Things that I am learning...

1. Well, we already talked about the whole soup eating thing. Other things to not eat while breastfeeding.... cereal, ice cream, chocolate mousse pie and any kind of hot drink:)

2. The start and end to a day is not determined by waking up in the morning and going to bed at night. It's more like a 24 hour period that is defined by the shower. See, if I don't get a shower until 3pm, then that is the "start" of my day. Because I never really go to bed for the "night" this is the only way I can transfer my mind from one day to the next. Hannah and I have discussed this fact and she has promised that she will work on the whole "party all night" mindset that she has right now.

3. "Child wearing" is work! I have one of those trendy hot slings. It's very colorful and matches many of my outfits... however, I fell like my little papoose is really cramped and uncomfortable in it. Everytime I wear it, I am worried about her head positioning and how she's squished in there. Remember how Forrest Gump always held his head to the side a little bit? Well I can just see Hannah in 15 years with that problem b/c Mom refused to give up the trendy sling that matched her outfit

4. Swings, bouncy seats, Moses baskets and any other baby holder may be great one day... and not the next. This is all determined by Hannah. One day we may love our neat swing... and the next, we hate it.

5. My child is going to be taller than me... soon! At her 3 week check-up she was already up to 8 pds, 7 ozs(born at 6 pds, 15ozs) and she was in the 90th percentile in height.

6. I love Hannah very very very much.

Advice?

If anyone has any good advice to give us we'd really appreciate it! Hannah is still nocturnal and keeps us up every night from at least midnight to 4am. We've heard that she'll change on her own, but I'm open for any suggestions:)

Thanks to Jeanie and David we have a great new camera so I'll be posting pictures soon. I really want put some time into reading the manual so that I am using everything correctly. Lately napping has become more of a priority though:)

Enough said...

More pics

Party at my crib!

Hey folks, this is Hannah! Mom's busy so I thought I'd post a little something for you all. Just wanted to extend an open invitation to my crib any night from about midnight to 9am. That's when I'm up partying so feel free to drop on by. My eyes will be wide open and I'll probably be drinkin the good stuff. I've turned into quite the cute nocturnal baby. Mom and Dad are pretty lazy at night and just want to sleep... what party poopers! Hope to see you all soon... oh, and BYOB (bring your own breastmilk).

More pictures of Hannah trying out some new toys!

Things not to try to eat while in the act of nursing:
1. soup

Hannah's first check-up

Of course, my daughter passed her first check-up with flying colors. We went to see the pediatrician this morning and everything looked great. Hannah weighs only 1 oz less than her birthweight. Usually they say it takes 2 weeks to get back to birthweight so we are proud of our little porker.

She kept me up all night last night so I was glad to get a few naps in today. Plus, the dr. said for us to start trying to keep her awake a little more in the evening so she'll sleep better at night. And... the best part is the dr. said that I didn't have to wake her every 3 hours to feed at night if she wasn't waking on her own. This could be good!

I'll update with more pictures later. Someone just stopped by with dinner so it's time to eat (thanks Heather)!

Gigi (Todd's mom), Claire (Hannah's cousin) & Hannah of course














Big yawn!



















Mom's watch Hannah's first bath


I'm slowly going through tons of photos to put on here. Sorry they are random, I still haven't quite figured out this laptop:)

More Hannah Pictures

I promise I will post more soon. Turns out having a baby is pretty tiring and I haven't been online as much as I thought I would:)

Lilly meets Hannah.
I like my hat Tina!

Ah, a day at the spa.

Hannah is here!

Sorry it has taken so long to post! Turns out that having a baby will really wear you out:)

Hannah Mae Lyle joined us at 3:02pm on Tuesday, the 9th. She had a good delivery and is a very healthy baby girl. She weighed 6lbs, 15 ozs and is 20 1/2 inches long. We are home now and learning all about eachother. We are pretty tired, and I am still a little surprised at my lack of mobility. I don't know why I didn't realize how much childbirth can stress out a body. Don't worry guys, I won't go into any more details.

I'll post more in the coming days when I have more energy. Plus, more pics are on their way. RIght now it's nap time!

Party of 3...

