Christmas Hangover

Anyone else in a haze of a Christmas hangover? I feel like I can't catch up but LUCKILY tomorrow starts a four day weekend for this girl. Icannotwaitandamsoexcited!

We had a great Christmas. My mom, dad, sister and cousins came to visit. JM's parents, sister, her bf and dog also brought a little Christmas cheer our way. Unfortunately, J's cold caught up with him and he was notinthebestspirits on Christmas day. As in, he cried and slept most of the day. Scratch that, all of the day. Poor guy.

I got JM the Michael Jackson Experience for Wii. We had so much fun with this. Go out and get it if you have a Wii. You will thank me later. My cousin, a straight laced 46 year old engineer, was far from the stereotypical MJ fanatic, but his dance moves put us all to shame. Seriously, so. much. fun!

If you know me IRL, then you know that although I think my house is small bit "above" a starter home, it lacks greatly in "living" space (but does make up for it a bit with 3 huge brs). We have a tiny kitchen, a fairly small living room and a table that seats 4. To say I LOVED having 12 people in my house while managing a crawling baby, 2 dogs, cooking food and trying to keep things picked up could be a stretch. But, when I think back to how J's first Christmas was spent with all of his immediate family, I just can't help but thank God that they are all still here (albeit driving me crazy) and that we will always have these memories to cherish. Something about pushing an 8lb baby out of your body makes you sentimental, I guess...

However, I am fairly convinced that I am going to go to WI for Christmas next year. I just have to get JM on board :-)

I realize without pics this is a boring post, but I can not currently find my camera. Boo. More to come at a later date.

I am off for the weekend and ready for a new year. I swear I am going to get down to a size 4 this year. Only 2.5 sizes to go :-) Ha.

S

Seriously

Seriously, I made this today and have just cracked up: Elf Yourself. Doesn't take much to amuse me.

Christmas is Saturday. Stop. The. World. Where did this year go? How is it possible that in 6 weeks my sweet baby will be 1. A toddler. So sad.

I had dinner last night with some of my sorority sisters. They are some of the smartest, prettiest and fun girls that I could ask for. Although my sweet soulmate, S, could not make it, I was glad that my kindred spirit, Rocco, was there! We have an evil streak in us that try as we may to fight, just keeps coming out. Rocco is going to be a lawyer next year and I could NOT be prouder. She is gorgeous (ok, so I am not so proud of her for that. More like jealous. 5"9". AND skinny. Pour salt on the wound, really). Seriously.

Can I just throw out there that if a certain friend of mine marries a certain man she is currently dating, their monogram would be "ASS"? No joke. Hilarious. Makes. my. days. seriously.

I was sitting on the couch with my mom yesterday (I work super close to home, so I eat lunch there every day) eating lunch, watching Las Vegas (sigh, Josh Duhmel I love you). Anyways, after my lean cuisine, I went to get a cookie. Seriously, my mom brought like 3 containers of frosted sugar cookies, fudge, cottage cheese cookies (delish- totally will post recipe one day). Can you say YUM and at least 10 pounds weight gain WITH ME! So, as I went for the cookie my mom says "and you wonder why you haven't lost that much weight this month" Seriously. Seriously. Seriously. Ouch. Truth hurts. I ate the cookie, but had a salad for dinner. Trade off.

Anyways, I really don't have much to say today besides the fact that I am happy that tomorrow is my "Friday" at work, I have Monday off, Tuesday kicks off a month of jury duty, I got enrolled in the traffic diversion program (which expunges said ticket off my record for the low cost of $150, some classes and volunteering) and I am going to look into bonding at my dentist. Anyone done this? I heard it helps with stains and smooths your teeth. Tempting, oh so tempting.

Congratulations Kate!

My older sister, Kate, has had a rough year. I am not going to go into particulars, but let's just say, she has a lot of willpower and drive in her. I cannot explain how proud of her I am and that, in all the many hardships that have been thrown her way, she has proven to herself that she can do anything she puts her mind to.

On Saturday, JM, Baby J and I travelled to Chicago to see my sister graduate from Paramedic school. She had to take a full year of courses and ride on an ambulance, collecting different types of "calls" (trauma, cardiac, etc). She officially got her last call on Friday night and is a graduate of the program. The program only had 22 people, a lot of who did not make it. Kate's brilliance in the medical field and persistance to succeed was the key to her graduation.

Congrats, Kate. We love you and are so proud of you!

Santa- Hilarious pics to follow

J had his first trip to see Santa yesterday....

WARNING: These pics may result in extreme laughing and hilarity at the expense of my child. And, believe me, I'm ok with that. These might be the funniest (and most treasured) pics I have to date- ha!

Fun Giveaway at Babbling Abby!

I don't know if you all read Abby's blog, but you should! She is great- a mom, teacher, student and wife...I honestly don't know how she does it!

I met Abby in college (Go Cats!) as we were both in the "Gamma Chi" sorority our Junior years. Fun times! I found her on the internet and love to stalk, er, read about her life daily! Plus, she has an adorable boy...and I am a sucker for adorable boy babies! :-)

Abby is giving away 3 adorable headbands to keep you warm and STYLISH this winter. They come in white, black and purple, with a cute flower on them. She always says "no hat head" is included with these bad boys! PLUS, she got them from a girl at her church- so you KNOW that she supported a great cause.

I am DYING to get one and putting it at the top of my letter to Santa :-) Go visit www.babblingabby.blogspot.com and enter for your chance!

Good luck!

Sallie

Random Musings

1. I may have gotten up to go to 6 am boot camp (go me!).

2. At said boot camp, at the end of class my instructor may have asked me if I was ok- she hadn't seen my face that red in a long time. I. wanted. to. drag. my. huffing. and. puffing. self. home. or in a small hole. Listen, at least my fat butt is there...and I am still alive (red face and all).

3. My son is so sick. His nose is stuffed up, running, he's coughing, hacking and crying for no reason. The hardest thing I had to do today was leave him at home. Granted, my husband and MIL are going to be with him, but still. So sad to see him so sick.

4. Speaking of sick, I have never seen a snot trail like that in his crib this morning. I realize its a TMI, but seriously, gross, gross, gross.

5. And that snot in his belly? Yep, threw that up on mom. That will show me to try to go to work.

6. I got all Christmas cards addressed last night. AND my sweet husband helped. He may be trying to sweeten me up for something- jury's still out.

7. Speaking of jury- I got called for JURY DUTY. Seriously? So, those in Fayette Co.- if you have committed a crime that calls for a jury trial- PLEASE plead guilty. I really don't want to participate in this civic duty. I mean, really? $12.50 a day, listening to horrible stories about things I turn off the news to avoid? No thanks, I'll pass, thankyouverymuch.

