Melody's

First Father's Day

2010-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

On February 8, 2010 our life changed forever when Leyland was born. That day he made Kevin a dad. I think Kevin's road to fatherhood really began once he knew a baby was growing in my belly. Throughout my pregnancy Kevin lovingly hugged, patted, and kissed my tummy daily, talking to the baby we did not yet know.

But on 2.8.10 I fell in love with him all over again as I saw him holding our pink newborn. Leyland was huge when he was born, but he still looked tiny, vulnerable, and totally safe in his daddy's arms. Kevin moved through Leyland's first day with the confidence of someone who'd been there before, and yet it was his first day on the job. He changed diapers, stared at every detail of Leyland's face, and looked as proud as a man can. On Leyland's second night, he wouldn't settle for sleep. Kevin allowed me to sleep between feedings and rocked, and walked Leyland around the hospital room. I will never forget waking in the middle of that night and seeing Kevin rocking Leyland in his arms.

Our son does not yet know how lucky he is that Kevin is his father. But he will. I've never seen Kevin set a goal for himself and not achieve it. And currently? He's working to be the best dad he can be.

I am so thankful that Kevin chose to work so that I can stay home being a mommy, I'm so thankful that he can't wait to see his son at the end of each day, and I am so thankful he is my partner in parenthood.

I love you Kevin!

Rub a Dub in the Hot Tub!

2010-04-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I have talked about how annoying and or frustrating it can be that we remember dumb pop culture references to no end, but can't remember the essential things we've studied in school. The really odd thing is that a line from a movie or tv show can become so ingrained in our minds that we apply them to ordinary life. I frequently find myself saying (or at the very least thinking) the line "now you know, and knowing's half the battle." from the series "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero."

About a week ago, I was soundly sleeping in the middle of the night, when my sweet husband rolled over in bed and wrapped his arms around me. Feeling overly warm, and not wanting to be held- I tried to think of a response that would not be rude in response to his loving gesture. So what did I say? "Too hot in the hot tub." I know, right?? I'm obviously crazy. But what's crazier? Kevin said "oh, ok" and removed his arms. Somehow this made sense to both of us, and I even felt like I had said something endearing to communicate my message. This line comes from a hilarious Eddie Murphy SNL skit "James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party."

Please view the video here for a good laugh.

This One's for the Ladies

2010-03-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Kevin, Leyland and I had a family day out and about at Panera, Trader Joe's and Target. We have two Targets in Pasadena, and one has an amazing clearance section in the baby department. It's a great way to slowly stock up Leyland on clothes for great prices. $1 for a cute striped onesie? I'll take it. $2 pants? Sounds good. Anyway, as we scoured the clearance section we found an item for me. It was an online purchase that a woman had returned to the store. So, what was it?

A Bravado Nursing Tank

This tank top is $45 and the one at Target was $11. The amazing thing is that these tanks are not sold in S, M, L, XL they are sold by bra size- band, and cup. The tank just so happened to be my exact size. My exact size! Seriously, what are the odds? We took it home, and I love it. I haven't taken it off since! The irony is that this is something that- now that I own one, I might actually invest the money in, but I got mine for a serious steal! Sometimes I think God likes to provide in such specific ways as sweet reminders that he is our provider, and we can trust him fully. This item is not necessary to my existence, but it does make me so happy.

Our Son Leyland

2010-03-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's pronounced "Lee-land"

Our son Leyland Carson was born at 8:01 am on February 8, 2010. My water broke at home at 1:00 am on February 7, and the events that followed were intense, beautiful, and painful. I don't think I will write out my birth story here, because it is also very personal to me. But I am happy to share the story with those who are interested.

When Leyland was born the doctor was already trying to guess his weight before I even heard my son cry. When he announced "it's a really big boy" I was filled with excitement, but I was not shocked. You may recall that I always suspected we were having a boy. So I felt that my heart was right all along.

When our son was weighed everyone seemed to hold their breath. As the scale numbers moved up and down, there was a collective gasp when his weight was announced: 10 lbs 13 oz! My gasp may have been the loudest. Our son was 22 inches, and his head was 14inches. I never ever could have guessed that my little Peapod was so big!

Leyland will be one month tomorrow, and he is hands down the best gift God has given me. In my last post I wondered what it might be like to see "Peapod's" hiccups on the outside, and now I get to! Let me tell you that they are precious, and drive him crazy. Getting to know this little person has been a wonderful adventure thus far, and Kevin and I love to pour over every one of his features assigning its origin to either me or him.

Some things you might like to know about Leyland
He tends to be a serious baby thus far. He furrows his brow frequently, and appears quite thoughtful most of the time.
We suspect he may be an introvert like his parents. When we take him out, or introduce him to new people away from home he often times closes his eyes. Whomever is meeting him will say "aww, he's sleeping soundly." But we know better, he's just keeping to himself. When we return home from such an outing he likes to lay on his back in silence, preferably with a pacifier. He will just lay still with his eyes open, but not kicking, or cooing like he normally does.
When he is eating he clasps his hands together, and holds them close under his chin.
He prefers not to cry, and opts for low toned grunts, and small moans.
He will cry when his clothes are being changed, and sometimes during a diaper change.
During his second week of life I introduced a bedtime routine, and so far he seems to love the predictability of it. At night I lay him down often times while he is still awake, and he looks around for a bit before drifting off.
He has the best hair. After baths it dries into tight curls before relaxing into a natural faux-hawk. Our little neighbor who is 5 said "hey, your baby has a Mohawk! Where did he get that?"
He makes this face sometimes where his eyes go wide, his eyebrows raise, and he purses his lips into a tiny "o" as if to silently say "oooooh, I see."

He is my favorite little buddy, and he fits right into our home as though he was always one of us.

Fully Full Term

2010-02-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty much here, tomorrow is my due date, and as everyone and their mother loves to remind me- most first baby's are late. Blah, blah, blah- they obviously don't have 8+lbs of baby bruising their ribs. I am well aware of the statistics, but it doesn't change the fact that I am SO ready to have this baby. As I type Peapod has the hiccups, and it's so cute, and I just wonder what those hiccups look like outside the womb, you know?

Anyway, this will give you the run down:

How far along? 39 weeks, 40 as of 12:01am tonight.
Total weight gain/loss: 20lbs. yeah! Love the 3rd trimester, I keep eating, and just not gaining. I do however throw up from time to time again, yucky.
Stretch marks? sigh
Sleep: sleep? I pretty much wake up every hour or so, to go potty, or from a contraction.
Best moment this week: Knowing without a doubt that no matter what, it will not be more than 14 days until I have my baby.
Movement: Movement is pretty decent. A little slower, but still happening.
Food cravings: Still loving spaghetti.
Gender: ???
Labor Signs: Irregular contractions, for the past two evenings I have about 2-3 hours in which I get contractions between 2 and 10 minutes apart. But then I go to bed, and it's over.
Belly Button in or out? Innie!
What I miss: Thinking about things other than going into labor.
What I am looking forward to: Ummm, labor beginning!
Weekly Wisdom: It's ok to feel impatient at the end. It doesn't mean that you don't like being pregnant, or that you can't take it. It's natural.
Milestones: Week 40!

Giving With Open Hands and Hearts

2010-01-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'" Luke 21:4

What can be better than someone putting their money where their mouth is? I recently read about Sandra Bullock giving $1 million to Haiti earthquake relief. That is a huge donation, and I don't want to minimize that- but. And (as my freshman history teacher would say) it's a big but. Various media outlets report that Sandra makes around $15 million per movie. Which means that in 2009 she made a minimum of $45 million. What's more, her donation has been heavily publicized.

I personally believe celebrity's have a responsibility to give big since they earn big. However my morals regarding giving are shaped by the Bible, and I can't hold everyone to that. It makes me wonder though- what about the single mom who cries over images of orphaned children in Haiti, and gives $10? Her own children may do with less for the week, but she has given what she could and no one may ever know about her donation.

This is a lesson I will probably learn and relearn throughout the course of my life. I am constantly trying to loosen my grip on my money, and on all of my belongings.

I would like to suggest that giving with an open hand, and without expectation of recognition or equal return is more rewarding than just about anything.

I recently told Kevin that I will always tell our children that "you will never regret buying a meal for a friend." It's true, I have never paid and then wished that I hadn't. The conversation, and laughter that are shared over a meal or a cup of coffee outweighs the few dollars spent.

Now I just need to learn to give when I am not directly benefitting from the gift.

Taking My Own Advice

2010-01-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday of last week I told my boss that I can't keep working until my due date. Fact is, I'd like to be done with work already. But, I decided to make my last day before leave Friday, which is about 10 days before my due date. I had high hopes of working to the bitter end, thinking that it was the only option. But after Christmas I returned to work, and felt horrible. I am so thankful that I made this decision, and I am looking forward to having a week at home before the baby comes. I obviously won't be disappointed if the little one arrives earlier than that either. But, being my first I assume February 2 or later. In recent weeks my doctor has gone back to the original due date that he gave me, so that if the baby is late we can wait as long as February 18 before inducing. So he says February 4, and I say February 2, or the first week of February. I would really like the baby to have a February birthday, and so in my perfect world (where I control everything) I would go into labor on Sunday, Jan. 31 so that I get to February. I am not sure why- but I'm sort of stuck on February.

Anyway, I think we are done getting ready for the baby. This weekend we bought our stroller/car seat, finished the details of our "birth preferences" to get signed off by our doctor, and given to the nurses when we arrive at the hospital, and we even created a gift basket for buttering up the nurses who are on duty the day I am in labor. It is a cute plastic pink tote that includes four starbucks frappucino's, a bag of mint milano cookies, two bags of dove chocolates (dark and milk) a jar of cashews, and a box of apricot fruit leathers. We plan to stick our "birth preference" document in the gift basket just as a thank you.

How far along? 37 weeks, 38 tomorrow!
Total weight gain/loss: 20lbs., according to my last appointment I lost 1 pound
Stretch marks? sigh
Sleep: Sleep is ok, I get up frequently, my hips hurt from laying on either side too long, and I am feeling anxious about labor which keeps me awake sometimes.
Best moment this week: Peapod's little foot has been sticking out on my right side, and lately I like to run my hand along the heel. Sometimes I can almost make out how long the foot is.
Movement: Movement has slowed as baby and I are running out of room, but I "count the kicks" as my doctor instructed me, and I have nothing to worry about.
Food cravings: I was craving nachos, and fulfilled said craving.
Gender: ???
Labor Signs: Contractions are picking up, and I have started vomiting again, which just says to me that my body is preparing for labor- not that it is beginning!
Belly Button in or out? Innie!
What I miss: brie, I think I'll eat a wedge of brie after I have the baby.
What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby and listening to it as it sleeps on my chest.
Weekly Wisdom: It is SO worth it to get things done ahead of time. I have special hospital toiletries, snacks/drinks for while I labor at home, and I bought some cute socks for walking around the hospital in. Peapod's "going home" outfit is clean and laid out, and I bought a brand new (maternity, because I live in reality) top to wear home from the hospital, and feel pretty in. And also snacks for Kevin to eat at the hospital. You may think I'm crazy, but I feel relaxed and confident about my labor beginning.
Milestones: Pretty sure the baby dropped this week, and contrary to what I'd been told- it doesn't feel better, now I'm uncomfortable in new ways.

I Don't Get It

2010-01-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

Warning: This post may sound a little whiney.

I have been sick for 8 days, and yesterday my symptoms changed, and not for the better. My throat swelled, swallowing became painful, and an inspection of my throat revealed an enlarged tonsil covered with icky white spots. Kevin and I both came down with colds shortly after Christmas, which was very frustrating as we had carved out time to set up our new apartment, and make some big shopping trips to finish buying what we need for the baby. We returned to Pasadena only to spend our days laid out on the couch. "Ok," I thought "We'll get over this, and finish getting everything done." But I didn't. Well, I haven't yet. And what's more frustrating is that I have worked hard to save sick and vacation hours for my maternity leave, and I am burning through them as I stayed home yesterday and today. I will go see a doctor today, and I am hoping he can give me something to help get me well. But in the meantime my boss is back in the office today, and I have my final event before maternity leave next Friday. I feel the pressure of needing to get things finished for that event while I am experiencing the reality of being 4 weeks from my due date, and I'm sick. I've felt ambitious through my entire pregnancy to be someone who works until the very last minute. But now that I am four weeks out- my back hurts a lot, and I am tired, and I get contractions when I do too much. And now? I'm not so sure I'll make it through four more weeks of work. I am trying my best to let things go, and take care of my body- it's what's best for me and Peapod, at least that's what Kevin is trying to help me learn.

How far along? 36 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 21 lbs. Over the 20 pound mark, but feel good about my weight gain.
Stretch marks? Yeah
Sleep: I still sleep well, praise Jesus. Seriously, I wake up about 3 time a night for bathroom breaks again, but I go right back to sleep after.
Best moment this week: We did get some baby shopping done, including our crib mattress, mattress pad, sheets, bumper, and a few other items. We have been so incredibly fortunate with our purchases, that I plan to devote an entire post to it.
Movement: All the time, and baby is so big now that every once in a while a little rear end pokes out of my side, and I feel little knees and elbows drag slowly across my belly. Sounds weird, but it's actually a lot of fun.
Food cravings: This week I was hit with the craving for beef stew and biscuits, so that's what I ate. I've also been back to popsicles, and loving granny smith apples- peeled and sliced only. I know that probably removes at least 50% of the nutrition, but I hate the skin on a granny smith.
Gender: ???
Labor Signs: Don't think so. I am working off the assumption that I will go on or after my due date, so that I don't get too ancy.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, and with four weeks left, I think I get to keep my innie.
What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy, and getting out of bed without having to roll out of bed.
What I am looking forward to: Holding my pink screaming new born, and falling in love for the second time in my life.
Weekly Wisdom: If you work full-time, give yourself a break, and make the start of maternity leave flexible.
Milestones: 36 weeks = 9 months, technically (9x4) and I am celebrating that!

