For Sarah's Little Surprise...

I am posting this very moving little video montage for my friend Sarah who just found out this morning that she is expecting! Here's to unexpected little gifts!

I know you've got dial-up Sarah, but trust me...it's worth it to wait on this one. Dare you not to cry!

For Moose n Muffin...

This video has been circulating the internet like crazy so most of you have probably seen it but I still think it's so funny and cute! And in light of certain karaoke events from the not so distant past, I felt it was fitting.

Holiday in Memphis-The Highlights

Memphis ain't all bad. There are definitely nice things about a visit there. Some of my own highlights about last weekend's visit are listed below:

1. Discovering a New 'Shortcut': We had to leave on Saturday morning instead of Friday night, as originally intended, and since we knew holiday traffic would be horrid, we made it a point to drive thru Gallatin and catch 65 instead of driving I40 the whole way. It knocked a good 45 minutes off the drive and that was a big plus. Also, Victor slept almost the entire time. Easy Peasy.

2. Victor in all his 'fatness' meeting friends and family: Mom hasnt seen Victor since he was born so it was fun to watch her face when she saw him again, in all his fifteen pound splendor! I knew she wouldnt want to put him down...so cuddly and smooshy is he!

3.'Tear It Up' and White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha: On a quick little outting Saturday, my husband and I ran accross a great little clothing/accessory store on Cooper beside the Celtic Crossing. It's called Tear It Up and even though the store is the size of a small bedroom, there are some GREAT items in there. I couldnt resist a super-soft T-Rex (the band) Tee for 19.00. Also, lots of nice retro reproduction shoes and dresses in there, ladies! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to the novelty of Starbucks (we don't have any of those around here, guys) and their seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha which was AMAZING. Starbucks is the one thing that makes me wish I lived in the city...ha!

4.Seeing the new Assembly Hall: No, we didnt get to actually attend the assembly like we planned...sigh. We had to drive in on Sat instead of Friday so that day was gone anyway. And then on Sunday morning we were ten minutes late to the program and there were NO seats! Crazy! And since there was some work being done in the Cafeteria, we couldnt go in there. But we got to see the place anyway, and it is indeed beautiful!

5.Good Food: We have our 'regular' places we like to eat in Memphis but this time, we made two more yummy discoveries. Sunday we ate at the Dixie Cafe for the first time (which we loved...go figure how it's possible I havent' eaten there before) and Sunday night we tried the Blue Fin on Main st. Awesome place...loved the atmosphere, loved the beer, loved the sushi, but most of all loved the...

6.Good Company: So nice to visit w/ old friends...Moose, Monkey, Muffin, all of you guys were a blast! Big brother is always a plus too. I'm so glad we found out about the Karaoke at Alfred's and that practically no one was around to witness our foolishness! You know we have to sing our 'signature song' every time now, don't ya Moose? Oh, and here's the link to the RED lipstick: http://www.besamecosmetics.com/home/?page=home


7.Family : Time spent w/ my parents, niece and nephew, and spiritual family will always be the best part of any little trip. And I enjoyed seeing my brother's new house and forseeing the good times to be had there as well.

We had an easy drive home with almost no traffice, due to the Holiday. It was companionable and smooth. All in all, a lovely little Holiday.

Goodbye Dan...

I was just informed that Dan Fogelberg passed away Sunday. I know I should probably have known he was sick, my childhood having been wrapped up in his music the way it was, but I didnt. This video clip reminds me that I need to get out all of his albums and play them back to back...such an extraordinary talent. He was my first concert ever as well.

An Acute Case of Nostalgia

For those of you who grew up with The ELectric Company, a couple of Tom Lehrer's finest!

Hospitals Make Me Sick

Ok, this has to be some kind of record for one family when it comes to hospital visits within the calendar year! Not only has my family been sick on and off throughout the whole year (seriously, I kept a written tab of sickness in our house and only July and August were illness-free), but we have made so many trips to the hospital, I swear we're keeping the place in business.

In April, my husband woke up w/ severe chest/abdominal pain and rather than risk the possibility of appendicitis or, worse yet, heart attack-we opted to take him to the ER (something we would normally never do since ER visits are so dang expensive). After a pretty inept analysis by the ER doctor, he was diagnosed w/ severe 'gastritis'. Since this diagnosis is not considered an Emergency, my insurance declined to pay the bill and I'm STILL haggling w/ them over it. That's one.

In August, my oldest boy jumped off a pile of dirt at his uncle's house and hit his head on a sharp rock, causing a pretty nasty gash about 2 inches long on his forehead. The local ER is actually pretty good w/ these types of injuries (where diagnoses aren't necessary) and they fixed him up pretty good. That's two.

In September, my 3 yr old swallowed a magnet (as most of you remember) and I had to take him to the hospital for an x-ray so it could be determined that he would be passing it. Since we were never able to find the thing (even after fun examination of his doodie), we had to take him back to the hospital for yet another x-ray-just to make sure. Three and Four.

On Oct 1st, I had a baby. That's five.

And then this morning, I woke up around 1am to find that Victor (who has been suffering from congestion since Thursday), was running a temperature of 101-a very high degree for such a young baby. I called the doctor and because of his age and other symptoms, they advised me to take him to the ER and have him tested for potentially serious viruses, like RSV. Which I did. So I was there until 5am and happily he doesnt have RSV, just an Upper Respiratory Tract infection which is not even that severe. But still, that's six.

SIX hospital visits in one year, people! How normal can that be? And top all that off with the fun fact that when I returned home this morning at six-thirty, my three year old was vomiting and having diarrhea and still is. I should be stressed beyond belief but actually, I'm strangely calm. It's almost funny for some reason.

Song For A Winter's Night...

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top
The snow is softly falling
The air is still within the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly calling
If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter's night with you

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon each page
The words of love you sent me

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter's night with you

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are lifting
The morning light steals across my windowpane
Where webs of snow are drifting

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter's night with you
And to be once again with you


-Words and music by Gordon Lightfoot

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...to DISNEY I shall go!

It occurred to me a few months ago that it has been over three years since I've seen Walt Disney World in all it's surrealistic madness. I was actually pregnant w/ Nathan and it was January of 2004 so I guess you could say I am seriously jonesing for my Magic Kingdom fix! So we are planning a trip for Oct of next year and I am already just giddy with excitement. Most of you are aware of my semi-unhealthy love for Walt and all his kin (http://learnthebigapple.blogspot.com/2006/04/walt-and-me.html). The place is just necessary for my happiness, I think (that's a little exageration there people, don't worry).

Planning a vacation is always half the fun for me. Especially a Disneyworld vacation. So even though some people might find it a bit disturbing that I am already in midst of doing so, 300 days in advance, there it is. We are planning to take all three of our children who will then be ages 8, 4, and 1 yr. I would normally never encourage someone to take a baby to Disney, but I feel like somewhat of a veteran by now and am certain I can handle it just fine. The way I see it, the two older boys will keep each other busy and entertained and since we're going to stay on Disney Property (as always), taking the little one back to the hotel will not be a problem. Also, this will be our last chance to stay in a normal hotel room (one that sleeps four) because after the baby turns two, we won't qualify for those rooms anymore.

Disney Hotels are monstrous works of art, themed to their toes and full of every bit of the charm that resides in the parks. So picking one is also an adventure. Thus far I've been a guest at the Port Orleans French Quarter Hotel (our honeymoon choice in 1995), the Disney Institute Villa Treehouses (in 1996 and these are no longer in existence), The Port Orleans RIverside Resort (2003-a Dixie themed hotel adjoining the French Quarter w/ lush landscaping and rustic furnishings), The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge (2004-mountain themed resort w/ a fabulous lobby and a cozy log-cabin feel to the rooms), and The Boardwalk Villas (2001-New England style resort w/ a real boardwalk and within walking distance to EPCOT). I loved all of them but I wanted to try something different this time. So we're going to try the Animal Kingdom Villas since my sweet sister in law is letting us use her Disney Vacation Club points at a great rate.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas are one of Disney's greatest themed hotels, styled after a rustic retreat on the African Savannah and surrounded by a 'real' wilderness and wild animals. The Lobby is absolutely stunning
as can be seen here, and you can book rooms that overlook the surrounding 'savannah' so that you get to see giraffes and zebras feeding right outside your window. From what I hear, they also have night vision goggles available so that the wildlife can be seen at night when they're at their most active. The pool is designed to look a bit wild, like a natural hot spring of sorts, and the affect is really nice.