8. Boys, Boys, Boys. All my sweet preggo RL (real life) friends seem to be having boys. I can't tell you how exciting it is that J is going to have a group of friends to grow up with. I am about 50% positive (ha) that they will be taking over a frat in approx. 18 years. Watch out, UK. That's all I am saying.

9. Have you been to Pink Lou Lou's blog today? She may be my new fave read. I totally am cracked up by her posts and I am 100% sure she can read my mind. I mean, have I not mentioned how I am dying for Latisse but can't afford the $100 a month forever to maintain the luscious lash look? I am totally stealing the falsies tips she generated.

10. Update on my trouble with the law: I have entered into a Traffic Diversion program. With a one hour class, my proof of insurance, $150 money order and a mere 4 hours of community service, I will have the ticket expunged from my record...but the shame lives on....

11. I went out last week and bought 4 pints of Graeter's ice cream, a 6 pack...of cones and some chocolate topping for the bargain price of $20. So. Sad. To. Lose. My. Fave. Ice. Cream. Place. Hoping for a comeback though!

12. I would like to go on the record that I have eaten at least a cup each night since last Friday. Maybe that is why my face was so red and I was huffing and puffing through boot camp this morning? Lesson learned: Eat badly = fat butt = embarrassing moments at boot camp. I am really going to try this week. And by try, I mean I am not going to eat the entire batch of chocolate chip cookies I made last night and told myself I was going to bring to work (which I did not).

13. I may have gotten my mom the funniest gift ever for Christmas. Seriously. Hilarious. I will share as soon as I give it to her.

14. Can we all please pray for my SIL? She is the sweetest, most beautiful person and as she is approaching her 29th (er...) birthday (again), she really wants to find that special person (she may have him, we'll see!), get married and have children. I am really praying that all her dreams come true, because, well, she deserves it. I love you, C!

15. Finally, I am so thankful for the delicious eggs and turkey bacon my hubs cooked me this morning. After 2 cups of coffee this morning, consider my appetite supressed. Score 1 for me.

I did warn you this was random. Have a great day!

Christmas Traditions

Christmas is my most favorite holiday! I love the snow, the cold (although I am still missing the beach!) and general happy feelings I am overwhelmed with at this time of year.



Having Baby J this year makes a very special Christmas and I can't wait to tell him all about Christmas, Baby Jesus and of course, Santa Claus. I hope he loves everything about this holiday as much as me!



The K household doesn't really have a lot of traditions yet. Honestly, between my family being in WI and JM's about an hour away, we just split our time and chug through. I know once J is older, we will create traditions of our own, but for now, I will let you know my most cherished traditions that I grew up with and hope that they continue in my family!



So, here we go, Sallie's Christmas Tradition Countdown:



1. My dad's birthday is on Christmas eve. Every year, we go shopping. I know that this sounds crazy, heading out on Christmas eve to shop, but honestly every one is in such a GREAT mood in the stores and we just have a blast. Plus, it is the only day in the entire year that my dad shops. He only buys presents for my mom. The presents are usually: An entire outfit and perfume. Occasionally he throws in something different, piano sheet music or something of the like, but the other 2 are his tried and trues.

2. Breakfast at Hardees. Random, I know, but holds special memories for our family, as my dad used to take my sister and there when he would let us tag along to sit in his hunting stands. Hardee's was big back in the day and although they are a bit harder to find now, we still always end up here.

3. After shopping, we go to lunch. In my days of me living in WI, that would be going to Chili's, because it was my sister's favorite. We used to go to Chi Chis (A Mexican Restaurant) but they closed I think in the early 90s, so Chili's it was.

4. We are allowed to open one gift on Christmas eve. Always pajamas from Mom. You have to wear the pajamas that night so Santa will come. Yes, I am still 28 and yes, I still get pajamas. Except now I pick them out myself. And I added a super cute set for J to the list this year. This is a tradition I plan to keep up!

5. Christmas morning we open presents. We always hand out all the presents, then each take turn to open each one so everyone can oooohhh and ahhh over them.

These are just a few of our traditions- what are yours? Let me know some favorites so I can maybe use them as J gets older!

I'm Back...and Tan!

I'm back to the bloggy world...and tan. We spent Thanksgiving 2010 in Naples, FL. JM's parents have a condo there and we were lucky enough to have a free place to crash for 10 glorious days. JM, Baby J, Babs (my MIL), my mom and I all enjoyed the 85 degree weather and played many a mean game of Rook. (If you have never played Rook, google it, buy it at Walmart and thank me later. So much fun, although I can attest to play at your own risk. Most family feuds have been started by this card game- ha!)

We were 3 hours from Tampa, where my grandpa is in a nursing home, so we spent an entire day with him. He is slipping further into Alzheimer's and we just don't know how long he will be with us, so it was very nice to be able to visit him. He is the sweetest man and Baby J LOVED him! I mean, this kid does not let anyone hold him when JM or I are around, but he let my grandpa hold him and talk to him and kiss him. Melted my heart...and my grandpa's, as he just played with my little guy and smiled. Sometimes kids just know, you know? Here is a four generation pic (the only 4 generations J has):

Another night, Naples had the big Christmas tree lighting downtown. After the lighting, the street lamps had snow machines attached, so it "snowed" in FL. I think it was soap suds, but we loved it. This is not the most flattering pic of me- but showed the snow pretty good- ha!

Babs, JM, Baby J and me in downtown Naples. We loved the Christmas parade! Please ignore my large chub arm. Yikes. I promise I have been doing bootcamp like 3-4 days a week, but these stubborn fat arms (thank you, Grandma) will not go away. I should have put my hair over the chub, but J yanks it, drools in it and the frizz sets in. Sigh, please just look from my neck up :-)

Naples has a beach club that has a fun sunset party on Sunday nights. Here is our family pic of the trip!

I was so thankful my mom could come along with us. She lives in WI and only visits a few times a year. She loves J so much and I love watching her play and love on him. I pray every day that her and my dad's circumstances change so they can move closer. I love her sooo much!

I know that isn't so many pics, but the stupid blogger won't let me upload at a speedy rate. Anyways, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for in my life.

A short list of thanks (disclaimer, not all serious- I have a strange sense of humor):

1. I am so thankful to have both my and JM parents. My son is so fortunate to have all 4 grandparents to love on him. I hope they are all here for a long, long time.

2. I am so thankful for my husband. Although we fight and are sooooo far from perfect, at the end of the day, there is no one else I want to come home to. Plus, we make pretty babies.

3. I am very thankful for my current long hair. I think it covers my chub arms and is generally flattering. It also holds the poof and curl very well, which-let's face it- is a blessing in the hair world.

4. I am so thankful for DVR. Not missing Gossip Girl, Life Unexpected or One Tree Hill while on vacay = PRICELESS.

5. I am very thankful to be employed. That being said, I was thankful to not have to go to work for 10 full days. Not so sure I am yet thankful to be back.

