You Don't Know What You've Got Til' It's Gone.

I know that when my posts are long and tedious they don't get read as much. But, as I have said before; Blogging is a cheap and effective therapy. Sometimes what I write is more for myself than the people who read.

I'm saying that as a precursor of what is to come.

This may end up being one of those long-winded blog posts.

To start off.... I will soon be the recipient of a new piano AND our next family vacation will be to New York City.

But the details behind both of these pieces of news have constantly had me in TEARS lately. I will probably bawl my eyes out while I type this entire post.

You see, my parents announced that they are moving to NYC. They leave in ONE WEEK!

I have been trying to put on a brave face about it (and have been failing miserably). It has me devastated.

Not that I don't understand their decision, because I do. My blubbering probably has more to do with crazy pregnancy hormones and the impending arrival of the baby than anything else.

I know, a while back I mentioned that my Dad was commuting weekly to NYC to work for Morgan Stanley Bank. Well, this commute has been going on for a year now. I don't know how he does it? A cross-country commute on a regular basis would kill me.

Morgan Stanley Bank has been begging my Dad to come work for them full-time, and that is what is finally happening.

Nick and I have been in our house for almost a year now. Our house is 2 minutes away from my parents'. So, for the past year I have had everything I ever really wanted, and I wasn't smart enough to appreciate it. It has been nice to have a change of scenery 2 mintues away. A place where I could show up in my pajamas and no one would even bat an eye. A clean place I could go to when my own house was dirty (and I didn't have the energy to clean). My Mom's house is always clean and comfortable.

My Mom may drive me crazy sometimes, but she has been indispensible to me. There is a big difference between being a phone call away, and physically 2 minutes away. It is going to be a big adjustment.

Reagan practically bursts with happiness every time she sees my parents. On Mother's Day it nearly broke my heart to see Reagan run to my Mom and throw her arms around her, because I realized this won't be a regular occurence anymore.

My Dad is Reagan's favorite playmate. Reagan knows that my Dad will sneak cookies for her, will put Mickey Mouse on the TV for her, and will play with her outside whenever she wants.

I try not to think about it, but it ususally ends up being the only thing I do think about. I am saddened by all that I will be missing. My Mom won't be living near me when my new little baby arrives!

Granted, she didn't live in Seattle when Reagan arrived; and I survived. But this is somehow different. For our family, where my parents live is "home". I feel a little uprooted by the fact that they will be moving 2300 miles away. I guess just didn't realize how much I relied on them.

I probably ought to be saying: "Yay, this means I will get to visit exciting NYC on a regular basis!". But the reality of the situation is: NYC is a 5+ hour plane trip away, and I am going to have to be making that trip with two kids. Ugh.

I would feel so much differently, if this were an extended family member moving to New York. It has just hit me so hard because it is my PARENTS.

I was totally stoked for my Cousin; David, and his wife and daughter when they announced that they are moving to Brooklynn at the end of the summer. Now, I am like: "those jerks! They will get to see my parents more than I do". OK, total sarcasm there. Dave and Kat, you know I think really highly of you.

As for the piano (that I mentioned ALL THE WAY BACK at the begining of the post). My parents are seriously downsizing. Going from a beautiful 4000 Sq. Foot home to a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan (most likely). They are literally "cleaning house" and getting rid of a lot. They don't think a piano will fit in their new place, so they are giving it to me.

If I could have picked out my ideal piano, their would have been my second choice (a baby grand, being my first). The Piano is gorgeous! And it is only 2 years old (maybe less?). All I had wanted for my birthday was a piano. My piano budget was limited, so I have been keeping my eye on KSL classifieds trying to find something that would work, but as of yet; haven't found anything I was in love with.

And while I ought to be happy and grateful for this gift... My honest feelings are that: I would much rather have my parents still living 2 minutes away, than have a stunning piano in my living room. I would gladly go back to scouring the online ads for used piano's, if it meant that my parents got to stay.

The past little while I have thought about ways to sabotage their move, but I know that it might only prolong the inevitable. There is no possible way that they can stay. And, maybe the sooner they move there, the sooner the time will come for them to move back! :)

Part of my heart is going to "The Big Apple". I hope it returns (permanently) to me, soon.

Impact

Oh, third trimester. How could I forget that you are so awful? In Jenny McCarthy's book Belly Laughs she says something along the lines of: "during the third trimester you feel like you just finished running a marathon, haven't slept in a week, and were just hit by a mac truck- all at the same time".
Yep. That pretty much sums it up.
When I was pregnant with Reagan I had the LUXURY of being able to come home from work and to collapse on the couch for the rest of the night. A lot of the time I would go to bed at 6PM.

Last night, Nick afforded me that perk again. I really did "hit the hay" at 6PM. But I don't expect it to be a common occurence like it was the first time around.

