ordinary, but sometimes a little extraordinary

Making Money Doesn't Always = Happiness

2011-09-17T09:34:00.000-05:00

We have decided that we have our perfect family of four. One girl, one boy. There are no plans for a third child. Our second one has shown us that we aren't as young as we used to be.

SO WHY AM I SAD THAT I'M SELLING ALL THE BABY STUFF? Out with the old, in with the new. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the freed space that I'm hoping to receive, but sad at the same time that I realize that I won't experience another baby moving inside of me, and I won't have a tiny bundle of joy to hold tight all day long and night.

So far I have sold my infant carrier and the bases as well as the snap n go stroller. Baby must haves.. So I guess if I'm selling the essentials, I'm really done, right? The swing is up next (excuse me while I grab a tissue). I never thought I'd be sad to see these things go, but yet I am. I almost teared up as I handed the items over to the two expectant moms who are lucky to have my "treasures" and fond memories (and at a steal, no less!). They are the ones supposed be having the hormone issues, not me.

On a up note, I've decided to split the money from each sell and start savings accounts for the kids. Since they are not being brought up Catholic, they kind of lost out on all the free savings they would have received if they were christened, so no time like the present to start their savings. Right now, their "account" is actually their giant empty piggy banks, but hopefully If I can find time and not cry when I go through the remaining baby stuff and clothes, I'll make them some decent cash!! If anyone wants to contribute to Matthew and Carson's savings plans, and you are expecting a baby (or not), come see me!!

Starting Over

2011-09-14T15:45:00.000-05:00

I'M STARTING OVER. A new look to my blog and hopefully new resolve to write again. I know no one is out there now, but maybe one day they will come back!!

2011 has been so good to us. We have had some bumps along the way, but my husband and I both have a job (finally!), we have 2 beautiful, funny, and sweet children, We are all healthy (knock on wood), and thanks to Steve's layoff and new job - we actually got ahead a little bit financially this year!! (funny, huh?)

Thanks to the crappy economy and the almost government shutdown in March, most of the meetings for this year were shelved- meaning up until now, I have had to travel very little this year. NOW, both Steve and I will be juggling travel this fall- almost like a well choregraphed dance. We'll get through it. At least we have jobs!!

Matthew (aka BUD) is 9 months old now, and IN TO EVERYTHING!!! He's crawling, pulling to stand, letting go for a second, and on record pace to be walking shortly! He has one tooth so far, and I'm sure the others are not far behind. He's over the baby food mush and likes to eat almost everything we are eating , and still loves his bottle too! Yesterday at his 9 month checkup : 22.8lbs. and 29.5 inches

(translation: 18 mos clothes)

He really keeps us on our toes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Bud completes our little family! You know he's a keeper when he PEED all over me at the doctor's office yesterday, and I didn't care that my entire shirt was completely soaked through :)

Carson is the most affectionate big sister out there!! She sniffs Matthew daily and has started pulling on his ears and making choo choo noises. She makes sure that he doesn't touch her toys but warns him of any danger! She's even tried a few wrestling moves on him! She is really wonderful with him, and she still gets upset if she thinks someone is going to take Bud home with them, or if we start packing up the car and he's not in there- I hope this love and devotion stays for many years to come!!

Carson is starting her second year of pre-school tomorrow. She's pretty excited. Mrs. Heitmann is her teacher, and she has 2 friends from her class last year that will be with her this year. She is 4 years old now, and cannot wait to turn 5. Her friend is about to turn 5 and she's anxious to catch up him. :)

So, hopefully I can find my way to get back on here. I really do want to say something, its just finding the time and words.

A big change is coming!

2010-10-14T13:57:00.005-05:00

Seasons are changing here.. and I have realized that I haven't blogged since last December! Shame on me. Well... to catch you up: Carson is a BIG girl now.. She turned 3, has mastered potty training, has given up her sacred pacies, has a new big girl room with a big girl bed, started pre-school.. and most importantly will be come a BIG SISTER in November!!

I am currently 34 weeks pregnant with (they tell me) a BOY! He's quite the active one.. can't imagine what we'll be in for once he's born.. but we are all very excited about "baby Brother". Carson is going to her big sister class at the hospital this weekend. She already tells us that she is going to help feed baby brother and change his poopy diapers! We'll take all the help we can get!

The three of us had a great summer visiting family and friends, and checking out our touristy favorites -such as Thomas the Train at Edaville Railroad, Tweetsie Railroad (NC), and of course York Beach, ME - the P family summer get-away.

Now we are focused on making room for baby! Lots of room switching, painting, organizing, and now waiting! I think we are almost ready for his debut! He is due right around Thanksgiving... so stay tuned!

Growing Up so FAST!

2009-12-20T21:15:00.006-05:00

Today is all about Carson. Carson had a HAPPY day! (not that she doesn't have these all the time, but today she told Daddy that she was happy!) Last night she bought (and paid for!) Dora the Explorer big girl panties! She's on her way.. She's not wearing them full time yet.. but she's wearing big girl panties a few hours a day!

Today, she got her "big girl school bus bed"! three of her cousins have slept in this bed, and now the bed is Carson's. She was a little nervous at first when we were taking her crib apart.. but once she saw the school bus bed intact... she was in love!

Finally, she got another day of play out in the 10 inches of snow that we got overnight, along with some hot chocolate and homemade cookies to go with it.

Yes, it was a happy day and now she is fast asleep in her big girl bed.

Christmas Checklist

2009-12-16T18:28:00.004-05:00

So here is my Christmas checklist:
1. Deck the Halls - CHECK
2. Buy Presents - CHECK (and with 2 weeks to spare too!)
3. Wrap Presents -CHECK!
4. Pull out Christmas China - CHECK
5. Visit the big guy in the red suit - CHECK

I'm all done! Now what? I guess I can bake some cookies. We are all ready for Christmas! I must say.. I'm not used to having everything done so early... I'm usually scrambling around until the last minute. I guess I can thank my clients for that.. I'm usually still up to my eyeballs in meeting planning at this point. This year no conference between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Woohoo!! I could get used to this!

Carson visited Santa. She was "brave". She's very much into the idea of Santa, Christmas trees, lights, and presents. Meeting him was a whole other story. She was miserable last year when we tried to sit in his lap, and I guess she remembered the experience, because she was not eager to meet the man who would bring her toys. She did end up meeting him and she told him that she wants "Dora and Dora's friend Boots" for Christmas. Hopefully she'll be pleased with what Santa and family bring her!

Merry Christmas to all and if I'm not on here before.. Happy New Year too!

We're back!!

2009-11-18T09:50:00.026-05:00

Anyone out there? I wouldn't blame you if you gave up on the blog. It has been a while! As you can imagine, life with a 2 year old is pretty fast paced! We have had an incredibly busy summer and fall. Between family happenings and work, there really hasn't been a moment to stop and breathe until now. With Thanksgiving coming up, I just want to say how thankful I am to have such a great family. Quite a few members of my family have had their share of medical drama this year, and I'm glad that everyone is healing (or have healed) nicely! In the midst of our jammed packed Fall, Steve and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary!! We didn't get to properly celebrate the occasion, so we are planning a trip to New York City really soon to toast to our 5 years of wedded bliss!!

Can't forget about Carson! She is 2.5 years old now.. Hard to believe. We're those parents.. We're the ones that sit there at the dinner table and marvel at how cute she is.. (we're biased.. we realize this) She really is that cute though. Such personality. I'm still hoping that she has a career on Broadway one day. We're working on the singing and dancing. She's got the flare for drama.. so we could be on to something!!

Like most 2.5 year olds, we too have hit the stage where Carson tells us "NO" (with a point of the finger) and "IT's MINE"... We're also getting into the "IT's YUCKY" phase too. Please don't be offended if she says this to you. We're working on this issue. ;) She may pout or give you a mean stare (see above note about flare for drama) when you first come up to her... give her a moment.. she'll warm up to you. Carson also thinks she is scared of a lot of things that she wasn't afraid of previously. We hear "Carson scared" a lot... I'm not sure if we'll be seeing the big guy in the red suit this year. She freaked out when she saw him from a distance this past weekend. sigh.

Halloween was a blast. She ended up as a Fairy Witch, after her stint as a chicken proved a bad idea. Just like last year, she had the best time going from house to house saying "trick-or-treat" Getting her into a costume was a challenge.. but in the end, she enjoyed her witch costume and didn't want to take it off.

The holiday season seems to be in full swing already, and it is only the 18th of November. Since I won't be traveling for work this November/December.. I plan to fully enjoy the holiday season.. The radio stations are already playing Christmas music 24/7. I will be decking the halls really soon!!

You can find us out back...on our new deck!

2009-04-26T20:40:00.008-05:00

Old Deck....................................... New Deck!!

We finally put a real deck put on the house! If you are ever looking for us... try out back on the deck. We'll be living there the rest of the Spring/Summer. (more pictures on the picasa page for those who follow).

Oh, and since we were experiencing wonderful Summer-like weather on the very weekend that our deck was completed.. we grilled out. A lot. Carson (who loves corn) got to experience her first corn on the cob. She's a fan (just like her momma!).

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say, Don't Say Anything At All!

2009-04-21T14:35:00.012-05:00

That's what my momma always told me!

It has been 4 months since my last post, and I can sum up the time quickly. Carson has been SICK, sick, and sick again. This has been the longest, coldest, snowiest, depressing (and did I mention sick) winter that I can remember. Sure, there have been some good moments... Christmas, a trip to Charlotte, Carson's emerging (and engaging!) personality, etc... but for the most part I have not been inspired to write..

Like I said, most of the winter we dealt with Carson's various forms of daycare-itis - this was the best... some weird crazy viral rash. 3 trips to the doctors that week- She was seen by 4 doctors. No one could explain it.. just a virus. Luckily it went away a few days later...

The winter wasn't all bad! We did go to Charlotte for GM's 91st birthday and got to see a large part of the Southern family. Here's a favorite picture of mine from that trip... Steve and Carson at Freedom Park.

You know what? I'm done with the blah mood. Spring is coming, and I'm feeling inspired again. We have a new deck being put on, Carson's 2nd birthday is coming up fast (wow!!), and summer plans are taking shape. Carson is doing great (minus yet another cold!)!! She's talking, jumping, and singing away! She has joined a Music Together class with her Nonie (Pam) and she's a little rock star! Happy and Healthy!

I am moving forward and will be writing more, but one last thing... Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, St. Patty's Day, and Happy Easter!! (now I'm all caught up!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T11:30:00.002-05:00

As the busy holiday season approaches, just wanted to wish everyone a healthy and happy Thanksgiving! We are staying in town this year. I am making Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potato Casserole and we'll be going to my sister-in-law's house for a yummy meal.

Carson is doing great! She's talking up a storm (still only a few REAL words) but she's got a lot to say. She loves music, dancing, and being a busy body. She absolutely loves the Wiggles! We have an almost daily dance session with those guys. She has her favorite purses (they used to be mine) and some of them are our lunch bags... she doesn't care.. She props it up on her shoulder, grabs her cell phone and goes to town. :)

So this year, we are very Thankful for CARSON!!! She's happy, healthy and so much fun. We are also very thankful for supportive family and friends. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

November already?

2008-11-01T10:13:00.006-05:00

anyone out there? I've been running around like a maniac the last few weeks, so sorry for the lack of posting. sooo... Carson is walking all over the place now, even running a bit too. She tested out of early intervention, so no more physical therapy on Fridays. She is doing wonderful, so happy. Her vocabulary is starting to explode (favorite word of the month - APPLE). I had a business trip to New Orleans, and after a two day rest at home, Carson and I took a trip to North Carolina to watch my nephews while my sister and niece are in St. Louis for a procedure. That was fun (and exhausting- I don't know how Robin does it!) We made it home just in time for my company's annual Halloween party... where Carson got her first dose of trick-or-treating. She caught on really fast and had a blast both at the party and for actual Halloween Trick-or-Treating. Carson was a butterfly.... and she pulled it off beautifully!

We live in a great neighborhood. We probably had 75+ kids come by. Carson had so much fun... she wanted to stay outside all night and visit the creepy Halloween scene across the street, interact with the other little kids, and of course... trick-or-treat!

phew... so now we're home and trying to get over the colds that we picked up, and resting up for the next big adventures... VOTING on Tuesday!!, my mom (Bebe) is coming to visit next weekend, and then more travel for me and then the holidays are right around the corner!

Aruba, New York and First Steps... oh my!

2008-09-02T13:37:00.007-05:00

Where does the time go? vacationing that's where!!

We went to Aruba the third week of August for my belated 30th birthday.. After a trying flight (Carson was not her normal chipper flying self) we arrived to an impossible rooming situation. A tiny, non-soundproof, tiny, too small for a bed and crib, tiny room that we were supposed to live in for a week. Carson started protesting the minute we got in there, and refused to lie down in her cage.. I mean crib....and the screaming started. Steve and I were seriously contemplating paying out serious cash to another property or even flying home if we had to stay in that room all week. Luckily for us, they had a 1-BR suite available and they only charged us a nominal fee to switch rooms. THANK GOD!! The week was looking a whole lot more promising at that point.

We had a fantastic time and the sun, sand and water was relaxing and just what we needed, but Carson was more excited when we got home... She did well and had a good time in Aruba, but she babbled more on the car ride home than she did the entire week. She jumped for joy in her crib and played with her toys happily for an hour, so her slogan is definitely "there's no place like home".

As my friend said to me, No Grass Grows Under my Feet, and she's right... this past weekend we made the journey to upstate New York where my Dad and Stepmom bought their retirement home... We had a great time.. They bought a house on a bay of Lake Ontario, so we had the sounds of waves crashing to lull us to sleep, and the beautiful view to occupy 90% of our waking hours. We took the boat out for a spin, and Carson actually fell asleep before we pulled away from the dock and slept the entire ride... I'm not a water-skier, so I could care less if they buy skis, but they definitely need a tube... perhaps next summer. We made the trip an international one, with a quick jaunt over the border into Canada to see the 1000 Lakes Region. We were there all of 20 minutes, but it was really pretty!

But, by far the biggest news of the weekend was that CARSON TOOK HER FIRST STEPS! She's now a walker! She took a couple of unassisted steps on Sunday and her face lit up as she realized her accomplishments. By Monday, she ventured down the hallway all by herself. Yea!! It was exciting that her Grandpa and Grandma Susan were there to witness the big event.

phew... I think I'm all caught up now... I've got a few work-trips planned this fall, but for now it will be good to stay home a bit and relax! You know that saying about needing a vacation from your vacation? I need a vacation!

