Bowling on NYE

We chose Summit Lanes. What a perfect day to go bowling and not be embarrassed -- there was hardly anyone else around.


Here I am, beginning my reign of suckdom (I actually was ahead for a good part of the game).


Tiegan returning from a pretty successful granny-style knockdown.


Daddy helping Tiegan bowl.


She was jumping up and down with excitement to see if any of the pins would go down.


She was pretty pleased with the whole experience. One game was enough, and then she wanted to move onto the arcade games. I think it's safe to say this will be our New Year's Eve tradition from now on.

Goodbye Oh Eight.

Here's to the last day of 2008. It's definitely been a whirlwind of a year - good, bad and ugly. I've learned a lot about myself and others this year. Although it's been a huge trial for my patience, wisdom and emotions, I can honestly say it's been a great year. I will remember how this year has changed me and how I am better for it.

We plan to go bowling today. My sister & I used to go bowling on New Year's Eve (usually at night) with our parents when we were younger. That tradition only lasted a few years or so, but it was fun and memorable. This year Jason is taking Tiegan and me. I'm not sure I'll do any good because I stink at bowling in the first place, but it's fun anyway. My right shoulder has been giving me hell, so I'm interested to see how well my scores hold up. I have a problem with loose joints, and my right shoulder is the worst one. I can't lift heavy things very high or my shoulder just pops right out. Cool, huh. Well being pregnant has just exascerbated it! All your joints naturally loosen during pregnancy (to make room of course), so I've been having all sorts of problems - mainly with my hips, knees and shoulders. I can go down the stairs and a knee will buckle out of nowhere. How safe!

That's enough about that. I hope everyone has a fabulous way to welcome the new year.

Big Trip

When we get our tax return, we're going to plan a trip to the Ikea store in Canton.

I'm already starting a wishlist. I know I'm going to have to hold myself back once we get there - it will be like walking through heaven! Here's what I want so far...

This armchair & footstool for the baby's room. I've sat in them before; they kind of bounce. So I wouldn't need a rocking chair.

OK, so I have to be realistic. We probably won't be coming home with a new sofa (unless we rent a U-Haul). Our current sofa is [faux] leather, which is starting to crack and split after only 2 years.

Everyone needs a little burst of color in their life. This would be a side table for the sofa.

A couple of these for the living room.

This table & chair set is great and such a space saver. I love how they all tuck in perfectly around the corners!

That's all I can come up with before I start going crazy and picking out hundreds of little things. and if you wanted to look at every item Ikea has available, you'd just go to their website.

Also, I'd like to add something totally unrelated to this post. Jason is the greatest. He brought home ice cream and root beer last night because he knew it was my family's tradition to have root beer floats on New Year's Eve. He also brought home popsicles. That was totally random, but it turned out perfectly because I happen to have a raging sore throat. He's just the nicest guy. He is the only guy that I can get in an argument with and still want to cuddle a few minutes later. After being apart for the summer, we've come to appreciate each other more -- which is what I was hoping would come of our separation. I realized that no one else out there would ever be fit for me.

It's a Flood

... in my basement.

It started getting wet a few days ago when it was 60 degrees out and the heaps of snow melted. I've actually started getting used to the noise of the drain down there, swooooshing every 15 minutes or so. We'll probably have the landlords take a look if it doesn't start drying up by the weekend.

I've been told we're right on the water table so the basement is apt to flood when it rains. So that's why there are crates down there - to stack our stuff up on. Good thing we don't have anything important on the floor!

I should stop watching HGTV. I really enjoyed remodeling the bathroom at our old house (thanks to Dad for all his help!). I'm getting the hankering to paint/remodel something, especially since I've been following Nicole's remodeling projects in their new house. If I had the right tools, though, there would be plenty I could do with old furniture, paint and scrap wood.

Perplexed

I'm an expert at making lists. Actually finishing what's on my lists is another thing. I guess I'm a little too ambitious to begin with. Here are all the things I'm hoping to get done today.

• Dishes
• Clean/organize T's bedroom
• Sweep, mop, vacuum the whole house
• Dust (wish I had a swiffer!)
• Go through clothes and organize too-smalls: storage or donate.

