Livin The Life

It’s a Great Life.

2010-12-31T08:59:00.001-08:00

So I guess I’ll start by saying that obviously I don't blog anymore. And I don't really intent to start again. But seeing as how I’m laid up with a broken foot, I have some free time. And I’ve had these thoughts going around in my head lately so I thought it would be good to write it out. So here goes…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a story my Mom told me about when I was born. Along with all the tall tales of “how big my Hunter head was” and “the 18 hours of intense first time labor” was a really special moment with my Granny. As my Granny, my Dad’s mom, held me for the first time she looked at me and told me “You are going to have a great life”. Now I know this lady, my Granny, has extraordinary powers. She raised 5 Hunter children, 4 boys and then finally a girl. And by Hunter children I mean to smart for their own good, always into something, older than their age, smart-asses. Generations later we are still the same and who would want it any other way? So yes, Granny has special powers and I think she passed more than her genes onto me. She told me I was gonna have a great life and I really have.

So now of course I want to pass this magical power of a great life onto Jay. I want to whisper this into his ear every night before bed to increase the odds of this great life happening for him as well. This is what I’ve been thinking about so much lately. Making sure that Jay not only has the great life I had but even better is my main goal these days. It’s funny how him coming along has been a huge part of my great life and now my primary goal is to give him a great life which in turn makes mine better. It reminds me of an article I read shortly after having Jay that was about hormones and babies laughing. When Mom makes her baby smile/laugh a hormone is released in Mom that makes her feel good, which makes her want to keep baby laughing.

It’s funny how now when I read over my life goals they now read to me as a list of all the things I want to do and teach Jay. And I know now that because of him I will accomplish more of these things. Which makes sense to me but that is not what I hear other people say. Most people say “accomplish your goals first because once you have kids it’s not gonna happen”. And I feel exactly the opposite. I’m going to do more, save more, and work harder for the chance to set a good example, #43, and experience these goals with Jay. http://kyilivinthelife.blogspot.com/2009/06/goals.html

On top of wanting all these experiences with Jay I want him to feel the same way about his family that I always have. I always felt that I had the greatest immediate and extended family ever. On top of that I feel like my great life has come with a built-in best friend and second family that at times are easy to forget that we are not really related. And along the way we have picked up more friends that have become family. I know that my life would not have been the same without these people and I am so grateful to have them in my life. My great life happened because of these people.

To continue to add to my great life I got the pleasure of finding my babies Daddy, my (male) best friend, and husband at a young age. I think starting out that young with such a long road to go is definitely the hard way but again, I would not have it any other way. Everyone who knows Mike knows how happy and fun he can be, sounds like great qualities for a first time father. And as far as myself I’m really proud of who I’ve become and I’m happy with my life. I have always wanted to be a Mom so I am living my dream and you can’t ask for more than that. I hope that Jay feels lucky to have us as parents.

So with this great life for Jay as my main goal, its gonna happen! If there is one thing Mike could tell you for sure about me it’s that when I really, really want something, I find a way to get it. I want to thank my Granny for jump starting my great life. I want to thank all those family and friends that played a huge role. And I want to ask them all to be there for Jay so one day he can feel like I feel.

(#63-Check!)

My First Week Back to Work

2010-03-20T15:23:00.001-07:00

03.17 to 03.19

So work is not so bad. I could totally have stayed home another 3 months but I think I’m gonna make it. It seems like they have really missed me and are glad to have me back. The days seem really long right now but that should get better with time. What sucks is that it use to take me 10 minutes to get to work and now it takes me an hour. And that’s just drive time. I have to cross Lewisville bridge 4 times a day and so far it has not been so bad but it can be a nightmare. Next year they should have 2499 going through and that will really help. So I’ve done my 3 days and 25 hours and this weekend we are going to Austin to stay in the new house. I’m so excited!

One Week Left

2010-03-16T21:16:00.001-07:00

03.10-03.16

Finally I’m all caught up with my blog, I promise to never fall so far behind. I only have one week left of my maternity leave and I have a lot to do. Dad’s suburban broke down the day we got back into town. Since he has a crazy week he has Mom’s car, so I’ve been Mom’s driver.

Wednesday we did grocery shopping. Thursday was our most active day. We went to Petsmart to drop Ella and Daisy for a spa day, to pay Moms car insurance bill, to pay Moms water bill, lunch, Steinmart, Mom had to be dropped off at her massage for an hour while I ran home and to the bank and then back to pick her up, then to Best Buy, Rooms to Go, Ashley Furniture, Stacy Furniture Outlet, back to Petsmart to get the dogs, and finally back to Moms. Keep in mind we did all this with Jay but he was great he slept all day. On Friday we hit up another Best Buy, Havertys Furniture, Conn’s, Sams, and Mattress Giant. Mom was looking for a new breakfast room dining table. And I was looking for a new mattress, a new flat screen TV, and a TV stand to match our entertainment center.

