Christy's Chaotic Cranium Contents

A Few Photos from Easter Sunday

2009-04-14T12:35:00.004-04:00

Kisses from Dad

Meeting Herman the Tree

Mommy & Baby

Daddy & Baby

Baby Hears the Neighbor's Dog

Baby is Getting Sleepy

2009-04-10T15:21:00.005-04:00

Baby is 6 months old today.

Christian America

2009-04-08T13:42:00.003-04:00

A headline on MSN caught my attention this morning. Funny thing, after I finished reading the linked article, and mind you, I read kind of slow yet not THAT slow, I clicked on my homepage (msn.com) to see the title and put it in this post and it was already gone. Hummm...funny considering the topic. Thanks to my back arrow, I found that the Newsweek article is titled, “The End of Christian America,” just in case you want to read it yourself. Sorry, I’m too lazy to add the link.

I have aquired a revived interest in religion during the past nine months, but there are so many different aspects and beliefs that I don’t want to delve into the subject too much in this venue. I just feel the need to express something that I have experienced recently. My church (ELCA Lutheran) is attempting to read the Bible out loud, cover to cover, during the season of Lent. I signed up to read yesterday afternoon and experienced books near the end of the Old Testemant that I don’t think I knew existed. I read most of Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Of course, I knew this one existed.), Micah, Nahum, and ended with Habakkuk. I will just say that each was extreemly easy to read and understand, and they were very interesting, especially in light of what is happening in the word and our country today. The books have a lot to do with the corruption and greed of the wealthy, oppression of the poor and needy, and the lack of a culture’s focus on God even after His multiple attempts for its attention (especially in The Book of Amos).

I may have my beliefs and you may have yours and I guess I am writing this more to give readers something to think about during Holy Week than to make any sort of point. I often ponder how nice a world it would be if the super-rich person gave more to those in need rather than having seven cars and a jet parked in his/her driveway. We just need to be good or maybe better people and I think that every religion has that basic principle in common.

In the Newsweek article, there was one line that stuck out to me. I am going to close with it, just so you have something to think about.

“Religion is not only about worshipping your God but about doing godly things, and a central message of the Gospels is the duty of the Christian to transform, as best one can, reality through works of love.”

2009-04-03T11:53:00.003-04:00

This is me, almost six months post-partum. I am back to my pre-preganacy weight and beginning to see muscle definition again. Horray! I guess I should have taken a photo sans jacket. Oh well, maybe next time.

Lazy & Uninspired

2009-03-20T10:49:00.034-04:00

It has been two months since I have written anything. I would say that it is about time that I played catch-up however, there really isn't a whole lot to catch anyone up on. My thoughts these days are pretty mundane as life seems to be the same ol' thing day after day. Other than half a city block blowing up downtown (not very interesting unless you live in the area) and the vacuum cleaner breaking again (not very interesting to anyone at all), life here in the west has been fairly quiet.

I really don't want this blog to become all about a little girl, but especially since I haven't posted any photos in a while, I am afraid that is what most of this post will be about. Of course, Baby keeps on growing and changing. That's a given. During the past month or so, I have started giving her rice cereal in the evenings. I get many "yuck" faces and I can't say that I blame her; it's not the tastiest of foods. She is five months old and has now gained a personality and a bit of a temper at times. She loves people and her daddy is a little frightened because she is already a flirt, smiling at anyone and everyone who talks to her.

One of my favorite parts is her cute little buddha belly. It is rubbed and kissed with practically every diaper change. And, her chubby little thighs are just too squeezable. She's interacting more and "talking" up a storm.

I have been trying to keep her occupied away from my arms quite a bit during the day. My hope is that she does not become too dependant on me for entertainment. And, check out the super cool shoes her aunties Stephanie & Tracy got her.

She has also graduated to her "stand-up" play center from Auntie Meg. We initially had a pillow under her feet because she was on her tiptoes. That lasted about a week and she was able to get both feet flat on the ground...growth spurt. At her last doctors appointment she was in the 90th percentile for height. Her daddy is REALLY hoping that the trend continues, but I am already apologizing to her since I know the pain of being taller than everyone else in elementary and middle school. However, height in a female athlete is a good thing!

Baby may also have the curse of her mom's crazy hair. It is starting to curl a little on the sides and have a mind of it's own. Additionally, I have accidentally taught her the bad habit of sticking her tongue out. Something I am sure I will come to regret.

