Dizzy Dime

The completion of Project 52

2010-06-07T08:48:00.004-06:00

Hello blogosphere! In case you forgot, I decided to start a photo project before Pita was born where I took a photo every week of her from the day she was born until she was one year old. basically, one photo for 52 weeks. It's amazing to see how much she has changed. (the last two pictures are courtesy of sproutphoto.com)

And yeah yeah, I do realize that this is like, 5 months too late. We played this at her birthday party back in January and it was a huge hit. i had some technical difficulties and I'm still not sure why the photos uploaded a little pixelated. Oh well.

The song we used for the soundtrack is "A Girl from Port" by Okkervil River. This is one of her favorite lullabies, even though the words don't quite match up to anything baby or family related. it brings a tear to my eye every time.

Eva's Project 52 from Anna Jolley on Vimeo.

Road to Half Marathon?!

2010-04-26T17:47:00.004-06:00

Greetings! It's been a long time. I've missed you. Consider this a big sloppy kiss.

So much to say. So much to say. But instead of going backwards and filling you in on the past few months of our lives, on to the reason that got me REALLY interested in writing again:

On December 5th, 2010, I intend to run a half marathon. I had to write it out officially on the internet to make it real. To hold myself accountable. And while i most certainly could fail (and I worry about that) the true failure is not trying at all, right?

A half marathon has been on my bucket list for a couple of year now after a trip to Las Vegas to watch our friend, Banning, run the Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon. (See the post here)There was such excitement that day that i scribbled my goal down in the back of my head but never was really sure if/when I would do it.

Now I guess I have to level with you about something. I have never liked running. My first memory in regards to running was grade school when we had the Presidential Fitness test and loathing the mile run. I didn't care about the sit-ups or push-ups. It was the mile run that left me with a terrible side ache and red face. Sucking wind on the side of the sidewalk. From a very early age, I always told myself I couldn't run.

So WHY IN GOD'S NAME DO I WANT TO RUN A HALF MARATHON? I guess it would just be a nice accomplishment. and really, the pros far outweigh the cons.

My urban family came up with the idea of running the half marathon this year and I figured it was as good a time as any to sign up. They will push me and I will in turn push myself. And maybe I can shed a few post-baby pounds. who knows?

Problem is, I know NOTHING about running. and sure, how hard can it be? I mean you invest in a good pair of shoes and hit the pavement, right? WRONG. I tried that a couple of weeks ago and again, like my Presidential Fitness Test days, I ran one block (ONE BLOCK, PEOPLE!) had a side ache and couldn't breathe and threw in the towel.

Then my friend Diane told me about her success with the Couch-to-5K running program. Basically, you do not need to have any running experience to have success with this program. It's a nine week regimen that will take a couch potato and gradually mold them into a 5K running machine. Check it out here.

I'm at the end of week 2 and so far so good! In fact, I can tell you I'm a little bored and want to move a little quicker.

I'm going to document my success over the next several months to see if truly I can do it. Stay Tuned!

Swine flu is kicking my butt

2009-11-07T17:58:00.003-07:00

It's been ages since i've written because gee whiz! Things are nutso crazy. I have to tell you all about halloween! and how the weather has been so fantastic that Pita and I walk nearly everyday and we have befriended a band (a peck? a herd? a gaggle?)of horses in a nearby pasture by feeding them apples and carrots. Or perhaps you want to hear about Pita's new tooth. Or you want to be filled in on me renting a Sargent Steamer and how it has changed my life forever (I can hear you snickering from here)

But alas, you will need to wait. Pita has an unofficial diagnosis of swine flu. and I am so worried and frustrated that I have felt like tearing my hair out on several occasions. It has been a whirly-gig of germs, fevers, and anxiety.

please be patient my friends!

Crafty McCrafterson

2009-10-25T17:11:00.004-06:00

Check out these adorable baby legwarmies! Aren't they cute? and awesome? and aren't you saying to yourself, "Hot damn! How much did that woman pay for those groovy, and potentially pointless, legwarmers?"

And I will say to you, "Pointless? You're nuts. And how much did I pay? I MADE these little gems, suckers!"

Yes you read right. I have been knitting up a frenzy and my fingers have been furious tornado of fingernails and knitting needles. wait, what? you catch my drift. I've been busy. and I have been dedicating every baby-napping moment to making more for various pregnant friends.

So you don't have a baby? or you think that the idea is really dumb? Okaaaaay. Well, wear them as arm sleeves aka fingerless gloves. you will be hip and trendy. but you might run the risk of the cashier at the grocery store saying to you, "wait, are you wearing BABY LEGWARMERS on your arms? you are weird. and by the way, where did you get them because I want a pair...you know, for my BABY."

If you want the pattern, let me know. If you want me to MAKE you some, you can always pay me in beer. Or gold.

5 year anniversary

2009-10-11T11:35:00.006-06:00

Yup! We have been married 5 years on Friday. We left Pita with her grandma and headed up to The Homestead and enjoyed a wonderful mini-trip. And then, we took our annual anniversary photo at the church we got married at. Oh happy!

4 year anniversary-7 months pregnant

3 year anniversary

Wedding day

(couldn't find the photos from year one and two)

Repurposing fabric

2009-09-27T17:12:00.003-06:00

Hey there!

Just thought I would give you a quick update to tell you I love my sewing class! I have made a few fun things but ventured on my own this afternoon and made some "new" comfy pants for Pita Pocket from an old sweater of my husband's The pants are a little big for her but I think they turned out fine. She will certainly grow into them but in the meantime she has ample leg room to practice her yoga. Not too bad for a first time flying solo project.

I have been scouring the wasatch front looking for vintage fabric for all of my various projects and have had a lot of luck at the DI (Thrift store for all you non-Utahns). Who would have thought?

Bee serious

2009-09-18T12:35:00.004-06:00

I took this picture a couple of weekends ago at Wheeler Farm. There was this giant sunflower, at least 8 feet tall that was bending down from the weight of the blossom and i thought it might be a neat thing to take a photo of. As I started focusing the camera on the flower head above me, i noticed that there was this bee hard at work, clinging on for dear life while the flower swayed in the breeze. As I took photos this bee was furiously working doing whatever it is bees do and it looked like exhausting work. i wanted to tell that bee to relax! Swing on the flower! enjoy yourself. You need a break! You deserve one!

But then I got to thinking, very often I find myself working so hard with my efforts going towards a never ending goal. Daily tasks like
"must get the dishes done."
"Must do the laundry."
"Must tidy up the house before the end of the day."

and the truth of the matter is this, even if I accomplish all of my chores today, tomorrow the laundry will pile up again. The dishes will get dirty. and with a mobile tot that likes to splash in the dog's water bowl, the house will just get messy tomorrow.

so i need to take my own advice and relax. enjoy the day. Take time to pause my circle of meaningless goals of daily tasks and once in a while, just chill.

I love this pictures so much that I am going to be blowing this picture up and framing it because it just speaks volumes to me.

wearing our party hats

2009-09-12T09:36:00.001-06:00

Just a typical Monday morning in the Pocket household.

Like Mother like daughter

Even cowgirls get the blues.

Girl clothes?

2009-09-11T07:16:00.002-06:00

Anyone out there giving away their old baby girl clothes? I need sizes 9 months and up.

Her first symphony and "thank you"

2009-09-08T10:17:00.000-06:00

One year older and wiser

2009-09-07T09:18:00.003-06:00

Hot Pocket threw me a surprise birthday party Saturday night and boy did it surprise me! To get me out of the house, a trip to Ikea was organized with mom for my birthday. Pita hadn't slept for the entire trip and as we got ready to go, I realized that she had been sitting in messy poo for over an hour. So i open the trunk of the car to change her diaper when I come to discover that I forgot to pack diaper wipes. So there i was, wiping dirty bottoms with blankets and napkins wetted with her sippy cup. And I couldn't wash my hands because we were already in the parking lot so i just made it a point to not touch my face or anything and to clean the hell out of the car interior when I got home.

So la-ti-da, I pull into my driveway just as Pita drops off to sleep. I open the front door and walk in and SURPRISE! All my friends come popping out from various hiding places and Pita loses it. And as I go to hug people, i remember my poopy hands and run to the bathroom to wash up.

Pocket did a great job organizing the party. We had margaritas and burgers. Friends brought various side dishes and munchies. Pocket even made me another peach cobbler which in our house we call it Peach Blobbler. He bought me a rodeo queen hat which Pita ended up liking the most. We played horseshoes, darts, and flipped through old magazines from the 60s and 70s. it was a most fun time.

How lucky I am to have such dandy friends and sweet and thoughtful husband.

Behold the pony!

2009-09-01T14:10:00.000-06:00

August update- the BIG one

2009-08-30T09:38:00.005-06:00

Hey folks. It's been a long month with few posts and I feel bad about that. As you can see, we have been busy.

Besides calling poison control for chewing on clay tiki man, we have been out and about like never before. I'm trying to soak in every drop of sunshine until the seasons change and suddenly we are battling snowy road conditions and breaking our backs shoveling the driveway. Last week we went to the garden at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi and had a really great time. It was expensive, but beautiful. I was surprised there was such a beautiful garden there.

After acquiring some old clothes pins, Hot Pocket created a clothes line in our backyard. And i always disliked doing the laundry but since this has been installed, I jump out of bed in the morning ready to wash clothes. I love it so. And on especially hot days, it takes about 10 minutes for everything to dry. Save money on electricity and the clothes smell like sunshine and the catmint that is growing beneath the line. mmmmm. fresh. talk about aromatherapy.

It has taken me 2 months from cutting back on my work hours to realize that over the years I have gotten stuck in my daily routine and let my passions fall to the wayside. I have started knitting again and I even signed up to be in a Tuesday night knitting circle. I have always wanted to sew so for my birthday, Pocket is buying me classes to The Finishing School. I'm not interested in being an awesome seamstress but I just want to be able to make curtains, pillows, and halloween costumes for Pita Pocket when she is older. I remember my mom made me a My Little Pony costume in 2nd grade that was the bomb. We would go to the fabric store every september and I would pick out my costume. I want to be able to do that for Pita.

Also, i have started to paint again. Nothing amazing. Just for the sake of painting. It is really relaxing to me. Again, I'm not going for anything super talented or awe-inspiring, just having some fun. I painted this picture frame on a whim.

Where do i have the time to do these projects? well, i have learned to turn the tv off (but I still watch Big Brother religiously) and take advantage of my awesome husband who will watch her for little chunks of time. And if i'm done with work for the night, I will often sit down and create after Pita has gone to bed.

This past week has been tough. Pita has been in a terrible mood for nearly 7 days straight. she cries and cries, nearly nonstop, and won't take a nap. So i took her to the doctor after 4 days of her being upset thinking, "come on. something must really be up since this has lasted so long." but the dr couldn't find anything wrong with her. she is fine. not even teething yet. So we just have to tough it out. argh! I think she might just be growing. we have flashcards that I play with her and Friday she picked up the "baby" flashcard and clear as a bell said "baby." I nearly fell over.

Pita loves anything shiny and especially loves her daddy's glasses. She tries to the grab them off his face all the time. She also has the tendency to always be moving. she never stops. Her arms and legs have minds of their own as demonstrated in the picture below.

So friends, this is why I have not been blogging as often as usual. Don't hold it against me. I'm just having way too much fun. Also, the blog is public now. I told you I might change my mind.

The great Tiki Debacle

2009-08-13T13:47:00.004-06:00

Last week I had to call Poison Control. As I have been juggling how to work from home AND keep my eye on my super quick baby,and found myself on my computer doing work with Pita on my lap. Like right now. So in an effort to keep her busy, I gave her a clay Tiki Man penholder that Hot Pocket's coworker made us. What harm could that cause?

So there I am typing-typing-typing for 15 minutes or so when I notice a funny smell. "My! It smells like gardening soil! What on earth could cause that?!" I was confused until I looked down and saw Miss Pita Pocket sucking on the grey pen-holder. While I thought the clay had been fired, it obviously had NOT. The clay had liquefied into a soupy grey mess and it looked like Pita had overindulged a large bowl of grey chocolate ice cream. The clay was smeared all over her face, clothes, and hair. I fahhh-reaked out when I saw her. And how could I have not noticed when she was on my LAP!?

