Cafe de Valentine

Iphone Photo Dump

2012-01-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a few photos from my phone since that's where most of my photos are these days.

My mom actually sent me the one above while I was working one day. This is his favorite new face to make.

The lighting is horrible on this one (above) but he had on a new camo vest.

I put him down awake for all his naps so he knows how to put himself to sleep but at night for bedtime I prefer to rock him to sleep. This was the end of a very long day so forgive the lack of decent hair and make-up.

This one is taken in the dark so you have to look hard but when I rock him he likes to have his little hand on my face. It's the sweetest thing, I hope he still does that when he's 20. You know, when I rock him to sleep. :)

This is the usual face I get when I get home from work. I long for this moment ALL DAY LONG.

I don't want to forget these sweet moments, they go by so fast.

*all photos taken in the last 2 weeks. 7 months old.

Working Mom

2012-01-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post mid September and I never posted it. Now that I've been back at work for over 4 months I thought I would add to the bottom my current schedule (things have changed a bit) and my current thoughts/struggles. I'd love the feedback from any other working Mom's.
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I am officially 3 weeks into being a full time working mom. It's probably the hardest job I've ever had. Parenting is a 24/7 job that I love and it brings me so much joy, but when we add all the things that I used to get done each evening, weekend & early morning outside of work to taking care of a little one that's a tough task. I will say that I had zero post-pardum depression and never even really had a difficult time transitioning to being a Mama. It came very naturally to me. I loved it from day one and there wasn't really anything for me to get worked up over.

I will share with you, however, that transitioning back to work has been harder than anything I've ever done. I'm learning how to balance my time with Bear and with hubs and attempting to keep the house not looking like a slew of pigs live there and sleep a bit in the process. I've had to meal plan for the first time in my entire life & grocery shop with meals in mind. I did buy a fairly expensive planner and it has saved my skin more times than not.

I wanted to write out a rough schedule that we have each day in hopes that other working Mama's could chime in and let me know what their days look like. I also would love some ideas/help meal planning. I'm just a horrible plan ahead gal when it comes to cooking. I just don't know what I'm going to feel like or I forget to take things out of the freezer etc. I think the crock pot is going to be my absolute BFF this winter. I've already been using it more in the last 3 weeks than I think I've used it since we got married.

Our day starts by 545am each morning when Hubs alarm goes off for work. We try and remember to set the coffee pot the night before so I just flip the switch and it is started. I then make his lunch, get his breakfast ready (we usually have oatmeal Monday thru Friday mornings and I try and make a big pot on Sunday night that I can just re-heat in the morning). I have his breakfast ready when he's done getting ready for work so he can eat while I pack his lunch and get his coffee poured. I know to a lot of wives that this seems silly that I do all this for him. It's something I started when we got married and I enjoy doing that for him. I'm not a morning person at all but this starts my day off with a servants heart. It's easy for me to grumble about it a lot of times, but at the end of the day I'm happy that my husband can say in our 5 years of marriage that he's only made his breakfast or lunch a small handful of times (when I was sick or out of town which is SUPER rare). Once he leaves at 610am I make my lunch, do any dishes still left from the night before, tidy up the kitchen counter and be sure all the bottle parts and pump parts for the day are washed. I get all of my stuff to take for the day ready and have it on the counter ready to go. I usually eat breakfast real quick at this point. Usually by the time I finish all of this Bear is awake. I change him and snuggle for a few minutes before taking him with me into the bathroom. He sits in his bouncy seat while I shower and get ready. We are very lucky to have my mom watching Bear while I work. She comes to our house each morning (which is even better) and usually she's there by 745-750am. She takes him out to the living room to play while I put the dog out to go potty, feed the outside dog & get dressed (with a spitter I don't get dressed until I'm walking out the door for fear of having to change again if he spits up all over me). I then kiss them both goodbye, grab all my goodies & head to work.

I pump twice during my work day as he is still Exclusively Breast Fed. My mom feeds him bottles of milk I've pumped the day before and anything I pump outside of the office goes in the freezer for my back up stash.

The evenings are hard. He's not on a set eating schedule in the evenings because it depends on how much he ate in the afternoon and how long he slept as to whether or not he'll take an evening nap or want to eat again when I get home. I try to get dinner on, kitchen picked up & his room tidied each night so that I can just sit and snuggle/play with Bear and visit with Hubs. I also try and get the diaper bag restocked so that if my mom has any errands to run or wants to take him to her house for a few hours during the day she doesn't have to find stuff. I also try and do a load of cloth diapers twice a week as well as a load of his clothes/burp rags/blankets etc once or twice a week so she has plenty of outfits and burp rags ready to go if she needs them. Bear takes his last feeding at 9pm to which he falls asleep during and is usually in bed out like a light by 930pm. At that point folks, I walk straight to my room, feed the other dog, put on my jammies, take my vitamins and CRASH OUT! I am usually asleep by 1030pm at the latest each night.

B is sleeping through the night for the most part. His first morning feed is anywhere from 430am-630am. If he gets up to eat at 430am I will head back to bed for a half hour or so after he eats before I get up with hubs. If he gets up at 5-530am I just stay up for the day. If it's later than that I know I have to hustle with my morning routine since he could get up at anytime and want to eat.

The weekends are when we do the real housework and yard work. I have a fabulous husband who does everything having to do with the exterior of our house. I've never even pulled a weed. Usually while he does that I will dust, vacuum, wash sheets, put away laundry & clean bathrooms. I know some of this should be done more often then once a week but I just can't get there yet. Hopefully soon as he's spreading out evening feedings more. All these chores really only take about an hour, maybe two if I have a lot of laundry to do. The hard part is trying to be social on the weekends and get housework done. Not to mention that I seem to think Saturday mornings are for sleeping until at least 10am (Hubs would stay up and play with B after his morning feeding since he is the morning person in our house).

I'm having a really hard time with weekends because part of me really wants to lock myself in my house with my husband and my little boy and enjoy each other since I feel like I don't get enough time with either of them all week, but at the same time we have family that we need to spend time with and friends that we desire to see & fun stuff we'd like to do as a family and take B too. I feel like I look at the calendar at the beginning of a week and get excited that we only have something planned Saturday night and then by the end of the week I'm often dreading the weekend because it's packed from the time we get off work Friday until Sunday night. It's all fun stuff that I want to do and don't want to miss out on, but I feel like I start the next week exhausted with the same issues looming over my head. I never feel prepared for Monday morning and I never feel like I leave B on Monday having recharged my time with him. I don't want to turn into a hermit and I want our family and friends to get to spend time with him too (which has to be on the weekends cause we don't go out during the week at all) but I have to find the balance.

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Edited to add our current schedule as of mid January:

I am not getting up with hubs everyday anymore (it depends on how our night went and if I get his lunch ready the night before). I am proud to say that I made it 5 1/2 years of going to bed at the same time and getting up and the same time each and every day and now that we have a little one, all that has changed! :)

I have to get all bottles and pump parts washed the night before and the coffee pot set and the lunches all made. Hubs gets up about 6am (he has a new job so he leaves a bit later) and he's ready and out the door with lunch, breakfast & coffee by 630am. I have to be in the shower by 7am and on a good day I can get showered and "ready" before B wakes up. At that point I get him up and change his diaper and my mom is there by 8am to feed him. I pump once before I leave since he's eating solid foods now he's only getting bm 4 times a day so he gets 3 bottles and I try and nurse him at least once. I have had a HUGE struggle with milk supply so pumping is often more effective because I know how much I'm getting and how much he's getting.

I leave for work by 815am (try to anyway) and I still try and pump twice at work but that's getting harder and harder). I am home by 430pm & on a good day I will go do my couch to 5k run before my mom leaves and then nurse him about 5pm and get dinner going so we can eat when hubs gets home about 6pm. Once we eat I snuggle and play with Bear for a good hour or so and then he gets to play on the floor with Daddy while I clean up dinner, prep lunches and coffee pot and get Bear's dinner ready. I try and feed him his food between 730-8pm and then he plays on the floor or in his bouncer for about 30 min while I do one last pump session for the day. I then give him his bath about 845pm and then he gets a bottle at 9pm and falls asleep within minutes of finishing that. I usually rock him for a few minutes and soak up those snuggles and the clean baby smell before putting him down for the night. He sleeps through the night for the most part aside from the occasional fussing for no reason but usually a pat on the rear or a replacing of a paci and he's right back to sleep. I don't ever feed him in the night anymore (kid is over 20lbs, he doesn't need to eat in the night).

This of course is the best case scenario and the goal each day. There are many nights when I have to do a load of wash, or make more baby food, or just have a clingy baby that I don't get to pump until he's in bed or when he is up until closer to 10pm than 930pm. That means I'm not in bed until at least 11pm. I am usually a night owl, but boy those mornings are getting harder and harder.

Our weekends are still my struggle. It's so hard for me to balance and to feel like I get any time to catch up on "me things". I have a pile of stuff I'd like to make (crafty stuff) and I have a million pictures to organize and blog posts waiting to write and errands to run and closets to clean and friends to hang out with and movies to watch and family that wants to have time to spend with our sweet boy. It's all a balance. Once I haven't mastered. At. All. I'm getting good at saying no to things but they are often things I wish I didn't have to say no too. I find myself planing fun things and then dreading them as the time approaches because I'd rather be home with my little family relaxing. I am learning the limbo and I'm happy that our kiddo is such a happy baby and is flexible. He loves to run errands and visit with friends and family. That makes it so easy.

I'm welcome to any thoughts or ideas y'all have to make this transition smoother. I feel like I'm always running. I guess that's the life of a Mom!

A Special Meeting

2011-11-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post this back in July when it happened but I don't want to forget it. Bear is a fourth generation with his name, most go by their middle names. It was a fun day having all these boys together.

Bear, his daddy (Hubs), his Papa V & his Papaw.

He's so blessed to have such great guys in his life.

My Little Pumpkin {Halloween 2011}

2011-11-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

My sweet boy had quite the fall already! We visited the pumpkin patch, took pictures IN a pumpkin and of course had to dress up as a Bear for Bear's first Halloween.

My cute little Bear was not a huge fan of his costume. Part of the problem was the fact that it's really warm & cozy and it was 82 degrees on Halloween. Another issue was the fact that there were about 12 cameras flashing at him the second I got him in the costume.

He did love the pumpkin patch! This photo was taken with our iphone so it's not the best quality.

I had seen on Pintrest a cute picture of a baby sitting in a pumpkin and I knew this was the only Halloween that he would fit, so we had to do it. We may have spent a small fortune on a pumpkin big enough to fit our chubby boy & his thighs! :) They seriously made for the cutest photos though! I'm so glad we did it!

We had a great first Halloween with our little man and we can't wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. The holidays are so fun to explore with a new little one. It's been a long time since anyone in our family dressed up for Halloween!

Four Months

2011-10-13T21:31:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure how I have a four month old already!??

Bear is seriously so fun right now. He's getting really wiggly so these pictures are getting harder and harder to take, but he's got so much personality.

He is still eating great, on a much more consistant schedule. Every 3-4 hours. He is maybe waking up once a night, depending on how he eats in the evening. His teeth have been giving him some real trouble this last week or so. He fusses more than normal and pulls at his bottom jaw. And Oh The DROOL! He still occasionally spits up, not near as much as he used to. He is such a little flirt already, he'll flash anyone a smile. He is in size 3 diapers and still fits in some 3-6 mo clothes but mostly all 6 month stuff now. It got a little chilly for about a week and we had a hard time fitting into winter stuff. By the time it gets cold for good he'll fit in things better. Pants are hard because if they fit around his chubby belly they are about 6 inches too long, if they fit the legs right they cut off circulation to his legs (not really, but they sure are tight on his tummy).

He loves to play on the floor or in his excersaucer. He still loves his little bouncy seat and the swing if he's tired. He's getting good at sitting in the bumbo but if he's tired he just falls to one side. His 4 Month appointment was the day before he turned 4 months and he weighed in at 16 lbs 11oz, 25.5 inches long. They said he was roughly 80% for weight & 35% for height. Daddy is hoping he has a little growth spurt here soon (height wise). :)

It makes this Mama's heart sad to see how big and independent he's getting already. I already don't feel like I have a baby anymore. He's so much fun to watch discover new things though and we are enjoying each and every minute.

Three Months

2011-10-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun! B turned 3 months old on September 7th

Time flies when you're having fun! B turned 3 months old on September 7th.You have become very aware and responsive this month. You have such a fun personality. You laugh and talk all day long. You can follow our voice and respond to your name (and your many nicknames). You love to read stories and you get excited when we sing to you. Your new advancement is grabbing anything in your reach (including Daddy's chest hair & Mama's earrings) & you have become a professional drooler. We don't see or feel any teeth yet (which Mama is thankful for) but you slobber all day long & your fists/arms spend all day in your mouth. You aren't spitting up as often, but when you do it's EVERYWHERE! You have always loved bath time, but you have learned how to splash and it's your favorite thing to do! Your little bath has moved from the kitchen sink into the big bath after Mama had to mop the whole kitchen after one bath. You are eating more on a schedule of every 3 hours now and you are sleeping through the night as far as Mama is concerned. You take your last feeding of the day at 9pm falling asleep about 930pm and you sleep until about 5 or 530am when you eat and then go back to bed until about 7-730am. Since Mama went back to work this month, she's getting up at 530am for the day away, so she feeds you and then gets herself ready and lunch packed and sees Daddy off to work. Your Sito (Mama's mom) comes to our house every day to watch you while we work and you LOVE your play time with her. Auntie "Banana" & Uncle Mikey have bought you LOTS of books that you love to read and Sito bought you some CD's with kids songs that you like to sing to. You seriously will start coo'ing when we sing like you are singing along.

You are such a morning person like your Daddy. You wake up smiling and talking each morning. You are wearing your cloth diapers anytime we are at home. Except at night. You are a very heavy wetter so I still put you in disposables at night. You have watched your first Fresno State Football Game with us on TV and you would laugh and laugh when we would yell "Touchdown"! I see a bright future with you on a football field with the rolls you got going on right now. You are a BIG boy! You are in 3-6 month clothes. You like the Bumbo chair unless you are tired and then holding up your head is just too much work.

You are such a joy in our house, you enjoy running errands, and taking walks & going to various family functions which makes it so easy to just go when we want. The only time you are fussy is when you are hungry or tired and we can now tell the difference so we know what to give you and you are happy again. You can sleep anywhere (thankfully) so we just hold you with your Pita or lay you on the floor in someone's house and you will nap great. You will smile for total strangers and everyone can tell you are a happy baby. Your hair is getting much lighter than it was when you were born and it's thinning out a lot. I'm curious to see what color it will end up being. I'm also curious as to what color eyes you're going to have. One is getting lighter blue and one has a lot of brown coming into it. You may end up with one blue eye and one brown eye.

You are so much fun & we love you to the moon & back!

Two Months

2011-09-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

You are a growing boy! You turned Two months old on August 7th.I think your thighs and your cheeks have grown the most this month. Your hair is really thinning out, we tease you that you're hair looks like Jido's (Mama's dad)! You are still eating like crazy & when you decide your hungry you want it and you want it now! You only wake up once a night now and are such a good sleeper. This month you went on your first road trip to the beach for 4 nights & 5 days. It was in the 60's all week and you LOVED it. Being such a warm baby you enjoyed wearing long sleeves and pants and hats. You also got some good use out of your "warmer" wardrobe. You are in 0-3 month clothes and even some 3 month outfits. You are now in size 2 diapers. The size 1 didn't fit around your thighs anymore.

You are now sleeping in your own room at night. You were 6 weeks old when we moved you in there and you love sleeping in your crib. You take a good morning nap and usually two afternoon naps. You usually take one longer nap in the afternoon if you are held. You have this magic timer set at 45 minutes for naps in your crib. You will often go right back to sleep if you're held or even in your swing, but for some reason in your crib you don't sleep longer than 45 minutes. You love your bouncy seat, your swing & your play mat. You like tummy time, but you don't really try and look around too much, you just lay there and will sometimes fall asleep which makes your Mama nervous. You still love your Pita (pacifier) and you still spit up often.

You still love to be swaddled when you sleep. You are starting to be very aware of what is around you and you will follow your Daddy side to side to stare at him. You smiled and laughed outloud for your Daddy this month. Mama was a little jealous, but is so happy that you love your Daddy. Speaking of your Daddy, we were so blessed to have him home with us the first 7 weeks to help take care of you and to bond with you and to help Mama recover. He went back to worth this month and we miss him each day while he's gone.
You enjoy sitting with him in the evening and watching a baseball game or reading a book. You have been to church now for the first time and you do well in the Moby Wrap sleeping during the service.

One Month

2011-09-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

I am behind on his monthly posts and want to be sure I have all the memories here to look back on so I'm going to play catch up this week.

On July 7th you turned One Month Old!

We are starting to figure you out a bit more, but you still run the show! You are still sleeping in our room in your Pack 'n Play. You wake up 2 times a night to eat. You don't like it when I wrap you in your swaddle blanket, but once you're in you love sleeping all wrapped up. You have loved your pacifier (we call it a "pita") from day one so if you are ever upset or sleepy that calms you right down or puts you right to sleep. You have no patience waiting for Mama to feed you, when you are hungry you want to eat YESTERDAY! I wish I could say you eat every three hours, but it really depends on the day. Sometimes you want to eat every 1 1/2 hours. You have the cutest little rolls starting on your legs. You have no issues feeding and have been gaining weight just fine. This is probably not something you want me to document but you are the gassiest baby I've ever seen. You burp so loud after every feeding not to mention you toot like a grown man. I'm so nervous to take you anywhere because you toot so loud I'm afraid someone will think it's me! You are getting really good and pee'ing all over your Daddy and I. I never thought something so little could pee so far. You lasted in Newborn size diapers for about 1 1/2 weeks and are now in a size one. You can still fit in a few of the Newborn size onesies that were brand new, but are mostly wearing size 0-3 months. We are so thankful that you have great friends that have shared their clothes with you because there have been a few days where we've gone through 4+ outfits in one day. Between your massive spit up issues and your massive diapers you keep Mama on her toes. You are such a warm blooded baby, we can't put you in anything long sleeved or even pants. You've never even worn socks. You just wear short sleeved onesies everyday & to sleep in.

