Wherefore art thou, new website?

Good Morning internet! It's a rainy cold (I can see my breath!) October day in Indiana. I have just a few things to say:

1. I'm tired of cleaning up dog hork every morning.
2. I debated at 7:30 am about whether or not I should go back to bed. I stayed awake. We'll see how that goes.
3. I'm reading an article in "O" magazine (Oprah's) about how to "Answer the Call." Which you might think is an article about going to the bathroom...but it's not. It's about how to figure out what you really ought to be doing from a career perspective (I think). I just started reading it so I really don't know the details...but I'm curious to see if it will give me any enlightenment.
4. This blog is going to be moving. I don't know when. I thought it would've been a long time ago...like 4 months ago. I'll keep you posted.
5. I'm running my dishwasher.
There! All the important things you needed to know today. :)

You just never know.

Hello internet! Sorry it's been awhile. I've had some upheaval in my life recently and just didn't have time to blog. It started with the Swine Flu and went downhill from there.

As you know while Boo had H1N1 I stayed at my mom and stepdads for a week with Wren. I'm really glad I had the chance to do that because on Sept. 22 my stepdad had cardiac arrest and died. Yeah. Just like that. He was only 52 but had a family history of heart problems...his dad and some uncles all died in their 50's. It's just so unexpected when it happens.

I'm glad he got to spend a week with his new granddaughter before he went. I'm glad I got to spend that time with him too. Family meant a lot to him. *sigh*

Now my mom is left alone to figure it out. Luckily she recently got back in touch with some of her old friends. She has a strong support network and will get through this. It's going to be a big adjustment for all of us.

Anyway, Boo and Wren and I are fine. Time marches on. It's cold and rainy today...I hope we get an indian summer in the next couple of weeks. That would lift our spirits a bit.

In happy news my brother and his wife are having their first baby this weekend. She was due on the 7th but baby girl apparently has another plan. So tonight she is being induced.

I get to be an Aunt! Woo hoo! It's also pretty cool that our girls are so close in age.

In tribute, here's a photo of my stepdad. I hope he's shaking things up on the other side! He always knew how to have a good time!

Swine Flu

Where have I been you ask? About a month ago my husband came home from work feeling fatigued and generally crappy. He'd had a stuffy/runny nose the day before but nothing worth paying attention to. When he came home from work I made him take his temperature and it was 102 degrees. I immediately sent him to the spare bedroom and mandated that he stay there until further notice. In the morning he went to the doctor and had a flu swab done...the results were Flu virus "A" strain. That means it's a 99% probability of being H1N1. When he returned home I banished him to the spare room and called my mom. She told me to pack up and bring the baby to her house.
Wren and I were refugees at her house for nearly a week. It was very difficult for us. There I was, a new mother with a six week old baby away from home. My mom and her husband were very generous to open their home and keep me fed but it still wasn't the same as being home with my husband. I felt like a single parent. My mom tried to help me with Wren but it's been 27 years since she changed my brothers diapers and listened to him cry. And her husband doesn't have kids of his own so I'm sure it was quite an eye opener to have a crying baby in the house.
Poor Boo had to nurse himself back to health alone at home. He said it didn't feel any different than the regular flu. He began taking Tamiflu on the second day of his symptoms and his fever broke in a day. He also missed a milestone in Wren's life; she rolled over for the first time at my moms. I tried to make him feel better saying he would've been at work anyway.
We were so scared that Wren would get it. I felt like all I did was call the pediatrician. Coincidentally she developed a cough while we were at my moms which completely freaked me out because she'd never coughed before. So instead of messing around I took her to the childrens hospital emergency room where they swabbed her for the flu. Her test came back negative but they said the test for "A" strain is very sensitive so she could have a false negative. They prescribed Tamiflu for her. Boo and I decided to wait and see if she developed any other symptoms before giving her the medicine. I took her temperature every other diaper change.
As the week went on and neither she or I developed a fever or other symptoms I became more confident. Did I mention I did a LOT of praying? I prayed. And prayed. And had other folks praying that Wren wouldn't get sick. God protected us because we are one month post-flu and we're both fine. She still has that little cough and her doctor said it's most likely sinus drainage so I shoot saline in her nose about twice a day.
Anywho, that is what I've been dealing with. If I didn't have such a young baby, I wouldn't be worried about this flu. I feel like the media has really scared people about it. I hope you all stay well!

Wren

My beautiful Bird is 6 weeks old now. She is such a sweet little critter. I still can't believe she came from my belly.

I'm getting the hang of being a stay at home mom. She and I have our daily routine established more or less and that helps the day go smoothly. Now that I'm six weeks post c-section I'm able to accomplish more around the house while she naps. There for awhile I couldn't do much of anything and that was tough...although I enjoyed all my naps!

It's crazy how much she's changed in six weeks. Everyone kept saying "they change so fast," and now I understand the truth to that statement. I can already see that 18 years is going to fly right by. But for now, I'll enjoy her babiness while it lasts.