Oh, The Swelling

2009-12-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post last week, and never published it- oops!

I am nearly (tomorrow) 33 weeks. I have not been blogging for various reasons. But this weekend I had a baby shower, my mom in town for the shower, and we moved to our new apartment.

I left off last time mentioning our upcoming Thanksgiving trip, and let me tell you- if you're invited you should definitely stay with A&W. I am not even kidding when I say that we felt like we stayed at a bed and breakfast. They are the best hosts, and so fun to hang out with. We have already looked at Southwest for deals to get back to Dallas to see them again. After our first night of sleep at their place we opened our bedroom door in the morning to hear the coffee pot beeping to let us know there was fresh brewed coffee, and we found a tray of cinnamon rolls on the kitchen table. I wish every morning started that way! I was feeling like I was coming down with something, and as soon as I mentioned it, Whitney was handing me a glass of Emergen-C. We toured the "Dallas Palace" together, and had tons of fun. I have lots of pictures that I can't show you because I lost the cord to my camera. I need to buy a USB memory card reader, but I just haven't yet. Anyway, thanks to Andy and Whitney for a wonderful time.

Kevin and I got pretty sick somewhere between Texas and Arkansas, and arrived at his parents house feeling horrible, complete with fevers! An ER trip, an urgent care trip, and a bunch of antibiotics later- we're all better! And as a bonus- it wasn't H1N1!

I will save my post about the baby shower for another time, but for now I'll say that some of my dear friends that I have known for a long time made great efforts to drive from various parts of SoCal to be at the party. It was so great having them here.

But the real star of our weekend was my mom! She came down to attend the shower, but she got roped into helping us move, and clean! Kevin packed almost our entire apartment by himself due to my major lack of energy, and the ability to lift heavy items. Then, he and three guys packed a moving truck, and unloaded all of our belongings into our new place. So by Sunday he was totally exhausted, and we still needed to clean the old apartment. I think my mom put in about 5 hours of cleaning. She saved our lives. There is no other way to say that. Thanks mom!

How far along? 33 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: I have an appointment tomorrow, and I guess I'll face the scale then.
Stretch marks? Yep.
Sleep: Sleep is still pretty good except for the 2 times/night potty break. Also, sometimes baby and I disagree on when we should be sleeping. :)
Best moment this week: The baby shower, my friend put so much thought and care into all the details of the event, and I felt totally spoiled.
Movement: Yes, seems like we've still got plenty of room for the baby to roll around.
Food cravings: Yesterday I suddenly wanted ambrosia salad- umm, eww. I did not indulge.
Gender: 7 weeks 'till we know for sure.
Labor Signs: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? In!
What I miss: Food tasting like it should. Chinese food tastes like wet cigarettes to me, and pizza still makes me vomit.
What I am looking forward to: Putting away tiny baby clothes. I washed a few things before we moved, and I just love the teeny tiny little socks.
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy the time the baby is inside, it can only last so long.
Milestones: My ankle swelling has reached new heights. I don't know that this is a milestone, but it is shocking for me.

29 Weeks or 11 Weeks Left

2009-11-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

For some reason this is the first week I've started to think about time left, versus time passed. And 11 weeks seems like such a short amount of time. And at the same time, my friend Erin's due date just passed, and she still waiting and I can't imagine being there! Confusing.

How far along? 29 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Ok, I'll fess up. I have gained 15 lbs. At my last appointment, my doctor seemed very pleased with this, which in turn makes me feel proud. He set a goal for me for the rest of the time, but said that if I go over it's ok too. But at this point he figures I'm on track to gain 20 lbs total. I'm good with that!
Stretch marks? Yes, yes, yes. I hate them!
Sleep: Still going strong on the sleep front. Last Friday night I slept for nearly 11 hours. I also have a new habit of taking short naps over my lunch hour. I sleep for about 30 minutes, and it's pretty much amazing.
Best moment this week: Feeling Peapod roll back and forth. Now that Peapod is nearly 3lbs, those rolls are definitely felt, and seen. One night I changed position and the baby was not amused, and starting punching, or kicking so hard. Kevin got to feel this little in-utero tantrum.
Movement: See above.
Food cravings: Still lemonade, but I am having a minor love affair with milk- the colder the better. I like to leave the milk in a glass in the freezer for a few minutes before drinking it. Oh, and spaghetti! With meat sauce, mmmmmm.
Gender: We'll certainly know in 11 weeks!
Labor Signs: Nope, but the braxton hicks contractions are getting a little more serious, and sometimes uncomfortable.
Belly Button in or out? Holding strong as an innie.
What I miss: With the holidays just around the corner I am missing wine, and brie.
What I am looking forward to: Maternity leave! My boss and I have not even talked about this at all yet. I don't even know if they will hire a temp for while I'm gone. In the mean time I am trying to organize my computer and files to make things easy and accessible for whoever may be sitting here for those few weeks, at least I hope someone will be.
Weekly Wisdom: The only thing that helps my swollen ankles is drinking 16oz of water every hour, and sweating it out at the gym.
Milestones: This week for the first time ever being pregnant slowed down my workout. I was on the elliptical and after only 5 minutes I started to get a painful contraction, so I slowed down- but it didn't help! So I am officially a walking on the treadmill only kind of girl. Sigh.

On Monday we leave for Dallas to see Andy & Whitney and then we're driving from there to Arkansas. I could not be more excited about this trip. Dallas, here we come!

We're Moving!

2009-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Do you remember this? Or this? We're doing it again! By now it must seem like we love oven cleaning, trips to goodwill, and packing boxes. This will be our fourth apartment in three years! The best part about this new apartment? We have a dishwasher, a garbage disposal, and a fenced private patio. We will also be able to have cable again, and it even has a breakfast bar. We are moving further from campus, and though it will be less convenient, it will be so good for us. We are planning to move on December 11-13, which is pretty much the best weekend with how busy things are otherwise. I will also admit that preparing is a great outlet for my nesting urges.

I am starting to pack and clean, focusing on our kitchen first. It's always that thing that sneaks up on you during a move. Books, and wall decorations are the easiest, while all the random things- cold medicine, extra bottles of hand soap, check boxes, etc. prove to be the most annoying. We are moving back into a one bedroom, and this means we will have room for a full size couch! I already have it picked out, and I'll let you see it once it is purchased, set-up, and being used in the new place. We may even have space for a table and chairs to eat at! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure we'll still use our tv stands on select occasions, but it will be nice to actually sit across from each other again.

Oh, and during this move I will be nearly 33 weeks pregnant. Yep. I'm doing the packing, while Kevin will be doing the actual moving with the help of some friends. It's hard to let go of that control, and letting it all happen while I'm at work, and distracting myself with my mom's visit here. But, I will label my boxes well- and knowing Kevin, it will probably go better than I could even hope.

I'm totally stealing this, but it's a great way to give pregnancy updates.

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I've gained weight, and you know what? It's not fun seeing new territory on a scale. I don't like seeing it there, and I'm not ready to post it here. If you really need to know, email me.
Stretch marks? Yep. I have very very sensitive skin that does not like to be messed with. I've had stretch marks since, oh I don't know- the positive pregnancy test? No, really probably week 15.
Sleep: Love it thanks to my snoogle. Though this week my body does this thing where during my every-two-hours potty break, I wake up like it's 7am. I sit up totally awake and ready for the day, but it's like 2am. So I grab snoogle, and fall right back to sleep. Can't complain.
Best moment this week: Finding our new apartment, and (this was really last week) buying our crib that we found on Craigslist.
Movement: Pretty much all the time, last weekend Peapod head butted my mom's hand, such a good baby. I love lifting my shirt and watching random parts of my belly jump with action. It's so weird, but I love it.
Food cravings: Meh. I've never been driven by the need for a specific food as of yet. But I will take a huge glass of ice cold lemonade (fresh, not powdered) with extra lemon slices any time of day. It really can't be too sour for me.
Gender: Jury's still out. A friend of mine just gave birth, and her girl was in fact a boy. They didn't have a name picked for him, and he came home to a very pink crib, and some precious dresses. Oops.
Labor Signs: None thankfully, it's too early! But, I do get Braxton Hicks contractions these days, in fact I had 11 in 12 hours the other day. But, they are not painful at all, and I welcome them because they are preparing my body for labor- so bring it. Random- playing Rockband gives me these practice contractions too.
Belly Button in or out? In, and it really doesn't even look that different yet.
What I miss: Advil!
What I am looking forward to: Laying in our bed with our newborn, and just staring and marveling at those tiny fingers and fat feet.
Weekly Wisdom: "sleep in, go on dates, and go out to movies" wisdom provided to me by a mom who was missing the days pre-baby.
Milestones: Third trimester, and we started our childbirth class.

Sort of related- strangers definitely put their feet in their mouths when it comes to pregnancy. I have a friend who is almost 7 months pregnant, and the other day a woman she just met said "oh, are you 8 months pregnant?" My friend said "no, about 7." the other woman then said "is that only one baby?" So, let's all remember to keep our stupid assumptions and guesses to ourselves when it comes to hormonal pregnant women.

Nesting

2009-10-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in too long, and a lot of that has to do with the insane amounts of energy I've had over the past few weeks. Once the vomiting ended, pregnancy became a very enjoyable thing. Especially with the extra energy. I am not even kidding. On some days I make it through my 8 hour day, go to the gym, and still find myself dying to wash the dishes, do laundry, etc. And the nesting, dear God the nesting. There must be one specific hormone associated with this, and I would love to know what it is. I think Kevin would love to know what it is so that he could eliminate it.

Here's a perfect example: Friday night was a big big big work event for me. The biggest event all year in fact. I had worked for months preparing every last detail. On the day of I worked for 12.5 hours, and Kevin worked for 14. The event involved over 1000 people in attendance, and it also involved a lot of manual labor from Kevin. Anyway, we got home late that night and we were both exhausted but couldn't sleep right away. So we stayed up until 1am, and woke up around 8am the next morning both feeling like we'd been in a car accident. We dragged ourselves out for coffee and bagels. After we ate Kevin was ready to go home and veg. Not me. I was suddenly hit with the need to nest.

I cannot quite explain exactly what it feels like, but basically I am suddenly consumed with energy and the need to do something, anything, but sit still. (As a side note if you've ever seen Stephanie after a latte, and with a sketch pad full of ideas, while her hands get all panicky and shaky as she explains why we should "make unicorn shaped pancakes, right-this-second!" It's sort of similar, but imagine being Stephanie) So Kevin said "are you ready to go home?" And I said "no, I kind of feel like buying Peapod a stuffed animal today." What I meant was "I'll settle for a stuffed animal but I'd really like to buy a stuffed animal, then find a crib, and a crib mattress, and a mattress pad, and build the crib, and set the stuffed animal in it." OR, find a new apartment this minute, one preferably with laundry hookups, and then buy a washer and dryer, and sit in this empty apartment doing laundry in my own machines! While these were the things that nesting was telling me to do, we went to Target instead where we shopped for a friend's baby. Then I barely made it to the cereal aisle before I completely lost all my energy, and all my desire to nest and could do nothing more than lean pathetically on Kevin and whine. I finally felt the way the poor guy was feeling all morning. The events from the previous day finally caught up with me, and my head was pounding, and I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep for 3 days. I actually said to him "this is how you've been feeling this whole time, and you walked through Target with me? I am such a jerk! What is wrong with me?" But he just sort of nodded his head (probably not wanting to do or say anything that might wake the nesting beast within me). By the time we got to the car I was super cranky and whining about having low blood sugar. Kevin silently unwrapped a fruit leather and handed it to me as we drove home.

The Beginning of My Birth Plan

2009-10-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

Did I tell you about the time my doctor and I made some preliminary decisions about my labor and delivery? Well it went something like this.

Dr.: "which hospital do you plan to deliver at?"
Me: "Arcadia Methodist"

Dr.: "if it's a boy do you want him circumcised?"
Me: looked at Kevin and made him answer.

Dr.: "do you think you'll want an epidural?"
Me: "Nope." huge nervous grin.
Dr. "great!"

Yes. I have committed to an epidural free delivery. I feel like this is such a debatable topic. Let me first say that I am not against epidurals. Choosing to relieve some of the pain does not make a mom less of a woman. But I will explain my decision, and why I think it is best for me.

It really started quite a while ago. When I was in high school I was very interested in child development, and took multiple child development classes. In these classes I had the opportunity to watch babies being born in every situation one can imagine. The most impacting video shown involved two women in labor at the same time. One woman chose the epidural, while the other woman chose to be epidural free. At the end of their labors each woman birthed beautiful and healthy babies. But there was a difference. The baby whose mom had the epidural was sleepy (albeit snuggly too). He just sort of hung out, eyes closed and quiet. The baby without the epidural was looking around, and making lots of noise. They did a split screen of each baby laying on their respective moms bare chest. Epidural baby just sort of laid there. The other baby managed to move his head directly to his moms nipple, and began nursing. I was shocked. I had never considered the drug's affect on the baby. I felt pretty convinced in that moment that I did not want an epidural. I also had to watch women receiving epidurals, and I am more scared of that than I am of having the baby.

Secondly, I see the human body as being incredible. The fact that I am working on growing an entire human being never ceases to amaze me. As soon as the tiny embryo implanted itself in my uterus, my body took over the growing, and nourishing of this little person. I have not had to think about developing a heart or imagine bones forming. My body is just assisting the process. I take vitamins, but those are honestly more for me than the baby. I tend to see this as the ultimate test of my body. Keeping that in mind, our bodies have an amazing way of handling labor. We have hormones that are released periodically that accomplish different portions of the baby being born. I think my body knows what it needs to do, and I will just need to endure the very real pain that accompanies the process.

