tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81489729620213509702024-02-20T04:54:49.221-05:00One Day at a TimeLife Begins at the End of Your Comfort ZoneAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.comBlogger263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-85596509419578868262015-11-30T12:11:00.001-05:002015-11-30T12:15:11.420-05:00Well. I certainly got distracted for more than a minute there. Just looking at my last posts, I have a hard time even remembering my kids ever being that little AND not yelling and fighting with each other non-stop. Good times.<br />
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As does everyone who dusts off their old blog, I will say that I'd like to get back to this page more frequently. We are busy, busy, busy but it would be nice to look back one day and say - oh yeah! we did that! Look how cute and little Nate and Claire were. Even though they look like giants to me now, I know this too will be them when they were little and not tweens and beyond. *sighing wistfully* *cringing that they will be tweens before I blink*<br />
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Nate's 7.5 now, likes to read, is still in to all things science, and he has a passion for Bear Grylls videos, anything on youtube, Minecraft, and let's not forget LEGOs. He's handsome and funny and smart - just like I knew he would be.<br />
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Claire is 4.25 and loves singing, making funny faces, designing clothes for her babies, playing princess, coloring, making projects (which consist mainly of tape), and she is well-known in my Facebook world for her fashion sense. She is hilarious in general. She makes me laugh tons. She is tougher than her brother, she listens better too, but now she is picking up all of his bad habits like saying "I'm toooooo tiredddddd" when we ask her to do anything. One day I'll look back and not believe a damn word I said here because she's my precious baby girl who has done no wrong. At least that's what I'm hoping for.<br />
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I'm trucking along - sometimes waiting for Calgon to take me away for at least 10 uninterrupted minutes - still pet sitting and now PTA'ing. It really is what I've always wanted to do, I won't lie even if I do complain sometimes.<br />
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Mike's still trucking along too. Working and making us proud. His ideal world is that he'd have unlimited time at home and unlimited resources for working on projects and hanging out with the fam. He is working on getting our 1960's den cleared out so he can paint the wood paneling. I can't wait for that. So exciting.<br />
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I'll just leave some pictures here for documentation that we're all still kicking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa 2015</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Torturing his sister</td></tr>
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-70618333511346408932012-11-14T13:29:00.002-05:002012-11-14T13:29:55.173-05:00Is it that time already?<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="height: 494px; width: 425px;">
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-1284914059671517652012-09-07T11:28:00.000-04:002012-09-07T11:28:22.064-04:00Picture Catch-Up<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja00AdLYYEnEOmr91Aqt5YChNjZk_IN-_QWDdDZLGRcPP4ectH0dGffQXUMfOYiVDAMTfBSdg1Iq3-uWCFLWoQTkciIj1Mr56l-MLjf3aICf_bJ1da_WrzH9GQ00iYkEWb3xV8DNe5Cmur/s1600/DSCN9875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja00AdLYYEnEOmr91Aqt5YChNjZk_IN-_QWDdDZLGRcPP4ectH0dGffQXUMfOYiVDAMTfBSdg1Iq3-uWCFLWoQTkciIj1Mr56l-MLjf3aICf_bJ1da_WrzH9GQ00iYkEWb3xV8DNe5Cmur/s400/DSCN9875.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bday cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOJw7aq7pJY1RUGmMP3PXkqzHtzefl9Rkd5AETpP4Sm-CWB7DC-hE05ixOj5xUKDM928rPyorlVpwNJabPSwbXNjzYWfiN6bzuPVt3JG8TSi1rwrDWA2JcwH46rLLE8jP-bDbQYWUz9Ra/s1600/DSCN9802+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOJw7aq7pJY1RUGmMP3PXkqzHtzefl9Rkd5AETpP4Sm-CWB7DC-hE05ixOj5xUKDM928rPyorlVpwNJabPSwbXNjzYWfiN6bzuPVt3JG8TSi1rwrDWA2JcwH46rLLE8jP-bDbQYWUz9Ra/s400/DSCN9802+%282%29.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing for bday pics</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweet, smiling boy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our trip to Maine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st Day of Pre-K</td></tr>
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This is about 1/16th of what we've done in the last few months. I've gotta start somewhere!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-87794928328160003522012-09-07T11:17:00.005-04:002012-09-07T11:17:47.368-04:00One YearI can hardly believe Claire turned one year old already. It's very cliche but it seems like it was just yesterday that she was born. But alas, we've taken smash cake pictures, had a little celebration on her birthday, had a big birthday party with our friends and family, and she had her 12 month check up. It must be true. I've said it before and I'll say it again - it must be second child syndrome that I haven't kept up this blog about our lives since Claire arrived. I'm not even always busy, but it's always <u>something </u>that keeps me away.<br />
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At 12 months our sweet girl is 22 pounds 13 ounces and 31" long. She is in the 85th and 94th percentile respectively. She is delightful. She walks, babbles, laughs, claps, etc.<br />
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It's even been 5 weeks since I started this already-late post. Claire is now starting to run and she is climbing up on everything. I believe she's got some new teeth coming in as well. She's been up a couple nights which is torture to us because she has spoiled us with all night sleeping forever. <br />
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I have so much to share but it seems the blog is always on the back burner. My kids are the best and I want to share that with the world. Maybe less WWF and more quiet time here. <br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-80018087886445731812012-02-23T22:06:00.000-05:002012-02-23T22:06:22.127-05:00Claire BearBefore Claire was born, I didn't think I'd adopt Claire Bear as a nickname. Now, I'm not sure I ever just call her Claire. She's always Claire Bear or Bear Bear. Nate mostly uses Claire Bear. Funny how that happens. No matter what we call her, she is just plain delectable. See??<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-64545173073604252932012-01-29T21:13:00.000-05:002012-01-29T21:13:04.629-05:00Doing Life - Week 4I had a great week, thanks for asking! I just posted about our Buddy Challenge and I have to honestly say it was exciting. I had fun pairing up with Kelli. Even though I'm 10 years older, I felt like we had a lot in common. It's nice to have someone new to talk to about the ups and downs of not only weight loss and healthy living but about life in general.<br />
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Before this week, I'd been struggling to get my workouts in. I would walk and do my C25K workouts while Nate was in school but that's only twice a week. It's hard with Mike's schedule if he was working on days Nate was out of school. This week Sallie came out to my 'hood and walked with me twice. One day we pushed 2 strollers and it was great to get out when I normally wouldn't have been able to. I also put a shout out to friends on FB and asked if anyone I had a double jogging stroller I could test drive. My friends came through and I picked one up on Wednesday. I had already worked out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday but Nate was itching to try out the new stroller on Friday so when the weather cleared up and it got gorgeous out in the afternoon, we hit the road. About a mile away in our neighborhood is Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve. I don't know why we go there so rarely. It is beautiful.<br />
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We played. We threw 100 sticks in the water. We walked the Kids Trail three times. It was wonderful. The next day, Nate wanted to go to the lake again so we all went as a family. I'm telling you the double stroller is awesome. I worked out 5 days in a row. I got in 4 hours and 14 minutes of exercise. I'm so proud especially since last week I only managed 1 hour and 44 minutes.<br />
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I've also been trying to improve my plank time. I started at a painful 50 seconds. My new best is 1:20 seconds. My goal by next Sunday is 1:30. I can do it!<br />
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Saturday we had my friend Karrie take Claire's pictures. I'll certainly post those when I get them back. To hold you over, here are a few pictures I took this week. Isn't she delectable? <br />
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She's getting so big, isn't she? She's sitting up, eating baby food, and chatting up a storm. I'm still in awe every day that I've been blessed with my two kiddos. What was once thought impossible has become possible and is my life. How did I get so lucky?<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-54406101890856527952012-01-29T20:48:00.001-05:002012-01-29T20:48:28.182-05:00The Do Life Week 4 Buddy ChallengeThis week our challenge was to buddy up with another member of the Do Life Challenge. I grabbed Kelli (aka Nikki) before others could get to her because I, too, was worried about the "being picked last" element of the challenge. It's a little out of my comfort zone to play picksies with someone I don't know, but I have to tell you how much I enjoyed Kelli's company this week.<br />
