Pictures

What we saw on our Saturday drive- this truck was in Burlington, WV, on the side of the road. It just made us smile.

Mmm....chicken enchiladas...

Domestic Royalty

Well, I am watching Shanghai Knights and Andrew is at the lab working on some homework. It's the LAST WEEK OF GRAD WORK!!! Wooooooooo!!! I am so excited about our summer off. I can't even contain myself.
Ok, now the real reason we're here. I just put my first Sour Cream Noodle Bake in the oven. The true test will be in the end result, but I have heard that a successful SCNB is the gateway from newlywed wife to domestic goddess. I am very pleased about this. I am going to split it up into containers and put them in the freezer for my best guy to take to lunch. I will not be posting the recipe, because I believe that this certain meal should be in my aresenal and not a public brouhaha. There are just some things smart women know, and knowing what not to share is imperative to success. Considering I overshare almost anything, I owe this to myself.
I am going to clean up the apartment, and then we are going to drive around to see some houses, and we will be going to the Lang Household for dinner!
Mass was very nice, but Father Ed spoke about the priest shortage, and quite honestly, Andrew and I have our work cut out for us. Lucy needs to get a move on so I can start growing some little boys for the cause! Fr. Ed is one of four priests that serve seven parishes, and he said that the average age of the Baltimore Archdiocese priest is 62. He also seemed concerned that upon his retirement, there will be no one to replace him on campus. I know a few young men who would be great priests, so I am going to start praying for them to listen, already! Andrew and I both considered the religious life, and I think we would both be drawn to it again, should we find ourselves partnerless later in life. Andrew would have been a wonderful priest, and I am pretty sure he may consider the deaconate in the years to come, like his papa is doing now. But, it looks like we both found our calling, and we are each so happy in our vocation as married people. Our marriage is the light of our lives, and making it a light for others is what we value most. Now that we are where we are, it's so easy to see that we've chosen the right path, the right partner and the right vocation. God is so good at leading us to our spots, isn't He?
Well, I need to go smell my food and have a bowl of cereal. I got my belly good during the Noodle Grab- Nina knows what I'm talking about- and now I'm avoiding the casserole until it's completely done. Thank the Lord for the Tide Pen!

The Waiting Game

I am sitting here on the couch at 8:30, having just completed a mildly painful contraction, hoping that there will be more. Andrew is still snoozing, God Bless him. I woke up at 7:30 because my back was killing me.
I've had a very easy pregnancy, and in some ways, it makes me afraid that labor and delivery are going to be a nightmare. However, Lucy's due date is tomorrow, and I'm still very happily pregnant. I would like her to come before Monday the 7th, but other than that, I have no real issues with any of it. She has been a dream, and I am still very comfortable and energetic. The evenings are a little rough, but only because I'm so tired by then. But, it's been very fun, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
The only thing I really mind is the teaser contractions. Especially the painful ones. I get all excited, and then there's nothing. Ok, well I just got up and stretched and poured some ice water. NOW we'll see if they stick around. Those two were really good, too. I would love it if Lucy decided today was good for her. Little turkey head. I will having her inside me, though...I am so excited about seeing her and touching her, and I can't wait to give Andrew his sweet little girl, but I'm a little sad about having her on the outside, truth be told. She's so safe where she is now, and I love all those little movements. It's going to be so weird, not being pregnant. I was looking at our honeymoon pictures last night, and admiring my formerly flat tummy. I can't even remember it anymore!
Well, I don't think that was a "real" contraction. Back to solitaire.

Our Saturday

Well, Andrew and Suzzy just left to take Suzzy home after watching The Last King Of Scotland. Intense. But we had brownies, so all that genocide and anger was muted a bit.
I am just waiting for my honeybun to get home, and sitting here while Lucy finishes her Midnight Flop. It takes her a little while to settle down and get comfortable, and by the time she removes herself from my kidneys, I'm completely spent and can barely muster a goodnight.
We had a very nice day. We must have driven around for almost 8 hours, just yakking and looking at houses and things. It was a very nice day. We split a little sundae at Dairy Queen, played with the puppies at the pet store, wandered around Ollie's and bought some baby books, and had a nice dinner at D'Atri's. It was a very relaxing and fun day, just driving around.
Tomorrow we have NO PLANS. Andrew will be working on school, and I will be in the bathtub, trying to convince Lucy that a bathtub feels JUST like a uterus, and if she comes out, she can live in the tub.
Andrew is home! More tomorrow!

The Picture

PS: The picture is of me at Assateague Island last summer, poking at a horseshoe crab. It was the first one I'd ever seen! I was very excited. It was stuck in the sand, so we put him back out to sea. We also found some ponies stuck in the sand, but we did not attempt to put them out to sea. What a nice vacation. We will definitely be doing that again, but not in July. Assateague has NO shade. It was boiling hot the entire week.

Kick Counts and Painful Contractions

Last night was very restful, but since it's only 7am, I'm on my way back to bed! I woke up about a half hour ago, and didn't feel Lucy moving, so I worried, of course, even though now that's she's due she's pretty much out of room. She never seems to care, and spent all of last night going bonkers.
So I had a bowl of cereal to get her going, and now she's happily digesting her Kix. Mama tested, Lucy approved! Boy, once I sit back and let her get some of that sugar, she's a wild woman.
We went grocery shopping last night. We have enough for about 3 weeks! It looks like we're finally ready for Miss Thang to make her debut. We had a nice night out, and had lots of good contractions, and by the time we got in, I was ready to pass out. We rented Marie Antionette, and it was actually pretty good. Sad, since we know it's not going to end so well once they run from the castle, but still very good. We also got The Last King of Scotland, and we're going to watch that sometime this weekend. Today we're going to drive around and look at some houses, and then I think Andrew is taking me to the pet store to play with the puppies. And since we'll be in LaVale, we should probably take advantage of the "buy a cup of ice water for $1.77, get a dipped cone free" promotion at Dairy Queen. Andrew still seems skeptical.

In search of a big margarita...