Take me out to the ball game

2011-08-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

My parents, grandparents, aunt & cousins went to the AAA baseball game in town last week and invited us to come. It was a hot day so we weren't going to go, but they assured us our seats were in the shade & there was actually a breeze that day.

Bear wore his baseball outfit, and loved all the attention he got (since he didn't know there was a baseball game going on).

I am wearing a huge tank top since it was so hot & I had planned on it not showing since I was wearing him in the Moby but it got to hot and I took it off and I looked HUGE in that shirt without it. Nonetheless, we had a fun family night at the ballpark & can't wait for next summer when he can really enjoy all there is to do at the games. This kid will be raised at sporting events, he better get used to it early!
:) good thing he seemed to enjoy himself!

Lions & Tigers & Bears Oh My!

2011-08-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

Katie & Ozzie (hubs sister and her husband) were out of town a few weeks ago and Nana & Papaw (hubs parents) had Carsyn for a few days. They mentioned they were taking him to the zoo on Saturday and we decided to tag along. Not so much because Bear would notice we were there or care about any of the animals yet, but because it was fun & we wanted to see how much fun Carsyn would have.
Nana, Carsyn, myself & Bear (above) on our way into the Reptile house.
Carsyn on the big lizard (I forget which kind it is exactally) statue.
Carsyn getting in the big turtle shell. He proceeded to bump his head on it getting out and we had big tears for a moment.
Carysn LOVES Baby Bear. He really enjoyed having him there at the zoo with him.

We took him to the bird show there and we didn't imagine he'd sit there the whole time, but he liked it. He sat on Papaw's lap with his hand out waiting for a bird to come to him! :)

Bear liked the bird show.
All the boys.

My favorite animal at the zoo is the giraffe's. We sat and watched them for along time. Every half hour they open it up and you can pay $2 and go feed them some leaves. Nana took Carsyn over and he got to feed them.
Ok, this monkey amazed us. Just to the left of this photo below there is a balcony below (ground level) and one up top that you can stand and watch the monkeys. Someone up top dropped their cell phone onto the ground below while they were trying to take a picture. The monkey heard it fall and tucked the baby monkey that he was holding, under his arm & went over, found a stick and tried to get the phone! They are really smart!

By the end of the zoo trip we had two very tired boys. It was a hot day but we went early when they opened and just the last half hour got hot. We knew it was time to head home when they both crashed about 1230! We can't wait to go again next spring & will probably get season passes since Bear will enjoy it much more then. We took pictures of all the animals with our camera and we are going to print them and start teaching him about them so when we go to the zoo he knows what they are!

beach baby

2011-08-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

My family has a beach week each summer in July and this year we decided to be brave and attempt it with a 6 week old. The house we stayed in has a little "back house" that is separate from the main house where my grandparents, parents, siblings, aunt & cousin were staying so we didn't disturb them too much in the night. We had our own little kitchen, bathroom & a big enough main area for the pack & play and all the stuff that comes with traveling with a baby!
We go to the central coast in California which tends to be much cooler and while we had a few days of sun it never got above 75 degrees and most days was a bit overcast. I know that doesn't sound like a beach trip to many people, but we LOVE enjoying the cool weather and the scenery in the middle of summer when we have had 95+ degrees at home for over a month. Our very warm blooded baby LOVED the cooler weather & we liked getting to see him snuggled up in long jammies & hats since it's far too hot here for any of that.

Our family picture on the beach.

Since we had lots of family around (the rest of our family stays in two other houses for a total of over 30 people there for the week) hubs and I decided to get away one evening for dinner on the water & a little shopping downtown. The photo below is before our date night on the deck of the house we stayed at. Those houses across the street drop off onto the beach and it's all water behind them. Love our view from that deck.
I leave you with one happy beach baby & a happy family after a week in "paradise". My paradise anyway!

Newborn Photos

2011-07-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

All our newborn photos were taken by my sister in law Katie Fernandes. She also took all of my maternity photos. I love the way they turned out. It took awhile to get the ones we need... he's a very difficult child to photograph. I've got my work cut out for me for many years to come!

I will post a few out takes & the official birth announcement next. Are you tired of pictures yet?

Maternity Photos

2011-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am posting all out of order right now just trying to get caught up and show off all the pictures I have that I didn't yet post. My sister in law is trying her hand at photography these days and she offered to take some maternity photos for us... I'm so glad she did and that we did them earlier than I would have. I don't look massive in them yet, but def pregnant. She did such a great job. She also took all of Bear's newborn photos and I love them as well.

I want to still print some of these for around our house. I love them.

A Birth Story

2011-07-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This is a birth story, I didn't go into gross detail, but there are natural parts of labor and delivery that are gross to some... read at your own risk.

I had a weekly OB appointment on Tuesday, May 31^st (I was 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant). My Dr. checked me for the first time and I was dilated 2 cm and I was 90% effaced. Hubs had taken that day off to go with me to the appointment and to use up the last of his Comp time that had to be used within the week. We made a full date day of it, went to breakfast, saw Thor, stopped for milkshakes, went out for a fancy dinner… really just enjoyed each other. It was a great way to spend our last week before our little guy arrived. We walked every single night that week. I even jogged a bit, did some jumping jacks and spent a lot of time bouncing on the birthing ball. I wasn’t really ready to have him right that second, but I wanted to be sure that thinks were moving along and that my body would ready. Our little man had been measuring a bit big during pregnancy and while I didn’t want to have him early, we agreed with our doctor that I shouldn’t go past my due date since he would just keep getting bigger at that point and I might end up forced into a c-section that could be avoided. Since I was already dilating on my own, we had decided that if baby hadn’t come by Thursday, June 9^th then the doctor would break my water that morning. I really wanted the experience of going into labor on my own and I was wanting to avoid pitocin if possible, but I also didn’t want a 10lb baby, so I was perfectly fine with that plan and I was going to do what I could the few days before in an effort to help start my labor naturally.

I had another OB appointment on Tuesday, June 7^th at 2:30pm but hubs couldn’t come with me to that one. He was so nervous that he was going to tell me I was dilated a whole bunch more and to just head next door to the hospital and he was an hour away at work, I kept telling him all day that nothing was happening and I would be fine. I had what I thought were a few contractions just before the appointment, but nothing I could really time. I thought if anything I would maybe go into labor that night or the next day. I had a really upset feeling stomach all day and NO appetite. I knew that was a sign of early labor so I was hoping things were getting started. At my appointment that day he checked me again and I hadn’t changed at all since the week prior. I was a bit frustrated by that, but not bad. I told him I’d had a few contractions but I couldn’t really time them. He said he could tell that I wasn’t uncomfortable enough to be having “real” contractions and that he’d probably see me Thursday morning to break my water. He said if anything happened sooner to head in and that Dr. “I” was on call that night and Dr. Lopez the next day but that he’d be around. I know both of them are good, so I was fine with whatever happened.

After I saw him, I went to the nurses desk and scheduled the “induction” for Thursday, I subsequently proceeded to the appointment desk and made my 6 week postpartum appointment for July & then stopped at the front desk to ask the lady about the disability paperwork and when I needed to turn it in. Poor hubs was a nervous wreck and work and even though I text him right after the exam and told him “no change, they aren’t keeping me, call you in a bit when I leave” he called my phone while I was still trying to schedule everything. I waited until I was done and leaving the office to call him back and the second he answered his phone (I was literally one step out the doctor’s office) my water broke. It was 3:10pm.

It was a surreal moment, I’m not sure if he stirred things up when he checked me or if the contractions were just picking up, but it broke right there. I sort of wondered if I had just wet my pants, but it was a lot of fluid and I had just pee’d in the cup for the doctor so I couldn’t imagine I would have had that much urine in me. I told hubs to head toward the hospital and I was going to walk back in the Dr. office and see what they wanted me to do and I’d call him back. They of course said to head to the hospital (thank heaven’s my doctor’s office is in the same parking lot as the hospital). I had brought all of our hospital bags and camera’s and a change of clothes for hubs with me just in case, so I just grabbed my purse, my one labor bag (yes, I had a labor bag & a postpartum bag & a bag with baby’s stuff) and hubs’ clothes and I walked all the way through the emergency room, waiting room & lobby to the front desk (parking back by the emergency exit insures that you can get to your car day or night since those doors are left unlocked 24/7). Let me remind you that my jeans are soaking wet and I’m still leaking fluid (which is such a weird feeling). I told the lady at the front desk that my water had broke and I needed to check into labor & delivery. She was leaving on break so she told the other guy working there that I was there to check in and she left. He thought I was there to pre-register, asking me to have a seat and started bringing out all this paperwork. I declined taking a seat so not to ruin their chair & I kindly stated that I had already registered and I just needed to head up there. I still don’t remember having specific contractions at this point, maybe I was just distracted by everything happening. On the way over to the hospital, I had also called my best friend, Brittany, since she just lives 2 minutes away and we had asked her to be in the room during delivery to take pictures. By the time I was wheeled upstairs & into a room I changed into the gown, got into bed and Brittany was there. I was on a monitor within minutes and contractions were every 2 min and were lasting about a min each. Our family started calling as they found out and wanted to know if they should come now or wait and if they’d be able to see the baby if I had him in the middle of the night or if they’d have to wait until visiting hours on Wednesday. I was having a hard time talking since the contractions were already coming quick. I finally just told them to come if they wanted and we’d try and keep them posted. Hubs made it there in 35 minutes (I don’t want to know how fast he was driving), he changed clothes, took his work clothes and my, very wet clothes, down to the car and brought up the cameras and my birthing ball. By the time he got back into the room it was 4 pm and I was in hard labor. Contractions were on top of each other, they were strong & I was having a hard time focusing and relaxing through them. They still hadn’t admitted me in the system so they hadn’t started my antibiotics for Strep B and they hadn’t checked me at all. Y’all, I can’t brag enough about how great my husband and Brittany were to have there. I was so hot and so nauseas through each contraction and my back was hurting so bad that one would stand by my head with a hand held fan and a puke bin & the other would rub my back. My husband started out saying “are you ok?” “what do you need” during each contraction and I quickly asked him not to ask me questions, to either tell me I’m doing good and to relax or to just watch the monitor and tell me when the contraction was about to be over or was on it’s way “down” so that I could mentally know I didn’t have much longer. He never again asked me a question and anything I asked for he got right away, ice chips, cold towel, fan higher etc. They were rock stars. I have never felt pain like that, but knowing that it came and went really helped me deal with it. They finally came in and checked me (not sure what time it was) and I was at 5cm. Both Brittany & the nurse were shocked that I was that far already since the first five can take awhile. They still hadn’t started my Strep B meds and I could tell at that point they were nervous. By 6pm I was in so much pain I couldn’t handle it. The contractions weren’t breaking. There was no easing into one either, the monitor would shoot straight up and stay at 100 level and then would dip like it was coming down and then it would shoot up again, it never went below 40 and never stayed down for longer that 20 seconds if that. I wasn’t allowed to get out of bed or even move because baby’s heart rate kept dropping and they had to move me on my side, then on my back, and then to my other side and back again to try and get his heart rate stable. I kept waiting for them to say they were going to have to take him c-section because he kept dropping but once they would get me in a good spot he would stabilize so I guess they weren’t too concerned. I did ask for something to take the edge of the pain about 6pm but the pharmacy didn’t have me in the system yet so she said she’d have a better time getting an epidural than she would getting me the Staydol (or whatever it’s called that they put in the IV). I told her to call the anesthesiologist since I knew it could take awhile. He came right in but then he wanted to chit chat about all the risks and what to do if I get a headache and how he was going to do it, etc. I really wasn’t to concerned about a headache at this point of time, I had bigger things to worry about. I did however, thought I was going to punch him. A headache at that point was the least of my worries. He got it in at 6:13pm. The second he left the room and I was back laying down I had instant relief from the contraction pain, but I had a TON of pressure. I thought something was wrong, I felt like I had to push but I figured I was only at a 5 still or maybe a 6 since they had just checked me. I called the nurse in to check me and I was a 9 ½ and baby was ready.

The doctor, however, was at least 20 minutes away (not my doctor, the one on call). The nurse said she would call him in and informed me to NOT PUSH until he gets here. I thought was going to punch her too! There was no way not to push. Thankfully, within minutes, my doctor called just to check on me before he left the office, which again is right next to the hospital (thankfully), and when they told him that I was ready to push and Dr I was 20 minutes away he said he’d walk over. I think he figured he’d check on me and hold me off until Dr I got there since he knew I’d just been in his office 3 ½ hours before and was only at 2 cm and that this was my first baby, but when he walked in and saw our little guys hair he got dressed for delivery REAL fast. I started actively pushing at 7:02pm after trying to “hold it” for almost 30 min and our little guy was born at 7:23pm. They placed him right on my chest and all I could do was smile. I was in total shock. Everything happened so fast I seriously hadn’t even processed that I was in labor and that we were going to have a baby that day. I was instantly in love and I cried watching hubs face just look at him and cry. They never took baby out of our room, they weighed him, measured him, gave him a bath, took his foot prints, did his apgar scores etc. I got to watch from the bed. I will spare the specific details, but they did call the anesthesiologist back in to give me another dose of epidural since they had quite a bit of stitching to do. Since he came so fast I didn’t have time to stretch, and were not talking yoga. My doctor cut but I tore through the cut. It was the worst tear he said I could have, but he promised he would fix me up good as new. The look on hubs face told me it was bad, I was so thankful that I had the epidural just for that since I was already at 9 cm when they gave it to me I could have gotten through the contractions without it had I known that. It took him over an hour to finish with me and that’s when I finally got to hold Charles “Barrett” Valentine. He weighed 8lbs 4oz and was 20.5 inches long. His apgar scores were 8 & 9. Both of our parents and all three of our sisters were there in the waiting room and still didn’t know his name, so at that point hubs and Brittany went out there to share details and I got to nurse him for awhile. It should be noted that Hubs, totally flabbergasted at how fast it had come, introduced our little man (as we had not told the family the name he would be going by); however, when asked how to spell his name, was to in shock to know. He subsequently told everyone, “You’ll have to ask Melissa how to spell it”. Shortly after, all the family was able to come in and visit for a little bit and take some pictures with him. We were moved into a postpartum room about 10:30pm and since I had to share a room I was able to request to be in with our friend JoAnn and her new little guy Tobin who shares a birthday with Barrett. JoAnn had her 3^rd c-section scheduled for 4:30pm that day and had joked with me for weeks that I should just meet her there and we could share a room, little did we know it would seriously work out that way.

Little Barrett and I had to stay in the Hospital for an extra day, as I was unable to have 2 rounds of the antibiotics for Strep B, and the pediatrician wanted to monitor Barrett’s blood count. Everything turned out fine and we were both discharged from the hospital, looking forward to the next chapter of our lives.

Recovery has been hard. I had to have way more stitches than a c-section and yet I get the pleasure to actually sit on my wound. I had no idea how many muscles there are “down there”. Sitting up from lying down is not fun; either are sneezing, coughing, using the bathroom, laughing, walking… it’s all an adventure. The first 5 days were pretty awful. I just sat on the couch and literally had hubs handing me what I needed because it took longer to get up and get it. By day 6 I felt like I could move easier but I was still very sore. This is week 3 and I finally feel human again. It will still be awhile until I’m totally back to normal, but I haven’t taken anything for pain in over a week.

Barrett's Arrival

2011-07-12T17:46:00.001-07:00

I am so behind on my blogging... I guess that's what happens when you have a baby. I still have two more baby showers to post pictures from but I first wanted to share pictures with you from his Birthday. We decided to have my friend Brittany in the room for the delivery to capture the important moments and she did a great job! These are not in order for some reason and I don't have time to try and fix them (gotta get this up before nap time is over!)

This was just before he was born.

This was the moment we first saw him, they put him on my chest just as he was born. I will never forget this moment. This (totally out of order) was me laboring and hubs rubbing my back. Labor was intense if you can't tell by the look on my face.

I love this picture of his sweet feet as they were doing his footprints

He's looking at his daddy after he was all cleaned up and happy.
This was right after he was born, while they were cleaning him up and checking him out.

This was the first time I held him (other then right when he was born for a quick minute). This was quite the moment for me. I can't explain the emotion.
I love this picture.

This was our first family photo (posed) and I love it.

More to come, including his birth story. SOON!

Baby Shower part 2

2011-06-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Our second baby shower was in Hanford at my Sister & Brother in Law's house. It was all of hubs family & our Hanford friends. They did a Fresno State Tailgate Couples Shower. It was so fun and the food was amazing!

My Brother In Law (Ozzie) BBQ'd hot dogs for hours! We had all kinds of chips, 4 kinds of cheese and bean & 7 layer dips. We had fruit cups & pasta salad.

We were so thankful for everyone who came. Above is Ricky & Nicky (father & son) hubs grew up with Nick.
Our cutie nephew in his FSU shirt and cool shades with his Ava (Ozzie's Mom).
From L to R hubs' Grandma Betty, his Aunt Joreen & Uncle Aharon (they drove all the way from LA to be here for the shower, we were so thrilled to have them) & my FIL, Brad.
Laurie is hiding there in the far Left corner, Chrissy, Betsy, Aunt Doris, G'ma Betty, Diane
Cute Malin (daughter of our friends Suzzie & Jaime) & my SIL, Katie.

We got lots of great stuff and some gift cards and money to shop for baby. We were thrilled with the few handmade gifts as well. Mary Stryd (Rick's wife) made this afghan in the Fresno State colors for baby. She also made us one when we got married. They are blankets that we treasure and we love that she took the time to make them for us. She and Rick are like hubs second parents since he spent so much time with Nick growing up.
Laurie made us this cute fleece knot blanket in Fresno State fleece. We can't wait for our little guy to play on this and for us to take him to the games in the winter all wrapped up in it!
We also got some cute Fresno State onesies. This kiddo has more FSU gear than we do already!
We love this Max Lucado children's stories book from Aunt Joreen & Uncle Aharon.
Linda made us this cute photo board for the nursery. The blue background fabric has the bulldog paw prints, so it goes perfectly in the nursery!

