Musings of a Space Junky

$50 MySonic Card Giveaway

2010-08-26T14:26:00.001-05:00

So, I'm trying to win a $50 MySonic Card on Because I Said So's Review Blog. If you want to try to win, too, click here.

Ebates is my new fave...

2010-08-23T19:15:00.002-05:00

I've recently joined Ebates.com as a semi-regular user. Anytime I need something that I wouldn't regularly order from Amazon (since we have an Amazon Prime account and get free shipping), I go to Ebates to see if I can find what I want and get some cash back for making that particular purchase. They have agreements with big name stores such as Old Navy, Victoria's Secret, Home Depot, ProFlowers, FTD, Kay Jewelers and more!

So far, I've gotten stuff from Victoria's Secret and ordered flowers for a friend through FTD.

If you're interested in Ebates, please check out this link and I can get $5 if you join and make a purchase!

When it Rains...

2010-08-10T16:42:00.003-05:00

Life has been nuts-ish the past few weeks! Firstly, I hosted a baby shower for my sister and brother-in-law. It was a smashing success, although hotter than Hades in my house. I loved doing that for them, it really was fun to have a party for my newest little niece/nephew (we didn't know baby's gender until recently).

Then Becca and I got sick. We had an upper respiratory infection that had us down with sore throats and coughing. No fun.

Then my sister had her baby 4 weeks early. Luckily, both are very healthy and happy now. Jess got eclamptic (high blood pressure which can bring on a multitude of very serious health effects, so baby needed to be delivered quickly). Little Ryan (born two weeks ago, 6 lbs 9 oz, which is little for us McCarthy girls!) is growing very well.

Then my mom was admitted to the hospital with a large abdominal hematoma. She's doing fine now, but she was in a lot of pain last week! Apparently she tore something from all of HER coughing. But she should be all healed up soon.

And now my best friend from college is going through some stuff. I'm going to whatever it takes to get her through this time. I owe her big time. She saw me through bad break ups, tough finals weeks and whatnot while we got our edumacations. :) She and I really bring out the best in each other, and I'm hoping I can bring out her best as she deals and heals.

So here's to hoping no more big dramas, etc for a while. OK? Thanks.

It's Almost D-Day...

2010-03-19T15:43:00.002-05:00

For me, D-Day is Donor Day, March 20! Four years ago today, I as prepping for a kidney transplant. Luckily, I was the donor, not the recipient. I donated to my dear Aunt Sher, my mother's sister.

She had gotten an infection years before that had shut down her kidneys, but her doctors were able to get one of them up and running again. Then five or six years ago, it started slowly losing function. She was then told she either needed dialysis or a transplant.

Long story short, I ended up being the best match for her, so I did it. And I'm so glad I did.

I not writing about my donation to trump up how great I am (although, you know, if you say so, I wouldn't refute you....), I am writing about this because I want people to consider looking into becoming donors themselves. Even if it means just signing a donor card, or going online and registering to become a donor. You don't have to donate a kidney, it could be bone marrow. And from what I hear, bone marrow donation isn't anywhere near as painful or difficult as it used to be. Please think about donation, there are many people out there who need someone to just make that little step.

National Kidney Foundation

National Marrow Donor Program

Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative

Weekend Turnaround

2010-03-07T15:16:00.002-06:00

So, Becca went for her walk on Friday, but she went with Gramma while I took a business call.

Then I ended up doing some of the gardening yesterday (and can't finish it today, too sore...).

But we did take Becca to the playground today! She LOVED it. So, once the weather is nice enough again, we'll go back. Unfortunately, it's due to rain just about everyday this week. Boo.

Weekend Plans

2010-03-03T13:23:00.002-06:00

Given that the weather is supposed to be so nice this weekend, I'm planning the following activities for Becca and myself (and anyone who wants to join us!):

Friday: Go for a walk around the neighborhood, probably using the cool bike she got for Christmas. She'll love that.

Saturday: Take Becca to the playground across the street (or at one of our lovely parks here in O-town) for the first time!!!

Sunday: Do some gardening (read: Ben plays with Becca while Mommy kills the heck out the giant butterfly bushes attempting to make a comeback).

I'm sure most people are interested in joining in on either Friday or Saturday's plans, but I'll gladly accept anyone's help for Sunday's gardening!! There are at least four bushes that require digging up, and I doubt I'll be able to get to them all in one day, so.... I'm not above offering Hank's chili as payment for help with the yard... I'm just sayin'.

Knitting

2010-02-09T19:29:00.003-06:00

As of last week, I was working on three knitting projects. I've now completed two and the last one will take a little longer to finish.

I looked through a knitting calendar my aunt gave to me a couple years ago, and found quite a few patterns that I'm interested in trying, but will likely need help from my two resident knitting mentors (my aunt and my niece, Cheryl). Some of the patterns I can't even find how to begin the project! I like patterns that start with "cast on X stitches." If I can't find that sentence anywhere in a pattern, I'm lost before I've even started! It should be a requirement that every knitting pattern contain that sentence. Otherwise, how do you know where to begin? So silly.

But before I can begin these other much more ambitious projects, I must complete the aforementioned project. Would love to say what that project is, but you know how it is when the person that the project is for reads your blog (or at least I'm assuming this person still reads it...)

TTFN!

Great Birthday...Except

2009-09-08T23:19:00.001-05:00

I've had a great birthday. With one exception. I can't get on Facebook! At all! This sucks!!! I have a ton of pictures and videos (which I of course have on my computer) on my profile. That's my new primary way of keeping up with friends and family (especially friends and family who live far, far away).

I've kind of informed Facebook of the issue, except that they don't have anyway for me to actually tell them my particular issue! I've informed them that I can't receive my e-mail that sends me my password reset code. We'll see.

Isn't It Funny...

2009-07-22T22:51:00.002-05:00

Tonight, Ben and Craig moved my grandmother Carew's desk from Jessica's basement to our living room. I've needed a desk for working, and it was just sitting in her basement collecting dust, so she let me have it.

After Becca was asleep, I took a close look at the desk. I can't say that I ever remember my grandmother sitting at it or using it, but I'm sure it was used. It's got marks where she used to lay her arms along the front edge, just like she would lean against the counter or on the table while playing cards. I looked through the little cabinets on the left side, the drawers on the right. In the bottom filing drawer are some of grandma's hanging files. They are all empty, but one of them has her writing on it. I smiled to see her writing, it's so distinctive. And then I touched it. Like it connects me to her once more. Isn't it funny when we see a picture of a lost loved one, or find something they've written, and we have to touch it.

My Favorite Things

2009-07-15T16:14:00.002-05:00

I was tagged by my sister to write a post about my favorite things. So here they are:

1) My family. I absolutely LOVE my husband and daughter. Spending time with them makes my day. My husband is funny, sweet and smart. My daughter is funny, sweet and smart (Hmm, how did that happen?!). I also love the rest of my family (parents, siblings and extended family). My family is funny, and fun to be around.

2) I love singing. I sing ALL the time. I sing in the shower, in the car, at home while doing chores, etc. And karaoke... I lurve karaoke. Becca loves to hear me sing, Ben could probably live the rest of his life without me ever singing again.

3) I love late fall/early winter. I like the cool weather, the leaves turning, the sweaters, the first snowfall. It also means that Thanksgiving and Christmas (and now Becca's birthday) are around the corner.

4) I love traveling. I like flying, especially to someplace I've never been before. I like trying new restaurants, new foods, new experiences. I like getting to see the touristy landmarks. Cruising is the best way to travel. You typically get to visit quite a few different places, but your room never changes. It's great.

5) I really like driving cars/vehicles that aren't mine. Not that I steal cars, but I like it when other people let me drive their car. I don't know why, I guess it goes back to me trying new things.

Becca's waking from her nap, so gotta go. Hope you enjoyed learning more about me!

THR

2009-03-02T15:47:00.002-06:00

Today, Mom got THR surgery, otherwise known as Total Hip Replacement. Her right hip has been worn down for a couple of years now, causing her not only to limp around, but also a great amount of pain.

Because I am a very curious person, I of course turned to the internet (primarily howstuffworks.com and youtube.com) for more information on this surgery.

Here's a very informative video I found on Youtube. Be forewarned, it is a little graphic, and may not be suitable for all persons (Jessica, I'm talking to you!):

THR Video

Letter to the Future

2009-01-20T21:43:00.001-06:00

Dear Becca,

This is a whole new world for you, one that I don’t know. The world I grew up in was changed today with the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The world that I grew up in was one that was supposed to be fair, but wasn’t always. And some people used that fact as an excuse to not live up to their highest potential. Now they have no excuse. An African-American has now been elected to the highest office in the United States and he has taken office. He did so even though he grew up in a world that was even less fair than the society that I was familiar with. He worked hard and chased down his dream until he got what he wanted.

I’m hopeful that your new world will be fairer and more successful than my world. The vote was first given to African-Americans many years ago, followed soon after by giving the vote to women. Maybe your world will include not only an African-American president, but also a female president. It could be you. Not that I expect that from you, but it’s a possibility in this new world that you’re going to grow up in.

Of course, I just want you to be happy. I hope this new world will allow you to be happy.

I love you,

Mommy

Working Mother

2009-01-19T17:24:00.002-06:00

Today I got a call from a physical therapist that I interviewed with last week. I got the job! I'll be working 15-17 hours per week. I'll be answering phones, checking in patients, making new appointments, calling insurance companies to verify accounts and billing patients.

The job could be temporary, since his practice may grow and he may need someone full time, which I am not willing to do. And he knows this. We have an agreement/understanding.

My new boss, Brian, seems very laid back and flexible. He's got a good sense of humor; I think it will be a lot of fun to work with him.

Becca will be staying with my mom while I work. Mom is so excited to have her. It's also really nice for me, since I know Becca will be taken care of very well.

