Wednesday, December 24, 2008

2008 Trend for Outdoor Holiday Decorations

2008 trends for the holiday season are a flop this year. I have noticed through out my neighborhood the new holiday decorations for 2008, that people put up on their lawns. Not so good this year. The worst one is this inflated, life size, Santa Clause/Snow Man. Intended to look like the photo above. Each night these are on, filling with air to keep standing, BUT when the Santa is turned off, all the air goes out making the Santa go limp and lying "dead" on the lawn. The Snowmen turned off just looks like a melted Snow Man on the lawn.
One of these Santa's are set up on a front porch; so when Santa gets turned off, it looks like he is a passed out, drunken Santa...leaning over the banister of the porch. (photo below). Bad design for the new Christmas Decorations.
Another new decoration this year is a strand of white lights with lit snow flakes dangling down. This looks very nice over an entrance of a house. A few houses in my neighborhood has this up as their outdoor decorations.
We didn't do out door decorations this year, but I do enjoy driving home at night to see everyone else's decorations. Merry Christmas everyone!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Major Freudian Slip!

Andrew and I are shoping at the Home Depot in the Plumbing department. We were picking out a toilet part and I see on the shelf some Calk. It is a sealant that comes in a tube and is called Calk (pronounced Cock), and sometimes applied to cracks and corners with a calking gun. First off, I am in bathroom mode and thinking of house repairs to fix up. I am inisantly saying the word Calk to Andrew, but to him it is coming out ALL wrong.

Conversation played out between Andrew and I:

Ooh, I need some calk! ...for the shower in the bathroom.

Some what?

Calk, I use to help my dad out when he used his, except he would use a gun with his calk...I wonder if we need to find a gun to use this calk with?

Huh?

Back when we remodeled the Margarita house we finished up the bathroom and lined the tub with his calk and gun. I don't see a gun for this...The gun makes the calk squirt out smoothly and less mess...

Martiel! stop saying that word!

What word, GUN?

No, (whispering) Calk! and using it in the same sentence as you helping your dad out with his calk!

LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!!! OOOOOH! oops. I totally didn't mean that. Well it is a good thing I didn't go up to a Home Depot guy and ask him to show me where he keeps his calk and guns at!!! HAHA!

(Whispering back to me) Quiet, Martiel, let's go now, no more calk talk!

Andrew was getting imbarassed and I was oblivious to what I was saying. Some one walking by could take my words out of context.

Audrey or Kara? VOTE NOW!

Our baby is due March 25th or so. It is looking like I am measuring at 2 weeks ahead of the due date! So any day in March. I'm 28 weeks now. Andrew and I are back and forth on our baby's first name. At first we had Audrey Kara Hay; to be named after Audrey Hepburn. This name is also the same initials A.K.H. and fit nicely as a little girls name. NOW we are both liking the name Kara as a first name a bit more than Audrey...but we have told everyone already that she'll be named Audrey! Some friends tell me it's OK to change the name around, nothing is set into stone until it is written on the Birth Certificate! Changing to Kara as her first name would mess up the whole Audrey Hepburn A.K.H. name. She would be K.A.H. as Kara Audrey Hay!

It is so hard picking a name out! This name will be what she goes by as a kid, adult, and grandma...her whole life as which ever name we pick. She could be DR. Audrey or a Teacher, Judge Kara, or Police woman Audrey....who knows!?

To my fellow blog readers: HELP! We want your input/vote. Which do you like better? Audrey? or Kara? as her first name.

Click on the comment, below, to vote and let us know. We are running a poll & I want your vote!

Friday, December 19, 2008

This must be a PREGO CRAVING!?

