The Happy Holladays

The Leather Anniversary

2010-10-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

Today is our third wedding anniversary. That is the leather anniversary in case you were wondering. In lieu of ass-less chaps, (which was my first idea) because we are working towards a pretty extensive financial goal, I decided to go creative aka cheap this year! We shall see how it goes...Ill keep you posted.

Anywho...I can't believe it has already been three years. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting on the couch in his living room talking to his roommate (I didn't know him then yet) when he walked in from the garage. I will never forget that moment. My heart jumped into my throat and I just knew he was going to be trouble. He was H-O-T and although I thought he would never be interested in someone like me, I somehow lured him in and look at us now!

He is my best friend, my best half, and the one who keeps me sane and grounded. I couldn't be happier and I cant imagine spending my life with anyone else.

In care you were wondering, three years ago today...this is what we were we up to!

We had just moved into our house. Literally. We closed on it at the end of September. Spent three weeks living with my parents while the floors and ceilings were redone. And then moved in right before getting married. I wouldn't recommend that technique to anyone. Just saying.

The day of, I was getting my nails done!

This picture makes me laugh everytime I see it...I wonder what I was thinking about...

I was excited and hanging with my besties waiting to get married!

Man and Wife!

Then we danced...

We ate cake...

And we drank some wine!

We were on our way to The Bahamas...we were excited!

Happy Anniversary Hubby! I love you!

Howdy Folks...

2010-10-19T05:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the State Fair of Texas!

For those of you who may not know...this is "Big Tex". He oversees the State Fair of Texas, one of the largest state fairs in the United States! So big even Oprah came last year, which you may remember!

Well this was P's first year and boy did he have a good time!

Just kidding...he really did!

We ate funnel cake...

and fried cookie dough...

a corn dog of course...

and don't forget the Carmel apple!

We even convinced my parents to go with us this year...although if we can convince them again next year, I don't think we will go on a weekend! We had a great time and so did P!

Happy Eating!

Dorky

2010-10-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

Although dorky on anyone else...somehow he makes socks and shorts adorable and totally cool!

Happy Pocket Protectors!

My how time flys...

2010-10-15T05:00:00.003-05:00

This time last year, Hubby and I were hanging out with this guy.

We scored some awesome preseason tickets from my boss!

We had a great time!

Little did we know at the time that this...

is how our night would end.

Happy Birthday to the Embryo that turned into P!

(hmmm...that's weird and random but just go with it)

Apparently its me....

2010-10-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

So my computer at work will let me blog with no issue...my computer at home, not so much. Somehow I feel like things are backwards here...

Quick update. P is huge. 100% huge. He is roughly 15 pounds and between 27 and 28 inches. I say between because he is about 3-1/2 months old and he was 27 at 3 months. Terrifying but awesome!

I have been busy busy busy at work. One of the girls in the office is leaving (::sniff sniff::) so we have all be frantically trying to learn her stuff since she isn't being replaced, they are just shifting things around and hiring a new admin. This does however mean that our current admin is staying (YAY!) and...she is moving into the HR dept! WHAT?! I know...so exciting!

Hubby has been great. P has been an adjustment for us both but we are settling into our groove. He is training for a half marathon. The same one we did last year together. But this year he is running it! I am so proud. A little disappointed that I cant be out there training with him but maybe next year!

We have been crazy busy lately, which of course, I love so I do have lots to share. Hopefully I can post about our many adventures, including the Texas State Fair and the Pumpkin Patch soon! But while you wait...you can enjoy this!

Happy Wednesday!

Thanks for the love!

2010-10-11T20:31:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who told me to keep blogging! It makes me feel like someone out there actually read this and I appreciate it and I appreciate that you like to read about my crazy, yet somewhat boring life! One reason I think I was in a funk is that none of my blogging "buttons" work. If you blog, you know what I mean. I cant add pictures, links, spellcheck...anything. Im annoyed and I dont know what is going on...any help or thoughts?

Anywho...just a quick update for today. So this week I am attending a Human Resources conference....

Quick note...I think it is weird that you say "a Human Resources" but "an HR" or did I just make that up and thats not actually the rule? Sometimes I just say it the way I think it sounds better...anyone else?

and it is crazy to think about that at this conference last year, I found out I was pregnant. Well not actually at the conference but that week. It happened on the 19th. I will save that story for then so be sure to check back. But it is just crazy how much things change in a year! This year I have a kid. This year Leslie is attending the conference with us! Just wild!

Thank you again for your kind words. I will keep to blogging and hopefully find out what is going on with my blog because I know you are dying for updated pictures of P!

Happy Monday!

...

2010-10-07T08:17:00.002-05:00

I am officially in a funk. Have been for a little while. I think my blogging days might be over...

Happy Birthday Jamie!!

2010-09-27T02:00:00.004-05:00

Today is my bestie's birthday! Let's all take a moment and sing please!

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday beautiful Jamie....

Happy Birthday to you!!!!!

I know I talk about her a lot on here but just to give you a little background info. Jamie and I met in 2003...whoa...when I moved back to DFW for school and got a job at a local breakfast joint called The Snooty Pig. I dont know if I have ever told her this but I totally thought she was going to be a bitch. I know...I know. She was a student at TCU and from everything I had heard (isnt that terrible) THOSE girls were awful. I kept my guard up for approximately 5 minutes until I realized she was 100% awesome and we were so freaking alike it was scary! Snooty Pig was a fun job. We had some good times and some good laughs and ate a lot of supposed low fat muffins!

When it was time for us to spread our wings and leave Snooty Pig, I was TERRIFIED we were going to loose touch. We didnt live close. We didnt go to the same school. I just prayed we could keep our friendship going. Many a morning phone call, a lunch date, and a google chat conversation later...we are still going strong and today...in honor of her day...I would like to give you 27 reasons as to why she is so great!

1. She is hilarious.

2. She loves loves LOVES dogs.

3. She is smart (she is now Dr. Jamie! Like for reals!)

4. She is a ridiculously good listener, especially when I need to vent.

5. She understands my craziness.

6. She is extremely generous in every aspect of her life.

7. She loves...I mean LOVES the shit out of our kid.

8. She is forgiving.

9. She always knows how to make me feel better about a situation.

10. You would never believe some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth.

11. She is an avid crock pot user.

12. Did I mention that she LOVES dogs?

13. She is always up for giving me advice.

14. Despite being gorgeous and skinny...she isnt afraid of cheese.

15. She always has a way of making me feel good about myself.

16. Did I mention she LOVES our kid?

17. Even though it was years and years ago, we can still get to talking about our Snooty Pig days and crack ourselves up! (And yes...if you happen to be a regular anywhere...they talk about you)

18. She is a devoted wife.

19. She is never afraid to try something new.

20. She has AMAZING hair. (I know...superficial...but it really is beautiful)

21. She isnt afraid of discovering new things about her.
22. She threw me the most awesome baby shower EVER.

23. She didnt judge me when I threw up on the way home from dinner and then fell asleep at like 8:30PM the night of my bachlorette party.

24. She writes the most AMAZING blog ever! http://www.avantgardeparenting.com/

25. There is never a lull in our conversations.

26. All of the women in her wedding were red heads.

27. She just gets me. In a way that sometimes I feel like no one else does.

Jamie...I hope you have an amazing day. I love you more than you know and I look forward to our days of growing old and sitting on a porch (we may have to go find one somewhere...hope the owners dont mind) and laughing and chatting about all that we have gone through together. Thank you for being you and thank you for loving me and my family.

Happy Birthday Jamie!

*By the way, I had SO many pictures to include in this post but my blogger is being seriously weird so I apologize.

BBB

2010-09-24T05:00:00.002-05:00

*I had pictures but my blog is being finicky...boo!
During the first few weeks after P was born, I dreaded nighttime. Big time. During the day, I seemed to keep it together but once night time came, I was a mess.

P was a good sleeper from the get-go. He just liked his sleep, takes after mom and dad, I suppose. The problem was, is that he would spend most of the DAY sleeping and then at night, he was wide awake. I know having your days and nights mixed up is pretty common for babies but it really is tough. I never listened to anyone and go in the habit of "napping while he was napping" so unfortunately, come night time...I was tired and ready for bed. P on the other hand had been sleeping all
day and was ready to party! (party = stare at nothing while his parents acted a fool)

The swing was our saving grace throughout the first few weeks. Heck we still use it now for naptime but that is another post for another day. P LOVES the swing. We would get him fed, changed, burped, and calmed down and then we would "swing it out". Good times. Anyways, during all this, for some reason, the nights would make me very lonely and depressed. Waking up in the middle of the night. Sitting in a dark house with a crying baby, trying to figure out how to console him was tough. Very tough. As he got older, things did get easier and as I figured out how to comfort him, that depression slowly faded away. A week or so before I started back to work, Hubby and I decided to try and get P into a bedtime routine. Nothing concrete, just paving the way for a consistent schedule. Feeding times were still up in the air, but we knew if nothing else, we could give him a bath at somewhat the same time every evening and just go from there.

This started our nightly routine and is now my absolute favorite time of the day. We call it our BBB.

We start with a bath..

Then "supper". Interrupt that 'B' how you will...

Then bed.

I rock P until he is falling asleep and then into the crib he goes. When he is full and happy and just lays on my shoulder, I can't imagine being anywhere else. I often use this time to pray and count my blessings and just relish in the time that I can spend with him when he is willing and able to just lay and snuggle-bug on me because I know, especially with a little boy, those times won't be around for forever.

Happy Slumber!

Not to brag...

2010-09-20T08:10:00.000-05:00

BUT...CHECK ME OUT!!

I am parent of the week on Avant Garde Parenting!

Ummm...what?! I know...I'm excited too! My bestie Jamie runs that blog. If you arent reading it...you should, she is way smart and gives a lot of good tips and advice about being an awesome parent!

Happy Parenting!

Fun Friday - Fuzzy Navel Cake

2010-09-17T06:34:00.002-05:00

This is all that was left three days after it was made. When my sister-in-law and brother-in-law came into town last weekend, Hubby and I decided to have bbq. We (when I say we, I mean he) made ribs, grilled corn on the cob, and baked beans*. I decided to also make a dessert, because

a) I love to bake

b) I love dessert

c) I have been wanting to test drive some of the recipes in this cookbook:

(I stole this picture from Amazon so you can try and "click to see inside" but I don't think it will get you anywhere...sorry!)

Anyways...since I cant have chocolate, I tested the Fuzzy Navel Cake. Wow. It was yummy! Here is the recipe...you should go a try it right now. Go ahead...I'll wait!

FUZZY NAVEL CAKE

(click here for printable version)

Cake:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 cup peach nectar juice*
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup orange juice
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp orange extract, optional
Thin Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
4 T orange juice
2 T peach nectar juice
Thick Glaze**:
2 cup powdered sugar
2-4 T orange juice
1-2 T peach nectar juice
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
2. Place all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and blend on medium for 2 minutes more.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
4. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
5. While cake is cooling, prepare the thin glaze by combining all ingredients until smooth.
6. Loosen cake around the edges with a knife is necessary. Invert cake onto serve/storage dish. Place parchment paper or wax paper around the outside of the cake to keep your serving dish clean.
7. With a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes in the top of the cake. Gently spoon the glaze over the warm cake, allowing it to get in holes and drip down the sides and into the center. Allow cake to cool completely.
*You can find this in a can in most grocery stores. The original recipe called for peach schnapps if you want to make it a little "fun".
**Optional step. Once cake has completely cooled, prepare thick glaze and spoon over the top.

A post to brighten you day!

2010-09-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

Remember when I said there was nothing cuter than a baby sneeze or a baby yawn??

Yeah...I lied.

Happy Smiles!

A day we will never forget...

2010-09-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Jenilee!

2010-09-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

Today is my good friend Jenilee's birthday! YAY! Jenilee and I met 7 years ago...geeze...I can't believe it has been that long. Her and her boyfriend at the time, Scuba Steve, had just moved to Texas for Steve's job as a DJ for The Liz Wilde Show. My Hubby (well of course he wasn't my Hubby at the time...we actually didn't even know each other) was getting his demo together, had given away his cat, had started packing his things, and was ready to hit the road to find a radio job outside the DFW area. He happened to bump into to Steve and Mick (another guy from The Liz Wilde Show) and I'm sure it was more involved but ultimately they offered him a job! (little did I know I would meet him a few months later)

Anywho...Hubby and I started dating and since I was young and reckless and 20...I would go up and hang out at the radio station during their show (I'm sure this was really annoying) but during that time, Jenilee and I began to talk and eventually became friends. We had some good times!

We hung out with Ole' Whiskers!

Introduced them to some Texas BBQ!

Had some fun and interesting times at our boyfriend's boss's house...we won't even begin to discuss Thanksgiving....

Hung out a lot and tried to be helpful at the radio station.

Oh...and yeah...MET TY PENNINGTON! I know...now you are jealous!

She is a one of a kind friend with a generous heart. (She in currently in school working towards nursing school! SO awesome!) I am so lucky to have met her and I am so glad we are still in touch...did I mention that they moved back home to Connecticut only a short time after moving here!? She is an amazing person and I just love her to death!

I wish her the happiest day possible!

Happy Birthday Jenilee!

Oh and go check out her blog! Cute pictures of pups and stuff!

Exciting News!

2010-09-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

P is going to have a cousin! YAY! My brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Hi Amber!) are expecting their first baby! In January! It's a girl! SO exciting!

Our family has been praying for this for a long time so we are so excited that it is finally here! They are going to be AMAZING parents and I am just so happy for that little girl...she is being born into a family filled with love.

Chase and Amber also came for a visit this past weekend to meet P!

I will keep you posted on her progress but keep a healthy baby in your thoughts and prayers!

Happy Baby!

Swim Class!

2010-09-08T04:32:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday was P's second swim class, and this time Hubby was able to join us! So fun! You might remember Mr Duck from our first class...

well through trial and error, Grammy was able to figure out the Flip camera and this time we got a video!!

Also thank you to Emler Swim School for featuring P and I on their Facebook page! So neat!

Happy Swimming!

Weekly Menu is Back! (hopefully)

2010-09-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

With some encouragement/intimidation from my bestie, the weekly menu is back! I will try and keep it as up to date as possible but I know y'all will understand if I get behind! Enjoy and I would love to hear any comments on recipes you tried and either loved or hated!

Happy Cooking!

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

In honor of labor day, I think you should read abouy MY labor...get it?! I will even make it easy for you!

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

Happy Day Off!

(and just in case you are interested in the origins of Labor Day!)

Since when was I born in a barn??

2010-09-02T05:00:00.005-05:00

So the past few days I have begun to notice something about myself that frankly I just am not okay with. I have noticed that I am leaving drawers and cabinets open, not picking up after myself, and just leaving things in disarray. Yes...I'm sure some of you are thinking, YOU JUST HAD A BABY...GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK and while yes, that may be true...it is not that hard to close a drawer!

