Where have all the gentleman gone??

*Fare Warning*

This blog you are about to read is the rant of a 6 month pregnant woman!!

Here is the thing people, over the holiday's hubs and the family and I have been to numerous restaurants! Many of said restaurants have had a wait to get a table. Also, many of said restaurants have had plenty of seating for people to wait on their asses before eating large quatinties of food! Here is the thing... in the 10 restaurants I have been in the past 10 days, not ONE, ONE I say, person has gotten up and offerend me their seat. One time we were at Snuffers and this gentleman moves over to let this obese woman have his seat, but the small pregnant girl, that is (to me) OBVIOUSLY pregnant, never gets offered a seat. Can anyone explain where common courtesy has gone??

I mean come on! When I go to NY and ride the train, people are always getting up and offering preggo woman seats! Are you gonna tell me that New Yorkers are nicer than Southern Hospitality??

Listen, here is the deal. I am not out of shape, but I have NEVER carried this much weight before in my life. I went shopping yesterday (for about 4 hours) and I could barely stand at the restaurant while waiting for a table. Not one person, woman, man or child offered me a seat. Have people gotten so self centered that they don't care if a pregnant woman stands, while a they stit their happy asses down??

To top it off, last night I am standing there with my 85yr old grandmother, who OBVIOUSLY has a very hard time walking, and the both of us, pregnant and old, were standing there. NO one person, not even these two women (one daughter - IN SNEAKERS, or her mother) offered us a seat. They just sat there looking at us and smiling. Smiling?? Are you serious?? My poor Nona is hanging onto the wall, while you two sit there smiling at my pregnant belly? UGH!

People, PLEASE!, if you see an elderly OR pregnant person, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, offer them your seat! Even if you can't reallly, really, tell if the person is pregnant, just offer them a seat. If you are a man and you read this, offer your seat, just for the hell of it! Just to be a gentleman!

Advice???

Ok folks, I have this baby shower where I am going to in NY. All my famiglia is going to be there, and I really want the pictures to be cute. I have this adorable jacket I wore Christmas Eve.

What do you think? Cute for a baby shower in the dead of winter or what???

23 Weeks Pregnant!

Baby Brady is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

This is just so amazing to me because I can remember when he was the size of a raspberry. Now he has clothes and a registry, a name and a room. Aww, just so amazing. God works in AMAZING ways!!

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On a total random note. My baby bro brought over his new Christmas gift, a Wii, and my hubs and I just can't get enough of it! Tennis is so fun! The whole fam was over here yesterday for dinner and even my Nona was having a blast. She thought it was so funny.

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Also, have you ever seen that show the first 48? OH MY GOSH, it is so freakin awesome. I love murder mysteries and this is real. Damn, I am obsessed with this weird ass show.

Blah!

I wish I had something witty to write or even just something funny. Unfortunately my brain is in blah mode. Maybe it is because I have so much stuff to do in the next couple of weeks, my brain is just overloaded.

This Sun we have this party, that I am not really feeling good about going to. (I'll expand more after the party.)

Then, in one week my NY baby shower takes place, and my brain just won't stop thinking about the food and what to wear. Also, how I am going to get the gifts from NY to TX AND what everyone is going to buy.

Then, the week after we get back is my Mom's 50th birthday, and we haven't scheduled all the plans, and the week after that my baby bro turns 13... eek!

Not to mention, I have a baby room to decorate, baby furniture to buy, a car to sell (currently I drive an Eclipse Spyder Convertible and we know it won't be good for the baby) and a new car to purchase. All while planning and attending baby showers before I get to meet my little man!

UGH! Sorry, that was a brain dump. I just feel like so much is going on and before I know it, time will have run out. So... I will leave you with the cutest baby clothes ever!

Brady got more Christmas gifts than all of us and the little man isn't even here yet ;-)

What a Christmas!!

I cannot begin to tell you what an amazing Christmas the hubs and I shared! I have never felt so much love and so much warmth than I did this year. It was extra special to me, because I know, that these 9 mnths I share with my little guy are the only time he is all mine :) The rest of his life... I am letting go.



