Quirky is a Compliment

2/7/12 Pig-Skin Party Pointers

2012-02-07T20:45:00.005-05:00

Oh my goodness, Internets. I am so stuffed. For the past two days, I have been scarfing down plate after plate of Super bowl party leftovers, and I'm not sure that I can stand it anymore. See historically, Tony and I, being the anti-social introverted people that we are, usually watch the Super Bowl game commercials by ourselves. But this year I was in the mood for sausage cheese balls, (

2/3/12 Hey, Where's Perry? (You Can Bet I Know!)

2012-02-03T22:32:00.004-05:00

I'm going to admit something now that's going to sound completely crazy to people without young kids: I'm addicted to a children's cartoon. I didn't mean to be. See, ZB likes to get up freakishly early in the morning. Freakishly early. And I do not. Which means that she has me at a disadvantage when it comes to coming up with pre-sunrise activities to keep her entertained. (I know, I know,

2/2/12 Hello? Is This Thing On?

2012-02-02T09:39:00.006-05:00

So yeah. You may have noticed that I've been gone for a while. I didn't really mean to be gone that long, but this happened:And then just as I was getting used to that, THIS happened: And suddenly ZB went from a nice little pose-able action figure baby that I could just prop up on a pillow and have her chill while I typed to this little racing hurricane of cuteness and destruction that was

10/22/11 Yard Sales and Other Deadly Sins

2011-10-22T15:26:00.000-05:00

There's a church with a reader-board sign across the street from the entrance to my neighborhood. The church likes to put little witty and thoughtful sayings on it, and I like to read them as I'm pulling out of my neighborhood. That is until the other day, when they put this one up:"He who thinks he is without fault has another yard sale". And I was like, "Hmmmm. I'm not sure I get that one.

10/12/11 Joyride

2011-10-12T21:12:00.003-05:00

ZB gets a "Jeep" walker for racing around in the kitchen. General mayhem ensues. Luckily, I caught it on video:

10/6/11 An Egg-cellent Question

2011-10-06T11:53:00.002-05:00

I have a conundrum for you, Internets. See, the Noble House of Quirk was officially out of food and diapers and shampoo and dishwasher soap and diapers and cat litter and diapers, so the ZB and I made a trek out to the local Walmart to procure these much needed items. (I know all two of you are out there going, "So you went grocery shopping. What's the problem?" but I'm not to the sticky part

9/23/11 Interview With A Baby

2011-09-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

It's been six months since ZB made her world debut, and so far she's been taking it by storm! We here at Quirky is a Compliment managed to snag an exclusive interview with everyone's favorite baby to see how the last few months have been for her, and what she's up to now:Good to have you here, ZB.Thanks. It's good to be here!Let's start with an easy question. I understand you've just started

9/20/11 Cell Phone Mafia

2011-09-20T13:55:00.004-05:00

I think my phone company is messing with me. See, my cell phone is almost a year and a half old (and no, it is not a smart phone, because I am the only person left on the planet without a smart phone. I had the opportunity to get one, but at the time I was picking out my new cell phone, I was all like, "Nah, apps are just a passing fad. That whole iphone thing WILL NEVER CATCH ON". So I

9/15/11 The Case of the Kitty Cat Karma

2011-09-15T10:47:00.003-05:00

So I was feeding ZB some pureed green beans and oatmeal today for her lunch. (I know, I know, you wouldn't think that oatmeal would go well mixed with green beans, but she seems to like it, so who am to judge?) Anyway, as you can probably guess, green beans and oatmeal is a very messy experience. It was on her face, and her bib, and her hands, and up her nose, and possibly some in her ears too

9/13/11 Confessions of the Vain and Lazy

2011-09-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I'm lazy. And vain. Lazily vain. I want to look pretty (who doesn't?), but I don't want to put any effort into it (who does?) . Usually this just takes the form of me wearing jeans so I don't have to shave my legs as often, or only wearing clear nail polish so it's harder to tell when it chips, but every now and then I come across a treatment that

9/10/11 ZB Uses a Spoon

2011-09-10T17:41:00.004-05:00

From the producers who brought you "ZB's First Cereal" comes the amazing new video, "ZB uses a spoon". Watch as ZB wages a war against oatmeal with a spoon that cannot be trusted and a heart made of gold. Critics give it 4 stars. "Amazing!" says Daddy. "Two thumbs up!" raves Mommy, "ZB's oatmeal performance is some of her best work yet!" This is the finest spoon work you will see all year!