So I make Hubby 2 sandwiches every morning, peanut butter & jelly for breakfast and turkey for lunch....we are exciting, I know. Well the past few mornings, after I'm done I have looked around and realized that the silverware drawer is still open, dishwasher is partially cracked, cabinets where the baggies live is still open, pantry is open...the list goes on and on! What is my deal?! I need to work on this before it becomes a habit and frankly I need P to be on my side when it comes to making the bed.

There is one thing I know I will never compromise on though, and that is the toilet seat lid. I apologize for all of you who leave yours up but that is f-ing disgusting. So this might be just as weird as my being grossed out by getting my feet wet thing (for another post entirely)...but it TOTALLY, ABSOLUTELY, 100% grosses me out when I go into a bathroom and the lid is up. I don't know why, I mean I have to lift it anyways to actually use it...but something about walking in and immediately staring into the abyss that is your personal poop palace just makes me queasy. Oh also...black toilets...I mean ew, just ew.

So I have talked about the bathroom two days in a row...it is just a coincidence, I promise it wont become a habit.

I will leave you with this because I know it will make your day, just like it did mine!

Grumps and P

(special thanks to the videographer Aunt Shirley (my dad's sister) who is in town from NYC)

And speaking of Aunt Shirley, P got all dressed up for her the other day!

Happy Baby!

*So I almost just published this post without spell checking...EEK...y'all would have be embarrassed for me...I am pretty much at a 3rd grade spelling level.

What the baby books dont warn you about...

2010-09-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

*Disclaimer. I talk about poop. If that is gross, I wouldnt continue. You have been warned!

If you weren't someone who talked about or even thought about poop before...once you have kids...you will be. P had some poop issues the past few weeks. He would be embarassed for me to be telling everyone but it went from "normal" breastfeed poop (or at least what all the books tell you it looks like) which is pretty much like seedy mustard to green. Shit you not (pun very much intended). Green. And all shades of green. Forest green. Lime green. Yellowish green. I even saw what I believe to be mint green the other day. I pretty much had to bust out my 64 pack of Crayolas to compare colors.

While it was entertaining to say the least...it still, as a new mom, caused me some concern. We brought it up at our 2 month visit and the doc didnt seem to be alarmed so I just rolled with it but of course still googled it, checked in all my baby books, and still sent three emails to friends and texted two people to ask their thoughts and opinions. The explanations were all over the map. Everything from eating to much vegetables to a bacterial infection. Awesome.

I decided to just roll with it and we would see how things progressed until my first day back to work, Grammy texted me that there was blood and mucus in his diaper. WHAT?! Seriously?! My first day back to work and there is blood. Are you freaking kidding me?! So what does any normal person do...I made her take a picture and email it to me. It wasnt a lot but still, blood is blood and every baby book you read says blood is a red flag. I immediately called the doc and spoke with a nurse who said that one diaper with blood isnt too much concern but if the frequency of diapers and amount of blood increases, then I need to call back. Oooookay.

Well I was still worried so I called again and made an appointment for P. Hubby took him to get checked out, with dirty diaper in tow (they told us to bring a poopy one...delicious!). The doc checked for any tears or reasons for the bleeding but couldnt find anything therefore, the reason for the blood and mucus could be a possible dairy allergy therefore...I have to cut out all dairy from my diet. WHAT?! Seriously?! No cheese. No milk. No ice cream. No nothing. Boo! I have been avoiding milk anyways because I have heard that it can cause issues but no cheese...is that even possible?! When Hubby told me I immediately crawled under my desk and wept. But then I pulled myself together, splashed some water on my face and told myself to quit being so selfish. I did ask Hubby (just for curiosity sake) what if I didnt cut it out and he said matter of factly..."formula". And not that there is anything wrong with that but we are cheap people and therefore we are going to try and stay on the boob juice for as long as possible.

So why is our son's poop green you may be asking yourself (or maybe not if you are normal and/or dont have kids) and the doc said that I am not drinking enough water. Awesome. So its pretty much all my fault. No guilt there or anything.

What is the moral of this story? No more dairy for me and lots and lots of water and therefore potty breaks if we want to continue to breast feed. I guess I can handle that...I mean it is for the health and well being of our child so I should probably get on board!

Happy Milking!

Why I love dogs....

2010-08-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

We put a discovery mirror in P's room. Apparently Bailey was enjoying discovering as well.

Man she is cute.

Happy Discovery!

The next Michael Phelps!

2010-08-30T05:00:00.002-05:00

P is officially a "swimmer"!

There is a swim school in our area called Emler and frankly even before we got pregnant, I was dying to go! I couldn't wait until we had our own little ones because lets be honest, there is nothing cuter than baby bathing suits or babies swimming.

I looked online and found that Emler offered a class called Bathtub Babies that is for 2 to 5 month-olds and is used as an introduction to water and swimming. Awesome! This was just what I was looking for...but how much? I dug around some more and realized that...holy crap...it was FREE!!! I did have to pay a $25 registration fee but the classes were free from now until the end of the session which is in January. They meet every Saturday at 1:15. I couldn't sign up fast enough!

Grammy came with to be the official photographer and videographer and let me just say that we had a blast! I'm sure P loved it because he didn't cry and frankly he knew he was the smartest and cutest baby there.

This is more of an introductory class so we don't submerge the babies yet but we did lots of different things and every activity had a fun song that went with it!

We floated on our back!

And on a raft!

We rode Mr. Duck!

"Round and round and round we go...round we go...round we go. Round and round and round we go...riding on Mr Duck...quack quack!"

And we bounced!

Oh and P got to wear these ROCKIN' swim pants...I mean how cute are these?! (They have to wear 2 pair...just in case.)

It was an awesome experience and so much fun! I am so excited to have the time to spend with P and I cant wait until next week!

Happy Swimming!

Oh and this picture is just funny because the little girl behind us kept trying to pull her mom's swim top off. Apparently someone was hungry! Oh and P looks pretty much traumatized in this picture...I swear he had fun!

Reasonable Accomodations

2010-08-27T05:00:00.002-05:00

So we are breast feeding and plan on doing it for as long as we can during P's first year. It really has more to do with being cheap than opposing formula.

Well since I am not around my kid when I am at work and he still has to eat, we all know what that means....well maybe not everyone knows....but that means pumping or as I affectionately call it...milking.

We wont get into the politics behind it (although I did vote for Obama so HA) but part of the recent Health Care Reform, now requires employers to provide women a "“reasonable break time” and a private, non-bathroom place to express breast milk during the workday, up until the child’s first birthday". When I was still pregnant I heard about this but didn't want to bring it up to my boss. Being that I am the other half of our department of two, I already felt bad enough that I was going to be taking time off and then to ask for a private place to express my boob juice, just felt like it was asking a lot...ridiculous, I know.

Anyways...because we do have female managers that work out in the field, one of our regional directors actually brought it to my boss's attention and created the perfect platform for me to bring it up as well. I volunteered to have Hubby come up and put blinds on my door (I have my own office) or hell, I would even settle for newspaper if necessary. It doesn't bother me any, I was just thrilled that there might be an option for me other than in the bathroom...which don't get me wrong would be fine but lets be honest, its not ideal. It was decided as a company that we would take it on a case by case basis and make reasonable accommodations where necessary.

Anyways, while I was gone, my boss had blinds installed on my door....awesome!

The first time to pump came around and don't get me wrong, I was nervous because hello...although I used a cover up that my awesome bestie gave me, its still kind of weird. I mean my boob is just out and about at work...in public. I just sucked it up though, got my stuff out and pulled down the blinds...

well hmmm...

I had a friend do a walk by and she assured me that nothing could be seen but it still made me laugh. My boss chatted me on Google Chat and the conversation went something like this:

My boss: "Do your blinds not go all the way down?"
Me: "No"
My boss: "I'm sorry, I thought they did. Feel free to put something in the gap if you want."
Me: "I had Leslie walk by and she said you cant see anything so as long as no one crawls by my office, we should be good."
My boss: "All crawlers will be sent to the HR department."

(This is funny because its funny and because he and I ARE the HR department!)

So I started pumping and all was well. I was switching sides when one of our regional directors came by and stood in front on my door, clearly confused as to why I had blinds and why they were down. So what would any logical person do in that situation...he bent down and looked under them....LOL....

I politely and of course while giggling said "give me just a second...". I finished and then went to find him. This is also funny because he is probably one of the nicest and most modest people in our company. He immediately apologized, looking totally embarrassed. I assured him that it was no big deal, to which he matter of factly replied..."I guess that is what they mean by reasonable accommodations". And dont worry, I reported him to the HR department.

Happy Pumping!

Back to Work

2010-08-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

Monday was my first day back to work after the birth of P. How it has already been 8 weeks is beyond me but we won't go there. On one hand, shocking I know, I didn't want to go back. I didn't want to leave our tiny (well...tiny-ish) and precious baby while I went out and made that money! I am fearful of missing everything. Missing the smiles, the giggles, the cooing...everything. But then I had to snap out of it and realize, hey...working moms rock and my mom worked while I was growing up and I am pretty normal so he is going to be fine.

On the other hand though...I actually was kind of looking forward to going back. I feel selfish saying that but I was. Our office is super small, like 11 people small, so I totally missed everyone in the office. We are like a little family. Frankly I spend more waking hours with them than Hubby so what do you expect.

P will actually be hanging out with Grammy during the day for a few months so that has helped both mentally and financially. I know he is in good hands and Grammy just LOVES spending time with him. When I pick him up she fills me in on what they did during the day. Peek-a-boo. Story time (they finished Robin Hood already). Tummy time. And of course sugar time!

It is definitely going to be an adjustment, probably for both of us but in the long run, I think it will be good for him to be socialized once he is in daycare and frankly we don't have a choice so he is going to have to go. I know everyone has an opinion on SAHM versus working moms but in the end, this is the choice that works best for us and while it is hard...it is going to be great for everyone! And...I have some pretty hilarious daycare stories from my 12 years in child care so if nothing else, it will give him more things to talk about during his therapy sessions when he is older!

Happy Working!

Nothing cuter...

2010-08-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

There is nothing cuter than a baby sneeze or a baby yawn...

Sleepy Baby!

Two Months!

2010-08-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

P had his two month check up last week! He is up to 12 pounds and 23-1/2 inches. WOW! The doc asked what we were feeding him and Hubby the occasion steak when he has been good!

I can't believe two months has come and gone. Everyone warns how fast it will go but seriously...it goes fast. It feels like just yesterday we were driving home with him in the middle of the night, getting home and looking at each other like..."now what?!".

When I think back to this time last year, it just amazes me. I was SO ready to start a family but we still were not sure as to when to start trying. I was SO worried about not being able to get pregnant. I was SO worried that being on the pill for 10 years would affect my chances and abilities to get pregnant. I was SO worried that we would never be "ready", whether that was financially or emotionally or anything...

but here we are...

and it is wonderful.

Grandpa Joe

2010-08-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Joe is Hubby's dad. He lives in Louisiana and made his first visit to see P this past weekend.

He was smitten from the moment he walked in.

P was pretty enthralled too.

Can you see the pride?! I love it!

Three Generations. Absolutely Priceless.

Happy Family!

Love at first sight?!

2010-08-17T05:00:00.002-05:00

So our friends had a baby last October...I can't believe she is already nine months. Our friends live in College Station and last time they were in town, their daughter wasn't feeling good so they decided not to bring her over when they came to meet P for the first time.

Well...they finally met and frankly, we all feel that it might have just been love at first sight...

Well...maybe not.

Well...maybe so?!

Yep! I think we should go ahead and start planning the wedding now!

Happy Babies!

I apologize...

2010-08-16T07:29:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the silly look of my blog today. I am trying to revamp but can't quite find anything I love. Bear with me and I promise it will be looking better soon!!

Happy Monday!

And the baby cries....

2010-08-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

When P was first born, he slept...and slept...and slept. He cried occasionally but not really that often. SWEET! We have created the perfect baby!

Being a new mom...I blame my naivety. He is no longer so silent. BUT I will say, it is oddly less annoying when it is your own kid crying than any other kid. That being said...at 3:00AM, it is still difficult.

I think the hard part is trying to figure out what he wants. Although it would feel less urgent, if he laughed when he was hungry...it would be so much easier! I know this is just another phase...I can't imagine he will cry when he is hungry forever...right...?! 24 and crying when he wants a bowl of cereal...but then again at 24 I hope he isn't crying to ME when he wants a bowl of cereal...

Oh and I think he is going to start crying actual tears soon. For those of you who don't know (because I sure didn't), their tear ducts aren't fully functioning when they are born therefore when they cry, there are no tears...which makes it a lot less painful as a mother when you cant figure out what the hell he wants...but I fear when the tears come...it will pretty much be heartbreaking. Ill keep you posted.

Happy Faces!

Check out this new blog!

2010-08-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

My bestie started a parenting blog! You should check it out! She has her PhD so she knows what she is talking about.

Avant Garde Parenting

Happy Reading!

The Pups!

2010-08-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

One question we have been asked repeatedly is how the dogs are adjusting. We brought P home at around 1:00AM after he was born and needless the say, the dogs were a bit confused...

"Where have you been?"

"Why did Grammy and Grumps feed us and why was it so late?" and

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NOISE?"

Bubba was immediately curious and wanted to sniff, sniff, sniff. I figured this would be the case because he is our protector and every other child that has been in our house, he has been fascinated with and immediately goes for a big mouth kiss!

Vegas (the princess) was confused, annoyed, and just barked every time P made a noise. This was difficult at 1:00AM after being tired, sore, and overwhelmed. It was stressful and I was scared.

Bailey was scared to death. She had no idea what this thing was and why it was here. Get it away.

Six and a half weeks later however....Bubba is still just as curious and is thrilled that I will actually let him kiss P's tiny little fingers. Yes I let him...don't judge! Vegas has actually come to terms with P's existence and she actually sniffs him and kisses him and doesn't bark when he cries anymore...thank God. Bailey is coming around. She still jumps when I put P near her BUT she is a lot more curious and willing to give him a sniff and occasional kiss on the ear. She is coming around.

They still bark just as loud as they did when I was pregnant. They still go C-R-A-Z-Y when people come over and P isn't even phased. We are turning into one big happy family!

Happy Life!

Random Thoughts

2010-08-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

I'm back! I apologize for my absence, it's not like I haven't had things to share...just finding the time to share them!

Things are going well...we are slowly but surely figuring each other out. Parenthood is definitely an adjustment and a lot to learn. Totally worth it but at times extremely overwhelming.

The first week or so were extremely emotional for me. I had been warned of and heard about the "baby blues" but never really knew what people were talking about. Well now I do. I cried A LOT that first week or two. For no reason in particular, just when reading P a story (yes I was attempting to read to a newborn...I know), listening to a classical song on my iPod, or even when coming home from Target (yes I actually left the house when he was a newborn...I was stir crazy) and seeing a little boy playing in the park. Hubby would walk into the bathroom and find me sobbing, and all he could do was laugh. Not laugh at me, but just laugh at the hormones. It was helpful as I attempted to do the same.

