Almost of out my first trimester! I just want the baby to be here, but at the same time I am saying "that was fast!" All of our baby's organs are there and now everything will start to run on it's own and continue maturing. The placenta is still developing and will be mission control for the baby for the next six months.

This weekend, I was bushed so I layed on the couch for a breather. Connor came over and wanted to see the baby...and patted my belly and said hi. Actually, what he really said was "this is your fatness"! Haha! It's a good thing four year olds don't offend me!

Spray On, Spray Off...

I went yesterday, amid my stomach aches and light headedness, to get air brushed tanned! I feel as though I must share this story. For the better of all fake tanner-kind. This was actually my trial run for the Cancun trip next weekend. I thought I had better make sure it looked good in Dallas before I set sail for the beaches of Cancun. The salon was by appoinment only and was historically quaint, with it's hardwood floors and exposed brick walls. The "sprayer" did not greet me, though, as she sat visiting with a friend. She opened the curtain to one of two little spray areas and finally looked my way and said "Ok, go ahead!" I guess I am not cool anymore since I am not in the know of how these things work. Forgive me Miss Spray Lady! I said that I had never been there before or been airbrushed and didn't know what to do. Gasp!

So, moments later and a "few" instructions later, I was on my way to being sprayed. She zipped right around me and I feared my streaky, orange, stained hands/feet/elbows days were returning before my very eyes! After only minutes, I moved (under cover) to the next area to stand and oscillate before a fan to dry me up. It's official...I was scared! Oh and by the way, she forgot to do my face until I asked her if she does faces too. That might have looked funny!

At 9:30 last night I was well on my way to being tan! I liked it so far and almost thought that maybe I should go against her advice and go ahead and shower to knock that crap off. This morning...for the MOST part...everything looks very nice! My only complaint, and exactly the reason I would never do it again, is my hands and feet look horrendous! It looks like I did it myself! My elbows are big dark streaky spots! OH the humanity! Seriously, the face is way better than I could have ever done, but the feet and hands are simply NOT vacation material. Not for $35 it cost me anyway! Back to au natural!

**Love and Tans to All!**

And a Happy Mother's Day It Was!

We met yesterday at Pappasito's Cantina with the whole dang family. What a bunch of crazy's we are. I bet waiters see us coming and get that deer in the head lights look. I mean a party of 10 adults with a bunch of little kids should rightfully scare any waiter. The highlight of the lunch was when the waiter was leaning over Lil' David's head to hand a coke to Josh. David started laughing at Jessie and threw his head back, unbeknownst to him there was the tray there. So he smacked his head (pretty hard) on the tray causing the waiter to spill the tray with three other drinks on it! The glasses shattered and Big David, who was sitting next to Lil' David, got a tray full of ice and Sprite down his whole back and in his shorts! A poor little toddler at the table behind them even got it in his booster seat, too. Oh my god, as bad as we should've felt over the whole thing...we couldn't stop laughing! The whole bunch of us was rolling!

So, a change of clothes and a delicious meal later, we made it through lunch! Everyone was so excited to be celebrating Mommy-to-be-Day with me for the first time. Or maybe I was so excited I just couldn't tell the difference! I got some beautiful homemade earrings from Tammy and a What to Expect the First Year book. Shannon and family gave me a Starbucks gift card and What to Expect the Toddlers Years book. And Mom gave us all albums to scrap in! Josh got me lovely BIG new purse that I wanted. Yes, the more space to fill up with crap!

We got the baby's room cleaned out this weekend. Now we (we=Josh) can re-texture to match the rest of the house and "we" can paint soon. I am ready to start hitting up the resale shops and garage sales for baby furniture that we can paint or refinish. But I guess that will be about it until we know what sex the baby is. We are debating waiting until birth to find out! In the meantime, we have a nice big recliner that rocks to use in the nursery...I just need to clean it up real good.

So, here we are on Monday everyone. Hope I can make it through the week without bitting anyones head off! I about had a seizure on the train this morning willing the guy next to me to stop tapping his fingers!! Crazy preggo!

See ya!

Day 48, Week 9, 218 Days to Go!

