day 229:
a few of us went bowling tonight. and let me say, we had a blast.
however, being pregnant made bowling a little interesting.
i had to try and find a ball light enough to throw, but with finger holes big enough for my fat fingers.
i ended up using a ball that was too heavy. i'll probably be sore in one arm tomorrow.
however, i did end up getting a turkey... sort of.
ps. sheri is such a hot, skinny mom, she can wear her 11 year old son's clothes... i hope someday i will be able to wear my kids clothes too. i know i'm pregnant, but i'm sick of gaining weight!
day 228:
today is an historical day.
it's griffey's first birthday!!!
we spent the afternoon outside chasing birds. well, i sat in a lawn chair, soaking up the sun, while griffey ran after birds.
then we came inside and she relaxed on the couch with me until tim got home from baseball.
that's when she finally got to open her presents. she actually got excited her presents. she loved tearing apart the paper and getting her new toys.
unfortunately, the purple bone only made it a few minutes before she ripped it apart.
the ball, at least, made it through the night.
thanks griffey for making my life just a little better. i can't imagine life without you. well, actually, i can...
it would have no dog hair. and no trips outside in inclement weather for unproductive bathroom breaks.
it would have no chewed socks. and no smudge marks on the windows.
it would have no incessant barking. and no relentless ball playing.
but more importantly, it would have no kisses. and no running to greet me.
it would have no snuggling. and no company.
it just wouldn't be the same. griffey, you enrich our lives.
happy, happy birthday.
day 227:
late night snack.
although, i only had it at 10:25 pm...
is that "late"?
day 226:
if you ask tim what he's learned since being married, he will tell you he has learned that you better be happy with the choices you make early on because those choices are set in stone.
for example, which side of the bed to sleep on, or which side of the driveway to park on, or which closet to hang clothes in...
or most importantly, which hole in the toothbrush holder to place your toothbrush.
and it is a good thing that we have chosen sides, because when i went to buy new toothbrushes, they only had blue.
at first i was nervous. i thought, what if they get mixed up?! but the reality is, we have chosen sides, therefore, there can be no confusion.
day 225:
i don't have a green thumb... or at least i don't know if i do or not because i've never really tried gardening anything.
i'm just not really into it. i mean, don't get me wrong, i think gardens are beautiful, and i would love lots of flowers in my yard, i just don't want to take care of a garden.
when i was younger, my grandmother and i planted flowers behind our house. there were sunflowers and asters and some others i can't remember... they were beautiful... but she was really the one taking care of them.
maybe some day i will have the time and energy to plant and tend a garden.
but for now, i will enjoy the one flowering plant i have on my entire property. a little bush that i don't even know the name of.
day 224:
today was the first day back to work after spring break.
and i guess not seeing the baby bump for a week made people realize that it's getting bigger.
i didn't think i got that much bigger in one week, but i don't know how many students/teachers commented on my belly today.
not in a bad way... just in a way that made me realize that maybe i had actually gotten bigger over the week.
so i figured maybe it was time to update the blog with a picture of baby balut :)
day 223:
baby balongolut made out like a bandit this easter... scoring three onesies, a pack of diapers, a rubber duckie, and a little lamb.
none of which were purchased by me. thanks to the grandparents (both sets) and the future auntie julia and uncle matt.
our baby is spoiled and it's not even here yet. i can't imagine what it is going to be like once this little eggplant (that's what size it is this week) is finally here!!
i know that s/he is going to be loved like crazy.
day 222:
it's too bad that it was raining today... it forced the little egg hunters to hunt inside.
but it was fun watching them all run around like crazy.
and that's all i did... watch. no little egg hunter for me to chase...
but, i just couldn't help smiling at the fact that tim and i will have our own little egg hunter next year.
crazy. i know.
day 221:
i am in charge of dessert at the balut easter dinner. so i thought i would try a new recipe.
i decided on an apple and pear crisp.
now, let me just preface this story with the fact that this dessert came out amazing, and i can't wait to taste it.
the recipe called for 6 apples and 4 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced. this took me a lot longer than i wanted it to, and at one point the paring knife slipped and i cut myself.
so i had to take a medical break.
then the recipe called for lemon and orange zest. which i did look for at the grocery store... but learned that it is not something you buy, but make from the peel of the fruit.
so i learned how to zest a lemon and an orange... without a zester... because why would i own one of those.
