The Truth about SPAM

I HATE spam email. I hate that the only email I get from some people is some stupid forward with pictures of bald eagles telling me to be more American. I hate that sometimes people change the subject of the message from what should be "fwd:fwd:fwd lame ass email" to something more enthralling like "Nikki, I think you'll like this." Those people should get added to my husband's People I'd Like to Punch list. Today I got an email from my cousin titled "A word of thanks...", so naturally I open it prepared to take credit from something I'm sure I didn't do, and I get slammed with yet another spam email. Dammit! I figured I'd read it since I had opened it already, and was pleasantly surprised with it's content. I edited it before sharing it with you, but I hope you enjoy the sentiment of the following spam email as much as I did.


I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery !!!I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of Trans fats I have consumed over the years.I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing. ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time. I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish. I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers..I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.I no longer can buy petrol or diesel without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up. I no longer drink Pepsi or Fanta since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans. I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer. AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face.. Disfiguring me for life. I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

What the heck is

Maternal Tissue. I was reading some information about how the weight you gain during pregnancy is distributed.
7 - 9 pounds of baby
2 pounds of placenta
2 pounds of amniotic fluid
4 - 5 pounds of increased blood volume
2 pounds uterine enlargement
3 - 4 pounds of fluid in maternal tissue
1 pound of breast enlargement to prepare for breastfeeding
Any remaining pounds are a general deposit of fat required by the body for breastfeeding and energy stores

All of it makes sense except maternal tissue...I will look up what it actually is, but I would love to hear what some of you thought it might be when you first read the question.

I want to be a Vampire

So I have not gotten onto the vampire craze. I haven't read or seen any of the Twilight saga. I don't have HBO, so didn't get into True Blood. I usually avoid watching anything on a station that has Wendy Williams in it's line up, but I caved because I knew I would be bored over Christmas break and I DVR'd the Vampire Diaries marathon that CW ran two weeks ago. Boy am I ever glad I did. My favorite thing about the show is they don't drag out every plot line. Cheesy teen dramas usually do that. In this case, the main plot line carries through and all the little side take a stake to the heart (I know cheesy pun). Well, I have to say congrats CW, you've sucked me back in to one of your useless shows that my husband makes fun of me for watching.

Don't forget to vote on my baby name poll! Only a couple of days left.

GOAL!

The hubs and I scored free tickets to the Jackets game tonight courtesy of one of my coworkers. The seats were awesome! I'm bummed I forgot my camera because I've never had better seats at a hockey games. There were two great fights, the game went into overtime, and the Jackets won, scoring a great goal right in front of us. Joe enjoyed himself drinking two 24 ounce beers then begging me for White Castle on the way home. The baby kicked throughout the whole game, so Joe's love of hockey has apparently been passed down to our little one. Weird pregnancy side note: my taste buds must have changed. Usually my favorite part of a hockey game is the one dollar cotton candy on the way to the car. Well tonight the stuff made me want to vomit. Joe insists it tasted fine to him, but it me it tasted like they deep fried some Long John Silvers in the cotton candy machine prior to whipping up the batch. Hopefully that goes away once the baby is born.

Christmas Recap

The best thing about this Christmas...getting to sleep in my own bed every night. In the past we always stayed the night at the in laws in Cincinnati, which was never a good night sleep, but with an easy rearrangement of events I was able to sleep cozy each night.

Christmas Eve with my parents was really nice. My sister and family agreed to put aside some family drama for the evening and just enjoy each other's company. Joe and I scored some sweet loot including an HP picture printer, and ihome speaker system, legos (for Joe), comfy socks, a new watch (for me) and lots of yummy candy. The baby got a stocking full of goodies and a Bengals onsie with the most adorable little booties I have ever seen. Thanks Mom and Dad!

At the in laws on Christmas day Joe got some football books, and my mother in law gave me a rug she hooked herself. Not my style, but it's the thought that counts.

Joe and I exchanged gifts Christmas night and he got me a heating pad (love it) some new yoga pants and some bump-its. I originally had said I wanted these as a joke, but now I'm excited to try them out.

Today we cleaned up from the Christmas hoopla and put the baby's crib together. The nursery is coming together nicely. I will post pictures later...I'm too lazy to climb the stairs to take one.

I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas as well!

