Crazy Lady Status

So it's happened...

I've officially reached Crazy Lady status.
After taking care of our sick little baby the past few days...it's happened.

You know that lady wandering around dressed funny, talking to herself, yep pretty sure that's me.

So it started with my thoughtful husband mentioning to me that is was "really windy" outside today.

I took that NOT as any normal person would and wear a light jacket but as a crazy lady...

I had on my knit snow hat, my long down winter coat, a scarf, my blue gloves, my UGGs (for extra warmth), I was ready for a blizzard.
Got into the car, drove to Target, looked around at all the busy people getting their last minute
Easter purchases and they were all wearing shorts or short sleeves
but no snow hat, scarf over their face and boots.
I wouldn't have been surprised if I saw someone coming out in a swim suit the way these "normal" people were dressed.
I take out my phone and look at the temp it's gonna be 66 degrees today and I'm dressed for -66.

Why don't I just take off my coat, well I left in a rush and I'm wearing only a nursing tank top under here, no one wants to see that.  well just take off your hat, well now the hair is looking more crazy
with out the hat, better keep it covered.
So I'll just be quick- and warm... cuz now I'm sweating under all this gear.

So I check out fast, only got a few looks from the guy in shorts and a t shirt, I nod, maybe he didn't hear about the blizzard coming today.

I get out to the parking lot and of course since I'm the crazy lady, and we don't remember so well...
I forgot where I parked my car.  So now my plan of not being noticed isn't going so well as the lady in full snow gear (that's me) is weaving her cart franticallly inbetween the rows of cars at Target, talking to herself about the status of "no car."

Well, I must not have been too inconspicuious because a fellow crazy lady looked up at me and sang sweetly
"oh where, oh where, did my little car go?"

I nodded and said "that's exactly how I'm feeling." She understood, all us crazy ladies stick together. By the grace of God, soon after I found my car, all the way across the parking lot from where I was talking to my fellow crazy lady.

ahhhhh, relief- now I can get home and start removing all these layers.

Well if being a mom turns me into a crazy lady sometimes, I can take it.
Crazy Ladies Unite! hehe


P.S.
Sure hope this little peanut feels better soon.

Merry Christmas to YOU!

 So those of you who know me know know that I LOVE Christmas but I used to
be even more Christmas crazy "back in the day." How many 6th graders do you know that
love to write Christmas cards and by 7th grade all the waythrough high school-might write, address, stuff, seal and send all your family Christmas cards, needless to say I think my mom loved it because
she had a break from that chore.  I also loved to write poems back then and for a few years I
would send a poem in the family Christmas card.  In all the craziness of packing and moving
, I stumbled upon a few of my old poems.
So enjoy! (Remember I was a middle schooler so go easy on me :) and Merry Christmas!!

The First Christmas

The dark of night
a stable site
a young couple traveling far
underneath the Christmas star
Looking for a little bed
for their babies sleepy head
The inn keeper saying
Don't plan on staying
there's no space
but this small manger place
The humble donkey, the friendly goat
lying in their pens eating up their oats
The straw, the hay
that first Christmas day
Little Jesus lay in his bed
no blanket for his back
no pillow for his head
This little babe on his great birth
has come to be the Savior of the earth
Even knowing his later pain
but for us eternal life to gain
 So when it is that merry day
Remember Christ Jesus who laid in the hay.

As Santa Claus Flew

As Santa Claus flew through the Christmas sky
Something small and bright caught his eye

It looked as though it was a Christmas star
And down came St. Nick from afar

He saw a little babe in the manger place
and Mary and Joseph with smiles on their face

Then he remembered what he almost forgot
The King, the Savior who loved him a lot

So Santa knelt at the little manger bed
he looked at the babe and he bowed his head

And thanked the Lord for that merry day
For sending Christ Jesus who laid in the hay

And Santa Claus shouted as he rode out of sight
"Glory to the Newborn King, this cold Christmas night!"

Round up Round down

Remember in elementary math class when your teacher taught you to round a number up or round it down. Figuring out what number the decimal makes it closer to if it is more or less than 5.

When it comes to age there is a line when you stop wishing you were older and being excited about that higher number
and start wishing you were younger,
or maybe you are just less likely to shout out to your friends or family "guess what I'm 31 today!"

 Growing up my dad always would round up my age. I'd be 12 and turning 13 in 6 months and dad would tell someone, "oh my daughter is a teenager, shes 13."
I'd  be 24 and turning 25 in a week and he'd already be saying I was 25, always rounding up.
It started to become a joke, "Dad, stop rounding up dad, I'm still only 24!"

