Tuesday, March 31, 2009

My Baby is kicking!

Today was a rough day. So far its been a rough week.

We have been so busy at work. Let me first say that I am grateful we are busy. With the job market as of late, I am grateful to have the job security. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind if things calmed down a little bit. Just a little. That would be nice. My boss has been running around like a headless chicken as all of our deadlines come to a head at once. Its been real fun.

My Toyota Highlander has been acting up as well. I have only had this car for 5 months. I've already had to replace part of the computer, and now there's a chance it may need a new engine. I won't go into the boring details, but I am hoping it will be an easier fix. And if its not, I am really hoping the dealership will work something out with us. I am hoping the fact that we have purchased our last 2 vehicles from them and that Joe is one of their vendors will work in our favor. I am crossing my fingers. And my toes.

I am also a little down about my mom. She has been so bummed about being layed off from her job and worried about what she is going to do. Luckily, she is getting a pretty good severence package and will still be receiving her salary for the next 9 months or so. But she has worked there for about 20 years and just doesn't know where to go from here. She's worried that because of her age and lack of a college education she is going to have a hard time. I told her that if it came down to it, and things got really bad, that me and Joe would love a live-in nanny and a handy man. That made her laugh a little. I was actually being serious though. I have been trying to convince her that it can't possibly get too bad to handle. But I hate to see her so upset. I just wish I could fix it.

So as the work day was coming to an end, and I was leaving to take my car from a little local car shop to the dealership, I started to feel this really strange feeling in my lower belly area. I wasn't sure what it was at first. It didn't feel like gas (yes the rumors are true, pregnant woman get lots of gas), and it didn't feel like hunger pains or cramps or anything like that. I started to wonder if it was the baby moving, but it wasn't anything like what I had expected. I am not sure what I had been expecting, having never been this far along in a pregnancy before, but I guess I was expecting something more obvious. It kept happening, and even becoming a little stronger. I started to get really excited, as what was going on began to really sink in. It was definitely the baby moving! I can't feel anything on the outside yet, so Joe is just having to take my word for it, but he got really excited too. It was cute.

This little baby is already making me smile and forget about all my worries, even when I am having one of the worst days ever. Awe.

In honor of feeling the baby for the first time, here is a new picture of my belly. I am 17 weeks and 4 days.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Someone has a case of the Mondays... and all about my exciting weekend.

Ahhh Mondays. Definitely my least favorite day of the week. Mondays suck so bad, they even leak onto Sundays a little, as the inevitable oncoming of Monday can overshadow an otherwise wonderful weekend day. But I am not going to bitch too much about it, I just wanted to vent. Just a little.

It was a pretty great weekend. After we got home from work, Joe and I grabbed Daisy and headed to the park to go for a walk. We decided to venture off the paved path, and take one of the hiking trails into the woods. I have always wanted to check out the trails at this park, but since I am usually there by myself, I just didn't feel it was safe to venture off into the woods alone. It was beautiful. The trails went up and much further into the parks property then I had ever been. I didn't realize the park was so huge. The hiking trail went along a really pretty creak (almost a river), and wound up and down huge hills and over all kinds of mini creaks and other interesting "woodsy" type things. We hiked about 4-5 miles. I few trails we had to put off until later, when I am no longer pregnant, as they seemed way too vertical for me. At one point, we were way up high, overlooking the creek far below, and I was really wishing I had brought my camera. I will have to bring it along as we plan on going alot more. Yay!

After we had worked up quite an appetite, Joe and I finally went to Wendy's to try their new fish sandwich. I am a big fan of fish sandwiches. I love seafood in general, and although a fried fish sandwich from a fast food joint isn't particularly healthy, I still can't resist their deliciousness. I am over McDonald's filet-o-fish. I know they are a bit of a cult classic, but I don't think any type of fish should be perfectly square, and they are a little too greasy for my taste. I really like the Arby's fish sandwich and Burger King's as well. I recently discovered that Joe had never, in his entire life, eaten a fish sandwich. I am not sure how I missed this. He really likes seafood (especially if its fried), so I was really shocked he had missed out on this. I found this out after I was oogling the Wendy's commercial for their new fish sandwich. They had me at Panco bread. So Friday night we decided to finally go and try it. It was fantastic. And Joe seemed to enjoy it just as much as me. I guess he will be eating more fish sandwiches from now on.