Mom and I did all the footwork and on Saturday Mike and I went and bought everything. Saturday night was Jessie’s birthday and everyone was going to Cancuks for some karaoke. I went with Mom and Dad and Mike joined a little later with Jay. Jay got to go to his first bar and meet everyone at Cancuks. “You have a baby, in a bar”. Yes that’s me. Jay loved all the lights and music.

On Sunday we got everything ready and Mike played disk golf. I was really excited about the new TV until we started to wheel out the old one. I had to give it a hug, it’s been such a good TV. I was a little sad and I don’t know if I can give it away. Monday the TV and mattress was delivered and the TV does look really good.

And today, after a wonderful nights sleep on my new mattress, I ran errands again with Mom. Mom and I bought a bunch of stuff for the Austin house. We are gonna go down there next weekend and I’m so excited.

And now I have to go back to work. It’s so sad, at least I only have to go back 3 days a week and Jay will be with my Mom. It’s gone by really fast and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Florida

2010-03-15T13:01:00.001-07:00

03.02-03.09

As we were getting ready for our first big trip Jay started to catch my cold. Monday before we left I took him to the Dr and there was really nothing to do other than keep a close watch on him. We did weigh him again and now he weighs 12lbs 13oz. Craziness!

Our flight left Tuesday morning at 7:20. I had to get up at 4:00am, Yuck! We had no problems making it through security and really lucked out with an almost empty plane. Jay and I had an entire row to ourselves. And Jay slept the entire way, as Grandma would say “he didn’t even make a peep”.

Since we left so early we had almost the entire day in Florida. Tuesday and Wednesday we spent hanging out at the condo. They had been having unusually cold weather so we planned out our week accordingly. On Wednesday we took a drive up A1A to see Trumps place, it’s such a beautiful drive. The boys played as many disk golf courses as possible. One apparently belonged to a church that was more like a cult. It was out in the middle of the woods and kinda scary. Dad started calling it the Blair Disk Project.

On Thursday we went on a boat tour of the Inter-Costal. It was still a little cold but we sat inside. The houses along the tour are unbelievable. Some of our favorites were the house with 6 kitchens and a glass elevator, the house that bought the $4 million lot next to it for a play area for their children, and the one that was originally on the market for $27 million but right now was on sale for only $22 million. This was Jay’s first boat ride and we all really enjoyed it. Once it warmed up a little we took him out on deck and he loved the wind. That night Grandma planned a birthday dinner for Mom at Duffy’s. She picked a good night because it was 2 for 1 drinks and surf and turf for $14.99.

On Friday Mikes Grandparents drove from the Gulf side of Florida to meet Jay. It was so great that they could make it. We sat around talking and taking photos all day. Jay got to be with 3 of his Great Grandparents at the same time. And Jay learned how to suck on his thumb. I’m sure this is not something to be excited about but we were excited. He is getting coordinated!

On Saturday and Sunday the weather was nicer so we hung out by the pool and the boys played disk golf. Sunday was the warmest day so I was gonna take Jay into the pool. I got him all dressed in a swim diaper and a bathing suit. Dad handed Jay off to me once I was in the pool. As soon as I put Jay half way in a old lady started saying “Hello, Hello who is the condo owner?” We said my Grandma and she said, “Well, You can’t put that baby in the pool, It’s the Law!” We told her ok sorry we didn’t know and that we were going to just take a picture and get right out. She started to freak out and yell at us to “Get that baby out of the pool”. Of course we got smart back and asked her if she was the condo police, which really pissed her off. She started telling Grandma that she would find out who she was and report her. Mom got the entire situation on tape, from start to finish its 2 minutes. Everyone got all protective and sarcastic. Dad started calling the old lady Lady Caca and Casey wanted us all to get in the pool and pee. Lady Caca turned into the joke of the trip. So Jay broke his first rule and got yelled at. To remember the occasion, the first of many I’m sure, I made a wanted poster for Jay.

Monday was our last full day in Florida and the warmest yet so we took Jay to the beach. It was really nice but the water was still a little cold. We let Jay put his feet in the sand and in the water. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the sun.

Tuesday completed our week in Florida. It was an eventful week. We got to do everything we wanted to do and Mom and Dad got the Austin house! We now just had to pack up and make it home. Once again we lucked out and got an empty seat for Jay. He was awake for the first 1.5 hours and then slept all the way until we got back to Mom and Dad’s house. What a great baby!

Jared’s Party

2010-03-14T18:05:00.001-07:00

02.27

Jared threw another party. All the usual suspects were present. This was my first night out since being pregnant, Mom watched Jay. We had fun and it is always nice to see everyone but I’m glad this is something that we only have to do every once in a while.

Sick and Divine Consign

2010-03-14T13:46:00.001-07:00

02.18-02.25

On the way back from Austin Mom started feeling sick and lost her voice. And then I got it. I went to the Dr right away because I didn’t want to get Jay sick. He said it was just a cold and there was not much to do about it. I felt bad for an entire week.