The day after turning the next age I was already considered a year older.

Then he'd give you a random age based statistic, "when you are 40 I'll be 63, when I'm 80 you'll be 57 and the latest now that we have baby Oliver... when he graduates from high school I'll be 72 and you'll be 49." Ok thanks dad, for telling me how old I am and how old I'm gonna be.

Last year I turned 30 and I told my dad it's time to stop rounding up, time to start rounding down, don't be rounding me up closer to 40 any quicker than I have to get there on my own.  So now it's our joke we are rounding down.

Dad wished me happy 28th birthday.

For a second I thought he forgot how old I was and got confused.  But then he reminded me,  remember... we are rounding down now.
 that's right!
I think I'd like to turn 28 a few more times.
thanks dad

Meet Oliver James

Oliver James was born on August 31st 2013 at 7:06 p.m.
The perfect little baby,
He was 8 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches.
He came over a week late and with extraordinary measures but we are so happy he
is here, thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses, and is healthy as can be.

We've learned so much in 6 fast weeks, fast because they have flown by and our little
cozy newborn baby is not so little anymore and is starting to form his own little personality.

We've learned to function on less sleep.
We've learned the power of a good swaddle.
We've learned all about feeding a baby... all kinds, breast feeding, colostrum, milk, pumping, lactation consultants, bottles, formula, finger feeding and more.
We've learned how to catch spit up with a burb cloth, a blanket, a towel, our own shirt or whatever happens to be close.
We've been spit up on, peed on, pooped on and all the fluids that initiate us into true parenthood.
We learned to cheer when our baby gained an ounce which means he's eating and shed a tear when our baby painfully cries after being circumcised.
We've learned the difference between different types of cries, squeaks, grunts, and baby babbles.
We've perfected a well changed diaper, know how to swing, bounce, pat, burb, cuddle, sway, rock.
We've learned the soothing power of a pacifier, the strategy involved in a successful infant bath time and the benefits of a good skin to skin session.
We've learned how much we depend on each other to team work the care of this little peanut, how much we are grateful when we can give each other a much needed break, how much we both adore every little thing about him and how we both freak out just a little... when being a new parent is overwhelming.

There's still more we need to learn but we will take each day as it comes and try to enjoy each
day with this little baby that is quite a blessing.

P.S. Thanks to Anne Ingman of  Ingman Photography for this beautiful photo of little Oliver and all the photos in our newborn photo shoot. Check out this link to see a few more of our photos from this session.

Ingman Photography Maternity Photo Shoot!

Maternity Photos

Taken by the lovely Anne Ingman of Ingman Photography

http://ingmanphotography.com/   Check her out!

She is a fabulous photographer who happens to be our sister, lucky us :)

Photos are taken at the beautiful Minnehaha Falls Park.

Copyright © 2013 Ingman Photography, All Rights Reserved

I told Anne today that I haven't felt very pretty in pregnancy with all the

body changes, stretch marks, hormones and just all over weird changes

that as a first time mom I didn't expect.

But when I look at these photos I do feel beautiful, so thanks for 

capturing such a special time in our lives. It's such a blessing 

and I'm still so amazed that Peter and I get to experience all of it.

P.S. it's our first due date today, we were given two, but no baby as of yet...

Copyright © 2013 Ingman Photography, All Rights Reserved

So Very Pregnant

Whoa, it's 39 weeks and only 5 more days until 40 weeks or 4 more days if you count the two
due dates of August 22nd and/or August 23rd we were given.

But let's face it, this journey could go another week or so, no guarantees.

I haven't blow dried or styled my hair in over a month, it's just too hot.
I can only really reach my knees,  so they are nicely shaved, forget about the rest.
I've broken a world record for night time bathroom breaks.
I've eaten at least two full watermelons by myself...no not in one sitting :)
On the up side I love the table my belly gives me to set my small stand up mirror on to do my make up, quite convenient.
I also have perfected the pregnant lady waddle.

I am so ready for this baby to come out.
please

Anytime now

would be great

thanks

P.S. so excited :)

Suit Up

A few weeks ago Peter decided he needed to "suit up" and get more suit pants for work
and maybe even a new suit.
I don't know much about suits but as a helpful wife I was ready to journey along to the local chain
suit store and give my thumbs up or thumbs down as Peter models suits. Little did I know I would learn some serious suit store "lingo".

When we arrived we met very serious suit store guy.  Let's just say he takes his job VERY seriously.  As a teacher I also feel that taking your job seriously is important but I also can appreciate the time to smile and even laugh at my serious job.

