Baby shower weekend!

Ah, what a GREAT weekend with family and friends. My sis and Jon were in town for their baby shower(s) and a good time was had by all. I mean what's NOT fun about having men and beer at a baby shower? The men were actually very good sports last night, they were appreciative of the free beer and took the shower games seriously. Such a blast. I'm so glad that both sides of the family were there as well as several of Red and Jon's friends. It was a very LONG day...starting with my wonderful mother calling me at 9:05am on Saturday morning to inform me they were already at 141 and Hwy 44. Panicked as I sat there with my hair still up in a towel, I worked feverishly to get ready. The 'rents came rollin in about 9:25, real close to the 9:30 I'd predicted (they said they'd be there by 10:00 which I knew meant at least 9:30...I know my parents well). After they arrived, we shooed my dad off to take Grandpa to lunch and mom and I headed to baby shower #1 hosted by some of my brother-in-law's mom's friends (where Alyssa and I agreed we could be co-awesomest aunts ever!). I was so excited to see my sister as it was the first time I'd seen her since Christmas...I really wanted to see how big the baby belly had become. My sis is one of the cutest preggo's I've ever seen. All baby, she is just completely adorable. Here are some pics from shower #1:The cutest baby bump ever!

This immediately got the song "Tiny Dancer" in my head while Jon's sister Alyssa began singing "Private Dancer" which made us girls giggle...
check out the loot!

Diaper genie, anyone?
After shower #1, mom and I rushed off to buy balloons for the shower that evening that myself and four of Red's friends were throwing. After we got the balloons (and more table cloths), I dropped mom off at Grandpa's and headed on over to the clubhouse to start getting ready for the party. With some extra help (my sister's friend Robyn and her friend Angie's boyfriend Scott)we were able to get everything decorated, the tables arranged and the food cooked by the time the guests started arriving at 7:00 (and wouldn't you know my parents were the first to arrive...). :) The shower was a great success, with most of both sides of the family present (there were a WHOLE LOTTA Davidson's in one room...). Here are some pics from shower #2:this is the sign we put up at the entrance to the complex so everyone would know they'd come to the right place!gotta have some super girlie pink balloons!we were SO excited about the cupcake tower...

me and my baby sis!The Davidson's in the house! From left: my cousin Dan's wife Amy, cousin Teri Lynn, cousin Ken, cousin Dan, my dad, my uncle Terry, Teri Lynn's husband Steve, my Aunt Linda and my cousin Ken's wife Terri (yes, that's three Terry's in one family...)

my sister and some of her friends...the blonde, Tiffany and the brunette, Kimberly both went to high school with my sister.

part of the Baumgartner side of the family. From left: my cousin Jeff's wife Jessica who is having baby #2 at the end of this month, Aunt Paula eating her cupcake, my mom, Aunt Jan and GRANDPA!

more of my sister's friends, from left: Robyn, Aaron, Andria and Joe

The hostesses! From left: Angie, Kathy, Jenny, me and Andria

Check out Grandpa playing shower games! How cute is he???? He and Aunt Jan worked as a team.....

Amy and Teri Lynn My brother-in-law Jon with his dad and father-in-law. Priceless.

my cousins Ken and Dan taking the poopy diaper game VERY seriously......

Kelli had to make sure she got it right!Yea....that's really gross!Gift time! I just love seeing Jon holding all those girlie baby clothes!

Check out the super cute baby robe!the quilt that Aunt Linda made for Baby Girl Baum

Tearjerker alert! Love the stuffed cowgirl piggie that the Baumgartner's got for the baby.....

and last but not least, the super pink, super girlie princess bear I made for my precious baby niece at Build-A-Bear. The first of many, I'm sure.

By the end of the night I was exhausted, having been on my feet pretty much non-stop since 8am but it was WELL worth it to be able to give such an amazing shower to my sister and brother-in-law. They got some great gifts and we all know that Baby Girl Baum deserves the world, so no gift is too much for her!

Next stop? The birth. With less than 10 weeks now until the due date, we are officially in countdown mode. Texas is gonna get tired of seeing me because I'm gonna be there a lot once my precious baby niece is born. :)

Love can build a bridge, part deux

So, in an effort to bridge the gap between the behavioral health and the medical side, my employer is hosting yet another "fun" activity today, called "Pop Into Action", it is a meet-and-greet where both sides can come together and bond over the following treats: soda "pop", "pop" corn and....yes, Pop Rocks. Did anyone think this through? Clearly this is not very safe. I mean, EVERYONE knows that if you drink soda and eat Pop Rocks together you will die, right? I told Mike to go ahead and try it to see if the theory proved correct.....stay tuned for the results.....

Happy Week 30!

Wow, I can't believe my sister is already 30 weeks along! Time flies (easy for me to say, huh?). :)
Here's what's going on with my little baby niece this week according to pregnancy.org:



-Her head is getting larger to accommodate a period of rapid brain growth. Don't forget to continue to "teach" your baby in the womb by exposing to music, literature, and simply talking to her.
-A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her. As she grows and fills your uterus, the amount of amniotic fluid will decrease. Funny, you certainly won't feel any lighter!
-She spends more and more time practicing opening and closing eyelids. Her eyes can move from side to side, following a light source. She may even reach out to touch the light.
-Early lanugo is beginning to disappear that served to protect your baby's skin from the water in the womb. Your little one's own hair may begin to appear.
-Toenails are entering their final growth stage.
-Bone marrow is now in charge of red blood cell production. These red blood cells will continue to service your child's body by transporting oxygen and removing the wastes (carbon monoxide and other gases).
-Your baby has the capability now to produce tears -- yes, within the womb.
-By the end of this week, your baby is now 15.7 inches (39.9cm) long and weighs 2.91 pounds (1319gm).