So I called Poison Control who was wonderful to work with. There is only a minor risk of lead poisoning because this was just a one time occurrence and they said she should be just fine. However, with all their reassuring words this past week I have been beating myself up over it. Bad Mommy!

Now, looking back I guess it's a little funny. but just a little.

And yes, the blog has gone private. Not sure if I will keep it private however. We will just have to see how angry people get about it. Let me know what your thoughts are on the matter!

Going Private

2009-08-03T16:27:00.002-06:00

Too many loonies out there. If you want to still follow my blog, email me your email address. It will start being private tomorrow. Send your email to essonne006@hotmail.com.

Pioneer Baby

2009-07-24T17:48:00.006-06:00

Grandmommy Pocket bought this adorable pioneer bonnet for Pita. And while you can't see Pita's dress too well, she is wearing a dress made by her great-great-grandma.

Happy Utah Day, folks!

Ikea Antilop Highchair Review

2009-07-19T17:53:00.007-06:00

With little Pita Pocket eating more and more real food, we knew that we would need to bite the bullet and eventually purchase a high chair. For the past couple of months we put her in her swing or her Bumbo to give her rice cereal and various kinds of pureed nature's bounty. With her turning 6 months old this past week and nearly able to sit up by herself, I started to scour the Internet for affordable yet attractive highchairs. And just like several months ago while shopping for nursery furniture, I realized there is not a short supply of ugly highchairs. There are the wood ones with puffy pillows, pepto bismal pink chairs, and others that make an electric chair look more comfortable and fun.

I have often turned to Ikea for cheap furniture and after reading several mommyblogs, decided to check out the Antilop Highchair. After walking the maze that is Ikea, we finally came across this little gem and we snatched it right up. While online it indicated that it comes in white, blue, and red, our store only had the white chair which was just fine with me. And for $20?!?! Might as well pick up one for every room of the house! kidding.

Of course the price was right, but it was the no-frill style that I loved even more. sleek and functional. No bells and whistles. Not a hint of a plaid bow in sight. It would fit in nicely with the rest of our furniture.

Sure it's affordable but is it SAFE? Lots and lots of mommybloggers agree. I'm no expert but it seems sturdy to me. It even holds up well to a large dog that seems to be getting clumsier (or blind?) as the days go by. So far so good.

So the Antilop Highchair was designed so that you could scoot it up to your table and not need a tray. But if you WANT the tray it's a measly $5. I bought the tray and I like it! No hidden grooves where food gunk can get caught and it wipes away really clean. It's easy to put the tray on but I have a tough time removing it. I don't think it is a flaw in the design, I just need a little more practice. Unfortuneatly, I didn't get a photo of the chair with the tray.

I also read that since the Antilop doesn't have any padding, younger kids might not find it as comfortable. Yeah, I can see that. I think this is a chair you would want to buy once your little critter is sitting up by themselves. or close to anyways. We did buy the $2 support pillow to help Pita feel more comfortable and so far she loves sitting at the table with us and goes bananas when we put her in the highchair.

All in all, a good solution to the modern and affordable highchair dilemma. Now if only I could find a way to make my cat, Clyde, stop eating her left over baby food. He loves peas, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, and prunes. bizarre.

Nanoseconds after I took this picture, the water in her cup came splashing out. Would have been such a great action shot if I just waited a tenth of a second!

Death Cab for Cutie

2009-07-16T09:14:00.002-06:00

Monday night Pocket and I packed up our picnic food and met our friends, Diane and Banning at Red Butte Garden for the Death Cab for Cutie concert. It was a most excellent night sans Pita and made me feel like I didn't have a care in the world! We arrived a little after Ra Ra Riot started playing but luckily Diane and Banning secured us a to-die-for spot 5 rows back from the stage. In all my days of going to Red Butte for concerts, I have never been that close. Diane's friends had been standing in line since 9am and seeing that we didn't get to the venue until after the show started, we scored big time.

Like I mentioned before, Ra Ra Riot opened the show and they were incredible...and very young. They didn't look old enough to even drive! Andrew Bird was the 2nd act and he used some neat instruments. Most of his songs included whistling. Pocket and I are planning on getting his album just for this reason because our bitchy cat, Ernie, loves the sound of whistling and goes nutso when he hears it. It makes him crazier than catnip.

And then Death Cab came on stage and my heart just melted. They were incredible live and sounded just like their recordings. Earlier that day I had googled their set list at their previous shows looking to see if they ever played my most favorite, though somewhat obscure song "What Sarah Said" and sadly saw that they had not incorporated that song into their previous shows. However, Monday night when they came back for an encore, that was the first song they played. This song has a very special meaning to me after my grandpa died a few years ago and is one of my top ten most favorite songs in the universe.

it was a most perfect night.

6 months older and wiser

2009-07-14T17:59:00.005-06:00

Look at this little stink bug. Ain't she just the cutest thing? Last week she turned 6 months old and I have to rub my eyes in astonishment when I look back at the photos I have taken over the duration of mommyhood thus far. There were nights she seemed to grow a whopping 2 feet overnight. There were bleak afternoons where I would get edgy around 6:00pm because I anticipated the sleepless night to come. Moments when the sheer beauty of little Pita's smile overwhelmed me to the point where my heart jumped up into my throat and the deep sense of love was almost too powerful to wrap my little head around. The past 6 months have been the single best time of my life and I have never been so on top of the world.

I must encourage all you moms out there, to participate in Project 52. I have talked about it before on this website but basically you take a photo of your child every week for a year and then create a photobook at the end of the year to see how your kid has changed. I can proudly say that I have not missed a week yet and the slideshow I have created thus far is really amazing.

From the get go Pocket has been super supportive to me staying home and Pita and I are very grateful for our hero. He works so hard and then comes home and works even harder. He still changes all the diapers when he is home and cooks dinner every night so I can get some work done. And how is working from home panning out? So far so good. I'm so lucky my job was willing to work with me.

At Pita's 6 month checkup last week we came to find out that Little Miss is in the 50th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height. Because she is so long and lean, no clothes really fit her. She is wearing the 9 month jammies for length but since she is so skinny, they look way too big for her. She tolerated her shots pretty well and even gave the MA a smile when we left.

We went camping over July 4th with Pita's God-Mommy, Candace, and her family. We are so lucky to have such a sweet and caring friend to help raise little Pita.

Zoo

2009-07-06T16:58:00.001-06:00

Every year i plan on taking Pita's picture next to the lion drinking fountain at Hogle Zoo. Kind of a fun way to see how much she grows, no??

Sorry. Can't hear you over the crying of my child

2009-06-30T13:04:00.004-06:00

Eeee gad, you guys! Starting last Friday, Pita has been a total fuss-budget. It started when we tried to put her down for bed which up until now has been going smooth with our little ritual of eat, bath, lotion, night-night. Well we put her down to sleep and she screamed like we were baptizing her in fire. Of course we run in to see what has poked her, checked the zipper to make sure we hadn't pinched her by accident, made sure she was ok. And she WAS ok. besides the fact that her face was nearly purple from screaming, she was fine. After about a half hour of me going silently INSANE, she piped down and went to sleep.

Saturday night we packed up Pita and went to the Salt Palace to watch a little roller derby. She was fine until about 9:00 pm when she started to fuss. It was WAY past her bed time so I wasn't surprised she was irritable but once we got in the car her screaming started and she sounded like an ambulance. A really loud angry ambulance. People were merging to the right and pulling off the road when they heard us coming it was that bad. (self conscious, much?) It continued the entire 25 minutes home. She barely had a voice by the time we came home. Put her to bed and she fussed for about 10 minutes more and then went to sleep.

Sunday night was the worst by far. While this time I put her down at her regular bedtime (7:30pm) she caused such a fuss that she didn't drift off until 9:15! NINE-FIFTEEN! At one point I had Pocket go in and check on her to which she abruptly stopped crying, smiled at him, and literally said "Come on Dad. Let's Play!" well, not literally. When he left she started up again until she finally fell asleep twenty minutes later.

Nap times are suddenly becoming this awful as well! in fact, the past couple days she has been fussy most of the day. I have gone through all possible scenarios...Is the new solid food we are giving her making her sick? not sure. Is she sleeping too much at night making her not sleepy for her naps and bed time? not sure. Am i overstimulating her with the awesomeness that is myself? not sure, either. Perhaps the tooth fairy is on her way for an unpleasant visit? What I did feel as a hard tooth last week has disappeared but I have been educated in the fact that baby teeth have a tendency to move up and down. Up and down, people!

until then, I guess I just have to grow a thick skin and start ignoring the glares I get when I take her out in public. Good thing she has her 6 month doctor checkup next week.

Best Baby Essentials for New Parents

2009-06-21T07:55:00.011-06:00

Are you going to be a new parent soon? Need ideas for a rocktastic baby shower gift? Lately I have had a few friends approach me with the question, "What do you REALLY need when the bambino arrives?" While there is no way to package 8 hours of sleep in a pretty little box with a polkadot bow, I created a list of those things that Pocket and I stumbled upon, bleary-eyed and exhausted as we attempted to navigate the new world that is parenthood. As Pita grows, so does the list. I have sent my list out to a couple of friends in the past but I thought it might be a good idea to post it on my blog for all of you to read.

This list does not cover basic baby needs like a crib, 12 receiving blankets, a changing table, diaper wipes, etc but is a list of tools that I found made my life as a new mother a whole lot easier. Some are little luxuries, some are cheap, but ALL proved to go the extra mile-so far anyways. Each thing was money well spent and used on a daily basis. and of course, what worked for me, doesn't mean you will like it, so of course take these recommendations with a grain of salt. All I can say is I give these products thus far my seal of Pocket Approval. I would be interested to see if you have any other recommendations, too! Enjoy!

-Lansinoh Nipple Cream $10
Are you planning on breast feeding? Most likely the hospital will give you some (at least they did at my hospital) but I was smart enough to put it in my hospital bag as I was frantically getting ready to leave my house that cold January night. I have heard that you can start putting it on a week or two before your due date but I never did. I was dedicated to nursing from the get go but was surprised that it didn't come easily. This stuff really helped in keeping my skin moisturized.

-SwaddleMe by Kiddopotomus $10
These 'blankets' are truly a godsend. My sister-in-law gave me one and I remembered looking at it and thinking "this is a little weird looking" but I gave it a shot, and lo and behold, this product was amazing. I never quite mastered the art of swaddling Pita and this has velcro fasteners that make it a snap. I have heard that some babies can wiggle their way out of this product but I never had a problem with it. Also, you can use it with a car seat to keep your baby snug for car trips. Pita was in the .05% of babies that hated riding in the car but the SwaddleMe kept her quiet and happy. These better-than-recieving blankets I've only ever found them at Babies R Us or online. I weep at the fact that Pita is too big for them now. She flips over and sleeps on her tummy which means, no more swaddling. booo. hisss.

-1 can of formula and a bottle.
Even though I was against formula feeding, I was really lucky to have this to fall back on when I got food poisoning 8 days after Pita was born. We only gave her one bottle of formula but it was so great to have on hand in an emergency. And crawling through the aisles of the grocery store puking and looking for formula was not an option. This was a must to have on hand.

-DVD of the Happiest Baby on the Block $25
This is also a book but our pediatrician recommended the movie. This DVD teaches you how to calm your screaming baby in a matter of seconds. Our baby was so fussy that we had to follow all techniques to calm her down but we really saw the results. You should check out the reviews on Amazon and then i think you will see just how good this dvd is. This will be what I give all my friends for baby shower gifts because it is so amazing.

-Fels Naptha stain remover $2
A friend of mine gave me this and swore up and down how great this product was. It looks like a big bar of soap that seems to get out every kind of stain. It works wonders with poop and blood and we have used it down to a tiny nub. I have NOT tried it on baby food stains yet so I can't comment on that. We can only seem to find it at Fred Meyers/Smiths.

