Just Another Day In My Paradise

Mommy Advice Needed, Please :)

2012-02-09T16:44:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to get a little feedback from other moms on vitamins and/or supplements. Do you give your kiddos any? If so what? And at what age did you start doing so? If not, any specific reason?

The reason I ask is because I feel like my LO is sick all the freaking time. Nothing serious, just a runny nose and such. I breastfed her until almost 6 months and in that time she had one cold. Once we transitioned to 100% formula I was worried that she would get sick more often, plus she started going to daycare shortly after. She went to daycare three times a week during the period from 7 months to 11 months. She had about two colds in that period of time. When we moved in to our new house my mom starting watching her two days a week again and she went to daycare one day a week. At 12 months we transitioned from formula to whole milk. Since she has been 12 months (she is almost 16 mos now) she has had NINE! colds. It is driving me crazy and I feel horrible for her because I feel like she is always sick. I know that part of it is that she only goes to daycare one day a week so she isn't building up as much immunity. But what I also wonder is if it has more to do with the fact that her formula had vitamins and minerals in it. The formula she was on has something called nutriprotect on the label. She is a great eater and loves her fruits and veggies so I thought that from her food and drinking milk she should be getting enough nutrients. Now I am not sure. I am considering now maybe giving her some sort of vitamin or something. I plan to talk to her pediatrician as well, but sometimes the best advice comes from other mommies ya know?

And it wouldn't be an acceptable Layla post without a pic of her of course. :)

A New Adventure: Kelly's Kids

2012-02-08T14:46:00.003-06:00

When I was pregnant and we were on vacation in Destin. FL we met a mom and her two sweet little girls. She is from Louisiana and they all had the cutest accents. Besides their accents, one thing I noticed right away was the clothes that her two daughters wore. They were adorable and not just the "oh that is a cute outfit" adorable, but the "seriously I HAVE to have some of these ridiculously cute clothes for my unborn daughter" adorable! I finally asked her where did she shop for her daughters' clothes and she told me about Kelly's Kids. At the time they really didn't have a line for infants so I knew I would wait till she was a bit older. (Now that they have infants clothes too!)

Fast forward to now and I finally decided to act on this and check out Kelly's Kids. I found out that they don't have a store anywhere near me (their only actual physical store is in MS) and that really Kelly's Kids is more of a party type sales company. After some research and discussing it with my husband I decided that I wanted to be a Kelly's Kids sales rep. So this will be my first season and I am not sure how much time I can put in to it since I have a big girl, but I am going to give this a good shot.

Here is my shameless plug. :) Check out my Kelly's Kids website, you will love their stuff, for both girls and boys! The awesome thing is that if you see stuff that you love you can always have an e-party through me and get 10% of the sales towards free clothes! Easy peasy!

https://www.kellyskids.com/AliciaRobinson

Layla the Mommy

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

We received Layla's (see Baby on the way post) baby and stroller in the mail and she is in LOVE! It is so sweet watching her walk her baby and giggling the whole time! She gives her kisses, hugs, pats her head, puts her binky in her mouth, and her favorite thing to do is feed her baby.

Here is she is feeding her baby, melt my heart!

Doctor's Visit Blues

2012-02-02T14:08:00.000-06:00

Monday we had Layla's 15 mo. checkup and I swear each time we go it gets worse! Don't get me wrong I love her doctor, but Layla is terrified of everything about the doctor's office even though everyone is super friendly and the place is definitely decorated to appeal to kids. The doctor assures me that this is very common in kiddos her age and she will grow out of it. I sure hope so.

Our visit looked a little like this:

We walk in, check in, and take a seat. Layla sits on my lap for a minute or so until she warms up and decides to play with the toy thing next to us. She gets a little more brave and wanders over to check out the fish tank. About that time the nurse calls her name so I pick her up and we head back to one of the patient rooms. As soon as we enter the doorway, it was like a light bulb went off in her head and she starts screaming.

The whole time I am undressing her down to her diaper she is screaming.

As the nurse measures her length, she is screaming.

When I sit her on the scale, she is still screaming and holding out her arms for me. :(

After that we sit and wait for the doctor. She calms down after a few minutes and I think to myself "So glad that is over."

Guess again! As soon as the doctor steps in the door, she starts crying again. He senses my mommy panic and assures me this is normal for her age. Since she is still upset he said it is probably best to keep his distance and do the Q&A part first and then he will do his checkup. She screams the whole time we are talking. Once he starts listening to her heart, lungs, eyes, and ears she really starts screaming. She is literally pushing him and his instruments away from her. He is so patient and sweet with her, but Layla doesn't notice one bit. He is her mortal enemy at this point, yikes. After we get a clean bill health, he exits and says the nurse will be back to give Layla her shots.

She gets two shots and is equally upset as she has been the rest of the visit (not that I blame her).

Finally we can leave and she gets back to her usual happy self.

Can you you say super stressed mommy!? I hated seeing her so upset and feeling helpless to boot.

Any tips from you other mommies that worked for your kiddos and their doctor visit fears?

Here is an after pic of Layla, red faced and soaked with tears. I had to take a pic to show my hubs. Her little sad face just breaks my heart. :(

15 MO. Stats: 27lb 3 oz and 33 in tall :)

Baby on the way.......

2012-01-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

.....NOT so fast, by baby I mean, baby DOLL!

Ha, don't be too mad that I had you going oh yay!

Layla has really started to take an interest in one of her baby dolls that she has had for a long time. She loves to give her hugs and kisses. She is beginning to enter the stage where she expresses motherly type nuturing and I want to help her with that. I saw a little girl with a baby doll that I know Layla would love so I had to get it for her. This baby has a pacifier (Layla can totally relate as she is a paci baby) and also has a bottle. Layla no longer takes a bottle and I know she will love feeding her baby. When you lay the baby doll down her eyes close and the baby is the perfect size for Layla and looks so real. I was sold when I found out that it was also Phtalate BPA Free. I am so excited to for this doll to arrive. I searched online and this is where I found it the cheapest.

Corolle Bebe Charmeur

I also ordered the stroller that is a part of the Les Classiques line that the baby doll is in. I cannot wait to see Layla pushing her baby all around!

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2012-01-27T12:34:00.002-06:00

***Warning long post, but I decided to put this all together rather than posting at separate times, it drives me crazy when I have to wait to read part 2 of someones story so I am not going to do that. :)***

"Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder"

I have always agreed with this saying for the most part and this has proved to be true with blogging for me. You may be confused; why the absence and why did you need the heart to grow fonder? So I will try to explain my feelings and thoughts at the time when I decided to take a (very long) bloggy break.

When I first started this blog I enjoyed posting occasionally and reading other's blogs for craft ideas, money saving tips, and pure entertainment. I never really felt like I had to much to blog about. When we found out we were expecting our bundle of joy I enjoyed blogging about my experiences with pregnancy, giving baby updates, and basically just chronicling our journey through pregnancy. I also knew that once little miss arrived I would have even more to say. Although having a baby did provide a lot of opportunities for great posts, blogging was the furthest thing from my mind.

As soon as Layla was born I started feeling anxiety about going back to work. Each day after her birth was one day closer to the day I would have to go back to work and I was dreading it. For the 12 weeks I was home with her I soaked up every single solitary second that I could with her. I didn't go anywhere with friends, grocery shop unless she was sleeping, or really spend any time away from her. I realize this may sound crazy, but in my head she needed me and honestly I needed her. I was so afraid to miss something. I would get housework and other things done while she napped. If she was awake I was either holding her, sitting next to her, or had at least some sort of interaction. I did not understand why I was like this, but looking back I guess I was thinking that if I could spend as much time with her while I had the chance then once the time came for me to return to work, I would feel better about it. Boy was I wrong!

For the 2 weeks leading up to when I went back to work I cried daily. At night I would cry so hard, you know the kind where you are crying so hard you actually physically have an ugly face. I could tell that although Ryan was trying to comfort me, he had no idea how much this bothered me. I tried to be rational at times, knowing that going back to work was the only option, but I always thought what if? or maybe? we could figure out a way. Thanks goodness Ryan was my patient source of reality because otherwise I would have made a total emotional only decision and quit my job. Once the time came for me to go back to work I did it and I actually held up pretty well. Perhaps I was all cried out?

I thought that once I went back to work and I was back in to some sort of a routine I would start back to blogging and this is just what I did. I blogged a few times and starting catching up on my favorite blogs to read (most of which went through pregnancy right along with me). This is when the feelings of resentment, sadness, and jealousy started. I found myself being so angry and jealous of all the moms on here that get to stay home with their babies. It ate at me and reading these just validated that I had made the wrong decision and because of certain things going on in our life there was nothing I could do about it. It was then that I decided that I would just stop; stop writing and stop reading. My closest friends that have kids, also work so it was with them that I found comfort in and by not reading I was able to keep my frustration with the whole situation at bay for the most part.

I will try to better explain our situation and why going back to work was the only decision for us at the time. I work for a big aerospace company in Missouri and my husband is part-owner in a family pest control business. My job has decent pay, a flexible work schedule, and amazing benefits. My husband is still the main breadwinner although when you own your own business it lacks the benefits of company paid insurance, 401k, all those things we at one time took for granted. We also knew that we wanted to sell our 3 bedroom, 1200 sq. ft. ranch and move into a bigger house with a great school district before I quit my job. When you own your own business it is very had to get a loan, especially in the more recent years. So we knew that we had to have my income backing to get a loan, even though I made considerably less than he did, my income is considered more stable to mortgage companies.

So the plan was to sell our house, buy a new house, gets everything set up financially so we could afford to pay for our own insurance, and then I would begin my career as a SAHM. Well it took awhile to sell our house and even once we did that we could not find the perfect house for us. We ended up moving in with my in-laws for 3 months and then finally August 30th we closed on our new home. I was thrilled! This meant that soon enough I would be home every day with my sweet girl. Once we started adding up the costs of getting the house the way we wanted we knew that it was best to wait until the spring before I quit. The winter months are the slowest for the bug business naturally. Around the same time my SIL went back to work from her maternity leave and I had someone who knew exactly what I was going through. She too worked, booked all of her husband's appointments for the bug business, all while being a mommy too and wishing we was not away from her as much. Not long after she was back at work her and husband decided that she would be quitting her job. Once again the feelings of jealousy started up. But for some reason instead closing off from her we would talk about the challenges of being a working mom, owning a business, and for her the challenges of owning a business and a staying at home every day with your baby.

One day it just hit me. No one way is the correct way, every family has to decide what is best for them in the short-term and the long-term. And all decisions have their positives and negetives. Although I sometimes still feel sad about not getting as much time as I would like with Layla or the times where I get so frustrated at all the things I have to juggle, most days are good. I know that I am doing what is best for Layla. We get to go on fun trips, she will grow up in a beautiful home in a top ranked school district, and while she doesn't get spoiled we can afford to get the special things for her. I work 33 hours (which is considered part time at my company, but is the minimum hours you can work and still get benefits), I do calls and appointments for the business on my day off, some evenings, and weekends. My husband takes care of all the paperwork, record keeping, marketing, and growth opportunities. This is working for us and we know that Layla loves her days with her grandmas and her one day with Miss Sarah at daycare. This works very well for a our little family and I will not be quitting in the spring. We will continue to get financially set so that once the day comes for be to SAHM and bug lady (lol) there will not be any regrets and we can live comfortably. Once our next LO comes (no definite plans as to when that may be) I will transition into life without a big girl job. :

So there it is my whole story on why I avoided the world of blogging. And NOW I am ready, ready to share and ready to read. I am looking forward to seeing the experiences of all types of moms all while knowing that each one does what they do because it is what is best for them and their family. :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'm Alive!

2012-01-26T13:03:00.001-06:00

Well folks it has been a year since I have posted anything on here or really read any one else's blog. I have lots of reasons for this absence, although at the time I really didn't understand or realize them. But now I am in a different place and I am glad to be back! I am looking forward to catching up with all my fav bloggers and getting back in to writing on mine.

So look for an explanation post very soon, since I feel like I need to explain.

Also, since so much has happened in the last 12 months, I want to not only blog about new and recent things, but also share some of the last year of my life.

I am looking forward to sharing with everyone. Until then I will leave you with an updated picture of little miss, she is really enjoying herself at daddy's birthday dinner!

Miss Layla's Birth Annoucement

2011-01-24T11:04:00.000-06:00

LeLe Photography did her Itty Bitty session and I LOVE how they turned out. She was kind of fussy that day and they were so patient and sweet with her. :) You can see what her announcement looked like here. You can click on the pictures to view larger.

Stayed tuned tomorrow for part one of her birth story!

Introducing...

2011-01-20T15:25:00.001-06:00

Layla Anne

Our beautiful baby girl was born at 12:36 am on October 25, 2010.

Here is a picture of her just seconds after birth.

I decided to take a break from blogging, FB, and all other distractions to focus on this precious girl. So now that my 12 week maternity leave is over, I am back to work, and back to blogging. I will explain a little later on why I made this decision. So I look forward to getting updated on everyones' lives and also updating everyone about our little family.