Walkin in a winter wonderland....

This weather blows. I just want to go on record as having noted that. Now, don't get me wrong, the snow is pretty and all, but it's a giant pain in the ass. As evidenced by my attempt to go to work this morning. I walked outside at 6:00am and stepped into well over six inches of snow that had fallen overnight. Fun. I then realized I couldn't open my car door because of the snow drifts. Fun. Once I finally burrowed my way in, I proceeded to try to clean off my poor car, doing this while it's still dark outside and there is over six inches of snow on my car. My neighbor came out at the same time (the new guy that I haven't bothered to meet before now) with a shovel and between the two of us, we undug our cars (is undug a word???) and I basically made a run for it over the snow drift and managed to get my car out. It was awesome. Then began the actual drive to work. Thanks to the Nazis I work for, I knew closing the office was not an option, so off I went. The roads had not been touched by a plow, so it was basically every man (or woman) for him(her) self. There was no driving in actual lanes, you just pretty much picked a spot on the road and went with it. The good news is, I made to work safely....only to find that half the staff had called in. Fun. So, we are a skeleton crew today, we are leaderless and we are basically making up the rules as we go along today.

Y'all be safe out there! The good news is, it's supposed to be in the 40's near weeks end, meaning, hopefully, things will be clear in time for Red and Jon's baby shower this weekend!

Happy Saturday!

I realize I don't really post a lot anymore. I've lost the desire to write.....it's sad really. I feel like I don't really have much to say....But let me see if I can catch you up on the latest happenings of my life....

...Very excited for my sister's baby shower next week. Her friends and I have been planning and working hard for the last couple of months...can't believe it's only a week away! I can't wait to see her in all her 30 week pregnant glory! It's gonna be so much fun, just having all our family and Red and Jon's friends together.....can't wait! I keep seeing cute baby stuff and just want to buy it all! That little baby girl is gonna be so loved and so spoiled.... :)

...Making birthday plans. I initially really really just wanted to sit at home by myself and lament about how damn old I'm getting, but alas, my wonderful friends will not allow that to happen. And I guess I'm glad. I've decided on PF Chang's for dinner (YUM!) and then we'll see where the night takes us. You can't do much about getting old, so you may as well make the most of it, right? I'm sure I'll be having some feel sorry for myself moments in the next couple of weeks, just bear with me.

...I miss my Canadian boy and really wish I could see him....

...I have some great nights out with friends planned in the coming weeks. I really, really love my friends. I have NO idea what I'd do without them! There are a couple of girls nights out planned as well as Mardi Gras at the end of February. Fun times, fun times!

...the Cubs FINALLY have a new owner, the richer-than-God Rickett's family. Buy us a late Christmas present in the form of one Jake Peavy please! Thanks Mr. Ricketts! :)

I think that's about it for now. I need to get back to doing nothing now. Y'all have a good weekend!

Happy week 29!

What's going on with my baby niece this week?


-The baby's head is in proportion with body now. She appears more like a newborn each and every day!
-Fat continues to accumulate under the skin -- only now preparing for entering the *real world*. -The baby's brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures.
-Her eyes can move in their sockets. Soon she will be able to follow a blinking light.
-The baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell! Various studies show that the baby may indicate preferences (or disdain) for particular tastes or odors at this stage
-She is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, she will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if she is performing somersaults for a circus act!
-Her length is now approximately 15.2 inches (38.6cm) and weight is 2.54 pounds (1153gm)

Happy Birthday Mike!

Today is my cousin Mike's birthday.....happy, happy birthday cousin! Hope you have a great day down there in the low country..... ;)

New Grandpa quote....

"Reggie Jackson couldn't carry Terry Moore's jock strap as far as I'm concerned"....by Robert Baumgartner, January 18, 2009.

I can't make this stuff up folks.

Um.....why?

Why are the Cubs signing all these former Cardinals? So Taguchi? Really? Is he necessary? I think Cubs management has been smoking crack or something. I won't be happy until Jake Peavy is wearing blue. Not that I really care about him but after all the crappy deals the Cubs have made in this off season it only seems fair that we should at least be able to score a big name pitcher. I'm bored. Is it April yet?

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Happy Birthday today to my baby cousin Jeff! Hope you have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Week 28!

