Oh What a Christmas...

Our first Christmas with Adelaide was wonderful. However, talk about not what you expected...you know those days when all the plans you've made are foiled by fate, this was that trip. I was schooled in the art of flexibility this past weekend.

We wanted to limit the amount of packing up our stuff and moving that we had to do, so we plannned to stay at only one house. But that all changed when my husband started puking on Christmas at 11pm. So, the day after Christmas, I packed up our stuff and Adelaide and I moved to my Mom and Dad's house.

Somehow, 15 people from his family got sick on Christmas after we got together with them on Christmas Eve. Luckily, I ended up only getting about as half as sick as the original group, but it is definitely hard to take care of a baby when you have to go to the bathroom every 1/2 hour or when you have to run up two flights of stairs to throw up. I had to hand over the baby duties to my Mom (except the feeding) for the night. It was a decidedly inconvenient time for all of us to be sick, because 1)it sucks to be sick with a baby, 2)Adelaide was being baptized on the 27th, 3) my birthday is on the 27th!

I made it through the night without anymore throwing up, but apparently Adelaide wanted to keep Grandma up until 4:30am. Despite the rough night, we all seemed to be getting ready on track to be on time to church, until I started dressing Adelaide. As soon as I took off her diaper, projectile poop! Yep, poop, and a lot of it, all over the front of me, good thing that I was wearing black!

To make a long story short, I got most of the poop off, we made it to church on time even with unplowed roads, Adelaide behaved wonderfully for her baptism, and we even kept our lunch reservation at the restaurant. Sadly, like me, Sean's Dad became a secondary casualty of the Christmas Eve virus, so he didn't make it the baptism. But, all in all, I would consider it a great first Christmas for Adelaide.

You should always expect a few hiccups in your plan, especially with a baby:) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Reflections on my NYR

I decided to grade myself on my New Year's Resolution (which was to write weekly on this blog to publicly acknowledge the things for which I need to be thankful). I guess if I measured by quantity of blog posts, I'd probably get a D. But, I'm not going to measure that way because I hate bad grades. Since this is my assignment, I'm allowed to grade however I want. Honestly, I wanted to do more blog posts, so I give myself a C in that area. But, the real point of this blog was to be more appreciative of the good things in my life. In that category, I get an A-. It doesn't require a written declaration to have gratitude, so I think it's fair to give myself a better grade in that area.

A long time ago, I became a "glass half-empty" person. Seeing things from the "half-empty" perspective can be tough on the psyche. I decided I needed to change and started writing the blog so that I could help myself and incorporate a little accountability into the project. Learning to see more things from the "half-full" perspective is a huge step to becoming a happier person. In the end, this is what I really want so that I can be a better me, a better wife, and most importantly, a better mom.

I've figured out how to type and hold a baby!

Yay! I have figured out how to type and hold Addy! Mind you, she's sleeping right now, but I'm typing with both hands! Hopefully, I won't have to ignore my blog for such a long period of time now. I've been wanting to write this blog post for a long time so it's been stewing in my brain for some time...let's hope it got better with time.

Almost 4 weeks ago, I gave birth. Now, tons of people give birth, but it really is a difficult undertaking. A couple weeks ago, I wrote a shout out to myself for trying to be healthy during my pregnancy, but now I want to give myself a super-sized shout out for laboring and delivering a baby. I did not want to have an epidural, and even though I was induced, I survived without one. Let me tell you, it was painful and it was hard work, but I am so glad that I did it. Now, I have no reason ever to doubt my ability to handle what life throws at me.

Ok, well Adelaide is waking up...so my post will have to take a time out...

Adelaide Violet

I am now the proud momma to a BEAUTIFUL little girl named Adelaide Violet. I am so grateful that God has entrusted me and Sean to take care of this little one. She is truly amazing and it has been a simultaneously exhausting and thrilling experience to be a parent so far. I am sure that it only gets better.

If you read my blog and you want to follow Adelaide, please visit her website www.babylanigan.shutterfly.com, the password is baby. I post pictures and updates about what's going on in Addy's world.

Ok, well Addy is getting hungry and I feel the tingle saying, "you've got to feed the baby or you'll be engorged."

I've said it before...

and I'll say it again, there are a lot of stupid people in the world. I witnessed something today that would almost convince to have a Duggar-style family. Yes, this sounds elitist and mean, but smart, responsible, compassionate, and moral people need to have more children. You know I'm serious if I'm saying this at 39 weeks pregnant!!

Today, Sean and I went to the zoo, so that I could try to see the baby orangutan. I really love orangutans, by the way. The chance to see a baby would probably be the only thing that could draw me out to a public attraction at 39 weeks pregnant. At the orangutan exhibit, the keeper was out and feeding them vegetables (which was awesome!). Two orangutans were only about 6 feet away from me and munching away on lettuce and kale. We probably stood there for about 1/2 hour watching them. I probably would have stayed longer except that I had to leave because I got so angry at this family. I was standing there and then all of a sudden someone is throwing goldfish crackers at the animals. I assumed it was one of the two boys (who looked between 8 and 11ish) and I was totally disgusted at the parents who let this happen. They walked away and I immediately ranted to Sean about how ridiculous this behavior was, especially given the fact the family was standing IN FRONT of a BIG SIGN that said, "Please respect the animals and do not throw food or objects into the exhibit". I mean how disrespectful and irresponsible can you be???

That was bad, but then the family comes back. The orangutans immediately come over to them and I see THE DAD, yes, THE PARENT, throwing goldfish crackers at the animals. I was so furious that I looked at them and said, "Hey, there's a big sign here that says, 'Don't feed the animals." Then, the mom says, "oh, really..." Yes, really...you big stupid idiot. Do you really think that goldfish crackers are part of an orangutan's natural diet??? Where's the dang staff when you need them??

Needless to say, I had to walk away because I was so angry. The thing that really sent me over the edge is that I cannot believe that the parent is modeling that type of behavior to his children. I mean, I'm sure that you've been in many situations where you think, "How can the parent let their kid act like that?" Except this time, the situation wasn't that the parent was letting the kid behave badly, the parent was behaving badly. How can you expect children of people who behave badly, to ever learn how to be appropriate?

This all leads me to my thought about how I maybe should have more children...but, I think that I might adopt them, I don't know how many more times I want to be 39 weeks pregnant:) Oh, I didn't get to see the baby, but the trip was totally worth it, look how close the orangutans were!!

Indulge a little

About 10 days ago, I realized that I have automatic portion control now that I don't have a lot of space left. Now, don't get me wrong, having your dinner come back up b/c you ran out of room in your stomach isn't very fun. I was pretty frustrated/upset/depressed about this at first, because I hadn't eaten very much at all, but then I realized that this COULD have an upside. I decided that if I can't eat a lot, I might as well eat whatever I want and enjoy it. Let me tell you about some of the meals that I've had in the past 10 days: cheesecake for lunch, Milk Duds for dinner, chocolate cake for a snack, and two days I had strawberry sundaes for dinner. Now, I don't advocate eating like this all the time. It's great to enjoy these things in moderation (I'll admit this isn't moderation). I guess for a short time more, I'll have portion control mediated by physical space and not mental willpower and I might as well take advantage of it. I am going to reward myself for 9 months of hard work.

