Tomorrow Trent will be 4 weeks old. How the time flies! Before I know it, he's going to be stealing my car keys, sneaking out while I'm asleep, and boozing with his buddies.
The past 4 weeks have been interesting to say the least. I didn't think I was cut out for motherhood, but I seem to have taken to it pretty easily. There's a resounding sigh of relief among my circle of friends, who also thought I wasn't cut out for motherhood. Now don't get me wrong, this doesn't change the fact that I don't like kids and I have no intention of becoming a "Kid person". I know this kid, and that's all I need to know.
Over the past month I've been puked on, pooped on, farted on, and peed on (no, not by Brian, get your minds out of the gutter!), and yet I'm un-fazed by all of this. I can change a nappy in 20 seconds flat, having puke on my clothes doesn't send me running to change anymore, and I've become quite adept at bathing a slippery, wriggling infant.
Having 8 weeks off seemed like a death sentence when I contemplated it pre-kid, but now I'm thinking that the remaining 4 weeks I have left are not long enough. My days are anything but dull and when The Kid isn't fussing, I really enjoy being around him. Yesterday I went to visit a few daycare centers. Initially, I wanted a nice grandma type to take care of him while I work, but now I'm starting to think that a more formal daycare would be better because they have a real curriculum where he will learn skills daily. In an in-home daycare, you can never really be guaranteed that he's getting the learning and stimulation he needs to be the genius I know he can be. Unfortunately, Austin's day care centers have very long waiting lists, which means that I might have to be a stay at home mum for a little longer than I anticipated.
During the past month, I've watched my husband become a wonderful father, and even better husband. I can't say that I'm all that surprised, though. One of the biggest factors in my decision to have a kid was because I knew Brian's potential to be an amazing father and I wanted to see that potential realized. He is extremely responsive to Trent's needs and has been an amazing support for me when my nerves become frayed from dealing with a screaming baby. And boy can this baby scream! It sounds like you'd imagine some kind of pre-historic bird sounds when he gets going.
Yesterday, for the first time, Trent and I went out with the jogging stroller (thanks Nana and Grandad for the jogger!). We started off walking, but I couldn't resist breaking into a little jog. We run/walked 6K in all and I felt great. My stomach is feeling much better these days and I hardly notice the pain anymore in my lower abdomen. Only 2 more weeks and I can go to the gym and resume my usual routine! yay!
Some of the cool things about Trent:
When he's hungry, he does this really cute head shake with his mouth open
He loves to cuddle
He can fart louder than his Grandad Fred
He smiles when he takes a poop
He spends hours just staring at me
He looks like a little angel when he's sleeping
He has the most awesome hair I've ever seen on a baby
When we're out in public, people fawn all over him
All of our friends love to be around him
In the past month we've seen a marked improvement in motor skills and he becomes more alert with every passing day. He's extremely strong and can already hold his head up, he's very close to being able to roll over, and you can also see the beginnings of crawling motions when he's on his tummy. He's aware of his hands now and can consciously remove his pacifier from his mouth. Though he can't put it back yet.
It's been a rough month, sleep-wise and body-wise, but on the good side, I've lost 34lbs (only 6 more to go) and like I said, life is anything but dull :-)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Baby's day out
On Friday, Trent went to see the doctor for a follow up. He's gained several more ounces, which indicates that his vomiting problem isn't too serious. Though he has produced several more fountains of puke since the initial one. After we left the doctor's office we went home and chilled for a while, then we went to the pharmacy to fill his diaper rash prescription and then Trent took his first trip to the grocery store. It was rather uneventful because he was passed out the whole time. Though he did attract his share of admirers, and I found myself positioning myself between him and the admirer lest they should try to touch him. I kinda felt like a momma bear protecting her young. It wasn't even a conscious reaction, it was just instinctual. Since Trent's first outing he's been to several more, including lunch with Aunt Barbie and Uncle Scott at Waterloo yesterday, and today he went to the gym to say hi to Clint and Chris, then we went to visit Aunt Barbie for an hour before the dishwasher repairman showed up at our house.
Today is Brian's second day back at work, he went back on Friday. Trent and I seem to be doing just fine on our own. We've had a lovely day so far and now that we're getting used to each other, things are getting easier.
I've been taking care of all Trent's needs at night so that Brian can get enough sleep to feel good at work. Today he said he slept really well and felt 100%, which makes me happy. Nights are pretty awful, though. I'd give anything to have a full uninterrupted 8 hours right now.
Today is Brian's second day back at work, he went back on Friday. Trent and I seem to be doing just fine on our own. We've had a lovely day so far and now that we're getting used to each other, things are getting easier.
I've been taking care of all Trent's needs at night so that Brian can get enough sleep to feel good at work. Today he said he slept really well and felt 100%, which makes me happy. Nights are pretty awful, though. I'd give anything to have a full uninterrupted 8 hours right now.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
30 lbs in 13 days!
Ok, I'll admit it, I was skeptical. Burning 800 calories a day just by sitting on the couch seems too good to be true. However, after 13 days of feeding a very hungry infant, I was pleasantly surprised to be missing 30lbs of myself!
It's better than gastric bypass surgery!
It's not without its drawback's, though. I'm pretty much chained to the kid because he can't eat without me (you shouldn't introduce a bottle until breast feeding is well established), and of course it hurts like hell. Worse than labour. Though I must admit that it's getting less painful now thanks to Pure Lanolin. No nursing mother should be without this product. Trust me on this.
Trent's been very gassy lately, which probably comes as no surprise to anyone given who his mother is ;-), however, it's painful for him and he's been crying a lot after feedings. A friend at work suggested using Gripe Water, which you can buy at Whole Foods. After one day of using it, it seems to be making him feel better. Yesterday, though, he vomited a LOT after almost every feeding, so we took him to the doctor. We found out that he's got a little acid reflux problem and sitting him upright for 15 mins after meals will help. Today he seems to have puked less, but it's early in the day.
It's better than gastric bypass surgery!
It's not without its drawback's, though. I'm pretty much chained to the kid because he can't eat without me (you shouldn't introduce a bottle until breast feeding is well established), and of course it hurts like hell. Worse than labour. Though I must admit that it's getting less painful now thanks to Pure Lanolin. No nursing mother should be without this product. Trust me on this.
Trent's been very gassy lately, which probably comes as no surprise to anyone given who his mother is ;-), however, it's painful for him and he's been crying a lot after feedings. A friend at work suggested using Gripe Water, which you can buy at Whole Foods. After one day of using it, it seems to be making him feel better. Yesterday, though, he vomited a LOT after almost every feeding, so we took him to the doctor. We found out that he's got a little acid reflux problem and sitting him upright for 15 mins after meals will help. Today he seems to have puked less, but it's early in the day.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Fountain of Puke
After 10 days of being new parents, Brian and I are getting used to Trent's signals, and he's getting used to us. We're getting the breastfeeding down now and have transitioned from always using the special pillow, to being able to just pop him on wherever. I always said I wouldn't let my kid sleep in the bed with me. Not only is this unsafe for him, but it's also a bad habit that I don't want him getting used to. But I found myself cuddling him till he fell asleep and then putting him in a safe spot in the middle of the bed so I could easily reach him when he made any sounds. It made it easier for me to sleep. Last night, though, he slept in his bassinet all night and did really well. I'm getting about 3 hours of sleep between feeding him, which initially wasn't enough but I'm adapting. Things are getting easier.
