A stork's view of Pebbles

We finally went to Stork Vision to get some 3D images of Pebbles after a cancelled appointment and my irrational reaction to said cancelled appointment. READ: I was sobbing and in complete victim mode, my wonderful husband had to sort out all of the details to get the required paperwork and reschedule the appointment. Yes, he was annoyed with me, and I don't blame him, but he still did what it took to make me feel better. Like I've said on many occasions, I married the perfect man. ANYHOW ... the first appoint didn't go that well, as Pebbles was hiding in my hip and every attempt we made to get her to move instead lead to her burrowing her face even farther. The one thing that was good about the first appointment was that they confirmed it was in fact a girl - which is great since the night before I had a dream they told us it was a boy, which would have been fine except for the nursery is painted (pain-stakingly) and we have obtain lots of girlie items already. It would not have been the end of the world but I would have been disappointed about the whole nursery thing. Luckily, since the first group of images failed, we were able to reschedule for another day - which is where the pictures on here are from. The details are absolutely amazing, even though this time Pebbles was sleeping. We tried waking her up some to get some better video, and this is what we got:

I guess this means we are going to have a screamer on our hands, since to me, this looks like the face you get right before the little buggers start wailing. ***giggle*** Of course, we didn't get any screaming, she instead went back to sleep. We can only hope the same thing happens once she's here, but I'm not holding my breath.

Anyhow, Pebbles seems to be doing just fine right now. The doctor says I've had an easy pregnancy (not including the horrid morning sickness that I thought was going to kill me), my blood pressure has remained fairly low, I haven't seem to have had any other scares (knock on wood), its just been the whole being overly bloated and uncomfortable, but that's to be expected. Meanwhile, Pebbles seems to be quite active, she likes to bounce on my bladder and stick her butt in my side. She even woke me up with the hiccups last night about 4am and the proceeded to dance around for an hour. Yay for movements, boo for lack of sleep. No real complaints from me though. Now, if only these last 2 months would go by so we can 1) cuddle with pebbles OUTSIDE my belly and 2) I can start to begin feeling normal again, then all will be grand in the J household (or so I think). Until next time...

Its all a bunch of randomness!

TWO ITEMS I BOUGHT AND AM EXCITED TO HAVE

I'm extremely worried about the sleepless nights and having a colicky baby since I'm not a very pleasant person to be around when tired. My husband isn't as bad, but he falls asleep easily and is a bear to wake up, so while I know everyone will continue to tell us that things will be fine and we'll find a way to deal with it, I still want to prepare. Based on my fears and going off some recommendations from other new parents, I ordered THE miracle blanket and "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD. I figure if we happen to be one of the luckiest sets of parents and have a child who sleeps well and such from the start, then its only because I spent the money on these items to begin with, so it still wasn't a waste. Meanwhile, I'll be honest, watching the video on the miracle blanket website of them swaddling the baby is a little frightening, but I've heard so many people rave about this item that I'm willing to try it from the start. And for the DVD - I think we'll sit down and watch this in the next few weeks to try and prepare (since when pebbles is crying at 3am, I DOUBT we'll want to be watching it then!). Feel free to share any other opinions, tips, etc. that you have as well.



WHAT'S THAT, LIFE IS NORMAL AGAIN?