Husband's mom, sister, and sister-in-law flew in for Baby's Baptism. The aunts stood up as Baby's Godparents. Although we had been attending worship since we moved in May, we actually took classes and became members of the church in the fall, just after Baby was born. It is a wonderful congregation with a husband & wife pastoral team. It has provided a sense of community for me, something that I have really needed over the past few months.

While the family was here, I also had the opportunity to leave Baby with her Grandma and go skiing with my sisters-in-law. (Husband had to work.) I am still a beginner and took a lesson, however skiing here was MUCH easier and more fun than the skiing I did in Europe. Well, at least it was until the sun started to set and the slope became icy.

As for me, I seem to be coming out of the funk I have been in for months. Life is not all dreamy and perfect, but no one expects it to be. I struggled with the idea of going back to work; and, after lots of prayer and contemplation, I finally made a decision. Even though I had been presented with the perfect job for the me of my "past-life", it just wasn't the right job for me presently. Being a Mom needs to come first. I am, however, keeping my eyes out for a part-time job or something that would allow me to work from home.

I have been putting Baby in childcare at the gym three days during the week for an hour or two so that I can attempt to regain my pre-pregnancy body. And, good news, it is working! I am already at my pre-pregnancy weight and can once again see muscles in my arms and back. The most surprising thing to me...I think that my hips may be narrower and my thighs thinner than pre-Baby. How this happened, I am not sure, especially since one of my big fears was that none of my pants would fit ever again; but, it did and it makes me happy. I have also been running outside on weekends that are warm enough with no precipitation. My hope is to have a girl's weekend in D.C. in the fall of 2010 and run the Army 10-Miler again. That gives everyone a year and a half to save money, make plans, and train...hint, hint.

On nice days, Baby and I also go walking. Why drive a mile to mile-and-a-half to Home Depot or church when my perfectly good legs can take me there? My biggest gripe is the people who do not shovel their sidewalks along the way; that and the fact that there are small areas (a block or two) with no sidewalks. Really? The city could not fork over the money to put in an extra two blocks of sidewalk? I could rant on, however I won't because you get the basic gist of it.

I recently purchased airfare for Baby and me to travel "back east" during the first three weeks of May. Since I always seem to over pack for just me, I have already begun the packing process. The cost of extra luggage is a great deterrent for my perceived need to take along the perfect pair of shoes to match every outfit. And, this time around, I have to pack for someone else too. Oh dear, how will I manage? It's a good thing that I have over a month to figure it out! Please let me know if you have any helpful hints about solo-parent air travel, sleeping arrangements, and three weeks away from home with a seven month old.

As a side-note, Husband is liking (but not loving) his new occupation. He has some professional goals for the next year to year-and-a-half that will hopefully make him happier. (More on those later.) And, although he hates when she cries, he is adjusting to fatherhood well and is great with Baby.

That's life in a nutshell. I will attempt to write more often, but there are no guarantees. I can't really blame it on Baby either; it's just me being lazy and uninspired. Maybe writing more frequently needs to be the next habit I form...we'll see.

2009-01-19T16:42:00.002-05:00

One year older and not feeling all that different. I did get some great carb overload this morning with IHOP pancakes. Yummy!

2009-01-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

Baby is now 3 months old.

These are my new favorite pictures of Baby.

Taking a Break

2008-12-19T03:45:00.004-05:00

I just want to write a quick note to let regular readers know that I am taking a break from blogging for a while. My world has been really crazy lately and my mind has been elsewhere, but rest assured, if there is any exciting breaking news in our lives, I will be sure to post a little something.

A Baby Story

2008-11-18T11:54:00.017-05:00

This post was started weeks ago, but life got in the way and it was never finished. So, now, probably a month later I have finished it. It's not as proofed as I would prefer, but I have a hungry girl to feed. Priorities!

On a cold dark night in Montana (around 3:30 a.m.), I awoke with abdominal pains. This was not an unusual occurance during the weeks prior to the 10th of October, because my doctor had me on an iron rich diet and I was eating lots of beans and spinach. So, like other nights, I lied awake for some time wondering if I was experiencing the onset of labor, braxton hicks contractions, or simply having gas pains. I didn't really time the pains, but I could not seem to fall back to sleep this time, so at around 5 a.m. I decided to grab a watch and begin recording the sensations so that I would have something to tell the doctor when I called her after the office opened. And, yes, I let Husband sleep through all of this.