Stayed tuned tomorrow for her official birth announcement that I was so in love with. :)

Sneak Peek Of Our Maternity Pics

2010-09-28T11:06:00.003-05:00

Check them out here.

We had a great time taking these, so glad we did it!

Also, sorry for the lack of posts lately, promise I will post an update soon. We are so busy getting ready for little miss that I have not had much time on here.

3 Years

2010-09-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

I seriously cannot believe that it has been 3 years already and in 8 weeks or so we will become parents!

Ryan truly is my best friend and I feel so lucky to be his wife. I am looking forward to seeing him as Daddy and creating many more wonderful lasting memories together.

Happy 3rd Anniversary to my wonderful husband!

Brayden

2010-08-31T12:32:00.001-05:00

I have added a button to my blog in support of Brayden James Helvey. This little guy was born premature at 28w1d. He is doing well and being a strong little guy. If you would like to support Brayden and his family by lifting them up in prayer please add the button to your blog as well.

Here is a link to Heather's (his mommy) blog where you can read his story, get updates on Brayden, and copy the button.

http://heatherhelvey.blogspot.com/
Thanks everyone!

3D/4D Ultrasound :)

2010-08-27T16:20:00.001-05:00

Here is our little miss princess at 31 weeks!

She kept puckering up her lips and here she is giving us a raspberry!

Oh goodness I am so excited kiss on those chubby cheeks all day!

Daycare Frustrations

2010-08-25T10:15:00.001-05:00

Like most mommies this was by far the most important thing on my to-do list once I found out we were expecting. So back in April I started the search. I knew it wouldn't be easy because I had some pretty specific things I was looking for. I wanted something in between a large daycare center and a small in-home daycare. My reasoning for this is that I wanted something more personal than a large center with a high caregiver to infant ratio and in my area they are notorious for hiring individuals that are not qualified. I also did not want a small in-home daycare where it was more like a mom sitting around babysitting a few kiddos without any type of learning program.

Then during my search my MIL told me about her friend's daughter in her 30's who is a RN at a local children's hospital who just had her second child and would be quitting her job late 2010 and opening up a daycare in her home. She would be taking 3 kids in addition to her own. She would have her finished basement converted in to a daycare and would be designing a specialized program for each child so that they are learning, developing, and interacting daily. She was also going to attend some classes to help with this. We met her and her husband and she went over the specifics of her plans. She explained that between May and August they would ironing out all the details, getting certified with the state, and of course getting the daycare set up in the basement. We both liked her, her home was very nice and clean, it was on the way for both of us to work, and to top it off she was nurse. We felt like we really hit the jackpot and had found someone we really could trust with our little girl.

We kept in touch the whole time and my husband and I had a meeting scheduled for today to go see the progress and discuss any other last details. Then she calls Sunday evening to let me know they have changed their mind and she will not be doing daycare after all. What really upsets me is that I know there is no way she would have went to all the additional cost of setting everything up until they were sure. So she has led me to believe she was a sure bet all along when she wasn't, I even asked this a few times as I understand leaving a stable nursing job is a big step, and she assured me each time. All the while she was not sure and had nothing set up! So now I am almost 31 weeks along and no daycare. She could have been honest when I asked and said she was not 100% sure so I should have a back up for now just in case.

So I have started the search, again. I am noticing that those places that I would consider and are in our original price range do not have openings for newborns at this time. I have found a few other places and we are meeting two of them next next. They both are quite a bit out of our original budget for daycare, but I am finding it hard to say someplace is too much when it will be a great environment for our baby girl and we will have peace of mind. Plus if we are going to spend that much would it just be best for us to make a few more sacrifices for the extra stuff we are used to and I just stay at home with her? So many hard decisions to make, I am hoping everything will just work itself out. Wish us luck. :)

Nursery Sneak Peek: Take 2

2010-08-16T20:51:00.001-05:00

Lots of work has been done and we pretty much have the nursery done. All that we have left to do is add a few finishing touches to the walls and such. Take a look!

You will notice that I have her name covered up on the piggy bank, I know I'm sneaky. ;) Just not ready to share it with ya'll yet.

Sorry for the poor quality here, with the light coming in and the ceiling light I could not get a good picture. Thank goodness hubby agreed we can get a nice camera before lil miss arrives.

I swear all these clothes are not my doing. I have done really well refraining from buying all the cute girly stuff I see. Her grandmas and great aunts are definitely spoiling her already. :)

You can see here how far we have come since the last update.

My Two Favorite People

2010-08-12T16:13:00.000-05:00

My hubby and of course Lil Miss in my tum. Sometimes I just can't help but sit here with a big cheesy grin on my face because I know that I am definitely blessed!

Baby Class...

2010-08-11T13:59:00.001-05:00

or that is at least what my hubby and I call it. So last night was our first class. We have it every Tuesday for 6 weeks, it is a combo class that entails; childbirth preperation, breastfeeding, and newborn are. It was fun meeting all kinds of couples expecting around the same time that we are. We also learned a lot.

My least favorite part: When the instructor showed us a female pelvis and then proceeded to show us with a plastic baby how it makes his/her way through. The plastic baby was evidently the size of a typical newborn, but it's head clearly barely fit through the pelvis. I'm hoping that baby was on the large side. So where before I was not that nervous about labor, now I am freaked out.

Favorite part: Relaxation exercises. We got to sit between the legs of our coaches and practice breathing exercises. We listened to relaxing music and I literally could have fell asleep.

And totally off the baby class subject we also had our 28 week appointment yesterday (my appointments are a bit off since in 1 day I will be 29 weeks). I passed my glucose test from last week and everything else looked good also. So that was good to hear! Next appointment is in 2 weeks, can't believe I am already at every 2 weeks appointments.

Maternity Pictures...

2010-08-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

I just booked our session for September 10th and I am SOOOOO excited! We are having them done by LeLe Photography. I have heard some good things about these ladies and their work, now after checking out their website and blog I am even more excited.

Now I just have to figure out what we are going to wear and any other special props I want to use. Any ideas that you have seen or done, pass them my way!

2 Down, 1 To Go!

2010-07-29T14:49:00.001-05:00

In celebration of the start of my 3rd trimester I bought this piggy bank for our little one's room. Who am I kidding, I don't need a reason to shop!

(This is just the example shown on the website, I am getting her name on it rather than a monogram.)

In case your interested I got this off Etsy at TemperTantrum I'm so excited to get the finished product in a few weeks!

Look at this precious face.........

2010-07-29T14:30:00.001-05:00

This is from our 16 week 4D ultrasound. I can't wait till we have our other 4D ultrasound. This was the first time I could really visualize our baby and also when we found out we were having a girl. It was certainly love at first sight!

Long Overdue Bump Update: 26 Weeks

2010-07-27T14:18:00.001-05:00

How far along today? 26 Weeks 5 Days

Total weight gain/loss: Since my last update (21 weeks) I have gained 14 pounds! If you remember I was at 0 pounds gained at 21 weeks. At that point I had hit the mark of my pre-pregnancy weight after losing so much with morning sickness. I was so surprised when I stepped on the scale this morning. I am pretty sure that this is not good at all. I have a doctor's appointment today. I'm scared they are gonna yell at me. Eek!

Maternity clothes? You betcha! Other than comfy clothes and some of my pre-pregnancy shirts I am full force wearing maternity clothes.

Stretch marks? Still doing the Palmer's everyday and the oil at night. I am so freaked out that now that I am gaining weight so fast they are going to start. Is it vain to pray for no stretch marks? Lol!

Sleep: Still loving my Boppy pillow as it helps me get as much sleep as possible with my ever shrinking bladder. I am getting up about 1-2 times per night to pee. Little Miss sometimes makes it hard for me to fall asleep when she is digging her limbs in my ribs or hips. But once I fall asleep she must also so that I am thankful for.

Movement: All the time and I love every second of it! Okay maybe that is a lie, I don't care for it much when I am trying to fall asleep. She is a little gymnast/karate kid that is for sure.

Food cravings: Sweets! Which probably can explain the weight gain. I need to get some willpower!

Gender: Princess

Labor Signs: Again, none, and so thankful for that!

Belly Button in or out? It officially popped well half of it anyway at 25 weeks.

Weekly Wisdom: Don't always give in to your cravings, or else you will put on weight at a insane pace. I will let you all know how that goes!

Milestones: Finally deciding on our baby girl's name! Sorry I've decided to hold out awhile on the reveal, I doubt I'll wait till her birth, but who knows. :)

What I'm Looking Forward To: To get the ball rolling again on getting the nursery ready. With vacation and such we are at standstill right now. The primer is at least up, now I just need to get my hubby to paint the rest.

26 Weeks:

Holy! Check out the change in 5 weeks!

Recap of our long weekend

2010-07-06T12:08:00.001-05:00

Ryan and I left Thursday evening after work to head to the lake. I typically work Fridays from home since I do a flex schedule and my day ends at 11:30 am.

On Friday morning I worked from the condo while Ryan did some errands and got the boat ready for the weekend. In the afternoon 2 of our 4 guests arrived and we set out on a boat ride. We took a long ride on the calm part of the lake and just took in all the sights. We stopped at Captain Ron's for a dinner that was so delish and then headed back to the condo where we met up with our other 2 guests we were expecting. The night consisted of hanging around the condo and chatting.

On Saturday we all woke up and lounged around the condo till about 11. Then we set out on the boat. We took a short drive (the water was choppier than on Friday) ate lunch at Gator's and then met up with friends in a cove to swim and mingle. Most weekends we are at the lake we don't take long drives on the boat since I am preggo. My doctor assures us that it is okay to ride in a boat, just no water sports (tubing, skiing, jet skis etc). I still get nervous if it gets too rough so we just take it easy and ride the calmer areas of the lake and cove out and swim with friends. Totally worth it to me for the peace of mind.

On Sunday we all woke up a little later and set out on the boat again. We didn't make it too far till I determined a boat ride was not going to happen today. It was too rough to ride for my liking.We then spent the rest of the day anchored and tied up to a boat with some friends we have down at the lake. We enjoyed snacks from the boat and dinner from a dock restaurant within short swimming distance. I was spoiled and my hubby pulled me there on a raft. We watched the condo's display of firework from the boat and then headed in for the night. I think that was the longest I have ever been in a boat. We wrapped up the evening on the deck telling stories and chatting.

Monday we woke up and us girls picked up the condo and the boys cleaned the boat. After we made it back home from the lake we unpacked and headed to dinner with Ryan's family to celebrate his sister's graduation from grad school.

All in all in was a fun and relaxing 4th of July weekend. Hope the rest of you had fun and were able to relax some. :)

Now the countdown to vacation is on. 3 days of work left!!!

Day of Blog Silence for Baby Cohen

2010-07-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

You can read more about Cohen here.

Newest Find

2010-06-30T10:43:00.001-05:00

Since I found out we were expecting I have been browsing diaper bags. Not sure why, but this is one item I have put a lot of thought in to. Last night I made my purchase. Check out this beauty:

JJ Cole Swag Diaper Bag

It has 3 zipper pockets on the outside, 4 exterior insulated pouches, and lots of pockets on the inside for organization, two of which are insulated. It even comes with a changing pad and an area where this, diapers, and a wipes case can go. It has a little zipper pouch that attaches inside the bag, a key clip, and stroller clips attachments are included. The strap is adjustable so you can change the length to wear it over the shoulder or across the body. It zips shut which is a good thing for me since I tend to loose things if a bag doesn't.

I am laughing at myself about how excited I am about a diaper bag. :) I ordered it from diapers.com because I had a $10 off coupon and they have free 2 day shipping. Can't beat that.

Nursery Sneak Peek: Take 1

2010-06-25T10:00:00.003-05:00

First peak at the nursery with the furniture all together and in place (minus the glider and ottoman).

Notice all of the clothes and such in the crib. I swear that I have only bought about six outfits, the rest is the grandmas. Little Miss is already getting spoiled.

(Vacuum is still in it's original spot, we still need to figure out where we are going to keep that now).

The changing table baskets arrived and now I just need to get them together and in place. Notice the beach bag, debating on returning is so it is hanging out there for now.

Crib mattress, exciting I know. ;)

Bedding and a cute little pillow I couldn't pass up at Home Goods.

And finally the paint. This our next task along with cleaning out the closet. I just need to figure out where I am going to put that stuff. I am so many clothes and apparently cannot bear to get rid of them

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-24T11:58:00.001-05:00

~ I am thankful for our precious baby girl. I sometimes take for granted that she is growing and everything is going good so far. I was on BabyCenter and saw several birth announcement already for the September Birth Club. These women are only due one month before me, it was sad and scary. Please stay put little princess.

~ I am thankful for health insurance. I didn't realize how important it was until I was pregnant.

~ I am thankful for my husband and his support. He was especially great during the first trimester where I literally puked 24/7. If it were not for him we would have gone hungry, naked, and lived in pig stye.