6. I am thankful that the officer in my aforementioned post did not find the bootleg bottle of vodka. Thank you, Jesus.

7. I am super happy that Christmas is in 4 weeks. Family, food and days off work? Yes, Please!

8. I am beyond thankful that 2 of my best friends have finally found special men in their lives. I have prayed and prayed that they would not settle, but that God would send the right person at the right time to them. I don't want to say mission accomplished yet, but I am so hopeful and my heart bursts with happiness for these two! S and N, I hope you know who you are! I love you both!

9. I am thankful that heels make my 5"4' self look slimmer. I am not a size 4 (le sigh) and every little bit helps :-)

10. I am thankful to have a blog as an outlet and the fact that people (well, I think there are 4 or 5 out there) read it.

Happy, Happy Tuesday!

Christmas Card 2010

Thank you, Shutterfly, for the 50 free cards. Here is the final product:

Let me know what you all think!

Excuse me Ma'am

Do you know why I pulled you over?

Is there a right answer to this question. Seriously.

In all my 28 years, I have never been pulled over or gotten a ticket. I would like to say this is due to my amazing driving skills, but in reality, I usually don't get caught doing the stupid things I do daily (i.e. hit curbs, bump mailboxes, cut people off, accelerate through yellow lights, roll through stop signs, speeding, etc, etc, etc.).

Yesterday, JM begged me to meet him for lunch. At Subway. About 10 minutes from both of our offices. I agreed.

I know Oprah is all about the no phones in the car and after yesterday, I have to agree. After hanging up with my mom, I called JM to see if he had beat me to Subway. He had. Next thing I know, cop lights are on, the car is behind me and I tell JM I am getting pulled over. His incrediulous really? didn't help matters. I hang up.

Excuse me, Ma'am. (Ok, really!? I am only 28, is this really Ma'am territory...ok, I digress).

Excuse me, Ma'am. Do you know why I pulled you over? Ah ha! Trick question. I really did not know. Speeding? Did I hit a small animal? I have no clue.

You ran a stop sign back there. REALLY!? How is that possible? Are you sure? Yikes. My bad, officer. I was just talking to my babysitter about my son and (insert tapered off rambling here).

Ma'am, I need your license and registration. Ok, no problem. WAIT. STOP. THE. WORLD.

To really understand the next part, I have to inform you of my favorite sales guy, Big Jimmy. Jimmy is a 300 lb, foul mouthed co-worker, who has an intense fear of flying. His cure? Drinking. Yep, Jimmy gets drunk before every flight. I took him to the airport on Friday, after our sales meetings were over and prior to that, I took him to Liquor barn for a pint of vodka. To drink with his orange juice. At 2 pm. To make a long story short, Jimmy left the remaining 1 Tbsp of vodka and the plastic pint in my glove box. Which I now had to open for my registration.

Sweating and crying, I opened the glove box, pushing papers over said incriminating bottle. Whew. Luckily, the officer didn't see it. Sigh of relief.

Insert argument about seatbelt wearing here. Officer says I don't have it on. I say I took it off to reach in the glove box. He says no. I say yes. I have an annoying dinger in my car that mandates seatbelt wearing. He drops it. Again, I am thankful said Vodka bottle was not found. This officer is not seduced by my feminine wiles- ha.

Give him the papers. No insurance card. Dammit. Its in the glove box. If I dig for it, vodka is exposed. I tell him its a new car and I don't have the card yet. He leaves.

Comes back and a ticket for not stopping at a stop sign and no proof of insurance later, I am released. Sigh. I mean, of all the times I could get pulled over, it has to be when I have a bootlegged bottle of opened booze in the car!? I barely drink any more, let alone keep pints on hand.

I go to court in January. Apparently, running a stop sign calls for such things. The insurance thing I can drop by taking my card (which I have) to the court's office. Ok. I can handle that. The fine is what I am scared of anyway.

Case in point: Do not drive on backroads in Lexington with a half drank bottle of vodka in your glove box, without your insurance card, while running stop signs. Not a good idea, apparently.

Hope your day is better than mine!

Bucket List

I saw the movie. I cried. I thought about it. I blogged.

Without further ado, here is my Simply Sallie Bucket List:

1. See Oprah live (I realize I am running out of time, but am working on it).
2. See a musical in NYC
3. Go to Hawaii
4. Drive from one coast to the other, stopping along the way
5. Getting down to a size 4 (Maybe more of a pipe dream than a bucket list- but if the Big Man upstairs is watching and could help me out here, that'd be great- HA!)
6. Take my son to football games at every SEC school. (100% positive this is on JM's list too!)
7. Take my son to a Packer game at Lambeau Field.
8. Learn how to sew
9. Take dance lessons (maybe with the hubs! AND it may help with #5- ha!)
10. Give Jag a little brother or sister (alright, not anytime soon, calm down)
11. Buy a house on the beach to retire
12. Take my husband to see Tim Tebow play
13. Go back to college and get a masters in something I love
14. Get my children through college, debt free (well, for them) so they can start life with a clean slate.
15. Make sure I take enough photos to show memories, but not take so many that I have no memories. Sometimes the experience is worth more than the picture!

Ok, so I add and change these often. But, today, that's where I am at.

Quick Life Updates:
Jag got tubes 2 weeks ago. I sobbed as they took him back and no joke, 10 minutes later he was done. The anesthesia was tough for him to come out of and all he wanted was his mommy. I know it killed JM, but I honestly loved every snuggly second of his mommy-wanting day. Sigh. Does it get better than a warm, curled up baby just wanted to sleep close to you? I don't think so.
We bought a new car. Well, used, but new to us. Ford Taurus X. 2008. Only 30,000 miles. We got a great deal. Too bad in the 3 weeks we have owned it we had to fix the heated seats and now have a transmission problem. I know its under warranty, but are you listening, Ford!? I just wanted a sporty mom wagon that made it easy for me to get my baby J in and out without having to heave his 22 lb self and myself onto our large SUV. Seriously. Can I catch a break here?!?
Second, another post to follow regarding my day yesterday.

Love to all!
S

Bloggers get 50 Free Cards from Shutterfly

I know, 2 posts from me in one day?!? Is it Christmas? Ha, not quite yet, but with Thanksgiving nearing, I am brought to one of my favorite times of the holiday.

ITS CHRISTMAS CARDS, YA'LL!

I know that it may be the type A in me, but I love coming up with fun, always photo Christmas cards. In the past, this gets expensive and usually causes a little distress with the hubs. Good thing I stumbled across an AMAZING deal for bloggers. Shutterfly.com is giving away 50 FREE Christmas cards if you blog about them. Seriously. Free. 50! Woo Hoo!

After perusing through the Christmas Cards, I decided on a few faves. Let me know what you think about THIS, THAT and ANOTHER card. I would have to say that I love all three and think baby J's precious face will make for a GREAT card this year.

