We're READY Baby!

Unlike most people during the holidays I am not one to wait until the week of Christmas to complete my holiday to-do list. The first of the month Brandon brought all the Christmas decor down from the attic and I took to placing all my cute snowmen all around the house. That same week I went out to Walmart and picked up some hooks to hang our stockings and the following weekend we filled our tree's branches with our eclectic collection of homemade, hand crafted, designer, and family ornaments. Brandon took a random Friday off work so that we could finish our Christmas shopping together and we took a night last week to complete our Christmas candy bake off for all the neighbors. Surprisingly, we still have some buckeyes left that Brandon has yet to eat.

The presents have been wrapped and placed under the tree and the neighbors gifts have been delivered. There are 3 days until the Kennedy Christmas and 4 days until the Mann Christmas; we are ready for both! Although we still need to do some minor cleaning like dusting and vacuuming I'm glad to take the next few days propping my feet up and just enjoying all the holiday specials and movies on TV.

What about the baby and the nursery? I mean I am 9 months pregnant and 36 weeks along so it's not been an uncommon question for people to ask if we're ready for the baby as well. It is with pride that I answer with a resounding YES! The nursery is organized and we have everything we need. Since the doctor seems to think that I could go with in the next 2 weeks I have made sure to ready the diaper bag, pack my overnight bag, and install the car seat. I couldn't be happier with the way everything has turned out and I'm feeling a lot better about everything since getting that panic attack out of my system. ;)

The Christmas to-do list is done and the baby to-list is done; it is with a sigh of relief that I can enjoy the holiday season knowing that no matter what is thrown at us this week we're ready for it!

THEIF!

It is a my firm belief that every child needs a rubber ducky. It is the bright yellow color, the fun squeaker, or the fact that I grew up with the fun loving "Rubber Ducky" song that was always sung by Ernie on Sesame Street, I don't know? A child in a bath tub with out a rubber ducky seems wrong in some way to me.

My nephew is such a child and for 3 years I have commented to my sister that he needed a rubber ducky. Knowing how much Kyndahl loves his baths it only seemed fitting that he should have a rubber ducky to share it with. While out shopping yesterday I found a classic rubber ducky for only $1, excited at my discovery I quickly scooped one up and put it in my basket.

After unloading the car I headed into the office to share my great find with Brandon. Thinking of the smile I knew would spread across my nephew's face I squeaked the toy over and over again as I shared about my shopping trip not realizing that it had attracted the attention of my quirky dog. Sitting at my side on full alert Tiko's ears were fully erect and his eyes never left sight of the yellow duck.

Finally turning my attention to the dog I laughed and squeaked the duck some more teasing that I should have bought a duck for Tiko as well. Still excited about my find I didn't give Tiko another thought and placed the duck and other Christmas items on the ottoman for wrapping and went to gather my supplies. In the 30 seconds it took for me to walk into the kitchen and pull the tape and scissors out of the drawer Tiko had swiped the duck off the ottoman and was innocently holding it in his mouth. When I walked into the living room Tiko looked up at me with two of the biggest puppy dog eyes I have ever seen and I burst out laughing. He took my laughter as a good sign and chomped down on the toy causing a squeal to escape and took off running with what could only be described as a smile on his face.

Still laughing I walked back into the office to tell Brandon that Kyndahl would not be getting a rubber ducky for Christmas because Tiko had claimed it. The whole situation was so funny and Tiko was so excited with his new toy that I didn't have the heart to take the duck away from him. He spent the rest of the day squeaking and cuddling the rubber toy while I spent the day laughing at his antics over the duck.

Both Brandon and I see this as a sign that Tiko may be tempted to steal toys from Andrew as well. It seems that both of them will have to learn to share!

Quite Alarming

As most know my husband has been working an immense amount of hours these past few months, some weeks he logs up to eighty hours. Although having him work from home has been wonderful sometimes it can be a burden on both Brandon and me. With the work computer just seconds from the living room and the ability to check email at all hours of the night causes a itch that some days can not be scratched and thus most evenings I don't get to see or spend a whole lot of time with my husband.

Already knowing that he was going to be working a late night this past Friday I decided to head to Cincinnati and spend a little extra time with my family. We already had plans to head up that way for a baby shower on Saturday and instead of spending an evening alone around the house I packed a bag and drove to Cincinnati with plans to have Brandon meet me there the next day.

The time with family was fantastic and as always my cute nephew entertained us all till we had tears in our eyes from laughter. Despite the winter weather we had a great turn out and the fellowship with friends was wonderful! Brandon left Saturday night to head back home to work some more and I decided to stay and visit a while longer thoroughly enjoying the time with my family.

Sunday morning my sister and I headed out to my car for church; I stuck the key in the door, unlocked the car, and lifted the handle. Dread immediately set in as the car alarm started to chime. For some reason, with our car, if you lock the door with the remote you can not unlock the car with a key. Once the alarm is detonated it shuts off the starter and the engine is incapable of being started.

Hearing the alarm, frustration set in and I climbed in the driver seat. I shut the door and hit the manual lock button on the drivers side; however, nothing happened and as I waited for the alarm to stop my frustration grew. Once the alarm stopped it's wailing I counted to 30 and stuck the key in the ignition and attempted to start the car; the alarm began screaming at me yet again and for some reason it seemed to get louder as it made another call. Now furious I waited for the alarm to quiet down and moved to get out of the car and the moment I opened the door the alarm sounded for a third time and my blood boiled. I was livid and was ready take the head of the man who caused the event to occur. I stomped into the house like a three year old throwing a tantrum and dialed Brandon's phone and when he didn't answer I only grew more upset. I pounded the numbers for a second time and yelled into the phone that he better answer and he did. With more calm than I felt I explained that he had locked the car with his remote before he left and now I couldn't get the car started. Shocked he asked: "Did I really?" The conversation did not last long since both of us were frustrated at the possibility that Brandon may have to drive back to Cincinnati just to "unlock" the car.

While I was at church Brandon did some research and discussed with a few friends what to do about our current dilemma while I talked to my family. The fact that I found the current safety feature on our car ridiculous did not stop Jen and mom from giggling over our predicament. Eventually, I was able to laugh at the situation that would of course happen to me but having gotten no sleep the night before and entering the uncomfortable stage in pregnancy it took a little longer than normal to see the humor in it all.

Come to find out I had to use what's called the "Valet Feature". If the alarm on the car has been set with the remote and is detonated with a key you must: get in, shut the door, stick the key in the ignition, turn on the battery, count to 30, and then turn on the engine. Not being a valet I was unaware of such a feature because I would have thought that if I have the key I should be able to open the door and start the engine. I guess my desire to work in a library in high school and college instead of parking cars was a poor choice on my part. :-P

Luckily Brandon did not have to spend three hours, round trip, in a car to come let me in mine and we learned a new trick about car alarms that I would have NEVER figured out on my own. According to the Hyundai dealership the car alarm is not suppose to shut off the starter like ours did but in my opinion this whole situation just goes to prove how stupid and pointless car alarms are.

When you think about it, it really is funny... and of course it would happen to me! :)

Oh Christmas Tree

Being the bargain hunter that I am I live for a good sale, a great coupon, and the words 50% off and clearance. It is a rare occasion that I spend full retail price on anything and it was no different as I shopped for after Christmas deals last year.

For two years we have used a hand-me-down tree that was given to us by friends when we moved in to our first home in 2008. It was 6 feet of Charlie Brown sadness and looked utterly dwarfed in our vaulted ceiling living room. Since it was free I never complained, instead each year I did my best to make the little tree look its best and took pride in my efforts to bring out the most Christmas cheer. After looking at the tree for the second year my wonderful hubby decided it was time to put the little tree out of it's misery and look for a new one.

Excited at the prospect of getting a great after Christmas deal I struck out on the hunt for a Christmas tree. Luck was on my side as I walked the isles of one of my favorite stores, Hobby Lobby; I had found a gorgeous 9ft, prelit, pine tree with cute little pine cones for less than $90. Excited at my find I checked with Brandon, tied it the car, and brought it home to store until the next Christmas.

