meg's blog

um, ya... it's been a few

2009-03-16T17:20:00.002-04:00

no, i haven't totally abandoned this thing. i just don't have internet at home on my computer, and i certainly don't have time at school to blog. i am working feverishly just to keep up my classroom blog. anyways-- I WILL BE BACK!! when i have internet access with all my pics, i will be updating this thing again. until then.....

Blank Park Zoo

2008-07-05T17:18:00.004-04:00

i decided to take zaida to the blank park zoo the other morning. eric was tutoring, and i wanted to get out of the house, so we packed up and spent a few hours at the zoo. zaida loves animals, especially anything that growls. (that's her favorite animal sound to make). the tiger was putting on a real show running around and jumping in the water with this massive ball. it was really entertaining. we also saw the elephants Rosie & JP. strangely i just read the book WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and the elephant's name was Rosie in that, too. we had a great time!

Piano Playin'

2008-06-25T17:05:00.000-04:00

afton and zaida were giving us a concert at the piano. a more entertaining show began when my dad started playing. we've already contracted him to come to our homes once a week to give the girls piano lessons. what a great way for "pa pa" to share his talents!

Father's Day

2008-06-24T16:54:00.000-04:00

it's eric's second official father's day. zaida got her daddy a framed picture of herself and some new golf shoes. we went to church and then for lunch at my parent's house with grandma, clint, al, afton, mark and jake. it was also grandma keese's 85th birthday. wow! we had a great afternoon. played outside and the girls enjoyed the swings on the swing set.

Relay for Life

2008-06-20T16:40:00.000-04:00

there are some pics of our family at RELAY FOR LIFE this summer. it's a great way to help raise money for cancer research! there is not a person who is not effected by cancer. we walked for a few laps with my team from school... CHEESEBALL LIVERFANNY. (this is translated to Hope Lives in Captain Underpants language) i also went back and walked from 10pm-midnight with angie. the path was all lit with the luminaries, it looked beautiful. thinking and loving all my friends and family that have been affected from cancer.

BFF (best friends forever)

2008-04-08T14:32:00.003-04:00

we were just cracking up at the cousins holding hands in the car. we were on a road trip to minneapolis and they just started holding hands. it's one of those moments where you heard a collective "ahhh, that's cute". it is though, right?

IS THAT FOR ME??

2008-03-31T21:30:00.003-04:00

i am totally behind on this thing... life kinda happened. :) i am plugging through my classes for my masters, which takes up my weekends. i am so close... 4 more weekends!

we had a wonderful spring break. we spent a few days in minneapolis visiting my grandparents. we managed to do a little shopping and swimming on the side.

then it was WORK, WORK, WORK! we are getting ready to put our house on the market and were busy completing lots of little projects. we are so close to being ready to sell. just need to have the buyers lined up for us!!

finally, we had bruce & jan down for a visit (eric's parents). we celebrated easter at cornerstone with my family, too. the pic is from zaida's birthday celebration at hickory park. her eyes were so big looking at the candle in the ice cream. YUM! YUM!! i can't believe she'll be one in a few weeks!

THE RUBBER ROOM

2008-03-06T10:14:00.002-05:00

have you ever heard of this?? i'll leave more thoughts later, but i am shocked that such a thing exists in our country!!

http://www.RubberRoomMovie.com

There is a movie coming out about the "Rubber Room." Basically hundreds of teachers in NYC are accused of criminal actions, and they are "guilty until proven innocent." They sit in this room for months or years until their case is resolved. It costs over 25 million dollars to fund. Many of the teachers are actually innocent.

BIG GIRL!

2008-02-24T19:19:00.003-05:00

goodness gracious, it seems that just yesterday we had a little baby, and now we have a BIG GIRL on our hands. she is starting to do so many things that make her seem so old. here are a few of our favorites... 1.peek a boo- she'll put whatever she can find over her head (my pants, the curtains, etc.)and then pull it off and wait for the .... PEEK A BOO! she gets from us. 2.eating puffs by herself- she can pick them up and feed them to herself 3.standing up- she doesn't "cruise" much yet, but she still likes just standing there 4.tickling- she tickles eric and he gives her a little chuckle which makes her giggle even more. i knew parenting would be fun... but i had no idea it would be this fun!!

THE SCIENCE CENTER

2008-02-23T15:30:00.004-05:00

we just had an awesome morning at the science center! we met clint, al, and afton there about 10:30, and spent about two hours exploring. afton was a big helper and pushed zaida's stroller for a good 2 1/2 minutes. we walked around and showed zaida all the exhibits. undoubtedly she took it all in. her favorite was this "glowy globe thing"- i'm sure that's what they call it. (makes me think of goonies) we also went to a show in the planetarium about the planets. we all laid down on the floor to watch the show. zaida had her bottle, and LOVED the show. she was looking all around and taking it all in. eric got a slight case of motion sickness, and i enjoyed it all. we had lunch there, and were home in time for everyone's afternoon naps. we can't wait for this summer to visit again!

TRIPPIN'

2008-02-19T00:02:00.002-05:00

i don't think that i'm generally a "clumsy" person, but for whatever reason i always trip over the same spot in our kitchen. i am not tripping over nothing, we have tiles in the kitchen, and wood in the back porch. (there is a difference in height between the two areas that is fairly significant.) poor eric gets so annoyed when i trip over it and rip the threshold (is that what it's called??) out. it's not like i'm doing it on purpose!! i just ripped out the new one last night with a mighty stumble. fortunately, i have yet to actually fall down! i promised to walk OVER it without ever touching it again. (we'll see how long this lasts!)

JABBER BOX

2008-02-15T02:56:00.003-05:00

zaida has never been shy about communicating, but has recently taken it to a new level. she is either talking, squealing, grunting, or blowing raspberries. sometimes we just sit and listen to the baby monitor and laugh, since this is how she wakes up in the morning. when we're in the car she REALLY has a lot to say. sometimes eric and i have a hard time having a conversation because she's back there squawking. we can't wait until she takes those skills and starts saying "mama" and "dada". in this pic she is blowing raspberries. we love it!

IF I CAN'T HAVE NICK & SHARON...

2008-02-11T18:06:00.000-05:00

...then at least i have jim & pam. the nick & sharon i'm referring to are the divorced couple from young & the restless. i have watched off and on for years, and have always thought that nick & sharon were such a good couple. well, now they're divorced, and married to other people... but as we all know in daytime fashion, it can't last forever. i said before that eric and i are watching the office, and we just finished season 2. in the last episode jim tells pam that he is in love with her and gives her a big smooch. i've been excited about it all day. i'm a sucker for fake love!

JUST CHILLIN'

2008-02-07T17:08:00.000-05:00

last night when zaida was taking a bath, she turned herself sideways and had her legs hanging out the side of the tub. she looked like she was just lounging poolside. i half expected a martini with an umbrella next to her. it makes me think of how much i enjoy sitting by the beach relaxing with a book. meanwhile, there is a blizzard outside! can't wait for summer to arrive. :)

IT SMELLS LIKE CAT FOOD!

2008-02-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

so zaida is experiencing new tastes and textures, one of which is some of this nasty baby food. we gave her chicken & chicken gravy yesterday, and i swear it smelled like cat food. i was gagging on the smell, and she was gagging on the taste. yummy!

