Saturday, December 31, 2011

a goodbye of sorts.

i've been thinking lately about what i want this blog to be.  i've debated before about what to do with this blog and my motivations for keeping it have always been that i like having something to document our lives with.  however what i don't like about blogging is the fact that i feel like i have to censor what i post since it's available for all the world to read.  

i've decided to go ahead and make this a private blog for myself and friends and family.
this way i can still use it to document our lives and for people who live far away from us current with what's going on in our lives.
there's not really a whole point in keeping this public since i really suck at being a part of the blogging community.  and with the arrival of avery i don't see myself spending a lot of time on the computer unless i'm working.  

so, if you would like to continue to read send me an email or leave me a comment and i'll send you the password once i make it private (after jan 1st).  

and to everyone else, goodbye and thanks for reading!

Friday, December 30, 2011

She's here!

Avery2

meet avery nicole.  
she arrived december 20th and it wasn't a huge surprise to find out that our surprise baby was a she (charlie's hunch all along).  
getting her here was quite the experience and we're both so happy that she's a healthy baby.
we've been spending our time getting to know her, celebrating the holidays, and introducing her to family.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Dunkers.

i really do love this dog.
even when he sleeps on the couch.
although i love him more when he sleeps on the floor.

Friday, December 16, 2011

happy friday.

as of today i'm on maternity leave.  except i have no baby.  my boss has told me that i'm welcome to come into work next week, and while i'm sure most people think i'm crazy for considering it, i just might work a few more days.work has been a very welcome distraction these past few weeks when it seems that all i can think about and all people want to talk about is when this baby is going to come.  the thing is, i don't know when that's going to be and i've been very happy to have some place to go that keeps me busy all day long and doesn't give me time to think about the fact that we still have no baby.  the thing is, this baby is still less than two weeks overdue.  i think it just seems so much longer because ever since i hit 37 weeks people have been saying "any day now".  and when you're thinking it's going to be any day, a month can go by pretty slowly.  the good news is that the baby's fine, i'm fine, and if it were up to me i'd be happy to let it take it's time.  however i don't think my doctor is going to let it take too much more time.  

as a result of this baby being late, we've had a few people cancel or postpone trips to come and visit.
while on one hand it's a relief not to have to entertain visitors who were expecting a baby, it also makes me sad that we're not going to see some people.  i was really looking forward to spending time with family.  i'm definitely going to miss our usual christmas visit with my family.  while i knew it would be different this year with a new baby, i was still looking forward to seeing everyone.  now, we're going to have a really new baby and will definitely be missing our usual celebrations.

i've had several people tell me not to let the baby be born too close to christmas, as if i have any control over when this baby is going to come.  i also like the thought that i'm somehow ruining this baby's future birthdays by "letting" it be born so late.  yes i'm sure it sort of sucks to have a combo birthday/christmas celebration, but maybe it will just make this time of year that much more exciting.  charlie's birthday is the 17th and he seems to have survived just fine.  

meanwhile, these things are making me pretty happy right now.

Bo.
a sleeping cat.

Living room.
a christmas tree.

Donuts I've been craving for 9 months.
donuts.  i've been wanting a donut for 9 months and finally caved. 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

things i couldn't have survived pregnancy without

since i'm still pregnant i figured i'd make good use of my time and make a list of the things that were super helpful to me during the last few months.
Henry + baby

