Weekend Update - Father's Day

This past weekend, Sister, Brother-in-Law, Nephew, Husband, Baby and I trekked down to the local portrait studio and had formal portraits taken of the kids. They were supposed to be Baby's 6-month portraits, but we were too busy last month so they are her 7-month portraits. Plus, we had some photos taken of her with her cousin. The kids were so well-behaved, and the photos came out adorable! It was so hard to decide which prints to buy. We made our final choices, but we may pay the additional money to buy more. After that, we all tried to go to the pool, but it started storming so we all went our separate ways.

For Father's Day, Husband woke up early with Baby. They have their morning time. I know he'd rather sleep, but it's worth getting up because she's her most happy in the morning. Big smiles. Then, he goes back to sleep for her morning nap, and I get up and do what needs to be done and get her when she wakes up. It's a routine that works most lazy weekends. I had to run out briefly to complete some errands and get my eyes checked. Then, my parents came over for dinner and to spend some time with Baby. After my parents left, we had some quiet time with Baby. She was quite tired, but the photo to the right is during a brief alert period.

And so ends another weekend...

Feeding time!

Baby is getting to be a pro at eating! In this short clip, you can also tell that she loves sleeping. Unfortunately, it's sideways so you have to tilt your head to the left.

Let's go to the fair!

It was a good weekend even if was crazy busy. On Friday night, I finished a great book. Then, Husband and I made a huge mistake. For Baby's last meal, we usually wake her between 10-11PM. She eats, plays briefly and then goes back to bed a little before we do. On Friday, we decided to see what happens if we just let her sleep. Well, if you let her sleep, she wakes up around 1:30AM - wide awake and smiling. Luckily, I just fed her and she went right back to sleep. I went back to sleep around 2:30AM. This wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't wake up shortly after to start our Saturday.

On Saturday, it was a zillion degrees plus the heat index and humidity so it was roughly the temperature of the sun outside. We woke up with Baby and left the house after she had her breakfast so we could go to Celebrate Fairfax! with Sister, Brother-in-Law and Nephew. We got there and felt like eggs just cracked into a fry pan. Needless to say, we didn't last long. Poor Baby was so hot. She was so well behaved. After the festival, we went to TGIFriday's for lunch. Then, we had to run back home because we were expecting Husband's family for dinner. I took a brief nap while Husband gave Baby a cool bath. Then, Baby napped while we started dinner and did some last-minute cleaning. It was a nice dinner to celebrate our birthdays and Fathers' Day - even though our Fathers' Day present didn't arrive on time.

On Sunday, I met friends at Gordon Biersch again. It was yummy. Plus, we got cupcakes at Cake Love. I haven't eaten mine yet, but I can't wait! We celebrated my birthday in Vera Bradley style. I had been eyeing this one pattern, and my friends gave me separate pieces in the pattern I love. Plus, I stopped at a store and picked up another purse 50% off. Then, we went to paint pottery. I'm not very good, but it was something different to do. I don't think I could afford to go walking around the mall one more weekend!

So, it was a good weekend. It went quickly as they all do.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

Well, it looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Baby loves books!

OK, Baby loves chewing books, but I'm sure if she could read, she'd love reading as much as chewing on them.

Walk Out

Have you ever walked out on a movie? Entertainment Weekly compiled a list of movies from which viewers walked out. With movies being $10.50, I rarely walk out of a movie. Even when movies were cheap, I never walked out. However, my college roommate and I went to Dante's Peak. Our friends came in and told us to leave and join them across the way to see Scream instead. So, we did. Now, before you all start talking about jumping theaters, it was a special deal where the college rented out the movie theater. We got to see the current releases for like $5.00. The only catch was that the movies were at midnight. So, it wasn't a huge deal to skip out on a bad movie. Turned out, we almost walked out of Scream, too, but we stuck it out. I'm a big baby and that opening scene with Drew Barrymore creeped me out. Once I got past that, I was fine. I've seen bad movies before, but those were the only ones that I almost left.

Big Girl!

This morning, as I was getting dressed, I propped Baby up in our bed. She watches me and hangs out. This morning, she sat up off the pillows so she could play with the blankets. She has been able to sit up for awhile while propped or for short periods of time, but today she sat up so strongly. She only wobbled when she tried to grab for something. So, I put her on the floor to see if she could sit up there, too. And she did! She seemed pleased at her progress. Such a big girl! I wonder what milestone will be next...