For me, the bottom line remains the same. Pregnancy has no redeeming qualities.

I am grateful for the fact that I have a husband who makes me laugh. He adds levity to my marriage, and to this pregnancy.

To illustrate my point... The following conversation occurred last night (as I was off to bed at 6PM):

Me (laying on the couch, whining about how tired I was): "Nick, will you come help me get up so that I can go to bed"?

Nick: "OK" (walks over and obliges me).

Me (feeling like I need to justify my actions): "Nick, it is SOOOO hard to be preggo. Sometimes I think you forget that I am pregnant".

Nick (feinging shock and surprise, looks at my stomach): "Honey, your stomach is so big! Have you been letting yourself go?!".

Me (laughing) "You just don't understand what it's like. I feel like I have to use the bathroom- ALL OF THE TIME, among MANY other discomforts".

Nick: "You do a pretty good job of keeping me clued in about EVERY SINGLE ache and pain associated with pregnancy".

Me: "I'm leaving. Quit making me laugh, I might pee my pants".

Nick (after I had left the room): "Honey, come back. You left a puddle on the floor".

Mother's Day

I saw this quote in a baby advertisement and thought it was pretty clever.

"I am NOT a woman who can always resist ice cream, wears makeup to the pool, and has spotless floors all the time. But I am strong. I AM MOM".

I thoroughly enjoyed Mother's Day this year. I was the lucky recipient of breakfast in bed. Nick cooked crunchy berry pancakes for me. Breakfast was served on Reagan's Disney Princess TV tray (since I do not own a formal breakfast tray). I inhaled them so fast, that I didn't think about taking a picture until afterward.

So, here is the picture from the recipe.

On Sunday afternoon Reagan crawled in to my lap, snuggled up with me and fell asleep in my arms. This is the first time this has happened since Reagan was an infant. I was in "Mommy Heaven". I told Nick that it is the first time in this pregnancy that I have been warm. Reagan has always been a little ball of fire. I very rarely have to worry about her being cold. But with this baby, my regular saying is that, "I feel like I am gestating an icicle".

Maybe Reagan's actions were unconscious, but I felt like it was the best Mother's Day gift she could have given me.

And, to top that off... I opened the mail and found that I had won an iPhone from Cosmopolitian Magazine! Usually, I am not so lucky. One time, in Junior High School I won a Kaboodles Hair Dryer. But in the past 15 years that is really the only thing that comes to mind when I think of prizes I have been awarded. But lately, I have been doing well in the "winners" department (in the past few months, through contests I have entered I have been given: a plaid bag/tote that I use to carry Reagan's stuff to church, $25 in scentsy product, and now the iPhone)!

What a blessed Mom I am!

Summer Vacation

So, the Scheurer Family Summer vacation.

We stayed in the most modern Hotel I have ever seen (to date). It is a brand new Marriott Springhill Suites. The amenities were wonderful (especially the full breakfast. But of course, a pregnant lady is going to say that :). And there was a Cafe Rio in the same parking lot. Like I said, ideal.

The location: Vernal, UT. Can you believe such a place exists in Vernal, UT? I couldn't.

I must admit, it's not my #1 pick for a place to vacation. Heck, if I were honest it wouldn't even crack my top 100 on a list of top destinations I'd like to visit. But this is where we ended up.

This "opportunity" arose because a 3-day shift opened up at the Walgreen's store in Vernal. They desperately needed a pharmacist out there. Walgreen's picked up the bill for the 3-night stay in the hotel, the gas, the mileage, the meals. Plus the OT pay. We figured, why not?

Another added bonus is that my friend Jeanne lives in Vernal.

Nick and I had already nixed an idea of a real summer vacation due to the fact that I am due- ha ha. Granted, the little one isn't supposed to arrive until August, but I am starting to get to the stage where everything becomes uncomfortable. And our extra money could be used in other/better ways right now.

Reagan isn't old enough to feel "jipped" about our choice of vacation spot. The fact that the hotel had an indoor pool was enough of a treat for her. Of the many times we visited the pool during our stay, we never had to share the waters. I would say that 99% of the guests at the hotel were construction worker guys (they had a sign posted at the front door requesting that all guests remove their muddy boots before entry). It was nice not to have to compete with other families for pool time.

While Nick was working, Reagan and I also spent a lot of time chillin'. We watched tons of movies (mainly of the Mickey Mouse and Elmo variety), and I was able to read a few books.

My own highlight was being able to go with Jeanne to get pedicures. Granted, the Salon/Spa was housed in (what used to be) an auto mechanic shop. But we still got quality pedi's, and that is what matters most.