I'm looking forward to visiting all my favorite haunts: The World Showcase at EPCOT (especially the Canada and Mexican pavilions), The Harambe Village at The Animal Kindom, Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom, The Tower of Terror at MGM. And also, I'm looking forward to seeing some of the new things that have been added since my last visit: Soarin' at EPCOT, Expedition Everest at the Animal Kingdom, The stunt show at MGM, and Jack Sparrow's likeness in The Pirates of the Carribean. I'll be starting my itinerary soon so that when it's completed, I can send it to my friends who'll be joining us. Then we can figure out what stuff we want to do as a group and what we want to do alone.

Anyhoo, that's enough rambling for now. Barring any unforseen problems, we'll be booking our trip in January. My brother and his kids are probably going to come, as are some dear friends of ours in Louisiana. But hey, why stop there? ALL of you guys should come along!

HUP two, three, four...

ON CATHE FRIEDRICH'S BOOT CAMP:

So I'm back in the saddle again w/ my exercise routine and today I did this workout again for the first time since I've had the baby. DEAR LORD! I'd forgotten how much it kills! So much so that I felt I should devote a whole entry to it and recommend it to all my friends...ha ha.

I first discovered Cathe Friedrich on FitTv a few years ago and would use her workouts (they air on FitTv every day) to supplement my days at the gym. However, when I moved out to the boonies, I had no gym nearby so I've been doing video workouts only for the past two years. I alternate All Star Workouts on FitTv, Cathe Friedrich's show, and various Pilates dvd's that I have at my disposal. Cathe's are by far the hardest workouts I've ever done and there are so many of them (even more if you go by her dvd catalogue) that I never get bored.

The Boot Camp workout is worth buying on dvd if you are so inclined or if not, you can always catch it on FitTv since it airs quite often. It is an hour long workout (or 45 minutes if you do the tv version, to allow for commercials) that consists of 8cycles of intensive cardio and weight-training segments. The cycle-segments are each one minute in length and go in the following order: one minute cardio, one minute upper body, one minute lower body, and one minute abs. Since there is no 'downtime' between the segments, they will most assuredly wear you out and could possibly make you cry...heh heh.

Cathe is a tiny person w/ a hard, muscular body and she uses really heavy weights much of the time. However, since my goal is to look more like this:






and not like this:

I usually stick w/ my light weights.

Anyway, it's a great, challenging workout for those who are so inclined to get moving and see results.

In Good Company...

So my house isnt quite as small as once I thought. After five days playing host to lots of company, I feel like I am finally in my element and ready to start planning more parties at home. I've never felt like much of a success in that arena before but things went really well so maybe I'll reconsider. I've already made plans w/ two couples to come have dinner in December...yay me!

Wednesday night, my good friend Barbie came and stayed w/ me since hubby was spending the night away (enjoying that show I already mentioned on a previous entry and making me very jealous). We had a nice quiet night of Project Runway, the game of LIFE, and Miller Chill. It was really fun staying up until 2am again, talking. Thanks, cinnamongirl!

Thursday, I did a quick cleaning job and prepared for my next set of company. Craig and Sarah (with their little beauty, Violet) had originally planned to stay in a hotel but since we're so far from the nearest one, I made room for them in Victor's room and they were able to stay here..and I'm so glad they did! Sarah is one of my favorite people, so easy to talk to. We made a quick trip to Wal Mart for some games and last minute items so when Toby and the kids came later that evening, we had JUST ENOUGH food for everyone (but no surplus).

It must be noted that I love to cook for my family but I've always shied away from cooking for guests. This time though, I made myself do it and I just loved every minute of it. Thursday night I made Chicken Parmesan, baked potatoes (brush some sesame oil on the skins prior to baking...so yummy), salad, and garlic bread. Friday morning I got up and made semi-homemade Cinnamon Latte rolls (courtesy Sandra Lee of the Food Network) and for lunch I prepared another Paula Deen recipe, Taco Soup. It was all very successful, I think. Josh and Mo came for dinner that evening (and brought food with them) so we provided a few extra store-bought side dishes and I made a double layer pumpkin pie, which is quick and easy. Thanks again for the ham, Mo, it was AWESOME! I wanted to gnaw on the bone like a dog...ha.

All six of the kids were surprisingly good, especially since they were kind of confined to the house due to the cold, wet weather. We put them to bed at a decent hour still, and were able to enjoy grownup talk and cards until relatively late. Very nice.

Saturday morning, Craig and Sarah said their goodbyes and I was able to make it to the bookstudy...late, of course. Afterwards, Toby and I took all our kids to McDonalds to eat lunch and then we went to the (gasp) Outlet Mall in Lebanon. My van fit everybody just BARELY and the kids were all very well behaved. We even took them to Wal Mart to buy some necessaries and got away with only minimal 'kid' purchases. This was the first time my brother and I have ever been anywhere w/ just us and the kids. It was so great to spend time together like that. When I come to Memphis, I usually end up spending the little time I have w/ my parents at their respective homes so we don't really get the chance to do that. I'm hoping he can make it up here more often now.

Saturday night was the now-famous hayride that Barbie's parents put on every November. It comes complete w/ bonfire, chili, marshmallows, homemade wine, and lots of nice people. The actual hayride was even more of a hoot than usual because Barbie and I sat side by side singing Janis Joplin at the top of our lungs, heedless to the annoyed glances of our fellow passengers...except for Chad who sang along...good for you, man! We rock! My Nathan was so happy to be on the hayride he sat in stunned silence. It was so sweet. We liked it so much, John took us all on a second hayride later (an oh-so-memorable one, wasnt it Barbie?)...hee hee. And I finally tried elderberry wine (but w/out the arsenic)!

Sunday morning, we made it late to the meeting (really really late) and enjoyed good conversation w/ friends at the local Mexican restaurant before heading home so Toby could pack up youngn's and clothes. He left by late afternoon along w/ our other houseguest Michael (who is a regular in this establishment) and we were finally on our own again, as a family. It was so wierd.

But I can't wait to do it all again.

Minivans Anonymous

And so against my wishes, I am back in the ranks of minivan mom. My 1998 Honda Odyssey wagon (which had four hinged doors, drove like a car, and got AMAZING gas mileage) was declared totalled two weeks ago and I was kind of forced into finding something quickly. The insurance company treated me right and gave me even more than I spent on my Honda, which is nice, but 6000 doesnt buy all that much and unfortunately, there are a severe lack of 1998 Honda Odysseys around. I have owned two minivans in the past, a Nissan Quest and a Mercury Villager (which are incidentally the same vehicle), neither of which I liked and both of which got mediocre gas mileage. I told myself I would never have one again but with three children, we are sadly limited. Our only other options were those giant SUV's w/ a third row seat, most of which were out of our price range or rediculously inefficient fuel-wise.

I looked on every internet site, including ebay, and finally settled on this 1998 Toyota Sienna which was in Knoxville. It's fully loaded, obscenely heavy, and drives like a dream but I miss my Honda. We drove to Knoxville last night to pick it up and for once I had no buyers remorse since I had called and tied them down to a price over the phone before I made the trip. I haggle much better over the phone...heh heh.

In other news, we have all been down w/ the 'crud' lately and are very slow about recovering. Even Victor has a stuffy nose which makes it difficult for him to eat and he sounds like a little snuffling piglet most of the time. It's cute, but sad.

We have tons of company scheduled to arrive Thursday, in rotation, so I'm sure another entry will be in order by next week. We aren't used to having company so it's a big deal for us.

Toodeloo!

Tiny Loss

Sadly, Mrs. Roper's tiny puppy did not survive.

Last week we had some frigid nights but oddly enough, Mrs Roper succeeded in keeping the puppy nice and warm so he seemed to be fine. However Sunday my husband noticed Mrs Roper carrying something in her mouth and upon further examination, it turned out to be a dead puppy. We were sad until we realized that it wasnt the one we had seen. I guess there had originally been more than one puppy in her litter and she was simply putting it to rest. We looked at her 'nest', and saw that the other puppy was still there, whimpering and crying loudly. I was so relieved!

But two days ago I noticed that the living puppy was not gaining well. He was obviously very weak and no bigger than when I had first seem him a week and a half before. Mrs Roper was still steadily caring for him and loving him so I left them alone, hoping for the best. I even called the vet to ask if I should take the puppy and try raising it myself but she advised against that since the mother had not abandoned it. She said if it was naturally a sickly puppy, the mother could take better care of it than I ever could. Since the rest of the litter had died, it was evidently just a 'weak litter', which is supposedly kind of common with a dog's first pregnancy. Sigh.

