Where is my water again?

I told Roy this morning that I feel stupid because I am already starting to feel symptoms, yet I just found out yesterday I am pregnant! Is it all in my head? NOPE!!!

Here are some symptoms I have been having:

1. I woke up a bit nauseus around 2am, so I got up and drank water and had some jello.

2. I seem to get bloated/gassy no matter what I eat.

3. I forgot where I put my drink about seven times today.

4. I got so hot/sweaty from walking up and down the stairs at school that it took me ten minutes of fanning myself to cool off!

5. When I do eat meals, I feel a little icky half way through, but then just stop eating for a few minutes and I'm better and can finish it.

6. I have been drinking lots of water and eating every two hours. It's weird, actually, because even if I am not thinking about it, my body starts to get hungry and my stomach starts to feel icky every two hours, so it makes it easy to remember. Crazy how God has all this work!

7. Oh, and I went to bed exhausted at 9:30 last night.

Yep, I'm pregnant! Hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Weeks Already?

It makes no sense to me, but according to the online pregnancy calculators, I am 5 weeks pregnant and my due date is April 6th! I guess they count the previous period or something, even though there's no way I was pregnant then. Anyway, the doc will tell me more when I see him in August. For now, here is a pic of what my little baby looks like right now. Our baby looks like a tadpole right now and Warren or Alyssa's heart and organs are developing.

Starbucks and the Stick

Yep, it's officially unofficial - I am pregnant!!!!!!

Here's the story: My period was five days late, so we thought something was up. I had taken a pregnancy test on Saturday when I didn't start, but it was negative; must have been too early. Anyway, we couldn't get another test until today, Wednesday, because we were flat broke - we had $4 in the bank - and today was payday. I had said I would buy the test today and take it Thursday morning. Roy told me he would lay money to bet I can't wait until then ... and he was right! This morning on my way to work, I went to Walmart and bought a test. Then I went next door to Starbucks and ordered a skinny latte, and went into the bathroom and peed on the stick! I layed it down flat like the directions said, washed my hands, and already when I had come back to it, the two lines had appeared! It had only been one minute! I wrapped it in a paper towel, stuck it in my purse, and walked out like nothing happened. I got in the car and sent a text message to Roy (he was in his German class at Baylor), and he sent me one back saying it's not fair to send messages like that while he's in class and can't "go to the crapper"!!!! Too funny! He told me later he was actually texting me from the bathroom while he was on the pot! (okay, is that TMI?) I called my parents and sister after that, and then had to get to work. I told everyone at school and then left early and called friends and family. So fun! I made my doctor's appointment; it is for Aug. 13. I suppose then it will be official. I'll be sure and post ultrasound pics.

When I got home, I had these beautiful flowers waiting for me - from my big sister!!!! Thanks, Kim. It was such a sweet surprise, and they smell soooo good!

According to my calculations, I should have the baby beginning to mid April, which is cool cause my birthday is April 11, my mom's is the 27th, and Roy's gma's is the end of April, too. I will take off school for the 6weeks, and by mid-May, when I have to go back, Roy will be finished Baylor for the semester, and he can stay home with the baby. Then we'll have all summer, and won't have to put the baby in daycare until August when it's four months old. I am feeling really good about all that.

Congratulations to me!!!!

Noodles, Meatloaf, and Jewelry

So what do noodles, meatloaf, and jewelry have to do with each other? Well, they have been my "creativity" lately, and my way of occupying myself while Roy is back in school (he's taking German this summer, and it feels just like the school year when we have very little time together.)

