Welcome to the World Jadie!

I have been meaning to post these adorable pictures of our soon to be baby's first friend: Jadie Lynn, who was born on Tuesday September 18th to our very great friends Mike and Marie and proud big sister Kylie.

Here are some pictures from this summer, when we went to Franklin to celebrate Marie's baby shower. You will notice both men are very proud of their pregnant stomachs. Jadie is going to be a heartbreaker - check out these completely adorable pictures.

Jeff and I can only take credit for the little red & white strawberries outfit she is wearing, it's the first thing we picked up when we found out Jadie was going to be a little girl back in May.

Congratulations to the whole Family and we can not wait to meet Jadie in person and introduce her to Baby H.!!!

It's not who you say you love...

It's how you treat the people you say you love. I have been thinking about this line from the movie, "The Last Kiss" for the past week or so. Even though Zach Braff's character drove me absolutely crazy in that movie, I just love this line. It's a great reminder that action speak louder than words.

It really hits home, if only I could use it to motivate myself to be a better person and treat those I love a little better. Oh well, I am working on it! :)

Should boys have dolls?

Recently Jeff & I were watching The Power of 10 - which in my book is a pretty stupid game show on CBS, however we are still waiting for the fall tv season to start AND the birth of our baby and then I am quite sure we will never be bored again.

So... we're watching it and one of the questions is something like, What percentage of Americans said it was okay for their male children to play with Barbies? And Jeff said "OMG-zero percent!" And I said,"WHAT?!?!?" I personally think there is nothing wrong with little boys playing with dolls and little girls playing with trucks. I think that kids should play with whatever they want! And when I tried to explain to Jeff that if you tell a kid they can't do something, that will make them want to do it even more, he looked pretty mystified. Boy is he in for a surprise!

If every weekend could be like last weekend...

I would be so happy!!! Maybe it is the impending birth of our child that makes everything we do seem really fun and exciting?!?!?

Friday night our pals Julie and Ben from Madison stayed with us on their way to Door County. And of course, that gave us a reason to go to our favorite dinner location, Royal Scot. Which was of course absolutely scrumptious. We had a great time and gave Julie and Ben their wedding gift which was a tad late, but they really loved it. I can take pretty much zero credit for the creation of the quilt, that would be all Angie O. & Barb!!!

Saturday we had donuts for breakfast, which it is so easy to justify when you are pregnant. I may have had 2 of them. I am pretty sure our child will be born asking for Coke Classic, chocolate and McDonalds. As long as they aren't vegan - we're going to get along just fine! After we got Julie and Ben on the road to Door County, we did some organizing around the house, Jeff hung a fabulous picture of the United States in the nursery(yes I will post pictures sometime soon) and set-up the mobile, I decided Saturday would be a lovely day to do some cooking and baking. So, I made a lasagna for the freezer, an apple pie for Jeff(I am determined to get better at apple pies, because they are one of Jeff's favorites), and a cheesy chicken biscuit casserole for dinner. I loved spending the whole day cooking in the kitchen. Who knows when I will be able to do this again. Although I do have a carrot cake cookie recipe that I still want to eek out before D-Day!

Sunday we traveled to West Allis and went to a fundraiser for our fabulous friends Brad & Jeni Kimminau's son Eddie. It was a great time, good to see our friends, eat yummy food and support finding a cure and treatment options for Morquio syndrome. And of course if you would like to support this cause, here is a link to Eddie's website http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/eddiek where there are always details on how you can help. Brad & Jen have an amazing family and are truly inspiring to us as we get ready to become parents, even with all of the adversity they have faced, they are the parents of 2 adorable, well-adjusted kids. We love them lots and can't wait to see them again! As always, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

WHY ARE DEER AND DELILAH SO STUPID??

As I drove home from what I am hoping will be my very last day bartending at the golf course last night at 10pm(yes, props to me, I stayed awake past 8) last night, I was pondering some things.