Yesterday morning I went out to give Mrs Roper her food and noticed that the puppy was gone. My dog was happily covorting around the yard, seemingly very happy to be 'free', which depressed me. I don't know what she did w/ his tiny little body but I'm kind of glad I didnt see it dead. It was such a precious little thing. One of its ears was permananty flipped inside out which was a birth defect but also very endearing. After a good cry, I soothed myself with the thought that at least now I didnt need to keep Bernice tied up for fear she'd eat the puppy or worry that racoons would find it. But it's still very sad.

My Neck of the Woods

My husband found a very cool website last night that had some pictures of our itty bitty town, Pleasant Shade, from the air. This photo was taken in the late eighties so there are a few more buildings since then. Our house was, of course, not built yet but it would be to the far right, just out of the shot. I know we have a beautiful view but this one surely takes the cake. Makes me think of the 'old country' overseas.

It also was really interesting to discover that originally, Pleasant Shade was a pretty happening spot. A diagram he found shows that there used to be a furniture/cabinet shop, barber, market, several restaurants, a pool hall, garages of various types, and a dance hall. Now, there is nothing to speak of in the area except a tiny post office and a tiny country store. Even the school has been closed. It's a shame too because wouldnt it be great to have a dancehall close by? Ha.

Mrs. Roper Multiplies

Mrs Roper, my 3 year old beagle, has had a puppy. That's right. One puppy. She was pregnant and we knew she was ready to go any time but when she kind of 'disappeared' over the last day or two, we knew she'd gone off to have her litter. My husband found her this morning under an old boat we have and noticed that there was only one puppy. I guess if she had any others, they didnt survive for some reason. (In the picture above, you can just barely see the puppy's back legs and tail peeking out.) Anyway, she stays with the puppy like a good little mommy and only leaves it alone to eat a few bites. It's cold outside but since the puppy survived last night okay, we figure the nest Mrs Roper made for it is doing it's job. She dug out a hollow under the boat and is well protected from the wind. We're going to get some hay to put under there too and keep Bernice tied up for a while.

There's something strangely comforting about watching her take care of her one baby while I'm taking care of mine. We're bonding, I think.

Stupid Bambi!

Yes, deer can be very pretty. Right now, there are scads of them all over the county. Frolicking on the frosted hills in the morning, standing and gazing with soulful eyes when they're disturbed, dancing into roadside bushes at dusk w/ a flash of their perky white tails. I sit on my window seat daily with my two older sons and stare at them as they forage our hillside for food and brazenly ignore my huge puppy's ominous barking. They walk by the kitchen window in droves every morning as I get my boys their breakfast and we have shared a few magical moments watching them. Sweet li'l Bambi.

Stupid Bambi. Friday night, I was on my way home from Carthage w/ my tiny son in tow and a sackful of Sonic by my side. It was already dark, though barely 7pm, and I had my brights on since the highway was mostly deserted at the moment. POW! From out of nowhere a huge buck ran into the road and I slammed into him at a full 60 mph! I saw him fly into the air, bend in half, and come down flopping in the yard to my right-his long legs flailing helplessly. Fortunately for Victor and I, no one was hurt and I was surprisingly self-possessed as I brought my smoking car to a halt on the shoulder and got out to assess the damage. As you can see, I hit him absolutely DEAD CENTER and not only is my hood and fender horribly messed up but I think my radiator is shot. Part of the headlight assembly has disappeared also and who knows what else was causing all the smoke and leaking fluids. My poor Honda! (As most of you know, I just got this car in May and I love it dearly!)

After checking on Victor, who was frowning but fine, I flagged down a passing motorist for help. You can't get a cellphone signal on this particular highway but luckily, this guy was a fireman and able to radio in to the police. He also had a special cellphone w/ a stronger signal so he called my husband for me. No one was able to find the deer, which I find very unsettling. All that and no deer carcass to show for it? How is this possible?

So now I'm without a vehicle. I know that since my car was older and had alot of miles, the damage may ammount to more than the vehicle is worth and the insurance company may total it out. This would make me very sad since I searched so hard to find this car and it will be difficult to replace. But it would also be a blessing in that I wouldnt have to pay that stupid 250.00 deductible.

On the way home, my husband said 'Now, do you see why they need to be hunted?' I laughed and said 'Yes, I do. It's just a shame this one had to die without my getting to claim even one steak.'

Comme Ci, Comme Sa

And so the fall days fly by in a whirl of tiny diapers, coke zero, data entry, and television. I will not say that I'm stuck in a rut but I will admit to being comfortably stagnant right now, due to my routined existence. My weekdays are very similar. Get up, exercise, see Johnson off to school, breakfast, work, lunch, work, straighten house, dinner, tv, and bed. Insert breastfeeding every two hours and bible reading at the dinner table and you've pretty much got my day at a glance. I know it sounds horribly dull but like I said, I'm comfortable with a routined life. The idea of NOT having a scheduled time to do things stresses me out so basically, I'm back to being myself. I just had to insert another person into the mix.

Victor is doing great. He's very fat. I laughed last night when I was watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents and realized that my baby resembles the outlined drawing of the director that heralds the beginning of each episode. He sleeps very well at night and I rarely have to get up with him except to change a diaper every now and then. During the day, he stays in his swing, lies on his boppy pillow, or sleeps in his carseat by my desk so he's at easy reach to be rocked. So the fussy situation from a recent entry has somewhat abated.

The other boys have adjusted well. I still have behavior issues w/ my oldest son but as it turns out, he is perfect for everyone but me so I guess I should at least be thankful for that. My Nathan is very loving w/ the baby but other than stopping by to look at him once or twice , he goes about his day exactly as he did before Victor was born. Playhouse Disney in the morning, Star Wars toys and running around outside in the afternoon,and playing w/ Johnson in the evening. Bernice is getting HUGE and eating us out of house and home but luckily she seems to keep a good eye on the boys when they're outside so I don't have to worry too much. She barks if they go off too far and it always alerts me.

I am starting to feel like this house may not be the place we 'end up' after all. So much construction is going on around us and I am becoming such a BABY in cold weather. I have arthritis in my knees from a car accident and as I get older, the cold damp weather really gets to me (switch complaint-free bracelet to other wrist). So I am steadily but non-naggingly tossing 'Go-West-Young-Man' comments to my husband whenever I get a chance. Plus, I will be the first to admit that we spent too much money on this house and it is starting to annoy me. When you build, unfortunately, unexpected costs arise that will inevitably affect the final mortgage payment so collecting on the equity is starting to really look warm and friendly. I guess we'll see what happens.

I need a date with my neglected husband. We are planning to go see The Reverend Horton Heat on the day before Thanksgiving if we can:

I'm going to check around for a baby sitter as soon as I can. Lord knows, I could use some time away since I spend basically ninety percent of my time here at home. I've been a huge fan of the good Reverend and his psychobilly band for a long ol' time and it would be an awesome release to see them live again.

So that's how things are going...'Comme ci, comme sa'.

A Complaint Free World

I heard about this book on the radio and though I haven't read it (nor do I necessarily plan to), I was really attracted to the general premise of it and plan to try to put the ideas into practice myself. The writer, Will Bowen, has some pretty inspired things to say about the subject of complaining.

I've noticed over the past year that my seven year old has developed the worst habit of complaining and no matter how much we tell him 'don't complain', the problem only seems to be getting worse. He's a whiner. I know he hears me gripe a bit and therefore is probably only developing a trait he has learned from me. Sigh.

The idea presented in this book is therefore a good one for our family, I feel. The concept is that anyone can become 'complaint free' by conscientiously trying NOT to focus on the negative for 21 days. According to Mr Bowen, complaining is like 'bad breath'. You notice it when it comes out of someone else's mouth but not your own. Once a person becomes in tuned with their own problem of complaining, it can be overcome. He encourages wearing a bracelet and switching it to the other wrist when you catch yourself whining, griping, or complaining. The object is to keep it on the same wrist for 21 days since this is how long experts say it takes to start a new habit. Cool idea, huh?

One thing he made sure to stress on the radio interview this morning, however, is NOT to confuse complaining w/ getting what you deserve. In other words, getting the wrong item at a restaurant, a hair in your soup, or talking to a doctor about an ailment is NOT complaining-at least not in his program. Also, avoiding gossip is a good idea but not if it qualifies as something you would say directly to the person concerned or if the gossip is positive in nature (sounds like a Watchtower article I once read). The point is to avoid focusing on negative things to the point that you have to talk about them. Because really, 'what good do it do?' Hee hee.

