...and no, not the countdown to Peanut... that one was started awhile back. No, this one is the countdown until I am unemployed. After today, the fact that I only work 3 more days this month is kind of a blessing.
I came in today, not knowing the December schedule yet (and December starts tomorrow... ahhhh!!). I also came in thinking that I had my week planned out since we are leaving on Thursday for South Carolina, and last month I was only scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays. Well, surprise to me, I am scheduled this Wednesday (I haven't worked a Wednesday since the summer!) from 10-6 pm. Wednesday was supposed to be the day that I get everything done, since I have class tomorrow morning. So... I asked if they could allow me to work from noon to 6 that day, and I probably have to cancel taking pictures for my neighbor and her family that evening as well. This really threw me for a loop. On the other hand, I didn't want to give up the hours because this will be my last paycheck, so I have to make it work. It is just a little stressful thinking that I only really have tomorrow after class, a bit on Wednesday morning, and Thursday after class to get all the things done that I need to do before we leave. Oh, and if I'm still standing at the end of the day, I will have to use that time as well. Ahhhhhh! Seriously. I need an assistant or something right now. If only we could have taught Charley to clean...
As usual, I just have to vent when I get stressed or I get too overwhelmed. I honestly think the problem right now is that I have a bit of idle time (like now while I sit here at work... things were CRAZY until 5, now it's dead in here) and that's when I stress out more because I think of all the things I could/should be doing but can't because I'm here. Okay... 3 more days. I can handle this. (Sigh).
Thanks for allowing me to let it out! I don't know what I'd do if it weren't for the blog!
-Ash
Casey, Ashley, Keaton, Nikolaus, & Rowan take on Chicagoland...
Monday, November 30, 2009
Holiday weekend
What a weekend! I don't have a lot of time to update since I leave soon for work, but I wanted to let everyone know that we did, in fact, survive the holiday.
The Hetricks arrived around 5:30 pm on Wednesday, and settled in well. We spent Thursday cooking and hanging out together, playing games and staying inside b/c it was cold and cloudy outside. (We were expecting our first snow flurries, but nothing happened. Oh well!) We had a nice, relaxed Thanksgiving lunch, then went out that evening to see The Blind Side. Definitely a good movie; we didn't even mind being in the 4th row from the front (as apparently everyone had the same idea of going to the movie that night).
Friday morning around 4, Casey went with his dad and Leslie (Val wasn't feeling well and slept in) to do some Black Friday shopping. I didn't sleep well at ALL the night before, so I was tempted to go with them, but luckily I passed out shortly after Casey left. (Peanut was kicking up a storm, plus the boys were snoring and Charley kept wanting in and out of our room all night... grrr!!) Anyway, they got some good deals, so I'm glad they got to go. We got around and headed to downtown Chicago around 1:30 pm. We went to a ton of stores so Les could continue on her shopping spree. I was pretty wiped out after all that and had a tough time keeping up with the girls as I 1) had to pee every 20 minutes (or so it seemed) and 2) can only waddle so fast these days. It was good exercise for me, though. I ended up getting a maternity coat at Old Navy (for more than 50% off!) and found a maternity hoodie on sale, which rocks because all my old ones won't zip over the bump now. :) Over all, it was a good day. We all came home and crashed early.
Saturday we went shopping... again... Leslie could shop for 24 straight hours, I believe.. but I probably could too when I was 17. :) The boys spent time at our place, putting up Christmas lights and then running to get the baby crib which came in on Wednesday. The Hetricks had to leave around 6 that night so they didn't have time to assemble it, but it's at least in the nursery now, waiting for Casey and I to put it together. We went out for pizza that night before they headed out to the airport. After they left, Case and I ran to a few different stores to find additional items for the outside of the house. I will take a picture when all of the decorations are up. :) I also have a family pic to add, but I can't now as I'm already running late.
I'll update later... I have a TON of things to get done in the next few days before we leave for South Carolina. Never a dull moment!
Love,
Ash
The Hetricks arrived around 5:30 pm on Wednesday, and settled in well. We spent Thursday cooking and hanging out together, playing games and staying inside b/c it was cold and cloudy outside. (We were expecting our first snow flurries, but nothing happened. Oh well!) We had a nice, relaxed Thanksgiving lunch, then went out that evening to see The Blind Side. Definitely a good movie; we didn't even mind being in the 4th row from the front (as apparently everyone had the same idea of going to the movie that night).
Friday morning around 4, Casey went with his dad and Leslie (Val wasn't feeling well and slept in) to do some Black Friday shopping. I didn't sleep well at ALL the night before, so I was tempted to go with them, but luckily I passed out shortly after Casey left. (Peanut was kicking up a storm, plus the boys were snoring and Charley kept wanting in and out of our room all night... grrr!!) Anyway, they got some good deals, so I'm glad they got to go. We got around and headed to downtown Chicago around 1:30 pm. We went to a ton of stores so Les could continue on her shopping spree. I was pretty wiped out after all that and had a tough time keeping up with the girls as I 1) had to pee every 20 minutes (or so it seemed) and 2) can only waddle so fast these days. It was good exercise for me, though. I ended up getting a maternity coat at Old Navy (for more than 50% off!) and found a maternity hoodie on sale, which rocks because all my old ones won't zip over the bump now. :) Over all, it was a good day. We all came home and crashed early.