CONGRATS CHRISTA & BRIAN!

2008-02-03T14:28:00.001-05:00

this is my dear friend Christa & her new husband Brian, happily married! christa is one of my treasured friends from the college years. we lived together in the sorority, and in multiple apartments. we are the rare breed of females that can actually live together (and share a room) and come out on the other end still friends. she has been living in phoenix for the past several years, but we have managed to keep in touch.

brian seems like such a great fit for her, and they seem so happy together. their wedding was beautiful and she looked gorgeous. i was honored to be a part of their special day, and can't wait to see them again. (hopefully sooner than later!)

congratulations to christa & brian!

THE OFFICE...

2008-02-03T14:09:00.000-05:00

eric has me totally hooked on "the office". he got seasons 1 & 2 for christmas from clint & al. we have been watching episodes here and there. it's not the kind of comedy that is for everyone, but we find it downright hilarious!

IS THAT A BIRD CHIRPING?

2008-02-03T14:05:00.000-05:00

just the other morning when we were leaving for school, i distinctly heard a bird chirping. could it be that spring is around the bend?? of course at this moment, i am looking out my window to see the snow falling, and hearing predictions of an ice storm on the horizon. but that's iowa for ya, right!?! here's hoping that we see spring sooner than later!!

A DEVASTATING LOSS

2008-01-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

yes, the devastating loss i'm referring to is the packers loss a few weeks ago. there will be no super bowl for the mighty pack this year. i really don't care all that much, but eric is heartbroken. (and yes, that's the term he used) he said that if we weren't going to a super bowl party, that he probably wouldn't even watch the game. (we may need to look in to therapy for him!)i took some pics of zaida in her packers cheerleading uniform for eric's birthday, although in retrospect it may not have been the best idea. oh well, there's always next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!

2008-01-27T07:32:00.000-05:00

last saturday it was eric's birthday. i had class, so he was home with zaida for most of the day. even though i only have 7 more weekends to go... i still hate missing an entire friday night and all day saturday! (enough about me)

on the weekends i always get up with zaida between 6-7, and eric gets up no earlier than 8. i had all his gifts ready, but was going to wrap them on saturday morning since i knew he would be asleep and i could just wrap them without having to be sneaky. well guess who shows up at 6:15 downstairs!?! yep, he decided (on the one morning i wanted him to sleep) to get up. :) fortunately i'm sneaky enough to still be able to wrap his gifts without him knowing.

he had a great day with zaida, and i got out of class by 3:00. my parents came down to watch zaida so that we could go out for dinner. we went to OUTBACK, a favorite of both of ours. you just can't beat that bloomin' onion! after that we went to the mall to just shop a little. eric got a new coat since the one he had would no longer zip, and we both got a few things at AEROPOSTALE. we had such an enjoyable evening!

i am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. he is kind and thoughtful, has a good sense of humor, and loves his family. i could go on & on... but zaida just woke up, and off to get her. happy birthday eric!

THE GREAT DEBATERS

2008-01-12T09:40:00.001-05:00

last night for class we went to the movie THE GREAT DEBATERS. it's a HARPO movie starring denzel washington... so you know it's going to be good. we went to see it to fill an assignment where we reviewed a movie with a diversity theme. it was absolutely worth every penny of the $9 that it costs to go to a movie!

there was a line in the movie that i just loved--

do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do

isn't that the truth!?!

it was a powerful movie, with a great message. i would highly recommend it!!

THE LITTLE OLD MAN

2008-01-10T12:37:00.001-05:00

i have no idea why i thought of this little old man the other day, but i did. i was just thinking about the church eric and i went to in orlando-- church in the son--. we always went in the same door to the sanctuary(the first one on the right in the pic), and there was this little old man who was always greeting at that door. once he knew you, he always gave you hugs. (well, not eric) he was always a friendly face and i always enjoyed saying, "good morning," to him. that's just proof that you never know how your kindness affects others!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

2008-01-07T15:19:00.000-05:00

yesterday was allison's birthday... happy birthday sis! i couldn't ask for a better friend in the world. i think it is rare that two sisters are as close as we are. is it often that sisters CHOOSE to share a bedroom? that's right- there were times that we chose to share a bedroom rather than have our own.

she has been so much help when it comes to parenting, especially in the beginning when I was just learning how to be a mom. she is such an awesome parent, I have yet to meet a 22 month old with as many manners as Afton.

i am lucky to call her my sister, and even luckier to call her my friend!!

ANA'S STORY

2008-01-07T15:06:00.001-05:00

i just finished the book ANA'S STORY by Jenna Bush. It is a narrative non-fiction story about a young woman that Jenna met through her work with UNICEF. i really enjoyed reading this story, it was a reminder of how blessed my life has been. more importantly it reminds me to reach out to others in any way, shape, or form possible. the great thing about this book, is that the proceeds go directly to UNICEF and helping out individuals like Ana. the last 50 pages or so are filled with resources on how YOU can make a difference, as well as information about AIDS and abuse.

book info...

she's seventeen.
she's been abused.
she has a child.

and she's HIV positive.

she is Ana, and this is her story. it begins the day she is born infected with HIV, transmitted from her young mother. now she barely remembers her mama, who died when Ana was only three. from then on, Ana's childhood becomes a blur of faint memories and secrets- secrets about her illness and about the abuse she endures.

Ana's journey is a long one. shuffled from home to home, she rarely finds safety or love. and then she meets a boy. Berto is one of the only people Ana trusts with all her secrets. that trust puts Ana on a path to breaking the silence that has harmed her and leads her to new beginnings, new sorrows, and new hope.

SHOPPING @ IKEA

2008-01-02T10:39:00.000-05:00

it's no mystery that eric and i love ikea... where else can you get cool stuff that is so cheap!?! yes, of course there is the assembly portion of the product, but that generally doesn't affect me. :) we stopped at ikea in minneapolis on our way back from wausau, and had (yet another) awesome experience. here are the reasons...

1. family friendly parking- yes, you can park right up by the handicapped parking if you've got kiddos in tow

2. no crowds- it was yucky outside, so the crowds were minimal. you could actually walk without potentially losing the person you were shopping with, or fear that you would be swept upstream with the sea of people never to be seen again

3. family bathroom with a recliner- i could nurse zaida in a comfie chair in a locked private room

4. COOL STUFF- how ridiculous is this... we bought zaida a comforter/sheet set for a twin bed. the kid is 8 months old!! in our defense, it was only $12... that's like almost just giving it away.

shop ikea!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2007-12-30T14:50:00.000-05:00

we have just experienced our first christmas as a family... eric, myself, zaida, & buddy. what an awesome celebration!!

we had christmas with the keese side on the 22nd. the roads were not good, so we celebrated at my parents house. grandma did most of the cooking, and boy was it delicious! we got some very nice gifts, too.

we traveled to wausau on the 23rd. zaida was such a good little trooper in the car. we did not realize that the roads were so AWFUL, or we would have spent the night in minneapolis. we were so relieved to just get there! we enjoyed time with bruce & jan, holly, grandma & grandpa wetzel, and the olson's. zaida enjoyed receiving her gifts, although we didn't let her open them since all she wants to do is eat the wrapping paper. :)

we will have our keese christmas on new year's eve... can't wait!