Yesterday, Trent had some tummy problems and was laying on my lap snoozing, and all of a sudden I looked down and he was projectile vomiting milk all over me, all over himself, and all over our new couch! This was more puke than you can ever imagine coming out of an 8lb human. Fortunately, Trent is fine and it seemed to make him feel better afterwards. The couch, being made of that fabulous "enduro-suede" cleaned up just fine and there is no stain. The lesson learned here, though is to put an old blanket on the couch where you normally sit with the kid because it's gonna get messy.
Yesterday, Trent had some tummy problems and was laying on my lap snoozing, and all of a sudden I looked down and he was projectile vomiting milk all over me, all over himself, and all over our new couch! This was more puke than you can ever imagine coming out of an 8lb human. Fortunately, Trent is fine and it seemed to make him feel better afterwards. The couch, being made of that fabulous "enduro-suede" cleaned up just fine and there is no stain. The lesson learned here, though is to put an old blanket on the couch where you normally sit with the kid because it's gonna get messy.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
A baby story
As most people who read my blog know, I was a reluctant pregnant woman who hated every moment of pregnancy and was completely skeptical that it would be worth the discomfort and pain. In this entry, there might be more info about childbirth, hospital stays and major surgery recovery than you ever wanted to know. So don't say I didn't warn you.
My friend, Castor Oil
On Monday, July 2nd the doctor informed me that no progress had been made regarding dilation and effacement. I was feeling discouraged by this because I really want a July 4th baby for reasons I've gone into before. On Tuesday, July 3rd I took matters into my own hands. I had heard the old wives tales about Castor Oil inducing labour, but the evidence to support a medical theory on this is sketchy at best, when I Googled it. There was a lot of anecdotal evidence, though, and I figured that it was worth a shot. So with gritted teeth and holding my nose to dull the taste, I took 2oz of Castor Oil at 4:30pm. And I waited. It didn't take long for the Castor Oil to go to work for it's intended purpose, which is a stimulant laxative. And the rest of my evening was spent very close to the toilet.
With the pooping came waves of pain, which I attributed to intestinal issues, dismissed it, and went to bed.
Around 3am I woke up in pain, and as the pain came and went I noticed a pattern. I stared at the clock and found that every 6 minutes, I was having pains, and this time it was accompanied by some bleeding. Holy crap! is this labour??? I wasn't sure, so I laid there for another hour and endured the waves of pain, wondering if it would subside. When it didn't, I got up and called the doctor, who promptly returned my call and told me to come in to the hospital.
It's go time!
I woke Brian up at that point with "babe, it's go time!" and he sprung into action. As I gathered the remaining things to pack into my hospital bag, Brian got the car seat and the diaper bag and loaded up the car. And off we went. There's not much traffic at 4:15am so the ride to the hospital was uneventful, unless you count the contractions, now 4 minutes apart, as events. Upon arrival we checked in and I was taken to my room where they assessed me, plugged me into a bunch of monitors, and confirmed that this really was labour. 4cm dilated, contractions every 4 minutes, and not mild ones, either. We called Barbie and told her to make her way to the hospital, and then the nice lady with the epidural showed up. yay!
Who farted??
The epidural lady hooked me up with some pain relief. The epidural wasn't painful, but it was not easy to sit still while having contractions, and add to that the fact that it took 2 attempts to get the thing into my spine. After about15 minutes, though, it was in and I was starting to feel better. Labour progressed relatively pain free from here on out, and every hour or so the nurse came in to check progress, monitor the baby, and hook me up to more things. An IV, an internal monitor for the baby, an internal monitor for contractions, an oxygen mask because the baby was going into distress. I laid there oblivious to any pain and joked with Brian and Barbie as we waited for the "pushing phase" to start. Periodically, I heard someone fart in the room and I'd look at Brian and Barbie with an accusatory look, then I realized that it was me! of course it was me. I had no feeling from my waist down. I was like my auntie Minnie! just tooting away, willy nilly, even once while the nurse was checking me! We cracked up quite a bit about that. As most people know, I'm highly amused by farting.
No exit!
Around 11am the nurse consulted the doctor on call and they monitored my progress. After about 15 minutes she informed me that I had a choice to make: Labour had stalled at 6cm and the baby was in distress. They could try to induce laboour with Pitosin and see if that would start the contractions again, or I could do a C-section and get him out. A tough choice. A sobering choice. I asked the doctor what was best for the baby. Of course it was the least appealing of the options, the C-section. So with as much calm as I could muster, and with a quick look over at the concerned faces of Brian and Barbie to reassure them that I would be ok, I said "let's do it".
Let's get this party started
My room became a hive of activity as people came in and out to administer things through IVs and inform me of what would happen next. Then Brian was "Suited up" and I was wheeled off to the operating room. Whatever Dr. Dave put in my IV started working immediately, and I could feel absolutely nothing below the chest. As I laid there on the operating table they prepped me, draped me, and Dr. Dave reassured me and kept me appraised of the situation. Brian came into the room and the operation began. I held Brian's hand and tried to keep myself calm by imagining being on a warm beach. The bright lights of the operating room was the sun warming my face, the floaty feeling was not from the cocktail of drugs in my IV, but from the several shots of tequila I imagined I'd just done. The voices of the doctors and nurses were those of other people on the beach, laughing and splashing in the surf. The suction machine that was probably now vacuuming up all the blood that was gushing out was providing the surf sound. And Dr. Dave said that I was the most calm person to have a C-section he'd ever seen. After what seemed like only a moment I heard the sound of a baby crying. Perhaps someone's child on the beach? and then I crashed back down to reality and realized that the baby crying was my kid! "THE kid"!
Who's your daddy?
After my realization my first question to Brian was "does it look like Jay?" - because it's been a standing joke in our circle of friends that Jay's the baby-daddy... Brian laughed and said he didn't. Then they showed him to me. He was all pink with a ton of black hair and my first comment was "ooh he's CUUUTE! he doesn't look anything like Winston Churchill!". That got a laugh from everyone in the operating room. They took the baby and Brian away and put me back together while discussing every day things like what they saw on TV last night, and the latest celebrity gossip. I heard the doctor say "let's get those abs back in place, she's worked really hard on them", and I thanked her for noticing. And the final step... replace my belly button ring, which they had taken out for the surgery. They put it back in for me while I was in the operating room! What service.
