The Manvis Dangrums

Fall Fun

2011-11-15T19:42:00.008-06:00

Ellie Kate is super amazing these days, like she has been all of her days. She's growing bigger, talking more and more, and seriously on the move. We've been keeping here really busy all fall.

Before Halloween, we went to a pumpkin patch/ farm. The weather turned chilly and rainy on the way down, and we were not prepared for it...so we didn't stay very long. Ellie Kate still enjoyed seeing all the animals and riding on the little train.

Ellie Kate and Daddy

Notice Ellie Kate's first owie on her nose and mouth. She had never walked on gravel before, and she proceeded to face plant immediately.

Does Greg look more frightened of the rooster than Ellie Kate?

For Halloween we had two events. First, we went to ZooBoo. I think EK was a little too young this year to fully enjoy everything there, but she still had fun seeing all the other kiddos.

My little Buggy dressed as a ladybug

Eating dinner on the go

Then, we had our neighborhood bash. This year they went all out adding a d-jay to the normal pizza party, hay ride, trick-or-treat extravaganza. Ellie Kate publicly debuted her signature dance move of dropping it like it's hot. I swear we don't watch rap videos with her!!

EK Cow/ Bull and Daddy Bull Rider

Mommy Rodeo Clown and Ellie Kate making bull face/noises

We've also started Little Gym which she LOVES! And Music for Aardvarks which I'm hoping she warms up to more.

We're going to my friend Marcy's wedding reception in Martin, TN this Saturday, and EK is staying with Meme and Grandpa Jay overnight. She has already spent the night out two or three times, but this is our first time more than twenty minutes away from her. I'm already getting a little anxious just thinking about it.....

Big Catch Up

2011-09-23T17:00:00.018-05:00

Let me see if I can get through a long overdue blog post while Ellie Kate entertains herself crawling in and out of the dog kennel.

Since I last posted two hundred seventy five years ago we've been to the beach, had a first birthday, started walking, and loads of other stuff I can't remember at this moment.

First, the beach trip. EK loved the sand and the ocean.......and the pool at the condo. She also loved making little friends at the beach and the pool. Apparently eight to eleven year old little girls love to entertain babies. This was awesome!!

(Okay, I'm picking this post up four hours later. The dog kennel wasn't that entertaining I suppose)

Ellie Kate feeling the ocean for the first time

loving the beach

sandy baby

little toes saying hi during dinner

looking at the big boats with Mommy and Daddy

We all had a terrific time on our much needed first family vacation. The beach was lovely and the six plus hour car ride went surprisingly well. We did have to pull out the emergency, travel dvd player for the last thirty minutes on the way down (making another first, the first time she watched tv. Not one that I was excited about, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.)

A few shorts weeks later we celebrated our precious babe's first birthday. What a big girl!! We didn't really do a "theme", but we did do colors......pink, white, green.

food table

dessert table

some of the decorations, made by yours truly

(the other side of the banner said " Ellie Kate's 1st")

B-day Girl and Mommy

opening gifts with Daddy

birthday song and candle blowing time

( Mommy is a wee bit sweaty after present marathon)

cake tasting ( she got the entire top tier)

digging in

Mommy's delicious, little mess

After cake we cleaned and cooled off in some sprinklers in the back yard. Ellie Kate was a perfect little birthday girl the whole day. We had no melts downs, well, not from Ellie Kate at least.

In the last month Ellie Kate has started walking some, but crawling is still her preferred mode of transportation (besides being carried).

She also has started using one of her b-day presents sometimes. Her big girl potty. We aren't potty training or anything, but it's nice to know she likes using it.

And her biggest, big girl accomplishment? Her first boob free day today. She did really well. I would not have believed that weening would have gone so well if you would have told me so two months ago (when she was still nursing every two hours).

Everyday I see less and less of a baby and more and more of a toddler. It's definitely bitter sweet, but I know she loves getting to do and say more....even it's a little hard for Mommy.

Lots Going On

2011-07-04T21:54:00.006-05:00

Happy 4th!! I just watched a great documentary on HBO that made me fill quite patriotic. It is called "Citizen USA: A 50 State Road Trip". It really shows you how great America is through the eyes of the people who have known how life can be in places without freedom and opportunity.

We have had a lot going in the past few weeks. Greg and I celebrated our 8th anniversary. We really needed to celebrate too this year because being parents can put a huge strain on a relationship, so there were times we couldn't stand each other over this past year. We had a great dinner at Sweet Grass, and Greg surprised me with a great, new camera.

He got me a Nikon D3100. I'm still learning how to use it and picking out fancy new lenses for future purchases (that will undoubtedly make me shoot like a pro), but I love it so far.

In other new purchase news, I got a new car. Not to sound ungrateful, but I'm kind of sad about it. I LOVED my old car. I had a 2004 (the last year that they were made) Land Rover Discovery (which was the second one that I've owned).

You know that you really love a car if you trade it in for a newer model of the same car. Oh, I miss her so much already. But sadly she was not as safe for the little one ( and wasn't really great for the environment or my gas bill) as I need my car to be.

So now I drive a new Subaru Forester. It is suppose be one of the safest cars that you can get. I sure hope Ellie Kate appreciates me giving up my beloved (and paid for) car so that she is safe. She's definitely worth it though.

Today was no exception in our busy life. We went to our neighborhood parade this morning after EK woke up from her nap. She loved seeing all the bikes, strollers, wagons,dogs, and people all decked out in red, white, and blue. And Daddy ran her through the water that the firemen shot up into the air from a hydrant, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

After we got dried off, we headed over to our cousin's house for Noah's first birthday. We had a great time with family and celebrating this little guy's first year of life. My cousin, Agnes, went all out with the adorable decorations appropriately themed in red, white, and blue.

From Noah's party, we headed down to my parents for a fish fry. I was too tired to pull out the camera at this point in the day. Ellie Kate had a blast playing with all her new toys that her meme got her and of course her favorites toys, all the little dogs at my mom's house ( 4 including my sister's that were over).

I'm hoping that the rest of this week will be a little slower paced than today. We will be going to story time and lunch tomorrow with my grandmother, EK's great grandmother, but I think that's all we have on our social calender for a while. That is until our big trip to the beach next month.....

Cutie Patootie

2011-06-05T22:16:00.003-05:00

Whew, it's been hot!! I mostly love it, but we did have to cool off in Meme's pool a few times this week. The photo above is from our Friday swim day. Take note of the hair thickening up on my little bathing beauty!!

Last night, Greg and I ended up skipping the concert. It was way too hot to go sit outside and be able to enjoy the music. Also, someone kept us up the entire night, and we didn't want to pay for concert tickets just to sit there like the zombie parents that we are these days.

Instead, we went to dinner and to see The Hangover. I know, so cliche... dinner and a movie. We had a good time though , and the movie was pretty funny. Well, funny enough that neither one of us feel asleep during it.

Today we all went back to the pool, and I'm happy to say Ellie Kate loves swimming more and more each time. She even loves to splash around completely not caring when water goes all in her face.

I had two Cherry Cokes at my parents, so I'm all caffeined out and unable to sleep. Ugggg! So I've been perusing the internet for ideas for EK's 1st birthday party. I actually made some progress...... stay tuned for details.

Swim Day, Memorial Day, and Kiddie Concert

2011-05-29T19:56:00.013-05:00

Sunday, Ellie Kate took to the water, well, like a fish takes to water. I was a little worried that the water was going to be too cold { it was only 80º}, but it didn't seem to faze Baby a bit. As soon as we put her into her little inner tube, she started kicking her little legs. What a natural.

She hung in the pool for quite a while before lunch and nap, and then she got back in again after her nap. And surprisingly, she didn't get a sunburn. Of course, she was covered in SPF50.

Monday afternoon, we went to a cookout at Chloe and Arden's, and they had Arden's baby pool set up. Ellie Kate had a great time in it too. It's a little difficult to let a 9 month old play in a baby pool though. You kind of have to just lean over the side and hold them in it. Sort of sucked for my poor back that I had just happened to pull a muscle in last Tuesday. We all had a great time celebrating Memorial Day friends and family {our cousins happened to be neighbors to our host and hostesses}.

This morning, the little bit and I went to the Levitt Shell to see Jack and Zinghoppers. Ek jumped { with a bit of help form mommy}, clapped, and sang. She was a little show stealer with all the people that were sitting near us, but that's nothing new {in know, in know I'm an annoying, bragging mom}.

Tomorrow is a work day for me. It should be a good and pretty busy day. Thursday or Friday, we are definitely heading back down to Meme's pool because it has gotten HOT around here. And then, I'm working Saturday, and Greg and I are going to Live at the Garden to see ZZ Top that night. This will be the first time Greg and I have done anything, without baby, since March......we need it!

9 Months

2011-05-27T20:16:00.009-05:00

Happy 9 month birthday to Ellie Kate!!

We went to her checkup this afternoon , and everything went great. She is 28" long and weighs 17lbs. She is exactly the size a 9 month old Ellie Kate should be :).

We got to brag about how smart she is saying dada and mama and hi and hey, waving, clapping, crawling, pulling up, "cruising" ( creepy word that makes me think of her jamming out to a Sister Christian song in a muscle car rolling through a Sonic), and eating up everything we put in front of her.

We also asked about how she sleeps only two, thirty minute naps a day, and how she's not the best sleeper at night. Unfortunately, the only advice he had was desensitizing sleep training.....that's not happening. He did say that the shorts naps, while annoying, are not harmful. At least we get to get out of the house more than mommies with good napping babies.

The doctor told use to be on the look out for a top tooth in the next couple of weeks because her little gums were swollen. We'll have to say so long to her gummy smile. Even though she has two bottom teeth, you can't really see them when she smiles most of the time.

And her Cheeto orange earwax is apparently no big deal, just gross. Perhaps it will curb any desire I may have to eat Cheetos.

After the doctor's, we went to Ben and Jerry's to get ice cream. I actually let EK have a bite. That is huge for me considering I make all her food, so I know that it's all organic and unprocessed. She actually didn't seem to care that much for it. Not loving ice cream is another reason I need a maternity test. The first being she looks nothing like me.

This week we are trying beans and going swimming at Meme's for the first time. That combination reminds me of the packs of beans that Cracker Barrels sell that say "Redneck Jacquezie".

Yellow Nail Trend and Orange Earwax

2011-05-26T21:23:00.004-05:00

Hi there! I'm posting from my jacked up laptap......which means no commas and lots of different fonts.

I just got done polishing my nails and toe nails with some cool yellow polish. Have any of you tried this new polish trend? I guess it got started when Chanel came out with their new color "mimosa".

