Sunday, December 20, 2009

Just about 35 weeks

(FYI, I am complaining below because I am so sore and tired and sugar deprived - sorry for the rant!!)

I am totally bummed after my unscheduled doctors appt this past Wed. I am almost 35 weeks and I now have to be on a diet because of excessive swelling. I have to limit my carbs, sweets, and salts. Anyone who has ever met me knows I live on carbs and sweets!! I love breads, pastas, cakes, ect....and most of my cooking involves a generous portion of carbs (I am Italian and Irish for crying out loud!!). So, the last few days have been quite hard. No more yummy goodies - and it is Christmas - and I can only eat a limited amout of breads/pastas per day. The doctor said that by following the diet I should be able to lose a lot of the water weight that came on very quickly over the last week - and will probably weigh less when I go back on the 30th - well of course I will weigh less - there is nothing to eat - HA!!

Now, I know it could be much worse and I shouldn't complain - I don't have gestational diabetes or preeclampsia (at least not at the moment, and shouldn't develop it if I can control the swelling). But with the sciatica pain, stretch marks that popped up two weeks ago, and just not being able to move because my stomach seems to get in the way of everything, it is a bummer. I hope labor goes better!!!!

Friday, December 4, 2009

32 Weeks

My stomach is getting huge!!! I don't think it can stretch anymore - ha! Stella will be here soon and there is still so much to do - I should really get on that =)

Monday, November 9, 2009

4D Pictures



She was not very cooperative today for her 4d portraits.....I have a feeling this is going to be a trend for the next 18 years - uh-oh!!!!

Stella's Room

Here are some pics of her room so far!







Saturday, November 7, 2009

28 weeks

I am not a fan of this photo, but Andy would not retake it - he thought it was fine. He has been really stressed this week with work, school, and big test.....I guess I understand....haha. Anywho, we go to the doc Monday for our fun ultrasound. We should get to see what Stella looks like (I hope she looks like me!!).

Sunday, November 1, 2009

November already?!?!

I can't believe it is November. Where does the time go?!?!?! I really don't like getting older; time really does fly - lol!!

Has any other pregnant person noticed that you become a bit crazy about housework while gestating?? I can't seem to keep the house clean enough - no matter what I do! I really wish I were rich so I could have a daily housekeeper....that would make life much much better!! =)

I Alex news, he seems to be feeling a bit better. He has more energy, so I think his UTI is clearing up - only another week and a half of antibiotics then another test. His stitches came out at the end of the week, that actually went well. The vet said he was healing nicely, and the spot never really seemed to bother him. He is still limping on his back paw, but that will probably continue for a while. Has anyone used doggy supplements for joints/arthritis? I am wondering if these supplements actually work and might be beneficial to Alex. I need to talk to the vet, but want to see if anyone has first hand experience first =)

I am SO happy cooler weather is here - this is my favorite time of year! Fall foods and smells....yum!!! I really need to do some baking today - after I clean again, of course! =)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

What a long week

Where to begin. It was SUCH a long week.....

First with the good news - my glucose test results came back normal. Thank goodness! Since I can't drink I now like to drown my sorrows in cake....still probably bad, but it sure does help when you get bad news!! I thought it would come back ok since I am hypoglycemic to begin with, but you never know....bodies go through crazy changes when you are preggers. Like now, I am pretty sure I am growing exponentially - HA!! You couldn't tell I was pregnant for 20 weeks, but now I am HUGE. I just don't see how I am going to stretch anymore.....craziness.

