Bebe Con Queso/Auntie Kerri visits baby Kendall-Sept '09

As you all know, I love, love, LOVE my niece! She is the greatest thing in the world. I went to visit her, and my sister and brother-in-law this past weekend and we all had such a good time! As my sister and I arrived at her house Thursday night, I was figuring I wouldn't get to see Kendall that night since it was 8pm and that's her bed time, but as I walked through the door, I saw this gorgeous smiling baby from across the room...she stayed up to welcome her Aunt Kerri to her home (VERY hospitable, huh?).

On Friday, I got Miss Kendall all to myself as her mommy and daddy went to work. We had a great morning. Kendall played, slept and ate. We took a walk and Kendall tried to "pet" the dog, Chloe (it's more like grabbing a handful of her fur which Chloe really doesn't dig....). My sis came home from work early and we headed out to Babies-R-Us for some much needed baby supplies. Seems baby girl had a bit of a cold and was all congested. She had been fine all morning but by the afternoon was zoning out and when we got her back home, we discovered she had a low grade fever. Aunt Kerri got to witness Kendall's first illness! Uhm, yay?
she wanted this toy closer...so she put the whole thing on her lap. Look at her sitting up like a big girl! Only 5 1/2 months old!
happy girl!
Sooooo pretty. Look at those big blue eyes!
Kendall in her exer-saucer.

VERY busy.....she's not talking yet, but she does growl at everything-it's very cute. Her daddy likes to growl back and they have their very own conversation......

So cute! She LOVES her Jumparoo. She'd jump in that thing for hours if she could. She mastered the power jump while I was there-the whole thing was shaking she jumped so hard. She, of course, thought it was funny.

Man, I've had a rough day!

Kid plays hard....and sleeps hard too.

Kendall tried baby food for the first time on Friday night....she looked a little confused at first, but turns out the summer squash was a hit!
My favorite pic from the weekend. Kendall is sitting like a big girl in the booth with her auntie and her mama! (this is where the title "bebe con queso" came in...it may have had something to do with the frozen margaritas swirled with sangria.....)
check out the look of concentration as she attempted to avoid eating her oatmeal....

a day of shopping is HARD work!

Kendall sat in a big girl high chair for the first time on Sat...we, of course, took pics.

such a smiley (and drooly) girl
LOVE this. Kendall watching TV with her daddy. She wasn't so much digging what was on (Finding Nemo) so she changed the channel....
Kendall and her big sis, Chloe

me with my favoritest baby girl EVER!

I f**king hate f**king DFW Airport!

I promise I'll write about my fun visit with my sis, brother-in-law and precious baby niece tomorrow (with pics!), but for tonight, I must bitch, er, um, I mean vent. No, I mean bitch.

So, my flight back to the STL was supposed to leave at 6:15pm, arriving in STL around 8:00pm. Well........nearly FIVE hours and TWO planes later, I'm finally home. Have I mentioned I hate DFW?

We boarded plane #1 on time, no obvious issues, everyone got settled into their respective seats and got ready for the ride. I should have been suspicious immediately because it was HOTTER THAN HELL on the plane. We're talking sweat dripping down your face hot (granted, it was also nearly 100 degrees in Dallas today, I'm sure that didn't help). As we sat there....and sat there....and sat there, the pilot finally announces that flight 1880 is apparently leaking hydraulic fluid but that they were getting a mechanic to tighten the screw-or something like that. Now, I'm no airplane mechanic person, but I'm pretty sure hydraulic fluid is important...so I decided to be patient. About a half an hour later, the pilot gets back on to announce that the screw thingy-ma-bob was tightened....but the plane was still leaking fuel. He then announced that our particular plane was now officially out of commission and that American Airlines now had to find us a new plane. We were then told to de-board. Uhm....excuse me? By this time, it's nearly the time I was supposed to ALREADY BE HOME, so needless to say, I wasn't so much a happy camper. In fact, I called my friend Mike (who was picking me up) and said "Mikey, I'm still at this f**king airport". Yes, the "F" word had become my favorite word all of a sudden.

