At least the camera is new

Disclaimer:  J and I live in his grandmother's old house.  When I say old, I mean "built back in the stone ages."  We are remodeling, but you will not see our handiwork in any of the pics below.  I am fairly sure that after posting these, I will feel compelled to post before and after pics of the work we have done...

I was not exactly up to being Martha Stewart for Christmas this year.  Maybe when my house is fully renovated and I don't feel like sleeping until June, I will be a little more creative.  Anyway, behold our lovely Christmas decorations....

The front of the house

Our Christmas tree (please note the beautiful Swarovski crystal J at the top), after the gifts had all been opened.

The stockings were hung on the deer antlers with care (please again, note the disclaimer... and yes, I know that technically we could take it down, but the walls are discolored from it being there for so long)

My nutcracker

Okay, I didn't go all out this year, but at least I did something, right?  And there are a few other decorative pieces around the house, but I didn't feel like taking pictures of everything.  Alright, that is not true.  I did feel like taking pictures.  Just not of Christmas decorations...

Duke's first Christmas

Helping open his present

Loving his new rabbit baby

::haven't you had quite enough yet?::

::I give up::

So there you have it.  Christmas madness at my house.  I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday! 

As you may have noticed

I've made some changes to the blog.  Yay!  It was boring me.  No doubt, it is probably boring you, as well.  The least I could do was make it (somewhat) pretty.

See, here is the bottom line.  I am not funny.  I am not particularly witty, either.  However, I- as most other people on the planet- seem to think that people want to hear what I have to say.  Because my life is so fascinating, right? 

Therefore, I will continue to write these random things that come into my head.  Oh, I will try to post more pictures.  At least that will give you something to look at.

I am very open to opinions, suggestions, whatever you may like to throw my way, as far as the blog (it is highly unlikely that I will listen to anything else... no, I kid). 

Hell, while we are here, I may as well tell you a cute story.  J is an avid fan of classic rock.  I listen to pretty much anything.  Needless to say, I was a wee bit surprised the other day when he changed it to the pop station.  I gave him a look of whatthehell, and he responds that he should get in the loop now because he wants to be a cool dad.  Collectively we all say, "AWWWWWWWWWW!"  Right?  Isn't that the cutest?  Damn right it is.

Stay tuned for some Christmas pics!  I have some time off, no school, and I vow to catch up.  I can practically see the excitement on your faces.  It makes me pleased, thankyouverymuch.

I am having a love affair...

With spinach hummus.  Yes, you read it right.  I dip a hard, crispy bagel chip (of the Everything variety) into the creamy goodness that is spinach hummus, and savor every last morsel.  This may actually end my love affair with chocolate... okay, probably not, but it will be a healthy alternative for snacking.

Last night, I ate two hot brownies covered in ice cream and magic shell. 

Ho, ho, ho and a bottle of Champagne

That I can't drink, obviously.  Wine is the thing I've missed most while being pregnant.  And God knows there have been days where I desperately needed it.  Wine and not being able to fit in my size 4 pants anymore ::sigh::  I'm not complaining, seriously.  It is kind of exciting that I can't fit in the same pants that I was wearing just last week. 

Anyway, so one of our vendors brought us bottles of champagne today.  It was the best thing that has happened to me at work in the past two weeks, and I can't even enjoy it.  Meh.  Whatever.  I have more important things on my mind today.  Like growing a set of balls.  Seriously.

Last year, our regional manager* let her office staff go home after a half day the day before Christmas Eve.  She called our office and said that everyone could go, except for one person.  So my (ex)friend and I had to choose which one of us would stay and which would go.  We both volunteered, but since it was techinically her property she said she would stay.  I felt so guilty that I stayed for another two hours, then said that I would take this Christmas if we were given the option to go home early again. 