Super serious suit store guy introduced himself, his name is Peter, how coincidental, my prospective suit buying husband Peter says, "Well I really like your name... it's mine too" and smiles,  this would be a good place for super serious suit store guy to insert a smile but instead he remains very serious with a stiff hand shake.

Suit buying Peter, tells super serious suit store guy Peter his size and tries on a few pairs but super serious suit guy objects due to the "dog ears" in the front, super serious translation:suit pockets are sticking out like dogs ears, ruff ruff,  and there is a "smile" translation: apparently his crotch is smiling, who knew there were such serious terms for suits.  Both terms very inappropriate for serious suit guy.

Then serious suit store guy walks behind Peter and grabs the belt loop in the back and says "Looks like it's getting a little too "familiar" back here." I crack up, he's so serious as he says it.

 Suit buying Peter says "what, Huh?, and in my work with elementary school kids I can easily decode this serious suit guy statement.  Translation: "He's saying you have a wedgie" and of course I start giggling, suit buying Peter laughs too but not super serious suit guy Peter, probably thinking, we don't say wedgie at this store it's "getting too familiar."

To be honest I didn't see what was so wrong with these suit pants after a few adjustments I thought suit buying Peter looked rather handsome, but I'm impartial :)

Then super serious suit store Peter picks a pair of suit pants he deems more appropriate for suit buying Peter.  Suit buying Peter goes into the fitting room to try them on and comes out looking like he's wearing clown pants.  Serious suit guy lays out another unknown suit term to us "move them up to the high country." ---what, what??
Serious Suit guy Translation:  Wear your suit pants five inches above your belly button dangerously close to your chest.

Apparently suit pants should be worn up HIGH. So suit buying Peter pulls them up practically over his head and serious suit store guy Peter is happy...

 but I can't with hold from bursting out in laughter,

blame it on the pregnancy hormones but now MY Peter has instantly aged 30 years, looking like an old man with his pants up to his chest and his pant legs so baggy he looks like he's wearing MC hammer pants and if a strong wind came up he might just blow away.

Serious suit store guy raves on how good suit buying Peter looks after he has a few nips and tucks here and there and apparently doesn't appreciate my laughter, I couldn't even get a smile out of him. Suit buying Peter doesn't look so sure and is trying so hard not to laugh too.

Suit Buying Peter, my Peter, says "ya know, I know the "high country" is where you might be supposed to wear your suit pants (if you are 80, okay he didn't say that) but I just don't think I will ever wear them that high, I'm more of a wear them down here kind of guy," moving his pants down to where most normal people wear them.

But serious suit store guy won't back down, so we thank him for his service and his dedication to the "high country" and we leave.

Tomorrow, suit buying Peter will go back to the suit store chain in a different location and be clear with his expectations for pants in the "low country", we are not talking gangster baggy, just normal guy not up to your chest pants.

He found pants just right for him and he looks great, no dog ears, no smiles, no getting familiar and no high country. Just right.

Who knew "suiting up" was so complicated.
But hey, we did learn some great suit store lingo,
 so thank
you serious suit store guy Peter for taking your job SO seriously.

Time for a change

New outlook
New haircut
New baby coming
New humungous baby belly
New guest room, now nursery
New pack n play that was impossible to put together...but we got it
New tiny little baby clothes
New life, well everyone keeps saying "life's gonna change for ya, very soon..."

It's about time... new blog layout, right?

Been posting since 2009 and here's the newness.

I Mean Really?? News Error

How can this happen?
How can this news lady read this and not think to herself I'm a complete idiot?
Just saying the names out loud and you hear it. How did no one on the news staff make the connection?
I read it to Peter and he didn't know what it was about and yet and got it right away.

I mean really.


http://www.deadline.com/2013/07/fox-affiliate-ktvu-apologizes-for-racist-asiana-airlines-pilot-prank/

Watch the video on this link or just read the "supposed" pilots names to yourself first.
You'll get it, you're smarter than they are :)

You Betcha!

Wow, we did it.

Baby

According to Babycenter.com, 
Baby weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.

According to the What to expect when you are expecting site
Baby weighs about 2 pounds and measures 9 plus inches.

One of the sites must be right... Right? So some where between 1-2 pounds and 9-14 inches.

Babies eyes also start to open this week.

All this happening inside this big basketball, pretty amazing.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

What's the deal with all the pregnancy comparisons?

 

Kate vs Kim vs Cassie

picture found on...
http://hollywoodlife.com/pics/kim-kardashian-kate-middleton-maternity-style-pics/#ref=/2013/04/22/kim-kardashian-kate-middleton-fashion-pregnant-style-pics/pos=

What's the deal with all the pregnancy comparisons in magazines lately? 