Morning coffee

Our willow tree kept me company as I enjoyed coffee on the deck. Quiet mornings to myself are rare...I relish them.

And it was an adventure

So, I had a little talk with myself about how unrealistic it is to keep my baby in a bubble not to mention unhealthy...psychologically speaking. I put on my big girl panties and got over myself. We went to the lake. Yep, Boo, myself and the baby loaded into the car Saturday morning and made the hour and a half drive to the lakehouse. The little Bird slept the entire way there. *sigh* What had I been so worried about?
I spent the day shuttling her from the screened porch to the living room couch. Visiting with family and reading a bit of the book I brought. Boo and everyone else went swimming...I couldn't have even if I wanted to because of my incision. A lovely day for everyone. After dinner I nursed her and then we packed her into her carseat for the journey home. I wasn't worried one bit because she'd probably sleep the whole way home. Or not.
Fifteen minutes into the drive she began fussing so we pulled off into a parking lot and changed her wet diaper. No big deal. She should be good to go now.
Fast forward 30 minutes. Fussing and then furious cries wail from the backseat. We are between towns and there is nowhere to pull off the road so she's going to have to tough it out for a couple more miles. Finally we arrive in a little podunk town with a four way flashing light at the intersection. On one corner is a Dairy Bar that is already closed for the season so we pull in there. In the parking lot of the Dairy Bar we pull the Bird out of her car seat to discover the, excuse me, shit storm she has brewed up. It's all over her, her clothes, her car seat. Poor girl.
We went thru almost every last baby wipe in the car getting her cleaned up. We stripped her down and luckily I'd remembered to pack extra clothes. I wiped out her car seat. Then she was so pissed and wound up I climbed in the backseat with her and nursed for about twenty minutes to settle her down. Finally, we got back on the road. It took two and a half hours to get home.
Talk about baptism by fire. She really initiated us into the "traveling with baby" aspect of parenthood.

Weiner

As a new mama I am suspicious that I am of the "over-protective" variety. My girl will be four weeks old on Sunday and the only place I've taken her is to breastfeeding group on Wednesday nights. I refuse to let anyone bring their kids to my house for fear of germs. In fact I have imagined installing a giant bubble around my house just to keep her safe.
I've got to loosen up. I'm holding on too tight I think. Tomorrow my family is going to the lake cottage...including my husband. They're going to work on the dock so it's not a super fun day at the lake or anything. Anyway, I can't decide if I'm going to go or if I'm keeping my Bird at home where it's predictable and she has her bed. It's an hour and a half drive to get to the lake. What if she starts crying in the car? What do I do? What if her diaper needs changed? Do we just pull the car over? I have no experience traveling with babies. I don't know what to do. It's easier to stay home. Help.

Karley

This is Karley. She is a native Kansan...she comes from Kansas is what I'm saying. Now she lives among the corn fields of Indiana and hangs out with my mare all day long. I took these photos for her owner. I love detail. Just look at the detail of her headstall! ...and the contrast of her blaze...oh and her gentle, soft eye.
Now, this. She'd be really embarrassed if she knew I posted a close up of her nostril.

Not so wild anymore

As a new mama I've been feeling very cooped up in the house. Since I had a c-section I wasn't allowed to drive for two weeks...not sure if that's because of the incision or the pain meds. Cabin fever does not become me. I was getting depressed. As an extrovert I tend to get my energy from other people and social situations. Usually I'm quite the butterfly out and about talking, visiting and lunching with girlfriends. It seems my new little Bird has clipped my wings considerably...which I expected but you never really know what "your life is about to change" means until you experience it.

Monday evening after the baby was fed my husband and I were going to load her in the car and go pick up a few items from Babies R Us. He was going to drive me there and sit in the car with Bird while I went in. Then, I had a revelation. It's been two weeks. I'm sprung! I can drive!

So I casually say to my Boo, "You know, I can drive now, maybe I'll just go by myself." To which my wonderfully astute husband replied, "Oh, okay. It'll give you a chance to get away from me and the baby for a while." Isn't he swell? I love that my husband isn't afraid of babies or diaper changing or newborn crying. Since she was just fed I calculated my available time, handed her over to Boo and was out the door lickety split. Really, I was afraid my car might not remember me. Driving was a strange sensation and it took a few minutes to get comfortable. It was about 8pm on a very warm summer evening...my window rolled down, my cd's playing. Who knew such a simple activity would bring me such a feeling of freedom and relief? I was gone for about an hour. One blissful hour to myself on a summer night.

I returned home as a refreshed, relaxed new mama. The Bird was the picture of tranquility; asleep on her daddy's chest.

She's sleeping right now

Here are a couple snapshots of the new Bird. Her name is Wren. She is lovely and precious and I've never experienced love on this level. She has chipmunk cheeks and little fat rolls all over. I get emotional everytime I look at her and think about the fact that she's my daughter and how very cool that is.

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow; for babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep. I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep."

Baby!

