life and love in the south

Valentine Love

2012-02-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

I love Valentine's Day. The color pink, hearts, candy, cute little love quotes; it is definitely a girls holiday.

I decorate for it in January right after Christmas.

I found the cute little pink plates with trees at one of my favorite thrift stores for $1.25 for 4.

The little mailboxes are from the Target dollar section. I decorated them with puffy heart stickers (who doesn't love puffy hearts). If Colton has a good day I put something little inside like stickers, lollipops, crayons and put his flag up. He gets so excited when he notices the flag up. Its been fun to do this with him to help teach him about good behavior and rewards. Jason has one too and sometimes we fill each others up with little things. However, he abuses it and puts my flag up when nothing is in the box. It's very disappointing when I look in there and it is empty. He thinks it is hilarious. I pay him back by placing things he needs in his (car keys, bills, etc) and then quietly laugh while he looks all over the house for his items. It's the little things that entertain us. HA!

I found the owl vase at Carolina Pottery. He has been making appearances throughout the house since he came to live with us.

I made Colton's Valentines for his class. I found the little boxes in the Target dollar section. They are filled with stickers, a lollipop and an eraser. Colton helped by placing stickers on the homemade tags.

We are all ready for Feb. 14th.

Long time

2012-02-08T13:23:00.000-05:00

So....forgot about the blog for a LONG time. After much nagging from my mother I will restart this record of my life. I apologize for not posting and can give a long list of excuses but lets just forgive and forget.

Over the last year or so a lot has happened.

Colton had his first birthday party. It was superhero themed. Lots of fun and we had adult fun later that evening.

after his cake

the adult piñata that was filled with plastic mini liquor bottles (highly recommend playing this game)

Summer came and blew by in now time.

Fall came with Halloween thrown in the mix.

Christmas creep up and hit us with a bang (still trying to organize my house after that holiday).

And now we are caught up.

I won't make promises about how frequently I will update this. I do have a lot of things going on in the way of crafts, decorating the house, cooking, etc. Hopefully I can share soon!

Nine Months Tomorrow

2010-09-29T15:59:00.000-04:00

The cutest little mohawk entered my life...

Tear...

The Blahs

2010-09-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

My camera died.

I am sick with a cold.

Colton is teething.

And my husband is mowing the yard. Seriously. All.the.time.

Those are my excuses for no blog updates.

I have the sicky ickys. Yep. Its a real medical diagnosis. I am a nurse.

Trust Me!

Be back when I get my life together.

MotherHood Monday

2010-09-06T10:07:00.002-04:00

Colton's Favorite Shows

Colton watches television at certain times of day. I have become accustomed to a lot of Nick Jr. TV programs and even enjoy watching them sometimes. Some of our favs:

1. Blues Clues

I don't love watching this show but Colt enjoys it sooooo much. The episodes with Steve freak me out because all I can see is this:

This is him after he left the show and tried to be a Rock Star...FREAKY!

Joe is a little bit better but I still think he is a little strange to be acting like a 2 year old.

2. Yo Gabba Gabba

First, whoever writes this show does acid and a lot of other drugs. Seriously the episodes can only be written and understood while on drugs. If I did drugs this would be the show to watch!

DJ Lance is hilarious. Colton loves the music. The celebrities all do this show as well and its fun for adults to see actors doing a "Dancy Dance". Its the new Sesame Street.

3. Olivia

My husband and I actually find ourselves watching this show even when Colton goes to bed. I don't know why but it draws us in. We are such dorks for watching a show with talking pigs!

4. Jack's Big Music Show

Puppets and music. Nuff said!

5. The Fresh Beat Band

This is a little old for Colton but he enjoys shows with music. He loves watching people play instruments and even sings along. Well, if you call "lagalaga" singing.

Most of the shows Colt enjoys watching involve music. All of them are educational in some way and Jason and I don't mind watching them either.

Get Excited

2010-09-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

My favorite time of year is about to kick in.

Football!!!!!

Football is huge in this house, more NFL than college but its all football to us.

My husband loves the Redskins but fortunately for this Panthers fan we live in North Carolina and get to see them more.

Jason will be going to a Redskins game this year and its still up in the air if I will get to go see my Panthers.

We also will be going to some Duke football games too. I am excited to bring Colton and get him exposed to football early on so he can enjoy it too.

We are also part of a Fantasy Football League (yes, I am the only girl but I still kick butt and usually place pretty high). Jason would love to get the NFL package but it is like somewhere around 250 bucks for the season and I don't know if it is worth it since a lot of the games we like can be seen on regular channels.

I am also excited this year because I can wear my jerseys again since I am not pregnant. I had to retire them last year but like Brett Favre I brought them back since I can wear them again.

Are you ready for some football??!!!??

Will the Real Slim Shady Please...

2010-08-27T22:00:00.001-04:00

Put a pacifer in your mouth...

Sadly I think I have made a big mistake. As my loving husband put it, "You have introduced our son to probably the raunchiest rapper out in the music industry." Parenting Fail!

Let me explain. Sometimes while driving I flip through my CD changer and don't realize what is playing while Colton is in the car. Unfortunately (for him not me because I really like the CD) I have the new Eminem in my disc player.

Not.One.Clean.Song.On.It.

So, I play music, get into it and then realize, ummm maybe not appropriate for my child. It is so hard to change my music listening habits for him. I love all kinds of music and so does Jason. I feel like he will be a well versed child in the art of music. His father is even musically talented. (I like to think I was with my few years of violin and I even learned how to play a recorder when I was little...Haha). So we would love for him to be a fan of all things music.

Anyways, back to the point. One day while driving in the car he got a little cranky in the back. I turned the music on and started to jam out singing to him just to see if it would quite him. Shockingly, it did!

The song: Love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna

Colt got so into it that he was actually singing. Well, yelling and cooing is singing to him but his voice is beautiful to me.

The other day we are in the car and he starts to get really cranky again. I tell Jason to turn the cd player on and go to song 15. What happens; instant silence from Colton as soon as the song comes on. Jason realizes what just happened and what song is playing and congratulates me on earning the Mother-of-the-Year award (just kidding; he was just shocked that the song worked to soothe him). This is the only song that does it for him in the car. I do not know why and I know it is not good for him to listen to some of the lyrics. The only way I make myself feel better about letting him listen to the song is that I claim he only listens to the chorus because that is the cleanist part.

Note to self: Clean out CD collection in car and replace with classical CDs.

A fat kid loves....

2010-08-25T22:52:00.001-04:00

KRISPY KREME

Colton was super excited with a trip to this doughnut shop. He does not even eat doughnuts but the smile on his face is priceless. Maybe he is practicing for when he finally gets to eat a real sweet treat.

Motherhood Monday

2010-08-23T16:09:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just have to give in and let boys be boys. Or babies be babies.

Case in point: When I need some time to do something around the house and still need to keep Colton occupied I utilize lunch time and the high chair.

How?

I let my child play with his food.

Yes, I know it is not good table manners,but he is 7 months and table manners are far from his scope of understanding. Plus, I get a few minutes to empty dishwasher, take trash out, etc.

He loves it. He splashes and flings it everywhere. I put the highchair in the middle of the kitchen so that the food flings on surfaces that are easy to wipe and not my carpets. I also love the tray on the chair because it is removable and can come clean in the sink.

Note: Doing this around dinner time works well because then it is straight to the bath!

I love a good food fight!

And the saga continues...

2010-08-22T15:45:00.001-04:00

My child is in a daycare a few days a week. He is exposed to other children and loves to play with them. However I have found that he is still learning what the word "Sharing" means. I will demonstrate what I mean in pictures:

"Yay! Toys!"

"ALL MINE"

"You want to share?"

"PLEEEAASSE"

"Nope, mine!"

"AWWW MAN"

"Hand over the juice and no one gets hurt"

"I will defeat you"

Learning how to share is a priority in this house!

Vacation Holiday

2010-08-20T15:44:00.000-04:00

Its all I ever wanted!

Our vacation was great. We spent a lot of time on the beach. Myrtle Beach is nice because it is family friendly and not too crowded. I grew up on a beach and since we moved I have missed it a lot. It was really nice to have a hotel on the oceanfront. Sitting on the balcony and listening to the waves was amazing.

Here are some beach pics:

We did a lot of eating (we even did Medieval Times which is definitely cheesy but totally fun to do once. Unfortunately my camera battery died and I could not get pictures but our knight won and Colton was super excited, so much so he lost his voice from yelling. Seriously he yelled and laughed during the entire jousting event). We also shopped and walked around a lot. A total blast but definitely:

EXHAUSTING

Oh where oh where can we be

2010-08-19T20:51:00.000-04:00

Let me just state I had every intention of blogging this week but I was preoccupied by this lovely site of my son enjoying himself non-stop:

We were on vacation. YAY!

We got a really cheap two bedroom oceanfront suite in Myrtle Beach (perks of my hubby's job) and skipped out of town on Saturday. My sister Meg, Charles and their son Jackson came along too!

We have gone to Myrtle Beach before but not for such a long time. This was our first family vacation and most definitely not our last.

There was plenty of sword fighting

and toy playing (I had to pack most of these toys and they were great to keep the kids entertained)

My sister got practice in case she decides to have another child

Colton smiled a lot

So did his cousin Jackson

And that made Mommy happy too!

More to come later because I am exhausted! Whew laying on a beach, swimming and shopping will do that. :)

Not a math major...

2010-08-11T17:13:00.000-04:00

Going to bed last night Jason and I were talking about our upcoming vacation:

Jason: You have 14 days off soon

Me: Yep

Jason: I only have 9 (sucks to be him, hahaha)

Me: No you have 11 (He is off starting Saturday the 14th and goes back to work on Monday the 23rd)

Jason: How do you figure?

Me: Well you have the weekend and then the 7 days of the week and then the next weekend.

Jason: (laughs so loud I thought he would wake Colton) Since when does a week have 7 days not counting the weekend?

Me: (confused, calculating the math again in my head, realizing my stupity) Oh yah, your right.

Jason: When I say a number to you just trust that I am right. Remember you were not a math major.

He's Got Junk in His Trunk

2010-08-10T09:49:00.001-04:00

TMI Post (I will spare you the pictures)

This post will describe how close and gross my hubby and I are...when you are with someone for almost 10 years nothing is off limits.

When I was on maternity leave and home by myself with the little one I would get bored sometimes. I only had a little baby to talk to all day. Text messages to my husband while he worked were my only adult talk for the day. Somewhere a long the way the texting got weird.

Colton can poop like no other (told you it was TMI). I swear that sometimes it is more than any adult could ever do in one trip to the bathroom. I should know since part of my profession is helping to clean up other peoples messes. #2s do not gross me out since I dealt with it many times before having a child. But this kid, ugh!

As a joke one day I sent a text to hubby with a pic of his son's most recent work. I know...how do I have time to take a picture of it, as he is moving and grooving all round in his mess. I did though and I started a war. Now whenever I am at work and Colton has a "blow out" I am now privledge to get a text with a photo of it. And I do the same to my husband so his day can be blessed with a gross photo.

We have done this so much now that my phone is full of poop pictures. Whenever I want to show someone a picture of something on my phone I have to scroll through the "artwork" photos quickly so no one will see them. Awakward and embrassing but it is part of our daily life sadly.

WE NEED HELP.

Motherhood Monday

2010-08-09T11:10:00.001-04:00

I by no means know how to be a mother better than anyone. I have only been one for a few months. But the journey I have been on has been amazing. I love to share stories of how I am surviving as a new mother.

Today I share the must haves for a new mother. These are things I have found work wonders in my busy day to day life.

1. A drying rack.

Seriously! Such a small simple thing is a life saver with all the bottles you go through. Works great for breast pump supplies, bottles and now sippy cups.

2. A organizer for bathroom.

We have this over our bathroom door. Its stores diapers, lotions, washclothes, nail trimmer, comb, etc. It is great to have everything near by for right after bath time. I don't have to go to 10 different spots to find what I need.

3. Multiple diaper changing stations. You never know when you are going to get into a disastrous mess and where it will be. We have a changing table in Colt's room, a diaper holder in our room, and his pack and play in the living room. Makes for changing diapers wherever a breeze. I do not think I would survive with just one place to change diapers.

4. A bobby pillow.

Honestly the best thing ever. Can be used for so much. When he was little it was great for feeding. Also when he would wake up early morning we would place he on it between us in bed and he would go back to sleep for a bit. Awesome for catching a few extra winks. Now that he is older we use it to support him when he is sitting. This way if he falls back its a "cushioned fall".

