Worth It All

I just can't get enough of Max. I could hold him all day and all night. (And I do right now since he isn't sleeping very well....) And you can see why…doesn’t he look so cuddly?? The night before he was born, I was talking to Marc's Dad Ed about how amazing it is for your love to stretch and grow as your family gets bigger. I told him it was hard to imagine that you can love another person with all your heart, but as soon as Max was here it would be hard to remember what life was like before he got here. And that was the truth! Lila and Chloe have been so good with him. Lila has taken on the big sister role perfectly. She has been a great help with holding him and also helping Chloe when my hands are full. I was a little worried about Chloe since she’s too little to understand what happened, but she has so much love to give. She loves to pat him on the head and give him hugs and kisses. Marc has also been the best husband ever. He has not only taken great care of me, but he has taken care of the girls, no questions asked. I know he has to be tired too, but he hasn’t shown any signs or complained at all!

No, I did not go into labor on my own. I completely wimped out. I called the doctors office on Wednesday at 4:30 PM (the 26th) and asked if they could induce me the next morning. Lucky for me, the hospital didn’t have any inductions scheduled, so they fit me right in! It must have been meant to be. I was told on average the American Fork hospital has 7-9 inductions a day! It was nice to have a plan instead of waiting on pins and needles for something to happen. We had to be at the hospital at 7 AM, so we took Lila and Chloe up to my in-laws house that night. I didn’t sleep very well and I actually woke up at 5:30 with cramps and contractions. I don’t know if it was the anxiety of going to the hospital or if I was really going into labor! We got the hospital at 7 and they got me going right away with a drip of Pitocin. I wanted to wait until I was “uncomfortable” to get my epidural, but I’m sure my uncomfortable was minor compared to real labor pains. The anesthesiologist came in and poked me in the back about 100 times with his finger trying to find my epidural space. That hurt more than the contractions I was having. After he put the catheter in, he told me he was giving me a “Cadillac Dose” to start me off. It sounded good to me at first, but then I started to feel really weird. I was pretty much numb up to my chest. I had never felt that way with the other 2 epidurals I’ve had. The nurse then called the anesthesiologist back into the room to give me some ephedrine because my blood pressure had dropped too low. I didn’t realize something was wrong until then. I’m glad the monitors knew because I don’t know if I would have been able to say anything at that point. It felt like I was frozen in place. Thankfully, the ephedrine worked but I felt really shaky afterward. But I didn’t feel any pain! That was the plan…right?? Not too long after that, it was time to push. I only pushed for 14 minutes, but it felt like an eternity!!! I was really concentrated on getting Max here, so I didn’t really notice that EVERY SINGLE NURSE on duty happened to be in the room. I think Marc counted 10. Since I was the only patient there, everyone wanted to help/watch! I was thankful to have some quiet moments alone with Marc and Max afterward.

And this is the end result of all the waiting and madness…it was worth it!

Thanks Mom for all the help you gave me during labor and afterwards with the girls and house stuff. (And for putting up with me for a week before hand) It was also nice to come home to a spotless house. My mother-in-law Lynne and Aunt Barbara cleaned everything top to bottom. I cried…partially because they saw my dirty floors that haven’t been scrubbed for a month, but mostly because the dirty floors were scrubbed. Thank you!!

Welcome

Yesterday, Max joined our family at 1:42 PM. He weighs 8 pounds, 1 ounce and is 19.5 inches long. Daddy is proud and happy to have another "27th" birthday. Lila and Chloe are going to be great big sisters!! More to come...

"It's Distracting"

Happy birthday to my favorite Mark! (with a "k") We had to treat the birthday boy to lunch at Hooters. It was a blast! And now Lila keeps saying, "I love Hooters! Hooters are owls." :)

Happy Due Date!

And yes, I'm still pregnant. Due date is tomorrow....

Happy Easter!

It felt a little out of place having Easter in March, but we had a fun Easter this year. On Saturday, Lila and I dyed eggs and Lila decorated them like zoo animals.