Since J is the only grandchild on each side, I am thinking to do some customized, maybe monogrammed ;-), gifts. I am loving the photo tote and photo books. I think that either would be perfect for the Grandmas. I may even do one of the photo books with some pics from the big milestones in J's life thus far- as I think photos are way better than the baby book that I am barely keeping up.

I am totally going to talk JM into getting me some of our new family photos on a canvas. I am loving these right now- especially because the save me from shopping for frames, which, I guess in a way, saves me money, right?

If I love the Christmas cards as much as I think I will, I am going to have to hit Shutterfly up for J's first birthday. Sigh. Can it be possible that his birthday is so close? Where does the time go?

Ok, now that I have totally given all my Christmas secrets away, go to shutterfly.com if you have a blog. They will email you instructions so that you, too, can get the 50 free cards. What better Christmas gift to give to yourself than something memorable and FREE!?!?

Thanks-giving

Who can believe that Thanksgiving is around the corner!? Yikes. Next week. Seriously, this year has FLOWN by and I cannot believe that in LESS than 3 short months, I will be the parent of a one year old. Stop. The. World.

I cannot stop giving thanks for this guy. He is the sweetest little boy. He is the most adorable, fun, silly, happy and the absolute light of my life. Honestly, I just cannot believe that I have been blessed with this little guy.

Speaking of thanks, we got the giving part down this weekend. Dear Goodwill worker that took the two carloads of items we brought- THANK YOU! I am sorry to bombard you but when Momma starts purging she just CANNOT stop! I was so glad to get rid of many items that we just no longer use. RIP Ab Dolly from 2002- I can honestly say I never really used you. Doesn't getting rid of clutter just make you feel awesome!? AND if that clutter goes to giving people jobs and keeping Abby busy with her awesome thrift store finds? Bonus.

Hope all have a great week. More to come soon- I really mean it this time. Really.

Brunette- To be or not to be?

Here is an intellectual post....ready? Go:

Having a baby makes your (or at least my) roots darker. Fact.

Darker roots means having to dye more often. Fact.

Box hair dye (blonde) turns my hair orange. Fact.

Salon dye jobs are costly. Fact.

Going "natural" is free. Fact.

Do you like the old blonde Sallie?

Or the new bruentte Sallie?

So what do you think? (And please ignore my fat face. Ugh.)

Tuesday Tales

So, its been 2 months since I posted. Ah! What can I say? Life Happens.

September and October were full of lots of weddings, birthdays and happy times.

JM turned the big "3-0"! He was not so excited, so I wrote out a 3 and 0 on his cake instead of exposing him to the flames of 30 actual candles. Aren't I a great wife?

He celebrated by having a bit too much "fun" and losing his debit card...which I cancelled. At 2 am. Happy birthday, babe!

With fall, came a bit colder temperatures. I had to get Baby J a new hat. Its a moose, its from Carters and it looks adorable on my 22 lb (you got that right!) baby boy.

He loves his "baba"...not as much as "dada" which-by the way- is the only thing he will say now. Everything is "dada" and I cannot wait for the day that "mama" pops out of his sweet mouth.

Speaking of sweet mouths, my poor guy has had thrush for 4 weeks. Stop. the. world. 4 weeks!?! I have dishwashed every thing he uses every day, sprayed Lysol on all fabric toys, given medicine faithfully and he STILL has it. Sigh. Along with another ear infection- its off to the ENT specialist to see if we need tubes.

Good thing his appetite isn't affected- did I mention he is 22 lbs!?! We are now in the "big" boy carseat. We were so blessed because JM's cousins have twins so they GAVE us 2 Britax Blvd. carseats. Yes, GAVE. Can you believe that? We were so excited not to have to spend ANY money and have one for EACH car.

I took Jag to a pumpkin patch on a cold and blistery day. I would love to say we stayed for a while, but it was windy, and I needed to get him home- so I took approx. 500 photos in 15 minutes and then we headed home- ha! But, if I do say so- he is the most precious PUMPKIN in the patch!


Last weekend, I got reunited with some long missed sisters. I love these girls. Seriously.

A few examples of how I know my sisters and I are kindred spirits:
1. I had been talking to my mother in law about how I wanted a blazer because I LOVE the t-shirt blazer jean trend going on. And what do you know? MR shows up in a blazer from American Eagle. I may be 28 (as of the 24th!) but I am so getting it.
2. My sweet friend, L, is 3 months pregnant. I am so happy for her and Mr. L as they partake on this ride- buckle up- it is an adventure for sure :-)
3. LLR, my favorite person on Earth (especially when she's out), drinks KY Bourbon Ale. I love her. So. So. Much.
4. My adorable former roomie, S, has a new bf that she loves. And he loves her. Is there anything better than be happy for someone who deserves it SOOOOO much? S is the best "aunt" to my son in the world and an amazing friend to have. We may be in different "seasons" of our lives but when we are together, nothing else matters but being happy, encouraging and a joy to each other.
5. True friends are so rare. I am so glad I have these gals!

Listen, raising a sweet baby boy, taking care and paying attention to my marriage are #1...working full time is the time suck that takes away most of my blogging time and ability. More posts are to come soon...I hope :-)

Life of a M-O-M

When I found out I was going to have a baby, I had some many "ideas" and "convictions" about how I thought a good mom had to act, say or do. In fact, I had many things that I swore I would NEVER do.

February 3 all that changed.

I found that I would take any sleep I could get....even if it meant Baby J would sleep in his swing for 3 months.
I found that TV (usually Disney) although not a frequent babysitter, paired with an exersaucer is a welcome break when I am trying to cook, get dressed or clean.
I found that working fulltime is not really what I want. The "job" means very little compared to this extraordinary little boy.
I also found that, although not ideal, working fulltime is necessary. Damn bills :-)
I never thought I would feel guilty for giving my child formula. But I do...and let's face it, sometimes I need a break.
Speaking of breaks, I did not know how guilty I would feel when sneaking "me time"
I would NEVER call a babysitter several times- while my sweet slept- to make sure he was breathing....or have a panic attack that he would be missing me (again, in his sleep) and ending date night a bit early. Anyone related- ha!
I never anticipated falling more in love with my husband than I ever thought possible, each and every time I see him with our son.

I saw a quote somewhere (can't for the life of me remember- but I think it was Heidi Klum?) that said that their (meaning her and her husband's) love was so great, that it burst out of them in the form of their children. What a great way to think of kids- that you loved someone so much, that they are a product of love combustion. Something about that (I am sure I horribly butchered what she said, but still) makes me smile.

I have many wonderful, life enriching friends, but the fact is, I am the ONLY one with a child at the moment (Ok, one of my bf's had a sweet Baby Mac last week, but she lives 3 hours away...so I don't get to see her). I didn't know that I would need an outlet for these things. So I decided...that in addition to blogging, I am joining an evening MOPS group in Lex. Super excited about this! We will meet once a month, from 7-9 p. I think that this will make me a better mom and I hope I get to know others with wee ones too! I will post after my first meeting this Thursday.