P and I also struggled with feeding in the beginning. Things were going well enough for us to leave the birth center with no issues but once my milk came in...it was all down hill. On day five after a few awful days that involved 90 minute feedings, him crying, me crying, etc...we finally went and visited with a lactation consultant. She was an angel with bad teeth (sorry...I know that mean but they were!)! She fixed our issues within 5 minutes of being there and P and I have never looked back! Those struggles didn't help with the emotional turmoil I was in. When you are already feeling overwhelmed, stressed about how to actually BE a mother, and then you can't feed your child...it was a lot to take in. BUT we got help and are doing good! (Moral of the story here...don't be afraid to ask for help and listen to everyone when they say to give breastfeeding at least 2 weeks. It is the hardest job EVER but if you get things working right, it will pay off!)

Then there is the sleeping. We all know about those struggles. As of now...we are getting there. We are taking each day at a time and Hubby and I are figuring out that P likes to fill his belly before bed. Last night he ate roughly 8+ oz! Yes...our SIX WEEK OLD! Wild. He is apparently going to take after his parents in the love for food/appetite department!

Then there is the whole..."WHO THE HELL IS THIS PERSON?!" thing. I "knew" him in my belly. I knew he liked to kick me on my left side. I knew he had the hiccups ALL THE TIME. I knew that he tended to be active during the day and sleep at night. I knew that he was an awesome baby that led to an awesome pregnancy. But now that he is out, I have to get to know him without being able to communicate with him. It is hard but gives me a whole new understanding for unconditional love.

Regardless of the struggles, when I look at him, I just cant believe he is here. It is nothing short of WILD. I prayed and wished and hoped for a baby for so long and now he is here and he is perfect. I worried and stressed about not being able to get pregnant or something happening during my pregnancy but he is here. I don't know how people could continue to doubt the existence of God after this experience. It really is a miraculous process and I cant imagine going through it with anyone else.

Happy Baby!

Month One...Check!

2010-07-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

One month old.

First Bath

2010-07-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

At the birth center, Daddy gives the first bath.

It was too cute not to share.

Happy Baby!

Our Birth Story (Part Three)

2010-07-21T08:08:00.000-05:00

Catch up with Part One and Part Two if you haven't already!

Okay...I can do this, right? I am about to give birth...with no drugs...holy smokes. Cherie and Beverly continued to check the baby's heart rate and after a few rounds of pushing, said that his heart rate was dropping and I needed to push to get this baby out. This part was exhausting. I would push when they told me, breath when they said to, and just tried with everything I could to get our baby out. It was hard, I remember telling them when I felt the burning that everyone warned about. He was coming, whether we liked it or not. I continued to push with each contraction and suddenly they said the head was out! With one more push, Cherie suddenly flopped this HUGE baby on my stomach. OH MY GOD! I didn't cry, I didn't yell, I was just in shock. I looked at Hubby and just kept saying "oh my God", "oh my God", "oh my God". I couldn't believe I did it and I couldn't believe that baby was inside me! I couldn't believe he was finally out! WOW!

He didn't cry immediately, that made me nervous. After cutting the cord, they took him to the warmer where he pooped about a pound and half of stuff and then started crying. It was an amazing sound. I couldn't believe that I just did it. All of my fears melted away and it was done. He was here. It was amazing.

Then they had to push on my stomach, not 100% sure why, and that hurt quite a bit. Then came the placenta...wow that was amazing and HUGE...and then more pushing on my stomach. OUCH! And then...I got to hold our baby.

He was here. He was safe. He was perfect.

8 pounds and 20 inches of perfection. We were immediately smitten.

Happy Baby!

Our Birth Story (Part Two)

2010-07-20T05:00:00.002-05:00

If you haven't read part one already...please catch up, I'll wait...we don't need anyone being lost.

So after I was checked for dilation, I got changed and continued to breath through each contraction. They were coming often and getting stronger. Cherie our midwife soon arrived, assessed the situation, and checked me out. She also noted that we were going to have a baby sooner than later and made sure that everyone was ready. Beverly continued to get the room ready, making sure I was as comfortable as possible, and made me drink lots and lots of orange juice. As the contractions continued, it started to get warm and I suddenly wished it wasn't June and 100 degrees outside. I continued to labor in multiple places, trying to find the most comfortable position to be in (which turned out to be on the toilet...sexy and whimsical, I know). Hubby and my mom were there every step of the way, encouraging and motivating and making sure I was okay. Around 5:00PM the contractions started to get REALLY rough and felt like they were right on top of each other. I moaned, and groaned, and occasionally screamed-ish...but made it through each one. Once each contraction had passed, I remember thinking "man I need to quiet down, I am going to scare any women who are just here for their appointments!".

Towards the end, there was a moment that I wasn't sure I could do it. I leaned into Shawn, whimpering that I couldn't do it. He assured me that I could, and frankly hello...I was going to have to! That baby had to get out of there somehow! I knew these feelings were a good sign though...they meant the end was near!

At 5:20PM, Cherie checked and said I was dilated to a 10 and that this baby was ready. I got nervous. I wasn't sure I knew what to do. I begged her not to leave...not sure where I thought she was going to go...and told her that I needed her help. She assured me that she would be there and then said that it was time for her to break my water. Splash! The contractions continued. Cherie told me that I needed to push a little bit to get the baby down. I struggled to figure out where I needed to push from. I know that sounds weird but I just couldn't quite get the hang of it. Once I realized that you really do just use the same muscles as when you ~~poop~~...use the restroom, we were good to go. This is also when I tossed my cookies. Apparently a lot of women do it, and when it happened Cherie told my mom and Hubby that that was a good sign and the baby was almost here. I realized then that while this was a "beautiful process", I probably looked absolutely TERRIBLE! On the toilet, throwing up. SEXY! Hope baby didn't mind.

I was told that I needed to move on to the bed. The thought of moving and leaving my comfortable toilet sounded terrible but I figured they probably knew what was best and frankly I didn't want the baby coming out IN the toilet. I shuffled into the bedroom, laid down with Hubby sitting up by my head and my mom standing by my side. Cherie got her apron on, Beverly was at the ready, and they said it was time to start pushing...holy crap...this was it.

To be continued.

Our Birth Story (Part One)

2010-07-19T05:00:00.001-05:00

Well Parker is currently asleep and swinging away so I thought this would be the perfect time to finally share our birth story!

The week started out like any other. Went to work Monday morning, surprising everyone because I had been told at most of my appointments up to then that he would probably be coming "any day now". I guess he was just happy and content in there! On Tuesday, I started to get nervous about not being able to get home in time if I did go into labor at work. Hubby and I talked about it and decided that potentially Wednesday (the 23rd) would be my last day in the office UNLESS I was feeling absolutely fine...then I would just keep working. I was hoping Wednesday would be it because while I was still feeling fine and chugging along...I was starting to get uncomfortable.

Wednesday morning was like any other. Got ready, kissed the husband and the dogs, and went to work. I was sitting at my desk and at 10:10AM (yes I looked at the clock) I got my first "hmmm this is different" contraction. Nothing mind blowing or so painful I couldn't keep working, but it was different enough for me to take notice. Felt like a strong menstrual cramp. I of course still wasn't sure if "that was it" or if it was just another Braxton-Hicks contraction, but I called Hubby and texted my mom to let them know. Hubby said to just note the time and start keeping track of them. I kept working and at 11:15AM I got another one. A little stronger but still nothing that caused me great alarmed. I did find that walking down the hall to restroom helped but I wasn't sure that I needed to leave just yet and I'm sure people would start wondering why I was going to the bathroom so much!

Since it was potentially my last day in the office, the girls and I decided to "picnic" during lunch (we eat together in the conference room instead of alone...in isolation at our desks) and while I didn't say anything to them, I did take notice when I got another contraction around 12:00PM. This one was a little stronger. I had called the birth center by this point and they had said to just keep them updated but it didn't sound like I needed to come in quite yet. I was both relieved and disappointed. After we finished lunch, I went back to my office and called Hubby and told him that I was going to head home, just in case. I told the girls in the office, and my boss (who looked panicked that I was still sitting there...I think he was afraid my entire pregnancy that I was going to give birth in my desk chair) that I was going to go ahead and go home, so I finished up a few things and headed out around 1:00PM.

I called my mom and Hubby on the way home. Hubby was on his way to Wal-Mart to pick up a cooler to take the birth center (yeah...we probably should have purchased that before but oh well) and was going to meet me at home. Throughout both conversations, I started to get a few more contractions that were coming a little more frequently but nothing regular. I did have to stop talking a few times while driving so I could breath through them, and focus on not crashing. While the contractions were getting a little stronger, I still wasn't convinced that "this was it" because it wasn't completely awful.

I got home around 2:00PM and told Hubby to call the birth center. They typically want you to wait until the contractions are 5-1-1 (5 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute, for 1 hour) until you come in, but since I had already been dilated (at a 4 at my last appointment) and we live about 45 minutes away (close to an hour or so with traffic) I didn't want to run out of time. They told us to go ahead and come on it, just in case, and Beverly our birth assistant told us to go ahead and hurry. I figured we still had time so Hubby loaded the car and called my mom while I jumped in the shower. He then hosed off and at 3:00PM, we pulled out of the driveway, just in time for me to get a fairly strong contraction. Shockingly enough I still wasn't nervous.

I went ahead and sent out my mass text to everyone that we were on our way, so all of the "good lucks" and "how exciting!" were good distractions as the contractions kept coming. We started to note the time and noticed that at this point they were coming about every 5 minutes. They started to get to the point where I needed to just close my eyes, grab Hubby's arm, and breath. This helped...A LOT. It wasn't constant pain, like I was being stabbed or something, it was just uncomfortable when I would get a contraction and back to normal between them.

As we got closer to the center, we hit traffic. Awesome. One of my fears. I didn't panic, just let Hubby handle it and before I knew it, at 4:00PM we were parking the car and headed inside. Beverly was there to meet us and took us into one of the birth rooms. She asked how things were going, noted when I had another contraction...and then another...and said that they were coming pretty close together. I continued to just breath through them but at this point, I did have to stop and lean over the bed to find a comfortable position until they passed. I said I wasn't sure this was it but was fairly certain and she said she would go ahead and check my progress to find out. Her eyes got a little bigger as she told me that I was dilated to between a 6 and a 7 and that we were not going home without a baby. She also said that she was fairly certain that we would have a baby before dinner time, specifically 6:00PM. I remember thinking...wow...okay, well that is in 2 hours...and that is when I got a little nervous.

To be continued...

An update...finally!

2010-07-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

Judging by my "Punkin Tracker", our little one is slightly overdue...well actually...on June 23rd (4 days before his due date actually), Parker Ace Holladay made his entrance into the world!

I plan on documenting our birth story and my birth experience...just need to find the time to sit down and do it. I promise it will be come though, hopefully sooner than later.

In the meantime, know that we are doing well...so far sleeping well...and growing well and look for our story in the weeks to come!

Happy Baby!

Weekend Fun!

2010-06-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I had a great weekend this past weekend! It wasn't too wild or crazy but we still had fun and got a lot done!

Saturday was nice because Hubby did not have to get up early and work like he usually does. I would love to say we slept in but 6:30 seems to be our new wake up time...not sure what to deal is?! Maybe our babies are getting ready for "the wee one"?!

I started laundry (since per Hubby's request, I only do it in the morning and evenings to try and keep the house cool) and made breakfast and I thought we were having some people over so I quickly cleaned up and vaccumed and straightened things up. They ended up not showing BUT it worked out that the house was cleaned up so I was done with that for the weekend! Score!

After a quick drop off of chemically stuff to the "Hazardous Waste Drop Off Day", we headed to Babies R Us to get my parents a Pack N Play for the kiddo. Mom is going to help us out with childcare for a bit so...he needed a place to sleep. Hubby and I then ran a few more errands, including grocery shopping (I love when I can sucker him in to going with me) and then we headed over to my parent's house (with the pups of course) for a fun afternoon of swimming! I totally rocked out a bikini (wearing shorts of course) with this huge 39 week pregnant belly. I wouldnt do it in front of anyone other than my husband and family of course but it was amusing regardless. Oddly enough I think I was more comfortable in a 2-piece pregnant than I am normally...my stomach has always been an issue...so that was pretty strange.

After a fun few hours of swimming, we headed home and cooked dinner. Shawn saw this yummy recipe for Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup on The Cooking Channel which is a new network with a lot of old shows from The Food Network that I L-O-V-E. Anyways...he wanted to give it a whirl so we did! It was different, yummy, but different. We added chicken too for extra protein.

After that I convinced him to go for Sno Cones and then it was off to slumbertown.

Tune in tomorrow for a Father's Day recap!

Happy Tuesday!

Whoa...M.I.A!

2010-06-21T05:00:00.002-05:00

Wow...well umm...I have no excuses good enough for why I haven't blogged in approximately 45 days....geeze! Well anyways...quick catch up, at our midwife appointment LAST Friday (June 11th), I was told that I had progressed even further and she thought he would be coming THAT week. Maybe the potato salad lady was right?!

Well...no baby.

Went to our appointment this Friday (June 18th) and things hadn't changed drastically but he had dropped a little lower (JUST JUMP OUT KID!). Our next appointment is Wednesday so...we will see if anything happens before then OR if he comes prior to our appointment...fingers crossed!

I am definitely still nervous BUT I was given that light at the end of the tunnel so now I am getting to the "I'm ready" point. Typically it is more so by the end of the day when I feel like my skin is about to pop (for some reason it feels more stretched by then...) BUT I have still had a great experience and I will be a little sad to see it end.

I promise to keep you posted!

Happy Baby!

Maybe the crazy lady pitching potato salad was right...

2010-06-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I spent this past weekend working it up around the house. This included a nice, stressful trip to CostCo.

CostCo + Saturday + Memorial Day Weekend = WHAT THE HELL WERE WE THINKING!

We needed Gatorade and Baked Chips THAT bad apparently...

So as we are crusing down the dairy aisle, about to throw in a few cases of Gatorade, I hear "come try some potato salad and hot dogs" from this little old lady parked next to the butter. As I walk by, she swivels in her chair and says to me:
"You'll have that baby in about 2 weeks."
"Ha ha ha..." I nervously laughed, "well I am due in 4 actually."
"Nope, I say 2...maybe 3 at the most."
"Ha ha ha..." again...nervously. At this point I am not sure what one says in this situation. But then she threw in the kicker.
"I went in to labor beating rugs." Which might sound crazy and random to most BUT that is actually how my Gram went into labor with my mom back in the day....ummm....SERIOUSLY?! Was Gram channeling me through this old woman and her potato salad?! Should I be worried that I was about to be struck by lightening or go into labor right then...OR should I just get my crap together because we were going to have a baby sooner than later?!