Well, we are not getting the house. Turns out the seller is shadier than we had orginally assumed. The structural inspection was yesterday, and that nice guy left us without a way to heat the water, AND without plumbing in the entire house. I don't know how he sleeps at night.
Originally, I was devastated. The house is such a sweet little place, and we had been dreaming too hard about it. It's tough, doing so much and busting our hineys to close, and then having this, but it's better to find out now than 6 months down the road, right?
But, I was falling asleep last night, watching the rain and snuggling next to my sweet husband (who let me cry my eyes out all over him), and I was thinking about everything we already have, and I can't complain one bit. God is so good to us, and we have so much. We have a beautiful little girl on the way, we have a wonderful marriage, we have a little roof over our heads, and we have enough to eat and pay the bills. How can we complain? We will keep looking, and we know that God will send us our home in His own time.
We have decided that we are going to go out to a nice, romantic dinner this weekend, at Rocky Gap, and we're just going to enjoy one more weekend of quiet and solitude. :-) Life is good.

I cannot go into labor today.

I have a busy four days ahead of me, and really need all the time I can get. Mose importantly, I need time for this leg to heal. There is no way I could push a baby out right now without doing some major damage. I re-pulled my groin muscle, and I'm barely limping. Unfortunately, I have to be at the inspection today, and I have to run a couple of errands that absolutely can't wait, so I only have til 1pm to rest. I also have an entire apartment that needs to be packed...I was up most of the night, trying to figure out how best to rest it, but I only ended up getting less sleep. This morning I'm on the couch with a heating pad. I had contractions all night off and on, and they were mighty painful, so I'm really hoping that Miss Lucy will take pity on her mama and give me a couple days to get this leg better. If she decided to come tonight, I'm not sure I could pull through. I think I'm going to stop by the doctor's office after the inspection and see what they recommend. Ugh. It's not even 7am and I have a billion things to do. I think I'm pretty well set up to work from the couch. Here's to hoping...

Packing, Packing, Packing!

I have so much to do today. Short update.
Appointment went well, we're making good progress, work has started on the house, we're still on schedule to close, and everything is looking good. I'm spending today packing, and tomorrow is the structural. And I have a headache. More later!

Tuesdays Mean Dr. H.

It's 6:40am. Andrew has been gone for ten minutes, and now I can't get back to sleep. I'll be needing a bowl of cereal to fill me up first...
Today is going to be a long day. The only way to get through it is going to be another couple hours of hiding in bed first. I have to go out and talk to some homeowner's insurance agents and find one to help me on this house thing. I also have a doctor's appointment. They used to be good, before I realized my doctor has the strength of ten men and the sympathy of an executioner.
Erin read my blog yesterday. About time- she's been very busy washing cars, I suppose. She says I should be a stand-up comedian. Well, comedianne. Does anyone use that term anymore? A lot of people tell me I should be a stand-up comedian. I usually suggest they just get to know a wider variety of people, but Erin knows a lot of people already, so she may be on to something. I would, of course, have to be a stay-at-home comedian.
Okay, well, this baby is officially swinging from my large intestine just thinking about breakfast, so I'm going to try to max out her space with some Captain Crunch. Her love for food tells me she takes after her mama.

Our Picnic!

Here is Andrew, lying on the patio. I gave him a haircut this weekend- so handsome!

Getting some sun.

39 Weeks pregnant- and definitely feeling it! I have no ankle bones left! I felt around for them, I think they're in there, but it's not looking good. I can't wait to find my real body again!

45 Years!

Well, yesterday was Grandpa and Grandma's 45th wedding anniversary. THAT is amazing. Grandpa and Grandma are still the cutest couple I know. They just adore each other, and their friendship is still very important to them. They just prefer each other's company above anyone else's, and I think that is part of of what makes a marriage last. I have only been married a year, but I've still had plenty of time to be amazed at the way things shift when you go from dating to marriage. People say, "Oh, you need date nights, and you need to keep the passion alive, and you need to make time for each other." Well, I do agree with that, and I always enjoy our romantic dates, but what you really need is a basic like for each other. No one has the money to enjoy a romantic date every weekend, nor do they have the time. On the other hand, you do spend a lot of time maintaining your life. Our weekends are filled with "errands" and things we need to do, and it's still the best part of the week, because we'd much rather run errands together than spend our weekdays apart. I've observed this with Grandma and Grandpa for years. They always make each other laugh, and they have a strong LIKE for each other. I decided when I was about 8 that I wouldn't settle for a mate who wasn't my best friend and strongest advocate. When I met Andrew, we just laughed and laughed, and we fell in love laughing. We settle arguments laughing, we fall asleep laughing, we laugh through death, we laugh at each other, and we laugh at ourselves. Grandpa always gets so much joy out of the silly things Grandma says, and when Andrew gives me the same look I've been seeing all my life, I know that he's laughing because he's happy to be with someone who doesn't censor her random thoughts. There are so many similiarities between my own marriage and that of my grandparents, and I hope that the strongest ends up being the longevity. Congratulations for Grandma Susie and Grandpa Dick! You two are just so cute!

We had a lovely day yesterday. We had a nice time at Mass, and then we went on our little picnic. Oh, I will post pictures in a minute. It was a beautiful day. I got some sun, and we came home and Andrew watched the Godfather and I napped, and we packed some more stuff. I got almost all of Lucy's stuff packed up, except what we will need for the first couple weeks, should we end up staying here longer than we plan. We went to the laundromat around 8, and we stopped at Food Lion on the way to debit some cash for the machines, and I got a word search book. I did a couple last night, but I had to limit myself to about 5, because for some reason I read word searches like John Nash saw codes in "A Beautiful Mind," and all the words just pop up and I finish them ridiculously fast. But I think I'm going to do them while I'm in labor. Making the words pop up all at once takes concentration, so I think it would be another thing I could do through contractions to zone out. I do like word searches.
We washed all of Lucy Goosey's newborn clothes, and boy are they so cute! I'm already upset about her growing up so fast. This is why people keep having snuggly little newborns. I'm just addicted to tiny little people. I can't wait to kiss on her! When they came out of the dryer, it was this massive waterfall of pink. I found a green onesie and almost threw it away, I was so confused. But I love all those little pink onesies. Oh, so cute...
I need to go. I have a billion things to do, and no time to do them. Oh, I'll post pics before I do anything else.

A picnic!

Well, Andrew has 11 minutes until his alarm goes off. He said he wanted to be up by 9. I'm not sure why. I think he wants to be relatively sleepy when he goes to bed tonight. He has to be up mighty early to start his new work schedule. I think he'll like it when all is said and done. And he has next Friday off! Woo!
Today we are going to noon Mass at Cook Chapel, and then we're going to pack a lunch and have a picnic on the library patio. It's a beautiful day, and I want to get some sun! I got a little yesterday, but not enough.
After our picnic, we really need to do laundry. So I think we'll run over there and do that, and then come back here for dinner and a quiet night in. We had a pretty busy day yesterday, so I think we'll be ready for an early night.

