Woe is Me!

I feel as far as the pregnancy thing goes I have been pretty easy going. I have only wanted to sell Cookie Monsters soul once for a brownie and had one major breakdown due to my inability to to grab tupperware from a bottom cabnet. This week has proved to be different. I have with mild effort tried to stay healthy during the pregnancy by cramming veggies and whole grains down my gulllet intsead of the cup cakes and BBQ I crave. I have also swam 3 times a week before my swim lessons in an effort to get some exercise. This Monday after doing my usual marathon hour swim and was mostly done doing the 2 hours of private lessons an old lady in the lane next to me grabbed my attention and asked a harmless little question about the Butterfly I answered it quickly and returned to teaching. The lady then Pipes up with " You know dear I was watching you when you were on the deck doing dives and you really would have a darling figure if you lost some weight". What news I thought! I wish I would have known this in Jr. High what a totally different life I might have led. I of course having a 7 year old little girl with in ear shot held back on what I thought might improve her faults and instead informed her that I was over 6 months pregnant and have done a very good job at maintaining healthy wieght gain. Instead of congradualting me and then making a quick exit she then decides it would be prudent to add that I still have to be very carefull because the last months are when you gain the most weight! Oh, the indignation!!! I would feel more sorry for myself but she has given me a good story. I have heard some good comebacks when I shared this story with my sisters and friends. Cincha said I should have told her that how you do Butterfly was by tying a heavy wieght to your feet and then stop breathing. she also suggested that I break into tears and say that I was doing the best that I COULD! My good friend Linda thought I should have said " ohh I didn't know that after you hit old age you could act so childish". I would love to hear your thoughts if you have anything to add

Ready Or Not...

..."Thunder Cats are Go!!!!!" Well not yet but the day is soon approaching. Nersey and I spent Saturday getting baby stuff added to the registry, shopping for maternity clothes (for her not me, though some form of "sympathy weight" clothing for dads is a million dollar idea), and preparing ourselves mentally for the fun that is soon to take place. I know that it fells so far away, but in actuality we are less than three months from the due date of August 24th. It seems as though it was last week that I was driving around in a snow storm on Christmas Eve looking for an open Walgreen's to buy a pregnancy test.

The heat has started here in Utah and is taking it's toll on Nersey. We have the air conditioner running 24/7 at a smooth Antarctic setting and the fan that Steve and Missy gave us helps to freeze out me and the dog, despite his fur. The only warm place in the apartment is inside the fridge. Seriously, I took out a stick of butter to thaw it, it developed ice crystals. Most of Nersey's days are filled with either work or working out in the garden with Buckley. The garden is beautiful and in full bloom, we are looking forward to sharing the vegetables that we don't use with anyone we can give them to.

It seems like the only other order of the day is to find Kenneth a bedroom or do some creative storage to fit him in with us. We have had several people from the ward, who know the space in which we live, constantly calling or stopping us at church asking/telling us to buy something in the ward. I think they are worried we are gone once Kenneth gets here. We are looking, but with banks tightening restrictions and me being on part commission it will be a couple months till we will be in full fledged house hunting mode.

Finally, we have a first name and are pretty sure what the middle name will be (but it's not set in stone), I have added a survey to our blog. Should we give him the middle name of Fielding or Dewar, I let ya'll vote.

***Disclaimer - the results of the surveys will in no way affect the actual decision of the decision committee which consists of Cookie Monster, Nersey, and a 1/2 vote from Buckley which shall be invoked in the event of a tie and the one who gave him the most treats the week of the vote shall cast a proxy vote for Buckley because he is a dog and can't talk. Rules of the voting committee can be found...ah who am I kidding everyone has stopped reading this by this point. However, to participate in the survey no purchase is necessary, void where prohibited, may contain nuts, do not use near water, keep away from children, do not use if you have glaucoma or a heart condition. Those above the age of 102 should consult a physician prior to participating for the simple fact you lived in the days of the invention of the automobile and may or may not still have a pulse. One survey entry per household, and if you are still reading this good job you have dedication. Those who are still reading will be automatically entered into a membership contract in the "Dedicated Blog Readers Club" for the space of no less than 3 years, but those official rules are another story...***

The not so pleasent side of pregnancy

I can't believe I am going to write this little confession but seeing that those people who are likely to see this post I talk with on the phone on a regular basis anyway so on with my confession. If you are not interested in my daily runs to the ladies rom now is a good time to stop reading....
I find that the worst possible combination has to be Allergies and Pregnancy its like the perfect storm for peeing your pants. Due to the recent amniotic fluid watch I was doing my part to drink as much water as humanly possible, like over 100 oz a day this means I would frequent the ladies room about every 30 to 45 min and have average 3-4 nightly runs. Now the reason I say Allergies and Pregnancy make the perfect storm is with out fail I am like 30 sec away from the bathroom and I SNEEZE EVERY TIME. After I had just finished my last final exam at the U I had a thought of making a quick pit stop before heading over to mom's to grab my laundry I thought to myself, do I run into the disgusting public bathroom, no I will be fine 15 min. and I am at mom free clear and dry no worries right? Wrong the answer was dead wrong! Right as I am pull in into the driveway BAM I sneeze I walk into my parents house to find Mom and Mindurs at the table. Hoping to find some sympathy I express my frustration about being 25 with no blatter control and instead Mindurs offers me one of Ashies diapers! the true tragidy of this is I might have taken her up on it if they were just a bit bigger. I think it might take three to fashion them into something workable.