but, i think the most frustrating part was my hand mixer. in order to make the crumble stuff that goes on top, i was supposed to mix on low... but "low" on my amazing mixer was way too fast, and flour and oatmeal and butter started flying everywhere.
then when i went to put everything into the baking dish, it didn't fit. which wasn't a huge deal because i had a bigger one, but it was one extra dish to wash.
to top everything off, when i was cleaning up, i put the dishes in the sink to wash by hand and i knocked over a wine glass that also needed to be washed... it broke.
i'm pretty sure that martha stewart doesn't run into this many obstacles in her kitchen... but like i said, the dessert looks and smells amazing. i cannot wait to eat it!!
day 220:
i am exhausted. i literally spent the entire day shopping and eating.
not a bad day. but still tiring.
and let me tell you... i can't seem to get enough water. i swear i drink water alllll day long, and yet somehow am still thirsty.
what can i say, this little baby loves water. it also loves french fries and ice cream, but mostly it loves water.
day 219:
i came home to fresh flowers!
perhaps it was tim's way of telling me he loves me. or perhaps it was tim's way of telling me that i need to throw out the dead flowers.
either way, i love them.
i especially love the calla lilies.
looks like tim is "husband of the year" again.
day 218:
here is a follow-up post...
we purchased a shock collar. i suppose technically it's called a remote training collar, but let's be honest. the "correction" that is sent from the remote to the collar is a shock.
not a big shock... like the one griffey got when she touched the horse fence next door. that shock made her fur smell singed.
it's just a little shock to get her attention.
hopefully this will deter her from running away and chasing cars. hopefully it will not only help keep her under control, but it will also keep her safe.
sorry griff, but i love you too much.
day 217:
i know that you are supposed to throw flowers out once they die, however, i enjoy the way they look.
i suppose live ones are more beautiful, but these ones are pretty cool.
and besides, it wouldn't be like me to do something in a timely fashion.
day 216:
tim and i have been planning on getting an invisible fence for the dog...
we know that she loves to run, and we want to give her as much freedom as possible, while still keeping her safe and secure.
we decided that as soon as taxes came in, and spring break came, we would purchase the system and train the dog.
well that time is now...
but i think griffey knew...
because today, she ran away. well, she didn't really run "away" and much as she ran "around".
she just kept running. from the neighbors next to us... across the street... down the street after cars... in the field after birds...
she just. kept. running.
when we finally got her back (with the help of a neighbor walking her dog), she was filthy.
so after her timeout, i gave her a bath. and she was none too pleased. as you can see from the picture.
griffey, i hope you enjoyed your freedom run, because after tomorrow, you will have to get dirty in your own yard.
day 215:
i hadn't had spaghetti o's since... since... i don't even know.
but i made the mistake of going grocery shopping while i was hungry and i ended up with all sorts of ridiculous things.
including, but not limited to, swiss cake rolls, two kinds of ice cream, stuff to make tacos (no meat, just the stuff) and spaghetti o's.
i'll tell you what... they are just like i remembered. amazing.
on another note, i figured out how to add a watermark to my pictures. so all those people trying to steal my photos will have to deal with my name plastered in the corner.
day 214:
it really feels like spring when you sit outside and watch a baseball game.
and today was the perfect day to do just that.
i really like this picture, but i'm kinda far away... you see, i don't like to sit near the parents. it's not that i don't like the parents, i just don't want to hang out with them.
the parents' job is to complain about the game, the coach, the playing time... whatever... and seeing as i'm married to the coach, i don't want to hear it.
of course not all parents are like this, but still, i'd rather just play it safe.
so i sit as far away as possible. relax. enjoy the sun and the game. perfect.
day 213:
i take griffey out at about 6:30 every morning. this morning, there was a heavy fog all across the backyard.
but within a few short minutes the fog started rolling back and the sun started shining through.
i grabbed my camera and tried to get a shot of it, but it was going quickly... leaving behind a beautiful morning dew.
i love spring.
day 212:
i have taken pictures of a few different pairs of shoes. however... these shoes are amazing.
remember my cute red shoes i took a picture of?? yeah, i don't think i could make it an hour in those shoes anymore.
being pregnant has changed my fashion priorities. as in, comfort first - fashion last.
at the end of every day my feet are KILLING me. and i am on my feet constantly while i'm at work.
it didn't matter what shoes i wore... birkenstock, dansko, whatever. at the end of the day, my feet were spent.
until yesterday that is.
i pulled out my "workout shoes" (and i use that phrase loosely). i thought, if they are comfortable to workout in, they might be comfortable to be pregnant in.