Oh, no you didn't!

Ladies and Gentlemen, THIS is why our world is falling apart. We went to Cumberland to the new furniture store, and found this...Andrew decided to send me into the furniture store and go to a pawnshop across the street. Well, once I saw this, I ran across the street to Andrew, and said, "Walk ten paces into the store and look down and to your left." Well, he did, and the look on his face was priceless. As I'm laughing hysterically, the lady who was running the store says, "Did you find something funny at the pawn shop?" NO, LADY! We found the trashiest recliner EVER in your recently opened and highly overpriced furniture store...Whew...

Lucy, come out and play!

Well, Lucy's daddy and I had a very nice day, as we always do. We went out this morning and searched around at some furniture stores, and then we took a nice long walk at Canal Place and finished it off with a soda. It was gorgeous out there today! I told Lucy it was beautiful and that if she came tonight I'd sneak her out for some sunshine tomorrow, but she just doesn't care.
We went up to the house. No one has started working on it yet. We were very upset, and called our realtor, who called the seller's realtor, and the seller swears it'll be done by Friday. Well that's spectacular, but we have a structural inspection on Monday, buddy...so we rescheduled the structural for Thursday afternoon to try to help this guy get the stuff done that should have been done last week. We're getting discouraged, but we're just leaving it in God's hands.
We did end up finding the furniture we like, and we're trying to make a decision of whether we're going to splurge on the dining room set we LOVE. It's going to be a tough decision. Maybe we'll save for it for a little while...
I made sweet and sour meatballs for dinner, and now we're watching UFC on Spike...I am sore and crabby, and all I want to do is be sore and crabby.
OH, we found something that rendered us absolutely speechless. I'll post it in a separate post. It's the least I can do...

One more thing...

This is just funny. I think most everyone who reads this knows I have a slight hearing disability, and I'm required to pay close attention to what I'm listening to. Usually, I can compensate by reading lips in a crowd or just pretending I have some idea of what's going on. It doesn't bother me unless people get upset with me for not understanding what's being said because they're unaware of the issue, or when I miss something that's actually important. Most of the time it's just funny.
I'm sitting here on the couch, and I was kind of staring off into space and half listening to the TV, thinking about what I need to do next- very busy day ahead of me. I hear this little jingle and an ad for "Jesus Sticks." For some reason this didn't phase me at all, until I listened a little closer and realized I had no idea what Jesus Sticks are. Turns out there is a new cracker out there- Cheez-It Sticks. A big relief. For a minute there I was very concerned. I thought it was new line of Jesus-themed snacks. That said, I'm going to take a shower now. I don't have to be responsible for listening to anything but running water in there.

Payday

Today is payday. I love paying bills. I really like meeting our financial obligations, as goofy as that sounds. It's true that we're not rich, but we're also not "bill pickers," which feels good. I like paying the bills, putting money in savings, and having enough left for the things we need. I am a nerd.
We have a pretty quiet weekend coming up...hint hint, Lucy...I think we're going to drive out to look at some furniture, and we are going to swing by the house and see if anyone is working on it...since our structural inspection is on Monday, everything needs to be done- I can't wait to see the new carpet and have those radiators gone! It's going to be so nice to get that place painted and have it feeling more like home. So weird that my this time next week, we'll be picking up our keys and moving into our own house. What an amazing opportunity! I can't wait to bring Lucy home to her new house! It's so funny to me that just 9 months ago, we had no job, no place to live and no plans, and here we are. It seems like God has really taken us on as a special project! He is so good to us. About 4 months ago I was sad because we wouldn't have a nursery to decorate for our little girl, even though I know that's a very silly thing to get upset about. And now we're just trying to decide which room to give her. Andrew and I spend a lot of time marveling about how things just seem to work out perfectly when you're living the life you should be living. It feels like our willingness to live a simple life rewards us over and over and give us so many opportunities. Andrew is part of what makes that possible. So many people have to have things, vacations, cars and stuff. Andrew really wants a flat screen that we can mount above the mantle in the new house. This is something that's not a ridiculous desire, but it's expensive. If we're going to have a tv in that room, it will need to be mounted- there jsut isn't room otherwise. But it's not really in the budget right now. I think this fall will be a good time for it. But Andrew doesn't say a word. He just says, "I think we should hang my wedding painting over the fireplace until we get the flat screen." No finaggling, no whining and no extravangance. Being the money manager in the house, I hate having to say no over and over, and I only do it when it's necessary, but right now we're just overloaded with trying to get things in order with the house. The best way to manage it is to take it slow and spend very cautiously. Andrew knows this and makes it possible to say my "no's" without feeling bad. He makes life such a pleasant place, and we both know that that flat screen will be such a fun reward when we're in the right place to buy it. I hear so many spouses/partners nagging at each other, and it's so sad. Life is SO short. My very wise in-laws tell us to be "life-giving." It always sounds funny when you say it out loud, but it always means so much when you live it consciously.

I'm a failure!!

I did not blog yesterday...I can't believe it.
Well, yesterday I was very injured and I was bedridden, so I couldn't be counted on to entertain. Apparently my attempt to escape my doctor's terrifying hands on Tuesday resulted in major injury to a muscle, so I spent yesterday a little bit laid up, trying to rest it.
When Andrew got home last night, we decided to go for a walk, but it was pretty cold, and I wanted a candy bar. So we drove to Walmart and wandered around, and we tried to decide on a treat to buy with the last $6 on our Walmart card. We had fun, but I had contractions the whole time, and once they started to get painful, we headed out. We watched Sanjaya get kicked off AI, and then we went to bed. I woke up with contractions, but obviously they were just for fun. For a second there, I really thought I was going into labor, but here I am, blogging away!
We sent out an email to our friends last night, imploring them to come up next weekend to help with painting, moving and getting stuff done on the new house. I think we're going to have a decent-sized group to help us out- it would be so great to get everything done in one weekend! If Lucy isn't here, I'll help, if I'm in labor, I'll labor at the apartment and we'll put someone in charge and have the baby, and if she is here, we'll continue with the work, feed the baby, and introduce her to the people who are working so hard to give her a bedroom! I know we're crazy to try to get it all done so soon, but we have a summer with a new baby ahead of us, and I don't want to spend every single weekend painting and housebound, and I want Andrew to be able to concentrate on Lucy and not getting all these little things done. Besides, everyone we've invited up are people who would be coming up to meet her anyway, so we're killing two birds with one stone.

