THE BLOG OF ETERNAL STENCH

Two to Three

2010-03-09T15:14:00.003-06:00

I've noticed a trend now that I'm a mama to a newborn...

I used to sleep through the night, now I wake up every
2-3 hours

Seems like Jeff's day now beings between
2:00 and 3:00 am

I used to do laundry every weekend, and now it seems I do
2-3 loads in a day

I used to be anal about checking my mail, now I check it every
2-3 days

The average time for me to return a phone call right now, seems to be
2-3 days (if you're lucky!)

I'm lucky if I get a shower in every
2-3 days

I used to be really anal about cleaning my house, but now I'm lucky if I can vacuum every
2-3 weeks!

And if you ask, we're not having another kid for
2-3 years!

Ten Things I've Learned in the Past 3 Weeks

2010-02-22T11:22:00.002-06:00

10. She may smile because she has gas, but I think it's because she recognizes my voice.
9. They grow quickly. That is no lie.
8. Car seats are heavy.
7. We have a ton of burp cloths, yet we can never find one when we need one.
6. Diaper bags: How to pack them, what to pack them with, etc.
5. You can live off little to no sleep (but that doesn't mean you are pleasant to be around).
4. For someone so small, she has more laundry than both Jeff and I combined.
3. You can NEVER have too many diapers.
2. Projectile poop happens. Prepare yourselves.
1. I love motherhood.

We're Alive!

2010-02-08T22:03:00.004-06:00

Hello World, I've been disconnected for a few days now. Okay, not completely, but from the blogging world I've taken a short leave of absence. But all for a great reason!

K.T. is already 10 days old and I feel like the time has flown! To all of those people who have told me that time flies once you have kids, I feel like I can now relate. It seems like next week she'll be playing t-ball and in a month she'll be turning 16 - am I over exaggerating? Maybe, but hormones make you crazy like that.

My baby turned 1 week last Friday!

To all my women friends who have yet to have babies, BE WARNED, the post partum hormones are crazy! Do you hear me? C.R.A.Z.Y. One moment you are same 'ole, same 'ole, the next moment you're crying for no good reason. And to all my women friends who HAVE had babies, thanks a lot for not warning me about this part! Poor Jeff, he's in a lose-lose situation. Actually, I think the worst has passed (first week). Friday I didn't even cry once! Yeah!

K.T. has been such a fantastic baby - I still can't believe she is already here. Jeff and I spend a lot of time just staring at her and enjoying the cute baby noises that she makes. She hardly ever cries, only when she's hungry - oh, and if she gets a bath (not a fan...yet). She's gaining weight, which is the most fantastic part as we had a little trouble last week with eating. But we've established a routine and her appetite seems to be growing every day. I already think she's filled out some.

We have another pediatrician appointment on Friday to do her 2-week follow up (2 weeks?!? *sob* See? Crazy hormones!). I'm sick of doctors appointments. We had about 3 last week and I'm sick of seeing people poke and prod at my baby! :(

Jeff is off another week from work this week - thank God. He's such an awesome Dad, as I knew he would be. He handles a lot of early morning (3am on) feedings so I can get more sleep and he's so natural with her, it's amazing. While we have enjoyed visits from family and friends, my favorite time is when the three of us get to relax together. No worries, just quality time - because once Jeff and I go back to work, we'll miss this time and I realize that. I'm starting to see how people can be Stay-at-Home-Mom's now.... I don't want to leave my baby at daycare (tearing up).

K.T. and Daddy

Well, that's the latest. Hope everyone is doing well! Can someone tell me what day it is? or maybe what's going on in the world? How about the weather?

K.T. Koenig

2010-02-03T00:08:00.004-06:00

Well, she's here! A little early, but I know she's mine if she was this "impatient" to get here. Not in the mood to write, so I'll post a pic instead.

Katherine Teal "K.T." Koenig
born
Friday, January 29, 2010
at
12:34pm
via c-section
Weight: 5lbs 11oz
Length: 19 inches

Good Morning, 30. I've been expecting you.

2010-01-27T07:15:00.003-06:00

It's here! My 30th birthday. For those of you wondering if I'm freaking out, the answer is no - surprisingly! I've had my freak out - on my way out of my mid-twenties. So I think I'm over that part, which makes the transition into the next decade that much easier.

My twenties were great - I'd be lying if I said I accomplished everything I wanted to do during them, cause the answer is not really. But I've got bigger plans for this next decade. Reference my post from last year.