Canada eh?

2008-08-12T14:08:00.004-05:00

Shame on me... I got so caught up in life, work, house chores, etc. once I returned from vacation, I forgot to blog about Canada! (Sorry Alan, Christina & CiCi)

We had a great time north of the border. My only regret was that Carson didn't get a stamp in her passport when we went through the border patrol. bummer. Seriously. the 9 hour drive really wasn't that bad, and Carson did great! It was a bit rainy while we were there, but this entire summer has been rainy, so we all made the best of it. Seeing our friends was great, and Carson and CiCi became friends fast. Steve and Alan got to go four-wheelin' twice and they saw a bear and a eagle on their adventure (lucky dogs.) Carson and I went to a butterfly farm with Christina and CiCi, and while Carson loved the butterflies, she accidentally mamed one... imagine clipped wings... she tried to eat part of the wing for good measure. ugh.

hopefully you can see the two of them.. my first attempt at black and white photography on my digital camera... some computers its fine (sorry if its too dark on your screen)

A HUGE THANK YOU to Alan, Christina, and the adorable CiCi.. thanks for having us up!! We'll have to do it again next summer!

Now, since then.... Carson has sprouted some teeth.. I haven't counted up top, but she has 5 on the bottom including two molars... and she's about to start walking!! Well, maybe in a few weeks, but she's almost there! She loves to be sung to, and she's very talkative (just not with words that us big people understand) She has her 15 month check up tomorrow... and her physical therapy 6-month evaluation is coming up in September.. Hopefully she'll graduate out of the program! hmmm.. what else? Oh, she just had her first haircut two weeks ago.. just a trim of the bangs. very cute.

We're off for Vacation #3 soon... ARUBA!! woohoo! Carson will definitely get a stamp in her passport this time! This is my 30th birthday celebratory trip... we just had to take it a few months later...

Vacation time!

2008-07-15T09:37:00.004-05:00

Carson and I are just back from a whirlwind trip to Charlotte... (well that is what it felt like) We were there a week, but it FLEW by!! I don't think I ate one meal at my house.. We were on the go the entire time. We managed a trip to Boone (mmmm Makotos!) and we went to the NC Zoo on Wednesday. I had never been, so that was a treat! It was hotter than..... but still fun. Unfortunately there were a few friends and family I didn't get to see... I hope to get to see you the next trip!!

What wasn't so fun was that Carson was teething... trying to sprout two teeth. Perfect timing. So she was somewhat miserable for part of the trip, but she was a good sport! Steve didn't go on this trip, so it was just us girls... If I haven't mentioned this before... Carson is quite the Daddy's girl... they are equally fond of each other, so you can imagine the homecoming when Carson saw Steve at the airport... She practically sprang out of my arms she was so excited to see him!! At least she was mine for a few days... now she is his again. sigh.

We're off to Canada on Friday... Moncton (New Brunswick) to be exact. We were really sad when our friends left Massachusetts (and the USA) for Canada... but it does give us a reason to road-trip to see them!

and yes, Carson has her very own passport!! By summer's end she'll have two stamps.. Canada and Aruba!

Throw Down!!

2008-06-26T10:29:00.005-05:00

Rock. Paper. Scissors.

Rock Paper Scissors is considered a "sport" and they actually have leagues and a tourney too!! Where have I been? Two girls I knew in college just got back from Las Vegas and the 2008 USARPS Championship Tourney... reading up on the website, I had to join!! Why not? I have just as much a chance at winning as the next guy (or gal). And the website is FUNNY!! http://www.usarps.com/

A guy (athelete!) from Massachusetts won the entire thing and took home $50,000! And he gets to go on to compete in Beijing! (ok, so maybe not a perk according to my two colleagues that have gone to Beijing on more than one occasion) but still! I have to get in on the action!

RPS. It's on.

30 Happens.

2008-05-20T15:45:00.005-05:00

Let's observe a moment of silence... My youth has passed. I'm officially 30. It happened on a Monday. Yesterday to be exact. The day itself was great.. I went shopping on Newbury Street with my mom and Carson... we went out to eat at a fabulous restaurant.. I got calls, gifts, cards, etc. but I'm still a little sad...

Although, one of my friends just said that 30 has been her best year so far, and I'm going to try to adopt that attitude...

Afterall, I am losing weight (yea!), I have a wonderful hubby and Carson, I'm going to Canada and Aruba this year (double yea!), I only work 4 days a week (triple yea!) and I have great friends and family (bonus!)! I can do this 30 thing... no sweat.

For all you country fans out there... this is a very wise song.. And I'm going to keep in mind as I move forward!

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now its time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years
I'm gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I've done
Maybe now Ive conquered all my adolescent fears
And I'll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I'm gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I'm doing here
In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I'm gonna watch my weight
Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late
Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers
Maybe I'll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife (**HUSBAND**)
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years
In my next thirty years

Thanks Tim McGraw!
** Here's to my next 30 years! **

She's ONE year old!!

2008-05-18T18:39:00.010-05:00

She's a big GIRL now!!

okay, so she really turned one on the 9th, but its been a pretty hectic week!! Carson had a fantastic birthday weekend!! Lots of loot and lots of love is what she got!! Me- I got a second degree burn, but it was still a great weekend!

We're having fun this weekend. Bebe (her grandmother/my mom) is in town visiting, and we're eating a lot, shopping, and seeing some sites! Like today, we went to the mill at the Longfellow's Wayside Inn

Ready..Set. GO!!

2008-05-05T07:19:00.005-05:00

And.. she's off! Carson started crawling on Wednesday, and hasn't looked back since! Let me tell you... this girl is in to everything! Its almost like she has been taking inventory of everything she wanted to touch as soon as she figured out how to move... Nothing is off limits to her... (which WILL change!) You can tell how excited she is to be finally moving!

Carson has sprouted two more teeth... she's up to 4 (top two and bottom two) and she has another huge milestone coming up.. Her FIRST birthday!! this Friday to be exact. We have a family party planned in her honor.. with an Egg-free cake too!! ooh- and then we get to turn her two car seats around so she'll be forward facing!!! I can't believe how fast this year has flown by....

That's about all the news in Carson land!! Happy early birthday to my sweet baby girl!!

Busy Month.. Where to Start?

2008-04-16T15:02:00.003-05:00

hmmm... where to start ?? Well, Carson has had a rough month!! Thanks to a traumatic blood test session, we found out that she is definitely allergic to EGGS (the yolks and the whites). We're hoping it will be a mild allergy. We will have an appointment with an allergist at some point, but in the meantime I'm looking for eggless cake recipes for her 1st birthday!! (can you believe she's almost one!!)

Carson was also recently evaluated on her gross motor skill development, and well.. she needs help. So she has been enrolled in Early Intervention. Once a week a physical therapist (Jodi) comes to our house and plays with Carson (while making her work her muscles). We've only had one session, and that was a "get-to-know-each-other" session. Hopefully this week they'll get to business!! :)

Good news... is she finally sprouted her third tooth! The fourth is not far behind. Soon she'll have her top two and bottom two in place. More good news! We just got her a passport, and we're Canada and Aruba-bound this summer! Canada to visit our good friends who recently moved there, and to Aruba to celebrate my 30th birthday (it will be a belated birthday trip!!).

I just got home from a business trip to Portland, OR. What a fun town!! So Green (the color and environmentally!) I had the most fantastic people to work with at the hotel and some of them even shared my fondness/curiosity for the TLC show "Little People, Big World". The Roloff's live right outside of Portland, so one of the hotel staff went out there and took a picture of the Roloff Farm sign. I wish it could have been me there at the sign! just kidding. But seriously, it would have been nice to have some extra time to visit the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood, etc. Having a baby changes everything! As it was, I was gone 5 days... Luckily this trip Carson wasn't mad at me when I came home.. she was excited to see me!! (it warms my heart!!)

Allergic to EGGS!?!

2008-03-24T11:13:00.003-05:00

So Happy belated Easter to Everyone!! We have had one heck of a week. Carson and I both got (and survived) the stomach bug. I've done more laundry this week (Oxy Baby is a wonder!) than I can remember, and to top it off... Carson had an allergic reaction yesterday to eggs of all things (we *think*). We have an appointment with the Doc on Thursday to discuss allergy testing since there are so many allergies running rampant in our family. I hope she's not truly allergic to eggs, because.. well... they are in Everything.. but if she is, we'll deal.

All in all, we DID have a wonderful Easter. Carson loved her basket that the Bunny brought her, and she struck the jackpot last night when she finally managed to crack open a plastic egg, and found her precious cheerios in there!

And to my NCAA tournament rivals... I'm down, but I'm poised for the comeback of a lifetime!! I still have all my final four competing and the most possible points left - Sha-Zam!! Just like my team name suggests.. ERIN is going TWO for TWO!!! I WILL have another champion trophy at the end!!

HELEN - 90 Years YOUNG!!!

2008-03-05T19:21:00.007-05:00

We're heading to North Carolina tomorrow for a very special occasion. My Grandmother is turning 90 on Friday!!! We've got a party planned in her honor and it should be a lot of fun! Can you believe how great she looks??

This woman has been an incredibly important part of my life and I love her so much! Happy Early Birthday GM!! Can't wait to see you this weekend!

Carson's New 'Do'

2008-03-05T19:10:00.004-05:00

I picked up Carson from Daycare today, and voila.. new do. Funny, but I kinda like it!

I can't believe a month has flown by and no blogs! Shame on me. What can I say, we're full of life here! We're still waiting for spring to arrive, but in the meantime we're heading South for the weekend! It's my Grandmother's 90th birthday on Friday! (see above post!)

Lazy girl is still not rolling over, crawling, or getting herself into a sitting position, so we've made an appointment with Early Intervention to come and evaluate her to see if she's a candidate for just that.. early intervention for her motor skills. If she is a candidate, a therapist will come to the house once a week and play with her (goal being to work with her while playing - so it doesn't appear like work!) The one thing she's now got going for her, is AMBITION!! She finally wants to move.. she just doesn't know how to get around. Hopefully this will help her.

Two teeth!

2008-01-29T10:24:00.000-05:00

Count them.. Two teeth.. ha ha ha!!
(bottom two!)

First Tooth!

2008-01-25T14:40:00.000-05:00

Carson got her first tooth yesterday! You can't really see it too well, but you can feel it! I picked her up from daycare yesterday, and that's when we felt it! Maybe now, some of the drooling will subside (a girl can dream right?). I hear the South is in a drought... I could have supplied some water over the past few months. Carson has been so drooly!! Here's a recent pic of the two of us.. She's a happy girl! That's the news in our part of the world!

long overdue, but.....

2008-01-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

Goodbye 2007, and hello 2008! It's been such a crazy hectic year, winter, Christmas, New Year's...etc... so I'm just now getting around to updating. We had an amazing Christmas. We spent time with everyone in our immediate family, and that's a big deal especially considering that they are spread out amongst Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Georgia! Carson took her first airplane ride (and her inaugural flight was in FIRST CLASS too!). She did OK... I only had to turn around to people and apologize 2 or 3 times. ;)

Carson got everything that she wanted for Christmas except her first tooth!! She's sitting up now, babbling, and singing up a storm. You would think that since almost every picture of her has her pacifier attached to the mouth, that she can't live without it, but she does know how to take it out of her mouth and put it back in... upside down, but still. She loves all of her toys, and she's great at picking up what she wants and playing with it.

Since getting back home, we have had a thaw outside, and the temps actually reached into the 60s this week... Almost all of the snow is now gone, but I'm sure its just a matter of time before the next snow storm comes along. It is only the second week of January.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

2007-12-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! Especially with nearly a foot of snow on the ground. That's what we got yesterday, well... that and a HORRENDOUS commute. Steve, Carson and I left work at 12:00, and didn't get home until 2:45 and that was at the beginning of the storm.. I can only imagine what other's travel time were.. I heard upwards of 5-6 hours for some. We had one spin-out, that could have been disastrous, but luckily the cars around us were able to squeak by and stop in time for us not to hit them...

We're getting in the holiday spirit here.. depending on the weather, we've got two holiday parties to attend this weekend, and then its only a week until Christmas! It really seems like its flying by this year. I have one more work-related trip to take Sunday-Tuesday to San Antonio, and then I think I'm done for 2007!!

Carson has been under the weather this past week, so its been a long week...Steve and I have both flirted with getting sick, but I think we have escaped with just minor sore throats. We hope to be germ free in time for our trip South for the holidays..

It's all about the comforts...

2007-11-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

Ugh... I hate getting sick. That's exactly what happened yesterday. All is great at work, and then wham... my head's in the wastebasket. What's worse is that Steve and I carpooled yesterday to save gas... well that was a great idea... Steve had to come get me at work, take me home, then drive back to work... We saved a lot of gas alright..

I get home and go straight to bed... In my bed is Carson's flannel sleep sack that she wears over her pjs.. it still had the her baby lotion smell.. That was the most comforting thing I could have wished for.. I snuggled up to it, and just fell asleep.. When I woke up, one of my favorite movies "Anne of Green Gables" was on WGBH, so despite being sick, it was a comforting afternoon.

Post Turkey-Day Thoughts

2007-11-25T18:53:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Day and the Saturday after are the days to travel, or so I'm told. My Mom, Grandmother and Sister all flew up on Thanksgiving day, and had the easiest time, and the same practically for the Saturday after... I've traveled on Christmas day a few times, and that day is a breeze for flying, but I have never flown on Thanksgiving (I've always been with the other 5 million crazy people who fly the day before Thanksgiving).. but you know what? I would totally fly on Turkey Day.. it gets you out of dinner preparations... you just fly and then eat. The only thing you miss is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade... and you know what... I could live with that.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, I sure did. We have a lot to be thankful for this year, as I'm sure a lot of you did too. I was very fortunate to have part of my family up here this year.. They got to see the baby and house all in one trip!

Well, I've been told to update our pictures with pics of the new house and Carson, so check them out.. http://picasaweb.google.com/spitt926

On to the Christmas frenzy! To my small fanclub in the South, we'll be home (yes, with Carson) Christmas Day through New Year's Day....

Princess Leia

2007-11-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

Carson as Princess Leia!!!