When Husband's alarm went off, he was surprised to see me awake. I filled him in on what I had been up to during the previous 4 hours and he made a quick call into the office to let them know that he might not be coming into work. The pain that I was feeling got progressively worse, but still not too bad. We continued timing until around 9 a.m. when the doctor was scheduled to be in and then headed to see her per her request. She did a quick exam and felt that, yes, I was in early labor. She sent me home with instructions to take a warm bath, walk around, eat something, and get some sleep.

I must say that I found it very funny that the doctor would expect me to be able to sleep through the pain. Really?!?! I had a bowl of Cherios and then hung out in bed until all of a sudden, I felt like I had to throw up. On the way to the bathroom, I was sure that I also had to pee, so there was a mad scramble to empty the nearest trash can, which proved to be a wise decision, if you know what I mean. Afterward, I did find out just how small our guest bath really is when I curled up in it, attempting to relax. (The master bath only has a shower.) And, Husband made sure that I was walking around until we had to check in with the doctor again around 2 in the afternoon. It was really cold out so we just kept walking in circles around the house.

The doctor asked us to come back in for another check when we phoned her in the afternoon.

Following lots of tears due to fear and lack of sleep, the decision was made to send me to the hospital, which was in walking distance from her office, very convenient. I had done pre-admission paperwork several weeks before, so admission was quick and easy. Unfortuneately, there has been a drop in berametric pressure overnight, which according to the nurses, causes women's water to break, so we actually had to wait about half an hour while they finished cleaning a delivery room.

As anyone I have talked to knows, I was all about getting an epidural, which happened fairly quickly once I was all cozy in bed. I was really surprised that it didn't hurt. Either that or contractions hurt so much worse that the epidural felt like nothing. The doctor also broke my water, which, can I say, ewww. That was one of the grosest feelings, and I am very happy that it didn't happen at home. Once the nurses and doctor were done doing what they needed to do, I had some of the best orange jello that my starving self has ever eaten, then wrapped myself in my warm blanket and dozed off while husband watched TV.

Later that evening (I don't know exactly what time), I awoke to contractions on my left side. Not excrutiating, but bad enough to make me cranky. The doctor did a quick check and called the anestesiologist for more medicine since I was only dialated to about 6. Following enough drugs to actually make me completely numb from the waist down (I could still move my legs the first time around), it was back to napping. I woke up again just before 11 pm, this time my left side pain grew very bad very quickly. The doctor did another quick check only this time there were no more drugs; I was dialated to 10 and it was time to push. Painful, but in hindsight, probably a good thing.

So, Husband took his place beside my bed, put on his rally cap, and told me get my game face on. The doctor told me that it could take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours to push the baby out, and I remember distinctively saying that I was aiming toward the 15 minute mark because I was not dealing with the pain for hours. There was a bit of stank-eye being thrown at husband and the phrase "Never Again!" came out of my mouth repeatedly, but my strong will and determination paid off and Baby was born about half an hour later.

Recovery all went fine except for almost passing out during my first attempt to make it to the shower. However, all it took was getting some food in my belly to make the dizziness go away. I was amazed by all of the yucky stuff that came along with giving birth. There were so many things that people just don't talk about. Thank goodness my friend Jenny gave me the 411 on the monster pads that the hospital has. Even so, they made me laugh anyhow...the next day.

Now, eight weeks later, Baby is doing well, not too much crying and sleeping about 5 hours at night. I feel fully recovered, just jiggly still. I really need to figure out a way to fit more cardio into my days. I was walking, but now there is too much snow, so I really need to research my gym's childcare. After all, my jeans still don't fit and my maternity pants are too big. I need there to be more to my wardrobe than just my "sexy sweatpants"!

Meow

2008-11-01T14:00:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween!!!...a day late.

(Baby at 3 weeks old)

Welcome to the World Baby

2008-10-13T20:40:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the world Baby Girl!

(I will be sending an email out with her name to those whose addresses I have.)

Born October 10, 2008 at 11:32 pm

8 lbs 2 oz

21 1/2 inches

More House Pics

2008-10-01T09:58:00.005-04:00

Here are some more photos of the house-in-progress. First is the wall color (Sherwin-Williams 6334 Flower Pot) in the dining room and kitchen. These photos make it look much more orangey than I have seen it. We also put up a new chandelier over the dining room table.

Next is the master wall color (Sherwin-Williams 6178 Clary Sage). This was one of the earlier projects, but I never posted pics. There are two photos because there is such a color difference depending on the light in the room.

