Where are they now????

So, I'm sitting here waiting to go to the OB. Just chillin', surfing the net and watching some VHI Classic. It's at this moment that I realize I'm no longer "young and hip". Why? Because I'm jamming to VH1 CLASSIC! I'm not hip on MTV, but VH1. Yes - harsh reality people. I'm going to be 30 and I'm diggin' the music on here - takes me back.

As I'm watching videos and completely cracking up, I thought I'd do a "where are they now" sort of thing. Although, it's not a "where are they now", it's more of "what the heck where we thinking?"

Case #1 = Rick Astley



Seriously... the man could sing. Looked like "Howdy Doody" but could sing. His video "Never gonna give you up" was on and all I could think of was that he had 1, count that ONE dance move. The traditional white-boy shuffle where your arms and move from left to right. Smooth...

Then, we have Tommy Page. Does anyone other than former NKOTB fans know who he is?



I'm contemplating RAKing someone who can name THREE songs Tommy Page sung without looking them up. HA! Here, I'll give you one. "I'll be your everything" and yes - I know all the words, still.

Then you have the guys that are in "80's teen idol denial". Case in point - Donnie Wahlberg. Oh yes Donnie - you were ghetto, you were a teen idol and you were a NEW KID. Don't deny it buddy. You were hip.



Honestly - I think he looks better here than he does now. Another reason why I'm old - Donnie is almost 40. I remember when he was 21. He's now some officer in Annapolis or something. I didn't even RECOGNIZE him in the trailer. Hey Donnie - grow the beard and put the nose-ring back in.

Finally, my favorite. I was going to marry this man when I was 13. Not kidding. To this day I think I'd get giddy if I ran into him. Every boy band has their "shy one" and of course, I'm the sucker for the shy one. Say hello to Jon Knight. Or, Jonathan as I think he prefers these days. Older brother to Jordan Knight. Former New Kid turned real estate agent or something.

He's a hottie. He actually reminds me of Scottie 2 Hottie. Same chin and smile.



Fun times...

Thought of the day...

"Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle."

For the past two weeks, I've been trying to figure out how to go into labor. Today my cousin sent me Erma Bombeck's poem about things she would do differently and I decided that this isn't so bad. Yes, my back hurts. Yes - my belly aches sometimes. Yes - the stretchmarks are starting to take on an identity of their own. But, she's warm and she's happy and here I am assisting God in a miracle. Yes - this is a great and wonderful thing.

So far I've...

tried Don Pablo's salsa, eggplant parm, Donato's, pork chops, cleaning my floor and gettin' with my man. NOTHING has worked. LOL! Just kidding! I just had to giggle at all of the suggestions on how to go into labor. Unfortunately, I don't think any of them will work. (Ok - maybe the last one) I had heard about the eggplant parm thing but that would just make me throw up and I eat so much chips and salsa that I'm sure I have an immunity to it at this point.

Here's my theory now. When I worked at P&G, there was an older woman there that told me "You'll have this baby on the next full moon". Well, she was right. I had Maggie on the next full moon - me and about 35 other women. She swears there is something about the gravitational pull, etc., and that "moon children" deliver on those days.



I'm a moon child - born under a water sign. She had a whole chart and theory about it. At first I thought she was a little goofy but she was RIGHT! So, I checked out the Farmer's Almanac and the next full moon is the 14th. I'm not even thinking about delivery until then. I figure the baby is enjoying herself and growing. Heck - I was 9 lbs. 15 oz. at birth and my mom had me. (Au naturel - no drugs to boot!) I figure if she gets much bigger I can do it, too! (Minus the no drugs part - me and epidural are friends)

In the spirit of not thinking about labor, etc., Scott and I had what we presume will be our last "date night" for a while. Occasionally we have his parents keep Maggie overnight so that he and I can do something with just the two of us. Usually it's a movie, etc. This time, we ran over to the riverboat casino with my mom and my cousin and her husband. My cousin called me and was like "It's tradition - we HAVE to go." What she means by that is that when I was pregnant with Maggie, I was trying so hard to go into labor. We would go over to the riverboat casino in hopes that the rumbling from the boat's engine, all the excitement and all of the walking would do the trick. Never did, but I won enough money to buy Scott a new lawnmower. (Exciting - I know) This time, we went over and Scott rubbed the belly for good luck. He ended up winning $200. So, now I have new curtains in my living room. :) If nothing else - date night at least turned into "I can go to Target on Sunday and buy some stuff I've been wanting". Works for me!

Still pregnant...

Still here.



Doctor said there were no changes, so I have another appointment scheduled for next week. At first I thought about begging and trying tears. Then, I decided to just go with it. Another week isn't so bad. Gives me time to finish getting things ready. Goodness knows I'm going through the nesting phase and have more plans to do some other stuff. Now I have more time. That's good! Plus, I never really got around to the belly shots, so Scott's going to have to step up his picture taking this weekend. And, me and Baby X can spend some more quality time together. She doesn't even have a name, yet. YIKES!

Plus, I bought "Walk the Line" today. Going to curl up with some ice cream, my hot husband and my adorable daughter and watch it tonight. Scott and I saw it in theatres and Maggie just LOVES the soundtrack, so we bought it thinking she might like the movie. Of course, she's been falling asleep early so she might not stay awake for it. (For those of you wondering, YES - I let my daughter watch movies like this. Life is not all "Charlie and the Chocoloate Factory" and she's so into music and Johnny Cash that I figure what the hey - let her watch it - except maybe the scene with his brother) I'm so into the love story with the movie that I could watch it over and over. Fascinating.



The other good thing is that I have more time to organize my office and work on Summer CHA stuff. I uploaded a bunch of my CDs to Itunes on my new Mac. Lovin' that!

Fun Stuff

Lots of fun stuff going on right now! Figure I should just list them in my blog, why not, right?

1) Baby X will be here soon. Yes - I keep saying that, but it's true. She's getting ready. My next appointment is tomorrow and I will be armed with tears, begging and anything else that will help me get an induction date.

2) Got my new Mac Book Pro! Yes - it's sweet! Here's Morris and Janice playing with the photobooth on it yesterday - we're so productive here. Remember girls - Morris is available! You have to be ultra awesome though before the rest of us will let you date him. He deserves a great girl! Trust me - he's a catch!!!



3) Barb started work today!!! YEA!!! It's great having someone to bounce ideas off of, etc. She's busily working on some CKU projects - we've decided to do the remaining two albums this year. Maybe more. Lots of things will be happening here at IP soon!

4) Talked to S2H a few times today. My hubby is a hottie. Even when he's Earl. He got his hairs cut last night. So cute! Wish I had a photo to post but I pretty much went home and went to bed.

5) Getting excited about seeing Kenny Chesney! Scott bought me tickets to see Kenny for Valentine's Day. I can't even believe I forgot to blog about that. I'm telling you - I am married to one great man. The concert date is March 23rd - he even arranged babysitting and everything. LOVE him!



6) Have dinner with my family tonight. I love Wednesdays. I have dinner with my mom, cousin Lorrie, brother, etc. Tonight is Skyline! My nephew works there after school, so he's bringing everyone dinner. It's so nice to just have one night a week to connect with my extended family. Even if they drive Scott nuts. :) (For those of you NOT from Cincinnati, Skyline is our sweet chili that we eat with spaghetti and cheese, or on a hotdog. If you're not from here, you'd probably hate it)

7) Got my wireless appointment scheduled. Making the Rohlfs house a hot spot. :)

8) Maggie is finally feeling a bit better. My poor little pumpkin has battled the stomach flu and an ear infection in the past week. We've spent a lot of time cuddled up on the couch reading books. I'm amazed at how much she has learned in school and how fast she catches on. She's also asking to name her sister "Meredith". I've been letting her watch too much G/A.