Yes! There's a baby girl! I apologize profusely that there is not a cute cuddly photo posted with this and you may feel free to flog me for it. I will post one very soon!
She was born July 12th at 10:38pm. We ended up with a c-section due to a number of factors.
She is beautiful and much bigger than I anticipated (guess it was all those Hostess cupcakes I ate!) weighing in at 8lbs 9oz.
Pinky swear, a photo soon! I'm a little bit sleep deprived at the moment so cut me a little slack.
Updates and photo forthcoming....

Kettles on!

There's no baby yet. She was due yesterday. I sat around yesterday waiting for something to happen. That was very boring. This morning I decided I would put some faith in the old saying that "a watched pot never boils." I squirmed and rolled my way off the bed this morning and took a nice relaxing shower. I did my hair, put on some make-up. My Boo made pancakes and sausage and I enjoyed eating them. The farmers market opened at 8am so we trotted around in the rain looking at fresh produce and baked goods. I couldn't resist getting a pint of fresh blue berries. I also bought cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, an adorable onion and a heaping mess of green beans from an Amish man. I made a comment about snapping beans later, so he asked if I'd ever just thrown them in the pot "as is." I said no, I usually snap them. He said his wife usually throws them in a big pot with potatoes, onion and ham chunks. So when I got home, that's just what I did! As I'm writing, there is a giant pot of farmers market goodness stewing on the stove for dinner tonight. Yumm! Now watch, the baby will decide to arrive and I'll have to skip dinner. I'd probably be cool with that.

Anticipation

One day away from my baby's due date. I'm so ready to meet her and see her little hands and feet. I can't wait to stare at her little face. A few months ago I wanted to have some maternity photos done. I found photographer who was building his portfolio at the time and said he'd do it for free. Free is good for me. I thought he did an excellent job. These are unedited shots and I particularly like the first one. It really illustrates how I've felt about horses my whole life. The bond between my mare and I also comes through crystal clear. *sigh* I miss hanging out with my mare.

I keep her at a private barn on the other side of the city and under normal circumstances I only see her once or twice a week. Since I've been pregnant my visits have been even less. My doctor mandated there would be no riding. The other thing is that my mare gets turned out first thing in the morning and doesn't come in until sundown; she's out in a large field with several other mares. At the beginning of my pregnancy I didn't mind going out to catch her but some of the other mares are squirrely. As I lost my cat-like reflexes and ability to maneuver my large body I gave up going into the field. My mare has been on an extended vacation and she told me she was having a ball. After the baby arrives I'll take her out to meet my mare who loves all baby creatures. She nickers to foals and puppies and I imagine she'll be just as matronly to our new baby. I can't wait for the baby to arrive and I can't wait to ride my mare again. All in good time.

Oops, I said Cervix!

For those of you following along I am now TWO days away from my very first baby's due date.
The Stork is scheduled to drop her off on Friday the 10th. I've had multiple conversations with the Stork and his people about the schedule and making sure that he has no other obligations on the morning of 10th than bringing my baby girl. Of course much like FedEx or UPS the Stork and his people are all like, "we can't make any guarantees, there could be storms that might delay delivery and they charge extra for express." I can't believe the Stork has sold out. Seriously. I guess we're at the mercy of him and Mother Nature (she seems a little more reasonable). Technically I could go into labor at anytime; wouldn't that throw off the Stork delivery schedule!
Okay, enough silliness. I went to the doctor today and she poked around and announced I am at 1cm. I know. 1cm doesn't sound like much but it was so encouraging for me to hear. I had prepared to hear something along the lines of, " No dilation and she can stay in there for two more months." Without going into too much detail I had some old scar tissue that was preventing my cervix from dilating properly...my savvy doctor took care of that pronto and said we should be seeing more progress very soon.
If talking about my cervix bothers you, I'm really sorry and promise not to mention such things very often. It was pertinent to the tale of my pregnancy progress this time though.
I have a favor to ask of you readers, please cross your fingers that I go into labor very soon.
Thank you and goodnight!

Le Fleur

I love wildflowers. I was just over on another blog admiring gorgeous photos of a wild daisy and felt compelled to browse my own "floral archive." Last summer I ended up having the most glorious patch of wildflowers on the west side of our house. In the warm breezy summer evenings I'd walk around to the side of the house, typically with a small dog on my trail, to admire the variety of blooms. One of those times I had enough forethought to bring my camera.

This year I decided to take my chances and see if any of them had gone to seed and would re- bloom for an encore. I wandered around there just this evening to take stock of the regrowth.

There are quite a few survivors but not nearly the thicket that grew last summer. Note to self: replant wildflowers in the spring. I do have these photos to remember the beauties from last year and thought I'd share them. The second one really reminds me of an artist's palette; big dollops of color.