And, finally, the baby/guest room, which I am still working on. We have shelves and prints to hang, hopefully, this weekend. I am perplexed as to where to hang things, because we will be moving furniture around a bit when company comes. (example: The crib will move into our room for a while.)

I Think That Summer is Over

2008-09-10T19:51:00.008-04:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn. It's been in the 50s for about a week and a half now, give or take a few warmer days. I am loving it! College football season (GO BUCKEYES!!!) is in full swing and for the first time in years it actually feels like it. All of this cool weather has gotten me into a cooking/baking mode. Sister is here, so there is an extra mouth to help eat my creations and I am thinking ahead to October and freezing some of the leftovers for quick and easy meals for the days of little sleep to come.

Sister and I have been having some fun on Saturday mornings heading out to garage sales around town. It amazes me what great stuff you can get for babies for little money. It is great and I would highly recommend it to all moms and moms to be out there. Why would a person ever pay retail for Ralph Lauren when it can be found for fifty cents? We also visited the local farmers market last Saturday. We were able to pick up some beautiful and inexpensive produce. I am bummed that I didn't make the trip sooner since this coming weekend will be the final market for the season.

Husband and I are on the countdown to baby as there is less than a month until the due date. I don't think that I am really nervous at this point. I am simply ready to have my body back to myself and figure out what our new life will be like. The hospital bag packing is in progress (let me know if there is anything that you found helpful to bring along), but since my favorite cozy sweatpants are still in use, they won't be packed until the very end. Yes, I do see myself going in to labor and then starting a load of laundry. Husband has to go out of town for about a week, so that makes me nervous; too, I feel very clingy and needy lately, so his leaving makes me kind of sad. But, at least he will be able to sleep well without me tossing and turning and peeing multiple times throughout the night. My biggest fear right now is that this baby will come out a boy...we have lots of pink clothes.

The baby/guest room has actually made some progress. I ordered a rocker, a wall has been painted, and curtains have been hung. The current occupant has also helped make some suggestions for the guest portion of the room since the quarters are a bit cramped. So, that has been very helpful. I will post pictures once it's more complete. On the house front, we also began painting the kitchen & dining room. It is an awesome color somewhere between a shade of maroon and a shade of rust. The ceilings are rather high and we don't have a ladder, so we stopped about half-way around the room. But, I still love it. Again, pics will be posted sometime in the near future.

Speaking of pictures. I have had several requests for a belly shot. These were taken about a week ago and are a little dark and blurry, but here you go...

A Weekend in Class

2008-08-10T18:16:00.009-04:00

Husband and I spent the weekend in a childbirth education class at the local hospital. I have done so much reading that it was a bit of a refresher class for me, however it was great "making" hubby hear and see the information too. I think his favorite parts were the birth video and the hour long segment on breastfeeding (giggle, giggle).

One of my favorite parts was the tour of the labor and delivery (l&d) unit. It was nice to see where this event will take place and understand a little better what is available to us. Another very positive thing is that the l&d unit has just undergone a renovation so there is a lot of new equipment. There are also two waiting rooms for any family that might be here, even though that will most likely only be my sister at the time of delivery.

My official due date is October 8th and we received some less than exciting news last week. Husband has to travel over seven hours out of town and be gone from September 21 through October 5. My fingers are crossed that Baby does not decide to arrive early, although he should be able to make the trip back in such an event. My sister will be here at the time too, so she will be able to help out. I keep telling myself, "at least he is not in Iraq, that would be a much worse situation."

Now, we just need to make the birth plan that is highly encouraged by the hospital. We do have some quirky little things, but since the natural route has never even been up for discussion, I don't feel that we have a whole heck of a lot to put into it, simply three main things. #1, I don't really want any medication, if possible, other than the epidural at, hopefully, 5 or 6 cm. (I really want it to last until Baby is out.) But, I don't know what I don't know, and that means that I don't know if I will be able to make it that long. #2, Husband doesn't want to cut the cord, so maybe ask, just in case he has changed his mind, but assume the answer is "no". And, finally, #3, I would prefer if the baby is cleaned up a bit and then given back to me rather than laid on top of me right after birth. There is something about how a brand new, straight out of the womb baby looks that freaks me out a bit, and I don't think that will change even with it being my own. If any moms out there have other pointers to add, I would love to hear them.