My husband and I spent all day Saturday cleaning the house and I also went grocery shopping Sunday morning so we could have dinner at home this week and my husband took care of the lawn. This is something we haven't done since BEFORE I found out I was pregnant. We have done cleaning here and there and made SEVERAL trips to the grocery store, but this felt like normal life again. For example, I put the chairs on the kitchen table and dining table when I clean the floors - it makes it easier. Well, I put them up to clean one day back in like April or something and they've been up there every since. Ummm yeah, obviously we don't eat at the table much (so China Sunday's are just a distant memory right now). Also, we've had a stack of books and mail on the entry table since probably the beginning of the year. Another one, we've had all our medications and vitamins sitting on our wine buffet as well - most of which neither of us have needed in months (vitamins not included). Soooo, not only did I want to get the house picked up (dishes, counters, floors, bathrooms, etc) but I also wanted to attack these other items that we have been ignoring. I have to admit, I'm embarrassed we ignored these items for as long as we did and I can't believe how much nicer / calmer / cleaner the house feels with some of this "clutter" taken care of. Next we have the grocery shopping. Previously, we'll figure out what we want and run to the store to pick up the items necessary for THAT one meal. I don't think we had a total over $30 at the grocery store yet this year. We also found that we were dining out ... A LOT. And it got BORING. I mean, we'd spend an hour trying to figure what and where we wanted to eat because we were just tired of the whole process from driving there, to eating at the same general places, to the fact that it basically took up our whole evening. After the whole cleaning frenzy, I put together a simple dinner menu for the week and made a grocery list. Add the wonderfully clean house to a stocked fridge and a manicured lawn and BAM! Life feels almost normal again. And what's even better? We're motivated to keep it up - I love having the clean floors, its great to wake up to an empty sink, the lawn looks great (of course, my husband has kept this up every week, so its not new), and we get to spend our evenings together, at home, instead of fussing over dinner. I know someone out there will tell me that we're starting the "nesting" process, but in our defense, this is something we WERE doing before but once I got pregnant and started feeling miserable, all bets were off. So maybe the "nesting" was the motivation to get it done, but the whole process isn't something new to us either. I just hope we do continue to keep this up, especially once Pebbles gets here since I have a feeling dining out will be way too much of a hassle for a while.

And, I mentioned to my husband that if we run into trouble keeping the house clean while spending time as a family, I'd like to think about getting a house keeper - even if it is just to clean the floors, toilets, tubs and other deep cleans every other week. I see no reason for us to stress out keeping the house clean INSTEAD of spending time with one another and enjoy Pebbles. I know he is against it right now, but we'll see where things lead.



I'M TURNING 3-0!

I always said I wanted to have kids before I was 30, and while Pebbles won't be here yet, I still think I'm ok. I am a little disappointed that we won't be having a big blow out in Vegas or something else equally insane, but I can say we'll just make up for it next year instead. I've decided I will be going to get a prenatal massage, a pedicure, and getting my hair cut and possibly doing some color treatment (it also helps that my best friends wedding is a week after, so I can be all primped and pretty for it). I haven't had my hair cut in a LONG time (like maybe since September?) and I've only had maybe 2-3 pedi's since then as well. AND, the only time I've ever had a profession massage was on our honeymoon. So, I figure after 30 years of becoming who I am and 7 months of growing Pebbles, I deserve a little pampering - even if it is going to make me gag at the total cost. Its a splurge!

Now, taking a step back and looking at my life, these past 30 years have been pretty good to me for the most part, so I really can't complain too much. I'm not rich, I'm not a celebrity, and my husband isn't a professional soccer player - but I really am happy with who I am, where I am, and I couldn't ask for a better husband. I mean lets take a quick look at things: I have a B.S. and M.S. in a field that directly lead to my job, which also allows me to make decent money both to enjoy now and to save for the future. I am married to an amazing man, we have two wonderful (but psycho) cats, we own a nice home on a private lake, we both drive good vehicles, we have a baby girl on the way, I get along great with my in-laws whom we don't live too far from, we are both healthy, we've taken some great vacations - I mean, the list really does go on and on! And to add to that, my husband just found out that he will be promoting in less than a month. I've moved from Michigan, to Oregon, to California, to Texas. I've been through my partying days and, while I had a blast and never ended up in jail, I'm glad to be past that point in my life (as is my husband). I get along with my family, even though we are spread across the US. When you take out some of the specifics (WHO my husband is, WHERE I live, WHAT I drive, etc), when asked in high school, this is pretty much where I wanted to be at this age. I really am proud of my accomplishments and actually, as great as it is to realize the goals I've met, I really enjoy most of the journey to get here! It was not nearly as smooth and linear as I thought it would be, but some of the bumps and bruises are the best parts. The road trip with my stepsister between California and Michigan and back, meeting my husband at a club in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, graduate school in San Diego, all the randomness in Texas with various people - I'll just end this by saying I can believe I am 30 since I have all the memories to show for it. You never get any younger, you can't turn back time, so enjoy who you are and what life hands you, because its all the little stuff that makes you and your life what it is.