We had such a fun time visiting and watching the kiddos play. The weather turned out PERFECT for the afternoon even though two days before it was POURING rain and actually snowed for a bit (didn't stick). We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was while we were cleaning up for this shower that I got stung by a bee. He was sitting on the handle of one of our gift bags and I went to pick them up to load in the car & the little darlin' stung me right on the palm of my hand. It wasn't until the next day when my hand was two times it's normal size and super red and VERY itchy that we discovered I am in fact allergic to bees. Since I was pregnant and wasn't having a hard time breathing they couldn't give me the steroid shot they usually would, so they ordered me to take benadryl around the clock and sleep & call if it didn't let up. They also gave me two Epi Pins that I now carry. I guess once you're allergic every time you get stung the reaction can get worse. Who knew! It sure didn't ruin a fun day, and I'm glad it happened at the very end.

We again are so thankful for all the work my in-laws put into this shower. We are so thankful for all those that come out & celebrated with us. We can't wait for everyone to meet our little guy soon, he's so loved already!

Baby Shower part 1 (photo overload)

2011-05-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

So to preface all these photos, blogger has been fighting with me all week and I just now was able to get photos to load. They, however, didn't load in order. I am too tired to fight with it, so bare with me.

We had four baby showers in total. We just had different groups of people and sides of the family and I get super overwhelmed at showers anyway trying to visit with everyone and being the center of attention is always a bit awkward, not to mention that we were blessed with four people/groups that offered to host showers and I felt much better doing four "smaller" ones than one or two huge ones. I will do a post for each shower since they deserve their own posts. I have tons of pictures from some and not so many from others (if I was in charge of taking them I didn't get a ton cause I was busy enjoying myself)

This first shower was thrown by my best friend (Jill) and her mom (Lynn). She and I met in pre-school when we were 3 years old and we both turned the big 3-0 this last month, so we've been friends for quite some time! Our Mom's are also great friends after all these years and between Lynn & Jill they know how to throw one DARLING party!

This diaper cake was seriously the cutest thing! It was covered in sports stuff and had that little book on top. There were sunglasses, pacifiers, rattles, toys, outfits, stuffed animals... the works!

For dessert and part of the decor were Red Velvet cupcakes!

Some of the cupcakes had the cute Fresno State pendants on them that Jill made, and some had a White Chocolate 'V' on top that she colored red to match the decor.

The front of the diaper cake. Sorry they are out of order.

The food was amazing. This pasta salad that Jill is putting together had asparagus, pine nuts, mushrooms, onions, Parmesan cheese and probably a few other yummy things I'm forgetting. We also had a Spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts, a big fruit salad & croissants. There was tea and juice & Mimosa's to drink, it was the perfect little luncheon.
Me with my BFF, Brittany. :) Can you believe she has 3 kids? She is my go-to girl for all things Mommy related! We have been friends since Jr High & I was actually in the room when she delivered her last little girl via C-section. Talk about close! That's about as good of friends as you can be!
Kerri & Alyssa. I grew up with Kerri around the corner & Alyssa and my sister grew up together. Kerri was the #1 guest since she had surgery the day before and still came to the shower!

My Grandma, my great-aunt & my mom.

The hostess'! Lynn & Jill.

My grandma & I

The girls! Jill, Brittany & Myself.

I didn't post pictures of all the gifts, cause that would bore you all to death, but there were a few things I had to share. This bib is a favorite for obvious reasons!

Debbie, who is like a second Mom to me, got our diaper bag we registered for and then had it embroidered with "Baby Valentine". It's darling and all packed for the hospital!

Another photo totally out of order... Alyssa, Kerri & their Mom Linda.

Those three just above got us a whole slew of cute Fresno State gear for baby. This onesie was one of my favorites and if he fits into it, he will come home from the hospital in it. They also got us a cute FSU pacifier, Fresno State wipes case and...
This cute frame that says "Family" across the top. They also got hubs and I matching Fresno State shirts along with another outfit for baby to wear when he's a bit bigger and this frame can house all our photos in our matching FSU gear. I am so excited and can't wait to take them!
My Grandma got baby his piggy bank! I've already started adding some change in there!
This was such a cute gift idea. They sell these little inflatable baby bath's at Target and she blew it up and filled it with all kinds of cute baby stuff. Shampoo, baby wash, spoons, socks, etc. Such a cute idea!

We are so thankful for all the goodies that our boy was blessed with as well as all the people that took time out of their busy Saturday's to come celebrate our little man with us. Lynn and Jill put so much time and effort into the shower and it was perfect.

weeks 31, 32 & 33

2011-05-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, April has come and gone and I am having a baby next month! It weird to even think about, but so exciting at the same time. I have a few photos to catch up and then a few things from April to do other posts on. My computer is being so slow it just took me 30 min to upload these three photos, so let's give me a week or so to update on April. We have had all our showers now and each and every one of them was AWESOME! We had so much fun and I'm actually a little sad that they are over. This baby has lots of red and blue things- he's gonna be a huge Fresno State fan whether he likes it or not! :)

The photo above was week 31. I can't tell if I'm carrying high or low. I'm almost 6 ft tall and I feel this kid way low and lots of movement in my ribs. Either he's huge or short people have an incredible threshold for pregnancy pain. This was the week that some of his movements became painful. I still love to feel him move (good thing cause he is ALWAYS moving) but boy does he get a good jab in now and then.

This photo is from week 32. I'm officially large enough that I draw strange looks and lots of "how much longer do you have?" from total strangers. The days are starting to feel really long. Sitting at my desk for 7 hours is really wearing on me.

This photo above is from the very end of week 33. Yes, I have a new hairdo, I couldn't handle the long stringy, damaged, constantly in a ponytail cause it's a pain in the rear to do any longer. I will probably go even a bit shorter than this after baby is here, but for now I wanted to leave it just a bit longer in case I do have a day where I'd like to put it up. Back to pregnancy topics, the heart burn is raging these days. My belly itches like crazy. If I sit for too long or stand/walk for too long I get super uncomfortable. I actually still really enjoy being pregnant. I still can't believe the things your body does to prepare for this little person. I love feeling his movements and knowing what foods make him hyper (gummy bears) & most recently feeling his daily hiccups. I know when baby is here I will be loving on him like crazy, but I often feel like I might miss being pregnant. I will say though that I am getting to that point in pregnancy where lots of things hurt and I don't get great sleep and strange things make me mad or make me cry etc. I just keep reminding myself that it's normal, all part of the package.

I am so excited to share details and photos from the showers so stay tuned. Thankfully I had people at 3 of the 4 showers taking photos for me so I got some good ones, the last shower we were having too much fun and I didn't ask anyone to be in charge of photos so I only have a few, but I did get some of the decor which was darling. We are so blessed and above and beyond greatful for those that hosted showers, those that came to support us and our sweet boy and for all the great baby stuff we are now equipped with! I'm attempting to make heads or tails of the nursery and find a home for all the goodies so that we can pack our hospital bags and be ready for our little guy's arrival at anytime.

Nursery Sneak Peak

2011-04-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

Some of these pictures aren't great quality and the lighting is a bit off. This room is really hard to get good photos in because of lighting. I want you to get an idea. The theme is obviously Fresno State Bulldogs. Our colors are Red & Blue.

The photo above is really poor quality and there are baby gifts under the window, but I wanted to show the drapes. We bought red drapes at Target and sewed blue along the bottom.

Hubs built shelves in the closet and we bought those canvas bins. The red & Blue on the left side of the closet have bibs, hats & socks. The solid red & solid blue on the right side have onesies by size newborn, 0-3 months and 3-6 months along with pj outfits by size. I have all clothes larger than 6 months in the dresser drawers and we can trade them out as baby grows. As he gets bigger and clothes don't fit in the bins we can use them for toys, etc.

We have shelves on one wall and I am working on some art work for the crib wall. His name will go above the crib, but since we aren't sharing his name until he's here, that will be put up after he arrives. I have a lamp shade to re-cover and gifts to put away and then I will take photos of the whole room so you can see placement. We have lots of little details to share as well.

wk 29 & 30

2011-04-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

I don't have too many new symptoms to share. Baby is growing like a weed these days. All his kicks and movements are getting stronger. He's feeling heavier everyday. The heartburn is my only real complaint and it hasn't been unbearable, just really uncomfortable.

The photo above is 29 weeks.
This photo above is 30 weeks. Baby is the size of a large squash and weighs about 3.5 lbs.

Last weekend was my first baby shower. We are having a few so we can have smaller groups and be able to visit with everyone and not combine random groups of friends and family. Last weeks shower was thrown by my friend Jill & her mom Lynn. Jill and I have been friends since preschool. They did a great job with the shower, every detail was perfect. We were blessed with so many great things for baby. I was trying to wait until all the showers were over before really organizing everything but my nesting got the best of me last night. I got most stuff put away and organized. I just love looking at all the cute little tiny things! We officially have baby's going home outfit as well as the cutest diaper bag I've ever seen. I will start posting pictures of things soon. I want to wait until all the showers are over before I post all the decor and shower pics so not to put any hostesses on the spot. :)

We are so thankful to be enjoying these last 9 weeks. While that still sounds like a long time to me... I told hubs last night that I only have 9 Saturday's left to sleep in and that made it seem quite real and coming FAST! We are now going to the Dr every other week. This last week we registered at the hospital for delivery while we were there (my Dr's office is right next to the hospital). We also have planned an ultrasound for 37 weeks to check baby's size. I'm excited to see him again and at that point we'll be able to make a birth plan based on what that ultrasound shows.

I have a sneak peak of the nursery ready to post this week. Promise.

lots of photos to catch up

2011-03-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I'm running out of clothes that fit for winter time. it got really warm for a little over a week and I got excited to break out the short sleeve/cooler stuff that I seem to have more of (or am not tired of I should say) but then it got cold again. All that to say, ignore the fact that I am starting to duplicate outfits.

The above photo is week 23.

Week 24 above.

Week 25 above.

Week 26 above.
Week 27 above.
Week 28 above! Yes, I'm currently 28 weeks! We could technically have a baby in 10 weeks, it's crazy. Last week (27 weeks) I had to go have my glucose test done at the lab. I got there, waited awhile, drank the nasty orange flavored glucose drink and then sat around for another hour then they drew blood. I am a hard stick anyway, but this gal had a waiting room full of people and no patience so I still have a big ole bruise from that shot. I passed though! No 3 hour test for me!
I had another doctors appointment yesterday and I had my shot for being Rh-. It hurt like heck when she gave it to me and then it didn't feel too bad until today. My rear end is SORE! They give you the shot in the right hip so my whole back side is feeling it today. Yesterday was my last monthly appointment, now I go every two weeks. Things are going well so far, I'm starting to get uncomfortable by the end of the day, he's just getting heavier so everything is stretching and adding pressure etc. I have been gaining and gaining and gaining weight. I have no clue where it's coming from, I eat often, but not a TON. I eat decent stuff, well other than the occasional bowl of ice cream covered in thin mint cookies. Other than that, I have no clue why I'm gaining so much.

We've got the nursery almost done, I can't wait to share pictures. I have my first shower in less than two weeks. I'm so excited. The invites are so cute. I can't wait to share pictures of everything. Things are really picking up now. This weekend my boss gets married and we're celebrating my sis-in-law's birthday. Then it's April already. We have five Saturday's in April, four of them we have showers and the other one is our Child Birthing class. Hubs is really looking forward to that! Ha!

Weeks 18- 22

2011-02-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

Hello there! Miss me? Yes I know it's been a LONG time. I've discovered, being pregnant, I'd rather sleep than do anything else and that even includes blogging! I also had a wretched cold/allergies for about four days last week that really put a hinder on things. I'm actually a week behind on pictures because I was sick. I'll take week 23 tomorrow and try and get it up in a timely manner.

The photo above is week 18. That was the week we found out we were having a boy! The initial ultra sound showed that everything looked great and baby was healthy. They weren't able to get a good shot of baby's heart because of the way he was laying so I knew they would probably have me come back for another one. This was also the first week I felt baby move, it was just a few days before the day 18 week mark. Cute little flutters that made me smile.

The photo above is week 19. I had a few sleepless nights around week 19-20. I am not really uncomfortable yet, but I can't sleep in one position for long so I wake up often and then sometimes can't get comfortable again, or start thinking of things to do before baby comes and can't quiet my mind back down.

This photo above is from week 20. The half way mark! This is when baby REALLY started making his presence known. His kicks got much stronger, I could feel him actually roll over etc. Hubs was even able to feel him kick.

The photo above is week 21. I had a doctors appointment about this time and while I hadn't really gained anyway up until this point, I changed that in a hurry. At the 21 week appointment I had gained 9lbs since pre-pregnancy. My doctor doesn't really set a weight gain goal or limit, he just is sure to monitor each time and let you know if you need to slow down on the ice cream! :)

This last photo is week 22. All my weekly update emails from BabyCenter and What to Expect tell me that in the next 3-4 weeks baby will double in size. We had a large little guy from the start, so I am fearful that I may deliver a 12lb baby! We did have a second ultra sound just before 22 weeks and they were able to get much better pictures of baby and to see his whole heart. We will get the full report this week at our regular appointment. We hope that everything looks great and that he's developing well.

At the 18 week ultra sound he was measuring about 8 days bigger than he should have been (just means he's a big boy) at the 22 week ultra sound he was only about 6 days big, so maybe he just had a little growth spurt prior to the 18 week? Hubs and I were both really big babies at birth so we've given our OB a heads up that this bean could be a big boy. He will watch me and monitor how I'm growing to see what options are needed for delivery.

I am feeling good now, I do have more energy and I am not sick at all. I don't have set cravings, they come and go. Something that I crave this week I may not want next week. It's a day to day thing. Chocolate ice cream has been a favorite this last week and olives! I can't get enough olives. Green ones, black ones, it doesn't matter. My uncle makes good green olives. My grandma had a jar of them and I ate every last one. He had to make some more! I am having more back pain and my tail bone this week has felt really bruised. I learned that's to do with my sciatic nerve and my SI joint. Lucky for me my dad is a physical therapist. He manages to set at least one appointment a week for me to work out the kinks. It really helps. I still have a little stretching/pulling under my belly, that's all to be expected. Our bean is low so I can only imagine that will continue.

We have made progress on the nursery, I will try and post some pictures as I get stuff set up.

Love Letter/Poem

2011-01-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

When hubs and I got married he started a tradition on Valentine's Day each year... he writes me a poem. They aren't fancy or professional, but they are loving and from the heart and I think I've cried every single year. A few weeks ago while sorting through keepsakes I found the one from last year and it kind of reminded him of his little tradition. The next day he came home with this sweet thing. Don't worry... I cried.

We’ve been married for four years,
The best years of my life.

But our lives will soon change,
As God formed a new life.

Our Unborn Baby that’s growing
In your Womb.

The best years of our lives,
Have only started to Bloom.

Our Love will grow stronger,
Each Day that moves on.

Rocking our baby,
From morning till dawn.

I Pray and I Pray,
I’m able to Provide

But realize I will always be able,
With God as my Guide.

I’m Excited to see our years as they unfold,
Looking towards God to help Shape and help Mold.

Our Little Baby God’s Formed in His Hands,
Creating New Life forever changing Our Plans.

But I would not have it any other way,
With you as my wife and having one on the way.

Love,
Hubs

Gender Reveal Party (an annoucement)

2011-01-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Last night we had our families and few friends over to reveal the gender of our little bean. Our Ultrasound was Thursday late afternoon, so we had some very anxious family members who were really hoping we'd let it slip before 7pm last night! I came home from the ultrasound and made cupcakes for the occasion.

We had the house decked out in pink and blue. {m&m's}

Sweet Tarts {yes, I bought two huge boxes and picked out all the pink and blue ones} We also bought a huge bag of the colored tootsie rolls and pulled out the pink and blue.
I put the correct colored frosting inside the cupcakes and then frosted them all white. I was out of the paper cups you SHOULD bake them in, so some of the bottoms got a bit dark and I don't think the cupcakes tasted all that great... but they served the purpose.
I had made signs for each and had them on the counter and table. Which is it? ........

IT'S A.....

I will have more photos of the whole room decor, peoples reactions & the team pink and team blue photos soon! I just couldn't wait to share with you all!

weeks 14 thru 17

2011-01-03T19:33:00.001-08:00

the photo above is week 14, no new symptoms to speak of. I got a bit behind on updates with the holidays.
Then week 15, I look at these and sometimes feel like I get smaller one week to the next. I think some photos I suck in my gut a bit.
Week 16 photo. This was a day or two after Christmas and I was exhausted. The holidays totally wore me out.
This is the current photo, week 17! I can't believe we're almost half way there! New Year this year was a bit emotional for me knowing we'll have a baby this year. We also had our monthly appointment this last week and scheduled the 18 week ultrasound for THIS Thursday, Jan 6th. We are hoping that the bean is healthy and growing on schedule. We are also hoping the bean cooperates for us to find out if it's a girl bean or a boy bean. We have a gender reveal party scheduled for Friday night. I promise to post pictures and details here Saturday. After the party with our immediate family and friends we have to make some other calls, so it will be Saturday before I have a chance to post it all I'm sure. I can't wait to share with you all.

How we told...

2010-12-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

I guess 14 weeks in is a good time to tell the "rest of the story". So I mentioned in another post that I found out on October 1st that I was pregnant. I had ordered this cute Fresno State outfit on Ebay when we started trying so that I would have it ready whenever the day came. I got home from work and took the test and hubs wasn't home yet, so I had time to wrap this up and have it on the kitchen counter when he got home. He knew what it meant as soon as he opened it. I did order it in a size 2T so that maybe hubs can take baby to it's first game in this outfit. :)

Now, we wanted to keep it quiet for awhile to make sure that everything went well the first few appointments. We had our first appt on the 14th of October but since I was still not very far along, they just reviewed medical history, went over what I could take for different symptoms and what not to take. They kind of laid out what the next 9 months would look like appointment wise etc. So no real news at that appointment. They did set up our first ultra sound for Monday, November 1st. We had big drama keeping this appointment because I got called into Jury Duty the Friday before and actually got placed on a Jury and didn't think I would be out in time and I was going to be on the Jury for at least a week and we had planned to tell both our families the following weekend, but really wanted to be sure everything at the ultra sound looked good first. There were many tears shed to say the least... in the end the Judge had mercy on me and let me leave early that day to make the appointment.