I opted for a cheap bottle ($.98) (I wish we still used the cent sign) from Target to try the trend out. And even though I think I'm going to like it I'll be doing the OPI version instead of the $25 Chanel polish.

I had a kelly green color on my toes for the last few weeks ( "Don't mess with OPI") which Greg finally felt that he could tell me that he thought was weird....since he saw me removing it. This of course will have no bearing on me wearing it in the future. Do you care if your man...or woman... dislikes something that you wear? I'm pretty sure that the only thing I would change for him would be a scent if he hated it. I wouldn't want him to think that I stunk. He'll just have to put up with my green (or yellow) nails on occasion though.

I need to make an Ellie Kate post this weekend. We're heading to her 9 month checkup tomorrow. I'm hoping to get some answers to my questions like: Why does she have copious amounts of Cheeto orange earwax every morning? and Will she ever take more that two thirty minute naps in a day? (seriously I know people who get 4 hours a day of mommy time from their great napping babies) and Are the two related? ( can she not nap because she's hearing her orange earwax?)......okay that's probably a little far fetched.

New Hair Possibilities

2011-05-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

I've been wearing my hair in a side part as long as I can remember. Also, I've been wearing my color kind of ombre ( somewhat intentionally, somewhat because of lack of time to get it colored when I'm at work). I'm thinking that it's time for change.

I'm thinking of doing something more like this:

I love this honey color, and I've been feeling like I need to go back to lighter tone. Not as light as two summers ago, though. That was way too blonde. I also like this part closer to the center, but it's not a exact center part. I don't think I would look right with a center part because my hair is too thin and my features are not symmetrical.

Now all I need is to find a free hour at work.....and a fellow stylist to take pity on me.

Will I get a tan if I bathe in this?

2011-04-29T12:07:00.001-05:00

All the storms that we've been having have apparently caused the water to look like this. The utility company is suppose to have someone out here to flush a something-a-ruther out and fix it within the next three hours. Until then, please look away from the unwashed grunge look that I have going if you see me at Target today.

Another Wednesday Milestone

2011-04-27T09:41:00.002-05:00

I walked back into the living room this morning to see this:

I guess we pull up on our own now.

Kate Hudson Engaged

2011-04-27T08:50:00.006-05:00

Buggy and I were going through our morning routine, which includes having the Today's Show on in the background. We had to stop and watch when I heard Matt interviewing Kate Hudson.

Kate is pregnant again and as adorable as ever. I just love her bohemian Mommy style and cute, little personality (and some of her movies....even though they are mostly romantic comedies).

Well, this morning, Kate was sporting a giant rock on her left hand. When Matt asked about it, she confirmed that she is indeed engaged to new-baby-daddy, Matt Bellamy (musician).

Nice ring!! I personally cannot wait to see another one of her precious little kiddos (which she is predicting is a girl this time), though. Baby Hudson/Bellamy should be arriving in the next few months.

Tutus Taste Gross

2011-04-26T20:53:00.004-05:00

I promise to make a full post of EllieKate's 6th month photo shoot. Maybe Thursday, especially if we have another night of severe weather broadcasts instead of my shows. We've seriously had like 30 tornados in 30 days, and it's not even May (the tornado month) yet. But anyway, in the mean time, here a few in which she decided to eat her tutu.

I thought that a pretty, pink tutu would taste a little better than that face shows. Guess not.

Thanks, Chloe, for capturing such a funny moment!!

And make sure you check Chloe out, if you're in the Memphis area. She is a great photographer, and she's still starting out (meaning you don't have to sell your child to be able to afford some professional pictures of them).

Easter Post

2011-04-26T19:47:00.007-05:00

Ellie Kate has been super busy lately. Last Wednesday she started crawling. I wasn't really ready for that to happen. In fact, I was carrying her around the last few weeks as much as possible to delay it. It only took one Meme day for EK to seize her opportunity to become mobile. now it's time for us to catch up on baby proofing.....quickly.

She also started saying Mama the Wednesday before last. I'm thinking all of her milestones will be occurring on Wednesday, which is, unfortunately, one of my two work days. Go figure.

And finally, Sunday the Easter bunny brought us two sharp, little teeth. They are just breaking through the gums, but they are definitely on there way. Thank god.....I was starting to think that I was going to be pureeing her school lunches in kindergarten.

Here is a little video of the precious baby on Easter morning. She's still a little sleepy in it.

BTW I finally bit the bullet and starting using the computer in Greg's office (AKA the dirty, dog room, after Ellie Kate's birth). That is why this post has commas in it. Maybe I'll get to replace my jacked up Mac Book one day, but probably not any day soon.

Hope all of you had a happy Easter and are enjoying your Spring!!

What the Crap Blogger?

2011-04-05T14:40:00.002-05:00

Ugggg! I changed my email address on my blogger account (well it was this long drawn out process). I actually had to change my whole profile and now Picasa removed all my photos from my blog. Seriously? If anyone knows how to fix this please let me know.

I been meaning to make a post with Ellie Kate's 6th month photos but I'm half dead these days since EK wakes up several times a night. I didn't know how good I had it that first 5 months of her life. What is deal with her night waling around the time most babies start sleeping through the night?

So the EK photo post will be coming soon.....or as soon as I can get some rest.

EK is a Half

2011-02-28T17:30:00.002-06:00

Ellie Kate had her half birthday yesterday. I cannot believe that she has been with us half of a year already. And yet I can't remember what my life was before her ( BEK - before Ellie Kate).

To commemorate the beauty's half b-day we had a six months photo shoot with our talented friend Chloe. Chloe put up a sneak peek on her blog. Check it out.

Thanks Chloe! They look great and we're looking forward to seeing the rest.

it's pea pod time

2011-01-11T16:17:00.007-06:00

so it's been another long break between post. it's become difficult to post because my "m" and comma buttons on my laptop are no longer working. now every time i want to type an "m" i have to copy and paste it. annoying! also today one of my arms is under a napping baby hence all the uncapitalized letters.

anyways.... here is video of ellie kate's bedtime routine that i took a few weeks ago. she gets very concerned when i use my phone to take pics or video of her...... so we get no smiles...sorry. and please excuse my husband's unintentional fro. his hairstylist (me) has been very busy lately.

I love the little lizard tongue thing that she does right before greg turns out the light.

Hello Again

2010-11-29T12:31:00.016-06:00

Today I decided to resurrect the old blog. We've had some very eventful and busy last several months. I'll try to catch everything up as much as possible before the love bug wakes up fro her nap.

Ellie Kate ended up arriving on August 27th at 12:46am weighing in at 8 lbs 7 oz and measuring 20 in. She was big beautiful and perfectly healthy. I was in labor for 23 1/2 hours (four hours of pushing) but made it through completely unmedicated and drug free. We were in total love for the moment she arrived and somehow that love grows everyday.

We got off to a rocky start with breast feeding but everything clicked around week four. In fact that is what I'm doing right now since I only made it through the first paragraph before EK woke up. That first month of breast feeding made natural childbirth seem like a walk in the park. It is so amazing how much I love it now when I think back to all the tears and frustration from that first month.

I went back to work two days a week when EK was about 6 weeks old. On Wednesdays my mom was watching her and Greg had her on Saturdays. Everything was going pretty smoothly until the results of my pap smear came back from my postnatal appointment. After a biopsy and a leep procedure we decided to do a laparoscopic hysterectomy about two and half weeks ago. Luckily we've always wanted to have just one child. I'm now healthy and ready to put that month behind me and hope to never go through something so scary again.

The recovery has gone really well and now I'm going back to work this Wednesday. I think it's going to so much harder this time around now that baby is doing so much more. Plus I get really lazy in the winter and never want to leave the house. I do not like cold and/or rainy weather. Hopefully I'll feel excited once I start back when I get to see my wonderful clients and coworkers.

I'm finishing up this post with some pictures of the beauty. I'm sure that you can tell that she looks exactly like her daddy but I'm still holding out hope that I marked her a little bit.

me and Ellie Kate 4 days old

newborn photo shoot 9 days old ( she already had such a little sense of humor)

sleeping peacefully

silly face ( 2 months old)

little bear on Halloween

So Much for Punctuality

2010-08-23T11:56:00.004-05:00

I guess little Ellie Kate is going to take after her mommy and be fashionably late for her own party. We're just hoping that she makes it before the two week late mark, so we aren't forced to be given any Pitocin to induce.

I am definitely feeling fully hormonal now. Yesterday I started laughing really hard at something and ended up crying because it hurts, whatever is left of my abdominal muscles, to laugh. I wasn't actually crying because it hurt, but because it made me so sad that I can't even comfortably laugh anymore. Nor can I comfortably tie my own shoes, pick anything up off the ground, roll over in bed, etc. I'm pretty much a basket case.

Oh and FYI never, never call a pregnant women at the end of her pregnancy to find out if she has had the baby yet. This is really annoying to her because she doesn't need to be reminded that it hasn't happened. Someone will let you know when the baby comes, if you asked to be told. Your curiosity is not important in this situation!! Did I mention that I'm feeling hormonal?

This is my first week that I'm not working. I have a feeling that, if I don't go into labor, I'm going to be pretty bored. It would be nice to have the time off if I was physically capable of doing some projects around the house, but I'm basically only capable of sitting on the coach.

I have started to pack up my maternity clothes. I don't know if this happens to all pregnant women, but I never want to see any of these clothes again (unless they are on one my pregnant friends). It's going to be so wonderful to wear real clothes again.

And to be able to shop in real stores will be amazing. We actually got an Anthropologie while I've been pregnant. I haven't even stepped foot into it yet. Once I get back to my normal size, I'm treating myself to a trip out there. Hopefully it won't be long since I was fortunate enough for my weight gain to only be about 16 lbs so far. I wonder what that will mean for post pregnancy weight loss.

Hopefully my next post will be about Ellie Kate's birth......we'll see.

Completed Nursery Update

2010-07-15T11:54:00.015-05:00

Even though I've had my nursery done for about two months, I realized that I still hadn't made a final post of it. I really tried several times to get some good pics of it, but the size of the room made that really difficult. These were the best that I could do:

The Chandelier

(that replaced the ceiling fan)

Crib and Wall Decor

Close-up of Name Decal and Paper Butterflies (that I handmade)

Changing Area

Close-up of Butterfly Mobile (made by me)

Baby Rocking/Reading Corner

Tissue Paper Pom-Poms (also made by me)

Small White Chest

(replaced oversized chest)

Framed Vintage Pattern Envelopes

Recovered Lampshade

So you see that I did a few little projects for the nursery. I wanted her to have some handmade touches in there. Click here to see how to make the paper butterflies on the wall. Click here to see how to make the butterfly mobile. Click here to see how to make the tissue paper pom-poms. Click here to see how to recover a lampshade.

