See You Soon...

I've obviously been away for a couple of weeks and I wish it wasn't so, but right now I can't blog.  There is a lot going on, just know that I'll be back soon to catch up with everyone.

Twitter

Aly posted today about Twitter and wanted to hear every one's opinions and to see if we use Twitter and what it's all about.  To be honest, I signed up for Twitter a long time ago and while I randomly 'tweet' here and there, I really don't know what it's all about. 

So my question for you is, do you tweet?  If so can you explain it to me and/or fill me in on what it's all about?  Head on over to Aly's blog and fill her in too.  Also, if you do tweet, look me up and show me the ropes AshleyJJohnston.

Do you ever have that panicky-feeling that something is wrong.  The feeling of a weight on your chest and it's so heavy that you have difficulty breathing?  The panic in the pit of your stomach that makes you want to vomit?

This is not something I experience often, however, when I was out at the mall today at lunch I got hit with exactly this feeling.  I can't pinpoint anything that would have caused it and I'm not stressed so what could be wrong?!  I have racked my brain and crossed off any possibility of forgetting something, Christmas shopping/list overload, everyday stressful items but none of the above have me concerned.

I just feel like this weight is holding me down and the fact that I can't pinpoint what it is is making it worse.

Do you ever feel like this?!

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 10

 

 
It's day 10 of Aly and Molly's 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge and today's topic is you favorite Christmas songs/caroles.  This one is easy, I love, love, love Olivia Olsen's 'All I Want for Christmas' from the movie Love Acutally.

Go link up and have a great Thursday!



Relief

As mentioned before, we are expecting our second child who is due May 6th, making me 17weeks, 5 days pregnant.  At my 12 week appointment the doctor had a hard time hearing the heart beat, but it registered on the doppler and all was said to be well.  I left not thinking anything of it seeing as the heart beat registered and knowing that sometimes it's difficult to hear it at that stage of the pregnancy.  Last week I went for my 16 week appointment expecting to hear the heart beat and after a very long couple of minutes and two different dopplers my doctor looked at me and said so the next step is an ultrasound.  I assumed that she was talking about the 18-20 week ultrasound but she meant that day or the next at the latest.  We were able to schedule the appointment for the next day thankfully and I kept my cool about it all after my appointment when I went to work.  I don't think it hit me until I got into bed that night and as I lay there it hit me like a ton of bricks, all of the possibilities of what the next day might hold flooded my mind and to be honest most of them were worst case scenarios.  Needless to say, the next morning was very unproductive and full of tears and it seemed to take forever for the ultrasound appointment to finally arrive.  The ultrasound technician quickly confirmed a strong heart beat of 147 and said that all looked well, so I was able to finally breath and thank God that our baby was okay.  We weren't able to get any other details as per size or gender, as we will be going for our next appointment on December 10th to confirm all of that and more but thankfully our baby's heart is beating and beating strong. 

According to the ultrasound technician, my placenta is anterior meaning between my stomach muscles and the baby, thus resulting in difficulties to hear the heart beat.  Thankfully all is well and we can breath easy.

Day 3 - 9 of 12 the Day of Christmas Blog Challenge

I am a wayyyy behind in  linking up to Molly and Aly's 12 Day of Christmas Blog Challenge for days 3 to 9, but I don't think they will mind terribly.  I originally started this post a week of go and have tried to finish it numerous days since, alas, today is the day!

First off - Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of my American friends, I hope that you had a wonderful day filled with family, love and happiness.
So Day 3 of the 12 Day of Christmas Blog Challenge is the most meaningful gift/best gift you've received.  When I started thinking about this all that came to mind was material objects, but nothing stood out as the best present received.  The most meaningful gift that I have ever received is my amazing family that continues to grow more and more.  I come from a family of 4 children and this means that there is NEVER a dull moment at family gatherings, there is always someone around when you need them and there is more love and support than one can imagine.  Not only am I blessed with two loving parents, 3 siblings plus spouses and children, I have married in to a family who have shown me nothing but love since day one.  I guess what I'm getting at is that my most meaningful gift is our family and their continuous love.

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly Holiday Season
-Start your shopping early to avoid spending everything you have in December and to help ease last minute stress

-Make a list and stick to it.  If anyone else is like me, I find it so easy to over buy and end up with too much for one person and not enough
-Keep your eyes open for deals early on in the season and watch the flyers/listen for radio ads

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

 

Plain.and.simple.

Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)

That is it...is it too much to ask for?

Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)
Unfortunately I am not crafty at all, AT ALL, so I am hoping to mimic (read copy) Aly's decorative jars - adorable!!!!

Day 8: Least Favorite Thing About The Holidays
I dislike the clean up and undecorating, my house feels so empty when all of the decorations are down.  I also dislike the weight gain, although this year I think that will be inevitable. ;)

Day 9: Favorite Holiday Recipe

Baked Squash Casserole

3 cups chopped butternut squash
1 onion, chopped
2/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
15 Ritz crackers, crushed
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. mayo

Heat oven to 350°F.
Cook squash in boiling water in covered saucepan 15 min. or until tender.
Rinse under cold water; drain.
Mix squash and remaining ingredients; spoon into 8-inch square baking dish.
Bake 1 hour or until heated through.

I can't get enough of this recipe, it is soooo yummy, of course I add extra cheese and mayo...mmm.
 
There you have it, hopefully tomorrow I will be back on track with the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge.

Day 2 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge

It's day 2 of Aly and Molly's 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge and today's topic is Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks.

This year is the first year that I will be going to Black Friday to shop until I drop and I CANNOT wait.  I am going with two other girls and Katie (hi Katie!) and I have been talking about it non stop for the past couple of months.  I have a list going of things I definitely want to get and I have my money ready to go and I'm hoping to catch up on some sleep over the next couple of evenings.  We are leaving around 4:30 in the morning and will be at the Waterloo Outlets for anywhere between 8 and 9 a.m. so we will miss the craziest part of the morning (or so I think?!) but will hopefully still get lots of deals.

I'm looking forward to reading every one's tips and tricks and I know that I will definitely be putting some to use!

As for my own tips and tricks, (seeing as I don't have any for Black Friday shopping):

I will be wearing comfy clothes and shoes

I will have a bottle of water with me and a snack or two in my purse
I will have a list of things I definitely want to get and hopefully hit up those stores first

I can't wait.  Happy shopping ladies!!

Day 1 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge

Aly and Molly are hosting the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge and I've been counting the days down until today!

Day number 1 - Christmas/Holiday Traditions

Christmas has definitely changed a lot over the years, with everyone having a spouse and in laws to visit it's not as easy to all get together at the same time.  It's still so great to be with family and feel the love and to watch the kids so filled with joy!

Every year we spend Christmas Eve with my parents, first we head to church with my Mom and then back to her house for snacks, drinks and visiting and yours truly is given the chore of finishing every one's last minute wrapping (which in our family means entire gift wrapping!).

Christmas morning is spent opening gifts with the kids and then a huge brunch at my parents' house.  My sister Melissa and her family end up arriving early afternoon and we quickly swap gifts with the kids and then Ryan, Cole and I are off to Ryan's parents' for Christmas supper with his family.  Like Chelsea's family, Ryan's family has crackers and we all wear the lovely crowns all evening long.  It's quite entertaining to say the least.

I love Christmas and spending so much time with all of our family, I only wish it lasted longer!

Head on over and link up for the fun!

Christmas Cards

There has been a lot of talk around the blogosphere lately about Christmas cards and where to order them from.  So many of you are talking about Shutterfly and to be quite honest, I had never heard of Shutterfly before and immediately became intrigued, especially when I saw that they are offering bloggers 50 Free Holiday Cards!  Seriously, how did I not know about Shutterfly before?!  The Christmas Cards they have available on their site are adorable and I am having a tough time deciding what design I would choose.  Here are a few examples:

Love the pointsetta print

Simple and modern

I am LOVING all things monogrammed this year, these two are perfect

I love the simplicity of these two!

 Simple, to the point and ADORABLE!

I am really having a tough time deciding what card style I would like to use for our Christmas cards but I am hoping to have it decided on by Friday so that I can order our cards and be ahead (just slightly) of the game this year.  I'll let you know which one we end up choosing and I will definitely keep you posted on my Shutterfly experience and from what I hear I won't be disappointed!

I also just noticed that they have a great selection of Wall Calendars, SCORE, these will be easy enough gifts for our parents as a little something extra!  I already love Shutterfly and I'm just beginning.  If you are a blogger head on over here to sign up for your 50 Free Holiday Cards.