Brandon, not having to work this past weekend, was in quite a funk Saturday night with nothing to do and nothing to watch. Wanting to cheer him up I suggested we get out the Christmas tree and put it up. Having already broken tradition by watch two holiday movies I thought why not go all out if it meant putting a smile on my hubby's face.

We opened the tree and found that it was missing a key safety feature and part that was essential to it staying upright; the small key bolt that held the base in place. Not only that but the tree stand was broken and one of the plastic pieces that held some the branches was cracked. We both discussed that maybe this was the reason it was on clearance; however, would the store really sell a tree with out the most important piece and safety feature? Deciding Brandon would rig something up for this year and we would find another one after Christmas we pieced it together and stood back as it towered over us. It filled the room and truly accented our vaulted ceilings nicely; however, our hearts began to sink as we realized we did not have any where near enough ornaments to fill it's many branches and the tree was just too big. It was with saddened hearts that we packed the tree back in the box, prayed that it could be returned and another search for a Christmas Tree began.

Having found a good deal at Lowes we headed out Sunday afternoon to make our Holiday purchase and save our Christmas. Lowes website stated that the store had 17 of the tree that we wanted; however, we could not locate them in the store. After having spent 15 minutes searching on our own we enlisted the help of a Lowes employee. For 20 minutes he searched the store, scowered the stock room, and checked the inventory list. Smiling he gently explained that inventory said they had 17 in house but for the life of him he had no idea where they were; he even went as far to offer us the next tree up for the lower price. Having been in situations like this many times Brandon and I just laughed, this poor guy had no idea who walked into his store and that this young couple in search of a Christmas tree had the worst of luck. Of course Lowes wouldn't be able to find 17 Christmas trees because Brandon and I were the people asking for one! In the end we traveled a short distance to another Lowes and quickly found the tree we were looking for.

It's 7.5ft of prelit spruce greatness now stands in the corner of our living room. Although still undecorated and bare we both know it will hold us until we can collect enough ornaments to buy the grander tree. Our only hope is that when we do it comes with all the parts and can be found when we want it. ;)

Too Good to Be True

This past weekend I attended my Memory Keeper's Fall 2010 weekend long scrapbooking retreat. It was a great weekend of scrapbooking, laughter, plenty of food, and deep fellowship with some of the greatest women I know! Having spent most of my weekend sitting in a chair, bending over a table, and exerting excessive amounts of energy laughing by the time 3:PM on Sunday rolled around I was ready to crash on my feet. On my way home I gathered what energy I had left so that I would be fully stocked to give my hubby any amount of time he wanted for the evening.

As I stepped into the house Tiko came running and gave me a warm heartfelt welcome that included lots of tail wagging and nose nudging. Ignoring his excited behavior I made a beeline for Brandon and gave him a big hug and kiss. When he asked how I was I honestly answered: "I'm good, tired but the weekend was wonderful." I hunkered down on the ottoman and gave all my attention and energy to Brandon. We chatted for a while about our weekends and I showed him the pages I had created; before I knew it an hour had passed and Brandon was asking me if I was hungry for dinner. Realizing I was I sincerely asked what sounded good and prepared to get up and fix something. With a twinkle in his eye Brandon told me he had dinner planned and asked if I wanted to take a nap while he cooked. Deciding on a nap he went and retrieved my pillows for me, tucked me in on the couch, and started dinner.

Once dinner was prepared and cooking in the oven we took Tiko for a walk and enjoyed each others company. Having not noticed anything before we left I came home and was surprised to find that Brandon had already set the table and even got out the candles. When I looked around even more I noticed he had done the dishes and picked up the house as well. Dinner was DELICIOUS and he took care of the dishes when we were all done. We spent the rest of the evening watching another Christmas movie with hot coco and pumpkin bread.

Having been gone all weekend, hanging out with my ladies, I left my retreat fully ready to give to my husband, cook dinner, and take care of any house work that Brandon wanted done. Instead I came home to a husband who wanted to treat me instead; I trully have the sweetest and greatest husband EVER!!!

Holiday Spirit

During Brandon's busy time where he works anywhere from 60-80 hours a week it is a rare occasion that I get an entire evening with my hubby, even on weekends. Last night Brandon completed everything that needed to be done, was completely caught up, and was done working around 6:PM. Ecstatic about the possibility of spending an entire evening with my hubby I couldn't help but chuckle as he paced the house trying to figure out what it was that he wanted to do.

With a lopsided grin he mentioned that he was in the mood for a Christmas movie. Laughing because we both know that I have a rule of no Christmas music, decor, or movies until after Thanksgiving I couldn't help but agree a Christmas movie sounded like a good idea. Since the only movie we had was Christmas Vacation, a movie I HATE, Brandon suggested we go buy one. Thus at 7:PM on a Tuesday night we found ourselves scowering Walmart for a holiday classic with no luck. I must not have realized how much my hubby was in need of some Christmas cheer because to my surprise he recommended we head down to Half Price to continue the search.

The display of holiday movies just inside the door helped our cause and we were in and out with in 15 minutes. With two Christmas movies in hand we headed back to the house with plans to make some hot chocolate, heat up some pumpkin bread, and curl up together with a Christmas movie.

I am ashamed to say that we celebrated some Christmas cheer last night; however, it was totally worth breaking tradition to get to spend such a nice night with my hubby. :)

Caution: Children at Play

As each week of my pregnancy progresses I find myself getting more and more eager to meet this little Mann growing inside of me. I think every pregnant woman's excitement rises the further along she gets. Not only is all the discomfort of carrying the baby coming to an end but the chance to hold the little one and feel the sense of relief that it was all worth it is closing in fast.

Although I feel like I would be ready to hold my little guy right now I'm attempting to remain patient and allow him to grow and brew a little longer with in the safety of my womb. I'm also trying to continue to take in the little moments that I know I'll miss once he's born.

As on most nights, I was ready and in bed before Brandon. I maneuvered my pillows all around me just right and got comfortable while waiting for Brandon to finish getting ready and climb into bed with me. He turned on the fan and bedside lamp and climbed in immediately turning to face to me. Only with in the last week or so has he started to reach for my growing belly on a regular basis and when he first climbed in I made sure to let him know that the baby was on the move to encourage him. Smiling he got comfortable and moved to place his hand on my stomach. As soon as his hand was fully placed on my side where the movement was most prevalent the baby gave his dad a good hard kick, the kind where his foot protrudes from my stomach and looks like something out of an alien movie. Brandon's eyes widen is sheer delight and surprise and his mouth twitched with a sly smile; laughing at Brandon's response I immediately knew where this was going.

Keeping his hand fully on my side and stomach Brandon pushed back; his eyes twinkling with mischief. Brandon's effort was rewarded as the baby responded with in seconds causing Brandon's smile to grow and my laughter to get louder. For the next 15 minutes I watched and felt as my son and husband "played" together each pushing the other as if it were a game of tag. Brandon would push down and the baby would push back, if the baby moved away from Brandon he would follow and game would continue. As Brandon and I laughed and enjoyed what little interaction we get with the little guy I couldn't help but think the baby was enjoying it as much as we were. His movements were consistent and he wouldn't push unless Brandon did; when Brandon finally removed his hand the baby's movement increased as if to ask where was daddy going.

By the time Brandon stopped the game I was exhausted and sore and I realized just before slipping off into dream land that my son has not even been born yet and his daddy is already teaching him how to aggravate his mommy. lol.

Take 2

This past weekend Brandon and I ran away to Brown County for a long weekend vacation. We left the computer at home and were thrilled to discover that we had limited cell phone service while in town and no service at Russell's Roost, our B&B.

For those that know us and remember, this is the same location we visited for our 1 year anniversary. I am proud to say that this years experience was a lot more enjoyable and less eventful than the last. The weather was perfect with NO rain, there was NO boil water advisories, and NO illness befell on either one of us!