So bring it 30's - I'm ready and excited for your arrival. I've got big plans for you and I plan on accomplishing all of them - ALL of them do you hear me?! And just to remind myself of exactly what I want to accomplish, I'm reposting my goals for my thirties:

Have 2 healthy babies, God-willing, by age 33/34.
Stop living with regrets. Put it in the past and move on. It's well past time.
Use my passport a minimum of 2 times. Jeff and I will make it to Italy in the next decade.
Time for a healthy lifestyle change. Stop using the excuse not too lose weight due to the fact that you'll just gain it back with kids. Ridiculous. And stupid. Lose the weight. And keep it off.
KILL the student loans and be fiscally responsible
Read more. I'm talking classics, non-fiction, how-to's. Educate myself.
Watch less TV. Jeff and I are constantly battling with tv/productivity. Cancel cable if need be.
Stop wishing and start becoming the person I want to be
Stop comparing myself to others and start living the life I want
Buy land
Define my career path and stick with my hobbies, never compromising my (or my family's) happiness
Always keep the goals in sight and on track
Embrace life and live it up
Evaluate what was good and what was bad about my twenties
Keep my marriage on track, set goals, and keep the magic

The Waiting Game

2010-01-24T21:48:00.003-06:00

The showers are over, all major holidays have passed and January 2010 is fixing to roll on by. All milestones in anticipation of K.T. are over, and now it's just a waiting game to see when she'll get here. Take a person who's normally a stressball, add high-blood pressure, add preclampsia, add your typical "holy-geeze-i'm-fixing-to-have-a-baby" anxiety and then add TIME on to that, what do you think that makes? Well, I'll let you pose that question to Jeff as my interpretation is a bit skewed. :)

The bp has been a bit high lately, not going to beat around the bush on that one. The doctor said that it's just going to be more elevated the farther we go in pregnancy. I can't tell you when K.T. is going to get here - as we are a bit in the dark ourselves. I think, at this point, we are just playing things week-by-week, seeing how the bp is doing and how K.T. is reacting to it.

We have another appointment tomorrow and since this week we turn 36 weeks, we're hoping to find out more information. At least a game plan. Do I want K.T. to come early? Yes and No.

Yes, as I'm exhausted. The third trimester has not been my friend, I will admit. My energy levels have been pitiful, my mood swings have been insane and I'm ready to start shedding all of this weight, both the water and the actual pounds gained. I'm tired! And, let's face it, I'm anxious to meet her!

The no is two-fold as well. First and foremost, I want her to bake as long as she needs to to make it out here in this tough world (and hello, can we say cedar pollen?). She's still a little small, hovering somewhere around the 5lb mark I think, right now. So, I want to make sure her lungs are developed, her weight is okay, etc. And if she has to be in there longer, than I'm fine with that! But I'm also scared out of my mind (partially) - hello? I've never raised a baby! I told Jeff the other day, I think the weirdest part is going to be bringing her home and then going "okay, now what?" - let's begin this chapter of our life, now! how crazy is that?

I know this post is mostly rambling, but I just wanted to give an update to those of you who are still reading it! (dont' be shy with the comments) Like I said, we'll know more soon and I'll try to keep everybody as updated as possible!

Until then, I'll try my hardest to RELAX.

I'm Beat

2010-01-17T20:40:00.005-06:00

Actually, make that WE are beat. What a fantastic weekend, though - so it was worth every ounce of energy put forth. Jeff's mom, sister and our newest niece, Taylor came in on Friday night for our San Antonio baby shower that was this Saturday. Taylor has grown so much since we have last seen her, and Jenny, you are right, she's looking more and more like you! Just you wait until the hair comes in, I'm betting the resemblance will continue.

Jenny and Taylor Jo

We marked another 'to-do' item off our list on Friday night. Jeff and Debbie painted the bathroom! Thank goodness - as this project was starting to drive me bonkers (you'd understand if you saw how many paint samples were on the wall). We ended up going with a sherbert or butterscotch-ish orange. I like it, I do - but it's ORANGE! Having to get used to it and trying to think of ways to break it up a bit. But overall, I'm pleased!

pretty orangey

On Saturday morning, Jeff and I took a safety/first aid/newborn care class at the hospital. It was about a four hour class, but I'm glad we took if for nothing else, the CPR part was informative. We even got to practice on dolls, that looked more like aliens in my opinion.

alien baby (check out that girl's hair next to me!)