Tiegan is at Judy's today, and Jason doesn't get out of work til 9pm, so I have quite a few hours on my own to get all this done. I don't think it's too ambitious, but by the end of the day I'll probably be saying otherwise.

I can't believe how this pregnancy has just drained my energy. I'm usually bouncing off the walls, but lately I have a hard time with the smallest tasks. Climbing the stairs gives me a head rush. I'm not really sure if I should just push through it and get exercise, or if my body's trying to tell me to rest. That's another confusion as of late. I feel out of touch with my body's signals. I have no idea what it's trying to tell me.

A photographer, just like mommy.

We finally got around to connecting Tiegan's new digital camera to the computer, to see what the quality of the photos is really like. and to see if she got any shots of anything except the floor. With some help, and after realizing that she has to hold the camera in place for a few seconds AFTER she pushes the button, she actually got some cute shots!

(Doesn't daddy look thrilled?)

Fully Loaded Christmas Blog

As promised... all the photos I could muster to post from our 4 Christmases (!) between the 24th and 25th.

This was the first gift of Christmas Eve. It was a bathrobe. She was less than thrilled at the time... but LOVES it now. I love the look on her face. "What the heck is this? Can I get some real presents now?"

Her favorite gift at Jason's parents' house was this princess vanity.


I just thought she looked so cute lying on the floor, coloring in her dress (which Meanie Mommy made her wear 2 days in a row. Hey - everyone had to see it! and shut up about the no-white-shoes-after-labor-day rule. They were the only ones in her size I could find that coordinated!)


Just a photo of T opening up her slinky at Grandma Judy's house...


And her microphone -- you know, the one that makes your voice echo. Grandma Sheli is pretty impressed, I think.


Trying on her new helmet (still in the package) along with her Radio Flyer scooter. Those things are so cool. She's already a whiz. And me - in the background - looking on. I had a migraine, so I wasn't very involved at that particular point.


Leah and Tiegan -- would you believe Leah is actually 1 week older than T? Considering their respective parents, it's kind of strange that T is so much bigger. Jas and I are waaay shorter than Leah's parents (and everyone else in the world).


Here we are at home, Christmas morning. This was my favorite shot of a reaction. Out of all her presents, she was the most excited to dump this one out of her stocking. It was the cheapest thrill of this Christmas.


This easel was pretty cheap, too. The chalk doesn't erase very well, but she mostly just uses it to clip up her coloring books/papers and paint.


T and Daddy. Anyone want to sign my petition for him to get a haircut? Can you tell he's going through a Beatles phase?


My parents got her a SmartCycle. This should help with her slightly off coordination, which she unfortunately inherited from her mother.


A while back, Tiegan said she wanted to be a photographer just like her mommy. This present from Gram Fifi & Boppy [aka my parents] just made my day. (Of course I will not push any one activity/career on her - she will be presented with all options possible and will choose when it's time. But ya know, this is just too cute.)


And... the last photo of this post (I promise!)... just to prove that I was actually there. Thanks to my hubby for one of the only photos of me - and I happen to be stuffing my face.


The end. Hope you all had great Christmases and will be ringing in 2009 by doing something fabulous. I'll be sitting on my couch sipping on a root beer float.

Roller Coaster

Not to worry, Christmas photos will be coming soon.

I've had a hard time getting off the couch today. I think the exhaustion from all 4 Christmas parties is finally getting to me -- that, and morning sickness! Weird, since I'm exactly at 13 weeks today. It's not full-fledged morning sickness with vomiting, but I feel like I'm on a roller coaster. I don't think I can eat much or I'll feel even worse, but I'm so hungry that I feel like I'll be sick if I don't eat. So at this point it's a lose-lose situation and I just have to take a gamble and do my best to get all my nutrients.

Now it's time to muster up the energy to organize all Tiegan's great new toys, and put away some old ones.

Cookie Day

These are from cookie-making day at my parents' house a while back. I'm still in awe that Tiegan wasn't all that interested in anything except picking out cookie cutters & playing in the flour. By the time we got around to frosting (which was what she was looking forward to all day long), she was pooped.

