melissa, julie, rachel and laura in the sleigh bed

100th Post

so i guess i am supposed to post 100 things about myself on my 100th post? i have seem many people do it, now the question is, do i have 100 things about myself that i haven't yet revealed on this blog? oh well, i guess i will give it a go...

1. i hate the mall.

2. i dislike shopping for clothes.

3. i love shopping for home decor.

4. i love shopping for presents for other people.

5. i get stressed out shopping for presents for other people because it is not enough to find a nice gift, i want it to be perfect.

6. i am a perfectionist.

7. in college, i dropped out of a class because i thought i had blown my chance to get an A. this is only one example of how destructive my need to be perfect has been at times.

8. i like to sketch pictures. i haven't attempted anything in a long time as i usually end up crumpling it and throwing it away...aside from an art class, only a handful of people have ever seen any of my "work"

9. i have nightmares several times a month, often several times a night. they are very vivid. i am beinning to believe that my insomnia is a subconscious effort to protect myself from these dreams.

10. i suffer from severe insomnia.

11. my hair used to be stick straight, after my head injury in Mexico in the year 2000 it is now curly. i have heard that if you suffer head trauma that your scalp thickens and it takes more effort for hair follicles to penetrate, hence your hair is curly. i do not know if this is real or not, but always found it an interesting explanation.

12. I had a head injury in Mexico and still to this day do not know what happened or remember the week following said injury.

13. i lost my sense of smell in that accident as well.

14. I have had a few moments where i have smelled things since then, but they are fleeting and then i am unable to smell again. it has never been when i am "testing" my sense of smell...just random things at random times. the last time was not a pleasant experience. i smelled lotion and it burned the inside of my nose and made my eyes sting...maybe we become accustomed to what we know...

15. i love music.

16. i hate country music, all except a small list of about 10 songs that remind me of a certain semester of college in Virginia. i listen to those songs and i am taken back to that time and it is fun for me.

17. i can't take ambien or cough syrup with codine in it. the only times i have taken those medications i followed the doctor's instructions but still had a scary drug trip...

18. i am very sensitive to medication and do not like taking it unless it is absolutely necessary.

19. i am not shy around strangers in restaurants or grocery stores but i am shy around acquaintances and coworkers i do not know well.

20. i love to sing karaoke. i have this notion that i am good at it too. haha

21. i think i am the funniest person alive.

22. nothing wins my friendship as fast as someone who can make me laugh.

23. i love to read, but i am particular about what books i choose. i love reading things that make me take a second look at something already familiar to me or help me to see a new perspective.

24. i know i said i am particular in what i read, but my guilty pleasure if usweekly magazine...though i don't read it as much as i used to, i still enjoy flipping through it, especially on a friday after a long week of work.

25. i love birthdays and holidays and i try to make each one special.

26. i find one of my favorite phrases is "where there's love, there's room" even though my mom must have said that a million times when i was growing up on car rides or when we were fighting over a place on the couch or what have you and i know i rolled my eyes every time. i guess some things your parent's say really do stick with you. i use that phrase a lot and i think it is a good metaphor for life...

27. i like to take baths, but the water has to be hot, really hot. dave makes fun of me and asks me why i would want to burn my skin in scalding water but this is how i like the water, whether bathing or taking a shower...i have been taking them a little cooler since i have been pregnant, just for safety of baby.

28. my favorite way to wear my hair is pigtails. it keeps my hair out of my face and i plan on continue wearing them whatever my age...

29. i had bells palsy my second semester of college and my parents were in India so i drove myself to the ER terrified that i could not move one side of my face, not to mention an earache that was excruciatingly painful only to have the doctor tell me that in a lot of cases this condition is permanent...

30. i love to bake, especially if the finished product is something pretty.

31. my favorite thing in the world is spending time with my husband.

32. seeing dave laugh(and making him laugh) is one of my favorite things in life.

33. i have found so many things have changed for me as i have gotten older. buying new makeup used to be one of my favorite things to do and really cheer me up when i was in a bad mood, now it is something i could care less about.

34. my favorite clothing in the summer are black wifebeaters and flip-flops.

35. my husband and i rented segways in san diego last summer and it was definitely my favorite thing we did last year. i have this dream of buying one someday now...if you get the chance, ride one, you will be so glad you did.

36. i am scared of the dark.

37. even when i am too hot for a blanket, i have to have something covering me in order to fall asleep at night, not for naps, just at night(probably has something to do with still being scared of the dark)

38. until i was married, i could not sleep unless my bedroom door was shut...now it is almost always open.