So we have an "appointment" with the hospital tomorrow to have the baby. It seems very weird to me to have it slightly planned out like that. Granted, she could come on her own tonight. But, if she doesn't then we will go to the hospital at 5:30am tomorrow to have my water broken. It's just seems so weird that we will go up to the hospital and give them our name and they'll have a room waiting. It's like going to a nice restaurant. Yes, Lyle party of 3- right this way.

Lilly is headed off to Aunt Alexis' tonight for a few days and she is very excited about spending a few nights with her best bud Shiloh. When she gets back to the house, my mom and dad will be here so hopefully they can distract her from the new addition that we aren't quite sure she is going to like. Until now, Lilly has been the only child so we'll have to see what she thinks about a baby in the house.

We'll update from the hospital in the next day or two and hopefully we'll have some pictures too. I've got my camera all fixed and ready to go so hopefully it'll cooperate! Say a prayer for a safe delivery, healthy baby... and an epidural for me!

I think God is using this time to teach me patience.... something I've never had a lot of:)

Baby Girl Lyle seems perfectly content inside the womb, maybe she'll make it out for Christmas.

The Latest...

So we went to the Dr. yesterday and she thinks that I won't make it past the end of the week without having this baby. I am completely ok with that and glad to hear that we might not have to induce. However, she said that if I go a week overdue that they will induce, so if we don't have her this week, she'll definintely be coming next week.

They did get to measure her and they think she's weighing in at around 6lbs 11oz right now. Little Lyle has put on some weight... yeah!

Todd and I went out to dinner last night for one last date as a party-of-two (at least for awhile). The hostess (who was probably still in highschool) told me that I was the "cutest pregnant woman she had ever seen." It was very sweet, although I feel like I've seen a lot cuter pregnant women! Needless to say, I am ready to not be pregnant anymore... even the maternity pants are starting to get tight.

We'll keep you posted!

Still marinating....

When leaving for work this morning, Todd jokingly told me to "call him if I had the baby". I can just imagine how that conversation could go:

phone rings

Todd: This is Todd (he answers like that when he doesn't recognize the number and for the sake of a good story I'm going to pretend that I'm calling from the hospital phone).

Kim: Hey sweetie! How's your day been?

Todd: Good, whatcha need? (he always likes to get to the point on the phone)

Kim: Nothing, just wanted to let you know that I had the baby.

Todd: Praise God.. how'd it go?

Kim: Swimmingly

Todd: That's good, what time do you think you'll be home?

Kim: Wednesday

Todd: Ok then, well give me a call if you need anything. I love you!

Kim: Love you too! Bye

Ok, I'm now realizing how badly I need to have this baby so that I'll have something with some substance to post instead of making up fake conversations that would never happen.

Turkey... it's not just for eatin'

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A carjacking suspect in North Carolina became the victim of a turkey club, but it was no sandwich!

Police say Fred Louis Ervin of Raleigh stole money from a gas station before running to a supermarket parking lot. Authorities say Ervin was slugging a woman, while stealing her car.

Sensing foul play, other shoppers came to the woman's rescue, including one who started hitting Ervin in the head with a frozen turkey . Police say Ervin hit several cars before he was arrested a short time later.

He was sent to the hospital for treatment of head injuries but is in good condition. He faces charges including assault.

Update

Still no baby in the Land of Lyle. She's not due until next week but I think we really started thinking she'd come this week when the Dr's told us that a few weeks ago. She'll come on her own time I guess. And hey, it's only Tuesday.

We went to the Dr. yesterday and everything looks fine! It's kind of a weird feeling to just be going about everyday life waiting for it all to change. Although, I think if I was just sitting around waiting, I'd drive myself crazy. Let's just hope I don't go into labor at work:)

And for those of you who are wondering about her name.... you probably know as much as we do! We are really hoping she'll come out with a name tag on. That would make things a lot easier on us all.

In honor of Alexis..

Here are some completely random facts for your day:

The proper name for a crash test dummy is Anthropomorphic Test Device. The first one was developed for the Air Force, not the automobile industry, and he was used to test ejection seats.

Today, about five percent of the entire U.S. potato crop goes to make McDonald’s French fries.