Victor-Two Week Update

Well, I must say we had a very calm first two weeks w/ Victor. He was the perfect baby...never cried, always happy, calm and peaceful. He slept at night and during the day too. Very laid back and sweet.

He's still sweet but unfortunately, he is becoming quite fussy. He eats well and has gained a whopping 2 lbs and 3 oz since birth! Yesterday at the doctor we discovered this. He also has grown one inch in length so he's 22 inches long now. However, I think over the last few days my let-down reflex has strengthened or something because when it happens, Victor gasps and chokes. He sometimes spits up in projectile-fashion, a problem which plagued Johnson from the beginning. I think he's getting alot of air which prevents him from falling asleep while he's eating and stresses him out alot. He can't seem to settle himself down to sleep afterwards (day or night) so I have to take the time to rock him until he can relax himself somewhat. This, of course, prevents me from getting ANYTHING else done so my house is a wreck, my boys are freaking out from the lack of attention, and I can't cook a meal to save my life! I'm also supposed to be working now but I know I will be 'dealt with' if my efficiency doesnt pick up since I'm currently having to work while holding a fussy baby which means I have to type with one hand. Heh heh. Poor little thing, he really just wants to go to sleep I know. It's pitiful to see.

Anyway, on a positive note. He's very healthy and round. And hopefully this stage will pass quickly. Quickly enough to prevent my strangling my other children, losing my job, or pulling my hair out.

HUM

I heard this song on a Cadillac commercial today and was reminded how off-my-butt-crazy I was inlove with it when it came out. I bought most of their albums and still love the band alot. Sometimes you just need reminders.

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=legOdkkUzP0

Marvelous Motivation!

So after a nine-month hiatus, I've finally started visiting all my old internet haunts to see what is new. Though I haven't been cleared to exercise yet, what other motivation could I need to recapture my pre-pregnancy size than dresses like the one above? I am inlove with Trashy Diva, I must say. Pinupgirl has a whole bunch of new stuff that I adore and did I mention the shoes? My lord, the shoes! You guys have GOT to see them:

http://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/streetshoesc.html

And don't forget to go back and check out the 'streetwear', 'hollywood' swimsuits ( I'm all OVER that black Marilyn one!), and the purses. Since Pinupgirl carries several designer brands, there are some items that are very pricey. But their own brand is extremely reasonable as are most of the shoe selections.

I'm off to eat some nonfat yogurt, myself. heh heh

Me and My Moby

Okay the 'baby posts' are probably getting out of hand here...heh heh. But my son took a picture of me in my moby-wrap right after the maiden voyage to the mailbox (hey, our mailbox is really far away!) I loved it! It felt like I was just wearing an outer-shirt or jacket and the feeling of the baby in front isnt very different from being pregnant so it made both of us feel right at home. I'm going to try it tomorrow again when I take the kids to the park and Sunday when I go to the grocery store for the first time.

It says it's good for us to 35 lbs so I should get alot of use out of it.

Victor

Yes, he's here. Thus follows the 'birth story' of Victor James Westmoreland, born at 5:25am Oct 1st, 2007.

First a little 'background' on the day in question. Most of you are aware that my due date was originally September 30th but was revised to Sept 28th after an ultrasound conducted in April. The 28th was actually Friday, as you know, but instead of waking up in labor on that fateful day, I actually woke up with the world's WORST stomach virus. It was horrifying indeed. The mere idea of trying to cope with labor pains while also dealing with congestion, vomiting, and diarrhea was unthinkable to say the least. I was terrified that I would suddenly find myself faced with such an obstacle and so the sickness was even more intensified by just thinking of those things and became and all out panic attack! I sobbingly called my husband, my mother in law, and a sister in our hall begging for help because Johnson was home from school and he and his little brother were blissfully unaware of the severity of it all and wreaking havoc. Jonathan came home, Linda (his mom) came over to take care of the boys, and the aforementioned sister stopped her busy service day to bring me gatorade. After finally getting to the point where I could take some Phenergan, the virus seemed to loosen its hold a little and by evening I was able to eat a little plain rice. No labor yet. Whew!

Saturday I woke up weak and tired but the day was uneventful and I was able to eat a sandwich by that night.

Sunday, I felt great. I ate a small normal breakfast, went to the meeting, cleaned my whole house, and went grocery shopping by myself (which was pretty stupid but turned out okay). Sunday night, I began to feel a few contractions but nothing out of the ordinary. I stayed on the couch until they subsided which was about 1:30am. Then I went to bed. Sleeping was difficult and I kept having crazy nightmares and night terrors, which is really wierd for me. Around 3:30am, I woke with a strange cramping in my lower abdomen that was not similar to any contractions I had ever felt. I got up and started getting ready to leave because I had that 'feeling', you know? The cramp persisted and I was worried so we went ahead and planned to go the hospital, calling a neighbor couple to come stay w/ the boys while we went. I also called my sweet coach, Barbie, and told her to meet us there.

As the babysitters arrived ( less than 10 minutes later), I began to worry because the cramp was getting worse and I told them to tell my husband to hurry, as I was outside waiting by the car. But suddenly, my water broke! I ran inside to change and even though I was a little freaked out (the cramp I felt was obviously my waters pushing against my pelvis), I was glad that I now KNEW this was IT. By the time we got to Carthage (4:08am), there were strong steady contractions present. Strong enough to have to breath through. They were about 4-6 minutes apart. We got to UMC in Lebanon at 4:35. After trying several locked doors, we remembered that only the ER was open at this hour and when my husband dropped me off at the door, I was to the point that I was panicked. The contractions were RIGHT on top of each other. I walked into the completeley empty waiting room and made this known from the center of the floor since I didnt know which desk to approach. A harried man w/ a wheelchair appeared out of nowhere and took me to the maternity ward where Barbie and Granny Linda were both waiting.

There was NO ONE in the maternity ward but 3 nurses, two of which were not really attending nurses, but nursery personell. A young nurse named Tambra w/ short stri-pedy hair got my gown and began grilling me about the facts. By now the contractions were excruciating and I could NOT talk through them so I did my best and waited for her to get my iv in and check me. When she did, I was dismayed to find that I was only 5 cm dilated! It seemed I had a long while to go. And I was almost to the point that I didnt think I'd make it because, since my waters had ruptured, I wasnt 'allowed' to move around the room but had to stay attatched to machines in the bed. This was almost intolerable, let me tell you.

When the time came where I felt like I couldnt take any more, I asked the nurse to check me again. It was now to the point where it felt like one long contraction, with no break to speak of. When she checked me, I saw her eyes go wide and she said 'Oh wow. You're complete. I'm calling the doctor now.' So I went from 5 to 10 cm in less than 20 minutes.

Barbie was trying to help but by this point I was severely blinded by pain and I hate to say, I wasnt being very nice to her (sorry, Barbie). But she did a GREAT job with what she was given. The nurses were scurrying about like so many scattered hens, trying to get the room ready for the birth and all the while telling me 'don't push!' in unison. I saw Tambra say that the doctor was still at home and then I really began to get frantic because I knew I wasnt going to be able to wait. I told her 'I have to push NOW!' and with every ounce of coherence I could muster, told Barbie that I was now going to inhale and begin pushing and that I needed her to count to seven. She did and Tambra resigned herself to the fact that this was going to happen, whether she liked it or not. With one very violent and very intense push, I felt the baby's head emerge and with one more push, the body rushed out. You have not experienced relief until you feel this feeling! It is indescribably wonderful.

Anyway, I had been at the hospital for 45 minutes total when Victor was born. He was perfectly pink and very wrinkly. He doesnt possess the same newborn 'prettiness' of the other two boys, but he is full of Nichols character in his little face. We all think he looks alot like his uncle Josh and his Papa Nick.
His vitals were all perfect and he weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 21 inches long. Unfortunately, due to the intensity of the birth and inexperience of the nurses, there was no time to immediately bond with him. They took him off to the empty nursery immediately and Tambra proceeded to try and extract the placenta, which was being mighty stubborn. At this moment, the very ticked off Doctor arrived, and griped at poor little Tambra for not having called him sooner. We were all pretty annoyed with him. Basically, he came to get the placenta out and do a little 'stitching up', which I'm sure is kind of a pain for a highly paid obstetrician at 5:30am.

