Baby Kara is a Month Old!

Kara Audrey was born March 23, 2009 and is a bundle of joy. She is such a happy baby, sleeping up to 4-5 hrs at night. She is going on 5 weeks old now! When she was born she weighed 7 lb 13 oz. and currently she is 9 lb 7 oz. When I walk up to her or start talking she recognizes that it is her mommy near by and she looks over at me, she knows who I am and gets alert and smiles. My mom, dad and brother were just visiting for the week and left to fly back to CA this afternoon. It was such a nice visit, having them all here to help out with caring for baby Kara.

Last week, Andrews Grandma fell down and went to the hospital and then to a hospice, where people took care of her as she slowly passed away. Grandma Thelma was 90 years old. It was a turn for the worse. Family were, in Long Beach, visiting with her on her last couple of days and there to support Grandpa and my father in law, Bob. My family flew in Thursday, late at night, and all of this on the side line was going on with Andrew's Grandma at the same time. Andrew decided to fly out, the following Saturday, to be in Long Beach with his Grandma and family.

We all went to the St. Louis Airport Saturday morning to drop him off and then spent the week here at the house with out Andrew. Too bad, they came out here to see us and the baby and he had to fly off to CA. In a way though, it was good timing. I couldn't go on the flight with a one month old baby and had to stay behind in MO. I would have been at home with the baby all alone for the whole week that Andrew was gone. Having my folks in town visiting worked out, that they were here to help me with the baby while he was away. They just flew back home today (Wed) and Andrew will fly back home tomorrow (Thursday). I will just have the one night to myself with baby Kara. She is napping right now, and I have a short amount of time to catch up on my BLOG! I have neglected my blog lately, and have not posted anything since she has been born. Sorry blog readers for not getting around to the blog. Kara comes first. ;)

Here is a photo of Andrew with his Grandma visiting them back in the fall of 2006. A photo of Grandma last Thanksgiving 2008. We went to visit her and grandpa in Long Beach.

This blog post was a downer...I am sad to see Grandma pass away; but relieved she will not be suffering any longer, and no longer in any pain. Grandpa Gordon is 94 and on his own now, I don't know how he will adapt to Grandma being gone? He has been taking care of her and they have lived in the same house in Long Beach for decades. Now the house is empty with out her and will just be him and thier dog, Lucy. I wish I could be in California right now to be there with the family and be able to give Grandpa a big hug and sit with him and be there to help out. I am land locked to Missouri and it sucks! It is just Kara and I now, waiting for daddy Andrew to come back home. We miss daddy and look forward to Thursday, when we pick him up at the airport. :)

Oh Baby!

I am STILL prego, and due March 25th. Due dates are just an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). Due dates are not accurate and DR don't help much at the check ups either. My check up is every Tuesday and yesterday my Doctor poked around and said I still have a closed cervix and not dilated... Which is frustrating, I thought maybe I would be further along? Last Sunday, my belly shape drastically changed. It is now lower and the top part of the belly which use to be firm is now mushy and the bottom part which use to be mushy is now firmer. So the baby has nestled down more and is dropping. Signs of her coming out are happening. ***This next part is TMI (To much information) sorry. I am just blogging the facts*** This morning my "mucus plug" came out! :) I never thought I would be happy to see a little glob of goo. It is one more indication of labor coming soon. I just don't know how soon? Will it be later tonight? or on Friday the 1st day of spring she will be born? or will she be born on the actual due date of the 25th? Apparently the mucus plug doesn't happen right before labor, it could fall out days or weeks before hand.

I just know my body is changing and prepping more than usual this week, out look good! fingers crossed. I don't want to go past my due date. My DR says if I do go past the due date she will induce me on March 30th on a Monday. Inducing labor means the DR does the work for you, opening of the cervix, breaking the water, etc. and it could be more painful to be induced. I hope I don't get to that point. I want to go into labor naturally before my due date and give birth when the baby decides to come out. Inducing sounds to me like playing "God" and choosing the birth date for baby arrival. It is not natural.