So here we are, a few days before Christmas.  My job situation is quickly deteriorating, and I've lost a friend because of it.  And I'm pretty damn sure that because we are at least on speaking terms, she is going to expect me to stay.  Now since I haven't blogged the long boring story, let's just put it this way- in the four years that I've worked here, I've never been written up or given a bad review.  I've had both in the past two weeks, as well as the demotion and pay cut.  Funny how it all happened right around the time I told them I was pregnant.  But I won't go there for now, since it isn't really relevant to this story.

My initial reaction is "screw you, your raise, and your Christmas plans."  The day of, I will probably hang my head and agree to stay.  Because I am weak, and I am a sucker, and even though I am one hell of a bitch, I just can't be overtly mean to someone.  To which my husband replies:

"Tell that bitch all prior acts and agreements of friendship are null and void after she stabbed you in the back."

I love that man.  And since I know he would give me the sun, moon, and the stars if I wanted, I asked "May I borrow your balls?  Promise I will return them."

Although I gave it up willingly, a glass of champagne would be lovely right now.  And if anyone has any suggestions on what I should do (suck it up and stay, tell her to kiss my ever-widening ass), please feel free to enlighten me!

*Just thought I should mention that my regional is an extremely miserable person.  She is pathetic, really.  The only reason I refrain from calling her a bitch is because that would imply a certain level of intelligence, which I do not believe she is in possession of.  She stays late at work everyday because her husband is a fucktard and they don't like each other.  Oh, and she has no style and bad (as if there were good) 80's hair. 

Welcome to 2nd Tri!

Being in my second trimester seems like such a huge step.  Other than not being so ridiculously exhausted and hungry all the time, I really don't feel much different.  I guess first trimester was mostly uneventful, and that is a good thing.

I've decided that I will start posting a Pregnancy Quiz every once in a while.  Not every week.  So, here goes...

• How far along?: 13 weeks.

• Total weight gain: Holding steady at 8 lbs. What can I say, I was constantly starving for the first two months.

• How big is baby?: the size of a peach

• Maternity clothes?: Just my Bella Band.

• Stretch marks?: Nope.

• Sleep?: Sleeping like the dead, going to the bathroom a couple of times, dozing from about 4 to 6am, then not being able to drag myself out of bed until about 6:20.

• Best moment this week?: Seeing the baby on our surprise ultrasound. He kicked me! I wish I could have felt it.

• Movement?: Not feeling anything, but the u/s showed a very squirmy baby!

• Food cravings?: Carbs and anything sweet. 

• Gender?: I’m thinking boy. J called the baby a “she” twice on accident the other night.

• Labor signs?: Nope.

• Belly button in or out?: In

• What I miss: Red wine. I actually stuck my nose in a friend’s glass last night just to be able to smell it.

• What I'm looking forward to: Telling our friends from my hometown on Christmas Eve!

• Milestone: Moving up to second tri and picked our day care this morning.

• Weekly Wisdom: When everything in life is stressing you out, just remember that nothing else is worth the health of your baby. That will straighten your ass out quick.

As I mentioned, J and I picked a day care!  We went to take a tour this morning.  It very nice, and VERY clean.  The lady who owns it is wonderful, and the children all seem so happy.  I thought we would have a harder time, but it was so much fun.  Now if only I could figure out a way to take my baby to day care and yet not have to actually leave him there....  ::sigh::

First Trimester- Things I Hope I Always Remember

Forgive me, but this was kinda-sorta stolen from someone else's blog.  It was just so nice that I couldn't resist.

Things I Hope I Always Remember


1.  The nervousness and excitement that I felt the morning I saw the word "Pregnant" pop up on that Clear Blue Easy test.


2.  The way J laughed and hugged me when I told him he was going to be a Daddy.


3.  How hungry I was for the first few weeks- I'm not sure I have ever or will ever feel that way again!


4.  How good those absolutely-exhausted-sleep-like-the-dead naps felt.


5.  J stopping at five different fast food restaurants on the way home from Clemson at 10:00 in the morning because I HAD to have french fries and no one was serving lunch yet.