In the mean time I am trying to prepare my body for labor. I know that once that process begins that it will be similar to running a marathon. I am trying to exercise as much as possible, including exercises specifically for toning my "pelvic floor." Every time Kevin and I walk downtown, or I do cardio at the gym I know I am preparing for labor. I am also doing so by eating lots of protein every day, and drinking ridiculous amounts of water.

I also chose a hospital that is known for its low c-section rate, and for allowing women to labor on their own timetable. Our hospital even has "family" showers where I can work through contractions under the warm water. They will allow me to bounce on a ball, or take a walk in their garden as labor progresses. My doctor will allow me to go two weeks past my due date before suggesting induction, and allowed a friend of mine to labor naturally for 36 hours without pressuring her to take something to speed up labor. He also did not argue with me when I said I did not want an epidural.

I still have a lot to learn about labor, and breathing, and positions, etc. But in the mean time I take any pain I experience now as being nothing in comparison to labor.

Peapod

2009-09-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we had our 20 week ultrasound on Friday, greatly anticipating seeing Peapod's goods. Peapod had other plans. Our baby kept its tiny knees glued together. It doesn't help that our doctor's ultrasound machine is ancient, and that everything is a little blurry. We were told that there's a 70% chance that Peapod is a girl. But, after reading about many seventy percent-ers turning out to be the opposite we just feel confused. I even read a blog today in which a couple was given 70% that their baby was a boy. I thought certainly that would be clearer, maybe they use the same ultrasound machine as our office. The good news, no- the great news is that our baby is perfectly healthy! We feel like we were given a huge gift that day just in hearing that Peapod is healthy. So, for the mean time we refer to the baby as "she" but we still feel a little weird since there's still a 30% chance that "she" is "he." So maybe 70% equals "we really don't know what your baby is."

Last Minute Guesses?

2009-09-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

With Peapod's reveal scheduled for tomorrow morning, I thought I'd see what you think our baby is. So, boy or girl? Vote to the right. I think I may have waited too long on this.... Oh well!

Sugar and Spice or Snails and Puppy Dog Tails?

2009-09-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

This is the week. In 6 days, or (4 business days as Kevin likes to say) we will find out if peapod is male or female. I've heard there's some sort of debate regarding learning the gender of your child. There is a trend toward not finding out the gender until birth. If you ask the pregnant woman in this camp "what are you having?" she'll quip "a baby." The general argument toward waiting is "it's the only true surprise left in this world." I agree. However, after spending weeks vomiting and re-learning how to sleep I'm ready for my surprise now. I figure at the halfway point discovering who it is in there will help make the next 20 weeks that much more enjoyable. Plus, I am impatient, and I want to buy a cute outfit now to stare at, and lay on my growing belly. I'd also like to refer to peapod by an actual name every now and again, and invite you all to do the same. Yes, soon you all will also know the name.

I keep getting asked "are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" I suppose my answer is "yes." I really don't care, but I can explain myself.

First I grew up with three brothers, and let's be totally honest- it was the best. I could probably write a blog series as to why, but I'll save that. I feel comfortable with boys, and I think in a lot of ways it would be very natural for me to play in the mud with my son and show him how to cook so he can be an all-around catch when he's older. I also love picturing him in tiny vans and hoodies, and seeing him watch the original animated Batman series with his dad on Saturday mornings.

On the other hand. When I picture Kevin with a daughter my heart melts. I think he will be a wonderful father regardless, but when I imagine the two of them dancing in the living room, or her falling asleep in his lap I can hardly wait. I also look forward to brushing her hair, dressing her in skirts and striped tights, and playing tea parties with her.

Now, I admit that since our very first ultrasound my thought has always been that it's a..................................................boy. But, only time and my appointment on Friday, will (hopefully) tell.

Punching Bag

2009-09-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

During a meeting this morning the little mango growing inside of me decided to get a little more precise with its kicking. Aiming directly for my bladder. Hmmm, it starts early! Though the tiny little thing felt more like pokes or tickles than full fledged kicks.

18 Weeks- Sweet Potato

2009-09-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

At 18 weeks baby is the size of a sweet potato. I hate sweet potatoes. I mean I really really dislike them. They are simply a starchy vehicle for delicious roasted marshmallows at thanksgiving. I also can't even look at a sweet potato right now so I opted for the soda can size comparison for this week's picture to the right. I use a fun site to check out the size of my baby as we wind our way through the produce section.

Today I decided that I have to meet my crunch cravings with trail mix- including raw almonds and no salt nuts. "What helped me decide this?" you may ask. Well my friends that would be my cankles. Yes, my swollen ankles that I can push a finger into and leave an imprint. All it took was a handful of crackers! I am just thankful we aren't living close to McMenamins right now, because I could seriously go for some cajun tots. Those delicious little bad boys are covered in salt. Oh well. My energy and appetite are finally returning- my tummy is growling while I can smell the brown rice cooking, and salmon baking. I thought I would never get back to a place of opting for food at-home or something other than jamba juice. On that note it takes a lot to eat well during pregnancy. You need a ton of protein, have to avoid salt (boooo!) try to ignore that little voice that says to eat two huge bowls of ice cream instead of one small bowl. Once the appetite hits, oh man watch out! I have been doing pretty well though, and have gained just the right amount of weight.

I can feel our little one wiggling as I type this, and this is definitely my favorite part of pregnancy thus far. At first I thought it would freak me out when it happened. I mean you never feel your insides moving independently, you know? But it turns out, it's a great reminder that baby is there and happily growing ever day and now probably weighs around 7 oz.!

The Other Man

2009-08-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

A few posts back I alluded to something I had ordered online. Well that something is the Snoogle. It's a pregnancy body pillow that is a wonderful indulgence. I've had trouble with sleep in the past, and I knew that working around an ever growing belly would affect my sleep that much more. I read some reviews, and found the Snoogle to be the most worth the money spent. Body pillows are expensive, but it is totally worth it! I am a tummy sleeper, but now those days are gone. and I'm even at the point now where I am supposed to sleep only on my sides and not on my back. When I roll over it either wraps around behind me, or in front of me. Plus I don't have to readjust extra pillows all night (between the knees, under the belly, behind the back etc.). I imagine the Snoogle will only be more of an asset as the months tick by. I really can't recommend it enough. We are going away this weekend, and I am dreading two nights without Snoogle. We call it the "other man" because it's so big, and is literally between us.

At my appointment last week, things were pretty routine- pee in a cup, get weighed, have blood pressure taken, wait on noisy paper covered exam table to see the doctor. I love my OB- have I mentioned this before? We talked about how I am still throwing up, and he said "I am so sorry you're going through that." Wait what? Not, "well that's just what some women experience" or "I'm sure it will pass soon." All you really want as a pregnant woman is a little understanding, and that is just what he gave me. He really is awesome. We heard the baby's heart beat (150bpm) and this time it sounded like barking.

Speaking of baby, at week 17 she or he is getting baby fat! My favorite part. I can't wait to hold his or her fat little feet in my hands, and kiss every little baby fat roll.

The other funny thing we determined is that I have a serious case of "white-coat syndrome." I'm pretty sure I inherited my doctor's office nervousness from my dad, and my low blood pressure from my mom. If they take my bp at the beginning of the appointment it's something like 193 over 40, which is alarming. At the last appointment they took it a second time after I saw my doctor for a reading of 170 over 20. Much better. I think from now on they will be taking my bp at the end of the appointments.

Our next appointment is September 18 (only 23 days to go!) and we will get to find out the gender!!!! We will also get a closer look at baby's heart, brain, fingers and toes. I can't wait. We are very excited regardless of what the gender of our baby is, but I have had a feeling toward one side since we found out I was expecting. We'll see if I'm right!

Week 15/16 and a Special Surprise

2009-08-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Since I began the second trimester my vomiting increased. But the all-day nausea has nearly disappeared. I still have food aversions, and get very very angry at buffets that run commercials at 7am. I don't want to see a Salisbury Steak topped with onions and gravy while I eat cereal!

Happily, I felt the baby move this week! It was so strange. It felt like a little tiny tickle on the inside. It makes me currently imagine the baby as a sea monkey. Specifically a skinny brown monkey wearing pink floaties on each arm. Not like the rip-off sea monkey farm my friend sent away for in 4th grade. The "sea monkeys" arrived in a packet, all dried out. Not at all like the crazy dancing and swimming monkey's from the commercial. Anyway, I love feeling him or her swimming around, and every once in a while bumping into me. I even poked it the other day, and it kicked back, so precious. I wasn't quite expecting to feel movement yet, but it was a nice surprise!

I find it fun, no matter how useless, to try and guess the gender of our baby. The Chinese gender prediction chart says girl, but the thread and needle over the wrist says boy. If you don't know what these are, google them and you will find a whole world of quizzes, charts, old wives tales etc. to determine the sex. I think I'll wait for the ultrasound.

My next appointment is Friday, and I am excited though sad that I have to wait for the next appointment to know who it is that's swimming around in there!

SYTYCD

2009-07-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy watching "So You Think You Can Dance." Or, should I say that I "did." The last couple of seasons have left me with memorable moving, emotional, funny, beautiful dances that I haven't forgotten. This year? Is it just me, or do these finalists do the same solos over and over and over? Nigel Lythgoe keeps trying to convince us that this is the "best group of dancers we've ever had on the show, and did I mention that we were nominated for 75 emmys? And can you believe what this show has done for dance? If it weren't for my brilliant television show about dance America would be cultureless! Please thank me with silk pocket squares, and possibly even larger white veneers."

He can try to convince me, but I know better. Twitch? Joshua? Hawk? Katie? Should I go on? These were some of the best dancers the show has produced. But this season my suspicion is that the choreographers are stretched too thin as they are already preparing for their first ever Fall Premiere. I also suspect that at this season's auditions the best dancers were held over for said Fall season that it might be their best season ever. And this Summer season? Makes those of us SYTYCD faithfuls lose heart in the mediocre performance of the dancers. And don't get me started on Mary Murphey and her "hot tamale train" she is enough to make me quit the show all together.

And to the four finalists: Brandon- would you at least pretend to think there is something you could learn? Oh, and put your shirt on. Evan- I like you, and your sad eyes. I think there must be some sort of following of homeschoolers who are campaigning for votes and keeping you in. Enjoy this time. Jeanine- You are an average dancer and I am beginning to think you are only getting votes because of your body. I have seen no progress in your dancing. And don't forget, your dad is watching and may not want to see your body in gold rubber, just a thought. Kayla- I think you are the best dancer on the show. You deserve to be on a season with better peers. I hope you will win, but I don't vote, so what do I know?

The News Is Out

2009-07-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down to June 4 to see the first of a few secret blogs I wrote while I was waiting to make it to 12 weeks in pregnancy. I can't remember what I've said in previous posts, but as of today's ultrasound my new due date is February 3, 2010!

"Morning" Sickness Still Going Strong

2009-07-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This is a semi-graphic post involving vomit- you've been warned. Feel free to skip the following paragraph.

It finally happened, I threw up at work. I made it to the ladies room, but it was still a personal nightmare. Luckily we have a restroom that is a single, with a locked door. I ran in, turned the water on and went to town. It was especially fun, a carrot chunk flew through my nose. Vomiting while pregnant (for me) is totally different than with let's say the stomach flu. When I've had the flu, there are extra stomach acids breaking down what I've eaten. Well now, I throw up food in the same state I swallowed it. Yes, disgusting. Especially if I did not drink a ton with the meal, it is almost like slow motion at times. Sorry but I want to be detailed for ladies who are considering pregnancy. Also, as I approach week 12, just two days away, I can suddenly "feel" my baby. It's actually my uterus, but when I lay on my stomach it's definitely there, and the bump has definitely started. It's really nice to know that the little one is there and growing rapidly.

Before I threw up, I called Kevin and said "I need my Zofran" and hung up. After that was over, I told my boss that I was headed home for the remainder of the day. I took a two hour nap, and then called to refill my Zofran prescription because I was still feeling very queasy. After calling I discovered that there was a little miscommunication regarding refills. So I had to wait on the pharmacy contacting my OB for a new prescription. Three hours later I finally had the prescription in hand. Lesson learned: never let the Zofran prescription lapse. I am hoping that sometime soon I will be over the "morning" (give me a break!) sickness. It would be great to never refill, but if I get down to one pill, I will be calling my pharmacy immediately.

Almost 11 weeks

2009-07-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

In two days I will be 11 weeks pregnant. Lately my nausea has continued, and I feel exhausted in the evenings. I recently had to take my Zofran four days in a row, which I was not happy about.

I crave fruit all. the. time. Seriously. I could not be more happy that it is Summer and the selection of fruit is abundant. I want apples, bananas, grapes, cherries, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, blackberries, well you get it. I am not friends with other food right now, unless it is spicy thai food. Yum! I also cannot stand food smells/descriptions. I mute the tv and turn my head during certain commercials I can't write about for fear of vomiting. I am so tired by dinner that I can barely bring myself to boil water. It is pathetic. Kevin has been a life saver doing dishes, laundry, cooking, dealing with my whining, etc.

I am not wearing any maternity clothes yet. Though depending on the day I sometimes keep my pants unbuttoned. It's mainly due to bloating at this point. I think certain friends/co-workers may think I have simply stopped caring about exercise/eating right. The irony is that I have lost weight, not gained thus far.

It's very difficult to be tired all the time, and not feel like myself. But the worst has been my memory! I recently read the word "grapefruit" and didn't know what a grapefruit was. I had to think for a little while to remember.

I take five pills a day- 2 calcium supplements, a B-complex, a DHA supplement, and a prenatal. Sometimes I have a hard time, and have to try twice before I can swallow some of these giant pills.