Happy Fall everyone! Its been a busy one for us! We are almost all settled into our new home! We moved this past weekend (in the rain)! Between Carson, work, travel, packing, painting, and moving... we are exhausted, but very happy! We sat at home last night and passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. We got at least 50-75 kids easily (and we got home a little late!) . We're in a great neighborhood. Some of our neighbors have come over and introduced themselves and in some cases, brought baked goods!!

The commute is something we are having a hard time adjusting to, but we are slowly getting it together. We're carpooling a few days a week, which makes the time pass a little better.

We tried spoon-feeding Carson again... she seems a little more interested this time around, so we'll start the feeding schedule. Time's flying... she's almost 6 months old!!

3 wonderful years!

2007-10-07T17:23:00.000-05:00

Our 3 year anniversary is coming up on Tuesday, so we chose Saturday to semi-celebrate, procrastinate from packing, and to take Carson's first trip into the city! For those of you who don't know... Steve and I met at a bar in Boston. The bar recently closed, and became the Hard Rock Cafe Boston. We decided to check it out, and to return to the scene of the crime (sorta)... We had lunch, and then took off to do a little sight-seeing before Carson had a melt down.. We made it to Fanueil Hall and to the Harbor before going home. It was a beautiful day. 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky! The Hard Rock Cafe is lacking the charm that it had on Clarendon Street, but it was fun to check it out and to be where we met 6 years ago.

If all goes well, we'll be closing on our first home on October 18th! We finally got into 1st gear this weekend, and have packed 3 or 4 boxes. We both hate packing. I just want to get in the house..... I want the stuff to be magically packed and delivered... I want to shop for paints and appliances!

I have to start traveling for work this week, and I'm dreading it. Thankfully its only a one night trip to St. Louis, but it is still leaving Carson, and I'm not comfortable with it. I also have a trip to Houston, another trip to St. Louis and a possible trip to Portland, OR in my future.

Carson is doing great. She'll be 5 months old on Tuesday. She recently went to the doctor for her 4 month appointment, and she checked in at 14lbs, 3oz. She has doubled her birth weight!! We tried spoon feeding her last week for the first time, but she didn't seem to be too interested yet, so we're not aggressively pursuing it. Other than that, not too much to report. Her Bebe (my mom) came to town to visit last weekend, and that was a lot of fun. It was good to see her, and good for Carson to get re-acquainted with her Bebe..

wow... Where to start??

2007-09-07T07:20:00.001-05:00

Where to begin... well as you can probably guess.. going back to work has been rough! I have so much to do and usually only 4 days to get it in.. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to travel until the new year, but now that is just not possible.. but it is what it is...

Carson is doing great! She's "talking" all the time, she smiles, and she's getting BIG!! She's up over 13lbs now. She'll be 4 months old on the 9th.. Hard to believe!

On the health front... we had quite the labor day weekend...3 people in our family went to the ER this weekend.... my father-in-law, CARSON and me! Father-in-law is fine, Carson was having some gagging/throwing up issues related to the sniffles that she has, and I caught Carson's "blocked tear-duct" or so the Pediatrician said it was... In actuality... it was conjunctivitis, and I got it bad!!! All of us are fine now for the most part, but I was never so glad for a long weekend to be over with!

On the home front.. we've got news! We put in an offer on a 2nd house, and it was accepted! If all goes well, we'll be in our new house in October! As much as we like our homey basement apartment.. we are excited (and a wee bit nervous) to get into a home and spread out!!

Well, the next 2 months will be super crazy with work, Carson, and moving, but I will try to update again soon!

Oh, and one more thing.. there was quite the college football game this weekend... Appalachian State and Michigan. My office mate and her husband went to Michigan.. I did love going back to work this week to rub it in... "So, what did we get in the first week of the 2007 college football regular season? Oh, just last year's Division 1-AA national champion, Appalachian State, going to the Big House in Ann Arbor and knocking off fifth-ranked Michigan in one of the greatest upsets in history" (Boston Globe, 9/7/07). Go ASU!!!

Wow that was fast....

2007-08-13T15:06:00.000-05:00

I knew this day would come, I just didn't think it would come so fast! after 13.5 weeks, I went back to work today. I miss her. I really do. All I have been good for today is staring at her picture. I finally broke down and called to check in at 1:15. Of course she was fine, but I was still sad. I can't wait to get home to see her. I'm sure it will get easier as my days start to get busier, but right now, the day is going by painfully slow.

Home again, home again.. jiggity jig

2007-07-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

(Carson and her twin.. Rainey!)

So the road trip has come to a close, and I'm happy and sad to report that I'm back home in Massachusetts. It was really nice being back south, but I really did miss Steve (and he really missed us too). Carson was a big hit... she met so many people, that I'm afraid that she's going to be lonely and bored with just me to hang around with!

Steve flew in on Friday night, and we thought that we were going to start loading the car up that night, but hurricane-like rain pounded our area (and mom and me on our run to get a pizza and baby formula).. so packing was put off until Saturday morning. We got everything packed up and went to breakfast with GM and Mom... and then got on the road at 11:00. Half way through North Carolina, our GPS system (thanks Dad!) said that if we were to drive straight through... we'd be home by 11:30 pm.... that sparked an idea to drive straight through (of course depending on Carson's attitude towards her car seat)... Well...Carson wanted to get home too I guess, so we drove straight through.. and took the GPS detour to NYC too... we got home at 2:00 am (not bad considering our 5 pit stops and traffic backups).

Carson went straight into her "big girl bed" (crib) Sunday morning and again last night... so far so good... I already have designs on what will go in place of the bassinet beside my bed!! Our plans for the rest of the summer? I've got two weeks left on maternity leave, we've got some birthday parties to go to, a marriage celebration, and we're starting the house hunting efforts again! I had my eye on a cute house, but just as soon as I asked our realtor to schedule a showing for this week.. it went under agreement! So, we start again! Wish us luck.

Road Trip update

2007-07-23T09:28:00.000-05:00

Well, the road trip has been fun!! In the last two weeks, we've driven through 11 states so far (MA, CT, NY, PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, NC, SC & GA). Carson did amazing during the trip down... She slept most of the trip, which helped us out a lot. We ended up stopping in Carlisle, PA for the first night in a smoky HoJo inn... there literally was no other place to stay... Our stuff stunk the next day!! We then arrived in the Mountains for Mom's birthday weekend, and then we visited my Dad and Stepmom in Georgia. Steve has been back home for the last week, we've got one week left, and then we head back home on Saturday. I got to say, that the hardest part has been having Steve gone. I can only imagine what he's going through. Carson has gotten so expressive in the past week. She's smiling A LOT, she's giggling, she's had her first case of major congestion (think nasal spray and aspirator - she's not a fan of either).. and last night was the biggest milestone of them all... She had her bath, and she didn't cry AT ALL (well until the very end when I was getting her out and cleaning her backside at the same time). This is a HUGE accomplishment. Now, I'm not fooled into thinking that magically she now will love her bath, but its a big step towards it! Now we need to work on her loving baby lotion!!

We are having fun here in Charlotte. We're seeing friends and family, and basically taking it easy. We take long walks almost every day... which has been nice. There are no nice places to take walks where I live, so this has been threapeutic for the soul.. and hopefully trimming some baby weight off too (of course I need to lay off the SWEET TEA)

When I get back to MA, I'll have 2 weeks left on my maternity leave, which I'm very sad about. Its going to be hard to hand her over to other people to watch her during the day. But, we're also going to renew the house hunting efforts full force!!

Well, I'll have to think about that another day... right now, I'm home and having fun!!

Road Trip!

2007-07-05T15:52:00.000-05:00

Here I sit on the eve of our big road trip to the South, and I must confess... I'm getting a little nervous. This so seemed like a good idea when I was pregnant... Now that Carson is here and the 16+ hour trip is upon us.. I'm not so sure. I couldn't have imagined the degree of exhaustion that Steve and I both suffer from, nor all the baby crap that comes along with Carson.. 3 weeks on the road is a long time... especially for a baby. We couldn't possibly go away for that long and not bring along all the comforts of home.. She spent 9 months in the comforts of my belly, only to be rudely taken out of the incubator (10 days early) and then spends 8 weeks adjusting to the outside world and the gizmos that help recreate the womb (or makes the transition to the outside world better) Only to take those away?? I don't think so!! We taking almost everything with us!! We're taking her swing, her chair, her bathtub, her pack & play (which she IS going to love sleeping in.. she just doesn't realize this quite yet), and her stroller just to mention the BIG items... We ended up renting a rooftop cargo box for the trip just so we could bring along everything!

Carson had her 2 month checkup today, and with that came her first rounds of shots. She did amazing considering the pain. I do have to say.. The nurses handled it pretty nicely.. They worked together and 1-2-3 they simultaneously stabbed both of her legs. One shot in both thighs... Carson didn't like it... but it was better than having to go through it twice. Luckily it was breakfast time, so I had a bottle waiting for her to help calm her down. Hopefully she won't have any true discomfort this point forward. She's a growing girl! She's now 22inches and 10 pounds-13 ounces. I was thinking that she was going to be close to 11 pounds, and she didn't disappoint.

Well, gotta run finish packing and doing laundry... We've got a lot planned! My mom has a big birthday this weekend, so we're all convening in the Mountains for a birthday get-away weekend. Straight from there Steve, Carson and I are heading to Georgia to visit with my Dad, Stepmother and Max.. where we'll get to hopefully visit our good friends who live nearby... then we're off to Charlotte for the remaining 2 weeks. After a big family portrait session, we're dropping Steve off at the airport where he'll get to fly back home to go to work (and get uninterrupted sleep!) for two weeks.. and then he flies back to help pack me up and drive home!

I'll try to update periodically from the road! It'll will be a crazy time, but it will be good to see family and friends (and to show off my cutie-pie!)

Look Mom - NO HANDS!!

2007-06-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

I had my 6-week post delivery checkup last week, and I'm almost as good as new.. A couple of pregnancy pounds leftover, but other than that.. I'm good. I celebrated by starting a new workout regiment... For those of you who don't know me.. I'm an infomercial junkie. The latest gimmick to catch my eye was the Hip Hop Abs. I bought it when I was 8 months pregnant.. and I finally got to start using it on Wednesday after my doctor's visit. It was a lot of fun. I hope I can keep up the routine..(I don't have a good track record - I buy the gimmicks.. but I rarely keep up with them) My mother-in-law has agreed to watch Carson for an hour and a half each day (until she heads to Maine for the summer) so I can get a workout and shower in. So far.. so good! Wish me luck!

I've been officially discharged from the OB-GYN for the next year... It was kinda bittersweet. I've been going to them for the last year so often, that it was strange when they told me that they would see me a year later. Of all places to have separation anxiety.. I never thought it would be the OB-GYN!!

So a funny (in a screwy odd kind of way) thing has happened to us... When Steve added Carson to our insurance plan, his company's HR department somehow dropped me from the coverage!! I didn't know this until I tried to fill a prescription and was told that I was not covered. Sure enough.. two days later I received my COBRA notification... here's the funny part.. it said on the letter that the COBRA was kicking in due to my recent DIVORCE!!!! The other screwy thing is that somehow they put Carson on the plan as of June 5th, not her actual birthdate.. so needless to say.. A lot of insurance claims are getting rejected, and we'll have to have both mine and Carson's doctor offices re-file once this mess is all set.

Carson is 7 weeks old now.. Hard to believe. Time flies when you're having fun (or sleep deprived). She's doing amazingly well. Her head control is great, and she's got pretty strong legs too. She hates her bathtime (Steve says that she burns at least 1000 calories by screaming so much!) but we have the routine down that we do bath, pjs, swaddle-blanket, bottle, BED. Its working so far...

Her head control was so amazing.. that we experimented with putting her in her new bumbo seat (Thanks baby CiCi!)... She sat in there for a few minutes without her head getting tired! I told you she was strong!

9 Pounds 7 Ounces!!!!

2007-06-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

Girlfriend went to the pediatrician yesterday, and we're happy to report that she has GROWN!!! In the last 2.5 weeks, she's gained 2lbs and 4 oz and she's grown 2 inches! She's now above average for her height and weight whereas she was below average before! We figured that she had gained some weight, but we didn't expect a 9 pounder!! She's doing great with the exception of some spitting up issues.. We've added some rice cereal to her bottles so hopefully that will help the situation a little. She's now a month old... its hard to believe!

Is She Happy, Or Is It Just Gas??

2007-06-06T20:37:00.000-05:00

Carson is 4 weeks old today.. Time flies when you're having fun!! Seriously...life has been a whirlwind the last few weeks, so we apologize for not updating more often. There isn't much to tell on a day to day basis... She eats, sleeps, and poops...oh and she SCREAMS when she's naked or her diaper is getting changed. She's eating like a champ.. She's got her 1 month checkup on Monday, so we'll see how much weight she's gained.

Today, she had an "off" day... she was fussy most of the day, and it didn't seem that anything I did would soothe her. That is frustrating.. mainly since she can't clearly communicate what she wants or needs. We were supposed to go visit my co-workers, but I canceled at the last minute.. hopefully we'll get there soon! My co-worker who had her baby in late April is coming over tomorrow for a visit... Our goal is to take our babies and ourselves to lunch, and then maybe a walk afterwards.

Carson has been out to eat 4 times already, and thankfully she's slept through them all! Its been great for us to get out here and there. Staying in our apartment all day can get a little boring day after day!

Her Grandpa and Grandma Susan came up to visit from Georgia this week. It was a really nice visit!! They are in love, and I think Carson got a little spoiled by being held for 12 hours straight! My sister and her kids are coming up this weekend, so Carson will get to meet her North Carolina cousins then!

Hope everyone is doing well.. We'll try to update soon!

Hungry Barracuda

2007-05-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Carson went in for her 2 week weight check up today, and I'm happy to report that she's back up over her birth weight (and two days before she turns 2 weeks!!) She weighed in at a hefty 7lbs and 3.5 oz today!! Its a good thing too.. because last week they gave us her percentiles, and I gotta tell you.. she really is a peanut! She was only in the 16th percentile for her weight, and 36th percentile for her length..

She's doing great though.. Our newest challenge is keeping her awake during the day more, so she'll sleep at night better.. she's got a 2 hour wake up time in the middle of the night, and that's not going so well with Steve or I.

Steve had to go back to work today, and my Mom leaves to go back to NC tomorrow... Everyone has been so helpful.. My mother-in-law has been preparing meals for us each night, and has been doing the grocery shopping, and Mom has been helping me around the house, and well Steve has been super dad!! He's been on diaper duty, clothes changing duty, swaddling duty, and he's the burper extraordinaire! I can burp Carson for 10 minutes and get nothing.. hand him off to Steve, and within 10-15 seconds a good belch comes on out of Carson! I don't know how I'll be able to handle all the new workload by myself, but I'm sure I'll manage!

