6.18
I went in for my monthly visit and everything is good. The heartbeat was 155 bpm and everything else is going along normally. I have gained 2 pounds so far and now have permission to eat an extra 300 calories a day. I have not been worried about calories at all I’ve been eating whatever whenever I want, but ok. So we decided that since everything is going so well that I will just wait the 7 weeks until my 20 week appointment. So that will be August 6th and we will be getting the big ultrasound and conformation on the sex of the baby. Can’t wait!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Busy Weekend, Jacks Birthday and Kristen’s Bridal Shower
6.13 & 6.14
So I have a busy weekend planned. Busy weekends are pretty much going to be my life for the next two months. My butt will miss my loveseat.
Saturday was Jacks 1st Birthday party at 11:00 in the morning. And before we could go across the state to Bedford to Stephanie’s house we had to go to Mom’s to get chairs and Ella’s vet to get meds. So this was an early morning for me. We managed to do everything and make it to Stephanie’s a little early. She didn’t even need chairs; in her freaking out she must have asked every person she knows to bring chairs. The party was great, hot but fun. There were babies everywhere and Jack was good. He made it all the way through presents and destroying his cake before getting cranky. We stayed for a little while after just hanging out and cleaning up and then we had to make the long journey home.
That night, even though I was so tired, Mom wanted to go out for Mexican food. I could not turn that down so I met up with her and went to Anamia’s. Afterward I stopped by Wings Pizza and Things to see the place where Mike is doing his new weekly gig on Saturday nights. And then home to bed ASAP.
On Sunday I had to go to Kristen’s bridal shower. It was at Abuelos in Lewisville, yum Mexican food two days in a row! It was good to see Kristen and Lauren again, it has been a while. Lauren is getting married this summer too. Its weird all my girlfriends from high school are getting married this summer, Kristen, Lauren, and JoLeigh. So we had a good time, caught up, and played some games. And again I was on my way home ASAP.
I really do love getting to do things and see people but I have been so tired lately. It also really makes my weekends seem short when I’m out running around, instead of sitting on the loveseat all weekend. Maybe next weekend loveseat.
So I have a busy weekend planned. Busy weekends are pretty much going to be my life for the next two months. My butt will miss my loveseat.
Saturday was Jacks 1st Birthday party at 11:00 in the morning. And before we could go across the state to Bedford to Stephanie’s house we had to go to Mom’s to get chairs and Ella’s vet to get meds. So this was an early morning for me. We managed to do everything and make it to Stephanie’s a little early. She didn’t even need chairs; in her freaking out she must have asked every person she knows to bring chairs. The party was great, hot but fun. There were babies everywhere and Jack was good. He made it all the way through presents and destroying his cake before getting cranky. We stayed for a little while after just hanging out and cleaning up and then we had to make the long journey home.
That night, even though I was so tired, Mom wanted to go out for Mexican food. I could not turn that down so I met up with her and went to Anamia’s. Afterward I stopped by Wings Pizza and Things to see the place where Mike is doing his new weekly gig on Saturday nights. And then home to bed ASAP.
On Sunday I had to go to Kristen’s bridal shower. It was at Abuelos in Lewisville, yum Mexican food two days in a row! It was good to see Kristen and Lauren again, it has been a while. Lauren is getting married this summer too. Its weird all my girlfriends from high school are getting married this summer, Kristen, Lauren, and JoLeigh. So we had a good time, caught up, and played some games. And again I was on my way home ASAP.
I really do love getting to do things and see people but I have been so tired lately. It also really makes my weekends seem short when I’m out running around, instead of sitting on the loveseat all weekend. Maybe next weekend loveseat.
NT Scan and 2nd Ultrasound
6.9We went in for an NT scan, nuchal translucency, which is basically genetic testing. This involves a family history, an ultrasound, and blood work. Based on all this information they give you the odds of having a baby with different genetic disorders.
So Mike and I both went and waited forever in a doctor’s office at Lewisville Hospital. We gave our family history and then got to do the exciting part, the ultrasound. This one was way more detailed than the last. There are still not a lot of organs developed but they
checked out everything, including my insides. Everything scanned normal and the heartbeat still looks good and strong at 160 bmp.I still think it is way too early and I told Mike there is no way that they would be able to determine the sex of the baby. But apparently I was wrong. This doctor says that based on something he can see inside the body of the baby, as there are no outside parts yet, that he thinks it’s a boy. Mike heard what he wanted so he pretty much stopped listening right then. I am still waiting for the big 20 week ultrasound so that we are sure.
So I gave a little blood and we left with 5 new pictures. Everything looks great for now and I have to go back one more time for the second round of blood work in about a month.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The George Strait Concert
6.6
I was so excited about this concert. I was literality online the moment they went on sale hitting refresh. I got 5 tickets for Jane, Richard, Kyra, Mom, and me. The concert sold out in 30 minutes and I was so happy to get the crappy tickets we got. But it was expected for Julianne Hough, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, and GEORGE STRAIT at the first event at the new Cowboys Stadium!!!
So the day finally came and it was hot. That morning I heard on the radio that Julianne Hough was not performing due to sickness and that Lee Ann Womack was taking her place. Mom was
really happy about this since she loves Lee Ann Womack. We had planned to make a whole day out of it. The parking lot opened at 2:00 and the stadium opened at 4:00, so we planned to be there at 2:00. It was totally easy, no traffic, we got right in. We picked out a nice piece of grass, set up our pop up tent and lawn chairs, got out the cooler, and tailgated until 4:30.
We made our way up to the stadium and had to wait in a little bit of a line but nothing bad. Once we got in it was a little crazy, everyone was lost. We found a bar, for those who could drink, and started looking around for the t-shirt shops. I
was getting a George Strait shirt! Once we found our way around to the general side where our seats where we finally saw the t-shirt shops. I have never seen a line like this before. People waited for 2 hours, so I was really disappointed caz I was not gonna wait in that! So we climbed the multi levels of stairs to get to our very high seats and once we got all the way up there we found a Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop that had been emptied out and was selling George Strait t-shirts. I was so happy. It still took us about an hour to get in and out of there with our shirts, but everyone got what they wanted in their size. And we were done just in time for the concert to start. 