6.  Seeing my baby on the ultrasound for the first time.  It is a feeling that can still bring tears to my eyes.

7.  Telling our friends and family and enjoying the looks of shock and awe and pure joy.


8.  My Daddy questioning me about what I could eat, not letting me carry my own bags upstairs (even thought I was only 6 weeks), and calling my Mama while we were shopping to make sure I had eaten.


9.  J calling to tell me that HE had called and found us a day care.  He was so proud of himself, and I knew in that moment that he was a Daddy, and a damn good one.


10.  The sheer terror of not being able to find the baby's heartbeat and then the elation and relief of seeing it wiggle and kick away on the ultrasound monitor.

Introducing... Baby Jacks!

My sweet little squirmy baby...

J and I went today for our second appointment.  We had to wait forever, but it was totally worth it.

Right off the bat we had to sign paperwork agreeing to what we would be paying the doc's office. It wasn't too bad, but if I lose my job we are screwed because my deductible will go from $2000 to $5000 (because it would be me and J on his plan).
Anyway, my doc was running late because she had an emergency at the hospital.  When she did come in she gave me a lecture, a nice one, on the immediate need to eliminate stress. I didn't mention this before because I wasn't sure what it was, but she thinks that (based on my description) I have experienced a couple of contractions. This is obviously not good at 13 weeks. She asked if I wanted medication to deal with my anxiety, but I turned it down. She asked if there was anything she could do and even mentioned me quitting my job, which I don't think is going to be an option. Of course, I cried through most of this conversation. Not sobbing, but just teary-ish.
She then brought in the doppler to hear the baby's heartbeat. She told me that because of the position she may not be able to find it, and not to stress over it. Haha. When she couldn't find it, the waterworks started again. The battery in the doppler started dying so she said screw it, let's do an ultrasound.
I was really scared, but at the same time knew it was somewhat normal. The tech found the baby right away and the first thing he did was kick the shit out of me. J and I both laughed, and I immediately felt better. And, you guessed it, I cried again.  The baby wouldn't stop wiggling, and the tech said it was no wonder the doc couldn't find the heartbeat!
 
So there you have it.  My baby is  happy and active!  And I could not be happier... or less stressed.

I'm here to vent.

Plain and simple.  I have nothing good to say today, about anything.  Maybe I should go back and reread my post about being thankful.  But first, let me fill you in on what has been happening with me for the last few days.

The CEO of my company was in town Friday to take all of the employees in the area (all 8 of us) out to dinner.  It was that very same day that I found out I was getting a demotion and a $5,000 pay cut.  The demotion is not for anything I've done or haven't done, but simply because I don't have a property to manage right now.  I have been acting as an assistant for one property for a few months, so now it is permanent until we find something else.

This isn't really a huge deal.  It is happening all over the country, and I am not so special that this recession can't touch me.  The problem is how it was handled.  It seems that this was all put into motion back in August when work on the 2010 budget started.  The budget was approved in September.  Therefore, my boss has known about this for months and did not find it to be pertinent information to share with me.

My boss and my co-worker (now immediate supervisor) have been lying to me about my pay for four months.  I think I deserved a little better than that considering I've worked with them for six years.  And it isn't like this is some huge office.  As I mentioned, there are 8 of us.  Would it have really been a problem for them to tell me so that my husband and I could be a little more frugal with our money and prepare?

I accidentally stumbled upon this information on Friday.  In a state of shock, I caused a bit of a scene with my co-worker and told her I was leaving, which I did.  I was absolutely furious and I am positive that my blood pressure was through the roof.  I also chose this time to tell my boss that I'm pregnant.  She, in turn, was furious with my co-worker for not telling her... although it was none of her business.

My co-worker feels awful about the situation and takes full responsibility, although my boss told her not to tell me about the pay cut.  My boss was extremely unprofessional, rude, and downright classless about the whole situation.  She has never taken responsibility for anything in her life, and I didn't expect this to be any different.  To be completely honest, everyone we work with finds her to be a miserable person.  She is always talking about how she and her husband don't get along, and she comes to work in horrible moods and takes it out on everyone.