I don't usually toot my own horn, but I really want to give myself a thumbs up. I've eaten healthy and exercised for my entire pregnancy and it's paid off. I'm a good looking pregnant lady:) I've had very few of the annoying side effects of pregnancy. I think that this illustrates a good life lesson. I firmly believe that you won't reap rewards if you don't put in any work, no matter if you're talking about health, growing a garden, or a career. I've learned over the past nine months, if you take care of your body, it will take care of you. So, after I have this baby, I'll go back to eating healthy, enjoying treats in small amounts, and being active most days of the week. I'm going to take care of my body and hope that I reap the same benefits when I'm old. But, I definitely plan to relive ridiculous food indulgences when I turn 89. If I make it to that age, I deserve to eat ice cream, cherry cheese danishes, and cheesecake everyday!

What a difference 3 weeks makes!

If I were Oprah...

There are tons of reasons (literally like millions and millions) to want to be Oprah, but I think that being able to give away free stuff is probably one of the most fun things about being Oprah. Today, I was thinking about what would I put on "Angie's Favorite Things" show, because I'm very brand loyal. I imagine that I'm a marketers dream. If I like your product, I will stick with it until it dies or I do.
Just for fun, I decided to come up with a list of stuff I would give away.
My first 2 product shout outs are a tie to Russel Athletic brand Nublend t-shirts and Cottonelle toilet paper. Russell t-shirts must have the optimal blend of fabrics that allow for the perfect amount of stretch, resulting in maximum comfort. I mean, I seriously love these t-shirts, I always have, but they really proved their worth while my belly keeps growing!
I also love Cottonelle toilet paper as much as anyone could love a one-time use item. Just ask Sean what happened when he came home from Costco with Charmin...not cool. I won't go into all the details why I believe that Cottonelle is clearly superior to all other brands, but I refuse to purchase anything else. Me and my bum are very particular.

The second thing that I'm probably most obsessed with is Law and Order. I was really devastated when TNT changed their TV schedule a few months ago and limited the number of Law and Order episodes they play to only like 2 per day!

Here's the rest of the list:
1. Colgate 2 in 1 Mouthwash + Toothpaste Icy Blast toothpaste
I haven't used anything else in about 6 years. Well, they discontinued my original flavor, but Icy Blast has been my mouth's friend for a few years.
2. Erba organics Mommy-to-be massage oil: the first bottle of oil that I bought was called stretch mark oil, but this sounds nicer. I'm 35 weeks pregnant and it's proved itself so far.
3. I really love the hot dogs that they serve at the Royals game at the stands where they sell Boulevard beer. I will not vouch for the hot dogs at the regular concession stand, because they're pretty gross, but the first ones are actually amazing. It's a treat that I only get a few times a year (not yet in 2009), but I recommend checking them out if you're at Kauffman Stadium.
4. Amy's brand frozen Macaroni and Cheese: I once at this 5 times in one week (I'm a pretty lazy cook).
5. Bandolino heels
6. Perry Ellis makes really comfortable boxers that I try to steal from Sean (ok, that's kind of cheating b/c Sean is brand loyal to those).
7. Garmin Nuvi GPS: without it, I'd be driving and crying in KC a lot more often.

So, that's the list off the top of my head of things that I adore that I could give away. I'm grateful for these things. I'd definitely try to bring some of them along if I were trapped on a deserted island (no use for heels or microwaveable foods there). It's fun to think about what you would give away if you could. I guess people would be pretty disappointed with my list versus the $10,000 worth of product you'd get from Oprah. But, I bet the toilet paper would come in a lot more handy than a roomba on an deserted island.

More Information on Health Care Reform

Hey Blog,
Guess what I found today...a website from the Kaiser Family Foundation that allows you to compare the major health reform proposals that are out.
Here it is: www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm
That's right, YOU can actually READ real information about many of the proposals on the table right now and get links to places where you can get more information. You can pick topics you are interested in and get a side-by-side comparisons between plans.
I will say that it doesn't use what I would consider lay-language, so if you don't feel like actually thinking about what you are reading, visit the website at a different time.

Guest Blogging - US Health Care Reform 2009

The topic of health care reform has become the political discussion in the US this summer, with President Obama originally hoping to pass health care reform legislation this summer, and now pushing to have something done to improve the state of US health care by the end of the year. This is a topic that interests me greatly, for a variety of professional and personal reasons. During my career thus far, I've worked closely with doctors, medical students, and health care researchers conducting various types of research examining the delivery of health care services in the US. But, this is also a subject that I find deep personal interest in, and is one of the foundational political issues that I consider when thinking about and discussing US politics.

As a Canadian living in the US, this is a subject that I've been forced to confront since I enrolled at Evangel University back in 1995. At that time, my colleagues would ask me what I thought about Canada's 'socialized' medicine, as if it were a system that ought to be in question as a legitimate form of paying for health care and providing coverage for the whole population. A question that would have never occurred to me had I never come to the US for school, but a question that I've enjoyed thinking and conversing about ever since.

If you were to believe many of the commentators in the US, you might think that I was raised in a totalitarian state with no 'freedoms', little opportunity for self determination or economic advancement, and that I was surrounded by suffering due to the ineptitude of government involvement in 'so many' of my day to day activities. Of course, this is not at all an accurate depiction of my experience, my family's continued experience, or the experiences of Canadians in general, but it seems to gain traction in the US because of it's frequent repetition and the availability of a few cases where the system has come up wanting.

Given the dissonance between my perception of the experiences of Canadians, and the caricature depicted by so many commentators in the US, health care became an issue that I've pursued as much information on as possible so that I could honestly understand the reality and avoid the ideological colourings that so often obscure the truth rather than provide clarity in political discourse. I've spent much of my adult life considering and comparing Canadian and US health care, alongside other systems around the world in order to determine what works and what the best way to achieve a workable solution (if indeed there is a problem).

Lately, I've found myself involved in a variety of online debates and discussions about the topic of health care in the US, and how health care reform might best be achieved. In the process, I've found myself repeating the same points over and over, sometimes even with the same discourse partners. I've decided, with Angie’s encouragement to write a series of posts over the next few weeks outlining and dissecting many of the points of contention seen in the US health care debate. I'd like to thank Angie for inviting me to 'guest blog' here on her website, hopefully she'll find these posts interesting. While I can't claim to be entirely unbiased in what I think is the 'right' thing to do, I will claim to present arguments that can be backed up with data, and despite my ideological bent I am first and foremost a pragmatist who would much rather see something work than to promote a pure implementation of my ideals.

Belly Pride and other thoughts

So, I really do care a lot about health care reform, but I can't sleep again, so I decided to write some more of my musings on life.

I was staring at my belly today and realized that I'm quite proud of it and I'm proud of myself for having it! This is a picture from last Sunday (29 weeks).

Hopefully from the picture, you can tell that I'm pregnant and not just had a sudden increase in abdominal fat. If it wasn't such a boring fact that I think no one cares about, I'd go look up the reference for how much more at risk you are for cardiovascular disease as the amount of belly fat you have increases. Suffice it to say, the health risks of being overweight are numerous and devastating and they are even worse for people who carry a lot of fat around their vital organs. Even a modest weight loss (5%) can dramatically reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Just think how the costs of healthcare might go down if we could just PREVENT the onset of disease... I'm a dreamer, I know.

But, I digress, this blog is supposed to be about belly pride. I usually don't stare at my belly, but I'm glad that I did tonight. Even though I know that my belly is big for reasons other than gluttony, I've found it mentally challenging to watch myself expand. A few months ago, I had a different kind of belly pride. For the first time in my life, I was getting a visible line in my abs (a 2 pack, if you will). I worked really hard to get that and I was so proud of it. When I got pregnant, I was so happy, but at the same time, I was really scared about what would happen to my body over the next 40 weeks and sad to know that I'd lose the acceptance of my body as it was that I'd finally achieved. I've learned that what happens to your body can be scary, frustrating, and annoying, but it is also wonderful and amazing. As I stared at my belly today, I realized that I've come a long way and I'm proud of my belly for being such a trooper. My body has a tough job, it's growing and supporting a whole new person. I must say that I think that my body is doing a darn good job so far.