A breif sonopsis of the days...



Christmas Eve - we woke up around 8am, and I decided it would be awesome if we could exchange gifts, just the two of us, so that we could appreciate what the other got (without all the family comotion.) I am very sneaky when it comes to Christmas and I have had the gift wrapped, under the tree for close to 3 weeks. His, apparently, was in his crazy messy office, that I never venture into unless I am giving him work day kisses! I gave him the Steven Colbert book- I am America. I don't really get that guys humor but I know hubs has been wanting to read it, so I thought, what the hey. He travels so much it will be great for the airplane. Then I open this huge box, that felt very heavy, only to find out he got me an hour and a half preggo massage. He weighted it down with a 2lb weight and put it in a huge box so I would't guess what it was ;-) God I love this man!!

Then we headed over to my parentals house, to eat, eat and eat some more!! We had luinguini with clam sauce, pasta with walnuts and shrimp scampi. Then we had "fish salad" which is this amazing salad that has scuingili, calamari, celery, garlic and lemon juice. Mmmm! So tasty! Plus, we only get these dishes once a year, so it really is a treat to enjoy the food that goes along with Christmas eve! Then, after eating, we had a random power outage. We sat there for about 1 1/2 hours with no light, no tv, no music, and just talked by the candlelight. It was really a lovely peaceful evening.

After 7pm we headed to the hubs grandmother's house, to do the traditional Christmas even present opening. We got so much stuff, I don't know where to begin. We got money, clothes, manicures and pedicures... oh my... just too much stuff (as usual.) Brady even got a couple of gifts. Then, when all the comotion had died down, we drove back to my parents house, to sleep tight until Santa's presents came that morning.

Christmas Day - We awoke to coffee brewing, dogs snuggled on the couches with blankets and Christmas music playing in the background. Christmas morning is one of my favorite mornings. There are always too many people talking at once, too many presents being opened and too many deserts and coffee being passed around.

Here are some pics of that morning, that really just sum up the wonderfulness!














The rest of the day was spent playing a Wii (my baby bro got) and traveling to my hubs parents house, to eat, play more Wii, and eat some more.

Last night we got home at around 8pm, brought all the gifts in and crashed in the bed. We were so tired, we tried to watch Deal or No Deal - Christmas edition, but fell asleep half way through :)

Hope you all had a fantabulous Christmas. Lord knows we did!

Holiday Recipes!!

Since the holiday weekend has begun, I thought I would leave you with some recipes, just in case you are cooking!

For breakfast Christmas morning... if you don't cook Frittata (which is an egg dish with ricotta cheese and sausage, that is baked (a family Christmas event for us)) then you should try

Veronica's Apple Pancackes
My mom said it looked really bad while I was mixing it up, but the moment she put a bite in her mouth, she was a changed woman!!

For lunch have a beautiful Roast Turkey!

Then for desert, try out these amazing recipes for Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint Bark (courtesy of Perks of being a JAP.)

Hope you all have a phenominal and Merry Christmas, filled with laughter, food and blessings!!

Ciao for Now!!

Holiday Hoopla!!

So my dear blogging friend at Jelli pants has tagged me for Holiday Meme.

Here are the rules:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it... OK... Got the rules?

P.S. God... if you read this blog... if you could give my friend Jelli Pants a beautiful baby in her tummy, sometime soon, I would certainly appreicate it! Thanks.

Here is my list ;-)

1. Every year, when I was little, my parents and I used to go pick out a Christmas tree, and drink hot cocoa on the drive over. It was one of my most favorite holiday events!!

2. Although, I love decorating, I believe tree's should be a trip down memory lane! All my ornaments (well, since we have only been married 3 years - together 5 - there aren't that many) and my rents ornaments have special meaning! My baby bro and I made a lot of them, there are places we have been and hand made ones from Nona!

3. This year, all I want are stuff for Brady, a vacuum (actually a Dyson), and a camera (to take pics of Brady, of course!)

4. I always by the hubs the best presents!! He can never figure them out, but that is what happens when you love a person so much, you know them better than themselves!