After dinner, we picked up a movie. We decided to rent Bill Maher's film Religulous. I thought it was a great documentary. I don't necessarily agree with his point of view on everything. But it was interesting to hear his interviews with people all over the world and to see religion from his point of view. I was raised catholic and went to catholic school K-8th grade. I decided well before I went to public school in HS that Catholicism was not for me. I don't think its wrong, I can't say that the bible is wrong, or that anyone that goes to church is wrong, but I do know that for me, organized religion doesn't feel right. I am not sure what is, or isn't right, but I know that I am a good person and that I believe strongly in Karma. Ever since I have kinda taken on karma as my "religion", I have been a much happier person and have lived a much happier life. I do strongly believe that no matter what you follow, as long as you are a good person and live a good life, that everything will work out in the end. And having that point of view, I was able to enjoy the film. If you are very religious, it will most likely just piss you off.

Saturday I spent most of the day finishing Eclipse, the 3rd book in the Twilight Saga. At first I thought these were books more for young girls. And although they kinda are, I have really enjoyed reading them. They are a quick and easy read and sometimes thats a nice change. I almost wish I had went ahead and watched the movie before I started reading the books. I may have enjoyed it more. But after reading Twilight (the first book was by far my favorite), it made me appreciate the film less. I heard recently that the next book is being made into a movie too, and that will be coming out in November. Even though the books are obviously better (it's kinda hard to cram 500+ pages into a movie), it's still alot of fun to see them portrayed on the big screen.

Saturday night we went over to my sister's house to hang out. Its so much fun having my youngest sister Erin back here with her family (they are temporarily living with Amy, my middle sister). I just love being able to be around my nieces and watching them grow up. It was hard when she lived in Springfield. Even though its only 4 hours from here, we still didn't see them near as often as I would have liked.

And then there was Sunday. I wish I could say I spent Sunday relaxing and sitting around the house. Thats what I wanted to do. But instead, the whole day was spent cleaning up my house, and grocery shopping. I was glad Joe went with me to do the shopping. We went to four different stores! Which sounds crazy, but I thought I would try out the buying-whats-on-sale-at-each-different-store thing and see if it really made much of a difference on our grand total. Before we left, I went through all the ads and made a list of what I needed that was on sale at each store. We went into each store, grabbed what was on the list, then went on to the next. I gotta say, we got a TON of food, way more then usual, and for about the same price as I usually spend just at one store. All the stores were pretty close together, so its not like I spent alot of money on gas either. After having always thought it wasn't really worth the time and effort to do this, I have to admit I was wrong, and I will be using this method from now on. It made a huge difference!

Sunday night Joe baked a cake for me. Is he trying to make me huge?

So now here we are. The weekend is over and its Monday. Atleast the weather is supposed to be gorgeous today and after I get off work, Joe and I are going to go hiking again. Hopefully its not too muddy from the random snow we got over the weekend. Tomorrow I will post a new pic of my belly. I forgot to take one yesterday. Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Where did my blog name come from?

So my friend Anrazel over at Companion to the Wind requested that we write a blog explaining where our blog name came from after a great explanation of hers. I thought that would be fun, since my blog name probably doesn't make much sense to most people.

It actually took me a while to figure out what I was going to call it. I probably spent too much time and cared too much, but I can be that way sometimes. And I wanted to try to come up with something that I really liked so that I wouldn't want to change it later. I actually had a long list of names, but they were either already in use or just ended up sounding really cheesy after I thought about it for a while. I am glad I took the time to wait and think it over.

So anyway, why did I finally settle on the name Wringing Out My Sponge? Well, I am glad you asked, I will be happy to fill you in. I think of a blog as someone's way to share their thoughts with everyone and express how they interprit things going on around them to the rest of the world (even if no one else is really reading it). It's also so nice to get comments and feedback from others who have something to say on the subject. It's a place to go to think about events that have happened and whats going on with their lives and those around them, and how these things effect them and others. It's like you are soaking up life and what you are writing in your blog is what comes after you wring yourself out.

My blog is a way for me to wring out my sponge and to help me clear my head. I can say what I want, when I want and not really have to worry about someone else wanting to have this conversation with me or not. I think in some way, on some level, it's the same thing for other bloggers as well. So the name seemed appropriate and even though it's hit or miss with many things that I finally settle on in my life, I still like the name.

And for anyone who knows me, I have a reputation for being a bit of neat freak. So, when I told my friend Toni about my blog name, she said, "And it suits you since you like to clean so much." I guess the name was more appropriate then I thought.

I would love to hear how some of you came up with your blog names.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Sexy Blogger Award - Ooh La La!


Gina awarded me the Sexy Blogger award. Awe thanks Gina! Me and G kinda have a thing for each other;) Well maybe not really, but we like to joke around about it and make the people around us wonder. Its fun.

