Birthdays = yay! Rastafarian hats = boooo!

Both of Dallas' folks had birthdays this week, so we went up to Oskaloosa to celebrate with them and his brothers. Would you believe I didn't get even one picture taken? Not of the birthday boy or girl, not of their newly renovated and lovely kitchen, and not one of the torrential downpour we drove home in. All would have been great pics, but I guess I was too distracted by the Butterfinger ice cream cake. Happy birthday, again, guys! :)

The next day, we had several errands to run, but accidentally ended up at Wolfe's because I'd been bugging Dallas about wanting a new camera in general, but especially before the little punkin's arrival. And that sweet boy spoils me terribly. I got this:



And can now take pictures like this:



We had another birthday party to attend on Saturday at Gage park, so we went a little bit early to mess around with the camera at the rose garden.

Me: "Punkin! Go pose like a girl amongst the roses!"
Dallas: "No!"
Me: "Go stand next to that rose and put your fist under your chin Uncle Rico style!"
Dallas: "No!"
Me: "Go pose with that rock!"
Dallas: "Fine!"



Dallas: "Pose!"
Me: "No, I feel funny!"
Dallas: "Do it anyway!"
Me: "Goshhhhh..."
Dallas: "C'mon, I did it!"
Me: "Fine, I'll pretend like I have an itch on the part of my leg that's under this sweet boot."



Consequently, I have this picture saved as "bootitch".

So then it was time to go to the par-tay. It was for my friend Colleen (pronounced CO-leen, but everyone always seems to try to shorten it into one syllable instead, pronouncing it as "Cleen", so around us, she goes by "Clean".)

What's funny is, her birthday isn't until December, but I guess between holiday schedules and all, her husband couldn't find a better weekend than this one to surprise her. And surprised she was! He'd told her they were attending one of his co-worker's birthday parties, and even made her prepare a crock full of beans. So she walks in, beans in hand, and everyone yells "SURPRISE!!!" at her. Her reaction?

"Surprise what?"

Hahahahaa...

I failed to take any pictures at that party too, but here she is at lunch today.



She has really pretty teeth, right? She has a really pretty personality, too. She's the kind of friend you like to have around because she just is who she is, she'll call it like she sees it, and she's on your side when you need her to be. She's got one of those nice, even-keeled temperaments that allow you to feel comfortable calling no matter the reason because you know know what to expect out of her every time. She's also not prone to drama, which is a big plus in my book. And as my dad said at some point during junior high: "That Stallbaumer girl has her head screwed on straight." Tru dat, tru dat. Happy birthday, Cleaner!

This pic is saved as "cleanpepes". Because we ate at Pepe's. Amber and Kale were there too.



"Duuuuuude, you're not taking my picture, are you?" Why yes, yes I am. And I'm about to post it on the world wide web for all 12 of my followers to see.

All this birthday talk almost made me forget about our Sunday night festivities. We went to the "Make a Difference Tour" with Toby Mac, Third Day, Michael W. Smith and Max Lucado. Third Day and Max Lucado, I loved. The other two.... ehhh... are in their 40's and wearing skinny jeans with white sneakers and trying to be-bop around the stage to convince younguns that Jesus is cool. I'm on Team Jesus for sure, but I'm not on Team I Wear Rastafarian Hats Because I'm Balding But Can't Just Let It Go.

However, dude from Third Day had great style and since Dallas already hasn't shaved or cut his hair in a couple months, plus owns shirts with embroidered roses and pistolas, I thought this might be a good look for him:



Rawr.

18 Weeks

(Did the title of this put that Kanye song in your head? 18 years, 18 YEARS! Me, too.)

18 week appointment today. Everything checked out perfectly! Baby is right on target, as is his/her momma. I've gained 8 pounds so far, but I swear half of that is in my boobs. It's also the first time I've ever breached 130.. kinda weird, but kinda not. My blood pressure and all that other jazz is good too.



Did I mention my folks came along to hear the heartbeat?



Sure wish this lady would get excited about her little grand punkin...



They met my nurse midwife and agreed that she is, indeed, wonderful.

Rebecca: "Have you been feeling any movement?"

Me: "Yeah! Little flutters right under my bellybutton! Also? What am I feeling clear up here? (points to ribs) Surely I can't feel the baby that high?"

Rebecca: "No, the baby isn't in your ribs. That's gas."

Me: "Oh."