The first fielding gloves in baseball were flesh-colored, so that fans wouldn’t notice that the players were wearing them.

Goldfish don’t blink. (They have no eyelids!)

Napoleon was a big fan of suspenders; he even had a pair decorated with bumblebees, the symbol of his native Corsica.

Only one breed of dog is mentioned by name in the Bible: the Greyhound. (Proverbs 30:29-31, King James Version).

The “K” in Kmart stands for Kresge, as in the chain’s founder, Sebastian S. Kresge.

The little bump on the front side of your ear is called a tragus.

No new news

The Dr's still think Baby Lyle will come a week early but everything other than that looks good and hasn't changed much since last week. The nursery is ready (I'll post pictures soon) and we are working on getting the car seat base checked out by someone who knows what they are doing:)

Other than that, things are good. I've started swelling a little bit (more in the evening) and I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable, but it's not unbearable. We have the option to induce but I'm not crazy about doing that unless its a medical necessity.

Still may have a Thanksgiving baby... we'll keep you posted!

For those of you who have been wondering what I look like at 8 months pregnant.... here you go! hahaha....

Hairless Dog?

Apparently Peru is now trying to get Obama to adopt one of their dogs for his girls to have at the White House. It's a hairless dog, that doesn't have teeth either. Is that even considered a dog? Now I've seen dogs before that are so ugly that they are actually cute, but this is not one of them.

Don't be worried Lily, you are much cuter:)

She may be closer than we think!

Todd and I went to the doctor this morning for our now weekly check-up. After "checking me" the Dr. informed us that we probably had about 2 weeks left. To which Todd says "really?" with a slightly shocked tone. It was classic!

You may have noticed that there still aren't any pictures up on the blog. That would be b/c my camera is still not working. Turns out that something I do makes batteries in cameras die quickly. I mean, this weekend I took 5 pictures and the battery was dead! I took it to a camera shop and they told me that the batteries were just dead and that there was nothing wrong with the camera. I think I'm just going to buy a megapack of AA's and keep them in a large sack with the camera at all times. It might be heavy and bulky and I might set off some alarms looking like Santa carrying around my sack of batteries, but hey, at least I'll always have the camera ready!

Why do I have some feeling that the first pictures of our child are going to be taken from a disposable camera bought in the hospital gift shop?

Not a natural

Yesterday I kept the nursery at church. I help with the baby room so we have all kids up to the age of 1 or walking. Yesterday we had 9 babies! For some churches this may not seem like a lot, but if you see the size of our church body, you'd understand that this is a lot (we average about 100 folks a week). I quickly learned that just because you are 8-months pregnant does not mean that babies necessarily like you. Luckilly only 2 were fussy, but my efforts to calm them failed and I had to pass them on to Sarah Ashlin who has some sort of magic gift and was able to put both asleep. I'd like to think that I wore them out so they were easier for her to put to sleep. It's kind of like when you are trying to open a jar of jam and the minute you pass it on to someone else they are able to open it. Is it like that with babies?

Sarah Ashlin said it must have been b/c I had to hold them higher because my baby bump was in the way. Sure... good try SA. Let's hope the motherly instincts kick in soon. If not, I'll just bring my crying child to Sarah Ashlin's house and I'll let her put the baby to sleep:)

PS. Thanks to Alexis for praying that my child has a "really good set of lungs" and is able to have a "really healthy cry". If she is born as like the loudest crier ever, I'm so going to let her come to Aunt Lexie's when she's fussy:)

The "To Do" List

So Todd and I made a "To Do" list last night of all the things that we would like to get done in the next few days, and so far, it's actually been quite useful. Last night we went to Babies R Us and got what we thought we still needed for the new arrival. Who knows if we actually bought anything we will really need, but it felt good to get some things off the checklist, and we had giftcards so we didn't have to pay for any of it. Now, I just need to get in the nursery and get to work washing clothes and stuff like that. I know we don't have to (and probably won't be) completely ready for the baby but I'd like to be as ready as we can be. I guess I'm just a planner at heart.