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Although we are a few *ahem* years apart in age, we both have similar struggles with juggling a family (she's got a daughter and 2 step-sons), work (she's a teacher), and working out (with plans of a half in April and in the Fall).<br />
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I knew I was going to love Kelli when the first text message I got from her said "Not to freak you out, but I'm looking for a half marathon this fall, and it's plausible that I can do the Rock & Roll one with you!" She lives in KY and I'm in VA. My first thought was "holy crap, that'd be awesome!". It really pumped me up that I would have someone from Do Life to do it with and it motivated me to actually visualize myself running it.<br />
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Kelli is funny, she has great insight and ideas, and it was so refreshing to meet someone new. She is committed to a healthy lifestyle. She has begun Clean Eating and vows to eat clean every day, no exceptions, no excuses. And you know what? She has lost 4 pounds since Monday! She sent me pictures of her food and DAMN - it looks yummy! There seems there are always temptations thrown in the way, but this week Kelli avoided a bake sale at work and made it through a huge potluck dinner without eating any of the offerings. She stayed on track and her willpower and determination really rubbed off on me and made me do the same.<br />
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Another awesome thing Kelli is doing is starting a Biggest Loser Challenge at her school. She already has 10 teachers signed up and she's taken it upon herself to put together a basket of goodies (cool stuff like work-out DVDs, water bottles, and yoga mats) that the weekly winner of the weigh-in can pick from. What a great incentive for the challengers! I want to be a part of it! :) <br />
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I could go on and on but you get the picture. She's awesome! She's motivating! She's Doing Life! Gooooo, Kelli!<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-83911621841363327682012-01-22T21:56:00.000-05:002012-01-22T21:56:11.146-05:00Do Life Challenge - Week 3This week our challenge was a scavenger hunt. On Monday I looked at the list, rolled my eyes, and thought no way. Then I wondered when I got too old to have any fun. Well, fast forward to today and I hadn't completed any out of a list of 40. Here's what I've got tonight:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPNhnk4HLQgo2o31EFlHVrUv4EhzI1yadDm6AaARq1hT4_g_rDzc3CqVfpWbZEdtJ7LYhlOLlSN7lTcDs8oPk7JyIP8HHY8euPzqqhVsSOAQdO8CPG7Q7-BavWKgQvJl-c5pv6XL1xoLm/s1600/longest+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPNhnk4HLQgo2o31EFlHVrUv4EhzI1yadDm6AaARq1hT4_g_rDzc3CqVfpWbZEdtJ7LYhlOLlSN7lTcDs8oPk7JyIP8HHY8euPzqqhVsSOAQdO8CPG7Q7-BavWKgQvJl-c5pv6XL1xoLm/s320/longest+run.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. Longest run/walk of the week. 3.7 miles (my car said 3.8)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tswOJgv5s2b-aoy8ryL6ChSG09n1hs7crl2b9KEcWsq0LJNqgw7BSJmWXqTdoMkEVBexABSA-na5y07uFe5ONf_WYia1FM72li7l9tVamtFmmdBxJLIAhxFiS4h6t8YVuOpSM234hC12/s1600/DSCN8894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tswOJgv5s2b-aoy8ryL6ChSG09n1hs7crl2b9KEcWsq0LJNqgw7BSJmWXqTdoMkEVBexABSA-na5y07uFe5ONf_WYia1FM72li7l9tVamtFmmdBxJLIAhxFiS4h6t8YVuOpSM234hC12/s320/DSCN8894.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11. Ignoring (my own self-made) a warning sign. Don't Eat That Cupcake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_oSvNQfJyMvSTCXE1r9-1ChQucBP7Frz8qChVJQC8ndZ-pQyg9-MMGNqsZDrtSKH7ujw16z6XKRh12X8zInSuwJQQd2Bq8mTcYVh-Y7s-z2e7xkNcBT3BBSwsI87SFomouds1lpC_Quv/s1600/DSCN8909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_oSvNQfJyMvSTCXE1r9-1ChQucBP7Frz8qChVJQC8ndZ-pQyg9-MMGNqsZDrtSKH7ujw16z6XKRh12X8zInSuwJQQd2Bq8mTcYVh-Y7s-z2e7xkNcBT3BBSwsI87SFomouds1lpC_Quv/s320/DSCN8909.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17. Me wearing 7 shirts. Bonus cute baby in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfXDPcpKieIHTYGqlYuTLesHr1DIlDs8bWkXAxx7zcVoCtc6laaHxYW6OamzFKhPE0lWaEL19mss4yxn3XHw7nrL5GIEW9efzuu9Tsl576kaFUCOT3vX6KrkRjolVBTktr43EMwXeP2iX/s1600/DSCN8926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfXDPcpKieIHTYGqlYuTLesHr1DIlDs8bWkXAxx7zcVoCtc6laaHxYW6OamzFKhPE0lWaEL19mss4yxn3XHw7nrL5GIEW9efzuu9Tsl576kaFUCOT3vX6KrkRjolVBTktr43EMwXeP2iX/s320/DSCN8926.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18. Me and my girls holding Do Life signs. Claire ate hers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QeKLV3hU_lZHCHEl5DyqmykEd2ArpdOIWhI_G45glb86d7Qa2sq85klW8WkbOSWWH45hr8oFcKSVrrLiekL5qfgN9JnZ7ayH-2LcWiheWzbyypaJeT3p1hWa03llYMbsJlrdXB7y32bV/s1600/DSCN8925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QeKLV3hU_lZHCHEl5DyqmykEd2ArpdOIWhI_G45glb86d7Qa2sq85klW8WkbOSWWH45hr8oFcKSVrrLiekL5qfgN9JnZ7ayH-2LcWiheWzbyypaJeT3p1hWa03llYMbsJlrdXB7y32bV/s320/DSCN8925.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20. Me in a plank position. Outdoors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZdtK_nrbF903hiAqH42MuHcsDWK_Beky1NKV5aPLi-i8A7d4I_lY9lLHHRpSEdjR6dkU1tMueCgn5f5IjtqnQ3Njs85UkHkoAwHovJyR4jdCn2J8gDRJgayfElVr1ojX2sVyVm_-Qldq/s1600/DSCN8897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZdtK_nrbF903hiAqH42MuHcsDWK_Beky1NKV5aPLi-i8A7d4I_lY9lLHHRpSEdjR6dkU1tMueCgn5f5IjtqnQ3Njs85UkHkoAwHovJyR4jdCn2J8gDRJgayfElVr1ojX2sVyVm_-Qldq/s320/DSCN8897.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">22. Do Life dog. Holla Bosco.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_5VIiq6NZxE38yOft5mIMGl7Jy2vznvdXZqMxo_HVs2Syw9KuL-1TLBP_-yo25zwUtP5L8SvDOYNUwU8E05okHmzfC1kWqoZodw_s_SpJlXFQGuVLaDKGLjPNQ0hB9xJHsKzZii1R621/s1600/DSCN8896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_5VIiq6NZxE38yOft5mIMGl7Jy2vznvdXZqMxo_HVs2Syw9KuL-1TLBP_-yo25zwUtP5L8SvDOYNUwU8E05okHmzfC1kWqoZodw_s_SpJlXFQGuVLaDKGLjPNQ0hB9xJHsKzZii1R621/s320/DSCN8896.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">28. Wearing my favorite sports team gear with a double peace sign.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWO3PdBENSv2JmSNZD9A2Dm7O509EU5AxaFys0YJqEYeobvLkWjXA74OEVBGAflLNl6v37lvP5sIDyqVrifacBBopebcb7Y1UpzXWLYJFDWYJsyFsGFMp8F_IETXnK0V_0LrqM9Hk9Dk_6/s1600/DSCN8922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWO3PdBENSv2JmSNZD9A2Dm7O509EU5AxaFys0YJqEYeobvLkWjXA74OEVBGAflLNl6v37lvP5sIDyqVrifacBBopebcb7Y1UpzXWLYJFDWYJsyFsGFMp8F_IETXnK0V_0LrqM9Hk9Dk_6/s320/DSCN8922.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">29. Holding a sign with how many minutes I worked out this week.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rPXESSjt7AZ_qynhvvao92h31raBO14jCiPjtwOwV0usF6CBusj9WmeAYtSWNSq3vp3cbjJbai-Q7Y6G7RdvnlCjhSXNNEXTO20cHerW6hT_A9SCTqEt9bJXw6rNwoz02K6T7xy6Lfz2/s1600/DSCN8923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rPXESSjt7AZ_qynhvvao92h31raBO14jCiPjtwOwV0usF6CBusj9WmeAYtSWNSq3vp3cbjJbai-Q7Y6G7RdvnlCjhSXNNEXTO20cHerW6hT_A9SCTqEt9bJXw6rNwoz02K6T7xy6Lfz2/s320/DSCN8923.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">34. Standing beside a Ferrari.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMs267w7rLboMOqSd6tM91ZZpujle-F7dqHPXguOUjROr1-5HO9ooOO_JTNf2NxRqqSlaW7hAgGYjY2YJ0kX5UJLJbEma650TL9hyphenhyphenexAAiuDjKB5JRDfkp8NDt2ZJrH2cUFQOjh-qmAlP/s1600/DSCN8906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMs267w7rLboMOqSd6tM91ZZpujle-F7dqHPXguOUjROr1-5HO9ooOO_JTNf2NxRqqSlaW7hAgGYjY2YJ0kX5UJLJbEma650TL9hyphenhyphenexAAiuDjKB5JRDfkp8NDt2ZJrH2cUFQOjh-qmAlP/s320/DSCN8906.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">39. Me in a top hat.</td></tr>
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This week I finished Week 1 of C25K. I'm looking forward to starting Week 2 tomorrow. I've GOT to find a work out plan for the days with both kids and Mike working. Gah. Sob story.<br />
<br />
My plank times have been getting better. I started at 50 seconds. I've done a 1:03 and 1:06 this week. I've got to do better with my eating. At the beginning of last week, I was up 1 lb, which means I'm only .2 less than when I started. We ate out too much this week. I ate too much this week. I've done well with my less soda goal though. Also, in the spirit of last week's Pay it Forward challenge, I paid for someone's lunch at Subway on Monday. I've been in this lady's shoes - she got to the register and realized her wallet was at home next to computer where she bought something online this morning. I felt for her. I paid and she was so appreciative.<br />
<br />
This week I'm challenging myself to stay on track and use my SparkPeople app to track my food. Have a good week!<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-52013816522900948092012-01-17T23:31:00.001-05:002012-01-17T23:31:50.394-05:00Yea for todayI'm feeling good today! I got my work out in is morning. I did Day 2 of C25k and walked. It was 60 minutes and 3.8 miles. I felt a bit sluggish and slow today but I was out there! In the crazy wind! I did the C25K portion first so I could get it out of the way, honestly. I did feel different today. I didn't care if people were outside. I didn't care if they were watching me. I was just proud that I was out there.