I already have our next family vacation planned. And believe me, it is to a far better locale (no offense, Jeanne- Vernal isn't all bad). But the details for that vacation are for another post and another day.

Trip to the Dentist

Nick and I had appointments for Dental Checkups. I decided to bring Reagan with us, in hopes that this appointment would be a better experience for her than the last time.

Just after Reagan turned one I took her to a Pediatric Dentist, and it was awful. The dental office was tiny (so there was no space for a formal recovery room). This meant that the kids who were recovering from the gas/drugs had to do it in the main lobby area. Reagan was terrified of them, and I must say that I found them to be disturbing too. While we were waiting there were four kids in the waiting area recovering and they all acted like they were drunk/on drugs/ possessed.

The appointment went from bad to worse when the Dentist tried to look in Reagan's mouth. She screamed bloody murder. The dentist recommended that I have Reagan come back in for a frenectomy (a procedure where they cut the gums). I was skeptical, and so was my sister; Heather- who has worked in a dental/orthodontia office for a decade. As soon as I got home I called that dental office and cancelled Reagan's future appointments.

Needless to say, at that appointment I didn't get any pictures of Reagan's first trip to the dentist. AND I learned that it isn't the best idea to take your kids to dentist's that advertise in mailers. Just another incident of a Mommy being slow on the uptake.

So.... our trip to my "tried and true" dentist was much better.

Reagan played patiently (although, none too quietly) at the block table in the waiting room.

They let her come back to watch me having my teeth cleaned. She thought the TV's in the ceiling were pretty neat. And she even let the dentist look in her mouth without too much of a tantrum. When I asked if I could take her picture while she sat in the Dental Chair she told me "No". I didn't want to push it, so we settled for a picture with her and Nick and her prize.

My wonderful Dentist could not stop shaking his head about the fact that the other dentist Reagan had visited suggested a Frenectemy. I am so glad I opted not to put Reagan through it. My dentist said that Reagan is too young to even consider performing that procedure on, and that by the time she is 9 or 10 (an acceptable age to do the surgery) the problem will very well have resolved itself.

After the appointment we went across the street from the dental office to Sugarhouse park. Normally, in May I bet the place would have been packed with children. But in our freaky-weather May, this year, the park was deserted. We didn't stay too long because it was so cold.

We finished up the day by eating at Firehouse Pizzeria. Where, Reagan, once again proved that she is her father's child- by showing a preference to his meat pizza over her own Peanut Butter and Honey pizza (she also loves Chili as much as Nick does, and likes food with "heat" as well. The other day Nick was eating hot wings and she took one from him, and sucked all of the hot sauce off). I finished Reagan's PB & Honey pizza and deemed it my new favorite.

Stay tuned.... to find out the location of the last minute vacation we are leaving for TOMORROW!

Perceptions

More on clothes... This time, coming to you from Miss Reagan's closet.

Future coordinating outfits:

We've got the Halloween costumes.

We've got the Christmas dresses.

We've got the Easter dresses.

Apparently, I am one of "those Moms" that will be dressing her children similarly. And oh, how I have really loved shopping for coordinates for my girls!

In fact, I love shopping, period.

What do YOU see when you look at this picture of a portion of Reagan's closet?

If you're me; you see a complete wardrobe for two upcoming seasons. There are plenty of outfits for Reagan to wear this summer, and also more than enough clothing for her to sport this Fall/Winter too. Again, if you're me; you see a closet-rail full of deals and you feel a sense of accomplishment. Because I bought "out of season" no single item in this picture cost more than $4, and most of it was less than $2!

If you're Nick.... you see money that has gone out the door and will never return. I know Nick thinks I spend most of my waking hours shopping. Be it: in stores, or online.

OK, maybe I am exaggerating a bit. But today when I was on the phone with Nick, while he was at work- and he heard the doorbell ring in the background Nick said, "you'd better go get the door, it's probably another one of your packages [from shopping online]". hmmmm?

Nick is really pretty understanding. He may give me a hard time about shopping, but I think- deep down- he knows I am a bargain shopper and I hope he appreciates it. Or maybe I am in deep denial?

I, for one, know I have come a long way. Before I had Reagan I remember telling Heather that I was only going to dress my kids in high-end name brand clothing. At one point I was thrilled to score baby onsies from Banana Republic AND I purchased a Coach wristlet for my future daughter to tote around town when she was big enough.

But then reality set in and I started raising a baby- FOR REAL. All of my perceptions about the way I was going to dress my baby went out the window. I learned very quickly that babies go through a million outfits a day. That they grow so fast and sometimes are only big enough to wear a certain outfit once before it is outgrown. That the more complicated/trendy an outfit, the harder it is to get that outfit off of the baby, and when your baby has a blow-out, that once cute outfit inevitably leads to poop getting EVERYWHERE (it never would have happened if your baby would have been in a zipped up sleeper from KMart).

