In case any of you missed Rowan's exciting photo announcement, God has finally answered our prayers. We're expecting another baby in late November. Thanksgiving day to be exact. We are thrilled to be giving Rowan a brother or a sister. He keeps calling it baby sister and wants to know where she is. Hopefully he'll handle it well if he gets a baby brother instead.
This pregnancy is very different from my first one. I have been plagued with nausea, mostly at night, and especially right before I go to bed. Luckily I haven't thrown up yet! If any of you know me, you know that puking and I don't get along real well. I've been able to combat it with food and peppermints. If it were Christmas time, I would buy stock in candy canes.
In addition to the nausea, I often get a "choking" sensation in my throat. I'm pretty sure my clothes and my hair are giving me claustrophobia. Don't laugh...it's true. I actually cut one of my t-shirts last night because I felt like I was dying. I can't have anything rubbing against my neck. Even just writing about it made me go grab a mint. I'm really hoping this goes away once I'm done with my first trimester.
Other than being nauseated, hormonal, claustrophobic, and tired, I'm doing great! Poor Glenn has to deal with me being a complete nutcase. I keep telling him it's only for a couple more weeks. I can never remember when the first trimester ends. It could be that I only have a week left. Ehh.
We are going to find out what we're having. I'm a planner...I need to know what to expect. We'd love to have a little girl this time but obviously we'll take whatever we get. A boy would be nice since we already have all of the clothes but I really want a girl to dress up. Girl clothes are way cuter than boy clothes.
My only pet peeve about being pregnant is that summer is quickly approaching, which means picnics, outdoors, and the best time of the year to consume adult beverages. Something that I cannot do for the next 7 months, which makes me a bitter betty. There's nothing like sitting outside on a warm summer night tossing back a few with your friends. I miss beer terribly right now, in case you can't tell. 7 more months. Lord help me.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Surly Brothers Need Not Apply
My post for the day is inspired by my "little" brother. I say that in quotes as he is actually 19 and a freshman in college. He's probably going to be highly offended by this post seeing as how he routinely tells me he doesn't like me, calls me a butthead, blah, blah, blah but I really don't care. Payback's a bitch, just like me.
When I was 14, I managed to get myself a little brother. In addition to the one I already had. I distinctly remember when my mother told us she was pregnant. We were at some restaurant in Albert Lea for Mother's day and I'm pretty sure it was my grandma who made some comment (jokingly) about my mom being pregnant, to which she confirmed said joke. At the time I was really excited. And then my friends and classmates found out. Let me tell you, there's nothing quite as exciting as having your classmates remind you that your parents still have sex. Plus it's annoying when strangers at the mall give you dirty looks because they think the baby in the car seat is yours.
Anywhoozles, I was a freshman in high school when baby Jared was born. I was convinced he was a girl (and still may be) and ended up losing a bet to my grandma. I lost myself a hard earned dollar that October day. I was basically like a second mother to this child, which is why I'm convinced he and I don't get along. That and he's a surly teenager.
Jared and I had a lot of fun when he was little. His favorite thing at the age of two was to ride this stupid bouncy horse for hours on end while watching Disney movies. I didn't have a lot of time with Jared though as he was almost 4 when I left for college. That didn't mean we didn't hang out, though. My friend Ang and I used to take him to the dorms and let him hang out with with us in the guys dorm. Or take him trick or treating so we had an excuse to get candy.
As we've gotten older, we've definitely drifted apart, which is not unexpected. Jared was pretty much raised an only child. I don't expect us to be best friends who share secrets but it would be nice to be acknowledged as someone he likes.
It's annoying that I typically only get mean comments, mostly on my Facebook page where everyone can read them. It's frustrating that we always have to force him to hang out with us when we do family things. It's incredibly sad that he doesn't acknowledge his nephews. When Rowan was born, my mom had to threaten to take away his video game systems just to get him to come to the NICU and hold Rowan. I can deal with him but poor Rowan just wants to play with Uncle Jerry and he won't give him the time of day. I realize I'm not painting a pretty picture of my brother but then again, who really looks beautiful when you lay it all out?