Tonight I timed my plank and I beat my time from last week by 11 seconds! That's a 1:01 plank, y'all. It was hard but bam! Done!
See you out there tomorrow!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-67094434787708722632012-01-15T23:00:00.000-05:002012-01-15T23:06:19.125-05:00Do Life Challenge Week 2Holla! Another week down in the Do Life Challenge. This week's theme was "Do Unto Others". <br />
<br />
I'm finding my way in these posts. I'm gonna do a list for my sake then expound on it. Boring, even to me but I need to see point-by-point what I've done.<br />
<br />
<b>Brighten someone's day. Twice (two different people).</b><br />
-I went to the Naro Cinema on Monday night. I had two tickets left in my ticket book and after I used one for my admission, I gave my last one to the ticket window attendant and asked that she give it to the next person in line.<br />
-When leaving the play place (at Chik-fil-a, ahhhh!), I told another mom (whom I didn't know) how well her son and mine played together. As a mom, I know how nice it is to hear that your kid is a good companion to others. I made her smile.<br />
<br />
<b>Reassess Push-ups.</b> <br />
-Did I even mention push-ups last time? Well starting week 1, I did 14.5 modified push-ups. Starting week 2, I did 16. Small steps, right?<br />
<br />
<b>Reassess Goals.</b><br />
1. I'm still doing awesome with my water. I have only 1 soda a day (2 on rough days, which was 2x this week). Such a difference from 7-8 sodas a day with no water. Also, not buying canned soda is so helpful now. I LOVE an ice cold can of Cherry Coke Zero. It's helping to just avoid the temptation!<br />
2. Still not stretching at night. Or day. Honestly though with more exercise, my back is not hurting near as much.<br />
3. My sleeping habits are getting better. Slowly but surely. It helps that Nate is consistently asleep between 8:15-8:45 p.m. these days.<br />
4. I did my best to take advantage of Nate's school days to get my exercise in. Tuesday he stayed home sick so I improvised.<br />
<br />
<b>Portion Sizes/No Seconds</b><br />
-I'm more conscious of how much I'm eating. When I eat healthier items, I'm still wanting and granting myself seconds.<br />
<br />
<b>Exercise 150 minutes </b><br />
-Fail. I got in 111 minutes. It's much harder when Mike is on his "Hell Week" at work. Friday I spent cleaning the house which should count as exercise but I don't how to estimate that.<br />
<br />
<b>Homework</b><br />
<b>1. Think about how someone did something for me that changed my day and/or life.</b><br />
The one thing that I thought about was when I was in the hospital 12 years ago and needed so much blood. The good people who take the time to donate blood literally saved my life.<br />
<b>2. Where am I now physically and where do I want to be in 11 weeks?</b><br />
Well right now I'm at my heaviest I've been with the exception of pregnancy. I don't have the energy or endurance I'd like to have. Even in the 2 weeks since the challenge started, I am noticing a change in that. I'd like to shed at least 12 pounds by the end of this challenge. I'd like to be in a consistent exercise routine. I'd like to be able to run 3.5 miles without stopping. I've got a Half Marathon Relay to get ready for, ya know! Oh, and the most important thing to me is to be out of maternity clothes for good.<br />
<b>3. Which area can I improve since Week 1?</b><br />
Hands down, this one is food.<br />
<br />
Okay, on to my week. This week Nate stayed home from school on Tuesday so I wasn't able to get out in the neighborhood to walk since Mike was working. I did what I could at home though. I did 200 jumping jacks (not in a row - in sets of 50). I accepted Ben's Plank Challenge and got on the floor and held a plank for 50 very painful seconds. Wednesday I got my jumping jacks in and took a good walk. Thursday I rocked it by taking a 30 minute walk and added on Day 1 of the C25K. I got a total of 60 minutes in and I felt awesome! The jogging portions were better than I expected them to be. I didn't let myself get ahead of myself by thinking about how many times I had to do the walk/run intervals. I just focused on each minute jog then each minute-and-a-half recovery walk. It was awesome. It was doable. I felt strong. I didn't feel guilty for taking time for myself (Nate was at school and Claire fell asleep in the stroller 30 minutes into our outing, so that helped).<br />
<br />
I'll get to some of my 4 good things a day list in a second but I have to say how thankful I am to be making that list. Friday I cleaned my house in preparation for Bunco. It was a lot of work and I had errands to run. I had a feeling that not getting my walk in was going to make me spiral down and I was right. I haven't exercised now since Thursday and I haven't been very mindful of my food intake. That's not entirely true. I've been very mindful of EVERY little thing I've eaten and even though it was bad, I didn't stop. Well, at least I know myself. Next time I need to make better decisions to break that cycle.<br />
<br />
So, all of that to say I was happy to have my list to look back on and see that my whole week wasn't a wash. I did good things! I exercised and felt great! I pushed myself! It's easy to forget those good things in just the few days I have been down. It's a reminder that tomorrow is a new day, blah blah blah. This is suddenly feeling very cliche. Ups and downs are typical. I just need to focus on having more ups than downs. So here are some things I did this week that I was proud of:<br />
-I was down 1.2 pounds from the beginning of Week 1.<br />
-I did 200 jumping jacks twice this week<br />
-I used sugar free syrup when I ate pancakes for dinner (baby steps)<br />
-I didn't have seconds on Carvel ice cream that I really wanted<br />
-I completed Day 1 of C25K and survived<br />
-I tracked all my food for one day<br />
-I resisted apple pie and vanilla ice cream. I wasn't hungry and I didn't have enough calories left to stay within my daily goal.<br />
-I cleaned my house better than I have in *ahem* the past year.<br />
<br />
So here's to Week 3! I'm ready for ya!<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-7304197640270141032012-01-08T16:51:00.000-05:002012-01-08T16:51:32.424-05:00Do LifeHave you heard about the <a href="http://dolifemovement.com/">Do Life Movement</a>? I'm a big fan of <a href="http://bendoeslife.tumblr.com/">Ben Davis</a> (and <a href="http://lifedoesjed.tumblr.com/">Jed</a> and <a href="http://padoeslife.tumblr.com/">Pa</a>) and his motto of Do Life. The best thing about Ben is that he feels like a friend. Like an IRL friend. Corny but I've been following his blog for well over a year and he's motivational, goofy, and just like you and me. No joke. And he's originally from Arkansas so I feel like I know him because I am originally from Oklahoma. Practically neighbors. Ha!<br />
<br />
I signed up for the Do Life 12 Week Challenge. It's a great tool to become/stay motivated in the first 12 weeks of the year. It seems kind of involved (which I guess any committment should be) but I am really enjoying it. This week's theme is "Assess, Resolve, & Act".<br />
<br />
My 5 quantifiable goals to work on this month are:<br />
1. Drink fewer sodas (I was on the same path as <a href="http://lifedoesjed.tumblr.com/post/14899279143/my-name-is-jed-and-i-have-a-problem">Jed</a>.) My goal is to make water and soda 1 for 1, starting with water in the morning.<br />