Now to the bad news. Poor Alex has not had a good week. He had surgery last Friday to remove a Mast Cell Tumor - that was the beginning of the problems. His actual surgery went pretty well, but he gets so worked up and upset being at the vet without us that he ended up hurting his leg. He has very bad joints in his back right leg and that is the leg he sprained/pulled. So when he came home he was just dragging it around - very sad. The vet said to keep him off it and it will heal (as much as it can, being bad to begin with) - but how do you keep a doggy off his leg?!?! Well, by Tuesday things got worse for the pups - I noticed his tinkle was darker than normal and I thought something was wrong. Andy of course thought I was crazy and being paranoid, but I made him take Alex back to the vet for test. Turns out he has a urinary tract infection - probably picked up since his immune system is repressed from perpetual steroid use and surgery (he is on Temeril-P daily for other existing issues). So, now he has to take an antibiotic for 21 days and then be re-checked. Then the worst part - his biopsy results came back and the tumor was cancerous. Poor little Alex has cancer =( Now, they may have gotten it all (she said they did get .5cm of clean margins around the tumor), but they cannot be sure it has not spread or will not come back. There are several different options that we can take, but two of them are quite expensive - especially with a baby on the way. Unfortunately, I think we are going to just have to "wait and see" if any other spots develop and then have them removed. We already take him in every 6 months for lab work and such, and the vet thinks this would be a very acceptable way to go. We will not be putting him though chemotherapy - that would just be too sad for puppy - he would not like it at all. So the consensus in my family now seems to be - give Alex as many cookies as he wants and let him be a happy (and probably fat) little pups for his remaining years - HA!

So that was my week - I won't even go into how stressful work was this week - there is not enough time in the day to describe that. Oh well - I have some yummy chocolate cake from the Grotto to make me feel better =)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Poor Pup

My poor little pup has to have surgery tomorrow. He went to the vet last night for a lump we found near his bottom/leg....I thought it was a blocked gland or something like that. Nope, it is a mast cell tumor =( The vet decided that it needed to be removed ASAP because of Alex's predisposition for having the most ridiculous things happen to him.....awesome, right?!?! She thinks we caught it early and it is only in stage one - which means it is not cancerous and it has not metastasized to any organs. So, everyone needs to keep their fingers crossed that the biopsy comes back ok! My poor puppy....it makes me so sad to think he is going to be sliced open. It just melts my heart to look at those big brown eyes.

On a side note, Andy finished painting Stella's room. It is very pretty!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Glucose Test Monday

24 Weeks - I am getting HUGE. I don't know how I am going to make it another 14 or so weeks (yes, I am planning on her coming early - wishful thinking). I can't stand sleeping on my side, apparently I have poor circulation (Andy just told me that), and Stella does Kung Fu in my stomach which is not so comfortable - and keeps me up at 2am - and then kicks my bladder and makes me have to pee. She kicks A LOT - especially at night. And from what I hear, the schedule they keep in your tummy is the schedule they come out with......Stella is not a sleeper!!

We started painting her room today (or I should say, Andy started painting). Should be done tomorrow and then the carpet cleaners are coming Monday - yeah!! Her crib was ordered and should be here next week.....we are getting a rocking chair and dresser from my parents. They are also letting us use the bassinet for her first few weeks so she can be in our room - I hear it is easier that way at first since they are up and eating every few hours. The bedding is almost done as well - it looks so pretty. I can't believe I helped make it! Who would have thought I was crafty enough to make baby bedding =)

SO I have the Glucose test Monday....let me tell you what an unhappy person I am going to be if the test does not come back normal. I don't have a sweet tooth....I have sweet teeth! I have always been a desert person and I always will be. I am actually on the hypoglycemic side of the spectrum normally, so I am hoping my glucose levels will come back in the normal range being pregnant. Oh well, I guess we will find out soon enough. I will go ahead and eat lots of cake in the mean time...just in case ;-)

Monday, September 14, 2009

21 Weeks

We went to the doctor today and everything looks good with little Stella. The baby is measuring about 21 weeks and just under a pound in weight. She *really* likes to be squished up in there - the technician said she has plenty of room to stretch out, but is all squished on top of my bladder (which I already knew since every time she kicks I have to go potty!!).


I don't think she wanted pictures taken - she has her face all covered up!



All squished up - her knee is up to her face


Waving hello to everyone - or maybe leave me alone ;-)


I made them double check it was a girl....they are pretty darn sure....which is good, since we have all girl stuff!

Remodel

Here are a few pictures from the recent remodel of our dining room/kitchen and the updates to our other two bedrooms....Stella's room is still in progress =)

New dishwasher! It is very pretty and works wonderfully =) The next appliances to buy are the microwave and range.


