T-41 Days......

Oh yeah, so I do still have this blog, huh? I really haven't forgotten to blog, it's just that life has forgotten to give me time to blog. Holidays + Jobs + this whole almost having a baby thing makes life so super busy! I think my Reader account has something like 120+ posts I haven't read, so whenever I see it I just quickly click off so as to not stress myself out!

Things are good here. We're not so much into Christmas this year since we're still trying to get our always under remodel house baby-friendly, and that's actually going pretty well when we're not attending a million Holiday dinner and parties! There was about a 10 day stretch where we literally had some event every single day, including two baby showers where we totally racked up on all sorts of things. And I'm close enough to D-Day now that I'm starting to be more tired, and when I do over-do it I pay for it in terms of massively swelling feet and ankles.

We still have a couple of upcoming dinners, and of course the holidays, but the dance card is starting to slow and point towards baby day! At my appt this week my doc said around the middle of January we could start talking induce days for the last week of January. So, it looks like we will be parents by the end of next month! Truly frightening.

I still go to the gym several days a week and walk on the treadmill. I get stared at constantly and have about a billion people stopping me to ask when I'm due so it's becoming more logistically challenging to even get my workout done! It has been nice having no training plans or goals these last few months, and just doing whatever I want. My goal all along was to run through the end of October, and keep hitting the gym to walk through the end of December, which looks like it's going to turn out just fine. I don't have any 09 goals right now, I think I'd like to do a fall half and I'm sure I'll do my usual local races. Honestly, I don't know when I'll run another 26.2 and I seriously don't care. Right now I look forward to lazy Saturday mornings with Brent cooking us some seriously good eggs and bacon, and just spending time together as a little family. I've got shelves of medals and trophies, I don't need more to prove anything to myself. Running and fitness will always be there, the stricter edges of training and what-not can wait a while.

Anyway, there's a nap calling my name. Poor Brent has a terrible cold right now. He went to the doc Friday and got loaded up on meds, which really haven't done a thing. He's been snotting and resting all weekend. Our weather has been absolutely awful lately & basically half the city is sick. It rains practically every day for about the last 3 weeks, and the temps literally swing back and forth 50 degrees on a 24 hour basis! Friday - rain and 60's, then yesterday cloudy and cold in the 40's and today it's in the low 30's and dropping down to 13. It's arctic out there and of course we don't have any snow, if it's going to be this cold we deserve some pretty snow! I was sick last Saturday with a stomach bug, so we haven't had the best of weekends lately. Brent's snoring away next to me on the couch, and Pippin is too, so I think it's my turn to get in on the action! We were out late to a party last night so we could all use some extra sleep today, and I have a dessert I need to make later for a dinner tomorrow. I'm thinking something fruity and semi-healthy, following all the heavy foods of late (and coming up this week!)

Have a wonderful week and a very Merry Christmas!

6 Things that make me Happy, with 6 Weekends to Go...

I was really, really intending to blog here tonight but decided I should def read through some of you guys' posts in my Google Reader first. I mean, it's only fair for me to read what you guys are doing before I bore everyone with my little world, right? Ironically the first post I read I was tagged in, and since all bloggers I've met in the real world come first, I figured I should post my reply right away! And since my title was going to be "6 more weekends" anyway.....it couldn't be more fitting!

Six things that make me happy.....that's so hard to narrow down! Here's just the first 6 that pop into mind....

1) Baking at the Holidays. Dear God, I just love to bake, and the convection ovens we put into our kitchen last year, along with my Beloved Kitchen Aid just make baking one of the things that I love most this time of year. So far I'm about 4 batches into my Holiday Bake-anaza. There's something so stress relieving about dough and recipes and chopping little Snickers into tiny bits and then taking a big plate of assorted goodies with you everywhere you go. People just love homemade stuff, and I sort feel like I'm stealing from Paula Deen and Racheal Ray when I say how much I just love to make people happy with food. But it's true, I love to cook a feast and throw a party and we've had so much going on this year that we have hardly had a chance to do that. Actually, I'm already planning our biggest holiday party EVER for next December. It's just going to be huge and I can hardly wait until December 09.

2) Pippin. He just makes me happy. There's no love like the unconditional love of your dog, and no offense but Pippin has to be one of the cutest dogs ever. He is full of personality and just an absolute ham. He's there every time you feel bad and just want to cuddle in bed, every day you come home sad, and any time you just need a friend. He's just about the purest love in the world. I'm so over all the people who tell us he's just going to be "tossed aside" when the baby comes and that we "don't get it". Maybe we don't, but I can't imagine him ever being an afterthought in this house, and while he will have to share his time I view the change much the same as parents with multiple children - there's room to love everyone in this house.

3) Traveling. That should sort of come as a no-brainer if you've known us for any amount of time. I think the world is fascinating and there's just SO much to see. I don't understand how some people can go to the same place over and over again, when even just within this country there's some much to see and experience. If we hadn't traveled I wouldn't know there are states with no sales tax, places you're not allowed to pump your own gas, I would've never met a lot of you!, and I would've never seen real mountain goats and prairie dogs in their natural habitat.

4) Cheese. I just love it. In every form, every prep, it's just good. Probably a total heart killer, but it's just GOOD. I know someone who will only eat white cheese, and I think that's insane. I hardly can't even be her friend I find it so ludicrous. Shredded, melted, curds, in a ball or log, I like it. The holidays are some of my fave times because there's cheese sets in every retailer.

5) Gardening. I think Gardening is my Summer equivalent of Baking. There's something so rewarding about taking something from a seed, raising it up and then harvesting a veggie. We don't even eat half the things we grow, so half the fun is giving it away here as well. It's just exciting to see those first tomato blooms, then the tiny little green bugger, followed by a ripe fruit! It becomes an all out passionate war for me - of fighting droughts and 100+ temps, mean squirrels, and wretched worms all out to get you. I think the challenge makes the reward that much sweeter.

6) Brent and BabyGirl. I sort of got carried away so I guess these two will have to share a spot. Could I have a better husband? I don't think so. He's just so sweet to surprise me when I'm down, or just think of something nice to do for me. Last Friday he surprised me with a big body pillow to help me sleep better at night. I didn't ask for it or suggest it, he just knew it was something I needed. I can't believe in 3 weeks we'll have been married for 10 years!! It seems like forever, but it sort of seems like yesterday, too. I can't imagine my life being any better. And BabyGirl (who does have a name.....promise). This little person kicks the fire out of me, keeps me up all night, kept my head in the toilet for a few months, but she brings so much joy already. Right now she's pretty much all up in my ribcage and it's not so easy to breathe, but it just reminds me she's here. I'm pretty sure the day she makes her grand entrance will be one of the happiest days of our lives.

So yeah, I could go on and on and add things like movies with Kate Hudson in them, ice cream, Pandora radio, gourmet bathroom soaps and so on, but the game was to name 6.

Have a great night!!!!!