5. A carrier.

We have the Jeep carrier; my husbands choice since he loves all things Jeep. Colton loves riding in this thing and it gives him a break from his stroller. I have a bad neck and back from some previous car accidents and this carrier actually does not hurt me. It works to up to 24 pounds or something so totally worth the money spent since you can get a lot of use out of it. (I always thought it looked dorky to use this and it really does but who cares!)

6. Fisher Price's Fish Tank.

This is in his crib and at bedtime helps to calm him down. It plays a lot of different songs and has soothing ocean sounds. I think anything like this is helpful for a fussy baby.

7. A great diaper bag. I knew when I was pregnant that I had to have a stylish diaper bag that I would love since I am a purse hoarder. Jason bought me a Vera Bradley one as a present early on in my pregnancy when I was not feeling well. (Awwww! Yep, my hubby can be sweet) This is now my purse when I have Colton. Invest in one with lots of room because as the baby grows so does the diaper bag. I can store so much of Coltons stuff and all my purse essentials in mine. We also got Jason a "Man Bag". Its Eddie Bauer and it stores a lot as well. Both are always stocked so whoever has him for the day is prepared.

There is so much stuff that helps out everyday. As Colton grows so does the list of things I need to survive the day. Oh well, its all worth it!

Motherhood Monday

2010-08-02T10:35:00.001-04:00

So I want to try something new. I would like to post every Monday about the joys of motherhood. MotherHood Mondays, Mommy Monday, Monday Mayhem or whatever I call it. Maybe I will talk about products I love, all the different kinds of spit-up babies can have, the best way to deal with the blow outs that undoubtedly happen once solids are started, the love of a child, fun things to do to entertain a child and adult, etc. I have only been a mom for 7 months but it has been a wild fantastic ride and I have learned a lot.

Today I want to share a letter I wrote to my lil man. (I occasionally write him letters expressing what I am thinking at that time just for him to have later in life. Nothing fancy, just a conversation on paper for him since he can't understand it all right now).

Dear Colton,

Today you are 7 months old.

7 months ago I brought into this world a little boy who brightens this earth with his presence.

7 months ago I fell in love with you and in love with your father all over again.

7 months ago I found out what it meant when people said that the love of a child is the best thing in the world.

As I write this you are playing in your pack and play. Every now and then you look up at me and flash your cheesy grin then wiggle your eyebrows and laugh. That is the look that melts my heart every time. Your laugh is the most joyous sound to my ears.

I see you growing more each day and that excites me but scares me all at the same time. I am looking forward to what you will become. I am anxious for all your milestones to occur but I want to keep you small for as long as I can. This is the only way I can think to protect you. I want you to experience this world but I need to learn how to let you do that without me going into "panic mommy mode".

I honestly do not remember what it was like not to have you in my life. It feels like you have always been with me. Maybe you have; maybe you were always a part of me and I just had to wait for you to make your appearance. Whatever it is I am glad you now are my world.

As the days go by I am amazed at what you have learned and accomplished in such a short time. I know that so much more is to come for you. You can and will be anything you want. I will be there by your side guiding and supporting you the entire way!

Love

Mommy

Next week I want to talk about all my favorite things I have found a long the way that have helped me out during this first year of mommyhood.

Halloweeny

2010-07-28T10:56:00.001-04:00

I know it is still blazing hot out and fall is now where in site but a girl has got to plan. I have picked out Colt's costume for Halloween.

His all time favorite show is Blue's Clues. It is the show that silences him when he is fussy and makes him smile. I swear I can turn it on and he automatically looks towards the t.v. and laughs. So he has to be Blue for Halloween.

And why not make this a family affair.

Jason will be Steve and me, well I will be Magenta.

The funny thing is in college we use to joke that Jason looked exactly like Steve. He had a shirt that was similar to Steve's and I believe he still has it. I even gave him a Steve doll as a joke. He hated it and now he has to dress up like him on purpose. Oh how the might have fallen. HAHA.

Look who's back, back again

2010-07-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

Oh how long has it been? Let me count the days. TOO many!

WOW! I never thought I would take such a long break from this. Opps. Oh well; time flies when you are busy working, raising a little one, taking care of a husband and house.

Lets see what has happened over the last few months:

I have been working. Back to my normal schedule of 3 days a week, 12 plus hours a day. Long hours with lots of crazy stuff at work going on. I am not going to talk about that because a lot of it is patient related and it is just frustrating and annoying to talk about work when I am not there.

Colton has occupied a lot of my time! He is growing like a uncontrollable weed. He is 7 months old this week and now weighs almost 20 pounds and is over 2 feet tall. He is in the top percentile for weight. Jason keeps asking if we need to consider putting him on a "baby weight watchers" plan. HAHA. He wears a size 4 diaper; the same size as our 1 year old nephew! He definitely got my hips and butt. BABY GOT BACK

He can now sit up by himself. This past week he learned how to hold his own bottle and sippy cup. He does not really drink out of the sippy cup just plays with it. I only give it to him with water in it and maybe a little bit of apple juice. I am just trying to get him use to it. I think the cold water helps his gums too.

No teeth yet but soon from what I can tell. He eats a lot now. On top of his bottles he eats 2-3 meals a day. These consist of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. I got lucky because he likes everything, as one can tell by his weight. The only thing he can not have is pears because he breaks out in hives.

He loves to play with all kinds of toys.  Beating things is his favorite activity.  A set of drums is in the works for one of his Christmas presents. Daddy is sooo excited about this since he is a drum player and wants his son to be too. One of his favorite things (mommy's too) is to be placed in his pack and play with a lot of toys and just grab everything and play till his hearts content.

We have started stocking up on Christmas and Birthday presents for him. I have found that a lot of stores are placing things on clearance now to "clean house"  for all the toys to be put out for the holidays. Unfortunately our son has a birthday right after Christmas so I have a feeling he is going to get screwed on presents. Jason and I are going to try our best to make them separate holidays and make his birthday just as special. I can't believe that it will be here soon!

Last but not least I have been busy trying to complete the house. We will have lived for 2 years this December and I am determined to be done decorating before then. I am almost done painting the entire downstairs. Any day I have off that Colton can go to daycare I paint. It is exhausting. Next house we buy I am hiring painters! Hopefully by fall I will be starting on the upstairs which is pretty much done besides the hallways and finishing touches.

Whew! Exhausting times like I am sure everyone else is having.  I hope I do not have to take a break from blogging like that again. I would love to continue this because I have made so many friends (I promise I am catching up on blogs as I type this) and love to have this record of the things going on in my life.

Hubby wisdom

2010-05-10T19:13:00.000-04:00

Today I bought Colton size 3 diapers. Basically he started having major blowouts that were too big for his britches if you get my drift. I bought Pampers instead of our normal Luvs diapers because they were on sell and this girl loves a sale.

Jason comes home and goes to change his diaper while I am making dinner and I get this:

Hubby: Oh no! I don't like these Pampers

Me: Why?

Hubby: Because the characters are on the front and the back. How am I suppose to tell which way to place the diaper. The Luvs only had characters on the front so I always got it right

Me: (baffled) You are telling me after doing this for the past 4 months you still can not figure out the front of a diaper!??

Hubby: I can see an accident happening with these Pampers and I am not cleaning it up. It's not my fault that you didn't buy the daddy friendly diapers.

I now have received the memo to only buy the diapers that have characters on the front since my husband did not pass Diapering 101.

Happy Mommy's Day

2010-05-09T09:02:00.001-04:00

Happy Mommy's Day!

To my mother: everyday I am grateful for all you do! I am a better mother because of you.

This is my first Mother's Day and guess what; I am working. UGH! Oh well. I know my son loves me and my husband adores me. Just knowing that will get me through my long 12 or more hour shift.

I hope everyone has a beautiful Sunday!

Adventures in shopping

2010-05-07T09:07:00.001-04:00

I love shopping as most people in my life know. My shopping addiction and some student loans are really the only reason I have a job otherwise I probably could be a stay-at-home mom.

I recently bought these new shoes:

Shiny and comfy. Two of my requirements for summer flip flops.

I also got a new swim outfit. I still have a little baby pouch so I decided to get a little tankini with some board shorts to wear on days when I am feeling bloated. Old Navy had a 30% off sale last weekend and I got an entire swim outfit for $20. Long gone are the days when I would spend $50 on a bikini top and the same amount on the bottoms. These board shorts are great since I now have to bend over a lot and pick up Colton. My big butt enjoys them!

I love buying things for Colton. Boys clothes are not as cute as girls but I have been getting into them lately. Colton has to be stylin' of course.

We buy a lot of things with monkeys on them for Colton because he is our "Chunky Monkey". (The blue shirt says "Monkeys Rule") At his last check up the doctor asked if we had any nicknames for him. I gladly responded "Chunky". He laughed and said he guessed that was ok till he got older. I told him that I call them like I see them. HAHAHA.

We also bought Colt a pool to use in the backyard. We live right by our neighborhood pool but this is just nice for the late afternoon and other warm days. It has a shade on it so that he can not be in the sun for too long.

I also recently received a pair of caribbean topaz earrings from hubby when he went to Aruba for work.

So my new shopping goal is to find a necklace to go with them. Or maybe since he is going to St. Martin in two weeks he can buy me one then. (I know he has such a hard job of island hopping ).

And the shopping adventures continue!

Long time, no blog

2010-05-06T11:15:00.000-04:00

Forewarning: LOTS, and I mean LOTS of pictures to follow

I have been super busy lately with a lot of things but mainly this guy:

Doesn't he look thrilled to have to be doing chores? HA!

I only work 3 days a week but the other 4 are always occupied by Colton and he is a BUSY boy. He has definitely changed a lot in the past few weeks. He can now roll over although he sometimes needs help getting back. He sleeps through the night now; praise the lord, except for an occasional late night feeding. This gives me sleep from about 9ish to 6. He is still working on the nap thing. Most babies take 3-6 hours of naps a day but not my kid. I am lucky if he takes one 30 minute nap during the day. That means that most of the day is spent keeping him happy.

He loves his bouncer and walker. He can only go backwards in the walker but he looks so cute pimpin his jeep!

"Hey Ma, What's Up?"

Look at all of those toys

"I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse"

Move out of my way

The biggest change with him is we are starting to give him food. Well, rice ceral and apples are the only things he has had so far. He does not really enjoy the ceral but actually loves the applesauce; most kids do because it is sweet. He loves to try to grap the spoon but he already makes a mess as is so we will save "spoon control" for later in his eating stages.

And yes we have been feeding him in the living room in his bumbo because we have yet to buy a high chair. It is on the to do list.

My little man also loves to be out. We take him to Target all the time. He usually rides in his carrier with daddy and loves to kick his legs and reach out for the toys. This is how we pick what toys to buy him. If he kicks his legs and giggles that is the toy he gets. I know: Spoiled!

Easter Photos

2010-04-13T11:26:00.000-04:00

I know I am late on this but whatever!

Colton had a visit from the Easter Bunny. He found his basket filled with Spiderman books and action figures (for whe he is older).

No candy because DUH he only drinks formula but lots of toys he can enjoy down the road. The best part of his basket was both the Toy Story movies; one of our absolute favorite Disney movies.

He also took so pictures and put up with mommy telling him to smile and shoving plastic eggs in his face.

His onsie said: My Mom Thinks I am a Chick Magnet

Haha!

He was very interested in the bunnies but did not want to sit up for very long

Look at all that chub!

TOO CUTE!

Heartbroken

2010-04-12T15:47:00.000-04:00

The college I went to, James Madison University, has always been known as a party school. It gets ranked every year as one of the top 25 party schools in the country. I loved it when I went there but that was not the only reason I loved that university. The campus is beautiful (once again it gets rank high for that), the academic programs are great, the school spirit is amazing and the people are always friendly.

That is why I am shattered to see the news about the riots that broke out off campus at one of the annual (and largest) block parties.

This is not the first time this has happened!

My freshman year it made national news when the first riot occured. Think rubber bullets and a mass of people. Not good. Luckily we had just left the block party and were not involved. After that first riot there was an agreement that block parties could still occur but the cops would be around to keep the peace. As long as everyone behaved, no one got in a car to drive or stepped into the street with alcohol the police would not become involved. However, the videos I am watching of this years riots are ridiculous. The party was at a record high of around 8000. Usually it only is about 2-3000 people. From what I understand it was a lot of people who did not even go to JMU. The police were there and the riot began when people started throwing stuff at them. Tear gas, rubber bullets, fire and mace begin to spin this party out of control!