Next week is our 12 week appointment. We will get to hear the heartbeat again, but this time via doppler instead of ultrasound. If all goes well at the appointment I plan to drop the bomb, via facebook, here, and in person with those in close proximity. In the meantime I am trying to work up the courage to tell my boss.

Sorry that this post is a bit list-like, I want to record as much as possible. Plus I can barely keep my eyes open.

Also, I will soon dedicate a post to a certain item I ordered online that arrived today.

A Lesson in Sharing

2009-07-07T20:42:00.001-07:00

For the last 2 weeks, and the next 3(!) Kevin is in class Tuesday/Thursday from 5pm-9pm. I get off work at 5pm, so you can imagine how much I love this schedule. I try to visit him on my way to the gym (because I have no excuse not to go when he's not here). The past few classes I have managed to walk onto campus at the perfect time as his professor dismisses him for a short break. So tonight I waited on campus, and there was no Kevin.

While I waited I thought about buying a Dr. Pepper from a vending machine (ok, you weird health conscious, organic only, perfectly balanced diet people who read my blog. I was craving a Dr. Pepper, ok? I think you probably crave gross things too). So I looked in my purse- I had a dollar, score! The soda was 90 cents. Then I saw a Pepsi staring at me. Kevin loves Pepsi, and I never let him get it (being the hypocrite that I am). So, I thought it would be so nice of me to buy him a Pepsi. I dug in my purse and found 70 cents. If I bought him a Pepsi I would have 10 cents change, which added to the 70 left me 10 cents short of a Dr. Pepper. I decided to buy him the Pepsi. I reached into the little change drop and found my dime, and a nickel! I looked at the candy bar machine to the right and reached into its change drop, another nickel! This brought me to exactly 90 cents- enough for my Dr. Pepper. I don't want to over spiritualize it, but I think sometimes you are rewarded for putting others before yourself.

Peanut

2009-06-27T16:22:00.001-07:00

Here's our little baby at 8 weeks 1 day! Just hanging out upside down. So who do you think s/he looks like? Me or Kevin?

We had our first appointment, and it went really well. We even got to hear the amazing "swoosh swoosh" sound of its heartbeat. I like our Doctor a lot. He is a very laid back guy, and comes highly recommended from close friends. The walls of his exam rooms are plastered with photos of the babies he's delivered. Our visit was simple. The only difficult part is trying to understand the pamphlets on prenatal testing. We have to decide what/if we want testing for downs syndrome among a few other conditions. If you want to know what we decided, please feel free to ask me privately.

Week 7

2009-06-20T14:51:00.001-07:00

Week 7 of my pregnancy has not come without a bit of commotion and excitement. On Monday night (June 15) I ate dinner and vomited twice. On Tuesday I left work at 12 with a massive headache. After a three hour nap, I woke up nauseous and hungry. I ate a little something, and the vomiting began. I think I vomited on and off for the next 6 hours. I tried taking Dramamine to calm my belly but couldn't. I couldn't even keep down water. On Wednesday morning I tried to sip a little water, and the vomiting continued. By this point I had not had any fluids since 2pm the day prior. We called my doctor, and were sent to urgent care. I was given two bags of saleen, and some anti-nausea medication via IV, and told that I have Hypermesis Gravidarum. Doesn't that just sound fun?? I basically have severe pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting.

I know that this is a general description, so I want to try and explain what this feels like. In the weeks prior to week 7, I had all-day nausea that was annoying, but not awful. This new nausea is a beast. As soon as it begins I feel like the whole world is rocking, and my stomach feels like I have a horrible stomach flu (you know the feeling where your stomach turns sour, hurts, and you know you are about to throw up?). Well, once I start throwing up, it just gets worse, the pain increases, the moving sensation worsens, and I literally cannot stop throwing up. While we waited in urgent care, Kevin would place his hand gently on my back which would nearly send me over the edge. It was awful. The good news is that I have a prescription for Zofran (the medication I received in the hospital) and our insurance actually covers it! Thank God. Because I had to take it again this morning.

Last night we saw "Away We Go." It is a wonderful movie, and one that I highly recommend. Particularly if you are expecting a baby. I don't really want to ruin it, but it was so timely, and an all-around beautiful, funny, touching, and well-acted movie. We saw it with our friend (who is 8.5 months pregnant) and her husband.

This morning after taking my Zofran and getting over my little episode we went out for bagels and coffee. (which, as a side note- let me be honest here, I am not giving up coffee. You may now be concerned that my little one will have an extra leg because of this. But I only drink about 4oz. of coffee on weekdays, and the occasional small latte or mocha on the weekend. I actually crave coffee, and it's my personal choice). We then went to a Goodwill Bookstore to look for children's books. I was very happy to find a Fraggle Rock counting book, "The Pokey Little Puppy," and a couple of Sesame Street, and Whinnie the Pooh books. We got 8 books for $4. Not bad.

I will be 8 weeks tomorrow, and looking forward to my first OB appt. and ultrasound on the 26th.

Pregnant! Pregnant?! Yep, Pregnant.

2009-06-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

So, yes I peed on the thing to the left. Gross to you, but thrilling for me! I can't believe this happened. I mean I can but I can't. Anyway I saw two doctors already this week. Doctor "A" was an absolute nightmare. After waiting 2 hours (at a family practice, not the ER) I was seen for 5 minutes, during which he took a call on his cell. I asked him a question about whether or not it would be safe to go to Disneyland early in my pregnancy and he said "I wouldn't, but I don't know how much you want this pregnancy." ANYWAY, moving on to Doctor "B" she was fantastic! She was very happy to see me, excited that this is my first pregnancy, gave great information and told me to call her any time. She confirmed my pregnancy and wrote the ever essential referral letter allowing me to go to the OBGYN. My first appointment there will be on June 26.

So, here's how I found out I am preggers.

Over the week of May 25-28 I was up in the Bay Area visiting my parents. On May 24 (Sunday) I ate some eggs, and promptly threw them up. I thought nothing of it, except that maybe I ate bad eggs. While in the Bay Area I was fine, a little fatigued on some days, but on the day of my flight home I was exhausted. I went out for lunch with my mom and Stephanie, and it was my second meal that week in which I turned down sushi due to an upset tummy. After our yummy lunch of crepes, I threw up. In the restaurant bathroom. Awkward. Then I was so tired I just wanted to sleep for hours. By this day (thursday) I was a day or so late on my expected monthly visit. That night I told Kevin about some odd symptoms I was experiencing. He suggested I take a test the following morning. Well, Friday morning I chickened out. By Saturday morning(May 30) I had spent the entire night dreaming about taking the test (positive in every dream) and needing to pee so bad. The box said to use first morning urine, and I could hardly sleep. Finally at 4:45am I decided I couldn't wait any longer. I went to the bathroom and took the test. They recommend you wait 3 minutes for a result, and my test showed positive before I could count to 5. I was shocked. I got back into bed, and Kevin asked what was going on. I looked at him and said "I'm pregnant." To which he said "right now? you're pregnant right now?" I said "yes." He pulled me onto his chest and said "I'm so excited, I love you." Good answer. We couldn't fall back to sleep and spent the next hour and a half laying in the dark talking. That is also when I took this picture on my phone.

Office Confrontation, or Why You Should Never Yell at Melody's Pregnant Friend

2009-05-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

I would apologize for not having written in nearly two months, but onward and upward, I'm here now.

Anyway, on Wednesday I had a bit of a showdown in my office. For some context:
I work in a housing office, and even though I don't actually work for housing (I know this is confusing, I can explain if you really want me to) the housing staff are my coworkers who I spend 40 hours with each week. We have some residents who are on a sort of a "black list" with us, in other words they either never pay their rent, or they have unending complaints, or they are down right rude jerks.* One such jerk* has raised his voice to nearly every person in our office on one occasion or another. He really yells a lot at my coworker/and friend who happens to be 7 months pregnant.

On Wednesday this man paid us a visit. As soon as I saw him, I watched his every move because of the way he has treated her previously. They exchanged words, and after she told him that she "did not appreciate the way he was talking" to her, she told him she would not argue with him, and that he needed to leave. At this point he said "look, you are here to serve me...."

This was, shall we say: the wrong choice of words. I stood up, and told him that she is not there to serve him, and that what he was asking her to do was well beyond the realm of service we provide. He did not like me standing there. He asked me why I was talking to him, and told me I did not need to be "crappy" to him. I told him that I was talking to him because he was mis-treating my coworker. He proceeded to yell at me, and kept asking me why I was talking to him. Every time he would ask me a question, he would talk over me as soon as I spoke. I told him that he obviously did not want to have a conversation with me, as he talked over my every word. I told him that I would not respond to him any more. He then asked me why we would not do what he wanted (a question I had already responded to, but he talked over me). So, I kept my word of not responding (at least not verbally) I crossed my arms and stared straight into his eyes. If you know me, you may be familiar with my ability to turn cold in 5 seconds flat, and that is just what I did. I kept my eyes fixed on his and stared at him silently as he asked more questions.

Finally he said "Oh, I know what's going on here, I get it." And I said "Yeah, what's that?" And he had nothing to say, and left. Let me just say that I had nothing to lose with this particular person, and as he left I prayed and hoped that he would report me to my boss. Unfortunately for him we are school housing and his absurd behavior is going to effect his academic life and how much longer he will be living in our housing.

It's pretty sad when a man who is twice my age yells at a pregnant woman.

*feel free to insert your own expletive here

Can You Do That?

2009-03-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Lately "recession-talk" seems everywhere. I don't know about you, but I am watching co-workers get laid off left and right. Every day Kevin and I wonder how much longer they will keep me. I am not worried about it, because I can't be until there is something to worry about, you know? Anyway, I read this article the other day, that made me think. You can read it here.

After I read this, I had to know how much Kevin and I are spending each week on food. So I went to the handy dandy "my spending report" at wellsfargo.com. Turns out we are spending a little over $80/week on groceries. So, we're not doing horribly, but that article made me wonder if we could be doing better. Last month Kevin and I decided to seriously budget towards the end of the month. We didn't set any specific limitations for ourselves and it was before I'd read this article. I had so much fun being creative with the food we already had. I used more canned veggies, and took a second, third and fourth look at all my frozen and dry goods. By the end of the month we avoided going to the grocery for two weeks straight!

This week I decided to meal plan, ok so I did it in church on Sunday. But honestly, the pastor was talking about a little tree, and a little bee (or was it a butterfly? or a bird? I don't know). I wasn't tracking with him, and my mole skin was calling my name from my purse. I thought about the food we had at home, as well as a few things to pick up at Trader Joe's, and I planned the week. It's Thursday, and usually by today I have convinced Kevin to go out at least once. But this week, I've cooked every night, and I even have recipes that I want to use this weekend.

Finally in my job we have been brainstorming ways that we can encourage Community Coordinators to plan events where residents can share resources. For example I love the idea of hosting a "free-day" kind of like a garage sale, but where everything is free. Recently we have shared our car with friends, been more intentional about inviting friends to eat with us, and cooking for other families. Last weekend I cleaned out our closets and drawers for donation. Now the trick will be not going out and re-filling the closets with unnecessary new clothes.

I have also found this book to be especially helpful on this very topic. To be continued.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Kevin and I decided (at least I thought we had) to not celebrate Valentine's Day this year. It's not that we think it's a silly holiday, but rather we have another special day that is very close to it. February 12, 2005 was the day of our first date. So on Thursday, the 12th Kevin arrived at my work with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. I felt very loved, and special. But then, on my lunch break he gave me a card. It was so sweet, I cried. We planned our weekend in such a way as to avoid crowds. So, of Friday evening we stocked up on food and even bought a new waffle iron for this morning. When we came home from our shopping, Kevin informed me that he had another small gift for me. I closed my eyes and waited, until he brought out a box of chocolates. This was no ordinary box of chocolates. He bought an entire box of See's Butterscotch Squares! They are my favorite See's truffle, and I have often dreamt of having a whole box of just Butterscotch Squares. Somehow Kevin remembered this, he is too good. I thought "wow, I suck. He has already surprised me three times, and I didn't even buy him a card." Well this morning when I woke up I was looking forward to opening a card from my other Valentine, my dad! Which by the way, my dad has given me a Valentine's Day card every year for as long as I remember! (If you're the father of a daughter, you should really ask him for tips- he's been the best dad a girl could ask for.) Anyway, when I picked up my dad's card, beneath it was a red envelope with a card from Kevin! So this morning I read both cards, both of which made me teary again. So, Kevin-4, Melody-0. Well, I did make homemade waffles this morning so maybe that's Melody-1. I hope you all feel loved today!

Happy Birthday Jackson Pollock

2009-01-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Today is Jackson Pollock's birthday, and you can celebrate by going here and making your own Jackson Pollock style painting. Just move your mouse over the white screen, click your mouse to change the color of the paint. I had way too much fun doing this. Now I am going to drink some coffee or go to bed. This week my body has decided that by 5:00 it is done, and ready for bed. It tells me this by giving me a giant headache as soon as I get home from work. Doesn't it know that after work is playtime?!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

On Friday, I left work at noon. I had some comp time, and so I made my shortened week even shorter. I was really looking forward to a date night with Kevin, and that's what we had. We ate dinner at a tasty and cheap happy hour, and then we went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I had been wanting to see the movie for quite some time, and I convinced Kevin that it would be worth the money spent (why do movies tickets cost as much as a tank of gas?). I won't say anything about the movie, except that it deserved the 13 Academy Award nominations it received. But you should also read F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story that the movie is based on.

While the movie was great, the actual movie-going experience was even more interesting. Imagine with me, if you will the following.

We arrived about 30 minutes before the movie was set to begin. The theatre employees were cleaning the theatre, and so a large group of us waited for the doors to open. I was surprised to see how many people arrived early. Some of the crowd was restless. A woman and her son walked up to Kevin and I, and another couple standing near us (we were at the front of the line), and she asked us "did someone tell you that we can't go in?" We explained that the room was being cleaned. I wanted to say something more rude to her, insulted that she would question why we were staying outside. But I didn't. Thank God. One woman got tired of waiting and just walked right into the theatre. I thought it was funny, because the employees walked out about 1 minute later. Little did I know that that impatient lady would majorly influence my entire experience that night.