At the same time though, I am very prego and waiting around to pop! She needs to come out now, I can't wait any longer, I am too excited. It's like trying to wait for X-mas morning. It is too hard waiting around, I am getting antsy! ;)

Andrew is awaiting the arrival too. When ever I call his cell for something basic, like did he feed the dog this morning? or could he get some Chinese on the way home...he thinks I am calling him for THE call. When he answers the phone now, it is not a "hello, how are you.." it is a reply of, "Is it time to go to the hospital now?" I say, "no, I just was calling..." Now I try NOT to call Andrew, because he is anticipating THE call and I don't want to get him all excited over nothing. Poor guy. He is waiting around just as I am. We are both too excited and antsy. We can read up on all the info possible, but really don't know anything until we stumble through it first hand.

The word for today is...

Why did I wake up this morning with the word, Trifecta, stuck in my mind? I was not even sure what Trifecta meant? I just have had this word rolling around in my head all morning, till I can get the chance to Yahoo the term. I like the sound of pronouncing the word. Tri - feck - ta. The term is for a bettor to place a bet on horse racing predicting which horse wins 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places and in the exact order. The bettor then wins the bet if the three particular horses win in the bettors order. Known as a Trifecta. I don't follow horse racing, and I don't dream about horses or betting? So why do I wake up this morning with Trifecta stuck in my mind? So bizarre.

the term for the word Trifecta found by Wikipedia online:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifecta

The term is also used in a common use of characteristics used in threes. As found on Wikipedia:
"Trifecta" is a term used to describe any successful or favorable phenomenon or characteristic that comes in threes, for example: "She has the 'trifecta' of attractiveness, intelligence, and career success." ...

I usually wake up in the morning with a word of the day, some are so off the wall, I don't know where I get the idea to have the word pop into mind in the first place. Last week I had the word Trilobite stuck on my mind. A trilobite is a small creature from back in the dinosaur times, and are fossilized, and extinct. Photo below (provided by Wikipedia site)

These words are useless to me, and these don't really extend my vocabulary to use in everyday conversation. I would not seem any smarter working in the word trilobite when talking to a peer. It would not be impressive. There are too many words out there in the English language alone. Many words are not even used any longer...and with quite the opposite, many words are still used today but with multiple meanings, to where a person can take one word and spin it out of context and get into trouble or confusion. Why get stuck using one word with multiple meanings than just using two or three different words? Some words are also outdated as well and would not be used today in 2009, because it is not politically correct. Such as Policeman, it is now Police officer, because the Police-man may be a woman. The title Stewardess is now Flight Attendant.

My parents have had a word game going on through out the years (20+) and keep a running list of words spelled the same but are two different words entirely. Example, Sew and Sew, or Record and Record. I like to record my thoughts down on a blog. OR I have an extensive record collection. Their list is pretty much complete. Every once and a while I will come across a word and run it by my mom, and she tells me it is already on the list. They are going to have to start a new word game.

My Brother, Jeff & Sis-in-law, June, on the right. Happy St.Patty's Day!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Confessions from a Prego

The last two times, Andrew has gone food shopping. Both times he has bought Oreo cookies. I never buy oreos when I food shop, and didn't realise Andrew likes oreos. These cookies are sitting on the counter, wanting to be eaten. These are not even my favorite cookie, just an ordinary type cookie to me. I realize now that Andrew has always liked Oreos. Back when we use to go to Applebee's (years ago, when we lived in San Luis, CA) he would usually order an Oreo Shake. Here in Missouri is a drive up diner called Sonic, and Andrew usually orders the Oreo Shake there as well. Oreos are a favorite of his, that I never noticed over the 10 years that I have known him.


So the other day, I am eating taquitos with ranch dressing. My plate has a bit of ranch left on it... I am 9 months prego, so I am going through some experimental food phases/cravings. I look at my Oreo, look at the ranch puddle on my plate... look at the Oreo again. My mind is screaming don't do it! My hand is dipping the Oreo into the ranch, and headed towards my confused taste buds. Mmm? ??? Oddly enough this tastes good? This must be a pregnancy food experiment. I must not admit this to anyone that I have dipped the Oreo into ranch.


photo of Oreos provided by Yahoo Images

Butterfly House

I spent the day at the Butterfly House, on my day off. Took allot of great photos to share on my blog. My friend Julie and I were surrounded by many butterflies. The place is getting ready for an event in March, called March Morpho Madness, so there were double the amount of butterflies this time around. Photo by Martiel

The butterfly specialist told us, "On average there are usually about 1,000 butterflies..." and the day we were there, there were about 2,000 butterflies!