9/8/11 Often Imitated, Never Duplicated

2011-09-08T17:24:00.003-05:00

Hola Internets! I'm baaaaaaaaaack! I'm sure that for the last month you've noticed the gaping hole in your life that is Quirky is a Compliment. And no doubt you have spent the last bit of summer gripped in the deepest depths of despair because of it, right? Of course. Mea Culpa. I took the month of August off from blogging to work and play and have grand adventures with my little family.

8/17/11 The Laughing Game

2011-08-18T15:30:00.002-05:00

Well, it's official. ZB is her Daddy's girl. Sure, Mommy may feed and bathe and diaper and dress her every day, but Daddy is the one she can't wait to see. He only has to walk into the room and her face lights up with the biggest smile. In fact, they have their own little game that they play every day as soon as he gets home from work. It's called the Laughing Game. The rules are simple: Face

8/2/11 Bob Seester the Builder

2011-08-02T20:50:00.005-05:00

So the Seester and Stubby are up to something cool - in November they are going to Chitwan, Nepal to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity's Global Village to build houses for families that desperately need them. The people of Chitwan are especially poor, and due in large part to a decade-long rebel insurgency, many were chased out of their homes and now live in crowded, substandard houses - some

7/27/11 Surfing on Brain Waves in the Baby Pool

2011-07-27T14:10:00.000-05:00

It's official! ZB has brain waves! This is the EEG cap that she wore today during a psych research experiment at the University of Tennessee's Neuroscience Lab. We were asked to be part of an experiment to study infant recognition, and I thought, Why not? It isn't every day you get to have your brain waves measured. (Well, we don't anyway...I can't really speak for what goes on at your crazy

7/14/11 Think Twice Before Coming Between A Woman and Her Doctor

2011-07-14T13:04:00.007-05:00

I'm sure by now you've heard about the thing Netflix is doing with the whole charging for DVDs and streaming separately? You used to be able to get the DVDs and streaming together for one low price, but as of September 1st, Netflix is charging for each service separately. Well, Tony and I were talking about it when we heard the news, and after tsk-tsking at the extreme selfishness of Netflix,

7/13/11 Four Months and the Living is Easy...Except for Maybe Rice Cereal

2011-07-12T14:09:00.014-05:00

Look who is 4 months old now! She babbles! She sits with support! She smiles and laughs at everyone! And she's gorgeous.Plus we've just started rice cereal, and consider ZB's MIND ABSOLUTELY BLOWN. We weren't sure how to feel about semi-solid foods at first, but I think that by the end of it she was getting the hang of things: 7/14/11 Update about the rice cereal: Apparently it is EVIL! Sure,

7/9/11 The Crib

2011-07-09T11:43:00.004-05:00

It's a milestone event tonight. ZB doesn't know it yet, but she is officially moving out of the cradle next to our bed and into her crib in her own room.It is long overdue, too. Other moms on the BabyCenter board that I follow started transferring to cribs at about two months, but I told myself that she was waaaay too young to be all the way across the hall. She felt secure having us so close,

6/22/11 Insert Clever Title About Jello Molds, MacGyver and Naked Goat Dancing Here

2011-06-22T10:53:00.000-05:00

So hey. I'm back. I don't know if you noticed or not from the weeks of silence followed by three posts in a row followed by more silence, but I'm trying to spend a little more time on the ol' blog here. Not sure how long this commitment to quantity will last, but at least you'll get to follow all the exciting and mind-blowing stuff happening here in the House of Quirk.(That said, I've decided to

6/16/11 One Score and Eleven Years Ago...

2011-06-16T04:00:00.002-05:00

Sooooo...it's my birthday today. Actually, mine and Tony's both. We're turning 31. He celebrated by going to work, and I am celebrating by pressure washing the siding on the house and then changing some poopie diapers. Later today we will meet up for a birthday celebration of signing the papers for refinancing the house. Whoo-boy! Do we know how to party or what? Remember when you looked forward

6/15/11 Baptism

2011-06-15T00:03:00.001-05:00

ZB's baptism was a few weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to organizing the pictures. I figured that if I was going through them on my online photo album, I might as well share a few.It was a really great service. Family showed up from as far north as Chicago and as far south as Savannah to witness it. ZB wore the christening gown that my great-grandmother made roughly 60 years ago...the

