JOY!

We finally got our new washer/dryer hooked up last week and after a traumatic first few days, it's wonderful and SILENT! Jeremy had to disconnect the "all done" buzzer as it sounded like halftime at the Sonics game. It was terrible. It scared all of us, including the cat.

Thankfully enough, people post instructions on the web on how to disconnect annoying things like that. :)

22 Weeks

Here is what I look like at 22 weeks (well, almost 23, but who's counting). It's funny, I can totally tell that I'm carrying a little lower now. Previous pictures had me carrying a bit higher.

So Happy Christmas Comes Only Once a Year

Christmas this year was lovely, crazy, busy, exhausting, filling and fun. I'm glad I took the day off today because I just need a day of rest and some fruits and vegetables. I ate like a P-I-G all day and am suffering the consequences today. I keep forgetting that pregnancy makes your digestion slow waay down and so at about 10 pm last night, I was dying from stuffing my cake-hole too much. I guess it could be worse- no hangovers to speak of this year.

I can't believe it snowed yesterday! What a cool thing- a white Christmas, finally! Jeremy and I sat outside for a bit, watching those fat flakes fall- it's truly mesmerizing. I'm sad that it only lasted for a few hours, I really miss the snow this year. Maybe this weekend I'll convince Jeremy to take me up to Snoqualmie pass for a drive.

I'm happy Christmas is over, I'm looking forward to moving on to 2008 and getting things ready for our little Skeletor.

Peace, Joy and Happiness

Santa Kitty wishes you a Merry Christmas. She'll probably kill me in my sleep tonight. :)

ALIEN BABY!

Last night Jeremy finally got to feel the kiddo kick. It was pretty exciting to finally have someone else feel what I've been feeling for the past couple of weeks. Then tonight as we were sitting on the couch, we saw the kiddo moving a couple times. It was so crazy! I know it's only going to get more active, but it really starts to solidify the fact that there is something GROWING inside of me.

I'm freaking out!

OH ME OH MY!

Apparently Santa received my Christmas Letter because Jamie Oliver is coming back to Food Network in January! I can't wait, I'm so excited! I saw his new show when we were up in Canada in May and lamented the fact that Food Network in the U.S. had not picked up his show yet.

Yay yay yay! Doing the happy dance!

BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

Island Princess Extravaganza!

This weekend was Emily's 4th Birthday Party. All year long the nieces ask me to make certain kinds of birthday cakes for them. Sometimes it varies, sometimes it stays the same. This year, Emily asked for a Barbie cake. When my sister and I were trying to figure out what kind of Barbie to get, it was determined that the "Island Princess Barbie with the Peacock thingee" would do. I managed to find the dress up outfit of the I. P. Barbie at Target and thought it would be cute if Emily matched her cake.


Behold- the Island Princess Barbie cake. Call me crazy, but apparently the Island Princess's side-kick is a red panda- but it looks like a racoon to me. I didn't realize that racoons lived on islands.

Even though I felt like complete poo this weekend- there is nothing better than seeing the excitement and smiles from my nieces when they realize that their birthday cake is a Barbie. The first thing that Alyssa asked me when I walked up to the door was "Where's the Cake?!"

Having Emily call me on the phone later that night to say: "ThankyouTitaformyIslandPrincessCakeanddressupoutfit" was worth trudging through my cold to get the cake done.

Happy Birthday Eryn and Nicole!

Saturday night was a fun girly dinner at the Pink Door to celebrate Eryn and Nicole's birthday. Fun was had by all- I even ordered two Shirley Temples! WOOEEE. Watch out! The preggo is going WILD!

It was so nice to go out and get all fancy for dinner. I really had a good time. However, my good time was promptly shut down around 9:30 when I just got EXHAUSTED. BOOO!

Here's what I look like at 20 weeks. My belly is definitely not the result of those tasty Candy Cane Jo-Jo's from Trader Joe's anymore!

Cheesecake update: I did give in to the Cheesecake Factory on Saturday. Jeremy and I were driving back from Babies R Us after setting up a registry and magically, the car drove itself into the Cheesecake Factory's parking lot (ok- fine. I begged Jeremy to pull over and let me hop out.) I am so glad I got a slice- HOLY DELISHISHNESS BATMAN! It was heaven on on earth!