The process of growing has forced me to examine my beliefs on beauty, size, and confidence and I'm glad. Everytime, I look at myself and think about how much I hate looking so different, I try to think about how it feels when I stare at my belly and it moves by itself. That always reminds me that the precious baby girl temporarily housed in there is worth it a million times over. Maybe one day, I'll feel compelled to get on my soap box about the pressure to be thin in a country where most people are fat, but not today. I'll just say that I'm learning a lot about myself and how ingrained the ideas of superficial beauty really become in the subconscience mind. I'm glad to have the chance to consider these things right now, because I'm going to have a daughter very soon.

It's really important to me to raise a daughter who is confident and proud of herself (including her body). I don't want her to feel inadequate or not valuable if she's not a supermodel. This process of physically growing made me realize that I still have some "mental growing" to do in this area. I need to really pay attention to how I act around my little girl. I don't her ever want her to hear me say, "I look fat in this" or "This looks hideous on me" or any number of other things that come out my mouth. I want a healthy and strong body and I want to strive for that because it makes me feel good, not because I think that I'll look better or people will think that I'm prettier that way. I am going to work toward that goal for me and for my daughter.

Health Care Reform

I've invited my friend Aaron Bonham to be a guest author on my blog to discuss health care reform. Aaron is a Canadian living in the United States and I think that we all deserve to hear a perspective of health care in Canada that isn't from the TV news or some crazy person who barely knows where Canada is on a map. We've have heard horror stories about the Canadian health care system over and over, but I honestly don't really believe that is the norm. So, I've invited him to discuss his experiences with the Canadian health care system and other thoughts on reform in this country. I really respect his opinion and he's done a lot of research on this topic. I hope you enjoy reading his blogs!

By the way, here are a few more links to NPR stories that I've heard and think that others should hear!

This is an interview with a former insurance executive who discusses the insurance industry's PR efforts to derail reforms efforts (both in the early nineties and now).
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyID=111786686

Here's some humor from Brian Unger, a satirist. He's funny.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111736487&ps=cprs

Oh, I knew I liked Teddy Roosevelt and not just because he cared about the environment. Here is a story about the history of the universal health insurance debate in this country.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111089777

How much do insurance companies make? Compare the way insurance companies calculate and report versus how economists calculate and report.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111494182

Apparently hormones associated with pregnancy are like uppers

I'll tell you, I need a good downer right now, like a giant glass of wine. Oh, alcohol, I really miss you right now. If I could fall asleep, I guarantee I would dream about sleeping, that is how much I want to be asleep. It's been about 2 weeks since I've slept for more than two hours at a time. And, it is starting to catch up with me. My body is exhausted, I have huge bags under my eyes, and sometimes I'm not even sure what time of day it is. Yet, it's 1:45 am and I'm not asleep, I am writing.

My new goal: health care reform

My new personal goal is to learn as much about health care reform as possible. I've found a lot of interesting perspectives on NPR. Here is a series from Talk of the Nation and I think that everyone who gets a chance should listen to the podcasts.

Are Health Insurance Companies The Problem?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106853465

Are Patients The Problem?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106550388

Are Doctors The Problem with Health Care?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105481744

Here is a link to many stories that have been on NPR about Health Care Reform:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106180134

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Reform page:
http://www.rwjf.org/healthreform/

Here is something that you should know-insurance companies can cancel your insurance at any time-if you have an individual policy (this doesn't affect people who have insurance through their employer or in group policies). It's called recision. Even though this might not affect you, it could affect someone you care about and it will happen when they need their coverage the most. At least 19,000 people's policies were rescinded between 2005 and 2007. This is not the only reason that I think that private insurance isn't the best system for our country, but it's one of them.

I really encourage everyone to find out more about the situation of health care in our country before making rash judgements based on what you hear on TV news soundbytes. It's everyone's responsibility to weigh in on the debate. It's clear that we need change in our system. If you're unwilling to learn about the current situation and the options for moving forward, you shouldn't complain about the system that gets put in place!

Once you form an opinion, you need to contact your legislators and let them know what you think. Here's a link that will help you find out who your representative is: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml
You just need to click on your state to find Reps for your state. Click on their names to go to their websites, then contact them and tell them your opinion. It's a small responsibility people and it's a part of living in a democracy! I also urge you to think compassionately about this issue. Good health and insurance coverage shouldn't be just for the rich and middle class.

I hope that you take my challenge and learn more about health care reform and voice your opinion now while it really matters!

Remember, your health won't last forever. I hope you have insurance or a huge savings account when that happens.

Trying new things

While in Maine, I did something that I haven’t done in a long time, I tried a new food! I ate a lobster roll! My previous experience with lobster has always been limited to a nibble and then the thought of, “Eww, I don’t like it.”

Since I was in Maine, I couldn’t have forgiven myself if I didn’t try lobster. I decided to just go for it,-and I LIKED IT! This was totally life-altering for me, I realized that most of the reason that I didn't like lobster before was that I thought that I didn't like it. I made a resolution to try things that I've previously written off as gross.


In addition, it got me to think about how important trying new foods is in the quest to eat healthy (especially in the vegetable department). There are many foods I hated as a kid that are now some of my favorites. If I wouldn’t have given asparagus or green beans another chance, I would have never discovered how delicious they are! Eating the lobster roll inspired me to try raw kale at the farmer’s market. It’s not something that I would normally have purchased at the grocery store, but I started talking to the farmer and he told me how to prepare it. Then, he asked, “Would you like to try it?” I thought, “Why not?” and took a bite and it wasn’t bad.


Here are a few other foods that I've tried this summer (with more or less taste success). Korean BBQ-see the picture, the bowl on the right was my dish and the meat on the grill was Sean's dish. I wish that I could remember their names.

However, I will share one thing that I learned from our Korean BBQ experiment. It might be a good idea when trying new ethnic foods to google it beforehand or bring along someone who knows about it. If you happen to go to a restaurant that has few pictures and even fewer English descriptions, you're in trouble. This can be even more complicated if your waiter doesn't speak much English and can't explain what's in the dish or how to eat it. Then, if you go home and google your food, you won't feel stupid when you find out that you ate it in the way that everyone makes fun of on the internet.

Frog legs-I've had plenty of opportunities to eat frog legs, but never partook. Here's a picture of my cousin, Eric, eating the frogs that he caught the night before with my brother and my dad.
Not that I condone killing poor little frogs, but it wasn't nearly as disturbing to eat as I'd previously imagined. I mean I guess they were deep-fried, so how bad could they taste, right? But, honestly, I'd steal some meat from Sean the next time my family has them. Maybe, I'll even get my own frog (doubtful, but maybe).

The lesson I've learned is that I really have to give things a chance. I have to make a commitment to trying new foods, the first bite isn't usually spectacular, but it's worth it to take a second and a third. I really want my kids to grow up healthy and strong and being a good example of how and what to eat is a really important piece of that. So, cheers to all the new foods that I'm going to try!