Now we just need our little, baby girl to make it truly complete.....though we prefer for her to wait at least a month before she decides to make her debut.

Baby Shower

2010-07-10T12:01:00.010-05:00

Three of my awesome friends and my wonderful little sister threw the best baby shower ever for me a few weeks ago. All of our friends and family who helped us celebrate made it such a special day. And as Greg said " Ellie Kate struck baby gold". Here are some photos from the day:

The Wonderful Hostesses

My Mom and I

Thank you to everyone who had a part in making this shower such a wonderful event!!

Maternity Photo Shoot ( picture HEAVY)

2010-07-08T10:49:00.012-05:00

It's been 4-ev-er since I've updated the blog. Whatever, I'm pregnant in Memphis in July. I should get a pass on everything.

I got back my maternity pics last week, and I'm finally getting around to posting some of them. This are some of my very favs:

That's as many as I can get into one post. I'll post some more of the pics later.

Our photographer was great. I was amazed how many great shots she got, especially considering I was a sweaty mess. Check out her website Life in Arcadia.

I also had my baby shower a few weeks ago. All the girls hostessing and the guest made it an amazing day. There will be a baby shower post coming soon too.

Hope everyone one is having a great summer!!

Maternity Photo Shoot

2010-06-14T11:33:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning Greg and I headed downtown for our maternity photo shoot. Even though there was a heat advisory, our photographer, Chloe, made it fun. Check out her blog for a sneak peak.

I'll post more photos as soon as I get them. And I'm planning on taking a video of the nursery the I'll post soon too.

We start our natural childbirth class series tonight. I'm so excited about this class. I've heard that the teacher is inspiring and empowering.

This is whole baby really happening fast now!! Ellie Kate will be here before we know it.

babycenter Update

2010-05-23T20:05:00.002-05:00

27th week update from babycenter.com:

"This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle."

And picture:

Cucumber

2010-05-18T09:35:00.004-05:00

I haven't done a babycenter.com update in a while, so here is the one I got Saturday at 26 weeks:

"The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days."

And here is the picture that was accompanying it:

I got an email today from Motherhood that Heidi Klum has released some new items in the "Lovely" line that she has done for them. After checking it out, I decided that I needed to have this skirt:I thought that it was fun and hippie like. Also, it will hide any fat, swollen ankles (should I end up with them).

I'm definitely slowing down on the maternity clothes shopping though. I still seem to like my looser pre-pregnancy clothes better on me, and I'm running out of time to wear my maternity purchases. Though I'm sure they will be front and center in my closet by July.

I'm heading to the doctor this afternoon to check on how Ellie Kate is doing. I also get my glucose test today (fingers crossed that I won't have to be off ice cream after today).

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!! I'm off to take a walk in the lovely weather we are having this morning. Happy Tuesday!

Diaper Bag

2010-05-13T09:47:00.007-05:00

In my recent post about the nursery, my new diaper bag was is some of the photos. I'm so excited about it, and I can't wait to start filling it with Ellie Kate's little things.

Here is my fabulous new diaper bag:

It's the AmyKathryn Gladiola Bag in Green. It has the two most important things that I was looking for in a diaper bag. It is 100% vegan and cruelty free, and it looks like a real bag that I would normally carry, not a pastel, goofy "baby bag". It's the perfect size for me, and I love the cross-the -body strap option.

If anyone is interested in this bag click here. You can purchase it from littledudesanddivas.com, and it's on sale for $80 (you'll save @ $27)!! This color option is actually discontinued, so I imagine they have very limited quantities left.

And it comes with this cool, matching changing pad (that has little pockets on it).

Here is another picture of my very own bag. Do you think that I'm maybe just a little excited about it, or what?

On another note, my mom and step-dad are quitting smoking in preparation for Ellie Kate's birth. They started Chantix last week and haven't had a cigarette since Monday night. Our whole family is so proud of the both of them. I feel so honored to be having the child to inspire them to make this great change for themselves. Please, please keep them in your thoughts. They need all the help they can get during this trying time.

So now I'm off to the gym and to work. Hope everyone has a wonderful spring day!!

Crazy Chipmunk

2010-05-11T09:51:00.003-05:00

Greg video taped this little chipmunk chasing his tail in our courtyard. Around 55 seconds, he gets stuck in the crack of the concrete and can't seem to be able to find his way out. This is apparently what happens at the house while I'm at work.

The Nursery: A Work in Progress

2010-05-10T18:55:00.008-05:00

My friend Stephanie has requested a post to show what is happening in the nursery so far. Even though I would prefer to wait until everything is perfect, I can't deny my fellow pregnant friend an update.

Most of the big pieces are in place: the crib, changing table, glider. All the decor items are yet to go in though. Oh, and nothing fit into the room according to "planned layout" that I previously posted.

This is the changing table with some of the storage baskets on it. The curtains still have to go up this window, and the fan has to be changed out for a chandelier.

Here is the crib outfitted with the bedding. There will soon be some wall decor above it.

Here is the glider and ottoman. This chest, that I was going to paint white, ended up being too big for the room. We ordered a smaller chest, that should be here in the next two weeks.

These are the rest of my plans for decorating Ellie Kate's nursery:

change fan out for a cute chandelier
hang curtains
move in new chest of drawers
hang framed art over chest
put up name decal and paper butterflies above crib
hang tissue, kissing balls above glider
hang book bins on the wall

Hopefully, when my to-do list is complete, the room will be pulled all together.

And I guess I should finally be brave enough to post a fat picture. Here is one of Greg and I before heading down to Music Fest to see Panic ( I'm 24 weeks in it).

I didn't realize that my face looked so puffy until just now. Wow, guess I need to drink more water :).

Happy Cinco, Let's Run for the Border

2010-05-05T17:15:00.002-05:00

I'm refusing to go to one of our normal Mexican eateries for Cinco de Mayo because there will be people enjoying things like Coronas, margaritas, mojitos, daiquiris, etc. Those assholes!! So we're celebrating this year at Taco Bell where there will be no adult beverages. That is of course unless someone spikes their Fruitista with rum ( like I would be doing if I wasn't with child). I'm thinking that I'm going to start having a moral objection to alcohol and become judgmental of anyone that drinks, until I give birth!!

Mango Baby

2010-04-24T23:34:00.003-05:00

I've been a little lax on the babycenter.com updates the last few weeks. Here is the one for this week:

"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb."

And here is the picture accompanying this weeks update:

The nursery was painted this week. After our house guest leave next weekend, we get to set everything up. I cannot wait!! Of course I'll be posting tons of photos of Ellie Kate's new room.

Thanks A Lot Lady Gaga Fans

2010-04-19T11:38:00.002-05:00

Okay people, this is what happens when you start supporting freaks like Lady Gaga:

WTF!?! Are you proud of yourselves? You shouldn't be!!

NOLA Bound

2010-04-08T08:51:00.003-05:00

I'm sooo excited that we are leaving this afternoon to drive down to New Orleans! We're going down to see my friend Shane and to go to French Quarter Festival. Of course, I would be a whole hell of a lot more excited if I could drink this weekend. Ugggg.....an entire summer without a wine, cocktail, or beer. Maybe I'll insist that Greg abstain also in an act of solidarity. No, even I'm not that big of a bitch.

Halfway Through It

2010-04-05T11:26:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday I reached 20 weeks. That is the halfway point in my pregnancy....Yippy!!!

Here was my babycenter.com update from last Saturday:

"Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurementsare taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery)."

So the meconium in the womb thing is pretty nasty, but at least the picture this week isn't nearly as creepy. Here is the 20 week photo:Over the weekend we ordered the crib, changing table, and rocker/glider and ottoman, for the nursery. I sure hope that the doctor and all my predictions were right, and we don't find any extra body parts at delivery that would make all this pink stuff inappropriate. Well, I have always said that I would either have a daughter or a gay son :-).

Greg's in Trouble

2010-03-30T18:10:00.002-05:00

'Cause it's a girl!!!

I hope he understands what this means....$$$$$. I'm pretty sure that a shopping addiction is inherited, and I plan to pass along the gene to this little one. Or should I say to Ellie Kate?

That will be her name, little Miss Elizabeth Kate, Ellie Kate for short.

We already had to do some shopping after the doc appointment. I'll post some photos of what we got later.

We're off to our doggy obedience class. It doesn't seem like a proper way to celebrate, but oh well.

Buy Some Sparkle on My Behalf

2010-03-29T09:38:00.007-05:00

So pretty much any purchases that I'm making right now are either maternity clothes or baby stuff. There is so much sparkly stuff out there right now though!! Since I can't make any extra purchases, I need some of y'all to own some these lovely treasures.Look at these Betsey Johnson beauties!! They come in pink too. They're on sale for $110. Plus you get an extra 10% off when you spend over $100 and free shipping. check out the pink bottom. Wow!! Talk about a great way to spice up a LBD.

I also loved this fancy, little headband from JCrew. It's also on a sale item at $24.99.This sparkly wallet, also from JCrew, is adorable for a mere $16. Maybe for the girl who likes her sparkle to be a little more hidden. Before you get too excited, this fully beaded Tibi dress is not on sale. It is listed on Shopbop.com for $1395. A little on the high side, but wouldn't you feel more like a million dollars in it? It is too gorg for words. It inspires more of a squeal from me!!

Alright now, some of you non-pregnant girls step up and start shopping! Please report back if you end up with any of these delightful items. Oh and feel free to repost them to your blogs. It will make me feel good to help find a good home for these sparkles.

Large Heirloom Tomato ( Sounds Delicious)

2010-03-28T11:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I began my 19th week of pregnancy, so that means a babycenter.com update. Here it is:

"Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid."

Here's the creepy, little picture accompanying this weeks update:

And now there's just two, long days standing between me and knowing what my baby is. Hurry up Tuesday!!!

Only One Week To Go!!

2010-03-23T10:19:00.003-05:00

In one week, and a few hours, from right now, we'll know if we're having a baby girl or a baby boy. I can't believe that it's already time. The first couple of months of pregnancy seemed to go by really slowly, but now it seems to be flying by.

Make sure you vote this week on my poll for what we are having. Of course, I have a pretty strong intuition that it's a girl, but we'll see.

Weekend Recap

2010-03-22T12:25:00.009-05:00

This weekend I was actually off work most of the day on Friday and all day Saturday (thanks crappy economy). It was a good weekend to be off, though, since we had nice weather Friday and Saturday.