Anyone who has driven with me knows that I am completely petrified of deer. Some people think this is a little irrational, as I have never been attacked by a deer, however when I am driving, the deer seem to be drawn to my car. So of course, last night, coming down HWY 57, past UW-Green Bay(practically a deer sanctuary) I was thinking, "oh great I am sure a deer will dart out in front of my car at any second." Luckily that didn't happen, I made it all the way past UW-Green Bay and thought-SCORE! Then I noticed the person in front of me momentarily hit their brakes, and of course I wondered why. Until I saw THEM: a deer on either side of the HWY both looking like they could move at any second and total my car. So I ask you - WHY ARE DEER SO STUPID? Why when there are tons of wide open fields all over the place would you choose to have dinner standing in a gravel patch with cars whizzing by you at 70 mph? I made it safely past the deer and of course was then thinking it would be just a moment before another would show up along the beautiful highway.

Moving onto Delilah - remember her? I forgot about her radio show until last night. I happened to tune into it and heard a caller talking about her VBF, Very Best Friend, and it made me think of the fabulous ANGIE O. who celebrated her birthday yesterday. I was thinking, what a nice story-blah blah blah and then Delilah says,"Let me pick a song for you and your very best friend." I am thinking this is so obvious, it has to be the classic, "That's what friends are for!" But NO - what does moron Delilah pick - you will never guess because the song has NOTHING to do with friendship!!!! She plays "Tiny Dancer" by:Elton John, which is a GREAT song, but seriously what does it have to do with these ladies who have been friends for years and really rely upon each other. I will tell you: NOTHING! So, I don't miss Delilah's radio show and I will NEVER listen to it again.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Lately I have not been super excited about blogging. Even though as we all know, I always have PLENTY to remark upon, I have just been crabby and wondering why bad things happen to good people. I am happy to report that I feel as if I am out of the funk. And when I think about having just about 5 weeks until our due date, I realize if there is something I need to say on the blog - I better get it done now, as I am pretty sure as soon as the baby is born that I will not have much time for blogging at all.

So - to summarize what I have been up to in the last week or so:

-Had a birthday, it was very low key, which was perfect, I am now completely stocked up with jog suits and new pajamas, which is all I wear anyway.

-Went to the Honey Pot in Two Rivers, a very cute collectibles and gift shop, where they have not Build-a-bears, But another type of things and Jeff & I made a very special stuffed animal for Baby H. I think the picture above says it all, Jeff and our new monkey!

-Traveled to Door County with my mom while Jeff was at the Fantasy Football Draft, we spent the day sitting around outside at Auntie Connie's fabulous cabin and then enjoyed a traditional fish boil for dinner. I can't wait to go back next year, hopefully the baby likes to travel.

-We almost have the nursery completed, one wall left to do(I swear I will upload pictures as soon as we are done

-I have also finally uploaded the pictures from our digital camera that went all the way back to February. Who knows what I have been waiting for, BUT- I will be sure to share the pictures as it relates to whatever I am discussing.

Other than that, I am super excited that my dear friend Christine is visiting tomorrow. It has been so long since we got together that I can't even remember when I last saw her. Hopefully the weather will be nice and we can enjoy it!

Have a great weekend!

My husband, the snake hunter!

You may recall that about a month or so ago I told you about Jeff's adventures in our backyard with field mice. Since this time, Jeff has decided to let the mice peacefully exist in our backyard. We have hawks in the neighborhood and we thought they would help to get rid of the problem. We also thought about getting a cat as a mouser to make sure the problem never makes its way into our house. Well - Jeff has a new ally in the yard that will also help combat the mice.

Last weekend(2 Saturdays back) we had a big thunder storm. I of course didn't know this was happening as I was COMPLETELY deeply asleep. Jeff came scampering into our bedroom to make sure that the built-in stereo wasn't kicked on by the power surge from the lightning, like the downstairs stereo was. And then I was awake to enjoy the lightning lighting up our entire room every 2 minutes. I was not happy - Jeff of course, like the little boy at heart he was, was having a great time enjoying the lightning. Finally he decided to get a better view by heading downstairs to the patio. I was about to drift back to sleep when Jeff again burst into our room and announced that he needed batteries. I said, highly annoyed,"What do you need batteries for at 2 in the morning?" Jeff, all excited said, " I think there is a snake on the patio and I want to look at it with a flashlight!" I told him to have fun and to tell me all about it in the morning. The next morning Jeff was happy to report that indeed there was a snake slithering across our patio during the storm and that hopefully the snake would meet the mice and we would not have to get a cat to help us with our rodent problem.