Hey ya'll! I thought I take a break from my morning gossip websites to fill you in on the babe in my belly. These days a lot is happening. The structures of the baby’s eyes are now well developed, although not strong enough to do any visual processing yet. The tongue is beginning to develop. The external ear canal is present and the ears are set low on the baby's head. They will not stay low set though, as everything progresses structures get moved around from one place to another. The ears will move up and eventually the eyes will too, as now they are set to the side like rabbit's eyes. Our baby measures almost 3/4 of an inch. And even though our baby is sitting in my amniotic fluid, the baby won't drown! Our baby is getting it's oxygen from me through the umbilical cord. No wonder I have been so out of breath lately! Ha!

In other news, we have been getting TONS of rain, praise Mother Nature! I've been keeping up with the Army Corp of Engineers Lake Lavon levels and we are looking good! Last week we were not quite 10 feet under and now we are only TWO FEET under the conservation pool level. Not that I want to go and waste a bunch of water, or not have to feel guilty about our bathroom leak...but this is really a relief with the Texas summer coming up. It stresses me out wondering if we have enough water in this day and age. We should really be conscious of our water usage and other environmental issues. And all the rain must explain the burst of growth from all my plants. The ferns and begonias are particularly beautiful right now.
Tre magnifique!

Signing off for now,
Love to All

The Grump and The Prince

I am going through a lovely grump stage right now. I hate doing anything and everything. I am in a really bad mood in the morning which may get better by afternoon, but usually not. I couldn't smile if someone paid me to. But ofcourse, I would do it again in a New York minute!

In the meantime, Prince Josh has jumped into action. Offering to move around night lights for me in the middle of the night when I claim it's too dark in the bathroom. One of my favorites is how he will be sure and close the bathroom door since the dripping facuet has "apparently" amplified in my 8th week and I cannot sleep with it dripping. It sounds like a freaking waterfall! And he is really good at just being there when I start crying because I don't know what I want for dinner. What is wrong with me??!! AGH!

So, I believe our trip to Cancun at the end of the month will be much needed. Especially since it is all I can do to get up for work in the morning. I can sleep in late and lounge at the beach, and hopefully this grump phase will be over ASAP! Yes, that's it...I needed a perscription for a big dose of Mexico! Now, if dinner made me cry, I wonder how it will be going shopping to find a bigger bathing suit?

Because of all the rapid development, our baby's head is now much larger than it's trunk and bent over a bump of tissue that contains the developing heart. Over the next two days, the neck and trunk will begin to straighten (remember, prior to this point, our embryonic baby has been shaped like a C). Also, within the next two days, the hand plates will develop ridges indicating where our baby's fingers and thumbs wil be. As the process of forming the digital ridges continues, the baby's hands will look like the shell of a scallop.

Fun quote of the day:
There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.
--Old English Proverb

There Was Only One in There!

It was a success! We saw the heart beat! And for Josh there was a sigh of relief as we only saw ONE heart beat! Actually we joked about twins a lot but I would be all for it so as to knock out two at once. We got little pictures of the little bean but no video tape. Apparently, "they don't use that technology anymore"! First I was and little offended because I still have "that technology" in my home, and second...what do they mean?? How on earth was it ok with everyone to stop taping the sonograms?? I want to be able to watch that whenever I want for goodness sakes! I think that they forgot that this is my first little baby and I should get what I want! But I'm starting to come to terms with it and little still life pictures will be fine. I just want the little guy or girl in my arms already more than anything.

I got to snuggle up Alicia's new baby, Carmen Jules. Lucky for me, she was born the day before my appointment at the same hospital! So, I ran over there when I was done. She has the sweetest little lips and fingers and big round eyes! I can't wait to watch her grow with our little one. I've known Alicia since elementary school days...so it's becoming more and more clear, we are all grown up!

Real quick--shout out to Grandma Pankratz who had a total knee replacement on Monday. She is doing well and already starting physical therapy. I think nights are rough due to the pain, but Mom is there with her so her support team is the best there is! Our prayers and thoughts are with you.

**Best wishes to all!**

Raspberries are Good!

How's our baby measuring up this week? At a length of about half an inch right now, our baby has graduated from blueberry-sized to raspberry-sized. But weekly growth is getting a bit hard to estimate, and here's why: Growth occurs at about the rate of one millimeter each day, but that growth isn't necessarily just in height. Spurts can occur in the arms, legs, back, and other parts of our baby's body. So, big changes will be occurring every which way in the coming months.

