Day 27 - My Worst Habit

Right now, with no fluid in my la.pban.d, my worst habit it eating too much too quickly followed by liquid. Breaking all the golden rules of the la.pban.d. Once this kids comes and the band gets fluid back in it, buh bye bad habit!!!

Day 26 - My Week in Great Detail

M - See Day 25
T - See Day 25 + Pickup Bandit from in-laws
W - See Day 25
Th - See Day 25
F - See Day 25 + Pickup Bandit from in-laws
S - Usually I get SA and Bandit up and we have coffee and breakfast. If we don't have anything planned, we will watch TV, I can craft or we run errands.
S - Pretty much the same thing.

We are kind of in a holding pattern right now. We try to get a couple of things off of my to-do list and just enjoy the peace and quiet.

Day 25 - My Day In Great Detail...

Well... Right now my day starts out with a "pee break" about 3:00a every morning. (TMI?) The alarm starts going off at 5:00a. Sometimes I hear it, sometimes I don't, just depends on if the baby is pushing on the bladder but definitely up by 6:00a. Get up, shower and get ready for work. Check Fac.eboo.k (depends on if I am up early enough.) Start heading to work and stop at Car.ibou for one of my favorite things. Get to work between 6:30-7:00a and proceed to work 8-9 hours. Head home about 4:00p. Check Fac.eboo.k and Blogger. Start dinner about 5-5:30p. Eat when SA gets home about 6:00p. For the last couple of weeks, our evenings consist of watching stuff off of the DVR while I work on the baby's cross stitch for the nursery. Depending on how tired I am, bedtime is usually between 8:00 and 10:00p. Boring I know but it won't be this way for much longer! Scary!!!!

Day 24 - Where I Live

I live in the great state of Minnesota! Home of the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings (Skol Vikings), the Great Minnesota Get Together.



We live in the actually city of New Brighton. Got love a small city in between the big cities.



Home of the Stockyard Days!

Day 23 - A YouTube Video

Since baby is still breach, here is the most recent youtube video that we watched. Not very exciting but still relevant for us.

Web.ster Te.chnique

A just for BB who loves this stupid fruit thing...

Anno.ying Oran.ge

and this one too...

Cha.rlie the Uni.corn

Gotta love teenage boys!

Day 22 - A Website

Hmmmm... I have several websites that I visit daily....

FF (Still read the male infertility boards)

Spar.kPeo.ple - I try to track my calories and nutritional information. Not so much since I had all the fluid taken out of my band. Just to depressing. After baby comes, will be back there tracking. Still have a lot of weight to lose.

Fac.ebo.ok - What can I say, I am one of those people.

Per.ezHil.ton - Gotta love celebrity gossip.

Blogger - Of course, I got check up on all those blogs I follow even if I don't comment on them!

Day 21 - A Recipe

Wow, this could be a fun one. Something you probably don't know about me is that I am a picky eater. I don't like eating things too many days in a row and I pretty much despise leftovers beyond lunch the next day. For the longest time, we never planned what we were having for dinner. SA would come home from work, go what sounds good, I would say "Nothing" and we would end up eating out. Lots of wasted money and calories. Since both of us have had gastric banding, I have started to plan our meals based on when we are going grocery shopping. I log into Spar.k Peo.ple every day to track my food and they have a recipe database that is immense. So we have gotten to try a lot of new recipes. One of my favorites is listed below.

Chef Meg's Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Toasted Almonds

Fresh and juicy during spring and summer months, strawberries are delicious when combined with tender spinach and crunchy toasted almonds. Chef Meg reduced the amount of sweetener used and then increased the vegetables in this member-submitted recipe to ensure you'd get a full cup of fruit and vegetables.

12 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients

1/3 c almonds, slivered
4 c baby spinach
3/4 c strawberries, quartered
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t honey
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place the almonds in a dry skillet or saute pan. Cook over low heat, shaking the pan the entire time until the almonds are toasting. Almonds are done when you start to smell a "nutty" scent.
Remove almonds from the pan to cool. (Do not cool in the skillet because they will burn from the heat that remains in the pan.) Wash and dry the spinach.

Prepare the dressing by placing the vinegar, mustard, and honey in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until all is incorporated. Place spinach in a large bowl. Add strawberries, almonds, and dressing. Toss to coat. If desired, season with a pinch of salt and pepper.


