F is for Food

Or more specifically, the 100 foods you must try before you die...according to some blogger somewhere that started this list and I noticed it and decided to check it out because, well, I heart food.  I'll let you know which I've tried.  And various other comments.

1. Venison – Yes.  I am from a moderately redneck family in the South.  Nuff said.



2. Nettle tea - Apparently this has amazing health benefits, but I've never even heard of it.


3. Huevos rancheros – Yes - at our fave breakfast place in Wilmington this summer...yum to the 84th power.


4. Steak tartare - Not sure.  I'm not averse to trying it if I haven't.


5. Crocodile - Nope.  Gator, but not croc.


6. Black pudding - This disgusts me and that's hard to do.  Have never and will never.


7. Cheese fondue - Melting Pot what what!


8. Carp - Not sure.


9. Borscht - No, but after googling I definitely want to.


10. Baba ghanoush – See above.


11. Calamari – One of my faves.  But only the body part cut into the little circles and deep fried.  The tentacle part wigs me out.
12. Pho - No.  But James' ex girlfriend is Vietnamese.  And certifiable.


13. PB&J sandwich – Oh man yes.


14. Aloo gobi – Nah.


15. Hot dog from a street cart - Yes.  Outside of Lowes.  That's how I roll.


16. Epoisses - Not that I know of, but I've had a lot of cheese, so it's possible.
17. Black truffle - Yes at the fancy restaurant James proposed at. 
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes – Not that I know of.


19. Steamed pork buns - Oh yes.  Dim sum anyone?


20. Pistachio ice cream – Not a fan.  Although pistachios are my fave nut.


21. Heirloom tomatoes – Definitely.


22. Fresh wild berries – I'm scared to pick things off bushes and eat them.


23. Foie gras - Absolutely disgusting.


24. Rice and beans – Zatarans in the house!


25. Brawn, or head cheese - After googling, I discovered this is akin to souse meat, which I have been unfortunate enough to taste.  Pickled pig parts, no thanks.


26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - I like my taste buds, thanks.


27. Dulce de leche - I'm sure.


28. Oysters – Many a oyster topped, horseradish laden cracker.


29. Baklava – One of my faves.


30. Bagna cauda - No and I'm not a fan of anchovies, so I'd pass.


31. Wasabi peas – Yep.  Instant nose pain.


32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl – Clam chowder, yes.  Sourdough bowl, yes.
33. Salted lassi - Never heard of it.  But I instantly started hearing the Lassi song in my head.


34. Sauerkraut – Yep.  From a can.  Rock on.


35. Root beer float – I'm not sure.  I don't like floats or root beer, but I'd give it a whirl as long as someone else pays.


36. Cognac with a fat cigar – I don't really like to eat my tobacco products.


37. Clotted cream tea - Nope.


38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O shot – I went to ECU.


39. Gumbo - Oh yes.


40. Oxtail - Oddly enough, no.


41. Curried goat - No.  And I don't really like curry.


42. Whole insects - Will.  Never.  Happen.  Unless we are in a zombie apocalypse.  Cause you know roaches will survive.


43. Phaal - See number 41.


44. Goat’s milk - I've had goat cheese. 


45. Single malt whisky – Not sure.  Probably not if it's expensive. 


46. Fugu - Is that the fish you can die from?  No thanks.


47. Chicken tikka masala – Not that I know of.


48. Eel – Love.


49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - By the dozen.


50. Sea urchin - I think so.


51. Prickly pear - I think so.


52. Umeboshi - Nope.


53. Abalone - No, but I like other mollusks, so I'd try it.


54. Paneer – No.


55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – Actually, I doubt it.  I don't like Big Mac's.  Special sauce doesn't do it for me.


56. Spaetzle – Not sure.


57. Dirty gin martini – Gin smells like trees.


58. Beer above 8% ABV – Just learned what ABV means.


59. Poutine - Sounds interesting.


60. Carob chips - Nope.


61. S’mores – Oh yes!  LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Kendall called them Snores last summer.


62. Sweetbreads - Gross.


63. Kaolin - Um google says this is clay.  Weird.


64. Currywurst - Is this curry sausage?  Ew.


65. Durian - No.


66. Frogs’ legs - I'd like to try.


67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – Boy have I.


68. Haggis - I just think it's a good rule to leave organ meats alone.


69. Fried plantain – Yum.


70. Chitterlings, or andouillette - I have.  As a kid when I didn't know any better.


71. Gazpacho - Yes.  Although I feel like soup should be hot.


72. Caviar and blini - Not a fan.
73. Louche absinthe - Nope.


74. Gjetost, or brunost - Hmm.  Brown cheese.  Not sure about that.


75. Roadkill - Okay seriously?


76. Baijiu - No.


77. Hostess Fruit Pie – I'm sure I have.


78. Snail – Yes, but I need to try again.


79. Lapsang souchong - No.


80. Bellini – Peach.


81. Tom yum - No.


82. Eggs Benedict – Yes.  But hollaindaise is a bit much for me.


83. Pocky - Many a stick.


84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - No because I'm a USA kinda girl.  But I would.


85. Kobe beef - Yes.


86. Hare - No.


87. Goulash – Yes.


88. Flowers – Probably as a garnish.


89. Horse - That's gross.  And probably illegal.  At least in Kentucky.


90. Criollo - That's coming up as a person of Spanish descent.  I'm thinking not.


91. Spam - Once.  Fried.  At Melissa's.


92. Soft shell crab - Yes, but I prefer crab legs or regular ole' crab.  Soft shell crab is always greasy
93. Rose harissa - Nope.
94. Catfish – Oh yes.


95. Mole poblano – I don't think so.


96. Bagel and lox – Yes.  Which I used to really like.  Not anymore for some reason.


97. Lobster Thermidor - Nope.


98. Polenta – Any chance I get.


99. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee - Yes.  Since James randomly sold coffee for like 12 minutes before we got married.


100. Snake - Yep.
 
So at the end of the day, I think this list is really odd.  And I've had 49ish.

E is for Elvesmere

A couple of years ago, Cross Culture Church had the fabulous idea of rewarding their children's volunteers (mostly female) with a pedicure for Christmas.  Boy oh boy do I love a pedicure.  Can't believe that I didn't get them regularly for so many years...evidenced by my jacked up toe nail cutting and that one ingrown toenail that hurt for months.  But I digress.

At this fabulous Christmas reward party, we (myself and some of my best girlfriends that happened to be there) started talking about Christmas traditions and Lisa brought up Elf on a Shelf.  I had no idea what she was talking about, but wanted to start building some of my own Mason family Christmas traditions, so after our pedicure, we loaded into Coral's van and headed to Barnes and Noble and we all bought Elves on Shelves for our families.

For those that don't know what this is: you can check it out here. 