We chose two seats sort of in the middle of the theatre, and only one row in front of the impatient lady. 7:00 on Friday night is apparently the time to see a movie, because the theatre filled up very quickly. A couple sat down to my left, and we all settled in for the previews. During the previews impatient lady would clap- for example, she clapped for a commercial for the Marines, she clapped during a preview for a movie in which Jaime Foxx is starring. She clapped every time his face popped onto the screen. After his preview she exclaimed "Yaaaaaayyyy!" The movie began and her clapping had stopped.

About 30 minutes into the movie I smelled food. Not movie food. I smelled a meal. I looked over and the person next to me was eating what I can only imagine was an onion burrito. It was so smelly I could hardly stand it. I placed a redvine between my upper lip and nose like a mustache and breathed it in deeply. Smelling an artificial cherry scent rather than the Mexican fiesta to my left.

I was dealing with the smell, and the clapping had ceased, so all seemed well again. Until Brad Pitt made his on-screen entrance. Impatient lady REALLY likes Brad you see. Every time she saw his face, bare chest, back, arm, or anything she would sigh heavily, and say "oh, there he is. mmmmm hmmmmmmm." To the point that it was just gross.

Meanwhile a small child sitting a couple seats down from impatient lady decided to eat every piece of ice in his soda cup- with his mouth open. He picked the most inopportune times to crunch that ice. It would be a very quiet and/or emotional scene and you would hear "crunch, crunch, crunch." It was hard not to imagine smacking the ice out of his hand, and throwing the onion burrito to the other side of theatre, and telling impatient lady that "we get that Brad Pitt is hot, but keep it to yourself." Thankfully I did not give into these strong urges, and at some point all these annoyances became a part of the experience. It will probably take a lot to get me back to the theatre, but at least it was for a great movie.

It's Been Too Long

2009-01-17T21:50:00.000-08:00

Don't you think so? Apparently my friend Lindsay does. She's threatened (what I can only assume is) physical violence if I didn't blog soon ( she said, "blog, or else"). She's quiet, but I think her "or else" is actually quite scary if you know her well enough, or if you've lived with her, as I have.

I don't have much to say, or even a well-formed blog idea today. But tonight, Kevin and I spent some time being very L.A. Actually, we were being very much ourselves but it fits an L.A. stereotype. Tonight we went out to eat wearing short sleeves, and driving with the windows down in the gorgeous 80 degree weather. We went out for sushi, and then we stopped by Pinkberry for dessert. I had original with raspberries and blackberries, if you're familiar with the system. Anyway As we were walking in downtown Pasadena, everywhere I looked I saw men and women who were near perfection. Perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect cars, perfect shoes, perfectly white teeth- you get the picture. Now, it's not as though there weren't imperfect people sharing these sidewalks. The problem (for me) was that the imperfect, or even average individuals were far outnumbered. Outnumbered by women wearing skin-tight dresses that barely covered their bottoms, by men driving hideously bright $100,000+ cars, and everyone filling their cars with bags and bags of merchandise.

Kevin and I talk a lot about what we will do after he graduates. One of the options is to stay here,* but it is hard for me to imagine raising children in this area. Of course there are millions of hurting people in LA county who need salvation. I know that the Lord will guide us as we make our next steps, and if we stay here, I am sure he will provide me with the wisdom I will need to raise a family here. But on nights like tonight, I feel overwhelmed by the excess of LA culture.

*Please note that we still have no idea of what we actually be doing next, or where.

Tagged! Thank Goodness.

2008-12-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

Whitney "tagged" me, and I have to say I'm glad! I have been in a blogger's rut. I have so much to write about- a trip to Portland, seeing that little baby, tiny Christmas trees, and paparazzi run-in's. But honestly I couldn't even work up the nerve to click on the link to my own blog on my bookmarks bar. So, let me work through this list, and then maybe I will feel free to write for the first time in almost two(!) months.

5 Things I want to do before I die...
1. Have at least one baby
2. Show Kevin 81 Budge St.
3. Snorkel with sea turtles
4. Travel overseas at least once more with my parents
5. Learn to drive a race car

5 Things I can do...
1. Bake
2. Pick colors that match based on memory
3. Memorize numbers like it's nobody's business
4. Impersonations
5. Plan events for as many as 1200 people

5 things I can not do...
1. Willingly enter a cave, submarine, or any small space
2. Teach (please don't try to convince me otherwise)
3. Sit still
4. Take exams
5. Run without an inhaler

5 things that attract me to my hubby
1. His brown eyes
2. His sense of humor
3. His selflessness
4. His desire to learn
5. His playful attitude

5 things I say Most Often
1. Sans
2. No problem (I hate it! Just say "you're welcome" Melody!)
3. Seriously
4. Make good choices
5. Goob (when referring to weird/dumb people)

5 Celebrity Crushes (click on the names for a pic)
1. Braylon Edwards
2. Hugh Jackman
3. Daniel Craig
4. Lebron James
5. George Clooney

I tag... (though I am skeptical of any of them participating)
1. Kevin
2. Stephanie
3. Mom
4. Kristin
5. Matt

2 Years.

2008-10-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today, I became a mrs. I let go of the name I shared with my family, to start my own new family. Kevin and I talk a lot about how we are our own family, and how our marriage is the beginning of a new family's legacy. On Sunday Kevin's friend who was his best man in the wedding, commented on Kevin and I having been married for two years now. Kevin didn't hesitate a moment and said "it feels like it's been one day." Sure, insert swoon here, but I know he means it because I feel that way too. So far it's been a joyful journey for us and I have had so much fun getting to know Kevin better. In these beginning years we have made a point to make each other our first priority, and I think it is helping us build a strong base for our future. Our Lord only knows what the future holds and what trials we may face but in the mean time I continue to appreciate every moment that we laugh our heads off, snuggle close on cold nights, and every weekend day that we wander slowly through Trader Joe's.

I know these are random pics, but I love them.
I love you Kevin, I can't wait for the next 58.

Thrifting

2008-09-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I have been severely disappointed by thrift stores around Pasadena thus far. This weekend we gave it a shot again. It was still pretty sad, but at least we can check off a few more stores as "not returning to." I would not even begin to pretend that this is a thrifting blog, but I thought one find yesterday was blog-worthy. Can you imagine showing up to a beach barbecue carrying this cooler?

look more closely

DOS = Date of Surgery
They obviously had to dump this cooler after someone not so smart wrote directly on the cooler instead of using some masking tape. But I should thank that person, because now I never want to buy a cooler at a thrift store.

How Do You Spell M-e-l-o-d-y?

2008-09-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes on Saturdays Kevin and I go out for coffee and breakfast at a place I can only describe as a holy union.

This Peet's Coffee and Noah's Bagels are right next to each other, and you can even walk between the two with a pass through in the wall they share. Kevin and I will sometimes split up, with him waiting for the coffee and me ordering bagels. I always love to see how people hear my name and write it down. This is especially out of control at Noah's. My name will come back as Melanie, Mandi, or Melodi. But today took the cake.

If you look closely, today my name is Melendy.

Meet Peep

2008-09-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

My cell phone started majorly sucking a week ago (maybe longer) when I could no longer see the screen, and I was hearing that voicemails and text messages were not being received. On one day in particular, Kevin called me 5 times, and to look at my sad little phone you would think no one had called in days. So, we thought about our options- and we decided it was time for an upgrade. My iPhone is even better than the commercials make it out to be. I love it. I will refrain from listing the minutiae of why I love it so much, because I doubt you want to know about the timer, or my daily calendar. But if you do, call me! No, seriously, call me. I love talking on the phone now. If I were not smart I might actually post my phone number to force you to call me.

Our Friend Preston

2008-09-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Last Monday night a friend of ours, Preston Newby, was killed. Please feel free to learn more about this story here, here, and here. Kevin and I were classmates, co-workers, and fellow ministers with Preston. He and my brother Jonathan were co-youth pastors at their church, and Preston was one of Jonathan's very best friends. He is a man who changed the lives of everyone who knew him, and we both wanted to share a few of our favorite memories of Preston.

Kevin knew Preston before he knew me, and they both worked on the grounds crew at our college. Kevin said he would always see Preston driving around on this big green tractor, all over campus. Even driving it through the rain Preston was always smiling, and joking with his co-workers.

When my brother and Preston began working together at Lake Bible, I couldn't think of a better ministry situation for Jonathan. Jonathan and my sister-in-law Kristin were inseparable with Preston and his wife Tara. I could hardly ever think of J&K without P&T. When Kevin and I attended Lake Bible while living in Portland, we would visit my brother up in the youth room, and Preston was almost always the person to greet us, and ask how everything was.

After our wedding Kevin and I returned to Portland, and late one night we were shopping at Target. We had only been in town for one day, and Preston and Tara were the first people we saw when we ran into each other in Target. It was great seeing them that night, because we were excited for them as Tara was newly pregnant with their son Jacob, and they were excited for our new marriage.

We also shared a "kids" Thanksgiving with Preston and Tara, Jonathan and Kristin, and Matt and Stephanie. Some of the guys relaxed...

While the ladies worked....

Jonathan carved the Turkey...

While Preston and Tara waited patiently...

We have prayed non-stop for Tara since we received the news. Please pray for her, and also pray for Jonathan and Kristin as they have lost someone who was as close as a brother to them. Preston will be greatly missed in our lives and in the lives of the countless people he helped.

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

2008-09-15T14:22:00.001-07:00

Kevin and I stayed up just for this portion of SNL, watched the whole thing and somehow missed the BEST part!

Metrolink Crash

2008-09-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

This afternoon there was a really horrible crash when a metrolink (light rail) train collided with a freight train. See one article here. One woman who lives close to the metrolink line ran to the scene, when an injured man walked to her, she described him dying in her arms. The families of these victims will need plenty of prayer. If you think of it, please pray.

Remember This?

2008-09-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, probably not. I never showed them to you.

Here is Kevin "packing" the boxes, so we posed it, so what?

The happy movers. We were happy at this point because we had spent a few days off the road and at my parent's house.

The car was even packed full. We may have needed a bigger truck.

And this was me at our old apartment. We replaced some blinds that had some slight burn/melt marks on them. I sat on the bed, then stood up to put a screw in the wall. When I stood up some sticky part of the new packaging had nestled itself into my- seat.

Well, we're doing it again. Are we simply gluttons for punishment, whose memories have conveniently blocked out how horrible moving is? Not really. We (I) just got really tired of having no outdoor space. And after spending some time in other studios we realized just how strange the layout of our current apartment is (poor use of space). Our lease is up on September 12 and we are moving on October 17 (2 days after our second anniversary).

This move will be considerably easier than our last since we are just moving up two floors. This means that we will no longer live on the ground floor in the center of our complex, this also means that as residents of the third floor we no longer have to deal with upstairs neighbors. We will still be living in a studio, but now we will have a balcony!!

Malibu

2008-08-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Kevin and I drove out to Malibu with two friends. We parked on the Pacific Coast Highway, and took some stairs down to this secluded little beach. There were only about four other small groups close to us. Kevin and I spent a good three hours swimming, and diving into the waves. Once I got into the water, I did not want to get out. The waves were sort of small, and fun for body surfing. The weird part is that at one point on our way to the beach, our friend who was driving took a wrong turn of sorts leading us into a very upscale neighborhood. Every home had a gate, and plants to obscure the view. We got the feeling that we may be in front of the home of a celebrity when we would pass a gate that also had a security guard sitting outside of it (there were only a couple of these). It was such a fun day, I had no idea how close we really are to malibu, and we will definitely be going back. If you come visit, you can play in the water with us like little dolphins!

Blog "Code" Names

2008-08-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

I LOVE blogs. Seriously. I could not be happier that so many people are willing to self publish on a semi-consistent basis. There are a few drawbacks to blogs- like those bloggers who are not that interesting or great at writing but do it anyway. I have to read it, I can't look away. And no, it's not your blog. My ultimate pet peeve with blogs are the dumb nick names people use for their friends and family members. Young-mom bloggers are definitely the most guilty of this. Referring to their daughter Abby as "A" and husband Brad as "B". It's very confusing because I know that their names are Brad and Abby- because said mother obviously mentioned it at some point or another. Often times they attempt a cute nick name like "winker" or "bun" but why not just refer to them by their name? I finally saw a mom refer to one of her children as a series of letters and numbers. Something along the lines of- WHJ85. Is this to protect your child? Because I am pretty sure I have seen WHJ85 in some pretty embarrassing circumstances, most of them involving a serious lack of clothing. They must be running out of blog nicknames at the city registry office.

barf.

2008-08-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

I am intrigued by advertising and marketing in general. Many of the magazines I enjoy are stuffed with ads, and for me the ads are part of the reading material- so don't complain to me about excessive ad space. But to me this ad seems so sad. I just feel like it's Microsoft's pathetic attempt at relating to the youth.

By the way, today the school was having some sort of total computer overhaul, and beginning at 12 e-mail, and internet were unavailable. So, the "senior administrators" decided to be super awesome and send us all home for the day- with pay. I was paid to take a nap today, and I didn't even use vacation hours.

What Constitutes "Cute?"

2008-08-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

I was shocked after reading this article. The real singer is not pictured in this article, but I have to say that she is just as cute as the girl they used. How sad.

Admittedly a Little Obsessed With...

2008-08-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

TOMS!! I want them in almost every color and pattern.
But especially

these
these
and these

I will have to save my pennies and pick the right ones

I Might Just Pass Out, Really.

