Acta Non Verba

How you like dem brows?

2009-08-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Too thin?? I think I have the color right.

Thoughts? Comments?

PANTIES!

2009-07-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

Chonies, undies, gaunch.... Whatever you want to call it. Carson has been wearing underwear for about a month now. I might add that he has not mastered the art of taking a sh*t in the toilet and still requires a diaper for that. AND that if a diaper has not been offered-OFFERED, mind you, then a special smelly surprise will be found in the depths of the miniature boxer-briefs. At least he's PEE trained..... Right?????

Whatever.....

Just another day at the office...

2009-06-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Look what my husband gets to look at when he is at work! Right there next to his desk, plastered on the wall. Our wedding picture is somewhere underneath...I..juuust...can't seeeeem..to find it. Hmmmmm...

Let them eat cake!

2009-06-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

I walked into the jury room today and LOOK! They brought me a cake with a man's torso sticking out of it!

How sweet my fellow jurors are.

Happy birthday toooooooo....

2009-06-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

"So Catrina, what would you like to do on your birthday? Your special once-a-year day that celebrates the moment you exited the 'door-in-the-floor'?"

Me: "Hmmmm, I think I want to go to Jury duty! YEAH! Oh, my free Disneyland pass for this one day only - my birthday??? NAAAAHHHH.. No thank you. I would rather pay $95 to go there."

No words need be spoken

2009-06-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

2009-06-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

We went to Napa a while back and while touring the Constant Vineyard, I found a foot warmer-upper!

Skeletons in the closet

2009-06-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

My darling children.... Although 2 out 0f 3 of them need to eat more. They're so thin that you can see their bones!

Jury duty is still going on for me.

Opposite of "Evil Step-Mom"

2009-06-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

OK. Here's Tanner's "graduation" from 5th grade to 6th grade (AKA Middle School) WHAT!? When I was his age, we had ONE graduation - And that was our high school graduation!!!

Oy vey!!!!

Jury Dooty

2009-06-09T00:34:00.000-07:00

If there was ever a time that I would LOVE to do my civic duty, it would be now. It is nearly 1 am, and I need to show up in downtown LA - wearing business attire- at 8 am!!! I'm a friggin' nurse! Do I show up in scrubs!? Do I waltz in wearing my stethoscope around my neck JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS? Ugh. It's

12:37 am. I should go to bed. It will take a lot of time putting on my Princess Leah costume tomorrow. My hair needs to be just right.

WTF

2009-06-02T02:09:00.000-07:00

Years...It's been YEAAAAAAARRRRRRRRSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! What is new with this chick? Well, I have a diaper-wearing 3 year-old boy. I take guitar lessons. I take Salsa lessons. I am a DD. "nuff said. I'm tired. Going to bed. Working 1 day a week is tough... Seriously.

Found the password........again

2008-08-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

Holy crap! Seriously. Am I just lame or do I still have pregnancy brain 2 years later? Whatever. First pic: Billy and I at beach camping. Second pic: Carson as a crip. Get a tan Carson.

BACK

2008-06-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

Holy crap! I finally was able to log on to this sucka! Well, now that Carson has graduated high school. . . . . Yea. I'm real savvy with computers.

Here is Carson at his 2ND birthday. He's like a little man. A little blond man. A white, little, blond man. He is a handful. Maybe it's just boys. Who knows? I was 19 when I had Jazz. No schedules, no this-is-how-you-should-raise-your-baby-books, no Internet.....Those were the days. Next baby.....YES I said next! Next baby, I will read nothing about pregnancy, childbirth, or child-rearing. Hell, I won't even see a doctor! (Kidding) I kinda have to cuz that's the only way I'm going to grow a baby in me.

I'll be working for someone tomorrow from 7am to 11am so I should probably start watching my shows now.

Loves The Bath

2006-12-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

Carson is one happy baby when he's all wet from head to toe! I even spray him on top of his head and water falls down over his face! He doesn't cry! I have him in swimming lessons because he loves the water so much!

Proud of my work!

2006-12-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I have neglected this Blog, so I thought I'd check in to say that Carson and I are doing great! I just have a high maintenance baby who DEMANDS my attention, so I can't play on the computer like I used to. Sure, my computer is always on, but rarely am I sitting in the chair using it! I hope everyone has a great holiday! BTW, I made these stockings! They are all hand sewn. They usually take me like 8-9 months to complete because of the detail involved. But I whipped Carson's out in just a few short months! OMG. I just noticed my foot is in the picture. Oh well.

Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

2006-10-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

Carson is usually asleep by 7 pm. This picture was taken at 8 pm. He can't even hold his head up strait because he's so tired! We- I mean he got some great candy though!

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

For our daughter's birthday, we took her and 10 friends to Universal Studios Halloween Night. When they all got on a ride, my husband and I decided to get our faces painted.....Seemed like a good idea at the time.

2006-10-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

My husband hates collers on pajamas. He thinks they look "clown-like." Yea, I can see that. BUT ISN'T THIS BABY SOOOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!

Still here!

2006-10-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Just a quick reminder of how ghetto I am. Notice the diaper in back of Carson. You would think that I would have bought those high chair covers already. Or even used a blanket. No. Even though I've had him for almost 6 months now, I still forget something of his every time we go somewhere. But I do think the diaper/back support was a great idea. Even if it does bring out the white trash in me.

Happy Day

2006-09-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

It's my Mom and Dad's anniversary today! I'm so happy that they met and made me! (Well, I know that the doctor genetically engineered me.... But I am still thankful that I have their genes!)

HELP

2006-09-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

My daughter is turning 14 in 3 weeks and she wants to have a big party here. She's inviting about 25 boys and girls. I have NO IDEA what type of games to do. Do 14 year-olds still play games??? Anyway, we need some sort of entertainment. I'm open for any suggestions.

Hot tub!!!

2006-09-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

I couldn't get Carson to fall asleep this morning, so we went for a dip in our hot tub! He had a great time splashing me and scratching my face. He's sawing logs now, so I did something right!

YO.

2006-08-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

What up everybody. This is C-man saying G'night to all my peeps! Word to yo motha.

Anatomy of Carson's naps

2006-08-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

First, I notice that he's drowsy, so I take him to his room and nurse him until he's very sleepy. Then I put him in his crib and turn some soft lullabies on. Then he cries and I kiss his baby face and tears. He's still crying, but I KNOW HE'S TIRED!!!! Cry cry cry cry cryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! Now it's turned into screaming and trying to catch his breath. He pauses. I think it's over and he's asleep. Wrong. He lets out a scream from the pit of hell and does the breath-catching thing again. This goes on for a while. Finally, the ice that was running through my veins has gotten warmer, and I go in and pick him up. Lesson learned? I think not. Well, maybe the lesson Carson learned was, "if I freak out long enough, she'll come and pick me up!" I even took my shirt off and left it in with him so he can smell himself to sleep. To no avail.....to no avail.....

Meme

2006-08-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

I’m thinking about: When is my patio furniture coming in??

I said: "SHUT UP!!!" to the dog

I want to: Get my tummy flat

I wish: I had better organizational skills
I hear: Jasmyn playing with Carson

I wonder: How am I going to survive the drive to Utah at the end of the month?

I regret: Not speaking my mind earlier in life.

I am: A good mother and a great wife and a fantastic friend!!!

I dance: After watching "So you think you can dance."

I sing: around the house, in the car, and with my ipod
I cry: WhenI read the children's book, Love you Forever.
I’m not always: energetic

I make with my hands: great peanut butter cookies

I write: to keep some sort of a journal

I confuse: my husband constantly
I need: My baby to sleep so I can finish this in a few minutes instead of a few days!

Bumbo seat

2006-08-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

These seats are supposed to be the latest and greatest infant chairs. They are flying off the shelves in Target. They had to get this one from the back for me! Carson is still a little wobbley up top, but for the most part, he holds his head up. He's been drooling A LOT! Teething? My daughter had 2 bottom teeth at 2 months, so early teeth just might run in the family. Anyway, I am enjoying my baby....Even the sleepless nights. How can you get mad at a face like this?