Friday I went to a local maternity boutique, Haute Mama. This is the second time I went out to this store, and I have not been impressed. It seems to be full of maxi dresses that are all $150 and make out of some nasty polyester or rayon material. I'm not paying $150 for polyester!

I did manage to find two cotton dresses, one maxi and one above the knee, that are okay. They were probably over priced though. I'm thinking that I'll just stick to the Gap, Old Navy, and A Peas in a Pod from now on.

The maternity boutique happens to be out in the suburbs, so I visited with several of my suburbanite friends while I was out there. It was nice to see them in their homes since I don't get out that way too often.

Later I was highly disappointed when my fav Friday night TV shows weren't on or weren't new because of another stupid sports thing. Didn't we just get rid of a TV interrupting sports thing? Hello TV people not everyone cares about grown men playing with balls!!

Sorry, Rant over.

Saturday morning Greg did a little (very little) yard work while I went to the gym. When I got home we both worked with the dogs on their training exercises.

Oh yeah, the dogs started an obedience class last week. They're actually doing pretty well so far, surprisingly. This week we worked on sit/stays and name recognition.

Saturday night we went with my dad and step-mom to my belated birthday dinner. They took us to Itta Bena, a speakeasy style restaurant/ lounge above the famous BB Kings Blues Club , and it was delicious!! I had Lobster Ravioli, She Crab Soup, and Shrimp and Scallops over Cheese Grits. Yummy!! We had a great time, even though I couldn't have any grownup drinks :((.

Yesterday the weather turned nasty. Cold and Rainy. Yuck! So we hung out at the house all day. I gave my blog a little face lift, obviously. I even changed my music player to some songs that are actually on one of my real life, iPhone play list, titled Love Songs (not very creative title, I know). Let me know what you think of my new look.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend too!!

You Say Bell Pepper, I Say Sweet Potato

2010-03-22T10:54:00.005-05:00

Weekly babycenter.com update time! I was 18 weeks on Saturday. According to BabyCenter the baby is the size of a bell pepper this week, but I prefer bump.com's description, a sweet potato, better. Isn't it just much cuter? In fact perhaps it should go on the short list of possible terms of endearment nicknames for the baby.

Here's what's happing with the little sweet potato this week:

"Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound."

I can also start to post the pictures that babycenter.com has of what the baby looks like this week. Believe me, you would not have wanted to see them before this week because they were freeeeaky lolking! Here's what the baby is looking like:Sorry, the picture also includes a naked women's ass, but at least it is a nice ass :). It definitely looks nothing like my ass right now since I'm not aloud to squats while pregnant.

Two Week Countdown

2010-03-16T17:55:00.002-05:00

The countdown is on! Two weeks from today, we will know if what we are having. Or should I say, we will know for sure that we're having a girl?

Turnip Baby

2010-03-14T14:30:00.004-05:00

Weekly babycenter.com update:

"Your baby's skeleton is changingfrom soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop."

Is she going to be sweating inside me? Weird!!

I'm so happy about daylight savings time! Even though we are pretty off here today with the whole losing an hour thing. It's going to be so nice for there to be sunlight when I leave work (even if it's after seven).

We went downtown to a going away party last night for my friend Brisa who is moving to California. Today we are very tired since we didn't get to bed until after midnight. That is several hours later than our bedtime has been recently.

We did have a good time going out though. I went to A Pea in Pod and got a cute top to wear, so I actually didn't feel like the gross prego that I thought I was going to.

It was really weird to see my skinny friends. It makes me realize just how thick I've gotten, even if I don't look super pregnant yet.

Today we are doing some housework and hanging inside because the weather has turned chilly and gross again. We also gave the dogs a bath, so they will be all pretty when we go to obedience class on Tuesday.

That's right we are finally taking our bad ass dogs to see if they can be helped. We can't wait. I'm training Houser, and Greg is training Daisy. We're hoping a little healthy competition will help us do better has novice dog trainers. I'm gonna win!!!

It's Never Gonna Happen

2010-03-12T16:24:00.008-06:00

Since turning thirty, and since I have a bun in the oven, I've realized the ship has sailed on some of my life goals.

Marrying Jake Ryan. I would have run off from my husband to marry the 80's movie star, but I could never leave a "family" for him. Kinda ironic that my husband looks more like Anthony Michael Hall.
Completing my wonderful wardrobe. I've spent the last 10 years cultivating a wardrobe that I love, and that I may never fit into quite right again. Even my damn shoes might be too small after I'm done gestating this thing. Right now I can still wear a lot of my clothes, but they look far from cute on me.
Becoming famous. Not really a recent goal, but every little girl pictures herself as a movie star, right? And yes I did still want to marry Jake Ryan recently.
Living in a cool city. I would love to live in Charleston or Austin, but now that we're having a baby, I don't see it happening. It's way more important for us to have our kid close to my family. Guess we'll just have to help make Memphis cooler.

Of course I am realizing one amazing life goal, becoming a mother. It will be pretty cool. It will also probably the hardest, but most rewarding thing that I'll ever do.

And Greg, Anthony Michael Hall has aged far better than Jake Ryan. I heard the guy who played Jake looks down right scary now. This is how A.M.H. has aged:

So really that was a total complement to you, honey!

Now I'm off to achieve my immediate goal of eating some yummy salty French fries with tons of malt vinegar and ketchup. Don't judge me!!! I'm pregnant and can't help myself.

Things Are Looking Up For My Birthday Plans

2010-03-10T10:14:00.005-06:00

All week the weather forecast has been calling for rain on my birthday tomorrow. That really sucked because my request was to go to the zoo. But I just checked it again, and it is now saying high of 71 and only a 20% chance of rain (which is pretty much everyday in the spring). Yay!!

Of course we have a rain plan too. If that happens, Greg is going to take me to the movies to see the new 3D Alice in Wonderland. Which would also be fun. I wonder if I would be able to resist the popcorn since it made me sick last time.....probably not.

Now I have to decide what I want for lunch. Hmmmm???

Corey Haim Dies

2010-03-10T09:11:00.003-06:00

TMZ and few others are reporting that Corey Haim died yearly this morning in Burbank of an apparent drug overdose. Being a child of the 80's, this makes me really sad. I looooved License To Drive and Dream a Little Dream, and I used to watch them over and over on HBO and Cinemax in the late 80's, early 90's.

Grapefruit...Yummy!!

2010-03-08T20:12:00.011-06:00

No, the baby is not the size of a grapefruit yet. This is a post about cravings. I can't get enough grapefruit all of a sudden. It's not just about eating grapefruit though. I want everything in my world to smell like grapefruit. Weird, huh?

I just went on an online shopping tear for grapefruit scented products. My first virtual stop was Ulta.com . Here's what I got:

Inexpensive and one of the revues said it can clear up little bumps on your skin..... one of the many joys of pregnancy.

This body scrub is organic and suppose to be really scrubby (can't believe that word made it through spell check).

Lotion in the same product line as the scrub, so it's also organic.

I can't wait to get these little, fragrant delights onto my body and into my smeller!

Tomorrow I'm popping into the mall to hit up Bath and Body Works, so I can grab this little goody:

Shiny lip gloss that I get to smell and taste all day long. I might just need to go ahead and grab two while I'm there. I could see this going real quick!

Speaking of tasting it all day, I'm going to try to find grapefruit gum tomorrow too. Yummy, yummy, yummy! I want some juicy grapefruit gum NOW. Who wants to track some down and deliver it to me? No takers? I guess that leaves Greg. It's the least he can do since I'm growing his child.

Guacamole Anyone?

2010-03-06T19:04:00.002-06:00

Actually that might title might be a little gross for what this post is pertaining to. This is what's up with my little "avocado" according to babycenter.com:

"Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop."

After Greg read this he told me " you're going to double in size over the next two weeks". What? No, the baby is going to double in size. I'm pretty sure that I won't be 250lbs in two weeks.....maybe by August though.

Last Week of My Twenties

2010-03-04T09:33:00.004-06:00

Next Thursday I'm turning thirty years old. If I wasn't pregnant, I would probably be pretty freaked out. Being pregnant, you really don't focus on anything else, even turning into an old lady (well, at least getting older, not turning into a "lady").

What really does suck, though, is getting older and fatter at the same time :((. At least if I wasn't pregnant, I could diet and work out like a crazy person to drop a little self-esteem boosting weight. Oh well, at least I get some fat girl, aka maternity, clothes out of my body changes.

My husband is super lucky that I'm going to be pregnant on my thirtieth because he gets out of throwing me a party. Instead I think I'll have him take me to the zoo that day (as long as the weather cooperates). And indulge my every maternity apparel whim.

BTW the bedding was delivered yesterday, and it's even better than the photos online. The colors are actually slightly more intense, and some of the fabrics have a sage green color that didn't show up online.

Now I'm off to work for a bit. Then I'll be back home to stare at the baby bedding, stalk the internet for nursery decor ideas, and obsess over every detail of the baby's room.

More About the Nursery

2010-03-03T13:48:00.011-06:00

Our doctor's appointment went well yesterday. She found the heartbeat really quickly, so all my preparation to not worry was all for nothing. We also set up our time for the big appointment. Dun, dun, dun!This is the planned layout for the nursery. We chose to use the smaller of our two guest rooms. It just seemed cozier to me.

This is the crib that we are using. It will be white for a girl, black for a boy. It's a really classic design. In fact, my mom even used the same design in my little sister's nursery 23 years ago. We will also use the changing table to match the crib.

I would like to do a fabric canopy above the crib like this. I'll just have to find the right fabric for it to work. I don't want anything to matchy, matchy with the crib bedding.

I'm pretty excited about this glider/rocker ( and the matching ottoman). I'm waiting on the swatches to make sure the fabric and color is exactly right.

We're lucky enough to have a Pottery Barn outlet here in town, so we're hoping to find a rug at some point there at a good deal.

Once we find out the gender, I'll get to pick up odds and ends and decorative accessories. I can't wait!

How Much Do I Think the Baby is a Girl?

2010-03-02T07:40:00.010-06:00

Enough to go ahead and buy nursery bedding. In my defense, it's only from Target, so it's returnable for the next three months. If we find out it's a boy after the big ultrasound, he won't have to sleep on little rosebuds.

The bedding should arrive in the next few days, but I'm going to go ahead and post pics of it now.

Here's the lovely shabby chic bedding that I have chosen.

This is a close-up of the bumper with patchwork on one side and ivory chenille fabric on the other.

Close-up of the crib sheet

Close-up of the dust ruffle

I really surprised myself when I decided on the shabby chic look. At some point I really started to like the idea of having blue in the decor, while still keeping everything really girly. I initially fell in love with a crib set that was $600. I found this on the Target website for a fraction on the price, and I really like it just as much as the pricey set.