So that worked out perfectly.
The stadium is so cool. It’s huge and very nice. The stadium is a total of 3 million square feet and the largest dome structure in the world. The TV has 25,000 square feet of display area and is seriously massive. It takes the retractable roof 12 minutes to open or close. Walking all the way up to our seats was a little scary, due to the steepness of the stairs, and exhausting. They weren’t really ready for an event this big; they had no straws, were running out of food and beer, and didn’t know how to work some of the equipment at the concessions. But we were
happy anyways because part of this experience was just getting to see the stadium, it was amazing.
The concert was excellent. Lee Ann and Reba didn’t sound the greatest, they were both echoy. We thought this may have been from them using the cordless microphones because Blake and George didn’t use them and they sounded great. George was everything I thought he would be. He sang my favorite song “I Just Want To Dance With You”, which was the song Dad and I danced to at the wedding. He was just great and cute and everything I expected. I knew almost every song,
sang along, and was so happy. About half way through his set he asked Jerry Jones to open the roof for the first time. Please read this with sarcasm “And now God can look down and see his favorite country star, right?” Anyways it was cool to get to see it open. So unfortunately the concert had to end and we waited for the stadium to empty out, caz I was scared of those stairs. We made our way down and out to the car where we did a little after the concert tailgating while the parking lot emptied.
So we left Moms at 1:00pm and I got home at 2:00am. I was worn-out and smelly. So, so far I
have taken this kid to a foreign country, a long Austin weekend, and 3 concerts. Wow!
I was so excited about this concert. I was literality online the moment they went on sale hitting refresh. I got 5 tickets for Jane, Richard, Kyra, Mom, and me. The concert sold out in 30 minutes and I was so happy to get the crappy tickets we got. But it was expected for Julianne Hough, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, and GEORGE STRAIT at the first event at the new Cowboys Stadium!!!So the day finally came and it was hot. That morning I heard on the radio that Julianne Hough was not performing due to sickness and that Lee Ann Womack was taking her place. Mom was
really happy about this since she loves Lee Ann Womack. We had planned to make a whole day out of it. The parking lot opened at 2:00 and the stadium opened at 4:00, so we planned to be there at 2:00. It was totally easy, no traffic, we got right in. We picked out a nice piece of grass, set up our pop up tent and lawn chairs, got out the cooler, and tailgated until 4:30.We made our way up to the stadium and had to wait in a little bit of a line but nothing bad. Once we got in it was a little crazy, everyone was lost. We found a bar, for those who could drink, and started looking around for the t-shirt shops. I
was getting a George Strait shirt! Once we found our way around to the general side where our seats where we finally saw the t-shirt shops. I have never seen a line like this before. People waited for 2 hours, so I was really disappointed caz I was not gonna wait in that! So we climbed the multi levels of stairs to get to our very high seats and once we got all the way up there we found a Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop that had been emptied out and was selling George Strait t-shirts. I was so happy. It still took us about an hour to get in and out of there with our shirts, but everyone got what they wanted in their size. And we were done just in time for the concert to start. 
So that worked out perfectly.The stadium is so cool. It’s huge and very nice. The stadium is a total of 3 million square feet and the largest dome structure in the world. The TV has 25,000 square feet of display area and is seriously massive. It takes the retractable roof 12 minutes to open or close. Walking all the way up to our seats was a little scary, due to the steepness of the stairs, and exhausting. They weren’t really ready for an event this big; they had no straws, were running out of food and beer, and didn’t know how to work some of the equipment at the concessions. But we were
happy anyways because part of this experience was just getting to see the stadium, it was amazing.The concert was excellent. Lee Ann and Reba didn’t sound the greatest, they were both echoy. We thought this may have been from them using the cordless microphones because Blake and George didn’t use them and they sounded great. George was everything I thought he would be. He sang my favorite song “I Just Want To Dance With You”, which was the song Dad and I danced to at the wedding. He was just great and cute and everything I expected. I knew almost every song,
sang along, and was so happy. About half way through his set he asked Jerry Jones to open the roof for the first time. Please read this with sarcasm “And now God can look down and see his favorite country star, right?” Anyways it was cool to get to see it open. So unfortunately the concert had to end and we waited for the stadium to empty out, caz I was scared of those stairs. We made our way down and out to the car where we did a little after the concert tailgating while the parking lot emptied.So we left Moms at 1:00pm and I got home at 2:00am. I was worn-out and smelly. So, so far I
have taken this kid to a foreign country, a long Austin weekend, and 3 concerts. Wow!
First Ultrasound and Austin Weekend
5.21-5.25
I had a long weekend because I was going to go to Vegas for Jane’s wedding with Kyra but then I found out I was pregnant, so change of plans. Instead we went to our first ultrasound appointment and then Mom and I went to Austin for the long weekend.
Mom came up to Denton to go to our appointment with Mike and I. I had to drink two bottles of water in an hour and not pee to get a clear ultrasound. So that was uncomfortable. We were all expecting a small screen and to leave with a few pictures of a little blob. But we walked into a room with a 50” flat screen TV, the picture was so clear and you could really see a little baby. So everything looks good and the heart beat was 167 bpm. They measured the baby and printed us some pictures and sent us back in the waiting room to wait to talk to the doctor. She just verified that everything was good and set me back a week and a half, so my new due date is December 20th.
Then Mom and I left for Austin! We decided to split the drive up by staying the night at Mimi’s in Round Rock. So we got the see Merritt and Granny and go out to dinner. We got to show off the pictures of what we have been calling the little gummy bear. We had a good night and got to see Merritt off to school on Friday.
Friday morning we left Mimi’s and shopped around the Round Rock Outlets before meeting AJ for lunch in downtown Austin. We had a great lunch at the South Congress Café and walked around the cool little shops down there. Then we went to The Hills Restaurant to meet Jess and Brian, and Laura and Andy. This place is so cool, it’s big, it’s got this great outdoor area that’s covered by big beautiful trees, it’s a Texas BBQ place,
and they have live music outside. Mom, AJ, and I got there early and ate these great hamburgers while we waited for the girls. We hung out until after dark, I was exhausted and we still had an hour drive out to AJ’s house.
