Happy Holidays!

I haven't had the mental energy to sit down and put my thoughts in any coherent order.  Instead, I will show you some photos from our Christmas break.  We got a new camera that I'm still trying to figure out.  It's not a big fancy Canon SLR like I want someday, but it's still nicer than the last camera we had.  So far I like it!

 

Mila, at 7 months old

 

Christmas Eve PJ pic

Stocking goodies!

Auntie Ariel bonding with Mila

There were LOTS of presents from Grandma Brenda and Grandpa Rich!

We spent a lot of time in front of the TV watching Christmas movies.  It was guiltless and wonderful.

  

Matching shirts on New Year's Eve with Zach, Linsey, the kids and Michelle.

Surprise Visit

My father-in-law stopped in for an impromptu visit this weekend.  He hadn't met Mila yet and it's been a while since we've seen him.  He drives a truck (which he is in the process of buying) which puts him in our area from time to time.  That's a plus for us because he lives in Alabama now.  With Travis' mom in North Carolina and the rest of our family in Illinois, that makes visiting everyone a lot more difficult.  If anyone can make it our way, we greatly appreciate it.

Curt got in Friday night.  I made tacos for dinner and then we stayed up late catching up.  Saturday was a lazy day.  We hung out at the house; Travis and Curt did yard work.  We've been getting tons of rain lately.  It's nice because that means I don't have to water the plants as often, but that also means the grass grows a foot a week.  Travis hasn't had to mow he lawn twice a week since the summer of 2010.  Last year we had the drought, and this year he doesn't really have time for that.



Post-yard-work nap

 Saturday evening we went to the Yeager's for Luke's third birthday party.  Luke is obsessed with dragons, so they decided to have a movie night with How To Train A Dragon.  Before the movie, we had pizza, cupcakes and Luke opened his presents.  There was a game with a bunch of balloons taped to the fence.  The kids got to pop them with a dragon stick and a toy or confetti fell out.  They played the movie on the back wall of their house so everyone could see easily. They rented a popcorn machine, passed out a bowl of candy and had balloons with a glow stick inside.  Aiden was one of the younger kids there, so he quickly lost his balloon to an older kid.  I felt really bad for him (I didn't see it happen or I would have done something about it), but he seemed to handle it okay. 

Singing Happy Birthday

Opposite outfits



Watching nicely as Luke opens his presents

Opening gifts



The movie crowd

We didn't get home until 10 that night.  Aiden had a long nap earlier in the day, so he was good the entire time.  I didn't get to bed until 11.  I was thankful when I woke up at 8.  Aiden had woken Grandpa up and they started a movie together.  It was nice to finally sleep in!  We wanted to get out of the house, so we went to a seafood restaurant for lunch.  It's right next to the new carnival pier in Galveston, so it was interesting to watch all the people coming and going and riding the rides. 

After lunch I got in my first real nap that I can remember.  I slept for TWO AND A HALF HOURS.  Can you believe it??  I didn't set my alarm because I was sure someone would wake me up.  BUT NOBODY DID.  Travis came in at 5 to see if I was still going to my friend Michelle's.  Whoopsie!  It was fantastic though.  I can't remember the last time I felt that refreshed.

That evening, the boys stayed home and grilled out.  Mila and I headed over to my friend Michelle's house for our weekly viewing of True Blood.  We always do some sort of food.  This weekend was Mexican themed.  I brought sopapillas and margaritas and everyone else provided the meal.  Since I didn't have Aiden, I stayed an hour later than we normally do.  So basically I null and voided any rest I got this weekend.  I didn't get to bed until midnight and then woke up with Mila at 4 AM.  Four hours of sleep just isn't enough.  I feel hungover.  I'm so happy there's not a drug test or breathalyzer for exhaustion because I would surely fail it.  I need to make an effort to be in bed by 9:30 from here on out. Otherwise I might go crazy. 