ONE MISSISSIPPI

2007-12-30T14:43:00.001-05:00

this is the latest book i just finished. it's our third book club book, and i must say that i really enjoyed parts of it! i am anxious to get together and talk about different aspects of the story... some interesting stuff. that's all i'll say.

UPDATE: we got together and talked about this book, and after thinking about all the things that happened... WEIRD. there were parts that i really enjoyed, but there were also just some WEIRD parts. hmmm...

here is what ONE MISSISSIPPI is about...

Daniel Musgrove is a teenager in the early 1970s. His dad is a salesman, and his company moves him around from year to year. Now they're moving to Minor, Mississippi.

Halfway through high school, Daniel is out of place not only as a new student, but as a Yankee who couldn't care less about the integration issue. He and his new best friend, Tim Cousins, spend most of their free time together. They share their obsession for Sonny and Cher, and they go to the prom with a set of twins.

When the boys are involved in a terrible accident that seriously injures Arnita Beecham, the school's first black prom queen, life gets complicated. Daniel ends up helping the Beecham household, then helping Arnita when she gets home. Due to a major head injury, she is going through an identity crisis that devastates her family.

The chronicling of Daniel's time in Mississippi meanders through teen and adult issues, as he faces that crucial moment of leaving childhood behind. His friendship with Tim will explore dimensions he never imagined, even with the hints along the way. Despite his desire to be "cool" instead of a "brain/loser," Daniel enters this book an innocent. He will emerge from his tale something entirely different.

Childress vividly captures a difficult coming-of-age story. Racism, teen love, family, bullies, and other issues are encompassed in a seamless flow. The characters around Daniel, especially Tim, are larger than life. Viewing the 1970s South from a young "Yankee's" perspective is sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart wrenching.

ODE TO OPRAH

2007-12-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

we have been doing netflix for the past year, (and if you don't get netflix... you're really missing out!) and our plan entitles us to 2 DVDs at a time. sometimes eric and i get things to watch together and other times he gets the "guys" type movie that he knows i won't watch, and i get the "chick flick" that he would not be caught dead watching. i just got oprah's 20th anniversary special and watched it this morning with a box of kleenex. it was so good! first you learn about oprah's career from the beginning, and then there is a part called "heartprints" (i think that's right- it's heart something). these are the stories that were nearest and dearest to her heart. oh, it was so good. i just had myself a good cry, snuggled zaida, and thanked God that he has blessed me with this life. :)

JUST THAT TIRED

2007-12-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

this is a picture of zaida fast asleep with her head in her lap. she was playing with eric the other day, and the next thing he knew zaida was fast asleep like this. we were cracking up! i can relate, sometimes i feel like i could just fall asleep anywhere, anytime.

BOOK CLUB- WITHOUT THE BOOK

2007-12-21T12:36:00.000-05:00

we had our second book club this week and only one of us finished the book. whoops! it was a historical fiction, so it was kind of slow moving...plus things are so crazy this time of year. Soooooo we decided to do dinner at Star Bar. This is the place where Eric and I ate the night he proposed. They have the best chicken strips and garlic & parmesan fries. YUM!!

MY HEROES!

2007-12-11T06:56:00.001-05:00

yes, the kcci weather team currently holds the title HEROES in my life. we just got hit with an ice storm & they have canceled school. there is nothing like a SNOW DAY! i have a list of things i want to accomplish today: wrapping Christmas gifts, laundry, Christmas letter, checking papers, and reading my book club book. i also intend on staying in my comfies, watching a movie, and playing with zaida.

everytime the weather is bad and ballard cancels, i always call my dad and say, "i wish i taught at ballard." i say this in a whiney voice & act dramatic about it. (it makes it funnier) well... this morning waukee is currently canceled and ballard has not popped across the screen yet. what does my dad do, you guessed it-- called & said, "i wish i taught at waukee." ha ha!! (by the way- ballard is now closed, too)

HALLOWEEN...ONE MORE TIME!

2007-12-10T14:22:00.000-05:00

we just couldn't resist taking a few more pictures of zaida in her cute little penguin costume. since we knew that this thing would be retired soon, we thought we would pull it out one more time. we can't wait until next halloween!

NEW TEETH!

2007-11-27T12:36:00.000-05:00

zaida has started sprouting her first teeth. this has provided to be a less than pleasant experience for all of us! we can tell that she's uncomfortable, she's been gnawing on anything and everything she can get her mouth around. hopefully, the next set will be a little less traumatic! this is zaida with her great grandma. she was fussing up a storm... which is what we've been seeing the last few days. : (

WE'RE LIVING WITHOUT INTERNET

2007-11-26T17:05:00.000-05:00

yes, it's true... we're living without the internet. it sounds like a silly thing for me to say, but it's driving me NUTS! we've been getting free internet from valley junction public access. we dropped mediacom about a month ago, since we didn't really need to be paying for internet when we were getting it for free. now, just after we got rid of it.... the free is not working!! WHAT!?! hopefully we can work this out!

ISU!

2007-11-26T16:58:00.000-05:00

This little girl has got it going on! She obviously knows what team to cheer for, she's already an Iowa State fan. Hopefully, we'll be able to take her to a basketball game this winter. Eric took her to a Stars hockey game a few weeks ago, and she loved it... just looking around and enjoying all the sights and sounds. Sensory overload!

NINETEEN MINUTES

2007-11-10T21:11:00.001-05:00

this was our first book club book. i must say that it really got me thinking about students, and how our interactions as educators can impact lives in such major ways. it also made me think back to my own high school days. were there "lost souls" in my class? there was a quote from the book that i remember reading and thinking-- how true. it was said by one of the "popular" kids, he was saying that there wouldn't be an US if there weren't a THEM.

here is the synopsis of the book...

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.

Even those who were not inside the school that morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex—whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded—must decide whether or not to step down. She’s torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can’t remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter’s rampage. Or can she? And Peter’s parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes.

SITTIN' PRETTY

2007-11-10T14:41:00.000-05:00

just in the past week zaida has mastered the art of sitting up independently! we love all the hardwood floors in our house, but it's not exactly ideal when it comes to babies. we have carpeting in our dining room, and the sunken room... of course they are two places that we spend very little time in. i guess we will have to change that!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2007-11-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

here is a pic of zaida and bjorn in their halloween costumes. bjorn is the mighty batman complete with his six-pack abs, and zaida is his nemesis... the penguin. we went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood and actually met a few neighbors. bjorn was just a hoot with his little, "trick or treat!" at each house. zaida just kind of sat there, and then spit up green beans on her costume. : )

LABOR DAY AT THE LAKE

2007-11-10T14:11:00.000-05:00

yes, i realize that labor day was practically decades ago, but i am trying to procrastinate writing my lit review for my research class... so i'm catching up on things like blogging. i haven't wasted time for a while, so i thought i would try it out while zaida was napping. ridiculous, i know!!

these are pics from our labor day weekend trip up to spirit lake. mark & julie have a house up there on the lake, so we all went up for the weekend. all meaning (mark, julie, grandma vu, mom, dad, sis, clint, afton, eric, zaida, and i). we had a great time just relaxing out on the dock, and in their backyard. eric and clint went for a tubing expedition which ended in 4 skinned elbows and a chipped tooth. a little more wild than they were expecting!

it was nice to have one more taste of summer before we had to kick it into full gear with school. i even caught some rays!

