Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Scary Santa

jeeze-la-weeze... how did i let over a month fly by without a blog?? life has been N.U.T.S.

school has seriously flown by this semester. next week are finals and then i'll be done! only one last semester stands between me and that R.N. (well, not counting the all scary NCLEX exam, but i can't worry about that right now. i'll have a two week old at home when i have to take that. say what?!?). i can't believe the end is in sight!

the baby bump is growing. hard to believe i'm a little over 16 weeks already. we find out the end of the month if it's a little he or a she. everyone keeps asking me what i think it is... honestly either way is amazing. i'd LOVE to have a little boy. a little mini-version of bub :-) a little man to be all rough and tumble with. on the other hand though giving nuggie a sister would be a wonderful thing. girls i get and girls are fun with all the pink and bows and dollies :-) i don't really have any idea what it is, no feelings either way. so it'll be a big wonderful surprise on the 27th!

nuggie is doing amazing. she is growing like a sweet little weed. she's talking up a storm and we're working on potty training. the little stinker is awesome at it, but ONLY if she's a little nudey running around with a bare booty. you put her in a pull-up or big girl panties and whoops, pee-pee puddles. she cracked us up last week though. bub and i were sitting around one evening and she was playing. all of a sudden she popped up like a little bolt and said, "be back, i poop!" and she ran to the bathroom, turned on the light and did her business. she cracks us up every single day.

the poor little thing has a huge fear though... SANTA. there was a little breakfast with santa at her preschool on saturday and she would NOT go near him. i scooped her up and tried to just stand next to the jolly old elf and she literally screamed HELP, HELP, and clawed out of my arms to get away. the photographer even joked that we had "that kid" and laughed and took pictures of the whole scene. well, monday her little preschool put a small, mechanical santa and mrs. clause in their classroom. apparently she spent the whole day eyeballing them and wouldn't go near them. tuesday morning we just turned into the parking lot and she lost it. in the car, screaming, yelling, NO NO NO. i had to take her in though, i had an exam at school :-/ it was awful. her teacher had to pry her out of my arms. but no one had put two and two together. we just figured she was tired or maybe getting sick. i called in about an hour later to check on her and was told they removed those pesky robots from the classroom and she was as calm as can be. silly girl. why, oh why is she so scared of santa??

a sweet friend and i are getting all DIY on the holidays this year. last week we made lavender bath salts to give as gifts. tomorrow we're trying our hand at canning apple butter. now, i grew up the daughter of a true canning queen, but i haven't ever tried it on my own. hope we don't blow anything up!!

hope everyone is enjoying the holidays so far. it's such a joy to have a little one during this time of year. nuggie makes it all so much more fun. last night the three of us snuggled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and watched rudolph. she was of course scared of the abominable snow man, but we snuggled her close and got through it together :-)

happy wednesday loves!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

be careful what you wish for...

so remember that time not so long ago, i very embarrasingly announced to the WHOLE internet (or at least the 7 of you who read this thing) that my "baby clock" was ticking?!? i blame that whole, silly, awful post on a large adult beverage that may or may not have been consumed while typing it, though ultimately, i must take full responsbility on my over-sharing shoulders...

WELL - the blog angels above (or perhaps some devious little blog demons below) thought it might be funny to grant that wish... nuggie will in fact be a big sister sometime this may. ok, not "sometime" my due date is may 20. exactly NINE days after graduation. NINE. that's an awful slim window of opprtunity for this new little baby to make his or her appearance and me NOT still be a full-time nursing student.

as i am usually, i'll be overly honest and share too much i am sure. but like i said, since only about seven of you actually read this garble, you can all deal... i'm freaking out. and the fact that i'm freaking out is making me feel guilty. i'm not the only one. my dear mom aka pita, exclaimed, "oh shit" when i told her :-) (however immediately followed up with happiness and grandmotherly excitement!) that was about my feeling too. but again, that only adds to my guilt. baby's are a blessing. baby's are a wonderful, precious gift and here i am being selfish and freaking out.

i'm nearing the end of the first trimester. we've had a great ultrasound and little one is looking healthy as a jelly bean can look at this stage. this one is so different than with nuggie though. i.am.sick. i have 24 hour a day morning sickness that typically worsens as the day goes on. i'm craving salt. all i wanted with nuggie was ice cream and sugar, not this one. give me chips, give me popcorn, give me a cheeseburger with salt on it! that said, i'm also trying really hard to not be a giant fat ass with this babes. it's not working too well though. i feel awful ALL.THE.TIME, so getting much done besides school, work, clinicals and oh yeah, being a mommy to the sweet baby i already have and paying a minor amount of attention to my awesome hubby, there's little energy left to hit up the gym. i'm fat. i'm trying to be ok with it. and by trying, i'm not at all ok with it. it makes me cry. but i keep telling myself when this is all said and done i'll be finished with school too. done with clinicals. done with the endless hours of studying. done with tests and that whole mess of stress. i'll just have two little ones and a full-time job to contend with. and honestly, after this hellish start to the school year (ask my classmates, it has been rough), that sounds like a piece of cake. surely i'll have a little time to get back to the gym and take care of myself again? maybe? don't answer that unless you want to say, YES!

freak-outs aside, we really are happy. a sibling is the best gift you can give to your child. i don't know what i would do without my sisterkins. and i know that it will all be ok.

let maternity-hood round two begin :-)

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Tweazer Trouble

a long, long time ago i had big old bushy bert and ernie style eyebrows. i mean they were bad. small children may or may not have been lost in them. one night my sweet mother came to me and said, honey, let's pluck those bad boys. and so began my obsession... fast forward to today (well thursday i guess, techinically) and i was in a chair getting my brows waxed. and the woman commented about how "thin" my brows were. thin? THIN? i said i hadn't done anything to them in months (the only reason i was in the salon in the first place was because my broke ass found a coupon). life is so flippin' out of control right now. i haven't had time to stand in the mirror and do that sort of face maintenance. and she informed me that i have OVERtweased my brows. they're toast. tiny. done growing. a word to the wise ladies - don't over pluck those eyebrows. once they're gone, they are gone. boo.

ok - on with this listy list...

#9 - list 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

1. my momma - duh! she's my mom. she taught me to garden and to love cheesy sci-fi disaster movies, well and also other super important life lessons like how to be a kind, non-judgmental human being. she's also been one of my biggest fans as i tackle this silly little thing called nursing school.

2. my sister - she's an amazing nurse. i hope to be half the nurse she is someday. i admire her and everything she's worked through to become the woman she is today. 

3. bub - he and i have essentially grown up together. we've gone from silly 20 year old kids to husband and wife, a family, and parents. we've stumbled together and loved together :-)

4. dave ramsey - we REALLY aren't living the "dave-way" right now. but we have gone through financial peace and when i start getting a paycheck again (a real one) his principals are gonna help us dig ourselves out of a really, hugely, insanely large pile of student debt. he's awesome really. tough, but awesome.

5 & 6 bob and sheri. google them. listen. love them like i do.

7. my sweet and life-long friend kate. she and i have been akward 14 year-olds together and now get to be good-buddy neighbors. she's been amazing with nuggie and an awesome supporter and fan as i tackle all the life-crazies i have going on right now.

8. betty smith. the author. read a tree grows in brooklyn. it is beautiful and sad and amazing.

9. my sixth grade bully and the girl who helped make it better. there was an AWFUL girl (who shall remain nameless) who tormented me when i was a chubby, acne-riddled 12 year old. she said really awful and hateful things to me all year long. she made me sad alot. but then i got to be friends with a super wonderful girl named shannon who was my friend despite my unfortunate face and new-student uncoolness. i really don't think i would have survived the transition into a new school without her. 

10. our instructors at school right now. they are awesome. i'm so thankful to be learning from such passionate, kind women.

alright. i have some super cheesy girl movie wonderfulness to finish watching (bub is out of town :-) night night friends.