-Boppy and at least 1 cover. $40 Not only is this great for breastfeeding but as she gets a little bit older you can put it on the floor and prop her up so she can do tummy time. Be sure to bring this to the hospital if you plan on using it for breast feeding. I forgot mine and i was constantly propping Pita up on pillows. I have heard the My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow works well too. Your thoughts?

-Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump. (insurance covered my pump 100%) Love it. Most people I know end up buying the Medela but I really like my Ameda. It's cheaper too.

-“How to Photograph Your Baby” by Nick Kelsh $18. EVERY parent should have this book. Worth every penny and makes all the difference from taking bad snapshots to beautiful works of art. I use the concepts from this book every time I take photos of Pita. hey, at least pick it up at the library if you prefer.

-The Boon Spoon Squirt $8
Oh sweet awesomeness, grab yourself a couple of these already! The handle opens up and you can put 3 oz of baby food inside. When it comes to feeding time, just squeeze a little food onto the spoon and baby gets a fresh bite of yummyness! Portable and makes feeding Pita super easy because I have my other hand to keep her hands away from her face. Plus, whatever she doesn't eat, you put the protective cover over the spoon and save it for later, because her saliva doesn't get inside the handle, you can reuse the food! Just be sure to refridgerate the Boon Spoon with any remaining food. our dog, Luna, endorses this product too. She ended up eating one. We now have 2...and Luna is ok.

-Oxo Tooli, rechargeable night lights $28
We bought the blue and green set of two. There was a time when we would need to turn on Pita's table lamp in her bedroom in the middle of the night to feed and change her. Even though it was a small lamp, it gave off enough light to wake the dead and we would then have a baby who was wide awake and wanted to play. I did a little research and found these little guys that have made all the difference. Tooli's come in either blue and green or pink and orange and they give off just enough light to see what you are doing at night but not enough to rouse your tot. They are totally portable and give off light for over 8 hours. Then just recharge them on their recharging dock. Sure, they are a little spendy but totally worth it. We keep one in Pita's room and one in ours and when she cries I just carry mine down the hall and take care of things. We have used ours camping, too. So great!

I will be updating the list as i find more neat things. Do you have anything to add?

2009-06-17T17:10:00.002-06:00

Sure the whole point of blogs is to write but things have been a touch too crazy right now. I basically wanted to check in with everyone and tell you yes, I'm still alive. I'm still working many hours as they try and find a replacement for me and I have some really cool other things going on here at home. I don't quite have the time tonight to officially update, but stay tuned.

PS. can I just tell you how utterly happy I am right now? happpppy.

Papa's Eyes

2009-06-08T08:36:00.000-06:00

Spring/Summer

2009-05-26T07:40:00.003-06:00

In less than 1 week, I will be working from home. I have surprised myself in the fact that I truly have mixed emotions about it now that things are set in stone. All in all, I do know that it will good for pita to have her mom around the house more.

We pitched our new tent in the backyard and went "camping" on Friday night to see how Pita liked being in the great outdoors. We don't have an air mattress so Pocket and I were quite uncomfortable, tossing and turning on sprinkler heads and rocks. Pita on the other hand slept on her diaper changing pad (with a clean cover of course) and as far as I could tell had a great nights sleep. The minute she was carried into the tent, her eyes lit up.

The rest of the weekend was filled with yardwork, a family birthday party for grams, and the Indy 500. Jim took this picture of the 3 of us at Red Butte yesterday.

2009-05-18T09:06:00.002-06:00

I thank my lucky stars every day for my little family.

Solid

2009-05-11T20:18:00.005-06:00

Little Pita Pocket had her first solid food experience tonight. The pediatrician said she was showing some of the major signs of being ready to start eating real food (ie pulling my plate of dinner out of my hand in a grip He-Man would be jealous of)so we conducted an experiment.

We sat her in her Bumbo and poured some rice cereal on to the Bumbo tray. Her fingers are constantly in her mouth so we thought some "finger painting" with the cereal might be a neat way for her to experience the texture and taste. Sure enough, within a few short minutes, her sleeves were covered in rice cereal and globs were thrown up around her ears, nose, and mouth. It was a fairly successful night I think.

Major parenting mistake #1: We didn't use a bib. Seriously, those things were invented for a reason. if i could cover my babe in a thin coating of Teflon, I would be happy.

Oh and Pita is mobile now. She is steamrolling around the house. Flipping front to back to front to back and so on. and boy is she fast! Pretty impressive seeing that she just started doing this YESTERDAY.

Here is one last picture from Mother's Day. This is a 4 generation picture that I'm so glad we were able to capture. And yes, my mother's day was WONDERFUL.

PS. Yes that is my grandma wearing an Obama t-shirt. It matches her commemorative Obama keepsake plate that she was given for Christmas.

Big changes in the Pocket household

2009-05-09T11:38:00.005-06:00

Well after thinking long and hard (that's what she said) I decided to resign from my job as supervisor over a rapidly growing and fantastic program. Lucky for me, they have offered me a part-time position working primarily from home which will give me a lot more time with Little Miss Pita Pocket. Truly, I am very excited that I will get the best of both worlds. The Hot Pocket and I will be taking a big financial hit with me going down to part time but after many hours of weighing the pros and cons, I think this is what is best for right now.

So starting June 1st, Pita and I will be bashing around Salt Lake City taking swimming lessons and visiting museums. And there will be laundry. Loads and loads of laundry.

I have checked in to a few "mommy groups" nearby and unfortunately, haven't found one that fits my personality. If you know of any great playgroups or activities that have cool and laid back moms, send me their info.

Tickled my funny bone this dreadful Monday morning

2009-05-04T09:25:00.003-06:00

As you know I'm a HUGE fan of Postsecret. I read this postcard today and I haven't been able to stop chuckling.

Gadzooks!

Pita's Hospital Stay

2009-04-29T08:55:00.006-06:00

Poor Pita Pocket. She was hospitalized Monday afternoon and stayed at Primary Children's for just over 24 hours. She has gastroenteritis and para influenza. I noticed her spitting up more on Saturday and by Monday morning, she was projectile vomiting several feet across the room.

To make matters worse, I started to vomit early Monday morning to the point that I just couldn't stop! Pita was eventually able to get in to see a pediatrician at 11:00 am Monday morning and we packed our bags, vomit buckets and all. So there we sat, Pita and I throwing up constantly and I"m sure everyone was totally grossed out. The doctor spent a long time assessing Pita and saw how sick I was that she insisted on getting me a wheelchair and walking me down to the ER. I didn't want to leave Pita but Hot Pocket was there to make sure she was ok.

My hospital visit lasted about 5 hours. When they checked me in to the ER my heart was beating very fast and it was irregular so that seemed to concern everyone. However, after a few EKGs, they thought I was fine. They just gave me lots of anti-nausea meds and discharged me so that i could be with Pita.

While I was alone in the ER, the pediatrician decided that Pita needed to go to the ER and she was soon admitted. When I was discharged from the hospital, I walked down to Primary Children's where we spent the night on some cots.

She was allowed to go home last night but we need to see her pediatrician this morning. She is still quite sick to her stomach, vomiting and diarrhea, that I'm hoping she won't be readmitted.

I took a few pictures of her with my camera phone. She was certainly a charmer even though she was so sick. She rarely cried and would smile at every nurse or doctor that came in to take care of her.

They tried several times to start an IV but could only find a vein in her head. Poor gal!

Long time no see

2009-04-26T13:44:00.007-06:00

Phew! Getting back in to the swing of things at work is exhausting! I have had zero energy when I come home at night and I dedicate every waking moment to being present with Pita. Wednesday and Thursday night, I fell asleep on the couch by 8:00pm. yeah, pretty obvious there isn't much to report.

Pita is growing in leaps and bounds. Thursday she will be 4 months old and she looks more like Hot Pocket every day. She is rarely fussy and smiles all the time. She laughed for the first time on Easter and she has a deep raspy voice. Not only is she rolling over from front to back but from back to front! All the literature I have read indicates that she is on the fast track and most babies don't master that skill until 6-7 months old. That being said, we can't swaddle her at night anymore as I'm afraid she will flip over on her face and won't be able to move her arms to flip back over.

That first month as a new mom was pretty overwhelming, but I"m thrilled to find out that the more time as a mommy I am realizing that I have never been happier in my whole life.

How are the pets handling the new baby? Well, Luna doesn't seem to care too much. She is barking a lot more and when we have company over she insists on them petting her. Clyde on the other hand sneaks into the baby's room and loves to curl up on the changing table. Ernie is still a total weirdo who enjoys eating plastic wrap and sprinkled donuts. I don't think he has even noticed the baby.

Oh yeah. I now fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans! Woot woot! I think I need to lose about 10 more pounds to be where I was before I got pregnant.

The smell of fresh carbs in the morning

2009-04-13T08:37:00.002-06:00

The single best reason about being back at work is that every morning I drive past the Wonder Bread factory and can smell the fresh bread baking.

Gotta find a silver lining somehow!

Back to work

2009-04-05T17:04:00.003-06:00

I start work tomorrow morning and if i think about it, I just get too depressed. So to cheer me up, Pocket took this cute picture of us this afternoon. it makes me feel a teeny tiny bit better.

Think Pita Pocket is cute?

2009-04-01T12:27:00.001-06:00

Vote for her every day to be Millcreek's Cutest Baby for the month of April. Click here. There are a LOT of babies to choose from and she is towards the bottom of the list. the photo is labeled "Baby's first smile"

Shots and Thrills

2009-03-30T13:40:00.003-06:00

Hello there!

Happy to report that Pita had her vaccinations Friday afternoon and I came prepared with a small arsenal of baby friendly goodies to make her feel better after. Turns out, she was a trooper. She looked up at us like, "Is that it? Really?" I even tried to nurse her afterwards as I heard it helps soothe them but 2 minutes after the shots she stopped crying and fell asleep on her own.

The whole night I worried that she would get sick and have a fever, but little Pita again shocked her mommy and ended up acting normal all weekend. i guess she seemed a little sleepier than usual but that's it!

When the doctor came in to take a look at her he told us that she is a 'perfect baby' and is in the 50th percentile for length and weight. We sure can't argue with that!

I have been a little gloomy this weekend because I go back to work a week from today and as a pick-me-up, Hot Pocket bought me Photoshop Elements. All afternoon and in between Pita's naps, I'm playing around with this software. I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, but the picture above is something I was playing around with. The original picture is below.

Know what sucks?!

2009-03-27T10:41:00.002-06:00

When your dog eats an entire dirty diaper and you don't catch it until you see little piece of plastic confetti around her crate.

I have administered the hydrogen peroxide and am now waiting for the vomit.

ARGH. Who knew that Luna's affinity for eating female sanitary products expands to the entire subcategory of personal hygiene.

Vote for the Pockets

2009-03-26T10:12:00.002-06:00

I entered Hot Pocket in a Cutest Dad photo contest. Click here to vote! (you can vote once a day)

Happy Belated Birthday Hot Pocket

2009-03-23T11:10:00.004-06:00

Friday was Pocket's birthday and for his birthday present I thought I'd give him worlds largest head cold wrapped in the finest mucus a gal can buy.

I made him a chocolate ice cream cake and we all sat around laughing and joking. Pita Pocket was pretty pooped out so she made an effort to scream to her daddy at the top of her lungs so that he knew just how much she loved him.

My husband has been pretty rad throughout this whole new transition to parenthood. We made the deal pre-baby that I would be in charge of the feeding while he was took care of all diaper changes while he was home. so that means that evenings and in the middle of the night, he springs into action and brings little Pita right to me. He is such a fantastic dad. Pita seems to think so too.

