Thanksgiving weekend

We started the morning off by talking to mom and dad Redmond and my sister Erin. We couldn't figure out how to employ three-way calling, so we did the next best thing and called everyone to talk to one another on speaker phone. Aaron of course thought it was ridiculous. We had a nice rest of the Thanksgiving day this year...spending it with our friends the Weidners. Scott made the turkey and most of the sides, while we brought the green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. We had a lot of food for 4 people and two kids!

The guys enjoyed checking out the ads for black Friday. There was talk of Aaron going to get a new TV, but (as I expected) he didn't make it up in time for the sales.

Yesterday we spend the whole day in our pajamas...although we were fairly productive. We cleaned and put up the xmas decorations (inside and out) and watched a couple of episodes of the Sopranos. It somewhat worries me that I think Beck may be more likely to recognize Tony Sopranos voice then either of ours. Aaron even downloaded a Christmas cd for me to listen to while cleaning to put us in the mood. It was a very nice day.

In other good news, I passed all my glucose tests this weekend (despite the temptations with yummy food). In fact, since started to test on Tuesday, I have only gone over on one reading. I think that is pretty good...I must admit there is also a part of me that hopes that perhaps the Doctors will see what I have been able to do with diet and put an end to all the testing in time for Christmas travel.

Not sure what the rest of the weekend has in store...maybe a movie or some shopping. We truly are blessed and thankful for everything we have. We can't wait to see our family and friends soon!

Weekend Update

Haven't updated in awhile...not a whole lot going on. Today is my youngest niece's Birthday - so Happy Birthday Isabel!

Today we hung out at the Weidners and watched U or M get killed by Ohio State. It seems it isn't a good time for Michigan sports as we also sadly looked on as the Chippewas recently fell to Ball State despite a great season.

My birthday present from Aaron finally arrived - beautiful earrings, shown here.

Aaron had a couple of baby showers this past week at work. I made a baby quilt for one in flannel materials in the jungle variety. The picture makes it hard to see.

And lastly, I have really been making an effort lately to plan our meals with weekly grocery list and menus. I recently made my first roast in the crock pot. I have to say I was quite proud of the end product. It was way yummy!

Sadly this might be the last I see of mashed potatoes for awhile as I recently found out I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I have a meeting on Tuesday to meet with a nurse to discuss my diet and whether/how I will have to monitor my blood sugar from this point forward. Wish me good luck!

8 Things

This is a shout out to my friend Kristen...I still read your blog!

8 TV shows that I watch:
1. Sopranos on DVD
2. The News
3. Days of our Lives on my Mondays off
4 - 8. Just ditched cable so that's about it....

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Allens Root Beer Drive-In (in CW)
2. Moes/Yo Burrito
3. Monterays
4. Lexington Wings and Ale
5. Olive Garden
6. Carolina Deli
7. Schulers
8. Cafe Strudel

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:
1. I was born...29 years ago
2. I went to work
3. I talked to family and friends...who I miss!
4. I felt my baby move in my belly
5. Went to dinner with my hubby
6. Had a fire in our fireplace and watched an episode of Sopranos
7. Counted my blessings
8. Listened to the rain

8 Things That I am Looking Forward To:
1. Xmas at home with family!
2. Getting to see, smell and hug my baby
3. Going to a craft fair today
4. Finding out what Aaron got me for my bday when it comes in the mail
5. Monday off of work
6. The Future
7. Hugging Aaron when he gets up
8. Finally finishing my current book and starting another

8 Things on My Wish List:
1. Visiting Ireland
2. An easy delivery
3. Peace
4. To move back to MI some day
5. A healthy baby
6. Patience and Understanding
7. More time
8. Unlimited (free) airfare to visit the people I miss (Amen Kristen - I agree!)

8 Things I Love:
1. Mac and Cheese
2. Warm socks
3. Hanging out with my Fam and Friends (cooking, playing cards, eating, dancing, anything)
4. Freckles and red hair
5. The smell of laundry or fresh baked bread
6. The fall
7. My house
8. The silence that comes with being content

8 Things I Can’t Stand:
1. People who are closed minded
2. Pollution, tree stumps, and apathy
3. People who don't know how to merge onto the highway
4. Feeling helpless
5. Waiting
6. Watching someone I know/love suffer or cry
7. Being so far away
8. The feel of wet cotton

Feel free to share your 8's.

Rick in SC

Here is the belly picture I have been promising to post. As you can see it is really starting to get bigger.
Here is a picture of me opening my birthday present from Rick and Linda. A baby album and pages from creative memories.

Here we are eating our healthy dinner of 5 Guys Burgers and Bojangles french fries. We rounded it out later with Cold Stone ice cream for dessert. Healthy huh?

Here we are playing Pinochle. Aaron took a real shine to the game after he started winning.