New wall between the kitchen and what was the dining room


New study (what was the dining room)


New french doors to go into the study


Entryway - didn't Andy do a good job painting =)



Stella's room before we paint - it used to be the guest/exercise room (before the treadmill broke)



New guest room - what used to be the study. It is such a pretty blue/gray color now - used to be dark green. We still need to hang my diplomas...but I think we did quite enough work for one weekend!!!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

20 Weeks


I am halfway through...hard to believe!! What is even harder to believe is that at the end of this I will be in charge of a little person - yikes!!!

Stella has started to really kick - I can see my stomach move at times. I can't imagine what that is going to feel like when she gets bigger.

I go in Monday for the next round of tests - a sonogram that will take measurements to make sure everything is growing properly. I also hope that she stays a girl - I know I am probably a bit neurotic about this, but it makes me so nervous that the sonogram a few weeks ago was read wrong. Especially after we got all the cute girl stuff!!! Although everyone has had "girl" premonitions (except for me, of course -I had none), so I guess I should just relax and buy some more cute things =)

Pictures from last sonogram








I know these are late...and more will be coming next week =)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Extra Sonogram!!!

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!

We paid for the extra sonogram and found out today. Super excited =)

Monday, August 17, 2009

17 weeks

So I went to the doc today, and I have to wait 4 more weeks to find out the sex of the baby. SUCH a bummer. We could have an additional ultrasound, at our own expense, to find out the sex, but I am cheap =)

They took blood for another round of tests...I feel like a pin cushion every time I go in there!! Pee in a cup, stab my arms/hands, weigh me....it is more like torture than a doctors appointment.....geezz. All of the other tests have come back normal so far, so hopefully this one will be the same. I haven't really gained any weight yet, and the doc said that is normal with first pregnancies...hopefully I won't balloon out at the end =)

I did get to hear the heartbeat again today....it is quite fast and fairly strong. That kiddo is pretty tucked back in there though, the doc has to maneuver around and push on my tummy to find it each time....I think *she* is sitting right on top of my bladder - man do I have to potty a lot!!!

I also went to the dermatologist today - no spots removed (yeah!!) but there are two spots that she wants me to monitor for the next few months. She said that with being pregnant, my chances of having some of my moles/spots change goes way up, and she wants to make sure no new melanoma spots come out. That would suck big time. At least we are watching them....which reminds me that I need to get Andy to look at them because they are on the backs of my legs and very hard for me to see....HA!

Friday, August 14, 2009

16-weeks

Well we have reached 16 weeks in the pregnancy and everything is going great. Right now, it is about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. Its legs are much more developed, its head is more erect than it has been, and its eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. Its ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of its scalp has begun, though its locks aren't recognizable yet. It's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, its heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as our baby continues to develop. (Taken from www.babycenter.com)

Here is the latest picture - Lauren has developed a slight baby bump, which I think is just adorable :-)

Only 4 weeks left until we know the sex of the baby!!

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Saturday, August 8, 2009

Remodel

Our remodel of the front room is almost done - yeah!!! We just have to finish painting the kitchen and then I will post pics =)

Next we are working on painting the rest of the house and rearranging the other rooms....can you tell the "nesting" phase has kicked in ;-)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

12-Weeks - End of 1st Trimester

Well I have been a little lax in posting to the blog - since I intended to do it LAST Thursday at exactly 12 weeks. I did take another picture of Lauren last week in my efforts to chronicle the birth of our first child. Below is a picture of Lauren at 12-weeks pregnant:

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There isn't much of a difference ... atleast not one that you would notice unless you live with Lauren 24/7 like myself. But to prove the existence of a baby growing in her stomach I present the ultrasounds we had on Monday, July 20th:

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This was quite simply the most amazing thing I have ever seen! I was awe struck that Lauren and I helped create this little person growing inside of her! I am so excited (if you couldn't tell) and cannot wait to welcome this precious child into the world.

Our next ultrasound is not until 20-weeks (when we will finally find out the sex and can refer to the baby as "he" or "she") - so my next post will be Lauren at 16-weeks and we'll see where she has progressed!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Can't wait for a new week...

So, this past week has be awful.....too many crappy things to mention....I think next week should be better!!!!!