Sidenote: Isn't it odd to see yourself in pictures you weren't aware were being taken? Even when I'm cheesing right at the camera, I always feel like I have the "Derrrrr" expression on my face. But these are worse. Is that really what I look like when I'm talking? "derpy derpa derrr...."

The bigger the baby gets, the easier it seems to be to find the heartbeat (makes sense). So she found it right away, and it's really strong and sounds just like it should. We've got a wiggler on our hands, though, and she kept losing the heartbeat as s/he squirmed around in there. But that just meant we could hear the movements too. There was one moment of panic on my part when she moved the wand from the heartbeat and got a really focused look on her face.

Rebecca: "Do you hear that?"

Me: ~Please don't say you found another one, please dont say twins.~ "Yeah."

Rebecca: "That's the umbilical cord.. You can hear the blood beating through it."

Me: ~Thank you Jesus~ "Oh.. cooooool."



Dad took some video of us listening to the heartbeat, but we're having trouble getting it uploaded. Once we do, I'll add that on here too.

Oh no. I just noticed my sweet new boots didn't make it into any of these pictures. Here, I can fix that.



I am certainly counting my blessings today!! Baby, Hubby, family, sweet new boots. (another sidenote: everytime I hear the word "blessing", my mind immediately goes to this guy)



THE BLESSS-SSSSING!!! Hahahahaaaa.....

PS - We find out the sex in t-minus two weeks and counting!

Viva la Carnival!

I sort of feel like I've been to the carnival recently. I'm a bit headachy, my tummy is slightly nauseated, and my legs are a little wobbly - metaphorically speaking, of course.

The majority of my days, my heart feels so full it almost chokes me. I love my Dallas more than anything, and I enjoy him! I'm so excited and looking forward to having this little punkin around. I'm having fun gathering ideas and new things for our adventures with the baby, the house, and just the future in general. I feel settled, happy, calm. Life is good, folks! A merry-go-round!

I left work on Friday, feeling good, ready to enjoy a beautiful and on-call-free weekend. I got home before Dallas and spent some time with the puppies - who, by the way, are insane. I have to tell you this disgusting story that made me giggle! When we went outside to go potty, Andy didn't go directly to the back yard as per our usual. He veered off to the right, apparently drawn in by the intoxicating scent of something else's poo. I guess he decided it smelled pretty delicious, because he snatched it up and took off running looking like he had a big, fat, stinky cigar in his mouth. NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I'm yelling as I chase him down. Once I wrangled him, I grabbed a stick and flung the stranger's poo out of his mouth, whereby Toby zoomed in and gobbled it up. What in the world?? They were banished to the back, poo free, yard for a while that evening. Freaking petting zoo.

So then Dallas gets home and we find we've got some disturbing news on our plates. Not life altering news... just... frustrating. I went from giggling to crying in that way that makes your throat hurt from trying so hard not to cry. We didn't know the whole story, and it was out of my hands anyway, so I tried to keep my game face on but I suck at that. Dallas, on the other hand, is perfection in Ariats so he told me jokes and teased me and got me back to giggling. He fed me french fries and after dinner we learned that everything is probably ok anyway. Such wasted energy on a useless cry! Like the water ride with one serious drop, but only mild ripples otherwise.

Saturday was bliss! We spent it in Kansas City doing things we don't usually do, eating things we don't normally eat, and buying things we didn't need to buy... ahem... (see below) Ferris wheel!



We spent most of Sunday with my family, cutting down a tree and rearranging our storage unit so I could get to my winter fare. Doesn't sound like fun to you? It is just cause it's with them. Well, except for Tanner.. throwing sticks at me and making fun of my fat knees. ;) The "fun house" with the wack-a-do mirrors.

Anywho, the slight bump in the road had been forgotten and the weekend ended on a high note. I slept well, and had no nightmares about mullets (an odd, reoccurring theme of late). But this morning I woke up at 5:59, one minute before the alarm went off and already I was cranky. The puppies didn't cooperate this morning. I forgot it was boss' day and had to turn around to go to the drive-thru doughnut place and was late to work. I had a million odds and ends to do, and none of them seemed to be working out quite right. I got an annoying phone call from a realtor that sent me into such a rampage that it resulted in a price reduction on the house. Long story - but I've already gotten a couple calls inquiring about it since. Ha! In your face, b-wordy realtor! The ride that shoots you straight up into the air and does nothing else.

