Living.Laughing.Loving. Most of the time anyways.

2012: Week 1

2012-01-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

Our week in review:

I spent Sunday extremely hungover (more on that at a later date).

Emma has been looking at her clock and yelling, "It's two-ninety-four! WE'RE LATE!" She's extremely protective of her mommy. She has been talking a lot about Uncle Nick lately. She calls Vincent "Pincent." Man, I love that girl!

Vincent is finding his voice. He coos and laughs all the time now. He kicks up a storm in his bouncy chair!!

Matt plays Call of Duty ALL THE MOTHEREFFING time. He got a promotion at work and now he gets all fancy every day. I like it. :)

I went back to work this week which isn't too much fun but it's nice to get out of the house. Plus, I get to take Baby Pincent with me.

Loving this life~

Whistle while you work...

...

2012-01-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

I feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. I have been wanting to do some creative writing exercises on my blog. That is not happening at this point. I also wanted to start taking pictures everyday. That is not happening at this point. There are a lot of activities on my list of things to do but I can only do so much, I guess..

I miss the warm summer days of watching Lu play outside.. I'm longing for a lazy summer day right now.

He was just a little bug...

2012-01-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

Little Vincent.. Who knew you could love someone so much?? When you have a child, you realize that there is this whole other level of love that you have been missing out on.. It's the kind of love that grabs your heart and squeezes the shit out of it. You seriously can't handle how much you love this little person. It is completely overwhelming! I have been overwhelmed by this love twice now and it is amazing. :)

Matt took this picture the day after we brought Vin home.. Probably while I was on my way to bleed out in the bathroom.. C-sections are fun.

Kiddos

2012-01-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

My sissy is an amazing photographer!! I love her way too much. She was kind enough to take a few pictures for me when Baby Vincent was just two weeks old. Here is one that I love!!

Christmas Gifts..

2012-01-04T22:06:00.000-08:00

This year, I didn't have a ton of time on my hands, what with a newborn and all.. I didn't paint a single canvas for Christmas and let me tell you... I'm having withdrawals! So, instead, I let my creativity flow through Photoshop. Not as much fun as painting but the end result was worth it. :)

Back to work. Sadface!!

2012-01-03T22:20:00.001-08:00

Matt and I were blessed with a baby boy in October! His name is Vincent. :) I'm convinced that we are the luckiest people in the world...

Unfortunately, the new year means that I had to quit being a stay at home mommy and go back to work. But lucky me, I get to take Baby Vincent with me!! I have to leave Lulu with a babysitter and we missed her all day... She is the best big sister!!

Anyhoo, here's Vin, ready for his first day on the job.

Emma always says, "Hi, handsome boy!"

I think she's right!!

Christmas Morning

2012-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

We had an amazing Christmas!!

I don't know why, but we didn't get a family pic... I'll be sad all year!!

And I'm back to the blogland.

2012-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Welp, it has been too long since I have blogged... A L O T has happened since I last wrote and I'm going to try super hard to catch up on everything...

First things first... My littlest brother and his beautiful wife welcomed a baby boy to their lives.. He is our sunshine on the cloudiest of days!! I can't even express how much I love this little sumo wrestler!! He is my sweet baby.. :)

They already have a pretty girl, Jessie and she is my sweet pea... I can't get enough of her sweet smile!!

So, for Christmas, I took these two images and created this:

Love this beautiful family!!

Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?

2011-09-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've spent my whole life waiting for the next thing to come along. When I was young, I couldn't wait to grow up, just like every other kid. I hated school but loved learning. I wanted to chase my dreams and never look back or have anyone looking over my shoulder. I couldn't wait to drive, graduate, become an "adult." hahaha.... All that came and went and then I wanted to do the next thing that came into my head, and the next and the next. And so it went...

Then, suddenly, my entire life changed. I met Matt, spun around and around in a whirlwind of emotions, fell in love. I started dreaming of new things. And then we found out we were going to have a baby. And I thought, well, that's it! Dream time is over!

The day we found out we were going to be mommy and daddy to a little girl, we also found out that our little jelly bean had a heart problem. Several times we were told that she may not make it. Even now, thinking of the things the doctors said causes my chest to collapse just a little bit. I can't believe there was a possibility that Emma may have not been in our lives at all.

Everyone knows the end of the sad part of the story.. Emma got through everything. She was a healthy and happy baby who lit up the world! Mine and Matt's world, anyway. And the best part is, I had new dreams to look forward to. All of her firsts which happen faster than you can ever imagine. All of the things she will do and who she will become. She is so beautiful... I find myself just staring at her, wishing I could freeze each individual moment and hold onto it for just a few seconds longer.

I see some mothers who are frustrated with their children, they're tired and they have no patience left for those little grabbing hands and whining voices.. Not saying I haven't been there because I have. I just think that if, just once, somebody came to them and said, "Your child might not make it through today." Their whole outlook would change. They would hang on to those little grabbing hands and never ever let go. They would cherish every laugh and even some of the cries and whines... They would try to hang on every moment with their little ones.

I feel so blessed to have made it through that time. To have been able to hold my little girl day after day and tell her how much she means to me. She has a lot of health problems but luckily, nothing that has tried to take her from me again. I never want to forget what almost losing someone you love so much feels like, as awful as that sounds... I never want to go through the motions with my loved ones. I want them to know how precious they are to me.

In seven weeks, we will be welcoming a baby boy into our little family. I can't wait to meet him and care for him and watch him grow. I just wish that for today, these moments with Emma would last a little longer than normal...

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.

2011-06-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

This one is way too hard.. There are so many things I want to do before I die and I don't know that I could find a photo that would be able to express how I feel... I know I could say something cool, like I just want to parachute off a mountain or go backpacking through Europe (yeah, right.. Let's be honest, unless there is a tram, I'm not carrying a backpack more than about two blocks). Of course there are a million and one crazy things I'd like to do before I die but at the end of the day, they're not the most important things in the world.

Before I die, I want to see my daughter graduate from high school AND college.. I want to see her fall in love and get married and become a mother. I want to hear her laugh billions of times, and I want to dry her little tears when she is sad. I want to be able to provide her with the things she needs and teach her to appreciate the things she has...

I want to grow old with my husband.. I want to enjoy the time we have together as a family. I have been so blessed to have found someone as amazing as Matt to share my life with... He is the catalyst for every happy moment I've had in my adult life.. I want to make him happy and I want to be with him through every moment...

You never know when your last moment on earth could be... I want to savor every moment I have with the people I love... I want my family to know how much they mean to me.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

2011-05-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

I cannot imagine living without either of these people!! They are the best part of my life and I love them so much!!!

And now there is another little person on it's way into our world.. November 4th is the big day! It is crazy but that is the exact same day Emma was due. Emma was my miracle baby and I think this one is super special too, considering the circumstances...

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

2011-05-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Ray LaMontagne... I don't know what I'd do without your sad sad songs.. Or your happy love songs!! I love this guy!

Music makes me happy...

2011-05-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

I love romantical songs. ♥

Haunted Wednesday

2011-05-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

My brother told me that I live my life like I'm in a horror movie. I think that is only medium true.. I'm not constantly looking over my shoulder. I've never been stalked by a serial killer (as far as I know). I don't always turn on all the lights in the middle of the night when I have to go to the bathroom, and I would never run upstairs, essentially locking myself into a house if a killer was chasing me.

My brother is right in a sense, however, because I know how to terrify myself... And I do it everyday. When I am brushing my teeth before bed, I'm not sure I didn't see a ghostly figure pass behind me in the mirror. While lying in my bed, I may or may not see a shadow person leaning over the bed looking down at me with scary demon eyes..

This is the crazy world I live in.. I'm sure ghosts are targeting me because of my fear. They know I'm weak, I think... Probably aliens would like to abduct me as well.. I'm pretty sure they read minds so don't get carried away with your anti-alien thoughts. I thought I was getting abducted once. It was terrifying! But that story is for another time.

So, my recent paranormal experience was just a couple of weeks ago. I was getting ready to go to bed so I was turning off all of the lights. The last one was the light over the stove... I have a teapot that sits on the stove at all times. Just as I was switching off the light, I caught a glimpse of a person in the reflection of the teapot. This kind of shit is exactly what I am so damn afraid of! My breath caught in my throat. My heart felt like it moved six inches up my chest and was trying to slowly crawl through my tubes and out of my mouth. I wanted to scream and cry and run, but I couldn't. I could still see the reflection of the phantom in the teapot. And then. It. MOVED. That motherfucker actually moved towards me!! I thought my heart would stop beating and I would just die right then and there. But that didn't happen. What did happen was that I put my hand up to my mouth (nervous habit) and the same thing happened in the reflection. Just the fact that I saw more movement scared the shit out of me until my brain recognized that the scary creature in the reflection was in fact mirroring my movements. YES. It was me in the goddamn teapot. Not a ghost or a demon or even an alien waiting to take me to it's home planet... It was just little old me, terrifying myself AGAIN.