Flowers by Raymond A. Foss
Three flowers bloom each day

Falsely fragile Queen Anne’s Lace

Clump of effervescent Daisies

A singular Black-eyed Susan

Wildflowers all growing in the fields of our hearts

Each her own scent, shape, pose

Craning for light, food, attention

Willingly, lovingly tended by the gardener,

the one who sowed the seed

12 Step Program?

Here is a small sample of the fireworks that were strewn all over our home office on Friday afternoon. Believe me, there were more than this. Lots more. My husband is passionate about fireworks. By day he's a mild mannered IT professional. He wears nice dress pants with button up shirts and shaves daily. His manner changes dramatically during Fourth of July weekend though. On July 3rd he drags out all the fireworks and starts planning and strategizing his "show." Then his analytical skills turn from computer solutions to combining fuses and bundling artillery shells. He designs platforms to secure the launch tubes. He even asked if I wanted to assist him with bundling the shells into spectacular color combinations...I politely declined and smiled at his obsession.July 4th our family assembles at the lakehouse for the holiday celebration. This year was almost a washout. We had a heavy, steady rain from 10am until around 9pm. As soon as we got to the lake my husband, brother and stepdad disappeared into the barn to admire the fireworks and discuss their plans for the big show that night. I plopped my pregnant rear on the couch on the screened porch for the entire day and chit chatted with my pregnant sister-in-law while grazing on all the food offerings. Now that I think about it, I don't think the guys even came in for lunch.

We all have our hobbies and my husband proudly flys his freak flag...firework fetish. The Fourth of July is his favorite holiday and far surpasses Christmas or the other biggies.

I couldn't resist this photo opportunity; our little dog found the perfect firework to pose with. I'm pretty sure this is how she sees herself; as a "junk yard dog." She thinks that's a picture of her on the front. Silly girl.

Oh, and the weekend isn't complete until after July 5th. My husband sets his alarm to be up and at 'em the morning after the 4th so he can go score the best deals on fireworks for next year. There is only a span of about 12 hours during the entire year when my utility room doesn't have fireworks in it. He used to store them in the spare bedroom but with the baby coming I needed the closet and he had to find new storage space for his addiction. Now the utility room is the arsenal. We're all stocked up and ready for next year and he's already thinking of ways to improve the display. I just smile and shake my head. My freaky fireworks husband. I love him.

Can't we all just get along?

I know it's been forever since I posted but I've been waiting around to share a big surprise with you. Unfortunately, I'm at the mercy of another person and the process is going longer than I anticipated. So, I promise there is still a surprise coming but I have a feeling it's going to be awhile...so let's all just cool our heels.
In the meantime there is MUCH bigger news anyway. Have you checked the baby ticker at the bottom of the page lately? My baby girl will be arriving very soon! Our due date (the 10th) is creeping closer. At this moment she seems to be having a good ole time rolling around in my belly though, so we'll see if she's on time or not.
Typical of any first time mother, labor and delivery remains a mystery to me. I have in mind what I would like to happen but I'm flexible and will be satisfied with whatever it takes to come out on the other side of it with a healthy baby and minimal damage to myself. I like it when gals tell me tips such as "there's this bar they can put over your bed that you can pull against as you push..gives you more leverage," and "if you're tired tell the nurses." Tips like this are helpful and things I wouldn't know. I thought once pushing began you just pushed until the baby was out; I didn't know taking a break was an option.
On the other hand, folks saying things like "it's going to hurt like hell," really aren't helping anyone...I think any fool knows that childbirth is not comfortable. When asking for "advice," I'm not sure that describing levels of pain qualifies as advice. To me advice might include the statements I mentioned above, or something along the lines of "screw the ice chips, bring in frozy pops" or "don't wear your own nightgown because you'll bleed all over it" or maybe even "the best way to bribe the nurses into giving you more sexy mesh underwear is..." See what I mean? Those are good handy tips that a first timer wouldn't know. Everyone on the planet knows childbirth involves some level of pain or discomfort.
I do plan to breastfeed and I'm pretty excited about it. I know some women love it, some hate it, some physically can't do it and some just choose not to do it. I'm cool with all of that. See, it's not my business to judge other women for their choices. I think women get a little bit opinionated and judgemental sometimes. Each female has her own set of circumstances that we (you and me) may not be aware of. Same goes for epidural vs. no meds. For example, I'll tell you straight up, I have a diagnosis of GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) which will probably prevent me from having an unmedicated birth. That's my business. Not every woman with GAD will feel the same as me, but I know myself best and I would prefer not to have a panic attack in the middle of labor. Do I wish I could do it with no meds? Sure because I'm very granola in other areas of my life. Do I want you trying to talk me into what you think is best? No. I appreciate your opinions and choices but I don't mind agreeing to disagree. As women we need to support each other, not judge and lay guilt trips.
My baby girl will be raised to respect the opinions and perspectives of others while maintaining her own solid beliefs. I can't wait to meet her, she will be amazing!

Gossip Pig

Remember how I said there was a surprise coming soon? Apparently these little piggies have heard about it because they're running to tell all their friends. I can't shut them up about it!
They're going to ruin the surprise! "OINK! Oink oinkoinkoink Oink!" Dang it! They spilled the beans. What's that? Oh! Great, you don't speak pig latin. Whew. Then the surprise isn't ruined. Coming Soon!