5. I got our first Baby Brady gifts last night. One is the pic above - an it's a boy ornament - from my mother-in-law, and the other was from a dear family friend of one blue and one blue and white striped onesie (sp?) with a light blue hat. It was PRICELESS! Can't wait to see my man, struttin' his stuff in that!

6. My favorite day is Christmas Eve. In the Italian culture (maybe Roman Catholic - who knows - it all merges in my mind) you don't eat meat Christmas Eve. Only Christmas day! So my daddy always prepares an amazing 6-8 course meal for Christmas eve. There is always a soup, shrimp scampi, scungili salad, olive and celery salad, and of course, the piece de resistance... Pasta with Walnuts. Don't worry, most recipes will be on my food blog after Christmas!

7. Christmas songs make me happy! Plus, I think I am a 1940's blues singer, reincarnated, so I love all Rosemary Clooney songs, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennet, and of course the Godfather... Old Blue eyes... Frank Sinatra!! Especially during the holidays!

8. I could be the worst wrapper of presents, in the history of wrapping presents. I always use one wrapping paper and I love making those bows out of the scrap paper :) Hee hee!

9. This is the last Christmas there will be just hubs and I. Next year, we'll be lucky if we get some socks, with Brady hanging around :) I just can't wait!!

10. I wish I had more money, so everyone I loved could get a gift!

11. I have never spent a holiday alone... knock on wood, Thank you GOD!

12. Midnight Mass (on Christmas eve) when we go to NY always makes me cry. We go to the church my grandparents were married in and it is always snowing, something we rarely get in TX. Midnight Mass is really what Christmas is about, and that make me happy.

Ok, now I guess I tag, Pink Ditz, BB, and Clueless Cat - if your into it... do it! If not, have a fabulous Christmas!!

This Year in Review

Got this idea from Pink Ditz at Twenty Something Bloggers

The year in review.

Post the first sentences/thought from each month. See what was going on. See how random you are each month and see how far you've come.

*Let me prefice this with saying, I didn't start blogging (on here) until June, so the other months are just random thoughts I wrote down :)

January - Italy here I come. (At this point in my life, I wanted to sell everything and move to Italy)

Feb. & March - I didn't write anything, but I know I was starting my company and trying to get used to not working 70+hours a week. I was starting to work from home and it was a huge adjustment!

April - So, as I sit here on this cold, Good Friday, I wonder why people like Country music. It's supposed to reach your soul I guess? Not necessarily my thing, but I guess as you get older, wiser, all your friends start getting married, and having babies. I think maybe their right. Maybe Country music does touch your soul. Here's to all you country lovers and all you country haters. (This one was for my little bro - who is an avid country music fan - and who introduced me to 1 good country song.

May - I died my hair pink and black (simply b/c I worked out of my house and for myself) Then I got pregnant for the first time! We told both sets of parents on mother's day. We got them little baby chew toys. My mother-in-law was speechelss (for once) and my mother started screaming in the middle of this fancy restaurant. Then my dad ordered champagne, and everyone but me got to drink it... hee hee! Not to mention both my birthday and my hubs birthday are in this month, so it was a month long PARTAY!! Then... the last week of May, we no longer had a baby.

June - Let's see. I don't know how to sum this up. I had surgery, died, came back, and ended up with a scar from hell, while I sat in my house trying to heal. (Read More)

July - A new chapter began. My Best guy friend (& my hubs BF for that matter) left for Med School. My Mistress ended (b/c he was also the drummer) and I was just so thankful to be alive, I couldn't contain my excitement.

Aug. - (LOTS went on this month!) First, I tried out for American Idol Dallas. My reviews were good - but I didn't get through. But, because the judges said I had an amazing voice, "I just needed to work on my stage presence," my mom and husband decided to fly my ass to SC to try again. I didn't make it their either, but I got to hang out with my baby bro and my granddad and go to the beach! A personal fav!! Not to mention they still didn't know why I died, so I blogged my favorite post.

Sept - Hubs and I celebrated our 3 yr anniversary! I found out I was preggo... AGAIN. Got extremely worried b/c my scar still hadn't come close to healing and now it was going to be stressed, AND went through my first trimester... week BY week!