Andrew and I talked more last night about our dreams for our children. I think we're both people who have high expectations of children. I think that when you don't, they learn not to try. I'm not talking about expecting them to become doctors. I mean having faith in the fact that they are just as capable as adults to make a difference in this world. Andrew and I have been dreaming about the people they'll become since...well, almost since we met. When you meet the right person, you fall in love with the influence they have on the people around them, and I knew that Andrew would be a capable and effective parent, just as he's a friend, son, colleague and spouse who always goes the extra mile to make a difference.
For Lucy, we hope that she spends the early part of her life asking herself, "Does this make me a better person?" We want her to learn the qualities that make a person a person of compassion and change, and we want her to recognize those qualities in herself. As she gets older, we want her to ask herself, "Does this action make the world a better place?" My biggest hope for her is that she can impart great love on the people around her, and create change in the world she lives in. I know it's hard as children become teenagers, but obviously, it's possible, even today, to raise children who become adults. Lots of children stop right on the edge of adulthood, and end up retaining the "values" they should shed. But there are people out there who rise above themselves and join the adult world to become leaders for the people around them. I know that Lucy will be a smart girl, and I know that she's going to be an amazing person.
I suppose that means discipline. Andrew and I were both raised in families who weren't afraid of conflict, and it shows. Parents who are afraid of discipline are the people who raise children I'm afraid of.
I'm glad children grow by the day and they don't just turn into adolescents overnight. On the other hand, it would probably be a lot easier to stick to our guns if we didn't keep thinking back to how adorable she was as a toddler. It's a tricky business, this parenting thing...

No progress!

Well, we are back from our most recent doctor's appointment, and I'm stuffed full of French Toast and waiting for Andrew to get home from class.
The doctor says that there is no progress, which isn't surprising, but it looks like we're in for a nice long night of contractions, thanks to his "vigorous" exam. Ugh.
I dropped our papers off at the mortgage broker's office, and as it turns out, today was "Buy an ice water for a $1.77 and get a free dipped cone!" day at Dairy Queen. Well, that's what I told Andrew- he seemed doubtful. How was I supposed to know they'd be offering SUCH a deal?
I am spending tonight lying on the couch. I pulled a muscle and I am in pain. So there.
Andrew is presenting in class, and then he'll be home to rub my feet and love on me, I hope. I painted my toenails today. The nurse at Dr. H's was very impressed. Don't ask me how I did it. It was painful, but they'll be nice to look at while I'm in labor. Ok, well, I'm going to push Miss Lucy's hiney out of my ribs and try to do the dishes before Wheel of Fortune. I love Wheel- it helps me dream about the moment I'll become a squillionaire.
Whale-Girl, OUT!

As If We Need More Change

Andrew's office just got the final go-ahead for the new schedule. As if we need anything else to adjust to- it starts next week. He'll have every other Friday off, which is cool, but I can't handle any more weird changes right now!!! It looks like his off days will coincide well with our summer plans, and he'll have a lot of 3 day weekends on the ones we need. How helpful!

Sad Day.

What a very sad day. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech.
An RA was killed. It makes me think about our years working for FSU, and about how much we loved our jobs in Residence Life. It seemed like so much work then, to learn the names of every resident, but maybe it made a difference for someone, looking back. I don't know any RA from our years on campus who wouldn't have done the same thing and gone to help.
This awful event also makes me very proud of Tim, who has spent so many years training so many people in triage nationwide and has dedicated himself the art of bringing order to mass casualty. Many people benefited yesterday from the training of the medical professionals in the area, and chaos like that requires a very special set of people to care for the wounded and injured.
We will continue to pray and we're keeping everyone in our prayers.

Lots to cover.

Me: and a sherpa lining
Suz: ew, lined with sherpas?!?!?!
Suz: like the tiny guides in the himalayas?
Me: yes
Me: word
Me: but not the whole animal
Suz: theyre animals?!?!?!?!
Suz: i thought they were little men
Me: they're freaking llamas
Suz: oh wow...i thought they were those very tan midgety men
Me: alpacas...sherpas...all horse/camel animals
Me: those are peruvians
Suz: haha ohhh
Suz: i have a peruvian friend

See what I live with?

Well, this weekend was mighty fine! Andrew's mama and dad came up, and we all had a delightful time! We went out to lunch at Penny's, and then we saw the house, which should be getting some work done this week, and then we took them to ATK, and we relaxed for a bit, and had a late dinner at SandSpring. It was very nice having them up!
Andrew and I spent yesterday relaxing and enjoying our Sunday afternoon- he worked on homework and I moaned and huffed around cause I felt like poo...the baby dropped another good bit yesterday, so I was in a bit of pain, and then in the evening I started getting some painful contractions, so I laid around for a bit and then Andrew and I took advantage and practiced our relaxing and breathing. Once the contractions finally ended, we used another tactic to practice some contractions. I held an ice cube in my hand to simulate the same kind of obsessive pain that a contraction has, and it worked really well. I am a champ when it comes to ice-cube holding. Andrew is an amazing coach, and by the time we reached a minute and a half, I didn't even realize my hand was burning off. I have a difficult time controlling my thoughts and focusing, as anyone who knows me will agree to- having Andrew behind me guiding my thoughts is really my saving grace. He understands how my mind flies around, and I just can't concentrate on anything.
It was interesting working with him last night- when he wasn't close to me, I was very fidgety and distracted, but once I could feel him next to my ear, I was really able to get down to work and let him push me through it. It got me thinking about our marriage, and about how in the sacrament of Marriage, we're Christ to each other. Andrew really represents Christ to me in our Marriage, in the way he's so steady and patient. He's a very calming influence to me, and I know that Lucy's birth will be amazing with his voice in my ear. He's calm to me like going to Mass is. Last night, I couldn't focus at all, until he was right behind me, just rambling about how my body knows what to do, and how he's so proud of me, and how he can't wait to see Lucy. I don't think I would ever trust this whole process to another person, but he has an amazing command over the way he can guide my thoughts and keep me in a good place, and I know that he's going to be the one to make Lucy's birth amazing. When we started studying Bradley, I was really amazed about the reviews I heard as far as what a married couple can do with it, and how it can be such a positive experience. I don't think I'd recommend it for everyone, and I do think there are couples out there who should just do an epidural. But I'm really excited about using Bradley to really enhance the good qualities of our marriage and play on our strengths. Labor and delivery is going to be a lot of work, but Lucy's life in the womb will end very much the way it began; with a lot of laughter and love. Our marriage and partnership has produced some amazing results since we found out Lucy was on her way, and we're so excited about the last step in making her a part of our family!