Well fast forward to our most recent midwife appointment on Tuesday. We met with Cherie, it was great. She was super nice and super positive. We got to hear the heartbeat, which was amazing as always. She commented on how I had no stretchmarks, which was exciting! Not bragging but seriously...I have been greasing this belly like an Easter ham so it was nice that my efforts have paid off. AND I do owe it to really awesome genes too...my mom has one teeny-weenie strectch that is only visable if you squint and look REALLY closely, which let's be honest would be weird for everyone involved. ANYWAYS...no stretchmarks...YAY...thanks mom!

So anyways...she did a few more things and pushed and proded my belly and told us that she thinks he is about 5 and a half pounds, and she wanted to feel if he had "dropped", which basically means he has made his descent into the canel of doom. I was slightly disappointed when she said he hadnt but then again, we still have 4 weeks to go and it doesnt always happen this early. But she kept going with the exam and then checked, just to see if there was any internal progression...if you know what I mean.

She then got a surprised look on her face and said..."well, actually...you are one cm dialated and 50%". (50% = 50% effaced...which...close your eyes if you arent interested...means that the cervix has thinned by 50%. We are looking for 100% at the time of labor people. 50% means HALF WAY THERE!)

WHAT?!

WHAT?!

Im sorry...back that ass up...

WHAT?!

Whoa lady...did NOT see that coming. What about him not making his descent? Well she kinda backed up and looked at me and said, "you know he might be dropped, you might just be carrying him in your back because of your height". I am not 100% sure what this means to be honest with you. If it explains the back pain then I vote yes but otherwsie...carrying him "in" my back is confusing BUT I am just going to go with it.

So that is that. I pretty much zoned out and didnt hear anything she said after that honestly but I did hear that while we might make it to my due date, she wouldnt be surprised if he came a bit early.

Wow...ummm...I need to go do stuff...like laundry and cleaning...and organizing...and go back and find the potato salad lady and ask for the lotto numbers...PRONTO!

Happy Baby!

Get to work Hubby!

2010-06-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

Three days weekend rock my freakin' face off. We decided that this past weekend was going to be deemed "get ~~shit~~ stuff done because we are about to have a baby!" weekend.

A few weekends ago, although we had talked about it for awhile so it wasnt a complete out of the blue thing, Hubby decided to rip all of the bushes out near the back of our house. We hated them. The dogs loved to dig and get dirty in them, but we hated them.

We laid weed blocker in hopes that it would stop things from growing and then last weekend we eventually went and bought some grasses. Wispy ones. I love them.

So this past weekend, we finished it off by adding rocks!

It turned out EXACTLY how I wanted!

And while he busted his butt in the 150 degree heat...I washed these...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? They are actually even smaller than they look here because I have what I affectionatly like to call..."man hands".

We did however find time to

have a small pool party at my parent's house. They were out of town and the dogs just LOVE swimming at Grammy and Grumps house!

We got a lot of things done and organized and I even had time to work on the baby's room a little bit.

This is the bookcase that Jamie gave us! Turned out super cute!

More pictures of the room to come, I promise...I am still just trying to figure out where the heck everything needs to go and I am trying to remember what everything is now that it is washed and out of the package...

Happy Baby!

Bradley Classes - Class Five!

2010-06-02T06:05:00.001-05:00

Our final Bradley class was filled with information about what to do AFTER the baby gets here and how in the world to take care of this thing...okay not completely but we definitely discussed things like breast feeding, immunizations, circumcision (since everyone in the class was having a boy), and how to survive after your entire world has been flipped upside down.

One thing we decided on based on what our Bradley instructor told us is that we are going to wait about a week before we have any visitors or guests at the house. This will be hard, I already foresee it, but we know it is for the best.

Our Bradley instructor says mom should basically be in bed the first three days after giving birth. Even if you feel great, especially doing it naturally, you need to resist the temptation to get up and do "stuff". Laundry can wait, Hubby can cook, and everything will get taken care of. If you think about it, it makes sense, typically if you give birth in a hospital they keep you at least 48-36 hours anyways, so this rest time for us, will just be spent at home...in bed. (Theoretically)

Then she said for the next four days, mom can move from the bed into the living room on the couch but still doing nothing. The body has been through something fierce and different, if you give it a chance to recover and recoup, you will be all the better for it.

I am going to try this. Like I said, it will be hard. I will want to show him off, I will want to get stuff done, but I have to remember that people will be understanding (hopefully) and things will get done eventually.

We shall see.

Happy Resting!

Bradley Class - Class Four

2010-05-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

This class was all about review. We reviewed the stages of labor, techniques to keep you calm and help you through labor and honestly, it was in this class that I really thought....you know what, I can do this! It is all about working with your body, not against and it was also when I had a lightbulb moment and really understood and grasped the Bradley Method!

Relaxation is KEY!

An engaged and supportive coach are also crucial but relaxation is where it is at. It is so important to practice this before too because while you can talk about relaxing all you want, think about all that goes on mentally and physcially during labor...the chances of you being relaxed without really working at are slim to none. Practice alone, practice with your coach, practice often and practice for real. Dont just go through the motions. Really try and think about what labor will be like and what you will be and what you should be thinking about. If you practice before hand, it will help it become more automatic and routine when that time actually comes!

Happy Birthing!

BABY SHOWER!

2010-05-21T05:00:00.003-05:00

So my bestie totally threw me the most rockin' baby shower EVER last Sunday. I mean she out did herself. Frankly I am already stressing and thinking I need to start planning for HER shower even though she isn't even pregnant yet!

She had a book theme, so everyone was asked on their invitation to bring their favorite childhood book. Such a neat idea! We got so many amazing books!

When you walked in, she had tables set up with food and sweet treats, and each dish was themed around a book!

We had nachos for "Nacho the Party Puppy" and chili cheesecake for "Chilies for Benito".

"I Eat Vegetables" for veggies with hummus dip and "A is for Salad" for Cobb salad!

CUTE! CUTE! CUTE!

For dessert, we had...

"Cupcake" with cupcakes of course!

And a Candy Bar (what?!) for "The Yum-Yum House". She knows me too well!!

One of our gifts from Jamie was a bookshelf to put all the books on! AWESOME! It matches the room perfectly and is just what we needed!!

For activities we played two games, and she had tables set up for everyone to decorate onesies for "Punkin"!

So cute! I cant wait to put him in them and take his picture and send them to everyone!

Everyone was so creative!!

My mother-in-law also had this AMAZING diaper cake made for us. I have never seen anything like it. When Hubby and I took it apart, stuff just kept appearing! So cute and SO thoughtful!

Then it was time to upwrap gifts, which makes me SUPER uncomfortable because I never feel like I am grateful enough. I am...I SO am...I just dont feel like I show it in the best ways sometimes. I know people would think I was a bit strange if after every pair of mittens or after every onesie I screamed with delight and ran up and gave them a hug BUT still...being the center of attention and knowing that people spent money on us is less than ideal for me BUT that being said, we got a lot of amazing things for "Punkin" and we are seriously, SERIOUSLY blessed.

For me though, the star of the show was our honorary niece making an appearence.

I mean COME ON! I cant even handle how freaking cute she is!! Her mom, Ashley is going to be a doctor. She is pretty much amazing and has a blog now, you should read it! Mom, M.D. Oh and that is Christina holding her by the way, another amazing friend of mine!

The shower was incredible. More than I could have EVER imagined. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives that love us and our little one!

Happy Shower!

Bradley Class - Class Three

2010-05-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...a lot about babies and Bradley this week...just trying to catch y'all up! Tonight is actually class five and our last class!!

By anyways...class three discussed a lot of "what ifs" and how to be okay with them.

What if I am overdue?
What if the baby is breech?
What if labor is taking longer than expected?
What if it is taking less time than expected?

Basically all of those things that you should THINK about but not worry about.

We also discussed a lot about c-sections. Why they may be necessary. Why they shouldn't always be seen as the worst choice. And why if you have to have one, it doesn't mean you are a bad mother. It was good class to just get you thinking and to help us write our birth plan even more.

While this was supposed to be in Class Two, this was also the class that we watched a video, cerca 1982, of an actual birth and where the couple is using the Bradley method. I wont go into details but ummm....wow? Ouch? Is it too take to change my mind about wanting a baby? Eek! I just have to stop thinking about it or...I might cry.

If you want a more positive and less...ummm...close up view of birth, I HIGHLY recommend the documentary "The Business of Being Born". It was made by Ricky Lake (yep...same one..."GO RICKY, GO RICKY") and although it is definitely leaning towards the side of natural birth, it is really great and makes labor look a little less...ummm...close up. Enough said.

Happy Birthing!

My Princess

2010-05-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

Our computer crapped out on us awhile back and our awesome neighbor helped us fix it. When he did, we got a window upgrade. With that, Hubby turned on this neat feature that instead of having one constant background, it scrolls through all your pictures! So cool! Often times Hubby and I will just get distracted looking at the pictures and "ohhhing and ahhhing" over memories and how old I look now!

This picture popped up the other day. I felt the world needed to see it. She is just about the cutest thing ever, let's be honest with ourselves.

And yes, for those of you paying attention, those are the stairs that Hubby built.

Happy Vegas!

Bradley Class - Class Two (Part Two)

2010-05-18T06:33:00.000-05:00

Class two is also when we discussed writing our birth plan. For those of you not familiar, a birth plan is basically a written out plan of what you want to happen (or not happen) during your baby's birth. This doesnt necessarily mean:

9:00AM - ice chips given
9: 15AM - contraction
9:30AM - baby born

It is more things like:

I want these people [insert names here] present during the labor only
I do not want any meds whatsoever
I only want meds when I have discussed them in length with the doctor and my husband or partner
When I am screaming "GIVE ME DRUGS!!!!", please give me drugs

Those kind of things. Everyone who will be present at or apart of your labor should have a copy of the birth plan. Does having a birth plan mean you cant change your mind the day of...ABSOLUTELY NOT. This is not a contact, this is not set in stone, and this is something you are writing to have your desires known prior, not necessarily what you will want the day of.

Some people think they are silly and/or pointless but I look at it as if people dont know what you want, how can they help you achieve the birth you desire.

Hubby and I are working on ours now. I havent decided if I am going to share it with the world. I dont know that everyone REALLY wants to know my plans and expectations or even needs to visual my lady bits. Enough said.

Oh and it was also during this class that I cried during relaxation. I wish I could find what our Bradley coach read to us, it was really amazing but it just talked about relaxing the muscles and helped you invision everything relaxing and then it talked about actually pushing the baby out and how exciting of a moment that is and how this is what you and your husband (or partner) have been waiting for and this is the start to a new chapter in your life. *Sniff Sniff. Just thinking about it makes me teary. I am just so excited and ready for this event. Although we have been a family for quite awhile now, I am ready for this next stage and I can not wait to see what an amazing father Hubby is!

Happy Birthing!

Bradley Class - Class Two (Part One)

2010-05-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Aka...the class that scares the shit out of you.

I say that in the nicest way possible. Basically I think this class is thrown in there for all the doubters, middle of the roaders, and maybe ever for those of us with a tiny thread of self doubt. Just kidding....kinda. Although I am still on the natural band wagon, this class will make you question your decision, or at least it did for me BUT just for a minute.

First thing we discussed were some basics about pregnancy. We labeled some pictures, talked about ways of keeping yourself comfortable during pregnancy, and started going over the coach's role in this whole ordeal. It started out, as you can tell, harmless enough. Then we introduced the stages of labor...here is where things started to get a little nerve racking.

Labor (according to the Bradley Method) can be broken up into 5, sometimes 6 stages.

Stage One: Early First Stage
This is when the excitement sets in that this might be the real thing. You are still able to walk around, do things like normal, and while contractions may be about 10 minutes apart and lasting 45-60 seconds, they are nothing that you cant work through. You are expected to dilate 0-3 cm during this stage and if at all possible, you should eat, drink, sleep, walk, and/or shower during this stage. This sounds do able.

Stage Two: First Stage
This stage is marked by the realization that this is really it and it is going to be hard but you can do it. You will go from a 3 to about a 6 during this stage and although the contractions are getting stronger and then may come more frequently, you can still talk and move during them. If you are hungry during this stage, you want to eat foods that will stay with you as you have a long road ahead. Getting harder but still do able.

Stage Three: Late First Stage (Hard Labor)
This, for some woman is the shortest part of labor and when you body takes you from a 6 to a 10. You should be at the place you are giving birth at this point and this is when the contractions are going to get a little rough. It is imperative at this point that your coach is reminding you of what you practiced and how important relaxation is. You must let your body go and remember that it is working towards your ultimate goal! Use this time to get comfortable and prepare for the next stages to come.

Stage Four: Transition (aka the part that made me doubt)
This is the last stage before pushing and doesn't necessarily happen to everyone. It is this stage that self doubt can set in and you might think "I can't do this" or "I can't take it anymore". You might be scared, confused, and you may want to give up but it is your job and especially your coach's job to remind you that you are almost there. When you hit this stage, that means pushing is next and you are almost done!

Stage Five: Second Stage
You are 10 cm dilated, you have a new calmness and determination about you and it is time to push! Just because you are told that you should be pushing, doesn't mean you have to. Listen to your body and push when you feel the urge and rest completely between contractions. You may feel a stretching or a burning but that means the baby is getting close. Coach's should keep encouraging during this stage and remind you to take two breaths in, hold your breath on the third and push to the point of comfort during each contraction. For some this takes only a few pushes, for others it may take hours but the end result is the baby!

Stage Six: Third Stage
Some people do not consider delivering the placenta a stage of labor but it definitely can be. It does not come out automatically and can sometimes take up to 30 minutes before it is ready to be labored.

So those...in a nutshell are the stages of labor...are you scared yet? Just kidding. While it sounds difficult, and honestly did REALLY scare me a lot, knowing what to expect has helped ease a lot of my fears and I hope it does the same for others. I really believe a lot of the "fear" that comes with labor, comes from not knowing what the hell is going on and what the hell is happening down south. If you know what to expect, it makes it a lot easier to prepare for.

We also discussed writing our birth plan in class two...oh and I cried during relaxation time...but this post is long enough so tune in tomorrow!

Happy Birthing!

Garden Update!

2010-05-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

So as you may or may not remember, Hubby decided to start a garden. Well people, we are officially in business! I have recently cut lettuce for salads, snipped cilantro and basil for dinner, and oh...my...word...

we are growing cucumbers! I know, I know...they look more like gerkins right now BUT wow...who knew?! And so cool to see how these veggies actually grow in nature. I had no idea that my cucumbers were born out of beautiful yellow flowers!

And check this out...

two out of our three tomato plants are starting to sprout tomatoes! SO CUTE!

Also, did you know that cilantro grows flowers??

I had no idea!

This is what we started with...and this is what we have now!

Happy Gardening!

Bradley Classes - Class One

2010-05-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

The Bradley Method is broken down into 12 classes. Our instructor has formatted her classes to be 5 classes, we just cover more information per classes.

Class One was focused on the importance of nutrition and exercise throughout your pregnancy. Not only is good nutrition imperative for the baby's development but it helps keep mom healthy too! We also started working on relaxation techniques with our partners (insert Hubby) and solo relaxation techniques as well.