I, for some reason, bought a soda from the vending machine at break. First off, I don't drink soda. If I do drink soda, it is usually when I am at the movies. But I have really cut it out of my diet for the past couple of years actually. When I do have soda, it is usually a Sprite or Dr. Pepper, and on the airplane rides I always get a Ginger ale! I HATE Pepsi sodas and NEVER (emphasise on the never) drink Pepsi. I am a pure coke gal...well apparently the baby likes Pepsi? Being prego I have to cut out caffeine or limit the intake at least, for the baby. But I have been good on not having any, so a soda wont hurt. I felt like having a soda, today, and choose the Cherry Pepsi option on the vending machine. What am I doing? I hate Pepsi?! But it tastes good for some strange, pregnancy out of whack reason. This is just temporary, I am not committing myself to Pepsi, and I am just drinking this one can. Call it a prego craving.
One of the reasons I don't like Pepsi! What is this ad telling me? Odd!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

007 Critique

I went to the theater last nigh with my friend, Jenay. We saw the new 007 movie, !Quantum of Solace. The James Bond actor is Daniel Craig for the second time in a row. He has also done a dynamite job in the HBO series Rome.

I kept track during the movie of how many different modes of transportation James Bond operated. Four types of transportation, he drove (1) Boat, (1) motor scooter, (1) airplane and (4 vehicles!

I should have counted how many wardrobe changes he made! He NEVER carried any luggage on him, in the movie. Only twice; the movie shows him stealing some Else's clothes. Other parts in the movie he would be in the desert running from someone and wearing a different outfit. One scene made sense, where he sneaks into a dinner function and knocks out a guy, and steals his tux. It was so distracting for me to watch the movie, noticing small details like this. I am an observer and look for off the wall things in the movie. I know, I am strange.
THEN the lady who is James Bond's boss (Judi Dench) only wears one outfit (pictured below)! She is wearing, in 90 % of this movie, the black blazer, white collared blouse, and dainty necklace on her neck. There may be a part of the movie where she wore some other outfit, but I don't recall. I just found it odd for her character to be wearing ONE outfit and the James Bond character wearing 10+ and with NO suitcases. Jumping around from country to country and from rooftop to rooftop.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Crazy Cravings!

I was food shopping the other day and on the shelf was a jar of Pickled Beets, begging to hop into my cart! What was I thinking? I bought a jar or pickled beets!? Must be a prego craving. I do like them at salad bars, but I have never bought them before at a store. Actually I didn't even now one could even buy these at a store. I have only seen these in Salad Bars like at Sizzler or Home Town Buffet type places.

In case you are wondering what a pickled beet is, it's those purple, sliced, round, beets. On Sunday, I took the jar of Pickled Beets out of the fridge, struggled to open it up and dished out 5 slices to nibble on. Not bad. Still odd though. Being pregnant really does persuade you to eat things out of the ordinary, and to actually have cravings for certain foods. I never understood it myself until I joined the prego club. Last night I was driving home and picked up my weekly craving of Orange Chicken to go. Yummy in my tummy. Baby likes it too, she kicks after I eat it. *Photos found on internet, copy/pasted into blog.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Thankful for Thanksgiving!

Andrew and I flew out to CA to visit with family. Thanksgiving dinner was very nice with Andrew's folks and his brother, our sister-in-law, and their yr old son. I loved the pumpkin pie, we were all so full after dinner, we took it back to our hotel for later. My M-I-L was so sweet to my preggy belly, patting it and talking to baby Audrey. Then as we were leaving she kissed my belly to say buy to Audrey for the night. So sweet. She is going a fun grandma to little Audrey.

On Friday we headed down to Long Beach for a quick visit over to his grandparents house. On the way there we stopped by IN N OUT a local burger joint to the California area. It's funny because both Kyoung and I are pregnant and had a big craving for IN N OUT since we can't get it back where we live now. We could only get it when visiting in CA. So we made a to go order to bring along and share with the grandparents. While we were waiting Andrew was holding his nephew to get in some "daddy practice" and just as he was saying, "I could do this, piece of cake, (holding a kid and handling them in public)." Andrew then pauses and asks, "why is my arm all warm?" We didn't know what was happening and he puts little man down and we all start giggling, because Andrew had a big pee spot on his shirt and sleeve! HA! Little man was so relaxed and sleepy and just let loose, having an accident on Andrew! OOOPS. teehee.

When we got to Grandpas he borrowed an old shirt from him to change into...When I say, "old" I mean straight form the 70s with metal snaps old! It fit Andrew so well.
Photo below!!! HA!