Also- I decided to do a one month fitness boot camp for my birthday next month. Something about turning 28 calls for a ripped (albeit stretch marked) body, don't you think? More to come....

In all my days...

In all my days on this Earth....10,190 to be exact (27 years, 10 months and 25 days) I never thought I could love something so much!

Baby J will be 7 months old tomorrow.

- You can sit up all by yourself...and proceed to topple shortly thereafter- a work in progress! :-)

- You cut your first tooth! I was so excited and sad about this at the same time

- You are so pleasant. You rarely cry unless you need something.

- You LOVE your dad and smile whenever you see him.

- You are the BEST sleeper. You go down around 6:30 pm and I wake you up at 6:30 am to eat

- You are still nursing, but curiousity is getting to you and I am sure are days are numbered.

- You LOVE bottles and solid foods. You grunt and kick when you see a bottle or spoon.

- You hate peaches. You grimace each bite- ha!

- You are the light of our lives and make us soooo happy! We love you so.

I cannot believe my baby is 7 months old. Less than 1/2 a year and he will be one. This is going too fast- people say it, but its soooo true. I am so blessed to have a healthly, happy boy in my life! JM and I love him so much- we are totally nuts for this child!

I will leave you with a recent pic, taken by my sweet friend. His brown eyes are killer- don't you agree?

Teeth are...waaaay overrated.

I officially hate teeth.

Yup, we are teething in the K household and let me tell you, it is like baby boot camp ALL over again.

Didn't J sleep through the night since almost 6 weeks? Didn't he sleep for 12 hours both Friday AND Saturday night?

Why, please tell me, did he sleep for a total of 1 hour last night? I did not mistype. You got it. One. Hour. I am exhausted, frustrated and would LOVE someone to point me in the way of advice.

I gave tylenol every 4 hours. I rubbed ora-jel on his gums. I rocked, sang, kissed, cuddled until I literally could not keep my eyes opened. I nursed every 3-4 hours THROUGH THE NIGHT. I swear, teeth may actually kill me.

Any advice? I read all sorts of tips googling and I know every baby is different but PLEASE tell me that my adorable sleep through the night sweetie will return to me. Soon.

And yeah- I am hoping the next time he decides to sleep for 1 hour its not on a night when I have to get up for work at 5. Thanks for the help on that one.

Weighty Issues

A quick commentary on the post preggo body (because if you can't be honest in cyberspace...what are you doing here?):

1. I gained 40 pounds while pregnant-seriously! Started slow (only up 17 pounds at 24 weeks!) then PACKED IT ON (or "gave up" as my hubby said) at the end.

2. As I was not underweight prior to getting knocked up, this is a significant amount of weight. I think they recommend 25-35 lbs.

3. I swear that at least 5 lbs was swelling at the end- no joke. I had ham hocks. :-)

4. I swear that at least 20 lbs was Dairy Queen Blizzards and Culver's sundaes at the end :-)

5. Once I had J, I quickly dropped 25 lbs. Woo Hoo! The rest will fall off, right?

But the other 15 remained. On my hips. On my butt. On my thighs. Hanging off where my stomach used to be.

So, what's a mom to do? Joined weight watchers online and proudly, 3.5 months after J was born I was back to my pre-preggers weight. Awesome, right?

Well...here is my weighty issue:

Why is it that I WEIGH the SAME amount, but look COMPLETELY different? My hips are bigger (alright- I get the child bearing hips comments) and the weight is shifted into different areas. Troubled areas are no longer so troubled and areas I thought were ok (my legs?) now look like someone else's. Veins showing up in random spots, gasp- STRETCH MARKS, and cellulite...oh my! I was in a swimsuit last weekend and realized I am my own worst nightmare.

Can anyone else relate? I mean, I knew my life would change because of baby- but was not prepared for the radical body changes. I am trying to embrace a "new" normal (you know, the way I did when I packed on the Freshman 20, Sophomore 10, Junior "Skinny" and inevitable Senior "sorority" house gain). But, when all you want to do is have a smoking hot bod while toting the most adorable creature on Earth (I know I am biased) around- this is frustrating stuff.

Any ideas for a tone up? I understand it involves cutting the krispy kreme that I just devoured- damn work kitchen.

To end on a positive note, here is a picture of the most wonderful reason for weight gain EVER:

He turns 5 months today...more to follow on that later!

WTF: What the French Toast!

As I rarely seem to be anywhere but Mommyland and work- I have found it a struggle to blog as much as I want. Who knew a child could take up so much time- ha!


I thought I would get a few things off my chest that have made me say "WTF: What the french (toast!?)" lately:


1. Heidi and Spencer = Divorced? Publicity stunt? Does anyone really care? With all his crystal craziness and all of her plastic, this is one couple that seems truly. crazy. I mean it.

2. Al and Tipper = Divorced? Now, I know this is no publicity stunt, but if people who have been married for 40 years are getting divorced, I am starting to feel a little less high and mighty for the whole 3 I have under my belt. Just saying.

3. SATC 2 Reviews. I understand its not going to win an Oscar, but I mean are people surprised this movie is not the most amazing blockbuster of the year? Really? I saw the show- it was awesome because (gasp!) it was about sex and nyc. In SATC 2, the girls are settled in the city. Who really wants to watch people raise their children, sit on a couch and eat take out? At least they had a random trip to the middle east to show off crazy outfits and overtly sexual puns. I will say that about 2 hours in, I was checking my watch and hoping I didn't leak before I had to make it home.

4. Speaking of leaking- I had a sinus infection last week that totally affected my milk supply. Yep- still on the bf train, going on 4 months now! Can you believe it? Anyways, $20 at a health food store later, I am fenugreek-ing and blessed thistle-ing my way to more milk. Not really working. $20 still gone.

5. My son is not what you would call "regular," so yesterday when he finally "went" for lack of better term, my hubby and I cheered. I never thought I would actually cheer for that- but honestly we were so excited we high fived.


6. Joran van der Sloot. Kills again. Wow. Is anyone surprised? I really wasn't. But I am so sad for everyone involved. Why do people do what the do?


7. I am hosting a baby shower in a couple weeks. Do you know how expensive it is? Any ideas for cute/CHEAP favors? I want to make it so special with my grand ideas- but my slimmed down post baby budget is taking a major hit.


8. Speaking of SLIMMED DOWN- I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. (Insert shout, dance and clap a la #5).


9. How many episodes can Maury Povich do involving DNA tests and Lie Detectors. Train Wrecks? Yes! Can I stop watching? No.


10. How cute is my boy?? We just got pics taken last week. I will leave you with the WTF: How did I produce such an adorable creature???







P.S. I would like to wish my ssfl, Sarah, good luck with her new job! She is in Nashville now and I know she will love, love, love it!