Saturday we hung out at AJ’s all day watching movies. That afternoon we went into town to meet Jess and Brian to go see Star Trek and have dinner. I would have never gone to see Star Trek but it was really good. And for dinner we went to the old Italian
place Jess use to work and had another great meal.
Sunday Jess had a wedding hair and makeup to do so we waited for her to finish that and get out to AJ’s with Brian and the dogs. We planned to go the lake to spend the day and let the dogs run but it started raining just as they got to AJ’s. So we waited it out by playing Yatzee. Once the weather cleared up we headed out. It was a nice day but a little muggy so we stayed for about two hours. We hung out, ate, and then settled in for the night by watching
Twilight. Everyone who knows me knows I read the books and watched the movies and loved them. AJ netflixed it and wanted to watch it and I thought Jess would be against it, as she usually is against all popular things, but she also has read the books and watch the movie and loved it too. Poor Brian had to endure two hours of watching 4 girls Ooo and Ahh over Edward, and he has seen it before with Jess. But he made it, he’s a good guy.
And Monday we got up packed the car and drove home. It was a great Austin weekend. Every time we do this it makes me want to move to Austin even more. One day…
I had a long weekend because I was going to go to Vegas for Jane’s wedding with Kyra but then I found out I was pregnant, so change of plans. Instead we went to our first ultrasound appointment and then Mom and I went to Austin for the long weekend.Mom came up to Denton to go to our appointment with Mike and I. I had to drink two bottles of water in an hour and not pee to get a clear ultrasound. So that was uncomfortable. We were all expecting a small screen and to leave with a few pictures of a little blob. But we walked into a room with a 50” flat screen TV, the picture was so clear and you could really see a little baby. So everything looks good and the heart beat was 167 bpm. They measured the baby and printed us some pictures and sent us back in the waiting room to wait to talk to the doctor. She just verified that everything was good and set me back a week and a half, so my new due date is December 20th.
Then Mom and I left for Austin! We decided to split the drive up by staying the night at Mimi’s in Round Rock. So we got the see Merritt and Granny and go out to dinner. We got to show off the pictures of what we have been calling the little gummy bear. We had a good night and got to see Merritt off to school on Friday.Friday morning we left Mimi’s and shopped around the Round Rock Outlets before meeting AJ for lunch in downtown Austin. We had a great lunch at the South Congress Café and walked around the cool little shops down there. Then we went to The Hills Restaurant to meet Jess and Brian, and Laura and Andy. This place is so cool, it’s big, it’s got this great outdoor area that’s covered by big beautiful trees, it’s a Texas BBQ place,
and they have live music outside. Mom, AJ, and I got there early and ate these great hamburgers while we waited for the girls. We hung out until after dark, I was exhausted and we still had an hour drive out to AJ’s house.Saturday we hung out at AJ’s all day watching movies. That afternoon we went into town to meet Jess and Brian to go see Star Trek and have dinner. I would have never gone to see Star Trek but it was really good. And for dinner we went to the old Italian
place Jess use to work and had another great meal.Sunday Jess had a wedding hair and makeup to do so we waited for her to finish that and get out to AJ’s with Brian and the dogs. We planned to go the lake to spend the day and let the dogs run but it started raining just as they got to AJ’s. So we waited it out by playing Yatzee. Once the weather cleared up we headed out. It was a nice day but a little muggy so we stayed for about two hours. We hung out, ate, and then settled in for the night by watching
Twilight. Everyone who knows me knows I read the books and watched the movies and loved them. AJ netflixed it and wanted to watch it and I thought Jess would be against it, as she usually is against all popular things, but she also has read the books and watch the movie and loved it too. Poor Brian had to endure two hours of watching 4 girls Ooo and Ahh over Edward, and he has seen it before with Jess. But he made it, he’s a good guy.And Monday we got up packed the car and drove home. It was a great Austin weekend. Every time we do this it makes me want to move to Austin even more. One day…
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Kenny Chesney Concert, The Second Time
5.17
So Kenny came back all by himself. Once again we got there early; it was general admission instead of assigned seating, so our seats weren’t as good. I really respect Kenny a lot for coming back to finish his concert. Not only did he finish but him and his band said they were gonna play everything they knew, and I think they did. He played two hours of his songs before starting to play cover songs that his band used to do. Mom, Dad, and Sara definitely had more fun the second time, as it was not raining which makes it much easier to drink beer. I thought it was great! We left almost three hours into the concert and he was still going. I’m not sure how long it lasted but it was a beautiful day and well worth the extra trip out.
So Kenny came back all by himself. Once again we got there early; it was general admission instead of assigned seating, so our seats weren’t as good. I really respect Kenny a lot for coming back to finish his concert. Not only did he finish but him and his band said they were gonna play everything they knew, and I think they did. He played two hours of his songs before starting to play cover songs that his band used to do. Mom, Dad, and Sara definitely had more fun the second time, as it was not raining which makes it much easier to drink beer. I thought it was great! We left almost three hours into the concert and he was still going. I’m not sure how long it lasted but it was a beautiful day and well worth the extra trip out.
Mothers Day And Pregnancy Symptoms
5.10
So we really didn’t do anything special for Mothers Day. Mike and Casey had to work so I went to spend the day with Mom. We made Dad get us Mexican food and we ate and sat around watching golf. I got to talk to Granny and Grandma just to say Happy Mothers Day and they got to say it back to me. Just normal Mothers Day stuff.
I guess the Mothers Day post is a good post to go over some of the pregnancy stuff I’ve been experiencing. Really I’ve had it easy, nothing terrible. Any type of sickness that I’ve gotten has been from smells.
Mike has had to move the ferret’s cage from the living room to his room because I almost lost it one morning just from walking past it. He took his sweet time doing it too. He did go to the store and buy febreze and every time I complained about the smell he would just spray it into the air around me, which would make the dog go crazy. We lived like this for about two weeks until he finally moved poor Mia. I felt bad but she is actually getting better care and more attention from Mike, I should have thought of this a long time ago.
The other really bad smell issue was at work. One of my tellers spilt month old expired milk on the carpet in the vault room, which is also where we have to eat. This was a really hard day to make it through, but I made it. And since this has happened it’s been harder to be at work, this place is just so old and dirty it makes me feel yuck.
