I washed my car on Sunday.  You know what that means, right?  That its raining now.  Of course.   My car was seriously filthy.  Sitting in the parking lot at the office under all of the trees losing their leaves made my car a hot mess.  Cameryn loves to wash her toys with wheels when I wash mine, so late Sunday afternoon we headed outside.  I put Jordin in her stroller so she could watch and Cameryn and I got to scrubbing.  She always uses more soap, for her little red and yellow car, than I do on mine but it keeps her busy.  I washed the car quickly because Jordin wasn't loving the fact that she was only a spectator, but this time Cameryn finished her car, bike, and scooter before I did my car and went over to entertain Jordin while I did a final rinse.  Except?  She took it upon herself to wash the baby.  With car soap. 

***

Speaking of my office.  I don't talk much about what I do but I'm contemplating a change.  You see, 10 days before I had Jordin my company announced that 4/6 of the shareholders/members were leaving, my boss included (which I already knew), and that there were going to be some big operational changes within our organization.  Our location has a really small office and I wasn't naive enough to think that they would keep our location open.  I felt lost and definitely did not feel as if I had a lot of job security.  I did receive a call explaining their vision for our office, their expectations of me and my position, and the call did allow me some breathing room.  I had Jordin, spent 8 weeks out on maternity leave, and came back to the office.  I had expressed a desire to transfer to another department, the position was offered, and I accepted.  Except?  3 months later I am still doing more of my old position than my new because they haven't solidified the compensation plan for my new team.  My new team refuses to share any of the work with me until the comp plan is finalized to ensure that I am being paid for the work that I am doing. My days in this office are long.  You see, I have no direct supervisor here and 95% of my old duties have already been transferred.   I feel stagnant.  And I don't like it.  I am so lucky to have a job and paycheck coming in, but that's the thing - it's now a job instead of a career.  And that makes me feel really unsettled.

***

Yesterday was Monday.  Except?  I did a shot of tequila.  Just one.  And I learned that one thing that isn't stagnant is my ability to take a shot of tequila without the 'shiver' afterwards.  I still rock at tequila shots.

***

I have been thinking about my goals and resolutions for 2013.  I don't think that it's too early.  My goal for 2013 is to run a half marathon.  There is no exception to this.

***

Love.

They hatin'..
Tryin' catch me riding dirty...

I about died when I saw this picture.

The Queen of England.
DRIVING.
With a scarf that looks like a hoodie.



Move over, Harry!
The Queen is on the prowl!

Happy Friday, peeps!

I didn't intend to take a bloggy break.

Here's what we've been up to this week:

1.  I had my weekly doctor's visit.  I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow (21 days to go!) I've gained a total of 18 lbs and am now 2cm and 70% effaced.  I'm really hoping that baby girl decides to move south sometime soon.  The last few weeks are always so difficult.  As for a bump pic?  Here's a pic of me and the hostesses from the shower this weekend.  I love these girls so much.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.



2.  It's HOT, y'all.  Summer has finally invaded the south and it's going to be 92 all weekend.  Luckily, the humidity hasn't found its way to us yet, but it will eventually.  I'd rather spend this long weekend inside soaking up the AC, but I think Cameryn would rather spend her days at the pool. She's a fish.  The girl loves to swim.  We signed her up for swim lessons, a total of 8.  I figure it will be something just for her to do this summer while I am trying to keep my head above the water with a new baby and a busy 3 yr old.

3.  Cameryn rocked a white collared shirt and a blue jean skirt for graduation.  I went to a private school and our uniform was a white collared shirt and navy bottoms.  I don't own either, to this day, and buying them for her was slightly painful.  She wasn't thrilled about it, but she looked cute!



T4.  This is always such a weird time of year for me - to see the 'little' girls that I coached graduating from high school.   I'm 'friends' with a lot of them on facebook and reading their posts about how scared they are to leave home and leave their friends, it makes me a little sad.  They have no idea how big the world is after high school, that life truly doesn't start until then.  These girls are awesome, they are so grounded, they're really good kids and I hate to see them so conflicted.  But I remember those days and I know how hard it can be.  But I also know they are going to succeed.  And so, to them I say this: you have your whole life ahead of you, this is just the beginning. Be who you are, make a difference.  The best piece of advice I ever received came from my Dad - no matter what happens in life, you can always go home. Best of luck to all of you!

5.  This actually happened: "Damn it, Daddy.  Now I have to take off these clothes to put my jammies on."  And where did my three year old say that she learned those words from?  Me and two of her friends at school.  I won't deny that I say damn it, but usually 'shit' is my go-to term.  Cracks me up.