It's time for my weekly report on what my niece is doing in her fetal development! 28 weeks already! My sister is officially in her third trimester! I can't hardly believe it!!!!! Here's what's going on with Baby Baum this week:


-Eyebrows and eyelashes are now very noticeable!
-Hair on baby's head is growing longer. Some babies are born with almost none at all, while others appear to be ready for their first haircut!
-Eyes are completely formed now. Quite a view from inside!
-Your baby's body is getting plump and rounded. Most of that increase is muscle tissue and bone. Fat will be added during the third trimester.
-Muscle tone is improving. Preparation for the Olympics feels like it is taking place in your womb!
-Lungs are capable of breathing now (but baby would still struggle and require medical attention if born now)
-Talk to your baby often, reading stories, singing songs and more. She can recognize your voice now and will often calm to it later on!
-Your baby weighs in now at 2.2 pounds (1005gm) and is 14.8 inches (37.6cm).

Baby, it's cold outside!

Two degrees this morning. Two. That's not very many. That's frickin frackin COLD. And apparently when it's cold, people forget how to use the gas pedal in their cars. WHY was everyone driving so slow this morning????? I mean, seriously. Apparently the wind chill is in the -12 degree range. Ick. These desperate times have made me do desperate things....like sleep with socks on. I know, crazy. I HATE sleeping with socks on, don't ask me why, I just do. But last night, the Santa socks made an appearance (the ones I got from my sis for Christmas, they're all nice and warm and fuzzy). I still say that with all this icky coldness we should at LEAST get some snow out of the deal.....

American Idol. It's back. And I love it. Of course, it's the tryouts right now. They are not focusing as much on the bad people, which I suppose is good, but it does take down the entertainment factor a bit (perhaps why they are down 10% in viewers????). Ok, dude whose wife just died? Made me cry. And he was really good and may just possibly be my early favorite. Who knew that Jason Castro's brother could sing? I think he's better than his brother.....Oh, and I'm kinda likin the new judge-she's sassy, and you all know I like sassy. ;)

Captain Idiot and other insults I like to hurl at people......

Yes, I did call one of my reviewers "Captain Idiot" today. No, not to his face, but in a totally more passive-aggressive way (that's way more my style.....). It's not my fault people. I call 'em like I see 'em. If you had to talk to this guy every day, you'd call him that too, especially when he says he'll "talk at ya later". What? I know it's Tennessee, but learn English dude. Thanks.

I've had waaaaaaaaay too much caffeine today. And I'm sure that chunk of chocolate cake didn't help (don't judge me! I worked out a lot this week!)........yea, I'm heading for a crash real soon. But in the meantime, I have all of a sudden become super productive, typing like a mad woman. This is a good thing because for the first 2/3 of my day, I was unable to focus or string together any sort of meaningful thoughts......I'm a hot mess.

TGIF is all I have to say. It's been a long week. A long few weeks. I need a vacation. I am having dinner with Mikey, Ashley, Jasmine and Tab tonight (yay!), we're eating noodles. Jealous? :) Tomorrow is our annual Book Club Slumber Party (yay!). I'm making a buffalo chicken cheese dip for it. No, I've never made it before, and I realize I'm culinarily challenged, but the directions look simple enough. I got this one. I think. I hope.

Thanks to my scattered thoughts, I can't come up with anything else to blog about at this present moment in time, so I'll bid you adieu.

Have a GREAT weekend y'all!

Thinking out loud

I realize I haven't really blogged much about what's going on in my life lately. That's probably because there isn't a whole lot to report. I'm just trudging along, working, sleeping, working, sleeping....and that's about it. Yesterday, my employer announced that, for the first time ever, there would be no raises this year. A total let down for sure, but as I've now had some time to process it, I realize that, in our current economy, I really should just be grateful that I have a job. I have two, in fact. I kinda giggled this morning as I heard the doctors talking about the lack of a raise...I mean, I'm SO sorry you won't be making over half a million dollars this year. Sucks to be you (said in a very, VERY sarcastic manner). Yea, I may be in a kinda blah mood, but my sarcasm remains strong. ;) (did you have any doubt?).

I do have some things to look forward to-Book Club slumber party is this weekend, I'm having date night with Mikey on Friday and my sister's baby shower is only three weeks away! I'm gonna do some shopping for my precious baby niece this weekend, perhaps that'll cheer me up! I don't know why I'm so blah, perhaps it's the weather, perhaps it's other things, who knows. I know I'll eventually snap out of it, so I'm not too concerned. So, if you're around me and I'm crankier than usual, just ignore me, I mean no harm. ;) Except if it's directed toward Mike Tinnin. In that case, I mean it. ;) Love you Mikey!

Happy Week 27!

Whoa, my sister's pregnancy is just a truckin along! Baby Girl Baum is now 27 weeks along and by all accounts is growing more and more every day! She even kicked her "sister" Chloe in the head the other day-isn't that cute? ;)

Here's what's going on with her this week:



-Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth. Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with your baby!
-Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Your baby's hearing continues to develop, she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
-Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb. Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates!
-She also continues to take small breaths and although she's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when she's born.
-Eyelids are now open more. Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
-Retinas have formed.
-Your baby will grow over an inch this week alone! You may suspect this phenomenal growth rate repeats in the preteen years!
-Average size is now 14.4 inches (36.6cm) and 1.9 pound (875gm).

and there was much rejoicing.....

Jason Marquis is no longer a Cub. Yahoo. I don't even care who they got in exchange for him, that freakishly expensive, freakishly crappy 5th starter is G-O-N-E gone. (cue the angels singing from the heavens....).