I've already decided on the layout and the furniture for the nursery too (coming soon in a future post). The layout will be the same with either gender, and so will the furniture, just in a different finish.

I'm so excited about decorating the nursery (obviously)! Maybe my nesting instincts are kicking in early. Or maybe I'm just an anal planner :)) .

Maternity Clothes

2010-03-01T17:23:00.006-06:00

So I went ahead and ordered some stuff off Motherhood.com. Here's what I got:

I thought this skirt would be cute with a tank and flip flops or dressed up a little with a cardigan and a pair of wedges.

I love the shorter length of this one. Plus this color looks great on me!

I'm not a 100% sure about the length of this one (I'd rather it be just a little longer), but the fabric on the bottom is super cute!

I'm excited about my first maternity purchases. I wonder if I'll be able to tell if will fit well on my future preggo looking body, or not. I wish I had one of those fake pregnant bellies I could use to try them on :)) .

Apple Love

2010-03-01T14:45:00.003-06:00

I reached my 15th week of pregnancy on Saturday. Here's what babycenter.com says is happening with my little "apple" this week:

"Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although hereyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")"

We go to the doc tomorrow. This is the first appointment that we'll have without an ultrasound. She will just do a "tummy check", whatever that is, and will listen to the heartbeat with a doppler, for the first time. I wonder if the heartbeat will sound different than it does on the ultrasound.

Speaking of ultrasounds, I called the 3D ultrasound place, and they are closed for renovations the week that we wanted to go. If we waited to go the following week, it would only be two weeks before we will find out the gender at the doctor anyway. I think we're going to skip it for early gender determination. We still might get one around 30 weeks, once the baby starts to look a little more cute.

Now the big day, that we will find out what we are having, will be March 30th! It's also the day that they do the all measuring and diagnostics to make sure that the baby is normal. That kind of makes long for March 30th and horrified by it, all at the same time.

Today I've been looking at maternity clothes online. Oh to be able to shop again!! I'm still in my normal clothes, but I've heard over the next month my body will be changing more quickly. I think that I'll be carrying high, so I wonder what that means for maternity wear. I found some cute things on Old Navy, Gap, and Motherhood. I have a feeling if I order them now I would be swimming in them until May, but I need to shop!

I'm about to head to the gym. I'll post some pics of the clothes that I've found later.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!

2010-02-24T15:21:00.002-06:00

So Valentines Day wasn't bad for a cheesy, romantic comedy. The snack food ended up not being my friend. The popcorn made an encore performance a few hours later. Yuck!

Yesterday I went to get my annual vehicle inspection. That's two hours of my life that I'll never get back, and I haven't even gone to the county clerk's office to get my renewal sticker. Gosh, our city government really sucks a big one!

I think we have decided to go get 3D ultrasound during the second week of March, so we can find out the baby's gender at 17 weeks, instead of waiting until my 20 week 2D ultrasound. I know it's just a three week difference, but that is an eternity when waiting to know what you're having.

We are so very ready for the Olympics to be over, so some new TV can come back on again. They were great at first, but they just seem to be dragging on and on. A pregnant woman has so little that she allowed to do. I really need my television entertainment. It's the only thing I have left right now. I guess it will be back next week though. Right? It will be back next week?

Well I'm about to sit down to watch Days of Our Lives on dvr. At least the Olympics are screwing it up.

Week 14=Little Lemon

2010-02-22T12:40:00.004-06:00

Unfortunately I was still feeling like a bunch of crap the last month..... hence the lack of blog updates. I think it's getting better, knock on wood. It seems like every time that I think or say that the crap feeling comes back. Hopefully not this time though.

So here's what's up with our little monster this week (courtesy of babycenter.com):

"This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active."

So far today I did my prenatal yoga dvd for the first time, and it felt pretty good. I'm feeling like my little one is going to be a yogi!

Now I'm thinking I'll get out to go see "Valentines Day". Cheesy movies aren't usually my thing, but it looks cute and feels like a good choice today. Plus it will give me an excuse to pig out on some salty popcorn ( which surprisingly is a good source of whole grain, who knew), and I'm sneaking in some big, juicy, sour pickles too. Yum!!!

I'll report back with a revue of the movie (and the snacks) soon.

Hope everyone is having a happy Monday!

Actually Made It to the Gym

2010-01-19T10:36:00.002-06:00

Thank God that I'm feeling back to my myself again. I even got my ass to the gym this morning

after not showing my face there for a week and a half. I wonder if I'm feeling better because my "morning sickness" is over or because we haven't been having stupid winter temps the last few days.

I was so glad to see the resolution gym goers where out of there this morning. They gave up fast this year.

Hope this new trend continues........with me and the weather!

Beautiful Day!

2010-01-18T16:42:00.002-06:00

The weather here today was beautiful!! It was like 60 and sunny. Jealous much?

Of course I only was in it for a few minutes while chasing the dogs down the street because Greg left the gate on the driveway open. GRRR! How hard is it to make sure you push a little button on a remote?

Maybe tomorrow I'll get my lazy pregnant ass off the couch and go enjoy our nice weather. In my defense though, I am getting over a sinus infection.

Grape

2010-01-16T16:27:00.002-06:00

Here's my 9 week update from babycenter.com:

"Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain."

Maybe after a few weeks I can post the picture that they have with the update. Right now they're kind of gross looking.

My Baby is White Trash

2010-01-14T10:55:00.003-06:00

I'm scared that my baby is going to come out with a Nascar t-shirt on, wanting a Bucsh beer instead of a bottle, and demanding that I take it to Walmart. I think my baby may be white trash because I keep craving Taco Bell, hot wings (of course not the chicken part), and other crap food.

I already have had to go to Taco Bell several times in the past month and half. Then this morning I saw some wing sauce that Greg had in the pantry. I actually ate wing sauce on bread dipped in ranch dressing. Oh the shame!

Why, oh why, is my baby turning me into white trash?

On the plus side I woke up still feeling better this morning.....at least before the ranch and wing sauce bread.

Feeling Better and First Baby Purchase

2010-01-12T17:00:00.004-06:00

OMG yesterday was the worst f'ing day of my life! I felt like dog crap all day. I was literally in tears with my head in the trash can all day. I was having visions of being one of those women with "morning sickness" for my whole pregnancy. SCARY!

But then this morning I woke up feeling so much better! I think the calcium supplement that I was taking was giving me nausea on steroids, so I'm done with it for a while. I'll just have to have more diary.

I made my first baby related purchase. I know that it's pretty early to be shopping, but it was for something that I know I want (which happened to be way on sale).

Here it is:

It's an Arm's Reach Mini Convertible Co-Sleeper Bassinet.

It's pretty cool. It will pull right up to the side of our bed and has safety straps that attach under the mattress. All the reviews say that it's great for middle of the night nursing sessions. As long as you don't have to change a dirty diaper, then you can just reach out and pull them to you to feed, without fully having mom or baby wake up. It's like having the baby sleep with you without being able to roll on top of them. Plus it's not some cheesy pastel color that will clash with our furniture and decor.

I think my husband is a little worried that the baby shopping flood gates have now opened, but I think I'll be mostly holding off until we find out the gender. I really want gender specific things since we're only having one child and because of my love of pink ( since I already know it's a girl!).

Kidney Bean

2010-01-11T08:49:00.005-06:00

According to babycenter.com, this is what is happening in my uterus this week:

"New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it."

If you're expecting, and haven't signed up on baby center yet, you should. You get an email like this every week telling you what is happening with your body/baby. You can also have the same one sent to your partner or spouse. There's also tons of other information on their site, and there is a forum with other moms to answer any questions you have about your pregnancy.

The only weird thing about it is that they compare your baby to a food every week. We, of course, refer to the baby by that food name for that entire week.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

2010-01-10T18:52:00.002-06:00

Happy Sunday everyone. Hope your weekends were good. Ours was decent.

I was super excited that apparently all the football games were over, so some new tv could come back on Friday.

Friday is one of my favorite tv lineups with Ghost Whisperer and Medium on CBS. So Friday night was a relaxing one laying in the bed with the dogs and watching the tube while trying to stay warm.

Saturday was a tough nausea day and made work pretty difficult Saturday morning. But I made it through.

Saturday night we went to our friends Ashley and Mike's for their joint thirtieth birthday party. This was the first time that I've been around my girlfriends and at a party with everyone having drinks, and I can't. It was pretty depressing, but Greg helped by voluntarily refraining with me. I told him to enjoy having a D D, but it did help having the solidarity. It was still fun to soberly see some good friends and some faces I haven't seen in a while. Ashley is quite the little hostess, so everything was adorable and the food was fab! Especially the cake our friend Chevelle brought ( I had 2 pieces). I really should have taken some photos, but my camera never made it out of my purse. That's probably because I usually start taking pictures around drink 4.

Today we hauled all of Christmas stuff down to my mom's to put into their attic. We don't have an attic, and we have to clear out as much room as possible in our closets, so baby can have the whole closet in what will be it's nursery.

This week the weather thankfully is suppose to warm up! I can't wait.

Yuck

2010-01-09T13:42:00.002-06:00

This morning my hurting stomach actually woke me up at 5am. I laid in bed feeling like I was going to puke for the next hour. Then from 6 to 6:30 I actually was getting sick.

Hoping this is the peak of my nausea, and it will diminish from here. But probably not. At least I won't be gaining a bunch of weight my first trimester.

<--- Do You See It Says 225 Days To Go?

2010-01-08T17:29:00.003-06:00

OMG I'm so impatient! I can't believe I'll be preggo for another 225 days! I feel like it's going to be forever until we meet our little peanut. Of course I want to go full term, but is it going to go by this slowly the whole time? I guess it doesn't help that this is the only thing I'm focussing on, especially in weather that's not fit for man or beast.

Is this how all of you moms felt? Or is this how you expectant moms are feeling? When does it get better? Or are you in limbo for 40 weeks?

Love the New Doc

2010-01-05T16:22:00.006-06:00

The doctor appointment today went great! We love, love, love the new doctor. She has a much better approach to caring for an expectant mother who wants natural childbirth. She has eased all my anxieties about having a hospital birth.

We also got to hear the heartbeat on the ultrasound! It was pretty awesome, but I thought I would get more emotional over hearing it. It was funny how fast it was, but the doctor said that was exactly how it was suppose to sound.

We also got a more accurate due date. It's August 21st. That is pretty funny since the first doc said August 10th, which I knew was wrong.

So we don't go back for a month, which seems like forever. We will almost be past the first trimester at that point, and I hopefully will be nausea and exhaustion free.