Number of Servings: 4

Day 20 - A Hobby of Mine

Ummm... I think this is pretty much the same, so is it a cop out to say "See Day 19"?

Day 19 - A Talent of Mine....

I am a pretty craft gal. I stamp, crochet, cross stitch, quilt and scrapbook. My mom even tried to teach me how to knit which I did for a little bit but haven't taken too much too.

Mostly right now (well at least for the last few years) I have been heavy into quilting. Take a look at my most recent finished works...

Turni.ng 20

Ter.ry Atki.nson

Nursery Quilts

Day 18 - My Wedding

Can I just say that I love my wedding story? SA and I were planning a big church wedding in Oct 2004 however his parents where encouraging us to elope. Here comes the part of the story that no one else knows!

We went to a XMas family gathering in Duluth and were staying in a hotel about a week before Xmas. We got a little frisky and the condom broke. Not knowing what we know now about azoospermia, timed intercourse, etc. we paniced. Decided we were going to Las Vegas and proceeded to do the deed again so that if we did get pregnant, we would never know which time caused the pregnancy.

Scott called my boss (an extreme b*tch) that wouldn't let me leave work on my own accord and told her that he was suprising me with a wedding in vegas and I would need to leave work early on 12/23. Of course I knew all about it but had to pretend I didn't when he walked in with my "wedding dress" and the wedding band. Keep in mind that our families had NO clue.

We proceeded to get on a plane to Vegas. Got off the plane, got a limo, went to the county clerk, got our license, went to the chapel and got married just after midnight 12/24 CT. We had dinner at the Riviera and walked the strip for about five hours, took a cab back to the airport and hopped on a plane to go home.

While at the airport, I called my mom and told her that "After last night, there wasn't going to be a wedding in October anymore." and proceeded to tell her that we got married. She walked around at work saying "I am a mother-in-law."

We were due at SA's parents for Xmas Eve Dinner and we were running a tad late. SA called his mom and said we had to do something with my family and that we would be there as soon as we could. (Big mistake if you know my mother-in-law as her step kids do this to them all the time.) By the time we got home, showered and got there we were about 30 minutes late and she was pissed and ranting. Finally, Scott had to stop her and tell her to "Meet my wife." All was forgiven after that.

My first time in Vegas, we were there for less than 12 hours but it was one of the best 12 hours we ever had.

Day 17 - An Art Piece

I have two favorite classic art pieces which I have poster copies hanging in my house. Both of these pieces I fell in love with during a college art appreciation class.

The first one is Starry Night by Van Gogh. I have the poster (framed of course) hanging in our celestial themed bedroom. Just gives me a sense of peace.



The other is Scream by Edvard Munch. These picture just reminds me of mental illness and depression and such. It is how I truly felt (and still do feel) on my worst days of depression. Standing along just screaming.

Day 16 - A Song that makes me Cry

Well technically, I am such a sap it really could be any song if the timing is right. I guess for the moment, refer back to my favorite song. It really sums up how I feel right now in regards to Teddy and I do get teary eyed whenever I hear it.

Day 15 - My Dream House

My Dream House.... Wow, should be somewhere near a lake with easy access so we can do "water activities" whenever we wanted, hunting acreage for SA and BB and soon to be little Teddy. A big playroom for the kids, a big sewing area for my sewing, stamping, crafty area (has to be big enough to hold a long arm quilting machine) with a walk out area so I could step outside for some fresh air. SA will want a "boys room" with a pool table and such. A room for every child we choose to have along with an extra guest room. Beyond that, I don't want it too huge because that means I have to clean it but then again if I could afford my dream house, I would probably be able to afford to pay someone to clean it.

Baby finally cooperated...

and kicked SA's hand three times last night. Up until know he has been a stubborn little bugger and would go quiet as soon as SA put his hands on my belly and then would whack away as soon as he took his hand off. It was kind of a running joke around here. He tried to tell me last night it was gas bubbles as a joke but when he did it a couple more times, he knew who it was!!!