We stayed at the same b&b, in the same room, and were excited to see the owners again. Dana is an amazing cook and it was comforting to know that her LARGE breakfasts would keep us from having to eat lunch. Friday night we visited a local coffee shop, The Fig Tree, for a free play that Dana was doing sound effects for; we laughed the night away while sipping some really good hot chocolate. We spent Saturday and Sunday perusing town for Christmas gifts, laughing, people watching, and just hanging out with one another. We made sure to stop by the Marionette Theatre this time and discovered that the local General Store has the best Pumpkin Bread we've ever tasted!

The only thing we didn't care for was the restaurant food. We learned that we don't like any of the local cuisine; although, the 2 Italian places ROCK we have yet to find a restaurant, other than the Italian ones, that we like.

Before we left we made sure to pick up some of their signature Blackberry wine, for when I'm done breast feeding, and came home Monday afternoon. We made it through Louisville before rush hour and spent the rest of the day relaxing at home with Tiko. It was an INCREDIBLE weekend and we both agree it was one of the best vacations we've taken.

Need a close and fun weekend get away, Brandon and I highly recommend Nashville, IN. Stay at Russell's Roost and be sure to stop by Calzone Jone's for dinner.

"Oh Where Is My Hairbrush?!"

For years I have been a fan of Veggie Tales: the fun songs, the great message, and the cute vegetables have always warmed my heart and brought out my inner child. It's not uncommon for me to bust out in song over a fun phrase and I can't help but throw in a little Veggie Tales now and then when I get the chance.

For a few weeks I have noticed that my once inny belly button has begun to turn inside out. I realize that this is common in pregnancy and at first was not all that bothered by the idea, the thought that the baby was growing comforted me. However, as I enter my third trimester and feel that I'm in the home stretch I can feel the long nights, extra weight, and popped out belly button wearing on me.

As I stood in the shower this morning a sob broke in my throat when I noticed that my belly button no longer peaked out but now fully protruded from my stomach. By force of habit I quietly and sadly sang to myself: "Oh where is my bellybutton..." As I reworded the entire chorus I couldn't help but giggle at my new version of the common Veggie Tales song. The more I sang the more I giggled until finally I was laughing hysterically at myself and the whole situation. I sang at full volume and even Tiko chimed in for a line or two; I think my sudden twist in emotion threw him and his display of vocals was more reprimand but we'll go with he was singing with me. ;)

I got out of the shower refreshed and ready for the day. When I put my shirt on and saw that my belly button popped through the shirt I only giggled and thought of yet another verse of the song: "Right there is my belly button".

Can we say hormones?!

For those that aren't familiar with Veggie Tales and have no idea what song I'm talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtHr7gluh08

At It Again

After hanging the artwork I have already made for the nursery I didn't like it. Lol. HGTV's decorating rule #1 when creating clusters is to use an odd number, generally 3-5-7. I had 4 canvas' and I just couldn't get them to look right. We even hammered nails in the wall and hung them but after looking over it all for a while I disliked it more and more. In the end I decided to re-do The Lorax, I never liked the way it turned out anyway, and will add How the Grinch Stole Christmas giving me 5.

On an empty wall I purchased a Memo Board from Target for $3, using a gift card, and researched the cost of some frames that matched my bedding. For a set of 2 frames it was going to cost $22 + shipping. Knowing I could do something similar and much cheaper I headed out to Michael's, yet again, in search of a deal. I got one! The frames I used were $1 each and the paper and riboon totaled another $2; that's a total of $4 for a set of 2 frames and a savings of over $20! I already had the Mod Podge needed to glue everything and used scrapbooking embellishments I already had. I like my frames better than the ones I was going to purchase, they were cheaper, easy to make, and I had a blast doing it. Now I just need to hang them. :)

"Little Treasures"

Men

Through out my pregnancy my wonderful husband has been amazing and although, at times, a little overwhelmed he has done a great job at being supportive of what I'm experiencing. He is not afraid to admit that at first he was a little taken aback but as time as progressed his excitement has grown. I think he would say that he is still adjusting to the idea of being a dad but I know that some of that is just not knowing what to expect; despite my excitement I am a little weary of the unknown that comes with the first child just as much as he is.

If you know my husband you know that rarely is anything done with out a bit of humor and fun and my pregnancy has been no different. He rarely passes up the opportunity to give me a hard time, crack a joke, or have a laugh at a funny situation. My favorite quotes are as follows:

"Pregnant women creep me out"

"You look like a turtle on it's back"

"You're beginning look like a miniature sumo wrestler"

"I feel like I'm hugging your belly and not you"

*(In response to the babies constant movement while cuddling with me on the couch)
"He was moving so much it was starting to get on my nerves... he was really starting to annoy me"

Can you see why I love him so much? ;)

4:AM Meeting

Sleep comes in small spurts these days and my mom keeps telling me it's a great way for me to prepare for when the baby comes. Normally I am a deep sleeper and it takes a lot to wake me up; however, since getting pregnant I'm unable to sleep through the bed bouncing, the baby moving, or Tiko's collar jingling. The fact that my bathroom breaks have increased doesn't help and I often find myself lying awake for at least a hour trying to get back to sleep after using the restroom.

Last weekend on one especially fitful night I noticed that Brandon had been doing some serious tossing and turning of his own. I can always tell when he is wide awake because he has a tendency to huff and puff a little in frustration. After the 3rd puff or so I quietly asked if he was awake. In a full volume response he gave me an annoyed yes explaining that his stomach was hurting and he was thirsty and hungry. Chuckling I mentioned that I had been up for almost 2 hours and couldn't get back to sleep for the same reason.

Amused Brandon mentioned that string cheese and ice water sounded really good and I laughed telling him to get out of my head because I had just been thinking the same thing. 10 minutes later Brandon offered to get up and again I told him to get out of my head, I was just about to get out of bed. With both of us laughing I convinced him to stay in bed while I fetched us the string cheese and ice water.

We both sat with our backs up against the headboard munching on our snack and chuckling at the whole situation: it was 4:AM, we both were wide awake, and eating a snack of string cheese. We chatted for a little while before snuggling back under the covers and inviting Tiko up for a few minutes of cuddles. Tiko, not caring what time it was, thoroughly enjoyed our morning family meeting and made sure to cover us in kisses.

Neither of us have any idea as to why we both were up and craving the same thing but it was a fun morning meeting; although, we both hope not to repeat it any time soon!

W-A-L-K

The last couple days have been busy. We painted the nursery, visited Winchester, and put together baby furniture and thus Tiko, although exercised quite a bit in Winchester, has not been given much attention at home. He has loved having me home on bed rest, giving him someone to snuggle with on a daily basis, but now that I'm up and somewhat moving he's gotten clingy.

The progression of my pregnancy, all the new things happening at the house, or the knowledge that I may not be home every day for much longer (we hope) seems to have put him in a funk. The thunderstorm that blew through last night only added to his needy mood because he followed me about the house trying to lean on my leg and terrified of the thunder.

Since the weather was so nice this morning I opted to take him outside for some exercise and play time. I threw the ball once and he eagerly ran after it. When I prepped him for the second throw, making sure he sat down, and threw the ball he just started at me. No amount of encouragement would get him to go get it. Feeling slightly silly I went and retrieved the ball only to have Tiko run to the back door; giving me the clear sign that he did not want to play. Amazed since I knew he needed the outlet I took him in the house while shaking my head. I watched as he went straight to the laundry room door turning back to look at me. Laughing, for I knew what he was thinking, I opened the door. He very sweetly sat down in front of his leash and gave me his best puppy dog eyed look.

Would you have been able to turn him down?

Grunt Work

The original plan for painting and putting the nursery together was to have my best friend come into town over Labor Day and help me out. That plan was quickly changed when I was placed on bed rest and then we had no idea when it would come together.