Saturday, November 6th was hubs birthday as well as our Nephew's 1st Birthday Party. We had planned to go down for the party and then after the party we'd head back to my In-laws for dessert for my hubs Birthday. We purposely invited our really close family friends The Stryd's to all come for dessert as well. We had planned to stay the night and hang out as well. I had ordered the shirt below for Carsyn and we waited until everyone was there and they were all visiting and watching football. I just carried him to the back room, put the shirt on over his jammies and then put him back on the living room floor with his new birthday toys. Hubs had the video camera out like he was looking at video from the party earlier in the day so he was able to get good video. Sis In Law noticed that he was wearing a different shirt and thought we'd bought it for him for his bday but she couldn't tell what kind of shirt it was, so she went over and looked and screamed. My Father In Law was right there and I don't know if he couldn't read what it said or if he didn't get it, but as Katie was screaming and yelling "are you serious?" he kept saying "what? are they serious about what?" Katie turned Carsyn around so that everyone in the room could read his shirt and everyone still kinda had a blank look on their face until Katie yelled "she's pregnant!" Then of course everyone started hootin' and hollerin'. I ordered this shirt big for Bubba too so that he will fit in it next summer when baby comes. I want to order a onesie for baby that said Little Cousin and take their pic for Nana.

The very next night was the night we had planned to have my family over for dinner for Ryan's birthday. My sister had to be at church that night so she couldn't say for dinner so we told them they all had to come early and we'd play cards for awhile until she had to leave and then we'd eat. We really went back and forth with how to tell them and we actually came up with this idea the night before. I took a deck of cards and dealt them out ahead of time (I knew they wouldn't pay attention) so that everyone had an even amount and then I wrote on two of the cards in each hand. I set them all out on the table and I made sure everyone was sitting before I said pick up your cards and organize them by suit and number. I wanted them to have to thumb through to see the writing the cards. They all noticed there was stuff written on the cards, but none of them stopped to read it. They all kept complaining about how you're supposed to play cards with a deck that's been written all over. Hubs had his phone out and was video taping, he told them the directions to this new game were on his phone so they wouldn't think anything of it. My dad got to the card that said "coming 6-10-2011" and he stopped and asked what that meant right about the time my youngest sister got to the card that said "Baby Valentine" so she started screaming "you're pregnant?" but everyone else was still totally confused as to how she came to that conclusion cause she didn't read her card out loud and they still hadn't got to theirs. So my Dad had this awesome look on his face and said "what?" and my Mom was just frustrated that she still had cards to fish through. It was fun to see their reaction. Everyone was all excited.

I will say that the hardest part about telling everyone was that everyone now has Facebook. We wanted to be sure that we go a hold of certain people and that we could tell those that we needed to in person. So with every celebration was a "don't' say anything on facebook" or "don't tell so and so we still need to call them". I was so paranoid that someone would say something to someone and they would post and others would be hurt etc. Its the curse of social networking.

That was a lot longer than I had planned. I might try and post the videos eventually but I have no clue how to do that. So it will be a while.

13 weeks!

2010-12-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

I apologize for getting later and later in the week with these updates, I'm trying to stay on top of it. This isn't the best picture of what I actually look like at this point because the shirt wasn't very fitted. You get the general idea though.

I feel like I haven't been as tired this past week. I still love to rest and had a hard time getting myself off the couch this weekend to be productive, but I don't feel like I'm falling asleep sitting up anymore. I thought I was over getting sick, but this morning reminded me that it might just come and go for awhile longer. I am not wearing maternity clothes specifically yet, but I can assure you I will be VERY soon. Most of my shirts still fit around but they're getting rather short as they stretch over the belly. I wear the belly band every single day (my pants haven't buttoned since week 6 I think) but it's starting to get more and more uncomfortable.
My cravings have shifted a bit this week. I still love salty, but I've actually been wanting more sweets. Saturday this past weekend I wanted sugar cookies in a BAD way. My sis made me some and I could have eaten the whole package. We made brownies for company and I've been munching on those this week.
We had our monthly appointment last Thursday and got to hear the little beans heart beat. It was pretty cool. Hubs recorded the audio on his phone. The Doppler didn't say how many beats per minute it was, but I counted it when we got home and it was low to mid 170's. I'm still deciding what I think we're having. I was hoping to find out before New Years, but it's going to be after the First of the Year before we can get in to get the Ultra Sound scheduled. I am starting to think girl based on Heart Rate and cravings (wives tales) but I still really don't have a mothers intuition either way. The gender poll over on the right of the blog is tied up again so if you haven't yet voted, take a guess. Girl was leading for a long time... I guess nobody is really sure. :)

We are so thankful for each step of the way. I promise I haven't forgotten to blog about how we told everyone, that's coming this week. I finally got all the pictures together. They are all cell phone shots since we didn't want anyone to suspect we were announcing something by having the camera out.

Week 12

2010-12-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind on my weekly posts, I am actually almost 13 weeks now so I need to do some catch up. This photo was taken on time so for the sake of documenting the process I want to be sure I post what 12 weeks looks like. The "bean" is the size of a lg plum at 12 weeks and is growing away in there.
I haven't been super sick this week. Only got sick once. My issue this week is dizziness. I feel pretty light headed from time to time. I can't imagine that it would be good for a preggo girl to topple over in random places, so I've found myself just sitting down when I need to. I'm still sleeping great (and a lot) eating like crazy, although this week nothing has sounded all that good, I still find a way to eat.
We ventured out at 3am on Black Friday to get our glider we wanted for the baby's room. We had already picked one that we liked, but we were going to wait (who needs a glider at 12 weeks pregnant), but in the ads we saw it was going to be 50% on Black Friday. Why not save money on something you know you're going to buy anyway right?? I will document us putting that together when we do. It's so comfortable I kind of want to just sit in it and read.

I'm looking forward to our doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'm hoping we schedule the ultrasound to find out if we're having a boy or girl. I can't believe we're already to the point where we'll know soon... but I'm dying to know! Hubs has been sick this week (horrid cold) please pray I don't get it. There's very few things you can take when you're pregnant and I really don't want to venture there right now.

Belly Shot wk 11

2010-11-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

I am letting all image issues go and posting a picture of myself, pregnant, at the end of the day with no hair done. All for the sake of "documenting the moment". My apologies to you all.

So, I have posted a poll over on the right for you all to vote if you think we're having a boy or girl. I figured I would post some of my symptoms and a photo for those of you who like to make an informed guess. As you can see, I am definitely showing already. Some days it worries me a bit, but I know I'm eating good and that's all that matters. I am not going to stress about weight. We have been walking in the evenings (when it's not freezing out) and I'm starting to get some energy back, so we should be exercising more. I didn't have any horrible morning sickness. I didn't feel so hot for about a month. Certain foods were a real turn off, some still are. I did get sick a few times, but it was more of a gag reflex issue than a nausea issue. If anything made me cough or even clear my throat I would get sick. I have been really tired. I have slept a ridiculous amount. I just keep telling hubs that I'm stocking up on sleep now before all the sleepless nights. Other than that, I really haven't had any symptoms. I'm so thankful that things have been mild and I hope that continues through pregnancy.

We are very thankful for everyday with the little bean. I am so happy to be at the 12 week mark and breathe a sigh of relief. I am anxiously awaiting Thanksgiving on Thursday, we're going to attempt to do both sides of the family and I all can think about is all the food! I'm so excited.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and enjoy time with family, friends and loved ones. I hope you all have a long list of things you are thankful for and than God blesses you with many more!

The rest of the story...

2010-11-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and congrats to hubs and I. We are beyond thrilled, as you can imagine, and we have just been on cloud nine sharing the news with everyone. For the sake of documenting the process I will share some more details with y'all.

This little bean was planned and much hoped and prayed for. We found out that I was pregnant on Friday, October 1st. I had a feeling that whole week that I was pregnant because I had ZERO appetite and that is VERY unusual for me. I took a test on Wed and it was negative. I knew it was still early, so I waited. Friday I took a test from the dollar store as soon as I got home from work and it was positive. I couldn't stop smiling. I half expected to cry but I was so over the moon. I had purchased a little outfit when we started trying and I hid it knowing that's how I would tell hubs once we were pregnant. I ran and wrapped the outfit after I took the test and I put it on the kitchen counter where I know he puts all his stuff when he gets home. He saw the bag on the counter, but didn't think anything of it. I had to push him to open it. He knew right away and looked at me and said "are you pregnant?" I just smiled and shook my head and while he was smiling he just stared at me and kept saying "NO WAY?" "Are you sure?" "No, really?" I finally took him back and showed him the test and he wasn't convinced. He said he wanted to go get a good test and be sure (he didn't trust the dollar store test strip). We were actually on our way out that night to make our grocery run so we stopped by Wal Mart and grabbed a pack of tests. I took another one once we got home and it took all of 30 seconds to show up and the test line was much darker than the control line so I knew it was in fact positive.

We knew we wanted to keep things quiet for awhile and make sure everything looked good with our little bean. We had our first doctors appointment on Thursday, Oct 14th and they went over everything with us, did a normal check up and all the medical history questions. My OB is also my GYN so I had seen him for my annual check ups but they re ask a lot of questions once you're pregnant. At that appointment they scheduled our first ultra sound for Monday, November 1st at which point I would be a little over 8 weeks (by my calculations) and they said they should be able to get accurate measurements and see heartbeat. We had a fiasco that week since I got called for Jury Duty and wouldn't be out in time to make it to the appointment, the doctor didn't want to move me another week later so he wrote me a note to not serve on Jury Duty and the Judge on the case wouldn't accept it unless there was a "pressing medical issue resulting in harm to me or the baby". I told him that my doctor just wasn't comfortable with me postponing the appointment and he assured me he'd have me out of court on that day in enough time to make the ultra sound appointment. I was a stress case and an emotional wreak for awhile there. We had wanted to wait and tell our families after we saw the ultra sound and be sure everything looked good, and that next weekend was hubs birthday and we'd be seeing both families in their entirety and knew it would be the perfect time to tell them, without the ultra sound we weren't sure when and how we'd tell and I was all flustered. The end of the story was happy, I got out on time, got to my car quick (nothing about the court system, elevators, trolley to the jury parking lot & downtown traffic is usually quick) and made it to the office with no time to spare. The ultra sound went well, everything looked great and our little bean put on quite the show. My calculations were right on and my estimated due date was set for June 10th, 2011.

I promise the next post will have photos and I will be back to share how we told everyone. We did something different for everyone and it was so fun.

Coming Soon

2010-11-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

Tales From the Gym

2010-09-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

That's one weird blog title, so let me fill you in...

I started the Couch to 5K running program awhile back, remember? Well, I sucked at it. I can't run. It worked me to death and it never got easier. The whole push yourself each time and it will get easier and then you'll increase your running increments until you build up your stamina... yea none of that happened. I did week one like 8 times and I still wanted to die. The thought of increasing my running time made me want to stab myself in my eye. Not to mention that I'm apparently some sort of 29 year old going on 60 because OH.MY.JOINTS! My hips, my knees & my ankles cursed me daily. I loved the way I felt when I was done, but it was the getting there that just about killed me. So one day we didn't run and you know how that goes... one day turned into two months and then it wasn't spoke of again.

Hubs and I had to sit down and have a heart to heart one day about getting into shape. We both needed it BAD. We live in an awkward climate. Neither of us get up and work out in the morning and when we get home at night it's either 110 degrees (a good four months a year) or it's dark and freezing (another 4-6 months of the year) and lets be honest... do I want to be out running for those 4 months of the year when the weather is AWESOME? We decided a gym was the only way that was going to happen and with that comes and monthly fee. We are trying really hard to save money right now so neither of us were wanting to commit to a monthly fee, however we also realized that would be a great accountability to GO.TO.THE.GYM.

So, on Labor Day 2010 hubs and I joined the gym. The whole time we were sitting there signing papers and taking a tour and giving them our checking account info to draft the fees from each month I could vividly remember the FRIENDS episode where Chandler tries to quit the gym and they send out the supermodel in spandex to convince him to stay. The lady couldn't figure out why I was laughing hysterically in the office. We joined a small gym close to our house. There is no pool, no sauna, no showers, just equipment, a bathroom and a little childcare room. I don't need all the fancy stuff and I didn't want to pay for it. We pay very little per month and I actually really enjoy it. I usually hate gyms, I hate someone watching me die on equipment that is smarter than me. I sweat like a man when I work out and that's a little embarrassing sometimes. We have been going for 3 weeks now and I've learned a few things I thought I'd share.

1. The Ipod has revolutionized working out. This amazes me. There are ladies in the gym at least 60 years old with their Ipod shuffles bobbing their little heads while riding the elliptical. I'm dying to know what they are listening too, but I love that they've embraced technology. I get that everyone likes to listen to different music while they work out and this is a great way to do it.

2. If those calorie counters on the work out equipment is correct and I really only burn 220 calories in 1 hour at the gym... it's not worth it. I really hope those things lie to me to make me stay on them longer. I thought I was going to die last night after 30 min on the Elliptical and it told me I only burned 103 calories. Really? I can eat a 100 calorie snack pack in 30 seconds!

3. No man should wear little spandex shorts. NONE. That's all I'm going to say about that.

4. I can stay on the Elliptical without realizing how long it's been if there's something interesting on TV to watch and distract myself. Jeopardy is the perfect thing. We try and time our workouts accordingly.

5. My husband loses weight just looking at a gym and I hate it. We've been going 3 weeks and he's down almost 15 lbs. I'm up 5 lbs. We call it "building muscle" but I'm not convinced. It may have something to do with the fact that I think that now that I'm working out I deserve more calories per day and yet I'm only burning 220 each time I go!

Wish us luck!

Can You Feel It?

2010-09-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Y'all the excitement level at our house is through the roof! Fresno State Bulldog Football starts up TOMORROW! This season we have SEVEN home games and we play some great schools. Tomorrow night we take on Cincinnati. I am hoping we can pull off a win and that there is a great crowd there to support the Dogs either way.

Football Season actually started a little while back at our house. #21 for Fresno State, Ryan Mathews was drafted first round (12th pick) to play (START actually) for the San Diego Chargers. This makes us happy for a number of reasons, but we are so happy that he'll be playing in California! Hubs has never really followed a specific NFL team, he just usually follows players that have played for Fresno State. This year we have a lot of guys playing NFL and I'm having a hard time keeping up!

He has played a bit already in the preseason games and he's looking great. I tried to buy hubs a Mathews Chargers jersey for our anniversary and no place in town can keep the stocked, they are on order and the second a shipment comes in, the sell out. I tried ebay and found a few and got in some good bidding wars. Still couldn't come up with one. We've decided that we'd like to get his Fresno State jersey first, then we'll get his Chargers jersey down the road. We really hope the best for him and the other FSU players starting out in the NFL this year. It's so great to watch them do well.

Now, come on Dogs... Let's have a GREAT season!

P.S. Hubs and I found some new FSU T-shirts at Walgreen's (3 for $20) and they have nice designs and they are good quality. We went last night and got new RED stadium chairs at Wal-Mart for $16.88 and they seem comfy (my rear gets sore sitting on those bleachers for too long). While we were out looking for the stadium chairs we went to Target and I was able to find a pair of Fresno State flip flops on clearance for $4! I'm going to be DECKED out! They also have FSU snuggies at Walgreen's and Target and I'm fairly certain I will need one by the end of the season! Ha!

I'm so excited for College Football. Bring on Fall!

Fan Pages

2010-08-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you on Facebook, you know that businesses can have Fan Pages where people can "like" the business and leave comments of praise and thanksgiving. Well, I wonder if businesses realize that people can leave their beef there too?

We bought a new car THREE weeks ago and we had a the best experience. We had been doing the research wanting to cut our payments down a bit and really wanting to get something that was a bit more fuel efficient {since gas prices are still climbing and we both have a commute to work}. We had done our homework and knew what we wanted but were not looking forward to dealing with car salesmen. They are my least favorite. I really hate the process of negotiating, trading in, signing a million documents, etc. We did hear that Costco has a car buying program through certain dealership and that you can get a discount {a pretty good one too} if you call their 800 number first and get a person to contact. We did all that and we were actually put in contact with a really nice salesman {I know most people think that's an oxymoron}. The dealership we used was an auto mall that my in laws and their families have been using for years and years. Hubs and I have actually purchased 3 new cars in the last 4 1/2 years {sounds sad I know} all from this dealership and have always been quite pleased. Anyway... we pick out the one we want, we talk numbers {they guy working the numbers wasn't as nice as the salesman, but he wasn't horrible like some can be} and we got the deal we wanted and the price we wanted for our truck and it was 930pm on a Friday night by the time we signed everything and got out of there. The salesman had taken it to fill it with gas and wash it before we left and he pointed out a few little dings in the paint for us and said some could be waxed out and some would need to be buffed out which could be done when we brought it back later for a big scratch in the back windshield. We agreed and added it to the list. They also couldn't get us our second key or our owners manual {hubs literally reads them front to back when he gets a car, so he was upset about that} that night because the building they were kept in locked earlier and he forgot to get them while we were signing documents. He said he would bring them to us on Sunday.

We went home & spent the weekend showing off our new car. Hubs got up early Sunday to wash the car again before meeting the sales guy on the way to church for the manual & second key. You know how all the imperfections stand out when you wash the car... well a few more "spots" came up as well as a BIG gash in the hubcap that we couldn't see in the dark. We met the guy and showed him the other spots and he agreed to add it all to the list and to call and he'd get it all taken care of.

Three weeks later we have called our sales guy, the finance guy, the customer service number, the dealership manager, the auto mall's general manager and NOBODY will call us back to schedule to get these things replaced/fixed! On top of that, when I call and sit on hold for the voicemail the recording tells me to become a fan of Selma Auto Mall on Facebook. Well guess what? I did. I also left them a comment or two. We will never purchase a car from there again and we won't ever refer anyone there either.

** UPDATE: Within one hour of my facebook, twitter & blog posts I had a phone call from the Sales guy that did the sale as well as the General Manager of the Auto Mall who apologized hand over fist and scheduled an app for Monday morning to "take care of anything and everything we need & will ensure that we are happy customers when I leave". I'm proof that social networking has it's perks. Thank you Selma Auto Mall for making it right. We **MIGHT** consider coming back now.