Thank you God- The Hills is back!

Hello friends near and far - As you know, since finding out we were expecting back in February, we have done A LOT of TV watching at our house, because usually by about 6pm, I am completely non-functional. Well, this summer has provided many many TV viewing challenges for me. There has been not anything SUPER good on. Even my old favorites, Hell's Kitchen and Big Brother have left A LOT to be desired. Hell's Kitchen because, well, I have worked in many kitchens for many years and not with anyone QUITE as crazy as Gordon Ramsey, but a lot of people who are CLOSE to his level of psychosis, and let me tell you, NO ONE I know working in a kitchen gets it wrong as much as the people on this show. Seriously, if you have ever worked at any type of restaurant, you know that food does not get screwed up or sent back more than 5% of the time. Especially when these people have 9 hours to prep. And Big Brother - where can I start?!? If I have to listen to one of those idiots on there pray for help from God one more time, I am not watching it anymore. There is a reason I don't seek faith from the television - BECAUSE IT IS STUPID!!!!

Luckily however, The Hills on MTV premiered Monday night(I watched it this morning because of course I was sleeping when it was on). This show is great, it's like being back in college, but not having to live any of the drama yourself. I could watch the show over and over again. And while I sometimes think that Lauren is a bit of an idiot, I do love her clothes! So- finally a show to look forward to!

My husband, the mouse hunter

Jeff & I can't seem to do anything without it being a HUGE adventure. And I do mean anything. Last Saturday we were weeding our playset. You may wonder why we have to weed our sandbox. That would be because the fabulous people who put the playset up didn't properly put the bottom in. Instead of having one sheet of rubber and then covering it with woodchips, they put down multiple sheets and imagine this: WEEDS grow through the spaces!!!!! Of course it is our own fault we haven't weeded it since May, but we have had better things to do with our time.

We both were working to pull all of the weeds out Saturday when I noticed what looked like an upside down birds nest on the outside of the playset. I immediately thought it was mice. So I say to my fearless husband, "When I go inside, could you please take care of this?" Not that I am that scared of mice, I just didn't want to see what was going to happen to the little pests. SO I continue weeding about 3 feet from the mouse house and turn my IPOD back on. Suddenly I see Jeff approach the mouse house with a stick and start jabbing at it. I thought maybe he was just trying to figure out how to remove it/how heavy it was. Oh no, he was out for blood, because suddenly I hear squeaking over my IPOD, so I turn to see Jeff running away from the mouse house, looking totally petrified, leaving me 3 feet away to be attacked by mice. When I asked Jeff why he didn't wait until I was in the house to do this, he seemed confused. Next time, I am just going to get a cat from the humane society and turn it loose in the yard.

A Very Cute Love Story

A few weeks ago, Jeff and I were out for dinner at the fabulous golf course where I work part time, Royal Scot and we were chatting with a very charming older couple. They are the parents of Joy, the owner and I have known them for about 12 years. They have been married for almost 60 years.

Owen was telling us about when they met, it was at a dance and he saw Delores(who still wears her hair in a red beehive) and decided that he should try to walk her home. So, Delores accepts and they make their way home. Owen decides that he should try to kiss Delores. Bad move, because Delores has already decided that she is going to tangle Owen in the telephone or radio wire, that back in those days hung down from the house. So when Owen decides to kiss her, she tangles him up in the wire and runs into the house. He knows right then and there that this is the lady for him and we he spots her downtown a few weeks later, he asks her on a proper date. And now, 60 years later, they are still having a blast together. HOW ADORABLE!

Yep - I look pregnant!