One thing that is SUPER important during pregnancy is protein. PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN. During pregnancy, you should be working to get at least 75-80 grams of protein a day. WHAT?! I know...that is a lot, right?! I thought I was doing so good until I started actually writing them down and then I realized I was seriously lacking in that department. Dairy/Milk products, eggs, and meat are some of the main areas where you can get it. I have also developed a rockin recipe for a smoothie:

1 small container strawberry Greek Yogurt (yoplait makes flavored ones now...yum)
1-2 cup frozen peaches
1 scoop protein powder (I got an egg white one at a health food store...23 grams of protein per scoop)
Orange Juice
A few ice cubes

Blend to taste and add more juice if it is still a little chalky.

We also learned a few exercises that you can do to get your body ready for labor.

Tailor Sitting - sitting "Indian style". (I apologize for offending anyone...I am not sure what the kids are calling it these days)
Squatting - pretty self explanatory (this helps opens the pelvis and is also a good technique to give birth in...just saying...HELLO GRAVITY)
Pelvic Rocking - get on all fours and arch your back and then relax, allowing your pelvis to rock forward. ROCKIN!
Butterfly - sit with your back against a wall and your knees up and feet together. Push your knees out against your partner's hands.
Kegels - enough said ladies...enough said.
Side Relaxation and Sleep Position - also pretty self explanatory and pretty much my favorite technique.

Bradley Method also focuses on teaching your partner or birth coach how to help you relax. This is the best part. I get to lay there and relax and Hubby has to massage me. Ummm YES PLEASE!

Our instructor says it is important to practice so when you are in actual labor, those instincts come back. I make Hubby rub me down nightly. It's for the baby!

Happy Baby!

Bradley Classes

2010-05-05T05:00:00.003-05:00

So I have debated whether or not to blog about this but I have decided what the heck...so here is goes. As you may remember me talking about when discussing our decision to choose nature child birth, the decision came with a lot of research. One topic in particular was that of Bradley Classes. I wont bore you with the details but if you are really interested, I would encourage you to check out this site to learn more about The Bradley Method. In a nutshell though, they are basically classes that help guide you through the process of natural childbirth. Do you have to be going drug free to take them, absolutely not, but that is what the classes are tailored towards so you definitely discuss the ins and outs of labor and techniques to help you through it.

Okay...that being said, the birth center we are using HIGHLY recommended one Bradley instructor. Hubby and I debated back and forth because she was more expensive, the only classes we could attend were on Saturdays (which meant no more working with my dad...aka no more extra dough), and they were REALLY far from our house. Ultimately we decided to just suck it up and go with who the birth center suggested.

We had our first class about 4 weeks ago and let's just say we have since then found a new instructor. I wont go into the gory details but I will just say the house was stinky, kinda dirty, and the dogs outside were being kept in less than awesome conditions. When I say "less than awesome conditions", I mean that Hubby and I almost immediately left as soon as we arrived. We stuck it out for the first class but after discussing matters further with each other, my parents, and one of the midwives at the birth center, we decided to switch.

We ended up finding an AWESOME woman that lived MUCH closer to us, had a much smaller class size, and we were able to do the classes during the week which meant Hubby could work on Saturdays and we wouldn't have to stop in the middle of our day to drive an hour away. All in all, it was a good move. We have had two classes so far, three more to go and I would really love to share what we have learned so far!

That being said...you know I can't just give it to you all at once so check back tomorrow to find out what we discussed in our first class! : )

Happy Baby!

#1 Pet Peeve

2010-04-30T21:04:00.000-05:00

So I think I have decided what my #1 Pet Peeve has been during my pregnancy. It hasnt been people asking me how much weight I have gained (although that is rude and awkward) or people asking if he "was planned" (ummm...really??) or even giving me looks like I am insane when I say we are doing natural childbirth....

No...

I think my #1 annoyance is the following conversation:

Stranger: "So when are you due?"
Me: "End of June"
Stranger: "Are you excited?"
Me: "Oh yeah, definitely"

So far so good right?!

Stranger: "Is this your first?"
Me: "Yep! Three dogs at home but this is the first baby!"
Stranger: "Oh yeah. Big difference. And I will tell you, those dogs will become just that when that baby gets here....Dogs!"
Me: ....
Stranger: "Have a great day!"
Me: ....

Bleh. People suck. Lol.

Happy Baby Week!

Ready Freddy! (kinda...)

2010-04-29T09:49:00.000-05:00

Although we have not finished our Bradley Classes or packed our "hospital bag" or washed ANYTHING or finshed the room or even bought sheets for the crib....part of me is really excited and really ready to meet our little one.

That being said...if you are reading this God and/or "Punkin"...PLEASE DO NOT COME THIS EARLY!!!!

BUT I am ready to start our life as an even bigger family. I am ready to see what he looks like. I am ready to see if he has red hair or brown or maybe even throws us a curve ball and blonde! Does he have Hubby's lips or mine? Will he be able to tan (part of me hopes yes but part of me hopes no...)? Will he be a good sleeper or a bad one? A night owl like Hubby or a morning bird like me? How will the dogs react? Will they love him immediately or will it take time (I'm sure as long as he has sticky fingers they will love him...)? I am just ready.

Maybe that stems from not wanting to grow any larger in the belly...

Happy Baby Week!

Baby Movements

2010-04-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

One thing I couldnt wait to feel and experience was the baby movements. What in the world did it feel like to have something ALIVE move around inside your gut? Was it alien like? Did it hurt? Did it tickle? I think that is also the first question that I always asked to my pregnant friends, "what does it feel like?!". The overwhelming response that I would typically get was... "gas"....

Oh...

Somehow that is not as whimsical and special as I was hoping....

I started to feel movement back in February. I described the feeling as muscle spasms or twitching, and while I do still feel that way, as he has gotten bigger, the feeling has definitely changed and is almost indescribable...which sucks...I know but I am going to try.

The past few days, "Punkin" has been a movin' and a shakin'. He is all over the place. Feet (well what I assume are feet) on the right side, feet on the left side, feet down below...thankfully I havent had the dreaded rib kicks yet...but he is definitely getting a work out in the there and I had a moment when I was driving home and he was doing a salsa to the right and it almost felt like bubbles under my skin. I know, that sounds weird, but if you can imagine the feeling of being in bubbles under water (come on....we all played those swimming games when we were younger) and what that felt like on your skin...now imagine it on the inside. Frankly it almost tickles!

As he gets bigger (deal Lord...I hope not too much bigger...) and once his head drops, I am sure the feeling might change again but I have decided and declared that it feels like bubbles. Definitely bubbles....which I feel is more to look forward to that gas....just saying.

Oh and it definitely still is very "alien-like". Especially when you can see movement on the outside. Neat...but definitely freaky.

Happy Baby Week!

Are you crazy?!

2010-04-27T05:00:00.004-05:00

*This is random, chaotic post. I apologize for my rambling thoughts...but just go with it...

It is the summer of 2001. I had just graduated from high school and had been accepted into a summer program at the University of Texas in Austin. (Basically it was a program that allowed you to start school the summer before everyone else would...kind of a probationary/can you really it hack it here kind of thing...how I even got accepted I will NEVER know but whatever, that is another story for another day.)

It was the second summer session and I had heard about this anthropology class from a girl that lived on the same floor as me. She said the teacher was really awesome, she learned a lot, and they talked and learned about midwives. Midwives?! What the hell is a midwife?! I was intrigued and signed up for a class taught by Robbie Davis-Floyd, I will say that the class was pretty much life changing. I dont remember my grade, I remember a few specifics here and there, but I do know that I left that class knowing at 18 years old that when I was ready to have a baby, I would be doing it with the assistance of a midwife. It was a no brainer.

I pretty much kept this decision under wraps for a number of years because a) I was 18 b) I wasnt in the market for babies and c) I dont know that that would have been the best conversation starter when looking for a boyfriend....

Him: "Hi, I'm (insert name here), it's nice to meet you."
Me: "How are you? I'm Megan. So what are your opinions on natural childbirth?"

It would just make things awkward.

Flash forward to summer 2003. The summer that Hubby and I met....awww...you all know what happened after that of course. I couldnt tell you exactly when I had the conversation with him about natural childbirth but he knew that was my intention when that time came about. We never really talked details or anything but he was definitely aware of my wishes and was very supportive.

When the baby talk finally got serious last year, I began to do some research...gotta love the internet. I learned more about natural child birth and the overall benefits. I read a LOT of first-hand experiences of all kinds, both natural and medicated. I learned about Bradley classes and I learned more about what exactly a birth center is and started researching the ones in our area. I was quickly disappointed to find that the selection is somewhat limited. By limited, I mean like 2...maybe 3. Sure there are TONS of midwives but the compromise for Hubby and I was that I got my natural birth expereince but it needed to be in a facility that was able to take care of things and near a hospital (in other words...not at home) and I was honestly okay with that. What if something happened? Would I really want to do that to our sheets and mattress? And wouldnt it be nice if someone else cleaned up afterwards?

While researching birth centers, I soon also learned that there are different types of midwives. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) and Certified Professional Midwives (CPM). The difference....CNM are midwives with experience in both nursing and midwifery. That sounded pretty good to me! Thanks to google...I quickly found out that my birthing location options dwindled even further upon the decision to use a CNM...there was only one. The Birth and Women's Center. It was in Dallas, not exactly close to our house, but it was the only option. I crossed my fingers.

Hubby was brave and patient enough to take a tour of the center before we were even pregnant. Out of 7 couples...we were the only ones not "with child". I felt stupid immediately BUT ultimately didnt care because at least I was planning ahead and wouldnt be looking for a different birth option at 30 weeks pregnant.

October of 2009 rolled around and...well...you know what happened then! 9 pregnancy tests later...we were in the market for a birth center and after our tour the months before, had already made the decision that the Birth and Women's Center was the place for us. It is basically an old house that has been "converted" into a birthing center. It is super cozy. 100% not medical and was just the place I wanted to be when in the throws of labor.

Okay...okay....so that fills you in a little bit but after all that...I still havent really answered the question as to WHY in the world I would want to give birth naturally. Why in the age of medicine and technology, would I choose to feel the "pain" of labor when I could just lay there and push and end up with a baby? Why would I want to feel everything when I could just be drugged?! Am I CRAZY?! Honestly I dont know that I can give a better answer other than I can not imagine doing it any other way. I want to be alert and apart of my birth experience. I want to have a birth experience, I dont just want to give birth. Also, I HATE needles and the thought of that epidural needle makes me want to throw up AND frankly I dont understand why I have been told throughout my entire pregnancy that an advil should be avoided at all costs BUT at the very end of our journey....probably the most important part...it is okay to put a substance into my spine that numbs me from the waste down. Surely the medicine doesnt go to the baby too...right? Right....

Is this decision for everyone? Probably not. Do I judge people who have medicated births? HELL NO! Why would I judge someone for making that decision and expect them not to judge me for doing it without drugs?? Could I be 100% crazy and regret my decision...sure...but I hope that I dont. I feel like deciding how you want to birth needs to be more of a priority for women. You dont just have to do what the doctor says and you dont have to go into your birth experience completely uneducated about what exactly happens and what will take place. One thing I have learned throughout this experience is that education is the key to not being "afraid". Am I afraid of the pain....ummmm YES!!! BUT knowing what to expect, knowing what exactly is going to happen to my body, knowing that the baby and I have to work together to get him the hell out of there...helps and is comforting. Hospital, birth center, home, or corn field....educate yourself. Dont go into your birth or pregnancy without doing a little bit of research. Its amazing what you will find. And while you are at it...try to find any accounts of a bad, natural birth...just saying...

Happy Baby Week!

Baby Week!

2010-04-26T09:17:00.000-05:00

I have decided to declare this week "Baby Week"! Similar to "Shark Week" but different in ways that I won't get into right now. But this week I will be writing about babies and my pregnancy experience thus far and all that crap. If you are 100% NOT interested, then please tune in next week BUT if you try and stick around, I promise I will keep it interesting, funny, and I will not be using the "v-word" or pictures for that matter in any way, shape, or form.

Happy Baby Week!

The Poodle Cake!

2010-04-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

So do you remember when I told you that I was "testing" a cake recipe for a friend's birthday. Well...here is said cake and if I do say so myself, it turned out PRETTY STINKIN' CUTE! I am 100% not an artist, frankly I can't even draw a good stick figure BUT I can somehow draw on a cake....I still don't understand it. Granted, when I saw "draw" it does involve me looking at an example and "sketching"/drawing it out with a toothpick on the cake first.

Regardless...this cake turned out better than I expected and the birthday boy, Bob, really enjoyed it. Who is Bob, you ask? Bob is a really good friend of Hubby and I's and is actually the reason that Hubby and I are together today! Hubby and him were roommates and him and I were good friends...and the rest is history. : )

Anyways...Bob is what one might call a "poodle rancher" and by one, I mean me. Him and his wife started with one toy poodle, which led to two, which led to three, which led to breeding two of them, which led to six, but has now left them with four! FOUR! I thought three was a lot!

I was given creative license with his birthday cake and frankly this was the first thing I thought of! : ) It turned out cute, the cake was delicious, and he had a great 32nd birthday! Couldnt ask for much more!

Happy Birthday Bob!

30 weeks!

2010-04-18T21:24:00.003-05:00

10 weeks to go...holy crap!

Belly Rubs

2010-04-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

Belly rubs are an absolute staple in our house. They make everyone smile, they make everyone happy, and they feel good too!

Have you rubbed a belly lately?! If not...you should try it!

Happy Bellys!

Let there be plants!

2010-04-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

We are in business people!

If you have been following our adventure, Hubby and I have taken to gardening. Well, Hubby has taken to gardening and I am reaping the rewards.

We shopped for plants, found stuff we would both love...other than the bell peppers, those were my selfish choice because I just love them!

But other than those, we have a lettuce section

cilantro

tomatoes

and even cucumber!

We are up and running and definitely excited!

(he is so cute!)

Happy Earth!

What do you get....

2010-04-08T05:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes my best "creations" come when I am just playing around and having fun in the kitchen. What do you get when you have a trial chocolate cake (I was testing the recipe for an upcoming birthday cake), a vanilla simple syrup, strawberries on sale (99 cents per pound!!), and homemade whipped cream...

a delicious Easter treat!

So I have been meaning to blog about this for awhile but never had the best reason so now I am going to take my chance. Not only is this blog about our Easter dessert, it is about being brave and experimenting in the kitchen.

I am by NO means an expert in the kitchen. I still learn something new everytime I cook and everytime I watch the Food Network. BUT I will say that I am a much better cook than when I started and I owe a lot of that to being brave enough to just try new things and being okay with failure.

Cooking and baking is about trial and error. As much as the story on the bag wants you to believe that Mrs. Wakefield just HAPPENED to create a recipe for a delicious baked treat and just HAPPENED to toss in some chocolate pieces and BAM out came Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies, I have a hard time buying it.

Sure, she might have had her batter ready to go but once she realized the chips didnt melt, you dont think she experimented to come up with what is now one of the best cookies on the planet?! Trial and Error.

