink, I can't smoke, I can't take medicine when I'm sick for Christ's sake, so, I'll eat and curse. No harm, no foul, I hope.

I can't believe I kept this news in so long either. It was very hard but thankfully I've been very busy at work and have been traveling so that kept me off the blogisphere and didn't allow me to slip. Plus, you just don't want to jinx it you know? They say it's safer to share after 3 months so I figured I'd follow the rules just this once.

I do love how "chick" said she should have guessed by the lack of drinking going on in my life. Well, no kidding, and how dare you, what are you trying to say, that I'm an alcoholic? Okay, so I drink a lot. It's been strange, but oddly not difficult. Often when the hubby is drinking an ice cold beer I just HAVE to have some, so, I take a sip and I feel better. I did make him buy me some non-alcoholic beer but eh, just isn't the same. Once in a while it's okay but I'd rather eat a banana split than drink beer with no alcohol in it, ya know?

So that's that. We're heading to NYCEEE tomorrow to shop and act like tourists. Gotta do it once in a while and we haven't been up to visit friends in some time so tomorrow is the day. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

2008-12-01T14:15:00.002-05:00

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Cold Hands is the big WEENER!

Lucy's gonna be a big sister. In about 6 months or so! Here's a shot of Peanut from about a month or so ago. We go for another sonogram this Thursday so maybe I'll have another grainy picture of fuzz to show you soon. For now, here is our "baby"...weird! We're gonna have a baby!!

I was very nauseous for the first couple of months but never really got sick so I have to say that I am very grateful for that. I'm starting to feel a lot better every day and my stomach is expanding at an alarming rate! Just wait til I take a picture of that and post it! YIKES~

Anyway, I'll try to keep it to a minimum with baby talk and pregnancy crap but that's what's going on...Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. You'll all be glad to know that it came close but there were no homicides committed on our family Thanksgiving trip last week! Progress...it's happening everywhere!!

2008-11-30T20:43:00.001-05:00

Guess What....???

2008-11-20T19:07:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I volunteered at my neighborhood elementary school by teaching an art class to 3 classes of 3rd - 5th graders. I was a little nervous, kids at that age can be total brats, but they were all surprisingly pleasant!

I was really impressed with all of the classes being taught and the efforts that went into planning and organizing this event. It was called "Art Day" and everyone in the school was able to participate. Classes were 45 minutes each and once the time was up the kids would go to their next scheduled class. I assume the reason this little program was set up is sadly because things like art and music are being cut from schools. So, teachers and schools have to take it upon themselves to organize these things with donations from people in the community. It's just another sad reality of the toll this miserable economy is taking on every day life.

The whole thing seemed really fun. There were things like jewelry making, African drumming, drama, etc. My project was glass candle holders. I figured the kids could make them for themselves, or, since the holidays are coming, make them as gifts for family and friends. And hey, what kid doesn't like to make a mess with glue and glitter? I swear the teacher who's class I was using wanted to murder me when I left. I tried to clean up as best I could but the amount of glitter left on the floor and in the crevices of the desks was almost comical. Well, to me anyway!

I was so impressed with the kid's artistic abilities and their interest to tell you the truth. Even the boys were really into the project and excited to make gifts for their moms. I even heard a few kids in more than one of my classes say, "this is fun". That was nice to hear. I took a few pictures of the finished candle holders.

And today I volunteered with my father in law, serving senior citizens Thanksgiving dinner/lunch. It was a very nice day and they were all very appreciative. My feet and back, not so much! Hmmm...maybe I'm trying to get all my good deeds in before I kill my family next week. We'll see! I am really looking forward to some sunshine in Florida!!

2008-11-18T12:42:00.002-05:00

I can not believe that it is the 3rd week of November already. AND, that next week is Thanksgiving already. Where does the time go?

On Saturday we leave for Florida for our family Thanksgiving trip. We switch every year which side of the family we spend Thanksgiving with and this year we are revisiting the whole "let's go on vacation together" scenario. Last time we headed to Florida with my fam, as most family trips go, you plan for 5 days, you wish you would have made the trip longer and then when day 4 comes along and you're ready to strangle every person in your family, you thank the heavens that you are leaving the next day and will get to be away from these miserable people you call family and will get to snuggle up with your pup once again! Wheewwww, annnnd SCENE!

This year we are going for 7 days. I am hoping and praying that by the time next Saturday rolls around I am still on speaking terms with all family members and that there is no love lost and no one gets thrown from a window...