What else is changing right now? A close-up view of our little embryo (say cheese!) would reveal a more baby-like appearance (and thankfully, a less reptilian one). You'd see an upper lip forming, the protruding tip of that cute button nose, and tiny (and very thin) eyelids. And check out those hands and feet! Our baby's webbed fingers and toes are differentiating now.

All this growing is exciting for our baby too. His or her heart is beating at the incredible rate of 150 times per minute. (That's twice as fast as our hearts beat.) Our baby's digs are growing, too. Amniotic fluid increases at a rate of about two tablespoons per week to accommodate my womb's growing tenant. (Gotta drink lots and lots of water!)

We have an appointment today at 1:00 and we will see the heart beat! I have my video cassette all ready to go so we can record this madness to share with everyone!

**Love, Heather**

Pictures From Samuell Farm and Connor's Fourth Birthday

Wordless Wednesday: Sometimes There Are Just No Words...!

His Boys Can Swim!

Josh is probably going to cringe at the title for this post! Sorry, Josh! But it's true...Josh and I are going to be mommy and daddy. The wonderful reality of it all has had time to settle in and it's not so surreal as it was at first. We're gonna have a baby! Yahoo!

I was hesitant to post because as so many people warn, "anything could happen at this stage". But we are healthy and happy and I am sure that little bugger is holding on for dear life. Besides, too many exciting things are happening right now and I just have to share! We already have a heart (I believe it is four chambered at this point), lungs, and ear and eye spots.

This week, our baby's length is approximately a quarter of an inch — the size of a blueberry. Sounds pretty tiny still? Consider this for a little perspective: Our baby is 10,000 times bigger now than it was at conception a month ago.

The biggest growth this week is our baby's head (the better to store all those smarts in--thanks to Josh!), with new brain cells being generated at the rate of 100 cells per minute. How's that for a budding genius?

And talking about buds, our baby is going out on a limb this week as his or her arm and leg buds begin to sprout and grow longer (and stronger), dividing into hand, arm, and shoulder segments — and leg, knee, and foot segments (though the limb buds look more like paddles than hands or feet at this early stage).

Also forming this week are our baby's mouth and tongue. And although our embryo is just one month old, it's already gone through three sets of kidneys. The ones in place now are the permanent set and are poised to begin their important work of waste management. In about a week, our baby will start producing urine. That has got to be the sweetest little pee ever!

And speaking of urine, I wondered what exactly we were dealing with for the cost of diapers these days. Josh suggested we just rinse them out and reuse them, but I don't agree. :) So, I looked at the different prices and it seems that Sam's has a pretty good deal and the large quantity packs that I love Sam's for so much. I guess diapers won't bankrupt us after all!

**Love to all!**

My Baby is Four and the Stars Won!

Josh and I had such a "screamingly" fun time at AA Center on Saturday. We went to the Stars playoff game and they won! It was really a great game and had us on our feet quite a bit. My only complaint...they have these "ice girls" who go out and sweep the shaved iced into a shovel inbetween breaks and whatnot. They have some really cute little outfits on and are all dolled up for about 10 total minutes on the ice. I say they need to get some ice dancing routines during the periods! Put those girls to work! And entertain those of us who may get *a little* bored now and again.

Sunday morning I get a multimedia message on my cell phone...it's a picture of turkey Peter sitting on the beach in Georgia. Josh says they have some nice beaches there. So I texted him "Where are you?" and he replies "The beach, baby!", and I come back with a "Sucka!", then Peter gets me with a "You da sucka, sucka!" Yes, I might have to agree there....since I am not at the beach and he is...must be wonderful to be that close!!

We spent a couple hours at Samuell Farm that afternoon for Connor's birthday party. Man, I totally love that place! We ran around and looked at the ducks, found some water moccasins sunning themselves, and treked down every little path and through every gate we could find. We had cake and ice cream but didn't have time to open presents there because the park was closing. Edie and Bob joined us too! What a treat!

Have a nice week, all!

We Missed You, Mom and Peter!