One Word Answers

2009-01-15T09:44:00.002-06:00

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? Ben
3. Your hair? braid
4. Your mother? Gramma
5. Your father? Flash
6. Your favorite thing? Becca
7. Your dream last night? Forgot
8. Your favorite drink? Chocolate
9. Your dream/goal? Happiness
10. The room you're in? Living
11. Your fear? Losing
12. Your rainy day activity? Reading
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? Well-rested
15. Muffins? Pumpkin
16. One of your wish list items? Cruise
17. Where you grew up? Midwest
18. The last thing you did? Pacified
19. What are you wearing? Robe
20. Your TV? Big
21. Your pet(s)? Kitty
22. Your computer? Laptop
23. Your Life? Family
24. Your mood? Tired
25. Missing someone? Yes
26. Your car? Civic
27. Something you're not wearing? Makeup
28. Favorite Store? Ebay
29. Your summer? Swimming
30. Favorite color? Blue
31. When is the last time you laughed? Morning
32. Last time you cried? First
33. Who will/would re-post this? Jessi
(You've been tagged with a Meme. Go post this on your blog ASAP!)

Colds Suck

2009-01-14T16:42:00.002-06:00

Having a cold sucks. It sucks even more when you're a new mom. With a baby who is also getting over a cold. Neither of you can sleep without sneezes, coughs, stuffy noses, etc.

My head feels like it's about to explode. Every time I blow my nose, I think, "There's no way there's any more stuff up there." Sure enough, five minutes later, I am grabbing for another 6 tissues. Grrrrr.

This too shall pass.

SAHM

2008-12-12T10:26:00.002-06:00

Stay At Home Mom

I love it. I'm so bonded with this sweet little girl. I am having trouble remembering life before she was here.

What I love about being a mom:

Looking down at her while she nurses

Her tiny little hand gripping my finger

The sound of her breathing while she sleeps with her head resting on my shoulder

The whimpers, grunts and other random noises she makes as she begins to wake up

The way she stretches and yawns as she wakes up

The randoms smiles she makes as she falls asleep

Seeing her daddy hold her

Touchdown!!!

2008-12-04T18:42:00.000-06:00

My brother is officially on US soil. What a relief.

Prop 8 - The Musical

2008-12-04T16:18:00.001-06:00

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

McCain Wins MO!

2008-11-19T17:22:00.002-06:00

No, I'm not two weeks behind the election, it just took that long for the state of Missouri to make sure that McCain really had won. Apparently, he won by only 3,600 votes! Wow. Not that it changes the results of the national election, but I just thought that you all should know.

Something's Missing...

2008-11-19T10:11:00.002-06:00

Yes, I've removed the countdown. Not because she's here yet, but because I can't stand watching those numbers go higher and higher. I've resigned myself to the fact that she'll get here when she gets here. Until I get sick of waiting and have my doctor induce me.

As I've said to many of you in the past few days, I WILL be thankful for a cute little baby girl come Thanksgiving day. She will be here to celebrate with us. I'm sure my doctor doesn't want to deliver me on a holiday anymore than I want to be in the hospital on a holiday.

Just keep your phones charged and close by. We'll let you know once the party starts rolling.

Endeavour

2008-11-15T09:56:00.002-06:00

STS-126 successfully launched last night. I love night launches, and it was an especially cool launch because the moon was full and provided a beautiful backdrop to the launch.

This morning "Shelter" by Javier Flood (?) woke up the crew of Endeavour.

One of the really cool things about this mission is that Dr. Sandy Magnus is onboard. Dr. Magnus is from Belleville, IL, which is not too far from where I live. Dr. Magnus will be staying onboard the International Space Station until February, when STS-119 is scheduled to bring her back. The crew of STS-119 includes two astronauts who are former teachers, Ricky Arnold and Joe Acaba. I'm so excited to see that they will be going to space on the shuttle.

Back-Up Doctor

2008-11-12T08:45:00.002-06:00

Went to see my back-up doctor yesterday evening. It was the first time I've ever met this man. People aren't kidding, the man has HUGE hands. Luckily, it was more of a meet-n-greet type of appointment, so he didn't do a cervical check. After seeing his hands, I can't tell you how happy I am that he didn't check me.

He did palpate the baby, though. That means he used his hands to feel around my belly to check the position of the baby. And he confirmed my thoughts that the baby is head down, but still sitting high, not ready for birth quite yet.

She just has to wait a few more days before our regular doctor is back in town...

OMG

2008-11-10T17:22:00.002-06:00

It just hit me that I'm almost a stay-at-home mom. I mean really hit me.

I'm not on vacation, it's not a long weekend, I'm [-] this close to being a stay-at-home mom.

I just need the baby and I'm there. Holy cow.

Funny Fairy Tale

2008-11-09T09:40:00.000-06:00

Shrek, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were all having lunch together. Shrek said, 'I have always thought that I'm the strongest man in the world, but how can I be sure?' Angelina Jolie agreed. 'I'm told I'm the most gorgeous of them all, but sometimes I wonder.' Brad Pitt said, 'I'm pretty sure I'm the sexiest man alive but I' ve never had it confirmed.'

They all decided that the best way to find out if their beliefs were true was to ask the famed talking 'mirror, mirror on the wall' to confirm for them whether Shrek was the strongest, Angelina Jolie was the most gorgeous and Brad Pitt was the sexiest. They agreed to meet again the next day for lunch to discuss their findings.

The next day Shrek walked up with a smile. 'Well, it's true. The mirror told me that I am the strongest man in the world.'
Brad Pitt perked up and said: 'And I know for sur e that I'm the sexiest man alive.'
But Angelina Jolie lifted her sad, gorgeous face and said...'Who the heck is Jennie?'

*Note the title of the blog...

I Beg to Differ

2008-11-06T20:22:00.002-06:00

The little baby birth counter off to the side there shows the baby floating around with loads of space right now. Um, not so much anchored in reality. This baby is obviously cramped. She stretches out when she can (much to my chagrin), but for the most part, this kid is kicking and punching with much less fervor because she can't get a good windup behind it all.

And let me tell you, your body starts preparing you for lack of sleep WELL before the baby gets here. I haven't slept through the night in weeks now. I wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom, and now I seem to wake up nightly between 1:30 and 2:30 hungry. So I have to get up and actually go eat in the middle of the night. But I kinda like that I can get up and scarf down a bowl of Cheerios and then go back to bed without feeling guilty. Almost makes me want to go have a bowl of Cheerios now... maybe I will.

New Blog

2008-10-29T09:54:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I thought it might be a good idea to set up a blog so Ben, Jessi, Mom and I can keep people up-to-date during the labor and delivery.

birthofabelli(dot)blogspot(dot)com

The hospital where I will deliver has wireless internet in the room, so we'll be able to let everyone know the progress of labor and delivery. Don't worry, I won't include the gross stuff.

More About Me

2008-10-24T18:17:00.003-05:00

Got this from Shennie, thought I'd blog it rather than forward it.

(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country

(x) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
() Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
() Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
() Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(X)Been skinny dipping outdoors
(x) Gone to the movies

1. Any nicknames? Jennie, JJ, HoneyBunchesofOats

2. Mother's name? Susan

3. Favorite drink? champagne punch

4. Any Tattoo's? yes

5. Body piercings? pierced ears

6. How much do you love your job? Love it lots, will miss it
8. Favorite vacation spot? cruise ship

9. Ever been to Africa ? nope

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? don't think so, but cereal is a popular non-traditional dinner choice for me

11. Been on TV? yes, I was interviewed by the local news anchor about a shuttle launch

2. Ever steal any traffic sign? no

13. Ever been in a car accident? yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door

15. Favorite salad dressing? depends on my mood

16. Favorite Pie- blueberry with chocolate ice cream

17. Favorite number? 8

18. Favorite movie? Labyrinth

19. Favorite holiday? Christmas

20. Favorite dessert? Chocolate cake with chocolate icing

21. Favorite food? lobster

22. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

23. Favorite brand of body wash? Suave

24. Favorite toothpaste? Colgate Total Paste

25. Favorite smell? my husband (although soon my answer will include my baby)

26. What do you do to relax? Knit

27. How do you see your self in 10 years? Mother of two, happily married to the best husband in the world, working part time

28. How many siblings do you have? 2 sisters, 1 brother

29. Furthest place you will send this message? all over the world!! Hahahaha

30. Who will respond to this the fastest? No idea, since anyone will be able to read it... although, I bet only people I know will read it

Baby Bump Update

2008-10-19T13:11:00.003-05:00

This is me 8 days ago at my baby shower (I was 34 1/2 weeks):

And here's me and my cute hubby:

I just realized that Ben and I both are wearing green shirts...we didn't plan it that way, I swear!

Baby Shower

2008-10-16T08:32:00.002-05:00

Last Friday night, my sister and mother held a baby shower for me and Ben. It was a big party, with both men and women invited. I'm sure the guys could've cared less to be there during the whole gift opening part (all the ooh'ing and aah'ing over tiny little clothes and Diaper Genies usually isn't a guy thing...), but I know we all had a great time enjoying good food and good company.

My sister also surprised me and my mother with a very special guest... wait for it.... Aunt Sher! Ben got video of me and my mom seeing her, and when he gets it off the memory card and onto a computer, I'll try and post it here. It's hilarious to see my mom's reaction. The only other time I've seen her like that was when I told her I was pregnant!

When we showed my dad the video (he wasn't there when Sher showed up), he asked mom why he never got a welcome home like that... all happy screaming and tears and stuff. It was funny.

My sister also took a ton of pictures with her cool new camera, and maybe she'll be nice and share some good pics with me so I can post them... hint hint.

To those of you who were at this shower, I want to thank you again for being there and for your generosity. Ben and I are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family who share like you do. I just hope that we are able to return the favor when you need us to. Thanks. (The notes will be mailed out this weekend... hopefully...)

