Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Sleepy Times

Yesterday I was exhausted.  It had been about a week since I had slept through the night.  I updated my facebook status saying "I wonder if I will ever sleep through the night again..."  I didn't think anyone would read it, and certainly didn't think I would get any comments because I never do.  Wow, I was wrong.  Everyone and there dog basically told me that no, I wouldn't.  At least not until our kids are grown.  Stories of 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 year olds still climbing into bed with mommy and daddy.  I know I did it occasionally growing up, but not every night.  I only did it when I was scared, probably because I got into trouble if I was just trying to stay up.  I was not allowed to stay in my parents room unless I was visibly shaken by whatever had scared me.  I think it was a little harsh but isn't that part of teaching you to soothe yourself and not to rely on other people for comfort? 

Ok, I got off topic as per usual.  Point is, people scared me... and last night, I slept like a baby.  I didn't wake up once, woke up in the same position I fell asleep in and woke up refreshed.  Guess my body figured if I'm going to be up for the next 5 years with this one (and longer when we have more), I should get as many good nights now as I can!  YAY!  Now I am just praying this trend (I know, one night is not a trend but I can hope!) continues! 

Still trying to figure out what to give up for Lent... I've given up alot already, what is one more thing, right?  I had to find us a church to go to tonight, ours did the service this morning and I couldn't go because I couldn't be in NE Dallas until 7:30 and make it to my meeting in Irving by 8.  We'll see how it goes!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

My thing with Valentine's

Ok, I get the holiday, I do, but seriously it has gone so far overboard.  I am not so cynical that I like to rain on everyone else's parade, but I just don't celebrate it.  I never liked it growing up... my favorite part was the homemade card from my mom.  If I did have a special someone, they usually broke up with me or cheated on me the week before.  In the past five or six years, during either the week before or the week after, a loved one has died.  Its just not a happy week for me.  I despise all of the commercials that tell men to go out and buy tons of gifts... diamonds, chocolate, flower, stuffed animals... it is ridiculous.  I save cards, so if I got a card it would be stuck in the filing cabinet with my other cards.  The chocolate would be gone at an embarrassing rate, flowers would be in the trash after a couple days cause I can't keep the dang things alive.  Stuffed animals would be put in the nursery probably but would most likely end up in a box with keepsakes in the storage shed.  Diamonds are nice, but if Danny went and bought me any I would kill him.  I lose jewelry too often to have real stuff... I am so proud to have kept up with my Aggie ring and my engagement ring this long!  I just think it is way too commercialized.  Don't go buy me something because some corporate hack bought air time and told you too.  On the other hand, if you just want to get me anything to express your feelings toward me any other day of the year, I will happily accept. 

Ok, now that I have that off my chest.... we had another great weekend!  Thursday, by 10pm we had 8 inches of snow!  And it was still coming down!  Friday we were both off due to the weather so we slept late, lounged around, and then went to my parents that afternoon.  We were supposed to play games with my parents sunday school class' game night, but they all wanted to watch the Olympic Opening Cermonies instead.  So we watched all the countries walk in, then the group decided to go home before the weather got bad!  It was kind of a bust.  Saturday, my mom and I went to Flower Mound for Penny's funeral while my dad and Danny went to the farm to feed the cows, to a horse auction, and apparently to Walgreens to get Valentine's chocolate.  (I got 3 cadbury eggs, which I accepted because they are technically Easter candy, I can't resist them, and Danny had to get the manager to pull them out of the back because they weren't displaying them yet!) Saturday night we played Outburst Remix and my mom and I kept losing!  Who knew my dad and Danny would be so good!  I am good at that game too... Alicia and I played for 10 hours one time because she wouldn't go to bed until she beat me!  Needless to say, I was frustrated.  Sunday we went to church, out to lunch and enjoyed a day of pure laziness.  It was wonderful and much needed and repeated on Monday.

Today it is back to work, but we are both rejuvenated by our fabulous weekend.  We are 21 weeks!  Only 19 to go!  According to thebump.com, this week our baby is a banana.  How he went from a cantelope last week to a banana this week is beyond me.  Next week we are supposed to be a papaya.  I found one at walmart cause I couldn't recall what it looked like and OH MY!  It was huge!  a little scared now!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sad and Thankful

Yesterday I learned that one of my childhood friend's mother passed away.  She had been dealing with myeloid leukemia since November 2008.  Penny Reagan was a sweet lady.  She always had a beautiful smile on her face.  She was one of those people who asked how you were because she was truly interested and would listen to what you had to say.  She was a genuine person and a good friend to my mom and many others.  Her oldest son, Russell, and I went to preschool together.  They moved away and then back to Irving during elementary, but we all stayed friends through graduation.  I haven't talked to Russell or Penny in years.  I think I saw Penny and Duane last at Michael Bell's wedding a couple years ago.  She was just as kind and inviting then as she always had been. 

This is the second friend I have had in as many months lose his mother.  Todd Reinders lost his mother a couple months ago after losing his father our freshman year of college.  I just cannot imagine.  It isn't necessarily that I knew these women well that makes me sad.  Its that they were too young.  These were vibrant women in their 50s.  They should have had decades left with family and friends to spoil grandchildren and travel.  As their children, it is right that we bury our parents instead of the other way around, I know that.  I just cannot imagine doing it now.  I would be completely lost without my mother.  And my father for that matter.  Losing either of them now would be heartbreaking.  Not that it is ever easy, that isn't my point either.  I think there just comes a time when it is more expected.  As for me, I am blessed with extremely healthy parents.  I am so thankful that they are in my life and we have the relationship that we have.  Other than some back problems, my mom has never even been sick.  My dad has had heart scares, but that is all they have been... scares.  He is now trying to get down to a healthy weight. 