Anyhoo - I had a name in mind, thanks to my BFF Melissa.  Well, actually Melissa's uncle.  Elsmere.  Yes, that's his real name.  She also has an aunt Snookie, but that's another story.  So Elvesmere was "born" into our family that very night.  The first year Kendall wasn't all that impressed - she was a teeny little thing and so I didn't really expect her to be amazed by any means.  Last year she was more into it.  This year she is CRAZY for Elvesmere.  I don't think I've ever seen her as excited as she was on Thanksgiving evening when she spotted him in our bedroom window (after we lost him for the second year in a row...note to self - ensure that Elvesmere understands that mom and dad need to be able to find him on TGiving 2012.)

For the first two years, Elvesmere kinda just appeared in random places - in our tree, on the ceiling fan, in Kendall's book shelf.  This year, he's been getting into mischief.  So far he has colored Kendall and Raegan's bathroom toilet water purple, rode Raegan's stuffed giraffe, danced with Princess Tiana in Kendall's room and eaten some M&Ms.

Just like anything else, I think Elvesmere is trying to keep up with the Jones'...or in this case Elfin.  Our friends the Scoggins family has a very naughty elf - he does all kinds of cool things...fishing with a candy cane in the family fish bowl, taking a hot air balloon ride to the top of the Christmas tree, etc. 

Hopefully our elf will be creative while we are in Disney world.  I see Mickey Mouse ears in his future.

D is for Disney

I am so stinkin excited.  What started out as a random "wonder if we could go to Disney anytime soon?" turned into a full blown WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY IN 10 DAYS!!!! 

See James' parents are timeshare aficionados from way back (like multiple decades back) and have more than one week in more than one place.  This year, they decided to give us a week to use.  Instead of our normal Hilton Head vacation, I wondered out loud if we could trade it for a Florida week instead.  And the next thing I knew, we were booked into here and going to Disney.

I haven't been since I was in 9th grade and I am super duper excited.  Kendall is through the roof ecstatic.  James is pumped.  Raegan couldn't care less, but she's going even though Nana has asked no less than 83 times if I'd rather leave Rae with her for the week.  I considered this before I realized what a laid back baby Raegan would be.  Homegirl should breeze through the trip nicely (watch - she'll hit a growth spurt, start teething and give up sleeping through the night when we get there).

Here is our tentative mommy itinerary:

Saturday - Fly down and arrive around 5pm-ish.  Check into hotel.  Go to grocery store for essentials.  Possibly eat at Downtown Disney.

Sunday - Magic Kingdom - 8am reservation at Crystal Palace (Winnie the Pooh and friends), 2pm reservation at Cinderella's Castle (yes, I've heard the food is bad.  It's okay with us.  We just want to sit in the castle).

Monday - Hollywood Studios - 8am reservation at Chef Mickey's (which is stressing me out because it's at another resort, but there is literally NOTHING else available for Chef Mickey's and if I don't get a Mickey Mouse ear waffle I could be emotionally scarred for life), 3pm reservation at Hollywood Brown Derby, 6:30 reserved seating for Fantasmic! (which I think is probably going to scare Kendall, but if I'm riding Dumbo she can take one for the team), check out Osborne dancing Christmas lights.

Tuesday - Free day during the day and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party that night at Magic Kingdom (it's gonna snow on Main Street!)

Wednesday - Free day - we'll be out til midnight on Tuesday, so I'm sure we'll want to take it easy.

Thursday - Animal Kingdom - 1pm reservation at Tusker House (which now offers their safari character experience with Mickey and the gang at lunch).

Friday - Free day - we have park tickets to use, but nothing set in stone

Saturday - Fly back around 1ish.

Now, I know that this won't go as planned and I'm not super stressed about everything working perfectly.  I know that there is no way to see all of Disney in a week or even a month.  So we're going to enjoy ourselves and not feel rushed and just experience the magic that is Disney at Christmastime. 

Provided I get my Mickey Mouse waffle, of course.

Letter C

Last night we had game night at our house.  I love game night with my whole heart.  The best game nights include my parents, my brother and my BFF Melissa and her husband Dean.  Everyone meshes really well and we've all known each other forever, so hilarity ensues.

And none of that has anything to do with letter C.

Last night, after we were done playing (aka dominating the boys in) Catch Phrase, we discussed blogging.  And my mom discussed how I hadn't blogged in a long time.  So here we are at letter C.

C is for Church.

Growing up, my parents did not regularly attend church (thereby making the fact that my dad is now a pastor of a local church even more amazing).  However, I somehow ended up at churches on a somewhat regular basis.  I attended a few Vacation Bible Schools each summer, went on special occasions, etc.  After I became an adult and decided that following Jesus made more sense than drinking myself into oblivion 7 days a week, my church attendance obviously increased.  I thought it would be interesting to list the churches that have made some sort of impact in my life, be that positive or negative.

The first church that I remember going to was Smith Chapel Freewill Baptist Church.  Smith as in my grandparents.  Who founded the church.  And still live across the street from it.  I attended VBS here in the summers and while I remember it being moderately okay because my cousins were also there, this church was a source of confusion in my impressionable little mind.  I distinctly remember standing outside with other children waiting to be let into the sanctuary for the opening songs and prayers and my grandmother telling a little girl that she couldn't come back unless she wore a dress the next time.  This was also the church that took my Precious Moments NIV away from me because it wasn't a King James Version and thereby not worthy to be read from.  Even at 7 years old, I realized that there was something seriously not cool with these rules.  I followed them, obviously, making sure that I had on a dress and leaving my Precious Moments Bible at home.  But it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Then there was Plainview Baptist Church.  I'm actually not sure what "type" of Baptist church this was, but I attended VBS there with my godmother's family and I remember it being fun and I didn't have to wear a dress, so I liked going there.  It was here that I walked an aisle and professed faith as a child and here that I was baptized at around 9 years old.  This church holds pleasant memories for me.

There were 2 churches that my Donnie dad's family were members of - neither of which I ever felt comfortable at.  That was partially because I never felt comfortable with my Donnie dad's family and partially because these were also churches in which a woman can't darken the doors with a pair of slacks on and the KJV is held in high esteem.

And then there was Bethesda.  I was first introduced to Bethesda by my BFF Melissa when I was 14 years old.  I loved it.  Went every time I could.  Granted, it was because Bethesda had a fabulous youth group and all of my friends went there.  But also because I felt completely comfortable.  No one looked down on me because I was dressed a certain way.  No one made me feel dumb for asking a question.  No one made fun of my NIV.  There were years that I didn't go to church at all in my teen and early adult years, but at 22 years old when I was at my rock bottom and needed Jesus to take over, it was the pastors at Bethesda that made me understand what all of that meant.  My entire family (mom, Ronnie, Meg, myself, James) came to know the Lord at Bethesda and were baptized there.  I was discipled so much at Bethesda.  I learned what it means to fellowship with other believers, to be involved in God's work at the local church level, to go on mission trips...everything about my adult Christian faith was formed at this church.  I would have gladly gone to Bethesda the rest of my days.