During that week I had the Divine Cosign sale that Stephanie got me into. I got to shop early because I was working a break down shift on Monday. The sale was great but it sucked that I felt sick for the shopping and the shift. But it was worth it because for $98.00 I got 15 Rompers, 1 Vest, 4 Collared Shirts, 1 T-Shirt, 4 Onesies, 2 Overalls, 3 Khaki Pants, 2 Bathing Suits, 3 Shorts, and 9 PJ's.

Austin & Mikes New Job

2010-02-28T20:24:00.001-08:00

02.15-02.17

The Ranch sold and Mom and Dad are looking to buy a house in Austin. I’m so happy for them! So Mom and I went to Austin to look at some houses with AJ. We stayed with Mimi. Jay was cranky being away from home for the first time. The trip was worth it because we found it, the perfect house! Now AJ just has to get it for us.

And while we were gone Mike started his new job. Dustin helped him get it and its mostly all sales. I really hope he likes it.

Valentines Day

2010-02-28T20:16:00.001-08:00

02.14

2 Month Dr’s Appt & The Olympics

2010-02-28T20:13:00.001-08:00

02.12

We did have to go out in the snow for Jay’s 2 month Dr’s appointment first thing Friday morning. I was so happy that Mike did not have to work so that he could help us get there. He had to actually dig my car out. Dr. Goff says that Jay is perfect and “the cutest dang baby I’ve ever seen”. And he weighs 11lbs 9oz! He is huge!

The Olympics started! I plan on being on my couch in front of the TV for the next two weeks.

12.5 Inches of Snow at DFW!

2010-02-28T20:02:00.001-08:00

02.11 and 02.12

This is the most snow I have ever seen. It really came down all day on Thursday. Jay and I stayed in all day and Mike cleaned pools all day. Mike made Jay his first snowman and helped him make his first snow angle. The snow was beautiful but caused a lot of problems. As pretty as it was I was glad that it only lasted for two days.

Visit to Stephanie’s

2010-02-28T19:52:00.001-08:00

02.06

Steph took some picts of Jay.

And Jager came over to visit Ella.

Done Breastfeeding

2010-02-28T19:46:00.001-08:00

02.01

Done, Done, Done!!! Can I have a beer please!!!!

The Next Few Weeks

2010-02-27T10:58:00.001-08:00

End of January to Beginning of February

This was the last week that Grandma was here so we have been spending almost every day hanging out with Mom and Grandma. Casey and Alex got a new puppy, Jager.

Cowboys Are Out and Jay’s First Diskgolf

2010-02-27T10:35:00.001-08:00

01.17

We watched the Cowboys V Vikings game at the Stones house. And in a huge disappointment the Cowboys lost and are done for the season. After the game the boys wanted to play diskgolf so Mom and I went along to take Jay. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed walking along and taking pictures.

One Month!

2010-02-27T10:34:00.001-08:00

01.16

UT BSC Championship Game

2010-02-25T21:05:00.001-08:00

01.07

We prepped all day. Jay was totally ready for his first UT game. All I can say is what a disappointment. Now we have to wait 9 more months until next season starts.

Jay’s Dr’s Appointments

2010-02-25T21:00:00.001-08:00

01.06

So far he has had 3 appointments. One right after we got out of the hospital, his two week on New Years Eve, and then one a week later. Everything was perfect at the first two appointments except that he had not gotten back up to his birth weight at his two week appointment so Dr. Goff wanted to see him again. I love his Dr she seems to love Jay, she is really loud, and she says “you know” a lot. At this last appointment he regained his birth weight. So now we are good until our 2 month appointment. Here are some pictures from this week.

Jay’s First Photobooth Photos

2010-02-25T20:44:00.001-08:00

01.04

Christmas to New Years

2010-02-25T19:45:00.001-08:00

12.26-1.01

The day after Christmas we got out of the hospital. AJ and Laura drove up to see us so we went to have dinner at Moms. Jay got to meet them and hang out at his first dinner at Granny and Granddad’s house. The next day we met them at Red Robin for Jay’s first restaurant. Afterward we returned to Mom’s house and Dad played guitar for Jay. And he loved it.

AJ and Laura had to leave before the New Years Eve Party but Jessica and Brian came up for the party. Jay stayed up for the entire party being pasted around to everyone. He loved the karaoke and all the music. All the usual suspects made their appearances at the party and it was great to see everyone as a new mom instead of a gigantic pregnant person. So we rang in 2010 as a new family of three!

Our Birth Story

2010-02-25T12:23:00.001-08:00

12.15 to 12.20

I went to my weekly check up with Dr. Reaves with hopes that I would have some progress from the previous week so that we could induce. Mike came to the appointment with me because I had a feeling that today would be the day. Dr. Reaves checked me and I was dilated 2cm, progress! I asked her how big she thought the baby was and she said about 7lbs. I responded “that’s big enough, let’s do this”. Dr. Reaves agreed and started making calls to the hospital to get us in. She had to pull some strings but she got us in. So she sent us home with an appointment at Denton Regional Medical Center to check in at 8:00pm to be induced.