Later that afternoon, we went over to my friend Sarah's house (who is expecting her first baby end of April) for our Couples Baby Shower! The entire event was hosted by my 6 of my closest friends (2 of which are related to me!): Sarah U., Sarah S., Meghan, Ellen, Carilee and Em! Let me just tell you how thankful I am for these guys. I know this was a huge feat as I've got a pretty great group of family and friends in the San Antonio area. It seemed like EVERYONE showed up, and thank you to ALL of you who did. Jeff and I were truly humbled by the turnout and consider each and every one of you a special part of our life and pretty soon a part of K.T.'s life as well!

Hostesses with the Mostesses (??)

Awesome letters made by Calli (love them!)

Kady, K.T. & Katie (love the hair btw, Katie!)

I didn't lift a single finger to click a photo - I left it to my Mom (thanks, Mom!). One things for certain, and I KNOW this, I've got a lot of work to do on the 'ole body once K.T. joins us. Jeff and I actually went looking at jogging strollers today - not sure if I might ask for gift cards for my upcoming birthday to go and purchase one of these bad boys. Sure it's for her to be in, but it's also for me! I've got a bridesmaids dress to fit into at the end of April!

One thing is for certain - I'm ready to pay it forward. We've had such a huge outpouring of support from everyone during this entire pregnancy and I'm ready to do the same for someone else. So let's get crack-a-lackin' on those babies, ladies!

Anyway, last evening my mother-in-law and sister-in-law finished sewing the bumper and blanket for K.T.'s room. A project that has been touched by many hands, including my Mom's and myself. So it was a great group effort from both sides of the family - and I'll be sure and let K.T. know it. It looks great in the crib, don't you think?

bumper and blanket

This morning, Debbie and Jenny left a little early to head back to Houston, and what was supposed to be a rest day, turned into a minor (okay, not soooo minor) outing in which Jeff and I went on a little shopping spree to Target and Babies R Us to buy some items we didn't receive at our shower. Mainly, the diaper champ, changing pad and cover and we needed another car seat base for Jeff's truck.

BUT, I did take it easy this afternoon - we watched movies all afternoon and so-far have had a relaxing evening (although, I am doing some laundry on the side, with Jeff's assistance of course).

Now, all we are waiting for is K.T. to join us. That could be anywhere from 3- 6 weeks - so stay tuned!

Bed Rest, Weekend 1 = FAIL

2010-01-10T22:09:00.002-06:00

Well, not total failure, but I didn't "stay still" or really rest to tell you the truth. I know, I know, I'm going to try to work on it, I really am.

Seems like last week I suffered from another bout of insomnia. Two nights I stayed up till well past 1am. Yeah, I was doing work both of those nights, but if I had been "tired" I would of wrapped up shop a lot earlier than that and called it a night, but I had the 'energy' so I went for it. Now my schedule is all screwed up, but I think we're almost back on track. Maybe.

This week is going to be interesting - I am definitely going to try to be available to work. In fact, I already have some work lined up for tomorrow, but nothing too heavy. It's kind of nice to be able to work still, to tell you the truth. It keeps me busy, not that I have a lack of projecs around the house.

This week Jeff is going to finish the bathroom and K.T.'s closet. These two projects have been hanging over our head for a long time now and we need to just get it done. Obviously, I'll be taking a more "supervisory" role in these projects - I'm pretty good at doing that! ha!

And I'm pretty sure I'm entering my "nesting" period (weird saying that) as I'm really wanting to get a lot of little things taken care of (cleaning, washing K.T.'s clothes, some design work I've been wanting to do before she got here, and a whole other list of things). Let's just see how much I actually get done.

I'm also looking forward to my shower this coming weekend! I can't tell you how grateful I am to my friends for hosting this for me - I truly appreciate all the hardwork and effort that has been put into it!

Another One Bites the Dust

2010-01-07T21:34:00.004-06:00

Just a quick post to say that Jeff and I, in keeping with my new years resolutions, killed another debt today! Wahoo! Feels so good - I seriously can get a high off of paying off debt. Is that a nerdy thing to say? Who cares. "Another one bit the dust" today! On to the next one - I can't wait to kill it!!

And also, because I'm watching the commercial right now, the FINAL season of LOST premiers February 2nd.... sad and happy all at once.

The Third Trimester

2010-01-07T20:54:00.002-06:00

I knew it. I knew that this pregnancy was going waaaay too smooth - in fact, like a pessimist, I was just waiting for that other shoe to drop. And drop it has, though it's not all that bad really.