Weekend Update

We had a great weekend. On Saturday, Husband went to play golf. So, Baby and I had a whole day together. Husband changed her diaper, fed her breakfast and put her down for her morning nap before he left. Baby had other plans. So, I took her into the bedroom to hang out while I tried to wake up. Next thing I knew, it was 10:30 and we were both sleeping. I decided to get ready for the day and put her back into the crib. She woke up and started to get very sad so I gave her some toys which made her happy. Then, I showered and we got ready to start the day. Baby got lunch and promptly threw up all over her outfit. So, we had to change even though she looked adorable. Then we took a walk to Chipotle. We started to hang out in the mall, but it got really dark outside so we ran home to miss the rain.

On Sunday, I met friends for lunch while Baby had the day with Husband. We met super duper early because I'm an idiot. We talked about going to the 2:15PM movie, and then we changed it to 3:20PM. So, when I thought of a time for lunch, it was based around the earlier time. So, we had a lot of time to kill between lunch at Gordon Biersch and Sex and the City. It's a good thing we were at the mall. We found a way to pass the time.

Baby also almost fed herself this past weekend! She had the food in her hand and brought it to her mouth, but she didn't open her hand to feed herself. She opened her hand to find out why she didn't have food in her mouth and then the food dropped onto the floor. So, I would hold the food in my hand for her to grab and she'd lean forward and eat it off my hand like a pet. So, we're working on it, but she's still the smartest baby ever.

from Naomi's blog

Empire Magazine has revealed its list of the "50 Greatest TV Shows" ever.

Below is the list and here be the rules:
1. Bold the shows you've watched every episode of
2. Italicize the shows you've seen at least one episode of
3. Post your answers

50. Quantum Leap - though I may have seen almost all of them
49. Prison Break
48. Veronica Mars
47. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
46. Sex & The City
45. Farscape
44. Cracker
43. Star Trek - the original used to scare me
42. Only Fools and Horses
41. Band of Brothers
40. Life on Mars
39. Monty Python's Flying Circus
38. Curb Your Enthusiasm
37. Star Trek: The Next Generation - I've seen a lot of episodes but not all.
36. Father Ted
35. Alias - just watched 1
34. Frasier
33. CSI: Las Vegas
32. Babylon 5
31. Deadwood - watched 2
30. Dexter
29. ER
28. Fawlty Towers
27. Six Feet - watched 2-3
26. Red Dwarf
25. Futurama
24. Twin Peaks
23. The Office UK
22. The Shield
21. Angel
20. Blackadder
19. Scrubs
18. Arrested Development
17. South Park - though I've seen almost all of them
16. Doctor Who
15. Heroes
14. Firefly
13. Battlestar Galactica
12. Family Guy
11. Seinfeld
10. Spaced
09. The X-Files
08. The Wire
07. Friends
06. 24
05. Lost
04. The West Wing
03. The Sopranos
02. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
01. The Simpsons

That's not even counting a lot of my actual favorite shows!

Books read in May 2008

1. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. (NOTE: This is the first book in the Twilight series. Book 2 is New Moon. Book 3 is Eclipse. Book 4 is Breaking Dawn.)
2. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. (NOTE: This is the first book in the Twilight series. Book 1 is Twilight. Book 3 is Eclipse. Book 4 is Breaking Dawn.)
3. The Hollow by Nora Roberts. (NOTE: This is the second book in the Sign of Seven trilogy. Book 1 is Blood Brothers. Book 3 is The Pagan Stone.)
4. Just a Taste by Deirdre Martin. (NOTE: This is the seventh book in the NY Blades series. The Book 1 is Body Check. Book 2 is Fair Play. Book 3 is Total Rush. Book 4 is The Penalty Box. Book 5 is Hot Ticket. Book 6 is Chasing Stanley. Book 8 is Power Play.)
5. 3rd Degree by James Patterson. (NOTE: This is the third book in the Women’s Murder Club series. Book 1 is 1st to Die. Book 2 is 2nd Chance. Book 4 is 4th of July. Book 5 is The 5th Horseman. Book 6 is The 6th Target. Book 7 is 7th Heaven.)
6. The Perfect Bride by Samantha James. (NOTE: This is the first of a trilogy about the Sterling siblings. Book 2 is The Perfect Groom. Book 3 is The Perfect Hero.)
7. The Perfect Groom by Samantha James. (NOTE: This is the second of a trilogy about the Sterling siblings. Book 1 is The Perfect Bride. Book 3 is The Perfect Hero.)
8. The Perfect Hero by Samantha James. (NOTE: This is the third of a trilogy about the Sterling siblings. Book 1 is The Perfect Bride. Book 2 is The Perfect Groom.)
9. Passion by Lisa Valdez.
10. Dear Santa by Karen Templeton. (NOTE: This is the first book in the Guys and Daughters series about the Vaccaro siblings. Book 2 is Yours, Mine… Ours?. Book 3 is Baby, I’m Yours.)
11. Yours, Mine… Ours? by Karen Templeton. (NOTE: This is the second book in the Guys and Daughters series about the Vaccaro siblings. Book 1 is Dear Santa. Book 3 is Baby, I’m Yours.)
12. Baby, I’m Yours by Karen Templeton. (NOTE: This is the third book in the Guys and Daughters series about the Vaccaro siblings. Book 1 is Dear Santa. Book 2 is Yours, Mine… Ours?.)
13. The Seduction of an Unknown Lady by Samantha James. (NOTE: This is second of a series about the McBride siblings. Book 1 is The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell. Book 3 is Bride of a Wicked Scotman – due out in 2009.)