I mean really
what pregnant lady wants to be compared to another.
I know magazines like US and People thrive off of "who wore it best" but comparing two pregnant
ladies that aren't even wearing the same thing and have completely different body types, why?

First of all, every women "shows" differently and even from pregnancy to pregnancy
women are different.

Are people really talking about Kim Kardashian's weight gain?

I admit I don't understand fully why she's famous and I've never been a fan of her
reality show but I would NEVER make fun of or comment on her pregnancy weight gain, I'd be
more worried if she was not eating and nutritiously feeding her baby and instead worrying about
keeping some figure status.

Then people are ragging on the type of clothes she is wearing while pregnant and how they might
not be flattering on her growing size. Really?

I've yet to find pregnancy clothes that are entirely flattering on me, or that I just feel wonderful in, it's a weird time with all the ways your body is changing.
I think having a beach ball
sticking out your front doesn't lead to the cutest fashion at all times.
I think when you are pregnant you just do the best you can to still feel good about how you look.

I guess it bothers me that these sort of magazines, (even though I admit I often read them, I'm guilty), try to pit women against each other comparing women only on their physical appearances.
Let's just let two pregnant
people be pregnant and not over analyze how they are showing or what they are wearing,

I'm just wishing them a happy healthy pregnancy
and am sure glad there are no magazines following me and questioning
or debating my pregnancy weight gain or style.  phew!

Mean People

Here's a random thought for ya...

Have you ever seen that bumper sticker

MEAN PEOPLE SUCK




something tells me that if you have that bumper sticker
you probably aren't a nice person because nice people would
say "oh I can't put that on my car it's too mean" and would
feel MEAN actually putting that message on their car...

so it's probably not a nice or maybe even a mean person that would take the time
to purchase and stick on a bumper sticker saying that anyone sucks...

so therefore is the person with the MEAN PEOPLE SUCK sticker
trying to give a public service announcement
and tell us...
 "watch out there's a mean person driving here and I might happen to suck."

just sayin'

I've Got Vegas on my Mind

Thinking back to the last week of March...
Not long ago we were enjoying 70's and 80's at the pool in Vegas.
Now we are enjoying?? inches of snow and high 30's, only in MN.
But there's a silver lining 50 degrees coming this weekend, cross your fingers.

With the spring we've had a "Spring Break" was needed and
after a slight panic yet excitement of "we might not go on a vacation ever again, we are really having a baby! Ah!"
a trip away was all well worth it.

Peter tried blackjack and won $50 bucks.
We weren't so lucky at the slots so that's really all the gambling we did.
We spent each day by the pool, walked all up and down the strip, ate great food, explored downtown Vegas and all the elaborate casinos, admired the Bellagio fountains and garden, and
saw Illusionist Kriss Angels show.  Good times.

IT's Official

Ok so we are now Facebook official so this must mean it's really happening :)
Because it doesn't happen or isn't real unless it's a status update on facebook. J/K

Here's the post, we wrote on my husbands Facebook...


Not sure if these are going to fit me
GOOD thing we are adding a little
Gopher fan to the family in August--
with Cassie Lindberg

Is it Spring Yet?

I'm ready to see these again...

do you remember these? flowers...magenta, blue, pink, yellow, peach, green...these are the colors I am ready to see, no more
gray, white and dirty.

There is a week in February every year ( a few weeks ago) that I tell Peter "I want to/have to move to California, maybe even by tomorrow."

After a few years of being married we realized it was about the same week in winter, in February that my winter blues were at an all time high, "didn't we have this conversation last year?"

Then by March it starts getting better, warmer, more spring like, by April my tulips are even starting to stick up a little, by May I've forgotten about our moving plans and Minnesota is a great place to live again and why would I ever want to move to California.

It's been warm the last few days, how many of these 36 degree days do you think it will take to melt
all this sloppy white stuff outside otherwise known as snow?

Will there be no snow on the ground by the end of March?

What do you think?

Please tell me it'll be gone or I might have to move to California...
or at least fuss about it again this year.

Sound Sleeper or Need Sound Machine?

I wish I wasn't addicted,
addicted to sound- that is, when I'm sleeping.
I wish I could be a "sound sleeper" but instead I need a sound or constant white noise to help me sleep.

For years I used a fan and the gentle buzzing of the fan would be just enough to lull me to sleep,
with out the fan I can hear every little sound around MAGNIFIED.