39. i love looking at the stars. i was pretty bummed that it was so overcast when there was a lunar eclipse last week. i also love the star shape.

40. i love to take pictures and i am excited to learn more about my camera and about photography so the pictures i take will be better.

41. i think i have said this one before, but oh well...when i see something on tv or in a movie that makes me emotional, i make fun of it...i don't know why, i think because i don't want to feel the full emotion of that moment or start to cry so i make fun of it.

42. i have very sensitive skin and can't use any lotion or moisterizer but cetaphil on my face, legs or arms or i get a rash.

43. i love office supplies. i know this is dorky...when my internship ended in 2001 i remember thinking i was going to miss my office supplies(stapler, tape dispenser, etc) more than the actual job.

44. i order supplies for the company at my current job. it is like heaven. i have a laminater, a binding machine, a heavy duty 3 hole punch, a label maker...i don't quite love office supplies as much as i used to though...if i had only had those things back in the day...

45. i love running errands in my pajamas. i love pajamas, if it were up to me, that is all i would wear.

46. i love to write, but my need for perfection always stops me from getting very far into the projects i dream up...that is one of the reasons i love to blog so much. i still want it to be perfect, but i accept imperfection in myself when it comes to my blog.

47. my favorite food is mexican food

48. my favorite mexican restaurant here closed down last fall and every time i think about it, a wave of depression washes over me.

49. one of my favorite things in life is teaching. the times i have been teaching have been some of the happiest in my life. i love to be in front of a class and i love learning from everyone there. i think i need to work on getting a teaching degree because i think that i would be happy in my work.

50. i have been every weight under the sun, i think i fluctuate more than oprah. their have been times when my i have had family members ask me if i was anorexic and times where i worry about diabetes and heart disease...it has helped me to learn to love myself for who i am inside though...it is a tough lesson to learn.

51. i was overweight in high school and i have often wondered if i wasn't, would i be the same person today?

52. i love diet coke with lime, it is a necessity when eating mexican food.

53. i pick at my nails, i thought i had it beat, but i have started up again, i find i pick when i am stressed or bored.

54. i love old movies.

55. i am more excited about being a mother than anything i have ever been excited for in my entire life

56. part of why i am so excited about having a baby is knowing what a great father dave will be and watching him get excited about everything baby.

57. i love warm chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream, it is my favorite dessert.

58. i love eating breakfast with dave on sundays

59. my favorite flower is the stargazer lily.

60. when i am in the mood to listen to one of my favorite songs, i put it on repeat and listen to it over and over and over again(drives people crazy i have found, i guess i am the only person that does this, though i don't do it as often as i did in college)

61. i love swimming.

62. in high school i was a lifeguard at raging waters(a local water park) and all the lifeguards acted like it was baywatch or something...haha

63. when i was a young child my "uncle" stinky gave me white rabbit for my birthday, it is one of the most vivid memories i have at that age.

64. my sister and i used to play in the rain gutter, sorry, it is true.

65. sometimes i throw pennies away, not as much as i used to, just every once in a while if i come across one on the floor of my bedroom or in my desk drawer(don't turn me in)

66. i am allergic to cats.

67. breakfast at tiffanys is my favorite movie of all time.

68. when i was in grade school, my best friend and i used to go swimming once a week at cottonwood heights, we started doing this thing where we would take turns acting deaf. we had learned some signing from school and we would alternate weeks of being the deaf girl or the deaf girl's friend...looking back now, i know it was horribly inappropriate and insensitive and i feel bad that we ever did that.

69. in my grade school we had one special education student per classroom and so we all learned sign language and had a signing bee instead of a spelling bee...i think we might have done that "acting deaf" because we were trying to understand and relate to kids in our classrooms that were different from us...

70. i fall asleep better with the tv on. doctors, self-help books, everyone will tell you it is better to be in a dark room with no tv or other distractions to fall asleep, especially if you suffer from insomnia. i have found if there are no distractions though i can't slow my brain down. it is moving at one hundred miles and hour, but if i have something on i don't care about like some stupid sit-com, i fall asleep more easily.

71. i am often in the middle of several books at once.

72. i love soft blankets, robes and slippers...anything soft...

73. the longer i have pajamas, the more i like them. the pair i just retired i had had for over ten years, they get softer with each washing and more comfortable(even if they do become a little see-through in time, i am in the privacy of my own home, right?)

74. my favorite book store is ken sanders, i like to buy books there because they are used so much cheaper and the staff is very knowledgable and helpful. i could get lost in there for hours.