More Travels with Angie

I recently went to Portland, ME (by recently, I mean about a month ago, but that's all relative, right?). Unfortunately, it was rainy and chilly when I got to Portland, so I didn’t explore the Old Port area as much as I would have liked! But, I did get the to see the a beautiful light house, th Portland Head Lamp. I was told it is one of the most photographed light houses in the United States. I had never been to Maine before and it was a much different coastline than the beaches that I am used to visiting. It was really quite beautiful. It's too bad that it was so foggy, because on the shoreline in the background of this picture were houses that backed up to the ocean. Wouldn't it be amazing if that were the view from your back porch! Wow! You couldn't help but recognize the wonder and beauty of the world every single day. In the Kansas City suburbs, it's easy for me to forget how amazing our planet is and that I need to do more to protect it.

I really like to travel and see new things. I am totally the type of person who bought 1000 Things to See Before You Die and looks up what things I can see out of the book before I go somewhere. Considering the book covers the entire world, I know for certain that I won't hit them all, but I like trying. Unfortunately, I have not travelled internationally very often, so I have about 995 things more to see. I should have gotten 1000 Things to See in the U.S., oh well, at least now I have a better shot of crossing the U.S. sites off my list.

I'm also the type of person who bought a map of the U.S. about 7 years ago just so that I could mark where I had been. I still have a significant number of states to visit, so I really need to get cracking. I think that a good road trip would help out here, but not right now, it would entail too many bathroom breaks:)

Road trips probably aren't as glamourous as they are in my mind, but I think that travelling across the country would be one amazing experience. I really wish I would have done it when I had no responsibilities. In high school, I read a book called, The Majic Bus, about a college course that took a 6 week bus trip across the U.S. and became enamored with the idea. I've been seriously thinking about taking the baby (once she's older) on an educational road trip and stopping at important sites across the country, just like in the book, but I haven't talked to Sean about this yet. I figure I have about 10 years to get him to say yes. In the meantime, I should start doing my research about what places my kids NEED to see. I'll probably start with the ones I need to see before I die.

Gosh, I'm tired

Hello again blog and faithful readers,
It's been almost a month since I posted anything and I am going to blame my classes again! I'm halfway done with this session, so I only have 3 more weeks to go! Thank goodness. Cramming a semester's worth of work into 6 weeks is pretty daunting. It's hard to keep up, but I try my best to keep my eye on the prize!

Needless to say, I am pretty exhausted. I fell asleep on the couch today and missed my first evening water aerobics class. I was pretty disappointed but I guess I needed the sleep. As soon as I have a little more time, I have an excellent blog topic to discuss! It's been brewing in my brain for a couple weeks. Stay tuned...I'm off to bed.

A series of unfortunate events

Have you ever found yourself in a "funk"? I think that I'm in one right now, prompted by my vacation in Florida last week. Can you believe my funk was caused by a vacation?? It all started when my friends and I took an ill-fated boat ride with Capt. Bill. Here's a pic of me, Katie, Krissy and Eric on the USS Minnow-jk. On the ride back, we got splashed and then my really expensive, awesome camera , which happens to be one of my favorite possessions stopped working. Needless to say, I've been a little stressed since then. My husband is pretty mad about it and I'm pretty mad too, but mostly at myself for bringing the camera on the trip. I've been trying to look at the bright side of the situation, but it just doesn't seem that rosy right now. Sean can't find the receipt, so I'm hoping that they will still accept our warranty claim:)

But, since this is a blog about being thankful for things, I will say that I am really glad that I saw a wild manatee upclose! It was pretty darn cool, but my stomach just hurts when I look at the pictures! I didn't take this one, Eric did, so it's not quite as much salt in the wound:)

The rest of my series of unfortunate events probably aren't as unfortunate as they seem to me right now, but I've been so bummed about the camera, my whole perspective has been skewed. But to continue the story, we were visiting Florida for a friend's wedding (which I sadly have no pics of). I thought that we ticked off my friend the night before the wedding so much that she was going to uninvite us. The story behind that is not really very exciting, so I'll chalk that up to nerves and stress. Luckily, she forgave us by the next day. We showed up to the wedding without being escorted away:) It was a beautiful evening wedding on the beach and my friend looked so beautiful and happy. I'm so glad for her! Hopefully, I'll get some pics of the wedding soon! (Hint, Hint: Krissy and Katie share your pics with me)

However, while standing on the beach after the ceremony, I've realized that my varicose vein (compliments of pregnancy) has started to creep up my leg and making its way across my thigh. Pretty sweet, huh? Actually, I think that I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so far, so I don't want to complain too much. However, this varicose vein isn't just unsightly, it makes my leg ache and I'm not too thrilled about that, but I'll deal for the next 16 weeks. If anyone has any advice for avoiding/stopping them, shoot it my way! My internet research hasn't yielded any hot tips, but the good news is that it's really likely that it will go away after delivery-yay!

The day after the wedding, I had to take an online final to finish up my food science class (the very one that has kept me from you, blog). Well, since most of my studying occurred in Florida, I didn't have the best result...I ended up missing an "A" in the class by 5 points. In reality, this isn't a huge deal, but it just burns me, b/c I busted my butt in the class. I had the top test on the midterm and one of the 5 best research papers in the class, so if only I would have studied a little more! I know, it's a stupid thing to worry about, but these types of things really bother me.

On the plane ride home, I realized that I've gotten to the part of pregnancy where I just can't hold it anymore. I annoyed the old lady sitting next to me something terrible when I had to get up to go to the bathrooom twice during the flight. Oh well, nothing I can do, it probably would have been more annoying if I would have peed in my seat.

When I got home, I found ants in our pantry and the crab grass overtook my garden. Then, Sean found out that he has to travel this week, probably until Thursday. It's only been 3 weeks since he got back from his 7 week stint in Illinois and one of those weeks we were on separate vacations:) Oh well, I guess our chores can always be pushed off until later. At least the bug spray people are coming on Wednesday and I don't have to bake cakes this week, so I'll have time to go out and pull the crabgrass.

Today, to top it off, I'm in for a fight with my insurance company, doctor's office over an ultrasound. I can hardly wait for the phone calls!

But, like I said earlier, this blog is about being thankful! Everyone has times that just get them down. Most of the time, annoying stuff like bills and ants and crabgrass aren't a big deal. But, it's hard to keep them in perspective when other things have gone wrong. This has always been a challenge for me, so I'm glad that I have this blog so that I can publicly keep these problems in perspective. In reality, this is the small stuff, even my camera isn't that big of a deal, it's fixable and/or replaceable. I love that thing and it's worth the cost to fix (maybe I just won't tell Sean how much it costs). Even if that ultrasound costs me $231, it was a huge relief to see our baby on that screen. She's so beautiful and amazing, definitely worth $231 to know she's snug and happy inside my belly. We probably just won't see her again until it's in person:) (I could go on and on about the healthcare system here, but I'll leave it at don't trust your doctor's office to tell you that something won't be covered!) I'm thankful that I learned that lesson. Oh, I can't forget to be thankful that I don't have a bake anything this week!!!!!