Happy St Patty's Day

2009-03-17T12:50:00.003-06:00

Hello there! it has been a little while since i posted as I have not been feeling so hot. I started getting a sore throat a few days ago which turned in to a big ordeal. i thought for sure i had strep-throat but the test came back negative. the doctor did think that perhaps I had mono, which good grief could you imagine!? Luckily, that was negative too. So it looks like i have a big bad virus that i just need to wait out. I couldn't even take any meds for it because i'm nursing. I think I have turned the corner though and feeling much better.

On to more serious things, remember when I needed to have an unsedated colonoscopy when I was pregnant? Well it looks like I will need to have another one here shortly. The details are not so fun to get in to so I won't go there, but there is a worry that I might have some sort of GI bleed. After a blood test taken yesterday, it looks like I am a little on the anemic side of things but I'm much better than I was when I was pregnant. Unfortunately, I still need to have another colonoscopy here shortly but thank god I can be knocked out this time.

Pita is doing well and growing so big. I took this picture of her this morning...can she BE any cuter?

We have hit our stride

2009-03-09T19:17:00.002-06:00

PS. Pita's hair has a mind of it's own if you couldn't tell by now. I can gel it, spray it, curl it, or flat iron it and it would still defy gravity and resemble Don King. Oh that blessed child!

Project 52

2009-03-04T12:03:00.003-07:00

Hi guys!

I thought I'd tell you a little bit about a photo project I have been working on since Pita was born. It's called Project 52 and every week for a year you take a photo of your child, yourself, your animals, whatever and at the end of the year, you can make a photo book to see how much things have changed. With Pita changing every nanosecond, I thought this was a great way to capture her babyhood and give me a way to stretch my photography skills.

Here is my picture for Week 7. Pita recently outgrew her newborn clothes and diapers and this t-shirt is a 0-3 month size. You can tell by looking at her hands, that the shirt is the proper arm length but take a look at that belly! I can already hear Hot Pocket saying, "Young lady you are not leaving the house wearing that! COVER UP!" Anyways, this picture demonstrates just how long and lanky our little girl is. We haven't been to the doctor in a while so I'm not sure how much she weighs are how tall she is but goodness me, she is long like a string bean and her clothes barely fit. If I go up a size, then it's just too loose. She sure didn't get her tall model genes from me.

Famous!

2009-02-25T16:16:00.002-07:00

I went in to work today to show off little Pita and I heard that the local news paper, The Salt Lake Tribune, is coming tomorrow to do a story on my program. Not only that, because of the nature of my job, they wanted to get a picture of a mom and baby and VOILA! We will be celebrities! Pita can't wait for her moment of fame. Until then, here is a picture I took of her this morning.

SPLAT!

2009-02-23T10:38:00.002-07:00

Things have been really good for us the past few weeks. Pita is sleeping better through the night (on occasion) and I have much more confidence in my babycare skills. I can even bathe her by myself and trim her nails which was something that 5 weeks ago made me so incredibly anxious.

Last Thursday, Pita turned 6 weeks old which means that I am halfway through my maternity leave. I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly and my heart is already starting to ache a little just at the thought of leaving her at daycare. Luckily we have a great daycare picked out. Heck, we signed her up over 7 months ago!

Since I see Pita every day, I can't really see that she has grown much but this past weekend I had a rude awakening. As if by overnight, her newborn feety pajamas were suddenly too short. She would flex her legs and the neck hole would pull down over her shoulders! Not only that, but Pocket and I ran out of newborn diapers on Saturday so we opened a bag of the next big size thinking that we could get her changed and head to the store to buy her more. But they fit!

And speaking of diapers, perhaps I'm doing things wrong, but I can go through a pack of 96 diapers a week. They are by FAR the most expensive thing so far.

Last night around 3am Pocket was changing her in her Pack N' Play that we have next to the bed. All of a sudden there was a large volume of poop being catapulted across the room and landing SPLAT! up and down the entire wall and silk curtains. Pocket started screaming for help and I sit up in bed and try to stifle my laugh. He starts to wipe her bottom when WHOOSH! she pees all over him. I will never forget his expression. He just leaned over Pita, covered his face with his hands, and shook his head. and i giggled. She has peed on me a few times but I have not had the pleasure of being pooped on yet. she seems to prefer to spit up an entire two liter of half digested milk on me instead. Ah parenthood. How sweet it is.

Happy Valentimes Day

2009-02-13T17:10:00.004-07:00

Auntie Beth crocheted this adorable outfit for Miss Pita and doesn't she look adorable? I think she looks like a sweet valentines confection that I could just sprinkle her with sugar and eat her all up.

Apparently Miss Pita does not find this idea amusing.

4 Generations (and 4 weeks old)

2009-02-08T10:58:00.007-07:00

It seems Miss Pita Pocket has a way of melting hearts wherever she goes.

We took her out a few weeks ago to meet her Great Grandma and they hit it off smashingly.

My mom came and helped us when Pita Pocket was just over a week old. It was so wonderful to have someone come for a couple of hours every day to help with cooking, cleaning, and of course, baby watching. It is so nice knowing she is just a few blocks away!

Grandma Hot Pocket visiting us at the hospital

Pita Pocket turned 4 weeks old last Thursday. Where does the time go? Yesterday we put her in her Hurley outfit that Godmother Candace gave her but she is still really little so we had to roll up the sleeves. She IS however growing out of her newborn clothes. *sigh*

When I have taken her out, people always ask me if she looks more like me or my husband. I think she is the spittin' image of my Hot Pocket but I will let you be the judge. She has dimples, darker skin than me, and 2 crazy big toes just like her Papa. Poor gal. haha

Me-2 weeks old

Hot Pocket as a baby

Settling in

2009-01-26T12:02:00.003-07:00

(typing w/ 1 hand while baby squirms in the other)

we are settling in and finding our routines. Pita Pocket wakes up every 2-3 hours at night so needless to say, i'm tired...all the time. but i'm sort of on auto pilot and by the end of the day, i can't figure out where the time went. i thought i might get bored staying home all day, but not the case. at least not yet.

i have been watching lots of tv while i spend hours nursing, and i watched the entire Band of Brothers series and LOVED it, if you haven't seen it, add it to your netflix. you won't be disappointed.

when Pita was 8 days old, HP and I got the flu/food poisoning that was so awful that we couldn't even make it to the potty (wait, did i say potty?) before the contents of our stomach spewed forth. it was ugly. i became super dehydrated and my milk disappeared for a day but we worked with Pita's doctor and to my chagrin, gave her a bottle of formula the day i was so sick. we are fine now and she never got sick.

sorry for the rambling. it's hard to multitask and type with one hand! a more coherent post will come soon!

look at all that fluffy hair!

Sundance Tribune Model

2009-01-20T18:08:00.002-07:00

Perhaps you remember that last year, my friend Fran Kjolseth who is a photographer for the Trib, asked me to model for the SL Tribunes Sundance special edition. Here is the photo from last year. HAHAHAHA You can go here to find more fun Sundance photos.

A birth story

2009-01-15T08:33:00.005-07:00

Around 6:00pm on Wednesday, January 7th I started to have contractions 5 minutes apart. And by contractions I mean, they were wussy period cramps that didn't hurt at all. But after and hour of them coming like clock work, we threw all the last minute things in to the labor bag and headed to the hospital. i was pretty sure that we would be sent back seeing earlier that day I was only dilated to a 3 and my doctor had refused to strip my membranes thinking that i would go in to labor on my own. Plus, I was only 38 weeks and 4 days and she wanted the little bun to bake even longer.

So we arrive at L&D around 8:30 and they check things out. Still dilated to a 3. "why don't you guys go walk around the hospital for a couple of hours. if they are braxton hicks contractions, they will go away. If you are in labor, then they will get stronger and closer apart."

So we hoofed it around the hospital for 2 hours. It was weird that the only people in the hospital halls were the cleaning people and the occasional nurse. The halls that my husband and I know so well were nearly abandoned and the darkness of night and the impending delivery really charged me up. Overlooking the city lights we walked steadily from University Hospital, to Primary Children's Hospital, to Huntsman Cancer Hospital, over and over again. My contractions started to come at 3 minutes apart and started to hurt. Not really though. mainly, it still felt like cramping. I was convinced they would send me home.

At 10:30pm we went back and they rechecked me. Wow! I dilated to a 5! (well not really but we didn't know that then) We were quickly admitted to L&D. Baby Pita Pocket was coming after all!

We got all settled in and after an hour or so of monitoring, contractions started to slow down. They checked my cervix. Actually, the gal earlier had made a mistake when she checked me. I was only at a 3! and they were going to send me home! I convinced them to let me walk a little more and go back on the monitors.

So there Pocket and I are, walking along the School of Medicine corridor over and over again. back and forth. I guess we weren't really 'walking' though. I was near sprinting in the hopes that they wouldn't send me home. When the OB resident saw me flying down the hall she just shook her head and said she never saw a pregnant woman move that fast. When they rechecked me, contractions came back and I had dilated to a 4! This baby was totally coming and it was a matter of time.

Around 6am Pocket went home to check on Luna and the resident came in and said that my labor was failing to progress. We decided to break my water in the hopes that it would kickstart contractions. still, I was in no pain and was glued to my hospital room television where Cops was being broadcasted from Miami, Florida. I started having weird bouts of nausea that would leave me dry heaving but all in all felt fine.

Pocket hurried back to my side and at 8am, they came in again. This time to start pitocin b/c the contractions were still not regular and I wasn't dilating. Everyone told me that I would want an epidural immediately because pitocin has a way of making the contractions stronger and more rapid. "nah! not me! I'm going to wait until I dilate to a 7 or 8 before needing an epidural" i thought. I held out without meds for about 2 hours. The contractions were unbearable at one point. i couldn't even focus. I couldn't talk. I couldn't see! I was completely in another world when I would have one but when the contractions stopped, I felt lovely! fresh as a spring posy! The pain got bad enough though that I asked for an epidural and threw out my theory of being tough enough to make it through being a 7.

When anesthesia placed the epidural around 11:00am, I could still feel the contractions but they assured me that it takes about 20 minutes for it to totally kick in. At 11:05, the doctor came in and checked me again. He looked at me. Looked at the nurse. Looked at me. Looked at the nurse and finally said,

"Well. I would say that she is dilated to a 10 and ready to push."

my nurse, Janet spun around, "WHAT?". I got this deer-in-the-headlights look, "WHAT?!"

HOLY CRAP!

Apparently I am pretty tough seeing that i went from a 4 to a 10 without pain meds. I wonder now if I could have gone through the entire delivery without the epidural. My doctor was called and she ordered me to do a few practice pushes before she came up. I did one practice push and the residents and nurse started yelling, "NO MORE PUSHING! GET HER DOCTOR HERE NOW! THIS BABY IS COMING NOW!"

At 11:35 am, after 20 minutes of pushing, my doctor delivered our adorable baby girl. She came out screaming before she even was fully out. Everything went perfectly and baby was fine. I was fine. I could not have asked for a better delivery.

Bath time!

2009-01-13T17:04:00.003-07:00

Pita Pocket comes home!

2009-01-11T13:27:00.003-07:00

Sorry for the short post here guys. That and I really meant to send out emails to everyone to announce our little girl's arrival but parenthood has gotten the best of me.

On Thursday, January 8th at 11:35 am, our little bundle of joy was born. She weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and was 20 in long.

The labor went perfectly and Baby Pita Pocket is healthy and doing well.

I hope to send out individual emails to everyone with her name and additional pictures and details but allow us a little time to get accustomed to these new changes. i'm sorry if my responses to phone calls, text messages, emails, and voice mails have been spotty but people weren't kidding when they said that being a new parent is an all-consuming new job!

Ode to a stretch pant

2009-01-05T08:36:00.005-07:00

Dear stretch pants-

I got up this morning with nothing to wear. I have realized that I only have 2 pairs of pants that fit me right now and don't be upset when I say that you were a last resort.

So there you were. All navy blue and folded nicely in the back of my closet. I don't think I've worn you since the early 90's but you have shown faith by following me to my many residences over the years knowing full well that at some point, I would break down and put you on. I admire your patience, dear stretch pants.