The recovery from the c-section has been harder than I thought.. I'm getting better day by day, and hopefully will be able to drive within a few days.. I have my new car, and I have only driven it twice!!!

We took Carson out to dinner on Saturday night to celebrate my birthday! She slept through the entire meal (and with a band playing too!), so we're hopeful that we won't be confined to the house forever! The weather is getting nicer, so hopefully I'll be able to get out with her and start dressing her up in all the adorable outfits that everyone has bought her!

Baby P = GIRL!

2007-05-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

Introducing... Carson Elizabeth!

We've been busy lately...

just when I thought Baby P was never coming... SHE decided to pop out (literally) on Wednesday, May 9th! My water did literally POP at work... I was bending over in my chair to pick up something off the floor that I dropped, when my co-worker and I heard this loud POP... and then the fun began.. I went prego running down to the bathroom leaving a watery trail behind me... and then my co-workers drove me home... I believe I'm the first person at my work to go into labor at the office! We got to the hospital around 6:30 PM-ish, and all was well and on schedule until I got my epidural... A wonderful thing that epidural.. but apparently our baby girl didn't agree... She somehow managed to wrap the cord around her head, and her heartbeat started fluctuating anywhere from 170 down to 80....

The doctor decided that since I was only 4 centimeters dilated at the time, and was facing at least another 6-8 hours of labor that the baby would not fare well with that kind of stress for that amount of time, so we quickly decided to proceed with a c-section. At 11:46 PM, our Carson was born... 7 pounds 1.oz and BEAUTIFUL!! (I'm biased.. I know!)

We left the hospital on Sunday (Happy Mother's Day to Me!!) and now we're trying to adjust to having our new addition at home.. She is obviously adjusting to life on the outside as well. I fed her constantly last night, and Steve held her and changed her most of the night... I think she finally fell asleep on Steve's chest around 5:00 am this morning. I know all you veteran parents are all saying "been there-done that" for the first night.. but I gotta tell you.. I had NO idea it would be so hard in the beginning.. but so worth it. I'll update soon with new pictures. Be sure to check back for the next chapter in our lives!!

It's going to be a beautiful day.. IT IS

2007-05-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

So, baby P was playing a trick on me yesterday.. He/She must have been jumping on my bladder, because I thought a small "trickle" of amniotic fluid was starting to leak... maybe that what I hoped it was, but alas... nothing more materialized, no contractions to speak of, and I'm still here with no baby in sight..

But TODAY is a going to be a great day! Steve and I picked up our new car last night! We upgraded his civic to a "family" car... A 2006 Toyota Highlander! and the best part is... I get to drive it!! He gets my accord, and I get a new ride! Driving to work was fun (that and the DECAF fun coffee drink that I treated myself to). My co-worker is bringing in her baby today, so that will be fun too! So even though my baby has no intention of EVER coming out (mind you... we're still a week 1/2 from my due date - I do realize this) The sun is shining, its going to reach about 80 degrees here, I'm going to have a great day!

Baby P's estimated size...

2007-05-05T18:52:00.000-05:00

So... you may be asking... how big is the baby?? Well... they think its 7.4lbs right now. They could be off, but they felt like they got some good measurements so they feel confident that I'm a low risk for the baby's shoulders getting stuck.. so that's a good thing! We got to see the face on the ultrasound.. and that was very cool... It wasn't a 3D image, but we could see Baby P yawning and taking a gulp of fluid, and the funniest and cool thing was that we could see little strands of hair floating in the fluid!! This baby will most definitely have a full head of hair!

Now guys, don't get too grossed out, but when my doctor did her internal exam... she laughed and told me how Baby P was squirming away from her finger.... I know.. TMI but it was really kinda funny. Clearly Baby P is happy in the incubator, and is not ready to come out anytime soon.

So, this was a very QUICK week for once... I got in to work early and left early every day, and I was very busy putting out some little fires at work, so it made the week fly by! Thank GOD!!

38 weeks today! 2 to go... I'm hoping for sooner!! Stay tuned!

Time Stands Still

2007-04-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Hi All- As of tomorrow I'll be full term! I'd like to say that this baby could come anytime... but I know that realistically it could be another 2-5 weeks before Baby P emerges! I went to the doctor today, and since they're a little concerned that the baby's size (and my rapidly growing physique), they are planning on doing an ultrasound next week to gage the baby's size and to see if there is any concern for shoulder dystocia ... so good news is we'll get to see Baby P (we haven't seen him/her since week 18) so that will be cool! Bad news... is I'm officially fat.

Time has literally stood still since my co-worker had her baby on Sunday... I'm so happy for her (he's adorable!!), but now I feel all alone, and I feel like I have months to go... We were pretty much on the same track throughout our pregnancies (her being 3.5 weeks ahead) but now she's crossed the finish line, and I'm still at the starting line (or so it feels). I think I've just hit that mark where I'm so uncomfortable... that I'm miserable! I do know its right around the corner though... but this has been the LONGEST week ever!! (Yes, I know that last week I said was the longest week ever... but this seems just as long and drawn out as last....I see a pattern forming here!)

Oh, and to add to my gloom... last night my husband couldn't even fake it when I jokingly asked him what he was going to get me for my birthday (again... baby P's due date as well) and he said "Oh GEEZ... I have been so completely focused on the baby!!!"

It starts. He of all people has forgotten that my birthday is coming up!! It's all about Baby P! (I guess that's not so bad!)

And then there was ONE...

2007-04-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

I'm happy (and jealous) to report that my co-worker had her baby today!!! Baby boy Gannon arrived at 12:16 today!! There were three of us that were pregnant at work, and now there is only me! My co-worker got her wish.. she had her baby in time for her husband's vacation this coming week! She went in and had a pressure-point massage on Saturday morning, and then had Mexican last night... and then the contractions started this morning right after her water broke!! I might have to look into this pressure point massage thing a little closer to my due date...hmmm...

GO RED SOX!!! They swept the Yankees this weekend!!!

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL!! It gives you a whole new outlook on life when the weather is nice! We went to the Christening yesterday, and let's just say that Steve did a lot of *toasting* (a.k.a. tossing down shots and drinks) with the baby's family, so he definitely had a good time! There was a family friend there with an 18-year streak for correctly identifying the sex of a baby ahead of time... and although he put in a disclaimer due to the heavy amount of "toasting" that was going on... he felt strongly that my baby was a GIRL. We'll see if the streak continues....
Hope everyone has a great week!

Here comes the Sun!

2007-04-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

The sun is finally shining as the LONGEST week ever comes to an end. My co-worker and I were discussing that it seems like 2 weeks ago that the VT tragedy (and Boston Marathon - our local big news worthy event) happened rather than 4 days ago. It has been a rainy miserable week, which I guess slows down time (that and the depressing news).

The sun is shining though, and it has given people up here in New England a new zest for life (that and the Yankees are in town to play the Red Sox). We have plans to go to a Christening tomorrow, other than that... we're going to bask in the mid-60's glorious sunshine!!

Baby P and I went to the doctor again yesterday, and all is well! It seems that the head is down for the time being (which is a good thing), but other than that, no progress... (not that there should be at this point). So we're all here and well! I'll be 36 weeks tomorrow.. so we're officially on to the one month countdown!

Have a great weekend everyone! I guess since I work for an environmental consulting firm, I should mention that EARTH DAY is this Sunday!! Happy Earth Day too! Be Green!

Another Baby Weekend!

2007-04-16T07:47:00.000-05:00

I had my Massachusetts baby shower this weekend, and the weather was HORRIBLE!! (But the day was beautiful to me anyway!!) The weekend and shower were fantastic! Thanks to Emily and my in-laws for throwing a beautiful shower. Between the two baby showers, we are pretty much prepared to have this baby! What a great feeling! We also bought a new camera this weekend, and we bought the crib mattress. We now have a nursery nook for Baby P! His/Her nook is all decked out with the crib, mobile, and wall decor! And if getting tons of gifts, a new camera and the nursery done wasn't enough, I was fortunate to have Lobster Ravioli TWICE this weekend!! Yum-Yum!

So, 35 weeks and 4 days down, 4 weeks and 3 days to go! The countdown is on! Now the thing on my mind is will I go early or late??

More Baby Parties

2007-04-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

The baby parties continue! Yesterday my co-workers surprised me with a company baby shower! Instead of baby things, they bought us Mommy and Daddy things! We got a restaurant gift certificate, spa gift certificate (for me!), Starburst Jellybeans (only the Pink, Red, and Purple ones! - again for me!), an ITZBEEN™ Baby Care Timer (I'm going to make Steve wear this next to his blackberry so he can be synchronized with all the feedings, diapers, etc. even while at work), a cute mommy + daddy= me photo frame, and a sweet pea sleeping door pillow... A woman in our accounting department made me a blanket too!! I always say this, but I'm so fortunate to work for such a caring, supportive, and generous company! We had yummy cake (Ok, I had 2 slices) It said "Welcome to the Parenthood" on it... very cute (and yummy!)

The only thing that wasn't so cool... is that they got the President/CEO in on the surprise, and he called me down to his office for a "talk"... What... were they trying to send me into labor early?

My Massachusetts baby shower is this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it... although I wish the weather would cooperate and actually turn SPRING like... instead of winter.. We had sleet yesterday, and they are calling for more winter weather on Sunday into Monday (possibly threatening the Boston Marathon!)

Happy Friday!

2007-04-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

I've gotten too fat... He's left me for another woman... Ok, so I'm just kidding.. this is an old Christmas photo with one of our nieces' presents...but it made me laugh... so I'm posting it!

I went to the doctor yesterday, and my blood pressure was fine! I also found out that my doctor is the only one in the practice that tends to let her patients go 2 weeks past their due date to induce... the other 6 doctors tend to only let their patients go 1 week... Hopefully Baby P will be so anxious to enter the world, that he/she won't want to wait an extra whole 2 weeks... That really could be a BIG baby!

Hope everyone has a nice Easter!

Handyman Steve!

2007-04-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

We have a new kitchen sink faucet today, thanks to Steve! What was supposed to be a quick fix (a faulty sprayer) turned into an all-weekend project, and Steve got to show off his plumbing skills! Its funny how these seemingly small projects can turn into big drawn out affairs. Because of some weird plumbing configuration when the basement was converted into a in-law apartment, it took different hoses, bolts and screws (and five total trips to Home Depot) to make the new system work. But now, its lovely!

We also got some new dresser knobs for the baby's dresser, new outside mat, new vacuum, etc between the other trips to Costco, Grocery Store, and Babies R Us. Not too many more weekends to get these chores done!

As for the NCAA championship game tonight... I still have one team left in it, so hopefully for my ego's sake... Florida will repeat and win tonight over Ohio State!

Not your average Doctor's visit...

2007-03-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday's doctor's visit wasn't as routine as we would have liked... They took my blood pressure twice and noticed that it was too high. They sent me over to the hospital for monitoring and testing to make sure that I didn't show signs of preeclampsia. That involved more blood work, more blood pressure screenings, urine samples, and a non-stress test on the baby. Everything is fine. The blood pressure returned to normal while I was on the maternity floor, but I have been threatened with bed rest if I don't get my feet up to reduce the swelling (which I think is just from the flying this past weekend)... so as I type... my feet are elevated! I'm now on the doctor's radar... I have to go back next week to get re-checked.

The baby's heartbeat clocked in at 144 bpm, and I got to hear Baby P on the heart monitor for a good 20-25 minutes while they were doing the non-stress test... He/She seemed perfectly happy to me. The doctor measured my stomach, and it measured exactly according to due date... 33 (I'll be 33 weeks tomorrow).

I honestly wasn't worried about the situation, as my blood pressure has always been fine, but it was a good run-through for admitting myself into the maternity unit for when the real thing comes!

Baby P's First Party!

2007-03-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

Well, we're back from North Carolina and what a beautiful weekend it was! The weather was perfect, I'm still in first place in my NCAA tournament bracket (winning by a landslide!), and I got to see a bunch of family and friends at the baby shower! We got so many cute things, and lots of books to start Baby P's library! We almost exceeded the weight limit on the suitcase coming back, but we distributed the weight to our carry on bags. While Steve had a sore back at the end of Sunday, we managed to get EVERYTHING back home! Special thanks to Sonni, Brennan, and Amanda for throwing me a wonderful shower. Everything was perfect, and I'm so blessed to have such good friends as the three of you!

Laziness or Writer's Block?

2007-03-22T09:49:00.000-05:00

I'm still here... for the 5 of you that actually read this blog on a semi-regular basis... I've just been suffering from writer's block (or I've just been plain lazy). To recap the last few weeks...

March Madness: I am attempting my first ever bracket this year. There is no money riding on this, just ego. I am currently in FIRST place, and I have been accused of cheating once or twice (by my own DAD). I will fess up to doing my online research, as I must admit I have not followed college basketball since I moved away from the wonderful world of the ACC. Its too early to say if I will win or not, but its been fun checking the scores and the jabbing emails back and forth between our family members involved in the group.

Baby Updates: I'm about 8 weeks out from D-day! There is still so much to do to get ready, but this weekend will help! I'm heading to NC for the first of two baby showers being given for me. I'm really looking forward to the weekend! It should be lots of fun! My other two friends that I mentioned both had their babies last Thursday, and I must say... of the pictures I've seen.. they are beautiful! My co-worker is closing in on 5 weeks until her due date. So its all getting exciting around here.

On a note of personal sadness... I have been waiting patiently for Brad Paisley to come to town when the winter weather is not an issue, and I have been waiting for Keane to actually come to the states for a tour... and what do you know.. May 25th Keane is coming to Boston, and June 7th, Brad Paisley is coming to town. BUMMER. I am so excited to be having a baby, but really bummed that I don't get to go their concerts.

Birthday thoughts

2007-03-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

(me at age 2- already lovin' my special day!)

Today is my Grandmother's 89th birthday!! Happy Birthday GM!! As people tell me everytime they meet her or see a picture of her... She looks GREAT for her age... and she does!! Here's hoping you have a fabulous day! You deserve it!

(Grandmother and me about 4-5 years ago on one of our birthdays!)