These days I have zero qualms about picking up last-seasons clothes from KMart, Children's Place, or Old Navy. Especially when they cost next to nothing. It is what Reagan will be dressing in for the next 3 seasons and I know she will look great!

Yay for stylish girls in our house!

What happened?! I used to be cool.

"Back in the day", before I married Nick I would spend $400/month on clothing and accessories. I was stylin'.

Even after I was married I felt like I had a pretty good handle on the latest trends. I felt such gratification when I would go to work and my co-workers or clients would compliment me on my outfit, or my purse.

I cannot pinpoint the exact moment that things started to change, but over the past year+ I have had fleeting moments where I noticed that I was no longer hip. At first it was almost imperceptible, but lately it has been brought directly to my attention by Nick (Mr. I was still wearing my wardrobe from High School when I was 25 years old- and was only pulled out of that slump because my wife bought me new clothes and left my old clothes in a hotel in South America when we vacationed there) and by Heather (Little Miss candidate for What Not To Wear, until her big sister started giving her clothes, and now half of Heather's closet is comprised of clothing given to her by Big Sister).

But it wasn't only by these two that I noticed the change. A few months ago I went in to Nordstrom to buy a new pair of jeans. I have been wearing Lucky Jeans for YEARS. At Nordstrom I was searching everywhere in the denim section for Lucky's, and I couldn't find them. A cute young sales girl approached me and asked if I needed any help? I told her I was looking for the Lucky Jeans. In her best "valley-girl" voice she told me that Nordstrom no longer carried Lucky Jeans. Or, in other words: Listen, old lady. If Lucky's were still in style they'd be sold here. What a blow to my ego!

Then, right before Anchor Blue went out of business, I was shopping in there and at the checkout counter I mentioned to the sales girl that I loved that they were playing a Limp Bizkit song. Her comment, "Oh, is that who this is? We're playing a retro compilation CD right now". L.B. is retro? Who knew?! Apparently not, Reagan's Mommy.

Anyway, after Nick's and Heather's comments; combined with observations by total strangers I took a hard look at my closet and realized *GASP!* they were (somewhat) right.

I hate to "out" myself, but there were a few things in my wardrobe that really did need to be trashed. I thought I'd give them a fond farewell, and also; by posting about them I knew I would have to get rid of them- because if anyone that reads my blog saw me wearing these particular items I would surely be "called out on to the carpet".

So, here goes....

My BELOVED Red shoes. I would plan/buy outfits centered around these shoes. I purchased them back in 1999, and they have been everywhere with me. When they looked new I was always having complete strangers compliment me on how cute they were. Then the compliments stopped. Nick started referring to them as my "clown shoes", and Heather called them my "garbage shoes". If I were honest I would admit that they needed to go a long time ago. Instead, yes, I super-glued them to try to keep them together, AND I colored on the worn spots with a red sharpie marker. How sad is that? I have spent many an hour scouring eBay trying to find a new version of these shoes, to no avail. Oh well, I guess I have to let go sometime.

My treasured boots from Bakers. Also worn WAY past their prime. And also "repaired" with super glue. I wasn't able to go through with the "boots worn over your jeans" trend this past winter, but maybe next year- if that is still the style? I may have to jump on that bandwagon, considering that these former "wardrobe staples" are making their way to the dump.

Heather and I both bought identical pairs of these sandals back in 1997. Heather has taken many occasions to point out to me that she tossed hers YEARS ago. I know, I know. And if it weren't for the fact that I was wearing these sandals when my water broke and I went in to labor with Reagan I would probably still be wearing them. Sad, but true. Nick says they literally stink to high heaven; but they are so comfortable! No excuse, though, they have got to go.

Lastly, just so that people can see that my fashion crimes go beyond just shoes... A pair of my (according to Nordstrom girl) out of style Lucky Jeans. Yes, they have a frayed hole in the crotch. And yes, I have still been wearing them (I have just made sure to keep my legs crossed when I am sitting). I toyed with the idea of putting iron-on patches over the hole. But realized that I really need to adopt a "hard and fast" rule, that anything I feel needs to be repaired by me actually just needs to go in the garbage.

While I am "laying it all out on the table" I also fell prey to TV infomercials and the Home Shopping Network. In the past year I not only ordered BUMPITS (which are total crap, by the way. But I am sure I am the only person alive who needed to buy them to find this out), but also Eyelash Extensions off of HSN (they didn't work either). Granted, I called and ordered both items in the middle of the night, when I was awake feeding Reagan and saw them on TV- so I think that they are fashion crimes that can be forgiven, considering that I wasn't in "my right state of mind".