Oct - My 2lb bump started showing... finally. I didn't feel AS sick (some of the time.) I got a sonogram. Had a job dilema, and told the world how to nail an interveiw! Also, I got to hang out with the fam and cook them my new favorite dishes and we went and bought Baby, Hubs and I punkin's. Not to mention, my BFF, came over for Halloween with her darling little boy!

Nov - NaBloPoMo! I was one day shy of completing this task. Overall, Hubs and I cooked Thanksgiving at our house. Had both sides of the fam! And it was fun. My belly started showing, so I took a pic! My hair wouldn't dye the right color cuz I am preggo. I got extensions, took a picture and put up Christmas lights. Not to mention my other BFF, Michelle, had a 1yr old birthday party for her gorgeous daughter Grace!!

Dec - Obviously the most exciting news of this month.... we found out we are having a boy. We got a DVD sonogram so the world could see our little man, and I really started showing. Then the first day of the month, I celebrated a very special birthday!! Considering the month isn't over... I guess we'll leave this one with a little more room.

A not too Wordless Wednesday!

So last night my grandma flew in town, and it was so wonderful to see her! She is 85 and still kickin. (Above is my Mom, Me, and Nona at my bridal brunch.) Man, I hope I am as alert and vibrant at that age as she is!

It was so funny last night though, because my poor mom. She turns 50 this year and because she has had asthma for almost her entire life (she almost died when she was 12 - and missed an entire year of school - because her health was so fragile) she has had to be on predinizone (sp??) since the age of 12. Needless to say, long term "steriod" use can give you some crazy symptoms. She has lost most of her hearing, she is legally blind and she is starting to get arthritis. Now, don't be sad when you hear this. She knew these effects would come and she was prepared. She is just so young at heart and so vibrant, it cracks me up that her body doesn't want to follow along. Trust me, she doesn't allow this to stop her on too many occasions. She still gets up at 4:15 to swim with some Romanian swim coach and she wants to try out for the 2020 olympics (not really, but we joke!) and this woman just took my 12 year old bro to learn how to snowboard, and in the summer she is an avid kayaker! She has even tried to convince my hubs to join her on a coupld of occasions.

So last night, we were watching this show, Clash of the Choirs (I don't know... I thought it was pretty good. I may Tivo and let you know how it is) and she was standing right in front of the TV, because she couldn't hear it... poor thing ;D So I grabbed the remote, turned on the closed captioning and we all sat down to eat dinner.

When the show came back on, she kept asking what they were saying, and I said mom, I turned on the sub titles, and she says...

"I can't see them from here."

Oh damn! The whole table started laughing. It was so funny. Godda love my mom. She is so unique in SO many ways. Love ya Momma!!

My Little Man

So, yesterday when we went to the OB, and we found out our little man is actually due to arrive a little earlier. 4 days to be exact :)

I have gained a total of 13lbs (holy crappy that scares me) and my little man weighs 1 (whole) pound :) :)

He was so cute and so freaking photogenic! The hubs and I decided the nursery will be a good night moon room. We will have navy blue walls with white furniture and my oldest friend Elysa is (maybe - hopefully! *shameless begging will begin here*) going to paint a moon winking at stars. I can't wait. Yeeehee!!

So, here is my beautiful baby boy on his first video. Enjoy!!

It's a...

Are you ready?? Are you sitting down??

It's a BOY!!!!!

Brady Matthew will be entering the world on April 23rd or somewhere around there.

We are so very excited and we will be uploading the DVD of the sonogram ASAP!

Today is the Day!!

Can you believe it? Today it the day we find out the sex?? OH MY GOSH!!!! I think I slept about 20 min all night, and then finally fell asleep at 7:30am, only to wake up at 8:30am :)

I am so freaking excited. I found out Sat night the hubs is (now) not to thrilled with the boys name. It really has been a bitch trying to come up with one. We love, love, love, our girls name - Isabella Josephine, we'll just call her Bella. But the boy name of Brady Matthew, is apparently not too much of a winner at this moment for him. I hope that is fate saying we are having a girl!