Friday, August 31, 2012

an age old question

i know i know, i just blogged, but i've been tossing around some thoughts for a while now and i have no idea where to go with them... i could use some direction and words of wisdom.

why does God allow His people to suffer? why does He allow children to be in pain?

i'm a believer, but lately i'm having real trouble reconciling the God of love being who He says He is and all the pain and suffering that exists around me.

a woman i didn't have the chance to know died this week after a battle with cancer. i've been reading her blog for a LONG time. she was an amazing, Godly woman who never had anything discouraging to say about her diagnosis. she also happened to have two small boys and a husband at home. now they're alone. those two little boys will never get to hug their mother again. never hear her tell them she loves them. how can a God of love allow this??

a family member is going through something similar now. small children, a family. how can this be?

God CAN heal them, yet he doesn't.

i don't understand it. i want to. but right now i just can't. i want to hear what others have to say about this.


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Eight... Passions??

Does anyone else remember that silly soap that used to be on, oh, in the late 90's - Passions? Oh. My. Word. what a fabulous train wreck of daytime tv!

So hello :-) First week of the new semester has come and gone. It's been intense. Lots of lecture. Lots of clinical orientations. Lots of WTF moments, but also LOTS of excited and hopeful ones too. I LOVE LOVE LOVE our instructors this semester. They seem so genuine and kind and sincerely interested in us knowing the content. Clinicals start next week... I've got mixed feelings (OK, mostly bad feelings) about this - BUT, I'm sure it'll be just fine. And if not, well, it is what it is, right?

Alright, so a quick thing before I move on to #8 in the list of awesome things. I'm sorry I announced to the whole internet that my "baby clock" was ticking... that was a bit much. Sometimes I think this little blog thing is just for me to read. I forget that other people can see it too! I'm not sorry for writing it, I want to share in an honest way... But part of me scrunches up a little that I actually said this...

Ok - NUMBER EIGHT!

What are 5 of your passions?

Hmmmm.... This one might be hard....

1) Keeping a "home". I adore keeping a comfortable home. Yes, I am a clean freak. Though, visit my house lately and you'll see it's a pretty big mess (thanks school :-(. But normally, I love keeping the house tidy. And ALWAYS smelling nice. I want there to always be yummy snacks and a soft place to sit. I want the bed to made up and ready for a nap. I want the towels to be clean and soft and dry. I want it be Bub and Nugg's safe, happy, restful place. Always our home must be inviting and restful. 

2) Cooking. I'm not so great at cooking, but I'm working on it. I've had some masterful success stories in the kitchen and some epic failures. Most of my food is "comfort food"... I try to always give it a healthy twist though. For instance tonight we had "Stacked Veggie Enchiladas". They were super yummy and super healthy. Yum! I want to learn to cut an onion like they do on fancy cooking shows. And I want to have nice cookware someday. Nuggie likes to help already :-) We pull up a chair and she will stir and dump and mix things!

3) Living "Green". This is not really super successful these days. Living this way is pricey and time consuming. I want to buy all the Method cleaning products and shop at Whole Foods, but on our income that's not really a possibility. We make choices though on important things like meat and dairy products. I have a garden and we recycle. I haul my cloth bags to the store. It is very important to me things like the enviromenment. I think alot of Christians get a bad wrap for not giving two poops about the Earth and caring for it - I'm trying to change this. 

4) Nugg! She is my world. She is everything that I have ever done that is right. She's my little princess and I want to raise her the very best that I can. I'm a pushover, so I guess that's bad. She's a little spoiled. But if I can't spoil her, then who can? I would literally jump off a building if it was for her good. Oh how I love that little lady.

5) The weather. Thanks to my Dad for this one. Oh he was a weather nerd. He'd obsess over it. Guess it passed on to me :-) I fret over it. I check it a million times a day. I think about it way more than a young 30-year old girl should. It reminds me of him though. For a long time after he died I'd watch the Weather Channel before bed. It just made me feel closer to him :-)

Nighty night friends :-)

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Lucky #7

i'm enjoying an extra large glass of riesling tonight, my last night of summer vacay. please forgive all spelling errors and sloppy grammar :-)

so - quick update... summer break is coming to a screeching halt - boo. BUT, i'm starting my last two semesters of school. woohoo! i've heard this year is a killer. whatever. failure is not an option at this point and so i'm gonna kick med/surg and mental health's rear-end!

work is going great. i've been tech-ing on mother/baby - LOVE IT! the other floors, ehhhh, not so much. everyone keeps telling me to branch out, increase my skills. but what if all i really want to do is be an L&D nurse? why can't i be the very best L&D nurse possible? it's not like everyone runs around telling math teachers to be super awesome at ALL kinds of teaching... you've got to be skilled at what you do the best. hmmm... i'll keep working in the float pool though - get my experience while i can i guess.

*** honesty alert *** my baby clock (what do they call that?!? time out to search this...
 thanks google - biological clock) is tick tocking again. we want to add to our little family badly. well, i think i do. there are of course those days when nuggie melts the frap down and i think ONE is ENOUGH! ok, but here's the deal. nuggie is an AWFUL sleeper. no, really, AWFUL. and we live in a tenny, tiny 950 sq foot house. two bedrooms. our room is literally so small we can't fit a pack n play in it without blocking the way out. so, here's my question - do we dive in to the land of two babies and just deal, praying nuggie will adjust to sleeping with a newborn in her room? (the thought of this literally gives me nervous shakes) OR do we wait a couple more years and just have the two of them spaced out a bit? hoping we'll live in a bigger house by then with some room to stretch out and keep the two kiddos separated a little?? i need some advice. and while i'm certainly not an old maid, 30 has now come and just about gone... is waiting till i'm 33 or 34 to have another baby a bad idea?

alright - quick... i've got to keep this list thing a rollin'

#7 What is your dream job and why?

dream job??? hmmmm.... it would probably be to NOT work at all. i really don't enjoy working. this is a dream after all, right? i'd rather go to yoga classes and cook awesome dinners and organize fun charity events and be super involved with nuggie's preschool. if i MUST work, i'd love to run a good midwifery clinic here in nashville. we are seriously lacking in alternative choices for mom's to be. we've got one of the highest rates of c-sections in the country. and the ONE midwife practice we have here kinda sucks. sorry ladies, just sayin'. just because we choose to do something a little different doesn't mean we don't still need some guidance and quality healthcare. i'd love to create a practice where the whole woman/family is cared for as a new life is brought into the world. this could include a quality healthcare practice, fitness classes, birthing classes, massage therapy and much more! that would be my dream job! pregnancy and giving birth are natural life events, not medical conditions to be handled with drugs, rigid protocols and no choices... just sayin'. 

alright - wine time must end. gotta get my booty to class bright and early 
xoxo

Thursday, August 9, 2012

#6 - Yet We Have Hope

Whew - moving right along on my list of #30 things...

#6) What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

This entry might be a little sad... 
We've had a lot of sickness and death in our family the last few years. 2008/2009 was pretty rough, I lost my amazing Aunt Kathy, my wonderful Grandpa Jack and my dad all within a few months of each other. My dad was of course the toughest to lose. I think it was November 2007 (around that time anyhow, I remember Christmas shopping) that I was out and got a call from my momma saying that Dad wasn't acting like himself. She was a little worried, but he had been having health issues for a couple years at this point and they thought it might be one of the drugs he was on for his diverticulitis. The next day or so she called again to say he was acting even stranger and that they were heading to the hospital. There, they told her they thought he had had a stroke and that they were sending him on to UT for further tests. It was there that we found out it wasn't a stroke but in fact a very large brain tumor. It ended up being a really bad kind, one that is almost never cured. He wasn't given long, but ended up staying with us for almost a year and a half, much longer than they had anticipated. He was never, ever himself again though. I wasn't super close to my dad and to this day I can't remember my last "normal" conversation with him. He was so so sick those 18 months. He endured weeks and weeks and WEEKS of very high doses of chemo. Rounds of radiation. He lost so much weight. He didn't act like himself, he acted like a little kid - getting in to things you might shoo a toddler away from. My amazing mother stayed by his side every minute of every day. He stopped eating and she'd coax him into nibbling on pudding and juice boxes. She had to quite her job to care for him. It is heartbreaking to see your dad go through something like this. It's even more painful when the relationship was damaged and not able to be repaired because his mind was gone. I never got to work things out with him. I never got one last "I love you". I wish desperately that I could go back in time and just give him a hug. One big, huge hug and tell him I love him. Instead my last real memory of him before the diagnosis is a fight. If I could pass one thing along from this is don't live your life like that, not with your family. We had another scary health diagnosis just two weeks ago. I can't say much about it, but I will tell you that just before the news came I was in the middle of an argument with a family member (I promise, we don't argue as much as it sounds!)... then you get that news and the world comes to a screeching halt. It's not worth it friends. Love your family. Cherish your family. Embrace your differences and also the ties that bind you all together. Life is a short thing that we are not guaranteed. Don't live the rest of it with regrets like mine.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