HI!

2006-07-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hey there! I keep my Mommy up at night! I don't take a nap without her right next to me! I use her nipple as a pacifier! (Ummmm, TMI, Carson!) But I am so cute!

Hot Fuss!

2006-07-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Carson has been so fussy these past few days! I propped him up in his crib so he can see all his toys, but noooooooooo! He still fusses! Could it be all the caffeine I've been drinking to get through the day? I thought babies get immune to that after a while. Maybe there's too much stimulation in his crib?! Thank goodness I'm not working! I can't even IMAGINE going back to work now, especially with this little sleep. I sure as hell wouldn't want a sleepy nurse taking care of me!

The Hive.

2006-07-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Holy cow. I woke up Monday morning, looked up in the tree and saw this! It's a HUGE bee hive! My husband is out of town, but when I called him to tell him about it, he told me to leave it alone and that he'll take care of it. So I called a pest control company. Men. Why do they always think they can do as good or better job as the professionals? Well, I didn't care about the 150 bones I had to pay. I wanted this thing out! My mom got all weird about the bees being killed and kept leaving messages on my machine like, "Have you murdered the bees yet?" To me, those bees could have killed someone if they felt threatened, so I did our neighborhood a service!

The Bee Master

2006-07-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness Joseph came to my rescue! I asked him if he would pose for a picture, and he so willingly agreed.

He's probably thinking, "This chick is weird!"

Opps! He did it again!

2006-07-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

It's so funny....Every time I see my husband doing something like this, I yell at him to stop. Then I say, "WAIT! Let me get the camera!" Notice the poo-poo stain Carson did on his jammies? Well, apparently my husband didn't want to accidentally touch it! Who's the baby here?

My "Manny"

2006-07-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am very lucky. My husband cleans and takes care of the baby. Not many women are fortunate enough to have a "manny." Although in this picture, it looks like Carson is trying to breastfeed!

2006-07-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember the Disney movie "Lady and the Tramp?"

Family Trip

2006-07-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

My step son was down here for a week and we went to Disneyland and California Adventure. It was like 100 degrees outside, but we created some fun memories. We stayed in this dive motel right across the street from the parks....Some Internet special. It was SUPPOSED to have 2 queen sized beds in it. Instead, a king bed and a jacuzzi awaited us! It was "the honeymoon suite!" It was actually quite funny!

2006-06-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

How am I supposed to post pictures if Blogger doesn't give me that option on the "create a post" page! Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

"The Graduate"

2006-06-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is my daughter and I in front of our Oak tree. Man, I'm white. Jazz goes into high school this September. She has been going to the high school twice a week because she made cheer and they're holding practices already. Let me just say, the guys are already starting on her. UGH.

SHOTS!!

2006-06-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

All smiles here, but this morning it was a different matter! Carson got his shots today! It was so sad! I had to hold his arms at his side and I just kissed his face over and over again. He got 3 shots! He SCREAMED with each injection and was looking at me with tears in his eyes as if saying, "Why are you letting her hurt me, Mama?" I didn't cry, but it sure was gut wrenching! I gave him some Tylenol 30 minutes before so he's sleeping now. He weighs 12 lbs. 1 oz., so he got the "big boy" dose! :) We got our paperwork back from the lawyer regarding our Living Will. I strongly suggest, people, that you get that done! I wanted to have IN WRITING where Carson should go if my husband and I were to die. I have some pretty crazy family members out there that would love to sink their weird beliefs in him. We also had to name people as our Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. In short, it means who can make decisions for you should you become incapacitated. If I'm ever in a coma, in a persisted vegetative state, I want that plug pulled! My husband knows that and now you all know! OK, I hear the little one whimpering. I better get ready to breastfeed ALL DAY!!!! :)

Hi!!

2006-06-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been a while. It's very difficult to type with a baby swinging from the boob. Well I guess I'll just jump right into it. The crazy guy next door came over a few hours ago and gave us $50.00 for Carson. What a kiss ass. My husband tried to give it back, but Psycho just ran a way in a true psycho fashion. He handed my husband a twenty dollar bill 2 tens and 2 fives. They were all crumpled up and dirty. I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but he's just trying to buy our friendship and trust and I won't have anything to do with it! Mind you, he's the guy that INVITES trouble to his house. Shady people come and go, along with frequent police visits. I still think he killed his sweet mother who USED to live there. I want nothing to do with him and I don't want him to think that he can give us his drug money and everything will be all honkey dorey!

Happy Memorial Day

2006-05-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day? When you think of loved ones who have given their lives for our country, are you happy? I wouldn't say I was happy, rather grateful. I appreciate everyone in the armed forces that protect our lives and livelihood every day. I am and will be forever in the debt of the soldiers who have given their lives so we can enjoy our lifestyle. And to all you celebrities out there who use your "limelight" to speak out against our government, I hope you realize that had it not have been for OUR military throughout the years, you wouldn't be enjoying the freedom to be the bad actor/actress that you are! (And horrible singers, 'Chicks!) Let me finish by reiterating that I am thankful for our men and women in the military and hope that they know how much they are appreciated.

What the ~?!

2006-05-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

I came home from the store and found THIS happening!! I was so mad but Carson didn't seemed to mind. Thank God he didn't choke! >:(

A Public Service Announcement

2006-05-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

FYI. Dogs like breastmilk.

2006-05-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Your Summer Ride is a Beetle Convertible

Fun, funky, and a little bit euro.You love your summers to be full of style and sun!

What's" Your Summer Ride?

The Blow Out

2006-05-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

This is what was waiting for me first thing in the morning. How the hell??? I thought diapers were supposed to hold the crap in?

Picture of a picture

2006-05-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here I am about 2 weeks before Carson was born. My girlfriend took this picture. I think everyone looks good in black and white, no?

Random

2006-05-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Doesn't my dog's butt look like a turkey??

More on crazy guy next door

2006-05-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

The nut job next door had the inside of his house painted and then he threw away the leftover paint in the trashcan. When the trash was picked up, all of the paint spilled in the street. The city told him he had to get it cleaned using a biohazard waste dumping company and if he didn't do it, the city would and he will have to pay them back. I guess you can't toss paint in the regular trash. Well, of course he never did so the city hired a crew to clean up the mess. Moral of the story? If you're going to throw paint away in the regular trash, bury it deeper in the can so it doesn't spill all over the street.

Baby Bumps!

2006-04-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

You can kind of tell in this picture the bump on top of Carson's head. He has another one on the other side. The doctor said they are cephalohematomas and will go away on their own. He said that they are a result of the trauma associated with his birth. He looks like a baby goat to me when you look at him strait on! What do you think he's thinking in this picture?

OW!

2006-04-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

When does it stop hurting????? I got the staples removed yesterday. That was OK, I guess. I still feel like I was run over by a truck! I take motrin like it's going out of style. (Can somebody say GI bleed?) I still have some Percocet that I use sparingly....My mother-in-law is here for the week and has been spoiling me! She has been cooking dinners and bringing the baby to me when I feel too achey to get up. She does laundry and cleans the house......Too bad she lives in Canada. My mother has MS and can't help, even though I know she wants to. Anyway, just a quick little update on my life! Carson has been an angel so far! (knock on wood)

My sweet baby

2006-04-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurt? It's not a bad hurt though. I swear, I'll look at him sometimes and get teary-eyed because I love him so much, and I don't want anything bad to happen to him. I hold him almost all day long because I can't believe how lucky I am. You can't spoil a baby with too much love.