That's all - I tried to make it to ten but quite frankly - it's lunchtime and I'm starving. Gotta go feed the baby!

Back to the land of the living

If there is one thing that I can't stand more than anything on this planet (even more than Brangelina), it's the stomach flu/virus nasty thing that kids seem to bring home every year. That's how I spent my weekend. Not necessarily how I would have preferred to spend my Saturday and Sunday but did so nonetheless. Good thing is - I lost five pounds. Bad thing is - I lost five pounds. Not too many women lose 5 pounds in their 9th month of pregnancy. Of course, I'll probably pack it back on before my appointment on Thursday.

Which, by the way, Thursday's appointment could be a big one! We might get an induction date. Actually, I'm planning with all of my might to get an induction date that day. At my appointment last week, Baby X was measuring 2 weeks AHEAD of schedule - which means she's going to rival her sister in terms of birth weight. Maggie came in a week early at a whopping 8 lbs, 14 oz. Her sister who is shakin' and a bakin' in the oven is looking to meet or exceed that. So, the doctor (out of sympathy I'm sure) is talking about inducing me if I can get 1 more cm dilated. I told her I'd see her next Thursday with bells on. I even made my appointment with the same doctor hoping that she won't forget her promise to me. (I see 8 doctors in the practice that I go to.) I'll be sure to remind her!

I still have a million things to do and no time to do them. I need to be like Barb and get a Franklin or something. Goodness knows a list would help. But, that would involve being organized and I'm more of a procratinator/fly by the seat of my pants type of girl. But, we'll see...maybe I'll make a list and stick to it.

By the way - my PSA of today - I'm on a chat tonight at 9:00 EST - www.hth-creations.com. Come by and talk to me if you want! I love to chat!!! :D

Lastly, wanted to post this layout of my favorite big girl with my favorite great niece. Here's Maggie kissing baby Ryan. (Yes - her name is Ryan - I tried talking her mom into something more "girly" but it's starting to grow on me) I think Maggie is prepping for sisterhood pretty well. What do you think?



Of course, my poor angel is at the docs right now. She's been complaining today of ear pain. :( Poor little peanut.

Oh - and I guess I lied about the "lastly" part. I should post something about Grey's Anatomy. I do that every week. The only thing is - I'm still left reeling over last night. Not sure how I feel about it. I'm just heartbroken for George. Still mourning for him.

WHY????

Why do parents send their kids to school to infect the rest of the class with a stomach virus?

Why do we manage to get it every year?

Why in the WORLD am I 9 months pregnant and dealing with the stomach yucks?

Yep - you guessed it. Tis the season. Blah...

My NEW Birthing Coach...

Did you think you'd get through the week without at least ONE Grey's post? Seriously...

For those of you that wonder who the "Anonymous" poster is - I'm outing him. It's my husband - Scott. Or, more affectionately referred to as "Scottie 2 Hottie" or "S2H". He loves to post things to get a rise out of me. Thing is - the way that I feel right now, if he keeps posting things to aggravate me, he might just end up with a homemade vasectomy. Hear that sweetie? :D I told him I'm trading him in for George O'Malley as my labor coach. You have to admit - George isn't McDreamy but he makes your heart melt because he's like a little puppy. He's sweet, cuddly, and non-judgemental. I'm just praying that Meredith doesn't break his heart on the show. I don't want to have to hate her because I like her character too much.

Moving on...

No real changes in Baby X. She's just hanging out, grinding her head into my sciatic nerve. Thank God for Thermacare. I'm just waiting. Last night I watched my Great Niece. LOVE that baby so much. She is in the fun stage where she giggles and smiles at you. Maggie and I had her on the blanket and we were talking to her and she was just kicking and giggling. I can't even tell you how excited I am that our own little baby will be here soon doing that. Can't wait! And, the fact that she has a cousin her own age is awesome. A huge majority of my cousins live out of state, so I didn't get to see them on a regular basis. Plus, as my local friends know, they're a few plugs of Beechnut shy of a trailer park. (My cousins that is - not my friends here!) LOL! Maybe some day when I'm feeling like doing a little "Git R Done", I'll talk about my cousins. For now, I'll keep you wondering.

That's all for today. Happy Wednesday. Hump day - only two more days until the weekend! This completely un-focused girl can't wait!

This is me...

Ok - so maybe it's not REALLY me, but it's how I feel right now. Huge and uncomfortable. I honestly thought something might happen with this pregnancy yesterday because I started showing some signs of pre-labor. For the sake of TMI and to protect those men that read blogs (including my husband), I won't go into details, but let's just say that dilation is defintely taking place. I also feel like my lower back is going to split in half. Baby X has settled herself in there quite snugly. It's like trying to walk with a 16 lb bowling ball stuck in my pelvis. <--- Once again, bowling reference so that my husband understands what I'm talking about.

I've tried to be chipper about this entire pregnancy. Now - I just want it OVER. I'm happy and excited to be pregnant and goodness knows that I am so grateful for it considering I never thought it would happen again, but for the love of everything nice in this world, I just want the back pain to stop. I laid on my couch last night in tears because the back pain was so bad. I don't remember it being that horrible with Maggie. And she was a 9 lb baby. Then - the evilness starts. Scott even so much as looks at me or breathes too much and I'm yelling. Yes - I've turned into full-blown evil pregnant woman that waddles and wants things over. Oh, and if there is something in the house that needs washed, I'm on it. I believe I would wash the windows outside if it weren't 30 degrees outside.

Here I sit and wait. Wait...Wait...Wait...

Been Tagged...

Been tagged a few times, so I need to really catch up on my blog tags! My latest is from the fantastic (and soon to be my co-worker) Barb Hogan.

Here goes:

What scrapbook lines/products, etc. do you dislike? Hmm...Not going to answer that. LOL! There are a TON of things that I can't work with. I wouldn't say any products that I don't like, but there are people that I don't care for. ;) Of course, I'm pregnant and it's not too hard to get on my bad side these days.

What is the hardest thing you have ever had to scrap? Anything that has my own line on it. LOL! Seriously - I see that stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY and by the time it goes to print, I've looked at it for a few months. I like playing with other company's stuff. It's "new" to me.

What technique do you use more than anything else? Not really sure. Probably hand journaling now. I used to be a complete computer journaler - even bought a large format printer for it but now I use my zig, Sharpie, etc. It just varies on what I'm into at the moment.

What is the smallest scrap of paper you save? Honestly - I don't save scraps. (EEK!) I give them to my friends that are sitting there at the crop with me. (Jamie - tell them girl - I hook you up don't I?) I'm one of those "once and out" people. I don't use the same paper line more than once, I don't carry the same purse more than once, I won't wear the same watch more than once. (once meaning the time I buy it until the battery dies) I'm weird...

Have you ever had any scrapbook related injuries? This one time I was demo'ing a CM cutter (the Complete Cutting System thing) and I SLICED my finger. I'm talking call Dr. McDreamy because I'm hemorraging. That was pretty embarrasing.

Finish this sentence, "If I wasn't a scrapbooker/stamper, I would spend my money on..." Jenny Craig. LOL! Hey- it worked for Kirstie - bound to work for me.