Yesterday, my doctor swung by for a visit to check in on me. While my 24-hour *ahem* sample came back okay, overall my blood pressure readings were still high - so, the prescription came in:

BED REST

Le Sigh.

We're not talking kick my feet up in the bed all day, all night. We're talking stay at home, don't travel too far from home, light exertion, etc. I asked if yoga was okay, and after raising an eyebrow and asking me what types of moves we do, I convinced her to let me at least try. Thank goodness... you can't take away my social time with other prego ladies! It's just not right! Jeff can't handle all these complaints (just kidding.... sorta).

Fortunately, I'm able to do some work from home. Modern technology is so awesome. I just connect through the VPN and voila, there's my desktop and everything - I can even use the communicator to chat with everyone back at the office. I know, this has been around for awhile, but at least I'm finally on the bandwagon. And did I mention that I'm so happy to finally have CS4? Makes my life so much easier.

I plan on showing my company that they can count on me so that I can at least bring some income in during this time out and show them why they need to hire me full time after K.T. :) What? I'm competitive, it's not a bad thing.

I'm going to realllllly try to relax - I realize it's not my forte. In fact, relaxing sometimes makes my blood pressure rise more than actually doing something. For example, my bro asked me the other day to picture what it is that can make me relax and he through out a beach. I have got to tell you, just ask Jeff when we went to the Bahamas, how crazy the thought of lying out on the beach makes me. I can't do it - it's one of the worse activities I can think of. So now, 99% of you think I'm crazy, but at least you can see my end.

I think I could go for snow, cozy fire, blanket and warm drink as relaxing.... too bad I'm too far from snow.

Anyway, back to the point, I'm going to really try to relax and listen to my body. If I need to take a nap, take a nap. If the house isn't clean for one day *cringe*, then okay, fine, I need to make do *swallow*.

My doctor also mentioned that if we can't get the blood pressure under control, then our precious K.T. may be joinging us a bit earlier than we expected, possibly as early as 37 weeks, which is FOUR weeks away from today. I'm excited and nervous at the thought!

With this in mind, she prescribed me two steroid shots that will help develop K.T.'s lungs a little faster. I received the first dose yesterday and Jeff and I had to go back to the hospital this morning to get the second injection. I hope it does the trick. My main concern is that when she does get here, she'll be healthy! Please, Lord.

So that's where we are at right now. Trying to find the balance and get through the next four to seven weeks! I'll have some added time on my hands, my friends, so I'm sure there weill be more updates! Stay tuned.

Oh, and I forgot one of the most important details, I think K.T. finally FLIPPED! We had a quick sonogram yesterday while in the hospital and the doctor found her head down low - wahoo!

Test Run? or No Fun?

2010-01-05T21:07:00.002-06:00

I'm going to go with the no fun part! Please, let me explain.

Monday afternoon I had a regular doctor's appointment to just check on things, particularly my blood pressure as it's been a bit elevated the last few visits. So, after a Non-Stress Test (NST) in which I lounged on a recliner in partial darkness and listened to K.T.'s heartbeat, I thought I'd had enough time to destress from the days activities. Apparently, not so much.

My reading was 140/90 - which translates to No Bueno! And after feeling the tightness and swelling in my calves, things didn't look much better. I thought, great, now what's the doc going to say? I've got to get back to work! I'm on deadline!

Well, my day took a sharp turn when she told me she wanted to send me to the hospital to admit me for a 36-hour observation period. Basically I'll have my blood pressure monitored at regular intervals and I have to give my fourth, count 'em, fourth 24-hour urine sample throughout this pregnancy.

So to get to the point, Jeff and I made our way to the hospiatal around 8pm last night after taking care of the animals and getting work out of the way. Protocol was to start in the OB ER and get all your vitals taken care of while they fill out the paperwork to admit you. I'm not going to lie, this was time consuming. We ran out of patience after the 4-hour mark. But, finally we were admitted to a room around 12:45 am and after multiple nurse visits, we finally dozed off around 1:45 am.

Jeff got up early to head to work and I had to get up to sneak in some work, since I had a deadline that I couldn't leave hanging. Basically, the day has been pretty boring...lots of visits to do bp checks and vitals, hospital food and work! (thank God for modern technology)

Anyway, I'm supposed to break out of here tomorrow around noon - which in hospital speak probably means 2 or 3pm? maybe?

But just to summarize, everything is fine and this was merely a precautionary testing period. I think this might determine if I will be on bed rest or not, but I won't find out more about that till after these results come in. The good news is I got my fancy-schmancy laptop in from work! Wahoo!