Andy took another picture Thursday to mark week 12. I don't think I look any different yet - I mean, my clothes still fit fine and I really don't feel like my tummy is being stretched or anything. Hopefully I will be able to wear my clothes for another 8 weeks or so....maternity wear is just not that cute (and the stuff that is more stylish is WAY too expensive). I am starting to feel a little better though- not everything makes me want to vomit now ;-)

Alex had to go to the vet again this morning. His eye was all red and he was squinty....I swear, you would think we don't take care of this dog by the way he looks, but he is one of the most spoiled animals you will ever meet! The vet could not find anything in his eye, so that was good. He may just have the start of an ulcer, so we have more medicine and he goes back for a recheck Friday. I would like a month to go by where we don't have to spend several hundred dollars on the dog!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

8-Weeks

Well as many of you know Lauren is pregnant with our first child - and I honestly could not be more excited than I am right now. Nothing compares to the thought of having a child, with the woman that I love more than anything on this earth. I've had a pretty good year thus far - I will be an administrative intern at Moorhead Junior High and I was accepted into the Texas A&M University doctoral program for Public School Administration but neither come even close to the birth of our first child!

Now as many of you know I have a slight case of the OCD - I keep track painstakingly of all kinds of things - this pregnancy will be no different. I am going to be starting to take pictures of Lauren in 4 week intrevals to show the progression of her pregnancy. I started last Thurday, June 18, 2009 when she was 8-weeks along.

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So check back for more information - I will defintely be posting again on July 6, 2009 after Lauren has her next doctor's appointment and another ultrasound. Then on July 16, 2009 when Lauren is at 12-weeks and at the end of the first trimester you will be able to see how she has changed since 8-weeks.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Being Preggers....

So, being pregnant is TOUGH!!! And I am not even 25% done....yikes!!! I feel like I haven't slept in a week, I have to go potty every 2-3 hours (even at night!), I am constantly nauseated and I have a few other issues that I will refrain from listing - although if you ask Andy he would be happy to tell you!!

I really don't know how people do this more than once - they say you forget all they symptoms and pain, but I really don't see how anyone could forget all of this - lol!

We will be finding out what the sex is - as soon as possible - so we can finish picking the bedding and what colors to paint the room. Andy wants a boy and I want a girl (no surprises there!). So far the votes are about 50/50. I know SO many people who have had boys though, I really hope the odds are in my favor and I get a girl =)

We have also decided to turn our dining room into a study so we have an extra bedroom - I hear the baby will need a place to sleep once it gets here ;-) We have three contractors giving bids, so hopefully we will be able to get this done quickly and cheaply. It does not entail too much - walling off an opening from the kitchen into the dining room, putting in some french doors from the entryway into the dining room, painting the room, and replacing the baseboards. I think it will really add to the house....I mean how many people in our age group/starter home price range actually use a dining room??!! We don't even have furniture in there at the moment!!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Baby!!

Guess who is going to have a baby?!?!?!

I am about 8 weeks and due in January......just in time to miss the 2009 tax year - HA!!

I am sure Andy will be posting more on this subject. He also plans on posting pictures of me each month...as I grow...bigger and bigger....yikes!!! =)

Monday, May 25, 2009

Busy Busy

I have been quite busy the last few weeks!!! Lots of work with some fun mixed in =)

First, we had a Percussion Studio reunion a few weekends ago. That was a blast from the past!!! I had so much fun seeing everyone again. It was crazy to see some people with their kids - I still can't get over the fact that I am creeping towards 30! It really made me miss college though - such fun times. I also have to give props to the current Studio president for organizing the reunion - good job. And, I hope your leg heals nicely (he broke it during the show - hardcore!!).

That same weekend we went up to ATM for Andy's orientation for the doctoral program. It is going to be a lot of work, but worth it in the end. Now I need to find a hobby or something to occupy my time while Andy is doing school work!

Last week I went to NYC to walk for graduation. Yes, I did finish in December, but Pace only has one ceremony a year, so I had to walk in May. Graduation was at Radio City Music Hall - very cool. It was a girls event - I went with my mom and Shana. We had lots of fun, although I could have staid for another 5 days!! I did get to bring some cookies back from Ferrara's that I have been munching on for the last few days.....YUMMMMMM!!!!!