The socks (also pictured above) lead to the part of this post that will be my defense. Heather also makes fun of my white crew socks. She laughs at me, that all of my white socks are socks I owned in high school. Her observation is true. HOWEVER, I started working full-time shortly after I graduated from High School and M-F attire was always businesslike. My "high school" socks would only make appearances on the weekends- DURING THE WINTER (because I would wear sandals in the summer). None of the white socks I own have holes in them, so I think they are still acceptable, despite their age.

I spent over a decade heading in to the office every day, and dressing appropriately. It has only been in the past 21 months that I have started heavily relying on my more casual wardrobe, because I'm not pulling the 9-5'ers anymore. I'm a Mom.

I think that is the reason all of the pictured items really started showing their age. Because I started wearing them on a regular basis, rather than once every blue moon.

Heaven knows I'd love to put the heels and more formalwear on again every day. But they just are not practical when you are chasing a toddler around (and they really aren't safe when you are pregnant and unbalanced- in so many ways :)

I am going to make a pledge to myself to stop wearing clothes that make me a look like a bag lady (I can hardly wait until I fit in to the True Religion Jeans Nick purchased for me & I have a new pair of 7's that I bought right before I got pregnant again). I see other Mom's that always looked pulled-together and cute so I know it is possible.

I'm going to make my best effort to follow suit.

There, Heather and Nick. Are you happy now?

Just Us Girls.

It's official. Baby girl Scheurer #2 is on her way. Several people have asked for it, so here is the obligatory "baby bump" picture of me (23 weeks).


At the ultrasound, where it was confirmed 100% that our little bundle will be a girl, they did the 3D picturing. I can't say I am a big fan. After all, who wants to see their progeny looking like an alien? I am sure that she will be very beautiful once she gets here.

If you can tell.... here is a shot of her face and hands.

And of course, my post wouldn't be complete without a snapshot of my gorgeous girl, Reagan. Nick's Mom works at an elementary school and was kind enough to gift us with her complimentary picture package the day Bell photography came out to do school pictures. I dolled Reagan up in her Easter attire and was happy that we were able to capture her smiling.



I love my girls!

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend (in our neck of the woods) was cold and snowy/wet. Originally, I had planned to take Reagan to the local Fruit Heights Easter Egg Hunt. Nick had to work, but Heather and Jeff took pity on me and came up to tag along.

We arrived at the location of the F.H.'s hunt and saw a sign that said it was postponed until the following weekend.

Heather suggested we go to Dan's Grocery store, since they were doing festivities. But quickly rescinded that suggestion when I reminded her of my feelings toward Associated Food Stores. Instead, we decided to drive over to the Farmington Smith's Grocery Store.

We were too late for the stuff going on at Smith's.

And changed our plans for a third time, when we saw a sign for Farmington's Easter Egg Hunt. After getting a little lost, we found the park in Farmington and unloaded the kids for the hunt.

We were early, and had to wait in line for 15 minutes before the hunt began.

You may not be able to tell from the pictures but it was fetching' freezing outside. Heather and I constantly ask each other why we do stuff like this to ourselves?! Maybe someday our kids will appreciate it.

The hunt turned out better than I expected. They split the kids up in to age groups (so that the little kids wouldn't have to compete with the big kids). And they made sure that every child under the age of 3 was given an egg that guaranteed them an extra special prize.

Lagoon Amusement Park sponsored all of the prizes, and they were not too shabby.

Reagan ended up taking home a large stuffed elephant, a Nemo Rain maker/stick, a stuffed bunny, and some candy.

Later on in the day I took Reagan to Nick's grandparent's house for their annual Easter Egg hunt. She threw a tantrum and broke her Easter basket, but what else is new?

AND just when I was complaining about the cruddy weather... I woke up Tuesday morning to find a foot of snow in our front yard. This was the most snow we had received all winter, and it is April! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I can hardly take it.

Reagan, on the other hand, loves it because when it melts it turns in to water. Of course, she didn't spend her time playing in the actual snow. She headed straight for the gutter and the slushy stuff as soon as she went outside. Strange child.

I didn't know this until the next morning, but Nick told me that it took him an hour and a half to make it down our street and in to the driveway the night it snowed! We have such great neighbors! Two of our neighbors saw Nick's predicament (ie- his car being stuck in the road) and EVEN THOUGH it was 10PM, they came out and helped dig him out and get him home. I do really love our neighborhood. I just wish the neighborhood were in a climate that didn't get snow :)

SAHM Frustrations

My Husband and my Daughter are "neck and neck" when it comes to my opinion about who will not live to see their next birthday. Sometimes, I tell ya.....
Let me present my case.