Sunday morning I had Easter baskets waiting for Lila and Chloe. Chloe LOVES Donkey from Shrek. She will watch The Donkey Dance on Shrek the Third over and over if I let her. I found a really funny split ring inner tube with a Donkey head on it at the Dollar Store and I thought it would be a funny non-candy thing to give her. Well.... her reaction wasn't what I was expecting. She stared at it for a few minutes, terrified. She even shook a little. I had enough time to find the camera and take a picture before she moved from her spot! She eventually warmed up to it and even took it with her into the bath later that morning.

We went over to Grandma Susie's for Easter dinner and an Easter egg "hunt" in the backyard. Lila has quite the age advantage over the other grandkids, so she made off with most of the loot. But Chloe was still happy with the one egg she found! Grandma and Grandpa B and Todd also came over for a visit. It was nice to spend time with the whole family! Easter really got me ready for spring. It's so nice to be able to play outside.

Just Because

Time Flies

Yesterday I took Lila to the "big school" for Kindergarten registration. She was really excited as we walked through the doors, but she still held on to my leg tight. It made me feel a little better about having to let her go be her own person in a few months. I can't believe that I'm a mom of a 5 year old. I still have vivid memories of going to Kindergarten myself!

The administrator at the front desk looked at me like I was a crazy person when I handed her Lila's birth certificate. She asked if she had to put her full name down on the roll or if it was ok to list a nick name. I told her she didn't have a nick name, but I couldn't keep a straight face. So she will have Lila Blaser listed on the roll instead of Malilakai M Blaser. She asked me if we pronounce her name Malachi. (Seriously?!? Only in Utah...) Nick name or full name, she will still need to correct every teacher she has for the rest of her life. If they don't call her Malachi, they will call her "Lie-la" instead of "Lee-la". Sorry Lila!

We sat down at a table in the hallway to fill out paperwork and 3 Hispanic kids stopped and asked me in Spanish what we were doing. (I'm guessing on the translation) I guess that will just be another challenge Lila will have to deal with. I can't count how many times I've been asked to translate something in Spanish in school or even by complete strangers in a store....

I was also asked to join the PTA. Am I really old enough to have 3 kids, one of which is in elementary school, and be participating in bake sale fundraisers? I guess so. Time flies.

Pregnancy Update

I already have a very stubborn boy. It doesn't look like I will have a baby anytime soon. Unfortunately, this is also the most uncomfortable pregnancy I have had! I now know what it will feel like to be an arthritic 90 year old and I look forward to taking advantage of my youth as soon as I have this baby!!! My "official" due date is March 25th but my scheduled induction date is not until April 2nd. So... keep your fingers crossed that I have him sometime this month! Why have I been so hopeful that I may have a baby soon - up until now? (TMI warning) I have been dilated to a 3.5 and completely effaced for over 3 weeks now. Sigh.... No contractions. Double sigh....

Baby Shower Pics!

Pretty

Lila's First Dance Recital

She looked so grown up with all that makeup on.... I'm so proud of her!

Real Pregnancy

I found this picture on Lu Hale's blog and had to re-post it. This is what I feel like most days... It is a rare occasion that I feel like Christina Aguilera on the cover of Marie Claire.

What's In A Name?

I found this personal essay on Babble about baby naming. It's hilarious! I wonder if Cammi means naked, poop or meat in a far off country somewhere...

Global Naming

By Anna Dilemna

Ever met a guy named Hochiminh Gonzalez? If so, chances are that he was from Venezuela, where a culture of whimsical baby-naming — Maolenin, Superman, Yurbiladyberth! — has flourished. I come from Utah, where there is also a tradition of creative baby naming. Old spellings, Book of Mormon names, and a particular fondness for adding the prefix "La" are all common practice. Large families had to be inventive to differentiate among so many children. Thus, all the little Nephis, LaFonns and LaVerls. One can't help but feel relieved that the Mormon church withdrew its missionaries from Venezuela in 2005, saving untold infants from being named LaMaolenin.

I didn't marry a Venezuelan, but I came close: my husband is Colombian. You'd certainly expect that when a girl from Utah gets married to a guy from Colombia, there'd be a few cultural differences, but I wasn't too concerned. So what if he came from a country where they liked to dump flour on each other after soccer games? So what if my great-great grandfather had four wives? Alex and I loved each other! Besides, he'd spent half his life in New York City and seemed pretty American. We both liked beef patties and seeing obscure bands play at loft parties, so how different could we be? It wasn't until I got pregnant that our cultural differences began to rear their little cabecitas. When we decided to move to Japan, I figured that would just be one more cultural influence to add to the mix. Sushi goes fine with Colombian empanadas and Mormon jello salad.