Life's too short as Boston has reminded us. So I'm letting my frustrations and annoyance and sadness go.
So what's the moral of this story? Well, I'm not really sure. All I know is that there are days that I would love to punch my brother in the throat because he's decided that it's ok to be an ass for no reason. Like when he posts on my facebook page as a potential blog topic: "How much of a butthead I am". And there are days where he and I can have so much fun together, mostly when the subject revolves around cats. Don't get me wrong...I do love my brother. I just hope that some day when he's a grown up, he remembers that.
When I was 14, I managed to get myself a little brother. In addition to the one I already had. I distinctly remember when my mother told us she was pregnant. We were at some restaurant in Albert Lea for Mother's day and I'm pretty sure it was my grandma who made some comment (jokingly) about my mom being pregnant, to which she confirmed said joke. At the time I was really excited. And then my friends and classmates found out. Let me tell you, there's nothing quite as exciting as having your classmates remind you that your parents still have sex. Plus it's annoying when strangers at the mall give you dirty looks because they think the baby in the car seat is yours.
Anywhoozles, I was a freshman in high school when baby Jared was born. I was convinced he was a girl (and still may be) and ended up losing a bet to my grandma. I lost myself a hard earned dollar that October day. I was basically like a second mother to this child, which is why I'm convinced he and I don't get along. That and he's a surly teenager.
Jared and I had a lot of fun when he was little. His favorite thing at the age of two was to ride this stupid bouncy horse for hours on end while watching Disney movies. I didn't have a lot of time with Jared though as he was almost 4 when I left for college. That didn't mean we didn't hang out, though. My friend Ang and I used to take him to the dorms and let him hang out with with us in the guys dorm. Or take him trick or treating so we had an excuse to get candy.
As we've gotten older, we've definitely drifted apart, which is not unexpected. Jared was pretty much raised an only child. I don't expect us to be best friends who share secrets but it would be nice to be acknowledged as someone he likes.
It's annoying that I typically only get mean comments, mostly on my Facebook page where everyone can read them. It's frustrating that we always have to force him to hang out with us when we do family things. It's incredibly sad that he doesn't acknowledge his nephews. When Rowan was born, my mom had to threaten to take away his video game systems just to get him to come to the NICU and hold Rowan. I can deal with him but poor Rowan just wants to play with Uncle Jerry and he won't give him the time of day. I realize I'm not painting a pretty picture of my brother but then again, who really looks beautiful when you lay it all out?
Life's too short as Boston has reminded us. So I'm letting my frustrations and annoyance and sadness go.
So what's the moral of this story? Well, I'm not really sure. All I know is that there are days that I would love to punch my brother in the throat because he's decided that it's ok to be an ass for no reason. Like when he posts on my facebook page as a potential blog topic: "How much of a butthead I am". And there are days where he and I can have so much fun together, mostly when the subject revolves around cats. Don't get me wrong...I do love my brother. I just hope that some day when he's a grown up, he remembers that.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
It's Starting to Feel Like Home
We are officially moved in to the new house! Yippee!!
It only took us 4 days but all of our stuff is finally there. It's amazing how much crap one can accumulate over the course of 7 years. It wouldn't have been so bad if our renters hadn't taken over yesterday, which meant we only had 4 days to get everything moved. It worked out nicely, though. And I'm never moving again. Someone will have to remove my dead body from this house. Just sayin'.
The house is gorgeous, if I do say so myself.
It only took us 4 days but all of our stuff is finally there. It's amazing how much crap one can accumulate over the course of 7 years. It wouldn't have been so bad if our renters hadn't taken over yesterday, which meant we only had 4 days to get everything moved. It worked out nicely, though. And I'm never moving again. Someone will have to remove my dead body from this house. Just sayin'.
The house is gorgeous, if I do say so myself.
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| View from front door |
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| Upstairs living room |
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| Kitchen |
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| Dining Room |
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| Master bathroom (my new tub!) |
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| Downstairs living room |
We're slowing adjusting to the new environment. Rowan loves his new room and can't wait to play outside. Too bad it's a mud pit for another 6 to 8 weeks. I am loving my commute, although I'm guessing Glenn loves his more. He can practically walk to work he's so close.