Then I had to go tell my husband what had happened. And he just laughed and called me an idiot, like usual.

The end.

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.

2011-03-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

I don't even like to look at this picture.

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.

2011-03-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Sara... Oh the craziness that ensues when we are together will hopefully never be leaked to the press.

Clearly the top pic needs no explanation. I have way too much fun with Sara!!

Haunted Wednesday

2011-03-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

This is a true story.. It happened around mid January.

I was about to get out of bed and get ready for work. Emma came into my room and climbed in my bed with me. We were talking about bunnies and ducks when all of the sudden she got super quiet and just sat there. Staring straight ahead... Right at the closet.

Ok, I made that seem a lot scarier than it really was. I didn't suspect anything until she started talking again.

"Mommy.... Who's that?" Still staring at the closet.

"That's the closet, Lu."

"Mommy, he's scary!!" (Covering her eyes)

Now I'm like, WTH??

"Baby, that is just the closet......"

"MOMMY! He's scary!!" She cuddled up to me at this point and tucked her head into my chest.

Me: .... o_O

Emma looked back up at the closet again. This time she put her little fingers up to her eyes and slowly dragged them down her face. "He's sad, mommy. He's sad."

That was when I really got scared.

She looked back toward the closet again and said, "He's scary, mommy!"

I looked toward the closet and then back at my innocent little two year old. I shouted, "Tell him to get out!"

"GET OUT!!" She yelled.

Then we ran like the dickens.

That's how I handle scary situations with my child/future children. I'm a total wimp.

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

2011-03-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.

2011-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Nightmares...

2011-03-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

What is it about planning a new regime that makes your life go awry in seconds?

I know that I can be a little neurotic at times so I'm just going to assume that my crazy brain sets me up for failure when it feels change coming on. For instance, last night I decided that I was going to get up super early today and get my shit together... Lately, I've been falling apart emotionally; I finally decided to try and pick up the pieces.

Anyhoo, the thought of getting up early lit a fire in my mind. The only problem is that the flames got a little out of control once I was in bed. While I was supposed to be falling asleep so that I could rise and shine at an indecent hour the next morning, my brain turned on a whole new world of thoughts for me to process. I started thinking about laundry, painting, spiders, vacuuming the mattress, taxes, selling my condo, buying a new home, taking emma to the park, planting flowers, Easter, Easter candy, cupcakes, a glass of wine, and why the hell am i so thirsty? It's the middle of the goddamn night!! That was pretty much the stream of randomness that went through my head for about two hours straight. I tried to turn my brain off but then it seemed like my heart was beating really loud and then I started thinking about that and that thought lead to other thoughts and then it was an hour later and I was about to freak out...

I finally fell asleep and went straight into a dream. I was in my room and everything was normal but when I opened the bedroom door, I was suddenly in the middle of the woods. I was walking in the dark woods to a place where I was going to meet my boyfriend (it was actually Matt). The place where we were meeting turned out to be my after school job. I didn't want my boss to see me because I hadn't been there in a long time and I didn't want to get fired. We hurried out of the place into a cobblestoned street and I saw a huge Trojan Horse looking thing and instinctively, I knew that terrorists were inside of that horse. We ran into a cabin that was just off the road and when we had closed the door behind us, there was the scariest/hairiest man EVER and he was swinging an axe around the cabin like a fucking lunatic! I almost ran for my life but I came upon the realization that the man was really a robot and if I could get him to open his mouth, I could push one of his teeth and he would power down.

While I was doing that, Matt disappeared. Then a whole bunch of strangers showed up. I was talking to them about God knows what when I noticed they were all missing chunks of their faces. I suddenly knew that there was a bug that would land on your face and take a big chunk off if you didn't kill before it bit you. I was looking around for fluttering winged things when it hit me: the bugs were invisible. And possibly microscopic. I got so scared, I ran out of the cabin (apparently the bugs were confined to that place).

When I got outside, it was a bright sunny afternoon. I walked to the top of a hill and looked up at the beautiful blue sky... Out of nowhere, a huge flock of flies flew over head. They were tightly bunched together.

How did I not know something was wrong?? Even the landscape is frowning..

What happened next was truly frightening....

OMFG!!

In the distance I heard what was surely the death cry of someone who was being eaten by the zombies. I picture them being consumed from the feet up because they were able to scream with their last dying breath, "RUN FOR YOUR FUCKING LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVEES!!!!"

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what I did. While I was running down the hill in my desperate attempt to escape my fate of violent death by zombie , I tripped over my own feet and.... Woke up.

And that is why I was late for work.

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.

2011-03-14T08:40:00.001-07:00

Day 06 - A picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day.

2011-03-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.. This is harder than I thought it would be.. I don't know that given the chance, I'd want to change places with anyone. Even for just a day.

I like my life.

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.

2011-03-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

Day 04 - A picture of your night.

2011-03-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

I don't have an actual photograph of my night and you'd be happy I didn't because it would be the most boring picture you ever laid eyes on.

I'll post a picture of my night when I'm actually doing something other than reading "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish," or singing any number of children's songs.

Emma is so funny though, I just have to tell! Whenever Matt is not wearing a shirt, she goes around yelling, "Daddy naked! Daddy naked! Why? Cause!" She says it over and over until he puts a shirt on.

If I absolutely had to post a picture of my night, this would be what it's all about...

Cute little muffin.

Haunted Wednesday

2011-03-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

I've had a number of scary experiences, Paranormal Encounters, if you will... Whether or not they are actually spirits or just my mind creating these things really makes no difference to me at all. They have all been terribly frightening, none the less.

There was the time I thought my husband was a ghost, and no matter how many times I think of it and even though I laugh now, it was absolutely horrifying at the time.
Imagine waking up to a shadowy figure floating directly over your head, mere inches from your face. It's very dark in the room and it takes your eyes a few seconds to focus in before you see the outline of death hovering over you. You scream and wrench the covers up to your chin while squeezing your eyes shut... You dare yourself to peek out again only to see the same demon looking back at you, only now, in your mind, he has sharp pointy fangs.. And he's drooling scary ghost saliva. And he has crazy eyes! CRAZY FUCKING EYES!!! And now you realize those crazy eyes are glowing. And they're red! You slam your eyes shut, scream again and yank the blankets up to your nose... You tell yourself, just one more look, to be sure that the terror you've just witnessed is real. You open only one eye this time and you see the monster moving. That is all you can stand.
Your shriek reverberates throughout the house and your first instinct is to throw the blanket over your head. Why?? You may be asking. Obviously, you can't outrun a ghost. They are lightning fast; and if it's a demon, it will possess you and probably kill your whole family. But blankets have magical properties. Every blanket/sheet/bed covering is woven together with fibers from angel wings. They form an incorruptible shield between you and anything even remotely scary. After what seems like hours of hyperventilating under your magic blankie, you come to your senses. "I'm an idiot, there's nothing there... I'm 26 years old! What the hell am I doing under here?"

That's when it happens, the demon speaks... "What the hell are you doing?!" It's then that you realize ghost/demon/shadowy death man is in fact your loving but super irritated husband.
You shamefully poke your head out of the blanket and say in a tiny voice, "Oh... It's you... I thought you were a ghost. .. ... . .." And you make this face: :o|

Then the anger smacks you square in that face. Who in the hell comes and stands over your bed and stares at you in the middle of the goddamn night?! On Christmas Eve, no less? You know he has seen "A Christmas Carol" and that should be enough to prevent unwelcome floating over the bed in the middle of the night. So then you say, "What in the hell are you doing?!" Only when you say it, it really does sound like you've been possessed by a demon because you're so mad your voice takes on a mind of its own.
You don't even wait for an answer. You just roll over and pretend to have gone back to sleep. You never want to speak of this awful experience ever again, only you can never live it down. Not because you threw the blankets over your head instead of running. Not because you saw someone in your house and didn’t immediately dial 911. Not because not once, not twice, but thrice you screamed out in fear. And not because at the end of the hypothetical day, it turned out to be your husband and not the scary monster with crazy eyes and ghost drool you thought you saw…
No, no, you can never live down this particular forty-five seconds of your life because your newborn, not even two month old child was lying on the bed in her Boppy, not but sixteen inches away from you. Maybe half an arm’s length. And you didn’t even try to protect her. No magical shield blankie went flying over her head. You didn’t dive in front of her desperately yelling, “Leave the baby!! You can have my soul instead!” You didn’t even glance in her direction while Satan was traipsing around your bedroom.
To you people who think I am a bad mother, I say this: Did it ever occur to you that baby souls are so pure nothing evil can come within six inches of them? Because I’ve come to the conclusion that instinctively, I knew my baby’s soul was safe. I knew that I was more in danger of being possessed or just stared at by this scary ghost than Emma was. Plus, babies can’t see well at that stage of their lives! She wouldn’t have seen the same thing I’d seen. She didn’t even know what scary was yet!! So, in conclusion, I am not a bad mom. Just an enormously frightened individual whom encountered what I thought was an other worldly phenomenon on the creepiest night of the year.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

2011-03-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

This was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make...