However, God had other plans and we are at Cross Culture Church now and I love it.  My family is loved and accepted at Cross Culture.  We are able to serve, grow, give - it's a wonderful church.  And it happens to knock down some of those church traditions - we don't have a building of our own (we meet in a high school), our music is loud, most folks wear jeans on Sunday mornings.  What matters is walking in those doors to learn about the Lord, to serve Him, to love other believers, to serve our community.  What we wear doesn't matter.  The color of our skin doesn't matter.  Our politics don't matter.  Loving Jesus and each other matters.

So I guess I'm oddly grateful for those uncomfortable moments at other churches - they did shape the way I view church.  And they've taught me that church can get in it's own way if we're not careful.  If we don't keep our eye on the end goal of glorifying God, we can get very caught up in rules that make zero difference at the end of the day.  Being more like Jesus is what matters.

Fair

Yes I know "fair" doesn't start with C.  I'm taking a detour to talk about how fun the fair was this year.  We haven't gone in years and have never taken Kendall.  We decided to go on Monday afternoon/evening since the weather was absolutely beautiful and James was off.  So off we went!  Despite the fact that we spent $40 (parking and ride tickets) before we ever even walked in the gates, we had an unbelievable time.  We headed straight to the kiddie rides and Kendall loved everything we got on.  She has never rode anything except for a carousel at the mall, so I wasn't really sure how she'd react.  I shouldn't have worried - she is gonna be my little dare devil.  She did the bungee jump thing, rode the helicopters, monster trucks, little roller coaster, ferris wheel - we had a blast.  We ate corn, sausage dog, fries, cotton candy, candy apple and then checked out the animals.  Kendall liked the baby pigs and chicks.  She wasn't very interested in the baby cow drinking his dinner (EWWWWW MOMMY!!!!), so that was a teachable moment about how God created mommies to feed babies (so glad she didn't say "well you don't feed Raegan that way").  Raegan fell asleep 2 different times - it was our first try wearing the Baby Bjorn and she loved it.

As we were heading out of the animal area, I happened upon the most delicious fair food find of the century - itty bitty cinnamon sugar donuts.  So.  Good.  Not sure where they've been all my life, but I shall never go another full year without them again.

We headed out just in time to catch the fireworks from our car.  North Carolina is spending a pretty penny on those fireworks - they were fantastic.

So I'm a fair lover.  So much, in fact, that I talked my sister in law, mother in law and father in law to head back out there today with Kendall and I.  I was off for the day because Kendall had a pumpkin patch field trip today, so after that - we piled in the car and headed back for free can day!  It was a little chilly today, but really perfect fair weather.  Who wants to go to the fair in the heat?  We went in through a different gate this time and checked out the Village of Yesteryear (or whatever that place is called).  It was alright, I guess.  I can see the talent it takes to paint teeny tiny eggs and cut a child's face out of a piece of paper with one single scissor cut while sporting pilgrim garb.

After that I had my first foot long hot dog.  And some mini donuts.  Good grannies those things are good.  We held a baby chick even though I'm pretty sure I'm gonna come down with some sort of bird flu now.  And we rode more rides.  My kid thinks I'm fearless.  Hopefully she won't ask me to ride anything more powerful than the Caterpillar coaster.

Letter B

Deciding on a subject for letter B was extremely difficult.  Should I go with bratwurst, Barack Obama, billy goats?  Bubblegum, Biltmore, booty shorts?Such a tough decision. 

Luckily I just so happen to know some fabulously cool people with the last name Bell.  More specifically, my dad Ronnie Bell.  Ronnie is actually my stepdad, but there are lots of folks that don't know that.  See - unlike some stepdads, Ronnie has been in my life since my earliest memory.  My mom and bio dad divorced when I was 3 and mama and Ronnie fell in love and got married when I was four (8/4/84 is their anniversary...neat, huh). 

Growing up, I totally took Ronnie for granted.  Now that I'm older and wiser, I realize that he didn't have to love me the way he always has.  He didn't have to treat me as his own.  But then again, maybe he did.  After all, what makes a child "yours"?  Is it based on DNA?  Or is it wiping tears, videotaping dance recitals, coming to awards day at school, getting out splinters, building sand castles, driving car pool, going on field trips?  I think it's the million little things that a parent does to nurture their child that makes a kid "theirs".  And Ronnie did all those things for me.

I don't want to discredit my bio dad here.  He loves me too and I know that.  But lets face it - every other weekend and 4 hours on Thanksgiving does not build that daddy-daughter bond that I'm talking about. 

That bond was built day in and day out - on good days and horribly rotten days.  Through years of me being a cute and playful child and the years of me being an angry and rebellious teenager.  Ronnie has been by my side for every joy and every pain that I've experienced since he and mama got married.  He has comforted me, made me laugh, made me mad, bailed me out of sticky situations, come to my rescue when people were mistreating me, taught me about responsibility and love and Jesus and honor and loyalty and honesty.  He moved me into my first apartment, walked me down the aisle when I married my prince, prayed me through my miscarriage, celebrated with pride the births of my girls.  He has shown me what it is to love the Lord and what it looks like to follow through on a calling He places on your life - even when it's tough.  He is disciplined and brave, sensitive and talented, strong and gentle.  I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he loves me and I pray that I can show him the depth of my gratitude for being the daddy he didn't have to be.

Inspiration: A - Z

Now that I'm back in the blog world on a consistent basis (because one whole week = consistency, right?), I thought I'd give this whole alphabet thing a try. 

Tonight (actually this morning - it's 1:59 a.m. and I can't sleep...no surprise there) I'm going to start with (drum roll please) - letter A.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of letter is A is Ann.  Or Anne.  Because both are significant to me.

Ann was my maternal grandmother's name and I was the Apple of her eye (couldn't resist).  She died when I was 9, but I have so many memories of her.  I think God allowed me to keep those memories because He knew how very much I loved her.  Some of my memories of my mama's mama:

- She wore Charlie perfume.  I always curled up in the backseat with her when we would go places as a family and she smelled like Charlie all the time.  She drove a gigantic Lincoln Towncar with navy blue leather interior.  You could press a button and have these little round lights come on in the backseat - I thought that was way cool.

- She had an infectious laugh.  So did my Papa, who has also since passed. 

- She always had a couple of my favorite things to eat in her freezer.  Namely brunswick stew from Redwood Fire Department.  I loved that stuff.

- She devoured books like I do.  Or I guess I should say, I devour books like she did.  My mama told me she read Gone With the Wind in one day and I totally believe it because I've read similar length books in a day.  I love getting lost in the characters and I bet she did too.