While we were at the house I had to take this photo. It is 4 generations of the Hay Men in the family. Andrew, Gordon Jr. (Bobs brother), Bob (Andrew's dad), Grandpa Gordon (Bob/Gordon's dad), Jordan (Andrews brother), & little man (Jordan's son). Grandpa Gordon is 96 yrs old, and little man is 2 yrs old, a big fluctuation in ages.

A pretty photo of Grandma Thelma's Rose garden out front of their house.
Friday night we went to a restaurant for dinner at the West Lake Village Inn where Andrew and I were married 6 yrs ago! We took a photo opp by the gazebo we were married at. It was symbolic, being there now 6yrs later and with me being 6 months pregnant with our first child.



On Saturday, Andrew and drove up to the Santa Barbara Mission and meet up with my folks and had an early lunch, walked around and took more pictures. Our baby to be will be my parents first grandchild, it was so special for them to see me with a prego belly and share that moment together.

There were candles to purchase and then place on the candle lighting prayer table in the mission. I bought one to light up a prayer for our soon to be baby, Audrey. Andrew and I lit the candle together, praying for a long, healthy and happy life for our baby. Our candle is the first one in the front row.Then there was a stairway to what use to be a door way and is now a window. I titled this photo, "Stairway to Heaven" Because when you go up to heaven, you get your wings, and just fly through the window, and not need the doorway. This was at the S.B. Mission. Something so simple can be something so symbolic.


Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Giving Thanks, 2008 is great!




I am thankful this year for the beautiful baby I am carrying. For Andrew and I to raise her as our first child, and I am excited for March 2009 when she will be due to arrive. I am thankful for our happy marriage, family and friends supporting us and laughing with us. Thank you to all who we call family and love so much. You are a special part of our lives and we are very happy to be a part of yours. I am thankful for this pregnancy running smoothly, thus far. I am thankful for our president, Barack Obama. I hope he will do this country proud in the coming 8 years (2 terms to run, like the last couple of presidents have done). I am thankful to the gas company, or whom ever it is, lowering our gas currently to $1.57 and will enjoy the low prices while it lasts.


I am also thankful for Pasteurized food products. With out the Pasteurized option I would be missing out on Eggnog this year, due to being prego! Thank goodness I can still enjoy some: Non-alcoholic, pasteurized, Eggnog!





"Thank you and good night, ladies and gentlemen!" -TV Talk show host.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Preggy pics at 21 weeks!

I'm getting there, and the belly is getting rounder! Last week I had an ultra sound appointment for measurements and such of our baby. The U.S. Tech was pointing out all of this detail on the monitor. She showed me the baby's 2 kidneys and a little white cross shape on the beating heart; which are the heart valves. The heart was visible to see it actually beating as well as hearing it. Way too cool! Then I saw her feet up near her head, so she was all curled up and chilling out in my womb. She showed me the shape of the baby's nose was a good triangle shape to show there wasn't any cleft shape on the face or signs of down syndrome. The ultra sound was very fascinating with everything she showed me. I am so excited to meet our daughter, Audrey in March!

Here are pregy pics at 21 weeks. I am now at 6 months (24 wks).




Saturday, November 22, 2008

Birthdays!




Last weekend, Andrew and I went to a little girls birthday party. She turned 3. The theme was Tinkerbell. My friend baked the cake and little cupcakes. Pics below. The cake she made had cream cheese icing and the little cupcakes had flowers on top.
The flowers she made by cutting up marshmallows and sprinkling colored sugar sprinkles on it. Way to Martha Stewart! She was so creative.

I have been inspired to do cute stuff like this when our daughter has birthday parties! It will be so much fun down the road...a few yrs from now. Photo above is Carissa and I at her daughters b-day party, you can see my 23 wk baby belly!


