Kasey's Idea of a Replacement

This morning I got up & walked to Alexander's room & I expected to see Kasey outside our bedroom door...hmmm, no Kasey. So I was a couple of steps from AC's door when I hollered for Kasey to come so she could get in bed with Ryan. Well, to my surprise she didn't come from the living room as I expected; she came out of Alexander's room! So I walked into his room & here he is on his tummy stretched across the bed & looking out of the crib rails peering down at the floor with this huge smile on his face! I walked over & noticed that the rug was warm against my bare feet...apparently Kasey & Xander were having a little morning conversation!

Later, while Xander was sleeping I was making the bed & Kasey came in to see what I was up to. (Of course she thought I was making the bed for her). Then she disappeared for a little while....

To understand this story completely I have to insert a little bit of background knowledge for you readers. Alexander used to have this cute little blue & white Gund brand puppy dog & I used to give it to him to play with while he was in his car seat. When he was very little it was the perfect size for him to grab & he liked to chew on its ears & tail. Well, we took the puppy everywhere & we lost it sometime after the Hesston parade & bonfire...poor little puppy is probably all alone & abandoned in King park somewhere.

So I found a little Gund lamb that plays "Jesus Loves Me" & it is about the same size as his little puppy was. He really likes the size & chewing on its ear & he smiles & laughs at the music. I sit the little lamb in his car seat so that we have it every time we go somewhere. Well, the car seat sits on the floor near the living room so Kasey has access to it; but she knows the difference between which toys are hers & which toys are Alexanders & we've never had any problem with her taking any of his things (or him taking her things for that matter).

Ok, back to the story...

Kasey had gone into the living room & reappeared in the bedroom with...surprise! Alexander's brand new little lamb! Whoops, Kasey must have thought she could get away with making this new little lamb hers, after all, it still smelled new! (She has been giving me the eye lately when I bring home something new for Alexander & nothing for her - but so does Ryan!)

So I pried the poor little lamb out of her mouth (she wasn't really ready to give it up) & took her into the living room to explain the finer points of sharing (or, more precisely, not sharing) toys. I took her little green frog & showed her that it was hers & the lamb was Alexander's. I told her "take it" with the frog & "leave it" with the lamb & she seemed to look at me with these eyes that said, "do you think I'm stupid? I know which one is mine, you don't have to tell me!" I figured, ok, lesson complete.

Then I went over to the car seat to return the little lamb to its proper place & guess what I found...

Kasey taught me a lesson! She had replaced Alexander's little lamb with one of her other toys (pink puppy) - talk about a sharing lesson! I guess she figured it was only fair for her to share her toys with Alexander so that she could play with his toys.

"And you thought I didn't know what I was doing," she says! Guess Kasey had the last laugh this time.

Alexander Heart Kasey

I took these pictures today & I just had to post them b/c they are so funny! Alexander loves Kasey so much. His face just lights up & he smiles this big ole smile whenever she walks through the room or lays down beside us. He loves to put his hands on her fur & pet her. It's the cutest thing b/c of the way he scrunches his fingers up!

I took this video of the two of them playing together...well, it's more like Kasey is just lying on the couch & Alexander is petting her. He had a lot to say about it though; just talkin' about hangin' out with Kasey! The funny part of the video is when he decides that her tail would make a good chew toy...lol!

-------ok, having problems uploading the video...again...will try again later; enjoy the pix 4 now---------------

Yesterday Alexander had his first bump on the head. He was rolling around on the floor & got too close to the chair leg & rolled right into it. I didn't see exactly where he hit his head but he kept putting his right hand up above his temple & "scratching" it. Later in the day he was putting his hand on his head again, scratching with his little fingers, & Ryan said his head must still hurt. I said that if his head still hurt then we'd better take him to the doctor! But he didn't hit it very hard, it was more of a surprise to him than anything, & I think that he has just realized that he HAS a head and HAIR! LOL. So I've noticed today that every once in awhile I'll catch him with his hand on his head & this look on his face that seems to say, "what the heck is that?!?!"

Barefoot & Pregnant

Wow, is it HOT in here or is it just me? Hmmm, Ryan claims that it is just me but I really think it's time to turn on the air conditioning! My feet are HOT HOT HOT, my armpits are HOT HOT HOT...the house is HOT, ugh! But it is really nice outside...so that helps!

So, I completely understand the whole "Barefoot & Pregnant" stereotype now! Bring on the flip flops!

We went to the doc today & she asked if I've had any contractions or any signs of labor & so far I haven't had anything. She wasn't going to do a vaginal check but when I said that it felt like the baby had dropped down she said maybe we'd better just take a quick look! She says that his head had definitely moved down into the pelvis now & the cervix is starting to soften but it doesn't look like I have started to dilate yet. We made an appointment for a checkup next Monday & she says that she is pretty sure that I won't be having a baby before then; most first time Moms take more than a week for the cervix to really get soft & ready for dilation...but sometimes things do move quicker.

