you like me, you really like me!

**photo credit: Donita (actually, I guess the first one was some lady who offered to take the picture, right Donita?)

it was a low-key birthday yesterday and today was pretty much the same, with a little rain throughout the day mixed in.

my buddy erika had invited me to dinner this evening for my birthday and we went to chevy's, which i love. well, what do you know--it was a surprise birthday dinner for me! erika and donita did the contacting and planning and i was just beyond surprised. i didn't think anything of erika suggesting a restaurant, i didn't notice cars in the lot, i didn't think it was strange that my birthday wasn't a big deal as i hadn't talked about it ahead of time. i'm just not observant! it was so nice to have a dinner out with such great friends and to get my own sombrero and giant margarita too!

a big thank you to erika and donita for all they did, and also to nancy, dori, amy, aracelis, dee, sally, jennifer, kelly, and marlene for celebrating with me. i love you guys :)

yay

what a lovely day it was today, and it also happened to be my birthday. the weather was gorgeous, we got together with friends in the evening, the kids ran around outside and played.

thanks to those that called or e-mailed, i don't make a big deal or think much of it but it's nice to catch up with extended family or get a cute card in the mail!

little k

this is sweet little k, whom i photographed on tuesday. isn't she adorable? 8 weeks. she was so cute, as was her sister, 'big k'. i think she rather enjoyed the naked shots, several times when she was flipped over her mom and i had to keep tucking her leg in as she continued to flash us!
***

how lovely to be a woman part 2

i got hit on today and i was naked.

kind of.

okay. let me explain.

today i had an appointment for an ultrasound as part of our gameplan to figure out my prolonged, unexplained period. the first time i had an ultrasound of this nature was about three years ago and it was such a foreign experience--they call you back and you undress in a little room with lockers, put your clothes and things into one and hold into the key, wearing a hospital gown. depending on whether you're there for ultrasound or x-ray and depending on what body part will be needed, you might be almost clothed under your gown, or in my case, totally naked. then you walk down a hallway and are suddenly in another waiting room but with other people in various state of dress/undress and gowns. when i first walked in there it was like a strange twilight zone, naked/gowned people flipping through magazines, making small talk, sometimes accompanied my clothed companions. having done this before several time i was oddly not as surprised by the sight, but it was always entertaining when a new person entered the room and either looked startled, or amused, or just laughed when they came through the doors.

so anyway, i'm naked, covered by a gown and tied at my neck and waist in front, and wearing slip on tennis shoes. when i get into the waiting room there's an older gentleman already there and we make some small talk about the weather. a young guy enters in his gown and the other man is called back for his appointment. i don't know if it's because i had been talking before or what, but he strikes up a conversation and before long i learn that he's from Daytona Beach, Florida (why on earth would he be here then???), he road a motorcycle but in the past three years had a bad head injury and lost three friends to motorcycle accidents and won't wide one now. he was there on a doctor's suspicion that his many illness stem from a pinched sciatic nerve. so you see, we're chatting across the room from one another, a few people filter in and out at this time. we're in our gowns. he's a bit rough around the edges but nice.

and just as i'm called for my appointment and i stand up and tell him "good luck", he says quietly, "You should give me your number." i'm so caught off guard and can only say over my shoulder as i walk by, "i'm married."

and as i walk down the hall with the ultrasound tech guy i tell him how funny it was that i just got hit on as i was waiting and really i'm married with two kids. and furthermore, last night when i went out to buy beer i wasn't even carded!

and then the worst part was that we get to the ultrasound room and he mentions something about drinking water and i tell him that i hadn't been informed that i needed to drink water for this kind of ultrasound. so he apologizes and says i'm going to have to fill up on water in the waiting room before we can try the ultrasound. soooooooo, i had to go back to the waiting room with the guy i had just dissed sitting there. aww man. it was okay, we talked a bit more and then he was called back but it was such a funny experience. and to top it off i was called for my appt again and returned to the waiting room a 3RD TIME because my bladder still wasn't full enough ("How much beer did you drink last night?" the tech asked, as i seemed a bit dehydrated or something. and the answer is none if you're interested, i didn't even have one!)

finally got the ultrasound done though. they can't tell you much of anything though, i'll wait for my doctor to interpret it in a week and a half. but the guy was able to mention that a cyst i had before is still there, a little bigger than before, but it's nothing major. unfortunately, not everything shows up on ultrasound so i'll probably be doing exploratory out-patient surgery soon so we can figure it out. fingers crossed.

sorry for the novel, that was way to long. i just wanted to accurately describe my oddball day and getting hit on by this stranger in the twilight zone naked/gown room. weird.

how lovely to be a woman part 1

this isn't a very fun post but i feel like sharing, as it will lead into my next post.

i've had my period now for over 5 weeks. for any men reading, or those who are squeamish, i apologize for references to my "women's troubles" but personally i'm pretty open and these things don't bother me at all (see recent post about reproductive health book).