POOR LUCY

I went out to my car yesterday after work and ... and ... and ... (are you getting anything here?) nothing. She wouldn't start. *pouts* Luckily, I was giving a friend a ride who helped - he called to get security's number then called them to come help out. We stood there and laughed about it since when we were both here together back in 2000, this sort of thing happened to us ALL THE TIME. So, rather than freaking out or getting upset, we just sort of rolled with it. The only thing that really sucked was the 102 degree weather. Luckily, security got there with 5-10 minutes and we were on our way within 15 minutes. (Of course, then I missed the exit to drop him off at, but so be it) I had my husband scrub the battery posts last night since the guy who jumped Lucy said it looked like they were a little corroded. She started fine 3 times last night and started this morning, although she hesitated a little - so I'm worried that when I go back to get in her, she's not going to start. Obviously we'll be going out to get a new battery for Lucy tonight, lets just hope I can GET home.



THE NEXT FEW MONTHS...

I am just over 30 weeks along and have about 10 weeks left until my due date. In the time left, I can't decide if I want it to hurry up and pass or if I want more time to prepare - it kinda depends on when you ask me. We have a lot going on over the next several weeks: doctor appointments every 2 weeks, doing our big night out to the horse races, my boss is leaving, my husband is promoting, I'm turning 30, Rangers - Yankees game, my best friend is getting married, I'm having a baby shower in Michigan, our Prepared Childbirth classes, picking out a pediatrician, finalizing childcare, discussing my return to work schedule, taking care of the insurance paperwork, finishing Pebbles' room ... and that's just the stuff I can think of right now! I know we're getting down to the home stretch and we don't really have much time to put things off, but I'm also just ready to have my daughter here to hold and snuggle - and to start getting my body back! I'm sure it is all going to be a crazy whirlwind, but day by day its slow.

And, to top it all off and show just how crazy I am, I keep worrying that we won't be able to decorate for Halloween. I think we'll be decorating in late September just so I can have the stuff out - because I have a feeling once Pebbles is here, I won't have the time or energy to do anything. Am I going to care about the decorations once Pebbles is here? Probably not, but right now I do. So shoot me. :-)

Nursery Pictures, finally!!!

Yay! While our PC internet is not fixed yet, I've found a sneak around by using a Cruzer drive - so I can finally upload so pictures. I will be uploading some belly pictures in the near future, but I don't have any recent ones and since I didn't shower today, I look all greasy so I refuse to take one from today. Hang in there though, I promise they will be coming! On to the nursery!

After several hours of painting white, a few hours of painting pink, and the 6-7 hours of taping, we were ready to paint the harlequin pattern:


I think it took us maybe 30-45 minutes to actually paint the diamonds. Did I ever tell you how much I LOVE painters tape?

A small amount of time to let the paint dry a little, we peeled the tape off to examine our work. We left the edges since we were not sure if we were going to do the whole room or just a single wall - after we saw it, we felt doing all 4 walls would be a little too busy (and time consuming), so we decided on just the one.

Now that the painting (and chair rail) were complete, it was time for the flooring.

All the big things are done! Paint - check! Chair rail - check! Flooring - check!

A better shot of the whole floor, we love it!

We set up the crib, replaced the mini-blinds, hung the curtain, and set the bedding in. Everything is really coming together so much better than I expected - these pictures don't even do it justice.

A better picture to include the rug we bought as well.

This is on the opposite wall - the bookcase we are using as a dresser, the canvas drawers (which we are planning on getting 4 more), the top will be the changing table and is perfect height, and the picture we got from Ikea which (as hard as it is to tell) matches perfectly. Again, I am so happy with how it has all turned out so far, I just wish the pictures could actually capture just how great it all looks - or maybe I need to work on my photography skills - either way, the room is still perfect!

Now, we have the glider my husband's parents gave us and I plan on recovering it, although we are still trying to figure out whether it will be going in the nursery or not. I'm thinking it may start in there for night feedings, but end up in the living room so I can use it more often - I'm such a sucker for the rocking motion.

So, with that, stay tuned for future posts with actual pictures!

Let's talk food!

I remember a time when all I talked about on here was recipes and other food or wine related items - then I saw 2 lines and everything changed. Food quickly became the enemy and I had more exciting things to post about - mainly Baby J's and anything involving Baby J's! And while things have been moving fairly quickly with her, right now is a calm, no new update time where I can talk about food. Oh how I miss thee! So, here's the plan to incorporate both Baby J's and food into this single site for all that are interested:

I will begin posting about local restaurants we enjoy, including information like atmosphere, dishes we love, and other little tidbits that may help a person decide yay or nay on a place. This will also help us when we have our "I don't know what I want" nights, so it is dual purpose. However, before I begin those posts - which will be one post per restaurant to make it easier - lets look at what my recent diet has been so you can see why there has been such a lack of recipes or otherwise food-related entries.