Today I made my first ever homemade egg noodles. My mom used to make huge batches of these when my sister and I were little. Now you can just buy the same type frozen - or at least some people can. Apparantly, thick egg noodles are not popular enough in Waco, because I can no longer find them. No problem, I can make my own!!! It was easy, but just messy because I hardly have counter space. As I was rolling out the dough, flour was falling onto the floor, and Cleo would come and lick it up. Who would think a dog would like to eat flour? Anyway, the recipe is super simple: beat four eggs, mix in 2 cups of self-rising flour, and stir. The mixture should be really thick like pie crust. If not, just add a bit more flour. If it's way too thick and just crumbling, add another beaten egg. Roll out the dough to your desired thickness, and cut into strips. Lay the strips out to dry and turn in about 2hrs. You can also freeze them to use later! I can't wait to make homemade chicken and noodles for dinner tomorrow!!! Yum!

I don't have a picture of the meatloaf cups I made, because let's face it, meatloaf is not

picture worthy no matter how good it tastes, but it was so easy. I mixed up the hamburger meat with egg, Ritz crackers, bbq sauce, and seasoning, then I scooped the mixture into a muffin pan (w/o the paper liners) and baked them for 15mins in my toaster oven. I had to put a drip pan underneath to catch the juice from the meat - learned that the hard way! But they were yummy, and so easy!

Of course I have been occupying myself by jewelry making. I wore the above necklace yesterday and got lots of compliments, so I had to come home and make a matching bracelet. I have earrings that match too, of course, but they are simple 3-bead earrings - did't want to take away from the necklace!

This bracelet was a new one for me. I found the bangle and already had these plastic, shiny discs (I can't for the life of me think of what their official name is!), so I thought they would made a cute bracelet. It is very retro and flashy, but I love it!

So instead of mopping my floors or dusting my house, I am having fun cooking and making jewelry! Hurray for summer!

ADHD Cleo

Okay, either Cleo is having withdraws from the caffiene in the few licks of my cinnamon dolce iced latte she had yesterday, or she has ADHD. Seriously, she woke up this morning with so much energy, wanting to chew everything (except her bone, of course). Roy took her for a run to try to get her energy out, but when we came home at noon, she was still hyper, and kept begging to go somewhere. It was crazy! I felt like a mom that just wanted to get rid of her kid - so I took her to Dogtopia, and left her without a bit of guilt. On the way there, she was whining in the car and even rolling over and begging because she wanted something so badly. We are not sure what it was she was wanting, but she got Dogtopia. This picture is what I hope she looks like after I get her home tonight at 7pm - calm and peaceful.

Update on Cleo

We are not sure exactly what aggravated Cleo's tummy yesterday, but she is better now. We picked her up from the clinic about 9pm, and she was doing fine. She was excited to see us and showed us with lots of kisses. They had given her a shot of anti-nausea meds and gave her some Pepcid. The vet said she just has a very sensitive gastro-something-or-other. She has always been that way, but yesterday was just awful. I seriously have never seen her look so lifeless. It was scary, but I am still proud that I didn't totally panic or break down. I suppose you moms are used to that, but I am still learning... They did say she had a rock in her tummy, but they thought it was small enough to pass w/o causing any blockage. Roy and I decided we don't really need a second dog after all!

Tummy Ache

Here is a better pic of my new car. Actually, my mom said it is her future grandbaby's car! It will be nice to have the ability to go home to OK even if Roy can't leave due to school.

I am feeling a bit nauseous right now. Not because I am pregnant or anything, but because Cleo is at the emergency clinic under observation. She started vomiting and got really lifeless this afternoon. She was drooling (which she never does) and would fall asleep just sitting w/her head up. We new something was wrong. Roy had a dog once that died of heart failure after it had been drooling like that, so we didn't want to take any chances. They did an xray and saw what looked like a little rock in her tummy. They said the drooling was from extreme nausea. They gave her a shot to help with that, and wanted to keep her for a few hours to observe her, and then they will do another xray. So even though I didn't panic this time, I am not feeling well at the thought of my baby hurting. I actually asked them to be sure they put a blanket in her kennel while they observe her - she doesn't like sitting on cold metal. I am sure she is okay. Her vitals and all were fine. But $300 later, and we may never know exactly what was wrong. We are waiting for them to call us to come and pick her up. Poor baby.