I've really been struggling with my weight.  I've had a hard time shedding the pregnancy pounds and it's really eating away at my self esteem.  So far I have lost 19 pounds.  I still have another 15 until I can fit my pre-pregnancy clothes.  I never realized how important my weight is to me.  I've never gotten into exercise, so the only way for me to manage my weight is though a healthy diet.  I'm trying to do that now, but I've pretty much plateaued on the weight loss.  It's so frustrating!  I think part of it might be my sleep deprivation.  I know that can lead to obesity.  I feel like I am fairly active in my daily life.  It's not like I'm sitting on the couch all day. 

One thing that is nagging at the back of my mind is 'what if it's hypothyroidism??'  My mom had a hard time losing weight after she had her third child.  I think it was about a year after having my brother that she went to the doctor to discuss the possibilities.  That's how she found out she had hypothyroidism, which can cause unexplained weight gain . I know it's only been two and a half months since I had Mila, so I'm trying not to over react yet.  It's just a thought that keeps worrying me.  I really want to wear all my old clothes.  I despise that the only thing that currently fits me are maternity clothes.  I'm sure it doesn't help that a couple weeks ago a woman asked me how far along I am.  So embarrassing.

Trying to Rest

I'm so glad Travis' on-call week is over.  He had to go out on calls three out of the seven days.  Not too bad.  Sometimes I get irritated because WHY CAN'T THE LIGHTS IN YOUR SUN ROOM WAIT UNTIL MONDAY, but then I realize people probably don't understand Travis' side of things.  Plus it's extra cash in the pocket.

I had a nice weekend.  While Travis was at work Saturday morning, Aiden and I went grocery shopping.  That evening we had a few friends from my work over for dinner.  They all have kids, so it was nice to sit back and let them run rampant.  I wasn't up for catering, so I just ordered a few pizzas.  I found a recipe for a dessert on Pinterest that looked AMAZING, so I did make that in the afternoon before anyone showed up.  Travis got called out that night, so I was bummed he didn't have more time to get to know my co-workers a little better.

I'm feeling pretty huge these days.  Not just because of the belly.  I'm at +29 lbs (eek) now and the swelling has permanently set in.  It used to come and go, but now it's around all the time.  I can still fit my sandals though, which is more than I can say about the last go around.  I hate not fitting my wedding rings though.  My hand feels naked. 

Sunday was fabulous.  It didn't start off great.  Aiden woke at 5:20.  I let him lay in our bed, but all he did was wiggle for an hour before I made him go back to his room.  He came back at 7 when he is allowed to get up.  I plopped him in bed with us, turned on a DVD and fell asleep until 8:30.  That was pretty magical.  I made breakfast, but Aiden didn't want it.  He just wanted to lay in bed and keep watching TV, so I sat in front of the living room TV with my breakfast and vegged out for another hour.  At that point, we worked our way out to the yard so Aiden could play in the water.  I heated up leftovers and we ate lunch outside.  Travis bathed Aiden while I cleaned up the kitchen (bending over the tub is a little uncomfortable these days).

While Aiden was napping, I watched a show on TV and eventually fell asleep.  Apparently Travis fell asleep too because we didn't wake up until 4:30.  Aiden slept for three hours!  EEK.  He usually sleeps two.  Thankfully he didn't have trouble falling asleep that evening.  We originally made plans to go buy plants that afternoon with a Groupon I got a few months ago, but then Travis got an itch to go play disc golf.  He left and I turned on Toy Story for Aiden.  I made a casserole for dinner.  Right when I was getting Aiden ready for bed, Travis got home saying he had to run out on a call.  I was grateful Aiden went down without a fight.

I watched a couple more shows off the DVR before heading to bed.  Travis got home just before 11 pm.  I was still awake from all the resting I did that day.  Up until this point, I have felt too guilty to have the TV on this much.  I have officially moved into the I-don't-give-a-$h!t category.  I am exhausted.  Aiden turns into a zombie when the TV is on.  What more can a gigantically pregnant girl ask for?