Give us your best storage or organizational idea. Tackle boxes. I have a Shumano that I bought at Dicks and it has a carrying bag/case thingie and LOVE it. I can sort LOTS of stuff!

You just won a week long scrapbooking cruise for 5. Who is going with you? Dude - I need the whole boat! I'd have to have a PAR-TAY! I'd bring my local girls: Barb, Tina, Jamie, Kim, etc. But then I'd want my other friends that I never get to see there. (Teresa, Stacey, Emily, etc.) Oh, and I have to bring Scottie 2 Hottie. Gotta have a cabana boy.

When you received your first publication notification, who did you tell? And if you are not yet pubbed, who will be the first person you share the news with? I got a nod from Ivy Cottage (remember them???) years ago and called the store owner that I worked for at the time. She had the layout in her store. My husband didn't get it and honestly - the color on the photograph was so bad in the mag that it was a bummer. :(

After answering the questions, tag four of your buddies: My friends hate this. Besides, most of them don't have their own blogs. LOL! Here's the deal - if you read it - blog it, or at least leave a comment. :)

Got some new things...

To show you. :) These are the four new boxed rub-on collections coming out. So excited about them - they should start shipping late next week. As always - they go on like butta!






Hope you enjoy them! I had a blast playing with them last week. :) The title of this layout is done with the Seaver ones.



Can't wait until they arrive!!!!

At the request of my friend Tina

I'm adding a "funnier" post. I guess my "lovey dovey" (gag) posts about me and S2H get a little boring after a few days. :)

There are lots of things for me to blog about but I haven't really had time, blah blah blah... I also realized that I missed posting about Grey's Anatomy. What the HECK is wrong with me? That's my normal Monday morning blogging. So - here goes:

WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU TURN A HOTTIE LIKE KYLE CHANDLER INTO PINK MIST????? Seriously...I was hoping that he could somehow train to become a doctor and be on the show full time. THAT would have made GA the perfect show! I mean - look at this -



No way on earth would I have blown him up. Nope - nada. He could have come back as a chief resident or something. Or, resident hottie doctor - he and McDreamy. It could be Brokeback Grey's Anatomy for all I care. As long as I got to look at the both of them, life is good.

Then there is the ongoing saga of Meredith/McDreamy/Addison. Alright - here is how I see it. McDreamy belongs with Meredith. I realize that his wife is Addison but she cheated and for that, she must pay. I like Addison, don't get me wrong. (Heck, I'm still trying to convince my husband to name our daughter Addison even though 1) Addie was my grandmother's name and that's PRE Grey's Anatomy and 2) I didn't even realize Addison was a GA character until about 3 months ago when it finally dawned on me) But, I just see him with Meredith. (which is ALSO a cute girls name - S2H if you're reading this!) When McDreamy came to the door and talked about their last kiss, I literally melted and started sobbing. Of course, I cry at the Chase Credit Card commercial, but still - very touching. I just want them together. Love Meredith. Pick Meredith. Choose Meredith.



Ok - enough blabbing about Grey's Anatomy even though it's Thursday and I'm already looking forward to Sunday. :)

As for other things on the home front, I'm still eagerly awaiting some shower photos so that I can tell ya'll about my awesome shower from Sunday. My friends definitely got a kick out of my mother - picture a cross between Shirley McLaine and Dolly Parton. You have my mom. Well, maybe a dash of Jeff Foxworthy, too. But, she's the best mom. Wouldn't trade her for anything. Do wish I could put a mute button on her sometimes, but wouldn't trade her. LOL!

Carpet is being laid in the girls' room today. So weird to be able to say it. Scott repainted the room and it looks great. Although, I think he was a bit off of his rocker letting a 5 year old pick the colors but he said it's her room and she can have what she wants. I'm too exhausted to fight it so I went with it and it's actually very cute. I'm hoping to get it all put together this weekend and get everything washed and ready to go.

Finally, I'm sick. Yep - not only VERY pregnant but have a double ear infection. Fun. You would think that by 30 I would outgrow those. Nope. Blah...

10 Years

ago today Scott and I became officially engaged. Only about 6 months into our relationship - and we were young and crazy. There's no denying that. We met at 19, got engaged when I was 19 and he was 20 and got married at 22. (I was BARELY 22) I wouldn't trade the past 10+ years for anything in the world. The story goes something like this:

About two weeks before Valentine's Day, we were on the phone late at night. Scott worked 3rd shift at a company and I was in school during the day and working as a waitress at night. We didn't get to see each other often but we always talked on the phone late at night because he was a QC Tech on 3rd shift and not that busy. Trust me - many times I fell asleep only to be awakened by that annoying buzzing sound when you accidentally leave the phone off of the hook. Anyway - we were talking and I said something about how wonderful of a dad he'd be, yada yada. Next thing I know, he's like "wanna get married" and of course I responded with a very 19-year-old "sure".

Let's just say the parents didn't handle it well. I thought my mother was going to kill him. With a lot of convincing and a promise not to get married until I graduated college, we finally got the blessing of our parents. (Well, I'm STILL not so sure that his parents are happy about it. LOL!) Then started the ring shopping. We looked at various rings and Scott had even tried to put one on hold but his dad talked him out of it. It was a 2 carat whopper heart-shaped diamond. (Those were BIG back in the 90's - I can hear you laughing but it's true) Well, it sold before he could get back to buy it and I was a bit heartbroken but we looked around again. Then, in the midst of frustration in a store, I came outside only to find my ring sitting on a fake hand in one of those storefront windows. Ah yes - that was the ring. It was more than what Scott had budgeted (let's remember - he's only 20 and working his first full-time job) but he bought it for me anyway. I cherish that ring. I won't trade it in or buy a bigger one. It's the one that HE bought ME when he was so young. It's not going anywhere. (That's not to say he can't buy me a big, fat diamond for another finger. I have 7 other fingers and two thumbs in case your reading this Scott)

We had to have it sized (since they only come in what - a 5? Who can wear that?) and I had NO idea when he'd get it back. Valentine's Day rolls around and I'm at his house because we're getting ready to go get lunch and he gets the little box out of his drawer. He had the ring. He got on his knee and re-proposed. At least, I think he did. All I remember is wanting the ring. :)

In any event - I married the most wonderful man and amazing daddy. Even if he is "Earl" sometimes, he's still my Earl. (Speaking of Earl moments, he washed his cell phone last night - I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant and he has no cell phone - Good job Earl!) I wouldn't change a thing about the past 10 years.

I had to post this page even though it's OLD - we're talking about 3 years old. But, the photos are some of my favorites. This shows you how young we were. If Maggie came to me at 19 and told me she was getting married, I'd grab my shotgun. Of course, Scott would probably beat me to the door.

What happens in Vegas...

Stays in Vegas. The only thing is - my Vegas trip wasn't that exciting considering I was 8 months pregnant. So, all of my photos are relatively subtle - no Thunder Down Under, Gambling, or partying with Britney and K-Fed. (Just kidding - there is not enough antibacterial soap in the world to make me party with K-Fed)

Anyway, wanted to post some of my favorite CHA photos. Remind me later to post the one of Chewbacca. Yes - we found a Wookie while at the show. Those who were there know what I'm talking about. Let's just say "back hair" and leave it at that.

Here's one of all of us at the IP booth. We had SUCH a great group - everyone was awesome. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time at a trade show. We had so much fun. I roomed with Sherry and Laura and let me tell you - they were so great and understanding when I was up 6 times each night running to the bathroom. They also tolerated my endless comedic chatter when the fire alarm went off at 3:00 am. Once I'm up - I'm up.

