Thursday, July 31, 2003

Great News!

A long time friend (OK she's known me all of my life and my parents from college - but I didn't want to put her business out like that) just got great news. Connie Moody Now Heads REACH Program. I'm very proud of her!

Monday, July 28, 2003

I've Got The Feeling...

I'm past the morning sickness phase and now I'm into nosebleeds and extreme gas. This baby is stinky! Which in turn makes me stinky. I'm not sure I care for the association. Plus I'm starting to really show and grow out of my clothes. Munchkin is ecstatic. Everything is about being a big sister. Of course being excited now and when the baby gets here could be two different things. We shall see, we shall see.

I got a surprise in the mail at work today. A free pass to see SWAT on Wednesday August 6. I'm going to go with a friend I haven't had time to hang out with in ages. It should be fun especially since I'm spending next week working on Vacation Bible School at church. I'm looking forward to it.

My weekend was blah. I didn't go apartment hunting. I spent two days sleeping. I guess I didn't realize how much I needed sleep until I actually did it. My body literally was like "What is this marvelous balm for exhaustion and where can I get more of it?" I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the second time on Saturday and Munchkin got treated to Spy Kids 3-D as well. Plus as mentioned before it was PaPa's birthday so we went to dinner at The Grill on the Alley. I had prime rib...hmmmm beef.

P.S. Did I mention, I feel fat. I do. More on this later.

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

A Few Things Of Note

In my rush to share the news I forgot to mention some other things.

1. Happy Birthday to Papa! My daughter's grandfather celebrates his birthday today. We will go to dinner this weekend.

2. TGIF! I have two summer days this week so today is Friday. I need the rest and I need to apartment hunt. I will be doing both.

3. Happy anniversary to my parents. It is actually on Friday but I won't be here so best wishes today.

That is all. Carry on as per usual. Have a great weekend!

Drumroll Please...

I promised a big announcement this week and I don't want to disappoint. I'm expecting. Yes you heard me correctly, munchkin number 2 is currently getting ready to make an appearance in late December. I'm pregnant, knocked up, PG. Pick your most favorite term. It all applies at this moment.

Most of my friends won't be surprised as I told them already but for those of you who don't know that's the big announcement. I'm already around 17 weeks so I won't get to share the joys of morning sickness with you. Not that you missed much except me throwing up almost every day all day for about a month and a half. The rest is open fodder.

Currently I'm getting nosebleeds and tension headaches. This is cause of concern for me since I can count on one hand how many nosebleeds in the past 5 years and now I need two to count how many I've had in the past 5 weeks. I have some key appointments coming up so I can't wait to share the gory details.

Ahhh! The joys of pregnancy. Don't you love it!

Monday, July 21, 2003

A New Look!

I've changed my blog template. Thanks to the magic of Frontpage I was able to do this pretty painlessly. I also have to thank Sasoozie. She also redesigned her website with columns. I've wanted a way to re-organize the miscellaneous stuff that people want to know about you but you don't want to put in the blog because it will disappear. When I saw her columns it all clicked. So thanks Sasoozie for being the visionary. I hope you like the new look. The sidebar information will probably be updated pretty frequently. Let me know your thoughts!

Is This For Real?

I got an email from these people and had to laugh...plus pass it on. Who would do this to their friends and still call them friends? The Blind Date website is an interesting concept I'm sure but I love my friends too much to send them out into the wilderness like that. I wished someone had loved me that much before submitting my information to these people.

Top 10 Traits of a Great Girlfriend or Wife

I received this email from a male friend and wanted to share. Not to brag but I think I have quite a few of these qualities. Would make me a very good catch...HINT! HINT! Quite frankly I'm more curious to see the Top 10 Traits of a Great Boyfriend or Husband.

10. She's independent
No one wants a girlfriend they have to baby-sit. Once in a while, like if she's had a rough day at work, it's great to be her shoulder to cry on, but if she can't seem to function without you and is constantly after you, she will eventually make you feel like you're suffocating, which is a surefire way to get you running out the nearest exit.

On the other hand, if she has her very own personality and opinions, can stand on her own two feet, both financially and emotionally, and is able to enjoy time away from you -- while still missing you, of course -- then she must be a great girlfriend.