Naked Dog

Just for fun I thought I'd share this with you today. My little dog just got her "summer cut" and she's been nervously scooting around from place to place in the house...trying to outrun her nakedness. She's feeling a little breezier I'm sure.

Guess What!?!?

I can't tell you. It's a big surprise coming soon...that isn't my baby. It's going to be sooo much fun. Wish I could give you a hint. I think you'll enjoy it. Okay, okay, I'll give you a couple of hints: It's global, but it's smaller than a breadbox. You can't wear it or eat it but you can share it with your friends. And to make the mystery even bigger....you probably won't hear much from me around here for a couple weeks. *big smile and hands clapped over my mouth* Just wait, it'll be fun!

A little talk.

Hello rainy Monday morning. I don't mind that you're here, but let's get one thing straight. You aren't going to follow me to Tampa in a few days. Okay? I'm meeting a few others down there and you just wouldn't fit in. Sunshine and warmth will be there and I think Ocean Breeze will be stopping by as well. I hope you understand. You know I enjoy your company too but I think we need a break for a little while. So, let's hang out together today and tomorrow. I'll be glad to have a reason to stay inside and putter around the house, sit on the couch with my little furball dog curled up close to me and surf the internet. Maybe I'll try making something cozy for dinner. Go through old photos. Take a snooze in the afternoon.
But after that, we have to go our seperate ways for awhile. Gimme a hug rainy Monday, no hard feelings.

Ambrosia

Sweet nectar of the fertility gods. A suicide frozen Coke mixed with cherry Fanta. Just one of my crazy cravings. I sent Boo to the Speedway gas station twenty minutes before the Final Four Championship tip off. He's a keeper.

Oh Baby!

These are the cushy wall panels that my friend L and I made. They are hanging up now, so maybe you'd rather see them in action than on the floor...well, maybe next time.

Here is Boo victoriously posing with the crib that he so gallantly put together. Let's give him a hand!

This is me at 21? or 22 weeks.

Here I am dressed as an Easter egg at 26 weeks. Have you checked the baby ticker at the bottom of the page yet? We're getting closer! Yesterday she was very quiet but today she's been kicking since 4am. Making up for yesterday I guess.

A rag-tag bunch of updates

Thank you internet friends for keeping me on the straight and narrow. I forgot to post an update about Farley and his mystery lameness. Boo and I decided to give him the weekend to improve before we hustled off to the vet. We did give him a couple of low dose childrens aspirin to see if that would help. Apparently, either aspirin is a miracle drug or Farley is a big drama dude. He probably wasn't totally faking it because of the whimpering, but he may have been a little melodramatic. So, he's fine. He wanted to get a rip roaring game of fetch going by Sunday.

In other news, it's a very rainy spring morning in Indiana. I don't mind. The sun is either hiding behind the clouds or has decided to sleep in a bit. Birds are twittering (vocally, not technologically) about in the trees as I gaze out the window at the wet sidewalk. I wish I lived in the country again. *sigh*

In baby news, Boo was finally able to feel our baby girl kick for the first time last night. I've been feeling her for weeks now and I think he was starting to feel left out. I also read that if he puts his ear to my belly he may be able to hear her heartbeat but I'm not sure if that's actually true or not.

In travel news, I'm going to the far westside today to my hometown. I have a doctor appt. for my thyroid (woo hoo.) The great thing about it though is that Dairy Queen is open for the season! DQ will make the whole trip worthwhile. While I'm over there I plan to swing by the tack store and buy my mare a new halter. Poor thing is wearing a dirty black, cracking/peeling leather, "I look like a sale barn horse" kind of halter right now. She really looks like she just came off a crowded trailer of mud caked, sale ring bound, sad eyed horses. She's due for a new halter.
The vet is coming to do spring shots in a couple weeks, and I wouldn't want Dixie to be embarassed about her halter. Good Lawd child! Doesn't your mamma buy you any clothes?

It might be time for me to eat breakfast now.

Hay in My Bra

I was digging through a drawer and came across an old notebook. I used this notebook during a "Women in Literature" course. While flipping through it I came across a little poem type thing that I wrote a long time ago and thought I'd share it.