Initial Scattergories

2008-09-27T15:55:00.002-05:00

The purpose of this little game is to use your first initial to come up with answers to the following prompts:

1. What is your name: Jennie

2. Four letter word: June

3. Girl's name: Jennifer

4. City: Juno, Alaska

5. Boy's Name: John

6. Beverage: Java

7. Occupation: janitor

8. Something you wear: jewelry

9. Celebrity: Jennifer Aniston

10. Food: Jell-o

11. Something in a bathroom: jacuzzi tub (I don't have oned, but it says "a bathroom")

12. Reason for being late: just couldn't wake up

13. Cartoon Character: Jabberjaw

14. Something you shout: Jesus H. Christ (I don't yell that, but I know others who do)

15. Animal: jellyfish

16. Something you do: jump rope

17. Word to describe you: jolie (French for "pretty") I swear I'm not conceited but I couldn't think of anything else...

Cribs and Hiccups

2008-09-22T07:47:00.006-05:00

First of all, it's 7:45 on Monday morning, and the baby has hiccups. It's too cute. I can feel these regular little spasms from her, and I think she's starting to get frustrated (more body movements now). She's been hiccuping for about two minutes. Poor thing.

This weekend, Ben, Jessi, Craig and I worked on the baby nursery. (On Thursday, our friend, Matt, helped us to pick up the crib and changing table and get it home. Thank goodness he helped us because neither piece fit in our car.) Jessi and Craig came over Saturday afternoon and helped us to put up the border. It wasn't as hard as we thought it might be, but the directions to put it up weren't exactly the best. I kind of wish they had included pictures or listed a website with an instructional video... oh well, we got it done and it looks so cute! I'll post pictures later.

Yesterday, Ben and I decided to put together the crib. We figured it might take us 30 to 60 minutes. Well, fifteen minutes into it, we realize one of the pieces is improperly drilled. So I call Babies R Us, and they have to order us the part. They don't have any in stock. Grrr. So now we wait.

Luckily, I have all of next week off, so maybe I'll be able to do more to get the nursery set up during that time.

P.S. The hiccups have stopped. I think she's going back to sleep now. Hee hee.

Gestational Diabetes

2008-09-15T13:07:00.004-05:00

On my birthday, I talked with a nurse from my doctor's office, and she told me that I have gestational diabetes. This is a condition in which the mother's body doesn't process glucose (sugars) as well as when she wasn't pregnant. The condition generally disappears after the baby is born, but can mean that the mother is prone to getting diabetes later in life if she's not careful with her diet and exercise.

While diabetes is very serious, as long as gestational diabetes is treated with at least a healthy, restrictive diet, leaving out refined sugars and carbohydrates, the only effect on the pregnancy is a slightly larger baaby. If diabetes is not controlled, the baby can get large enough to warrant a C-section (which I am trying like heck to avoid) or could even kill mom or baby (if she's got a really serious case of it).

So I saw my doctor a few days later (last Thursday), and he tells me that no, I'm not diabetic, but pre-diabetic. He still wants me to eat as though I have diabetes to prevent it from becoming a reality in the next nine weeks or so until the baby is born. So today I have an appointment with a dietician (sp?) to learn how to eat with a pre-diabetic condition.

I find all this mildly amusing since I tend to be closer to hypoglycemic when I'm not pregnant. In other words, if I don't eat regularly, keeping my blood sugar steady, I tend to get dizzy, nauseous, and cranky. Diabetes is completely the opposite, it's hyperglycemic. Ha. How weird the human body can be!

Birthday Stuff

2008-09-15T12:56:00.005-05:00

Hello all! Last week was my 31st birthday. Hard to believe that I'm 31, I certainly don't feel that "old." For the most part, I had a great birthday. One of my coworkers made cookies for me and brought in a bouquet of flowers from her flower garden at home. The flowers were pretty (should've taken a pic...sorry). I didn't eat any of the cookies though, because I was told by my doctor's nurse that I had gestational diabetes. FYI, gestational diabetes is just like type II diabetes, but you tend to only have it while pregnant. Rather than take the chance on having a large baby (hello, this kid is already 30% larger than other kiddos her age, I certainly don't want her to be any bigger than that), I am attempting to avoid refined sugars and carbohydrates.

Then, the day after my birthday, another co-worker (unaware of my "diabetic" status), made me an awesome cake. Here it is:

For those of you who are looking at that cake thinking, "what in goodness name is that?" That is a stargate. My husband, friends and most of my family watch a TV show called "Stargate SG-1" and/or it's spin-off "Stargate: Atlantis." In the show, a stargate moves people from world to world using a wormhole through space, no spaceship needed. My co-worker even went online and found pictures of stargates so she could make it as accurately as possible. Not only does it look good, it tasted good, too! I had one small sliver so I wouldn't hurt her feelings, pluse it's much harder for me to turn down cake than cookies.

So, just wanted to share that neat little picture with you all.

Baby Nursery Part One

2008-09-01T10:45:00.005-05:00

Well, we finally got off our buttinskis (as my dad would say) and cleared out the baby's room so my sister can paint tomorrow. We actually took the time to do this yesterday. And finally I remembered to take some pictures for you all to see! You should have seen the look on Ben's face when I said I needed to take pictures... he's so used to me not taking pics for the blog that he didn't consider that I would want to take some before and after pics. LOL

Stuff in front of the closet in the nursery (including the purchased paint & border! Yay!)

Stuff in front of the window in the nursery (including more baby booty since June!)

Hmm, who used to rule this room? Could it be our evil, anti-social kitty?

Clean room, clean floor!

Everything out but for the paint and a piece of heirloom furniture

Note the paint color and style currently in the room (see below). As cute as it is, it just won't work for us. First of all, we're having a girl. Not that girls can't like blue or fish-tailed airplanes, but we'd like a room that is a little more gender neutral for when baby number two comes along in a couple of years. So we've gone with a Winnie the Pooh theme for the nursery (Soft & Fuzzy Pooh theme available at Babies R Us).

Stay tuned for the updates on the baby nursery!

Gestational Diabetes

2008-08-28T17:24:00.002-05:00

I don't think that I've got it, but my initial screening test last week resulted in being close to the suspicious range. So this morning, I had to do the three hour follow-up test.

Here's how the test goes (sorry to those who are slightly squeamish):
I have to fast (not eat) for 8 to 12 hours before the test
I get to the lab and they draw blood for a baseline blood glucose level
I drink 10 ounces of lemon-lime flavored sugar syrup (it tastes like Sprite or 7-Up with carbonation) within five minutes
For the next three hours, I get my blood drawn every hour on the hour

In the past, I've had issues with having my blood drawn. Not because I'm squeamish and hate having my blood drawn, but I think it's because my body keeps the lowest level of blood necessary to keep me conscious. Any loss of blood, and I'm fading to black. And now, I've got low blood sugar because I've been fasting and they are taking blood like it's going out of style? It's a miracle that I didn't pass out today.

Hopefully, my results from this test will show that I do not have gestational diabetes. I really don't want to have to deal with that. That would bite. To have an uneventful pregnancy up to now and then to get diagnosed with that?

26 weeks

2008-08-25T13:29:00.005-05:00

Now I'm actually pushing the 28 week marker, but my sister took a picture of my baby bump at 26 weeks, so here it is:

That's my friend Karl giving Becca the bunny ears.

Since then, I've had to get a maternity support brace for my back because my belly's getting so big. Putting this thing on is like strapping in for a parachute jump!

Ben has been feeling the baby move now for about a week. She kicks and punches and he always seems amazed at how hard she's doing it. I keep telling him, it's always felt like this, there's just less cushion between her and the outside world now!

BTW, I'm experiencing fewer of the contractions lately. Who knows why, but they just seem to happen less. Everything else is going well, though.

44 Things

2008-08-25T13:08:00.003-05:00

OK, so I've been e-mail tagged on this one like ten times in the past two weeks.

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes (but haven't had any since February)

2. Have you ever smoked? Yes, briefly in college I lost my mind and inhaled smoke into my lungs

3. Do you own a gun? Technically, yes, my husband and I own some guns

4. What flavor Kool-Aid was your favorite? cherry

5. Do you get nervous before doctors appointments? Nope

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I don't think of them often... but they generally taste good with Boston Baked Beans

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie? The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (cartoon version)

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? non-pregnant - coffee with loads of cream and sugar, pregnant - apple juice washes down the ginormous prenatal vitamin pretty well

9. Can you do push ups? I think I can do one traditional push-up, five "girly" push-ups

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my wedding ring set (hubby did a great job picking it out!)

11. Favorite hobby? reading, singing (they are tied)

12. Do you have A.D.D.? yes, I was diagnosed at 23, medications don't work for me though, what was the question?

13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I tend to be lazy

14. Middle name? McCarthy

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? my back hurts, what colors will my sister and I pick out for the baby's room, wonder what the baby will look like?

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? apple juice, water, sprite/7-up

17. Current worry? Am I doing everything I can to make sure this baby will be healthy and happy?

18. Current Hate right now? Hate's a strong word... although I do often say "I hate stupid people!!"

19. Favorite place to be? On a cruise

20. How did you bring in the New Year? with family and friends

21. Where would you like to go? Scotland, Ireland, France

22. Name three people who will complete this? I tag anyone who reads this.

23. Do you own slippers? Yes

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? White

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? never have

26.. Can you whistle? yup, not very good at it though

27. Favorite color? blue

28. Would you be a pirate? I'd be a space pirate! Arrrr, beam me yur booty!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? whatever is playing on my mp3 player

30. Favorite girls name? Rebecca

31. Favorite boy's name? William Henry

32. What's in your pocket right now? nothing

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Bobbie, our receptionist

34 Best bed sheets as a child? I had Rainbow Brite sheets

35. Worst injury you've ever had? broken thumb and tooth (from a bus accident as a kid)

36. Do you love where you live? YES

37. How many TV's do you have in your house? 5 (but only three are used on a regular basis)

38. Who is your loudest friend? Karl and Ben are tied (I can always find them at the store, especially if they're talking to one another) :)

39. How many dogs do you have? 0

40. Does someone have a crush on you? Not that I know of

41. What is your favorite book? "Where the Red Fern Grows"

42. What is your favorite candy? Depends on my mood... sometimes I like licorice, sometimes I want chocolate, so I'd say Good-n-Plenty, Snickers, Charleston Chew

43. Favorite Sports Team? St. Louis Rams

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Amazing Grace- on the bagpipes

No this isn't a baby bump post, but I'll get a pic up soon, I swear!