Watching a lot of TV lately

I have been watching a lot of TV lately.  I know I've mentioned it before, but we no longer have good adult channels in the living room.  We downgraded our satellite package to help save money, so now we have a DVR and family channels.  When we got our Internet, it was cheaper to get a package deal with cable.  We had cable forever that we weren't using because we had DirecTV.  But when we got rid of satellite in the bedroom, we started using the cable back there.  It's nice because we still get good channels (MTV, E!, VH1, AMC, FX, etc), but it's rough because we don't have a DVR.  That means I have to know what time shows are on that I like, then I need to allott time to actually sit down and watch them.

That means on Sundays I watch The Walking Dead and Wednesdays I watch American Horror Story.  Lots of gore on my TV lately.  Not sure why these shows appeal to me so much.  I've always liked supernatural stories, I guess.  I also watch Vampire Diaries (guilty pleasure), but that's available on the DVR.  In addition to these shows, we've been trying to catch up on Season 1 of Game of Thrones.  We don't have HBO (although I'd really love to get it someday), so we missed this series when it was live.  I've heard lots of good things about it and wanted to give it a try.  I love it.  Again, it's gory.  My plan is to finish watching this season, then watch it live with friends who have HBO (Michelle and Linsey both watch this show).  We'll have to see how well that works out.

Oh, also on my plate: Baseball Wives.  I don't think I would watch that show if I didn't have the Linsey connection.  But man was it funny knowing that's her cousin.  Bwahahaha!!!  They say right off the bat (no pun intended) that everyone knows of Anna and her reputation.  Ominous start.  She didn't fail to keep up her side.  Did anybody watch it?

I know someone who knows someone

Funny story.  My friend Linsey has a cousin, who is married to a retired baseball player.  Because of this, she was chosen to star in a reality show called Baseball Wives on VH1.  The first episode airs tonight at 8:00 pm Central time.  I thinking knowing this woman is Linsey's cousin will make the show a little more interesting for me.  Linsey is the most sweet and polite southern belle I have ever met.  I don't think she has much in common with her cousin.  See for yourself:

Anna Benson on Baseball Wives

Sanguine

Last year, Travis, Aiden and I visited David, Stephanie and Wednesday in New Orleans. While we were there, Stephanie mentioned that she couldn't wait to watch the next episode of True Blood. They bought Seasons 1 and 2 and were watching the episodes consecutively. Stephanie was trying be a polite hostess and not pull out the DVD's while we were there. I told her to go ahead because I had heard good things about the show. If we liked it, then maybe we could catch up as well.

Turns out, we both liked it! They loaned us the first season so we could get started. Since they live so far away, we were barely able to return Season 1, let alone go get Season 2. Instead, I got the second season from a friend right here at work. So when Season 3 started a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to get a standing invitation from my friend Michelle to watch it at her house. True Blood is aired exclusively on HBO - a channel we do not get. Michelle got HBO only so she could watch this season live. I was totally on board.

It's been going pretty well so far. The only downfall is that the show starts at 8pm, which is when Aiden usually lies down for bedtime. To help make up for this new late bedtime on Sundays, we let him sleep as late as he wants during nap time that day. There was one day that he refused to take a nap and that ended in a complete fiasco at Michelle's house. At one point Aiden started head banging. On his own.

It's pretty fun going over there though. We bring food and/or drinks. Last week, another girl from work came over as well. We talk a little and Travis even seems to enjoy himself, despite being the only guy present (aside from Aiden).

Saturday evening I got another fire ant bite. This time I've take a few countermeasures to help prevent the extreme swelling I had last week. I've tried to stay out of the heat as much as possible. When I am outside, I try to keep my foot up and iced. I took a Benadryl at bedtime the first night I got bit and I've been taking Ibuprofen a couple times a day to help control the swelling. It has gotten a little more swollen every few hours, but nothing like it was last time. The worst part is that the bite is exactly where the sandal strap lays on my foot. So I can't wear regular sandals. I have a fancy pair of Greek sandals that I wore all day Sunday. I felt overdressed the whole day, but at least I didn't want to scratch the skin right off my foot.