So - it's really happened, I have a HUGE belly and actually look pregnant. I noticed the other day when I was coming in from the front yard and caught my reflection in the front door. It was a little alarming. Then I traveled to Milwaukee for our company's quarterly meeting. It was obvious that yes I do look pregnant because, well - everyone could tell. And only one person tried to touch my stomach and I was not okay with it, but don't worry ladies and gentlemen, I am still quick and I dodged the touch.

On a hilarious note, one of the books I am reading that offers a bunch of tips on pregnancy gave these two ideas for combating the people who think prodding your stomach is a great idea and not at all inappropriate.

The first is to scream, "OUCH!!!!" at the top of your lungs.

The second is to say,"Do you realize you are touching my uterus?"

Both of them crack me up. For the record, I am a-ok with any of my close friends and family touching my belly. I think it is endearing and I know they are excited just like we are to meet Baby H. Just under 3 months to go!

A book I have found very helpful as we stock up on all of our baby gear is: "Baby Bargains" by: Denise & Alan Fields. I would recommend picking it up if you are in the market for any sort of baby gear.

A great reason to read my blog(did you know I had a blog???)

Summer is just cruising by, isn't it? I have taken a few weeks off from posting - I know bad bad! However I had some reasons, we took a trip to Chicago to celebrate being married for a WHOLE YEAR and we spent a lot of time relaxing. If I ever get around to uploading pictures, I will post some. If you have any plans to go to Chicago this summer I would recommend seeing Wicked and having dinner at the Signature Room which is on the 95th floor of the Hancock building. We had a fabulous time and will definitely go back someday when we aren't gearing up to buy hundreds of diapers! ANYWAY- onto what is really important, the subject of this post, our great friends, the Kimminau's(Brad, Jeni, Eddie & Makena).

Please look at the following, visit Eddie's website and pass this information along to anyone you feel may want to contribute to Eddie's cause. And of course anything you can do to help this very special family is much appreciated!

And before I sign off for today, I would just like to say that the Kimminau family is always in our thoughts and prayers. When I met Brad & Jeni, Eddie was about 3 months old and they were some of Jeff's best friends. I now consider them some of our best friends and really admire how they have built such a wonderful family.

Here is the information Brad and Jeni shared with their circle of friends and family a few weeks ago:

Hi Friends and Family,
I am writing to update you on our son Eddie. Eddie was diagnosed with Morquio Syndrome last August. He has had his share of struggles in his short life, but we are hoping that soon those struggles will be lessened. I have attached a brochure that explains what he is going through, what Morquio Syndrome is, and how Brad and I are so hopeful that a treatment will soon be a reality.

Brad and I, along with wonderful family and friends, are planning a fundraiser on September 16th to raise money solely for research to find a treatment for Morquio Syndrome. If you would like to help by donating your time, items for auction, concessions, or a monetary donation, we would be so thankful.

For information on how you can help with the fundraiser or for more information check out Eddie's website: www.caringbridge.org/visit/eddiek, and feel free to pass this on.

Most Sincerely,
Jeni & Brad Kimminau

A typical Monday night at our house.....

Have any of you been experiencing the summertime HORRIBLE prime time TV blues like we have? Seriously every night we are BORED silly trying to find one program to watch. Of course on Mondays we like to watch Hell's Kitchen at 8pm, but when Jeff and I are both done working by 4:30pm, we still have a lot of time to kill to get to 8pm.

We may have found a solution last night....He-Man. You remember He-Man, don't you?? "By the Power of Grayskull - I HAVE THE POWER" Jeff picked up a very cheap DVD from Walmart loaded with He-man episodes and it provided us with more than an hour of entertainment. This is nothing more hilarious than watching a cartoon character with a killer pageboy bob fight off characters like BEASTMAN and MERMAN. We will be watching some more episodes tonight in fact.

What has been your strategy to beat the summertime TV blahs?

I Want Candy!!!

It all started the other day, Angie O. & I were shopping and she needed to pick up some candy for a gift she was putting together. So - we went down the candy aisle at Target. First I picked up some Raisinettes covered in dark chocolate, then I remembered that Jeff and I wanted to try the dark chocolate M & M's. And it has been a chocolate feeding frenzy for me ever since.