Also, in birthday news... We have two sets of friends due to give birth next Thursday via C-Sections. One of them might decide to come on their own a little early... but if all goes as planned, there will be a little Nicholas and a little Amia next week, and we couldn't be more thrilled for them! Best of luck and we can't wait to meet them!!

More birthday news... My 7 year old niece has firmly put her foot down and told her grandmother that no-way, no-how, she does NOT want to share her birthday with my child. I can't say I blame her. I threatened my sister within inches of her life if she dared to pop her kids out on my birthday... I wasn't Kidding.. DAD.. really.. I wasn't kidding... Robin isn't lying when she tells you this. I told her to keep her legs crossed... So, thus her kids were born three and six days after my birthday. I know this will come back to haunt me. For those of you who don't know, Baby P is due on my birthday. This practically insures that it will be born on my birthday... seeing that I have been super protective of that day for 28 years. It also means that if I don't have it on its due date/my birthday, there are increasingly fewer days around it that I can have this child without getting a lot of flack. I could potentially have some kids mad at me if they are made to share their special day with their new baby cousin...

Finally in birthday thoughts... Steve and I were filling out our Maternity Pre-Admission forms that we have to send to the hospital prior to giving birth. These questions aren't rocket science.

When is your baby due? on my birthday.
When is your birthday? duh.
Your Age? ___________________ ???????

Ok, seeing that I have no idea when this baby will come, I might be 28 or I might already be 29.. How can I answer this question? Put 28/29? What if I get admitted on my birthday, but before 2:14PM.. then I'm still legally 28...Leave blank?? put some smart-ass remark? Of all questions to get stumped on... you wouldn't think it would be your age.

Starburst Jellybeans

2007-03-06T12:36:00.000-05:00

Starburst Jellybeans... one of my favorite things... especially the Red, Pink, and Purple ones... Regular Jellybeans need not apply. They are not the same. When Steve and I were in Las Vegas back in November, we found the M&M store... there you could pick and buy your favorite color M&Ms... I need to find the Starburst Jellybean factory, so I can make a bag of just Red, Pink, and Purple jellybeans... I have no use for the green, yellow or orange ones. I pawn those off on Steve. With these raging hormones, he discovers my wrath if he sneaks a red, pink, or purple into his mouth.. I am all too aware of this deceit and will not stand for it. Thank goodness the Easter candy is only out for a few more weeks... especially seeing how fast we went through the last bag!!

Birth Class

2007-03-04T17:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we had our all day BIRTHING CLASS. and it was ALL DAY.. 8-5. We had a lot of mixed opinions about the necessity of birthing class, but ultimately, Steve and I are really glad that we went through it. It's sort of a rite of passage. Seriously... you can read and read and read, but to hear a nurse from our hospital and my OB-GYN practice tell me exactly how things will go, and what to expect was comforting. We received a ton of information and we got to tour the maternity ward. Now, what was not so comforting was the incredible descriptions of the length of labor and the amount of pain that I will most likely be enduring... I knew this would be no picnic in the park, and honestly I hadn't thought much of the labor process... but now I'm thinking about it, and I pray that I'm strong enough to handle this! I guess its a little too late to turn back now anyway... Guess I'll just bear down and hope for the best! (best= being a relatively short and painless birth) They say its very hard, but so worth it. I would say having a new little baby would be worth the pain.

I do have to say, that I was pleasantly surprised by the number of couples in my class that are (just like us) being surprised in terms of the baby's sex. Only three of the eleven couples knew the sex of their baby. I'm starting to like surprises again!!

Its Monday already....

2007-02-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

Good News... Glucose tolerance test came back normal.. so no gestational diabetes... Not so good news... Doctor said that the baby "is not measuring small"... I take that to mean that its going to be big. No wander I've been asked if I'm having twins.

We have decided not to make an offer on that house (way too long of a story, and too many people involved) but I am sad... More so that I'll still be in my 1-BR apartment for the indefinite future.... I started boxing up my books on my bookcase this weekend as a start to bringing in baby furniture into our bedroom... that turned into a Family Room makeover, and an even more depressing/cramped bedroom. I used to love our little apartment. Now that things are changing, I'm falling out of love with it VERY QUICKLY. I think I just hit that nesting phase, and I could already picture where things would have gone in the "new house" and I could have been happy. I'm sure another house will come along at some point... but that is no consolation right now.

I think house-hunting may move to the back burner for a while... Way too many other things to think about and do before this baby comes. Today I tried to line up the pediatrician that I wanted, only to find out that he is not accepting new patients. So, now I need to scramble and start a pediatrician search. We have our all-day birthing class this weekend, and then I have two baby showers lined up in the next month and a half.

Well, that's it for me for now... I'll update again soon!

Pressure.

2007-02-22T16:28:00.000-05:00

Today, we got an email from our real estate agent saying that the house that we've been looking at has recently had its 2nd showing to another couple, and it has been shown a lot lately... Of course, we don't know if this is legitimate news, or just added pressure... It could be both. I think we'll make an offer (a low one) and if they go with it, great.. if not. oh well. We keep running the numbers, and I just don't see how things work out financially, and yet SO MANY people are homeowners... there must some secret that I haven't discovered.. Of course.. I got a D in 3rd grade math, so numbers have always scared me. You just keep hearing the statistics of foreclosures and bankruptcy claims...

but, on the other hand.. some baby stuff have started migrating into our apartment, and that is clearly starting to push us to our limits space-wise. To buy now, or not buy now.. that is the question.. So many changes coming upon us in the next few months.. its STRESSFUL!!

On a few non-homebuying notes.... My favorite Country Singer (Brad Paisley) and his wife welcomed a baby boy this morning!!! yeah!! oh- and its Thursday.. Grey's Anatomy night... The question is... Will Meredith live or die?

Baby update: Baby P is quite the kicker... and I think it takes after me with the chronic hiccups.. My sister-in-law and I were just talking about this the other day (and I thought that everything I was feeling were just kicks) I have since realized that these are indeed hiccups, and the kicks are quite different. Tomorrow is the Glucose tolerance test. Wish me luck! I haven't been to the doctor in about 6 weeks (the doctor's doing-not mine!) so it will be good to get a new report!

All cried out...and ankles almost back to normal.

2007-02-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

Now that I have fully recovered, and the tears have dried... I can write about my past week.... In a nutshell, I'm done traveling (for business) until after the baby comes... Here were the highlights of my trip (good and bad!)...

Thursday, February 8th- got stuck at the office until 11:00 PM with major computer trauma that would effect the outcome of my conference. Have to then go home and pack. Missed Grey's Anatomy.

Friday, February 9th- arrived in Florida- got to spend the night at Amy's new place (a true highlight)- downside... my feet swelled to the size of balloons by the end of the night - note: ankles non existent.

Saturday, February 10th- Had EMERGENCY pedicure for said swollen feet. Shoes do not fit. Must wear cheap Old Navy flip flops. Get Computer trauma FINALLY sorted out at 10:30 PM. Got ZERO sleep due to strobing bulb in hotel room, and drunken domestic dispute one floor below me that lasted from 2:30 until 4:00 am. (I thought that I was staying at a Disney FAMILY resort)

Sunday, February 11th - Conference starts without a hitch, boss decides to let me go take a nap... Get to my room to discover new annoying sound... Elevator cables skimming up my wall that operate the lovely outside glass elevator (runs only during daytime).

oh... feet STILL swollen.

Monday, February 12th - actually squeezed my feet into decent but comfortable work shoes to impress the big-wigs that were presenting that day... by end of day... FEET terribly swollen.

Tuesday, February 13th - Today, I got asked TWICE if I was having twins. Not the question you want to start your day off with. Self Esteem= ZERO. News of impending snow storm to hit New England...has me re-thinking my earlier decision to fly through DC to get home following day. Conference is going extremely well. Clients are happy, and boss is giving me a lot of the credit. My Boss and I go to Downtown Disney that night and I finally break down and buy my first gift for the baby.. a snugly Pooh Bear and a baby toy... (I would have gotten Mickey, but he looked funny). Flowers arrived at home from my Dad and Susan.. I hear they are beautiful!!

Wednesday, February 14th - Valentine's Day! Snow storm is hitting DC and North... I change flight to re-route me through Charlotte... Good thing because they canceled my flight to DC. Stand with 300 other weary travelers at the US Airways counter.... Luckily I'm a Preferred member... and I get to scoot to the preferred line... it still takes 45 minutes... I generously offer to stay in Charlotte for the night if they can get me there, and rebook myself to a Charlotte-Boston flight for Thursday... Again, good thing... because as I was in line, they canceled my connecting flight from Charlotte to Boston for that evening. This gives me a chance to spend some time with Mom and GM!!

Plane to Charlotte is delayed, due to aircraft in PA that can't get to Orlando.. I spend 5 hours in the Orlando airport before I get to go anywhere... Finally arrive in Charlotte. Mom is there to pick me up.

Thursday, February 15th- Was supposed to be on the 2:15 flight, but Mom and GM had a previous engagement to be at, so they dropped me off at the airport at 11:00. I manage to get on the 11:25 flight, and I was assured that they were trying to get my luggage on that flight too... I get to Boston, and no luggage. I talk to Steve, who has managed to catch the 24hour stomach bug... he can't get his head off the pillow without running to the bathroom... Needless to say, he is in no shape to come get me. Normally, not a big deal... but its 15degrees outside and I have NO COAT. Oh- and when my luggage does finally decide to arrive, its much heavier and bulkier than when I left (thanks to some baby goodies that were in NC that I decided to drag back). When my bag finally arrives at 5:00, I break down in tears to my mom over the phone... I have luggage, but no coat, I have no one to pick me up, and I now have to wait another hour and a half for traffic to die down, before I can get into a cab to go home (otherwise the meter would just tick away, and my cash would too!) So, after 5 hours in the Boston airport, I finally get into a cab and go home. I arrive to a slick driveway that I promptly slide and almost fall down in... I get inside, mumble a hello to my sick husband, and settle in to watch two weeks worth of Grey's Anatomy before heading upstairs to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms (can't afford to catch Steve's funk)

Home sweet home... and the pregnancy induced tears have dried. The ankles are almost visible again...

Time is flying by

2007-02-06T20:46:00.000-05:00

I'm back in a temporary busy mode these days. I've got a meeting in Orlando next week that I'm preparing for.. Things are pretty much under control thanks to my wonderful co-worker Laurie... She's a God-send I tell you! And she's good for laughing and chit-chatting the slower days away too!

Anyhoo... as I try to wrap things up for what is (I expect) to be my last on site trip before the baby comes... I'm also trying to fit in house hunting as well. We really like the house we saw last week, but we're still keeping our options open. Today we went to a nearby town to look at 2 townhouses and one single-family. I gotta tell you.. we're weren't WOW-ed by them or the town, but that's ok.. I think we're going to start pursuing the one from last week. It might not get us anywhere, but its a first step. We're actually going back to that house tomorrow for another look-around.

Baby P is either punching or kicking WAY DOWN THERE... so today has been an especially active day.. for feeling the baby's movements and for running to the bathroom every 30 minutes! I can't believe I'm 25 weeks along.. that means only 15 to go! Wow time really is flying by! As I have said before... its baby central in my life these days.. Two of my co-workers are pregnant.. One was DUE YESTERDAY... and she is soooooo ready to give birth. The other co-worker is about 3-4 weeks ahead of me, so its been fun swapping stories and experiences. Two of my sorority sisters from college are pregnant... One due in a few weeks, and the other due right around my due date... and EVERYONE knows what they are having except me.

I almost bought my first piece of baby clothing the other day.. I saw something cute... and I figured that I'll eventually need something to at least bring the baby home in... but I resisted. It was hard though... the baby stores are all getting their spring gear out. Sigh. I guess I can wait a little longer. It would make it so much easier if I knew what I was having, but its still fun guessing!

well, I doubt I'll have time to write before I get back from Orlando... so I'll leave you with this.. I find it absurd that Disney does not offer PREGNANT WOMEN discounts... its not like we can ride the rides.. I just want to walk around the happiest place on earth... but at those prices (and no discounts), I think I'll be sitting in my hotel rooms at night. ;)

Busy Monday

2007-01-29T22:34:00.000-05:00

So, today was a busy day... I think we found a daycare solution for our baby (starting in September), I spoke to my boss about the future of my job and future responsibilities, and Baby P starting flipping and tae-bo-ing with such force, that I actually felt it!! I had been feeling the kicks, but this was the first time that I could feel the rolling and body parts jabbing me... very weird, but very cool! Steve is dying to feel the baby move... he'll put his hand over my stomach, and the baby is kicking under his hand, but he can't feel it yet... Maybe now that I'm starting to feel the rolling and more forceful kicks, hopefully Steve will start feeling the movements too.

We're soldiering on with the home search. We have an appointment to see 2 houses of interest tomorrow afternoon. We were going to see a third one, but apparently the house just went under agreement, so there is no point to it... kinda a bummer... One of the houses would be perfect, but the price could halt us in our tracks, and the other is priced less, but needs a LOT of work... so it might be too much for us to undertake.... so opposite scenarios to look at, and we've got one other in a nearby town to look at hopefully later in the week or next.

Figuring out finances is a chore in itself... I was never good at math, so numbers are a scary thing for me. I think our next step is to have a financial consultant or someone accurately tell us exactly how much of a mortgage payment we can afford, especially now with daycare expenses, along with every other expense that having a new baby brings... Of course the Mortgage guy says we can afford a whole lot more of a house, than we KNOW we can afford... now is just figuring out the real number.

Post-Holiday Fun

2007-01-21T20:29:00.000-05:00

We went to my company's post-holiday party last night... It was a fun excuse to dress up! Even though I didn't have a drop of alcohol to drink, I still managed to look drunk while dancing the night away. Being pregnant is a little strange when trying to dance... Your balance is all off!

Steve and I spent most of yesterday driving around and looking at potential houses. We found a few that we liked (well from what we could tell of the outside) so we might be taking the inside tours soon. It still SOOOO expensive. As hard as we try not to think about it, the more it becomes apparent that we need to... So many things need to fall into place in the next few months to a year. We keep waiting for one decision to be made, so we could start making other decisions... We only need one factor to fall into place, and then we could plan around it.

Today, my old roommate and I went to the movies.. We finally saw The Holiday. A very good chick flick!

all-in-all, another great weekend.... now off to work.. I can't believe its almost Monday again.

mmmmm OREO Balls

2007-01-15T11:49:00.000-05:00

These are the best. My sister-in-law introduced these to me last summer. If you like chocolate (and who doesn't!) Then you'll love these!! This isn't the exact recipe, but its close enough... I feel it is my duty to pass on the recipe for these delectable treats! Amazingly enough... there are still some left in my freezer from a party last weekend! We have made these for a few parties, and they have been a hit... watch out chocoholics.. they are rich and addictive.