The other big event of the weekend was date night Saturday when we finally got the opportunity to see The Dark Knight. Husband and I both agree that the movie was deserving of the all of the hype and did not disappoint. Just when we thought it was going to end, there was another plot twist. And, the late Heath Ledger did a phenomenal job, although, if we did not know that it was him, we probably would have never guessed it; his character was incredibly demented and creepy. Anyhow, the movie was well worth the money to see it in the theater.

Help Wanted

2008-08-07T20:05:00.002-04:00

I am looking for information on webcams. I know lots of you use(d) them during deployment situations and believe that you may be more knowledgeable than I on the subject. Are there some out there that would be better than others? Are they very difficult to set up? Are they pretty easy to use? Any information would be helpful. I am thinking about getting them for our future grandparents since we are over half a country away from them all. (They are a bit computer savey, but not too high tech.) Thanks, in advance, for your help with this. I look forward to reading lots of responses.

The First Week of July

2008-07-03T09:53:00.004-04:00

The first week of July has been a productive one. I really couldn't tell you exactly what has been done; I simply know that I have not slept in once and TV time has been at a minimum. One thing that is causing me a bit of grief this week is finding towels and rugs to match the guest bath shower curtain. I keep on picking up accessories that are not just not quite the right shade of blue and not quite the right shade of brown. It's very frustrating. And, I could go with cream or light yellow, but that would mean that I would have to paint another room. Not high on my want-to-do list. So, I will return my latest bag of mismatched findings and try again. I know, in the grand scheme of life, not a big deal.

I did try a new recipe this week that I will share. It is a marinade for grilled chicken in which I got the opportunity to use some of the herbs from my herb garden. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook:

In a baking dish, whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 garlic cloves (minced), 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1&1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (chopped), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 1&1/2 pounds of chicken; turn several times to coat. Let marinade at room temperature for 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Now, I did not whisk in a baking dish; instead, I put all of the marinade ingredients into a ziplock bag (adding the wet ingredients last) and mashed the bag together to mix them. Then, I added the chicken to the bag, squished it altogether, again, in order to coat all of the chicken in the marinade, and let it marinade in the refrigerator for several hours/half a day. I also used Tyson thin cut and pre-trimmed chicken breast (found at Wal-Mart), so it grilled really quickly. I served the chicken with grilled asparagus and baby red new potatoes. Yummy!

I would recommend doubling the recipee because, the left over chicken is wonderful to throw on top of some spinach for a salad. I would feel pretty confident in saying that it would also be good chopped up on top of a homemade pizza with lots of veggies and also thrown together with pasta and sauce or made into chicken salad. The leftover possibilities are endless.

We have actually made a little progress on the baby front this week. We are talking about it more and Husband is finally taking some interest, although it's still just a little. I have been reading more about it, but I think that is partly to my demise. You see, the more I read, the more frightened I become. It is really hard being 2,000+ miles away from family and not having a military network of friends in the area to fall back on. (Or, any friends in the area.)Some days, actually many days, I feel quite alone. I mean, the cats...really not all that helpful. I have received many phone calls from loving and concerned family and friends, but it's just not the same. So, if anyone needs a get away, feel free to pack a bag and travel this way! And, on a side note, I am feeling the baby moving around.

I do have one other little bit of crankiness to add this post. In the sense that I kind of hate to see things change, I feel like an old lady writing this one, but it somehow makes me sad/frustrated. If you have been in a mall lately, you may have noticed that Victoria's Secret (VS) and Bath & Body Works (B&BW) are both having their semi-annual sales. Well, for some reason I was feeling a bit nostalgic and wanted to purchase some on-sale body wash/lotion/spray in scents that I wore years ago. Guess what, I could not find them! I mean, when did B&BW stop making Juniper Breeze? They did have Plumeria in the clearance bins (again, no longer carried on the normal shelf), however they were out of the lotion, so I didn't get that one either. And, they renamed, as well as changed, the scent of what used to be known as Country Apple. Gee...so much for relishing in the past for a while. But, all-in-all is wasn't an unproductive shopping trip. I did get a great buy on a couple new up-sized bras for my newly voluptuous tatas as well as an ahead-of-the-game sexy black lace nursing bra. Yes all you new and potential mamas out there, VS now makes nursing bras. Although, sexy and nursing bra just seem a bit of an oxymoron to me.