BABY EINSTEIN...

2007-10-24T19:20:00.000-04:00

...is making a killing off all that great baby gear we buy. zaida is watching her favorite movie here- "meet the orchestra". she is just totally into it. if she's not watching a movie, she's playing under her baby einstein play gym, or in her baby einstein saucer. what can i say-- she loves it all! just wish i'd thought of all that stuff, we'd be rolling in the dough right now! : )

BOOK CLUB

2007-10-23T21:57:00.000-04:00

so i decided to start a book club with some other teachers/friends. i have gone through periods where i read a lot, and then other times when i get kind of lazy about it. i thought it would be fun to start something like this so that we could have a good excuse to meet up for coffee or dinner and have some girl time, also it's so fun to be able to talk about what we're reading.

we had our first meeting, and it was so much fun. we chose books for the year and set all the dates. we are reading NINETEEN MINUTES right now. it's a school shooting story- really interesting. i've been reading a lot by this author-- Jodi Picoult.

i am so glad that zaida loves her books, too!

SURPRISE!

2007-10-23T21:42:00.000-04:00

well, i turned 30 a few weeks ago. i'm dealing with it-- really, what's the alternative? i wasn't expecting anything but a nice evening out with my family, but much to my surprise... there was a PARTY in the works! i didn't think that there was any chance of the ever-popular 30th surprise birthday. my mom was in new york, my dad had ballard's homecoming, and sis & clint were going out of town for prohaska family christmas. well, eric was brewing something behind my back... that tricky little guy. Clint & Al conviently decided not to leave until Saturday morning for clear lake, and offered to come over to our house to watch zaida so eric and i could go to the mall and i could pick a present out. i was thinking that was kind of the easy way out for eric, but i never turn down the opportunity to look for new shoes! well, while we were at the mall everyone piled into our house... clint, al, afton, wendy, tim, amie, brooke, jered, spencer, jill, mark, julie, jake, jennie, eric, amanda, and even bruce & jan. (eric's parents) i walked into the living room, and they all yelled suprise. i stood there like an idiot-- totally not expecting this! it was awesome to have everyone there to celebrate. fortunately enough our house was pretty clean. (picked up I should say... clean, um not really) it was a blast we had almost as much fun as the time when i turned 15 and we rented a limo and went to pizza hut and dancing at "the teen club" in des moines. oh ya, we were hot!

SNUGGLE BUDDIES

2007-09-29T00:13:00.000-04:00

it's so nice that the "kids" get along. zaida can watch buddy for hours, and buddy likes the attention. it's pretty much a win/win situation. they are both snuggly little beasts-- you just can't beat a good cuddle! :)

TIME FLIES

2007-09-18T21:27:00.000-04:00

you can tell when life got busy because i haven't added to this thing in a month! when we returned from milwaukee life got kick-started into high gear. we are back in school, and i am learning how to be an 8am-4pm teacher. those of you who are in education know how hard that is. when i get home i want to spend time with my family, not checking math papers. :) it's been kind of a hard transition. i love teaching, and the schedule is great for having kiddos... but it's a lot harder than i thought it would be. i'm up at 5:45 every morning, and up late most nights. kids will surely teach you how to function on little sleep!

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER AT 4 MONTHS

2007-08-09T10:53:00.000-04:00

so she's not "technically" in the water in this pic, but i forcast a syncronized swimmer in the near future. we went to milwaukee this past weekend to celebrate holly's birthday. (happy birthday holly!!) we did lots of fun activites while we were there, one of which was zaida's first swimming experience. she loved it!! the water was warm, so that was a plus. eric and i took turns holding her in the water, and swaying her around. we spent almost two hours down there (mainly because i couldn't pull eric away from the water slides) ha ha!! more pics to come...

ZAIDA & BJORN

2007-07-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

here are a few pics of zaida and bjorn at ben & olivia's house in maple grove. we went over for a brief visit while we were in minneapolis a few weeks ago. bjorn was so cute with zaida, he kept rocking her in her carseat. maybe the next time we see them zaida will be able to play instead of just sitting there lookin cute!

SURFER BABY...CHILD PRODIGY!

2007-07-29T18:09:00.000-04:00

you didn't know our girl had skillz!?! yes, our 3 1/2 month old can surf. her daddy taught her just a few weeks ago. eric was very impressed since he didn't learn to surf until his 20's. we obviously have a child prodigy on our hands here... but really, it's not surprise.

BEFORE & AFTER!

2007-07-29T17:57:00.000-04:00

we (we meaning eric and his parents) just finished our latest home improvement project. we have a back porch "solarium" type room that was basically wasted space. it had nasty shingled walls and a dark wood celing. we decided to rip out the shingles, put up drywall, new floors, paint the ceiling, etc. we're in the process of adding a table so that we can eat out there and enjoy the view of our back yard. it was an insane amount of work, it's always more than you think it's going to be, but it has been well worth it!! it looks great, and we were able to do it pretty inexpensively. eric's parents are great "do-it-yourselfers" and they were able to help us out with their expertise. it's great to have people who know what they're doing around, although it means that they get roped into doing a lot of work. it's kind of like in college when you have a truck, and suddenly you're everyone's best friend because you can help them move. that's why i drove a celebrity eurosport in college. don't be jealous. :)

THAT MOMENT...

2007-07-08T19:57:00.000-04:00

eric and i were talking the other day about zaida's birth, and i asked him if he had one moment that stuck out from the others as "that moment". (we had 14 hours in the car together, so we had some time.) he said it was when he was in the nursery with zaida and he looked out at holly and my dad watching from the other side of the glass, and it just hit him, "i'm a dad, and this is my baby!" how cool!

my moment was right after she made her way into the world and they plopped her on my chest. it was the first time that i saw this little being who had been living inside me for the past nine months. i'll spare you the pic of this, but it was one of the most amazing moments of my life.

the pic above is my friend carolyn who i taught with in florida. she and her husband have desired to become parents for years, and after months of ups and downs... their prayers have been answered. they are the now the proud parents of a little boy. when she sent this picture, i knew this was her moment-- the first time she held her son in her arms. whether your baby grows in your belly, or someone else's, God has a plan for every little baby, and am so happy that carolyn and her husband have been connected to their little man. congrats to them!!

FATHER'S DAY!

2007-06-18T08:44:00.000-04:00

yesterday was eric's first father's day. yeah daddy! you might not be able to tell, but zaida's shirt says, "i love daddy". what a proud pa-pa. zaida and i went shopping for him this week. we got him a card and wrote him a nice message about how much we love him. then we got a book , and zaida put her footprints in it. to top it off, we got him a new pair of softball pants. zaida went to her daddy's first softball game last week. (she slept through the whole thing... but she was there in spirit!!) we are so lucky to have this daddy!

I LOVE GREAT GRANDMA!

2007-06-17T11:28:00.000-04:00

friday was great-grandma vu's birthday. zaida and i went over to see her on thursday. we had a great visit with her. zaida enjoyed being snuggled by her great grammy and even blew out her diaper to impress. i think she was showing off! we are so lucky to have such a sweet great grandma for zaida, and so fortunate that she lives so close! happy birthday!! we love you!!