Happy Kids

2006-04-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

More details

2006-04-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

We went to the hospital Thursday evening to start being induced. By 10pm that night, my contractions were pretty painful, but I hadn't dilated yet, so they gave me a little something to take the edge off. The next morning around 7am, I was ready for my epidural, but I had only dilated a finger tip. I got a little more pain meds, but it wasn't helping. At 8am anesthesia was called and they gave me the epidural. 10 min later, my water broke and I felt tremendous pressure and told the nurse I think I should be pushing. She "checked" me and then gasped and ran out of the room. The doctor came in and told me to start pushing because I had dilated to 10!! I gave one good push and he told me to stop because Carson's heart rate was LOW. All I really remember is hearing "crash c-section" and being rolled into the OR. ( I was still groggy from the drugs). My husband made it into the OR just as they were pulling Carson out of the birth canal through my abdomen. The doctor said he was "brow presentation". He worked so fast! One of my uterine arteries was accidentally severed, but he sewed it up quickly. Another surgeon was in the OR too, and anesthesia never left my side, once the epidural was put in. The ironic thing about that was that she was one of the doctors I didn't want to give me the epidural! I thank everyone out there for positive thoughts and prayers. Everyone that should have been there was there at the right time. Even though it wasn't the simple birth I wanted, and I didn't get to come home for Easter, I am grateful for the skilled hands of the doctors and nurses that took care of me and Carson. He has a couple big bumps on his head that will go away, but he is healthy and best of all, HE IS HERE!

quick update

2006-04-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

typing with one hand. in short, baby carson is here. he was born on friday via an emergency c-section. one of my arteries were cut during surgery and caused trauma to my bladder. had catheter for 3 days. both of us are fine now. we got home yesterday afternoon. will post more later. glad to be home.

All my bags are packed.....

2006-04-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight at 6pm, I'll be going to the hospital to start the whole labor induction! Everything seems to be in order. Had the worst sleep of my life last night. I'm going to miss this little bump in front of me. It will be nice to have some energy back though, and to have my feet not ache so much. I took the dog for a nice long walk last night and I nearly sat down at every corner! But I forged on. My husband has been home since Friday, so he's been running with her in the morning. He will actually be taking the entire summer off, so that will be great! He's picking up his son right now from LAX for the weekend. (Timing?) My daughter is considering dropping dance and trying out for cheer, and that all will be happening next week. Wow. How do you mothers of 2 or more kids do it? Anyway. This will probably be my last post for a few days. I will put pictures up as soon as I get a chance. Thank you everyone for all your kind words and support!

A pet peeve

2006-04-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

One of the channels I watch every day is The Food Channel. I love Paula's Home Cookin', all of Rachel Ray's shows, Semi Homemade, and a lot others. There is one show that I CANNOT stand, that is on right now in the background. It is Emmeril Live.Why does his audience cheer for garlic? Why do they all have to act so freakin' excited and clap for a stupid splash of alcohol in the dish? Right now, they're saying "YEAH!!! WOOOO!!!! AHHHHHLLLL RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!" to freakin' whole milk! He was entertaining when he first started out a few years ago, but now he just BUGS!

Fear

2006-04-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

This week, possibly Thursday but for sure Friday, I will be going in to be induced. I kind of wish that I go into labor on my own this week just because I'm getting a little nervous. I'm worried about testing fate and not allowing my labor occur naturally. I know tons of women are induced ALL the time, but as I near closer to it, it's making me think WAY too much. I have a pretty nervous personality as it is. For instance: Trip on an airplane = total fear. I hate being stopped at a light right under a overpass because I'm afraid there's going to be an earthquake and it will collapse. I can go on and on, but I don't want you all to think I'm THAT much of a freak! I've only gone through this once and it was almost 14 years ago. I had woken up at 4:15 am with menstrual-like cramps (the same type of cramps that forced me to be on bedrest for the last few months). 24 1/2 hours later, my daughter was born. I didn't have an epidural even though I was screaming for one. (Imagine having your intestines ripped out of you). I will be having an epidural this time though. I'm having the baby at the same place that I work. Our anesthesiologists are all pretty good. There are a few that I DO NOT want touching me, but if they're on call for that day, then I have no choice. I'm afraid to tear too. I was reading about perineal massage you do at home, but I'm not THAT desperate. Well, these things are all nothing compared to the joy I will be experiencing when I hold him for the first time. I sure hope he looks like a Carson. I've been calling him that for a long time. If he doesn't, he'll just have to grow into his name! :) I'm also excited to get my body back. I don't plan on going back to the "old body." I was way too skinny, and think that might be a contributing factor why I couldn't get pregnant on my own. It should be easier to mold the flab into toned muscle than it is to turn skin and bones into toned muscle. (I think). I know that when you're in your 30's it's a lot harder to get back in shape after having a baby. It's a challenge I want to take on though. Who knows? Maybe with the extra ponds I want to keep, it will cause my boobs to stay at the current cup size. Wouldn't THAT be awesome!

3 am

2006-04-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Been up since 3 am, and I can't get this song out of my mind! It's from the early 90's and it goes like this. "Here I am, at 3 o'clock in the morning. Just thinking about you. Here I am, at 3 o'clock in the morning. Can't live without you! And I know that it might, be too late for love....Oh no!!! I need you now. More than words can say. I need you now. I've got to find a way. I need you now. Before I lose my mind I need you nooooooooooooooow." Who sings that song? Well, I need the baby to stop being so heavy on my butt bone! Sleep used to be a refuge for me. Now, it's a nightmare! I did finish a book I started yesterday though. My daughter actually gave it to me. It's called "The five people you meet in heaven." She said I would sob when I read the 4th person he meets. Normally I would cry, but my emotions are so weird lately. I'll cry at the music for the Prego spaghetti sauce commercial, but when the guy in the book sees his dead wife in heaven......Zilch. Not a tear. Time's up on the computer. The ol' butt bone's aching.....YEOW!

Almost there

2006-04-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a little over a week since I went off of bedrest. I've had a lot of painful contractions, but no baby yet! The only difference with these contractions is I'm not taking the meds to stop them. I'm taking the dog out for short walks again too. Last night we went to see Inside Man. How did THAT movie get a B+ by the critics? When we were at the plaza, we saw the guy that plays Chase on the TV show House. He was with this REALLY skinny chick that had braids all curled up on the side of her head. He was wearing the typical "Hollywood" gear, strait down to the stupid fedora. They were both sporting those oversized sunglasses like "Hey look at me, but don't look at me!" I love the show House, but I just can't stand celebrities. I guess living here in So Cal has jaded me a bit. Now if I see any professional sports figures, I will totally go up to them and tell them how much I appreciate their talent. Except I wouldn't approach Kobe, or T.O., or any other arrogant a-hole. Speaking of sports, we're going to the Staples Center tonight to see the Kings get their butts kicked by the Canucks. We invited a few people to go with us when we got the tickets 3 weeks ago. Little did we know that UCLA would be playing in the NCAA championship! There is a television in the box, so you all know where I'll be! ;) Random question: Why is it that dogs have such horrible breath, but when they lick your hand it doesn't smell?

Creepy guy

2006-03-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

Last night, creepy neighbor called our house. Thank goodness my husband answered because I would have been really rude to him and the police told us we should not stir it up with him because he's so unstable. He called to ask my husband where some good golf courses were. This freak has lived in this city all his life and he's calling my husband to find out where to golf? We've lived here for 2 years. First he asked my husband when our baby is due. Then he asked what we're having. Husband said, about a month and we don't know. The only reason he has our number is because I gave it to his mom before she died! OH! And he said, " I noticed you got a security system." Who says THAT?!!! Then this morning, I saw him trying to talk to our dog. I opened the door and made her come in. I am being such a bitch, I know, but he has brought so much chaos to our small little street since he moved in. The police come to his house ALL the time. They're obviously looking for something. And I remember some of the last words his mother said to me. She told me to watch out for him because he has a temper, and that it's best not to talk to him. She was afraid of him. Good times........

Detective?

