Hayes Household Happenings

Walking, talking and first haircuts!

2010-12-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

Brody is 11 months old and getting cuter by the day. He took his first wobbly steps about 2 weeks ago, and quickly he got the hang of walking across one side of the room to the other. He still hasn't figured out how to stand from just sitting (he has to pull himself up on something), but I know once he figures that out we'll be chasing him all over the place! :) He's so proud of himself when he's walking -- he gets the biggest grin on his face and always "falls" into me for a hug when he walks over to me. I love it!

Brody has his first haircut today and it was a complete disaster! They had me sit in the chair and hold onto B. The minute they put the cape on him it was all over. Instant screaming and tears -- it was awful. I felt so bad for him, but I had to hold onto his head to keep him from moving. Thankfully the lady cutting his hair was quick and efficient. The front is a little crooked, but I'm ok with that. I'd rather have crooked hair than war wounds from the scissors! I had a feeling he wouldn't like his first haircut...I just didn't realize how bad it would be! We had to take pictures after the fact, but that's ok. We still have the memory :)

Brody's 1st Halloween...2 weeks late! :)

2010-11-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

I seem to be pretty good at updated about 2 weeks after the "milestone" happens. And that reminds me....I never updated after Brody's 9 (and a 1/2) month appointment. He's perfectly healthy, weighed in at 21lbs 10oz, and 30" tall! He's in the 75th percentile for weight, and in the 90th percentile for height! Last appt, he was only in the 75th percentile for height, so he's made a jump!

Our little monkey was a monkey for Halloween....how appropriate! He hated his costume, but we put him through the torture anyway :) I invited my parents and both sets of my grandparents over for dinner and it was a great time. I love having all my family in one place with Brody to celebrate :)

9 Months Old! (2 weeks late....again)

2010-10-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I'm always 2 weeks late when it comes to posting Brody's monthly updates. I can't believe he's 3/4 of a year old already. He's turning into such a little man with a personality to boot, and I love it! I never, ever knew parenthood could be so rewarding this early on.

I don't have any "stats" updates since B's 9 month appointment isn't until later this week. I know he's over 20lbs, since I weighed him on our scale a few weeks ago. I weighed myself (ugh) then held Brody and got back on the scale. It said he was 21.6lbs, so we'll see how true that stands! He's wearing 12-18 month shirts and 12 month bottoms. He's a solid little guy!

Brody began crawling at about 7 months and shortly started "cruising". He's still cruising all over the place and he hates sitting down. If he can pull himself up onto something, he's doing it...whether it's sturdy or not! This has led to a few bumps and bruises, but it's bound to happen. He's only stood by himself a few times, and it was only for a second or two. I have no doubt that onces he gets his balance and learns how to stand, he'll be walking in no time! However, I'm going to enjoy every day until then! :) Brody is constantly on the move, whether it's crawling or crusing. He's always trying to go somewhere!

He's gotten very verbal over the past week or so. He's still saying ma-ma-ma-ma, da-da-da-da-da, ya-ya-ya-ya and so on. But I swear I've heard him say "dog" and "no". It's quite possible I'm imagining things, but I swear I could've heard that! He likes to scream/squeal as loud as he can out of nowhere too. It can be pretty embarassing if we're out and about, but hey, he's just using that voice he's learning he has! He gets SO excited when we clap and cheer for him, but he's not really clapping on his own yet. We've almost got the waving thing down too! We work on it every day when I drop him off at daycare :)

I don't know if I've mentioned it before or not, but Brody LOVES the TV show Little Einsteins. He can be throwing a mini temper-tantrum and as soon as he hears the theme song, he stops and turns towards the TV. It's so cute :) And, it gives momma a few minutes of relief!

Smaller Jeans.

2010-09-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here's my moment of confession. I was overweight when I got pregnant. Then I gained 53lbs during my pregnancy. I lost 36lbs within the first few months, but I was stuck at a number. Then I lost 11 more pounds and was stuck at THAT number for quite some time. I just started doing Weight Watchers (yes, again) and I'm proud to say that I've lost 18lbs in the last 7-8 weeks!

So, if you don't feel like doing the math, that's all 53lbs of baby weight = GONE, plus another 12lbs! Granted, I have a ways to go, but it feels SO incredibly good to see the scale consistently going down, having the baby weight gone, and finally being able to buy clothes in smaller sizes, instead of slowing going up in sizes!

I had two people in my office today tell me that I look like I'm losing weight. Yayyy for people noticing! Here I come size 8's!

8 Months Old...already?!

2010-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so he's closer to being 8.5 months old, but I'm a little behind the times! My gosh...my little monkey-butt is going to be 9 months old in two weeks. I know people say it all the time, but seriously, where is the time going?!

Brody is on the move from the minute he wakes up until the time he goes to bed at night. He's crawling all over the place and that kid can move! He pulls himself up into the standing position on anything he can get his sticky little fingers on, including our pant legs. If I'm standing next to Brody, he'll pull himself up using my pants, and then he'll look up at me going "Ba ba ba ba baaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" It's way too cute. He LOVES to cruise along our couches too. The way our living room is set up, he can cruise from the end table, along one couch, across the baby gate we have in between the couches, then down the loveseat to the window. He'll peer outside for a little bit and then he'll cruise back to the other side and repeat the whole process. He's finally started to really babble and it's adorable. Last night, as he was doing his cruising around the living room he was saying "Da da dadadadaaaaaaaa ya ya ya yayayayaaaaaaa ba ba ba babababaaaaaaa". Then he'd stop to blow some raspberries, click his tongue and give me a big ole smile. Speaking of smiles, Brody now has 4 teeth! He has three on the bottom and one of his top front teeth made its appearance. I really need to get a picture of his crooked little smile before his other bottom tooth and top tooth come in. I can see both of them, so I know it's only a matter of time before he has 6 toofers in there.

Brody loves to play with anything that he can use to make noise. He'll grab a hard plastic toy, carry it in his little hand while crawling over to something he can bang it on. The floor vent, his Fisher Price table, the end table...anything. He gets the biggest grin on his face like he's so proud of himself for making noise. He's into everything...nothing is safe anymore! I can't even cuddle with him on the couch with him trying to crawl over me to reach for the remote or a pop can on the end table. He loves to crumple paper or magazines, and especially enjoys using an empty water bottle to squeeze and make noise with or just to chew on.

We're still giving Brody baby-food purees three times a day and he's drinking about 25oz of formula as well. I weighed our little man the other day and he's not so little! He's already a whopping 24lbs! He doesn't have the rolls like a lot of other babies do, he's just a solid little guy. He's easily wearing 12 month clothing! We're still working on table food...he's not really a fan. He'll feed himself his puffs and pieces of toast like they're going out of style, but he's still trying to figure out the texture of pasta or cooked veggies. I only really give him table food at dinner because I just don't know what to send with him to daycare. He does get puffs during the day, but I'd like for him to be able to experiment with more normal foods.

His sleeping patterns are still great. He's finally stopped waking up once in the middle of the night! Granted, it wasn't bad, he'd just wake up and stand in his crib, "talking" until I came back into lay him down and give him his binkie. Now we put him down for bed around 7:30-8:00 and he'll sleep all night until about 7am when I wake him up to be fed and dressed for daycare.

The highlight of my day is still when I pick up B from daycare. As soon as he hears my voice he gets the biggest smile on his face and will start making a mad dash for me...as fast as his little legs will let him crawl. He'll reach for me and I swear he gives me a hug :) Seeing that almost makes going to work every day worth it. I'd still rather spend my days with him, but momma's gotta make the money!

It's so crazy to think I need to start thinking about planning his 1st birthday party!

Why sit when you could stand?

2010-08-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

It wasn't long after Brody started crawling that he began to pull himself into a standing position. In his crib, on the furniture, and on the baby gate between our living room and kitchen. I had been wanting to buy him one of those tables with the toys on them, but couldn't bring myself to spend the $50+ they can cost new. Luckily, when I was at Once Upon a Child picking up a few more summer outfits, they had one for sale! I scored it for $17 and it's in practically new condition! Brody LOVES it! I wish I had gotten a picture of him crawling underneath it when I first showed it to him -- it was too cute :)

The Brodster turns 7 Months Old!

2010-08-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Holy crap -- 7 months old already?! Gone are the days of my little snuggle bug -- now I get used as jungle gym and a subject for pinching and face grabbing. Every day I'm amazed by how curious Brody is becoming. He's crawling all over the place and definitely keeping us on our toes. Our house is covered in baby gates; if we look away for even a minute Brody is gone, zooming off on his little hands and knees in search of something to discover. He especially enjoys floor vents and the basket of dog toys (which has been moved to the closet). Just recently he discovered he can pull himself up into the standing position in his crib. Every time I go in there to pick him up, he looks up at me with this big grin on his face, showing me how proud he is. Such a big boy! I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before he figures out how to pull himself up into the standing position on the furniture -- he'll be crusing before we know it!

Brody visits the zoo!

2010-08-03T05:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Keith and I took Brody to the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek. I always had fun visiting the zoo when I was little and I knew Brody would love it. If he's outside, he's a happy camper -- he must get that from his daddy! :) We didn't see as many animals as I had hoped, but it was pretty warm and humid that day, so I'm sure they were enjoying their time in the shade.

My new big-boy carseat!

All tuckered out!

6 Month Photo Shoot = FAIL

2010-07-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late in posting this, considering Brody is closer to being 7 months old than he is 6 months old, but I had to share. I've been taking monthy pictures of Brody in front of a sign that says "I'm X Months Old Today!" I got the idea from other mom's on TheBump.com message boards and had to steal it for my own :) So far they've turned out really cute and it's been neat seeing Brody develop over the last 6 months.

Well, this last photo shoot didn't turn out too well. Brody was more interested in playing with his feet then looking at the camera, and once he discovered the sign behind him, it was all over!