The apostrophe in my name.

I have a confession. I still don't know when it's approriate to put an apostrophe at the end of my name. The "possessive" confuses me to no end. I will have to ask Andrew to help me understand this. I have been meddling in this family for ages now, and I really have no idea. Of course, I didn't get it with my maiden name either...
I would really love a margarita and a hammock right now. But I digress, more work to do before I rest! I am making hot dogs for dinner. (Trust me, I'll totally ignore any comments about nitrates or whatever, so don't waste your breath.) Andrew didn't say, "Yay! Hot dogs!" but maybe he just didn't realize how wonderful they really are at the time I mentioned it.
Ok, off I go. Dishes to put away, floors to vacuum, blankets to fold, water to drink.

How To Boil Rice

Well, it seems like a lot of young women my age do not know how to make a pot of rice. This is sad. Minute Rice is not where it's at. Who is raising these girls?!
Ok, Grandma Susie and Mama Jen have passed this on to me. Mom swears that Visions pans are the way to go, but I have found that it's pretty hard to screw up a pot of rice, regardless of what you cook it in. HOWEVER, it would seem that the successful rice cooks each have a pan they love. I think it's one of those "I did it right! I'm never giving up this pan!" I will tell you, I have been using the same pan since our wedding day, and I have yet to screw it up with my lucky pan. Grandma uses a stainless sauce pan. Mom uses a Visions sauce pan. I use a combo- a stainless teflon sauce pan with a clear lid.
YOU MUST HAVE A LID.
Moving along:
Here is your recipe:
White, long grain rice. The kind that comes in the big scary bag without directions.
Double the water. So if you use a cup of rice, you use two cups of water. Simple.
A little salt in the water is fab.

Ok, bring your water to a boil. Dump the rice in, and cover it. Turn it down to "2," or your stove's equivalent. That would be a low/medium simmer, I suppose.
Let is go for 25 minutes. That's what I do for a 1 cup recipe. Now, I would say to add about 3 minutes for each half cup of rice you add to that.
DO NOT REMOVE THE LID UNTIL THE TIMER GOES OFF. For the love of Pete, don't remove the lid. Ask Andrew. I'm not a physically abusive spouse. Usually. But once his hand goes for the lid, it's anybody's game. I think you could ask him my biggest rice making rule, and he would say, "Don't take off the lid!" When I make Pilaf, he gets unusually rowdy, and has to work extra hard to keeps his hands away.
On the subject of Pilaf, this is a tricky subject. Yes, it's the best food in the world. We know this. I know it's selfish to keep the recipe a secret, but it's what sets the wives apart from the superwives. So, no, this recipe is not for amateurs.

Friiiiiidayyyyyy!!!

Last night was a rough one.
1) We had 50mph wind all night, and the house was rocking all over. Scary.
2) I had bad dreams.
3) So bad Andrew moved to the couch where I couldn't hurt him anymore.
4) The baby has officially dropped, and I can't bend over. That has nothing to do with last night, actually.

So, I'm told we're supposed to get a huge snowstorm on Sunday night. This would be bad. Just our luck, Lucy would decide that Sunday would be the perfect time to show her face. I mean, seriously...snow in the middle of April? Only in Frostburg...
It's still teribly windy. I'm going to get cozy and read for awhile.

Chest Pain & House Stuff

Maybe the chest pain is from the house issues. I am not a good house buyer. I can't keep any of this stuff straight.

Anyway, we had a very nice day yesterday with April. We made cookies, and dinner, and did some webisodes for the blog, and watched some tv. It was so fun having her up!
Last night around 7 I started getting bad chest pains, so I called my doctor and he said I could come in the ER if I wanted, or I could just go to sleep and see how I felt in the morning. I'm still feeling a little sluggish, but I think I just over-exerted myself yesterday.
We're still working out some house stuff- it seems like this is just turning into one big headache. He really needs to start on the house. I took April over there today, and nothing has been started, and we close in two weeks. So...I don't know. We're still working out some inspection stuff, and I hope it gets taken care of soon.
We just had two very big thunders here, and Andrew is at work. I don't like big thunders when I'm minus a snugglebuddy. Maybe a glass of milk will help.
Andrew's parents are coming up on Saturday! I am very excited.
OH OH OH! Someone is going to come look at the car tomorrow! Woooooooop! I am praying SO hard that we sell her soon...I am a little afraid of showing the car by myself, since it's a buy who's coming, I think. I don't even know how to sell a car. Maybe I can get him to come by around 5pm so Andrew can be here to take him out for a drive. I don't want to be alone with a stranger. I guess we should go to the storage unit tonight and find the title. I don't know how to do a title transfer thingy...Sigh.

Guy Parenting Episode 3 - Bathing Your Bear Baby

Baby classes and answered prayers

Something in Lucy's home is hurting. It feels like I pulled a muscle. Ouch. But I did sleep very well last night.
We went to our baby class last night. It was actually much better than we expected. It was not really about baby care. It was more about what happens to the baby once she's born and while she's being cared for inside the hospital, which is something we were concerned about. Up until last night, we'd be getting a lot of random, vague answers, and I wasn't really happy with the "oh...you know...she goes to the nursery..." Whatever. So last night was nice. We learned more about hospital security, tests, vaccinations, the schedule on the postpartum wing, and early discharge, all of which we were very curious about.
We also went to Walmart on our way home because we needed some groceries. You know, Andrew and I always have fun. No two ways around it. He's just the most entertaining person i know. And last night was another one of those nights that reminded us that God is so present in our lives, and is attending to our needs when we don't even realize it.
Also, Andrew did something very sweet for me. I promised I wouldn't go into details because it didn't turn out like he planned, but it was very romantic and thoughtful, and I want to thank him publicly for making me feel like such a treasure. We're having a hectic and crazy month, and it's hard to find the time to do romantic things, and it's even harder to find the energy, and he really went out of his way to do something I mentioned over a year ago. What a sweetie.
April is coming to visit today! So I have to stay on task and keep moving, because she'll be here around noon, and I have lots to do! I need to eat, shower, get pretty and get started on this housework. I have a lot to do, and no time to do it! I think I'll do my cookie baking later when she gets here, and maybe I'll take her over to the new house and show her the view.
Well, I'm off to be productive!