#5 - A Greatful Heart

did i spell that right? is it greatful or grateful? oops - well there ya go, auto correct fixed it for me... it is indeed grateful... surprise, surprise - i can't spell ;-)

so hello august. where did you come from? seriously. this summer is flying by. nuggie is doing great - she's finally starting to talk a little bit. she says super awesome things like, "mama, i poo" and "where's it at?". she's such a wonderful, amazing little person. as we approach the two year mark she is for sure asserting her independence. tantrums are many and often. we get lots and lots of "no" and throwing things and angry little looks. BUT, it's wonderful. she's growing into who she will be and she's figuring out what she does and doesn't like. she starts daycare in a couple of weeks *sniff, sniff*. i'm having a really hard time with this. i feel guilty that i can't be with her 100% of the time. i'm scared about what's going on in her little world when i'm not around. what if someone is mean to her? what if she's crying? what if she doesn't understand the rules and get's in to trouble? what if something happens and i'm not there? but what can i do? going back to school means getting a great job and giving her a better life. i have to finish this. she's nearly two, i'm thankful that i've been able to keep her mostly at home with me that whole time.

work is going great. i floated over to the the postpartum floor which just thrilled me! ultimately i want to end up being a labor and delivery nurse, i'm hoping some experience on the mother/baby floor will help me get a foot in the door. i've hounded the manager on their floor and i'm scheduled for three more shifts up there. i can't wait!! i loved everything about my last shift there... well, except for my 4am rounds. no one. NO ONE. wants to be woken up at 4am to have their blood pressure taken. sorry ladies - gotta do it.

so back to THE LIST: -

What are 5 things that make you most happy right now?

1) my little family always makes me happy. i love my little family so much. i'm so thankful for them. so thankful we're all together. so thankful and blessed that i have such a wonderful hubby and daughter.


2) the idea of having "real" tv again tickles me. whatever. you can be a tv hater. and maybe it does lower my IQ. but we're broke and we don't do much and i miss my DVR. the amazing direct tv man is coming tomorrow. i can't wait. 


3) sleep. sleep makes me happy. working nights is tough. nothing can make you feel better than sleep. is there ever a time in your adult life when you're not at least a little bit tired? 


4) new school supplies. i'm all geared up for the new semester. i have fresh binders and folders and pens. organizing my school bag makes me happy :-) i wish i could order a new thirty-one tote. i told myself when i've graduated i'll treat myself to a new one!


5) my awesome extended family. i have such a great collection of amazing aunts, uncles, cousins, brother-in-law, grandma, nephew... i'm a blessed girl. i wish desperately that we were ALL living closer rather than being scattered all across the country. 


that's about all i've got. good night sweet friends.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Skinny Girl - Wimpy Girl

Before I start this super awesome and amazing post for today I have to announce something... Skinny Girl Vodka = weaksauce. I've been known to be a gal who can really hold her liquor. Guess that comes from a long line of alcoholic family members (I kid... sorta). But this is just pitiful. I might as well be drinking Nuggie's apple juice. Whatev - at least I'm hydrated I guess... I've been chugging glasses of Crystal Light mixed with the stuff. I bought it in the first place b/c it's lower in calories and this "skinny girl" typing away has FINALLY started to get her chubby ass in gear and I lost three pounds this week. All this to say - save your $$$, stick to the good stuff.

Alright, back to the list.

#3 - Describe your relationship w/ your parents.
This one is tough and so I'm pleading the 5th.

#4 - List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self.

---> 1. Don't stress about the drama of high school, as soon as you graduate it'll all stop mattering. College is the place to make life-long friends and to find where you really fit in.

--> 2. Sort of with #1, it'll get better. If you're perhaps not the prettiest or the most popular, maybe you're the one that's a little different, just wait. Life gets better and you'll find true friends that love and support you and think you're spectacular. I promise.

--> 3. Enjoy your shape and size and body in general. You might not love it, but honey, when you're 30 you'll look back and think how great you really had it. Appreciate it now. 

--> 4. But take care of that body. Do not tan yourself silly. Do not skip out on exercising. Do not eat five bags of cheetos, just bc you can. You might have a 16 year old metabolism right now, but you're doing lasting damage to your body. Especially the tanning thing. 

--> 5. Don't take out student loans for college. Just don't. If you need to stay close to home to go to community college then do that. Or go to a state college. Or work your fanny off and get a scholarship. That fancy private school is NOT worth starting your adult life $60,000 in debt. You think you can travel the world with that hanging over your head? Or hold out for your dream job? Or buy a wonderful first home? You can't. 

--> 6. Don't kiss a bunch of frogs. High school boys (and most college boys) are icky. Spend your time with friends and focus on school. If you must kiss, then keep a smart head about you.

--> 7. Spend some time with your parents, they're not as bad as you think they are. Tell them you love them, even if that's "not cool". They're actually pretty smart, they love you and do want the best for you. You never know when they might be gone and you'll miss those chances to love and hug them.

--> 8. Overalls are. will. and will always be. a bad idea. Don't rock them. Unless you're painting something. 

--> 9. Get a part-time job. Save some of it and spend the rest. Enjoy being young and being able to spend your money on fun extras. As soon as you're on your own you'll have to spend your money on things like electric bills and insurance... so buy those fancy jeans now. Might as well before your ass doubles in size after child birth :-)

--> 10. Love yourself. You are a gem. No one else is just like you. Hold your head high. Be proud of who you are. Smile and show the world how fabulous you really are. Don't be a door mat - be a force to be reckoned with!  

--> Bonus #11 - Do not major in Music Business when you head off to that fancy private school. You might as well major in Flying Monkeys to Space. You'll waste your amazing time, money and effort. I hate that it's kinda boring, but major in something that's responsible and live up your college life while you're there. Enjoy those four years then get a great job and be able to enjoy the perks of being an adult.  

Thursday, July 12, 2012

#2 I Ain't 'Fraid of No Ghost

Day 2 is here - what, what!

Describe 3 fears, and how they became fears

Fear #1 - Spiders. This is pretty typical. But my fear goes a little bonkers. I literally (well ok, not LITERALLY) but I feel like peeing my pants. Isn't it the worst when you walk through a web? I always get the feeling that a spider has hidden away in my hair and I must dance around and flip out till I'm sure the creepy-crawler is no longer hiding on my person. UGH. Things didn't get an easier when we realized our cute little house was absolutely infested with poison, deadly brown recluses... I really wondered how I could burn the house down??? But, we found a great exterminator and got smart about living with the awful bugs. Seriously, spiders are the worst.


Fear #2 - Earthquakes. I know we live in TN and before that I lived in IN - not exactly your earth shaking epicenters. However, any time a truck would rumble by or the ground would vibrate a little for whatever reason I would/will lose my mind. It all started when we lived in CA for while when I was younger and we experienced a few really big earthquakes. To this day the very thought of an earthquake scares the frap out of me. If the house gets really quiet and still, especially at night, I'm sure "the big one" is about to tear our house down. Why do I get so worked up??? This is a dumb fear.


Fear #3 - Driving near semi-trucks. I always feel like they don't see me and are just surely going to smash me to bits. I especially hate driving near them on the highway and if I find myself sandwiched between two in the lanes around me I get all anxious and nervous and just want to zoom away from the trucks. I really hate semi-trucks in general. They're such an obnoxious addition to the roads. 


In no particular order... I'm also afraid of thunderstorms, tornadoes, big dogs, food that might have potentially spoiled, touching raw chicken, bugs crawling into my ears, the bottoms of lakes and ponds and anyone ever seeing me in a bathing suit.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Stolen - 30 Things

i am seriously lacking blog inspiration this summer... i've got this new job, but it's not really right to share the who's and what's of it all. my ethics class is a.w.f.u.l. and not at all worth blogging about. nuggie is doing great - but i don't have a whole lot to share. life is just sorta chugging along. enter my super fabulous blogging (and real life) friend - shannon! she shared this little idea on her blog and i'm completely stealing it. i hope you don't mind friend! head on over and check out her blog here.

