My new baby!

My new baby before my real baby to be used with both my babies!

It's a Cannon Rebel XS 10.1 megapixel...and I LOVE it! At least what I know about it, which isn't much :) I REALLY need and want to take classes to figure out how to use it so I can take cool shots of my kiddos and potentially save money on professional photography sessions! It was a loving anniversary/valentines gift from my wonderful hubby :)

I've wanted one forever...and I mean ever so I'm really excited to learn how to use this bad boy! I remember being little, like 9 or so, and playing with my Dad's old camera winding the film, looking through the lens, pretending to take pics. I've always loved amazing photography and wished I could do that, catching the light just right and the angles to bring out the true beauty of an object or moment. I want to capture what I see with my eyes on film and I'm hoping that with this camera I'm at least on my way to being able to do that...

Hopefully after the baby arrives and we're settled I can sign up for a couple of classes to teach me the ins and outs of the DSLR world!

cross your fingers...kiss your rabbit foot...

Whatever it is you do to bring luck to yourself and others I'd appreciate if you'd do it for us this week! It's been a loooooooooooooong 4 months with Evan out of work...very frustrating when we were told it would only be 3. He's been applying to any contract he feels he qualifies for and following up with phone calls and emails as much as he can without totally being annoying...

Are you lost?

Let me back-track all the way to Oct. 2009...Evan was working a sales job, not the greatest job in regards to compensation but he liked sales and he's pretty good at it. His Dad calls and says he has an opportunity for him that will make him a lot of money, it's a very stable career and something he would enjoy....he had about 30secs to make the decision to quit his sales job, get in the car and drive 8hrs home to Nebraska to start training as a Nuclear Pipe Testor. He was gone from Oct. 21st through Dec. 5th...quite a shock to our family since we were used to getting home at the same time during the week and having all weekend to hang out. He enjoyed it, he did well and was excited about the future...we were told outages for the power plants are March through June and Sept. through Dec. so roughly 8 months of working with 4 months off depending on the contract but looking at a nice salary that would allow me to stay home with the kids and us to live comfortably even during his months off.

Fast forward again to now...April 7th...we're still crossing our fingers, holding our breath, wishing on stars that something will come through.

He's had two promsing phone calls this week, one in Georgia and one in Tennessee. We're hoping upon hope that by Friday he has an offer letter...

We really need it and all the crossed fingers we can get!

I'm ready for a new page!

Time seems to be moving pretty quickly...although now I've said that I'm sure it will just stop! I'm at 33 weeks today and feeling quite enourmous, I don't remember being this big last time but surely must have been, my fundal measurements are measuring perfect so it's not like I'm having a bigger baby this go around or anything different, err scratch that I was up quite a few pounds when I got pregnant this time as opposed to when I got pregnant last time so that could be some of the problem...Evan keeps commenting that I'm bigger and his ever so lovely "its going to be a 13lber" remarks drive me quite crazy! Maybe a bit bigger than Kaitlyn but I don't think much, for some reason 7lbs 13ozs comes to mind and 20inches...Kait was 7lbs 3.75 ozs and 19.25 inches...we shall see :)
Here is my montrocity (is that how you spell it? never was a good speller!) of a belly last week at 32wks, I'll take another one next week once we hit 34wks...

Also somewhere along the line I developed a rear end...something I've never had before! And yes I take these in the bathroom at work, I'm there, the mirror is clean unlike the rest of the bathroom and its full length so why not? :)

We've also finally decided on a name but thought it would be kind of fun to keep it a surprise for most people until the day he arrives! Since it took us a good 12 weeks to come up with a name we love I don't wish to have any "oh" type comments...not that it's a weird name or anything but you know some people just can't fake that reaction like they should! ;)
So 8 of our friends know plus our parents and my youngest sister, haven't told Bear yet but we haven't talked recently for me to bring it up...so unless it's been mentioned by the rest of the family she can be surprised too! Although I think Mum's told Gran, who's probably told the Kennedy crew...I don't mind a bit if family knows though! :)

I'm looking forward to tomorrow at 4pm when I can switch the calendar over to April, ready to see the next page and get closer to the arrival of my son and the completion of our family...

Spring are you there? maybe?