so back to bleeding for over a month. on advice from my doctor, and against my better judgement, i've been on a seasonal birth control pill since about november. this is supposed to be hormones that you ingest for three months at a time, taking a break 4 times a year to get a period. the less frequent periods doesn't concern me-if anything from what i heard years ago in a women's studies class, the frequency of periods women in western cultures have versus those in other areas is often much higher and that can be more problematic. so, aaaaaanyway, for years i had migraines while taking the b.c. pill and i still think it's behind the heartburn i've had for about 10 years. but i decided that each month was so painful that i could put up with pill side effects four times a year.

that was until i'd taken the pill for a couple months and one night i forgot to take one. oh well, no big deal i thought. the next morning i took it, about 8 hours later, but my period had already started. and the cramps. and sometimes shooting pains inside. and for three weeks it was horrible. the for the next two it seemed like it would end but still hasn't. today, at day 30 i still had cramping enough to wish i had taken some Alleve.

i finally saw my doctor after some calls and talking to his nurse practitioner who just took notes and nothing much came of it. luckily, we have a plan of action and might be able to get some answers. i'm sure it's nothing big but to just know that there's a reason i feel so icky would be helpful.

two andie pictures

hangin' with the 'hood

our buddy will is over and we just caught the last half of Parenthood. love love love love love that movie. i don't care who you are, this movie rocks and it's entertaining yet dead-on in so many ways. i think i know every word but i could watch it over and over. some quotes:

Tod: Has anyone seen my wife?
Helen: She's still at school. She has cheerleading practice.
**
Marilyn Buckman: Cool is adorable. Adorable! Why didn't you write us when you had a son?
Larry Buckman: I didn't know myself until a couple of months ago. You see a few years ago, I was living in Vegas with this girl. Show girl. She was in that show 'Elvis On Ice'. Anywho, we drifted apart as people do in these complicated times and then a couple of months ago, she shows up with Cool and tells me "You watch him. I shot someone. I have to leave the country."... That's a parent?
**
[after his wife just told him she's pregnant with their 4th child]
Gil: Well, great! Let's see how I can screw the fourth one up! Hey, let's have five. Let's have six. Let's have a dozen and pretend they're donuts!
**
Karen: He likes to butt things... with his head.
Nathan: How proud you must be.

sleepy

look what i just found, a sleepy pile of family on my couch downstairs. too cute.

new things

things are good, it's sunny outside, aaron and the kids are at a train show this afternoon, i'm getting some work done, thinking about working out (thinking about it should burn at least half the calories itself, i think). i'm starting the book "You: The Owners Manuel" and i have high hopes, i like to know why things work they way they work. one of the best books i've ever read is the book "Take Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. this book changed my perception that i should rely on doctors to tell me how my body works, they would often lump me together with every other woman they see and give me generic advice as far as reproductive health. this book literally has changed my life and i'm hoping this new one will do the same.

anyway, something else worth checking out is my brother's blog, The Food Network Addict. while i can't say i watch the food network that frequently it's fun to check out and catch all the gossip!

and lastly, the other day andie and i ventured downtown, in hopes to get a few two year shots, something fun and urban. well, it was simply too cold. we happened to walk by a new little shop and some sweet lollipops caught my eye (and my lens, as you can see below, i took a self-portrait). i was intending to continue walking, despite the tempting treats until i passed another window with huge marimekko canvases. i'm a total sucker for marimekko's unikko print. maybe because i'm finnish. anyway, so we had to check the store out, it's called Jennifer North, and of course it was super cute. they let me take some pictures, andie got to try on necklaces, weave through the ceramic and glass isles (yikes). turns out they had only been open a week, i'm sure they'll do well though, everything is so fun and bright.

and how ironic, literally as soon as i get home and check e-mail, my pal donita had sent a random e-mail telling me i had to check out some flatware and dishes with polka dots , and wouldn't you know, they were the same plates i was looking at a half hour before! crazy.

6 years

today is our anniversary, aaron and i have been married 6 years. i think we've been together about two years longer than that, but six years ago on a fairly dreary, cold day we said our "i do's" in front of all our friends and family. it seems so long ago. without getting too touchy-feely i should probably just say that while aaron and i knew we were a good fit 6 years ago, we seem to fit even better now. not long ago we were in the kitchen and suddenly both started singing the same song at the same moment, the exact same lyric out of the blue. we really are best friends and could not compliment one another more. go us!

we celebrated tonight both andie's birthday and our anniversary with our parents at an adorable local italian restaurant that we go to every year on our anniversary. very nice.

two, continued

well, i feel like i should post a little on andie's birthday. in some ways it's hard to believe she's two years old already, we're still calling her "Baby" (and suffering the Dirty Dancing comments from friends!) and we indulge her a bit more than we should. but in other ways it's hard for us to believe she didn't turn two months ago! she plays with the big kids, runs and climbs all over, basically acts like a 4-year-old boy as that's what she's surrounded by on her level all day.