This is really getting exciting now...in a couple more weeks we could be holding this precious little child & looking into his eyes for the first time! I can't believe it...now if I can just get used to the waiting that lies ahead! THAT will be the hard part...waiting, waiting, waiting!

This Experience is En"Lightening"

The baby is dropping! Oh no! LOL. Seriously though, he seems to be making more moves toward his big escape! I was walking up the stairs from the basement last night & I got about halfway up & had to stop & take a breather. Ryan says, "Are you ok? Gonna make it?" I told him that I felt like a cowboy who had been riding his horse too long...I think I have the bowlegs & everything!

I am pretty sure that I am experiencing the "lightening" effect that they talk about when the baby moves farther down into the pelvis. It seems like it is a little easier to breath now and I don't have that baby butt pushing up into my ribs anymore - whew, that in itself is a relief! Ryan says that my boobs aren't lying on my belly anymore either; guess that's a plus ;) I suppose I will have to ask the doctor on Monday if she thinks he has dropped down or not...but I think he has.

I was going to go to Ashley's track meet at Tabor today but I wasn't sure that I wanted to drive myself up there after all...I am feeling a bit uncomfortable with this baby in my pelvis...I think I will wait for the next opportunity. The weather was just beautiful today; Kasey & I just sat outside for awhile & enjoyed the warmth...it made us both very happy. We have a folding Coleman hammock that I sat out on the deck & I propped myself up with a couple of pillows & read a book & just enjoyed the sunshine. Very nice.

However, I think that I am beginning to understand why women complain about their pregnancies toward the end. This is certainly an uncomfortable position for me & the baby to be in! I can tell that he is more cramped than ever...but he still moves around A LOT! But instead of doing cartwheels in my belly he is more into the kickboxing moves. It is hilarious because you can really see the movement on the outside of my tummy; you will see this little bulge coming outward & then moving under the skin...total extraterrestrial stuff. Plus, he feels soooo strong when he moves. He really is making his presence known!

The Head is DOWN!

Well, we went to the doctor today & she said that the baby is in position to be born...his head is down & that is where he is supposed to be! I think that I've gained about 25 pounds over the course of the pregnancy. The doc just says that everything is normal & looking good! She doesn't really critique the weight chart or the measurements like she is going over it with a magnifying glass or anything like that - I suppose that if there was a problem then it would be different. But so far everything is a-ok!

The Little Byrd is Turning...I Think!

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

...at least that is how the The Byrds sang it...Ecclesiastes 3, verses 1–8 says it a bit differently; but mostly it is all the same message! The thing is that there is a purpose for everything & everything has its purpose in its season. We may not understand life completely but at least we can find some comfort in knowing that life has an understanding of us...& feel confident that God knows what He is doing even when we don't know what we are doing!

As for the little bitty baby...he seems to be working on his plans for the great escape! It feels like he has moved from a diagonal position from my lower left abdomen (where I usually feel lots of kicking/movement) & up under my ribs on the right side (where I get this tremendous pressure & a big hard knobby mound pushing outward) to a position where he is lying directly across my belly from left to right! It is very weird because you can actually see the difference when you look at my tummy...so funny.

At least I am still feeling well & I don't have much to complain about! When I sat down in the church the other day my hands & feet started swelling up like crazy...but for the most part I haven't even had to deal with much swelling. This pregnancy has been going very good :) Yea...hopefully it continues to be easy all the way through labor & delivery!

My Lil Bodyguard

Looks like its been awhile since I last posted something on here...sorry! Everyone has been clammoring for me to put up new pics so here are a few of my 6 month shots (although as I type this I am closer to 7 months than 6!)

So, what's been happenin' in our world over the last couple of weeks? After Ryan was sick, I've mostly just been trying to stay well & not catch the crud...which I thought I was successful at until this week! I made it a through a week just fine but then on Monday evening I started feeling like I had a lot of head congestion & a scratchy throat. By Tuesday morning I had caught the yuck & felt horrible. I finally called the Dr & asked if I could take anything to help clear me up & get rid of the terrible cough I had...they said I could take Pseudoephedrin & Robitussin so Ryan went to the pharmacy & picked some up. We don't usually do much to celebrate Valentine's Day, cards/flowers/chocolates, that sort of thing. But I got the BEST present EVER this year...I ran out of Kleenex on Thursday so I sent Ryan an IM that said that I the only present I wanted this year was tissues! (Except for the flowers & card he already got me! LOL) He brought home lunch from Skoops & although it tasted delicious I could only eat half of my cheeseburger :( Oh well, it was a nice gesture anyway!