~ I am thankful for the place that I work. They were so understanding when I was so sick and I was able to work from home on the days I was really bad (but not so bad I couldn't work at all).

~ I am thankful for Zofran, these little pills were like heaven in a bottle and helped so much with morning sickness.

~ I am thankful for Babies R Us. I know that sounds silly, but I love it is a one stop shop for all things baby.

~ I am thankful for full panel maternity pants. They may look hideous, but they are so comfy.

~ I am thankful for watermelon. I am thirty and crave sweets all the time, it satifies me every time.

~ I am thankful for little miss's kicks and jabs. I seriously smile ear to ear when she moves, the greatest feeling!

~ I am thankful for the love that I already have for our sweet little girl. I never knew I could love someone this much without ever meeting. She has filled me with so much happiness and I am so grateful!

Bump Update: 21 Weeks

2010-06-22T13:28:00.002-05:00

How far along? 21 Weeks 5 Days

Total weight gain/loss: 0 lbs. I am now back at my pre-pregnancy weight. It took awhile before I started gaining what I lost from the m/s, but once it started it never stopped. I am caught up now, so it can slow back down to the normal rate anytime. My appetite is hellacious these days!

Maternity clothes? I've ditched the belly band and am pretty much full force maternity clothes. Although I still wear some of my regular shirts that stretch well.

Stretch marks? Still none yet and I am totally fine with it staying that way. Still using the Palmer's and greasing myself up nightly with this "magic" oil stuff. If I get them at least I can say I tried, right?

Sleep: This is getting a little better. Seems like only on occasion I have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. I am also sleeping with this dandy little thing. Can we say in love!

Boppy Pregnancy Cuddle Pillow

Movement: Baby R is moving like crazy and I can FEEL it! It is so amazing. Hubby has felt her move a few times. It was truly a great moment for us! I love watching my belly when the movement gets strong I can see my stomach actually move. It's crazy and awesome!

Food cravings: At this point I am just loving food, maybe too much. Just trying my best to eat as healthy as possible.

Gender: Baby Girl!

Labor Signs: Again, none, and so thankful for that!

Belly Button in or out? In, but still thinking that it will pop. It almost fully flush with my stomach now.

Weekly Wisdom: I used to think that it was going to be so fun shopping for maternity clothes. I am so picky and it just seems like most things just don't fit right. I completely forgot that I had made that statement about looking forward to maternity clothes, until my sweet Hubby reminded me. Oh boy was I wrong.

Milestones: Being at the over halfway there point. :)

What I'm Looking Forward To: Painting the baby's room. Hoping that will be done in the next week or so.

21 Weeks:

Nursery Loot

2010-06-17T15:09:00.002-05:00

After we found out that Baby R was a girl the shopping began. We purchased all of her furniture online at Babies R Us.

Storkcraft Aspen Stages Crib

Storkcraft Aspen 5 Drawer Chest

Storkcraft Aspen Changing Table

I already had the bedding picked out (Ryan had agreed) and planned on ordering it as soon as we found out. Once we found out we were having a girl Ryan starting second guessing the bedding choice. You see I was always saying if I ever had a little girl she would not have a room that looked like a pink explosion. So the bedding we had picked out was red, sage green, black, and silver. He decided that it was not baby enough and looked too modern. Plus he said he wanted his little girl to have girly things. I am so glad that he spoke up because I love what we found instead.

Pink and Lime Paisley Splash by Baby Sam

Ryan's parents were so generous and bought us the chair and matching ottoman that we wanted. They are the same green color that is in her bedding (not the chocolate chenille type material I have shown below, they only have this one online for some reason) and are soft and oh so comfy. We are so thankful that we ordered when we did because to be able get the plain green we had to custom order it which takes 12-14 weeks. So hopefully there are no delays beyond that or we will be pushing it!

Newco Serenity Classic Glider and Ottoman

Tonight we finalize our choices for the paint colors and Ryan will paint hopefully next week. He already has all the furniture up and in place (minus the chair of course). I took pictures this morning and will do a nursery sneak peek with all the furniture set up before the painting begins.

I don't know about everyone elses' experiences, but I am having so much fun finding ideas and getting things ready for her room. 19 more weeks!

Maternity Clothes

2010-06-16T15:45:00.001-05:00

For as long as I could I wore stretchier shirts and a BellaBand with my pants until about 3 weeks ago, when I hit the point where I NEEDED maternity clothes. My pants were becoming a pain to keep up with the just the BellaBand so I gave in and went shopping. I was pretty excited about this, until I actually started the process of shopping.

I ordered a few things from Old Navy online. The stuff looked so cute, but in person it seriously looked awful on me. I only ended up keeping one shirt. I also went to Target. They have some good basic items, the problem is apparently everyone in my area wears my size. I could only find one pair of capris in my size that I liked. I toured all the various Motherhood Maternity/Destination Maternity/Pea in the Pod stores. I managed to get a few shirts and bottoms that I was satisfied with. I also found a few items at Gap and got a pair of Long and Lean maternity jeans that I love.

Check them out:

Did I mention that I LOVE the full panel. This surprises me because I was sure I would like the medium one. The full panel is comfortable and smooths everything out. I feel like at this stage the medium panel cuts my bump in half and makes me just look chubby not pregnant.

I now have a couple different bottoms and tops. I am still wearing my pre-pregnancy shirts that I can. After three weeks I feel like I am already tired of wearing these outfits. I need more stuff, but have no idea where else to go. I have also visited a more expensive boutique and I really like a lot of their stuff. But in reality I can't make myself spend $80 on a shirt. I would definitely consider doing so a great pair of jeans though. I have found one brand that has lots of super cute stuff, Olian. It may definitely be my go to brand for when I need a special outfit.

Right now I am looking for a dress for the several weddings we have this summer/fall. They are all different groups of people for the most part so one good dress would do the trick. Now I just need to find it. If any of you have any tips/suggestions for stores or websites that have some good maternity dresses, please send them my way! Also, just maternity clothes stores in general, I will take any leads I can get. Thanks!!

Take a peak at this Olian dress I drooling over, just wish I could find it in my size. :(

Feeling Yucky and Quick Question...

2010-06-15T16:32:00.002-05:00

I woke up Sunday morning with a little cough. It was no big deal, I felt better after eating breakfast and having some water. Then came Monday morning. I woke with a cough and sore throat. I used some natural cough drops and went about my day. By the end of the evening I was extra exhausted. Now this morning I woke up with a cough, sore throat, headache and just overall felt yucky. I decided it was best for me and Baby R to take it easy and rest this off. So I took off today. Of course this always happens when I am super busy, but I reminded myself that my health is very important right now. Since I can't really take anything to speed up the recovery a little TLC had to be the right answer. So far I have taken two naps today. I don't feel 100% but I plan to go to bed early tonight so I will hopefully be much better tomorrow. Being sick and pregnant is not easy that is for sure.

On to my next little predicament. Sunday is Father's Day. While Ryan is not yet technically a father I still feel like he deserves something special (not to mention he gave me the cutest card and a gift certificate for a prenatal massage for Mother's Day). So now I am still trying to figure out what to get him. I have not gotten any leads from him, so I need YOUR help. I want to try and do something related to baby if it works out, but at this point I am getting desperate with Father's Day being this Sunday. Any ideas?

Big News Reveal...............

2010-06-10T13:30:00.004-05:00

Yep, it's what your thinking. I am ready to share the gender of Baby R with all of you!

Let me take you back to the first ultrasound (not technically the first one, but one where we could possibly find out the gender). It was Friday May 14th and I was 16 weeks. We were going for part one of our 4D ultrasound. We bought the package where you go once around 16-20 weeks and then later on again at the time of your choice. We were told that she would only tell us a gender if she was 100% sure. So we went in and immediately saw our LO on the screen moving around like crazy. She said that since she could see everything so well I could go ahead and empty my bladder. I was thrilled I already felt as if I were going to pee my pants! Once I got back in the room she started showing us all the parts of our LO. Then she said "I'm 98%, nope 100% sure what you are having, do you still want to know?" We said "Yes of course," and she told us. I was shocked, it was what Ryan said all along. I immediately started bawling (tears of joy of course), we were hugging, it was definitely a great moment. We asked if she had ever told anyone one gender at 16 weeks and it changed, she said she is proud to say she has NEVER been wrong in 25 years. Wow, we were impressed. Still I wasn't sure we should share the news with everyone until later. (A later post on the gender reveal party.) The ultrasound went on and we got to marvel at our precious baby. We left with a bag full of pictures and a CD of everything set to lullabies (not gonna lie I have seriously watched it 10 times at least in the last month).

Now we are at the ultrasound last Thursday June 3rd, I am 19 weeks and this one is at the OB office. We told the ultrasound tech that we had a 4D and they told us what it was. We have heard so many stories of people finding out early and it was not correct so we were not going to share and wanted to see what she said. She went about the exam where she measures and checks everything and then she said "Well I can tell you for sure what you are having, so let's see if what you were told first was correct." And we hear you're.........

This is what we were told the first time and we were still so thrilled! We have already purchased her furniture and bedding. I will sharing the start of her room very soon. We also have it narrowed down to two names, I prefer one, he prefers the other. We will be sharing it with our friends and family as soon as ~~one of us gives up the battle~~ we figure it out. I haven't decided if I will share with the blogger world or wait until her arrival. We shall see....

20 weeks today, halfway there to meeting our sweet baby girl!!!!!!!!!

Bump Update: 18 Weeks

2010-06-02T13:40:00.004-05:00

How far along? 18 Weeks 6 Days

Total weight gain/loss: -4 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight.

Maternity clothes? I took the plunge last week and went shopping. I am at the stage now where most of my pre-pregnancy clothes still fit, but are very uncomfortable.

Stretch marks? None, but I know it is probably too early for that. So I am just going to keep my fingers crossed and keep lathering up with Palmer's.

Sleep: I think I have forgotten what it is like to get a full night's sleep uninterrupted. I still wake up at least once a night to pee and I still have back pain. Now it is not just my sciatic nerve, but also pain in the middle of my back. It feels like muscle strain pain, but I don't do any heavy lifting so it has to be pregnancy related. I am falling apart it seems.

Movement: I have felt Baby R move a couple times. At first I was not sure what it was, but the nervous tummy and popcorn popping feeling in there has to be our sweet baby. I am ready for some consistent moving, I get all gushy everytime I feel it which is every few days.

Food cravings: Sweets, ice cream, candy bars, and tasty fruit. Cannot get enough!

Gender: We found out a couple weeks ago and we will have our mid-pregnancy ultrasound TOMORROW to find out for sure!

Labor Signs: Again, none, and so thankful for that!

Belly Button in or out? In, but from the looks of things it will pop. The question is when? Question for all those who have went through this before. Does it go back in after the baby? I do not know anyone that had an outie so this is all new to me.

Weekly Wisdom: Your butt can grow even when you are not gaining weight. Not sure if this is wisdom, but certainly a provable fact.

Milestones: Does getting your first maternity clothes count?

What I'm Looking Forward To: Tomorrow afternoon. We get to see Baby R again and hopefully confirm the gender we found out at 16 weeks.

18 Weeks:

Vote Please!!!

2010-06-01T11:06:00.001-05:00

I put up a gender poll, curious what the bloggy world's guess is. Cast your vote! :)

I've been keeping a secret...

2010-06-01T10:50:00.003-05:00

well sorta, but I'll explain. A little over a month ago I found out about a 4D ultrasound place that was super close to our house. They had a fabulous Mother's Day special for a 2 part 4D ultrasound. The first part could be done as early as 16 weeks where they would also tell us what we were having if they could tell. The second is done later in pregnancy where you can pretty much tell exactly what your baby will look like. We decided to do it. The idea of being able to know 3 weeks earlier what our sweet little baby was thrilled us. The lady doing our ultrasound said she was 100% sure what we were having so we found out at 16 weeks and 1 day!

I decided not to share this until we have our mid-pregnancy ultrasound at the doctor's office and they confirm (hopefully no surprises), since I have heard that sometimes when people find out early it is not always correct. We have this ultrasound this week on Thursday. I will share then what we are having. Hopefully they confirm, otherwise I have a lot of returning to do since I just could not resist a little shopping. So stay tuned for a bump update with pictures this week and gender reveal on Friday. :)

Movement????

2010-05-21T13:13:00.003-05:00

So I think I felt Baby R move the other night. Am I positive that is what is was? No, but I'd like to think so. :)

Anyway, how it happened. I had just crawled in to bed and planned to read a few pages of the baby names book before going to bed. As I sat there reading I felt the strangest feeling. The best way I can describe it is I felt as if one side of stomach was nervous (hope that makes sense), but only for a second. I immediately though "woah" what was that? After a second I decided that it definitely didn't hurt and just went back to reading. A few minutes later I felt it again several times in a row. Then it dawned on me, this could be my baby moving around in there. I am amazed.

What do you think I am 17 weeks, does this sound like Baby R was moving or something like that?