It was an afternoon filled with anticipation, knowing that this would be our last day of just a family of two. I checked my bag and napped while Mike played PS3. We had a nice relaxing drive to the hospital. Mike was disappointed that he didn’t get to drive like a crazy person so he let me drive. We arrived, checked into our huge delivery room, I got into my lovely hospital gown and was hooked up to all kinds of meds and equipment. And then we tried to sleep for the night.

By morning most of the family had made an appearance and my water had broke overnight. I was really comfortable until Dr. Reaves came in to check on me. I had dilated to 3cm and not all of my water had broken so Dr. Reaves took care of that. I started to feel contractions almost right away so Dr. Reaves ordered my epidural. I was really feeling the contractions by the time the anesthesiologist got there and sitting up and still was not fun. I felt relief for about 20 minutes and then I started to really feel some strong contractions. We called the nurse and they sent in the anesthesiologist again. He gave me another shot of the epidural. I had to wait it out to see if the epidural would start to work. I waited for relief and did not get any. Once again they called for the anesthesiologist and he once again gave me another shot of the epidural. At this point after two hours of strong contractions I was very uncomfortable. They called for a different anesthesiologist to come totally redo the epidural. While moving into position to get the second epidural I realized that I was not only completely numb on my right side but that I was paralyzed. The first epidural site only got meds to my right side and I was still feeling everything on my left side. So the nurses had to completely move me around because I was paralyzed and in pain. Finally I got a good epidural, it only took being juiced up four times! Relief, Ahhhhh!

Now that I was feeling better the family got to come back in and it was now just a waiting game. I had started to run a fever so they started me on IV antibiotics. The nurses like to come in every so often and move you from side to side. While lying on my left side Mr. Jay was very happy but when they moved me onto my right side his heartbeat dropped very low. This started a huge scare. Nurses and Drs came running into the room. They kicked everyone but Mike out, flipped me, and watched the monitors. We were all really freaked out for a moment but everything went back to normal. Due to the low heart rate and the speed of the contractions they had to stop the Pitocin for an hour. This really set me back; it took me three hours to get back to where we were before they stopped the Pitocin.

So I started to progress again but the writing was on the wall. I got to 7cm but as I was dilating my cervix was swelling. Very slowly I got to 8cm and then 9cm. Dr. Reaves said we would give it another hour to see if I could get to 10cm and to sit up to help me open up and for him to move down. An hour later I was back to 8cm. Since we were now going backwards it was time for the c-section.

So to recap it was two hours of bad contractions, four epidurals, paralyzation, scary low heart rate, 25 hours of labor and 9cm dilated to have a c-section. Nice! But I was not going to question Dr. Reaves if she thought c-section was the safest, quickest, and easiest way then that’s what we were gonna do.

In no time at all Mike was in plastic scrubs and I was being wheeled into the operating room. With a blue curtain in my face I got my last round of epidural. I was totally numb and laid out with my arms strapped down. As Mike sat right next to my face I was feeling like I was in A Baby Story from TLC. At this point I was so tired it was hard to stay awake. They said to get ready to feel lots of pressure but I felt nothing. Then Dr. Reaves said “No wonder you couldn’t get him out, you’re having a 10 pound baby”. Now this woke me up. They had him out so fast. At 9:21 December 16^th, 2009 James Monte Irmen at 8 pounds 2 ounces and 19 inches long made his appearance. Mike got to go and meet Jay for the first time and take pictures. And after they had him all suctioned and wrapped up a nurse brought him over to meet me. I looked at him and said “Hi little baby, thank you for coming out of me”. After a few minutes they took Jay away to go to the nursery and meet the rest of the patiently waiting family with Mike. This part of the c-section was the longest but I was so sleepy I just kinda dozed through it.

Next I went to the recovery room to wait an hour. Mike visited me to give me a report on the baby and to bring me the soda that I had been demanding since I went into labor. I was amazed, as soon as they take that epidural out of your back the numbness goes away fast. This was a huge relief because as paralyzed and numb as I was I thought I would never regain full feeling again. I was relieved to have feeling back right up until I started to feel pain. I asked for my pain meds and it took forever. But finally just before I left the recovery room I got my morphine peeper. Ahhhh, relief again every 6 minutes!

I was then wheeled into my very small and not as nice postpartum room. The entire family followed with happy stories about how huge he was and how much dark hair he had. It didn’t take long for the nursery to bring Jay to me. And finally I got to hold him. It was over, I had done it, 39 weeks of pregnancy and 25 hours of labor and I was holding my little baby. My poor little guy had a rough day as well so we just sat together in relief that it was all finally over. We had kisses and hugs and crying and pictures all around. And then all there was left to do was sleep.

The most unusual thing happened the night Jay was born. Jay’s nurse from the nursery was helping me breast feed for the first time and she said she thought she knew us from somewhere. I looked at her and asked her if she ever worked at Lewisville Hospital. And at that moment we both knew. She was Mikes Moms nurse when she died a month earlier. The nurse looked at Mike and asked how he and his Dad were doing. So the nurse that was there when Karen died was Jay’s first nurse.

