7-31-12

Watching Jennifer with Bailee makes a lump rise up in my throat.

The same year Bailee was born, Daddy and I were very briefly pregnant.

That baby, the one that didn't make it past 7 weeks, would have been born about two months after Bailee.

Which means that she is a pretty constant reminder.

She just turned three, about a month ago,... and you are due to be here in about 2 months. It feels a bit full circle, and I am really really glad you are coming.

But sometimes watching her play, I still get a bit sad.

7-30-12

Ok, so this is a bit of a cheat. This photo was taken a few days ago, but it is today's ohoto fo the day anyway. Deal :P

Week 32! I can't hardly believe it!

Getting so much closer!!!!!!

And.. gulp, going to get a bit bigger....

I love our tradition of taking a photo every month... not sure if we will keep it up after you get here or if we will do wekly shots... either way, you are going to be one well documented child!

7-29-12

Brunch this morning before the drive to Sacramento.

Last year I spent a week in Sac with the little girls and it was super fun. We went to the zoo, we went to Storybook Land, we did an awful lot of shopping....

This year, well, we can't do as much due to my heart and baby bump, but I kow we will still have a great time! And this year I get to sleep on the couch! MuHaHAHAHa... Jennifer gets the air mattress!

7-28-12

The shower was great! So good to see so many friends! We played some silly games, we ate some scrumptious food (thanks to Grandma and Aunt Kristen), and then there were the visiting and the gifts.

Ella, you are one lucky little girl! So many people already love you!

I want to make a pregnancy scrapbook... with pictures from today's event, the other shower too, and some of these photos of the day.... Must add this to the to-do list....

Afterwards, Stacy stayed for dinner and we all go to play with Bailee and Olivia. They are a bit mystified as to where you are right now, but super excited to meet you. Olivia in particular is very protective of me and "Baby Ella" which is all kinds of adorable.

Next up: off to Sacramento to visit with Auntie Re, Jennifer, and more Bailee and Olivia time!

7-27-12

Nothing like a mystery gift in the mail (the rainbow bowls) and a gift of stuffed animals from Allison to cheer one up!

The giraffe is especially cute, he says all sorts of snarky things... he almost sounds drunk /snicker.

I had a Mr Peanut when I was little from my grandpa... and a baby polar bear named snuggles that I LOVED. I still have a Snuggles... but he is actually Snuggles the 2nd.... the first Snuggles was adopted by someone's dog and lost to me when I was younger.

Anyway, I wonder which of the many many stuffed animals you already own will become your favorite.

The baby shower is tomorrow at Grandma's house! So excited!

7-26-12

Had to go to the hopstal today because of some swelling and headaches and dizziness and such.

All is good, but I got quite the lecture about:

Keeping my feet waist level or higher (not good enough to just stay off of them)
Drinking enough water (translation, way more than I have been drinking)
Eating balanced healthy meals.
Resting.

It wasn't a bad trip to the hspital, just a bit long.

At one point the alarm or the gal next tome was going off for, like, ever. BUT I did finally get a (bad) recording of your heartbeat... so, there's that!

7-25-12

Pure Awesome.

Cheap.
Cold.
Yummy.
Not horribly unhealthy
Variety of flavors.
Not too sweet.
Quick and easy way to cool down... in this horrible horrible heat.

Bliss.

I think I ate 7 of them today.

I also spent around 14 hours working on the GCV websites. Must have everything done before Friday......

7-24-12

It might be late July, but it is never too late to celebrate my July article in Blade Magazine!

(Their delivery schedule leaves a bit to be desired, but no matter....)

Your daddy helped me celebrate with a video! (His camera work also leaves a bit to be desired, but no matter!)

7-23-12

Today I needed a rescue and Aunt Robin was my rescuer!

We went to Starbucks to chat and vent and wow was it needed. There really isn't anything specific wrong, I just sometimes get a bit overwhelmed.

Like with the to-do list that keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Or the GCV drama that is still continuing (not GCV as much as the GCV vs GF and all the website work I am trying to do.)
There's some family drama too as we head into the final week of July and the upcoming shower.

Le sigh

So, yeah, a bit of a break from all that to have something cold to drink with Robin was just what the doctor ordered. I'm so lucky to have people like her in my life! (and so are you!)

7-22-12

Before book club today, Ashley came over to use our oven to make these yummy fruit tart things.

I was going to take a photo of the tarts, but.. well... we ate them. So, the photo is of the lefto over fruit I ate with ice cream later.

Book club was much fun as well....

When Daddy and I moved to Fresno, I didn't know anyone here. So, we started a SWAC club and I started a Book Club. Through the book club, I have met a variety of people, read books I enjoyed that I never would have picked up, and generally felt like a part of something Fresno!