Bump Update! 16 Weeks

2010-05-18T20:34:00.002-05:00

How far along? 16 Weeks 4 Days

Total weight gain: Well, from the day that I got my + pregnancy test to my first doctor appointment I had lost 10 pounds. Apparently that is what happens when you puke 24/7. At my last doctor appointment I had gained 3 pounds back.

Maternity clothes? Nope, still wearing my same pants and shirts. In the last two weeks I have been starting to get the bump, now we are just waiting for the pop!

Stretch Marks? Still to early to tell, in the meantime I am lathering up with this stuff.

Here are some belly pictures, it is growing little by little:

Sleep: I am still getting up about once a night to pee. It is amazing to me how much I can possibly pee. I tend to wake up with a pretty sore back. I have always had problems with it since high school due to an injury. So I'm guessing my back is not going to enjoy me being pregnant very much. This week my uterus has grown to reach halfway between my pelvic bone and naval. I'm guessing that means my pesky little butt bone will not start to feel any better.

Best moment this week: One of my best friends is a nurse and she borrowed one of their old dopplers at her hospital for me to use. So I got to listen to the baby's heartbeat at home on Tuesday. I swear I could hear Baby R kick around in there.

Movement: No movement yet, but I am so ready for that.

Gender: Very very soon!

Labor Signs: No way, that would not be good, so thank goodness.

Belly Button in or out? It is in, it is getting wider though.

What I miss: Skin that does not look like a 13 year old during puberty. When does that glowing look come cause I am done with these pesky little pimples hanging out on my face.

Weekly Wisdom: Wear a bra at all times even if it is just a sports bra, even to bed, even my once slim B cup gets pretty heavy now.

Milestones: I finally quit getting sick in the morning last week. Up until 13 weeks I was still getting sick all day, everyday. Then it was just in the morning. Now it is a rare occasion. I can't even explain how thankful I am for that and for Zofran!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender of Baby R very soon. Please don't be shy sweet baby. :)

Check Out The Ticker

2010-05-04T16:01:00.003-05:00

I don't have much time to post, but I added a pregnancy ticker and it says 177 days to go! :)

Pregnancy update post to come soon, tomorrow or Thursday. I just need my camera cord so I can share some belly shots!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD......................

2010-04-12T13:28:00.005-05:00

LUKAS DAVID!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My sister delivered this little guy Sunday April 11th at 12:40 am. She was a trooper. She had been having contractions on Saturday, but they were sporadic and never consistent. Then all of sudden they started full force and were 6 minutes apart. By the time she got to the hospital they were 2 minutes apart and she was dialated to a 7. Apparently, you have to get bloodwork done before they can administer the epidural. Needless to say, Lukas was not waiting for that business. She progressed from a 7 to a 10 in less than 30 minutes and so my sister delivered him au natural. David and my mom said she did amazing, even with having to wait to push since once she started the rounds of pushing the contraction slowed down to every 5 minutes. I was so sure I was going to hear her screaming from down the hallway, but not a peep. We are all so proud of her and our newest addition to the family. Can't wait to spoil him rotten. :)

Baby on the Brain

2010-03-26T10:27:00.003-05:00

It has been almost two weeks since I shared our exciting news with blogger world, so now I am almost 10 weeks! Yesterday we had our first "big" appointment where we were asked lots of questions, told lots of information, and I had several things of blood drawn to check "things." I just love how I can no longer recall what all the "things" were, I only remember two (to check my thyroid and to see if I was a carrier of the gene for CF). I swear I have lost some of my brain once becoming preggo. My husband agrees, he said I get confused sometimes talking to him, and that is not like me. I hear this is normal so I'm guessing I'm not the only one?

Starting at 12 weeks I will start posting little stats about my pregnancy every other week to keep everyone up to date and to also have something for me to look back on.

One thing I was surprised about is the number of ultrasounds given in pregnancy or should I say the lack there of. I guess from watching movies and such I was under the impression that we would get one almost every time we went to the doctor. I found out they really only do 2 or 3. I already had one at 6 weeks (I am having lots of morning sickness as you already know so they wanted to make sure I just had 1 lil peanut in there and because of some pain I was experiencing on the right side). At 6 weeks our peanut was very small and hard for us to see without the tech pointing it out. We did get to hear the heartbeat which was the most amazing thing ever. I will never forget the look on Ryan's face when he heard it, so precious! I was told that every other time we go to the doctor we will get to hear our baby's heartbeat through a Doppler. So at 12 weeks I go back so I am hoping we get to hear it then.

We already have to start making some decisions for a our lil peanut. The doctor gave us several pamphlets on optional tests that we can have done. One is a first trimester quad screening and nuchal translucency test. We are having a hard time deciding if we want the tests. It is such a hard decision; it would great to have the tests and hear everything is normal, but on the other hand I hear there are lots of false positives that cause lots of worry and more testing. I need some feedback on this and I welcome all opinions.

Have a nice weekend!

Long Time No See..........And Some News

2010-03-15T13:35:00.006-05:00

Well it's been awhile since I posted, I know same old story. I always have good intentions, but it is always something. Usually it is school and travel. Well now it is me.

I have been sick a lot and so tired. Well I know what you're thinking this sounds like and if so you are RIGHT! I am pregnant. :)

We found out the week before we went to Mexico. The trip was a great time to relax and take it all in. We are so excited! The last day of the trip morning sickness started and it has never stopped. I don't just have it in the morning though, it is all day. They need to rename it for sure!

We were trying, but we both just had a feeling it would take awhile. Well, it certainly didn't so it was a very pleasant surprise. I am currently 8 weeks. I have been dying to share the news (another reason for the lack of posting), but just wasn't sure when was the right time. I know we are not out of the woods yet, but I am ready to let the world know. Please pray for our little one to keep growing strong.

I will update you all soon with more info and maybe even share some pictures. :)

Back To Reality...

2010-03-04T11:32:00.003-06:00

It is always sad getting back to the grind after vacation. Mexico was great, really relaxing, and just what we needed. The weather was not as warm as I would have liked (hence why I am still pretty pale), it has been one crazy winter so unpredictable, so I guess Mexico is no different. I will post some pictures as soon as I get everything sorted out at home.

We have been back home for 5 days and the only thing I have done is unpack. I wish I could say it is because I have been lazy, but I have been sick. It's been a rough week for me and I am starting to feel a little better. Thank God for my husband, he has been taking care of me, the house, and our puppy. He has endured my crabbiness, puking, crying, and even a hospital visit. He is such a trooper.

Well that's my short post. Bye for now.

30 Minutes Left........

2010-02-19T11:24:00.002-06:00

I leave work soon and then going home to pack. Mexico bound tomorrow AM. See you all in a week!!!!

What Do You Want To Know???

2010-02-18T12:34:00.002-06:00

Ask me anything! I saw a few other bloggers do it and it sounds like fun. Is there anything you would like to know about me or my hubs Ryan? ANYTHING goes! Just ask!

Swap Loot

2010-02-18T12:07:00.007-06:00

Last week I received a package in the mail from Taryn @ Mr. Jones and Me. She was my partner in the Simply Love Swap. I received lots of goodies and here is the proof! I just love getting stuff packages in the mail and this one was definitely a great one.

This bowl was filled to the brim with Starbursts and Snicker courtesy of Taryn (I already had some jelly beans in there). My husband would also like to thank Taryn as he is the one that enjoyed these delightful treats more often than I did. Can you tell he does not eat the yellow Starbursts. Ha!

Here is the rest of my loot, I definitely hit the jackpot! (2 headbands, lip gloss, hand cream, and very soft socks infused with shea butter.)

Taryn, thanks soooooooooooo much for everything, great choices, it was as if you you knew me or something.

Also, a shout out to Katie for putting this together it was really fun!

And it is Friday.....

2010-02-12T09:00:00.004-06:00

This week was long, really long, maybe it was the snow and the weather, but I am so thankful that Friday is finally here.

Today I only have a half day of work. Hopefully sometime this afternoon I can get Brodie in to get him groomed, he is long overdue. My hubby wants to attend the boat show after dinner and then he has a late night hockey game. I really don't think I will make it out for that one, to late for this old lady. Ha!

Tomorrow is the big Mardi Gras thing in STL, but we will not be going. The only reason I like to go is to catch up with so many people that come in town for it that I have not seen for awhile, but truthfully it's not my thing. So the hubby and I are having another couple and their little boy Grant over to have dinner and do a movie night. Now that is my kinda thing.

Sunday is Valentine's Day! So we will be doing a dinner and maybe even a movie. We don't have reservations yet so who knows where we are going.

Look for my post on Monday about all the wonderful goodies I received in the mail from Taryn from the Love Swap, she spoiled me!

Have a great weekend everyone and a Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Not So Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T13:14:00.003-06:00

Something I am trying to remember and hold on to:

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

It's Overwhelming Sometimes....

2010-02-09T11:11:00.003-06:00

Lately I have been thinking a lot about life and what I really want and what life has in store for my husband and I. The good thing is that both of us are on the same pages and want the same things. The bad part is that the deepest desire we have may never come true. Truthfully, it makes my heart ache just thinking about it.

I try to keep a positive attitude and talk it over with God. Sometimes I feel so bad because lately this topic seems to comprise a large deal our "conversations."

I don't know what is right or how I should handle it, but I can't seem to shake the fear and really want to get some outside advice. My husband is a lot more positive and doesn't have this fear I do or if he does he is being strong for me.

How do you deal with similar feelings like this? I want to overcome this and just let God's will be, but I find myself almost begging at times.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest, it fills my mind all day, so I figure it may help actually typing it out.

Countdown.............

2010-02-08T13:17:00.004-06:00

12 days until Mexico can you tell that I am so excited or what?

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-04T11:26:00.000-06:00

I think this will be a good way to participate in Kelly's run on Simple Pleasures.

There are a lot of things I am thankful for and I could go on and on, but today let's address those simple pleasures that just give you that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

*When my family comes and visits us.
They only live about 45 minutes away, but I get so excited when any of them come to visit. Besides just the fact that I miss them, I think I love it so much because they are getting to see my life. When I go there it is my childhood home and things that are familiar to us all. But when they come here they get to see what is also familiar to me now. Sounds kinda silly I know, but I love it.

*When my dog cuddles up to me in the early morning.
He usually sleeps by my husband, I think this is because I roll all the time and it annoys his peaceful slumber. But in the morning after Ryan gets out of bed Brodie sometimes gets under the covers and rests in the curve of stomach. It makes me melt.

*When I let someone in during traffic.
I just love the feeling of being nice, it puts a smile on my face, so I do it every chance I get. I don't think I could be a mean driver if I wanted to be.

*When my husband sends me a romantic or cute text just because.
I love the surprise element, it makes my heart smile.

*When my nephew tells me he misses me on the phone.
Okay who wouldn't love to hear the words "Aunt Licia it's been forever since I have seen you (this was 4 days) I miss you. Can you please come here right now?"

*When I take a warm bubble bath.
It is so relaxing to sit there with with a yummy smelling candle, some bubbles, and a good book and just get away.

*When the sun is shining.
I don't think I ever realized how much my attitude depends on this. Lately there has not been much sunshine and it is bringing me down. This lady needs sunshine.

*When I hold a baby.
I love the feeling of little baby in my arms. I can feel my heart swell. It reminds me each time how much I want to be a mother, I hope that God has it in his plans for me.

Praise!!! It's Friday!!!

2010-01-29T09:49:00.001-06:00

This week was so long, I am not sure why, but it lasted a lifetime it seems. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend, but unfortunately it will probably be alone. The hubs is most likely heading to the lake with his buddy and dad to check on the boat and help out with some work that needs to be done on his friend's lake house. I am glad that he is able to help them out, but I am going to be so bored. Especially if it snows like they predict, then I won't be leaving the house.

Speaking of the impending weather, if we get enough snow they will likely not go. It is wrong that I am praying for lots and lots of snow. I know! Shame on me!!!

If nothing else I know I will enjoy my weekend watching TV, snuggling with my pup, and dreaming of our trip to Mexico in 22 days!

Have a fun and safe weekend everyone. :)

Do You Ever................................

2010-01-26T16:30:00.001-06:00

just feel so blah? That is how I have been feeling the last few days. I cannot really pinpoint any concrete reasons why (there are a few things I think about a lot but nothing serious). I am so distracted and just don't get excited about much.

Anyone else go through this? Maybe it's the weather. I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me, just want to know what helped you if you experienced this.

Thanks!

Just Wanna Say....

2010-01-22T14:38:00.001-06:00

Mexico in 29 days. I am so excited!

And on even more important note........

Happy Birthday Hubby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight we are going to a piano bar with some of our friends. I sure hope I last I have not been out in so long. I'm old lol. :)

Have a good weekend everyone!

I've come to realize... I have writer's block...so...........

2010-01-20T10:49:00.001-06:00

I’ve come to realize that my job. . .is not all that bad, but goodness I would totally rock the whole stay at home wife thing, lol.

I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving. . .if I don't have music on I can drive myself crazy with all my "thinking."