My Little Patient

Yesterday was Cole's surgery (as mentioned here) and I am so happy to report that all went well and that my little man is back to normal.  We arrived at CHEO (the most amazing children's hospital in all of Canada, seriously, I have NEVER heard a bad thing about this place and we as well have rave reviews) at 6:30 a.m. and got signed in and within an hour Cole and Ryan were both dressed to head in to the operating room.  When the nurse asked if one of us wanted to go with Cole until he was under the anaesthetic we both said yes and Ryan looked at me and said 'I'll go'.  I began to protest but he looked at me and reassured me that it was better him than me going in as I would only cry and scare Cole.  He was right because as soon as they were gone I was sitting there wiping tears off my face and continued to do so until the doctor came to tell us all went well and that he was on his way back to recovery.  The nurse came to get one of us when he was beginning to wake up and I jumped up and all but ran to his room and on my way in my eyes started to tear up, but just as quick as they did I heard him and it stopped all of my tears.  He was groggy and scared and as a result of that he was thrashing around on this little bed screaming.  I ran over to him and kept reassuring him that all would be fine and he slowly began to calm down.  Every few minutes he would start to whine and kick and ask for his 'fox shirt' but in his whines I couldn't make out what he was saying.  Then it dawned on me.  His shirt that he wore to the hospital had the tiniest little fox on it and when we got him dressed in the little pj's that they supply he begged us to put his fox shirt back on.  The poor guy was still thinking about this during and after his surgery.  The nurse got C a Popsicle and some juice and soon enough we were off to day care surgery to be discharged.  Once settled in that room he asked to snuggle with me so we did for an hour to make sure that all was well.  Within 20 minutes of sitting in that room he was back to normal and wanted to play and run around. The nurse sent us off with post-op instructions including to keep him calm and sitting for the next WEEK.  We both laughed and she said that she understood, after all, he is a little boy, but to try our best.  Well we did, yesterday.  There really isn't much we can do to keep him sitting and doing nothing.  We put a movie on and sits for 20 minutes and then he's on the floor playing with his monster trucks and trains.  I tried to color a picture with him and that worked for another 20 minutes and then he was off to find a book.  Oh well, I guess it's not a bad thing that he is up and at it like nothing happened.  We are just so lucky to be so close to CHEO if anything were to ever happen to him, what an amazing hospital.  I am loving being at home to care for Cole while he is recovering, but that will end tomorrow when I go back to work and he spends the day with his Nana and Papa.

Please take a moment and hold your loved ones close today (and everyday), this past weekend in Ottawa there was a tragedy when a 14 year old girl took her own life.  Please encourage everyone you know, especially teens to talk to someone, anyone and please take a moment to pray for the Richardson family and all of Daron's friends.

If You Aren't MODGing it, Heck You Aren't Living

First off, super important news...

Please go here and vote for MODG and then go here to sign up and vote for Plankton's nursery because it is basically the coolest nursery EVER!  Oh and also, if you don't know MODG, you don't know nothing!  I really hate to tell everyone about her and have to share her, but she will fill your life with sparkles, rainbows and hearts and maybe even a little Danny Tanner too.  Why am I telling you this...just go and you will see for yourself.

Back to your regular broadcast...

I was so spoiled this week!  Ryan's parents came over on Tuesday for a visit and to do the cat litter while Ryan is away (apparently you aren't to do it while pregnant?) and not only did they do that, they took the garbage out, vacuumed the floors, made supper and helped with Cole - seriously, how fantastic are my in-laws?  They absolutely love to help with anything they can and I am so lucky to have married into such a great family.

Not only was that a terrific night, I got to visit with Jamie and Ella on Wednesday night after Cole and I had a movie/dinner date on the couch.  Ella is 6 weeks old and precious, oh my gosh!  Last night my mom spent the night and we had a great evening just relaxing.  Cole loves having my mom around, he

I was checking out The Lo Down this morning and came across this website.  This is such a touching story and the little boy's drawings are pretty cute!  Amazing at the amount of drawings they have sold and how much it has helped this family out in such a time of need.  It really makes you realize just how many amazing people are in the world.

I hope you have a terrific weekend and don't forget to go and vote for MODG, she (and Charlie) will change your life.  You best tell her I sent you so I get extra sparkles...thanks.