25th week

2008-08-05T20:10:00.002-05:00

I am sorry that it's been so long since I've posted, but life has been insane at work (camp, training on a new mission scenario, training new staff, etc.) so that means I come home at night and basically drop. I still fall asleep after work a couple times a week, but it's not as bad as it was.

No new picture tonight, Ben is out bowling and I'll be asleep by the time he gets home. I will try and post a new pic by the end of the week, though.

I do have a new update on pregnancy stuff, though. I have been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions periodically. Braxton-Hicks are contractions that go throughout a woman's pregnancy prepping her muscles for birth. The contractions don't hurt, it just gets kinda tight in my lower abdomen area. I tend to get them when I push myself too hard, so I've been trying to take it easy and that seems to help.

Baby Girl B. is kicking and punching much more regularly now. Anytime I'm seated or laying down for a few minutes or more, she begins her routine. *Punch Mommy here, kick Mommy there, another kick here for good measure...*

It's only going to be a couple more weeks before other people will be able to feel the movements. My doc says it'll happen around 30 weeks, but these kicks and movements are getting strong enough that if I watch my belly for a while, I can see them happening. So, I think Ben will be feeling her move very soon. Most nights, I keep taking his hand and putting it on my belly to see if he feels anything, but he never does. It amazes me cuz it feels like his daughter is just tearing it up in there. Like the ultrasound tech said, she's either going to be a volleyball player (because of her height and constant motion) or a soccer player.

Poor Kitty

2008-07-11T20:17:00.003-05:00

Our poor Kitty (Shennie, I know that you don't and won't feel that way, but I do). She's slowly being kicked out of "her" room. When we bought the house, we knew that we'd have to move the cat out of the room we put her stuff in once we had a baby. So now we've begun the process by moving her food dish and water fountain out to the kitchen. She knows where it is, and seems to be adjusting OK, but today when Ben and I got home, we found that Kitty had up-chucked in three separate places; living room, kitchen and in her old room. No hairball, she just outright puked. We think it might be related to the fact that things are changing around here.

Moving on....

Today was the last day for my co-worker, Missy. She was SUCH fun to work with. She has a really funny sense of humor and always found the funniest part of any and all situations. She was a great confidant for me to vent about work related stuff (in other words, my interactions with my boss... which is a whole other blog for somewhere down the road, that's for sure!). Missy will be severely missed by me.

I am happy about the gal who's filling Missy's position, though. She seems like a very sweet, nice, fun gal. We're about the same age, so I'm hoping that we'll have some in common. Although, so far it appears that she as more in common with my boss, which could mean that I might feel slightly alienated, as my boss has a tendency to talk with anyone but me while at work. But I digress... I look forward to getting to know my new co-worker.

Moving on again...

Our basement got water damage AGAIN. The second time in a month or so. Grrr. This time, my brother-in-law came out to install an outlet on the outside of our house so we can get a sump pump installed in our basement window well. We strongly believe that the window well is the source of the leak when it rains heavily. Hopefully, the sump pump will make a difference.

It's a GIRL!!

2008-07-03T09:41:00.002-05:00

Or at least so says our ultrasound tech. We had our ultrasound on Monday, and the tech said the baby that I'm carrying is a girl. Yay! I would have happy either way, of course. And the best news from the ultrasound is that she's healthy. All her organs are there and appear to be developing normally. Phew.

Although the tech did give us some interesting news that I wasn't necessarily expecting... we're going to have a very long baby. And she's bigger than other babies at the same stage of development. By about 30%! She didn't give us a length measurement, but did say she's taller than other babies at 20 weeks of development. She did give us a weight estimate, though. She said that the baby is about 12 ounces. Other babies at this same point in development are about 9 ounces.

Now, I should say, I'm not surprised that I'm going to have a big baby. Hello! I'm not small and neither is Ben. I just was surprised that the tech could predict those things this early!

During the actual ultrasound, I got glimpses of what she looks like, and she reminds me of her cousin Madison. I think that she's going to look a lot like Ben's side of the family, which is not bad. His family is good looking! And all of our nieces and nephews are cute, so I'm not at all upset that our baby will be following that trend! I am slightly biased, though.

Komen Race for the Cure 2008

2008-07-03T09:21:00.005-05:00

I participated in the Komen St. Louis race for the Cure again this year. But this year, I was walking with a more personal purpose! This January, my friend, Mellisa, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She recently completed her eight rounds of chemo, and she'll begin her radiation therapy any day now. I am so proud of her during this incredibly difficult time. She has maintained a very positive attitude and a good sense of humor throughout the process.

Here are some pictures from this year's "Race." (I didn't run... big surprise right?)

Me, Jill, Jessica (my sister), Lisa, Cynthia, Jenae, Karen, Brock (in a "Save the Ta-ta's"), and Brock's mom (can't remember her name)

Ben and me

The crowd ahead of us

The crowd behind us

My sign for Mellisa! It said "I race in celebration of Mellisa D. Mellisa: 8 rounds Chemo: 0"

You can't see my hat, but it said "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION." I know that Mellisa will appreciate that! ;)

Those of us in the green shirts were promoting vitamin D and the connection with breast cancer and cancers in general. My sister, her hubby and their co-worker Jill all wore signs that gave information about vitamin D. We even had a few women ask us about it! If you're curious about the links between low vitamin D and breast cancer, go see the Vitamin D Council website.

Satan Must Be Cold

2008-06-09T17:53:00.003-05:00

NBC Nightly News just did a positive story on Iraq and all the good our soldiers are doing over there. I about crapped my pants.

Of course, though, since I'm trying to find the story to link it on the blog, I can't find it anywhere. What the heck??

The story ran under the line "Local Assist" on tonight's (6-9-2008) NBC Nightly News. If you find it, please let me know.

Cheap Baby Booty

2008-06-08T11:05:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning, my sister, Jessi, and I went garage sale hunting. A girl that works with Jessi and Ben was holding one at her house, and she informed Ben that she had a bunch of baby stuff for sale. So I decided to go check it out. I am SO glad I did! I got a Graco Eddie Bauer baby carrier, stroller and car seat base for $50! That stuff retails for about $200!!! I got a second car seat base for $15 (retail for $40), a Snugli (baby carrier) for $6, a sheepskin for $3, bunch of bottles and various nipple sizes for $7, a car window shade for $.50, baggie of baby spoons and medicine droppers for $2, a baby memory book for $.25, a brand new, totally unopened baby Boppy for $5 (retails for about $35!!), a couple of traveling formula containers for about $2 total, and a baby carrier cover (for winter time) for $1! In all, I saved about $300 and the environment! Yay!

Then we found another garage sale where they were selling a wooden cradle, in perfect condition, for $25. It's so cute! The gal had two little girls that she had helping her with the sale, and they were kind of sad to see it go; they enjoyed letting their dollies "sleep" in it. So I thanked them for letting my baby use it. That made them happy to know that another baby would love this cradle as much as they did.

So anyone interested in saving a little money when starting a family, go garage sale hunting!

Here's some pictures off all my baby booty:

Folded stroller, baby carrier and stacked car seat bases (from left to right)

Baby Boppy, Snugli (green), Sheepskin, car window shade, carrier cover (forest green), pink cereal container, blue formula container, multicolored spoons and medicine droppers, two bags of bottles and one bag of nipples of various sizes

Cradle with booty inside (to keep the cat from jumping in)

Tickled!

2008-06-07T15:15:00.004-05:00

I'm tickled because I just finished my very first stamping project that I designed and created all by myself with all my own supplies. Check it out:

Card Front (rub-on flowers colored by ink marker)

Card Insert (Flower rub-on and "Sweet little one" stamp)

Card pieces side by side

Back signed by me!

Dumb Rain

2008-06-06T22:24:00.003-05:00

Today there was some serious downpouring here in the St. Louis area. Which has unfortunately led to a leak in our basement. Grrr. So Ben is now downstairs using the ShopVac to suck up as much water as possible. Last he checked, the tank had about two to three inches of water. The diameter of the tank is about 15 inches. I can't believe that there is that much water in the basement.

Crap. And it's supposed to rain more tomorrow. Dumb.

Bump Watch 2008

2008-06-04T20:12:00.004-05:00

I finally got around to taking a baby bump picture! I know, I know, it's been a really long time coming, but oh well, here it is!

Me at 16 weeks

Sea foam green baby blanket Aunt Sher knit and sent to us within a couple weeks of announcing the pregnancy!

Detailing on the blanket

White blanket we received from Aunt Sher a few weeks ago

Detailing on the white blanket (isn't it pretty?)

I'll try to post more often, but things are going to be crazy busy this month. For some reason, June always seems to be super busy for us. Weird.

Moving Moments

2008-05-22T19:37:00.002-05:00

On my way home from work tonight, I was singing along with the radio, and I started noticing this weird feeling in my belly. I stopped singing and the feeling lessened then stopped. So I started singing again, and it started up again. The feeling moved around a little bit from front to a little to the right and then a little to the left.

I think I'm feeling the baby moving. I think it likes to dance to music. Now, as I type, I'm listening to music and the movement is happening again. I wonder if this baby will be a little dancer...

I know, I know...

2008-05-21T17:59:00.002-05:00

It's been forever since I blogged. Well, remember in my last post where I mentioned I was getting tired??? I wasn't kidding. I'd get home from work and fall asleep on the couch until dinner. This happened for about two or three weeks. And I do sometimes still nap when I get home, but not everyday like before.

