25 weeks & Counting!

Yup. That's me with hair in my face & gettin' bigger by the day..but that's part of the preggo deal..yes? I am going to brag for a second & tell you guys that those jeans are pre-pregnancy. And now I'm going to shoot that bragging in the foot 'cause those jeans are SUPER full of lycra & low cut..so of course they still fit..they're being stretched to me new size! haha :)

I had a whole fun prego update post ready to go in my head..but I'm way too hungry to put in the effort right now..so I'm going to pass. I WILL post on Christmas..eventually!

BUZZZZ.....

SO. Guess who didn't sleep last night?

And is sooooooo tired today at work..where being alert is of utmost importance, mind you!

So..guess who broke their 'no-caffeine' rule, and had just a little bit? (We're talking about a quarter cup, people, so don't judge the pregnant chick!:)

Except, apparently breakfast was out of my stomach already, so the caffeine has full reign..and now I CAN'T. STOP. VIBRATING!!! Augggghhhhh!!!!

Lesson learned..apparently I'm now a light weight & highly susceptible to 'controlled substances'..haha. On the plus side..I AM a little more alert!

It's a......

BOY! We have ourselves a little mini-Jeff, guys! I, for one, am pretty stoked about that! Honestly, I just want a healthy baby, whether boy or girl. But, I was kinda thinking it was a dude from the beginning...Jeff was certain it was a girl, and he had me pretty much convinced by the time our ultrasound rolled around. So, when the US tech said 'Oh, it's definitely a boy!', I was actually kinda surprised! I know Jeff was, too..it was pretty funny:) I will definitely say it was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had, getting to see the little guy flipping around in there! Apparently he likes his hands behind his head so he can 'sun tan', haha. The US tech was really nice & super informative & talked us through the whole thing, pointing out all the good stuff: kidneys, healthy brain, closed spinal cord..we have a healthy baby on our hands, and that makes me so happy, since I'm the perpetual worrier & always envisioning the worst possible outcome in everything.

On to the next thing of importance: Baby Bump Pics! You guys are sweet to want to see them, & I finally feel like you can kinda tell, so without further adieu:


Thank goodness for Shade shirts..those things are so nice & long, stretchy & SOFT!

If you can't tell by the expression on my face, I'm not much of a picture girl..I just feel silly..but oh well :)

Side note: I find myself oddly in to the show 'Glee'. Please don't make fun of me, guys! I'm not much of a TV girl, but this show is turning into crack for me..how weird...ANYWHO! Have a good one! :)

OH! btw..I'm 19 weeks..yay!

Did I REALLY just do that?

I thought it was a myth...like the Yeti, or the Loch Ness Monster. But I'm here to tell you it's real, & it's fearsome..a true force to be reckoned with: The dreaded PREGNANCY BRAIN!!!



Yeah, yeah, yeah...laugh if you want to! I sure did! Seriously..who forgets keys & wallets & small children?? Hmmm...make that person ME!

Last week, I forgot my purse...got to work & realized I had absolutely no way of paying for food to feed my ravenous appetite!! Luckily, a kind co-worker took pity on me & bought me lunch (Thanks, Rachael..you're aweseome!)

I've been setting things down & coming back an hour later looking for it! Dialing phone numbers & forgetting who I'm calling....

However, the crowning moment was last night: Forgot my shoes! Yup.

I don't like to wear my work shoes anywhere but work (the things are crawling with nasty hospital germs, despite being boiled in Clorox on a regular basis!) So, Jeff & I went to his parents for some good ol' Sunday dinner. I packed all my work paraphanelia into my car so I could leave straight from there. I remember pulling my shoes out & leaving them by the garage door...and that's where they stayed, apparently! 'Cause I got to work..& no shoes to put on! Now, work requires closed toed shoes to be worn. This indeed was a dilemma. LUCKILY, I had a pair of cute, red, Keds Ballet Flats in the back seat. Closed Toed. Rubber Soled. Oh, did I also mention blister-inducing, arch-killing, & back-breaking??!

No one does sore feet like a pregnant chick. I'd like to top that: no one does sore feet like a pregnant NURSE! Geez Freakin' Louise!! This night has got to end before I chop my feet off!!!