We also went to Target and got some things to finish off our downstairs living room. We have this room in the "basement" of our house (which we refer to as downstairs) where our TV is and where we hang out when we are being lazy. Because it's just kind of the hang out room, it has been the last to get decorated, but recently I got the urge to make it cozy and trendy:) So we got a bunch of stuff at Target to make it look a little better.

I finally found all of the cords to my camera so I can charge it and upload pictures. Hoepfully I'll have a few on this blog by the end of the weekend!

And with all that done, all we have left to do is:
Paint the porch swing
Paint the old bassinet
Hang some pictures
Finish organizing the nursery
Get hot water in our bathroom (long story)
Finish the office
Sweep the driveway (another long story)
Rake the yard
Wash the dog
Add more kitchen shelves to our cabinets

Ok, I'm getting depressed as I continue to type this list. How many days are in a weekend again?

Please read, especially the end!

I have no idea if this is considered copyrighting so I apologize to the author but I thought this was a great piece and I wanted to share it.

Laura Hirschfeld Hollis is a Clinical Professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois.

Sunday, October 26, 2008
America asks for a king
by Laura Hollis

I am an attorney and professor of law and entrepreneurship, so I usually confine my commentary to matters of public policy, and leave theology to those who have chosen that field of study. But since today is Sunday, I will take the liberty of making an observation with a more Biblical bent.

As one who has taught entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking for nearly ten years, I am distressed by the apparently overwhelming sentiment sweeping Americans that they must now be taken care of. I know from years of studying the matter that a society in which most members are – or can be – entrepreneurial, is a society where upward mobility is the rule; where wealth is created – not just "spread around"; where hope is common currency; where the inevitable problems are viewed as opportunities to find sustainable solutions, and where those solutions are typically new industries, new companies, and new jobs. An entrepreneurial society is a society where most people wish to, and know they can, take care of themselves, their families, and even others in need. Where charity and philanthropy are fellow-travelers with success.

Joe the Plumber's exposure of Obama's "spread the wealth" philosophy exploded like a flash fire, not only because that philosophy is utterly anti-American, but because it is shortsighted, and immoral. It is short-sighted, because in an economy that is a bit battered and fragile, what we need are more businesses, more workers, and more wealth creation in the private sector, not more government programs and more people dependent upon them. It is short-sighted because it is a failed business model. And, as we saw with the collapse of major lending institutions a few weeks ago, a failed business model, made larger (or "spread around," if you prefer) by government, is not just a failure, but a catastrophic failure. So it was with the irresponsible lending practices foisted on American banks by the government, and so it will be with the irresponsible spending and doomed reliance on government largesse that Obama and the Democrats are peddling as salvation.

And the inevitability of its failure is why Obama's philosophies are not just foolhardy, but immoral. It is immoral to deceive well-meaning people about what you intend to do with their money. It is immoral to take by force from those who produce, give to others who do not, and call it "charity." It is staggeringly immoral to create an ever-larger class of dependent, helpless people who will be doomed to starve when the unsustainable system you have created collapses. And most of all, it is profoundly immoral to set yourself up as a secular messiah of sorts, assuring people that you will take care of them, eliminate hardship, heal the planet, and hold enemies at bay by the sheer force of your own hypnotic rhetoric.

Obama's economic and social theories have been debunked and disproven (at great human cost) so many times over the past 100 years that it's laughable anyone still believes in them. But at least his designs on the country are understandable. Those who crave power will use any tactic, as long as it works.

It's the fact that it's working that is inscrutable to me. And this is where the Biblical references come in. Americans' attitude toward this posturing, self-important, political zealot remind me of the Israelites' demand for a king, as recounted in the Book of Samuel:

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel . The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba . But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots … He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." (1 Samuel 8:1-22)

The comparisons are telling: Americans are understandably fed up with corruption, greed, and perversion of justice in our leaders. But till now, we have asked for no king, because we could take care of ourselves, and because we have always been a godly people. But look around now – our children languish in failing, crumbling, unsafe, and undisciplined schools, many of which are merely bastions of social experimentation. Our cities are riddled with crime. Our families are devastated by divorce, abuse, illegitimacy, absent fathers, and definitions of "marriage" that fluctuate with the sexual predilections du jour. Our culture – books, films, music – is saturated with violence and perversion that even the smallest child is exposed to. And of course, one cannot forget – the high watermark of freedom and femininity, and the litmus test of liberty for the Left is the unfettered right to kill our own children in our wombs (or leave them to die outside of them).