This video just shows what it is usually like without police involvement. Really just a lot of drunk people hanging around.

However this video shows something I am horrified to see. People showing true disrespect for others and society. This is not the college I went to.

No.Thank.You. I will keep my memories of the good old JMU; the school known for its parties where all were respectful and just having plain drunken fun.

My birthday

2010-04-12T15:04:00.000-04:00

My birthday was Monday and it was a great day. My hubby took me shopping and out to a nice lunch (Cheesecake Factory, my fav). He also gifted me with a ton of things from the Target Liberty of London collection. He did well and my dining room thanks him.

And....DUKE WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! Durham was definitely partying the other night. The girls at work said they could smell the smoke from the bonfires at the hospital that night because the campus was going crazy! I had an amazing day and my husband's day was great too because of their win.

Colton also had a lovely day as evidenced by this video with his constant chitter chatter. That boy cracks me up! (Yes, it is sideways and I can not figure out how to fix it. It was too cute not to share though; just cock your head to the side. Also excuse my horrid voice and my husband's constant reference to "pooties")

The girly room

2010-04-10T09:55:00.000-04:00

Since we were blessed with a little boy I was not able to decorate his room in girly things (Trust me I tried).

Most of my house is muted earth tones; however I have managed to sneak some girly things in without hubby gagging. These pink items are definitely small and not seen by many. I really wanted to do a "pretty" room in our house. I was granted that in the smallest room in the house. THE HALF BATH.

This bath rests underneath the staircase. It.is.small. My husband said I could paint it whatever I wanted and he would not complain. On maternity leave I did just that. I decided since most of our house guests would use this room I did not want to overdue it in the hot pink dreams that I had floating in my head. (I seriously would love a hot pink room somewhere in my house but I know that it can be seen as tacky to some and I plan on selling this house in the next few years). I picked a lavender color instead.

I decorated in small girly things. The pictures are scrap book papers placed in silver frames. Super easy and cheap. The candle I took a piece of scrap book paper, wrapped it around the candle and placed a scrap book sticker on top.

I love going in that bathroom to do my business.

12 weeks

2010-03-23T16:11:00.001-04:00

Wednesday Colton will be 12 weeks old. Time has flown by!

(pic on top is when he was 3 days old and the one on the bottom was taken a few days ago)

He babbles and giggles non-stop, loves to smile and kick his legs. Most nights when I go to check on him in his crib he is sleeping with his legs straight up in the air. So silly.

He can lift his head and shoulders up off the bobby pillow. He grabs at everything within reach including my hair. He is getting better with tolerating tummy time and only cries towards the end of it.

He is more interested in the t.v. now and has been watching a lot of March Madness with Daddy.

He loves mobiles. He laughs, smiles and moves all around once the mobile in his crib is turned on.

He sleeps from 10 pm till 7 am only waking up once to feed for about 15 minutes around 3 in the morning.

Somedays he looks like mommy and somedays daddy. I think he is a good combo of the two of us.

Top Two Tuesday

2010-03-23T08:28:00.000-04:00

So this week's Top Two Tuesday is

Top Two Things you can't live without

Besides the obvious: Family, friends, love, happiness, TARGET...I can not live without

1. Bare Minerals Makeup

I have been a fan for years and never leave home without at least foundation on. It is so light, easy and quick to use. I do not have the best of skin but this definitely works great on covering everything I need it too.

2. My crock pot

Love it! Use it all the time! Staple in my kitchen! Get the point!

Runner ups: Vera Bradley Diaper Bag, Moto Droid cell phone, Laptop, Crocs (for work only)

Birthday Wish List

2010-03-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

My birthday is in a few weeks and I always love to make lists of what I would like. This year is no different!

1. A kitchen island. Our kitchen is pretty spacious and there is a lot of floor space. An island would complete the look. (and maybe I will be motivated to finish painting).

2. New pot holders and towels. Yep, I am that desperate for some that I am asking for them for my birthday. All of these are from Target (where else would I want stuff from).

3. A new wallet. I have changed purses probably 30+ times in past 3 years but I still use the same wallet. I think I could justify a new one as a purchase but a birthday one would be nice. (My husband would laugh if I told him I could justify purchasing a new one since he carries the same wallet for many years).

4. Liberty of London collection from Target. I love this collection and would like anything from it.

5. A full nights sleep without having to wake up at 3 and feed a baby. A girl can dream, right????

Score!

2010-03-12T09:04:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things (now that I am no longer pregnant) is Starbucks. I love ice coffee. Maybe love is not the right word; obsessed is better!

I go to Starbucks probably 3-4 times a week to get my ice coffee fix. Well the other day I went in and stood by the register waiting to place my order. The barista was cleaning up and knew I was standing there. After about 5 minutes she asked if I had been helped. I told her no and she was super apologectic. She made my drink, handed it to me and said "Its on me for having to wait." SCORE! (In all honesty, I was not upset about having to wait because she was busy cleaning but I do love free things).

Its the little things in life that make me happy :)

Family Vacation

2010-03-11T11:29:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I are trying to decide where we would like to go for a vacation this year. Last year we went to Vegas. FUN but definitely not for a family with a baby. We have gone to many places over the years; cruise to Carribean, Florida, Disney World, Tennessee, etc. We want to go somewhere close and not too far mainly because we are traveling with Colton but also because I do not feel like having to go through the process of getting Colton a passport. UGH!

We have been to Gatlinburg TN before and loved it. We stayed in a large cabin right near town and there was lots to do. This would be nice because we could cook at the cabin and have many sites to see.

The Smokey Mountains

The cabin we stayed in was just like this with hot tub, fireplace and great views!

I would love to visit D.C. again. I have not been to the "sites" since I was young. I love museums and have been dying to go to the SPY one.

As well as see the new memorials that have been added since I was last there like the Korean War Memorial.

Jason does not want to go because he says it does not feel like a vacation to him. BOO.

I don't really want to do the whole beach thing because I grew up with a beach and it does not seem like a vacation to me right now.

Grand Caynon might be fun but then we might get tempted to go to Vegas.

Jason is going to New Orleans for a bachelor party in April so he might want to go back there but I don't know if that is going to be some place that we will enjoy with Colton.

We also discussed Texas just because we have never been to that state. I have no idea where and what we could do there. Houston, San Antonio, Dallas????

We have no idea what to do. Maybe we will just stay home but getting away for a week is refreshing. I always feel better after a vacation and it gives us something to look forward to.

Family Photos

2010-03-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

Jason and I got some pictures taken this weekend. I think they turned out nice and we now have some family photos to hang!

Can my kid get any cuter???

Dirty Nursery Rhymes

2010-03-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I talked about story time. We love lots of books but there is one book that I am deeming inappropriate. My mother bought this huge nursery rhyme book for Colton. It is super cute with tons of stories, songs, etc. While flipping through it I found something that caught my dirty mind. I am going to type out the nursery rhyme word for word.

I Love Little Pussy

I love little pussy

her coat is so warm

And if I don't hurt her

she'll do me no harm.

So I'll not pull her tail,

nor drive her away,

But Pussy and I very

gently will play.

Please tell me we are not the only ones with dirty minds here? Nursery Rhyme Porn is what we call it in this house. Yes, we know "pussy" means cat but here in this household we call it kitty or cat. The other word means something different in my vocab. Colton will not be told this bedtime ryhme! However, this poem definitely speaks the truth. I firmly believe if you don't hurt pussy she'll do you no harm!

Story time

2010-03-04T16:37:00.000-05:00

I love books!

I have always loved to read. It started at an early age and has continued into my adulthood. I read around 15 books a year. When I was sick and had to stay home from school I would read books (insert nerd jokes here please). My passion for reading is a trait I would love to pass on to my son.

Everyday we have story time. I know he is only two months old but I really think he enjoys it. It is the part of the day that he laughs and smiles the most. Most likely this is because he gets to see his mother make funny faces and talk in strange voices. He probably thinks I am crazy but oh well.

We read two books everyday. His collection of books is growing every week mainly because I have been going thrift store shopping a lot. I find some of the best children books at these stores. Most of the books he has I had as a child. I love reading these books to him because it reminds me of the simplicity of childhood.

Some of my favorites are:

Golden books are great. There are classic stories and fairy tales. These books are always cheap and a great read for children of all ages.

When I was little I would read this book non stop. I have always loved the simple words and cute little rhymes.

Dr. Seuss is a must for children. He makes a story rhyme non stop and little kids love that. This particular book addresses a real issue that is going onto today: the depletion of our natural resources but it is told in a very cute way.

My ALL.TIME.FAVORITE. Love it! It speaks of a mothers love for her son and how it is never ending. I cry everytime I read this.

Maybe I will be able to read an adult book again soon but for now I am enjoying reading all these childrens books with my baby.

2 months

2010-02-24T08:33:00.001-05:00

My baby is two months old today. So happy and sad at the same time. I am happy because he is definitely growing up to be a healthy boy.

He loves to smile and "talk". He even recognizes his daddy's voice on the phone. It is also sad because I feel like it is flying by so fast. This weekend we are going to try putting him in his own room to sleep. My husband knows where I will be sleeping; in the chair that is in his room. Ha, I can't let go!

Top Two Tuesdays

2010-02-22T21:17:00.000-05:00

Top Two Favorite TV Shows

1. Big Bang Theory

I adore this show. It is hilarious and Sheldon by far is one of the best TV characters ever!

2. Project Runway

I have loved it from the start and continue to watch even though it switched stations. One season I even watched it via YouTube because we did not have Bravo.

Some other shows that I love:

The Office

How I Met Your Mother

The Real Housewives (All of them)

Wait Listed

2010-02-22T09:23:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks we have been looking into daycare only to keep hearing the dreaded phrase "WAIT LIST".

I guess I should have planned on putting the name of my unborn child on a list for a good daycare 2 years ago.

That's right; most places have a 2 year wait list!

2 years ago I was not pregnant. I really was not trying to get pregnant either therefore I was not looking at daycares. I am a planner but come on who looks into daycares 2 years before they get pregnant! Okay super moms in this area do.

Now I know that in order to have my child in a 4 or 5 star daycare I need to place his/her name down on a list years in advance. So since we would like to have another baby soon I will be putting the name of Baby Booger down on the wait lists at these fine establishments!

I am hoping I receive a call in a year and someone tells me they have an opening for my Booger!

* I had other gross names that I thought of too but I am trying to get my kid into these places*

Me so tired...

2010-02-18T19:47:00.000-05:00

Hello. My name is Pamela and I am beyond tired!

I dream of this...

Maybe by this weekend I will get some rest and can blog about some stuff. Hope everyone is having a great week.

P.S. I got my pink watch for V-Day. Yah for my loving husband! It is super cute.

A member of the family

2010-02-11T11:02:00.001-05:00

Hello there. My name is Link.

Thank you! Yes, I am adorable.

However I am CRAZY.

I live in this crazy house with my inferior human owners. They think that they run this household however I feel differently. I believe that I let them live here!

My birth name may be Link but no one calls me that. First off, my original name was Zelda however around the 8th week of my existence it was discovered that I was not a female. Shocking! Therefore the humans renamed me the male counterpart of the video game phenomenon. Nicknames eventually starting developing based on my personality and looks. The first was Hellboy; they are obsessed with comic books in this house. Hellboy fits though because I have these large paws with lots of extra claws (I'm special and exotic). One paw is larger so it definitely looks like Hellboy's large hand.

After a long list of other nicknames, some not appropriate and only used when I get in trouble, one name stuck. They call me Squishy. You know, from the movie Finding Nemo. Dory says: I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy. Yes I am a little pudgy but COME ON! How insulting is it to go from Link to Squishy. Its not even a real name. GEEZ!

I like to bring excitement to this house. That involves trying to climb every window covering, shower curtain or anything that hangs. I am an adventure junkie. I also love to sing. Late at night I serenade the humans. I usually get a few good notes in before they pull out the squirt bottle. Ha, they think that will stop me! I then proceed to play the "I'll bite your foot till you give in and let me hog the bed" game. I ALWAYS win.

I also love to be wherever my owners are including the shower. Don't even think of shutting the door because I will annoy you to death until you open it! I love to sit on the bath tub ledge and stare at you. Don't judge, I am just curious. When you are done showering I want you to pick me up and let me lick the water off your arm, legs, etc. The humans say that is gross so I proceed to bite them while they try to dry off. Yesterday I bit the beautiful female one on the butt. It was not hard to reach because she has a large butt. I think that song "I Like Big Butts" is about her.

I think I will let them stay here a little while longer just because they entertain me. Stupid humans!