A Good Checkup, Please. Thank You

2010-01-05T10:23:00.002-06:00

I'm going to the new OB this afternoon. I'm pretty nervous. I'm nervous that I won't like this one either, or worse yet, that something will be wrong with the pregnancy. I wonder if I'll feel like this before every check up. I hope not.

I guess this is just part of becoming a parent. You worry something is going to go wrong the whole time you're pregnant. Then when you have a healthy baby, you worry about keeping them that way the rest of your life.

I'll report back later (and hopefully with an accurate due date!). Maybe if things go well we'll be ready to tell the rest of the world that we're expecting!

Tired, Nauseated, and Zero Appetite

2010-01-04T13:28:00.003-06:00

How do pregnant women gain any weight there first trimester? How do they not lose ten pounds?The thought of food is sooo not appealing to me right now.

Pregnancy nausea has been pretty weird so far. I expected more of a hung over feeling. Like needing to run to the restroom to toss my cookies. But it's been more of a dull nausea that comes and goes. Last night it was pretty constant, though. NO FUN!

Most days I can manage to eat about a meal and half a day, drink a few big glasses of water, and take my prenatal liquids. I'm getting worried that I'm not getting enough nutrients.

And it's not like I'm just constantly nauseated (like where I would need to be put on medicine), but just that I have no real interest in food.

Being really lethargic hasn't helped. Maybe I'll get some energy back soon, so I can get to the gym. Surely working out would help increase my appetite.

I posted a poll for what you think we're going to have, a boy or a girl. Make sure you vote. FYI I think we're having a girl based on how long boy sperm can survive vs how long girl sperm can survive.

Happy 10!

2010-01-02T17:38:00.006-06:00

10 just doesn't have the same ring to it as '08 or '09 did, does it? So what are you suppose to call 2010 for short?

We were the most boring people on the planet on NYE this year. We were both literally asleep, and had been for several hours, at the stoke of midnight. We didn't go out this year at all because Greg was on antibiotics for a sinus infection, and I can't drink anyway.

Why can't I drink you ask? Well now that I figured out how to stop my blog post from going to Facebook I can tell you.

I'm PREGNANT!! 7 1/2 weeks along. Due in mid-August. ( wouldn't have been cool if the due date was October 10, 2010, 10-10-10)

In know all the people who live in Memphis are gasping at the idea of being fully preggo in our August heat, but I'm actually fine with the prospect. I'm hoping the intense heat/humidity will insure me not going past my due date and therefore no Pitocin.

I'm warning you now that my blog will probably become all about my pregnancy because honestly nothing else can go on in my life while I'm knocked up. I can't go out to eat any great meals because they'll probably make me puke. I can't go out drinking because of the obvious. I can't get excited about wanting or buying any new clothes because I'm going to be too fat to wear any of them in a few months. And I'm probably going to have to clean up my gutter mind and sense of humor if I'm going to be someone's mommy.

OK, maybe not the last one. I have to have something to do.

I'll probably have something new to post about what's happening after my appointment with my new OB on Tuesday. This new one is suppose to have a much better attitude about natural childbirth than my current one, so I'm pretty excited about this appointment. Plus this time I will be far enough along, 8 weeks, to see the heartbeat on the ultrasound.

So, if y'all know about any other blogs of pregnant girls then hook me up! I would love to read about what's happening with some other mommas-to-be. Or maybe some of you should start trying to get pregnant right now. You could get that 10-10-10 due date!

PLEASE DO NOT POST ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE! We aren't telling everyone yet.

Please Stop, Networked Blogs

2009-12-30T21:36:00.004-06:00

Dear Networked Blogs,

Please quit posting my blog to my Facebook page. I've asked nicely, but I will soon get nasty if you don't obey me.

Listen, if you know what's good for you,

Carrie

Weird Word Verification Words

2009-12-30T18:33:00.003-06:00

I'm sure I'm not the first blogger to post about this, but what is up with the weird words that they use for word verification when you comment on someone's blog.

I just commented a minute ago, and the word was "flerj". What? Is that Icelandic or something?

So leave a comment with word you are given for verification. It will give a laugh. Thanks!

Saturday Night

2009-12-20T22:06:00.003-06:00

Last night Greg and I headed over to Minglewood Hall to see some music. We saw Hill Country Revue and The North Mississippi Allstars. I loved it, but Greg is not as big of a fan of North Mississippi as me. He still had a good time though.

We also got a special treat when Derek Burnside ( son of blues legend RL Burnside) and David Kimbrough (son of blues great Junior Kimbrough) came out and performed the last few songs with band.

It was a fun night, but I've been dragging and tired today.

Today we went and had a yummy brunch and went shopping for a new sleeper sofa for Greg's home office. The one currently in there is pale yellow and we unfortunately allowed the dogs on it over the years. It is disgusting now, and I can't stand it being in there any longer. We figured that would be better use of the Christmas money we get from family than a bunch of little junk.

We have a big day tomorrow with something pretty exciting happening, but I'll have more details later.

Hope all of you had fabulous weekends, and that you have all of your Christmas shopping done! Can you believe that it's already this Friday!?!

Jess and Jess

2009-12-14T15:11:00.008-06:00

My little sister, Jessica, has had a big couple of weeks.

First of all she turned 25 a few weeks ago { oh, to be 25 again}. Greg and I helped her celebrate, and I helped her celebrate a little too much.

Jess blowing out her candles that are topping the Muddy's cupcakes that I got her

Jess holding one of the many Jess-tinis we had that evening

Going out with her and her friends that night reminded me that I'm not 25 , but rather too close to 30. I ended up "time traveling" , as my friend Ashley calls it, {blacking out} for the first time in like ten years. I don't really even feel like I drank more than I would for any b-day celebration, but for some reason ( that I may have figured out) it just happened that night.

Last week Jess went on a trip to Vegas with her boyfriend, Ryan. They started dating around the same time Greg and I did about ten years ago. That's right, since they were 15.

Well, while they were there he finally popped the question, and now my little sis is engaged. I can't believe it! I can remember when the only boy she wanted to marry was one of the Hanson brothers.

Her room was decorated and covered with Hanson crap. How embarrassing!! You're welcome Jess!

Jessica's beautiful ring { Sorry to show your chipped nails, Jess!}

I'm sooo happy for you, Jessica! You are the sweetest and most kind hearted person I know, and no one deserves happiness more that you. Love You!

Easiest Way to Help Feed Hungry Pets

2009-12-13T07:47:00.003-06:00

A few years ago my friend, Molly, told me about The Animal Rescue Site. It's a great website where you can go daily, click on a little box, and their sponsors give money for food for hungry animals ( without any cost to you).

Here is how the website describes itself:

"The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need — providing food for some of the eight million companion animals relinquished to shelters in the U.S. every year. Over four million animals are put to death each year in the U.S. because they are abandoned and unwanted.

Each click on the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary. Funding for food and care is paid by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need at the Fund for Animals' renowned animal sanctuaries (including Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in California), pet shelters supported by the Petfinder Foundation , North Shore Animal League , and other worthy animal care facilities supported by the GreaterGood.org foundation.

100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to our charitable partners."

They also have other causes you can "click one". They are: Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, and the Rain forest.

Please check this out and try to get into the habit of clicking daily. You can sign up for an email reminder if you have trouble remembering to do things, like me.

Probably Really True About my Blog

2009-12-09T21:57:00.003-06:00

This is probably a pretty accurate assessment of my blog, and probably a lot of other blogs also.

2009-12-07T18:56:00.004-06:00

In case you missed this hilariousness on SNL this weekend, please enjoy it now { scroll down to the bottom of this page to turn of my music player before trying to watch the video}.

New Moon {the movie} Revue

2009-12-07T17:32:00.002-06:00

Alright I agree that the New Moon movie was better than the Twilight movie.

Kristen Stewart's acting still made me want to scratch out my own eyeballs, but all the other actors seem to be improving.

I surprisingly thought Jacob was pretty cute in this movie. I didn't really see what everyone else saw in him on the first movie, but he was hot in this one. And it couldn't have been just because he got buff {that's not really attractive to me}.

The special effects were less cheesy this time around, too. There were still some moments that I laughed out loud {like when Edward and Vampire Bella were running in the forest in Alice's vision} but far less than in Twilight.

All and all they are getting better, and hopefully the next one will continue this trend.

New Moon

2009-12-07T12:30:00.002-06:00

Today is a pretty gloomy in Memphis, so that makes today a perfect movie day. I've decided that the crowds have probably died down enough to go see New Moon.

I'm a big fan of the Twilight Series of books but was pretty disappointed in the first movie. The acting was sub par, at best, and the effects were down right comical. I've heard better things about the second movie, though.

Now off to the movies. I'll report back later on what I thought.

Update on the Living Room Rug

2009-12-07T10:38:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about one of my puppies eating a hole in the living room rug and my subsequent rage over the situation. Click here if you missed it.

Well, Friday the repair shop called to let me know my rug was back to it's old self and ready for pickup. I excitedly rushed over to get it, brought it home, unrolled it, and it looked great!

A couple of hours later we were watching TV, and Houser was chewing on one of his toys on the recently returned rug. Suddenly I noticed the sound that his chewing was making started to change. I asked Greg what he was chewing on. Greg got up, walked over to him, bent down, and yelled "the rug!".

Yup two hours after I picked up our rug from being repaired he chewed another hole in it.

This also means that the first hole was made by Houser and not Daisy. I feel like crap for blaming her, and I've been trying to make it up to her since. She's basically getting the princess treatment.

So Greg toted the newly repaired, newly disrepaired rug back up the rug place Saturday morning. Of course they couldn't help but laugh.

Needless to say once we pick it up this time, it will stay rolled up and put away for a while { like until Houser is old and toothless}.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

2009-12-02T21:52:00.010-06:00

I'm back after taking some time to focus on grieving over the sudden death of my friend. Thank you so much to Sammy, Kimbree, and Alexandra for you kind comments on my last post. Each one gave me a little lift when I read it.

Well, as you can see by my new blog colors, I've been decorating. I thought since my house is looking in the holiday spirit so should my blog. And hope y'all enjoy the new play list with a few of my favorite Christmas songs while you read.

We've also been decorating around the house. We actually started the weekend before Thanksgiving because I just couldn't wait this year. Here are a few photos of some of our decorations:

Our Christmas Tree

Our Sofa Table Decorations

(Thanks, Nell, for our little, frosted candles from last year)

Sideboard in the Dining Room

(with our first Christmas Card)

Our Little Porch Trees by the Front Door

Little Tree in our Bedroom

(still needing a few more ornaments)

I've been enjoying seeing the holiday decoration photos posted by my fellow bloggers, and I look forward to seeing more.