Other than this I’ve been really tired and extra hungry. I had about 2 weeks where all I wanted was fries and ranch dressing but I seem to be over that already. I’ve taken a few sick days just because I was tired or feeling really nauseous. The only other change I’ve noticed is I do feel a little extra violent towards Mike. I don’t really want to hurt him but I do get the urge to hit him or more often it’s to throw the remote at him for no reason. I don’t know if this is really a pregnancy side effect or just me but it’s definitely a change.
So we really didn’t do anything special for Mothers Day. Mike and Casey had to work so I went to spend the day with Mom. We made Dad get us Mexican food and we ate and sat around watching golf. I got to talk to Granny and Grandma just to say Happy Mothers Day and they got to say it back to me. Just normal Mothers Day stuff.
I guess the Mothers Day post is a good post to go over some of the pregnancy stuff I’ve been experiencing. Really I’ve had it easy, nothing terrible. Any type of sickness that I’ve gotten has been from smells.
Mike has had to move the ferret’s cage from the living room to his room because I almost lost it one morning just from walking past it. He took his sweet time doing it too. He did go to the store and buy febreze and every time I complained about the smell he would just spray it into the air around me, which would make the dog go crazy. We lived like this for about two weeks until he finally moved poor Mia. I felt bad but she is actually getting better care and more attention from Mike, I should have thought of this a long time ago.
The other really bad smell issue was at work. One of my tellers spilt month old expired milk on the carpet in the vault room, which is also where we have to eat. This was a really hard day to make it through, but I made it. And since this has happened it’s been harder to be at work, this place is just so old and dirty it makes me feel yuck.
Other than this I’ve been really tired and extra hungry. I had about 2 weeks where all I wanted was fries and ranch dressing but I seem to be over that already. I’ve taken a few sick days just because I was tired or feeling really nauseous. The only other change I’ve noticed is I do feel a little extra violent towards Mike. I don’t really want to hurt him but I do get the urge to hit him or more often it’s to throw the remote at him for no reason. I don’t know if this is really a pregnancy side effect or just me but it’s definitely a change.
Kenny Chesney Concert, The First Time
5.2
So the day after we got back from Panama we had tickets to go see Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, and Kenny Chesney. Mom, Dad, Sara, and I had been looking forward to this since the tickets went on sale. We were the most excited about getting to see Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum, everything else was just bonus. The concert was a Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, which turned out to be terrible because its outside and it was a rainy day.
Sugarland didn’t make the concert due to sickness, which we were fine with. We got there early got in our seats and sat in the rain for 4 hours. Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert were great, totally worth it. When Kenny came on the rain had stopped for about 4 songs. We knew we were gonna get out of there early, none of us cared to stay to hear every last note of Kenny. Dad must have sensed something caz he suggested we start heading for the car and before we even left the stadium it started to rain again. By the time we reached the car it was coming down worse than it had all day. We were all soaking wet but at least safely leaving before everyone else.
The next day on the radio I heard that the rain we experienced in the parking lot was enough to cancel the rest of the concert. And Kenny, feeling bad that he didn’t even get to finish half of his set, is going to reschedule and come back to do it right! We didn’t have any details yet but we were excited, two concerts for the price of one!
Now my vacation is over, sleeping in is over, and doing whatever I want all day is over. That means back to work and nothing interesting to report for a while.
So the day after we got back from Panama we had tickets to go see Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, and Kenny Chesney. Mom, Dad, Sara, and I had been looking forward to this since the tickets went on sale. We were the most excited about getting to see Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum, everything else was just bonus. The concert was a Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, which turned out to be terrible because its outside and it was a rainy day.
Sugarland didn’t make the concert due to sickness, which we were fine with. We got there early got in our seats and sat in the rain for 4 hours. Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert were great, totally worth it. When Kenny came on the rain had stopped for about 4 songs. We knew we were gonna get out of there early, none of us cared to stay to hear every last note of Kenny. Dad must have sensed something caz he suggested we start heading for the car and before we even left the stadium it started to rain again. By the time we reached the car it was coming down worse than it had all day. We were all soaking wet but at least safely leaving before everyone else.
The next day on the radio I heard that the rain we experienced in the parking lot was enough to cancel the rest of the concert. And Kenny, feeling bad that he didn’t even get to finish half of his set, is going to reschedule and come back to do it right! We didn’t have any details yet but we were excited, two concerts for the price of one!
Now my vacation is over, sleeping in is over, and doing whatever I want all day is over. That means back to work and nothing interesting to report for a while.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Panama City, Panama
4.25-5.1
Off to Panama!!! I’ve always wanted to see the Panama Canal and at the beginning of this year I convinced Mike that he could make the trip. We have a $1500.00 card to spend at any InterContinental Hotel in the world from the wedding, so we are staying at the Playa Bonita InterContinental Beach Resort in Panama for a week. I’m a little nervous to be traveling out of the country, especially into a country I have never been and don’t know that much about, just after finding out that I’m pregnant. The doctor says it’s perfectly safe, so I’ll be trekking this kid to its first foreign country already. And it looks like we will be testing my non-drinking abilities right away with a beach resort with its own swim up bar, at lease it will be cheaper. And shortly after booking our trip Mom and Dad decided they wanted to come as well, which will be great. So off we all go!
We traveled all day on Saturday and arrived at the airport after dark. We rented a car for the four of us, so we had to make our way through Panama City at night to the hotel. This was NOT easy. After getting way lost several times we finally made it. We checked in ate dinner and went to bed early.