Saturday we went shopping... again... Leslie could shop for 24 straight hours, I believe.. but I probably could too when I was 17. :) The boys spent time at our place, putting up Christmas lights and then running to get the baby crib which came in on Wednesday. The Hetricks had to leave around 6 that night so they didn't have time to assemble it, but it's at least in the nursery now, waiting for Casey and I to put it together. We went out for pizza that night before they headed out to the airport. After they left, Case and I ran to a few different stores to find additional items for the outside of the house. I will take a picture when all of the decorations are up. :) I also have a family pic to add, but I can't now as I'm already running late.
I'll update later... I have a TON of things to get done in the next few days before we leave for South Carolina. Never a dull moment!
Love,
Ash
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Gearing up for Thanksgiving...
I think I slept about 3 hours last night. Between Peanut squirming, Casey snoring (sorry as usual, babe!) and my mind going 80 mph for some reason, I just couldn't do it. So I got up this morning, went to class, picked up my crock pot from Ashlee (and got to see and hold Dominick again!)... then I came home and crashed. It was only supposed to be for 45 minutes, but it turned into almost 2 hours. I am not proud to admit that, mostly because I have a ton of things to do in < 24 hours before the Hetricks arrive. I finally forced myself to go to Walmart to pick up items we will need for Thanksgiving, but now that I'm back home, I definitely don't have as much energy as I need to get things done. I'm using this blog to motivate myself to get up, and just get it done.
The highlight of not being able to sleep much last night (if there is a highlight) is that I may have thought of an idea for Casey for Christmas. Granted, it's not in the 'things you can use' category, but I think it might be appropriate this year. I'm still tinkering with it, but the idea hit me around 1:30 am and I had to get up and start drawing things out because my mind wouldn't stop going. (Why can't that happen during the day when I really need it!?!?) Hopefully it will all work out and he'll enjoy it. :)
I guess that's all for now. The next day will be spent cleaning and getting the house ready before the Hetricks arrive. Then I'm sure there'll be some cooking and shopping to do before Thursday. Friday, the Hetricks want to go out and shop, but I may ask for a wheelchair or Segway or something so I don't have to waddle all around downtown. As long as there is a bathroom nearby, I should be okay. :) Doubt I'll write again until the weekend, so I'll keep this fairly short as I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about then. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
-Ash
The highlight of not being able to sleep much last night (if there is a highlight) is that I may have thought of an idea for Casey for Christmas. Granted, it's not in the 'things you can use' category, but I think it might be appropriate this year. I'm still tinkering with it, but the idea hit me around 1:30 am and I had to get up and start drawing things out because my mind wouldn't stop going. (Why can't that happen during the day when I really need it!?!?) Hopefully it will all work out and he'll enjoy it. :)
I guess that's all for now. The next day will be spent cleaning and getting the house ready before the Hetricks arrive. Then I'm sure there'll be some cooking and shopping to do before Thursday. Friday, the Hetricks want to go out and shop, but I may ask for a wheelchair or Segway or something so I don't have to waddle all around downtown. As long as there is a bathroom nearby, I should be okay. :) Doubt I'll write again until the weekend, so I'll keep this fairly short as I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about then. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
-Ash
Monday, November 23, 2009
Pictures, pictures, pictures...
I'm not sure that the pictures from week 26 will tell you how much I've grown... in fact, it makes me look smaller than before, in my opinion. I will say that black is apparently really slimming, and the angle is a factor as well. Oh well, I guess that just means that next picture update I will probably look super huge. Or something. I don't know... it really depends on who you ask. Haha...
It was a good weekend, overall. I got some shopping done for my birthday (the shirt in the picture is one I bought at Target in the Maternity section, and so far I think it's my favorite). I took a ton of pictures this weekend- almost 400, in fact- in two different 'sessions' for friends. The first one was of my friend Ashlee's baby boy, Dominick.
Besides some lighting issues and the fact that he slept most of the time, we got a few good ones. Yesterday I met up with my hair stylist, her boyfriend, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend, and took some pictures of them for her mom for Christmas. I had a lot of fun with them, and I think the pictures turned out well! There are always things I would change afterward, but overall I am happy with the way it all went. I used a new function on my camera (new to me, at least) and really liked the way it turned out. It's nice that I've had the camera almost 2 years now and I'm still finding out so much more about it. :) 
I guess that's about it... I'm awake now because I woke up when Casey's alarm went off this morning and by the time I got up, used the bathroom, and tried to go back to sleep, I was hungry. So 1st breakfast is out of the way... I'll eat another one when I wake up later. I don't work today until 1 so I will probably bum around the house until then. The Hetricks arrive on Wednesday afternoon, and leave on Saturday evening. They are saying it's going to possibly snow on Thanksgiving this year.. ahhhh! It's hard to think about that when we had such a beautiful weekend... it was almost 60 yesterday! Oh well, it was bound to get freezing at some point. I'm glad it waited this long.
Time for me to go back to sleep. :)
-Ash
Friday, November 20, 2009
Week 26!
So it's finally Friday, and the start of week 26! This has been a slow week compared to last week, and I feel as though I've slept a lot. In reality I have gotten about the same amount of sleep as the next person, I just woke up a lot during the night (thanks to Charley's puppy dreams, Casey's snoring (sorry babe!) and having to use the bathroom...) and slept in later than normal. I finally got up at 10:45 this morning, but that was after waking up 4 times during the night, and also staying awake for about 2 hours after Casey's alarm went off this morning. Not to mention the fact that I can never go right back to sleep after I get back in bed. I am not like Casey, who's head can hit the pillow and he's out in less than a minute. I'm going to find a way to time it sometime. He really amazes me when it comes to sleep.