I think this hit me so hard because I am pregnant.  I have lost all my grandparents.  On the other hand, I knew all of them for the first 11 years of my life and I feel extremely blessed for that.  I know not everyone is so lucky.  I want our son to be so lucky.  I want him to know all four of his grandparents for many many years.  I want him to have special memories of all of them just like I had with mine.  I want to be able to share my parenthood journey with them.  I cannot think of anything (besides my baby boy) that would be more precious than that.  SO I guess my point is this... tell your parents you love them.  Next time you see them genuinely tell them how much they mean to you and hug them tight.  You never know what will happen and you don't want there to be anything you wish you had said or done.  I know I get a little mellow dramatic about these things.  Each time I hear about it happening, I latch on to my mommy like a 4 year old on the first day of school.  I know I do the extreme.  Losing my mom is one of my biggest fears, she is my best friend.

On a happier note, we had a fantastic weekend.  We went to Texarkana Friday and spent some time with Danny's parents and Caleb and Lindsey.  We drove on to Hot Springs to see BJ Sonya and Trey.  It was great to get to spend time with them.  Sunday, we went with them to Cecil Ray and Misty's house for Misty's birthday party and the superbowl.  So many babies!  Cecil Ray and Misty have 7 month old twin girls, Hayley and Hannah.  Trey is 2 weeks older than the girls and there were a couple 2 year olds and a 5 year old there.  So much fun!  Hayley loved Danny.  He played, fed and put her to sleep.  He is so great with kids and I am so grateful to have married a man that is so good with children. 

It is snowing like crazy outside!  Last update I heard had moved the expected snowfall from 1-3" to 4-7"!  In Dallas!  We took all the kindergarteners out all bundled up and let them play for about 10 minutes.  They loved it... snowballs were flying everywhere.  It will be interesting to see how cold it gets overnight.  My drive home tonight will be interesting and they drive in the morning will be even worse.  Should make for an interesting weekend.  I will be uploading our wedding pictures to facebook sometime this weekend.  We ended up getting all the digital files... so excited!  I'll put some of my favorites on here.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Appointments!

I feel like I am always at the doctor.  I have my monthly OB appointments, monthly endocrinologist appointments and the past two months the appointments with the maternal and fetal medicine doctor.  Two specialists a month is bad on the wallet.  Good news is that is more paid toward our deductible and less we have to pay when the baby is born.  I wish Danny was in the army already... I could have this boy on base and only pay $20.  Wouldn't that be nice?  I guess we will just have to deal on this one and thank God I got a teaching job this year and have health insurance again.  I am excited because I actually have questions to ask today!  Whenever she asks, I usually go completely blank and stare back at her and mumble "I don't know"  Well, I've had some interesting things happening to my body lately and I need to know if they are normal.  I have read that they are, but these things aren't supposed to occur until the middle or late third trimester.  I'm in the middle of the second trimester... also, Dr. Weiss said the baby weighed 10oz last Thursday.  I was 18w3d.  According to the averages I've seen that's 3 oz heavy.  So at 13 weeks, he was 1/2 in longer than average and now he's 3 oz heavier than average... Am I paranoid or is he a really big little guy?!  Anyway, as long as he is healthy I guess it doesn't really matter.  I just remember my mom telling me when Danny and I got together (keep in mind he was 70 pounds heavier then) that our kids would look like weeble wobbles.  I don't want weeble wobble kids!  I won't let that happen... my kids are going to be healthier and make better choices than I have.  At least that is my hope for them!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Accomplishment!

We finally got some things accomplished and I couldn't be more excited about it!  I found a dresser on Craigslist the other day so Sunday afternoon, Danny and I went to check it out.  It was just what I wanted and we got an armoir too!  Now all I need to do is actually purchase the fabric, paint the room and refinish all the hardwood floors.  Well, I say I, I'll purchase everything and tell Danny to do it!  I don't think the dust and fumes would be too good for me or baby!  When we got home last night, we took apart the full-size bed in the guest room and took it to the garage.  Then we did what I have been wanting to do for months!  We pulled up the nasty carpet!  Granted, none of the carpet was nasty when I moved in (brand new actually), but my two dogs apparently still could smell other dog smell in the middle and front bedrooms and marked their territory.  These are housetrained dogs.  They never potty anywhere else, just those specific places.  Anyway, no amount of scrubbing was going to remove those stains and I was so tired of it.  However, since there was carpet down when I bought the house, there was no way of knowing what condition the hardwoods were in.  My house was built in 1954 so chances were slim.  They aren't terrible... mostly just some discoloration, nothing a nice sanding and varnish can't handle.  We need to get this stuff done though so we can put the house on the market.  I would like to put it up by March.  Hopefully, it will sell more quickly if I can make it look like a showplace.  Maybe some dumb, single girl who wants to prove she is a grown up will come along and buy it... hey, stranger things have happened:)

Here are the pieces we got yesterday plus swatches of the fabric we have chosen.

 

Excuse the picture quality, all I had was my phone.  I will post more pictures when the room is complete!