We'll see?? Today at 2:30pm CST I will be posting the big news. Hopefully our baby is as photgenic as it was last time and we will know!
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I am also 21 weeks preggo today, which means, my baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. His/Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him/her move. He/She's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he/she starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth.
My little banana is now my little carrot. Hmmm... not as cute of a name, but it works. Hopefully by the end of today, it will have a name!
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Holy Shit, I am officially freaking out! This has gotta be one of the coolest days of my life!!!

Kick Once for Yes, Twice for No!

So yesterday, I wasn't feeling my normal perky self. I was so tired and drained and just down right blah! We had freezing fog (which still gets me, because isn't fog a gas and if it froze wouldn't that be a solid?? Wouldn't that just mean the fog would drop to the ground?? Ok whatever!) and all I wanted to do was curl on the couch and shnugglle with all my animules!

So about mid day I took a nap and woke up around 3pm. I was starving and my nose was stuffed

**Tangent 2** I started reading What to Expect When your Expecting and they said during the 2nd and 3rd trimester it is not unusual to have a stuffed nose. Ok people, here is my thing. I weigh more than I care to admit, nothing fits right, my ass is getting flatter by the day, I can't sleep on my back or my belly and now this?? Is there anything else, dear old book of pregnancy woes, that you care to inform me about??? Is there anything else that is going to happen to my semi-normal body, while you are trying to grow a human... if so, could you please explain in detail, so that I won't have anymore surprises??? **Tangent Ends**

so I grabbed some toast and proceeded to watch the first 48, schnuggled with all my animals, under a blanket! About 45 min later, I feel the baby doing the jig in my stomach. I mean this child is going to be a dancer, you would have thought the baby was at a nightclub and had too many drinks. He/She was going crazy! Since I only felt the first kick Monday, I was quite surprised at how well, and how many times my little "banana" was moving. I started laughing and called the hubs down to see if he could join in the fun. He ran downstairs and proceeded to place his hand on my belly, when.... the banana said hello :) He smiled and couldn't believe he could feel it!!

Then... in true hubs style... he started talking to the belly. "Kick once for yes (for girl), twice for no." Of course, our little banana stopped moving, but it was still fun.

Can't wait to find out!! Only 3 days now! Yippeee!

Take That! Starbucks!!!!

Since it is like 20 degrees here in good ole Texas, and apparently this morning we are having freezing fog... I say WHA?? I have been drinking this amazing goodness called Suisse Mocha. Oh how I love thee! Mmmm!

You put it in your coffee and stir, and... magnifico... a soy mochachino (just like I get at Starbucks) but WAY less in cost! I am talking this little tiny box-o-goodnees is only like $3 or $4 bucks!!

I am totally obsessed with my friend, Suisse Mocha, and I am just so glad I was introduced to you!

And no worries people, I only drink one cup of (small) coffee in the morning. Plus (my friends can attest) I have never drank a pop in my life. So I feel I have the caffene thing, under control!

Wordless Wednesday!!

5 days until I found out what this beautiful baby inside my stomach is... Baby Bella or Baby Brady?

The Emotion

The emotion of pregnancy has really gotten to me. If you ask all my (real) friends, they will tell you, I am not one to cry for no reason, blow things out of proportion or get all worked up for nothing. Normally, I cry if I have a migraine I can't get rid of or if I find out devistatingly sad news. With this pregnancy hormone, I seem to cry all the damn time. I can't get it out of my system. A cute movie, a lovey dovey Oprah, I mean it just hasn't stopped.

Well, yesterday was one of those days. I did find out some bad news, but nothing that should have had me crying all day. I got to a point, mid day, where I was actually tired of crying. My body felt worn down and limbs and heart felt heavy.

Then in the midst of all the crying and sadness and fret and worry, I felt a little love pat from inside my belly. It was an Unmistakable kick! There she/he was, kicking to let me know she/he loves me and everything (in time) will work out.