Wordless Wednesday - Love ♥

Top 2 Tuesday - Thankful

Taylor is hosting Top 2 Tuesday as per every week and this week is the top 2 things you are thankful for.  This should be an easy one right?  Unfortunately it's not, I mean how do you narrow down all the great things in life to the top 2?  I'm going to cheat just a bit :)
 
1.  My boys, family and friends.
There is no way that I could lead the wonderful life I am today without all of the amazing people who are in it.  I am so lucky to have two sweet boys in my life who fill my days with love.  I have a large family who are always there when I need them and who do everything that they can for my family and I.  Then there are my friends.  What would I do without all of you wonderful ladies who keep me entertained day in and out?
 
My boys, family and friends?!  Heck yes!  They are all my life and what a wonderful life it is!
 
2.  My health.
I am a pretty healthy person with the exception of the odd cold.  I have been so lucky to lead a healthy life to date and I only pray that I will continue to live this way.  I think of so many people who I know that are suffering and dealing with sickness and I feel so terrible for them and wish that there was some way to help take their pain away. 
 
Taylor, thinking of you and hoping your week is going better. x
 
Head on over to Taylor's and link up to play along and while you are there stop by with some well wishes.

14 Weeks

How far along? 14 weeks today

Total weight gain/loss:  0lbs

Maternity clothes? not yet

Stretch marks? just the ones from Cole

Sleep: I can't get enough

Best moment: Cole went to show a friend of ours where the baby was by rubbing my belly but he rubbed one of my boobs.  Hilarious but adorable!

Movement: nothing yet

Food cravings:  fruit mainly but anything sweet at all will do (especially left over Halloween treats!)

What I miss:  the little bit of energy I did have and being able to do drinks with the girls

Anything making you queasy or sick:  refer to my previous post...

Have you told family and friends: everyone knows


Gender:  unknown

Labor Signs: none

Belly Button in or out? in
Happy or Moody most of the time:  I'd like to say happy but this week has been a trying one at home, moody if I'm being truthful.

Weekly Wisdom:  SLEEP!!!  I can't stress this enough.  With an almost 3 year old and the pregnancy tiredness it is tough to make it through most evenings so I am taking full advantage of any sleep I can get.

Shitty & Pissy

When Cole and I got home tonight Ryan pulled in the driveway behind us from taking Bailey to the vet.  I was really concerned about Bailey and was happy to hear that he's expected to be fine but that he has a bladder infection which has spread to his kidneys.  He has to eat special wet food (which he won't eat), we are to give him a little pill (should be fun) and the best part of it all, he got his ass shaved and now we (I'm coming back to this 'we' issue in a moment) have to put cream on his tender tush.  Ryan is telling me this and I am still feeling terrible for Bailey until I realize that WE don't have to do all of this, nope, I have to do this.  Ryan is leaving to go hunting for a week and it's up to me...or Cole, although my almost 3 year old darling spawn has already come to the conclusion that 'Bailey's bum is dirrrrrty Mommy!'.

Not only have I had this thought in my mind all evening, I have had this lovely scent in my nose.  The little __________ (fill in the blank) peed on our couch earlier in the week and the smell is not coming out no matter what Ryan does to it.  He bought a steam cleaner and that didn't work, he tried some vinegar concoction and that didn't work and tonight he went and bought some odor out nonsense and of course that hasn't worked.  The cats (oh yes we have 2 of these little angels) are corralled down in the basement and I let me tell you, that is where they will be staying for the next week.  They are not outdoor cats so that won't be a problem, but I have no clue how I will clean up after pissy-pants (if this continues) while rushing home after work, making supper, bath, laundry, cleaning and prepping everything for the next day and finding time to get my exhausted self to bed. 

Just an FYI:  pregnancy = heightened senses (especially smell), therefore, cat pee stench + pregnancy = vomit on my husbands head tonight...possibly. 

Not impressed. (obviously)

That's my rant for now.

Pre-Op

We went for Cole's pre-op on Tuesday and all is good and ready to go.  Not sure if I mentioned it before or not, but Cole has a hydrocele testis and will be having an operation on November 15th.  According to his surgeon this is quite common as they do around 15 procedures weekly.  I will be happy when this is all over and done with and when Cole is running and jumping around again.  He's is having absolutely no pain right now with this issue and it won't cause any damage at the moment but if left it could down the road.  I know there is nothing to worry about but the scary part is having to leave him to be put under anaesthetics and just sit and wait.  Thankfully he likes doctors and isn't scared of them yet so getting him there is not the problem.  However, the mask for the sedation might be an issue.  Now we wait until the 15th, Cole none the wiser and me full of worry.