6/14/11 Only Her Stylist Carpenter Knows For Sure

2011-06-14T10:04:00.005-05:00

So I'm tired of my kitchen cabinets. They look old and dated, and they desperately need a makeover. I'd rip them out completely and just put all new cabinets in, but unfortunately I haven't found anyone giving away kitchen cabinets for free, so I suppose I'll just have to work with what I have. (Plus it isn't like there's really anything structurally wrong with the ones I have...they just need a

6/3/11 Summertime, and the Living is Easy

2011-06-03T11:29:00.005-05:00

Have you missed us? We've been out playing at the park! The Little Miss and I try to take a walk in the neighborhood park a couple of times a week. (Well, I walk...she mostly naps in plush comfort with her sun shade and stroller fan. Such is the life of a baby). Poor little dear. You see how she suffers. Meanwhile, I have lots and lots of stuff to share with you and pictures to post, so I'll try

5/18/11 In Which I am Bested by a Plant

2011-05-18T02:16:00.002-05:00

Oh Internets, I have contracted the poison ivy. (I'll give you a minute for the full suckiness of that sentence to sink in).Apparently, unbeknownst to me, it was hiding out in my hydrangea bed, waiting to ambush me when I planted my newest little hydrangea bush that I had received for Mother's Day. (Which, can I just say, is really heartless and cruel...attacking me on my very first Mother's day

5/16/11 Trumpet for the Lord

2011-05-16T21:07:00.004-05:00

So we're sitting in church on Sunday (in the last row in the back because our church doesn't have a cry room and the Quirklet hasn't quite mastered volume control yet), and the priest is in the middle of the scripture reading. And we're right in the middle of the book of Matthew, and the whole church is quietly listening to the reading about Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, when the Quirklet lets

5/12/11 The Trial of the State Vs Yours Truly in the Unlawful Barbecuing of Her Husband

2011-05-12T09:22:00.001-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I beseech you today to listen to my tale of woe, for while it is true the I am culpable in the spontaneous combustion of my husband, there were extenuating circumstances that, if you only knew, would no doubt help you to understand why I did what I did.Now granted, my husband is a wonderful person. He works hard to bring home a paycheck, he is good with his

4/29/11 Things I've Learned in the Past Seven Weeks

2011-04-29T20:45:00.003-05:00

My apologies for being so sporadic with the blogging. As you may have guessed, the little one takes up all my time now. (My hope is that eventually she'll be able to amuse herself long enough for me to sit down and actually write something...as it stands now, I just have to hold her with one hand and type with the other). But in the 10 minutes or so that it will take her Daddy to put her to bed,

4/24/11 Happy Easter

2011-04-24T13:24:00.000-05:00

For your viewing enjoyment, some pictures of the most adorable baby ever in her Easter dress and bunny hat... Hope you and yours have a wonderful Easter holiday!

4/21/11 Sibling Rivalry

2011-04-19T11:26:00.010-05:00

A lot of people ask me how the cats are getting along with the new baby. I get the feeling they expect some kind of baby vs cat shenanigans. (I blame this on Disney's Lady and the Tramp, which cruelly and erroneously showed Siamese plotting to steal the baby's milk).But this is not true. The cats have been very good about the new baby.In fact, I they have been the perfect little helpers.Dixon

4/18/11 Bed Check

2011-04-18T21:24:00.003-05:00

Today when I was changing the sheets on our bed, I found the following:3 burp cloths2 baby blankets1 boppy pillow1 waterproof changing pad1 pacifier (on my pillow no less)1 baby nose snot sucker bulb thingie (under Tony's pillow)Next to the bed was:2 empty baby bottles1 bottle of baby gas drops1 bottle of gripe water (for upset baby tummies)1 gripe water dispensing syringe2 tissues, contents

4/11/11 One Month

2011-04-11T12:27:00.000-05:00

So we're one month old today! Honestly, I don't know where all the time went. It seems like just yesterday they pulled her out of me and held her up over the OR curtain like some kind of baby puppet show. Then someone hit the fast forward and suddenly it's been a month and I'm not sure what has happened between then and now other than she's grown waaaay too fast. (One month and I'm