I’ve come to realize that I need. . .8 hours of sleep, otherwise I am pretty much useless.

I’ve come to realize that I have lost. . .patience in people being rude. I used to be one of the most forgiving people I know, however now I give someone a few chances and then pretty much decide it's not worth my frustration. I know this sounds harsh, but it is also not cool to walk all over someone. I guess I need to find a happy medium...

I’ve come to realize that I hate it when. . .I can't concentrate. I have been having this issue not sure what is wrong with me. ADD?

I’ve come to realize that money. . .is the root of all evil. People spend their lives attaining it or things and not really living. It's sad and we are all guiltly at one time or another.

I’ve come to realize that certain people. . .will only think about themselves. It's unfortunate, but I cannot change them, they must want to change.

I’ve come to realize that I’ll always. . .be late. "It is my thing." It also drives my husband crazy. Whoops!

I’ve come to realize that my sibling(s). . .are not only my sisters but my best friends.

I’ve come to realize that my mom. . .is the most selfless person I know. She has always given and never expected anything in return. It's funny when one day it all hits you and you realize what your mom has done for you. It amazes me, she amazes!

I’ve come to realize that my cell phone. . .is with me always. If it is not available I freak out and feel lost.

I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning. . .that I should have went to bed earlier.

I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep. . .that my husband is worlds fastest fall "asleeper" and I am the slowest, grr.

I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking. . .how much stuff I have to do at home this evening, but instead I am going to the hospital to meet my best friend's new baby girl Lillian.

I’ve come to realize that my dad. . .is the hardest working person I know, seriously.

I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook. . .that I can spend hours on it and not really remember what I did.

I’ve come to realize that today. . .is hump day. Just 2 more work days till the weekend.

I’ve come to realize that tonight. . .I will meet Lillian. 2 of the 4 besties now are mommies. So happy for them!

I’ve come to realize that tomorrow. . .is payday!

I’ve come to realize that I really want to . . .just come home from work one night and do nothing, nothing at all.

I’ve come to realize that life. . .has a funny way of working out and so far I am fine with how it has worked out.

I’ve come to realize that this weekend. . .is in 2 days, but they are never long enough, even when it is long.

I’ve come to realize that my friends. . .are numerous, but if I am being honest I would only consider a few of them "true" friends. This may seem mean, but as I get older I realize there are those friends that you enjoy catching up with and hanging out with, but there are those "true" friends that you can go to whenever times are hard and they are the first you tell when times are great.

I’ve come to realize that this year. . .will be a year of emotions for me.

I’ve come to realize that my husband. . .makes my heart smile and is a really good cuddler. :)

I’ve come to realize that maybe I should. . . .revist my NY resolutions weekly, I am easily distracted. Again this ADD thing.

I’ve come to realize that I love. . .reading, it is so relaxing.

I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand. . .a lot of things.

I’ve come to realize my past. . .made me am who I am, but I can still choose who I want to be to be today and tomorrow.

I’ve come to realize that parties. . .are not as much fun as they were before. I am more of a low key kinda girl. I really have to be in the mood for a party.

I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified. . .of losing my mom and my husband. It is not that everyone else is not important, but I know that I would be okay. It is hard to imagine my life without these two.

I’ve come to realize that my life. . .is my own and I am the only one that can decide what I will make of it, with the help of God of course.

Something FUN!!!!

2010-01-19T12:35:00.006-06:00

Katie at Loves of Life is hosting a fun little swap to celebrate Valentine's Day! Go ahead and sign up for the Simply Love Swap!

In Katie's words - This swap is all about the little things us ladies *simply love* in our daily lives. Valentines Day reminds us of all the ones we love: spouses, children, parents, siblings, pets, etc---but why not our blogging bff's too? Let's let each other in on the 2-14 fun, too. Besides, getting a package filled with things you simply love the week of Valentines will tickle-you-silly and make you feel special beyond belief.

Come join the fun!!!!!!!!!!

My 10 for 2010

2010-01-05T09:26:00.005-06:00

Every year I make some new year's resolutions and maybe keep one or two of them. This year I am bound and determined to succeed. I thought that in order to succeed I will need to be specific in exactly what I want to accomplish. So here they are in no particular order.

1. I love to read, but rarely get the free time to do so, but this year I would like to read the Old Testament front to back by the end of the year.

2. Be a better wife. I am by no means an awful one, but I do admit that if I am having a bad day I usually take it out on him. Not cool I know. :( He does not know about this one, but I will be checking in with him (nonchalantly) periodically on how I am doing. He is always honest with me so this one should be easy to gauge. To help myself I have started reading "The Power of a Praying Wife" and also purchased "Created to Be His Help Meet" and the journal to go with it. I will start these after I finished reading the first.

3. Eat healthy. I do this for the most part, especially at breakfast and lunch, but my biggest pitfall is dinner. I get it in my head that I have been "good" all day so I should get to have whatever I want for dinner. I think dieting has done this to me. I deprive myself of things that I like and then finally just pig out on them. So my plan now is to eat what I want but in moderation. I will just aim to eat balanced meals and snacks throughout the day and watch my portions. This one will be the most difficult to measure, but it goes hand in hand with # 4.

4. Lose weight. This is one I have every year and I usually do, but always gain it back. I would like to lose 10 pounds by 5/1/10 and keep it off.

5. Work out. I still cannot figure out why I do not do this consistently cause I actually enjoy the way I feel after I do it (except for the whole out of breath thing lol). I would like to get to where I work out 3 times a week on a consistent week to week basis. I plan to use a journal to monitor this. This one will also help with #4.

5. Pay off debt. I have tallied up all our bills and set a plan to have everything (besides our cars and house) paid off by the end of the summer. This is one my hubs and I both have as a resolution. We want to be in a position once we have decided to have children that I can stay home or at least work part time if that is what we decide is best.

6. Spend less money! I plan to keep a file of what I spend money on, it seems all the little things add up to a lot. So I am going to find out what those are and weed as much of it out as possible. This one is not entirely measurable, but will reflect in # 7.

7. Save! This one should happen if I complete # 5 and succeed with # 6. I want to have $10K saved by the end of 2010.

8. Continue building my relationship with God. I would like to spend more time with him each day. This one is not exactly measurable, but will certainly be noticeable to me.

9. Stay in touch with friends. I am lucky that my friends and I can pick up where we left off, but we usually do go awhile without talking. This is especially true with my high school friends. They are still some of my best friends, but we live further apart so we don't get the time together that we once took for granted. My goal is to talk to at least two of my friends weekly. It does not have to be a long call, but anything time will allow. This also includes family that I don't talk to as much since I have moved to the MO side.

10. Get in to work early. Sounds simple I know, but I have a horrible time getting up in the morning. The snooze button is my best friend. I currently get in to work between 8 and 8:30. By June I would like to get in the office by 7 every morning. This will require 8 hours of sleep so I will need to start getting to bed by 9:30 or 10 at the latest.

So here is my 10 for 10. Wish me luck!

Hope you all have a blessed and healthy 2010!!!!!

I'm Bad

2009-12-23T17:51:00.004-06:00

I know I have been a very "absent" blogger these days. Between work, graduation, holiday preparation and parties, I can't find time for much else.

I promise starting next week I will back and I am so excited to catch up on everything in my blogger friends' lives.

I just wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

"Not Me Monday"

2009-11-16T10:41:00.003-06:00

I did not wish for the Friday workday to be over so I could get a manicure and pedicure. While getting the pedicure I did not fall asleep and had to be woke up by the lady doing my pedicure.

On Saturday I did not sleep in far too long so that I was unable to finish laundry and pay the bills.

On Saturday I did not go to dinner with my mom, sister, and nephew and eat an obscene amount of food.

I did not also get some oh so yummy Cold Stone Creamery after we went to a movie.

I did not rub my sister's little baby bump because I hear that really annoys ladies that are expecting.

I did not procrastinate all day on Sunday to finish my paper for class. I also did not waste time on Facebook while I was supposed to be writing my paper.

I would never do these things. ;)

Happy Monday Everyone!

Not Outnumbered Yet....

2009-11-13T13:11:00.003-06:00

Remember this post where I shared the news of my lil sister expecting her 2nd child? Well on Wednesday evening she called and she is having a boy! I am not gonna lie I was secretly hoping for a girl (is that horrible of me?) but nonetheless I am so excited about the Mr.'s arrival in April. Either way Aunt Alicia was sure to spoil our newest family member like crazy. So the count is now 3 nephews and 1 niece. My dad is loving it. He was "blessed" with 3 girls, now he says the males are finally catching up. So far though us girls are hanging on my 1, we are not outnumbered yet........we shall see what happens in the years to come.

Britt does not have a name picked out yet and she is asking me for some suggestions, any ideas????

I will leave you will a joke, I have never heard this one, I'm sure it is old, but I thought it was kinda cute.

Why was Piglet crying?

Because he flushed Pooh.

Okay so maybe it is not pee your pants funny, but it got a giggle out of me.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's Bunco Time

2009-11-12T16:04:00.004-06:00

Tonight I am hosting my very first Bunco night. My SIL and I started a group a few months back and this month it is my turn to host. It is awesome girl time!

Here is the menu:
Meatballs
Tuna Dip w/Wheat Thins
Layered Pizza Dip w/ Townhouse crackers
Party Rye Breads
Artichoke Cheese Dip w/ Pita or Bagel Chips
Pumpkin Pie Dip w/graham crackers

Ha, I just noticed that I am making a lot of dips. Oh well, I just hope that everything turns out edible. I am not much a cook. I am really trying to get better for my husband's sake. Wish me luck!

One More Day......

2009-11-04T14:18:00.005-06:00

Tomorrow I work a half day and then we are flying out to Chicago until Sunday. I am so excited because I have not been able to go there just for fun at all. I always hear how much fun it is and how the shopping is amazing, I cannot wait. We are going with another couple and staying at The Sax.

We plan to do a lot of perusing the Magnificent Mile, well at least us girls will, I doubt the guys will be interested for too long. I wish I would have planned for this a lot longer since I don't have much extra money for all the goodies I know I will find. I guess we shall see how much trouble I get myself in to with my credit card. I am going to really try to be a good girl. ;)

So this will be my last post until Monday unless I happen to blog from my phone.

I will leave you all with a picture of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell from Halloween. Hope everyone has a good rest of the week and weekend.

As I promised........just a little delay

2009-11-03T15:01:00.005-06:00

I know that this was supposed to be for Silent Sunday, but I inadvertently lost my cord for my camera. I found it last night so here is the before and after of the kitchen cabinet area.

Before:

After:

Close up of the tile:

This reminds me that I did not take a picture of the basement bathroom with the linoleum, old vanity, and tiolet. I will take a picture tonight of the bathroom as it is now and then will post the finished product in December. I can't wait!

Back on the Saddle

2009-10-30T12:57:00.008-05:00

First I want to apologize to those that read my blog. It has been way to long and I have missed blogger land oh so much. I had to take a long break to be able to get through a huge project for grad school, work trips, and long hours at work. The trips are done (at least for this year), the project is done, now I just have a few more assignments due and in 5 weeks I will be done with grad school, woo hoo!!!! The end of the year is always crazy at work, but I'm getting used to that.

Other than the stuff I mentioned above the hubs and I are remodeling our basement bathroom. I am so excited and everything was coming together smoothly until we went to order the vanity and what do you know, it is on back order until mid December. Grrr, now we are waiting.......I am so ready for it to be done. Honestly, I am most disappointed because I was hoping to have it done before I hosted Bunco at my house in a few weeks so I could show all the girls. :(

Here is the pesky, but oh so lovely vanity:

My birthday has also passed and Ryan surprised me with a gift that I love, love, love. Okay so maybe that is a little dramatic, but I was really excited to say the least. It goes back to our Destin trip this summer. Everyone was on Duval St. looking in this sunglasses store. I found this pair that I really liked. So Ryan tells me to try them on. The lady takes them out of the glass case and hands them to me, I put them on, look in the mirror, and I am in love. They are so cute! Ryan thinks they look great too and he all of a sudden agrees to buy them for me UNTIL we looked at the whopping price tag. They were Roberto Cavalli's, well to me that meant nothing, but apparently that means expensive. So months has passed and Ryan happens to see them at Solstice in the mall and they are still pretty expensive, but not quite as much as they were in FL. The lady informs him that if he signs up on their emailing list he will receive a 25% coupon in his email in 2 weeks as part of the friends and family event they would be having. So all in all he does all this and I get these so, so cute lil things for my birthday:

I am one lucky gal to have such a great hubby, I am touched that even remembered them let alone bought them for me! Too bad it has rarely been sunny hardly here in MO for the last few weeks.

