Soggy Fourth!

*heh* Apparently I started this new blog post by giving it a title, then hitting "Publish Post." So, for about 38 nanoseconds or whatever, you'd see an empty post titled "Soggy Fourth."

Anyhoo...

I have no pictures to share simply because rainstorms and mass numbers of people aren't really photo-quality. And I didn't want to get my camera out.

But, I'll share with you a purty lil' picture my cousin Lacey took on the 4th. Let's set it up, shall we? Alexandria's 4th of July Celebration on the River. *Rockin' on The Red, Right?* (I thought it was Uncle Sam Jam, and whatever happened to Cenlabration?!?) But I digress...

Nah, I don't feel like setting anything up. I'll let the picture speak for itself.

Yep. That's Marc Broussard hugging my Mama! She told him "This is for my daughter in North Carolina."

Now, isn't that super-sweet?!? I love her!

On the lil' peanut front, or as I thought of last night - Pistache (it sounds like a little Cajun Peanut) - My next appt. is on Friday, so hopefully I'll have a good shot of our lil' Pistache! I'm feeling quite good actually, and I've found my energy and appetite again. As a matter of fact, I'm making a big ol' pot of white beans and rice, and I have to go start the rice, so I'm gonna head out...

Love yall!

I just had to...

Found this on the January 2009 Mommies Message board on What To Expect.com

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q: How will I know if my vomiting is morning sickness or the flu?
A: If it's the flu, you'll get better.

Q: What is the most common pregnancy craving?
A: For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
A: 'Cause you're fatter than they are.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q: What's the difference between a nine-month pregnant woman and a model?
A: Nothing (if the pregnant woman's husband knows what's good for him).

Q: How long is the average woman in labor?
A: Whatever she says divided by two.

Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q: Does pregnancy cause hemorrhoids?
A: Pregnancy causes anything you want to blame it for.

Q: Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.

:-)

conversation

WORLD: Hey, Gin. Watcha doin?

GIN: Nothin much. Currently? I'm watching 101 Funniest SNL Moments on E! and I'm playing around with my playlists on my ipod.

WORLD: How are you feeling?

GIN: Pretty good, actually. Other than being tired quite a bit of the time, I feel good. (cue James Brown.) The little peanut will have another photo-shoot on July 10th, so I'll try and have some photos up after that.

WORLD: What are your plans for today?

GIN: Well, you're pretty much looking at it. Like Gerald said this morning, I'm going to have a "Dog Day." If you've ever been around a dog much, especially our big lump of a dog, you'd understand why the only times I've been up off the couch are to potty and to eat lunch. I've been working hard, and now I'm resting hard. I usually don't get a slow Saturday Morning, so today's my day. :-)

Oh, and check out our Flickr site to see our Kentucky Derby Party Pics!
:-)

I love yall!

YIPEEEE!

We are ever-so-excited! Our baby's estimated arrival is January 19th, which makes me 8 weeks, 1 day along today.

To think.... I was "pregnant" when I wrote the last post. I've only just now pulled the Kentucky Derby photos off the camera (they were right before the pee-stick picture) and I'm setting them up on our Flickr account. Do a search for isptech151 (it's Gerald's account) and you can see them there. There are tons more pics there - all going back to our NYC days!

I've been feeling good lately - no sickness at all. Just a little nausea every now and again, and that's mainly smell related. I have DEFINITELY hit the exhaustion stage, and that's pretty much what's on my mind right now.

Yep. I'm ready to sleep now.

Gnite

:-)

What I'm up to...

Hey there. Thanks for checking in on me. I'm still breathing, so you can put the defibrillator away. Life is definitely moving forward in this household. We've been pretty busy at little nothings for a while. I've got tons of pictures to share, and I'll post a few as I go along, so keep watch for those.

Good news: I have received my NC State Teaching Certification! This means that I'll be able to return to my passion - TEACHING! (duh) I went to a job fair for Wake County (the state's largest school system) on Saturday and had 3 short interviews with my top-choice schools: Holly Grove, Oak Grove, and Turner Creek. I still have to follow up with them probably tomorrow or Thursday, but I'm very excited!

Gerald and I (along with 5 other adult volunteers) took 20 middle-schoolers to Atlanta a few weeks ago for a conference. WOO HOO! I've found the cure for crunches, by the way. Just go to a two-day concert, and pump your fists in the air and jump and bounce along to the music. I didn't know jumping could work my stomach like it did! We had a ton of fun, and there were some great pictures. I also learned that middle-schoolers think I'm old. *sigh*

What else....

for some reason, I'm drawing a blank, so I'll go get the pictures now.
Oh wait! I remembered!

We've been invited to our first ever Kentucky Derby Day party! How much fun!! I've always loved wearing hats, and it's a great to have a "holiday" where I get to wear a hat and drink Mint Juleps! I'm planning on wearing one of my dresses that rarely see the light of day, and I've hot-glued the heck out of a straw hat to make it over-the-top flowery like lots of other Derby Hats (think Ascot Op'ning Day from My Fair Lady.) So, I just have to find some phenomenal shoes for the day, and I'm set!

Please pass this along...

I lived with a very poor self-image for a long time. There are still times when I feel less-than-human, and it's not just a bad-hair, bad-face, frumpy fleece day. Those days are becoming less frequently as I become closer to my husband, and as I develop strong friendships with wonderful, confident women.

I even had a moment today (several actually, as the day went on) where my crippling insecurities were chipped away, and the shell of the "old me" began to slip away. It was liberating and invigorating. I made a simple phone call to ask some questions about getting a NC teaching license. I was rewarded with a great compliment, and was able to accept it graciously instead of batting it away, as has been my custom.


My self-image is improving. The above video is pretty powerful, and it speaks to me because my husband is just as sweet as that guy - he is patient, and he sees that I'm worth the wait, even if I don't sometimes. Isn't God like that, also? We are His beautiful Bride, and when we don't feel like our Christian Life, or our daily walk, is pretty enough, we hide ourselves from Him, when he is only waiting for us, just outside the gate. (breathe - run-on sentence.)

Wow... Lots to think about. Let me know your thoughts.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Duchess Virginia the Wholesome of Lower Wombleshire Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Beloved Wife Of

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: His Highness Gerald the Verdant of Londinium-le-Thames Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Nice.