<b>The first few days I drank 3 diet sodas and plenty of water. It was much easier than it has been in the past. One day I only had 2 sips of Mike's soda and I had no ill effects. I drank one last night with dinner and none today. I'm feeling GREAT!</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
2. Stretch daily. I have some PT stretches that work wonders on my back and hips. My goal is to stretch before bed and work up to doing it 2x/day.<br />
<b>I feel better when I do it, but honestly I didn't do it every day this week.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
3. Get more sleep. Feel better. I'm quite the night owl. I crave the time alone at night after the kids have gone to bed. I'm normally watching TV or on the internets and end up staying up way too late. I've been working on 5-6 hours a night.<br />
<b>Shocking, I know, but cutting out soda has helped. (Duh) I still like my quiet time but I'm also working on my addiction to my iPad. Nothing is really THAT earth-shattering that I need to be connected so much. So, my point is that I've been getting more sleep and in turn feeling more rested when I wake up. That also means I have more energy during the day.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
4. Exercise. Especially use the Tuesday and Thursday mornings when Nate is in school to get my work out in. Walk. Use time wisely. Get the family involved. *The goal for beginners this week was 120 minutes.<br />
<b>I tried to be gung-ho on Tuesday. (I put my Do Life shirt on before taking Nate to school so I'd be reminded to not let my morning slip away.) It was the coldest day of winter so far but Mike, Claire, and I bundled up and took a 40 minute walk in the freezing-ass/windy-ass cold.</b><br />
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<b>We did it. We survived. My legs hurt for 2 days after. But yesterday I walked for 51 minutes and today I bundled up Nate and walked for 31 minutes. *Note - the best motivator for exercising is telling your 3 year old he's going to ride with you when you exercise the next day. He will then wake up at 7:45 a.m. and say I'm ready to go in the blue stroller, Mama. **Side note, on our walk Nate asked what year it is. I said "2012". He said "2012 is exercise" and he's damn right. I made sure to tell him that he was right and that in 2012 we are going to exercise and be healthy.</b><br />
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5. Watch portion sizes. Don't eat 2nd helpings. Eat healthier snacks. Cut back on dips and dressings.<br />
<b>I did much better with the quantity of food I ate this week. There is still room for improvement.</b><br />
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We were asked to identify our biggest excuse and how to eliminate it. I started with "No Time" but I knew that was bullshit since I'm home every day. It's really I'm too tired or too lazy. Even working out these 3 days, I feel much better and feel like I can do this.<br />
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I used the message boards and found others who needed encouragement. That's what is great about this. We are all there to support each other.<br />
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The hardest task of the week was to take time each night and write down 4 things I did well that day. Some of my highlights during the week were:<br />
Choosing Baked Lays over french fries.<br />
Eating all meals at home.<br />
Drinking more water.<br />
Getting out of the house and being more active than sitting on the couch.<br />
Committing to running the Rock n Roll Half Marathon Relay with Mike. You heard me right. It's Labor Day weekend so we've got 8 months to train and get ready. There is a 7.8 mile section and a 5.2 mile section. Training will decide who is doing which (I hope to do the longer run).<br />
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So this is my official submission for the Week 1 Challenge. I'm looking forward to what next week holds!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-13457015044773519182011-12-24T22:02:00.001-05:002011-12-24T22:03:19.779-05:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From our family to yours!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-27268321097511716332011-11-20T11:14:00.001-05:002011-11-20T16:53:27.895-05:00October in pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, when you don't post often, you often forget lots of things that have happened. I just went through all my October pictures and we had quite a month! I may have 31 pictures for the 31 days of October. You've been warned.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy went to Howl-O-Scream with her friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking all soccer-y</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire and Poppops</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate loves his bike rides with Daddy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire Bear is 3 months old</td></tr>
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Daddy the Fire Fighter came to Nate's school and taught the 3 and 4 year olds about fire safety. Nate was SO happy!<br />
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Nate had his first school field trip. Claire and I joined him and his class at the pumpkin patch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How fun are slides?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCeR-c3dxEZfnCEM6S05Zvnt-8NCGA6k7BxyXMV5I_seeePkW-Ify0JP1tsObnIEKS54ygGirkJCjBLgOIbTHMM0qSmBEIXFDh_Cx9EDps5VjFY9pk9fBULx6ikkZfb6zop6mYXeXCNxE/s1600/DSCN8144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCeR-c3dxEZfnCEM6S05Zvnt-8NCGA6k7BxyXMV5I_seeePkW-Ify0JP1tsObnIEKS54ygGirkJCjBLgOIbTHMM0qSmBEIXFDh_Cx9EDps5VjFY9pk9fBULx6ikkZfb6zop6mYXeXCNxE/s400/DSCN8144.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire's 1st trip to the pumpkin patch</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl-H-0GM_ocQGVXfdxQxHmcFXv_XEycBrRzFDQuCfyFyj0wy7GCV9E8p1Zd3jOWF8E3LDOlbIeSjYVd9JfU8ZPfJ9OynAWlk0fTXPYfI6jphKs4esiDFGv8O8Utr54fXI7-ORhJ2eRQ2V/s1600/DSCN8147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl-H-0GM_ocQGVXfdxQxHmcFXv_XEycBrRzFDQuCfyFyj0wy7GCV9E8p1Zd3jOWF8E3LDOlbIeSjYVd9JfU8ZPfJ9OynAWlk0fTXPYfI6jphKs4esiDFGv8O8Utr54fXI7-ORhJ2eRQ2V/s400/DSCN8147.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nana and Claire</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's my boy!</td></tr>