I went to the Dr on the 4th & she said everything is going great with the baby...I've gained a total of 13 pounds so far! I am finally starting to put on the baby weight...I guess I should say that the baby is finally starting to put on the weight because that seems to be the only part of me that is getting bigger! (Ok, except for the boobs that just keep growing!) I've gained an inch around the biggest part of my waist since last month & I guess I should be thankful that the rest of my body is mostly like it used to be (except I don't seem to have a butt at all anymore!)...I noticed last week that I am starting to get a little bit of a tan colored verticle line from my belly button (which is not nearly as adorable as it used to be - now it's kindof flattened out & you can actually see inside it!) down to the top of my pubic bone. I don't remember what they call this or what the reason for it is but I remember that when Cheryl was pregnant she got a really big line & we called it her Zebra stripe! So I guess I'm starting to get my Zebra stripe too. Now I will start seeing the Dr every 2 weeks for checkups. I was going to call the hospital this week to find out what the schedule is for childbirth education classes but I've felt so miserable that I haven't gotten it done yet - something to do next week!

We've been trying to get a decision made about the carpet for the basement but its been really hard to decide what we want...which seems odd because we prettymuch know what we want...I guess we just don't want to spend a lot of money on it since we don't know exactly how long we'll be living in this house. We did get the light fixtures picked up & Ryan got them installed & Larry came up today to install the tile in the bathroom. The vanity for the bathroom should be ready to pick up soon & we still need to finish varnishing around the windows. We are getting closer to having the basement finished...not that there is much left to do!

I started putting together our baby registry at Target & at Babies R Us. I'll post the links to the registries (look in the right column of this blog page) so its easy to access for all of you who would like to send us wonderful gifts! :) We are going to need STUFF! Ryan & I went to Target last week to update the registry because a lot of the things that I put on the list were only available online & I know that people often like to see what it is that they are buying. It's too bad that more of the items aren't available in the store because there are a LOT of items online that are so much cuter than what is in the store. Ryan got to run the scanner gun & he got a little crazy at times...I think we were registered for about 20 tubes of diaper rash cream until I got on the registry & changed it! He says, "don't you think that we'll use it?" I just figured that we didn't need that much to start with...doesn't that stuff expire at some point? Better that we're stocked on diapers I say! It was really more fun to register for stuff than I imagined it would be. Back when we got married registries were a little different...we never got to run the fun scanner gun in those days! Seems like a lot has changed in 10 years!

Last night Kasey was sitting next to me on the couch (like usual) & when the baby started moving she scooted closer onto my lap & put her back against my belly. As the baby moved more & more Kasey moved more of her body against mine & I told Ryan to look at our silly dog...we were wondering if she knew what was going on inside my belly! We decided that she must like the feeling of the baby kicking against her. She is such a funny dog...she seems to have known about the baby even before we did because she has become so protective of me. It's not that she acts aggressive or anything like that, mostly she just shows that she is protective by staying close to me all the time & following me around the house & stuff. She's my little bodyguard! I think that she is just waiting for this baby to arrive & then she will probably go back to being Ryan's girl again. Either that or she just won't even be interested in hanging out with us...she'll probably just want to stay near the kid all the time!

Heartburn & A Crib

We went to Garden City over the weekend to celebrate Larry's 63rd birthday and while we were there we picked up the baby crib from Mark & Amy. We are going to borrow the one that they bought for Timothy a few years back (ha! already 6 years!) instead of buying a new one...can't see much point in buying one when Ryan's sister has a perfectly good crib that's not being used! I have a maple twin bed that I used as a child & we wanted to go ahead and use it in the baby's room - the cool thing is that the crib is about the same color as the bed. I've found a dresser online that we can use as a changing table & then it has a hutch that can be added & part of it converts to a bedside table. There is a matching armoire too! I need to go look at it in person before I order it though...I've been known to be extremely picky about my furniture (no way, you say!) but it looks like it will match in style & color as well.

Us girls went shopping and we stopped at a baby store that is going out of business downtown. Everything in the store was 25% off & amazingly enough they had the Lambs & Ivy Froggy Tales bedding that we picked out! I had already researched prices online & because of the sale it was a great deal. The lady at the store said that she had already sold 2 sets earlier that day - I guess it is a popular set! So now I am really excited to start putting the nursery together. The only thing is that I really need to get the carpet ordered for the basement this week so we can get all our furniture placed where it belongs. Plus ordering all the other things for the nursery...deciding on a rocking chair & furniture, buying a crib mattress...gosh...babies are expensive & a lot of work even before they are born!