Anyone have any memory tricks? This could get old fast!

One of THOSE days!

And by 'THOSE' days I mean a truly great one! Do you ever wake up in a really wonderful mood, feeling productive & happy for absolutely no good reason except that you have a damn good life? This post will annoy the crap outta' me next time I'm grumpy, I'm sure, but for now I just want to wish you all a fabulous, perfect weather, day..which I will be enjoying by actually cleaning my house, paying my bills & jogging my dog..I hope your day goes just as great, guys!

Dear Comcast...

PLEASE bring your glorious service to my neighborhood! PLEASE!! I can't take waving around the little, plastic 'modem' thingy from another, slower, less superior company, just PRAYING for '4 lines of service', instead of 3...(or heaven forbid, 2 lines!) anymore!! Because when I find a spot with 4 lines, it's usually in a spot where I can't set said plastic thingy down! And, it drains my energy, and my motivation, which is in short supply right now as it is!

And now...RANDOM THOUGHTS:

I'm growing oddly fond of Rachael Ray's talk show (yikes!). The only time that I watch actual TV (we don't have TV..see above prayer as to why..this is actually a good thing, though.) is at the gym. And her show is pretty entertaining. Not to mention, the food she features usually motivates me to run harder! Faster! Stronger! So I can eat it! On a slight tangent: I can't stand her '30 Minute Meal' cookbooks! 30 minutes, my foot! Every recipe requires a gazillion (yes, a gazillion) ingredients. Half of which I can only get if I travel to Zimbabwe. Anywho.

I really want to get the dust ruffle on our bed! We've been in our house for a little over 3 months, & I want to be able to hide stuff under there without seeing it. However, last time I tried to get a dust ruffle on that bed by myself, I broke the entire contents of a bedside table. No bueno. I'll just have to ask my brother to help me next time he's here...I feel guilty asking Jeff when he's so busy digging sprinkler lines in our back yard.

I need to get an oil change for my car. The dealership we take Jeff's truck to is cheaper than anywhere else. But I have to plan ahead, because they don't usually service Volkswagons..and apparently their parts come from Zimbabwe! Or Germany. Either or.

Well, I'm off to walk my dog in the very chilly, crisp, refreshing fall weather we've got going on here! Good day to you!

And another month's gone by...

I really suck at this blogging lately. Really suck. *sigh*

So. Since you guys are awesome enough to take an interest in my life & ask questions that I have yet to answer, I'll update:

I'm 12 weeks along with this pregnancy 'fun'..& I officially hate any woman who 'loooooves' being prego. Hate them. I don't know how some people wait this long to break the news..cause you only have to spend about 5 seconds with me & I'll:

a) spill the beans (I'm terrible at keeping my own secrets..I CAN keep other peoples' secrets..just fyi..haha).

b) bite your head off. My tolerance for stupidity has shrunk to nil..so don't cut me off in traffic, make a snarky remark at the post office, or tell me my butt looks bigger (this one is aimed at my well-intentioned sister, who thought it was a compliment?). I will kill you. And then you will wonder why I'm so cranky. And then I'll tell you (see 'a').

c) puke on you. Which sucks. Not just for me, but you, too! However, this HAS made for a couple funny stories..like me throwing up in my patients' rooms..in THEIR puke buckets. Gross.

So..there ya have it! I know, that in all reality, I have it really good compared to a lot of women..but that hasn't stopped me from complaining :) So thanks for listening to me, guys. I'm going to redouble my efforts for a positive attitude!