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We celebrated Mike's birthday at the fire station. We ate a yummy dinner and we brought cupcakes and ice cream. When Mike came home the next day, Nate showed him the special card he picked for Daddy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and his boy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcqy1Nw12_DJp355OF-MuS6IENlHSxwoRnY20rbrG0pxXpFgTVNZ8dH-5kfKJLXakQU3BiUqs8XLwYGBhtbERjiMq7E8hhozXfzZoRzJEpNVSwjD8IzI0TYPCg_jgH1GlZ2LsAyYOGr0h/s1600/DSCN8205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcqy1Nw12_DJp355OF-MuS6IENlHSxwoRnY20rbrG0pxXpFgTVNZ8dH-5kfKJLXakQU3BiUqs8XLwYGBhtbERjiMq7E8hhozXfzZoRzJEpNVSwjD8IzI0TYPCg_jgH1GlZ2LsAyYOGr0h/s400/DSCN8205.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and his girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melting crayons onto our pumpkin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTkCA4mdwwMvc5wLmUH-cHffGGUvcphTbkFSyxfM4EqhBbGyfFayZEZJ5fAe1x-tdvnpE7MJMYYwpgh1e19uhR-2mLcsw3wRwo-VNyi3PYQ5nMlm1nYXidL2IptPRlS_39zM78V7MuGTi/s1600/DSCN8247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTkCA4mdwwMvc5wLmUH-cHffGGUvcphTbkFSyxfM4EqhBbGyfFayZEZJ5fAe1x-tdvnpE7MJMYYwpgh1e19uhR-2mLcsw3wRwo-VNyi3PYQ5nMlm1nYXidL2IptPRlS_39zM78V7MuGTi/s400/DSCN8247.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate's Halloween crafts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjoaXPeWbj45ffsd5fCypoCUfx3XxXsNpfOnI0apEPsp5Pt4cpkjBNQWkLRq1JksJ1OmNPQCSs1iHe1ZEmaDoz94d64gkVb842Cs4Zu423GNLJ8VN3VAF5s36ujcklpcr4MajQyLcl8P_/s1600/DSCN8248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjoaXPeWbj45ffsd5fCypoCUfx3XxXsNpfOnI0apEPsp5Pt4cpkjBNQWkLRq1JksJ1OmNPQCSs1iHe1ZEmaDoz94d64gkVb842Cs4Zu423GNLJ8VN3VAF5s36ujcklpcr4MajQyLcl8P_/s400/DSCN8248.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trip to the farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ch5S5C8h4g6_tbbGyVKX28nlHUcfByZM-kYGsFs0fSmd-x8Ge2zENckm77iTOE-Sv4SQ6W7uAbFscP-FXOGSPJeSNnVsdxYas3q6it_4ICTi9L-vpeTqxCbPe-5QloVZKuh7fZWHPgwY/s1600/DSCN8269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ch5S5C8h4g6_tbbGyVKX28nlHUcfByZM-kYGsFs0fSmd-x8Ge2zENckm77iTOE-Sv4SQ6W7uAbFscP-FXOGSPJeSNnVsdxYas3q6it_4ICTi9L-vpeTqxCbPe-5QloVZKuh7fZWHPgwY/s400/DSCN8269.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How freaking cute is she?</td></tr>
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Hmm...so Nate's class had a parade for the parents on Halloween. They dressed up and sang songs. When Nate saw Mike and me, he covered his ears and refused to participate. The teacher assures us he's only shy when we are there. Also to note it was Nate's idea for the whole family to dress up like Angry Birds. However when it was time to get into costume for school, he dressed up in last year's Buzz Lightyear costume. Good thing I didn't stress about it. I knew where the costume was in case this happened.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vEHCV7ZEv-fYLNbFe5fmJS2CANuUb5Xa7YA_HUpZr2jijRhLUsR-zTiNK9l859xrc1qnGovlJ6yL6Om0kmMGdtPGzI3qlIXG102ZAO9LcTm26UF-bR8eqHgnVsccfrT3w-l5CNyxzfXW/s1600/Buzz+at+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vEHCV7ZEv-fYLNbFe5fmJS2CANuUb5Xa7YA_HUpZr2jijRhLUsR-zTiNK9l859xrc1qnGovlJ6yL6Om0kmMGdtPGzI3qlIXG102ZAO9LcTm26UF-bR8eqHgnVsccfrT3w-l5CNyxzfXW/s400/Buzz+at+school.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate was the line leader at school this day so he was super happy that he was first in line when they trick-or-treated around the church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHM8UIo_ghmIecUTIQLO2yZw6wpRGAZ7Nxb_jT0d7S698TZJdXHCpD4qGNfIkvAyvW98b5q9952nKuA_00qoBMrxdcXKVl6PuldrDkgClEuhAe4KYmP755mIfJqA_RXUptEg7sNFHRoZv/s1600/DSCN8288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHM8UIo_ghmIecUTIQLO2yZw6wpRGAZ7Nxb_jT0d7S698TZJdXHCpD4qGNfIkvAyvW98b5q9952nKuA_00qoBMrxdcXKVl6PuldrDkgClEuhAe4KYmP755mIfJqA_RXUptEg7sNFHRoZv/s400/DSCN8288.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gonna eat her up</td></tr>
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Angry Bird family picture - fail. I blame Nate. He didn't cooperate when the camera came out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBPZYR6y_LkGLRmm_rPbk4hHpTilzvzgomZPY8FPE79vPDeNVv8OEsaHgA3-DNpGSCepXX12jkV7p74ngN9lrDr1qfYIOlRHBYhRgazZM8lpnG-AHLlZn8DxqArA5uN7urKFMIw6XWRcJ/s1600/DSCN8312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBPZYR6y_LkGLRmm_rPbk4hHpTilzvzgomZPY8FPE79vPDeNVv8OEsaHgA3-DNpGSCepXX12jkV7p74ngN9lrDr1qfYIOlRHBYhRgazZM8lpnG-AHLlZn8DxqArA5uN7urKFMIw6XWRcJ/s400/DSCN8312.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Boomy Bird" according to Nate.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iIAquDCutlqF-Gy-JizYHyx3AyEJWgwpodvjwDRAXwImtZGSd0G2zvNftA6MwOk_H4_1pcktu69_id0_VLArzXoRxsoHyvPZQFwiCnrsGZvbq9saZk-ksu9AYy3kCSUWA2eVKtUGD3ee/s1600/DSCN8316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iIAquDCutlqF-Gy-JizYHyx3AyEJWgwpodvjwDRAXwImtZGSd0G2zvNftA6MwOk_H4_1pcktu69_id0_VLArzXoRxsoHyvPZQFwiCnrsGZvbq9saZk-ksu9AYy3kCSUWA2eVKtUGD3ee/s400/DSCN8316.JPG" width="367" /></a></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-63663030450245662472011-08-27T13:04:00.002-04:002011-08-27T13:04:34.797-04:00TMIHurricane Irene and the return of aunt flo all on the same day. How did I get so lucky?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-22945347913305296762011-08-26T22:29:00.001-04:002021-11-05T09:06:20.304-04:00Welcome Claire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhUwhNoUj6koou8qfeCi2K2dFvIIjc22k2HCk_PM2knk5Ofath5GDcpclOzK1QoRoVJ-cedcsukdNiyiCOHxZ83fCZCo4qZwCiOb8uJhyrySyUBMFrA-sr9iZinXKw-IKiV_rKAk-xWbG/s1600/Claire%2527s+birth+announcement1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhUwhNoUj6koou8qfeCi2K2dFvIIjc22k2HCk_PM2knk5Ofath5GDcpclOzK1QoRoVJ-cedcsukdNiyiCOHxZ83fCZCo4qZwCiOb8uJhyrySyUBMFrA-sr9iZinXKw-IKiV_rKAk-xWbG/s400/Claire%2527s+birth+announcement1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My sweet baby Claire will be seven weeks old on Monday. The time has certainly flown by if my lack of posting is any indication. I'm totally having Mommy Guilt as I think that I'm already succumbing to the "Second Child Syndrome" by not posting already. I guess there's something to be said for that... it's true. It's much harder to document everything that is going on here when there is a 3 year old in the house.<br />
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We've been having a great time as a family of four. Nate is a great helper and is lovey with his sister most of the time. (The other times is typical 3 year old behavior of "put her down and hold meeeeee!") Tonight she was crying in her swing while I was switching over the laundry. Nate put her paci in her mouth and was singing "I love you, I love you, I love you...." in his little voice. So sweet.<br />
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I'll post pictures more frequently - pinky swear!<br />
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Peace out - I'll keep y'all posted on our Hurricane experience too (electricity permitting).<br />
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I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures. <3 <br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-30716462842735871072011-07-25T20:14:00.000-04:002011-07-25T20:14:18.509-04:00Hello babyIt's been two weeks today since our sweet Claire arrived. I will post soon...<br />
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Mikey beat me to it with this: <a href="http://chimchim-adayinthelife.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-oh-my.html">My oh my</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-28679984815538314692011-07-08T21:59:00.000-04:002011-07-08T21:59:44.698-04:00Surprise!It appears to be baby time here. I know I was scheduled for my induction next Wednesday, which is only 5 days away, but it seemed awfully scary when the docs told me today to go next door and check in to L&D.<br />
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Two weeks ago during a growth ultrasound I was told that my amniotic fluid was really low (like 1 pocket of fluid instead of say at least 12 that I should've had). I started having non-stress tests 2x a week (which I was scheduled to start the next week anyways since I'm on anti-coagulants) and the baby has been looking great each visit. Today's ultrasound to check fluid showed that it was still too low and it's not good for Claire to stay in there any longer.<br />