In March's event they are going to release the Morpho Butterflies each weekend. The Morpho Butterflies are the pretty blue ones (photo above). These are actually the same butterflies that are brown with an eye pattern on the wings when closed. The eye pattern is used to scare off any predators. I also learned the proper term for a cocoon is called a Chrysalis or Pupa.

http://www.butterflyhouse.org/

Photos by: Martiel

Butterflies eat bananas! AND Mango's...there are 19 butterflies in the photo below.

I caught these two butterflies mating.

This butterfly was starring me down. That leaf is his leaf!

There are two in this photo, and blend in so well.

I really like how this photo turned out, the colors are so vibrant.

Lunch time!

We've Come a Long Way Baby!

I am at 36 weeks, which also equals out to 255 days, or 9 months! Officially the due date calculates up to 40 weeks, which is actually 10 months or 280 days. Wow. This week will be 37 weeks (259 days) prego with you, baby. I can't wait to meet you. Your daddy, Andrew is vacuuming and getting the house prepped for your arrival. He has the nesting syndrome, I have a bit of it too, but no energy. Being prego, I get the joys of swollen feet, and being top heavy with my big, baby, belly. You should see me struggle to get up from sitting on the floor, it is pure entertainment.
There are some pet-peeves I have developed about people and their "sense of humor" during my pregnancy.

Pet-peeve #1
When are you due?
-March 25th...
Oh my birthday's is on the 12th, have her on the 12th...
OR... Oh my son's girlfriends birthday is the 23!

My thought is; Why should I care that your particular birthday is on this day and why should I have this baby on your birthday...I don't even know you?... I understand most people are just making small talk and they are strangers to me, but when I go through a day of ten or more people saying the same thing, it gets repetitive and annoying to me.

Pet-peeve #2
Wow, looks like you are going to pop! (jokingly, thinking they are being funny)
You're not going to make it till March!

This is SO RUDE for someone to say this to a pregnant woman. Hearing this ten or more times is getting annoying. This started up back when I was about 32 weeks prego. Let's tie in some logic to this rude comment they are saying. IF I was going to POP and not make it till my due date of the end of March...I would be delivering a baby at 32 weeks and it would be EIGHT weeks early and a premi. Think about it and then decide if you are being "funny" when choosing to say such comments.

Pet-peeve #3
You're so big, are you sure you are not having twins? I knew a lady who was surprised with twins, she thought she was just pregnant with one baby. The 2 babies were lined up in the ultra sound looking like one...OR they say, "the Dr only heard one heart beat, the babies were in sink together."

My response:
OK. What year were these twins born? Technology has changed to a more detailed out come. I have had 4 ultra sounds during my pregnancy and the baby wiggles around, to where I/Dr would see more than one baby in my womb. As for the heart beats being in sink, mistaking it for one baby is not possible either in 2009. My Doctor checks the heart beat with a microphone rubbed over my belly EACH visit. Maybe on one visit the "twins" heartbeat would be in sink and mistaken for one baby. BUT NOT AT EACH VISIT. There has always been just the one baby inside me. Arrg. I get so frustrated. Sorry, I am ranting on this blog today.

The people who have told me about the mistaken twins born, were born back in the day in the mid 1980's, and sooner before the technology of Ultra sounds were used. One was a gal at my work telling me about her friend who had the twins 35 years ago! The other, was a guy who's Aunt had the twins in the mid 80's... he calculated that his twin cousins are now 19 or so...

This is 2009! Technology has improved and has become more accurate. I am going to deliver ONE baby, and she will be due in March not now in February, and I am just now reaching the point of ready to "pop" now that I am at the safe zone of 37 weeks. Our baby's due date will also not be on your particular birthday. She will be born when she wants to be born and ready. My belly is also not all that big, in comparison to other pregos at the same week as me, the sizes are similar. People just don't know what a 37, 30, 25 or 20 week belly looks like in size.

Preparations For Our Baby Girl

We had a lovely baby shower, and so many gifts to bring home. My friend, Carissa planned it all for me. She mailed out the invitations and surprised me with people writing a little message to us or the baby and stuck them into a baby bottle. She thought this up as a spin off of the idea of a Message in a Bottle, only it is Messages in a Baby Bottle. To sweet, and really pulled on my heart strings, especially when I read a note from my friend, Genoa, who recently moved to Brazil. I was amazed by the time Carissa planned it and put it all together. She even planned for our friends and family from out of state to mail the gifts over, to have us open them all up at the shower with the rest of the gifts. I was surprised, and very touched. Thank you to all who thought of us, and mailed us gifts for the baby, and to those who made it to the baby shower as well. We are tickled pink with all the love from our family and friends. Thank you so much Carissa! Also, thank you to Heather for hosting the shower at your home.

