I. Love. Monkey Hugs! I was greeted at 6:30 this morning by a wide-eyed smiling little boy who wanted to make his Daddy some coffee. I'm not sure why he was up so early, but he made me smile when I wouldn't normally be at that hour. Brett was still in bed since he didn't have to be at work until 11:00, which meant Ryan had the opportunity to be lazy and not rushed to get to school. However, he insisted on getting up and his first thought was about his Daddy's coffee. That says awesome things about his little heart and his feelings for his Daddy. So, I held him up as he put the coffee in, he helped me add the water and then we got a cup for Daddy and he placed it under the spout and pushed the brew button. He was so excited that HE had made his Daddy's coffee. His eyes just said it all. Then, while I was still holding him, without me asking for one, he looked at me, threw his arms around my neck and his legs around my [expanding] waist and squeezed so tight...I could have let go and he'd have stayed exactly where he was. That, my friends, is the definition of a Monkey Hug, and oh are they amazing!
Happy Friday! 1 hour and 33 minutes until I get my next Monkey Hug!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Retail therapy cures most...
My closet threw up this morning. After attempting to slide 3 pairs of capris over my enlarged thighs and rear end and 4 different shirts that either weren't long enough to cover my growing belly or too big because I'm just not big enough to wear them yet, I gave up, settled with a t-shirt and the jeans I wore yesterday, called my Mama and pitched a mini-temper tantrum as if I were a 16 year old not satisfied with her wardrobe.
With Ryan I had no problems; at least not with my clothes. All the weight that I gained was in my belly. I had this wonderful belly band that transformed any normal pair of pants (or any other bottoms) into maternity pants. I wore the majority of my normal clothes and all was wonderful with the world. Well, not this time. My glorious rump and thighs feel like they have grown just as much as my belly, which means I can't fit in any of my bottoms passed my thighs. It's frustrating, depressing and very annoying. I looked in the mirror this morning and wondered where the weight in my butt was hiding because I swear the thing looks flatter. I don't think I've ever disliked my body so much in all my life.
So, what's a preggo to do? SHOP!!!!! I will say that Fayetteville's selection of maternity clothes suck! However, after going to TJ Maxx (no maternity section), Old Navy (no maternity section), Target (crap maternity section), I finally hit the jackpot at Ross! Normally, I can't find a whole lot at Ross, but today their maternity selection was ginormous! I got 1 pair of pants, 3 pairs of capris and 3 shirts and could have very well gotten more, but I figured I should be responsible and pay my bills. All-in-all a very successful shopping trip and now I no longer have to go pitch fits in the morning because my clothes suck. At least not right now.
With Ryan I had no problems; at least not with my clothes. All the weight that I gained was in my belly. I had this wonderful belly band that transformed any normal pair of pants (or any other bottoms) into maternity pants. I wore the majority of my normal clothes and all was wonderful with the world. Well, not this time. My glorious rump and thighs feel like they have grown just as much as my belly, which means I can't fit in any of my bottoms passed my thighs. It's frustrating, depressing and very annoying. I looked in the mirror this morning and wondered where the weight in my butt was hiding because I swear the thing looks flatter. I don't think I've ever disliked my body so much in all my life.
So, what's a preggo to do? SHOP!!!!! I will say that Fayetteville's selection of maternity clothes suck! However, after going to TJ Maxx (no maternity section), Old Navy (no maternity section), Target (crap maternity section), I finally hit the jackpot at Ross! Normally, I can't find a whole lot at Ross, but today their maternity selection was ginormous! I got 1 pair of pants, 3 pairs of capris and 3 shirts and could have very well gotten more, but I figured I should be responsible and pay my bills. All-in-all a very successful shopping trip and now I no longer have to go pitch fits in the morning because my clothes suck. At least not right now.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
A fun survey I stole from my friend, Kiley, that she stole from one of her friends... I thought it was pretty cool and I learned things about her that I didn't know and I remembered things about her that I knew before but had forgotten. :)
A. AREA CODE : Now it is 910. The only other one I've had is 919.
B. BED SIZE: queen
C. CHORE YOU HATE: unloading the dishwasher, cleaning bathrooms, dusting
D. DOG'S NAME: Dakoda Sue & Carter Finley.... our dogs have middle names!
E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: currently the toilet... to pee
F. FAVORITE COLOR: it's a toss up between red and pink. I have a lot of red in my house, but a lot of pink in my wardrobe.
G. GOLD OR SILVER: silver and white gold. I don't like yellow gold at all.
H. HEIGHT: 5'3"
I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: I used to play the flute in middle school. I can play the piano if I really try.
J. JOB: Hospitality Communications Manager at a convention & visitors bureau. I run a program that trains customer service employees as certified tourism ambassadors. I also service the NC welcome centers with our area's information. I thoroughly enjoy my job!!
