My Little Girl is Growing Up!

No I did not have a love child that none of you knew about, I am talking about my younger sister (some of you may remember her as she use to blog before school got absolutely crazy and she decided school was much more important).

Way back in 2008 my sister made the fateful and irrational decision to move in with Terry and I.  Yeah, I don’t know what she was thinking either….but crazy does run in our family!  It was originally just going to be a year, then two years and now, after signing her FIRST official lease on her very own apartment today, she is officially moving out the beginning of January which will be exactly 3 ½ years of living together.  To be honest I can’t believe how fast it has gone!  It doesn’t seem like it has been that long and then again sometimes it does seem that long.

As some of you may know, my sister is 8 years younger than me and when I went away to college I missed out on a good chunk of time with my sister.  Yes, I was around for the important things like holidays and birthdays but I wasn’t around for all the everyday things that happen.  So when the idea presented itself for her to move into our spare bedroom, I think we were both excited to regain some of our “missed” time together and I think we did just that.

We have had lots of fun and have laughed a TON together….I mean tears coming from our eyes laughter!  We have also had disagreements and arguments that have silenced us for days.  We have cooked some delicious meals together while also ordering take out after some not so delicious attempts at cooking.  We have pigged out to the point of getting sick and have gotten sick of dieting.  We have shared holidays, birthdays, and every day in between.  I have been with her through new relationships and breaking up bad relationships.  I have been witnessed to long nights of studying and all her frustrations and successes with school. I have offered TONS of advice; some sought after and more probably unwanted.  And this last year she was with me during my pregnancy and the birth of her nephew and has been able to see him these last 10 weeks everyday….the two of them are best friends already and he totally has her wrapped around his tiny finger!

And with all that said, I think we both agree wholeheartedly that it is time.

It is time for us BOTH to move on.

We are actually both excited that we are not living together anymore.  Not because we are sick of each other, but because it has been good and we want to leave it at that.  However it is time for us to be apart for awhile and start our “new” lives.  Her - graduating from college, getting her own place and living on her own.  Me – with my husband and son and our new life as a family.  Seriously, the timing is perfect and that is why we are both ready and excited to go our “separate” ways.  And by separate I don’t mean THAT separate…she will still live in the same small town and, um, we work together!  But now when I see her we can ask how each other is doing instead of just knowing because we are always around each other.  We can talk on the phone or make plans to go out and catch up over lunch or dinner.  We can be sisters and not roommates.

I have to say I am looking forward to this a lot and I am sure Terry is as well so he can go back to walking around the house naked!  I am ready to have our house “back” as three adults, three cats and now a baby in a small two bedroom home is a bit much.  And I am excited for Kristen to now have her very own place, where she can walk around the house naked if she wants!  I am excited to see her on her own because if I have seen just one thing these past 3 ½ years, it is that she is an amazing young women and I know she is going to be amazing as she finds herself and starts her “new” life on her own!

So congrats to you my sisters!  I am SO excited for you!  And I expect you to invite us over for a home cooked meal within 48 hours after you move into your new place.

P.S. I wrote a hilarious very serious post HERE when she first moved in about all the rules she had to obey.  She didn’t follow them, and that is why she ended up in the basement. Lesson learned, right K.?! :)

Pregnancy Update - Only 10 Weeks Left!!

So yes, this past Friday I entered my 30th week of pregnancy which means I only have about 10 more weeks to go.

(Insert EVERY possible emotion you can think of here.)

Only 10 weeks left. WOW.  Before I know it, it will be 10 DAYS!

It really feels like a countdown now.  Up until this point I have been counting up, waiting to get closer and closer to the 40 weeks.  But as soon as I got to 30 weeks my mindframe switched and now it is a "wait to meet baby countdown" in my head and it is not that I am 30 weeks but rather that I only have 10 weeks left.

It is crazy. 

30 Weeks:
"Your baby's about 16 - 17 inches long now, and he weighs 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing.



Mom-to-be: Your uterus is about four inches above your navel, and it's hard to believe you still have about 10 weeks to go as baby continues to push on your ribs. You may be feeling more discomfort in your pelvis and abdomen. You'll probably be gaining about a pound a week."


How are you feeling? 
Excited, anxious, nervous, worried, happy....seriously at any given time during the day I could feel a different emotion.  But the emotion that never changes is contentment.  I am truly at ease with where I am and with this pregnancy.  Sure, I am scared shitless with the thought of being someones mommy and all the natural worries that come with that responsibility, but I am also perfectly at ease with entering this new phase in our life.