- I distinctly remember sitting in her lap one night at the shop (her and my Papa owned Triangle Ford - basically an automobile parts and repair shop) and biting into a gumball machine figurine from my shadow box.  Why was it in my mouth?  I have no clue.  But I remember my mama freaking out and trying to piece back together the glass to see if I had swallowed any (I didn't).

- Her and my Papa had beach homes in Salter Path and Atlantic Beach from the time I was born and one of my clearest memories is of my grandma waving my family goodbye from either of their beach homes.  She would stand on the porch/deck and wave until we were out of sight.  Later in life, my mama would do the same when I would leave the beach.

- She was my mama's best friend.  And now my mama is my best friend.  I pray Kendall and Raegan feel about me the way I feel about my mama.

- She could cook...old fashioned, fat-back included country cooking.  I'm pretty sure that's where my love of all things greasy and salty came from.  She also made a mean cheeseball.

- She bought me my Holiday Barbies - which I have in my Hope chest.  She gave the Hope chest to my mom, my mom gave it to me and I'm going to pass it to Kendall.  She also gave me my very first American Girls doll.  Samantha.  She collected dolls - she had a complete library in her home and that's where she kept her doll collection.  I remember the way that room smelled - like old books (which is the absolute BEST smell in the world) and those dolls.  She had an Elvis doll that played music that I loved.

I loved my grandma very much.  Still do.  I can't wait to see her again someday in Heaven.  Grandma accepted Christ late in her life...actually she was fighting for her life when she finally accepted Him.  Praise be to Him that He doesn't give up on us.

So back to the Ann part.  My grandma was Ann (she was actually Minnie Ann Womble, but she hated the Minnie part...I don't blame her).  My mama is LuAnn (obviously named after grandma).  My middle name is Leann (for grandma and mama).  And Kendall's middle name is Anne.  For my grandma, my mama, myself and.....Anne of Green Gables.  Yep - you read that right.  I named my child after a fictional character (Anne with an "e").  Like I told you, my grandma loved to read.  And I happened to learn to read (and comprehend) books at a very early age.  I don't claim to be smarter than the average bear and I can't think of one single talent that I have, but dag on it - I can read with the best of them.  One book that was a favorite was a green hardback copy of Anne of Green Gables that belonged to my grandma.  It was (and still is) one of my favorite books.  So when it came time to name my first baby girl - Anne seemed like a logical middle name.

So, there you have it.  Letter A.

When Dad's away...

So my dad is on a golf retreat.  And it's James' late week.  So that means Kendall, Raegan and myself invaded mom's house.  Let me tell you - there isn't much I like more than spending the night at my mom's.  There is just something about hanging out in the floor with my girls while my mama and I laugh and joke (and laugh at Kendall doing crazy stuff like wearing my heels with her footy pajamas on).  There was a time in my life when I never would have dreamed that I'd be this content on a Friday night to just hang out with those dear to my heart.  Granted, we did eat Jason's Deli which kicks it up like 5 notches.

Kendall and I have our first birthday party tomorrow for a kid in her class.  I'm a little nervous because I won't know anyone there, but I'm really excited for Kendall to be able to hang with some school friends.  She has blossomed so much already this school year because she's going four days a week as opposed to last year when she went only 2 days.  It absolutely amazes me to be driving down the road and have her point out letters or to hear what she learned in chapel or to hear about who stayed on green and who got on red.

Raegan's cold seems to have cleared up, which makes me really happy.  It's pitiful to see your babies not feeling well, especially this little.  She was talking up a storm earlier tonight.  She likes playing patty cake with her feet...she sort of semi laughs when we "throw em in the pan".  Children's laughter makes the world go round, I think.

New obsession, snot, punkins

I have a new obsession.  Facebook had this nifty idea of creating pages for each county for yard sales.  Originally I thought this would just show where/when yard sales would be held in Durham.  Nope - now I realize it's actually a yard sale ON Facebook.  Sorta like Craig's List, but constantly updating in my little stream on the right.

I am OBSESSED with checking this page.  Even though I've been to all of one yardsale in my entire life.  I have to check it every time I check my Facebook (which is sadly way too many times a day). 

This obsession wouldn't be so bad if there was actually something worthwhile posted.  But, nope, Durham's page is the same postings "bumped" over and over and over again.  Ever since I joined the group last week, one lady has been trying to sell a complete bedding set decorated with lighthouses, one lady has been trying to sell 4 pair of toddler shoes and 1 pair of adult shoes and one lady has been trying to sell a sectional sofa.  I'm most intrigued by the sofa.  Or, more specifically, by the exorbitant $800 price tag on this monstrosity.  She originally wanted like $840 for it, but she's slashed to her rock bottom price of $800, with financing available.  Because nothing reels in potential yard sale purchasers like financing options.

In other news, Raegan has her first little cold.  She's sneezing, coughing and snotty.  I've taken the blue bulb to her nose no less than 12 times in the last 2 days.  She thoroughly enjoys it.  Not.

We have also officially decorated with my very favorite harvest vegetable - pumpkins.  I've got a truly beautiful blown glass one on my kitchen table (oh Pier One, how I love thee) and 5 on the porch with my mums (aka only plant besides a fern I can keep alive).  Kendall and I are also going to the pumpkin patch on a field trip next week, so I'm hoping to score a couple more.  I'm a stem girl when pumpkin picking.  I love pumpkins with the stems still attached, perhaps with a little curve at the top.

Wonder if I could find any on the Facebook yard sale site?

Week in review

While I was on a maternity leave, I had a temp fill in for me.  A very efficient temp.  Named Ryan.  He was super cool and we shared the exact same sense of humor, so working with him was a breeze.  Especially since he was there for 4 weeks when I got back.  And he kept doing my job during those 4 weeks.  So this past week, he was gone and there was nothing to do.  Usually this first week of the month is super busy for me.  Not so much when Ryan the whiz kid does all of your work before his last day.  So the week had been pretty laid back at work.  I've enjoyed multiple Salted Caramel Mocha Fraps, made sure my NetFlix queue was exactly how I wanted it and ordered a 720 pack of wipes for 12 bucks.

James and I were supposed to have a super romantic date night yesterday at Sullivan's.  We have a gift certificate and were going to go check them out while they are running their special menu for breast cancer awareness (because steak and breast cancer go hand in hand - duh).  However, he didn't get off until 9.  I was po'd.  Until he redeemed himself with a sushi picnic and a semi frozen diet coke.  My man knows me, that's for sure.

Tonight my girls and I have enjoyed a laid back evening at home.  Kendall and I made homemade pizza.  Well, homemade for the Mason family - a Pillsbury roll out crust, cheese and pepperoni.  It was delish.  Then we baked homemade (boxed) funfetti cupcakes and decorated them (and smashed them in each others faces...fun!)  Now we're watching Beverly Hills Chiwawa (however you spell that).  Raegan enjoyed a nice bottle, bath, rocking and singing and she's snoozing away.