In the past week:
Nick: CONSTANTLY forgets to clean his pockets out before he puts them in (or sometimes, just near) the laundry hamper. It wouldn't be too bad if I found occasional pocket change in the dryer, but I never do. It's always used kleenexs', scraps of paper, etc...

Over the weekend I pulled a load of laundry out of the dryer to discover that Nick had forgotten to remove his balmex from his pants pocket before he gave them to me to wash. All of the clothing I had just cleaned had waxy spots from the balmex on them. So, I painstakingly pre-treated all of the items of clothing from that particular load of laundry, and did another load. As I was filling the washing machine I realized that I had a little extra room and so I included one of Nick's jackets with the load too. Some of you may think I am crazy, but some of you may be able to sympathize with me when it comes to the next part of my story. When I opened the dryer to remove this specific load of laundry FOR THE SECOND TIME I found that Nick had left an uneaten chocolate truffle in the pocket of his jacket. The Balmex spots are gone, but now I get to deal with spots of chocolate on all of the clothing!

I love my husband, but I can only do the same load of laundry so many times before I will need a ride to the looney bin. Really, if you think about it this sounds like the same sort of punishment the Greek character Sisyphus experienced when he was in Hades and was cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity.


Now to my dear Daughter-

Reagan: Really, is whining something that is innate in children? Reagan has been whining a lot lately, and we are still having bouts with the temper tantrums. Over the weekend she almost put me over the edge. The following events took place in about the space of an hour. To begin: I got Reagan out of bed in the morning and gave her some milk and cereal for breakfast. I assumed she was occupied with her breakfast and so I went to make some of my own. I poured myself a glass of milk and put peanut butter on my toast. When I turned around I realized that Reagan had abandoned her breakfast, found a pen and decided to color on the couch cushions! I removed her from the scene (I put her in the kitchen) and I went back to assess the damage done to the couch cushion.

A few moments later I heard Reagan repeating, "There, There, There". When I walked around the corner to the kitchen I found Reagan sitting on the floor. She had reached up and removed my toast from the countertop and was dipping her finger in to the peanut butter on my toast and spreading the PB on to my cabinets. Every time she would make a mark with the PB she was saying "there", like PB was just what my cabinet faces needed.

At the time, I was too mad to take pictures or to find humor in the situation. These pics are ones of Reagan in a "controlled Peanut Butter Environment at her Grammy Kay's house".

It is a good thing you get thicker hair when you are pregnant, because I was pulling mine out by this point, and if I had any less I'd probably be bald.

I cleaned Reagan up. While I was wiping her hands she told me that she was still hungry and wanted to eat. I gave her a blueberry muffin that I had made the day before and set her in front of an Elmo DVD.

I started cleaning up the PB mess, only to realized that Reagan had eaten a little of her muffin and then decided to squish the rest of it (along with the blueberries) in to the carpet.

I gave up. And ushered both of us in to the bathroom to have a hot shower. I undressed Reagan and started the shower. At that point she decided she didn't want to shower, and I was too frustrated to make her. I quickly showered while Reagan played with the shower door. As I was rinsing I looked down and saw Reagan give me an impish look, and then she proceeded to pee on my shower mat.

All I could think was: "I wonder if the gypsies are in town, because I have a child to sell to them".

Is it Christmas already?

Congratulations Coach K., on Title #4!

Enough Said.

Stretching the Dollar & Decorating.

I am feeling better (FINALLY). Some of the pregnancy symptoms are subsiding (I only threw up once in the past week and that is my biggest success, to date) but I still don't feel like being pregnant has any redeeming qualities. My thyroid medicine seems to be helping. The return of some of my normal energy, combined with the "2nd trimester energy" have helped put in to action: plans that had once only been in my head.

Nick and I made a list of priorities. Items I thought would have topped the list actually came out somewhere in the middle (remember my previous blogging about wanting to redecorate my kitchen, and the need for gas heat in our basement?).

We decided to use our income tax return for other purposes. We paid off the Acura (yay, we now own two of our three vehicles free and clear).

We purchased a 6 month food storage supply. For those of you contemplating food storage, Daily Bread tastes delicious and only takes water to reconsitute it. The major selling point on this product, for me, was that they featured it on Good Things Utah and the hosts tried some Daily Bread Beef Stew that was 47 years old. The overwhelming concensus was that it still tasted delicious. So, not only is it easy to make... it retains a good taste and has a shelf life- of AT LEAST 25 years. Awesome.

Next, we had a state-of-the-art alarm system put on our house (even though we live in a nice neighborhood we wanted to do something for "safety's sake"). Nick's solution was to get a dog. Not a thrilling prospect to me. And I had brought up the subject of buying a gun- although, neither of us were keen about doing this. So, we met in the middle and had an alarm system installed. It is amazing.

We will be having our garage door replaced, AND getting new windows for our basement. Those two items ended up being the number one priority for us, when it came to home improvements we will do this year.