Day 14 - A Non-Fictional Book

I will do what I did for yesterday's post. No surprise here but this one is pregnancy related. Through my work and insurance, there is a healthy pregancy program, where a nurse calls you every month. If you take her call every month, then after you deliver you get $100. Cool right, well they also sent me this book at the beginning of the pregnancy. I read each week as I hit that mark.

Day 13 - A Fictional Book

Hmmmm... Not sure what this one is suppose to be, our favorite? Nope we already did that one, so I will do that last one that I read.



I started this at my last OB appointment and finished it the same day. Another author that I like. Picked the book up at the thrift store for $1.50. Gotta love a cheap read!

Day 12 - Something that I am OCD about

As maternity leave draws closer, we have had to hire a temp to replace me for my 12 weeks. She started last week so that we could give her 6 weeks of "me" time. I am OCD about my job. I created this job and I am the only one that has done it for two years with others covering for me partially while I am out here and there. I have to trust this temp with my job and not to f*ck anything up while I am gone. Can I just tell you how hard this is for me? I like things done a certain way and that is the "only" way to do it. Don't do it how you think it should be done, do it how I want you to do it. UGH! 5 more weeks of watching this chick and having my eye twitch.

Day 11 - A Photo of Me Recently

My mini me... This is my niece and love her to bits. Everyone tells us that she looks just like me!

Day 10 - A phote taken over 10 years ago

Ummm yeah.... I know I don't have any of these electronically! I will try to scan one in and get it posted!

Day 9 - A Photo I took

This is SA's family... Taken at Bentley.ville in Duluth MN 2009. If you have never heard of Bentley.ville, it is basically acres and acres of Christmas lights, along with Santa Clause, popcorn, hot chocolate, popcorn, smores, fire pits. It is really a neat experience for the kids. I think Teddy will be too small and it will be too cold to take him this year but hopefully next year!

Day 8 - A Photo that Makes you Angry or Sad

Nuff said...

Aug 7 - A Photo that makes me Happy

Questionable Content - Please don't read this post if you are easily offended!!!!

There are so many photos that make me happy (ultrasound pics, engagement pics, family pics, etc.)



But this one truly makes me laugh. SA was helping me make Christmas Cookies a couple of years ago and this is what he came up with. This just starts to illustrate his sense of humor!!!

Aug 6 - 20 of my Favorite Things

These are in no particular order!!!

1. DVR
2. iPod
3. Sleep Number Bed
4. Ride on the Pontoon on a beautiful sunny warm day
5. White Berry Mocha Cooler (but can be warm too!) (Decaf of course!)
6. SA and his sense of humor and the ways he shows that he loves me every day!
7. My Ber.nina
8. My animals, even though they annoy me, they still bring a smile to my face!
9. This baby! He has brought me so much joy in my womb, I can't wait to see what he brings when he actually arrives!
10. Air Conditioning
11. My family, again even though they annoy me, they still bring a smile to my face!
12. My close friends who take care of me as much as I take care of them!
13. Diet Pe.psi (Oh how I miss regular dt. pep.si, nothing like the burn of the first swallow. Can't get that with decaf!)
14. Pedicures and Manicures (Nothing like having someone pamper you!)
15. My little (15 years old!) calling me Sissy!!!!
16. Having someone else wax my eyebrows! (I could never figure out how to properly shape them!)
17. Kh.ans - Awesome Mongolian Barbeque!!!!
18. The Twin Cities and Minnesota in general! Can I just say now that I am a true Minnesotan at heart and can't imagine living anywhere else and loving it as much as I do here!
19. My sleep = I love to sleep and I am going to be losing a lot of it very soon!
20. My lap.band - I may have had issues with fill levels but it allowed me to lose a lot of weight and allow me to conceive this baby!

More Mamma Drama....

Not sure if I posted this or not but my mom is getting a divorce. I didn't particularly like her soon to be ex husband but the day he moved out the boyfriend moved in. Don't agree with it but have had to learn to accept it. The boyfriend is unemployed and has been for quite sometime. So she has had to support a house she can't pay for, BB (15 year old brother) and the boyfriend. Money has been tight for her and we have tried to help out where we can. I have my first baby shower this weekend and she is invited. She told me last week that she wasn't sure what kind of money she would have to buy me a gift so she was wondering if I could bring the quilt that she made for the baby. I told her that I already planned on it. Come to find out, she bought herself a fricking i.pad for her birthday. Those f'ing things start at $499! On top of this her boyfriend has the nerve to ask us to go out to dinner for her birthday but he can only afford to pay for himself and her and asked if we could pay for BB.