So anyway, I am supposed to list five things that I think are sexy about myself and then pass the award on to other sexy bloggers. So here goes nuthin...

1. My eyes. I get alot of compliments on my eyes so I guess I could consider them sexy.

2. My personality. Some people would think its sexy, come people might think it can be too much. I know what I like and what I want, and I am not very shy about it. But I also think I am good at reading people and not pushing them. I also like to think that I am a very nice and caring person too. Hopefully I have found a good balance. I really do try.

3. My lap dancing. I have never done this professionally, but from time to time I like to give people a good lap dance:) Its usually only my friends at a club and I am joking around, but I have alot of fun with it. Anrazel has been the recipient of a few of these:)

4. My boobs (pre pregnancy). I think I have some pretty great boobs. They are a little too big right now, but hopefully they will go down again and somewhat back to normal after the baby and breastfeeding. I am not counting on it though.

5. My feet. I have always had some pretty nice feet and get compliments on them alot.

Okay so here is the blogger I would like to extend this award to. I am not going to give it to anyone Gina gave it too or anyone who gave it to her. That doesn't leave very many bloggers that I follow.... so I will just give it to one for now. I am still new to this site... so hopefully in time I can pass these out to more people.

1. Anrazel - She is one of the sexiest chicks I know. She has been my bestest friend for about 15 years now. She is one of the sweetest and cutest people I have ever known.... what could be sexier then that?

Monday, March 23, 2009

The weekend, my bigger belly and the possible onset of a 70's bush.

The Spring Fling BBQ Friday night went fantastically. We had a big fun group of people and lots of kiddos running around. Tons of food and good conversation. My sister E's hubby even set up all his DJ equipment from the bar he used to own and everyone was dancing and doing some karaoke. The weather was even pretty nice, but we still set up a huge heater in the garage to help keep everyone warm. Out back we had a bonfire, and there was some marshmallow roasting going on. I was glad I already had the crib in the nursery with some bedding. I had two babies take naps there throughout the evening. The rest of the house looked like it had been completely taken over by children. There were toys, car seats, excer-saucers, and other random child-related things strewn all throughout the place. Things have come along way from the parties we were having only a year or two ago. When the only things strewn throughout the house were empty beer cans and passed out friends. We are definitely getting older.

Saturday night we went to a trivia night fundraiser. Its been a long time since I have been to a trivia night. I remembered why I don't go to them. They are way too long and boring. Or maybe I don't like to be reminded about how little I know about trivial facts.

Sunday I spent most of the day reading. I pretty much read the entire book #2 in the Twilight series. It was kinda hard to put it down and I didn't have many other pressing issues to attend to.

So I looked at this weeks belly shot compared to only one week ago... and holy cow! I really did get alot bigger! Joe took this picture on Sunday. I am 16 weeks and 2 days.


I can't believe what a big difference one week can make! I look at pics of other preggo bellies at 16 weeks and I feel like I am huge. I guess everyone was different though. Good thing we've already seen the little nugget on an ultrasound, or I might be wondering if I was having twins. And I can definitely tell. Tonight while shaving my legs, I noticed that it wasn't as easy as usual. It was still do-able (I'm not that big yet), but I can definitely see how things are going to become an issue. And what about trimming up the uh... you-know-what... the va-jay-jay? What do you do once you can't reach down there? Do you just grow out your 70's bush with pride, or do you use a mirror or something to see around things? These are all questions I am beginning to wonder about. I wouldn't mind some opinions from those of you that have already gone through this. I mean, I know it shouldn't be a big deal. Its not like the doctor cares, and if my husband really did, well he better get over it quick, but I still care! Maybe that will change later, but for now this is something I can see becoming a possible issue.

I have a appointment tomorrow with my OB. I am afraid to see how much weight I have gained and wonder if she will say anything to me about it. I mean what else could I possibly expect after 2 months of nothing but sleeping and eating and sitting at my desk at work. I can tell the past 2 weeks have been better, as I have been more energetic and have been getting back into working out, but definitely the damage has been done. I have a tendancy to bloom out from my booty first when I put on weight, and lets just say flowers aren't the only things bloomin'.

I can't wait to hear the heartbeat tomorrow. I still have 4 more weeks till my next ultrasound where we will find out the sex. But for now, its nice to have that little reassurance of the heartbeat.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Happiness is realizing that nothing is too important. ~ Antonio Gala

Me and Joe have been talking alot lately about what we would do if one of us lost our job. Things have been so slow for Joe at work, and there is always the possibility that things could change for him there. We keep trying to prepare ourselves of this very real possibility and what we would do if it happened. We have both been very worried about it lately, especially with the baby coming.