I had a Doctor appointment yesterday. This appointment consisted of another ultrasound to check out Beck's heart - which they couldn't get a good look at last time and the glucose test. Everything looks good. I have gained 5 pounds, Beck now weighs in at 1.5 pounds, blood pressure and all of that looks good - but, I failed the first glucose test. Now, I'll have to go back and have the four-hour test. Hopefully that goes well. It is scheduled for Tuesday next week, so we'll let you know...

Surprise!

First things first, I have to establish a nickname for this baby, because writing about him/her without being able to refer to a particular sex/name is becoming way too difficult. So, for no other reason other than it was on our originally name list (prior to finding out the sex) and quickly vetoed by family and friends, for the purposes of this blog, let’s call him/her “Beck.”

Okay moving on…I feel like I need to get this out, before it starts to become routine – although I am not sure how this feeling could ever be considered routine! Beck is moving all around! It is unbelievable, exciting, and scary all at the same time. I have been feeling Beck for probably a month now…the difference as of late, is that I can actually see Beck kicking. It is so wild! And that anyone would ever refer to this feeling as a flutter or quickening is beyond me. In talking with my old boss she likened it more to a muscle twitch, which I think is a much more accurate description at least of the movements that existing about a month ago. Now we are entering the stage of full-on kicks. It just amazes me. And to think of Beck in there…somersaulting or kicking or twisting or whatever just blows my mind. Even Aaron has been able as of late to see and feel Beck…although his patience wanes…he too has been able to occasionally catch a glimpse.

As for my burgeoning belly…it’s growing. Will post an updated pictures soon. Besides all that, I am feeling good. I go in on Monday for the glucose test, so hopefully that turns out okay.

In other news, Gpa Rick (Aaron's dad) surprised Aaron and came down for a quick visit this weekend. Aaron was really funny about it. His dad arrived at about 9:15 pm on Friday night and Aaron was really stunned...and then, much to my surprise, he started picking up the house!

Yesterday we just hung around the house in the morning and then visited Wings and Ale of Lexington (one of Aaron's favorite local bars) for the best chicken wings in the world and the MI game. I swear we ate like 100 wings between the 3 of us. We then ventured downtown to visit a bike shop and a couple of college book stores. We swung by a friends to pick up their copies of the Sopranos (which Aaron and I are really into now) and then of course Krispi Kreme for dessert. Our friends were also nice enough to give us their old rabbit ears, so now we actually get three of the main local chanels (NBC, CBS, and something else) - so we watched more football and played Pinochle last night. It's been a really nice visit so far.

Not sure what we'll do today, but I will try to get some pictures to post. I am always hesitant with the boys since they are so averse to picture taking and scrapbooking. Oh well, I will be that person today and make them pose for at least a couple of shots...

What do you know?

The poster on the wall in our computer room reads...

Some Politicians don't know much.
They don't know what it's like saving for both and education
and an electric bill.
They don't know second mortgages, second shifts or second hand.
They certainly don't know the price of
Macaroni and cheese.
Or how tough it is to find a good job.
Or how tough it is to lose one.
At the end of the day, the health care problem isn't crying in their laps.
The economy isn't asking them for
A new pair of sneakers.
Violence isn't attending the same schools as their kids.
You see, some politicians don't know any of these things.
It's up to you to tell them.
PLEASE VOTE!
Let the politicians know what's really important.

Happy Birthday Moms!

Happy Birthday to all the Moms out there!

Well, as my sister said, October starts the endless birthday/holiday season in our lives...and with that a number of women’s birthdays in the next few weeks, including: Sister Leigh (28), friend Megan (27), Mom Redmond (1), Mom Mason (12), etc. So with limited financial resources, I began to start thinking about what I could do to show my appreciation. As I began to think about the role that these women play in my life, I realized that they are all mothers (among other things). So I looked up "moms" in an internet search and began to find a lot of good quotes. Here are just a few….

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."-- Cardinal Mermillod

"A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary."-- Dorothy Canfield Fisher

"I really learned it all from mothers."-- Dr. Benjamin Spock

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylum would be filled with mothers."-- Edgar Watson Howe

"Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother's love is not."-- James Joyce

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."-- Lin Yutang

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."-- Mark Twain

"To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power."-- Maya Angelou

"Over the years I have learned that motherhood is much like an austere religious order, the joining of which obligates one to relinquish all claims to personal possessions."-- Nancy Stahl

"Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret hope outlives them all."-- Oliver Wendell Holmes (1775-1817)

"A mother's hardest to forgive. Life is the fruit she longs to hand you, Ripe on a plate. And while you live, Relentlessly she understands you."-- Phyllis McGinley

"Men are what their mothers made them."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Never say anything on the phone that you wouldn't want your mother to hear at your trial."-- Sydney Biddle Barrows

"An ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest."-- Spanish proverb

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."-- Theodore Hesburgh

"Children are the sum of what mothers contribute to their lives."-- Unknown

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.”-Tenneva Jordan

“I know how to do anything - I'm a Mom.” -Roseanne Barr