**Yes, my cat nippled my naked butt yesterday. Sad thing is: That is the most action I have had since I gave birth**

Caught

2010-02-09T14:37:00.000-05:00

This morning my husband texted me. It went like this:

Hubby: Lunch?

Me: Not today too much to do

Hubby: Nice try hiding the Vera Bradley planner

Me: Darn it!

Hubby: Never hide your purchases next to a mans dr pepper

Me: That was a fail

Hubby: I'll say!

In my defense I only bought it because he bought some comic books last week (yes my husband still buys comic books but that is a WHOLE post on its own). I hid it in the car before we did our taxes last night. I did not know he was going to go in the car this morning to get the soda out. I usually am so much better at concealing my purchases. Shopping fail!

Monday Musings

2010-02-08T08:40:00.000-05:00

~Valentine's Day is Sunday. No big plans. We actually are not really even getting each other anything because we bought something big over the weekend. However, Colton did "make" Daddy a lil something. We mailed it to his work today.

It's the little things that matter :)

~Our big purchase this weekend: A living room set. I have been begging Jason for a new one for a long time. Since he got a new "entertainment" system he agreed that a new living room set was in the works. It comes Thursday. It is cream with black accents. So excited because I am getting so close to finishing the downstairs of the house.

~This winter weather is putting a cramp in the grandparents visiting. My son will be a year before any of the grandparents get to visit again. Fingers crossed it will happen this weekend.

~Glad the Saints won. It actually was a decent game and the commercials were not bad either. E-Trade baby: Milk-a-WHAT. Love it!

~Getting taxes done tonight. What fun...can you feel the excitement?

~Looking into daycares today. Tear. I do not want to leave my baby.

~Have a great week!

The "One"

2010-02-06T20:31:00.000-05:00

With Valentine's Day around the corner I started to reflect on my relationship with my husband.

We met in college and have been together ever since. I actually remember the exact time when I finally knew he was the "one".

It was my junior year and I had an apartment off campus. I never stayed in that apartment. I usually always stayed with Jason. Judge me if you will but it worked for us. Since I was always at his apartment we split the cost of our groceries. We both had jobs (at the same place; yep one of those 24-7 couples) and got paid every two weeks. Well, I guess we spent too much money on college neccessaties one week because we were both broke!

Yes, we could have called our parents but we decided that we would work it out ourselves. We had $10 to our names. Not a lot when you think you need to eat at least 2x a day. Jason agreed to take the money to the store and get us some essentials. We ended up with bread, peanut butter, jelly and a case of ramen noodles. Candle light dinners with ramen noodles was what our week consisted of. Nothing special but it was enough.

You may be wondering how this story relates to how I knew he was the "one". We both took a horrible situation (when you are college students having no money is one of the worst things) and worked it out together. That week of eating ramen and pb and js with Jason made me realize that we could get through anything together. All we really needed was each other.

Now it seems like such a small thing seeing that we have been through so much more together. You can say that we definitely fell in love forever over ramen noodles :)

Frustrated

2010-02-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

This

might prevent me from seeing this

this weekend.

I need spring to come.

Blog Hop

2010-02-04T18:38:00.001-05:00

I am participating in:

found here

Hi! My name is Pam.

I am a 27 year old registered nurse on a busy surgical floor. I love my job!

This is my husband Jason. He is 28 and is my best friend. We met in college and have been together for almost 10 years.

We are new parents to this cutie:

His name is Colton and is already a handful.

We absolutely adore him.

We live with 3 crazy animals.

Isabelle

Eli

Link

They keep us busy!

When I am not busy with the husband, baby or animals I am finishing decorating our new home. Okay, its not new anymore because we have lived here for a year and I am just getting around to decorating. And of course I since I am on maternity leave I have more time for blogging.

Thanks for stopping by!

Top Two Tuesday

2010-02-02T09:42:00.000-05:00

Over at Jimmy Choos and a Baby too Top Two Tuesday is going on.

This week it is Top Two Fav Movies

I really love a lot of movies so it is hard to pick my top two. I love these two because I could watch them over and over and not get tired of either.

1. Armageddon
I don't care what people think. This movie is awesome! Action, comedy and romance all in one. I love the main Aerosmith song in the movie. Also, I cry everytime. Whenever it is on t.v. I can't seem to pass up watching it.

2. Say Anything

I love 80s movies and this one is my all time favorite. I heart John Cusack. Once again I love the song "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel (Can you tell I love music!). Its a sweet story about a guy determined to get the girl.

Monday Musings

2010-02-01T21:55:00.000-05:00

~My kid does not want to sleep today. Its one of those "I am going to scream all day if you do not hold me" days!

~Cabin fever is getting to me. All the roads surrounding our neighborhood are still a skating rink. This is what we get for buying a house out in the middle of nowhere.

~I really just want Chic-fil-a. Do you think I can convince Jason to put his jeep into 4 wheel drive and go get me some?

~I painted our downstairs half bath yesterday. It took me over a year to complete this project and only took me 2 hours. I will post pictures once I hang some decorative items up.

~I seriously need to do some shopping. Going.through.withdrawl!
Maybe I can sneek some online purchases in without hubby knowing. I am thinking:

This necklace from this etsy site (of course with Colton James on it)

or this dress

~My kid is the cutest

Hope this week is a good one!

Snowy Weekend

2010-01-31T10:56:00.001-05:00

Over the course of Friday night and all day Saturday we received about 8 inches of snow and around an inch of ice. We are snowed in because of the ice. My husband does not have a problem driving in snow and I have done it once (yes it took me over 2 hours to get home from work last year but at least I drove safely in 5 inches of snow). However, ice is a different story.

Yesterday we spent to day inside watching movies and the Duke basketball game. Since it was Colton's first snow we wanted a few pics of him in it. We spent about a half hour getting him dressed in about 6 layers. We then dressed ourselves and headed out. We were outside with him for all of 30 seconds but we got some pictures.

Needless to say it will be another day of movies and staying inside with the fireplace on full blaze.

One Month

2010-01-30T12:08:00.001-05:00

Dear Colton,

One month ago today you entered our lives with a quiet cry and small smile. We fell in love instantly.

In the short amount of time you have been with us you have managed to fill our hearts. I watch you develop into a little man more and more everyday. You can smile and do it all the time when you are being held. You love to be held so that you can stare at peoples faces. You makes small little cooing sounds while you sleep (you get that from your mom) and sometimes you snore (that is definitely a trait you got from your father). You love bath time; it quites you down immediately. However, you do not like to be naked for long periods of time (a trait I hope stays with you). You make noises that resemble the "Count" from Seseme Street. It is super cute. You love to eat but hate to be burped. You can hold your head up well for being so young. You love to hear Daddy's voice and even smile at him when he sings to you his silly songs. You like when I sing you the "ABCs". You only sleep for brief periods but its okay because you are totally worth the exhaustion.

I love watching you grow everyday but I tear up all the time knowing you won't be this tiny forever. For now though you are our "lil man".

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Dreaming of spring

2010-01-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

A winter storm is upon us and it has ruined my weekend plans for my parents to come visit. BOO!

So I jumped the gun a little bit and put a spring wreath up on my front door. I hope the neighbors don't complain. I blame it on boredom. I needed an activity to keep me occupied so I made this wreath. Super cute and only $20.

Problem is: it only took me an hour to make.

Boredom continues!

In other news my lil man is able to look super cute in his Bumbo now. He loves this thing and it helps with his neck strength.

Monday Musings

2010-01-25T18:22:00.000-05:00

~I really need to cut down on my shopping. Once daycare starts my shopping budget will be depleted :(

~My kid can out fart the best of them. I am serious! Put him next to a grown adult who just had an All-you-can-eat chili buffet and he will blow him away. Is there a way for him to make money with his toots???

~I really hope the web browser window I "accidentally" left open on the computer caught my hubby's eye. This is what was pictured

Can we say "Valentine's Day present Please" :)

~I am excited my parents are coming Saturday for the night. Shopping and going out to dinner are in the works!

~I need to get to cleaning since my parents are coming.

~My wardrobe is on the verge of "leaving" me since it is constantly covered in spit up, pee and poop.

~60 degrees in January is great but I just bought a really cute winter coat and would love to wear it. Can a cold front come just long enough for me to wear the coat a few good times?

~Colton has a Dr. appointment Wednesday. I have to take him by myself. Normally when there are two of us we are still running behind. I wonder how late I will be since it will be me by myself with him. Also have you ever tried carrying a diaper bag, purse (I carry a large purse) and car seat. NOT EASY!

~I need to go make dinner. General Tso's chicken tonight with brown rice. YUM-O!

In need of a babysitter

2010-01-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

Because on Feb. 5th I want to go to the movies and see my boyfriend

Loved the book and the movie can stink as long as my boyfriend takes his shirt off!

Hidden Treasures

2010-01-20T00:02:00.001-05:00

Every so often I venture into the bottomless pit known as my wallet to clean it out. This time around I found a bunch of old gift cards. Little did I know that most of them still had a good amount of money on them. It was like a second Christmas!

Here are my scores with my gift cards:

I got these two sweaters from Victoria's Secret

>

Cost 0.62 cents total!

I found an Aeropostle Card in my wallet. I am not a fan of this store but free money is a plus

I spent nothing for these two items

And finally Express:

About $6 for these two items.

To top it all off, I found $7 on a Starbucks card. Score! I seriously need to clean my wallet more often.

Valentine's Top 10 ideas

2010-01-17T12:35:00.000-05:00

I have never really been a huge Valentine's Day fan but for some reason this year I am in the "love" zone.

I went exploring the Internet for ideas on how to celebrate/decorate. I found a lot of great things.

I present my "Top 10 Valentine's Day Celebration Ideas"

Hope you enjoy!

1. These Valentines are adorable for school or work. I like to bring something in for my work that is small but thoughtful. I work with over 30 nurses so inexpensive things are key!

2. I always buy dish towels for each holiday. You can find them cheap in the Target dollar section; my fav section of Target. I put them in my kitchen and downstairs bathroom. Super cute and cheap.

3. A cute wreath for you front door and doors in your house. This one is from Lillian Vernon.

4. Chocolate covered strawberries! I make these year round but Valentine's Day is the best time to devour these beauties. The tuxedo ones are simple to make.

~Melt bag of semi sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips in two separate bowls in microwave.
~Dip strawberries in white chocolate first, then dip sides of strawberries in regular chocolate to make look like tuxedo
~Fill small sandwich bag with some of the semi sweet chocolate and decorate strawberry with bow tie and buttons.

I also decorate strawberries in different ways. I dye some of the white chocolate pink and make pink strawberries and then drizzle white chocolate on top. I also scatter slivered almonds on top of strawberries right after they have been "dipped" so the almonds stick. Coconut is great too. The possibilities are endless!

5. Dressing up in a Valentine's Day outfit can be fun! Last year I worked and I wore a cute scrub outfit.

This year I will be at home and I found some cute options.

HAHAHA, just kidding! Though I am sure hubby would love this look :)

This set of panties is adorable because each one says "I love you" in a different language.

This dress is from Target and is super cheap. I like the color and the fact I would never have to iron it.

If I was going to go out to dinner then this is a great dress to wear from one of my fav stores, BCBG

6. Even if you don't coordinate your outfit with the holiday you can wear cute heart jewelry to celebrate.

found here

These pieces are from sammoon.com which is a costume jewelry site I adore.

7. Decorate a Valentine's Day tree. I found these cute ornaments at Lillian Vernon and it made me realize that I can reuse my pink Christmas tree. These will compliment it perfectly.

8. A nice meal is a great way to celebrate.

Martha Stewart has some great Valentine inspired recipes. My personal fav is the fillet mignon with herb crusted potatoes. A great bottle of champagne is amazing as well. I personally love to add pineapple juice and grenadine to a glass of champagne. Its called a Venetian Sunset and it is delicious!

9. I love to watch movies. What better way to celebrate "Love" day then viewing a few romantic movies.

How about The Notebook:

Amazing love story!

Gone with the Wind:

I watch this movie at least once a year.

Armageddon:

Go ahead, laugh at me! I don't care. I heart this movie and I ball my eyes out every time I watch it.

10. Hand make a gift for someone you love. A few years ago my hubby (then boyfriend) and I made gifts for each other since we were broke college students. I made hubby a keepsake gift box. I glued pictures of us all over the box and placed little mementos of our dating history in the box. He made me a binder filled with poems, songs, pictures and stories that reminded him of our relationship. It is definitely the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day in my opinion.