In health news I am back to waking up at 3 am again. Mostly I have to potty & get a drink, then the baby starts kicking up a storm & then I get hungry...I guess this probably won't change much once the baby gets here - except he's the one who is going to be hungry at 3 in the morning! I've started having back pain & trouble getting in a comfortable position to go to sleep...I've got to see if I can find a better pillow solution. Oh, and the wonders of heartburn...I got to experience my first sleepless night with heartburn this weekend...wonderful, just wonderful! Ryan had recorded the show Las Vegas & we watched it last night when we got home, there is a character named Delinda who is starting to experience the back pain & heartburn of pregnancy & Ryan commented how nice it was that Delinda & I were going through the same pregnancy experiences together...ha ha...he's so funny.

Kicking Bird

Well, little Kicking Bird has finally made his prescence known on the outside of my belly! Early this morning I woke up to the martial arts master practicing his skills & told Ryan to put his hand on my belly to see if he could feel the baby yet...and yea, he can finally feel the baby kicking!

Gaining & Growing

Here I am! Getting bigger & bigger! Seems kindof strange that I am almost 6 months along now!

I went to the doctor today, not much to report other than that everything is going well :) The baby's heartbeat was 150 beats per minute...still just thur-thumping away! The doc said that I've gained a whole 7 pounds so far...she says that's good. I'm still just gaining & growing! All I have is belly & boobs...I can't imagine how big my belly is going to be when the time finally gets here to have this kid!

A Very Merry Christmas & Birthday

Happy happy Christmas & Birthday...

This was an unusual year for us with Ryan's new job & me not working & the baby & all...mostly because that allowed us to have several days off that we could spend with family & just having fun! Ryan doesn't work on the weekends & he had Monday off work because of Christmas on Tuesday so we had a long weekend available to spend however we wanted! Our usual Christmas schedule consists of us rushing off to one family or another to spend the day or maybe an overnight stay & then rushing back home again to get to work...this was a nice relief for a change. This was our year to spend Christmas day with Ryan's family...we alternate every other year...so we decided that we would spend the weekend in Great Bend & take the Jeep & the fourwheelers down to the river (we thought we really needed to try out the new Warn bumpers & winch that Ryan got for Christmas!).

Well, Ryan's Christmas party for work was on Friday night & I'll tell you that was quite a night...not because the party was so good (although I hear it was great)...but because we had an interesting experience at our house that led to us going to the emergency room & missing the party! Basically I pulled a no-brainer while I was getting ready to go & fell off my perch and onto the bathroom floor where I proceeded to be in intense pain from twisting my ankle & back. As I was sitting there in tears I began to have some cramping (thankfully it was most likely due to my back being pulled in all different directions when I fell) in my abdomen & we decided that we'd better go in to see the doc & make sure everything was ok...I was pretty sure that I had only sprained my ankle & not broken it, but I figured it couldn't hurt to have that checked out. Of course we were both devastated that we weren't going to be able to attend the Christmas party...especially with it being Ryan's first year with the company...he was super pissed & embarrassed. Plus, we were supposed to be picking up a co-worker to ride to the party with us so the whole night just ended up being a mess! At least everything went ok at the hospital. They hooked me up to a monitor & watched the baby for signs of stress...checked the fetal heartbeat, which we got to listen to for about an hour...and things calmed down after awhile. By the time they were done checking on the baby my ankle had started to feel quite a bit better & they said I could go home & take it easy for the rest of the weekend.

On Saturday we were supposed to go with some new friends to a restaurant in Wichita but with the nasty icy weather that plan was soon to be postponed. I hadn't been feeling well all day anyway because my abdomen ached & I just generally felt crappy. It turns out that the group decided to have dinner at one of their houses nearby so we ended up going there for a nice little impromptu dinner party. We had an excellent meal - awesome appetizers, pheasant & wild rice soup, dessert - it was just delicious & a real good time overall. You never would have guessed that it all came together in one day...it was like a gourmet feast!

We went to Great Bend on Sunday...if you had seen all the stuff we took with us you would have laughed your butts off...Ryan drove the Tahoe (packed full of Christmas presents) & pulled the trailer with 3 fourwheelers on it and Kasey & I drove the Jeep...once we got everything loaded up we were thinking that we must be insane! All this just to have a little fun at the river!

I think that everyone was pretty excited for Christmas this year...I know the dog & our little baby were anyway! Kasey always enjoys visiting people & its even better when she gets to open presents! The baby was soooo active with all the kicking and the moving around...like a little Ninja in there! He really likes to act up & party hard about the time I lie down to go to sleep, but this week he was awake a lot...while we were driving in the car, while I was just kickin back & relaxin on the couch...just about whenever the mood would strike him!