It's been a long time...my friend

Oh blog, I've missed you so and I'm sorry I haven't written in such a long time.
I just finished 6 weeks of class and now I finally have some time to write and I am excited. I have 2 more classes over the next 6 weeks, but hopefully they won't require me to cook/bake for 10 hours a week!
I have one great topic that I'd like to write about since I had to do a lot of traveling this spring. That topic is airport bathrooms. When you travel alone, you come to appreciate thoughtful design of an airport bathroom. First, you really do need a stall that is bigger than a normal stall. Kudos to you, Detroit airport designers. You successfully created a stall where carry-on luggage can be manuevered into the stall without having to stand on the toilet. Both me, my bladder, and my luggage appreciated the ease of entry and exit of your stalls. You even took it up a notch by having the door open out, instead of in, and I will give you a big, fat kiss if we ever meet in person. There are many airport bathrooms that don't live up to your quality, there is nothing more terrible than having a door that opens in, inside a stall that is already too small for a person and her carry-on and backpack.
The second most important thing is having enough stalls in the bathroom to handle the traffic. Three stalls doesn't cut it, Portland, ME, it just doesn't cut it. When you're pregnant, you appreciate bathrooms that allow you to walk right in and do your business without waiting in line.
So, I'd just like to say, take connecting flights through Detroit if you are looking for great bathrooms and a weird, trippy tunnel that might remind you of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

what i've learned

I just spoke with a friend that is dealing with some of the same issues that I dealt with a few years ago and it forced me to reflect on what I've learned about life in the past few years. I think that it is tough to be in your mid-twenties, you graduate college with expectations of a great job, going out with friends at night, you know you're supposed to be living it up. Only, it's not always like that when you graduate. You may not live in the same town, let alone the same house as the good friends you've gotten used to hanging out with constantly. You get a job, realize that working is terrible, and you make a lot less than what you thought you would. It was really hard for me to cope with those changes in my life, especially after I left grad school and moved to Kansas City. I constantly questioned whether I made the right decision to move and then I began to question every major life decision. Eventually I started to believe that I couldn't trust myself to make good decisions, so I had no idea how I could move forward with life. Long story short, that wasn't a good path to head down and it led me nowhere FAST. Thinking back to that time, I recognize a few actual mistakes that I made and I hope by writing this I can help my friend recognize where he/she might be living by the same faulty logic that I was.

First, I failed to acknowledge that my worth as a person was not defined by how much money I made. Sure, it is nice to make more money and it's hard when you have friends that have higher salaries than you do, but salary is not what defines your character. Judging yourself by that standard will always make you unhappy because there will always be someone less-deserving out there making more money than you. But, you can't do anything about that, so don't dwell on it.

Second, I failed to recognize that I wasn't "stuck" in a job. The truth is that I lacked a lot of self-confidence and just didn't believe that I would be able to find my dream job. I thought that other employers would always see me as a research assistant, someone at the bottom of the totem pole. The truth is that I also thought that it was too late for me to change my career path and I'd have to travel down that path and hate it for the rest of my life. Now, don't get me wrong, I haven't found my dream job, but I've come to accept my job for what it is-a job. I've decided to go back to school to become a dietitian, something I've thought about since about 2000. Why did it take me 9 years to get there, I don't know, but I finally did and I'm really excited about the possibilities. The truth is that it's never too late to change your career path. It may not be easy, but it's worth it. Don't decide to stick with something you don't like when you're 25! You have to work for 40 more years! Just because you have a car payment or you are used to having a salary, think about the long-term vs the short-term sacrifices before you rule something out.

Third, I thought that having "grown-up" stuff would make me happy. It doesn't and it's a pain in the butt. I was so excited when we decided to buy a house, because that is what you are "supposed" to do. But, houses aren't free and they require a lot of you. Having a home is wonderful, but tricking yourself into believing that you need to own yours is silly. Owning a house is a big responsibility and I'd argue that it's a mistake to jump into that if you aren't sure about your where your life is headed. Houses can really complicate your life and there is absolutely nothing wrong with renting a place until you're at a place in your life when ownership make sense for you.

Getting married is kind of tied into the "grown-up" stuff category too. If you're struggling to figure out who you are, maybe you're not ready to get married yet. I moved to KC and got engaged, but we ended up postponing our wedding. In the end, everything turned out wonderfully, but things would have been ok even if we decided not to get married. The most important thing is that we went into it when we were both ready. If you aren't ready, then there is a reason and you need to spend some time figuring out what that reason is.

Fourth, I didn't talk about these things with people. I kept it inside until they boiled over. Of everything, this was my biggest mistake. I shouldn't have made such harsh judgements about how I should or shouldn't have felt about life. I mistakenly believed that everyone else I knew was on the right path and I was the only one who was drifting. I thought other people would judge me and wouldn't understand. The fact is that I was wrong. Many people I know struggled with feelings/decisions about where they're headed in their mid-20's. People would have understood and tried to help if I would have reached out.

The bottom line is that even if things are tough for you right now, you'll get through it. Even if you've made a bad decision along the line, everyone does, and it's ok that you did. The key is to figure out where you want to be and then ask people to help you get there. Trust me, people want to help you. Friends and family want you to be successful, but mostly, they want you to be happy. If you need to make changes in your career, your relationships, or whatever, do it. The sooner you do, the faster you'll get to a place of contentment in your life. In the end, happiness is worth a lot more than your salary, your job title, your neighborhood, or your car.

More Travels!

Here are some pics of my trip to La Conner and Seattle, WA. The Pacific Northwest is absolutely, stunningly beautiful, even with the rain. I recommend this as a travel destination, but bring a jacket, it's pretty chilly and it rains:)

Unfortunately, I missed the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival by one week:(

These are tulips in the field, most of the flowers are gone. I used my imagination to fill in aps and it was amazing and beautiful. The physician at the practice where we visited said that they chop off the tulip heads. I should have asked why. If I get the urge later, I google it and post it.

After we left La Conner, I headed to Seattle for some fun with my friend Cooper. While she was at work, I headed off on the bus to Pike Place Market. Like I said, nothing warms my heart like produce at farmer's markets, in this case, hippies replace old farmers, but I like hippies too. There is so much to take in at the market, it is a one-of-a-kind experience. When you are in Seattle, you really must go to the market. If you don't buy it yet, listen to this story...I went about 5 years ago and standing right under that big sign was an old man who had a pet possum standing on his shoulder. The possum would give him kisses and the man had no teeth. If that isn't something worth seeing, I don't know what is. Unfortunately, he wasn't there on Friday, I was really disappointed. Maybe I missed his shift. But, even if you don't see the possum man, there are a lot of really great street performers, musicians, and other interesting people hanging around the market. There are also so many shops, stalls, and restaurants, it's hard to keep track of where you've already been. Luckily, I went to the market without eating a whole lot, because it's a great place to get food! In fact, I could pretty much only think about food the whole time I was there (perhaps in part due to the fact that I'm pregnant, but definitely not 100% attributable). Luckily, I had the low down on places to eat from Mike and Heather, so I found my way to a place they told me had the most delicious homemade macaroni and cheese-Beecher's Homemade Cheese. They were right. I can't even put into words how decatant and cheesy this pasta-marvelous bit of heaven tasted. Here's a picture (I'm getting hungry as I type this, that's how great it was). In all fairness, I should disclose that I love cheese, especially melted cheese. I was determined to have this, because on my trip to Charleston I missed out on a different form of melted cheese at Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale. I've been regretful ever since and I wasn't about to leave Seattle with the same "what-if" hanging over me for months.

After the macaroni and cheese, I wanted to have some fruit, so I went back to find a produce vendor. The one note of caution I should say is that all the produce people are located by at least least one fish person. You really can't get away from the smell of seafood unless you're standing next by someone who smells like incense (it's pretty easy to find a few) or you go into a non-seafood resaturant. You get used to the odor and it's totally worth it! Again, I was reminded that I needed to find a Farmer's Market in K.C. and go, even if it means getting up early on Saturday. 're in a non-seafood restaurant, but you get used to the odor and it's totally worth it.