So what's happened since I last blogged?

Another OB appointment, heard the baby's heartbeat using a Doppler machine, everything is going well, I've gained one pound since my last appointment.
I'm now wearing maternity clothes (yes, even though I've only gained one pound!). My hips have opened up and gotten wider, so my pants don't fit as well.

hmmmm.... I can't think of anything else, but I'm sure that someone will remind me of something that has happened...

Anyway, I've found our digital camera, so I will begin taking baby bump pictures (trust me, I don't have much of a bump at all, when I lay on my back, it disappears completely). I also want to take before and after pictures of the baby nursery. I want to have it cleaned out and painted by the end of June. We'll see if that actually happens. To have that happen, we'll probably need some help from friends and family... hint hint. :)

I'll post again by the end of the week with a baby bump pic and maybe the before pictures for the nursery.

I'm a Hobbit

2008-04-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

Sorry that it's been so long sine I last posted, but I've been busy and exhausted. Luckily, the morning sickness is mostly gone, but has been replaced by being unbelievably tired all the time. There are times that I swear I could go fall asleep on one of the benches in the lobby at my work. The benches are not cushioned.

Anyway, the reason that I believe I'm becoming a hobbit is because I eat like two of every meal. Seriously! I have first breakfast right when I wake up each day. Then I eat second breakfast when I get to work. Then I have first lunch between the two missions, and second lunch after the second mission of the day. Then I have a mini-dinner at about 3:30 to get me through the drive home at 4. When I get home, I have a small snack and fall asleep on the couch until Ben gets home. Then I make real dinner (or we get real dinner delivered since I'm having trouble standing the smell of stuff cooking sometimes). It's crazy how many times I eat a day! And I've lost two pounds in the past couple of weeks. Weird.

Today I got to go maternity clothes shopping since I have two pairs of pants that fit me for work. Even though I've lost weight, my hips are opening up and my belly is getting a little rounder, so I need looser, more supportive pants. Now I just need to find work pants to accompany all the cute work capris that I ended up buying today! :)

Nighty-night!

P.S. Thank goodness my little baby ticker is showing my baby looking more like a baby now, it looked way weird when I first posted it!! :) My baby is now a little bigger than a strawberry and is making a quarter of a million neurons EVERY MINUTE! That just blows my mind. But it also explains why I'm so dang hungry all the time!

I Pity the Fool

2008-04-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

Morgan, this one's for you:

Mr. T Belongs in the Bible

New Kids on the Block are BACK!

2008-04-01T21:53:00.002-05:00

This is NO April Fools joke. The New Kids on the Block are staging a reunion.

Hang Tough on this...

Seriously. Who woulda thunk it?

Thank Morgan for the heads up. I'm SO there. April 4th, Today show on NBC.

Notice Anything New?

2008-03-29T11:19:00.002-05:00

I'm pregnant!! Yay!!!!!!!!! I'm over 6 weeks pregnant, and I can't believe this happened so quickly. I super excited.

For the first couple of weeks after we found out, it seemed surreal, but now that the morning sickness has hit full force, it's not so surreal anymore! I've been lucky and haven't actually gotten sick, yet, but the nausea has been pretty bad from time to time. But my aunt suggested something that has seemed to help. Her friend said that keeping saltines by her bed and eating a few before even getting out of bed helped her get through morning sickness. So for the past week now, as soon as my alarm goes off, I eat a few saltines, let my stomach settle, then I get up and go eat oatmeal right away (and take my prenatal vitamin).

I'm due November 18. I'm going to be a mom. Weird. But good. :)

Two Whole Years

2008-03-20T21:15:00.002-05:00

Happy 2nd Anniversary to Aunt Sher and Lefty! Lefty became a part of Aunt Sher's life exactly two years ago today. Lefty has turned Sher's life around. Before Lefty, Sher was tired, lethargic, and just all around not the woman I knew when I was a little girl. Since Lefty came around, Sher has been peppy, motivated, and wrinkle free (apparently she irons a lot since Lefty came around). Congrats on two year together! I couldn't be happier for you both!

BTW: For those of you who don't know, Lefty was my kidney. Two years ago at this moment, I was still groggy and pushing my morphine button repeatedly. The nurses explained the morphine button to me while I was still in the Recovery Room, so I thought that every time I hit the button, I got a bit of morphine. But you really only get it every ten minutes. A couple of days later, Percocet became my best friend. But if I had to do it all again, I would do it in a millisecond.

So what do you think this is about?

2008-03-18T20:50:00.001-05:00

Ben said: "I better get some in my Easter basket!"

Jennie said: "That better be a big Easter basket."

Lefty is Famous!

2008-03-11T13:19:00.001-05:00

OK, so Lefty may not be truly famous, but she's being spotlighted on Illinois' Donor Registry website, go check it out: Donor Diary

For those of you who don't know, Lefty is my left kidney who now resides in my Aunt Sher's right hip.

BTW: I will post about the cruise later.... I'm still playing catch-up at work and at home.

Wednesday Funny Pick-me-up

2008-02-20T14:27:00.002-06:00

In case you're all depressed that I'm at a resort and you're not, here's something that had me laughing so hard, I darn near peed my pants in the public lobby of a hotel while reading it:

How Did You Get Here Blog

Now I just need to find out how I can look up how people find MY blog. Not that anyone else ever reads my blog except my husband, my sister and various friends and family members.

I swear, just to get more people to my blog via Google, I'm just going to start adding random words at the end of each blog just to get a new reader.

Apparently, butt crack, butt hair, or anything with butt in it is a great way to attract people. I also like getting the Transformers fans who randomly stumble upon my blog thanks to the one (now two!) reference to BotCon that I went to a year and a half ago.

Celebrity Soulmate

2008-02-20T14:16:00.004-06:00

OK, so I got this from Jessica who got this from Stacy (who??).

Take the Quiz

I'm a little iffy on this... I wish I knew what other choices I had for a celebrity soulmate. Brad is not my favorite... but I guess he's not bad. I liked him in the Ocean's trilogy (HA, he made a trilogy) and he was sexy as hell in Legends of the Fall.

Go take the quiz, see who your celebrity soulmate is!

Resorts and Cruises

2008-02-19T20:31:00.004-06:00

OK, so poor me has to attend a conference at Tan-Tar-A Resort this week, then I head off to Florida to sail away on the Norwegian Dawn.

Dang, my life sucks... hehehehehehehehehe.

So if I don't post for a while, don't take it personally. :)

Organ Donation

2008-01-31T22:29:00.000-06:00

OK, so I'm not in bed yet... I wanted to finish the Oprah I was watching when I got the Snow Day call.

The show is about medical miracles. One of the stories featured was a story about a young man, Jason Ray, who decided to become an organ donor. Unfortunately, he was hit by a car and was declared brain dead shortly thereafter. His family was asked if they would donate his organs, and because of a conversation he had with his mother, his heart, kidneys and pancreas among many other organs, are helping more than three people live their lives.

Now, many of you know that I am already an organ donor. But just in case you were to ever wonder if I want to be one again after I'm gone from this world, my answer is a resounding "YES!" If my heart, lungs, pancreas, remaining kidney, liver, eyes, skin, etc. could be of use to another human being, then they should have what they need. I'd also be OK with them taking my brain, but I've already used so much of it, I can't imagine how much will be left when I die. :)

Seriously, though. If you are not an organ donor, please consider signing your driver's license and talking with your family members about your decision. In the state of Illinois, signing your driver's license no longer is a guarantee that your organs will be donated. If you live in Illinois, you can go to THIS SITE and be registered in less than 30 seconds! If you do not live in Illinois, go to OPRAH'S website and click on your state to become a registered organ donor.

You should still talk wit your family and friends about your decision to donate, though. That will make their ability to deal with your choice a little easier. Please, please, please become an organ donor, you could literally save a life (or two, or more!).

Snow Day!!

2008-01-31T22:07:00.000-06:00

I just got the call from my boss that we are not going in to work tomorrow due to snow. Yay! Right now there's at least 3 inches on my back porch. I haven't seen this much snow in a really long time. If I can find my camera, I'll post a picture later.

I'm SO sleeping in tomorrow. Then, I'm going to do some work from home, then I'll clean my house for our SuperBowl party this Sunday. I honestly don't care who wins, I like both teams. So, off to bed I go so I can make the most of my day off.

Nighty night!

Celebration and Words of Remembrance

2008-01-29T07:13:00.000-06:00

Wow, these past few months have been a real kick in the gut for me and my family. In August, I lost my grandfather to skin cancer. In September, I lost my mother-in-law to uterine cancer. Two weeks ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. Last week, my grandmother passed due to old age.

My grandmother's memorial service was this past Sunday. During the service, I got up and said a few words of remembrance. Here they are:

As a military brat, there was a lot of change in my life. One of the few things that stayed constant was Gramma. You could always count on certain things when going to visit Gramma:

· You were going to be fed. From the moment you walked in the door, she was offering to make a sandwich, heat up some leftovers or get out some Fig Newtons and milk.

· You should not walk around the house without shoes. With all her sewing, needles always seemed to find their way to the floor.

· You were going to be fed. When mealtimes came around, there was barely enough room for plates, glasses, and utensils on the table. It was often filled with enough food to feed an army even though there were only 6 to 10 people to feed.

· If you got in trouble (which we rarely did when she was around), she would take your hand in hers and slap her hand as if she was punishing you.

· You were going to be fed (are you noticing a pattern here?). She always had five or more pies baking or cooling at any given time. Pumpkin, lemon meringue, blueberry, Boston cream, cherry, and her specialty, apple. If not pies, she had crème puffs, pistachio pudding or homemade cookies. It’s amazing our family isn’t in the running for the reality show, “The Biggest Loser.”

