Da-Na-Na-Nuh GO ROCKETS!

UPDATE:  Uh, the first quarter isn't even over yet and BG is CRUSHING UT.  Ugh.  I think I'd be better off just giving up football all together.

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Oh maybe, juuuuust maybe I'll have something sports related to smile about today.  It's UT/BG day here in this area, and while the Falcons are probably favored, UT isn't as bad as every other sports team I like, so there's a possibility for a win today :)

T - O - L - E - D - O --- TOLEDO!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I have an uncle who calls everyone a turkey.  This makes me think of him and smile, especially since I rarely ever get to be with him on the holidays...

19 Weeks: Almost halfway there!

Wow.  When it comes down to it, this sure flies by!  It's odd though, day-to-day I think it could go faster.  But when the beginning of the week comes, and that turtle moves a little bit further along its path, I think "Holy Cow!  This is crazy!"

I had my "anatomy" ultrasound last Wednesday.  EVERYTHING looks perfect!  What a relief that is.  I found it just amazing and beautiful all the things I could see...all four chambers of the heart?  Really?  And to think my mom never got to see this stuff.  10 fingers, 10 toes.  A cute little butt.  (And no, I took no peak at the telling parts.  We don't know what it is!)

They told me my baby was weighing 8 oz that day.  Right on track.  (My Baby Center bulletin from today says 8.5 oz, so I feel good.)  I'm still very perplexed at how they figure that one out.  Length is understandable, but weight?  So weird to me.  It's all so marvelous.

I'm pretty sure I'm feeling this little bug moving around occasionally.  To me, it feels like little muscle twitches, kinda like when you get a twitch in the corner of your eye, or upper lip/nose.  But as soon as I realize I feeling it, and then sit still to think about it, it's gone.  Quick as that.  Bummer.

So how does 19, almost 20, weeks sneak up on you so quickly?  I mean, there is SO MUCH to be done!  And now we're getting into the Holidays, so I feel a bit overwhelmed.  I've yet to buy paint for the nursery, and just thinking about registering for showers makes my mind swirl.  I do think I've got the color picked out though, and thankfully we already have the furniture and bedding.  AND, I've got pretty much all of my Christmas shopping left to do.  I think I've got 3 people out of the way, that's it.  Yikes.  (this absolutely sucks for the person who really does not like shopping or malls.  Thank God for shopping online.)

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On another note:  My sister-in-law got engaged this past Saturday!  YAHOO!  (I texted my brother to tell him, and he replied, "NOOOOOO!  I want to be the only uncle!" then added, "J/K, I like W..."  How cute is that?)

Such happy things going on in my life!

Custom Holiday Cards

I must share a link with you!  It belongs to one of my most talented friends.  She's designing custom Holiday cards.  (Or birthday, etc...whatever you probably want!)

Go visit!

KRISTI YOUNG DESIGN

I'll never give up hope :)

They may be down.  They may have a shithole of a coach.

They may have a whiny quarterback who should have stayed in his warm climate.

It may hurt like hell to watch them.

BUT

I am a fan.

And I will always hope that they can pull this game off.

I'm certainly doubtful, but I'm still cheering.

GO BLUE!

These things are frightening me

Note:  VERY womanly post....

Earlier this week a government panel of doctors and scientists told us women that we shouldn't start getting mammograms until we are 50 (as opposed to 40, or even 35, as the American Cancer Society recommends).

Today, we get the news that having pap smears once a years is overkill.  That we should not get our first until we are 21 (previously 18), and in our 20's get them every other year.  After 30, have one every 3 years!  (These new guidelines published by the American College of OBGYN).

Maybe I'm brainwashed, but I don't believe all this.  It's going to take a whole lot of convincing and time for me to accept these new policies.

Ladies, It's ALL ABOUT MONEY.

It's true, the cost of healthcare is astronomically high today, but this just floors me.   Remember this article I shared last month?  This is the bigger healthcare problem, not paps and mammos.

I have to tell you a story about why this is so upsetting to me.  And yes, I do realize that it is only one woman's story, but it hits all to close to my heart.

I had a cousin who, one December, had a "normal" pap.  The following December, her pap showed cancerous cells.  She passed away just 5 months later...at the age of 26.  Would it have mattered if she had waited every other year for her routine pap?  No.  But here's a fine, fine example of how quickly cancer can form and spread throughout someone's entire body.  