6.  I got a funny text yesterday from Stephanie - "Remember when all of the kids were playing in my room?  I think they did something with my pillow because when I went to bed last night and I could not find it.  We looked everywhere!  How the heck do you lose a king sized pillow?  I had to sleep on Madison's pillow!"  Poor Stephanie.  The girl searched high and low for her pillow.  She finally found it at 5:30pm, in her closet, shoved under her clothes.  The culprit?  My child, of course.  Cameryn said that she wanted it to be a surprise for Steph. 

7.   The roommate never moved back in.  Apparently, he found a little common sense and a dash of decency and decided that it probably wasn't a good idea since I was so pregnant.  To say I was thrilled was an understatement.


8.   I haven't jumped on the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' train.  I doubt that I will.  I read, a lot, but haven't decided if this one is worth it or not.  I did the same thing with the 'Twilight' series. 

9.   I was called for jury duty on June 19 and since I am due June 16, I won't make it to jury duty.  Calling up to the courthouse is always slightly entertaining, they talk in hushed tones and act as if they cannot know your name and only ask for your juror number, like it's some big secret.  But?  Getting out of jury duty requires them to be all up in your business and know every single detail of your life, plus a signed letter from your doctor.  I've been officially excused from jury duty.  I found it entertaining since I was called for jury duty when I was pregnant with Cameryn, though I didn't make it past the first day.  I guess being 7 mo pregnant doesn't make you a good juror.

It's been a rough week around here. Cameryn is one second defiant and the next she is sobbing. I tell her one thing and she does the opposite. She stays up late because she doesn't want to go to sleep when I ask her to. She is tired and therefore grumpy, but only with me. She showers her daddy with hugs. This morning she was awake for 12 minutes before being sent back to her room for whining and crying because I wouldn't let her eat brownies for breakfast. And then, twenty minutes later she is crying because I am not going to she mother's data breakfast at her school... Never mind that she told me earlier that she didn't want to go, my leaving for work triggered her reaction. So we went to have breakfast together. I know it's me, because I am pregnant and I am for sure the one who is directly changing her life. It kills me. And, to make matters worse? She actually told me that my big belly makes her sad - because I cannot run and play with her like I used to. Because she cannot sit in my lap and lean back against me, because I cannot pick her up and carry her around. I feel guilty. Yes, I won't be pregnant forever, but these last few weeks of just the three of us shouldn't, in the perfect world in my head, be so difficult. While I knew that this wouldn't be a seamless transition, I didn't expect her to rebel against me and feel so sad. We have had few weekends in the past three months with nothing to do, this weekend is different. There is nothing on the agenda. No cleaning, laundry, or errands. I'm letting her lead the way and using this time for us to reconnect. My time, with her, is precious. It hasn't just been rough at home.


Work has thrown me a few curve balls as well. I've had my suspicions for several months that big changes were coming to our firm and today, my suspicions were confirmed. Where it leaves me, I don't know. Going on maternity leave is both a blessing and a curse for my job security. I am, however, going to explore the option of something new within the firm and see where it takes me, if the offer is presented. If only to give me a few months of breathing room until I can find something else.


Oh, and before I forget... Remember the roommates? Yeah, one of them is moving back in for two weeks. It wasn't my idea and I am still quite displeased with the situation, but my husband feels like it is the right thing to do. I disagree. I am almost 35 weeks pregnant and really don't need one more person to clean up after. Nor do I want the added stress of having another body in the house. I have enough going on without another warm body in the mix.


My plate feels full.

I don't get told that I look like anyone famous.  Ever.  Which could be a good thing or a bad thing.  So  I tried several different pictures to see who my doppelgänger was. 

The first round is brilliant.  I bet Kristin Chenoweth would be pissed if she found out these guys could be her matches too.  And who the hell is Zinedine Zidane?


Because I wasn't laughing enough.

Harrison Ford and Lady Gaga.  Score!


Who is your doppelgänger?

My husband watches some weeeeeird stuff on TV sometimes.  Thanks to our new subscription to DirectTV he has found some really high class programs.  He's usually into Animal Plant, Discovery, and anything about "bugs and shit."  He's also a movie watcher and we probably have more movies recorded that I have watched my entire life.  I have the attention span of a toddler and I have trouble watching a program that lasts for more than an hour.  However, he recorded a Penn & Teller:BULLSHIT! show on Showtime and I was somewhat sucked into this one. 