Once a Month Cooking - Round 2

2010-07-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to Once a Month Cooking by a fellow Nestie (on my anniversary board on TheNest.com) and thought I'd give it a try. The idea of coming home and only having to pop something in the oven or warm it up on the stove sounded SO appealing. After all, what mom who works full time doesn't need a few extra minutes in her day?

The first time was completely overwhelming. I chose 25 recipes, organized my grocery list, spent over $300 at the store and then cooked for 2 days straight. Phew, I'm exhausted just thinking about what it was like! My house was a complete disaster! This time I narrowed my recipe selection down to 8 and just made double batches of everything. Keith and I don't mind eating the same things every other week, and it's so much easier to make double a recipe instead of 2 separate recipes. I only spent $200 at the store this time and was able to make enough for 18 dinners. Here's what I made:
Beef Empanadas
Thursday's Chicken
Fiesta Chicken
Baked Ziti
Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
Stuffed Burger Pockets
Tater-tot Casserole filling (my recipe)
Taco-Stuffed Pasta Shells
These were our favorites from the first time I did OAMC, so I figured I'd stick with what I knew. It only took me 8 hours to make all of those, as opposed to the two days it took me to make 25 recipes. I'm thinking I'll have one day a month were I make several meals like I did this past weekend, and then 2 other weekends a month I'll try 2 new recipes to freeze. I'm also slowly working on adapting our favorite recipes into ones that will work in the freezer.
If you have the time to devote to cooking for a full day and the endurance to grocery shop for everything, I highly suggest giving OAMC'ing a try! After you finish, you'll swear up and down you'll never do it again, until you enjoy a month's worth of hassle-free dinners. Completely worth the effort!

Brody loves the tastes of summer!

2010-07-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

Brody had his first experience with "real" food last week and he LOVED it. He completely devoured the two chunks of watermelon I gave him, and he ate a good portion of the banana. I chose to give him large pieces that he could "gum" rather than small teeny-tiny pieces. His dexterity isn't the best yet and this seemed to work for him. The watermelon practically melted in his mouth and he wasn't able to bite off any large pieces of the banana, much to our relief. We gave him macaroni & cheese (cut up) the following night but he wasn't a fan. I didn't get any pictures, but the pieces kept sticking to his hands; he'd look at his hands then look at me like, "Ok, so how do I get those into my mouth?!" Too cute!

"Hey....what's this stuff?! It looks fun...."

I tried giving some some yogurt melts, but they just stuck everywhere!

(He was NOT a fan of the teething biscuits)

Sweet Summertime!

2010-07-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend! Our little family went to Higgins Lake for a long weekend and it was wonderful. I got scorched, Keith's entire body is sore from riding the jet skis, and little man had his first adventure with water other than his nightly baths and kiddie pools on water days at daycare. We had bought a floating raft with a shade for him, but the water was a little chilly to let him sit in it that long. Instead, Higgins Lake is shallow enough that we were able to walk pretty far out into the water holding him, letting his toes dip in. He LOVED being held in daddy's arms and just staring down into the water as it shimmered and rippled under the sun-light.

(He did NOT want to wear that hat!)

While we were on our mini-vacation, I was just amazed at how much Brody has developed in the last few weeks. He's sitting up completely on his own now, for more than a few minutes like he previously was. He'll be completely content to play with his toys for nearly 10-20 minutes. Of course he's always supervised, but if we try to play with him, we get a look that almost says "Mom, dad, seriously. Let me play by myself!" Also, he now brings his knees up under him when he's on his tummy and starts rocking back and forth like he's trying to crawl. The kid never wants to sit still and I've had a lot of people tell me that he's ready to move. I can tell he is, and he gets frustrated that he can't move on his own yet. I have a feeling it's just a matter of time....

We've gone through nearly every type and combination of baby food that Gerber has to offer with no adverse affects or allergies, so I think it's time to start slowly introducing new textures and foods. I saw a portable food grinder that I'm tempted to buy, just so I can grind up some of the foods Keith and I are eating for dinner, providing they're not too spicy. Brody LOVES grabbing for everything he can get his little fingers on, so I can only imagine how much he'll love trying to feed himself in his highchair. We've introduced the sippy cup, and while he understands it's for drinking, he'd much rather just bang it on the tray of his high chair. When he's not seeing how loud he can bang it or chewing on the end of it, he'll tip it back and drink a little bit from it. I've only put water in it, as I don't want to introduce juice quite yet. Brody has his 6 month doctor's appointment next week (when he'll be 6.5 months) and I'm sure she'll say juice and table foods are fine, but I want to discuss it with the pedi first. I'll also be anxious to see how much our little guy weighs now. Our infant carrier car-seat is getting ready to be retired and we'll get out his "big boy" one!

I just can't believe how fast he's growing. December 31st seems like an eternity ago, but I'm just amazed at how much Brody has grown and developed in those 6 months. It's so rewarding seeing him grow and develop into a little person. If parenthood is already this rewarding, I can't wait to see what the years bring for us :)

6 Month Studio Pictures!

2010-06-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, all of you pro and semi-pro photographers who I'm friends with are cringing at the thought of me taking my dear, sweet boy into a commercial "factory" photo studio. I won't lie, I didn't feel 100% great about it myself, but let's face it. The Hayes Household isn't made of money and I wanted to get some "professional" shots (if you can even call them that) in a studio before Brody goes off to college.

I did a little research and ended up at Portrait Innovations in the Eastwood Town Center in Lansing. I liked that they used a real camera, as opposed to some studios who use a camera on a stationary mount. The "photographer" (and I use the term loosely) was able to get down on the floor with Brody and he didn't need to be propped up on a table. I was prepared for cheesy backgrounds and props, all of which I refused. I stuck with a simple white background and a few different chairs. I wasn't real keen on doing the diaper shots, but since I don't have any pictures like that of Brody (not even when he was a newborn) I figured what the heck. The session lasted about 1.5 hours, including the time it took to take 90 shots (all of which I got a on CD because I spent over a certain amount of money on prints), the time it took to narrow down to my favorite poses, and the time it took for the prints to be printed. I was glad to have the pictures in my hand that same day.

Overall I was pleased with our experience at Portrait Innovations. They were fairly busy when we were there (3pm on a Friday) but I never felt rushed or had to wait around for a long time. There was a 2nd person in our session who was great at getting Brody to smile and pay attention. She even wiped the drool that was constantly running out of his mouth! I don't know if we'll go back, just because I really only plan on getting yearly professional pictures done from here on out, and I'd much rather utilize the talent of a TRUE professional photographer.

Below are some of my favorite shots....and some outtakes :) We had to stop several times to keep Brody's feet and fists out of his mouth. He also kept leaning forward when he was in a chair, almost like he wanted to see where he could go!

And a few outtakes for your viewing pleasure. Brody was all about those dang toes! He was doing everything in his power to shove his feet into his mouth the entire time :)

Summertime!

2010-06-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Last week we had some really warm weather for this time of year in Michigan. It was in the upper 80's, pushing 90 degrees some days. We don't have central air in our house, so it was time to break out the window AC units. I think Brody appreciated our efforts! :)

Brody is 5 Months Old!

2010-06-02T13:11:00.001-07:00

Where has my little baby gone? He's starting to look like such a little man! And so handsome :)

Brody discovers rice cereal

2010-05-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken during our 3rd attempt at rice cereal. It's pretty clear that it was a traumatic experience for him. I blame Keith, ha! :) He was getting Brody so distracted and not staying focused on actually feeding him. Either way, it made for some awesome pictures. We've moved onto veggies and are having much more luck!

"Oh, ok, I guess it's not THAT bad...."

This face says "Enough already mom!"

Taking a break to chew on their fists...see what I mean about Keith getting Brody distracted?!

Keith having a "serious" discussion with Brody about the importance of eating rice cereal

That's the face of a dog who just licked the spoon and container clean when it fell onto the ground

Brody travels to Colorado!

2010-05-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

We recently traveled to Colorado to attend my cousin's wedding. We were in Denver for the weekend and then stayed in Estes Park for a week. What a beautiful area! We had to endure chilly weather and even a snow-storm (16" in one night!) but it was well worth it. We saw all kinds of wildlife; the elk would walk right through town -- we even had a few cross the river behind our condo and stand 10' from our balcony!

Brody did really well on the trip. We drove, so it was a loooong 20+ hours in the car. He had his moments of being fussy, but our portable DVD player and Baby Einstein DVD's were a lifesaver. Rather then type out a bunch of details, enjoy the pictures from our adventures!

Brody engrossed in Baby Einstein :)

Brody and Mommy in Iowa

Our happy little family at the rehearsal dinner

My cousin Dana and her husband JB...isn't she beautiful?

The elk was just hangin' around next the drive into the condo

This was in Rocky Mountain National Park...talk about snow!

Brody didn't mind the snow, he was all warm and cozy in the car!

It cleared up enough to get this great shot -- those are elk

Hangin' out at the condo...

The morning after the snow storm....

Brody could care less -- he wanted to show us how strong he is!

We had to stop for a photo op on the way to my aunt and uncle's house in Loveland, CO

These big horn sheep were just wandering along the road....

See that guy on the left? He kept acting like he wanted to ram our car...so we had to get out of there quickly!

With my parents on the deck at my aunt and uncle's house...that's the mountains you see over the lake. Talk about a view!

He LOVES his Davy Crockett hat Grandpa Buhler bought him! :)

Please forgive me?

2010-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

I don't even want to look and see how long it's been since I posted. A few months at least. Please forgive me, my blog readers. I'm starting to dabble in photography since I have such a cute subject and thought maybe I'd turn this into a photography blog? Ok, so it'll be a Brody update / photography blog. Leave me some love if you want to see our blog continue!