And they want ME, right now, to wait 3 years before having another routine pap?  Wow.

And mammograms?  I know women in their 20s and 30s who have both beat and been defeated by breast cancer.  I find it so hard to believe that this recommendation wasn't switched in the complete opposite direction, suggesting that we have them at 30 or even earlier.

Even if it is all about money (which is what I truly believe, I see no benefit otherwise) I can promise you this.  The cost of these tests is no where near the cost to treat cancer, especially in later stages.

I'm disgusted.

A good daily chuckle

I tell you what, EVERY day I get a good little laugh from Cake Wrecks.  If you don't already visit their blog, you should start.  Fo shizzle.

I like the humor.  And the cakes...holy hell...those cakes.

cakewrecks.blogspot.com

I just barely squeaked by! Thank You Seahawks!

Well, I'm still going strong in my NFL weekly pick-em game.  There are 5 people left.  The game nearly ended yesterday, when 4 out of 5 of us picked Seattle over Detroit.  Though I didn't get to watch most of the game (I was at the Trans Siberian Orchestra) my husband kept me updated on the score via texts, and I was quite nervous at the beginning!

This was definitely my riskiest pick this year, but thankfully, it paid off!  And that meant I got to keep some of my big teams.  (Namely, New Orleans, who played a close game yesterday too, which scared me for a minute).

Now I pretty much have the rest of the season ironed out.  Of course things might change so I'll still be checking my picks every week, but I like what I've got lined up.

Wow, it's been 4 years!

Yep, four fabulous years ago today, R and I were married.  It was the most perfect day ever.  The leaves were all beautiful colors, the temperature was around 65-70 (perfect for a hot, heavy wedding dress), the day started bright and sunny, and the rain held off until our reception started.  We had everyone we loved around us.  We were nervous and excited and we just had so much fun, all day.

I still would not change a thing.

Our handsome men (and awesome trees)!

Me and my beautiful girls!

After the ceremony.

Happy Anniversary R!

I LOVE YOU!

I've loved the last 4+ years of my life, and its only getting better!

Well, I did it.

I got the H1N1 Vaccine today.  I honestly didn't think I'd do it.  I was totally against it for the past couple months.  I just wasn't convinced it was safe for my baby.  My little, itty bitty, still developing EVERYTHING baby.

But, yesterday I was reassured by a very awesome doctor that it is totally safe.  Still, I wasn't, nor am I even after getting it, convinced.  Only time will tell.

But the arguement is strong, at least for me:

I'm pregnant.
I'm prone to getting sick.  (ask anyone, I must have a horrible immune system)
I work in healthcare, so I come in contact with oodles of random people every day.
I have asthma.
My husband is a high school teacher, working with hundreds of non hand washing-teenagers daily.

I've decided, even though I'm not 100% convinced, that it was the right choice for me and my growing nugget.

It's been awhile since I did one of these

You Are Happy and Serene

You are an empathetic, understanding person. You listen carefully and without judgment. You believe everyone has their own path in life. You are very accepting. You don't get stressed out or worried easily. You are usually in a very relaxed state. You aren't much of a party animal or a social butterfly. However, you are usually having a good time in your own way.

The Tree Test

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

I like this one, I think it's pretty spot on.  So weird, how these work.  I picked this tree because I like the curly branches and I LOVE snow!

Commercials

There are some good and bad commercials out there right now, and I'd just like to comment:

I love the Verizon Wireless commercials, "Theres a map for that."  Don't get me wrong, I'd give a lot to have an iPhone, but that's some good marketing if you ask me.

I'm extremely sick of Subway commercials as well those dumb Bud Light - grooler, etc. commercials.

I know a lot of people don't like Flo, but I do.  She makes me chuckle.

Are drug commercials really necessary?  I don't know about you, but I take the meds my DOCTOR thinks are needed/best for me.  I don't need to have an opinion on this one.

And, here is one of my all-time favorite commercials.  Heartless - yes.  But I love it.

16 Weeks

And as it turns out, I'm growing an Avacado. (or so says Baby Center).  I love, love, love these weekly emails that I get from them and a couple other sites.  They really are informative.  I love learning what is going on with my baby avacado and my body each week.  And I try super hard not to read ahead!