... apples
... yogurt.  specifically this yogurt.  yes, i eat kid yogurt.
...  mamma bee belly butter.
...  naps.
...  old navy tank tops and shirts.  super cheap and super comfy.
...  peppermint tea.
...  walks with the dogs.
...  an awesome yoga tape.  this one is free on netflix streaming and helped a lot with sciatica.
...  ice cream.
...  peanut butter.  it is sad how much of this i eat.
...  honey.  my breakfast every day is yogurt and a peanut butter and honey sandwich.
...  decaf coffee.  just as good as the real deal.
...  water.
...  american eagle jeans.  i'm still wearing these at 41 weeks. and i'm sure i'll be wearing them afterwards, too.
...  also these jeans and these, although i didn't wear either of them until the last month.
...  my rainbows in the summer.
...  toms in the fall.
...  minnetonkas in the winter.
...  hot chocolate.
...  this website and this one for weekly updates.  totally made my every wednesday.
... charlie.  he's assembled furniture, hung curtains and pictures, taken late night walks with me, made numerous trips to babies 'r us (more than i have), washed clothes and baby stuff, moved lots of furniture, done the majority of the cleaning, and he's also pretty excited to meet this baby.


and now i'm so over being pregnant.  although i'm thinking this baby is going to end up being more of a christmas baby than a thanksgiving baby.  or maybe it's really just holding out for charlie's birthday.  at this point i'd take a double birthday in this house because it would mean it coming sooner rather than later.  either way we're looking at a baby before christmas.  i'm trying to stay positive.  and the later this baby comes the longer my leave will be in the spring.  i'm just thankful that i have a job that's been flexible with my final days, otherwise i would have wasted a whole lot of leave waiting around.  it's been nice to have somewhere to go, something to do, and something to take my mind off of the fact that this baby hasn't come yet.            

Monday, December 12, 2011

it's the little things ...

Mantle. Where is baby A?

...  christmas decorations.
...  pancakes and coffee.
...  clean laundry.
...  watching the broncos win.  again.
...  night time walks.
...  christmas trees in windows.
...  bison chili. 
...  christmas cookies.
...  napping with henry.
...  christmas music.
...  charlie's birthday in less than a week.
...  wrapped presents.
...  3 day weekends.
  ...  home.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

still no baby.

yes, that's right.  4 days past baby a's due date and s/he's still not here.
i realize 4 days is nothing in the big scheme of things but these past 4 days have seemed like a month.  
i was really hoping to be at home with a baby on maternity leave at this point but i'm sure come february i'll be glad for the few extra days.  

we've been ready for this baby for the past month, which has made the time go even slower.
all the clothes are washed, our bags are packed, the carseat's installed, christmas presents have been bought and wrapped, and the house is clean (for now).  

charlie has completely lost all patience, but obviously he's going to have to wait a bit longer.  
i don't feel like this kid is coming any time soon.  

in the meantime we've been distracting ourselves with nighttime walks.
i love wandering around the neighborhood now that everyone has their christmas lights up.
  
Late night walk.

i've been baking lot of christmas cookies.
charlie ate 10 the first night.

Christmas cookies.

he's also officially obsessed with words with friends.
i find this ironic for as many times as he's refused to play scrabble with me.

Words with friends obsessed.

napping and cleaning have also proved to be excellent distractions.  
the dogs are pros at the napping.
i have a feeling henry's going to spend a lot of time awake once we bring this baby home so hopefully he'll be well rested.  i'm also hoping he calms down pretty quickly.  


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

it's the little things ...

Tag.

...  relaxing weekends.
...  watching tebow win again.
...  potroast on a snowy sunday.
...  waking up to snow on a saturday morning and playing with the pups and charlie.
...  friday night movies.
...  watching it's a wonderful life.
...  free video chats.
...  working from home on a monday morning.
...  listening to christmas music while eating dinner.
...  chocolate chip cookies.
...  coming home to leftovers on a monday night.
...  baths.
...  clean sheets.
...  how extremely lazy henry is.
...  stockings hanging on the mantle.
...  when it's freezing out but my car's in the garage.
...  re-reading a really good book.
...  playing scrabble with charlie.

Monday, December 5, 2011

lately ...

Saturday morning snow.