Brody is doing great! He's 4 months old already..I can hardly believe it. We have his 4 month pedi appointment this afternoon and I'm not looking forward to it. I can still hear the screams from his 2 month shots -- I don't want to re-live that this afternoon. It breaks my heart seeing my little guy scream in pain like that. I'm anxious to see how much our little guy weighs. The last time I stepped on the scale with him he was just over 16lbs, and that was a few weeks ago!

He's really starting to show off his cute little personality. Brody loves to smile and giggle, especially in the morning or during diaper changes. For some reason he finds it hilarious when I tell him I'm going to eat his toes and the proceed to kiss all over his cute little feet. That one always gets a belly laugh out of him for sure! :) We put him in his new Fisher Price Rainforest jumparoo for the first time last night. It took him a few minutes to warm up to it, but once he realized he could play with the toys in front of him (instead of just staring at the blinking lights) he was all smiles and giggles. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of "bouncing" in it yet, but I'm sure that'll come as he gets older (and taller!)

He's such a good little man. He's still sleeping through the night on a regular basis. By the time we finish his bath and his evening bottle, his little eyes are so drowsy. We put him to bed with his binkie and beloved Seahorse and we don't hear a peep out of him again until we wake him up at 6:45 in the morning for day care. He'll sleep until 8am on the weekend! Keith and I are two very rested new parents :) Aside from an occasional grumpy day, Brody is a very happy baby. He really has us spoiled as first-time parents. I'm almost afraid to have another baby -- I'm worried #2 won't be nearly as easy as #1!

I'm starting to get a little concerned about the shape of Brody's head. It's kind of flat in the back -- we've started making more of an effort to turn his head to the side once he's asleep (and to the opposite side the next night). We've also purchased a Noggin Nest (by Boppy) to use when he's in the carseat, bouncy seat or swing. It looks like an infant head support, but the back of it has a large hole cut out so there's no pressure on the back of the head. I sent one with him to day care for them to use as well, so we'll see if there's any improvement. I'm planning on discussing this with our pedi this afternoon and see if he has any other suggestions. I know that if the problem doesn't correct itself by the time Brody is 6 months, we might have to explore other avenues to fix the problem (ala helmet). Fingers crossed his little noggin rounds out the way it's supposed to! Other wise I'll have to change the name of this blog to Fixin' a Flat! :)

Here are some pictures of our little man that I've captured on my fancy-dancy Nikon D3000. I'm trying to convince Keith I need to upgrade from my standard 18-55mm kit lens, but I don't think it's working....

Brody at 2 months old

Brody at 3 months old

Brody at 4 months old (and my first photo editing experiences....)

One Month Old!

2010-02-05T05:27:00.000-08:00

It's so hard to believe our little man is already a month old! It feels like time is flying by. We went for Brody's one month doctor appointment and all is well. He's 100% healthy and growing by leaps and bounds! He's up to 22.5" long and 10lbs 8oz. He's grown an inch and a half and gained 2lbs 4oz since birth. It's amazing that I'm already having to pack away a lot of his newborn clothes...some of his 0-3 month clothes are getting a little snug too!

Keith and I are so grateful to have such a laid back little man. Since nearly his first week home, Brody has been on a great sleeping schedule. He'll have his last feeding around 9-10pm, fall asleep by 11pm and then wake around 2-3am for a feeding. He'll be up again around 6-7am, depending on when his middle of the night feeding was. Since I'm still on maternity leave I do the middle of the night feedings during the week and Keith handles them on the weekend. Either way, I'm not going to complain about getting 4 hour blocks of sleep with a newborn! I know it could be much, much worse.

Brody is starting to have longer awake periods and I'm loving it. We've seen a few glimpses of a smile, but we're still waiting for the real thing. He's cooing a lot more and "talking" to the toys on the mobile on his bouncy seat. He loves his tummy-time mat too...he'll lay there kicking his legs and trying to push himself up with his arms. He has great head control for a 5 week old baby. So strong! :)

While it definitely has its challenging moments, we're loving parenthood. There's nothing better then a good cuddle with our little man, giving him kisses knowing nobody loves him more than we do. We're excited about what the future holds for our family.

Brody's Birth Story

2010-01-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

I'm a mom -- I can hardly believe it! Brody David Hayes has finally made his appearance into the world and into our lives. We love him so much already...I can't wait to see what he brings into our lives and the little person he becomes.

I had a fairly easy pregnancy, all things considered. I never got the dreaded morning sickness and never had any complications. I suffered from all the "normal" aches and pains of being pregnant in the third trimester, but carpal tunnel was my worst symptom.

Once I hit the 37 week mark I started to freak out a little bit. It was such a surreal thought knowing that Brody could arrive at any time. By my 38 week appointment I was convinced I'd be going past my due date. I was only 1cm dilated and wasn't having any Braxton Hicks contractions or anything. I hadn't seen my mucus plug either (sorry, but I'm keeping this post candid and honest). My 39 week appointment confirmed my suspicions -- I was still only 1cm dilated.

I had just gotten home from my appointment when my water broke. This was around 10:30am. I had three gushes of fluid -- I wasn't sure if it was my water just because I had never experienced it before. On the other hand, I never had experience the pregnancy bladder control issues that some women mistake as their water breaking either. As I walked around the house (calmly, believe it or not) I called my doctors office. They told me to lay down for 30 minutes and if more fluid came out when I stood up, to head to the hospital. I didn't even need to do the 30 minute test...the fluid just kept coming. I called Keith and finished packing my hospital bag while I waited for him to get home. I wasn't in a big hurry; I knew it could be hours before anything happened. I began to have mild, mild contractions that were about 7 minutes apart. Keith came home about 30 minutes later and off to the hospital we went!

I was admitted around 12:30pm and checked at 1:00pm. I was expecting to hear I was 2, maybe 3cm dilated. Come to find out, I was already at 5cm! Holy crap, this was happening fast. When Keith heard I was already at 5cm, he had to sit down...it was all getting to be real for him. I was still having mild contractions and they were about 5 minutes apart at this point. My nurse asked if I was ready for my epidural and called for the doctor. Going into it, I wasn't 100% sold on getting an epidural. I always said that if the pain got bad enough I'd get one. Since my labor was progressing so quickly, I didn't want to reach the "point of no return" where my contractions were so bad that I wouldn't be able to sit still through them while getting the epidural. Long story short, NINE attempts and two doctors later, I was still epidural-less. Both doctors said there wasn't any problem with my back, they just couldn't get the positioning right. I don't know which hurt worse, the zinging pain down my legs when they hit my spine, or the countless local anestetic shots they kept giving me. After an hour of being all hunched over trying to breathe through my contractions (which were getting stronger) without moving, I threw in the towel. I had enough.

It was around 4pm by this point and my nurse checked me again. I was expecting to hear I was 6cm or so...again, not the case. I was nearly 8cm dilated, 100% effaced and Brody was at a -1 station. Holy crap! By this point, my contractions were coming 2-3 minutes apart and were getting really strong. It was getting harder and harder to breathe through them. When I felt like I wanted to push, my doctors told me I was at 9.5cm and I still had a "lip" on one side of my cervix, so no pushing for me. The pressure was so intense, I can't even describe it. Keith was such a trooper during all of this. He kept putting cold washcloths on my forehead and let me squeeze the crap out of his hand if I needed to. He was so encouraging.

Before I knew it, it was time to start pushing. Keith and I gave each other a look that said "Ok, this is it!" I pushed for about an hour before the doctors came in. By this point I was yelling out in pain and I'm sure I scared any other women in labor who could hear me. I was making noises that I didn't even know was possible. All I know is that what I was doing HURT like nothing I've ever felt before. They were telling me to push through the pain and pressure, but what really kept me motivated was Keith telling me how he could see Brody and that he was right there. The doctors were ready for me to deliver Brody, so I gave it everything I had and before I knew it they were putting him on my chest. What an amazing moment! He came out screaming and kicking his little legs around. I remember looking into his little face and looking up at Keith and just being in pure awe. I didn't care that the doctors were pressing on my stomach to get everything else out of me or that they were stitching up my 2nd degree tears -- I finally had my son and that was the only thing that mattered.

Brody was born at 6:34pm on 12/31/09, weighing in at 8lbs 7oz and 21" long. He was born nearly exactly 8 hours after my water broke.

30 weeks down - 10 more to go!

2009-11-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

I've been a bad blogger, but to be honest, nothing has really happened in our lives to post about. Since I'm entering the (long) home-stretch of this pregnancy I thought I'd post an update.

Yesterday I hit the 30 week mark -- with 10 more weeks to go! Even though 10 weeks is technically a long time, I feel like it'll be here before we know it. And to think that Brody could come early makes it even scarier. All these people at work say they're convinced I'll have him early, but I'm leaning towards going past my due date. Not sure why I feel that way, but we'll see!

I feel like I'm running out of room for this boy to grow! Every day things have gotten increasingly difficult. I get winded when I bend over in my attempt to put on socks or tie my shoes, I toss and turn several times in an effort to get comfortable in bed (sorry Keith!) and by the end of the day I feel like there's a 15lb bowling ball in my stomach. I've also developed carpal tunnel in both of my wrists. My doctor said it will more than likely go away 4-6 weeks after I deliver. Let's keep our fingers crossed! It's extremely painful to pick up objects while turning my wrist (like doing the dishes) or even to put weight on my wrists. I've been wearing splints at night and it helps, but the pain is still a constant thing.

On a more exciting note, my shower is this coming weekend! My wonderful mother-in-law and sister-in-law are hosting it with a little help from my mom. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone from both sides of the family...and I won't lie, I'm excited to oooh and ahhh over baby things :)

We've done a little work on the nursery, but not a whole lot. We put the rest of the bedding on the crib and assembled our changing table.