Reading List

2010-08-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, you hear about books or see books lying around someones house and they catch your eye or attention. If you're like me you have a laundry list of books you'd love to read if you had the time to sit down or the money to go buy them all.
I have borrowed a few lately and I got one for CHRISTMAS that I'm now almost done with and I have decided that over the next few weeks (before fall tv starts up again) I would love to get some reading time in.

My current reading list:
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom. I have read his books "Tuesdays with Morrie" & "The Five People You'll Meet in Heaven" and I've loved them. I'm almost done with this book and I think it's fabulous.
Captivating by John & Staci Eldridge. I read "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge numerous times when I was dating/engaged as a glimpse into the heart of a man. I plan to read it again if I ever become the Mother to a little boy. Fantastic view of how God created men. This books is the Woman's version, the heard of a woman as designed by God. I'm excited.
Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I have heard great this about this book and I can't wait to get started.
A Lineage of Grave by Francine Rivers. I enjoy all things Francine Rivers. This book is a collection of stories from women of the bible. (see photo below)
Featuring Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba & Mary.

I also have two photography books that I've read through and I would love to get out and take some of the shots they feature. The first one is called Hot Shots and it has tips and tricks for taking better photos. I found it on another blog & had my sister order it on Amazon for my birthday this year. She is enjoying photography too so we plan to share it.
The second one is "Click" the ultimate photography guide for Generation Now. It says something about teen style photography. I'm definitely not a teen, but I do love some of the funky photos. The back of the books has some samples. I can't wait to have some time to play with the camera too.
So there you have my current bookshelf. I may have to disappear from the blog for a few months to get to it all (which I don't plan on doing) so we'll see how long it takes me.

In other news, the house is coming along. All the floors are in the bedrooms, bathrooms & laundry room. All we have at this point is the kitchen/dining room/entry area (in tile) which will be one weekend. Then we have the living room/hall way (wood flooring) which will take awhile. It's a big space. I'm dreading these last two spaces because they are so big and will involve moving a lot of furniture (fridge, stove, table etc in kitchen/dining room. Sofas, chair, coffee table, WHOLE entertainment center, shelves, plants, hutch in the living room/hallway). Pray for us as we begin this last phase, I feel like we're on the home stretch but at the same time, we haven't even completed half the square footage of the house yet.

This weekend at the Cafe marks "Organization Weekend 2010" I plan to organize every closet, cupboard, pantry & shelf in our house this weekend. I try and do one space at a time, but I try and move things into another space and I have to reorganize it to make room, so I'm tackling it all at once. I am making a trip tonight to WalMart to get all the essential bins, containers & space saver products I will need to start and hopefully complete the task at hand in two days. Wish me luck! I will return with some mediocre cell phone photos on Monday.

veggies, no thank you!

2010-08-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

The only thing that can make my darling nephew go from this cute little smiley thing...

To this....

Veggies! Peas to be exact. He's not a fan at all, and Nana was convinced she could make it "fun" and he would eat them. :) Auntie Lissa was just gonna take pictures!
His Mama said last night that he will eat veggies now, but not the baby food kind (which she doesn't blame him, because they taste gross!) he will eat it like she makes it for them and just cuts it up tiny for him. I can't wait till he starts dating and I can show his date these faces! I know, I'm so mean!

T- 30 Days

2010-08-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Do you know what happens in less than one month?

We couldn't be more excited to kick off the 2010 Season of College Football! Hubs has a countdown counter on his phone and reminds me often how ready he is. We got our same season tickets again this year and we are THRILLED our friends Brandon & Jacqualine got the seats right next to us!

There has been much controversy over our head coach. He's signed another 3 year contract and I think some were hoping he would leave. While he's never won us the WAC title or even had a real winning season, I think he runs a great program. I hate to see us loose a game, but I like that our athletes are really mentored by this guy. Many of the players really respect and admire him and I think that's important.

Of course, at the end of the day... I wouldn't mind wining a few or ALL the games either! :)

We have a tough season this year. Seven home games (which is more than we've ever gone to in one season) and a chance to do well.

Boise State, who I think has always been our toughest competition (and will remain our #1 rival since most of hubs family lives in Boise & are huge fans), switched out of our WAC conference and into the Mountain West. I think this gives us a great chance to win the WAC & hopefully have a great season.

I hope that we have decent weather at the games. We tend to roast half to death at the first one or two and freeze half to death at the last 3 or so... last year it never really got that cold, we were warm at way more of the games than cold. The school and sponsors always make the games fun giving away fun things. Last year the couple that sits right in front of us won $50 gas gift card and then two games later the couple right in front of them won a $50 gift card to somewhere else... I think this year it's our turn! :)

We would love anyone in the area that's going to let us know. We want to try and tailgate this year... we never have because we usually go by ourselves. Let us know if you'd like to join us!

We're dusting off the t-shirts, getting out the pom-poms, stocking up on sunflower seeds, conditioning our voices & practicing the fight song...

FSU football home opener begins Saturday, September 4th!

A Review of Sorts

2010-08-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had a few chores needed to be done and one of them was cleaning the stove. I HATE cleaning the stove. We have a white oven/range & everything we cook on it splatters somehow and it NEVER looks clean no matter how long and hard I scrub. I have stains and spots on there that have been there since we moved in a year and half ago. I have heard great things about Mr Clean Magic Eraser, but never tried it. I finally grabbed a box at Wal Mart and the angles were singing!
Y'all, my stove is cleaner than it has ever been! I used little to no elbow grease & it seriously took me all of 10 min to clean the WHOLE thing. I am in no way shape or form being paid for this post. Mr Clean & his people have no idea who I am or that I no have a clean stove... I just had to share. I would assume this is going to work just as well on any color cook top.

Don't waste another minute dreading cleaning your stove or scrubbing it for hours on end... seriously go get you one... NOW! I know CVS runs good sales on them, as well as watching for coupons. They aren't expensive to begin with, and I promise you it's worth every last penny.

p.s. I have like 6 blog posts planning in my little head, I just need to stop cleaning with my magic eraser to edit photos from vacation & compile my thoughts and actually type them out. Stay tuned because once I have a second your blog list will be full of posts!

Fathers Day 2010

2010-07-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

I took pictures on Fathers Day with Ryan's family (because of the cute baby you know) but didn't get a single photo with my family. I know a huge part of that was that I was eating the ENTIRE time we were there, but still. I feel bad.

This was my brother in law's first Fathers Day. I took this photo on Mother's Day actually.

Carsyn's Nana found a beach ball at the dollar store and blew it up for him. Holy smokes was that the hit of the day! He was squealing and having a grand ole time with that thing.
Do you think his parents would notice if I just took him? He's so stinkin' cute!
I'm not sure why Oz wasn't in this photo but we had Brad (FIL) with his son and grandson.
This picture just warms my whole heart. Do they love each other or what? Tender moment for Baby Carsyn & his Papaw.

Day with our Nephew

2010-06-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a bit biased about this little guy, but he's just the cutest. I love his facial expressions and his personality.

Tell me that face below doesn't make you want to die. Ha! He was DONE smiling at me for pictures!

And again...
He LOVES Yo Gabba Gabba cartoon on Nick Jr. I mean, he is so into it you can't get attention for ANYTHING! He was watching it in the picture below.

Nothing is sweeter to me than watching my husband play with him. They were playing hard and finally little guy needed a break. Tell me this doesn't melt your heart? No? Just me then huh?

My sis-in-law took this one. I don't know what we were doing other than playing on the picnic table. {this is also the photo that made me realize I needed new makeup, separate post on that to follow}

I love that he will come to me and that even with his Mama sitting right there he'll let me hold him and play with him all day. Katie was taking these photos and he wasn't too fond of the grass. In this photo {below} I had set him down and he was looking at me to pick him up. I know he's not mine, but I love that he looked to me to "rescue" him rather than to his Mama who was taking the photo. I just love him, I'm glad {at least so far} that the feeling is mutual. Of course I grabbed him right away. I would have given him a cookie if his Mama would have let me! :)

These were all take the Saturday before Father's Day I haven't seen him since. I'm sure he's twice as big now. He's changing so much right now. He was 7 months in these photos.

Our new Home Office

2010-06-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

It only took us 2 months but our home office is finally done! When I say done, I mean functional and put together... I still have some plans for the wall decor. I also am not sure why some of these pictures look really pixelated on the blog, because the hard copies don't look that way.

This photo shows the new hardwood floors. The desk & the book shelves. You can also see the drawers behind the desk chair if you look close.

The book shelves were a cheap WalMart find. The back piece was white like the sides and shelves and we painted them dark brown to add some contrast to the tan walls and white shelves.
The baskets on the shelves are from IKEA. I had actually bought 3 of them from there probably 6 years ago {maybe longer} and wanted some on both shelves, so my sister went and got us 3 more of the same kind. They hold random things like my camera software/manuals & cords, CD's & some random computer software, and extra picture frames.

Each of the two side walls has a long photo shelf & a shorter shelf. Both from IKEA, as well as the all the various size frames. IKEA is cheap for stuff like this, and I need to go back soon and grab some more. The walls are way bigger than I had thought and the frames get lost. I need some bigger ones, as well as maybe some others than I can hang around the shelves. All the photos in the frames were taken by either myself or my hubs.

As you can see I need one more photo for that frame on the far left. I have one I just need to have printed. I would also love to get some vinyl lettering for the walls maybe one could say "Cafe de Valentine" and the other could say something cute and photography related like "I shoot people" with a camera graphic. Something creative like that.

The desk is also from IKEA, it's actually a dining room table. We bought curtains at WalMart and sewed them together and used Velcro to attach it around the edge of the table. We got the idea from Kristen over at We are THAT Family. The table we bought was raw wood and we weren't sure if we should paint the top or stain it to match the wood floors, hubs had an idea to cover the top with photos and then have a glass top cut for it, so that's what we did. I love it.

Some of my favorite shelf accessories are these praying hands bookends that I found at a home decor store two summers ago in Idaho. Of course, my wedding bouquet is pretty nice too.

This old camera belonged to my mother in law's grandmother. She's kept it all these years and I asked her if I could take some pictures of it to hang in this room and she said I could have it as long as I never sold it. WHY WOULD I SELL THAT! I love this old camera.

This camera was my dad's. He took photography classes in High School and he has kept this camera all these years. It still works great, I would just have to find some film for it. I will take some pictures of the camera itself soon, I'd like to hang them up in there.

I hope you all enjoyed the tour as much as I enjoyed getting it all organized. I enjoy sitting in there editing photos and working from home, I can't wait to get some more stuff on the walls and will show you when I do.

Sanctus Real - Lead Me

2010-06-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've never tried to post a video before so I have no clue if this will work. I heard this song this morning for the second time on the radio. The radio announcer before the song said that the lead singer wrote this song after a rough patch in his marriage. I can't help but think as great as our marriage is, if we could be proactive about these things. I also wonder how many couples we do life with on a regular basis that may have issues below the surface that they never lead on about from the outside.

Husbands and Fathers have a really tough job Biblical in the family. I can only imagine what's it's like to lead a spouse much less a family, but I also acknowledge that us wives don't always make this easy on the poor guys. Do we allow him to lead? Do we allow him to love us? Do we allow him to fight for us? Do we still allow him to dream? If we allow him to do so, do we make it easy? Do we speak to him as if he's still the love of our lives? Do we serve him as the leader of our family.

Biblical marriage is a tough thing and I'm ever so passionate about making it work. Join me wont' you?

Week 1 Day 1

2010-06-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hubs and I just finished the first day of our Couch to 5K training program. Oh wow.

First, let me say that we downloaded the iPhone application which is really cool. Day one is a 5 minute warm up walk, with 20 min of running/walking, and a 5 minute cool down walk. The 20 min run/walk is 60 seconds running then 90 seconds walking alternated for the full 20 minutes. I figured 60 seconds was easy enough and the first couple were. I am not good at math, and I hadn't calculated in my head how many running sessions it would be to do that for 20 min, I think I had figured like 4 or 5 um, it was NINE! The iPhone app is really cool, you can load music to it so while it's counting your time for each session, you can listen to music. It also beeps at you at each session change to tell you to change from walking to running or vise versa. Since my fingers will be too sore to type this out tomorrow, I wanted to recap tonight:

*60 seconds doesn't start out seeming like much, by cycle two it is a long freakin' time.

*90 seconds is actually less than 60 seconds. I know you may not think so, but trust me on this one.

*The gentleman who does the voice on the iPhone application that tells you what you should be doing, he gets meaner each time he says "RUN".

*I have long legs and they get heavy when I run

*I don't think the creator of this program actually just got off the couch when she wrote day 1 of this training session. I think she had been running awhile. The only running I've ever done is to the bathroom or the refrigerator and neither of them are 60 seconds away. Nor do I run to them NINE times in a row.

*I sweat a lot for a girl

*My husband is the best cheerleader, encourager, jerk, motivator & trainer ever. He pushed me, he coached me & he pissed me off all the while running along side me. This program was my idea and yet he's on board. I love and appreciate him. I also appreciate the fact that he won't let me quit. Yet.

The program says to do it three times a week. I plan to walk on the in between nights so that I don't get sore and my muscles don't get tight. I will try and document our progress as we go. The program is supposed to be 6 weeks, after tonight, we might make it 12 weeks and do each step twice before moving on. I'm not going to lie, there were numerous times tonight I thought I would die before we finished. There were also many times I really questioned my thinking I could even survive to do this. I'm gonna try though.

For those of you blogger's joining me in this... You are all my heroes.

Be glad there are no pictures

2010-06-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

So let me tell you a little story...

In the midst of the house remodel the last few weeks we had been noticing mouse droppings {see title of this blog post} in the work bench. We decided to invest in a few traps and hubs set them around the work bench. A few nights later we were preparing for the trash guy to come and loading up with the cans with the old carpet and padding. {side note: we pulled up so much carpet and padding that there wasn't room for it all in our cans, so we've had a pile in the garage and we put a little out each week to fill the cans until it's gone} I picked up a pile of carpet to put it out and I saw a mouse run out the pile. It took me a second to realize that it was in fact a mouse and it had run out of the pile of carpet I was holding. I won't tell you all the things I said and did at that point, but this is probably the part you wish there were photos or video of, because I assure you it was funny to watch.

I did walk the handful out to the trash and informed hubs where the mouse had run to {not near the traps} so he moved a trap. he also mentioned at that point that he noticed baby mice. Plural. {you're again welcome for the tile of the post} we disposed of the them and I promptly washed my whole self and clothes & posted the whole scenario on Facebook {it was a priority you know}. The next morning hubs was off work {thank heavens} and he walked me out to the garage to leave for work and guess what was in a trap?? {See title, be thankful} Yuck is all I have to say. I averted my eyes and left for work. Telling him where the gloves were in the house.

We haven't seen or heard a mouse since, but don't you think if there were babies that there would be at least one more? I think we're going to invest in those electronic things that plug into the outlet that keep them away rather than catch them one you have them. Because let's be honest, I don't want them in the first place!

On a lighter note, my [home] office is coming together fabulously, I should have pictures for you next week!

C25K

2010-06-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: If you know me at all, you will find the following information quite shocking. You may want to sit down to read this post.

Many of you know of my involvement in the Susan G. Komen Foundation & their local board. We had a great family friend lose her battle to Breast Cancer years ago and we have all been involved ever since. The local Komen foundation has their annual Race for the Cure event each October at Fresno State and the event gets better and better each year! I have helped with set up, tear down, site supervision, water stops along the race track, etc each year and loved it. You see familiar faces there year after year. You see kids race with win little medals. You see family and friends gather around survivors and those still battling for their lives. I've NEVER been to an event where I haven't cried.

The only thing I've never done at the Race is actually Race! They have a family "walk" and they have a men & women's 5K run (they run separate). I have decided that this will be the year. I've dusted off the running shoes (well, I had to purchase some first) and we start this week.

The program we are using is the Couch to 5K. This is appropriate since I'd rather be on the couch (preferably with a snack of some sort). The purpose of this program is that it starts you off S.....L.....O......W

I would never make it if it didn't. I have horrible knees, I have asthma, It's about to be 100 degrees here and I haven't run any further than to the fridge in at least 12 years. I'm not lying about that either. I have gained more weight in the last 6 months than I ever have & I'm guessing my "rapidly approaching age 30" metabolism is finally catching up to me. It's time to let go of the excuses, take some extra Advil, get the ice packs ready & do this!

I do not intend to actually "race" anyone during this run in October. I just plan to finish the 5K alive. Let's be honest, they may have cleaned up the event and everyone may have gone home before I finish, but I'm ok with that. I just keep reminding myself that 5K sounds like a lot, It's really only 3.2 miles. The distance my parents live from me. I can do this.

I tell you this now for a few reasons: I am joining a group of other bloggers in this endeavour, so we have a bit of accountability with each other, but I hoping by saying it here I am motivated to do it! I hoping I can make the time and get up early (for those who know me or follow me on twitter you know that's a feat in and of itself!) and train myself to do this! I'm also telling you this in the event of my untimely death caused my this new physical activity, you at least know my heart behind it.

Have a fantastic week all!

Baby Mac is here

2010-06-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

So our great friends J & C had there sweet boy Noah last week. We had been calling him Baby Mac not knowing his name, when he arrived we appropriately changed it to BIG MAC. The kid was 10lbs 6oz!

Mama had a great pregnancy with some heartburn, and minor swelling toward the end, but everything else was smooth sailing. Two weeks before her due date at her weekly appointment her doctor checked her and she was dilated to 4cm. If you follow me on Twitter you know that I had been asked my Mom & Dad to be present for his birth and capture the moment in photos.

At that point I got on call and packed a bag of clothes (in case I was in my work clothes when she called) & both cameras and had them in the car and ready. The following week at her appointment she was still at 4cm. The doctor was quiet shocked that her water hadn't broke yet, but we all carried on.

The week of her due date came and went with minimal progress. The following week was Memorial Day weekend and was a full moon so doctor ordered an ultra sound to try and get an idea of baby's size. He was thinking baby would be around 9lbs and Mama really wanted to do things naturally, so they held off C-Section plans until Friday, May 28Th.

She delivered him via C-Section (thank heavens) at 11:13am and I met her in recovery just after delivery. Dad did a great job as photographer since he didn't have to do much coaching in the C-Section. Mama & baby are doing well and we are so excited to welcome him into the world!