Life is good.

New commitment

So I really want to start blogging on a more consistent basis.  Life is going by at warp speed and I can barely remember my name, much less what happened a week ago.  I want a record of my family's life.  I read on another blog that the mom prints out a copy of the blog each year so that in 10 years she can look back and read about this particular season of her life.  So I think I'm going to have that as my goal.

I've been back at work for a month now.  The first week was bad - I cried and missed my babies.  Now, I'm back in a groove of sorts, but not sure I want to be a working mom.  James and I are revisiting the idea of me being a stay at home mom in January.  Why January?  Because we've already booked a trip to Disney in December and we need mama's salary to help get us there.  We would have one VERY disappointed little girl if that trip doesn't happen.  Plus, for once in my life - I actually want to pray about something for longer than 10 minutes to see what God wants for us.

Sometimes it's hectic getting off work, picking up the babies and getting home - dinner, cleaning up, dishes, baths, play time, Hooked on Phonics, dirty diapers, spit up, hiccups, stealing smooches from my man.  But I really love it.  I love the chaos that having another baby has brought to our life.  I love that we have a shoe basket on the stairs because we're too lazy to take them upstairs.  I love that there is a tricycle and sidewalk chalk on my front porch.  I love that there are pacifiers in the most random places.  I love that there was a CandyLand game on my side table for a week.  I love that Kendall was upset this morning because I had finally folded up the blanket that we used Saturday night for our downstairs sleepover.  I love that at the end of the day, when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet I'm tired.  It's a good tired.  An accomplished tired.

Kendall's favorite new thing is for us to speak to her with a fake English accent and call her Princess Harriet.  It's a game that I made up one morning when she didn't want to get out of bed and it's stuck.  She likes to go outside and ring the doorbell and have me let her in like Princess Harriet is our guest.

I love being a mother.

Catching up

I really can't believe that I haven't posted since Raegan was born.  Granted, I have been just a wee bit busy with a new baby, but that's no excuse.  Because this blog is intended to remind me of stuff that I'm sure to forget, I need to get down some things about Baby Rae:

- She is an easy going, happy baby.  I remember James and I thinking that Kendall was an easy baby.  Now we know that she was actually NOT easy compared to Raegan.  She cries when she needs something, she sleeps really well, she smiles and coos and loves to snuggle.

- We have had a bit of a struggle with reflux, which we dealt with when Kendall was born too.  We're doing good now on Zantac and using GentiLease formula.  She eats from 4-6 ounces every 4 hours or so.  She has this lovely habit of letting you know that she's finished eating by taking in an entire mouthful of milk and then spitting it all out - it goes everywhere, including under her sweet, chubby neck where it curdles until her next bath.  Lovely.

- She has beautiful blue eyes.  I don't know if they'll stay blue, but they are truly striking with her complexion and dark hair.

- She is sleeping through the night.  She wants to be in her crib at 8pm on the dot and she sleeps until around 5 or so and then eats and naps again until 8ish.  James usually hears her first and gets up with her.  Which I keep telling him not to do because I feel (somewhat) guilty, but he always reminds me that a) he does much better on less sleep than I do and b) once he hears her, he may as well get up because he can't go right back to sleep anyway.

- Her big sister absolutely adores her.  She kisses her all the time (so much so that we have the one kiss and back away rule because Kendall likes to stay in her face way too long and it bothers Rae).  She says she is part of our "team" and calls her "our baby".  Every now and then she says "Raegan only belongs to our family, right?  No one elses?".  I pray that they grow up to be the best of friends.

- She has hair for days, but it's starting to fall out.  Kendall's did the same thing and came back curly.  We shall see.

I am so blessed to have these little girls.

Raegan Hope

Raegan Hope Mason was born on Wednesday, July 6th at 8:37 a.m.  She weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long.  Here's how things went down:

We checked in to the hospital at 6 a.m. and I was taken to my "holding" room where they prepped me for the c-section.  I had a great (male) nurse, Jason, who made me laugh a lot.  Until he tried to do an IV and I almost passed out because he collapsed my vein and then he didn't seem so funny anymore.  He called a Paula Deen lookalike to try again on the other arm.  She was not successful either.  At this point, I'm thinking they better get it right or I'm going to go home.  So they called anesthesia up and the nurse anesthesist got the IV in on the first try.  Her name was Misty Dawn, she was teeny tiny and absolutely PERFECT for my anxiety ridden self. 

After the IV was in, I got to drink alka seltzer and then they wheeled me into the OR.  It was FREEZING in there.  Misty and a student inserted my spinal block - didn't hurt at all - and pretty soon I was numb from the chest down.  Dr. Andrews came in and got things going.  Misty talked to me the whole time - just idle chit chat - and really kept my mind off of what was going on.  Which I loved because during Kendall's birth I had a huge panic attack and was scared to death.  I felt the oddest pulling and tugging (not pain) while he was getting Rae out - truly the weirdest feeling.  And then she was here!!

She only let out a teeny cry and I was immediately nervous.  The showed her to me real quick and then all of the sudden there were like 5 people working around her.  Turns out that she wasn't breathing very well.  Her Apgar score was a 6 at 1 minute and a 8 at 5 minutes...off to the special care nursery she went.  I was taken back to recovery and James went with Raegan.  They got me settled and I started freaking out a little because no one was telling me what was going on.

Finally the doctor came out and explained to me that Raegan was having trouble breathing due to some extra fluid, that she'd been sunctioned and been on oxygen and would have to stay in the special care nursery for a while.  I tried not to freak out and sent James back with her while they got me settled in my room.

I ended up having a visit from the doctor a little later and they had decided Raegan needed to be started on IV antibiotics because her respirations were too fast, which is a sign of infection in a newborn.  Rather than wait around for the blood culture (which takes a while to show anything), they opt to go ahead and start babies on the antibiotics.  This means a mandatory 48 hours stay in the special care nursery.  I lost it at this point. I still hadn't held her because I wasn't walking yet.  Luckily a few hours later, I was able to get out of bed and go meet my sweet girl.  It was pitiful - her little IV and other monitors.  But she was being a trooper.

The next day, I was able to get up and walk around, so I spent lots of time back with Raegan - feeding her and spending time with her.  Friday we got the news that her culture came back normal (praise the Lord), her respirations were fine and she was released to our room!  We are so relieved! We ended up being discharged on Saturday morning and we got settled in at home quickly.  Kendall is a champ with Raegan - very loving, asking to hold her and help with diapers and bottles.  It's very sweet.

We go to the doctor on Thursday for a weight check.  Hopefully she'll have gained some weight.