Here she is with her own little bowl of soup, watching TV in the living room. I couldn't believe my parents let her do this. When I was this little, sitting by myself in the living room with food as potentially messy as soup was unheard of!

Of course this was as nice a picture she could muster with her mommy. Oh well!

Wrappity wrap wrap

Christmas is upon us... and I finally started my shopping today! and now I'm working on my FAVORITE part (almost):

A while ago I bought this roll of black mesh from JoAnn Fabrics, because it was in the $1 bin. I had no idea what in the world I would ever use it for, but stuff like that is just handy to have around for "just-in-case" creative purposes. I was looking at all the presents I wrapped today and thought, there's something missing. I searched through my desk for any kind of embellishments I could find. There sat the black mesh, lonely and untouched. I checked to make sure there was black in the giftwrap that would coordinate - yep! Perfect match. It has so much more character than plain ribbon.

And I don't even care that it's getting thrown in the garbage in a few days - it only cost $1, after all.

the Bedtime Fairy

Well folks... Tiegan stayed in bed ALL NIGHT last night.
Ohhh, sweet sleep!

Our trick?

We told Tiegan that if she stays in bed all night, the bedtime fairy will leave a prize for her in the morning. Once she sleeps soundly for a few nights, the bedtime fairy will know she's no longer needed and will move on to another little girl or boy that needs help staying asleep.

So far, so good. Hey - sometimes you need to enlist the help of a little make-believe magic.

About My First-Born...

I nabbed this survey from LeeAnn who nabbed it from Nicole.
about my first-born...

1. Were you married at the time? We got married shortly after we found out we were having a baby. We had already planned on getting married, but we hurried it up (mainly because I still wanted to fit in the wedding dress I had already bought!)
2. What were your reactions? Had no idea what to expect, but very excited.
3. How old were you? 20.
4. How did you find out you were pregnant? I was "irregular" anyway so I didn't pay much attention to my cycles. One day I just had a hunch, and asked J if he would pick up a home pregnancy test for me. Turned out my hunch was right.
5. Who did you tell first? I told Jason - he had actually gone out somewhere and I took the test while I was home alone. I remember being SO anxious to tell him.. and waiting so impatiently for him to get back! He was gone for hours. I was asleep by the time he got back, but he woke me up and asked me about it.
6. Did you want to find out the sex? Yes, we wanted to be prepared.
7. Did you deliver early or late? A little early by induction - I was too miserable to continue to full term.
8. Did you have morning sickness? Not really. I had that roller coaster feeling a lot, but hardly ever got sick.
9. What did you crave? Mild buffalo wings from Applebee's with bleu cheese.
10. Who irritated you the most? I have to say Jason did. Sorry honey. I don't know why... probably just all those "guy" habits.
11. What was your first child's sex? Girl. (Princess)
12. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? WAY too many! Nearly 60 pounds. More than half my original body weight.
13. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? My doctor didn't listen to me, but I was positive I had pre-eclampsia.
14. Where did you give birth? Foote.
15. How many hours were you in labor? About 7 hours.
16. Who drove you to the hospital? Jason drove - I remember we left the house a little early because we were so restless/anxious (it was a scheduled induction). We went to the gas station, got something to drink, and then headed to the hospital.
17. Who watched? Jason, my mom and my sister.
18. Was it natural or c-section? Natural. I'm no expert, but I think it could have been a C-section... she was pretty "stuck"!
*EDIT: I totally worded this answer to sound the wrong way. Tiegan had a natural birth, but I think it SHOULD have been a C-section because she was stuck for so long!
19. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? I had an epidural as well as some IV pain meds, and a local anesthetic. They were pretty liberal with the pain meds, thank goodness, since they screwed up the Pitocin!
20. How much did your child weigh? 7 lbs. 10 oz.
21. Did your child have any complications? None other than some bruising on her face.
22. What did you name him/her? Tiegan Raine.
23. How old is your first born today? She will be 3 in February.