I eyed you suspiciously and held you up to my legs to see if there was still a chance that the lycra could fit over my swollen legs and stomach. After much trepidation, I threw caution to the wind and put you on...and it was delightful.

I choose to overlook the fact that you accentuate my granny-panty lines and that my legs somewhat resemble a link of bratwurst when I wear you. I try to ignore that you exacerbate the fact that the only thing that I have steadily eaten for the past 9 months is peanutbutter and gummi bears which has proven to alter the appearance of my thighs.

But really, that doesn't matter because I am wearing a little piece of heaven right now.I was so grateful to your existence that I decided to wear you to work today with the hopes that my coworkers don't talk behind my back. I figure, if there is any time to take advantage of your cruel cruel comfortability, being 9 months pregnant is the time to get away with it. And if it means anything at all, I wish I found the courage to start wearing you several months ago.

Thank you, dear stretch pants, for quietly living in the back of my closet for nearly 20 years. You have done this pregnant woman a world of comfort.

All my love and loyalty-

me.

14 pounds of craziness!

2008-12-30T10:45:00.003-07:00

Did you hear about the 14 pound baby that was born in California? This is the stuff that nightmares are made of...

Went to the dr today. Baby is measuring perfectly now and there hasn't been any change in dilation or effacement. Baby was low in the pelvis last week but has decided to jump back up and chill behind my ribs for at least a little longer.

3:20 am and not a sheep in sight...

2008-12-26T03:22:00.002-07:00

I went to bed around 10:00 pm last night.
Woke up around 11:45 pm.
Woke up around 1:15 am.
Woke up AGAIN at 3:00am.
By 3:20, I dragged my sorry butt out of bed and thought I'd write a quick post.

Last night I saw an entire tiny foot protruding from my stomach.

The contractions I have been experiencing more often have seemed to dissapear entirely and I have literally nothing else to report.

Anyways, I'm going to go lay down on the couch and watch 2 hours of Cops. You would think that would make me fall asleep but I find after watching the show, that I am more awake than ever, practicing my kung fu moves on the dog, the cat, and the Hot Pocket. Nothing says "good morning" like a chicken kick to the gut.

Well fancy that

2008-12-23T11:40:00.003-07:00

My doctor appointment went well today. Baby has dropped significantly and I have dilated to a 2 and am 70% effaced. Dr has given the word that I could go in to labor at any time and marveled at my progress since first time moms never seem to progress as well as I have.

Girly McHotpocket is measuring a little small. If she doesn't buck up and grow much by next week we will scan to make sure there is enough amniotic fluid and make sure she is ok.

and after a week of eating cheeseburgers and milkshakes in an attempt to put some weight on, I only gained half a pound this past week.

Fingers crossed that she waits until after New Years-which is NEXT WEEK! Chances seem pretty good that she will deliver before my Jan 17th due date. Can I get a woot woot?

oh and PS. Those sharp shooting pains I have been experiencing occasionally? They are contractions and not those wimpy Braxton Hicks. Fancy that.

36 weeks pregnant

2008-12-22T07:19:00.003-07:00

I swallowed a whole watermelon (and it was SO delicious)!

I like to call this look, the "front bustle." And that second chin is due to all of the gummi bears and starbursts that I can't seem to get enough of but it's WORTH it.

I'm not sleeping at night and find watching Cops at 3am to be a real hoot and a holler. I'm waddling now which is super funny, especially for children 4 years old and younger. I've noticed these really strong sharp pains shooting down my leg and lower stomach occasionally. it doesn't feel like contractions but it does stop me in my tracks and makes me bend over for a split second.

This naughty migraine I have been trying to dodge since last night has finally caught up to me early this morning and I'm heading back to bed.

The granny shuffle

2008-12-18T09:28:00.005-07:00

Is it too early in the season to already be complaining about the snow? My office is up on the Salt Lake benches and my newest anxiety is slipping on the ice and breaking multiple body parts, including baby.

I have perfected the "grandma shuffle" over many a Utah winter while walking over icy terrain. About 6 or 7years ago I was walking to work at the University of Utah Bookstore and fell and broke my wrist on a particularly icy morning. I was never nervous about walking on the ice until that morning.

But now that I'm 9 months pregnant, all semi-normalcy has been thrown out the window and I am now Grade A crazy. I flagged down a construction worker the other day to help me walk from my car across the ice rink and into my office building. He was very nice but I could tell he was very puzzled by the encounter. When we got inside I unzipped my parka and he saw the massive belly and I think he finally understood. well, I hope so at least. I know that people look at me and think I'm nuts when they see this 20-something woman scooting her feet slowly across the ice taking teeny tiny baby steps.

Whenever Hot Pocket and I take our winter walks, 80% of the conversation is me blabbing on and on about the dangers of improper snow removal techniques. Don't just plow or shovel and call it good! Use salt, people! Or sand! Simply packing down the snow to create a slippery area of death makes me want to rip your face off! Dude, I can't even imagine what I'm going to be like as an elderly old woman but I now totally see the appeal of moving to Florida 5 months out of the year.

I'm contemplating buying a walker to help me through this last couple of weeks. You know, the walkers with the little tennis balls on the ends? I always liked neon green and have always been particularly fond of tennis. I might even string up some lights and tinsel to make it festive for the holidays. I don't think that I would draw attention to myself at all.

**PS. I'm starting to dilate and i'm already 60-70% effaced. Looks like we might be taking a trip to the hospital sooner than we thought!

Proud Papa

2008-12-10T18:13:00.002-07:00

It's not very often that my black cat, Ernie "The First Born", makes it on to the blog. Mainly it's because I hold a grudge against him because for the first year we had him he would attack only me and use my legs and arms to sharpen his kitten claws. He loved Hot Pocket and would weave in and out of his legs purring, but with me, he would wait until I was totally preoccupied or relaxed before springing on top me with outstretched paws, giving me cuts all over my arms that surely made my coworkers at the time contemplate my mental health (or lack thereof). It wasn't until we got Clyde, that ernie decided to take some Pamprin and get over his PMS. and now he is a lovely cat whose favorite past time is sitting on the edge of tub while I shower or deciding that he needs to place his entire body on top of the computer keyboard whenever i decide that I need to surf the net.

Ernie and Hot Pocket have a very special bond. Still, you can imagine my surprise when my darling husband decides to model a baby sling by putting cantankerous Ernie in the sling and then proceeds to do household chores. Ernie was snug in his little man-sling looking adoringly at my husband. I didn't even attempt to copy because I'm sure Ernie would not allow ME to hold him in such a way and I have scars to prove it.

Luna is about the same. I can't believe how many people have come up to me to ask me how she is doing and I sincerely appreciate all of the well wishes. I think she is getting better sometimes but then she will do something that makes me wonder if she really is indeed ok. She shakes badly in the morning which I think is a reaction to her pain meds wearing off throughout the night. She likes to sleep on our bed or the couch and now she doesn't like to jump off on to the floor which makes me think that it hurts her to jump. All in all though, I think she is on the mend and I know your well wishes are making her feel stronger.

Starting next week I will be seeing my OB every week, woot woot! Baby McHotPocket has been breech the past few weeks and we are really hoping that she turns by next week or we might have a c-section on our hands. I've tried just about every suggestion to get this baby to turn even putting my humility aside while i roll on to an ironing board that is propped on to the couch and stay head down for 10 minutes in the hopes that somehow her head will float down. Now if only I had a picture of THAT!

ouch!

2008-12-07T10:12:00.003-07:00

Luna was attacked by another dog at doggy daycare on Friday. A german Shepherd for whatever reason decided to bite her stomach and took out a huge bite of flesh the size of a McDonalds hamburger. It was traumatic to say the least. there was a lot of blood and hanging skin that it put me right over the edge. We took her to the vet for an ER consult where they immediately whisked her away for emergency surgery. she spent the night and we picked her up yesterday morning. The wound was so large that they had to sew 2 layers of stitches. I stayed at home with her all day keeping her quiet and making sure she was ok.

This morning we woke up to her hiding from us. She refused to eat and was shaking uncontrollably. We are going back to the vet this afternoon for another emergency vet appt to see what else could be wrong. Poor Luna.

What will happen to the german shepherd that bit her? Apparently, this dog will still be allowed to go to doggy daycare. They will just make sure to keep Luna and this dog separated. I see no sense in this because if Luna was a smaller dog, a bite like this would have killed her.

We have the same taste in men

2008-12-04T08:51:00.007-07:00

About 2 weeks ago, the Star reported that Emily Blunt has a new man in her life. She is now dating the smashingly adorable John Krasinski, aka Jim from The Office, aka my hollywood crush.

For those of you that don't know Emily Blunt, she acted in The Devil Wears Prada and The Jane Austen Book Club. She's great. whatever. I never really paid much attention to her until I heard that she has moved in on my celebrity man.

Anyways, my Hot Pocket has been told on multiple occasions just how much he looks like John Krasinski and I have always thought so. Even just last week we were at a wedding dinner for Wendy and I met this gal who said "your husband looks like Jim from "the Office" and Wendy and I just started laughing because it's so true!

So why do I care about the romantic escapades about an actress that i know very little about? Well I don't. I find it more amusing really because Emily Blunt used to date Michael Buble who I have never really listened to and honestly wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd. However, I have also been told by some other people that Pocket looks very similar to Buble as well. Yeah, i guess if you squint you can see the similarity.

To make a long story short, I sure do hope I never meet Emily Blunt and i sure do hope she never claps eyes on my Hot Pocket. It's obvious we have the same taste in guys and one look at my Pock might cause her to break up with "Jim" and bee line right over to my super sweet, cute husband. Eh. I'm not too worried though. I AM such a lucky girl to have such a hunky husband.

45 days to go (roughly) but who's counting

2008-12-02T10:33:00.002-07:00

How was your thanksgiving? Did you eat pumpkin pie? Get in brawl with your family members?

Mine was fine. Uneventful at best. I ended up excusing myself from the dinner table about 10 minutes into the meal to stretch out because mercy me, the braxton hicks contractions were seriously interfering with my ability to pack in the sweet potatoes and stuffing.

Friday I turn 34 weeks pregnant. People always feign surprise when I tell them how far a long I am.

"I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant"
"No your not! You are far too little! you can't be serious!"

and then i wish I could say to them, "seriously? you can't see the 28 pound weight gain right here in my face, ass, and thighs? You gotta act more surprised than that if you want me to believe you!"

Each morning I roll out of bed and take a look in the full length mirror. Seriously, every day my tummy doubles in size. The cute maternity clothes i have been wearing for the past several months now hang a little awkwardly.

But the cool thing? You can see alien baby squirming around inside just by looking at my stomach. What used to be little flutters or kicks are now full on fists and knees waving about. And over the weekend I was sure that her feet had lodged directly under my right lower ribs and she was stuck.

Pocket and I are halfway thru our hypnochild birth class and we are learning a lot. There are about 5 couples in the class and all seem to be very on board with the idea of natural child birth (ie no drugs, delivering at home, etc etc). One guy even said he was going to get in the birthing tub with his wife and deliver his child himself. Great. To each their own. I can't help feeling a little cynical though. My profession requires me to hear a lot of birthing drama/horror stories and I know that I'm jaded. But b/c of what I do for a living i also know that I will be delivering at a hospital so that in the chance that i need medical intervention, I will have someone right there to help. And I think I have realized that an epidural isn't necessarily a bad thing and it's not admitting defeat. That's just my personal views on the matter but I do feel that everyone has the right to be given the opportunity to have their ideal birthing experience, however that may be.

Anyhoo, not much else to report. just pluggin along and getting ready for christmas.

Panda Love

2008-11-24T09:36:00.004-07:00

Did you guys hear about the 20 year-old college kid from China that jumped a zoo fence to give a panda bear a hug and a "cuddle" only to be bitten on his arms and legs? Seriously? I don't care how much you enjoy looking at panda bear pictures, the thought of actually climbing over a fence to snuggle up close to a bear is ridiculous. And he's 20!!! Hellllooooooo! Check out this link to read more.

