What a relief! I thought I was doomed to constant queasiness for the remainder of my first trimester, but I seem to be getting some relief today. So far, so good.
Today was a good day for imagining, too. I was rockin' out with my Zune on shuffle on my way home from work, and the song "Do you love me" by the Contours came up. Instantly my mind flashed to a scene of Husband and I in the near future entertaining our baby with silly dances to songs like these. From there my mind wandered to all the fun games we would get to play, and the amazing things we would get to show our little one.
Some days I'm filled with anxiety --- What exactly made me think I was parent material? What have I gotten myself in to now??? And then there are days like today, days when I am filled with joy and contentment for the future I have with my family.
John and Kate = Hate
Does anyone watch that show "John and Kate plus 8?"
I have been watching a lot of it lately, and I kind of feel bad for John. Really, people, Kate is kind of a beotch. And she blathers on endlessly about the ORGANIC, ALL NATURAL foods she feeds her children. Ok, talk about it once, maybe twice, but not every damn time you are preparing food for your children on TV. The funny thing is that she always seems to be justifying any *treat* they feed to their kids (like the all natural "fluff" topping for their sandwiches). This is just a treat... just a treat... just a treat... not everyday. Dear lord, the poor woman must feel as if the super mom's of the world are judging her. *sigh* Poor Kate. Poor John. I can't decide if the stress of this show is going to drive them to divorce, or if the show is the only thing keeping them together.
Finally, I am in love with a band, a song, a WHOLE album! I should technically stick this over on my other blog, and I will, but I felt like it deserved space over here, too. The band is "Ben's Brother" and their first album "Beta Male Fairytale's" is just SUPREME! There is one song in particular that I just adore, although nearly EVERY song on the album is terrific and great to listen to on a mellow afternoon. So, anyway, please listen to this song - and if you like it - listen to the whole album, it is just amazing!
Stuttering (Kiss Me)
(EDIT - added the youtube video since Imeem was only letting me have a 30 second clip. Lame)
Listen to it, people! And if the embedded player doesn't work for some reason, tell me, and I'll break down and put a youtube clip up in this monkey!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Stories We Tell...
Mother called yesterday and brought a few "facts" to my attention. And yes, while I am not the New York Times (not that the Times is good about getting their facts straight) I do want to make sure I'm telling the truth as best as I can when I write. She specifically called in reference to the blog I wrote about my grandmother most recently. Echoes, Patience, Silence and Grace, I believe it was called.
Anyway, she set the record straight on a few things.
First, June was ACTUALLY married in Cambridge, and before they moved to New York they lived in California.
Second, the story of June and the Giant (aka, June smashes man over hear with skillet) didn't exactly play out the way the story was told to me. Now, in all fairness, this was the version that I was told, but my mother made an excellent point about June's philosophy to storytelling, which was "Why mess up a good story with the truth." If I actually knew the first thing about my grandfather (which I really don't) I would probably have realized this story is pretty far fetched. As I understand it now, Frank is a pretty mellow guy that love(d) - past tense - to drink and was in a Jazz Band. On one particular night, Frank was jamming out to the smooth sounds of some new Jazz music on his brand spankin' new stereo. The music was apparently a little too loud for June's taste, so she decided to go ahead and cut the stereo speaker wires. At that point Frank proceeded to chase June around the house, and somewhere along the line June smashed Frank over the head with a heavy duty Seven Up bottle.
And... they didn't get divorced right after that. My mother happened to have the divorce papers right in front of her, and June and Frank didn't divorce until much later - 1967, in fact, when June was nearly 28.
Truth be told, for every amazing, wonderful, heartwarming story I have of June, I have an equally traumatizing story of the woman we fearfully referred to as Taz. June was prone to her Tasmanian Devil fits, and a few of these included completely destroying my older brother's miniature rain forest garden on the side of the house (and when I say destroy, I mean she went all Genghis Khan on the garden and mowed it down with a Machete when he was 5 minutes late from coming home from work). There was also the time she went ballistic on me in Rocky Point Mexico because I refused to pick up my father's beer can collection from the previous evening. I also distinctly recall "Taz" telling Andrew he was grounded because, well, I don't really remember now, but anyway, they got into it in a big way, but Andrew was now larger than June and when she tried to push him into his room he jammed himself in the doorway with his arms and legs and refused to budge. Funny to think about now, but I'm sure Andrew feared for his life a little bit at the time. Afterall, she was handy with large knifes.
So after listing all of these things, you may wonder how it is that June came to attain hero status in my books? You know people, I'm not so sure. I guess I can't hold a grudge. I liked June, a lot. She is fun to brag about, to tell stories about - she really was an incredible woman, even if her stories weren't always accurate.
So, there, now the record is mostly straightened out. And, in my opinion, the truth is just every bit as good as the original :)
Anyway, she set the record straight on a few things.
First, June was ACTUALLY married in Cambridge, and before they moved to New York they lived in California.