Baby Boom

Yesterday was family Christmas cookie making day. My parents, my sister and I have made the same cookies every year. Sometimes we try a little variation, but they always turn out great. I should have photos up the next time I post. Tiegan wasn't as interested in the whole process as I thought she'd be. She kept asking when it was time to "color" the cookies, but it turned out her favorite part was using the cookie cutters. By the time we got to frosting and decorating, she was burnt out and snacking on salami.

Tiegan has been getting up several times in the night. The past couple weeks, she has woken us up not once - not twice... but upwards of FIVE times a night. Between midnight and 4am. She usually wants a drink, a hug, a movie, or for her blankets to be rearranged. Things she has no business waking us up for at this age (except maybe a drink... I can understand that once in a while).

This is especially frustrating for me because once I'm woken, it's very hard for me to get back to sleep, especially in my condition (which I will tell you about a little further down). Plus: it doesn't help that when a sleep-wake-sleep-wake cycle happens with me in a short time period like that, I develop a BAD headache. Last night was the pits. Thankfully it didn't turn into a full-blown migraine and a simple ice pack managed to do the job.

So, when Tiegan & I got to my parents' house yesterday, and we were all gathered together, I made an announcement:
"On July 3rd, Tiegan is going to be a BIG SISTER!"
We were going to wait until next week to spill the beans. Our plan was to slip an ultrasound photo into everyone's Christmas cards. It didn't work out that way, since I won't need an ultrasound for 6-8 more weeks. I had my first prenatal visit with the Dr. Farhat Wednesday, and he was great. I had his partner, Dr. Scott, when I was pregnant with Tiegan. I didn't like him very much. He practically ignored me most of the time. My concerns were blown off with the answer "Oh, anything is considered normal during pregnancy. I wouldn't worry."
Dr. Farhat actually asked ME questions and I was happy with his amount of respect for me.

Sorry I didn't have as exciting a way to announce the news as LeeAnn... that was awesome! I think Jackson is having a baby boom this summer.

My Two Cents

Jacksonians, if you haven't heard...

Rocket co-owner Todd Sanford, who was a suspect in Sampier homicide, kills himself

Click above to read the full article. I'm going to make this somewhat short. My opinion: although this could be called a very tragic story about a successful man going down in flames, Todd made some very poor choices. Unfortunately, he was upset and unable to control his emotions with a gun in his hand. Many people place blame on the girl that these two men were both "dating." While dating 2 guys at once wasn't a very wise thing to do (I hear she was pretty serious with Todd, and this other guy was just a fling), I can't agree that it was all her fault this happened.

I know people that knew Todd, and believe me -- I've heard all different kinds of rumors. I won't share any here, because it's all just speculation. Who really knows what happened? When hearsay gets passed from one place to the other, it gets altered over and over and loses all credibility. There is not much of this story that I can actually consider fact, because so much of it is just he-said-she-said.

Despite the rumors, despite the girl's so-called cheating... Todd made the choices he did. He took two lives: someone else's and his own, and the families/friends of both are the ones paying. He didn't HAVE to kill someone, but he did, and he made his own bed.

Tiegan's Cooking Show

Tiegan loves to help us cook. As we're getting out all our ingredients, she drags her chair into the kitchen and announces: "I'm Chef Tiegan and welcome to my cooking show!"

The other day, she had fun helping Jason make a ham & bean soup. Her jobs were to pour the vegetable stock and mash some beans. Her best technique is stirring. She's quite good.

I also wanted to share with you a photo of our view from the living room. I intended to post this the other day, but my card reader wasn't working. It just took a few reboots - my PC was being temperamental.

Bagel Dogs

J is finally on the mend today and is back at work. I'm still wondering if/when this stomach bug is going to hit me. I spent a good part of yesterday cleaning and sanitizing, so hopefully that has improved my chances. Thankfully Tiegan is still fine too.

I'm antsy about Christmas shopping. We've been waiting until this extra money comes through from a photography job I'm doing on the 20th. Talk about last minute! If you know me, you know I'm kind of a last-minute person. But I'm usually not this bad. It can't be helped this time, but it leaves me with a lot of anxiety. I'll have 2 days to shop, wrap and get everything in order on my own. One day should be enough, though, considering we aren't doing much once again. I'm looking forward to the years we'll be able to do something nice for everyone in our families, without having to budget and cut back on other things.