Over the next 3 days we had all our typical firsts. I worked on breast feeding and Mike did all of the diaper changes. We used the nursery at night and slept through the night while we still could. I was in pain but trying to get up as much as possible. They kept me on the IV for the antibiotics due to the fever I had during labor. I had one miserable night were I was way over hydrated. I was getting up to pee every 45 minutes, and I mean barley make it to the bathroom really have to pee kinda pee. I begged to be taken off the IV and finally they got me off it, freedom!

On the 4^th day, which was actually my due date, we went home. Everyone was there to welcome us home and drop off the dog. Ella and Jay met for the first time and it was love at first sight. I was so worried about Ella being too crazy but she was wonderful from the first day.

So this should have been it, right? No. In the hospital I kept telling the nurses that I was hot and probably running a fever. They told me it was just hormones. Well after being home for 2 days I spiked a 101.4 fever. I went in to see my Dr and was told it was a bladder infection. I went home with some new antibiotics. Then on Christmas Eve again I spiked a high fever. The nurse on call at my Dr’s office told me to go to the ER. So Mom came and picked me up and brought me back to the hospital.

The ER ran all kinds of test and checked my wound. Everything looked ok but due to the fever they wanted me to stay in the hospital. So I got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas in the hospital feeling horrible. And to make matters worse the nurses tried to tell us that Jay could not even come to my room much less stay overnight with me. I started to get really upset but upon farther questioning the nurses let him stay as long as Mike was staying too. So once again I was all hooked up to an IV and antibiotics.

On Christmas morning the Dr on call from my OB’s office, Dr. Ready, came to examine me again. And finally she found the source of the infection and fever. From pushing and examining my wound the day before the infection had come to the surface. So she had to reopen the wound and push all the infection out, Yuck! I couldn’t see but Mike watched and the look on his face told me everything I needed to know. She then had to clean it out with a Q-tip and teach Mike how to do it because he would be my nurse when we went home. This would be our twice a day routine for 3 weeks until my wound sealed up again. It was gross and painful but at least there was an end in sight.

Shortly after Mom and Dad showed up with all our Christmas presents. So Jay got to celebrate his first Christmas in the hospital. We opened all our presents and took pictures. And finally we went home the next day feeling much better and never wanting to go back to the hospital again.

The past 6 weeks

2009-12-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

12.6
The past six weeks have been crazy and life changing.

Mikes Mom passed on 11.09 and life just kinda stopped as it does when tragic things like losing a family member happens. Everyone seems to be dealing well and kinda on their own. I feel like Mike is kinda putting dealing with things off by just keeping busy, taking care of his Dad, and trying to make money with still no regular job. And I have a feeling that there will be a lot of bitter sweet moments once the baby comes that will force Mike to deal with his own feelings and issues. And as for me Karen will be truly missed but I am happy that she no longer has to struggle and be sick. And right now my greatest wish is to have a healthy Father-in-Law that makes some real changes in his life so that he can be reliable to Mike and Ami; because I really think that will make a difference in both of them positively growing up and moving forward.

Since then I had my shower and a week of vacation over Thanksgiving, which was much needed. We used this time to finish Jay’s room and spend time with family and friends. New Moon came out and I’ve seen it twice! Texas won the Big 12 Championship, barely and in the most stressful way possible and now will move on to the National Championship on Jan 7th! I’ve gained a total of 30 lbs and feel huge and have had to return to work for my last 3 weeks. Its hard enough to begin with and Jasmine is doing her best to break me down, but weirdly enough Cathy is being great and even told me that she loves me. It’s weird how the rare kindness from someone unexpected can almost make up for the mistreatment from someone else.

So only two weeks left! I’m ready…the house is ready…the car seat is in the car…and my bag is packed…

Here is my 35 week picture and then some shower photos and Jays room.

Another few weeks…

2009-10-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

10.28

I’m still making it! I was off work today for a doctor’s appointment and not feeling 100%. Just a sore throat and my ears hurt but no fever, so nothing to worry about. Dr. Reaves says that everything looks good!

Mike is still looking for a job so that’s still really stressful. He has been doing a lot of DJ gigs to make up for it. And he has gotten A LOT done around the house that never would have gotten done if he was working. But now enough is enough he really needs to find something.

And since I was sitting home all day I have lots of countdowns! Coming up first I have 15 more working days until my VACATION! Second 22 more days until New Moon comes out! Third 30 more working days until my due date! And Fourth 52 more total days until my due date!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo Exciting!!!

And its a little late but here is my 30 week belly photo.

Pimp and Whore Diaper Party

2009-10-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

10.24
It had been a year since the last Pimp and Whore Party so I decided it was time for another. This year I added a diaper party in hopes this would give the boys a way to do something for baby since they won’t be coming to the shower. And we got some diapers!!

I went as a pimp and a hoe, which was me dressed as sultty as possible with a pimp onesie attached to my belly. Mike borrowed a white suit and jewelry from his father and looked pimp. And we looked good! Lots of people came out and were dressed up, we even had someone in an ape suit.