And as if this isn't shocking enough, back in 2007 a 15 year-old kid hopped another fence to give a different panda a hug and became a tasty snack. I guess I can kind of understand the difference between the two scenarios. I mean one person was a kid. the other was in COLLEGE. I'm an animal enthusiast. I like panda bears very much. but seriously, while i'm sure it would be very gratifying to canoodle a panda bear, the act of climbing over a fence to cop a feel is beyond my scope of sanity or good judgment. am I right or am I right?

The Pink Explosion

2008-11-17T11:17:00.008-07:00

This past weekend my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, threw me a baby shower in Utah County and it was really fun! We got so many cute girl clothes that really and truly, Baby Hot Pocket will be the cutest baby on the block. Take a look at all the loot she received!

As I start to look at photos from over the last couple of weeks, I notice that Hot Pocket seems to be absolutely glowing in every photo. he has a sparkle in eyes that I don't think I've ever seen before. He will wake up in the morning and talk to the baby and it sounds crazy, but she starts moving all around when he talks to her.

An interesting side note, I love the tv show Cops. I love cops in general and I would be lying if I didn't say that on more than one occasion I have gone out of my way to watch real cops in action. If Hot Pocket ever bought me a police scanner, i think i might turn into the crazy house-bound lady with all the pets who sits in a dark room glued to her scanner. So you can imagine my absolute delight when we were spending a quiet Saturday night sitting on the couch watching tv, and Hot Pocket started singing the theme song to "Cops" to my tummy. And I swear, she kicked.

ANYways, I digress. My whole point was to point out the juxtaposition between photos of my dear husband and myself. He looks all exuberant and I look...tired, worn out, and pale.Take this photo for example:

I thought I'd throw in a couple more pictures of the baby room. It's starting to come together and thought I'd show you guys what it looks like as of late.

And yes, that is our black cat, ernie, laying over the heater vent. What a turd.

I miss working with kids

2008-11-17T06:08:00.003-07:00

The P.S. 22 Children's Choir in NYC cover the song 1,000 Oceans by Tori Amos.

Ode to Clyde

2008-11-15T10:20:00.002-07:00

Have you been to yearbookyourself.com yet? It is so much fun and we haven't laughed this hard in a long time. here were a few of our favorite pictures of our adorable kitty, Clyde

Baby Shower Bliss

2008-11-12T11:09:00.005-07:00

My dear, dear friends Diane and Kylee hosted a baby shower for me last weekend and it was everything I could have dreamed for. I had requested no playing of baby shower games, that people could ::gasp:: drink alcohol if they wanted, and to have it be a low key atmosphere. it was classy and exactly what I wanted. They served mimosas for those that were without child (which just so happened to be everybody but me), and other yummy goodies and there was a great turnout. it was so much fun to have lots of friends from different social circles all in the same room getting to know each other.I had such a lovely time and we received lots of adorable baby gifts. This little one is going to be STLYIN'!

We are starting to feel a little more prepared for Baby Hot Pocket's arrival and can't believe that she will be coming in less than 8 weeks.

If you want to see some pictures that Diane and Banning took, go to her website There is the best picture of Hot Pocket that she took. He looks all shiny, happy, and excited about the baby. ohhh, i love him so.

PostSecret

2008-11-10T08:57:00.002-07:00

Another PostSecret card that gave me a case of the giggles.

Well that didn't last long

2008-11-07T13:13:00.004-07:00

Just a few minutes ago I was over at the hospital walking back to the parking garage when behind me I heard some doctor's cell phone ring.

Middle-aged doctor answers the phone loudly:

"Hi Marcus."
(pause)
"Marcus are you there?"
(pause)
"Hello, Marcus?"
(20 second pause)
"Marcus?!"
(longer pause)
"Are you there, Marcus?"
(long LONG pause)
"Marcus?Marcus?Marcus?" (in rapid succession)

I turned around smiling to look at the doctor thinking that he must be a nice guy who is putting on a show to make some pregnant stranger smile because seriously, who does that?

Our eyes meet.

He snaps his phone shut and snarls,

"What are YOU looking at?"

to which i wanted to respond, "Wait, huh? are you talking to me? Wait. I can't hear you. Marcus? Marcus? Marcus?Marcus?Marcus?"

Contemplating a break

2008-11-07T09:04:00.002-07:00

warning: This post contains whining and self pity. Read at your own risk.

Today, I couldn't put my socks on by myself. Lifting my feet into my pant legs is becoming an impossible daily chore and if it weren't for the recent change in cold weather, I would probably just walk around trouser-less all the time. However, I don't think that's legal in Utah. I now need to roll from side to side to gain enough momentum to launch myself out of bed in the morning and all I can think about is how I must look like a beetle that has been flipped on its back and can't seem to roll over. I'm big.

In the past week my narcolepsy has returned with avengence. I passed out on the couch right in the middle of election night and missed Obama's speech. Watching The Office is something I look forward to EVERY week. It came on last night at 8:00pm and seriously, by 8:05 I was asleep. It's the weirdest feeling because one minute I'm listening to the theme music for The Office, the next it's 11:30pm and I have to pee and scrape myself off the couch. It's the strangest thing.

Don't get me wrong. I know this is all worth it. I dream about the day I'm going to meet her and wonder what her laugh will sound like some day. And I still get very excited every time she gets hiccups or dances when she hears her song "Bokkie" on the Ipod. Really, I can't wait to come face-to-face with this little person that has been setting up shop inside me these past 7 1/2 months. Ugh...my complaining is so ridiculous when i take the time to put everything into perspective.

I think I'm going to step away from the blogging for a little while. I don't have much to write about these days with the exception that the Mervyns Going-Out-Of-Business Sale is like, the most awesomest sale ever.

I will however, be sure to keep adding pictures now and then of the ever growing baby belly for those of you that are curious. I'm 30 weeks pregnant today with only 6 short weeks until I'm considered 'full term.' And did you know that Christmas is 7 weeks away? c-c-c-c-crazy.

House Poor

2008-11-04T07:36:00.002-07:00

It's no secret how much I love the show The Office but I recently saw that Mindy Kaling (writer and actress on the show) just came out with her own webisodes, called House Poor. My favorite line? "I'm not f*cking pregnant! And my face is slender!"

BabyMod Crib

2008-10-31T14:33:00.003-06:00

Has my aversion to baby stores gotten any better the further along I get in my pregnancy? Yes and no. I'm now finding myself drawn to the little socks and shoes and baby dresses and tights. HOWEVER, I still find that 90% of the baby furniture and room decor is still absolutely deplorable. Well I should pull back a little and say, yes I can appreciate some of the baby furniture out there but it's just not my style. If I could have found an awesome modern bright green or red crib, I would have snatched it up without so much as looking at the price tag. But unfortunately, 'round these parts you have to settle for traditional wood furniture for the most part. I have eyed a few modern cribs online, and by modern I mean clean lines no frilly woodwork, and found a few that were perfect but came in a hefty $2,000+ price tag.

So what's a girl to do? I jumped on the Internet and found this excellent crib that was cheap (comparatively speaking) and was everything I was looking for. And where did I find it? Walmart.com. seriously. I don't like to go to Walmart and traipse up and down the aisle with the hordes of other people. But shopping online? it's the only way to go! And what's Walmart doing selling a totally mod and awesome crib? I was amazed by their BabyMod collection. So we ordered it Saturday night and it was available for pick up by Wednesday. Hot Pock put it all together and it's beautiful. we still don't have a mattress or bedding but seriously, our baby room is already kickass.

28 weeks - The Countryman Nose

2008-10-27T19:27:00.004-06:00

I have officially reached my 3rd trimester and I'm 28 weeks pregnant (7 Months). All is well and Baby Hot Pocket is growing like you wouldn't believe. Her favorite food is copious amounts of gummy bears. Needless to say, I'm gaining weight at a phenomenal speed but I think it's more the gummy bears than the baby.

I had an ultrasound this morning and they reconfirmed that yes, indeed, it is still a little girl. and the fun thing? Apparently she has a full head of hair already! the little fuzzy stuff around the top of her head is hair and the ultrasound tech said she rarely sees babies with this much at her age. and it's apparent to me, that her little nose is just like mine. She has been branded with the "Countryman Nose" which has been in my maternal grandma's side of the family for many generations. it's a proud bumpy nose. Hot Pocket claims he can't see it in the above picture but when I squint really hard, spin around, and look upside down, i can totally see it. and am I kidding? yes just a little. It IS weird to already see a similarity between the two of us though.

The other fun thing? Baby has attitude. As I was watching the ultrasound screen, she waved her middle finger high and proud and flipped us the birdie. Hot Pocket and I are in trouble if this is any indication of what her personality will be like in the future...

Oh Noes!

2008-10-27T13:26:00.003-06:00

Luna is going grey. Her mouth and chin have been steadily turning more silver but I noticed yesterday that her eyebrows (wait, do dogs have eyebrows?) are starting to turn grey too. When we got her from the Humane Society 4 years ago they thought she was 6 months old but she seemed much older than that without much puppy in her.

If we don't go to bed by9:30 or 10:00 she will quietly excuse herself from the living room, jump up on our bed and stretch out so that when we DO get ready for bed, there is no place for us to lay down. And when we turn on the light to get dressed for bed, she often gives us a stern look like "you know better than to go to bed at 11:00 pm on a school night! Shame on you!"

I have also noticed that she has been more prone to snoring at night. Between Hot Pocket, Luna, and my black cat Ernie snoring, I am thinking about starting my own medical supplies company where I will specialize in selling CPAP machines for all creatures great and small.

Crazy Pills Clyde

2008-10-19T12:13:00.003-06:00

My adorable boob-nuzzling orange kitty, Clyde ended up in an emergency vet appointment Friday afternoon after a few weeks of me noticing him licking himself "down there" a lot and straining to pee.

After a $145 vet bill and a thorough work up, it appears that Clyde has an "abundance" of crystals in his urine. If I were 6 years old I would have to admit this diagnosis would probably be the most awesome thing I've ever heard of. It would have made me giddy to start sifting cat sand in search of the shiny stones to thread on a charm bracelet. But sadly, at the cynical age of 27, I know that crystals in your urine can never be a good thing. He was given a course of antibiotics in case perhaps he has an infection and we now have to purchase very spendy cat food for the REST OF HIS LIFE.

And to add insult to injury, there is a good chance that his crystal forming abilities are just a symptom of cat neurosis...stress. Perhaps he is just too overwhelmed with the idea of 100% liquid urine that he felt compelled to form semi-precious stones in his bladder. So, he is now on a mild form of cat sedative pills, kitty downers, to help him relax and go #1.

And by the way, have you ever had to give a cat a pill? It's damn near impossible.

On a lighter note, I picked up the camera this morning and started fiddling with the manual settings and took this picture of my crystalline kitty. My attempts to shove his 'zen-in-pill-form" down his throat were futile so this is Clyde, sans anti-anxiety pills.

How i didn't pick up on him being a grade A form of crazy until now, is nobody's guess.

Bleak

2008-10-17T08:20:00.002-06:00

We borrowed this CD from the library after hearing the song "Jesus" on Pandora.com and we absolutely fell in love with it and had to get it. Hot Pocket and I carpooled into work this morning and I took the CD out and took a long hard look at the cover of the album.

Seriously, if I knew anything about photography, this is exactly the kind of picture I would want to be able to take. Chalk it up to the crazy pregnancy hormones but this picture just hit a strong chord with me. Beautiful and sad. Cold and a bit bizarre. I love it.

Bloody Buddy Breakdance

2008-10-14T10:33:00.001-06:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Wedding Anniversary

2008-10-09T08:43:00.002-06:00

Dear Pock-

Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary and I can't help but think that we are on the edge of something totally new with our relationship. In just a couple short months we will be bringing into our lives a brand new member of the family and I know how scary this is to the both of us. Will we be good parents? Will we be able to afford all the things we want to give her? Will we be able to care for a teeny tiny baby?