It seems like everyone I know is going through a hard time right now in some way. People are losing their jobs and their homes right and left. People are scared and they don't know what they are going to do.

But over the last couple weeks, our perspective has changed. We decided that no matter what happens, we'll figure it out and we'll get through it as a family. Just like we will help the rest of our family if anyone needs it. We all joke that if it came down to it, we would all have to live together in one house. But if that really happened, and that was the worst case situation, would it really truly be that bad? I think about families in other 3rd world countries where they all (kids, parents, cousins & gradparents) live in a hut with a dirt floor and have no idea how they are going to find the next meal for their children. Then I feel guilty for feeling so sorry for myself. If we truly put ourselves in our worst case scenarios with what is going on, could it really be that bad? We will all have each other to lean on and get through this and together, as a family, we will make it through.

Our family is bonded by our strong love and support for one another. We may all have different ways of showing it, but in the end, we all feel the same and we all love each other very much. When I really let myself see past all of the material things and what we really do not need anyway, I swell up with emotion when I truly realize how lucky I am to have everything that I do. I have a wonderful husband, the best parents and sisters, and some of the most amazing and caring friends.

My family:


Me and My Hubby:

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

My first blogger award - Thanks G!

My friend Gina, who also happens to be one of my very dear friends in real life too (so yeah, she is obviously biased), gave my first blogger award yesterday.

So apparantly, I am to list 7 things I love and then pass on the award to 7 other bloggers that I love. Okay here goes....

1. I love Sushi. This is by far my favorite thing to eat. Before I became pregnant, I was eating sushi 2 or 3 times a week. After I became pregnant, I was told that I could not eat sushi, even if it didn't have raw seafood in it, because of the risk of cross contamination. I tried to stay away, but out of all the things I had to give up (yes including all alcohol), I was having the hardest time with sushi. Me and my sister even made some at home. It was good, but not the same. So I went to my favorite sushi restaurant a couple weeks ago and talked to the sushi chef. He wiped down and sterilized his entire station, along with all of his knives and everything else he used before he made sushi for me without any raw seafood in it (I had crunchy shrimp and a california roll). And he did it all with a smile! It was so delicious and I feel like he is going to make my entire pregnancy that much better. I will have to wait till the baby gets here to have my favorite, the spicy tuna.

2. I love it when spring comes along and it is 70 degrees outside and I can open all of the windows in my house after a long stuffy winter. There is usually a pretty short time frame here, during the spring and then again in the fall, when you can actually have your windows open all day. I absolutely love laying around with a good book while feeling the breeze coming in through the window.

3. I love camping. My family has taken me camping since I was a baby. I have been camping just about every year of my life, and usually several times. I just love being outside and sleeping under the stars. And when I say camping, I mean real camping, with a tent, and no electricity or running water. Real roughing it. As I get older, I reserve the right to change my mind on this. In the past few years, it seems I camp less, but we are planning a trip for Memorial weekend. I can't wait!

4. I love the look and smell of my house right after I finish cleaning it from top to bottom. I may have mentioned before what a neat freak I am. I am not kidding. I really am. And after I spend 8 hours cleaning my house, I love looking around and seeing how clean and nice everything is. This is sad, I know, but it is what it is.

5. I love jumping off really high things (e.g. cliffs, rope swings), into a big lake or river.

6. I love capri pants. When they first came out, I hated them. But, after I got used to them, I realized how awesome they are. I don't like wearing shorts, I never have, and pants are so hot during the summer, so these are a good compromise. I may not have had this on my top list, but they are fresh in my mind as I cheerfully unpacked them from the maternity clothes my friends have lent to me.

7. I love behaving like I am 10 years old. I do this more than I probably should. One of the reasons I am so excited to have children is so I have other people to act totally goofy with all the time.

Ofcourse, these are totally random and in no particular order.

So picking out 7 bloggers that I love is kinda hard since I just started blogging on this site and don't follow too many blogs yet. And some of the people I might have picked, G already picked in her list. So I am just going to forward this on to a few people for now...

1. Anrazel - companiontothewind.blogspot.com
2. Emma Jewel - emmajewel.blogspot.com
3. Brittany Ann - brittsbeat.blogspot.com

And Since I was only supposed to list "things" in my list, I also felt like mentioning, in addition, some "people" that I really really love.