I am thrilled that I was able to read so much this month. Granted, most of the books were quick reads. Also, I had the flu for what seemed like forever. I don’t think Twilight lived up to its hype, but I still want to finish the series and see the movie this December. I was shocked at a plot development in 3rd Degree and even though the series is very different from the tv show, I liked both and am glad I can continue on with the books even if the show was cancelled. Last, but not least, Samantha James is a new author to me. She mentions that she is a fan of the tortured hero on her website which must be why I enjoy her books. They’re enjoyable if not a little predictable. Still, they make me happy and that’s really the only requirement I have.

Memorial Day Weekend

I love long weekends! I mean, really, what's not to love?
I really wanted to use the weekend to do some much-needed Spring Cleaning. So, on Friday, I tackled my bookshelf. I sell/give away a lot of books, but there are some that no one wants - me included. So, I put those aside to donate. On Saturday, I walked to CVS to pick up a few things and then mostly napped and read. It was a relaxing start to the weekend. Then, Sunday hit.

On Sunday, we woke up early to meet a high school friend for breakfast. His wife and baby were supposed to be there, but they were sick. Their baby is only 6 weeks younger than Baby is. Then, we went to Husband's parents' apartment. Their apartment is across the street, but their pool is outdoor whereas ours is indoor. We were really curious how Baby would take to the pool. She does love her bath. She had her sandals, her hat, her bikini, her cover up, her sunglasses. We got the water diapers and sunscreen. We were all set. We even had a pack-n-play for the outdoors. It has a canopy to keep out the sun. Well, she was overdue for a nap and just fussy all afternoon. She was very clingy and fussy and hated the pool. She screamed and cried the minute any part of her touched the water. Overall, it was a fun day - lots of food, drink, and sun. I got a little sunburned and a couple of bug bites, but that just means it's officially summer! Also, in celebration, I wore my white pants today.

To recover, she spent almost all Monday sleeping off the trauma while I finished Spring Cleaning. I didn't completely finish, but I did the closets, main room, and bathroom. I also switched Baby's clothes in the nursery. I packed away all the 0-6 month clothes and hung up all her new clothes. So, only the 6-9 month clothes are in the closet. It's much easier to pull out clothes when you don't have to pick through 5 different sizes!

I should finish the rest of the Spring Cleaning tonight... even if it kills me. I've been recording movies for months to help the process along. The bedroom is always the room that is done last. No one sees it so it's easiest to forget. Tonight, I will finish it.

My friends are so talented!

This is my friend's website. She's so talented with a needle and thread. It makes me wish she lived closer. As it is, I'll have to be content to shop online... well, once I figure out how to log into the website. The site is now in English. There's an extra step on which I'm stuck - you have to log into the site to move forward with your shopping cart. I did, but my information was sent to my personal account which is at home. I can't access it at work. So, in the meantime, I do the equivalent of window shopping. Sanna asked everyone to post information on his or her own blogs, but it took me awhile because I'm a procrastinator.

I'm wishing you all the success in the world with your new project, Sanna! As soon as I figure out the technical end, I'm totally adding you to the places I spend all my hard-earned money.

Embarrassment!

So, I may have mentioned in the past that Nephew loves Thomas the Tank Engine. For his third birthday, it was a Thomas the Tank Engine party. During the party, I put on a Rosie temporary tattoo. Then, after the party, I forgot all about it. Yesterday, I had an appointment with the doctor (the type of doctor that would notice a Rosie the Tank Engine tattoo on my ankle). He asks me if I'm planning on getting any more tattoos. First, I was embarrassed that I still had Rosie on my ankle. Second, I told him it wasn't real! There is no way I would get a tattoo. I'm too chicken. Even if I did, it wouldn't be of a tank engine. It was funny.

I must remember to take Rosie off before pool weather.

Worst Mama Ever

OK, after reading an article on Dina Lohan, maybe I'm not.

The above photo is from a couple of days ago... before I tortured her. Yesterday, I was in a hurry. I had to run to the Social Security office about which I will not write because it aggravates me. So, I cleaned Baby's ears quickly before I left. Then, I decided to trim her nails before I ran out the door as well. I happened to nick her finger. Then, I realized that I nicked three of her fingers. She kept bleeding. So, I handed her to grandma with a washcloth and ice cube to help stop the bleeding and numb her fingers a little. Baby wasn't crying so I gave her a kiss and left the house.