I've decided that Babies R Us scares the crap out of me. Too many things to look at, too many things to decide on, too many things PERIOD! We went only to check out a stroller/car seat combo and decided to set up our registry. It was very overwhelming and after much thought, I really am liking Jeremy's idea of just getting some rucksacks and making our own clothes. SERIOUS. How can one little tiny baby require so much STUFF?! Maybe I should just register for diapers and wipes, since that's probably what we'll end up using the most.

Baby Pictures

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)

So here are a few of our ultrasounds from last week. The first one on the left is the baby face down, with it's spine near the top. The kiddo was rockin' and rollin' during the ultrasound and managed to give me a few pictures that may haunt my dreams forever. Case in point- the second picture on the right. Baby is laying on it's side, facing the "camera" and it's little head is on the right. Now do you blame me for calling it Skeletor??

I did have this CRAZY dream last night that I was chasing my kid around, apparently at one month old, this baby could run and had a total Jeremy-fro. Big, curly hair and fat chubby cheeks. It didn't have a huge head- so that was a relief!

So Tired...

Dear Baby,
Whereas I respect your right to grow into a cute little bugger, could you please stop making me crave cheesecake (because Thriftway was OUT of cheesecake and I'm scared of the Cheesecake Factory...) and also, if you could let me please not want to pass out at 9 pm every night, that would be SUPER.

Much love,
Your Soon to Be Mama

PS. Don't hate me because I think you look like Skeletor in your most recent ultrasound.

Not What I Used to Be

I am exhausted this weekend. After a wonderful breakfast with The Girls in West Seattle and an exciting drive home in the snow (Seriously people, it's just SLUSH on the road! Get out of the way!! Sorry, that was the hormones and the 4 Wheel drive talking) I spent a good 5 hours in the kitchen making cakes. Normally, cake making doesn't exhaust me- however in my current "condition" I just can't make them like I used to.

I am so looking forward to Tuesday. Jeremy and I get our 20 week ultrasound in the afternoon. I know there isn't anything to worry about, but I can't help but be a little anxious. I'll be sure to post any pictures if we get them.

Craving today...

Raisinets. Oh my goodness. Thankfully enough The Husband went out around 1:30 to get me two boxes of Raisinets. Dark chocolate and milk chocolate. I ate half the box of dark chocolate before I had to hide it away in my desk.

SO GOOD.

You want me to put that WHERE?!

So after perusing Gap.com for maternity clothes, Jeremy asks me if I needed to buy special undies for preggos. I thought about it a second and thought a size up might just work. Maybe some of those fancy granny undies that are totally hideous (but you know must be oh SO comfortable). But OH NO. Gap.com has THONGS in their maternity section. Please, I ask of you, what the HELL does a pregnant lady want a thong for?! Not only is every part of you uncomfortable, do we have to also go down there as well? God knows that the dreaded "panty line" is pretty much a non-existent problem at this point, since 1. I don't really care what my butt looks like at this point, I know it's getting bigger and honestly, no one is looking at my butt and 2. Maternity clothes just aren't meant to be "clingy" considering all the stretch that they have in them. Once I've worn my maternity jeans once, they're all baggy and stretched out. So really, thongs are just not needed!

Seriously, get the grannie pants. I'm sure your butt and your baby will thank you.

17 Weeks!

Here is my first belly shot. Please note, I just ate dinner. :)

It seems that I went from "barely showing" to "Yep, she's pregnant" in the course of two weeks. How crazy! My halfway point is almost upon me. Somehow, I can't imagine what I'm going to look like in 18 more weeks.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Pregnancy Log 11.21.07

Managed to eat half of a meatloaf sandwich and fries for lunch. Feel a bit ill. Will try making ill feeling go away by eating two Mint Milano cookies. Have been chastized for "trying" to fit in my regular jeans. Still think they look fine on me, just a wee bit tight in the belly. Managed to make "frien-emies" at swim class. Note to self, when a fellow preggo divulges how sick she's been feeling due to morning sickness- keep cake-hole closed about your own experiences. Only seems to piss people off when you say that you didn't throw up. Will embellish morning sickness next time confronted with the same situation.

Over and out.