It jsut goes to show you, if you are unhappy with your situation, try to find a way to change it... even if that way might be hard or scary. It wasn't easy to start a book club and hope that people would not only show up but also be nice and friendly.... but boy was it worth it.

7-21-12

New dinning room table and chair set!

Wow! So pretty! Feeling very adult now!

We replaced teh table (from Good Will) and the chairs (wobbly, folding, and cheap) with this solid oak set. I found it on Craig's List and the couple who we bought it from were so sweet! They threw in some table clothes and then even drove it to our apartment and helped us unload it! Amazing!

(Adding them to the thank you list....)

Anyway, it is 35 years old, in great condition, and omg so pretty! I'm so happy! I see many family dinners, school projects, and general LIFE happening around this table!

Hooray!

7-20-12

Date night.... burritos and spending time together!

In other news, my strange desire to eat a banana every day (thanks to you) has finally diminished. Which is good because I don't actually like them and lately they have been hurting my mouth. Not really sure what that's all about, but there you go.

Burritos, on the other hand, don't hurt anything and are delicious. Having them with your daddy while people watching.... perfect way to spend an evening.

7-19-12

A snack at McDonald's today with Neal and Keith.

We talked about plans, both big and small, about changes, both big and small, and about boys, both big and... wait. Never mind.

I need to cut back on my fast food consumption. I think I have eaten more fast food since getting pregnant, but for some reason it just seems o much more yummy now!

Anyway, always good to hang out with good friends and gossip about other people's drama, both big and small.

7-18-712

Oh the pool. How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways...

I love that you put Baby Ella to sleep.
I love that you give my poor back some relief.
I love that you let me get a tiny bit of exercise without getting my heart rate up.
I love how weightless I feel, which is good because I am starting to feel like a cow and I have at least two months to go.
I love how cool the water feels on my burning feet.
I love how I finally don't feel horribly hot while sitting on the steps.
I love talking to freinds while gently stretching my legs out under the water.
I love the feeling of my skin drying in the sun after I get out.
I love the sunshine when I am in the pool, practically the only time I love the sunshine anymore.
I love how quiet the world gets when I float on my back.
I love that I can float on my back and it doesn't hurt.
I love that when I float on my back my baby bump sticks up out of the water like a big round island.

I love you pool. Thank you for being you!

7-17-12

 

Olive, helping me with my stretches.

Who knew stretching could be so much work? Honestly, it doesn't seem to be working... and it is very hard to do without getting my heart rate up into that "Dangerous" zone.

I keep trying, but I'm not holding my breath on this doing much good.

It is fun to watch Olive mimic me while I'm doing it though.

7-16-12

I feel like a watched pot of not-boiling water.

The concern of friends and family is nice, I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I already feel like I am failing in some ways.

And it is nothing they are doing or saying.. it is all me and my head.

I keep staring at my belly, at you, as if you are going to do something, as if if I look at you hard enough I will be able to see, and thus avoid, all the dangers facing you.

7-15-12

We had a date today. Daddy decided to rescue me from the Fresno heat and take me to Bass Lake for the evening.

We had grocery store fried chicken and fruit while we watched the boats on the lake while the sun started setting.

Lovely!!!!

It is nice to know that we can escape from Fresno when we need to. Although, I really really REALLY miss Santa Cruz!

7-14-12

Birthday dinner for Heather! What a lovely group of ladies!

I am so glad that here in Fresno, I have made such a wide and varied group of friends.

Hooray for diversity!

I have had friends in other cities... but I was never really trying to make new friends in the same way. However, when we moved to Fresno I had to start from scratch and the result has been a huge group of diverse people I can call friends.

I'm a pretty lucky gal.

And Fresno hasn't been all bad... even if it is HORRIBLY hot!!!!

7-13-12

NoH8!

We had the NoH8 event today! Over 500 photos were taken! Apparently alot of people wanted to show their support for the LGBT community!

Wonderful!

I had our photo taken too...

That's you with your own little sticker and duct tape.


When people asked me why I wanted you as part of it, I was proud to say "You are never too young to be an ally!"

7-12-12

I really hope this isn't a surprise to you... but I am trying to write a novel.

I hope by the time you are aware of what novels are, you will have a mother who is a published novelist!

I'm working on one right now.... I hope that I can at least have the first draft done by the time you get here.

Here's the general gist:


Women of the Valley -working title-

Shina Valley is a place of peace. The people live in harmony, protected by the Wise Women who rule the villages and maintain the energy that keeps the valley a secret from those who would destroy it.

But nothing lasts forever… even magic, and at a High Winter Ritual a prophecy arrives that will change the fates of the Wise Women and the Valley dwellers forever.