All my friends tell me, it is incredible to have this baby that shows such unconditional love the moment they enter the world, and I tend to believe them. But until you feel it for yourself, there are no words to describe what it feels like.

My favorite quote recently says "It is the most amazing day, when you walk in a room as two and leave a room as three." ~ Jerry Seinfeld

It really puts things into perspective! No matter how crazy the emotions are, it is all worth it in the end! Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday, and remember, there is ALWAYS a light at the end of tunnel!

20 Weeks! and 9lbs Pregnant!!

Well folks, I am halfway there! At 2o weeks my baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)
I am so darn excited! However, I did got a baby shower yesterday, of a close family friend, and (I didn't really know anyone -but my mother-in-law, and her sisters and mother) they couldn't even tell I was pregnant :( You'd think at 5 months, someone would recognize. I guess I shouldn't be complaining (there are women who get told their preggo when they aren') but at 5 months, I was just hoping I wouldn't have to share with people why I have a 9lb bump sitting on my abdomen :) And if the hubs WASN'T sweet enough, he said I have only gained 8lbs, but that I looked tre preggo!
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7 days and counting.... My gut says Girl? But we'll see!
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Oooh! Totallly forgot to tell you. Last night my dad called, because he was in LA (he travels a TON for business.) and was across the street from the Kodak theater, and the premeire of "PS I Love you!" was there and he actually SAW Hillary Swank. How cool is that? My dad gets to do the coolest stuff. When he was at a convention he "accidentally" got a semi-private concert by Journey. I mean, that is just freakin cool! It was even funnier because he didn't know who Journey actually was and thought, this band sucks, and LEFT! HAHAHAHA!

Boy.... OR... Girl??

Only 8 more days until we find out the sex ... wee hee!

Plus, today I hit the half way mark! 20 weeks here I come!

A Disastrous Attempt

Thursday morning I woke up with this horrible pain in my neck. I thought I had slept on it wrong, so I tried to go about my business. Being pregnant (and officially in my 5th month - woo woo!) I am trying to sleep on this body pillow. All my friends that have babies had suggested it, but for some reason, it ain't workin for me!
So I wake up, I can't look left, or right for that matter. I go upstairs only to find the computer Ghettoness I described in the last blog, and try desperatly to proceed with my day. Since the computer is jacked, my neck is jacked, and the maid was due to arrive in an hour. I walk downstairs to start "straightening up."

You see, Hubs was out of town all week, and I was trying desperatly to get better, so that when he came home I could spice up the love life (wink wink.)
I thought when he got home, I would be cooking meatballs in a beautiful nightie with the belly showing proudly.

Yeah... not so much!

Right before the maid comes, I jump in the shower. After being out of the shower for a good 40 min, I start to lather myself up with all types of lotion (no stretch marks are coming this way!) When I notice my legs have become red, bumpy and itchy. I don't know what to do? So I call my mom. She says to call the OB and call her back. The OB says the neck and the rash aren't related. Take a benedryl and call us back if it doesn't go away. I do, and everything is fine. Except now I STILL can't move my neck, I have cotton mouth, AND I am groggy from the benedryl.

The maid leaves and I try to take a nap, still trying desperatly to proceed with my plan.

At 7pm, the one hour countdonw for hubs to get home begins. I try and stand up and realize, the leg cramps are back. My left leg hurts so bad, I almost fell to the ground, I can't move my neck and now my left arm is asleep. I say screw it, so I head to the bedroom, find a beautiful nightie (praying to GOD to let this happen) and put the darn thing on.

I proceed to the kitchen, where I get out my meatball cooking utensils, when my left leg decides, it really doesn't want to stand. I try and lay down and stretch it out, rubbing only with the good right hand. I lay there, in serious pain, counting down the minutes when hubs will arrive. At this point, I realize cooking meatballs in nightie in your 5th month of pregnancy SOUNDED like a brilliant idea at 7am this morning, but the reality is, it is NOT going to happen.

About 15 min later the garage door lifts, I hear a car beep, and the hubs walks into the house. He looks at me (on the floor, with one leg stretched toward the TV, a semi rash on my feet, and a non working neck) and just smiles! I told him, take a good look cuz I am about to go put on my pregnancy PJ's, take a shower and head for bed. He just laughs and says, "ok babe, is there anything I can get ya? You look like your in pain?"