3/30/11 Negotiations

2011-03-30T12:23:00.002-05:00

So yeah. Still here, doing the baby thing. Eat, sleep, poop, repeat. But while I'm still operating on about three minutes of sleep, things are getting better. We're slowly learning each other's schedule. Every day, we get a tiny bit more in sync. Little Bit: I'm hungry! Me: I just fed you! In fact, you still have milk on your chin! LB: Oh yeah. Well then, what do you want to do? Me: I have an

3/28/11 Sleep is Overrated

2011-03-28T12:48:00.011-05:00

It's been two weeks now since we've arrived home from the hospital. Tony stayed home for a few days, and Mom stayed with us up through last Friday to help with the transition, but today is officially day one of just me and Little Bit. (By the way, to answer your questions from last week about Baby Girl's real name, I've decided to respect her future privacy by using an alias...however, I haven't

3/19/11 One Week

2011-03-19T19:54:00.005-05:00

"It's been one week since you popped out of me, cocked your head to the side and screamed I'm hungry"Okay, not exactly Bare Naked Ladies, but it could work.So Little Miss is a week old now, and we're busy adjusting to life with a new baby. (Which is to say, life without sleep and regular hygiene). But it isn't bad. In fact, I'd say it's wonderful. Every day with her is like your best birthday

3/17/11 Happy Saint Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T16:06:00.002-05:00

From the littlest leprechaun!

3/11/11 Baby Girl Has Arrived!

2011-03-11T22:34:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a chance to pick a date in the baby birth date contest, because the pool is officially closed. In a shocking turn of events, Baby Girl decided to come even earlier than anyone guessed. I'll give you the detailed blow-by-blow later when I'm less sleep deprived, but the whole birth process was easy and painless and quick. It was the next best thing to actually having a stork

3/10/11 Memoirs, Moons and When Zombie Cats Attack

2011-03-10T11:19:00.004-05:00

It occurs to me that I haven't had an actual blog topic in a while. Mostly the last few months have been baby updates and bulleted snippets of random thoughts. And you may think that this is just me being lazy and not picking a topic and sticking to it, but the truth is that for the last few months my brain has just been baby updates and random snippets, so it's kinda hard to write in a

3/7/11 Expecting Joy

2011-03-07T20:27:00.005-05:00

Hey. Check this out.So the other day Mom and I were messing around with the camera and came up with a couple of belly shots. They were nice and all, but then I thought, "You know who could make these shots really awesome? Antique Mommy."For those of you not in the know, Antique Mommy is a writer, artist, photographer and Super-Mom who writes a blog at antiquemommy.com. And she does amazing

3/1/11 It's The Final Countdown!

2011-03-01T12:27:00.007-05:00

da-da-DAH-dah! DA-DA Dah Dah-dah!(What? That's my attempt at synthesized keyboard sounds. You're welcome, fans of the 80's band Europe).Anyway. It's March! It's March! Y'all simply have no idea how happy this makes me. I've been waiting on March since last July. Do you have any idea how long that is? It's like waiting on a package from the UPS guy to come, only instead of putting in a tracking

2/25/11 Nesters Anonymous

2011-02-25T11:08:00.000-05:00

My name is Quirky, and I have a problem. I've become an Extreme Nester.Normally, pregnancy nesting is a good thing. You set up the nursery, you clean out a closet or two, maybe you even wipe down a counter. Not me. Apparently, I am an Extreme Nester. The Bear Grylls of nesting. I'm drawing up blueprints to add a a 15oo square foot extension to the house. I'm terracing the back yard. I'm renting a

2/23/11 A Plea For My Ribs

2011-02-23T11:33:00.005-05:00

Dearest sweet Baby Girl,We've been together 35 weeks now, and Mommy adores you, heart of my heart, flesh of my flesh, but we really need to discuss this desire of yours to constantly hang out inside my rib cage.I know that space is a little limited in there, and there's not exactly a view, so you may be a little bored. I get that. But to use Mommy's rib cage as a jungle gym? Not feeling so

2/21/11 Cue the Twilight Theme Song (With Cello)

2011-02-21T18:07:00.000-05:00

So I just came across this video randomly the other day, and I probably would have shared it with you anyway because it's cool and I like it, but there's something a little freaky about it too:I've been dreaming about the long haired guy in the video.Seriously. This is the first time I've ever seen or heard of Stjepan Hauser, but I swear that for the last 6 months or so, I've been having

2/18/10 Another Baby Update? Well If You Insist...