HD LED TV

We changed our satellite arrangement this weekend. Of course, when I called to cancel they suckered me into another package. I have really enjoyed having the DVR for Aiden's shows and the thought of losing that did make my skin crawl a little. We really minimize the amount of TV Aiden watches at home, since the daycare lets him watch it so frequently (it kills me). But I have to say those television shows can be pretty convenient when I need Aiden entertained for a few minutes in the morning while I get ready, or in the evening when I need to make dinner. It's sad, but it's the truth. All I can say, is I don't do it every day.

The other draw into keeping satellite is that we've been with DirecTV for two years, which means we qualify for some things for free. (I remember signing the contract when I was pregnant with Aiden.) When we bought our HD TV, we tried to switch our satellite dish to HD. They were going to charge $300 and we just weren't willing to pay that. But now they are offering it for free!

I took them up on that offer and downgraded to the lowest family package. So now we're paying half of what we were before, but still getting the kids channels we use the most. In addition to that, we have six months of Starz and Encore for free. Since we still have the DVR, I have started recording movies. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!

We'll probably upgrade again in the fall when football season comes around. I'm sure Travis will want to have that at his fingertips, especially now that we have HD. We've had several complaints that watching our TV makes people nauseous because the clarity of the LED is so amazing. I can only imagine what people will think now that we're actually getting HD channels! LOL!

More Movies, Less TV

I don't recall if I've mentioned this yet, but Travis and I are planning to cancel our satellite TV after March Madness. We're waiting for the basketball thing to be over for Travis. Obviously. Since we rarely find the time to watch TV these days and are really far behind on all the movies that have come out since Aiden was born, we're planning to get either Netflix or Blockbuster. I'm leaning towards Netflix because I am interested in trying out the streaming video feature. We just plug the computer into the TV and voila! Instant movie!

I'm freaking out a little because AT&T's U-verse has decided to put a bandwidth cap effective in May. If AT&T is doing it, will the other Internet providers follow suit?! And if so, how will that affect the ability to stream movies on Netflix?! Ugh, decisions, decisions...

Either way, we're getting rid of our TV package in April. I will be sad to lose instant Elmo/Buzz/Blue's Clues/etc, but I should rely on TV to keep my child happy anyway. He already watches too much TV at daycare. Don't get me started on that.

This is all good timing because I have MORE movies to add to my to-watch list:

• Paul, in theaters this weekend (those guys make me LAUGH)
• Water for Elephants, April 22 (this one looks pretty, beyong the fact that Robert Pattinson the lead male)
• Bridesmaids, May 13 (girl's version of Hangover, with Kristen Wiig in her first starring roll)

#2 Sexiest Video

Travis and I were watching a little TV last night and caught this video on MTV. The considered it the #2 sexiest video. ??? Violence, fire, I don't get the sexy part. BUT! We did think it was interesting that they used to famous actors in their video.

On a side note, I was reading in Parenting magazine that watching TV decreases a child's metabolic rate by 16%! This paper supports that it lowers the metabolic rate. Watching TV really does turn you into a couch potato!

The Grinch Who Stole MY Christmas

I've been feeling a little Grinch-y this year and I'm not sure why. (Please listen to this video while you read this post.) I'm having such a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. At first I thought it was because it was too hot out. But then it cooled down and I realized that wasn't it. Then I thought it might be because I didn't have Christmas decorations up yet. But then we put those up last weekend and it didn't help. I keep trying to listen to Christmas music in the car, but I'm just not into it.

Maybe it's because I won't have any snow in my life this year? Maybe it's because my family is not here yet? They should be trickling in over the next week, so maybe that will help. With or without Christmas, I am looking forward to seeing my parents and brother. Travis' parents won't be able to make it this year, which is a little sad. But, it means that we HAVE to go to Illinois next year.