Today is my Mommy's birthday. She is wrapping up another decade. I wont mention which one, but next year will be the big one. Happy Birthday MOM! Love You! I get to see her next weekend over Thanks Giving, and can't wait. Me and 6 month pregnant belly will give her a big, belated, birthday hug.
People see my baby belly and ask me when I am due. I say, "March 25th" Then they usually say, "Ahh that is right around my birthday...have her on the 23 and we can have the same b-day!" UGH, too many birthdays in MARCH! Looking back now, I remember a lot of my friends had birthdays in March also!
Baby Audrey will be added into the month of March birthdays with the rest of the world.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Random thoughts

I have a question, and I would like some one to come up with an answer for me! Google it or make it up, just humor me.



Why do we park a car in the PARKing Lot
and park a car in the Parking Garage...
BUT park a car in a DRIVE way?

Shouldn't this be called a PARK way?

Another thought, bubble gum ice cream. What the heck?


There are real bits of bubble gumballs in the Baskin Robins ice cream. Do people actually chew it later once the ice cream is gone? The Bubble gum probably gets swallowed up with the ice cream?... Unless the eater of this ice cream it careful to set aside each gumball as he/she comes across them mid way of eating the ice cream!?


ICKY! That means at the end is a slobbered pile of gumballs, on a napkin, to put back in your mouth. Sounds to me like "ABC gum" = Already Been Chewed gum... icky.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I'm getting a KICK out of being pregnant!

I am little over 5 months pregy now and our little baby is poking me in the side more so than kicking, yet. When she pokes me in the side, I just rub the spot till she moves. I do get a few kicks, but still just felt internally and not enough for some one else to feel the kicks. I am excited to get stronger kicks, to be able to share them with Andrew and whom ever else.

My belly is big and round, I have gone past the stage of questioning it. Early on some people would look at me and either not notice I was pregy or thought that maybe I was, but didn't want to ask; in case I was just "Fat". Now people see me and for sure know that I am pregy. They keep asking me, "When's the baby is due?" or "What am I having?" etc. It is also fun wearing maternity tops and looking pregnant. I get a KICK out of it! tee-hee.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Agree to Disagree!

A friend of mine, voted Republican, McCain, and had some harsh words to share after Obama won the presidential election. Here is my response. You, the blog reader may agree or disagree. That is why people vote, for their own opinions and for their own likes, and dislikes.


Dear "Friend",

I think quite the opposite from you, it was time for a Democrat (black or white) to be elected, no more sending our children to war, and democrats will hopefully end this ongoing war, and fix our economy, etc. Republicans are also the ones voting in CA against people getting married! If two people love each other, they should be able to get married. Who are we to choose and vote against love? Earlier this year people were "allowed" to get married and did so only to have it taken away again.

Did you see on TV that Ellen DeGeneres got married earlier this year, only to have it now taken away from her? She is just one person in the whole state of CA treated that way, unfairly. Thanks to republicans, mostly.

I personally voted Obama two reasons, he is democrat, and black... Finally, after 60 years later we are just now having a black president!? I find this mind boggling! We have CEOs, surgeons, doctors, VP of large corporations, and principals of schools, etc. who are all black; why not have a president be a black person. It is about time...2008.

IT'S A.....

Myspace Comments, Glitter Graphics at GlitterYourWay.com

We are thinking about naming her Audrey (middle name?) Hay! we are naming her after Audrey Hepburn. As for a middle name we could either go with her having the same initials as Andrew (ASH), and pick an "S" name, OR do the same initials as Audrey Kathleen Hepburn, (AKH), and pick out a "K" name. Andrew likes the name Kara for a middle name? We will see.

Myspace Comments, Glitter Graphics at GlitterYourWay.com

It is a big responsability picking out a persons name! This name will be thier name for thier whole life to go by. If we pick out a "dorky" name she will never forgive us...or like parents who picked Pat for the childs name, & grows up to become a "fat Pat" just isn't nice.

As a kid, Andrew grew up gowing by his middle name and only changed back to using his first name when he started College. Which ever middle name we pick out, Audrey may go by that as her name also, maybe? Who knows. Kara may be a nice name for her middle name and to go by as a first. I like the name Kiera, Andrew likes Kara.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Pumpkin Carving Contest @ Work


At my work today there is a pumpkin carving contest going on. I work at a hotel, so the pumpkins are all displayed in the lobby for the hotel guests to vote on. The categories are for: Most Scariest, Most Unusual, Most Traditional, and Most Creative!