Today hasn't been the best of days, it's our 2 yr anniversary that ended before it even started since my "lovely" husband was a jerk all day yesterday and escalated into an even bigger jerk last night. So I didn't wake up with a "happy anniversary, love you babe" I woke up to my alarm, got dressed kissed my angel goodbye and came into work...didn't even set eyes on the husband. Since today was supposed to be a nice, enjoyable, reflection day and instead it went down the pooper I decided I needed to enjoy myself anyway and grabbed lunch at Panera...okay between the Panera Bacon Turkey Bravo and Jason's Deli California Club I could live happily and not eat anything different ever again and nope it's not just pregnancy hormones talking...I've loved these sandwiches since discovery probalby 5 yrs plus years ago! JUST YUM!

Escaped from my work torture chamber and drove out to get my Bacon Turkey Bravo deliciousness! When I got back I decided last minute to sit outside and enjoy the 60 plus degree weather and amazingly clear Denver skies. Since moving into our new office we have an awesome front garden area complete with water fountain and picnic tables...in the middle of the DTC it's a nice change from building upon building! We have a nice little view off to one side that is almost building free...it was a nice relaxing 15-20mins minus the odd Indian lady who felt the need to stare at me the whole time!?!

Now my calendar in the office says Spring officially started on Saturday and I'd believe them if not 15mins after coming back in from lunch I got a beep on my phone from weather bug saying "storm warning" through tomorrow evening and snow predicted...but wait I really should belive the calendar b/c I live in the state of Colorado and Spring time means any temp from 30 degrees to 70 degrees!

So maybe it really is Spring and I just have to enjoy the weather as it comes :)

NCAA Tournament time!

I'm kind of into sports...I mean I grew up an athlete I get the dedication, the thrill, the goal, the teamwork, etc Although these days I watch sports more than I actually participate but it's still gives me a bit of an adreneline rush from my comfy spot on the couch, holding my breath waiting for the next goal! I don't really have a "team" except I'll stay true to the Broncos, typically at the beginning of a game I choose who I want to win and root for them. Makes it more fun that way, I usually like the underdogs too :)

March Madness is here again, one of my friend's favorite time of year okay who am I kidding probably 90% of males fav. time of year, we pull out the brackets and start selecting. My selection process goes like this, cool school name, recognize said school, underdog, ranking, record...most of the time for some unknown reason I am right much to my husbands dismay! Usually we end up with 2 or 3 brackets each and closely watch the games and give each other a hard time when the team they picked falls out of the tournament. It's all in good fun and quite an interesting, heart racing time :)

p.s so far I have a perfect bracket too...

Slings/Wraps/Carriers

Which way to carry a child, that's comfortable and safe for all? Having baby #2 on the way this is a big question of mine. I want to be able to comfortably carry him around, making sure he's secure and safe and still be able to actively keep up with my 2.5 yr old who will almost be 3 by the time her brother arrives!

I've heard wonderful things about a Moby Wrap and it's currently at the top of the list...everyone raves about it!

Get on board with the Moby Wrap!!

http://www.natalienortonphoto.com/2010/02/giveaway-gavins-favorite-things-moby.html

14 more weeks!

Until we add to our family...nervous, excited, scared, happy...all of the above! Not only are we adding to the family but it's a boy...wth do you do with a boy? LOL girls I know, I am one, I have one, I have two sisters...girls I get. Boys are a whole new universe! One I'm anxious to figure out but know I will in time :) It will be nice when I have a complete pain (in the butt) 15yr old daughter and cool as can be 12yr old son to look back at this post and say universe smuniverse boys are great...except for the whole sinky socks thing which this mama doesn't do!
We have everything (ahem almost everything) set for his arrival, clothing, bed, swing, all the bits and pieces needed. Thanks to my hubby who let me shop and my wonderful friend Courtney who gave me all her son's hand-me downs!
Now just to see how much longer my body can handle this baby...already feeling huge and sore, waddle is in full effect, back aches from my ever growing chest, hips are killing me and now sleeping has become a challenge...bubs is definitely up around 5am because he kicks me like crazy and I am now awake on and off from about 5am making the days loom ahead and the 2-4pm hours a struggle!

Back to the having "everything" ready for baby...all the materialistic stuff, only thing really missing which he might actually need is a NAME! We just cannot agree, everything I love he hates and vice versa! We both semi like one name but I just don't know if I want to settle, I'm still convinced there is the perfect name out there for our little man we just haven't stumbled across it yet. We need to wipe our slates clean and start over again, my mission this weekend is to find a HUGE book of baby boy names and go through and make a list of my top 10, excluding all prior suggestions...which is going to be a tough challenge.

Thank goodness we have 14 more weeks :)