2006-03-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

I went outside yesterday to throw out some garbage and as I was walking back to the house, a man pulled up in a tan early 1990's minivan. He was wearing black pants and a black shirt with the word "POLICE" on the back. I think he had a badge on his belt, but I wasn't sure. He called me over to him and identified himself as a detective. He asked me some questions about my next door neighbor. I told him a bunch of stuff about him and he thanked me and started writing stuff down. I walked into the house. Then the neighbor came out of his house and the detective started talking to him. I was telling my husband this story last night and then started to wonder if that guy really worked for the police? I don't remember if I really saw a badge. And isn't there supposed to be another detective with him? Or is that just on Law and Order? AND since when do detectives drive early 1990's minivans? I would have totally let him in my house! That's scary. Next time I'm going to be more cautious.

GAME DAY!!!

2006-03-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, I feel a little better. I realized it's Thursday and there will be some great college basketball on tonight! Gonzaga vs. UCLA, LSU vs. Duke...YEA!

cough

2006-03-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. Sore throat 2 days ago. Now it's moved to my head and nose. Soon it will be traveling down to my chest. Everyone I know has been sick, so I guess it's just my time. At least I'm getting it over with now, so in 3 weeks, when Carson is born, I won't be hacking all over him!

April 14, 2006

2006-03-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

I set a date. April 14th is the day I will go in for my labor induction. The only person that will the there is my husband. I asked Jazz if she wanted to be in the room while I deliver and she said no. She said she didn't want to see me in pain. I'm totally fine with her not wanting to be in the delivery room. 13 years ago when I delivered her, I was swearing and cussing up a storm, so the least amount of people that can witness that, the better! I hope I'll be calmer during this delivery. I plan on having an epidural, unlike the last one, so it shouldn't be as painful. We'll see. I'm very nervous about the whole thing. Right now, the baby is squirming ALL over! I can feel him beneath my ribs and feel him kicking my bladder! Maybe it was that bag of lifesavor gummies I ate an hour ago. Hey! I needed my daily allowance of fruit!

My Space

2006-03-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

My 13 year-old daughter was always on her My Space. I allowed her to be so involved in doing it because she would let me read it whenever I wanted to, and she even sent my friend the link so she can read it too. A few times she got messages from "friends" that had the "F" word in it, and it took all my power not to get mad at her. After all, SHE didn't write it. She would just delete the unsolicited bad words or off colored comments. But still I felt like I was always telling her to get off of her Myspace and finish folding her clothes, or practice piano. A few days ago, she asked me if I wanted her to delete her Myspace. I told her that I did, but it was her choice. She said, "Ok. I'll delete it." Now, you have to understand the hours she put in to keeping her site cool with the latest music and "pop ups" etc. She really did a good job at creating it. I was so proud of her that she was so willing to walk away from something that she loved to do because I felt it was too time consuming. I asked her why she deleted it so willingly and she responded with, "Well, it IS time consuming and basically I see the same people at school everyday who comment on it. And most of the comments are stupid!" I have nothing against that website, but what I understand of it, it doesn't do anything to protect the young users from predators. I know the parents should be doing that too, instilling responsibility into their kids, but there are some kids that don't have that support from their parents. Also, I feel that kids today lack social skills because they are always instant messaging, or text messaging their friends. My daughter says she hates to talk on the phone and now I know why. It's easier to IM someone and not have that possible uncomfortable social interaction; The dreaded silence on the other end of the line. Now that she's off of her Myspace, I'm going to help her work on her talking-on-the-phone skills. I'll probably regret it.

Catrina has left the buliding...

2006-03-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

I WENT OUT!!!!! Yea! My friend's wedding was last night and I PROMISED her I wouldn't miss it. Bedrest or not. I rested pretty much the whole day and drank a lot of water. I had my meds with me just in case too. We had a great time. It was at a country club and there were only about 60 people there. It was so elegant. The dress I'm wearing isn't even a maternity dress! I wore this for my surprise 30th birthday party. It's pretty stretchy. My husband bought me a cute maternity outfit, but when I looked at the price tag, I almost passed out! He paid almost $200 for it! I made him return it and just grabbed this old thing. There is no way I'm going to wear a $200 outfit for 1 night. Anyway, we had a great time and it was so nice to get all dressed up and go out.

YAWN......

2006-03-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

This year, the movies that were up for an academy award were LAME! (Except Crash) I watched Capote yesterday and was bored to tears! I have seen better plots on Law and Order! I can see how he won for Best Actor though. How anyone can speak in the voice he did for an entire movie is beyond me. Then again, Heath Ledger spoke in that HORRIBLE accent that I couldn't understand the entire time. I have one more movie to watch and that is "Good Night and Good Luck." It's in black and white so that's one chink in the armor. I think it's like a documentary so that's a plus. We'll see. I am getting so sick of movies. Yesterday I was doing a little too much around the house and I woke up around 3am with contractions. And that's after taking the medicine before I went to bed! I have them now, so I just took another pill. :(

34 weeks tomorrow

2006-03-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I will be 34 weeks pregnant. The last month or so has been difficult with having to stay in the house and not do anything or really go anywhere. That has sucked, but people from church and work have come over and brought me food, magazines, and movies. It's great to have friends. I plan on staying on "bedrest" for another 3 weeks, then screw it. I'm hopping up and am going to finish getting stuff ready for the little one. I have been getting my SDI check every couple of weeks and my husband jokes about gettin' my welfare check in the mail! I can totally see how people could take advantage of the government and wait around all day for "the check." when they could be working. My reason for getting short term disability is legitimate, but I'm sure there are millions of people who cheat the system. My next door neighbor is on "disability" but yet he manages to landscape his yard and put up fences. He's the crazy one who moved in after his mom mysteriously died. The police haven't been out this week to my knowledge. That is a shock because they are usually out here 3 times a week! They still do the "drive-by's" though. I just love our police. I respect any police officer who isn't shooting injured soldiers that just came back from Iraq! :)

???

2006-03-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

My neighbor works for the studios and gets the academy award movies for viewing. He brought over Syriana along with some others. Last night I tried to watch this movie! I was an hour and a half into the movie and did not understand what the heck was going on! It was boring, and way too political for my taste, so I turned it off. I have no interest in knowing what happened at the end. It was something about oil and corruption. B-O-R-I-N-G. I hate it when Hollywood tries to impose their liberal ideals in movies. I want to be entertained and to escape from reality!! I purposefully don't go see these types of movies, but when the neighbor brings a free movie over.....Why not!!?? :) Later on today, it's Brokeback Mountain time! ;)

Baby shower

2006-03-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

Today, my friends from work are coming over to my house to give me a baby shower. Originally it was going to be somewhere else, but it's a little difficult to travel to places when you're supposed to stay home and not be on your feet! I have gone places, like driven my daughter to dance, or been a passenger in the car while my husband ran errands, but when I get home, the cramps/contractions start. I figure it's just better to do it here, that way people can meet my husband and barking dog! :) Jazz is at a dance competition in Northern California. She went with some people from her dance studio yesterday. That was the first time she was a a plane without us! I was more nervous than she was. Well, our alarm is now done, no thanks to the alarm company. My husband was up until 3am rebolting the components in. He fixed all the holes and painted the areas that were messed up by ADT. I woke up at 2 because he was vacuuming......Again. I love it that he wants to keep the house clean too. I am the type that picks up and wipes down things. He will get on his hands and knees and scrub nooks and crannies as he likes to call them. Last night, he made tostados and he NEVER cooks! It was so sweet of him. I know I've said this before, but I appreciate all that he does for our family. He has really "stepped up" and has been so helpful since my doctor told me I had to be on bedrest.