First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to Grey's Anatomy. Dr. McDreamy and Dr. McSteamy, this doesn't change the way I feel about you... I'll continue to tune in every week to see you, and only you two because the two of you make my heart go pitter-pat.. Mostly McSteamy though. Sorry McDreamy, you're boring now that you got married.

Private Practice, it could have been you in that picture down below, unfortunately, you had to go and have that terrible rape scene this season and now I can't look at Charlotte without crying like a baby. Plus, what did you have to go and kill Dell off for?

Unsolved Mysteries, even though you've been cancelled for years now, I still watch you on DVD as often as life allows. You're forever in my heart. Also, you have no cast... Just that old guy with the scary voice.

Teen Mom 2.. Is it just me or is Jenelle's mom the real star of the show? "You are the worst piece of shit mom ever, Jenelle!" I concur, crazy lady.

American Idol, how I have loved you through the years, you will never know.

Last but certainly not least: Jersey Shore.... Snooki, I wish we were friends in real life! You've been my favorite since about the third or fourth show of the first season. Long live the poof!

And finally....
Here is the cast of my favorite show.

The reason I chose Modern Family besides the fact that it is HILARIOUS is because I love every character on this show! Phil and Claire, Luke, Hailey and Alex, Mitchell and Cam and Lily, Jay and Gloria and Manny... They are all so funny and I couldn't pick a favorite if you asked me to. If it were a matter of life and death I'd choose Cam. But secretly, I'd be debating between Cam and Phil.. Love this show!! And if you're not watching it, you have not lived.

2011-03-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.

Well, the person I've been closest to for my whole life is my baby brother. We were the best of friends until he was about seven, then we started trying to beat each other within an inch of our lives. That went on for about seven years, I would say... Then we just told each other how much we despised one another for the next two years. Then we became friends again. :)

Despite the arguments, name calling, punches in the face, etc., we were always there for each other. No one could come between us. I like to think of Joey as the son I was way too young to have. The very bad son that you'd like to send away to some kind of reform school but you can't afford it and even if you could, you know you'd kinda miss him anyways so you just keep him around. Then you pray. You pray that God will intervene and save his little soul. You pray that he will emulate good role models like Dawson Leary or Boys II Men. You pray that he will stop playing music so loud that you can't concentrate on your physics flash cards and you have a test the next day so you ask God for patience and strength not to go down to his room and wring his scrawny little neck. You pray that he could just me more like you, dammit!

Then one day, you just learn to accept him for who he is and you love him with all your heart. You come to accept the fact that while he'll never be the person you imagined he'd be during his childhood, the person he has become is pretty damn amazing.

This picture was taken while we were still in the best friends era of our lives.

This was the last photograph our parents have of us together, genuinely happy to be there. All the others have fake smiles and before the temporary flash induced blindness wore off, we were actively trying to maim one another.

Moving on...

Here we are, later in years. Friends once again. See how happy we look?? That's because I had already moved out of my mom's house, so we didn't have to see each other everyday.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

Also, look at how skinny I was! Man I miss those days.. I still have those pants. I'm like the people who keep the old pants they used to wear and they show people and say, "Can you believe I used to wear these? Now my whole body could fit in one leghole.." Only, you know, the opposite. I get them out when we have company over and say, "I used to wear these. Can you believe that? The waist of these pants is straining just being in my presence!" No one laughs because it's really more heartbreaking than anything else.

And here we are, semi-present day. This photo was taken at my wedding, 9/19/09. We were dancing. Or I was and Joey crashed what surely would have been a stunning photo of my graceful movements.

You can see why those pants from the previous picture get nervous when I take them out of the closet these days.

And that is that! Day two of the Thirty Business Day Challenge? Check. Done. What's for lunch?

This is my attempt at blogging more often..

2011-03-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my friend's blog.. If you need a good laugh or want to see some awesome restored furniture, visit her here:

http://adayinthelifeofthesacketts.blogspot.com/

Anyhoooooo, this is the thirty day challenge. Since I don't blog on weekends, because that is Emma's time, mine will be the thirty business day challenge.

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts:

1. I don't like pictures of myself. This is the most recent photo I have in my computer.
2. My hair is no longer blonde.
3. I have a super handsome husband who is amazing in every way.
4. I have a beautiful daughter! She is so so so funny!
5. I paint. I just decided to one day and now it has become my sanity.
6. History intrigues me. I'm pretty much obsessed.
7. I am terrified of ghosts... I'm sure that they can sense fear and they seek me out because of my weakness.
8. I once mistook my husband for a ghost, not just for a moment but for three full staring him directly the face gazes.
9. The most shameful thing I have ever done was not protecting my two month old baby from the ghost that turned out to be my husband. I was cowering under the blanket...
10. I will watch movies up to the point when something bad/sad is about to happen, I turn them off while everything is still happy. Some might call it denial, I call it, I don't really care what people think.
11. I'm too outspoken for my own good.
12. I judge you based on the first time we meet.. If you're not overly friendly, I assume you're an asshole.
13. I secretly give Emma sips of my coffee in the morning. She loves it.
14. My guilty pleasure is watching Step Brothers. Over and over and over.
15. I should be working right now.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Day 04 - A picture of your night.

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.

Day 06 - A picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day.

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.

Day 12 - A picture of something you love.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel.

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.

Day 25 - A picture of your day.

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.

Day 28 - A picture of something you’re afraid of.

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

This is what happens when you lose your effing mind on a daily basis.

2011-03-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

Don't. Judge. Me.

I don't know what must have happened to me in my lifetime, but at some point, I completely lost my grip on anything that even remotely resembles sanity. I used to be okay; I was at least able to slap myself in the face (mentally, of course) and tell myself to "Get real." I would find myself coping with my crazy thoughts and feelings but I was still able to come back to reality in the end.

Fast forward some number of years, stick me back into my mother's house and slap a sick child into the mix and do you know what that equals? Me: 2011. It's similar to Me: 2010, only now, I'm figuratively standing on the ledge of delirium with my arms out at my sides, my long hair blowing in the breeze and barely hanging on with the tips of my little toes. It's probably not as romantic as that sounds... It's more like, the scraggly wisps of what's left of the hair I haven't pulled out yet are whipping me in the face while I flail my arms savagely through the air in a vain attempt to clench onto anything that will keep me from falling into the abyss. Meanwhile, my poor battered feet are wondering what in the hell they did to deserve this.

I've been so stressed out, my body has been manifesting physical symptoms. Mainly these manifestations have been in the form of hives. Hives.... HIVES! Everywhere! All over my entire body. I didn't sleep for three days because I didn't stop itching long enough for my brain to shut down. What would a normal person do in this situation?? I don't know. I'm more the neurotic type so what did I do? At about 3:00am, I came to the conclusion that we have a horrifying case of the dreaded Bed Bug; never mind the fact that I am the only one they seem to be attacking. The minute the sun comes up the following morning, I tear the sheets off of the bed, throw them into a boiling hot wash, and do a very thorough inspection of the mattress. There are no signs of the little critters so I decide that while I can't see them, they must be there so I proceed to vacuum the mattress. And the box spring. And the pillow top. Then for good measure, I spray it all with Lysol and then again with lavender because Trista said that bed bugs hate lavender. Throw on a pair of clean sheets and life should be back to normal... Only it's not. Two days later, I'm still itching.. What the hell??

The only other alternative in my mind is that I must have lice. Body lice. My body is being invaded by microscopic (in my mind) bugs. They are everywhere! And I don't know what to do!! I called my husband in tears to let him know that I have not only exposed him to this vile vermin, but also our two year old daughter. Just what she needs on top of everything else...

I had already gone through all the possible places of contamination in my head so now I'm tearfully telling Matt where the lice have come from. "It could be from anywhere! Remember I went to that eyelash extension lady? I laid on a table that probably a million other people have laid on before me and that could have been it. Plus, we went to that movie with your dad and you know lice run rampant in movie theaters! That makes sense, it's been about two weeks, just enough time for the eggs to hatch!"

It took a while for Matt to convince me that it was all in my mind and that I just had hives from stress. Stress that a normal person would probably handle just fine. A neurotic person, a la me, has to have a physical and emotional breakdown before returning to some sense of normalcy.

I'm feeling better now... As well as can be expected, you could say. It's just funny how little things can build up inside yourself until one day, the cup runs over and you have a mess to clean up. I should probably go to counseling but even with insurance, the last thing we need is more medical bills. Until then, Benadryl, a glass of wine and a nice hot bath will have to suffice.. Unless I take a cue from Grace of "Will and Grace" and start going to AA meetings for the group therapy...

2011-02-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

Emma sings now.. It is so funny and sweet and crazy all at the same time! I will take a video and post it soon. :)

2010: It was what it was...

2011-01-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

Picture it: May of 2010.. A cool spring breeze rustles through the newly blooming trees. A group of friends are sitting outside enjoying the warm evening air and partaking of some refreshing adult beverages. Sounds lovely right?? Well, it was. Until that peaceful little group started throwing back the shots. Or maybe it was just me?? I'm not sure, even to this day.