Anywho, this whole post makes it sound like I'm not happy to be preggers. But I really am! Leave out the nausea, the 13-year-old amounts of acne & the pinched butt nerve...and I'm pretty freakin' psyched to be cookin' a baby :) I just can't wait 'till you can actually tell! I can tell. My hubby can tell. My jeans can tell. (And apparently so can my sister!) But no one else can. And in all reality, the baby bump is truly on visible if I've eaten a big meal :) So, I'm sorry Kateka, but I don't have a pic to post, yet. But I will! Soon :)

Have a good weekend :)

Pardon my whining...BUT

I WANT MY FOOD BACK!!! Yes, that's right! I want my food!! My spicy salsas & chips, my gourmet pork chops & steaks cooked a la Chef Jeff!! My Chocolate....Oh, how I want my CHOCOLATE!! I'm sick to death of toast & saltines, toast & saltines...oh, and cereal! Seriously! A couple weeks ago my pee turned this freakish green shade..it scared me a bit (too much info, I know..too bad!) Then, I realized that basically, all I'd been eating for the last couple days was FORTIFIED CEREAL! Oh, and my prenatal vitamins...sooo...my body was peeing off all the extra viteys. Ah. My bad!

So, back to that food thing: I love food! I've always had a good appetite..but, apparently this little, wonderful (notice I said wonderful!) parasite I've got growing inside me right now has stolen that joy from me! And I want it back! Mostly, I want back my water...I really love water. And right now, it's making me gag. *sigh*

Right then! I've vented! Thanks guys :)

Pucker Snafus!

So. (I've noticed I start a lot of my posts with 'SO'..& I'm ok with that!). SO...in trying to keep my mind off the nausea & backache/cramping/wanting-to-die (which WebMD, FitPregnancy & Google, inform me is normal w/ early pregnancy..which I should probably know..I mean, I AM a nurse..btw if any of you mammas out there have anything you'd like to inform me of, warn me of, or scare me with...please, PLEASE divulge your secrets! Holly, I'm talking to YOU!) AHEM!! I digress....

In trying to distract myself, I found this funny little blurb on MSN about kissing, informing me of the multiple ways in which you can 'Kill The Kiss'! For those of us out there that were/are free with their lips (sorry, mom!), these 'Kiss Killers' are old news. But that definitely doesn't keep them from being funny..especially when they made me recall my own experiences!


Kiss Killer #1: Attack of the Mouth! Just like it sounds: full on assault! I dated this guy right before my hubby, who must've thought kissing was a contact sport that required a helmet & full set of pads! Or fake lips. I was so excited for our first kiss (you know how it is!). The anticipation was killing me! I just KNEW it was going to happen...he inched closer...closer...& then DOVE onto my face! Suction in full force, teeth gnawing ferociously! I went with it for a couple minutes, thinking maybe he'd get tired (haha). No such luck! When I started tasting blood, I decided to call it quits..kissing is supposed to be fun, & THIS was worse than going to the dentist! I lost chunks of my lower lip to that experience!

Kiss Killer #2: The Grandma Peck. You know..that chaste little, closed lipped dab. And, OK, I'll admit that any grandma kissing I've experienced has been completely & totally my fault. I call(ed) them pity kisses. And you shouldn't do it, ladies!!! It just gives hope where there is none!! Unfortunately, I didn't realize how heartless this was until I was out of highschool..sorry to all the boys I pity kissed!!

Kiss Killer #3: Bad Breath. *sigh* I've probably also been guilty of this one with my hubby. My philosphy is if everyone eats the garlic & onions..it doesn't matter! Right? According to my hubby, WRONG!! He is a stickler for good breath..so if I want any action, I brush, floss, Listerine etc...all in hopes of a good smooch :)

Kiss Killer #4: Going Off-Target. This is my favorite!! So (there's that 'SO' again!). Imagine a romantic setting: candles flickering, sexy music playin'...I'm trying to be all seductive & go in for some nice, hot lip action!! I'm really gettin' into the kiss (which, in all reality, is only nanoseconds in) when I realize 'Man, Jeff's tongue feels really weird! It's kinda knobby!' Jeff then snorts & pushes me away!

'Um, babe, um, WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!'

'I'm kissing you..I think..'

'Yeah, uh, that's my nose!'

Oh. OK. Wow. My bad! haha :) Who knew sucking on someones nose could be so sexy!! As a disclaimer, though: It was dark, ok?!

Anywho, I'd like to hear your guys' funny stories...so 'fess up, people!! Oh, and give me the dirt on being prego!

Thanks!

HMMMM.....

What to write, what to write.....Well, for starters, I must lead a very boring life!! I WANT to update my blog. Really. I do. But I just can't think of anything to put on here.......