Still in Hell

2006-03-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

My husband came home last night to see the "mistake" holes drilled by the ADT alarm guys. At first it was no big deal because he could easily patch them and would do a better job than Mr. brown pride. Hey dude,how about job pride? Anyway, as he was looking to see where the holes were in the attic, he noticed that 3 of them had gone through the roof! That was the last straw. He called the salesman last night and spilled over everything. We weren't going to complain because we are not the type of people that complain over little things. Not only is it going to be 3 days of alarm system installation, which is totally unreasonable considering it should have been a half a day job, but it friggin' rained last night and my husband is now on the roof putting tar in all the holes. I don't want to get people fired here. I just want our alarm system installed, the place cleaned up from their greasy fingerprints on the wall, their dirty bootprints EVERYWHERE, the exposed wires bundled up and put away, the clipped wires on the floor swept up along with the wood and dust everywhere, AND a repaired roof. This tar crap is not going to cut it. Oh and my baby shower is tomorrow. Here. At my house. I am just so mad I can cry. Oh wait, I already have.

ADT Hell

2006-03-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

We bought an alarm system through ADT last week and they came out yesterday to install it. Well, they sent out "the new guy" who didn't know what the hell he was doing. Thank goodness my husband stayed home from work yesterday because he crawled up in the attic to help and was offering suggestions to this "professional installer." 2 supervisors had to come out and help him! He was here from 9 am to 7 pm! I got a pizza around 2pm because he hadn't eaten anything. I felt bad for him. He was really nice, despite his tattoos that are all over his neck. (tattoos on necks scare me for some reason.) One of the tattoos said "brown pride." Imagine if I had one that said "white pride?" Anyway, I just wished the alarm company would have sent someone with more experience. He did not clean up after himself, like all the wall dust that was on the floor from the drilling. There's dust EVERYWHERE. There are pieces of cut wires everywhere. My dog could have swallowed those! There is all this dust and fluff from the attic on the rug, and he kept the front door opened and flies were coming in. I understand everybody is new at a job at one time. I don't even mind the extra holes he drilled by mistake because they can all be patched up! Workers should ALWAYS clean up after themselves even if they're coming back the next day. My husband gave me a typed out list of things to address with him. I felt like I was being condescending to him reading him the list, but what else am I supposed to do? My husband is worse than me about cleanliness and things "looking right." He was up until 3am last night re-mounting the alarms that were GLUED on the doors! Now what is so hard about putting a friggin' screw through it! There was a place for the screws too! I am so sick of people doing such half assed work! Can you tell I'm a little pissed off today? Thank goodness the guy hasn't seen me cry! I'm just getting so worked up about all of this. I just paid $70 to have my house cleaned on Monday and it's a total mess. OK I need to stop. Actually I need to get up off the computer because there's too much dust on it and I'm starting to cough!

Phew!!!!

2006-02-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Anyone else happy it wasn't her????

Last night's dream

2006-02-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

I had a dream last night that I was on an Island with some people I knew, but I couldn't name them now. We went horseback riding and my horse fell over because I was too heavy. We didn't fall hard, and the dirt was really soft. After that, I couldn't feel my baby move, so I wanted to go back to the Mainland to see my doctor. It took what seemed like hours to find my shoes and I ended up having to borrow someone else's shoes. Then, I had to use a rowboat to get back home, but no matter how hard I rowed, the boat barely moved. I woke up at that point, but as soon as I did, the baby did too. It's so weird, he always wakes up or moves when I roll over in the morning or talk. He seems to be awake a lot during the day, and asleep at night. I shouldn't complain! I'm sure he's up at night, but I never feel him, which is surprising because when he moves, he MOVES! If he does end up sleeping the majority of the night, I wonder if I'll wake him up to feed him. 10 years ago, when I worked in post partum, we used to tell the moms to wake up their sleeping infants ever 3 hours to breastfeed. I'm not sure if that is still the case. I plan on exclusively breastfeeding and not giving any formula. Anyone have an opinion about waking a sleeping baby? To me, it seems like they would nuzzle right in, take two sips and go back to bed!

Crib bedding

2006-02-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Carson's crib. I bought the bedding off of my registry because I was afraid no one would buy it! I called all the Pottery Barns in my area and they didn't even have this bedding anymore! They only had it on-line so I just bit the bullet and bought it. The "sea creature" on the crib is a gift from my daughter, courtesy IKEA. My husband popped off the top of the dresser on the left and painted it white. I just need to start the "decorating" process, but I can't do much from the bed. I want to do a beach theme in his room because it's not too "baby" and I love the beach. If I had talent like Stephanie http://dubiousachievements.blogspot.com then I would have no problem fixing up the room. I'm just going to have to wait another 6 weeks. I technically have 9 more weeks until my due date, but I'm going to stop "bedrest" 3 weeks early. With my luck, I'll have to be induced because he'll be late! I'll stop taking the medicine at that time too. I take only half a pill now, but just take it more frequently. The side effects are easier to deal with when the dose is cut in half. Last night the contractions woke me up at 3 am and they were BAD. I had to ask my husband to bring me my meds. Thank goodness I have him! I can't wait until I am back in shape to be the good little wifey that I am! ;)

And the dog has to suffer

2006-02-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

This morning I put on my Uggs because it's been a little cooler the last few days. Well, the dog thought I was taking her for a walk and she got all excited, ears all perky.... But I can't take her for a walk! She associates the Uggs with a walk because that's what I usually wear when I take her. I felt so bad. She hasn't had a good walk for 2 weeks. When my husband gets home from work, he's busy fixing dinner and I dare not ask him to take her out. Our daughter is at dance class 4 days a week from 4pm to 8:30pm, so with homework and her other responsibilities.....I can't ask her either......Question for all you ladies who had premature labor. What did your contractions feel like? And did you have bloody noses every day?

News from the bed.

2006-02-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

So, my cervix passed the test, thank goodness! I still am getting contractions though!! He changed my prescription to Procardia (which is a blood pressure med, but helps relax the uterus). I'm afraid to take it because being a nurse, I have a blood pressure machine and I occasionally take my BP. I have been around 88/40. Taking that med will drop it even lower! I can still take the other med, but it makes me feel like I've had about 9 double expressos and my heart goes about 120 beats/min resting! I just want 2 months to be over and the baby to come out. I'm not at all ready for him, in regards to his room, supplies, etc....But I don't like being cooped up and stressing out about these contractions and what pills to take......I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. My husband brought in dinner from Koo Koo Roos and got me a beautiful card. He actually wrote in it, using both sides of the card! That's what girls like. Love letters. He got our daughter a new set of earphones for her Ipod, and a new alarm clock. He's so sweet!!

New rug

2006-02-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

This is our new rug we bought from Pottery Barn. (Dog not included!) Bridget has found a new place to sprawl out. Thank goodness she "graduated" from the couch! I need to get a new pillow for the striped chair. I want to get a leopard print pillow. I saw a segment on Good Morning America about adding some sort of leopard print to some place in your living room. It makes it more "homie". Go figure. Too bad I'm on bedrest and can't go get one. :( I'm really going nuts here. My sister-in-law is coming to visit next Saturday with her 7 year-old and 2 year-old. My husband's 7 year-old will be here too. I'm freaking out about the visit. It's been hard enough not being able to clean up or at least Swiffer! How am I going to let the kids roam around the house with their filthy hands!!?? I asked my husband to please mention something to her before they get here like the visit has to be short. They're driving 2 hours to come and see me, and I should be grateful for the company. I wouldn't mind it if it were just adults. I guess it wouldn't be a big deal if I were able to make sure they didn't touch the freshly washed baby stuff! AHHHHH! I'm getting all stressed out just thinking about it! Well, everyone has gone to church and I'm stuck here in the house with beautiful weather outside. I would lay out, but the creepy "child molester" outside is home, so I'm stuck. ADT alarm company is coming out this week to install an alarm system. I'm happy about that. I go on Monday for another ultrasound to measure the competency of my cervix. Sounds like fun. Hopefully it will be an external ultrasound. (uh-hmmm) I'll keep you all updated because I know you're all DYING to know! :) Side note: This baby is WILD! My tummy looks like the ocean during a storm when he moves! I think he is scratching his back the way a dog does, you know when they lay down on the carpet with their arms and legs up in the air and they get all twisty! That's what Carson does! I wonder if his constant activity in the womb is what I get to look forward to after he's born! If so......YIKES!