How is Henry?
Awesome and kicking up a storm!  This boy is a mover and I am loving it!!  I don't think I will ever get use to this feeling.  He will kick me a certain way and I just giggle.  We have our "special time" after work when I come home and have comfy clothes on and sit on the couch and he just moves and moves.  I will call his name and tickle my stomach and he goes crazy for about 45 minutes. I love it so much.  He is also kicking hard, to the point that sometimes it startles me.  Even Terry, who comes to bed a few hours after me, was startled when Henry gave him a fist bump.  Terry likes to feel my belly when he comes to bed and said the baby punched him so hard that it moved his hand up, forcefully. Awesome.  And the strangest feeling is when he moves and you can just slowly feel him or a body part move across the inside of your stomach (or as Terry calls it my giant incubater...as it no longer looks like a belly).  What an incredibly weird feeling that is.


I bought this dress for my shower. (Yes, I am in the dressing room, I had to send pics to my mom to get a second opinion!)

Don't know if it will support my chest, but it is trying!!

Had to show off the belly :)

I really like the back. P.S. My dress is to the floor, this one is way too short.

(Check it out HERE from Target) 

I don't normally do dresses, it just isn't my thang.  Which made it SO hard finding something I liked, that FIT, was comfortable, and didn't just look like a giant sack on me.  I found this dress and LOVE it.  It is lightweight, comfortable, and even though I usually avoid all patterns - this one for some reason works.  I have a feeling I will be wearing this dress pretty much ALL August.

29 weeks

30 Weeks

(The belly is getting soooo big!)

This is charlie this weekend sleeping with Henry.  Henry kept kicking him, which you could tell because charlie's body would move, but Charlie wasn't phased.  Glad they are already getting along!

Finally.

I must say that through this entire pregnancy experience and all the ups and downs, the one thing that makes me the most emotional is people’s kindness and generosity. I don’t think I will ever get used to it.


I have had SO many people who have taken time out of their lives to give me much needed and appreciated advice, have offered up their time in helping to get ready for the baby, and have given us baby items that they no longer use. It is truly overwhelming, but in the good way. The way that makes you realize that you have surrounded yourself with true friends and have absolutely amazing family. The way that makes you realize how much you are loved. And in a way that makes you realize how much your child is and will be loved. THAT in and of itself means so much to me.

Yes, those simple gestures and acts of kindness, even if they seem small to the people showing them, really mean so much more to me….to us....because of the generosity, love and kindness associated with those gestures.

I cried happy tears this weekend thinking of the kindness of family & friends and thinking how much this child will be loved and how many people in our life care for the family T & I are expanding. I truly feel blessed having so many wonderful and compassionate people in our life and I know our son will be surrounded by amazing people who love him. And honestly, what more can you as a parent ask for except knowing that no matter what happens during this journey your child will always feel loved.

Even on this blog, the kind words and encouragement that have come over the last few months have been a constant support and mean so much to me. You can’t help sometimes to feel down and wonder if you can do this…be someone’s parent….but I also know that have a wonderful support system which makes this change so much easier.

Thank you so much for all your kindness.

HAPPY!

So my parents are in town for the next 4 days! YAY  We have plans to do a little Christmas shopping and just hang out a bit.  I am excited because besides some shopping, we really have no big plans and can just take it easy.  And how are we going to start taking it easy? With these cookies! mmmmmm

My awesome parents brought these cookies from our favorite bakery back home. (sorry camera phone pic)  So right now we are watching TV and eating cookies.  And we are HAPPY.

I almost forgot to post today!  oooops.  Between my parents coming in town, a tastefully simple party K&I did, and cookies....I forgot about the internet.  Whats up with that?!

Poems to My Husband - Happy Anniversary

So yesterday T & I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary, and what I believe to be another milestone….10 years together. Phew.


So I am kicking it old-school this year and getting all iambic pentameter on his ass and decided to bombard him with the written word…..in the form of a series of poems created by yours truly!

Yep, he is a very lucky man. And I am also a very lucky women…..I mean check out my man last winter!

Ladies, please back away from the computer and control yourself. This piece of meat belongs to me!



So I have written Terry 4 poems as an expression of my love…..because that is just how I roll. These are ALL unique with no help from the inter-web, just a Thesaurus and my awesome mind.

Let’s start simple with something you may remember from grade school. It is also a great illustration of pretty much the first time we met.

Poem #1:

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
You gave me a zerbert,
And then I fell for you.


Yep….a zerbert was all it took to fall madly in love with this man.

Next poem. Look out, your ass is about to get haiku’d!


Poem #2:

Just two little words.
There is no doubt in my heart.
When asked, it’s I DO.

Hope your mind isn’t completely blown, because it is time to get down with a limerick.


Poem #3:

There once was a fella named Terry,
Who fell for a girl who was wary.
After some flirting,
And love asserting,
It was fate that the two would marry.


Just a little humor before getting to the serious stuff.

This last poem is a bit personal, but is exactly how I feel at this point in my life. This poem surprisingly took very little time to write because the emotions just came out so easily and so strongly.  I don't believe in nearly all of the overly romantic stuff out there but I do believe in our relationship and believe no matter what the future holds for us that he has changed my life forever and in so many wonderful ways and to me that is an amazing and powerful thing to have in my life. 