...  there's been lots of snow.
... we've been listening to christmas music.
...  my snow boots have turned out to be the best investment ever.
...  i can no longer zip up any of my jackets which is no fun when temperatures are in the single digits.
...  long walks have been my favorite part of the weekend afternoons.
...  the dutch oven and crock pot have been involved in all meals.
...  charlie and i have been enjoying monday lunch dates.
...  henry has been staring out the window.
...  we've been waiting and waiting for this baby to come.
...  i'm getting more anxious to find out what this kid's middle name will be.
...  sweatpants and yoga pants have been the only thing i wear on the weekends.
...  toby has been sleeping under the covers at night.
...  i'm loving coming home to walked dogs and a christmas tree.
...  winter hats have once again made an appearance.
...  ollie has been sleeping under the christmas tree.  

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

it's the little things in life ...

He will steal all your cheese.
cheese monster.

...  a relaxing thanksgiving.
... a delicious thanksgiving dinner.
...  afternoon naps on the couch.
...  late afternoon walks with the dogs when everyone's putting out their christmas decorations.
...  seeing christmas trees lit up in windows.
...  a clean car.
...  listening to christmas music while putting up decorations.
...  4 days of hanging out with charlie.
...  supporting local businesses on small business saturday.
... finishing christmas shopping in november.
...  christmas shopping with charlie during our one trip to the mall.
...  having the broncos win.  again.
...  cheese and crackers.
...  thanksgiving leftovers.
...  monday lunch dates.
...  falling asleep watching a movie on the couch.
...  a clean house.
...  finding christmas decorations i forgot we had.
...  cheese and crackers.
...  grocery shopping on a sunday night when no one else is in the store.
... caramel pie.
...  watching the macy's day parade while drinking coffee.
...  hot chocolate.

Monday, November 28, 2011

it's the most wonderful time ...

it's officially christmas time.  
which in our house starts the day after thanksgiving and usually lasts until we get enough motivation to take down our decorations sometime after new years.  i think last year we had our christmas tree up until the 10th or so.  why is it that taking decorations down is never as fun as putting them up?  
anyway, in our usual tradition we decorated on friday while listening to christmas music.  
charlie has officially started listening (he always waits until after thanksgiving unlike me) and has even banned my iPod from our dock because 'his christmas list is much better than mine'.  

Tree climbing.

our tree is set up in the corner as always and it's been a challenge to keep the cats out of it.  they like to climb halfway up and then sleep in the branches, destroying ornaments as they climb.  ollie's eyeing the tree in this picture.  he especially likes to break as many of the glass balls as he can.

Santa dog.

the santa hat made an appearance before it became our tree topper.  neither dog is that fond of it.  henry tries to destroy it like it's one of his toys.  

Tumbling santas.

the tumbling santas were a gift from my mom and are my favorite christmas decoration of all. 

Christmas tree is up.

along with climbing and breaking ornaments the tree is ollie's favorite place to sleep.
he's officially given up the blanket on the couch now that he has his tree to sleep under.
and it doesn't matter if we put presents underneath, he'll just knock them out of the way.

in other news we've officially checked everything off of our 'to do before baby' list.  the clothes are washed, we have a doctor (finally), the room's all set up, our bags are packed, we're pre-registered at the hospital, the carseat's installed, we even have a stocking for him/her.  all we need now is a baby.  any day now.  whenever you're ready.  sometime in the next 2 weeks would be nice ...

Sunday, November 27, 2011

thanksgiving.

thanksgiving break is probably my most favorite time of the year.  
for one it's the longest break i get from work (reason number 1 why i miss teaching), it involves lots of cooking and eating, relaxing, napping, christmas decorating, days of thanksgiving leftovers, afternoon walks with the dogs, and spending time with charlie.  

on thanksgiving charlie and i watched the macy's day parade and then started cooking.  
we had made caramel pie and rice balls the night before and on thanksgiving we made smothered brie for an appetizer, stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and of course a turkey.  
on thursday we put the turkey in the oven and then both took a nap on the couch.  i don't think there's anything better than waking up to the smell of a cooking turkey.  
we also video chatted with our families back in MD. 