I am going to arrive with a positive attitude. We've planned to do some things differently this time, like not sharing a car with my brother and his family. And honestly, as long as I'm with my darling husband and the weather is warm and sunny, as it's supposed to be, we'll be just fine! I am looking forward to getting away since it's been super cold and windy here the last few days. The only part I hate about going away is leaving my pooch. I miss that little bitch so much when I'm away from her.

We are trying a new "dog sitter" while we're away this time. My cousin, who is a senior in college, and also works as a house/dog sitter in her spare time, will be staying at our house with little miss Lucy-fer. I think she's pretty trustworthy and as long as she takes good care of the pooch, then all is good in my book!

So, what are all of you (in the U.S., that is) doing for Thanksgiving? Are you cooking? Traveling? Hiding under a rock?

2008-11-12T12:24:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was a busy one. I had a baby shower to go to for one of my good friends. And as a woman I know that at one point or another I have or will have a shower in my honor but I swear, they are SO LAME! I mean, it's fine to get together with your girlfriends and it's especially nice to honor your friend that is getting married or having a baby or what have you, but I was wondering, would it be rude if you didn't open gifts at a shower? I mean, I know it's a major reason for the shower and many people want to see the loot that you get and want to see you open their gift but it's soooo boring. It takes soooo long. There has to be another way. I'm going to have to figure out what that way is.

Also this weekend we celebrated my Father In Law's 75th Birthday! My MIL had an "open house" for him which was so, so nice. They had lots of yummy food and drinks and lots of friends came to visit for his big day. As a matter of fact, I think about 80 people showed up! It was a lovely day but I still can't believe that he is 75! He is a fire cracker and in great shape. I hope he's around for another 20 years!

And of course, what you all want to see, we had a Lucy photo shoot this weekend so you get to benefit from our little poser. Enjoy!

Lucy looking like a bat upside down

You lookin' at me? - the serious pose

Like Oh My God! - the valley girl

Hello There. The surprised look!

The blink - Please, no more paparazzi!

The "I love my daddy" pose!

The "Paris Hilton/Red Carpet" pose. Work it Lucy!

Picture time...

2008-11-07T11:00:00.003-05:00

So, last night as I was driving home from happy hour I was looking around at my surroundings. I passed the U.S. Capitol, I passed the WWII Memorial, I passed the Botanical Gardens, I passed the Jefferson Memorial, I passed the Smithsonian and then I took out my camera. As I almost wrecked my car, and then decided, okay, not worth it Funky, I snapped this shot while waiting at a red light:

What an amazing place I live in. What a beautiful city. And what amazing sights I see just as I drive down the road...I really appreciate my city and my country I hope everyone else feels the same about where they live.

Another beautiful thing happening on the East Coast right now, and probably where all of you live too, is the changing of the leaves and the real feeling that Fall is here. It is happening rather late this year because of the amount of rain we got over the summer, but it's beautiful none the less. The even better part is that it is supposed to be over 70 degrees here today. I can handle that! Here are some shots I've taken over the last few days of the changing leaves, and please excuse some of the rather shabby shots taken as I drove!

And lastly, since some Lucy fan asked for more pictures of her, and because I'm in love with my pooch, here are some shots of our little princess! We bought her a new ball a couple of weeks ago and she absolutely LOVES it! She brought it to bed with her the first few nights she had it but she still adores this crazy ball. It does these amazing, crazy bounces all over the yard when you throw it and she just loves chasing after it. She also loves walking around with this huge things in her mouth, as you can see. She doesn't like to leave it for long, unless of course you are feeding her or are giving her a squeaky toy to destroy! Anyway, enjoy:

2008-11-05T08:41:00.002-05:00

All I can say is, WOW!

Today I am so proud to be an American. I am thrilled that finally, after 8 years, the American people's voices are being heard and the best man won.

I woke up around 2am or so and the television was on, and of course, the news was apparent. I heard John McCain's concession speech first and I was extremely impressed. I have always considered him a good man, but he kept it positive and classy, unlike many of his supporters. Some of his supporters on their way out said things like, and I quote, "we now have a Muslim, black panther in the white house" and "he is not my commander in chief, he is not my president, and he never will be"...keep it klassy republicans. Anyway, I won't go there too...I'll only say that I'm happy this is the closest Sarah Palin will ever be to the White House.