Anyway - here's the IP team.



The guy on the end is my boss, Morris. He's single if you know anyone that's single, attractive, funny, etc. He's a catch. I'm thinking about nominating him for the next "Bachelor". Me and the other girls were talking about starting a website called marrymorris.com. Of course, he has his sights set high right now - so, if you're Stacy Keibler on Dancing With the Stars, e-mail me. He's dying for a date.

Then here I am (big belly and all) with my gang from Rocky Mountain Hobbies. Sherry Laffoon, Janice Lund, Me, Cindy and Darren Lombardi (the owners). I just love these guys. They're so awesome and wonderful! And yes - that's Baby X in that big ole belly. Mental note - remind me to save up to have that HUGE chin sucked off after this baby is born. I'm about over it hanging around in all of my photos. Ugh!



Anyway - that's the post for Thursday. Tonight is Earl. Love that show. I can relate. LOL!

Ok - I'm back. Not necessarily back to the land of the living, but I'm back from the trade show. Got home on Friday afternoon after an interesting flight. Started having contractions on the plane. The poor guy sitting next to me kept looking over as I was breathing. Good thing they were only BH - although those bad boys can get intense sometimes. I was traveling with my buddy, Barb, and she was asleep in the seat in front of me and I didn't want to wake her up. So, I sat through them for about an hour and a half. I also was NOT going to tell our flight attendant because she was about as goofy as a three-dollar bill. Got home and decided that I would wait it out. Good thing - I drank a lot of water and laid down and they stopped. Of course, I'm still having them on and off but until my water breaks, I think I'm good. LOL! Only 5 weeks left (theoretically).

As I get some photos, I'll be posting pictures of our trip. Stupid me didn't bring a camera. Too lazy, pregnant and well... lazy to do it. So, I'm waiting for the other girls to send me some of their pictures. Of course, it's hard to get some fun photos when you're in bed at the hotel at 6:30 ordering room service and watching reruns of Friends. Yes - I was that sad!

And, since this post was supposed to be on Monday but deferred to Wednesday due to illness and blogger not uploading photos, I have to do my McDreamy post. Nothing beats Patrick Dempsey on Sunday nights. I'm so addicted to Grey's Anatomy that I could sit and watch a 24 hour marathon. Here's the big kicker - Sunday's episode was especially hot. Why? Because the bomb guy was KYLE CHANDLER. I have been into that actor since 1992 when he first did Homefront. I bet NOBODY remembers that show but me. I was so excited to see him and Patrick on TV together.

Tell me this ain't hot:





Of course, I know I'm married to Scottie 2 Hottie but a girl has to have a little eye candy on the TV. I live for Sunday nights. The funny thing is - Scott came home last week and said that all the women he works with talk about McDreamy every Monday. I told him to make it VERY clear to them that McDreamy is mine. :) A girl can always dream can't she? Plus, this week he got the shower scene so it evened out.

Finally, Scott has decided he wants to add the name "Gretchen" to our list of potential baby names. At first I sort of liked it. Then, I thought about Gretchen Wilson and the next thing I'm picturing is our daughter on the porch of a double-wide with blond hair, dark roots, cut-offs and a baby on her hip. Oh - and don't forget the cigarette hanging from her mouth and missing tooth. Not that there is anything wrong with that - trust me - I can relate. But, I'm thinking of vetoing Gretchen from the list. I just don't think I can do it.

We'll see...

My thoughts on Brangelina

Ok - let's face it. I'm hormonal. I'm also living on 2 hours of sleep per night due to reflux, baby lying on my bladder, etc. I've also been watching the Tyler Durden blog and laughing hysterically every day. It's a funny yet non-PC look at celebrities from the male point of view. Sadly - I find it interesting and totally hilarious. Of course, I also thought The Man Show was funny. That's what happens when you grow up with brothers.

Then - today he posts this photo:



I'm not sure what angers me about Brad and Angelina. I guess it's because I think that they're slime. First off, any chick that lands both Billy Bob AND Brad Pitt has some serious "what's my type" issues. That's like dating Dennis Rodman and Peyton Manning. Doesn't make sense. Then you have Brad - he was the golden boy. Women loved him. Now - he's the golden jackARSE. Anyone that truly believes that he and Angelina did not have a thing going when they filmed that movie are in serious denial. I feel bad for Jennifer. Imagine this - your husband goes off to do some work and comes back to tell you that he wants a divorce and it has NOTHING to do with his ultra-sleazy co-star, etc. Then, months later (let's face it - Angelina isn't 6 weeks pregnant there) the ultra-sleazy co-star is pregnant with your ex-husband's baby. Mind you - she obviously got pregnant before the divoce was final. Yea - I'd be a little ticked. Then - they gallavant around the world as these caring celebrities doing volunteer work, etc. Does anyone else see hypocracy here?

Do I know them? No. Have I seen Mr. & Mrs. Smith? No. (I refuse to after the whole Brangelina thing) Do I think Jennifer is better off? Yes. Do I think Vince Vaughn is better? Yes. Why am I so bothered by it? I have no idea. Is Brad a pig? Yes. Can I stop going on about this? No.

In any event, here's to you Jennifer. You got much better. Besides - Vince is cute AND funny. And hey girl, if I were you, I'd be looking for Nick Lachey, too. He's single now. (That's a whole OTHER vent for a later hormonal moment.)

Happy Friday everyone! It's my last blog post for a week. Heading out to Vegas probably - last minute decision. I wanted to say something witty, etc., but I had to get the Brangelina thing off of my chest. :) Maybe after I have this baby, we'll discuss Tom Cruise.

The Biggest Loser

So yesterday The Biggest Loser was in Columbus doing a casting call and I actually contemplated leaving work early and making the 2 hour trek to go try out. Since I figured it wouldn't be a good drive for me, I decided to go online and I actually downloaded the application. For the first time (other than my other reality show stint that I had NO SAY in participating in) there is a reality show that I would actually consider applying for.

Here's the deal - I'm fat. I'm also funny and I also like money. I think I could do this. I also am VERY competitive. Always have been. I was the kid in high school that always screwed the curve because I had to have the highest score. Trust me - The Biggest Loser is RIGHT up my alley!

The only thing holding me back from this casting call is timing. They start filming in April. The baby is due in March. I don't want to be gone for 10 weeks and leave my newborn. I did ask work if I could take off for 10 weeks if I were chosen. LOL! Thank goodness my boss watches reality TV and is pretty cool about it.

So - I'm thinking I'm going to go for it the next season. Oh yea!!!!

I WEAR FUGLY SHOES...

Ok - I'm not even going to deny it. I wear ugly shoes. Not just ugly - FUGLY shoes apparently. My husband says so, some of my friends say so, heck - I even think they're ugly but I can't stop wearing them. They're so comfy - especially on my fat, preggo feet.

So - today's blog post is in dedication to my fugly shoes and my friends and family that hate them. :)



I'm thinking of buying these to match our black and gold bowling shirts here at Imagination Project. I think it's the perfect trade show get-up gear. :)

McDreamy...

What can I say? I always tell Maggie to marry the geek in high school because he turns out to be the hot doctor. I love my husband dearly, but on Sunday nights at 10:00, my time is devoted to McDreamy. :)



Who knew Patrick Dempsey had it?



I also cried when Meredith brought him and Addison her dog. I think it was a hormonal moment.

Sigh...McDreamy...