Belly Bump

Today my mom and sister took me to go maternity clothes shopping at Bellevue Square. I do admit that I've been avoiding these types of stores, with the exception of browsing and purchasing a few necessities at GAP online. (Give a girl a break, frankly some of those maternity stores SCARE ME! Honestly, does everything have to have a big fat bow on your chest?) But today was a lot of fun, Alyssa and Emily came along as well and made sure that "I looked pretty." They also provided a ton of comic relief, trying on the fake bellies in the maternity store. Apparently these bellies are supposed to make you look like you've got three more months on you. That scared the CRAP out of me.

In other news, there is nothing more satisfying than going into Target and finding EXACTLY what you've been searching for for two weeks. Yes, that's right, I found the cat santa hat. All I can say is, keep an eye out for the Calkins Christmas card this year.

SIGH

I know I'm a big whiner but I really have to say how heavy my heart is when I hear there is snow in the mountains. I don't know why I even check the snow reports, but I just can't help it. Snow just dumped at Whistler. I just hope that next year I'll be able to get out there again. (Hopefully I'll be able to fit into my snowboard boots still!)

On a happier note, Project Runway starts tomorrow!! Woooheeee!

Lesson Learned

So let me just say this. If you go to Target and see something like- oh say- a Santa Hat for cats... GET IT. Don't hesitate and think "oh do I really need this??" because the answer is YES. YES YOU DO NEED IT. Don't hesitate and try and go back and get it the next day because you'll end up driving around to two different Targets and still won't find it.

Regret is a terrible thing, even if it's over something as stupid as a Santa Hat for cats.

Feels a lot like Pop Rocks!

I started to feel the kiddo moving around this week. At first I wasn't sure what I was feeling so I started to pay a little more attention. So far it's been a lot more consistent so I am pretty sure it's the kiddo. It feels a little like Pop Rocks in my lower stomach, just not as crazy as Pop Rocks. It's been pretty exciting and a little more real to finally feel the kiddo- especially since the only thing I've got going for me now is pants that don't fit and I'm banned from all things I really miss. Like real coffee, red wine and good sushi.

Our next check up is in four weeks, and we get our next ultrasound. That should be pretty exciting, as our first ultrasound was pretty amazing.

Practice Makes Perfect!

I told you we were going to try the Bjorn out on the cat.

I am sure that she will be so happy when the baby arrives so we'll stop pestering her.

14 Weeks

I think I am in trouble when I start to feel like it's been FOREVER since I found out I was pregnant and it's only been 14 weeks. CRAP.

I don't really have much to show for it right now except for some pants that can't button all the way, constipation and the need to eat apple pie for dinner and breakfast. I guess it could be worse, huh?

I finally finished The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy and frankly, I'm a little terrified. Even the lady who was checking me out at the grocery store told me "They don't call it the Ring of Fire for nuthin'". UMMMMM- WHAT?! Yeah I think I may reconsider my decision to go sans epidural. Let's just say I'm keeping that option open.

Today Jeremy's sister gave us a Baby Bjorn and Jeremy is very excited to try it out on the cat. We'll see if she fits.

First Rule of Pregnant Lady Club...

You don't talk about Pregnant Lady Club. Second rule of P.L.C- don't let the Preggo go to the store after a workout and/or hungry.

Yesterday I spent the entire 45 minutes on the treadmill thinking about food. After a brief stretch and cool down, I stopped in at the grocery store for some milk. I left with 6 bags of frozen fruit, a bag of Babybel cheese, a box of Triscuits, strawberry ice cream, green tea, spinach and a bunch of other items that I am not sure why I grabbed them. I didn't make it out of the parking lot without ripping into the box of Triscuits and cheese. Oh well, when a girl has to eat...

Even though I didn't experience a lot of morning sickness in the last couple months (just a little bit of nausea) I'm finding out that there are a lot of foods that don't sit well with me after I've eaten them. So far on The List is:

-Rosemary
-Anything deep fried (except French Fries)
-Chimichangas
-Vietnamese foods
-Chocolate (too much of it that is...)

Candy Beans almost made the list today when I started to over indulge at work. It was a stressful day and I wanted to rip my hair out. I shoved candy beans in my face instead.

Four Words.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER?!

Today I went home a little early from work and fell asleep for about an hour and a half. It was crazy, in that 90 minutes I had the most vivid dreams. I dreamt about a pink cat, a fire in my neighbor's garage and calling an ambulance for an old co-worker. It was indeed a power nap. I definitely needed it since lately I haven't been able to sleep through the night without getting up to use the bathroom or having to switch positions from side to side. I blame the kiddo.