Wouldn't trade him for the world!

2006-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

My husband has been so helpful these past couple of days. Last night he went to the store at 10pm because I realized I didn't have any cereal. (I can LIVE on Frosted Mini Wheats) Anyway, he told me to write a list so I can have all the snacks I want during the day. I had simple things on the list like Sara Lee Whole grain bread, Smart Water, stuff to make salad with, etc. I swear he called me 6 times asking where things were in the store!! He went so late that there weren't any employees stocking the shelves to help him. Well, he couldn't find the Smart Water, so I told him to just get the Fiji water. (I'm a sucker for packaging) He drove to another store and looked for it, but couldn't find it. I was like, "Just get home!!!!!!" Anyway, I'm lucky to have him.

Bedrest!!!!

2006-02-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

Now I am on permanent bedrest. I went to the doctor's yesterday and THIS is the outcome. I am very sad about this. When I stand for long periods of time I get "pressure" down below, and he said it's way too early for that feeling. I was getting sharp pains around my belly and pelvis too. My husband brought me 4 movies last night. We watched "The 40 year-old Virgin," and I fell asleep during "The Constant Gardener." That one was BORING!!! I guess it's worse when you watch it at 11:00 at night, all comfy warm in your bed! I think I'll watch "In her Shoes" today. I watched the TiVo'd Bachelor last night! I cannot believe Moana is STILL there! She is a lot more expressive with her feelings, another words, she loves to talk-talk-talk!!! That's all cute in the beginning, but the thing that draws you to a person at the beginning of a relationship can be the very thing that annoys the shit out of you later! I'm glad he finally kissed Sarah from TN. He won't pick her though because she's too much of a Momma's girl....Not that there's anything wrong with that, but this boy wants to move to the Rocky mountains and she wants to stay in TN! Susan just broke up with her fiance? Whaaaaaaaaaaaat????? OUT! And finally the pothead from Winnipeg. There's nothing wrong with living at home while you're going to school. But Travis and Sarah are a DECADE a part! He's WAY to old for her. I was glad to see her go. She was very calm and collective with him when he was saying goodbye to her. She must have JUST smoked a joint. As you can see, this "strict bedrest" will get me even closer to the television. Oh well.

Stress

2006-02-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

It turns out I won't be cooking any food for the Super Bowl tomorrow. I had to go to L&D for some pressure I was feeling in my pelvis. I had called my doctor and he said to get to the hospital to get checked out. After being on the monitor for a while, they told me that my uterus was "irritable" and they gave me a shot to stop the contractions. I am not dilated, so that's a big PHEW!! It was scary though. I need to go pick up my prescription for this medicine and I'm on modified bedrest, so I guess that means no partying for me! I don't know what caused it, but I think stress had a role in it. Our dog barks so much when people come to the door, or when someone walks by our house etc. I can't get her to stop barking! I've tried bitter apple spray in her mouth, saying, "No bark," spanking her.....Nothing has worked. Today I'm giving her treats and telling her, "No bark." I just don't know what to do! I love her, but I don't want to be holding her down when company comes over while I'm holding my crying baby that was just woken up by the barking dog.

Super Bowl food

2006-02-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

We're going to have a Super Bowl party this Sunday and I am not sure what to serve. A few couples are coming over and they are bringing their kids. :( I like their kids, but just not in my house. When there are a bunch of people in my home, it's hard to make everyone follow the rules such as; Eat in the kitchen! Use a napkin! NO FOOD IN BEDROOMS! Wash your hands so you don't get my furniture greasy! It's hard for me to enjoy the game because I'm so worried about what's happening to my home, and the fact that I have to clean it when the party is over. OK back to the party. Someone is bringing over spinach artichoke dip, chips, and salad. I don't know what I can make as an entree that will not be too messy. I don't want to barbecue because I'll get stuck outside cooking. Any suggestions?

2006-02-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

I really do love being pregnant. The fact that I get out of breath by just walking to the phone is minimal to the feeling of my baby moving around inside! Sure, I NEVER sleep all night long and my husband has to help me roll over at night, but I am not complaining! The nausea in the beginning was the worst illness I've ever had but I am forever grateful for the modern technology that helped me and my husband conceive. I can't believe I will be holding my little boy in just a few short months. It doesn't seem real, even though my belly is defiantly REAL. We tried to have a baby for 3 years, and it is finally happening!

No title needed

2006-01-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

2 days ago, after I came back from taking my daughter to school, I turned on my street and see this. My neighbor's car. This is that creepy guy that moved in after his Mother died about 5 weeks ago. It was painted on his garage too. I called my neighbor across the street and she told me the police had already been there. Creepy guy already called to report it. This guy gives every one of us on our block the creeps. When we first moved in, he would come to his mom's house to bring her groceries. He seemed like he was a decent guy until he started talking to me....ONLY me and not my husband. Once when I was on my way to the gym he stopped me and kept staring at my legs and chest. It was VERY uncomfortable. He kept asking me for my phone number so he can call me if his mom needed anything. Like I'm his personal nurse! I avoided giving it to him, it was SO OBVIOUS that I didn't want him to have it. So, one day when my daughter was walking the dog, he cornered her and told her that I told him she would give him my phone number. So she gave it to him, and he kept calling me to ask medical questions. I never answered my phone, but one day he called 6 times! Finally the last time he called, I gave the phone to my husband and he told him to stop calling me. He had a stupid questions about shingles! Like I would know any more than he does about that! Just look on the internet idiot! OH! And his mother confided in me that she was afraid of him, and for me to be careful. A few weeks before she died, she called the police on him because he was scaring her and threatening her in her house! So back to the child molester story... I called the police to find out ANYTHING because I'm scared to death at this point. The secretary basically told me to mind my own business and that any info about him was private! I looked on the Meghan's Law website to find if he was a registered sex offender. But he was not listed. But that doesn't mean he is innocent of anything. Yea, I guess one of his enemies could have spray painted that on his car for revenge. But if you're pissed off at someone, you would spray paint, "Asshole" or something like that. We live in a nice area and to have this piece of shit living here is making me sick.

New clothes for the baby!

2006-01-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

We were thinking of getting him blessed in this. What do you think?

I'm getting bigger!

2006-01-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

I can't remember who told me that it would be difficult to put my shoes on among other things. Well the time is at hand. Thank goodness for clogs and Uggs. 2 types of shoes that I don't have to tie! I had to do the 1 hour glucose tolerance test the other day. *GAG*! I had to drink a room temperature, flat, cola flavored beverage and then wait for an hour so they could draw my blood. Yea, 12 ounces in less than 5 min of that disgusting drink! Ew! The baby was moving A LOT the rest of that day and into the next day! I'm going in for another ultrasound this Monday. They're going to measure the baby and I want to MAKE SURE it's a boy. I've already bought so many clothes for him! I don't really care much for many of the clothing styles available for boys. As much as I like sports, I don't want him to be wearing "themed onsies" with footballs or hockey sticks etc. I like the clothes that look like "little man" clothes.

5 Weird Habits

2006-01-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

"The first player of this game starts with the topic five weird habits of yourself and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well. In the end, you choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals."

1. The moment I finish getting report at work, I take out the alcohol wipes and clean both phones, the portable phone, the keyboard on the computer, the mouse, and any pen that was left over from the previous shift. (OCD?)

2. After I take the dog for a walk, I HAVE to wipe her butt with a wet paper towel!

3. I religiously watch Days of Our Lives, and go on the NBC website to get the scoop for "next week's episode."

4. I bring slipper socks to movie theaters and wear them when the movie starts....My feet get cold!

5. No matter how cold it is in my room, I have to keep one foot out of the covers.

Time Line

2006-01-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

25 Years Ago: I was in the second grade and I ran into a parked car and got a big black eye just in time for the Christmas show at school. (Yes, back then they still called it a Christmas show!)