First of all, I guess you would've considered me "on the wagon," at that time. Not that I'm an alcoholic but I just don't drink much at all these days. And while we're on the subject, what the hell kind of a phrase is that anyways; on the wagon? I know it's like, "Oh you know Sam? Yeah he's off the wagon." Like he fell off or something which makes sense because I wouldn't want to ride on a wagon while inibriated but whatev. Why would you get on a wagon in the first place if you were about to get wasted?? And don't you think there should have been a wagon that just drove around picking up the passed out drunks?? That would make more sense, to me anyways. Then it would be the opposite. "He's on the wagon." "Noooo..." "Yep. They found him last night." I just watched this entire scenario take place in my mind. Incidently, the man who was picked up by the drunk wagon had a very large beer belly and was entirely too sweaty for his own good.

Back to the real story. We (or me, still not sure) decided to take some shots.. Sailor Jerry, I believe; but still, not sure. The details are a little foggy... All I remember is asking my brother-in-law if we could borrow a thousand dollars and when he asked if I was serious, I said, "Or you could just do the Billie Jean dance. I brought my Ipod." I really thought that was the most ingenious idea ever.

Fast-forward to the next morning.. I woke up on the couch and there is only one word that can possibly describe my appearance at this point: Disheveled. Mostly, I was a wreck.. I got up to go to the bathroom but when I actually stood up, a horrendous pain shot through my right foot. I looked down and my entire foot was purple and the little baby piggy toe was looking at me sideways. I limped my way to the bedroom and asked my husband what had happened to me.

At that moment I realized that my entire body was hurting.. And it was not like a hangover ache. It was like I entered a midnight body-building competition. When I asked Matt about it, he gave me the stink eye and said, "Don't you remember doing cartwheels last night??" Insert blank stare here. "You were doing cartwheels all over the yard last night and you were really good at them."

Later that day, we went over to my brother and sis-in-laws house. Micheal (BIL) tells me that in my drunken state, I had been spouting off strange facts and random numbers. One of those random numbers was shfourteenteen. He figured it had something to do with my gas milage because I had been talking about that (?!?). Then I tried to convince Matt that McDonalds does indeed sell cigarettes at the drivethru window and we should hurry over there.

Apparently, when we got home and Matt had turned off the car, I laid my seat back and said, "I'm going to bed." He had to carry me inside. Sometime between him putting me on the couch and when I awoke the next morning, I apparently had an adventure all on my own. One that involved breaking a poor innocent little toe...

And so ends another adventure of 2010.

2010: Leaving the past in the past.. Kind of.

2011-01-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

Welp, there went 2010.. Pretty much the craziest year of my life, and I have had some insane times, let me tell ya!

Let's do a rewind. Because I think the last day of 2010 was by far the weirdest day of the year.

December 31, 2010: Everything was fine.. OR SO IT SEEMED.. Hahaha.....

I spent most of the day making myself pretty. Why?? Well, New Years Eve seemed like a pretty good excuse to get all cute-ed up. I did my hair nice and big, lots of curls, could pretty much pass for a wig.. You know how I roll. I even did fake lashes (gasp!). I got Emma dressed up in a cute outfit, and Matt was looking super fly. We were ready to paint the town red!

I know what you're thinking... Who takes a two year old out on New Years Eve?? I do! That's who.. Plus, neither of us were going to be drinking or doing anything more wild than perhaps performing a fabulous rendition of "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," on my brand new KARAOKE MACHINE! (woot! woot!!)

We arrived at our dinner destination with 30 of our closest friends.. (Lol, like I have more than ten friends (Pah-leez!) but seriously, we had 30 people in our group... My Brother-in-law and Sis-in-law are like, super popular.) So we get seated and Matt and I are the only ones with a kid in tow but that is totally fine because she is so damn cute!

So we order our sushi and I'm shootin' the breeze with the ladies and all of the sudden, Emma leans back (she's on my lap) and literally, a stream of vomit shoots out of her mouth like a goddamn firehose. I manage to catch a handful of it in my left hand (and that took some skills because I still don't know how I ended up with it) and then it was over. I looked at Matt and said, "She's throwing up." (Hi, Obviousness, I know we've met before, but dayumm...) He looked at her and said, "Are you okay?" Those were the magic words because she looked up and did it AGAIN... And it's not just a little mouthful, it's like this vomit is coming from the depths of Hell and being expelled out of my daughter's teeny-tiny body.. I went into a trance like state at that point.. One hand still cupping the first bout of throw up, I stare straight ahead while Emma continues to wretch all over my front and Matt continues to yell with increasing volume, "ARE YOU OKAY?!" over and over again until she finally stops.

This is the best part of the story... We were seated in one of those huge round booths and we were not on the end.. Almost on the end, but in just enough that there was no escape. I feel like the vomit fairies were like, "Haha, suck on that, New Years Eve!"

So, Matt finally whisked Emma away to the restroom to clean up. I looked at my sissy and said, "What should I do with this?" and proceeded to give her the handful of throw-up. Then I took the walk of shame to the restroom which could not have been further away.. Then Matt, Emma and I went home to do laundry and shower. Matt and Emma were asleep by 11 and I stayed up til 2 watching Discovery ID.

HAPPY FREAKIN' NEW YEARS!!!

Next on the list of 2010: How many cartwheels does it take to make your whole body hurt for a week? Give me a few shots of grape vodka and I'll let you know.. (Hint: Schfourteenteen)

Still don't understand?? You will.

Time for a breakdown...

2010-11-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

You know the times when you feel like you just need to cry? Like you need to take some time out of your day specifically for crying... I'm having that day today..

Emma was sick all weekend. We had to cancel her birthday party. I have to put her into preschool but I don't want to yet. I'm scared to take her in for her surgery in two weeks. I don't want to open any of our huge stack of hospital bills. I don't want to think about any of it anymore..

Happy Birthday, LULU!

2010-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Emma,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! You are two years old today but you can keep telling everyone you're six.. You're so cute and funny, no one will correct you.
You are a big girl but you are not big enough to read what I am writing now.. Someday, very soon, you will be and then you can read this and the many other letters I've written to you. You will probably think I am silly to say the things I say to you over and over again but someday, you'll have a child and then you will realize what true love really is...

I just want you to know and NEVER FORGET or QUESTION how much Daddy and I love you, to the end of time and back. There is nothing you can ever do or say to change that. You are the light of our lives, the center of our world and I don't think you'll ever understand how beautiful you are to us, inside and out.

You are the funniest person I've ever known and you don't even realize it.. If you knew some of the stuff you have done (particularly to Dad) you would laugh up a storm! You show wisdom and compassion well beyond your years. You never want anyone to be sad so you're constantly saying sorry for things you didn't do and telling me we have to help someone. The other day at the doctor, you had just had your third shot for the week and you were crying so hard but the minute you heard a baby cry in the next room you stopped to listen and said, "Mom! He crying! Help!" And you ran to the door and flung it open. Emma to the rescue!

You have the most incredible heart in the world! Not only did your physical heart overcome what could have been a life threatening problem, you are BY FAR the strongest person I know. You have faced so many things in your two years of life and even though you cry sometimes, you always put on a brave face in every situation.

You smile and dance and sing your way through life. Not many people have that kind of will inside of them. You and Cabria have what I call the "Frolicking in the Wind" Syndrome. You two could hold hands and skip your way right through a hurricane! I think Cabria is the reason you are so happy all the time, you get that from her...

Trace... Trace is the reason you're brave. No one could have done all the things he has done in his short life and still come through it with that huge smile and contagious laugh unless they were brave. He is a hero.

Uncle Michael is the reason you're tough.. He is TOUGH. And he won't let you be weak. But he will also look out for you in the moments when you can't look out for yourself.

Auntie Mandy... She is the reason you have that sweet spirit.. There have only ever been two people in my life that have been my inspiration to be a better person because they are AMAZING people deep down to their core. You don't find many people in this world that are really like that. Auntie Mandy is one of them. Hold on tight to her and enjoy every minute you have with her because I promise, you will miss her when she's not around.

Uncle Joey is the reason you love music! He insisted we listen to music loud while you were in my belly, even when I didn't feel like it. He wanted you to have that passion and you've got it, hands down! You put on performances all the time and bow and say, "Thank you! Thank you!" like you're already a superstar. Hahaha. Sometimes you make Uncle Joe bow with you.

Uncle Nick... I didn't ever get to meet him but I've heard so many good things. I think that Uncle Nick probably gave you your silliness. Probably your sense of humor too. I wish that he could be here to spend time with you. I know he would love you so much and I know you would love him right back.

Grammy and Papa Bill are the reason you like adventure.. There is no one in the world that loves a good adventure like those two! Grammy is so brave, she'll take anything on in the blink of an eye! Just like how you're not scared to jump off of anything no matter how high it is, or how you'll play in the snow at night and you love every minute of it.. That is that incredible sense of adventure that Grammy and Papa Bill have instilled in you.