Happy little pond

Well I am happy to report that I am no longer on the scary ultrasound watch. I have enough fluid for any little frog to streach out in. I am starting to feel things getting a little cramped in there but I am sure it will only get worse in the next 14 weeks. It was fun to see the little guy every week but it is also nice to have my day off again so I can get stuff done too. I have also found that Kenneth and I have simular interests such as long afternoon naps with the Beans, sucking down Icies from the Mav and tri-weekly swims, although I think he could help me out a bit when we swim by kicking a little more instead he just comes along for the ride when we are at the pool.

Slow Blogging Market

I honestly can't recall the several weeks that have past. It's been over a month now since our last post. But the past two weeks have been especially busy for both nersey and I. She has been finishing up her finals, graduating, cooking a baby, going to friends weddings and helping cook mother's day dinner all at the same time. I have been going to graduations, weddings and juggling work. Things have slowed down now and we are going to be better at blogging - I hope. We hope all of you are well, even those who are on exoctic and exciting vacations.

IT's A Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nersey and I spent a couple of hours at the Hospital yesterday, and finally can stop calling the baby an "it". He is looking good and everything looks healthy. We are excited for the next four months to move quickly, despite them being warm. When we told Buckley, he didn't seem to understand, but I bet once we bring our baby boy home, Buckley will learn real quick what it is to have a baby in the house.

Want to be the Biggest Losers with me?

Dear Family,
It has been my daily routine to look for the next casting window for Biggest Loser. They are now casting for teams of two! I want to do it but with Jenny being pregnant I don’t see her being in a position to do it with me. I was curious if anyone in the family would like to join in with me and submit the joint application. Let me know by e-mailing me ASAP.

"A Watched Oven Never Bakes"

I have tried several times today to think of what to write for the week. I actually was about to press "publish post" 3 times but it never seemed right. I guess that is because I was trying to write to a catchy headline rather than what I was really feeling.

I imagined when I graduated with my bachelor's degree that I would quickly move into a stable, well-paying job, have a decent home of my own, and a kid on the way. This week I realize that I am only 1/3 of the way there. It has been a desperate attempt lately to feel succesful in my position at work, and that lack has fed the other of not having the "descent home". However grandios my ideas were about having a house a sizeable income and overall the finer things in life, I am reminded of the preface of and to many wishes - "I will be (add your own adjective) when (add your own goal, desire, wish). Mine was often "I will be happy when this or that happens" - when I have money, when I am graduated, when I land that ideal job. But to no avail life happened! Despite all that I view as having gone wrong, I am hopefully doing one thing right. I have a kid on the way, and I couldn't be happier!

The part of where my headline comes in is this - Next week we find out if our baby is a boy or a girl. Depending on the outcome we get to finally plan out a name for our baby, plan to have it come into the world, and I get more excited everyday that I see Nersey's increasing glow. This is truly a personal blessing for me to have my focus be my family. However, it has seemed like all my life I have been "watching" the preverbial oven bake. I have been so intent on being there to watch things come together, or forcing things to come together that I haven't been able to let them happen on their own. It's been like lifting a plant out of the ground to see if the roots are growing, rather than just trusting that they are. Despite this inspiration, I seem to still be wishing that things came together better than they have, I think I just need to let them happen as they would naturally.

Well, I have rambled on long enough, but what I think I take away from this week is a greater sense that the "oven" I put my life into had better be the right one, because if it is then it will "bake" as it should and things will turn out better and with more peace, than when I find myself sitting at the door hoping for it to be done on my time.

Buckley Boy's Puppy School Graduation

HE DID IT! BELIEVE IT OR NOT HE DID IT! OH YEAH AND BUCKLEY ALSO GRADUATED.

For the past eight weeks Buckley and Cookie Monster have been going to training classes. Despite not liking his teacher at the first and almost getting eaten by Muggles the German Shepard, Buckley did a wonderful routine and by the end he was thanking his teacher Dawn. Buckley did so well that he actually got his own pet - Charlie the beta fish.

In South Salt Lake; you have got to cover up!

It has never been any big thing for Buckley to wake up in the middle of the night, or earlier than Nersey and I might like, and want to go out and potty. He, for the most part is a good dog that tells us, when we are at our house, when he is ready to go out. This morning was oddly different. At about 5:45 Buckley jumped out of bed raced to the door stuck his head past the curtains and started barking. I not having gotten much sleep I was pretty mad to be awakened by this startling sound. I thought to myself, "he had either really got to go or a stray cat had better be wearing cougar blue." Jenny by this point is out of bed and trying to figure out what is going on and hush the dog. I, on the other hand was content to just put him outside and let him wake up someone else. This tradition of putting Buckley on his chain is common and the chain extends pretty much all the way to our door. Furthermore, for comfortable sleeping I often don't wear pajama bottoms and a t-shirt to bed, I like to, for lack a of a better way to phrase this "G-it-up". As I went to reach for the chain I noticed several beams of light flickering in our back yard, frantically scanning every inch of the "love shack's" property. I was still in my sleep apnea mask and quickly removed it to be able to communicate with this precieved intruder. Before I could even finish saying "hello...", I was cut off with "Sir, please go back inside". (hence the picture of the officer). The South Salt Lake police department was invading. Buckley and I, of course, did what we were told. Later at work, I placed a call to the Police Department to inquire about the hubub. Apparently, there had been a traffic violation, wherein the perputrator fled from his vehicle and was running between the houses. Simple moral of the story is; In South Salt Lake you have got to cover up.