In other news, I am getting ready to go take pictures of my coworker's baby, Dominick. This will be his first 'real' photo session, as I'm taking pictures for his birth announcement. I haven't done this before except for back in the day at the Picture People, so it's time to dust the cobwebs off my brain and try to remember how to pose babies. Luckily he's little, so it's not like I'll have to chase him around or get him to hold props, etc. Thank goodness! That was always tough.
In other photography news, I have agreed to take pictures for my hair stylist this weekend as a gift to her parents for Christmas. I'm meeting up with she, her boyfriend, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll get some good shots. I do have to say that I miss all the equipment we had at The Picture People. It's hard to make due when you also have to worry about the camera settings and lighting... we had all of that set up for us back then, so we just had to pose people and try to be creative. Now I've got to try and do it all! Yikes! Hopefully both sessions will go well. I'll update later, and even post a few pics... if they are good enough. :)
I've slept so much in my free time this week that I haven't even gone out to spend my birthday money yet! Something must be wrong with me. (Not really, Mom, don't worry.) I figure I'll have time to this weekend. Casey will probably enjoy some time at home by himself, so I'll save the shopping for tomorrow. Still not sure what I want to buy yet, but I have a ton of things floating around in my brain. The longer I wait to shop, the more I have time to talk myself out of things I don't really need. I would love a good hair straightener, but in reality, I'm probably not going to do much to my hair in a few months anyway, because I won't have time. So investing in something like that doesn't make much sense. I also don't want to buy too many more maternity shirts because I won't be able to wear them (or maybe I just shouldn't) after February. Then the weather will start to get warmer at some point and I'll have to bust out my older light-weight clothes again. I could use quite a few things right now, but none of them are fun. Tennis shoes, a new iron/ironing board, maybe a new coat (that will fit me through the winter, and so I don't have to wear the one my neighbor gave me... it's pink.)... nothing really exciting. Sort of like this paragraph... if I'm not excited to write it, you're probably not excited reading about it. So I will stop.
I guess that's about it for now. I need to hop in the shower and get ready to go take pics of Dominick. I'll probably update again sometime this weekend, and will try to have Case take a pic of me so I can prove how much I have "popped" in the last 2 weeks. With all the comments I have gotten about it this week, there's no doubt that I'm expanding quite a bit... (but still not about to explode!!!)
Love,
Ash
In other news, I am getting ready to go take pictures of my coworker's baby, Dominick. This will be his first 'real' photo session, as I'm taking pictures for his birth announcement. I haven't done this before except for back in the day at the Picture People, so it's time to dust the cobwebs off my brain and try to remember how to pose babies. Luckily he's little, so it's not like I'll have to chase him around or get him to hold props, etc. Thank goodness! That was always tough.
In other photography news, I have agreed to take pictures for my hair stylist this weekend as a gift to her parents for Christmas. I'm meeting up with she, her boyfriend, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll get some good shots. I do have to say that I miss all the equipment we had at The Picture People. It's hard to make due when you also have to worry about the camera settings and lighting... we had all of that set up for us back then, so we just had to pose people and try to be creative. Now I've got to try and do it all! Yikes! Hopefully both sessions will go well. I'll update later, and even post a few pics... if they are good enough. :)
I've slept so much in my free time this week that I haven't even gone out to spend my birthday money yet! Something must be wrong with me. (Not really, Mom, don't worry.) I figure I'll have time to this weekend. Casey will probably enjoy some time at home by himself, so I'll save the shopping for tomorrow. Still not sure what I want to buy yet, but I have a ton of things floating around in my brain. The longer I wait to shop, the more I have time to talk myself out of things I don't really need. I would love a good hair straightener, but in reality, I'm probably not going to do much to my hair in a few months anyway, because I won't have time. So investing in something like that doesn't make much sense. I also don't want to buy too many more maternity shirts because I won't be able to wear them (or maybe I just shouldn't) after February. Then the weather will start to get warmer at some point and I'll have to bust out my older light-weight clothes again. I could use quite a few things right now, but none of them are fun. Tennis shoes, a new iron/ironing board, maybe a new coat (that will fit me through the winter, and so I don't have to wear the one my neighbor gave me... it's pink.)... nothing really exciting. Sort of like this paragraph... if I'm not excited to write it, you're probably not excited reading about it. So I will stop.
I guess that's about it for now. I need to hop in the shower and get ready to go take pics of Dominick. I'll probably update again sometime this weekend, and will try to have Case take a pic of me so I can prove how much I have "popped" in the last 2 weeks. With all the comments I have gotten about it this week, there's no doubt that I'm expanding quite a bit... (but still not about to explode!!!)
Love,
Ash
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Brownies and Swine Flu Vaccines
It is true, sometimes I share too much on Facebook. I mean, a lot of people I know found out I am pregnant because of a status update I posted at around 2 months. Oops. But last night, it was totally worth it.
I was sitting at work, minding my own business, when this crazy brownie craving kicked in. I mentioned it in the previous post, but it really started to get bad as the night went on. So I went to Facebook to vent my frustration about wanting a brownie but being at work for another 1.5 hours. Next thing I know, Scott Baker, one of our agents, walks in the front door with a goodie from Starbucks, and hands it to me. A brownie. He said, "See, posting things on Facebook pays off sometimes!" Boy did it ever! My newest status update basically tells the world that Scott is wonderful, and that someone should buy a house from him. :)
In other news, I am officially vaccinated for Swine Flu! After all my OCD induced moments from being around sick people, I am happy to say that I am hopefully in the clear now. It didn't even hurt. The most painful part was sitting in a gym with 700+ other people for 2.5 hours. (I arrived at 7:30 pm and got the number 1980. They were barely in the 1100s at that point.) The line started going faster, I think because some people got 'weeded out' for showing up when they weren't on the priority list, or they just gave up and went home. I got my shot and was out the door by around 9:45. So glad that's over!! Now I shouldn't need any more shots anytime soon. Hooray!!