Full term and nothin' doin'

Well, we are officially ready to deliver this baby. She's all grown up and ready to be a person in the outside world, which is very exciting! However, our appointment this morning showed no progress, which really means nothing, to be honest. It looks like Miss Lucy will be in there at least a couple more weeks. Now, it's true that labor could start any time, and she's head-down and ready to go, so I'm not really going to pay much attention to the fact that there is no progress. Dilation doesn't really indicate the start of labor, so I guess we'll just keep on walking and waiting. Truth be told, I'd be ok if she went a little over due so we could get into the new house and do labor there and take a 1 minute drive to the hospital. Wouldn't that be a dream...seriously- if you're looking out the window of the upstairs bathroom, you can see the front door of the hospital. It's so close I could spit on it. I would be much braver laboring much longer at home if we were that close to the hospital!
I am working on my paper today, and then we have a class at the hospital tonight. Tomorrow, I think April is coming up...I am going to email her now and find out.

Monday morning...

Good morning all!
What a lovely, cold morning. Andrew is at work, doing Tactical Systems Divsion-y things. Last night I did not sleep. And today, this house is a GIANT MESS. You might think I'm exaggerating, but I am not. I mean, gross. Easter weekend was not kind to us.
Just balanced the checkbook. Well, the bills are paid, so that's good, right?

Anywhooo....No, I didn't sleep last night. I fell asleep sitting up at 3am after a bathroom trip, and when I woke up at 5:04, I was in good amount of pain. And I was sitting on the stereo remote. Somewhere in the middle of the night, I found Andrew holding the remote. He's been complaining about not sleeping too well, and I think it's because he's been changing the stations in a half-awake state, and he's just cat-napping through the night. So I have confiscated the remote. Not to mention we keep wondering who is changing the stations throughout the night. I think it's him. So the remote is gone.

Tonight Andrew is going to the gym after work, and then he is going to take me to the laundromat. It's becoming the one activity I just can't do these days. I can't wait to have the washer and dryer in the house so I can do a load at a time! It's almost too good to be true!

Tomorrow we have a doctor's appointment. Woop!

Hoppy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER FROM THE COOKES!

Juice? Or....

Jello!

So, on an Easter without extended family to chaperone, and with a baby on the way, what you you do??



Daddy helps Lucy get all pretty for Easter!

Our little chick will be here so soon!

Andrew, Laura, the Egg and Suzzy!

Andrew and Suzzy just liked this picture!

Our beautiful flowers from the Cookes!

All in all, our day was wonderful. We had a lazy, relaxing morning and a very nice Mass at Cook Chapel. Suzzy came over, and we spent all day eating and watching movies! We had a big lasagna and garlic bread for dinner, and now Andrew is sacked out on the couch after a long hard day of painting and playing Uno. It's a very hard life he lives.

And now, we've passed our last "waiting for Lucy" milestone! Now we're just counting the days until we feel a contraction! I'm having Braxton Hicks every day and sometimes through the night, but nothing exciting! Tuesday should tell us a little more about whether we can expect Lucy soon, or if we're waiting until the very end of the month. At this point, it's anybody's guess! Babies don't really follow a schedule, do they? Tomorrow we'll be full term, so it's just a matter of keeping the house clean and the feet elevated until she decides to make her grand entrance! We can't wait to meet our little Lucy!

Andrew makes dinner

I suggested Andrew cook for me tonight- he is making chicken, mac-n-cheese and corn muffins. I am very proud of him. I like it when he cooks because he goes all out. He cleans the kitchen, sets the table, makes everything all pretty...it's very nice. He gets into it. I am excited about dinner- I'm starving.
We went to the mall and walked around today- it was nice, but i got tired really fast, and I got super sore, so we came home. I have been having this weird little shooting pain for quite awhile. Maybe I need more water. It's annoying, and it hurts! I know it's not contractions- just a weird little pain. Contractions would warrant a much longer post.
We are trying to think of a tradition for our first Easter alone together. So far....no luck.

Dirty Deleter

I deleted my earlier post. I just needed to vent. I am okay now.

Furthermore, I would like to post about how much I love my husband. He is just the cutest guy in the world. I am so in love with him. He always makes everything better again.
He's coming home early today to play with me!!! I think that moslty means eating jelly beans and playing Fight Night, but I am just fine with that. We have HUGE plans for the weekend. We're going to sleep in tomorrow morning, until we can't stand being in bed any longer, and then we're going to be lazy, eat a big breakfast, and cuddle for the day. On Sunday, we're going to Mass, and then we will have little smokies, and we will put the lasagna in the oven. I am making a rainbow chip cake for dessert, and Suzzy is going to come over. Our last holiday without Lucy making messes everywhere! We're just going to have a relaxing day in, eat lots of good food and enjoy our first married Allegany County holiday. I wonder if they have Easter Parades to watch on tv...

Lucy, Lucy! Come out and play!!

We are just too excited about this baby. She's fun inside, but we're just dying to meet her already. Andrew hopes she's a carbon copy of me. I hope she's like him, not me! I'm crazy and neurotic. She'd be doomed...
I am still having fun being pregnant. I got in trouble for running yesterday. Three times. But it wasn't a full-out RUN- it was more like a little jog. I just have so much energy, and there aren't a lot of ways to expel energy when you're this big, trust me...
We have decided that Easter will be lasagna, garlic bread, and a yummy dessert. Ooh, maybe he'd let me get an ice cream cake that says, "Happy Easter to Andrew, Laura, Suz and Lucy!"
My phone fell, and it almost died for good. It's time to look for a new phone...Sigh.

American Idol

Now, we really aren't avid "must see" tv watchers. But we have been keeping up on American Idol this season. We just started watching and couldn't stop. Admittedly, everyone was right when they said I'd be caught up on all the prime time happenings during my third trimester. I really am...I'm even caught up on Days of Our Lives. It's sad. And once Anna Lucille is here, I'll be caught up on my paid programming.
Anywhoo....Gina Glocksen was voted off last night. I am sad, because Haley should have been the one to go, out of the two. Even though Simon was a total meanie to Haley on Tuesday, she did sing badly, and Gina whooped up on her. I almost cried for poor Gina, who definitely should have stayed.