we've enjoyed this past year, growing from relative baby to toddler. andie's personality has been evident from the start but has definitely become more pronounced this year. she's feisty, stubborn, full of drama but loving and in tune with her world. her favorite phrase these days is "No way stinky butt" or "Don't say that!" both of which she loves to say with a little sneer. she cracks us up.

from day one with andie she has kept us on our toes, a non-napping newborn was something i'd never realized could happen until we met her. we still feel like we're always trying to catch up with her, but we wouldn't have it any other way. we are so lucky.

happy birthday baby!

our baby is 2!

yesterday was andie's second birthday!!!!

we're celebrating tomorrow night for the most part, but she did have a playgroup party on wednesday, so fun!

sleep deprived

it's about 4:30 in the afternoon and i've been up since midnight. i started getting a migraine last night and slept from about 10-midnight until it bothered me so much i couldn't sleep. i took something, waited for it to kick in, wide awake. i was hosting a playgroup today so i decided to clean the house, by 4am i decided i might as well stay awake. i now feel so tired i could fall asleep typing. i'll post something later, i might try to take a nap :)

lovely weather we're having

this weekend was like a dream. it's been so dreary and cold, and well, being winter in the midwest that's about all you can expect. but this weekend we had a nice taste of spring, around 60 degrees, sunny, a nice breeze as opposed to an arctic wind. wonderful. we were outside quite a bit. got the carwashed. played some baseball. ate some popsicles. all in all swell.







and aaron's parents and sister came over saturday night and we made this steak and potato pizza from this month's Better Homes and Gardens. it was awesome, if i do so say myself (and happily, our guests felt the same!). Here's a picture. yum.

more of the same

more of yesterday's pictures.

oops we did it again

i broke our laptop yesterday.

i was moving it from one room to another, wisely carrying many things at the same time, when it fell to the floor. it had closed and went into hybernation mode and i crossed my fingers that it would come back okay when i clicked the power button. it seemed fine. i typed for a while, then it told me that the battery juice was low and to plug it in. it was plugged in though, and when i reached around to check, i found that the cord was not exactly plugged in so much as jammed in, apparently from the fall, it must have fallen on that cord side with enough force that the plug was pushed way into it (did i mention it seemed to bounce? ugh.) i was able to get it out and when i looked the thingy that it connects with once it's plugged in was kind of broken and hanging off a little. soooooo, we're going to need to see if it can be fixed.

sadly ironic is that this is the same way our last laptop died. it met its destiny in quite a similar way, the thingy (i have no technical knowledge regarding comuter hardware terminology, please feel free to correct/enlighten me) that you plug the cord into inside the machine broke off one day and was simply rattling around inside. i think we were able to temporarily bandaid the situation when a computer savy friend's husband was able to help us but eventually the thing was unrepairable and we were told that the cost of repair was more than the value of the outdated laptop. darn it all. so please think happy thoughts for us, we really don't want to have to replace our laptop already, i think it's about two years old, and god knows we'll probably be told that it's nearly obsolete and to chuck it for a newer, blonder model because isn't that what it's really all about? newer, sleeker, faster, prettier? okay, i'm getting off topic but i just hope i didn't kill our laptop. how else will aaron watch his mystery science theater movies late at night in bed while i'm sleeping?

broken record

well, kieran's home sick today. last night he had a fever and didn't get much sleep, he was coughing all night and the humidifier didn't seem to do much. he did let me take a couple pictures of him though, what a good sport :)

skating

sunday night we went ice skating, my sister's school had the ice arena rented out. kieran hasn't been skating much but he did pretty well, still, the best part was the end when the zamboni came out. aahhhh, the zamboni. nothing like the feel of the wind in your hair when you drive one. or the feel of doing a donut. or crashing into the boards. ahhh memories.

i'm not smart

ugh.

i thought i was spraying my kitchen sink with disinfecting spray but it turns out i was using Febreez. so now i'm getting a headache from the scent and can't go near the kitchen, let alone the sink.

lovely.

just our kids.

kieran taking a break on the floor from playing.


andie sitting in the toy bin.

pickle breakfast

andie is getting better, we think. yesterday she seemed to be recovering a bit but then today she threw up a couple times. one step forward, one step back i guess. but yesterday when she was feeling better she woke up and immediately asked for a pickle for breakfast. we kept asking her if that's what she really wanted and she insisted. she ate it too. then she wanted a banana. and then salad. what a goof.

dry erase girl

you would think dry erase marker would wipe off skin fairly easily right?

you'd be wrong.

i'm trying to look at the glass as half full-at least she wasn't wearing an outfit that she could have ruined.

***

sickie

our little one is sick. poor girl started to get congested last night and seemed agitated, then this morning she sounded pretty bad and now she's thrown up three times. she's warm but won't let me near her with the thermometer. i guess there's some respiratory/stomach thing going around, i hope it's better by tomorrow.

we've been pretty social lately, so it's just as well that we relax a bit and work on getting healthier.