Poem #4:

To My Dearest Husband….

It was just ten quick years ago when we first met;
Who would have known then that the pieces were being set.

Evade as I might the connection we had, made it impossible not to fall for you;
While our unique and effortless relationship was hard for others to construe.

Our relationship was our OWN with no one pushing us astray;
We did things the way we wanted, on our own terms and in our own way.

And then September 16, 2006 vows would be exchanged in front of family and friends;
Which would give me the honor to call you my husband and your last name I would pen.

From the beginning - trust, respect, love and laughter were always the keys;
As a relationship will fail without the understanding and work that it needs.

Frustration and resentment can become a destructible game;
One where nobody wins and each is to blame.

But for us good times were plentiful and fights only a few;
We carried on as individuals but also as equals through and through.

Because at the end of the day what mends the hardships, frustrations, and unnecessary bickering;
Is a relationship filled with love, encouragement, happiness, and of course snickering.

Your stories, your laugh, your straight forward and honest thinking;
Are all characteristics I admire and that make you uniquely appealing.

You help me to stop, to breath, and to slowdown;
So I can take in all those special moments around.

You accept me for who I am, even with all my crazy imperfections;
And you have never tried to change me into some generalized societal projection.

I feel so unique and beautiful when I am with you;
Because I see through your eyes what I fail to see at times too.

I love you my husband more than words could truly ever express;
It is with breath that is bated that I eagerly await what is next.

My partner, my lover, my equal, my friend;
I promise to continue to love you faithfully, honor and respect you, and cherish you until the end.




Happy Anniversary Terry.

Get The GIST - Grace in Small Things (Mid-Week) List

I haven’t done this for awhile and sometimes you just need to take a moment and appreciate these "little" things in life. So I doubled up on my list of things that I feel grateful for today.


- Instant messaging with my mom

- That it is halfway through the work week…the weekend is getting closer!

- That it is absolutely lovely outside

- Having a stocked refrigerator (after 2 weeks of having an empty one) and actually cooking a healthy meal for T & K yesterday AND today

- Original Wheat Thins

- It is (Pink) Lemonade “Season”

- Sunny Spring mornings that have a fresh smell. It is delightful

- Watching my cats chirp and get excited about the birds outside the window this morning. They crack me up

- That my sister and I are meeting once a week to have lunch together during the summer

- I paid my second to last car payment for my car today! Just one more left and that bitch is mine.


Anything you are grateful for today?!

Letter Writing – A Lost Form of Showing Others You Care

So my dear friend April (who recently just entered the world of occasional blogging here at A.D.’s Blog) does something that I think is very uncommon in today’s society. She writes letters. I truly love this about her!

Today I got a letter from her and I have to tell you, IT. MADE. MY. DAY. She always picks the cutest card to mail the letter in and the prettiest matching paper to write a nice little letter. She is so good at this, probably because she is just a genuinely sweet, creative and thoughtful person.

Unfortunately we don't always get to talk on the phone as much as we would like and though we email, there is just something extra personal and special about a hand-written letter. There is something so fun about pulling your mail out of the mailbox and amongst the bills, ads and junk mail you find this special envelope containing a letter from a friend. It is truly great!

I wish I was someone who did this more often for my friends. There should be no excuse, but I am sure I can come up with at least 20 right now. So , I think I am going to try to remain in closer contact with my friends by writing the occasional letter to them. Just random thoughts, pleasant stories, or just a kind “Hello” to bring a smile to their faces. Yep, back to the simpler times before the ease of technology took over our lives. Of course this doesn't mean I am stopping the emailing...I mean, come on.

Do you write letters? Would you rather write letters or do you enjoy the instant gratification of texting, IM, or emailing?


I know before I start writing letters I need to email and call my friends more often….it’s a flaw of mine, but do know I care and I try!

When one door closes.....

A couple months ago I found out that I was losing my job and this past Thursday was my last day. I have been "working" the past couple months, going in with a smile and trying to be positive about the entire situation. I have many MANY people in my life and at my old job who have been SUPER supportive and encouraging during this entire thing - and for that I am appreciative beyond words. I don't think I could have gotten through any of this without my husband, family and friends pulling me through.

When I lost my job it was unexpected, done in a VERY unprofessional way, politically driven, and I felt like I had been stabbed in the back. It was complete BS. It left me scared, feeling like I was not good at my job, with many unanswered questions, embarrassed, and feeling like I had let my husband and family down. I am a planner.....and I do not deal well when there is no structure and things are up in the air.

I know it sounds cheesy but I am SO thankful to have so many wonderful people in my life and to be blessed in so many other ways that I will not allow this little bump in the road to stop me. So I just wanted to once again say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being there for me! I am realizing it is ok to ask for help and be comforted by those people around you and that I don't have to deal with everything by myself and alone.