I did go down to the river & took a ride in the Jeep on Monday...that was pretty fun but I cringe every time we go through the trees & hear that horrible screeching sound of the brush rubbing against the vehicle...ugh...not something you really want to do in a brand new vehicle but everything was a-ok! Not one scratch...but we did have to hook up the winch when we got stuck in a muddy corner & got trapped in by the trees! Yeah, GO PREPARED!

My family decided to have Christmas on the 25th after all & since Ryan's family was having Christmas that morning we decided that we would try to make it to Topeka that afternoon...our plan was a hectic one but we thought we could make it without having to rush. We had a great Christmas celebration & some wonderful food & then loaded up & headed out...had to stop at our house to drop off the fourwheelers and the Jeep & pick up more presents...so we didn't get into town until late evening. By that time my Grandfather was ready to go to bed so we had an impromptu Christmas celebration at my oldest sister's house & decided that we would visit my Grandpa the next day.

The only problem was that on Wednesday morning (my birthday!) Ryan woke up feeling hot & feverish with some kind of crud so Sam & I went to my Grandfather's for a visit and Ryan stayed in bed. We were talking to my Grandfather & he said that it was too bad that Ryan was sick but, "at least he got his crops in!" (refering to the baby); Samantha & I just looked at each other & laughed. We were talking about when the baby is due & he said that it sure would be great if he came on April Fools Day...that is his wedding anniversary...I said I think that the baby had better stay in there until May! Ryan was pretty bummed to be sick because we wanted to go out to eat for my b-day & we were going to check out one of the fourwheeler stores in town - plus, its never fun to be sick, especially when you don't have your own bed to sleep in! But never fear, the fam-damily is here! Rachelle made a chocolate cake & Mark & I got to celebrate our birthdays together at their house. We've only been celebrating our birthdays together for like the last 50 years or something :) Once we had eaten up all the ice cream we headed back home to recuperate!

Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails...

That's What Little BOYS Are Made Of!

Yep, you heard right...it's a BOY! Merry Christmas everyone...now you know the surprise :)

Here is the sonogram from 18 weeks...now you've seen everything we've seen...although I don't really know how the technician knows what she is looking at in this picture! I guess she's seen plenty of these things to know if it is a boy or a girl & she was very certain by the time we were done with the sonogram that it is a boy so there you go! BOY!

Little Clothes & Life Saving Labs

Yesterday I ran out to do a bit of last minute Christmas shopping & decided to stop in at the Carter's outlet to look at all the little baby things. I just couldn't help myself...they had such adorable teeny tiny little baby clothes! So I bought a few things for the little varmit! I got some tiny little hangers at Wal-Mart & hung up the little outfits in the closet...it was sooo cute - all those little things hanging up. They are so tiny! I told Ryan to come & look in the closet too...it was just kindof fun looking at those little clothes hanging there & thinking about how tiny that little baby is going to be. I'm so excited to see that little baby!

So, for all of you guys out there that read my blog - you are in for a special treat! You are going to get a view of the closet with all the little clothes & if you look closely then you'll get a preview of what color we are buying! Ok, here goes:

Of course you all know how ornery I am...it could be a trick to make you think we are having one thing when we're really having the other! Ha ha! Guess you won't know for sure until I post it after Christmas!

Oh, so I had this crazy dream this morning. I woke up at 3 am (thankfully that hasn't been happening a lot lately) went potty, got a drink, let Kasey in to bed & lay there for awhile...I must have fallen back asleep at some point because I woke up at 5 am gasping for breath & coughing...scared the crap out of Ryan, who was sound asleep.

In my dream I was with some people at this pool & we were swimming & just having fun hanging out. The weird thing about the pool was that it was a saltwater pool. I had this watch on & noticed how corrosive the water was because it ruined the metal on my watch. So we got done swimming & got back on this big yacht to head back to the house. Next thing I know we have docked the boat in this really super nice boathouse & everyone else had taken the stuff from the boat & gone inside. Kasey & I were the only ones left on the boat & I was getting ready to help her off when I dropped my keys off the side of the boat. They fell over the railing to a little platform area off the front of the boat & you could see the bottom of the boat but there was water in between the bottom & the platform. I could tell that my keys were lying on the bottom (I remember seeing my Tiffany key ring & the remote to my Tahoe) & that if I stepped down there that I should be able to just pick them up out of the water without even getting my knees wet! So I straddled the railing and dropped down to the platform below while Kasey stood on deck watching me. As soon as I fell to the platform it broke away from the boat & started sinking into the water!