2011-02-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

I know, I've been AWOL. First, the weather became unexpectedly nice this week (72 degrees yesterday!) so I've been playing outside, and secondly, there was a nasty incident where Blogger cruelly and inexplicably ate a post that I had worked hours and hours on, and it takes some time to heal after that kind of crushing technological blow. (And more than a couple inventive references regarding

2/8/11 33 Week Baby Update

2011-02-08T18:26:00.006-05:00

Just got back from the 33 week checkup. We did another growth check today, and she did exactly as much growing as they expected her to do. (She's still in the 6th percentile, so she's considered small, but clinging to the "normal" range). The good news is that she's maintaining her growth rate, so the doctors are happy. She weighs 3 lbs, 10 oz and her little thigh bone measures 2 2/4"

2/4/11 Savannah Baby Shower

2011-02-04T14:04:00.002-05:00

I know I promised that I'd share my baby shower pictures from Savannah forever and a day ago, but it took me a while to optimize all the pictures so that it wouldn't take a bazillion years to load. That said, here's the baby shower that my Dad's side of the family threw for me, in picture form.It was a ton of fun, and Baby Girl scored quite the haul.Baby Girl will love this!Thanks to Cousin

2/3/11 You Gonna Eat That?

2011-02-03T11:34:00.004-05:00

You always hear about weird food combinations that pregnant women go through, and up until now, I figured that was pretty much a myth because while I was eating in phases - the everything garlic phase, the grilled cheese sandwich phase, the chicken sandwich from Burger King phase (don't mock me...Baby Girl got sucked into those buy one, get one free commercials EVERY SINGLE TIME)- I was never

1/27/10 Living La Vida Loca

2011-01-27T13:37:00.003-05:00

It's another exciting day here in the House of Quirk. Today's agenda? Laundry. And return a staticy intercom system to Radioshack. And maybe, if I'm feeling especially adventurous on the way back from Radioshack, stop and buy a gallon of milk. I know. It's a wonder they haven't made a movie about my life. Maybe several.The laundry is just laundry: towels, a load or two of darks where I

1/26/11 My Deep Dark Secret About Kevin Bacon

2011-01-26T21:04:00.005-05:00

I have a confession to make. I've never seen the movie Footloose. Nope. Never. I did once see a little blip of it where Kevin Bacon is stomping around a warehouse being mad and having 80's flashbacks of people with really big hair, but to be honest his dancing kinda looked more like he was having an epileptic fit during a gymnastics routine, so I was not inclined to really see the movie in its

1/21/10 Just Breathe

2011-01-21T08:34:00.004-05:00

We've been working on breathing and relaxation techniques in our Teddybear U classes. Our instructor told the coaches that they should help us practice the breathing techniques at home because if they waited to pull this out for the first time during the actual labor, it would probably not be well received. Tony took this advice very seriously. Scene: Early evening. I am innocently reading a

1/20/10 Baby Update: 30 Weeks!

2011-01-20T11:12:00.006-05:00

Let's do a baby update. I'm at 30 weeks, which if you're following along at home, means that we have t minus 10 weeks to go. (Probably less, although I'm hoping she'll stay put for at least 7 more). We just returned from our first baby shower with my family in Savannah, which was a lot of fun and deserves its own post as soon as I can get the pictures uploaded. (Stayed tuned). Since then,

1/12/11 Alan! Alan! Alan! Alan!

2011-01-13T01:09:00.002-05:00

You've probably already seen these since they've been floating around youtube for the last month or so, but every time I see it I have to laugh.

1/6/11 This is Just Some Kind of Pregnant Woman Hazing Ritual, Right?

2011-01-06T09:12:00.002-05:00

We had our first class of Teddybear University Tuesday tonight. This is the 5 week class that covers birthing and childcare for first time parents. I was actually looking forward to it. Thought it might be reassuring to know what was going to happen. WRONG! Don't misunderstand. The instructor is perfectly lovely. She really is. And we have a workbook that is very informative. And we learned

12/31/10 The Inherent Dangers of Christmas Lights and Biscuit Dough, as Covered in Section 32.b, Clause 7

2010-12-31T19:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Tony and I had an appointment with our insurance agent to talk about life insurance*. Today Tony is convinced that he has almost died twice in the last few hours alone. Apparently now that we're talking policies, Death is following him around the house.The first "deadly" occurrence occurred while putting the Christmas decorations away. Ya'll might remember that due to my delicate