My WONDERFUL in-laws came to our rescue and offered to come up and help us paint. They taped up the walls, laid down the drop cloths, and helped clear out the room. Most of the furniture had already been cleared out; however, that pesky dog eaten sofa still needed to be moved. To get the sofa in the room we had to take the door off and even then it took some serious grunt to get it through the door way. As my hubby and father-in-law huffed and puffed they couldn't get it out. In the end they had to cut the couch in half. I think Brandon took a little too much joy in sawing it in half; he always hated that couch. What once was a perfectly good couch was placed next to a dumpster, picked up by cheapskates and eaten by a dog has now been cut in half and lies in wait for ID to come pick it up. Poor couch has been through a lot!

Once the couch was out we could paint and with in hours the room went from a light brown to a bright and cheery yellow! Charlene was so excited to see the finished product she could hardly wait a hour to start peeling off the tape.

After letting the fumes disperse a few days I spent time putting the furniture together while Brandon took a quick break from work to replace all the outlet plates. We got a steal on the furniture and I was so excited to have a project that I could barley hold my excitement as Brandon pushed the box into the nursery for me; the box weighed almost 200lbs and the glue made it almost impossible to get in to. After 20 minutes of trying to tear the box open with our hands I went to the garage and got out the hammer, we didn't have a crow bar. For the next 45 minutes Brandon took the hammer to the ends of the box prying and ripping the stupid thing open. We spent more time getting into the box than I did putting the crib together! Although Brandon was very frustrated, I couldn't help but laugh at the security of it. It weighed so much there was no way you could steal it and even if you did there was no easy way to get into it; it was just too funny!
The furniture is put together, the walls are painted, and now I have the fun task of decorating. YAY!

Next Step

Bed Rest: Week 11
Pregnancy: Week 25

So many have asked how things are going, how have I been feeling, how is bed rest, and what has the Dr. said? I've answered the same questions so many times I often feel like a ship on auto pilot just cruising through the conversation with no feeling or emotion.

In reality my days are as varied as the color of crayons in a box. I find that when I make a plan for my day and follow through with what I would like to accomplish my stress, emotions, and mentality remain low and stable. On the days where I don't plan or the things on my to-do list don't get done are days where I find myself emotionally stripped and raw. (*For those that don't know me, I'm a very emotional and what people call "touchy-feely" person. At one time I loathed that Christ wired me this way but over time have learned how great of a blessing it can be and have accepted my tearful and emotional lot in life.)

I've been given more access to get up and move about: I can take the dog on walks, make short trips to the store, and for the first time in 11 weeks I was able to attend church this past weekend. This small sense of freedom often saves me from an emotional breakdown of self pity at the end of each night. Now that I'm able to get out of the house and complete most household chores my mind has calmed and begun it's process of returning to what is a normal emotional state, for me.

It's the inability to drive myself anywhere that currently wears my spirit to the size of a pea and makes me feel incomplete. Although I don't see a difference between riding in a car and driving a car we are following the Dr.'s orders. Always having had the freedom to move about the country as I saw fit but now being at the mercy of any one else who holds a valid drivers license is my current emotional and mental hurdle. Constantly I have to pray that I will be given understanding of Brandon's work and the ability to accept the need to wait; it doesn't have to be done tonight or it can wait until after dinner.

Patience is a lesson that is taught through out one's entire life and I've never learned more of it than in the last 11 weeks. I'm glad that I've been blessed with the opportunity to learn yet another small facet of it's many faces; however, I am truly looking forward to the day when I can get behind the wheel of my standard Hyundai and bust out on the back curvy, country roads of KY. I want to roll the windows down and sing my heart out as a sign of my freedom!

Please don't misunderstand, I am thankful for the Dr. and her knowledge. I am grateful for this pregnancy and am ready to make the major life change that is quickly coming towards me. I'm looking forward to meeting my little Mann and holding him in my arms; I'm just a girl who has a need to get out and see God's great creation fly past her as the winds throws her hair wildly around her head. Now that I'm up and moving again I have a need to get behind the wheel and speed!

Complete freedom comes in the form of a little red Hyundai with a clutch and gear shift and I'm looking forward to it!

Car Virus

2 weeks ago I was given the all clear from my Dr. to travel. Overjoyed at the possibility of getting not only out of the house but out of town I excitedly called my parents and told them we were coming to visit.

It was a WONDERFUL weekend and it was great to see the newest member of my sister's family, Avery. On Sunday my mom, sister, and I all headed out to Once Upon A Child, my new favorite store, to see if we could snag any deals. After dropping an exhausted Amanda at home mom and I headed back to the house. As we were making our way up a hill we noticed that mom was loosing momentum. Luckily we made it to the top and were able to coast down the other side and into a parking lot. Confused as to what had happened and the fact that the car wouldn't start we called Dad for a jump. He charged our battery and told us to head home. With less than a mile to the house we puttered to a stop for the 2nd time. THIS time however we couldn't get the car out of park and so Dad wasn't able to push us as he had hoped to do should we die again. After the 2nd jump we were able to make it home but everyone was still dumbfounded as to what had happened.

Needing to get to church Dad soon said his goodbyes and headed out to the truck only to find that it wouldn't start. Mom and I bust out into giggles over this and couldn't help but tease Dad, asking him if he needed a jump and whatever virus was in Mom's car had spread to the truck. Brandon and I made sure they didn't require anything from us packed up our car, said our goodbyes, and made our way out. We got in, Brandon turned the key, and the car wouldn't turn over; I giggled. Brandon tried a 2nd time and still it wouldn't work; I laughed. He tried a 3rd, 4th, and 5th time with his frustration growing; I burst out in hysterical laughter not believing what was happening. Slowly, as I was laughing too hard to walk very fast, we made our way back into the house with plans to possibly stay an extra night.

When we got in the house and told everyone why we were back, I thought Mom was going to fall off the couch in laughter. We both just collapsed on the couch together in giggles. When Dad mentioned using Jen's car to jump ours or the truck she refused, claiming that no one was risking spreading whatever sickness had taken over to her car. This of course only caused Mom and I to laugh harder.

15 minutes after Brandon's attempt to start the car him and Dad went out to jump it. On the second try it started on it's own and Brandon told me to hurry up and make sure I used the restroom because we were NOT stopping on the way home! We made it home just fine but we stuck to the right lane as a precaution. :)

The next morning we woke up to our OTHER car, that has not been driven in a month, with a flat tire... guess what Brandon's response to all this was:

"KENNEDY CURSE!"

Avery Letta Asher

My niece Avery Letta Asher was born at 35 weeks this morning around 12:40AM. Weighing in at 4 lbs. 14oz and 18.5 inches long she is beautiful! They have been having some trouble keeping her temperature regulated but otherwise she is happy and healthy.

My sister has been having contractions for 2 weeks and when her water broke yesterday she was ready to go, despite being early. This is her 2nd child and hopefully the Dr. will give us the all clear to travel tomorrow so that we can go and meet her!

Everyone please say a prayer for this precious little gift and for her growing family.

Flap Of the Wing

For the last 2 years Brandon and I have enjoyed hummingbird watching from our Kitchen/ Dining window. In these 2 years we have learned quite a bit about the speedy little fliers that we never knew and have enjoyed many nights at the table watching them feed, fly, and fight.

Never having grown up with feeders I was amazed to learn how aggressive and territorial hummingbirds can be. On more than one occasion we watched as one bird body slammed another into our window or saw mid air boxing matches. They fight mercilessly to maintain power over the feeders and their little squeaks can be heard from dawn to dusk as they dive bomb and charge one another. The little green one is the biggest and meanest of them all and more often than not he is the one instigating the fight.