We awoke to the beautiful resort. Its huge, the grounds are beautiful, tons of pools, a swim up bar, beds to lounge on, and beach! All day Sunday we just hung out and enjoyed the hotel, almost all by ourselves the hotel was empty. Sunday night we tried to go out to dinner on the Amador Causeway, I had read about it and wanted to see it. The driving there is CRAZY, the roads are terrible, and the signs are not well marked or lit up at night. No one uses the brakes they just use the horn, there are these crazy painted busses weaving in and out of traffic, there are certain times of the day where it is just ok to drive on the wrong side of the road, and apparently its ok to 
go left on red even if we are stopped at the red light and that requires going around us. So renting a car and driving was more economical but really intimidating. Mom drove and Dad navigated, since he speaks and reads Spanish. So while trying to get to the Amador Causeway Mom took a turn a little fast right in front of a cop. We ran into horrible traffic, which we later learned was a political rally for their presidential elections being held later that week. The cop walked up to our car in the traffic and started yelling at Mom. Dad saved us by being able to speak Spanish. The cop wanted to give us a $200.00 ticket and tow our car and leave us on the side of the road. He had Moms drivers license and passport and was very threatening until Dad pulled out a $100.00 bill. So Dads great Spanish and $100.00 got us out of the entire thing and back on our way, with help through the traffic from the same cop. We returned to the hotel ASAP where Mom calmed down with shots of tequila and we just ate at the hotel again.
On Monday we went to the Panama Canal Miraflores Locks, the last of the three locks open to the Pacific Ocean. It was very very hot. We got there just as a big boat was through the locks and entering the canal on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. About 30 minutes later we got to watch three boats go through at the same time to save water and money. There was a small sailboat, a touring yacht, and a big ship. They were coming the other way from the Gulf, through the lock and onto the Pacific Ocean. It cost $1500.00 per boat and $62.00 a container on the big cargo ships to go through the canal. They have plans to widen the canal and add another lock. The canal is the main source of income for the entire country and is very heavily protected by their military. It has also started a global banking industry. Every major country has banks in Panama City to make payments for canal passage go through faster and for all the trade it creates. The boats have to pay in full 2 days before passage through the canal. It was a very cool experience and something I have always wanted to see. After the seeing Miraflores we went to their local mall, which was really nice and prices were cheap. We explored, shopped, and got a snack before we decided to try to make it to the Amador Causeway again. And we make it! It has beautiful views of the city on one side and the canal on the other. The causeway is a 3.5 mile breakwater that was made out of excavated dirt and rocks from the construction of the Panama Canal and connects three islands together. We ate there; Mom sprained her ankle, she will limp for the rest of the vacation; and we went back to the hotel.
On Tuesday due to Moms ankle we hung out at the hotel again all day. I walked around all morning taking pictures. The tide here is very extreme. At about 11:00am it’s all the way out and it looks like the hotel has no beach, or I guess it would be no ocean and a really long muddy beach. All day as we sat at the pool it got closer and closer. Then at about 5:00pm the ocean was all the way up to the lawn chairs at the hotel. During this time of high tide it’s a feeding frenzy for all 
the birds. The water probably comes up a least 20 feet through out the day. The hotel has a platform out in the water that is completely on land during low tide and has water almost all the way up to where you stand at high tide. For dinner we ventured out again, but just to the Amador Causeway again to go to El Barko, which ended up being a really impressive outdoor restaurant with a great view.
We did the Rainforest and Monkey Island on Wednesday. This required getting up early and driving about an hour to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. We caught the first boat out to Monkey Island, which was suggested as the best time to go since the monkeys are hungry. We got a great hour long boat ride through the Panama Canal and along the way the guides pointed out crocodiles, iguanas, native birds, and finally monkeys. When we got to Monkey Island the 
monkeys already knew we were coming and were waiting for us. There were probably 5 monkeys and one was a Mom with a baby on her back. The monkeys are so used to this they jump right onto the boat and take the fruit right out of the guide’s hands. The one on our boat would expertly jump from ring to ring of the boat going back and forth until the guides were out of fruit. Then he got up on the canopy of the boat and just hung his little hand down asking for maybe just one more. He didn’t want to jump off the boat back into the trees but finally he did and we all said goodbye to the monkeys. This was my favorite part of out trip, they were so cool and so close. I could have 
tickled a little monkey’s belly he was so close to me and they have these little human faces, so cute! We took the boat back to the rainforest resort to go on an aerial tram through the rainforest that took us to the very top of the hill where they have an observation deck. We had a very nice guide who was very happy to get to practice her English and Dad was equally as happy to continue to practice his Spanish. She took us up pointing out everything, plants and animals. The observation deck was amazing with breathtaking panoramic views of the Canal with boats going through it. We took the tram back down and then our guide took us to their little 
village area where they had a reptile observatory, a snake house, a butterfly observatory, and an orchard garden. At this point the pregnancy was affecting me; I was tired, hot, sweaty, sticky, and just done. The butterflies were really cool but I was ready for some A/C, food, and drink. This thank goodness was next on our itinerary. Our tour package included lunch at the hotels restaurant that was right on the canal. We got to cool off, eat great food, and enjoy lunch right on the Canal. This was a packed day so I was ready for the nice sleepy ride back to the hotel.
On Thursday we spent the morning hanging out at the hotel and then we decided to take our chances and drive around Panama City looking for some other touristy locations and some shopping. It started to rain that afternoon so that cut our sightseeing short but we did manage to get in a little shopping. We returned to the mall and did a little shopping on the Amador Causeway, just some Panama Hats and small souvenirs. We then went back to El Barko for another wonderful dinner before going back to the hotel to pack.
And on Friday we did manage to get in a few morning pool hours before having to head off to the airport to sadly return home. I doubt that I would ever go back, but I would suggest anyone with interest to see Panama to go. I would also suggest that you go with someone who speaks good Spanish; Dad saved us many times and was our way to learn a lot more about their culture. All in all we had a great vacation, we got to spend lots of time together, got to really explore and learn about a new country, and we had wonderful food and service the entire time.
Off to Panama!!! I’ve always wanted to see the Panama Canal and at the beginning of this year I convinced Mike that he could make the trip. We have a $1500.00 card to spend at any InterContinental Hotel in the world from the wedding, so we are staying at the Playa Bonita InterContinental Beach Resort in Panama for a week. I’m a little nervous to be traveling out of the country, especially into a country I have never been and don’t know that much about, just after finding out that I’m pregnant. The doctor says it’s perfectly safe, so I’ll be trekking this kid to its first foreign country already. And it looks like we will be testing my non-drinking abilities right away with a beach resort with its own swim up bar, at lease it will be cheaper. And shortly after booking our trip Mom and Dad decided they wanted to come as well, which will be great. So off we all go!We traveled all day on Saturday and arrived at the airport after dark. We rented a car for the four of us, so we had to make our way through Panama City at night to the hotel. This was NOT easy. After getting way lost several times we finally made it. We checked in ate dinner and went to bed early.