Wednesday will mark my 13th week- pretty crazy to think how the last couple weeks have gone by so fast. I'm not really "showing" per se, although pants and tops are getting pretty tight. A friend of mine asked me if I had a "Baby Bump" yet, and I think it's more of "Baby Fat" than anything else. Could have something to do with the peanut butter and chocolate... hmmm.

What a crazy couple of months!

So it's been hard to blog lately for fear I would spill the beans. However, the beans have already been spilled to most everyone so I'm pretty sure I can go back to posting!

Yes it has been confirmed that Jeremy and I are expecting a little rugrat of our own April 30, 2008. Honestly, it is terrifying and exciting all at the same time. So far I've been fairly lucky in the pregnancy department- although this evening I decided that eating a whole Hershey's bar dipped in peanut butter was a good idea. I'm paying for my bright idea right about now, feeling a tad gross. :) I'll rethink my dessert choices next time.

I love this first picture of our little kiddo- it's clear that he/she is flipping us off. I think we'll have our hands full come May.

Where have I been?

So sorry I haven't posted in two months- I feel like I've had nothing to say. Or it's been extreme laziness. Probably the latter.

Today I am surrounded by cupcakes. Making cupcakes for my friend Susan as she is getting married tomorrow. I don't think I've ever made so many cupcakes at one time- I'm practically surrounded right now!

Other than that- nothing else really to report. Over and out.

Montana

This weekend we headed out to Montana to attend Jeremy's cousin's wedding at Glacier National Park. I made the cake and it reminded me why I don't do this more often. IT WAS FLIPPIN' HOT!! I baked the cake on Wednesday in Seattle and we traveled on Thursday to Montana. Friday I put the cake together in 105 degree heat in a tiny cabin. GAH. It was so hot the buttercream frosting would start to get soft after being out of the fridge for only 15 minutes.

Everything turned out ok, after much stress, all went well. Luckily, the lodge where the wedding was had a big walk in fridge in which the cake stayed until right before dinner. I would go "check on the cake" just to escape the heat. It was horrible.



Luckily no mishaps or major tragedies befell my tower of buttercream.

Coming to a neighborhood near you!

This Fourth of July did not pass without the usual hot dogs, fireworks and a busted watermain. Yes, indeedy- a busted watermain that took 4 plumbers 5 hours to fix. It was fantastic.

Jeremy and I awoke Tuesday night to the sound of an idling truck outside our window. Annoyed (as it was 1:30 in the morning), we peered out the window to find a handful of fire fighters trying to figure out how to turn off the gushing river that was coming from our front porch. There is a watermain right outside our door on our front porch and it had decided to break open. Finally, the fire fighters turned off the water and back to sleep we went.

In the morning, after quickly realizing we had no water in our building, Beacon Plumbing was called and two trucks and four plumbers spent 5 hours on our front porch. We, unfortunately have another main in our garage (stupid design!!) and so they needed access to our place so they could make sure all the pipes were fitted correctly. Unfortunately, we missed my sister's BBQ but did make it up to Mukilteo in time to have dinner with Jeremy's family. A couple of strawberry margaritas later and I had all but forgotten the drama of the day.

I started to look up houses online today- I think it's a sign that we should think about moving soon. I love our place and I love Renton, but something is telling me it might be time to move.

Helloooo Mr. Fireman!

How many people does it take?

All that drama for a stupid pipe.

No Eggs for You!

This weekend I was on a mission to find farm fresh eggs at our local farmers markets. Jeremy and I headed out to Kent Saturday to find some of these little delights and I was disappointed to find out that the most exciting thing at the Farmer's Market in Kent did not grow on a farm nor did it seem like it had anything to do with a market. Some lady was selling blankets and towels with the likes of Spiderman, Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Sponge Bob on them. It seemed a little odd for a Farmer's Market and Jeremy wondered aloud if they were officially licensed products. HA. A sign you've been working for an intellectual properties company too long.