Tagged by the FABULOUS Amy Howe

Got a tag by the fabulous Amy Howe - have you SEEN this girl's work? It's amazing. Anyway, I love tag games. I love quizzes. The geek in me loves tests. It's really sad. So, I was HAPPY to fill out the tag questions immediately. (Have I ever mentioned my love for Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit?)
-------------------------------

The rules for this particular tagging are as follows: Remove the blog name in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add yourself to the bottom slot.

Andrea
Courtney
Leah
Amy
Ginger

Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to. I'll choose five super talented super nice gals:

Barb Hogan
Heather Preckel
Stacey Pannassidi
Emily Adams
Teresa Collins

Here are the questions.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was about 20 (I'm not 30 YET!) and a junior in college. I think my major was pre-law at the time. LOL! I was working at Globe Furniture Rentals as a bill collector and putting myself through school.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Getting ready for CHA in Atlanta. Gin-X had debuted at Memory Trends and this was my first "big" show.

Five snacks you enjoy (in no particular order, as all snacks are created equal):
(Well - keep in mind that I'm pregnant right now)
1) Bagel Chips
2) Brownies
3) Funyuns
4) Cheese (especially string cheese)
5) Chips and Salsa

Five songs to which you KNOW all the lyrics:
The entire Hot Fuss CD by the Killers
The entire soundtrack to Walk the Line
Anything Dixie Chicks
Anything New Kids on the Block (Hey - they'll be back one day!)
The entire "Bootie Shakin' Hits" CD that you can buy at Target - that was the day baby!

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1) Pay off my house and give it to my niece to raise her daughter.
2) But a bigger house - probably in Florida because that's where Scott says we're living if we ever win the lotto.
3) Pay off the houses of my brothers and mom. Buy my mom a new car - whatever she wanted.
4) Put a trust fund aside for Maggie and the new baby
5) Become a SAHM

Five bad habits:
1) Picky eater
2) I bite my nails - so gross, but when the nerves start - I can't stop.
3) I swear too much sometimes.
4) I speak my mind too much.
5) I leave my shoes lying around the house.

Five things you like doing:
1) Date nights with Scott
2) Cuddling with Maggie
3) Scrapbooking
4) Crop nights with my friends
5) Dinner at my mom's on Wednesday nights.

Five things you would never wear, buy, or get again:
1) Probably another dog or cat (daughter is allergic)
2) Guess Jeans (wore the dickens out of them when I was in high school. Now, I'm too fat)
3) A mini-van, although they look enticing
4) Leg warmers
5) Those lace gloves like Madonna wore in the 80's. (I had a pair - I think I was 7)

Five favorite toys:
My camera
The computer
My pocket Yahtzee (keeps me entertained while waiting)
Pocket Sudoku
My large-format scanner

First time you got kissed: How was it? Uh - yea - not going to talk about that. Let's just say it was some gross boy from St. Bernard and YUCK!

First time you drove a car: What kind of car? I learned to drive on my dad's Audi 5000. But, my first car was a Chevrolet Celebrity Super Sport. Two toned - black and grey. SHARP!

First time you scrapbooked: over 7 years ago - bought a kit at Franks Nursery and Crafts to do my wedding pictures. Oh the agony - deco scissors and all!

First time you went on a date: Saw Pretty Woman. I was too young. My daughter is not going on a date at 13. Period.

First time you fell in love: Well - I had a high school sweetheart but I don't think that my love for him was like my love for my husband. With him there was no trust - just this perceived notion of what a boyfriend should be. I cared deeply for him but with my husband - things are better and sweeter.

First time you cooked for someone: I made dessert for my dad when I was young. Got love him - he ate it. I remember it was a concoction mix of brownies and rice krispies. ICK!

First time you got on a plane: I was 19 and was going to Arizona. Nothing like a 3 hour flight to break you in!

First time you shaved your legs: I had an electric razor and I was probably around 11 or 12?

First time you put on make up: We used to play "make-up" like crazy when I was little. My mom gave me and my friends this big kit of stuff to play with. We'd play for HOURS.

First time you moved out of your home: I was 21 - it was a month and a half before my wedding. Scott and I got an apartment together. :)

I LOVE being pregnant...

Seriously - even though I complain of the cramps, aches, pains, nausea, going to the potty 5 times a night, I still LOVE being pregnant. There is just something about it - about feeling the baby move and kick. I also LOVE when people stop and pat the belly. Sounds goofy and under any other normal circumstances I'm one of those "this is my dance space, that is your dance space" people, but when I'm pregnant, I want my belly rubbed like a big, fat buddah.

This morning I took my daughter into school and ran into my neighbor, Annetta, who is from Romania. She is the sweetest woman and her daughter is a year older than Maggie. The two of them play on occasions and I feel so bad for Annetta sometimes because she does not speak a lot of English, so when we communicate, it's broken but she tries so hard. I stopped to say "hi" to her and she immediately patted the belly and smiled. She said "Girl?" and I nodded. I told her I had about 8 weeks left and she was so excited for me. It's times like those that I just LOVE being pregnant! Sharing that excitement is so fun. :)

When I Get Where I'm Goin'

Last night I was flipping through the stations and I stopped to watch some CMT. I admit it - amongst my love for Green Day, the Killers, Foo, etc., I still LOVE country music. There is just something about the twang that gets me. I'm sure it's in the genes considering my family is all from the hills, but I stopped to watch because I heard Dolly Parton. Any true country fan stops when Dolly sings. Well - it was a Brad Paisley song that featured Dolly and it was called "When I get Where I'm Goin'". It's about losing someone you love - I stopped immediately and thought about my dad. Sorry for the sad post, but here's the lyrics:

When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly

I'm gonna land beside a lion
And run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

(Chorus:)
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here

I'm gonna walk with my grand daddy
And he'll match me step for step
And I'll tell him how I missed him
Every minute since he left
Then I'll hug his neck

(Chorus)

So much pain and so much darkness
In this world we stumble through
All these questions I can't answer
So much work to do

But when I get where I'm going
And I see my maker's face
I'll stand forever in the light
Of his amazing grace
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
Hallelujah
I will love and have no fear
When I get where I'm going
Yeah when I get where I'm going


Ok - so it's sappy to let a country song touch you. It's sad to cry over something like that. But, this hit home for me. It actually gave me some comfort because I have never fully recovered from the death of my father. I watched the video of people holding photos of their loved ones (some famous) and tears streamed. It was like a release - not closure, but a release. Occasionally I need to cry it out.

Then, I pulled out a layout that I did about 3 years ago about my dad. Thought I'd share it here. Some of my friends have already seen it. It's not the best design but it conveyed what I felt and still do.



Sometimes it just feels good to get it out.

I HATE THE STEELERS

First off - the Bengals. Now, my precious Peyton Manning and the Colts. Damn Steelers...

I'm NOT watching the Super Bowl this year. Too bitter...

Pop-Tarts, Milk and Saturday Morning...

You know, for someone who didn't eat her first pop-tart until she was 20, I sure have managed to eat the dickens out of them. Maggie asked for pop-tarts this morning and it actually sounded good. Of course - they're not the "healthy" ones - not in this house. LOL! It's the cookie dough ones.



Whomever at Kellogg's was sitting around thinking of flavors and thought of this one - PURE MARKETING GENIUS - just add milk. Enough said about that. (Don't worry - we'll eat healthier later!)