I think this gives the United States back our respect in the international forum. The people finally feel like they've spoken and they've been heard. Children of every race, color, religion, can strive for greatness and know that they can do whatever they put their hearts and minds to.

And honestly, let's be thankful for the best part...NO MORE SCATHING, POLITICAL COMMERCIALS! YAYYYY

2008-11-03T12:02:00.003-05:00

Last week was a busy one...

On Wednesday we went to see a band called Slightly Stoopid at the 9:30 Club. I love their music and they performed great live but their following is a bit young and I felt very old there for a bit. That was until the 60+ year old woman got there. She was wearing completely inappropriate clothing and was kissing and hugging on a guy that was WAY younger than her the whole time. I had to keep myself from vomiting a few times. I ended up just paying attention to the band to keep my stomach from churning...

On Thursday the hubby and I went to see the Cirque du Soliel show Kooza with a bunch of friends. It was SO SO good! I've never been to a cirque du soliel show so this was great. If you haven't been to one you must go! I think I spent the majority of the time with my jaw on the floor, shaking my head back and forth. The acrobats and performers were simply amazing, I don't know how else to describe it. These people can do things that you would think were impossible. Human beings are just not supposed to be able to do that!

On Friday we went out to din din at this awesome Peruvian restaurant for my dad's birthday and then Saturday it was time for our annual Halloween Party. There were some excellent costumes and I think there were only one or two lame-o's who came without a costume. There was a little drama, which always makes the evening more fun, but nothing that brought the night to a halt. Let's just say Elvis' wife had a bit of a wandering eye once she got tanked. And a certain playboy bunny ended up mixing alcohol with allergy pills making for lots of spills and an early night for her! Fun, fun, fun...

What an action packed week and let me tell you, my body revolted on Sunday! Once all of the drunk stragglers and people who returned to get all of their lost belongings left it was very difficult to do much more than lay around with pooch. And thankfully that little angel was just as tired as we were because she snuggled with me and kept me warm as I was back and forth from my bed to the couch all day long! Our only outing was to McDonald's...how sad is that?

Now it's back to the grind. Work. I hope everyone plans to get out there and vote tomorrow! My office is allowing us to "do whatever we need to do to get out there and vote". I think I'll take the afternoon off to prepare. Who knows, the lines might be out the door...?

Yayyyy!!!

2008-10-23T12:39:00.002-04:00

I got my camera...hooray!! And, lucky for you, it was an eventful drive in to work today.

First I caught a family of deer hopping across a pretty busy street as I was driving in. I tried to get a picture of the mama but it came out blurry. She was literally at the front door of a house that I drove by. Can you imagine opening your front door, or looking outside and seeing a huge deer at your door? Anyway, here are two of the little one's crossing...

Also on my way to work, I decided to get a shot of the most obnoxiously decorated house I've ever seen. And it doesn't even have anything to do with my opinion on candidates. If I saw someone with Obama signs in their yard like this I would have the same reaction. I mean, these people are the one's that are just SCREAMING for a confrontation. This to me just says, "hey look at me! Do you agree? GREAT! Don't agree? I'll fight with you about it!" I'm surprised these morons don't have curtains inside their house fashioned out of these ridiculous signs. AND, where the hell do you even get signs this size?

And now for the part that's my opinion...REALLY? You're that much of a Sarah Palin fan? I mean, it's one thing to like McCain. He's not that bad really, but you will admit that you LOVE Sarah Palin? What a bunch of morons!!! And they have kids. The poor little things.

I guess I should just be glad that we live in a society that we are free to be morons and tell the world about it with no consequences. And hey, I have a new camera! YAYYYY!

2008-10-21T10:37:00.002-04:00

So I got an email from my camera manufacturer telling me that they can fix my camera - hooray! For the low, low price of $110!!! BOOOO. Now, I'm sorry but why would I get my camera fixed for $110 when I can buy a new one for $180? As a matter of fact, that's what I decided to do. I told them to send me my broken camera back and I ordered a new one from Costco.com, which also came with a brand new 2 gig memory card for free! God I love Costco. On a side note, did you know that Costco sells caskets? Incredible! I hope they don't sell them in bulk...

The manufacturer offered me some other options, which I appreciate, but it just wasn't worth it. One of the options was a refurbished camera for something like $150, and the other was like 10% off the cost of repairs. Uhhhh, NO! So now I am DYING waiting for my new camera to show up. It only happens when I don't have my camera - there have been about a million photo opportunities that NEEDED to be recorded and I can't do anything about them. Oh well, I guess Grandma's 80th birthday party will live on in my memories...