Yesterday I spent the whole day in my bed, bonding w/ my little wrinkled son and getting him aquainted w/ the phenom of nursing, which he has taken to wonderfully (and yes, my nipples are screaming). Unfortunately, I woke up this morning at around 3:30am with another bout of that nasty stomach virus and was unable to enjoy my last hours at the hospital. I was given a phenergan shot and some Immodium which left me feeling more exhausted than I should and made me all too anxious to get back home. Which I did. Which I am. Which I love.

The Moby Wrap

I am seriously considering 'investing' in one of these thingies. If anybody has any hands-on experience with one, let me know. I like the idea of wearing my baby easily and comfortably but at the same time, I spend alot of time at home so I am not sure that I would use it all that much. It's a great idea though.

http://www.mobywrap.com/instructions.php?link=4

When it rains...

You know that saying, 'When it rains, it pours'? I'm finally beginning to understand the meaning behind that.

Yesterday, all the way to the doctor's office I was having strong, regular contractions and I thought I was actually in labor (which would have been unrealistically convenient). But it turns out these are still 'false labor' contractions and aren't causing any changes to speak of. I'm actually still at 2cm and 30% effaced. The doctor is not very optimistic about my going into labor by my due date (the 28th) and is now throwing the word 'induction' around, which makes me crazy. I do NOT want to be induced. Being induced means being stuck in a bed until contractions regulate, not being able to eat anything, and relying on stupid chemicals to do what mother nature was meant to do all along. No offense to those of you who have been through it with good results, it's just not what I'm used to and I don't want it. So I'm currently doing research on what I can do to stimulate labor myself and hoping against hope that I don't have to deal w/ the induction issue at all.

THEN, this morning, my three year old proceeds to swallow a very powerful magnetic rock- the shiny ones that you can get at places like the discovery center and which I THOUGHT we had put away where the kids couldnt play w/ them unsupervised. I freaked out a little bit, having heard horror stories about kids swallowing magnets, and promptly called both the Poison Control Center and the kids' doctor. The PCC told me that he'd probably need an x-ray to make sure it wasnt 'hung' anywhere but as long as it was only one that he swallowed, the danger was minimal. I also checked Web Md to verify this and made an appointment for the doctor to see him as soon as possible, which was 9:20 am. The doctor promptly sent us to the radiologist at the neighboring hospital and so we had to wait a good half hour in the outpatient waiting room for the x-ray lab to be ready. The waiting area was overcrowded w/ growly people of all ages and I have never seen so many 'crocs' in my life! (Is it odd that the mere sight of these shoes immediately throws me into the pits of depression?) Anyway, the magnetic rock was actually already in his lower abdomen so they sent me home w/ the happy mission of 'searching' through each of his stools until I find it. If he doesnt pass it withiin five days, he'll have to go back and be x-rayed again. So far, I've searched through one batch w/ no luck. Yay.

September Lullabies...

Last year I posted the lyrics to this- one of my favorite songs- for my friend Heather and her new baby, Ava. I'm so inlove with the lyrics that I'm shamelessly posting it again for myself. No baby yet, by the way. But I'm starting to feel very ready for the weight of that little body on my heart and that fuzzy little baby head under my chin:

PALE SEPTEMBER
lyrics by: Fiona Apple

Pale September
I wore the time like a dress that year
The autumn days swung soft around me like cotton
on my skin

But as the embers of the summer
lost their breath and disappeared
My heart went cold and only hollow rhythms resounded
from within
But then he rose brilliant as the moon in full
and sank within the burrows of my keep

And all my armour falling down
in a pile at my feet
And my winter giving way to warm
as I'm singing him to sleep

He goes along just like a water lily
Gentle on the surface of his thoughts his body floats
Unweighed down by passion or intensity
Yet unaware of the depth upon which he coasts
And he finds a home in me
For what misfortune sows, he knows my touch will reap

And all my armour falling down,
in pile at my feet
And my winter giving way to warm,
as I'm singing him to sleep

Officially Bottomed Out...

Excuse me if I digress, but WHAT has happened to this gal? No, I'm not a 'fan', and no, I don't think she's got some extraordinary talent or anything but you had to admit that she had it together for a while there. Her VMA performances were pretty legendary and seemed to 'top' themselves each year what with her crazy outfits, killer body, and increasingly racy songs. Role model she wasnt, but media babe she definitely was. Now it seems that she is an entirely different person...one who has no idea how to dance, perform, or even speak coherantly (again, not that she was ever particularly adept at any of those things). Yes, the body is good for a mother of two (she evidently still feels comfortable at the gym) but my husband and I both were completely awed by how truly terrible her much-touted 'reappearance' at the VMA's was. She stumbled around the stage like a very nervous 'Britney impersonator', almost like she was embarassed to be seen. The dancing was laughable (if you could even call it that), the lip-synching was off, and she kept casting her eyes from side to side in what could only be termed as blatant confusion. SO wierd.

Speaking of wierd, the whole VMA program this year was kooky. Initially, the idea of changing the venue to Las Vegas seemed like a good one but now that the fiasco is over, I don't remember a thing about it (except for the hilarity and embarassment caused by Sarah Silverman who-although quite tasteless much of the time-comes up w/ some truly inspired bits). Mostly, I believe, this is because of the poor construction of the show itself which came off more as a New Year's Party than an awards show. The performances were rediculously inadequate and the best ones were cut off by commercial breaks and difficult to observe because of the cramped quarters of the hotel suites that served as their respective 'stages'. Also, it was no secret that most of the award recipients and presenters were intoxicated, almost to the point of slurred speach. Jamie Fox and Justin TImberlake especially seemed to be throwing back a few too many. I don't know if MTV has learned its lesson from this chaotic attempt at 'modernizing' their standard awards show but if not, I hope they do some major tweaking before they try it again next year. This was a waste of time for everyone involved, if you ask me.

And why exactly do I watch this show every year, you may ask? I have NO idea. Teenage habits die hard, I guess.

9 Months and All Is Well...

Here is my last belly picture. Nine months and counting. It's been a long haul but there are now officially three weeks left until the due date. I am suffering a little bit from lack of sleep (can't get comfortable at night) but last night, my friend Jolie came over and administered a MUCH needed and HEAVILY discounted hour and a half massage complete w/ essential oils specially formulated for 'mother/baby bonding', plinky new age music, and dim lighting. When she finished, I realized that I had never truly had a massage before and pretty stupid for having paid over 100 dollars for some of them. She worked out my hips and legs, my lower back (by loosening my shoulder and applying strange but highly effective pressure to my arm socket) and last but not least, my feet (which, after shopping for two hours yesterday at Wal Mart, were near death). When I was finished, I felt like a new person and a little bit like I'd had a few beers. I slept very well last night.

The massage made me realize that it's really a good idea to invest in some sessions during pregnancy, not only for yourself but for the good of the baby. Come to think of it, I also think a pedicure would be a great idea since painting my own toenails at this point is next to impossible. So those are some things I learned this time around. Other very useful stuff I have learned from this pregnancy, so far:

1. If you have other kids, over-do the relaxing part and assume that the family can take care of themselves sometimes. If you aren't a 'napper' (and I'm not), at least take a few hours during the daylight hours to sit and do nothing. Otherwise, by the time it's your usual hour for preparing dinner or getting ready for meetings, you are quite worthless.

2. If you are going to be driving long distances (more than thirty minutes) remember that you may get unusually tired due to the pregnancy and be very careful. I almost fell asleep a couple of times on what I used to think were 'quick trips' to Lebanon or Gallatin and scared myself pretty badly.

3. Morning Sickness can actually be worse the 2nd or 3rd time around and DOES NOT necessarily mean the child is a different sex than your other children...heh heh.

4. Eating Raisin Bran for breakfast every morning is a great way to stay regular (and when you're pregnant, that's a big deal). And Tums still worked the best for heartburn...I am SO sick of those things!

5. Drinking the occasional beer or a couple of caffeinated drinks a day is NOT proven to be dangerous to the developing baby and shouldnt be judged by 'all knowing' strangers.

6. The single greatest purchase I made this time around was the 'Bella band' that I mentioned on an earlier blog entry. ( http://www.ingridandisabel.com/bellaband.html )
Not only was I able to extend my pre-pregnancy wardrobe and continue to wear my non-maternity jeans until I was 8 months along, but I still use it to keep up those stubborn 'under-belly' maternity pants that old navy and Gap are famous for (and do NOT like to stay put), and am confident that it will be even more useful after I have the baby. I can wear it w/ my pre-pregnancy clothes again (while I'm losing the baby fat) and since it's a basic black, it will just look like an added layer while it holds in that inevitable jelly belly and gives me a smoother waist. Now did that sound like an add or what?