Noticing that they prefer our perch feeder over our free standing one we recently went out and purchased a second perch. This morning I readied another batch of sugar water, filled the new feeder, and made my way out to replace the free standing feeder with a filled perch feeder. Unable to hang the feeder I moved to take down the almost empty perch feeder and replace it with the full one; I had plans to have Brandon come out and hang the second perch later. As I reached for the feeder I heard the buzz of wings just above my head and slowly crouched lower and turned my head. Lowering my hands from the feeder and looking up I saw the nasty little green hummingbird make a wide circle around me and the feeder before taking off. Taking the hint, I was quick to swap out the feeders and make my way back inside. As I stepped back to head for the door the little bird came zooming back and was headed straight for my head. Instinct kicked in, I ducked and out of the corner of my eye saw him take off again hearing what sounded like a triumph of a squeak; or what I call an evil bird laugh!

I filled the second perch feeder and asked Brandon to hang it. Even thought he laughed at my near death experience with a hummingbird he still asked if the little green guy was out there before stepping outside. I stepped out behind him to scope out the trees next store and provide watch should Brandon need it. Maybe we won't hang the third feeder, after all, it seems dangerous...

I Won't Play Outside

Ever since being put on bed rest Tiko has not been very playful. For almost 3 weeks now when ever we have taken him out to throw the ball he hasn't seemed interested and we've never been able to figure out why, until today.

Recently they've started construction on the lot next door and have been making a TON of noise. While outside on our swing I've never noticed whether the noise bothered Tiko or not; he lays on the porch and stays close by me. His protective nature of me when I'm not feeling good caused me to think nothing of his need to be close by.

This morning he was eager to play and full of energy; although, I'm not really suppose to be picking up and throwing the big jolly ball I wanted to exercise him a little. I threw the ball he ran after it, scooped it up and headed back towards me as he had done a hundred times before. On his return trip one of the large construction trucks dropped their load making a huge BANG. At that moment Tiko scooted his butt in towards his front paws, like he was going to be stepped on, dropped the ball and took off across the yard with a look of pure terror on his face. When he reached the other side of the yard he turned around and headed straight for me, on the porch, taking up position behind my legs. Doubled over and laughing hysterically, I told him he was ok and went to retrieve the ball to try again. I threw the ball away from the construction and Tiko took off; however, mid stride the truck made another loud noise and yet again Tiko changed direction. He came straight for me, circled me, then headed for the door and sat down. He looked at the door and then to me and back to the door, making it more than clear that he did not want to play outside anymore.

Now laughing harder than I was before I took him inside while shaking my head. The mystery was solved, Tiko didn't want to play because he was terrified of the "big scary trucks!" HAHAHAHA. Sissy dog!

Bed Rest is Stressful

It has never ceased to amaze me at the profound effect being outside the enclosement of 4 walls has on me. It is my belief that we were made to out in God's creation, not hiding from it within sturdy walls of concrete. I was created to be out in the wind, experiencing the ground under my feet, the sun and snow and rain on my skin, and the sound of bugs in my ears. I was made to explore woods and valleys, walk the neighborhood streets, and conquer the deserted canyons! I was NOT wired to sit in front of a TV or lay in a bed all day.

With this in mind the idea of bed rest, for a possibility of 5 months, was enough to drive me insane and over that 5 months cause a serious bout of depression. As soon as the Dr ordered my to bed rest immediate plans began forming in my head as to how I would find ways to get out beyond the walls of our house and outside; whether it be our back yard or else where.

It's in time like these I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful and understanding husband. He knew keeping my couped up in the house would drive my nuts and in turn cause me to drive him nuts. He'd been wanting to purchase a porch swing for a couple weeks but lack of time had prevented him from really finding anything. I, on the other hand, had nothing but time and could spend hours scowering the Internet for the perfect swing. When one was found that Brandon liked he went out that very night to purchase it and bring it home.

Putting it together was easy and the result made every minute of it's 2 hour creation worth it. We both sighed as we sat down and huge grins split our faces as we made the first swing. For an hour we simply just sat there. we didn't talk but just enjoyed the movement and one each others company. Contentment washed over me as I reached for Brandon's hand and gave him a light squeeze of thanks and love. He didn't even need ask if I was happy because he could see it written all over my face. When he finally got up to go back to work he left me on the swing asking if I would be okay.

Grinning from ear to ear, taking a deep breath, and closing my eyes so that I could feel the wind on my face I simply stated: "Of course!" I can now ease the stress of bed rest outside, where I belong.

Adventures in Baptist East

So many women experience so many different things in their pregnancy that it can be hard to distinguish one thing from the next. Just like people, pregnancy is different for each individual and no two pregnancies are alike. For some the feeling of pressure is nothing more than gas or constipation; for me it's contractions.

In the wise words of my sister: Pregnancy, everything hurts! So when I felt pressure in my abdomen I originally thought nothing of it and made plans to get my hands on something carbonated and call it a night. It was when the pressure caused me to become short of breath and eventually lead to me having a hard time breathing I called the Dr. She told me to meet her at the hospital immediately and go directly to Labor and Delivery. Being a the emotional drama queen I am, panic began to set in.

The panic only worsened when we got to the hospital and they lead us to a room and told me to get in a gown and climb into bed. Thinking this was the beginning of a miscarriage I finally began to calm when we heard the heartbeat beating strong and constant. A few minutes later that calm was shattered as I heard the 3 scariest words a 4 month pregnant women could hear:

"You're having contractions".

My thoughts went into a whirlwind and my emotions couldn't keep up; contractions, it's too early, why, but I'm not in pain, and so on. The nurse reassured me all was going to be okay and the medicine they gave me to stop my contractions, I was told, would start to work in around 30 minutes. At the 45 minute mark the pressure in my abdomen reached gut squeezing levels and removed all breath from my lungs. Tears began to pour from my eyes as I realized the medicine wasn't working and I was still contracting every 3 minutes; with the increase in pressure it was getting worse.

We spent the night at the hospital and watched as the contraction monitor moved up and down anxiously waiting for morning to come so we could do an ultrasound and check on the baby. When the ultrasound tech shared that everything looked normal and completely on track I wanted to sob in relief. Even though they still had no idea why I was contracting the baby was safe, normal, and appeared healthy; nothing sounded sweeter to me at that moment and the need to cry out to Christ in joy overwhelmed me.

The doctors find me to be somewhat of a mystery. I eat healthy, exercise, and have done everything right so far, all the test results are good and everything is normal so why am I having contractions; especially ones strong enough to knock the wind out of me? Until further notice I am on modified bed rest at home.

Brandon laughed at our little adventure and blamed the "Kennedy Curse". I told him he should have known better than to think that this pregnancy was going to be easy, nothing is every easy for me. Right now, we're just glad that the baby is okay and I'm home.

Morning Goodbyes

A normal week day morning in our house Brandon gets up an hour before me and is out the door before my alarm even goes off. Once he leaves Tiko is invited to join me on the bed for some snuggling while I attempt to get another 30-45 min. of sleep. When my alarm goes off Tiko noses at me and we both get out of bed.

On mornings where Brandon works from home he gets to sleep an extra 45 min. and when he gets out of the shower he lets Tiko outside. Some mornings he remembers to bring him back in and I still get to snuggle with him and some mornings I wake up alone and dog less. This morning was a dog less morning and Tiko wasn't let back in the house till I was about to walk out the door. As always I stopped in the office to give my hubby a kiss goodbye and exchange any reminders for the day, Tiko was quick to follow me to the office and immediately jumped on the couch turning toward the window. Laughing I commented that I was glad to see that he was going to enjoy staying home with Daddy today and went over to rub his head and give him a kiss goodbye as well.

Brandon surprised me by sharing that when ever he works from home Tiko always rushes to the couch so he can watch me leave from the office window. Shocked I asked: "Really?!". Brandon explained that he each morning he tries to remember to open the blind knowing that Tiko will want to watch me leave. Each morning that the blind is up he rushes to the couch to do just that.

Maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones but I teared up at the small gesture of love that my dog was displaying and he didn't even know it. At that realization I walked back over to give him another scratch behind the ears and a quick kiss on the nose; Tiko really is the best dog there is!

