Thankful

Things get so busy this time of year that sometimes I find myself forgetting to slow down and enjoy the season. So, in honor of Thanksgiving I would like to take a moment to appreciate the many joys I have in my life.

I have a wonderful husband who is the best daddy Laney could ask for. He puts up with my "crazy" -most of the time, and when I told him I backed over my stroller all he said was "oh". I have the sweetest little girl, who makes me laugh everyday! And we've got a little 'peanut' coming in March who so far seems healthy (and if the size of my belly is any indication) growing. We have a house that we're making into a home and a business that supports us. I have wonderful, supportive friends and family close by.

It is almost unbelievable to wake up and realize that you have everything you've always wanted in your life- and I am grateful.

Now...Let the eating begin!

What a Difference 10 Years Makes...

10 years ago, I was 17 and running late for school. For reasons I can't fully remember now I was late, stressed, distracted and frustrated (sound like a teenager?). As I was running out the door my dad told me at least 3 times NOT to back into the garbage can because it had been moved. Rolling my eyes I got in my car, slammed it into reverse and, with my dad watching from the front door, SLAMMED RIGHT INTO THE DAMN GARBAGE CAN !!! I mean I bounced that thing off my bumper and sent it flying across the yard- then with my dad shaking his head the entire time I had to pick it up, put it back and drive to school. I felt like a complete idiot, and my family has never forgotten that day.

10 Years Later...

I'm 27 and have to get to the store and back in less than an hour. We have no food in the house, Laney has been sick with some unknown bug for over a week. I'm tired, stressed and distracted (sound like a pregnant mommy?). The night before I had unloaded the car and had left my stroller leaning up against the back window so I would be sure to remember to put it back in the morning. While listening to my kid cry in the house and mentally making a grocery list, I slam the car into reverse, and BACK OVER MY DAMN STROLLER!!!! I got out of the car, looked at the mangled stroller- threw it across the yard (Hope my neighbors weren't watching) and drove to Safeway. (where I called my mommy crying)

10 years later, it felt EXACTLY the same- I'm an IDIOT. It would seem that pregnant women and teenagers have a little bit in common...

P.S. and I FORGOT THE BANANNAS which was the main purpose for my trip to the store!

The 80's- Jessica's Birthday Party

Last Saturday Jessica hosted her own 30th birthday party... with and 80s theme. The outfits were outrageous, and we had a great time! Most of us girls even managed to dig up a hair crimper! The pictures really speak for themselves- so enjoy! Ryan and Todd a.k.a. Michael rocking the dance floor
Fran- I vote that she takes home the best dressed award- she looked so authentic!


Annette, Jessica and I with Rocky and MJ (nice of them to stop by wasn't it?)

The rocker and his pregnant groupie (someday my unborn child will love this picture I'm sure!)

More dancin

For You...

Just a little story to make you feel better about being you (and not me)...

Today I forgot what I went out to the garage to get. And this memory lapse promptly made me burst into tears. Gee, maybe I'm hormonal

or pregnant with a little side of crazy... hard to say.

Opinions? Advice?

Ok- so I'm wondering about where to put the new baby when he comes... Our bedroom and Laney's bedroom are upstairs and then we have two bedrooms downstairs that we use as a spare bedroom and toy room. Laney still gets up in the wee hours of the morning and crawls into bed with us and I'm not really comfortable with her wandering around the house in the middle of the night, not to mention...downstairs seems so far away in the off chance that there's a fire, tornado, flood... you know. (pregnancy paranoia? Possibly.) So I'd like Laney and "little peanut" (as Fran calls him) to share a room upstairs. (obviously the baby will be in our room for a few months while he's still nursing at night).

So... I'm wondering if this is a stupid idea (my first one ever, obviously). Any one care to offer words of advice on the subject? Will they just spend the whole night waking each other up and making me crazy and sleep deprived?

Leave a comment... HELP A GIRL OUT!

Three Little Words...

Today has been one of those days where I swear that the baby is sucking the life out of me. I'm tired, irritable and have been counting down the hours until I can crawl into bed. Then as I was rocking Laney before bed I gave her a kiss and said I love you, same as every night.

Tonight she responded by reaching up, giving me a kiss (binkie and all) and saying "I yuve you".

Life is good.

Too Much Information....

*WARNING* This post may contain too much information for some of you- especially if you've never worn a bra. In other words, Dad- you might want to skip this one.



Most of the indignities of pregnancy I remember vividly. The stretch marks, the months of puking, waddling, lots of body parts exposed to whomever walks into the room- but it would appear that some things were just too painful to be retained in my memory. Today I had to relive one of those horrible pregnant moments that I blocked from my mind.

Bra Shopping... THE HORROR !!

For many of you this entails going to Target, buying a cute bra in a size slightly larger than normal and going on your merry way. No so for me. On a good, non pregnant day, my girls are larger than average- and my bras resemble industrial strength straight jackets- lots of hooks, closures and reinforced seams. But, like all things, this changes when I'm pregnant. If I didn't have to look at them everyday I would swear that boobs this size do not appear in nature (only porn stars and on the Real Housewives of Orange County).

So, after several weeks (months) of denial, and a few moments of near strangulation I finally gave in and went bra shopping. I thought that my best chance was Macys (they don't make my size at Target)- so I went in. There was NO WAY I was going to ask for help and be the topic of every break room conversation for the next week so I just started grabbing whatever looked like it might work. Trying on bra's is traumatic under the best of circumstances but having to even glance at my pregnant self topless in a mirror under the soft glow of florescent lighting almost sent me into a panic attack. HORROR !

So, in between hypervenhtilating and trying to keep Laney from crawling into the next dressing room, I found some acceptable options. They look like something a geriatric astronoaut might wear on a space mission but they keep everything strapped down and allow for some circulation.

Can't wait to buy a nursing bra... :(

Halloween

We had a BUSY Halloween ! Since Ryan had plans to hunt this weekend we celebrated Halloween on Friday. We started the day with the Perkins out at the Mercantile checking out the petting zoo and pumpkin patch. Then we went trick-or-treating. The girls that work in Ryan's office were kind enough to let us trick or treat at their house a day early and they spoiled Delaney in a big way! Then on Saturday we went into Jenny's house for another Halloween party- After all this fun she's a tired girl!
My little Elmo in the car preparing to get more candy!

Bouncing on the trampoline at Jenny's house with cousin Katori.

Elmo with her BIG pumpkin that Uncle Jake grew for her.

See- they can be nice and play together sometimes

Checking out the moo cows...

Getting Pumpkins with Daddy

Sitting on a big pumpkin, she thought she had to sit on EVERY pumpkin at the Mercantile!

And checking out the maze... you can just see the top of her head !

Pumpkins at Grammie and Grandpa's

Some cute pictures of Laney helping her Grammie pick pumpkins a few weeks ago

Sick

It seems like our family has spent the month of October sick. It started with me and then Ryan caught it and finally Delaney went down for the count. We never got tested for the swine flu but I'm suspicious... it just seemed like it would never end. Poor Laney spent more than a week really sick- she just wanted to be help, rocked and sleep. This is how I would find her if I ever had to get up to do something... laying down with a blankie... even on the hard countertops!

It seemed like whenever I thought she was over it, she'd wake up with a new symptom. NOT fun! She still has a cough and a runny nose- poor girl !