Tavin Update

I had my 26 week checkup yesterday at the doctor for baby Tavin! All is going well and things are looking to be on the up-and-up! His heartbeat is strong, the doc looked over my sonogram pictures and said that everything looks good/healthy, and all the various testing ( the blood work stuff you have to do while you're pregnant) has come back negative. I've gained 7 pounds, but I swear it feels more like 37. The humidity here is KILLING ME! I want to see what "normal" legs, feet, face, etc., look like again!

The closer the time comes, the more nervous I get about delivering. People, I have an over HOUR drive to Wilford Hall. My fear is that I won't make it and he'll be born in the car on the way there, I swear. I only pushed 2 x's with Salem, and expect this one to come just as fast. Oh lordy, what will I ever do? We need to plan out an alternate route/method for that day just in case. Meaning, we need to take a drive and find the nicest/nearest civilian hospital instead of the craphole we have here in NB.



With that, I'll finally leave you with the first and only belly shots I have taken this time around. I wish I had more, but it isn't something I think about on a weekly basis. Andrew snapped these for me last night after I had extreme case of the "sweet tooth". I had 5 bite sized pieces of chocolate ( I don't even like chocolate), 6 halloween sized boxes of gummy candy, a Keva Juice smoothie, and an ice cream cone from McDonald's. That wasn't even including the dinner I had (lemon chicken and salad)! I have no clue what my problem was. No matter what I shoved/inhaled into my mouth, I just couldn't get enough. I hate when you have "moments" like that because it only makes you feel worse the next few days. I'm sure all the sugar and salt will make my already oversized feet, swell up even bigger. Oh the joys of being pregnant!

Silly Salem

Salem received these glasses in a goody bag at a friends birthday party last weekend. Since then, I can't seem to get them out of her hands and she's constantly putting them on to make mommy and daddy laugh. It's getting to the point where she wants to wear them in public because she knows it's humorous. She does make me smile :)

Wiggles

OH YES I DID! We (Salem and I along with another mommy and friend), ventured out and took the kiddos to The Wiggles concert. The kids enjoyed it to its fullest and the moms, on the other hand, wanted to blow our brains out 20 minutes into the show. THIS was a once in a lifetime special treat for Salem that will NEVER be repeated. I'm trying to do some "special" things for/with her before Tavin comes, and this was one of them! I can do (and look forward to taking her to) Disney On Ice and what-have-you; but this, THIS, I cannot do again! It was, overall, a great show for kids but come on, who wants to pay $50 a ticket for nosebleed tickets to The Wiggles? Oh, and that wasn't for the two of us together, that was EACH! Every child over the age of 1 also needed a seat. YIKES! I also couldn't get over all the people that were going CRAZY over the paraphernalia they were selling. No way in hell was I going to buy Salem a $30 Wiggles shirt. Her friend, Tristan, was very generous and gave Salem a Wiggles puppy that she now won't let out of her sight...Thanks Sam!

Great Show

My camera sucks, but yes, it is him!




The John Mayer concert was everything we wanted it to be and then some. It began by him walking out on stage and playing the entire set.....shirtless! I wouldn't say he's the most attractive man I've ever seen; however, there's something about a musician with a beautiful voice that sings "love songs", who also plays the guitar (very well), and sports a tattoo sleeve that covers his entire left arm...sexy! I think I find that sexy because you wouldn't necessarily expect him to have such a thing. Andrew and I always joke around that he's going to get one one these days. He won't actually do it (darn because he has nice arms and it would definitely look good on him).

ANYWAYS, Emma and I had a wonderful time together. We had seats directly in the middle and showed up 5 minutes before he walked out on stage. He sounded even better in person and I would for sure go see him again. It was, however, HOT AS ALL HELL, and we basically got all dressed up for nothing. We sweated are boobies off out there (YES, IT WAS OUTSIDE. IN HOUSTON. IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. YUCK.) I was nothing less of a dripping wet mess. I even had to take my shoes off and walk barefoot because my feet swelled up so badly from the humidity and from walking on them all day long shopping...it was worth it! I didn't even recognize myself after the concert was over. My body (and feet) looked like someone who sits around and eats ding-dongs all damn day. I wanted to hit the gym after we finally walked in the door at 3 AM. Instead of staying the night in Houston, Emma and I both agreed that we would rather go home and sleep in our own beds. We didn't leave Houston until 12; which got us back in S.A. @ 3. Then, I got up with Salem @ 7. Yes, I was and still am extremely tired and feel like I could sleep for days. If only John could come over and serenade me back to sleep; now THAT would be something!


We went to babyGap and I HAD To have this outfit for Salem. They didn't have her size hanging up, so I took it upon myself to not bother an associate and get it on my own. It amazed me how many people found this to be appalling. The fact that people were staring at me in disbelief, made it all that more funny to me. I still don't get it. It makes logical sense to me on why I would do such a thing.

SHE'S HERE..........

Yay, one of my BFF'S from Alaska, Emma, is here to visit this week! I'm so excited, that I can't even sleep! We're leaving in the AM to go to Houston to shop and then hit up the John Mayer concert in the PM! We've had this trip planned for 4 months, and I can't believe the day is finally here! I will post pictures of us (with John Mayer serenading us of course) within the next few days. I was trying to think of a clever shirts we could have made for the big night tomorrow, but I can't come up with anything worthy enough.

Ideas were:

* Jenn Who?
* He's just my babies daddy!
* Mrs. Douchebag! ( He is known for wearing a shirt quite often that reads Mr. Douchebag)
* People matter, but celebrity's matter more!

Ugh, instead, I think we'll just dress up and look like hotties!

Meet The Barkers!

Gary, Michelle, baby Isa, and brother Tab

Last weekend, we had our beautiful friends Michelle, Gary, and Isa Barker, visit us from Alaska! I take that back, at the moment, they are living in Cali and are getting ready to move back to AK next month. Shel was one of my very best friends when I first moved to the North Pole (back in Nov. 2002). They also have 2 other children (Xavier and Elle), that were in NY visiting Grandma! I also used to have Xavier in one of my classes at the CDC when he was just a baby. They brought Gary's brother, Tab, along with them, and we had a wonderful weekend visiting, cooking, eating, shopping, and just catching up!

Recently, it seems as if a ton of our friends are moving back up to Alaska. I'm jealous and hope we luck out and get the same opportunity to get our bee-hinds back there. Until then, I'll sit here in 105 degree humidity and sweat my pregnant ass off. Oh joy!

Lovies

Salem's Grammy and Papa bought her a lamb-lovie-blanket (that is known as "BAA") before she was born. I thought it was cute, but I NEVER thought it would grow to be such an attachment. I just went in and checked on her sleeping (she went to bed with a high temperature), and she still has her BAA! snuggled in tight up underneath her neck. She slept with it that way for over 10 hours. We also have to check on Baa's whereabouts throughout the day. She has to know that she's okay before she can go on with her daily plans. I will say; however, that she is very good about keeping her at home. She isn't one of those children that you see at the playground dragging their blanket (that they'll go home and take a nap with) in the dirt. Like I mentioned before, she sometimes checks on her and other than that, Baa is only for sleeping with.

Now that we have little Tavin on the way, it seems only fair (and likely), that he's going to need such a thing too. So, mommy drove out to Boerne, TX. last weekend, and picked up 2 (you HAVE to have a least one backup of each) blue elephant lovies for my sweet boy!

Did you grow up with a security blanket/animal/toy? Do your children have an attachment to something special other than mommy or daddy? If you have a child on the way or see children in your future, will you get something similar for them, or would you rather not?