So this means my little nugget is about 4.5 inches long and weighs in at a whopping 3.5 ounces.  Seriously, how cute does that sound?

I've not felt any movements yet, but am sooooo looking forward to that!  (You'd think, with a 4.5 inch, constantly moving growth inside me, I should feel that.  But no, not yet.  Boo.)

Baby D got his/her first bottle and pacifier this week.  They were sent home from Arizona with my parents who were out there visiting family the past couple weeks.  So now we have an Arizona Diamonbacks bottle and paci, along with the most adorable, teeny-tiny pair of moccasins ever on the face of this earth (those my parents purchased somewhere along their journey).

BOOOOObeeeees!

HA! What did you expect?

H A P P Y   H A L L O W E E N !

Open House

A friend of mine is one of the creators of Empty Nest Knits, and she and some friends are having an open house to show and sell all of their creations.

Empty Nest Knits makes THE MOST ADORABLE hand knit baby hats (and some other knit goodies) you'll ever find.

The Jewelry is also made by someone I know.  Her jewelry is trendy, cute and sturdy.

I have to work until noon on this Saturday, but will more than likely be stopping over after work to see if there is anything I need (smirk) and to look for Christmas gifts.

If you have any questions, please let me know; or if you want to join me so you don't have to go by yourself that would be perfect!

If people could remember this quote, I'd be a much happier person today

A lack of preparation on your part, does not constitute an emergency on my part.

How Dinosaurs Became Extinct:

Product Endorsement: The Neti Pot

This thing has saved my life sanity the past couple weeks. Fo' real.

I've had some pretty nasty sinus congestion lately. It's not infection, just "rhinitis of pregnancy." (Really, that's a real term...look it up). It's crazy annoying, keeps me awake, gives me a headache, etc.

And, there's not much you can do about it. Blowing is a joke. UNTIL I was convinced to try this little plastic pot.

I was scared to death. I knew people who used this thing love it, but I was scared.

I gave it a try.

OH MY GOSH! It freakin' worked. And it didn't hurt! Sure, it feels super strange, pouring water up your one nostril, and it's even more strange to feel that water dripping out of the other nostril, BUT....IT WORKS! It clears up all that grossness in my sinuses! It gets rid of sinus headaches.

I'm sold. I honestly believe this little gem could stop people from unnecessarily using both over-the-counter and prescription meds.

I'm telling you - try it.

That turtle is moving right along

You know...that one on the top of my blog. See? He's up to 15 now! That means I'm 15 weeks pregnant already!

I'm feeling great. Really not much to report. I had some cervical issues when I was younger, so I even though everything looks great right now, my cervix is being monitored every other week. And even though it makes me stressed out thinking that something could be wrong, even though it hasn't been, it is rather nice to get to see my little Love Bug so often!

In fact, if I didn't see that little thing dancing all over the place so often, I might argue that s/he's not really there. See, I've still not had a lick of nausea, and I've yet to gain a pound. (at least as of last Tues). I don't really think I'm showing yet, though my jeans are definitely uncomfortable to button. That good ol' hair tie trick works wonders, especially paired with a nice long tank under my shirts.

Supposedly, Baby D is about 4 inches long right now. Cuh-Raz-EEE! I simply cannot get over the fact that something that big (even though that's relatively tiny) is inside me, moving constantly (the last ultrasound was hilarious), and I can't feel a darn thing yet! I can't wait to feel those movements.

I think it's official...we will not be finding out the sex of this little person until we meet him/her. (Though Ry and I are both thinking boy right now!)

Yesterday I found out another one of my friends is pregnant! So, so fun. She's due about 5 weeks or so after me. I just can't wait to meet all of these babies!

Onions?

I'm not sure the truth behind this, but I received it via email recently. It's an interesting idea, and I might just have to try it.

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu.
Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work.. (And no, she is not in the onion business.)

The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case..

What have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Weldon,thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill...I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put one end on a fork and then place the forked end into an empty jar...placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

One year ago

This weekend, we moved out of our old house, and into our new house.

And you know what I forgot to do? I forgot to give my old Medford Dr house a proper goodbye.

This house meant a lot to me. I bought this house all by myself in the Summer of 2003.

It was tiny, but had a ton of character - coved ceilings, hardwood floors, arched doorways. I loved it.