THE LIST:

  1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
    1. i LOVE end of the world disaster movies... the cheesier, the better. sci-fi channel movies are the best - 12.5 megaquakes and killer tornadoes from mars - LOVE IT!
    2. when we went to NYC a few years back we totally saw richard simmons running down the street in his teeny tiny shorty shorts.
    3. the weather and i... we have a love/hate relationship. i'm far more obsessed with it then someone my age should be. i'm terrified of storms. but give me a lovely fall afternoon and you'll hear me exclaim, "i'm in LOVE with this day!"
    4. i don't like cantaloups. ick - they taste like slime!
    5. i can't sleep any other way than curled up in a ball on my side. i'm getting some super awesome wrinkles on my chest from snoozing this way, but i can't help it. i literally can't sleep any other way.
    6. if i had had my way nuggie's name would have been journey. seriously. i think i've got some better names picked out now though for future kiddos.
    7. i've got two tattoos. and i've got another one picked out for when i graduate from nursing school. i've got a rose on my foot (for sweet little nuggie) and an abstract seahorse on my back shaded in with the colors of the thyroid cancer ribbon (since i'm a thyroid cancer survivor).
    8.  npr on sunday mornings is the best... car talk, wait wait don't tell me and says you - LOVE them all!
    9. i have very clear memories of a ghost being in our house when i was about three. i called him mr. greenbean and he wore a green hat. i wonder if he was real or if i was just a nutty little kid?
    10. i firmly believe that there isn't much better than a new purse. filling it all up and keeping it organized makes me happy. 
    11. marrying my amazing hubby, giving birth to our sweet baby girl and going back to school are the three things in my life that i'm most proud of. three of the best decisions ever.
    12. i desperately want to be on a game show. any one will do really. i think i'd like to be on wheel of fortune the most though.
    13. saltine crackers with butter on them are the best snack ever. 
    14. i've never left the country. i hope to fix this someday.
    15. my favorite book is "a tree grows in brooklyn" - it's such a wonderful story. read it.
    16. i don't know how to swim.
    17. in college i took aerobic walking. how is this even a class?!?
    18. i use a gajillion nicknames for everyone, even in real life. my poor hubby has had to deal with probably a dozen in the ten years we've been together. sorry if this bugs people, i just love it.
    19. another weird sleeping thing, i can't sleep with my hands uncovered. i feel like something will get them if they aren't shoved under my pillow or blanket.
    20. i still hope someday to live on a houseboat out west :-)
  2. Describe 3 fears, and how they became fears.
  3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
  4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self.
  5. What are 5 things that make you most happy right now?
  6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
  7. What is your dream job and why?
  8. What are 5 of your passions?
  9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
  10. What is your most embarrassing moment?
  11. What are 10 of your pet peeves?
  12. Describe a typical day in your life.
  13. What are 5 of your weaknesses?
  14. What are 5 of your strengths?
  15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
  16. What are 5 of your greatest accomplishments?
  17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
  18. What has been the most difficult things you've had to forgive?
  19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
  20. What are 3 significant memories from your childhood?
  21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
  22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
  23. What are you top 5 hobbies, and why do you love them?
  24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
  25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
  26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
  27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
  28. What is your love language?
  29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
  30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered ************************************************************************           

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

my day in a nutshell...

hey, i had a great day. let me tell you all about it...

my daughter is picky eater. like picky, picky. i have no idea where she get this. her father and i will eat literally almost anything. we keep a house full of pretty healthy options. yet the girl wants to eat nothing but cereal, granola bars and cheese. i make these yummy smoothies in the morning with yogurt and fruit and other yum yums to sneak some good stuff into her life... all this to say, i've made the smoothie and i'm doing a few things around the house and i hear something that sounds suspiciously like spitting. but i choose to ignore it. my precious baby angel would never spit her smoothie all down the front of her shirt.   yes.she.would.
GROSS.

fast forward like thirty minutes. i'm in the "potty" and just as i get up to flush, our sweet new kitten mosby head dives in. uh yea, into, well, yeah - pee. and because he's a cat he of course then rockets right out. covered in pee water. just at that moment nuggie drops her cup of cheerios (b/c the whole freakin' family joins mommy when she has to pee). and i push her out screaming "yuck, yuck, yuck" and trap the pee-water soaked mosby in the bathroom. so there it was... a bathroom with a filthy little critter running around in it tracking pee water onto EVERY surface. including a cup of cheerios that have now scattered all over the floor. needless to say, mosby got his first bath and the whole room got doused with bleach.
GROSS.


i'll stop here. there were several other fun little adventures today. things involving cat poop and nuggie peeing on the carpet... but we've got more how i met your mother to watch... season six - OLE!

 and i had to add this just cause it's so stinkin' cute! i jacked my phone all up and somehow a bunch of old photos suddenly reappeared. look at little 11 month old nugget!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

late to the game...

hey, there's this show called "how i met your mother" - maybe you've heard of it? yeah... this was me about a week and half ago. i have this thing with CBS shows and neil patrick harris. i don't typically like to watch them. BUT, after bub kept hounding me to give it a chance, i relented and well, here i am - nine days later, smack in the middle of season five. we have done nothing but watch every.single.episode. each night after nuggie has gone to sleep. how the heck have i been missing this?!? it kinda makes me feel dumb, like i'm running around screaming to people - hey, have you heard of this little show called friends? whatever, better late than never, right? anyone have season 7 they want to lend to me? netflix only has up through season six.

a new little buddy has come to live with us :-) his name is mosby (duh, like ted mosby... told you we've been living in the land of HIMYM). anyhow, he's a sweet little 10 week old siamese kitten. long story short, he was abandoned and needed a home. we've been wanting to bring in a little companion for olive. and he is perfect. i know it sounds kind of silly, but i feel kind of blessed that he came to live with us. he's absolutely the sweetest little man. he's so patient with nuggie playing with him and never, ever scratches or bites. he let's me rub his cute little belly. he loves to snuggle. he loves to play. he's not a sour, snippy, meany like olive is. ollie will always be our number one - we've had her just as long as bub and i have mr. and mrs. it is nice to have a sweet, little compliment to the fam.

i survived work orientation last week. being away from nuggie for four full days nearly broke me. i have a huge amount of respect for working mommas. work-work starts this week. just two days. no big deal. though it will be rough getting used to working 12-13 hour days. at least they're day shifts. i have to complete eight day shifts shadowing another tech, then after that i can be "on my own" sorta, kinda. and then i can work days, nights, weekends, whatever. nights will be best for us though, so bub can stay home with nuggie and i won't miss too much family time. nights are gonna stink. any advice from other night-shifters out there? i'm afraid of crashing about 3am and curling up on some empty bed somewhere :-p all that aside, i really am excited about getting started. i'll let you know how it goes.


Sunday, June 3, 2012

picture picture


 last weekend for memorial day we headed over to gramp's house. we made a stop at the chattanooga aquarium. it was nuggie's first trip there :-) she had a blast getting up close to the fishies!





 on our way home we made a pit stop at sonic for milkshakes. nuggie had her first one... she LOVED it!


 this pic is from a few weeks ago - BUT, isn't it great? bub found this at the nashville farmer's market. "the main ingredient is Love" :-) and it's "hot slaw" - just sounds southern. i don't do spicy stuff, but he says it's delicious...i'll take his word for it.

 

sweet pea's hair is now long enough to start getting up in a little pony tail. my baby is growing up WAY too fast.

and this is all sorts of out of order... but, this is a piano at gramp's house. nuggie hopped right up on the bench and started plunking away at the keys. maybe we'll have a little musician in the family.



the last couple of weeks have been nuts. i'm getting all geared up to start work training next monday. WORK!?! it's been so long since i earned a paycheck. i'm so ready to start!

the fence is all done in the backyard except for one last gate bub has to install. it looks awesome! and it's such a blessing to feel a little more secure when playing outside with nuggie. i'll have to post some pics of that soon.

my summer reading list is pretty short so far, but right now i'm getting through - abraham lincoln, vampire hunter. has anyone else read it? it's actually a pretty good read. it's totally different and pretty well written. the movie comes out the end of the month - i cant wait to see it!!




