I'll be getting a glider rocker/ottoman for my birthday this month and then we can buy a small end table for next to it. I'm still looking for the perfect window coverings; I can't decide if I want to shell out $17 per valance for the ones that match the bedding or if I just want to find light sage green valances somewhere. After my showers (I also have a work shower a week after my family shower) and we know what we have, I'll be shopping for the rest of the nursery decor. I found these on Etsy and am in love with them!

Overall I've enjoyed this pregnancy. We've truly been blessed with the gift of Brody and I'm trying to enjoy every minute of it. Aches and pains aside, Brody has been very very active lately and I'm loving it. It's so much fun to sit and watch my stomch move like there's an alien in there. We have a BebeSounds Heart Listener and Keith has enjoyed listening to Brody move around. We don't have much luck finding the heartbeat (the Listener isn't the greatest) but it's fun hearing him kick and punch at the dopplar on my belly. Keith also likes to blow "raspberries" on my stomach to get Brody to push out back at him...and he sure does! It's not the most comfortable feeling, but Keith gets such a kick out of feeling Brody's butt or foot (who knows what it is!) that I just put up with it :)

We're in the homestretch and we can't wait to meet our son!

Remembering our wedding day...

2009-09-19T05:55:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it's better to let pictures speak instead of words. Here's taking a look back on one of the best days of our lives.

Remembering our wedding day...

2009-09-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's better to let pictures speak instead of words. Here's taking a look back on one of the best days of our lives.

How fast a year goes by...

2009-09-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

In just a few short days, the husband and I will be celebrating our first year as a married couple. I can't believe an entire year has gone by already! So much has changed in our lives...we bought a house and are expecting our first child. I guess that makes us grown-ups, huh? :)

Today I dedicate this blog post to all of my amazing family and friends who helped make our wedding day so special. These are candid pictures that captured the special moments. I'll post professional pictures in another blog post.

So, here's to our family & friends...to whom our lives wouldn't quite be the same!

On the right- me and my fabulous hairdresser/friend, Ryan...on the left, MOH Jasmine and Ryan's partern, Matthew

Sharing a laugh with my girls...I don't remember what was said, but it must've been funny!

Kasey & Cory -- two of my favorite people from my Lonestar bartending days

My beautiful MOH Jasmine -- love ya girl!

My two sister-in-laws...Jessica and Stephanie. They're both just as beautiful on the inside as they are the outside!

My wonderful 'maids patiently waiting to do pictures after the ceremony

I've known Stephanie since 6th grade when we were in the flute section of the band together :)

Kasey, Stephanie, Ashley & Amber...4 amazing women who became my sisters during our many years of slaving at Lonestar together :)

My Uncle Doug enjoying our chocolate covered carmel apple favors...thanks Uncle Doug for videotaping our ceremony & reception. You captured moments that I'll treasure for a lifetime!My amazing mother-in-law (right) and her friend Dorothy who arranged all of our centerpieces!

Aunt Jan...I can't thank her enough. She designed and created all of my invitations, escort cards, table numbers and favor tags. And here she is using a bronze ram head bookend to shove the broken wine key down into the bottle of wine so the bride-to-be (me!) could get a much needed glass of Chardonnay while getting ready! And believe it or not...it worked!

Many thanks to Leslie, my cousin and bridesmaid who fearlessly climbed the ladders in the barn when we were decorating!

And here's a few from the wedding....just for fun!

House improvements

2009-09-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Check out my husband's handywork! This is the landing at the top of our stairs -- he installed new hardwood flooring, gave it a new coat of paint and build a half-wall. We still have to finish installing the trim around the half-wall, but it's pretty much finished!

The crib has arrived!

2009-09-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Brody's crib came in earlier this week and the wonderful husband got it assembled in less than an hour (and that included putting the back on wrong, but don't let him know I told anyone that). We still need to get a mattress so I can finish putting all the bedding on, but here's what we have so far!

Is this what they call "the pop"?

2009-09-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

It's funny how much difference 2 weeks can make in the growth of a baby....and that of mom's bump! The first picture was taken at 20 weeks...the second picture was taken yesterday at 22w4d. Let's just say it's getting tough to tie my shoes!

Progress on Brody's nursery

2009-09-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

We have the beginnings of a nursery! Ever since we moved into our house, this room hasn't had a purpose. It was a "guest room" for a while, but considering the bed was never really set up, I don't think that counts. It mostly just housed the furniture from my first apartment, and some miscellaneous boxes left over from the move.

Here are some before and "in-progress" pictures. We ripped out the carpeting, painted the walls and replaced the carpeting. It still has some tools in the room because Keith is working on laying the carpet in the closet. The crib has been ordered and should be here soon! We're still in the process of finding the perfect dresser and glider rocker. Oh, and I should mention the nursery is having a jungle theme!

The room "before" with the carpeting already ripped out

The "In Progress" pictures with the carpet and new paint colors

It's a Boy!

2009-08-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

We had our "big" ultrasound on Monday and found out we're having a boy!!! Keith is beyond excited and I must admit, I'm pretty excited as well. I was saying that I didn't have a preference, but as a mother, it's my job not to be biased, right? In truth, I was secretly hoping we'd have a boy for our first-born.
The ultrasound tech and the doctor both said the anatomy scan looked great and we should be expecting a healthy baby boy in January!

And for those of you who are wondering, our son will be named Brody David Hayes :)

My lovely baby bump

2009-08-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

And here's my lovely baby bump in all its glory -- sorry the picture is so dark. I took it after my cousin's wedding in our hotel room. I'm finally starting to look pregnant and not just fat! My bump has really shown itself over the past week -- it'll be interesting to see what the next 20 weeks hold in store for me!

Trip to Houston -- Matt & Lauren's Wedding Weekend

2009-08-18T10:55:00.001-07:00

This past week Keith and I traveled to Houston for my cousin Matt's wedding. Even though he's from Philly and they met while in college at Villanova Law School, the bride is from Houston so that's where the wedding was held. I've never been to Texas before, so I was looking forward to the trip, despite the fact I knew it would be very, very hot...and I was right!
We arrived on Thursday in the early afternoon. We checked into the hotel and then hung out at the hotel bar with family that we haven't seen in a while. We were staying at the Magnolia Hotel which had a free happy hour from 5:30-6:30 every day. Needless to say, Keith and my dad really enjoyed that! I personally enjoyed the cookie & milk buffet every night from 8:30-10:30.

The next day, Friday, we didn't have any plans until the rehearsal dinner at 7pm, so we went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. I haven't been to a museum in years and this one was pretty decent. After, we wanted to go to Cavender's, which is a big western store, to pick up some stuff for the cowboy themed rehearsal dinner. There were 5 Cavender stores in the Houston area, but our GPS couldn't find any of them. We finally stopped at a Target (where I found a fashion cowboy hat for $12!) and got our GPS to work. Going to Cavender's was a mistake...we ended up spending nearly $200, but Keith did get a pair of black boots that I know he'll get a lot of wear out of. He was just excited to have something else to wear with his suit to the wedding instead of the uncomfortable dress shoes he brought.

The rehearsal dinner was a lot of fun. My aunt & uncle rented out a local country bar, The Armadillo Palace, until 10pm. It was pretty entertaining to see all of these yuppie types dressed up like cowboys. What kills me is they spent hundreds of dollars on hats/boots they'll probably never wear again. At least Keith and I both spent under $20 on our hats! It's a good thing my Aunt & Uncle had rented a few buses to take everyone to and from the hotel, because there were a lot of drunk people that night!

The next day (wedding day!) we went to the Houston Space Center...talk about a waste of $19 per person! It's very much geared towards little kids...we took the 1 hour tram tour of Mission Control and some rocket...it was interesting, but seeing how the heat index was 108 degrees, it made it difficult to enjoy.

The wedding was beautiful. The ceremony was very much personalized to the bride and groom and you could really feel how much Matt & Lauren love each other just through the words the minister was saying. There was a prayer done by a friend of the bride's family and it was 15 minutes long...that kind of put a damper on things. After the ceremony we were all shuttled to the reception. It was held at the Crystal Ballroom at the Rice (a historic hotel that's now loft apartments except for the ballroom). We enjoyed a cocktail hour w/ passed appetizers and open bar (water for me!) for about 30 minutes while we waited for the bride and groom to arrive. The reception itself was stunning. The pictures don't really do it justice! The food was delicious, the music was great...there were 2 open bars and a cigar roller on the balcony.

There were only a few things that stood out about the reception -- the bride and groom didn't do table visits together. There wasn't any kind of receiving line at the ceremony (which was nice, I HATE those!) so I figured they'd do table visits or something. Nope. My cousin stopped by our table for like 5 minutes, and the only time I really talked to the bride was when we had a family picture taken. Considering the amount of family/friends that had traveled over 1,000 miles to be there (most from the Philly area) I thought that was kind of rude. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the moment of the wedding day, so I'm sure that's just what happened, but still. Also, the reception lacked a lot of personal touches. It was stunningly gorgeous, but it felt kind of generic...if that makes sense.

Overall, it was a great trip and the wedding was fabulous. I don't think I'm in any hurry to go back to Houston any time soon (I hate city life), but it's nice to say I've been there. Congrats to Matt & Lauren and enjoy your 3 week European honeymoon!

Girlie Cruise Day 3: At Sea

2009-08-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

I was very much looking forward to a relaxing day at sea. I knew this trip would be exhausting and boy was I right. I only wish we had another day at sea after all our adventures to relax!

Momma B and I met up with Aunt Lynn and Leslie and headed to the breakfast buffet. It was PACKED! I guess that's to be expected on a ship that holds 2,000 people and every single person is still on the ship. When we walked into the buffet we were greeted by a very enthusiastic cruise ship employee of Asian ethnicity who was welcoming everyone..."Good MORNING...HAPPY HAPPY!!!.....Good MORNING...HAPPY HAPPY!!!" It kind of caught us by surprise, but by the end of the cruise it was a running joke among everyone. Even during the farewell show the cruise director brought in a "very special guest" and it was this guy. The audience went wild, ha! He kind of reminded me of that weird Asian guy in the 16 Candles movie...