I'm still on a scrappin' euphoric high. Went to a crop last night with some of my closest friends. I can't even begin to tell you how great it feels to get to go to a crop. Especially when it's few and far between. I might even get the stuff out this morning and keep working. There's laundry to be done but heck - it's Saturday, it's cold, rainy, I'm in my Wal-Mart PJ's and Maggie's watching Sprout. Yea - that paper is calling my name...

A few little questions...

So, I saw this on Ali's blog. I didn't get tagged, but I thought it would be cool to do anyway since I don't really have anything to write about. My life right now consists of baby prep, CHA prep, keeping my 5 year old happy and watching my niece's baby. Oh - and hanging out with my ever-so-hot husband, Scottie 2 Hottie. (Sweetie - I didn't mean all that stuff I said about Nick Lachey last night... I promise!) LOL! So, instead of boring you with those details, I thought I'd do the question and answer thing. Besides - the geek in me likes "tests".

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1) Waitress - I believe everyone should have to do it. That way, you learn why some servers are bad or having a bad day or why your food might be late, etc. Sometimes it's the kitchen's fault.

2) Administrator - Not a bad gig. Less stress. :)

3) Marketing Specialist - that was fun but too many hours!

4) Creative Director - What I do now. Fun, stressful, too many hours and not a bad gig. See a pattern here?

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1) Sixteen Candles - Yes - that's right. I'm all about Farmer Ted!
2) Steel Magnolias - I can't even tawlk about it. Sniff!
3) The Wedding Singer - "Thank you Freddy Krueger. Now, go back to the boiler room."
4) Meet the Parents - Pamela Martha Focker. Come on - that's some funny stuff!

Four places you have lived:

Cincinnati, Ohio - why would I want to live anywhere else? Seriously....

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1) My Name is Earl - Jamie Pressley cracks me up. Of course, it helps to have family members that relate.
2) Friends Reruns - I refuse to give the show up. I spent 10 years watching it.
3) Grey's Anatomy - Patrick Dempsey. Need I say more? I told Maggie to marry the geek growing up because he becomes the hot doctor later on.
4) Desperate Housewives - I really wanna see Gabby smack down the nun. I'm so bad!

Four places you have been on vacation:
1) Boston, MA
2) Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater, FL
3) Orlando - Disney (did the cruise)
4) Sedona, AZ

Four websites I visit daily:
1) www.rockymountainhobbies.com - BEST deals on scrapping stuff!
2) www.twopeasinabucket.com - because that's where all the industry scoop is.
3) www.msn.com - gotta stay up on my celeb gossip
4) www.target.com - what did I do before Target?

Four of my favorite foods:
1) Pizza - Papa Johns, LaRosas, Dominoes, Donatos, Unos, Angilos, etc. You name it - if it's in a "round pie", I'm on it.
2) Brownies - no nuts - just chocolate thank you! (My good friend Barb bought me some a few weeks ago at this yummy bakery. I dared anyone else in the family to touch them)
3) Fried cornbread - hey - I was raised southern. Get some fried cornbread and hot butter. YUM!
4) Beef Lo Mein - Maggie and I share this all the time.

Four places I would rather be right now:
1) At home
2) At home
3) At home
4) On vacation...

Four bloggers I am tagging:
1) Barb H.
2) Joanna B.
3) Heather P.
4) Rori K.

Hope ya'll enjoyed my long-winded responses. :)

To go or not to go...

Ok - for the past few months - actually month, I was preparing myself to NOT go to CHA. I'll be 33+ weeks pregnant, out in Vegas, etc. I figured that it would be best for me to stay at home. As the date is slowly approaching, I'm finding myself sad that I can't be there - that I can't see my friends, etc.

So I went to my OB today for my 30 week check up. Things are looking good with the pregnancy. The baby is not measuring as big as Maggie did (probably because I'm not gestational with this baby) and my BP is good, protein is good and I gained 1 pound. (Brings the total for this pregnancy to -7!!!)

Then the ultimate happened - she gave me PERMISSION TO FLY!!!! I was so excited! After threatening bed rest, telling me to take it easy, limiting stress, etc., I finally got the permission. My BP was ultra low (108/62) and she said that I was looking good, so she thought it might be good for me to get away for a few days. She told me to "have fun". (LOVE my doctor!)

I can't even believe I'm considering it. I would tear up at the thought of not going and now that I can - I'm excited but worried. What if something happened and I went into labor - how tired will I be, etc. But, what if I DON'T go? Then how sad will I be???? I won't get to see all of my friends, etc. That's the biggest part - being there and seeing everyone and working in the booth.

I'm eagerly awaiting for Scott to call so that I can ask him. He should have a say in this since it's his baby, too. I'm sure he'll be 100% supportive. Heck - I'd love to bring him with me but he can't take off of work. He's using his vacation for when we have the baby. But, I have a group of supportive DT members going with me. They're like family and will make sure I'm ok.

Ah the dilemma - should I or shouldn't I?

Since I posted a sneak peek

Last night during a chat, I thought I'd post one here, too! :)



I'm a bit worried with "yellow backlash" that I've seen on some threads, but you know me - gotta take chances. :)

Oh - and stop by and chat with me tonight - Croppers Cottage at 9:00!

G

You can't handle our Johnson's!!!

That's right - Chad, Rudi and every other Johnson we have on the Bengals! Gotta start some trash talking because for the first time in over 15 years, the Bengals are headed to the Playoffs! Today in Cincinnati is Bengals Friday - everyone is proudly wearing their Bengals gear. Maggie went to school today in her Carson Palmer jersey and here I sit at work in my Odell Thurman jersey. We are a Who-Dey family!



There is a big pep rally this weekend at the stadium and we're awaiting the busloads of Yellow and Black coming from Pittsburgh. It'll be funny when our boy Chad irons the terrible towell after scoring a touchdown (note the gold teeth!)! Beware Steelers - Chad's comin' for ya!



And finally - if you're not a Bengals fan, you will be after seeing our hot #99 - David Pollack!



Who Dey Baby!!! Who Freakin' Dey!!! :)

Come Chat with Me!!!

Tonight - 9:00 EST - The Scrapbook Stand. :)

I'll update my blog later with other stuff. Might even have another sneak peek coming soon.

Gotta love a good deal

Ok - so I got this awesome gift card for Christmas to Target. I had planned on saving it to buy baby stuff - I was very, VERY stubborn about it. Scott even tried to talk me into buying an MP3 player with it but I held on and I'm glad. Today we went to a different Target and I found some great baby items on clearance. When I say great - I mean AWESOME!!!

First off - got our swing.



Got a killer deal on it! Almost half the price! Then I found the exersaucer that we registered for and it was half price, too! So, I was able to get both for less than what one would cost. Talk about excited! We almost bought our high-chair, too, but the box was open and we were worried that there might be parts missing. I'm going to be heading to some more Targets in the area to see what they have. :) I still have some money on the gift card plus some cash that Scott's grandparents gave us, so I'm waiting to see if the high chair is at another store. I guess it's sad when you get overly excited over baby gear deals. LOL!

Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve everyone! We're heading over to my cousin's to play Tripoley and eat chocolate!

The Phantom, names and more....

Ok - so I'm going to try to make an effort to blog more consistently. I just don't have a lot to talk about - my life is rather boring. :) But, I did do something cool yesterday.

Scott and I went downtown to see Phantom of the Opera. It's an amazing story, breathtaking music, etc. But, in all of it's glory I was left feeling rather "eh" about it.