Can you get over this guy? Is he the greatest or what? I try to spice up our lives (before baby comes) and this is what I get. The left side of my body not working, me lying on a heap on the living room floor, with a beautiful nightie that he can't do a damn thing with :)

GHE-TTO!

My laptop is SO Ghetto at this very moment. I feel like this woman, minus the really bad red hair and the tacky bow in her hair! When I went to the grocery store on Monday I totally forgot batteries, so my wireless mouse died and I am currently using a WIRED mouse. All I am gonna say is... cuuuuttte!

Then, this morning, my wireless router decided IT also wanted to die. I spent an hour on the phone with the tech guy, only for him to tell me to go buy another router. In the meantime, he said I could plug the cord (from the wall) directly into my computer. So I currently have 3 wires coming out of my laptop, a huge Fat Cat on my desk, meowing as we speak, and the hubs is at the office today, so he can't even help. Waaaa!! *One tear* For my Ghetto Fabulous laptop.

People, your lucky I even wrote a blog.

Just kidding, I love you all too much not to touch base!

If you need a laugh...

And I am talking, cry out loud, laugh hysterical... LAUGH! You have got to read this blog. I actually had to stop mid way, because I was crying/laughing so hard I couldn't see the text. WOW! Freaking funny!

http://elise.blogs.com/

Mr. Mochachino!

So, as most of you know, I have a brilliant (I use that word lightly) chihuahua, named Mochachino. He is adorable, has a brain the size of a pea, and he is by far, my favorite dog (even though I only have the one!)

Sometimes I look at the little bugger and think, man, I wish I had his life! So I thought I would share with you....

A Day in the Life of Mochachino!

At around 9AM, the little man peeks his head from under the covers, shakes his body, does a little stretch and then heads to the dog door for his morning pee. He then, walks inside, drinks a little, eats a little, and proceeds to the upstairs (where I have my office) to lay comfortably on the couch upstairs. He is usually accompanied by a cat or two. They snuggle and eventually fall back asleep.

In the afternoon, when I am done working and heading out the door, he will race down to see me, give me a little whimper and then proceed back to the bed, under the covers, where he will sleep until I get home.

Overall, he is a wonderful, quiet dog, that I love dearly!

So yesterday, I proceed with my shcedule, as does Mochachino.

Now, I have to preface this by saying, when Mocha does get mad, which isn't very often, he likes to take toilet paper and rip it up into tiny pieces so that I have to pick it up off the floor, in a million different spots.

Yesterday, apparently, was a day Mochachino was not too happy with me. I walk upstairs to find a whole piece of toilet paper lying on the floor. Mr Mocha dashes into the other room. I pick up the toilet paper, yell at Mocha to stop, and he comes sashaying out of the room, looking like, "I did nothing wrong... what did I do??" (Can't you just see his puppy dog eyes??)

As he proceeds in my office to tell me how good of a dog he has been, I notice little white specs all on his face! My camera broke, but if you would have seen it, it was priceless! Mr Mocha - caught! White handed!!

Google This!

Since everyone and their cousin is writing this blog, I thought it would be funny to do it myself. Since I do not own an ipod... I take that back, I own an ipod shuffle, that I have about 3 cd's on (and never use) I can't do the cute shuffle thingy. Yes I know... I live in the dark ages!

So here goes, thanks to Google Analytics!

10. Andrea is fat - ok really! People that is NOT PC. I am pregnant, and YES, I have gained some weight, I would hope you would be kind enough not to search on if I am fat! ;-)

9. Acne 80's - I am sorry... WHAT?? I wrote (read full version here) about having acne and having hair like an 80's rock band, back in my first trimester. I am happy to report, however, that my hair is fab (thanks to extensions) and I have the preggo glow (according to my very kind friends!!)

8. Acne Hot Pocket - again... WHAT?? I don't even want to venture to know what that is, but apparently acne is a huge problem for google readers and I am sorry for those that suffer. Try ProActive. It worked wonders for me!

