I hope you like vegetables...

Everyone is different when it comes to their grocery list. Some just put it on a small scrap of paper. Some have a very elaborate check list. Some just go off memory.

Mine is quite particular. There is only one store I like to go to. Therefore, I made a spreadsheet with each Aisle # and what's on that aisle. It even has colors.

However, I have a bit of a shorthand when it comes to what I write down. I already know in my head what I need, so I am really just reminding myself of what to grab.

For instance - Tomato Sauce may be written down as: (2) 16oz tom sauce

Ground Beef? (aka hamburger meat): 1 hmeat (means 1 pound of hamburger meat)

If i am making salads for the week, I just write down what veggies I need and grab what I think is the right amount when I get there.

(I promise my point is coming)

Today, while eating breakfast, I had a contraction.
It hurt.
A lot.
And this one Lee witnessed since he wasn't asleep in bed next to me. He rubbed my back and his eyes bugged out of his head.

After that, I gave up on breakfast and started my grocery list. While watching tv I mentioned to Lee I would go to the store while he took my car in for service. He looked right at me and said "No. you are not going anywhere alone."
Oh - you mean because of that contraction earlier eh?

I learn at 38 weeks what it takes to get my husband to grocery shop? dammit.

So while he was in the shower, I rewrote my list so that it was less shorthand. I even tried to write "next to the soup" by the beef broth, etc. Things I thought would help him navigate without me.

He only called me once to ask me something and so I figured all was ok.

When I started to unpack the bags, I noticed a few odd things...

Tostada shells? Why?
Lee: You wrote "hard tortillas."
Me: omg. baby brain. I couldn't think the words "taco shells." (see? I would have known what I meant at the store...)

Also - enough carrots to feed a stable of horses.
Lee: You just wrote "carrots." you need to write how many!!

Probably a good 6 red bell peppers, 2 heads of lettuce, and a bag of tomatoes. I am thinking a whole meal this week needs to just be a big ass salad!

I was at a loss of where to put all this stuff. Bags of chips, bags of popcorn, other inventive man shopping items.

The one thing I needed that wasn't in there?

Tupperware. (I am making extra food for post-baby).

Lee: I had no idea where that was I can wanted the hell out of there.

Ok.

Grocery shopping from now on should be interesting.

Ranch dip and carrots will be an easy snack for at least a month...

Ever So Thankful

Usually I am not a sappy person - I don't sit around and list my thankful's.

But this year, with awesome hormones raging, I will give in and give it at whirl...

I am the most Thankful for my marriage, which I honestly think is the strongest one out there.

Without Lee in my life, I just don't see how I would be a happy person. He makes me laugh, holds me when I cry, rubs my back when it is sore, listens when I nee

d to vent... he is my rock, the love of my life,... he really is everything to me...

On that note, I am so thankful for our new little addition:

Who is surely to be a big addition in the next 2 weeks:

I am Thankful for my dogs (i know it's sappy!) but they really bring a smile to my face no matter what mood I am in or what else is happening in my life:

I am super Thankful for family:

And best friends:

I am thankful for the roof over my head, which we have renovated completely:

I hope none of this seems shallow or selfish - it's just comes to mind when I think about my life. I know so many others out there have struggles and are thankful for many other things...

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Is this... it?

Last night I was acting, as Lee put it, "The most bizarre I have seen you act the whole pregnancy."
I couldn't sit still. I got up and dusted the house.
Sat down.
Got up and swiffered the floors.
Sat down.
Got up and wiped off the kitchen table.
Sat down.
Couldn't concentrate on the TV or my magazines, nothing. I was also feeling my stomach harden up like a boulder.

Finally, exhausted, I go to bed - only to wake at 12:30am with a very painful contraction that lasted a good minute and I couldn't breathe it away or roll around to make it stop. Picture me, laying in bed google-ing "Labor symptoms" into my phone. After an hour, I quit freaking out and fell back to sleep. I had woken Lee up, but he just mumbled "let me know if it's game time" and went back to sleep.

All morning I had a low stomach ache so I finally emailed my awesome nurse. She said that this could be the beginning and with first babies it can take awhile. Or it could be tomorrow. There are small changes that happen before D day and I could be feeling some of those.

*Hmph.*

So - now I have my bag packed for the hospital along with Logan's bag, and they are both by the back door on the bench. There really is nothing left to do. The to do's are done. The Thank You notes are done. The room is super done.
Apparently, the baby is "done" too and starting to show me this.

Me? I am n-e-r-v-o-u-s.

Lee? "Just let me know when it's time." *goes back to Call of Duty Black Ops.*

18 more days.

I am going to break my rule and decorate for Christmas tomorrow. I have a feeling I need to get this done!