Ok, so they finally locate another plane for us, so the entire group of us (it was a full flight) trudged down to another gate and proceeded to re-board. This is where KD begins to unravel, folks. As they called Group 2 to board (me), I got in line, handed the lady my boarding pass and she says to me "we're gonna need to measure your bag, it looks too big to be a carry on". I looked this woman dead in the eye (with probably a hateful look on my face) and said "funny because it's fit EVERY OTHER TIME I'VE FLOWN". After my outburst (and after I proved to her that my bag did, in fact, meet FAA regulation size), I proceeded to board the plane. The guy behind me, who witnessed the incident says to me "that was weird...didn't they know we just got off a plane and were just reboarding"...I agreed with him and then said "Yes, I feel like I'm past the point of being nice" and he said "me too". So....I get settled into Seat 27A on plane #2 and get ready to go. Only this plane wasn't going anywhere either. We were told some part was broken and they were trying to get it fixed (at this point, KD began unraveling a bit more.....). As we sat there, the flight attendants began handing out little cups of water (and this is where evidence of my downward spiral is nearly at it's high point)...when they got to my row and offered us a drink, I looked up and said "unless that has alcohol in it, I don't want it". Can you get kicked off a plane for being unruly? Hey, my neighbor thought it was funny. He laughed then got back to his sudoku puzzle. A few moments later, they informed us that they couldn't fix the part and that they were now in search of a replacement part. Uhm, where does one get airplane parts at 8:00 at night....on a Sunday? This, my friends, is when I finally lost my shit. Because I was pissed off, exhausted, hungry, feeling a bit under the weather and HORMONAL, I started acting like my five and a half month old niece......and I sat there and cried. Yep, sure did, tears just a 'streamin down my face. I had no shame. I didn't care if Wilford Brimley (the guy next to me) and his sudoku puzzles could see me-I was pissed off. I was also stressed because my wonderful friend Mike was picking me up and I was gonna be two hours late (unbeknownst to me, however, the timing was fine for Mikey because he was goin out clubbing afterwards anyway. Yes, that's how the gays roll on a Sunday night.).

Finally, at around 8:30pm we took off. I figured my best course of action at this time was probably to just go to sleep...unfortunately for me, I can't sleep on planes, so, consequently, it was a looooooong flight. We finally landed in STL (I've never been so excited to see my city!) a bit before 10pm and when Mikey saw me, he laughed because I'm fairly certain I looked like hell. Sitting on a plane for four f**king hours when it's NOT MOVING will do that to you.

I'm better now having vented. And exhausted. It's bed time for me and, hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day. If you're thinking of flying to Dallas any time soon, I'd suggest flying to Love Field instead. Just sayin.

......wrestle with Jimmy....

I've been at my sisters for less than two hours and I've already laughed more in that time than I do in a typical week. We're talking tears rolling down your face laughing.

Let's start at the beginning-the flight itself was not fun-we're talkin turbulence for the ENTIRE flight. Now, this may not bother some people, but I get motion sick VERY easily and as the turbulence kicked in, I made sure I knew the location of my barf bag (and the barf bag for the empty seat next to me-just in case). I was hoping our lovely fight attendants (more on them in a minute) would bring me a Sprite so my tummy would settle, but apparently it was too turbulent for them to push their little cart down the aisles. What the f? Speaking of the flight attendants, they were all men and I'm pretty sure they were all, uhm, how do I say this politely? I'm pretty sure they were all friends of Dorothy-if you know what I mean. One in particular entertained me-his name was Jeff and he looked like he could have been in the group Color Me Badd (yes with two d's)-he had the side parted hair with a little spike on the other side (like my brother had when he was three-it was 1986.) and he had a neatly coiffed beard (kinda like Justin Timberlake in the video "D**k in a box"-if you haven't seen it, YouTube it). We finally landed and I managed to keep my lunch down. Our pilot announced we'd landed 10 minutes early-and then he said "so remember that next time we're 10 minutes late". Ha ha ha!

Once my sis and I arrived at her house, I walked it to find this beautiful girl with the biggest blue eyes I've ever seen! Miss Kendall was still awake to greet her Aunt Kerri. I'm pretty sure that child gets more and more beautiful everytime I see her! Baby girl was down for the night fairly soon after I got there...and Red and I set about making the Brazilian dessert she is bringing for culture day at Kendall's school. Uhm....yea. Basically, they are little chocolate "candies" that you form into a circle and then roll in the jimmies. What's a jimmie, you may ask? Well, you and I would call them "sprinkles" but apparently the Brazilians do not. I blame Gisele Bunchen (she IS Brazilian, isn't she? No? I blame her anyway.).

The BEST part of the night is when my brother-in-law Jon took the dog out for a walk, when he came back in he apparently gasped "oh snap" and my sister was like "what???"....turns out, a bird had found it's way into their house and was now FREAKING THE HELL OUT. My sister and I screamed and ran from the room as it followed us, shedding feathers everywhere. I was laughing so hard I was afraid I was going to wet my pants. Jon finally cornered it in one of the bedrooms upstairs...he told us it whacked itself a couple of times on the blades of the ceiling fan, and then when he slowed the fan down, continued to ride in circles on it like it was a frickin merry-go-round. After a good 15 minutes the bird finally found it's way out the window....or at least we think it did. Jon wasn't 100% sure. I told him that if I'm awakened tonight by some bird trying to poke my eyes out that I was coming downstairs to sleep with him and my sis (what? Three's a crowd? Or as my sis said, if Chloe joined us then "fours a party!").