Let's hope my next post is filled with photos!

Work stuff...CAUTION - BORING AHEAD!

2008-10-16T10:15:00.003-04:00

Okay, so my last job was great, I think I've mentioned that before. I had a team that without a doubt was the best team anyone could ever have. We were like a family. I am under no illusion that what we had was something special and that the chances of there ever being a team so bonded and close again is probably impossible.

Now, with that said...the "team" I am part of at my current job is okay. I mean, everyone is pretty nice. I like everyone enough, I am probably closest with the two VP's that I work directly under, which should tell you something (if it doesn't - no one is best friends with the boss). Basically, I don't have much in common with most of the people I work with. In the nicest way possible, I don't really care about any of them. I can't really see myself becoming close friends with any of them outside of work, which is fine, I'm not really looking for that kind of relationship with anyone. However, it is a little disappointing that none of these people really intrigue me. There's no real communication and just a general disregard for each other that didn't happen at my old job. I mean, if nothing else we all had a common interest in one another and kept each other in the loop.

What is all of this getting at? Well...earlier this week, one of my managers mentioned in passing in an email that she'd be coming back to the office for Jack's pre-wedding party. I hadn't heard a thing about it so I asked her when it was. She told me and mentioned that someone was collecting money for a gift. I made a point to seek the money collector out, donate to the cause and sign the card like a good worker bee. I kind of forgot when my boss said the party was but assumed I'd hear about it again at some point. Well, I never did. Not until AFTER the party when one of my co-workers walking past my desk on the way back to her office said, "Hey, why weren't you at Jack's party?". Completely taken off guard, my response was, "uuhhh, I didn't know about it". I mean, I was kind of pissed and as much as I hate to admit this, I think my feelings were a little hurt.

Do you mean to tell me that ALL of my co-workers who sit very close to my desk and see me sitting here ALL FUCKING DAY couldn't have poked their heads around and said, "hey, are you coming to the party", or "don't forget about Jack's party"...??? Whatever. The only thing it did was solidify my feelings about the people I work with. I don't really care about them, nor do I have any real bond with any of them and I suppose it will stay that way.

It's kind of sad when you long for the good old days. Especially when those days refer to work!
And here's the kicker that is now weighing on me...I have a work "offsite" coming up. 3 whole days with work people! A bus ride to our offsite location a couple hours away, a hotel stay, meetings, meals, drinks and 24/7 time spent with people that I could give two fucks about. I am DREADING IT! Grrrrrrr!!!!

2008-10-14T14:41:00.002-04:00

Yesterday the hubby and I decorated the yard for Halloween. I made all new tomb stones and we set up the grave yard, the ghosts and the spider webs all over the front of the house. It looks awesome, and let me tell you, if my camera wasn't broken, I would take pictures and show you all. I sent my camera back to the manufacturer to see if they can fix it but I'm almost tempted to go buy a new one. Anyone that knows me has figured out that I can't really live without my camera. I know it's lame but I am a serial picture taker! Maybe I'm just extremely vain and feel that I need to document every little thing about my amazing life? Who knows, I think I'm just addicted to my camera.

So, the trip to the beach was AWESOME! I would share more pictures that we took but, umm, well, you know. No camera, no pictures.

On Saturday while we were there we went to this super great pet supply boutique called Outer Barks where they hold a weekly "Yappy Hour". It was too cute. Lucy played with all kinds of other pooches, she played in a baby pool, they had snacks for the dogs, and I don't mean lame ones, they had spaghetti, turkey burgers, jerky, ice cream...I mean, good stuff! We also did a paw print picture. They painted Lucy's back paw with paint then stamped it onto a piece of paper. It was so cute and now lives on our fridge. And I know you're all thinking this, yes, we are weirdo's who are in love with our dog. God only knows how we'll be when we have kids! Although I still think I'll like our dog better....he he he.

And now, it's back to the grind. Work is boring as usual but I'm still just grateful to have a job. Hope everyone is having a great day!

2008-10-10T10:53:00.003-04:00

Well, well, well...Look at me being all M.I.A.

Well, we FINALLY got to take a real vacation. Not one that revolves around work trips and things that we are required to do. A real live, adult, do whatever the hell you please, vacation. And that's where we've been, and that's where we still are.