Penn & Teller's show, "Cheerleaders,  argues that high school cheerleading should be classified as a sport to increase required safety measures due to its risks. Also discusses how the majority of competitions and cheerleading goods are managed by Varsity Brands Inc. and if cheerleading were to be declared a sport Varsity would have to forfeit managing competitions to an independent body creating significant conflicts of interest. " {source}

Cheerleading is something that both Chris and I are familiar with. Chris cheered in college (for in-state tuition!) and later coached at a very successful elite program and I was a gymnast, but never a cheerleader, though I coached both gymnasts and cheerleaders at the gym that I worked at.  We're familiar with cheer competitions, the Varsity brand, and the multiple entities that Varsity Brands Inc. owned (there are over 30 of them, one of them is UCA, for example) so the show was pretty entertaining.  I believe that cheerleaders are athletes.  Sure, they dance around in cute little uniforms with gigantic bows on their heads, but they train just as hard as any other athlete and I can guarantee you that most of them are stronger than your average baseball player.

Penn brought up some extremely valid points, the first being that cheerleading is the most high risk "sport" there is.  The injury level is higher than any other men's or women's activity including football, gymnastics, and ice hockey.  Cheerleading isn't classified as a sport in many school districts (Title IX) and therefore has no governing safety courses, except for those offered by Varisty Brands, Inc., so the participants must rely on the basic safety training of their coach.  Problem?  I think so.  I was a gymnastics coach at a competitive level and I had to undergo multiple yearly safety tests given by USA Gymnastics in order to walk into a competition and declare myself a coach.  The cheerleading safety course offered by Varsity Brands Inc is approximately three hours long and once you've completed it, you're done.  Now, this doesn't mean that private clubs don't require more safety training, but if the three hour course is all that is offered and required for safety certification in cheerleading, how many of the private clubs are going above and beyond?  I think that something should be done.

Secondly, Title IX is the leading cause as to why cheerleading is not considered a "sport" in our schools.  Why?  Because the cheerleaders are not participating in a competition, they're not trying to win anything while cheering on the athletic teams and therefore receives no funding.  Since cheerleading is not considered a sport, it is also the reason why cheerleaders have no athletic trainers to assist them with injuries the way the football players do.  (Silly if you ask me!)

I agreed with the entire show until this point.

There's no doubt that Varsity Brands Inc. is the mack daddy of the cheerleading world.  They own and sell everything from uniforms, shoes, and makeup and sponsor or run almost every competition out there.  Now, the argument that Varisty Brands Inc. brings up is that if Title IX and the government were to declare cheerleading a sport, Varisty Brands Inc would have to give up managing competitions to another body, creating conflicts of interest, but most of all, lose their stake in the cheerleading world.

I call BULLSHIT.

How would Varsity Brands Inc. have a conflict of interest?  Most states have a "State Cheerleading Competition."  Are they funded by Varsity Brands Inc.?  Maybe?  I honestly don't know.  However, I have a difficult time believing that Varisty Brands Inc. would lose a lot of money if it had to give up 50 cheerleading state cheerleading competitions.  The number of private clubs practicing elite cheerleading, most with more than 5 levels of cheerleading teams at ~20 kids per team, would by far fund the Varsity brand.  Uniforms are $200 or more.  Competition fees, for the cheerleader, range from $70-150 per competition (and that doesn't include the cost of admittance for their families.)  Add in the monthly cost of training, coaches fees, expenses... We're talking about thousands of dollars per person per season.  Have you ever been to a private (not school affiliated) cheerleading event?  Insanity.

I'm not an expert on cheerleading.  I didn't cheer.  I've been around it enough to know that this isn't right - I don't understand why Varsity Brands Inc. wouldn't want their 'sport' to be declared a 'sport' for the people that they represent.  Why wouldn't they want it to be as safe as possible?  Do they really think that declaring it a sport would make that big of a difference to their income?  I think that it's disgusting that they wouldn't want their athletes to have the best and safest experience possible every time they take the mat.  But, I guess they've found a way to make money, and that's really what the world is all about these days, right? 



(But, as a former gymnast [and any former gymnast will say the same thing] I also believe that my girls should be a gymnast first!  Just because.) 

I traveled to Greenville again over the weekend.  That makes three weekends in a row that I have been out of town. (You can catch up here and here.)  I went to help my mom buy a new computer, we did, but she was slightly disappointed that it wouldn't be available for pick up until Tuesday morning.  She had hoped that I would be able to set it up for her, but it looks like she's just going to have to do it on her own! 