I love my husband. So far, during my pregnancy, he has been so attentive and helpful, that it has only made me realize it even more.

I love my parents. I never forget or take for granted how much I love them and how much they mean to me. They are not just my parents, but my very good friends as well. I have alot of fun with them and I can always count on them for anything. I was a big, huge, pain-in-the-ass for them growing up, and I will never forget the patience, guidance and love that they showed to me. I owe a huge part of why I am who I am, to them. I just hope that I can be just as good of a parent to my children.

I love my sisters. They really are my best friends. We are all pretty close and are lucky enough to be able to see each other all the time.

And these are a few of my favorite things...

Monday, March 16, 2009

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~ Robin Williams

This weekend was busy! Friday night, my sister and I went up to Bottoms Up Bar to visit with a friend of ours that was in town from Texas. I am still getting used to the "going to a bar and not drinking" thing. I still have fun, don't get me wrong, but its just not quite the same. The band was really good and they played alot of songs I really liked. And ofcourse the friends and conversation were really good as well.

Saturday, Joe and I helped a friend move during the first part of the day. Well mostly Joe, I was pretty much rendered useless over the weekend. Aside from being pregnant, I tried out a new prenatal workout dvd last Thursday night, and well, lets just say I could barely walk for 2 days. I am no stranger to working out, by any means, but this video had me doing moves I had never seen before. They were obviously catered to a pregnant person and it was the "labor squats" that really got me. I knew instantly, as soon as I finished them, that I was going to be paying for that in the days to come. Never have I been that sore from working out before. And ofcourse, I am not supposed to be using anything like biofreeze or icy hot to help me out. Boo.

After helping them move, we rushed home, freshened up, then went over to my parents house for an early dinner. Amy and her husband joined us as well and it was a really nice time. My dad made his famous ribs in the Green Egg smoker that he has. If you don't know what a Green Egg is, google it, its pretty cool. Then we all layed around the living room and took a nap for about an hour. I wish someone could have gotten a picture of this. Joe fell asleep in the recliner with my parents' little boston terrier, my dad was asleep on the loveseat with his legs hanging over the side, Amy was curled up on the floor with my parents' extremely overweight bulldog, and Amy's husband and I both fell asleep on the big couch. And no, we were not cuddled up together at all, we were not touching each other anywhere. Just to clear that up.... It was a pretty funny sight though, I'm sure, all of us sprawled around the family room. Oh and ofcourse there were the not-so-harmonious sounds of three men snoring.

After our nap, Amy and her hubby headed home, while the rest of us headed downtown to see Steve Harvey at St. Louis University. The show was fantastic. We were all laughing our asses off the entire time. We were 3 rows back from the stage, really close to the center. I also couldn't help but notice we were just about the only white people there. I only saw 2 other white couples the entire time. It didn't bother me ofcourse, but it was definitely different being the ones in the extreme minority. And remember those sore legs I had? We had to walk down about 50 steps to get to our seats, then back up those steps to leave. It was a little embarrassing holding up the line with my elderly shuffle. I had to hold on to the rail and help pull myself up each step. I tried to just grin and bare it, to go as fast as I could, but there was only so much I could do. Yes, I really was that sore. Obviously my 2 month hiatus from working out during my first trimester has really set me back! Maybe I should start with the beginner moves, instead of jumping right into the advanced. Lesson learned.

So after such a long and busy day on Saturday, I decided to relax and be lazy on Sunday. I watched Changeling, which was a really good movie, but I didn't do much else. In the evening I headed over to Amy's for pizza and our Sunday night ritual of Big Love. That show is getting really wierd. Next week is the season finale, and by the looks of the previews, its going to get pretty crazy.

My belly is starting to get bigger! I still look like I could be getting chubbier, but I definitely started to show alot more in the last week. Here is a picture Joe took of my belly last night. I am 15 weeks and 2 days.

I have been feeling alot more energetic. Yay! I am so ready to get out of that period of exhaustion I just went through. Even though I was warned I would be tired, wow, I had no idea it would be that bad. And now that I am feeling better, I realize just how bad it really was.

So now, hopefully, I can get enough energy to clean my house this week before our Spring Fling BBQ this friday. This was such a long, cold, dreary winter and I have been getting so excited for spring I decided to celebrate the ending of winter with a party on March 20th, the first "official" day of spring. This week is supposed to be beautiful with temperatures in the upper 70's, and then getting much colder by Friday (ofcourse). We'll see, hopefully it will end up being warmer. Either way we'll have a good time.