That's all for now. The countdown to 'birth-day' begins and I'm anxious, of course. I'll keep everyone up to date and post an entry about the experience as soon as the dreaded day has passed. Readers BEWARE...

Beautiful Bernice...

A Great Pyrenees at full size...about 100 pounds of doggage.
Bernice


Meet Bernice. She is our new 12 week old Great Pyrenees and we already love her dearly. We decided some time ago to get a large dog that may help prevent other dogs from taking over our property and from what we understand, this breed is ideal for that purpose. They are calm, mild-tempered, and extremely loyal. I've never met a puppy like her. She doesnt jump and galavant or get under your feet. She lays in a watchful position on high ground (even w/out being trained to do so) and when she's not doing that, she's making continuous circuits around our property like a palace guard. She rarely barks and when she does, it is an intimidating sound indeed. It took her exactly one day to become familiar w/our family and only one trip around the property line w/ my husband to realize her job. She follows us around obediently, always staying a few paces back, and hasnt been agressive or unfriendly to our current cat and dog as of yet. However, when the dreaded brown lab puppy from next door tried to come around yesterday, we saw her tail go up immediately and she made a low growly sound in her throat. The chocolate lab hightailed it back home immediately (Bernice, at 12 weeks, already outsizes the other dog).

For those of you not familiar w/ the breed, the 1st picture is how she should look when she's full grown, minus the pure white cleanliness...hahah. Living around here, I'm certain she won't look like a champion but she will still be beautiful. The lady we got her from said that her fur will start to 'fill out' in the next couple of months and soon get really long, like the dog in the 1st picture. Typical of the breed, she doesnt get wild and jump up on the kids...as a matter of fact, she doesnt do anything suddenly or compulsively. She seems to be thinking through every move she makes. I know this may not be the ideal 'puppy' for some families, but in our case, it's exactly what we needed.

And yes, it will cost a friggin' fortune to feed her...but at least I'm not inadvertantly feeding four strays instead.

The !@#$%* Dog Days of Summer...

You guys won't BELIEVE the morning I just had.

So my neighbor has this chocolate lab 'puppy' that is already about the size of a small horse and is completely unaware of his own strength. When he was smaller, he used to come hang out w/ my beagle and I was shocked how strong he already was, jumping up on the kids, knocking the three year old to the ground etc. You can only imagine what his added pounds have accomplished over the weeks in this area. He is an unstoppable force now...a juggernaut. And USUALLY his mistress keeps him tied up. But this morning, I noticed as I was preparing to take my 7 year old to school that he was loose and wreaking havoc all over my yard.

When I opened the door to leave, of COURSE the stupid dog was RIGHT THERE waiting and of COURSE he runs into my house and proceeds to skid around on my hardwood floors, run into walls, and terrify my three year old who was coming out of his room in blissful ignorance and probably thought a pony was loose in our hallway. I was so mad that I screamed insulting words at the beast and ran as best I could to head him off and out the door. After much exhausted maneuvering, I finally succeeded but had to CARRY my three year old son to the car, so frightened was he. I also watched in horror as the dog jumped on my seven year old repeatedly, nearly knocking him down, and leaving muddy pawprints all over his school clothes which would have to stay that way since it was now too late to change. Deep breath. Drive.

On the way home from the school, I stopped at the store to get my morning fix of coke zero (as well as a few extras, for later) and a powerade for my son. When I got home, I opened the car door and WHO should jump into my unexpecting lap but that insane canine , tearing the bag of drinks in the process and running off w/ the powerade like it was some kind of game! Again, my big ol' belly and I chased him down and finally retrieved the drink but in my haste, I'd forgotten to close the car door and of COURSE the dog was now in my car, stinking it up! I decided to prioritize and get my sobbing son out of the car first, carrying he and the five bottles of drinks, that no longer had a useable bag, into the house in one haul. Then back out to the car I went to pull the DEAD WEIGHT of a dog out of my car since he refused to come on his own. Now I'm exhausted beyond belief, my belly is scratched up, my clothes are covered in muddy pawprints, and to top it all off, I'm evidently allergic to this dog and have developed hives all over both arms.

When I got back to the house and opened the door, he tried to run back inside but I was having NONE of that and managed to slam the door on his smart alleck, smiling face without the slightest regret. One look at my scratched hardwood floors was all the validation I needed.

Presently, I'm looking out the window as he rolls around on his back gleefully, completely unaware of the hell he's put me through, snapping his jaws at butterflies and wagging his lead rope of a tail like the baby that he is. I don't want to be one of THOSE neighbors, but I'm going to have to let the next door lady know I cannot have another morning like this. She's gonna have to keep the beast tied up...that is, if she wants him back alive.

SO how was everybody else's morning?

Ebay Mom...

Heather just sent me a link to this Ebay auction and it's one of the heartiest laughs I've had in a while. This mom probably had no idea how brilliant the 'description' of the item was and how much 'fan mail' it would bring about but I'm happy for her AND the current bid ammount.

Everbody click on the following link and DON'T forget to read the entire 'item discription':

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm37%26satitle%3D130144061675%26category0%3D%26fvi%3D1

New Review: The Road Home (1999)

Okay you hopeless romantics, you owe yourselves this:


http://movinpitchers.blogspot.com/

34 weeks

No picture to post this time. I don't look any different than my last picture really and according to yesterday's doctor visit, I've actually lost a pound. The nurse said it's probably because I've really picked up on drinking fluids...and I have! I have been drinking water, milk, and coke zero like it's going out of style! But from what I understand, that's not altogether a bad thing and the contractions have slacked up somewhat.

I also told my doctor about that strange pinching sensation I get sometimes and he said it's more than likely a nerve being pinched when I'm in certain positions. He
checked me to make sure and discovered that the baby's head is really low so it's no wonder that some nerves would be pressed. A 'low' head also means I probably won't go the full six weeks to my due date! So for once, I will most likely be early! Yay! (Deep breath)

I've been practicing my breathing when I can but I don't feel nearly as prepared this time. Still got lots of practicing to do. I've been cleaning like a crazy woman and completely set up the nursery last week, just in case. The walls still need another coat of paint but my hubby will get to that when he gets a chance and we can deal w/ the thin spots for now.

Yes, I dread the labor. With Johnson, I was in labor for 7 hrs from beginning to end and with Nathan, it was five. The experience is very intense because it is so short and I'm not expecting this time to be any different. I am very in touch w/ how my body reacts to certain phases of the labor so I don't take medication so that I can maintain that awareness. Not all women can or choose to do that and I certainly don't blame them. My biggest fear is not being able to make it to the Lebanon Hospital and giving birth in the Carthage ER among strangers. We'll see, I guess.

Some of you have expressed some concern about not being able to pull up my gift registry at Target. Stupid me, it's under my first name Sharron. I don't know why I did that, exactly. Anyway, here's a link that SHOULD take you to it...

http://www.target.com/gp/registry/registry.html/ref=cm_lc_sr_1/602-7766674-4728631?ie=UTF8&type=babyreg&id=1JI1C4X6KYXP8&jsebd=1


Edit: I recently got several notes stating that the majority of my Target registry is 'online only'. Sorry about that. I wasnt even aware. I started a registry at Babies R Us that duplicates alot of the items in the Target one but there's more available in the store...what a pain. It's under Ashley Westmoreland/ Pleasant Shade Tn.

That's all for now.

Uncouth Invitation...

I am taking it upon myself to invite all my lady-friends to a luncheon/shower at my mom's on the 25th of August. Not 100% sure of the time yet...I think around three? So it'll be a LATE luncheon, I suppose. Heh heh. My mom isnt sending out formal invitations so yeah, I guess I'm inviting people to my own shower...(in the words of Judy Holliday from 'Born Yesterday', 'It ain't COUTH!'). Anyway, there it is. Any further info can be obtained by calling my mom...

After the 'shower', I'm gonna plan on leaving my kids w/ their nanna and heading off w/ any who care to join me for a 'girls' night out'. Karaoke and sushi sounds sweeeeet!

Showers and Such...

I am now at 32 weeks. I am so big all of a sudden! I've gained 14 lbs now and 4 of those were in the last two weeks! I've got visions in my head of a nine pound baby...sweet lord noooooooooo!