I think this year I am going to get Colton to make him a sweet handmade present. Oh, all right, I am going to make it and say its from Colton since he still can not grasp objects or focus a few inches in front of his face :)

Hot mess!

2010-01-17T12:09:00.000-05:00

I came down this morning to find my son in a hot mess as I call it. I removed the blanket that was covering him and found this picture.

Now, you may say what is wrong with this? Let me explain.

He is wearing a Pooh Bear onsie and has on a Spiderman sock. Pooh Bear and Spiderman do not play together in the cartoon world. In fact I think Pooh Bear would run away if he encountered Spiderman in the 100 Acre Woods.

He only has one sock on too. When I asked hubby about it he said that he spit up on the other one. Okay??? So take the other sock off and get him a new pair or let him not wear any. Daddy said at least his one foot was staying warm.

Also, he ate like 2 hours ago and I think that Daddy could have safely removed the bib from him without the prospect of Colt spitting up all over himself.

I think I will start laying my kids clothes out for Daddy. (I pick out hubby's clothes most of the time anyway for him!)

Hello old friend...

2010-01-14T19:54:00.000-05:00

Oh how I have missed you...

Note: I worked hard over last two weeks to pump enough breast milk in order to have a beer. My baby will have nourishment and I get to enjoy a beer. I hate to "dump" breast milk but one night is OK in my opinion. I think I deserve one.

Realizations

2010-01-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

Saw this on a lot of other blogs and thought I give it a whirl.

I’ve come to realize that my job. . .is extremely stressful, busy and hectic but totally worth it. Being a nurse was definitely my calling.

I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving. . .I speed way to much. I have yet to get a ticket but with baby on board now I might need to slow down.

I’ve come to realize that I need. . .to go back to school to get my Nurse Practitioners degree. When? Who knows!

I’ve come to realize that I have lost. . .the ability to go wherever at the drop of a hat. Now I have to pack a diaper bag, get a baby dressed and fed, loaded in car, etc. Seriously it takes an extra hour or two to get anywhere now.

I’ve come to realize that I hate it when. . .the weather gets really cold and it does not snow. I want a good snow storm!

I’ve come to realize that money. . .is now for the essentials. No more shopping sprees.

I’ve come to realize that certain people. . . will always be there for me. My family, Jason, Colton and all our close friends.

I’ve come to realize that I’ll always. . .love my husband and my son. They are my everything.

I’ve come to realize that my cell phone. . .rocks! DROID (scary voice from commercial)

I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning. . .I had only slept for three hours.

I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep. . . I knew I was going to be up all night because Colton is a night owl.

I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking. . .how long it is going to take for Jason to go and get me some Starbucks.

I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook. . .I will forget to update my status.

I’ve come to realize that today. . .will be spent at home again with baby, hubby, cleaning, and movies.

I’ve come to realize that tonight. . .Duke will be playing :)

I’ve come to realize that tomorrow. . .will be spent just like today. That is what happens when you have a new baby and can't leave the house just yet.

I’ve come to realize that I really want to . . .be a great mom.

I’ve come to realize that life. . .is short and every minute needs to be cherished.

I’ve come to realize that this weekend. . .my little sister is visiting.

I’ve come to realize that this year. . .started off with a bang of giving birth and hopefully will continue to be a great one!

I’ve come to realize that my husband. . .is my best friend and my one and only.

I’ve come to realize that maybe I should. . . .get around to working on some scrap books and Colton's baby book.

I’ve come to realize that I love. . .winter but only when there is snow.

I’ve come to realize my past. . .is my past and I can not change it.

I’ve come to realize that parties. . .are a lot of fun and I have been to many and hopefully many more to come.

I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified. . .of something terrible happening to my family.

I’ve come to realize that my life. . is blessed~

Looking back...

2010-01-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

Today I was thinking about the being pregnant. It has only been 2 weeks and it is really weird not being pregnant. It encompassed almost 10 months of my life. It physically and mentally changed me. Towards the end all I wanted was for it to be over but looking back now I wish I had cherished it a little bit more.

When I was pregnant I could protect Colton entirely because he was inside of me. Now that he is on the outside I am in constant protection mode a.k.a. Mama Bear.

When I was pregnant I could justify eating that extra dessert. Now, I look like a fat butt if I want an extra large piece of pie. UGH!

When I was pregnant I got to wear the most comfortable stretchy jeans. I am back into some of my pre-preggo jeans and they totally are not comfortable on my stomach. I want the spandex back which is so sad to say :(

When I was pregnant I was complimented on how well I was holding up and how I looked good. My stomach now looks like a sad deflated balloon and people ask if I slept because I look exhausted.

When I was pregnant it was just Colton and I. I had him all to myself. I love seeing him with his daddy and other family and friends but some days I want him all to myself. I know it is selfish; I blame my hormones.

I will not be pregnant again for awhile (knock on wood) so looking back and remembering all the good things is all I have right now. I am thrilled to have a happy and healthy baby. In all honesty, I am glad that I am not pregnant anymore but sometimes just for a split second I still think I am. I guess it will take awhile to get used to not being pregnant anymore.

Little Man

2010-01-06T22:35:00.000-05:00

Just had to share these pics of Colt. TOO CUTE!

Guess Who

2010-01-05T13:07:00.001-05:00

Colton James Alan is here!

What a busy week it has been but so joyous!

My labor story is actually pretty awesome for being a first time mommy.
FOREWARNING GRAPHIC DETAILS FOLLOW; I am not shy and it is a lengthy post.

Early Wednesday morning around 1:30 am my water broke. I had gone to the bathroom (for the millionth time) and felt a little extra something something. I went back to bed not thinking much of it but as soon as I got in bed I felt more. I went back to the bathroom and like the movies it happened. ALL.OVER.THE.FLOOR.

I called hubby into the bathroom to confirm. He walked into the bathroom, looked at the floor and said "you just peed on the floor." He then crawled back in bed. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I went back into the bedroom and proceeded to glare at him. He looked at me and said "Do you think I can at least shower first?" I swear! I was not having contractions so I had no problem with him getting clean before we headed to the hospital later plus it would wake his butt up because he was clearly pretty tired.

My contractions started about a half hour later. I called the doctor on call. My contractions were only about 8 minutes apart. At my last appointment I was 2 cm dilated. He said since I was negative for Strep B I could labor at home as long as I wanted and then head to the hospital in a few hours. This had been my plan all along. Jason and I figured we had till about 6 am or so before I would need to go to the hospital. We called both set of parents just to give them a heads up.

Jason was there rubbing my back for my contractions and I finished getting our bags ready to go. By about 3:00 am I started feeling nauseated and my contractions were still only 8 minutes apart. They were pretty painful but I was getting through them OK. I could only deal with the pain if I stood up and leaned over the bed. Within a few minutes I started have sharp, short contractions every 2 minutes. Jason thought I was crazy because of how close the pains were coming. I was sure they were not contractions but some other pain associated with labor. I threw up once and that is when we decided to go to the hospital so I could get some nausea medication.

We arrived to the hospital about 345 am. As soon as we got to the labor room the nurse hooked me up to the monitor. I told her about the 2 minute pains and she confirmed that I was indeed contracting every two minutes. CRAZY! I had only been in labor for 2 hours. She proceeded to hook my up to some fluids and checked me. I was 6 cm. Amazing for only being 2 cm two days earlier. I asked for some nausea meds and epidural. I am totally for the pain meds because I knew it would help me relax. Plus, I work with epidurals in the hospital and I know the benefits, risks, etc. I had to wait about an hour for the epidural to be started. Once it was in I was in heaven. My two minute contractions could not be felt. I could still feel my legs but they were a little heavy and my hips were completely numb. I ended up shaking pretty bad for the first hour of the epidural but it was not as bad as the contractions had been.

They checked me again after the epidural around 6 am and I was 8 cm. Jason started to feel sick to his stomach (whenever he lacks sleep he gets sick to his stomach). He wanted to keep going to the bathroom and leaving me to labor by myself. This was fine once I had the epidural because I could not feel anything. However, around 7 I started to feel sharp pains again in my lower abdomen. I asked the nurse if she would cath me (drain my bladder since I could not get out of bed) to see if it was the pressure I was feeling. However, she did not get much urine. I started feeling my contractions again so she called the doctor back to my room. Come to find out, the epidural machine had stopped working. UGH! He gave me some extra pain meds and restarted to epidural. It never did work as well as before. I obtained some minor relief from the contractions but still felt a ton of pain and pressure.

Jason started to feel worse and I seriously thought I might murder him (my emotions were going crazy at this point). The plan was for my mom to be in the room with us but unfortunately I was progressing so fast she and my father were still in the 3 hour commute to the hospital. Jason thought he could ask the nurse for some nausea meds for himself and I told him he better suck it up and get through it. Every little thing was setting me off. Looking back now it is actually pretty humerous and at least we can both laugh about it. Around 900 am I felt extreme pressure and wanted to start pushing. The nurse and Jason helped me with my legs. I pushed for about 1 hour before the doctor came in again. He estimated about 1 more hour of pushing and helped motivate me to keep going. I was exhausted at this point and just wanted to sleep. I kept my eyes closed most of the way through the pushing just as a way to focus and I think I fell asleep a few times. Around 1130 the doctor came back in and I kept pushing. I could feel everything at this point. I remember pushing 4 good times and hearing the doctor say he was coming. He then said his second shoulder was stuck and I just kept pushing to get him out. In all honesty, when he came out it was the biggest relief I have ever felt. After only 10 hours of labor, Colton was born at 11:41 am, weighing 7lbs 12 ounces and measuring 19 3/4 inches.

He cried and Jason cut the cord. He had a cone head just from the passage through the birth canal. Jason got to go over and help get him cleaned up. Unfortunately, I ended up with a 3 degree tear from his shoulder being stuck. It was and still is pretty painful but well worth it. Holding him for the first time took all the pain away.

The rest of my stay in the hospital was somewhat eventful. I passed out on the toilet (luckily the nurse was in there with me) after I got out of bed for the first time. I then was not allowed out of bed without someones assistance for the rest of the day. The next two days I was tachy (high heart rate) and they drew some labs. Come to find out I had lost a lot of blood during the delivery. The doctor offered me a blood transfusion but I asked if I could hold off since by the end of the second day I was feeling better ( I have given enough blood to patients to know the benefits but I am otherwise healthy and wanted to see if I could go without a transfusion). I was pretty pale and weak for most of the stay. I am talking Edward Cullen pale. Jason was wonderful. He helped out a lot with the baby and taking care of me. Our families came and went and were very helpful in making sure we had everything we needed. By day three I was feeling okay enough to go home. I am still healing with stitches and still a little weak but I am getting better everyday.

We are now home. The changes in our lives have been overwhelming but we feel blessed everyday to have a happy and healthy baby. Colton is well and we are exhausted but enjoying life. Hopefully I can update more soon but as for know I am tired and my baby sleeps so I am going to sleep too! I leave you with pictures

Our Christmas

2009-12-24T18:05:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas:

Our little home decked out:

(I did not allow the Grinch and leg lamp from a Christmas Story to be placed in the center window of our home, but it somehow ended up there! I wonder, hmmm)

Our mantel with stockings galore:

(all the stockings include the animals, roommate and Baby Colton)

Our dining room:

(notice the pretty girly colors)

Our DUKE tree:

(told you we were serious about Duke basketball in this house)

Our main tree:

(next year we will have a bigger tree and this one will probably go in our bedroom. Yah, bedroom! We LOVE Christmas that much).

This Christmas was good to us. It was weird being our first Christmas not traveling to see family however we made the best of it. Santa was super nice to my hubby and got him an IPOD Touch, Blue Ray movies, video games, drum accessories, Duke shirt and Redskins hat. I was blessed with new pearl earrings and necklace, gift cards for clothes when I can wear normal sizes again, new CDs, the new Harry Potter movie, the new Mario Bros for the Wii (yah I'm a video game girl), new lamps for master bedroom, pjs, and perfume.

We had a lovely meal Christmas Eve and then went to church service at the Duke Chapel. It was gorgeous. Stunning!

Christmas Day we opened presents and had a delicious meal!

It was a great holiday but it would have been better if Colton was here. Fingers crossed; any day now!

FOOD!!!!!

2009-12-24T17:44:00.000-05:00

This is the first year Jason and I have spent the holidays just the two of us (well really we have our dog, two cats and roomate with us). No family this year. With the baby due any day our families will come and visit us upon his arrival. Jason's family came last weekend and we had a great time with them.