I guess I could blog about the really awesome grilled veggie kabob recipe I've been eating practically every night for the last 2 weeks (you've tasted it Jess, tell the people..is it not delish??:).

Or the Real Soccer game the hubs & I went to this last weekend (man, we gots no skillz..seriously, I was gettin' bored by the end of the second half...which is sad, since I'm a soccer chick.)

Or about going downtown with my favorite gal, Cher, and her two little kiddos! It was so fun hangin' out with her, chillin', scoping out the rings we want our men to buy us..watching her cute kids run through the fountain...SO fun!! Must repeat!

Or the fact that my hubby is working on our backyard...ripped out a whole bunch of weeds w/ a Bobcat (got a killer sunburn in the process), and is now faced with a giant pile of boulders to play with..he loves gettin' dirty!

And. Last but not least....apparently Jeff & I are official members of the '2 Pink Lines Club' or the 'Plus Sign Club' or really whateva' the hell you wanna' call it club....any way you spin it, it means, to be blatantly obvious: I've got a bun in the oven!

How's that for a grand finale?

SO! I guess I DO have stuff to write about! Too bad I don't take pictures :) And too bad I'm not feeling creative enough to elaborate on the above activities...but at least I'm puttin' in some effort, right? And it's the thought that counts!

Swim, Bike, Run....Potato Style!

So, as I'm sure you're all aware, Idaho is THE place for fun! Burley, ID, to be exact! Yup! Jeff & I were wondering what all the hype was about, so we decided to go on up there & check it out for ourselves...so we registered for the Spudman Triathalon as a team...awwwww!

We weren't disappointed!! We stayed in the Lake Walcott State Park in our toyhauler (THE way to travel, folks..I love camping, but a trailer ain't a bad way to go!). It was so pretty! And full of mosquitos! Yay! I have a gazilion pictures that I'm not going to bore you with..(I also do not have the patience to wait for my internet connection to upload them) but you should all be jealous!

Saturday was the big morning, it was perfect weather! Jeff did the swim & bike, and I did the run (I know, I know, I had it easy!) So, since there was (was? were? I'm a little sketchy on the appropriate grammar here) only the two of us, pictures were a little tricky to get..I got some killer ones of the swimmers..but good luck picking out who is who! After all the hooplah, we snagged a stranger to take one pic of us in all our glory:


And I DID get this one of Jeff lookin' all sexified in his swim cap...daaaaamn! haha


All in all, it was a really great way to spend the long weekend...good company, good exercise, good locale...Just look at that sunset!

THE END.

Exactly what you'd expect at 5AM...

I am tired. Physically so, yes. But emotionally, even more so. Please forgive me if what ensues is mildly emotional, & bear in mind I'm sleep deprived :)

I want to be a good nurse. I want to be a GREAT nurse. I really think that patients deserve the best. Everyone has their own definition of what a good nurse entails. To me a very large part of being the best is the emotional aspect. Especially in the field I work in. Oncology. The dreaded 'C' word: Cancer. This may sound twisted, but I love it. I get to know my patients & their families much more than I would on a med/surg floor, an ortho floor, or OB. But it's a double edged sword...because while I get to share the really great moments, the remissions & succesful transplants..I also see the suffering. I will never claim to understand or know what pain & sorrow my patients & their families go through with this battle. I would never presume to. But while they're fighting, I want to support them in any way that I can. If that means I cry with them, I cry. If it means I just listen, I listen. Or I just get them a red popsicle....

I've been crying & listening & popsicle-ing in this area for 5 years now. Some of my coworkers have been doing it for 3 times PLUS that. (I have A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. coworkers..that's a whole 'nother post.) And I go through these ups & downs, cycling through...doing really well at leaving work at work for a couple weeks, or months. Then a couple weeks where I have to go for extra runs just to get everything out of my system. These last couple weeks have just been a challenge. And I have to let it out...because it's not fair. And it sucks. And no amount of ativan or morphine or dilaudid can fix it the way I want to. I do not understand why these incredible people have to go through what they do just to live & take another breath..while the rest of us get to enjoy walking outside without worrying about an infection. And eating without nausea. And sleeping without pain.