And don't worry...there will be a big party in mid-summer so everyone can see it. I'm guessing you'd like grass to walk on and an actual driveway first. I could be wrong.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Houses and Meetings and 2 Year Olds...Oh My!
Yes, it's been awhile. For your safety, I haven't blogged in a few weeks. I leave next week for sunny San Diego and the 2013 Annual Meeting! Finally! I'm surprised I'm not bald after these last couple of weeks. Between prepping for the meeting, keeping stats on the new house, and trying to get stuff packed and ready to go at the current house, I'm barely staying alive. And you know how dramatic I am so you know it's not nearly that bad. Only kind of.
The new house is coming along great! We close in just three short weeks...I can't wait! Right now they've got all the cabinets installed, the subfloor in, and the siding is almost up. I just keep thinking that four days after I get back from San Diego, I get to move into my big girl house. Yippee!!!!
In addition to everything we've got going on, this weekend is Glenn Jackson's last weekend in the National Guard. It's a little bittersweet. I know how much he's enjoyed his time there; 12 years is a long time. But at the same time, I am so incredibly grateful that he will be home for good. No more drill weeks, no more AT, and no more deployments. He has missed out on so much over the past 7 years and I'm so glad he won't have to miss anymore.
Don't get me wrong...I am so incredibly proud of my husband. He's served his country for 12 years and been on 3 deployments, two of which have been with me. He's sacrificed so much but it's time for him to be with his family. Rowan will only be little for so long (thank god!). He's already missed 1 year of his life. I'd prefer it not to be more than that.
Speaking of Rowan, I'm struggling. I have this incredibly (and I do mean incredibly) smart little boy. So smart that he has to be put with the 4 and 5 year olds in preschool so he can be challenged. But we are always reminded that he is indeed only 2 years old. Ok, well 3 years old in a month but still. Temper tantrums and a bad attitude do not disappear when at school. I was reassured yesterday that he's not the only one who disrupts school so that made me feel better. I have a feeling we'll be screwed as he gets older. Le sigh.
Alright, I'm signing off. The next time you hear from me will be after I survive my two weeks in San Diego. Trust me, it's not as pleasant as it sounds. Yes, it will be warmer than good ol' Minnesota and there will be absolutely no snow but two weeks straight of 10 to 13 hour days is not appealing. BUT, I get my new house soon so it's all worth it! Ta ta!
The new house is coming along great! We close in just three short weeks...I can't wait! Right now they've got all the cabinets installed, the subfloor in, and the siding is almost up. I just keep thinking that four days after I get back from San Diego, I get to move into my big girl house. Yippee!!!!
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| Banister between 2nd and 3rd floors |
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| My kitchen - cabinets yet to be stained |
In addition to everything we've got going on, this weekend is Glenn Jackson's last weekend in the National Guard. It's a little bittersweet. I know how much he's enjoyed his time there; 12 years is a long time. But at the same time, I am so incredibly grateful that he will be home for good. No more drill weeks, no more AT, and no more deployments. He has missed out on so much over the past 7 years and I'm so glad he won't have to miss anymore.
Don't get me wrong...I am so incredibly proud of my husband. He's served his country for 12 years and been on 3 deployments, two of which have been with me. He's sacrificed so much but it's time for him to be with his family. Rowan will only be little for so long (thank god!). He's already missed 1 year of his life. I'd prefer it not to be more than that.
Speaking of Rowan, I'm struggling. I have this incredibly (and I do mean incredibly) smart little boy. So smart that he has to be put with the 4 and 5 year olds in preschool so he can be challenged. But we are always reminded that he is indeed only 2 years old. Ok, well 3 years old in a month but still. Temper tantrums and a bad attitude do not disappear when at school. I was reassured yesterday that he's not the only one who disrupts school so that made me feel better. I have a feeling we'll be screwed as he gets older. Le sigh.