After breakfast we decided to lounge around the pool for a bit. It wasn't until we were on the pool deck that we discovered it was windy...and not just a little breezy. I'm talking like gale-force winds that blow your hair so hard on your face it stings. It was fun trying to sit down on the deck chairs before they folded back up on us. Reading a book was nearly impossible, so I just tried to take a little nap. I was almost asleep when some girls wanted to sit next to us. They were probably 17-19 and fairly annoying. One girl was putting on sunscreen and said to her friend, "You really should put some on too. Do you want to be all wrinkly and saggy when you're like 50?!" Umm...ok. I guess skin cancer isn't a concern of hers, just being wrinkly. Then she went on to discuss all of the things she was going to do to prevent getting old. I wanted to throw my book at her.

After we were done lounging by the pool, we went back to our rooms to get ready for dinner. We were cruising on Norwegian Cruise Lines, which is "freestyle" cruising -- meaning we didn't have a formal night or anything like that. However, we decided to dress up a little more on this night to try out the fancier dining room on the ship. It was gorgeous -- fancy linens, china and an entire row of windows along the back of the ship. What an awesome view! After dinner we had time time to kill before the show (singing/dancing) so we stopped by the casino for a little bit (lost some money on the slots), browsed through the gallery shops and enjoyed some frozen fruity drinks at a martini bar!

I still think she should've bought that mask!

After the show it was 11pm so we hit the hay -- we had to be up and off the ship by 8am the next day. I thought vacations meant I got to sleep until 10am?!

Up next: Day 4 -- Valletta, Malta

Girlie Cruise Day 2: Barcelona on Segway's & Boarding the Ship

2009-08-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

Day 2: Barcelona on Segway's and Boarding the Ship

I have never, ever slept as good as I did that night. The beds in our hotel were super comfortable and it's amazing how much a good night's sleep can do for you after flying across the Atlantic, going through a 6 hour time change and being awake for 30-some hours! We enjoyed breakfast at our hotel, which had a hot and cold buffet. I had a traditional American breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, fresh fruit and even some Kellogg's Special K cereal (woohoo for the hotel having 5 different Kellogg cereals!) However, there were some odd European breakfast items...steamed tomatoes, beans, thin slices of cold ham, croissants and cheese. Interesting!

Today was the day we'd be touring Barcelona on Segways! I was kind of nervous about this since I'm not the most coordinated person, but it was much easier than I thought! The Segway would go faster or slower depending on where your center of gravity was...you'd lean forward to go faster and lean back to go slower and/or stop. There was a thing on the left handlebar that you'd turn to make the Segway turn -- that took some getting used to, but it wasn't too bad.

We had a private tour guide named Javier. He did a great job of explaining everything we were seeing. We started in the Gothic Quarter and then went down to the harbor and the beach area. We even got to see some of the buildings that were used in the Barcelona Olympics.

After the Segway tour it was time to board our cruise ship! Momma B and I stayed in a traditional balcony room while Aunt Lynn and Leslie enjoyed a luxurious 2-bedroom suite. Their room had a living room area, dining area, as well as a bathroom that had 2 sinks, a whirlpool tub that overlooked the ocean and a shower that overlooked the ocean. Not too shabby if I do say so myself! Throughout the cruise we enjoyed complimentary room service breakfast in their suite instead of fighting the crowds at the buffet. It was great!

Me and Momma B's room -- isn't it huge?

This was the dining area in their suite

And this is what vacation is all about -- relaxing with your feet up!

Our first night on the ship we had dinner at one of the two traditional restaurants where you choose 3 courses off a smaller menu. The food was alright…not spectacular, but it wasn’t awful either. I had a grilled chicken dish (that was dry) and a disgusting coconut cheesecake. After dinner we walked around the ship some more and made stops in the Spinnaker Lounge, the Crystal Atrium and some of the duty-free shops.

Once again, I had an amazing night's sleep -- the beds on the ship have memory foam mattresses...ahhh! Even though I'm used to sleeping in a king sized bed (shared by a husband and two dogs), I didn't mind sleeping on a twin bed 2 feet from my mother...these mattresses were amazing!

Stay tuned for Day 2: Relaxation at Sea

Girlie Cruise Day 1: Barcelona, Spain

2009-08-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've officially been home from the Girlie Cruise 2009 for 45 days or so...I guess it's time I should post a trip re-cap for your viewing pleasure. Rather then have one big long blog post, I thought I'd break it down into each day/location.

Day 1-2: Barcelona Spain

When our flight was delayed leaving Detroit, I should've taken that as a sign of the long journey that was to come. We ended up leaving Detroit 2 hours late, but that was ok considering we had a 6 hour layover in Newark, NJ. We met up with my Aunt Lynn and cousin Leslie at the Newark Airport, where we enjoyed their Continental Rewards perks and hung out in the Platinum Lounge (or something like that). It was much better then sitting by the crowded gate. I got a free apple and some crackers...what else beats that?!

Momma B & me waiting at the Newark Airport

Our flight to Barcelona was about 8 hours. We left Newark around 7pm and arrived in Barcelona at 8:00am local time (which was really 3am...what our bodies were used to). Seeing how I was 10 weeks pregnant and my worst symptom was fatigue, I figured I'd sleep through the entire flight, waking up nice and refreshed to begin my European adventures. Ha, yeah right. We were 3 rows from the very back of the plane so there was a constant line for the bathroom and I just felt weird sleeping with some random person standing right next to me., not to mention the consistent elbow knocking or hip-to- the head bumping. I ended up getting about 2 hours of restless sleep.

We got our bags (they all made it safely!) and hailed a taxi for the hotel. We were staying one night in Barcelona, and our cruise ship was set to leave the following day. We dropped our bags off and decided to hit the streets of Barcelona. Our hotel was located in a nice area, with lots of designer shops...Armani, Prada, D&G, Gucci...you know, the things I could never afford!

We headed for the Sagrada Familia church. I'll be completely honest -- I know very little about foreign history, so a lot of the stuff we saw on this trip were things I had never heard of. Apparently this church has been under construction for over 100 years, and isn't scheduled to be finished for another 50 years. It was pretty gorgeous...definitely unlike anything you'd see in the US.

From there we walked to a hop-on-hop-off bus tour stop where we took the bus to a park that was designed by Gaudi. His stuff was really cool -- it almost reminded me of Dr. Suess things. The only bad part about the park (other than the fact it was 90+ degrees and we had been away for over 24 hours) was that it was a complete uphill walk to get there. Go ahead and take an exhausted, out-of-shape, pregnant woman who can hear her pulse in her ears from the extra blood volume in her body and have her walk 1/2 mile completely uphill. Luckily there were cute shops along the way where we stopped so I could catch my breath.

After the park we decided we were thoroughly exhausted, not to mention hot and sweaty, so we took the hop-on-hop-off bus tour around Barcelona and saw all of the sights. Leslie even fell asleep on the bus!

We got cleaned up for dinner and hit the streets to find a nice restaurant. We ended up eating at a tapas restaurant and dined on octopus on potatoes and "fried little fish" which were deep fried minnows...eyeballs and all! Don't worry, there were also some "normal" things as well!

Leslie and our "tapas" of slimy things in shells!

Stay tuned for Day 2: Barcelona on Segways & boarding the Cruise Ship!

I won I won!

2009-08-03T10:28:00.001-07:00

That's right, the girl who never wins anything actually won something! On The Bump website I registered to win a layette set from Macy's.com. It's a good thing there were 600 winners, because I actually won!

It came with the adorable teddy bear, a bodysuit, two onesies, a pair of pants, a big and cap. I love it!

Everyone has an opinion...

2009-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

I got a lot of opinions when I was planning our wedding...shame on me for thinking the same thing wouldn't happen when we had a baby!

It all started with the vacation I took with my mom, aunt and cousin. Every meal was spent with my mom and aunt obsessing over baby names. At some point during the week they even started a list on a piece of paper that my aunt carried around in her purse and whipped out at every meal. Needless to say, none of those names made it onto our list.

Then, it continued when I announced to my boss and co-workers that I was expecting. I have one co-worker in particular who thinks that because she's a mother, she's the resident expert on pregnancy and childrearing. "Oh the heartbeat was 153? You're going to have a girl, that's what my daughters heartbeat was"...."Do you really think you should be drinking that Diet Coke? It might be caffeine-free, but what about the aspartame?"....and my personal favorite: "Were you guys trying to get pregnant?" (Seriously????)

My mom and I got into a heated "discussion" about breast-feeding the other day. I told her I was planning to breast-feed, but I was also planning to pump. A) Breastfeeding skeeves me out, I'm only doing it because I don't want to pay for formula. B) Keith has already told me he wants to be able to feed the baby too, and he can't exactly feed the baby with my boob. C) I'm returning to work and I want our baby to have breast-milk for as long as he/she can. So yes mother, I'm going to breastfeed AND pump. D) I don't want to breastfeed in public. I want the option to bring a bottle or three with me. You'd think I had told her I was planning on feeding my baby Bud Light and Red Bull. "Women do NOT pump!! It's either breastfeeding or formula! You don't need to pump, just breastfeed, it's so much easier." Apparently she wasn't listening when I told her that my loving, caring husband wanted to be a part of our child's feedings and the fact I'll be returning to work and want my child to continue to drink breast-milk.

I'm only 14 weeks along...I can only imagine it gets worse from here!

I wonder if the Baptism question will come up with my grandparents this weekend.....

We're having a baby!

2009-06-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Most of my blog "followers" already know this, but Bagel and Cream Cheese are having a baby!