Kendall words

Kendall has a truly fabulous vocabulary, but she still mispronounces some words and I absolutely refuse to correct her because it's precious:

- Bathing Soup for bathing suit ("let's go put our bathing soups on")
- Assert for dessert ("can I have some assert")
- Recide for decide ("I haven't recided yet")
- Sunscream for sunscreen
- Extra duper pretty please - when she is trying to be persuasive
- Posquito for mosquito, which she thinks suncream protects you from ("you need to put on some sunscream so you don't get a posquito bite")
- Extra duper pretty please (when regular ole please won't get the job done)
- See-curt for secret ("mommy that was supposed to be a seecurrrtt")
- Pa corn for popcorn - which is her all time favorite snack...she eats at least one mini bag of microwave popcorn every single day
- Pocket purse for pocketbook
- Macaroni for pepperoni

35 weeks - 1 month to go!!

•How Far Along: 35 Weeks



•Size of baby: Large canteloupe (19 to 22 inches, 5.5 lbs)
•Total Weight Gain/Loss: Around 5 pounds (since I lost some when I went on the restricted diet
•Maternity Clothes: Making it work...I'd prefer to walk around in an oversized t shirt and bedroom shoes 24-7, but alas that's not gonna happen.
•Gender: GIRL!  Raegan Hope Mason
•Movement: She hasn't been kicking quite as hard lately, which I read is normal.  She's still active, just not hurting me like she was a few weeks ago.
•Sleep: Sigh.  I really don't want to complain, but I AM NOT sleeping very well.  Potty breaks shouldn't come at 1am.  And 2:30 am.  And 3:45 am....
•What I miss: Sushi, sleeping on my belly, sugar
•Cravings: Fruit and ice
•Symptoms: I'm in the home stretch and not very comfortable.  The heat ain't no joke.
•Best Moment this week: Having pregnancy pictures taken.  Although if they didn't turn out very well, this may not be a good moment.

Too early to feel this done...

Two weeks ago, someone asked me "so are you ready to have the baby yet".  As in have you gotten to that point where you are just DONE with being pregnant.  Two weeks ago, I smiled sweetly, rubbed my belly and said - "No I feel great".  Yeah - two weeks can make a big difference.  It's 145 degrees outside, I pee CONSTANTLY, I'm puffy at the end of each day and I'm bored to tears at work because the person that I'm training to take over for me while I'm gone was brought in a month too early and now he does my job while I surf Ebay for nursery items.  I'm DONE.

Unfortunately, I have a little over 4 weeks of work to go.  I don't think I'd feel nearly as irritated with pregnancy if I was at home with Kendall, puttering around the house and visiting the pool every day.  But somehow sitting here at work, doing NOTHING, makes me feel more pregnant than I am.  Sigh.

32 weeks

How Far Along: 32 weeks


Size of baby: Head of lettuce (where they get these veggie comparisons is beyond me) - 19 in, 3.9 pounds

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm at a 2 pound gain as of my last visit, thanks to the 8 pounds I've lost since I've been on the diabetic diet.  This happened with Kendall too, so I'm not concerned.

Maternity Clothes: Was just blessed yesterday with a huge bag of summer maternity clothes!  So happy!

Gender: GIRL!  Raegan Hope Mason.


Movement: She's a mover and a shaker - get to start counting kicks this week.

Sleep: Boo - I'm using the bathroom several times a night and just getting to that uncomfortable stage. 

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly.

Cravings: Doesn't matter if I crave it - I probably can't have it.  LOL

Symptoms: Starting to slow down a little...definitely waddling when I walk.


Best Moment this week: Kendall talking to my belly every day...she's so excited!  Oh, and Raegan's bedroom stuff came last week - it's Lollipop Jungle by Lambs & Ivy and it's PRECIOUS!

Proportionate

That's the beautiful word that the doctor used to describe my sweet girl after our follow-up ultrasound last week...her head is now proportionate to her body.  I was speechless.  I was hoping for Raegan's head to have stayed on the same growth curve.  I was hoping that they'd tell me that even though her head was still small, we still weren't in the microcephely range.  But God blew me out of the water.  Not only did her head grow, but it caught up...I am amazed.  I am so grateful for God seeing fit to continue to grow Raegan and I just pray that James and I will be good parents to her and Kendall.  That we'd guide her to know Him and praise Him and honor Him with their lives.  And I pray that we will show our children how to trust in Him - even when times are tough or even when the doctor's news isn't positive or whatever life throws our way.  I want them to see steadfast faith in us in all situations.

Kendall Catchup

I'm experiencing mommy guilt because I haven't written anything about my KBug in a while.  She is truly the coolest kid on the planet, hands down.  I love hanging with her - she keeps me laughing all the time.  Some things she's got going on:

- She goes to preschool at Grove Park Chapel 2 mornings a week.  Next year she'll go 3 mornings a week.  She really seems to like it, even though Lilly put sand in her hair on the playground yesterday.  This unfortunate event brought us to a family discussion about what to do when people put sand in your hair (because that happens often in life, I suppose).  My grand advice was to say "Please stop putting sand in my hair" and then if she does it again to tell Mrs. Denise (to which Kendall exclaimed - "That's what I did!!")  James' advice was "Don't push her or hit her".  Um - thanks James - bringing up violence when that was the furthest thing from her mind.  Nice.

Anyway - the school is great.  My 3 year old can recite the fruit of the Spirit...unbelieveable.

- She goes to dance class one afternoon (well, one 30 minutes) a week.  I was extremely proud to peek in yesterday (thereby ignoring the sign that asks parents not to stand in front of the door) and saw that my kid was the only one in 1st position.  Of course visions of glitter, hair spray and a red and white cowgirl dance costume filled my head.  Wait - the red and white cowgirl dance costume was mine when I was a kid...unfortunate choice, Mrs. Ann, unfortunate choice.

I say all that to say that she really likes it, but if she decides that she wants to try something besides dance, I'm all for it.  I just want her active and involved in something - be that dancing (no pressure, Kendall - your mom just did it for 10 years and has spent the last 15 seriously regretting not keeping up with it) or T-Ball.

- She loves her baby sister.  Right now, at least.  She likes giving my belly a zerbert.  She always says "Hi Raegan, it's me - Kendall" when she speaks to my belly.  She says that she's not going to let Raegan to dangerous things like walk without holding our hand.  Oh, and she said that if Raegan says "stupid" she'll give her a spanking.  Niiice.

- Other things that Kendall likes right now in no particular order:  chicken, Good Luck Charlie, the new version of the ABC song that Hooked on Phonics is teaching us, playing outside, bubbles, caterpillars, movies, Berenstein Bear books, baby/Barbie dolls, balloons, slushies, playing ball of any sort, her tricycle, rubbing lotion on Daddy's back (like how he taught her that one, huh?), snuggle bunny every night, finding the moon in the sky, the beach, bars of soap, paint (and tasting paint), Play-Doh, her friends (specifically Beccy, Charis, Jackson), her grandparents and aunts, swinging, our inside jokes (I'll ask her how much she loves me and she holds up her hands to show a teeny weeny bit or "put that away" when I hold out my hand to get a handshake - which we saw on the Tooth Fairy and she thought was hysterical), knowing what's next on the agenda ("what we do after this, Mommy?")