Well, although the weather was quite chilly on Saturday, we had everyone over and BBQ'd! Everyone had a really fun time. We sat around and talked, played pool, and hung around in the backyard. Mom was not feeling well and also didn't want to spread it around so she couldn't make it. We'll catch ya next time, Ma!

I got to use my new big stock pot for the first time. Fortunatley I didn't have to clean it for the first time too...Shannon did the honors!

The Menu:

Hamburgers and Hotdogs with all the fixings (Joshie had to cut the onions)

Grilled squash, roasted tomatos and baby portobellos---- holy cow, YUMM!

Bow tie pasta with asparagus, snap peas and avocado---- double holy cow, YUMM!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (yes, two starches)

Apple Spice Cake with caramel sauce

The homemade mac and cheese was the big experiment. I've never made it before, none the less doubling the recipe. My math ain't so sharp. I knew right off the bat that something was wrong when none of the kids would eat it! You should have seen Cayden's face right before he spit it out! Jessie and Linds spooned out big helpings which were still on their plates at the end of dinner. The texture was horrible and it wasn't very cheesy. So--something to work on!

The spice cake was a hit, although only I know that I mixed it too long...so it may have been a little lighter otherwise. The apples were delish and the secret with the caramel sauce was just to drizzle a little over it. Too much was too much. It did look gorgeous on my new silver Lenox cake stand!

Bon Apetite, amigos!

It's Bluebonnet Time!

Live Green In Texas

Plano launched a new Live Green campaign in January and I've really been into it. I have a special fondness for our enviornment, in which we and our children need and use every day. I have a special fondness for our water supply, which can be wasted and abused at the drop of a leak, yet is essential for survival. I have a special fondness for our the air we breath and the ozone that protects our skin and lungs. I'd bet that you have a fondness for these things too. Taking action is crucial to saving the enviornment. I have made a commitment to about six of the items below...we already do the rest! From the City of Plano website, Enviornmental Services Department; Live Green in Plano:

*Add a new kind of recyclable to my cart (newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, mixed office paper, shredded paper, telephone books, paper bags, chipboard or boxboard, aluminum, steel/tin cans, plastic #1 and #2 bottles, empty aerosol cans and glass)
--Or in Dallas, call and request one of the new blue recycle carts that are available for the new recycling program!

*Buy products with less packaging or buy in bulk

*Donate, sell or buy used goods

*Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs

*Set my water heater at 120°F (instead of the typical 140°F) and save about 8 percent in energy costs

*Switch to a green energy provider (wind, solar) (PowerToChoose.com)

*Install a programmable thermostat

*Shorten my showers by one minute to cut my indoor water consumption

*Install rain sensors on my irrigation system

*Apply compost to my lawn and landscaped areas to improve my soil and reduce the need for extra watering

*Add 4 to 6 inches of mulch around my plants to cut my outdoor watering needs

*Purchase a hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicle

*Use DART or carpool

*Attend the Live Green in Plano Expo 2007 on May 5 and learn more about how to help the environment while saving money

*Sign up for one of the City-sponsored classes or programs about composting, water conservation and other green-living topics

*Take advantage of Plano Environmental Services programs and services, such as home collection of household chemicals and yard trimmings, the Electronics Recycling Program, the Household Chemical Reuse Center and Plano Material Exchange

*Be an advocate for a green lifestyle at home and at work

LIVE GREEN, TEXAS!

An Oldie But A Goodie!

We have had our first roach sighting in our new house. Yes, after being convinced my house had special roach protection barriers…we have roaches like everyone else. On this particular morning, I encountered our friend while taking a shower. It's not bad enough that I had to roll out of bed when I really didn't want to….oh no, and it's not bad enough that I was especially groggy and hazy eyed this morning. Un-cognizant of what was about to happen, I stepped into the shower and began shampooing my hair. And there he was a huge, 3 inch, loooong antenna-ed, prickly ugly legged, huge cockroach in all his nastiness. In MY bathtub! "What do I do, what do I do?" ran through my head. "Josh is still asleep. Soap is getting in my eyes. Oh shit."

Now remember with me if you will….once upon a time I was a very sensitive little girl. Once upon a time I would put all my energy into getting them out of the house alive, by method of the cup-magazine-trap or towel-shoo, rather than kill one of God's creatures. Once upon a time I cried when I smashed a roach in the doorway of my bedroom. I think mostly I was traumatized by the weird yellow chunky stuff that sprayed out everywhere than I was by the fact that I had just killed one of "God's creatures". It was horrible. So I cried, then got good 'ol mom to come clean it up! Thanks mom.