And might I add that Jeff wins 2010 Husband of the Year, and we're only five days in!! That should tell you how great he's been!

my desk for the day

swollen

where Jeff's been sleeping

K.T. and my swollen hand

Insomnia Ramblings

2010-01-03T01:13:00.002-06:00

It's late. 1:14am to be exact and I can't sleep. Could have something to do with my 2.5 hour nap from earlier. But you would think a 32-wk pregger could fall asleep on a dime, which is normally the case, but no so much tonight.

I've been perusing the web for the past 2 hours (since Tech pulled out a great win over Michigan St.) and am getting all kinds of inspiration. Photography, crafts, writing. I'm anxious to get started on something.

I used to read. A lot. But I've just not been in a reading mood. For the past 8 months or so. While I still watch an indecent amount of tv at nights, I'm thinking I need to use some of my pent up of energy (not that there is much of it these days) on other ventures. I'm just not sure of what that is at this point.

I think it's time to start investigating hobbies.

A Time for Resolutions

2010-01-01T12:23:00.002-06:00

Sure, we may not meet them all, and after awhile they start sounding redundant. But I genuinely feel by posting my New Years Resolutions I'm held more accountable then if I wouldn't of posted them at all. My list this year may not have been as lengthy as last years, but it's not less important. Some of these items may be easier to meet than others, but again they are all equal in importance.

So, without further ado:

For the last 8 weeks of pregnancy, focus on providing K.T. with better nutrition than I've done these past 7 months. And while my general lack of energy is disheartening, I plan on remaining mobile (walks in the evening and continuation with my yoga class) so that this may help with ease of delivery, slow down on weight gain and put me into good practice for post-delivery.
Snag a full time job. While I feel confident with the company I am currently with as a contractor, I would be stupid to think that I have a 100% guarantee in this department. Hopefully things will be settled by the time I go on maternity leave, but if this isn't the case, I'll have a lot of work to do on my end.
Focus on my photography. 2009 gave me the opportunity to grow as a photographer. I took a course, had a part-time photography job and even landed a few gigs of my own. All of which were fantastic learning experiences. However, there is still so much to learn and I'm anxious to find my particular style. Luckily, I'll have a pretty good model to use here in a few weeks!
Focus on a healthy lifestyle after K.T.'s arrival. I refuse to be a fat, overweight parent and Jeff is in agreement. I really wanted to start training for a sprint-tri pre-baby, so I'm hopeful about adding this back into my goals. I may start with a basic 5k (note: I am not a runner), but I need goals to strive towards, it really helps out. Plus, I'm super anxious to get back on my bike. I've been on a hiatus since July :( and I truly love cycling.
Vacation time, just the two of us. Jeff and I have realized that we haven't taken a vacation by ourselves since our honeymoon in '05. Ridiculous if you ask me. While we love our families, and most of the time vacationing with them, we've realized it's important to take the time for ourselves as well. So this year, we are planning on treating ourselves to a 30's trip. Right now, we are both digging the thought of Seattle.
Continue paying off debt. Jeff and I paid off a substantial amount of debt in 2009 and I'd like to continue this momentum into 2010. We still have those pesky student loans that I'm determined to defeat in the next five years or so. Sure, the baby is going to be expensive, but we've made strides over the past year to put ourselves in a good position to afford baby and continue debt reduction. This year I'm aiming to kill the other auto loan, one student loan and at least start chipping away at another one.

All-in-all I think it's a good list. It's going to take some hard work, some harder than others to pull it off, but with the right encouragement I think I can be successful! I hope you've made some great resolutions for yourself as well. I'm a strong believer in goals - and if don't set any for ourselves, what do we have to reach for?

Saying Goodbye to 2009

2009-12-31T11:46:00.002-06:00

This year was a rollercoaster to say the least, but no year, in my opinion, is a bad year. Let's just be thankful for the time that we have in this great life. Just a look back at a few things that happened in 2009.