Birthday, Blessing, and Bathrooms

This past week has been such a great one! On Saturday, my sister and her kids came to visit. It was so great to just hang out and enjoy each other, though Kim was sick most of the time. I must admit that Roy and I had second thoughts about whether or not we want to do the parenting thing, but it's too late to turn back now. LOL My niece and nephew are very well behaved, actually, but they are still kids, and they take a lot of work. Not only were Roy and I exhausted when they left, but Cleo was too!!! Sarah just adores Cleo, and she follows Cleo around all over the house pretending she is her baby, covering her up with blankets, petting her, giving her bones, etc. It is very funny to watch, and we couldn't help feeling sympathy for Cleo.

John's 6th birthday was in June, and since I wasn't there to celebrate it with him, we just had our own celebration while he was here. He picked out a Mars Lego set for his bday gift. It was amazing: the set is for ages 7-14, and he put it together by himself in one day! He is quite the thinker and engineer. Here he is showing off the two pieces in the set.

Of course no birthday is complete without an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Yummo! (Not sure what's up w/my face in this pic! LOL)

One of Cleo's favorite things is playing in the sprinkler and in her pool. It made it so much more fun to share that excitement with John and Sarah.

Sarah helped me make waffles for dinner!
John learned how to crack eggs and then scrambled them to go with the waffles. (By the way, yes, that's a cast on his arm. He broke his wrist a few weeks ago by falling off a play thing at McDonalds.)
On Monday after I got home from summer school, we went to the theater and watched Kung Fu Panda. Fabulous movie!!!! The popcorn, Coke, and Milkduds weren't bad either!

My sister left for home Wednesday, and I rode with her because my mom called and said she bought a new car (Honda CRV - awesome vehicle!), and she and Daddy had planned to give her old car to me and Roy!!!! What a blessing! We had known they wanted to give us the old car, but we thought it was going to be next year, so it was quite a surprise. I went to OK with my sister, stayed the night, and drove my "new" car back on Thursday. It's a 2001 Kia Rio and only has 62k miles! They have taken fabulous care of it, so it's in excellent condition. All these years Roy and I have only had one car, and we had gotten used to the inconvenience of it. Now we are realizing how great it is to have two! Thanks Mom and Dad! (I forgot to take a picture in the daytime, but this gives you an idea. It is super cute, and is a grey/blue color.)

Finally, after a month and a half, our bathroom remodels are complete! Below are the pics. Keep in mind that I haven't purchased the new rugs or towels yet, and we still have to get wall decor and curtains, but the rest is finished. I thought I had taken pics of our old bathrooms, but apparantly I didn't because I can't find them anywhere. I guess you will only get after pics then, not before and after.

Below are pics of the upstairs bath. They took all the nasty tile off the walls, and replaced it with wanescote (sp?). The paint color is "searching blue" from Sherwin Williams.

We didn't want to drill holes into the wanescote, so we just got this stand-alone toilet tissue holder from Linens-n-Things. I think it's snazzy.
We even got a new toilet seat and handle to match our new brushed nickel hardware. We had no idea putting in a toilet handle could be such a pain! The handle was so heavy that the rubber plug inside the tank didn't want to go back down, so Roy rigged it with fishing weights! Boy that Ph.D program is really paying off!!! LOL
Below is the shower curtain I ended up choosing. It coordinates with our blue paint perfectly, and it has a pretty sage green color in it that I plan to accent with.
Here it is close up.
For those of you who had seen our old tub/shower, you know this is a huge difference. No more nasty tub w/peeling finish! This new one is so much bigger and cleaner! Hurray! I have to go get some bubble bath now!
When our contractor suggested we use the same 16" tiles on the shower walls as we were using on the floor, we weren't sure how it would look, but we love it. I think the larger tiles make the shower look larger.
Below is a pic of the downstairs half bath. We mirrored the look of the upstairs, so it's not much different. I love how this sink bowl comes out of the vanity.
We had ordered over-the-toilet cabinets online, but we got them today, and they looked horrible. The stain on the doors didn't match the stain on the side panels, there were chips in the boards, and all the edges were roughed up and the wood underneath could be seen. They looked very used and worn. It was ridiculous; there was no way we could keep them in our bathrooms, so we are sending them back, and we are disappointed. Back to square one on over-the-toilet cabinets. Bummer. :(

Overall, our summer has been one of many blessings. Who would have thought that 2008 would be so great!!!!! (Hey, I'm a poet and didn't know it!)