I would highly recommend the Raisinettes, they are a little yummier than normal raisinettes, which I LOVE. The M & M's don't really taste all that different from regular M & M's, BUT if you need a reason to pick up a whole bag, really, go ahead and try them!

I wonder what I will be like....

When I am older...

As many of you know I work for a company that sells products to the long term care industry. Meaning nursing homes, senior living centers, etc. etc. So I probably think about getting older and what they will mean for me a little more often than the average person.

However, it doesn't stop me from thinking that a lot of old people are really annoying or scary. And lately I have found myself wondering, will I be pleasant or will I be annoying and scary. I am really hoping I will spend my days as an old lady knitting, golfing, baking and drinking martinis. And not complaining unless I really have something to complain about.

And you know I have examples of scary & annoying old people - so here they are:

ANNOYING#1) Some customers at the golf course, I am thinking of a very specific old lady. They don't have drinks at the bar, they go right to their table. BUT - you better be there waiting to take their drink order, and they better not wait more than 30 seconds once a drink is finished to have another coming. Also - don't even think about taking their dinner order before they have sat at the table for 20 minutes, or a little more, or a little less - and if you come too early, or late to take their order, they will yell at you for it. To mess with them, I almost always put their bill together, even though they ask for it separately. I figure I am preventing them from dementia, by helping them keep their math skills sharp.

ANNOYING/SCARY #2) Jeff and I had dinner last Saturday at PLAE bistro - which if you live in Green Bay, I would recommend trying it. A very nice little place - we ate outside on their new patio, not much of a view, however nice to dine al fresco whenever we can. Anyway, back to the elderly. We were seated at a table next to an elderly couple. The little old lady looked harmless enough, your typical whitehead with curly hair and a little pantsuit outfit. The man - he looked like a slimeball, ratty t-shirt and very very short white shorts on. He also acted like a slimeball. He kept ordering the little old lady more and more and more drinks and talking about the waitress' backside. You may wonder how we could hear their conversation so well...they must have been a little hard of hearing because everything they were saying was semi-yelled. Grandpa Grossness then went on to start talking about the types of undergarments that little old ladies at the nursing home they live at pull out of the laundry. Who knew....some of the lil old ladies still wear thongs. Really- very pleasant dinner convo:)

So to tempt fate, I would like to say right now, I am vowing to be pretty normal when I am old, not scary, not annoying, not complaining about everything, I think I will just be happy to be alive!

What is with the Lawn Gnomes?

Hello there after much too long of a break. I wish I could tell you I did something exciting with all of my time off from blogging, but I would be lying. Beyond yard work, napping, and a few Brewer Games, I am up to not much of anything. Which is good, I should take full advantage of resting now, because comes October, I have a feeling I will not be resting.

As I drive around our fabulous city of Green Bay, I have begun to notice an alarming trend. People actually have ceramic(well who knows what they are made of, either way they are hideous!) lawn gnomes and figurines on their lawns. One of our neighbors has what looks like a Dutch girl and boy on their lawn. This crap is just hideous! And I am sorry if I am insulting anyone, but seriously, can you not find something more normal to put on your lawn? I have plenty of suggestions - a basket of flowers, a lemonade stand, one of those mini flag holders, ANYTHING is better than gnomes, Dutch people, or donkeys!!!!

Songs that changed your Life!

Recently, my fabulous friend Angie posted a very interesting blog with this title. I thought I would be a copycat and also post my thoughts on some songs that are emblazoned upon my memory.

Song #1: "Look Away" by: Chicago

This is a classic roller rink song for me. Chicago was the first supergroup that I was fascinated with. Every time I hear this song, I still think about a moonlight skate at the roller rink.

Song#2: "All Cried Out" by: Allure.

My poor roommate from college, Kim - she probably had to listen to this song on repeat for about 4 months during the famous Marcus breakups of sophomore year. But WOW - did this song sum up another heart wrenching time in my life. Heartache used to be one of my hobbies, that and drinking.

Song#3: "Mo$MoProblems" by: Notorious B.I.G & Diddy.