Friday, May 25, 2012

spanxx alot

it's friday - ole! this really means nothing to me, now that my days are all sort of a big blur of kiddo fantastic-ness... but to all you working stiffs out there - rejoice! it's a LONG, holiday weekend :-)

our holiday weekend will kick-off with a super awesome yard sale. if you know me in real life and want to come by tomorrow, we'll be hawking junk in the grass. come early though. it's gonna be freaking hot, so we'll probably wrap up by lunch time.

after church on sunday we're heading over to see nuggie's gramps. we're spoiled and typically he comes to us, but we're making the trek to him this time. i have to admit, i'm really sort of dreading the car ride. and the being in a new place with nuggie. and the trying to get her to sleep in a strange environment. ugh - traveling with a toddler is really icky :-( we'll survive though.

a dear, sweet friend (who shall remain nameless to protect her cute little spanxx covered tooshie) recommended that i purchase a pair of "spanxx" for my very own. they will change your life she promised me. then they went on sale on zulilly. and so i thought - well woo-freakin-who! the stars aligned for my rear-end!!! i've been rushing to the mailbox each day, hoping my super-panties would arrive. they showed up TODAY! i can't wait to give them a whirl!!

and speaking of woo-freakin-who... i am once again employed! it's been nearly two years since i contributed a paycheck to our little family. a little extra income will be amazing. AND the position i got is perfection. i'm a nurse extern! i seriously couldn't ask for a better way to start my soon-to-be nursing career. it's not the job i applied for or even the one i discussed with the woman in HR the first time we chatted. it's a total, wonderful blessing that this is what came of all of that.

enjoy your memorial day weekend lovies.


Thursday, May 17, 2012

molars are a pain in EVERYONE's patootie

oh my sweet nuggie... we think she's getting a new molar. this child takes WEEKS to get teeth. seriously. i feel so bad for her. none of us are sleeping. we're all exhausted. every nerve is frazzled in our house right now. the last two nights i've felt like i'm with a newborn all over again. she scream and cries and throws fits and nothing makes her happy. i hope this one pokes its pearly white little head through soon and she gets some relief. it's only molar 3 of 4 :-(

so so so. i'm kinda ready to go back to school. i've barely been out three weeks. i miss the grown up conversation and i miss classes. i miss lecture. what the heck? i'm a nerd. it's official. my summer class starts may 30 - that'll be a nice little change :-)

i got a second interview (same position)... it's next thur. i HOPE it works out. it's a PRN extern position, so it would be perfection, especially when school starts back up. and it's at the hospital i hope to work at after graduation... fingers crossed and a prayer said!

we've been doing lots of home improvements lately. and by "we" i mean my super, awesome hubby or the guys we've paid to do something. i monitor the situation. and smile when it's done. over the last few months we've had the giant tree removed from our yard, the fence bub built and our roof was replaced on monday. we had some awful hail damage... all these projects make me think about selling the place. our house is cozy and wonderful, but it's tiny and we'd love to have something bigger and in a nicer neighborhood. but our problem is we don't know where to go. we've talked about moving out to portland to be closer to my mom and sister. portland has such a great vibe, but it's also SO far away. we've talked about moving back up indiana. but that's mostly me wanting to raise nuggie in a small town and be closer to my extended family and old friends. bub's not too keen on the idea of 10 months of winter ;-) and of course we've talked about staying here. but the "nice" areas are SO pricey or a very far commute for bub to make it in to work. how do you know what's right? how do you know what to do. life is more complicated now. it's not like when we were first married and had crappy jobs and just rented. we could move any time and any where (which we never took advantage of). now there are good jobs and school to consider, a house to sell or rent out, a baby girl to keep comfy and happy. i know it'll all work out, but i'm such a planner. i'd love to know right now what the future holds so i can look ahead and get ready.

sweet change of subject... my little nuggie is laying down in her crib with her teddy bear. she's all snuggled up with it and keeps patting its back like we do to her when she is upset or doesn't feel well. my little angel-bug, even when she doesn't feel her best she's still so sweet and loving. i think my heart just melted into a puddle.

happy thursday friends.


Thursday, May 10, 2012

being an example

over the weekend two women from a church who's beliefs we don't necessarily agree with stopped by our house to "witness" to us. the women from this church roam around our neighborhood ALOT. i admire their courage and their commitment to sharing what they believe - but its always sort of rubbed me the wrong way that someone would knock on my door to try to convert me to their religion. IF i have questions i'll come to you ladies. usually they swing by, give us a pamphlet and move on. this time though one of the women straight up asked me - what do you think about religion and politics mixing? say what?!? those are the two touchiest subjects that no one really even wants to talk about and you knock on my door on a sunday afternoon with my squirmy toddler running around my ankles and want to have a sit down about my personal beliefs about faith and government? uh, no thank you. BUT, i did remember sweet nuggie running around my ankles just then and i thought - hold on a second - i have to be an example to this little lady. and while she has no clue what i'm saying or doing right now so long as i love her and care for her, i better start practicing being the sort of human being i want her to grow to be. so i tried to dialog with them a bit.

i don't often talk about religion and stuff on here, though i do have very strong beliefs and convictions of my own. i just prefer not to jam them down anyone's throat. if you know me in real life, you know i'm a believer and if you want to talk about it - awesome. let's do it.

but these women got me riled up. we chatted a little. and i told the woman i don't think politics and religion NEED to mix. i think the two are separate. and she looked at me like i was a bug on the wall. and she went on to give me a spiel about Jesus being the head of politics. well yes, he was a leader. but that was Jesus. none of us are Jesus lady. and i said to her two things. first of all, my president is NOT my spiritual leader, that's what my pastor is for. second, i think the church needs to start taking on a leadership position. my elected officials, who are more often then not crooked, lieing creeps, do NOT need to be the one's telling me how to live my life. the church needs to be the gentle leaders - guiding us and helping us to come to conclusions on our faith.

so there's this whole north carolina thing going on right now. i get both sides. but again, it has me all fired up. hence this long blog. i have my beliefs. i'm a Christian who believes every word of the Bible is true. but i also think that those are MY beliefs. and i don't need to force others to live by what works for me and my family. so here goes - shame on you north carolina. shame. if Christ still roamed the earth today, i highly doubt he'd be all knotted about about gay people wanting to be married. i think he'd be more concerned with loving people. being kind, honest and just. this is how Christians get a bad name. getting our undies all in a twist about something like this. spewing hate gets us nowhere good. and it isn't what my Lord would have us to do.

the woman and i didn't get much talking accomplished. she was in a tizzy that i didn't believe what she believed. i invited her to come back (while nuggie is napping) and we can talk more then. i hate this sort of thing - i hate confrontation of any kind. but on the other hand, i want to stand for what i believe in - in a loving way - and i want nuggie to grow up being a firm believer who can also be a gentle light to the world. screaming and anger and putting others down gets us NOWHERE. and i do believe that Christ said something about calling others out on their splinter when you've got a huge old log hanging out in your life. a sin is a sin is a sin. and if you think someone's lifestyle is "sinful" then before you go putting them down - take a cold hard look at your own people. we've all got baggage. we've all got things we wished we hadn't done or do. denying people their rights and shouting that they're going to hell because of who they LOVE isn't the way Jesus would have handled this situation at.all.