My heart was rushing & I was panicking & I just wanted to take a breath...I realized that the railing had formed a cage around me & the point of the platform from the front of the boat was pushing me faster & faster down down down into the depths of the ocean. I heard Kasey barking up on the deck & the thought came to my mind that everyone was already in the house & I was going to die down here. That made me freak even more & I tried to calm myself before I began gasping for air...I told myself, "don't panic, don't panic, you'll use more oxygen if you panic, don't breathe, slow down, calm down, wait for this thing to stop & then you can find a way out, the water can't be too deep here, don't panic, don't panic." I was wishing that I had on a dive mask & a regulator when the thing came to a stop & rested on the ocean floor. I opened my eyes & started looking for a way out but it was so hard to see with my contacts in & the salt was burning my eyes. Everything was blurry & I could only see the outlines of the railing that was trapping me inside. My lungs were starting to hurt & I was already desperate for air, the water was crushing in on me & I was frantic to find a way out...but I couldn't see any escape...my lungs were begging me for oxygen & just as I thought I was going to have to open my mouth & breathe I felt a grip on my arm & something pulling at me. It pulled me through a wide bent part of the railing & before I knew it we were swimming up up up toward the surface. I could see the light shining through the waves & the webbed feet pulsating through the surf & I recognized that otter-tail beating its rhythm next to me...we broke through the surface & I gasped for fresh air while my sweet life saving Lab held gently onto my arm. My precious little puppy dog had jumped from the boat, pulled me from the trap that had ensnared me & swam me to safety. She saved my life! I LOVE that dog!

It's a...BABY!

We had our sonogram today & it was so exciting! It's official...we're having a BABY! Not an alien or puppies or some other oddity after all...haha. The top picture is of the feet and the bottom picture is of the head / face (look at the cute little nose - its got its Mommy's nose).

We got to see little Curious moving around, saw its little hands & feet, fingers & toes. It was lying on its back & would move its little hand to its mouth & suck on its thumb - so adorable! The baby was really moving around quite a bit...we decided that if there were a fourwheeler in there then it would be busy riding wheelies (& probably giving the "hang ten" sign just like Dad)!

I made a Christmas card for the technician to write if it was a boy or a girl in but we ended up being so excited that we wanted to know right away what we were seeing. The idea was to wait until Christmas day to open the card as a surprise to ourselves - a sort of Christmas gift to us, if you will. But we just had to know! We decided that it is more fun to know what sex the baby is (especially when picking out baby things) & we are going to tell our family & friends what it is but we are making them wait until our original Christmas day date to give them the news. Can't let the card go to waste -you will all know very soon!

It was so funny because whenever the tech went to look to see whether it was a boy or a girl the baby would move its hand down there to cover up...guess its shy. So the tech would ask, "are you sure you want to know?"

The sonogram was amazing. It was so clear, clearer than the pictures look. The technician measured everything about the baby - head, chest, arms, legs, everything. They say that it looks like the baby weighs around 11 oz right now. The heartbeat was at 133 beats per minute. Apparently this is all good...they say that the original due date (May 8) seems to be right with the size of the little munchkin.

It's pretty hard to explain just how exciting having the sonogram was...to be able to actually see so much detail of our little baby. The tech looked at all the organs & made measurements of them...one of the most amazing parts was when she looked at the heart & you could see it pumping & you could see the chambers...wow. It just makes us even more excited about having the baby be here with us instead of in my belly! I can't wait to see that little face & hold that little person!

The Ol' Gray Mare, She Ain't What She Used To Be...

ain't what she used to be, she ain't what she used to be...

ha ha ha...it looks like I'm gettin' a belly! This is my attempt at my 4 month self-portrait...

hi lil baby! glad to see you are starting to make an appearance that looks like something more than the remains of a large lunch :)

since I cut off my head in the baby bump photo I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and get a decent one of me before my face starts filling out like my belly! you'll all notice that the jeans I'm wearing may look a little large...I finally decided to buy new ones to accommodate the extra inches (still don't know why there aren't really any extra pounds to go along with it - but whatever!) so I figured I'd try on a 27" waist...lol...that just barely fits around my belly! I figured that size was going to be too large! I guess it is a different style of jean than what I had been wearing...anyway, I ended up buying a 29! It gives me an inch or so of growing room...right now I have to cinch em up or let em sag! i was really surprised to find out that I am bigger than I thought. now, if only i could grow a little more so I don't have to keep wearing these jeans rapper style...