I came home and went into the bedroom to get Baby ready to leave the house. There was blood all over her crib - on the bumper, on the sheet, all over the doll and soaking through to the mattress pad. She, meanwhile, was laughing at me the whole time. So, Grandma takes her while I strip the crib of the biohazardous mess. I presoak everything and then realize I have no idea how to work the washing machine. I've never done it before so I had to call Husband to walk me through the process.

Such drama! So, Baby had no morning nap. She took a ride to visit friends of mine and fell asleep just long enough for me to eat lunch. Later in the afternoon, she had 3 shots. She was such a good girl. She hardly cried... then. She slept through a brief trip to the store for some new items. Then, she woke up when we got home and wouldn't go back to sleep. She was crying in her sleep. Then, she was crying while awake. Then, she was screaming while awake. Poor thing was so miserable. There was a lot of Mommy cuddling and rocking. She was not feeling Daddy love last night. Quite the opposite. This is always surprising because she's a big Daddy's girl. She loves her daddy. Husband is the one who gets the rare giggles and the big smiles. Last night, no one got smiles. She was very clingy. Later, she finally gave in and slept for 10 hours.

Today, she's not quite herself. She's quiet, but we did get some smiles. My arms, however, are not fine. Between the lifting of the carrier, the baby and the stroller, my teeny little arms are killing me! We'll see if she is still Mommy's girl at home or if she's back loving her Daddy.

I should mention that Baby usually wears clothes. In the above photo, she was just hanging out in there while her bath was being prepared. She's not, as we like to say, ghetto baby - wandering around all dirty in just a diaper.

The best weekends contain...

birthday cake, pizza, and a lot of junk food. I would actually count all of those things as junk food, but junk food deserves to be categorized.

Anyway, on Saturday, we went to Nephew's third birthday party. I think it went well, but then again, it's not my house. The cake was good. He seemed thrilled that the house was all decorated with Thomas the Tank Engine decorations and balloons. Even his cake had Thomas on it!

Later, after all the excitement died down, we stayed and had pizza. We stayed through bath time and storytime. Then, Baby was in Nephew's big boy bed. He thought it was hilarious! It was the cutest thing.

Because there were so many guests (mostly family) and noise and things going on, Baby didn't sleep much all day. She took little cat naps, but she was mostly awake. She was really good though. However, a girl's gotta sleep sometime. At the end of the evening, she was pooped so I had to snap a photo. She slept all the way to the next morning around 9:30AM! She's such a good sleeper which was good because Husband and I were both exhausted, too.

On Sunday, we went to Taste of Arlington. I used to think it was a bit overpriced, but they've changed it slightly. Plus, since the last time I went, a ton of new restaurants opened in the town. So, it was great to try out some new restaurants and grab some menus. It's a cheap way to sample fares without learning you don't like a place after dinner for two. Plus, it all goes to charity. I mean, it is a little pricey because you don't get that much food for your money, but it is great to get outside and walk around and check out places. There was a lot of community booths. It's a shame the weather wasn't a little better, but we managed to avoid most of the rain.

While we were leaving, Sister, Brother-in-Law, Nephew, Baby and I walked over (Husband met us there shortly afterwards). Nephew was instructed that he needed to hold a hand while we were on the sidewalk and crossing streets. We meant he had to hold an adult's hand, but he grabbed Baby's hand. Well, technically, he did hold a hand. So, we couldn't scold him. The cutest thing is that he didn't let that hand go once. He held it so tightly that Baby's fingertips turned white. She didn't pull her hand away once though.

So, good weekend, but I'm definitely looking forward to the long weekend coming up!

I *heart* TV!

I LOVE television. I have tried to cut out some in the last few years, but I love it. I love the shady business-end of it. I love the gossip and spoilers and ratings versus sponsorship game. I may not agree with any of the decisions, but I love following along at home.

So, this week marked the very low-key upfront presentations by the networks. In years past, the networks have paid big bucks to unveil their Fall schedules to reporters and, more importantly, sponsors. This year, because of the Writers' Strike, the networks had subdued releases and did not roll out the traditional red carpet though I did hear NBC had a green carpet. Green is universal, I hear.

This year also marks a milestone. Almost all of my shows were renewed for another season. All of my favorites were. The ones that were not renewed were not a surprise either so, all in all, it was a successful season for me.

I am back off CSI: this Spring. I often am on-again, off-again with this show. Last year was the only year I watched every episode. I enjoy it, but it's not one of my must-see shows. I also gave up on Reaper. It was cute, but I think the quality went downhill. I think the post-strike episodes improved, but I found myself not looking forward to them.

