tag, I'm it

I wasn't even aware of "tag" online until Jess hit me. So here you go.

What was happening in my life 10 years ago?
1. A sophomore in high school.
2. Worked in a doctor's office (gastroenterology) where I got to look at and copy pictures of buhh-holes all day.
3. Passed driver's ed.
4. An editor for the yearbook.
5. Baptised.

5 things on my to-do list:
1. Work.
2. Exercise.
3. Pay bills.
4. Think of various ways to spell our daughter's name.
5. Weigh the pros and cons of going home this summer.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Goop.
2. Popcorn.
3. Fruits.
4. CHOCOLATE.
5. Drumsticks (ice cream)

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Pay off debt.
2. Invest.
3. Collect interest.
4. Buy a nice plantation home, then hire a cook, gardener, and maids.
5. Open a clinic in the name of Denny Duquette (gotta love the list of five).

5 bad habits:
1. Procrastination.
2. Online window-shopping for baby things.
3. Procrastination.
4. Retail window-shopping for baby things.
5. Procrastination.

5 places I have lived:
1. South Carolina
2. Illinois
3. Kentucky
4. Arkansas
5. Washington

5 jobs I've had:
1. cook/server/cleaner (one man band) for a pasta house
2. Jewelry attendant at K-Mart
3. Sales Associate for Bath & Body Works and Motherhood Maternity
4. Youth Worker and Case Manager for residential treatment center
5. Service Coordinator for a behavioral health center

5 people I want to know more about (in no particular order)..a.k.a, tag!:
1. Renee Mabry
2. Heather Pritchett
3. Adrienne Johnston
4. Cheri Geer
5. Denny Duquette

the blog stays pink

The long awaited sex has finally been revealed... after a nice long spell of modesty and refusal to cooperate. It's a girl! Our nurse, Shawn, was an excellent narrator and printed lots of ultrasounds for us. So here you go. The pictures are in order of the anatomy scan. First, measurements were taken of the head circumference and parts of the brain. Here's the photo Shawn refers to as "Skeletor." She also checked to be sure there wasn't a cleft lip-there's not. You can see both hemispheres of her brain.

The weirdo kept her face smushed up against the (sorry) placenta for a long time. She kept touching it and gumming it; like I said, weirdo. We were able to see her practice breathing, something that isn't necessary at this point, but it was still good to see. This is her profile and her fist banging on the placenta. Maybe she's trying to communicate with the outer world? Who knows. I still don't feel anything. Shawn said it was because of where the placenta is. It's cushiony and provides about a two week buffer compared to others before I'll start noticing anything.

Then we saw her heart beating. 155 bpm, very good. Four chambers, again, very good. Also saw a few of her major arteries. It was surreal to see both hers and mine on the screen together. This is just her heart and the beat pattern. It's always cool to hear it.

We were able to see her suck her thumb, stick her fingers up her nose (or at least that's what it looked like), hide her face, and "box." Here's her fists up in front of her face (which you can't see), like a boxer. The black hole under her fists is her heart.
Then we saw toes. If you can make it out, foot on the left is her left foot; hence the modesty (crossed legs) that prevented us from seeing if she was a boy or girl for quite some time. She appears to have all her fingers and toes.

This is her spine. I think it's creepy looking. Her bum is to the left, she has a very little butt like Ryan. Her arms and legs are curled underneath; she's literally in the fetal position. Her head's partially cut off, but it's to the right.

Shawn kept checking for girl/boy parts in between various measurements. Towards the end, she opened her legs JUST enough to see something. You can see her thighs are still pretty close together. In the end, she flashed us a few times for Shawn to be confident of the sex.

Here's a picture of her legs, crossed and locked. (Let's hope this is a good indicator of what she'll be like with the boys.) You can see her knobby knees, calves, and a foot. This is the position she kept her lower body in for most of the scan, despite all the orange juice I drank beforehand.

So that's that. Mystery solved, we're having a girl. Oh and she's currently 9 ounces, give or take a little. The entire time, she was laying horizontally in my belly. We had to poke her around a lot to get some of these shots.

it's been a long day

Laundry's done, clothes are folded, dishes are washed, floor's swept, bed's made... I've had three days off work and I'm running out of chores. So of course I turn to the internet to fill the remainder of my day. Youtube is hilarious.