The other great thing about the market is all the flower vendors and the prices are amazing. It's hard to describe all the colors, shapes, and sizes of the tulips and other flowers there. And then, these little ladies will put them into affordable bouquets and you can take them home! It's a lot better than the grocery store florist. I had to get some flowers for Mike and Heather's condo.

Here's a pic of my flowers on the bus ride home.

Later that night, Mike and Heather took me to West Seattle. Here's me and you're looking at downtown Seattle, but you can't see the Space Needle. It's amazing how much water surrounds Seattle. Look at an up-close map of Seattle, it's surprising.

Old Friends

I am very thankful that I've had the opportunity to travel to such neat places this spring with my work. I wish that I could say that I love my job and I wouldn't want to be doing any other kind of work, but I am thankful to have a pretty good job working with great people. Getting to travel around has helped me to recognize and appreciate how lucky I really am. I have been working on a research study for about 2 years about a topic that I love-fitness and disease prevention. Although, I am pretty sure I'm ready to wrap this puppy up, I am really grateful for the experiences I've had through the study. I've met a lot of really interesting doctors and nurses from all over the country who truly are trying to help patients. I've also gotten to visit quite a few places that I've never been before and gotten to visit friends who are now scattered around the country.

I just got back from Seattle where I got to visit my friend Heather (Cooper) Wade. Hanging out with her and her husband made me really think about and appreciate all the amazing people that I know. However, I also realized that I need to do a better job keeping in touch with my friends! I readily admit that I stalk people via Facebook and their blogs, but I don't actually CALL them to see what is going on in their lives! I really need to change that!

Here's an example of what I mean, Heather got married last September and I only met her husband at their wedding. I only found out that she had a boyfriend after they had been together for several months because she wrote about a trip they took on her blog. When I went to their wedding, I didn't even know how they ended up dating. In fact, I only know the story of "them" because I asked them this past weekend. p.s. I think Mike is pretty great. Although I was certain that if he ended up with Heather, he had to be, it was confirmed this past weekend. I'm really happy that my friend found someone who makes her so happy!

When I think about how I really don't know very much about some of my very favorite people's lives, it makes me pretty sad. So, I've resolved to do a better job keeping in touch. I made a resolution in January (besides writing on this blog weekly) to keep in better touch with my high school friends and I honestly think that I've improved. So, I have high hopes that I can improve communication with my college friends too.

Class Reunion

This past weekend was my 10 year class reunion. I have to admit I was a little nervous about it. First, I helped organize it and we weren't sure anyone was going to show up. What happened to the RSVP fo goodness sakes? Second, I'm pregnant. That meant two things to me, 1) there would be no booze for me, and 2) I couldn't wow people with my hotness. I'm slightly kidding about the hot part, but I do look much different than I did in high school and I always imagined being able to show off at my 10 year reunion and make people jealous.

Last year, when looking hot at my reunion was a real possibility, I got excited to have a reunion. I even thought about what I could wear to it to show off. Then, I got pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic to be pregnant, but all my old insecurities came back when I realized I'd be 15 weeks pregnant at my high school reunion. Then, it really hit me that I could be fat again and I'd have to face all those people WITHOUT drinking. I got seriously worried.

It turns out, that I didn't need alcohol. I didn't need to worry. And, I look awesome at 15 weeks pregnant. So, that stupid fantasy that I've had for 15 years about wanting all my classmates to be jealous of me, well, it may not have happened, but who cares? I have a lot to envy and it's not just how I look! I'm very blessed to have a wonderful husband, a great job, a nice house, and a baby on the way. I feel strangely vindicated about high school now. I was really almost bitter about my years at Orchard Farm for a really long time, but I think I finally figured out that high school is high school. I can't let old demons haunt the future, so it's really time to let those go for good. Although, I wish it wouldn't have taken me so long to figure that out, I'm glad I have.

It was great to see a lot of old friends. I had a lot of fun. I wish all my classmates the best of luck in the future! Maybe they'll learn how to RSVP for 15.

Spending a Day Killing Time

I recently got back from a trip to Chareleston, SC. It was a blast, but I mainly wanted to write about a couple things that I realized about life while I was there. First of all, thanks to God for making sure that I have a home. Hopefully, the closest I'll ever be to homeless is having to check out of a hotel, but not having a flight for 8 hours. Basically, you have nowhere to go, you have to rely on public restrooms, and you have to find something to do to take up time.

Honestly, I take my home for granted often and those of us with dry, warm, and safe homes really shouldn't. It's harder than you would think to have nothing to do and nowhere to go. It was difficult for me to kill 6 hours, let alone with figuring out where I could go to the bathroom. I can't imagine having to spend my day moving around, trying to find somewhere safe to sleep, go to the bathroom, shower, or even just sit down. I'm going to be sure to appreciate how blessed I am more often.

Here's a quick description of my adventures killing time. After I checked out of my hotel, I headed out to Summerville, SC and I found a farmer's market! I love Farmer's Markets! Nothing warms my heart like tents, fresh produce, and old people. I bought some delicious Strawberries and I wish I would have taken a picture of them.

Unfortunately, I really couldn't buy more than I could eat in a couple hours since I had to get on a plane later that day. I missed out on some really pretty tomatoes, but I think that was God's way of reminding me that I had 2 tomato plants at home wanting to find their happy homes in my garden, so I needed to get home and get out my shovel! I came home more resolved to find a farmer's market in KC. I think it's been 3 years since I been to one and I can't believe it. I went every week when I lived in Iowa-but it's pretty darn easy in Iowa:)

After I wandered through the market, I walked across the street to eat lunch at Carolina Jo's, where the special is Quiche. Although, I didn't try the quiche, it was an interesting experience. It was a tiny diner and the owner was sitting at a table gabbing with a customer the whole time I was there, minus the 7 or so minutes it took to make my lunch. I didn't like the salad dressing, but I'm hard to please when it comes to salad dressing...

I headed to the Dorchester County museum and the 85-yr-old sweet lady who worked there told me to head down the street to the 100 year old pharmacy to buy an ice cream cone at the soda fountain. I had never been to an old-fashioned drug store before and it seemed to be pretty much the same, except with newer drugs. After the ice cream, I still had 4 hours to kill...so i thought, where can I hang out?

I went the park, laid out my jacket and read Harry Potter #6 for the second time. I read in the park for 2 hours, but I got too hot. So, I went to Target and bought a shirt and flip flops for my trip home. Then, I went to the airport and finished Harry Potter. It was a really exciting day!

Hair

In 1986, I could have had the coolest hair around. Unfortunately, I was only 5 years old and I had a she-mullet at the time, so I was unaware of my hair's natural talent for feathering and flipping. Too bad, when hair became important, it was the early 1990's and the age of the huge bangs. Too bad I still had a she-mullet. That, along with my awesome cowlick (however you spell that) ruined all chance of having cool hair.

Sometimes, I wish the hairstyles of the 1980's would come back. I would have to do a lot less work to make my hair look good. In fact, I would let it airdry, my bangs would flip out several inches, I'd give it a nice feather with my comb, and hairspray. Man, that would be nice...

Until then, I'll just keep blow drying and straightening.

Travels with Angie

Here are some photos of my recent trip to LA.

Can you see the Hollywood sign in the background??

In case you can't tell, this is Harry, Ron, and Hermione's footprints! This was probably almost as exciting as finding out that Laura and Jon have a Snuggie!

Here's a picture of my brother wearing the imitation Snuggie that I got for Christmas, clearly the original is much better.

Adventures with Bathrooms

Warning: don't read this if you are uncomfortable with bathrooms or stories about number 1.