75. i have experienced two miscarriages and the pain associated with them has been the most difficult thing i have experienced thus far in my life.

76. i love meeting new people.

77. i am a homebody.

78. number 76 & 77 often stand in the way of each other.

79. my favorite color is pink.

80. i hate driving...especially at night. my sister and brother-in-law always used to tease me because i would start heading home right before it got dark, but i do not like driving in the dark.

81. i do not like driving, but when i am pregnant i am terrified of driving or riding in cars, it is not as dramatic this time around, but i still am paranoid about someone hitting me and losing the baby. i felt this fear before i ever miscarried.

82. dave and i commute to work together 90% of the time and he drives 95% of that time.

83. i love the tomato basil pasta at paradise bakery, it is one of my favorite things.

84. my favorite artist is van gogh. i did a paper on him in college and have been fascinated by him and his work ever since.

85. i do not know how to ride a bike. this is not something that i have been embarassed by a lot of my life. i think when i didn't learn as a child i became afraid to learn.

86. i am married to a cyclist who is currently training for his 100 mile ride. he is patient with my fear of riding but when i showed any interest in learning he went out first thing and bought me a bicycle. we only went out one time last summer and obviously i am not going to learn while i am pregnant, but this is a goal for me to accomplish after i have the baby and before next winter.

87. i like the tv show one tree hill, so sue me.

88. i love to watch sunsets.

89. the first time i flew in an airplane i was heading into my first year of high school.

90. the job i have worked at the longest was an independent record store through most of my college years.

91. music has always been a fundamental part of my life and it has been an influence in the person i have become.

92. i hate humidity. i don't really like extreme heat, but dry heat is better than humid heat, any day.

93. i love to run and i wish i had never stopped.

94. i have a birthmark on my left eyelid, but it is not as dark as it used to be, because i wear make-up, most people(including my husband) do not even realize it is there.

95. i love being prepared, i want to have anything i may need with me all the time. dave makes fun of my purse and i probably look like ally sheedy's character in "the breakfast club" but i do not like needing something i don't have. i carry chapstick, tweezers, vizine, a mini brush, floss, tums, nail clippers, a pen, a little mirror, toothbrush, tylenol, a luna bar, safety pins...you name it and it is probably in my purse...mock me if you like, but chances are you will be borrowing something from me at one point or another...

96. i love new purses, this is something about me that has never changed. i buy a new purse and within two or three months i am ready to buy a new one.

97. i love brunch at mimi's cafe...oh great, now i am craving it...haha

98. my eating habits are very different for me since i have been pregnant, it is a strange phenomenon to me.

99. this list was not as hard for me as i thought it would be, but a lot more time consuming.

100. i love my husband more than anything else in this entire world.

my girlfriend's kitchen update

we had the lasagna for dinner tonight, it was yummy. it was so easy to prepare and clean up after(especially for me, since dave did both, haha) i wish we had started doing it long ago. we got the petite size and we didn't even eat half of it, so we have dinner for tomorrow night and it is even cheaper than we thought! i highly recommend you try it if you have one in your area!

pinks & blues virtual baby shower

well the fabulous women at pinks&blues are throwing a virtual baby shower for one lucky mama-to-be. i can't tell you how touched i am that my sisters laura and rachel both nominated me for this fantastic shower. it makes me feel so loved. it is truly an incredible giveaway...they have so many awesome gifts from wonderful companies. it is so fun to be a participant in such a fun contest...check it out. they have chosen ten lucky mamas-to-be and will post their stories tomorrow, then it is up to readers to vote for the mama of their choice and the winner will be showered with gifts. Voting starts February 25th and run through March 6th, i can't wait for tomorrow to read all the stories...of course i would love to win this and be able to spoil our baby girl with this cool stuff so please go visit the virtual baby shower and cast your vote!

my girlfriend's kitchen

so after tossing around this idea for over a year, we decided to bite the bullet and give it a whirl...since i have been pregnant i have not had much of an appetite...even since taking medication and keeping food down better, after a full day of work i don't often(okay, ever) feel like cooking and i am so tired so we end up having lots of top ramen and grilled cheese. someone at work was talking about "my girlfriend's kitchen" and how they had a "free assembly" promotion going on...so not only do i get to feed dave homecooked meals without cooking that night, but here is a chance to get them already made and ready to go, sign me up!! ...and at ten meals for one hundred dollars, that is a steal. we would spend a lot more than that at the grocery store trying to buy ingredients for ten meals...they should really advertise in pregnancy magazines...i am excited, mainly because it will be nice to feed my husband "home-cooked" food without cooking at home...i will let you know how it tastes, but everyone i have talked to that has done it says that they are fabulous.