I kid about Gramma and food, but you always knew she loved you. The twinkle in her eye as she pseudo-punished you was enough to tell you that she wasn’t really mad, she really loved you enough to teach you how to be better.

Gramma also shared her love of learning. She was such a voracious reader; you never saw her without a book nearby. She impressed upon me at an early age how important education was. I’d like to believe that I teach much in the same way she did, with a twinkle in her eye and a passion for the subject.

I’m so lucky that I knew her for 30 years. I know that she’s happier now; she’s with Grampa and she’s free from a body that no longer allowed her to live as she wanted. I can’t wait to tell my kids one day about their Great-Gramma McCarthy.

Sorry....

2008-01-22T12:28:00.000-06:00

Sorry that I haven't posted lately. I tend to go in spurts like that. Post lots and lots for a few weeks, then nothing for a couple. That's just the way it goes.

I was hoping to be posting some great news, but the good news is that Ben and I are now officially "trying." Keep your fingers crossed and send some good vibes our way.

Work has kept me very busy, and I've been trying to cook more when I get home from work, so that leaves me pretty well exhausted and I have little interest in turning on my computer to check e-mails, read blogs and post blogs.

Well, I'll try and post more often.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-09T20:11:00.000-06:00

OK, so better late than never, right?! Sorry that it has been so long since I posted, but it's been a busy start to the new year. Since January 1, I have:

been to the DMV
registered to vote at the local courthouse
bought an awesome (he made me say it) new TV with hubby
rearranged our house for the new TV with hubby
had a dinner party for 8
returned to work

Plus many other little things....

knit my first baby hat
still working on a baby blanket for my sister (no, she's not preggers, but she might have a baby by the time I finish this dang thing...)
started reading a kick butt book (more about that later)

So here's a picture of my first baby hat on the lucky recipient, Aidan, otherwise known as Cubby (Cutest Baby Ever).

And wouldn't you know it, the day I give it to him, he happened to wear an outfit that matched! Isn't he a cutey-patootey? Those little chubby cheeks are perfect for tickling, and now he laughs when I do that!

Now to the kick butt book:

This book is not only good for women who are currently trying to get pregnant (like me), but also good for women who are not. So basically, every woman should read this book. In less than two weeks, I have learned more about my body, especially my reproductive system, than I ever learned in 30 years of life before! It's an amazing book. Gentlemen (OK, there's like 4 of you who read my blog regularly...), if you love the woman in your life, you will buy her this book. It's a super easy read (the author is very good), and contains useful information for every woman, no matter phase of life that she is in. Ladies, you HAVE to read this book!

What would you do if...

2007-12-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

I got this e-mail from a friend a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to answering it...

What would you do if:

1) The President of the United States called you?
Teach him how to say "nuclear." 'noo-CLEE-uhr'

2) You won the lottery?
Buy my grandparents' cottage on Cape Cod, give money to my family (especially my parents to pay them for all the extra school they paid for for me), get a new car, give money to charity each year, donate money to the Challenger Center

3) You got invited to be on a reality TV show?
Depends on the show I guess...For American Idol I'd sing my lungs out for Simon and my Dawg. For Biggest Loser, well, I'd be a little upset, I'm not that big! For Beauty and the Geek, I'd darn well better be the beauty...

4) You caught a friend stealing from you?
Never speak to them again

5) You witnessed a murder?
report it

6) A random stranger offered you candy?
Um, luckily, I am an adult, so candy isn't that important to me... oh hell, who am I kidding? it's candy! Free candy! Woo hoo!

7) MySpace and Facebook closed?
whospace? what?

8) A genie granted you one wish?
Duh, I'd wish for more wishes!

9) You lost your favorite possession?
things are not that important to me...now, if someone stole my hubby, we'd have a throw down with me opening one giant keg-o-whoopass

10) You found 10 dollars on the ground?
Woo hoo! Free money! I'd give the free money to a charity.

11) Your date throws up on you?
Thank goodness I'm not dating anymore... although my brother-in-law had to catch his wife's vomit a couple of weeks ago... poor guy.

12) Someone cut off a chunk of you hair?
Pay her and go along my merry way.

13) Your favorite celebrity comes to visit you?
Dang, who is my favorite celebrity? O, of course! Oprah! Um... if she showed up I'd probably freak out. I'd have one of those major conniption fits, jumping up and down, screaming at the top of my lungs, crying the ugly cry.

14) You were stranded on an island with nothing but the ability to make one phone call?
I'd call the President and ask him to rescue me as thanks for teaching him how to say "nuclear."

Elf Yourself!

2007-12-26T17:13:00.000-06:00

Check out my brother, sister-in-law, their cat Loki and dog Raja as elves! Click HERE!

Jesus Doesn't Like Cutters

2007-12-26T16:30:00.000-06:00

In case you didn't already know, Jesus doesn't like cutters. I learned this on Sunday night when my family made the traditional annual trek to the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine. My mom, dad and aunt were in another car, and my hubby and my sister-in-law and I were in our car.

We approached the Shrine's entrance, patiently waiting in the line of cars. The line had to be at least a mile long, barely moving. We inched closer and closer to the entrance. Then, from the lane to our left, a car slowed down (having not patiently waited in line like the rest of us) and turned on its blinker to enter our lane. From the back seat I hear my sister-in-law Chelsey say, "Don't let him in or you'll go to hell; Jesus doesn't like cutters, you know."

So, the driver of the silver mini-van in front of us is going to hell. Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas House

2007-12-11T19:05:00.000-06:00

Here's what our house looks like for Christmas:

Just kidding! That's the gingerbread house I worked so hard on. OK, so it's not super duper, but boy did it taste good! Here's our house for real:

Our cruise is only two months and two weeks away. Yay! Oh yeah, in case I haven't told you, we're going on a cruise in February. Can't wait.

The Most Amazing Video

2007-12-06T19:38:00.002-06:00

Yes, Morgan and Jessi, this video is TRULY amazing.

Enjoy.

You've now had your mind blown. Courtesy of a real rocket scientist (Dr. James Rice)I listened to tonight. You're Welcome.

New Christmas Tree Pics

2007-11-26T21:40:00.000-06:00

I am so proud of my honey! Our beautiful tree came with a super cheap tree stand. So we found a better one at Home Depot.

We now have our tree installed in a cast iron designer tree stand. Technically, it's for live trees, but we figured it would be heavy and heavy duty enough to handle a 9' tree.

See my gorgeous decorated tree?

Take a close look at the bow on top... I made that. That is only the second bow I've ever made. Good huh? I'm only slightly proud of myself right now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T10:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Please go check out thebigmacs.blogspot.com for a funny post....

Funny stuff

2007-11-11T21:03:00.000-06:00

Tonight while watching football, we were discussing the green dots on the QB helmets. So I went online looking for the "true" answer for the dot. This is the funniest answer I found.

What are those green dots on the back of NFL football helmets for?
I keep seeing these green stickers on the backs of NFL player's helmets and I don't know what they are for. Anyone know?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
It's part of the Quarterbacks new religion. I think its called a Bindi. They think that with that dot they can communicate with higher beings from upstairs.
Incidentally the Saints were unaware of this and the reason Drew Brees was wearing one is because they went into a college type system. He got a sticker for every good play he made.

Aidan and stuff

2007-11-11T20:40:00.001-06:00

Today I got to take care of my pseudo-nephew, Aidan. He's three months old and cute as can be! Five hours of practice at being a mommy! Whoopee!

Last night was our annual trivia night fund raiser at work, and it went well. I inadvertently cursed (I tried to say "bid sheet," but "bid shit" came out instead, oops). The really funny thing is that there was a giant sign that said "Profanity Free Cafeteria!" Not anymore! LOL

I guess I need to go shopping... David's birthday and Christmas are coming up and we have to send the package this week in order to get it to him by his birthday in a couple of weeks. I can't believe that he's only a few days from officially being in Iraq. He's been in Kuwait for over a week now. 15 months and counting down until he's home.

Godspeed

2007-10-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

My brother is now on his way to Iraq. He'll stop over in Spain, Ireland, or Germany then head of fto Kuwait for two weeks. After that, he'll be in Iraq for 15 months. So please pray, meditate and/or send all the good karma you can find over to him. He'll be missed and thought of quite often.

Guess what I just saw...

2007-10-24T18:57:00.001-05:00

The ISS!! For real! It flew right over my house tonight at 6:43 p.m. Ben and Jessi were there to see it too. It was freaking awesome! I've never seen it before.

And so my two week long bout with space dorkiness begins with seeing the ISS.

Oh yeah, in case you weren't watching the news, the shuttle Discovery lifted off successfully yesterday at 10:38 a.m. It is being commanded by Pam Melroy, only the second woman astronaut to command a shuttle mission. At the same time, the ISS is being commanded by a woman, Peggy Whitson. This is historic people!

Yeah, I know, I'm a dork. But it's cute, right? Ok, maybe not.

In Case You Didn't Notice

2007-10-14T22:06:00.000-05:00

Just in case you didn't notice, I've added another blog over in the list of blogs that I read. It's called The Big Macs. This blog will be for my family, my brother, his wife and my aunt to keep in touch while my brother is deployed in Iraq for the next 15 months. If you would like to read the blog, I'm cool with that. For those of you who regularly read my blog, I know that you probably know my brother, and I know that he'd love to hear from you. Please make sure that you follow the rules when posting comments, though. Read the rules HERE.

I'm really enjoying my time here in Georgia. My brother and his wife are both a lot of fun, and they seem to be really happy together given the circumstances. We spent today at Tybee Beach. It was beautiful! What a good choice they made taking us there. Here are some pictures from today:

Cheslsey, David & Me

Chelsey & David play in the ocean

David & Chelsey walking off into the sunset

I'm the Big Sister!