After I danced around the bathtub, running to one end as he ran toward me, then back to the other end as he slipped his way back toward me again….I knew something had to be done. And by the way, if you are thinking there is not enough room in a bathtub to run from one end to another---you should have seen it done this morning.

Plan A-1—Splash as much water on it as possible and make it go down the drain.
Plan A-2--Keep the shower head trained on the little bugger and force him down the drain.
Plan A-3—Drop something really heavy on him—not to kill God's creature…but just "stun" him a little, and shoo him down the drain.
"OK, it's getting late…SOMETHING has to be done. The shampoo is really burning my eyes."

I am starting to laugh a little now, a little embarrassed by myself. And I am really scared of that roach. But he looked a little scared too, judging by the way he kept trying to climb the sides of the tub, then slid back down all spread out trying to grab on to anything he could get his nasty little 6-inch claws and fangs onto. Ok, no fangs.
"This is going to make a great email today!" I am thinking to myself. I finally decide plan B.....

"JOOOOSSSH! I NEED YOU! I THINK THERE IS A ROACH IN THE BATHROOM".
Josh peeks his head around the corner, just as hazy and squinty eyed as I was 10 minutes ago, and says "Did I hear you say there is a roach in the bathroom?"
"Yes, and I don't know what to do and the soap is really in my eyes!!" Now mind you….I could have washed the soap out of my eyes but it was kind of hard to do that as I stood with one foot on that little-bitty ledge of the tub by the wall, and one foot on the outside edge and still keep both eyes on that sucker.

Josh spied "God's Creature" and squinched up his face more tightly and uglier than even the roach's and said "I HATE roaches, what do you want me to do?!"
Oh yes, my knight in shining armor was here.
Plan B-1—Whap it with a towel.
Plan B-2—Drop something really heavy on it…..again.
Plan B-3—Get a shoe.

Yes, we were bringing out the big guns now.
Flip flop in hand ("Why didn't he get a boot or tennis shoe or something…?"), it took three whacks, with my eyes closed so as to not see the chunky yellow stuff, and he lay twitching on his back.

The victors!
But wait…someone's got to pick it up, right?
One, two, three….NOT IT!
I laughed hysterically at our sorry selves as Josh went for toilet paper. Trying to find the right angle to grab it at, he decided to go back for more paper. Large wad in hand, it was hurriedly wrapped so as so not let any of the hand be exposed. Still trying to find the right angle…Josh goes to the trash can for reinforcements.

Still laughing hysterically (and still standing on the sides of the tub, mind you) I watch Josh come back with the wad PLUS a very convenient discarded soap box of which the roach was scooped right up in (ingenious!), and FLUSHED down the toilet! Thank God that is over.

As I scrambled to wash the soap out of my hair and eyes, EVERY and I mean EVERY last drop of water that fell out of the shower head made me jump out of my skin as soon as it hit me. I thought for sure he was back out of the pipe-graveyard to get me. He wasn't there, but I am still going to look inside the toilet each time before I sit down. You better believe that!

This was one of those weekends where I am kinda glad Monday is here. I mean, that sounded bad...let me clarify. I LOVE my weekends, and especially three day weekends (Happy Easter Egg!), and I would rather be in a weekend than in a Monday--but I think if Josh and I were any more productive our heads might explode! Kudos, my hubby! Besides on Monday's I get to start a new To-Do List for the week!

So, Friday I got out to the begonias that I had sitting out for a week now. I went a little crazy and bought four flats not realizing exactly how many flowers that was! We have begonias in our new beds in front, a huge half whiskey barrel full of them and still three more pots. And then the weather chose to go berserk so we scrambled to bring in plants in pots and cover our new azaleas. Only my pot of blue daze looks to have suffered so far--we'll check them out more tonight. After potting the begonias I asked Josh to help me carry the ladder to the front so I could clean out the rain gutter. I'll need to ask him to carry stuff for me more often, because he ended up climbing right up there and did the whole gutter! Yea! He said it smelled pretty foul...mmmm, rotten leaves!