Colleen was laid off her job late January
We took our annual ski trip to Ruidoso in February (to our dismay, there was no snow)
J.R. and Ashley got engaged! (yeah! a sister-in-law)
Colleen received part time work doing real estate photography
My Dad turned 60 and we threw him a kick-ass party! Mustaches and all....
Traveled to St. Augustine, FL to participate in one of my best friends weddings
Found out we were pregnant in June (but revealed to family in friends in July)
Because of the last bullet, Jeff and I are officially my parents favorites! at least Mom's... :)
Colleen got a great contracting gig with a great company in August (and hoping for something more permanent in 2010)
Discovered we were having a baby GIRL
Welcomed our new niece, Taylor Jo into the world!
Jeff learned how to install flooring and put up wainscotting
Completely finished one room in the house, even if the occupant hasn't joined us yet
We had our first official photography gig in October when we shot a wedding
Jeff passed his NICET level II exam (on to level III)
We paid off Jeff's truck (hurray!)
Jeff got his Concealead Handgun License
Became Godparents to our new niece, Taylor Jo Sprinkle

Looking back, it was a pretty busy year!

I'm going to try to slap my 2010 resolutions up a little bit later today. Stay tuned!

Had to Share

2009-12-29T09:49:00.003-06:00

Love this shot of Jeff that I took over the weekend.

Merry Christmas from the Koenig's

2009-12-24T16:07:00.004-06:00

I thought I'd do better this year and actually get the cards out on time, but considering I didn't even make the cards, well, you can see the dilemma. Next year, my friends and family, next year....

With that in mind, enjoy (and keep in mind, we're not the most photogenic couple :) :

It's Starting to Get Real

2009-12-14T20:13:00.002-06:00

I realize I've slacked on the blogging thing, lately. Work has kept me pretty busy and we've been out of town every weekend for a month it seems. So, I've got my excuses, and I'm using them!

This past weekend was a busy one! Jeff and I are slowing down are schedules as we are only 10 weeks away from baby day - is that crazy to think of or what? I'm a little freaked out myself, not going to lie. So, we took our last trip to Houston until K.T. arrives. We had so many things to fit into the weekend.

First up was my Houston baby shower - graciously hosted by my two sister-in-laws, Lauren and Jenny, and one of my oldest friends, Michelle. They did an awesome job, from invitation to cake! A lot of Jeff's family were able to make it and some family friends as well. My Mom and Dad also came into town the evening before. Jeff got to amuse Dad, which apparently isn't too hard if you take him to Fry's, Gander Mountain and a BBQ restaurant.

I got a lot of great things, including our car seat, a tummy time mat, a blanket, baby monitors, a bottle warmer, a wipe warmer, and lots of cute bath items.

Afterwards, we went over to visit Jeff's grandma and then over to his parents house for an early Koenig Christmas. K.T. sure seemed to rack up the gifts for someone who hasn't even joined us yet! But we're not complaining. Jeff and I also got some nice gifts as well, so thanks to everyone for the goodies!

But the weekend wasn't over with yet. We spent the night with Jenny and Ryan and baby Taylor, who I am now pleased to call my Goddaughter! That's right, they baptized Miss Taylor Jo on Sunday morning and honored Jeff and I by asking us to be her Godparents. We are more than thrilled to take on this role. So thank you to Jenny and Ryan! After the service, we headed back to their house for some bbq and then Jeff and I literally had to eat and run.

We made a very quick stop at IKEA to pick up some shelves for K.T.'s room and a bed for a friend. Then on our way out, we stopped by one of Jeff's buddy's new house to take a look.

We eventually pulled out of the Houston-area around 5pm - which is pretty late for us and made it back to San Antonio around 8:30 last night - completely exhuasted!

Tonight we're putting ornaments on the tree - I know, we're a bit behind! But, honestly, this seems like the only time we've had in quite some time.

I'm looking forward to a quiet, but festive, Christmas here at home! I'm not making any plans in January, aside from my San Antonio baby shower (which is being held 10 minutes from my house). I think I just want to enjoy some time with Jeff, just the two of us, since we are soon going to have our lives changed forever!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Perfect!

2009-12-10T23:06:00.002-06:00

This is true love - you think this happens every day? ~ Wesley

I only call him that because that's how he refers to himself (well, minus the "Mr.") - but between you and me, he's pretty close to it. Jeff turned 29 today! I surprised him by bringing a cake by his office today and then taking him out for lunch. After work, we met up with my parents for some dinner and we'll celebrate again this weekend with his side of the family.

Love you, babe! Happy Birthday!

My Worst Enemy

2009-11-24T12:03:00.003-06:00

"The face of the enemy frightens me only when I see how much it resembles me" – Anonymous

It’s the cliché – and I am living it. Something I am not pleased about:

I AM my own worst enemy.