Second, the story of June and the Giant (aka, June smashes man over hear with skillet) didn't exactly play out the way the story was told to me. Now, in all fairness, this was the version that I was told, but my mother made an excellent point about June's philosophy to storytelling, which was "Why mess up a good story with the truth." If I actually knew the first thing about my grandfather (which I really don't) I would probably have realized this story is pretty far fetched. As I understand it now, Frank is a pretty mellow guy that love(d) - past tense - to drink and was in a Jazz Band. On one particular night, Frank was jamming out to the smooth sounds of some new Jazz music on his brand spankin' new stereo. The music was apparently a little too loud for June's taste, so she decided to go ahead and cut the stereo speaker wires. At that point Frank proceeded to chase June around the house, and somewhere along the line June smashed Frank over the head with a heavy duty Seven Up bottle.
And... they didn't get divorced right after that. My mother happened to have the divorce papers right in front of her, and June and Frank didn't divorce until much later - 1967, in fact, when June was nearly 28.
Truth be told, for every amazing, wonderful, heartwarming story I have of June, I have an equally traumatizing story of the woman we fearfully referred to as Taz. June was prone to her Tasmanian Devil fits, and a few of these included completely destroying my older brother's miniature rain forest garden on the side of the house (and when I say destroy, I mean she went all Genghis Khan on the garden and mowed it down with a Machete when he was 5 minutes late from coming home from work). There was also the time she went ballistic on me in Rocky Point Mexico because I refused to pick up my father's beer can collection from the previous evening. I also distinctly recall "Taz" telling Andrew he was grounded because, well, I don't really remember now, but anyway, they got into it in a big way, but Andrew was now larger than June and when she tried to push him into his room he jammed himself in the doorway with his arms and legs and refused to budge. Funny to think about now, but I'm sure Andrew feared for his life a little bit at the time. Afterall, she was handy with large knifes.
So after listing all of these things, you may wonder how it is that June came to attain hero status in my books? You know people, I'm not so sure. I guess I can't hold a grudge. I liked June, a lot. She is fun to brag about, to tell stories about - she really was an incredible woman, even if her stories weren't always accurate.
So, there, now the record is mostly straightened out. And, in my opinion, the truth is just every bit as good as the original :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Week 9
Wow, a lot going on this week with Baby Gaines! Really, it is amazing all that happens in such a short amount of time, and I find myself in awe of all that my baby can do already! I signed up at whattoexpect.com, and they send me weekly update on the baby's progress and what milestones are occurring. I'll go ahead and post them here for all to see :)
And how am I doing? Well - I'm hanging in there. Still plenty of food aversions - not a whole lot of cravings. My boobs have grown in size to roughly the dimension of watermelons, and they hurt like hell. I'm already wearing maternity pants - and I've come to love the maternity frock type shirts that are probably long enough to be a dress. Thank goodness baby doll dresses are in style! I'll be picking some of those up for sure!
And, yeah, Baby Gaines may still not be much to look at, but he/she has definitely come a long way since the days of looking shrimp like!Week 9: The Fetal Heartbeat Strengthens
Good-bye embryo, hello fetus. Your baby is now about one inch long, the size of a medium green olive (hold the martinis, please), with a heart that's developed enough — and large enough — to be heard with a Doppler.Sunrise, sunset: Would you believe your baby is having his or her first graduation already? Yes, it's true: Your scholar-to-be has ended his or her embryonic stage and is entering the fetal period now (good-bye embryo, hello fetus). Your fetus is now about one inch long, the size of a medium green olive (but no martinis, please). The head has straightened out and is more fully developed, the ears are much more prominent, and some new organs (the liver, spleen, and gallbladder) are forming. Your fetus is also making spontaneous movements of his or her arms and legs now that minuscule muscles are beginning to develop, though you won't feel your tiny dancer for at least another two months.
While it's way too early to feel anything, it's not too early to hear something (possibly). Your baby's heart is developed enough — and grown large enough — so that its beats can be heard with a Doppler, a handheld ultrasound device that amplifies the lub-dub sound the heart makes. But don't worry if your practitioner can't pick up the sound of your baby's heartbeat yet. It just means your shy guy or gal is hiding in the corner of your uterus, or has his or her back facing out, making it hard for the Doppler to find its target. In a few weeks (or at your next visit) the miraculous sound of your baby's heartbeat is certain to be audible for your listening pleasure.
And how am I doing? Well - I'm hanging in there. Still plenty of food aversions - not a whole lot of cravings. My boobs have grown in size to roughly the dimension of watermelons, and they hurt like hell. I'm already wearing maternity pants - and I've come to love the maternity frock type shirts that are probably long enough to be a dress. Thank goodness baby doll dresses are in style! I'll be picking some of those up for sure!
Friday, May 23, 2008
7 weeks, 5 days...
Hello internet - sorry if I haven't paid a whole lot of attention lately. I've been preoccupied. I had a hard time deciding when we would say anything, if we would say anything, but I've finally come to the conclusion that I am 100% comfortable with letting the baby out of the bag.
Yep - I'm pregnant! 7 weeks, 5 days today! The first ultrasound went very well, and Baby Gaines was even measuring ahead of where I thought he would based on my cycle. And, our little fella has the heart of a champion at 156 bpm!
Meet Baby Gaines!
Yep - I'm pregnant! 7 weeks, 5 days today! The first ultrasound went very well, and Baby Gaines was even measuring ahead of where I thought he would based on my cycle. And, our little fella has the heart of a champion at 156 bpm!
Meet Baby Gaines!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Echoes, Patience, Silence and Grace...
The mornings have been tough lately. I seem to be more tired than usual, and upon waking I immediately begin the internal dialog to get myself motivated to move. I push myself, I tell myself that June got up every morning much earlier than this, looked amazing and then went and kicked ass all day long. June really was the "right wife". Of course, she smashed my grandfather over the head with an iron skillet after he hit her (in her early twenties) and they were divorced shortly after that. That is the abbreviated story, but it sometimes amazes me that my grandmother had been married, given birth and divorced all by the age of 22. Here I am at 25 and change, and while I have the marriage bit down, I haven't done much else.
But seriously, people, can you imagine? My grandmother was moved to New York from Cambridge (in England) at the ripe old age of 19 to be married (pretty much against her will, but that is another story) and then finds herself divorced. After that, her life just exploded all over the place. There wasn't a place her feet touched the earth that she didn't leave a mark. First it was Puerto Rico, then back to New York. Modeling, Running Fashion Shows, working for years in the fashion industry, spending a week at a time in the Caribbean between shows. And then, the year she turned 50, she dropped it all and moved to AZ to be closer to all of us. Her four grandchildren. Her daughter. Thus began the weekly Saga of The June Chronicles. It was happy, it was miserable, it was highly unpredictable. For years and years, June came over EVERY weekend. She would show up early Saturday morning with a trunk full of groceries and would cook us breakfast, lunch and dinner. She crammed our tummies full of snacks (some healthy, some not... I distinctly recall eating cheese slices with butter smeared on them, lol). Sometimes she would spend the night, sometimes she would just come back the next day. And of course, we all took it for granted.
What I do remember the most about those weekends (and it was every weekend) is being incredibly excited waiting for her car to pull up in our driveway. We would all scream "June June!" and go running for the door to help her carry in groceries. June introduced us to all the finer things in life, like lenders onion bagels piled high with butter and cream cheese, the fluffiest scrambled eggs on the planet, virgin bloody mary's and in general an overabundance of food. The most excited person of all? Hands down it was Sirius, our household Doberman. He loved June more than anyone thought possible, and his little stump of a tail never stopped wagging as soon as he sensed her car rolling up the street.
As the years went by, and we got older, the visits became more strained. June still came ridiculously early, but we were no longer "the rise and shine" bunch, and rather would spend our time sleeping in until noon. Sometimes June would get pissed and wake us all up and drag us out for breakfast. Sometimes she let us sleep. Sometimes June and my mother would get into a awful fight, and June wouldn't come back for awhile. But then she would show up again like nothing ever happened at all. And then we were in high school, and then my mom left for New York with my little sister to get a new start my Sophomore year of high school. As soon as I could drive, June and I got a chance to start over, this time as friends.
So, now, it is time to go to work. Go Kerith, Go. You can do this. June did this. June did this better than you. You've got to live up to your blood, Kerith. Go. Go. Go!
But seriously, people, can you imagine? My grandmother was moved to New York from Cambridge (in England) at the ripe old age of 19 to be married (pretty much against her will, but that is another story) and then finds herself divorced. After that, her life just exploded all over the place. There wasn't a place her feet touched the earth that she didn't leave a mark. First it was Puerto Rico, then back to New York. Modeling, Running Fashion Shows, working for years in the fashion industry, spending a week at a time in the Caribbean between shows. And then, the year she turned 50, she dropped it all and moved to AZ to be closer to all of us. Her four grandchildren. Her daughter. Thus began the weekly Saga of The June Chronicles. It was happy, it was miserable, it was highly unpredictable. For years and years, June came over EVERY weekend. She would show up early Saturday morning with a trunk full of groceries and would cook us breakfast, lunch and dinner. She crammed our tummies full of snacks (some healthy, some not... I distinctly recall eating cheese slices with butter smeared on them, lol). Sometimes she would spend the night, sometimes she would just come back the next day. And of course, we all took it for granted.
What I do remember the most about those weekends (and it was every weekend) is being incredibly excited waiting for her car to pull up in our driveway. We would all scream "June June!" and go running for the door to help her carry in groceries. June introduced us to all the finer things in life, like lenders onion bagels piled high with butter and cream cheese, the fluffiest scrambled eggs on the planet, virgin bloody mary's and in general an overabundance of food. The most excited person of all? Hands down it was Sirius, our household Doberman. He loved June more than anyone thought possible, and his little stump of a tail never stopped wagging as soon as he sensed her car rolling up the street.
As the years went by, and we got older, the visits became more strained. June still came ridiculously early, but we were no longer "the rise and shine" bunch, and rather would spend our time sleeping in until noon. Sometimes June would get pissed and wake us all up and drag us out for breakfast. Sometimes she let us sleep. Sometimes June and my mother would get into a awful fight, and June wouldn't come back for awhile. But then she would show up again like nothing ever happened at all. And then we were in high school, and then my mom left for New York with my little sister to get a new start my Sophomore year of high school. As soon as I could drive, June and I got a chance to start over, this time as friends.
So, now, it is time to go to work. Go Kerith, Go. You can do this. June did this. June did this better than you. You've got to live up to your blood, Kerith. Go. Go. Go!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Dreams...
I had the CRAZIEST dream last night.
GE decided to send a whole crap ton of its employees to Iraq to help with some sort of disaster. My boss was talking about the first group of employees that would have to go, and he said it would only be through the end of July. I said "Sweet, sign me up for the first shift," thinking that it was the 4th of July for some reason in dreamland. As it turns out, it was actually May 23rd (in my dream, I mean, seeing as it is only actually May 18th today). So, yeah, MAJOR bummer, having to go to Iraq for over two months when I thought I was getting away with only a few weeks.
The next part of the dream was about getting to Iraq. For some reason I didn't dream about flying on a plane, but there were several hundred employees all on school buses DRIVING to Iraq. Whatever. It is my dream, and apparently this was an episode straight out of the Magic School Bus.
After getting to Iraq, I spent a lot of time eating. My favorite place to eat was this Indian buffet that had gigantic trays with large indentations in them to hold the various sauces for your food. Ok, again, don't ask me why there was an Indian buffet in Iraq. I could swear that I was actually in India, but seriously people, why would GE take me to India when they needed me in Iraq.
This is where things start to get interesting. All of my fellow co-workers and I are taken hostage and are now prisoners of war, except, it wasn't terrorists that kidnapped us. It was American soldiers. They took great care of us - and actually, our POW camp was way comfier than the place GE had us. As it turns out, GE and the US Government and been plotting together to fake a large kidnapping of US Civilians, and to blame it on Iran.
That is when I woke up.
Crazy ass dream, right? After talking to Husband, we both agree that I should copyright this story and sell it to Tom Clancy or something. Also, I think that the US should actually do this. F*** Iran. I don't care if we have to get up to trickery to get the American People on board with blowing Iran up.
I leave you with the soothing sounds of Toby Keith and "The Taliban Song"
GE decided to send a whole crap ton of its employees to Iraq to help with some sort of disaster. My boss was talking about the first group of employees that would have to go, and he said it would only be through the end of July. I said "Sweet, sign me up for the first shift," thinking that it was the 4th of July for some reason in dreamland. As it turns out, it was actually May 23rd (in my dream, I mean, seeing as it is only actually May 18th today). So, yeah, MAJOR bummer, having to go to Iraq for over two months when I thought I was getting away with only a few weeks.
The next part of the dream was about getting to Iraq. For some reason I didn't dream about flying on a plane, but there were several hundred employees all on school buses DRIVING to Iraq. Whatever. It is my dream, and apparently this was an episode straight out of the Magic School Bus.
After getting to Iraq, I spent a lot of time eating. My favorite place to eat was this Indian buffet that had gigantic trays with large indentations in them to hold the various sauces for your food. Ok, again, don't ask me why there was an Indian buffet in Iraq. I could swear that I was actually in India, but seriously people, why would GE take me to India when they needed me in Iraq.
This is where things start to get interesting. All of my fellow co-workers and I are taken hostage and are now prisoners of war, except, it wasn't terrorists that kidnapped us. It was American soldiers. They took great care of us - and actually, our POW camp was way comfier than the place GE had us. As it turns out, GE and the US Government and been plotting together to fake a large kidnapping of US Civilians, and to blame it on Iran.
That is when I woke up.
Crazy ass dream, right? After talking to Husband, we both agree that I should copyright this story and sell it to Tom Clancy or something. Also, I think that the US should actually do this. F*** Iran. I don't care if we have to get up to trickery to get the American People on board with blowing Iran up.
I leave you with the soothing sounds of Toby Keith and "The Taliban Song"
Ok, fine. I've resisted long enough. In case reading about what I'm up to every few days isn't enough for you, NOW you can know what I'm doing throughout the day, lol. So, stalk away.
Gosh, I'm quickly realizing that this blogging thing is pretty serious business. I thought I spent way too much time blogging, but it appears that this could actually be a full time job for some folks :)
Unfortunately, my network DOES NOT block Blogger or Twitter or Youtube at work. Damn, I am so going to get fired.
Anyway, you can find my latest Twittering's over on the side column. Bla.
Sorry if I seem depressed - I listened to way too many sad songs putting together my most recent post over at The Right Sound...
Gosh, I'm quickly realizing that this blogging thing is pretty serious business. I thought I spent way too much time blogging, but it appears that this could actually be a full time job for some folks :)
Unfortunately, my network DOES NOT block Blogger or Twitter or Youtube at work. Damn, I am so going to get fired.
Anyway, you can find my latest Twittering's over on the side column. Bla.
Sorry if I seem depressed - I listened to way too many sad songs putting together my most recent post over at The Right Sound...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
New Music...
Because I enjoy writing about music so much (and posting lots of video's and mp3 clips) I decided to diversify a little and create an additional blog dedicated exclusively to my love of all things music. You can find the blog here. I have already started sharing some great music!
A New Marketplace...
Ladies and gentlemen, I am GIDDY over a new product that is being offered by the Microsoft Zune Marketplace. You see, I am the proud owner of a 80GB Zune MP3 player. I love my gadget - Husband really outdid himself for Christmas this year. Any who, in years past, I have obtained the overwhelming majority of my music through means such as napster, Kazaa, Limewire and now Mini Nova. Music is expensive. $20.00 is a lot for one good song and 12 craptastic fillers. I *HATE* that!! So yeah, stealing is wrong, but I will say that if I ever truly loved a band, loved their music, well, I would buy their damn CD. Recently, that has included Matisyahu, The Killers, Muse and of course I buy every 311 CD that comes out. I also haven't had to download a lot of the music I love. Husband is an avid CD collector, and we have somewhat similar tastes (although he is more country/rap, while I am more alternative/speed metal). Anyway, I was able to rip a lot of his collection to my computer and that saved a lot of needless downloading.
Where was I going with this??? Oh, yeah...
Zune finally came out with some AWESOME at the Zune Marketplace (which is similar to iTunes.com). Say it with me people... ZUNE PASS!!
For the low low low price of $14.99 per month (cheaper than most CDs) you can download UNLIMITED quanities of music from the Zune marketplace!! Holy crow! Sound too good to be true? It is, lol. Well, a little bit anyway. Similar to iTunes, you can only transfer the song to CD/PC 3 times, and transfer the tune to 3 Zune devices. But still - not bad! Not bad, Zune, you've got TheRightWife PAYING for her music! For the first time in my music listening career, I'm legit!
To celebrate this momentous occasion, I will now add a Zune Widget that shows the songs that I have most recently listened to/downloaded on my sidebar :)
Are you interested? Do you have a Zune? Go Here to sign up and get your Zune Pass!!
My Zune:
Where was I going with this??? Oh, yeah...
Zune finally came out with some AWESOME at the Zune Marketplace (which is similar to iTunes.com). Say it with me people... ZUNE PASS!!
For the low low low price of $14.99 per month (cheaper than most CDs) you can download UNLIMITED quanities of music from the Zune marketplace!! Holy crow! Sound too good to be true? It is, lol. Well, a little bit anyway. Similar to iTunes, you can only transfer the song to CD/PC 3 times, and transfer the tune to 3 Zune devices. But still - not bad! Not bad, Zune, you've got TheRightWife PAYING for her music! For the first time in my music listening career, I'm legit!
To celebrate this momentous occasion, I will now add a Zune Widget that shows the songs that I have most recently listened to/downloaded on my sidebar :)
Are you interested? Do you have a Zune? Go Here to sign up and get your Zune Pass!!
My Zune:
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Oh The Places We Will Go...
I took Guinness on a nice leisurely walk around the neighborhood lastnight. I brought the new camera around to test it out, and also to get some pictures of Guinness OUTSIDE of the house for a change.
Our Pals - Sean and Farrah's House:
The actually have the exact same layout as us - but we did a few things differently. Of course, their home is actually decorated and beautiful. Sean and Farrah are about 11 weeks pregnant - they are going to be great parents!
Guinness - on a Halti:
Guinness has to wear the Halti when we walk him - it keeps him from pulling the whole time, and it is a lot easier to control him if he gets excited by something. Strangely enough, Guinness was on his very best behavior lastnight. He met two new people, and even came face to face with his first infant. He was very sweet and gentle, and didn't seem to interested in the little one. Made me feel a little more relaxed about introducing a baby in our home. Anyway, I highly recommend the Halti to anyone with a big dog that really likes to pull you around on walks!
For comparisons sake, here is Guinness as a puppy (about 8 weeks old)
Sniff Sniff - Who's been walking around my bushes???
I'm sure like all other dogs, both Guinness and Sammie have to smell every blade of grass they encounter on our walks. Don't they know that spiders could be hiding in there? Or a mean scratchy kitty!
The grass!!! Holy crap, the grass!!!
The dogs love this patch of grass on the corner of our neighborhood. As soon as we get here on our walks, rolling, and grass scratching commence. Pretty silly, really.
Elementary School:
This is the brand new elementary school under construction in our neighborhood. It is kind of neat to think that our little ones might attend this school someday. How convenient - literally one block over from us! The school should open by August - exciting!
The walkway into our subdivision:
The entire master planned community we live in is very thoughtfully designed with walkways and parks throughout. I feel bad about not getting more use out of it - we are such homebodies! I can't wait to take the future babies to the community pool someday!
Home Sweet Home!!
No one else on our street has our same floorplan - the sweet little baby house. Standing at just under 1300 sq ft, our home really qualifies as a large apartment. But - it is a great starter home! Now all I need to do is decorate and get cozy, because Ryland (our builder) sold us our home in March of 2005 for the low low price of $170K. Our same floorplan is now selling for $90K in the new Master Planned community up the road. Stupid, stupid investors. Stupid banks. Stupid. Ohwell, like I said, we better get comfy, because we are going to be here awhile!
AZ Mesquite Tree:
This tree was a wee baby when we moved in - in the last two years it has grown and grown!
Our Pals - Sean and Farrah's House:
The actually have the exact same layout as us - but we did a few things differently. Of course, their home is actually decorated and beautiful. Sean and Farrah are about 11 weeks pregnant - they are going to be great parents!
Guinness - on a Halti:
Guinness has to wear the Halti when we walk him - it keeps him from pulling the whole time, and it is a lot easier to control him if he gets excited by something. Strangely enough, Guinness was on his very best behavior lastnight. He met two new people, and even came face to face with his first infant. He was very sweet and gentle, and didn't seem to interested in the little one. Made me feel a little more relaxed about introducing a baby in our home. Anyway, I highly recommend the Halti to anyone with a big dog that really likes to pull you around on walks!
For comparisons sake, here is Guinness as a puppy (about 8 weeks old)
Sniff Sniff - Who's been walking around my bushes???
I'm sure like all other dogs, both Guinness and Sammie have to smell every blade of grass they encounter on our walks. Don't they know that spiders could be hiding in there? Or a mean scratchy kitty!
The grass!!! Holy crap, the grass!!!
The dogs love this patch of grass on the corner of our neighborhood. As soon as we get here on our walks, rolling, and grass scratching commence. Pretty silly, really.
Elementary School:
This is the brand new elementary school under construction in our neighborhood. It is kind of neat to think that our little ones might attend this school someday. How convenient - literally one block over from us! The school should open by August - exciting!
The walkway into our subdivision:
The entire master planned community we live in is very thoughtfully designed with walkways and parks throughout. I feel bad about not getting more use out of it - we are such homebodies! I can't wait to take the future babies to the community pool someday!
Home Sweet Home!!
No one else on our street has our same floorplan - the sweet little baby house. Standing at just under 1300 sq ft, our home really qualifies as a large apartment. But - it is a great starter home! Now all I need to do is decorate and get cozy, because Ryland (our builder) sold us our home in March of 2005 for the low low price of $170K. Our same floorplan is now selling for $90K in the new Master Planned community up the road. Stupid, stupid investors. Stupid banks. Stupid. Ohwell, like I said, we better get comfy, because we are going to be here awhile!
AZ Mesquite Tree:
This tree was a wee baby when we moved in - in the last two years it has grown and grown!
Other Stuff:
I have found some awesome new websites! My Home Ideas is a website that contains tons of photos for ideas on how to decorate your home based on theme/room. I already have some good ideas!! For example, I <3 this living room:
The Places We Will Go...
I took Guinness on a nice leisurely walk around the neighborhood lastnight. I brought the new camera around to test it out, and also to get some pictures of Guinness OUTSIDE of the house for a change.
Our Pals - Sean and Farrah's House:
The actually have the exact same layout as us - but we did a few things differently. Of course, their home is actually decorated and beautiful. Sean and Farrah are about 11 weeks pregnant - they are going to be great parents!
Guinness - on a Halti:
Guinness has to wear the Halti when we walk him - it keeps him from pulling the whole time, and it is a lot easier to control him if he gets excited by something. Strangely enough, Guinness was on his very best behavior lastnight. He met two new people, and even came face to face with his first infant. He was very sweet and gentle, and didn't seem to interested in the little one. Made me feel a little more relaxed about introducing a baby in our home. Anyway, I highly recommend the Halti to anyone with a big dog that really likes to pull you around on walks!
For comparisons sake, here is Guinness as a puppy (about 8 weeks old)
Sniff Sniff - Who's been walking around my bushes???
I'm sure like all other dogs, both Guinness and Sammie have to smell every blade of grass they encounter on our walks. Don't they know that spiders could be hiding in there? Or a mean scratchy kitty!
The grass!!! Holy crap, the grass!!!
The dogs love this patch of grass on the corner of our neighborhood. As soon as we get here on our walks, rolling, and grass scratching commence. Pretty silly, really.
Elementary School:
This is the brand new elementary school under construction in our neighborhood. It is kind of neat to think that our little ones might attend this school someday. How convenient - literally one block over from us! The school should open by August - exciting!
The walkway into our subdivision:
The entire master planned community we live in is very thoughtfully designed with walkways and parks throughout. I feel bad about not getting more use out of it - we are such homebodies! I can't wait to take the future babies to the community pool someday!
Home Sweet Home!!
No one else on our street has our same floorplan - the sweet little baby house. Standing at just under 1300 sq ft, our home really qualifies as a large apartment. But - it is a great starter home! Now all I need to do is decorate and get cozy, because Ryland (our builder) sold us our home in March of 2005 for the low low price of $170K. Our same floorplan is now selling for $90K in the new Master Planned community up the road. Stupid, stupid investors. Stupid banks. Stupid. Ohwell, like I said, we better get comfy, because we are going to be here awhile!
AZ Mesquite Tree:
This tree was a wee baby when we moved in - in the last two years it has grown and grown!
Another great website I have found for decorating purposes is The Nest! Great stuff! You should check it out!
Our Pals - Sean and Farrah's House:
The actually have the exact same layout as us - but we did a few things differently. Of course, their home is actually decorated and beautiful. Sean and Farrah are about 11 weeks pregnant - they are going to be great parents!
Guinness - on a Halti:
Guinness has to wear the Halti when we walk him - it keeps him from pulling the whole time, and it is a lot easier to control him if he gets excited by something. Strangely enough, Guinness was on his very best behavior lastnight. He met two new people, and even came face to face with his first infant. He was very sweet and gentle, and didn't seem to interested in the little one. Made me feel a little more relaxed about introducing a baby in our home. Anyway, I highly recommend the Halti to anyone with a big dog that really likes to pull you around on walks!
For comparisons sake, here is Guinness as a puppy (about 8 weeks old)
Sniff Sniff - Who's been walking around my bushes???
I'm sure like all other dogs, both Guinness and Sammie have to smell every blade of grass they encounter on our walks. Don't they know that spiders could be hiding in there? Or a mean scratchy kitty!
The grass!!! Holy crap, the grass!!!
The dogs love this patch of grass on the corner of our neighborhood. As soon as we get here on our walks, rolling, and grass scratching commence. Pretty silly, really.
Elementary School:
This is the brand new elementary school under construction in our neighborhood. It is kind of neat to think that our little ones might attend this school someday. How convenient - literally one block over from us! The school should open by August - exciting!
The walkway into our subdivision:
The entire master planned community we live in is very thoughtfully designed with walkways and parks throughout. I feel bad about not getting more use out of it - we are such homebodies! I can't wait to take the future babies to the community pool someday!
Home Sweet Home!!
No one else on our street has our same floorplan - the sweet little baby house. Standing at just under 1300 sq ft, our home really qualifies as a large apartment. But - it is a great starter home! Now all I need to do is decorate and get cozy, because Ryland (our builder) sold us our home in March of 2005 for the low low price of $170K. Our same floorplan is now selling for $90K in the new Master Planned community up the road. Stupid, stupid investors. Stupid banks. Stupid. Ohwell, like I said, we better get comfy, because we are going to be here awhile!
AZ Mesquite Tree:
This tree was a wee baby when we moved in - in the last two years it has grown and grown!
Other Stuff:
I have found some awesome new websites! My Home Ideas is a website that contains tons of photos for ideas on how to decorate your home based on theme/room. I already have some good ideas!! For example, I <3 this living room (although i'm pretty sure it wouldn't work for our house):
Another great website I have found for decorating purposes is The Nest! Great stuff! You should check it out!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Prom Season...
Yep, it is that time of year again (although I think that all 4 proms I attended during my high school career were in April, but nevermind that). Lula got me thinkin' about my own prom experiences after describing hers and her recent experience in helping get a senior get ready for her own prom this year.
In all honesty, all of my prom experiences were rather lame with the exception of my senior prom. Freshman - Junior prom were spent with boyfriends that probably shouldn't have been boyfriends, and Senior Prom was spent with my wonderful friend, Richard. I was actually dating the Husband at this point in my life, although he was a Senior at Arizona State University, and wanted NOTHING to do with another prom (can't say I blame him).
After prom my senior year, a big after party was held at the house I was living in at the time. Good fun was had by all, and I think there are even some pictures of the after party that I'm about to show you (hint, look for the picture of me drunk off my ass pointing to myself... I think I'm wearing an Adidas sweater, lol).
The next morning me and the roomie (and a couple of stragglers) pulled ourselves up from the ruins and enjoyed a nice breakfast at Denny's. Now those were the days :)
(click to view a larger image)
Junior Prom:
Senior Prom:
Would I do it all over again? Sure - but I'd ditch the boyfriends and go with a Gay, Asian pal named Richard (Best date EVER!)
In all honesty, all of my prom experiences were rather lame with the exception of my senior prom. Freshman - Junior prom were spent with boyfriends that probably shouldn't have been boyfriends, and Senior Prom was spent with my wonderful friend, Richard. I was actually dating the Husband at this point in my life, although he was a Senior at Arizona State University, and wanted NOTHING to do with another prom (can't say I blame him).
After prom my senior year, a big after party was held at the house I was living in at the time. Good fun was had by all, and I think there are even some pictures of the after party that I'm about to show you (hint, look for the picture of me drunk off my ass pointing to myself... I think I'm wearing an Adidas sweater, lol).
The next morning me and the roomie (and a couple of stragglers) pulled ourselves up from the ruins and enjoyed a nice breakfast at Denny's. Now those were the days :)
(click to view a larger image)
Junior Prom:
Senior Prom:
Would I do it all over again? Sure - but I'd ditch the boyfriends and go with a Gay, Asian pal named Richard (Best date EVER!)
She's Got Issues...
So, I'm a little late on this, but I love The Offspring's "She's Got Issues" song, and I'm sure there are plenty of guys out there that a song like this speaks to (heck, I'm sure husband even rolls his eyes a little bit when he listens to the lyrics). Specifically, I think of my good pal Will when I hear this song, lol. I guess the "Tood" is an excellent candidate, as well.
And, since I plan on having my firstborn say "Mota" for his/her first word...
And, since I plan on having my firstborn say "Mota" for his/her first word...
OH EM GEE!
I think I peed my pants while watching this:
Picasa Web Albums >>>>>>>> Flickr
Fo Realz peeps.
I've tested them both, and Picasa kicks butt when it comes to embedding pictures in a blog in a size that is not r-tarded.
Speaking of pictures, here are some pictures taken on the new camera. I'm still figuring things out. I promised husband I would read the manual (and I will) but I'm more interested in learning how to become an expert digital photographer. I'm on the hunt for "hot tips" for digital photography, and I will probably torture you with my latest digital exploits.
Boring old iced tea at Hooters before the game on Tuesday:
How YOU doin', Steve?
Where we sit, in relation to the diamond:
Big Unit!!! (we sit about as far away from the Jumbo Tron as you can get)
Mmmmm, tasty Connor Jackson!
Other Stuff:
Picasa Web Albums >>>>>>>> Flickr
Fo Realz peeps.
I've tested them both, and Picasa kicks butt when it comes to embedding pictures in a blog in a size that is not r-tarded.
Speaking of pictures, here are some pictures taken on the new camera. I'm still figuring things out. I promised husband I would read the manual (and I will) but I'm more interested in learning how to become an expert digital photographer. I'm on the hunt for "hot tips" for digital photography, and I will probably torture you with my latest digital exploits.
Boring old iced tea at Hooters before the game on Tuesday:
How YOU doin', Steve?
Where we sit, in relation to the diamond:
Big Unit!!! (we sit about as far away from the Jumbo Tron as you can get)
Mmmmm, tasty Connor Jackson!
In other news:
I found out that pregnant women aren't supposed to eat softboiled eggs (ie, poached eggs). Lame. What am I going to do for breakfast when I am finally pregnant again? It wasn't bad enough that I wasn't allowed to eat deli meat last time, this time around I am no longer allowed to sleep on my back after 4 months! Are you effin' kidding me?? I have no idea how healthy children managed to be born back when our mothers were still smoking, drinking, and sleeping on their backs while pregnant. Oh, and eating deli meat. Boo.
Monday, May 5, 2008
5 Weeks...
Dear Eggbert:
Please excuse the nickname - I like to call you that, but it probably bothers your father. Big things for you today! And the rest of this week as a matter of fact. As I type this, your aorta is forming and your heart is going to start beating any day now! Your little arm and leg buds are forming, and you are even working on a liver! Major progress, little one. Just keep on keeping on!
It seems like there are babies everywhere I go. The last several baseball games there always is a family with an infant a few rows in front of us. I watch, taking it all in, and my heart aches a little bit for the first time I will get to hold you. January isn't that far away, but 35 weeks seems an awful long time.
I have no clue about your gender yet. According to "ancient Chinese calendars" that take my age and time of conception into consideration, you are a girl. According to babyman.com, you are a boy. /shrug. I don't care - I already love you!
Happy 5 weeks of existance!
Please excuse the nickname - I like to call you that, but it probably bothers your father. Big things for you today! And the rest of this week as a matter of fact. As I type this, your aorta is forming and your heart is going to start beating any day now! Your little arm and leg buds are forming, and you are even working on a liver! Major progress, little one. Just keep on keeping on!
It seems like there are babies everywhere I go. The last several baseball games there always is a family with an infant a few rows in front of us. I watch, taking it all in, and my heart aches a little bit for the first time I will get to hold you. January isn't that far away, but 35 weeks seems an awful long time.
I have no clue about your gender yet. According to "ancient Chinese calendars" that take my age and time of conception into consideration, you are a girl. According to babyman.com, you are a boy. /shrug. I don't care - I already love you!
Happy 5 weeks of existance!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Cranky Pants...
I saw these and immediately though of husband. I wonder if they make them in adult sizes? I'm teasing, naturally, but I thought it would still be fun to buy a matching pair for future child and father :)
May House Madness is in full swing! I took today off and have been scrubbing the house on hands and knee's. I'm just about done with the Master Bedroom/Bathroom/Closet. My intention is to complete the kitchen and great room before we leave for the baseball game this afternoon. That will leave me with the Office, 2nd Bedroom and Garage tomorrow. I'm thinking that if I can get all that done in the first 1/2 of the day, I might make a trip to homedepot tomorrow afternoon and look at paint. I'd like to repaint while the carpet is down since we'll be tearing it out soon anyway.
As soon as the junk is donated, and the house is scrubbed clean, it is Husband's turn to takeover and install floors and backyard. Still pushing to have all of this done in May. Then we can just relax for the rest of the summer!
May House Madness is in full swing! I took today off and have been scrubbing the house on hands and knee's. I'm just about done with the Master Bedroom/Bathroom/Closet. My intention is to complete the kitchen and great room before we leave for the baseball game this afternoon. That will leave me with the Office, 2nd Bedroom and Garage tomorrow. I'm thinking that if I can get all that done in the first 1/2 of the day, I might make a trip to homedepot tomorrow afternoon and look at paint. I'd like to repaint while the carpet is down since we'll be tearing it out soon anyway.
As soon as the junk is donated, and the house is scrubbed clean, it is Husband's turn to takeover and install floors and backyard. Still pushing to have all of this done in May. Then we can just relax for the rest of the summer!
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