Photos from our Baby Shower, on Feb 7th, 2009.

The basket of "tulips" are actually baby washcloths! and the base is cushioned with a baby blanket. Our friend, Sarah created the basket for us.

Andrew and I are cutting the baby shower cake (white cake with butter cream icing) Yum. New parents cutting the cake together like a newly married couple does at a wedding reception.
This faux cake is made entirely out of baby diapers, and in the middle (inside) are two baby bottles holding the structure. One of the baby bottles had the messages written by our friends and family in it. The other bottle was filled with pink M&Ms. Our friend Carissa made this Diaper cake. Very Martha Stewart of her. I was impressed!

We are opening up the gifts at the baby shower. Ellie, Carissa's daughter was my helper handing me the next gift to open. She's 3, and so helpful. This is a pic of a dress and some cute outfits from Andrews folks. Friends and Family who couldn't make it out to the shower (from out of state) mailed the gifts to Carissa, who coordinated the shower, so we would be able to open the gifts all together. A great surprise for Andrew and I. We had no idea.


Of course you can't go to a baby shower with out playing the shower games. Here are pics of us all playing the Dirty Diaper game! Hilarious. There are chocolate candy bars melted in 4 different diapers and people guess what the chocolate is in each one. Johann wanted to taste it! EEW! LOL It is in a diaper and looks like POOP! No, Johann, just look and smell and then write down your guess for each diaper. Then I caught Tonya in the action, she got a good wiff of the "dirty diaper" to make her guess. Tee-hee.

I am passing on the diaper for Andrew to take his turn guessing. I told him to smell it...it will be one of the very few diapers you will enjoy the smell of! LOL. We are in for a whole new world when this baby is born. Changing 8-10 diapers a day!? AND baby poop is not going to be as sweet as the chocolate poop. Be forewarned, Andrew! This dirty diaper game was so funny!

Andrew and I had a blast at the shower and at the "After Party". We were wrapping up the shower around 4 or 5 o'clock and some of us went to Chucke Cheese for pizza and games. We were there till 9 o'clock! I have only been there one other time as a kid. This was a chance for Andrew and I to get a glimpse of what is to come into our future of raising a small child and going to such places like Chucke Cheese. Note to self: Chucke Cheese is not to be visited on a weekend! Save the trip for the middle of the week, like a Wednesday, and we will be fine. Going there on a Saturday evening was a mad house! Andrew searched high and low for this particular game. It is a classic mole bobbin game, hitting the moles as they pop up out of the whole, with a mallet! He was determind to play and get a high score...finish up a child hood frustration of some sort that he has had with this game. I had no idea. So he plays the game, boppin the moles with the mallet, only he is at the adult height now, slouched over playing this "toddler size" game! Was so adorable to watch him play. In the end he only got 4 tickets. Each game at the arcade of Chucke Cheese spits out a number of tickets to collect and turn into for an arcade prize/toy. FOUR tickets? I played a newer game, Deal or No Deal. From the popular TV game show. I won 28 tickets! HA! I picked out my winning brief case and illiminated the other cases down to one case, deciding on Deal or No Deal through out the game. It was so fun!

When the costumed Chucke Cheese came out to mingle with the kids, he was like a celebrity for kids. The kids all went bonkers over him and took photo opps with Chucke Cheese, shook his hand, gave him hugs, etc.

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but Chucke Cheese is a RAT in a Pizza parlor?!!! Why would a pizza parlor (serving food) have their mascot be a rat? Isn't this against a food code violation? no rats aloud!? ;^)

Now it is a week later from the baby shower and tonight I am sorting all the gifts by clothes, blankets, bath stuff, etc. Getting it all ready and put away. Tomorrow I will do baby clothes laundry, and build my book shelf to get organized. Currently, I have the clothes in 4 piles: new born size, 0-3 months size, 6-9 months size, and 1 year or more sizes. The new born and 3 months piles are set. The rest of our baby's first year she will have to be naked, or wear clothes every other day. She has so many cute outfits and onzies for the sizes up to 3 months and a few at the 6 month size, but after that she runs out of clothes.