***

Allergy season has arrived in Columbia.  Poor Cameryn is really having a difficult time this year.  Cameryn was up most of the night on Saturday night thanks to a persistent cough.  She cougehd so much that she finally threw up (all over me!)  I think that I was up, for the day on Sunday, at 3:30am.  I hoped that she would nap on the drive back to Columbia (it's about an hour and fifteen minutes), but no luck.  We were both exhausted by the time that we got home, but she was excited to see her daddy, so a nap was out of the question.  Chris took her to run errands with him for about an hour and I napped and was able to regain some sanity.  Cameryn went to bed at 8pm and was up screaming at 9 because she had coughed until she threw up, in her bed.  Sigh.  Chris gave her a bath while I changed her sheets.  Chris sat with her on the couch for about an hour (so she didn't cough and cough and cough and throw up, again) and she literally passed out mid-sentence. There's not a whole lot that we can do for her other than giving her OTC allergy meds, so she's just going to have to deal with it for now.  Poor thing!

***

Saturday morning I stopped for gas and ran in to grab a cup of coffee and some juice for Cameryn.  As Cameryn and I were walking out of the store, a woman stopped her car, rolled down her window and said, "You are the prettiest pregnant woman that I have seen in awhile!"  Isn't that sweet?!  I was flabbergasted!  It may have been total BS on her part, but it was still a lovely thing to hear.

***

I ran on Friday night with a friend.  I went slow and I actually hated going downhill (it just wasn't comfortable!) and it felt so great to run that I went again last night.  I definitely got my fair share of looks, but it's not like I'm starting a running program from scratch!  I averaged about a 13:30 min mile last night, so it's not like I am running fast.  At all.

Her husband joked that she should have been running behind me, acting like my trainer or something, screaming at me to pick up the pace and to move my fat butt!  So funny.  I totally would have played along.

***

I finally finished going through the boxes and boxes of baby clothes that my SIL gave me, plus all of Cameryn's old clothes.  This child will definitely have her choice of clothing for quite some time!  I also broke down and bought these clothing dividers for her closet.  I hate folding things and I also hate going a million onsies trying to figure out what size is everything is! 

***

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning.  I almost 28 weeks, which means that I will start going bi-weekly after this appointment.  I also have to have the dreaded glucose test at my 30 weeks appointment.  I'm not worried about passing it, but I do need to remember to ask if I can eat 20 jelly beans instead of drinking that nasty orange drink!

***

Dear god.  I am 28 weeks pregnant.  12 weeks to go and other than washing some clothes, we've done nothing.  One minute I think that I seriously need to slap some paint on the walls.  Something.  And in the next minute I think, nah!  The baby can sleep in the bassinet in our room for awhile.

***

I'm worried that Cameryn is going to go through an extreme jealous phase when the baby comes.  Lately, she has been acting out if we are not paying her attention 100% of the time - especially when I am on the phone.  I'm not sure if I should even attempt to curtail her behavior more than I already am before the baby comes or just work through it when it happens.  Advice?

I know she's going to be a sweet big sister.  She loved helping Stephanie get William (who is almost 2!) out of the bath and dressed for bed the other night.  I just worry that she's going to be a green eyed monster, that she's not going to feel loved, that she'll hate me forever.  Which, deep down, I know won't happen, but my little mommy heart worries. 

***

Has anyone ever tried Baby Led Weaning?  I've read a lot about it over the past year or so and am seriously considering it for baby. 

TGIF.  Really.  And thank heavens for a 3-day weekend. 

Yesterday I had a monster headache.  I fully intended on making dinner for myself and Cameryn (Chris was working late) but discovered that my tortellini was bad so I tossed it and ordered a pizza.  Cameryn wasn't exactly in the best mood nor did she accessorize with her listening ears yesterday (she was in time out when I picked her up from school - a first for her) and I needed a break.  So, I threw some glow sticks in the bathtub, thinking that would captivate her for at least a half hour so I could sit and rest.  Oh. hell. no.  Bathtime was abruptly cut off with an epic preschooler meltdown, over soap of all things, and she was promptly sent to bed at 7:20pm.  I took two teasers tylenol and some nausea meds and I was in bed and asleep by 8:30pm.  I don't feel like a new person today, but I am glad that the headache is gone. 

***

I am 23 weeks pregnant and am feeling like a whale, already.  Yes, I realize that you "pop" earlier with your second child, but still.  It's ridiculous.