THE GOLDEN GIRLS- true confessions

2007-06-12T15:21:00.000-04:00

i am here to fess up on something... i am a huge golden girls fan. i own the first 4 seasons on dvd, and watch it faithfully on lifetime television network. there is just something about the fab 4 that just cracks me up! it's like a pg/senior citizen version of sex & the city. what can i say... i love the girls!

SUMMER'S HERE!

2007-06-10T15:47:00.000-04:00

so i wish this pic was a recent one... well, not exactly. it's eric and i on our honeymoon last summer in mexico. oh, what i would give to spend a week on the beach at a resort! oh well, we're in mommyville now which is much more rewarding than the golden brown tan i earned last summer. (although that tan was pretty sweet!) as a teacher there is this idea that we get 3 months off. unfortunately, that's not the case! it's now down to two months, and really you end up working half of that between classes, meetings, and preparing for the next school year. there is no other profession i would rather be in though!! i am mentoring a first year teacher this coming year, and really looking forward to it. i think it will make me an even better teacher because it makes me think of what i do and why i do it. it also helps that she is super sweet, and marrying the nephew of a former colleage in ankeny. (it's a small world) in my first week of summer, i had checkout day at school on monday, a free day on tuesday (took zaida to the park for a walk), wednesday and thursday i had a workshop on mentoring, and friday had a free day. zaida and i went to the library and walked around the lake, and then checked out some books. we also went to eric's softball game on tuesday. zaida wore her chicago cubs shirt from jaclyn... and proceded to sleep through the entire thing. the weekend is ending, and we are in to another week. zaida has her two month appoinment tomorrow. i am already dreading her getting shots. (probably worse for me than it is for her) i realize this is a random post, so i'll end it here and collect my thoughts for next time!

BACK 2 SCHOOL

2007-05-22T22:54:00.000-04:00

it's hard for me to believe, but i am headed back to school tomorrow. has it already been 6 weeks!?! apparently so! it may sound crazy, but i wish i could stay home with her AND go back to school. i miss seeing my students and the great teachers and staff at waukee elementary, but of course leaving this little lady at home will be hard, too. i always wondered what stay-at-home moms did all day, and now i totally get it. the day passes, and you think... what happened to the day? we went and had her 6 week pictures taken this afternoon. quite a production! it's not easy trying to time feeding, keep her awake, alert, and happy. i am anxious to get the pics back, but it takes 2 weeks. bummer. well, i have to get things ready for tomorrow. enough stalling... :)

FLYING NUGGETS

2007-05-21T10:37:00.000-04:00

afton & zaida will surely be best of friends. they're only a year apart in age, and when zaida gets a little older and can play, i'm sure they'll have hours of fun! last night we had bunko at vaske's house, so grandma jan babysat the two little ladies. afton has just discovered zaida, and likes to give her lots of kisses. she has also mastered saying, "zai-da", and she practices her new talent a lot. :)

it was dinner time for afton, so she was in her high-chair chomping on her chicken nuggets. my mom brought zaida over in her car seat and put her on the floor next to afton's high chair so they could see each other. mom went over to break apart more chicken nuggets, and while she was over there afton kept saying, "zai-da, zai-da, zai-da". mom was thinking, 'oh, isn't that cute'. then she turned around and looked at her two adorable granddaughters... and believe it or not, afton was throwing her pieces of chicken nugget to zaida each time she said her name! (fortunately, no one was harmed in this operation.) my mom was picking little chicken nugget bits off the floor and out of zaida's carseat. HA!! What a hoot!!

ALMOST 6 WEEKS OLD!

2007-05-16T18:27:00.000-04:00

it's hard to believe that it has almost been 6 weeks since zaida was born. in ways it seems like she's always been a part of our lives, in other ways it seems like she just arrived yesterday. it's amazing how it changes ever facet of your life, and enhances the day to day joys. we're so lucky to be her parents!

MY 1ST MOTHER'S DAY

2007-05-14T13:34:00.000-04:00

yesterday was my first official mother's day. i woke up with this little punky smilin at me. eric brought in a card that he and zaida selected (very sweet) there was a giftcard to jordan creek mall inside. sis got the same thing from afton and clint. the boys will do the babysitting, and al and i can go pamper ourselves. how fun!!

we went to church, and then to clint & al's to grill burgers & brats. mom and dad came and brought grandma vu. it was such a nice relaxing afternoon... the food was delicious (of course). we sat around and played with the girls, and passed them around. zaida if you wanted to snuggle, and afton if you wanted to play. and what is a spring/summer day without baseball-- i don't know!?! so we watched the brewers and cubs games.

not bad for my first mother's day!

SLEEP, OH PRECIOUS SLEEP

2007-05-12T21:59:00.000-04:00

i've never been one of those people who needs lots of sleep. i take about 3 naps a year, and even that's a stretch. i have always had these "sleep issues" just like my mom. my parents even had to get me relaxation tapes for me to listen to to try and help me get to sleep at night. so there is a little history on my life as a sleeper....

since zaida has arrived, i've learned to cherish sleep like i cherish oxygen. since she chows every 3 hours, you really can't get more than about 2 consecutive hours at a time. well, fortunately things have improved. first of all, she has her days and nights switched back around. yeah! secondly, she sleeps up in our room in her bouncy seat, so eric and i can both sleep in our bed during the night instead of taking turns on the couch downstairs. and last but not least... she has started waking only once during the night to nurse. we usually get up in the 3am hour, and lucky us -- young & the restless is playing at 3 on SOAP network. (we can't complain, it's better than sister, sister)

so life is good, and getting better.

MY MOM MEETS THE PREZ

2007-04-29T23:02:00.000-04:00

this is no photoshop illusion, that is really my mom with president bush & the first lady. and, yes, they're in the oval office. my mom received this amazing honor and was selected as the 2006-2007 iowa teacher of the year. think about all the amazing teachers K-12 in the state of iowa, and my mom beat them all! anyone who has worked with her professionally will agree that she is more than deserving of this honor. she has had many amazing opportunities through representing our state, one of which is traveling to washington d.c. to attend a conference with all the other winners. a little like a miss america pageant, but with a whole different demographic. she had the opportunity to spend time in the oval office with president bush & laura, WOW, how cool is that!?!

MAMMA MIA

2007-04-27T13:32:00.000-04:00

eric and i ventured out last sunday to see mamma mia at the civic center. we left zaida with a responsible babysitter... al. if you don't know, mamma mia is a musical that features the songs of ABBA. we sat down and the lady next to eric said, "you may want to trade your wife places, because i'm going to be dancing this whole time!" well, she wasn't kidding. she was seat dancing through almost every song. i thought that she must be the biggest abba fan ever... but i was wrong. during the finale, everyone stands up and claps along, but there were these ladies who were not only clapping, but they were swinging their hips, singing along, and goin nuts! it was so entertaining to watch. :) oh, and the show was fantastic, too.

THE SMELLY KID

2007-04-24T19:42:00.000-04:00

zaida has logged another bath into her list of accomplishments in the two week span of her life. she totally hates them, and i'm convinced we're going to have the smelly kid. not really... everyone says that little babies HATE baths, but then start to love them once they get a little older. we're still doing the "sponge bath" style, eric holds her in a towel, and i clean her up. last night she managed to shart and pee during the 5 minute episode. poor eric! washing her hair is a real trip, afterwards it looks like she just got blonde highlights. her hair gets approximately 8 shades lighter when it's clean. good times, good times...