Saturday Josh's dad came over and they installed the Bose surround sound speakers in the living room, and two additional speakers in the dinning room to really be able to blast it! Ok, it has occured to me that I don't quite like the volume of the music as loud as I used to. There was nothing better than getting ready for school in the morning, or getting ready to go out on a Friday night in high school, having my music cranked up blasting from my little stereo that I bought with babysitting money! Now days, not so much. We tested it out with a battle scene from Star Wars...WOW!! It is awesome! Meanwhile, during installation...I shopped! I hit Bed Bath and Beyond, Garden Ridge, and Kroger. Mom and I met for Mexican for lunch at Dos Charros and it was delish! The next time you visit, have the spinach enchiladas!

Sunday was so much fun at mom's house. All the kids were there, that is--the grown up kids and the little kids. We ate all afternoon long and got to visit with Peter who was in from Georgia. Dad made a WONDERFUL brisket and Shannon brought ham. Mom's potato salad won the blue ribbon, though! And as if I hadn't had a good enough weekend, Josh surprised me with the idea to stop on our way home and get the file cabinet I had been wanting. Yahoo! My very first file cabinet! We so official now! We have outgrown the small plastic file boxes we were using (leftover from college) and so now I get to develop our very own household filing system! Folks, if you don't know--I am easily occupied any time you put any sort of rubbermaid in front of me, or better yet- anything I can put in piles and label. Watch out old bills, medical reciepts, and electronic manuals...here I come!

Ok all, I am signing off. Have a great week!

Wordless Wednesday: Sometimes There Are Just No Words...!

Calling All O'Briens'! (And Johnsons'...And Blachlys')

Let us all pause for a moment and remember that for which we celebrate this upcoming spring time holiday...
...CADBURY EGGS! And "Thank you Easter Bunny, bawk bawk!" Alright, just kidding. Easter is a Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a great time for all to make a renewed connection to the circle of life and give thanks for the fresh beginings of the year!

Spring has never held a special significance for me until more recently. I think as the years go by, the changing times influence my favorite seasons. When I was younger I always (and still do) loved fall. I think because my birthday is in October, the State Fair is in October, and during high school- it was football season. The air becomes crisp and is a welcomed break from the Texas Heat. Texas Heat gets capital letters because around here it is a proper noun.

The pressures and responsibilities of being an adult are much different as each year passes. I am a home owner now and a wife. I help run a household and hold down a job to pay for things Josh and I need and also for things we enjoy doing. I think this is why I have begun leaning toward Spring time as the season I look foward to most. With a position in life that is not as carefree as it once was, I need Spring to revitalize and refresh me! Time to clean up the drawers and closets! Time to plant the flower beds! Time to clean up the yard furniture and enjoy the night sky from the back porch! Time for a break in heating bills and a brief break before air conditioning bills! Time to feel the glorious spring breezes wash over you on a sparkling weekend morning!

So, without further ado--the Family Easter Celebration will be at mom's house on Sunday afternoon. Crudites and drinks provided. Egg hunt for one and all. Come early, stay late!
I'll see you all there!

***Have a spring-a-licious week!***

"Hmm...That Could Be A Snake...", She Said To Herself.

Mom came across a big ol, fat, ugly, long, snake in her front yard on Wednesday night! Hold on while I....aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I don't even know why I am writing about this! I get the creepy crawlies just thinking about that nasty sucker.

So Mom was going out to get her mail after work, and it was already dark out, and she saw a peculiar outline at the end of the sidewalk. It wasn't moving and she thought to herself that it looked like a snake. With closer inspection (but not TOO close) she saw that it was indeed a snake and looked a lot like a water moccasin. She went to get the flashlight and phone and came back to the snake who had stayed in the same position. Ok, so he wasn't agressive...that is good.

Michael and Tammy and the kids came over to check it out and try to identify it. Uncle Ray was also called in on the job---if anyone could identify it, it was probably Uncle Ray! They identified it as the non-venomous Texas Diamond-back Water Snake. Good grief...I hope that thing stays over there in Garland. All we have here in lovely Plano are cute, fluffy, sweet field bunnies.

P.S. I posted a picture but I had to take it off cause I didn't like looking at it. One could google it if one so desires.