Yes, I feed in the morning. Scoop out the grain and divy up the hay. I really look good in my business suit with my pants tucked down in manure flecked boots.
The horses crunch their breakfast slow, unaware that I'm late for work and gotta go.
I stretch the hose out to the trough so they have fresh water. With my sleeves rolled up I skim off the green slime, I try to remember why I even bother.
My mare looks amused as I start to wonder where to wipe my hand, I didn't give forethought before I blundered. So as a little revenge on my tickled horse I wipe the remaining slime on her blanket of course.
However, more savvy than me is my astute mare, now from elbow to fingernails I'm tarred with horse hair.
Now I'm later than ever so my mare get turned out in the field. It's now after eight, my boss is fed up and my fate is sealed.
I fly away from the barn, toward the city I zoom. I catch a peek at myself in the ladies room.
I have hay in my hair and hay in my bra. I'm certain nobody will notice at all.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top o' the mornin to you! Due to my Irish heritage, I thought I'd share a few photos of Ireland. My husband went there a few years ago and these are some images he captured...I've personally never visited, but we intend to go. Boo really wants to go back. To celebrate today I'll be cooking a traditional corned beef brisket with cabbage, potatoes and carrots. There will be Guinness on hand, for those folks who aren't pregnant like myself. I don't think I'll miss green beer at all this year! I may however take a lunchtime trip to McDonald's for a "Shamrock Shake." Today, find a little Irish in you and celebrate by doing something "green." I will be taking all of our paper recycling to the recycle bin and feeding the birds. If you do something green, I'd love to hear about it!

Sweet Doggie

This is a photo of Farley, our four year old yellow lab. It was taken last summer during better days when he was fetching a tennis ball in the lake. This morning he is not feeling well at all and it breaks my heart. I noticed two nights ago that he whimpered as he was trying to stand up. It caught my attention because he's not a very vocal dog. It's just not his style. But he only did it once so I brushed it off. Yesterday, during the day he seemed fine. When Boo got home they went outside to play fetch like usual. Then, Boo and I went to dinner at a very upscale establishment, perhaps you've heard of it. Bobbie E's. Some folks refer to it as "Bob Evans." Upon our return home I noticed Farley didn't greet us at the door preferring instead to lay in the living room gazing toward the door. Hmmm, not crazy, but unusual. When he did get up Boo and I heard an unmistakable painful whimper, then he limped toward us. The dog is unquestionably lame in his right front leg. I went into horse mode, immediately feeling for heat in his leg along with a series of stretches and holds to see if I could get a reaction. He had a poker face. Nothing. Since we don't have any baby aspirin in the house I settled for icing it. He tolerated that really well although I'm pretty sure it didn't make a difference. We went to bed. This morning he is still walking gingerly and seems painful. I really hope it's just a muscle issue and not a bone/ligament issue. It seems a trip to vet is inevitable and I know what that means. Tall dollars. What ever happened to the small town vets that knew their trade and didn't want to perform every test under the sun just to gouge you in your desperate moment of helplessness?

Love Friday. Love Starbucks. Love Photoshop.

Good Friday morning! I feel like I should be walking in, sitting down to change my shoes and put on my morning sweater while singing a little tune to you internet friends. Sunny Friday mornings are just the bees knees aren't they? What does that have to do with the photo I have posted? Nothing. I just like that guy. I met him on a sunny morning in the desert while I was in Arizona one time. He may actually be a she, I'm not sure. I kept my distance because he/she was a little leery of me. I used one of PW's photoshop actions, then I added more edge burn on my own. I seem to have a heavy hand with the burn tool, but in my defense, I apply it using my laptop with doesn't have a mouse, I just use my finger on the mouse pad thing. I'm sure if I had better equipment I could do better. Regardless, I like that photo.
This morning I'm going to Starbucks for a cup o' decaf. I'm sort of a high maintenance customer, but only because I used to work at Starbucks once upon a time. When it's cold out, I order a (decaf these days) tall, hazelnut americano with cream. It's basically a hazelnut latte, but without the pricetag. When it's warm I love to get iced lattes. Especially iced chai with whip. Yum.
Anyway, just have a great friday internet friends!

I love books

I went to Barnes and Noble Bookstore today just to browse around and wile away some time.
First I went into the "Sales" section to see what's new. Then I meandered into the gardening section. I was trying to find the "writing" section when I stumbled into the "Children's" section. Much like the children's department at my childhood library it was almost magical to walk thru the special entrance. The Children's section is separated by a half wall and the entrance is guarded by Dr. Seuss characters and flying elephants. I was transported. As I browsed my appreciation for classic illustration and simple storytelling was awoken from some dusty place in my brain. I could see myself sitting on the floor of the library at North Elementary while Mrs. Franklin read aloud to us. Mrs. Franklin is a whole other story..but she was really good at reading aloud. I bet if I went back and looked on the shelves my name would be scrawled on the checkout card of a few particular books. All the horse books and one particular Christmas book.
I have always loved to read. I want my daughter to love to read. So I picked up a couple of books for her. One is a cloth book with crinkle sounding pages and soft animals to pet. The other is a bedtime story. I also found some "Llama llama" books that I enjoyed but decided I would tell someone so they can get them as a shower or future birthday gift. There was the cutest stuffed llama that I bought for her because there are two llama art prints hanging in her room. Did I mention I used to own a llama? I'm fond of llamas.
But I'm really fond of reading.