The front...looking a little bare, it's the fall! All my flowers are dead!

The kitchen. AFTER I pulled of 2 layers of wallpaper. (With the help of friends). Not a ton of cabinets, but it was a rather large kitchen, for the size of the house.

The family room. Look at those floors. And I always loved that solid wood front door.

My bedroom. Yep, that's pretty much blood red. It was a small space, but it really worked. I had beige bedding, and burberry-style window valances.

The back. I had a pretty huge backyard for the neighborhood. It was deep. I'm probably only standing half-way back while taking this picture.

See that tin awning over the window on the left. Some people hate those, but I happened to love mine. I still miss the sound of the rain hitting those awnings. It could easily put me to sleep at night. At it was absolutely wonderful to be able to keep the windows open even during a heavy downpour because they kept any rain from coming in.

Remember, the builder of our new house bought our old house. It was a nice deal for us, really. But it always made me sad that it sat empty for so long. About 6 weeks ago, I learned that this house finally sold. After nearly a year empty. That made me happy.

I hope it's new owner loves it like I did.

NFL Knockout Pool

This is the second year in a row I've participated in a knockout pool with a bunch of friends. Last year, I think I only made it 3 or 4 weeks in. Honestly, I can't remember.

This year, however, I'm still in it! I am one of five left (out of about 20 I think). I'm the only girl that played and I've only got 4 more guys to beat out! :)

(The rules: You pick one NFL WIN each week. A tie is not a win, so you are out. You cannot pick the same team twice.)

Here have been my picks:

1. ATLANTA over Miami

2. MINNESOTA over Detroit

3. GREEN BAY over St. Louis

4. INDIANAPOLIS over Seattle

5. PHILADELPHIA over Tampa Bay

6. PITTSBURGH over Cleveland

My pick this week:

7. NEW ENGLAND over Tampa Bay

Participating in stuff like this definitely changes your football watching. Like last week, I needed and wanted the Steelers to win, but deep down, I was hoping that my Clowns might actually do something. HA! Right.

GO PATRIOTS!

For Ky - some Halloween Costumes

First off, I didn't realize until I started to post this, that the great costumes that MD2 and I had one year were pre-digital camera days (at least for her and I). So, it may be possible that I find those later to share, maybe not. See we were Jenna and Barbara Bush once. We made t-shirts that said something like "My dad is the president, buy me a beer." Freakin' hilarious at the time. And still cool to me today. We were VERY patriotic that year.

But here is quite possibly my most favorite Halloween duo of all times. (PS - yes, I'm still a Michigan fan, but this shit is funny.)

Meet Anna Arbor (the whore) and her Ohio State Pimp:

Pretty great, no? Yep, that's a man/boy in a jean skirt (and heels - you can't see) dressed as a dirty whore, whose name is Anna Arbor. Definitely one of the best costumes ever.

Where healthcare reform NEEDS to start...NOT with insurance!

Wow. Someone finally hall the balls to publish this. It's so true and I wish I could make the entire world read it...

SUCK IT UP AMERICA!

Until we all realize this, it doesn't matter what insurance we have or we don't have or we want or we can't get or anything.

Thank you Dr. Doyle!

I kinda think they look alike:

Typically, when I'm watching TV, I'm also doing something else (playing on the internet, ironing shirts, whatever). So often I'm not really "watching" but just listening. For some reason, when adds for the new (or remade) TV show "V" come on, I look up. Only too see Scott Wolf (a.k.a Bailey Salinger) on my screen. Only for some reason, I keep thinking it's Michael J Fox.

There is a resemblance, I swear.

First, Scott Wolf.

Second, Michael J Fox.

Weird, no?

Babies I Adore!

Ian...here he's just 2 weeks old
(and this was moments after he had a blowout ALL OVER me!)

You all know this face! All the way from Mexico to my house...
La-La-La-Lila!

So stinkin' cute. And always happy.
Drew

And the birthday boy.
Logan. Come on! I just want to kiss that messy face!

I heart google

www.google.com

In other news:

Besides the baby news, there have been some other things going on with me!

First, I got a new car! YAY! The lease of my Pontiac Torrent would have been up in November, so about a month ago, we started looking at cars. (R's lease was going to be up at the same time). Well, very quickly, we came home with a new Durango (black) and a new Charger (silver). I'm loving my charger!