Things Kendall does not like right now: bedtime in her room, monsters, any bug besides a caterpillar or ladybug, mornings (although that is getting better since we've started a chart of things she's responsible for complete with stickers and a prize box), being forced to speak to people when she doesn't want to, cheeseburgers (she only likes hamburgers), milk, having her ears cleaned, Daddy brushing her hair ("he not gentle"), the vaccuum cleaner, skinned knees, ice packs on skinned knees, getting out of the bath ("I stay til water goes out"), discipline (who does?).

God, thank you for Kendall Anne Mason.  She is the light of my life.

No mo' sugar

I have gestational diabetes again.  I took my 3 hour glucose test again on Monday and got the results today.  So Tuesday I'm off to meet with the dietician and get my blood glucose monitor and my days of ice cream and fresh pineapple are over for the forseeable future.

This did not come as a shock and I'm actually grateful that I was able to have a fun few months of eating what I want.  The diagnosis could have been a lot sooner since I had diabetes last time and was checked earlier this go round.

My doctor's visit Monday went well.  I met with my favorite doctor and was able to get her take on the small head situation.  She's not one to feed me fluff or to make jokes to try to make me feel better (unlike the doctor that broke the percentile news to me last time...she totally irritated me by trying to be funny in a not funny situation.  Which I totally do all the time. Note to self - QUIT DOING THAT).  She read the report and told me that it's possible Raegan's head is small, but that we'll need this next ultrasound to tell us if she's had siginificant head growth in these last weeks.  That ultrasound will be sometime at the end of this month.  So I take that to mean that we're not "in the clear".  And she said honestly, that we won't be in the clear even if she's not diagnosed in utero because her pediatrician is going to be all over it given the small percentile.  Oddly enough, this made me feel better - I needed someone to shoot it to me straight and I feel like she did.  Hence the reason why I like her.  We are praying that her little head will be in a more "normal" percentile range at the next ultrasound (aka it had a growth spurt) and we can put these fears to rest. 

26 Weeks

•How Far Along: 26 weeks (and 2 days)



•Size of baby: Eggplant - 9.2 inches, 2 pounds

•Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm not sure, but I know the nurse will be glad to tell me at Monday's appointment...booooo

•Maternity Clothes: I have GOT to invest in some maternity pants for work...this Belly Band thing is on it's last leg.  Best $19.99 my mom ever spent.

•Gender: GIRL! Raegan (middle name not decided) Mason - James and I agree on zero middle names.  Maybe she'll be like my mom and not have one.

•Movement: Love it - you can see if from the outside now and it's cool!

•Sleep: Pretty good this week - my arms fall asleep a lot because I have a tendency to lay on them, but nothing a little hanging them over the side of the bed can't fix.

•What I miss: Raw fish.

•Cravings: Nothing really...I like fruit still and this morning I had to have toast or the day just wouldn't have been the same.



•Symptoms: I feel fabulous - seriously.

•Best Moment this week: James and Kendall both saw Raegan moving around - we were all piled in our bed just watching my big ole belly...fun times.

Looking forward to my appointment Monday.  NOT looking forward to taking the 3 hour glucose test AGAIN.  But I really want to talk to my favorite doctor about the small noggin issue and get her take on things and stress my feeling about not having the follow up ultrasound there at the office, but rather back over at the fetal diagnostic center.  In my mind, if they are just going to end up sending me back over there anyway - I'd like to save myself the stress of waiting for the appointment to be made and all that. 

I also want to bring up VBAC with her.  So far I've got one doc for it, one doc against it, so I need a tie breaker.

Friday's visit

I woke up Friday with a lot less anxiety than I thought I would feel...I can only attribute that to the prayers being lifted up for us.  I figured I would wake up a nervous wreck, but that didn't happen. 

The original plan was for us to have an hour of genetic counseling and then go for our ultrasound.  We ended up getting a call on Thursday for the genetic counseling to be cancelled and moved to after the ultrasound, if necessary.  We arrived at the diagnostic center at 10:30 (James and I met mama and Lisa there) and only had a short wait (yay).  Our ultrasound nurse was very nice and explained everything that she was doing as she was doing it.  The ultrasound took a while because it's so in depth...I can't think of anything that she didn't look at - hands, feet, bones, bladder, brain, fluid, ovaries (crazy to think that God gives females these organs even at 20 weeks old...praying for her future children)- everything going on in there.  Of course, she couldn't tell us anything so she left to let the doc review everything.

As soon as the doctor came in, her first words were "your baby is beautiful" and I just cried with relief.  Here's the deal - other than her small head, everything about the baby is perfect - brain is developing, organs are normal, measurements are on track.  So the small head concern would be microcephaly - which is a scary, rare disorder that I've read way too much about this week.  The doctor explained to me that microcephaly is diagnosed as a head circumference 3 standard deviations away from the mean.  Yeah that's way over my head...no pun intended.  The end result is that while our baby's head is small, it does not fit those criteria and she is confident that she will be born with a small head, but nothing wrong with her.  She used the word "normal", and then stressed that normal isn't a word that she uses very often.  I will have to have another ultrasound in the 3rd trimester as a follow up.

I am so thankful to God for this reassuring appointment.  I try to be pretty open and honest, so I'll admit that I'm still nervous inside.  I know myself well enough to not be surprised by the (crazy) thoughts that I've still got going on and the compelling urge to research other moms that have had similar experiences. I have another 4 months to figure out what God wants to teach me through this.  I'm sure that He wants to prune away some of this obsessive anxiety that I've always had - and I want Him to.  I know that it's normal for moms to worry...but I've always been the type of worrier that can't shut it off...I get consumed with worry over a particular thing for weeks on end and I can't make the thoughts stop.  So honestly, I pray that God would use these months to help me work through that.

And here's the thing - I've said that I want my baby to be perfect.  But it dawned on me today that no matter how she's developing, she IS perfect because God is making her...she's being knit together right now as I feel her kicking away and she's exactly what God wants her to be.  And I'm already honored to be her mommy...God chose ME to be THIS child's mommy.  It's a privilege and I'll spend the next four months with a focus on taking care of myself and of her and growing closer to the Lord...with maybe a little more research thrown in :-)

At times like these...

Yesterday was both an exciting day and a scary day for our family.  We had our follow-up ultrasound (because the baby was laying in a weird position last time and the tech couldn't get all of the measurements that she needed).  We got to see some really sweet shots of our sweet GIRL (yep - still a girl) and even got to come home with some 4D pictures (didn't get any of those with Kendall).  The tech was able to get all of the measurements that she needed and then I met with the doctor.