Alright, I'm signing off. The next time you hear from me will be after I survive my two weeks in San Diego. Trust me, it's not as pleasant as it sounds. Yes, it will be warmer than good ol' Minnesota and there will be absolutely no snow but two weeks straight of 10 to 13 hour days is not appealing. BUT, I get my new house soon so it's all worth it! Ta ta!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The Odds Are Against Us...Sort Of
Be forewarned. This particular blog is full of sadness and anger. And I get way more emotional than some of you have seen in awhile. So here goes.
Yup, it's been one of those days. One of those "kick you in the ass, piss you off like no other" kind of days. There have been multiple contributors but the last straw was the fact that once again, I'm not pregnant. We have been trying to get pregnant for almost a year and so far, the odds are not in our favor. Which would explain why I've become a super fatty, drink a lot, and am super irritable at all times.
I know that by losing weight, I'd have a better chance of getting pregnant. But logic and my head are not a good mix right now. I'm under a lot of stress because I leave for the Annual Meeting in 20 days, we close on our new house in about 6 weeks, and, oh, by the way, I have to pack up our house and deal with the bitchy, old, single ladies who run our association and explain to them why we can't actually sell our house because we'll never get what we owe for it and they need to back the fuck off and remember that this is not 1998. The economy is not great. I digress.
All this did send me down a spiral of bitterness. I get tired of being disappointed month after month. I know some of you have been through this and I understand exactly what you're going through. I'm not a stranger to this feeling. It took us 9 months to get pregnant with Rowan and the only way it actually it actually happened was with fertility drugs. It's just so frustrating that once again, I'm back in this position.
Glenn and I are not doing well, hence the drinking my face off. He sucks...he's not a good alcoholic like others. But through all of this, our shining star is Rowan. I don't know what we'd do without him. As we speak, he is sitting with his dad singing the theme song to Team Umizoomi. All I can do is smile. I love that little guy so much. He makes our life so much better.
So right now, I'm asking for positive thoughts and lots of prayers. You may not think I deserve them, especially if you're in the same situation that I'm in, but know that I'm on your side and am sending good thoughts your way. I've been in your shoes. I know what it's like. And I know how much it hurts. And I'm asking for you to return the favor. If you've got my back, I've got yours. And I know we can get through this.
Yup, it's been one of those days. One of those "kick you in the ass, piss you off like no other" kind of days. There have been multiple contributors but the last straw was the fact that once again, I'm not pregnant. We have been trying to get pregnant for almost a year and so far, the odds are not in our favor. Which would explain why I've become a super fatty, drink a lot, and am super irritable at all times.
I know that by losing weight, I'd have a better chance of getting pregnant. But logic and my head are not a good mix right now. I'm under a lot of stress because I leave for the Annual Meeting in 20 days, we close on our new house in about 6 weeks, and, oh, by the way, I have to pack up our house and deal with the bitchy, old, single ladies who run our association and explain to them why we can't actually sell our house because we'll never get what we owe for it and they need to back the fuck off and remember that this is not 1998. The economy is not great. I digress.
All this did send me down a spiral of bitterness. I get tired of being disappointed month after month. I know some of you have been through this and I understand exactly what you're going through. I'm not a stranger to this feeling. It took us 9 months to get pregnant with Rowan and the only way it actually it actually happened was with fertility drugs. It's just so frustrating that once again, I'm back in this position.
Glenn and I are not doing well, hence the drinking my face off. He sucks...he's not a good alcoholic like others. But through all of this, our shining star is Rowan. I don't know what we'd do without him. As we speak, he is sitting with his dad singing the theme song to Team Umizoomi. All I can do is smile. I love that little guy so much. He makes our life so much better.
So right now, I'm asking for positive thoughts and lots of prayers. You may not think I deserve them, especially if you're in the same situation that I'm in, but know that I'm on your side and am sending good thoughts your way. I've been in your shoes. I know what it's like. And I know how much it hurts. And I'm asking for you to return the favor. If you've got my back, I've got yours. And I know we can get through this.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Life is Full of Soul Sucking Dragons
Last week was one of those "kill me now" weeks. One where that soul sucking dragon that is work about took me down. Ok, it was not that bad. It was bad, but not that bad. A couple of weeks ago I spent 5 days in Florida for a conference (I'm sure you all feel sorry for me) and it took until last Friday to feel like I was able to catch up. Being at a conference, trying to learn, doesn't mean that work stops. Throw in a holiday (MLK day) and it makes things worse. Thus the beer drinking, bad food, I don't care that I weigh in on Monday weekend. Despite that weekend, I only gained .2 pounds. That was a victory in my book!