This week has for sure been eventful!  Bailey (one of our cats) isn't feeling well and has peed several times outside of his litter box.  It's almost as if he isn't making it there on time and has very little control over it.  Ryan noticed that there was blood in his urine as well.  They are at the vet right now, hopefully figuring out what is wrong with him.  I am by no means a lover of these cats, they were Ryan's when we started dating and while they are part of our family, I am not their biggest fan.  They both shed like mad and the meow at all hours of the night right outside our bedroom door.  That being said, I would never want either one of them to be sick or in any sort of pain.  Here's hoping all goes well as Cole absolutely adores them both.

I won a fantastic give away over at Amanda's Blog, if you haven't been over to check her out you definitely need to.  She is a fashionable and sweet mom of two boys who are ADORABLE!  Thanks Amanda.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner...

It's time to announce the winner of my first giveaway, but first, a very special thank you to Susan from GirlSunday Designs for her generosity and just for how awesome she is to work with.  The winner will get 1 snack bag and 1 sandwich of their choice from Susan's Etsy Shop.

Using random.org the winner is...

Stacy from Stacy's 101 List.  Congrats Stacy, e-mail me at ashleysmith_82{at}hotmail{dot}com with you info. and I'll have Susan contact you.

Another huge thanks to Susan, it was so much fun working with you and hosting this giveaway.  I absolutely love my snack and sandwich bag and use them both daily and have gotten so many compliments on how cute they are and what a great idea.  If you haven't had the chance, head on over to GirlSunday Designs, Susan is offering free shipping right now.

On another note, I had a fabulous evening with my parents and Cole.  We had pizza and Dairy Queen for supper and we had a great visit with them.  I was so spoiled this year, I got some adorable Halloween decorations from my boss and this little purse/wallet to put in my purse (great for when you want to run to the store, it holds your cell phone, money, cards, etc.

{via}

{via}

 It was just such a great day, thank you so much for all of the e-mails, comments and loving birthday wishes.  If everyone had a day as good as I did we would all be so happy.

The Most Special, Important and Awesome Day of the Year

You read that title right, today is the most special, important and awesome day of the year.  That my friends is because today is my birfffday.  I am officially 28 years old and I don't feel a bit over 16 (ya right!)  It really hadn't felt like my birthday up until last night.  One of my favorite girls came over a for a visit and brought me cheesecake, a beautiful flower arrangement and an adorable birthday balloon.  It was such a nice visit and a relaxing evening.  She's definitely one of the best...

 Last night my boys gave me my birthday present early seeing as Ryan will be working this evening.  I got my favorite perfume which I was out of and some money for my shopping trip in late November to the states, needless to say, so far I have been spoiled rotten.  My day has already been filled with lots of love and birthday wishes and it really makes you realize just how lucky you are. 

On another note, today is an important day because it's the last day to enter my giveaway...what are you waiting for?  Get going!

Sleep?! Who Needs It!

I need help, actually my whole family does.  We have a loving, energetic almost 3 year old ball of fire on our hands and he thinks that waking up anywhere between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. is acceptable - EVERY.FREAKING.DAY. and truth be told, it's not.  We are all exhausted and this is causing our evenings to be really, really tough. 

I've googled and read every possible thing on what you can do for a child who is constantly rising really early in the morning.  So far the following have not worked for us:

Going to bed later
Going to bed earlier
Covering him up with extra blankets
Making his room darker
Trying to get him back to sleep
Trying to convince him to play quietly in his room
A night light

The only other thing left to try that I can think of or read of is white noise.  We are going to try a fan in his room to see if that will work, but other than that I am at a loss. 

At first we thought it might be that Ryan's alarm wakes him up, but low and behold on his days off Cole is still up.  He runs into our room asking us to play and then proceeds to fly down the hallway turning on all of the light switches (for some strange reason our light switches are at child height, weird I know).

Please, oh please send me any and all of your suggestions.  But please don't say toughen up and deal with it that's the joys of parenthood, because I am an overtired expecting mother and I may just hunt you down and sick him on you for a good solid month.  All others would be greatly appreciated.