Tonight I'm going to sit down with the DVR and see if I can find some Christmas movies to record. Maybe that will help scare of this Grinch?

Yo

Aiden has a favorite show. This is the first time that I have seen him ever sit down when a show starts.

If you aren't already privy to the world of Nick Jr, it's called Yo Gabba Gabba. The first time I ever saw a clip of this, I couldn't believe it was a real show. After watching it through, start to finish, I actually like it. It's a little trippy, but the colors are vibrant and the "host" is hilariously entertaining. I usually find myself singing along to the various jingles (which happens easier the longer I'm a parent to a toddler). It can be repetitive at times, especially when they are trying to get a lesson across, as in the clip above. BUT! That is excellent for a toddler. Repetition is the only way for him to learn at this point.

I don't know if it's because he has been sick with pink eye and his teeth have been bothering him off and on for weeks or if he is genuinely interested in the show. Honestly, I think he just likes the show. Aiden LOVES music and this show is full of it. If the tickets weren't so dang expensive and currently only available in the middle of a week day, I would take Aiden to the live show.

For the time being, I enjoy that if Aiden is being really cranky and nothing seems to make it better, we can just turn this show on (thank you DVR!) and let him dance his irritations away!

Addicted

Lots of people have addictions: alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, gambling, shopping... The list goes on. I've decided that I have an addiction. Once I start reading a good book, or watching a good TV show, I CAN'T STOP.

I've looked it up. It appears that an addiction to reading is thought to be a way to avoid reality. Although, according to this article, I must be a functioning reading addict because I am capable of cutting back on my reading. To a certain extent.

Here's the problem. If I find a really good book, one that truly captures my attention, I don't want to stop reading it. I will read late into the night and feel exhausted the entire next day. But then do it again the following night. This goes on and on until the book is finished. UNLESS, that book is a part of a series. In which case, the story goes on until that series is finished.

I am in the middle of reading the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. (Thanks Alexa!) This past weekend, I was reading during Aiden's nap and actually got mad when it was time for him to get up because I knew I had to put the book down. It took a good 30 minutes for me to get over it.

What is wrong with me?!

This has been an issue with me since I was a kid. I remember spending a summer reading every Nancy Drew book I could find at our local library. I would ride my bike up there, check out two books, ride home and start reading. Then in a couple days, I was back up there doing it all over again. I went through this again when the Harry Potter books came out. I was all over those. And again more recently with Twilight.

I have the same problem with a really good TV series. In general, I don't watch or need TV on a regular basis. It's not like that. It's only if I find a great show. What makes that even worse is if I have the series on DVD. For example, Travis and I borrowed True Blood, Season 1 from David and Stephanie. We couldn't stop watching it. Actually, I couldn't stop watching it. The only reason I didn't watch the entire series in one night is because Travis wanted to see them too and he was ready for bed.

Anybody else have this problem? I'm thinking about starting a support group.

Anniversary Celebration & Schlitterbahn

We had a fabulous weekend! Albeit a tiring weekend. Thursday Travis made me dinner on the grill to celebrate our anniversary: pork loins, asparagus and potatoes, then fruit for dessert (he was thinking about my recent obsession with NOT being able to fit all my pre-pregnancy clothes when he picked dessert out).

Friday night, we left Aiden with our friend Sue while we went out for dinner and for a couple drinks. We ate at a restaurant in Galveston that we'd never been to before called Gumbo Bar. Surprise! We had gumbo! And we also got a shrimp kettle. It was all delicious and I'd love to go back. After dinner, we walked down the Strand and enjoyed the evening. We sat on a bench and chatted for a while before heading to a bar on the Seawall. On our way there, we made a short stop at Murdoch's. I hadn't been there since it was rebuilt after the storm, so I wanted to see what it was like. It is 100% made for tourists. The part I liked was the deck the fills the gap between both piers (it is built over the water) complete with lounging chairs. I'll have to remember that place when Travis and I need something cheap, but romantic to do.