THE NAME: Zaida Augustine

2007-04-23T11:35:00.000-04:00

whenever we tell people the name zaida augustine, they always ask how we came up with it. well, zaida was just a name that i found in a baby book. i had never heard of another zaida before, and that was the first appealing thing about it. eric has always liked names that start with "z". not sure why, but whatever! :) it was a name we could both agree on.

the name augustine is from our time spent in st. augustine, florida. when we lived in orlando, we took several trips to st. augustine. it is such a cool little city-- the first one in our nation. there is all this great history there, and a spectacular beach, too!

ZAIDA AUGUSTINE JOINS THE WORLD

2007-04-21T16:11:00.001-04:00

the miracle of life has happened, and we're celebratin'! there is absolutely nothing more amazing than the creation of life... when you stop and think about it, it kind of blows your mind. i look at her and think, hey, you've been hangin out inside of me for the last 9 months. WOW!

as you know, i have been more than ready for her arrival. a week before her due date (at our doctors appointment) they told us i was 4 cm dilated and 75% effaced. we thought, "this is it, it's going to happen any moment". the doc had us make another appointment in a week, but told me that i'd never make it that long. WOO- HOO!! well, wednesday came, then thursday, followed by friday and nothing. we agreed that if there were no signs of baby by friday at 5, we were going to go out for dinner so we had something to look forward to. the weekend came and went, and then there was monday morning. (the pits!) monday morning is never fun, and this was a major low. :( we had papa john's for dinner, and i went to bed just like every other night.

it was 1am, and i was up for another bathroom break, and encountered more than was expecting... my water broke. and just like that labor started. it wasn't like what you see on tv where people are running around like their heads are chopped off, eric took buddy out, and i made the bed. my bag was already in the car, and eric's was packed, too. we were on our way to the hospital by 1:20, and checked in by 1:30.

i will spare you the gory details of what happened next, all i can say is... get the epidural. i still experienced PLENTY of pain, so i don't feel like i missed out on any of the "natural" stuff. after pushing for 45 minutes, she arrived at 9:53 am on Tuesday, April 10th. she weighed 7lbs. 14oz. and was 19 inches long. she has a full head of blonde hair. of course we're biased, but we think she's pretty adorable!

we spent the next couple days in the hospital, and had a wonderful experience with all the nurses and doctors... except for the lactation consultant (aka- the nipple nazi). that experience was borderline traumatic.

we've been home now for 10 days, and each day gets a little bit easier. we're getting more used to having a baby around. and i am functioning better on the little sleep i get. :) i am hoping to get on this thing more often and to keep a record of what's happening in zaida's life. it looks like the little lady is waking up and ready to chow-- that means i'm needed!!

THE STAGES OF PREGNANCY

2007-04-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

This is in October-- 3 months prego!

One month before she was born... I'm HUGE!

Zaida and I getting ready to leave the hospital!

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

2007-03-29T21:19:00.000-04:00

ya, i've heard the saying before. i even agree with it... but right now i am getting really impatient for this baby to arrive. for one thing, i am totally uncomfortable with this huge thing sticking out from my mid-section. i have to pee about once an hour, which seems a bit much. i am up in the night A LOT, but fortunately i have been able to get right back to sleep.

most of all, i cannot wait to meet this baby! the anticipation is killing me!! there are still a few things we need to get ready, but i decided to relax tonight. i actually took a nap in the new recliner for an hour. we are just so excited to welcome her into the world. i'm sure parenthood is going to be a challenge, but it is also an amazing gift. i think we're ready...

EMBARASSING MOMENTS...

2007-03-28T22:01:00.000-04:00

...yes, we've all had embarassing moments, and i've had my fair share as well. the other day i was thinking about carpooling with my friend Lindsay who teaches ESL at our school, then i started thinking about all the language barriers they must deal with, and then my mind wandered back to a terrible miscommunication with a woman from south africa and how it ended in a majorly embarassing moment.

i was in college and working at formative years day care. i got to know many of the families well, and even babysat for a few. there was one family in particular that i babysat for frequently, they hooked me up with friends of theirs and i also babysat their daughter. all of the parents were ISU employees, and the one mother was in charge of this "friends of foreign families" (something like that) committee. they were having a big celebration/meeting type thing and were offering free childcare. (this is the part where i enter) the first family knew that i performed spartan cheerleaders at comedy clubs, etc. and must have shared that with the foreign family. (who apparently didn't really get what i did) the foreign mother asked if i could come and do the childcare and they would pay me. (um, $$ in college-- yes, please) i agreed to do it.

we (foreign mom) and i continued to talk, and before i knew it there was talk of a rainbow fro wig, a painted face, and balloons. WHAT!?! apparently, i agreed to be a clown. now, there is no shame in being a clown, but honestly... it's not what i'm about. it's one thing to look like an idiot when there is someone else sharing your fun, but when it's just you- well, it's just you. i went to goodwill and got some freakin ugly striped pants, and a pair of suspenders. i put on some crazy shoes i had, and wore a wig. (it wasn't clown/freak wig, but a cute red bob that i bought in new zealand-- that's another story) i just couldn't paint my face, that white always makes your teeth look yellow anyway.

i got to the memorial union (at ISU) with my bunch of balloons, and my ridiculous outfit. i wanted to crawl in a hole, i wasn't getting paid enough to be put through this. oh, and it just so happens that there is a business fair going on that day at the union, too. so there are hords of people there. i found the room where i was supposed to be, and realized that i was going to be at the back of the room where this awards ceremony was going on. i don't know what they were thinking because it's really hard to entertain 15 children under the age of 6 in a silent room. to make matters worse, the newspaper was there and i panicked and prayed they didn't see any cute kids that they wanted to snap a pic for a local paper.

well, things got a little better. they ended up relocating us into an adjoining room, so that i could actually do some games with the kids. the quiet game lost its luster in about 30 seconds. i did get paid. and i can say that i unknowingly agreed to be a clown in college.

THIS IS NOT A PICTURE OF ME, I REPEAT... THIS IS NOT A PICTURE OF ME!! : )

'GREY MARKET' MINIVANS FROM CANADA

2007-03-22T13:32:00.000-04:00

did you even know there was such thing as "grey market" minivans from canada? well, apparently there are, and apparently we have one. we bought this minivan after we found out that we were pregnant, knowing that with travel to eric's parents house and getting around, that minivans were super convenient. we have loved our honda odyssey, and have used it to travel and haul stuff. it's really been great, and we haven't even had the baby yet! little did we know that trouble was lurking around the corner. there was a problem with the transmission, but we were not worried, as it was still covered under warranty. well, eric takes it in only to discover that it's not covered because it's from CANADA!?! so basically someone purchased this vehicle in canada and brought it here to resell it for more money. they had to make some changes... miles vs. kilometers, something with the lights, etc. essentially, "americanizing it". we had no idea that we were buying a canadian vehicle. when eric first took it in, they told us we needed a new transmission and we were responsible for paying for it. YIKES!!! fortunately, we live in iowa and there are people here who actually care. both holmes honda and hummels nissan (where we bought the van) worked together, and made it possible for us to get a new transmission free of charge. (wow... now that is fortunate!)neither dealership HAD to help us out, but they felt bad for us. hummels paid for the new transmission, and holmes cut them a great deal. i still can't quite wrap my mind around the whole thing. crazy...