If you know me and hung out with me anytime in the last 15 years, you know that I love to dance, but it has to be to the right song. And this my friends, is the right song. I love dancing to this song and rapping along. In fact I think I am going to give birth to a hip hop loving baby, because it is still the music I listen to most!

Song #4: "100 Years" by: Five for Fighting.

This is a beautiful song and it is the song that Jeff and I call our own. It came out not long after we started dating and it made both of us think of each other.

Song #5: "Hotel California" by: The Eagles & "Silver Spring" by:Fleetwood Mac

Really any songs by the Eagles or Fleetwood Mac are among my very favorite songs. I saw Fleetwood Mac in concert a few years ago and it was literally a euphoric experience. I am still waiting to see The Eagles live - Someday I will. If you want to come with me, let me know.

GRANDMA!

My Grandma is a very interesting lady. Some may call her abrasive or rude, I will stick with interesting, because even though Grandma has never used a computer, I still think she may have some way of detecting that I am talking about her.

We visited her on mother's day and she asked me if I was still working or if I would be quitting to take care of the baby. When I explained that I planned to go back to working full time after taking a 12 week leave after the baby is born, she asked me who was going to help me. So, I told her Jeff, my husband, thinking that was obvious. Grandma then went on to say that it is entirely acceptable to bash Jeff in the head if he is not waking up fast enough to take care of the baby. I CAN'T WAIT!

So, if you haven't met my grandma, I guess count your blessings. And if you do ever meet the lovely Gladys, don't sit too close to her, you never know when she might BASH some one.

Who takes a pregnant lady to Happy Hour?

MY PARENTS!!!! I was staying at their house last Tuesday night, which is the standard protocol when I have to be in Milwaukee for work, so my commute is an hour instead of 90 minutes, and these two crazies insisted that we go to Double Bubble at Friar Tucks. Which was of course a wonderful time.

I got to see my sister, who I haven't seen in probably 2 months. We all went to dinner at Harborside, which is this fabulous but tiny restaurant in Manty that is truly unbelievable. I had Dijon Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Fries. I would score this a 10 - they are just a great restaurant. If you are ever in Manty - you must try Harborside.

So as is customary whenever my family gets together, we talk about service and cuisine at restaurants. I was sharing that when I work at the golfcourse, it is so annoying to split tickets for people because our kitchen requires that all of the entrees be on only one sheet of paper. As a waitress who adores efficiency, I have this huge problem writing all of the items down twice. Then we started talking about upcharges, for example, last night my dinner was supposed to come with rice, but I wanted the sweet potato fries, and this was a $2 difference - which is a little hard to believe, but I will gladly pay it to get the fries. My dad said, this is what they should do at restaurants, "Charge one price, and you can substitute whatever you want and have whatever you want - and it is easy to divide between a group." My sister said, "Dad - they have places like that - they are called Buffets!" Hilarious, even my dad totally cracked up at that.

In baby news, I am a few days away from 20 weeks, meaning the halfway point!!! Although it is a relief to be hitting that 1/2 way mark, my pals and co-workers at work tell me that it's all downhill from here, get ready for the massive weight gain, being really hot this summer and uncomfortable. I am hoping that summer just zooms by and that I somehow manage to trick this kid into sleeping at night when I am trying to sleep. Because right now, if I am sleeping on my right side, this baby wants to go left, then when I roll over, the baby wants to be just where we started. This kid is already just like it's father: ANNOYING!

The Life List

Recently 2 of my fabulous friends and favorite fellow bloggers Barb (http://fancysimple.blogspot.com/2007/05/life-list.html) & Ang (http://secretsoda.blogspot.com/) have created a very fun little project on their blogs.

It's the Life List and Here is mine:

#1) Maintain a work/life/motherhood balance and not feel guilty about being a working mother

#2) Travel to Italy and Australia

#3) Travel to all 50 states with our children and have great adventures

#4) Figure out a way to make money doing what I love: Event planning and being creative

#5) Appreciate how lucky I am each day to have a wonderful husband and beautiful home.

#6) Get caught up on all the projects I have fabulous ideas for

#7) Start planning regular events to get all my fabulous friends together.

What's on your list? Feel free to post it here!