Baby Countdown

Okay, with a little help from my friends on the internet I have installed a "pregnancy ticker." It is located all the way at the bottom of my blog because it's a long skinny "ruler" style ticker. The small square ones that would've fit on the right sidebar were pics of an animated creepy floating fetus. I didn't want to creep you guys out. So I picked a cartoon stork that now flys at the bottom of my blog. It will take some effort to check it, with all the scrolling down and whatnot. In the meantime I will try to search for a cute square one that will fit up toward the top, but I'm particular. I want it to tell us how far we have to go in "weeks" not "days" or "percentages." So, bear with me. By the way, Boo and I went and registered the other night and it completely wore us both out. She's been moving around a lot more in the last few days too. Baby furniture arrives on Monday! Yay!

Report Card

I'm a couple weeks into this "stay at home mom" thing and I thought I'd report how I'm doing thus far. Complete and utter honesty, okay?
First of all, the baby is still in my belly so there is no "momming" to be done yet so I have to find things to fill my day with. The whole idea for leaving my job early was to accomplish a few things before the baby's arrival. I guess I've gotten some things done, just not the meaningful things. We'll get into that in a minute.
Most days I sit on the couch and Facebook/check email/eat breakfast and watch the "Today Show" from about 8 to 10am. At 10 am Hoda and Kathi Lee come on for the final hour of "Today" and I can't stand Kathi Lee. She's just a little melodramatic for me. Basically for two hours I sit on my couch watching the tv or my computer screen. I think this is ridiculous. I expect more from myself and I feel like I'm wasting time.
Then, miraculously and out of a sense of duty I take a shower and get dressed in something other than pajamas. If it's Monday I go to the grocery store. If not I bide my time until it's time for lunch. I have been really good about eating lunch at home. When I worked I ate lunch out everyday. I'm not exaggerating at all either.
My dogs love that I'm home, I think. Mya has a tendency to bark at nothing so I yell at her and Farley doesn't want to hear it so he gets up and goes in the other room. Who can blame him?
Here's what has been accomplished: Home office deconstructed and office desk and chair sold on Craigslist. Score! Spare bedroom moved into former home office. Still needs organized. Pending score! Nursery is starting to take shape in former spare bedroom (pronounced spare-oom in Narnia for you trivia freaks). The rocker/recliner with side table and lamp are in place. Just waiting on furniture to arrive. Color scheme figured out...no matchy matchiness. I hate that. Pending score! Boo built more shelves in hall closet and I put shelf liner on them yesterday. Rearranged both hall closets and threw out old stuff and expired medications that were hiding in the back. Low and behold I found extra space in those closets after the purge session. I have a pile of more stuff to be sold on Craigslist or Freecycled.
So, I've accomplished a few things. But when I began this hiatus I had visions of painting at my easel, taking photos then editing them, or beginning to write that book, or gardening and planting flowers. Nevermind that it's been February and I can't garden yet...maybe when I get the "necessary projects" out of the way I can focus on more fun projects.
Those are the things I had in mind for myself. I have always had a tendency to expect too much too soon. I always hold myself to a high standard. I am 21 weeks pregnant. Maybe I'm doing okay after all. Warmer weather can't hurt my motivation either, c'mon spring!

The other lover....

Dear Blogger and internet people-

I've been cheating on you with Facebook and I apologize for not spending equal amounts of time with you. It's not you, it's me. I don't want to break up or anything, I just need you to be patient until the newness wears off of FB. It's been magical though, getting reacquainted with old friends, college roommates, former classmates, my cousins who live far away and even some folks I never really was friends with. I'm a bit nosy and perhaps voyeuristic because I just browse around peeking into their lives that they've posted on FB. Reading about what they've done with themselves and looking at their photos. Most people either look the same or have put on a few pounds...and most of them have kids in the pics with them so I feel a little behind in my baby brewing endeavors. Frankly, I've been shocked by some of the people that have sent me "friend requests." Seriously, people I never hung out with. Anyway, I promise to make an effort to spend less time there and hopefully more time here. I'd really like to snazz this place up a little bit but I'm not super techy so I don't know how to install a cooler banner or anything.

And, do any of you know how to go about getting a Copyright? Thanks ahead of time!
See you soon internet friends!

Big news and vacation minutia

Hello internet people! I've returned home from my week long stint in Tucson. First I will tell you the really big news followed by a few details of my trip to Arizona perhaps illustrated by some unedited photos.

Mmmmkay, big news! Boo and I went in for our 20 week ultrasound and found out the little bundle of life in my belly is a girl. We will have a daughter and we couldn't be happier! The ultrasound was amazing. The last time we had one we were only at 8 weeks so basically we brought home a picture of a blob. But a 20 week ultrasound is so much different. I didn't realize everything involved until we got started. Right off the bat she showed us that it was undoubtedly a baby girl. Then she began measuring bones, counting heart chambers, fingers and brain lobes. She examined the spine, abdomen and arteries. She checked out things I didn't even know were there. The baby was very active during the scan which startled Boo. She tucked an arm behind her head and opened her mouth so we could see her tongue...maybe yawning? Her little legs were stretching out then scrunching back up. It was humbling.