I had to add this adorable picture of our other "baby" and her "babies". I think she is excited about becoming a big sister. She hasn't said yet whether she prefers a little brother or a little sister...she just gives us this "I really don't want to share my bedroom" look when we talk about it. Kasey has really been enjoying having her bedroom right next to ours. It used to be that she would sleep on the couch outside our room until she finally went downstairs to her room, then in the mornings she would come up around 6 am & lay outside our door while she wagged her tail either against the metal return vent outside our room or against our bedroom door. Sometimes she would stick her nose under the edge of the door & sniff/snort a couple of times to make sure we knew she was there...just waiting to come in. Since we've moved to the new house she has been sleeping in the bedroom right next to ours...the one that will become the baby's nursery. At first she started coming to our door in the mornings but once she got settled in she began staying in her bed until we came to get her. I don't know very many dogs who get their own bedrooms & full size beds...is that wrong? Nah. She's not spoiled or anything.

So I am still having the tomato cravings...what a time of year for that...middle of Kansas & smack dab in winter without a fresh garden vine tomato to be seen for miles & miles & miles. Go figure, I'll be sick of em by the time they are ready to be picked from the garden again. Oh, and you just can't get good grapes here this time of year either! This is ridiculous...I want fresh fruits & veggies!!!!

For something totally off the subject...I was reading a friends blog yesterday & she was talking about how she has a tendency to live in the past. I was thinking that there was a time when I fell to that dilemma as well. Anymore I do well to live for today...you never know if there will be a tomorrow. Anyway, it got me thinking about life in general & my not so distant past life in the big A-town. I realized just how grateful I am to not be in that place anymore where I dread going to work every day...wondering what kind of physical touching I will have to acrobatically avoid & what kind of sexual comments are coming my way or what new & improved rumor I am involved in. I wonder why I just couldn't admit that no matter what I did to try & change the situation, no matter how much positive attitude I could put out there, that it wasn't really going to make any difference. I just couldn't give up & walk away from the situation when I wasn't the one doing something wrong. I figured that its not my place to leave a job that I am good at just because everyone else is forcing their opinions on me. I guess I'm just too stubborn to give up like that. I understand why women do just close their mouths & quit jobs like that - they aren't worth it anyway. In a way I guess I did just that...in the end I figured that I had better things to do with my time & money than to fight it. Heck, I didn't have to deal with it anymore so why should I continue trying to improve my environment when its no longer mine to have to deal with.

I have realized that I can put up with an intolerable amount of bullshit in my life. Most people would have looked at my situation and thought to themselves, "this is horrible, I am not going to put up with this, I'm getting out." Instead i chose the optimistic side of things & thought to myself, "this isn't so bad, there are way worse things in this world to deal with, I can make a difference." Boy, was I wrong! It is unfortunate that speaking up would only make things worse. Looking back I realize that I should have stood my ground the millionth time I spoke up, the bazillionth time I had a meeting with a manager (or with the owner for cryin out loud)...its just hard to see the reality of a situation sometimes when you are right in the middle of it. I kept thinking that one day I would go to work & there would actually be humans working there instead of animals! Ok, so not all of my co-workers fall into this category, there were the good & the bad (& people who had to put up with just as much as I did) but it is always the horrible ones who make it so miserable for everyone else & leave the lasting impression. Is it really too much to ask for someone to treat others with respect?

Well, in the end I am an improved, stronger, smarter person for all I've been through. And I won't say what those people are...because I'm better than that!

Tomorrow is our 10th wedding anniversary. Enough said.

I think I'll go polish my fingernails.

Snickers or Milky Way?

A couple of Saturdays ago, while Ryan's parents were here, I lay down for bed and noticed a weird sensation in my belly...like a fluttering in my abdomen. It felt kindof like gas, only different. I kindof dismissed it at first because it felt so faint & I hadn't had that feeling before. I've felt it several times since then, usually when I lie down to go to sleep & I've noticed that its more common if I have had something like orange juice or lemonade to drink (especially if I wake up early in the morning then go back to bed). So it seems a little weird but I guess what I am feeling is that baby moving around in there!

I was reading something about how large the baby should be right now & I mentioned to Ryan that the book said the baby is about 5-6 inches long and weighs about 5 ounces. He says, "it's like a little Snickers bar floating around in there!" Of course, then he clarified and said that it would have to be a boy if it were a Snickers bar because Snickers have nuts! Ha! He decided that if it were a girl it would have to be a Milky Way. So, I wonder if we are going to have a Snickers or a Milky Way? The sonogram is coming up soon, Dec 10, but we are still planning to wait until Christmas to find out what the doctors think it is. Wouldn't it be crazy if they thought the baby was one sex only to have it be born and it be the other!?! The sonogram isn't an exact science after all. I guess we just have to wait and see!

Dreams & Other Things

This morning I woke up at 2:13 am...but I didn't have to pee right away & I wasn't particularly starving...so, I actually fell back to sleep a couple of times! YEAH! This is a very good thing- that hasn't happened for quite some time. So I had a couple of dreams that I remember the generalities of...the thing is that several weeks ago I had very similar dreams one night. I don't know if any of you are interested in hearing about the dreams I had, but I'm going to tell you anyway!