Weight is something I’ve struggled with for the better part of 12 years now. If you need a quick lesson in nutrition or metabolism as it relates to you then go off to college, quit all athletic activity and subsist off of Hot Pockets, Coca-Cola and Snickers bars. Then you’ll see where things take you…roughly, 20 lbs heavier than high school.

Now the real challenge? Pregnancy.

How many times did I say pre-pregnancy that when I find out I am going to put myself on a strict diet – Salads, fruit, veggies, the works. Did I say it to you? Or you? Probably. I spouted how I would take care of my blood pressure and only gain the recommended 25 lbs – I would succeed.

Turns out I’m eating (no pun intended) those words. At 27 weeks, I have already exceeded the 25lb mark, by how much, I’ll keep to myself thank you very much. My blood pressure over the past 6 weeks has fluctuated but finally stabilized courtesy of an increase in medication. Not something I’m thrilled with either. And now, for the latest…

My glucose levels are a bit elevated. Fantastic. That’s all I need. But who’s to blame? Myself of course. There is no one else. I control everything that goes into this body and I have essentially failed myself.

And the best part about? I’m now going to have to exercise extreme will power during the holidays. Oh Joy!

Next week I am supposed to go take my 3-hour glucose test to determine if I have gestational diabetes (what a horrible word and one I NEVER associated with myself). Regardless of what the results are, the answer is very clear: Get your diet under control! No more baking, no more dessert every day (yes, every day), no more excuses not to exercise (you still have two feet and the ability to walk).

It’s time to get inside of my own head. I’m not trying to lose weight at this point – I merely want to sustain this current weight is possible and/or prevent an extreme gain.

The reasons are clear:

Obviously, for K.T. and her health, the number one reason!
I don’t want a huge baby. Diabetic babies can easily come out 10lbs or more – no thank you!
For my own health – and helping shed the pounds post pregnancy

Looks like I’ll be browsing through Diabetic/Healthy Living Cookbooks over my Thanksgiving holiday. Joy….

Rockin' and Reclinin'

2009-11-20T21:50:00.002-06:00

Well, we debated for awhile whether we were going to get a glider or a rocker or what for the nursery. I have heard all kinds of stories from people who love gliders, from people who prefer recliners, from people who didn't use either. So, we went with our own instinct and decided to go the recliner route.

I know of several people who have included a twin-size bed in their kids nursery, but we don't have the bed, nor the space to tell you the truth. While I don't anticipate sleeping in the nursery, I hear it's not that uncommon, so I wanted their to be an alternative if we need to have an all-nighter (please, I hope not).

I searched Big Lots and a lot of the budget stores, but wasn't finding one that really fit. So we finally went to our default furniture store, Lacks, and found a nice one! Plenty of room for Jeff and myself, though not together :D, and a place to hold cup (or bottle) and store some burp cloths. In an ideal world of course.

But we like it so far, and funny enough, Jeff went in there yesterday while I was out in the living room and he came back 10 minutes later, looking sleepy and replied "I won't have trouble sleeping in that at all" - too funny!

And if all else fails and K.T. doesn't take to the recliner, then it's going out in the living room which would be fine with Jeff as he's wanted one for quite some time.

This is what Motherhood Looks Like

2009-11-13T13:28:00.003-06:00

My mother sent this to me in an email today with the subject line "This is what motherhood looks like" - I thought it was hilarious and also super cute - look at that kitten! :)

Belly Buddies

2009-11-08T20:06:00.004-06:00

Here's a pic of me and Jeff belly to belly (hint: I'm in the gray) :)

Also, here's one I took last week at 23 weeks, 2 days before we left for the Notre Dame game. Pardon the mess on the walls - paint samples for the bathroom (and fyi, that's my concentration face! :D )

Weekend Recap

2009-11-08T17:19:00.003-06:00

I forgot to put a post on Friday for my MOTHER who celebrated her 59th birthday - it's okay, I'm her daughter, I can rat her out on the age thing. Plus, next year means we're going to PAR-TAY for her 60th - can't wait! :) We celebrated with a nice dinner and then over to my place for a homemade carrot cake (thank you very much) and some gifts (of course).

Jeff's Mom and sister, Jenny, and her new baby Taylor were also in town for a weekend visit. I wanted to spend the weekend looking for a few things we needed for K.T.'s room, so we decided to make a day out of it on Saturday. And boy did we.