This past year together has been a good one and I think we really hit our stride. We have had a lot of opportunities this year to work as a team, lift each other up, and to be there for one another. We traveled, dealt with health issues, and laughed...constantly.

You are already an amazing friend, partner, and husband that being an awesome daddy is going to come very easily to you. And those things that we aren't good at at first (changing diapers, late night feedings, trimming fingernails on teeny tiny fingers) will soon become second nature because we have always tried and never given up.

There is no one else I rather have on my team and I'm so excited for another year together.

Woot Woot!

Right out of the box and other baby pictures!

2008-10-08T17:28:00.003-06:00

These pictures of Pocket and Luna were my first photos I took with my new camera. Obviously, there are still a lot of things to learn but I am quite impressed by the quality of photographs already.

Below are a few poorer quality pictures of the baby room. As far as baby stuff goes, this is all we have so far. The diaper bag was from a dear friend of mine, Sonya, who picked out the perfect diaper bag because it matches our apple green and raspberry color theme. The lamp was a great find at Pier 1 and was on clearance. The poster and rug were from Ikea and I think the most expensive thing in this picture (other than the super nice changing table) was the car seat. Everything else in this photo is under $25.

Ah and here it is at last. The Bokkie Bump. I had to do a double take when I first saw this photo. I guess i thought i didn't look so big under all the clothes...but dang! and I still have 2 1/2 months to go!!!

26 weeks

Our 4 year wedding anniversary is tomorrow and I'm going to be pulling out some old wedding photos to feature on this blog. stay tuned!

NEW CAMERA!!!

2008-10-07T17:55:00.003-06:00

Voila! My new camera! We splurged for our 4 year wedding anniversary and bought our first digital SLR. I have absolutely NO idea how to use it but you bet your bottom dollar, I am going to be spending many hours with this bad boy.

After lots of requests, I will be posting some pictures of the baby bump and Bokkie's new bedroom here shortly. Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Bokkie

2008-10-06T08:19:00.006-06:00

Last night, we were hanging out in our room listening to the Ipod and playing cards when the song, "Bokkie" by the band Elefant came on the Ipod. I should back up and say that about a year and half ago, Shanon burned me a copy of their album, Sun Light Makes Me Paranoid, and it has been a favorite of ours ever since.

The baby had been especially quiet yesterday but as soon as this song came on, she started going CRAZY! Her little legs and arms started moving my tummy to the beat. It was a weird case of alien baby as you could see whole legs (?) and arms (?) moving under my skin. We laughed and laughed and as soon as the next song came on, the movement stopped. I pushed and changed my position but still, not a peep. So in an experiment, about 5 minutes later, we put "Bokkie" back on the Ipod and sure enough, she started recreating a scene from Flashdance in my uterus. It was insane.

So this morning when driving to work, I thought myself, "What are the chances that she will still move around to this song?" So i played the song in the car and sure enough, about 1 minute into the song, she started kicking like crazy.

From this moment forth, we shall call her Bokkie...until we come up with a better name.

'tis 'tis but true true

2008-09-29T11:11:00.003-06:00

Again another submission to PostSecret that left me smiling this morning. While this thought has never crossed my mind, I can totally seeing myself doing this in the future.

I will let the video speak for itself!

2008-09-29T11:06:00.001-06:00

Lack of photos

2008-09-18T08:17:00.003-06:00

My camera croaked a couple of weeks ago which is the reason why there are so few pictures as of late. I have been forced to search through old photos and cut and paste them into strange photos of other people. I am hoping to buy a new fancy pants camera soon (I just need to come up with the $1000 to pay for it) but until then, enjoy:

"i love me some Whopper goodness"

Poop-Chute-oscopy WITHOUT sedation!

2008-09-17T07:55:00.002-06:00

Yup, I'm pretty awesome. Now you can tell people that you have a friend who is so bad ass that she had to have a colonoscopy without sedatives and she survived!

"Why in the name of all that is holy and donuts would you choose to go through an unmedicated colonoscopy?" you ask me?

Well I should back up and say that it wasn't my choice, per se. For reasons that I don't feel are kosher enough to explain here, (yeah i know I'm talking about a colonoscopy for gods sake) I was scheduled for a mini colonoscopy called a sigmoidoscopy yesterday and it is supposed to be so quick that they rarely put people out for it. So you can imagine my shock when I was laying on the stretcher and the doctor said, "I think if you can handle the discomfort, we should go ahead and try to do a full colonoscopy."

"WHA?????"

Since I'm pregnant they didn't want to give me any sedation because of the added risk to the baby, so what's a prego girl to do? Well, in my case, you roll over on your left side and bite the bullet, all in the sake of Operation Healthy Baby.

now let me tell YOU, it was NOT a walk in the park. It was probably one of the most painful things I have ever had to endure. However, 15 minutes or so of searing pain and deep breathing I was allowed to go home or to work or whatever, however I was in no condition to be going back to work.

So I expect in years from now, when you are 50 and you need to schedule your colonoscopy but you are too afraid, you will think of me, the pregnant wuss from Salt Lake City, who had to endure the entire procedure without the sweet sweet option of narcotics. I know, I know. I am slowly rising up the cool-o-meter. I'm so cool now that I have gone up, like, a notch.

He should get paid for overtime

2008-09-12T08:24:00.005-06:00

And I always get razzed about talking in my sleep...

It was late last night and we fell asleep with Pocket's reading lamp on.

"Pock-Can you turn your light off?"

"Ugh. Yeah"

(light turns off)

(He flips the light back on 5 seconds later)

"Dude. Why did you turn your light back on?"

"Well I have to pay them don't I?"

"what are you TALKING about? Who do you have to pay?"

"Duh. My EMPLOYEES, Anna."

"What does turning on your reading lamp have to do with paying your employees?"

"Seriously. I wouldn't expect YOU to understand."

Oh...Well I guess you got me there.

Rumor has it that The Great Ulcer of '06 is possibly making its '08 debut!

2008-09-11T10:29:00.003-06:00

For those who might remember, a few years ago I was admitted to the hospital off and on for 3 weeks because I was throwing up blood and had severe stomach pain. After doing an endoscopy, they discovered a HUGE ulcer at the bottom of my stomach that was one of the largest they had ever seen. Guess I have a pretty good threshold for pain, eh? Basically it was probably the lowest time of my life because I had to be in hospital away from my home, friends, and Pocket and I couldn't eat for weeks.

Jump to my dr appt Tuesday. i briefly mentioned that my hematocrit was low when I came in to the hospital after the car accident and it appears that my hematocrit is still low two weeks later. after going over some of my symptoms, my doc is concerned as to why exactly I am anemic. Apparently, my iron is in tip-top shape which means there is another reason why I have anemia. After going over my symptoms, she wants to rule out a GI bleed or ulcer. yippee skippy for me! I see a GI doc on Monday and I'm guessing they are going to want to rescope me. boooo. hissss.

I am very happy to report that Little Miss Pocket is doing well! She is actually measuring a little big! My stomach is definitely bigger and the doctor was surprised how much a change in just 4 weeks. She is moving around a lot and apparently loves the taste of cheetos and hot chocolate. And she REALLY likes it when Hot Pocket sings. I noticed this a few weeks ago when we got together with friends and played RockBand. Pocket couldn't stop singing and she couldn't stop doing somersaults. As for how tired I am all the time, so long as she is healthy, I figure i'll get used to it.

I think we have picked out a name but we will be keeping it under wraps until her big day. In the meantime, we have nicknamed her Angelina because it goes so well with our last name. Think about it...

MANY MANY SWEAR WORDS!

2008-09-03T11:35:00.001-06:00

The woman that hit me and was given a ticket, apparently doesn't have insurance. When I called Highway Patrol to report this, they will not give her an additional ticket for driving without insurance because I didn't report her not having insurance within 24 hours of the accident. So basically, she gets off scott free.

Trauma Utopia

2008-08-29T12:41:00.005-06:00

I was involved in a car accident yesterday that ended up proving to be pretty bad. Apparently, a pregnant woman with possible neck injuries categorizes me as a Trauma 2 patient and i get the whole nine yards when it comes to being wheeled in to the trauma bay. Poked and prodded with needles, people yelling different questions to me, finger up the bum (yes. finger up the bum), CT scans, EKG, etc etc. Thank goodness they didn't cut the clothes off me like they usually do for trauma patients. These maternity clothes are too damn expensive for that. And as i lay there unable to move, the only thought that kept racing through my head was "Hot diddly dang! I'm glad I shaved my legs today!"

As I was laying on the stretcher i overheard a doctor making a phone call and referring to me as "Trauma Utopia." I had been renamed in the ER. Pretty dandy name, don't you think? According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, utopia means:

an imaginary and indefinitely remote place

often capitalized : a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions

an impractical scheme for social improvement

I take my new name to mean that I'm a person with a great imagination that is ideally perfect in every single way however has impractical schemes for self improvement in social situations. Fitting, me thinks.

Anyways, after 13 hours of being in the ER for observation, things seem fine. Baby is good, I'm good. I'm shaken up and have some soreness but otherwise I'm doing well. The doctors biggest concern was my hematocrit which was very low. I'm so lucky this accident wasn't worse because looking back it could have been infinitely worse.

If you want to hear more about the accident, drop me a line. and NO! I wasn't at fault. I mean, I'm TRAUMA UTOPIA for goodness sakes!

"Check me out, Charlie!"

2008-08-25T10:21:00.003-06:00

Skeleton face with big eyes just like her momma's. Kinda creepy don't you think??

My favorite picture. One little foot with all her toes accounted for!

The top of her head with her little hands "praying" in front of her face. Guess she didn't get the memo that we aren't church-goers

Legs crossed at the ankle. My grandma will like her already.

"If I cover my face with my arms and hands then I don't think they can see me."

Apparently that little "hamburger" to the right between the cursors is what they consider girly bits. Hmmmm. I still don't quite get it.

Never been so motivated to see nether regions in all my life!

2008-08-23T13:14:00.009-06:00

I'm convinced that pregnancy is simply a bunch of worrying and nervousness that is punctuated by momentous and touching, heart-felt moments. I work in a field where I see babies born with serious complications and I think this plays into my nearly constant state of worry.

When I went in for my viability ultrasound so long ago it seems, it was to make sure there was truly a baby inside. I had been spotting the day before which made me think I was having a miscarriage. And then we saw a little flicker of a heart beat and my world was turned upside down. A couple of months ago we went in for another ultrasound just to help rule out any 1st trimester genetic anomalies and again I sat there petrified that perhaps something would be amiss. And we saw a little half sea monkey/half human moving around, with a nose and hands (!) and again, we were speechless.

Yesterday was the "big" ultrasound where they make sure that the baby doesn't have any major complications. They check for everything: heart, lungs, amniotic fluid, fetal anomalies, and as I sat there in the waiting room, my hands were clammy and my heart nearly stopped. I hadn't for certain felt the baby move yet and I was hoping that everything was normal.

When the tech started the ultrasound, there the little kiddo was! moving around and so big! It took about 30 minutes for the tech to check everything and Baby was 100% normal. We told her we wanted to know the sex of the baby and she swung her little ultrasound wand around and said without missing a beat,

"Looks like you guys are having a GIRL!"

And then the room went black. And my heart grew 10 times bigger and the tears started to come. "Baby" isn't just a "baby" anymore. It took me a good 10-20 minutes to really grasp what she said because i was CERTAIN we were having a boy. I argued with the tech, "Now are you SURE? Like POSITIVELY? Like, WITHOUT A DOUBT THIS IS A GIRL?" while Pocket sat in the corner gloating over his victory. And yes, without a shadow of a doubt, we are having a little girl. and you know what? That afternoon, Pocket had his had on my stomach and she kicked. And I felt it. And he felt it. And everything was perfect.

I can't wait to meet you, kiddo.

Me. Age 2.

Manipulation at its finest!

2008-08-22T09:44:00.005-06:00

Provided that the baby decides to spread its legs this afternoon, today we will find out if we are having a boy or girl. And even though I have had 2 very clear dreams that we are having a boy, Pocket and my mom are dead set that we are having a little girl.