I am so angry and hurt right now!

Aug 5 - Favorite Quote

This one is easy... "Time to pull up the big girl panties and deal with it." It's so easy for me to break down or bury my head in the sand when things get going rough. I have to tell myself to "pull up the big girl panties" to remind myself that I am an adult and let's be frank, God doesn't put anything in our path that we can't handle which leads to my other favorite quote.... "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."

From the title of my blog, you would guess that we have gotten a lot of curve balls thrown our way, but at the same time, we are very blessed with friends and families and this new baby. This bad luck didn't kill us, but it certainly made us that much stronger and allows us to see the blessing in our life.

Aug 4 - Favorite Book

Wow another one to narrow down. I have a ton of Favorite Authors!

Jan.et Evano.vich and the Stephan.ie Pl.um series. Every need a good laugh, these will give it to you.
V.C. And.rews - Creepy wierd books but again definitely good.
Jenni.fer Chia.verini - The Elm Cre.ek Qui.lts - Stories about women and their quilts
Step.hanie Me.yer - The Twilight Series - I could not put those damn books down and read each one in a day or two.

I also like the Harlequin Romance books. Go figure, sex does it for me everytime in books. (Real life is another story!)

Aug 3 - Favorite Television Program

Let's just get this out there. My name is TA and I am a reality t.v. junkie, especially T.L.C!

Kat.e + 8, Lit.tle Pe.ople B.ig Wo.rld, Lit.tle Cou.ple, Ca.ke Bos.s. Those are all on my D.V.R. right now. I also watch the Big.gest Los.er, C.S.I. (The original only), Surv.ivor, Gl.ee, Amer.ican I.dol (not sure how I feel about the upcoming changes!) D.W.T.S. etc.

SA calls them all junk but hey that's ok, he doens't have to watch them!!!!

Aug 2 - Favorite Movie

This is a hard one for me to narrow down. Heck I have almost 200 movies on my iPod, ranging from Big Business


to



I tend to watch movies over and over again to go to sleep. I can't watch movies that I have never seen or haven't seen for a while because then I actually "watch" them.

My favorite movie varies from day to day, week to week, month to month. I suppose right now, anything to do with babies would be the theme right now. (No surprise there!) So I would have to say "Baby Mama" or "Look Who's Talking"

Sebastian

Sebastian is my Russian Blue cat who is about 11 years old. Since I have become pregnant he has become OCD with me. If I am at the computer desk, he is sitting in front of the keyboard. If I am on the couch, he is laying in my arms like a baby! If I am in the bedroom (they are not allowed) he howls at the closed door. I love him to pieces but man, I am not sure how he is going to act with the baby. They told us during birthing classes, that our animals know that we are pregnant, they can smell the hormones (or something like that.) He is declawed and I am not to concerned about him hurting Teddy but I am afraid he is going to be very jealous of this little one!

Aug 1 - Favorite Song

My favorite song right now is Michael Buble - "Haven't Met You Yet". It was originally written for his fiance but for some reason, I have equated it to Teddy. Every time I hear this song, I just start balling. We waited so long for this little one and here we are 55 days away from my due date. Just read the lyrics and see if you hear what I hear!!!!

I'm not surprised, not everything lasts
I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track
Talk myself in, I talk myself out
I get all worked up, then I let myself down

I tried so very hard not to lose it
I came up with a million excuses
I thought, I thought of every possibility

And I know someday that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

I might have to wait, I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And, baby, your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

They say all's fair
In love and war
But I won't need to fight it
We'll get it right and we'll be united

And I know that we can be so amazing
And being in your life is gonna change me
And now I can see every single possibility

And someday I know it'll all turn out
And I'll work to work it out
Promise you, kid, I'll give more than I get
Than I get, than I get, than I get

Oh, you know it'll all turn out
And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid to give so much more than I get
Yeah, I just haven't met you yet

I just haven't met you yet
Oh, promise you, kid
To give so much more than I get

I said love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
(I just haven't met you yet)
Love, love, love, love
Love, love
I just haven't met you yet