Me, Jessi, Chelsey & David @Dolphin Reef for dinner

Funnies from Our Adventures in Fort Stewart, GA

2007-10-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

My mother, sister Jessica and I arrived in Fort Stewart, Georgia, last night at around 9:15 p.m. EDT. We got out of our car at our "hotel." As we stepped out, we were hit by a wall of stench. Apparently, the civil engineers who planned out Fort Stewart decided to place their beautiful new Army Lodging facility less than a quarter mile from their waste water treatment plant.

After we checked in and unloaded our car, we followed David Andrew to his house on post. As we're driving away, Mom says, "Girls, pay attention, we have to get back here tonight."

My smart-ass response? "Mom, we can just roll down the windows and follow the smell." The three of us laughed until we cried. And if you know the three of us, you know how we can get when we're laughing all out; red faces, barely breathing, high squeaky noises.

Then today we got to spend more time with David, Chelsey, Raja, Prince, Loki and Isis. Raja and Prince are both Rottweiler mix dogs, each are about a year or so old. Loki and Isis are their cute kitty cats, only a couple months old. Loki is the most laid back cat I've ever known. He doesn't hiss, scratch or fight when you pick him up. He lets you hold him like a baby, and even truly seems to enjoy it. I swear, I could catnap that kitty he's so sweet. Isis, on the other hand, is a skittish kitty with a penchance for scratching you if you pick her up.

Loki (orange and white tabby) & Isis sleep

Raja smiles pretty while Prince stands behind him seeking attention from Chelsey

Aren't their animals cute? And the dogs are trained pretty well, also.

Great Pic from Georgia

2007-10-13T11:24:00.000-05:00

We're at Ft. Stewart, GA, visiting my brother and sister-in-law. Here they are with Jessica showing them her blog.

I Get "It" Now

2007-10-10T18:31:00.000-05:00

Surprise, surprise, while watching Oprah I heard something that made perfect sense to me. The episode had Sinead O'Connor on discussing her bipolar disorder. She was discussing the thoughts of suicide that she had for years.

Now, suicide has never been something that made any kind of sense to me before. I've never been that depressed, I've never been that far down, so that's understandable. What Sinead said that really resonated with me is that she deep down did not want to die, but that she truly wanted that depressed part of her life to die and be reborn as a happier human being.

I get that. Now if only we could point that out to people who are in the midst of depression, "No, you don't want to die, you are probably just wanting that sadness, the darkness, the hopelessness to die. You want to be happy, to feel peace once again."

I love light bulb moments.

Seriously Funny

2007-10-07T17:24:00.000-05:00

I found this at my friend Mary's blog.... enjoy!

Using the "alphabet" below, spell your name.

A: You like to drink

B : You like people.

C : You are really silly.

D: You like to drink

E: Awesome in bed

F : You are dead sexy.

G : You never let people tell you what to do.

H : You have a very good personality and good looks

I : You Are Great in bed.

J : People Adore you

K : You're wild and crazy.

L: Everyone loves you.

M : Best kisser ever

.N : You like to drink

.O: Awesome kisser.

P : You are popular with all types of people.

Q : You are a hypocrite.

R: You are easy to fall in love with.

S : F***in crazy.

T : You're loyal to those you love.

U : You really like to chill.

V : You are not judgemental.

W : You are very broad minded.

X : You never let people tell you what to do.

Y: Best bf/gf anyone could ask for

Z : Always ready

So my name is:
J : People Adore you
E : Awesome in bed
N : You like to drink
N : You like to drink
I : You Are Great in bed
E : Awesome in bed

How funny is that??????

0 and 5

2007-10-07T17:06:00.000-05:00

Chris G., Karl, Ben and I went to the St. Louis Rams game today. Unfortunately, they lost... AGAIN. I'm losing faith y'all.

One highlight for the day at the game was the halftime "show." Today was Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend in the NFL. The NFL had over 100 breast cancer survivors bring out a giant pink ribbon.

Hell Must be Getting Cold...

2007-10-03T17:27:00.001-05:00

1) I got a new, yes I said NEW, computer at work. I figure that I will be getting at least an additional 10 minutes worth of work done instead of spending time waiting on my slow computer.

2) I have now blogged more than my sister in the past two weeks. And she has no excuse. Ha ha!

Kids Who Don't Know Adult Stuff Are Hilarious!

2007-09-30T22:09:00.000-05:00

Ben and I were at my nephew's 10th birthday party tonight along with many of my sister-in-law's sisters and their kids, who are all about Brad's age. Later in the evening, my sister-in-law turns on "Desperate Housewives." No big deal, right? WRONG. And of course, wrongness led to hilarity.

I turn around in time to see Nathan Fillion walk into an exam room with Terri Hatcher. Turns out, he's her new neighbor who is also now her new "princess doctor" (as Morgan calls them). He tells her to put her feet up into the stirrups.

Oh yeah, here's the important part. My nephew's 8 or 9 year-old cousin, Emily, is in the living room while this scene is playing on the television.

"What's wrong with her feet?" asks the innocent little one.

Yup, sweet little 8/9 year-old thinks that there is something wrong with the woman's feet. This girl knows not the loveliness that is the "princess doctor."

I swear, all of us women in the room laughed a good five minutes on that line. We couldn't stop laughing long enough to explain why there was nothing wrong with her feet. God, I hope her mother explains it to her later.

William Sledd

2007-09-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

My new co-worker, who is from Paducah, KY, knows William Sledd. I just think that's really cool. She says that he has picked out about half of her wardrobe.

That's all. No, really, that's all I wanted to say tonight.

Reba and Justin

2007-09-25T21:56:00.000-05:00

OK, for those of you who know me really well, you know that I am not a huge Justin Timberlake fan. I'm not opposed to him, just not a major fan. Well, now I will be purchasing an album for a song written by Justin for my ALL TIME favorite singer ever, Reba McEntire.

The YouTube Video from their Oprah appearance.

The song is beautiful. As I was listening to it, I thought, "This sounds like a good mother to child song." Which then got me thinking about my mother-in-law and Ben, and I cried. It is a GREAT mother to child song. And I know that Millie is up there watching over us and she would so love this song. She may not have been a Reba fan, but she would love the lyrics.

So, I will probably be making a stop at Best Buy or Target for Reba's 31 st album, "Duets."

All About Me (and my Hubby)

2007-09-23T22:53:00.001-05:00

I snagged this from Jessi who snagged this from Pink Lucy.

1. Who is your man? Benjamin Michael

2. How long have you been together? July 2001

3. How long did you date? 9 months until we got engaged, 18 month engagement

4. How old is your man? 33 y/o

5. Who eats more? He does

6. Who said “I love you” first? He did, I was afraid to say it because I thought it might scare him away.

7. Who is taller? He is, by about 6 inches

8. Who sings better? We're both pretty good, but I like to sing more than he does.

9. Who is smarter? Hmmm... I don't really know. I'd like to say that we're pretty well matched IQ-wise, but in different intelligence areas.

10. Whose temper is worse? His is pretty bad when he's hungry or if he's playing a game.... I have a VERY long fuse, but when its gone, you better watch out. My brother really knows how to cut that fuse way short. He's probably the person who has seen my worst the most.

11. Who does the laundry? We both do. One of us usually starts it, then we help fold and transfer.

12. Who takes out the garbage? He does.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? While laying on the bed, Ben sleeps to the right.

14. Who pays the bills? He pays his bills and our bills. I pay my bills.

15. Who is better with the computer? Duh, he's the computer networking guy. You figure it out.

16. Who mows the lawn? He does. But I do the weeding/gardening.

17. Who cooks dinner? I do, when we're not eating out or at Chez Jessi.

18. Who drives when you are together? He does, but that's mostly because he hates riding in my Honda Civic.

19. Who pays when you go out? Ben usually takes care of the bill, but sometimes I do.

20. Who is most stubborn? We can both be kinda stubborn, although I can be more so sometimes.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? See previous answer.... because I'm slightly more stubborn, it's hard for me to do it, but I'm often the one admitting that I'm wrong. I'm trying to get better at not being wrong in the first place, though.

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Well, that would have to be mine since they live 1 mile down the road and both work with him. My father-in-law is only 25-30 miles away, and we just went and had breakfast with him this morning.

23. Who kissed who first? Hmmmmm..... I think we kissed each other on the first date.

24. Who asked who out? I asked him out. Then he asked Justin for "permission" to date me. If you don't already know the story, post a comment....

25. Who proposed? I did... then he did. I wanted my late grandparents to be a part of our love story, so I proposed while we were back East for them to meet him. Then 6 months later, he proposed to me on Christmas Eve.

26. Who is more sensitive? I definitely cry more than Ben. But I think Ben's more in tune with relationship stuff than most men, so he can be sensitive, but in a good way.

27. Who has more friends? I think I do, but it's kind of a moot point, we both get along with each other's friends really well.

28. Who has more siblings? Ben does. Four brothers and three sisters. I only have two sisters and one brother.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? Most of the time, he does. We are pretty well in agreement on most things anyway, though.

30. Come up with a question for us to answer............

Imagine This

2007-09-17T19:28:00.000-05:00

The other day, I was driving home down the East-bound express lane. I checked my rear view mirror (huh-huh, rear view, which will be much funnier to you at the end of this post...) and I saw more motorcycles barreling down on me and my little Honda than I have ever seen before in my entire life. As they fly past my little car, Morganarama (my passenger) goes "Ooh, their jackets are sparkly!"

Then, we notice a bike with a passenger leaning forward, holding tight to her honey... and her a$$ crack is hanging out the top of her low ride jeans. That isn't even the funniest part of this story! About 20 or 30 bikes later (that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you catch my drift), we see two or three more chicas with a$$ crack hanging out, but their crack is punctuated with thongs. One of them was a red sparkly thong.

Huh-huh Rear view. Told you it would be funnier now.

In Memoriam

2007-09-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

Painfully, I'm having to announce that my mother-in-law, Millie, passed away on Friday, September 7. Her death was not particularly expected, so was doubly difficult. She was 71 years old. She will be terribly missed by her husband, 8 children, 6 children-in-law, and 20+ grandchildren.