We awoke to the beautiful resort. Its huge, the grounds are beautiful, tons of pools, a swim up bar, beds to lounge on, and beach! All day Sunday we just hung out and enjoyed the hotel, almost all by ourselves the hotel was empty. Sunday night we tried to go out to dinner on the Amador Causeway, I had read about it and wanted to see it. The driving there is CRAZY, the roads are terrible, and the signs are not well marked or lit up at night. No one uses the brakes they just use the horn, there are these crazy painted busses weaving in and out of traffic, there are certain times of the day where it is just ok to drive on the wrong side of the road, and apparently its ok to 
go left on red even if we are stopped at the red light and that requires going around us. So renting a car and driving was more economical but really intimidating. Mom drove and Dad navigated, since he speaks and reads Spanish. So while trying to get to the Amador Causeway Mom took a turn a little fast right in front of a cop. We ran into horrible traffic, which we later learned was a political rally for their presidential elections being held later that week. The cop walked up to our car in the traffic and started yelling at Mom. Dad saved us by being able to speak Spanish. The cop wanted to give us a $200.00 ticket and tow our car and leave us on the side of the road. He had Moms drivers license and passport and was very threatening until Dad pulled out a $100.00 bill. So Dads great Spanish and $100.00 got us out of the entire thing and back on our way, with help through the traffic from the same cop. We returned to the hotel ASAP where Mom calmed down with shots of tequila and we just ate at the hotel again.
On Monday we went to the Panama Canal Miraflores Locks, the last of the three locks open to the Pacific Ocean. It was very very hot. We got there just as a big boat was through the locks and entering the canal on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. About 30 minutes later we got to watch three boats go through at the same time to save water and money. There was a small sailboat, a touring yacht, and a big ship. They were coming the other way from the Gulf, through the lock and onto the Pacific Ocean. It cost $1500.00 per boat and $62.00 a container on the big cargo ships to go through the canal. They have plans to widen the canal and add another lock. The canal is the main source of income for the entire country and is very heavily protected by their military. It has also started a global banking industry. Every major country has banks in Panama City to make payments for canal passage go through faster and for all the trade it creates. The boats have to pay in full 2 days before passage through the canal. It was a very cool experience and something I have always wanted to see. After the seeing Miraflores we went to their local mall, which was really nice and prices were cheap. We explored, shopped, and got a snack before we decided to try to make it to the Amador Causeway again. And we make it! It has beautiful views of the city on one side and the canal on the other. The causeway is a 3.5 mile breakwater that was made out of excavated dirt and rocks from the construction of the Panama Canal and connects three islands together. We ate there; Mom sprained her ankle, she will limp for the rest of the vacation; and we went back to the hotel.
On Tuesday due to Moms ankle we hung out at the hotel again all day. I walked around all morning taking pictures. The tide here is very extreme. At about 11:00am it’s all the way out and it looks like the hotel has no beach, or I guess it would be no ocean and a really long muddy beach. All day as we sat at the pool it got closer and closer. Then at about 5:00pm the ocean was all the way up to the lawn chairs at the hotel. During this time of high tide it’s a feeding frenzy for all 
the birds. The water probably comes up a least 20 feet through out the day. The hotel has a platform out in the water that is completely on land during low tide and has water almost all the way up to where you stand at high tide. For dinner we ventured out again, but just to the Amador Causeway again to go to El Barko, which ended up being a really impressive outdoor restaurant with a great view.
We did the Rainforest and Monkey Island on Wednesday. This required getting up early and driving about an hour to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. We caught the first boat out to Monkey Island, which was suggested as the best time to go since the monkeys are hungry. We got a great hour long boat ride through the Panama Canal and along the way the guides pointed out crocodiles, iguanas, native birds, and finally monkeys. When we got to Monkey Island the 
monkeys already knew we were coming and were waiting for us. There were probably 5 monkeys and one was a Mom with a baby on her back. The monkeys are so used to this they jump right onto the boat and take the fruit right out of the guide’s hands. The one on our boat would expertly jump from ring to ring of the boat going back and forth until the guides were out of fruit. Then he got up on the canopy of the boat and just hung his little hand down asking for maybe just one more. He didn’t want to jump off the boat back into the trees but finally he did and we all said goodbye to the monkeys. This was my favorite part of out trip, they were so cool and so close. I could have 
tickled a little monkey’s belly he was so close to me and they have these little human faces, so cute! We took the boat back to the rainforest resort to go on an aerial tram through the rainforest that took us to the very top of the hill where they have an observation deck. We had a very nice guide who was very happy to get to practice her English and Dad was equally as happy to continue to practice his Spanish. She took us up pointing out everything, plants and animals. The observation deck was amazing with breathtaking panoramic views of the Canal with boats going through it. We took the tram back down and then our guide took us to their little 
village area where they had a reptile observatory, a snake house, a butterfly observatory, and an orchard garden. At this point the pregnancy was affecting me; I was tired, hot, sweaty, sticky, and just done. The butterflies were really cool but I was ready for some A/C, food, and drink. This thank goodness was next on our itinerary. Our tour package included lunch at the hotels restaurant that was right on the canal. We got to cool off, eat great food, and enjoy lunch right on the Canal. This was a packed day so I was ready for the nice sleepy ride back to the hotel.
On Thursday we spent the morning hanging out at the hotel and then we decided to take our chances and drive around Panama City looking for some other touristy locations and some shopping. It started to rain that afternoon so that cut our sightseeing short but we did manage to get in a little shopping. We returned to the mall and did a little shopping on the Amador Causeway, just some Panama Hats and small souvenirs. We then went back to El Barko for another wonderful dinner before going back to the hotel to pack.And on Friday we did manage to get in a few morning pool hours before having to head off to the airport to sadly return home. I doubt that I would ever go back, but I would suggest anyone with interest to see Panama to go. I would also suggest that you go with someone who speaks good Spanish; Dad saved us many times and was our way to learn a lot more about their culture. All in all we had a great vacation, we got to spend lots of time together, got to really explore and learn about a new country, and we had wonderful food and service the entire time.