Now I have to get back to the grind - grocery store and errands today!!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Aggieland Here I Come!

Well most of you know that recently I was trying to make a decision on which doctoral program to start this summer. Well after a lot of time debating with myself and discussing it will Lauren, my family, friends, and colleagues - I have decided to make my way back to Aggieland this summer. I think what sealed it for me was the orientation at A&M on May 8th - I really liked the way the program was laid out and the professors that I met. Plus, the more I think about it the more inevitable I think it was - I love Texas A&M, I am an Aggie through and through and I love the thought of going back.

Thanks for all your support guys - it is always greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Decisions ... Decisions ... Decisions

Well as many of you know who actually read this blog I was accepted to the Sam Houston State University Educational Leadership doctoral program in March. Today I found out that I was accepted to the Texas A&M Executive Leadership doctoral program (the A&M equivalent to the SHSU program). Now this is totally awesome because I love A&M, but I am still in the middle of a big dilemma as I don't know which program to go with - as I was actually hoping I'd get in one and not the other so my decision would be made for me.

I guess the one thing that worries me is that I will chose one program, but then will wish I had chosen the other ... so now all I have to do is figure out what to do.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Friday!!

I am so happy it is Friday =) What I am not happy about is the fact that it is going to be raining all weekend =( I really hope the Earth Day festivities go on as planned tomorrow. I also hope that everyone participates in some way.....everyday!!

***edit*** Earth Day festivities have been canceled. "It is with great regret, and for the first time since the event started in 1990, we are canceling Earth Day." There is no rain date scheduled for Earth Day - for information about next year's Earth Day, please call 281 210-3900.
Do you know how sad this makes me!!!!! =( =(


Alex update: he has about 75% of his hearing back now - whoohoo!!! Thanks to everyone's well wishes and good thoughts.

I also need to get a new computer....every time I am on for longer than 10 minute it starts to get *really* hot and has a fun burning smell.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Alex

Alex ended up having a small procedure yesterday on his ears. The vet was worried his eardrums had burst, but they had not - they were just loaded with gunk!! Apparently, he had fluid and wax stuck in his ears and it was pushing against his eardrums, which was making it so he could not hear.

I think the worst part about the whole thing yesterday was the fact that they had to put him under anesthesia. He was out of it yesterday, and made a lot of sad whiny noises - which made me sad. Then, he decided he was going to stay awake all night. So what does that mean for mommy?? I was going to stay awake all night!!! Fun!!

Needless to say, I am quite tired now =) But I do think he is hearing a little bit more. Hopefully his hearing will come back completely in the next week or so.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Our Poor Pup

So, the medicine the vet gave us for Alex's ears made him deaf. Yes, you read that correctly. DEAF. Apparently that is a "very rare side effect" and "he should get his hearing back". Poor puppy.

He goes back for a check up on Monday - everyone keep your fingers crossed that his hearing comes back.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The last month

What has happened over the last month? Lots and lots!!

Andy got into the doctoral program at Sam. Woohoo for education (and tuition payments that are going to be due)!!!!

We moved into a new office at work. It is nice, but the move sure was a pain. Then after the move (after everyone worked their butts off) the biggest changes came. While there used to be 5 full time and 2 part time employees at the office (doing the work of 10 or so people), there are now 3 full time employees left. Corporate America morons have brought their wrath again. Do I still have a job? Yes. Is this good for my financial security? Yes. Is this good for my mental health? No.

They laid off the two girls who worked the front desk....leaving an empty front desk...how they thought this was a good idea is anyone's guess. Then they laid off the branch manager's assistant, who new EVERYTHING about the office and took care of everything. Again, good idea? NOPE. Then they laid off another CSA. Needless to say, all hell broke loose at the office last week. I sure could use more hours in the day - or at least some caffeine!!! HAHA!!

I got a new hair cut. I do have to apologize to the Lock of Love people - I am sorry, but I had to cut it off and I did not have 10 inches to donate. I needed a new fun look after all the crap that went on at work. It is bobbed, dark chocolate brown with purple-ish/burgundy highlights. Looks really fun in the sun =)

Alex has another ear infection and ulcer on his eye. I think we need to put the dog in a bubble!!! I really wish we could claim him on our insurance, he would contribute a large amount to the 'health' deduction!!