Oh- here is my 37 week photo - a little different than my others:
I had a meeting at a job site that day and they required hard hats and glasses. I felt really silly!

You Might Be 9 Months Pregnant When...

• Someone asks you how long you have, and when you say 3 weeks they say "Looks like 3 hours!"
• You are asked if it's triplets.
• You sneeze, and pee a little.
• You laugh, and pee a little.
• You think too hard, and pee a little.
• People just plain stare at you.
• People leap out of your way in line at Starbucks.
• The checker at Target looks concerned and asks "is that too heavy?" when you are putting the laundry detergent in the cart.
• You are pretty sure your coworkers are staring at you because they think your water is about to break.
• You can't sleep because your hips are hurting.
• You can't put toe nail polish on (oh darn! Pedi time!!)
• You haven't seen your feet in months.
• You have one pair of shoes that still fits. They are black and white. This makes getting dressed an extra challenge.
• You hear someone say "woah" when you walk into a meeting.
• People leap out of your way in Target so you can go past them.

Other ways you know you are 9 months pregant:

• You feel your baby move and you smile instantly.
• You are nesting. "Dust?! WHERE!?"
• You already have a car seat with blanket and sleep sheep in the car.
• You want to decorate for Christmas NOW so you don't miss your chance before he gets here.
• You look at your husband and love him more every day because he not only gave you this gift of a new life, but you really hope your son looks just like him and has his laugh.

Role Models

{I will start this by saying the Eagles vs. Redskins game is on right now and it's 21-0 in the first quarter}

My husband loves football.

Love actually doesn't cover it - but we will just say he super duper enjoys watching it and playing fantasy football. Because of this, I am laying on the couch watching Monday Night Football....

As I lay here playing solitaire on my phone, I am forced to listen to the commentators praise Michael Vick non stop.

Each and every time I hear his name, I cringe. My entire life, I have loved animals. There are no words whatsoever to describe the joy dogs (and cats!) have brought to my life over the years. So to listen to the commentator talk about how it is so great MV got a second chance and how he has paid his debt to society... it makes me sick.

Please, tell me, how a CONVICTED FELON OF A VIOLENT HATE CRIME can walk back onto that field and make millions and millions of dollars.
{This isn't really only about him. I mean all professional sports men who rape, kill, etc..}

Furthermore, going to jail for 21 months for the horrible thing he was involved in, then getting out and crying on tv about how he had a terrible childhood and how dog fighting is "cultural" to him... seriously?

Why does everyone think that a "hard" childhood gives them an open ticket to be a piece of shit? I don't understand.

So please explain to me, NFL/NBA/MLB, how you can let these men who are convicted (we won't mention the accused) of violent crimes walk out onto a field or court and make millions of dollars and - my point here - be a role model to small children throughout the world.

As I lay on this couch and feel my son move in my belly - it angers me to my core that he may one day sit and root for a man holding a ball who did something terrible in his personal life - but was "blessed" with great athletic ability.

Doesn't a little boy/young man who reads about professional athletes raping women and killing animals - but still playing sports and making money - get the idea that as long as you are REALLY good at something, you can get away with more than the average person?

Those dogs couldn't ask for help. They didn't know why what was being done to them was happening. They were pushed into beasts. They were not only fought but tortured. So I don't care if he cries in his cheerios about how he was broke and in jail and how he is truly sorry.

I don't know if this was a real coherent post, maybe I am a little too mad to write it right now... but if someone did to a person (or people) what was done to those dogs - 21 months in jail wouldn't have been enough. So why was it for defenseless animals?

My point may be that if you can't be a decent person at home, you shouldn't be allowed to walk out onto a field and be a great athlete and role model.

Welcome to Logan's Room!

Finished.
Done.
Complete.

Ok except for 2 light bulbs but still....

Done..

See the little train night light? That is the very first thing I bought when we found out we were having a boy. In fact I may have stopped to buy it on my way to work from the Dr...
I have been testing my mommy skills as I slowly put the finishing touches on the room.. Meet Daisy:This was my very favorite thing when I was little. I had Daisy and Po (a small pillow.. it's in my nightstand...) and they went everywhere with me. Daisy was happy to try out a few things for me. The swing was first...

Then the stroller:Then she let me swaddle her:Thanks for being a trooper Daisy!

Then the dogs wanted to see what life was like in the crib:
And Lola was super happy to let me put a diaper on her:Don't you love the third-trimester acne? I don't see any damn glow...

Here we are at the countdown... Dec 8th is 24 days away.

While I hate being swollen, hate the acne, hate the back pain and pelvic pain, hate waddling, and hate sweating when it's 50 degrees outside... I have loved being pregnant and I am super in love with this little man already.