I wanted to make this year special since it is the last year of just the two of us. I am making Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day dinner for all of us. Tonight's dinner will become our "family" tradition for Christmas Eve. We will be having steak, twice baked potatoes and salad. This is a fav meal in our house so it is neat that we are going to have it every Christmas Eve we are home. For Christmas day I could not decide between a turkey and a ham so I am making both. YUMO! My ham is a recipe I have developed over the years that involves coca-cola and burbon. It is delicious! I will also be making corn casorole, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce (the can kind because that is my fav and I do not care how childish it is; it is delicious), prosciutto wrapped asparagus, veggie tray, shrimp and cocktail sauce, rolls, peach cobbler and pumpkin pie. I am so excited for this food (you think I was nine months pregnant or something, geez!). I will be sure to try and take pics of tomorrows meal since it will be the first time we will actually eat in our formal dining room. I also will be using the wedding china which has not been used since we moved to our new home.

Recipe for corn dish (I do not know where I got this and honestly do not use the recipe anymore because I have pretty much made it a million times that it has become my own dish; but this is the jist of the dish)

8 bacon slices, chopped
4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 8 ears)
1 medium-size white onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions
Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.
Set bacon aside.
Sauté corn, onion, and bell peppers in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender.
Add cream cheese and half-and-half, stirring until cream cheese melts.
Stir in salt, and pepper.
Top with bacon.

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus (allrecipes.com)

1 tablespoon olive oil 16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed 16 slices prosciutto

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil.
Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom, and spiraling up to the tip. Place the wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately

Now I need to get to cooking!!!!

The room that my son will come home to

2009-12-16T18:41:00.000-05:00

He may not remember...

(This is his crib and yes, that is a Duke Blue Devil mobile. We take Duke Basketball serious in this house)

He may not understand...

(These are just onsies, over 75 to be exact! More clothes than me.)

He might not pay attention...

He won't know how many clothes he has...

He might not care when he is older...

But this is the room that my son will come home from the hospital to.

Any day now I will become a mom. WOW!

My Early Christmas Present

2009-12-16T15:27:00.001-05:00

I wish I could say it was a baby, but sadly not yet :( Soon enough he will be here.

My hubby did get me an early present though. The new Droid cell phone.

I am in love with this phone. It is basically a mini laptop. So cool! I have always been the one with the dorky, cheap, freebie phone so this is definitely a step up. I like it a lot better than the Iphone. I highly recommend it.

I am now officially on maternity leave and super excited. I am almost done with getting the house ready and will post pics soon of all things baby.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T15:16:00.000-05:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with my family in VA Beach. My family rented a large beach house so we all could enjoy the holiday together. The group included: Me, Jason, my mom, dad, aunt, uncle, cousin and his wife with their two children, other cousin, little sister, other sister, fiance and nephew, grandmother, other grandmother, grandfather and uncle. Woo, there was a lot of us. We spent the holidays eating, enjoying time together, eating, getting facials, manicures, pedicures from my sister in beauty school, shopping, eating and more eating. I seriously don't think I could have held down anymore food even if I was pregnant with triplets. It was a great long weekend.

My sisters

Sister Meghan, Charles and Jackson

Jason and I

Jackson

The boys

Family

Randomness

2009-11-18T19:26:00.001-05:00

1. Thanksgiving is next week. A weekend spent with my family at a beach house; yipee. I am drooling now thinking of all the food. Watch out peeps because this pregnant girl will knock some people down for my mom and grandma's cooking.

2. I am watching the Pie Cook-Off on the Food Network and thinking of the chocolate pie I have in my freezer. I might be eating that tonight for dinner. Yah I said it, dinner. The other morning I had a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast. I seriously was afraid I was going to be caught by the pregnancy police.

3. I have to work all weekend and Monday and Tuesday. Hello swollen feet.

4. Is it bad that I am using my Pure Romance Heart Heat Massager (you know you have all been to one of those parties!) to rub out my pregnancy pains?

5. Baby Colton is measuring a week ahead of schedule and is head down. Hopefully he makes an appearance before New Years. Jason would love that since it would be a tax write off. :)

6. I have to work on a hat for Thanksgiving. A family tradition is everyone makes a hat to wear for the day. They are suppose to be funny and do not have to be Thanksgiving theme. My mom awards everyone prizes. It really is just an excuse to be drunk and wear hats at dinner.

7. I seriously need to go eat some pie.

Holiday Party Season

2009-11-05T17:50:00.001-05:00

I love the holidays. Absolutely. LOVE!

The party invites are starting to roll in. Normally I get super excited because this means I get to go shopping for new dresses, shoes, accessories, etc. This year I was not that excited when I started seeing the party invites arrive in the mail. I was a little upset because I am so fat! I normally try on the cute dresses I have in my closet and decide which ones to wear again and search the mall for a few new cute ones, but I figure this year will be different because of the pregnancy. I do not want to spend money on dresses that I can not wear again; plus I am just not feeling that attractive right now with my 8 month belly.

I am changing my mind slightly because I have found some cute maternity dresses that won't break the bank.

This one is from the Gap. I did not know they sold maternity clothes, however I am not really a Gap shopper. Price: $60 which is not too bad

This one is from Motherhood and only cost $35. Basic but cute.

This cute red one is pricey at $138 from a online site called Blossom, but I actually think its my fav. Shhh, don't tell Jason the price in case I buy it.

This green little number is not necessarily maternity but I could make it work. I just buy a larger size so my watermelon can fit. It is from Newport News catalog and is only $70.

Of course I could just throw a black trash bag on with some diamonds and call it a day because I might not feel like dressing up come December. My waddle is getting worse and my feet are the size of Bozo the Clown. :(

Random Things

2009-10-26T19:01:00.000-04:00

I have a cold. I tested myself twice for the flu (thankfully I have the ability to do this for free) and both times it was negative. So I diagnosed myself with a cold. Boo. I'm miserable.

I am now so fat that I have to sleep more in a sitting position just so I can breathe. Top that off with the fact I have so much gunk in my nose that I am now sleeping with my mouth wide open. Woke up today from a nap and could not feel the back of my throat because it was so dry.

Took the dog to the vet. She pooped on the floor and the tech stepped in it. That's my princess. Needless to say I was embarrassed but she was not.

My husband and I are hosting a Halloween get together for a bunch of friends. He deemed it "Beer Olympics" with events and all. I can not participate in the festivities but I get to referee. I am all about the power :)

The other night went shopping for new maternity jeans. I ended up buying new boots instead. Yah, the boots beat out the "fat" girl jeans. OF COURSE!

I am getting really excited about Christmas. One: I love the holiday and decorating. Two: Colton will be coming around that time (fingers crossed). Best Christmas present ever!

Walking fail

2009-10-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

7:00am: Dressed and ready to head down to the kitchen to grab a granola bar before I head out to class (no I am not in college anymore but as a nurse you have to take class to keep license updated; this month's: Facial Trauma, exciting).

I start my walk down the stairs and notice the "Fat One" aka Eli the cat laying on one of the middle steps. However, I do not notice his fat paw on the step above where he is laying.

I step on his paw and proceed to fall onto my big butt. Instead of stopping there I then slide down 6 steps. The brunt of the fall was taken by my butt and right leg. Unfortunately, for the past few weeks I have had horrible nerve pain in that leg. The fall did not help cure that.

I lay on the stairs and whine to see if my husband will come to get me. In all reality I am fine but I just want him to come and console me (also, I needed his help to get my fat self up off the stairs). He is in the shower and can not hear my pleas for help.

I pull my self up and limp up to bedroom.

I tell him that I just fell down the stairs. Luckily, for his sake, his first response was "Are you ok? Is the baby ok?"
I inform him I am fine just sore and that it was not a bad fall.
He then proceeds to tell me, "Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. You did it weekly before you were pregnant!"

Thanks sweetie!

The other bad part I tell some of my coworkers about it in class and their response was "Don't you do that all the time?" Gosh my clutziness is out!

Dear Body

2009-10-21T18:42:00.000-04:00

Dear Body,

I am truly grateful how well you are doing during this pregnancy. I never knew you would take it so well. The weight I have gained has really only been in our stomach area (sure there is a little extra in the hips but not much). Jason thanks you for the new top portion (chest area) and asks if my new "friends" can stay after Colton is born. I told him I would try to convince you but no pressure; I am good either way. The swelling in our feet has begun but you are dealing with it well. As long as I keep comfortable shoes on it is no problem. My face is filling in a little too but I am confident that you will make sure it returns to normal afterwards.

As happy as I am with your abilities to carry a child I would like to remind you what should happen after your job is done.

You see these cute shoes:

Our feet shall handle these after baby is born and tolerate it like we use to. I mean before we were pregnant I lived in heels outside of work to compensate for my lack of height. We are vertically challenged and will still be after Colton arrives.

This lovely sweater would look great on us, don't you think?

How about this bathing suit? Remember what those are? I know we did not sport them this summer but a new season will be upon us soon.

How about this adorable dress. It's BCBG, one of our favs. We deserve to be able to wear something like this!

And wouldn't the "girls" look great in this top? Come on, you know they would.

I understand that I have to do my part after giving birth but I would appreciate your cooperation too. We have never been tiny but definitely can handle our own in the stylish petites department. Please don't make me wear "Mom Jeans". I.beg.you.

Always,

Your faithful friend and biggest fan Pam

P.S. After Colton is born I can not guarantee that I will be able to buy us the designer duds that are in this letter; I will try my best but we might be sporting the Target style for many years.

New Ride

2009-10-21T18:34:00.001-04:00

So we have now added an addition to our "ride" collection. We now proudly support not only a Jeep and a Toyota but this pretty lady too:

That's right, our new ride is the Graco Quattro Tour Travel System!

It.is.pimp.

And it only cost about the same amount as my car payment. Sweet! (why does everything baby related have to be so costly?) Thank you Grandma and Grandpa P. for the nice gift. Colton will definitely being cruising in style!

October 13th

2009-10-13T08:21:00.000-04:00

2 years ago today I married my best friend. I walked down the aisle with my dad who then proceeded to bear hug and kiss my future husband (I think he was excited about getting rid of 1 of 3 daughters, haha) and sealed my future with a kiss. Two years later we now live in a different city, own a house and are expecting our first child. Wow!

For our anniversary we went away for a night and had a lovely time. We shopped, ate, and watch my Panthers defeat his Redskins. Overall it was a great way to celebrate and relax before baby comes.

Colton has been super active lately. He loves to hiccup in my belly. Jason got to feel that for the first time last night. He is also a fan of dancing. I think he holds dance parties in my belly. I had my glucose test yesterday and let me just say, YUM. That stuff is disgusting. I hope it goes well because I do not want to drink it again. I am measuring a few days ahead of 28 weeks and his heart beat sounded great.

Only 12 more weeks till I am due. CRAZY.

Glimpses of Colton's Room

2009-10-07T17:46:00.000-04:00

We are still working on baby boy's room and hopefully will finish by November. I took some pictures of what we have done so far.

This is the wall opposite of where the crib will be. The chair was steal from Babies R Us and is super soft. The bookshelf is still a work in progress; there WILL be books on there eventually.
Superman wall decal with shelves of action figures

His name above where the crib will be. I know the "L" is crooked; I did not notice it till after I took the picture. It is fixed now thanks to my OCD.

We still need to:

-Purchase and hang curtains

-Get crib (gift from my parents and put together

-Complete the bedding for the crib (we are just doing basic white and blue bedding since room is so busy)
-Complete the changing table/dresser (not pictured b/c it was covered with a bunch of baby stuff that I have yet to put away)

-Purchase white rug for room

I just hope he "bakes" till his due date so I can finish everything.

On a side note, I got crafty these last few days and stole an idea from another blogger. Lis Loves made this ribbon topiary and I had to make one myself. I made a fall one that is complete and am now working on a Christmas one. I think it is super cute!

I heart fall!

)

Random text conversation

2009-09-25T14:17:00.000-04:00

Tonight we are going to dinner at one of my fav restaurants. My husband is not a huge fan but he said he would take me.

This afternoon he texts me. Below is our texted conversation.

Hubby: "I don't know if I feel well enough to go to flats tonight"

Me: (knowing he is pulling a scam on me) "What!?!"