Oh, one more cool thing - I have lost 4lbs since May! I think it must be from going off my birth control pills, but still, it is nice!

Near Summer's End

I haven't posted in a while because, frankly, there has been nothing to post! Since we returned from vacation, we have done just about nothing everyday. I must admit it has been very nice though. The guys have finished the downstairs bathroom remodel, and they will finish the upstairs this week. It is looking great! I can't wait to post pics. We were without our shower for a whole week though, so things were getting a little smelly around here! We took sponge baths and washed our hair in the kitchen sink. This weekend my sister and the kids are coming!!! I am soooooooo excited! I am putting her to work; she is going to help me pick out a shower curtain and rugs to match our "searching blue" Sherwin Williams paint. I think I like this one the best - from Kohls.

Did I tell you my parents gave us a Wii for an early Xmas gift?!!!!!!! It has been a lot of fun. Roy has been playing his beloved Zelda on it while he can - summer school starts for him on the 13th. He knows he won't have time for fun then. Actually, he won't have time for fun until next May! I am praying this semester will be easier than the last. Only seeing your husband at his desk every night with books and a computer takes its toll. This summer has been great to just hang out with each other and be together.

Okay, so you know I am off the pill with hopes of getting pregnant in Aug/Sept, right? Well, I guess I have been really moody w/o those extra hormones - at least that's what Roy tells me. The other day he said I needed to start taking them again!!!! It was quite funny (though I didn't think so in the moment; I was frustrated w/him for about the third time in two days). I started thinking about it, and I am indeed moody. So I have been trying to work on that. I remember almost 12 years ago when I got on the pill that I was really moody for about 2mths. I thought it was becaue I was in college and planning my wedding at the same time, but I think the change in hormones affected it too. I guess now the reverse has the same affect! Poor Roy! Maybe it's good preparation for when I do get pregnant!

I start teaching summer school next week. I am excited to see my students; I really miss them. I spent five hours Monday night making one week's worth of lesson plans, schedules, and assignments, and it really got me excited (you have to be a teacher to understand that one, I guess.) Yesterday I was going to go to school, but we realized we had a flat tire! Roy put on the spare, and we got the tire changed. Thankfully I had purchased the warranty when we bought all the tires, so it cost us nothing, but I made up for that by spending $20 at Target while they were fixing the tire!

Jewelry making is going well still. I have posted several new pieces on the "sets" page, and I now have a "Shades of wood" section on the "earrings" page. www.freewebs.com/debbeads. When my sister comes, we are going to have a jewelry making frenzy when the kids go to bed! I can't wait!

Thursday we take Cleo to a new dog care place called Dogtopia. It is really awesome ... and clean! Seriously, there was no dog smell at all! We just walked in unannounced and got a tour and loved it. They don't have kennel runs. It is indoor (w/ac) group play with other dogs the same size. The dogs are always supervised - and played with - by the workers. They have toys, slides, beds, and all kinds of stuff for them to play with/on. Also, they have a "dogcam" where we can view Cleo's playroom for any computer! I like that alot. We never like going anywhere over night unless we can take Cleo because we don't like the kennels around here, and neither does Cleo. But this place is great! They evaluate her on Thursday to get to know her (just that alone says something about the quality!), and then we are going to bring her in for a half day a few times to see how she likes it. We will probably do that at least once or twice a month, so when we do need to leave her, she will be used to it. http://www.dogdaycare.com/


So that's what's going on in our lives... so interesting! LOL