It wasn't until I got pregnant that our cultural differences began to rear their little cabecitas. What religion to raise him in? Whether or not to pierce her ears the instant she popped out of the womb? But the biggest one: we just couldn't agree on what to name the kid. "How about Charlotte?" I'd ask. "No," he'd respond. "My mother would pronounce it with a hard "ch," like "charcoal." Names containing "ch" were out. Also nixed were any Spanish names which contained an "r," because (despite my best efforts and a childhood full of "Rrrrrruffles Have Rrrrridges" commercials) I was still unable to pronounce the rolled Spanish "r" without sounding as though I were dislodging a hairball. One day, Alex said that he thought the name Stephanie was pretty. Stephanie was the name of my third-grade nemesis, a mean, chubby eight-year-old girl who would never share her Twinkies. We would not be naming our baby Stephanie.

To complicate matters further, since we lived in Japan, we had to take into consideration that if we gave our child any name that contained an "r" or an "l," the locals would have trouble with it. Alex had already endured months of being referred to as "Arex-san," and he wasn't sure he wanted to inflict the same fate on his kid. Lucas was another favorite that was quickly eliminated. Not only would he be called "Roocus," but it was also the name of Cookie Monster on Plaza Sesamo, the Spanish language version of Sesame Street, an association that for whatever reason Alex felt he couldn't handle.

In addition to all the other restrictions, we also had to be careful not to choose a name that had a negative meaning in Japanese. So worried is the government about this that they have actually issued a list of characters that people are forbidden to use in naming their children. Some of the restricted names seemed fairly reasonable. It certainly wouldn't do to have a bunch of kids running around named Bad, Sweat, Naked, Stomach, Ticket and Meat.

One would think it'd be fairly easy to avoid naming your kid something like that, but even innocuous sounding Western names could have quite negative meanings in Japanese. We had to rule out Ben, because in Japanese it means poop. A list of naming guidelines began to form. First off, the name must be able to be pronounced by all family members. Secondly, the name must not remind anyone of either a gluttonous Sesame Street character or a gluttonous third grader.

In talking with other pregnant friends who were also in bicultural relationships, I came to learn that we were not alone in our naming problems. An Irish girlfriend of mine walked into our birthing class one day and announced that her French husband wanted to name their daughter after her vagina. A circle of pregnant faces stared at her in confusion until she explained that her husband was determined to name their daughter "Fanny," a very popular girl's name in France but which, in Ireland, is used to refer to a woman's genitals. I saw then that my problems could be worse.

I realized that some of Venezuela's whimsical naming customs had seeped over into neighboring Colombia (or at least into my Colombian) when Alex came home one day and announced that we should name the baby "Biji" after one of the characters in our "Japanese for Busy People" textbook. He reasoned that, since we lived in Japan, we should give our child a "Japanese kind of name." In the book, Biji-san plays the part of the businessman. He is depicted by a round circle indicating a head and a pie-like piece cut out of the circle as his mouth. He is bald and always dressed in a little smock with no pants and a tie. Needless to say, in my opinion, this was not the perfect name.

Two months later our son Nicolas was born, the name decided only three days before his birth. After months of discussion, it was literally the only name we could come up with that didn't break any of our naming guidelines and that neither of us hated. We decided to call him Nico, both to make the name a bit more original as well as to sidestep the pronunciation problems with the Japanese "l." It wasn't the name that either of us really wanted, but oddly enough it turned out to be the right name for him. We found out later that "Nico-Nico" means smiley in Japanese and Nico was a very smiley baby.

Three years later, I'm pregnant again. This time, we're living in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, where we're required to choose a baby name from an "approved" government list. If not, we must provide proof that the name we have chosen is "normal" in our home country. In other words, there are probably not many children running around in Switzerland named "Moon Unit" or "Apple." (Switzerland is not the only European country to have name restrictions. Denmark's "Names Investigation Department and the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs" rejects up to twenty percent of the names it reviews every year.)