Baby Mama Drama

So...why do babies not come with instructions? That would sure make my life 100% easier.

In lieu of a "baby" instruction manual (as I do actually understand that this is impossible as every baby is different) , I must resort to something else on a daily basis. You know what I am talking about. Gulp....I will just come out with it:

GOOGLE

I am googling baby stuff every day. From, "excessive drooling" to "what should bowels look like" to "baby schedules" and so on and so forth, ETC. I have petrified myself beyond belief that a small rash (attributed to a sensitivity to the lotion) was actually chicken pox. When my mother in law's dog got worms, I called my pediatritian, vet, sister, mother AND google before I would accept that there was no threat. Don't worry- even with no threat I STILL sent my dog home to the in laws for a few days until he finished antibiotics and it was clear that he didn't have and had never caught the worms.

Sigh. I guess this is what first time parents go through. I feel like I used to be this laid back person. Now that I have this little man in my life, I feel like I will rattle every cage until I know for sure that he is safe.

Speaking of Baby J, he is now a whopping 3 months old. Holy cow! How did that happen??? Major updates to speak of:

1. J is no longer sleeping in the swing. He has successfully slept (all night) in his crib for almost a week. As sad as it was for him to leave our room, I feel like a better parent now that he is in the crib. Talk about societal pressure.

2. We are hanging in there on the breastfeeding. The pumping 3x daily at work is a bit wearing, BUT, all in all I am still trying and he is still eating :-)

3. J is starting to babble. Mornings are his favorite time of the day. Nighttime brings meltdowns and tears. He is definitely his mother's son. We are so synced scheduly (not even a word I am sure).

4. J's favorite nursery rhyme is "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" I say this approx. 678 times per day. He smiles every time. As soon as the word "peter" gets out, he knows what's coming. So. stinking. cute.

5. For our 3 year anniversary last week, we had our first real (i.e. not related to us) babysitter. She was fabulous and I was so happy to get a couple hours out of the house to be the "couple" again.

Having a child is the most difficult thing I have ever done- but also the most fun. I feel out of control, like an idiot most days and am never sure what each day is going to bring. The planner in me wants to scream, but the type A cleaner in me has relaxed. I just wonder how people KNOW certain things. How do you KNOW your child is ready for solids? How do you KNOW what activity your child should be doing at this age? How do you KNOW just what to do to make them stop crying?

I may not have all the answers, but I do know that for winging it, we have a happy, healthy, bouncing baby boy. And right now, it seems that's good enough. Drama and all.

Don't Blink

Don't blink...just like that your 6 years old and you take a nap

Wake up and you're 25 and your college sweetheart becomes your wife

Don't blink...you just might miss your babies growing like mine did

Trust me friend, 100 years goes faster than you think

Don't blink

Life goes faster than you think

J can't believe its been 2 months since my last post- don't blink...more to come!

The Reason for my blogging hiatus...

Induced 2/2

Baby J Arrives 2/3 at 9:47 pm!

So relieved, overwhelmed...happy!

Proud Dad!

My beautiful son

More to come later...for now, just enjoying these first few weeks with our new addition!

Random Commentaries on Life

Funny how things change from college, isn't it?

In college, I was that girl. Wild. Crazy. Bar Star by night, Proper (ha!) sorority girl by day :-)



Never had a boyfriend yet, one of the firsts to get married. Loved kids, but never thought I'd be the first to have one. Ha! Funny how things change.

Last weekend, I had a bit of a reunion of sorts with a bunch of sorority sisters. Due to my swollen self, no pics are admissable, BUT I can tell you that my girlfriends are looking SO good. Sigh. And I was jealous.

At one point- we went around the table and updated on our lives. I was thinking- gosh, my life is so boring: I go to work, I collapse on the couch, I beg my husband for dairy queen..add tossing and turning for several hours per night and you have summed up my life at the moment. New and exciting? I mean, having a baby is AMAZING, but going out to bars in the big city? Romantic trips with the new boyfriends? Debating on whether to save themselves for marriage OR change their facebook relationship status? These are the juicy goods, my friend- NOT being married, having a mortgage with a baby on the way. I felt a bit out of sorts. Not that I am anything but LOVING my life, just funny how hearing about others' makes you focus on the things you don't have, instead of the things you do.

My good friend Sarah, actually commented on her blog about this and I think she hit it right on the head.

As people, really as WOMEN, I think you are always thinking "what if." Not that you are unhappy, sad or even dissatisfied with life, but I think the "what ifs" are natural. Sure, being single in the city would be amazing-no worries about toliets breaking in your rented apartment (Hello, Landlord!), drinking cosmos at the bar with friends without a worry about the time, working as late as you want because you don't have to go home to anyone and picking up at a moment's notice to do, well, anything YOU want.

But, on the other side, coming home to that soulmate you have found, resting in the house you are building equity in and knowing that in your life, you may not know where things are going- but you know who you are going with, is, at least for me, bliss.

And since its Friday...I found this and it made me laugh- hope it does the same for you!

Baby Jag countdown is on- I should be induced in less than a week if he doesn't come this weekend. Pray that barometric pressure change from all the snow helps push things along!

Nursery Time

As promised, here are some pics of our nursery. We did a "sailboat" theme of sorts- I was OBSESSED with the bedding from PBK- my husband is actually the instigator of the rug.

I love these frames on our bookshelf

I actually dropped this stand in the Target parking lot- THANK GOD for superglue and faux painting!

My mom gave us this chair and I had it recovered. Turned out GREAT! My crafty friend Sarah made the curtains and pillow!

Nursery view

Love the crib- Nursery Time in Lexington

JM had a family friend buy this adorable sailboat chair and blanket. Can't wait for Baby J to use it.

A family friend made this bookshelf from scrap wood in our garage- we painted it.

The nursery as a whole turned out better than I expected- we still have some pics we want to hang. Other thing that's missing? Oh, yeah, that'd be our BABY BOY! Can't wait to bring him home!

38 Weeks...and COUNTING!

Yesterday I was officially 38 weeks and- more officially- TIRED of being pregnant! My limbs are so swollen, I feel GIGANTIC.

Lots of things have been happening in the Simply household the past few weeks that contributed to my blogging hiatus...

1. Sadly, my grandmother passed away January 8. We were relieved that she is in a better place, without pain, but my mom is taking her passing very hard. As a result, my dad suggested she come stay with me until Baby J is born. So, since the 17th, JM and I have had a houseguest!

2. As fabulous as it is to have my mom here, she has a lot of medical issues and cannot drive. This means lots of runs to the pharmacies, checking on her daily at lunchtime, making sure she isn't overdoing it and ensuring her meds are taken on time. I wouldn't trade having her here for anything in the world- but this is a full time job! :-)

3. I have the sweetest friends in the world. Not only did they come into town this weekend, stop to see the nursery and catch up- they also took me to Pazzos! I was so excited to hang out and feel normal. JM stayed with Mom, so I had a guilt-free afternoon of girl talk and gossip. I. love. these. times.