20 Years Ago: I fell down a mountain in Yosemite and had to be carried out on a stretcher by park rangers. I was in 7th grade and wore those leggings that had the strap that you put underneath your feet!!

15 Years Ago: I was a senior in high school and was in the competition choir. I hated school, but now I wished I would have been more involved. I loved my Spanish class!

10 Years Ago: I had a 3 year old little girl and loved every aspect of motherhood! I didn't miss the partying because I really felt that my role in life was to be the best mother I could be. I was in nursing school and getting torn back and forth by my recently divorced parents.

5 Years Ago: I married the love of my life and realized that all the other times I thought I "loved" someone was merely infatuation. This one was the real thing.

1 Year Ago: I started seeing an infertility specialist to find out why we couldn't get pregnant after 2 years of trying. (Don't get me wrong! The "trying" was well worth it!)

This Year: We finally became pregnant with IUI! I cut down to 2 days a week of working and we got a dog.

Yesterday: I made cheesecake brownies and visited my old co-workers at Kaiser. I drove my daughter to dance class and went to the mall to buy her friend a birthday present.

Today: I'll deliver the brownies to some friends and do some errands for my husband.

Tomorrow: I will be at work tomorrow, doing everything possible to sit down and elevate my legs!

Life on pause

2006-01-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long break. We had my brother-in-law staying with us and it was a little awkward writing in my Blog especially when he's the hovering type. But now he's gone and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. He comes out to see us once a year after Christmas. I like him, but he's the type that calls and says, "Hey! I'm 2 hours away!" And we didn't even know what day he was showing up. Well THAT day just happened to be New Year's Eve! My husband and I went to our party and he just stayed at our house. Plus, he didn't tell us when he would be leaving. Thank goodness his work called a week later and told him that there was a crisis there and they needed him. On a good note, he did bring tons of Canadian candy!

I went in for my doctor's appointment the other day. He measured my belly and said everything is right on target. Everyone at work says that my belly is too big! I admit, my belly is pretty large for being 26 weeks, but I think it is because I was too skinny to begin with. The doctor scheduled an ultrasound for me to reassure me that everything is fine. I wasn't going to to it, but I changed my mind. I may as well get another look to make sure it's a boy. I've been buying ALL boy clothes and even have his name picked out!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

2006-01-04T21:58:00.000-08:00

USC just lost the National Championship!!!!!!!!!!!! I watched the game with my girlfriend because our husbands were AT the game. What a scene to behold. Two women screaming at the TV, calling out the wrong penalties, scolding Reggie Bush for that stupid throw-pass he attempted in the first quarter. Pure comedy. I feel bad that they lost, but I am glad that Vince Young won the game for his team. He deserved it. I know my husband liked the game because it was close. He's like that. He would rather watch a game that is exciting and his team lose, rather than a boring predictable game, and his team win. I don't enjoy being stressed out during games. I just want my team to win!

My favorite foods

2006-01-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

Poutine and ketchup chips. That's what I'm craving RIGHT NOW.

RAIN!

2006-01-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

It is P-O-U-R-I-N-G here! Did anyone see the Rose Parade? It hasn't rained during the parade in YEARS and look at it! At least the floats aren't REALLY floating! (Yet) They just interrupted the parade for an emergency broadcast saying that there is a flash flood warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties!! I'm glad I'm nice and warm in my house and not down at the parade. I did go with my friend Alison one year. We were still in high school, and we spent the night at our friend's parents camera store which was right on the boulevard. I think we had a 4 pack of wine coolers and between the 3 of us, and we were all tipsy! Then at the stroke of midnight, we were all making out with strangers! In the morning when the wine coolers wore off, and the sun was shining bright, we got to see what our make-out partners REALLY looked like. YUCK! I think phone numbers were given out just out of courtesy. Then we saw all the vomit and trash that had collected throughout the night. I'm glad I can say that I spent the night at the Rose Parade, but I don't think I'll ever do it again.

(sigh)

2005-12-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's over. Christmas. Come and gone so quickly. I had to work Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. This is the LAST year of that BS. I've only been working there for 3 1/2 years, so I'm on the bottom of the list seniority wise. We've been so busy that we've all had to take 3 patients! In the ICU, maximum patient load is 2, but there is NO staff! And there's nothing anyone can do about it! It's not like we can refuse to take a patient. So we work our butts off for 12 hours, and no "sit down and eat break, " and what do we get? A $10 gift card that we have to redeem on-line and wait for it to come in the mail! Oh well. My Christmas tree is still up and it smells good. My husband bought me these great knives! They're made by Cutco, and I can't wait to use them. I've had horrible knives my entire adult life, so much so that when I cut a tomato, it would dent first, then cut! I bought him a ticket to the BCS championship game at the Rose Bowl. Our friend is a USC alumni and was able to get 2 tickets. He let me buy one off of him for face value!!! On E-Bay, the same tickets were going for $1500!! Needless-to-say, he was surprised AND excited. I can never buy him a good enough gift by my standards. But I think I did it this year. We got our daughter an Ipod docking station for her Nano, which she loves. Our dog got a HUGE rawhide bone that I threw away the next day because she was getting too protective of it! I am sad that Christmas is over, and that the tree has to come down, but I'm looking forward to focusing on getting the baby's room together. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has a safe New Year!

Dogs at the beach

2005-12-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a couple of dogs that were at the beach. Cute, huh? My husband was making them fight over that damn stick! I miss the beach, but it's finally getting cooler here.

Home Sweet Home

2005-12-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

We are back from our vacation! It was very relaxing, and when I say relaxing, I mean NO outside influences. There were no T.V.'s, no phones, no computer, NADA. This picture was taken at 6 in the morning. We got up so early because there were roosters on the beach and they woke us up!! It was light by 5 am, so we couldn't really sleep in anyway. We went to bed early because there was nothing to do except read and lay out. I was a little nervous when we first got there because the nearest town was 45 minutes away and consisted of unpaved streets, shacks for houses, wild dogs roaming around, and I think I saw one market! OH! And emaciated cows were just walking down the street! Our mode of transportation on the beach was an ATV. Believe me, it was paradise.....On the beach. Cabo can make people do things they normally wouldn't do.....And I'll just leave it at that! :)
This is my "tankini". It used to go to my belly button, but as you can see, it scrunches up! When I was sitting in the lounge chair, I couldn't see my bikini bottoms because of my stomach! Well, as much fun as we had, I don't think I will ever take a vacation a week before Christmas. Now our Christmas cards are going to be New Year's cards!!

Cabo San Lucas!

2005-12-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are leaving tomorrow to Cabo! This will be our last "get-away" until Junior is born! We are staying about an hour away from the city, so it will be very relaxing! It's time to break open my newest Dean Koontz novel! It's supposed to be beautiful and sunny down there, not like it hasn't been here in California, as evidenced by our Christmas picture! I got my tankini all packed and my pedicure all done! I will post on the trip when we get back! Adios!

Our Christmas Picture

2005-12-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

This is probably the picture we will be sending in our Christmas cards this year. Ideally, we wanted all the kids in the tree, but my daughter was too cool for that, so the hubby had to step in. It was probably for the better because the dog wouldn't sit still. I can't imagine why. :) She's like, "Get me the hell out of this tree!!!!!" We decorated our tree on Saturday and put up Christmas lights. Yesterday we went to my Mother's house, yes, she is out of the hospital. Our Christmas present to her was buying her a tree, bringing dinner over and decorating the tree while she ordered us around. It is so hard to buy her gifts because she doesn't really need anything. Whatever we do buy her ends up be given away or never used. Both her and her friend that she lives with are incapable of purchasing a tree and decorating it, and I figure time with our family would be more valuable than anything from Nordstrom anyway!!

HHHMMMPH!