Thanksgiving turkey.

our turkey.  it fell apart a bit while i was getting it out of the pan, but tasted fine.

Video chatting w/family.
video chatting with family.  apparently charlie really liked the wine he was drinking.


Caramel pie.
caramel pie.  no disasters this time.


Dunkin loves turkey.
this is what happens when you feed dogs turkey.  they beg.  

Friday, November 25, 2011

i am thankful for ...

My boys.


...  my family.  the one i was born into and the one we're creating now.
...  walks with my dogs.
...  naps with the cats.
...  my job.
...  peanut butter.
...  itunes.
...  mountains that are 15 minutes away.
...  spending thanksgiving with the one i love the most and being able to video chat with the ones we miss.
...  our home.  
...  coming home to my husband every day.
...  decaf coffee.
...  my crock pot.
...  books.
...  our tea kettle.
...  weekend vacations with my husband.
...  visits from family and friends.
...  facebook chat, gchat, and email.
...  the 2011 holiday season. 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

it's the little things in life ...

Sunday morning panera.


...  a monday off.
... sunday morning breakfast at panera.  we used to do this all the time and i miss it.
...  having our thanksgiving shopping done by the weekend.
...  seeing old friends.
...  target.
...  having no clothes in the laundry basket.
...  walking the dogs at dusk.
...  taking a nap on the couch with the cat.
...  moving furniture around.
...  christmas decorations in denver.
...  having the mountains get snow.
...  feeling this baby move all day long.
...  checking things off lists.
...  ipods.
...  when charlie charges my phone for me.
...  leftovers.
...  how i met your mother on monday nights.
...  no cable in the house.
...  when henry sleeps in the baby's room.
...  short work weeks.
...  candy canes.
...  peppermint tea.

Monday, November 21, 2011

things lately

...  i am off today, which is awesome.  i can't imagine how much better life would be if i never worked mondays.  i'm also really looking forward to thanksgiving.  we're planning on watching the macy's day parade, cooking all day like we did last year, and then spending the rest of the day eating.  i think we should have thanksgiving once a month.  

...  i made these donut muffins last week.  they weren't very donuty at all, but they were pretty good.  i'm thinking about making these pumpkin cheesecake muffins today, although i don't know if i want them in the house before thanksgiving.  
Donut muffins.

...  the nursery is pretty much done.  done as in i've stopped doing anything else in it.  i should probably take pictures before we have this baby and it becomes a disaster zone.  

...  speaking of babies.  we have the carseat installed, our bags are packed, and we're as ready as we're going to be.  i really wish i could pick the due date because i think just not knowing when it's going to come is starting to drive me crazy.  as much as i know it's still doing fine and all the growing it's doing now will be good in the long run i'm ready for it to come now.

...  i've been attempting to do a project 365 via flickr.  although i'm playing by my own rules because i've definitely missed a few days and there are probably too many pictures of the animals but honestly, after being at work all day they're usually the most interesting thing to take pictures of.  it's sort of crazy to see how quickly the seasons have changed in such a short time.

...  i'm ready for some snow and cold.  it's supposed to be almost 70 on thanksgiving which is just crazy.  
So ready for some snow.

...  charlie's been doing so much around the house lately.  it makes me so grateful that i married a guy who picks up half of the housework especially with me being pregnant, he's been doing all of the 'hard' chores, which makes it a lot easier on me.  


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

it's the little things ...

Henry in the snow.
watching henry run around in the snow.

...  a relaxing weekend.
...  an extra hour on sunday. the perfect day to have an extra hour.
...  making the final to do lists before this baby comes. 
...  christmas shopping.  in november!
...  the snow we've had lately.  makes winter not seem so bad yet.
...  watching the broncos on sunday.  especially when they win.
...  starbucks christmas cups.
...  space heaters.
...  a clean apartment.
...  charlie's last week of travel for a while.
...  afternoon naps.
...  finding easy recipes. 
...  an empty dishwasher.
...  when charlie takes the recycling out.
...  pizza on a friday night.
...  2 weeks until thanksgiving!
...  snow boots.  they're amazing.
...   a movie on a sunday night.
...  sunday walks with the pups.
...  quiet saturday mornings.