We also have a pile of blankets, ALL PINK! Our baby better be born a girl, and not a boy by some small chance, with all of the pink blankets, cute girly outfits, and hair bows...

Andrew and I went to our ultra sound appointment today and the baby is a girl, according to the clear view of her girl part. It would be hard to mistake her for a boy in the end when she is finally born. (does that make sense?) 99.99% the baby is a girl. If not, then we could just have a little drag queen baby, with hair bows and all. Tee-hee.

This is a 3D photo of our baby! Cool technology! I can really see her inside me, just chillin and waiting around to be born! Her foot is up near her face, it is a side view or her face, she is looking to the right. Profile shot. 34 weeks 6 days old, in the womb. These photos would actually be upside down according to my baby position, where she is already head down, going towards the exit area. With her foot by her face, it makes sence, because a little round bump always hangs out up by my ribs, which is her baby butt. If I look down at my pregy belly, there is a round butt bump to the right side. She's like a little stink bug, haha. Stickin her butt up, and the head nestled down by my pelvis.

Look at her chubby cheeks! (photo above 3D) I think that is her hand/arm to the right of her face? 3D versions of ultra sound looks a little distorted at times, it is hard to look at it telling what is what. This photo is also "upside down" in comparison to the lay out of my pregy belly.

The ultra sound technician measured our baby at 6 pounds already, and I am at 35 weeks. Two weeks left of pregnancy to be considered full term at the 37 week mark... and a complete pregnancy at 40 weeks. I have about 2-5 weeks left till she makes her debut. But of course she can come when ever she feels like arriving. The Doctor says, being at the 6 pounds is in the 80th percentile. ( I get a little confused at this point, while the Doc talks to us) Basically she is not at a preemie size currently, safe to have now if I had too. The longer the baby is in my belly, the better of course, with the lungs developing fully, and other parts all finishing up. Each week that goes by still prego she develops that much more, till she is ready to come out. We welcome you with loving arms baby girl. Look forward to meeting you. :^)

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Here are some other Ultra Sound pics from a previous DR visit. Here I am 21 weeks prego. This is her snuggled up with her foot by her nose, the head on the right foot to the left. The photo is looking down at her.

A photo also at the 21 week mark, of her fingers, she is waving to us. Then a profile shot of her at 21 weeks (photo below). Looking to the left.

My Expensive Ice is Melting!

I went to the Shell gas station this morning to fill up. I am amazed at how cheap my full tank was! $1.79 per gallon, filling up the car from E gas-level, comes to a total of $19.95...under $20 bucks!


I went inside to get a hot chocolate and danish for the road. The hot chocolate is of course 100 degrees too hot coming out of the coffee fountain. I grabbed a cup of ice to drink along with it. Being considerate, I took a small cup to fill my ice up...didn't want to waist the larger cups. The gas attendant charged me 24 cents for that cup of ice! Crazy! I guess they have to charge for the use of the cup? It can't be for the ice? The ice is frozen TAP water, and should not be charged. If I knew I was going to get charged for a cup of ice, then I would have picked the larger cup for ice.



I am driving to work on the highway with my cup of ice in one cup holder and the hot chocolate in the other cup holder. I get my first sip of the hot chocolate when I pull up to work, it has cooled off since then and I didn't even need the cup of ice!

Sitting at work now, sipping on my hot chocolate and drinking my melted 24 cent cup of ice. Refreshing.

Baby This Baby That...

I am excited to go to our baby shower tomorrow! My friend, Carissa is planning it and Heather is hosting it at her house. They are both so wonderful in throwing us a baby shower. Thanks girls!

Andrew is going to the shower, yay! I thought he would want to wiesel out of it, being a girly event. Andrew is looking forward to it, just as he looking forward to all the baby stuff and preparations we are going through. I am so excited for our baby to make her debut in March 2009. We look forward to meeting her, finally.



Last night I was on the sofa relaxing and telling a story to the baby (my belly). I told her the story of Goldie Lox and the Three bears from memory. Andrew came up from behind me, recording the story time on the camera! I went to play the video back and the TV was on in the background, that you cant hear me talk to the baby telling my story. He will have to catch me on camera again when the TV is off. He is thinking ahead, that we need to stock up on all of those kid books, the classic stories to read to her as she grows up. I told him we also need to get a book shelf, to keep the books together in her room as a library.