BUT. I can't leave. And I won't. And I don't want to. Because I absolutely love my job. And I've done it long enough now that I know it's a phase. And soon my coping skills will ramp back up & I won't be so bummed...I really can't imagine any other area I would love so much. I take away a lot of perspective from my job. SO. On that note: thank you for letting me vent. And THANK YOU to my amazing coworkers! You guys help make this job what it is. You help make this job what I love!

This great guy I know...

Just graduated last weekend..(hard to do when you're working a fulltime + job & making your crazy wife happy!)
Put new brakes on my car so I won't die!



Man I love this guy!

Sounds So Sweet...Ooooh Mexico!

OK. So. Since our internet connection is slower. than. SNOT!! These pictures are not in the order I would prefer. But, really, what does that matter when I'm blogging about MEXICO!? I'm going to split the trip up into palatable bits..not only to increase my post-to-comment ratio (haha), but for my sanity's sake..I will lose it if I have to upload more than 3 pictures at a time!!

We started off the trip in Cancun (so cliche, I know..but a FUN cliche!) And basically spent the majority of our time on the chairs & in the water as seen in the picture above. Ahhhhhh! White, sugary sand between our toes! Slushy, cold pina coladas! Water SO blue & SO warm! The perfect amount of shade & the perfect amount of sunscreen (kinda, I got a really bizarre tan around my bikini line..I won't be posting pictures:)..& the occasional weirdo for entertainment..like the mid 40's mom hanging w/ her 18 y/o son & his 'entourage', who kept asking all the buddies if she was still hot. Seriously? She wouldn't want to hear my answer!

We were within walking distance of a shopping center that had lots of Oxxo's (the Mexican convenience store of choice) so Jeff got his fill of Manzana Lift..a mexican apple soda that he just can't get enough of..more on that later! And we hadn't been there long enough to be annoyed by being offered varied assortments of wares & services every 5 steps yet, so it was all part of the experience!

The water & view really were gorgeous & Jeff & I would end the night sitting on the practically empty beach listening to the waves..oh that I could end every night that way!

On our last morning there we took a group photo for some friendly folks and they reciprocated by taking ours:


As a side note: I considered it quite the accomplishment that I managed to make my hair look quasi-presentable most of this trip (hair really wasn't the priority). With how short it is I pulled off a faux-ponytail w/ headband look that was quite easy to do..yay!


I leave you with a pic that pretty much sums up the entire trip nicely: flip-flop tan lines & sandy toes..it doesn't get better than that!


Or does it....? Stay tuned!

It's that time of night..

THAT time of night! What does 'that' mean, exactly, you ask? It means that I'm at work. Sitting in front of the computer. Done checking my patients' charts. Done medicating them. Done poking them, prodding them, prying them...trying to resist the urge to go check on them! Because if I go in their rooms ONE MORE TIME they'll hate me! THAT time of night entails: Me drinking too much caffeine, yacking my co-workers ears off about random, pointless stuff until THEY hate me, checking the clock, checking my med lists...aughhhhhhh!!!! Basically, THAT time of night means that I'm going stark, raving mad! I've checked all the blogs that I like (people, update please!), dinked around on Facebook (no one's on at this time of night...honestly!), finished my book...*sigh*. I wish I were home right now, downloading my pictures of Mexico & blogging about THAT. Better yet, I wish I were back IN Mexico! Didn't take long for me to be ready for a vacation again! Speaking of vacations.....

I'm going to plan a trip to Boulder, CO for this fall for Jeff & I!! I read this great article in National Geographic Traveler highlighting Boulder (yup, we subscribe to it!) & I HAVE to go now! I mean, geez, CO isn't a long shot from Utah & I adore exploring new places! I love road trips! Hell, I just like being out of town! And as long as I have a trip on the horizon, I'm happy! I haven't quite decided yet if it would be better to fly or drive our toy-hauler up there (probably fly, with gas prices..esp when we're towing)...I'm comparing prices for places to stay. As far as I can tell there's no KOA super-close to Boulder..so that might get ruled out. BUT, we love our toy-hauler..having our own space, cooking our own meals..taking our doggy with us! With our toy-hauler we are a neat little package: We can pack our bikes, food, clothes, crap & schtuff & go play! And that's what I want: to be outdoors, sun on my skin, dirt under my nails, hubby & doggy by my side..hiking up a gorgeous mountain! Not sitting here, in a sterile hospital, listening to those grating call lights go off every. freaking. second. I'm so stir crazy!