Hello world
Trent Aston came into the world on July 4th, at 11:33am, kicking and screaming, much like how his mum had gone into pregnancy. It seems like the whole world (at least MY world) was waiting with baited breath to meet him. Aunt Barbie was the first to meet him, followed by uncle Scott. I spent some time in the recovery room and they brought him to me. Here the details start to get a little sketchy. I assume because of the drugs and I recall being wheeled to my post partum room where Brian, Trent and I would spend the next 3 days. Trent's grandparents, Keith and Joan, showed up pretty soon after his grand entrance and were so excited to see the little guy. And as my epidural and drugs wore off and my visitors disappeared, the nice nurse lady came and took Trent to the nursery so that I could get some sleep.
Happily ever after
There were many unpleasant experiences that followed the birth of Trent, many of which made the labour and major surgery experience pale in comparison. The 3 days following the birth were the most challenging of our entire lives. Sleep deprivation, pain, and being cooped up in a tiny hospital room with people poking and prodding at me and Trent every few hours made those few days feel like several weeks. And I was so ready to come home on Saturday. My doctor cleared us to stay until Sunday, but I just couldn't do it. And that night, Saturday, our first night home with the baby, Brian and I didn't sleep a wink, were totally clueless, and made it up as we went along. Thank heavens for Grandpa and Grandma! Without them, this would have been so much more difficult.
It's now a week and one day since Trent's birth. I've been in more pain than I could even imagine over the past week, with the C-section recovery and pain of breast feeding, which you can't ever fully understand until you feel it. I haven't slept more than 4 hours at a time in over a week, I haven't put on make up or fixed my hair in over a week, not because I don't have time, but because it's not important.
So the question question remains: was it worth it?
You'll be surprised by the answer. It was so worth it. I'm not saying I'd do this again. But I'm happy that I did it. Nothing can prepare you for how your own baby worms his way into your heart, no matter how much kid-proofing you have done to it. Last night I spent hours just staring into Trent's eyes, even though I was dead tired, because I just couldn't take my eyes off him. Surprised? nobody's more so than I am!
My friend, Castor Oil
On Monday, July 2nd the doctor informed me that no progress had been made regarding dilation and effacement. I was feeling discouraged by this because I really want a July 4th baby for reasons I've gone into before. On Tuesday, July 3rd I took matters into my own hands. I had heard the old wives tales about Castor Oil inducing labour, but the evidence to support a medical theory on this is sketchy at best, when I Googled it. There was a lot of anecdotal evidence, though, and I figured that it was worth a shot. So with gritted teeth and holding my nose to dull the taste, I took 2oz of Castor Oil at 4:30pm. And I waited. It didn't take long for the Castor Oil to go to work for it's intended purpose, which is a stimulant laxative. And the rest of my evening was spent very close to the toilet.
With the pooping came waves of pain, which I attributed to intestinal issues, dismissed it, and went to bed.
Around 3am I woke up in pain, and as the pain came and went I noticed a pattern. I stared at the clock and found that every 6 minutes, I was having pains, and this time it was accompanied by some bleeding. Holy crap! is this labour??? I wasn't sure, so I laid there for another hour and endured the waves of pain, wondering if it would subside. When it didn't, I got up and called the doctor, who promptly returned my call and told me to come in to the hospital.
It's go time!
I woke Brian up at that point with "babe, it's go time!" and he sprung into action. As I gathered the remaining things to pack into my hospital bag, Brian got the car seat and the diaper bag and loaded up the car. And off we went. There's not much traffic at 4:15am so the ride to the hospital was uneventful, unless you count the contractions, now 4 minutes apart, as events. Upon arrival we checked in and I was taken to my room where they assessed me, plugged me into a bunch of monitors, and confirmed that this really was labour. 4cm dilated, contractions every 4 minutes, and not mild ones, either. We called Barbie and told her to make her way to the hospital, and then the nice lady with the epidural showed up. yay!
Who farted??
The epidural lady hooked me up with some pain relief. The epidural wasn't painful, but it was not easy to sit still while having contractions, and add to that the fact that it took 2 attempts to get the thing into my spine. After about15 minutes, though, it was in and I was starting to feel better. Labour progressed relatively pain free from here on out, and every hour or so the nurse came in to check progress, monitor the baby, and hook me up to more things. An IV, an internal monitor for the baby, an internal monitor for contractions, an oxygen mask because the baby was going into distress. I laid there oblivious to any pain and joked with Brian and Barbie as we waited for the "pushing phase" to start. Periodically, I heard someone fart in the room and I'd look at Brian and Barbie with an accusatory look, then I realized that it was me! of course it was me. I had no feeling from my waist down. I was like my auntie Minnie! just tooting away, willy nilly, even once while the nurse was checking me! We cracked up quite a bit about that. As most people know, I'm highly amused by farting.
No exit!
Around 11am the nurse consulted the doctor on call and they monitored my progress. After about 15 minutes she informed me that I had a choice to make: Labour had stalled at 6cm and the baby was in distress. They could try to induce laboour with Pitosin and see if that would start the contractions again, or I could do a C-section and get him out. A tough choice. A sobering choice. I asked the doctor what was best for the baby. Of course it was the least appealing of the options, the C-section. So with as much calm as I could muster, and with a quick look over at the concerned faces of Brian and Barbie to reassure them that I would be ok, I said "let's do it".
Let's get this party started
My room became a hive of activity as people came in and out to administer things through IVs and inform me of what would happen next. Then Brian was "Suited up" and I was wheeled off to the operating room. Whatever Dr. Dave put in my IV started working immediately, and I could feel absolutely nothing below the chest. As I laid there on the operating table they prepped me, draped me, and Dr. Dave reassured me and kept me appraised of the situation. Brian came into the room and the operation began. I held Brian's hand and tried to keep myself calm by imagining being on a warm beach. The bright lights of the operating room was the sun warming my face, the floaty feeling was not from the cocktail of drugs in my IV, but from the several shots of tequila I imagined I'd just done. The voices of the doctors and nurses were those of other people on the beach, laughing and splashing in the surf. The suction machine that was probably now vacuuming up all the blood that was gushing out was providing the surf sound. And Dr. Dave said that I was the most calm person to have a C-section he'd ever seen. After what seemed like only a moment I heard the sound of a baby crying. Perhaps someone's child on the beach? and then I crashed back down to reality and realized that the baby crying was my kid! "THE kid"!
Who's your daddy?
After my realization my first question to Brian was "does it look like Jay?" - because it's been a standing joke in our circle of friends that Jay's the baby-daddy... Brian laughed and said he didn't. Then they showed him to me. He was all pink with a ton of black hair and my first comment was "ooh he's CUUUTE! he doesn't look anything like Winston Churchill!". That got a laugh from everyone in the operating room. They took the baby and Brian away and put me back together while discussing every day things like what they saw on TV last night, and the latest celebrity gossip. I heard the doctor say "let's get those abs back in place, she's worked really hard on them", and I thanked her for noticing. And the final step... replace my belly button ring, which they had taken out for the surgery. They put it back in for me while I was in the operating room! What service.