Gas heat in the basement will have to wait until next year. And I was begining to think that my kitchen remodel was going to end up happening a decade from now. Sigh.

My spirits were lifted, however, when I saw an awe-inspiring episode of Oprah that talked about quality design-on-a-dime products! I researched some of the products featured, and then went to work.

I started things off by doing a little remodel on my bedroom (the weekend Nick was in Las Vegas for his Mini Cooper convention). I purchased the Aura paint from Benjamin Moore. Everything I read and saw about this paint gave it rave reviews. It truly is a one-coat paint. My little brother's (don't know why I even mention him, since he doesn't read my blog) birthday gift to me was helping me paint the bedroom. Thanks Brian. And yes, I checked with my OB prior to painting. She said it was OK as long as the room was well-ventilated.

My Master Bedroom went from this dog-awful color:

To this (in one coat!):

A day-and-a-half later, Heather and I installed Easy Crown Molding. This stuff already has 3M adhesive on it. You cannot even tell that it isn't wood. It is made of a durable plactic that you can cut with scissors! AND it comes with pre-made corners. Literally, you pull the wax paper off of the back, adhere it to your ceiling and VOILA- you are done! No need to nail it to your wall, and this means no need to fill nail holes with putty. No Caulking either. The best thing was the price- it was very affordable (ie- I paid under $60 for enough crown molding to do a 21ft. X 21ft. room- I purchased it off of their easycrownmolding website). Heather and I did my entire master bedroom in about an hour (there are still some spots that I need to "finish" with loctite, but that shouldn't take up too much time).
Like I said, I don't think you can tell it isn't wood; but I'll let you be the judge:

Heather and I put a vinyl decal over my bed (I love etsy.com for affordable home decor!).

And I did what I could to update our light fixture without having to put an entirely new one in, by painting over the shiny gold trim with dark brown paint.

The next project I am tackling will be the kitchen (I think).

One of the products on the Oprah show was wallpaper beadboard. Everything I have seen about this stuff (you can buy it at home depot- 56 sq. feet for $22) relates that people fall in love with it. It is a textured, foam-like wallpaper that looks exactly like beadboard. Again, you are supposed to be able to cut it with scissors. You wet the back of the wallpaper with water, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then hang it on your wall. But the uses for it go BEYOND applying it to your wall as a wainscoat. I saw it used as a kitchen backsplash (did I mention that it is paintable?! Hallelujah!), and also used to update cabinets.

I am already sold on using this to update the backsplash in my kitchen. I have purchased it, and it is sitting in the box just waiting to work it's magic.

My biggest dilemma is whether I ought to use it on my kitchen cabinets???

If I do put it on my kitchen cabinets, I will have to go from having the natural, albeit OUTDATED, wood finish to: painting the cabinets white. In your opinion which option will do more for the resale value of my house? Natural cabinets (that I plan on having N-Hance change to a cherry finish- but who knows when I'll have the money in the budget to do this???), or putting white beadboard around the edges of the cabinets and painting the cabinet doors/faces white (I can afford this option right now)?

Another question: has anyone had any experience with the Modern Masters Countertop Transformation products? I saw this product and thought it looked cool. For $250 I can get a kit that will take my existing laminant countertops from their current boring vanilla state, to countertops that look like solid surface material. Until I can afford Granite countertops, this product looks like it will do a nice update- BUT I want to make sure that it hasn't been a horror story for anyone. I don't mind being a guinea-pig and being the first to try new things, but I do belive in doing a little "looking before I leap".

If I can make some decisions, and get Nick to re-tile my kitchen floor- my kitchen update may become a reality sooner than I had thought it would! :)

Last question I have. And it's not related to anything house-project-y. Does anyone know of a good & AFFORDABLE seamstress (preferably located in UT.)?

I can sew adequately, but this job involves my wedding dress and I don't trust myself enough to start hacking at my own wedding dress.

I am thinking (since I will be having another girl) that I want the top/bodice part of my wedding dress made in to a simple blessing dress for my new little one. That way: Reagan will be able to have her own blessing dress as a keepsake, and new baby will be able to have her own blessing dress as a keepsake. To make things entirely even... I want to have the skirt of my wedding dress made in to a decorative little blanket/quilt to give to Reagan. That way both girls will have a piece of my wedding dress; and both will have their own blessing dress. So, does anyone know somebody who could help me out with this?

Ah, I feel like I accomplished so much in one post. I just want to reiterate, again, how much I love having the blogging world at my fingertips!

AMVIV

I am such a nice wife.

