A Meme.....

Val tagged me for a meme... I usually forget to do them, but I promised myself that this time I would follow through....

So, here goes.

1. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment letting them know they've been tagged and to ask them to play along and to read your blog.


What I was doing 10 years ago - 1998

- I was attending SIUE and probably hadn't changed my major from nursing to health ed, so I was still taking tons of biology classes that I didn't need.
- I was dating Keith and we were celebrating our one year anniversary.
- I was living with three other girls in an apartment on campus.


Five things on my to-do list today -

1) Watch Keith put the baby's crib together
2) Get maternity clothes packed to return to Tracy this weekend
3) Go to Bible Study tonight
4) Put away laundry that has been sitting in a basket for two weeks
5) Call dietician to schedule my appointment (more on this in a post to come)

Snacks I enjoy -

1) Ice Cream!!!
2) Grapes
3) String Cheese
4) Granola Bars
5) Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Things I would do if I were a billionaire -

1) Pay off our student loans and other debts
2) Buy a house (or build)
3) Pay my family's mortgages/debts off
4) Save for our little girl's college and for our nieces/nephews college
5) Tithe and give a huge chunk to charity
Oh, and if I could pick a 6th one, it would be travel! :)

Five of my bad habits -

1) Pushing the snooze button
2) Interrupting others while they are speaking
3) Not putting away clean laundry (I'm with ya on this one Val!)
4) Reading a good book too quickly- trying to find out what happens next, instead of savoring it!
5) Comparing myself to others, instead of being happy with who I am

Five places I have lived -

1) Fort Campbell, KY
2) Decatur, IL
3) Edwardsville, IL
4) Collinsville, IL
5) St. Louis, MO


Five jobs I've had -

1) bagger at Kroger
2) lifeguard
3) salesperson at Bath and Body Works
4) manager of a salon/spa
5) public health counselor

Five bloggers I tag -

1) Greta
2) Alexis
3) Erin
4) Nicole (where are all those new posts you promised?!?!)
5) Lily Pad Mom

It's time for spring....

I saw this quiz over at I Throw Like a Girl. (ARGH! What is up with my link creator?!? Still not working...)
Thought it was appropriate for springtime!

I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?

Almost 30 Weeks

Baring My Belly

My amazingly talented friend, Val, has offered to do my maternity pictures!!!

I am so excited! She recommended that I be about 32 weeks or so.... which worked out perfectly because we've scheduled the sitting for Sunday April 13. I've seen some of the maternity pictures that she has taken in the past and they are absolutely beautiful! I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to have this time in our life captured on film- and captured by such a creative photographer!!!

I'm hoping that I am courageous enough to show a lil skin (tastefully, of course). I've always been pretty modest, but I am trying to get past that for this sitting and allow her to capture the essence of a pregnant woman's body. Keith told me he would go topless if I did! (Smiles)

I want to link to her professional website, but for some reason I'm unable to create links right now...
So, to check out her maternity pictures (or any of her pictures) go to her website-
www.vwcphotography.com. You can click on portfolio and then choose maternity.

Thanks Val, for finding time to take these pictures for us!!!
I can't wait!

I'm Out of the Loop....

I'll admit, it's been a few years since I dyed Easter Eggs.

Apparently, times have changed! Easter Egg's have gone high-style!

I'm used to the old fashioned looking egg...

You know, a little food coloring or dye. Hey, we even used crayons!
Even this tye-dye method would have been considered fancy when I was younger.

I was looking online and check out Easter Egg decorating ideas now.....





All I can say is WOW! Who knew eggs were so stylin'?

Just a lil conversation.....

Lately, when I talk to my 2 year old nephew on the phone, we have exact same conversation....

Me: "Hi Tucker!"
Tucker: "Where baby at?"
Me: "Baby's in my belly."
Tucker: "Did you eat your baby?"
Me: "No, I didn't eat her, that's where she grows."
Tucker: "You hungry?"
Me: (trying not to laugh each and every time) "No."

It cracks me up! I haven't had him say that to me in person yet, only over the phone. I just love it though....
I've started a journal to Baby, just kind of telling her about the pregnancy and things, and this conversation was one of my entries. I wanted to remember it so we could share it with our daughter and our nephew, when they are both a little older!

Total Money Makeover

As you may know from a previous post, Keith and I have been trying to get our finances in order. Numerous people told us to read Dave Ramsey. We are taking that advice.

I ordered one of his books, Total Money Makeover. Normally, I would not be a person who would read a financial advice book, but I have heard great things about his books, from people at church, other friends, and helpful bloggers! So, we read the intro and first chapter last night. We are planning on reading a chapter together every day and should be finished with the book in 13 weeks. So far, I am really enjoying his writing style. His plan seems simple and do-able, although probably not easy.

We are going to have to learn to live without some of the things that our friends live with. We are going to have to learn to delay gratification. We are going to have to learn to say no. BUT, if we can learn to do these things now, for a short time, we believe that we will benefit from the end results immensely!!!