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

how does your garden grow - pt 2


i've been out of school for about two weeks now and ta-da - my blogging inspiration has disappeared. during class all i could think was - oh, if only i had time to write about blah, blah, blah. now, all the time in the world and nada. so here ya go - a whole lotta pics of my garden. it's doing wonderfully!!! i've got to brag a little bit!


 here are the tomatoes! all ELEVEN of them. these are my babies. all grown from seed! i LOVE them. there are beefsteak, "money-maker",  small yellow pear tomatoes and cherries. around them are little tomato friendly planties - basil, marigolds, nasturtiums, and onions.


here's the middle bed. the tall growing greenies are beans. they're out of control! the flowers are cosmos. behind the green beans are all the squash, cucumbers and zucchini. 



a close-up of the cosmo! good thing they're so pretty, cause i've got a jallion of them!



zinnia!




baby tomatoes!


baby patty-pan squash!


baby cucumber!

come on over later this summer and i'll make you a salad!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

everything is better in the blender...

so, i SHOULD be studying. i've got a pile of notes staring at me that are at least 4 inches thick. but i'm finding it hard to, well, find my motivation. i'm done. DONE i say. luckily i'm fortunate enough that pretty much regardless of what i get on this final i'll still pass the class with a decent grade. don't go all freaky on me though friends - i'll pull it together. get my studying ass in gear and all will be well. but tonight, tonight i mix things in the blender and drink them.

i'm very sad about my current state of affairs. nothing new, you can skip this paragraph if you're tired of hearing my fatty-batty moans and groans. but seriously, SERIOUSLY. i'm trying. ok - new goal... lose 25 pounds by the time i head back to school in the fall. that gives me most of may, june, july and part of august... that's roughly 8 pounds a month - 2 pounds a week. i'll have no more excuses. no school. no stress. just me and nuggie and the summer break. it's my diet that's sabotaging me. i'm working out more, not the mostest, but it's for sure improved and still that damn scale betrays me... oh and also, i got my rear in gear and actually took nuggie to the Y's daycare and got my flabby ass on an elliptical for 45 minutes one day this week. it was wonderful and she did great. so - NEW plan - brazillian butt lift + elliptical time + occasionally "wogging" (AKA walking/jogging so i'm ready for the tomato 5k in august) = fitness success. then there's the diet. i suck at this. i've discovered EAS protein shakes (many thanks to bionikate!), those are yummy for breakfast. and dinner i'm pretty good at, i try to cook something healthy for bub and i most nights. but lunch. oh lunch - my foe! i nibble on nuggie's leftovers, i eat some random assortment of fridge bits and then i say to myself - self, you NEED something sweet. go get yo'self that bowl of lucky charms. and i think, well... it's just cereal - eat away, right?? NO! if you see me eating sugary cereal slap my chunky little wrists. this is it. THIS IS IT. we're for real wanting another bambino in the near future and i refuse to do so 25 pounds heavier then i was when i got preggo with the nugget.

so one of my fun missions for myself is to have a "drink of the week" this summer. i started a week early - sue me. i'm attempting to keep all drinks to 115 calories or less. tonight i created a crystal light peach iced tea + lemon smirnoff vodka + a few frozen strawberries and a big handful of ice cubes drinky drink. then i tried some sprite(diet of course) and ice and watermelon smirnoff combo. both delightful... i do have some classier beverages on my summer beverage list. one includes gin+lemonade+champagne. but i really don't do champagne, so i'm thinking just some nice club soda perhaps? or some of that diet sparkly water stuff?

another fun summer mission is reading - for the enjoyment of it. i asked many of you for your suggestions. i ignored them all - i apologize. nuggie and i were trying to kill some time this morning, so while at target i perused the book aisle and picked up two that just seemed interesting... i found these:

this one got me for several reasons. first, i LOVE a good tear-jerker. second, it's a memoir of a man who lost his wife right after child-birth due to a pulmonary embolism. we just learned about this tragic pregnancy complication - so it seemed to make sense to read it right now. i've got a box of tissues ready to go.




this one i snagged b/c bub had heard it was good and hello - who doesn't love a good dead president and vampire book?!?

my third mission for this summer is to knit again. i don't even remember how to cast on. will someone help me? nursing school has sucked all the fun and creativity out of my brain :-)

just kidding - nursing school is the best thing i have EVER done for myself. but that's a blog for another day.

i'm gonna go study now - a little blogging was all i needed i guess :-)


Thursday, April 12, 2012

guess i should update...


 it's been a while since i updated (as usual) guess i should say a little something, something. so the pics above and below are of sweet nuggie. the zoo had a huge easter egg hunt for members and we thought she was old enough to enjoy it... i think we were wrong. poor little thing got out on the field and found one and half sad little plastic eggs. she about got run over by the stampede of kiddos. she did however enjoy the zoo :-) the meerkats are her favorite b/c she can get so close to them!



 here are nugg and bub in the nursery at church on Easter. oh she had on the sweetest little dress that her grammy pita picked out just for her, but the little stinker won't.sit.still. so this is the best pic i could get. it's a sweet one of her and daddy though :-)


she's growing way too fast. i'm starting to get the itch to maybe give her a brother or sister but nothing is right right now. our house is SO small and nuggie is such a terrible sleeper - how could she and a new little one share a room? we don't even have room in our bedroom to set up a pack n play, so no new kiddo could sleep in there. and school - i MUST finish school. it's too important to me to stop now. and i'm still a chunk. i keep saying i'll lose these 20 pounds, they're not budging. and money - there isn't any. like really, none. in my perfect world i'd graduate and get a great job and we'd move into a bigger home in a nice neighborhood and then everything would be perfection to have another baby. but life isn't perfect. and i'll probably be pushing old age by the time everything comes together all nice and neat. so what to do? up my anxiety meds times like a billion and have another baby? it'll be ok, right? oh heaven's - don't answer that. all we can do is say a prayer, give it to God and trust that HE knows when the time will be right. my job right now - get through these last three weeks of school.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

only 5 more weeks

oh sweet end of the semester - you can't get her soon enough! just five more weeks stand between me and summer break! it's been a long school year. i'm tired. i'm frustrated. i feel sorta like a hamster on a wheel. just spinning and spinning and not really getting anywhere. i'm ready for some sunny days spent with my little lady. not worrying about research papers and clinicals and quizes and NCLEX questions and journal articles and toy projects and paperwork... i want to go to the park and the zoo and the pool with nuggie. i want to take long walks and play in the garden. i do have to take one evening class, but it's just an ethics class - not nursing. it'll be nice to have a small break. and i am still looking for a part-time job at one of the hospitals. it's not like i want time off to sit on my booty. i just need to not be sitting in class for a little while.

ok, gripe over. my garden is growing!! i'm quickly learning what i've got a green thumb for and what i've got a black thumb of death for! my peas, onions, garlic, beans, strawberries and herbs are doing well. my tomatoes got something called "early blight" - i talked to mama pita and she suggested some things to hopefully clear it up. i have ELEVEN little 'mater plants that i grew from seed. i can't lose them! my squash and zucchini and peppers looks pitiful. something has eaten most the leaves off my peppers. my squash and zucchini were growing like champs and then the leaves turned brown and shriveled up. why??? i love it though. i love being out in the yard while nuggie naps. our little yard is turning into a wonderful sanctuary. now, will i feel the same way when it's 102 out and i've got to care for my greenies under the blazing sun?? probably not! i'm a half-assed hippy. i love the garden and the sun and the soil... as long as there are no bugs, dirt under my nails and the breeze is blowing :-)

part of my renewed hippy love is trying, for real this time, to rid our home of unnecessary chemicals. i've found, if i'm VERY careful, i can pick up most items at trader joe's and stay on budget. if they're not organic, they are at least free of preservatives and artificial gunk. i think this is especially important for nuggie. i'm not loving my "natural" cleaning products as much as i love my pledge and clorox wipes. but - they do work and it gets more chemicals out of the house. am i crazy? is it a lost cause? who knows. will i probably have to stop when the budget gets extra tight? yea. it's sad sad how much pricier healthy and "green" items are.

only 5 weeks to go...