12/30/10 10 weeks

2010-12-30T12:07:00.000-05:00

I was looking at the calendar today, and it occurred to me that I probably only have about 10 weeks left of being pregnant. (I'm 27 and a half weeks now...they figure I won't get to the full 40 weeks, so 37 and a half weeks sounds pretty accurate at this point). But 10 weeks! Do you know how fast that goes?! 10 weeks is nothing! A blink of an eye! And then she'll be here and...and I'm just

12/28/10 A Christmas Recap

2010-12-28T19:04:00.003-05:00

I just wanted you to know that we have made it safely back from our Christmas travels to the Great White North (which happened to be particularly white this year with all the snow everywhere). But it was good, and we had fun, and it's always nice to see family.We flew to Chicago Friday morning. I had studied up on all the "flying while pregnant" articles and advice, and had snacks, extra water, a

12/27/10 Snowball Fight!

2010-12-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

Some quick pictures of the snowball fight that erupted due to all the winter precipitation in Illinois.Tony's Mom and sister with Buddy the dog, out enjoying the snow. But what's this? Tony lurking in the background, getting ready to pelt his unsuspecting mother with a snow ball! She loves him anyway.No attacking the pregnant lady!Baby Girl is safe from snow balls. (Although notice he's still

12/22/10 Baby Update: Kicking Butt and Taking Names

2010-12-22T11:46:00.001-05:00

We haven't done a baby update in a while...let's do that, shall we? I know you guys are just dying to know all about my incubating adventures.So we're at 26 weeks this week, which is almost to the end of the second trimester. 2/3rds of the way through. While I'm totally psyched that we're this much closer to getting to actually meet Baby Girl, I must admit that I'm a little sad to be leaving

12/20/10 A Gun is the Only Way You'd Ever Get Tony To Do A Headstand...

2010-12-20T13:45:00.004-05:00

My mom sent me this link about awkward pregnancy photos from Pregnant Chicken, and some of them will just make you laugh until you wet yourself. (Or shoot a beverage out of your nose, depending on what you happen to be doing at the time that you click the link, and what orifice out of which you prefer to have liquid rapidly and unintentionally leave your body). Really. Click right now. It's

12/19/10 Tony, the Blahs, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra

2010-12-19T16:22:00.006-05:00

Oooooh ya'll, I had the best time yesterday. We went to the Christmas show that the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra puts on, and it was just beautiful and magical and lovely, and I just had the best time! Of course, the day didn't start out like that. You ever just wake up in a cranky blah mood for no particular reason? Well, that was me. Color me blah. And the closest reason that I could come

12/17/10 The Year The Cats Finally Agree to Pose for the Christmas Card

2010-12-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

Nothing thrills me more than getting a Christmas card from friends and family, even when it's a virtual one. So a very Merry Christmas to all of you out there in the blogosphere from all of us here at the House of Quirk!Top row, from left to right: Tony, Me, Dixon, Sebastian.Middle row: BellaBottom row, from left to right: Mason, Magellan, Baby GirlNote: This is a scan of my hard copy cards from

12/13/10 Tender Tennessee Christmas Tour

2010-12-12T23:45:00.002-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again! The lights are lighting, the eggnog is nogging, and the Nester is doing her annual Christmas Tour of Homes! This year has a special bonus, because it just so happens to be snowing right now, which may not be much of a howdy do where you live, but pretty much thrills our little souls here in Knoxville, TN. (And by thrilled I mean flurries will shut down the

12/2/10 Hopes for my Daughter

2010-12-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I sit around and daydream about how life will be for my daughter. I have hopes and dreams and expectations for her, and I thought I might jot a few down so that once she's here, I can remember and share them with her. These are for you, baby girl:Number one, I hope you're healthy. Fingers and toes all accounted for, and healthy as a (small, easily birthed) horse. So far you look

11/28/10 A Turkey-Induced Random Thought...

2010-11-28T16:48:00.006-05:00

Can someone explain why I've been out of high school for twelve years, but I still have dreams where I the bell rings and I can't remember how to get to my next class? Or my locker combination? Or I'm taking a final exam (usually math) and I realize I don't know how to do any of it? I get that they're insecurity dreams that symbolize feeling unprepared for something (like a new baby, perhaps?)

11/25/10 Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll!