It turns out that the baby's head is measuring very small - somewhere around the 4th percentile while her other measurements are around the 40-60th percentiles.  The doctor tried to make me feel better, but is concerned enough to be sending us for a Level II ultrasound at Duke tomorrow morning.

I'm a wreck.

It's times like these that I realize how much more work God has to do in me.  I would love to say that I've handled the situation with faith and calm, but really yesterday found me standing in my kitchen raising my voice at my faithful and calm husband because he is so faithful and calm and I'm so...not.  I wish I could say that I didn't hop right on the internet (which is what the doctor told me NOT to do), but I did and now I've scared myself senseless.  I wish I could say that whatever God shows us tomorrow, I'm okay with because I know it's His plan, but I'm just a mommy who wants a healthy baby and I'm afraid and confused and I feel like that hot dog I ate in the mountains must have somehow hurt my child...okay, that's pushing it, but I am filled with guilt that if something is wrong that it's my fault.

Granted, everything could be fine and I could be borrowing trouble and making myself sick over nothing.  But how do you ever get to the point where you can patiently wait on something like this without worrying?  I would think that after nearly 10 years with Jesus, I'd have this thing down.  But I don't.

Here's what I do know - I am blessed beyond measure.  I have the love and support of so many people that it makes my head spin.  I know that there are literally hundreds of people praying for my sweet girl and I know that God hears all of those prayers and that He will prepare and equip us for whatever tomorrow holds.  He loves my daughter far more than even I do and He has a plan, not only for me but for her.

So in the midst of fear and worry and a hurting heart, there is also hope knowing that God's showing me something in all this...even if I can't see it right now.

21 weeks

•How Far Along: 21 Weeks



•Size of baby: Length of a banana


•Total Weight Gain/Loss: Actually, none...but that works because I'm already overweight and am only supposed to gain 15-20 total.  I didn't start gaining until 3rd trimester with Kendall, so we'll see how things go.

•Maternity Clothes: Still getting use out of my Belly Band with my regular pants for work and I live in maternity jeans any other time.

•Gender: It's a girl!!  Well, the ultrasound tech was almost positive it's a girl, at least.

•Movement: Definitely...can't feel from outside quite yet, much to James' dismay.  But a couple of times a day, she gets really active.  I love it.

•Sleep:  Up to use the potty twice a night, every night...at the point where I can't sleep on my back or stomach, so side to side it is.

•What I miss: Spicy tuna rolls and a flowing fountain of diet mountain dew.

•Cravings: Grapes, bacon...not together.

•Symptoms: I feel really good...the second trimester is so amazing to me - energy, attitude back to normal, healthy appetite.

•Best Moment this week: Lots and lots of movement.

•Next up: I have my monthly appointment, with another ultrasound on 3/18...or 3/16 - I can't really remember.  Baby Mason was turned the wrong way for the tech to get all the measurements she needed last time, so I get an extra peek...praying everything looks good.

I take it back

Remember that whole "they should just send me straight to the nutritionist" thing...yeah - I take that back.  Turns out I actually PASSED my 3 hour glucose test.  I was shocked.  I had already resigned myself to a finger prickin good time.

They'll test me again at 7 months, which means I get the pleasure of doing both tests again.  So we shall see what that shows.

I'm feeling good...it's amazing to me how much more normal I feel in the 2nd trimester.  Both times it's like I went to bed this queasy, irritable, non motivated hot mess and woke up energized, hungry and much more cheerful pregnant lady.  I still cry easily, but truthfully, I think I'm just a cry baby in my old age...not sure it has too much to do with the baby.

Sugar high

So no surprise here, but I failed the 1 hour glucose test that I took last week.  Even though I knew it was coming, I cried and cried when the nurse called to tell me that I needed to come in for the 3 hour test.  Now that I've thought about it - I really don't understand why they are having me come in for the 3 hour test.  I failed both the 1 hour and the 3 hour last pregnancy and I've failed the one hour this time.  Shouldn't we save everyone's time and money (and my blood) by going ahead and sending me to the nutritionist and calling it a day?

Other than that, my appointment last week went well and we'll find out what Baby Mason is on Valentine's Day, which I thought was quite appropriate.

Happy New Year

2010 flew by.  I really think time has started going much faster since Kendall was born.  It always flew by, but now it's like crazy super warp speed or something.

Unfortunately James had to work on New Year's Eve...until 2 a.m.  What is it about these rich folks that they feel they can't celebrate major holidays inside their 10,000 square foot, million dollar homes?  No - they'd rather be stressing my poor hubs out at the country club.  Actually, he never, never, EVER complains...he's one of the few people that I can honestly say loves his job.  And I usually don't complain about it (anymore), but dag - can a girl kiss her husband on NYE?  Anyway - Kendall and I had a most excellent time having game night with family and close friends.  We hosted my parents and grandmother (Ronnie's mom), Rena Bena (who has become a fast family friend in the last few months) and my BFF Melissa, Dean, Courtney, and Alex.  It was honestly one of the best nights of 2010, which is fitting as the year came to a close.  We played Apples to Apples (best. game. ever) and Loaded Questions (not as fun as when we played on Thanksgiving...you've gotta have people willing to say some crazy stuff to make it funny).  Then we watched the ball drop and I sat here shaking my head and the "artists" on Dick Clark's NYE show.  I guess I'm old because they just made my forehead wrinkle up more than usual...I didn't even bob my head.

Kendall and I got in the bed way late, but I was up pretty early to get things ready for my sweet girl's princess birthday party.  I was raised to have small, intimate family parties and so far that's what we've done with Kendall.  Only 10 people total.  I find that I'm able to splurge more on the party supplies when it's a smaller number and she doesn't get overwhelmed.  I decked out the kitchen in purple - Princess Tiana plates and napkins, purple forks and cups, loads of confetti, princess wands, necklaces, rings with bling, etc.  My sister in law brought tiaras for all of us girls to wear, too.  I did finger foods that turned out really cute - cream cheese/strawberry jam sandwiches cut out into cute shapes, fruit kabob "wands" with a pink yogurt dip, popcorn (Kendall's favorite), pink lemonade, etc.  Then I sat out little dishes of all sorts of candy in purple and green to match the decor.  Truly - I embraced what teeny weeny bit of creativity I have and it turned out really great.

Kendall got a bike from Mommy and Daddy and because it was 60 degrees, we were able to go ride some.  We finished up the day by taking her to see the Yogi Bear movie and to eat at the "peanut place" aka Lone Star.  It was a perfect, perfect day.

It still amazes me that I've been a parent for 3 years.  James, too...he said that very thing about 10 times on her birthday.  She is such a joy...I am so grateful that God chose me to be her mom.  She actually left for the mountains with my parents on Sunday and I know I'm supposed to enjoy "me" time when she's not here, but I don't like it.  I'd rather be with her, no doubt about it.  James and I are headed to the mountains tomorrow after work and I'll be so glad to kiss her sweet lips.