First a stop at Babies R Us - Debbie bought us the much needed mattress for her crib that we set up last weekend and Jenny needed a few things for Taylor since it was their first 'road trip.' Then we went to Home Goods to look for a floor lamp and chair for the nursery, but no luck. Next we headed over to La Cantera. I had been wanting to go to Anthropologie to check out their hardware to replace the knobs on the top drawers of K.T.'s dresser. I'll admit, this was a splurge, but something I wanted. I'll have to skimp somewhere else in the nursery, but I thought these were so cute. Originally, I was going to mix and match designs, but I saw these knobs and fell in love (can you blame me?).

a little blurry, but you get the idea

We then visited Gymboree and The Children's Place and Baby Gap to look for clothes for Taylor, and I have to say, I can see how people get carried away. The clothes are adorable and the sales are crazy. Clearance items for $4.99. Sure sounds great, but when you get up to the registry with 10 items in your hand you've all of a sudden spent $50! I'll have to make a mental note to avoid that trap :) haha.

Taylor was so good on our outings. But that night, poor baby wasn't feeling well. She screamed her little head off for about 3 hours straight. She had gotten her 2 month shots the day before and I think that with a mixture of traveling and a *ahem* backlogged system, she was just not feeling it. I felt bad for Jenny, it's hard to see your baby scream and not know how to help her. I was little use, as I wasn't really sure what to do - so I pretty much stayed out of the way and tried to send good vibes to K.T. to please, please, please do her best to tell me what she needs when she comes into this world. For some reason, I think I'll have some all-nighters ahead of me, though.

This morning Taylor was feeling a bit better but I think she started getting upset that she had to leave Uncle Jeff and Aunt Colleen's place, cause she started fussing again. One useful tip learned though? Jenny ended up putting her in her car seat and stroller and walked her around in the house and she ended up dozing right off. They ended up pulling out this morning in a torrential down pour (the odds in S.A.? Slim to none) to head back to Houston.

To say the least, it was an EVENTFUL weekend! I'm exhausted. I'm trying to get the hubs to relax this evening on the couch with a good movie (let's see if it works).

Here are a few more pics of K.T.'s room with furniture (but not all):

KT's Room Update: 95% finished!

2009-11-01T23:04:00.002-06:00

We are ALMOST there :) and it is looking JUST like I imagined (don't you love it when that happens?). After a long week for the both of us, we did sporadic painting on the wainscoting. Jeff painted in phases all week and today he finally put on the finishing coat.

So we caulked this evening and touched up the teal paint and I just HAD to get my hot pink shag rug in the room to see how things looked! What do you think?

Now the only thing left is just a little bit of trim INSIDE the closet and painting that baseboard and we are THROUGH! I'm so lucky to have such a talented husband!

Under Pressure

2009-10-21T20:16:00.003-05:00

I'm taking a break from blogging about KT's room. Mainly, because we haven't done much since the last update. Okay, Jeff filled in the nail holes with putty, but I hardly think that would of made for riveting, on the edge of your seat blogging. Not that this an adventure/thrill blog, but you know, I've got to weed out some stuff.

So what else has been going on besides Colleen getting bigger (i.e. fatter) and baking the bun in my proverbial oven? Well, I had my first wedding shoot this past weekend. It was interesting to say the least...

Let's just say things didn't pan out as smoothly as I would of liked. The experience taught me a lot. Mainly... that I don't think I'm ready to shoot weddings yet (not that I had envisioned myself going in this path, but one every once in awhile wouldn't hurt). Secondly, it's a lot of pressure to shoot someone's wedding. That doesn't bode well for a person who is a huge ball of stress anyway. And while I'm outgoing in personality, I don't think I possess the suaveness of true photographers enough to mingle with the guests and get shots of groups. I think I really dropped the ball on that aspect.

And probably the BIGGEST lesson I learned was night photography is hard. Very hard. Particularly when the lighting goes from lights to darkness to sunset to dusk. I have a flash, it's true, and I mostly know how to use it. But, I could always go for more lessons because shooting on the spot and trying to get lighting just right is difficult.

So for the course of the next few days, I'm spending my evenings editing and cleaning up photos and hoping I got enough good shots that the bride doesn't strangle me and question why she hired me in the first place.

And boy, did I underestimate how hard this would be at 5 months prego (*wait* holy crap!! I'm five months pregnant!! Where has the time gone?!?) ... My poor feet felt like someone had taken a meat tenderizer to the bottom of them. I figured out that this is why pregnant women waddle. It's not the weight, and it's not the baby. It's the feet hurting so bad you have to rock back and forth quickly from one to the other.

So there, is that enough whining for you tonight? lol. Next one will be more upbeat (I hope).