Weekend Get Away

2010-06-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend hubs and I got that mini vacation I was longing for in last weeks post. We had planned a few months ago to head to the coast for a few days to camp with some friends.

I took all of these photos with my iPhone. I edited them with the "Shake it photo" application. I have no idea how I left town for four days and FORGOT MY CAMERA! How does the aspiring photographer head to the beach and not take her camera?

This was our home for three nights. I haven't been camping since early high school and I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed sleeping out under the stars. Yes, there is an air mattress under those sleeping bags so we didn't TOTALLY "rough it".

This is a beautiful time of year on the coast. We are blessed to not live far.

It's views like this that make me feel so small and yet in awe of the One who created it all. Our friends B & J lost there sweet baby in January at 20 weeks pregnant and we knew this month would be hard for them as he was due to arrive in June. It was nice to sit, relax, talk, laugh & argue with our stubborn husbands (who I swear are related).

We ate until we couldn't eat anymore. We played "Battle of the Sexes" around the campfire one night. My husband watching just about every sport there is and I think he was really regretting making me watch them with him. Many of our questions were about sports and how many points a field goal was worth in Football, or a free throw in Basketball, or what the things you put in a drill are called. I knew them all and the girls WON! Hubs said no more watching sports or doing home projects for me! I'm learning too many things that come back to bite him during that game!

I love this shot on the beach. I also love my husband and the time we get to spend together doing something we both enjoy. This coming weekend is back to the home projects. We aren't starting a new room this weekend, we're working to get the last two put back together so we can find things! I also got all the stuff for my office make over and the floors are done in that room. I can't wait to show you all.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I hope your week is even better!

Under Construction

2010-05-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

Please, I'm loosing my mind. Our house is under construction and I can't stand it any longer.

I am in serious need a vacation, somewhere nice, and clean, without tack strips & baseboards & caulking & hammers & vice grips {yes, I know what those are now} & heavy boxes of tile and laminate & an endless to do list & one room holding all of my worldly belongings.

I have begun to wonder if we shouldn't just give this a try... start over!

I just keep telling myself how awesome it will be when it's done. I'm just not sure I'm going to live long enough to see it.

Hubs has the personality to freak out about money stuff. So when we make our 15Th run to Home Depot THIS WEEK he starts to panic a bit. The job that we thought was going to cost X amount always ends up costing a bit more. I let him worry about that, and I freak out about the mess and how long it's going to take us to actually be DONE! Well, when he came home yesterday and couldn't find something and didn't know where to start for the evening and he said "This place is a wreck & I'm tired of living like this" I knew we were really in trouble. The mess is getting to him... it must be bad! I would show you a picture of the PILES of stuff, but I can't look at it long enough to snap a photo. I just can't. We are HOPING AND PRAYING to get our room, our master bath, and our walk in closet flooring in this weekend. We both have a long weekend so we're really trying to make the most of it. I can't wait to see the tile in. I'm excited, yet exhausted and sore and DONE!

Hoping for strength, determination & a second wind,

home projects galore

2010-05-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

If you have wondered where I have been and why I haven't blogged in like a decade, please see the following photos!

Hubs decided that in order for me to clean out all our closets (as I've been in the process of doing) that he needed to clean out his garage to make room for the stuff I'd like to store there. He would like to get our Christmas decor and camping gear that we only use once a year, up in the attic. So off to Home Depot we headed for an attic ladder.

Yes, we own a truck, and no we didn't take it to Home Depot when we knew we were going to buy an attic ladder. Don't ask me why... it's a long story and it's my fault. None the less, this didn't go well.

We are in the process of installing new laminate wood floors in our WHOLE house (photos below) and my parents are doing the same. Of course, when you are doing all the work yourself you'd rather practice in someone else's house. Last Saturday my dad and hubs installed this flooring in my sister's bedroom. This is not the color wood we're using, you'll see ours soon.

Sunday we had a house guest for a bit so his parents could run errands and have a quiet dinner out. They left on vacation for THREE weeks yesterday so we wanted to play for a bit before we didn't see him for awhile. He is at the BEST age. Not that the next years won't be fun but he is so FUNNY. We laughed out loud all night. He thinks everything is funny and has the best belly laugh I've ever heard. He's started crawling and I love how had he works to get to something. He is seriously my joy! Love that kid.

This week Ryan has made three loads to Visalia to pick up all of this. Don't kid yourself, this is less than 1/3 of the wood that's at our house. It's stacked everywhere. I might loose my mind soon.

This is the first room on the list. My office. I work from home part time and I'm in the process of getting this room into a photo gallery of sorts. Basically, I have a vision and I'm trying to put the pieces together to make it happen, hopefully soon. This was the furniture we had. It's gone now.

See? Ugly carpet, I've had enough of you...

So now, you're gone too. Yes, last night we took out baseboards (which we are reusing so we had to remove them CAREFULLY) and removed the carpet and padding. It was more work than I think I had in my head. I'm a bit sore today and quite tired.

Tomorrow is installation day. I am really hoping we can start and finish it tomorrow. While the boys are putting the floor in at my house, I will be at my parents painting their Master Bedroom so the boys can lay the floor in there next weekend. Oi Vay I'm tired. My house is a disaster because all the furniture and "stuff" from the office is all over the rest of the house, there is wood stacked everywhere, baseboards in a pile, tools laying all over & my sanity is blowing outside in the wind somewhere.

Pray for us... home projects are a little rough!

I can't wait till it's done though!

p.s. Disclaimer on the photos... all from my cell, I apologize for the quality. I can't find my actually camera right now. It's buried in a room or under some wood or a baseboard. Ugh.

Is this thing on?

2010-05-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

I promise we're still alive and doing well. Just crazy busy. Hubs was out of town for a week hunting/fishing/camping in South Central Arkansas with a friend and I kept myself busy hanging out at my parents and trying to organize various things around the house, and working. Hubs returned last Saturday around noon and I could hardly wait for the plane to land. I know a lot of couples that travel for work or have family that live away and so one spouse will go visit and often the other's schedule doesn't allow and so they are apart for longer periods of time... that's not us. I go on a retreat once a year with a cousin for the weekend, and hubs has had to travel like maybe over night (two nights max) with work but other than that, we've never really been apart. I'm not a fan. He was gone from Saturday to Saturday and we spoke on the phone I think twice while he was gone. I was SOOOOO ready for him to be home and to hang out with him and talk to him and just enjoy HIM. We went home as soon as I picked him up so that he could shower and I could start washing his gross camping clothes. Once he was cleaned up we headed to lunch and then went and sat at Starbucks and just talked and talked. The weather was beautiful. We were trying to figure out what else we wanted to do, we had both ditched our phones and were so ready to just have a fun day together. Since the weather was so nice, we felt like we wanted to do something outside, so Mini Golf it was! Hubs of course won, but he said I did great "for me". Whatever he meant by that! Ha!

On Sunday we spent the entire day in our PJ's, I finished all his wash and he got his camo and gear put away. We caught up on our DVR'd shows since I didn't watch anything while he was gone since I knew he'd want to see it all. He's been home a week now and I think we're finally settling back into life together. I've told him he's not allowed to go for that long again. I'm not a fan. :) He even brought me flowers this week! I think he missed me too! :)

I promise to get some more updates on here soon. We've got lots going on at our house! Projects galore!

weekend away

2010-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last month hubs hit a milestone at work and we celebrated with a weekend away in the mountains at a little bed and breakfast. Hubs has a stressful job and had an 18 month probationary period to get through before he felt a sense of security. The end of March was the end of his 18 months and I was so happy that he made it!

We headed up the hill about 45 minutes to the cute little Bed & Breakfast that we stayed at on our wedding night. The drive this time of year is beautiful. All the wildflowers are in bloom.

The mountains in the distance still have snow. Of course, we didn't go up high enough to see any of it, but had we driven another 15 min we would have.

This is the place! The owners are delightful & and the breakfast is wonderful. We arrived just after 3pm which was check in time. We got out key, unloaded our ice chest of snacks and our bag of games. We walked the grounds surrounding the place.

We had walked down the trail by the little stream, you can see the actual building up behind us in this photo.

The flowers were lovely.

I am not a fan of the fact that my jacket tied around my waist makes me look HUGE in this "shadow" photo. I do think it's a cool photo concept.

We had such a relaxing time. The room has a fireplace in the room as well as a nice jacuzzi bathtub. Each room has a VHS and DVD player and the hallway between rooms has a large video library to choose from for $1 "rental". We didn't decided on a movie so we just played cards/ Yahtzee. We had taken some cheese, crackers, pineapple, strawberries and water with us to snack on. The B&B had coffee, tea & wine out in the lobby in the evening and a DELICIOUS breakfast in the morning. We got up early the next morning, had breakfast, packed up and headed back down the hill to the antique show in Old Town Clovis.
We walked the street and looked at different things. I was looking for some photography props and I found a few things I would have LOVED to have but these people were CRAZY how much they were asking for things. I saw a cute kids chair that was just unfinished wood... they were asking $60 for it! I also found the most beautiful old baby carriage that I would have just died to have, but they wanted well over $100 for it and while it was worth it, I couldn't justify spending that kind of money for something that I don't earn money doing yet.
All in all, we had a fantastic time and we look forward to going again, we love that place!

Spring Weddings 2010

2010-04-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

We've been to two weddings in the last 3 weeks. I thought I'd share a bit about them with you. The first wedding was for my TWO friends Jacob & Stephanie. A little back story for you, there is a little camp up in the Santa Cruz Mts. where I was a High School camper, a Jr High & High school counselor and where I worked for 4 summers and eventually moved up there for a year to work year around before I felt called back home. I have made many life long friends there over the years. It's a place of fun, fellowship, faith, healing, joy & many many memories. Years ago I met a guy named Jacob there. I was a counselor and he was a senior camper. He was the funny guy, the heart throb & the jokester. One the Midnight hike up the hill he gathered the glow sticks from the trees {the ones lighting the path for all the others} as he walked and we had kids and counselors lost in the woods in the dark for many hours. He was the guy that all the teen girls loved and all the camp staff couldn't stand. A few years later he moved to my town and started attending my church. He had grown up {some} and he needed good friends in town. He and I were fast friends. I knew his sister & brother-in-law, also from camp, and we all spent lots of time together. Contrary to the belief of many, Jacob and I never dated, nor wanted to. He was the only guy friend I ever had that at one point or another didn't turn into something more. It was never like that, he was like a little brother. We watched out for each other.

Stephanie and I met through mutual friends back in the early college days. She and I were fast friends and were bible study co-leaders at church for many years. We lived for over a year in the same condo complex and met a few mornings a week for bible study/ accountability. She has seen me at 6am and she still loves me... that's almost more than my husband can say! :) She stood next up with hubs and I when we married almost four years ago & I have prayed daily for years that she would find a man to love her as I know she deserves.

As God could only orchestrate, Stephanie & Jacob {who have known each other for 8 years, we've all been friends} got married on March 26th. I had prepared my heart for an emotional and joyful celebration and I can't tell you the feeling that overwhelmed me that day.

This is the isle they walked down, LOVED IT!

As Jake & Steph both have nieces & nephews and Steph is every kids favorite babysitter, it was fitting that the line of kids coming down the isle before her was long.

This is the moment that took my breath away. I've never in my life seen Jake so happy.

Of course, who wouldn't be, if you were looking down the isle to this. Steph was quite possibly the most stunning bride I'd ever seen. She is naturally beautiful anyway, but on her wedding day she look fantastic!
I love this shot of them taking communion together as husband and wife.

This is a great shot of her dress. It was so flattering on her.

You may now kiss the bride! I honestly thought this would be a bit awkward for me since I've always viewed Jake as a little brother, however in the moment, there's nothing like watching a husband love on his wife. Such a moment.

Mr & Mrs Jacob Frazier!

Jerrod Rumley {who performed the wedding} with his son Cooper who was a ring bearer. Jerrod's wife Jen was a bridesmaid as well. This wedding was a family affair!

I told Ryan the only thing I wanted was a picture of the three of us. I will cherish this photo ALWAYS! I love these two dearly and I love watching what God has done in their lives the last 8 years and how each step along the way prepared them for THIS DAY! Congrats Jake & Steph. It is an honor and a privilege to call you both FRIEND & it was a joy to share in your day. May God bless your marriage. I know He will.

Then, this last weekend my whole family attended Matt & Julie's wedding. Matt is the little brother of my BFF Jill. Jill & I were in the same preschool class when we were 3 years old. When my mom took me on the first day, I waved good bye and told her to leave. I didn't even want her to walk me in. Jill however was the kid screaming and hanging on to her mom's leg. The teacher asked me to go help her into the class and to sit by her and from that day on I was her voice! Jill & I went all through school together graduating together 15 years later. Jill was always the shy quiet kid and I was the loud mouth. She was a straight A student who would rather study than "play" and I was the one who could have cared less about class and was the social butterfly. We had many sleep overs as kids & we were at each others houses a lot growing up. Matt was the kid who was always shoot us with the rubber band gun, setting traps in Jill's room or outside her door so that when we woke up in the morning stuff would fall on us, or fly at us, or drop on us. Every Friday night that I spent the night, meant getting up early and watching Matt play soccer for HOURS in the rain, cold, heat whatever.

Matt has grown up to be quite the gentleman {I never would have guessed} and he married a wonderful girl last Saturday April 10th.

This is hubs with my youngest sister.

The bride & groom had a hard time getting around to everyone since there were so many people, this is the closest photo I snapped.

Hubs & I all dressed up. Doesn't happen often! :)

My sister, Amanda, me, hubs, the youngest sister, Blaire. I needed a new photo of us all.

Not sure why I look awkward in this photo. Maybe because we were posing and everyone was staring at us.

It was a beautiful wedding, we had a great time dancing for hours. I realized that I'm not as young as I used to be. I was so sore the next day! And that quiet, shy, bookworm, Jill... well it turns out that she has a wild side! I've known this since we went to Vegas for our 21st birthdays {our bday's are only 2 weeks apart}. Girl can dance! If I had a dollar {or a knee replacement} for every time she said "GET LOW" on the dance floor on Saturday night, I would be rich & wouldn't be walking with a limp all week. I am too old for that stuff. The old knees don't hold up like they used to.

Matt & Julie, Congrats again to you both. I couldn't be more proud {and impressed, maybe even shocked} of the man that Matt has become & he has some great taste! We love you Julie, welcome to this wild bunch that we are!

*note: if you have any incriminating photos of me, I ask that they be destroyed. I don't look "pretty" when I dance and you had photographers EVERYWHERE! :)

Organizing Jewelry

2010-04-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: These pictures are horrid quality as I took them all with my cell phone and it was super dark in my room.

I am on a spring cleaning frenzy. We've been really busy lately on the weekends and so my house has taken the back burner. I started spring cleaning about a month or two ago with my pantry that I showed you and a few bins/closets/storage areas that needed attention bad. Then things got busy and I quit. I'm looking at our calendar over the next few months and realizing it's going to be a crazy summer. When I feel overwhelmed with our finances (we owe big money in taxes this year, along with BOTH our car registrations being due in May) or our schedule I often feel like my organization {also known as OCD) kicks into high gear. In feeling that way, the more organized I can get our house the better I feel about everything else. I know, I have issues.

Long story short... My jewelry/accessories were out of control. I had no place to put them all or an organized way to see them all so I had piles of bracelets and necklaces and some I hadn't worn in forever because they were on the bottom of the pile and I had forgotten about them. Last night I decided it was time to make heads or tails of it all.

The wooden piece with the hooks I found last summer at a yard sale and painted it black to hang in our laundry room for keys and things but never hung it up and then decided it would be perfect for necklaces & bracelets so I repainted it brown and hubs hang it low to the dresser.

I have these heart shape glass bowls that I brought out for bracelets & the little bowl with the silver lid for all my cocktail rings.

I love that I can see everything I have and the dresser is cleaned off.

I'm so ready for all these spring necklaces! I'm just glad to have one more area of my life organized.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

We served in the nursery at church yesterday morning and then hit the road for Hanford for Easter lunch and to play with this sweet little guy. We had a mini photo shoot before lunch while he was in his cute Easter outfit. Of course, he changed into something more comfortable after this shoot, but boy was he cute. I probably took 100 photos and these were the only clear, decent ones. Photographing kids is hard work!

I love that he looks irritated in this last photo. Like he was done with the photo shoot. :) He was a bit too young to hunt for eggs this year, but next year will be perfect, we can't wait! We headed out from there around 4pm and went and had dessert with my family. They had already done the egg hunt, which was funny since the youngest cousin is 13. They put money in them instead of candy now! I'm sorry we missed out!

All in all it was a good day. I have MUCH blogging to catch up on this week, so hang tight. I have two memory cards of pictures from the last month to clean off. I also need to tell you my story from working the nursery this weekend, as well as catch up on American Idol recaps. Don't get me started on who got the boot last week! Same with Dancing with the Stars. I don't usually follow that show, but we happen to watch the last two weeks and I don't know what America is thinking? Oh well, hopefully some record label will see the potential that Didi has and sign her anyway.

Happy Monday all!

American Idol

2010-03-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about last night shall we?

Last week was the first week on the big stage with our top 12. I was not at all pleased with who was there, but I hadn't voted yet this year, so I'm sorry Alex Lambert, it's my fault you were sent home before your time. That being said, I also wasn't home last week to watch all of the top 12 perform, I caught the first few and I will say that Tim Urban & Didi blew my socks off last week. I was sad that Lacy went home because I feel like there were def people there that should go home before her, but I also didn't think she'd win the whole thing, so I didn't shed any tears.

Ok, NOW lets talk about last night!

Lee: I'm a fan of his, I feel like he's always had a great voice and I like his style, he just has to get more comfortable on stage and I feel like each week he does. I was a big fan of this week, not so much the song itself, but the performance as a whole.

Paige: She should have never been in the top 12. I know that's harsh and I know that they saw potential in her, but I have not seen it since the top 24. This week was awful, I actually left the room. Sorry honey, I am sure you're a lovely gal, however I hope I don't have to listen to you again next week {this would be my top pick for who SHOULD and hopefully will go home this week}

Tim: I enjoyed this even though the judges hated it. I know he looks a bit like Zach Efron, but I assure you Zach doesn't sound like that when he sings. I don't so much mind the dramatic show that the judges hate, it's about vocals and I think he's got them.

Aaron: This kid is young, he was sick this week and he still sounded good. I will say it had a few little issues, but knowing he was uber sick all week, I felt like he did great with what he had. Something about this kid and his innocence hits my heart strings. I don't anticipate him winning the whole thing, but I hope he stays awhile.

Crystal {Mama Sox}: I just like her vocal style. She could sing the phone book and I would like it. I do think that there are prob people out there that don't care for her style so I hope enough people vote for her to keep her around... I could see her in the final three. I still haven't decided if she'll be the one to win the whole thing. I think she's in the running.

Michael {Big Mike}: He's had my heart from the second he missed his baby being born to make his dreams come true. I don't know that this week was my favorite of his and I think a big part of that was the song choice. However, I vowed on my couch the day his child was born that if he made it to receive America's votes, that I would vote for him every week. I prefer him in more of a ballad type song.

Andrew: I liked him without the guitar. I think his vocals have been solid from the start, I just think there were so many fireworks with his Paula song in Hollywood week, that I think everyone feels let down each week even though he's still good. I had originally thought he could easily win it, I feel like he could be top 5 but I'm not sure if he'll go much further than that.

Katie: I have always liked her and I feel like the judges have always been so hard on her. They want her to be young, they want her to be current, they want her to be hip hop, they want her to be big... I don't think the poor girl knows who they want her to be anymore than who she thinks she is. I think she has a good voice when she gets to the chorus of a song, but she struggles with the control in the beginning. This week I felt like she did MUCH better with that. I'm glad she's still here because I wasn't sure she should have made it above Lily & Kaitlyn, but I think she's improved quite a bit.

Casey: I was a fan of him in Hollywood week and then I felt like he went down hill from there. This week he did well, kind of redeemed himself in my eyes. I'm not going to lie, I still didn't vote for him this week, but he did MUCH better. For the record, {sorry Casey} but I don't think he's cute.

Didi: She is my all time favorite this season. I seriously almost cried last night when the judges tore her to pieces. I thought it was GREAT. I loved the vocals and I loved that she got so much more comfortable on stage. She reminds me a lot of Brooke White's style from Season 7 and I loved her. I think she's beautiful, classy, talented, and I would LOVE to see her in the final 3 {maybe even win it if enough of America agrees with me}.

Siobhan: I have to tell you that the only thing that comes to mind every time I see her is Simon's quote "You're a funny little thing aren't you?" Sometimes she makes me laugh, sometimes she moves me emotionally, sometimes I cringe (I'm not a fan of the scream Adam Lambert), and most of the time I just smile contently. I enjoy her. She's weird. Her style is odd & her hair this week was VERY distracting, but you can't deny that she is good. Really good.

Well, that's all for this. I am not sure if I can keep up with this each week, but my all means check back just in case. I might surprise you. For now, I would guess the top 3 would be Lee, Didi & Crystal. At this point I'm not sure who I would vote for more. Maybe Didi, but it's tough. There is nothing I would have loved more than to see Didi & Alex Lambert do a duet. Maybe Didi can find him after the show is done and make that happen. I would pay money for it, big money. If I had big money.

{which leads me to tell you that while watching AI last night I was working on taxes and I will be in a pit of depression until we hear back from our tax lady how bad it really is going to be.}

Baby McLeran's Shower

2010-03-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well I've been a bit crazy the last few weeks so I've been MIA from the bloggy blog. I figured I'd catch you up. Last Saturday the 13th I threw a shower for our friend Candi and her sweet baby boy McLeran. Daddy McLeran is a pilot and while they aren't assuming that their little boy will follow in that profession they do expect him to like planes and appreciate that his daddy spends a great deal of time in one! With that said, his shower was an airline theme. The invitations were boarding passes, I didn't get a picture of them for a few reasons the main one being that I have no clue how to smear out my address on it. I will say they were REALLY cute though.

The tables had white balloons (they were supposed to be clouds, although I'm not sure how many people got that).

The balloons were coming out of these little buckets that had burp clothes that I (more so my mother than me) sewed vintage airplane fabric down the middle of.

The favors were little bags of peanuts. You can take a flight without peanuts!

Dessert was raspberry sherbet with shortbread airplane cookies! I found the cookie cutter online and they turned out great. a bit dark on the bottom, but my cookies always do that.

Myself with the mommy to be!

For lunch/brunch we had an egg & cheese casserole with bacon and Ortega chilies in it with strawberries and a croissant. It was pretty yummy. We had punch, water & coffee to drink.

I made a sign that said baggage claim for the gift table & I had a sign on the front door that said "Now boarding". I was pleased with how it turned out. I tend to be a habitual procrastinator so I have all these great ideas that I feel like won't take me long and I put it off and put it off and then I feel like a crazy woman the week of because I'm trying to do it all last minute. My mom was a life saver to say the least! Not to mention my husband cooked us dinner every night the week before! He's pretty awesome!

One of the gals at the shower brought her 5 month old little guy and he was a charmer! I think he and baby McLeran will be great friends.

Congrats again Jeff & Candi we can't wait to meet your little guy come May. He will be the cutest, most photographed child that just loves Airplanes! I know it!

WAC Champions

2010-03-09T07:10:00.001-08:00

This post is a few days late, but I wanted to share the pics. Hubs and I follow all things Fresno State (as you have probably noticed if you have read this blog for any amount of time). I get emails weekly with what home games there are coming up and how much tickets are and of course they will try and get you to come by telling you the teams record or that there's "history to be made" etc. Hubs gets all FSU updates on his phone. He can tell you how the swimming team or tennis team is doing at any given time, so whether or not we attend all the games, we know how the teams are doing. That being said... Last Wednesday night our girls basketball team played their last conference game of the season at home & there was history made! I got the email Monday saying the game was Wednesday night and I figured a week night 7pm game wouldn't work with our schedule, but when I told hubs about he said "we're going". We called his parents and my grandpa (who is a huge fan as well) and off we went.

The girls have been WAC champions the last two years however this season they have gone UNDEFEATED! If they were able to win this game on Wednesday it would be the first time in FSU history that a Basketball team went undefeated in conference play & the first time a team in the WAC went undefeated in like 12 years! We were favored to win, and we did!

We got to watch them drop the banner on the far left with the new 2010 on the WAC Champions banner. We're hoping after the WAC tournament that we can add a 2010 to that banner as well!

The team and coaches wearing their Championship t-shirts, holding the trophy & holding the huge sign in the back. They're holding up the "3" sign for their THIRD WAC Championship!

Balloons fell & popped and fans stayed and celebrated! It was so fun to be there and see history be made!

I will also say that we played San Jose State, obviously beat them by a lot and took the championship right in front of them and I was shocked and pleased to see that after they gave their congratulations and high fives and good games, they all sat on the bench and watched FSU celebrate and clapped for them as they were presented the trophy. I couldn't believe it. You could tell they were sad and disappointed, but they didn't retreat to the locker room. They sat and honored our girls. I was so glad to see that sportsman ship from a college team as that's not often the "norm" anymore.

Congrats girls, best of luck in the Tourney starting tomorrow! We'll be cheering you on from home.

You Capture: Hopeful

2010-03-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Beth host a weekly photo carnival and this is my first time (or maybe second) to participate. I just loved this weeks challenge: Hopeful

Photos capture emotion to me so when the thing to photograph isn't a shape or a "thing" but rather a feeling, I get all giddy inside. Wanna hear the fun part? I took these photos last night and didn't know the weeks challenge until this morning. When I saw the word HOPEFUL my mind went right to these photos. It's been raining a bit more than usual here and this glimpse of sun stirred a HOPE in me that Spring is in fact on it's way. Or at least a small break in the rain. Either one will do!

Join in on the fun

.com

2010-03-02T20:57:00.001-08:00

I'm seriously the biggest moron ever when it comes to computer stuff. I officially bought the cafedevalentine domain name today and our blog is now officially it's "own" .com I have no clue what that means, but I feel like I just graduated a bit! Currently (as of 9pm pst) you still have to enter the {www} in www.cafedevalentine.com in order to not get an error, but that should be resolved by morning. If it's not then I'm not sure it'll ever be resolved because I could hardly figure out if I was doing what I thought I was doing right, so if I did it wrong then I have no freakin' clue! Clear as mud? Yea, me too!

I said all that to say... thanks for stopping by and reading our little .com every now and again. It's fun. I promise to have some fun photos up soon. You know, when it stops raining out and I can go take some!

Song of Solomon - Marriage

2010-03-02T07:19:00.001-08:00

Our church is doing a series on the Song of Solomon book. We do this every few years as a church family for a few reasons. It is never a bad thing to hear the bible again and again, not to mention that we cover all the different aspects of relationship and I wasn't in the same place last time we did this series as I am now, so it's great to hear it all again for where I am now! The first week was on healthy Godly attraction and the second week was on healthy dating/courtship and this last Sunday was on Marriage. Of course, in my current walk of life, this is one that I was most looking forward to. I will preface this whole post by saying most of this I'm pulling straight from the sermon (I took notes) by Brad Bell (our Senior Pastor at The Well Community Church) please feel free to visit our church website and click the media tab on the top right to listen to any of the sermons online. I promise if you're married that this week's will be the best 30-40 min you've spent as a couple in a long time. It's funny and convicting and encouraging and Godly. Brad was sure to make it very clear that as Christians, if we are not on good terms with our spouse, then we're not on good terms with God.

So what did I learn? Here's my brief recap.

He gave five commands for the husbands that the wives need from them:

Ongoing reassurance: just because men say they love us on our wedding day doesn't mean they never have to say it again. Us women like to know that they still love us today for who we are today.

Emotional Connection: not just chatting during the commercials or just responding "Uh Huh" as she talks to you all evening, there needs to be effort and involvement in conversation and connection between you.

Security: she needs financial, physical & emotional security. She needs to know that you're not risking her money (this doesn't mean having a lot of money, but that you're not risking her security in what you have). She needs to know that you're a one woman man. She needs to know that you're invested in her emotionally.

Affirmation: That she is still beautiful to you. I heard a guy in our church say in an interview (it's on the home page of the website on Attraction) that his standard of beauty is based on what his wife looks like today. Not what's hot in magazines or on TV, but his wife. As she changes with time and age, his standard of beauty changes. I was so touched by that thought that when I'm 60 that my 60 self will be what beauty means to my husband, even more so than my 30 yr old self is.

Tenderness: this means never raising your voice to your wife, being aware of her mood and her stress level and being sensitive and caring about that. Helping when she needs it. etc.

Now is the hard part... The commands for the wife of what her man needs:

Respect: your husband is a little boy wearing a man's clothes. They need to know daily that you admire and respect them as that man that is trying to lead that family.

Reassurance: do you believe in your man? Does he know it?

Appreciation: Do you see what he does and what it takes for him to do it and do you appreciate that about him?

Sex: It's the physical intimacy that opens a man's heart. It's how he connects with you the most.

Companionship: Most guys function physically more so than emotionally or mentally. Do you connection with him outdoors? Do you throw a Frisbee with him, ride bikes, etc that he can connect with you on his level as well.

Here's some key points to remember to make these things happen: there is NO place for selfishness in marriage. You can't live for your spouse until you die to yourself DAILY! Anyone would take a bullet for their spouse once, but will you die EACH DAY for them? Women, we will never been good, Godly wives if we can't get over ourselves. :) When the wheels come off on your marriage nine times out of ten it's probably due to selfishness. Pride will also cause a major marriage train wreck. We're all sinful creatures, we are going to hurt our spouse and we're going to fall short on these commands, if we can stand up to our spouse and say we're sorry when we screw up our marriage will suffer. Be prepared to ask for forgiveness a lot, be prepared to forgive the other just as often. {The italics is my addition to the selfishness, I don't remember Brad touching on this, but I know this is an issue for me}

Love & Respect. There is a book and a bible study on this concept, why? Women are created by God to operate in Love. Men are created just the same to operate in Respect. They default to respecting us before loving us, not that they don't love us... but it's not their default way to show how much they care. Women are the opposite. We default to loving our man when they need to see respect because it's how their hardwired.

Here's the key for women as well: SUBMISSION to our man. That word has such a negative tone to it these days and Brad wanted to diffuse those. Submitting to your husband can't ever be based on whether he deserves it. Our husbands are just as sinful as we women are, if we only submitted to his authority when he deserved it, we never would. Submission means letting God teach him, not us nag them. Submission means praying hard for your husband and then getting out of the way so God can smack him if he needs it. God will shape your man like you can't, no matter how hard you try and change him or nag him to. To me what this means is being a wife that trusts God. I love my husband and I married him because I felt he had the heart I wanted in a man. Do I think he could lead this family alone? Absolutely not. Do I trust that God can work in a sinful man and guide our family, Absolutely! My role isn't to take over if I feel hubs isn't leading us where I want, or he isn't being the husband that I feel God called him to be. My role as his wife is to be the wife God commanded me to be and to pray hard for my husband and trust whole hearted that God will work in him. This is the hardest part of being a wife. We want so badly by nature to form and help our husbands to their full potential. {Italics are my thoughts and additions}

The analogy that Brad used for marriage, all marriages have seasons of downward cycles. It's like losing weight. It takes you 3 weeks to lose weight and 3 minutes to gain it back. It's really easy to let your marriage slide downward but a lot of work to get it back up to a healthy marriage pattern. Marriage is work just like weight loss. You have to invest time in your spouse and in yourself. If you're not growing yourself toward Christ it becomes easy to become selfish and prideful and to not pay attention to connecting with your spouse. God tells us in the bible that your prayers are hindered if you're relationship with your spouse is on the rocks. Make things right with your spouse NOW!

Hubs and I are also taking part in The Great Date Experiment that a church in Arkansas is doing to promote healthy marriages. You can click on that link to watch the video and then over on the right are the dates. I believe there are 6 in all. We did the first date, it has ideas for what to do on your night out {we improvised and did ours at home} as well as discussion topics and questions to ask each other. It was fun, a lot of laughs, and great conversation! I encourage you to check it out.

My Love

2010-02-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

My poor husband has had a rough few weeks so I thought I'd send him a bit of encouragement via our blog.

What makes me ♥ love ♥ MY Love:

His willingness to help an old lady load her car in the grocery store parking lot

His humor

The animal lover in him

The way still sticks out his lower lip when he's bummed about something

That he can BBQ a tri tip steak like it's nobody's business.

That he notices when I clean house

He's HOT!

How he calls his family often just because

That he does all the vacuuming at our house

That he reads the blogs I write and will compliment me on them

That he rolls his eyes when I turn on HGTV, but when I'm not in the room he'll turn to it

That he'll walk up to a service man or woman in uniform in public & shake their hand & thank them for their service.

That he'll sacrifice a Saturday to plant flowers for my 78 yr old aunt just so she won't do it herself.

That after a knock down drag out argument he will apologize to me if he's wrong.

More than all of that, I'm thankful that he picked me, that he puts up with me & all that territory comes with & that I have someone to argue with from time to time.

I ♥ U Hubs.

Last week

2010-02-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

It's Monday & I just blogged yesterday about LAST Monday, so I thought before we jump in headfirst to a new week, I'd recap last week.

Tuesday we had to grocery shop after work. There's nothing I hate more than grocery shopping, well that's not true, I'd rather grocery shop that fold laundry, so I guess we'll say it's toward the top of my "things I'd rather not do" list. I NEVER grocery shop alone. Hubs is really good at it, kind of a natural and he kind of enjoys watching for sales, price checking things and guessing before the register calculates it, how much everything will be. I just go along for the ride. I'm curious to see how this sort of thing works for us once we have kids, I'm guessing hubs will just do the grocery shopping alone.

Wednesday night we had to catch up on American Idol. They have now named the top 24 for Season 9 and overall I was pleased with their choices. I was sad that Thaddius got cut there at the end, I liked his voice. I think they should have cut that Tyler Grady or Brady or whatever his name is. The 70's looking guy with the long hair. He's not a favorite of mine. I also really though Shelby should have stayed. Aside from her physical limitations, which I felt didn't effect her signing at ALL, I really thought she was fantastic. I really hope they didn't get rid of her due to her physical issues. I didn't LOVE the one girl that got kicked off after having tried out for 3 years in a row. I did however feel horrible for her. I will tell you that if you missed The Ellen Show the other day, Ellen & Kara are buying her a record label and Kara is writing a song for her to sing for it, so she got her music career after all. I think that is what America is all about. She went on a show, 3 years in a row to try and make a life for her and her daughter and her family using the natural talent she had. It didn't get handed to her the first year, or the second and her dreams were crushed this year... but people with money, connections & good hearts stepped up and saw something in her that many others didn't and they're making a difference in her life. I hope she always has a thankful heart for that, no matter where she ends up in life. So far from those that I've seen featured so far, I really enjoy Big Mike, Casey {the blonde guy with longer hair}, Mama Sox {The girl with the dread locks} and the young Portuguese gal who's grandma has Alzheimer's. That girl is GOOD! I do think that there are quite a few that are good this year, but there isn't one that jumps out at me like last year. I loved Danny Gokey from day one last year. Kris Allen too. We'll see how it goes.

The Olympics are going on right now, so none of our other shows were on this week. I can honestly say that I have not watched more than 2 minutes of the Olympics this whole week. I do watch the recaps on the news and I could tell you somewhat of what's going on, but I just am not hugely interested in the Winter Olympics. I love summer Olympics, swimming, gymnastics, the speed walking. Who can get enough of that!? Winter has never jazzed me though. It also doesn't help that they don't start showing them until 8pm here and they don't get over until after Midnight. Hello people, they are taking place in our time zone for once and you're going to make me wait until 8pm to know what's going on? I'm too old for that!

New blog design. Thanks for all the sweet comments on the blog design. I love it and this will actually be the first post with my signature! Sometimes it's the little things in life that make me smile! Thanks for the compliments on the photos up top. I really enjoy photography and I hope that I am improving over time. Those are some of my favorite photos I've taken. I enjoy symbolizing things that I love through photography. It doesn't get much better to me than a cup a joe & The Word of God.