Second, *bad* news. I broke my camera. My GOOD camera. Actually I just broke the lens, but since it's the only lens I had, it rendered my friend unusable. No clue what happened. I was happily taking pictures at Logan's first birthday party, when all of a sudden I couldn't turn the lens to zoom in. Yikes.

Tonight, I just ordered a new lens. I got a slightly different lens - it will let me zoom more, so I can better shots from further away, but I won't be able to focus quite as close as the old one. (Old one was just under a foot, new one is about a foot and a half). I'm excited.

I'm playing in a "one-pick-a-week-nfl" thingy. I pick one team to win every week, but I cannot pick the same team twice. I believe I'm the only girl in it, and we're down to nine people left. So far, I've used up Atlanta, Minnesota, Green Bay and Indianapolis. I'm kinda nervous for next week, I feel like I've used up all my good ones.

I finally added my spinning baby thing. Until this week, I thought it kinda looked like an alien rather than a baby. It's cool now :) Plus I've got my little turtle tracker up top. Not necessary anymore, but I still like it.

I gave my first test last week (for my class I'm teaching at UT again this fall). My students did well, which makes me happy.

I pulled up all of my annual plants a couple days ago. My flower beds look naked and bare :( I don't like it. BRING on the SNOW! So things look pretty again! HA!

2nd Trimester

Wow...here I go! Right into my second trimester. Are you kidding me? 12 weeks go by that fast?

I'm feeling great. Still exhausted at times, but I really do think that's starting to ease up a bit. A couple days last week I actually came home from work with extra energy! Which meant I actually cooked dinner :)

The "morning (aka - anytime) sickness" really did stay away from me. That was certainly nice. Though my gag reflex seems to be elevated. Yes, that ungodly amount of my hair the piles up on the bathroom floor after I dry my hair....ew...that does it.

Dull headaches seem to be the thing this past week, but I'm not sure what that's all about. Honestly, I think it might be the weather change that's getting to me. Also, someone in my office was diagnosed with strep throat, which makes me get super anxious just thinking about the possibility of getting sick. I'm hoping I'm safe, no signs yet, and I won't have to be around her until Tuesday.

I still can't get enough fruit. I'm eating grapes like nobody's business. And tomato juice is back up at the top of my favorites list. Oh, and ice cream. There is always room - especially for the pudding pops I found last week. What's weird is that I'm totally eating less that before. I'm still getting full so much faster than I used to. I don't think I finished half of my biscuits and gravy this morning at Bob Evan's!

(OH.MY.GOD! The Browns might actually win!)

No physical signs of a baby just yet, but I'm definitely starting to feel it. My abdomen feels harder, and my jeans are getting uncomfortable. I think I'll be out to buy a belly band or a new pair of pants sometime this week. I went to a wedding last night, and my typical use of spanks under a dress was cut WAY short, it was just too uncomfortable. Oh, and someone actually touched my belly there - that was super uncomfortable - but at least it was a close family friend and not a complete stranger.

I'm having a hard time with the sleeping thing. I'm a belly sleeper, sometimes I can sleep on my side. Even though everything I read says it's fine to be on your stomach as long as you're comfortable, it still makes me nervous. I busted out an old body pillow a couple weeks ago, and that seems to be helping.

So far, I think we've only got 3 votes for boy, and everyone else is saying girl. I have to tell you that my 2 1/2 year old godson says it's a boy. He told me this morning while we were at breakfast and I was coloring pictures of dogs for him. (Then he holds his pointer finger up to him mouth and says, "very interesting." He's a doll.) I've had one dream each way, so I'm totally up in the air - I have no strong feeling either way.

Quote of the Day.

We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull... Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

Getting to know me!

I snagged this from Happy Hopefuls. Thought it was fun! Hope you play along too!

1. Who was your first prom date? Chad. He was my boyfriend at the time - he was a Senior, I was a Junior. And (best part), his best friend and my best friend (Mickey Dee) we dating too. Awe.

2. Do you still talk to your first love? I have to say that would be Chad too - and occasionally, on Facebook, but not really.

3. What was your first alcoholic drink? Um, hard to say. Probably MadDog or Boones! But I do know I had it at my friend Cori's house in Junior High - and the rest of the night is a blur! (But I do remember my Kristi spraying Windex everywhere that night!)