Monday, November 7, 2011

cookies and a crock pot.

i have a confession to make.  
i've never made chocolate chip cookies.  
i realized this the other day and then decided that i had to fix that.
and then i found this recipe on pinterest, which is incidentally the same exact recipe that my mom used when i was growing up.  and unlike me, she made chocolate chip cookies all.the.time..
also, i had a lot of pudding mix so i figured this was a good recipe to make.  
and it was.  
i accidentally added an extra egg.  apparently i can't tell the difference between 2 and 3, but they still tasted just fine.  

Cookies!
all ready to go to the oven.

Cookies.

and then charlie came home from the gym and ate 5 of them.  

in other exciting food news i've been looking for more crock pot recipes because 1. they are awesome 2. they are easy and 3.  i figure they'll come in handy with a new baby.  

i found a few that i'm attempting to try, but i made this recipe for chicken on sunday night.  
it was my first time actually putting raw meat in the crock pot but it turned out really well.  
if you're looking to make it i will say that it cooked really fast.  i'd definitely cook it on low the whole time next time but there definitely will be a next time.  i'm thinking that chicken chili might be next.  

Thursday, November 3, 2011

it's the little things ...

Bo


...  it's november!  which means thanksgiving and a baby very soon.
...  watching the dogs run around in the snow.  
...  listening to christmas music.  because it's cold, and snowing, and i want to.
...  having charlie home after being gone all week.
...  when i actually cook dinner and get to eat the leftovers all week long.
...  eating lunch outside and enjoying the last of the warm weather.
... parking my car in the garage. 
...  lazy sundays. 
...  meeting a new baby.
...  reading in bed.
...  afternoon naps. 
...  a clean apartment.
...  a random day off.
...  no cable.
...  clean laundry.
...  finally coming up with a baby name we both agree on.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

halloween-ish.

i never was a fan of halloween until charlie and i started our 'tradition' of carving pumpkins and making riceballs.  i think it's because after i turned 12 i always sort of hated dressing up and after i graduated college i've sot of hated bars filled with drunk people. 
anyway this halloween was no different.  we carved pumpkins, roasted seeds, and charlie made riceballs.  
i also dressed henry up as a squirrel for about 3 minutes and he hated ever second of it.  

Riceballs.
warning: these are not healthy.  but they are delicious.

Punkins.
i have no idea what these cutouts are supposed to be.  actually, the one on the right is supposed to be "bat kitty" whatever that is.  and i have no idea about the one on the left.  

i think the best part about the weekend was enjoying the last of the warm weather that we're going to get.  
i never mind snow as much when i know it's going to be in the 60s after instead of sitting on the ground for 6 months. 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

things i love about fall ...

since the snow came and pretty much ended fall in a few hours i figured i better come up with my little things (fall edition) before i couldn't remember what fall was like.
of course we're due for more snow tomorrow and saturday and charlie has managed to miss all storms by traveling to tropical places like arizona and california.  and then he calls me when he lands in denver and is all 'oh no, i only packed flip flops and shorts and it's so cold'.  it's hard to feel bad for him when i'm scraping snow off my car and attempting to get the dogs to stop running around in the snow and come inside because it's freezing.  this is why we need a yard or for charlie to be home and play with them. 

anyway, this is why fall is awesome:
October leaves.