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We're still on board with an induction and not a c-section. I just can't start that until at least noon tomorrow since I took my Arixtra shot this morning. Even the cervix-softening meds are off the table tonight in case that would cause me to start having contractions. I'm okay with all this especially since I need the option of an epidural and anesthesia can't hook me up until for at least 24 hours from my shot. Okay, they actually said 36 hours but I'm in denial because I'd like to have a baby tomorrow and not Sunday. Not that anything is wrong with Sunday, it just seems like a long damn time here in the hospital.<br />
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So guess what's been on my To Do list for the past 3 weeks? Hmmm, make a birth plan and pack a bag. Apparently this is what I get for procrastinating like I do! :) I guess I thought I'd do that this weekend so the joke's on me!<br />
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So, after my mini panic attack at the doctor's office, I tried to get ahold of Mike to no avail. To his defense he was at a fire department funeral and didn't have his phone with him. I called my parents and asked them to drop everything and come. My friend Medina took Nate (Thank you Medina!) and I ran home to leave a key for my Mom and grab Mike's clothes and of course my ipad and chargers. Amanda (awesome Amanda) met me at the hospital so I wouldn't be alone. Having her here really helped calm me down. Matt called the dispatchers and explained the sitch (non-emergency - but track down Mike to call me) and they did track him down at the funeral. Thankfully everyone was so understanding and helpful. <br />
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So in a nutshell, so far so good here. Since I'm "high risk" all the teams have been contacted (hematology, anesthesia, surgery, etc) and we have a plan together. I'm sure everyone will be sick of my FB updates until I'm actually in labor. Too bad. I gotta do something and my WWF isn't loading. I'm thinking it's bed time so goodnight all.<br />
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It may be a long wait now but I can't tell you how ecstatic I am to meet my little baby Claire. <br />
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Love to all! I have awesome family and friends and I'm so thankful!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-64151744075091212672011-06-02T22:34:00.000-04:002011-06-02T22:34:30.457-04:00Big NewsThe docs say they are going to induce me the week of July 11th. Holy crap that's only 6 weeks away. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPkWoT0QFbLBD0d4_Aee4jCqQT2edu3yNO9ogFIL_5t-hUZc2b6QOJDNDpvdEG0vjBtXna85etf7vOVxffXnadR9q2g3LlWDSQrj2k3xEMPIVpNRqXsDgi15X37hfuPSxS3IgfpmYFG1G/s1600/31+wks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPkWoT0QFbLBD0d4_Aee4jCqQT2edu3yNO9ogFIL_5t-hUZc2b6QOJDNDpvdEG0vjBtXna85etf7vOVxffXnadR9q2g3LlWDSQrj2k3xEMPIVpNRqXsDgi15X37hfuPSxS3IgfpmYFG1G/s400/31+wks.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">31 weeks on June 1st</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The baby's room is coming together nicely. The furniture is finished. The clothes are being washed. Now to finish up with the decorating part - curtains, art work, etc. Got a couple of prints on Etsy and now I'm in search of frames. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ModernMaternity?sk=wall"></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6en9srlZxtA8-V6sUgzztxF5DkgihoEbNTZKv7GnzE2pYbl1lnrWN68M90Q9tVPeKexhCsLCHS0lFiSG80V9ejMfzrzjJT0tCoWtJYd906MWtwarwjs2m-vKc-ZnLnvo0frdSUqaNCBN/s1600/DSCN7411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6en9srlZxtA8-V6sUgzztxF5DkgihoEbNTZKv7GnzE2pYbl1lnrWN68M90Q9tVPeKexhCsLCHS0lFiSG80V9ejMfzrzjJT0tCoWtJYd906MWtwarwjs2m-vKc-ZnLnvo0frdSUqaNCBN/s320/DSCN7411.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBFFUJfFUJSBA_dRjMuPdcFSjdZMPQZxAeG7JyyHxVWW8pqjm_ZLPd4NGou6ZWRLDNSfYrrcuzAQsi60BHhLZgg1ff9vnFkooIIk-v3PurHRL6T8Ye9UN2Gt-UuT8lmhLNubOFIR0Qt6x/s1600/DSCN7412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBFFUJfFUJSBA_dRjMuPdcFSjdZMPQZxAeG7JyyHxVWW8pqjm_ZLPd4NGou6ZWRLDNSfYrrcuzAQsi60BHhLZgg1ff9vnFkooIIk-v3PurHRL6T8Ye9UN2Gt-UuT8lmhLNubOFIR0Qt6x/s400/DSCN7412.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this! From <a href="http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/">Lisa Leonard Designs</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm having a belly cast made and decorated next week and I'm really excited about putting that in the room as well. The ladies doing it make such pretty creations. You can check out some of their designs at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ModernMaternity?sk=wall">Modern Maternity - VB.</a><br />
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So, it's getting close. I'm excited/anxious/nervous tummy-ish. Normal, I'm sure. <br />
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I'm also starting to feel exactly how big I am too. Good thing it's only 95* with the same amount of humidity here. Otherwise, I might also be a raging bitch.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-21042296929608235722011-05-16T12:57:00.000-04:002011-05-16T12:57:40.118-04:00On pregnancy...First and foremost, my pregnancy is going so great that I feel like I might jinx something just by saying that out loud. I can't believe that I'm already <strike>27</strike> 29 weeks along. It's flown by. I'm not ready for it to end. I'm sure I'll be singing another tune when it's 95+ degrees outside. But for now, I just want to savor it. We never thought I would be pregnant. Didn't even think it was possible. Now I have moments that I'm already sad because I know it's the last time.<br />
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I love my belly. Maybe it's because this is the first time I've ever NOT loathed my stomach. I've always (ALWAYS) been self-conscious of it. Now I just want to flaunt it. I like that it's getting bigger. I touch it all the time, especially when I'm out in public as if saying "HEY EVERYONE! I'M PREGNANT! LOOK AT ME!"<br />
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I love feeling baby Claire kick me. It took a long time to feel it (21 weeks) since my placenta's up front against my abdomen. Now I feel it all the time. Mike just felt the first kick two weeks ago. On Mother's Day, I had my first alien belly experience and it was so cool. I laid down and for 15 minutes watched my stomach move all over the place. After one big kick, I pushed down and she kicked back in response. It was awesome.<br />
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Over the past week, I've started feeling like a tank. I'm really tired if I don't space out activities throughout the day, etc. My biggest complaints are heartburn, arm numbing, excruciating hand pain, and moderate left foot pain. I guess that's minor compared to the whole creation of life thing going on inside of me.<br />
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Mike and I took the tour of the L&D at the hospital on Saturday. Still super nervous about the whole birthing thing, but I am feeling more at ease knowing where I need to be, seeing the floor, knowing where to park, etc. Yes, as if parking is going to be MY concern when I get there. <br />