Be brave. Try using new ingredients. Try "creating" a recipe just from what you have in the pantry or on hand. Be okay if it tastes terrible and finds it way to the trash, but learn from that and don't let it bother you enough that you can't try again. (It has taken me years to be okay with that mind you)

I have found that some of the best recipes and frankly the most enjoyable cooking experiences have come from when I am just playing around and having fun in the kitchen. I promise, over time...it will make you a better cook and you will enjoy food and the fruits of your labor even more!

Happy Cooking!

Here's the dirt on our garden (HA! Dirt...Garden...get it?!)

2010-04-07T05:00:00.001-05:00

So as you may recall, Hubby and I have decided to become one with nature and attempt to grow our own produce.

Step two in the "starting your own garden" handbook involves dirt. Lots of it. Three different kinds to be exact but I am going to be honest with you, I am not sure what they are. All I know is that mixed together it pretty much looks like potting soil but dirt is easier to say so we are going to continue to call it dirt.

The pot was removed, mulch was added as filler, and dirt was added. We are in business people!

The next question (as Hubby tested the waters and tossed a tennis ball near it and watched Bailey jump right in) was how we are planning to keep the dogs out. We get the best sunlight in the middle of the yard so while we could have put it in a raised location, they chances of tomato survival were slim to none. My suggestion was a tazer and cookies. Everytime they go near it, they get tazed. Everytime they walk away, they get a cookie. Apparently Hubby thought this was inhumane or something. He is a softy.

(And I am only joking people...please dont comment or send me any nasty email...we dont taze them...only make them wear funny costumes and hats for punishment)

and maybe the occasional napkin or E-collar...just saying...

Anyways...focus Megan!

We compromised and decided on chicken wire. We figured this would at least keep them away from the plants they couldnt reach. When I say "they"...I mean Bailey.

As you can see, we also sectioned off the garden for each plant. This will make it easier to keep track of what is what and allows for each plant to have his/her own growing space. This is looking easy!

Next step...plants! Wish us luck!

Happy Gardening!

28 weeks = start of month 7th = start of 3rd trimester

2010-04-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

Easter Sunday started our 28th week. We are officially in the 3rd trimester. Should I start freaking out yet...

Happy Baby!

My Black Thumb

2010-04-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

So Hubby and I have tossed around the idea of planting a garden for awhile. Not for flowers so much as for fruits and vegetables. We actually attempted one in our old house...

but soon realized that:

a) plants need sunlight

b) the hose was too far away

and

c) we got lazy

(and yes...they are planted in a pick-up toolbox...we are innovative)

Anyways...we have continued to talk about it but with the three beasts, the challenge was not only where we would put it so they couldnt attack it but would we have time to maintain it.

We have gotten to know our neighbors a couple houses down (they recently had an ADORABLE baby girl in January!) and what would you know...they recently planted a garden! This was all the motivation that Hubby needed and he too was on a mission.

I will document our "journey" in stages, hopefully in the end with me holding a GIANT bell pepper or tomato or something, so be ready!

Friday, we began our "journey". We went with a 5x3 size and based on what Hubby has read and the info he got from our neighbor, doing it this way should make it easier to maintain. I am crossing my fingers.

First came the building of the frame. I was 100% not involved in this process. This is all Hubby. (please disregard the pot in the middle...it was there to keep the bedliner down during the storm of 2010 which proved to be less than impressive...by less than impressive I mean it didnt rain)

Next step...dirt! Stay tuned!

Happy Green Thumb...hopefully!

Baby Shower!

2010-03-31T05:00:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, the girls at work threw me my first baby shower! It was so much fun and so exciting! To be completely honest, those situations make me 100% uncomfortable. It is difficult for me to be the center of attention in that way and it is hard for me to truely express my appreciation for something like that. It is just hard to believe that people would want to do something like that for me! Regardless though, it was so much fun and I am so grateful to work with such amazing people!

Here are the hosts! Nancy, Leslie, Jessica, and Jennifer. You may remember Leslie, Jessica, and Jennifer from my cake class! All these ladies are truely AWESOME!

This is my mom and aunt Joan (her sister)...you may remember her from my Utah "vacation" in July. Joan was able to come into town for the shower, which made it really special. That morning we went to brunch and I took her on a "tour" of Dallas. This is slightly funny because most of the time I have to ask for directions around Dallas myself! Thank God for the GPS!

We had a good time chatting with everyone, opening gifts (we got a lot of amazing stuff! I just can't wait to start using it all!), and of course had snacks and cake!

(notice the ADORABLE signs that Jessica made! she is our artist! so cute! i cant wait to scrapbook them!)

Check out this cake that a friend of Jennifer's made. WHAT?! How adorable is that?! She said that I am her "cake lady" but she couldnt ask me to make my own cake but umm...I am your cake lady?! I think I have fooled her into thinking I am better than I am! This cake was adorable, precious, so stinkin cute...oh and tasted amazing. : )

And no shower is complete without a diaper cake!

Leslie made this one! How cute is that?! We even got to keep the stuffed animals...they were absolutely adorable. Look at the elephant!! So cute!

All in all, I had a blast. We are so blessed and I can not wait to introduce our little one to all of these wonderful women!

Happy Shower!

"Punkin Tracker"...

2010-03-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

So I just noticed my "Punkin Tracker"...89 days left until my due date. That is less than 100 and even less than 90...terrifying.

I have decided that I think he is going to come on June 26th. I have no other reason other than Hubby and I keep telling people that he is due on the 26th (he is actually due on the 27th) and I wonder if it is my brain telling me to be ready?! Just thinking aloud here.

Happy Baby!

Strut Your Mutt - 2010

2010-03-29T12:44:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday...March 20th...Hubby and I participated in the 5th annual SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) STRUT YOUR MUTT! This is our third year to participate and each year is becoming more and more of a success!

We started "raising money" (aka sending out those annoying emails) in January/February asking people to help. Our goal as a team was $1000! Last year we raised over $500 so this year, we decided to challenge ourselves even more. Last year we established team "Paws for the Cause", which included a friend from work and a really good friend of mine. She is a crazy dog lover like me, so you know we get along well. : ) You might remember her from Bailey's story. One of her girls, Drea, is Bailey's mom. : )

Anyway...this year our team started with Hubby, Sissy, and I and soon grew into a team of 6! (Thanks completely to Sissy) Although it was just the three of us the day of the walk, we were supported by our remaining team members.

The week of the walk was amazing. The weather was perfect, you could tell spring was in the air, and we were really looking forward to another great year with beautiful weather. And then Saturday came along...and it was let's just say...less than pleasant. Rain...COLD ASS RAIN...40 degree temperatures and wind. It was gross...but we carried on and strutted with the rest and the best of them!

To date, "Paws for the Cause" has raised over $800 this year!!!! We fell a little short of our goal but who cares! We had fun, the "kids" had fun, and we helped a great cause! We cant wait until next year when we can carry "Punkin" along for the strut!

Happy Pups!

Fun Friday - Discontinued

2010-03-26T06:25:00.000-05:00

Maybe not for good...so don't break out your hankies quite yet...but just for the time being. Why this haste and rash decision you ask? Two reasons...pressure and my waistline. Pressure because I aim to please and when I cant think of anything good to make and/or post about...I feel guilty and I feel like my blog shouldnt do that to me...I mean, seriously. My waistline for obvious reasons. Yes, I am preggers and yes, supposedly you can eat whatever you want BUT I shouldnt and I am going to lay it out on the table people...I just cant resist. Sure, I would love to say that I dont sneak 6...or maybe 12 or maybe even 20 cookies when I make a batch...but then that would be lying and who likes liars? Also, Hubby is thin...Hubby lost 30 pounds last year...he doesnt need my sweet and delicious treats either. Not every week.

Dont fret though, I will definitely still be baking and posting about it BUT Fridays will just have to be fun without the calories and guilt.

Forgive me won't you?!

The transition has begun...

2010-03-24T12:06:00.000-05:00

I have officially started reading parenting blogs. Wow. As most of you know, I really like to cook. Have for forever. I even convinced myself as a kid that someday I would find myself on The Food Network. I used to practice. Dont judge. Although The Food Network hasnt called, I am not giving up hope. That being said, I read a lot of food blogs. I love them. Especially the baking ones...EEK...they suck me in! I mean yesterday for example, I found a recipe for baked donuts, cheesecake, and "the world's greatest frosting"...I MEAN COME ON!

Anyways...although I am still enjoying my cooking blogs...I have started reading a really awesome parenting blog. Chronicles of a Babywise Mom. She really promotes the Babywise philosophies (which we plan on trying) and really has some great ideas! I am dipping my toe into the parenting world water...the water is cold but I am sure it will warm up soon!

Happy Reading!

26 weeks

2010-03-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

IT'S ALIVE!!!

The bump...is growing people...GROWING!

Happy Punkin!

Fun Friday - Cookie Bouquet

2010-03-19T06:06:00.002-05:00

So a few weeks ago, my very best friend in the entire world had a major life milestone. It was finally time, after all these years, for her to start the downhill slid towards achieving her doctorate! Her final proposal and when she WILL be awarded her doctorate comes in August, but this was the first step to getting there...her dissertation proposal. I know...it even sounds scary!

Anyway...she was ready. She has been ready. But I still wanted to do something that I thought would make her smile and let her know how proud everyone was of her and how excited we were for her....so what better way...than with a cookie bouquet!

I planned on buying one since I had never made one before BUT after looking at prices...geeze...people are sure proud of them! I decided...what the heck, she wouldnt disown me if it turned out terribly so why dont I give it a shot!

I used this recipe for the cookies...which were okay. They turned out perfect for what I needed but I wished they tasted a LITTLE better. I am going to experiment with a few other recipes but if you are looking for something that will work...definitely give this recipe a shot! And I used this recipe for the royal icing...which I have never used but seen many a time on Martha. Here is a good starting guide if you want a few tips!

So I got started and here is what I came up with!

It actually worked! And if you dont mind me saying...actually looked pretty cute!

She really liked it so here is my tip; next time you think about buying that gift...what about making it instead?! It may save you money and sometimes it means a whole lot more when the person receiving knows all the time and love that went into it! That is all I am going to say about that.

Happy Friday!

(OH! And most importantly...SHE PASSED!)

Happy Birthday Bailey!

2010-03-17T05:00:00.002-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Bailey Girl!

Have your cake and eat it too!

Read her story here.

Who knew...

2010-03-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Little did I know a year ago at this time, that in 2010, I would be blogging about and excited about a breast pump! Who knew?! But I am! We finally get to check something else off the list! No, I havent tried it out yet...I had a friend tell me it was a bad idea and can in some cases put you into pre-term labor (ummm NO THANKS) so...it will have to wait a few more months before it gets tested. Based on the looks of it though...I have a feeling that I would fit in well at a dairy...just saying.

Happy Milking!

A quick note...

2010-03-15T05:00:00.001-05:00

So I started reading "On Becoming Babywise" last night (I figured we only have 15 weeks to go...better get started on my reading sometime!), which is a great book that focus on Parent-Directed Feeding. A method that establishes a feeding routine while also incorporating baby's feeding cues. Not for everyone but a good read for anyone interested in that type of thing! : )

Anyways...so I started reading it and it starts out by discussing the importance of a healthy marriage when raising children. I think the line that stuck out the most to me was "Great marriages produce great parents". I hope it is clear by now how much I adore my husband but I also really feel that we have a great marriage. Dont get me wrong, we have our bumps along the way and it has taken a lot of help from an outside perspective for me to appreciate him as much as I should but seriously...I absolutely adore him and I can not wait to raise our baby with him.

Well that being said, I had a rough weekend dealing with what I thought was bronchitis but soon realized was allergies. Man...I never appreciated Zyrtec-D more than when I couldnt take it! Yesterday evening though, it was getting to the point where I was miserable. Runny nose but completely congested, watery eyes, sinus pressure that felt more like someone was standing on my face than anything, and I was just downright grumpy. Well not only did my husband research online the okay drugs for me to take (this was after he spent ALL DAY trying to fix our computer with our neighbor), he then took me to CVS where we spent $50 (yay for most of it qualifity for FSA!) on stuff in hopes of making me feel better.

As I took my Vicks shower and attempted to wash away my sinus trouble, I continued thinking about how great he is. These thoughts followed me out of the shower and persisted as I brushed my teeth. It was then, that "Punkin" gave me about four BIG OLE' KICKS right in the gut. I would like to think that it was his way of agreeing with me on how awesome his dad is. : )

I just dont know how I got so lucky and I hope that our great marriage, really will make us great parents.

Child-bearing hips

2010-03-11T17:43:00.001-06:00

So my mother used to tell me that I had "child-bearing hips". Awesome for one's self-esteem at 14 years old. To be completely honest, I was never really sure what that meant until I got older and realized that it was a nice way of saying "a big square ass". I have come to terms with my wide load. I even managed to find the humor in the situation when someone yelled out of their car window as Shawn and I were walking out from the movies, "YOUR GIRLFRIEND HAS A BIG ASS!"...maybe that's why he doesn't like going to the movies...

Anyways, I am now finding out the benefit of and embracing my butt...it really has come in handy being pregnant! I have somehow managed to squeeze myself into my normal jeans for the past 24 weeks and have avoided buying maternity jeans, which I am finding less than flattering when I do try them on, and I have kept my shape and my love handles have just become apart of my bump! All-in-all, I am realizing that I don't look THAT bad pregnant! Now...how to I convince Hubby that he should keep me knocked up continuously so I can utalize my trunk junk...maybe I'll make him watch the Duggers!

Happy Big Butts!

MIA

2010-03-11T10:54:00.000-06:00

I apologize for my absence. Our computer has been down and life has gotten in the way! I hope to be back soon...dont stray to far...I promise to be back soon!

In the meantime, visit some of the blogs listed as my favorites. They are sure to keep you entertained!

Fun Friday: Our take on the "Cherpumple"

2010-02-26T07:54:00.001-06:00

So I am sure that Hubby and I were the only ones that had NOT seen this You Tube video. We are apparently in the dark about a lot of important life skills....

Regardless. He emailed it to me on Friday and that was all it took.

Frankly as a baker, I have often wondered what would happen if you baked certain pastries in other pastries. A tart inside a scone, a cookie inside a pie, a pie inside a cake perhaps?! Okay...that's a lie. I have honestly never even thought to put a pie inside a cake but man-o-man...I wish I had.

See despite my hatred for anything involving warm or mushy fruit (aka pie), I can appreciate one's love for pie...kind of. I really enjoy making them. Heck, I even won a contest for my apple pie (don't ask for my autograph quite yet, I am pretty sure me plus the other two 65-year-old women who won were the only ones who entered)! I just dont like eating them. It's a texture thing. I also don't do jelly or chocolate milk. Call me crazy...I know.

But a pie in a cake...would that be different? Could that be my ticket to pie eating bliss?! I had to find out.