Pregnancy makes you so vain.  I'm not one of those glowing pregnant women.  I, actually, really dislike being pregnant.  Yes,blah blah blah- it's a miracle that you can grow a human and the body does amazing things, I totally agree.  I also realize that this seems really shallow and that some women who are struglling to get pregnant would like to punch me right now.  But it doesn't change the fact that I do not like being pregnant.  I don't feel attractive, I feel fat.  I don't have a cute little bump, I have a basketball.  I'm already uncomfortable, at 5 months.  I hate peeing every 20 minutes.  I hate feeling nauseous. 

The "after" part of pregnancy doesn't really bother me.  No, I don't have the body that I had before, but I don't blame it on being pregnant. I blame it on getting older and simply being lazy because let's face it ladies, we are not the same women we were in high school and we need to stop trying to be that way.  If I hear one more person tell me that they were skinny in high school I might go full on crazy!  No, I don't mind the after part of being pregnant because babies are squishy and sweet and I cannot wait to meet our little nugget.  But the journey to get there... Big, huge dislike.

***

Do you ever have days when you don't want to be anyone's 'person?'  (Yes, I just did a total Grey's Anatomy reference.)  As in, you just don't want to hear about any other problems or issues or bitching in general?  This week has been like that for me.  I don't want to be a 'person' for anyone this week, other than myself.  But *sigh* it doesn't always work that way... because I am The 'Person' for people that I adore and I have to put on my big girl panties and deal with it because I love them.  And they have issues and need to get it all out there and need hugs and love, too. 

***

I want to do The Color Run in Charlotte, NC in October.  Anyone want to join me?

I made my own Febreeze last night and I may or may have not walked around smelling my house with a smile on my face because I love the smell of dryer sheets.  I don't know where I saw the "recipe" or if it's on Pinterest, but it was really easy.  I used an old Febreeze bottle and added 2T of baking soda, 2T of liquid Downey fabric softener, and filled the bottle with hot water, then shake.  I then walked around spraying my entire house.  I might of sprayed the dog, too.  Oops, at least he smells so fresh and so clean.

***

I know this one is on Pinterest... Since I had out the box of baking soda, I added a tablespoon to a few pumps of face wash.  Whoever posted it said it's supposed to be just as good as microderm abrasion, the verdict (mine) is still out on that one.  Oh, the little things that you can find on Pinterest!

***

Speaking of face wash, I am a habitual user of Neutrogena, but I received a gift card to Bare Escentuals for Christmas (LOVE!) and I purchased a bottle of their Purifying Face Wash and Purely Nourishing Face Lotion, both of which I really like.  They don't dry my face out like some products and they aren't too greasy, either.  Will I continue to buy them?  I think I'd like too, but I also think that will depend on how many more gift cards I receive!!

***

I think my girl is going to be a runner. The past few weeks Cameryn has asked us if we can go for a run on the weekends or after we get home from work.  We go for a run around the block, which is a little more than a quarter of a mile. Her little legs just go, go, go and when we get home she acts as if it was nothing. I love her energy and wish I could bottle it up and save it for the last few weeks of pregnancy.

***

I received the book Heaven is For Real as a gift for Christmas.  Has anyone else read it or heard of it?  The book was a quick read and I enjoyed it.  While it's not a book that I would have purchased for myself, it was definitely thought provoking yet comforting at the same time.  I also received the children's illustrated book, but it's not something that I think is appropriate for Cameryn right now. 

Here's the description:

"Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready there is a coming last battle."

***

I've watched a few cartoons lately on Nick Jr. and I've been wondering a few things.  What kind of animal is Wubzy?  Where are Kai-lan and Max and Ruby's parents?  My husbands theory on Max and Ruby is a bit far fetched.  Real bunnies don't live with their parents, so Max and Ruby don't either.  My question back to him was, do they still see their grandparents? 

***

I walked through Babies R Us with a friend of mine, who is also pregnant, the other day.  I'm always surprised to see how many new products are on the market and how many products are just ridiculous.  I will say that I am a tad bit disappointed that I am not having a boy, just because I've always wanted to buy one of those pee-pee-tee-pee's.  Don't ask me why, I just think they are hilarious.

***

I have settled on bedding for Baby Girl.  This makes me really excited.  The thought of actually clearing out the office, finding a new space for all the stuff, and re-painting makes me want to kick rocks.  I wish I was Mary Poppins and I could snap my fingers or wiggle an eyebrow and it would be done.

***

I don't like crunchy cookies.  At all.

Love him or hate him, either way, someone you know has an opinion about him. 