K. KIDS: Ryan Michael, born Dec 2007 and "Monster" (baby boy) due Sept 7, 2010
L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: in a house with Brett, Ryan, Dakoda & Carter
M. MOM'S NAME: Brenda
N. NICKNAME: Ash, Leighi, Mama, Leigh Leighi
O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: tonsils taken out when I was 5, labor and delivery of Ryan.
P. PET PEEVE: I'm currently very hormonal. It would not be fair of me to answer this question right now.
Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: "Yeah, a real gentleman. I'm sure he takes the dishes out of the sink before he pees in it," Ouiser from Steel Magnolias
R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: righty
S. SIBLINGS: Michael (21)
T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: I'm normally up by 6:30.
U. UNDERWEAR: cotton, bikini cut. I hate thongs and only wear them when I absolutely have to.
V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: yellow squash and any veggie out of a can. GROSS!
W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: my child
X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: teeth
Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: spaghetti, chicken & rice, lo mein... I cook a lot. Normally it's pretty good. Those are my favorites.
Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: gorillas, polar bears, elephants
The Game of Tag about your MAN:
Who is your man? Brett Michael
How long have you been together? 6 years this June
How long did you date? 17 months and engaged for 10 months
How old is your man? 28
Who eats more? Right now it's probably a toss up between the two of us.
Who said "I love you" first? I did.
Who is taller? He's 7 inches taller than me
Who sings better? Me, unless it's Journey!
Who is smarter? Depends on what your talking about. I think we compliment each other well when it comes to our smarts.
Whose temper is worse? Mine. Brett rarely gets mad, but when he does I stay AWAY!
Who does the laundry? ME ME ME ME ME!! He will fold if I ask him.
Who takes out the garbage? He does.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me (as if you're lying in the bed)
Who pays the bills? me unless I ask him to pay a particular bill.
Who is better with the computer? It's equal
Who mows the lawn? Brett, but I like to do it too.
Who cooks dinner? Unless it's frozen pizza or sloppy joes, ME!
Who drives when you are together? Brett
Who pays when you go out? Whoever can get to their debit card the easiest. It all comes out of the same account.
Who is most stubborn? We are pretty equal with that too.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Neither of us give in easily. I think it has been pretty equal and depends on the issue.
Whose parents do you see the most? Mine I think. When Brett works on Sundays, I usually go see my family... which is usually about every other Sunday. We see his parents regularly though.
Who asked who out? He hired me and then left for Mexico. While he was gone, he started texting me and then asked me out the night he got back.
Who proposed? He did, in front of my whole family on my birthday! :)
Who wears the pants in the family? Hmmm...
A. AREA CODE : Now it is 910. The only other one I've had is 919.
B. BED SIZE: queen
C. CHORE YOU HATE: unloading the dishwasher, cleaning bathrooms, dusting
D. DOG'S NAME: Dakoda Sue & Carter Finley.... our dogs have middle names!
E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: currently the toilet... to pee
F. FAVORITE COLOR: it's a toss up between red and pink. I have a lot of red in my house, but a lot of pink in my wardrobe.
G. GOLD OR SILVER: silver and white gold. I don't like yellow gold at all.
H. HEIGHT: 5'3"
I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: I used to play the flute in middle school. I can play the piano if I really try.
J. JOB: Hospitality Communications Manager at a convention & visitors bureau. I run a program that trains customer service employees as certified tourism ambassadors. I also service the NC welcome centers with our area's information. I thoroughly enjoy my job!!
K. KIDS: Ryan Michael, born Dec 2007 and "Monster" (baby boy) due Sept 7, 2010
L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: in a house with Brett, Ryan, Dakoda & Carter
M. MOM'S NAME: Brenda
N. NICKNAME: Ash, Leighi, Mama, Leigh Leighi
O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: tonsils taken out when I was 5, labor and delivery of Ryan.
P. PET PEEVE: I'm currently very hormonal. It would not be fair of me to answer this question right now.
Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: "Yeah, a real gentleman. I'm sure he takes the dishes out of the sink before he pees in it," Ouiser from Steel Magnolias
R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: righty
S. SIBLINGS: Michael (21)
T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: I'm normally up by 6:30.
U. UNDERWEAR: cotton, bikini cut. I hate thongs and only wear them when I absolutely have to.
V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: yellow squash and any veggie out of a can. GROSS!
W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: my child
X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: teeth
Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: spaghetti, chicken & rice, lo mein... I cook a lot. Normally it's pretty good. Those are my favorites.
Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: gorillas, polar bears, elephants
The Game of Tag about your MAN:
Who is your man? Brett Michael
How long have you been together? 6 years this June
How long did you date? 17 months and engaged for 10 months
How old is your man? 28
Who eats more? Right now it's probably a toss up between the two of us.