...  pretty leaves. 
...  yellow aspen trees. 
...  perfect temperature weather.  cold enough to wear jeans and a sweater but not cold enough for jackets.
...  drinking tea at night.
...  hot apple cider. 
...  pumpkin pancakes, and cupcakes, and cakes, and bread. 
...  throwing an extra blanket on the bed.
...  crunchy leaves on the ground. 
...  jack-o-lanterns.
...  kids in costumes.  (not the 18 year olds that dressed up in miniskirts and tried to get candy)
...  apple pies. 
...  chili (or anything) in the crockpot. 
...  mums. one year i will actually get some. 
...  roasting pumpkin seeds.  
...  afternoon walks while the sun is setting.
...  when there's snow in the mountains and sun in denver.
...  getting dark early enough to justify and early bedtime. 
...  riceballs on halloween.
...  dressing henry up in his costume.  yes, he was a squirrel again.  although he's getting a little fat for it.
...  boots. 
...  scarves. 
...  cozy weekends when you're happy to be back inside after a walk or two. 
...  football.  aka watching the broncos lose. 
...  fall tv.  i watch 1 show, but i'm always glad to have it back.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

it snowed ...

maybe not as much as they were predicting, but still a decent enough amount.  especially for october.  
and the best thing is that it didn't really stick to the roads, which made me very happy.Didn't even get a chance to fall.

the dogs were especially happy to see the snow.  henry most of all.  this morning i told him that 'it snowed' and he ran to the window and spent the rest of the morning whining until i took him outside.  

he was very impressed with this stick that he found.
Stick.

but was happy enough to run around with dunkin before the 'stick' fell off the tree.
Tag.

and once he was inside he spent the rest of the day staring at his beloved snow
Snowflake watching.

i never mind the first snow of the year.  it's always sort of charming.  between the snow, hot apple cider, and a grilled cheese sandwich with avocado and tomato it was a pretty good day.  
the only thing that was missing was charlie who is playing golf in 90 degree arizona right now.  
he was pretty jealous that we were getting snow and he wasn't.  i think he's one of the few people who would pick snow over golf and sun.  

Friday, October 21, 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011

it's the little things ...


... chili in the crock pot on a cold, rainy day
... leaves changing colors
... tea in bed with a book
... dogs chewing on bones
... cuddling with a cat at night
... no more cable (bye comcast)
... warm fall weather
... charlie reading baby books
... seeing pumpkins everywhere
... my new phone.
... getting our chair for the nursery
... christmas music. i waited until october this year.
... fall magazines.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

weekend.

we had such a relaxing weekend.
which was much needed after a week that seemed never ending.

on friday night charlie and i ran some errands, split an appetizer that was our dinner, and then came home to relax with the animals.
Friday night bone
henry was enjoying his bone.

saturday and sunday were a mix of running more errands, cleaning, grocery shopping, and attending our last baby class at the hospital.  our biggest event for the weekend was getting rid of our cable.  i think i'll miss hgtv and charlie will definitely miss having his pick of football to watch on the weekends, but hopefully we'll read some more books, spend more time eating together, and watch less completely unnecessary tv.

we also took some time this weekend to play with the dogs a bit.  it's starting to look like fall around here even if it doesn't feel like it.

Dublin
taking a break from playing ball.

Henry and me
oh, and the baby is definitely growing like crazy these days.
less than 2 months! and still so much to do ...

Thursday, October 6, 2011

the long dirt road

"peace.  it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hardwork.  it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

it's the little things ...

happy dog

...  bedtime tea.  in bed.
...  leaves changing colors.
...  hotels that are pet friendly.
...  charlie fixing the garage door openers.
...  the dogs chewing on bones.  
...  a random day off of work.
...  hot chocolate.
...  eating ice cream for dinner.
...  a sandwich after a hike.
...  hiking through yellow aspen trees.
...  avocados. 
...  snuggling with the dogs.
...  cooler weather.
...  free shipping.
...  barnes and noble gift cards.
...  a very relaxing weekend.
...  fall in the mountains.
...  cleaning the garage.  again.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

roadtrip

i'm pretty sure that half the fun of going somewhere is getting there.
not the driving.  i let charlie do that.  but some of the prettiest scenery is from our house to our destination.  and some of the most fun we have is in the car.


idaho sprigns

green mountain res


aspens

colorado