Anyway, not much to post. I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is going normally. I have lots of 'false labor' contractions (aka: Braxton Hicks contractions) and I notice them more this time than I did w/ the other two. The doctor says I'm probably not drinking enough fluids and the dehydration can contribute to more of those so I have to be more conscientious about making myself drink water now. Too many of those 'fake' contractions can supposedly cause your body to believe it for real and result in premature labor. Yikes!

Saturday, my congregation gave me a shower. It was so nice and most of the congregation was there, which made me feel really special. The sister who hosted it worked SO HARD to get it together and it was such a HOT day. So, thank you so much Michael! Johnson was still visiting in Memphis, so Nathan and I enjoyed all the attention alone. Thankfully, some of the sisters got my boys presents too so they wouldnt feel left out. Awwwwww. I got lots of sweet little clothes and blankets and some of the congregation went in together on my stroller from my registry (one big item down...whew!). As the day cooled off, the nicer it was to be outdoors and by seven o'clock, when everyone was leaving and Michael and her husband were cleaning up, I was still sitting placidly in my folding chair. By the way, I'm SO SORRY Barbie, that I was late! (My friend Barbie showed up at 2pm like a faithful little friend and I didnt show up until four so she had to leave right after I got there...sigh.)

Anyway, Sunday I got some more 'deep cleaning' done around here. I'm 'nesting' in spurts, to conserve my energy, and deep cleaning one room a week. Sunday, I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets while my husband finally got all the bathroom accessories (towel hooks, cabinet hardware) installed in the hall bath. I felt so much better by the end of the day.

Yesterday, I took the day off and picked up Johnson in Bellevue where my dad met me. My son has been in memphis for the last week and a half so I'm very glad to have him back.

Surprisingly Accurate...(ENFJ)

Okay sorry guys that I don't have anything exciting to post lately. But this test here might be something all of you find interesting. It's really accurate and very detailed...and hey, isnt it nice to have a label? LOL

Neko Case

Has anyone heard of Neko Case? I discovered her last year (kinda late, I'll admit) when that show 'On the Edge of Country' featured a video of her's. I can't remember the name of the song but it showed scenes from that Cate Blanchett movie 'The Gift' in it, so it was obviously a couple of years old, even then. More recently, my husband got the album 'Fox Confessor Brings the Flood' and I am officially a big ol' fan! Her video for 'Maybe Sparrow' is in pretty heavy rotation on the above mentioned show, and it gives me chills. It's my favorite song from the album. But really, the whole thing is worth your time.

I guess you could say her genre is contemporary folk but that just doesnt seem to really convey the idea of her sound. Very original.

Her myspace page is : http://www.myspace.com/nekocase

And you can check out that video to Maybe Sparrow here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOa5BujYYPQ&mode=related&search=

enjoy!

A 'Cool, Modern Nerd' Am I.....

Your Score: Modern, Cool Nerd

56 % Nerd, 60% Geek, 30% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!


Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

The Soundtrack of My Life...my choice. :)

My friend, Moose, decided to add a little 'post script' to her 'Soundtrack of my life' blog entry by including the ones SHE would choose. I thought I'd do the same.

This is the soundtrack of my life...by choice, not ipod. :)

The Soundtrack of My Life :

Opening Credits: "Into the Mystic-Van Morrison"-okay, this is my theme song ...my brother and I danced to it at my wedding and it's always reminded me of being young...and 'Dream a Little Dream',the Corey Feldman flick. LOL

2. Birth: "Doomsday"-Mephiskapheles-after all, us 1975 kids had a lot to contend with

3. First Day At School: "Kindergarten"-Faith No More-seriously one of my all time favorite songs.

4.Falling In Love: "Buttercup"-Brad. Yes, my hubby and I have 'a song'. This one is it.

5. Fight Song: "Cocaine Blues"-Johnny Cash...yeah, that's right. I said it.

6. Breaking Up: "You Will Be Loved Again"-The Cowboy Junkies...just rips my heart out and stomps it flat.

7. Prom: "C'mon Eileen"-Dexy's Midnight Runners- Okay so I didnt go to prom...but if I did, I'd be really mad if this song didnt play.

8. Life: "Ain't That a Kick in the Head"-Dean Martin...another perfect song and one of my very favorites

9. Mental Breakdown: "Twisted"-Joni Mitchell

10. Driving: "Puke and Cry"-Dinosaur Jr.

11. Flashback: "Release Me"-Pearl Jam

12. Wedding: "Thank You"-Tori Amos...the song we danced to and a brilliant cover of a brilliant song

13. Birth of a Child: "Pale September"-Fiona Apple...'and all my armour fallen down/in a pile at my feet/ and my winter giving way to warm/ as I'm singing him to sleep'

14. Final Battle-'Tear it Down'-The Old Crow Medicine Show...'when you feel the mule kickin' in your soul/ you gotta tear it down'.

15. Death Scene: 'Song of the Siren'-Liz Frazier...that's a pretty idea.

16. Funeral: "Nessun Dorma"-Luciano Pavoratti OR "Clementine" by Bobby Darin...either one would be fine. :)

17. Ending Credits: "My Gal is Red Hot"-Billy Lee Riley and His Little Green Men

New Review: Transformers (2007)

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29 Weeks and the District Convention...

Another great Convention and another month passed.

If you look to the left, you can see an interesting view that we found in the nice little pond across from our convention site. One huge coi fish, lots of smaller gold fish, a bunch of tiny baby ducks, and one mama duck enjoying the leftover lunchables of convention delegates and park patrons alike. I thought it was so odd to see them all so close together like that and seemingly unaware of one another's presence. But I digress.

The convention theme this year was 'Follow the Christ' and I am pleased to say that I got almost everything there was to get out of it. A nice little 'last gift' before I am stuck w/ a nursing infant. Luckily, Victor will be one year old almost by next convention so I shouldnt be too overwhelmed. The circuit assembly in Oct is another story altogether...voivais! Both boys were extremely good and Johnson has taken to looking up all the scriptures and taking notes-without our coaching too much. Nathan draws pictures and looks at his Bible Story book for two minute intervals, climbs on me for two more, before eventually settling down to sleep for long stretches at a time. He loved the baptism and the drama, for the most part, and was very confused (as were many in the audience, I'm sure) by the new 'audio program'. heh heh. During lunch, we enjoyed leisurely strolls across the street to the very nice Huntsville City Park. Yes, it was hot and very humid but the boys didnt care a bit. My favorite talks were the ones dealing w/ Christ's different 'titles' and the Public Address on Saturday. The brother who gave that one was one of those 'gifted' speakers who speaks very deliberately and quietly so that you have to listen very closely to what he says. Extremely effective teacher. He used to be a circuit overseer but goes to a local hall now so I've heard him a few times before. The final talk of the convention was also great...given by a brother from Bethel. We had about 6,000 in attendance ,on average, and 46 were baptized.

We stayed at the Couryard Marriott again and we really like it there, despite the absence of free breakfast. The pool area is very nice and cozy so if you have a 'pool-facing' room, you can watch from your balcony as your brothers and sisters self-conciously tug at their swimming attire. Good stuff. We swam once, Saturday night, but our swimming was cut short when Nathan has an 'accident' in his swimming shorts and I had to leave in embarassment. It rained Friday night, unfortunately. We're gonna try to come in earlier on Thursday next year and leave on Monday so that the kids can take advantage of the hotel amenities a little longer.

Huntsville is my favorite place for Conventions. It's a small city but has lots of convenient eating establishments and nice hotels. It also has a beautiful downtown area that most people overlook. Friday night we went w/ some old friends (12 of them!) to a local Mexican Cantina called "Rosie's". Pretty good food but more 'tex-mex' than the traditional stuff that I'm used to...and yes, I did partake of a Dos Equis amber in spite of my condition...LOL. Couldnt help myself. Saturday we had us some yummy vittles at Chile's w/ a smaller group (just us and a close friend) and had a nice evening at the hotel. It was a relaxing 'vacation' in spite of the dressing up everyday and walking alot.

Other than a few minor ligament pains due to the extra weight, everything is good with the pregnancy and I was pretty comfortable for the duration. We'll see how things work out next year, when we add another youngn' to the mix.

I'm looking forward to all of your own convention stories! Get to bloggin', my friends!

The Times-They Are A-Changin'...

Aye Me. Nostalgic feelings. Today I found a tape in my junk drawer labeled "Sunnier Sessions" and realized it was a compilation tape that I'd made for my husband long before he was such. One side was called 'Carthage/Gatlinburg' and the other was called 'Memphis'. It consists of songs and sound clips that I associated, at the time, w/ our budding relationship and the time we spent together in those respective cities.