Being a seasoned veteran of the hazards of bicultural naming, I know to expect problems and thus far, I haven't been disappointed. Max won't work because in Spanish it's short for Maximiliano, which for some reason reminds Alex of Mexican mariachi singers. Gisele was quickly shot down because "it's like the Tiffany of Spanish names."

But I'm not worried, because even though I know we may very well have to compromise again, I also know now that the name we choose will be the product of our cultural backgrounds as well as the lives that we've lived both separately and as a couple. The name we choose for this next baby may not be the perfect one, but it will most certainly be the right one. In the meantime, the other night I dreamed that Alex came home and announced that we should name the baby Fondue. I wonder if that's on the Swiss list of approved names?

Wishing and Hoping

Yesterday, Terra hosted a surprise baby shower for me! It was wonderful! She had everything planned perfectly with games and yummy food. I had a hunch that something was going on and when Marc and I drove up to my in-law's house for "lunch" and there were blue balloons hanging on the lights, I knew someone had been up to something sneaky! I got a lot of great gifts and I am finally feeling prepared to have another baby! The decorations were adorable. Terra hung up little onesies and bibs from a clothesline in the window. There was also a cupcake "cake" that was decorated like clouds with a stork on top. Thanks to everyone who helped/came to the party. It made my day a really happy one! (Pictures to follow...Mom? Have you uploaded them yet?)

As I was unpacking some of the gifts this morning, I got the song "Wishing and Hoping" stuck in my head. It's the song at the beginning of my Best Friend's Wedding (love that movie!!). The song doesn't quite have the same meaning as having a baby, but that's how I've been feeling the last couple weeks. I'm wishing and hoping and thinking and praying; Planning and dreaming.....about finally having this boy! Where are you Max? I'm ready for you to join our family!

My Naughty Chloe

Is it possible for such a cute little person to have such a strong personality? When she wants to be bad, she knows just how to push my buttons.

Worldwide Visitors

I seem to get a new dot on my ClusterMap once a week that is in a new country and I wonder - Is my blog being hit by mistake? Do I have some international visitors who find my life interesting? Who's out there? I would love to know!

A Few Memories...

Goodbye

I have spent a large majority of the last 6 1/2 years of my life at Henry Schein, formally known as Dentrix. Wow....6 1/2 years! I was still 18 when they first hired me as a front desk receptionist. All of my major life changes so far have been shared with those I worked with - my first roommate was my co-worker, I found the love of my life there, got married, had 2 (almost 3) kids and I have grown up more than I thought was possible! I made some great friends I will continue to keep in touch with as well. It feels strange to leave my work with Henry Schein behind, but I'm definitely not lacking things to do! I'm excited to move on to a new stage in my life. Thanks for the memories everyone!

Sad

If this is what I had to deal with everytime I walked out of my house, I would be crazy too. I don't even like it when Marc sneaks a picture of me when I'm not ready. Can you even imagine dealing with a bunch of weirdos sticking a giant camera in your face?

I am a celebrity gossip junkie, but this picture makes me want to go on strike for a while...

A-Z Tag

A -Attached or Single: Attached

B - Best Friend: Marc :*

C - Cake or Pie: Cake

D - Day of choice: Saturday is a special day....

E - Essential Item: Blow dryer

F - Favorite Color: Pink in general, Black to wear

G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Yes

H - Hometown: Orem

I - Indulgence(s): Celebrity gossip, blog surfing, and reality TV/game shows

J - January or July: July

K - Kids: Can't believe I'm going to be a mom to 3...

L - Life is incomplete without: My family

M - Marriage Date: April 8, 2005

N - Number of Siblings: 2 brothers

O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges

P - Phobias or Fears: Claustrophobia!



Q - Quotes: "You will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep. Check out the name tag. You're in my world now Grandma."

R - Reason to smile: 4 1/2 weeks to go!

S - Season: Summer

T - Tag Three Friends: Sally, Jenny and Jami

U - Unknown fact about me: I talk too much to have unknown facts about me....

V - Very favorite store: Bebe or Sephora

W - Worst habit: Bugging other people about their worst habits

X - X-ray or Ultrasound: Ultrasound

Y - Your favorite food: Penne Rustica at Maccaroni Grill

Z - Zodiac: Virgo

To My Valentine...