As of today, I'm 12w2d along and feeling great! I've had fatigue pretty bad, but no morning sickness (thank goodness!) I've heard some awful horror stories, so I've been keeping my fingers and toes crossed ever since I got my BFP! While I was on vacation a few weeks ago, my feet and ankles swelled up pretty good from the 9 hour plane ride, so I had a nice preview of what that will be like! I've had some smell and food aversions as well -- I've noticed that I can no longer tolerate the smell of my husband's dirty laundry, or the sight of fish. Pizza and fried foods are on my "can no longer eat" list. I begged Keith to order pizza the other night and could barely eat an entire slice.

We had our first ultrasound today and it was amazing to finally see our baby. It's measuring right on track at 12w3d and had a nice, strong heartbeat of 153. Hearing the "woosh woosh woosh woosh" of the heartbeat gave me chills....seeing and hearing the baby made it all seem a little more real. Keith was able to come to the appointment and the look on his face was priceless -- his eyes were glued to the monitor in awe. He's going to make such a great daddy :)

Our home-painting masterpiece...sorta

2009-05-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to uploading some work-in-progress pictures of our house. We've painted the living room, dining room and kitchen. I LOVE the way the colors turned out. Painting was a giant PITA, but I'm glad we did it. It makes out house feel more like our own. We're about 80% unpacked, but I'm missing a light fixture in the dining room and have yet to hang any pictures on the wall. I wonder how long it'll take me to get around to that..

Dining Room before...

Dining room after....Chalky Blue (Pittsburg Paints)

Living Room before...

Living Room after...the green is Cavern Moss (Pittsburg Paints) and I have no clue what the neutral color is, but it's also by Pittsburg Paints

Kitchen before (view#1)

Kitchen after (view #1) The fridge didn't change colors, I swear, it's just the lighting!

Kitchen before (view #2)

The walls are a little darker than this picture shows...I'm in love with the color!

Kitchen before (view #3)

Kitchen after (view#3)

We're eventually completely re-doing the guest room (ripping out carpet and replacing windows) but that won't be for a while...our next "big" project will be refinishing the walls in the stairwell going upstairs and replacing the flooring on the landing upstairs. I'm going for new hardwoods (it's only about 5x8 area) and Keith is pushing to just re-do the planking flooring that's already there...we'll see how that goes! :)

Our house!

2009-04-18T09:02:00.001-07:00

Because I have zero patience to post all the pictures of our house on my blog, here's a link to the bio I made for the Nest.

Enjoy!!

http://thehayeshome.googlepages.com/home

Oh paint, how you frustrate me!

2009-04-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

So, Keith and I are closing on our house next week (wahoooo!!!) which means we'll be painting next weekend.

Ugh. Have I mentioned how much I despise picking out paint. I knew I wanted a light "warm" sage green color for the kitchen since it'll go nicely with the cabinets and the counters. What I didn't know is that there are 37 different types of "light sage green". Arrrgh. And don't even get me started on trying to pick colors for the dining room and living room.

After some much appreciated advice from some fellow Knotties/Nesties, I'm off to Lowe's and Menard's to pick up some paint samples and paint on posterboards. Then it's off to the house to hold the painted posterboards up in the different rooms and decide which ones to use.

Here's hoping!!

C25K workouts -- FAIL.

2009-04-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yep, I've done one C25k workout in two weeks. Fail.

Ugh. I've got to get over whatever funk I'm in. I took Harley for loooong walk yesterday and it felt great. We did just under 2 miles and my body feels it today. Our road is a lot more hilly than I remember.

I haven't signed up for it yet, but I'm aiming to run in the Cheetah Chase 5k at our local zoo in late July.

I've got to do this...my BHM girls are counting on me! But I'm losing motivation in a serious way...it just sucks because this lack of motivation and feeling of disappointment in myself is so familiar...and I'm so tired of it.

I'm running a (gulp) 5k?!

2009-03-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

So, since I've joined the 20/20 challenge, I was placed in a buddy group with 4 other amazing women (Hi Misha, Joy, Nicole and Anna!!!) We're calling ourselves "Becoming Hot Mama's" because we all have the same common goal of wanting to be a healthy weight and living a healthy lifestyle before TTC.

We all decided to start the C25K program....and we're all going to be running 5k's in our respective hometowns this spring!

I'm not a runner. I never have been, not even when I was active and in-shape in my high school years. Sure, I'd run the 1-mile "warm-up" before cheerleading practice with no problem, but I never enjoyed it. And here I am, with a TON of weight to lose and I'm committing to run a 5k in a few months....am I nuts?!

I think I'm nuts, but I've gotta do it. The girls in our buddy group are super supportive and way motivational. Now, I just need to find a local 5k! The only two I've found are either 1) while I'm on my cruise or 2) not until July 27th! I don't want to wait that long, but I'll run that one if I have to. It's at our local zoo, so that might make for some fun scenery!

Now it's time to lace up my running shoes, grab the dog's leash and hit the pavement!

RIP "Stinky" Zekey

2009-03-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

Today my parents had to put their 11 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Zeke, to sleep. We got him when I was 13 years old, and he affectionately became known to me as "Stinky Zekey" because he always smelled like a dog that gotten into something bad and rolled in it.

Zeke lived a happy life running around my parents 60 acres, swimming in the ponds, laying in the sunshine on the front porch and being my dad's best bud.

Over the last year, Zeke had progressively gotten worse. He started coughing on a regular basis, and while the vet said he had some fluid in his lungs, it wasn't enough to worry about. Over the last two weeks Zeke had begun to fall down while just walking, lose control over his bladder and proceed to have a small seizure. He had seizures once in a while when he was younger as well. In the last few days my dad noticed Zeke had stopped having "movements" all together and that his abdomen was very abnormal looking and feeling. At the vet appointment this morning the X-ray revealed that Zeke not only had fluid in his lungs and abdomen, but also an enlarged heart and a tumor on his spleen. Even though it was difficult, my dad made the right decision.

I wish I hadn't gotten the news while I was at work, because I've shut myself into a small, private conference room so I can let the tears flow and not have my co-workers in my business. I know it will pass with time, but it doesn't make it any easier.

All I know is that when I get home, I'm going to hug my two young, healthy pooches!

(I'd post a picture of Zeke but I don't have any on Shutterfly and I still haven't gotten all of my picture off my old computer yet)

20 in 20 Challenge

2009-03-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

It's obviously no secret I've been trying to lose weight for a while now. About 3 years to be exact. I lost about 25lbs right before I met Keith, and then the "love chub" found me...and then some. I lost about 10lbs before the wedding, but that's come back too...and then some.

I've been focusing on developing better eating habits, and while I've faltered here and there, overall it's been decent. I've been experimenting more in the kitchen, which has been fun. The results haven't always been the great, but it's been an interesting learning process! With spring nipping at my heels, I'm 100% re-committed and I'm hoping that by "going public", it will help to keep me motivated and hold myself accountable.

With that said, I've decided to join the 20 in 20 challenge. The steps are pretty basic and it's nothing that I haven't already heard of before. I'm just hoping that by having a "community" to share the journey with, it will help keep me motivated.

Step 1: Make a Plan

Well, that should be easy enough, right? I'm going to be more strict with the "plan" I'm already doing. I'll bring my lunch every day, make a dinner menu for the week and go shopping for those ingredients. If I plan ahead, I should be ok. Right now I have a list on our fridge at home with meal selections for the week. It makes it much easier to decide what's for dinner after a long day at the office.

I've GOT to start working out again. I've been on my treadmill maybe 4 times in the past 3 weeks. That's not even close to cutting it! I really want to do the Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred again, but I'm scared....I'm scared I'll do Level 1-Day-1 and quit because I'm sore for 4 days after. The last time I did it, I would yell out in pain just trying to sit on the toilet, that's how sore I was. I can tolerate a little muscle ache here and there, but this was BAD. I'm just going to have to suck it up and work through the pain. Losing weight doesn't come easy.

Now that the weather is getting nicer, I want to take Harley for walks/runs a few times a week too. We'll let the dogs run around the yard for exercise, but Harley wouldn't hurt to have a long walk a few times a week.

Either way, whatever I decide to do, I'm GOING to stick with it. I don't have any other choice!

Step 2: Set Rewards

My first reward will be at the -10lb mark. I'm going to get a new spring haircut and color. My stylist gave me a coupon for a free service as a wedding gift, and I've been saving it to get a fun new color for spring. However, I want to do something new and fun to my hair too. I'm not sure yet, but that will be my -10lb reward.

I'm hoping I can hit the -20lb mark before we go on our cruise on June 12th, but that's definitely pushing it. I know I'll be needing a few new outfits for the cruise regardless, but if I'm 20lbs lighter I'm going to reward myself with an outfit that makes me feel fabulous, regardless of the price tag.

Step 3: Plan

I kind of already covered this in Step 1, but I just need to make sure I take the time every Friday night to plan meals for the entire week and make our grocery list.

I also need to plan to get up earlier in the AM, so I can get in a 20 minute 30-Day Shred workout in before work. That way I have NO excuses.

Step 4: Measuring and Nutritional Information

In all of my yo-yo dieting experience, I've gotten pretty good at reading labels and measuring food....it's just a matter of sticking to it. I'll have to make it a point to measure EVERYTHING I put into recipes, instead of just eye-balling it.

I'm also going to try to wean myself away from artificial sweeteners and eventually work towards eating all-natural products.

Step 5: Before Pictures:

I'll do these soon, even though I HATE seeing myself in pictures. I think I'll find a "before" picture from when I was thin back in my HS days too...for inspiration.

Step 6: Pound for Pound Challenge

Sign up to donate to the Pound for Pound Challenge that The Biggest Loser is sponsoring. (DONE!!)

Tiramisu Layer Cake

2009-02-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd be brave and try my hand at making a cake from scratch. Not just any cake, but a 3-layer cake. What was I thinking?!