Tonight is our hospital Labor and Delivery tour. We are excited about this. We're not supposed to be there til 6, and Andrew gets off at 4:30, so I think we're going to meet at Chik-Fil-A and grab a drink and some chicken, and we might go sit in front of the new house and talk about how much we love landscaping and cutting weeds. We went to Lowe's last night - we're supposed to call the owner of the house today to talk about the carpet color. I am nervous. I hope he decides to play along with us and give us the carpet we want. We're being very reasonable, and he refused to let us choose the grade, so hopefully we can talk him into a very modestly priced carpet we found. I just want something comfortable, since Lu will be learning to walk on this stuff, and I'll be sitting on the floor for the first year of her life, surrounded by board books and crinkly toys.

Well, last night was rough. I was awake for about 40% of it. I'm going to try to crash a little longer and get a little more sleep. As it happens right now, I'm not looking too pretty...I got Andrew off to work, but we forgot that the temp was supposed to change overnight, and we woke up to a freeeeeeezing apartment. That never makes for a happy husband in the morning. When Andrew starts the day off too cold, his entire morning is off. Poor thing.

Horsing Around!

Bear McNair playing Fight Night Round 3

Andrew teaching Bear McNair how to play PS2

Dinner! I am learning to embrace the griddle. But only when it's turned off.

Guy Parenting - Episode 2 - Easter Eggs

Uuuuuuughhhhhh

Last night was not a good one. It was SO hot in this apartment, and I just couldn't get cool, and I kept waking up to different noises. And then I woke up at 3:44 and couldn't stop thinking about how awful it would be if I was nursing in bed and Lucy fell out.
It's nice and foggy this morning, but I got Andrew out the door for work. His lunch today is a winning combination. He didn't seem very keen on the circus, but he has his reasons. I will continue to hope.
I need to eat something, but I can't decide between Fruit Loops and waffles. It's going to be a long day. But I have very little to do today, which is good, considering how exhausted I am. I may go to the PO if the weather behaves...more later.
Oh! House was amazing last night. I never watch it, but it was an episode that looked good in the previews, about saving a mother and her unborn child. It turned out to be incredibly positive and pro-life, and House went from "It's a fetus" to "It's amazing how much blond hair your baby has." It was a tear-jerker, and very positive for all of those babies who don't have a doctor fighting for them. Yay for Fox!

The Stay-at-Home Myth

It has occurred to me several times over the past few weeks that many people seem to think that being a stay-at-home wife means I nap and bathe all day. Many of my friends have mentioned how much they would love to stay at home. I do love it, but it's not without it's negatives. I know that at my age, it's a very rare thing to have a degree, be married to a man with two degrees and a career, and to be a stay-at-home wife/mother. I would probably just be wrapping up working now, had my job not fallen to the wayside, so this "stay-at-home wife" thing was sort of a fluke, but nice, since I was pretty pregnant by the time I left the workforce.
What do I do all day? People ask me this about 3 times a week. I do lots of things. It seems like I do more now than I ever did working. Andrew is in grad school, so I keep him organized and on track, and occasionally help him with his work. It's nice to keep my mind moving, so I like to help when I can.
I do all of the cooking and cleaning. I get up at 7am to make Andrew's lunch, and I enjoy doing it. Once he leaves, I usually watch the news and then get started on dishes, cleaning and little things I put off the night before. Once that's done, I do the budget, or at least check up on things. Andrew has very little knowledge on what happens in our financial world. I update him on important things, and he carries all of our passwords on his flash drive so he can see what's going on if he's unusually curious. Otherwise, I run big decisions by him when they come up and try to slip a $20 into his wallet once a week. Everything else is my domain.
I do a huge load of laundry once a week, which involves schlepping laundry around, driving to the laundromat, etc. I can't wait until we have the washer and dryer in the house and I can make it part of my daily routine.
I do all of the grocery shopping, and make sure Andrew has stuff for breakfast. If he runs out of cereal, I always end up making him eggs of something before he leaves for work. Andrew's only requirement is juice. He needs a full pitcher, or one coming up right away. Otherwise, he's not picky, and he'll eat absolutely anything I make. I try to involve him in deciding what to have for dinner or lunches, but I'm finding that he just doesn't care, and would rather eat whatever's on the table than think about his choices. And he eats ham sandwiches every day for lunch. I could never have someone packing lunches and making dinner for me. Deciding what to eat is my big event for the day.
I do all of our business stuff. This means figuring out taxes, investments, address changes, updating debtors, thank you notes for anything, birthdays, updating the calendar, Andrew's financial aid stuff, anything legal, etc. It seems like every day that goes by brings another "task."
I do get to sleep in and take naps. But I also never get to leave my office. And, I work until I go to bed. I can't wait to have more space to "work" in. There are no paychecks or twice-yearly reviews, and I'm never going to be promoted to anything other than wife or mom. I don't have business trips, and I don't have Christmas bonuses.
But I'll be there for every scraped knee, teary smile, drawing on the wall, first step and funny word, so it's a good trade-off. Andrew understands that in order to be happy doing what I do, and in order to feel fulfilled, he needs to remember to tell me I'm doing a good job. He always says "thank you" for dinner, and never fails to remind me that he'd be nothing without me. I'm sure he'd be something. He'd just be wrinkled, hungry and dehydrated.
I think that staying at home is a wonderful opportunity, but I know I couldn't do it well without Andrew. He's such a supportive person, and he really appreciates every little thing I do. He could care less if there are shoes all over the floor, but he always says, "Wow, this place is so nice and clean!" when he walks in the door. I couldn't have found a better person to support me through this adjustment and new way of living. I'm used to using my mind and solving problems every day. Maybe I like doing the budget so much because it's as close to challenging as it gets these days. I feel like I'm trading off using my mind for using my heart, and that's not something you really do in the workplace. It's an adjustment, like any new thing, and I thought it would come very easy to me. So far I love it, but I suppose it has its days like any job. Today was a good day. Andrew and I work like a well-oiled machine, and our hectic dinner/homework/kiss/"I think I locked the keys in the car" half hour was proof of that. It's going to be even crazier with a baby here, but she'll add so much happiness to our crazy life. At least we can start blaming the chaos on someone else!
Andrew is taking the summer off from classes, and I couldn't be happier. We want to finish this MBA as soon as possible, but it's going to be AMAZING to have a summer where we don't have to answer to Blackboard. A whole summer to spend our evenings with Lucy in our new house! I can't wait!

Will wonders never cease...