Sunday Jeremy was off to the Vintage Races with his friend Matt and so I met up with Melanie (Matt's wife) and her children and my sister, nieces and my sister's friend from work. We hopped aboard the Vashon Island Ferry in search of farm fresh eggs at Seabreeze Farm. Apparently this farm is known for it's rotational grazing (which allows for crops to be grown without pesticides or chemicals) and as I am reading the "Omnivore's Dilemma" I was excited to go to the farm and check it out. I had visions of utopian bliss and couldn't wait to go. Sad thing was- NO ONE WAS THERE! There was no eggs to be found as they were all at the Farmer's Markets in Seattle. Boo hoo.

We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around Vashon in search of a berry patch (again, no berries to be found) and so we had lunch and called it a day. It was a beautiful day and a fun way to spend an afternoon, even though it was a bit of a letdown not to find any eggs. I'm about ready to get my own chickens and keep them in the back- it will be bit of entertainment for the cat, I'm sure.

Next weekend I'm planning on getting my eggs, come hell or high water. Mark my words eggs- I'm coming for you.

Um...Yeah.

So Thursday was a bad day at work. Four people from my group at work were laid off and 160 people were laid off worldwide. Then I was told that "I'm in charge" for the Mobile group. Cheeeese Sauce Rice....

Anxiety stomach is back.

On the flipside- some good news is that I'm 1 pound away from my goal weight at WW!

Has it really been that long?

For some reason, I have lost my interest in blogging. Lots of fun events have happened over the last month, but I'm just too lazy to fill you all in. Maybe it's a blogging backlash- maybe deep down I have been feeling that if people want to know what's going on with me- they should ask! Give me a call, let's meet for coffee or food- have some real face to face time. I'm feeling like I want to jump up on soapbox- so I'll end this post.

Another Busy Weekend...

This weekend was another marathon-event weekend. Saturday was a BBQ birthday party for Kirstie and Seth and after that my sister hosted a jewelry/fondue party at her house. As we all paged through the catalogs, I realized it was my first ever "Tupperware-esque" style party and I started to panic a little bit. I am really getting old. Miss EJ joined me at the jewelry party and that helped a bit- as did the two Blueberry Pomegranate Vodka cocktails. Oy.

Sunday was supposed to be a jam packed day too- but it turned out to be a little less so. Jeremy and I went to the West Seattle Farmer's Market and poked around sampling all sorts of fantastic cheeses, breads and veggies. We bought a few things and got some good ideas for planter boxes out back. (Again, feeling old here). We finished up our trip with some lunch at Guayamas and headed home. I was going to The Killers concert tonight with my friend Susan, but it turned out that they post-poned it. BOOO!!! I was so excited to see them- even if my evil plan to marry the lead singer was foiled by the fact that 1. I'm already married (details) and B. He's Mormon and already married. C'est la vie.

Now I'm pooped and the cat is giving me the evil eye because I'm in HER room making a lot of noise typing at the keyboard. Herfahiof haiofhoiahfi aihldfihaihdfiha oihd. How you like me now, Miss Kitty Fantastico??

Weekend!

This weekend was a very full, but very fun weekend. Jeremy and I had dinner with Matt and Melanie on Friday night and had a wonderful dinner with their family. Saturday was Opening Day of boating season so I met up with Eryn for croissants in the morning (deeeelish) and we took her pooches with us on the walk to the Montlake Cut. I love this time of year because Opening Day brings back so many good memories for me. It was always an exciting time at the Boathouse- lots of activity and parties. The racing was always good and it was fun to meet crews from out of state and country.

Miss EJ waiting enjoying the sunshine.
Watching the Dragon Boats race.
Birthday candles for everyone!
I'm not quite sure what this dance is...

After the races my parents had us over for a CincodeMayoDinnerBirthdayPartyformysisterandKyle. My mom made some fantastic enchiladas (I always say this reeeally fast and with a good spanish accent) and mentioned something about making watermelon margaritas. I didn't actually witness any margaritas being consumed because I was trying to figure out what the heck my nieces were doing in the above picture. They are total coconuts.

I also caught up with my friend Katy Wallace who was in town from Michigan (she's going to dental school.) We had breakfast in Madrona and spent the morning laughing over coffee. It's good to get back in touch with people.

I love the weekends and I am so sad when they fly by so fast.

A Sign I haven't been to my WW meetings lately...

I go to three different grocery stores in ONE NIGHT to find a new flavor of Ben & Jerry's. Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream... BEHOLD!