In other Cubs news, they signed Milton Bradley. This guy makes Crazy Carlos Zambrano look like a saint. Beating up fans, umpires and, apparently, the ladies in his life. Yea, this guy's a real winner. I'm sure he'll fit right in.

I haven't been overly impressed with the Cubs off season dealings thus far (other than the whole Jason Marquis no longer being a Cub thing), I can only hope that Jim Hendry actually knows what he's doing and has some magically fabulous deal planned before the start of the 2009 season. If not, I'm afraid my team may be duking it out with the Pirates for the basement. Ok, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, because let's face it, they'll probably still win the NL Central, but still.

Pitcher and catchers report next month! YAY!

Happy 36th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

My mom is perplexed as to how she can be married longer than she's been alive (seeing as she's been 29 for a couple of years now...). I didn't have a good answer for her.

Anywho.......Happy Anniversary mom and dad! Wow-36 years of wedded bliss. Amazing in this day and age, really. I'm guessing your date night on NYE counts as your anniversary date night? Seeing as you can only get dad out of the house once every two, three years. ;)

Happy New Year!

Wow, my first post of 2009. Time sure does fly when you're getting old......anywho, Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone made it safely home from the madness that was New Year's Eve last night. Yours truly had a very low key NYE. As you all know, I worked 14.5 hours, the crisis line wasn't so bad, as the night went on, it was mostly frequent callers calling to wish us a happy new year (awwww). Tanya had helped organize a food night, so we had way yummy stuff to eat all night (thanks again T, that pepper jelly that Laura is now using inappropriately was awesome!). Tanya and I had big grandiose plans of going out after we got off work at 10:30pm, and I really thought it was gonna happen. Amy Henson had given me her extra Diet Dr Pepper, so for awhile I was riding high on caffeine, I'd been refueled by all the food, so I really thought that this year I'd be geared up and ready to go out. Then 9pm hit, and I crashed (maybe it was all the mandatory trainings I was forced to do...hey, at least I got some of my CEU's done for my license that I have to get renewed this year!). I had discussed with Tanya maybe both of us making a cameo at Carrie's for Losers Night In but at that point, even that much activity seemed a bit much for us, so we made the decision to go home after work, and I broke the news to Boogie via Facebook that I was probably not coming over (those drunk bitches were texting, posting Facebook messages and just generally having a good time while I was forced to work....I love you all!). As I drove home, however, I thought, an hour won't kill me. I knew the kids were there and the thought of ringing in the new year with them sounded appealing, so I decided to go ahead and make a (quick) cameo at the Nenonen's. As suspected, the party was hoppin when I got there, Big Bastard was singin the HELL out of some American Idol for wii (and Ashley and Val sang that Fergie song about 34 times I think). :) The best part was doing the countdown to midnight with the kids. Sparkling grape juice for them, champagne for the rest of us. Once it was officially 2009, the party seemed to wind down. In fact, Miss Carrie disappeared and it was discovered that she had gone to bed (passed out???? :) ). So, all in all it was a good NYE. I was home (and in bed) in a timely manner, I slept in today and now I'm starting the new year by not changing out of my jammies and just generally doing a bunch of nothing today. Me likey.

Happy 2009 to everyone. I sincerely hope this is the best year yet. My family has a LOT to look forward to as we prepare to welcome Baby Baum into the world in early April. I am beyond excited to meet my new baby niece and already know I will probably love her more than anything on this Earth. :) Speaking of, my sister is officially 26 weeks along today. Getting there! I can't wait for the baby shower at the end of this month, a fun time shall be had by all!

I'm thinking 2009, for me, is gonna be all about the people I love. Friends, family, I want to make sure I spend lots of time with those I love. THAT is my new years resolution. Poor bastards. You're not gonna be able to get rid of me. Good luck with that. ;)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Cubs traded Mark DeRosa to the Win-dians. Me not happy. I cannot even process my sadness right now.

In other news, I have now adopted the Indians as my American League team as they are basically the mini-Cubs, what with the signing of DeRo and Kerry Wood. Oh, and Grady Sizemore is hot.

Cubs snag Aaron Miles from the Cardinals

The Cubs have signed my former baseball crush, Aaron Miles to a deal today. I say "former" because I used to think he was adorable in a five-feet-tall-I-wanna-put-him-in-my-pocket sort of way. That was, until one day when I saw an interview with him and saw that he has a WAY jacked up grill. That being said, he's a pretty scrappy player and I'm fairly happy with Jim Hendry's decision to add him to the team. Welcome to the best team in the NL Central! I'm sure he'll look smashing in blue..... :)

Now, if they could just unload Jason Marquis.........any takers?

Happy New Year's Eve party people!

It's already New Year's Eve. How in the hell did that happen? Where did 2008 go? I mean, seriously? I think we skipped a few months or something.....

So, who has big plans? I know this girl does. Oh yea baby.....this girl is working FOURTEEN (and a half) hours today! Woo hoo! Paaarrrrtay! Y'all are jealous, aren't you? I'm at my full-time job all day and then as a special NYE bonus, I am working six hours at the crisis line. Happy NY to me indeed! :) At least my girl Tanya is working with me tonight.....that should dull the pain a bit.