Peanut has been kicking up a storm today... I wonder why? It's probably just trying to make more room in my belly. It's supposed to weigh about 2 or 2.5 lbs now, and it is ~14 inches long. It apparently also has the ability to blink now, too. :-D Pretty neat. Tonight, Casey and I are going on a date to see the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz at a local movie theater. I never get dates with him in the middle of the week, so I'm looking forward to it. :)
I guess that's about it for now. I'll update again later in the week!
Love,
Ash
I was sitting at work, minding my own business, when this crazy brownie craving kicked in. I mentioned it in the previous post, but it really started to get bad as the night went on. So I went to Facebook to vent my frustration about wanting a brownie but being at work for another 1.5 hours. Next thing I know, Scott Baker, one of our agents, walks in the front door with a goodie from Starbucks, and hands it to me. A brownie. He said, "See, posting things on Facebook pays off sometimes!" Boy did it ever! My newest status update basically tells the world that Scott is wonderful, and that someone should buy a house from him. :)
In other news, I am officially vaccinated for Swine Flu! After all my OCD induced moments from being around sick people, I am happy to say that I am hopefully in the clear now. It didn't even hurt. The most painful part was sitting in a gym with 700+ other people for 2.5 hours. (I arrived at 7:30 pm and got the number 1980. They were barely in the 1100s at that point.) The line started going faster, I think because some people got 'weeded out' for showing up when they weren't on the priority list, or they just gave up and went home. I got my shot and was out the door by around 9:45. So glad that's over!! Now I shouldn't need any more shots anytime soon. Hooray!!
Peanut has been kicking up a storm today... I wonder why? It's probably just trying to make more room in my belly. It's supposed to weigh about 2 or 2.5 lbs now, and it is ~14 inches long. It apparently also has the ability to blink now, too. :-D Pretty neat. Tonight, Casey and I are going on a date to see the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz at a local movie theater. I never get dates with him in the middle of the week, so I'm looking forward to it. :)
I guess that's about it for now. I'll update again later in the week!
Love,
Ash
Monday, November 16, 2009
How Rude!!
I would like to thank the following people for their comments so far this week:
* My friend's husband who said I looked like I am "going to explode" because I'm so big
* The agent who said, "Hi, Fat Belly!"
* The other agent who said, "We should find Ashley some clothes that fit!" (Apparently my choice to wear a button-down shirt today was not a good idea... it's pretty stretched out in the belly area. Oops.)
I feel like a whale, but I know I'm actually not. The number of comments I get from people that are like, "You're almost 6 months pregnant? You're so tiny!" help to counteract the rude ones. People are just so rude sometimes! Annoying.
I do know that if I keep getting cravings for brownies (like I am currently) and follow through with them, I will definitely be whale/explosion size soon. Yikes.
-Ash
* My friend's husband who said I looked like I am "going to explode" because I'm so big
* The agent who said, "Hi, Fat Belly!"
* The other agent who said, "We should find Ashley some clothes that fit!" (Apparently my choice to wear a button-down shirt today was not a good idea... it's pretty stretched out in the belly area. Oops.)
I feel like a whale, but I know I'm actually not. The number of comments I get from people that are like, "You're almost 6 months pregnant? You're so tiny!" help to counteract the rude ones. People are just so rude sometimes! Annoying.
I do know that if I keep getting cravings for brownies (like I am currently) and follow through with them, I will definitely be whale/explosion size soon. Yikes.
-Ash
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Turning 28
I have a lot of thoughts right now so forgive me if I spew them out in random order. I may go back to organize them, but I figure I'm pretty random as it is, so you are probably used to that by now.
This morning I saw a picture of one of our friend's babies on Facebook. This is one of many times Casey and I have looked at each other and one of us has said, "We're going to have one of those!"... almost like it was a new discovery or something. It just always makes me smile. :-D
SO the birthday festivities went well this weekend. Friday I literally spent the entire day cleaning. The best part was, I actually felt good about it. Maybe I have convinced myself that at 28, I should know how to do such things. Then again, I was absolutely exhausted that night when Casey and I went out for my birthday dinner and a movie. The downside was that I still didn't get everything done, so we had to spend part of Saturday cleaning before guests arrived for dinner.
Anyway, it was nice to see the look on Casey's face when he came home and looked around the house. I swept and mopped all the floors. I cleaned windows. I organized cabinets. For once, things were in the places they were supposed to be, and it was nice. I hopped in the shower and was out by the time Case came home. Then I got ready for dinner and Casey gave me my card and gifts. (Sidenote... Casey is awesome about finding the perfect cards. He really seems to have a knack for it. He always gets me 2 cards- one funny, one sentimental. And he did not disappoint.) Case got me tickets to see the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz this Tuesday, so we get another date night during the week!! I'm pretty stoked about that. He also got me the New Moon soundtrack, which I haven't gotten to listen to all the way through yet, but I like what I've heard so far. :)
We then headed out to Wild Tuna, our favorite local sushi restaurant. I was good and stuck with vegetable tempura with udon noodles (although I had 2 bites of sushi with COOKED salmon, thank you very much). It was DELICIOUS. I was sad that I wasn't able to finish it, but I was stuffed by the time we left. Then we ran over to the movie theater, only to find out that the movie we wanted to see had started at 7:30 instead of 7:45. We decided to go get coffee (hot chocolate for me!) and wait until the 9:50 showing of The Men Who Stare at Goats. We sat at the coffee shop and reminisced about the night we met, 11 years ago that night, also on Friday the 13th. It was fun thinking back on those days that seem so long ago. We talked about where we were and where we are now. It's been a fun journey so far, and it's about to get a lot more exciting, which is strange to think about.