Oreo Balls
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
4 cups crushed Oreo® cookies
2 cups chocolate baking chips
1 tbsp. shortening

Directions:On high speed of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add cookies and beat until well combined. Refrigerate 2 hours until chilled enough to roll.Roll dough into 1" ball. Over double boiler, melt chips and shortening until smooth. Dip balls into mixture and thoroughly coat. Place on wax paper to harden. Store in refrigerator.

(my lunch is SOOOO not going to be satisfying now!)

Friday's Baby Checkup

2007-01-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

I went to the doctor's on Friday afternoon. As some of you know.. I was in my dark paranoid place, becuase I haven't been 100% certain that I've actually felt my baby kick. You can talk yourself in our out of anything, so I had convinced myself that everything I had felt since like the 16th week wasn't actually movement (and well more dark thoughts had taken over). I am happy to report though, that the doctor found the baby's heartbeat right away! I am now fairly certain that I have been feeling the "flutters", and now that the baby is getting bigger, the movements are actually starting to resemble kicks or punches!

I really like my doctor.. She is very nice, and she has been on the "Best of Boston" list of doctors for quite a few years running... I do however feel very rushed when I'm at the office. Perhaps its because my appointments are always late on Friday afternoons... but I always walk out, and within minutes of leaving her (and standing at the receptionist desk making my next appointment) it dawns on me that I actually had 3 or 4 questions for her.... this happens everytime. She asks me if I have questions, and sometimes I get one in, and then othertimes I stare blankly... duh. Of course I have questions... I just need to write them down, so that I'll actually remember them when the time comes! I must have flustered her too this time, because she had the tape measurer out to measure, but she skipped right to the heartbeat, and then told me I was all set to go for 6 weeks. So I can't even tell you how the baby is measuring...

Well, my next appointment is not for another 6 weeks.. and that appointment will be the fun GLUCOSE tolerance test. I get to drink the sugar filled orange drink, and then have my blood drawn... Did I tell you that the lab tech at the doctor's office told me that I had the veins of a junkie? I don't get it.. I used to be the champion blood giver.. Something has happened though.. With my last wrist surgery.. they actually tried to find my vein (and missed) three times. They ended up using a pediatric needle and getting my IV to go through my leg instead. sheez. This should be fun.

First week of 2007

2007-01-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

The funk has been slow to leave my body, but I'm starting to sound better. I went to work all last week, and Steve and I actually went out to eat on Friday night!!! I can't remember the last time we did that when we both felt decent! We had a good weekend. We started looking and registering for baby stuff, and the weather was so nice, that we (on a whim) decided to test-drive a potential mommy-mobile on Saturday. I went to my sorority's area alumnae chapter's annual post-holiday party.. and I walked away with the best "Yankee swap" gift!

On Sunday, a fellow pregnant friend/co-worker and I decided to go dress shopping for our annual work post-holiday party. After finding outfits, we had lunch, and then did some more (you can guess) baby supplies browsing/shopping.

Steve is a happy camper today... The Pats won last night, and advance in the playoffs!

Goodbye 2006, Hello 2007!

2006-12-30T11:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings! The Holiday season is wrapping up, and I had a great Christmas! I got to see my Dad and Stepmom, and I got to see some relatives that I hadn't seen in ages. I saw some friends, and got to spend some quality time with Mom and her mammoth Christmas tree!! What I didn't expect was to catch the world's worst (well in pregnancy terms) head cold. I'm not saying who I caught this plague from, but obviously it penetrated my super-human pregnancy immune system. I started feeling icky on Christmas morning, and its gone DOWNHILL ever since. I managed to work on Tuesday, but I've been flat on my back ever since. I can honestly say that I feel like dying, but I'm sure that if I could take some real OTC drugs... I wouldn't be talking crazy!

Oh, here's a picture of my Grandmother and me... people have been asking to see the "bump". This isn't the best picture ever, but its there... see.. I already look miserably sick.. My grandmother however... looks great!! Can you believe that she'll be 89 years old this year???

Well, I have already canceled my plans for New Year's.... There is no way that I will be feeling like going out tomorrow... sigh. Maybe Steve will get me some sparkling grape juice, and we can ring in the new year with a good movie.

If you are going out.. Be safe!!

What we now know about our baby!!

2006-12-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

Well, Friday was the BIG ultrasound!! It was very cool to see all the parts of the body.. the brain, kidneys, thigh bones, feet, spine, etc.... The only thing we could not see (not that we wanted too) was whether it was a boy or a girl!

What I can tell you about my child, is that it has stage fright, so there goes any hopes I had for it to become a Broadway star. I always said that if I was reincarnated, I would come back as a Broadway star... my backup plan was to live vicariously through my child who would definitely become a Broadway star. My dreams there have been squashed. After two separate ultrasounds (6 weeks apart) this baby does not like to show off for the camera, and it doesn't move around on cue.

The baby is measuring perfectly so far though... and weighing in at a whopping 1/2 pound! The sonographer was relieved when we said that we didn't want to know the sex, because it would have become quite the mission to find out. She said that she had "an idea", but to prove or disprove the theory would have required a trip to the bathroom for me to empty my bladder, and then maybe a few hundred jumping jacks. Baby P was sitting upright, but very VERY low down... and in a perfect tucked position. We're talking knees to chin almost the whole time...

After the ultrasound, there was some confusion about why I wasn't scheduled to see the doctor, but there was a doctor who agreed to see me (at 5:00 on a Friday afternoon) since it had been 6 weeks since my last visit with the doctor (not my fault... the schedulers fault!) Anyhow... the doctor was quite young but nice. She said the words I had been waiting to hear.. I want to HEAR the heartbeat!!! Yeah, us too!!

10 minutes later, she STILL had not located Baby P's heartbeat. She even told me to have a talk with my shy little one, and she would return with a watch and a new listening device... After we pointed out again.. that the baby was positioned VERY low, she finally took our word for it, and ventured south for the heartbeat, and voila!! We heard a healthy heartbeat clicking in at 154 bpm.

Here are some pictures... Enjoy!!

Appalachian State University!!

2006-12-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Appalachian State for winning their second straight NCAA Division 1 National Championship last night!!! GO APP!

Getting in the Christmas Spirit!!

2006-12-14T17:07:00.001-05:00

Christmas Vacation - National Lapoons Christmas Vacation with images of the funiest Christmas Movie ever. (all while enjoying my favorite Christmas song!!)

So, I'm finally getting in the holiday spirit!! I got my decorations up last night, and a majority of my Christmas shopping done! We've got our Christmas party this weekend! It's all coming together! I was having a hard time getting in the spirit between my hectic work schedule and Steve being sick... but last night helped get me moving!

I'm so in the spirit now!! I get to go home to Charlotte on Wednesday too!!

Elf Games

2006-12-14T16:56:00.001-05:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=3781c92a115139ccc18b551G06121410

Lots of little games to pass the time. I personally recommend the Conspiracy Carols!!

To know or not to know... that is the question

2006-12-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

Friday is our big day... we have another ultrasound where we hopefully get to determine the sex of our baby P. The question is... Do we want to know? Steve and I are both on the fence, and could easily be swayed in one direction or the other... Actually the wind has tilted Steve to one side, and naturally me to the other... so we're still completely undecided about the issue.

Apparently the statisitcs say that 80% of couples find out the sex of their baby ahead of time... but its been really fun to watch our friends and Steve's sister and husband wait it out! I'm afraid we're going to end up tossing a coin in front of the sonographer and deciding then...

In the meantime... if you have a strong opinion feel free to comment!

No Christening and No Gastroscopy today

2006-12-11T11:18:00.000-05:00

So, after 3 unsuccessful attempts to wake Steve up on Saturday, I decided that it was in his best interest for him to stay in bed and not go to the Christening. He felt awful about that, and he felt awful in general. We ended up making another trip to the Urgent Care that night. This time they gave him some antibiotics (and some new theories about why he is sick)... We went home and I finally got him to get some soup and pudding down...

Sunday was definitely a day of rest... the antibiotics were starting to take effect, and he was a little more comfortable.

Today is Monday, and Steve is still at home. He was scheduled for a gastroscopy today (where they sedate him and go down his throat with the camera) but since he's still having difficulty breathing, and is still coughing up a LOT of junk... the doctor and Steve decided to postpone the proceedure. So for now, he's resting and hopefully well on the way to recovery. He actually slept the whole night without a coughing fit. That's something!

a different holiday checklist

2006-12-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

So far my holiday checklist looks like this...

big Savannah meeting= done.
broken suitcase from said big Savannah meeting= yep.. you betcha.
Christmas tree= bought and up
Christmas shopping done= not even close.
Christmas tree decorated= might not make it past the lights this year.
Very sick husband= yes.

Steve has been pretty sick since we got back from Las Vegas (which was about a month ago). It started out as a cold/flu... and I thankfully escaped its wrath... Then from all the stress from coughing... he developed Shingles (which could have been disastrous for me and baby P) Luckily after the trip to the urgent care and the diagnosis of Shingles last weekend... I was out the door to Savannah the next day. Then comes his inability to swallow food or drink, which they believe was either a strain to the sternum, or possibly a tear in the esophagus from all the coughing...So, after a visit to the Gastroenterologist (Sp?)... they have decided to go in for a closer look... That happens on Monday when they sedate him and go down his throat with a camera... To top things off... He now has an even worse head cold that trumps the first one... He's pretty miserable, and I feel really helpless to do anything about it.. He's never the sick one... I'm always the sick one... I might end up joining his ranks on this one though... I think I'm starting to catch what he has. Misery loves company I suppose.

This afternoon we're off to Maine for our niece's christening (Steve is the Godfather!) He will most likely be heavily drugged up to get through the mass, although he is honored to have been asked to be the Godfather!!

10 more days until my Christmas vacation starts.. I'm heading home on December 20th.. Hopefully Steve and I will both be germ free by that time! We have our next ultrasound on Friday... we get to find out the sex of Baby P. The burning question is though... will we want to know?

Thanksgiving = Tryptophan

2006-11-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! Mine ended up better than it started.. Just as I predicted.. I ended up working for about 3 hours yesterday. I brought my appetite to my sister-in-law's, and ate lots of yummy food afterwards though!! As the turkey induced coma was settling in... we saw the funniest thing and on of all days... Thanksgiving... 10 wild turkeys marching through the backyard. Now, no one in that family had ever seen turkeys in their yard before, but on Thanksgiving (of all days), and after the big meal, they decided it was safe enough to pass on through. Kinda funny.. but of course you probably would have had to see it to either believe it or to think it was funny!!

Now the holiday countdown is on!!

Insomnia

2006-11-22T02:22:00.000-05:00

Good Morning- or Good Night... however you see it. It's 2:00 am, and as much as I would love to be sleeping right now, I have been laying in bed for 2 hours dreaming/obsessing about the amount of work that I have to accomplish in the next few days. All of my co-workers except one are all going to be on vacation on Friday, and then all out next week for different conferences. That leaves two people to (it seems) pull a whole conference together in one week. There have been months of planning calls, but also months of NO PROGRESS. Just when I thought that the meeting was becoming a little manageable, they went and changed everything as we know it. That means late nights, probably some time logged in at the office on Thanksgiving, and then everyday (weekend included) until next Thursday, when I can hopefully ship everything.

It doesn't help that Steve has been sick the last week (he's almost completely lost his voice) and still is... and I'm desperately trying to fend off the germs.. or the fact that my car has been in the shop twice this week (to the tune of say... my whole Christmas budget!). Rodents deciding to stash their winter seeds into your ac/heat blower is never a good thing. That was only part of the problem this week... Maintenance, Labor, and BALL JOINTS, inspection sticker... sigh. We dropped off the car a few hours ago, and hopefully I'll get it back tomorrow/ this afternoon. I'm going to have to rely on Steve to get me to work and to pick me up so I can get my car. Who knows how he'll be feeling...the poor guy.. I've been asking so much of him lately... and we haven't even started putting labels on folders or stuffing 550 nametags... I love him!!

I could start my to-do list right here on my blog, but I think I would lose you quickly. As much as it would help me to get my thoughts down, I think I'll spare you the details. Hopefully by writing this much, I can get back to sleep for a few hours.

Thanksgiving is Thursday... I wish everyone a great holiday! I'll be working most of it, but I will manage some Turkey, and I have already picked out the most giving Thanksgiving (maternity) pants for the occasion!!

Baby's First Photo

2006-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here's the first official photo of Baby Pittorino.... Enjoy! He/She is not the most photogenic at this stage, but its still fun to look at!! My next ultrasound is scheduled for December 15th, so hopefully I'll have more pics then.

Steve lucky.. Me? Not so much

2006-11-13T01:11:00.000-05:00

After a red-eye flight from hell, Steve and I are home from Las Vegas... After 9 days in the desert, I'm glad to be home!! All the baby stuff and work stuff finally caught up with me, and by the time that Steve arrived, I was plum exhausted. We did manage to have some fun though.. I took advantage of my VIP pin to the Mandalay Bay, and took Steve up to the top where the House of Blues has their members only Foundation Room (memberships start at $2500/year) Incredible views and swanky bar/lounge/dining area. Here's the view from the top looking out at the strip...

I never know when to quit, and I'm not much of a gambler.. I only blew $40 dollars before Steve arrived, and Saturday afternoon, we we decided to kill some time at MGM Grand. I started on my next $20.. I was up a few bucks, but moved onto a new slot machine.. This time Steve sat beside me, and put a $20 in himself... Next thing I know... ding ding ding ding.... He's up to $108 dollars. He didn't even know what combo won him the money.... We had a good laugh as he firmly took me by the hand and said that we were leaving... His winnings and my losses still equaled out to a small win for the Pittorinos...

I have figured out that Red-Eyes and pregnant women don't work out so well. Especially when this pregnant one got stuck in the middle seat. It was the longest 4.5 hours of my life.. I was incredibly swollen by the time we landed (not to mention dying of thirst). I managed to get up twice, but I should have just stood the whole flight... if it wasn't for the major turbulence, I might have.. it would have been more comfortable than trying to manage sleeping in the middle. Sigh.. lessons learned.