Bump Day - Week 24

The Baby
Baby's now the size of a papaya!Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.
(Really...my baby is still the size of a papaya? I find it hard to believe it hasn't grown in two weeks. Way to get lazy on the fruit analogies "Bump")

The Mommy - In Theory
As much as we love your company, take a break from the computer if your fingers feel numb or tingly. It's probably carpal tunnel syndrome, often brought on by pregnancy. Stretch your hands frequently to loosen them up. For significant symptoms, try wrist braces or splints at nighttime.

The Mommy - For Real
I was experiencing that whole carpal tunnel thing weeks ago. All the sudden my left wrist started to hurt all the time. Weird. I'm starting to freak out about all the decisions I still have to make. On the list:
-Breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding vs. pumping
-Childbirth classes/tour of the hospital...I have no idea what I'm in for on delivery day
-epidural vs. other pain strategies...in no way do I think I'm going to go au natural...not my style

I am super excited though because the 24th week marks what is called Viability Day. This means if for some awful reason I were to go into early labor, the baby has a much higher chance of surviving, and the doctors will do all they can to ensure that. Hopefully this isn't a worry, but it's nice to know I've hit such an important milestone. I can't believe I only have 16 weeks left! EEK!

Help me decide

So the hubby and I just can't seem to pick a baby boy's name. We have it narrowed down, but we love them all and can't decide. I'm reaching out to all my blogging friends for your opinions. I put the poll up, and if you could leave some comment love about why you chose what you did, that would be great. Maybe some of your comments will help us narrow it down even more.
THANKS!

Thank the lord

Our internet went out Wednesday night...

Translation: Nikki spent two days whining about how she couldn't keep up with her blog buddies and bump chatrooms.

Thank goodness Joe fixed it tonight. I would have lost my mind without internet going into two weeks of winter break.

A Conversation with my Husband

Me: If we have a boy, are we going to have him circumcised
Joe: Uh yeah, uncircumcised ones look weird
Me: Have you seen a lot of uncircumcised ones?
Joe: Yeah, in porn.
Me: That's gross, porno king
Joe: Just because I'm worldly and sophisticated, doesn't make me gross

Apparently watching porn makes you worldly and sophisticated in my husband's crazy world.

Internal Abuse

So I've been feeling the baby kick for a couple of weeks now. It's a weird feeling to know that there is a human using your insides as a punching bag. Today I got to see the baby move for the first time. Up until now, I've been feeling the kicks really low, but tonight I was feeling them on the left side, meaning my little one has decided to stretch out across my stomach. The kicks were pretty strong, so I had Joe come feel since he hasn't really felt the baby a ton, and he felt it right away. So then I was just staring at my left side when all the sudden I was clearly poked from the inside. It was cool, but WEIRD! I mean, my skin popped out and everything. Just like a little hill being formed on my side, then fading away again.

I have 17 weeks of this left, so I can only imagine it will get even weirder.

100th post - Guest Blogger

And without further ado, here's my dear husband's guest blog.

(p.s. I didn't realize he was going to write a novel...he swears it's funny)

People I’d like to punch in the face..
Has anyone ever annoyed you so much that you want to simultaneously inflict pain and embarrassment upon them? Well here’s my list of people who’s mere presence on this earth is a crime against humanity and fall into the category of skull punching.

Haley Joel Osment/Dakota Fanning – This really is meant for any child actor who acts like a grown up. There’s just something that gets to me about a four year old having a larger vocabulary and more maturity than myself (and yes, I know they’re both like 20 now but some other little demon spawn will come along to carry on the legacy). Here’s what I’d imaging a conversation between me and War of the Worlds Dakota Fanning would be like:

Me: Hey there little girl. Would you like a lollipop?
Dakota (while texting on her BlackBerry): No thanks. Too much sugar before noon makes me bloated and I’m already carrying a lot of water weight from a salty breakfast.
Me: Uhh… Okay, how about a great, big juice box?
Dakota: Well, I do need to hydrate, but do you have any mineral water? Or how about a non-fat, no whip, triple shot caramel macchiato with just a pinch of cinnamon?
Me: How about a left hook to the eyeball?

Miley Cirus – This hatred started about 2 months ago when her new single ‘Party in the USA’ came out. When I first heard it on the radio I changed the station right away. But every time I’ve heard it since it’s taken me longer and longer to change the station until finally I’m singing along at the top of my lungs (while nodding my head like yeah and shaking my hips like yeah). And then that feeling of self loathing comes over me as I realize that I’m no better than the twelve year olds waiting in line for the new Twilight movie. Kinda like the feeling you get after you laugh too hard a racist joke.