OMG, I have "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner in my head. The girls and I were talking about it last night (for reasons unknown) and then I heard it on the radio this morning. I'm having the urge to sing it out loud, which could be scary for all (I blame it on the caffeine).

I'm really not feeling like providing y'all with my annual sappy end of the year message, but I will say this: I hope everyone has a fantabulous 2009. May it be the best year EVER, I love you all (some more than others...). :)

And how was everyone's Christmas?

Christmas was good. Glad it's over, but it was still good. Not even a pain-in-the-ass sinus infection could keep me down.

Yes, I had to work Christmas Eve (and I was only slightly angry and bitter about it...), but I managed to leave work at 2:00pm and headed straight to Grandpa's where my family was. As soon as I saw them, I was immediately relaxed. They are my favorite. My pregnant sister looks ADORABLE, you can finally see her baby bump, our little Baby B is starting to get bigger! We opened presents there (I have pics posted on my Facebook page), then headed out to the Batto's house for the big fam extravaganza. A good time was had by all. I started to notice a bit of a sore throat but decided to ignore it....bad idea because, by Christmas morning, I wasn't feeling so hot (I'm going with a self-diagnosis of sinus infection...and today I still cannot hear out of my right ear....). Christmas Day we went over to visit the Davidson side of the family and that night, I went over to the Baumgartner's for some fine family fun complete with a couple rounds of Yahtzee (did you know that if you role anything other than a Yahtzee it's called a "not-zhee"?????). It was a fun night and I thank the Baumgartners for saving me from having to spend Christmas night home alone....

I worked at the crisis line the day after Christmas, but by then was full-on not feeling well and ended up leaving early. I headed to Salem where I let my mommy take care of me and buy me things. ;) It was a good weekend at home, we got to see Tim's friend Jeremiah and his new wife (Tim and Jere-moose have been friends since they were four...I used to babysit Jeremiah and his sister, so it was kinda weird to see that he's a married man now...).

Now on to sorta abbreviated work week. I am working from 7:30am to 10:30pm on New Years Eve (go me!), have Jan 1 off to recover, then am back at it on Friday. I'm a little angry and bitter toward those of you that are off all week (and you know who you are......), but I still hope you have a good week!

I'm gonna go try to do something productive now since I'm at work and all.....

Happy Boxing Day DT!

No one here knows what Boxing Day actually is, but I sure hope it's a good one for ya! ;)

Happy Christmas Eve to all!

Good morning everyone! So, in good news, there was no traffic this morning. In bad news, the reason I know this is because I have to freakin' work today. BOOOOOOOO for working on Christmas Eve! It's un-American I tell you! Damn managed care Nazi's...........

As a special I-Have-To-Work-On-Christmas-Eve treat for myself, I stopped by my local convenience store this morning and got.....a REGULAR Coke instead of diet. Craaaaaaay, I know. I love, love, love regular Coke and because I love it so much, I only drink it 2-3 times a year. Otherwise, I'd weigh 600 pounds, and no one wants that (yikes!). As a consequence of the straight sugar now coursing through my veins, I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay hopped up and am probably annoying everyone around me with my giddiness (well, annoying them more so than normal). So excuse my mania today.....at least I'm not a crab ass like I've been the last couple of weeks (although my co-worker Mary K and I did greet each other with a "bah humbug" this morning....inside joke, sorta).

I can't wait to see my family tonight! My sister and brother-in-law are already in town, my parents and brother will be here noon-ish. I'm gonna bust my butt to get out of work as soon as possible today so I can go to Grandpa's and hang out with them prior to the big family celebration at the Batto's tonight (we're headin' to Wentzville y'all! HOLLA!). Caseloads are light today (thank you GOD), so, barring any a-hole reviewers that call me late out of spite today (and I have plenty of them, those a-holes in Memphis kinda hate me), I should be able to get my work done in a reasonable amount of time and get the heck outta dodge.

To those I won't get to see for Christmas (and all y'all know who you are...), I miss you, I love you and I hope I get to see you soon! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Boxing Day, and Happy New Moon. Peace. I'm out.

Happy Sweet 16 Miss Rachel!

Happy 16th birthday to my baby cousin Rachel today! I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I'll see you tomorrow night (which, really, is the greatest gift of all). LOVE YOU!

What made me smile today?

Here it is, another crappy Monday at work. Nothing exciting to report....but then I get a Fed-Ex package. Knowing I hadn't had anything shipped to work, I wasn't sure what it was. Then I saw that it was a package from one of the hospitals in Pennsylvania that I used to manage (although it's been five months since I've managed them). They sent me a giant box of chocolates even though I'm not their reviewer anymore. Isn't that nice? It's the one thing that's made me smile today. :)

Happy Week 24 Red and Baby Girl Baumgart!

Here's what's going on with my baby niece this week in her fetal development:

-Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.
-Her body begins to fill out with her appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn.
-Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing her distaste.
-Little creases have appeared on her palms. The muscular coordination of her hands has improved as she sucks her thumb.
-Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.
-Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
-This week your baby is officially considered viable. (YAY!!!!!!!)
-Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!