Hello world
Trent Aston came into the world on July 4th, at 11:33am, kicking and screaming, much like how his mum had gone into pregnancy. It seems like the whole world (at least MY world) was waiting with baited breath to meet him. Aunt Barbie was the first to meet him, followed by uncle Scott. I spent some time in the recovery room and they brought him to me. Here the details start to get a little sketchy. I assume because of the drugs and I recall being wheeled to my post partum room where Brian, Trent and I would spend the next 3 days. Trent's grandparents, Keith and Joan, showed up pretty soon after his grand entrance and were so excited to see the little guy. And as my epidural and drugs wore off and my visitors disappeared, the nice nurse lady came and took Trent to the nursery so that I could get some sleep.
Happily ever after
There were many unpleasant experiences that followed the birth of Trent, many of which made the labour and major surgery experience pale in comparison. The 3 days following the birth were the most challenging of our entire lives. Sleep deprivation, pain, and being cooped up in a tiny hospital room with people poking and prodding at me and Trent every few hours made those few days feel like several weeks. And I was so ready to come home on Saturday. My doctor cleared us to stay until Sunday, but I just couldn't do it. And that night, Saturday, our first night home with the baby, Brian and I didn't sleep a wink, were totally clueless, and made it up as we went along. Thank heavens for Grandpa and Grandma! Without them, this would have been so much more difficult.
It's now a week and one day since Trent's birth. I've been in more pain than I could even imagine over the past week, with the C-section recovery and pain of breast feeding, which you can't ever fully understand until you feel it. I haven't slept more than 4 hours at a time in over a week, I haven't put on make up or fixed my hair in over a week, not because I don't have time, but because it's not important.
So the question question remains: was it worth it?
You'll be surprised by the answer. It was so worth it. I'm not saying I'd do this again. But I'm happy that I did it. Nothing can prepare you for how your own baby worms his way into your heart, no matter how much kid-proofing you have done to it. Last night I spent hours just staring into Trent's eyes, even though I was dead tired, because I just couldn't take my eyes off him. Surprised? nobody's more so than I am!
Monday, July 09, 2007
Proud Aunt Barbie
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Introducing...
Trent Aston
Trent Aston
Born on July 4th, 2007 at 11.33am
weighing 7lbs 13oz, and measuring 20 inches tall.
weighing 7lbs 13oz, and measuring 20 inches tall.
We are so happy to meet our beautiful little boy, and can't wait to introduce him to all of his amazing honorary aunts and uncles here in Texas and around the world!
A big thank you to all the well-wishers who have e-mailed, called, and sent flowers... we truly appreciate all of your support! And most of all, a big thank you to Aunt Barbie - we just can't tell you how much your help means to us. You've been our rock :-)
More details surrounding the birth to come as I find time to update - Life is very crazy right now, and many phone calls are going unreturned, so please be patient and rest assured that we will be in contact just as soon as we return to a state of sanity. Thanks, everyone, for your patience.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
update on The Kid
...or lack of update, I should say.
Yesterday's appointment went well. The doc did a membrane sweep, which should help get things started. However, all that's happened so far is some cramping. I'm feeling very discouraged and every day that goes by now is causing me to get a bad attitude. It's almost like a deflated/defeated feeling. I think it's because I so desperately want to be in control of this situation and I can't be. It's not too much to ask to be in control of your own body, is it???
Tomorrow is July 4th. His actual due date. In preparation, and so I can feel like I have at least a small amount of influence over the situation (if not control), I'm going to pick up a bottle of Castor Oil.
Message to The Kid: I'm your mother. You had better get used to doing what I tell you to do, starting now. So be a good boy and make your exit! I don't like children, and I was hoping that you could help change my mind about that. But you're off to a rocky start. Now MOVE IT!
Yesterday's appointment went well. The doc did a membrane sweep, which should help get things started. However, all that's happened so far is some cramping. I'm feeling very discouraged and every day that goes by now is causing me to get a bad attitude. It's almost like a deflated/defeated feeling. I think it's because I so desperately want to be in control of this situation and I can't be. It's not too much to ask to be in control of your own body, is it???
Tomorrow is July 4th. His actual due date. In preparation, and so I can feel like I have at least a small amount of influence over the situation (if not control), I'm going to pick up a bottle of Castor Oil.
Message to The Kid: I'm your mother. You had better get used to doing what I tell you to do, starting now. So be a good boy and make your exit! I don't like children, and I was hoping that you could help change my mind about that. But you're off to a rocky start. Now MOVE IT!
Monday, July 02, 2007
Final weekend as DINKs?
This weekend I tried to do things that I won't have much opportunity to do over the next several months. On Friday we had Barbie, Scott, Michelle & Brian over for dinner. We just ordered out so that I wouldn't have to do a whole bunch of cooking. Michelle and I spent some time relaxing on the trampoline. I saw a satellite pass over head.
Saturday during the day was spent doing house work (and yard work for Brian), followed by a fun evening downtown with Nick, Kitty, Mike & Tara. We got scammed at the parking lot on 7th street. We parked and the attendant was nowhere to be found, then this homeless looking guy came out from between some cars and charged us $7 to park, which we handed over, but then when he didn't give us a receipt I questioned him. He made a grand show of going over to the adjacent parking lot to get us a ticket, but came back without one. At this point I was sick of waiting and just said "whatever". When we got back to our car, thankfully it had not been towed, but the REAL parking attendant asked us to pay! we told him we paid the homeless guy, and he then informed us we got scammed. So lesson learned. ALL of the parking lot attendants at the pay parking lots downtown wear shirts with the parking lot logo on them, and they ALWAYS give you a ticket for your dash.
Sunday was spent doing more things around the house, and mostly relaxing for me. I did clean out the refrigerator in the garage, which had started to grow black spores from being left unplugged with the doors closed. We had to replace a breaker so that we could run the fridge but now we have a beer fridge and overflow freezer, which is a good thing since Costco is keeping our regular freezer stuffed to the gills!
Sunday night I left Brian to watch the DVR loaded with bass fishing and racing shows and I headed downtown to see Brian Lee in his new cover band "Suede" at Cedar Street. Barbie, Michelle, Andi & Mike were there, too. It was an awesome show and we couldn't believe how many people showed up on a Sunday night. I got home a little after 1am.
In all, it was a great weekend, only momentarily punctuated by my frustrations about being pregnant and ready to get this thing over with!
Saturday during the day was spent doing house work (and yard work for Brian), followed by a fun evening downtown with Nick, Kitty, Mike & Tara. We got scammed at the parking lot on 7th street. We parked and the attendant was nowhere to be found, then this homeless looking guy came out from between some cars and charged us $7 to park, which we handed over, but then when he didn't give us a receipt I questioned him. He made a grand show of going over to the adjacent parking lot to get us a ticket, but came back without one. At this point I was sick of waiting and just said "whatever". When we got back to our car, thankfully it had not been towed, but the REAL parking attendant asked us to pay! we told him we paid the homeless guy, and he then informed us we got scammed. So lesson learned. ALL of the parking lot attendants at the pay parking lots downtown wear shirts with the parking lot logo on them, and they ALWAYS give you a ticket for your dash.