NOTHIN' LIKE SPRING BREAK

2007-03-21T09:37:00.000-04:00

spring break has always been something to look forward to, and something that you dread ending. as each day passes, it seems that the week just flies by in the blink of an eye. well, this spring break is a little different. first of all, there are things that we HAVE to get done to be ready for this baby. we have dedicated today as "baby extravaganza" day. we are getting EVERYTHING ready for this little tyke TODAY. bag packed, clothes washed, room cleaned, name picked, etc. it's a gloomy day, so a good opportunity to stay inside and get these things done. we've got the house pretty much clean, and i've got everything done for school that i need to do. i'm feeling pretty good that after today, pretzel can arrive and we'll be ready. (well, as ready as we'll ever be!)my partner in pregnancy, temple, just delivered her little bundle of joy yesterday... finley arrived weighing 9 pounds 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. how exciting!!

SPRING FEVER!

2007-03-12T20:56:00.000-04:00

yes, i've got it... spring fever is in the air. after 2 major blizzards, a day in the 60's was like heaven!! it's supposed to reach (dramatic pause) the 70's tomorrow. in my last post it was 47... IN OUR HOUSE! we grilled pork chops for dinner- delicious! spring means so many wonderful things, especially that beautiful baby girl joining our family. i am 1cm dialated, and her head is where it's supposed to be. i am at 36 weeks right now. i can't believe that the time is closing in. i can't wait!! (although- YIKES- labor kind of freaks me out!) we are 3 days away from spring break. YES! i have a long list of things to do over break... clean the house, get all the baby clothes washed, get our hospital bag packed, finish up things at school, and PICK THE BABY NAME! wish us luck!!

HOW I LOVE HEAT!

2007-03-04T10:59:00.000-05:00

good news, the heat is on and running! no more frozen fingers, no more sleeping under thousands of blankets, and no more sitting motionless in front of the fire wrapped in blankets because it's too cold to move anywhere else. apparently our furnace just had its 31st birthday, which means that it was installed before either eric or i were born. when we purchased the house they said, "it's about 20 years old, and the average life expectancy is 30 years." well the real story is that it's 31 years old, and the REAL life expectancy is 17 years. (we are such suckers!) let's just add a new furnace to our debt! :) it's amazing how suddenly 66 degrees feels like a sauna.

IT'S 47 DEGREES..

2007-03-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

..in our house!! we discovered last night that our furnace quit working sometime yesterday. go figure. :( our house was 56 degrees last night. i took a shower just to warm my extremities back up. we slept with multiple layers, and multiple blankets. surprisingly enough it was the best sleep i've had in two weeks! we received calls last night that school was cancelled for today, so we both slept in until (drum roll please) 8! that's impressive for me. i came downstairs to see what the current temp was, the thermostat read 47. and yes, that's in fahrenheit. we made cinnamon rolls just to warm up the house with the oven, and eric attempted to start a fire (unsuccessfully). we were out of those duraflame logs, and all of our wood from out back was obviously wet. he made the trek out to wal-mart to get a starter log, and we now have fire. (the temp has risen to 49 degrees, so it's like a heat wave.) there's a guy in the basement right now looking at our furnace, it only took 5 hours to get someone out here. i'm hoping for good news! we are planning to head over to clint & al's after the guy leaves. it is just too freakin' cold! eric's outfit currently includes: 2 pairs of socks, warm pants, a t-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a turtleneck sweatshirt, a hooded sweatshirt, and a stocking cap. i am looking just as foxy in 2 pairs of socks, slippers, fleece pants, a tank top, cuddle-dud, and hooded sweatshirt. how did laura ingalls wilder do it?? especially in those prairie dresses!?! i'm baffled! i best stop, as my fingers have lost all feeling in them, and typing is becoming almost impossible. think warm thought!

OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL...

2007-03-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

... so we're at home this afternoon!! WOO-HOO! there is just nothing like a snow day, or at least part of one. growing up going to Ballard, we had a ton of snow days, but now that I teach in Waukee those snow days are virtually non-existent. we are a "metro" school now, so they think that we'll be fine to risk life and limb to attend school. (trying to hang with the big dogs.) we got out at noon, so our day was pretty short. not a whole lot accomplished between the time constraints and the level of excitement in the room. the kids had to eat lunch in the room-- which i really feared because it was tacos. yucky, stinky meat that had the potential of finding it's way off their trays and onto desks, chairs, and the carpeted floor. (sick!) amazingly enough, we were successful. i turned on IPTV and Thomas the Train Engine was on. i never expected them to watch it silently. go figure- i wasn't going to stop them! i left when the kids did, and stopped at Hy-Vee with every other WDM citizen. oh well, i'm home now and have some yummy meals to fix if we're stuck inside for a few days. three cheers for snow days... hip, hip, hooray!

47...

2007-02-28T22:34:00.000-05:00

...that is the number of stairs i have to climb each time i go to my classroom on the third floor. i love it! it's great exercise, and i enjoy being up on third floor up in my own little world. i figure that i am up and down the stairs at least 10 times every day- so theoretically i should be in top-notch shape, however i am carrying a few extra pounds in the tummy area. "top-notch" shape may not be the best description right now. my prego sista and i get slower by the day as we climb that mountain of stairs together. we can hardly carry a conversation because we're gasping for breath. it won't be long and we'll both be skinny moms, rather than enormous pregnant ladies!

FLASHBACK:AUG1;WHAT DO 2 LINES MEAN?

2007-02-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

it was august 1st, and eric and i had been married just over a month. which most of had been spent on our honeymoon, and in milwaukee. (not a bad way to start, huh!?!) we wanted to start a family sooner than later because... hey, we're no spring chickens. after having afton around, it made parenting seem even more amazing. it was something we couldn't wait for. apparently, God was feeling the same way...

so anyway, we were doing respite care, and had taken the kiddos to the pool. on our way out i mentioned to eric, "ya know, i should have gotten my period today." so, it was only 2 in the afternoon, and really that didn't mean anything. BUT he said, "let's go get a pregnancy test." i started to get excited, which was completely rediculous. we had seperate cars because i was at school tutoring in the morning before respite, so i hopped in mine and headed for wal-greens. i picked up a test, a white chocolate kit kat bar (those are hard to find), and headed home. i went to the bathroom and peed on the little stick, and let it sit for those 3 agonizing minutes. (i did pass the time by eating that kit kat.) when the timer went off, eric and i headed upstairs to check the results.

i held the directions and looked for the results section, and when i saw two lines, i thought... "doesn't that mean PREGNANT??" but then i thought maybe the second line was a figment of my imagination, because it was kind of light. i read the directions again and it specifically said, "the second line may appear lighter than the first." WHAT!?! was it really that easy? am i really pregnant? this is where shock set it, and i don't really remember what happened for the next minute. eric decided that we should take another test, so he hustled to wal-mart and picked up that "clearblue easy"- the one that says either "pregnant" or "not pregnant". you can't get more CLEAR than that. (must be where they got the name) well, i squeezed out a little more pee, and sure enough it read PREGNANT. i was bursting with joy, and couldn't wait to tell my family!!