Apples

It's true what they say, once married each individual needs to take time to go home and spend time with their family alone. I was lucky enough to have the privileged to do just that this past weekend. It was a wonderful day filled with much laughter and entertainment most of which was provided by my incredible nephew, Kyndahl.

Kyndahl will be 3 in October and truly is the best kid out there. Despite only getting about a collective 45 min. nap he was quite reasonable the whole day while Amanda and I were out shopping. Our last stop was Walmart and, per usual, the kid had me laughing the whole time. He was starting to get whiny when we first went in so I gave him some string cheese to pacify him; the kid LOVES cheese. He found my trick of stringing it quite funny and told me: "You silly Erin." When he finished the cheese he fussed about wanting more so I asked if he would like an apple instead and he eagerly agreed; the kid didn't eat lunch so we were not surprised he was downing every scrap of food I was giving him.

As we neared the end of our trip Amanda decided to make a stop at the pharmacy while I parked Kyndahl's stroller next to a bench and hunkered down to share the apple with him. We played and giggled as we shared the apple making funny faces and noises at one another. When Kyndahl was done he held the apple out to me exclaiming: "I'm done!" I made sure that he didn't want anymore, that he was done, and told him I was going to throw it away and again he told me: "I'm done!". Thinking nothing of it I got up and threw the apple in the garbage close by. Immediately Kyndahl burst into tears, the big sad ones that made his eyes become the size of saucers. He was utterly heartbroken that I had thrown his apple away. "MY APPLE!!!" he cried. I explained that he said he was done so I threw the apple away and it was gone. He began to sob:

"MY APPLE, MY APPLE! I DIDN'T GET TO SAY BYE!!!!"

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. Kyndahl kept sobbing despite my attempts to reassure him that it was okay, while trying not to laugh at him. After a minute or so I told Amanda we were going to go for a walk to try and distract and calm him down. As we passed the garbage can he reached toward it and cried again:

"MY APPLE, MY APPLE! I SORRY I DIDN'T SAY BYE!!!"

Still laughing we made our way toward the door and ended up passing a large display of yellow roses. Kyndahl was still crying over the apple as we walked past but was quickly distracted by his favorite color:

"MY APPLE, I DIDN'T... OOO- Yellow!" At which point he immediately broke out into giggles and wanted to show me all the yellow that he saw. We stood for a moment to talk about all the different colors while he pointed them all out and then made our way back to the pharmacy to pick up Amanda. As we headed back you would have never known that he was recently so distraught over not getting to say goodbye to his apple if it weren't for his tear stained face.

He really is a character and always keeps you guessing and laughing! :)

Telling Time

As nice as it will be to have a clock in the nursery I would give $100 to bet that we never put a battery in it and use it; or if we do that once the battery dies we never change it. Despite that I had a scrapbook clock that I utilized to add another Dr. Seuss book to the room. The clock I originally wanted to buy was Cat in the Hat and I decided to stick with the theme and use it as my inspiration.

Cat in the Hat

Since the clock was wood it required a bit more paint than the other artwork and took more time. The imperfections show more clearly and thus I had to be a little more careful. My first mistake was to paint the white front first and THEN the red sides; this was not the smartest decision I've ever made and I had to do some white touch up later. Just like the other artwork I used the same method: print pictures, painted background, mod podge it all down. Everything was going splendidly until I dipped my white paint brush in the mod podge and ended up with white streaks down the hat. Furious I cleaned up my mess, threw a tantrum, and left it alone for almost a week. I debated buying a new clock and starting fresh but decided against it when I realized I could just reprint the pictures and mod podge over the images I already had down. You can't even tell I made a mistake in the first place! :)

Making it 3-D

My first two ventures with recreating Dr. Seuss books to put on the nursery walls turned out wonderfully! While discussing the project with a co-worker he recommended that I make a couple of them 3-D. Thinking it was a great idea I decided that 2:4 would have a few 3-D elements.

The ham and eggs on the tray and tree puffs are 3-D:
Green Eggs and Ham

I think it's almost impossible to see what's 3-D and what's not in pictures but none the less there are 3-D elements in the artwork that can be seen really well in person. They've added a nice and subtle touch to each piece and really turned out nicely!

At first I thought I brought the wrong glue to work; thinking I needed tacky or hot glue, but in the end of I tried out a scrapbooking pop-square and it worked GREAT! Each picture was printed and gessoed in the same fashion of the other two canvas' so that the entire picture was on the canvas. I then printed what I wanted to become 3-D on card stock and cut it out; using scrapbooking pop-squares I adhered the card stock to the canvas and presto I had a 3-D effect. It took me less than 10 minutes to do both pictures! If the scrapbooking squares loose their adhesive over time I will try tacky glue but for now it's working.

The clocks are 3-D: Fox in Socks

Although the cost of all the supplies was $30 I still have 3 unused canvas' and plenty of paint, some of which I have yet to open and may return. When you calculate it all out each piece of art cost about $3.50 to make and took about 1-2 hours of work each. In my opinion you can't beat that! I still have the clock to do but that will be done for free because we already had the clock!

Homemade Nursery

As I've said I have plans to make all the artwork for the nursery. I've chosen 4 books to display on canvas': One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, The Lorax, and either Fox in Socks or Oh! The Places You Will Go!. The clock will be Cat in the Hat and I found a HUGE floor puzzle (22"x 36") of Yertle the Turtle at 1/2 Price Books for $4 that will be framed in a poster frame we already own!

Here is the first piece of art:

Instead of gessoing a canvas, turns out the gesso was not as cheap as I thought, I bought a pack of 7 blank canvas' on sale for $14.99. I hit the jackpot at Michaels getting acrylic paint on sale for $0.33 a bottle, a set of 14 sponge brushes for $0.99, and a small tub of Satin Finish Mod Podge for $5.00. A little more than planned but well worth the extra $5; I actually saved $10 by buying my canvas' and not using gesso, go figure!

The art was SO simple to make! First I scanned the front of the book and blew up the images I wanted: the 4 fish and the lettering, then I cut them out. I painted the canvas yellow and used mod podge to glue each image down where I wanted it. Once everything was glued down I used 2 coats mod podge over the entire canvas to seal everything. Presto! I'm done!

On my next canvas I want to try to make some of it 3-D. A co-worker explained I can do this by using scrapbooking pop-dot/ squares just like you would on a scrapbook page. I just have to make sure that the image that becomes 3-D is on thicker paper so it doesn't curl over time; he recommended I use card stock.

Since the first piece turned out so well I have high hopes for my 3-D venture, but we'll see. Either way I'm having an absolute blast with this! Ü

Artwork #2 (The Lorax)

Let's Be Honest...

*DISCLAIMER: Content may be considered too personal for some people*

When it comes to pregnancy everyone has a wise word of advice; it doesn't matter if they have 10 kids or no kids at all everyone has something to say about pregnancy. Most will tell you it's the greatest experience in your life and to treasure every moment, some will be brave enough share a few unpleasant moments, but very few are out right honest about what's going to happen to your body and what you're really going to go through.

Please don't misunderstand me, I have dreamed about being pregnant and have wanted to be pregnant my entire life. The fact that I am growing life inside of me astounds me in ways I've never imagined and I am completely grateful for the blessing that has been given to me. Hearing my baby's heartbeat for the first time was amazing and I wouldn't trade any of what I've gone through and will go through to take it back. God is incredible and the fact that as a woman He created me to carry and grow this little being to life has created a new foundation of faith I never knew I could have.

As incredible and awesome as this miracle is please allow me to be slightly cynical for a moment while I completely agree with Joanne Kimmes and Sanford A. Tisherman and say "Pregnancy Sucks". Their book Pregnancy Sucks: What to Do When Your Miracle Makes You Miserable gets down to the nitty gritty honest truth of pregnancy that no one tells you about and they do it with such humor.