Sunday was spent doing more things around the house, and mostly relaxing for me. I did clean out the refrigerator in the garage, which had started to grow black spores from being left unplugged with the doors closed. We had to replace a breaker so that we could run the fridge but now we have a beer fridge and overflow freezer, which is a good thing since Costco is keeping our regular freezer stuffed to the gills!
Sunday night I left Brian to watch the DVR loaded with bass fishing and racing shows and I headed downtown to see Brian Lee in his new cover band "Suede" at Cedar Street. Barbie, Michelle, Andi & Mike were there, too. It was an awesome show and we couldn't believe how many people showed up on a Sunday night. I got home a little after 1am.
In all, it was a great weekend, only momentarily punctuated by my frustrations about being pregnant and ready to get this thing over with!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
In case you were wondering...
In case anyone was wondering what a belly ring looks like on a gigantic 40 weeks pregnant belly, here are some pictures:
and
I think it looks quite stylish!
and
I think it looks quite stylish!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Geek parents
ok, it's totally geeky, but we set The Kid up with his own e-mail address. The intent is that all his family and honorary aunts and uncles can e-mail him with their thoughts on meeting him, hopes for him, advice, or just introduce themselves and explain their roles in his life, etc., and when he's old enough to read/understand, he'll get to read them.
I won't disclose the e-mail address here, but if you want the address, you know how to find me :-)
I won't disclose the e-mail address here, but if you want the address, you know how to find me :-)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Zero station!
My Friday Doctor's appointment revealed that I am now 1.5 cm, and the baby is at zero station. That means that he has dropped and that his head is now down in the pelvis and in position. We are 90% sure he will be here within the next 10 days. It's probably going to be a long 10 days for me because I am SO uncomfortable and I have to pee every five minutes.
Everyone around me is excited. The inquiries as to how I'm feeling are getting more frequent. It's hard for me to describe how I'm feeling, but here goes:
Physically I feel fine. In the mornings I feel best because the weight of the baby hasn't been pushing down on me for hours. I don't even really feel pregnant until I attempt to get up from the couch, or if I bend over. As the day progresses, though, it gets harder to feel comfortable sitting or standing. My feet and hands swell, and the pressure in my lower abdomen increases. By bed time I am in pain. It's not unbearable, but it's a constant ache that extends from the lower abdomen to my ribs and all around my back.
Mentally I'm feeling a little frustrated and mixed up because I want this to be over, but I also want him to stay put a little longer because, selfishly, I am not ready for the responsibility, but, unselfishly, I think having a birthday on July 4th would be cool. Everyone will be in a celebratory mood during his birthday and he'll have many choices in parties to attend.
One of the great advantages our kid will have is that he automatically has dual nationality. He'll automatically be an American because he will be born here, but he will also be British because I am still a British citizen. Brian and I hope that he takes advantage of this and studies and works in Europe some day. With his British passport, he can live and work anywhere in Europe and not have to deal with all the red tape. He's a very lucky boy!
Everyone around me is excited. The inquiries as to how I'm feeling are getting more frequent. It's hard for me to describe how I'm feeling, but here goes:
Physically I feel fine. In the mornings I feel best because the weight of the baby hasn't been pushing down on me for hours. I don't even really feel pregnant until I attempt to get up from the couch, or if I bend over. As the day progresses, though, it gets harder to feel comfortable sitting or standing. My feet and hands swell, and the pressure in my lower abdomen increases. By bed time I am in pain. It's not unbearable, but it's a constant ache that extends from the lower abdomen to my ribs and all around my back.
Mentally I'm feeling a little frustrated and mixed up because I want this to be over, but I also want him to stay put a little longer because, selfishly, I am not ready for the responsibility, but, unselfishly, I think having a birthday on July 4th would be cool. Everyone will be in a celebratory mood during his birthday and he'll have many choices in parties to attend.
One of the great advantages our kid will have is that he automatically has dual nationality. He'll automatically be an American because he will be born here, but he will also be British because I am still a British citizen. Brian and I hope that he takes advantage of this and studies and works in Europe some day. With his British passport, he can live and work anywhere in Europe and not have to deal with all the red tape. He's a very lucky boy!
Monday, June 18, 2007
No progress
Well, my Friday doctor's appointment revealed that The Kid has already picked up some personality traits of his father. He's a procrastinator. This could be good, and bad I suppose. Good because a lazy baby means he'll be far too lazy to be demanding, bad because he's procrastinating on making his grand entrance into the world outside of my body. I'm feeling rather impatient and would like to to quit sharing the real estate in there with him and all my other organs. It's like having a squatter.
So there I was, all ready for some "good" news that maybe that one centimeter from the previous week had progressed a little futher, but no. I guess the The Kid caught a glimpse of the outside world, saw my giant ankles, probably thought they were some kind of weird animal waiting to eat him, freaked out and decided to set up camp. Ok, that might have invoked a visual you weren't prepared for. Sorry!
This part of pregnancy is weird. I don't know if other women feel this way, but I'm having mixed emotions because I am not ready for my life to change so drastically, yet I am interested to meet the little monster that's been poking and kicking at my ribs for the last several months.
Brian is excited. Of course, he doesn't have to go through the indignity and pain of giving birth. I'd do anything to trade places with him right now.
Today I'm going to work out extra hard at the gym and see if I can induce labour a little early :-)
So there I was, all ready for some "good" news that maybe that one centimeter from the previous week had progressed a little futher, but no. I guess the The Kid caught a glimpse of the outside world, saw my giant ankles, probably thought they were some kind of weird animal waiting to eat him, freaked out and decided to set up camp. Ok, that might have invoked a visual you weren't prepared for. Sorry!
This part of pregnancy is weird. I don't know if other women feel this way, but I'm having mixed emotions because I am not ready for my life to change so drastically, yet I am interested to meet the little monster that's been poking and kicking at my ribs for the last several months.
Brian is excited. Of course, he doesn't have to go through the indignity and pain of giving birth. I'd do anything to trade places with him right now.
Today I'm going to work out extra hard at the gym and see if I can induce labour a little early :-)
Friday, June 15, 2007
New floor!
Timing couldn't have been worse, but our floor guy, Matt, made what could have been a stressful situation a very easy and stress free one. We picked out a wood that was similar in colour and texture to the wood in the rest of the house and Matt came and removed the cat pee carpet and leveled the floor on Wednesday. Then on Thursday he came over and laid the floor. Today he came over and did the final part, the trim. He saved us a bunch of money on the trim by staining it to match the floors himself.
From discovering the problem to fixing it was less than one week! I highly recommend our floor guy. He also did 3 of our other friends' floors and his workmanship is awesome. So if anyone is in the market for new floors, be sure to let me know and I'll give you Matt's number.
The dining room looks beautiful. It finishes off the downstairs nicely. I never thought it was weird that our dining room was the only room with carpet downstairs, but now that the wood is in there, it just ties it all together. Kind of classes up the place. Now I can't wait to actually buy a dining room set, of course, that's low on our list of priorities at the moment.
From discovering the problem to fixing it was less than one week! I highly recommend our floor guy. He also did 3 of our other friends' floors and his workmanship is awesome. So if anyone is in the market for new floors, be sure to let me know and I'll give you Matt's number.