I ate too much now I feel a little sick. Maybe I should take that second pint back to the store. "Forgive me WW, for I have sinned..."

Back from Hawaii

Hawaii was nice and sunny. I didn't get sunburned. Mission accomplished.

Going to Hawaii for a couple of days...

Be back soon.

Walk with me, Suzy Lee...

This weekend was lots of fun- but frankly I'm exhausted. Napoleon Dynamite is on TV- I love this movie. My favorite part is the very opening sequence, with all the credits. AHAHAHA. I love you, Jon Heder!!

Saturday night Jeremy and I had dinner with our friends, Brent and Lina. I met Lina for the first time and their adorable little girl, Bella. I had a great time, Lina is a hoot and we were hatching plans to open a little bakery/card shop. Ahhh, dreams.

Behold! The Glorious Cupcake!

One of the great joys of working downtown is being able to go to Uwajimaya on my lunch break. I love grabbing a quick bite to eat and then spending the rest of the time perusing the aisles for fun and exciting new products to try. My co-worker Sarah had told me about a microwavable cake that you cook in a mug- a true "cupcake". In my search for the perfect piece of cake, my curiosity got the best of me.




Of course, the cake was nothing to write home about, but half of the fun was the experience itself. And the fact that there was no english on the box, so we really didn't know what we were doing.

Babies in a basket

This is what happens when you come over to our house with kiddos. You've been warned.

Crew Reunion

A coxswain once again.

1997 Crew

This past Friday was the annual Varsity Boat Club banquet and a reunion for me and my 1997 Men's JV boat. It has been 10 years since we won at Nationals and went to Henley and at least 10 years since I've seen a lot of those guys. It was a little nerve-wracking at first- but after a glass of wine and coming to grips with my anxieties- I actually had a great time. Friday night was the dinner- they honored all the boats that swept Nationals that year. I saw a lot of faces that were from all parts of my rowing (coxing) career.

Saturday morning my boat wanted to get together and row again, so we all met at the boathouse and took out an 8. It was very eerie- we fell back into old routines just like that. It all came back to me, which side was port and which was starboard; starts and drills; steering the boat. I was even more impressed with the guys who remembered all the commands and knew exactly what to do when we "weigh 'nuf'd". Blades hung in the air until I said "and down" and they all slapped the water at once. We spent about 30 minutes in the boat, we went through the Cut twice. Even though some of them were out of shape and begging not to do any hard strokes- we all had a great time.

Saturday after the row and watching the Class Day races we headed over to Erik's parents house on Bainbridge Island and sat around laughing, looking at old pictures and re-hashing old crew stories. It made me realize what an amazing year that was and how lucky I was to be a part of all it.

All in all, I am so glad I went to the reunion. I did "weigh myself in" on Saturday morning before the row and I am happy to report that I was 138 pounds. It has been a long haul since October and starting my weight loss experience- but I'm not through yet. I still have a couple more to go and a new goal in mind.

More pictures here! Pictures

Cupcakes...

Today Jeremy went to Trophy Cupcake in Wallingford to see if they were worth the $3 a cupcake. What a great husband he is- indulging me in my quest to find the perfect cupcake. We tried a Red Velvet, a Hummingbird, a Cinnamon Sugar and a Cardomon Chai. We couldn't even eat half of the cupcakes- so we cut them into fourths. The cake part was pretty good on most of them- way better than other places I've had (like Crapcake Royale) but the frosting was reeeeally sweet and for my "watching my sugar intake" palatte, it was a little much. But on the whole, a pretty good cupcake. But I'll call them Highway Robbery Cupcakes, because NO CUPCAKE IS WORTH $3. (Unless it's coated in gold).

New Sizes

I've been horrible about posting, but frankly no one seems to make a fuss, so I assume you've all stopped reading. GOOD. Then I can post about getting new bras.

Since I've lost some weight (22 pounds to date!) I figured it was time to get some new brassiers. I went in to Nordstrom Friday and asked a nice lady to help me out. I picked her out of the all the sales girls because last thing I want is some young, thin hip chick to come into the dressing room with me to see what size the "girls" are. Frankly, the LAST thing I want to do is get nekkid in front of strangers, but it was relatively pain-free. Jeanne was very nice and very sweet and I was out of there in flash with some fantastic new bras from Wacoal (which by the way I had sticker shock over when I saw how much they cost. YIKES). They fit like a dream and I had a gift certificate so I didn't mind too much.