This is what we, as a nation, have brought ourselves to. These are problems that no amount of social spending will cure, and any promise to do so is a lie, because no amount of money will change people's hearts. And yet, instead of reaching deep within ourselves to find the solutions, we now whine and mewl for someone to save us.

And here he comes, Barack Obama, on a "righteous wind."

As with anyone who would be king, Obama will take our money and our property in ever-larger amounts. Our children will be saddled with debt and beholden to a bloated government that will enslave the very people it promised to help. We will be at the mercy of our enemies. And no matter how bleak or desperate our own lives becomes, the leaders in Obama's government will always thrive; such people always do. Nor is any of this is unique to Obama; it is in the nature of every king, and every government, which is why our government was originally set up to be limited, both to protect us, and to ensure our own self-reliance.

John McCain will not be a perfect President. But it is not necessary for the leader of a free, righteous, and entrepreneurial people to be perfect. I can support John McCain because he asks only that I vote for him, not that I worship him. And I will vote for John McCain on November 4th, not because he would be a better king, but because he does not claim to be one at all.

Neither McCain nor Obama is a king who will save us; we must turn instead to the only One who can

Baby Girl Nelson

Congrats to Jess & Lee on the birth of their baby girl (yet to be named)! She's a cutie!

The Face Cuddler

When Lilly was a puppy she would lay her face on ours if she was lying on the couch with us. She still likes to cuddle up around our shoulders, especially if she is cold. I thought it was so appropriate that I found this picture of two boxers online. Apparently they all do that:)

Mmmm donuts.

So yesterday I went by Dunkin Donuts on my way to work to pick-up donuts for my coworkers (I used to do this once a week just to be nice)... as I was picking out the dozen assorted flavors that I thought they'd like, I felt like some of the DD workers were looking at me. And for no particular reason I suddenly felt the strong desire to assure all of them that all of these dozen donuts were not for me.

To make sure we were all on the same page, I then assured everyone else in line this same "fact". And even the guy that held the door open for me soon knew that I was taking these to my coworkers and not just going to go sit in my car and binge eat.

I don't think they believed me.

My Financial Peace

So over the past year I think that I've gotten a lot better with spending and paying bills on time. Todd and I went through the Financial Peace class that Dave Ramsey does and we actually follow a budget (for the most part). Even though he still thinks that I spend a lot, I am constantly reminding him of the olden days when my spending was a lot worse. When I say a lot, I mean I am probably spending about a tenth of what I used to spend on myself.

One of the many spending flaws that I have is that when I get paid back for something, I tend to think this is just new money coming in:) For example, I use my credit card a lot for work and then I file a bi-weekly expense report. When the check comes in, it's supposed to go right into paying the credit card bill, but sometimes I tend to just think of it as an extra paycheck! I get so excited to put it in the bank completely forgetting that I've technically already spent it.

I've also had a few friends pay back small loans lately, in cash! This is the best! Who cares that I've already spent that money. The fact that it is now in my wallet in cash means that it is ready to be spent all over again right? You'd think that it was my lucky day that a friend just handed me $30! I'm thinking.. this will buy me a new shirt at Target... or maybe I'll treat myself to lunch today! Lucky me! Or maybe, I'll save it and get a pedicure soon since I can no longer touch my toes and I'm not about to ask Todd to paint them. I can't see that being a pretty picture.

Oh, all the options for this new money that I have come across! I can't wait to be reimbursed for something again soon! Dave would kill me if he read this blog:)

To sum it all up....

I found this old picture from 2004 and thought it'd be funny to post. Good to see SA and I haven't changed much:)

A little extreme...

Hum... maybe we've found a name for baby Lyle:) Don't worry Heather, I'm just kidding!


ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (AP) -- Mark Ciptak is doing more than putting up a yard sign for the McCain-Palin ticket. He's named his daughter Sarah McCain Palin.