I loved being down there with my husband. (Yes - Earl is back in the good graces) I enjoyed the buzz of downtown. I miss it considering I worked there for three years. I even enjoyed 90% of the show but it was like something was missing. It wasn't as breathtaking as it was the last time I saw it. Not sure why. The only thing that I could think of (with Scott's help) is that the Phantom just wasn't the same - of course each Phantom has his own following and this one was not one for me. The music was "choppy" if that makes sense. His lyrics didn't flow like the last one. It was almost too dramatic. But, it's still worth seeing- especially if you've never been.

Then - there is the ever present name debate rearing it's ugly head again. I'm not sure I'm 100% sold on Addison. I love it - LOVE it dearly, but there are other names I like as well. Thinking of doing a poll. LOL! Of course, every family member has their opinion on what it should be. Here are some that I've narrowed down:

Addison
Meredith
Sadie
Samantha

Scott's dad and I both like Samantha (which is a miracle considering we NEVER agree on anything). I actually like all of them and Mallory was my favorite but Scott vetoed that immediately. Sadie is one my mom likes. Meredith is all mine - I love that name. And, Addison is a favorite among most friends. We originally thought we were set with Addison but now comes the rethinking part. At this point - I'm thinking we need to wait until she's born and then go from there.

So, I'm welcoming any suggestions. :)

28 Weeks, 7 Months, however you count it!

I always crack up when watching Mr. Mom and Michael Keeton is "rewiring" or something and Martin Mull goes "Using 220?" and Michael Keeton goes "220, 221 - whatever it takes". LOL! So, people always ask how far along I am. If I say 28 weeks, they say "how many months" and if I say 7 months, they ask "how many weeks". Sometimes even I can't keep it straight - I just know when my next appointment is. :)

So, here we are - in the home stretch. It seems like time has FLOWN by. With Maggie - it was all I could do to wait - I was so impatient. So bad that I begged for an induction starting at 36 weeks. With this one it seems like just yesterday that I found out - and now we're in our final stages. Amazing.

I got my weekly Babycenter e-mail - she should be measuring around 15 inches in length and about 2+ lbs.



It's just amazing to think about how big she's getting. I wonder if she'll be as big as Maggie (8lbs 14 oz) or if they'll look alike, etc. I begged Scott for the 4D ultrasound but he nixed that idea pretty quickly. He said we only have 12 weeks to wait - why worry about it. After some pouting, I agreed. I guess he's right. (Although I RARELY tell him that!) Plus, we have LOTS of baby equipment to buy. After being told we'd never have another, I got rid of EVERYTHING! I didn't want anything in my house to remind me of it. Then, we got our miracle. So, now we have to get everything again. The nice thing is that his parents bought us the stroller/car seat combo for Christmas. One down - many to go. LOL! I got a Target gift card that I'll be buying something with - either the high chair, swing or monitor. Haven't decided, yet. I'm trying to maximize what I get and waiting for a Target sale. :)

I guess I'm just on cloud 9 today. Dr's appointment went well (passed glucose and I'm down 8 lbs - that's right - I'm LOSING weight!) and I'm finalizing some CHA stuff. Feeling pretty good!

It's that time again....

The first sneak peek for CHA 2006... :)



Hope you like...

I don't even know what to title this....

Most of the time I love him. Other times - this is who I am married to...



That's right - EARL! Grrr.....

Venting today....

Date Night...

with two awesome men! How often can you say that? Ok - so maybe I went with my husband (awesome man #1) but then I got to see another one. On Friday we saw "Walk the Line". I can't even BEGIN to tell you how awesome this movie is. Scott and I both really liked it a lot - not sure if it was the music, the story or the actors. Both Reese and Joaquin were mind-blowing in their performance. I gained a whole new appreciation for Joaquin Phoenix.



Not only did he portray Johnny Cash in the most amazing way, he also gave off this sexiness that I never saw in him before. Definitely worth watching - that's for sure! Plus, to know that he sang all of the parts himself. I could gush over it for hours. As a matter of fact, Scott downloaded the soundtrack for me. (LOVE that man!) LOVE the soundtrack. I've got it on now - gotta get it if you don't have it. $10 on itunes. :)



Oh - and before I forget - the Bengals clinched the divison. Who Dey baby!!!

There was only you and me - we were young and wild and free...

As I was driving in this morning, "Heaven" by Bryan Adams came on the radio. I immediately thought of Scott and I. It's so us - I met him when I was 19, married him at 22 and never looked back. (Warning - sappy post ahead) I can't even imagine what my life would be like without him. I wouldn't WANT to imagine life without him. We've had our ups and downs, goodness knows that, but in the end, it's always been US. It will always be us.

I did this layout a few weeks ago because I just LOVED the big photo of the two of us. Maggie had a fit because I was doing a layout without her in it, so I added the smaller photo at the bottom :) She definitely has a jealousy streak when it comes to her daddy and I.



When I first met Scott, I wasn't sure if he was the one for me. He was quiet (those of you that know me know I'm not), we came from different family backgrounds, I was in college and he was working full-time, etc. Part of me felt like I didn't deserve him - he was too good for me. But, he kept coming around - he was persistant. It was then that I realized that he was the one for me. I had went out of town on vacation without him and missed him terribly. I couldn't wait to get home and when I did - there he was with a dozen roses. He probably doesn't even remember that, but I do.

There are lots of little stories like that. Turning points in our relationship that make me love him even more. Or, as Bryan Adams would say "once in your life you find someone, who will turn your world around, bring you up when you're feelin' down". Yes - I found that someone. It's cheesy but heck - I'm pregnant and hormonal. And, he's the one. :)

I see dumb people

Ok - I'll preface this by saying that I by no means feel like I'm the brightest crayon in the box. However - have you ever had that kind of Monday where you feel like you've run into every stupid person on the planet? This could be a vent - I'm not denying that - but I just had to get it out. (By the way - dumb people mask themselves as really bright members of society!)



First things first - I'm taking my daughter to school. It's like Mr. Mom- enter from the north - exit from the south. There are two lanes - the drop off lane and then another lane where you park in the side lot to walk your child into the school. I walked Maggie in today (as most days) because she's five and she likes me to. So, the guard who directs traffic waves me on and I stop before turning into the lot because there is a PEDESTRIAN crossing the street and a crossing guard is out there. No brainer, right?

Well - low and behold, psycho chick in the Xterra behind me decides she's going to go AROUND me and go into the lot. Mind you - it's taking all of 10 seconds for this poor guy to walk across the street. But, by golly - she's in a hurry. She realizes she can't fit her car through - not before nearly clipping my car AND the PEDESTRIAN! OMG! What a total idiot! So, I'm like WTH? and I look over at her. I'm embarrassed to admit this - she's RELATED to my husband. It's his cousin. UGH!

She realizes it's me that she's made a complete fool in front of not to mention the poor pedestrian and crossing guard who have by now turned into full-blown "deers in headlights". But, does she apologize or try to make herself look like less of an idiot? NO - she pulls into a spot and gets out. It took all I had not to say something. But, for the sake of keeping peace in the family (those of you who know me know I do this a lot) I just merely stare her down. That could have been a CHILD that she hit - although hitting anyone is NOT GOOD. What a goofball.