Oh and don't forget to enter my giveaway.

My First Giveaway!

Happy Hump Day (finally!), is it just me or has this week been dragging on?  Today is my 12-week appointment with my doctor and I am so excited to get an ultrasound referral.

I have been lucky enough to befriend this lovely lady Susan who is so kind, has a great blog (go check it out) and an adorable and creative Etsy Shop - Girl Sunday Designs.   Susan started making snack bags a couple years ago when she sent my daughter to pre-school and noticed how many zippy bags she was throwing away. She figured there had to be a better way and had just started sewing at the time and thought this would be a easy project to work on. Little did she know a whole business would evolve from it.

Susan is currently offering free shipping right now on all of her snack and sandwich bags and she is also doing fundraising by donating a percentage of the sales back to schools or day cares who fundraise through her shop.  If you are interested, please contact Susan directly, I can tell you first hand that she is very personable and easy to work with, not to mention quick!


Susan sent me a snack bag and a sandwich bag to try out and talk about an all around fantastic product!  The prints are so, so, so adorable and I have cut my disposable sandwich bag use down by quite a bit.  Here are a few pictures of the bags in use:

Cute packaging

Snack Bag

 Sandwich Bag

 Snack bag full of pretzels for Ryan's lunch

Snack bag full of popcorn, one of Cole's favorite treats

 Sandwich bag used for all my goodies in my purse

 Less mess in my purse, love, love, love this!

Susan has been kind enough to offer one lucky ready a chance to win one snack bag and one sandwich bag from her Etsy Shop.
To enter to win a snack bag and sandwich bag from Susan's Etsy Shop you must:

1st entry (mandatory) - go to Susan's Etsy Shop and tell me what you favorite product is

2nd entry (mandatory) - must be a follower of my blog  (you do not have to have a blog of your own)

3rd entry - go and check out Susan's Blog

4th, 5th and 6th entry - blog about this giveaway

Leave me a separate comment for each entry with your e-mail address by October 27th at midnight and I'll announce the winner on the 28th.

Good luck and thanks so much Susan!

Vote for Kari B...PLEASE!

Happy Friday everyone!

A friend of mine has entered a contest to win a trip to Australia and I need your help.  It will only take you a minute to vote for her and trust me, she most definitely deserves this trip.  KB is a genuine person and will always make you smile.  Take a minute to watch her video and then vote for her - please oh please!  It only takes a minute and you could help her make this happen.  Also, please leave her a comment with some love, I'm sure she'd appreciate it.  :)

Australia Campus Perks

Her video is Tour Down Under with KB

What are you waiting for?  You can vote daily, so please do!

And So It Starts

Now that the news is out in the open I feel great and can finally tell people all about it.  First off, a confession - I have been lazy, no I have been beyond lazy.  When I was pregnant with Cole I was sick (so sick) every.single.day. for the first trimester.  I would wake up in the morning and I was sick.  I would get in the shower and I was sick.  I would brush my teeth and I was sick.  I would put on a sock and I was sick.  I would wait at the bus stop and was sick.  I would get on the bus and then off again at the next stop and I was sick.  Get the point?  This time - I wasn't going to be sick, that I was sure of.  Why I never got Diclectin from my doctor is something Ryan and I asked our selves a million times.  When we found out I was pregnant I booked an appointment with my family doctor that week.  She is fantastic, but unfortunately she doesn't deliver babies, although I may have tried bribing her into doing just this one (didn't work - YET).  First thing she asked me 'are you all pukey and stuff again?' and thankfully, no I wasn't but she felt my pain from all we went through with Cole and prescribed me Diclectin right away for this sweet little one.

As luck would have it, I haven't needed Diclectin yet.  I have been nauseous like you wouldn't believe some days, but luckily it's nothing that Sea Bands and a piece of gum won't fix.  So the sickness isn't terrible, but on to the fatigue.  I am so tired.  I can barely force myself to do anything but lounge when I don't have to make supper or do any motherly duties.  This little one is sucking every ounce of energy that I have out of me.  Bed time at 8 or 9 p.m.?  Yes please!  Hopefully that will pass shortly as I need to clean my house on a regular basis again and start feeling like myself.