Tyra Banks – Oh lord how I hate America’s Next Top Model. I’d like to punch everyone even remotely associated with that show in the face. And to make it worse, they run all day marathons of this crap that my wife watches from sun up to sun down, eagerly waiting to see what will happen next as if it won’t be a bunch of talentless, undernourished women taking freaky pictures while Tyra gushes over them and generally acts like a 10 year old. Use your words, Tyra. I have no idea what you mean when you say that someone needs to be less like.. and then you scream… and more like… and then you sigh. I bet if I socked you in the jaw you’d get how I was feeling.

Street peddlers at the intersection – Hey, dumbass, it’s a busy intersection and I’m trying to make this left arrow. How about you ask me for my 23 cents when I’m not barreling down on you at 35mph and impervious to your presence because, well, it is a road and I’m jamming out to my Miley Cirus. Seriously, my wife and I have donated thousands of dollars to various charities over the years but a bearded guy with a reeking tuna and/or pickles stench is giving me the stink eye because I don’t feel like fishing through my car for loose change. I’ve been ignoring those commercials for third world countries and abandoned pets for years, Beardo, and they actually need my money. You don’t stand a chance.

Things 8th graders say....

That make them sound stupid (and my silent replies)

"Mrs. Kelley, he wrote on me." ( Well, you wrote on him first...I guess now you're even, loser)

"Did you just fart?" (Sure, I walked up, stood right in front of you and farted. That sounds like something a 28 year old would do, loser)

"There's no chair at my desk" (Look around dumbass...there are 5 chairs near your desk. Grab one of them, loser.)

"My pencil broke." (Really!? Are you so clueless that you don't know the solution to your problem is to walk 3 feet to the pencil sharpener, loser)

"You're pregnant! How did that happen?" (Ummm...maybe you need to repeat health class. I'm pretty sure they show the birthing video in 8th grade, loser)

"My head almost fits through the hole in the back of the chair!" (If I weren't afraid of the backlash, I would have helped you push your head the rest of the way through, cause there is no way you would have gotten it out, and I would have loved to see your dumbass walking around with a chair on his neck, loser)

Thank god I am going on maternity leave for the last 7 weeks of school. I would never make it through this year otherwise!

Bump Day - Week 22

The Baby

Baby's now the size of a papaya!Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

The Mommy - In Theory

Real estate within your belly is getting tight, with growing baby leaving little room for your lungs to...well...breathe. Expect the huffing and puffing to start soon. There's not much room for your belly button, either -- it'll pop out any day now.

The Mommy - For Real

How big is a papaya? These weekly emails often make me want to go to the grocery store just to hold up the object that will show me how big my baby is. Comparing my belly to just last week...damn that thing grew. My last few pairs of pre-pregnancy work pants that I was still fitting into have bit the dust this week. I figure, why suffer through the tight button pants when I can slide into the most comfy maternity pants. Seriously, why don't they make all work pants this comfortable. I may never switch back.

The baby is seriously kicking now. I get to feel it each time I eat. At night as I'm falling asleep, it usually gives me a few kicks. Today Joe got to feel it again. We're both waiting for the day when we can see it moving. That will be weird.

Lazy Blogger

So instead of having my own things to say, I send you over to Brittany at Sweet, Sassy, and Oh so Classy because she says exactly what I want to say.

My 100th post is coming up, and as a treat I have enlisted my hubs to do a guest post. He has a doozy planned so stay tuned!

Weekend Trip

This past weekend I took my first journey to Pittsburgh. The hubby some friends and I went to watch the UC vs. Pitt game. It was great. The game was exciting, nothing like a Buckeyes game because there was no defense and lots of touchdowns. UC came out victorious, which means the city of Pittsburgh has not beat the city of Cincinnati in football at all this season. What a great sweep!

We got the glider and crib for the nursery, once they are put together I'll share pics.

Bump Day Week 21

The Baby

Baby's now the size of a banana! Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

The Mommy - In Theory

Gasp...is that a stretch mark?!! Take deep breaths and remember -- they'll fade after delivery. Your skin may also feel dry and itchy, especially over your emerging bump. Take a cue from your fetus, now coated by vernix (a milky, protective cream), and slather on the lotion.