7. 2 Fat Italian girls - you would think that people would not really want to see 2 FAT Italian girls but apparently that is a very common search? I don't know what you want to do with them, but I say... ewwww!

6. Curly hair + Pregnancy + Sex of Baby = My blog! Yes, I have curly hair, yes I am preggo, and no I do not know the sex of the baby, and really couldn't give you any insight on this. However, I can tell you that when I was born, I had curly hair, then my mom gave me my first haircut (b/c I had hair down to butt at 9 months old) and it grew back straight. THEN... my dad hated my straight hair and permed it in the 8th grade and I have had curly hair ever since. Now, google that!! Hee hee!

5. Fat Italian - again people... what is the weird obsession with fat Italian's?? If you have ever go to Italy, you would quickly realize this is only portrayed in movies. Most Italians are tall, skinny and have IMPECCABLE fashion sense!

4. Italian curly hair - Really, why? Better yet, why is it automatically transported to my blog? Damn those guys and their curly hair fetishes!

3. Androgynous figurine four legs - alrighty then, yes, I did put this on the blog. Why over 20 people are searching on this, I have no idea. Just go buy the book, Eat Pray Love, will ya!

2. Size of Baby 15 weeks - well thank you for considering me such an expert, however, each week I get an email from babycenter telling me exactly what is happening in that week of pregnancy. If your pregnant it is really fun to get those emails!

And the final.... most searched request... that has made you read my blog... drumroll please...

1. Fat Mistress - thank you, thank you. I am not a mistress, however I am a lead singer of a band that is called My Mistress, and once again people, I am not FAT, I am pregnant, get it through your head ;-)

2 Weeks and Counting...

I almost forgot...

It is exactly 14 days until we find out the sex of the baby. Woo hoo!

New York, New York!

Since I am 19 weeks pregnant today!! (Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.) YAY! And everything seems to be a smooth as possible, hubs, my dad and I, decided we are going to have a NY baby shower! Since all my fam is up there and I don't get to see them very often, I thought this would be a phenomenal way of sharing the preggo experience!

I got these adorable baby shower invitations (see what they look like here) and they have been mailed off to respective relatives in NY ;-) I can't wait to have a canoli and some carvel ice cream cake! Oh yeah!!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting?

A Day of Reflection...

Well, today is December 1st, and it happens to be one of those bittersweet days on my calendar. Today is my grandfather's birthday. He died back in Aug of 2001 (5 days before 9-11 and being from NY, I thank God every day he did not witness that horror.) I remember celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary back in July of that year. It was so much fun to see what a young couple my grandparents were. Vibrant, Italian immigrants, trying to make a life with 2 young kids.

One month later, I was sitting on a plane flying to say goodbye. My grandfather had had another heart attack, and this one was the last one. As I flew to say goodbye to one of my best friends, I just remember thinking. My life is never going to be the same.

When we arrived, I wasn't ready for my father (who rarely shows emotion) to be standing there, eyes red with wiped away tears. I also, wasn't prepared for my brilliant, loving poppy to be sitting there with tubes in every hole and swollen from the dialasis. After I calmed myself down, I sat there, holding his hand a whispering how much I loved him!

I know that he isn't here physically, but I truly feel, he has never missed a special event. I know he was at my wedding, dancing with my grandmother. I know he was there in my hospital holding my hand, and I know he will be there in April when my first baby is born! I never celebrate his death, but I always thank God for him on his birthday. He was such a special person in my life. He was one of those people that if you called him on the phone, he would instantly light up your day! Although, we lived 1,900 miles away, most of my life, he was never too far. Today, I miss my "poppy" but I know he is thinking about me and smiling wherever he is!

On a much happier note... my best friends little girl, Grace, turned 1 yesterday, and today is her beautiful 1st birthday party. Hubs and I are headed there with a peek-a-boo toy in hand (one of her personal favorites!)

So I have to think, on this day of reflection, that today is a day of celebration and thanks. As one life begins, one life is remembered. Wishing you all a very happy Dec 1!