4. I had a doctor appointment yesterday. Still 1 cm- but they checked my cervix "aggresively" (Re: it hurt- NOT FUN!) yesterday, so hopefully that stimulated something. For the TMI- the doc says sex will induce labor. At this point, I would rather do ANYTHING than this. But, JM says that if he can help in ANY way, he will and since its doctor's orders....Wow, such a sweet guy (sarcasm here) :-) In all seriousness, I would stand on my head right now to have this thing!

5. I have another appointment on the 1st. I will most likely be induced on the 3rd due to Baby J being a big one. SO...by next week, I may be a mom. Typing those words sounds so strange, yet super normal. I don't know how to describe it.

Well, the bag is packed, the nursing bras bought, the books read, the nursery ready (I PROMISE to post pics this week), the swings, bouncy seats and stroller assembled...now its time for my sweet baby boy to arrive!

Random "Getting to Know You"

I got this email from a friend today and thought since I didn't have a whole lot to blog today, I would go with this:

Welcome to the new 2010 edition of getting to know your familyand friends. Here is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun. Change all the answers so that they apply to you.Then send this to a bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person whosent it to you.

1. What is your occupation right now? Customer Service Manager
2. What color are your socks right now Have on Uggs with no socks (Helllloooo swoll feet!)
3. What are you listening to right now? Phones ring
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Strawberry Yogurt Nutri Grain Bar 5. Can you drive a stick shift? No, almost broke up with my husband over trying to learn!
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My momma
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I love her!
8. How old are you today? 27
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL!
10. What is your favorite drink? Unsweetened Ice Tea
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Um, no! The blonde is natural?
12. Favorite food? I know its gross, but I absolutely LOVE meatloaf
13. What is the last movie you watched? Its Complicated- Mom and I loved it!
14. Favorite day of the year? I am pretty sure Jag's bday will be my favorite!
15. How do you usually vent anger? I shut down and stew in private :-) Add a dash of "I'm FINES" and you have an angry Sallie!
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? My stuffed cat Ralph 17. What is your favorite season? Fall
18. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries (random?) 19. Living situation? Husband, soon to be baby boy and a very spoiled dog
20. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday when I saw my weight at the Dr. office! :-(
21. What is on the floor of your closet? LOADS of shoes...
22. What did you do last night? Watched some tv, hung out with the hubs
23. What are you most afraid of? Heights
24. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? I am soooo a cheese on anything person!
25. Favorite dog breed? I am partial to the maltese, but LOVE labs too! Any dog is GREAT!
26. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
27. How many states have you lived in? 3
28. Diamonds or pearls? Depends on the occasion, but mostly diamonds! 29. What is your favorite flower? Daisys
30. What kind of car do you drive? Pontiac Aztek, ugly but super comfy!

Ok, I know this is random, but its your turn! Get on it and let's learn some more about each other :-)

Breasts, Haircuts and Pack N' Plays

Breasts. Boobs. Boobies. Bubbies (Thank you NJ Housewives!).

Funny names for such a natural part. I think its hilarious that two body parts can catch the undivided attention of any male in a 10 mile radius- my husband included. Don't think that I don't notice him when an attractive woman with a low cut shirt shashays into a restaurant and his eyes follow...let's be honest, mine do too. There's just something about bubbies.

That being said...JM and I took a breastfeeding class this weekend. Hil. A. Rious...to see all the husbands who tagged along! I was so proud of them! While most fell asleep (I actually enjoyed counting the head bobs as one jolted awake approx. every 3 minutes), my husband paid attention and didn't giggle- not even once.

Although relatively disappointing (seems the class was almost a sales pitch to hire a lacatation consultant), they did show a really informative video with- you guessed it- breastfeeding techniques displayed. I guess I thought babies just know what to do- but its actually a learned behavior (which is why it seems to boggle and frustrate at times!).

My husband was actually paying attention (not just to the boob- but to what the video was saying) but when we got in the car, I got the biggest kick out of the one thing he pulled away from the class: He was amazed that somebody would let their wife breastfeed their baby on a video seen by so many people. I called him a prude, argued how natural it was and how uptight the US is, blah...blah...blah. He says, your boobs are for my eyes only- which is the reason I married you. Ha! A bit on the controlling side, but sweet in a weird way. Sigh.

After the breastfeeding debacle, we headed to get our hair did. I. cannot. express. how. happy. hair. dye. makes. me! I got the full treatment- dye, highlights, cut, eyebrows waxed. I can say with full confidence that I felt so much better and am almost ready to have this kid. Is it really only 3.5 weeks away!?!? JM got his hair trimmed- thank goodness! Even Gus got groomed- so I can say with 100% satisfaction that I have one good looking family at the moment :-)

In addition to the classes (BTW we are certified for 2 years in infant and child CPR- that's right, you know you want me to care for your kids! j/k), hair doings and bubbie talk, we were also productive in the house this weekend. We put together our new desk, got a new desk chair from Home Goods, and then decided to tackle the pack n' play.

Let me stop there. To all those non-mothers out there- if you get a pack n' play, don't be surprised if instructions are left out of the box and 2 hours of googling directions leaves you with comments from users such as "Easy to Assemble" and "Pretty Self Explanatory." Ok- I have never put one of these together! How was I supposed to know that you can't push the floor down before locking the sides? Really?!? Well, after walking away on Saturday (mostly to save our marriage), we attacked it again on Sunday and assembled to perfection. Now, I am not going to TOUCH on how to disassemble and get back in the case, but I figured we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Next for baby J: Assemble swing, car seat, stroller, bouncy seat and finish hanging curtains. Once we get all this done- I will post some pics of the nursery. We did sailboats as a theme and it turned out so cute! I can't wait to get the little guy in there!

I have a doctor appointment today- having an ultrasound to see how big our boy is. They are predicting a 9.5-10 pound baby (I was 9.5 lb at birth- JM was 9 lb), so we are embracing that as truth, but HOPING (for my crotch's sake) that this is not accurate! Please think "SMALL" with me! Ha! In any case, we have much to discuss at this appointment, but I am so excited to see his little face on that screen.

Hope everyone has a great day! We are getting MORE snow today in Lexington- I am loving it!

10 things that make me happy this Friday!

My sweet friend, Laura, gave me a blog award and I have just now gotten to it! I apologize...but have been busy with large underwear and the like :-)

Here are 10 things that make me happy this Friday...

10. My large underwear. I know it upset me that they fit, but NOTHING is better than snug undies that don't wedge up. Relief is actually spelled H-A-N-E-S at the moment :-)

9. Snow. So what if Lexington shuts down with less than 3 inches? I. love. snow! Growing up in WI, my town of 600 actually has more salt trucks and plows than all of Lexington, but I think its the freak out involved that makes winter so fun here! I mean, really, schools shut down the night before it snows. Anticipatory snow closings = awesome.