Just give me a lot of time before you ask me if I will ever get pregnant again!

His room is complete

Finished.
Done.
Complete.

Ok except for 2 light bulbs but still....

Done..

Lee's Birthday

Sunday was Lee's 31st birthday. We did a minor repeat of last year, but scaled down for sure!

First was Tia Maria's, which is our go-to Mexican food place...

We had Ben and Katie:

Seriously guys, just get married already. It's gonna happen anyway..

Damon and Carlin:

And Donald and I:

Um - wow I am round. Look at my nose! This is not fun anymore.

Lee's favorite part of having his birthday at Tia's is the Mariachi's...

He said the sombrero is a little uncomfortable, but he had fun with it anyway:

Thief

This is Lola:{photo taken by Sabrina}

Lola has ALWAYS loved stuffed animals (which we call "stuffies"):{Lola @ 6 months with Lamb.}

In fact I have posted this a few times:
Lola & Froggie
Butterfly and Turtle

So it wasn't a huge surprise when Lola stole one of Logan's new stuffies when I was organizing them into a basket. She stole this one:
I mean, it's called Ugly Doll and sure could pass as a dog toy.

So the battle has begun and Logan isn't even here yet. I will have to start a ticker on the side of the blog on how many of Logan's stuffies are ruined by Lola. Then how many dog toys are taken by Logan.

I am sure it will end up a fair fight.

It's in the air already...

My favorite time of year! Fall... Thanksgiving.. and then... CHRISTMAS!

This Christmas will be a lot different than others, so I know I need to finish up shopping before Logan is here (or at least most the shopping).

Today I ordered his stocking and his first Ornament:(Thank you Pottery Barn preview!)

(Try and picture it with an "L" in the middle...)

I can't say I am 100% happy with his first ornament - but I needed something and it was only $7.

Today I finished the room up to 99.9%. I am headed to Hobby Lobby on Monday to frame the picture going above his crib. Then I just sit and wait.... 4 more weeks.

Worst night of sleep ever...

(so far, I'm sure...)

Last night was the worst night of sleep ever. There were multiple reasons this happened.

1. The ceiling fan is making a strange noise. All of a sudden, after 6 years.
2. Teddy is a spaz.
3. Our cat is a bitch.

So - for #1 - the fan has been making this noise off and on for days, but then decided to just ramp it up a notch and make the noise really loudly and not stop. Lee messed with it, sprayed it with WD40... nothing worked. So we turned it off. (MADAY! MADAY!)

For #2 - We bring Teddy in from outside and put him in the bed and he is trembling. Teeth chattering trembling. First we wonder if he is cold, since it's -5 degrees in the house these days. Figured out that wasn't it - something had him scared. Was is the fan? The smell of the WD40? No idea. So he shoves himself under the covers all the way at the foot of the bed.

For #3 - I wake up an hour later, can't breathe. Stuffy nose and no air moving. The a/c isn't on b/c of the cool weather and the fan is off - for the first time in years.
I get up and go out to the garage and grab the oscillating fan. I point it in my direction and turn it on, happy for a little relief, and go back to sleep.

Until...

Lilly - the cat. She hates the oscillating fan. I guess it's the different type of breeze it makes, not sure. So she paces the room and meows.

All night.

Around 1am I pull Teddy out from under the covers because he is practically smoking he is so hot and he proceeds to lay there and pant.

No sleep.

I.HATE.
THE CEILING FAN!It caused this chain reaction of hell that left me not sleeping.

Breastfeeding for Men

Last night, Lee and I attended our first baby class together.

Breastfeeding.

In my mind, there would be other husbands there, supporting their wives and learning about how to help them through the rough few weeks of getting the hang of it.

Nope. Just Lee.

He was THRILLED.

It wasn't so much that he was having to listen about boobs the whole time and even watch a super fun movie about breast feeding (complete with British Accent commentary!), but more that he was the only man and he didn't see why he needed to be there.

So he found any and every reason to be on his Blackberry. I don't think he has ever been so happy to have that phone with him. He may have texted everyone in his phone book so he could be distracted.

There were a few other reasons he didn't quite enjoy this class:

• No "food." They provided coffee, water, hot tea, and granola bars. That's not food. The class was from 5:30 - 8pm. No food?
• The word nipples, said about 100,000 times. Followed up by "cracked nipples" or "bleeding nipples." Even I cringed.
• The fabric stuffed prop boob that Lee ended up having to touch to see what a clogged duct feels like.

Among other things...

I give him props for going, and staying.

He even told me to go out and buy some of the things they highly suggested (My Brest Friend is better than the Boppy I hear.)

I hope the nice birthday presents I got him this year make up for it!