Hubby: "Cough Cough"

Me: "Get over it" (yah I know I am such a sweet wife but when you have been together almost ten years you get over the lovely dovey stuff)

Hubby: "Oh, cough, okay I suppose I'll go"

Me: "If you don't want to go you don't have to, but be ready for b****y mama to be in full effect when you get home"

Hubby: "I said I would go (diarrhea on self)"

Me: "Well wipe and get back to work so you can come home and take me to dinner. You poop yourself all the time, no biggie!" (Hahaha, TMI, I know but men have a tendency not to wipe well enough, I should know since I do all his laundry)

Hubby: "Thanks! I really appreciate it as I am coughing up blood here cause I am too sick to go to dinner tonight"

Me: "Well you know I love you but everyday that I am pregnant my love of food grows more. It might have surpassed my love for you by now :)"

Hubby: "Yes I see (coma)"

Me: "Oh so you are in a coma now? Good I can go spend money and you would not know about it. SCORE!"

Hubby: "What do you know its a full recovery! Must be a miracle. See you for dinner tonight!"

Me: "That's what I thought"

We are so in love!

Updates

2009-09-23T13:45:00.000-04:00

Lots of things going on in our household. We are getting ready to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary in a few weeks. I still have no idea what to get hubby; what do you get a guy who has pretty much everything he wants? We do know what we are doing for our anniversary. On October 11th we will be here

Bank of America Stadium, home of my Panthers. Jason will be rooting on his Redskins as they compete against my boys! (Both our teams are not doing well this year but whatever)
We will be staying the night in town at a lovely hotel, have a nice dinner and proclaim our love for each other as we duke it out over our favorite sport! OH LOVE! This will be our "babymoon". Our last vacation before baby comes.

The nursery is coming together nicely. I will post pictures later because tonight we are adding some details to the walls that I want to photograph. We have purchased a dresser and chair. The crib is going to be a gift from my parents.

The chair is from Babies R Us and is super comfortable.

The room is a bright blue and the dresser and crib are black so we are trying to do everything else in white to brighten it up.

We ordered wall decals of superheros and will be putting them up tonight. They are super cute and not scary at all! My fear with doing the "Superhero" theme room was it would be too scary for a baby but it actually is a lot of fun and will fit him for a few years. (Yes, my husband and I are nerds)

I started decorating the house for fall. I finished the dining room, however the dining room is still not finished being decorated in general after we painted. I still have to hang up some paintings. The paint is called "Artic Stone" by Behr. It is a light, dusky grayish-blue. I love our dining room table. We got a great deal on it at place in my husbands home town. We have yet to eat anything on it but that will change come the holidays.

I also decorated my console table in my living room with little trick or treat pumpkins. So cute!

I have had a change in hair color. It is darker now, closer to my original color. I like it this color especially since fall is here now. I tend to have my hair a light brown during the warmer months but during the cooler months I like to have it dark.

My pregnancy has gone great so far. I am now almost 26 weeks. Colton (it case I have not announced it the baby's name is Colton James Alan) is thriving in the womb. We had an echocardiogram done on the baby. It was a precautionary because of family history. The baby's heart looked great but they still would like to have him have one done after he is born just to be sure. I have my glucose test the 2nd week of October. Ugh, drinking that nasty juice sure will be fun! I have definitely rounded out. Colton loves to dance in my belly. He especially loves Journey which is awesome because Jason is such a huge fan. Anytime a Journey song comes on he starts to kick and punch me. Jason finally got to feel him a few weeks ago. He loved it. Sometimes at night when I can not sleep I place my belly up against his back or butt and let Colton go to town kicking him. Hahaha; it entertains me.

This is not the greatest picture but you can see my belly at least.

So there you have it. Updates on the busy life of me! Hopefully I will be better about updating.

8 years ago

2009-09-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

Eight years ago I woke up and did my typical morning routine of getting ready for class. I sat on the couch in my boyfriends living room (now my husband and yes mom I slept over there but hey, it worked out) waiting for his roommate to be ready to catch the bus to campus. For some reason I turned on the t.v., which I normally did not do. As everyone else watched so did I. I saw the first plane hit and called his roommate into the living room. We sat there in confusion of what we were watching. We went to catch the bus and listened to the chatter of everyone discussing what was going on.

By the time I got on campus there was silence. I entered my class to see the television on. Our professor informed us that there would be no class today but we were welcome to stay and watch the reports of the events going on. She told us to call our family and friends if needed. I proceeded to leave and call my father (he is retired military and I figured maybe he could give me answers) plus I wanted to make sure my family was okay. He asked me to stay put and not leave campus. At that time in the day, confusion was still going on as to if there would be more attacks. My family was safe and that is all that matter to me at the time. I walked around campus to see everyone gathering around in groups. I heard people crying that they could not get a hold of family members who worked in the towers and the Pentagon. All I wanted was to go home.

I eventually found Jason and went back to his apartment with him. The entire day was spent watching the news and crying. That night and for the rest of the week candles were placed in the windows and balconies all over campus. It was a small gesture of remembrance and unity of my university for the lives that were lost that day.

Every year on September 11th I take time to recall where I was when it happened. It is something that everyone in America does. It helps me recall a time of tragedy and togetherness; a day that I will never forget.

"We remember with reverence the lives we lost...On this day that marks their death , we recall the beauty and meaning of their lives." President Obama

College

2009-08-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

College kids are heading back. Oh the memories.

I went to a great school, James Madison, in the mountains of VA. I met many great friends and my husband there. The best time of year in college was when the summer ended and school was getting ready to begin. Fall was in the air.

My freshman year was spent here. Hillside Hall. Great dorm and it had air conditioning which is always a plus. Many late night fire drills due to stupid girls burning popcorn in the microwave happened in this building. One time I was too drunk to find my other slipper and had to stand in the snow with only one on at 3 am until the fire drill was over. It was flippin lovely!

This is the gym called UREC. It is huge. I have many memories there of attempting to work out. HA!

This is called the "Kissing Rock". The legend basically is kiss on it and be together forever. I think every college has one of these legends. Of course Jason and I kissed here. So far so good!

Our football field. I spent many Saturdays here in the fall. Many of which I do not remember due to too much pregaming!

Beautiful Wilson Hall and the Quad. Fall days are the best on the quad. Laying around pretending to study.

Our mascot was the Duke Dog. Purple and gold! I still sport it.

I enjoyed my college days, a little too much sometimes. However, I grew up a lot at JMU. It was a placed I called home for 4 years. I cherish my memories and hope one day my child will get to experience the greatness that attending a university holds.

Quiet

2009-08-25T09:45:00.000-04:00

My youngest sister left the nest this week. She is pursing her goal to become a hairstylist. She packed up and moved to a different city in a stylish studio apartment. We are so proud of her. I know she will grow and mature and find her true self in the next year. Also, I am looking forward to the free hair/makeup care!

I asked my mom what is was like now that the last of the three girls have left home. Her response was "Quiet". It got me to thinking that in the next few months my quiet will be gone.

No longer will I be able to leave my house and do what I want only thinking about myself and Jason. No longer will my mornings be silent except for the noise of my animals playing. No longer will I be known as Pam, Pami, etc. Instead it will be Mom. WOAH!

My quiet will be gone.

I am thrilled at this idea. I am ready for my time to be a mom. And I am willing to wait how ever many years it takes to have quiet again.

And the baby is....

2009-08-17T13:20:00.000-04:00

Well my days soon will be filled with this....

As soon as the ultrasound tech placed the probe on my belly I saw it...a nicely displayed man part!

My child is not shy in showing off his parts!

ITS A BOY!

I knew before we went in that it was a boy. I just had a feeling. When she placed the probe and I saw it I looked at Jason. The tech quickly moved the probe and then proceeded to ask if we wanted to know the sex. OF COURSE! She said there was no doubt that it was a boy. Jason proceeded to imaginary high five anything in sight.

The rest of the ultrasound was cool. The baby was very active and moving around a lot. We even got a 3D photo of the face (which took about 10 tries because baby boy kept covering his face, I think I will have to teach him to cover his man parts instead). We are measuring right on track and the doctor said that we most likely will have a 2009 tax deduction. I am hoping for a few days before Christmas.

Next up, my hubby and I will be battling names. Pretty sure I will win!

Plans for weekend

2009-08-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

Hump day has come so I plan for my weekend.

Jason and I are going to install a "Big Cat Door".

Yes, that is what it is called. This door will be for the cats to go out into the garage to use their litterbox. It has to be BIG because Eli is a BIG BOY. Their own private restroom (which is in the man room, how fitting).

We are going to go look into a slider chair for the nursery. It is a glider/rocker. A friend recommended this chair and though it is pricey it fits our decor and can be used elsewhere in the house.

Finally we will be seeing this hottie, Channing Tatum.

In the G.I. Joe movie. I have loved this show since I was little. I am such a boy.

Working it

2009-07-30T13:57:00.000-04:00

As usual I have been a bad blogger. Slap on wrist.

I have been busy.

We ordered a baby dresser; on clearance, thank you very much! It will come this week.

I cleaned, meaning scrubbed entire house. It needed it.

I encouraged, don't ask me why, my husband to buy a new blue ray dvd player and surround sound. I did not know it will become such a big ordeal and expense. He has been super sweet lately so I thought he deserved a treat.

Late one night after a long three days of work Jason surprised me in bed with a package. He told me he knew that I had not been feeling well and was down about my ever changing body. He wanted to get me something to cheer me up. Inside was the newest Vera Bradley diaper bag. I had been looking at it since I found out I was pregnant but did not want to spend to dough to get it. He also placed a pair of Carolina Panthers baby socks and Duke bib in the bag. Super sweet.
I cried.

I picked out paint for the entire house. Now all I have to do is set date for family to come and help paint. I also have to find out sex of baby (only two more weeks) so I can pick out paint for nursery.

Just random list of things down in last few days. I wish I had more time to post but I have to go shop for housewarming present for my lil sis's first apartment.

Just some random things

2009-07-08T21:01:00.000-04:00

This week has been pretty calm. However I still have yet to go to work for the week so that could change. I feel like I am super fat and have starting getting to the point where only certain pants can button.

Can you tell how tired I am in these pics???

I know I have a ways to go so I am not stressing.

I have started buying baby clothes. Gender neutral stuff since we won't know the sex till August. I actually found some really cute stuff at the thrift store today.

A new thrift store opened near my house. It is a huge store. I found a large Disney fairy tale book as well as three outfits for baby. When I went to check out the man checking me out was super nice. He was asking about my baby, due date, etc. He placed one of the baby outfits in the bag and said that he would not charge me for it because it was a gift for baby. Awww. Then the credit machine went down and I was a dollar short in cash (I usually do not even carry cash) and he was like no worries and took what I had. I love this thrift store. Next time I will be sure to bring extra cash to make a donation to make up for my freebies today.

Hopefully work will be calm the next three days.

August

2009-07-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

In August (I do not know what day as of yet, but you can bet on my big booty that I will find out) one of my all time fav restaurants will be coming to Raleigh.

SUPER EXCITED

Tijuana Flats came to my home town of VA Beach about 2 years ago right down the street from my beach apartment. Jason loves trying new places and I went along.

BEST DECISION EVER.

It is a fresh Mexican food restaurant.

It has a hot sauce bar. Oh, the hot sauce bar. Delicious.

Seriously we went there at least twice a week. The managers new us by name and our orders by heart.

When I go back to the beach to visit family and friends the first thing I do when I pull in town is to go to Tijuana Flats. I do not care if I am not hungry because as soon as I order I start to drool.

I have yet to find a staple restaurant like this in the Dirty D but come August my search will be over.

Oh boy I need to start a countdown when I find out the grand opening.

Note: It was originally set to open in June. I actually sent an email to the company to asked what happened. I am that serious about this place. God help me if the baby inside hates this food.

Torture

2009-06-30T13:55:00.000-04:00

For Jason's birthday this year I got him the most awesome gift he could ever want. pats self on back

He always surprises me with such nice things. However, when it comes to his birthday I never know what to get him. He always wants some high tech, super specific gadget that I would never be able to get without him being there when I buy it. NO FUN because he never gets surprised. This year was different. I actually picked the gift out myself (he did guess it a couple times but I never told him he was right).

I spent weeks researching for the best deal, brand, accessories, etc. I called his father who is an expert in this field. I picked up the phone and talked to different customer representatives about the specs, etc. I even worked 3 overtime shifts to buy it. It was a lot of money but totally worth it because he fell in love.

With all the thought I put into the gift I should have known I would be tortured by this gift.

I give you my permanent migraine:

Yes, I know, my fault. I am an idiot. DRUMS, I mean come on who gets someone DRUMS.

AGHHHH.

He was super excited when he first got them that I actually was excited to hear them. He used to play when he was younger and wanted to start again. I thought that it would be a good activity to keep him occupied plus they are in the garage which would keep the sound out of the house.

WRONG!