I got the original recipe from allrecipes, but below is my modified version (thanks to the reviews on the website).

Ingredients:

CAKE
1 package moist white cake mix
4 teaspoons instant coffee power
1/4 cup coffee
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liquor (I used Kahula)

FILLLING
2 packages cream cheese (softened)
5 Tablespoons sour cream
3 Tablespoons coffee flavored liquor
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

FROSTING

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons coffee flavored liquor

GARNISH
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate (use a veggie peeler to create chocolate curls)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*, grease three 9" cake pans.

2. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Pour 1/3 of the batter into one of the pans. Add coffee liquor to the remaining mixture (it helped to dissolve the instant coffee in a bit of water) and pour into the remaining two pans.

3. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. In a measuring cup, combine the coffee and 2 tablespoons of the coffee liquor. Set aside.

4. To make the filling: In a small bowl, using an electric mixer set on low, combine all of the filling ingredients, fold until stiff. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

5. To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer set on med-high, beat the cream, confectioners suger and coffee liquor until stiff (I added more sugar until I got the consitencey I wanted). Fold 1/2 cup of the frosting mixture into the filling mixture.

6. To assemble the cake (This is where I had trouble). Place one layer of the coffee filled cake on a serving plate. Using a thin skewer, poke hole about an inch apart into the cake. Pour 1/3 of the coffee mixture onto the cake. Repeat with the other two layers (I let the layers freeze in the freezer so they'd be easier to handle since the coffee mixture makes them soggy).

7. Top the bottom layer with the filling mixture and carefully place the plain layer on top.

8. Repeat and add the top coffee layer (Now I know why professional bakers have knives to cut the cake layers so they're flat...go ahead and laugh, I did!!)

9. Spread the sides and top of the cake with frosting -- and feel free to use the frosting to fill in all of the gaps and holes like I did! :)

10. Top with chocolate curls and refrigerate for at LEAST an hour before serving. I left it in the fridge overnight so the frosting could really "set".

11. Enjoy!!

Dear Nadya Suleman: I Don't Like You. At All.

2009-02-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or does the Octo-mom look more like Michael Jackson then Angelina Jolie?

That being said, I don't think I've ever been as disgusted with a human being than I am with this person who calls herself a mother.

The following are just a few examples of how not to be a good parent:

Bringing 14 children into the world without a husband/father/partner

Making your parents raise your own children
Living off SS and disability payments, when you should've gone out and gotten another job after you "healed" instead of turning yourself into a baby-making factory

Spending money on fake nails and lips when you can't even provide for your kids

Living in your parents 3 bedroom house with your 14 children

Saying "God will provide" when asked how you're going to manage. (Last time I checked, God wasn't the one who brought in a paycheck or put food on the table)

Going straight to a media interview when released from the hospital instead of going home to see the rest of your children.

Shit, I'm a happily married 25 year old with a very good job and even I know better than to start popping out kids!

I want to bitch slap her. Hard.

Meet our nephew!

2009-02-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

On February 1st, the world welcomed baby Cy to the world! He's so precious -- we had a great time meeting him and visiting our niece and family. We're very lucky to have them in our lives!

Nia loves her little brother!

Nia was 'reading' me the Curious George book we brought her!

It's Magestic!

2009-02-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Aunt Lynn emailed us our flight numbers today, including where we'll be staying in Barcelona. We arrive around 8:30am local time, after flying all night. We're planning on staying up when we get there -- no point wasting a day in a foreign country -- and doing a bus tour to see all the big spots. Then we'll find somewhere to have a relaxing dinner before we begin our adventures the next day. Luckily, this is where we get to rest our head that night:

The next morning we'll wake up early and do another tour of Barcelona -- this time on Segway's! I think it'll be a blast -- and probably slightly entertaining. Aunt Lynn is already worried about having "helmet hair" and I'm pretty sure my mom won't go faster than 2mph on it. We'll look like complete tourists, but I think it'll be well worth it to look like idiots.

After our Segway experience we'll head over to board the cruise ship and wait to set sail! Only 4 months and 8 days -- not like I'm counting...

My Cuddle Bug!

2009-02-03T16:50:00.001-08:00

Jamba-whata?

2009-02-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Keith loves Jambalaya, so I thought I'd try my hand at it. I've only had a taste bite so far (I cooked it for hubby and I'm not hungry yet) but it's yummy! It has a nice spice to it and lots of flavor!

I got the recipe from my Better Homes and Garden "New" Cookbook.

Jambalaya

Ingredients

1 lb fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used olive)
2 cups chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
8oz kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 tsp ground red pepper (I used a little more to make it spicy)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup cubed cooked ham

Directions

1. Thaw shrimp if frozen; set aside. In a 12-inch skillet cook onion, celery, pepper and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, sausage, rice, basil, black pepper, red pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

2. Stir in shrimp. Return to boiling. Simmer, covered, for about 5 more minutes or until shrimp turn opaque and rice is tender. Stir in ham; heat through. Discard bay leaf.

*It was a little thin when it was done, so I took it off the heat and left covered for about 10 minutes. It thickened up quite a bit from this picture.

Chicken & Noodles

2009-02-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

I love Chicken & Noodles, so I searched high and low for a better-for-you version. I came across this one, handwritten in one of my recipe books. I have no idea where I got it, so I can't credit anyone. Sorry!

Chicken & Noodles (Yields 8 servings)

Ingredients
1/2 lb yolk-free egg noodles
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 diced onion
2 cups nonfat milk
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas (I used green beans since the hubby hates peas)

1 (10 ounce) package cut carrots
2 cups chopped chicken
1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven top 350 degrees. Spray a 11x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Cook the noodles per package directions drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour and 1/2 cup of the broth in a small bowl until the flour dissolves.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minute Stir in the milk and the remaining 1/2 cup broth; bring the mixture to a simmer. Whisk in the flour mixture; cook stirring constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickness, about 3 minute Stir in the mustard and tarragon.
Mix the peas and chicken in with sauce.
Pour noodles into a 11x13 baking dish then top with sauce mixture. Stir the mixture together then top with cheese.
Bake Until bubbling and golden brown about 40 minute.
Let stand for 5 min then serve.

It turned out pretty yummy, but I think I'll add a little chicken bouillon for some more flavor. It was a little bland for my taste.

Bon Voyage!!! (in 5 months)

2009-01-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

We (Momma B, Aunt Lynn, Leslie and myself) have been talking about taking a Mediterranean Cruise for a while now. Since the wedding is out of the way and my mom said we need to take this trip "before Amanda starts making babies", we finally set a date!

We'll be arriving in Barcelona, Spain on June 13th -- a day before the ship leaves port (we're traveling on Norwegian Cruise Lines -- we want to try "freestyle" cruising!). We wanted to be able to see Barcelona for more than a few hours (and be able to adjust to the time change).

From there we'll be spending two days at sea before we arrive in Valletta, Malta.

From there we'll be hitting up 4 more ports of call, with no days to rest in between! Naples, Italy; Rome, Italy; Florence/Pisa, Italy and finally Cannes, France before we return back to Barcelona.

I can't wait -- we went on a cruise back in 2001 and it's been far overdue. I love cruising -- and am especially looking forward to seeing more of Europe!

Now I need to get my name changed on my passport....

I won't go to jail, will I?

2009-01-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

So, it just struck me that I'm not really "citing" the WW recipes that I'm making. However, they've all come from the WW Website, which I'm a paying member of, and the recipe section is a "members only" area.

Also, a lot of them are also in my WW cookbooks. So -- I don't know the correct way to give credit to WW for the recipes. Can I count this as my disclaimer post?!

Cheesy Bean & Rice Burritos (not from Taco Bell!!)

2009-01-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

Driving home from work on Friday I got a hankering for a Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito from Taco Bell -- what what I thinking?! I haven't had Taco Bell since my college days when we'd do post-bar Taco Bell runs. After all, that's the only time Taco Bell tastes good, right?

Well, since I'm doing WW'ers I decided I'd try my hand at re-creating the burritos in a better-for-you kind of way. They were quick and easy, and since all of the ingredients have a decent shelf life, I think I'll keep the "staples" in my cupboard at all times!

I used the online WW calculator to determine the point values for each burrito. If you're not into a "healthier" burrito, the ingredients can easily be altered to be a more fattening version.

Cheesy Bean & Rice Burritos

Ingredients:

6 Medium Whole-Wheat tortillas
1 can Fat Free refried beans
2 cups Spanish Rice
8oz Low-Fat Velveeta cheese (half of a 16oz block)

Chop the Velveeta into small 1" cubes and warm in a medium saucepan over Med-High heat until melted, stirring often. Meanwhile, heat the refried beans in a small bowl covered w/ plastic wrap for about 4 minutes until heated. Prepare spanish rice per package directions (I used Uncle Ben's "Ready in 90 seconds" kind) and mix with the melted Velveeta cheese, keeping warm so the mixture stays melted. Warm the tortillas per package instructions (I just heated them in the microwave for about 30 seconds).

Spread 1/4 c. of the refried beans on each tortilla, then 1/4 c. of the rice/cheese mixture. Roll the tortilla into a burrito shape.

Prepared as above instructions, each burrito is 4.5 WW points, however, I liked a more cheesy/rice-y burrito, so I used 1/2 c. of that mixture, which changed the points value to 7.5 points per burrito. If made as the first instructions, this recipe will yield 6 servings.

I served with El Paso Mild Taco Sauce and FF sour cream on the side.

(I really need to work on taking pictures of my latest creations!)

Fish & Chips -- the good-for-you way!