On Sunday night we packed up the bags, the car and pooch and bright and early Monday morning we headed to the sunny outer banks of North Carolina. It has been so nice. I think we've left the house 3 times since being here - in the car I mean. We have been out on the beach with the pooch by about 8am every morning just taking a nice leisurely walk. Then we've come home, made breakfast and coffee, enjoying them out on the deck. By that time the sun is just about blaring and it's time to put on our bathing suits and get onto our lounge chairs. With our Sirius radio playing and books in hand.

By about noon, when the margaritas are flowing nicely and the pooch has just about come around from her mid-morning nap, we take her down to the beach for a nice romp and play in the sand and surf. Let me tell you, this pooch is in heaven! She has been attacking the waves like a born surfer and acting the way a real lab/mystery dog is supposed to act. We've had so much fun with her! She hasn't even harassed any of the fishermen out on the beach.

Once that adventure is over we've headed back to the house for outdoor showers for all of us. Then it's back in the house for more cocktails. I mean, what's vacation for anyway?

A few nights ago we decided to drive up to a little spot that had a nice long pier leading out to the sound to catch the sun set. It's funny how as soon as the sun begins to set the temperature drops so drastically. Okay, it's in the 60's but when you're sun soaked and it's been in the 80's all day, that feels cold to me!

Anyway, we took pooch along for a nice family sun set. Then we came upon a photo op that we could just not pass up. Behold, DoggieFly!

I mean, seriously, how cute is that? She's even smiling!! I love it. Oh, and just pretend you can't see TSO behind her keeping her head in the hole.

So, that's what we've been up to and why I have been out of pocket. Just relaxing and spending time with my happy little family, away from life and stress and diets. Nothing but eating and drinking going on here. On Monday it will be back to the grind, but until then, my mind will remain on vacation.

I miss you all and will try to catch up on all of you soon. Hope Everyone is well!

2008-09-29T14:36:00.002-04:00

So this Saturday was my birthday and it really turned out to be a great weekend!

On Friday the hubby brought me home some beautiful red roses!!

I don't think I've ever gotten red roses from him and they are so beautiful!

We had a really weird weather weekend as we've been feeling the remnants of the most recent hurricanes that are plaguing the south east. One minute it would be pouring, the next the sun was out. The clouds have been moving so fast!

Anyway, on Saturday we headed down to Kent Island on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland to eat crabs for my b-day. Driving there was a nightmare. It rained so hard, there were accidents. It was ugly. This is a shot as we were crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. You can tell we were in a huge, ugly, gray cloud. But beyond the horizon, past the large tankers, you can see a clearing.

Well, once we got to the crab house it stopped raining but we were still surrounded by really threatening looking clouds:

Almost as quick as a blink, the clouds moved out and voila! We had a beautiful sunny, warm day! It was a birthday miracle!

There was a pond for the kids to feed the ducks and once the rain stopped and the pond retreated - it was overflowing when we got there - we could enjoy all of the sights and smells and alcoholic beverages...

Here is some of the carnage from the crab feast and a very yummy desert - one of many that we had that day!!

I swear all a birthday means to me is 10 pounds of FAT! On Sunday we went to brunch with my parents to "celebrate my birthday". Then the hubby and I went home to watch the Redskins beat the stinky old Cowboys!!! WOO HOO - another birthday miracle! And then the hubby took me to a FABULOUS "birthday dinner" at a new restaurant called Art and Soul. If you are planning a trip to D.C. I highly recommend it. I just wish I could have ordered one of everything on the menu!! Actually, we almost did...

The sweet hubby had a bottle of bubbly waiting at our table when we arrived and we tried many of the appetizers then shared an entree because we were afraid that we might literally explode! And then of course they brought out desert!! Three "cupcakes" that they called their "baby cakes". One was a lemon with some kind of custard filling and a meringue topping, one was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and the last was an almost flavored cake with some type of almost marshmallow frosting. Holy lord, I woke up full this morning! I can't wait to go back.

Anyway, it was a fabulous weekend and after my final "birthday dinner" at my in-law's house on Wednesday I am going on a starvation diet. I swear I can't fit in my pants today.

I hope everyone else had a great weekend as well. HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!

2008-09-25T15:19:00.002-04:00

My life is Boooooring. I have nothing to write about. Nothing eventful happening in my world.