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Nate has continued to be my big helper. He helps me with my (anti-coag) shot every morning and my prenatal vitamin every evening. He's really been great. I think he's going to be a fabulous big bro but I know we're going to have some jealousy issues. I'm sure all kids go through that, right?<br />
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So, here I am. Only 8-ish weeks left to go. I am stoked that the nursery's coming along quite well. We had our bi-annual trip to Mecca (I mean, IKEA) two weeks ago. So, now we have the dresser for the room. Crib's up and the changing table just has to be re-painted. I love the wall color - thanks Mikey! Clothes (from my awesome friends and family) have been sorted by size and just have to be washed. I'm so excited!<br />
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Here are a couple of preggo pics - just because I love preggo pics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4ySDS6TELKrqpvD5LUsQgeb6IxQaeeddMObjx7dNo36UZ1vei5HZWvglWuzCRYqcWJy_wFblFFDSW8LGugp7jaaeeakc_afoPTQPym98biOJtCxHO07v9LZNkZeg4nqUaFqHpKO15GI7/s1600/23wks+on+4-4-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4ySDS6TELKrqpvD5LUsQgeb6IxQaeeddMObjx7dNo36UZ1vei5HZWvglWuzCRYqcWJy_wFblFFDSW8LGugp7jaaeeakc_afoPTQPym98biOJtCxHO07v9LZNkZeg4nqUaFqHpKO15GI7/s400/23wks+on+4-4-11.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">23 weeks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnvvYzj5UxO_tjbHGBnOfqUoGij6HcG5vkviDgdXhk19-nQmCEex_ewn2UTvBeCT_WoNDxhRk8CvyhDWn7em4RGBuaAKdAhzEOGAu52x_LmblBf_ni9LsGAAaN7EpEUkNTnVLWvmFamFw/s1600/27wks+on+5-2-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnvvYzj5UxO_tjbHGBnOfqUoGij6HcG5vkviDgdXhk19-nQmCEex_ewn2UTvBeCT_WoNDxhRk8CvyhDWn7em4RGBuaAKdAhzEOGAu52x_LmblBf_ni9LsGAAaN7EpEUkNTnVLWvmFamFw/s400/27wks+on+5-2-11.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">27 weeks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-73072718250066326462011-05-03T19:41:00.000-04:002011-05-03T19:41:57.850-04:00Psst - it's GMBOA time again!Go check out <a href="http://rainydaychocolate.blogspot.com/2011/05/gimme-m.html">Rainyday's post to kick off the GMBOA giveaway!</a> Follow the rules, enter to win, and good luck!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-39121284146455461412011-04-27T10:03:00.000-04:002011-04-27T10:03:02.472-04:00Sweet boyLast night I was lying in bed with my What to Expect book open. Nate was next to me. He saw a picture that looked something like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMmluIxQsOlWaD7Jc9BEOHbp2QE-BfEKAc2tXd2F_RtCY7UQox099v30_baZpF5EJ6oYENR_BnWzjrQwMV3vAcFKV5_KxUuc70_EJDrm8OnA_txbM2PoNuLuGkINmaUM-yj4aVZtc9JMt/s1600/26_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMmluIxQsOlWaD7Jc9BEOHbp2QE-BfEKAc2tXd2F_RtCY7UQox099v30_baZpF5EJ6oYENR_BnWzjrQwMV3vAcFKV5_KxUuc70_EJDrm8OnA_txbM2PoNuLuGkINmaUM-yj4aVZtc9JMt/s1600/26_small.jpg" /></a></div>This is our conversation:<br />
Nate: That's Claire in your belly.<br />
Mama: Yep, Claire's in my belly.<br />
N: I wanna be in your belly.<br />
M: You do?<br />
N: Yea. I'm too big. I need to get small so I can go in there and play with the toys.<br />
M: Really? What kind of toys do you think are in Mama's belly?<br />
N: I don't know. Probably baby toys.<br />
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I thought it was so funny that we relayed the story to Daddy a few minutes later. Nate informed us that I probably have "bathtub toys" in there. What a cutie.<br />
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I love my life.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-63087707756012728942011-04-24T20:51:00.001-04:002011-04-24T20:53:42.192-04:00Happy DayNate and I had a relaxing day today. Nate woke up and found that the Easter Bunny left him a basket. He loved his new light up toothbrushes and his jelly bean filled eggs. We also got a new Cat in the Hat book that I'm sure we'll read tonight. A cute little story is that Nate calls jelly beans "Sweet Rocks". He's watched The Ant Bully on Netflix (a million times) and that's where he learned it. Sweet rocks just sound better than jelly beans, don't they?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Protecting his identity. Forget you just saw his face one picture prior.</td></tr>
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We had our friend Rebecca and her boys over for brunch - it was delightful. I was feeling fancy with my grape juice and ginger ale cocktail. It's the pregnant girl's mimosa.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4AWDETKc59zO4JRkVuVnEuBcn6dTsXX8KusaIawOUnP9wKOueiMVVbW8o6nC466JKy8NTfENC82iEFH74DBhNJFm4BQfOXx41pf8xJdTtnuXQ91XEjVy8nPvflNQZs0SHv2qchCIGRkw/s1600/DSCN7337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4AWDETKc59zO4JRkVuVnEuBcn6dTsXX8KusaIawOUnP9wKOueiMVVbW8o6nC466JKy8NTfENC82iEFH74DBhNJFm4BQfOXx41pf8xJdTtnuXQ91XEjVy8nPvflNQZs0SHv2qchCIGRkw/s400/DSCN7337.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>When my sister and her girls were here on vacation just a few weeks ago, we also had an Easter celebration. We had a nice dinner with all the family , the kids decorated eggs, and we had an Easter egg hunt. They were some mighty happy kiddos.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpereue6XsizJbK2P2hreQXpoXlrJ3C1hfkp89WMi3q_gKgmvhmHferlKXp9y6NXKlGOExtYBwbFuxEp6-xffRzG0ELg3JS6FJ10vCxShCIpbAULRYsxkPvNUUKiGu1HiLUSXE5SWkps_5/s1600/DSCN7267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpereue6XsizJbK2P2hreQXpoXlrJ3C1hfkp89WMi3q_gKgmvhmHferlKXp9y6NXKlGOExtYBwbFuxEp6-xffRzG0ELg3JS6FJ10vCxShCIpbAULRYsxkPvNUUKiGu1HiLUSXE5SWkps_5/s400/DSCN7267.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGcMMET7aI9In1DpvX9LjNGjJ84jSdGhU21UkNWfI8Ozbd7Ju5FUd8ev7AFIVnmgKg8EcDY6MneXAWQn01apQwwTbyDiMUZS31DTryjyJCKYvJcdH3orUbbOCTjUDIWdLaMY1NPomLIQO/s1600/DSCN7268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGcMMET7aI9In1DpvX9LjNGjJ84jSdGhU21UkNWfI8Ozbd7Ju5FUd8ev7AFIVnmgKg8EcDY6MneXAWQn01apQwwTbyDiMUZS31DTryjyJCKYvJcdH3orUbbOCTjUDIWdLaMY1NPomLIQO/s400/DSCN7268.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jill</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskOURM-uzoXjzAvV3K9uBPNMMi9CPOEqMCKISjaLwC3NsgTL7x9ztG0OwgrAGjzbfMfOX1EQgEEVxinkAI-_TbJUNco4P4KvkJukbzsdMhaHkbhCd2e4IpQxWXGLJKC3e0-BWW4a6FVLP/s1600/DSCN7271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskOURM-uzoXjzAvV3K9uBPNMMi9CPOEqMCKISjaLwC3NsgTL7x9ztG0OwgrAGjzbfMfOX1EQgEEVxinkAI-_TbJUNco4P4KvkJukbzsdMhaHkbhCd2e4IpQxWXGLJKC3e0-BWW4a6FVLP/s400/DSCN7271.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D_lWp2nLyNNkcVw5Lqw7OLBh3Bo93UOmpXHxfr4tLBlbU_sEs_PrhKvG6jqxP4aHlbALOcPHfwrTdJJp7tK9NhOfyb8y4tadT5s89O9yT-cQfV1-cL056z-CawKYbwq-1mTma03uEYlb/s1600/DSCN7273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D_lWp2nLyNNkcVw5Lqw7OLBh3Bo93UOmpXHxfr4tLBlbU_sEs_PrhKvG6jqxP4aHlbALOcPHfwrTdJJp7tK9NhOfyb8y4tadT5s89O9yT-cQfV1-cL056z-CawKYbwq-1mTma03uEYlb/s400/DSCN7273.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the hunt</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jXIWmvtg9BQPfLFdQadwEPl6hhRd1EJsQTSLofX5tvWjMmb8LwBS8Xh03LbwNk2f8XK_yakjcorCrgM_ydqBLxHJUikONXO75MVmVGPC53KVBvCdhLQei4n_m-N1rjrn8aNHyIgklA15/s1600/DSCN7277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jXIWmvtg9BQPfLFdQadwEPl6hhRd1EJsQTSLofX5tvWjMmb8LwBS8Xh03LbwNk2f8XK_yakjcorCrgM_ydqBLxHJUikONXO75MVmVGPC53KVBvCdhLQei4n_m-N1rjrn8aNHyIgklA15/s400/DSCN7277.