4. What was your first job? Does babysitting count? That's started in 5th grade. If not, my first job that the government knew about was doing some data entry stuff for my friend's dad's business, in high school.

5. What was your first car? My grandpa's old 1987 Chevy Celebrity. Complete with a bench seat in the front!

6. Who was the first person to text you today? No texts yet today.

7. Who was the first person you thought of this morning? My little treat I'm cookin' right now :)

8. Who was your first grade teacher? Miss Kovarik. She was special. Her mom and my grandmother were really great friends, and I actually got to go to her wedding a couple years later with my Grandma Betty. Now she is Mrs. Vidra, and when I was in college and had to do some elementary school observations, I went to her.

9. Where did you go on your first flight in a plane? Phoenix. I think I was about 3 years old - to visit my aunt and uncle.

10. Who was your first best friend and do you still talk? MICKEY DEE! We're up to about 24 years now, right? Of course we still talk!

11. Where was your first sleepover? I honestly can't remember. At all.

12. Who was the first person you talked to today? My husband.

13. Whose wedding were you in for the first time? My cousin Stephanie's. I was a freshman in high school, and I remember having to play 2 volleyball games that morning before her wedding! Crazy!

14. What was the first thing you did this morning? Showered.

15. What was the first concert you went to? I think it was Bush/No Doubt/GooGoo Dolls with Mickey Dee.

16. First tattoo? and only - my zodiac sign below my left ankle. Though I often think about getting another one.

17. First piercing? My ears, no clue when.

18. First foreign country you went to? Canada when I was in elementary school, then France and many others in Europe during high school. (yes, of course that was with Mickey Dee too!)

19. First movie you remember seeing? ET.

20. What state (province) did you first live in? First and only - Ohio. I really do love it here too. I love the seasons - all of them.

21. Who was your first room mate? uh, a girl named Tiffany for about a week when I first started college. But then I can home. So then my real first roommates were Lissa and Bob, during grad school.

22. When was your first detention? I never got a detention :)

23. When was your first kiss? Yikes. Who knows.

24. What is one thing you would learn, given the chance? I'd love to learn how to sing, but really I think that's a talent that can't really be taught, just bettered. So I'd say I like to learn how to maximize all the features that my camera has.

25. Who will be the next person to post this? Uh - whoever! Just let me know if you do so I can come and read it!

News

We had our first appointment with my regular OB/GYN yesterday afternoon. Boy - what a bore. I know taking down our family histories is terribly important, as is the bloodwork they order. But golly - I kinda wanted something more fun to happen. Oh well. In three weeks I go back for my pregnancy physical and an ultrasound.

And I'd like to say that naming a baby is hard. Sure, I know we've got tons of time here, but as of right now, there really aren't many names I like. Just one or two girl names, and boys are even harder.

Gray's Anatomy was so good, I thought. It really makes me sad that George is gone, he was one of my favorites. But I loved all the grieving - all the different ways of grieving - it's so true.

Not sure if anyone else watches Private Practice - I don't typically, but the finale show last year was such a cliff-hanger. I can't wait to see the premiere. Next Thursday at 10 (ugh, that's just so late for me anymore!)

YAY for a somewhat short work day today! We get to leave a little early because our carpets are being cleaned!

YAY for another shower for my BFF tomorrow! I haven't seen her family since she got married and I'm excited for that.

YAY for Logan's first birthday party tomorrow! He's just one of my favorite little boys!

YAY for fall! My most favorite season of the year. Love the chill in the air, love the smell, love the changing leaves, love football.

YAY for me still being in my pick'em league. We have to pick one NFL team to win every week and we can never pick the same team twice. What started out as 20-ish people is already down to 9, and I believe I'm the only girl involved. Um, the husband lost in the first week! HA!

Save your local economy:

This doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. I can honestly say I spend at least $50/mo. at one locally owned store in my area. And if you count Jed's - definitely locally owned - that's 2 (pathetic...). I must find my third. (click on image to make larger).

Wedding Pictures!

On Aug 22nd, my husband and I were both in the wedding of some of our closest friends. Their professional photographer, Sarah J, posted the sneak peak on her blog!

Go see!

http://sarahjphoto.net/guesswhat/?p=2629

LOVE them!

It's a MIRACLE!