In a few weeks we will find out what my sister is having. She is due April 10th. I am secretly hoping for a girl (right now I have 2 nephews and 1 niece), but really all I pray for is a healthy baby. My nephew Landon is 3 and he can't seem to decide what he would rather have, one day it is a baby sister, the next it is a baby brother, once he even said both were in his mommy's belly. He is so stinkin cute. Once I know I will share the news with you all and of course start visiting Etsy even more frequently. :)

This weekend is Halloween and we are attending a party at my friend's sister's bar. An 80's band from St. Louis called Johnny Rock-Itt will be there. It should be a blast, I am ready to dance the night away. Also, it is a costume party and Ryan and I are going as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. Do not ask me how I convinced him to go as Peter Pan. There will be pictures to follow next week!

On Sunday I will showcase our newly remodeled kitchen. Really all we did was add little glass tiles on the backdrop of the counter tops, but I am very happy with the results so stay tuned.

Have a Happy Halloween and a wonderful weekend!

I'm Alive Folks!

2009-09-18T09:44:00.005-05:00

Wow, it has been over two weeks since I have posted. Sorry for all of those that read my blog (all 5 or less of you ha!). I have been boring. :(

Life has been pretty hectic, needless to say. Work is crazy busy, so I have been working a lot of hours. I also started school again (my last MBA class EVER) so in my time away from work I have been dedicating it to school work.

Also, on the 4th we found out that my sister Brittany is expecting again. Landon is 3 so it really is the perfect difference in age, however she was really trying to get things in her life in order, so it was not something that she had planned. Obviously God had different plans. Her and her fiance were really shocked, especially since she was using birth control. She is now the 4th person I know that has conceived while using Nuva Ring. So ladies if you are using it, just wanted to give you a heads up. They found out when she went to the doctor for blood work, due to the fact that she had passed out 2 times. We still do not know how far along she is, apparently on the Nuva Ring you can be pregnant but it still lets you have light periods. I am not sure why it takes so long to get in to an OB-GYN for the first ultrasound. I really want to know how far along she is. Despite the surprise we are all really excited and blessed to have another little one in the family. I am ready to be an aunt again. Please pray for Britt as she has been really sick with this pregnancy. She was really sick with Landon too and actually lost 15 lbs before she starting feeling better. She is so skinny already (120 lbs) she cannot afford to lose that much weight again. I am praying every day that everything will okay with the baby since we was still using BC while pregnant.

I know it is long overdue, but in my anniversary post I promised to let you all know the details of our anniversary gifts.

I got the hubby a Kenny Chesney coolie cup (cotton is the theme for the 2nd anniversary) and inside were tickets to the last stop of Kenny Chesney's Sun City Carnival Tour and a hotel for the weekend. Ryan loves KC so he was thrilled. I also got him a few shirts, since he seems to wear the same things over and over again. This weekend is the concert so we are heading to Indy Saturday morning. I will post pics and let you all know how it went next week.

For my gift Ryan got me an identical ring to match my wedding band. So now I have a band on each side of my engagement ring. I was so excited! I have a picture below of what it looks like now. He also bought me a few work shirts, since I had been complaining of needing new work shirts.

This Sunday when we get home from Indy I get to unpack and the re-pack for a business trip to GA. This is the first time I will be away from Ryan for a whole week. Usually it is just for a day or so. I am worried about how I will sleep, it is really hard for me to sleep without him next to me. I know it is corny, but it is the truth. This is the longest we have been away from each other in about 3 years. I am going to miss him, but thankfully it will be a busy week. I am also nervous about traveling alone. I tend to get lost a lot so wish me luck and pray that I will not get lost. LOL!

Pray for Little Maxwell

2009-09-18T09:34:00.002-05:00

Meet the oh so precious and tiny Maxwell. He was born premature at 27 weeks, he is the nephew of Whitney . The little guy is being so brave and strong and he needs everyone to continue praying for him to grow big and strong. Thank you!

2 Years....Wow The Time Has Flown!

2009-09-01T09:20:00.012-05:00

Today has been 2 years to the day since my sweet husband and I were married. It definitely does not seem like it has already been two years, it feels as though it was yesterday. I am certainly a lucky girl to have Ryan as my husband. In these past two years we have made so many memories and shared so many firsts with each other. I will treasure these moments forever and look forward to creating many more memories each year with my hubby and best friend!

This evening after I get home from taking my final we will exchange gifts. I am so excited to give him his. Tomorrow I will let you all know how it goes. Tomorrow we are also going out to dinner to Eleven Eleven Mississippi, we have heard so many great things about it and I am so ready to eat some yummy food.

Here is a little recap of that wonderful day 2 years ago...

My niece Madison and I

My Girls

The Guys

My handsome husband

My nephew Landon

Melts my heart

The Vows :)

And we kiss

This cracks me up (notice the guy's face holding my veil)

Yummy cake

"Lost in This Moment"

The dancing begins.....

The ring bearer is so tired...

My sorority sisters singing "I Hope You Dance"

And the dancing continues...

The final song of the night :(

And I just like this one :)

Taking A Little Break

2009-08-24T10:32:00.005-05:00

Well, today is the halfway point for my fall intersession class and I have a 15 page paper due next Monday and then on Thursday will be the final. So needless to say this week I really need to crack down on writing my paper and studying. Especially since this weekend I am going to visit a friend in Cape G on Friday and then on Saturday we have a wedding to attend. This will not leave me much time for school related stuff. So due these unfortunate tasks I have decided to take a little break from blogland and facebook, because lets just be honest it is almost impossible to just jump on here for a second. So I will catch up with you all next week. :)

I will leave you with some pics from my Etsy purchases. Goodness the baby stuff you can find there is so adorable!

Love This New Song!

2009-08-20T11:11:00.003-05:00

"Fight Like A Girl" by Bomshel

Little girl alone on the playground
Tired of gettin' teased and gettin' pushed around
Wishin' she was invisible
To them

She ran home cryin'"Why do they hate me?"
And Mama wiped the tears and said
"Baby, you're brave and you're beautiful
So, hold your head high
Don't ever let 'em define
The light in your eyes
Love yourself, give them Hell
You can take on this world
You just stand and be strong
And then fight
Like a girl

"At 31 she was wheelin' and dealin'
Kept on hittin' that same glass ceilin'
She was never gonna be one of the boys, no.
She coulda gave up on her ambition
And spent the rest of her life just wishin'
Instead she listened to her mama's voice sayin'

"Hold your head high.
Don't ever let 'em define
The light in your eyes
Love yourself, give them Hell
You can take on this world
You just stand and be strong
And then fight
Like a girl

"Oh, with style and grace
Kick ass and take names

Ten years of climbin' that ladder
Oh, but money and power don't matter
When the doctor said "the cancer spread"
She holds on tight to her husband and babies
And says "this is just another test God gave me
And I know just how to handle this

"I'll hold my head high
I'll never let this define
The light in my eyes
Love myself, give it Hell
I'll take on this world
If I stand and be strong
No, I'll never give up
I will conquer with love
And I'll fight
Like a girl

Google it and take a listen. :)

Brodie's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-08-19T10:39:00.006-05:00

Wow, my 2nd post of the day, I'm on a roll.

And yes, we had a party for our dog. He is a bit spoiled! :) By the way do not mind the way I look, I just gone done working out.

The peanut butter cake from Three Dog Bakery

Elphaba and "Grandpa"
Elphaba and BugsyMe determined to put Brodie's bday hat on...

He is hiding becuase he is scared of the hat...

Me cracking up and Brodie trying to escape...

Brodie with his "cousins" Elphaba and Bugsy

Brodie enjoying his piece of cake

He loves it...

So does Elphaba, she scarfed it down in 30 seconds...

So yummy...

Licking his chops afterwards...

Some Randomness....

2009-08-19T09:38:00.009-05:00

So after tomorrow (I have tonight off) I will be halfway through my fall intersession class, only 2 more weeks. Can I a whoop, whoop!! I am glad that it is flying by, but then I remember that I still have a 15 page paper to write and a final to take. Let's hope these both go smoothly.
I have everything for the hubby's anniversary present bought and just waiting on 2 more items to arrive in the mail. I am so glad that I do not have class today because 1 of them is scheduled to arrive late this afternoon and I know he will know what it is if he see the package. I will fill everyone in on what he is getting once it all has arrived. The bummer part is I have class the evening of our anniversary, boo.

One of my best friend's had a baby girl at the end of July. It was so exciting for my close knit group of friends since she was the first one. I did a little shopping on Etsy to get her a few personalized things since they did not find out what they were having and everything they have right now is pretty gender neutral. It is a crime if a little girl does not have pink galore! The stuff I ordered arrived yesterday so I am going to take some pics of them and post it tomorrow so be on the look out. I know that I would not be able to not find out, it would drive me crazy, I guess I am too much of a planner.

This weekend we are going to the lake. I am hoping for great weather. I just want to lay out on the boat and relax!

Last here a some photos from this year of me with some of favorite people(I finally downloaded them all to my computer and added them to FB and Myspace.)

Me and my lil sis

Jenny Lynn and I @ St. Patty's Day

Me and the hubby after the PBR

Laurie and I on her bachelorette party

Stacey and I @ the Hermen's wedding

Hubby and I @ the All Star Game

Ryan riding the carousel with Landon @ the Coal Fest

Tricia and I @ the lake

Me and my lil sis @ the lake

We love each other :)

My family eating dinner @ the lake

This is a pic of our future baby from the gene machine @ Dave & Buster's

Need To Vent...

2009-08-13T11:11:00.005-05:00

So on Tuesday evening after work I was on my way to class and I received a call from my husband. He started off the conversation pretty casually and then broke out with "I have a question for you about something." I thought, "This is not good", because usually this is something he wants to asks and already knows my answer will be no.

Then he says "So I was talking with my parents and they are wanting to rent a condo at the lake next summer also and was wondering if instead of us getting a 2 bedroom condo like this year, if we we would instead like to get a 3 bedroom with them and split it." Immediately I said "I would rather not."

I have several reasons for this, all of which I explained to him. One being they go to bed so early and when we go to the lake we generally stay up pretty late. Next summer may be the last one before kiddos and I want to enjoy it without worrying about bothering them. Right now they come down everyone once in awhile to stay with us and so it works out. Plus, his parents are already looking for a boat. We have one (which is why we rent the condo for the summer) and generally invite friends, or my family, or his family down with us when go. I assume his parents will want to invite people too once they have a boat. I just think it will be too hectic trying to plan who is going to invite who what weekend so that we can be sure we have enough room.

So now my husband is upset with me. He has barely spoke to me for the last 2 days. I am so frustrated because I feel like he should really understand why I feel this way. I think that if he would just get past the saving money part, he would see it my way too. It is not like we are going to spend more next year than we are used to, since we will be doing just exactly what we did this year. I know his parents and I know they will probably think that I just don't want them down there now, but that is far from the truth. Honestly, I would think they should understand the points I had made and would not have even asked in the first place. Especially since his dad brought it up casually a few weeks back and I told him that I would rather not. I just want our own place (like we have been doing) to enjoy as we please. I know they were probably upset when he told them that I had said I did not want to it the way he suggested. I know he does not want to upset them, but we are supposed to be a team and he is not even trying to see it from the point of view of what would be best for us. And I think that by not talking to me is not going to help matters.

I know this will pass any day, but I want to say something to him about what I am feeling, but do not know exactly how to say so that he sees that I understand his point of saving money, but this is what is best for us. Any suggestions? Am I being unreasonable?

Wordless Wednesday: Cab Ride Jam Session

2009-08-12T09:27:00.008-05:00

Update on Josh

2009-08-12T09:18:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the prayers everyone, it seems to be working! Josh is no longer in coma and his brain scans came back and the doctors are now more optimistic. They think he has a really good chance to make a full recovery. So we are continuing to pray he will not have any brain damage and to give him the strength to keep on fighting. He is definitely a true fighter. The road will long and hard, he has broken vertebrae in neck and back, broken ribs, broken jaw, and broken foot. But all the same everyone is so thankful that things are starting to look up. Heck, yesterday one of his buddies was there talking to him and joking around with him and Josh managed to flip him off. Such a simple thing, but it really shows that he is understanding what is going on around him even though he can't communicate yet. Praise God!!! Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Prayers Needed

2009-08-10T11:07:00.001-05:00

Please pray for my friend Josh. He is from my hometown in Illinois and was in a motorcycle accident on Saturday and is in ICU. He is still in coma and right now no one is sure that he will make it. Please pray, pray, pray for his strength to help him pull through this. Please also keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. I am pretty bummed right now, I just don't understand why bad things happen to good people. I know God has a plan, but at times like this it is so hard to understand. We all appreciate your prayers.

Back To It......

2009-08-10T10:54:00.004-05:00

So this week I start back to grad school. It is not actually the fall semester yet, but what they call fall intersession. Basically this is a 4 week class. So I will be going 3 times a week. So between work and school I will not be doing much else this next month. Oh I pray it goes by fast. I am hoping to get through this painlessly and will just keep my eye on the prize. After this class I just have 1 more. I will start this right after the fall intersession is over, but I will only be going once a week. This means I will be done with school forever in December, unless someday I decide to completely change careers or something. I am so excited to be done!