boy was i right. two days straight with no sore feet.
nike free, you complete me.
day 211:
today i went to a photo workshop. it was a christmas present from my parents, and it was by far the best present ever.
the workshop was given by the wonderful carla ten eyck. and i can't even begin to explain how much i learned... besides Fstops, ISO, and aperture mean nothing to you (well to most of you).
i was a little nervous at first. the three other girls at the workshop have all done professional work. like done people's weddings and stuff. i was like, "i've taken pictures of my dog...".
but i left the workshop feeling better. i thought i did pretty good. i guess i never had anything to compare my shots to... and my shots were definitely comparable to the others'.
so, here's the overview... first we met with carla and discussed some important things to keep in mind while shooting.
then we got to go shoot. AMAZING. there is nothing like hands on experience. you can't learn how to get awesome photos if you are not using your camera.
we took pictures of a local band. the awakening. they were great sports. letting all of us take our time and be creative.
to wrap up the day, we went back to carla's studio and critiqued our photos. what worked and didn't work with each shot. this part of the day was invaluable.
day 210:
i finally downloaded my photo program!!
and as much as my camera is amazing on it's own, a little editing makes a world of difference.
not changing photos completely, just adding a special something to make it perfect.
day 209:
i haven't really had any weird cravings.
however, when someone mentions a certain food, i can't stop thinking about it.
like a few weeks ago, someone mentioned eating sour patch kids. i HAD to have some after that.
well, about a week ago, i was explaining to someone that dunkin donuts coolattas give me brain freeze...
and ever since then i have been dying for one... a coolatta that is, not a brain freeze.
so today i got one... a coolatta and a brain freeze.
day 208:
as previously stated, griffey tears apart every toy she is given.
however, when she gets a new toy, she is quiet until she destroys it.
i bought her this duck/rope at job lot today. it was only $2.00. and right now griffey is trying to figure out a way to tear it apart.
and she is quiet.
for now.
day 207:
the wildlife that passes through our property is vast.
my favorite are the turkeys... however, they are not ever close enough to get pictures of, and if i start to go near them they disperse.
but these geese... i was able to get close enough to them. however, i still didn't get that close. and not because i couldn't, but because i was afraid.
geese scare me. they don't care who you are, they will chase you. so i got as close as i dared, and then one started honking, or whatever it is called, so i quickly turned and went back inside... looking over my shoulder the whole way back.
day 206:
nothing like BBQ chicken on the grill.
makes it feel like summer is just around the corner.
only one more week until spring break, and then only 8 weeks of school left after that.
i will celebrate the countdown with some BBQ chicken.
day 205:
on wednesdays i have a lot going on... which means that griffey needs a babysitter.
so every wednesday i bring her over to my parents house so she can play with tawny (their golden retriever).
she absolutely loves it. but then when she gets home she completely crashes.
although, tonight she did a few laps around the living room before passing out on the couch (you can probably see the pillows in disarray in the background).
day 204:
a while back i posted a picture of TOMS shoes...
"millions of children grow up without shoes and at risk of infection and disease. One Day Without Shoes is the day we take off our shoes to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life."
TOMS shoes started this global initiative a few years back, and each year it gains more attention.
i didn't go without shoes today. i wish i did, but i kept making excuses and ultimately wore my shoes.
however, i wanted to do my part and help raise awareness... so the least i could do was go "one day" on my blog without shoes.
i hope people stop and think how lucky we all are to be able to wear shoes. every. single. day.
day 203:
lately i have opted for reading a book instead of watching tv.
i love to read... obviously. but i noticed that when i would get home from work i would be so tired, i would plop my pregnant body on the couch and see what was on tv. and let me tell you, there is nothing on tv. law and order reruns maybe, but that's it.
so i decided that i was going to get back into my old reading habits. unfortunately, now i have too many books going at once... sometimes, i can't decide which one to pick up.
but, the best part is, i have always been able to read through anything. so if the tv is on because tim is watching sports, i can still read. if the dog is bringing me her ball to throw, i can still read... and throw the ball for her. once i get into a story, i get into a zone, and nothing around me distracts me.
except sleep. sometimes, my eyes get so heavy i just have to put the book down and close them.
i tried to do a cool, foreground/background shot here, but you can't really tell that it's the tv in the background. it kinda just looks like a black rectangle.
a few of us went bowling tonight. and let me say, we had a blast.