Wasn't even 10 minutes later that I call the insurance company to follow-up on one of Maggie's claims from her October stint with the breathing issue. So, I call the hospital first to find out what claims haven't been processed. The guy tells me he can't talk to me. WHAT? Because I'm not the guarantor - Scott is. Well, I'm his wife and I signed all the paperwork. Still no dice - he can't talk to me. Ok - so, I'm not saying he is stupid, but whoever came up with the privacy act where a WIFE can't even discuss the bill because her SPOUSE holds the insurance is STUPID. It was our DAUGHTER that I was calling about. In the end, Scott called them, told them to talk to me and I handled it. Come to find out - it was the stupidity of someone in the hospital that caused the whole bill to be denyed anyway. At least it's being taken care of. My insurance company was GREAT about it. But, I just can't believe that there are laws governing which spouse can be talked to. At least there was signs of intelligent life at the insurance company.

There it is - my Monday morning rant. Feel free to comment about the dumb people in your life. I think that there should be a class in high school titled "Common Sense". I wonder how some make it in society.

Why did you even HAVE kids if you weren't going to raise them?

Alright - let's discuss this. Last night on Desperate Housewives, Lynette's bosses wife (follow that?) says this to Lynette because she's trying to convince her to put her child in the office daycare. Now first - let me preface what I'm about to say with the notion that not all SAHM's are this way. I KNOW that. But, I had to talk about our former neighbor who said basically the same thing to me. She told me "Well, I invest MY time in MY daughter."



WTH? I just stared at her in amazement that she could be THAT insensitive. I've never been insensitive to SAHM's - I respect them and even to some degree envy them. When I went back to work after Maggie was six weeks old, I cried at my desk. I felt like the worst mother on the planet. But, these days, my daughter is proud of what I do and who I am. She tells her friends that her mommy "Scrapbooks" for a job. Fortunately, my bosses also understand work/family balance and they're wonderful about it.

Even though Desperate Housewives is just a show, the comment that she made went right through me. Why? Because I know it happens. On more than one occasion I've been made to feel like less of a mother because I work 40+ hours a week. However, those that criticize should also know that my daughter's teacher complimented my husband and I for working with our child and spending a lot of time with her. She said it shows. Thank goodness for observant teachers. Oh, and for Lynette's bosses wife - I AM a GREAT mother.

Can anything BE more precious?

Look at her long little toes! I can't wait until she comes home and I can do a photo shoot with her all squeaky clean and smelling like Baby Magic. (Don't you just LOVE that smell?)

On my pregnancy front, the doctor basically told me that I need to SLOW DOWN. I went for my 24 week appointment yesterday and I've been having more than your average number of Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm so worried about it but she told me to reduce as much stress as I can and avoid a lot of physical things. I'm taking her advice to heart. I want to have a healthy baby and I need to focus on that.

So here's to one precious baby girl and another to follow! :)

Ginger

I'm a Great Auntie!!!!

Here is me and my great niece - Ryan. She was born this morning at 2:43 and she's doing GREAT! I was there for everything and am just madly in love with her. She's an absolute sweetheart!



My niece was amazing. She had a 15 hour labor and delivered Ryan on the first push. I am SO proud of her!

I'll post more photos soon. :)

I vowed I wouldn't do it...

There have been a lot of things that I swore I'd never do. Two of them have happened in the past two days: 1) I vowed I'd never spend the $$$ to buy Maggie an American Girl doll and 2) I said that I wouldn't do black Friday again. Boy did I lie!

Let's start with Thursday. There is a thread on 2Peas including a coupon code for 10% off of an AG doll. Couple that with the fact that the catalog arrived on WEDNESDAY (what timing on the part of the AG people) and the fact that my husband's snotty cousin mentioned that her daughter has TWO of them, and there you have it. Armed with my bank card, a code and a catalog that my daughter managed to dog-ear in less than 10 minutes, I broke. I crumbled. So, $90 later, here we have it:



I was going to order Marisol for her but went with the doll that looks like her. I figure she can name her what she wants and then I'll put her in a protective glass case surrounded by laser lights that will trigger an alarm should she attempt to play with her. Ok - maybe I won't be THAT bad about the doll but you can bet your sweet butt that we're going to have a talk about proper "doll playing". (I could show you photos of Cabbage Patch dolls covered in make-up, ink, etc.)

Secondly, I said I wouldn't do Black Friday. Seriously - it's a nutso idea. Why in the world would you get up at 5:00 am and go shopping when you can probably get a lot of the same deals later in the day? Who knows - but I did it. I planned to head out with my cousin, Lorrie and my husband was supposed to go but ate a bit too much on Turkey day and stayed home. Off Lorrie and I went at 5:30 to Target - one that I considered more "remote" but was crowded nonetheless. We waited until they opened the doors to even get out and go in. Believe it or not, the crowd wasn't that bad - except in the toy department. But, I managed to finagle my way through and scored some awesome stuff for Maggie - this really cool Barbie writing tablet that's electronic ($23), a bunch of family games, Bratz babies, more Barbie crap, etc. I also bought her a DVD player for her room, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and this really cool Fisher Price thing that has a camera and Kids Bop. They can sing with the wireless mic and watch themselves on TV. If you know my daughter, you'll know that Fisher Price created this toy JUST FOR HER. The kid is a total "entertainer", so I bought the kit and an extra cartridge. I figure she can entertain her baby sister when she gets older. LOL!

We're spending the day now getting ready for the holidays and fixing a leaky pipe under our sink. I just LOVE being a home owner - NOT!

Battle along the I-74 Corridor

Hear those Bengals growling...

Ok - so they growled but not loud enough. But, it was a good game. Nothing like 65,000 die hard football fans. (Ok - 64,999 - I'm not a die hard but I went with my hubby) Had a GREAT time! It's so hard when you're rooting for one team (the Bengals) and yet you absolutely LOVE the QB from the other (Peyton Manning) Alas, the Bengals lost, but they gave it their all.

The best part of the evening was probably Chad Johnson writing out a sign to his fellow agent-mate, T.O. (For the record, I think they should wire T.O.'s mouth shut) But, I had to laugh when Chad ran over to the sidelines after scoring a touchdown and wrote a sign "T.O. - I get you baby". (Or, something like that)

Of course, I'm sure this morning Chad has a different tune:



Chad - we get ya baby!

Then I was bummed because we had these EXCELLENT seats and I didn't bring my camera. This is the kind of shot that I missed!



Ok - maybe not EXACTLY like this but I could had had some great shots of Peyton, Chad, Carson, etc.

Finally, I'll have to post a photo of Maggie wearing her Bengals beanie hat. She thought she was "too cool for school" this morning when she got out of the car with it on. I'm sure she's trying to impress her man "Jacob". (She about died yesterday when we drove past his house and he was outside tossing a football with some other boys) I'm sure she'll have stories for me today!

Getting ready for Addie...

Well, after weeks of debate and numerous mini-arguments, Scott and I have finally agreed on a name for our little one: Addison Jane. :)

We're going to call her "Addie" which was my grandmother's name. My mom is actually the one saying that we don't have to name our children after family members, but my background is very southern, and in our tradition children are named after family members. So, we're sticking with it. I was hesitant at first but I've agreed on Addison and we've actually started calling her that. (Especially when she scoots all the way over to the right side of my belly and sticks out her butt!)

I also scored the cutest crib set on e-bay!



It arrived yesterday and I'm in LOVE! I can't wait until we get the room painted and her crib put up so that I can see what this looks like. We'll probably put the crib up closer to February but for now, I have her little set just waiting. Maggie thought it was really cool - she's so into being the big sister!

On a side note - going to the Bengals/Colts game on Sunday. Wish me luck - a pregnant woman trouncing through a crowd of 65,000. Who-freakin' Dey baby!!!!