Anyway, we ran home for a bit and hung out with Charley, then headed back to the movie. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be- I definitely think The Invention of Lying was much better as far as recent comedies go that I've seen. Not terrible, just a little ridiculous. Then we came home and crashed.
Saturday was spent cleaning and cooking. I managed to make mom's Chicken & noodles, the Hetrick recipe for spinach-artichoke dip, and corn bake, without completely destroying the kitchen or (as far as I know) doing anyone bodily harm. It was really nice to see everyone again. Jenny & Olivier came a little after 4, then Melanie, Eddie, Misael, Aidaris, and Darielis came around the same time. I think Casey and I have managed to see everyone since they moved to IL, but many of them had not seen each other since the move, so it was nice to catch up and get to relax. I played with Darielis as much as possible. She has got to be one of the most adorable kids I have ever seen! She definitely made my night when she toddled over to me and hugged me. :-D During dinner she would reach out to me so I would hold her in my lap or carry her around until she started wiggling and I couldn't hold on anymore. She will be 1 year old next month, but she's only in the 1 percentile as far as growth is concerned, so she is tiny, and very easy to pick up! She is starting to try and talk now, and loves squealing and trying to communicate with everyone around her. Definitely a joy to be around. :)
The night went well, and by the time everyone left, I was pretty much dead to the world. It wasn't even 9 pm but I felt like it was 2 in the morning. So I crashed hard and Casey and I both woke up this morning at around 9:30, which is by far the latest we've slept in in longer than I can remember. It was nice! Peanut didn't even wake me up this morning.. probably because I was too tired to care. Charley only woke me up at 8 to go to the bathroom, but we all went back to sleep. Now Case is getting ready and we're going to go grab breakfast and head to Barnes & Nobel. (Is it Nobel or Noble? Who cares.)
On that note, I should go. I've got some homework to do today, but I'm happy to say that other than doing a little laundry, I don't have to cook or clean today! Yay!!
Love,
Ash
This morning I saw a picture of one of our friend's babies on Facebook. This is one of many times Casey and I have looked at each other and one of us has said, "We're going to have one of those!"... almost like it was a new discovery or something. It just always makes me smile. :-D
SO the birthday festivities went well this weekend. Friday I literally spent the entire day cleaning. The best part was, I actually felt good about it. Maybe I have convinced myself that at 28, I should know how to do such things. Then again, I was absolutely exhausted that night when Casey and I went out for my birthday dinner and a movie. The downside was that I still didn't get everything done, so we had to spend part of Saturday cleaning before guests arrived for dinner.
Anyway, it was nice to see the look on Casey's face when he came home and looked around the house. I swept and mopped all the floors. I cleaned windows. I organized cabinets. For once, things were in the places they were supposed to be, and it was nice. I hopped in the shower and was out by the time Case came home. Then I got ready for dinner and Casey gave me my card and gifts. (Sidenote... Casey is awesome about finding the perfect cards. He really seems to have a knack for it. He always gets me 2 cards- one funny, one sentimental. And he did not disappoint.) Case got me tickets to see the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz this Tuesday, so we get another date night during the week!! I'm pretty stoked about that. He also got me the New Moon soundtrack, which I haven't gotten to listen to all the way through yet, but I like what I've heard so far. :)
We then headed out to Wild Tuna, our favorite local sushi restaurant. I was good and stuck with vegetable tempura with udon noodles (although I had 2 bites of sushi with COOKED salmon, thank you very much). It was DELICIOUS. I was sad that I wasn't able to finish it, but I was stuffed by the time we left. Then we ran over to the movie theater, only to find out that the movie we wanted to see had started at 7:30 instead of 7:45. We decided to go get coffee (hot chocolate for me!) and wait until the 9:50 showing of The Men Who Stare at Goats. We sat at the coffee shop and reminisced about the night we met, 11 years ago that night, also on Friday the 13th. It was fun thinking back on those days that seem so long ago. We talked about where we were and where we are now. It's been a fun journey so far, and it's about to get a lot more exciting, which is strange to think about.
Anyway, we ran home for a bit and hung out with Charley, then headed back to the movie. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be- I definitely think The Invention of Lying was much better as far as recent comedies go that I've seen. Not terrible, just a little ridiculous. Then we came home and crashed.
Saturday was spent cleaning and cooking. I managed to make mom's Chicken & noodles, the Hetrick recipe for spinach-artichoke dip, and corn bake, without completely destroying the kitchen or (as far as I know) doing anyone bodily harm. It was really nice to see everyone again. Jenny & Olivier came a little after 4, then Melanie, Eddie, Misael, Aidaris, and Darielis came around the same time. I think Casey and I have managed to see everyone since they moved to IL, but many of them had not seen each other since the move, so it was nice to catch up and get to relax. I played with Darielis as much as possible. She has got to be one of the most adorable kids I have ever seen! She definitely made my night when she toddled over to me and hugged me. :-D During dinner she would reach out to me so I would hold her in my lap or carry her around until she started wiggling and I couldn't hold on anymore. She will be 1 year old next month, but she's only in the 1 percentile as far as growth is concerned, so she is tiny, and very easy to pick up! She is starting to try and talk now, and loves squealing and trying to communicate with everyone around her. Definitely a joy to be around. :)
The night went well, and by the time everyone left, I was pretty much dead to the world. It wasn't even 9 pm but I felt like it was 2 in the morning. So I crashed hard and Casey and I both woke up this morning at around 9:30, which is by far the latest we've slept in in longer than I can remember. It was nice! Peanut didn't even wake me up this morning.. probably because I was too tired to care. Charley only woke me up at 8 to go to the bathroom, but we all went back to sleep. Now Case is getting ready and we're going to go grab breakfast and head to Barnes & Nobel. (Is it Nobel or Noble? Who cares.)