Week wrap-up

This has been a very up and down week for me. I have had some good days, some not so good days (example, Tuesday, as I was leaving work, I saw how horrendous the traffic was and I immediately burst into tears....). Today seems to be a good day so far, fueled by sugar and caffeine (and the GIANT caramel apples we just received from one of the treatment centers we work with in Pennsylvania), AND it's Friday. We are having a little holiday dinner party at my friend Amy's house tonight...that should be fun, although I hear rumors that we are playing the board game Cranium. That game makes me feel even more mentally slow than I already am. I don't like things that make me feel bad about myself......

In other news, didya know I chopped my hair off? Six inches G-O-N-E gone. I went in last Saturday and informed my gal that I was gonna let her cut a couple of inches. She just looked at me and said "a couple? Try six.". Now, I'm kinda intimidated by her and decided it may be best to just do what she says....actually, I decided to quit being such a baby and let her chop it. I'm glad I did. It feels and looks sooooo much better. When I actually bother to fix it, it's quite sassy (today would NOT be one of those days as it's in a ponytail).

Last nights company holiday party was, um....interesting. Yours truly stayed sober, but some other colleagues did not. Let's just say, there was some disclosure of personal information that I'd rather not know....... ;) I went for the free food and door prizes (that I sooooo did not win, but whatever). It was a pretty fun night, and I was home by 7:00pm.

OMG, I totally witness that Hwy 70 school bus crash this morning (and sat in the traffic jam it caused). I saw the bus STRADLING the median, it was full of kids, there were ambulances, police and crashed cars everywhere, there were kids on stretchers and whatnot. It was truly like a scene from a movie. Here's the link of the story: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/commutingtraffic/story/555CDB37780FF4A78625752400478B6A?OpenDocument

I'm hoping today doesn't suck. Are we still having our Girls Lunch tomorrow? Anyone? I still need to finish Christmas shopping which, really, I'd rather stick a pen in my eye than go to any shopping facility this weekend......

I am such an a-hole

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Today is my Grandpa's 81st birthday!!!! Happy, Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!! I called him this morning to wish him a happy birthday, he apparently had plans to go to the casino for dinner (because he has a $50 coupon dontcha know...only the frequent flyers get coupons to the casino....), I guess his dinner plans have been cancelled because his lady friend is sick. Poor Grandpa....I promised him I'd try to drag my butt out of bed on Sunday morning and go to church with him which now means I HAVE to do it. Grandpa is SOOOOOOO my favorite. :)

Call 911, I'm going into a sugar coma

First of all, the 14 degree temperature this morning was just completely unnecessary. Fourteen degrees? Really? That's effin cold. Then let's talk about the layer of ice on my windshield. Because it was so effin cold out, I had a heck of a time getting my windshield to defrost. And then, once I finally got moving and on the highway, the salt kept yucking up my windshield...which is when I discovered that my drivers side windshield washer thingy was FROZEN. Yes, so I drove to work barely able to see out my windshield. I contemplated getting all Ace Ventura and driving with my head sticking out the window, but then I remembered that it was 14 degrees outside. Luckily, I managed to make it to work (albeit 35 minutes late), just in time for...........

COOKIE EXCHANGE day! Woo hoo!!!! My team does this every year. I now have seven different types of cookies, the shakes and a bit of a headache. Is that a sign of a problem? Mix that with copious amounts of caffeine and you have yourself a PARTAY! I had a heck of a time baking cookies with Mikey Poo last night. We laughed, we cried, we baked. It was good times. Mike sang, I laughed and I tell you this much-I am NEVER making the Christmas wreath cookies again! What a pain in the arse. Sure, they're super cute (made like rice crispy treats only with corn flakes, you dye them green, shape them into a wreath and put red hots on them for the holly berries), but I STILL have green dye on my hands that I'm pretty sure is never coming off, and I had to put so much butter on my hands to make the stupid things (because they stick otherwise-DUH!) that I'm pretty sure my hand pores are clogged forever. Ew. They're really good, however.

Busy busy week this week. Ice storm be damned. We are having our Book Club Christmas tonight in beautiful Valmeyer, Illinois (rumor has it we're taking the four wheel drive...we'll be fine), tomorrow is food day at work, Wednesday I have to work at the always fun crisis line, Thursday is our work holiday party at my least favorite place on Earth, Dave and Busters (but hey, I'm a sucker for free food and door prizes), Friday is a Christmas potluck at Aim's house and I'm pretty sure there's something going on on Saturday too but I can't seem to remember what it is. I STILL do not have the holiday spirit and I'm pretty sure at this point that I'm not gonna get it. The only good thing about next week is that I get to see my family and only have to work three days. And that's all I got to say about that.

Happy Week 23!

My sister is 23 weeks today! She's still barely showing, but whatever.....

This week, Baby Girl B's stats are (according to pregnancy.org):

Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since she hasn't begun to form body fat.
Bones located in the middle ear harden.
Your baby is able to hear. (Dads, did you know: low-frequency sounds mimicking a male voice penetrate the abdomen and uterine wall better than the higher frequencies of the female voice?)
The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation.
The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.
If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, his odds going up with each passing day.
The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.

Shocking...

Apparently CC Sabathia is about to become a Yankee. Did anyone see that coming? (said in my most sarcastic tone I can muster up....). Does anyone think that's gonna make the Yankees good? Sure, so they'll win every 5th game. With A-Rod too busy cavorting with Madonna (ew), I think the Yanks are still gonna suck ass. At least I hope they do because I hate them. And I especially don't like CC ever since I saw his episode of MTV's Cribs. Yikes.