Everyone is in bed now except for me. I'll be all over taking pics tomorrow. But for now, this girl needs some shuteye. Good night!

Off to Texas!

See y'all later, this gal is off to Dallas in a couple of hours-YEE HAW!

You know there will be about a million new pics of my niece, right? Aunt Kerri gets to spend the morning with Kendall tomorrow, just the two of us. Quality K and K time. In the afternoon, my sis and I are taking Kendall up to her school for some cultural program they are having (seems even the babies are learning about other cultures-theme for the baby class? Brazil. Sure hope Kendall retains that.....). I'm not sure what other adventures await but I do know that I can't wait to see them!

Day off #1

So...I got to sleep in today (yay) and then decided to challenge myself and jog/walk FIVE miles today. Some of you may not be impressed, but for me, that would be a MAJOR accomplishment. Especially given my previous high has been 4.2 miles. Before I could psych myself up, I realized I had no idea where 1. my pedometer was and 2. where my headphones were-both integral parts of any jog. After tearing the place apart, I managed to find them and I was on my way. I got sidelined by a funeral procession, but kept on a' goin....I was doing fine until I hit Francis Park and discovered, much to my dismay, that they were mowing the grass. KD is most allergic to this and coupled with the ragweed/pollen in the air, soon began wheezing and my nose was running-both of which are not fun things when you're trying to jog and are about two miles from home. I managed to circle the park a couple of times and then head back home. Someone told me that the jump from 4 to 5 miles isn't all that bad, and I agree! It really didn't feel like all that much more. Now, I am home with a splitting headache (thanks allergens!) but....I DID IT!

Apparently, all the fun stuff happens when I'm off work. I logged on to Facebook this morning only to find several of my co-workers posting about how our work building was on fire and the entire building had to be evacuated. This may not seem all that much of a big deal but the next part is....I missed out on HOTTIE FIREFIGHERS. Awww geez! Apparently my co-workers were stuck outside for a couple of hours-that doesn't so much sound like fun, but still....every time I've been involved in a building evacuation it's either been a false alarm or a test, meaning....no HOTTIE FIREFIGHTERS!

Oh, one last thing...Is is really necessary for Mackenzie Phillips to go on the Oprah show and tell the world that she had sex with her father? I mean seriously!

Happy Birthday to my baby brother!

My "baby" brother is 26 today! Happy Birthday Timbo. I will let you know that I bought your birthday card but I, of course, have not mailed it yet. You're welcome. ;) Tim being 26 makes me feel really, really old. I remember when he was born for God's sake. I remember thinking he was all cute until my 8th birthday party (he was 4 months old) when all my friends chose to play with the super cute baby and not me. I remember pouting on the couch. I remember hating him after that. But he WAS (and still is) so darn cute, you couldn't help but love him and I still do. Timbo Pistachio, you are my favoritest brother EVER!

New Kendall pics!!!

You know I can't get enough of my super cute niece! Her daddy FINALLY posted some new pics last night. ;) Kendall is getting so big! She can now sit by herself AND her first tooth is in! Even more excited, Auntie Kerri is flying to Dallas on Thursday to spend the weekend with my girl! Enjoy the pics!
I mean, seriously, could she be any cuter????
She's such a happy girl!
Kendall's got a mouth full of cereal and she's not afraid to use it!
LOVE IT! She's in her big girl high chair!

So sweet.
This eating cereal business is HARD WORK.
Miss Kendall's outfit for Spirit Day at school. Yes, five month olds go to school. :)
Look at little miss big girl sitting up on her own!

The cuteness is too much!

Beer: The only way to get through a Cubs game this season.

Yes, Cubs fans, it's been a rough season. One that I really stopped caring about roughly at the beginning of August. Yet, I still love those damn Cubs. No matter how many times they've broken my heart, I still love those stupid bastards. Particularly painful is watching them play the Cardinals....mortal enemies and the team that's gonna win OUR division. I can't even be mad at the Cards though. Ya know why? Because they played WELL this season and honestly, deserve to win the NL Central. Not that I like it one little bit, mind you.