I absolutely love throwing parties and getting together with our friends. We are trying to save our money lately though with the baby coming, and I have been so tired recently, that we decided to make this party easy on ourselves and our pocketbook. Everyone is bringing their own pork steaks and a side dish to share with everyone. So we'll end up with lots of food and no one has to spend very much money. Once everyone gets there, we throw the pork steaks on the grill and then about an hour later, we all eat. It works out pretty good. The main thing is getting everyone together and hanging out. It just doesn't happen as much during the winter. We'll have lots of good food and good friends. And later, we'll have a bonfire and smores. Its also fun getting to see everyone's kids and letting them all run wild together. I can't wait! I'll also be sipping on my non-alcoholic wine, while I am no doubt somewhat envious of the other cocktails floating around.

But before we get to another weekend, I am really looking forward to enjoying the weather this week. I hope to spend lots of time outdoors and taking a few walks. Maybe even a hike at Quail Ridge Park. And am so happy to see winter on its way out!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Spring is in the Air!

Friday night ended up being a blast. We hadn't hung out with our niece, Maddie in way too long and I just love her. Its hard to believe that she is only 13 years old. She looks easily 16 or 17 and she is absolutely beautiful. Plus she still isn't too old to think her aunt and uncle are cool, which I am pretty happy about. My sister Amy was with us too, and I always love hanging out with her.

The fish fry was jam packed. I had no idea that many people were in to fish frys! We couldn't even park anywhere near the building. After we hiked to the school, we got in line. The line wrapped through the hallway, out the entrance area, and all the way out the door. Since we were on a schedule and had to head downtown for the show at the omnimax, we decided to get our food to go (that line was much shorter) and we headed to the park to sit at one of the picnic tables under the pavillion. The weather was beautiful and it ended up being much better then sitting in that crazy cafeteria anyway. I was most impressed with the amount of food they gave you! Each meal came with 2 pieces of fish (fried or baked), corn bread, hush puppies, baked potato (or french fries) green beans, cole slaw, apple sauce and a dessert! I thought it was an unnecessary amount of food, but I guess some people actually eat that much. It was really cool going inside our old grade school seeing how much it had changed. Everything really did seem much smaller then I remembered it. And it really brought back alot of memories for me and Amy.

We really had to hustle to get to the omnimax for the 8:00 showing. The route we normally would have taken was closed down due to highway construction, so we took an alternate route. Unfortunately everyone else that would normally be on the highway, was taking the same route and obviously this road was not accustomed to this volume of traffic. It took forever to get there, and I was afraid we weren't going to make it on time. We parked at the Science Center 10 minutes before the show was supposed to start, we all ran inside, grabbed our tickets from will call and jumped in line just in time. Ofcourse after the fish fry and such a long drive, there's no way (being pregnant and all) that I was going to make it this long without having to use the bathroom. So after we found our seats Amy and I had to run out and take care of that too. Luckily I am the fastest peeer this side of the Mississippi (it took me a while to figure out how to spell "peeer", I'm still not sure about it). We got back just as the show was starting!

All the hustle was definitely worth it. The show was so good. It took you through the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. The omnimax is an incredible place to see a show like this. It really makes you feel like you are there and part of it all. They take you white water rafting and take you through some of the most beautiful places along the river. The message in the film is something everyone should see. It talks about how this river, along with others, are running out of water because of how we handle our environment. It shows us ways to conserve more and take better care of the earth. And all of this to some great music by Dave Mathews.

After the show we walked around the science center a little and checked some things out.


Here's Amy, Joe and Maddie....


Maddie, Me and Amy as construction workers...



After we left the Science Center we headed over to Ted Drewes for some world famous custard. Well, I don't know if its "World Famous", but if it isn't it really should be. The weather was still really nice outside, so we sat down at a bench and ate our custard while we did some people watching. I got an oreo concrete. It was so good. Ofcourse I could only eat half of it, my eyes are always so much bigger than my stomach. Especially since I have been pregnant, I get full so quickly, then I am always hungry again shortly afterward. Amy and Maddie had both never been there before, and they loved it!

So it turned out to be a great evening. It was so nice to get out of the house and enjoy some pretty weather. This winter has really seemed to drag on longer than usual. I think I say that every year though. I swear, if all my family and friends weren't living here, there is no way I would stay. But I would just miss them all way too much.