eric got on the phone and started telling his sister and parents, who were all elated. i had a hair appointment that afternoon where i was going to chop my hair. (the bridal butch) al had promised that she would come with me for moral support. we met at the barnes and noble parking lot, and she hopped in my car. we said our "hello's" and started driving towards the mall. i said, "so, do you think afton would like a cousin?" she screamed, and then shouted, "are you f-ing pregnant!?!" this was the funniest reaction that i got from anyone, since the girl doesn't ever say a bad word. we were screaming and laughing and celebrating all the way to the mall.

eric was at a softball game, while i was getting my haircut. al and i were trying to think of a creative way to tell my parents. our first job was to get them altogether. we schemed a plan to get them to meet at clint & al's for dessert that evening. we were brainstorming ideas, and then i said, "i wish afton could just tell them." well, this gave me an idea- she would be the one to tell them. we pulled out a onsie and wrote on the front, "Grandma & Grandpa, Guess what..." and on the back it said, "I'm going to be a cousin!" we put this on under her clothes, and waited for everyone to arrive. al asked mom if she would change her diaper, so she did. (of course, without taking off her clothes) al mentioned that afton might be hot, so mom should strip her down to her onsie. mom started reading the front... (the grandma/grandpa guess what bit) and seemed to be amused, and then flipped her over and was like, "WHAT!?!" (in a happy voice, not an upset voice) soon, clint and my dad looked over and realize what we were telling them. it was time to celebrate!! it's hard to believe that it is almost time for this little one to arrive. it has been such a crazy year, i can't believe that in the course of a year we can go from being engaged, to married, to parents. WOW! we are so blessed!

32 IS DONE/COMPLETE/FINISHED

2007-02-19T17:09:00.000-05:00

it must be a sister thing because al said that her week 32 was her worst week. i don't know what it was last week, but i was totally down in the dumps. something as simple as rolling over in bed is more of an act of pure athleticism, than a simple movement. my lungs must be half their previous size, because climbing up to my third floor classroom 10+ times a day leaves me winded. i feel like one of those morbidly obese people that is so out of shape that they are winded just by standing up. i am just ready to start working out and getting all those "baby pounds" off!

eric and i are still negotiating names, which tends to put me in a foul mood. we just can't seem to agree. i have a name that i have had my heart set on for approximately 8 years, and i just haven't been able to sell him on it. i'm not trying to be a whiny baby about the whole thing, (and wanting to get my way), but it's just so hard when you have had something in your head for so long, and then you realize it may not happen. the thing is, it's not like choosing what restaurant you're going to go to some night, it's the NAME OF YOUR CHILD that you are sure to say millions of times, and that she has to live with for the rest of her life. it is SOOOOOO important! oh man, i feel my pulse racing-- stressing about this whole situation!!

PILLSBURY IS STILL KICKIN'

2007-02-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

for most of my "solid foods" eating life, i have honored a tradition started by my mom. it is a sacred family tradition that i just don't want to see die, EVER! and that sacred traditions is...(drum roll please) the weekend consumption of pillsbury cinnamon rolls. (sometimes the orange ones, too!) my sis and i would crawl out of bed on saturday mornings, and snuggle up in the orange chair with the afghan wrapped around us. of course still in our jammies. we would watch cartoons and eat rolls. we would take turns dining on the coveted "middle roll". the middle roll was always the best because it was never touching the sides of the pan to have a hard edge. if you got the middle roll, then the other one got to make the next selection. it was kind of like a draft for rolls. well today, as i type, the rolls are in the oven. the great thing now is that eric has no idea about the power of the middle roll... so i get it every time. there goes the buzzer- can't wait!

BUNKO/BUNCO...

2007-02-17T12:10:00.000-05:00

...either way you spell it, it's loads of fun! my sis and i have talked about starting this "bunko" club for approximately a year and a half. well, about a month ago, i decided to avoid some work at school and send out an email to some people to see if anyone was interested in starting a group. well, what do ya know... they were! there are 6 couples that were "drafted" from the long list of applicants. ha ha! last night was our first meeting. we hosted it at our house, which was fun, however, i turn into a panic-stricken psycho the hour before people arrive and i realize that it will be virtually impossible for me to be ready on time. it doesn't matter how "prepared" i think i am, there are always these lingering things that have to get done. the whole food prep kinda freaks me out, too. since i spent the first 26 years of my life afraid of the kitchen, i'm still a novice when it comes to making certain things. oh well, live and learn. anyway, we had a fantastic time! we ate, played two rounds, ate again, played two more rounds, and ate again. people stayed until midnight-- that is like 3 hours past most of our bedtimes. i think people had more fun than they expected! what a relief... i was kinda stressed that it would be mediocre fun with some odd pauses in between, but to my utter relief, it was more fun than i had imagined. we all brought our planners and set up a march date. sweet! twenty years down the road, when i'm (gulp)49, maybe we'll still be doing this. hey, it could happen.

GROWING PAINS

2007-02-15T09:16:00.000-05:00

yesterday was valentine's day. a day of love, togetherness, and passion. or in my case, a really l o n g day. the problem begins that i woke up to go to the bathroom at about 1:30am. i hopped back in bed (well, i'm not really hopping these days) but, i get back into bed, get my "snoogle" all comfie... and I lie there for the next hour. finally, at 2:30 i decided to turn on the t.v. hoping that it would send me back into slumber. i am usually confined to "boy meets world" and "sister, sister" when i'm up at this hour, but it just so happened that there was a "growing pains" marathon on nick at night. a pleasant surprise! unfortunately, i had to watch 2 episodes before falling back asleep. so, two hours later- i'm snoozing again. it seemed like minutes later the alarm went off, and i was blessed with one of those horrific calf cramps. i also fell up the steps, and nearly died trying to put on my boots. you see, when you're 32 weeks pregnant it isn't the easiest thing to lean over and put your shoes on, particularly when they are tight anyway. fortunately, the day got much better! despite the fact that the kids were held hostage inside by the FREEZING temperatures, we had a fun valentine's day party at school. eric and i had decided to treat ourselves to macaroni grill, and fortunately arrived at 4:58 because it was already a 25 minute wait. somehow, we managed to get seated in less than 10. not quite sure how that happened since there were a room full of couples that arrived before us. maybe they saw my enormous belly and thought that we were more desperate to get food. hey, just go with it! since we're so broke, eric and i agreed that we would just do cards this year. we cleaned the house for bunko, and then watched a movie. well, he watched it... and i dozed off. so all in all, it turned out to be a pretty good day!

DO I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS?

2007-02-13T16:58:00.000-05:00

Blogging seems to be the next big thing. First it was email, then it was myspace, and now it's blogging. Do I really want to jump on this bandwagon, too? Sure, why not! Once upon a time, when life was much simpler I used to actually keep a diary- okay, that was like 4th grade. I did manage to keep a journal during my time in New Zealand, and it is so fun to go back and read about all the random things that happened. (many of which I would have otherwise forgotten!) So this is my attempt to have some type of memory of what is going on in my life. So here it goes...