Grandma Sherry, whom you call Shewwy, is the reason you are so smart.. She teaches you everything she knows. She spends so much time with you just talking and laughing. She treats you like you are already grown up. You will appreciate it so much when you're older but right now, it's just a ton of fun!

Grandpa Don, Grandma Sally (whom you call Grandma Silly) and Caitlyn are the reason you are so good natured.. All three of them are so even tempered, you can't imagine fighting with them EVER. That's how you are too. You are so sweet, it's hard to get upset with you.

Grandpa Joe and Grandma T are the reason you play so hard. Grandpa is what normal people would call a "workaholic." Luckily he has taught you that playing is your job of the moment. You are employee of the year!

Daddy... Daddy is the reason you are WHO you are. He is the best daddy that has ever been. He says that he loves you more than all the stars in the sky, but I think he loves you more than that. And in case you were wondering where you got that stubborn streak from, Daddy is to blame for that. But sometimes being stubborn is a good thing! It means that you have a backbone and you will stand up for what you believe in. Daddy is what every man should want to be. He is my best friend and he gave me the most wonderful gift anyone has ever had... Y.O.U.

Your life has a cast of characters that make for the most happy endings. But never forget, the middle of the story is always the best part! The day you were born was the best day of my life. No other moment will ever compare to that one but all of the time I get to spend with you is more happiness than one person could ever deserve. I love you so much, bebe!!

It's happening...

2010-10-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is going to be two years old tomorrow. I can't believe it!! I would actually say that I've been struggling to come to terms with the fact that my "baby" is not actually a baby anymore.. She's a big girl now, and she tells me all about it.

Some people know about my pregnancy and all the hardships we went through but it's not something I talk about a lot... When I was four months pregnant, we went to find out the gender of the jelly bean that was swimming around in my belly. We found out it was a GIRL, but we also found out that the little shrimp had a heart problem. Her heart rate was 270 beats per minute. It should have been between 120 and 160. SCARY. We went through a lot of tests and medications and even a week long hospital stay that ended with a doctor telling us that Emma's heart was not beating.. It was more like it was quivering. She was starting to have some fluid around her heart which is a sign of heart failure.. They said if she did have heart failure, she would die in the womb... I can't explain the thoughts and feelings that surge through my soul even at this moment, two years later.. It was like losing a piece of myself.. A hole that can never be filled quite the same way ever again.... Who knew that you could love someone so much that you've never seen or met? It's indescribable.

We were transferred to a Fetal Cardiologist at Primary Children's Hospital. He was adament that they would get everything under control... Several tests, two medications for heart failure, and another week long hospital stay later and we were on our way home with a itty-bitty baby with a teeny-tiny heart that was beating regularly, still in my belly of course.

That was the beginning of my brand new life.. It was the moment that I truly realized that you can't take even one moment for granted.. You never get that moment back. When we weren't sure whether or not Emma would be born, I imagined all the things I would say to her if I ever got to meet her... I say those things to her every day. I don't know if it's possible to tell someone you love them too often but I'd bet I come close to the limit. I can't stop admiring her beauty, enjoying her sense of humor, being in awe of the knowledge that little girl already has about life and love. It's one thing to see a child and marvel at how they've grown since the last time you saw them. It's completely different to watch a child grow and develop right before your eyes. It is truly amazing!

Emma is funny.

2010-10-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

Emma tells everyone she is six. I don't know what compells her to say that but it makes my whole day!!

I can't believe she is going to be two in a few weeks... SAD FACE.

Time keeps slipping away...

2010-09-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a year since I married the love of my life... Reminiscing about our special day is so fun!! We had the best time ever!

Football season!

2010-09-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

I LOVE football season.. For several reasons: FOOD, family and foul language. A great time had by all. Our family is made up of die-hard Chargers fans. We ♥ the Chargers! Even when they lose (like last night).

This picture is when we were newly-daters. I have a hilarious video of Matt watching a Chargers game that wasn't going so well but I think he'd kill me if I posted it. :) But look how cute we were! Young and in love!!

Not too long after this pic was taken, we found out there was a itty-bitty Chargers fan in my belly! Come to think of it, that's probably why Emma is prone to swearing these days. She sat in on a lot of football games and not one of them went by without someone yelling bad words....

Here's a picture of Cabria, a future Charger's Girl! She is the cutest thing since, well... EVER! I love her so much!

Cabria, Trace and Baby Emma!!!

Here we are at the Charger's Stadium! Look how happy we all look. Hahaha!

I can't wait for the next game! Hopefully we'll play better than we did last night. Say some prayers, football fans!

My favorite face..

2010-09-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Autumn!!

2010-09-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Fall is my FAVORITE season of ever! I think it just makes me feel so cozy... The weather cools down so you can start wearing snuggly sweaters, the leaves change color, pumpkins start showing up on porches... I just love it!! You see school buses on every corner and the school zone signs are flashing.. Leaves are bustling around the sidewalks and yards. It just makes me want to live in a small town where everybody knows everbody elses business and they all go to a Fall Festival and talk about each other and the legend of so-and-so and have dances out in the park.

Almost forgot the best part of Fall.... Football!! Go Chargers!

Life is a bitch..

2010-08-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm working on coming back to the Land of Blog but with work and LIFE and moving and LIFE, I have not had a spare moment..

I have a few projects in the works and I'll post some pics of those next week.

For now, here's Lulu looking gorgeous as always! And, as per usual, Sissy Mandy took this beautiful photo. :)

Little Girl, Big World...

2010-05-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I took Emma on a walk. She was pointing at everything and I would tell her what it was and she would try to repeat it. We got to a tree and I said, "Tree," she waved and said "Hi tree!"

The latest project..

2010-04-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

I've become a blog stocker these days. I find random blogs and link to other blogs from their pages.. My sis-in-law got me started on it.. I just can't get enough!! I wish I had an ounce of the creativity that these people seem to have in their littlest fingertip..

These are a few of my faves right now.

www.thepioneerwoman.com (Of course, because duh... Who doesn't follow this lady?)
www.kevinandamanda.com Love her tips and tricks for EVERYTHING! Plus, the fonts are to die for.

http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/ I pretty much just wish I were this girl.. She's freakin' awesome times a million.

http://createloves.blogspot.com/

http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/

I just love the DIY bloggers.. It's so fun to see all the different ideas people come up with.

And that brings us to my latest project... It's super secret but it will be amazing!! I can't wait to finish (or start hahaha).

This is the starting point. I'll post more as I go...

Well...

2010-04-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of a shitty blogger these days.. I never have time to update and when I do have time, I forget to bring my SD card. SOON THOUGH!! I'm sure my poor Grandma looks at my blog every now and then hoping for a picture of Emma and all she gets are my rants and raves about coffee and ghosts.

This is the best I can come up with today. It's almost a year old but it's super cute...

Hi Grandma!!! Miss you and love you!!

Hmmmm....

2010-03-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

What can I break today????

All the things that can happen in an evening.

2010-03-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, one of my friends posed a question on Facebook; something along the lines of, "Do the things we think create our future?" You know, like The Secret.. It got me thinking and you know how that goes... One thought lead to another and now here I am writing a blog that has nothing to do with any of that stuff.

My first thought was, could it be true, do positive thoughts create positive outcomes or are positive people just more likely to see the positive outcome because they're looking for it?? And is it just the opposite effect with negative people? I don't know but as I was about to get into the shower I looked in the mirror and thought, "GEEZ! I'm a whale!!!" Then I wondered if by thinking that I was actually making myself larger or was it just my perception of myself that would change. I decided to take action! I looked at myself and said, "Light as a feather..." The very next thing that popped into my head was, "Stiff as a board." I spent the next twenty minutes being terrified that I might levitate or that some ghost would come pull the shower curtain open. So, that was enough positive thinking for me...

When I went up to bed, The Buried Life was on. If you don't know what that is, it's a show on MTV about four guys who made a list of all the things they want to do before they die and set out to do them immediately. It's pretty inspirational! Anyhoodilydoodily, Matt and I have been watching it for a while now and about a month ago he asked me what I wanted to do before I die. At that time, I was on a SERIOUS diet. Not a just kidding, sometimes I eat a bag of chips in the closet when I'm home alone diet, but a serious serious no cheating or it won't work diet.. You know, like how you're really supposed to do diets but you never really do. Anyways, I was REALLY doing this diet and I didn't cheat AT ALL. Not even once. So when Matt came to me with this complex question, my mouth took over before my brain had time to react and I blurted out, "I'd really like to eat a cupcake." He looked at me like I was crazy because really, who says that?! There are so many things that you can't do everyday and all I want before I DIE, dead, gone forever, never coming back, is to eat a cupcake?! WTF!?!?!?!