Husband and I are headed out late this afternoon/evening for a weekend get-a-way. We are traveling to Jackson Hole (or simply Jackson, depending on who you are talking to), Wyoming. We plan to do some hiking, check out Teton Village and Grand Teton National Park, make a side trip to Husbands Wyoming "hometown", have burgers at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, and just enjoy each others company for a few days. In other words, some much needed R & R. I am looking forward to it.

So, on that note, I am outta here. I need to make it to the gym this morning and then do errands and pack. Plus, the clothes dryer just buzzed and I despise wrinkles. Happy Independence Day to you!!! I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Interior Photos

2008-06-25T13:36:00.006-04:00

Here are some photos of the inside of the house. Keep in mind that it is still a work in progress. We are waiting for the flooring guys to finish putting in the 1/4 round before we can hook up all of the stereo equipment, get the bookshelves in order, and finish arranging the dining room. Plus we have a lot of pictures to hang and I want to paint the walls a few different colors. But, these will give you an idea of what it looks like. There is still too much work to be done in the bedrooms, bathrooms, & office to post those pictures yet.

Just inside the front door.

From the front door looking into the living room.

The living room looking back toward the front door/entry.
Looking into the dining room from the living room.

Another view of the dining room.

Looking into the kitchen from the dining room.

The other side of the kitchen
One of the walls in the office, just to show the color that took me three coats to cover evenly.

A Few Photos of the New House.

2008-06-25T00:35:00.006-04:00

Here are a few of pictures of our new home.

The front yard...

And the back yard...

This is Herman, our very first tree.

The back patio, looking into the rest of the back yard.

I also had to go to Wal Mart this evening and took pictures on the way

there and back, so this is the surrounding area.

I will post some photos of the inside later this week.

Baby Excitement, or Lack Thereof

2008-06-23T18:50:00.002-04:00

There have been many inquiries into mine and husbands excitement regarding the impending baby. My usual reply is something in the vicinity of nope, not excited. Then I feel really kinda crappy, mean, and that I am being an ugly/terrible person and that something is wrong with us; that this should be the most wonderful time in our lives and it just isn't. I attributed it to the stress of moving and changing jobs and keep thinking that things are going to change, things are going to get better, and they just don't.

I think (or maybe hoping) that we are simply scared shitless. Which I am pretty sure as close as I can come to pinpointing our feelings. Again, this wasn't a planned pregnancy, there was a lot of shock, and yes, a lot of fear in regards to the following issues: Will we be able to do this? How will it change us? Are we making a mistake? How do we do this? I just don't feel prepared or ready to be a mother and I know that my feelings are reciprocated by husband. Normal, yes, as far as I have read. But, it just doesn't seem to REALLY be normal. Too many people out there are simply overjoyed to be having a baby.

Again, we are accepting that this is happening, but neither of us knows how to honestly be happy about it. We are talking about going to counseling, but, for some reason, this seems a bit extreme to both of us. Isn't happiness supposed to just "kick-in" eventually? I have put off reading many books on pregnancy and parenting up until now. Since, I am not looking at any paid employment in the near future, I think that I will begin researching the whole topic as if I were writing a thesis on the subject. Maybe that will somehow help us cope better. Although, I am also afraid that this may make the whole situation even scarier.

Everyone has been very reassuring in their belief that we will be wonderful parents and I am very appreciative of the kind words of encouragement. We just can not seem to get on that same page. I know that having a baby is a life changing event, but my outlook all seems to be gloom and doom...thus being scared is my best diagnosis. Anyone's insight into this would be welcomed...just don't be too mean or you will cause me to cry.

Snow, Painting, and Crossing the Country

2008-06-11T19:45:00.011-04:00

I can not believe it, but I woke up to snow today. Yep, that's correct, it is almost mid June and we got enough snow this morning for it to actually stick to the ground for a couple of hours. (I was going to take and post some pictures, but I was too lazy to dig out the camera.) The "locals" keep saying that this is not typical for June. I simply have to wonder what is typical these days. Absolutely nothing when it comes to the weather...anywhere. After our morning snow, we saw the sun briefly in the afternoon, and now it is raining. Layers, layers, layers when it comes to getting dressed every day. And, I am learning to always pack an umbrella.

I have spent the last couple of days attempting to paint the office. I say attempting because I am yet to complete the job. I am using a very dark blue (think Midnight Blue from the 64 pack of Crayolas) and it has taken me three coats to get the paint even. I am waiting for Husband to make it home to give me his two cents on whether or not I need to even out one of the walls. It is evenly covered, but for some reason, I feel that I can see roller marks. Nit-Picky, yes, but that's just the kind of girl I am, although I am quite tired of having blue paint everywhere. Then, he can help me move everything to the other side of the room so that I can work on the last wall tomorrow (and maybe the questionable wall too).