The dining room looks beautiful. It finishes off the downstairs nicely. I never thought it was weird that our dining room was the only room with carpet downstairs, but now that the wood is in there, it just ties it all together. Kind of classes up the place. Now I can't wait to actually buy a dining room set, of course, that's low on our list of priorities at the moment.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Misc. weekend activities and sushi ramblings
The weekend started off very well. It started with sushi for lunch with Miki, which is always so much fun. Miki's one of those low-maintenance friends who I don't see very often, but when I do, it's like a breath of fresh air. She and I have many similarities as far as our outlook on life, and many similarities in our childhoods.
That evening, two friends who we only see every now and then suggested we go for sushi downtown at Uchi. I could eat sushi for every meal, so of course we went.
My thoughts on Uchi:
Uchi is ok if you like foofy and creative (and expensive) sushi. I'm a bit of a sushi purist, though. Although I can't eat the raw stuff right now, which limits me to pretty much Eel and rolls, my preference is for a place with simple and fresh Nigiri sushi, and a couple of rolls, such as a spicy tuna roll, or Sushi Sake's amazing Spicy Susan. Uchi is wasted on someone like me. I found myself looking at the menu and thinking "you're charging HOW MUCH for that tiny morsel of food?". While I won't deny that the food is well presented and tastes good, I would much rather get better value at a more traditional sushi bar where you can get full without breaking the bank. The one roll I got at Uchi was the Shag roll. It's basically a veggie roll that's dipped in tempura batter and deep fried. It's served with a splash of squid ink. Sure it's interesting, but was it better than the sushi at my usual place. Not even close. So after 2 experiences at Uchi, I think I'm crossing it off my list of places to eat from now on.
Don't get me wrong, we had a great time on Friday night. But not because of the food or venue, but because of the company. I find that to be true most times we go out.
On Saturday we discovered a cat problem that had been apparently happening over some time and has caused us to need to replace the carpet in our dining room. It's a behavioral problem, we think, because there's nothing wrong with the cat. She's just deathly afraid of the new Littermaid catbox and won't go near it. We made the mistake of thinking that if we put a regular and the automatic cat boxes in the cat's bathroom, the scaredy cat would simply use the manual one. But no. She chose to use the carpet in the dining room, instead. What's strange is she was fine with our old Littermaid box. Lesson learned. Manual catbox only from now on.
We shopped around for wood floors to match the floors in the rest of our downstairs and found several good options. One based on some recommendations by several friends. We were planning to get wood in the dining room anyway, just not right away, and of course the timing is awful given that the baby could arrive at any moment. But it has to be dealt with.
Saturday evening was spent with friends at Nutty Brown Cafe in Oak Hill where the very talented Brian Lee was opening for Monte Montgomery. We had a great table outside with a good view of the stage and close to Michelle who was working the merchandise booth. We had dinner and spent some quality time with friends. Again, venue and menu had nothing to do with the fun level. We have such great friends.
Saturday night, though, was awful for me. I spent the entire night sick to my stomach. The kind of nausea that won't let you actually throw up but is bad enough that it turns you fetal and groaning. This was followed by a visit from the poop fairy around 5am. Consequently, most of Sunday was spent on the couch groaning some more, trying to hydrate, and going stir crazy because I was a prisoner in the house. I did do some productive things, though, like laundry and changed the bed.
Sunday evening we had dinner with Tiffeni, whom we hadn't seen in many weeks! One of the few remaining unmarried friends in our circle these days, soon to be converted to old married lady in August!
That evening, two friends who we only see every now and then suggested we go for sushi downtown at Uchi. I could eat sushi for every meal, so of course we went.
My thoughts on Uchi:
Uchi is ok if you like foofy and creative (and expensive) sushi. I'm a bit of a sushi purist, though. Although I can't eat the raw stuff right now, which limits me to pretty much Eel and rolls, my preference is for a place with simple and fresh Nigiri sushi, and a couple of rolls, such as a spicy tuna roll, or Sushi Sake's amazing Spicy Susan. Uchi is wasted on someone like me. I found myself looking at the menu and thinking "you're charging HOW MUCH for that tiny morsel of food?". While I won't deny that the food is well presented and tastes good, I would much rather get better value at a more traditional sushi bar where you can get full without breaking the bank. The one roll I got at Uchi was the Shag roll. It's basically a veggie roll that's dipped in tempura batter and deep fried. It's served with a splash of squid ink. Sure it's interesting, but was it better than the sushi at my usual place. Not even close. So after 2 experiences at Uchi, I think I'm crossing it off my list of places to eat from now on.
Don't get me wrong, we had a great time on Friday night. But not because of the food or venue, but because of the company. I find that to be true most times we go out.
On Saturday we discovered a cat problem that had been apparently happening over some time and has caused us to need to replace the carpet in our dining room. It's a behavioral problem, we think, because there's nothing wrong with the cat. She's just deathly afraid of the new Littermaid catbox and won't go near it. We made the mistake of thinking that if we put a regular and the automatic cat boxes in the cat's bathroom, the scaredy cat would simply use the manual one. But no. She chose to use the carpet in the dining room, instead. What's strange is she was fine with our old Littermaid box. Lesson learned. Manual catbox only from now on.
We shopped around for wood floors to match the floors in the rest of our downstairs and found several good options. One based on some recommendations by several friends. We were planning to get wood in the dining room anyway, just not right away, and of course the timing is awful given that the baby could arrive at any moment. But it has to be dealt with.
Saturday evening was spent with friends at Nutty Brown Cafe in Oak Hill where the very talented Brian Lee was opening for Monte Montgomery. We had a great table outside with a good view of the stage and close to Michelle who was working the merchandise booth. We had dinner and spent some quality time with friends. Again, venue and menu had nothing to do with the fun level. We have such great friends.
Saturday night, though, was awful for me. I spent the entire night sick to my stomach. The kind of nausea that won't let you actually throw up but is bad enough that it turns you fetal and groaning. This was followed by a visit from the poop fairy around 5am. Consequently, most of Sunday was spent on the couch groaning some more, trying to hydrate, and going stir crazy because I was a prisoner in the house. I did do some productive things, though, like laundry and changed the bed.
Sunday evening we had dinner with Tiffeni, whom we hadn't seen in many weeks! One of the few remaining unmarried friends in our circle these days, soon to be converted to old married lady in August!
Friday, June 08, 2007
The countdown begins...
Today's doctor visit revealed that I am 1cm dilated!
Don't get excited, though. It really means nothing if it's not accompanied by painful contractions. Which it isn't. So while it's progress, the little bugger is hanging in there. If I have been experiencing contractions, then I'm just oblivous to them. I haven't really even noticed much Braxton-Hicks activity, either. Unless Braxton-Hicks feels like The Kid is striking poses in there with all his appendages spread out and shoved into various organs. He does seem to be very, very active lately, and he seems to get the hiccups on an hourly basis. Perhaps I should lay off the Tequila?