So then I started thinking about if I was told I had one day to live, what would I do? I pictured dragging each and everyone of my family members and friends to every restaurant I love and eating as much as possible. It then entered my mind that it couldn't hurt to ask each person to bring a baked good. I'd probably be crying the whole time because I'd miss them all so much so I'd have to make a video diary for them to play at the funeral. It would just be me, reminding them of how funny I am and telling stories of the funny things that had happened throughout my life. I'd try to address each person but I knew I'd leave someone out on accident, so I'd say something like, "You know who you are," at some point and hopefully, they'd all think I was referring to them. I'd close the video with me bawling while listening to sad songs and eating cupcakes.

Of course, that's not what I'd really do if I only had one day to live but it made for a good blog! I think that it's so important to love everyone as much as you can everyday.. That is what I want to do before I die.

Isn't it RO-MAN-TIC?!

2010-03-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

A GIANT...

2010-02-10T10:47:00.001-08:00

Rape whistle. One big rape whistle... That's what I think of whenever I hear about OnStar.....

A few years ago, my mom insisted I carry a whistle on my keychain because, "You never know." I tried to reason with her but in her mind, a rape whistle was the best weapon of defense. Her main issue was, "What if you get into an accident and you can't get out of the car? You could blow your whistle and someone will come find you."

My response, "MOM... That's what cell phones are for."

Mom- "What if you can't reach your cell phone?"

Me- "If I can't reach my cell phone that is practically glued to my face, what makes you think I'd be able to reach my keys?"

Mom- "You'll be able to."

"How do you know?"

"I KNOW."

Me- "Ok, mom.. So if I get into an accident, I'm trapped in the car and I blow my magic whistle, I'll be saved, right?? When's the last time you heard a whistle and went searching for where it was coming from?"

Mom-"Well, even if you didn't use it in an accident, you could use it to thwart perverts and theives and car jackers."

"Oh, really? So a purse-snatcher runs up on me, I blow my whistle and it scares him off before he has a chance to gallop off into the sunset with my bag? Good thinking. And if a car-jacker bangs on my window with a gun, I just let loose on the whistle and he'll run for cover before anyone spots him. And best of all, a rapist has me trapped ALONE in a deserted parking lot, I just toot my little whistle and the police will come running with their billyclubs. I feel so safe now!"

Mom- "Oh never mind!"

Fast forward five years.. My mom calls me, "J'aime, have you heard of that new thing called OnStar?"

Here we go again!

Let me tell you about my best friend...

2010-02-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Laughing, screaming, dancing, LAUGHING... All the live long day! Cabria and Emma love each other so much and they have the best time together.

Last week, Mandy and I took Cabria to get all gussied up and have a photo shoot, just like Hannah Montana! She loved every minute of it and Emma thought she'd throw her two cents in here and there as well..

Here's a sneak peek!

Photo by Victoria Lynn; http://www.hollywood-fx.com/

PS... There is a pic of Cabria all dolled up but I thought I'd let her mommy post that on her cute blog: http://fishykissy.blogspot.com

It may seem like...

2010-02-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

I swear, everytime I take a picture of Emma, it's when she is sleeping... It's not always like that. But she is so pretty!!! I can't resist the sleepy time pictures!!

My favorite!

2010-01-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Quote of the day...

2010-01-18T12:11:00.000-08:00

"It's damn cool."

- Cabria Walters, age 5

Yesterday, my niece Cabria, came to me and told me she needed to show me something.. When I asked her what it was she replied, "It's damn cool, Aunt Jaime. You'll love it!" She apparently didn't know that damn was a swear word and she begged me not to tell anyone she'd said it when I told her it was not a nice word and she shouldn't say it anymore. From that moment on whenever I talked to anyone, she said, "I know what you're saying!" Before running away to sulk.

She is so funny!!!

EX SITE IIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

I just heard that they are making Jurassic Park IV!!! I know, I'm such a nerd... How can you not be excited for this?!?!?!

Hold on to your butts!! (best line from a movie EVER)

Someday...

2010-01-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

The three column blog in not yet in my grasp but SOMEDAY it will be!! Until then, here is yet another wedding picture...

We like to pretend it's 1920.

Just Because....

2010-01-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

♥ I love him. ♥

My GORGEOUS husband turned 24 yesterday. :)

Happy Birthday, Matt!! I love you. ♥

Quote of the day...

2010-01-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

"I'm not from this country....

I'm from

Kansas."

-My father, the 'most smartest.' :)

It's a Nipple!

2010-01-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's really just a survey.. I came across this fun blog yesterday and found this survey there! If you'd like to visit that fun blog, here is the link:

http://lrstewart0711.blogspot.com/

It's honest, innocent, and totally worth a look or two!

Anyhoots, here is the survey!! I just love these, I don't know why!

1. I've come to realize that my chest-size...

is irrelevant in today's society. I'm just an average girl with average girls!

2. I've come to realize that my job...

is a blessing, albeit, in disguise.

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving...

I'm not nearly as terrified as my husband is (when I'm driving).

4. I've come to realize that I need...

a song in my heart, food in my belly and love in my family. (Raffi)

5. I've come to realize that I have lost...

much less than I have gained in life. I also have Lost on DVD.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when...

someone I know gets hurt..

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk...

I really like to dance, talk about cigarettes, and try to bum rides to McDonald's.

8. I've come to realize that money...

is loaded with germs.. And possibly narcotics. Wash your hands!!

9. I've come to realize that certain people...

will always be beautiful in my eyes.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always...

Love youoohoohoohooooooooo...

11. I've come to realize that my sibling(s)...

is the funniest person I know.

12. I've come to realize that my mom...

is always on my side.

13. I've come to realize that my cell phone...

doesn't mean much to me anymore. It's weird!

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning...

I wanted to smash Matt's alarm clock with a rubber mallet.

15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep...

I was way too enthralled with the new season of Real World.. And I missed Jersey Shore!!

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking...

How awkward are these questions??

17. I've come to realize that my dad...

is pretty funny! (He must get that from me)

18. I've come to realize that when I get on Facebook...

I love reading all the status updates! It's good to see what's going on in everyone's lives.

19. I've come to realize that today...

is all we have.

20. I've come to realize that tonight...

I'm going to play with Emma, like usual!

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow...

is truly a gift!

22. I've come to realize that I really want to...

move to Copenhagen, Denmark! Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday? Man, those are some happy people!

23. I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost this is...

I have no idea..

24. I've come to realize that life...

is whatever you make of it!

25. I've come to realize that this weekend...

is my husband's birthday and I don't have any presents for him yet.

26. I've realized the best music to listen to when I am upset...

I'd have to say, The Carpenters are pretty nice when you're upset.. Hahaha.. I don't know why but it always makes me feel better!!

"Don't you remember you told me you love me, baby?"

27. I've come to realize that my friends...

are amazing.. I'm so lucky to have them!

28. I've come to realize that this year...

has so much potential! 2010, you'd better watch your back!

29. I've come to realize that my EX is...

a lesson learned.

30. I've come to realize that maybe I should...

pursue my dreams..... I've never really given myself a chance!

31. I've come to realize that love...

is a blessing.

32. I've come to realize that I don't understand...

a lot of things.. But that is just how life works...

33. I've come to realize my past...

has made me who I am today. And I really like myself!

34. I've come to realize that parties...

are more fun when there is birthday cake involved!

35. I've come to realize that I'm totally terrified...

of being stabbed.. I don't know why but it is a constant worry for me!

36. I've come to realize that my life...

is so much better now that I have Matt and Emma! It's crazy how having a baby changes everything for the better!!!

37. I have come to realize that I...

am pretty hilarious! Even though it's usually just me that thinks so! Hahaha!!

Surprise Ending

2010-01-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Photo by ME!!! What now B words????

The Coffee Chronicles..

2010-01-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm.... Hot water with a hint of coffee and lots of creamer.. Doesn't that sound delicious?? Yeah, it makes me want to vomit too.

Although I can't go into great detail, let's just say that I'm now in charge, so to speak, of making the coffee these days and somebody is not happy about it. That "somebody" uses approximately one to one and a half scoops of coffee to twelve cups of water. The end result is more like coffee flavored water (Maybe they're onto something with that... Flavored waters are huge right now!). That somebody has obviously never heard of the old addage that says, "The early bird gets to make the coffee." But I have. (evil cackle in the background)

I use about one scoop of coffee for every two cups of water. It's really strong, you know, just how coffee should be. My main reason for making it so strong was to make up for all the months I spent drinking shit colored water. I've been strutting around thinking, Well boys, there's a new sherriff in town! (more evil cackling, louder than last time)

I didn't want to overload the senses of the coffee consumers, however so I couldn't just waltz in and triple the strength of the coffee in one day.... No, no.. I'm much smarter (and slightly nicer) than that. I didn't want an uproar! I pictured a group of over-caffeinated-wide-eyed-rabid-looking-riffraff running wildly in all directions tearing furniture apart with their teeth while trying to wrangle the empty coffee pot out of one another's hands in a futile attempt to devour the one remaining drop of delicious coffee before breaking the pot and slashing each other's faces with the broken glass, then discovering and gorging themselves with every last coffee bean/grind in a five mile radius... NO, I couldn't chance that happening!! So, I slowly added more coffee grinds to the pot every day. No one even noticed! People have been buzzing around, happy as clams and eager to get things done! SUCCESS!!