Being pregnant it has been an ongoing guess among coworkers as to what I am having; either a boy or girl. Most people are guessing that I am having a GIRL! We don't officially find out the sex of the baby until November 5th on Wednesday. So for my pumpkin, I carved out the phrase, "It's a girl." At home when I was carving the pumpkin, I thought it was pretty cleaver, and funny. Now that it is out on display with all the other pumpkins, it doesn't really make sense...unless I stand by it all day, for the guests to understand while they are voting, that the carver of that pumpkin is PREGNANT! Ugh! Oh well. I thought it was funny.



There are some really cool and creative pumpkins on display. The guy from security carved a skull face leaving half of it carved back on the skin layer. The gal from accounting cut the pumpkin in half to have a flat surface and painted it black sticking pipe cleaners in the sides to make the pumpkin look like a Spider!


The lady from upstairs in the concierge lounge decorated hers to look like Kieth Ledgers character from Batman as the Joker! So cool!!! One of the gals in Banquets transformed her pumpkin into a Starbucks coffee maker and had props displayed around it to look like a coffee station set up.

All the pumpkins turned out so well and I am so impressed by the creativity everyone has. I wish now that I stuck to carving out a peace sign to keep it simple and unusual/creative.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

It's 4:51 in the MORNING!

I am so excited! I can't sleep and am wide awake, at 4:30 am, trying to go back to sleep, now it's 4:51 am. This sort of feeling of "can't sleep, too excited...where is the fast forward button?" only happens to me here and there. When I was a kid, I couldn't wait till Christmas Morning and would be wide awake, antsy to open presents or look in my stocking to see what Santa brought me. Then my dad would wake up first and start to make breakfast in the kitchen. It was the sizzling bacon, buttery pancakes, and the sound of his coffee pot whistling, that would be the sign to get up... it is Christmas morning, rise and shine! I would also get this cannot sleep feeling of excitement when my Daddy Kenny would come into town to visit. I would wait for my mom to take us into San Luis to pick him up at the train station or wait on the front porch, for his car to come driving up my street. We would have so much fun while he was in town visiting. Another occasion like this can't sleep feeling would always be the First Day of School, no matter what grade it was, it would be the excitement of wearing my new school clothes, seeing my friends after a long summer break, etc.



So this morning I have that same feeling of Can't sleep, I am too excited! My older brother Jeff is in town on a business trip and we (Andrew and I) are meeting up with him tonight to have dinner! I have to wait ALL day to see him though. All of these other events are morning related and not drawn out with anticipation. This morning I will go to my Doctors appointment, then in the afternoon have lunch with some friends, go home carve a pumpkin for the pumpkin caring contest at my work, take Duke on a 1/2 hour walk, watch some TV to kill the time, and THEN it will be evening time to see Jeff! The excitement of sizzling bacon, sitting on the front porch, and wearing my new school clothes will be finally here!



I haven't seen my brother in 6 years!?!!? Can you believe it? Since our Wedding in Westlake, CA. 2002! This is a big gap in time, but so happy to see him. I just wish my little Nephew and Sister-in-law were with him, to be able to see them too! Andrew and I will have to make a trip out to NY next year after the baby is born to visit them all. We also have to make a trip out to Oregon to see all my cousins, and my Aunt & Uncle, whom I have not visited in a long while either! My family is spread out everywhere, we just need to make a reunion somewhere to see everyone all at once! How about here in MO, we can do a meet the new baby reunion in 2009/10.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

It all started with a light up pumpkin!