learning to use my new camera

the stargazer lilies that my sweetheart gave me for valentines day


picture of my sweetheart(cropped and in black and white, two fun features i now know how to use!)

pretty in pink

so we picked out paint for the nursery today at home depot. we went with the "pretty in pink" (upper lefthand corner tiara) from the new disney princess collection of behr paint for our accent wall(time to cover up the overpowering red) and "barely there pink" for the other three walls. now that i am home and looking at the paint colors online, i am hoping that it is not too dark for the nursery. i guess we will just paint it and see how it looks, i am really liking "the fairest of them all" as i look at rooms painted in these colors online...hopefully it will turn out cute. i will keep you updated. we need to clean out our spare bedroom and take the furniture out before we start painting, but i am excited to start this project!

my fun new toy

after months of eyeing the nikon D40 and dreaming about owning one, thinking of all the amazing pictures i would take, we finally got our camera today. my sister rachel turned me on to the D40x that is very similar to the D40 but has more megapixels so that is what we decided to purchase. we are so excited to use it. we haven't been able to give it a whirl yet because it needs to charge overnight first, but we are so excited to take a gazillion pictures of our baby girl...the thing that most attracted me to this camera is that it has a million cool features that you can use once you learn how to use them, but until then it takes incredible pictures and is easy to use as a point and shoot...i am also taking classes at inkleys to familiarize myself with the camera and become an expert at taking pictures before baby is born.

Valentines Day

my sweet valentine truly spoiled me, woke me up with breakfast in bed and then when i got out of the shower there was a basket on my bed with a red satin ribbon on it filled with all of my favorite treats and a pink skin for my blackberry. he took me to lunch at la madeline cafe(another story for another day, let's just say i am not over the nausea yet) and when we got home from work he sat me down and brought out giant chocolate strawberries and some bella bands. my pants are starting to hurt but i don't quite fit into the maternity pants yet. i am so excited. i have been meaning to order a bella band for a while but i have just not gotten around to it yet. what a sweetheart...oh yeah, did i mention he sent stargazer lilies to me at my office. i was the only one in the office to get flowers. i was feeling very loved and special, dave always makes me feel that way...

lately i have not been posting much, i guess i feel like i don't have much to post about. everything in my life seems so small compared to having a baby and because we are having one my life consists of work and sleep. i feel like wonder woman tonight because i actually cleaned the kitchen before eating dinner and it is 7:00pm and i am not in bed yet. this is a rare thing for me. i guess i just wanted to post some things i am thankful for because it seems like this pregnancy has turned me into a hormonal, emotional mess and that i am exhausted all the time...

*i am thankful for the baby girl who is growing in my tummy that i get the blessing of being a mother to

*i am thankful that i am the wife of such an amazing man who works so hard, is so incredible and takes such good care of me and i am so in love with

*i am thankful for the house that we live in that provides us such comfort and a refuge from the storms of life

*i am thankful for my job even though it is often frustrating, i am blessed to have a job and a boss that is so great

*i am thankful for my car that is so great in the snow, and has such great air conditioning in the summer, it provides transportation, comfort and i feel safe when i am riding in it or driving it

*i am thankful for my family, i love them and i know they love me

*i am thankful for medication that is helping me to feel better and keep more food down

*i am thankful for my ipod, sometimes i swear that is the only way i can make it through the work day

*i am thankful for blogs that allow me to keep up on what is going on with my family and friends and gives me the opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings, whether deep and profound or shallow and trivial

*i am thankful for pajamas and sweats, as my tummy is growing it seems like they are the only comfortable thing and i live in them in the evenings and on weekends.


this is a short list and doesn't even scratch the surface of everything i am thankful for, but at least i will be heading to bed with a heart full of gratitude instead of just heartburn...

i stole this idea from a blog i like reading...

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

tickled pink...

baby's profile


baby stretching out...the woman doing the ultrasound said it was so unusual to see a baby stretch out so much...that usually babies were in the fetal position...maybe our baby girl knows that it is friday and is ready for the weekend...


baby is a girl, she gave us some other shots to make us certain, but this was the most modest shot to post on this blog...


love her legs!

this was such a fun experience. i feel like it is more real to me. it was so fun to see her swimming around. my mom and dad were there and my sister rachel and my aunt rosemary and uncle kent so it felt like such a party. this baby is already so loved. my sister and my aunt and uncle and my parents and my friend jessica all gave us gifts for baby girl to open today...it was such a red letter day. we are tickled pink!