2010-11-25T09:16:00.004-05:00

There's turkey and gravy and dressing and mashed potatoes and broccoli casserole calling my name, but I wanted to take a quick moment to jot down the things I'm thankful for (in no particular order) because it's important to remember.Things I'm thankful for:This awesome little baby girl, who I didn't even know I could love so much, but now I can't imagine life without. I can't wait to meet her!

11/24/10 Baby Update: Week 22

2010-11-24T10:37:00.000-05:00

22 week ultrasound yesterday, and as an added treat, we were able to use the 3D machine. Now personally, I don't really get the fascination with the 3D ultrasounds. I've never seen a picture where the baby didn't look like some kind of lumpy baked potato. (And sure enough, my little darling is no exception. Although she's the cutest little baked potato I've ever seen). On the other hand,

11/23/10 It's Crazy Cat Family Christmas Card Time!

2010-11-23T11:26:00.003-05:00

Is it wrong that I'm ready for Christmas and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet? (Don't get me wrong...I'm more than ready for Thanksgiving also. Who wouldn't be ready for a holiday that makes it culturally acceptable to sit around stuffing yourself with delicious foods? Shoot, I've been ready for Thanksgiving since last Thanksgiving). But the Christmas-longing is something a bit more unusual.

11/18/10 See This Box of Soap? I'm Standing On It.

2010-11-18T15:15:00.004-05:00

Ya'll bear with me. I feel a soapbox moment coming on:For the past three days, Tony and I have been watching the nightly news reports about the TSA screening procedures. And how hard they've been trying to make them into a controversy. Oh I know, I know, that pilot complained that he was getting groped, and now the pilot's unions are advising a ban on the screenings. And Rosemary Fitzpatrick,

11/10/10 WW: Da Belly

2010-11-10T17:36:00.006-05:00

Here I am at 5 months. Now personally, I think this is some pretty substantial belly, (at least enough to let me cut in the bathroom line) but maybe that's just me. I do have a slightly different point of view, I suppose.

11/9/10 Baby Update!

2010-11-09T13:43:00.000-05:00

Well, we're officially 20 weeks, or 5 months, or exactly halfway though this little thing called pregnancy, so I thought I might give you an update on what's been going on lately.And in list form, no less.1. Before you even ask, I'm not really showing. I mean, I am if you knew what I looked like before and compared it to me now, but as for strangers on the street? No one can tell. (Which is a

11/5/10 Just Another Typical Friday

2010-11-05T12:56:00.005-05:00

Tony took the day off of work today. At first I thought, "Oh, that's so sweet! He wants to spend a long weekend with me! Maybe go on a quick baby-moon!" but no. He and a bunch of his poker buddies have decided to use the day to take a trip out to Cherokee casino. (Perhaps they thought it would be more fun to lose their money to a casino instead of each other? I'm not sure). Anyway, I hinted

11/1/10 Super Fantastic Nursery Tour

2010-11-02T14:11:00.003-05:00

Okay, because so many of you wanted to see it, it's the official 2010 Nursery Tour! And as a bonus, I have pictures and video! (Why video? Have you ever seen those fancy real estate sites that pan around the room for you? Well, it's like that only with shaky video and weird clicking noises in the background. And a cat. You're welcome). The official room theme is Patty Reed's Jungle

10/26/10 The Forbidden Call of the Other Side (of the Bed)

2010-10-26T11:28:00.004-05:00

Something happened the other night that has totally altered the fabric of the universe in our house. I mean, completely changed everything. Black was white, night was day, cats were actually well behaved at 5am. It was total chaos. And now I'm not sure we can ever get back to normal.See, Tony and I switched sides of the bed. Maybe this is not a big deal for you. Maybe you switch sides all

10/25/10 What Football, Zombies and Jungle Babies Have in Common

2010-10-25T10:44:00.012-05:00

Wooboy, what a weekend! Our weekends seem to gravitate to either "we sat on the couch like sloths and did not move for 48 hours" or "we ran around doing all kinds of stuff every moment of the day until Monday rolled around and we needed a weekend to recover from the weekend".(We're extremists. What can I say?)This weekend I went with option number 2. My oldest and bestest buddy Nicole came in

10/20/10 Hide and Seek

2010-10-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

It's just like Where's Waldo, if Waldo was a cat hiding in your jeans drawer

10/18/10 What's In A Name?