Week of 4.20
Week of 4.20
So we started this week out by carrying out our tradition of taking photobooth pictures. This is our first family photo and our before photo. I can’t put it up on facebook or myspace for all to see and to make the BIG announcement since I’m still not telling work about being pregnant. I’m gonna hold out for as long as possible or until I know I get to keep my job.
On Friday I had my first doctors appointment at Caring For Women in Denton. It’s early for the first appointment but they are seeing me anyways because we are leaving on Saturday for Panama. So the appointment was basically just lots of questions and paperwork. Pee in a cup; take lots of blood and so on. I saw the nurse practitioner Amy and she thinks I’m 7 weeks pregnant. She also has scared me by saying that I am measuring big for seven weeks and there might be more than one baby or I’m farther along or I have a big uterus. So we left it at that and I have to wait a month to come back for my first ultrasound where we will find out more. So the waiting continues but at least we get to go on vacation next week!
So we started this week out by carrying out our tradition of taking photobooth pictures. This is our first family photo and our before photo. I can’t put it up on facebook or myspace for all to see and to make the BIG announcement since I’m still not telling work about being pregnant. I’m gonna hold out for as long as possible or until I know I get to keep my job.
On Friday I had my first doctors appointment at Caring For Women in Denton. It’s early for the first appointment but they are seeing me anyways because we are leaving on Saturday for Panama. So the appointment was basically just lots of questions and paperwork. Pee in a cup; take lots of blood and so on. I saw the nurse practitioner Amy and she thinks I’m 7 weeks pregnant. She also has scared me by saying that I am measuring big for seven weeks and there might be more than one baby or I’m farther along or I have a big uterus. So we left it at that and I have to wait a month to come back for my first ultrasound where we will find out more. So the waiting continues but at least we get to go on vacation next week!
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Beginning
So I’m starting a blog, which I will hopefully keep track of, to help keep my life in order and memories clear. I know that life is gonna change here real fast so I need something to help keep me, me. I’m three months pregnant and feeling great. No morning sickness, just not sleeping good and already starting to get uncomfortable. Mike keeps saying I have no clue but he really has no clue. I do notice it’s harder for me to keep track of stuff and that’s one of the reasons I’m starting this blog. I’ve got a really busy summer and I want to keep all my memories and feelings documented somewhere.
So far I have posted my goals. They are really my life goals but also just something I wanted to write down so that I have something to look at if I start to doubt myself. They are to help me remember who I am at all times and who and what I want to be. It’s easy to get lost in life sometimes and reading what I want pulls me back.
To keep track of this summer and my pregnancy I’ll have to start with what’s already pasted.
Week of April 12, 2009
So we found out we were pregnant on Easter April 12th and got it confirmed the next day at my doctor’s office. We told family right away and everyone was happy. Especially Grandma and Jessica who cried. This was a crazy time for us. Karen is in a rehab detox center getting better, but no one knows because we got to have no contact with her for the week she was in there. She got out this week and it was obvious that she is very sick. She has other health issues besides the drinking and at this point we are hoping that she gets better. And this is just a crazy time in general for the entire country. We are in a terrible recession, everyone is worried about their jobs and money. Including us. I just found out that they are closing my banking center, the one they just made me transfer to, so that’s fun. And they just made all the managers at Mikes work take a 10% pay cut. So even with the craziness our 9 months of waiting begins…
So far I have posted my goals. They are really my life goals but also just something I wanted to write down so that I have something to look at if I start to doubt myself. They are to help me remember who I am at all times and who and what I want to be. It’s easy to get lost in life sometimes and reading what I want pulls me back.
To keep track of this summer and my pregnancy I’ll have to start with what’s already pasted.
Week of April 12, 2009
So we found out we were pregnant on Easter April 12th and got it confirmed the next day at my doctor’s office. We told family right away and everyone was happy. Especially Grandma and Jessica who cried. This was a crazy time for us. Karen is in a rehab detox center getting better, but no one knows because we got to have no contact with her for the week she was in there. She got out this week and it was obvious that she is very sick. She has other health issues besides the drinking and at this point we are hoping that she gets better. And this is just a crazy time in general for the entire country. We are in a terrible recession, everyone is worried about their jobs and money. Including us. I just found out that they are closing my banking center, the one they just made me transfer to, so that’s fun. And they just made all the managers at Mikes work take a 10% pay cut. So even with the craziness our 9 months of waiting begins…
Goals
Travel- Really explore these locations
1. Greece
2. Ireland
3. Amsterdam
4. Eastern Mediterranean Cruise- Dubrovnik, Croatia and Venice Italy
5. Paris again
6. Egypt
7. Thailand
8. Australia and New Zealand
9. Hawaii
10. Alaska
11. Vancouver
12. Los Angeles
13. Napa Vineyards
14. The Grand Canyon
15. Chicago
16. Memphis
17. Nashville, Tennessee
18. Washington DC
19. Georgia
20. Key West, Florida
21. New York
22. Boston
23. Aruba
The new seven wonders of the World
24. Machu Picchu, Peru
25. The Colisseum in Rome
26. Petra, Jordan
27. Christ Redeemer, Brazil
28. The Great Wall of China
29. Chichen Itza, Mexico
30. The Taj Mahal, India
Life
31. Have kids, 3
32. Be able to afford to be a stay at home Mom
33. Always be a Texan
34. Move to Austin
35. Remember where I came from
36. Remember who I am
37. Keep a clear picture of what I want
38. Be positive
39. Move in the right direction
40. Read
41. Live addiction free
42. Keep high expectations of myself and others
43. Always lead by example
44. Know my limits
45. Keep friends
46. Accept differences
47. Stay healthy
48. Go on vacation every year
49. See the beach every year
50. Go tubing every year
51. Go camping every year
52. Always decorate for the holidays