One store bought frozen blueberry pie, one box of white cake mix, three eggs whites, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and some water (I think 1 1/3 cup) later....I had...

almost a mess in my oven (be sure to bake on a cookie sheet) and a pretty ugly cake. BUT to my surprise, it looked like a cake with no sign of my secret surprise inside!

What could fix this unsightly mess...

nothing more than an off-set spatula and a container of store bought cream cheese icing!

When the time finally came to cut into the creation....I was nervous. Would it turn into a big pile of fruit goo? Would the cake even be cooked? Would the roughly 5 hours that it took making this thing (can you imagine if I would have tried the 3 layer!!) be for nothing?

It was an easy cut. Like a hot knife through butter, one might say.

It was the moment of truth...

holy crap...

it actually worked!

But was it tasty?!

....

YES!!!!! (yes that is his excited face...you can tell by the wrinkled brow)

And yes! I actually enjoyed it too! (Granted I did focus my attention mainly on the outside of the cake where all the crust was hiding BUT I did get a couple of blueberry bites in there too and I didn't throw up!)

HOORAY! A "new", fairly white trash dessert has been born!

Now for the name...

One of my favorite things!

2010-02-25T05:00:00.002-06:00

So you may or maynot be familiar with McCormick's Garlic Bread Sprinkle. Frankly before Hubby...I had never heard of the stuff. If you haven't heard of it, and therefore I am assuming you have never tried it, you must stop reading immediately, do not pass go, do not collect $200 (okay maybe do collect $200 if someone is passing out checks and then please call me and tell me where they are), and do not even put on shoes! You must run to the store, go immediately to the section that sells spices, and put this in your cart. It is amazing. Not only does it taste delicious, it is so versitile! I use it to spice up (pun intended) cresent rolls, I always add it to my pizza crusts when making homemade pizzas (I may also sprinkle a little on top for good measure), and I have been known to use it to make my "white trash garlic toast" (see recipe below).

I have not been contact by McCormick to push this product, although if they would like to contact me I would LOVE it. I just simply love this stuff and felt it was necessary to share it with you.

Happy Sprinkling!

White Trash Garlic Toast

This recipe is perfect for any left over bread product you may have. My favorite is hamburger buns. No one ever eats ALL of those buns!

Place buns on oven safe cookie sheet. Spread (or spray) with butter/margarine/Sprachel. Sprinkle with Garlic Bread Sprinkle and then stick under the broiled until crispy (but not burnt).

PS...I think I am officially obsessed with using ( ). Just saying.

22 weeks

2010-02-23T05:00:00.001-06:00

(please disregard my "Sunday" look...Im just shocked my hair is actually done...)

I am 22 weeks as of Sunday! Punkin is still being called Punkin as we have not decided on a name. I figure we have plenty of time. Once we found out it was a boy, we kind of stopped talking about it. Weird!

I am feeling lots of movement, especially in the morning, which makes me SUPER happy because I am not sure what I will do if I am the ONLY morning person in this house!

Im getting a belly but still somehow managing to squeeze into my jeans (thank GOD for the Be Band (Target's version of the Bella Band)). Definitely not bragging...it is merely because we are cheap! I did finally have to upgrade the bra though....it was exciting, don't get me wrong, but again...Im cheap.

I can't believe we only have 18 weeks left. It feels like both a lifetime and like it is just around the corner...

Happy Bump!

The Big 2-7

2010-02-18T05:00:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday (yes that's right...my poor husband has my birthday and Valentine's Day BACK-TO-BACK) was my 27th Birthday....whew....let me say it again...27. Wow. I am no longer in my "early twenties"...scary! Despite being an old hag, I am actually okay with that number. Looking back to where I was five years ago, hell one year ago...I would never guess I would be where I am now and I am nothing but blessed and grateful for everything and everyone in my life. BUT that being said...when I think about the fact that I was TWENTY YEARS OLD when Hubby and I met...it gives me chills...

Anywho...early in the week last week, Hubby surprised me with an early birthday present. We try not to go overboard BUT this year he scored MAJOR points in the "Awesome Husband" category! I came home from work to find that he had picked out and installed a shiny...new...

RANGE HOOD! Complete with stainless steel backsplash! WHAT?!

This might not be exciting to some but considering we had replaced our microwave awhile ago, the old one had become an eye sore and a pain in my rear. We decided to unplug it since it was no longer of use to us, thanks to my new GIANT microwave, so that meant no light and/or fan. And trust me...I burn things...a lot. It was such an awesome surprise and such an awesome birthday gift! So thoughtful!

To make him even more amazing, he also surprised me when I came home early during the Blizzard of 2010...with...

BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES!

He was proud of them! He is pretty stinkin AWESOME! And they were delicious!

Turning 27 turned out to be not so bad and with everything going on in our lives, I am thinking this is going to be a good year!

Happy Birthday! TO ME! : )

2-4 Inches of Snow Predicted

2010-02-17T05:00:00.003-06:00

So last Thursday, us Texans sure got a surprise! We have had a pretty cold (cold for us mind you) winter this year and we have had quite a bit of rain and seen snow twice! So last Thursday, snow was in the forecast again, 2-4 inches if that. I woke up to let the dogs out at my usual time (5:00AM...dont judge) and thought I had left the backporch light on but instead realize that it was this!

I immediately flipped on the weather, heard it was going to be passing over us soon but would start back up again that afternoon. I got ready for work and anxiously waited for Hubby to wake up! I didn't want him to miss it! Needless to say he was less excited than I was and didn't even get up to make sure I was telling the truth! Men! : ) Anywho...I went to work and throughout the morning...it just kept snowing...and snowing...and snowing. BIG, FAT flakes mixed with small, light flakes mixed with normal, "everyday" snow. It was beautiful. By around 1:00PM, my boss' wife was getting nervous, my mom was getting nervous, and even Hubby thought it might be a good idea to think about heading home. When he suggests it...I know to listen. I left work around 2:30-3:00 and got home just in time to see this...

and this...

oh and this...

and this...

and finally this...

And it pretty much kept snowing for the rest of the day. It was forecasted to stop in the evening but ended up snowing until around 1:00AM on Friday morning. Needless to say...work was canceled. SWEET! It was so beautiful, until we realized it was burying our trees and eventually snapped one. Oh well...not much damage and not as much as other people in our neighborhood. The dogs paws have been a pain BUT that is okay! I will take this...

5:00AM

3:00PM

7:00AM

ANY day!

Happy Winter!

No excuses

2010-02-15T20:06:00.000-06:00

So I have nothing of interest to say other than I hope to post something more interesting tomorrow. I have approximately 1.5 million pictures detailing my birthday weekend (yes...birthday), our hunt for a new coffee table, and my wonderful husband. Dont get discouraged and leave me...I ~~promise~~ hope to have something new and exciting to read tomorrow.

Please stand by.

Happy Lack of Time! : )

Fun Friday - 2nd Edition

2010-02-12T05:00:00.002-06:00

This is my cart-o-goodness. It sits on my counter (because it's precious) and has become my storage for chocolate chips and other delicious goodies.

(pretend you also see instant coffee and chopped pecans)

When deciding what to make for this week's edition of Fun Friday...I decided to use what I had and try to make something new and delicious and oh boy...did I ever.

I like brownies just as much as the next girl, dont get me wrong but sometimes I want something in addition to that chewy chocolate goodness. Give me some texture, or some nuts or something and I am one happy gal.

I decided to use what I had in the cart to see what I could come up with so I layered fudgy dark brownie with chopped pecans (courteous of my father-in-law), melted caramel bits, and melted milk chocolate chips.

I know...I know.

Let the tears of joy rain down upon your apron strings!

Click here for recipe.

Happy Baking!

"Punkin" Movement

2010-02-10T08:50:00.000-06:00

So around last week, I started to feel what I thought was baby movement. Nothing too wild but definitely a different feeling down yonder. It felt like tiny muscle spasms, that is the best way that I can describe it. I know other people say butterflies or gas but to me it kind of feels like twitching. ANYWAYS...it has continued so I am fairly certain that it wasn't my big lunch but it is in fact baby.

Well last night we had finished up dinner (Chicken Enchiladas) and were watching TV when I started to feel some movement. I thought what the heck, let's see if Hubby can feel it too. So I grabbed his hand and put it on my lower stomach. I could still feel things every now and again but he couldn't. : ( He waited another minute or two and "Punkin" gave two really good jolts and Hubby felt them! His eyes got big and I asked if he felt that and he said yes! It was a very cool moment.

Then Vegas dragged her butt on the carpet and our cool moment was interrupted BUT such is life!

Happy Baby!

Pants....HE will be wearing pants!

2010-02-08T21:26:00.000-06:00

It's...a...boy!

Fun Friday! - 1st Edition

2010-02-05T07:53:00.002-06:00

I have decided to make a theme day and I have picked Friday. Why you ask? Because...

1) I love Fridays
2) I love food
3) I love to bake

Fridays are going to be my day that I feature a new and exciting recipe that I have been dying to try and feel the world will be a better place after I spread the word. I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have any requests!

Hubby inspired the first edition by ordering Blueberry Pancakes at breakfast last Sunday. I had Blueberries on the brain and couldnt get this recipe for "Blueberry Baby/Boy Bait" that I found on Piece of Cake out of my head. I had to try it. Shauna uses and raves about frozen berries but since fresh were on sale and cheaper than frozen...I made the decision to just be wild and go for it. Turned out great! Hubby, my MIL, and I ended up being big fans, and I will definitely be making this again! It can be eaten for breakfast, as a quick snack, or in one sitting as a meal...whatever you prefer. I hope you try it, love it, and share it.

Based on these pictures, I am hoping this theme day also helps me...

a) become a better photographer

b) become more organized when cooking (aka take pictures of all ingredients and steps)

c) remember to take pictures when the food is done rather than just digging my fork into it...

Just bare with me, I hope the pictures get better.

Happy Baking!

Click here for the recipe!

Punkin Update

2010-02-04T09:06:00.000-06:00

For those of you keeping track, I will be 20 weeks on Sunday. Half way there. I can't believe it. Hubby and I will also be celebrating the 20 week milestone with a sonogram on Monday!

We will hopefully get more than a floating blob...

Dont get me wrong. This might just be the cutest floating blob I have ever seen...

But hopefully...on Monday...we will find out/be able to see if Punkin will need a skirt or pants! Unless she is a feminist them she can totally wear pants if she wants to...or he feels more comfortable in skirts, whatever...we are hip people! But you get the idea. It is finally time to find out the sex. You better believe I will keep you updated.

Any guesses on the gender? You at least have a 50/50 shot of being right! I would love to hear what you think!

Happy baby!

Her Recipe Box

2010-02-03T05:00:00.003-06:00

This is my Gram's recipe box. You might have noticed it in Monday's post, on Gram's shelf. (PS I apologize for not posting this yesterday...Hubby got all excited about doing the taxes and I fell asleep around 8:30 because that is what I do these days so...don't hate me) Anyways...this is my Gram's recipe box. It was one thing I grabbed instantly when she passed away. Not because it had monetary value or anything wild but because I wanted to make sure it had a special and safe place to live. Honestly...I dont think I have opened it since I brought it home. It's just complicated. I just miss her...a lot. And somehow opening this recipe box meant that she was REALLY gone.

BUT...

I finally just sucked it up...and opened it...and it was glorious.

Was I expecting to find secret family recipes passed down from generations, honestly no. I dont have a WHOLE lot of memories of my Gram cooking but I was expecting to find recipes. Recipes she tried and loved, recipes that she never got around to trying. Old favorites, new favorites, and all those in between.

I love the ones in her handwriting. Slightly smeared as if they had been tested and spilled on. Nothing adds character to a cookbook or recipe than a water spot or food smudge. It means it was tried, and tested, and eaten, and enjoyed. And I love that.

I loved seeing that the "Outdoor Cooking" section was empty. Makes me feel reassured that maybe my lack of grilling abilities are not a reflection of my cooking skills but just my DNA.

I plan to go through this recipe box. Keep every recipe inside but cook or try most if not all of them. She had them or kept them for a reason. They deserve their time to be tried, shared, and enjoyed. I will keep you updated on the results!

In the meantime, start a cookbook or recipe box. Even if you just throw in a recipe you kind of like, you never know what finding that or cooking with that will mean to someone someday...even if it is 50 years from now. Nothing is more special than a handwritten recipe with a few smudges on it.

Happy Cooking!

Gram's Shelf

2010-02-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

This may be one of my favorite spots in my kitchen. This is a small shelf that we hung up that I didn't intend to be a memorial for my Gram but it has become one. It contains stuff that might not mean much to some but means the world to me. Things that remind me of her, make me think and imagine her cooking back in the day, and just make it so that I never ever forget what a wonderful and amazing woman she was.

Things like the classic Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. I have one that is updated but I love the look of this one and it is so neat to look through and see what was popular to cook back in the day. Her rolling pin, biscuit cutter, spatula, and mixing spoon. I dont have any fond memories of these or anything but I do remember seeing them around her kitchen. These are iconic tools that every cook must have and how cool that I have hers! Her measuring spoons I do however have fond memories of. They were so neat and I used to LOVE eating out of them (for some odd reason) when I was younger. Always found in the drawer next to her sink, I knew I was at Gram's when I saw those measuring spoons.

The pink cup however might be the most special. Gram always had that cup by the sink or my her side. Always drinking water, she would constantly remind me of the importance. It is just a cup I know, but for some reason that cup is my childhood.

When she passed away, I made sure I claimed a few things to remember her by and I just couldn't bring myself to use any of them so I slowly but surely kept adding them to the shelf until it looked like it does now. I am planning something special with the recipe box that you see there too so check back in tomorrow!

Happy Memories!

The Princess

2010-01-28T09:42:00.001-06:00

For those of you who may not know, this is Vegas. Vegas is the Princess, she is a total Daddy's Girl, and she is pretty much the cutest dog ever. : )

Now for her story…

Hubby and I moved in together in June of 2004 (living in sin...I know). He was moving out from his roommates and ended up taking "their (meaning the house)" dog. More on that story later. We decided that he, now our dog, Bubba, needed a friend because he just always seemed kind of lonely and we thought there would be no better way to keep him entertained than with a new playmate!

Thus began the hunt for another dog throughout the summer of 2004. Hubby and I went to every animal shelter and no-kill shelter in town. All of these visits usually involved me falling in love with all of them, begging for all of them, and then leaving in tears when I realized that we couldn't save them all. We walked through so many barking aisles in made my head spin, but knew we would know when we found the right one.

In August, we took a trip to a local animal shelter in Bedford, Texas. It is a small shelter, or what anyone would typically call "the pound". Most of your local shelters do euthanize due to space issues so those were definitely the first places that we tried. Most of the dogs up for adoption were big dogs (that is the theme at most places so if you are in the market...adopt a big dog...puppies are cute but they grow up into big dogs too...but I understand I can't talk too loudly because we adopted a small dog AND got a puppy), which wasn’t off the table, but we didn’t want Bubba to feel dominated in any way since he was the first dog of the house.