Thank you. This has been my MLB news of the day. Now back to regularly scheduled programming.

Cubs trade rumors

Ok, so I haven't talked about my Cubbies in quite some time. The grumblings of trade rumors have prompted me to state my opinion. Granted, it's not like Cubs GM Jim Hendry gives a damn about what I think, but still I'm gonna put it out there...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to trading Mark DeRosa. I will not have it. Not only is he Mr. Versatility but he's quite easy on the eyes as well. I will NOT have them take down the Cubs hotness factor. As I mentioned on another blog, I will miss his hotness. And, really, isn't that what baseball is all about? No? It's not? Anyway...on to my next point-the Jake Peavy lottery. Would I like to see him in a Cubs uniform? Sure, he's pretty effin fantastic, but NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF ONE MARK DEROSA. Could I handle seeing Mike Fontenot go? Sure. How bout Ryan Theriot? Ehhh...I sure wouldn't like it much, but I'd deal. Felix Pie? Take him.

Here's my counter-offer. Cubs get Peavy and end up, hands down, with the best starting rotation in all of baseball and the Padres (or Phillies or whomever else wants to get involved) get Felix Pie, that Vitters kid and, just for shits and grins, we'll thrown in Jason Marquis....for free. Don't say we never gave ya nothing MLB. You're welcome.

I must get back to stalking all Cubs blogs/MLB news sites for the latest breaking action.

Seizures and tattoos

So, as I was driving to work this morning trying to decide what mood I was gonna be in for the day, a song came on that made the decision for me. I mean, how in the hell can you be in a bad mood after listening to "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves???? It's impossible I tell ya, impossible! The mood was touch and go before that as I had to take a different route to work. Luckily for me, I caught the traffic report on the radio and heard that there was not one, not two, not three, but FOUR accidents on Hwy 170 northbound-the exact route I usually take. So, I switched it up and took Hwy 44 through downtown hitting Hwy 70. It occurred to me that I'm gonna have to start going that way anyway beginning next Monday as the second phase of the Hwy 40 project begins and my precious part of that highway will be shut down for the next year. Luckily, today's drive wasn't bad and I made it to work on time. That being said, I don't like change.

Here is what I learned today about cooking eggs in the microwave at work. Put them in for 45 seconds and PERFECTO. I put some pre-cooked bacon in and a bit of cheese and voila! Instant breakfast. I am a culinary genius. No, really, I am.

Who else has not even started their Christmas shopping? Anyone? The thought of it causes me much anxiety and I just prefer to skip it entirely. I did order one thing online and that seems to be my preferred method. By shopping online, you avoid having to deal with people, noise and traffic. And (if at home) you can sit in your jammies while you do it. Mama like.

So, how was everyone's weekend? Mine was good, thanks for asking. I did a whole lotta nothing on Friday night and continued that trend well into Saturday (I think I stayed in my jammies until 3-ish). Saturday night, Tanya and I went to a party at our friend Lori's house (because nothing says "happy holidays" quite like partying with a bunch of crisis line workers!). Tanya and I managed to get lost (even though Lori seriously lives only a couple of miles from me) and while we were sitting and trying to figure out where in the hell we were, we saw two girls....carrying their babies....into a TATTOO shop. Does anyone else find that weird and inappropriate? Anywho-back to the party, there were a ton of people there and us crisis liners stuck together much of the night. There was some excitement toward the middle portion of the evening when a fellow party goer had a FRICKIN SEIZURE right in the middle of the hallway. Well, never fear, the crisis line is here! My adorable friend Hallie was ON IT and called 911, and impressively, the St. Louis City EMS arrived in under five hours (it was actually about 10-15 minutes). No need to fear, the guy was ok (which makes me feel less bad about what Tanya and I did....we took Hallie's camera, because mine was trapped inside the bedroom where the seizing guy was, and went outside and took a picture of me with the ambulance....I know, we're not right. I blame the rum).

Yesterday, I went to my sister's friend Jenny's house for our first Baby Shower Planning Committee Meeting. We are planning my sister's baby shower for late next month and meeting #1 appeared to go well. There are many good ideas out there and now we just have to make it all come together. I can't wait!!!!!

Burning rings of fire/Thankgiving 2008 pics

To sum up my time in Salem, I give you this: LOTS of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, LOTS of eating, LOTS of quality time with the family dogs, LOTS of quality time with the fam and LOTS of fun. Here's the pics:
Here are Hank and Stubby "helping" dad burn leaves......
Yes, the woods are on fire. Yes my dad is wearing flame retardant pants......
check out the burning rings of fire! That's how we roll in the country y'all!
more fire

My first niece, Chloe....she is quite possibly the cutest dog I've ever seen.

Look at that face! Stubby does NOT like it when Chloe comes to visit. It's a dominance thing, I guess. Stub spent much of the weekend depressed and lying on mom and dad's bed.....pitiful!