All of my Charlotte peeps have been inquiring when I'll be coming home next. I think they just want to see my pregnant belly and laugh. Anyway... Steve and I are checking out the Christmas flights now... I'll update when I know for sure!

Well, its late (or actually early Monday morning), and I have another high pressure meeting awaiting me tomorrow morning at work.

Now that the dust has settled....

2006-11-09T14:56:00.000-05:00

I am writing today from Las Vegas. I have just completed a very successful Air Monitoring Conference here. The clients were VERY pleased, which makes me happy! There has been a lot of work going into the first time conference, and the attendance was far better than expected. We weren't in the riztiest of hotels in Las Vegas, but hey.. its a GOVERNMENT conference... if they expected the Bellagio, then they were crazy... The hotel staff were fantastic, and it made my job a whole lot easier. I got lots of gifts too!!

So after I dropped the bomb about the baby, I hopped on a plane to Vegas on Friday night. My mom decided it was high time that she visited sin city.. so she met me out there on Friday night.. We were greeted with a limo to the hotel which was nice... Saturday we decided to go to the Hoover Dam, so mom rented a car... Little did we know that we were about to get an upgrade.. A Mustang Shelby GT500! We were definitely checked out by the men. We went to see "O" another cirque du soleil show.. and it was FANTASTIC.. definitely worth the money. Sunday, I had to get to work, and my mom jumped in and helped (I decided it was payback time for all the times I was dragged in to her office to help her out!) She was a trooper and a great help! I gave her some downtime, so I hope that she got to see the highlights of the strip. She flew home yesterday, and today the conference ended. Tonight, my wonderful hubby flies in, and we have a couple of days to play. I have to go and get my gambling in before he gets here though.. he will put the kabash on gambling when he arrives, so I've got to blow (I mean WIN) my money now!

So, now that the dust has settled, I guess I should apologize to some of my close friends who found out about the blessed event via email... Not very personal, I admit. I was pretty excited that we finally saw the heartbeat, that I felt it was time to tell everyone... Unfortunately, I had to leave for a week, and I didn't want the news to wait. I promise I'll get around to calling you guys, I have just been completely swamped with work lately... My apologies if I upset anyone!

As soon as I get home with the sonogram pictures, we will scan them and post them... stay tuned!

Well, I'm off to gamble.. I've got 11 hours until Steve arrives! Wish me luck!!

and BABY makes three!

2006-11-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

Coming in May 2007.... Baby Pittorino!!

It's official! I'm pregnant with my first child!! People have been wandering when I would fess up, so here it is.. Bring on the dribbles and drool!! As if having a baby weren't HUGE enough... the baby is actually due on my 29th birthday.. May 19th. I know that the chances of he or she making his or her entrance on my birthday is slim, but still funny to think about (especially since I have always been so PROTECTIVE of my birthday). I once threatened my sister and told her that she could under no circumstance deliver either one of her boys on my birthday.. because it was MINE!!! Now, God's plan could be to make me eat my words and share my day with my own kid.

Steve and I are really excited. We had our first ultrasound appointment today, where we got to see the heart beating and see the little tadpole for the first time! Very Very COOL. They said the baby was a perfect size so far! The baby had a heartbeat of 167 bpm!! It was pretty active, yet pretty camera shy... We didn't get any great shots, but I'll post one later on.

Knock on wood, I have felt pretty good so far... No morning sickness to report, but I do get nauseous if I let myself get too hungry... I can already tell that I'll be a blimpie in no time... I'm already wearing some maternity clothes, and my stomach is already popping out.. As Joey Tribiani (FRIENDS) once said.. Bring on the Thanksgiving Pants!! Although today I was actually surprised when they told me that I LOST a pound since my last visit!!

So, the cats out of the bag.. I've got a bun in the oven. 11 weeks down, 29 weeks to go!!

If you're new to my blogging world.. feel free to keep checking back... I'll update with my progress (among other things!) Comments are welcome too!

Hello, My Name is....

2006-10-26T09:49:00.000-05:00

I never liked my name growing up... I actually liked the names of my dolls, so in 2nd grade I went through an identity crisis, and starting naming myself after my cabbage patch dolls. It was a brief phase, but it is one of those small phases that my family will never let me live down. My email addresses have always had some sort of KELLYSUANN in them, as an ode/mockery to my childhood.

I have grown up though, and my wishes for a better name have faded away, and I have accepted and even started to like my name.. ERIN. However, I do get peeved when people get it wrong. I know that I have an accent, so on the phone it is understandable for people to think that I am saying either Karen or Ann, but when its in an email and plainly written for you to see, the following are not acceptable...

AARON
ERIC
ED
ELLEN
MR.

Ok... I know Erin and Aaron sound a lot alike.. but THEY ARE NOT. Come on people... Erin is the feminine version, Aaron, the masculine one... Get it straight!!

This week in particular, I have gotten Mr, Ed, and Ellen.. I kid you not. And they are responding to emails that I (ERIN) have sent them...

I usually go with the flow, and I let these slips go (actually I don't... I never miss an opportunity to complain to my office-mate) but I rarely ever feel the urge to correct someone. This week I stood up for myself, and proudly proclaimed... I'm a MRS!! The poor woman on the receiving end of my email was very embarrased, and her excuse was that Erin was not a common name in Canada... Ok.. I'll give her that... but to all you other fools... NO EXCUSE!!

Everyone is on notice now... MY NAME IS ERIN and I'M A GIRL!!! Got it ??

I'm not your gal...

2006-10-24T10:45:00.000-05:00

Apparently I learned a few things this weekend.

I'm not your person if you want a STRONG alibi....
I'm not your person if you want a good liar (my parents and sister can attest for all the times that I got busted on my own lies)
I'm definitely not at the top of my game at 1:00 in the morning... (maybe once upon a time back in college- but not anymore)

All of these things were proven quite nicely this weekend, as I was tested. Sorry to my friend, but glad that things worked out for you...

After my heart-rate slowed back down to a normal pace... I slept a good portion of the weekend. We did manage to get out a little bit.... I do love the fall. I ended up working for a few hours on Sunday, which SUCKED... but unavoidable.. and besides Steve was watching Football.

I go off to Las Vegas in less than two weeks! I'm getting excited for a few reasons... this nightmare of a meeting will finally be done!!! My mom is coming out to play with me in Vegas for a few days (and I'll get free labor out of her), and then my husband is coming out to play with me for a few days at the end of the meeting! So a LONG trip to Vegas, but it should be fun!! Of course, in the meantime.. I've got SOOOOO much to do to make the meeting happen. We're talking 500 attendees (where it was once estimated to be only 150-200 people)... We coordinate a lot of meetings a year, but only a few ever get this big.. so its been a challenge.. and of course when you're dealing with the government, you're dealing with TIGHT budgets. one word... Joy.

Forgetting where I left my brain

2006-10-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

I don't know where my head has been lately. Well I know where it has been, but it still is frustrating... I have become so forgetful! I am forgetting everything from birthdays to simple tasks (i.e. brushing teeth or bringing CDs to work for a co-worker!) I know the teeth thing is disgusting... I wasn't loving it either when I realized what I did... but I did have Trident Whitening gum with me... so hopefully I didn't offend.

Last night... after I realized that I had completely and I mean COMPLETELY forgotten a great friend's birthday (last week!) and I was about to miss another birthday this week.. I got off the couch last night and went on a massive October birthday shopping spree! (my niece turns 5 soon, so I might as well get her present too- otherwise I could forget it).

Today, as I prepare to FED EX (not snail mail) these gifts... I realize that I forgot to bring the wrapping paper with me. UGH!!! I knew I was forgetting something this morning... I thought it was my hotel folder that I was working with last night, but I pulled back into the driveway to get that... I guess I was forgetting something else.

I hope my mind comes back to earth soon. This is getting old!

First Class Baby

2006-10-15T21:40:00.000-05:00

Howdy! The jetsetter is back from her weeklong business trips, and I'm happy to report that I flew first class for 5 of my 6 flights last week!! A girl could get used to that kind of life. On top of that... my luggage made it everywhere I did!! yeah!!

One quirky coincedence though... was that My dad and I crossed paths in the air on Wednesday. He was leaving DC as I was arriving there. It would have been fun to see him and possibly swindle a free meal out of him. Oh well... Dad.. you headin' out on anymore business trips soon?

This weekend involved a LOT of rest. My sister and her boyfriend showed up for lunch on Saturday, I went to a jewelry party on Saturday night. Today we went on the annual family apple-pickin' outing. It was a chilly day, but the fall colors were magnificant.

Its back to the office tomorrow morning. A lot of works awaits me. I'll check back in soon!

Happy Anniversary Babe!

2006-10-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

Today, is my man's and my 2 year wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, Tonight I'm in Savannah, and he is home in Boston. He did try to celebrate the day though. He sent me beautiful flowers (well, I think that they were beautiful??) I wouldn't know, because the florist DID NOT DELIVER THEM!!! How rude. I was told that flowers were supposed to be delivered today, but they weren't... Soooo, now I'm in Savannah, then off to DC, and won't be back home until Friday night. sigh. So perhaps my office will appreciate their beauty if they are ever delivered. Hopefully the florist will rectify the situation. It was the thought that counted though, and I have to give my man props. I love you babe!!

I had to book my flight to Vegas (for upcoming work) today, so I also bought..er I mean cashed in my hard earned frequent flier miles and got him a free ticket out there too! He in return got online and bought us tickets to another Cirque du Soliel show for when we are out there!! Wooohoo!! Happy Anniversary to us!

So, now that I've now wished my man a good night (on the phone from Savannah), and with about 15 minutes left on our anniversary, I just want to say that I was the luckiest girl on October 9, 2004 because I married the greatest guy in the world. Here's to another 2.. er I mean MANY MANY MANY more years together. I love you!

I'm Back

2006-10-05T09:42:00.000-05:00

So, I've been called out on not updating my blog... SORRY to my fellow 3 readers. Life has been in overdrive lately. Work is definitely picking up. Lots of trips in the works, lots of work that has to be done before the trips.... I'll try to be better though.

First off, my mom came to town last weekend!! She made her annual fall trip up north, and we celebrated by booking tickets to see Cirque du Soleil's Corteo. If you've never seen a Cirque du Soleil show.. I highly recommend it. Its hard to describe, but amazing to see. I think I've seen 4 shows now (Varekai, Mystere, La Nouba, and Corteo). They are all awe inspiring.

This week has been hectic so far, but the good news is that I had my LAST physical therapy appointment today! I've been discharged! I had dinner with a friend last night, and I hope to get my nails done tonight (a little treat for myself)... then I've got to start brainstorming about what to do/what to get for my wonderful husband... We celebrate our whopping 2 year anniversary on Monday, October 9th (of course I fly out that day for another week's worth of business travel to Savannah and DC).

I'll update again soon... I pinky swear.

High School Reunion

2006-09-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

So I went home to North Carolina this weekend. Since I was using my hard-earned frequent flier miles, I decided to stretch the weekend to 4 days, and the weekend started on Thursday. I wasn't so excited about the 10-year reunion. In my mind, not enough time has passed for people to mature, for cliques to disban, etc. My friend Sonni was WAY EXCITED about going, so I figured that if I didn't go, I might actually miss out on something.

Thursday and Friday was spent tooling around with my mom and grandmother. I got to see my college roommate and her husband on Friday for lunch, then Friday night, Mom and I walked over to Freedom Park for the annual Festival in the Park. Its lots of local artisans and food vendors, and neat gift vendors all wrapped around a decent size lake. It was a perfect night, and mom and I discovered Kettle Corn. yum.

Saturday, I had a hankering for Mokoto's (A Japanese Steakhouse in my college town), so Mom, GM, and I met my sister (who had the same hankering) and her three kids up in Boone for lunch and some sightseeing and picture taking on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then it was back home (2 hours both ways) to get ready for the big reunion.

I didn't have any expectations for the night, so I wasn't disappointed. It was nice to see some old familiar faces, but were there any long lost friendships renewed? No. If there was a prize for most changed... it would have had to be me. In high school, I would have cared too much about appearances to be the first one on the dance floor. NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE... yeah, yours truly was the first one on the dancefloor... with all the eyes on me... gawking, smiling, laughing, even some envious looks... in ten years I have come to the conclusion... who gives a crap what these people think? I definitely won't see them for at least another 10 years (if ever). I had fun on the dancefloor. I hope some people had fun watching me make a fool of myself.

One doctor down... one Physical Therapist to go

2006-09-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

So, the news today, is that I have officially graduated from my hand surgeon's care. He doesn't want to see me until next year !!!!! He was happy with what he saw today, and I am released. He says that I can quit PT as well, but I'm not quite ready to break those ties yet. Next steps are off to the gym, and then I'll check in with Mary at PT. If I can regain the strength and endurance, I will be happy!!

Hallelujah!!! Two surgeries/recovery time within 10 months= no fun
September 18, 2006= one very happy ERIN!!!

Physical Therapy

2006-09-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

So, I went to Physical Therapy yesterday... That in itself is not blog-worthy, but the fact that I have now been ordered to hit the gym is!! yuck. I hate the gym. I have graduated to weight-bearing exercises... yippee!! I might get my arms back! I have had wrist surgery on both of my wrists (left wrist in December, right wrist in June). The atrophy has kicked in. bigtime. I have flabby arms with no definition. Now I have to go to the gym and bring the arms back. I am excited about the prospect of having strength again... Not Xena- Princess Warrior strength, but basic strength. I want to hold my littlest nieces and nephews without feeling like I'm going to drop them, and I want to be able to hold the kids that I will someday have.

If you see me in the gym, please don't laugh.

Baby Frenzy

2006-09-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend was a baby frenzy... On Saturday, I got to babysit my adorable baby niece for a couple of hours. Its hard not to sit and just stare at her... I definitely have some things to learn before I become a mom one day... For one thing, I have to learn the difference between COLD and room temperature bottles... oops. She was a very good 3 month old... Thanks for not scaring me away!!

Saturday night was spent at Babies R US.... too many cute things there. You could definitely walk out of there with baby fever... The store itself is a little overwhelming... but still fun to think about.