I'm surprisingly full of Christmas spirit this year. Normally it takes me a while to get into it. The cold and snow makes it difficult for me. I'm not a cold-weather person. Bundling up, loading into the car, dragging the bottom of my pants through snow and having to peel them off as soon as I get in the door because they're soaking wet... not my idea of "festive."

This year, I don't mind. I look forward to the day the ice becomes thick enough for us to skate on. I want Jason to teach us how. (I can picture us laughing and falling down together and having fun.) I love the way the Christmas lights look from across the lake at night, reflected on the frosty ice. I remind myself that the cold won't last forever, and I should just enjoy it while it lasts. We can take Tiegan sledding at Cascades. We can make snowmen. And when we just don't feel like braving it, we can cuddle up on the couch and watch movies all day - and feel that much better about being warm and cozy while the rest of Jackson freezes.

You know what I miss? BAGEL DOGS. My mom used to order them all the time from this food catalog we had in elementary school. They were hot dogs, wrapped in bagel dough. The hot dogs were good. Kosher. The bagel part was buttery. It was the perfect balance.

Whipping wind, aliens and sickness

The wind is whipping around the house, making the walls and windows creak. That swooshing, whirling sound... It's a stay-inside, tucked under the blankets, watching a feel-good movie day. All I have to do is look out at the lake and I get chills. (This is where I would have shared a picture of the frozen lake, but for some reason my PC isn't recognizing the memory card slot which is really kind of detrimental and I'm freaking just a little bit.)

As I was washing dishes the other night, I looked out the window and had a little startle. Our neighbors across the street replaced the white light bulbs in their driveway lamp with green ones in a feeble attempt at looking festive. Screw festive! It looks plain creepy. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn there was some unearthly creature staring at me from across the street with glowing green eyes, waiting to take me up in his spaceship.

Jas was up sick practically all of last night. Poor thing is being sent home from work as I type. (I still can't believe he insisted on trying to go in the first place - what a trooper). I've heard of a few bouts of the stomach bug going around, but I don't think we've had any contact with these people... not directly, at least. I don't doubt the potency of the stomach bug, though. It's fierce. The 3 of us all had it when Tiegan was still in a crib. Mom ended up taking me to the hospital where I received IV fluids, while my dad stayed at the townhouse and took care of Jason and Tiegan. If it does happen to be "The Bug," it hasn't hit us girls yet. Crossing my fingers.

Now if you'll excuse me, In Her Shoes is going to be on FX in just a minute...

Newbie Foodie

Good food is something I've always enjoyed. Now that I've been on my own for a few years, I'm having fun coming up with new ways to make food creations. It's not easy with a 2 year old! There have been some hits and some misses, but I always have fun researching new food projects.

More recently, especially in the past couple weeks, my daytime TV seems to be glued to Food Network (in HD, of course - you can almost smell the food in HD). I also found my new favorite foodie website: TasteSpotting. New recipes are appearing all the time, with great photos.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the ideal time to get into cooking. Rich cooking. By December 25 this year, I am determined to try my hand at a recipe I found: Red Velvet Bread Pudding. I am by no means a great chef, but my family and I have fun cooking together and that's all that matters.

What are some of your favorite holiday recipes?

Here we go again...

Hello ladies and gents! Welcome to another one of my attempts at keeping a regular blog. I've tried several times to create blogs as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family, but these masterpieces usually end up on permanent hiatus after about 10 entries. I will try not to let that become the case this time around.

Since I'm admittedly not all that great at keeping up with phone calls, emails and that sort of thing, this is one of my best bets for letting the fam know what's new in my life (hi Mom!).

I promise that I won't make it all about me. I often find interesting crafting/cooking ideas on the web that I'll undoubtedly share, and I'll leave room for reader input. Yeah, for all two of you.

That said, I'll wrap up this welcome note and leave you to anxiously await my first "real" post. Til next time!