I just got done reading Blindness, which is also coming out in the theaters, if it hasn't already. It was a really good book. If you're into reading you should check it out!

Work is boring and uneventful but hey, at least I have a job. With the way the economy is these days, I feel lucky that I don't have to run down to McDonald's to make ends meet. But, let me tell you, if I had to, I would. Thanks Bush for bankrupting our country. You're the man!

The pooch is cuter than ever and I want to eat her with BBQ sauce.

Aaaannnd...that's about it. See, I told you had I nothing to say. Now, I will go see what you all have to say, or not say.

2008-09-17T11:07:00.002-04:00

Been home sick since completely overdoing it this weekend. Friday rehearsal dinner (and I feel bad because they actually did have wine, but still, had beer and liquor at a "cash bar" - lame), Saturday wedding, Sunday football game on the surface of the sun. Wheeeeeeeeee!

My car is also apparently sick, or sick of me, who knows. All I do know is that it's going to cost over 900 fucking dollars to fix, and yes, when you're talking about that much cash to spend on a car, it is FUCKING DOLLARS! How does a water filter cost that much? I had to have my car towed to the dealership on Tuesday morning because the temperature gauge light and the engine light was on. That to me, even though I consider them the "dummy lights", is nothing to mess with. I'd rather not take a chance on blowing up my engine in order to drive it the 20 miles to the dealership.

So instead, I got to ride in the cab of a smelly tow truck with a weird old dude with shoulder length gray hair, tapping his fingers to country music, which I am not a fan of, while staring out the window and hoping that he didn't take a detour and kill me. Thankfully he was not a psycho, or at least just not yesterday. So, I'm alive.

I got a loaner from the dealership and I love it. It's a brand new VW Passat Wagon. It rides like I'm gliding through butter and I hope it takes a long time to fix my car because I'd rather drive this thing around for a while. HA!

Anyway, if I come up with something positive or even worth anyone's time to write about I'll be back. Otherwise, peace out for now!

2008-09-12T16:04:00.002-04:00

Well, it's Friday, and for that I should be thrilled, but...I am suddenly feeling like ass and we have a wedding this weekend that my husband is in. What does that mean? Well, that means we have a weekend full of wedding crap - doesn't it all just suck when it's not yours? HA! I'm kidding, mostly. I mean, if this were one of my dearest friends I'd be very excited about the whole affair. Since I don't care about the happy couple one way or the other, I feel the same about the wedding.

Tonight is the rehearsal dinner, which I was informed is a buffet dinner with a cash bar. Really...? Wow, why even announce that? I mean, when you say "cash bar" I feel like that's the only thing people remember about your dinner. I think it might go over better if you just don't announce it. Hell, some people might not even notice. HAHA...yeah right. And I know I'm sounding like the snobbiest of the snobs. I really don't mean to. But don't you think they could have scrounged enough cash to make it a "beer and wine with dinner" event? I mean, this is the only way some of us can get through these things. Don't make me become completely classless and bring a flask people! I mean, I had girlfriends that didn't serve liquor at their rehearsal dinners because we hang with a bunch of drunks and they didn't want hung over fools on their wedding day, but beer and wine made their appearance. That's perfectly acceptable, but come on. You're 35 years old, alcohol is essential at your event. Unless of course you are a recovering alcoholic and then we have a whole new issue...I'll move on. I'm hoping they class it up a little and don't have a cash bar at the actual wedding tomorrow. I'll choose to give them the benefit of the doubt on that one.

The fun thing about the weekend is that some of our bestest buds are coming in from New Orleans and Virginia and they're staying with us, so at least we'll be having fun at our house. A full house of pre-drinkers I suppose!

Sunday we are all going to the Redskins vs. Saints game, so it will be another entire day full of drinking and eating. I hate weekends when you feel like you still need some weekend once their over. I hope I can relax some. We'll see...

On top of all that, I think I may be getting sick. I spent all day yesterday sneezing and chasing after a runny nose and I've had this killer headache right behind my eyes all day today and Advil aint cutting it. I'm a little worried but I'm praying I can will it away before I have to pretend to be having a good time at a wedding in the Hilton ballroom on Saturday night. I can't imagine being miserable and feeling miserable. That will truly suck and I feel bad for the hubby ahead of time if that's the case.

Anyway, I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend and that you Texans stay safe and sound and out of Ike's way, that son of a bitch! I'll be thinking about you all!!