Or that's how it would've went if it weren't for that certain someone who takes his coffee making duty VERY SERIOUSLY. He took it upon himself to prepare the coffee maker the night before so that I, "Just push the button! It's all ready for ya!" Everyday, I get a reminder. "Did you know that the coffee was ready to go this morning? Just push the button!" Like I wouldn't notice. So, I told him that I really appreciate it and it's so much easier for me, since I just have to push that goddamned button in the morning.

Don't worry though, the story doesn't end there.. I still make the coffee nice and strong. I just add water to the pot after everyone else has partaken of the morning nectar. He's none the wiser and I'm content. WIN, WIN. What else can you ask for?

Mind Games

2010-01-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

I've recently come to the realization that I talk to myself.. A LOT. And not just the regular kind of talking to yourself like most people do, I have full on conversations with myself. Usually in my head.. And I am really funny so sometimes I just start laughing out loud (LOL). I'm sure this looks weird to everyone else.. Some girl, alone in her car, cracking up for no apparent reason. I pictured that scenario this morning shortly after I got to work and I laughed and laughed and laughed! I wonder what my coworkers think....

A little late, I know...

2010-01-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

So, here are a few of my bridals. I'm a little behind on life lately so I'm updating the blog as I go...

Did I mention that I HATE how blogger uploads pictures?? I'm quitting....

... Jersey Shore ...

2010-01-04T11:54:00.001-08:00

B E S T show on TV. Seriously.

They say when you're married in June, you're a bride all your life...

2010-01-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

I was married in September and I can tell you, I was so happy at the thought of not being a bride ever again, I had a party. We called it a wedding for everyone else's sake.

Planning a wedding is so stressful! I wanted to tear my hair out! No wonder they call them bridezillas...

Still, don't we make a cute couple?? :)

So Pretty..

2009-12-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Photo by Blush Photography....

www.blushbybk.com

Is it just me??

2009-12-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

Ah the Bad Girls Club... Somehow I always manage to get sucked back into watching this show. Is it just me or does it feel like this show is a prequel to several other shows? I see a future for these girls: Real Chance at Love, Rock of Love, For the Love of Ray J; and that's only the dating shows!! There's also Celebrity Rehab, Intervention and possibly, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? Although that last one is quite a stretch..

The highlight of this season so far for me was when the girl some other girl referred to as 'Jay Leno Chin,' (HA!) made fun of two other girls for having eating disorders after falling down drunk and telling EVERYONE within a ten mile radius that she owns LA or runs it or something... I can't remember. I was to busy laughing at them for calling her Jay Leno Chin. Anyhoodily, it's maybe the funniest show on TV right now next to Jersey Shore.. And if you haven't watched that, you have not lived.

I'm saving that for another time... The Jaime and Amanda Talk About Celebrity Lives Blog.. COMING SOON!

Flower Girl

2009-11-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the photo, Mandy!! You are the best!

Little Bee..

2009-10-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Emma is excited for Halloween!!!

2009-10-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm fresh out of pictures today! I'll post some new ones tomorrow...

In the meantime, here is a list of my newest obsessions.

http://www.postsecret.com

I check this website every monday for the Sunday Secrets... Some are shocking, some sad, some inspriational, some HILARIOUS. But all of them are riveting! I'm hooked and I can't wait to buy the book. Right after I get a coffee table. Which will be right after I get a house.

http://www.postcardsfromyomomma.com/

These letters are the story of my life! I know Emma will have lots of material on me someday and hopefully she'll write a book or something. HA!

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

I love it! I look for Cake Wrecks every time I go to the store. :)

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

...Thank You Notes...

2009-10-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

It's Emma's Birthday Eve and I'm oh so thankful for....

31. Light FM 100.3. I listen to it at work and imagine myself karaoke-ing all the songs.

32. Amie repeatedly telling people at church that it was "beautiful as a whore's ass outside," and thinking they were offended because she said 'whore.'

33. Owen Aitken! He is so cute and he didn't punch Emma in the face when she pinched him three times.

34. Mexican food!

35. That Jordyn Sparks song, Battlefield. Because it always gets stuck in my head and because I have to confess that I secretly like it.. "Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield?! Better go and get your armor!" HAhahahaa. I don't know why but I love it!

I have to confess that I'm sad that no one has put on their gratitude hats... Have you people nothing to be thankful for?

This is what it has come to...

2009-10-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that I'm terrified of the dark.. I don't know why but I always have been. Yet for some reason, I can't stop myself from watching ghost shows!! I watch all of them; the one I'm addicted to now is Medium. I watch it every day because it's on Lifetime now, which is how I discover most of my favorite shows.

Anyways, ever since I started watching Medium I have developed this irrational fear that I might actually be a medium, or that I'm going to wake up and discover that I have become one over night. I wake up from every little sound and force myself to look around the room, in case there is a lonely soul there reaching out to me. I'm afraid that if there ever is anyone there, I will do what I do when I see Matt in the middle of the night and mistake him for a ghost, which is to make this horrible crying noise and throw the blanket over my head. And come on people, we all know that blankets are a magical barrier against anything even remotely scary.. You know that you've slept with your blanket pulled all the way up to your chin, sweating to death from fear, but you can't bring yourself to take the blanket off. Magical barrier. Problem solved.

Back to the story, I may be a medium.. Probably not because I think I would know by now but still... Last night I watched Medium and then I was too scared to turn the TV off so I watched Unwrapped, that show on Food Network about how they make treats. It was about salt water taffy and jellybeans. My dreams were about candy and ghosts. It was insanity!

If you think I'm crazy, I dare you to think about whether or not you could possibly be a medium tonight, when you're lying in your bed in the dark and it's quiet... Maybe, just maybe, someone will whisper your name. Maybe not but now you'll think about it and wonder, and probably be scared like me.

I can't wait to go home and watch Medium. :)

...Thank You Notes...

2009-10-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hey world,

Thanks for...

26. SNOW! :)

27. My Autumn Ferns that have now passed on.. I will miss you but I'll always cherish that week and a half we had together.

28. Old friends..

29. Halloween socks! (I'm wearing a pair right now!)

30. Scented pinecones.. My office smells delicious!!

Picture of the day...

2009-10-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

Another candid wedding photo. :) I keep stealing them from Tiffany's Facebook because I still haven't heard from my photographer.

Me, Tiffany and Matt!! 9/19/09

Oh my...

2009-10-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Twilight Mall Tour is coming to UTAH!! November 14, 2009 at Fashion Place.

I'm scared!

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/exclusive-summit-to-market-twilight-saga-new-moon-with-15-city-cast-tour/#

...Thank You Notes...

2009-10-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today I'm grateful for....

21. the fact that Emma is walking; which means she doesn't try to eat everything she finds on the floor. Hahaha.

22. Facebook not being an A-hole today.. My whole farm withered over the weekend and I had to rebuild from nothing, people!

23. Sweater weather.. My fat arms are hidden from sight!

24. My crazy dreams.. They provide entertainment for everyone!

25. The MTV show "Made." But not the ones when the bratty girls get made into something cool.. I like when the nerds get made into something. Because really, isn't that the story of my life?? Or maybe I just wish it were... I'm still a nerd!

Halloweeeeeeeeeeennnnnnn....

2009-10-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Michael and Mandy have a Halloween Party every year. Every year except this one. I think they forgot that last year I was nine months pregnant and just had to watch everyone else have fun.. Part of the reason I had to watch rather than participate was because I made the mistake of sitting in their chair and reclining it so my feet were up and I got stuck.. All the drunkards walked by and waved while I sat there.. Hahaha. SO, Mandy and I decided that 2009 would be our year at the Halloween Party. Thanks for canceling our year, guys!

Today I'm trying something a little different; a slideshow. I don't know how it will turn out but I'm damn sick of the blogger picture uploader. Hopelfully this works!!

Here are the highlights of last year. I'm posting two pictures of me from before the party.. You'll see why. :)

...Thank You Notes...

2009-10-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the day...

16. Emma's evil cackle laugh.. It is so funny!! I take her to the store and we walk past someone and she does this evil laugh right when we pass them. We get weird looks everywhere we go!

17. Billie Holiday... She conveys so much emotion in her voice, it seeps into your soul.

18. My job; first, that I have one and second, that business is still good, despite the economy.

19. Wedding Cake!! We need to have a wedding cake party. :)

20. Halloween shows. Even though I have nightmares! Hahahaha!

Some wedding stuff, thanks Tiff!

2009-10-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

The dress....

...Thank You Notes...

2009-10-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful for...

11. Christmas shopping!

12. Salt City Candles.

13. being a mom. I'm so blessed.

14. Matt's sense of humor.. He is so funny!

15. Reuniting with old friends. :)

Picture of the day...

2009-10-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Another engagement...

Everyone has probably seen this picture a thousand times but it's one of my faves...

Hopefully I'll get some wedding pics back soon so I'll have something new to post. :)

...Thank You Notes...