Millie was a phenomenal mother-in-law, I couldn't have asked for anyone better. She never was judgmental of me or my marriage to her baby. She was fun, funny and very smart. It's really hard to believe that she's really gone. Whenever we walk into my father-in-law's house now, we go into the kitchen and she's not sitting in "her chair."

It just makes me very sad that my children will never know her. She was so looking forward to meeting her baby's babies. She'll just be looking down from above and watch over them for us when we can't be around.

Millie, I know that you know that you were (and still are) loved very much. We miss you already.

View From my Room

2007-08-28T23:00:00.003-05:00

This is what I can see from my 30th floor hotel room in downtown Seattle:

The wide view

Zoomed in on the Space Needle

Off to the west, the "ocean" and mountains behind it at sunset.

It's a beautiful sight. I'm so lucky to have this room.

The Home of Starbuck's

2007-08-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

I am safe and sound in my hotel room in Seattle, Washington. I am now officially farther west than I have ever been before in my life. And tomorrow, I will be going farther west, out to the Pacific. I super excited. I really hope that I'll see some killer whales in their natural environment. That would kick butt. Even better would be if I get a picture of said whales. If I am lucky enough to get a photo, I'll post it when I get a chance. I know I always say that, but with my new laptop, all I have to do is insert the camera memory stick in, grab the picture and post.

I've ordered a gourmet pizza with cookie dough Ben & Jerry's for dessert. Awesome.

UPDATE: Apparently, Seattle is NOT the home of Ben & Jerry's. But I did end up going to The Original Starbuck's. I've got pictures to prove it.

Two Things...

2007-08-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

First, I fly to Seattle on Saturday for a conference for work. The conference doesn't technically start until Tuesday, though. Sunday, I'm going on a whale watch with the gal who did my job before me and a couple other people. Monday is a Boeing Factory tour, which I am pysched about. I've been to the Boeing Prologue Room here in St. Louis like a million times, so getting to actually see some planes get made will be awesome.

Second, I was turned onto a REALLY funny blog: mom2my6pack.blogspot.com

Now, If you're not a mom (which I'm not, yet), someone who grew up with a few siblings or a teacher, you may not appreciate this blog the way I do. But this mom is So funny... she put up an eBay item for bidding because her kids got her to buy it without her knowing. It's a pack of 40-something Pokemon cards that one of her 6 kids threw into the grocery cart while she wasn't looking, and then she missed picking them out of the cart when purchasing all her other items. So she's selling the cards because her kids were little buttheads. I LOVE it! I would SOOOO do that if my kid pulled that on me. AND, the money would go to charity. Ha, little buttface, your little trick just got some kid a Christmas toy.

Karma Hates Us

2007-08-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

Especially my hubby, apparently. Lightning hit our house (possibly the HD antenna or satellite dish) Monday morning at 3:26 a.m. I know this because it was the loudest sound I've ever heard in my life, and it woke me up forcing me to check my clock.

For those of you who don't know me well: You should know that I can sleep through a college marching band parading through my bedroom. So to say that I woke up for a thunderstorm is impressive. That lightning strike was seriously one of the loudest sounds ever.

The lightning seems to have fried the following items in our house:
*two DirecTv DVRs (luckily the Tivo in our bedroom appears to be fine, but the satellite dish isn't getting/sending signal)
*satellite dish
*HD antenna
*VCR (I know you're wondering why the heck we even have one anymore, but we do use it from time to time)
*wireless router
*computer switches (I don't know what they are, but Ben says we need them to use the internet)
*garage door opener (at least I'm getting a little workout every time I leave and return home)
*all of Ben's gaming system consoles ( ALL of them )

And the last one listed up there... that's why Ben and I have determined that karma has it in for him right now.

We keep telling ourselves that at least the house didn't burn down, that we're safe and sound, that Kitty is OK (well, I'm happy for that at least).

Ben has been working with our homeowner's insurance company to get everything fixed and/or replaced. He's awesome. I know it cannot be easy to deal with insurance claim adjustors, especially after many of them got ripped off after Katrina, so I just want everyone to know how much I truly appreciate Ben for taking that task on.

I've got the best husband in the world (even if karma doesn't like him right now).

P.S. I joked with him that this was karma's way of saying "Get busy making babies!" He didn't laugh. Post a comment if you think that was a funny joke... back a girl up here!

Baby Aiden

2007-08-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

Baby boy Aiden
Aug. 9, 2007
6 lbs, 2 oz, 17 inches

New Baby in Our Midst

2007-08-09T20:09:00.000-05:00

My friends Scott and Robin have been going through an adoption process for the past few months, but were trying to keep most of it under wraps so as not to jinx it. But now, Baby Aiden was born today. He was 6 lbs, 2 oz and 17 inches long. Congrats to the new Mom and Dad!

I'll post pictures as soon as she sends me some.

Home Sweet Home

2007-08-08T16:18:00.000-05:00

We arrived home early this afternoon. The flights home weren't bad at all. They certainly were not the fiasco that Friday night turned out to be.

The memorial service for Grampa was nice. Those of us there have collectively agreed that there is nothing sadder than bagpipes at a funeral. They are guaranteed to cause crying as soon as they start up (that is if you were at all close to the deceased). Case-in-point: Got to the church, saw the bagpiper standing in the shade of a large tree at the front of the church. Knew he would be playing. Got out of the car, got halfway across the street and he starts playing. Teared up immediately. Got into the church, couldn't hear him very well in there, then he moves to the door closest to where most people are coming in, and starts playing "Scotland the Brave," my grandfather's favorite song. Both my mom and I start crying. Finally, the end of the service, bagpiper starts playing and the ENTIRE front pew either teared up, began weeping or just outright sobbed. I know that I will not be able to hear bagpipes live and not tear up. It doesn't matter if it's at a wedding or funeral for a complete stranger, because I've now heard bagpipes at both my grandparents' memorials, they will forever be associated with deep sadness.

Anyway, it's nice to be home. Kitty cat has missed us a lot. Which kind of surprises me, but she has been in the same room with us since we walked in the door. Every once in a while, she walks past us just to rub up against us. It's cute. But she'll get sick of us again soon. :)

Back East

2007-08-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

Ben and I arrived in Connecticut late Friday night. The flight was a pain in the rear (and a workout to boot), but we got here safely.

We went out for breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts this morning... a highlight for a tough weekend. After that, we returned to the hotel to clean up before going to Grandpa's apartment to go through his things.

While getting showered, I consciously made an effort to steel myself for what I knew was going to be a difficult trip to the apartment. Then, I realized that he had moved to a new apartment, it might not be that bad. Yeah.

When we arrived at the apartment, it wasn't bad until I saw his chair. Empty. I crumbled like a cookie and started bawling. Luckily Ben was right there and could easily comfort me. Of course, that got Katie going as well. After that, though, I did OK. I teared up a couple of times while there, but overall did pretty well.

Also, your thoughts and comments are appreciated. Mary, I'll pass on your hug tomorrow.

Update: NASA launched the Mars Phoenix Lander tonight. Yay! Another successful Mars launch.

In Memoriam

2007-08-02T19:10:00.000-05:00

Today, my grandfather passed away. He was 86, almost 87 years old. Bill Carew was a stickler for the rules, but boy did he have a sense of humor. He's now joined his wife, Helen, in the after life.

Have a Manhattan for Bill and Helen. God knows they are! :)

Sorry it's been so long...

2007-08-02T19:01:00.000-05:00

Hello all (you know, all 5 of you the read this...)!!

Happy Anniversary (1 day late) to Morgan and Mike!!! 3 years you guys... that's awesome.

I was going to write this big long post... then my computer lost it all. So Happy Anniversary! I love you guys!!

Remember When?

2007-07-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

Remember last year when I went to CLC National Conference in Houston? Do you recall how geeked out I reported being EVERY SINGLE DAY that I was there?

Well, my friends, Space Camp has now topped Houston. It has been a truly amazing week. I've ridden the 1/6th gravity chair, the multiple axis trainer, and talked with Apollo and shuttle era astronauts and rocket scientists from Apollo and Ares development. I'm seriously in geek heaven.

I will be posting pictures when I get home and can utilize my cool memory stick port on my laptop (which I did not bring with me... darnit).

I know this is a short post, but I have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow for our water training. This will involve being attached to a "parachute" trainer that simulates a water dump from a shuttle launch. We also will be going through a helicopter dump. In this simulation, we will be in a "helicopter" that is going down in water and we have to swim out and away from the helicopter. I'm terrified. But excited at the same time.

Also, I am seriously contemplating a career change now. I'm looking into the possibility of this and if it is a viable change, I'll let you know. But for now, I'm keeping it between my husband and me. Hint: It does not involve me becoming an astronaut.

Space Camp

2007-07-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

This next week, I will be at Space Camp for Educators. SCE is in Huntsville, Alabama, just like Space Camp for kids.

Luckily, I am familiar with at least two of the other teachers from St. Louis that are also going on this trip paid for by Boeing. By the way, THANKS BOEING!

I am very excited about this week. I know that I will be taking classes on Martian Math, Hydroponics (growing plants without soil) among many other fun spacey lessons. One of them even includes a pool. This oughtta be fun.

I do not know if I will be able to blog during this week, but if I have access, I will try to blog at least once. I will have my digital camera with me, so I will definitely be posting pictures when I get back next Sunday. In case you don't hear from me until I get back, have a great week!

Morganarama!

2007-07-06T17:10:00.000-05:00

This has been a whole fun-filled week with nothing but Morgan!! Morgan came into town so she and I could work on our presentation that we will hopefully be giving this fall at the Science Teachers of Missouri Conference. But of course, while she was in town, we had hella fun. Because that's what we do when we get together. That is our super power.

I love my Morgan, and I hope she drove safely and carefully today to get home to her Mike.