However, I have found myself back on the Grey's Anatomy wagon. This is only hilarious because I know so many people who have bailed on the show. I think my expectations sunk so low that I had to be impressed. During the strike, I also added Criminal Minds to my rotation.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that Friday Night Lights is coming back or Bones. Bones has become one of my favorite shows. I love that it's a crime drama, but it's funny. Plus, it's characters are quirky and unique. I wish they would film more in D.C. and less green screen, but it's still a great show. Its special effects are usually well done. I just recognize it more when it's somewhere familiar to me being recreated.

I know there are a lot of people who are indifferent to TV (*gasp*) and those who are unhappy with how things played out, but I'm relatively happy. Of course, I really think that the networks will have no patience for shows not performing well next Fall and will have a ton of midseason replacement shows waiting in the wings so I hope my shows survive the Fall. Being picked up was only the first battle...

Happy Mother's Day!

This year was my first Mother's Day (well, the first Mother's Day with an actual baby outside of the body). It was a good one. It was a busy one. I got to sleep in a little bit. Husband came in with Baby and two big, red bags. Both wished me a Happy Mother's Day. Baby and Husband bought me a gift certificate and robe from Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Spa. I can't wait to spend my day there!

After I woke up and Baby went down for her morning nap, we got ready to meet my parents, Sister, Brother-in-Law, Nephew and Brother-in-Law's father for lunch. We had a nice lunch during which Nephew and I took a walk around the mall. He helped me pick out some nice outfits for Baby as she has outgrown much of what she owns. We drove home. I took a brief nap in the car and at home before we turned around and went to Husband's parents' house.

We had a big dinner with the inlaws, Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law. It was a good night. Baby was overly tired and fought the sleep until the very end, but she finally surrendered. We expect she'll sleep well tonight after her big day.

It was a great Mother's Day. It's so amazing to look down into that little face and see it light up with a smile that's just for you and just think, "Look, we did that!"

L is for Little Baby

When Baby came home, Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law gave her a big letter "L". It was just as big as she was. I took a photo of her during that first week home. For a long time, it was my favorite photo of her. I have that photo at my desk at work as a matter of fact.

Today, just for kicks, I took a photo at 6 months old with the same letter "L". It's amazing how big she grew in such a short amount of time. It's even amazing how different she looks. It's hard to believe she's the same baby. She still has a lot of dark hair though.

I almost wish I had taken a photo each month, but as it is, I'm sure she won't like holding the "L" at 17. I can picture her now rolling her eyes with the "L" framing her face.

From Naomi's blog...

What Your Handwriting Says About You

You are highly energetic. You are a passionate, intense, vigorous person. You are somewhat outgoing, but you're not a natural extrovert. You think first before you act. You tend to be independent, rational, and logical. You are very detail oriented and meticulous. You are a careful thinker and a true intellectual. You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well. You are somewhat traditional, but you are also open to change. You listen to your head and your heart. You are a good communicator. You work hard to get your ideas across effectively.

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

Is it better to be correct or like everyone else?

Everyone has his or her own pet peeves about the English language. Some dont' have any at all. I've written about this before, and I'm sure the subject will come up again. Today's pet peeve is something I happened upon while surfing the Internet. This site states the word origin and pronunciation of the word "sherbet". I've never pronounced the "r" to make it "sherbert". I don't know why. It always bothered me when people did it when clearly there is no second "r" in the spelling. Beyond this example, I despise it when it becomes acceptable English when people mangle a language rule long enough that it just becomes the rule. I mean, what's the point of having grammar when, if we wait long enough, the rule will become obsolete if enough people ignore it?

That said, I will continue to create my own words and make words that are commonly nouns into verbs. I will occasionally, if I can't help it, end my sentences with prepositions. However, I will stick to my guns and never use shorthand or slang when text messaging. I will never use a number instead of an actual word. And I will never, never say the word "sherbert".

...And they're off!

Last Saturday was the Kentucky Derby. We had our first annual Kentucky Derby party. The women wore hats. The men drank heavily (well, that wasn't just the men). It was a lot of fun. Husband had his best friend and his family from out of town, and we had a lot of our local friends as well. As I wrote somewhere else, we had 20 people in an apartment that fit 10. There was food and games. Unfortunately, the horse that I supported was the one that had to be put down. I am not a horse person, but it is so sad when a horse has to be put down. It makes me so sad.

The party, of course, would have been loads of fun if I hadn't been so sick. I had the flu most of the week before and was making progress. However, I was still very congested (as you can see from my red nose).

On Sunday, we went to Day out With Thomas. We got to take a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine, see a bunch of trains close up. Of course, I was still sick. Still, I think everyone had fun, and that's all that counts.