2009-10-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thankful for....

6. The first cup of coffee in the morning.

7. Autumn!!

8. Red Vines. (Thanks Joey!)

9. My brother-in-law's inspirational daily quotes.

10. My neice and nephew... They light up my life!

What are you thankful for today?

...Thank You Notes...

2009-10-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

I am STILL in the process of writing my Thank You notes from the wedding.. It is a work in progress, to say the least...

While I've been writing them, I find myself thinking of how blessed Matt and I are to have so many amazing people in our lives. It got me thinking, why just be thankful when something is given to you? Why not be grateful everyday?

So these are my Thank You Notes to the world.. Everyday, I'm going to list five things I'm glad to have in my life. Five DIFFERENT things everyday.

Day One!!

1. My Husband Matt, and our beautiful baby Emma.. (I know it's two but they come as a package)

2. My mom, dad and brother..

3. My new Fam-In-Law!!! They're the best!

4. My puppies Buster and Bailey..

5. ALL of my amazing friends. :)

What are you thankful for today????

W O W

2009-10-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been a whole year... On October 29th, my little Lulu will be a year old.. ONE WHOLE YEAR. I swear I just had her about two weeks ago but whatever! She is the sweetest baby... I know I'm the luckiest person in the world to have been blessed with such an amazing daughter. She inspires me everyday with her loving spirit, her open heart and her ever present smile.. She is the BEST thing that has ever happened to me and I love her more than I could ever put into words....

This was then... (Victoria Lynn Photography www.hollywood-fx.com)

This is now... And yes, it is from my phone.. I suck, I'm sorry.

Little baby sleepy head!

2009-09-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

I don't have any wedding pics yet...

2009-09-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

So here's another engagement!! The wedding was awesome! Except for when Emma got sick and we had to send her home. But other than that, it was a blast!!

I feel so blessed to have such a great family and friends.. It was a beautiful day!

Love this one... All photos by Blush Photography

www.blushbybk.com

Wedding!!

2009-09-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Click on the pictures to view them in a larger format...

10 days til the wedding!!

2009-09-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

Once the wedding is over with, I'll have more time to update this biotch. Still haven't found my USB cord, but what can ya do?

Until then, here is an awesome pic from our engagements session... Photo by Blush Photography. http://www.blushbybk.com/

2009-08-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

When you have a ten month old, everyday you feel like you inadvertently signed up for Wrestle Mania 2009. After a day of running after a crawling baby yelling NO ten thousand times, snatching things out of their hands a split second before they put it into their mouth, fending off tantrums and changing eight million diapers, you find yourself needing your own nap time.

My favorite part of the day is when Emma is sleeping. Because while I enjoy playing with her and watching all the hilarious things she does on a daily basis, when she sleeps, she lets me hold her and cuddle her. The rest of the time, she spends her day trying to find an escape route.

She was only three months old in this picture and My friend Vicki took it. Victoria Lynn Photography. And it is beautiful...

2009-08-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for Mandy! She has her shit together, unlike me. So here's a pic from San Diego! This was taken right before Shamu came out. Emma LOVED it!! She was yelling, clapping, laughing.... Until he splashed us. Then, she cried.

Back from SD!!!

2009-08-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sadly I can't find my camera USP cord, so no updates til I find that biotch....

I leave you with a link to my new favorite website; www.passiveaggressivenotes.com

Pause.... For one week.

2009-08-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

San Diego, HERE WE COME!!

We're going to spend a week in sunny San Diego!!! I will update with lots of new pics when we get back.

Until then, here's a photo of my blue eyed baby!! If I hadn't carried her in my own belly, I'd request a paternity test. She is too cute!

Ah, Boyfriend....

2009-08-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Emma is in love with her Uncle Michael and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual....

Cabria Maria...

2009-07-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Picture it.... June 2008 at one of Trace's golf tournaments. I was pregnant at the time and I was constantly trying not to pee my pants from laughing at all the things Miss Cabria said...

One of the funniest was when she yelled across the room that you could only go to school if you poop in the big girl potty. She then looked directly at a red-faced Trace and proceeded to yell, "Bobo poops in the big girl potty, don't you Bobo?" For all of his golfing colleagues to hear.

Later, she answered a fake phone call and said, "Oh hello Hannah Montana.......... No, I can't come to your concert tonight.... No, my mom won't let me....... I don't know why.... Ok bye bye.:"

This video isn't the best quality because it was taken on my cell phone but it's so funny and cute!!!

If I could scream, I would.

2009-07-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

The post I did on Cabria's School of Photography has continued to infuriate and humiliate me over the past few days. It has absolutely refused to cooperate and post the pictures in the way I would like...

I have decided to give up on it entirely. It looks like crap. And I don't care anymore...

Also, what the hell Pandora.com?? Best internet radio site, HANDS DOWN and now they're charging?! It ruined my whole week... I'll probably subscribe though, just because I love that damn site so much. UNLESS someone can recommend another site??? It has to be comparable though. None of this finetune.com BS...

Let's go fly a kite!!!

2009-07-31T08:43:00.000-07:00

Famous last words... "Uncle Matt, I'm begging you!"

Somehow Cabria talked Matt and Joey into flying her Hannah Montana kite for her. Really, I think they had more fun than she did!

What do you think?

I'll just play with this while you do all the work, Uncle Joey....

Wait a minute! Why is my kite down?!

I look like I'm helping...

When is it my turn to fly it?!

I'll just dance around til you're ready to let me fly the kite.

(As Cabria has said to me, I can still see your butt crack!)

FINALLY!

So much fun with Uncle Matt!

Oh, hello Hannah Montana!

PS...

2009-07-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or is Jacob looking particularly scrumptious in the New Moon promos? All this movie business is making me Team Jacob...

Don't worry though, Edward is still the love of my Vampire Life!

EmmaLooLooooooo

2009-07-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Matt sent me this picture a few months ago when he was getting ready to take Emma to my mom's house. Doesn't she look so happy??? What a sweet baby girl!! She looks like a smiling little angel......

As soon as he got done taking the picture, Emma started tooting.

My baby...

2009-07-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

It is a sad sad day in the neighborhood... EmmaLooHoo is nine months old today. It's hard to believe the three quarters of the year have passed by since she came into the world. I know every parent says this but I just can't help myself, I WISH I COULD FREEZE TIME. I wish I could have every moment with my baby girl five times instead of just once. I wish we had cameras rolling 24/7 so that I could re-live each and every minute whenever I wanted...

This picture was taken when Emma was only four weeks old. She had just started smiling in response to our smiles and it was so exciting!! Before the smiles, all she did was sleep, eat, poop, and cry. I thought that was tough times.... HA! Now I can barely keep up with her! Matt and I are constantly running after her. She laughs and laughs and yells and screams and does whatever she feels like. I love her more than anything in the world..

A Pic A Day: Miss Cabria's School of Photography!

2009-07-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

A Pic A Day...

2009-07-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

I never update my blog anymore, mostly because I'm fresh out of time these days. I decided that I will update once a day everyday with a photo. Even if it's not necessarily a current photo, at least it's something.

SO! This is day one of A Pic A Day... My first addition is of Emma when she was just a little bean in my belly. She was so cute! Even before she was fully formed..

I can honestly say that seeing her like this for the first time during my pregnancy was the most amazing moment of my life up to that point. I think the only thing that tops it, even now, was when she was born. But at this amazing moment, I was 13 weeks and 2 days pregnant. We didn't even know she was a 'she' yet!! But as you can see, she looks just like a real baby!!

Throwing up a 'Peace' sign.. HA!

She's huge now, don't let these photos mislead you.

NO SPOILERS PLEASE...

2009-06-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'm now officially a Twilighter. Twilightee?? I don't know what we call ourselves as I haven't belonged to this secret club for long... All I know is I ask every person I meet if they've read the Twilight Series. We should have some kind of a handshake for these encounters. It makes sense to me!

First of all, I should say that I read the first book Twililght in two days. LOVED. IT. Wish I'd lived it. Couldn't get enough. I then read New Moon in one afternoon. I thought it was a better read than the first book but it wasn't as intense and exciting... In the first one, I was practically foaming at the mouth anticipating what would happen with Bella and Edward. I loved the second one, I just missed Edward and the true love cheesy stuff.

I don't want to talk about it beyond that point because I just started the third book, Eclipse. I don't want to know anything so don't tell me...

So far, I am Team Edward. And can I just say that I am OBSESSED with these books? It feels like I just joined this super secret organization and I need to talk to every person that belongs to it as much as possible.. My co-worker, Jessica, and I talk about it ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY.

I also find myself compelled to spread the word about these books. I really feel like people who haven't read them are missing a vital piece of life! I want them to experience the same joy that I have felt over the past week and I want them to call me and talk about it because they are now part of the club.

I'm currently researching Twilightee license plate frames. This is not a joke.

PS.. I didn't like the movie very much.. I was quite upset by the fact that there was not more interaction not too mention CHEMISTRY between Bella and Edward. Very disappointing.