Yesterday, my husband asked me why I wasn't blogging much anymore. That's a great question. I think the best answer is because I've been waiting and waiting to share something with you all...something I've really been waiting to share for 2 years, but couldn't. And since this little piece of information is basically consuming my every thought now, I just couldn't think of anything else to post about.

The truth is, I haven't talked at all on this blog about a personal problem that has been plaguing me for a long time. Thank God, things have changed, and that little problem that was eating away at me finally turned around, and I've got a major blessing in my future. (Thanks to 2 amazing doctors and unwavering support of people I love!)

Figured it out yet?

Well....guess what? I'M GOING TO BE A MOM!

Holy Crap. That's weird to say.

All my life, I knew I would be a mom. All my life, I've been drawn to babies, I've loved kids, and I've wanted my own. Now it's my time. I have a friend who tells me I can smell babies a mile away. It's true. I've yet to meet one I didn't like. I've been this way as long as I can remember (except for maybe when I was 15 mo old and my brother was born...I pretty much hated him for many years...) But every other baby in existence was perfect to me.

I can say that thankfully, Ry and I haven't had too many people in our lives bugging us about when we'll have kids. That's been a tough question to answer, and I'm not sure if it's because every time I did hear the question it felt like someone was stabbing me in my heart or if the answer was just so complicated I didn't have the energy to answer it.

So, after peeing on a countless number of sticks over the past 2 years, I think I'd pretty much resigned myself to knowing that I would always see a little negative sign. Well, on a Monday night, just two months ago, I decided to go through that routine again...waiting for the inevitable. Um....wait a minute? Seriously? No way. I don't believe it. But I have to....this has NEVER happened before. Crap, now I can't see it through my tears, but YES! It's POSITIVE!

Three blood tests, just because my doctor was uber cautious, and one ultrasound later, and we decided to share the news with our parents. They all cried. (and the battle of Michigan -vs- OSU baby clothes commenced). A few privileged friends got to share in the news too. And it slowly leaked. After that second ultrasound at 8 wks, we felt comfortable letting most everyone know. And now, I feel comfortable sharing it here.

Right now, I'm 10 weeks pregnant. I'm feeling really good - no nausea really at all. Maybe a little twinge here and there, but it passes very quickly. The only thing I've got right now is an extreme case of fatigue, often combined with insomnia. I basically feel like I could just close my eyes and sleep at any given moment, yet when I lay down I just cannot fall asleep. It's terribly irritating, but I tell myself it's all for the best cause in the world. Then I'm okay. :) I can also be very thankful that the boobs haven't grown much, if at all. Phew. Those of you who know me completely understand! Just this past week I've noticed that my skin is taking a hit from these raging hormones. It's not bad, but since I really haven't had as much as a little pimple for over 2 years (thank you Bare Minerals!) it's slightly annoying. Oh, and my emotions. I'd like to think they're pretty much in check so far - but I have had my moments. Ry will confirm.

I'm due April 19. It's a fun date because about half of my family members have birthday's in April. But it's also a sad date because it means that I'll be missing my cousin Kristen's wedding in Phoenix on the 17th. I still get teary about this every so often. I can't stand the thought of my entire family being together without me. The last time we were all together was my wedding almost 4 years ago - with people in 4 different states, Ohio, Arizona, Texas and California, it's just hard to have our schedules mesh. I'm trying to figure out some sort of live stream of the ceremony...audio, video, or better yet, both. We shall see. I expect that day to be full of tears no matter what.

So far, I'm not missing any pregnancy no-no's. I'm fine ordering Shirley Temples everywhere we go (for real...these are my new favorite drink). I even tried an O'Douls with Mickey Dee yesterday, and although it tasted good, I didn't need it, and one sip was enough. No blue cheese with my wings is a little annoying, but ranch is sufficing for now.

Ry is quietly excited. He's the kind of person that thinks we might jinx something if we get too excited about it too early! And although diapers make him nervous, I know he's going to be great with our little one. He really wants to find out the gender, and I'm not sure that I do. We shall see. I guess we've got a few more weeks to make that decision! (but I can pretty much guarantee that we'll keep it a secret if we do find out! so don't bug me about it!)

And, well, that's it for now. I feel like there is so much for me to do, yet where do I start? Eek!