Who said "I love you" first? I did.
Who is taller? He's 7 inches taller than me
Who sings better? Me, unless it's Journey!
Who is smarter? Depends on what your talking about. I think we compliment each other well when it comes to our smarts.
Whose temper is worse? Mine. Brett rarely gets mad, but when he does I stay AWAY!
Who does the laundry? ME ME ME ME ME!! He will fold if I ask him.
Who takes out the garbage? He does.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me (as if you're lying in the bed)
Who pays the bills? me unless I ask him to pay a particular bill.
Who is better with the computer? It's equal
Who mows the lawn? Brett, but I like to do it too.
Who cooks dinner? Unless it's frozen pizza or sloppy joes, ME!
Who drives when you are together? Brett
Who pays when you go out? Whoever can get to their debit card the easiest. It all comes out of the same account.
Who is most stubborn? We are pretty equal with that too.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Neither of us give in easily. I think it has been pretty equal and depends on the issue.
Whose parents do you see the most? Mine I think. When Brett works on Sundays, I usually go see my family... which is usually about every other Sunday. We see his parents regularly though.
Who asked who out? He hired me and then left for Mexico. While he was gone, he started texting me and then asked me out the night he got back.
Who proposed? He did, in front of my whole family on my birthday! :)
Who wears the pants in the family? Hmmm...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
20 weeks, 1 day belly shots
Here we are at 20 weeks along... HALF WAY THROUGH!
Here are some pics that I shot real quick this morning on the way out the door. I'm totally depriving this child of belly shots, but certainly not intentionally. With Ryan, I took belly pictures every week. With this one, not so much. It's amazing how things change when you have a 2 year old running around!
For an interesting comparison, here is a 20 week belly shot from Ryan's pregnancy. I feel like I'm carrying a lot differently this time.
Here are some pics that I shot real quick this morning on the way out the door. I'm totally depriving this child of belly shots, but certainly not intentionally. With Ryan, I took belly pictures every week. With this one, not so much. It's amazing how things change when you have a 2 year old running around!
For an interesting comparison, here is a 20 week belly shot from Ryan's pregnancy. I feel like I'm carrying a lot differently this time.
Monday, April 19, 2010
A boy named Monster...
It's a boy! So they say... I don't know that I'm totally convinced. Not because I don't want a boy, the thought of 2 boys just totally thrills me, but I just didn't see his boy parts on the ultrasound like I saw Ryan's when we went for his big reveal. I saw what the ultasound tech said was it, but with Ryan it was blatenly obvious. Not so with this baby. But nonetheless, until proven otherwise, we are having another boy! A nameless boy. Well, not quite. Ryan has lovingly named this child Monster. I'm not sure of his reasoning, but for now, I am also referring to him as Monster. Simply for lack of a name and I can't keep calling him "the baby." Although, I do also call him Peanut.
Choosing a name for someone is such a large responsibility. A name is a person's identity, it reflects their personality in a way. Choosing a name that is cute for a baby and strong and masculine for a grown man is a little intimidating. Ryan's name was easy. It just came and it was accepted. And he certainly fits the name with everything he does. Honestly, we would have chosen Ryan whether he were boy or girl. But for "Monster," there is nothing that just comes to me. One name did, but it was short lived after a few people voiced their opinions. When it comes to myself, I care little about what other's opinions, but when it comes to my child, if his own family doesn't like his name, what am I setting him up for?
Maybe we'll just keep the chosen name to ourselves until he's born. I never understood that concept before, but now I'm starting to get the point.
Choosing a name for someone is such a large responsibility. A name is a person's identity, it reflects their personality in a way. Choosing a name that is cute for a baby and strong and masculine for a grown man is a little intimidating. Ryan's name was easy. It just came and it was accepted. And he certainly fits the name with everything he does. Honestly, we would have chosen Ryan whether he were boy or girl. But for "Monster," there is nothing that just comes to me. One name did, but it was short lived after a few people voiced their opinions. When it comes to myself, I care little about what other's opinions, but when it comes to my child, if his own family doesn't like his name, what am I setting him up for?
Maybe we'll just keep the chosen name to ourselves until he's born. I never understood that concept before, but now I'm starting to get the point.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
And just because...
This one makes me smile every time I look at it. It's from last summer. To me it's a representation of the love and trust a child has for an adult, and in this case, the love a grandson has for his DeeDee.
Favorite Photos
I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the last couple weeks. I will never claim to be a photographer, but I do love my camera and I love taking pictures of my family, especially Ryan, and I love playing around with the special effects. Having a good camera definitely allows us to save some money on professional pictures. I don't like staged portraits anyway. I like the real life stuff. So... here you go. My family in real life:
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