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful. Saturday we laid around most of the day relaxing and then we headed over to Amy's house for dinner. Sunday, we pretty much did the same thing all over again. With the addition of our Sunday night ritual of watching Big Love. Amy and I have been watching it since the show started, and even though the show is a little strange, somehow we can't stop. My youngest sister, Erin just recently moved back here, along with her husband, and two kids. They are temporarily living with Amy and her husband, while they find new jobs and a new place to live. Its fun having everyone here. And I am so happy to get to spend so much time with Erin's kids. I will leave you with some pictures I took of her daughters. They are so freaking cute. I am also throwing in one of Daisy and Joe that I took over the weekend.



Friday, March 6, 2009

Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought. Our brightest blazes are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks. ~Samuel Johnson

Oh what a day! It is absolutely gorgeous outside and it is taking everything I have to not fly out that office door! It is 79 degrees outside, and in the first half of March in St. Louis, that is a wonderful treat indeed. I am sure the sun has given me energy, because I am bouncing off the walls, and after the last few months of feeling more like a zombie, this also feels like a rare treat.

I am also excited about tonight, which adds to my good mood as well. Me and Joe, along with my sister Amy, are taking our niece to the St. Louis Science Center Omnimax to see the Grand Canyon Adventure in 3D. It looks awesome! Here's a link to the website:

http://www.grandcanyonadventurefilm.com/

But first we are going to head over to me and Amy's old gradeschool to hit up the Fish Fry. I haven't been to one of these in years and we are pretty excited about it. I am no longer a practicing catholic, but I don't think that is any reason why I shouldn't be able to enjoy a good ol' fish fry. I am also curious to visit the gradeschool, as I haven't been inside it for 20+ years or so (that statement just made me feel extremely old). I wonder, will everything seem really tiny since I am so much bigger now?

After the fish fry, we will head downtown to the omnimax to see the show. After that, while we are in the city, we will stop at Ted Drewes for some frozen custard. Any one from St. Louis knows that this is one of the best frozen custard joints in town! You often have to park your car and go wait outside the window in a line for up to an hour, but people still do it... its that good! Its quite a jog from our house though, so it will be yet another rare treat. Yay!

Okay, so I am definitely pregnant. If I wasn't pregnant, there is no way that I would be near as excited as I am about tonight's agenda. I have a feeling that has something to do with me being cooped up in the house for the past few months, not being able to go out for drinks or have sushi (which has actually been harder on me then not drinking, but luckily I found a sushi chef that will prepare it special just for me, but thats another story). Don't get me wrong, I would still be looking forward to it, and would still have fun, but I am down right ecstatic right now!

It feels good to have some energy back, along with some warm sunshine. I hope the rest of the weekend is just as good!

On a side note, there is a freaking mosquito flying around me at my desk. I have tried to kill him, but he is very crafty. He's already bit me. What the hell?!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.

Yesterday I had a relapse. Just when I thought I was starting to get some of my energy back, the fog set back in with a vengeance. I was just as exhausted yesterday as any other day during my first trimester. I even left work early just so I could go home and sleep. Its never a good thing, when you sit at your desk, your head bobbing forward and your eyes rolling back into your skull. I'm not possessed... I'm just pregnant! It makes me feel like I am back in high school again, when I would have the hardest time staying awake in class. I mastered the art of falling asleep with my head in my hand, although my elbow would occasionally slip out from underneath me and my head would go flying forward. Eventually I started bringing a pillow to school inside my book bag instead of text books. Let's just say I wasn't exactly the most enthusiastic student.

I was warned that I might get pretty tired during the first trimester. I had no idea just how tired I would get though. I have never known exhaustion like this before. My main focus each day was making it to my next nap. My all consuming thought was, "When do I get to sleep next?". My house is a mess, and for anyone who knows me, I must be exhausted if my house becomes a mess. I have a reputation of being a bit of a neat freak. I could probably benefit from seeing a doctor about it. I rarely cooked dinner anymore, or even bothered doing regular grocery shopping. My poor husband has really had to step up and help out. He has helped out alot with things like dishes and he has even learned to bake cakes! It may be just the boxed kind, but still that's something. He even made tacos for dinner last night! Before I became pregnant, his bag of tricks mainly consisted of mac & cheese, scrambled eggs & cereal. So needless to say, I have been very grateful for all his help. I know, I know, I am pregnant, he should be doing these things to help anyway. But I am just happy that he's doing this stuff, without me even really having to ask, and he's even acting like its not that much of a hassle.