What else happened? I am sure lots more, but work has used all of my energy and brain power for today =)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

What's up, Doc?

Okay - so today has had to be about the best day of my life. Let me put it this way with the exception of getting married to my beautiful wife and the future birth of a child (no we are not pregnant, but if that did happen it would be better than this) I have never been happier.

Today I was accepted into Sam Houston State University's (SHSU) Doctoral program of Educational Leadership & Counseling. That is right! I will someday (after a lot of hard work obviously) earn the title Dr. (even though I know most of you will never call me by it, lol).

That is it I just wanted to share the happy news as I am UBER excited about starting the program this summer!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Diploma!!

I got my Master's diploma today in the mail!! They even sent me a credit card sized one for my wallet - so cute =)

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Doctoral Interview

Well it is that time again folks ... time for doctoral program interviews for Educational Administration. I got notice that I received an interview last Wednesday on February 18th and had my interview this morning at 9:00 a.m. This is my second year to interview for the doctoral program at SHSU so I felt I was a little bit more prepared for what to expect than what I was last year -- also I had to added bonuses of building my resume experience wise. I also got to wear my brand new, three-piece, first ever suit that I thought I looked totally sweet in, but then again I'm a little biased when it comes to myself.

Well anyways the interview was pretty much exactly that same as it was last year. I'm actually about 99% sure that 99% of the questions were exactly the same. And I'm 100% sure that the writing sample was exactly the same. So we will see what happens ... this year I am going to stay pessimistic ... just in case. We'll see - I should find out in approximately a week since that is what it said on the letter they gave me when I arrived there this morning. I'll keep you posted - cross your fingers for me!!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

February 19th

A long time ago on February 19, 1981 God decided to create a miracle that would bring joy and happiness to all that stumble across their path ... of course, once he finished this he created me. Yes, today is my 28th birthday! I have to say that it hasn't been a bad day at all ... my students couldn't get enough of wishing me a Happy Birthday. I was probably sung Happy Birthday to atleast a dozen and a half times - in the cafeteria, in the hallways, in the classroom ... the list goes on. It was as stress free a day as I could possibly hope for at work. On top of this I have a great family and a wonderful wife who loves and takes care of me on a daily basis. She even bought me this card:

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I mean look at that she even taught Alex to sign his name and put his mark! For dinner tonight - PIZZA! Seriously, who could ask for more?!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Feeling better

I feel SO much better this week. Those steroids the doc gave me rocked - it even cleared up my eczema! The only thing is coming off them is not so fun.....you are really drained and sore for about 3 days...oh well!! Still feeling better =)

I also know way too many pregnant women - I think their "nesting" moods are transferring to me. I have been so productive the last few days - cleaning, laundry, organizing, etc...at work and home. It is very weird and I am not sure what to think of it. I just know I need to steer clear of Lowe's and Home Depot....we may end up with new appliances!! HA!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Home Sick

So I am home sick today, and as much fun it is to not be at work, it is a huge bummer to be sick. I managed to catch yet another stupid virus......where they come from is anyone's guess, but they all manage to find me! Arrrgggg!!! Anywho, I have lot of meds again, so hopefully it will be eradicated soon. I am just glad the 101.4 degree fever has broken, that was not fun at all.

What does one do on a sick day? I guess it is different for everyone - depending on what they are sick with. Here is a summary of my day:
Be woken up early by a wrong number on my cell
Alex making noises until I got up to let him out/give him a cookie
Begrudgingly made myself half a bagel for breakfast so I could take meds
Watched TV
Took shower
Took calls from work
Watched more TV - during this also let Alex out several more time and made a little lunch
Did a little Laundry
Watched more TV (this is definitely a staple when you are sick!!)

Yup, other than using up half a box of Kleenex and coughing a lot, that was pretty much my day. Exciting it was not. Off to work tomorrow to find out all of the fun things I missed today, which always means more work for me.......