So anywho...we were walking down one aisle when this cute little girl caught our eye. She was all black, had tons of hair, and just seemed really sweet. We opened the cage to take a look at her and instantly Hubby fell in love. He was 100% smitten. We checked out her papers and realized that "Diamond" was a stray from Fort Worth (how she got to Bedford, I don't want to even think about) and unfortunately was not up for adoption quite yet.

Just FYI: Typically shelters will keep animals on hold for 5-7 days to see if they are claimed before they are able to be adopted.

We decided after playing with her for a few minutes that she was the one, verified that she would be available in a few days and said we would be back.

We came back every day to visit “Diamond” until she was available. I think it was a Friday when she was adoptable, so we went first thing in the morning. When we got there, we checked in and told the front desk girl that we were there to adopt the little black Pomeranian mix. She seemed less than thrilled that we were there and said she wasn't sure if she was still available. We of course quickly went in the back and checked and when we saw that she was still there, we snatched her up immediately! We realized after the fact that we think she worked for a "rescue" or one of those places that "rescues" dogs and then tried to sell them for a profit. Good intentions I supposed, but still makes me INSANE.

ANYWAYS, off my soapbox. We paid our $60 adoption fee, signed our papers promising that we would spay her, took our cute little girl (who was about a year and some change old) and headed home! I would be lying if I said I was 100% on board with getting her at first. I had never had a small dog. I wasn't really the type for a high-maintenance prissy dog like a Pomeranian, and I just wasn't sure how she would get along with Bubba. Hubby was confident though that she was supposed to be with us, so I trusted him, and hoped for the best.

The first couple of weeks were hard. She and Bubba were less than immediate friends. He was nothing was curious about her and she wanted ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with him. She seemed terrified, annoyed, and would do anything she could to get away. Then came the housebreaking issues. She was 100% not housetrained. She would kind of get it, and then I would wake up and step in a big ole' pile of dog pee first thing in the morning. Ahhh...refreshing. Oh and then there was the poop. Oh the poop. Our newest family member had a hard time holding in through the night therefore, she would graciously relieve herself in our bedroom. By the door mind you, but her poop was tiny and hard to see in the dark. Bitch. This led to the unanimous decision that she would be sleeping in her crate at night instead. This of course fixed the problem and she now has the bladder and bowels of an angel! (Except if Hubby and I are out too late, then she punishes us by pooping by the back door...whatever...)

After the puddles of pee and the hiding in fear had worn off, she started to grow on me and I knew she was definitely a keeper. We were now in search for a new name because "Diamond" was just not going to do, it sounded too stripper-ish/American Gladiator-esk (yeah, going old school on that one!). Soooo, we did what any logical person would do when searching for a new name for their dog (don’t judge me people...I was only 21 at the time okay!) we got on a site that allows you to enter your name and gives you options as to what your Stripper name would be. Let the comedy in sew. We, of course, typed in our names first, followed by "Diamond" and was greeted with a whole list of options, one of which was Vegas. Hmmm. Cute, sassy, slightly fitting of a diva...it was PERFECT!

Vegas is now roughly 7 years old (I can’t believe it) and is the comic relief in our house. You cannot have a bad day when you see her throwing around her toys, stalking and barking at her cookies, and ripping a singing greeting card to shreds. She is our middle child, I would say Hubby's favorite, and is a joy in our lives. Granted, she did take some work, is still afraid of all other dogs except for Bubba and now Bailey, and scoots on the carpet when she needs ~~her anal glands squeezed~~...ummm when she needs to go to the vet...but she is our precious girl and reminds me every day of the importance of adoption.

Happy Pups!

January Appointment

2010-01-26T09:33:00.000-06:00

Hubby and I had our monthly appointment with the midwife last Friday. Again, what an AWESOME experience. Everytime we leave, I am even more reassured about the decision I made choosing a birth center over a hospital. I know it is not for everyone, but it is definitely the one for me.

They were running a little late, so that gave Hubby and I a chance to chat with the office manager about her experience at the center (she had her son there as well) AND check on the names on the wall. Every time a baby is born there, they put their feetprints on the wall and include the date of their birth and their name. It is REALLY neat to see all those tiny prints all over the place when you walk in! We definitely have quite a few names picked out (still way more boys than girls) BUT it is always fun to look at other options. There were definitely some weird ones but tons of cute ones that gave us even more ideas.

We met with Beverly, the birth assistant we met with last time and again SHE IS AWESOME. She took her time, answered all our questions, and I even had the chance to meet the other midwife who works at the center. She is great as well and I just can't get over how nice and helpful everyone is. They really seem to care about me and the health and well being of our baby.

We did get to hear the heartbeat again. SO STINKIN' COOL! You would think it would be really emotional but all I can do is giggle the whole time because I can not believe that I have a baby inside me, that Hubby and I MADE a baby! SO AWESOME! The little stinker was moving all about. I couldnt feel it but they said that is only a matter of time.

We were hoping to schedule our 20 weeks sonogram as well but unfortunately the doctor's office where the sonograms are done was closed. Hopefully we will have an appointment set this week! I will keep you posted! This will hopefully be our opportunity to find out the sex! I can't believe it and I can't wait!

All in all, things are going great! I am feeling great and Punkin seems to be doing well! I will keep you posted on the sonogram and then we will have to get serious about names!

Happy Fetus!

Revamped Weekly Menu!

2010-01-25T06:00:00.003-06:00

I have decided to try something new! I have been trying to figure out a way to post my weekly menus and recipes without becoming just a cooking blog. Nothing wrong with that TRUST ME, that is just not my goal. Thanks to this awesome blog I figured out a way to do it! Be sure to check my Weekly Menu each week because I will now be including a link to the recipes! If you have any questions about them, feel free to email me at megan.holladay@yahoo.com.

I hope this is helpful to those interested in some new recipes and/or wanting to try writing weekly menus for you and/or your family!

Happy Cooking!

Quesadilla Casserole

2010-01-22T06:00:00.002-06:00

I wish I had a picture to share but I was hungry and too lazy to take a picture. Made this on Tuesday night and it was delicious! Made enough for dinner that night, lunch for me on Wednesday, and leftovers on Wednesday night!

Quesadilla Casserole
Adapted from McCormick recipe

1 Tb olive oil
1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, undrained
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp crush red pepper (optional)
6 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

1. Brown turkey and onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn, and green chilies; mix well. Stir in spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5-10 minutes.

2. Spread 1/2 cup of the meat mixture on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish sprayed with no-stick cooking spray. Top with three tortillas, overlapping as necessary. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining meat mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, meat mixture, and cheese.

3. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with guac and sour cream for added deliciousness!

Happy Cooking!

Cinnamon Pecan Muffins

2010-01-21T06:00:00.004-06:00

So I was cruising through a few food blogs and stumbled across a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cupcakes! It was a chocolate chip cookie in cupcake form! Hubby has been begging me to try and create one for a long time and low and behold that stinkin' Martha beat me to it! I can't remember the site I found the recipe on so I apologize for not giving credit where credit is due. Regardless, I did try the recipe and it is good BUT I thought I could make mine better so...I adapted it and here is what I came up with.

Cinnamon Pecan Muffins
2 cups unbleached AP flour
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 t baking soda
2 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold margarine, cut into cubes
1 egg
1 T vanilla
8 oz (1 cup) light sour cream
1/4 cup skim milk
1-2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup chopped pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
In your mixer, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon. Blend briefly. Add the margarine pieces and blend until the margarine is roughly the size of peas, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Mix in the sour cream and milk until the batter looks evenly moistened. Scrap down the sides and blend again.
Mix in the pecans.

I used a large ice cream scoop and filled it about half full for each muffin. You want the muffin liner to be SLIGHTLY more than half full.

In a small bowl combine 1 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Sprinkle topping on each muffin.

Bake about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Keep them all for youself and eat them quickly and quietly before anyone smells the cinnamon OR...share with neighbors....whichever you prefer!

Happy Baking!

The Punkin Room

2010-01-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

I finally have pictures! We are going for a jungle theme...we figure that will be gender neutral enough for either sex AND frankly I am determined for our kids to like animals. We dont have any decorations yet (obviously) but I think we have a nice start!

Crib! Complete with blanket that my mom knitted for us already! COWBOYS COLORS! : )

It is going to be punkin/guest room/bed available for Mom and Dad to crash on. I will be replacing this bedding by the way. I already have the quilt, just haven't quite had the energy to change it just yet. Also the chest at the foot of the bed will be finding a home at my parents house as we have NO room right now.

Dresser and changing table (under all the blankets and crap). That dresser actually used to be a darkish-red color stained wood. Hubby stripped it and we made it festive! When it was in the garage...we weren't quite sure but now that it is in the room...it is PERFECT!

The changing table matches the crib, you just cant tell from all the crap on top. And yes...those are diapers and wipes. Santa thought we needed to start stocking up! : )

And this might be my favorite part of the whole room. The glider. I told Hubby before we even started thinking about kids that when we got pregnant, I wanted a glider rocker. Santa found one half off at Babies R Us and brought me one for Christmas! I am so excited...I actually read in it tonight to maximize my usage! Sometimes I make Vegas get in my arms so I can cradle her and practice...she is less than thrilled...especially when I try to swaddle her.

I cant believe I forgot to take a picture of the ceiling though...that is the best part (other than the rocker of course)! I took these pictures during the painting. You get the idea. We definitely went dramatic!

So...what do you think? Have we gone crazy!?

Happy Babies!

Our Bailey Girl

2010-01-13T11:03:00.004-06:00

This is Bailey. I know you have all seen her before but I thought I would share the story of how she came to be.

Bailey was born on March 17th 2008 to Chocolate Lab, Drea and Hounddog Mix, Trooper. She wasnt necessarily a PLANNED pregnancy but I would never tell her that. Drea is the daughter of some friends of ours. Hubby has been friends with Heath since high school and they reconnected a few years ago and that is how I was introduced to Sissy. We all hung out together a few times, but Bailey is what really brought Sissy and I together, and for that I am so incredibly grateful. She is an amazingly awesome person, who is honest and blunt (which is what I love about her) and she is an incredibly loyal friend.

The night Drea had her puppies, Heath let Hubby know and you know we were there in a matter of minutes. We were NOT in the market for a dog whatsoever, and even when we went for a visit, they were cute but we were never planning on "adopting" one of them. I have never seen puppies fresh out of the belly before...it was amazing. They were so tiny and whimpering for their mama, and Drea took nothing but the best care of them. It was really a miracle.

Of course Hubby and I visited multiple times as the SIX puppies began to grow and take over our friend's house. Throughout this time, Sissy and I began talking more and our love for dogs really brought us even closer. As the puppies got bigger, she started coming to the devastating realization that they couldn't keep them all because lets face it...EIGHT DOGS is just not feasible for two people that work full time. She started advertising and interviewing people for the right to have her grand-dogs and after only a few visits, I realized that there was no way we couldnt take one of these puppies. Hubby and I discussed and eventually decided that we would adopt one...but WHICH one?! They were all so cute, as their little personalities had already started to develop. We ultimately decided on the solid black lab, that was absolutely precious and even at a young age apprecaited and loved a good belly rub. They continued to try and find homes, which proved to be less than easy but in the end, all six puppies had found homes that they felt comfortable with.

Before she was old enough to be weaned, we were already trying to think of the perfect name for our new family member. Because she was born on St Patrick's Day, I thought something Irish would be fitting. She was all black with just a few spots of white, so I immediately thought of a Guiness beer. How perfect! Hubby hated it.... We debated back and forth and finally decided on the ultimate Irish name, Bailey. It fits her perfectly.

She will be two this March and has grown to be such a wonderful addition to our family. She has her chaotic moments (like when she jumped on my MIL the other night and then proceed to chase her around the kitchen table because my MIL was running from her and Bailey thought it was time to play...my MIL is MAYBE 5 feet tall...Bailey is 75 pounds) but she is such a great dog with an awesome temperment. She is a sweet, sweet girl and I can not wait to introduce her (and the rest of the gang) to "Punkin".

To those of you who are lucky enough to have a dog in your life, squeeze and love them for a dog's love is truly unconditional.

Happy Pups!

Hmmmm

2010-01-12T09:33:00.000-06:00

So I have do have tons to write about but nothing is very interesting....or I wouldnt think it would be interesting to anyone but me so instead I will write about whatever comes to mind... how about Punkin?!

So as of Sunday, we are officially 16 weeks! WOO! I can't believe it! I am still feeling good, no major changes except for I am starting to have the beginnings of a belly/beer gut oh and my face still looks like crap. I am still coming to terms with the fact that I am preggers. I know it is crazy because I have

A) Heard the heartbeat...twice
and
B) SEEN THE BABY IN THERE!!!

but it is still just weird. Not weird in a bad way, just weird in a weird way. My mom keeps telling me I need to be singing and talking to the baby but as of right now, it is hard to be whimsical about it when I just feel like I am singing to my gut. Not very sexy. I know it will change once I feel the baby move and maybe even hear the heatbeat again but it is just so crazy that we are having a baby. Dont get me wrong I am VERY excited and not complaining ONE BIT that I havent been sick...just taking awhile to sink in.

We have our next appointment on the 22nd and I will be 18 weeks on the 24th so we are going to go ahead and schedule our sonogram. They dont do sonograms at the Birth Center but they will send me to the same doctor where I had my first. We are going to schedule it at 20 weeks because that is the half way point (INSANE) and we should be able to tell the sex by then! Hopefully Punkin will play along and give us a view of the goods! Then maybe we can start narrowing down some names. Currently we have about 50 boys names on the fridge (most of which I believe/hope are jokes) and one girl's name which my MIL and I like but Hubby and my mom hate. There is just so much pressure!!!

Oh well, I am trying to enjoy every moment and every quiet moment that I have left. I promise to have something more interesting to write about tomorrow but regardless I hope you have a wickedly awesome Tuesday!

Happy Goods!

Wine Cake

2010-01-06T09:51:00.003-06:00

So I had a request for the wine cake recipe that I mentioned yesterday. I wish it was a) more complicated and b) I wish I had a picture. I could TOTALLY take a picture of the carnage that is left of the one my mom made but...it's less than pretty and it would show how much I have eaten of my HUSBAND'S birthday cake in 2 days. Oh well...

Here is the recipe. Try it. Love it. Share it!

Wine Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 box vanilla pudding
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or applesauce if you are trying to be good but the eggs kinda nix that one...)
1/2 cup water
4 eggs

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes.

THAT'S IT!

If you want to jazz it up a bit, add a delicious glaze.

Combine...white wine, powdered sugar, and vanilla until you get the consistency you like. I like my thick...my mom likes hers thin. Pour onto the cake once cooled. It may pool in the center but that is 100% and turns out to be the best part! It will start to soak into the bottom of the cake and make is magically wonderful.

Hope you try it and if you do...let me know how it turns out!

I must give credit though. This recipe originally came from my Aunt Joan and has been a family favorite ever since I was little.

Happy Baking!