In my opinion every woman should know what's she getting into no matter how great the outcome will be in the end so here are just a few things that people don't tell you you're going to experience or feel while pregnant:

*Exhaustion- Get ready because you will never sleep or feel completely rested ever again. You'll fall asleep at work or find yourself looking at the floor and pining for it's company in a nap.
*Constipation- Get out the Metamucil and prunes ladies because nothing will stop you up quicker and longer than a baby.
*Smell Aversions- If you thought the guy at your office wore a lot of cologne before you got pregnant, just wait... he seems to really pour it on once you're pregnant. You're favorite foods cause you to gag and you'll eat nothing but cold cereal for months because it's the only unscented bland food that doesn't make you want to puke.
*Morning Sickness- Shouldn't this really just be called nausea. A lot of woman don't get it in just the morning... Nothing can kick start the day like feeling the need to puke and forcing yourself to choke down food just to get some nutrients in your system. That feeling, for some, lasts ALL day. (Thank goodness for drugs, Sofran will become your best friend)
*Itching- As you stomach, backside, thighs, and chest begin to grow in size your skin is stretched. In the end this results in stretch marks but before the stretch marks even make an appearance you will begin to itch like a bad case of the chicken pox. Unfortunately it's not an itch you can throw some cream on and forget about, the anti-stretch mark lotion works for about 30 minutes and then you're back to scratching like your life depended on it.
*Muscle Cramps/ Pain- Sharp pains in your abdomen that cause you to FREAK out because you have no idea what's going on and fear there may be something wrong with the baby. In reality it's just the two muscles that hold the uterus in place getting stretched as the uterus and baby grow. Nothing to worry about, in the mean time just try not to twist or bend over until they're stretched out enough that it won't hurt before taking part in such actions again.
*Loss of Sex Drive- No matter who you are or how much you enjoyed it before getting pregnant your desire for it will cut back 75% at least. With everything else going on and the stress of actually being pregnant it's just no longer a fun activity you want to take part in; how sad!
*Nightmares- Some doctors say that the stress of having and raising a child increases adrenaline in the body and thus your dreams become more vivid and often times more violent. You'll dream about your baby dying, you killing your baby, or horrible things happening to you and your loved ones...to make matter worse you'll remember these dreams. I'm sure that this adds to the exhaustion factor.
*Thirst- You'll drink fluids like a fish, have to pee every hour and still NOT feel that the thirst was quenched!
*Weight Gain- Sure it's great to put on the pounds for the baby and I'm sure your husband loves it but no one mentioned how quick or how much you'd put on. All of a sudden you'll find yourself staring at your closet with nothing that fits over your now giant butt and thighs or anything that will hold your now bigger chest. (also see Emotional Breakdowns)
*Memory Loss- You will find yourself asking the same questions over and over again and forgetting where you put your keys even though they are in the same place you always put them and have been putting them there for over a year now.
*Clumsiness- Even the most graceful of people find themselves tripping over there own feet and not really understanding how or why. Even before the baby gets to be the size of a pumpkin your sense of balance is just thrown out of whack. Hopefully for most this does not cause to many incidents of running into walls and doors or moments of things being thrown into the air as you fall on your face.
*Emotional Breakdowns- You'll cry at the Ford commercial when the daughter gives her father a hug for getting a new car... because it's just... so... sweet...

...and all this in just the first trimester. ;)

POWER!!!

Last night we got a brutal storm blow through the area. The day started out fairly decent with a nice breeze and only a little humidity but by 3 the air was so thick it was hard to breathe. At 4 you could hear the rain clouds begin to roll in and by 5:30pm it was pouring down rain. As it got closer to 6 you could hear how close to the middle of the storm we were as the thunder got louder and louder and the lightning got brighter and brighter; the dog began to creep closer and closer to my leg and small whimpers began to escape his lips.

Before the rain had started Brandon had went out to light the grill and get dinner cooking. With plans to be out there for only a short while he didn't let the rain deter him from cooking his dinner. Around 6 lightning struck a tree about 30 feet from the house. Never having experienced a lightning strike so closely before I jumped as the house flooded with light and sound. The windows and doors shook in there place and the ground vibrated from the sheer power of the strike. The sound and vibrations only lasted probably a second but felt like 10 minutes. I probably came about 2 inches off the ground with my head ducked and my arms tucked close to my chest. Tiko instantly took off running for the hills and the look of sheer terror on his face as his eyes became the size of dinner plates caused a laugh to billow up out of me almost as loud as the thunder.

Once it calmed, I asked Brandon if anything had been hit both of us praying it wasn't the house. Two houses down a tree stood completely up right but had been split right down the middle. The top of tree was laying on our neighbors roof but at least no one was hurt. As we gawked and thanked God for the blessing that it hadn't hit anyone's house a second strike hit with in 50 feet of the house. It hit a tree on the street behind us and this time I got to see it. Again the house was flooded with sound and light and the dog took off running, hehe. The light was so bright I found myself turning away shielding my eyes from the power of it. Brandon had stepped outside and was at the grill for the second strike. He grabbed the food off the grill, turned it off, and quickly made his way inside. Immediately I unplugged the TV and turned off the computer and any unnecessary lights. Almost at once I began to pray for safety and began thanking God for the blessing that Jagoe had cleared all the trees in the lot next to us the day before.

After the second close lightning strike the storm calmed and we sat and ate our dinner while watching it rain wondering what would happen next. We simply sat in silence and in awe of what had just happened.

I Need Your Clothes

It being a Friday I was feeling quite lazy this morning. The laundry in our house desperately needs to be done so I was really low on work clothes. Not caring much to search for something and thinking that I would spend the day on the floor going through boxes anyway, I opted for jeans and tennis shoes.

At 9:20 my boss called to let me know that the company was coming over for a meeting and although I had not been requested for minutes she wanted to keep me on standby, just in case. Panic immediately set it, I was not dressed for a meeting with the company. Meetings with the company require professional dress and I don't think jeans and tennis shoes qualify. My wonderful husband recommended I take my lunch early and run out to get something. I could then leave the clothes in my office should such an occasion happen again. I calmly called my boss back and asked what time the meeting was: "9:30" she replied. OF COURSE!

I made my way up to the front desk and calmly asked Laura what she was wearing today. With her looking at me as though I had three heads I explained that I was not kidding and asked again. Slowly she slide her chair out from under her desk and I saw that she had on dress pants. I smiled and asked her if I could possibly trade her outfits. I could see the look of confusion on her face so I explained that I might be needed in a meeting with the company. I was lazy, didn't have any work clothes clean, and expected to spend the day on the floor and was in jeans and tennis shoes. At once she started cracking up laughing. I explained I didn't have time to go get anything because the meeting started like... now! I wasn't sure if I was going to be needed but if I was would she be willing to trade me clothes? Still laughing she agreed. We'll see whether or not we'll have to trade outfits but at least I have options. :)

I never thought being as small as I am that I would have a co-worker that could trade me clothes. God bless Laura and her short and slender frame, she's a lifesaver!

Nursery Fun

I have scowered the stores for neutral bedding and in the end chose a nursery theme based off a childrens book, go figure. Dr. Seuss will soon fill the walls and spirit of our child's room no matter what gender that child may be.

Trend Lab has the cutest Dr. Seuss ABC's bedding and I'm in LOVE with all the color! Once the bedding was Brandon approved I began my search for ideas. I've spent hours pursuing nursery pictures online and Dr. Seuss products. I've looked in Teacher stores, department stores, E-bay, Craigslist, and Amazon. There are plenty of fun products out there but when it came to doing something with the walls I was at a loss. I found everything from huge elaborate painted murals to removable decals. Initially I thought of doing a couple decals; however, they are expensive and I could easily spend over $100 on them.

The next step was to set a budget and make it work. Since I was thinking decals and wanted to keep the option of painting open I set a budget of $100. I have resources at work that would allow me to make my own decals if I wanted but after some researching I decided to keep it simple in hopes of doing everything for under $50; that includes paint. Now that we've finally decided to put the baby in what is currently the office, or front bedroom, I purchased some washcloths that match the bedding to get an idea of the color scheme. Turns out I may not even have to paint since the brown paint in there might work, possibly another $25 saved!