While we were out, Baby's grandparents and great-grandparents babysat her. She was an angel though I think she had too much fun. She didn't want to sleep. It even took awhile for her to wind down and get to sleep after we got home... an hour after her bedtime! So, very busy weekend! I'm going to need all week to recover and shake this flu-thing.

Books read in April 2008

1. 2nd Chance by James Patterson. (NOTE: This is the second book in the Women’s Murder Club series. Book 1 is 1st to Die. Book 3 is 3rd Degree. Book 4 is 4th of July. Book 5 is The 5th Horseman. Book 6 is The 6th Target. Book 7 is 7th Heaven.)
2. Pride and Pregnancy by Karen Templeton.
3. High Stakes by Erin McCarthy. (NOTE: This is the first book in the Vegas Vampire series. Book 2 is Bit the Jackpot. Book 3 is Bled Dry. Book 4 is Sucker Bet.
4. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult.

First, I’m really enjoying James Patterson’s series. The books are quick reads and fun. The mysteries aren’t super easy to figure out, but the plots aren’t too heavy either. There’s a lot of action. Second, I generally enjoy Karen Templeton’s books and picked up a bunch of her Silhouette titles. They’re good reads in between single-title books. I wasn’t sure how much I’d like these because I haven’t read one of hers in years and sometimes my reading tastes change or an author’s style changes, but it’s like hanging out with an old friend. You kind of fall back into grace with them. Pride & Pregnancy was a lot of fun to read, and I can’t wait to read the others I picked up. Last, though there were flaws in Jodi Picoult’s Change of Heart, it did get me thinking which isn’t always a bad thing. Plus, there were some really well done moments in the book. I thought I’d finish one more before the end of the month, but it didn’t happen. Somehow, I ended up on a huge vampire kick lately. I can’t say I’m into the genre or any one book in particular, but it’s interesting to see different author’s interpretation of the species and myth.

Rise and Whine!

Actually, first, I should say that my title was a typo, but upon second thought, it fits perfectly.

Baby is a great sleeper. She always has been. We had to move her bedtime to earlier because she would sleep until 10AM at least. So, now she goes to bed between 8:30PM and 9PM and wakes up around 12 hours later. The last couple of days, however, she's been waking up at least an hour earlier than usual. I'm not actually sure what time she wakes up because it's earlier than my eyes open. Husband brings her into bed with where she talks loudly and pokes at my face and pulls at my hair until I wake up. I usually open an eye to look at her, and she'll give me a huge grin. This morning, however, she was just fussy from the word go. So, I fed her breakfast and then she was down for another nap by the time she usually wakes up. She was just so exhausted. You know what cures exhaustion? Sleeping later! Gah.

In the beginning...

Now that Baby is getting bigger and bigger by the moment, we're thinking a lot about last year. This week is the one year anniversary of when we heard Baby's heart beat for the very first time. It's nice to know there is a baby, but it's super nice to hear a little heartbeat. It makes it all a little more real. Next week marks the one year anniversary of when we shared the news about Baby to our family.

I measured big from the get go. I started showing at around 10-12 weeks. It was still fairly easy to hide wearing dresses, but I couldn't button my pants from the beginning. I was also lucky that 1. babydoll dresses were in style and 2. I didn't have to wear maternity clothes until the very end and really only bought a couple sweaters and a skirt. Oh, and a bathing suit. That was unavoidable. It's funny to see the photos now. I can barely remember being that big and awkward. I mean, let's face it. I'm clumsy without the extra pounds and size. I gained around 17 pounds and then lost 20 afterwards. I'm not the same shape though so even though I weigh less, clothes still fit me weird. I've decided the remedy to this is just buying new clothes. hehehe Unfortunately, my chest is still the same size and my feet are still the same size. The only thing that grew are my fingers. They grew like a half a size so none of my rings fit. It's a bit of a bummer.

I know all the celebrities wear their bikini around with the gigantic belly, but my belly was kind of ugly. I didn't get stretch marks and my belly button didn't pop, but it was just so big. It was just better hidden. I don't have a lot of pictures towards the end. The bathing suit one is from September, the last weekend the pool was open, I believe.

The only other photo I have is from September, maybe 3 weeks before Baby decided to make her grand entrance. My mom and I did a giant trek to Bodies: The Exhibition. This is before the controversy came out about it. We found it fascinating and really cool. That also marked the point where pretty much everything was ready for Baby. Well, except for my bag. I may have packed a bag after contractions started, but that's a story for another time...

Food, Glorious Food!

Well, sort of. Baby started eating solid foods. We use the term "solid" loosely here. I hinted at this on the last page of my scrapblog.