One big reason we are trying to get money in order is that I am hoping to stay home with our daughter after she is born. It's scary, thinking about going down to one income. But, it is also scary for us to think about leaving our little baby girl with strangers every day. WE want to be the ones to raise our daughter, not a babysitter. If things get too tight, we talked about me getting a little part time job on evenings or weekends, when Keith can be home with her. I think with diligence and much prayer, we can make this work. Again, we won't have the nice clothes, fancy house or many vacations, but we will have what is most important- family.

So, (deep breath), here's to our Total Money Makeover. I'll keep you posted on our progress!

PARTY!!!

(This is a sticky post, new posts will be posted below)
I cannot believe it is time for the Ultimate Blog Party again. Whoo-Hoo!
I joined the Party late last year, so this year I wanted to make sure I arrived early.
Put on your party hats- it's going to be a fun-filled week!

So, a bit about me....
Let's start with the more obvious- I'm a 29 year old wife, daughter, sister, friend and soon to be mommy. (We are expecting our first daughter around June 2). I live in St. Louis, MO. I'm a girl (yes, I still think of myself as a girl- is that strange?) who loves to read, cook, watch movies, buy shoes, and sing loudly in her car. I love God and am striving to grow closer to Him every day.

Hope you'll leave a comment so I can visit your blog and learn a little about you too! Can't wait to meet new bloggin' friends!

Happy Ultimate Blog Party!

Question......

In an attempt to get to know a little bit more about my fellow bloggers, (especially with the Ultimate Blog Party still going strong) here's a question......

If The Amazing Race were to come to your town, what "hot spot" or landmark would they use for a challenge or rest stop?

Since I live in St. Louis, I bet the Amazing Race would use

the Arch,


Anheuser Busch Brewery,


or Forest Park.

Can't wait to find out where you are from!!!

The subtle-ness is gone

Well, it happened.

I've posted a few times about the "filters" people use when speaking to pregnant women. You know, basically saying that you have gotten big, but trying to put a nice spin on it....

Today, that nice spin disappeared.

Someone I used to work with just came up to me and said,
"My, look how fat you've gotten".
What could I say but "Oh, thanks".
She continued to say that I was "positively glowing", but I couldn't get passed the fat comment.

Maybe it is better to hear people ask if I am having twins.

Let me pose a question

I found this site (and then didn't save it), that asks all kinds of questions- a different one for each day.

One of the questions was:

Would you rather only age from the neck up or the neck down?

Hmmmmm......
I think I would rather age from the neck up.

What would you pick?

I am not ashamed.....

I watch American Idol. Yes, I am a 29 year old, pregnant woman who watches this show every week, faithfully.

I've got some favorites for this season....

I've been a fan of Carly Smithson since the beginning. Just something about her won me over during her very first hometown audition.

Another favorite of mine- Brooke White. Again, I've liked her since the beginning. I loved her Carly Simon song two weeks ago and LOVED her Pat Benetar song this week. I think she has a really unique voice and hope to see her get into the Top 12.

Jason Castro has won me over with his style of music and his "shy" attitude. I think he is really in the competition for the singing, not for just stardom. He just seems so humble and the music industry could really use that!

David Archuleta won me over in Hollywood. His big grin and bigger voice have my vote for the Top 12. I think he'll be in this competition for the long run. And, he sang one of my all time favorite songs- Imagine.

I wasn't a fan of David Cook until he made the Top 24. I'm a huge fan now! I think he's another really original musician. Who else could take a Lionel Richie song and put it to an electric guitar?! Loved it!

I really, really, really liked Michael Cook in the beginning. I was completely won over when he did "Bohemian Rhapsody". Unfortunately, that was his best performance for me. He has yet to really wow me since then...

So, c'mon fellow AI watchers... who are you rooting for?

Our weekend

Body Worlds 3 has been in St. Louis at the Science Center for a few months now. As soon as we heard the exhibit was coming to STL, we knew we wanted to go. For whatever reasons, every weekend brought excuses and we never made it. This weekend was the final weekend. We bought tickets for 9:30am Sunday morning.

I'm so glad we had the chance to go. It was really interesting and absolutely amazing to see the human body in such ways. Of course, my personal trainer/Biology teacher husband was uber-excited to see this exhibit! He was in heaven!

I was a little afraid that I would be kind of grossed out, but I wasn't at all. I was most excited to see the fetal development. They showed babies from 5 weeks to 32 weeks, in the different stages of development. I figured that would interest me the most, given my pregnant condition. It ended up being my least favorite part about the exhibit. It made me so sad that the little babies I was looking at didn't make it, didn't have a chance to be born.

But, all in all, we are both glad we went!

It was a beautiful day yesterday- 74 degrees and sunny. Today is dreary and raining, with freezing rain and sleet coming later, switching over to 3-6 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow. Spring cannot come fast enough!