The first thing on the 'Memphis' side was a hilarious sound clip from the great Mike Myers movie, 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' in which Mike's character is singing a poem at the local speak-easy. Does anyone remember this hilarious bit? "Harriet. Harrie-it. Hard-hearted Harbinger of Haggis..." Classic stuff and just a great movie-back before Myers ruined himself and all of America w/ Austin Powers and Shrek (no offense anybody :) ). Anyway, I believe it came out around the weekend I threw my graduation party and a large group from Nashville came to the party and ended up staying for a long and fun-filled weekend that I'll never forget. So we saw the movie and spent the rest of their visit quoting lines from it, making it an instant classic of sorts. I aquaint that movie and the time surrounding it with the silly and carefree cavorting of that weekend-the Dr Seuss t-shirt my husband bought me and that I promptly began wearing almost daily (with cut off shorts, black and white striped tights, and docs, no less), the Dr. Giggles poster he wrapped it in, a patchouli-scented bead of some kind that fell off his necklace without his knowing and which promptly began to spend nights under my pillow, small hilarious photos from the Mall of Memphis photo booth of the whole group of us trying to shove each other into the picture, blanket tosses, , Paul singing 'Oh Lottie Pick a Bale of Cotton' from his pallet on the living room floor, eating lucky charms marshmallows out of a large bowl whilst playing all night games of Spades, 'Say Anything', 'Singles', and finally my mom kicking the whole group out of the house on Tuesday when they had evidently overstayed their welcome...haha.

Then there is the music. As I listened to my compilation tape this morning I was shocked how much the songs I chose WERE representative of those times and how there is little chance I'll think of anything else when I hear them. Smashing Pumpkins ('Mayonnaise' especially), Dinosaur Jr (The Wagon, Quicksand), Tool (Sober-which we listened to probably 200 times on our way back from Gatlinburg once), Primus, Belly, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. It was fun to take that little trip down the famous 'Memory Lane' this morning and I just wanted to share it for the sake of those who were there and those who SO should have been. :)

To all my old cronies, ' HEAD, MOVE!'

New Movie Review: Giant (1956)

True to my word, I've posted my review of the 1956 classic, Giant. It's one of my favorite films of all time but is a landmark picture because it was the last film James Dean made. In my opinion, it's his best movie and proved beyond a doubt that he was a great actor who was not limited to those stereotypical pictures of teen angst associated with Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden.

Sorry about the horrible paragraph construction of my review. Stupid blogger would not let me seperate the paragraphs for some reason.
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Giant Dancing Dinosaurs...

Heh heh. No, there will be no pictures of dancing iguanadons on this entry. That was my not-so-clever way of combining three little subjects in one.

Last night was the first 'competition' episode of 'So You Think You Can Dance',my favorite of all talent shows. As mediocre as American Idol was this year, I won't be a bit surprised if this one takes over as America's favorite talent competion. Last season was phenomenal and introduced us to some great performers and fantastically choreographed routines (like the one above). This year, judging by last night's show, will be just as good or better. Wade Robson (choreographer extraordinairre) will have a bigger part in the routines this season and the dancers are a little more varied as well. I'm so excited to see what comes! (Can you tell I watched Star Search religiously as a kid?)

Yesterday, I also finished reading the book 'Giant' by Edna Ferber. I have to admit I was strangely disappointed with it and this was a surprise since the 1957 movie starring Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor, and James Dean is one of my all-time favorites. The book lacked so many of the characters and great scenes from the movie so my hat is off to the screen-writers for adding this stuff. As most of you know, it is a rare thing indeed for a movie to outshine the book it is taken from. In this case, Ferber's writing was a bit more stiff than usual and the characters less dimensional than the movie. Also, it seemed like more of one-sided commentary against the Lone Star State than the movie respresented. I'll post a review of the movie on my movie review blog in the next few days or so.

And also last night, hubby was doing is daily online browsing and discovered that The Black Keys are playing on the 22nd at the Nashville City Hall (a club, not an actual government building...ha) and WHO is opening for them? Dinosaur Jr! I am not only thrilled to my fanatical toes but shocked at this unexpectedness and going online to purchase our tickets today! Who knew such a thing could happen??? I have been listening to J Mascis' band since my teens (I actually discovered them late) and adore them, to say the least. They are the quintessential summertime band, ideal for driving about in the heat with the windows down. I've been listening to them alot lately and this was icing on the cake for me. Yay!

25 weeks

6 months and counting.

Everything seems to be okay so far but I'm already feeling a bit of pressure due to weakened muscles, I suppose. At my doctor's visit last Monday I found out that I have gained 7 lbs in all. I was excited to finally go up on the scale but then last Saturday the whole family came down w/ a stomach virus and I think I may have lost some of that.

Victor is very active and likes to kick things off my belly. I'm curious to see how he differs from his brothers who at this moment are arguing loudly over which of them gets to play with the blue 'clone trooper'. Johnson is such an analytical academic and Nathan is just the opposite. He's kind of an athletic , happy-go-lucky sort.

I'm really looking forward to the convention in a couple of weeks. I hope my ankles hold out and my little aches and pains don't get too unbearable for those few days. The chairs are hard so I'm gonna try and remember to bring a 'huge pilla'. I'm also determined to wear my cute shoes, no matter what. The ones I'm wearing are heels but ones I've worn a few times so they are nicely broken in. The other day at the meeting I got up from my chair and proceeded to fall right on my knees at the entrance of the ladies room. Everyone freaked out and told me I had to stop wearing heels and no manner of explaining that my foot had fallen asleep and it would have happened if I was barefoot would appease them. So I'm thinking I'll get lots of scolding when they see my cute 'lucky lous' and 'dancing hearts'. :)

Okay, this is fun!

The Soundtrack of Your Life:

(A friend put this on her blog months ago and I never put it on mine, though I did intend to because it's very fun. Here's how it works: Open your computer music files, ipod etc and set to 'shuffle'. Whatever song plays first goes in the first slot (no cheating!). When you go to a new question, hit the 'next' button' and continue doing so until all blanks are filled.)

1. Opening Credits: "Folsom Prison Blues"-The Reverend Horton Heat

2. Birth: "Give It To Me"-The Stray Cats

3. First Day At School: "All I've Got"-The Hellacopters

4.Falling In Love: "Then I Close My Eyes"-David Gilmour

5. Fight Song: "Where the Flavor Is"-Mudhoney

6. Breaking Up: "Why Georgia"-John Mayer

7. Prom: "Digging the Grave"-Faith No More

8. Life: "Paranoid Opioid"-Corrosion of Conformity (LOL...that is just a coincidence, I SWEAR!)

9. Mental Breakdown: "Into the Void"-Kyuss

10. Driving: "In a Jar"-Dinosaur Jr. (a happy conicidence this time since Dinosaur Jr is my favorite band to drive to of all time!)

11. Flashback: "The Selector"-Missing Words

12. Wedding: "Red Red Wine" -Tony Tribe

13. Birth of a Child: "So In Love"-KD Lang

14. Final Battle:"My First Taste of Texas"-Ed Bruce (haha. I guess that shows you how 'non confrontational I am)

15. Death Scene: "Blue Suede Shoes"-Carl Perkins

16. Funeral: "Motor City is Burning"-MC5

17. Ending Credits: Cinema Paradiso (Se)-Josh Groban (couldnt end any prettier :) )

Okay guys, get to it!

A Profound Sense of Pride

My family and I just finished watching the 'Independant Lens' documentary on PBS called 'Knocking' which details the lives of two families of Jehovah's Witnesses as well as the history of the organization itself.

I was so filled with pride and love for Jehovah by watching this little film. It is extremely well done and even though it was constructed and lensed by a non-'Witness', the truth of the information is very well-represented. It moved me to tears on more than one occasion and I especially loved how there were comments from non-Witness scholars and family members interspersed with the families' respective stories. It's such a positive step toward making the true nature of our message and our decisions in life known to the outside world. With all the 'mess' that is being publicized in the papers lately concerning our brothers and their handling of congregation matters, it's nice to see someone take more of an active interest in finding out the truth.

If any of you haven't seen this show yet, I believe you can find information about obtaining a copy of it on the PBS website under 'Independant Lens'. We recorded it on our dvr but we also would like to have a permanant copy for our library.

How priviledged we all should feel to be part of this wonderful work!