I just got back from a great trip from Charleston, SC. I've been really excited to blog about my trip, mostly because I have some of the best bathroom stories of my life. I'm not sure why I didn't realize that going to the bathroom would become a new adventure when you get pregnant. I also failed to grasp the fact that I'd have to alter my life as a result of when/where/how the urge strikes me. Usually, it's not a big deal, I work in an office and we have 3 bathrooms in our house, so I've got options at either place. I've also gotten used to thinking ahead about when I might need to use the bathroom. However, my bathroom-sensitive lifestyle recently revealed what a pain in a butt it can be. I've been traveling a lot for work lately and nothing brings bathroom problems for me like being in unfamiliar places.

The first issue is that I have to pee a lot! I didn't realize exactly how serious What to Expect When You're Expecting authors were when they said frequent urination. The number of times and the lack of predictability of my urges to go to the bathroom have forced me to use the bathroom in places that I normally avoid. First, I hate airplane bathrooms, airport bathrooms are bad enough, so I normally try not to drink anything before a long flight, so I can avoid the 1 x 1 cell inside the plane. Unfortunately, I don't really have to drink a whole lot to have to go, so I had to use the facilities on the plane on 2/4 flights (2 of the flights were about 40 minutes).

When I got to Charleston, I went downtown and immediately decided that I had to do some touristy stuff, because I needed a public restroom. I went to the Visitors Center, found a bathroom, and bought a ticket for a historic homes tour. I was really stoked about this tour, because the homes in Chareleston are unique and gorgeous and OLD! Now, the only thing that I really didn't think through very well was the fact privately owned homes don't have public restrooms. Only two homes into the tour, I thought I was going to pee in my pants. So, I had to beg at the office (pictured above) to let me use the restroom. To be honest, I didn't have to beg too much, I just told them that I was pregnant and I REALLY had to go to the bathroo and they let me in.

Surprisingly, it was harder to find free, public restrooms in Charleston than I thought. I didn't have enough money or room in my stomach to buy food at a restaurant everytime I had to go, so I had to wing it a little. The best bathroom story I have, by far, is on Friday when I took the Charleston harbor tour. I walked to the dock where the harbor tour leaves and found a bathroom since obviously the 1/2 mile walk and 30 minutes since my last stop meant that I definitely needed to go. Should I need it, I was pretty confident that the boat would have a restroom since the trip takes 1.5 hours. There's nothing like constant motion to get your bladder in gear. Anyway, it turns out that I never had to use the bathroom on the boat and when I got off I debated whether or not I should use bathroom before I headed off. I decided against it, because I planned to go get something to eat and surely I'd make it to a restaurant before I needed the bathroom again. Here's where the story gets good...remember when I said I recently started using bathrooms that I previously wouldn't have considered...well, while walking in a pretty deserted part of town, I realized there was no way that I'd make it all the way back and I remembered seeing a johnny-on-the spot in a park on my way there. I basically had no choice, I had to use it! Well, I made it to the johnny, took a big gulp of fresh air, opened the door and SAW A MAN ASLEEP IN THE JOHNNY! WTF? Why would anyone choose to sleep there? I mean, I guess you don't get hassled to wake up and get off the park bench, but if you're going to nap, why don't you lock the dang door?

Needless to say, I didn't use that bathroom, I walked away as quickly as possible and headed off toward the restaurant where I really wanted to eat dinner, Juanita's Nacho Royale, p.s. I love nachos more than almost anything else. The futher I walked, the more my bladder screamed, "please get me to a bathroom!" and "That stupid guy, why didn't you just wake him up?" I just kept telling it, "only a few more blocks." But, my bladder revolted when it saw a Moe's Southwest Grill and it couldn't see Juanita's Nacho Royale down the next two blocks. So, I had to give in...I decided that Moe's was almost as good as Juanita's. We don't have one in KC anymore and I really did enjoy their melted cheese and their tacos weren't too bad either. I guess I could have just used the bathroom, but I would have felt bad since all the people who work there yell, "welcome to Moe's" when you walk in the door. So, I satisfied my stomach and my bladder with Moe's. Sadly, I never got to eat at Juanita's...maybe it as gross:)

The second best part of this story, is that I actually did end up using a johnny-on-the-spot the next day in a different park in Summerville, SC. However, there wasn't a sleeping/possibly dead person in the one I used.

More than a mom

I'm three months pregnant and I recently made an interesting observation about pregnancy-people treat you differently. Well, I know that is a revelation! Of course, people treat you differently when you are pregnant. However, it's just starting to happen to me and I guess I wasn't ready yet.

My new interactions are mostly limited to my friends and family at this point, since no one can tell that I am pregnant by just looking at me. Certainly, once strangers can see it, I'm sure that I'm in for unsolicited advice out the wazoo:) Boy, I can't wait.

I have gotten used to hearing the standard questions, "how are you feeling? or "have you had any morning sickness?", but this past weekend I heard some new questions. It was Easter and this was the first time that we have seen extended family since we found out that I was pregnant. I think that I handled my family just fine, but they acted exactly how I expected. But, my husband's family was different. Instead of asking, "how are you?", it was, "how's my grandbaby? or "are you taking care of my great-grandbaby?" Unfortunately, I can't speak with the baby, I can't feel him/her yet, and I don't have a window into my uterus. So honestly, I am not really sure how the baby is, I am only sure how I am.

I know I shouldn't be upset by this, because it's not like these were anything other than well-intentioned. My husband's family is probably naturally more concerned about the baby than me, because I'm not their "real" family, but the baby will be. I'm not angry or anything, but it was my first confrontation with a pressure of motherhood that I knew existed, but I don't think that I will fully realize until after the baby arrives.

It might only be a perception I have (probably a fear too), but it has always seemed that Moms (or some moms) begin to think that their life doesn't matter anymore and they give up their hopes and dreams for their own life. Honestly, I just don't believe that is a healthy strategy, even if others expect it. Women can be excellent Moms and still have priorities that are just for them.

I certainly expect our baby will bring a lot of changes to my life, my perspective , my goals and my expectations, but I know that I need to leave a little of my energy for me. I truly value and cherish the role that I'll soon have, and believe it will be my most important task in life. However, I won't be taking care of my child for the rest of my life and I've got to do something when the child-rearing years are over. I want to be an excellent Mom, but I've also got a lot more to do in life to make the world better. That is important to me and I hope it is important to other people too. I know that it's ok to want to more than a mom.

Can anyone Twitter?

I know this is a silly question, because anyone can Twitter, but should anyone Twitter? I've been thinking about that a lot lately because I recently noticed that I've started to think about my life in one sentence announcements that I want to shout out to the world. If that sounds crazy, well, I blame it on Facebook and the thousands of status updates that I can read at any moment of the day. I can see what my long lost friend from high school was thinking about 37 minutes ago and for some reason, I got addicted. So, I started to think about Twittering, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I don't need to update everyone on my life. My life really isn't that interesting.
Let me give you an example of what a day of my Twitters would look like:
Angie wants to sleep in until 8.
Angie wantes to sleep in until 9.
Angie is at work, but wants to be in bed.
Angie is hungry and getting cranky.
Angie doesn't understand why jobs can be so annoying, why can't people follow instructions.
Angie is tired of writing emails.
Angie just went pee for the 10th time this morning (thanks pregnancy).
Angie can't believe how some people can get a license.
Would you drive your damn car?! please!
Angie really doesn't want to play volleyball tonight, it's too cold outside.
Angie says MMMM, McDonalds has good french fries.
Angie's feet feel like blocks of ice, sand volleyball is for warm weather.
Angie says, "ball please don't come my way!"
Angie is glad that game is over. Hopefully, my feet will thaw out.
Angie is TIRED and going to sleep.