The Mommy - For Real

I'm a little amazed at this whole process. For one, it's weird to think that if I'm having a girl she's already produced the eggs, one of which may be my future grandchild. We had our half way ultrasound and the pictures are amazing. (hubby is going to scan them in at work and then I will share) We got to see it's heart (all four chambers), it's brain, it's spine, feet, hands, the works. The little one even gave us a thumbs up at the end to let us know everything is going fine. Carrying a baby is truly the most amazing thing!

Can I Febreeze my butt?

So I know this might be TMI, but they weren't kidding when they said pregnancy gives you gas. Serious gas. Knock you on your arse gas.

I would be rich if I could invent something you could ingest that made your farts smell better...

D&G

So I'm sitting her, innocently watching tv, when a Dolce and Gabanna watch commercial comes on. It starts out with pretty girl making out with hot guy in a D&G watch. Then another hot guy comes in, also wearing a D&G watch. Apparently this is irresistible for the girl, and what amounts to a threesome is in the works. As Barney calls in on How I Met Your Mother, a devil's threesome. Are we really so open as a society that a threesome is acceptable in a commercial? My kid's not even born yet and I'm already wondering how I would explain one lady making out with to boys to them.

Bump Day Week 19 and finished project pics

The Baby

Baby's now the size of a mango!Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

The Mommy - In theory

Those nasty leg cramps are probably making it tough to get comfortable. One way to ease the pain: Extend your leg and flex your ankle and toes toward your knees. Or enlist your partner for a calf (and back!) massage. Good news: Your now-bulging belly should get you a little more compassion from everyone around you.

The Mommy - For Real

I'm having trouble sleeping at night. I can't seem to get comfortable, no matter what position I'm trying. I really want to sleep on my stomach, but of all the possible choices, that one is worst for the baby...I can almost feel the squishing. I think I've decided to tell my students the day before Thanksgiving about the baby...that way I won't have such a dilemma when getting dressed in the morning since I won't have to keep it a secret. I bought my first maternity clothes last weekend. I was really nervous about buying pants because I hate having anything cover my belly, but they make these great underbelly-cut pants which are exactly what they sound like. I love them and can't wait to wear them...I'll bust out the jeans Friday since my pre-pregnancy jeans just aren't my friend any more.

Here are the pictures I promised long ago of our nursery and tiled back splash.

Thank Goodness for Vaccines

The hubby has had the flu all weekend. It started Friday night with a fever and by Saturday he was vomiting. I took him to the ER Saturday, where surprisingly they did not give him tamafu. They did give him some nausea medicine so that he could keep down fluids. He's been sleeping pretty much ever since. I just want his fever to go away so that I don't have to worry about him as much. At least today he was feeling well enough to eat some soup and watch a little football (Go Bengals).

Thank goodness I got my flu shots already. Hopefully I can avoid any illness. I do get to wear a sweet SARS mask when I go in to check on him.

Stories from the 8th grade

The students at my school do a weekly word-within-a-word list...a study of common root words. They have to make flash cards with the root word, the meaning and two words that relate to the root.
EX: Geo - earth...geology, geography.

They were working on their cards in study hall and putting words that had no relation to the root on the cards. The following conversation occurred:

ME: The words you put on their have to relate to the root word.
Student A: No they don't.
Me: Yes they do.
Student A: No, we had the root circum and I used circumcise...what does circumcise have to do with "around"
(I pause to think of a tactful, appropriate teacher response)
Student B: Because the cut AROUND...what, do you have a square one?
Student A: Oh...I get it.

Leave it to the students to find clever visual ways to explain things to each other.

Bump Day - Week 18

The Bump


The Baby
Baby's now the size of a sweet potato! Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements.

The Mommy - In Theory
As your growing uterus starts shifting your center of gravity (belly forward, bottom out), hormones are causing your ligaments to relax and joints to loosen. The result? Back pain and soreness. On the bright side, if you want to know baby's gender, this might be your first week for a sneak peek.

The Mommy - For Real
I'm definitely feeling the soreness in my stomach as the ligaments start to stretch. Another thing my hormones are causing to relax...my tear ducts. I've cried twice at work this week (not in front of the students thank goodness.) I teared up today at any mention on war veterans or military personnel who've lost their lives in war. I've turned into a blubbering-for-no-reason kind of girl.