We had a great night but let me tell you it’s a whole different party completely sober. I had to work that day and getting up at 7:00 and staying up until 3:00 did almost kill me. But the pictures are worth it!

All in all I say it was a successful party. Only one thing broke. We had less than 10 spills. All pukers made it to the bathroom. And everyone made it home safe.

So It’s Been A While

2009-10-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

10.09
Life has been busy over the past month! Let me quickly recap what’s happened over the last month: I have pasted the 100 day mark, gotten lots bigger, I now weigh more than Mike, football season has officially started UT is making me proud and the Cowboys are embarrassing, I have ordered and gotten all the baby furniture, Mike has painted the nursery, and we celebrated our 2nd anniversary by going to the State Fair and getting a 3D ultrasound.

Wow! So all of these things have been great and the best was the 3D ultrasound. I was kind of skeptical about it but I am so glad we did it. Jay gave us really great face shots and was really moving around and showing off. So far people say he looks like Mike but he has big lips like me. Towards the end we tried for some feet pictures, because Mom loves the baby feet, and he was a little tired of being poked around so he started to kick the probe back. When he pushes into me and gets to close to my tissue the pictures come out cloudy so we had some trouble with the feet. Getting pushed on from both sides for 10 minutes is a very interesting feeling. But finally he pulled back a little and we got some photos. He also rolled all the way around while we got to watch and it was very cool to get to match the feelings I get with his movements. And Mike spent his time closely watching and counting and he says we have all 10 fingers and toes. We left with a 50 min DVD of the entire session and a CD with 150 pictures. The bumps on his head are from where the probe is sitting on him. So below are some of the best photos and some more photobooth photos.

The stressful things going on are mostly work related. Mike is looking for a new job in a very stressful situation. And at my work Cathy is being difficult and uncaring when it comes to the last few weeks of my pregnancy. According to her having access to a chair makes me incapable of performing my job. I feel like she is trying to run me out before my leave so that she can hire to replace me. So I might have a HR fight coming up in my future. And the flu is going around like crazy at my work. Several people have been hospitalized. Mike and I went and got the flu shot and I haven’t been feeling so good the past two days so I have not been at work.

But at this point I’m 30 weeks, so 10 weeks left with a week of vacation so only 9 more weeks of work left. I can do 9 weeks of anything, so bring it on Cathy!

We have a Name!

2009-10-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

9.9
So after over an hour of negotiations, which include room colors and who gets the final say in future kids names, we came to a final decision on a name. It’s going to be James Monte Irmen and we will call him Jay for short. Finally it’s done and Mike won but I get to pick any future girl names!

And here is my 25 week picture!

A Few Weeks…

2009-08-27T19:48:00.001-07:00

8.27
So a few weeks have gone by and I have not done very much. I’ve been busy working and trying to recover from work. Standing all day is really starting to exhaust me but for now I’m still making it. But the countdown has definitely begun. I’m almost 24 weeks, which means 16 weeks to go and with one week of vacation left that means only 15 more weeks of work!!!

I did go and register with Stephanie and Mom on the 16th. Wow there is a lot of baby stuff. Thank goodness Stephanie knows everything I’ll need. It really was not that bad it just took a long time. After 3 hours at Babies R Us I was done. Other than this I went to see The Time Travelers Wife, which I loved, I’ve been eating, resting, and getting bigger. It’s now officially hard to get my own pants on. I just can’t seem to get my hand low enough and my foot high enough with the growing belly in the way.

This week for the first time I actually saw the baby move. I could see the little kicks from the outside. I spent all last Sunday sitting with my feet up watching movies on cable and watching my belly move. Mike does not have the patients to sit and wait so he has missed this so far. It really does seem like he quits moving around when he knows Mike is watching or trying to feel movement.

And last we are still going around with names. I know what I like and I thought we had agreed but Mike is having second thoughts. So I’ll just keep at him until we have a final decision.

It’s a Boy!!!

2009-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

8.6
So this morning we went for our 20 week ultrasound. And we are definitely having a boy! Everything still looks great and measures right along track. His heart beat was 146 bpm. He really cooperated and gave us lots of good pictures, including a really cute one of his foot. I’m feeling movement all the time now but it still just feels like rolling around. I felt one really good jab last night and this morning with a full bladder, to get a clear ultrasound, he was pushing around down there a lot. Which was fun, thanks kid. I’m getting bigger for sure. I’ve graduated to almost all maternity clothing. And I am still craving cheese enchiladas all the time.

I talked to my doctor about my limits and I need to start taking it easier at work. This basically means more breaks, less standing, and no lifting coin. So we will see how that conversation goes. But whatever happens I only have 19 weeks left and one of those weeks I have vacation. So 18 more weeks of work!!!

Crazy Day

2009-08-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

8.3
BCCR was in my banking center today. This is our audit team and it’s always a beating. It’s important, everyone has to participate, and it’s so easy to mess up.