I woke up Friday morning, it was 8am, and rushed outside to put out the trash and recycling before the trucks came by. While I was outside I decided to set up my halloween decorations. Getting out the light up pumpkin I needed an extention cord to go from the porch to the garage, only to find the plug is on the ceiling!!! It is still not plugged in, because I cant reach the outlet, I will have to have Andrew fiddle with plugging it in. Then on the porch I was looking at my doorway thinking about putting up fake cobwebs, only to find actual cobwebs on my doorframe! ICK! I got a broom out and swept it off, then looked at my porch and started sweeping the leaves off of there, then the leaves were on the steps, swept the steps...leading to me sweeping the whole driveway into a pile of leaves! THEN! I figured that I might as well rake the front lawn too. I ended up with 3 piles of leaves raked up.

While I was raking the leaves, a dog was hanging out with a lost, wondering look on her face. I checked her collar for an address. Grabbed Dukes leash to walk the dog back to her home. I thought the street was a few blocks by my house, and could run her over there. Then I couldn't find the street. I asked a neighbor if she knew where the street was? She didn't, so she called the number on the collar to contact Dakottas owner. The owner stopped by shortly after to pick the dog up.

Then Andrew asks me at the end of the day, "Did you walk Duke at all?" I reply, "No, but walked someone elses dog..."

Coming around full circle, it is now Sunday morning and I ask Andrew, as I am getting ready for work for him to plug the extention cord into the garage ceiling. He is half asleep still, and replies, "No I am sleeping." I then say, "I meant after you get up can you do this sometime this afternoon?" He replies back with a yawn, "No I'm going to sleep ALLLL day." Andrew was so cute talking while half asleep. I wish I got it on camera, he was too funny!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Happy Fall!

I am 18 wks preggy now, almost 5 months! In two more weeks we will be able to find out if we have a boy or girl!
I have a big enough belly now that I made a pumpkin tee for Halloween to wear while giving out candy at the house. (photo below, later I colored in the face to stand out more).


Thursday, October 09, 2008

Pregnancy frustrations

Stop telling me to watch my wieght, people! I am getting tired of all the preggy comments!

This is my bitchfest blog post...

I am at 17 weeks (4 months and 1 wk). Most of my coworkers are looking at the size of my preg. belly and saying how big it is getting so soon...(Hello!? I am 4 months prego!) Of course I will have a belly now, there is a baby inside me taking up all that space, growing!

My supervisor came into work and the first thing she says to me, "Hun you may be gaining weight too fast? your belly has gotten big" So I got currious, AM I GAINING TO QUICKLY?

So I looked online to see the wieght gain rate I should be at and I am right on target with suggested time line of wieght gain.

This site: http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramidmoms/pregnancy_weight_gain_print.html

suggests: the first 2-3 months is to gain 2-4 lbs. THEN 3 to 4 lbs EACH month from 4 months to 9 months!!! SO THERE! I have gained 9 lbs thus far and am at the 4 month mark...it all checks out. I am also eating healthy and snacking often to keep feeding the baby, and I also drink plenty of water.

So stop with the comments, my prego belly is right at the size it needs to be at!!!!!! ARG!

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Fun Times in Chicago

Iwas hanging out as one of the guys last weekend. We took a road trip to Chicago in a rental car. It was Andrew, his two buddies: Jay and Clint and then me as the only gal in the group. The "odd man out." Fun times though, talking guy talk, being silly, and doing touristy stuff in Chicago. Starting off at the Navy Peir.
We didn't ride the faris wheel, because it looked to slow, and it was at the end of the day, when we were wrapping up our time at the Navy Pier.

Pic of Andrew and Clint Chillin at the Peir.

Party Yacht one of 3 docked at the Pier for tours around the lake. We opted for the Sea Dog!



Look closely there is a light house behind us.
We went to the Navy Pier, and road the Sea Dog boat ride around the lake. The boat goes fast and makes sharp turns getting us soaked! A lot of fun; we road in the boat out past the light house and around back to the pier. The following pictures I took while on the Sea Dog boat. Coming up to the light house, right up close to it...then over by the city skyline and back to the Pier.


























The pic of the sail boat is another one of many different boat rides people can take. We think that the sails are fixed on there in it's perfect position, the sails are not functional and just for show.




Authentic Navy guys walking around the Navy Pier, there were some Navy Women there too.
It was such a beautiful day and the weather was perfect. We had a blast.