2008-08-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

I doubt that it's something I've done regularly, but I am guilty of claiming that "I might pass out," generally when I am feeling overly dramatic about wanting Peet's Coffee and a Noah's bagel, stat. But yesterday I almost did pass out, and now I will (try to) never claim such a feeling again unless it really happens.

To set the stage, I woke up unusually perky for a Monday morning. I wasn't even feeling tense about the pile of work on my desk. I kissed Kevin goodbye and walked to work. Every Monday begins with a staff meeting, and yesterday I was tracking with the conversations and adding my own thoughts when I could. Suddenly, my co-workers appeared to be spinning, and the conference table was swaying back and forth in front of me. When I looked out the window into my boss' office, his chair looked like it was riding a wave. I assumed I was simply in need of some food, and I tried my best to excuse myself from the meeting. I had to grip the walls as I walked. I reached the kitchen, and suddenly the floor hit me in the face (I fell). I helped myself up using the refrigerator handle and opened it looking for yogurt. All I could find was a coke. I grabbed it and started drinking hoping I was just in need of sugar. I started to feel myself going down again, and stepped into the restroom. I looked in the mirror and my face had no color, except that just below my eyes was bright purple. I walked back to the meeting, and my boss said that I looked horrible and needed to go home. I called Kevin at his work, and he drove over and picked me up. I cam home at 11:30, and slept until 2, and then again until 6.

I woke up still certain that my blood sugar must be low, and more or less demanded dinner from Kevin. He is very sweet, and spent the next 45 minutes making me chicken and brown rice. I tried to sit up to eat, and started to feel like I might pass out again. So, he ate dinner alone- man I'm awesome. By then I was willing to accept that I was sick. I slept from 10pm until noon.

Plus I had crazy dreams that always accompany the flu for me. Including Matt and I hanging out at his apartment. We were about to leave when the members of ICP and some fans crossed the street to the donut shop across from his loft. Matt then made the decision that if we were going to step outside that we had better dress like ICP fans. Strange- yes.

Buy Fresh, Eat Local

2008-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Finally shopping for groceries has become fun again. I was in the groove of shopping up in portland, splitting my loyalties between trader joe's, fred meyer, and whole foods. When we moved down here, we were shocked by food prices. But now I am once again in a groove of shopping. We are doing the majority of our shopping at Trader Joe's, and as of yesterday I found a farmer's market that is close, cheap and wonderful. Which is great, because it was hard on the pocket book to buy fresh veggies and fruit. Now, I plan to do the bulk of my weekly produce shopping here on Saturday's. I was really impressed with the variety of fresh produce.* Sure, it's not as aesthetically pleasing as the farmer's market held on Portland State's campus, but it'll do.

We bought a flat of strawberries that were so bright and large they looked fake. And one whole stand was committed to avocados (my absolute favorite). The lady selling them would ask when you planned to use the avocados, and for what. She would then pick them out for you, as she had them lined up in order of ripeness. I just mushed one up and ate it for lunch. I have to say that California has to be the best place to buy avocados.

I am also looking forward to trying out some of the recipes from my most recent issue of "Real Simple" (thanks again Kristin! it's the best present ever). The August issue features "20, 20 minute meals." Which is a dream come true to a full-time working wifey like me.

*the photo featured is not from pasadena, but rather from a trip to Seattle's public market.

Strengths Finder

2008-08-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

I recently completed a strengths finding test for work, that accompanies a book they have me reading. I thought my results were pretty interesting, and not at all what I expected.

Your Signature Themes

Many years of research conducted by The Gallup Organization suggest that the most effective people are those who understand their strengths and behaviors. These people are best able to develop strategies to meet and exceed the demands of their daily lives, their careers, and their families.

A review of the knowledge and skills you have acquired can provide a basic sense of your abilities, but an awareness and understanding of your natural talents will provide true insight into the core reasons behind your consistent successes.

Your Signature Themes report presents your five most dominant themes of talent, in the rank order revealed by your responses to StrengthsFinder. Of the 34 themes measured, these are your "top five."

Your Signature Themes are very important in maximizing the talents that lead to your successes. By focusing on your Signature Themes, separately and in combination, you can identify your talents, build them into strengths, and enjoy personal and career success through consistent, near-perfect performance.

Developer

You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth—a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments—invisible to some—are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.

Maximizer

Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else’s, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps—all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well rounded. You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.

Empathy

You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person’s perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person’s predicament—this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings—to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people are drawn to you.

Communication

You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. This is your Communication theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so you turn events into stories and practice telling them. You take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. You believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. You want your information—whether an idea, an event, a product’s features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson—to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in. This is what drives your hunt for the perfect phrase. This is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations. This is why people like to listen to you. Your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act.

Learner

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”

Earthquake!!

2008-07-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

At 11:42 my desk chair started rolling back and forth, and the walls shook and creaked. About 29 miles away, at the epicenter the quake registered 5.8 (pretty good size). My coworker recently moved here from Indiana, I looked over at her, and all the color had drained from her face and her eyes were as big as saucers! It was pretty fun.

Ready, Set, Switch!

2008-07-06T19:21:00.001-07:00

Kevin and I spent over 10 hours in the car this weekend. But, it was totally worth it. After I finished work on Thursday we hit I-5 heading North. I have never seen so many scary drivers on I-5 at one time. We arrived at my parent's house to a very very excited Abby (their dog). On Friday we slept in really late and spent the day lounging around their couches, back yard, and swinging bench! I found two steaks in the freezer, and red potatoes in the fridge. We made a trip to the store for garlic bread, fruit, and ice cream and we were set! It was a great fourth of July. We didn't see any fireworks, because we were feeling happily lazy.

On Saturday I had coffee with Tiffany, and then I got my hair done by the amazing Jane. My hair is short. Saturday night we went on a date to the Hopyard. It was the perfect weekend, even though my family had all switched places. Matt and Stephanie were down in San Diego, while mom and dad were in Portland with the new grand-baby. We were bummed to miss family, but we really felt like we had a vacation.

On our way home, the sun was intense. Let's just say that my right arm, neck, and part of my cheek may have been in direct sun for six and a half hours. So that's only like six hours over what is recommended, right? Now my body is jumping between being overly hot, and getting very cold complete with chills and goose bumps.

This week of work is going to be crazy, and long with an all-day event on Saturday. However working Saturday= a day off next week while Andy and Whitney are here!! mmmm, Disneyland??

We Caved.

2008-06-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

With highs threatening 113(!) and recorded temps of 110, we bought an air conditioner. After finding my husband asleep face down in our ridiculously hot apartment when I came home from work, I knew it was time. Kevin starts his intensive summer courses on Monday and I knew there was no way he could study in this heat. I told him to research some units online, and last night we brought it home. We managed to find a small window unit, that is energy efficient. Plus it has this funny little remote so that we can control the temp from the couch. I think tonight we may rent a movie and enjoy relaxing at home instead of trying to find an air conditioned mall or some other creepy place.

As a side note we found out our upstairs neighbor will be gone for ALL of July and August. As Kevin said, "you only dream of things like this happening."

46 Hours, and A Really Good Evening

2008-06-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

46 hours that's how many hours I "worked" this week. Full-time at my new job, and six hours as an usher at Fuller's graduation. Before I had a job, and before Kevin had a job we signed up to work graduation because it seemed like a good idea. We thought, we could make a few extra bucks handing out programs and showing people to the empty rows. In reality this was only half true. We did make a few extra bucks, but oh-my-gosh people are mean at graduations. We got to work together which was nice, but the day started off a little on the wrong foot so to speak. That "wrong foot" being our alarm clock malfunctioning. We needed to leave our apartment at 6:45 to walk over to the church and we woke up at 6:30, or rather Kevin woke up- I am fairly certain I would have slept until 10 if I could have. We ironed clothes, and got ready in 20 mins. and speed walked to the church.

Our job was not so simple, because we were required to keep the aisle clear due to fire code. In a crowd of nearly 4,000 people I would guess that 50% spoke languages other than English. And everyone wanted to stand in the aisle, taking pictures, bouncing babies, or simply staring. We had to be down right mean sometimes. Every time I told someone "this section is completely full, you have to go to the balcony." They would respond "that's ok, I'll just stand here." I'm thinking, riiiiight, you can't stand anywhere. At one point Kevin said to a group of three men "You've got two options, find a seat or leave. You can't stand." This after explaining over and over that they needed to sit down. And, there was this one guy who had his video camera, not pointed at the graduation ceremony, but right at Kevin and I. So maybe you will see us on YouTube getting confrontational with someone's grandma.

After it was all said and done we handed in our time cards agreed without any discussion that we would NEVER usher again and walked home. I took a two hour nap, and then we woke up and went to Whole Foods to eat some dinner. Which by the way, I love eating there- we can each get what we want and it's so so yummy. Also I drank a cold Yerba Mate which was refreshing and energizing. My brother Andy convinced me at some point that mate was like a miracle tea, and for some reason I was totally convinced. I still am- it always perks me up. It reminded me how much I love it and so I bought a box of tea bags before we left. Anyway I am much more happy since my nap, shower, eating yummy food and drinking mate. I guess I'll tell you about my new job on another day this is super long.

One of Those Nights

2008-06-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

I suppose my mind must be elsewhere and/or I am already stressing about my first day. Tonight while I was cooking dinner I dumped cinnamon onto my chicken instead of paprika. I scooped as much out as I could, and our dinner only had an after-taste of cinnamon. Kevin was sweet and said, "Well, this is probably how new recipes begin." It's true, but I doubt I'll try this one again. Later in the evening I was mixing a marinade for tomorrow nights dinner when I realized that I was making a full recipe of marinade while I only needed half. Minor mistakes, but out of the ordinary for me.

I have been so consumed since getting the job offer that I haven't even written about my birthday. Thanks for all the birthday wishes from my family and friends. I turned 24, which feels suspiciously like 23. Though I suppose I am now in my mid-twenties?

It was a really wonderful day. Kevin had class in the morning, and in the afternoon I got to choose lunch. We went to Jamba juice, and then to baja fresh so that I could sip on a smoothie and eat chips and guacamole. Mmmmmm. We then made our way to Whole Foods where I chose a mocha cream cake for two. We dropped off the cake at home and drove to the Huntington Library and Gardens. We walked through the gardens and made a quick walk through the library, because we can't go there without seeing the Gutenberg Bible.

Next we went home to cool off and relax for a bit. We then went out for dinner- where we were initially sat in a section where there were no customers but a group of waiters being trained about wine. Kevin spoke to a manager and got us an amazing table in the window overlooking the street! We headed home and ate cake and I opened presents. Kevin gave me "Juno" on DVD, a new book (which I plan to discusss in a different blog) and a pink yoga mat! Pretty much the three things I would have picked for myself. I also had a card, new bag, and gift card from my parents. It was a great day.

Hired!

2008-06-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

I got the job! You may recall a small blurb asking for prayer regarding a position I applied for. Well, I was offered the position today. Monday morning I head to HR to fill out all the paperwork.

I am the new "Team and Office Operations Coordinator" for Residential Community (housing) here at Fuller. I am so thankful to finally have a job- and one that I am thrilled to begin. Some of the best parts to this job are that I can walk to work, it takes four minutes, and every holiday Kevin has off of school, I have off of work. This weekend I will have to buy some new work shirts for this new climate. I finally feel at home in Pasadena, and like I have a purpose for being here.

Calling All Ladies

2008-06-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

And guys who ain't ashamed!

So this week I have a hankering for a girly movie. I need recommendations for a chick flick, romantic comedy- any movie that you've watched that is girly, and at least marginally good. For a little guidance please see a list below of movies along this vain that I love.

Stranger Than Fiction
Notting Hill
Garden State
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Breakup
The Devil Wears Prada
Bridget Jones Diar(ies)
Pretty Woman
etc.

While I am normally adverse to blogs that require audience participation I could really use some suggestions. New movies on DVD, old faves, whatever. I would love to hear what movies you can watch again and again.

We're Not In Portland Anymore Todo...

2008-05-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the DMV to renew my drivers license. It will be expiring pretty soon, and since Kevin and I have been married for a year and a half, and my name has legally changed with the SSA, I figured my i.d. card ought to reflect that change. As I sat waiting for G027 to be called I looked around and saw that I was the only white person. I realized that Pasadena and Portland are polar opposites- culturally speaking. I also felt thankful for growing up in California, otherwise that could have been a potentially threatening situation, but instead I nestled down between a huge Mexican guy with a tattooed neck, and a small Vietnamese man who stared at me for the duration of both our waits. And I felt comfortable.

Otherwise it was a typical DMV visit, complete with cranky DMV employee. She talked to me like I was a moron. After I could not hear one sentence she opted to yell all further instructions at me, while rolling her eyes and sipping on the straw of her BIG-GULP. After I handed over my filled out form, and current license she told me she would not change my name without official documentation- I slid my marriage license through the window. She told me that I needed to first change my name with the SSA- I told her I had. She seemed especially annoyed that I was so prepared. I slid $30 through the window before she could tell me the fee was $28. She sighed and stared at the $30. I am sure she was thinking- "why couldn't this girl muster up a 20, a five, and three ones." I was thinking- "I never carry cash, and I hate writing checks." We stared at each other for a moment. She told me she had to get change and stomped away from her desk. After she returned with my $2 she sent me to camera B for my new photo.

I swear the next step is such a mystery, you sign that stupid electronic pad hoping that it somehow resembles your name (it never does). Then you stand against the bright blue backdrop and smile not knowing when the camera will snap your picture. The DMV photo guy says "thanks, you're done" with this smirk on his face as if to say "I just took the worst picture of you that you can even imagine." And for me, so far that has always been true.

Please Make Your Way...

2008-05-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

To my mom's blog if you would like to see our Pasadena home.