Key West In Pictures

2009-08-04T17:04:00.014-05:00

These are all pics from my SIL's camera, I still have yet to upload mine (I know by now I have at least a bazillion pics from this year on my camera that need uploaded to my computer). Next post I will give a little more insight in to the vacay.

Room

View from room

Shower

We went on a pub crawl and so we wanted pics of all the places we went. :)

Matt and Melissa (Ryan's brother and his wife)

Laurie and Cory (Ryan's sister and her husband)

Right behind here is where Jimmy Buffets records all his albums

Enough said!

My fav

The whole gang in the world's smallest bar
The End. :)

Question

2009-08-04T16:45:00.003-05:00

So everyone else always using these linky things in their blogs and then people can click on them. For example instead of showing the full link http://justanotherdayinmyparadise.blogspot.com/, it would say Alicia, and you click on it and it takes you to my blog. I know I am challenged, I cannot figure out how to do it....please help!

First Bloggy Award

2009-07-29T14:51:00.005-05:00

I was excited when I returned from vacation and saw that I had received my first blog award from Lyryn @ http://lyrynyacoe.blogspot.com/. She has an awesome blog that I love to read. I think she actually found my blog first, but I am so glad because I love reading her blog and looking at all the wonderful photographs she takes. Thanks a bunch Lyryn!

Honest Scrap Award

I am supposed to pass this along to 4 people. I made this decision based on picking some of the blogs that I love reading and those that are "real" with us in the bloggy world, so here I go:

1. Mika "That's What She Said" @ http://mrskit.blogspot.com/

2. Kara "A Day in the Hay" @ http://mrsdirnberger.blogspot.com/

3. Leigh "Sturdy Yet Fragile" @ http://mrsdirnberger.blogspot.com/

4. Alaina "Three Ladies and a Dad" @ http://www.threeladiesandadad.com/

Along with passing this along to 4 bloggers I also must list 10 things about myself that you all may not know. I will do my best. :)

1. My favorite type of food is seafood. I love it all!

2. I'm terrified of losing my mother. It's not that I love her more than anyone else in my family, but the idea of losing her literally scares me to death.

3. In Key West I bought my dog Brodie a shirt that says "Margaritas Make my Tail Wag", I love dressing him in little t-shirts.

4. My favorite show is "One Tree Hill", I am addicted and cannot wait for it to start up again.

5. I still eat Spaghettio's at the age of 24.

6. I hope to have at least one baby by the time my husband is 30.

7. I have a love/hate relationship with dieting. I actually love eating healthy and the results I get, but somehow I have a hard time sticking to it. I know it makes no sense.

8. I love the freedom that having my own job gives, but at the same time when we have kids I also have a strong desire to be a SAHM.

9. I am addicted to getting Mani/Pedis, my husband will never understand it.

10. I am a huge procrastinator. I actually have got worse as I got older, it's definitely a problem I need to work on.

Can't wait to read what the winners say in their 10 things!

Good News

2009-07-21T14:47:00.003-05:00

So my sister had her appt. with the hematologist on Friday and we are so happy to find out that she will be okay. Turns out that she has severe anemia. Because she had such a low blood level her red blood cells basically quite fighting infections. This is why she was sick so much and also why she got a severe double kidney infection. She is on medicine that will help her and will just have to regularly get her blood level checked. If she gets too low she will need to get another transfusion. While this may sound bad, it is a lot better than the other alternatives they gave us. They told us that her symptoms were common of blood cancer and leukemia. We were all so scared and I am so thankful that she is going to be okay.

Today is my last day of work and then tomorrow morning we fly out to Key West. I plan to take lots of pics to show everyone. I am so excited. Lots to do here at work and then at home before the departure so I better get to it!

A Little Bit of Fun

2009-07-15T11:37:00.003-05:00

Last night at the last second we decided to go downtown to join in on the All Star Game festivities. We figured we should enjoy the experience even if we could not go to the game like we would have loved, but couldn't since the tickets were a bazillion $$. What is it with these brokers and scalpers buying practically all the tickets and selling them for wayyyyyyyy over face value? It should be illegal I think. The cheapest tickets we saw online was like $450 a seat, which would actually go for about $30 or less. It is absurd! Ok off my rant...so we went to Mike Shannon's with a couple of people and just soaked in all in. We had such a good time and from where sat on the patio we could see half of the stadium seats since it is an open stadium. I really enjoyed the pregame stuff, and it was amazing how loud it was when everyone cheered on Albert Pujols. Hopefully it won't be another forty something years until the All Star Game comes back to the Lou, the hubs and I are going no matter what next time. I am so glad that we went, although I am a bit sleepy today at work. I am not used to going out during the week.

On another note, 5 more days of work and then we go to Key West. I am definitely ready for this little getaway. We have lots of stress and I almost considered not going, but we decided it is probably best to just enjoy ourselves a little. I am getting excited!

Just Don't Get It...

2009-07-14T10:32:00.005-05:00

Well I know I have been absent for awhile and I apologize, but I have been delaying this post, hoping that if I didn't actually write about it maybe it would not be reality. But then I decided that I would probably feel better if I just talked about how I feel.
There is certainly one thing I love about blogging, I can let it all out, I do not have to worry about hurting any one's feelings, being the strong one, and I can just shed all my fears. Even if no one reads this I will still feel better, that I am sure of.

It all started almost two weeks ago. I received a call from home that my older sister Jess was in the hospital for a severe kidney infection. She has been sick many times these last several months and now this. She is so tired all the time and really is not herself. Something was wrong, they knew that. After some tests, they found out her blood levels were in the 7's, which they should be in the 13's according to her weight (about 7% of body weight). The decision was made to give her two units (bags) of blood. She started to feel much better after getting the blood and being on antibiotics for the infection in her kidneys. So now they know she is losing blood somehow and just need to figure out why. They did several tests, none of which has told us why this is happening. She is now home, with her blood level in the 9's. She is seeing a hematologist on Friday. I hope we find some answers. I don't understand why everything takes so long, if she is this sick, why does it take so long to get in to the specialist? They have given us several reasons, several of which are very scary, so right now I would rather not put them in writing. Please pray for my sister, she is only 28, with two kids, I am just so scared for her and praying and hoping for everything to be okay.

Along with this, my husband's mom told us yesterday that her best friend found out that she has stage 3-4 cancer in her ovaries and it has spread all over down in that area. They told her she has 25% of living up to 5 years. Just last week she went to the doctor because she was having a pain in her stomach area, he told her it was nothing but indigestion, she got a second opinion and now knows she will be facing the biggest fight of her life. She is such a sweet person, I just don't get it.

Thanks for letting me get this all out. I really do feel a little better.

Update on the Couch to 5K

2009-07-01T14:28:00.003-05:00

So if you've been reading you know that I started this in late April.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I was doing really well and was halfway through week 5 and then busyness (is that a word?) struck. I completely slacked off. So now that I have pretty much lost most of the stamina from before, I decided I had to start over. So last week I began week #1, this is now week #2 and it is not as hard as before. I know the next few weeks will get harder. I will keep you all posted. :)

Is it Love??

2009-06-30T14:58:00.011-05:00

So today while I was having my lunch at my desk I decided to go on over to the Coach website to take a quick peak. This turned in to purchasing this....................

I know it is a little wild, but I really like it. So fun and summery. Generally, when I find something that I like online I will go to the store to check it out before I consider purchasing it. So many things look much better online that in "real life." But apparently this particular purse it only available in a few states. So I hope I like it and I cannot wait till it arrives. If it turns out I don't though, not much lost since it was free shipping.

On another note, only 2 days and 2 hours of work left this week. Is anyone else in a funk like me and dreads work? I usually am not like this, but right now I want to be anywhere but here.

Ok, back to shopping. :) My little sis said that for her birthday she would like a Coach purse (this is the main reason I went to the website) and I did find one I think is cute. My older sis and I would go halfsies on it. I think after work I will head to the store to see it in person. She will be 22, do you think this is a good fit?

Successful Weekend

2009-06-29T14:29:00.005-05:00

We had a great time at the lake this weekend. I got a little sunburnt though, seems I couldn't put the sunscreen on enough. It was a hot one, but the water made it perfect.
At the last minute my sister, her fiance, my nephew Landon, and my mom decided to come down. It was Landon's first time at the Ozarks and on a boat. He even rode the tube for a bit with his dad. He had so much fun. The little guy was tired by the end of the day. He kept saying everything was "super cool" he cracked me up. I need charge my camera and then load all my pictures to my computer so I can share some of this weekend. I know I said I was going to load all the bazillion pics from this year loaded, but I am slow. :) My goal is to have it done before we leave for the 4th of July weekend to the lake.
Speaking of the 4th it is usually my favorite weekend of the summer at the lake. There are lots of people there we know and of course fireworks.
Below are some pics of the photobooth from Ryan's sister's wedding. It was so fun!

Yum, Yum

2009-06-25T15:07:00.009-05:00

I am so ready for work to be done. Tonight I am meeting one of my friends that I met at good ole SEMO for some sushi downtown. Not to mention they also have an amazing happy hour too. Sushi, drinks, girl time...what more can a girl ask for? I get so excited when I get to go eat Sushi because the hubs is not a fan. I did discover another sushi restaurant downtown that serves sushi and amazing burgers. So I am getting to eat it more now than before, since there is something there he will eat. But needless to say the anticipation is building for my sushi date.
Happy Thursday everyone!

This is just a pic of me and the hubs on the trolley for his sister's wedding.

A Few Things

2009-06-25T08:31:00.003-05:00

So I know it has been awhile since I blogged, I know I suck. :)

1. So last night was my last night of summer class, so I am off until August. Two more classes left in the fall. Praise God!

2. I am so excited that we are going to the lake this weekend. It will be just Ryan and I this weekend. We have been so busy lately with weddings and such that we need some R&R and I am so thrilled it will be in the Ozarks. On a boat, basking in the sun, enjoying a few cocktails, then relaxing in the evening in our condo. Sounds perfect!

3. Next weekend we are going to the lake again for the long 4th of July weekend. We have six friends coming down and I am so stoked it is going to be a blast.

4. Ryan's sister's wedding was beautiful! We had a great time. They had this photo booth that was so fun to get in and take crazy pics. People got especially creative after a few cocktails! I promise I will post some pics later. I literally have over 200 pics from this year on my camera that I have yet to put on the computer. I am such a procrastinator.

5. Speaking of procrastinating, I am a quitter. :( Not only did I not complete the Couch to 5K, I also did not finish the 30 Day Shred. In my defense the last few weeks have been a killer, I barely had time for sleep. So I started the Couch to 5K over this week. I am determined to finish it and then in the fall I want to run my first 5K, who wants to do it with me???? I will start the 30 Day Shred once I have completed the Couch to 5K and am consistently running, I figure I burn myself out way too much and then end up not sticking with it so I am gonna try this approach.

6. I have baby fever. It seems like everyone I know is expecting. Ryan and I have talked about it, ALOT, but we will not be trying yet. I want to be a stay at home mom or at least only work part-time and we are not ready for that just yet.

7. Speaking of babies, I really want a little girl one day. Ryan's family is pretty much 99% boys. Out of all of his dad's brothers and his dad they had a total of 9 kids, only 1 was a girl and that was Ryan's sister. Gosh I sure hope that gives me some chance. As girly as I am I have always pictured having at least one girl.

8. Now that I have a few weeks off school it is back to the home improvement projects. They are all little things, since nothing major needs to be done anymore. Speaking of home improvements I never posted the pics of our house with the new hardwood. I will soon, I promise. One day I will just overload you all with nothing but photos.

9. Besides the lake we have a few more getaways planned for the summer; a float trip and Key West. I looking forward to checking out Ernest Hemingway's 6 toed cats. Weird, right?

10. My dream is to go to Ireland for a 2 week getaway. I know this is not something we will do in the near future, but how awesome would that be. What is your dream trip?

Ok, so I just keep rambling so I will wrap this up. I will try to be a little more consistent with my posts, I swear.

Procrastinating...

2009-06-09T18:10:00.003-05:00

So I need to do some major homework and go workout, but instead I read my emails. So I wanted to share two of my today favorite below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5NlXRqtiu0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK2OakMoW_c

BTW... I went on a workout hiatus two weeks ago when I started back up with classes. I find it it so much easier to stick to a workout routine when I only have work, not work and class. I usually start some type of workout routine on my school breaks, only slack off once class start back up. So I have decided that while I am still in school I will work out 3 days a week. My original plan was 5 days a week, but I find myself justifying not working out at all when I have already missed the first few days of the week and I know I won't meet the target of 5. So 3 it is. I have missed 2 weeks of the "Couch to 5K", I completed week 4, so today I am picking up on week 5, hopefully it does not kill me since I am sure I have lost some of my endurance. I also was doing the 30 Day Shred after my run for 2 weeks before I took my "break". I was still on level 1, apparently I have a hard time keeping up with Jillian Michaels. :( Well, I can't put it off any longer...wish me luck.