2010-10-18T09:40:00.001-05:00

Ever since finding out that we're having a baby girl, Tony and I have been on the hunt for possible names. Prior to this week, we hadn't really thought about girl names at all. (Not because we wanted a boy more, or didn't want a girl, but for some reason we automatically agreed on boy names. Girl names have just been a little harder). He said "eh" to 99% of my name suggestions, and I

10/15/10 Thank Heaven For Little Girls

2010-10-15T10:32:00.001-05:00

It's a girl! We're having a girl! We just found out yesterday. Technically, the official "anatomy" scan isn't for a few more weeks, but I was in for my 16 week checkup and the technician said that it was very very obviously a girl. (Normally, they don't like to tell you this early since parts can be small and easily missed, but I poked my little monster in the head until she shifted position

10/14/10 The 700 Club

2010-10-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Guess what? This is my 700th post! (And you people are still here! That shocks and amazes me!) 700 entire posts of the serious, the mundane, the comical, the ordinary, and the individual little moments that make up my life. Who would have thunk it? You know, the infamous "they" say that bloggers are just digital voyeurs. They say that my generation feels the need to constantly draw attention

10/13/10 WW: But I Thought You Said I Was Your Baby!

2010-10-13T10:05:00.005-05:00

We recently acquired an infant carrier for the coming addition, but I think the cats missed the point.But I'm your baby, right?Hey! What a great new sleeping spot! Thanks, guys!

10/7/10 It's Thursday, So Of Course It's Random

2010-10-07T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ready for some randomness? You have come to the right place!I'm seriously jonesing for some Chic-fil-a right now. Enough that I may even change out of my morning blog reading robe and actually put on enough clothes that they'll let me in the door. And yes, I'm sure there's plenty of stuff to eat here at the house that would 1) be cheaper and 2) be healthier and 3) not require a full

10/4/10 The List

2010-10-04T09:30:00.004-05:00

You know how you're in the house, doing whatever, and you realize that you're almost out of X product that you were doing the whatever with, and you're all, "We need some more of this. I need to write this down on the official Wal-marts list", but the list for the Mart of Wal is all the way in the other room so you're like, "Honey? Remind me to pick up some more X next time we're at Walmart" and

10/3/10 10 Reasons

2010-10-03T16:59:00.004-05:00

I saw this one on another blog and thought I'd give it a whirl. Beats what I was going to blog about, which was whining about how the football gods done treated my poor Tennessee Vols so, so wrong. (I'm still depressed. And yes, I'm taking it personally). Anyway.Here goes:10 Reasons I'm Glad it's Fall:10. Wearing jeans all the time now means I don't have to shave my legs as often anymore.9.

9/28/10 The Only Time I've Ever Wished For A Belly

2010-09-28T10:41:00.005-05:00

This was on my BabyCenter weekly newsletter this week, and it was so me that I had to laugh. 14 weeks, exactly one pound gained and not even a hint of baby bump. People keep asking, "Are you SUUUUUUURE you're pregnant?" Oh well. I should probably be thankful that I don't have to lug around all that extra weight yet, but I do have to say it feels weird to be sitting in the Dr's waiting room,

9/27/10 Oooo, You Make Me Live

2010-09-27T09:50:00.006-05:00

Don't you hate it when you make a big stink about something and it turns out that you are double-dead wrong?And then you have to slink in and eat some crow and pay $30 for a book covered in grossness?Yeah, me too.See, I've been having a fight with my local library. (It pains me to even type that because the library and I are BFFs, and up until now we've been seeing each other several times a

9/22/10 Leggo My Eggo...And Eggs...And Pudding

2010-09-22T10:21:00.004-05:00

I've been dreaming about food lately. It must just be the preggo brain, because I'm not really overly hungry during the day or anything, so it's a little weird to be so focused on it at night. Actually, I suppose the focus is more that someone takes the food from me, and I get all mad about it. I've had two dreams in a row with this theme, and while I don't normally attach meaning to dreams, (

9/16/10 Apple Juice. It's All Good.

2010-09-16T22:03:00.001-05:00

Well, we had our week 12 doctor's appointment today. And although there is some discrepancy on exactly when the first trimester ends (12 weeks? 13 weeks? 12.5 weeks?), I'm going to go ahead and claim that we have successfully completed it, because I can already tell that my baby is an over-achiever. (It's in the genes).