I should start from the beginning. She watches me like a hawk when I eat ice cream. So, last Monday, I put my spoon of Cherry Garcia to the left and then to the right. She followed it with her eyes. I put it close to her mouth to see what would happen, and she opened her mouth as if to taste. I pulled my spoon back because she's not supposed to have ice cream yet and because I don't share my ice cream. Her face fell like I just squashed her dreams. I felt horribly. So, we decided to mix up some yummy rice cereal.

I fed her the first bite. She ate it cautiously. She did chew and swallow really well though. The taste and/or consistency didn't exactly please her. She had an odd look on her face as if she expected the sweet goodness that is ice cream and got wallpaper paste instead.

Husband fed her the second bite. She really wasn't into it much, but I think it's also because we tried to feed her too late. She was really tired.

Last night, we tried again. She ate the entire bowl. Keep in mind, the bowl is only about 1TBS. At this point, the eating is more for practice, but she's like an old pro! She opens, chews, swallows. I suspect she may be doing it more for the attention. We applaud her every biteful. She'll start to love it more once we incorporate yummy food. That rice cereal looks and smells nasty (well, it's more the formula with which we are mixing it than the cereal itself). Here's chunker with the portion of food she did not want to swallow.

Waiter, there's a fly in my salad...

Yesterday, I got lunch at a fast-food restaurant chain named after the founder's daughter. I got the salad. I had been looking forward to it. It is, and despite the incident remains, one of my favorite fast-food restaurants. Regardless, yesterday, I was halfway through my salad and I saw a squirming fly! Now, if you know anything about me, you know that bugs are not my friends. I would have the graphic of a fly, but all of them were too icky so I chose the little fingerprint ladybug instead. Anyway, I don't know if it is better or worse that the fly was alive and flapping. Being that it was alive, it made me wonder if the fly came with my salad or joined my salad already in progress after I sat down at my cube. Either way, I didn't care about the fly's origin. At that point, I was done eating. I threw my salad away, fly and all, and snacked on my honey whole wheat pretzel sticks. Plus, despite not swallowing the fly (or a spider to catch the fly), I felt something that "wriggled and jiggled and tickled" inside me. I'm sure it was my imagination. Or was it?

Don't you hate it when...

...the vending machine is out of Diet Coke? I'm so tired today. I pop into the kitchen to grab some caffeine, and the soda machine gave me the "Try another selection" response. I did bring juice into work because it's obviously healthier, but I needed the jump start. I'm so bummed out.

I ended up getting a regular Coke, but it's just not the same.

Sanna inspired me...

It is not a birthday or an anniversary, but Husband and I have been like a well-oiled machine lately. Except for procrastinating and not cleaning the house (on my end, not his), we've cooked really yummy meals, taken turns watching and playing with the baby. Everything has just gone really smoothly. Of course, the optimist that I am, I keep waiting for that shoe to drop. Anyway, it got me thinking about our wedding. First, I should apologize for the quality. Sanna inspired me to try to take a photo of a photo (as I don't have a scanner). These are the photos that came out the best. Darned flash!

Here we are at our rehearsal dinner. It's so weird because I don't feel that much older (though I am 8 years older!), but I look so much younger. Husband doesn't look too nervous about the next day! I kind of felt that the rehearsal didn't really help prepare us at all. I remember still being super confused.

Here is my dress. I really loved that dress. It's very plain. It was just a scoop-neck, short-sleeved dress. It had beading at the waist, but it had a really pretty hem. It was all scalloped lace. It cost as much as the dress to get it altered though. White on white is very difficult to show in a photo though.

Here is a couple photo. It's totally posed, but I always liked the photos where you can see the dress all fanned out. Plus, my church was always so dramatic with the red carpeting. I liked the posed pictures a lot because of that. My attendants wore hunter green which I chose because of the red of the church. These things are very important!

Anyway, 8 years later and still going strong. Well, 8 years in October. I guess I'm jumping the gun. We'll see if I remember our anniversary this year. I tend to get the date wrong a lot.

Finally, a scrapbook I have the patience to complete...

A lot of useless information...

If you click here and enter in your birthdate, it will tell you all sorts of useless information. First, it's weird that Sagitarrius is my opposite sign. That's what Sister is! Also, one time I called a radio station to play a song for me on my birthday and they played the Captain & Tennille for me so I have a soft spot for that song. I've taken an excerpt of the information provided and inserted it below:

You were born on a Wednesday under the astrological sign Gemini.

The year 1975 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/11/1975 and ending 1/30/1976.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Rabbit.

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 30 March 1975.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 12 February 1975.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 11 February 1975.