Thursday, March 15, 2012

spring break round up

i could not have asked for a better spring break... well, unless i was skinny and on a beach and drinking a lot, then MAYBE that would be better. BUT - for this little stay at home mama this week has been divine. the weather has been picture perfect. 70's (81 yesterday!) sunny and wonderful. i've been able to sleep and take walks with nuggie and do some big time deep cleaning of mi casa. and i haven't touched a bit of school work. i'll probably pay for this later, but the mental break i've had has literally made me feel like a new person. i didn't realize how badly i needed this break until now, and it's almost over. i had no idea how stressed i really was. guess nursing school will do that to you :-) so so so thankful for a peaceful, restful, delightful spring break!

so what have i done??? well, it hasn't been a panama city beach vacay - but i did take sweet nuggie to the zoo. grampy got us a membership, so i see lots more trips in our future. she loved the meerkats and the flamingos. i think b/c you can get really close to them and she could actually see them. she didn't cry when she saw the blue parrots this time - hurray nuggie! and she loved watching all the kiddos around her. things she did not love: a vanilla ice cream cone. WHAT?!? this child loves anything sweet. a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. so i bought a very small cone for she and i to share. i let her take a taste and you would have thought i'd given her the most sour of lemons. her little face puckered up and she whimpered when i offered her another taste. poor little nugget :-( i think she got a brain freeze. the other thing she was not crazy about was holding my hand. how do you teach a toddler that she has to hold mommy's hand? the zoo has a massive playground area. so when we were done checking out the critters, we headed over there. all she wanted to do was run wild and in fifty different directions. i tried to show her to hold my hand, but that only resulted in her melting into a puddle on the ground. she seriously went limp as a little wet noodle when i tried to show her how to walk with mommy. then i looked like super mom of the year - like i was dragging my child around. and this kiddo is fearless. she wanted to climb up everything, go through every tunnel, slide down all the slides. but she's still so little and at times wobbly. i want her to play and have fun, just wish it didn't mean i was a nervous nellie and had to run around behind her to keep her from leaping off stuff and into harms way.

another fun spring break activity has been to set up my garden! pita surprised me with two new garden beds and all the soil to fill them up. aaaannnndddd, while it may have not been the smartest thing, it's just been too lovely and sunshiny and i had, HAD HHHAADDDD to plant my little planty starts out in the gardens. gardening is like therapy. oh how i love growing things and playing in the dirt. i've looked forward to nuggie's nap time every day this week so i could get out there and dig around. she sees the little baby plants and just wants to pull them up or poke them with sticks. we're working on this :-) so for now i'm a nap time garden gal. so far we've planted: tomatoes, garlic, onions, marigolds, basil, nasturtiums, mesclun, peas, carrots, spinach, cucumbers, white squash, yellow squash, green beans, strawberries, jalapenos, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, dill, cilantro, oregano and rosemary!!! whew! i hope it all does well!!

bub took a day off and while he was home we had a giant, old tree taken down from our front yard. it's bitter sweet. i miss it. i loved that old tree. it was lovely and shady and last spring nuggie and i spent lots of time playing under it. sadly though, it was dying and every time a breeze blew (not to mention all the awesome death storms we've been having), giant chunks of it would fall out/on/down from all around it. it also happened to be a poplar tree, so it dropped 75 bazillion "sticky balls" = yep, that's a scientific term for ya :-) those little beasts though are like perfectly round ping pong balls all over the yard and driveway. i can't tell you how many times i've about fallen on my ass stepping on them. so the tree had to go. after alot of hunting we found a great deal (bub even haggled a little - woot woot!) and down it came. and so now our yard is naked. and not shady. and a little sad. hopefully we'll plant something new soon.

other odds and ends...
- we watched moneyball. call me what you will, but i hated it. it was boring and sad and the only bright spot was brad pitt. but even he's starting to look a little rough around the edges.
- i bought a box of steaks out of a truck in our driveway. i can't say no. i can't. and so when the dude showed me these steaks and said he'd give them to me half off - i HAD to say yes. right? right? guys? back me up. cause i'm starting to feel pretty dumb. and scared to eat them. what if they're bad? they don't look bad. they look amazing. i really gotta work on saying "no".
- we had dinner with our sweet neighbors. man that lovely lady heather can make a delightful pizza - yum!!! it's always nice to spend time with them :-)


guess i outta stop. this is getting out of control. happy march madness friends!!! 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Please join me in supporting the March of Dimes!


*** Visit our team's website HERE ***

I am a member of a special team of people who care about the health of America's babies. That's why we have banded together to raise money and participate in the March of Dimes March for Babies. I am asking you to join our fundraising efforts today by sponsoring my event.

Contributing online is fast, easy and secure. You can donate directly from my personal webpage with a credit/debit card or PayPal. If you prefer, I can also accept cash or check. Just click the appropriate box on my webpage.

The money we raise helps save premature and sick babies. Premature birth is the #1 cause of newborn death and the biggest threat to babies' health today, and through March for Babies, the March of Dimes is funding important research to find out why premature birth happens and what can be done to prevent it. There's nothing more important than to give every baby a healthy start in life.

We need your help. Please join us in the fight against prematurity. Visit my webpage and sponsor me in the event that saves babies!

With your support, there's hope.

Thank You!

Friday, March 9, 2012

british invasion!

this last week i've had my mind blown... multiple times.

first it was rick from walking dead (aka andrew lincoln)...

then it was maggie from walking dead (aka lauren cohan)...


then it was the dude from the social network and now the new spiderman (another one???)...






what do these people have in common??? they fooled me! these people are all freakin' british! it started with rick. i was watching a little interview last week and heard him talk. and thought he was pretending. i could not take him seriously. rick isn't british!!! and then maggie did the same thing. and AGAIN this morning the little man with the weird hair (aka andrew garfield) shocked me too. these people can't be british! their american accents are so convincing. but rick, really? he's perfected that sultry southern drawl. consider my mind blown.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

spring break... where are you?

next week i'll be on spring break and it can't get here soon enough! i went to the library this morning after class and printed off about 8 jillion pages of journal articles for my research paper. figured i'd work on it over break. so i'm standing at the help desk, paying for my copies and the dude (an older fellow i should inform you) was asking if i'd be doing all this fun school work on the beach. ON THE BEACH??? do i look like the type to spend a whole, decadent week laying in the sand, getting a tan and drinking fancy adult beverages? can he not see the pasty white tint of my arms? the sleep deprived bags under my eyes? the 20 pounds of baby weight i have yet to lose? what about this picture screams - i'll be on the beach????????????????????????????????? hmmpphhh - to you sir, i say, uh NO, i will not be relaxing on a beach of any shape or size next week, unless you count nuggie's crushed up cereal to be sand and my sink to be the ocean... i will however be doing super awesome house wifey stuff...

- first, i plan to deep clean casa de babbling brooke. it really hasn't been done since school started in the fall. there are some dark corners of our humble abode that need some attention with clorox wipes and lysol.
- i'm gonna prep for a yard sale - say what?!? oh yes, it's true. we're hoping to do the ultimate red-necky thing and have a bunch of our crap for sale on our front lawn. time to clear out some clutter. keep this in mind a week from this saturday if you're in need of fun things like baby clothes, coffee tables or brick-a-brack (that's code for crap i don't want anymore :-)
- take the nugg to the zoo. let me know if you wanna come!


peds clinical started last night. it's 100% confirmed that this is not my cup of tea. i'm just not cut out to work with sick kiddos. between wanting to console every crying baby and wanting to cry over every sick little kid, i know i couldn't handle it. luckily this is a short clinical experience. nurses who can work with sick babies have my utmost respect.

well, i best be off... it's lovely outside today friends!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

i like tv... so what, who cares?!?

oh happy day! oh joyous, zombie-filled sunday night! we canceled our cable a week or so ago and now i am sad. i love tv, i do. there, i said it... but c'mon! we stay home and have a little one, what other excitement is there? (don't answer that). but, facts are facts and the budget needed some trimming - SO - cable and all its DVR-ing wonderfullness took the first cut. and as i said and i'll say it again, i am sad. bub assured me that all was not lost - we have the online netflix and he signed us up for hulu+ and so we can watch most of our favs a day or so late. all our favs but one. the walking dead. SAY WHAT?!? no zombie sunday nights? in the words from that cute little dude on parks and rec - this was an, "oh no no". but tonight zombie angels smiled upon us and we realized we had a credit on our itunes account and bub said, why lets buy us up some walking dead delightfullness. and so here we are - catching up on last weeks episode while i typety type type. all is right with the world :-)

peds clinical start tomorrow night... i don't know much about where i'll be other than i'll be working with the littlest ones. not sure if it'll be the most awesome thing ever or the hardest thing ever. i'll keep you posted.

the brazil butt-lift is going wonderfully. i've sort of been a lazy bum (ha ha - bum, get it???) and haven't stuck to my healthy diet and doing the workouts all the time. this week i'll get back in to it like a brazillian butt lift actress squeezes in to her teeny tiny spandex shorts (perhaps minus the camel toe, that's just uncomfy). i've made some progress FYI - i've lost 2 inches around my waist and an inch off each chunky thigh. these are the first results post-baby and so i'm declaring it a success... well enough of a success to keep me motivated.

spring break is only ONE week away! oh to be 20 and free to do spring break up right... i'll take some extra fun time with my little nuggie though :-) i think we'll be super awesome and hit up the zoo and the library and the playground. a trip sounds lovely though, doesn't it? even a weekend away to atlanta or something (bub, if you read this - HINT, HINT ;-)  we do have our 10 year "thingy" coming up.

well, since i started with tv chat, i'll end with tv chat - we're tackling mad men next. episode one starts now! and last weeks walking dead WAS a doozy. i'm gonna need to think lots of warm, fuzzy thoughts before bed so i don't have bad dreams about bloody walkers...