Parents in Pasadena

2008-05-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

This morning Kevin, my mom, my dad, and I went to Old Pasadena for breakfast. On Saturday night we read a menu in the window of Le Pain Quotidien (daily bread) and decided we would check it out the next morning. While we waited for a table my mom said "that man sitting by the post looks just like John C. Reilly." Not only did it look like him, it was him. He was just relaxing with his kids eating some bread. I was slightly star-struck, because I think he's a pretty great actor. But we opted not to stare, or smile strangely at him or his kids (always a good option). So, two months in the L.A. area and we had our first celebrity sighting. I am glad it was not someone weird, or dumb.

My parents stayed with us this weekend, yes in our tiny studio (pictures to come soon). It was a fun adventure- not one I am sure they will ever agree to again, but fun nonetheless. We got to see more of Pasadena, eat some very very good food, and just relax. Thankfully, the weather here has completely reversed from last weekend. On thursday we had thunder and lightning, and during their stay the weather has been in the sixties.

Tomorrow morning I have an interview at 8:30 a.m. so, if you read this, and you think of it- you could pray that maybe this would lead to a job!

Free-Lance

2008-05-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got an e-mail with good news. Sometimes, when you are looking for a job, and there seem to be none in sight, good news can totally change your day. The e-mail was from the editor of a magazine. Sometime during the fall months I sent a manuscript to a magazine, and she just wanted to let me know that they are buying it! So, come October 18, my article will be the cover story for the magazine. So I am pretty happy about that. Keep in mind that for every one story a writer gets published there are about four others that have been rejected.

Can't Take the Heat?

2008-05-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

I think I am a HUGE wuss when it comes to weather. These past two days have been hot, hot, hot here. And I am such a little baby about it. I woke up at 3 a.m., too hot and proceeded to throw a tantrum about how hot it was even with a fan on me. When I got out of bed this morning I was ready to kill because of my discomfort. It's sad because I grew up in California without AC but back then I could lay around all day in the dark eating otter pops. Anyway I guess I am just adjusting, and it's only May! We thought about putting a baby pool in our apartment, I can't think of any problems with that, can you?

I Can Be Joyful, I Will Be Joyful

2008-05-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

My husband shared these verses with me this morning.

Habakkuk 3:17-19
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."

Psalms 73:21-26
"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

I hope they encourage you today, as they encouraged me.

Why We (ought to) Keep Our Dreams to Ourselves

2008-05-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

I've always been a dreamer. Not in the sense that I lay in fields imagining myself as an astronaut, or a broadway performer. I dream during sleep to the point that at times I wake up exhausted from the story lines I have followed throughout my sleeping hours. Kevin frequently listens to me share my dreams with him in the morning as I add more and more of the details I recall. I have recurrent dreams, I have dreams that continue from night to night.

On Sunday morning (mother's day) I woke up after having the dream I mentioned in my previous post. I thought it was cute. That is all. I did not intend to encourage (or pressure) anyone into wanting or having children. It was just a dream that to me- followed the theme of mother's day. Have kids, don't have kids, it's up to you. I have no opinion on how anyone else should live their lives.

And I can live with that dream being "about me." Actually, to me that is not a negative thing. I am not about re-editing, or censoring my material so, feel free to pretend that I had a dream that I was pregnant. A dream I do have at least once every few weeks. I doubt that is shocking to anyone who knows me.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

Mom, I can't see you today, and because I wish I could send you flowers today I wanted to show you the flowers I would send.

Sorry the card I sent is late :(
I hope you do have a really wonderful day today.

Kristin, Happy soon-to-be-Mother's Day! I can't wait to meet the little cutie who is kicking the heck out of your tummy.

Nancy, Happy Mother's Day, I could not ask for a better mom-in-law.

And to my sisters (Stepha and Whit) I had a dream last night that one of you announced you were pregnant... I'm not telling who.

When Did This Become a Destination?

2008-05-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I drove 28 miles today to do our grocery shopping. Simply to get to a store that used to be about 3 miles from our apartment in Portland. It's true, we spend time and gas to save money. But WinCo's prices seriously cannot be beat. This was our second trip since we've moved here, and it's worth it every time. Because we live downtown, and because gas prices are ridiculous, and because we ARE in a recession (I mean come on) food has gotten much too expensive. When I tried to pick up a box of wheat thins and they were $4 I had had enough.

Now my pantry is full and so is my husband's tummy. Today (unlike yesterday) I do not have to negotiate in my mind whether or not Kevin will accept green beans, and cheese for dinner. I would, but his appetite is a little bigger than mine. So every few weeks we will have a saturday that revolves around driving to pomona to go to WinCo. And I even get to buy some Swedish Fish from the bulk aisle.

(not so) Multilingual

2008-05-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

I never could have guessed that being an English speaker would be considered such a negative, in America. As I look for jobs I find myself prepared to submit a resume when I read that dreaded line "Spanish or Mandarin, speaking and reading REQUIRED." At times like this I do wish I were multi-lingual.

Tasty Little Friday

2008-04-18T16:58:00.001-07:00

I just ate a giant spoonful of rainbow sherbet ice cream. I love it so much. It was pretty much the only ice cream I would eat as a small child, and even now it brings me huge amounts of joy. Kevin and I have had a busy day. First we went to the hospital Kevin will soon start working at(!) to fill out some paperwork. Then we made the hideous drive into downtown L.A. to visit the Islamic Center of Southern California we attended the Friday Khutba. It was interesting, and even though it was for a class we really enjoyed the experience. We came back to Pasadena, and grabbed some lunch. I noticed that a Macy's across the street was having this CRAZY sale. They are apparently closing "temporarily" and everything that is regular priced at the Macy's three blocks away was 50% off at this one. It was an absolute madhouse. But worth the trip. We came home totally pooped, especially Kevin. But we managed to pick up a video before heading home.

This blog started as a celebration of rainbow sherbet and a way to avoid the topic of my job search, and ended with some random information. C'est la vie.

94583

2008-04-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I are headed home (my parent's house) for the weekend. We are looking forward to sleeping through a night without being woken by sprinklers, or our crazy upstairs neighbor who walks around ALL NIGHT and takes baths at 4 a.m. Plus I get to see Tiffany for a girl-date. Something she and I have not had since before I got married. Have a great weekend everybody.

Let's Process It

2008-04-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

This matter of settling in Pasadena has been quite unsettling for me. In 2003 when I stayed in Switzerland, the director of my school had a saying that has, of course, stuck with me (because he said it everyday). At the end of most of our class sessions, he would stand at the front of the room staring at a group of student's who were totally overwhelmed with what they were learning. He would inevitably say to us, "Ok, I see you are all still taking this in. Let's take some time to process it." He loved to "process," and I didn't- at least not verbally. I liked to lay on my stomach and think, and once I felt settled and had reached a conclusion I felt prepared to give the result of my personal processing. During that time I began to learn how to process with others. I still am learning that same idea- and I don't think processing is always meant to be shared. But at any rate, I need to "process."

Moving.

I HATE moving. I think it is horrible. I cannot think of anything quite as exhausting as packing everything you own into a truck (that may have been too small) and hauling it a few hundred miles. By the time our apartment in Portland was spotless and empty, Kevin and I had put in three full days of just packing, cleaning, dumpster-diving for boxes, taking trips to goodwill, and to a huge dumpster- we were exhausted, depleted, emotionally and physically. We were so tired that we made it about five miles on the freeway before we had to stop for food. After we hit the road again, Kevin and I drove in silence for 4 or 5 hours. I think we were so happy to be sitting, that the silence seemed totally normal, and welcome.

We spent three blissful days in Northern California at my parent's home, and I think that saved us. We needed that time more than we even knew. We slept in, and ate yummy food, and we were able to recharge.

We arrived at our apartment to a complex of students who were preparing for finals. For 5 hours we carried, and carted everything we owned from our U-haul to our new home. We had to park in a lot around the corner where two homeless men were doing drugs. Every time we grabbed a new load we had to pull the door closed, and lock it. We probably looked crazy carrying our mattress through downtown at 11:30 on a Friday night. Aside from the help the homeless guy offered us, no one offered, or helped us carry even one box. We fell asleep that night feeling exhausted and discouraged.

Pasadena.

Things have gotten MUCH better since that first weekend here. We are enjoying the benefits of living within walking distance of everything. And the benefits of sunshine. Southern California is very different from Northern, but it might as well be the polar opposite of Portland. At first the sun made me feel a little sick, and made my eyes burn all the time. But now I am used to it again, and wonder how I lived without it. We miss our family, friends, favorite restaurants, and parks in Portland.

Job Search.

I have applied for about 10+ jobs. With online applications it is pretty easy to get the old resume out. Please pray for me. I am starting with applying for jobs mainly in Pasadena. This is definitely my preference and would be the greatest benefit for us. Kevin has already had an interview for a part time job that went very well!

Melody.

I could not have guessed how difficult this move would be for me. I am in a time of deep reflection regarding myself, and my life. It is good, but it is also somewhat draining. I feel unsure of what the Lord will require of me during this time of my life. All I am sure of is that as long as I remain faithful to him, he is faithful to me and will continue to lead me in my relationship with him, and in all aspects of my life.

Obsessive?

2008-03-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

In the apartment above us lives a man or woman who seems to be a bit obsessive about his/her carpet. S/he vacuums at least once a day. Sometimes s/he will vacuum in the morning, and the evening for good measure. We will hear the vacuum start, then stop, then start again after a missed particle has been spotted. As you can imagine it is very very loud.

Hair

2008-03-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

Ok here it is, the new haircut. I kind of wish I had taken a "before" of my hair, because I had about 10 inches cut off. Also, be aware that it is shorter in back than around my face. A little A-line action. It was actually the first time I have chopped off my hair and not felt instant regret.

Cuties

2008-03-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I am totally guilty of neglecting my blog. Such a hypocrite. I complain about blogs that are not regularly updated, and here I am. We just haven't loaded pics from the camera onto a computer, and I still haven't taken any pics of the actual apartment. I hope to remedy this soon.

Anyway, our new studio is on the bottom floor in the middle of our complex. We live in a multi-international community with residents representing countries such as Ethiopia, Korea, and Romania to name a few countries. There are a bunch of little Korean kids who ride bikes and run around our apartment all day. I can't quite tell you how cute it is to hear small children speaking and squealing Korean, while they play.

We've Arrived

2008-03-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to let you know we are settling in at our new apartment. We will have internet on Friday and I will blog about the trip down, at that time. We are having fun exploring Pasadena, and overwhelmed by how many people we have to tell that we have moved. I will try to get up some photos of our new place, and my new short hair cut soon....

to be continued....

Sludge

2008-03-04T08:59:00.000-08:00

I left off yesterday mentioning cleaning my oven. This is one of the worst cleaning tasks I have EVER done. It is so disgusting, and I would like to recommend that all renters (or anyone with an oven that is not self-cleaning) clean your oven regularly. I just assumed that my oven wouldn't be too bad. My rationale was, "We've only been here for one year," "I always use a baking dish or cookie sheet," "It doesn't look that bad." Well it was bad, really bad and I have been working on it over the past two days. As a bonus I did wake up with very sore muscles which was nice.

Hot Breakfast

2008-03-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Kevin and I joined J&K and Bowza for a walk through their local park, followed by a fun dinner out. Kevin and I had a couple of small baby gifts to give them, and they gave us a wedding present! We were very excited to open our brand new stainless steel Cuisinart rice cooker! Kevin and I eat brown rice a few nights a week, and I have always struggled with getting it to a good consistency. This rice cooker can steam vegetables while the rice cooks, or steam fish or poultry. On Sunday I opened the box and found a booklet of some recipe ideas. I was very excited to find a recipe for cinnamon oatmeal! Being the easily excited, and impatient person I am- I left Kevin at home and ran to Trader Joe's for dried apple rings, and oats. I set the cooker last night, filling it with oats, cinnamon, a little salt, and the apple rings that I cut up. This morning I added the water and 15 minutes later I had a huge pot of delicious steaming oatmeal. I can't wait to eat my homemade apple cinnamon oatmeal every morning. Thanks J&K!

Sunday was also a very important day for Kevin and I. Kevin sold his car! I posted the car on Craigslist on Friday afternoon, and by Saturday evening we had received calls from 8 interested buyers. Our first interested buyer to look at the car bought it! It was so great, and other than Kevin's final week of work we are totally ready to move, the car was the only thing holding us back! Now I need to go clean my oven- blech.

T-t-tagged!

2008-02-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

Tara "tagged" me on her blog and since I am the faithful of all blog readers I gotta do it! This is tricky because my middle name is long. This extra post for February makes it my most blogged month since I started the blog.

Here are the Rules: Post the rules on your blog, and then give your answers. List one fact about yourself for each letter in your middle name. Each fact must begin with a letter from your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, use your maiden name(or create a middle name).

C-college graduate, this one is still new and I am so happy to have my degree.
h-happy, I am a generally happy person. It takes a lot to get me down. I am definitely a "glass is half full" kind of girl.
r- racer, this is actually one I wish for. I think I could kill as a race car driver.
i- imaginative, I can get lost in my own thoughts for hours if I want to. I was a crazy kid and I was(/am) always scheming.
s-spouse, I love my husband, and I can't believe I have been married for almost a year and a half.
t- thompson!!! Though my name has changed, I will always be a "Thompson Kid."
i- international, I love to travel and Kevin says I wish I was European.
n-newsy, I studied journalism and I always want to know what is going on with all things at all times.
a-annoying, I will always be a little sister.

Man With A Truck

2008-02-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

I was checking out Craigslist for the L.A./Pasadena area and I saw this self-promotion.

Reply to: sale-585691852@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-02-24, 7:16PM PST

Lets face it, you love to shop.....You live for new stuff...as a friend I'll tell you, you should just get rid of everything and get ALL new stuff....You deserve it, I'm serious and you know it!

and than I will help you....BECAUSE....
I am Man W/ a TRUCK in LA.