Jess, this one's for you.

By the way, Ryan & I find out if we're having a boy or girl on the 23rd. How exciting!

yes it is

It's not pink. I hate pink. It's mauve. And yes, this is what I'm currently diggin, so this is what the blog shall be.

yep, that's right

Ryan's started his outdoor "spring cleaning." He's so proud that our yard is the greenest and cleanest on the block.

Dax & Libby decided to make good use of the old boxes Ryan had cleaned out of the shed.

Here's a few gifts we've received already. The Johnsons and books are from Rachel (suits her Master's in Reading). The outfits are from David & Priscilla. And the clippers and medicine dropper are from Diane (again, suits her degree in nursing).
I don't even know what to say. One day my clothes fit, the next they didn't... er at least the dressy ones. I can still manage my jeans and shirts no problem, it's the dress pants and a few tops that are giving me issues. Seriously, before Randy & Renee came out, my church and work outfits were just fine. After they left and I went back to work, things were a little tight... okay, too tight. So here are some belly shots in my first maternity outfit. (FYI, it's all hanging out, pooch #1 and pooch #2-- both: belly before the baby & baby)

Mabry trip to WA

Finally! Pictures from when Randy & Renee visited us last week. First we went to the Olympic National Park. This time, we did our homework and found out that dogs were allowed.
Here are some random photos.
There were lots of waterfalls on this trail... sorry you missed out Priscilla!

Ferns were growing EVERYWHERE.

Ryan thinks Libby would make an excellent search and rescue dog. I say her ADHD is too much to manage.
One part of the trail had been washed away, leaving a steep mud-slide hill. This was our way of improvising so that the dogs didn't make it their responsibility to get us all down the slide.
Dax is such the back-seat driver. (We were on our way to the beach.)

The West Coast was SO cold and windy.

Ryan didn't care that his feet were getting wet, he was having just as much fun as the dogs running on the beach and playing int he waves.

Here are tire tracks from the beach road.
Dax cracked me up. Everytime I wasn't watching him, he would lick the water and then make the nasty-taste-face and search for more water. I felt awful telling him he couldn't have a drink; he just didn't get it. He's our special child.
Then there was the Northwest Trek, a wildlife reservation.

nursery photos

I know I'm a slacker! There is SO MUCH to catch up on, there's not enough time to do it all now. But since I've been telling everyone about the new nursery furniture Granny got us, here are the pics. There's definitely a Christmas-y vibe to the room with all the green and cherry/red. (Initally, the nursery was supposed to have white furniture, but the deal on this set was too good to pass up.) So any ideas on how to de-holiday the place? I still have to get curtains, bedding, linens, and decor. Suggestions? The first picture is the view of the nursery as you walk down the hall towards it. The following photos are of the room from your immediate left and clockwise around to the door again.

Instead of purchasing a changing table, we opted for a dresser and separate changing pad. That way, when we no longer need the changing pad, we can remove it and set the hutch (now being used as a shelf behind the rocker) on top.

TONS MORE will come later. I still have to post the pics from Randy & Renee's trip out here, as well as the gifts people have already purchased for the kid.

abuse out the whazoo

Seriously, what is it with Central Illinois and abuse/murder?! Here's yet another one of our childhood church-going friends in jail for abusing a child. He reportedly kicked his girlfriend's three year old son in the junk and slapped him so hard across the face that he left a clear handprint. GEESH.

Man Accused to Beating Child
Group Fights Back Against Child Abuse
Relative Supports Beating Suspect

two is plenty

I came across this blog while browsing the internet tonight. Having two indoor huskies is plenty, in my book. But four?!!! Oh my my. And they all look so skinny/athletic/healthy. I think I'll start taking Dax & Libby for more walks... er at least Dax, our fatty mcfatfat.

extension

So if you're voting for Mabry, then you know how long the website it taking to load and vote. That's good! Keep it up! Just so you're all aware, this round has been extended until Friday. So keep those votes a comin'.

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