Normal breakfast options:
Cold cereal and milk (Cocoa Krispies has been my favorite)

Oatmeal
Weekend special - pancakes, eggs, and an english muffin with cream cheese

Sounds exciting, right?

Normal lunches:
Chicken salad sandwich (this is like 80% of the time)

The other 20% is spread out over salads, pastas, fruit, and maybe the occasional fast food item.

Anything you want a recipe for yet? *giggle*

Dinner includes:

Salads, pastas, pizza, chicken salad sandwich (doesn't matter if I had it at lunch), and throw in the occasional chili dog, bratwurst, or taco salad.

I then follow the day up with some sort of dessert, maybe ice cream, maybe a fudgesicle, or maybe watermelon.

Needless to say, both my husband and I are sort of bored with the menu and end up going out to eat more often than not - partly because I want pasta and he, well, he doesn't. And I can't blame him either. I still do NOT want much in the way of meat - steak, chicken breast, fish - forget it! I told him that once Baby J's is here, we're going to take a trip to Truluck's, have a nice steak and seafood meal along with a great bottle of red wine. I actually miss WANTING these things. Who knew?

Anyhow, I can list my chicken salad recipe, although nothing is measured so its nothing fancy!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

1 can chicken in water
Miracle Whip

Granny Smith Apple (or whatever type you like)
Cavendar's Greek Seasoning

Sandwich rolls (we use the Kroger one's, so yummy!)

Drain the chicken, dice the apple (minus core) and mix the first 4 ingredients. Place on sandwich roll and eat.

My big thing has been wanting light, cold foods - and this is perfect. I get the protein from the chicken and crispy, refreshing taste of the apple. And of course the carbs, gotta have my carbs. My DH doesn't do the chicken salad, instead he's found a tuna fish that comes packed in oil with some sort of garlic and herbs and makes it the same way. He says its the best tuna sandwich he's ever had - so if anyone is interested, give it a try.

Meanwhile, watch for a mix of restaurant reviews and Baby J updates in the future!

Jeep jeep!!!

My husband loves his Jeep (we've lovingly name him Bugsy). I love his Jeep. Several of his coworkers apparently love his Jeep since so many of them have gone out and purchased their own as well. However, since we do love his Jeep, we have started looking at some of the other stuff you can get for Bugsy (my dear husband has found bumpers, bikini tops, tire covers, seat covers, you name it) that he wants to get to "dress up" Bugsy. Women buy shoes to accessorize, Jeep lovers apparently by Jeep accessories. I still am amazed when I see what all is out there for Jeeps.
Now on to Baby J's. My husband and I were walking through a baby store at one point in time and saw a Jeep stroller and he stops, looks at, looks at me, and states THAT is the stroller we would be registering for. Well, that particular stroller is not on the registry since it was expensive and not good for infants (so we picked a travel system style one instead, although we may eventually purchase it ourselves if needed - so we'll see). We did however find a Jeep umbrella style stroller that we registered for. It's pink. And what did I do? I found diaper bags that MATCH it (as you can see them above). So, while we have not yet obtained the stroller, I did order the diaper bags.
Speaking of diaper bags - holy crap! I can NOT believe how much people are willing to spend on these things (although I am the owner of several Kohl's and Target specials when it comes to purses and handbags, and the one Gucci purse I own was purchased in the Bahama's in a tent for like $12, so you can see how my purse/bag obsession is). However, looking at various options online (one popular brand being Petunia Pickle Bottom), the average cost seems to be about $200. $200!!! For an item you'll stuff bottles and diapers and snacks and wipes in. An item you'll be toting along with a child who poops and pees and spits-up and in general is a big mess most of the time. Each to their own I guess, instead I am getting BOTH the larger and smaller version for a TOTAL of about $35. I figure at that price, if we decide we want more for some reason, we won't feel bad about it since we didn't sink a ton of money into it anyhow. My husband even said he has no problems carrying a pink diaper bag ... although I think its only because it says "Jeep" on it.