So, Erin and I embarked on our last game of the season. We had pre-game festivities at the Tin Can (where yes, all beer comes in a can. Ingenious, huh?). I had a LOT of fun yesterday, even though the Cubbies lost 2-1. Demp pitched a great game, going eight strong innings and only giving up 1 run-a homerun to that douche with the porn stache, Brendan Ryan. The Cubbies managed to tie it in the 9th thanks to a Jeff Baker sac fly (with Hoffy scoring the run). But alas, it was not to be. Marm decided to be Craptastic Marm yesterday and our "closer" let the Cards win. BIG SIGH. Anyhooo......hope you enjoy the pics!
Like a good Cubs fan, I had to have myself some Old Style. Later I also had some 312, which is a Goose Island brew (all you Chicago-ites know what I'm talkin about!)
KD's product endorsement....actually I was super stoked to FINALLY be able to put my hair in braids-my favorite baseball 'do. I had to wait for my layers to grow out, waited damn near the whole season but finally got to sport them yesterday. :)

LMAO! Erin and I met up with our friends Freida and Judy and decided to stage some photos of Cubs and Cards fans fighting each other. Here, we have Erin and I "beating up" Freida. Love it!
What is up with the douchebag in the Pujols cape???
YAY! I got to see Micah Hoffpauir play! My favorite sexy Cubbie. And he was in right field-the side we sat on! LOVE IT!yes, this would be Hoffy bending over. You're welcome, ladies.

The Hoffy and Pujols bootie shots. Not too bad.......
The only Cardinal I will ever love. Call me, Skip! ;)
Ladies, I know it's hard to see him in Dirty Bird red, but you can't deny he is one HOT man!
Speaking of hot....I love you Hoffy!

I think this really describes the season in a nutshell. Lazy, not paying attention and not caring.

Uhm, Busch Stadium officials, I hate to break it to you, but fireworks don't so much work when it's daylight. Just sayin.
Now here's some nice booty shots, D Lee and Skip Schumaker.....yum.
Look at Hoffy's stats (Ok, ignore the avg), he was 2-2!
Me and Erin in our Cubbie blue!

Skip is HOT.
Jen! Look how bald our Rami is!!!! No matter, he's still hot....as is that tall drink of water next to him.....

The dejected Cubs bullpen after Marm gregged the game. Boo.
'nuff said.
My favorite pic. Erin and I didn't get to use our "W" flag all season. So, at our last game, we decided to use it anyway!

KD's breakdown of this weekend's Cubs-vs-Cards series

DISCLAIMER: I am by no means a baseball expert. In fact, most of the time I have no idea what in the hell I'm talking about and am mostly inspired by the hot men in tight baseball pants (although I have been in Brett Favre's crotch so that makes me sort of a sports expert. More on that story later). That being said, I am still offering you my analysis of this weekend's series.

Cubs-vs-Cards. An age-old rivalry that, for the most part, is pretty fun. There is plenty of smack talking back and forth, clear lines are drawn (you cannot, under any circumstances, waver between the two-you pick a team and you STICK WITH IT. Rules are rules.). I prefer to have fun with it, probably because, more often than not, the Cards beat my precious Cubbies, so I figure it's best to be a good sport about it. If the Cubs win, it's just an added bonus. Speaking of, the Cubs best chance of winning a game this weekend would probably be tonight. The Cubs Friday starter is none other than Theodore Roosevelt BAD ASS Lilly. The man saves kittens and underpriviledged youth(should TOTALLY win the Roberto Clemente award this year, but whatever) but could also kill you with his bare hands and/or steal your manhood. Just ask Yadier Molina. Ted has been the Cubs best and most consistent pitcher all season. That, and he's pretty damn adorable. Ted has a pretty good record against the Cardinals. Let's hope that trend continues.The Cards counter with John Smoltz. Now, I want you to know, I truly respect the man, I do. But he's old. My hope is that his arm falls off tonight. That would be sweet. And isn't this pic effin funny?

Saturday's game features the Cubs Ryan Dempster. I chose this pic of Demp because he looks like a psycho. The team's jokester, Demp is certainly the most fun. As for his pitching abilities, well, when he's on, he's pretty damn good (last start? Eight shut out innings....niiiiiice). When he's off? Well, let's just say it's a bit rough to sit through. Which Demp will I get to see in person tomorrow? Only time will tell........

The Cards counter on Saturday with Chris Carpenter who is most likely in the Top 3 candidates for the NL Cy Young this year. This frightens me. My only hope is that he is the Carp from his last start (disastrous) and not the Carp he's been the rest of the season. If he's on, not even Ted Lilly will be able to save the Cubbies....

Sunday's Cubs starter is Carlos Zambrano. I didn't need to find a pic of him looking like a psycho because he is a psycho. Big Z is a bit off his rocker and most likely needs some sort of psychotropic medication, but that's a side issue. The main issue is this-Big Z is allegedly the Cubs ace, yet has basically pitched like a total a-hole all season. And did I mention he's crazy? I truly don't have high hopes for this game......

The Cards pitcher on Sunday is Adam Wainwright, who just happens to have the most wins in the NL and is right there with Carpenter for the Cy Young considerations. Bastard. He didn't pitch so well his last start, but that was most likely an isolated incident.

So there you have it. KD's non-expert prediction? Cubs go 1-2 this weekend. I figure, I set my expectations low so that if by some grace of God the Cubs win more than one, I'll get to be pleasantly surprised.

Thank God I'll be drinking tomorrow...........