8. My Ugg boots. Warm, comfortable and cute with leggings. What more can you ask for in a winter boot?

7. Great friends. I get a call or email or facebook message from someone every day. I may not have a ton- but I am grateful for the few good, rich, life enhancing friends I can always count on.

6. Palmers Tummy Butter. This product is amazing. I know I have a stretch mark (sigh, tear, still not over it!), but seriously, after looking at ads on facebook, this could be a LOT worse! Plus, it smells yummy.

5. Dairy Queen. I love sweets. Especially ice cream. Favorite blizzard? Oreo! Might have to get one of those tonight...

4. The Biggest Loser. Can we say obsessed? I love this show and feel so happy for the "losers" at the end of the show. Plus, how can people really lose 30 pounds in a week? I am inspired, baffled and jealous. Watching said show while eating DQ may be a large reason that I will be ready to diet immediately upon delivery :-)

3. My husband. Currently, he is: Supportive. Trying to learn how to cook. Attending breastfeeding classes. Rubbing my back. Telling me my stretch mark isn't that bad. Willing to put up with my weird habits and pregnancy snoring without complaint. Spending his Friday night putting a desk, pack n' play, baby swing and stroller together. So excited about becoming a daddy. I can't say enough how much I love him- this baby experience has only brought us closer and made me really appreciate him!

2. Blogs. The few minutes a day I get to follow up on the lives of others makes me so happy! I love hearing about other's days and something about peeking into lives while on a computer (i.e. anonymously and without gawking) is my dream. Love them and love all my bloggy friends!

1. And the thing that makes me MOST happy this Friday is...the fact that its Friday! TGIF people- I am off work for 2 full days!

Hope everyone has a great Friday! I will let you know how the classes go this weekend- fun times!

Huge Underwear and Breastfeeding, Another Pregnant Day....

Officially I am 35.5 weeks along. Meaning, in 4.5 weeks, Baby Jag will FINALLY be here!

The 35th week has marked some unfamiliar territory on the pregnancy front:

- I found a stretch mark. Not huge, granted, but a good 1 inch. And although its light and my husband (bless his heart) claims you can hardly see it, I find it glaring at me whenever I remove my shirt. A short trip to Walmart to load up on more tummy butter and palmers, 2 hours of tears and a restless night sleep and I am STILL distraught over this finding.

-I had to break down and buy some new underwear. Ugh. The maternity stores want like $15 for 3 pairs- which I find excessive. So what did I do? I went to Walmart and bought the biggest Hanes I could find. Removing them from the package, I thought to myself, these are HUGE! No way they would fit right? One washing cycle later and they are on a snug as a bug.




This isn't me- but you get the gist!

-Another fun purchase from Walmart was a nursing bra. They are only $12 vs. over $20 at a maternity store. Not. attractive. at. all.

-On the subject of nursing, I am going to try to breastfeed. I really know all the benefits, blah, blah but why am I really doing it? To be perfectly honest, I hope it helps make me one. skinny. bitch. Ha! Seriously, though, I am a bit worried as I have about 6 weeks leave from work after the baby and am not sure how the whole breastfeeding/working 40 hrs/childcare thing will work. Luckily, our local hospital offers a class on breastfeeding with tips on such things. I will let you know how it goes (P.S. JM is totally going with me- this should be interesting!)

-Most of my shirts (even maternity) are now too short. Seriously. Hard. to. get. dressed. for. work. I got some XL long sleeved tees from Walmart (I know, this seems to be shameless plug, but I went there yesterday and got ALL this stuff!) that actually fit good. They are supposed to not shrink- I'll let you know.

-I am getting my hair done tonight. Can I get an amen?!? What is it about a trip to the salon that makes even a whale like person feel better? So. Excited!!!!

That's pretty much all. JM and I are doing a CPR class Saturday for infants (He actually wanted to go- thought it would make him feel good to know this stuff! Isn't he great?) that goes through 8 years old. Hope its worth the $40!

Hope everyone is having a great day! We are getting snow in Lexington! I am so excited :-)

Happy New Years- Is it 2011 yet?

Again, sorry for the delay, but I will give you a short run down of my December so you understand my lack of blogging:

December 5, 12, 20- Baby Showers #1, 2, and 3. 2 in Lex, 1 in Cinci. Busy, Busy! Add to the 3 Christmas parties on the 12th and you have one busy Momma!

December 18-21- Momma, Sister and Brother in Law come to town. My sis and her hubs had to work over Christmas, so they came to celebrate early. Since I hadn't seen them since September (and have grown A LOT since then) we had a lot of catching up to do. Throw in the baby shower and I am spent. Sister and her hubs left Monday. Mom stayed for Christmas.

December 22- Dad comes to town and JM takes him to the UK game on the 23rd. Fun Times!

December 24-25- Dad turns 60 on Christmas Eve. We always go shopping (our tradition) that day and do dinner for his birthday. Christmas was spent with my mom and dad, JM's family (Mom, Dad, Sister, Aunt) and of course, all of our dogs (3 total!)

December 26- We got a call that day that my Grandma (Mom's mom) has had a stroke. Mom and Dad leave the 27th to fly to Tampa, FL where they live.

December 29-Today We get the news that Grandma is not going to make it. They will move her to hospice care for her remaining days on this Earth. Grandma is read her last rites by a Catholic priest and my mom is a mess. She has not passed away, but this is inevitable, as the damage is just too much. Due to my being 35 weeks along, I cannot travel. Did you know that airlines actually won't let you fly if you are within 30 days of your due date? Didn't matter, my doc wouldn't give me the OK to go either.

So, as you can see, the stress of the holidays, coupled with the impending loss of my only living Grandma (and a mere 5 weeks before Baby Jag is going to be here), working full time (got to save my time off for when the baby comes) and HUGE pangs of sadness, being scared, uncomfortable, etc....makes blogging a low priority. With all this going on, I have to ask- is it 2011 yet?

In all seriousness, I know 2010 has started with drama, but I know good things are in store. We are having a baby in 5 weeks! YEAH!!!! I am so excited, nervous, scared, pumped and just generally giddy about this. So, to lighten things up, below are so TERRIBLE pics of me from NYE. I thought about not posting these, but these figured, if you can't claim pregnancy as a reason you look HORRIBLE, then what's the point? Enjoy!

Melissa and I- she's a skinny bitch...and 17 weeks preggers! This is her first also- they will find out wat she's having in a couple weeks. We are so happy for them!

Me and the hubs- He has beer, I have sparkling cider :-)

Laura, Me and Jennifer- Great friends to ring in te new year with.

I told you I looked awful- please don't judge.

Hope everyone has a blessed year. I know that amidst all this chaos, good things are waiting. If God brings you to it, HE will bring you through it.

Love you all!

Sallie