2009-01-25T07:44:00.001-08:00

This is yet another WW recipe and it's a favorite in our household! I just made it for the first time on Thursday and it was husband-approved, which is hard to do with my new attempts at cooking! :)

Fish & Chips

Ingredients:
1 lb fish filets (I used Cod) cut into 1" fish sticks
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thick fries
2 egg whites
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. skim milk
1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the egg whites until frothy, and coat the fries in the egg whites. Place the fries on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I used Lawry's Seasoning Salt). Cook until the fries are golden brown and crispy, about 40 minutes, turning once during cooking.

Meanwhile, whisk the milk and mustard in a medium bowl until well blended. Place the flour in another medium bowl and the bread crumbs in a separate medium bowl as well. Coat a fish stick with the flour, then the milk/mustard mixture, and finally coat well with bread crumbs. Place the fish stick on a baking sheet that is coated w/ cooking spray. Repeat for the remaining fish sticks. Coat the fish sticks lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minuets, or until fish is flaky and fork tender.

Each WW serving is 5 points (Two 1" fish sticks and 8 thick-cut fries). Serve with tarter sauce.

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?

2009-01-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

Cooper did!

Or rather, he stole the brand new package of Chips Deluxe Rainbow Chip cookies I bought from our company store for Keith. Stole them right off the kitchen table!

This was my phone conversation with the vet this morning:

Me -- "My dog ate an entire package of chocolate chip cookies last night"

Vet -- "Was there chocolate in them?"

Me -- :::Rolling my eyes::: "Yes...they were chocolate chip cookies"

Vet -- "Does he seem to be acting lethargic or having any unusual bowel movements?"

Me -- "No, he seems fine"

Vet -- "Ok, just keep an eye on him and if his condition changes any, give me a call"

Me -- "I'll be gone 9 hours at work today, I won't really know if anything changes"

Vet -- "Well, those cookies don't have that much chocolate, I'm sure he'll be fine"

I wanted to bang my head against the wall after that conversation. I'm just glad I was talking to the new vet at the office, and not our regular one. Otherwise I'd be searching high and low for a new vet!

I'm not worried about the chocolate; after all, my parents dog consumed an entire bag of Hersey kisses (tin foil and all) and he's still going strong!. What worries me is the fact Cooper at over 4,000 calories last night!

Potato-Wrapped Salmon (yum!)

2009-01-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

I tried a new WW recipe last night, and I must say, it was quite yummy. It even got rave reviews from the husband, which doesn't happen too often with my cooking! :) It was a bit labor intensive (in my opinion, since I don't really cook much) but the end result was well worth it. I made some of my own changes, but it worked out pretty nicely.

Potato Wrapped Salmon (4 WW points per serving)

1 lb Salmon, cut into 4 filets
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly, lengthwise
4 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs melted butter (or margarine)
1/4 Tsp table salt

Coat the potatoes with the lemon juice and salt in a colander. Set aside until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray a square sheet of wax paper with cooking spray (preferably butter flavored). Create a "rectangle" of the potato slices by overlapping the edges. Spray the potatoes w/ cooking spray. Place one salmon filet lengthwise on top of the potato rectangle. Brush with 1 Tbs of mustard. Lift the left edge of the wax paper so that the potatoes are wrapped around the left edge of the salmon filet. Press the potatoes onto the salmon if they won't stay. Repeat with the right side. Place 2 potato strips on top of the salmon filet to hold the other potato edges in place. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with the remaining fillets, place on a cooking sheet (sprayed with cooking spray) and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are set. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 325*.

Once the potatoes are set, remove the plastic wrap and place the cooking sheet w/ the salmon fillets in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn the broil on and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown.

**Instead of wrapping the entire salmon filet with the potato, I just placed the slices on the top of the salmon. This way I could remove the salmon skin after cooking. I also sprinkled a little salt and pepper on the top before I turned the broil on.

I served this dish with some steamed asparagus and wild rice. It was Delicious and husband-approved!

Hello Mr. President

2009-01-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

Out with the old and in with the new! (Finally.)

Today our nation welcomed President Obama into his new role. While I did vote for McCain (and I still support that), I will be the first to say that I will support our new President and I have faith that he can lead our country to a better time. I don't think that having a half African-American President (because c'mon folks, he IS half white too) will solve our nation's racism problems, nor do I think it'll open up doors that haven't already been open. The doors haven't been closed -- people, both black and white, just need to learn how to push them open.

With that said, I admire Obama for strength of his character and the visions he has for our wonderful nation. While I know nothing will be solved overnight, it is my hope that we'll see some progress during his 4 year administration. And who knows, if the progress is enough, maybe we'll have Obama around for an additional 4 years?

The Knot Gods Hate Me

2009-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

To all my Knotties --

The Knot Gods are hating me right now. I've send them like 48 emails since Friday telling them that I can't reply to any posts. Whenever I try, the screen re-loads with the message box blank and a red asterick next to "Message". Argh! I'm at a loss -- and going though serious knotting withdrawl!

Our Weekly Menu

2009-01-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to be better about planning our meals for the week so we can save $ on groceries and food won't go to waste. I'm sticking to my January New Year's Resolution of not buying any more food at work and always bringing my lunch, so cooking dinner leaves me a nice option of taking leftovers for lunch.

I just started doing Weight Watchers again and I knew if I cooked WW recipes for dinner and didn't tell Keith, he'd eat them with no complaints. I tell him after the fact that it was a WW recipe :)

I'll try to post about my cooking adventures and maybe even a picture or two, but for now, here's dinner for M-F. I still have to figure out the weekend.

All of these recipes can be found at www.weightwatchers.com

Monday - Chicken & broccoli casserole w/ brown rice

Tuesday - Bacon & Egg Hashbrown Stacks

Wednesday - BBQ Turkey Joes

Thursday - Fish & Chips

Friday - Potato Wrapped Salmon

I haven't figured out any side dishes, nor have I even gone shopping for these recipes, so the menu is subject to change.

Men and their toys...

2009-01-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

Keith was going stir-crazy today so went out and did a little shopping. He got this brilliant idea that he wanted a RC car/Jeep/truck/motorcycle/helicopter. We went to 4 different stores because I told him he had a $20 limit. I mean, c'mon, we all know he'll have it broken in a day anyway.

So, he found this little RC Jeep at Walmart* and was so excited to bring it home so the dogs could chase it. Well of course they're terrified of it, so he got this bright idea to stick a dog bone treat in the back of it with the hopes they'd be more inclined to want to play.

Needless to say Cooper is hiding out in the guest bedroom and Harley is now snacking on the bone after the Jeep took a tumble off the coffee table (don't ask) and the bone went flying.

Who needs kids when you're married to one? :)

*I like Walmart for their deals but I try to avoid it on the weekend at all costs. I saw enough greasy haired toothless people and guys who I wanted to run up to and pull their pants down since they were at their knees anyway to last me a lifetime. Ah, the joys of weekend shopping at Walmart.

Cooper and Doorbells

2009-01-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that one of Cooper's favorite things to do is bark whenever he hears a doorbell ring on TV. And bark loudly, like someone is trying to break into our house.

With that said, have you seen the Publisher's Clearinghouse commerical where they win $5,000 a week for life? And the doorbell rings 5 times in a row?

Yep, that's always fun when it comes on. Cooper likes it anyway.

Meet our furbabies

2009-01-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Most proud parents talk all the time about their children -- well, I talk all the time about my babies too -- the furry kind. So, it's only fitting I introduce them to the internet. After all, what kind of parents would I be if I didn't exploit my children via the web?

Meet Cooper, our 3 year old Black Lab (mix):

Cooper enjoys sleeping at the foot of the bed, chasing his feline "siblings" around the house, going for long runs on grandma & grandpa's 60 acres, swimming for hours in the ponds, biting his sister's tail and being a daddy's boy.

Next up, meet Harley, our 1 year old Lab/Basset Hound mix --

Harley enjoys sleeping under the covers on mom's side of the bed, pulling all of the stuffing out of her stuffed animals, chasing her brother until he plays with her, wagging her hail so hard she looks like she's going to fall over, barking at the deer in the neighbors yard (have you ever heard a hound dog bark? It's not pretty) and being a complete momma's girl.

Looking back, I can appreciate the humor in Harley distroying a wedding magazine I hadn't even read yet. But at the time, it wasn't pretty.

Unlike most brothers and sisters, Harley and Cooper really do enjoy each others company:

Now, it's time to meet the kitties! Boo (the black one) and Peeka (the tan one) are both 6 years old and were rescued. Boo was rescued when he was no older than 6 weeks old from underneath a parked car in GVSU's main parking lot. I always wonder how he got there and how scared he must've been! Peeka was a recuse from a crazy cat lady who trapped them and tried to keep them all. Crazy....

Boo enjoys being lazy, sitting on the couch like a human would, running to the kitchen when he hears popcorn being popped, and curling up and cuddling with his parents.

Peeka enjoys hiding out in the guest bedroom, sitting in empty laundry baskets, and watching the birds outside. She hates her canine siblings. With a passion.

And there you have it -- our furbabies who we love dearly. if I don't have a crazy husband story to blog about, odds are I'll have a crazy furbaby story!

Bagel and Cream Cheese...what?!

2009-01-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

Back when the husband and I were still dating, we were spending a hot summer night on the baclony of my apartment enjoying some cold beers, just talking and watching the world go by. We were talking about nicknames for each other and the conversation got pretty funny.

At the end, we decided on Bagel and Cream Cheese. Why, you ask? Well, the way Keith defined it was "You're the bagel because you have a hole and I'm the cream cheese because, well, you know".

Ah, isn't he romantic?

The next morning we were having morning coffee and talking about what kind of Cream cheese Keith could be -- strawberry...garden veggie...chives and onion....or original. Then he asked me what kind of bagel I wanted to be. I just stared at him blankly and he said, "You might not know what kind of bagel you are, but to me, you're my Everything Bagel".

And that, my friends, is how the corny nicknames ended up sticking around.