That just left the walls. Yet again, to save money I decided to scan and frame characters from the books, instead of decals, and went in search of some cheap frames at the Dollar Tree. While there I noticed some ugly oil paintings that were the size I was looking for. Crafty inspiration peaked, I could gesso ($2-5) the canvas and modge podge ($2-5) the characters onto the it and would give me the opportunity to be a little more creative with the artwork; I could make even make them 3-D. For only $1 a canvas I decided to do a small collage of 4-6 Dr. Seuss books.

At my last scrapbooking retreat I won a clock that is made to be scrapbooked as a door prize. I've never known what to do with it until now! Using the Cat in the Hat as my inspiration I've decided scrapbook my own clock instead of buying the $20 one. :)

To finish everything off I found cheap bulletin board letters for $6, but I have a 30% off coupon, to do a cute Dr. Seuss quote over the crib: "A Person is a Person no matter how small."

I'm still in search of what to do for curtains but I'm sure I'll figure something cheap out. :) All thoughts and ideas for curtains are welcome.

Who's Taking Care of Who?

Many experts say that dogs are some of the smartest animals and that certain breeds show a higher intelligence than humans; most claim it's their sixth sense. Their natural ability to sense things way beyond human capabilities has always astounded me and this morning was no different.

For weeks Tiko has been acting a little... off. He's acted more clingy and in need of attention, he's been following me around the house as if he's afraid of losing sight of me, and has developed a weird and sudden fascination with getting under things. He's gotten under the bed more than once, he will lay with his head under the ottoman, the kitchen table, or even a kitchen chair. Our home has not exactly been at peace emotionally with all the death we've experienced in the past two months but this morning was something completely different.

As usual I woke up around 2: AM for my morning bathroom break, one of the many joys of being pregnant. Having taken a Benedryl sinus, I felt in no condition to really get up and walk to the bathroom no matter how close it may be or how badly I had to go. I stirred, looked at the clock, groaned, and rolled over. Tiko, who was laying on the bed with me since Brandon was out of town, got up and moved closer to me and laid his head on my chest. When I didn't respond he began to nose at me. When I gave him the command to quit he stood up and walked a few circles and laid back down; when he got up to do this for a third time I firmly commanded him to lay down. He abruptly huffed and collapsed on the bed landing half on top of me and began to nose at me again. By this point I was awake enough to use the restroom and decided to get up.

Like every other night when I get up Tiko followed me to the restroom and sat down next to to the toilet while I took care of business. We both walked back to the bed together and he patiently waited for me to give the ok for him to join me. Once on the bed he quickly got comfortable on Brandon's side and left me alone.

At 4:30 I woke up again feeling the need to use the restroom; I groaned and again rolled over to ignore the urge and go back to sleep. As if one cue Tiko took position up close to me and began to nose at me again! With out a fight I got up and went to the bathroom with my dog happily trotting behind me with his tongue hanging out contently.

At 7:15 when my alarm went off for the third time, yet again, Tiko began the process of getting me out of bed and even went as far as to lick my face, hands, and arms. I was so shocked I couldn't help but smile and rub his ears.

It wasn't until I was half way to work did I really put together what happened with Tiko. I still don't understand it but while Brandon is out of town I know that I have someone, or something, that will take care of me. Crazy dog!

1st Diaper Cake

A co-worker and good friend of mine was recently thrown a baby shower at work. Unsure of what to get her I looked over the registry and found that nothing really caught my eye. Since I was feeling crafty I looked online at some diaper cakes and toyed with the idea of whether or not I could pull something like that off. Having never made one in my life and having only seen 1 in person I researched the topic for 3 days; I looked at designs, methods, cost, and materials. I spent 3 days working on the cake: rolling diapers, wrapping ribbon, making bows, and trying to find a place for all the fun decor. Since I had never made one or really seen more than one in person I was a little nervous about how it would turn out. I had a blast putting it all together was actually pleased with the result, I had read so many horror stories of first timers that I was surprised at how nice mine looked.

The mother LOVED the cake, I even got a hug for it, and should another baby shower arise I hope to make another one. I think next time though I'll split the cost and work with someone. ;)


The tally came out to...

Structure:
65 Diapers
68 Rubber bands
1 Large circle of Cardboard
1 piece of scrapbook paper
2 sticks of hot-glue
6 Glue Dots
1 lg. bottle of Baby Shampoo (to secure the middle)
1 travel size bottle of baby power (to secure the top)

Decor:
9ft. of fat ribbon (wrapped around each tier)
2 ft. of skinny ribbon (made into bows)
8 Diaper pins
4 Moist Wipes
2 pairs of no scratch mittens
2 feeding spoons
2 wrist rattles
1 travel size bottle of baby oil
1 tube Diaper Rash cream
1 pacifier
1 teether/ cold pack
1 pack baby stickers
1 Carebears Babies First Words
1 Sm. Teddy Bear


*I highly recommend a diaper cake for any kind of baby shower and for anyone who enjoys crafting. I learned that making one is a WHOLE lot cheaper than buying one and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be! The hardest part was picking out the decor.

Stupid Dog

My hope is that once we have this baby all my fun stories will revolve around the child and not our dog and his crazy antics. Yet again I find myself shaking my head and wondering how in the world the dog is still alive. He's provided numerous opportunities for us to do the dirty deed for him but he's also gotten into situations where he could do it himself... that would be the case today.

Over the last couple weeks we have not been allowing Tiko up on our bed. He had become territorial of it and we wanted him to learn that being on the bed was a privilege and not a right.

This morning I woke up and Tiko was not anywhere to be seen. Assuming that Brandon had put him outside I climbed out of bed with the intentions of getting ready for work. As I put my foot down I came with inches of stepping on the dog's nose. Perplexed at why Tiko's head was poking out from under the bed I crouched down and found that it wasn't just his head that was under the bed, his entire body was laying comfortably beneath my mattress and box spring. I laughed at his pitiful face and called him to me. He inched forward and stopped when his shoulder hit the side board; giving me a sad pitiful face he let out a small cry. I burst out laughing and called him again. He inched forward again and then immediately retreated crying and obviously agitated; he was stuck. I wanted to be upset, I was going to be late for work, but I just couldn't help but laugh. He looked so pitiful and distraught. His eyes were begging me for help and unfortunately I couldn't do anything about it. I called Brandon and he was as shocked as I was. How in the world Tiko got under the bed or even why still astounds us.


Since I'm pregnant I wasn't going to be able to lift the bed and let Tiko out, not that it mattered the bed was going to be too heavy for me to lift pregnant or not. Brandon and I decided that if a neighbor was unable to come and help Brandon had plans to drive home and get him out from the under the bed, stupid dog.

I left the dog crying as I went to get ready for work. In the end I decided to pull the dog out myself. My hope was that the painful experience would teach him not to get under the bed again and this would be the one and only time he got under the bed. My true feelings where that he got himself into the mess and I was not about to provide an easy way for him to get out.

I called Tiko to me and yet again he inched to his shoulders, cried, and stepped back. Laughing and talking in a calm tone I called him again. This time when his shoulders hit the side board I grabbed up under his armpits and gave him a yank. He let out a yelp but I held firm trying not to laugh and instead provide a soothing tone. When he started to back peddle I strictly told him to "come on". We struggled back and forth like this for 20 minutes; me gaining an inch or so and Tiko trying to go back under the bed where the wood wasn't crushing him and pulling at his fur.

Finally I was able to scoot the last of his butt and hips out, at which point Tiko gave me a big kiss and took off running like a mad dog around the house. You could almost see the "I'M FREE!!! I'M FREE!!!" expression cross his face and body as he bounded about with his tongue hanging out.

If there is one thing I've learned it's that Tiko has prepared Brandon and I for children in more ways than I ever imagined a dog would. I guess I should be thankful, stupid dog!