2008-09-09T12:54:00.003-04:00

Well, this is how the weekend began, well, Saturday morning that is...Thank god my personal bartender came home in one piece!

On Friday the pooch and I headed to the airport to get the hubby. TSO was a little afraid that the pooch may have forgotten him but I can assure you, with the way that dog's tail was wagging and the time spent licking her daddy's face off, I can assure you, no love was lost! It was good to get him home!

We barely left the house all weekend. Take that as you may (DK!). And we got way more than 3"...of rain. But thankfully, no trees fell. It was kind of nice to have torrential down pours all day Saturday because it gave us an even better excuse to just stay in the house and enjoy each other's company.

Today the hubby and I celebrate 2 years of wedded bliss! I can't even believe we've been married 2 whole years. It seems like just yesterday we were partying it up at our wedding. And it really doesn't even seem like we've been together for the 10 years that we have. Every day we spend together is really and truly better than the day before and for that, I am certain that this man was put on this earth for me. So, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TSO! I love you!

Have a great day everyone!

2008-09-05T08:11:00.003-04:00

My husband comes home today and I am beside myself! The pooch and I are going to pick him up at the airport around 2 o'clock this afternoon.

My dad was scheduled to have his annual LP party this Saturday (for those of you too young to know what an LP is, it's what we used to listen to music on! before cd's and tapes, you know, the things you make bowls and are projects out of now). Anyway, now we're supposed to get the remnants of Hanna and with that, up to 3" of rain an hour and wind up to 79 mph! I hope some of that wind takes down some of the trees in my back yard that keep dumping premature acorns all over my deck, but I also hope they fall away from my house! Wishful thinking I presume.

Anyway, I am expecting to have a lovely weekend catching up with the hubby! I'll see you all when I resurface!!!

Have a great weekend everyone...

2008-09-04T11:56:00.002-04:00

Oh My God! The hubby comes home tomorrow after being away for 3 weeks! It seems like he's been gone FOREVER and I'm sure it's so much worse for him. I'm taking a half day off work and the pooch and I are planning to greet him at the airport. He'll be so happy!!

Okay, I don't want to talk about politics really, because, well, no one cares about my opinion. And honestly, I don't care about anyone else's opinion in return. I just want to say that I accidentally switched on the republican convention last night while Palin was speaking and I wanted to vomit. I swear to god, if this dumb whore becomes my vice president, or my anything for that matter, I am moving to Europe. (FYI Hubby! if those two fools are running our country, we got some packing to do). I am not even kidding. I will miss my family terribly and it will probably be hard to adjust for a bit, but I'm leaving the country.

I just want to know why the Republicans think they are so much better than everyone else? I was listening to the "mother of the year" speaking last night and she is just so smug and self righteous. I seriously want to punch her in the grill. Then, when she's down, I want to tell her to get her ass home and take care of her down syndrome infant and her pregnant teenager that she should have been enforcing her abstinence stance on, since she's so passionate about it. Or maybe she should go fight for the right of the government to tell me what I can and can not do with MY body. I mean, it's 2008, what better thing to waste our money on than more Roe vs. Wade legislation.

Perhaps she can take her ass to D.C. - what a culture shock that will be - and hand out guns to all of the teenagers and crack heads and let them have at it, since she's so into guns and the freedom to carry them. Guess what asshole, carrying a gun in D.C. or the rest of the country for that matter doesn't hold the same intentions as carrying a gun in Alaska. There's no hunting wolves in D.C. People just hunt people here.

Oh, and while you're in D.C., you may not want to visit the DuPont Circle area. I hear it's very "gay" and we all know that is unacceptable in your eyes. Let's hope one of your fucked up children, or better yet, soon to arrive grandchildren, don't "choose" to be gay because they would probably be disowned. You know, because given the choice, we'd all want to be a social outcast because of our sexual orientation.

OY! I can't go on. No one wants to read it and really, I am just ranting to myself because no one would want to hear this spoken out loud. I am certain of this. Plus, I don't want to offend anyone face to face. Politics are so stupid. They all speak out of both sides of their mouths. It's sick the passion and fight this brings out in us. There's no way everyone will ever agree on a subject, let alone a candidate. I wish they'd all just go away! And I wish I could ignore it, that it didn't matter to me. But it does, and it sucks!

Now, let's end on a positive note, shall we? Some pictures of my sweet, sweet Lucy-fer!