Tim Tebow took the nation by storm as an SEC quarterback and now he's doing it again in the NFL.  There are pictures of people that love him.  There are more pictures of people mocking him, "Tebowing" as they call it.  I'm tired of my Facebook feed being littered with comments about Tim Tebow, so here I am, blogging about him, because that's what he does.  He is the kind of person that we talk about.  He's not Lindsay Lohan, who we expect to fail and even laugh when she does, he's the kind of person that we talk about because we just don't believe that he can be that good. 

Truth- as an SEC quarterback, he got on my nerves.  Not because of Tim Tebow the man, but as Tim Tebow the Gator who consistently kicked Gamecock ass. 

Tebow was raised in a loving home where he, along with his siblings, were homeschooled by his mother.  He spent his summers in his birthplace, the Philippines, working beside his parents in his father's ministry.  Tebow isn't just good on the field, he's good everywhere.  He spent, and still spends, his free time with others who are less fortunate than him - in orphanages, hospitals, and homeless shelters.  He created a foundation to help others and has the support of many other NFL players, but we don't hear about those players because they're not 'good.'  He isn't afraid to declare his love of Christ.  I think that is what makes people hate him - because he brought God into football, the All-American pastime.  Nevermind that players have been lifting a finger in the air towards their God for years or that before every game a prayer is said.  Tim Tebow made it known that he believes and *GASP* he believes that God is who made him an athlete.  He puts bible verses on his face.  He isn't afraid.

And people hate him for it.  People hate him because he's a damn good athlete and he believes in God.  Tim Tebow fails, we all fail, but when he fails people rejoice because they don't want to believe that someone like him can be that great.  Michael Jordan was an athlete, he's successful, but he didn't write his beliefs on his face or thank his God after every play, and therefore, he's okay. He's not hated.   But our community wants to see Tim fail because in our world, it's just not possible that a man can be successful at everything he does.  It's just not possible that he can still be a virgin at his age, the haters believe that he's gay.  It's just not possible that he can carry around his bible and be a football player and have the kind of presence that makes people gravitate toward him.  (The night before the National Championship game while at UF, several players went missing the night before the game.  They were found in Tim's room, where he was reading passages in the Bible, because the pressure of the game was getting to the players.) 

I find it ridiculous that so many people spend so much time hating a man, when what they really hate is that he led his team to the playoffs as the backup quarterback and kicked some NFL ass.  So to the Tebow haters, I say this:  Grow up and find something and someone else to hate.  Tebow believes that football comes last after family, faith, and life.  When Tebow is done with football, we're still going to hear about him because he's going to do things far greater than you and I could even imagine.

The weekend consisted of lots of rest, lots of tissues, and lots of meds.  I'm sick and being that I'm also pregnant being sick means that Tylenol is about the only relief that is allowed.  I did go to the doctor and get "real" meds but those don't seem to help much either.  Eh. I am totally over being sick.  My energy level is low and my head hurts from coughing so much. Luckily, Chris was home yesterday and took Cameryn out of the house for a few hours so I could get some rest.  He also went grocery shopping and didn't come home with anything random except double stuff oreos.  I'm not complaining.  I like the double stuff.

***

One of my besties went on a cruise yesterday and she sent me a text saying, "I'm having a pina colada right now just for you."  I received this mid-coughing fit and it wasn't even noon yet.  Yeah, I'm totally jealous.  While she and her husband are sailing through the ocean, I'm stuck here, wiping my own nose and my kids ass.   Oh, to be young and childless...

***

I know the gender of our baby.  There, I said it.  We "announced" the gender on our Christmas cards this year so everyone can find out at the same time.  So, family, stop hounding us about it!  We're not telling you!  The cards are in the mail and you'll find out soon enough.

Meanwhile, the name game is still on and we have not made any progress.  Did anyone else have a difficult time naming their child?

***

I'm not done Christmas shopping yet.  I don't have a lot to get, but I have a few little things to grab and the thought of going out in the madness makes my toes curl.

***

My cousin is getting married at the end of the month, which means that I have to go to a wedding and of course, I have nothing to wear.  I'm at that strange stage of pregnancy where people wonder whether you've been indulging in the Christmas goodies a little too often or if you're actually pregnant.  I'm sure that I'll figure something out, but I know that all of my dresses will be a little snug.  And OMG!  I just realized that Cameryn will have to have something to wear too.  Crap.

On that note, I better start shopping online.

 

Hey you - go here and click on 'Like' to vote for Macie for Cheerleader of the Year!  It's that easy.  Winning this contest would also help her win school scholarships for the future. 

Macie is 7.  She has an amazing work ethic and will stop at nothing until she masters a skill. 
Here is her video that she submitted for the contest.  See that full?  Did I mention that she's 7?