For drinks, we headed to a new margarita bar attached to The Spot called Squeeze. Travis has done a lot of work there and he wanted to show off. It was nice to see a couple of the guys he does work with while we were there. Slightly awkward moment when we saw one of the teachers from Aiden's daycare there, but it wasn't as bad as I'd thought that could be.

We picked up Aiden by 10:30pm - he was fast asleep, but we maneuvered him quickly to his car seat so he could fall back to sleep. We love Sue. She always does such a great job with Aiden. This time he seemed to have a little "stranger" anxiety, but he got over that after a few minutes. Sue's solution to this problem was we'd just have to bring him around more often. Yes ma'am!

Saturday we went to Schlitterbahn Waterpark with the Ramby's. It's been open for years, aside from a short stint of recovery after Ike, but we had never been there. Alexa wanted to bring her niece there while she was visiting and I really wanted to see what it was like. While we did have a GREAT time, we decided that while the kiddos are still so little, we'll probably just stick to Palm Beach at Moody Gardens. It is made with young children in mind, which equals less stress for the parents. Plus, it's cheaper.

We left in the late afternoon and once we got home we ALL took a much needed nap. Two hours was not enough, but I knew if we didn't get up, then we'd all have trouble going to sleep that night. Travis and I both should have reapplied sunscreen more often than we did, but we fared pretty well. Aiden was in MUCH better shape than us. Phew!

Sunday was a chore day. We fit in an evening walk, which was nice. It seemed to have cooled down significantly. Maybe it was because there was actually shade during our walk - either way it was great. We finished the evening by fitting in a couple episodes of True Blood (we borrowed Season 1 from David and Stephanie). I'm sad that we only have ONE episode left of this season. I may have to weigh the cost of renting Season 2 vs buying it. I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

Shorties

The other day, Travis was at the back door calling Callaway to go outside with him. Callaway came barreling through from the back of the house - and ran straight into the baby gate that was latched. Travis' response?

"Oooo, right in the face!"

---

Travis and I were watching a program on the History channel about Cocaine in US History a couple nights ago. It said that in the early 1900's, cocaine sniffing became prevalent in the South. White folks quickly began accusing the "negroes" of becoming violent and raping white women whilst under the effects of cocaine, dubbing them "Negro Cocaine Fiends". It was soon made illegal to sell cocaine to "negroes", because at that point cocaine was not nationally illegal.

RIGHT. The black people hated whites because they were under the influence of cocaine. It had nothing to do with racial discrimination and the violence against blacks.

---

Monday night, Aiden started crying in his sleep. He does this occasionally, but I guess Travis was unaware of it since he is gone working most of the time. When he took a step towards the door to go check on him (it really is a horrible scream), I told him to wait 5 seconds to see if he stopped crying because it was probably just a nightmare. Sure enough, Aiden stopped screaming immediately.

Travis wanted to know what the heck he would have a nightmare about.

Taking his bottle away from him, maybe? Not being allowed to play with the DVR? Being forced to eat PURE PEACHES with all their tartness?

Kardashian Epidural

Holy crap. Did anyone see the Keeping up with the Kardashians episode where Kourtney has her baby?!?! My jaw absolutely dropped to the ground when the doctor asked if she wanted to grab the baby as it is HALF inside her and she pulls the baby the rest of the way out.

All I have to say is there is no way my epidural was working if that is what it was supposed to be like. You know, just pulling the baby out yourself. There is NO WAY I could have done that. I wanted to push SO BADLY once he was part way out. It was all I could think about. THAT'S IT. Pushing was all my brain could do.

Kourtney probably had two epidurals considering how calm she was through the whole thing. Not fair. Next time I have a baby, I want to be rich. Then I can just slip the anesthesiologist a few hundos and get the good treatment.

And yes. One of my guilty pleasures is Keeping up with the Kardashians. Deal with it.

If you want to see the clip of Kourtney in the hospital, in all it's gory glory, check it out here at The Frisky. Khloe's reaction immediately after the birth says it all. Oh and the baby is hairy.