Losing weight has been great, but it has been expensive. I've had to buy new pants, new tops and get my rings sized. But I know it's all worth it. :)

Pajama Days Rock!

10 Things I Love About Friday Pajama Days

- I can watch all the trashy TV I want and not get flack for watching an episode of "Next Top Model"
- Homemade lattes on the lovely stovetop espresso
- Mini-Day of Beauty
- Hanging out in my sweats
- Watching 16 Candles on DVD (Sigh... Jake Ryan...)
- Going to Safeway and cleaning up on the 10 for $10 sales
- Making recipes from my cookbooks (mmm...lemon yogurt cake from the Contessa... to DIE for)
- Not having to rush about ANYWHERE
- Getting rid of the piles of clutter about my house
- No make-up

Is there something on my face?

It's Like Falling on Clouds...

This President's Day weekend we celebrated by heading up to Whistler for some snowboarding with our friends Sarah and Isaac and the Notorious ILKS. I had a great time, the snow was awesome and it was fun to hang out and laugh a lot.

Saturday night had brought us lots of fresh powder so Sunday Jeremy and I took off to tackle some blue runs. Of course this is a big deal for me since I've been mainly doing green runs all season, but it was time to take on some bigger hills. It worked out great since the blue runs had less traffic and that meant softer snow. At one point, I heard Jeremy exclaim as he bailed out- "It's like falling on clouds!"

Amen!! I love Whistler. I want to move there....

Me and the Husband
Ready for take-off
From our balcony in the Village
The Top (almost) of Whistler Mountain

Just wondering...

How does one become a back-up dancer for Prince anyway? And where does he get those fabulous headbands?

More pictures...

Good lord... and those are not small plates....
Scary... isn't it?
Barbie Cake Carnage... oh the humanity!

Princess Party!

This weekend was Alyssa's 5th birthday and so my sister threw her a "Princess Tea Party" with all her little friends. It was pretty damn funny- all these little girls running around in Princess dresses, crowns and wanting their fingernails done. I would like to think I have a little princess in me as well, so it was lots of fun. The best part was making the Barbie cake for Alyssa- trying to figure out how to shove a full size Barbie doll into a cake and make it look like her dress.

After the party was over, I went home and CRASHED. I was so tired. Staying up until 1 am to finish the cake probably was the culprit- but it felt so good to take a nap. Jeremy and I then had dinner with some friends at Varlamos in the U-District. They serve up calzones as big as your head and after all the tea sandwiches I managed to shove in my cake-hole that day, I could only make my way through about half my calzone.

BLEGH.

The Husband and I decided last week to bite the bullet and buy a king mattress. After deciding on buying a California King mattress- we set off to buy a fabulous platform bed. Unfortunately, a fabulous platform bed did not exist for our Cal-King mattress, so we changed our order and ordered a regular king mattress. We found a platform bed at IKEA and all seemed right with the world. We started this weekend on cleaning out the second bedroom- organizing and throwing away old stuff. I had a great time finding all sorts of old pictures- laughing and having a good time. (Save for the horrible pictures of me in a bathing suit from the last 6 years. If that's not inspiration to get my ass in gear, I don't know what is) Jeremy and I made lots of progress on the second bedroom, even got the new bed all ready for the new mattress. I couldn't wait to sleep on the new bed!

THEN OUR MATTRESS ARRIVED TODAY. Yes, after about 10 minutes of consultation with the delivery guys, it was determined that our mattress was NOT going to fit up the stairs to our bedroom. RASSUM FRASSUM!!!!!!

Plan B: Buy a neat TempurPedic mattress at Costco Home. EXCEPT THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE ONE WE WANTED. I hate you Costco Home!

Meh. Today has been disappointing. Not to mention that I had a case of the butterfingers and dropped my Treo on the kitchen floor, cracking the screen. GAH!

I like food. Bye.

This gets me everytime. I love Jim Gaffigan, and lately I've been needing a good laugh.

Manatee!

I Like Pictures.

A beyoootiful January day from our kitchen window.

Miss Kitty likes Football and Beer.

Miss EJ ready to ride.

I look like an astronaut.