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

how does your garden grow?

well, the weather may be crummy - cold, wet and grey - but i've got a little bit of spring alive and well in my kitchen! determined to have a successful garden this spring, bub built me a couple of shelves and hung some lighting so i could start seedlings in the house! and it's amazing!! i've already got tomatoes, green bell peppers, zucchini, squash, sunflowers, cosmo flowers, poppies, dill, onions, basil, oregano, cabbage, lavender, marigolds, spinach and more. i can't wait till it's officially spring and all my new little greenies can go out into the garden :-)

the brazil butt lift is going great. it's tough. i've only finished week one, but i'm feeling better already. still working to get a handle on my diet however. stress eating is a hard habit to break. getting back into a regular workout routine is amazing though and i've got the awesome support of miss k - my bum bum friend :-) i'll keep you all posted. if you're thinking of doing it though - i would!!

does anyone else just totally hate valentine's day? i'm so glad it's over. i've got a sweet, wonderful hubby, but my idea of romantic and his idea do NOT match up :-)

the last couple weeks have been heavy, heartbreaking ones. our little family is doing well, but families around us have not been so lucky. my heart aches for our friends that have lost loved ones or are in the middle of very hard times. we've experienced painful times as well and knowing what these amazing people are going through tears my apart. i don't mean to be vague, but it's not my heartache to share. if you are the praying type though, please remember those going through especially painful times.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

bootylicious

hello little blogland, i'm sorry i let so much time go since we last chatted. life, as usual, is zooming by at a hectic pace. school is moving along. my ob clinicals are well under way and class is interesting - i love ob and peds, so while i often feel like a teeny tiny lego-lady tossed out to a giant sea, in the dark, with no life jacket and a blindfold over my tiny lego eyes (you know, like a tiny little lego person) i am enjoying the content of the lectures. nuggie is doing great! she's leaving babyhood in the dust and hurtling towards toddlerhood. so naturally, big, giant temper tantrums are in full swing. she's a spirited little lady, i'll give her that! i'm also finding it a struggle to leave behind some of the "baby" things i've done for her. currently i'm receiving a HUGE amount of grief from people on all sides b/c i still give her a "night-night" bottle. look people, i love it. i love sitting in the rocking chair with her and having some sweet snuggle time and reading her favorite little books. it's one of my favorite times of the day. if you'd like to give me grief about it - save it. everyone's gotta do what's best for them, and i adore our sweet mommy/daughter time. i'm also learning to not give in to her every whimper. i'm a sucker for a crying nuggie - but she knows this and she's playing me at times. gotta learn to keep those boundries in place. on a more positive note - i think we've got a girly girl on our hands. i've had my suspiscions, but this week she carried her little pink purse around, full of her "jewelry" and her cell phone (not a real one folks, calm down). she also is learning to carry the purse ON her shoulder like a grown up ladycakes. she's such a sweet little pea. i adore her more each and every day.

alright, so monday - the booty butt kicking commences. after hearing some ladies discuss the "brazil butt lift" last monday, i was laying on my lazy booty butt with bub and came across the infomercial. i said to bub, we have to watch this! and then before i knew it, i was totally sucked in. in just 60 days i can look like a brazillian super model! my ass can be two inches higher. these are facts people. i had to have it. so here we go, my latest get-fit fad. bub promised that if i did it for the full 60 days we could take a little mini-vacation this summer (we were already planning this, but it would be fun to confidently wear a swimsuit on a beach somewhere) just me and him. 60 days, i can do that, right? ha. yeah. i've said that about 974 times before on this blog. but maybe this time it'll stick? i got my videos all ready and the awesome support of the sweet miss k (who's kindly sharing her living room with me during parts of this adventure since a certain father-in-law is camped out on our couch for an undetermined amount of time). i've also stocked up on healthy foods - string cheese, nuts, fruit, boca burgers, tuna and about 16 pounds of lettuce for salads. i've got my ankle weights, hand weights and ridiculously large water bottle. now all that is left to do is fill out my "before" measurements on the sweet little card leandro himself (the creator of the brazil butt lift!) sent to me. oh and yeah, there's the pencil test. seriously. i wish i were making this up. in my packet came a lovely yellow pencil, the old school kind you'd take an exam with. and you're supposed to wedge it into her ass overhang, like between your cheek and thigh, and IF that pencil can be wedged there, that's like super-duper ass trouble alarms going off. thank the stars above, my ass isn't in THAT much trouble, but i do have the muffin top, and according to the booty blueprint, i am submerged in the booty badlands. we start monday... i'll keep you posted. i know you can't wait.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

i made soap - for real!

well, i guess i've gotten over my super-sucky-birthday-party-pout. to those few lovely, wonderful, amazing souls who shared the evening with us - THANK YOU. had you not showed up (like the other 38 people) i probably would have jumped off a bridge. my amazing sweet hubby is taking me out this weekend for my REAL birthday :-) glad to have him be my super, special date.

exiting the pouty platform....

a few weeks ago i freaking made soap. laundry soap anyhow. and i want to share my experience.

*** awesome, my pics aren't loading - i'll fill you in with some random google images, this should be fun***

so i found my recipe on pinterest. ahhh, sweet, happy pinterest. i didn't even know you could make your own laundry soap, well unless you were laura ingles or a zombie apocalypse had occured. but there it was, a recipe for it and it said you could make a gallon for like $1! we're straight up poor these days (no lie) and so i thought, sweet - i'll save us some non-existenet dollar dollar bills (yo) and make up some fabulous laundry goo.

step one - procure some supplies. my recipe called for a bar of soap (i used a bar of that yellow laundry soap - fells napatha or something like that), a box of borax powder and a box of washing soda (NOT to be confused with baking soda). you'll need a large pot that you will only be using for NON-FOOD activities, so i hustled over to wally world and got a cheap pot. you'll also need a long spoon, a cheap cheese grater and container of some sort to store your soap in (i used a gallon pitcher sorta thingy with a snap on lid)

step two - grate you soap (like cheese, but not). my recipe called for a whole bar (but makes 2 gallons) so i just grated half the bar and saved the rest for later. then you put it in a gallon (minus a couple of cups, but save these) of water and cook on low till all the soap is disolved. then you mix in some borax and some soda, boil, turn off the heat and let it cool. pour it into your chosen container. note - it would be VERY helpful to have funnel for this task. i couldn't find one, so we cut the bottom off a water bottle and used that. then it'll keep cooling. and it'll get thick. like REALLY thick. like, holy hell, what did i just do - i made a gallon sized bar of soap. enlist the help of a hunky man (or work some aggression out and do it yo-self) and shake, shake, shake it... it'll still be sorta jelly like, but at least you can get it to pour out of the container into your washer.


step three - use the darn stuff. it works! i was skeptical so i tried my first batch on some toxic peices. ie - bub's gym clothes and a washcloth nuggie pooped on in the tub. they came out clean as a bean. my one and only complaint is that it doesn't smell as yummy as our normal gain or tide, but i think the next batch i'll figure out a way to add some sort of fragrence. i know i could have chosen to use a yummy smelling soap, but the bar of laundry soap made sense to me to use. practicality over smellly-goodness won out.

i googled "super clean clothes" and this is what appeared. you. are. welcome :-)



and there you have it. minus the initial cost of the supplies, we figured each gallon costs really only about $1. it works and it makes me feel like i'm doing something happy and good for mother nature AND my sweet hubby's wallet while i loaf around in nursing school, not working. i'd find a recipe that looks like a delight to you and give it a whirl!


PS - my spellcheck button thingy isn't working either. enjoy all the errors my friends.