I'm enjoying Weight Watchers. Have I been following my plan perfectly? Of course not. But, I'm making the effort...for the most part. I have my bad days where I'll take down some wings and beer. But that's part of this whole challenge. I know where I need to go and what I need to do to get there. And I'll do it. I have faith in myself.
Our house is coming along quickly. The house is up, windows are in, shingles are on, and they're moving on to the duct work and electrical. It's slated to be done in mid-March, right when I'm in San Diego. It would be nice to pre-sign and Glenn can move everything when I'm gone but I don't think I'll get that lucky. Ehh.
This house process has actually been really good. We picked out all of our stuff and now it's just happening. If it were completely custom, I may hurt someone.
Now for a comedic moment. My sister-in-law sent me this picture today. I laughed out loud when I read it. It describes me to a T. Just ask Glenn Jackson.
I'm enjoying Weight Watchers. Have I been following my plan perfectly? Of course not. But, I'm making the effort...for the most part. I have my bad days where I'll take down some wings and beer. But that's part of this whole challenge. I know where I need to go and what I need to do to get there. And I'll do it. I have faith in myself.
Our house is coming along quickly. The house is up, windows are in, shingles are on, and they're moving on to the duct work and electrical. It's slated to be done in mid-March, right when I'm in San Diego. It would be nice to pre-sign and Glenn can move everything when I'm gone but I don't think I'll get that lucky. Ehh.
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| View of Kitchen/Dining Room from the loft |
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| My walk-in closet! |
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| Digging for sewer and water |
This house process has actually been really good. We picked out all of our stuff and now it's just happening. If it were completely custom, I may hurt someone.
Now for a comedic moment. My sister-in-law sent me this picture today. I laughed out loud when I read it. It describes me to a T. Just ask Glenn Jackson.
We're off to Iowa for the weekend. My favorite nephew (read: only nephew) turns 2 on Sunday. I'm already planning on enjoying myself as his theme is the Super Bowl which means good food and beer (hopefully!). Peace out party people!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Dum Dum Dum (in a scary voice)
Last night I signed up for Weight Watchers...again. I am so embarrassed to admit that I let my weight creep up on me...much more than I thought it did. To the point that I now weigh just over 200 pounds. I've never weighed that much, except when I was pregnant with Rowan.
It was definitely a turning point when I stepped on that scale. Most of my teenage and adult life has been spent struggling with my weight. I used to be thin. I ate like a bird. I rarely drank pop. All of that changed halfway through high school and continued to get worse as I moved through teens, my 20's, and now my early 30's. I HATE that I let myself get this way. I HATE that I have absolutely no power over myself when it comes to food. Well you know what? NO MORE.
I'm done with this lifestyle. And I know I've said it before but this time, my heart and my head are in the same place. That's what makes this time different. I want this change. I want the smaller size clothing and the trim body and everything that goes with it. I. Want. This.
2013 WILL be my year.
*Side note: I swear I'm not yelling at you with my scary capitalized words. You know me...I'm loud and like to express it.
It was definitely a turning point when I stepped on that scale. Most of my teenage and adult life has been spent struggling with my weight. I used to be thin. I ate like a bird. I rarely drank pop. All of that changed halfway through high school and continued to get worse as I moved through teens, my 20's, and now my early 30's. I HATE that I let myself get this way. I HATE that I have absolutely no power over myself when it comes to food. Well you know what? NO MORE.
I'm done with this lifestyle. And I know I've said it before but this time, my heart and my head are in the same place. That's what makes this time different. I want this change. I want the smaller size clothing and the trim body and everything that goes with it. I. Want. This.
2013 WILL be my year.
*Side note: I swear I'm not yelling at you with my scary capitalized words. You know me...I'm loud and like to express it.
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