Now, as promised from my last post, here are a couple of photos from our trip across the country. It's funny that although we went through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, we only took pictures or stopped to "see the sights" in South Dakota.

Here we are at Wall Drug.

We by-passed The Corn Palace and quite a few others,

but we had to make at least one cheesy tourist attraction stop.

Here we are at Mount Rushmore.

A little lighter on the cheese factor and a

great opportunity to get some exercise as we hiked the trail.

Graduation Day

2008-06-07T14:23:00.007-04:00

Here are some photos to kick off my days of catching up. These are from Husband's May graduation.

Husband sporting his professional business attire. He is very thankful that he does not have to wear a suit to work every day.

Yipee!!! No more every other weekend visits! Although, I do believe that the whole pregnancy thing is showing up in my puffy face.

.

The official congratulations.

Taking the oath.

Next post...some photos from our cross-country adventure.

A Little Off

2008-05-30T23:17:00.002-04:00

So, I was a little off on my prediction of when I would be back on-line. Our internet and telephone were just connected this evening. I am too tired to post much right now, but I will have lots to tell about in the near future.

Outta Here

2008-05-13T14:58:00.001-04:00

We are packing the final room in the house, the office. That means that as soon as I finish this post, the compter will be disconnected. We will reconnect around the 21st of May. I will fill y'all in then.

One more day down...

2008-05-02T07:09:00.006-04:00

Time just keeps ticking right along. Everything seems to be moving a bit faster than I would like.

** I have one more week left at work.

** Husband graduates on the 9th.

** The packers will be here on the 12th.

** And, our next adventure will begin as we pull out of our drive on the 14th or 15th.

We have closed on our new house and now I am attempting to coordinate having flooring replaced and walls painted before we arrive. This is an interesting process to say the least; more like a roll of the dice since we can not easily check out the contractors ahead of time.

And, last night, for the first time, I actually feel pregnant rather than just chunky.

Now, i'm off to shower and work.

Make Every Step Count

2008-04-15T18:28:00.002-04:00

Following is a request for help. And, I swear that it is legitimate.

Step It Up Contest:
Vote for Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines!

YOU can help the Girl Scouts be the WINNER of the contest – and receive $75,000 to support Girl Scouts’ MAKE EVERY DANCE STEP COUNT program all over our 41 counties!

We Need Your Help!
Voting begins TODAY and continues through May 16.
Vote NOW and EVERY DAY at

http://walk.millionstepmarch.com/step-it-up/gscoast-makeeverydancestepcount/!
You may vote once per day per email address.
Bookmark this site to vote every day.
Do you have several email addresses? Vote each day using each address.
Once you vote, check your email for a confirmation from BCBSNC. You must follow the link on this email for your vote to count. Check your Junk Mail folder if it’s not immediately delivered to your Inbox.
Forward this message to EVERYONE YOU KNOW – ALL of your distribution lists – and encourage them to VOTE for Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines. (See sample email text below)
Are you on Facebook? Join our group, Vote for Make Every Dance Step Count, and invite your friends to vote for Girl Scouts. Search for “Vote for Make Every Dance Step Count” to find and join the group.
Add a call to vote to your email signature.

HERE’S WHY our Make Every Dance Step Count idea was selected to be featured on BCBSNC’s Million Step March website and be eligible for a $75,000 grant:

What could be more fun than DANCING YOUR WAY TO FITNESS? Building on our Make Every Step Count program of walking and step-counting, Make Every Dance Step Count is another fun way for girls, volunteers, family and community members to step up their physical activity through dance. Girl Scouts will explore the world of dance by discovering dance styles, the culture behind dances, and dancing’s health benefits. JOIN US THIS FALL for a year-long series of dance-a-thons, lessons and other group activities guaranteed to get your groove on – and get fit along the way.

HELP GIRL SCOUTS MAKE EVERY DANCE STEP COUNT…MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT!
Vote NOW and EVERY DAY at http://walk.millionstepmarch.com/step-it-up/gscoast-makeeverydancestepcount/! You may vote once per day per email address. Bookmark this site to vote every day between now and May 16.
Forward this message to EVERYONE YOU KNOW – ALL of your distribution lists – and encourage them to VOTE for Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines.