Addictive TV

Yesterday I thought I would sit down on the couch, watch a little tv and read. I didn't get much reading in and think I have couch sores from being a sloth. I did learn quite a bit about the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park (Travel Channel). LBF has some vacations already planned for when he/she is older :)

Then I moved on to the lovely Real Housewives of Orange County. That show is pure humor since those women live in a world that I can't even imagine yet they are so dumb. I don't think they are that hot for trophy wives and very few of them have much going on upstairs. They had a new comer to the show that is in her 40's and looks it, who is dating a 26 year old! That made me laugh more than anything because he is totally a player looking for money. No 26 year old male would look at that lady and think she is hot and 30.

After flipping through more channels I ended up on Snoop Dog's Fatherhood. I have been intrigued by the commercials and Jess mentioned she broke down and got sucked in earlier this week. Again, people with money live in a very different world but at the same time, they are very much like us. I found it interesting because the only image and knowlege I have of Snoop is his persona he puts out as a gansta rapper. He's a pretty decent father if he would stop bribing his children to behave with money.

So after all that tv watching and napping, Ryan came home after watching football and we watched SuperBad. I should have mentioned that I didn't feel 100% yesterday (I don't think scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees helped anything from the day before) so I thought the resting would be good for me. The baby is definitely moving and things are growing/changing. I went to bed last night and tossed and turned. My back is killing me and all I can hope for is that I am a pregnant lady that doesn't need bed rest! I would go insane.

So, I am not into posting resolutions because I usually fail at them. They become the extra large list that I can't complete. This year I am going to try to scale back on work (3 months maternity leave should help that one out) and try to learn how to moderate my activity level. I seem to be either all out or nothing. This applies to so many things in life (eating, cleaning, activity/hobby, etc.). I think that is where the post was headed at the beginning (I cleaned like an insane woman the day before and then yesterday I did NOTHING).

Anyhow, that's it for now. I have to pick up the house since people are coming over this evening. Happy New Years Eve!

Back to Normal

The house is officially back to normal. Ryan took down the tree while I went to a movie yesterday. Today I finished putting all the decor away, we moved the couches back (I hand washed the floors first-I have black and blue knees to prove it), put down the new rug (looks terrific), took the leaf out of the table, cleaned up the house, and am ready to do nothing for the rest of my time off.

Jess and I went to Juno yesterday. It was a great movie and I recommend you see it. It had a ton of humor, some emotional parts, and was set in MN so there was some humor that most others won't catch unless you have lived there.

We came home and I finally cooked those darn cornish game hens that were meant for Christmas Eve dinner. They turned out good along with the rest of the meal. I don't mind cooking but I always feel like I don't have enough room/counter space or dishes. I am a recipe follower so it takes me forever with all the double checking ingredients, measuring, timing, and reviewing the recipe to make sure I didn't forget anything. Oh well, good meal and plenty of food. Plus I got Ryan and Jerry to clean up for me!

We played a little Buzz Trivia and the new XBox 360 Scene It game. I am not a stellar player but it is fun. I am too slow and definitely am not up to speed on movie trivia.

That's all for now. Time to shower and relax.

5 Days Left

Christmas went well this year but I have to say it is nice to have my house back to normal. Well, almost normal. I still have to take down my tree tomorrow and put the furniture back.

I didn't get much rest in after the family left today since I put presents away, started gathering all Christmas decor to pack away tomorrow, lots of laundry, cleaning and bill paying. I did finish one book today and am ready to go to bed.

Tomorrow I plan on taking the tree down and packing up the decorations. Then maybe hitting a movie with Jess and cooking my cornish game hens that never quite made it to the oven this week. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday will be days of rest and relaxation. I am sure I will be bored by Sunday but the thought of doing nothing excites me. Maybe I will break down and get a haircut but other than that...lots of nothingness.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve day was fun. We met friends for lunch, played a lot of dominos, made a light dinner (after a shrimp platter debacle cleared the kitchen-rotten canned shrimp, not good on the sniffer), and then began the unwrapping of presents.

Santa was good to us all. Lots of nice loot to share and cherish. I was asked what my favorite present was this morning and I honestly couldn't say. I received a lot of nice stuff and each had it's own meaning. One of the funniest presents I received was a subsciption to a salsa of the month club! So far, my salsa and spice meter has been slightly dimished due to LBF but it keeps so I can't wait to begin tasting. Joann sent us some homemade raspberrry jam which was a hit since in the years past, the berries didn't cooperate and we went without. I couldn't wait to have it on toast this morning. It was delicious! I received some nice candles (have to hide those from my mom and sister to make sure they don't go home with one), some fun games from the hubby, the rug for the living room, and too many other goodies to mention one by one.

The rest of the family received good loot too so everyone is checking the goodies out, passing, sniffing, reading, playing, etc. Even the animals were spoiled with new treats and toys.

Thank you everyone for the fantastic stuff. Although I do not wish I was in Minnesota due to the temperature, it is sad not being around the other half of the family. Hopefully they enjoyed their loot and are having a good time with it already.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you have/had a splendid weekend and Santa was good to you also.

11 Days of Happiness

I figured it was about time to post something positive so here I go with my 11 reasons for happiness.

1) No work for 11 days!
2) Beautiful weather.
3) Family (near and far) wishing we were together but in each other's thoughts. (sorry, when you get happy you get sappy too)
4) Friends (near and far too).
5) Christmas presents (done, wrapped, and ready to open).
6) Books to read.
7) Minimal cleaning left to do.
8) LBF.
9) Ryan, Annie, and Jazzie.
10) No schedule to maintain.
11) and no work for 11 days!

Now I know some smart ass is going to comment about cleaning being higher on the list than LBF and Ryan but hey, it's the way they came to me.

Puking and Perplexed

I am perplexed. I am 15 weeks along and told that morning sickness lessens and disappears around week 16 for most people. Yet...this week has been the worst so far! I have thrown up a couple times now (most recent was 10 minutes ago in the kitchen sink which I easily hit compared to the toilet I missed a couple days ago). I have had touch and go moments all week and have been back to eating something every 1-2 hours and choking it down to keep my stomach padded. What's up with this? All I want for Xmas is to not feel sick!

Time to google this and figure out what is going on. If I stay this way through the week of Xmas, I am calling the doctor and asking for the drugs that keep you from puking. I just want to eat, enjoy food, and not feel queasy. Is that too much to ask for?

Ryan's comment last night that went a little like this "Wow, you're belly's gettin' big!" He's right. I definitely have a round gut now. I broke out a maternity shirt today so I could cover up my unbuttoned pants at work! The pants Sheryl lent me are too big for now but give me another month or so and I will be complaining they are too small too! I will have to make a trip over the holiday break to get some work pants. LBF, the spending begins! It's all for you baby!

Family Traditions

Ok, I seriously think I grew up in a family without tradition! Our tradition consisted of getting together on Xmas Eve, having dinner, taking family pictures, opening presents, and drinking too much (if we didn't drink too much we went to midnight mass). Xmas day we would get up, check out our stocking loot (go to church if A) we missed it the night before or B) if it wasn't 30 below zero), help make dinner, and then eat a big lunch/dinner with the family. Other than that, we don't have specific things we do leading up to or during Xmas.

On our weekly team meeting we went around the horn and had to talk about a favorite tradition. The majority of my team members all do cool family things. Maybe once we have a kid we will start something interesting.

Erin Elizabeth Scrooge

That's right folks. I hate Christmas and everything about it. I think I am going to become a Jew and celebrate Hanukah. Here are today's reasons why I hate Christmas (taking out all religious aspects, strictly commercial and traditional reasons).

1) Shopping Sucks-the stores are crowded and no one is nice or helpful.
2) Buying Under Stress/timelines-every year I say I will start early or see something in July and say I will get it next month and I don't. December comes and I can't find anything I want to get people.
3) F-ing Christmas Cards-yes, I believe this is what officially set me off today. I knew my cards would be late but at least I wrote a nice letter. The f-ing printer crapped out on me and Ryan and I have spent 1 hour fighting with it. Ba-Humbug!
4) Xmas Music-thought I was able to tolerate it again after years of working retail but it still bugs the crap out of me.
5) Traditions-everyone blogged about their Xmas likes and dislikes. I was going to do the same but realized, our traditions weren't very traditional. I don't have a favorite meal or favorite tune. My only tradition is I put the tree up after Turkey Day and take it down after Xmas (give or take a week).
6) Family Memories-I do have good family memories but nothing that stands out so significantly that I would feel bad if I didn't reminice.
7) Preparations or Travel-thank god we aren't traveling this year since that adds to the stress but this year, my family is coming here. I am excited to see them but that means planning meals and getting the house ready. I am starting to panic that it will be a disaster but I know it won't.

So, maybe tomorrow when I have calmed down from the god dang mother hating printer debacle, I will post the reasons why I like Christmas.

Long Week

This has been an extremely long week. I am ready for the weekend except that means finishing up Xmas shopping.

Our doctor visit went well. The baby didn't want to share his/her heart beat so that resulted in another ultra sound. That was cool though because we could see the baby more clearly this time. Head, brain shadow, heart, spine, legs and arms...pretty crazy. The next visit in January will determine the sex if he/she cooperates.

Last night Jess and Jerry (just couldn't type Jerry and Jess-inside comment for those at the party) hosted our "Friends Annual Xmas Party." Lots of food and drink for the non-preggos and good gifts were exchanged. I left a little early but from the lack of posting by everyone, I am guessing they partied a lot harder than I did.

Stealin' Ryan's Thunder

Since Ryan was too busy to post today I figured I would steal his thunder. I mentioned how he had a couple home improvement surprises waiting for me last night. The first was he planted the 4 topiaries I wanted out front. The second was he didn't just fix his broken sink, he got a new one, a new light fixture, and painted his bathroom! It looks great and was a terrific surprise! He did a fabulous job picking everything out and truly surprised me. I have wanted to paint that bathroom since we moved in but he didn't want to. He was going to get a matching vanity but the one we have still functions and isn't too grimy. I am fine with waiting on that. Way to go Hubby!

Return to the Warmth

I will try to keep this post brief and add more details throughout the week regarding my birthday trip north.

First, THANK YOU to the MN girls and boy (yep Stacy, you get your own shout out). The trip home was very nice and I was so happy to see everyone. It was truly the best gift I could ask for and receive.

Second, the hubby was a busy man this weekend. I don't want to steal all of his thunder so I will just say he worked some magic inside and outside the house. One of the surprises was he put in 4 new plants outside. Ryan hardly ever helps with my "gardening" so for him to do this on his own was a treat. They look great and I noticed as soon as we pulled in the driveway. I will wait until he posts about his other home improvement adventure.

Third, if you love MN winters, quit reading but if not, hear me out. I went home with the idea that yes, it will be cold but I can handle it. It was cold and I handled it but the salty cars, grey skies, and overall miserable deep freeze is depressing. The snow was pretty to see and visit but I truly could not see myself ever moving back to the frozen tundra. I did some comparisons in my mind this morning about the difference between winter up there and the hot, humid summer down here. They even out in most respects but overall, I think Florida weather wins out by a long shot. What MN does win at is the overall customer service and "pleasantness" that we call MN Nice. Sorry friends and relatives, MN will always be God's land but when I think of going to hell, it won't be hot and humid, it will be terribly cold and icy.

Tomorrow, I will post details of the trip. Thanks again to everyone for the birthday wishes.

As a belated shout out, Happy Birthday to Sean (his birthday was the day after mine).

The BIG 3-0

That's right, Thursday I turn 30. Happy Birthday to me! I am leaving on a jet plane to cold and snowy Minneapolis and plan on returning safely to the warm state of Florida on Sunday (pending the next midwest snow storms don't strand me in the frozen northland!).

I worked like a mad woman today to make sure all my loose ends at work were tied up so I could take my time off and NOT have to worry about work. I was warned by several people including my boss to not worry about work and keep off the blackberry (which was odd since in the next sentence my boss said, well, I expect you to check periodically and respond to emergencies...should I call you if it is an emergency? My response was no, I don't answer my cell so just put the subject line as urgent and ask me to respond. Then she said, well, it should be quiet with you gone...wink wink. I said don't jinx it, you have a production push tomorrow with 3 large projects going. Friday about 4:30 should be interesting (since all of our emergencies pop up about that time)). She told me to get out of work and have a good time. Part of me wishes all hell would break loose while I am out but part of me wishes it would stay calm for everyone. I left after 7pm. So much for leaving early to get home to pack.

Anyhow, my friends at work surprised me with a cake, candles, a birthday song, and a nice card. I knew there would be cake but I didn't know they would do the whole celebration thing. It made me tear up because they signed it from my adoptive team (since I am the only one from my team in FL, I usually buddy up with the School of Business and claim them/they claim me as a team member).

One last random rambling...a lady at work noticed my belly starting to show and asked if I was pregnant! Now, I know things are moving and shifting and growing but I thought it was rather ballsie of a person who isn't that close to me to ask that. Of course, it didn't offend me but considering I just feel fat, not pregnant, it was a startling question. Not to mention my pants are actually looser than normal except across the tummy. I wonder if Ryan will notice a difference from when I leave and come back (I ask him almost daily to look at my tummy and he just says "yep, it's getting bigger").

Ok, that's all for tonight. I might blog a little tomorrow or maybe at Bridget's but otherwise, I am outta here until Sunday. Then I will post my birthday stories. Keep an eye on Ryan. He is looking forward to me leaving more than I am.

Christmas Shopping and Pregnancy

I did do a little Christmas shopping on Sunday and was slightly disappointed. I was in the right frame of mind to tackle the evil crowds but this year not a single thing or store appealed to me in it's usual way. Normally I can find tons of things for my friends and family or at least things I want for myself. This year I felt like I covered the mall from one end to the other with little luck. I have some more shopping to do but think it will have to wait until I get back from MN. The one super successful trip was to Dillard's to get some new bras. The lady was super helpful and friendly which helped keep me going.

After several hours of braving the mall crowds and several other stores I came home not feeling so good. I hung in there until about 9:30 last night when I had the stangest experience. I puked in the sink while washing my face! Talk about awkward yet strangely convenient. Then this morning I was about to brush my teeth when the wave started and I knew I was going to throw up again. I decided I would brush my teeth to either over come it or succumb to it. I succumbed. Cheerios in the sink is not a fun thing to clean up. Now, I don't know about you but everyone keeps telling me how I should be starting to feel better, not worse. This better not be mother natures cruel joke on me. I hate to regress in my state rather than progress.

I have tried all the tricks and suggestions about keeping my stomach full, snacking on crackers, drinking certain things, eating only what tastes good and stays down (which isn't much). For a girl that used to love food, I dread feeding time now. As certain things are growing, you would think I was gaining weight but I have dropped another pound. I am down 3 lbs from when I found out I was pregnant. Hopefully at next weeks weigh-in, those three pounds will come back and I will be feeling good. I think psychologically it will help account for the extra cup size and the bulge in the tummy. I am also hoping to feel I have enough nourishment so my body doesn't feel so tired and run down. At least when I was heavier, I had some energy and motivation to move. Now I feel like everything is a tremendous undertaking. Speaking of, Ryan warned me oh so kindly that there is laundry in the dryer. I should get that before he gets home.

4 Hours and Still Decorating

I recall Jess asking me how it could take so long to decorate a Christmas tree. Well, I have 30 years worth of ornaments all tucked away in their rightful homes that must be unwrapped and carefully placed. I do not linger on sentiments or read the boxes because that would double my time. I have made it through 2 bins, 1 left to go. I think I used 10 strings of lights this year and probably 5 or 6 strands of beads. I haven't even begun to put all the snow globes, wine bottle holders, or candles out. This is tough work and all I can say is thank god my mom will be here after Christmas because I want her to help pack this up. I suppose I better get back to it and put Ryan's 4 ornaments up and finish out that last bin. Poor Ryan, 4 NASCAR ornaments can't quite compete with all the skates and skaters.

This makes me ponder a thought-when the baby arrives, I can handle a couple years worth of ornaments for him/her but after that, I am going to have to get the kid his or her own Christmas tree. Where in the world will I put it? Maybe I will start with a 3 foot one in the kids room. Hmmm...maybe I will do the same with Ryan's poor ornaments. That or he has to buy me a larger house to put a second tree up in or a larger one :)

The Surprise

As some of you know, Ryan has been touting a big surprise for my birthday this year. I turn 30 and although I never thought much of it, it does have a little bit of a psychological effect on you. For me, I have thought this is the age you officially become an adult. In your 20's you have the college life and then start a career and marriage (well, for some of us). Now that the baby's on the way, I definitely feel 'older'. Not that it's a bad thing.

I had always hoped the MN girls and I could get together and do something fun. Michele had tried to organize a trip to Vegas for her b-day and those plans fell short. I had hoped everyone could come south and we could do a cruise (it is December and they are getting a blizzard as I type). That fell through also. I had mentioned to Ryan months ago about how all I wanted was to go home and visit my friends. He kinda poo pooed that. We didn't talk much about it and then the baby news came. He mentioned he had a surprise that he booked for me before he knew we were expecting so I wracked my brain of all the places I had wanted to go but now wouldn't be as fun (examples: cruise=no Dramamine, Napa=no wine, Amusement Park=no rides, Amsterdam=no drugs, etc.).

He told me to take 2 days off of work and he would tell me where I was going the night before. I pleaded with him to tell me in advance because I am an anal packer (takes me days to figure out what I am going to pack) and I usually want to buy myself something new to wear. So, this morning he wrapped my presents and gave me the card with my itinerary. I am going to MSP to see the girls!

I am so excited. I called Bridget right away to tell her I knew. She wouldn't tell me who or what we were going to do but that is ok. I know I will get to see everyone and it will be a blast. Don't get me wrong, I would love to celebrate with my Florida friends but I see you guys all the time (plus I know you didn't want to go ice skating again!).

Time to put up my decorations and think about venturing out of the house to the mall. I am so excited, Mon-Wed at work is going to be horrible because all I will want to do is hop on that plane.

The hubby is the master of surprises and I have to say, I am a little sad he isn't going somewhere with me since I think we need a mini vacation together but he has his man plans for when I am gone. Damn hormones. I am all teary again.

Thanks Ryan, you are the best!