These are not just cymbals; they are metal torture devices!

These two little sticks pack a huge punch and need to be thrown in the wood pile for my sanity

But look at that pretty blue color; distacts you from the hearing loss you will get if you consider purchasing drums

Needless to say, he loves them and plays for about an hour every other night.

Next step: Register baby for these

Been gone so long

2009-06-29T20:54:00.000-04:00

I know I have been so MIA lately.

Super busy.

My bad.

I am now 14 weeks pregnant. I have a bump. I actually feel great. I had a little infection and had to take Flagyl for it. Most DISGUSTING med ever. It instantly starts to dissolve when it hits your tongue. I threw it up a couple times right after taking it. The baby absolutely did not like that medicine. I now have a new respect for my patients that I give this medicine too.

Last doctors visit the baby was already getting in trouble. When she hooked up Doppler machine to listen to heart rate, she would find it and then the baby would move. This was repeated 3 times. She eventually said that the baby was busy running away from her and just gave up (I was glad for this because she was pressing super hard and I either was going to pee all over table or expel a loud fart, haha!) The heart beat was great and really cool to hear. Figures my kid would already be getting in trouble. Definitely Jason's child.

I never did talk about our vacation to Vegas. It was great. I will go again but not for 5 nights next time. The city was beautiful and colorful. It was really exciting. We went and saw The Hangover movie a few weeks ago...Hilarious. It was cool seeing all the sights of Vegas in the movie and knowing what they were.

Here are some pics

Jason and I at the Venetian

The Luxor Hotel advertising for new Transformers movie

The boys inside Caesars Palace

View from MGM room

At the wax museum posing with the Rock

Me booty bumping Jenny from the Block

Ferocious

Paris at night

In front of the Flamingo (one of the original hotels) I had to get a pic since it said Flamingo, plus that is just a soda in my hand

Jason and Billy Idol
RIP Mike
Joel drooling over Brittney Spears
Tim Loves Me
Joe Montana made Jason's day

We had a great time. Hopefully we will go again someday and I can party with the big boys next time.

Nursery Ideas

2009-06-01T18:15:00.001-04:00

Even though it is early on I am still thinking about nursery decorations. (Actually for a long time some of these ideas have been floating in my head)

For a Baby Boy:

I always thought it would be a sports themed room because hubby and I love them. Unfortunately we love different teams and would never be able to agree on one. I do not want to confuse the poor kid either with a Hodge-podge of team colors, etc.

So we have settled on a Superhero theme. I think it will be cute and something that baby boy could grow into. By placing chair rail around room we can paint outline of city because every superhero has a metropolis. We would also frame a bunch of hubby's old comics to place around room. The colors can be bright but not too overbearing.

For a girl:

This will be my only chance to incorporate pink into my house so be certain I will take full advantage of it if it happens. A pink explosion!

My main idea is black, white and pink. Hubby is afraid it will be too dark but with all the pink there is no way.

Love these bedding ideas:

I also love butterflies so I would love to incorporate them. As well as letters of the name on the wall.

On side note found these on Etsy the other day. Swoon. Too cute for little girl!

Latest loves

2009-05-23T21:09:00.000-04:00

Here are some of my new fav things; note most of it is food but heck I am hungry all the time here people!

Blue Razz Blow pops.

Love them yet they turn my mouth blue and make me look like a 5 year old. Oh well. On a side note I have been craving a "screwball". No, not the drink (yet that would be delicious) but the icecream. Does anyone remember these:

As kids we would get them from the icecream man. Oh those were the days! Do these sell these in stores?

Jeep Liberty

We bought one today. With a baby on way we needed to get rid of the truck because it did not have a back seat with a lot of room in it. I told hubby when he bought that truck it would be a problem in future. Once again I am right. I was not going to have my child bungy corded to the back of the truck no matter how secure hubby tells me it would be! The new car is awesome and I think I might drive it more that him. Hahaha and he thought it was his.

Pineapple

Nuff said!

Lemonade

I have been craving smoothies. I take frozen pineapple, strawberries, ice and lemonade and blend. Delicious.

<>/<>

I'm back

2009-05-19T17:58:00.000-04:00

So we are back from Vegas. Glorious times! I will post more later about that.

Tomorrow I have my first pregnancy doctors appt. I'm kinda nervous but I usually get like that before I go to the "coochie dr". Wish me luck!

(My husband is going and he will get to experience the joy of what us girls go through at the dr)

Happy Mommy's Day!

2009-05-08T23:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to the craziest, best mom a girl could ask for! (I know you read my blog, so I threw in "crazy" just for you)

LOVE YA!

Leaving...

2009-05-06T18:29:00.000-04:00

"All my bags are packed"

(not really, but suitcase it out of closet at least)

"I'm ready to go"

(so ready, ready 2 months ago)

"I'm standing here outside your door"

(who's door?)

"I hate to wake you to say goodbye"

(I'm not waking anyone, that's rude!)

"But the dawn is breakin"

(dude, too early, flight does not leave till 11:00)

"Its early morn, the taxi is waitin"

(no parking at the airport for us)

"Hes blowin his horn"

(totally hear it man!)

"Already I'm so lonesome, I could die"

(totally not lonesome cause I'm going with great peeps!)

"So kiss me and smile for me"

(you know you jealous)

"Tell me that you'll wait for me"

(you better because I will have awesome pics and stories)

"Hold me like you'll never let me go"

(too close, remember personal bubble)

"Cause I'm leavin on a jet plane"

(I really hate flying)

"Don't know when I'll be back again"

(yes I do, Thursday night)

"Oh babe, I hate to go"

(no way, super excited!)

My rendition of Leavin on a Jet Plane by John Denver. (Picture me singing it with hands up in here and a high pitch voice) Vegas watch out!

Random thoughts

2009-05-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

1. My house is a disaster. I really want a maid or maybe just my husband to dress up as one and clean.

2. All I want to do lately is sleep. Seriously!

3. Less than a week till Vegas, super excited even if I can't partake in the alcoholic beverages. I will pretend my water is some exotic drink.

4. I watched Transformers yesterday. Never seen it before, actually was not too bad. I think I still prefer G.I. Joe.

5. I have been craving some bacon cheeseburgers lately. Ate one last night but it did not satisfy my craving.

6. I am bloated! (I know TMI)

7. My husband cleaned the kitty litter box last night at 2 am (he was a little intoxicated and likes to clean like that because he claims it makes it more enjoyable). Man does he love me to do that chore for the next 8 months.

8. The guy who came to hook up our direct TV this week looked like Joe Pesci. "Okay, kay, kay," Lethal Weapon anyone?

9. I want to do some crafts but there is no where to do any since my house is a disaster. Also, I'm afraid I will fall asleep while hot gluing or something dangerous.

10. I fell asleep while writing this. Oh, I wish they made a pregnant friendly Red Bull. :(

Pinky lives!

2009-04-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

In high school, around graduation time a bunch of pink flamingos were placed in front of the school for each senior (I do not remember this but my parents recall the story this way). I took mine home for one reason really; I love pink flamingos!
I proudly displayed it in the yard and named it Pinky.

Well fast forward a few months and I was away at college. I started receiving emails about my beloved Pinky. The first email was a ransom note stating that Pinky was kidnapped and was safe. My father sent it to me and said he was doing everything he could do to save Pinky (I know, my family is crazy but you have to love them). At first I did not understand what was going on, thought it was funny and went back to my college life.

Another email popped up a few weeks after that. This one had a picture. Pinky was dressed up with random things and surrounded by hunting riffles. I had to do all I could not to pee my pants from laughter. (My father and his buddies evidently have a lot of fun when they get together).

These emails continued for a few more months (I think my dad and his buddies were bored).

Eventually Pinky was safe and sound in the back yard where she stayed for a few more years. Sadly, her life ended about a year or so ago. She was a great plastic pet.

Well, I am proud to say that Pinky LIVES!

Yep, that's right Pinky II has found a home in the Dirty Durham. What a great life she will have here.

P.S. I know it is tacky but she is in the backyard so hopefully the neighbors will take pitty and not call the home owners association on her.

Yesterday...

2009-04-24T10:32:00.000-04:00

This is me when I was young...

And here is Jason...

And yesterday this happened...

Yep, unfortunately those are not the only ones I took. Two lines mean pregnant. Shocker! We were trying but as Jason put it, "I didn't think it would happen that fast!" Well his first reaction was, "OH BOY!". I thought he was going to pass out.

He is better now and I am starting to process of calling doctors to confirm. Hopefully it is true because that would be AWESOME!

And the countdown begins!

2009-04-19T21:49:00.000-04:00

Super excited!

For our one year anniversary last year we went to a Carolina Panthers games. They played the Falcons and of course they won! It was a great day.

This year, 2 days before our anniversary on October 11th, the Panthers will defeat (yes, defeat) the Redskins. The Dirty Durham crew will be present. If I have to sell a kidney (it happens!) I will to be there. I love the Panthers and I love watching my husband sulk when his team loses (just kidding...no I'm not :) ).

A life goes on...

2009-04-19T21:45:00.000-04:00

And my heart will go on and on...

Camera replaced. Mission accomplished and it only took 1 hour at Best Buy and I controlled hubby to only purchase 2 DVDs. I swear every time we go to that store we end up spending more than necessary. AGH, Men!

R.I.P.

2009-04-16T14:40:00.001-04:00

Today my beloved camera went to a better place.

She was a good camera who never let me down. Sure, some days she could be a little slow to take a picture, but she always came through with high quality photos.

Nikon you will be missed!

Unfortunately it means I now have to shop for a replacement. One of my least fav activities is shopping for high tech things.

Less than a month

2009-04-15T23:44:00.000-04:00

Less than a month I will be in Vegas doing this:

and playing some of this:

eating all of this:

begging Jason to do this:

lounging around the pool:

with a sparkly drink in hand:

All while staying here:

Before that I need to do a little of this:

and some pampering for the toes that I will show off all week:

and possibly not eating for next month so I can wear a bathing suit; that makes me sad :(

Romance

2009-04-10T11:54:00.001-04:00

A few nights ago I was watching tv and there was some show on discussing romantic gestures. It got me to thinking about my husband and how he has shown me his love over the years.

I would like to give a kudos here to my husband for all the sweet things he has done for me over the years. He truly is the my best friend and the person who I will grow old with.

One story sticks out in my mind.

In May when we lived in VA Beach there was a Redskins Beach Blitz weekend. All the Redskins players, cheerleaders, etc. came to the beach for a weekend full of events open to the public. My husband's company was one of the main sponsors because the entire Redskin crew stayed in their hotels. Jason was the main contact person for this event. A privilege for him being the huge Redskins fan he is.

Now, I am a Carolina Panther fan and have been for years. However, I do love me some of this:

and this:

oh yeah, and this:

Yes, Chris Cooley!

For those of you who are not Redskins fans or football fans he is #47, tight end and the only reason I watch the Redskins.

So during the Redskins Weekend we had free passes to pretty much everything. The only thing I wanted to do was get Chris Cooley's autograph. So we went to the convention center on the day of one of the "Meet and Greet" sessions. I found out where he was to be located and what time. I staked myself out in line and began my wait. My husband proceeded to wander the event and collect other peoples signatures. I waited with a good friend for about 4 hours. At that point, Jason found one of the Redskins coordinators he knew from working with him on the event and asked about Cooley. He was told that he would not be coming due to other arrangements. Disappointment! Well, he actually did show up shortly after that conversation. He entered the building, an announcement was made that he was sick and would only sign a few autographs. He was there for 5 minutes and I got just a glimpse. That was it!

I sulked like a 2 year old who could not get chocolate. Then I got angry, then sad and finally I pulled my #47 jersey off and threw it on the ground and proceeded to curse the only Redskins player I liked. After throwing my tantrum (so mature I know!) we went home. 4 hours and I had nothing to show. I was upset but my life went on.

The next week rolls around and I picked the mail up. There was a pretty decent size package in the mail from the Redskins with Jason's name on it. I called him at work. He said something along the lines of "Oh, yah I asked for something. Go ahead and open it. It really is nothing. But it is for you."

So I opened the package and pulled out a Cooley sized jersey. I turned it around and looked at the #47 and realized that Cooley had autographed it. My mouth fell to the floor. The coordinator for the Redskins called Jason to thank him for all his hard worked and asked if there was anything the Redskins could do for him. Jason explained his wife's obsession and asked if he could get an autographed picture. Needless to say he did not think they would send a jersey.

Lesson of this story: The way to melt Pam's heart is to give her an autographed jersey from a HOT football player.