Anyways, the u/s is scheduled for 3:00pm today and then we are checking into one of our favorite hotels for one night so that we can enjoy the news before sharing it with friends and family.

So here is where the manipulation plays into this. When we get back tomorrow afternoon, my first priority is to announce the sex of our baby here on my blog before telling anyone else. We might break down and call our parents tomorrow before I post but my intention is to make all of you sing for your supper. If you are interested in finding out, check my blog tomorrow afternoon. I want to get an idea of just how many people tune in to this blog and that is why I'm asking you to visit the site for the news. and leave a comment if you are so inclined.

Worst case scenario, baby doesn't cooperate and we don't get to find out. I'll let you know either way. but rest assured, if this baby has it's own stubborn plans, we will be sure to get a follow up ultrasound soon in the hopes of getting to the bottom of this mystery.

Hot Dang! where have you been all my life?

2008-08-21T08:26:00.003-06:00

I like to bake. I'm not much of a cook, but I love throwing flour around and making big messes in the name of home baked desserts. I know that Hot Pocket appreciates it when I get my lazy bum off the couch to make a delicious piece of deliciousness but I can also see the slight cringe on his face when he knows what it means when I decide to enter the kitchen and "make" food.

I can usually cover the entire countertop in flour spills, cracked eggs, and smeared batter in as little as 5 minutes. And while I love to bake on occasion, the poor Hot Pocket helps me clean up my mess and by help I mean, he cleans it up entirely. Because by the time I'm done creating sugary masterpieces, "I'm so tiiiiiired." Ahhhh he's a good sport (and yes ladies, I know how lucky I am)

So anyways when it comes to the daily meal preparation, Pocket is in charge and he does a bang up job! I've been eating well these past 5 years because of his culinary skills and I couldn't be more appreciative.

I digress. Yesterday, I found the most amazingly, wonderful, cracker jack website that should make my Pocket quiver in his boots! Foodgawker.com is a wonderful website where people submit hi-quality photographs of their culinary creations and also attach their recipes! When I stumbled upon it my eyes about rolled back in my head and the drool started to puddle on my keyboard (I wonder if I could get electrocuted that way.)

Anyways, Hot Pocket should be afraid, very afraid, because now his pregnant wife has found this website with thousands of awesome looking recipes and she has a new burning flame to create every single one of them all at the same time. The messes that this little lady is getting ready to make are paramount. Get your scrub brush ready, my dear!

And a word of warning, DO NOT go to this website if you are hungry. I PROMISE YOU. DO NOT GO! well...i warned you!

Oprah's Giant Cartoon Pickle Child

2008-08-18T10:06:00.004-06:00

"With a title like that, it's gotsta be good!"

So yesterday Pocket and I went to Mervyns to purchase some odds and ends and I found this amazingly soft but hideous lime green body pillow for half off. I officially can't sleep on my back anymore and my doctor had told me to get a few body pillows and see how those work. So I bought this long, electric green pillow (that will not match any of my home decor) and hunkered down for the night.

As I drifted off to sleep, all of a sudden I was in a college auditorium and the professor was Oprah Winfrey. I'm furiously taking notes when she introduces the class to her son. "Why, I didn't know that Oprah had any kids!" i thought to myself.

And her son comes out and is a 7 foot tall cartoon pickle that had cartoon bandaids all over his face. He was lime green and kind of dancing around the room. All of a sudden this pickle be talking trash to me. So I get up and start trying to karate chop the pickle but he was too strong. And he kept loudly saying "BEWARE 9-8-08!! BEWARE 9-8-08!!" (very Julius Caesar, don't you think?)

And I said to the pickle "Shut up you dumb ass Pickle. You got it wrong! My birthday is 9-7-08!" and then he kept trying to kick me with his cartoon legs.

I woke up totally freaked out, all curled around my new green (pickle green?) body pillow. Never in all my life have I been deathly afraid of a pickle and I think i might need to find a new pillowcase.

I'm OK, Go USA!

2008-08-13T09:37:00.002-06:00

In all that is in the spirit of the Olympics, click on this and remember the good ol' days back in 1996. My good friend Tiffany and I used to act this out in our AZ dorm and we thought it was hilarious. Now watching it all these years later, it still brings a smile to my face.

Grumble Grumble

2008-08-12T09:47:00.003-06:00

My doctor appointment went well and everything looks perfect. It took her a while to find the heartbeat because the little kiddo was so inspired by last nights Olympic swimming meet that it couldn't stop doing laps long enough to sit still and have it's heartrate taken. I didn't gain a single pound even though I feel like the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters and I have a feeling that I ain't seen nothin yet.

As for the annoying thing, the ultrasound office is booked out until the 22nd so I will need to wait almost 2 weeks to see what we are having. I talked very sweet to the receptionist though and told her that if they ever have a cancellation, to please keep me in mind so perhaps, just perhaps, we will get to go in a little earlier. And then I gave her my pager number and told her I'd buy her cookies and a night on the town.

Pieces of Me

2008-08-11T15:12:00.002-06:00

Here's the meme:If you want to play too, type your answer to each of the questions below into a Flickr search. Using only the first page, choose your favorite image, then copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows). Leave a comment if you play, so I can have a peek.

The questions:
1. What is your first name? (Anna-obviously not a picture of me but I make this face constantly)
2. What is your favorite food? (Mac and Cheese)
3. What high school did you attend? (Rowland Hall)
4. What is your favorite color? (red)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (John Krasinski)
6. Favorite drink? (margarita)
7. Dream vacation? (Yachats)
8. Favorite dessert? (peach cobbler)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (mother)
10. What do you love most in life? (old photographs...i guess??)
11. One word to describe you. (sarcastic)
12. Your Blogger name. (Dizzy Dime)

Another great PostSecret postcard

2008-08-11T09:10:00.004-06:00

I wish I was clever enough to have come up with something like this.

I have my 17 week check-up tomorrow and later this week we will find out if we are having a boy or a girl!!!! I think it's a boy. Pocket thinks it's a girl. Ladies and gentlemen, please place your bets!

Keep your eyes peeled for a totally whawesome blog post in the next few days.

PS I have resorted to placing rubber bands around my pants button holes so that I can squeeze into my normal clothes a little bit longer. Also, I am contemplating creating a new business of creating cute and sexy maternity bras because the ones that I have seen my grandmother would view as "practical and functional." I view them as "large empty flour sacks with not even a hint of hubba-hubba."

but my tastebuds made me do it

2008-07-29T17:47:00.005-06:00

For about a week and half my body wanted to eat nothing but cherry pie. On any normal, non-puffy day, I would probably gag at the thought of cherry pie (i'm much more a peach cobbler girl).

I believe this whim for cherry pie had something to do with my monthly magazine subscription "Cooking Light" whose cover for July featured a delectable, mouth-watering lattice pie straight from the angels in heaven. I keep this magazine in the bathroom (too much information, i'm sure) and every time I had to pee (which is about an infinity number of times a day) I would see that damn pie and I couldn't stop the salivary glands from working over time.

It even got so far that one time after my midnight potty run, I climbed back in to bed after glancing at the gooey cherry filling and promptly dreamed that I was baked into a large cherry pie and had to eat my way out. it was probably the best dream I have ever had. Even better than the dream that Christina Aguilera took me baby clothes shopping at the local TJ Max.

It an attempt to NOT eat everything that crosses my mind, I held out buying a cherry pie a whole week and half before finally indulging last Saturday when we hosted a BBQ. I had called my friends ahead of time to make sure that they would each take some of the pie home so that I didn't have enough leftovers to sneak in the middle of the night. And can I tell you, it was worth every bit of that $12 dollars I forked over for it? And since then, that magazine has done nothing for me. I have been satiated...for the time being, right?

Yesterday, while at the office this wave of "MEATLOAF" came over me. I know, right? And today it was "STEAK!" Not just a juicy, perfectly medium-rare piece of beef, but "LEFTOVER BURNED TO A HOCKEY PUCK, ICY COLD STEAK!" And lucky for me, the Hot Pocket had made steak a couple of nights prior and i was able to squelch my thirst of steak. I sat in my office, closed the door and proceeded to eat the steak with my bare hands. I'm not sure what possessed me. i usually have such good table manners! My grandma would have fallen off her chair if she saw me behaving in such a fashion.

I swear pregnancy has turned me in to this weird food monster. Of course you hear about cravings but no one ever tells you that the cravings are sometimes so bad that if you don't get that piece of cherry pie with cheddar cheese sprinkled over the top, your face just might melt off and you will rip your hair out in large fists. I figure, it's time to let the secret out.

and I know that i've said this before, but I'll say it again (and again and again) pregnancy is so strange.

KABOOM!

2008-07-28T08:48:00.003-06:00

So it appears that I have expanded literally over night! Saturday I had a fat day where I moped around the house and beat myself up for eating nearly an entire bag of potato chips (BUT THE SALT TASTED SO GOOD!)

Yesterday I tried to eat better (that didn't last long) and I found myself eyeing the maternity section of Target after my capris had a hard time buttoning up. Still though, while things were getting tighter, my tummy looked more like i had a hamburger combo baby than a real life baby growing inside.

And then this morning KAPOW! There is no hiding it now! I was walking around the hallways at work when I noticed that the people coming the opposite direction would briefly look at my face and then quickly down to my tummy...something I'm sure I have been guilty of doing to other pregnant women over the years. but But BUT now it's ME! This is so strange!

Technically I can find out the sex of baby as soon as Thursday of this week but I don't have my doctor appointment until August 12th when I'm 17 weeks along. I'm sure soon after that I will have the ultrasound that will determine if our baby will be named Phinneaus Joe or Bethia Maria.

I'm kidding, mom.

Be Still My Danish Heart

2008-07-21T16:12:00.011-06:00

In what has proven to be an endless search for baby furniture that is sleek, sophisticated, and doesn't reek of cutesie baby patterns and pastels, we finally found the most perfect dresser/changing table this past weekend at this great antique store call The Green Ant in the heart of quirky Sugarhouse. i remember a few months ago, Dooce blogged about this store that sold vintage furniture from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and as a fellow resident of Sodium Lake City with a fantastic sense of style, we took her advice and headed over there.

We had pretty much ruled out the idea of a single spendy changing table and opted for a dresser that could double as both. The Pocket and i like to think we have semi-good taste in furniture and home decor, and as we walked through the many aisles of nursery furniture at the local baby store, the nausea would start and i'd have to sit down on the glider and wait for the teddy bears to stop spinning. i had originally chalked it up to first trimester nausea, but when we went 2 weekends ago, indeed the cuteness made me vomit a little in my mouth (not really but whatever)

It only took about a minute for me to find this amazing "1970s modern teak Danish Sideboard" and fall truly, madly, deeply in love with it. Of course i fell in love with this particular piece. It was probably the most expensive piece in there and i seem to have a radar for falling in love with only the finest things in life. The price tag was hefty (we have never in all our single or married years paid this much for a piece of furniture-except for maybe that Bowflex impulse purchase that Pocket bought that is currently in our backyard doubling as a drying rack) but it fit our style so perfectly that i couldn't pass it up plus we will use it for years to come right? RIGHT? It is the best height for baby changing and the drawers are shallow enough that baby clothes will fit nicely. i couldn't bare the thought of telling the store owner how we were going to use this piece of furniture ("Yeah we love this and we plan on wiping poopy butts on top of it") so we kept things brief, paid, and went home to get the SUV to bring that sweet piece of Denmark home. i guess in the short amount of time we were gone a lady came in saying she would pay top dollar for it but alas, it was sold to the couple in their mid-twenties where it would house diapers and wipes, and...butt cream.

And since we have already blown our budget, if we could only find an affordable hip crib and rocking chair (that doesn't have those puffy cushions on the back) then the big ticket nursery items will be taken care of. your thoughts??

And also as a side note: if you look at Luna, she has cream cheese smeared on her muzzle from yesterday. I COULD wipe it off because her tongue can't reach it, but I find this much more enjoyable.