I'm not sure about you, but I just wouldn't find my 15 posts that fascinating. Maybe because they just happened to me, but I don't think that is the only reason. My life is "normal" and who cares about "normal"? So, I've decided not to pollute cyberspace too much and keep my thoughts and stupid updates to blogs and Facebook.

Let me take a second to explain why I blame Facebook for my recently abandoned obsession with updates. In my opinion, the real culprit is the status update. I think it took me about 2 years to even post a status update because I really thought that I should have something exciting or ingenious to say. Since I didn't, I kept quiet. But then everybody started to update their status, all the time. So I started to do it too. All of a sudden, I was driving to work thinking about interesting sentences that I could post on my profile to let my 436 friends, to whom I seldom speak, know what cool thing I'm doing/thinking/feeling. Here's a sad example, when I found out I was pregnant, one of the first (but definitely not the first) things I thought about was how I would craft the perfect sentence to announce my bundle of joy. I spent hours thinking about what to write and had a legitimate conversation with my husband about how we would put it up on Facebook. Then, I realized, I have crossed a line and I must go back.

My status update last night was "Does anyone else think about their life in one sentence announcements?" I got one thumbs up, so and so likes this. I was proud!

Getting Healthy!

My brother and I have been on a secret mission to get our family healthy. It's hard to convince people to exercise, especially when they're your parents, they're over 50, and they haven't exercised in years. We decided the best way to do that was to run in a 44 mile relay race!

When you're in your 20's, it's hard not to worry about your parents' health. My uncle died of a heart attack 2 years ago. He's five years older than my dad and he was only 63 years old. Once you start working in a cubicle and sitting on your butt all day, you realize how years of sitting at your desk could really become your undoing. In addition, you realize how years of job-related stress will help coat your arteries in plaque. You worry about what's going on inside your parents' blood vessels.

So, my brother and I started a quest to get my parents to exercise. We decided to try to run in the Brew to Brew race from Kansas City to Lawrence, KS. It took a lot of convincing to get my mom to do it. My brother and I had probably 10 phone calls each to get her to agree and we weren't even sure she'd do it on the day of the race, because it was COLD and raining/snowing.

But, Team Yay Mom and Dad did it! It turned into a family affair, my 2 brothers, their girlfriends, my 2 cousins, my husband, my parents and I all "ran" in under 8.5 hours. It was cold,windy, and wet, but it was fun. I think that even my mom had a good time. This picture is my parents running the end of their 3.3 mile leg in the snow/sleet. They finished in under an hour and they still look pretty happy!

March...in like a lion, out like a lion

I had to save these cute little guys from my yard yesterday. I think someone is confused. Apparently they've forgotten that March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a LAMB. I don't think that freezing rain and then snow all day on March 28th constitute lamb weather.

I knew bad weather was coming all week, so researched for hours on Friday, trying to decide what to do about my flower garden. I really had the beginnings of an amazingly beautiful spring bulb garden in my backyard. I was devastated to think what could happen to my pretty little daffodils, tulips and irises up against Mother Nature in a bad mood.

I debated whether I should cover them, cut them, or leave them. I would have tried to give them some shelter with blankets, but it wouldn't have been much protection from freezing rain. Finally, I decided to leave them. Daffodils are very hardy and used to cold weather and my tulips and irises only had foliage and no bud beginnings, so according to the internet, they should be ok.

However, when push came to shove on Saturday, I just couldn't leave them out there alone to suffer in the cold, ice, and snow.So I tramped out in the rain and snipped them all. I brought them back inside and chipped all the ice off the petals and tried to make them a happy little home on my dining room table. I don't know if they're as happy inside, but they are cheering up the place.

Today, I didn't even go outside to inspect the damage. Even though, it's nice to have a bit of Spring inside, I am sad to think my little daffodils aren't living outside anymore. I do hope that my hard work last fall won't go to waste. I am praying that my tulips and irises survive to bloom this year. I am thankful that we didn't loose any trees to the ice/snow. I am sure that I'll see more than one split Bradford Pear on my way to work tomorrow. Those poor trees had such a slim chance, they were in full bloom yesterday when they were pelted with ice and snow for 12 or so hours.

So, I think the lesson that I learned yesterday was another one along the lines of having to roll with punches. My garden isn't going to look like what I imagined that it would last fall when I planted all the bulbs, but with God's grace, I'll still have a pretty spring bulb garden. And, now I have the added bonus of a big, free bouquet of flowers to cheer me up!

Luck

I've been incredibly lucky this year and I want to say thanks. Even though, I wasn't too sure about how 2009 was going to go, I am confident that this year is going to be good.


A couple of good things have happened to me so far! One, I'm PREGNANT! I am so excited to be a Mom. I can hardly wait until October when Sean and I can meet our baby. While this is by far the best news this year, I also won 2 raffles in the past month. Crazy! I don't usually win things. I won the first raffle door prize at Jenny Dunkmann's 3-Day Walk fundraiser. Then, on Saturday, I won the 50/50 drawing at the Columbia Second Chance Trivia Night!
The second best thing that has happened to me this year is that I am really excited about my life.

clones and mini-mes

Well, I can't sleep and sometimes it helps .to jot down your thoughts. Since writing them down would require turning on a light, I thought that I might as well type them in my blog where I don't need to illuminate my entire room, just a 17 in screen that I can dim.

Having recently been pregnant, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to pass on to my kids. I don't mean physical attributes or genes, but less concrete things like personality traits and what values are most important to me. I quickly realized that worrying about physical issues puts you on the fast track to crazy because you have no control over those anyway. Of course, I would prefer if all the kids looked like me, but Mother Nature has got that under control. I can't do anything to affect my kid's physical traits other than help them be as healthy as possible. At the risk of sounding shallow, I would like to put out an appeal that my kids not inherit Sean's widow's peak. I honestly have no idea how to style hair around that.

To some extent, I am not sure how much control anyone has over personality either. I used to think that I wanted a kid exactly like me, but I've come to my senses and realized I really don't want a kid that is just like me. I want a kid that is better than me! I think that much of personality is genetically influenced, and there are plenty of traits that I think I'd be better off without. So, I have a longer list of wishes for my kids in this area and the main one is, please God, help my kids be as easy going as Sean. I guess I haven't really decided what good traits that I'd like to pass on, but I do like the following things about my personality: ambition, practicality, and empathy. I'm sure that this list is longer, but it's late and I'm not sure that I'll have that much influence over my offspring's personality. So, I'll use my effort to think about what I am definitely able to influence, values.

I think that part of the reason that I want kids is to help ensure that there are going to be more good people in the world. Not to say that I don't have faith in humanity anymore, but I don't really anymore. It's really important to me that there are people out there who realize there is more to the world than themselves. I feel like people are just to wrapped up in their own lives to take one second and think about the well-being of other people, the planet, or really anything other than themself. There's a lot to say about this, so I may have to save it for another post. But, I want to make sure that my kids recognize that there are poor people, hungry people, sick people, animals who are losing their habitat, communities that crumbling, and glaciers that are melting and it's up to everyone to help change that. It's not someone else's problem, it's our problem. I want to teach them to give generously of their time to help others, to recycle, to be frugal, to waste less, and, most of all, to care. I think that's a tall order and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to do it.

I also need to remember that my kids are going to teach me things too and I need to always be open to it. I don't think there is a better way to teach kids that they matter than to listen to what they have to say.