On that note, I should go. I've got some homework to do today, but I'm happy to say that other than doing a little laundry, I don't have to cook or clean today! Yay!!
Love,
Ash
Friday, November 13, 2009
Lots to celebrate!!
I have a lot to celebrate today! First, I am officially 28 years old today. (Thanks, Mom & Dad!!) Second, it is the 11 year anniversary of the night I met Casey (11-13-98 at Cyrano's Coffee Shop in Topeka, KS.) Third, Peanut is 25 weeks along today!! It's going to be a good day! :-D
Tonight Casey and I are going on a date- dinner and a movie- to celebrate all of the above. When I woke up this morning I found a card he'd left for me... just the front of the card made me teary-eyed. "To my wife and the mother of my child". :-D I like the sound of that!
Today will be spent getting the house ready for company tomorrow. I'm excited to see friends from SC again that we haven't seen in awhile. All of them have moved to Illinois as well, so it will be a nice USC reunion for my birthday dinner. I'm pretty sure this is the biggest group I have cooked for so far so I'm a little nervous, but I think it should be simple enough not to mess up. I hope! If not, we have Giordano's on speed dial so we'll work it out. :) I am especially glad to have today off work so I can get the house looking presentable...
Speaking of work, they surprised me yesterday with an ice cream cake and gift card for my birthday. It was delicious and definitely unexpected, as I am only part-time. :) They know how to make a girl feel special!! That and finding out Monday that they want to throw a baby shower in the office is really making me feel guilty about leaving...but I will just enjoy the time I get to spend with them, and be happy that I have a better support system here than I originally thought. :)
I think that's about it for now. The dryer is calling for me and I've got plenty of cleaning to do still, although I must say, I've gotten quite a bit done for only being awake for about 2.5 hours now. Yay for productivity! I guess that's something else to celebrate!
-Ash
Tonight Casey and I are going on a date- dinner and a movie- to celebrate all of the above. When I woke up this morning I found a card he'd left for me... just the front of the card made me teary-eyed. "To my wife and the mother of my child". :-D I like the sound of that!
Today will be spent getting the house ready for company tomorrow. I'm excited to see friends from SC again that we haven't seen in awhile. All of them have moved to Illinois as well, so it will be a nice USC reunion for my birthday dinner. I'm pretty sure this is the biggest group I have cooked for so far so I'm a little nervous, but I think it should be simple enough not to mess up. I hope! If not, we have Giordano's on speed dial so we'll work it out. :) I am especially glad to have today off work so I can get the house looking presentable...
Speaking of work, they surprised me yesterday with an ice cream cake and gift card for my birthday. It was delicious and definitely unexpected, as I am only part-time. :) They know how to make a girl feel special!! That and finding out Monday that they want to throw a baby shower in the office is really making me feel guilty about leaving...but I will just enjoy the time I get to spend with them, and be happy that I have a better support system here than I originally thought. :)
I think that's about it for now. The dryer is calling for me and I've got plenty of cleaning to do still, although I must say, I've gotten quite a bit done for only being awake for about 2.5 hours now. Yay for productivity! I guess that's something else to celebrate!
-Ash
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The (not-so-dreaded) Glucose Test
So I just got back from the dreaded glucose test, which turned out to be a lot less 'dreaded' than I thought. Got my regular check-up (gained 3 lbs, heard the heartbeat again (142 bpm), BP is looking good) and then went upstairs for the orange drink chugfest and needle pricking session. I ended up in the waiting room with two other moms-to-be and we all got to chug the stuff together. I should have taken something to read, but luckily only the last 15 minutes dragged on before I had to get blood drawn. The lady that did it was super gentle and it went fast! So now I'm about to leave to go get a nice lunch (with carbs!!) and get some shopping done. I have a TON to do around the house and I know if I don't get things done today, I'll have to do all of it on Friday, which is not a fun birthday activity!
Other than that, I guess the latest Peanut news is that it started kicking a bunch the other night when it heard Casey's voice, which was pretty awesome. Casey can feel it moving every time he tries now. :) I'm glad we're finally to this point so I am not the only one experiencing it!
Time for me to go eat something delicious!
-Ash
Other than that, I guess the latest Peanut news is that it started kicking a bunch the other night when it heard Casey's voice, which was pretty awesome. Casey can feel it moving every time he tries now. :) I'm glad we're finally to this point so I am not the only one experiencing it!
Time for me to go eat something delicious!
-Ash
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Nursery theme/Registry
HoLeeeeeey crap, I am tired!!! Casey and I spent a good 3.5 hours today registering for Baby Hetrick. I am happy to say that we narrowed down a theme and have probably all the things we need for Peanut's arrival, give or take a few. Registering in person is a WHOLE lot different than looking around online. For one, you get the awesome gun scanning device that makes everything exciting. The downside is, you can spend hours (as we did) walking around, trying to decide what brand/style/color you want of just about everything. Baby Depot (at Burlington Coat Factory) was much easier than Babies R Us, for the simple fact that we only really focused on the nursery theme there. We did end up putting a few extra items on the list, but did BY FAR the most damage at Babies R Us. I think we over-registered today, but there were times that we got confused as to the right type or brand of item that we scanned both, only to do more research and eliminate one online. And I guess if we space out and happen to get both items, it appears that both stores are flexible with their return policies.