Bump Day - Week 17

So I realized that I haven't been doing enough to document this crazy change in my life. I am going to institute Bump Day on Wednesday...(hopefully I've been clever enough that people realize the play on the words "hump Day" for Wednesday)

Anyway...my plan is to post a picture of my bump, share what "should" be going on with me, what is really going on with me, and how the baby is doing cooking away.

The Bump

The Baby

Baby's now the size of an onion! Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

The Mommy - In theory

Though increased blood flow is good for baby, it might be making you a little...damp. Body secretions (think sweat, mucus, nosebleeds, and vaginal discharge) are in full force. This week might also mark the first time you feel baby move inside you, but don't worry if it's another two months before you notice anything. (Or realize that this time, it's actually not gas.)

The Mommy - For Real

Sometimes I get these weekly updates telling me what should be happening to me and I think...I'm not experiencing any of that. This is one of those weeks. In fact, I almost wish for the sweating because then at least I would be warm. I'm cold all the time. I was really hoping that being pregnant during the winter would be a blessing...haven't experienced that yet. I wore my coat all day in class because my room is cold, so I was freezing.

Halloween Pics

The party was fun as usual. Here are the pics of all the costumes.

Flower Power

Rainbow Bright and her tye-dye buddy


Preggers and Baby

A little Uno anyone?

Meet George Jetson...Jane his wife.

Everybody loves chocolate with peanut butter inside.

Vampirella and her googly-eyed lover.

Can the Grim Reaper have babies?

A Whole Decade

That's how long my sweetie and I have been together as of today. I cannot believe that we've been together this long. Not only that, but we've never broken up...not once. 10 years is a long time. Here are some great memories:

2002 Fiesta Bowl...Go Bucks!

July 15th 2006...Two become one!

July 2006...10 days in Hawaii for our Honeymoon

February 2007...Buying our first house

(yes this picture is not from Feb...I couldn't find the one from when we first moved in)

July 2007...One year anniversary in Florida

July 2009...12 Days in Europe

August 6th 2009...Finding out we were going to be parents!

It's been a great Decade and I can't wait for the next one to come!

Pumpkin Carvin

Today was trick or treat. We don't get a ton of kids, so to help kill the time we carved our annual pumpkins. This tradition started long ago with my bff Mrs. Eigensee when we moved in together after college. We always stick to the patterns in the book. MY husband on the other hand likes to be a little creative. One year he did a Brutus Buckeye head. Then a Bengal Tiger head. Last year, in honor of his broken ankle, he did a handicapped sign. This year he was at a total loss for what to carve. Up until he actually started cleaning the insides, he had no idea what he was going to do. Then as he was pulling out the guts of the pumpkin he was inspired to make this beautiful creation.

Yet another reason I love him...who else could make me have to run inside and pee from laughing at their pumpkin carving. I myself stuck to the book and created this...

This weekend is our annual Halloween party. I'm sure I will have tons of fun pictures to share.

Death By Chocolate

About a year or so ago I thought I would tackle making a chocolate mousse. I figured it was one of those complicated desserts that would be really challenging to make. Well some recipes are, but I found this great, easy, delicious one. I made it tonight for a dinner I'm going to tomorrow, so I thought I would share.

Death by Chocolate: Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2 ounce squares

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar

1. Place chocolate into the top half of a double boiler. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow chocolate to melt slowly. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Keep at room temperature until needed.

2. Place heavy cream in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whip. (I throw both into the freezer for about 10 minutes) Whisk on high speed until peaks form. Set aside a few minutes until needed.

3. Whisk 3 egg whites in a large stainless steel bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.



4. Add 1/2 of whipped cream to the chocolate and whisk vigorously and thoroughly, then add to egg whites. Now add the remaining whipped cream. Fold all together gently but thoroughly. Refrigerate until needed. Enjoy!