Thank you!

The morning radio show that I listen to brought up an interesting thought several weeks ago:  Do we "peak" at some point in our lives with our looks?  Do we have a few really good years before we go downhill?  The men on the show, and it is all men on the show except for a few female guests, seemed to think that their "peak" lasted 5-7 years while a woman's "peak" lasted 3-5. 

I agree.

My peak has come and gone, people, and I am thoroughly disappointed.  My peak was in my early 20's (good god, that makes me feel so old).  Need evidence?  All of these pictures were taken 2005-2007.  Three whole years.

Look!  I had a waist!



My dress, though made to fit, was too big for me the day of my wedding.  It was a size 4.



Abs, anyone?

And then, the downfall.  All pictures were taken 2008-2011.







Some may argue that my peak happened before I had children and your body and metabolism change afterward, I had more "me" time before I had kids, blah blah blah.  Truth is, I probably peaked.  And, for me, it is pretty disappointing, but just a fact of life.

Do you agree or disagree that people "peak" at some point in their lives?  Have you "peaked"?

I went to buy new body wash today and in the process of smelling one bottle (come on, you know you do it too) I ended up squirting a big blob of it into my nose.  Am I the only person that this happens too?  So now I am walking around smelling that particular not so lovely body wash because its since dried in my nose. 

***

I've started making my Christmas list.  Normally I ask for clothes or giftcards for clothes (I rarely buy clothes without them) but this year it seems silly to ask for clothes.  To be honest, I'm having a difficult time listing things that I would want as a gift.  I'd love a new phone.  Or an iPad.  Wishful thinking, though.   Have you made your Christmas list? 

***

A friend of mine asked me if I had thought about baby names.  Thinking about naming my kid makes my head hurt.  I don't feel the pressure to get everything done right away like I did with my first child, but a name is something that I have thought about every now and then.  I have a post it note with a few names on it.  Considering we find out the gender before most people do, I feel lucky, because those extra weeks are actually needed in order to go to battle over a name with my husband.  His top two choices when naming Cameryn both came from the movie The Matix, neither of which were acceptable choices (Neo?  I think not.)  I don't want my kids name to come up on some "WTF was the parent thinking when naming their kid" article on BabyCenter.

***

Am I the only person who loved the Twilight books but hate the movies?  I don't feel as if the big love story between Bella and Edward is portrayed as a big love story on screen.  I think that Bella (okay, really, it's Kristen Stewart) comes off with a permanent scowl and a bad attitude.  She just ruins it for me. 

***

Holiday dinners are always a little stressful with my family.  You can read about here.  Should be much of the same craziness this year, minus the pumpkin soup.  I think.  However, this year, my sister in law has requested a more traditional meal instead of the gourmet meals that my mom and brother prepare.  I hate to tell her, but it's not happening.  Last I heard they were making handmade tuna sushi for appetizers.  My mom and brother in the kitchen together is like an Iron Chef meets Paula Deen competition.  I'm bringing dessert again this year.  But, of course, I was given orders as to what to make... Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce. 

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

1.  Am I the only one who doesn't like the acronym RIP?  I think it's vulgar and ugly and not peaceful at all.  Mainly because I don't read it as 'rest in peace'.  I read it as 'rip'.  (So, maybe it's just my problem?!)  Plus, RIP is always on the creepy tombstones in movies.  Currently, RIP is all over my FB feed due to the passing of Joe Frazier and Heavy D.  Each time I see RIP, I shudder.

2.  I never posted about Halloween.  Cameryn was a Tiger for Halloween.  We ordered her costume from Amazon a few weeks before and the costume ran small so it didn't fit.  We returned it but Amazon didn't have the next size up.  We looked in every store in town, but no one had the next size.  So, we ordered another costume online, hoping and praying that it would arrive in time - the guaranteed delivery date was November 3!  Well, it did arrive on time.  Cameryn stood at the end of the driveway waiting for the big brown truck to make its way to our house.  She had her little hands together in prayer formation saying over and over, "Please let that man in the truck bring my costume.  Please please please!"  He did.



3. I already have a few Christmas decorations up in my house.  A pink Christmas tree in Cameryn's room and a light up snowman in our living room.  Both make me insanely happy.  Even if it is 75 degrees outside.