I think we may have lucked out with the theme. Casey and I saw the "Forest Friends" collection at Baby Depot, and liked the colors and characters a lot. Then we went to BRU, and found a similar theme that (for lack of a better term) will branch off well with the other, called "Tree Tops". Both have the same characters in them, but have slightly different room pieces, etc. We registered for the bedding and main items at Baby Depot, then some additional room items at BRU. So, we will hopefully get more for our money that way. Or someone else's money... I guess? Anyway, I really like the theme a lot, and I think it will be easy to find things that aren't necessarily a Carter's brand that will be able to go with it, like teddy bears, owls, turtles, birds, etc. And the theme is about as neutral as you can get these days. Both stores are pretty much geared for parents who know what gender their child is already. For people like us, it is not so easy. But I hope the theme will suit he-nut or she-nut well. :)
I am officially completely worn out. I think I'll spend the rest of the evening kicking my feet up and watching TV.
Love,
Ash
Friday, November 6, 2009
24, and Alphabet Soup
Let week 24 begin!! With so much baby excitement the past few days (Casey really feeling it *KICK* for the first time, watching my stomach bounce, getting a crib, finalizing the baby shower invite list, etc) I am excited to see what week 24 will bring! Although at this rate, I'm not sure what else to expect as far as Peanut is concerned. I feel huge. I realize I'm not yet, but the bump has really popped out more over the last 2 weeks. I have gained weight (although we'll get a total next Wednesday when I go in for the dreaded Glucose test).. I'm betting on at least 2 lbs since I went in last month. I have been eating more protein and drinking more water, as instructed. I also ate a hell of a lot of Halloween candy last week, which probably had a bit to do with it. As much as I don't like to admit it, walking is actually helping me waddle less. I took Charley on a walk on Wednesday and found myself feeling better and less waddle-y at the end. There is a lot of pressure on my lower left side right now, where Peanut tends to hide out. Walking and stretching will only make it stronger at this rate... I just have to remember that and keep up with it... which will get more difficult as the weather gets colder.
My current plan for the day is to take Charley to downtown Naperville to spoil him and get some bones that he likes, as well as do some photography homework. We have a fun assignment that's due in 2 weeks where we have to find letters of the alphabet (all 26!) in uncommon things like nature, things around the house, etc. They just can't be pictures of letters on signs or things that are obvious like that. So far I only have a handful of letters, but I found the letter G (which is one of the harder ones) in a roll of scotch tape! S, X, and O are probably going to be super easy, it's letters like Q, R, and B that might be tough. Finding them is sort of like a scavenger hunt, so I'm excited to go explore!
That's it for me. We're starting the registry process tomorrow which will hopefully be fun. I'll try to update again on Sunday. :)
-Ash & Peanut
My current plan for the day is to take Charley to downtown Naperville to spoil him and get some bones that he likes, as well as do some photography homework. We have a fun assignment that's due in 2 weeks where we have to find letters of the alphabet (all 26!) in uncommon things like nature, things around the house, etc. They just can't be pictures of letters on signs or things that are obvious like that. So far I only have a handful of letters, but I found the letter G (which is one of the harder ones) in a roll of scotch tape! S, X, and O are probably going to be super easy, it's letters like Q, R, and B that might be tough. Finding them is sort of like a scavenger hunt, so I'm excited to go explore!
That's it for me. We're starting the registry process tomorrow which will hopefully be fun. I'll try to update again on Sunday. :)
-Ash & Peanut
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Ain't that a kick in the head?
About 6 months ago, this huge jerk of an attorney came into Baird & Warner and (VERY long story short) made me cry. He was by far the biggest a$$hole I have ever dealt with before. He got kicked out of our office and is never allowed to come back based on his conduct in the office (thank you Naperville Police!!). So this morning as I'm driving back from class, I look over to see him right next to me, in his ugly orange Camero. Anger instantly welled up inside me, and I had to step back and keep my road rage in check. We ended up driving down Rt 59 for quite awhile, almost side by side, and kept pulling up next to each other. He never looked at me (I know this because I was glaring at him whenever my eyes weren't on the road) but I DID catch him picking his nose. That made me happy. :) The only thing that could have made it better is if I could have seen him get pulled over or something. Anyway... I hold grudges too much. I have to just know that Karma is a b*tch and someday he will get back what he gives to everyone around him. It still would have been funny, though... haha...
Not much is going on other than that. I went to class the last 2 times, then realized when I got there that I didn't need to be there at all. Our teacher was out of town today so we had a sub, and we have 3 lab periods in a row... our next assignment isn't due until next Thursday. This sucks for me because I actually go to class when they aren't taking attendance, and drive all the way out there even though I don't need to because I have Photoshop at home. So next week is the one time I actually DO need to go to lab to print some things for our next assignment. If I would have read my notes, I would have known that I could have basically taken this week off of class and still been fine. OH well... hindsight is 20/20... not the first time I've said that this week.
In Peanut news, I asked Casey to try to put his head on my tummy and see if he could hear Peanut moving around, and Peanut kicked him in the head!! LOL.. I kind of thought that might happen beforehand, but it was funny that it actually did.