As of 4/8/2008 9:41:10 AM EDT
You are 32 years old.
You are 394 months old.
You are 1,713 weeks old.
You are 11,990 days old.
You are 287,769 hours old.
You are 17,266,181 minutes old.
You are 1,035,970,870 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Shia LaBeouf (1986) Caroline Quentin (1961) Hugh Laurie (1959)
Joe Montana (1956) Adrienne Barbeau (1945) Chad Everett (1936)
Gene Wilder (1935) Vince Lombardi (1913) Jacques Cousteau (1910)

Top songs of 1975
Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille
Fly, Robin, Fly by Silver Convention
Island Girl by Elton John
He Don't Love You by Tony Orlando & Dawn
Bad Blood by Neil Sedaka
Rhinestone Cowboy by Glen Campbell
Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John
That's the Way (I Like It) by KC & the Sunshine Band
Jive Talkin' by Bee Gees
Fame by David Bowie

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.69275929549902 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

Your lucky day is Wednesday.
Your lucky number is 5.
Your lucky dates are 5th, 14th, 23rd.
Your opposition sign is Sagittarious.
Today is not one of your lucky days!
There are 64 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 33 candles.

Those 33 candles produce 33 BTUs,
or 8,316 calories of heat (that's only 8.3160 food Calories!) .
You can boil 3.77 US ounces of water with that many candles.
In 1975 there were approximately 3.1 million births in the US.

Your birthstone is Alexandrite

Your birth tree is Hornbeam, the good taste of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, tends to egoism, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads reasonable, disciplined life, looks for kindness, an emotional partner and acknowledgment, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with her feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Oh, TV, how I missed you!

It was truly a disaster! Tuesday morning, I woke up and turned on the tv and a warning popped up. I followed the instructions and then got ready. When I came home that night, there was still a warning and then tragedy of tragedies struck! The tv would not work! I should clarify it was the satellite receiver that would not work, but the television is useless without actual programming. The only way we could remedy the situation is to buy a new receiver.

Normally, it's not a big deal. I don't watch television often in the bedroom. However, this week new television started. I record all my television shows in the bedroom so I can occasionally watch something starring a person not wearing protective padding and wielding a stick or throwing a ball. In addition to not being able to record new shows this week, I also lost all the programming I had recorded. It was devastating. Luckily, today is my television equivalent of Christmas! The new receiver came today. It is already hooked up and ready to go. Well, with some minor programming, it'll be all ready to go. I think Husband is through with having to share a television with me. It's amazing we're still living together. Not only did we share a television, but he's afraid the television will somehow be infected by my inferior taste in programming.

Now, with separate tv's, we'll be able to greet our ninth anniversary this Fall. Couples definitely need separate televisions and separate bathrooms. That's the secret of a long marriage.

Salutations!

Charlotte A. Cavatica: Templeton, haven't you ever heard that good things come to those who wait?
Templeton: No. Good things come to those who find it and shove it in their mouth!

I watched Charlotte's Web tonight - the 2006 remake, not the original cartoon. I did miss the musical numbers. I did shed a tear or two, but I didn't find it nearly as sad as the original. It actually reminded me more of the book than the cartoon though.

Speaking of the book, I bought the book last December. It was an anthology of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan (my favorite). I like to think it's an investment for Baby, but it was for me. It was a bargain book anyway. You can't start great literature too soon. Baby is pretty quiet when I read to her which is promising. It'll be interesting to see what interests her.

From Teble's blog...

Um, I'm not sure what this means... I guess I just know my alcohol except tequila. I got that one from the process of elimination. Oh, well... cheers!

98%ALCOHOLIC

Partied Too Hard, I guess...

...OR got too close to Daddy!

Either way, Baby is sick! Husband was battling something over the weekend, and it looks like Baby has something similar. She had a fever all day yesterday and was generally fussy and miserable. Luckily, she now sleeps on her stomach unlike the last time she was sick. I won't go into details, but we'll just say it's better off this way. She's taking a little Tylenol for the fever and sleeping a little more than usual. When she's awake, she's fussier than usual. She's also a little more cuddly or needs to see her people around her at all time. Luckily, she's still eating and everything else is in working order. Hopefully, she'll be as good as new soon!

Celebration!

Husband got a new job! It's been a long journey, and he's more than ready to leave his current position. So, in order to celebrate, I stopped by Starbucks this morning. I am rarely running close to on time, but this morning, the gods smiled down on all of us. I got my Strawberries & Crème drink and a cinnamon twist. A victory for one is a victory for all. Yay for Husband! He deserves some good news and something positive.

Sidenote: What is it about Starbucks and its whipped cream? It's super yummy! I mean, Husband made whipped cream before for me, and it tasted good, but this is so rich and creamy. I could eat it with a spoon. You know, if my finger didn't work so well. OK, yes, I know the fat makes it taste so good. Whatever. Thanks for ruining my little taste of heaven.