9. She's intelligent
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the bimbo routine gets real old, real fast. A woman who can meet you at an intellectual level is a total turn-on. Instead of being the one in total control, you'll find yourself trying to figure out what she's really thinking behind those glazed eyes of hers -- or if she's actually thinking at all.

An intelligent woman will constantly surprise you and keep you on your toes. She won't let you get bored of her. Besides, it's nice to have something to talk about between all that chandelier-hanging sex.

8. She's sexual
While we're on the topic, a great girlfriend has to be sexually compatible with you. For instance, if you're into S&M and she's more the "fluffy lingerie" type, that's a problem. The two of you have to be on the same page -- or, at least, she has to be willing to wear leather and use a whip from time to time.

Of course, this doesn't imply that she has to know all the right moves straight away; it simply means that you and she have an undeniable attraction towards each other, and are able to communicate your desires verbally (or with physical cues). It is important that you please each other in the bedroom, or on top of the dryer -- whatever the case may be.

7. She's beautiful
I know, this one is kind of obvious, but important nonetheless. A great girlfriend will not only want to look good for you, but also for herself. She should always look her best and be well put together -- matching lingerie is a definite plus.

You have to be proud to have her on your arm and enjoy the sight of her in any light. And this doesn't mean that she has to be a Byonce clone. Remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if you think her full bottom or uncontrollable curls are beautiful, you're allowed.

6. She respects you
This is a biggie. Your woman must respect you. This means that she listens to you, even if she doesn't necessarily agree with what you're saying. And, of course, she never tries to demean or belittle you in any way, shape, or form.

A great girlfriend won't ever cause scenes in public or in front of your friends and family, and will always wait to discuss matters with you in private. If she respects you, chances are that she will behave in a tactful and diplomatic manner in most situations, which is definitely a good thing.

Does your woman bring you and the guys beer on card night or?

5. She lets you be a man
Do not -- I repeat -- do not get involved with a woman who tries to get you to eat cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast and insists that you give up poker night with the guys. You will end up resenting her more than you can imagine. A good girlfriend lets you be a guy in all your glory, poker night and all. If she's a great girlfriend, she'll even bring you and your buddies a couple of beers and make you some of her famous sandwiches.

She has to understand that men and women are different and should allow you
to be yourself. Just like you wouldn't deprive her of going shopping with her best girlfriend, she shouldn't expect you to give up the guys for her.

4. She's nagless
There is nothing worse than a nag! A great girlfriend knows this and chooses her battles wisely. She knows when to speak-up and when to let it slide. You don't want a girlfriend who will give you the heights of hell for leaving a couple of dishes in the sink occasionally.

However, if you live together and you stay out all night without calling her, and she lets you have it, then you're setting yourself up for disaster. This is a situation that nobody would let slide -- not even a great girlfriend.

3. She gets along with friends & family
A great girlfriend will not only help your mom in the kitchen, listen to your dad's stories, and hang out with your friends, she will enjoy it. She'll make a real effort to get to know and love the most important people in your life. And she won't try to get you to ditch your best buds.

She'll actually empathize with your brother getting dumped and suggest that you guys take him out to cheer him up. Not only that, but your friends won't roll their eyes and moan when you mention that she'll be joining you guys when she gets off work (yes, women like this do exist).

2. She loves you
If you have found a woman who loves you for who you really are and not who you pretend or try to be sometimes, you should definitely hang on to her. A woman who doesn't try to change you is hard to find. Of course, everyone has their slightly annoying habits that their mate has to contend with, but if she really loves you, she will be able to cope with these.

Another way to know if she really loves you is by observing the way she looks at you and treats you on an everyday basis. If the sight of you doesn't seem to faze her either way, and she doesn't really seem to care about what you have to say, she's either playing very hard to get, or sees you as just some guy. But if a surprise visit or phone call from you makes her light up, there's no denying that she loves you.

1. She makes you want to be a better man
Stop making that face... Any man who has a great girlfriend or wife will tell you that she makes him want to be a better man. She doesn't have to say or do anything; it just is that way. If you suddenly feel bad about how you treated your sister or find yourself trying to get your finances in order, you might want to think about your motivation for doing so. It could be love.

