Birthdays and Holidays Galore

I've been battling an unfriendly stomach bug and therefore haven't had time to catch up on everyone's blogs yet. I'm trying desperately to get better because I have such a big week ahead of me. On Saturday is Amber's 8th birthday! I've completed the shopping for gifts but still have to pick up a few key items like, oh, wrapping paper. Usually we wrap up the gifts about a week before and set them out for display. It's so much fun to see them agonize for a week over what's in the boxes. So with only 2 days until her birthday, we're a bit behind schedule.

Thanksgiving is one week from today! This is arguably my most favorite holiday of the year. This year I will be cooking for 11 people. And I love to cook so I do it ALL myself. I spend two full days cooking. But, again, I'm behind! I haven't finalized the menu, or the shopping list! And I'm sending the hubby shopping for everything tommorrow. I guess I better get on that, eh? Shame on me!

The good news is I have this entire week for VACATION. I'm so excited, it's my only complete week away from work this year (no, 6 weeks on disability hardly able to move around didn't count, because it felt nothing like a vacation!). And it will be busy -- busy with cleaning, cooking and shopping. But I think I kind of like that, actually. I've been slacking off too much on the weekends. At least this way I'll feel like I actually did something with my vacation instead of being lazy, since I can't actually go anywhere.

And finally, we're getting a new addition to the family! No, not the bun in my oven :P But a Holland Lop rabbit. Actually, we're planning on two, but in case erm.. "accidents" occur, we're making sure to grab them from different bloodlines. They're a bit hard to find around the St. Louis area, but we've got our first, and it's coming home with us on the 29th .. just over a week away! In case you haven't heard of the breed, the Holland Lop is the smallest of the Lop family, and maxes out at about 4 lbs if you have a true Holland Lop dwarf. This one we're getting has been hand raised, is about 6 weeks old, and will be ours shortly. Isn't he/she adorable?!





Well that's it for now. I will work on finishing catching up on everyone's blogs, and you'll certainly get a b-day/Thanksgiving update with pics!

Guess Who's Back ...

Do you ever have the problem where the longer you stay away from something, the harder it is to return? I feel that way now. I guess I expected that I should wow you all with some grand revelation that I learned while I was away and anything less would be unspectacular and boring. Well, sorry, I have no such revelations! I simply needed a break from the blogging world. But now I am lonely and want to come back! How else can I waste such quality time at work? I must admit that I have an unproductive hour first thing in the morning, while I drink my caffiene and get used to the idea of spending (yet another) day at the office. But boy is it hard to find an hour's worth of time wasting sites (most of the good ones are blocked by my work) without blogging and catching up on other people's lives. So alas, I will write at my previous rate of a blog or two a week, even if I have nothing interesting to talk about it.

I am into my fourth month of pregnancy, which is also my second trimester. It was a HUGE relief to pass that first trimester at the beginning of the last week. In fact, I'm starting to feel pretty good. I still have to go to bed early -- I've been pulling into bed slightly after I get the kids down, at approx. 8:30 each weeknight. But at least for the rest of the day I seem to have more energy. I still get into slumps, but nearly as much as before (come home, nap, then sleep at 8:00). At least now I'm cooking dinner a few nights a week instead of leaving it to my hubby or take out.

I am in full maternity garb now. I have zero pairs of non-maternity pants that I can wear, and just a handful of non-maternity shirts. I have had people who didn't know I was pregnant (but who did know me & what I looked like previously) ask me if I was pregnant. So I'm happy that I'm now looking more pregnant than fat, although I still feel like it's too soon! The good news is my weight gain has been much more controlled this time. It helps tremendously that my pregnancy craving is NOT McDonalds this time around! Actually, the craving thing is kinda driving me nuts. The problem is that I have no set craving. For my first pregnancy, I ate Taco Bell almost every single day I was pregnant -- it started a couple weeks before I found out I was pregnant! With my second, it was McDonalds, and boy was it a doozy! Quarter Pounder w/Cheese meal, supersized, with a chocolate shake! Now I didn't eat that every day, but at least 3 or 4 times a week. This time my cravings are off just everywhere, which really sucks for my budget because I can't prepare for what I'll want to eat! A single, constant craving is much easier to manage.

Okay, so I'm going to leave you with that right now. I have many topics on my mind, but I'll save those so that I actually have things to talk about later. I will catch up on your posts, but please bear with me because it will be a while, I have a LOT of catching up to do!

Confessions of a Bad Blogger

Yes, I said it. For the past month now I've been an exceptionally bad blogger and for that I apologize. This pregnancy has had me dog tired so far. So tired that I often come home from work, take a nap, eat dinner, then go to bed at 8:00. On the weekends I might stay up till 10:00, but then turn around and sleep from anywhere between 10:00 and noon on both Saturday and Sunday. And no matter how much sleep I get, it's never enough. I'm so tired that I don't want to do anything, and blogging and keeping up with blogs has been the last thing on my mind.

But I vow that will change, starting this week. Even if I'm tired, I will find the energy to post about something once or twice a week. And yes, everyone -- I'm so sorry for falling way behind on reading your blogs. I'll catch up, every last drop, I promise. And I'll leave lots of comments to prove I was there!

So what's new with me? Well, I am now 9 weeks pregnant and thus officially into my third month, which is the last month of the first trimester. Everything is going well. Last week I had another ultrasound, this time we got to see the actual baby and its heart beat, so we know everything is working as it should. I'm only 9 weeks and have only gained 2 pounds, yet my stomach is significantly bigger. I can still (barely) fit into my regular jeans, but I'm about to outgrow those. Good thing my work clothes are all slacks so there's some growing room there. People who know me can tell I'm pregnant, but I've been assured not to worry, other people will just think I'm a little "bloated". Geez, thanks!

I spent this past weekend playing with my new toy: an Apple iPhone! Whoot! I'm psyched about this thing. I had my previous, primitive cell phone for 2.5 years, and I was well ready for a change. But I would not have gotten this phone if I didn't work for AT&T, and thus get an awesome 50% discount off the voice, text & data plans you have to purchase to have the iPhone. Anyways, this thing is awesome! I was apprehensive and feeling guilty about making this purchase, but not anymore. I have everything I want at my fingertips -- email, chats, weather, games, facebook, Pandora radio (oh yeah!), and much much more! Did I mention I love it?! (Oh, by the way, if this post makes you go out and purchase an iPhone, please contact me so that I can get a referral for your service :P )

Well that's about all for now. I will be spending this week catching up on everyone's blogs. I may not get to you right away, but I promise I will soon!