Eleven counts of murder?!? Would this mean that this baby is a PERSON?? Hmmm... curious indeed...and in California, of all places.

Snickerdoodles

I am about to make Snickerdoodles for my man, but wanted to post a little tiny bit.
I took a nap. This baby sucks so much of my energy! I am sleeping about 10 out of 24 hours these days. I feel like a little kid, needing my afternoon naps, but it's the only way I can stay up past 9pm! And I'd rather have my evenings with my honey. I miss him today. That's what happens when we spend all weekend doing nothing playing around. The beginning of the new week is always harder to start! :-)
Well, I'm off to clean up and bake a little something for Andrew. The oatmeal cookies are gone, and I need to stir something! Maybe I'll send Andrew over to Mike's with some cookies after class tonight. Or maybe down to the Ketterman's. We don't need all those cookies lying around, but every boy should have fresh cookies with his ham sandwich. It's one of the small luxuries of having a stay-at-home wife.

37th week- thrills and excitement.

I had an appointment this morning. Nothing too thrilling. The baby has dropped, for sure, but you can't tell from looking at me...and I lost two pounds. Other than that, picture perfect.
I went grocery shopping. I absolutely couldn't put it off another day. I felt bad, because I really wanted to wait until payday, but we were about to starve to death. I notice these things. Andrew does not. I really think he thinks that I slice the ham for his sandwich off a pig in the garage or something. So, I sucked it up and went shopping. It's getting to be a pretty difficult task getting groceries up the stairs, what with Miss Muffet bouncing around so low.
Sometimes, it just feels like life is never going to slow down or get less expensive. I need a snack.

I can't handle this right now...

The car is acting a fool again. I can't deal with it. I posted it on Craigslist, and I'm going to shop around at some dealerships tomorrow to see about trade-in value.
Is God just reminding me that we're spreading ourselves thin, or am I just paranoid?
I just want the stupid car to work. I started it, and it didn't really want to stay that way. Then I started it again, and it was fine. It's done that twice in about a month. And the carseat is tight in it anyway...I hope we can swing it.

Pictures from the weekend!

Here are some pictures from our weekend!

Andrew teaching me how to feed a baby. (Note Lucy's coming home outfit being modeled by Bear McNair. Such a good sport.)

Our Saturday Drive. Andrew couldn't look at the camera because he was executing the drive.

Andrew taking pictures of dinner. Pilaf!

Andrew's punishment for opening the cooking pilaf. He got clawed.

Fixing Dinner!

Playing with Lucy.

Andrew & The Suz

Andrew's Self-Portrait

Me

Lucy going into her 37th week!

Cool doesn't begin to describe Andrew.

One more thing...

I love my husband. He just called to check in, and I told him I was going out for a walk- about a mile or so. I'm wearing flip flops so I can't break into a run. He just said, "That sounds very nice. Call me if you change your plans so I know where you are." He doesn't say, "You need to take it easy," or "Are you sure you should be exercising as this point?" He just says, "That sounds nice."
This attitude is imperative if you're married to a pregnant woman. Let me explain. Pregnancy is not an illness. In fact, the most successful labors and fastest recoveries are in cases where the woman stays active and doing her regular thing. Many people are afraid that women are going to go into labor if they continue their regular routine. If your pregnancy is healthy and normal, going into premature labor really isn't a big concern when it comes to light exercise and moderate activity.
The nicest thing about being pregnant is that your body tells you when to sit down, and when to relax. But it encourages you to keep going. I have a lot of energy most days, and I like to do housework, go for walks and keep busy. I really believe that when you treat a pregnant woman like an ivalid, she's going to become one. Andrew will occasionally ask me if I need a rest, but for the most part, he doesn't try to slow me down. He trusts my body as much as I do. He knows that when my body wants a rest, it takes over and I just stop moving. He also doesn't tell me to eat more, which seems to be a trend among people living with pregnant women. It's true that you need more calories, but it's totally false that you need to do this consciously. My body tells me when it's hungry, and I eat more. If I'm not hungry, I'm not about to pack on the extra pounds because I'm "eating for two." The human body is a very amazing thing, if you work with it. Even at 36 weeks, I'm not going to deny my body the motion and vigor it needs to get me through this. It deserves the activity, for putting up with so much right now. When I exercise, I'm more energetic, my blood flows, and my attitude is better. And a good attitude for mommy means a good attitude for baby.
So, I had some applesauce and graham crackers, and I'm going for my walk. I'm hoping to get some sun on these pale shoulders. I'm told it's going to get cold and yucky, so I need to take advantage of today! I'm not sure about this wind, though...maybe I'll drive to the library and return my books, and take my walk from there. That's a fine idea. I wish I knew where my keys were...

Lovely weekend!

Well, we had a very nice and relaxing weekend. I think I already posted about Saturday. On Sunday, we slept in and then went to Mass, and came back here to spend the day. It was kind of rainy and yucky, so we stayed in to play games and clean house. It was nice. Andrew spent the entire day playing video games, and I took a bath and cleaned. I think I also promised Andrew a new video game just before Lucy is born, so that he has something to pull him through those first few long nights of cuddling and feeding her. He deserves one. I think he played every game he owns yesterday, and none of them were satisfying. :-)
We spent last night watching Ultimate Fighting Champion and playing with the dgital camera, learning how to upload videos. I am very excited about this. I am going to make a video of Lucy today. In fact, I can make videos of anything I want! I should make a video of the new house tomorrow. I am very excited.
Then we spent the rest of the night doing our Bradley exercises. Around 10:30, we had a big scary storm and it was too late to call our moms, so we turned up "Big Yellow Taxi" and snuggled until it went away. It seemed to work. The lightning was RIGHT on top of the house. Ugh. We both love storms, but it's not nice to watch the lightning hit the street.
Well, I just ate a LOT of oatmeal, so I am sitting here like a big rock. But I put extra cinnamon and sugar it in, so Lucy is going wild. I should have considered that. And my camera battery is dead, so I can't film it.
More later!

Guy Parenting - Episode One - Very dark

Sunday Fun

Andrew taught me to embed videos! We uploaded our very first YouTube video today, and I'm going to post it tomorrow. I am going to try to get a video on Lucy rolling around so everyone can see what we're up against. I'm very excited about this new technology I've learned about. Now we can film little clips of Lucy and share them with people! YouTube is just s genius thing...In the meantime, you all can enjoy Spudgy.

Spudgy! Soooo cute!