On Sunday, I went to my friend Christina's baby shower. She is due in October, and she got some great gifts. She is ALL baby... that right there gives me pause. I know when my time comes... I will not be all baby... Its just not that easy for me. I think she's having a boy... Steve thinks a girl. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Farewell Summer

2006-09-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

So today is Labor Day... The end of the summer. As I look back, its been a pretty decent summer. There are always some regrets, but for better or worse, here's the recap of my summer:

1. We went to a Red Sox game this summer
2. We have another beautiful baby niece
3. I had wrist surgery.. again
4. I had 20 Physical Therapy appointments this summer
5. I went to Toledo and Orlando for work.
6. I went to Aruba for play
7. My sister and her kids stayed with us for a week!
8. We went to see Chris Isaak and Anna Nalick
9. Lots of weekends in the pool (cast and all!)
10. We went home for Steph and Ben's wedding reception
11. I went to Nashville for a girls' weekend
12. We've been up to Maine quite a few times...
13. I've reconnected with a few old friends.

Not bad, eh? The fall is looking up as well. For one thing... I'm out of wrists to operate on! I've got lots of trips planned already, and more that have yet to be planned work-wise. I love the fall colors... the costumes, pumpkins and apple pickin'. So, here's to a great summer, and hopefully an even better fall!

ASU Football thoughts...

2006-09-02T12:54:00.000-05:00

So, I watched The Longest Yard last night. Pretty decent movie with Adam Sandler as a convict who organizes a football team of convicts against the very people that control them (the guards). While pretty funny, it did give me pause when Adam's character recalls his glory days at Florida State and that their strategy for a successful season was to start their season by "whipping an overmatched opponent like Appalachian State" . OK, I'm not a big football fan, but don't be dissing on my alma mater. The Appalachian State football team brought home the 2005 NCAA Division 1-AA National Championship, thank you very much.

Now, that being said.. I wish them another winning season. They start their season today against NC State. My cousin and I have a friendly wager on this game. Come on APP, do me proud today! Shut the Wolfpack down.

9/3/06
.... ok, so they ended up losing.. and I owe my cousin a beer. Thanks ASU.

Slow Down!!

2006-08-30T09:24:00.000-05:00

So, not to preach to the flock.... because I'm just as guilty.. but I had a grim reminder today of why we should all take it easy on the roads, and SLOW DOWN... As I was driving to work (I95/128), the traffic slowed to a crawl, and on my side of the road was a car completely flipped over, turned the wrong way, in the ditch, and it had just been on fire. I can't imagine that the driver and/or passengers are in good shape if they are even alive at this point. If you are reading this, then I most likely care about you, and I want you safe! Try to slow down and let people over, and I'll do the same!

Much love to the flock!

MySpace

2006-08-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

I'm on a technology roll. I joined myspace.com yesterday. Its a site for the young and hip. This myspace thing is a little disconcerting though. Especially in the beginning. You have to ask for friends??!@!@. Its depressing to start out, because you have no friends. Then you have to gather the courage to ask for friends, and then wait an agonizingly long time for them to either accept or deny your request for friendship. I think I'm doing ok for a day's work. I have 5 friends. Of course I have some friend requests pending, but I feel loved. I know I'm loved, but it would really help if all those loved ones would get on myspace and let me be their "friend". Its amazing how quickly one page can influence your self worth.

I suppose the page can be cool though.. You can reconnect with old classmates/friends and make new friends along the way. You can add pictures, songs, video clips, etc. I'll have to investigate the pros and cons a little more, and then I'll report back (hopefully with a few more friends!)

check out my new page here

Girls gone wild in Nashville

2006-08-28T10:18:00.000-05:00

What happens in Nashville...stays in Nashville.. except for a few details of my weekend!

This weekend I went to Nashville, TN for a bachelorette party. I had a blast. There were 7 of us. These gals were college sorority sisters of mine, and let me tell you... it was like college all over again. I was a little worried about the weekend for two reasons. One, I haven't hung out or even really communicated with any of these girls in a really long time - so how well would I get along or fit in?? Two, I don't go out anymore, and lately a late night means I was in bed after 10:30. My brother-in-law told me to soldier through though... so I got myself psyched to be having a girl's weekend, and it delivered. The friendships were still intact, and they all seemed genuinely thrilled that I was able to make it (they all live nearby and still get together pretty regularly- so I'm one of the only ones that they never see anymore)

LOST LUGGAGE (again - Come on.. twice in two weeks!) threatened to dampen my spirits, but my girls came through for me and shared their clothes and makeup with me for Friday night's outing. After that, there was much food and even more drinks to be had. We hit so many bars (no cover charges!) on both nights.

On Saturday we went sightseeing (or so I thought). Where we ended up was a mall. For 5 hours. If you know me, then you know I hate to shop. But since I was soldiering through... I shopped. and shopped. I think I won the prize for MOST MONEY spent. You would have thought that I had never stepped foot in a mall before. Something inside me went crazy and I became a shopping nut. It's not like I didn't have the same stores here in Boston, but for some reason... I had to shop. Saturday night we actually did my friend's bachelorette party.. We went to trendy nightspot and restaurant Cabana for dinner (and had our own cabana). I was a good girl for the most part. We did get pretty rowdy though... It was fun for me to host a best rear end contest (guy's rear end). I got to do a lot of scoping and grabbing of men's tushies. The details get a little fuzzy after that... I know I drank quite a few fruity concoctions and we moved on to two other bars before closing down for the night at 4 am.

Sunday... was kind of an erie day.. Guess who flew on Comair yesterday? Me. For those of you not up to speed, there was an awful crash yesterday (one of Comair's jets flying from Kentucky to Atlanta). I flew them yesterday afternoon and with my recent realization that I'm in my flying funk(lost luggage and delayed flights) again after 4-5 years of relatively smooth flying experiences, I was a little nervous about flying yesterday. Even though I know that flying is still the safest way to go, and then the chances of another plane crash (and the same airline) was next to zero... I was still a little hesitant to fly... and I have come to realize that I am getting tired of traveling sooooo much.

The Waiting Game

2006-08-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

Today and the next few days starts another round of the waiting game... My beloved little niece has been battling cancer since December 2004. She's (THANK GOD) done with all her treatments, and she is resuming a normal childhood. There is always that waiting game though... for the 5 years that you have to wait to be given the final clean bill of health. In the meantime, she has all sort of scans every 3 months or so. I have faith that she'll be ok (she has to be), but it still a waiting game and patience has never been a virtue of mine. I can only imagine what my sister goes through (I actually have an idea, but I still can't fully appreciate it, as I don't have kids of my own). Here's to you Rainey. Good Luck today.. we're praying and rooting for you!

Anna Nalick and Chris Isaak Concert

2006-08-24T09:27:00.000-05:00

We went to see Anna Nalick and Chris Isaak last night. What a great show. The venue was right on the Boston waterfront. Beautiful views and great music. My man and I did make the observation that it is a shame when the guy on the soundboard overpowers the singers voice with the music. That was the case with Anna's set. She has an awesome voice and the music was great.. but for the life of us.. we couldn't figure out a word she sang.

Chris Isaak's set was super high energy, and he (unlike some artists out there touring) played all of his hits. "Wicked Game" was 10 times better live than the original recording. I have always been a fan of Chris', so I'm glad that I finally got to see him live. He (for those who don't know him) is a cross between Elvis and Roy Orbison.. and he looks like Kurt Russell (sorta). He wears flashy suits, and he has a great sense of humor. Oh, and he's not afraid to get out in the crowd to play.

Great night. Another adventure on the T, and a great show. Who can ask for more?

Post vacation blues

2006-08-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

Vacation is a beautiful thing. The problem is, you don't want it to end. That is the problem that my husband and I are facing today. The END of our vacation. We went to Aruba for a week. We'd been there before for our honeymoon, but we both agreed that this trip was so much better. Ok, well it got off to a rough spot. They left my luggage in Boston. So a day and a half later my luggage came, and none too soon. I was RIPE!! I almost put my bathing suit in my carry-on bag, but I didn't. Won't make that mistake again!! The lesson here.. pack 1/2 of your stuff in your partner's suitcase and vice versa. anyhoo... After my luggage came and our vacation really started, life was good. We did absolutely NOTHING on our vacation!! Last time we were on a mission to take in the island and everything the island had to offer . Not this time. We staked out our palapa each day, and laid under there and on our float all day long. We drank fruity drinks (LOTS of them), and I went and had a hot stone massage and an aloe body wrap... the only strenuous task we attempted was tubing in the beautiful Caribbean waters. The water really is that beautiful blue that you always here about.. Of course this picture doesn't do the view justice....

Oh, and there was our favorite sight-seeing activity... watching the topless sunbathers... Towards the end of the week, quite a few showed up including some obnoxious New York socialites.. who thought it would be funny to take off their top (ok, well 2 of the 4 did) They had tan lines, so you could tell that this was not their normal practice.. Well the attention craving New Yorkers had their cameras out and were snapping pics of themselves (of course hiding their faces!). One guy, Scooby (the beach social butterfly) scooped up one of the girls and took her towards the water.. She then squeals in protest and then squeals to her friends... "PIC-TURE"!!! (you can just hear them now... it equals = gag me with a spooooon!!)

Entertainment is entertainment I suppose.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2006-08-05T09:32:00.000-05:00

SO, all you happy readers out there (all three of you!).. I've just come back from the happiest place on earth. Orlando! What I have learned from this experience is that the 6:40 Boston to Charlotte flight is no longer an option for me. You may recall from an earlier post, that I had some travel and weather disruptions on a particular Friday night.. Well. That was the same flight I took on Wednesday night. This time I actually had a connection. Thank God there were 11 other people on my Boston-Charlotte leg.. otherwise the plane to Orlando would have been long gone before I arrived. Talk about the MAD DASH through the airport to catch the next flight. I had exercise-induced asthma the first 25 minutes of the flight.

Orlando was a blast. I was there for business, but it became so much fun that I almost feel guilty about billing the hours to get paid. Almost.

I had a couple of hours to my self on Friday, so I went to Epcot. SOLO. Not as much fun when you 're by yourself. As I stood in line for Soarin' (say 150 people in front of me) a "cast member" comes up and down the line looking for a LONELY RIDER... alas.. sadly that was me. LONELY RIDER.. but I did get to jump the 150 people in front of me to ride the best ride at Epcot! Last time I was at Epcot (October 2005- 1st wedding anniversary!), the hubby and I were (no way of putting it delicately.. ) Tanked. They had this fabulous wine and food festival.. I've also heard it called "Drinking around the World". Hubby and I had such a blast that day... drinking and eating our way from country to country... I'll show you were we ended up... Norway! Like the Viking look?
Back to this most recent trip (Solo.. with me so far?).. I had lunch in Japan (Epcot- Japan).. At first I was intimidated for a few reasons. A) Dining by yourself is never fun. I can do it.. I just don't like it. B) I recently had wrist surgery.. so the prospect of dining with chopsticks was not appealing. I walked in.. and guess who I'm sitting next to? 3 Japanese girls (who actually work for Disney.. but they were there for lunch) OK.. reason B is definiely NOT APPEALING.. now I'm definitely going to look clumsy. It turned out to be an ok experience. One of the girls shared her squid with me. That was nice of her. Can't say that I'll order that on my own.. but I can say I've had it. Also I saw FEMALE CHEFS! go girl power. I've never seen girl chefs at any of the Japanese Steakhouses that I've been to.. so I thought it was taboo.. but 2 of the 3 girls I was sitting next to, were chefs at that very restaurant. you go girls.

Flight home was THANK GOD uneventful! I rode first class all the way!! Now I'm home and my next trip is to Maine (for the night) We've got birthday parties to go to tomorrow. Life of the jetsetter.. I love it! Orlando this week, Maine this weekend.. oh and I did I mention that we're going to Aruba next week?? I might not be fashionable.. but I know how to travel!!

The Devil wears Prada.... or anything fashionable.

2006-08-01T18:53:00.000-05:00

So... I read the Devil wears Prada... good book! I saw the movie and it was cute too. What I took from both is that I want to be more fashionable. Not fashion magazine fashionable (that's heinous).. not even trendy.. I just want to strive to look more "put together". What a tall order. I obviously haven't been striving to do this in a LOOONNGG time. Fashion has completely changed and I've become an old lady. I tried shopping last night. I aimlessly wandered from rack to rack, wall to wall, and was utterly disappointed, confused, and shamelessly envious of any person who was a size 8 or below.

Everything is low cut these days (which my booty and stomach don't tolerate AT ALL). Apparently every tanktop has to be layered now too. And, don't get me started on accessories. I was almost in tears with the fact that I couldn't coordinate an outfit, (I do have a college degree and I was in a sorority) that I did nothing more than glance at the accessories and walked out.

The only solace I could find was in a cup of soft pretzel bites. I drove home and vowed to wake up skinny. No such luck. The first thing I'm going to do when I win the lottery is a) get a trainer and b) get an outfit coordinator.

Life of the Party!

2006-07-30T23:26:00.000-05:00

So... its fun to be the life of the party (at least in our own minds!). That's what my man and I were this weekend. First ones on the dancefloor and last ones off. Some woman came up to me and wanted to know where I learned my moves.. she said that I was great! Me?! The one who never goes out anymore, and is usually in bed by 10:00...??? Wow that feels good!

So.. besides mucho weather/travel disruptions Friday night/wee early Saturday morning.. the weekend was a success! Hubby and I had a wonderful weekend!

The BIG decision

2006-07-27T21:48:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the best decision is to stay put. That's what I've decided to do. I am at peace with that.

In other news... I have started a blogging movement! Because of my blog, I have inspired two new bloggers. Happy Blogging you two!

So, the hubby and I are headin' South this weekend. Got a wedding reception to go to! Hopefully we'll have a good time. We'll only know the bride, groom, and the bride's mother. Can't wait to go home to see family and friends!

So, tomorrow is my first brush with Airport traffic since the whole Big Dig disaster.. I think we're taking the T (whoopee!!) but that will take longer... it will also be my first brush with Airport security since my wrist surgery and my new titanium plate in my arm.. Metal Detectors.. here I come!!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2006-07-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

Have you ever have that pivotal moment where you have to decide what next, where, when? I've been faced with that decision recently, and am now exhausted, and no decision has been made. I hate making decisions. Especially when its a decision that not only effects me, but others as well.

I tried to brush off the pressure and thoughts for a little while last night... My loving husband told me I looked bad and my father-in-law told me I "looked whiter that usual". With all those wonderful compliments flowing.. I decided to go into town and meet up with some friends. Well, one friend and then her friends.. I had fun. I got to take the T. I love to take the T. It makes me feel like a city girl. No one gets this except me..I feel independent and it reminds me of why I moved to Boston. I jump at the chance to ride. I know.. crazy. Add that to my list of compliments!