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Tyson's first bday

Tyson's first bday - isn't he cute!!!




New floor/new camera

So, here are the pics of the new floor - taken with my new camera! We still have to paint the room and put the molding back on.





Saturday, January 24, 2009

New Floor

After contemplating new flooring for about a year, and then searching for tile that matches what we have, we finally have a new floor in our "dining room". Well almost....it will be grouted tomorrow. It looks nice so far, but of course, I am having some type of buyers remorse.

Don't get me wrong, any sane person would probably say the new tile matches the existing tile well enough, but to me, it is slightly off. =( I will have to post pictures for everyone to see, and then you can tell me if I am nuts or not. I guess if it doesn't match enough I can just put up a wall and close off the entryway into the kitchen - HA!!

After the tile is finished we are going to paint the room (again), replace the molding, and then look for some new appliances for the kitchen. I know Andy love it when I want to 'fix' things!! =)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Colonoscopy, Surgeons, Inagurations ... Oh My!

Well today has been quite a day. First let me start with my day at the doctors - I say doctors because I had two doctors appointments today, which I took the day off from work to go. My first stop this morning to the Gastroncologist at 9:00 a.m. I have had stomach issues most of the past few years, but I had began to notice that they had gotten a lot worse over the past few months or so. I explained this to my primary physician when I went in for a blood pressure check and she suggested to go to the Gastroncologist just to double-check that it wasn't something more serious than IBS. Well anyways getting on with my tale of sorrow - I arrive at 9:00 a.m. at the doctor's office to find that I am the only patient there under the age of 75! I go in and see the doctor and explain what has been going on and to make a long story shorter I have to get a string of test done and get a colonoscopy on March 18th ... oh what fun ... what joy ... just what I always wanted.

As if this wasn't enough to fill my day with excitement I had another appointment at 2:00 p.m. with a general surgeon about a lump under my skin on my left forearm and a BB that I have had in my side since I was 7 years old. Now you might be saying, "Hey Andy you've had that BB in your side for the past 21 years almost ... why take it out now." I realize that my wife loves me very much and apparently it gives here a smidgen of heebees and touch of jeebees for me to have a BB in my side. I kept hearing some "What ifs..."

1. "What if it dislodges and goes into your bloodstream into your heart and kills you?"
2. "What if it dislodges and goes into your brain and kills you?"
3. "What if its leaking something into your system that is slowly killing you?"

See a pattern there?? Overall, she is afraid that it is killing me. Well after talking with the surgeon he stated that it was harmless, as was the lump ... but if I wanted to remove them he could do it in the office with a general anesthetic - so since I want to get the lump removed under my forearm I figure that I will get the BB removed at the same time to set my good wifes nerves at ease. Although they better let me keep my BB!!

Now shifting the subject since I am as Lauren states a "history nerd" I cannot help but mention that today was an historic day. Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African-American president of the United States of America. Now, honestly I cannot understand why anyone didn't want this man as president - everytime I hear him speak I am inspired. He is like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy all rolled into one. I feel that he will be good for this country and get us back on the right track ... not only economically, but also restore the United States reputation throughout the world ... of course, only time will tell.

Okay Lauren keeps asking me when I am going to be done typing this and she is glaring at me to end this ... so I'm out!

Time

So, can anyone guess how well I follow 'New Years resolutions'?? Ha - if you guessed 'not well' then you would be correct =) The last two weeks have really been a blur - I can't believe it is already Jan 20th!! Time sure does fly when you get old ;-)

Let's see, work was super busy today. Not only did we gain more brokers (fleeing from Merrill Lynch/BAC), but the stock market went up in flames. The latter was a bit of a surprise today - most people in the office would have predicted a bump because of Obama's inauguration. I guess the people who were playing the markets today were looking at bank earnings rather than what Aretha Franklin was wearing! I just hope companies earnings begin to pick up over the next quarter (a BIG wish).

As for our new president - I am super excited. I think he brings a fresh perspective to the office and hopefully will present a different side of the US to the rest of the world. Now if he can only bring forward some green initiatives that will actually make a difference, that would rock!! =)

Thursday, January 1, 2009

January 1st

I think this is a good day to start something new!!