2005-12-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

OK. THIS was on last night at 8:00pm and I got all set up on the couch. I had been reminding my daughter for 2 hours that it was going to be on. I had been talking about it all day, and planned on TiVo-ing it for my husband who is in Maryland. (That's another story). Anyway, 8:00 rolls around and I call out, "Jaaaaaaaaaaazzzzz! It's On!!" She told me it's too boring and she just wants to finish her homework. Bah Humbug. So me and the DOG watched it together. I had to give the dog a doggie breath mint because she was cuddled up to me that close. At least SOMEONE appreciates a good wholesome show when they see it. (Even if the dog WASN'T watching it.)

Back to the gym!

2005-12-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day back to the gym. I used to go to the gym every week, usually taking between 4-5 hours of classes. That all stopped when I became really nauseous in the beginning of my pregnancy. Then I wanted to wait until I got some blood tests back. Then it was, "Ok I'll go after I have my ultrasound. Well, it's been a few weeks since my ultrasound and the thing that got me to the gym was my husband threatening to cancel it if I don't go! Ah, threats. They always work with me! :) I took my usual advanced step class, but only used one set of risers and didn't do all the hopping and arms-above-my-head exercise that I used to do. I even made up a few moves of my own because I didn't want to fall over. I used to hate it when people would change the routine and put their own stuff in. Now I totally do it! My tummy felt a little tight underneath, but overall, I did well. People tried to help me put away my step after class, but I wouldn't let them. Unless you are physically hurt, or your gut is so big that you can't bend over, there is no reason to let people do stuff for you. I'm not helpless. I'm pregnant. I know there are always exceptions though. Maybe I'll change my tune in a few months! :)

Random

2005-12-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok. Here are 10 random facts about the woman known only as.......Catrina

1. I can't eat the day I have to go on on plane because I'm so totally afraid that I get a sick stomach.

2. I get in a bad mood if my house is messy.

3. Once when my daughter was a baby, I breastfed her while driving.

4. I have sung for both funerals and weddings.

5. I have a picture of a bedsore and one of an amputated toe from one of my patients in my "junk drawer".

6. I bet on football games, both college and professional.

7. My boobies have grown 2 sizes since I've been pregnant.

8. Once I poured my daughter's live pet goldfish in the toilet because I was so sick of looking at it, but I forgot to flush. She came home from school and saw it swimming around in there and I told her he was miraculously raised from the dead.

9. When I was a kid, I swung a dog by his tail and it broke.

10. I took 3 years of Spanish in high school and am still pretty darn good at speaking it.

Mom

2005-12-03T08:08:00.000-08:00

My Mom had to be taken to the hospital last night. They thought she had a pulmonary embolus, (blood clot in her lung) but as it turns out, she didn't. She is seeing a pulmonologist today. She has multiple sclerosis and has begun the slow decline of her health. She no longer can get up out of bed without help. She needs to be bathed by someone, and all her meals must be brought to her in her bed. She has a catheter in place because she has no bladder control. I rarely can have a conversation with her without her being in a "drug haze". It's very sad to see her go through all of this when she is only 55 years old. Most 50 year-olds should be working, maybe traveling, enjoying their grandchildren..... She has been on this decline for the past 5 years, and I used to do practically everything for her. I found that I was taking too much responsibility for her, and my husband and daughter were becoming my second priority. I wasn't able to get pregnant, and I attribute that to the stress that was accumulating week after week, month after month, as her health continued to fail. I was expected to what I had been doing, and I started to resent her for that. The physical and emotional demands of driving the hour and a half round trip were even taking a toll on my marriage. I would come home so exhausted on the days that I went to her house, that I would bicker with my family. My Mom lives with a her friend who basically is her caregiver. But this woman is in her 70's and she isn't in the best of health either. She hired a lady to come during the week to help with showering and feeding, but that's only for 4 hours a day. I have begged both my Mom and her friend to sell their house and move into an assisted living environment, but they refuse. I imagine it would be difficult to give up your home. But now, my Mom is so much worse, that an assisted living environment is no longer an option. No place would take her because she requires too much care. She is a candidate for a nursing home. She makes me feel bad by saying things like, "You said I could live with you!" We live in a cozy 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, and when I explained to her that we have no room, she told me to sell our house and buy a bigger one! Even if we had room in our house, I couldn't have her live with us. Imagine me with a new baby? AND a teenager? Our home would be a hospital environment. No. It's not fair to my family. Both my parents were poor planners when it came to retirement. My Mom at least owns a home, (although I'm not sure how much equity she has in it.) My Dad has NOTHING. He doesn't even have a car. I guess what I've learned from my parents is to be better prepared for the future. No one knows if a disease is going to hit you, and you become debilitated. But simple planning, and putting aside money is so important. The last thing I want to be is a burden to my children. I have promised my daughter that should I need total assistance in regards to my health, that I would GLADLY move into an environment that can provide me with that. She doesn't need to be my caretaker when I'm old. Her job would be to raise little rugrats and be a good wife to her husband. I refuse to be an added burden!!

LEGS!!!!!

2005-11-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

Look at those legs! Either the baby will be a kicker or a dancer. I know what the baby's sex is, and it will NOT be a dancer (if my husband can help it!) We're having a BOY! I am SO excited about that! The doctor asked us right away if we wanted to know the sex of the baby, so that was the first clue because it was THAT obvious! Then he and my husband proceeded to discuss the "manhood" of the baby and how they feel so inadequate!! I was laughing so hard! We videotaped it and showed our daughter and she was disgusted at the conversation on the video! I love the bottom pic of the leg! It looks like a chicken thigh!

On another note, we had a great Thanksgiving with my in-laws. They live in a senior community mobile home park, so my cell phone AND laptop didn't work because of all the damn metal! For our Turkey dinner, we all went down to the "Chuck Wagon" community center and enjoyed a cafeteria style Thanksgiving dinner for 5 bucks a pop! We were the youngest people there. Oh and dinner was at 2 pm! It was quite funny though. We brought our dog with us to Arizona, but I gave her a doggie sedative. I swear that sucker was out in 15 min! My husband had to carry her to the car! I kept checking her respirations! I felt bad giving her the pill, but she is so terrified of the car that she throws up! She did fine and recovered completely the next day. On the way back, I think she put the pill in her cheek and spit it out because she was completely awake on the way home. She whimpered a little, but did OK in the crate. I probably won't give her one next time. My in-laws got around in a golf cart, and the dog LOVED riding in it. So I think she is overcoming her fear.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It's good to be back!

Acta Non Verba

How you like dem brows?

PANTIES!

Just another day at the office...

Let them eat cake!

Happy birthday toooooooo....

No words need be spoken

Skeletons in the closet

Opposite of "Evil Step-Mom"

Jury Dooty

WTF

Found the password........again

BACK

Loves The Bath

Proud of my work!

Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Happy Halloween!

Still here!

Happy Day

HELP

Hot tub!!!

YO.

Anatomy of Carson's naps

Meme

Bumbo seat

HI!

Hot Fuss!

The Hive.

The Bee Master

Opps! He did it again!

My "Manny"

Family Trip

"The Graduate"

SHOTS!!

Hi!!

Happy Memorial Day

What the ~?!

A Public Service Announcement

The Blow Out

Picture of a picture

Random

More on crazy guy next door

Baby Bumps!

OW!

My sweet baby

Happy Kids

More details

quick update

All my bags are packed.....

A pet peeve

Fear

3 am

Almost there

Creepy guy

Detective?

GAME DAY!!!

*cough*

April 14, 2006

My Space

Catrina has left the buliding...

YAWN......

34 weeks tomorrow

???

Baby shower

Still in Hell

ADT Hell

Phew!!!!

Last night's dream

Crib bedding

And the dog has to suffer

News from the bed.

New rug

Wouldn't trade him for the world!

Bedrest!!!!

Stress

Super Bowl food

No title needed

New clothes for the baby!

I'm getting bigger!

5 Weird Habits

cough