How do I know when its love?
I can't tell you but it lasts forever
How does it feel when its love?
It's just something you feel together

Not A Baby Anymore

Happy 5th Birthday Lila! You're all growed up....

Communication Error

Last night Marc and I were lying in bed watching Jay Leno. The show had just started so they were showing the band warming up the crowd. Kevin Eubanks (the lead guitar player in the band) was wearing a big leather jacket, a turtleneck, a shirt and a hat. I looked at Marc and said, “Doesn’t Kevin look hot?” Hot meaning: warm in temperature. Of course, Marc thought I meant hot as in good looking and gave me the most disgusted look. Before I could finish saying, “He has on a jacket and a turtleneck and a shirt….” I busted out laughing realizing what Marc thought I had just asked him. Oops :)

8 Weeks and Counting!

President Hinckley

My father-in-law sent this out to the Blaser Family this morning. I thought it was a very sweet account of what could be happening right now.

Prophetic Passing



I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,

Yes, running, not waving his cane.

I see him embracing his father and mother

While they keep repeating his name.



I see him now meeting his forebears,

Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.

Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service

That only such noble men share.



I see him embraced by the Savior

While Father says, "Good and well done.

So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome

My noble, most excellent son."



I then hear the ripples of laughter

As he says the reception's just fine,

But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two

Since there's no need to waste any time.



I can hear his clear voice in the stillness

At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,

Have faith and move forward — there's work to be done.

President Hinckley would want it that way.



Anna M. Molgard

January 27, 2008

Happy 2008!

We had a great time on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Marc's Mom, Lynne, took the girls for the night so we could have a night off. It was wonderful! We went to dinner with Marc's cousin Terra, her husband Dustin and their friends Han, Dawn and Brian from California. We became fast friends with Han, Brian and Dawn. They were great to hang out with - we had a blast. We went to Ruby River and had yummy steaks. Marc and I were just going to go home, but we decided to brave the cold and ride Trax up to SLC to see what was going on. Little did we know that it was going to be 9 degrees outside! I've never been that cold before in my life. I wasn't as prepared to go out into the cold as Terra and friends were - she was completely decked out with thermals, a hat, gloves, scarf, and hot packs. We walked around for a while, checked out the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and then I couldn't take anymore. We chickened out and went home. We were home in time to catch the ball dropping on TV. But we were able to sleep in - hooray!



New Year's Day, Dustin and Terra rented a room at Noah's in Lindon with a pool table and TV. We took my little bro Ryan's XBox and played Rock Band too. It was so fun! We took the girls with us to Noah's and they played with Ashlee, T and D's daughter. Thanks again to Terra and Dustin for making our New Year a great one! No matter what your friends say to convince you to go home to Cali, we are glad you are here in Utah!

Merry Christmas - Part 2

Papa EK came over and spoiled the girls again! "The Chocolate Elf" brought Lila a Hannah Montana doll, complete with stage and music, an electric guitar that teaches you how to play real songs and a glitter glue art kit. He also brought Chloe a lion bike that plays songs. They love the presents, but they loved the time playing with Papa EK even more. Thanks Dad and Sheila!

I've Been Tagged!

MY HUSBAND....

What is his name?
Marc James Blaser

How long have you been together?
Married for 3 years on April 8th, 2008.

How long did you date?
We dated for 2 years before we got married.

How old is he?
Marc turns the big 3-0 this year!!

Who eats more?
Marc. Although depending on my mood and stage of pregnancy, I can hold my own.

Who said I love you first?
I can't really remember...isn't that horrible?? But my gut tells me it was Marc. I just can't remember where we were :( All that matters is that we tell each other "I Love You" at least 20 times a day now!

UPDATE - Marc reminded me of our first "I love you" and it was him that said it first. Isn't he sweet?? I love you hon!

Who is taller?
Marc wins again - thank goodness.

Who can sing better?
Depends....Marc sings much better in front of people. I sing like a rock star in the shower.

Who is smarter?
I'm the gangsta with the street smarts. Marc is the college graduate computer whiz. So our kids will make good grades without getting beat up in school!