Awwwww, how pretty! Mom did a great job!
Ummm....yea. So, I wasn't so much good at the guitar. I think the highest score I got was like 52%

my brother-in-law Jon, and cousins Greg and Patrick rockin out!
my sis the prego rockin out to some Weezer!
me and my sis (and my in-utero niece!)
me and my Aunt Paula

Dad cutting the turkey
why is my dad holding a pitchfork????
Uncle Jay and his yearly tradition of passing out BEFORE the turkey... :)

dad preparing the turkey carcass for burial. Don't ask.

yes, I am posing on my dad's tractor...

only in the country.....
Awwww....my baby niece is in there! My sis is such a cute prego!

my brother Tim holding the super secret Wal-Mart map for Black Friday.....
more Guitar Hero/Rock Band fun...here's Uncle Jimmy, Tim and Grant rockin.....

Grant strikin' a pose.....

yes, I have a future as a lead singer.....

Watch out, Powderkeg may have a new drummer!
Just like the Partridge Family....

I look confused......

and over at my friend Eric's parents house, there was even MORE Rock Band. Like his super cool shades! I think he was playing the role of Scott Weiland in this pic...or something like that!

Did you know?

Did you know that if your gun gets impounded by the police, you can only reclaim it with the receipt and if you don't claim it after six months they destroy it by melting it? This is what I learned today. I thought I'd pass on this very useful information.

hodge podge

So, I was HIGHLY offended by 106.5 The Arch this morning. How DARE they try to insult Canadians! I mean, you all know I have a soft spot in my heart for Canadians (one in particular). I mean sure, I HAVE made my share of rude comments about Bryan Adams, Nickelback, Celine Dion and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (all deserved, in my opinion, but whatever), but for the most part, I dig all things Canadian. What prompted the anti-Canadian rant this AM? Well, the station had just finished playing "Sunglasses at Night" by one Corey Hart and the DJ mentioned that he's Canadian, then said he read an article about how the US economy is going to affect Canada, then he said "who cares? No one cares about Canada!". So rude! So, on behalf of the radio station, my apologies to our friendly neighbors to the north......

It's Friday people! Yay for Friday! I'm doing a whole lotta nothing tonight and I'm ok with that. Well, I DO have to straighten up my apartment as Tanya is coming over tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll get to that sometime before she arrives. Tomorrow night we are going to a holiday party with some crisis line folks, that should be some good times. Let it be noted that Alex announced to the call center last night that he was in love with me. Most people looked up and were like "what the hell????". I just laughed, knowing he was just being silly. This was during a brief period where I was not actually on the phone. I took many, MANY calls last night (I was none too happy about it either)-that little "glitch" in the phone system needs to be fixed ASAP. No one likes being the one that gets 3-5 calls in a row while everyone else is sitting on their asses surfing the internet. It can cause one to get a bit cranky. Add in annoying phone calls from Sniffles and it makes for a long, LONG night. ;) (Sniffles is an employee, not a client...ok, the two MAY be mutually exclusive....).

I am gonna just sit here now and sip my tea. It's cold out there folks! My car said it was 19 degrees this AM. Yikes. It is also cold in my office. I really hope I don't have to sit here with my coat on. That would just be weird.

Happy Weekend everyone. Vaya con Dios.


P.S. I now totally have "Sunglasses at Night" in my head..........

Happy Week 22!

My little baby niece is 22 weeks along today and last night her mommy and daddy got to feel her kick from the outside for the first time! How exciting! Good to know she's all active in there and stuff! According to pregnancy.org, Baby B is about a pound now (and nearly a foot long!), she can also hear what we are saying (so watch the cursing Baumgart! ;) ) and her fingernails are now fully developed! Can you tell I'm an excited auntie?

Planning for the baby shower is now underway. Myself and my sister's friends are having a Baby Shower Planning Committee meeting on Sunday to iron out the details. Fun, fun, fun!

Power out

I woke up at 5:30 this morning FREEZING. As I turned to look at the clock to see what time it was, I noticed my clock wasn't on. It took me a minute in my sleep-deprived state to figure out that it wasn't just my clock that wasn't on but it was EVERYTHING that wasn't on. My first thought was "I'm pretty sure I paid the electric bill", then I got up, looked outside and saw that the power was out on the entire block. Yay. I grabbed my cell to set the alarm and tried to go back to sleep but it was too damn cold! I then got a call from my mother around 7:00am making sure I was up for work...that was when I was informed that apparently a transformer (the electric thingy, not the robot) caught fire, thus causing the power outage. Apparently 53,000 people were affected. I was thanking God I'd taken a shower last night because, hello, I wasn't gonna be able to blow dry my hair today (oh no!). The good news is, just as I was walking out the door, my power came back on, but the damage had been done-as I drove to work, several of the traffic lights were on flashing causing much backup and causing people to generally drive like idiots (more so than usual). I mean seriously, can I not just have one uneventful morning drive to work? Yesterday's fun was the CENTIMETER of snow we got, causing accidents on every single highway in the STL metro area, and causing me to get to work late.

In spite of how it sounds, I am actually in quite the good mood. I don't have a particular reason to be, I just am. I mean sure, I DID call someone an idiot today (AFTER I hung up the phone), causing Dr. Smith to laugh and announce that I was back (he thinks it's funny when I talk about my idiot hospitals after I get off the phone with them). I'm gonna go try to do something productive now, Happy Tuesday!