Happy Holidays!!

2009-11-24T08:37:00.002-06:00

I got terrible news yesterday that a good friend of mine was in a car accident over the weekend and was killed.

He and I had been friends since I was about 19 but had really gotten a lot closer the past few years. He was kind of friend that was always there for me when I needed him, and I knew he always would be.

I'm having a lot of trouble processing that this has happened or believing that it is true. It seems like a nightmare that I should wake up from.

I've lost people before but no one like this. No one my own age that I've been this close to. It feels really strange. Of course it feels intensely sad at times, but I'm also feeling quite numb and empty more than anything. Perhaps that is just the shock.

I hope that I can process this in a healthy way and understand it soon.

So this week please be thankful for your friends and let them know how you feel about them. Don't take your time with them for granted.

I am thankful for all my blog friends. Reading all of your funny, sweet, and interesting posts about your lives really brighten up every single day of my life. And I am wholly thankful for all of my real life friends. For all of you who are in my life now and all of you who I have been close to in the past { just because I life, time, or distance may have pulled us apart, doesn't change the closeness that we once shared, or the way you're still in my heart}.

And I am so thankful for my best friend, my husband. Thank you for your concern for me and trying to be there for me right now. I know that unfortunately you know how this feels. I love you.

More Good News

2009-11-22T12:06:00.002-06:00

Greg got his scores for the the third part of the CPA exam, and he passed. Yaaaaay!!

Hopefully his scores for this past part will come back super quick, so we can put this whole thing behind us!

Thanks for the prayers/encouragement!

PASS It Along

2009-11-21T21:37:00.002-06:00

Please re post or pass this info on to everyone you know:

Dairyland Greyhound Racetrack in Kenosha, Wisconsin will be closing on December 31, 2009. 900 Greyhounds need to be adopted or they will be euthanized. Please help me get the word out; there is only 6 weeks to get this task done. Contact Joanne Kehoe Operations Director P: 312.559.0887 312.559.0887 Or Dairyland Race Track Adoption Center direct at (262) 612-8256 (262) 612-8256

Thanks to everyone and anyone that helps getting this message out in any way!

Turkey Trot?

2009-11-19T21:21:00.003-06:00

Hey Memphis folks, are any of y'all doing the Turkey Trot next Thursday?

If any off you have done it before, was the parking crazy?

I'm thinking about doing something for charity and getting a little exercise in on Thanksgiving.

Fit of Rage

2009-11-17T15:17:00.004-06:00

How can a day start of so great, and then next thing you know you're running around your house like crazy person?

This morning I woke up around 8, at my leisure, since I didn't have to work. The dogs and I snuggled in bed watching a little 7th Heaven and Matlock {another mamaw thing I do, watch Matlock almost everyday}. I went to Garden Ridge and picked up some more fun, holiday things for the house { will embellish on that in a later post}. Went to the gym and got a great workout in. Came home to have a little tomato soup and grilled cheese. Watched Sammy get her baby back, and Nicole get arrested for stealing Sammy's baby on Days of Our Lives {which I have watch literally my whole life, like from the crib}.

Then just as I started to clean the house, which I didn't even mind doing because I was in such a good mood, I saw it. The hole that Daisy had eaten in the center of my most lovely living room rug.

I seriously lost it. I felt like the Hulk or something. I may have even possibly turned green for a few moments.

I cussed out my dog using words only previously heard on pirate ships and Jerry Springer episodes, not that she understood any of them. I thought I might have a seizure because of the extent I was shaking mad, and at the very least, I knew I was having an episode.

After safely securing the dogs in the bedroom away from my rage, which I'm sue they are quite grateful for, I pulled out the phone book to search for rug repair places.

I found a place, called them, rolled up the 9 x 12 rug all by my lonesome, and loaded it into my car. Obviously I had a little adrenaline from my anger still because I 'm normally not that strong.

Thank goodness the repair is actually only going to be $50 because I was just certain it was going to be hundreds.

So just in case this ever happens to any of you pet owners, it apparently is not that costly of a fix. Maybe knowing that, you won't Hulk out like I did today, and let it ruin your day and almost your dog's life.

Oh, did I mention I also called my husband at work to tell him about it, and then cussed him out too? Like he had been in there on his hand and knees chewing up the carpet along with the dog. Whoops....I guess I have some apologizing to do. That sucks!! I hate admitting when I'm wrong.

I feel so much better know after getting that out. Promise to make my next post much sunnier, even if I have to fake it.

Hope all of your days our rage free today! And if not I hope you have better access to Valium than I do.

The End is in Sight

2009-11-16T18:32:00.003-06:00

I can't believe it, but Greg is actually taking the last section of the CPA exam in 12 days! I seriously can't believe the long years of him going back to school and studying for and taking this exam is almost over.

I'm absolutely beside myself. If I were any happier I would be twins!

I've got several things lined up for us to do once he has finished.

First off we must take our bad ass dogs to obedience training class. I've got an email into the trainer I think I want to take them to, but that is dependent upon when the next session starts. I want them to start as soon as he is done with that stupid test {bitter much, right?}.

Secondly, we finally get to get serious about making a baby. I am hopping with all my heart that this doesn't drag on forever because I am sooo impatient. Greg of course is hoping to get at least a few months of "trying" out of this.

And I am making Greg take a break from studying this weekend, so we can put up our Christmas tree. Yay!!

Since Thanksgiving is a little later this year, I figure that putting up the tree the weekend before turkey day is completely reasonable. I need a full six weeks with my sparkly tree in our living room. Plus I swung by the music store and got my new Christmas cds. Sooo excited to Christmasfy the sights and sounds of our house this weekend.

Greg is being a little pessimistic about how Houser is going to be with the tree, but I figure if Charlie and Daisy never messed with it than why would he?

When are y'all going to start your holiday decorating?

Skipping Motherhood, Straight to Mamawhood

2009-11-14T08:45:00.011-06:00

I'm not even a mom yet, but there are many signs lately that I'm quickly turning into a mamaw {grandmother for those you who aren't southern}.

Exhibit one: The purchases that I'm most excited about, my new fashion obsession, are pajamas, robes, and slippers. I can't make a trip to the Target without meandering over to the sleepwear department. I used to want to find a great deal on cute top or fun pair of shoes. Now I get giddy over a pair of flannel pj pants because they have pockets { assumably to carry around the tissue that I will soon be required to have at all times like a good mamaw}.

New robe that's cotton with fleece on the inside. About as sexy as Rosie O'Donnell.

Some of my new pajama pants. The second ones are the one of the pairs with the pockets.

Exhibit two: I already want to decorate for Christmas. That on its own isn't really mamaw. But the extent I want to decorate, and what I want to listen to while I do is.

I grew up in a house that the entire downstairs was wall to wall holiday decorations from the day after Thanksgiving to the first week of January. I keyed the phrase " It looks like Christmas threw up in here." at a young age, and it really captures the tone of the decor.

Having grown up with that made me adverse to holiday decor in my own home for the first few years. One year we didn't even put up a tree. But in recent years, more and more decorations having been creeping into our abode. This year I feel like Christmas might soon becoming nauseous in our house too. Look out Greg. We may have a wall to wall decorations this year.

I also usually have music that I want to listen to while decorating the tree. Mostly crooners singing holiday songs or traditional Christmas stuff. But this year I'm getting mamaw on Christmas music too. I'm getting these cds:

Yeah, we're having " a hard candy Christmas". If you don't get that reference, shame on you! You need to go rent The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas dvd ASAP, so you can be clued in to the magic that is Dolly Parton.

Don't you think getting out the tinsel and twine while Dolly, Kenny, and Willie are whaling out Christmas tunes is a bit on the mamaw side?

And I'm not done.

Exhibit three: Last night on my dinner date with my husband I actually wanted to go to Piccadilly Cafeteria. I'm not sure where all they have locations, but surely everywhere has a cafeteria style restaurant known to be frequented by the 60 and over crowd for the early bird special. Our only saving grace is that we went at 7:30 instead of 4:30 in the afternoon.

And I did it up right getting a salmon patty { salmon, bread crumbs, and other various ingredients deep fried}, mac'n'cheese, mashed potatoes, broccoli w/ cheese, a roll, and we shared chocolate cake. If you're going to be a mamaw, you should be a happy, round one, right?

Hopefully soon I'll participate in some activities appropriate for an almost 30 y/o. If not, at least I'll get some good discounts with my new AARP card {you know at Piccadilly and on SAS shoes}.

You Tube Tuesday... on Friday

2009-11-13T20:35:00.013-06:00

" Ooooo I just made a touch down!" Hahaha

What's Happening Peps!?

2009-11-12T19:25:00.007-06:00

Wow, I fell off the face of the blog again! Why can't I be consistent with my blogging? Oh yeah, because I'm not consistent with anything in my life. {hehe}

One of the blogs that I read is doing a 30 posts in 30 days challenge, and I'm thinking of doing it too. That sounded pretty non-commital, right? That's because it was.

Anyways, we had the BEST time in Austin. Went to some cool places, including the giant Whole Foods. I want to move there soooo bad...not to Austin but to the giant Whole Foods. We saw some cool people I haven't seen in a while, and we made some new friends, too. That might sound weird to people who have never been to a Panic show, people are really just friendly at them {it may be the chemicals}, or who have never met me. I can pretty much become bff with a lamp post after five minutes, and will be inviting to take a trip to Memphis and stay at our house. The last part really freaks my husband out, and rightly so.

Halloween was a blast! That is except for when I got puked on at the Panic show. Yeah, I said puked on. Some girl was walking past me, leaned over, and hurled salad or spinach all down my leg. I had to announce this to everyone we came into contact with for the rest of the evening, so that people didn't think Eau De Vomit was my normal scent of choice.

Here is me in my rodeo clown costume {pre-puke}. Everyone thought I was someone from Candy Land. Oh well. This is the first year that my costume wasn't overtly slutty. I'm growing up {tear}.

This was the best costume I saw all weekend. Two guys dressed up like douchebags:

Uhhh yeah, those are incredible, hand drawn Affliction t-shirts. They didn't hang out long because they had a UFC fight or something douchey to get to.

Here is Greg and our friend Chris at random bar on 6th street the night before the first Panic show:

No real reason for posting that one, except that I think my husband looks cute in it. We're not the most photogenic couple, so I feel the need to exploit any good pics of us.

Now off to do some solo TV watching. Greg drove over to Nashville tonight to look at buying a new car, a Prius. So proud of him for thinking of something other than his ego on this vehicle purchase.