You are lucky you found me! Mark ***-***-**** or **********@yahoo.com

I have dolly's, straps, blankets and rope. I can fit beds, dressers, dining tables, washers 2 large couches .....etc.....,I fit allot-a you know what! So for whatever you buy out there in our greater Los Angeles Area and beyond. Call me...

Look, I make your life easy, I'm ready and prepared. We can do this! Its the new Yoga! Now go and buy something you can't fit in your car and I'll come help ya out. (Refrigerators...up to 16QF and within about 3 miles on surface streets)

Many references and 70% of my business is call backs and referrals, this is what I do and I can do it with you~

Thank You!

This is half of his business card, I cut the first half to protect his phone number. I cannot in good conscience recommend that you ever allow your dog to ride in the bed of a truck with a dresser, a lamp and a couch. Fido's gonna get squished.

Just to prove his point, he included this.

I love Craigslist.

I dunno

2008-02-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

Not much to say here. Kevin and I got walloped with a gross respiratory, super exhausting, icky- flu. He got it first and had to take off two days of work. Over the weekend we took turns lying on the couch and then on a make-shift bed on our floor. I am on day five of being sick and I am just beginning to feel well enough to stand while doing dishes. Ugh I forgot how horrible the flu really is. Poor Kevin probably should not have started back at work on Monday but he's a trooper.

On Sunday Kevin was checking out our "music" channels on our comcast cable. In our drowsy-sick state '80s rock anthems seemed to be the perfect sound track to our morning. As we were listening, our hand-me-down t.v. (which had been hinting at its looming death by distorting our picture to the point that we could not read words, or see scores on the screen) made a whining noise, a pop and then died. We thought it was rather poetic that a t.v. that was probably made in the '80s died while playing a rock anthem.

I have already packed 10 boxes, and we are moving in less than two weeks! We reserved our U-haul, and car dolly. We are towing my car so that we can ride together in the van. And we are trying to visit our favorite people and places here before we are gone. It is overwhelming and exciting. I am so anxious about finding a job in Pasadena, but I have to focus on keeping our move organized- at least that keeps me busy.

Pasadena

2008-02-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Hey, check out my mom's blog for a photo-blog of Pasadena. There are a ton of great pictures. Thanks mom.

Weekenders

2008-02-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Kevin and I got serious about cleaning house. Not in the, "let's sweep, swiffer, and scrub" kind of clean house. We got rid of all items not-in-use. It was wonderful. I love getting rid of excess and we filled my car with clothes, books, and random items that we no longer need or want. It has been my experience with previous moves that if I do not go through my stuff I will inevitably pack useless items, such as shirts I haven't worn in 2 years, paperclips "just in case," bouncy balls or pen caps missing their pens. You know the box you mark "miscellaneous" filled with all the items previously listed.

The funny thing about getting rid of stuff is the underlying hope that this old stuff will be replaced with new stuff. When I filled two plastic bags with my worn-out throw pillows I made Kevin promise he would buy me new ones after our move. And yes, I am one of those people who considers throw pillows a "necessity."

I was feeling ill over the weekend with some sort of bug that sucks all your energy and appetite. I hid under the covers on our bed while Kevin dug through his closet. He tossed all items for donation on top of me, and I was so tired I really didn't mind. I have this funny habit in life, where any time I am feeling sick or have an upset tummy all I want is fruit. All day long I asked Kevin to bring me bananas and juice, and after our trip to Goodwill nothing sounder better to me than Jamba Juice.

In other news my parents visited Pasadena over the weekend, and went to check out our new apartment complex. They looked for our new apartment and couldn't find it. So, I am a little confused, and we are beginning to wonder if our "studio" is in fact a large"ish" closet in the parking garage. Man I hope not.

Le Jour de Valentine Heureux

2008-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you all feel the love, and share the love today.

Look Ma! No Cavities!

2008-02-12T07:46:00.001-08:00

Kevin and I got our teeth cleaned simultaneously yesterday. We both were given the good report of no cavities! I am happy about that, no one likes getting their teeth drilled. We were sad to tell our dentist that yesterday was our last visit. Kevin found us the best doctor, dentist, and mechanic. We are kind of dreading beginning the search again.

Photoblog + Apple Love

2008-02-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

I love my computer. Apple iBook G4, 14" screen. It is wonderful. I am not even tempted by the macbook. I am so content with this computer and after owning it for a little longer than three years I have had no problems with it. But, somehow I managed to mangle the plug on my power cord. One day it was suddenly very hard to insert the plug into the side of the computer. Upon further inspection the plug part was really bent, and even separated. I must have mindlessly stepped on it, or something. Anyway to keep the plug, plugged in I had to spin the plug into just the right position. Unfortunately I was unknowingly damaging, and ultimately breaking the wiring.

Unfortunately for Kevin he realized I had severed the cords when his pants almost caught fire. My computer sat on his lap when smoke swirled up from the side of the computer. I poked the power cord- it sparked. I yanked it from the computer and unplugged it from the wall. So we went to the apple store yesterday to buy a replacement. I always love opening anything new from apple. It is all so perfectly wrapped, placed, and boxed. I love it.

I chronicled the wonderful experience of replacing an apple product.

Away From Her

2008-02-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Kevin and I watched the movie "Away From Her" last night. It is the story of a couple who after 45 years of marriage have to live apart when the wife develops alzheimers. It is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. The music that plays throughout perfectly compliments the emotion of each new scene. I cried through most of the movie, but I was not left feeling depressed. I especially recommend this movie to anyone who is married.

The Birds

2008-02-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds" scared the living daylights out of me when I saw it. Ever since I have been scared of birds, specifically crows.

Every once in a while- ok so maybe every other day. I hear a whistle blown three times in our parking lot. It is our apartment manager calling the neighborhood birds to the seed and crusty bread she has scattered outside her front door. As soon as she whistles, crows start cawwing and dive bombing right at our building.

I'll be honest, it scares me. Plus I think it's kind of weird.

Little Pink Lima Bean

2008-02-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

There is one very good reason Kevin and I do not want to be leaving Oregon at this particular time.
Because of this little beauty.

91101

2008-01-31T07:14:00.000-08:00

It's official! Yesterday Kevin received his acceptance to Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California. I am so proud of him, and we are both excited to be moving and starting a very new adventure. Kevin will be studying for a Masters Degree in Theology.

We are moving from Portland to Pasadena in the second week of March. Talk about a climate difference. Here our weather alerts include snow and ice storms. The weather alerts in Pasadena are for pollen.

As soon as we found out we put a deposit on our new studio apartment. It is only one block from the campus. Here are a couple of pics from our new complex.

We will be living on the first floor with other married couples. One floor above are single guys, and on the third floor are single girls. The cool thing is that our complex has an underground parking garage below it. And we have a little patio, which we haven't had at our current place. So please pray for Kevin and I as we look for jobs, and leave behind the city that has been our home- Kevin has lived here for 5 years.

Echo

2008-01-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

I hate/love this commercial. It makes me cry pretty much every time. I also love it because pet adoption is such a great thing. I definitely want to adopt a dog when Kevin and I live somewhere more accommodating.

I hope you find a home Echo.

Shopping Locally

2008-01-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

Kevin and I enjoy Craigslist and we have had some luck with it. We enjoy looking through items posted and the other day we found some real gems. Ok, so maybe they just really made us laugh.

example 1
Can you find the item for sale in this post?

example 2
The "Round Couch," MTV Cribs huh? Right.

I had an example 3 that has been removed from the site. But it was a couch for sale. Sitting on the couch was a man whose identity was kept anonymous with a black square over his face.

Dishes!

2008-01-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

Ever since we got married Kevin and I have been on an (unofficial) hunt for dishes. We were lucky enough that my mom loaned us a set of dishes that we have been using for the last year. We like them, but always looked for dishes anyway.

I am very very picky. And Kevin is kind of picky. We both love modern design, ethnic prints and patterns, and classic colors. Which is pretty much a lot to ask for. Yesterday I finally found my perfect dishes. We bought them for a ridiculous steal at one-fifth the retail price. I am happy happy happy. Here they are:

Annie's Annie's mmmmm

2008-01-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

Every time I eat Annie's mac n' cheese I think of you- Whitney. And I just want to say "it's ok, I do it too." yum.

Outage

2008-01-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Kevin and I ran around town doing a little shopping and some errands. We were so excited to get home and relax, after all Kevin starts work at 7 a.m. and it was now nearly 6 p.m. and I began to make dinner when our power went out. I lit a candle and peeked outside- our block was out but we could see lights in the distance. We grabbed our hand crank flashlight and radio and looked for the phone number for our power company. Finally I got the word that 1300 customers were without power, the customer service guy couldn't tell me why, and the outage was expected to continue until 11 p.m. We were so bummed.

So we headed out to grab some dinner. I drove through a very busy intersection that had no stop light due to the outage. Apparently a common method for getting through such a situation is to lay on your horn as you speed through and narrowly miss on-coming traffic. (I don't actually recommend this moronic move.) We ate at McMenamins and both agreed that we thought the power would be back on at home. I mean it was 8:15.

The power was not on. We lit a bunch of candles and brushed our teeth. Kevin found an interesting sermon on the radio and we sat in bed listening. At about 9:15 our power jumped on. We turned the lights off, and finished listening to the sermon. It made me wonder why we don't spend more evenings in the dark, listening to radio programs.

I think I drooled a little.

2008-01-15T14:50:00.000-08:00

Watch this- you'll understand

Staying In?

2008-01-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a quick and easy recipe for a fun night in. For some reason the mood struck me mid-week and I made this meal on Thursday night. I wish I had waited until Friday night because it turned out to be pretty special. Kevin LOVES Indian food, specifically chicken curry. I picked up a small can of curry sauce at Whole Foods:

It has actually been sitting in my cupboard waiting for me to make it. I am sure you can find similar products, but I have to recommend this because it was so tasty. Start with chicken breasts- I used two small chicken breasts and sliced them into bite size cubes before cooking. Then I simply cooked them quickly in a frying pan . Once the chicken was cooked through I drained the excess olive oil and set my chicken on a back burner that was off.

The best rice to cook with curry is Basmati. A long grain rice grown in India. You can find brown or white Basmati for as little as $2 a bag if you can shop at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. I have found that Basmati or Thai Jasmine Rice tend to cost MORE at places like Albertson's or other chain groceries. The rice should have directions on it, but you cook it the same way you would your regular white or brown rice. My rice needed to cook for almost the exact same amount of time as my curry so once I got the rice and water boiling I turned the heat down, threw on the lid and worked on the curry.

Simply cover your cooked chicken pieces with the curry sauce, cover and simmer at a medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir your sauce and chicken every five minutes or so. The sauce will thicken as it cooks You know it is done when you lift your cooking utensil and the sauce slowly slides off, or stays in place.

If you have TJ's you can buy fresh naan, white, wheat, or garlic seasoned white. Warm the naan in the microwave for 1 minute. I have also found frozen naan at Indian groceries (while I was in CA, I haven't seen an Indian grocery here). Serve the curry over a layer of hot basmati. Serve the curry right away. It tastes best HOT.

Fresh sliced mango, or mango sorbet, or mango mochi are the perfect desserts with this meal.

Note: Curry STAINS be careful with the sauce, and make sure you soak your pans and plates with hot soap and water. I let them soak over night, and rinse completely before washing up.

K-k-k-krazy Kitties

2008-01-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

Dad asked in my last post to write an update. But truly, my life is in such transition right now that I am not sure what to say. One funny thing is that I received my diploma in the mail. That in itself is not particularly funny, but it appears as though they have given me a degree for things I did not study. My diploma reads "Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies- Educational Ministries" I studied Bible and Theology, and Journalism. So... I am waiting to hear back on why I have been credited for the wrong work.

Anyway, all seriousness aside, and to the real reason I am blogging today. I have found a website that warms my heart and I will just let you enjoy it for yourself. After you read about the package you will want to click on "the wigs." And if you are still interested, or especially if your name is Stephanie click on "about us" and click on the link to Yoshi's 2008 Calendar.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

2007-12-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Have you heard this saying? It is only marginally applicable to the following story.

The Friday before Christmas I was at the post office. After handling my own mailing, and dealing with the 46+ year old worker who flirted with me, I was on my way to the car. Our post office has a sort of a mud room. First you walk through a set of doors and then through a second set of doors that are only about five feet from one another.

As I exited I noticed an older gentleman in a motorized wheelchair trying to open the outer doors. He was a war veteran who wore a baseball cap littered with pins, and an American Flag t-shirt. He was struggling to open the door and maneuver through it. I noticed other post office customers were passing right by him and took this as an opportunity to do a good deed.

I grabbed the door for him.

"Hey, can I get that for ya?" I asked, with a smile.

"grumble, grumble," he replied.

I held open the first door as he passed through, and reached to open the second and hold both open. With my arms spread I felt good helping this man. Then it hit me, it really hit me. A felt flag on a thin pole attached to the back of his chair. The flag was at the exact height of my face, and smacked my left cheek and slowly slid across my face as he entered the post office. I had to laugh at this "reward" for being helpful.

Midday Graduation

2007-12-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I graduate. Sort of. I actually will not be alumni until January really. Tomorrow is the ceremony, and the time I will cross the stage when my name is called. It's kind of awkward because I graduate during chapel. So I have class before and after it. There is no robe for me to wear, no tassle for me to switch from one side to the other. But I don't care!

Finishing college is a huge deal for me. Probably more than you know. I can hardly believe this is almost the end. I feel like sleeping for a week after I finish my finals. I am proud of all that I have done and I will wear a sassy purple dress, I will wear my heels that will most likely make me taller than the school president, and I will eat a cupcake.

I am excited, and to top it all off some of my family will be with me to celebrate next week. December holds very good things for me.

Press Release

2007-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here's an example of what I do as an intern. I wrote it!