Monday Update

2009-05-04T10:01:00.003-05:00

This weekend was a whirlwind. It literally flew by. We spent all Friday evening finishing moving furniture and tearing up the carpets. Today the floor guy comes and starts sanding all the floors. By Thursday our hardwood floors will be done. He told us we should not start moving in furniture in until Saturday, but Ryan is in a wedding on Saturday and then Sunday is Mother's Day. It looks as if our house will be in disarray for a few extra days. We took several pics of the living room with carpet, for some reason we neglected to take pics of the hallway, our bedroom, and the spare bedroom also. I will post the before pics of the living room and the after pics of all the rooms next week sometime so stay tuned. :)

This past week my friend Tricia and I started the Couch to 5k. I heard about this from Whitney here in blogger land. We successful completed our first three workouts for week 1, tonight starts week 2. I am not a good long distance runner, I just can't believe that in 2 months I should be able to run 3 miles straight. As for getting in shape I am also back to following Weight Watchers. The pounds are not coming off as fast as I would like, but I am determined to stick to it. I would like to reach my mini-goal by June 19th. Then is when I plan to go through all of my clothes and get rid of whatever does not fit. It seems I have three sizes of clothes. My skinny ones, my regular ones, and my chubby ones. I am determined to get in those skinny clothes! Wish me luck and strength. Another motivation is boating season starts up Memorial Day weekend and I want to feel comfortable in my swimsuit. I am so excited for some fun weekends at the lake.

On another note the new job is going well. I am experiencing the learning curve, but this one is definitely slower paced than my old job and I so glad for less stress.

While the floors are getting refinished we are staying at Ryan's parents. It should be an interesting week to say the least. Please pray for me. :)

Well another random blog from me. Hope everyone has good week!

The Weekend Is Here!

2009-04-17T10:54:00.003-05:00

So it's Friday and I am so ready for the weekend. This evening we are going out for sushi and I am really looking forward to it. Tomorrow we have a wedding to attend for one of Ryan's friend's. It should be a busy, but fun weekend!

Another good bit of news is we are finally ripping up our carpet and getting the hardwood underneath refinished the first week of May. It is going to be a pain moving all the furniture and ripping up the carpet, but I will be so thrilled when the hardwood is done.

Also, last Thursday when I was cleaning I found my missing earring! It was on the carpet where I had been doing an ab workout the day I lost it. I was so excited and relieved.

Well I don't have very much time on here since I am busy getting lots of loose ends tied up for my current job since a week from today I will be starting my new one. This was a pretty random blog, oh well! :)

Bummed

2009-04-02T10:50:00.003-05:00

So yesterday when I went to take a shower, I go to remove my diamond studs from my ears to find that I was only wearing one earring. At that point I began searching the entire house. This has happened one other time and I found it easily in our bed. This time I could not find it anywhere. I then went on to call Ryan and have a tearful conversation relaying what happened. He did not take it as hard as I did. :) He was very understanding and said it was no big deal we would just replace it. But I am crushed. These were a gift from Ryan on our wedding day and I have been wearing them every single day since then. Another one just won't have the same meaning.

I prayed and prayed to find it. Today still nothing.

I know a few of you are Catholic on here and you have a Saint that you pray to help with lost things. I would appreciate any prayers! I know this is not a life threatening situation, but I would be so so happy to find it.

On another note, I love Brad Paisley's new song "Then."

Dress for Less?

2009-03-13T21:02:00.006-05:00

Is it possible? Of course!

One of my favorite places to shop is Body Central. They so much to choose from and I have never saw an item over $30.00. This dress is $26.50 and the earring are $6.

http://www.bodyc.com/

You can get this all for less than $35.00, tax and everything! I am so excited for spring and summer to bring out the dresses. They are so comfortable and cute!

Kiss Me I'm Irish.....No Seriously I Really Am.

2009-03-13T20:40:00.003-05:00

So right now I sprawled out on my husband vegging out on TV and bloggerland. I love Friday nights like these!

This afternoon I went to the salon to get my hair trimmed and some color. Went I said that I wanted that I wanted my hair trimmed I meant it, but somehow I ended up with about 3 inches cut off! Good thing it looks cute or I might not have been too forgiving to the stylist.

Tomorrow is the St. Patrick's Day parade in St. Louis and I am so ready. I have my green shirt and everything. :) I hope that the weather is nice.

Well just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful weekend. Well at least Alaina, cause she may be the only one that actually reads my blog (tell Jer we say hi). Hola!

It's Friday!

2009-03-06T12:58:00.003-06:00

Woo hoo!!!!!

Agenda:

Friday night we have a trivia night.

Saturday is errands and then we are heading to Illinois to celebrate my older sister's bday.

Sunday I have to work some overtime and I also am meeting with my school group to work on a group project.

Good news though no class this coming week, it's Spring Break. :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

March Goals

2009-03-03T12:00:00.003-06:00

So this was a post that I planned for February, but it never happened. So here I go..

1. Lose weight! By August 2008 I was two pounds from my goal weight. I was so excited, but then as the cold weather crept up so did the pounds. I lose all motivation in the winter. So for March my goal is to get back on track. I am not going to say I want to lose x amounts of weight, but just getting back to a healthy eating routine it my main goal.

2. This may sound weird, but right now I feel like a lazy bum. I know I am busy all the time, but at the same time I have no motivation to do the things I need to do. I get them done, but always at the last minute and it is torture. It is almost like I am depressed or something, Ryan has noticed a difference in me also. This month I want to be positive and try and get out of this funk I am in!

3. I am not what would be considered as super religious, but I do pray regularly and go to church. Something I would like to achieve this year is to continue strengthening my relationship with God. I feel like it is going well, I just have one problem. My husband, he has no desire to go to church, I do not think that he prays, and when he does go to church he complains that the sermons are boring. I know that he was not brought up the same way that I was and they only went to church on special occasions, but I want him to also have a strong relationship with God. When he did go to church with his family they always brought his Grandma with them. Now he associates church with her and he is overcome with grief each time he goes, because they were so close. Last weekend we went to church with his family because his Dad has joined their family church. When they played his Grandma's confirmation song his mom bawled. So this only strengthend his discomfort. I try to tell him that his grandma would not want him to feel this way. I know this is not something I can force and he has to want it also. Before we have kids I want us both to be good examples to our children. Does anyone has any suggestions? I am lost on how to help him.

I hope March will bring lots of warmer weather!

Seriously?.........

2009-03-03T11:54:00.003-06:00

So I feel as if I have wasted the last several Monday evenings of my life.

Let' go back...I was so excited to hear that Jason Meznick was going to be on The Bachelor because I thought he should have been the one Deanna picked. So as this season went on I was rooting for Melissa and Molly and then they ended up being the last two standing. By the finale Melissa was my pick, but either way I would have been pleased.

Then he picks Melissa and then on the aftershow he breaks off their engagement up on national TV and asks Molly for another chance. I could not believe it. I can understand that things do not work out sometimes, but by breaking up with her so publicly and then saying he wanted to be with Molly was a low blow. I thought he was a good guy....yeah not so much.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

He's My Love :)

2009-02-17T14:18:00.003-06:00

I saw this on Whitney's blog and decided to join in the fun.

The hubs, Ryan:

He's watching TV... what's he watching? He is a reality TV show junkie. Lately his favs are Judge Judy, The Bachelor (my fault), and American Idol, plus he watches Criminal Minds.
You're out to eat... what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? None, he doesn't eat salad.
What's one food he doesn't like? Well the the shorter answer would be listing what he does like. He does not eat a single vegetable! He is missing out.
You're out for a drink... he orders: Bud Light
Where did he go to high school? Oakville HS
What size shoe does he wear? 12
Does he have any tattoos? Nope
If he were to collect anything, it would be....? Coolie cups, yes seriously he does.
What is his favorite type of car? Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, lifted of course.
He could eat ______ everyday? Pizza
Favorite cereal? Honey Nut Cheerios
He wouldn't be caught dead wearing....? Well he really would wear anything for a laugh, he has a shirt that is aqua blue and says "Pool Boy" it is awful.
What is his sign? Aquarius
What is something I do that he wishes I wouldn't do? He wishes I would not let work stress me out, I am trying, really I am.
How many states has he lived in? One
What is his heritage? He told me Irish and German, so I will have to go with that.
You bake him a cake for his birthday. What kind does he want? He really does not like cake so he gets a cookie cake (basically a huge chocolate chip cookie) with "Happy Birthday Ryan" written on it in icing.
Did he play sports in high school or college? Ice hockey, roller hockey and golf in HS.
He could spend hours....? Working outside in the yard, he loves it out there.
What is your favorite thing about him? I know it may sound cliche, but he is really my best friend and he brings out the best in me. I am so thankful for him

I'm a crazy bag lady...

2009-02-17T13:45:00.004-06:00

I have been tagged (http://www.threeladiesandadad.com/) to reveal the purse that I am carrying. And here it is. First off, I am obsessed with purses. I LOVE them! I could buy a new one everyday. I always buy fun ones that I find on sale, well until this past Sunday. I have been eyeing this one since around Christmas. It costs a pretty penny and I kept convincing myself that I could not spend the money on this purse. On Sunday I had a moment of weakness. I was walking through Macy's getting a gift for my friend's birthday and just told myself, "What the heck, I work hard, I deserve to buy something nice for myself!" So I DID it, I paid $298.00 for ONE purse! Now I am feeling guilty. I am questioning if this was the best choice. I know that I really do want one really nice purse, but is this the one? I now possibly have a case of buyer's remorse.

It is ironic that I was tagged to blog about this because here is how my conversation with my husband with last night:

Me: "Babe, so I bought a purse that costs $300.00."

Ryan: [laughing] "Is it the one that have been talking about for two months?"

Me: "Umm, yes. But, now I feel like I should maybe return it ."

Ryan: "Why? You deserve to splurge once in a great while."

Me: "Well it is not just the money, I was looking on the Coach website yesterday and they are coming out with new stuff and I saw one I really like too. Maybe I should have waited?"

Ryan: "Why don't you just go look at the new stuff with your new one and then you will know which one you like best, side by side. This way you won't second guess yourself after that."

Me: [smiling] "Maybe I should just get both?"

Ryan: "I don't think so."

So this is where I will be after work. Wish me luck I will let you know how it goes.

I am supposed to tag some other ladies to showcase their bags, but I only know a few people on here and Alaina you already tagged them. I guess that means I need to get some blogger friends. :)

Giveaways are the BEST!

2009-02-17T13:30:00.004-06:00

My friend Alaina is doing a giveaway on her blog for Lisa Leonard designs. If you have not checked out her stuff you NEED to, everything is super cute and there is something for everyone.

http://lisaleonardonline.com/

Check out Alaina's blog for details.

http://www.threeladiesandadad.com/

My favorite is this one I have above. This is not the one for the giveaway, Alaina has that one on her page. I actually emailed this one to my husband as big HINT HINT, but I never received it. :( My guess is he has no idea how to order jewelry online, because he is usually so good at remembering my hints.

One Day I Will Be Good At This....

2009-02-13T10:01:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to say that I apologize that I probably have the most boring ever. I always have so many ideas and things I want to blog about, but when they come up I have no time to sit down and blog, and then I forget later what I really wanted to say. I do love reading other blogs though! One day I will get it together. :)

Oh No He Didn't!!

2009-01-28T13:54:00.003-06:00

So here I am watching The Bachelor this past Monday and making my picks on who is the best for Jason. This episode was full of drama! But, of course I loved it. I was so excited when Jason went on a date with Nikki and Stephanie. I was sure he was going to send Stephanie home. She seriously is weird and looks like an old lady that has had tons of plastic surgery. But no, he sends Nikki home! I was shocked. Not that she is my favorite or that I thought she was the best for Jason, but Stephanie really needs to go. From now on I will be putting The Bachelor on Tivo since I start classes next Monday. :( I am bummed. Right now my two picks are Melissa and Molly, I cannot decide which I like best for him yet. Can't wait for next week!

About Time...

2009-01-20T09:30:00.003-06:00

Well, it has been about a month since I blogged and truthfully there is nothing that I really need to blog about, but I figured I needed to let the blogger world know I am still alive. I have a hard time thinking about things to blog about. I enjoy reading other people's blogs, but most of the time I feel like there is nothing that I need to write that people would want to read. Also, I only know a few people on here so I know my readers can be counted on one hand, if that. Thanks for the occasionally comments Alaina, at least I know one person visits my blog. :)

A recap of the last month; the holidays went by fast and so did the two weeks that I was off work. This is my 3rd week back and I surely have not slowed down. It is busy as ever and I hope it slows down before I start classes back up in February because I will not have time to do all this overtime then. I just keep telling myself I will be done with school in December forever, hopefully.

With the new year also came new goals. I decided not to make resolutions since I rarely ever keep them so I decided to make monthly goals. I will not bore anyone with my goals for this month since the month is almost over, but at the beginning of next month I will reveal my monthly goals.

On another note I am ready for some warmer weather. I am over this cold, cold weather. It is so dreary.

Well back to work.