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out their loot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcYnccr7lirdgsURdLV1vN4OZJ4b1JFgNOYge4uXB0dqp1rzhyC9EVLnKmaE5-y3YAvnhJA1A2kHP5WrrPqaPSxrAZPfQBXGIGMsIq7vFgkvr2nIddEtmjamD4L5n0jFzV2tR6yMbwxwE/s1600/DSCN7279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcYnccr7lirdgsURdLV1vN4OZJ4b1JFgNOYge4uXB0dqp1rzhyC9EVLnKmaE5-y3YAvnhJA1A2kHP5WrrPqaPSxrAZPfQBXGIGMsIq7vFgkvr2nIddEtmjamD4L5n0jFzV2tR6yMbwxwE/s400/DSCN7279.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jill made cute faces on all the eggs</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Last weekend we also headed to a park for some Eggstravanza-tastic fun. Nate loved the bouncy house (he was first in), the petting zoo and he took his first pony ride. He LOVED it (although it lasted like 30 seconds). His horse's name was Rocket.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_ssgCLnpMimlCDq6M4GTpLDboUAmH8ZIK60GVqa1oo5KEzgWl3M8OZFdB28-lJJWZ5ViCS3QXWGL2SUvUnCuxj3vqZ-xf4bKeO-eId6MuiNHslln2QxaS2LSpYSXlvLk9aLiCwoP-CBq/s1600/DSCN7317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_ssgCLnpMimlCDq6M4GTpLDboUAmH8ZIK60GVqa1oo5KEzgWl3M8OZFdB28-lJJWZ5ViCS3QXWGL2SUvUnCuxj3vqZ-xf4bKeO-eId6MuiNHslln2QxaS2LSpYSXlvLk9aLiCwoP-CBq/s400/DSCN7317.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to Nate, this is the REAL Easter Bunny. Her name is Polka Dot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlmIcj1Jn8nHqIJGIzxgc5kZFUnsktxia_oIqsGciwshFyXFha2cKHFwJUd-kdrXF4ld_47UsrXPb6RmpEE8frWWhuEUrDGqcJokDMZfQV3iYaCSWdgbHyFu3jnPBBbLDSD_-JndrDOwI/s1600/DSCN7321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlmIcj1Jn8nHqIJGIzxgc5kZFUnsktxia_oIqsGciwshFyXFha2cKHFwJUd-kdrXF4ld_47UsrXPb6RmpEE8frWWhuEUrDGqcJokDMZfQV3iYaCSWdgbHyFu3jnPBBbLDSD_-JndrDOwI/s400/DSCN7321.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfF1vSNVtgmeInVVm9qf_UkcnAXdmw8r7B2J4XdkgOJ1mm6SOQV0GO6UL5lKkR7__EvDRRWmytPKrvFmG9e9DB4fmNSs_0y2pkaEG91zCQgdqRbar5uK51Oly5bUW_Bp9N6tK0dpJoZve/s1600/DSCN7322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfF1vSNVtgmeInVVm9qf_UkcnAXdmw8r7B2J4XdkgOJ1mm6SOQV0GO6UL5lKkR7__EvDRRWmytPKrvFmG9e9DB4fmNSs_0y2pkaEG91zCQgdqRbar5uK51Oly5bUW_Bp9N6tK0dpJoZve/s400/DSCN7322.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljebJ79zsR1T1SDeJJSQkhHFyroi6LVTtBNQMv7xMyvQqUZPjCH7CWSnaUS4sgwJBj7Z8zNrNrArWROzOSWnsUNXod4v4WnDBeZyeQTizlQt1MD_i4AYHOkCtoHN2yPD8lbspqH75NGew/s1600/DSCN7324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljebJ79zsR1T1SDeJJSQkhHFyroi6LVTtBNQMv7xMyvQqUZPjCH7CWSnaUS4sgwJBj7Z8zNrNrArWROzOSWnsUNXod4v4WnDBeZyeQTizlQt1MD_i4AYHOkCtoHN2yPD8lbspqH75NGew/s400/DSCN7324.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Here is our 2011 attempt at visiting the Easter bunny. Very timid and shy. This was as close as he'd get...after much prodding. Hope you and your families had a great day!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-3ONHNGkh37sz8Rj522e5frwHlGDIN_x3hLXaRoHHcrAfKvx1g4efOupQRADKFiwWVfGpnGIDvmFJunTxA6k-ieSNiF1MmVa3pbVP6ZyMc40OKVBbIsejaZw6jqqsPscrnYi5JG8bJ3V/s1600/Easter+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-3ONHNGkh37sz8Rj522e5frwHlGDIN_x3hLXaRoHHcrAfKvx1g4efOupQRADKFiwWVfGpnGIDvmFJunTxA6k-ieSNiF1MmVa3pbVP6ZyMc40OKVBbIsejaZw6jqqsPscrnYi5JG8bJ3V/s400/Easter+2011.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-26410491224762155942011-04-22T20:53:00.000-04:002011-04-22T20:53:39.147-04:00Opening DayI posted some pics from my sister's trip out here on facebook the other day and told my mom. <br />
Mom: "Posted them on the blog or on facebook?"<br />
Me: Laughing "yeah, like I've gotten around to updating the blog." <br />
Mom: "I was giving you the benefit of the doubt."<br />
<br />
Anyhoo.<br />
<br />
Last Sunday was opening day for our Norfolk Tides. It was a gorgeous sunny day game and we had a blast easing our way back into baseball season. They won 9-3 in what may be the first game we've actually seen them win. Go Tides!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKMrzJz1oAdfBAzSk0XJszi5HUXar0uUqPJSp2rr-9pMGAyX_8bAOMqu9sIJkTiYCgGeTV7kpIxWtPCWplTTZSYtuE_dxKUAIMBcImdO7YVdH8pEOx_foek0Cq57yh6irVDQNBqvKuHj-/s1600/DSCN7326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKMrzJz1oAdfBAzSk0XJszi5HUXar0uUqPJSp2rr-9pMGAyX_8bAOMqu9sIJkTiYCgGeTV7kpIxWtPCWplTTZSYtuE_dxKUAIMBcImdO7YVdH8pEOx_foek0Cq57yh6irVDQNBqvKuHj-/s400/DSCN7326.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH87YnTP8yxz3Kw2zGV7zy031tvzMZmQcMnQpg05J6a4K2aX62Hxi4UwajGHPqAHqTN6vBbu_qtsxlbUy0SUDIWCthZ3PJ0Rn8gYNTEQh9wgg6Z21cJNBtc9OCA2fhH1d-91KY4FMJhA5w/s1600/DSCN7328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH87YnTP8yxz3Kw2zGV7zy031tvzMZmQcMnQpg05J6a4K2aX62Hxi4UwajGHPqAHqTN6vBbu_qtsxlbUy0SUDIWCthZ3PJ0Rn8gYNTEQh9wgg6Z21cJNBtc9OCA2fhH1d-91KY4FMJhA5w/s400/DSCN7328.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-71358238586044376342011-03-19T14:59:00.000-04:002011-03-19T14:59:48.445-04:00Over the MoonWe had a great ultrasound on Monday. In the course of an hour, we saw all the anatomy of our little one. Everything looks great and I'm so overjoyed!<br />
<br />
I bawled like a baby when I found out we are having little baby Claire!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBDnLTE43tVVwqOl19ya4QidNUt0NM8H5tnnrvn1iyZVENmm7DcZxdo2xBIpvyz0FjAhE5vhfZOkSAI6udfCDYkNPGx9c634GmfLrTwK8iuVY4oML5wLXd7LuIKvCZXHlHTudd7Z-OP10/s1600/Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBDnLTE43tVVwqOl19ya4QidNUt0NM8H5tnnrvn1iyZVENmm7DcZxdo2xBIpvyz0FjAhE5vhfZOkSAI6udfCDYkNPGx9c634GmfLrTwK8iuVY4oML5wLXd7LuIKvCZXHlHTudd7Z-OP10/s320/Girl.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It's been a flurry of paint picking (Imperial Lilac) and Etsy shopping since I found out! I want Blankies! Owls! Leggies! Wall Art! It's so much fun looking for girly stuff. Mike's a little worried... as well he should be.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148972962021350970.post-58242284369193752422011-03-02T23:11:00.000-05:002011-03-02T23:11:05.308-05:00Odds and EndsGood grief - it's been another month since I posted. That GMBOA? Still ready to go and sitting on my kitchen table. SO SORRY, Rainyday! I promise it'll get mailed soon.<br />
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Nate's going to be THREE on Saturday. I can hardly believe it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqkn6UMdDuEc_9e38wL1OSpE4U7ch-YLrKkfazq9BWdwR8pqaW-aJOUeXUB7sYuQqL3tg-kkCU1g8jwnOxpbDGGwDs62KL8xMjDddrRCmqcAwG1tj4t-9STT5FNcmnAnPYIxTurz19_lP/s1600/Nate+is+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqkn6UMdDuEc_9e38wL1OSpE4U7ch-YLrKkfazq9BWdwR8pqaW-aJOUeXUB7sYuQqL3tg-kkCU1g8jwnOxpbDGGwDs62KL8xMjDddrRCmqcAwG1tj4t-9STT5FNcmnAnPYIxTurz19_lP/s400/Nate+is+3.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>We had a big milestone last night too. Nate pooped in the potty like it was no big deal. Two reward stickers and not a lot of fanfare. When we talked to Mike at work last night to tell him, Nate was more anxious to tell Daddy that Bosco was eating dirt outside.<br />
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My big ultrasound is only 12 days away. I'm anxious to find out the gender of this baby! I took the baking soda gender test tonight and it says boy. Hmmm...that's not what my instincts are telling me.<br />
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Well, that was riveting. Thanks for stopping by! :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347652016627835328noreply@blogger.com5