Maybe I am having contractions, but I'm such a badass and my pain threshold is so high that it feels like no big deal! Wishful thinking on my part. I'm a huge baby and the slightest bit of pain turns me fetal and crying for my mummy. Can I get my epidural now?
Don't get excited, though. It really means nothing if it's not accompanied by painful contractions. Which it isn't. So while it's progress, the little bugger is hanging in there. If I have been experiencing contractions, then I'm just oblivous to them. I haven't really even noticed much Braxton-Hicks activity, either. Unless Braxton-Hicks feels like The Kid is striking poses in there with all his appendages spread out and shoved into various organs. He does seem to be very, very active lately, and he seems to get the hiccups on an hourly basis. Perhaps I should lay off the Tequila?
Maybe I am having contractions, but I'm such a badass and my pain threshold is so high that it feels like no big deal! Wishful thinking on my part. I'm a huge baby and the slightest bit of pain turns me fetal and crying for my mummy. Can I get my epidural now?
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Has the baby dropped??
Yesterday (for the record that's June 2nd) I experienced what I can only describe as a frequent urge to pee. I went 3 times in 20 minutes. Every time I stood up, I felt an immense pressure on my bladder, and a lot of lower abdominal discomfort. In addition, I can now more easily take a full breath. Could this be the "lightening" that they talk about? or am I just imagining it because I so desperately want this to be over?
Brian thinks my shape has changed. Everywhere I go people comment on how "high" I'm carrying. And it honestly does look like he's all up in my ribs (and feels like it, too). But yesterday, the bump looked a little less prominent at the top. If he has descended then that means it's not long until The Kid makes his grand entrance into the world (and thankfully, his exit from me). Lightening usually happens between 3 weeks and 2 days before labour starts, according to my sources. So if that's true, maybe he'll be early.
I have mixed feelings about that because I really would like to have him on 4th of July. But on the other hand, I really want the infestation to be done!
Another really freaky thing is that you can now see a foot or an arm moving around and can pretty much distinguish what it is just by observing my stomach when it happens. It's the weirdest looking thing, and I can't even describe how it feels other than "creepy".
In other news, Brian and I tried out Kona Grill last night. I went there for lunch a few days ago and tried their sushi (cooked, of course). I don't recommend their sushi. In fact it was about grocery store quality. I do like the ambiance in the place, though. And the service has been awesome both times I've been there. Brian had the Pad Thai last night and it was really good. I had the Pork Tenderloins. It came with white cheddar mashed potatoes and a shitake mushroom sauce. Delicious. So I can certainly recommend either of those two dishes. When I went for lunch, Dana had the Macadamia crusted chicken and it was extremely tasty. So that's 3 dishes I'd definitely go back for.
Brian thinks my shape has changed. Everywhere I go people comment on how "high" I'm carrying. And it honestly does look like he's all up in my ribs (and feels like it, too). But yesterday, the bump looked a little less prominent at the top. If he has descended then that means it's not long until The Kid makes his grand entrance into the world (and thankfully, his exit from me). Lightening usually happens between 3 weeks and 2 days before labour starts, according to my sources. So if that's true, maybe he'll be early.
I have mixed feelings about that because I really would like to have him on 4th of July. But on the other hand, I really want the infestation to be done!
Another really freaky thing is that you can now see a foot or an arm moving around and can pretty much distinguish what it is just by observing my stomach when it happens. It's the weirdest looking thing, and I can't even describe how it feels other than "creepy".
In other news, Brian and I tried out Kona Grill last night. I went there for lunch a few days ago and tried their sushi (cooked, of course). I don't recommend their sushi. In fact it was about grocery store quality. I do like the ambiance in the place, though. And the service has been awesome both times I've been there. Brian had the Pad Thai last night and it was really good. I had the Pork Tenderloins. It came with white cheddar mashed potatoes and a shitake mushroom sauce. Delicious. So I can certainly recommend either of those two dishes. When I went for lunch, Dana had the Macadamia crusted chicken and it was extremely tasty. So that's 3 dishes I'd definitely go back for.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Hobbit feet
In case anyone thinks I'm joking when I say my ankles have disappeared, check these babies out! It's only 2pm and my feet are massive!
See the complete lack of definition in the ankles? See the puffy toes that look like vienna sausages?
Lest anyone should accuse me of not taking it easy, I've been sitting ALL DAY. I tried elevating my feet while I work, however, it causes lower back pain. I guess I'm just doomed to have Shrek feet for another month!
BAH!
See the complete lack of definition in the ankles? See the puffy toes that look like vienna sausages?
Lest anyone should accuse me of not taking it easy, I've been sitting ALL DAY. I tried elevating my feet while I work, however, it causes lower back pain. I guess I'm just doomed to have Shrek feet for another month!
BAH!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A memorable memorial day weekend
This weekend was a lot of fun. Our friends, Andy and Hilary, came to town - they stayed with Jay and Erin. We spent our entire weekend surrounded by friends, we spent some time at the outlets, and some much needed time on the lake.
On Friday evening Brian and I headed over to Jay and Erin's to hang out with Andy for a while before they headed off to pick up Hilary from the airport. The gang went down town, but Brian and I went home and watched a movie instead because my feet were already swollen.
Saturday we bought a new couch! we picked it up for a steal at a furniture place on Burnet Road. I talked the guy down by $200 ;-) Mike and Brian picked it up (which saved us another $100 in delivery fees). It's an L-shaped sectional, leather on the bottom/back, with micro-suede cushions and various shades of brown throw pillows. It's super comfy and is perfectly sized for the room. We had been to almost every furniture store in the city and in most cases the secitonals were all too big. We're very happy with it.
Saturday night was spent over at Jay and Erin's with Mike and Tara and Andy and Hilary, and a few others. We grilled, hung out, and had a hilarious evening of cheesy Kareoke, complete with video, which I'm hoping will be posted on youtube.com in the near future. You haven't experienced Kareoke until you've heard Andy and Jay's rendition of Sonny and Cher's "I got you babe". Brian and I made it home around 3am.
On Sunday, Brian camped out on our new couch in front of the Indy 500 while I took a trip down to the outlets in San Marcos with the girls. we spent a good 5 hours there and I bought one thing for the kid - a race car night light from Pottery Barn, some awesome linen trousers for me, some red mugs to match our other dishes from Crate & Barrel, and of course, smelly lotions from Bath and Body Works. While we were gone, Brian took a 6 hour power knap. Apparently our new couch is *really* comfy. So much so that Brian didn't answer anybody's calls and was only woken up by Mike opening our garage and moving more stuff into it. Then Brian went back to sleep until dinner time.
We had dinner at Chuy's on North Lamar. What's interesting about this Chuy's is that there was no wait and it was relatively dead. Yet when we called over to the Chuy's at 183/Duval there was a wait of 1.5 hours! After dinner we went to Main event for some bowling and basketball.
Monday we woke up to awful weather and it was looking like our lake plans would be cancelled. We headed over to Mike and Tara's for some pancakes and lattes while we waited for the weather to improve. By noon it was brightening up so we packed up the truck and went to pick up the boat, then headed out to Volente to launch. The rest of the gang met us at the boat launch and we headed off to Devil's Cove for some sun and people watching.