AMVIV- a Mini Cooper Rally in Las Vegas, NV (think: Sturgis, only for Mini Cooper owners) was happening the last week in March. Nick really wanted to go down with his Dad. The fact that I am 5 months pregnant, have a tireless 20 month old at home AND that the dates were March 25-28 (so, the weekend of my birthday) didn't deter me from giving Nick the "go ahead".

I honestly, wanted Nick to go have fun. And that he'd be near the True Religion Jeans outlet didn't hurt either. Nick caught on to my MANY hints about how much I'd love a new pair of True Religion Jeans, so that I could have some incentive to lose the baby weight postpartum. For my birthday, he presented me with TWO pairs of True Religion Jeans, and I can hardly wait until I fit in to them (some time in the fall- I'm sure).

Nick and his Dad both own Mini Coopers. I think they had a good time caravan-ing down to and around Las Vegas with other Mini owners.

I was a little jealous of the fact that Nick got to enjoy the sun(nier) climate of Vegas, and dinner one night at McCormick and Schmicks. But he works so hard and deserves some time off, so my grudge didn't stick for long.

But I still think I am such a nice wife.

It Takes a Long Time to Grow Young.

I'm through with my "20's", and eagerly looking forward to the next decade. Yes, I celebrated a birthday. The BIG three-oh.

Brooke and Lindsay=Double Trouble. San Diego, CA for my 24th Birthday.

I refer to my early 20's as "the blackout years", with good reason. I was young and dumb- and would love to forget some of the things I did. Every day I hope that my kids turn out smarter than me, and make better decisions than I did. There's nothing I can do about my actions during that time of life, so I do not plan on making a laundry list of regrets.

Instead, I just want to say that I look forward to the upcoming years! I feel good, I look good, I have a wonderful marriage, a wonderful child (soon to have two) and am living the life I always wanted.

Most of my past memorable birthdays happened in my childhood years. My parents did a good job on birthdays. Once you grow up I don't think things are as memorable, or maybe you have kids and you lose brain cells- so you don't remember as much?

The most recent birthday will not only go down in my personal history as the year I turned 30, but also as the birthday when I received a piano! Nick and I are going piano shopping and I cannot wait!

Just a trip down memory lane.... Other birthday year highlights consist of:

3rd Birthday: My Mom took me, Heather, and my cousin Julie to Chuck-E-Cheese. Us three kids shared a straw from 1 drink of soda and Julie ended up giving me and Heather Chicken Pox. Don't worry Julie, I forgive you. But hey! Let's make a playdate for Reagan and your little guy if Reagan comes down with the Chicken Pox, OK? Kidding.

Heather, Julie and Me. Obviously, we are not 3 years old in this picture, but it was the only one I had on hand, of all three of us together.

5th Birthday: I had a party that all of the neighborhood kids came to! I remember that my best friend Melanie gave me a HUGE pack of markers- they were so cool. And I was so cool. Having a party with hip party hats.

R-L: David C., Michael T., Melanie C., Heather I.-sister, Melinda I.-cousin (partial), Tiffany L. (partial), Me. (Kristy T. not shown, but was a guest too).

9th Birthday: My parents planned a surprise party for me, and I really was surprised! I think it was a sleepover? I thought it was so wonderful. Jaime Keddington's gift to me were some Newberry Award winning books. I still remember that one of them was the book: The Wish Giver. We ate Little Caesars pizza and it was so fun.

10th Birthday: My parents took me and a bunch of my friends to lunch at TGI Friday's (this was back when that restaurant was the coolest place to eat. Period). I remember that the servers tied 10 balloons to my pony tail. It made me feel so special. It was probably my most favorite birthday party.

12th Birthday: My parents bought me a Caboodles, and a lot of makeup. I was in pre-teen heaven.

15th Birthday: I got a party at 49th Street Galleria. I invited 4 friends. My Mom dropped us off, and gave me enough money to buy the 5 of us Ultimate Passports and Pizza for lunch. One of the friends ditched me as soon as I bought the Ultimate Passport for her and went off with her other group of friends who "just so happened to be there" at that day and time too (huh? What are the odds?) Ouch.

But Dawn, Brennan and Sam and I all had fun. I think Dawn and I rode the Gravitron 30+ times that day?

I'm the Mom now (which still seems strange to me, some days). But I can only hope to endeavor to make Reagan's birthdays as enjoyable, exciting and memorable as mine were.

For this birthday (and, now that I can finally eat again). Thanks to my Wonderful Mom for making me my most favorite dinner. Nothing says "Birthday Celebration" like my Mom's amazing cooking (when she throws her usual healthy ideas out the window and cooks things with real butter, of course).

Thanks to Nick for treating me to a night out. I will always enjoy date night with my main man!

Thanks to my in-laws for taking me to dinner! And to everyone else who did something nice or conveyed birthday wishes to me. Happy Birthday to me!