But he might get some flak at home. The Elizabethton, Tennessee, man says he ignored the name he and his wife had picked out, which was Ava Grace.

Ciptak says when he filled out the paperwork for his new daughter's birth certificate, he substituted Sarah McCain Palin.

He tells the Kingsport Times-News he hopes to get the word out about the McCain-Palin ticket, thanks to little Sarah McCain Palin.

Homeless for the Homeless...

Although I definitely won't be sleeping outside on the ground at almost 38 weeks pregnant, I do think this is a great idea. Check out this link for more:
www.homelessforthehomeless.com

Squidoo!

Squidoo (an online group that raises tons of money for charities) is giving $80,000 to the charities of your choice. Basically, anyone who wants to participate can vote for one charity (from a list of about 50...don't vote more than once or all your votes will be deleted)...Squidoo will donate $2/vote. You don't even have to sign up for anything!

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (one of my favorites) currently has 2.3% of the votes! Go to http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-charity-giveaway and vote for any charity you believe could use $2! You have until October 15 to vote!

Moped Overload

So today I got stuck behind a very slow moped on a 2-lane road. Since I could not pass it, I had plenty of time to check out why it was going so slow. I soon noticed 6 legs hanging off the sides. That's right, this moped was carrying not 2 but 3 full-grown men. And these weren't really skinny guys! They seemed fairly well-nourished, yet still comfortable riding on a moped. I know gas is getting expensive but I don't think Todd would ever jump on a moped with two other dudes to save a buck.

Random Photos!

Here are a couple of other random pictures. THe first is of Todd and I at our baby shower at Labor Day. It was "labor" themed so we all had to wear hard hats:)
Here is Todd playing golf on our vacation in June. He played every day and loved it!

The gals I work with at Bayne's wedding.

Girls weekend in Savannah.

Finally some pics!

Every labor day a big group of family goes to the mountains and stays in the "bunkhouse". If you've ever wondered what that looks like, here are some pics.
View from the bunkhouse steps


Todd taking pictures.

Us on our big hike!

The funny puppet guy

Todd and I rented a stand-up comedy show on DVD called Thou Shalt Laugh. One of the comedians was this awesome ventrilliquist named Taylor Mason. He is the best I've ever seen and I was crying I was laughing so hard. Todd didn't think it was as funny as I did, so I showed it to the girls in my bible study to see if they agreed and they all thought he was great too.

If you are a "youtuber" go in and find some of his stand up routines. He does some stuff without his puppets, but he is definitely funnier with the puppets. Or, rent Thou Shalt Laugh. It's worth it just for him.

The best part is that his act is clean and he tours with a bunch of christian comedy groups and churches. I hope he comes here sometime soon!

I have to brag:)

So this past weekend I was in DC for The Nation's Triathlon with work. No, I did not complete the event in my very pregnant state... I just worked at it. Anyway, Todd was home by himself (except for Lilly) all weekend and got a lot done!

He bought a new bookshelf for our living room, and put it together. (Our old house had built ins so we really needed some for all the books we bought to fill them). He also put together the crib... a task that I don't think he enjoyed. Apparently crib putting together is not an easy job as we've had many of our friends warn us about the process. He also painted the dresser and changing table to match the crib. So basically, the nursery is really starting to look like one. Now we just need to get the bedding we ordered and we'd be almost all set.

My darling husband also painted a little table I found on the side of the road to use on our front porch with our rocking chairs. And after all that was said and done... he had a professional cleaner come in and clean the entire place.

Nothing is better to come in after a very long weekend to a really clean house that has new projects all over! I am once again reminded why I married this man! I am also reminded that I should go out of town more often:) Just kidding!

You're the best Todd!

Really??

As my husband would say... this is "fascinating". I think the great Obama's rock star status is pretty much summed up by this picture. I'll just leave it at that.

Do you think I could get some McCain sneakers??

I gotta admit...

I like her.

In other news...

So I was reading today that Misty-Mae Trainor and Kerri Walsh lost a match today to two gals in Ohio. These are the two sand volleyball players who just won gold in Beijing. They had a 112 match winning streak going! What a bummer.