So. Once of these days I'm going to post my Mexico pictures. Really.

*disclaimer: I love my job. Really & truly. But I love being outside more. And just so you know, not all night shifts are this slow. Just posting this will probably curse me with the shift from Hades tomorrow night!

We're Baaaaaaaaack!

Goodby Mexico..Hello piles of boxes! *sniffle*. It has been an incredibly busy last couple of weeks...my how the time has flown by! We are semi-moved-in to our house. VERY semi. I'm coaching myself through my box-&-pile-induced-OCD panic attacks with lots of loud music, deep breathing, chocolate & running..haha. You think I'm kidding!



We left for Mexico a week after we got into our house..it. was. SO. GREAT!!!!! I won't go on & on, 'cause I have pictures to post that will tell the story much more effectively than me rambling on & on about the beaches, the water, the fish, the pina coladas..the beaches...you get my drift ;) SO. It's back to work..I'll be posting pics soon..hopefully..apparently Comcast doesn't service our little neighborhood of two houses :) Actually, they don't even recognize that our address exists! I think Jeff & I should take this opportunity to go off the grid & back to Mexico! haha. SO, until I have interent service: Adios Amigos!

SO!

Even though I just finished a 12 1/2 hour night shift, and am pretty dang tired..And because I haven't said it enough in the last couple weeks: I. AM. SO. EXCITED! I'm too excited to go to bed!! Becauuuuuuuuuse: We are closing on our house tomorrow!! After I get off work tomorrow morning I get to drive over to our new abode, signaturize (yup! That's a word!) some papers & begin the moving process :) I'm incredibly psyched to get out all of our furniture again..hang my decorations on the walls...have a place to call our own. YAY! Life is SO stinkin' good! OK. My energy rush is waning..it's off to sleep I go..y'all have a nice day, now!

Starting to feel old...

Why, you ask?  Well, it's not because I had a birthday yesterday, even though I did, and it was fabulous!  Lots of birthday wishes (thank you guys!), and I got spoiled rotten by Jeff (no surprise there!).  Or maybe I'm feeling my age because my knees were achy this morning on my run (nothing ibuprofen won't fix:)  BUT, most likely, it's because my little brother graduated highschool today!  With an Associates degree!  I think that rocks!!  And I'm pretty dang proud of him!  

'BOUT. DANG. TIME!!!

DISCLAIMER: This post is chock-full of bold, CAPITALIZED, exclamation marked words..bear with me!!!!

Soooo...it has been quite some time since I've last posted (try 6, yes SIX, months!!). By this point, I'm sure no one is really reading my blog anymore. Gee, I wonder why! :) Plenty has happened in those six months: holidays, trips, a THIRD anniversary (which we went to Moab for). Lots & LOTS of ups and downs in the quest for a home...all interesting stuff (in my opinion). BUT. All I would've written about was my bad attitude. Seriously. I sank into a pit of griping & grumping, witching & moaning, etc. etc. etc. over the winter. The pit of despair (aka: basement)! (make sure you say this in a groggy, scratchy voice like the albino from Princess Bride!) Poor Jeff. Not the girl he married. *sigh* ANYWHO, good weather is here (the most effective anti-depressant, for me!) & I'm very determined not to become that negative, pessimistic wench EVER. AGAIN.

Oh! About that house thing....for those of you who work with me & hang with me on a regular basis..WE FOUND ONE!!! Yes, I know, you've listend to me gripe about the process endlessly. And for that I thank you:

THANK YOU!!!!

It must've been irritating listening to me go on ad nauseum. So truly, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. It was cheaper than therapy :)

And that's all I wanted to say, folks: I'm back! I've been married for 3 years! We've found a house! YAAAAAAAAY! I will now commence posting on a regular basis. If anyone really cares :)