When I was getting ready for work today, Andrew comes up to me and says I need to get a hospital bag packed up for when that time comes. It was so random, but good for him to remind me on doing that. He said he had a dream last night of going to the hospital and not having any of my stuff packed yet. We also need to put the car seat and bases in the two cars. I am starting a to do list of important tasks to get done BEFORE our baby gets here.

On a side note: Tell this baby that my bladder is not her personal bean bag to sit on! I have become friends with the porcelain goddess, we hang out often. My feet are also swollen, too where I want to chop them off!

Best Popcorn EVER!

My coworker brought a bag of popcorn to work. This is not your adverage popcorn. Well it is, but it is not your adverage taste. The taste of this particular popcorn is mouth watering, finger licking, munching for hours good! The bag is a mix of butter, Cheddar and Carmel/toffee popcorn. It melts in my mouth and wakes up my taste-buds! You must be eager to find out what popcorn this is to be so special. It is called Garrett Popcorn. Website: http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/

One of the flavors is Macadamia Carmel corn. Wow, sounds devine! There are tins to order ranging from $25 - $189 pricey but worth it apparently. This is not an ordinary popcorn.
I asked my coworker where I could buy some...she says it is from Chicago! As in Chicago, IL, as in 8 hours away from here, as in too bad so sad! I guess I am making a trip to Chic as our next road trip opportunity. Specifically for this heaven sent popcorn and for IKEA. I could order it through the site I guess too. But taking a road trip is more fun. Although I am 32 weeks prego now, and will have to postpone for a summer/fall trip with baby in hand. Make it a family outing.

I can't wait until summer or fall time for some more of this popcorn! I am going to have to order off the site. Splurge and enjoy!

It's Snowing Outside!

I would never now it is snowing, unless I peek out the window or go outside. 11 O'clock rolls around and Duke wants to be let out. Walking up to the sliding glass door, I see snow! I am still getting use to the snow and living in an area where it could just pop up any time during the winter. Snow is not like rain, where I can hear the rain go pitter-patter on the roof or windows. Also when there is rain, usually thunder follows to hear it too. But with Snow, it is silent. Snow sneaks in and blankets the landscape and roads with a white, soft, cover. I can't hear the snow fall and there is not a pitter-patter or a roar of thunder following.

The snow is so pretty. Here in St. Louis, we have not had much of it this winter. This is maybe the 2nd snow fall; the 1st one was not even enough to stick around and shovel off of the driveway.

I'm going to the kitchen now to make a hot cup of Apple Cider, then sit on my window seat and watch the snow fall. So relaxing. Enjoy your 80 degree weather for all my blog readers back home in California! Come visit us, and we can make snow angels on the front lawn!

Words to use in conversations

I have a few words I would like to start using more often (in caps), just to throw into conversation.

"Today I was having a bad hair day and decided throw it up in a ponytail. I positioned the ponytail at the NAPE of my neck."

At the Doctors office a new cafe opened up, called "The Coffee Cafe`" The title of this cafe is REDUNDANT.

This new perfume has a very strong POTENCY, I'm not sure if I like it?

A word I look forward to not using soon will be CANKLES!
During my pregnancy I have experienced CANKLES, and they are UNSIGHTLY. There is not a DISTINCTION between where my calf ends and the ankle starts!

TOPSY- TURVEY is another fun word. Can't think of a sentance for it though.

She is so METICULOUS about every detail when it comes to her desk.

FERCLEMPT and BRICK-O-BRACK are two other fun words to try and use.

This weeks challange is to use the following words in your daily conversations.

*NAPE
*REDUNDANT
*POTENCY
*CANKLES
*UNSIGHTLY
*DISTINCTION
*TOPSY- TURVEY
*METICULOUS
*FERCLEMPT
*BRICK-O-BRACK

The first of 3 hospital classes!

Andrew and I went to a birthing class at the hospital today! It was so informative. The idea of epidurals, doesn't look as great after knowing more about them. There are down sides to where you are all numbed up and can't feel when to push or if you are pushing...the pain is there for a reason and your body uses that pain to react, and give birth. Epidurals were so pretty to me, like a no brainer, of course I am doing an Epidural type idea. But after this class, I am going to try to hold out. I am a big wimp with pain though. That is where Andrew, my coach comes in to lean on and rub my back, etc. I am looking forward to March. I am currently 30 wks, so I have 7 more to be considered full term. Holding out till then.