I really shouldn't complain too much though. I am fully aware that things could be much worse. I have had almost zero morning sickness. There were a few times when I thought, I might be feeling a little woozy, but it never really got much further then that. I have had a really healthy appetite, and not much problem pooping. Which, from what I have heard, can really be a pain in the butt... literally. One thing that does worry me, however, is the size of my breasts. I have already gone from a small C to somewhere between a D and DD. At this rate, my breasts are going to be larger then my stomach. Also my ass has gotten a lot bigger too, but I think that is more my fault then the baby's. What can I expect when all I do is go to work, nap, eat dinner, then go to bed? Hopefully with the return of my energy, I can start getting into a better workout routine and spend more time making healthier dinners and lunches. I am hoping that over the last few days, I just got excited to start feeling more energetic and I just overdid it a little. I am thinking I might just need to take it a little easier and not take on too much at once. I am just so ready to get back to my old self (always busy, always on the go), and I probably shouldn't really expect that any time soon. Actually, I should probably start learning to not really expect anything, and try to just go more with the flow. Something that I have always needed to work on anyway.

Another thing that is frustrating, and I am sure that anyone that has been pregnant before can relate to, is the "inbetween" phase that I am in right now. I am not quite pregnant looking but my stomach is sticking far enough out to put me into maternity clothes, and I don't like that you can't tell if I am pregnant or just getting really chubby. I am so fortunate though to have so many friends that have been pregnant recently and were nice enough to share their maternity clothes with me. Five of my friends have lent their clothes to me and I doubt I will have to buy many at all of my own. Luckily most of them have similar taste as well, so I will be spending my pregnancy in style thanks to their generosity!

Tonight I have an appointment with my hair stylest (who also happens to be a good friend), and I am so excited! I was told by my OB not to color my hair at all during the first trimester. Its March and I haven't done anything with my hair since November. I am sure that getting my hair did, will help me feel alot better. Every time I look in the mirror and see those roots, I am not a happy camper.

So even though I may complain, I do try to keep in mind that its not nearly as bad as it could be, and most likely its going to still get alot worse. But I know it will all be worth it. I am just so excited to become a mom. I hope the next 6 months don't last as long as it feels like its going to!

Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be. -- Carrie Fisher

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

My First Blog Entry (Well Sorta)

So I have been wanting to start up another blog for quite some time. I would just really like a place to put some thoughts down. Since all my friends are doing it... I might as well jump on the bandwagon. And now that I am pregnant, I would really like to keep track of all the weird and wonderful things that I have been told I am going to go through.

I spent most of my first trimester in a fog, and I was much more concerned about when I was going to be able to sleep next to really have much desire to get my blog started. My main focus everyday, was when I was going to get to sleep next, its really all I cared about. But the fog has started to clear and I am beginning to get some of my energy back. I am excited to start keeping track of things and having a place to put up all my pregnancy pics and share my pregnancy adventure, along with anything else going on in my life. I thought it might also be nice to meet some other pregnant bloggers and mommies to maybe get some advice from and hear their stories as well.

I also wanted to wait until atleast 13 weeks before I really started telling everyone I was pregnant and we had been trying not to get too excited about it. Having had a miscarriage over the summer, we found out how quickly things can change. I am grateful for having slept through the majority of my first 13 weeks, because it gave me less time to worry about something going wrong.

So now I am about 13.5 weeks along, and everything is going great. We had an ultrasound at 9 weeks and was able to hear the heartbeat and even see the baby wiggling around! We had another appointment at almost 13 weeks and I heard the baby's hearbeat again from the outside. My OB told me I had less then a 1% chance of having a miscarriage. We were so excited and I finally feel like I can relax a little. I know things can still go wrong, but I can worry about them alot less now. Here's my 9 week ultrasound. You can hear Joe and I, along with the nurse talking in the background.



Our 9 week ultrasound pictures:


I also had a dream sometime right before my first ultrasound, which really eased my nerves quite a bit. My Grandma (my dad's mom) passed a way a couple years ago. She has always been really special to me, and I always felt I had a special connection with her. She came to visit me in my dream and I really feel like she was telling me everything was going to be okay. She was pregnant in the dream and she was rubbing her belly and smiling at me. I remember waking up with this huge sense of relief and I have been much more relaxed since then.

So at about12 weeks, we started taking pics of my belly, so here's me at 12 weeks:


and here's me at 13 weeks:



Now that I am going into my 2nd trimester, I am starting to really get excited. We found an awesome deal on some great furniture on Craigslist, and already have it all set up in the room. We just have to wait till I get to 20 weeks so we can find out the sex and start decorating the nursery!








We will be happy no matter what, ofcourse, but I am kinda hoping for a little girl and Joe is leaning towards a boy. I guess we'll just have to wait 6.5 more weeks to find out! According to the chinese birth chart, its a boy.