This weekend, we headed to Hanford Saturday so Kate could color my hair. I don't remember the last time I had a haircut and my roots were AWFUL! She worked her magic and I feel like a new woman! I'll post a picture on here soon. Saturday night we went to a play with my parents and my sister. I really enjoy going to plays and things like that. We have two small theaters in Fresno that I hadn't been to in years. This weekend was the last weekend for this play "Dearly Beloved" and it was great! We laughed, I cried {shocking}, we had a great time. It was about a redneck family in Texas who's daughter is marrying the son of the wealthiest family in their small little town. They were trying to make the wedding really fancy for the grooms family to think they were better people... but everything kept going wrong. It was hysterical! I would really enjoy going to those things more often if I could. Not all the plays interest me, but some of them are really fun and the actors are amazing. I couldn't believe they memorized all those lines and I cold hardly remember what I had for breakfast that day!

Well, I'm actually writing this Sunday to post Monday morning and we're on our way out for family dinner for my mom's birthday and my grandma's birthday. Should be fun, usually there's some comedy involved at our family dinners as well! :)

Happy Monday y'all. Hope your week is swell.

babysitting

2010-02-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

Last Monday was a holiday around here. Hubs and I were both off for President's Day. It also happened to be the day after Valentine's Day and Hubs sister and her husband had asked if we'd watch the little man for a few hours while they had a fun date. I joyfully agreed, and I actually suggested activities that would take a bit longer than just a a "few" hours. It was our first time to have him by ourselves, and the first time I've ever really been around him without Mom or Nana around. Not that I care if they're there because I can hog him regardless... but I always know that they love him too, so I try and share.

Not this time! He was all mine! It was great to see hubs with him too. Without a million women telling him how to hold him and what to do. Hubs changed his first diaper EVER, and it was a doozy, let me tell you!

You can't tell me that little face doesn't just light up your life!? He is really into the ABC song right now, the more animated you are while singing it, the harder he laughs and squeals.

I tried to have a little Valentine's Day photo shoot for his parents, I was going to blow up a few photos for them, but he got tired of me and the camera and it was getting dark so I didn't have really good light.

I did have to play off of the skull outfit he had on and put a bandana on his head. He looks like a biker!
It was fun, I'm not sure if I made hubs want one of our own, or convinced him he never wants one, either way I had a blast and I think it's time for them to go out on another date! Thanks for coming over to Aunt Lissa & Uncle Ryan's little man, we had a blast. You're welcome anytime. We'll always have some cookies & milk waiting when you get here!

New Blog Design

2010-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Do you like it? Mariah had a giveaway on her blog awhile back awarding someone a new blog design and button and I actually won! At the time I had no clue what I actually wanted and was in the midst of a photography class and didn't really have the time to spend figuring it out. Well, she was patient with me and even let me take the photos for my header and she put them all together to make them look GREAT!

Thanks again Mariah, I love it.

Feel free to grab my button over on the left... I have one now!

Baptism

2010-02-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

This last Sunday, on Valentine's Day, our nephew was baptized. He was so good and quiet and sweet through the whole service. Hubs was asked/honored to be his Godfather and aside from the fact that this picture caught him mid blink, you can tell he couldn't be more proud.

Here's hubs with Jesse, Godmother {Oz' cousin}, and the baby! They all looked so nice! Jesse is actually pregnant with her first little bundle of joy. I can't wait to meet that baby!

This is one proud Aunt & Uncle right here. Me with both my Valentine's. I just love that kid.

Here's four generations. He seems pretty happy to be apart of that group, kid doesn't know what he has comin'! :) ha.

Here is the whole Fernandes gang. Carsyn was baptized along with John {the little guy on grandma's lap in the front}. The two sitting down in front are Oz' parents and then L to R Oz, Carsyn, Kate, Mark {Oz' younger brother}, Christen {Oz' sis in law}, baby Adam {Adam & Christen's oldest}, Adam {Oz' older brother}, baby John in the front is Christen & Adam's youngest.
Congrats to both little guys and parents, grandparents, & Godparents. These are special little guys that have a huge support and prayer team around them, they have no idea!

Baby's First Super Bowl

2010-02-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

You can't tell me this little guy isn't the cutest Dolphins fan you've ever seen. Someone {his father} mis-informed him about what the Super Bowl is and how long it's been since the Dolphins were a part of it.

He was a little giggly with me all day. I loved every second of it. Hubs did a great job of capturing his grin.

He got so wound up! I love it. He drooling a ton right now, I think he might start cutting some teeth soon.
These two boys have every little piece of my heart.

I'm so excited to see him again this weekend. We're keeping him for awhile on Monday so that his Mama & Daddy can go on a Valentine's date. I assure you there will be more photos of him then!

Spring Cleaning

2010-02-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

I have been longing for Spring {as I'm sure I've made VERY clear} so I started our Spring Cleaning and organizing early! Two weeks ago I tackled all three closets. I got rid of old lamps, clothes, recycled ratty towels into rags and moved them to the laundry room etc.

The following weekend I tackled our office and organized the massive amounts of paperwork and rearranged the furniture a bit. We had these two plastic storage bins with multiple drawers that stored our "electronic extras" which means we had old cell phones, chargers, cords, floppy discs, old CD's etc etc etc. I cleaned everything out and tossed stuff, recycled the stuff that needs to be recycled and I got RID of those two storage bins that collected JUNK!

So last weekend it was the pantry. I will tell you first of all that we do not shop because we need things, we shop because things are on sale, so we always have what looks like a stockpile of food items. People often see our pantry and think we're waiting for a blizzard or Y2K all over again. It's just because when we find something on sale that we know we'll use we buy in bulk. Saves money and I don't have to travel to the store often for things other than fresh veggies/fruits etc.
That being said, it gets a little crazy in our pantry often as we tend to shove things in when we shop and then can't find anything.

Here's the before shot:

The thing that kills me about organizing the pantry is that unlike the closets or old storage containers it's not that stuff needs to be thrown away, just organized. So when I see the after photo I don't feel like I made great progress because it's still full not cleaned out. However I now know what's in there and where it is, so that's huge. I also have a list on the inside of the door with what's in there so that when I pull a can of stewed tomatoes out of the pantry I cross it off the list, when the list gets down to just a can or two of stewed tomatoes I know to add it to the grocery list so we don't run out and I'm not up a creek when I got to make dinner at 6pm and need stewed tomatoes. When we shop and I bring home 4 new cans of stewed tomatoes, I add them to the list and I have a constant inventory of the pantry. So, without further ado,

The after photo:

On the list for this weekends spring cleaning? Organizing the junk drawer in my kitchen & deep cleaning both bathrooms: wiping out cupboards, wiping down baseboards and the outsides of cabinets {you girls know what I mean... removing the 18 layers of hairspray coating every surface of the bathroom}, moping the floors on my hands and knees, scrubbing the tub/shower, taking shower curtain down and washing it, bleaching the liner, etc. I can't wait to have a spotless bathroom. Maybe when I'm done I'll take updated photos to show you the mirrors framed and the hardware on the cabinets!

**note: yes our pantry and our coat closet are one giant closet in our hall with double doors. I think it was intended to be a linen closet and coat closet but there was no pantry and it's not far off our kitchen, so a pantry it became. We have a huge walk in closet in our room that is plenty of room for our clothes and linens.

Waiting

2010-02-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

I am in desperate need of Spring right now. These are images of things I'm longing for.

My Favorite Boys

2010-02-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

I took this as we were about to leave my in-laws last night after Super Bowl (what now Manning!?) Ha, I'm so excited for the Saints and for Drew Brees! He has the second cutest kid ever! Ok, back to the photo. Hubs was saying bye to our nephew and I snapped this with his cell phone. Not great quality because of the cell, but darling nonetheless!

Happy Monday All.

Weekend

2010-02-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

I blogged awhile back about how there is a lot of technology that is totally over my head. One thing that has bugged me from the first day I've started blogging is the fact that I couldn't figure out how to put a link in one word. I have blog posts with these long web addresses in them and it drove me nuts. Well, problem solved. One of my blog friends Natalie came through for me! She sent me an email with step by step directions and it was so easy! I can't believe what a blogging moron I've been that I couldn't figure that out. Regardless, I can now share with you lots of posts that I love and I can link to them with just a word.

It's the little things in life!

Happy Friday y'all. I can't wait to get off work tonight and head to Sal's for dinner for the best Mexican food that exists in the Valley. Hubs aunt is out here from Idaho visiting and so we're meeting all of them there along with hubs parents and some of the great aunts and uncles from Caruthers. Great company along with great food makes for a great Friday night!

We are in the midst of a rain storm here. Started last night and it is supposed to rain until Sunday and we're supposed to get a lot of it. I'm thinking tomorrow will be a lazy day at home in our sweats. I do have a bridal shower to go to for one of my very best friends. She happens to be marrying a guy that we've all known and been friends with for almost 10 years. I couldn't be more excited for them both. There will be a lot of gals there tomorrow night that I haven't seen in awhile and have longed to have time with to hang out, I'm so excited! Sunday we have our first Sunday working in our church nursery. We have been helping once a month in the 2 year old class room but they've made some changes and are trying to shift everyone around so we're moving into the nursery. My husband has been an awesome servant with the kids (which are not his comfort zone) and he's so cute with them! We will see how he does with the ity bity ones! Then of course as soon as church is over we're heading to hubs parents for Super Bowl! I'm looking forward to the food and commercials and I'm hoping that the Saints can pull off a win!

Have a wonderful Super Bowl weekend. Here's to your good food and your teams victory!

P.S. Thank you sweet Natalie for solving all my blogging woes!

bathrooms

2010-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

I started this post last summer when we actually re did both of our bathrooms. I should take some newer pictures since we've since framed both mirrors. Here's a just a preview of the colors. The first bathroom is our master bath. The orginial color is the light tan which is the color our bedroom is painted, our dressers etc are dark brown and our throw pillows are a blue color. We took the throw pillows off our bed and matched the paid color for the bathroom walls to them. I love how it turned out. The shower curtain in there now is White. I would love to add some beadboard to this wall down the road.

The next photos are of the front/guest bathroom. It too was originally the light tan color and we painted it green. All the accessories in there were dark brown and green, so we took the little picture frame on the counter into Home Depot and matched it. I love the way it turned out. I actually want to keep the extra paint (we have lots) for a future nursery maybe! As you can see, along with the walls, we also painted the bathroom cabinets white in both bathrooms. That was the hardest part of the re-do but I think it's my favorite part now! They look great. The photos of them here don't even have the hardware on yet. I'll have to post more photos soon.

What home projects are on your list this year?

Photography Class

2010-01-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

I'm taking my very first photography class right now online. I am loving it! I can't wait until the weather gets a bit better and I can head out and spend a day taking photos. The photo of the flower above was my submission the first week for our assignment. I was giddy as a school girl when our instructor (Angie Seaman Photography) gave me a great review on it.

Then I convinced hubs to spend an afternoon driving me around town to take some more photos. I'm glad we live out in the country a bit and have some great scenery out here.

Then we headed downtown to catch some of the great architecture down there. I don't head downtown very often. While is nice and pretty, there are one way streets, there are parking meters, there are some interesting people wearing shirts with pot leaves on them who start yelling at you when you're taking photos wondering why you're taking photos of them (trust me, I wasn't taking ANY photos of him!) it's just not my favorite area of town. I do love a few of the shots I got down there.

The last picture I took long before this class and I now look at it and think of all the things I did wrong. I still like it though.

More of Me

2010-01-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

I was in a "list making" mood today. I have a bit of an issue with them. I make them for fun.

I realize there are things in my life that make me happy in an instant and there are things that make me grumble just as fast. Not that any of you care what those things are, but I enjoy listing them for you.

Things that bug me:

That awful noise that fax machines make

When people merge on the freeway going 40 mph

People who are indecisive

Butter that is too hard to spread on toast

Folding/Matching socks (does the dryer really eat them?)

Feet, ew!

Being cold

Cold coffee

Negative people

Unruly children and parents that do nothing about it

People that let their dogs lick them in the mouth

People that channel surf so fast you can't see what's on

Mondays

Living far away from people I really enjoy

Feeling stuck in a rut

Tight spaces

Onions, yuck!

Things that make my heart sing, bring a smile to my face & cause my cup to runneth over:

Flowers

Coffee

Rain

Fridays

Puppies (ones that don't bite and aren't mine)

Game nights

Kid's giggles

Slippers

My husband

Flip flops

Photos that stir emotion

A new purse

Girl talk

Christmas

Fresno State football

5pm

Red shoes

Surprise gifts

Taco Bell Pepsi

Ice cream

3 Musketeer candy bar's FROZEN (if you haven't tried this you MUST)

Snuggling with the dog

Sleeping in

Dinner out

Good chick flick

Crime scene shows

My nephew's smile

Scarves

Watching my husband help an old lady load her car

Disneyland

Friends

Hearing my husband belly laugh

The smell of a baby's head

Lazy weekends

A new coffee cup

What do you love?

The Guardian

2010-01-24T12:36:00.001-08:00

So I'm not one for a movie review. If I don't like movie I usually don't finish it. Not that my time is all that valuable, but I could think of things I'd rather be doing than watching a horrible movie. Yesterday some friends called and said they'd just rented Four Christmases and they both laughed out loud it was so funny. They told us to head out and rent it ASAP. So in our sweats without any makeup on (me, hubs doesn't often wear makeup) we ran to Red box to rent it. They of course didn't have it, nor did they have anything else that seemed worthy of 2.5 hours of my Saturday night. We headed home empty handed and finished making dinner. We had caught up on our DVR's shows but had a few movies on there we'd recorded a long time ago that we still hadn't watched. The one we voted to watch was The Guardian with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. Holy smokes I was not prepared for what it held for me. I was laughing, I was crying, I was pacing (I got so nervous), and I loved all but the last 15 minutes of the movie. I understand why they ended the movie how they did, but I wasn't ready for it at all.

There was a point in the movie where Kevin Costner is sitting in the bar after a long day and says to the older lady that owns the bar "when did we get old" to which she replies with the best thing I've ever heard.... (edited to be appropriate for my taste)

"Heck, I've always been old Ben. Ya' know what though, I don't mind. I mean if my muscles ache, it's because I've used 'em. It's hard for me to walk up them steps now, its 'cuz I walked up 'em every night to lay next to a man who loved me. I got a few wrinkles here and there, but I've layed under thousands of skies with sunny days. I look and feel this way, well cuz I drank and I smoked. I lived and I loved, danced, sang, sweat and screwed my way thorough a pretty darn good life if you ask me. Getting old ain't bad Ben. Getting old, that's earned."

As I am rapidly approaching age 30 myself I often think about "getting old". I must say this one quote in the midst of a pretty gut wrenching movie clearly explained to me how I want to view life. I sure hope that at any age I can realize that my wrinkles tell a story of the life I've lived. That I have memories of love and laughter and fun to make all these years worth it. I know 30 isn't old, but I know that there will be years after that that'll sure seem like it. I know there are days that I count the grey hairs, examine the crows feet that are forming, ache in places I didn't know I had & sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies when I kneel down or stand up or walk for that matter.

At the end of the day, I hope you go rent The Guardian if you haven't seen it and I hope we all earn getting old.

A fresh New Year.

2010-01-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's officially 2010. I remember Y2K like it was yesterday, to think an entire decade has passed is unreal. 2009 was good to us. We both still have our jobs, we have great friends and enjoyed fellowship with them, and not to be biased but we have the cutest nephew anyone could ask for.
We had some friends over for New Year's Eve. The two couples in the middle are expecting little ones this spring/summer and both are having BOYS! Right to left here we have; Steven & Julie, Brandon & Jacqueline, Jeff & Candi, & yours truly! Jeff & Candi had flown in from Arkansas that day and they were moving the very next morning, so I was shocked that they came and that they stayed past midnight!

The girls just before the clock struck 12!

The boys, I mean, Men!
Steve-o bringing in the new year!

We didn't do resolutions this year, but we did sit down and discuss where we are as a family, were we'd like to be next year and what we'd like to accomplish in 2010.

We made a list of things we'd like to do around the house.
*We want to rip up all the carpet and linoleum in our house and lay hardwood floors (laminate hardwood that is).
*We want to plant a garden in our backyard this spring. We need to get started building the garden boxes in the next month or so because the end of March is when things need to be planted.
*We want to paint an accent wall in our living room and I have a "vision" for our LONG entry way wall that won't take much money, just time and energy.

As for kiddos, I think I had it in my head that we would work on starting a family this year. This will be be the first summer that we will both have at least 3 weeks of vacation time and have some money to go anywhere. We are hoping to go to Idaho to visit family for sure and possibly to Denver to visit some friends. My family goes to the beach for a week each summer and we've never gone for more than a night. I'm hoping to at least be able to go half the week. We're wanting to be realistic about things we'd like to do before we have kids, at the same time keeping in mind that I'm not getting any younger. I've always said that I'd rather want kids and not have them than have them and not want them. Not that we'd ever have kids and wish we didn't, but I want to be sure we're good and ready and not wish down the road that we'd waited a bit longer or wish that we'd done a few more things on our "list".

We're making it a point this year to do a few things in our personal lives. We've made a financial budget checklist that we're sticking with. Not really setting a budget but being aware of what we're spending and on what. We've paid off all our debt and we're really working towards putting more away into savings, retirement funds, and paying more on our car & house payments when we can. We're going to cut out all the "extras" and try and live very simply the next year to make way for all the home projects, travels, & one day baby.

Our church campus as split it's one morning service into two services. I think we'll serve at the early service and we'll attend the later one each week. This will allow us to sleep in a bit on our weeks off and to be able to attend church each week rather than just our off weeks. My goals for this year are to spend one month reading a Proverb each day for one month, for hubs and I to spend some time reading through the Bible together, and for us to be more intentional about making church, tithing, serving & fellowship a priority in our lives. We don't want "loving God" to be on our list, we want to make "our list" based on the fact that we love God. The more we think about having kids and the closer we get to that, the more I think about the role that Christ plays in our lives, in our household, in our marriage & how we can teach that to our kids someday. What a joy it will be for us to teach our kids the Love of Christ.

We've also committed to being healthier people. People who exercise more, eat better, and make an effort to pick health over laziness. I want us to be around for kids and grand kids and I want to be an example for our kids in eating habits and lifestyle. It's a rough journey, but we must start somewhere. We haven't set a weight loss goal, or a diet, we just want to be thinking about it each day.

Now that's I've bored you to death with our next year... We hope that you have a happy, healthy, faithful 2010.