That's all for now. I have work this afternoon, then I have tomorrow and the weekend off. Yay!! We're going to register sometime this weekend!! I'm kind of excited... I know it's going to be a long process, but it'll be fun to actually make some decisions about the baby's room and everything. Things are slowly starting to get done!!
Love,
Ash
Not much is going on other than that. I went to class the last 2 times, then realized when I got there that I didn't need to be there at all. Our teacher was out of town today so we had a sub, and we have 3 lab periods in a row... our next assignment isn't due until next Thursday. This sucks for me because I actually go to class when they aren't taking attendance, and drive all the way out there even though I don't need to because I have Photoshop at home. So next week is the one time I actually DO need to go to lab to print some things for our next assignment. If I would have read my notes, I would have known that I could have basically taken this week off of class and still been fine. OH well... hindsight is 20/20... not the first time I've said that this week.
In Peanut news, I asked Casey to try to put his head on my tummy and see if he could hear Peanut moving around, and Peanut kicked him in the head!! LOL.. I kind of thought that might happen beforehand, but it was funny that it actually did.
That's all for now. I have work this afternoon, then I have tomorrow and the weekend off. Yay!! We're going to register sometime this weekend!! I'm kind of excited... I know it's going to be a long process, but it'll be fun to actually make some decisions about the baby's room and everything. Things are slowly starting to get done!!
Love,
Ash
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Soccer Mom?
Last night, while laying in bed, two things happened. One, Casey got to feel one of the biggest kicks Peanut has done so far (hard enough that it made me jump!) and then, not much afterward, Casey saw my stomach jump when Peanut kicked again! I saw this happen 3 times yesterday. I was laying on my back (found that if I prop my head up while I lay down, Peanut almost always kicks) and watching my stomach, and it bounced!! I can't get over how strange that is!! Now I'm starting to consider early enrollment for Peanut in a peewee soccer league.
So that was a pretty neat achievement. It is the first time Casey was absolutely sure that he felt the baby move. There was no question about it!! :-D
In non-Peanut news, I just started my new schedule for work, and had the day off yesterday. I also have today off, which is nice. In fact, I almost like my job more when I don't go to it as often. My paycheck is going to be significantly smaller, but I think it's good that they are weening me off the schedule. They have to get used to me not being there anymore, at least for awhile. I still don't know if I will go back after the baby is born... we'll see how everything works out. Just glad to have options.
I have a lot to do today, but the nice part is that I got some things done yesterday, too, so it's not all crammed into one day. I think I need a time management coach. I get sucked into things like Facebook, blogging, Photoshop, etc., and lose track of time. That said, I should probably get going, but I wanted to update on the newest Peanut event! It was pretty amazing. :)
Love,
Ash
So that was a pretty neat achievement. It is the first time Casey was absolutely sure that he felt the baby move. There was no question about it!! :-D
In non-Peanut news, I just started my new schedule for work, and had the day off yesterday. I also have today off, which is nice. In fact, I almost like my job more when I don't go to it as often. My paycheck is going to be significantly smaller, but I think it's good that they are weening me off the schedule. They have to get used to me not being there anymore, at least for awhile. I still don't know if I will go back after the baby is born... we'll see how everything works out. Just glad to have options.
I have a lot to do today, but the nice part is that I got some things done yesterday, too, so it's not all crammed into one day. I think I need a time management coach. I get sucked into things like Facebook, blogging, Photoshop, etc., and lose track of time. That said, I should probably get going, but I wanted to update on the newest Peanut event! It was pretty amazing. :)
Love,
Ash
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sleep?
Well, last night was pretty interesting. After a very long, somewhat stressful day, I tried to settle down around 11:30 or 12, but did not have much luck. Case went to bed around midnight, and I tossed and turned for a bit. I was almost asleep when I remembered that Case had asked me to set up the coffee pot so it would start brewing at 5:30 am when he woke up. So I get up and do that. Get back to bed, and actually get to sleep (close to 1:30 at this point), only to wake up at 3:30 because Charley started getting sick. He went outside and ate grass for almost 10 minutes. When I crawled back in bed, Peanut started doing an aerobic workout on my insides... it was pushing really hard on different parts of my stomach, and kicking harder than I remember it kicking before! At one point it almost felt like the head was pressing against just below my ribcage... there was definitely a body part of some kind pushing HARD!!! I wonder if I could have seen something bulging out if I would have been able to look. This went on for awhile. Next thing I know, Casey's alarm is going off. I was then wide awake, so I stayed up watching TV until about 7:30ish. Finally got about 2 more hours of sleep before rolling out of bed. I haven't looked in the mirror yet, but I'm afraid to... the dark circles are probably out of control! VERY glad that I'm not scheduled to work until 1 today...
That's about all I can write for now. A lot went on yesterday, but I don't have the energy to write about it right now. I'll update later. Looking forward to 7:00 tonight when I can come home and attempt to relax again. :)
-Ash
That's about all I can write for now. A lot went on yesterday, but I don't have the energy to write about it right now. I'll update later. Looking forward to 7:00 tonight when I can come home and attempt to relax again. :)
-Ash
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween pics and crib selection
Case and I in our costumes... Michael Myers, and Juno!
We also (finally) bought a crib yesterday! Here's a picture... it's a convertible crib so it will work (theoretically) until Peanut is in college. Glad to have one big items checked off the list!
I'll write more later... it's been an eventful weekend and I'm spent!
Love,
Ash
We also (finally) bought a crib yesterday! Here's a picture... it's a convertible crib so it will work (theoretically) until Peanut is in college. Glad to have one big items checked off the list!
I'll write more later... it's been an eventful weekend and I'm spent!
Love,
Ash
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