The next hospital class is for me to go to about breast feeding. This class is on Thursday night after work. Then the 3rd and final class Andrew and I take together for the Newborn Care class. We will be one more step closer to having this baby and a little bit of knowlage to pull out of our back pocket. The rest we will just learn as we go, in being new parents. EEK!



March 11-25th sometime here we come, welcoming baby when ever she feels like arriving.

Happy 2009!

(7 months pregnant in this pic, on New Yrs Eve)

Our new years eve was a fun one. Andrew and I went with our friends, Julie and Paul to the Harrah's Casino for the count down. The casino was having a 70's theme for new years to dress up for. I went to Goodwill and bought Andrew a $3 shirt, and myself some brown prego pants for $3 to wear to the casino. I had a black prego top and my authentic 70's purse. I love this purse, it is a leather saddle bag with a flower boarder painted on it. (Purse in pic below) My Aunt Terry painted the flowers on it way back when the purse was her hippy bag, in the 1970's. Now I have it in my collection of fun purses, and had to use it for the 70's theme.

We played some Roulette and Black Jack. I showed Julie how to play the Roulette, and she would bet on red and win each time! She didn't know she had one at times, because she was taking it all in, trying to understand the game. I would tell her, "you won! collect your winnings!... play again if you want to bet another round." Paul and I played the Black Jack card game. We were both doing well on the winning then Paul was on his last $10 minimum bet and lost, I had some chips left and spotted him ten more bucks to play one more round with me, and he got 21! He won the black jack on my chips! We played a bit more and then cut out while we were still up in chips to cash out.

I tried playing a Wheel Of Fortune slot machine, it was only a penny bet...but it was too complicated. I have never played the 15 lines of matching symbols on a screen before, I am old school with slot machines. I like the three sevens to land in a row or three BAR symbols to land in a row. This version with betting pennies, I think I was betting about 10 cents a turn, I really don't know, and was matching up all these multiple lines to try and win something, anything. So I push the spin button, NO PULL DOWN HANDLE!, and all those symbols with nothing matching up!!!???? Bogus. Penny slots are too complex for me. I just wanted to have the machine land on a free spin, being the wheel of fortune game. I could spin the big wheel at the top; where all the glitz and glam is emphasised on. The lady, next to me, spun her big wheel and it landed on 4 free spins. HAHAHA, she basically wins 4 cents? Playing the free spins she didn't win anything else. The game is ridiculous, and a waist of my time and pennies. I would rather use my penny wisely and make wishes in a fountain. A little bit of this and that going on in this pic. Three different moments caught in one pic. Waiting for the count down, a few more minutes to go.

As it is nearing midnight, we gather near the bar area in the middle of the casino, where the 70's style disco dancers are at, along with there pimp. It was a lot of fun and hooting n' hollering. There was a money box set up for someone to go into and catch as much money, while it blows around in the box. The total amount blowing around in the money box was, of course, $2009. The money box wasn't going to be done till 12:30 after the midnight count down. We did not stick around for that. There was a Midnight Breakfast buffet upstairs to head over to. The buffet earlier in the evening that ran till 10pm was $30, and this buffet we went to was $8. Hard decision on which one to hold out for...

At the close of the night, we need to grab a free Harrah's shuttle back to the hotel where we parked our cars. Impossible! There are two Harrah's shuttles making the rounds picking up and dropping off. The one shuttle comes first and the driver says he doesn't run that way towards our hotel, he covers the other wrought and we have to wait for Beverly's shuttle. A cab comes in between time and we want to just grab the cab; only he is dropping off these people paying with credit card and the cabi is taking for ever to get the credit card to go through! It is cold out side to keep waiting. We decide to wait for Beverly...here comes the Harrah's shuttle, it must be her, let's go! It was the guy driver again!? What? Where is Bev? He left and came back already and no Bev?! We try getting on his shuttle saying, Beverly isn't coming you will have to take us instead, this is too long of a wait. Beverly is on the radio saying she is pulling in, and we hop off his shuttle and onto hers. She goes to about three other hotels to drop off people, before reaching ours. UGH. What we do for free shuttles. We were so frustrated with the shuttle delay and all; we didn't tip her on our way off the shuttle. Sorry Bev, but we just weren't feeling the tip.

2009 is happening, we are due in March with our first baby and preparing for her arrival. Andrew and I are going to have an amazing new year, filled with new joy and love.

Happy New Years to you all!