Now I will shop for nursery items, clothes and names. July will be here before I know it. Regarding Arizona. The weather apparently didn't get the memo that I was visiting because it was less than warm. In all the times I've been there it's never been in the 50's until this time. One day it got to 70. I cherished that day. We went to an art festival and I wore a sleeveless shirt with a cowboy hat...I'll show you as long as you promise not to make fun of me and remember that I'm five months prego.

Although I didn't buy any art that day, I purchased some Prickly Pear Cactus honey. Food is always high on my list. I bought art another day at a different place. I'm a big fan of Ted DeGrazia's art and of his awesome Gallery in the Sun. He is long passed on but his gallery remains open in Tucson thanks to his foundation. He was a pretty cool cat himself...kind of a rebel, took stands for what he believed in, didn't care what folks thought. He kind of reminds me of a friend/teacher I once had named Vito. Although to my knowledge V didn't paint. Here's a few of my favorites of DeGrazia...
And here's a photo of the mission he built near the gallery for himself and the local Indian tribes to worship in... And a photo of him unloading some Cholla cactus skeletons...
He once burned most of his original paintings on top of a mountain to protest the IRS wanting to tax his heirs for the full market value of the art but yet would only let DeGrazia write off the cost of his painting supplies. I love that.

Anyway, while I was out there I also went to the Gem show..it was okay. I won't go again, just not my thing. We went hiking into a wash to see "Picture Rocks" which are ancient native american petroglyphs..that was cool. I also visited my 80 year old grandmother. She's a riot. Seriously, she's the complete opposite of quiet, in the kitchen, grandmother types. First of all she's a democrat, she cusses like a sailor..including the f-bomb, and she's totally unconventional except that she likes to crochet. She has this new thing about thinking everyone is getting fat though. And she wants to tell them. She frequents a certain restaurant and wanted to tell the owner he was getting fat. She thinks Jay Leno is putting on weight and so is my uncle.

My flight home was on Thursday but it got delayed/cancelled because of the weather out east that day. My 20 week ultrasound was scheduled for friday morning. Can you see where this is going? They rebooked me on a friday morning flight and I had to reschedule my scan. I was sooo upset. I believe things happen for a reason though so I tried to think positive. I survived and it was worth the wait.

Leavin' on a jet plane...

Don't know when I'll be back again.....just kidding. I'll be back next Thursday. I'm flying out to Tucson, AZ this afternoon for a little R&R. My friend K 's parents have a condo out there and my grandma lives out there in the wintertime. I'll be splitting my time between both. K and I plan to attend an art festival in a tiny little artist colony called Tubac on Friday, then Saturday we're going to the Gem Show. I've never been to a gem show, but she assures me that there is lots to see and plenty of unique stones, gems (duh) and jewelry to peruse. I'm not a big "jewelry girl" but I do enjoy the southwestern style of burnished silver, turquoise and coral so that's what I'm hunting for. Not sure what the schedule for Sunday is. Monday I'm heading north to a little town called Florence to spend a few days with my grandma.

Probably I'm most excited about the food. At some point we'll make a stop at San Xavier Mission del Bac because they have a little plaza where they sell the best Indian Tacos made by members of the Tohono O'odham community. Absolute heaven...and oh yea, the architecture is gorgeous at the mission. In Tucson there is a wonderful place called Lil Abner's and they have a fantastic mesquite ribeye. I also anticipate lots of food vendors at the gem show. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the reason I go to Arizona at all....the L & B Inn. Holy authentic Mexican food Batman. It's a quaint family owned place and I just love sitting on the patio near the fountain. Neighborhood cats wind their lithe little bodies between the wrought iron spindles of the decorative fence that encloses the patio while you crunch on chips and homemade, secret family recipe salsa. Can't. Wait.

So, while I'm gone please enjoy a few pics from some previous trips to Arizona...

Stunt Double

Hhhmmm. Seems the only thing Mya's missing is a hood and
walking stick.

12.5 inches of Snow

Today we woke up to the most snow I've seen in one snowfall since 1996. The State Police
wanted people to stay off the roads so I obliged and stayed home from work. I have to admit, since next Wednesday is my last day, I'm not exactly breaking my back in the work department.
I did some things around the house, dusting and whatnot. Then I grabbed my camera and took the dogs outside in the backyard.

Mya stayed on the deck and was having none of it.

Farley on the other hand, dove in head first.

As a Lab, he seems to enjoy all forms of water including

fresh snowfall.

Mya saw Farley having all the fun and decided to get her

fanny off the deck and jump in!

Here she is digging a hole trying to find the snowball I threw.

I'm telling you, Farley is a madman in the snow!

He got so excited bounding around that he miscalculated and mushed

Mya down into the snow. Then it was time to go in because Mya had her

feelings hurt.

I'm going to do some editing to get rid of the "blue" cast in the pics, but I wanted to get them

posted quickly so y'all could see what we've been doing today in Indiana! 8 weeks until spring!