Week in Review

So this week has been pretty busy. Last Saturday we spent the day hanging the wainscoting in the nursery. Thank goodness we were busy and didn't have to sit through the suckiness that was the buckeye offense. The only thing left to do on the room is give the paneling a coat of paint.
Sunday we had to sit through a miserable performance by the Bengals. They were simply outplayed. We're not too upset though cause we're still riding the high of beating Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
I had two days of mentor training this week to prepare me for the job of mentoring a new teacher. It was quite boring. I would assume that I was picked to be a mentor because I already have the skill to be a good listener, encourager, and I am capable of helping someone with things without being judgemental. The state of Ohio however felt I needed two days to teach me how to develop these skills.
Thursday my school had a flu shot clinic for the seasonal flu, so I took that hit in the left arm. Then The health department was having another day of H1N1 shots for pregnant women, so I took that hit in the right arm. Both arms are still sore today, but now, hopefully, the baby and I are protected from all my student's sick germs.
Thursday night we hung the tiles on the back splash. They look great! They just need to be grouted and that project is done as well. Two projects in one week. We are super homeowners!
Last night was Scary Movie night at the Duncan's. We watched 1408...one of John Cusak's worst movies ever made. Then we followed that with Lost Boys. I had never seen this wonderful product of the 80's. I've forgotten how much I love any movie with both Corey's in it.
Today we had tickets to the game, but I had been dealing with a cold all week, and not being able to take cold medicine kind of sucks. So I opted out and instead went to my Mom's to pick apples, eat bean soup and watch football. I also got to nap, which let me tell you all is the best ever when you are pregnant. I nap like I've never napped before. Tonight we have dinner plans with some friends we don't see a lot. That will be a nice wrap up to a busy week.

I will post pictures of our finished projects soon.

Movement?

So last night I was experiencing this weird sensation that felt like I had gas...but I didn't. Then I realized...it's probably the baby moving around. I did a little research and apparently the first movements you can feel are like bubbles in your stomach. Well needless to say, I am just grinning ear to ear. What an AWESOME feeling!

Home Improvement

So we have a few projects that are MUST DO's before the baby comes. In effort to get them done before I get too huge to help, we are getting started this weekend. The first project is the nursery. I got my inspiration from the photo showing the bedding set I want to get.

Today I painted and the goal for tomorrow is to put up the wainscoting. Here are some before pictures.

The next project is the kitchen back splash. This will be the last change we make to the kitchen. We special ordered the glass tiles. They turned out fabulous.

Here is a before picture of the kitchen. We are loving the new counter tops and I think the tile will look great with them.

We also have remodeling our master bath on our wish list...we'll see if that happens before the baby or not.

Book Review

In true Jodi Picoult fashion I was hooked into this book by page 10. This is a heart wrenching story about a little boy who is sexually molested and his mom's journey to protect her son. After the abuse Nathaniel goes mute and his mom Nina has to struggle to find what is wrong with him. She begins to teach him sign language so he can communicate. He finally names a suspect, but is misinterpreted and the wrong man gets blamed. In order to reverse the damage, Nathaniel works up the courage to name the true offender and then Nina takes things into her own hands.

I can't believe how much I got into this book. I should have known considering how much I've loved all of Picoult's books in the past. I picked this one up on a whim and was not disappointed. Being with child myself I had a lot of time to reflect on what I would have done if I were in her shoes and found out my beloved child had been abused. I don't know that I would have taken it as far as she did, but I do know that a part of me would be changed forever. If you're looking for a book that is as endearing as it is suspenseful, I would definitely check out this book.

Cough Etiquette

We fight a huge battle with our middle schoolers keeping their germs to themselves. We showed this really funny video the other morning to help encourage proper cough and sneeze etiquette. It's worth watching the full 5 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao7eyqoiIYs

(side note: many of you are way cooler than me and get the video to show up right in the blog. I would definitely like some pointers on how to be cool like you)

The best part is how the kids started rating each other's coughs and sneezes after the video. I was awarded a perfect 10 just this morning. :)

Parenting 101

In college and grad school I had to take A LOT of classes...most of them I don't use the information, but some of them still come in handy. One class that was no wear in the course registrar listings was how to deal with parents at parent teacher conferences. I could really use some tips on some tactful ways to say the following things:
*your kid is lazy as hell
*you enable your child to be lazy by defending his laziness
*you shouldn't believe your child when they tell you they finished their homework already...your kid is a liar.
*If your kid is failing, it is not my fault, it's mostly your kid's but also yours.
*You need to give your kid consequences for not doing what they're supposed to...otherwise how will they learn.
*Just because your kid has always gotten an A and now isn't doesn't make me a bad teacher. They need to work harder to get an A in my class, deal with it.

The bonus to all of this is I am learning many things about being my parent myself. I already have a growing list of things that I will not do or allow my kid to do:
1. Don't believe the kid when they say the teacher said or did something...it's probably a lie.
2. Don't give my 13 year-old a cell phone.
3. Don't be more of a Friend to my child than a parent.
4. Don't let my kid stay home for two periods cause they don't want to go to one class, but make sure they get there in time that they can still play their football game that night.