So what is the point in all of this?  I work with a bunch of assholes.  Bottom line.  My only saving grace is knowing that at the end of the day I will go home to a husband that loves me and our child, and I will soon finish with school and be able to tell all of them to fuck off.  They will be stuck with their pathetic lives and will be working for a pitiful company that will more than likely not be in business in a couple of years.

They can all suck it.  Anyone know of any good jobs in the Charleston area?

Today was a good day

• A very good friend of mine had four miscarriages, removal of a tube, and was diagnosed with a blood-clotting disorder all in the last year.  She was given a very dismal outlook for ever being able to concieve a child naturally.  Today I found out that she is due three days after me. 
• I'm getting an awesome Christmas bonus.
• My BFPF, the absolutely fantastic friend that she is, Wranglercowgrl87 sent me the sweetest gift!  Please behold the fabulousness...

(Skittles are one of my favorite things EVER)

I am now relaxing on the couch, curled up with the puppy and a steaming hot mug of Swiss Mocha, and watching the latest episode of Brothers & Sisters.  It is days like today that I count my blessings and thank my lucky stars. 

Coping with Disaster 101

Run and hide.  Yep, that is my solution.  When something goes drastically wrong, just remove yourself from the situation.  And what situation was it?  Allow me to explain.

My ILs are super excited about the baby, which is good.  What is not good is the fact that they have been bugging J for weeks about telling everyone... or "spreading the news," as my MIL put it.  They can not seem to wrap their brains around the fact that it is NOT their news to spread.

Anyway, J and I decided to tell our friends Saturday night before the town Christmas party.  Repeat: OUR FRIENDS.  Oh, and we had told the ILs that they could tell family members.  What they heard was, "Please feel free to tell everyone and their mother's brothers."  And that is exactly what they did.

So as I entered the Christmas party Saturday night I was immediately bombarded with people.  In case I have not mentioned it before, I'm not too particularly fond of people, in general.  Especially those who will pass you in the grocery store without a word because they can't be bothered.  These are the same people who feel that, now that I am pregnant, they should be privy to every detail.  Some even going as far as to say that they didn't know we were trying....

Ummm, no shit.  FYI, my sex life is none of your effin business.  Why is it that people think an appropriate response to someone being pregnant is to ask "were you trying?"  People, I'm 30 years old, I believe I understand how to prevent pregnancy.  Steam is coming out of my ears as I type.  For serious.

Back to my original thought process: coping with disaster.  Needless to say, the party was completely ruined for me.  I tolerated it for as long as I could.  And then I left.  Yep, after an hour and a half of being under the microscope, I left the party.  Oh well, sitting on my couch watching football and eating Cheez-Its was a much better alternative to freezing my ass off while everyone else got drunk. 

Let's do a comparison, shall we?

Me at 5 weeks and me at 11 weeks.  You can definitely see the eight pounds I've gained.  And yes, my boobs have grown from a C to a D, but the way my shirt is pulled up makes them look a gazillion times bigger.  Please excuse my overall general grossness, but my face is broken out like a 13 year old and I hate my hair right now, not to mention I am just not photogenic at all.  Blah.

Random thoughts....

Wow.  So it has been over a week since I blogged about anything.  I guess I haven't really done anything worth writing about, unless you want to head my views on health policy.  No?  Didn't think so.

J and I did tell our closest friends last Saturday that we are expecting.  It was fun and we were both really nervous.  I guess the nerves came from not knowing how they would react.  Of course they were all wonderful and very happy for us.  And the girls wanted to know every last detail.  So it was a lot of fun!

I am working out of town this week and still have a lot on my plate.  A break is greatly needed!  Besides, I need to get my Christmas shopping ON! 

Hope you are all having a wonderful start to the holiday season!