4.  My child woke up yesterday with one eye swollen shut, thankfully, after a couple of doses of Benadryl she was good to go.  Poor thing.  She is just like her daddy - she is allergic to unknowns.  Chris once drank an off brand of a red sports drink and his entire face began to swell.  The day of our friend's wedding he woke up with his entire face a big swollen mess.  I do feel bad for him when it happens, I cannot help but laugh.  He looks like an alien.  After some testing, even the allergist has no idea what causes his reactions, so now we carry Benadryl and an epi-pen wherever we go.

5.  I want to learn how to do this.



6.  Cameryn had her 3 year well check up last week.  She is in the 85% for height at 38 3/4in and the 80th percentile for weight at 34lbs.  The check up was traumatic and I blame it all on the process.  I made a few recommendations to my doctor as well who totally agreed with me... Peeing in a cup and the eye exam should come AFTER shots and finger pricking.  It's very difficult to have an eye exam when you cannot see because you are crying so hard.  Cameryn is now on Miralax every day for her issues.   I am so, so happy to say that it works!  She has gone every other day since we started Miralax. 

7.  I am going to attempt to make homemade laundry detergent.  Detergent is expensive these days and I find that the cheap stuff doesn't work as well as my go-to brand.  This 'recipe' makes enough for 6 months or more and the reviews say that it cleans as well as the more expensive brands!  You add your own soap, so those with sensitive skin don't need to worry about it being too harsh. 


8.  Chris ate all of the good Halloween candy (chocolate!) out of Cameryn's stash.  Jerk.

9.  Chris took Cameryn to Pet's, Inc. yesterday to visit all of the animals who still need a home.  He always sends me a picture of the cute animals. 



Yesterday, he sent me this.  Yes, I realize the dog needs a home, but this does not tear at my heart strings!


10.  I will be making these.  Soon.

Peanut Butter Fudge Rice Krispies

My random thought of the day:
I hear this song every single day on my way home. 
And since he mumbles the entire way through the song, complete with all of the voice mixing crap, I don't understand ANYTHING that they say until the chorus.



The pump up sneakers. 

YHL just posted a link to the story because they saw a big chicken.  I HAD to share it because I was laughing so hard that a coworker just came out of his office to ask me what was so funny. 

Go check it out:  The Bloggess

You'll want to add them to your reader for those mid-afternoon slumps.

Last night I was introduced to a mindless time suck that had me laughing for the entire length of the video.  Apparently she's been around for awhile and is pretty popular with the younger crowd.  Hmmm, who knew.

Enjoy, friends!

For those of you who are wondering, no, I am not driving around in stealth mode silence.  When I bought my car, they were kind enough to give me a handy dandy identification card that had both of my codes on it.  They were in my wallet all along so I drove around in super secret silent stealth mode for nothing.  I know Cameryn is happy.  I think she got really tired of hearing me sing!

***

Our office is on the fifth floor of the building and there are 4 other companies on our floor.  We all share the bathroom.  All of the bathrooms in our building have a couch and a chair in it (which I think is totally weird and disgusting because we all know that not everyone cleans up after they go) and so many people sit there and talk on the phone or talk trash about their coworkers.  The things that you can learn in the bathroom... I find it highly amusing.  There is one woman (who I refer to as Sleeping Beauty) who takes a nap on the couch two times a day - she is prepared with a pillow, eye mask and large cardigan that she uses as a blanket.  Currently the bathroom on our floor is being renovated so we have to go to the fourth floor.  I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty down there at all this week.  I wonder how she is coping?  Or if her coworkers think she is cranky.

***

Cameryn is still loving the Little People Nativity scenes.  Her Elf, Toot, brought her the last two this week.  She loves the animals, especially the hee-haw (aka donkey) and the three camels, but she also likes Baby Jesus!  Yay!  She even took Baby Jesus with her to school.  Yes, he sat in her cubby all day, but it's definitely better than when my family used to tape him inside the toilet tank.

***

I think my feet have gotten bigger.  The shoes that I am wearing today feel too short.  And no, I do not need to cut my toenails.  They are trimmed, not pedicure perfect (because really, who has the money or the time to do that?) but they are presentable.  Anyway, my shoes feel too short.  I haven't worn these particular shoes since last week and they were fine last week.  Huh.

***

I put my underwear on inside out.  I really hate it when I do that.  I feel weird all day.

***

I am almost done Christmas shopping.  I am both relieved and sad.  Relieved because I know that I don't have to spend any more money or fight traffic on my lunch breaks but sad because it means that the Holiday's are almost over.  I just love all of the lights and decorations!  Last night I had a wrapping marathon and spent two hours wrapping gifts.  I am so anxious to give everyone their gifts and see their reactions.  Especially all of the kids!  I just know they are going to be so excited!