Who does the laundry?
Me. But Marc really helps me out a lot. We have laundry folding parties a couple of times a week and we get through the mountain together. My goal is for Marc to not have to fold any more laundry once I stop working.

Who pays the bills?
It's a team effort. We had our own bills when we got married and never really changed the way we do things...

Who sleeps in the right side?
Looking at the bed or lying in the bed? Marc sleeps on the right looking at the bed; I sleep on the right lying in the bed!

Who mows the lawn?
Marc. He's quite the home owner!

Who cooks dinner?
I do, most of the time. Sometimes I'm just too lazy. Marc is great at steaks and burgers though.

Who drives?
Marc. I feel like I'm in Driver's Ed again when I drive with Marc in the car. But I’m still grateful he does drive all the time! :)

Who is more stubborn?
We are both equally stubborn but also equally giving. We are a good team.

Who kissed who first?
Marc kissed me first….although I coerced him into it.

Who asked who out first?
I asked out Marc! That was a first for me - I NEVER asked out guys. However, Marc didn't realize that's what I was doing because I had him bring some friends and he asked out the waitress while we were at dinner. We must really have been meant to be!

Who proposed?
Marc did at Temple Square on December 1st, 2004. He was so nervous that his voice was shaking! It was adorable.

Who has more friends?
Marc has more friends that are close by. My good friends are far away.... Love ya Ra and Nesa!

Who is more sensitive?
Definitely me, the pregnant “ball of hormones”. I can cry on demand and I do 10-15 times a day... (During Ellen, any Johnson's baby commercial, when Chloe says Ma Ma, the list goes on) But I can't complain because Marc is very sensitive to me. He knows how to spoil me.

Who has more siblings?
Marc - family of 6 kids, I have 2 brothers.

Who wears the pants?
We both enjoy a nice pair of slacks. (A quote from Anchorman for those of you who think I've lost my mind)

I tag Maqueca, Megan and Kristi!

Christmas Pics - Part 1

Merry Christmas!

We've had a great week of Christmas celebrations! Sunday night, we celebrated at the Blaser home. Chad started the night off right by proposing to Angie the second they walked through the door. Everyone scrambled for their cameras, so that's the reason for the fuzzy picture.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner, good company, talent show/story time and a gift exchange. I got a gift certificate to get a pedicure at Remedez from Sally. Thanks Sal! Of course, she probably thinks I didn't like the gift since she kindly asked if she could rub my feet earlier and I said no because I have a "feet thing". It's really just a feet thing for people that I know. I'm thrilled to let people I don't know rub my feet. Strange...I know. The grandkids got new pj's from Grandma B. They look so cute!

Christmas Eve we slept over at the Kepo'o home. Thanks Ryan for letting us commandeer your room! We ate yummy dinner, played games, and watched a movie then went to bed so Santa could visit. Luckily, the kids slept in until 8 AM. Then we dug into presents! Lila was incredibly spoiled...

After present opening, we ate a LARGE breakfast. It was great. Mom surprised everyone with a late gift - Rock Band for the XBox. We had a great time rocking out together. Mom, Chloe and I stayed in our pj's all day. Thanks to both of our families for making our Christmas such a great one!

The Youngest Alicia Fan

My phone ring is the Alicia Keys' song "No One" and Chloe has started singing it every time she sees my phone. I would guess that she's probably the youngest Alicia fan at 1 year old!

Mele Kalikimaka!

He Did It!

My incredibly talented husband can now add 'College Graduate' to his list of accomplishments. This morning, he received his final grades for his final semester in college! He has received his Bachelor of Science in Information Systems. I'm so proud of him. Way to go honey - I love you!

Just A Mom Story

I took Lila to the Dr a couple of days ago and was a little flustered upon arrival. We had been running errands all day and I felt like we hadn't had a second to take a breath. The receptionist looked at me with a little smirk on her face when I checked in, but I thought maybe she had been talking about something funny before I got there. Well, once I collected all my stuff and sat down, I felt a little heaviness on the side of my head. I looked in my hair and found a binky wrapped up in there! Would you have told me if you noticed a binky in my hair?? Sheesh!

Snow!

The snow has returned today! Marc and Lila had a blast making a snowman in our front yard. Brrrr!