One of the dreams was that I was sitting in the living room at the Little House and Nannie & Popo were sitting next to each other on the green couch. They were surrounded by this clear, warm light. I think we were all visiting but I don't remember exactly what was said. I just mostly remember that they were holding hands; I was facing them and Popo was sitting on my left & Nannie on my right. They were looking into each others eyes & smiling & they just seemed to be so happy together & so in love.

In the dream that I had several weeks ago, I was standing in the hallway at the Little House and Nannie was standing in the den. Again, she was surrounded by this magnificent light that just radiated from her & she looked so beautiful with her hair all done, so pretty & smiling. She looked at me and said, "look who's here" & gestured to the other room. I walked toward the kitchen and saw Popo standing next to the back door. I was so thrilled to see him & I ran up and gave him a big hug! We sat down on those little chairs with the needlepoint flowers on the seats & talked; again, I don't remember the specifics. I do remember that I saw Daddy standing outside on the back porch; he was talking to someone. I told Popo that I love him & miss him so much.

The other dream I had this morning was also about my grandparents. I dreamt that I was at Nannie & Grandaddy's farm & I was in the milk barn. (Yes, for those who don't know, both of my grandmothers were nicknamed "Nannie"). The thing is that it wasn't exactly the milk barn anymore. It had been converted into a bowling alley! In the separating room the storage vat was gone & the walls were lined with all kinds of pinball machines. The milking room had a couple of bowling lanes in it instead of milking stalls! This was all very strange. I don't remember all the details of what happened while I was there, although I know that I encountered my grandmother & spoke with her. I also remember something about these books that were lying around - they had leather covers engraved with an ornate "C" & they looked really old. When you picked up the books they left an impression in the wood underneath & you could see the mirror image of the "C". I've never actually seen books like this at my grandparents house...or elsewhere for that matter...but it was very interesting. I was doing some sort of research & reading stuff out of one of the books & Nannie was telling me something that I was writing on a legal pad.

Ok, enough about the dreams...back to reality...

So, I got up & made Ryan & I some English muffins this morning. My stomach felt weird while I was eating - almost puky weird but not - had that feeling yesterday too. Hope I don't go back into that nauseous stage again - that would be horrible! Of course, Ryan just said that anyone would feel puky after eating what I had made for myself - I put an egg & a slice of cheese, some butter & some miracle whip on my muffin - ok, he might be right! I shouldof stuck to his version - just butter & honey.

In baby news, my belly is getting bigger :) AND...I've finally gained weight! I am so excited about this because I was wondering how my body could be changing so much & my scale not saying anything different. I've gained a whole 2 pounds! Yea...just wait I won't be celebrating so much when I weigh in at 130! lol. But, they say you should gain 25 to 30 pounds overall so that isn't totally out of reach for me.

Also, I have found out that rubber bands just stink at keeping your jeans buttoned...they break & are just all around not good. But, the key is to take one of those little elastic hairbands (that I have a ton of just lying around - why didn't I think of this sooner?) and wrap it around your buttonhole! Ahhh, the heavens shine down upon the genius.

Speaking of baby things, Ryan has decided that we should name the little bugger, get this...Curious. I said, "like Curious George"? He says, no, not George...just Curious. Kasey seems to like it too, although she doesn't sit around rubbing my belly saying, "hello little Curious" and "there's a little Curious baby in there"! I'm really thinking that a more traditional name is in the baby's future...but for now I do have to admit that Curious is growing on me :)

Oh, I have to upload pictures of Kasey in her scarecrow costume for all of you to see! She was just adorable. We are thinking that maybe next year we'll dress her as the tin man with a little silver shirt & tin cans around her legs...complete with a funnel hat & a red puffy fabric heart on her chest! Wouldn't that be soooo cute? The only problem is that Kasey was pretty bummed that we didn't get to go trick-or-treating to her regular haunts this year. Maybe we can do a little belated spooking later. ha, ha, I just thought of something...we'll have a cute little baby to dress next year too...so we can dress the baby either as the lion or Dorothy depending on its sex! LOL! Maybe I can be Toto carrying a Longaberger basket...nah, we'll give Dorothy the basket. Ryan can be the Wizard!

She is always such a good sport about our nonsense! I should clarify...about my nonsense!

Ryan's parents are coming over tonight & we are going to get the trim hung in the basement this weekend! Yes! Of course, we are going to have to go over to the farm & check out the trails & the new weenie pit! And, we are getting our sod & landscaping next week! Yes! So I should go kill some more dust bunnies if I can track them down with my stealthy swiffer! Beware all dust bunnies - I'm kickin bunnies & takin names!