Here are the stories of the four women who shaped the destiny of the Shina Valley and all who lived there.

Magra: the aging Queen who must chose a successor or risk the downfall of all that her ancestors worked for. Can she trust her wisdom to interpret the prophecy correctly? Or has her hesitation doomed her people?

Moki: once thought to be the Queen’s favorite, now relegated to the role of enemy, she is determined to protect the ways of the Wise Women, even if it means challenging the Queen they all adore.

Milesh: Overlooked by many, she is mighty in power but torn by loyalties. Unsure of whom to trust but feeling the weight of her people’s future on her young shoulders she makes a decision that could be their salvation or the beginning of the end.

Meyla: child of prophecy and destined to rule, she wishes nothing more than to be a simple village woman. Her fears of her own abilities and her jealousy for her sister’s simple life and permission to love takes her on a journey that no one could have foreseen.

Shina Valley teeters on the edge of a new era…. But will this be a time of peaceful renewal or of unbridled danger?

7-11-12

Aunt Kristen and I shopping at Target... we wanted to get a sun shield for the car because it is so darn hot here I can hardly stand it.

Isn't your Aunt Kristen so pretty? She reminds me of Audrey Hepburn.

Anyway, we got the sunshade and did some other shopping (I got Daddy's anniversary gift).

It was so nice to spend some time with Aunt Kristen. I love her so much and I can't wait for you to meet her!

7-10-12

Aunt Kristen came to visit... and she brought us... this.

Black bread of some sort from the bowels of Grandma and Grandpa's freezer.

It smelled a bit like burning. It looked a bit like either zucchini or pumpkin bread... it tasted like prunes.

We all sampled a bit and then had to move on....

I think it had just been in there too long.

My mom did a lot of baking when I was young, she made breads and desserts, and cookies, and all sorts of yummy treats. I hope I can fill your little head with those sorts of memories as well. I do love baking bread!

And I promise to write the dates on things when they go into the freezer. :)

7-9-12

See, I told you it was going to get hotter.

Gah.

So hot.

So unbearably hot.

Our energy bill is going to skyrocket.

7-8-12

The Epic Tart-lets!

It was SWAC brunch this morning. We had all settled in and then Robin and I decided to order the tart-lets off the menu.

They told us it would be around 20 minutes.  It was around 11.

At 11:30 they apologized, told us that the pastry was in the oven... it would be another 20 minutes or so.

At 12, the same song and dance.

We did eventually get them... they were tiny and we didn't get them until after 12:30!

/Grumble/

I love our brunches with SWAC, even when the tart-lets are hours late.

7-7-12

Daddy cleaned up the backyard today.

Yes, there are a lot of weeds, but there are also some lovely lavender and now we could actually sit out there and enjoy... well... the heat.

Yeah.

It is way too hot to hang out back there, but it is nice to know that we could be out there if it ever cools down enough.

I'm so proud of your daddy for all his long hours, both at the office and around the house. He has been a champ picking up the slack as I can't do as much around here now that I have to lie low and not get my pulse up.

Your daddy is amazing. We are both so lucky.

7-6-12

We went out to dinner with Eric tonight.

We went out to sushi because they wanted sushi and I had tempura etc since I can't eat the sushi right now.

There was an awful lot of tempura... and it was very oily. It made me a little nauseous.

Sigh.

I'm really craving a big deli sandwich.. which is on the "no" list..../grumble

7-5-12

We played WoW again tonight.

We have a lot of fun hanging with our SC friends and killing monsters

And yes, I was into the game before your daddy was... Yes, I'm a bit of a geek. Well, ok, we both are, but  we are different kinds of geeks :)

7-4-12

We celebrated the 4th of July by going to the movies with Ashley and Adam.

We saw a horror spoof called "Cabin In The Woods" It was very funny although very gory.

And you wiggled through most of it Heee!

7-3-12

Playing cards with Allison.

I was able to teach her a new game... and she was nice enough to let me win a few hands  :P

My mom and I used to play cards when I was little. In fact, she told me once that she was playing blackjack while she was in labor with me.... I wonder what I will be doing when I am in labor with you!

7-2-12

Yum! I love veggies! Green beans... and snap peas in particular!

Ashley doesn't agree... but I love snacking on veggies!

I hope this means that you will grow up and love veggies too! They are healthy and so so tasty!

We used to grow them in our garden when I was a kid... maybe someday we will live somewhere and be able to grow them too. Wouldn't that be fun?

7-1-12

You are getting so big! 28 weeks!

Around 10 weeks to go! OMG!!!!! 

Still so much to do.....

/panic

/panic

/panic

/looks at photo

/happiness 

/happiness

/happiness