53. Only keep the things I need
54. Have parties
55. Go Green
56. Own a house by the water
57. Be ridiculous
58. Scrapbook everything
59. Stay calm
60. Always stand up for myself and my family
61. Spend quality time with family
62. No regrets- always have, know, and remember my reasons why
63. Always know that family and friends know how I feel about them
64. Seek out any confrontation and squash it
65. Always make time to watch the Longhorns, the Cowboys, and Tiger Woods
66. Bounce right back after a hard fall
67. Don’t simply accept what I’m told, go see for myself
68. Know when to cut your losses
69. Set clear boundaries
Experiences
70. Go skiing
71. Go surfing
72. Go skydiving
73. See northern lights
74. Go to the Olympics
75. Explore National Parks
76. Swim with a dolphin
77. Go white water rafting
78. Travel by sailboat
79. Take a dance class
80. Eat at a really expensive restaurant and not care about cost
81. Hike
82. Attempt to play golf
83. Ride in a hot air balloon
84. Go on a helicopter ride
85. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
86. Play on a Glacier
87. Times Square on New Year's Day
88. Go to Disney World
89. See an opera, a ballet, and a play
90. See Mount Rushmore
91. Go to the movies
92. Yosemite National Park
93. Cruise A1A in a convertible
94. Visit all 50 of the United States
95. Make pottery
96. Paint - watercolors, oil, acrylics
97. See the Panama Canal
98. Get a tattoo
99. Spend a week at a 5-star spa
100. Shop in Rodeo Drive
101. Invent something
102. Win something big
103. Go whale-watching
104. Go crab fishing
105. Get into a fight and do ok
106. Collect stars from travel
107. See the Radio City Christmas Spectacular
108. Go to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
109. Go to a UT game
See Americas best zoos
110. Animal Kingdom, Orlando
111. Bronx Zoo, New York
112. San Diego Zoo, California
113. Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington DC
114. Visit local zoos
Really explore these museums
115. Louvre Museum, Paris
116. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
117. National Gallery, Washington DC
118. The Smithsonian, Washington DC
119. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt
120. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
121. Art Institute of Chicago
122. J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles
123. Visit local museums
Education
124. Develop General Knowledge on Important Topics
125. Finish my college degree
126. Take a photography class
127. Take up astronomy
128. Watch/read the news
129. Learn basic car maintenance
130. Learn to drive a stick
131. Learn to cook and practice it
Financial
132. Invest in the stock market
133. Create enough passive income so that I don't have to work another day in my life
134. Create a savings fund for my child
1. Greece
2. Ireland
3. Amsterdam
4. Eastern Mediterranean Cruise- Dubrovnik, Croatia and Venice Italy
5. Paris again
6. Egypt
7. Thailand
8. Australia and New Zealand
9. Hawaii
10. Alaska
11. Vancouver
12. Los Angeles
13. Napa Vineyards
14. The Grand Canyon
15. Chicago
16. Memphis
17. Nashville, Tennessee
18. Washington DC
19. Georgia
20. Key West, Florida
21. New York
22. Boston
23. Aruba
The new seven wonders of the World
24. Machu Picchu, Peru
25. The Colisseum in Rome
26. Petra, Jordan
27. Christ Redeemer, Brazil
28. The Great Wall of China
29. Chichen Itza, Mexico
30. The Taj Mahal, India
Life
31. Have kids, 3
32. Be able to afford to be a stay at home Mom
33. Always be a Texan
34. Move to Austin
35. Remember where I came from
36. Remember who I am
37. Keep a clear picture of what I want
38. Be positive
39. Move in the right direction
40. Read
41. Live addiction free
42. Keep high expectations of myself and others
43. Always lead by example
44. Know my limits
45. Keep friends
46. Accept differences
47. Stay healthy
48. Go on vacation every year
49. See the beach every year
50. Go tubing every year
51. Go camping every year
52. Always decorate for the holidays
53. Only keep the things I need
54. Have parties
55. Go Green
56. Own a house by the water
57. Be ridiculous
58. Scrapbook everything
59. Stay calm
60. Always stand up for myself and my family
61. Spend quality time with family
62. No regrets- always have, know, and remember my reasons why
63. Always know that family and friends know how I feel about them
64. Seek out any confrontation and squash it
65. Always make time to watch the Longhorns, the Cowboys, and Tiger Woods
66. Bounce right back after a hard fall
67. Don’t simply accept what I’m told, go see for myself
68. Know when to cut your losses
69. Set clear boundaries
Experiences
70. Go skiing
71. Go surfing
72. Go skydiving
73. See northern lights
74. Go to the Olympics
75. Explore National Parks
76. Swim with a dolphin
77. Go white water rafting
78. Travel by sailboat
79. Take a dance class
80. Eat at a really expensive restaurant and not care about cost
81. Hike
82. Attempt to play golf
83. Ride in a hot air balloon
84. Go on a helicopter ride
85. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
86. Play on a Glacier
87. Times Square on New Year's Day
88. Go to Disney World
89. See an opera, a ballet, and a play
90. See Mount Rushmore
91. Go to the movies
92. Yosemite National Park
93. Cruise A1A in a convertible
94. Visit all 50 of the United States
95. Make pottery
96. Paint - watercolors, oil, acrylics
97. See the Panama Canal
98. Get a tattoo
99. Spend a week at a 5-star spa
100. Shop in Rodeo Drive
101. Invent something
102. Win something big
103. Go whale-watching
104. Go crab fishing
105. Get into a fight and do ok
106. Collect stars from travel
107. See the Radio City Christmas Spectacular
108. Go to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
109. Go to a UT game
See Americas best zoos
110. Animal Kingdom, Orlando
111. Bronx Zoo, New York
112. San Diego Zoo, California
113. Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington DC
114. Visit local zoos
Really explore these museums
115. Louvre Museum, Paris
116. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
117. National Gallery, Washington DC
118. The Smithsonian, Washington DC
119. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt
120. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
121. Art Institute of Chicago
122. J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles
123. Visit local museums
Education
124. Develop General Knowledge on Important Topics
125. Finish my college degree
126. Take a photography class
127. Take up astronomy
128. Watch/read the news
129. Learn basic car maintenance
130. Learn to drive a stick
131. Learn to cook and practice it
Financial
132. Invest in the stock market
133. Create enough passive income so that I don't have to work another day in my life
134. Create a savings fund for my child
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