I'm sure there will be many more, but that's all I can think of at this time. For all you parents, or wanna be parents, what things are on your list?

Happy Birthday...

... TO ME! I love birthdays. This one has been great so far. I got to catch up on about 4 hours of DVR television that I missed during this crazy week while the hubs slept in. Then I got presents. It's amazing how at 28 you get very excited about a body pillow and the warmest slippers I've ever owned. Seriously, my feet got hot and I had to take them off, that's how awesome they are. Then the baby and I felt it was time for a nap so we wouldn't be too tired for the rest of the evening. We have reservations at Marcella's in the Short North. They have the most authentic Italian food outside of Italy. We are excited to relive some memories from our Summer vacay. Then we're headed over to a friends house for the football game and celebrating his 30th birthday which is tomorrow.

A definite great day!

What Excitement!

An award! This is so fun. The lovely Brittany gave me the following fabulous award:

Unlike some bloggers, I like the rules that come along with these. It makes it so much more interactive.

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

Brittany, you're the best. Address labels and an award...what more could I ask for

2. Copy logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link the person who nominated you for the award.

LINK

4. Name seven things about yourself that people don't know.

1. I have two tattoos and can't wait to get my third.

2. I get my best teaching ideas in the shower.

3. I kissed my first boy in kindergarten. (so scandalous)

4. I am a HUGE rap music fan.

5. I read the last Harry Potter book in 10 hours.

6. I will watch the movie A Walk to Remember any time it is on t.v. No matter what. It's

the only movie I think is better than the book.

7. My favorite pop tarts are the strawberry frosted, lightly toasted, with the crust broken

off.

5. Nominate 7 Kreative bloggers and link them (I will only be able to give 3)

ALin @ This Years Love...

Sarah @ A Life More Exciting

Erin.Patrice @ Wedding Planning Memoir

6. Leave a comment on the blog of those you nominated to let them know.

I wanted to re-gift the award back to Brittany, who is by far one of my favorite bloggers...but she'll earn many more awards I'm sure.

Next Blog

Has anyone used the "next blog" button at the top of your blog page? Has anyone had any luck finding something interesting searching this route? I spent about half an hour doing this and barely found any in English. I found one blog I though looked interesting, but then thought it might be weird if I randomly started following. Please share any great blogs you've found searching randomly through the "next blog."

A week later

So I'm finally sitting down to tell about my fun fabulous weekend last weekend. We had a great time. Hubby and I along with another couple drove up to Chicago Friday after work. On Saturday we had Gino's East pizza. If you've never eaten there, the pizza is worth the drive alone. Then we wandered the city, went to Navy Pier, saw a really weird "global" band, then went to a bar and watched some football. That evening we made the trek up to Green Bay, our ultimate destination.

Sunday we got up early and headed out to some Green Bay tailgates. The fans there are the nicest fans I've ever encountered. We heard a lot of "We hope you enjoy Green Bay" and "Good luck today" and "Have a great time." The game was great. The Bengals won, which was a total surprise. Even after the game, the Green Bay fans were so gracious. We went to a bar to watch the Steelers lose; my traveling companions got pretty drunk. Then we headed back to take advantage of the indoor water park at our hotel. It was great fun.

I don't know how much blogging I will accomplish this week. I won't be home before 8:30p.m. Monday thru Thursday, and considering by bedtime has been 9:30 recently, I may not have much time to share my thoughts. I hope you all don't miss me too much! :)

Damn you State Farm

I don't know how many of you have seen the new State Farm commercial, but the summary is a new father walks into the hospital room and picks up his newborn baby, holding her close, wondering about insurance. The baby smiles at him, and melts his heart. Patrick Dempsey is the narrator. Well I saw it today and had to go get a box of tissues. Great! I've started the phase where I cry at baby commercials.

Stay tuned for a weekend wrap up...I need sleep now

Gifts for Baby

I've been getting some really cute gifts for our new little one. Courtney bought this adorable Buckeye onesie.

Future Aunt Brittany bought an adorable Classic Pooh outfit and Baby's first bath set.

Auntie Em (whose having a really cool Giveaway...check her out) sent this really cute polka dot outfit with irresistible little bear footies.

Getting Gifts for baby is just as much fun as getting gifts for myself...if not a little more fun.