And say perhaps someone that might sleep in the same room, not naming any names or anything...
happens to snore-- to someone that needs white noise, well that snore sounds like a car alarm going off in my calmly sleeping brain with out the muffling buzz of white noise.

Well as you know fans are more for summer like temps and my poor better half was noticing how freezing cold our room was getting each night, especially with the cold winter we've been suffering through, so he took it upon himself to buy me a little present.

My very own alarm clock sound machine.  How romantic, seriously! That's love.
Sadly there was no white noise, black and white buzz on the TV, fan like sound.

Instead I can chose from chirping crickets and mosquitos on a summer night so I can wake up swatting myself,
or ocean waves so I can have surfing dreams or shark attacks,
thunder storm which sounds a little more like one of those heart beat monitoring machines,
a rain storm which normally I love to hear that in the summer but all night it just makes me have to pee, and last but not least waterfall.

Surprisingly, the waterfall sounds more like a white noise fan then a tropical vacation
so I found my match!
 and
 I can sleep soundly and
Peter is no longer freezing.

Money Pure Money

Do you know somebody that is strangely yet awesomely good at everything involving
hand eye coordination?

I am the exact opposite of that,
 so everyone seems amazing when they can sink the eight ball, kill it in ping pong, hit a roll out in racquet ball or whip the fuse ball so fast into the goal no one saw it coming.

My idea of hand eye coordination is getting the spoon into my mouth with out spilling when
eating a bowl of ice cream,  that's the only sinking I do.

However, I am married to the guy that is strangely yet awesomely great at all of these things.
Pool, Fuse ball, ping pong, racquet ball and now... "dun, dun, dun" that's the drum roll

We can add Jenga to the list.

Before you know it he's going to be killing it at other board games, perhaps checkers and monopoly are next.

As his high school soccer announcer once said, as he blocked the goal by diving across the field

"It's money pure money." So you better watch it and maybe practice your Jenga skills.

Here's the link to Peter dominating the Wells Fargo Holiday Party Jenga Competition,
with just a flick of his well coordinated finger.

Ultimate Jenga Finger Flick

Reach For the Moon And You'll Fall Among Some of the Most Cheesy Quotes

Some find inspiration in an amazing experience
Some find inspiration in a person that leads by example
Some find inspiration in the beauty of  nature
AND
Some find inspiration in the cheesiest sayings...

Now there's nothing wrong with these sayings, don't mean to offend if you are a fan or
let's face it maybe you have it posted above your bed, etched in a wooden plaque or tattooed on your arm :)

We all love em', they sell on plaques, we write them in cards, we post them to face book,
we recite them as advice but really they are full of CHEESE and that's okay because cheese tastes good.

Here's a few that come to mind...

"Reach for the moon and you'll land among the stars."

wouldn't have the same ring as
"Reach for the moon and your arms will get really tired"

"Fairy Tales do come true."

Ahh, the ugly step sisters are attacking me!!! If fairy tales DO come true, it may cause nightmares. We better watch out for the giant from Jack's magic bean stalk and the wicked witches broom.

"Live, Laugh, Love."

wouldn't have the same ring as
"Lick, Lounge, Levitate"

"It's not the years in your life but the life in your years"

doesn't sound as good as "Who cares if you are old you did a lot of cool shit?"

So while you ponder about your favorite cheesy quote remember "The best way to predict your future is to create it" and you should "Cherish yesterday, dream tomorrow, live today" and lastly,
"Bless this house." Amen.

The END of MOvember

I must say that I won't be sad to see the walrus tusk like mustache go.

And I am cringing a little bit at the discussion of a "monkey tail" or a "present ribbon" for next years Movember goals.

But I am glad that Peter is helping out a great cause of men's health that
doesn't get as much talk.

It's true I hadn't seen this fresh face in 5 years.

And I'm pretty sure the beard will be coming back for December.

So if you are in the holiday spirit and want to do a little giving to a good cause, today is your last chance to donate to Peter's Movember Team and help support prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives.

If you are up for it here's the link to Peter's team's page- 

One more day till we get less weird looks out in public :) hehe

http://us.movember.com/mospace/4354097

Here's a little history from the official Movember website:

Movember - a global movement
Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne, Australia, Movember has grown to become a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.9 Million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate with formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, South Africa, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Czech Republic. In addition, Movember is aware of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas supporting the campaign and men’s health cause across the globe, from Russia to Dubai, Hong Kong to Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro to Mumbai, and everywhere in between.

No matter the country or city, Movember will continue to work to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.

In 2011, over 854,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas around the world got on board, raising $126.3 million USD.