Enough baby talk for one day.  I promise this won't become all about the baby, but yes you will hear lots about it, and see plenty of pictures (but don't worry Dancy - nothing graphic, I promise).

I was tagged last week by Stacy in a fun little game of tag, where she answered 8 questions from someone and then she had to make up 8 questions and tag 8 others, so here are my answers:

1. What is your favorite thing to cook?
I love to cook anything with lots of garlic, but my favorite has to be pasta sauce.  Tomato or Alfredo, it doesn't matter, as long as there is lots of garlic.

2. What is your favorite TV show and why?
My favorite TV show is Grey's Anatomy and seriously, why wouldn't it be?!  Grey's Anatomy is THE best show on TV and I absolutely love Meredith...she's a riot.

3. If you had a $10,000 shopping spree to anywhere, where would you pick and why?
I would have to pick a $10,000 shopping spree to any shopping mall so that I could get all sorts of goodies from different stores and not just be limited to clothing or decor.  A cheat, I know.

4. What song are you likely to sing at karaoke in a bar?
None.  I am tone deaf and would never, ever, do that again.  I promise - never, ever.

5. If you could take any kind of class, what would you take and why...ie. Dance/Art/Photography?
I should say Dance class as I am so rhythmless, but really, I don't care because I only dance when I am drinking and by that point I don't care at all.  That being said, I would take photography so I could learn how to finally work my camera properly and hopefully capture loads of cute moments of Cole.

6. What is one thing that you couldn't live without and why?
Assuming people aside, I couldn't live without water.  Now, I know this is obvious but even if it weren't a necessity, it would still be my choice.  Besides drinking tea, I drink a lot of water.  You will rarely catch me without a bottle of water in my purse or car.

7. What is your favorite season and why?
This one is tough, I love Spring, Summer and Fall.  I love Spring with the exception of the mud, muck and the smell of dog poop.  I love the feeling of warm weather approaching and being able to drive with your window down and enjoy a warm breeze.  I love Summer for the beautiful weather, flip flops and being able to enjoy the longer days.  I love Fall for the crisp cold air, the beautiful colors and the smell of Fall.  Again, a cheat.

8. What is your favorite color and why?
I love the color black.  Okay so it's a shade, but anything looks good in black.

Questions:

1.  Who is your favorite actress/actor?
2.  What celebs fashion style do you absolutely lust over?
3.  What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
4.  Do you have an addiction (purses, shoes, etc.)?
5.  If you could meet one celebrity who would it be and why?
6.  What do you consider to be your best personality trait?
7.  What is your favorite store to shop at?
8.  What is your biggest fear?

I am tagging everyone and hope to see some answers soon!

Insert Happy Dance Here

We have big news.  Huge news.  Exciting news.  Heck, I could do this all day.  I'll let Cole show you instead...

We are expecting our second child and we are beyond thrilled.  Due in the first week of May and feeling great.

101

I have been working on my list of 101 things I'd like to accomplish in 1001 days for about 2 weeks now and I am only half way through.  I started adding some things last weekend but when I really thought about them I realized that they weren't substantial enough, rather that I was just adding random things to finish up my list.  I have several things that I really would like to accomplish and some that I may not get done but I am planning to strive for completion of all of them.  When I told Ryan I was first thinking of making this list he looked at me as though I was absolutely crazy and said "Do you really need to find more things to do?" and while I see where he is coming from, I just don't see myself doing all of the things that I want or need to do in any set amount of time without this list.  I tend to put things off seeing as life is so busy.  For example, making a will.  That is number 1 on my list and is so important for us to do but I just keep saying that I'll get to it soon and that started 3 years ago.  So this is it, I am going to finish my list this week and get started on it.

Do you have a list of things to get done? 

I hope to post my list later in the week for everyone to see and will most definitely be posting pictures and recaps when an item is checked off.

Results

Please don't judge my 'I'm terrible exhausted' look for it has truly been a terrible long week (I think I may have mentioned that already in a previous post.  I will most definitely post a better picture with make up, decent clothes and not after a 15.5 hour day.  I have 101 excuses for why I am exhausted and why I look so drained and tired but heck I'll save that for another day when I have the energy to list these reasons.

Here is the my new hair do, we didn't really pick one off my list and Kristen did what she wanted and I am pleased with it.  I can't wait to style it myself and get comfortable with it.  Until then here it is and again - please don't judge my face.  Terrible, I know.