I got the call at 7 in the morning and rushed straight to work. Cathy my new/old manager is on vacation so this was extra stressful especially since I’ve only been in this banking center for a week. And just to make it worse it was a crazy crazy Monday after a payday weekend. HELL!

But we made it; we got 9 out of 10. I think it’s the highest this banking center has ever gotten so we were all really happy. I also had to stay and close the bank so my day was crazy from 8 to 7. The managers met up for drinks at On The Boarder afterward and I had my equivalent for now, which is cheese enchiladas. By the time I got home it was 9.

I got home and started to go to bed and Mikes parents called. The shop was on fire. The fire department got it out and tore up the building. So Mike and I went out there and were out until 11. This day will never end!

They think that a propane tank was left leaking and then when any type of electrical thing sparked the building just went up. They condemned the building the next day and it has to come down. Everything is all up in the air right now as to what’s going to happen. I’m just happy that Mike’s firebird was no longer there.

Survival

2009-08-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

8.1
So I have survived my first 6 days in a row at the South Denton banking center. I am tired and it is just as crazy as I expected. I have my old manager, Cathy, back from when I was first hired at BOA 5.5 years ago and let’s just say the two of us have our moments together. I love her but man she can drive me crazy and stress me out.

Today Cathy started her vacation so I got to run things by myself and I felt good about it. In fact it felt like things went better today than it had been going all week. It’s so busy that I really have to be on my feet all day and don’t really get breaks. I really pushed myself this week but I’m gonna have to start finding the time to take it easy.

One good thing is that being busy really makes the day go by so much faster. I just keep telling myself that I can make it through 4.5 months of anything. So the countdown begins, 19 more weeks of work!

Ruidoso

2009-08-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

7.18-7.25
Ahh a week in the mountains and the 60 degree weather. We had a great time. I passed on the hike this year so my week mostly consisted of deck time, napping, eating, and shopping.

Scott and Donna Stone came with us, which is always nice, no F the baby needed with them. And of course Justin came again for the one and only week he comes out of his hole that is his Dads house and lets the rest of the world see him. Dad, Scott and Justin played lots of golf. Casey and Mike played lots of disk golf. Mom, Donna, and I got a facial and shopped. Mike also skipped the hike with me and we went to the shittiest theater ever and saw the new Harry Potter.

The highlight of the week for everyone was mostly just relaxing and enjoying the great weather. Mike got me a really beautiful onyx and opal necklace that I love! Mike befriended a wild deer in the woods by the house and was feeding her almonds right out of his hand, so that was really cool. So it was exactly what I needed and now it’s off to start at my new crazy banking center, yuck!

Baby Movement!!!

2009-07-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

7.15
I don’t know really what it feels like but I think that for the first time I really felt the baby move. It’s hard to determine between my stomach and baby. But last night I got 5 little thumps in a row way low in my belly! There really is something in there.

So Mike and I went out to Red Lobster and had a huge meal. And then came home and watched a movie. After all that food there was lots of movement in my belly but it was probably just me. So now I am looking forward to more, bring on the kicks!

Much Better

2009-07-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

7.15
So I’m feeling much better now. I was down for a little while but I have a much better outlook now. I’ve realized that sometimes the best things in life can happen after you’ve been knocked down. If you can get back up after a fall and find a way to be happier than before then you know you can get, do, and have anything you want in life. And up I stand, I’m not gonna let anything get me down.

Mike has helped me to feel like this. Believe me he is the cause of a lot of frustration in my life, he does not make things easy sometimes, but he can also really make me happy when he wants to. So even though I just want to smack him in the head sometimes I really do need him, especially now that I’m all crazy pregnant.

So really since my Birthday I’ve really just been working and trying to rest as much as possible. I’ve had to buy maternity pants because mine were just getting unbearable. We had a bank work party at Cancuks on the 10th, which was a lot of fun. We got to get out all our frustrations towards work. And we went to Kristen’s wedding on the 11th, which was also our 9 year anniversary. It’s so nice to be able to go to a wedding together just to hear and be reminded of the promises that you once made to each other. Mike and I both had a great time.

This week is my last week at the Denton banking center. It’s sad but there is so much to do its also stressful. I had to leave early yesterday for the second part of the blood work from our NT scan, we should get the results soon. And now after today I will have two days left and then on to a week in Ruidoso! I can wait for a week of no work and just relaxing with Mike and my family. Cooler mountain air here I come!

Just Bad

2009-07-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Had a really horrible horrible day yesterday.

Things HAVE to get better than yesterday.

My Birthday Week

2009-07-02T15:14:00.001-07:00

6.26
The new furniture was delivered on Tuesday, it looks so good. Mike had to stay home all day to meet the brainless delivery guy. After he was over an hour late he called me to say he forgot what store he needed to pick up my furniture from. But whatever, it’s home and beautiful. All week I’ve been working on moving everything out of the furniture for the flooring guys, we have a lot of stuff.