Do you already have her?
So, if this list seems to describe your current flame, you, my friend, are styling. In fact, you are probably the envy of all of your friends, even if they tease you for losing your status as "king player."

However, if the woman you are dating is more like the polar opposite, then I don't think that getting serious with her would be in your best interest -- but you knew that already, didn't you?

Friday, July 18, 2003

Shame on Me

I've been a bad blogger. I've let my life get in the way of telling the world about it. Don't worry I have things to share just need to get it together. Please bear with me. Major announcement coming next week!

Thursday, July 03, 2003

TGIF

Actually it's not Friday but considering Friday is a holiday I'll take today as the end of a LOOONG week. I owe a complete blog so here goes.

A Sick Little One
After my action-packed "planned" weekend last week it all turned out to be a bust. I didn't go to the sky show as planned. I woke up at 12:30 am to get ready and get a bad feeling about the whole thing. I've been very conscious of when my intuition is talking to me so I listened and stayed home and got a few more hours of sleep. So I'm sitting in bed reading around 11 am when I get a call from my daughter's school that she has a temperature of 102 degrees. (WHAT?!?!) I called her dad but he couldn't leave work so I agreed to pick her up and take her to his place. He had already told me that she wasn't feeling well that morning but he medicated her and sent her on her merry little way (i.e. she felt better and was in good spirits). By the time I got to school (a 2 hour trip thanks to the horrendous traffic), she looked sick. She was listless and her color was off. Plus she was asking for Mommy. I took her home, took all her clothes off, medicated her some more, gave her plenty of fluids and put her to bed. She slept for several hours which gave me the opportunity to finish my book. She woke up hungry so she got peanut butter toast (delicioso!). She watched cartoons in bed and pretty much chilled -at my orders - until her dad got home. He went out and got her chicken fried rice for dinner (her favorite). But she didn't eat very much of it and went to bed without complaint (is this my child?).

Saturday - the saga continues
I had a doctor's appointment on Saturday. My daughter wanted to go. She was still feverish but said she felt better and when I told her she may want to stay home with Daddy she had a fit because she wasn't going to be left at home while I go out. So I took her and she whined the whole way. We finally finished at the doctor's and I took her to IHOP to eat breakfast. Her whole day changed with a meal. She immediately perked up and became her old self. We ran some errands and I took her back to her dad's house - where I took a nap and when I got up she and her dad were playing. We thought she was all better. It rained - hard - so we decided to go to the Taste of Chicago. It wasn't crowded - nothing clears a crowd like rain - so that worked out well. Do you know that all that child wanted at the Taste was some chips and McDonald's and the McDonald's was the most expensive thing there? I on the other hand had some catfish nuggets, baked potato, chocolate covered strawberry, cheesecake and watermelon. I was full and it was good. Unfortunately she had on new sandals that were not made for walking and her feet hurt her so I broke down and carried her part of the ways back to the car.

And the diagnosis is...
I needed to pick my daughter up from her father's house for church. I'm on my way there when the cell phone rings...it's her dad. He let's me know that she is covered with a rash...RED LIGHTS GO OFF. The child had a fever for two days and now she has a rash...call the doctor ASAP! He does and comes back with the verdict: SCARLET FEVER! I didn't know kids still got that anymore. Apparently they do cause mine has it. Luckily her doctor called in a prescription that we got filled and started her on Sunday. She felt fine but she itched so it was back to the old stand-bys: oatmeal baths and witch hazel. They both helped but not 100%. Needless to say we missed the dinner for her great-grandmother but I ordered us Leona's instead. Her dad went without us. I told him it's his grandmother turning 90 and my daughter obviously couldn't go.

Monday rolled around and I took her to the doctor. She has scarlet fever. She felt 100% better however and even got a prescription to help with the itching or as she says "i'm scratchy". Either way I took her shopping for summer clothes at Rainbow Kids. They were having a sale and I got her about 15 new outfits for a reasonable amount of money. We got shoes at Payless yesterday. She is ready for summer.

I'm making no plans for this holiday weekend. That way nothing can go wrong. I just plan to take things as they come and relax when possible. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Independance Day.