Due to the weather, boat population in Devil's cove was relatively light at first, but as the day progressed the number of boats increased, as did the number of girls in tiny bikinis making complete arses of themselves and humping each other's legs, and the number of young guys shotgunning beers. We met up with Bob and his crew in the cove and tied up at a respectable distance from all the debauchery that we could observe unobstructed. It was very entertaining.
We did get pulled over by the police on our way into the cove and they did a check to make sure all of us had life jackets, etc. But I think we were the least of their concerns.
The day turned out to be perfect. The clouds burned off and the air temp was in the low 90's while the water temp was in the mid 70's. Perfect for cooling off. The kid seemed to go a little nutso when I went in the water. I suspect that it was due to the temperature differences between being baked in the sun vs doused in 75 degree water. By the end of the day we all had a healthy glow from the sun and were exhausted. After putting the boat away, Mike, Tara, Brian and I headed to Rudy's for some BBQ before heading to our respective homes for a much needed shower and some relaxation in front of the TV.
On Friday evening Brian and I headed over to Jay and Erin's to hang out with Andy for a while before they headed off to pick up Hilary from the airport. The gang went down town, but Brian and I went home and watched a movie instead because my feet were already swollen.
Saturday we bought a new couch! we picked it up for a steal at a furniture place on Burnet Road. I talked the guy down by $200 ;-) Mike and Brian picked it up (which saved us another $100 in delivery fees). It's an L-shaped sectional, leather on the bottom/back, with micro-suede cushions and various shades of brown throw pillows. It's super comfy and is perfectly sized for the room. We had been to almost every furniture store in the city and in most cases the secitonals were all too big. We're very happy with it.
Saturday night was spent over at Jay and Erin's with Mike and Tara and Andy and Hilary, and a few others. We grilled, hung out, and had a hilarious evening of cheesy Kareoke, complete with video, which I'm hoping will be posted on youtube.com in the near future. You haven't experienced Kareoke until you've heard Andy and Jay's rendition of Sonny and Cher's "I got you babe". Brian and I made it home around 3am.
On Sunday, Brian camped out on our new couch in front of the Indy 500 while I took a trip down to the outlets in San Marcos with the girls. we spent a good 5 hours there and I bought one thing for the kid - a race car night light from Pottery Barn, some awesome linen trousers for me, some red mugs to match our other dishes from Crate & Barrel, and of course, smelly lotions from Bath and Body Works. While we were gone, Brian took a 6 hour power knap. Apparently our new couch is *really* comfy. So much so that Brian didn't answer anybody's calls and was only woken up by Mike opening our garage and moving more stuff into it. Then Brian went back to sleep until dinner time.
We had dinner at Chuy's on North Lamar. What's interesting about this Chuy's is that there was no wait and it was relatively dead. Yet when we called over to the Chuy's at 183/Duval there was a wait of 1.5 hours! After dinner we went to Main event for some bowling and basketball.
Monday we woke up to awful weather and it was looking like our lake plans would be cancelled. We headed over to Mike and Tara's for some pancakes and lattes while we waited for the weather to improve. By noon it was brightening up so we packed up the truck and went to pick up the boat, then headed out to Volente to launch. The rest of the gang met us at the boat launch and we headed off to Devil's Cove for some sun and people watching.
Due to the weather, boat population in Devil's cove was relatively light at first, but as the day progressed the number of boats increased, as did the number of girls in tiny bikinis making complete arses of themselves and humping each other's legs, and the number of young guys shotgunning beers. We met up with Bob and his crew in the cove and tied up at a respectable distance from all the debauchery that we could observe unobstructed. It was very entertaining.
We did get pulled over by the police on our way into the cove and they did a check to make sure all of us had life jackets, etc. But I think we were the least of their concerns.
The day turned out to be perfect. The clouds burned off and the air temp was in the low 90's while the water temp was in the mid 70's. Perfect for cooling off. The kid seemed to go a little nutso when I went in the water. I suspect that it was due to the temperature differences between being baked in the sun vs doused in 75 degree water. By the end of the day we all had a healthy glow from the sun and were exhausted. After putting the boat away, Mike, Tara, Brian and I headed to Rudy's for some BBQ before heading to our respective homes for a much needed shower and some relaxation in front of the TV.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
I'm SO over American Idol
I had recorded Tuesday's American Idol and watched it yesterday before the finale. Based purely on those performances, Jordin deserved to win. Blake is going to do very well in his genre, but he really isn't that good of a singer.
I went over to Barbie's to watch the finale and Michelle joined us, too. Impromptu girl's nights in are always so much fun. Barbie made dinner for us, and a special treat for me, Razzleberry pie with vanilla ice cream! YUMMY!
We watched the show commercial free, and right before they announced who the winner was... what happened? the damn DVR stopped recording it. The show must have ran over time, but the DVR isn't smart enough to know that. So we missed the announcement of the winner!
OK, so we know Jordin won because it's all over the AI web site. But I have to say, Jordin did not deserve to win over Melinda. No way. I can't wait to buy Melinda's album, though.
A few observations from the finale:
I went over to Barbie's to watch the finale and Michelle joined us, too. Impromptu girl's nights in are always so much fun. Barbie made dinner for us, and a special treat for me, Razzleberry pie with vanilla ice cream! YUMMY!
We watched the show commercial free, and right before they announced who the winner was... what happened? the damn DVR stopped recording it. The show must have ran over time, but the DVR isn't smart enough to know that. So we missed the announcement of the winner!
OK, so we know Jordin won because it's all over the AI web site. But I have to say, Jordin did not deserve to win over Melinda. No way. I can't wait to buy Melinda's album, though.
A few observations from the finale:
- Kelly Clarkson rocks. Love her. She's gotten a lot cuter since her arrival on the scene, too. I love that she's starting to explore more rock type songs, like the two she has in the charts right now. Rock-on Kelly!
- Carrie underwood - I don't like country music, but I do like that one song "before he cheats". I think she has a beautiful voice, but honestly, her remake of "I'll stand by you" doesn't compare to the original. Especially since she didn't change it up at all and make it her own. I thought it was very kareoke-like. Nobody can sing like Chrissy Heins, so don't even try.
- Ruben Stoddard- Dude, you're rich. Get a personal trainer. Being called the velvet teddybear is not flattering.
- Taylor Hicks - Taylor who? I haven't heard a damn thing he's done since winning idol. Very disappointed here. Chris Daughtry should have won that season. You hear his voice on EVERY radio station.
- Who the heck were those two people Melinda got stuck singing with??
- And finally, how did they choose the winning song that Jordin will now release? Who's responsible for that crap? That's the cheesiest song ever. It sounds exactly like all the other cheesy songs that the winners have to record. Poor Jordin is gonna have to work hard to erase that one from the minds of America. I wonder if those guys who wrote it did it as a joke? I hope they're laughing all the way to the bank with royalty checks from that. That'd be the jape of the century!
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