On my Birthday I had to work and Mike was off at home with the flooring guys. I got off early to go home to a construction zone. Mike scheduled a DJ gig for that night, not thinking about my birthday, but I wasn’t mad. I stayed home until the guys finished up for the day and then went to Cancuks.

Saturday the flooring guys were back. They finished at 1:00 so I spent the rest of the day cleaning dust off everything and putting stuff back. The floor looks great! It’s like I have a new house. The dog’s nails are long so she slides all over the place and you can hear her walking everywhere. So we are gonna have to do something about that soon. They did a really great job and I could not be happier.

On Sunday I was so tired and sore from all the moving and cleaning. Mom came out to the house to see everything. We went and picked up Kyra, who is now back in her house in Denton, and went to lunch and the mall. Mom went home while I rested. Later that night, after Mike got off work, the entire family met up at Mom and Dads and we went out to dinner for my birthday, Anamia’s again! I can’t get enough Mexican food.

All in all it was a very different birthday. I am so happy to have all these things done and behind us. And now we just get to enjoy our new beautiful furniture, floors, and car. Done for awhile!

Really Busy Expensive Weekend And Fathers Day

2009-07-02T14:05:00.001-07:00

6.20-6.22
Mom and I had planned to go furniture shopping on Saturday for a new living room set. Last year when I went to Florida Mom and I helped Grandma get new lining room furniture and she told us both that she would buy us new furniture. So the time has come to start looking! Our furniture is 8 years old and covered in dog/cat hair. I did lots of online looking to get an idea of what I wanted; I was looking for a new couch, loveseat, and chair. Mike wants all leather and I wasn’t sure about that for every piece. After looking at a few other stores we went to Ashley and walked in and right there was my new living room! They are all leather recliners, and the chair is a rocker recliner. The set was originally $5400.00 and I bought the ones on the showroom floor, in perfect condition, for $2050.00. I was so excited. So Mom and I had lunch and I went home.

After getting home I decided to just stop by the Mazda dealership by my house to see what kind of deals they could offer me. I have been looking for a new car for a while and decided on the Mazda CX-7. I did at lot of research on both the car and exactly what we could afford after baby. From what I figured I could afford a used 2007 or 2008 under $20,000.00 to fit into my monthly budget of $300.00 a month. I did a lot of looking on auto trader and just needed to find the time for Mike to go with me to check out some of the cars. I would never buy a used car without him; he always seems to have good instinct with used cars. But finding that time is hard and he has been driving to and from Allen everyday in a POS with no A/C. So I figured the price between the new and used is not that much different, maybe if they really want to sell me a car they could meet my price range. So off I go just to check it out on a whim to the Mazda dealership, by myself.

I walked in told the sales guy that I was already sold on the car and just needed to find the guy that could make me the deal. My only requirement was that it have leather seats and other than that I wasn’t gonna be picky. We went for a test drive and sat down to fill out a credit app. The first time the guy came to me the offer was almost $27,000.00 with payments over $400.00 a month. I told him no can do. I said I work for a bank, I know my budget, I’m having a kid, and I have no wiggle room so if its gonna come from somewhere it has got to come from you. The guy leaves, talks to another guy and comes back with the car being just over $21,000.00 and payments at $340.00 a month. Doable I’ll sign! So I traded Mike’s car in and bought a new car without him being there at all, without even planning to. But he doesn’t care at all because that means that he gets my Z. My poor baby Z, I will miss her so much. We are already taking bets as to how long it will take Mike to ruin her. :(

Sunday was Fathers Day. Dad played golf and we all met up for a late lunch, Anamia’s takeout again. We watched some golf afterward and just had a relaxing day. Mike had to work all day and then had to spend time with his Dad, so I barely saw him.

Monday I had CC Carpet come out to give us an estimate to replace the carpet with laminate. They quoted us $2000.00 cheaper than Empire Today, so I signed those papers too. The guys will be out on Friday and Saturday to install, so I have a lot of moving all our knick-knacks to do.

So I have successfully spent all our savings. On the positive side I have gotten lots of stuff off our to-do list. I hope this is not some crazy pregnancy side effect that makes me think that I can afford/need all this stuff but I really can’t. I don’t think so, working for the bank for the last 5 years has taught me to be responsible with our finances. We will just have to really start saving again.

Officially Done With The 1st Trimester!

2009-06-29T15:39:00.001-07:00

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!

Busy Weekend, Jacks Birthday and Kristen’s Bridal Shower

2009-06-29T15:33:00.001-07:00

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.

NT Scan and 2nd Ultrasound

2009-06-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

6.9
We 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.

The George Strait Concert

2009-06-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

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!

First Ultrasound and Austin Weekend

2009-06-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

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…

Kenny Chesney Concert, The Second Time

2009-06-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

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.

Mothers Day And Pregnancy Symptoms

2009-06-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Kenny Chesney Concert, The First Time

2009-06-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Panama City, Panama

2009-06-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Week of 4.20

2009-06-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

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!

The Beginning

2009-06-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

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…

Goals

2009-06-12T10:09:00.001-07:00

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