Todd and I had a great Labor Day Weekend in the mountains with the Good N Plenty Gang. I'll post pictures soon, as soon as I get them off of my fancy disposable camera. Yes, I know that we have two great digital cameras to use and that we shouldn't have to still buy the disposable one with a flash that you have to charge. But, using these great digital camera's would take advanced planning and charging of camera batteries... something I am not good at:)

Be aware, these will be the first pictures that exist of pregnant Kim. There will be few, so take advantage:)

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Meat Madness

This past weekend Todd had an army conference at the beach so I went with him... and shopped while he was in "class". Saturday night we went with a few of his army buddies and their wives/girlfriends to a Brazilian Steakhouse. If you have ever been to one of these, you probably know exactly what this blog is about... but if not, you really need to check one out.

To say this type of restaurant is perfect for a bunch of army dudes is an understatement. It's basically an "All-You-Can-Eat- MEAT" restaurant. First you pay one price for the "buffet". In the middle of the room there is a big buffet with lots of salad type items, sushi, some deli meats and cheeses and some light casseroles. My guess is that this buffet is just there to please the women-folk who come to dine with their men. Either way, it is a good amount of food and easy for most to fill up on just that. If this is your first time at such restaurant you think.. "this is nice" and you fill your plate at the buffet.

But as soon as you sit down... it begins. Men everywhere, walking around with giant skewers loaded with meat. It's actually quite barbaric. Heather, my vegan sister, would have died. Each "waiter" (aka meat pusher) has a different type of quality meat on a giant skewer. They walk up to you with their "meat stick" and giant knife and, if you agree, cut you off a piece and move to the next person. I really think the "meat men" got a kick out of startling the pregnant one every time they landed their large dead carcass on the table next to me. It was insane.

And the funniest part is watching all of the guys we were with try to eat as much meat as possible because they just don't want to say no to the mounds of meat circulating the room. Needless to say, the Brazilian steakhouse is a place that all of you must visit sooner or later... unless you are a vegetarian.

our guard dog

Since we don't have a child to show you pictures of yet, here is a good one of our guard dog this afternoon on the front porch. I like to sit out here sometimes when I get off of work and read or check email (we get our wireless outside somehow). Lilly watches neighbors walk by and cars go down the street and attempts to look intimidating to those she deems necessary.

Questions for the dentists out there

I went to the dentist last week for my normal 6-month check-up and while I was there I started thinking about all of these things that all of us go through at the dentist (or any doctor for that matter) and how we react to it. Here are a few questions I came up with.



1. Does anyone actually floss? This does not include those who are dentists, or the dental hygienists, or even anyone married to dentists. I mean, actual normal people. I recently asked this question among a group of close friends and no one admitted to actually flossing daily. Some said they flossed weekly, but most of the group really didn't keep up with it. So why then, when you go to the dentist, do they make you feel like that you are the only person on earth that doesn't floss, and that if you don't floss your teeth are going to fall out? I know there is some truth to this, but I'm just not concerned with making it part of my daily routine. I mean, I feel like I have a minty fresh breath for the most part and that flossing really isn't going to help that.

2. Why do the nice ladies cleaning your teeth always ask a lot of questions while probing your mouth? Do you think they have a special club to see who can ask the most in-depth question to a patient while they've got mental ice picks picking away at your teeth? Yes/No questions... sure. But things like "what are you going to name your baby?" are not quite questions I can answer while I've got 8 out of your 10 fingers down my throat. So then, I just sound like a complete idiot while trying to actually answer the question and explain that we don't have a name picked out yet.

3. Whenever I first go into see a doctor or dentist, they always ask "what's new?". Do they mean like what's new with my teeth, or what's new in life? I never really know how to answer that question. I mean, I could tell them all about the new house or the upcoming baby thing, but then I get paranoid that they were really only concerned with my molars and gums. Maybe I just need to start saying "not much" in response to that question and not feel like I'm not being honest by keeping it short.

That's all the pondering I've got for now! Time to go floss.

PS. In case you ever need a picture of teeth (like I did for this blog)... don't ever search Google Images for one. I came across some really disgusting pictures in the process.