What Teachers Make

I've read this many times, but it never gets old - as the wife of a teacher, and friends of many teachers, I get sick of so many people thinking they took the easy way out. To be honest, I think my husband works harder and longer hours than many people I know...

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. "To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make?" (She paused for a second, then began...) "Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an IPod, Game Cube or movie rental." "You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

''I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write."

"Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator."

"I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America."

"Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life." (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make?

"I MAKE A DIFFERENCE."

"What do you make Mr. CEO?" His jaw dropped, he went silent.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

To anyone who reads my blog who helped my friend out this afternoon!

Sam's benefit was a HUGE success. I am in awe of the support she received today from her friends, family and *most importantly* complete strangers. I spent a couple of hours there and - holy cow - it was packed. It just melts my heart to think of how generous people are. In a world where all we hear on the news are sad stories that make you think that good-natured, giving, loving people are extinct, it's simply amazing to observe such love.

THANK YOU! To all who were there, all who sent donations or money and gifts, to all who volunteered their time...oh my gosh. What an amazing day!

*FUNDRAISER*

Some of you readers got this in email form from me last week. But, the more I share it, the more possibility of it reaching far and wide!

-----

A few years ago, at the age of 24, my friend Samantha Light (a former coworker) was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. In short PH is an extremely rare lung and heart disease which can be life threatening. Sam started taking oral meds after her diagnosis, then in Jan 2008 she was put on constant IV medications. Recently, Sam is now being presented to the transplant committee at the Cleveland Clinic as a candidate for a double lung transplant. (she is 27!)

On Sunday August 30th, 2009 her family and friends are hosting a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser to help with all the costs incurred for her upcoming transplant.

If it would be possible for any of you to attend, that would be absolutely fantastic! As her friend, I would love to see her succeed with this transplant and any help would be greatly appreciated.

(at little back-story here: Sam had a brother who passed away from another illness when he was very young. Her family decided to donate his organs to help save the lives of other people in need. You could say that things have now come full circle - she is in need of someone elses lungs. Her parents have to be even more satisfied with the choice of donating their teenage son's organs, just to find years later that their daughter needs the same generosity)

WHEN: Sunday August 30th, 2009 - Noon to 6pm

WHERE: St. Clement's Community Center - 3030 Tremainsville Rd, Toledo 43613

50/50 Raffles & Prize Raffles

Advance tickets: $7 for adults / $4 children under 12

Door tickets: $10 for adults / $5 children under 12

If you have any questions, you can definitely contact me (I do have some tickets)

or contact Samantha's sister, Stephanie, at 419-376-8902

And please feel free to pass this on to anyone else who might attend!

If you cannot attend, but would like to make a donation anyway - you can mail checks to:

Quota Club

c/o Kenwood Hearing Center

3450 W Central Ave, Suite 134

Toledo, OH 43606

Make checks payable to "Quota Club" and put "Samantha Light" in the memo line.

-----

Let me tell you how wonderful strangers can be. And of the power of that email I sent last week. This morning I had an email in my inbox from a complete stranger. Somehow, my email made it's way to her, and she will be attending this dinner. This woman is from Toledo, and had a double lung transplant 5 months ago for the same reason. It's amazing who you can meet and the generosity of people and geeze...there are good people out there!

A sad day for Rock

Music icon Les Paul dies at age 94.

You missed a great show.

Wow. Tool was absolutely perfect. My sister-in-law and I sat in the VERY FRONT row of the venue...we were no more than 30-40 feet away from Maynard. Best seats I have every had at any concert, ever. There were people standing in front of us, in a general admission pit, but we were elevated a few feet over them, so we could see EVERYTHING!

Great music.

Great light show.

Great entertainment.

(thank god for earplugs!)

PNC Pavilion is an amazing place to see a concert. I'd love to see just about anyone there, and I doubt there is a bad seat in the place. It is so intimate and small...it was perfect. What could they improve on? The parking - it was so unorganized, even though there were a million parking attendants. I don't think they have any plan, it's basically a free-for-all with a bunch of people in red golf shirts. Annoying.

Back to the concert. Here's what we heard:

1. Jambi

2. Stinkfist

3. Forty-six & 2

4. Schism

5. Lost Keys

6. Rosetta Stoned

7. Flood

8. Ænema

9. Lateralus

10. Vicarious

It was fantastic!