Wish me luck dragging my self to the gym tomorrow. I haven't been since we got back in town, and I was on such a role, uggg.

You Tube Tuesday

2009-10-27T22:43:00.004-05:00

In honor of all the folks who are moving, or who have recently moved. Seems like their is a lot of y'all lately.

Who Eats Half a Can of Soup?

2009-10-27T11:59:00.002-05:00

As I was heating up my lunch today, a can of this soup, I checked out the label, as I often do. I noticed that the servings per container was two. The can is only 14.5 oz, so that would mean someone is suppose the eat 7 oz for a serving. What? Who eats half a can of soup? Am I a little piggy, or does that seem like crazy?

So that was my random convo I had with myself today. Thought I would share.

Networked Blogs

2009-10-26T12:16:00.002-05:00

This is for all of you bloggers who are on Facebook. Please go to the application Networked Blogs on Facebook and register your blogs. That way I can post your blogs to my Facebook page and help you get new followers. Leave a comment in this post when you have registered, and I'll add you. If you want to add me to your pages too, I certainly wouldn't object.

Weekend Wrap Up

2009-10-26T09:56:00.005-05:00

Hope everyone had a super weekend. I know that the peeps around this area had a lovely atmosphere to spend theirs in at least {our weather was phenomenal this weekend! }.

I was pretty lazy this weekend. It was, of course, just because I'm going to Austin Thursday, and totally not because I'm a big, ole bum. Well, maybe it was a little because I'm a bum.

Friday night I did try to get out and do something. I wanted to go to our zoo for Zoo Boo. It's a fun Halloween event our zoo puts on every year. I've never been before, but this is also the first year that we have had a zoo membership. The hubs totally dashed my hopes of going by making a turned-up-nose-face when I mentioned it to him. Oh well, there's always next year.

Saturday I worked for a bit, went to the gym, ran by Pier One { got a cute little apron}, and came home to make some food for family dinner at the parentals'.

Our fam hadn't gotten together in weeks, so we decided to do a Mexican night. I made seven layer dip, which we ate like pigs, and a new dessert I found on my friend Nell's blog, Best Laid Plans. Click here if you want the recipe. It is a Pumpkin Crisp, and we all thought it was delicious. Everyone requested I make it again for Thanksgiving dinner.

Our family is pretty dorky because we l-o-v-e to play board games when we get together {even though it usually ends in me or one of my sister quiting because we are losing, or one of us getting pissed because someone is not following the rules properly}.

What is about siblings that makes you revert back to childish behavior no matter how old you are? I swear I've considered doing some hair pulling recently.....even though I'm almost thirty.

We pretty much made it through this game without any sibling squabbles, but Jessica and Krista both quit before the game of Trivial Pursuit DVD Edition was over, because they were losing.

Yesterday I succumbed to my lazy tendencies and laid on the couch all day. I didn't get out of PJs one time. I watched TV and stalked Facebook. The only productive thing I did all day was wash my face and brush my teeth { you're welcome, Greg}. The only time I left the house, in my PJs, was to go to Baskin Robbin's. Let me just say that we did use the drive-through though. I DO NOT condone pajamas in public!

Today I have to be productive. I must go to the gym, after having a weekend of junk food, and I have to clean my house. At least I only have a two day work week before we leave for Austin. Have I mention that I'm pretty excited that we are going to AUSTIN!?!

Maybe I'll post some pics later of my fall decorations I put out Friday, and the new piece of art I got to hang above our bed.

What did y'all do this weekend? Did any of the you Memphis people go to River Arts Fest? I wouldn't have minded checking it out if I wasn't glued to the couch all day yesterday.

Happy Monday, for those of you in a good mood, and F*** Mondays, for those of who are not!

Loved This!

2009-10-22T08:50:00.003-05:00

I went Tuesday to see this movie {by myself, love doing that}, and it was incredible. It was a total strong girl, coming of age movie. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD, so I can buy it and watch it over and over.

It has some great actresses in it too like Drew Barrymore, Juliet Lewis, Kristen Wiig, and the young but great, Ellen Page. Who are all tough, rockin', roller derby chicks in the movie.

And it is set in Austin- whoo, whoo. There is quite an Austin theme in my life lately.

Why I Love Austin

2009-10-21T22:19:00.003-05:00

Why do I love Austin, TX? Because this is what they put on their construction signs.

The Size of Our World

2009-10-21T21:28:00.007-05:00

I love stumbleupon.com, and while stumbling , I found this to be interseting. The source was unknow, by the way.

This makes me think of some kind of cosmic Russian dolls. I have trouble grasping the vastness of our universe and beyond. It just makes me feel too small and insignificant if I try for too long.

Late You Tube Tuesday

2009-10-21T16:11:00.003-05:00

Since I'm so excited about Panic next week, I found this old video to get me in the mood even more.

A Revealing Questionnaire

2009-10-19T21:04:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been new blog hunting and found this new blog through this blog that I already followed. There was this little questionnaire posted that Little Ms Blog said anyone could steal. So I am. Maybe this will give some insight into who I am ( probably some things that I never would have revealed on my own). You are suppose to answer the questions saying if you're guilty or innocent of the doing whatever the question asks. It's kind of like the drinking game I've Never.

Asked someone to marry you? Innocent
Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Guilty
Danced on a table in a bar? Guilty
Ever told a lie? Guilty
Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty
Kissed a picture? Guilty
Slept in until 5 PM? Guilty

Fallen asleep at work/school? Guilty
Held a snake? Guilty
Been suspended from school? Guilty ( only in-school suspension)
Worked at a fast food restaurant? ?? (does Chucky Cheese count?)
Stolen from a store? Innocent
Been fired from a job? Innocent
Done something you regret? Guilty
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Guilty.
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Guilty.
Kissed in the rain? Guilty
Sat on a roof top? Guilty
Kissed someone you shouldn’t? Guilty.
Sang in the shower? Guilty.
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Guilty
Shaved your head? Innocent.
Had a boxing membership? Innocent...I think because I don't know what that means.
Made a boyfriend cry? Guilty.
Been in a band? Innocent
Shot a gun? Guilty
Donated Blood? Guilty
Eaten alligator meat? Innocent
Eaten cheesecake? Guilty
Still love someone you shouldn’t? Innocent

Have/had a tattoo? Guilty
Liked someone, but will never tell who? Innocent
Been too honest? Guilty
Ruined a surprise? Guilt
Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterwards? Guilty
Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty
Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Innocent
Joined a pageant? Guilty
Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? Guilty
Had communication with your ex? Guilty
Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Guilty
Got totally angry that you cried so hard? Guilty

Please cut and paste this onto you blog, so I can see just how alike or different we are!

Please Send Us Your Positive Thoughts

2009-10-18T22:22:00.002-05:00

I forgot to mention earlier that Greg is taking the third part of the CPA exam tomorrow. So far he has passed the two parts that he's taken on the first try, but it's still very nerve racking for him. Please send some positive thoughts and/or prayers this way tomorrow. Thanks and let me know when I can repay the favor.

Upcoming Travel Plans

2009-10-18T20:27:00.008-05:00

In about a week and a half, Greg and I are going here

to see

I'm super excited! I love Austin and, of course, love Panic. The shows are 10/30 and 10/31....halloween! Which I also love. I can't wait!!

I'm hoping some of you have been to Austin and can tell me where to get the best fish tacos. The place needs to be somewhere close to the downtown Sheraton Hotel, since we always walk or take taxis everywhere we go when on vaca { cause you never know when the mood to get hammered will strike when you have no responsibilities}.

I also can't wait to go here when we get there

And here

The Whole Foods downtown Austin is a whole city block. Anyone, who knows me, knows that this is like the mother ship calling me home. Oh, and it just so happens that the Whole Foods and the Anthropologie are right across the street from each other. Austin really is the coolest city ever.

I'm also just beside myself about getting my husband all to myself, with no CPA exam materials anywhere in sight. This will very much help my plan to come home with a little, Panic fan on board. Maybe we'll name it Austin, if it's a boy, or Antrhopologie, if it's a girl. Hahaha. Or Sheraton or Panic or......

Anyways, let me know if you have some favorite spot in Austin that we must see. Or any old wives' tales tricks on how to conceive a boy...... preferably some that are fun and not any that I have to eat or drink anything nasty.

Ow, My Back!

2009-10-18T10:36:00.002-05:00

Saturday morning I woke up ready to be productive. I decided I was going to get up early and go to the gym before work. On my last strength exercise of the day, squats, I felt a horrible pain shot up the right side of my back.

Having never had back trouble, I thought I just needed to stretch. No, that hurts worse. Maybe walk it off? No, worse. By the time I made it to my car in the parking lot, I was in tears.

Fast forward to this morning. I'm still in pain, laid up on the couch. This sucks!!

It's actually sunny outside today {which has been unusual around here the past month or so}, and I want to be outside walking the dog. I would also love to be at the gym today, since we're going out of town in a week and a half. I would even love to be able to clean my kitchen and bathrooms or rake leaves. Or anything besides being useless and in pain on the couch.

Have any of you ever pulled a muscle in your back? How long did it take to get back to normal?

Now Tell Me, Who Do You Love?

2009-10-15T13:55:00.004-05:00

I need some new blogs to follow. A good bit of the ones I was previously following seem to not be posting as much as they were back in May, when I was on here before, or not all.

So, I was wondering who y'all follow. Whose blogs make you giddy when you click on your dashboard and see that they've made a new post? Who makes you laugh and smile? Who makes your day better because of their blog? Whose blogs make you want to blog more yourself?

I tend to like blogs written by funny girls, girls who love shopping, girls who love their doggies, southern girls, and married girls and mommies who still have a life apart from their spouse and/or children. But they don't have to be limited to those categories.

Pleeeease let me know, and soon, because I love the blogs I currently follow, but I need variety in my life. And with winter quickly setting in, I know I'm going to be having a lot more couch time and getting bored pretty quickly.

You Tube's' Tuesday

2009-10-13T09:59:00.006-05:00

I couldn't pick between my three favorite shows from when I was kid, so here are all of their intros.

I unfortunately couldn't find a Fraggle Rock one with the old man talking to his dog at the beginning.

Top 10 Errors Found in Doctors Reports

2009-10-12T20:34:00.003-05:00

10. Healthy appearing, decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.

9. Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.

8. The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.

7. Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital.

6. Discharge status: Alive but without permission.

5. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.

4. Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. (Blank), who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.

3. The patient lives at home with his mother, father, and pet turtle, who is presently enrolled in day care three times a week.

2. The patient refused an autopsy.

1. On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.

And people wonder why I only go to annual appointment and stay as far away from health care, as I can, the rest of the year!