Happy Birthday Chloe!

I can't believe you're already 1! I love you!

Lila's Haircut

I finally convinced Lila we had to cut her hair for it to grow. She was so brave and she looks so cute! She looked a little freaked out when she saw the hair on the ground, but once we had it styled, she loved it!

What is your favorite Christmas album?

Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" album has been my favorite Christmas album for years, but I would love to see what your favorite Christmas album is. Post a comment. I'm always looking for new good music!

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

Especially if you're pregnant. Why? Chocolate, candy, salt, salt covered chocolate, chocolate covered candy....it's everywhere! And I'm fully taking advantage of my situation. Expect to see me on the Biggest Loser next year.

I love peppermint and every December, Tootsie Roll makes a Candy Cane Tootsie Pop - candy cane on the outside, tootsie roll on the inside. Yum! I like to eat them while I'm drinking a big cup of hot chocolate and let them melt into my drink. The stock boy was unpacking the shipment of suckers yesterday while I was at the grocery store and I took the stack of bags he was holding off of his hands. He looked at me like I was crazy. I passed a large display of "Limited Edition" Peppermint ice cream from Dreyer's and I couldn't resist....full of fat, full of flavor!

I also bought the new scent of Bath and Body Works oil for my oil warmer - Twisted Peppermint. It smells like a mix between cotton candy and candy cane. Having my house constantly smell like that probably doesn't help my sweet tooth. Oh well.

Happy Holidays!

New Family Pics!

Happy December 1st!

We woke up this morning to 4 inches of snow on the ground. It sure is pretty but I really, really hate being cold. It did put me in the mood for Christmas though. Things didn't seem quite right without the snow.





My December has started out very happy - Lunch at Macaroni Grill with my Mom and my discovery of the greatest invention ever (even greater than the Season's drive-through store that no longer exists): Some poor mother who has tried to take a small child into a public restroom alone was smart and teamed up with Koala Bear Kare to create a child seat for the stall! How fantastic is that? I was able to strap Chloe into the seat so she could stare at me from the wall while I did my thing. I didn't have to figure out how to balance her on my lap or desperately try to keep her from crawling on the floor. God bless Macaroni Grill. There are many reasons why it is my favorite restaurant. #1 & #2? Gooey cheese and child seats in the restrooms.

Kick In MY Pants

Yes Rhianna - I feel the same way when I check everyone's blogs and they haven't been updated in weeks. Sorry, I'M GUILTY! Things have just been so crazy lately that I haven't really had time to post about it all. Stay tuned. One day you might check my page and see 20 new posts....

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom! You don't look a day over 29 ;)

Thanks for all you do!

HSM 3?

Any other Mom's out there sick of High School Musical? This HSM is a little more real than what we see on the Disney Channel..... (DISCLAIMER: This clip is from Saturday Night Live and a little crude, but hilarious!) Sally? I know you agree with me :)

Dance, Dance....

Last night I had my final dance class along with our "recital". It was so fun to take a dance class again - even though my body rolls look more like body slides and my high kicks are very, very low kicks with my big belly. I almost made it through the last 8 weeks without falling down...I biffed it last night :( But I wasn't hurt, just embarrassed!

My loving husband came to support me with roses in hand (yes, again!). He made me feel good about bumbling my way through the dance. Maybe next year I can impress him with real leaps and turns!

New Alicia!

I downloaded the new Alicia Keys album from iTunes and listened to the whole thing all at once. And it's great! I admire her for the music she writes. I don't know that I would be willing to pour myself into music like that and know that millions of people are going to listen to it. Go out and buy it! :)

Disturbed

Has anyone else seen the Charmin toilet paper commericial with the "Momma" Bear and the "Baby" bear? Baby Bear has a bunch of toilet paper stuck to his bottom and the Momma Bear tries to vacuum it off?? I keep thinking this disturbing commercial will go away, but no. I just saw it again and hope to never see it again. Did Charmin really think the mental picture of trying vacuum little bits of toilet paper stuck in the hair of a bear's bottom would make you want to run out and buy their toilet paper? Did I miss some brilliant marketing idea here?

My Mom's Halloween Slide Show

Thanks Mom! :)