Happy to cranky to annoyed to happy again. This is a lot to keep up with! Poor Dallas never knows what he's going to get when he seems my number on the caller ID. Though he always answers, he's offering attitude adjustments more and more often these days. I never take him up on it though. ;)

But regardless of the ups and downs and whirly-gigs, funny smells and sticky fingers, everything usually settles right back down enough that we're again able to hop on the little multi-colored train to enjoy our ride.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE...

... This lady.



This little darlin had a birthday yesterday. We got together for dinner to celebrate her surviving another year, and to give her Harley related gifts, and to feed her punkin pancakes.

It seems almost awkward getting together for reasons such as these. We all talk every day. We're all each other's besties. We all know how much we love each other. It's said often, even though it goes without saying. But on special days, you feel the need to REALLY let them know, you know? It's tough to put in to words, and it's hard to show it properly, no matter how much thought goes into a gift, a surprise, or some jotted down feelings. So as I'm pondering, pen to birthday card, how to tell her how much I love her and all the things she means to me.. it becomes obvious it's impossible to convey all those things. So I simply wrote what went through my mind - the big picture, as it were.

"Best mom EVER"

Happy birthday, Momma! I love you!!

PS - Dad and Dallas: We didn't end up with a pic of all of us, or I would have used it. Sorry!!

Sunday turned out to be one of those great fall days that was warm enough to wear a t-shirt and flip flops, but you still get to enjoy the hint of a cool breeze and leaves that are just deciding to change colors.

Dallas has been clearing out trees and other growth at our land, as well as getting ready to dig holes for corner posts for the fence. So on this day, I grabbed my trusty kindle, we loaded up the puppies and headed for Meriden.

The puppies do have a back yard they get to play in at our house, but it must not carry quite the same excitement as their new yard. They went berserk running around, playing, eating bugs, digging, sniffing things, etc., etc., etc. Toby was even brave enough to try a ride on the big tractor with Dallas. (Andy wanted no part of it, though, and waited it out under the truck.)




We spent most of the day out there, but I'm pregnant, and I needed a lunch/potty break. (Still haven't warmed up to the idea of peeing outside.) So I took the big giant noisy diesel truck into "town".

#1) Meriden has a population of like 700.
#2) I still feel funny driving Dallas' truck. Lots of girls have/drive big trucks around there, but I feel like a total poser.

Once Dallas felt like he'd played on the tractor long enough, we loaded up and took the long way home. A nice bath and homemade minestrone wrapped up our day.

The puppy boys didn't even make it to their usual bedtime...

The Cleaning Genie

Tell you what. My mother may have spoiled me (us) even worse than I'd realized.

I grew up in a house that was always clean, always full of yummy food, and always comfy and cozy to be in.




I was a kid... and it was taken for granted. Then I was a teenager... and it was really taken for granted. Then I moved out - and realized how good I had it!

It was weird being in my first place. I still had my normal routine of getting up, getting ready, and going to school or work or wherever I was going and leaving all the evidence in my wake. The strange part, though, was coming home. My clothes were still on the floor. The dishes were still in the sink. The wet towel was still hanging over the shower curtain.

Meh? What the crap is going on around here? Shouldn't all of you be cleaned/put away/ready for your next use by now??

Day two: same thing.

Day three: place was starting to look scary.

Day four: Mom comes over and informes me that these things don't just take care of themselves.

Who knew?!

I got it figured out eventually. Well, sort of. I still won't iron - that's what the "wrinkle treatment" setting on the dryer is for. Until this summer, I'd never lived without a dishwasher so I recently struck the agreement with Dallas that if he'd do the dishes I'd do EVERYTHING ELSE. Hate dishes. Bits of food. Stinky water. Risk of knife lurking in the bottom of the sink slicing me. Yuck!

But still, STILL, I find myself spoiled because here at the office I find it strange when the trash can has actual trash in it or when my fingerprints can be seen on my windows (usually from pointing out some whoeerible outfit of the youth going to T-High, or from flipping off the Phelpses who for some reason like to stand on this corner). Shouldn't they just somehow remain magically clean??

I've been doing some research, and it turns out that babies aren't born with a self-cleaning button. This disturbs and worries me.

The spoils of my mother reach far and wide, my friends! Not many girls are lucky enough to have mothers who cleaned things that didn't require cleaning! Or husbands as bleach obsessed as Dallas! They've both contributed to and been a hinderance to my.. um.. de-spoil-ization... But no more!

No more! I refuse to be the mom that has the baby that smells of sour milk and ritz crackers. My nursery will NOT smell of poo. Nor will the car be strewn with stale animal cookies.

Big talk for someone who doesn't have a kid yet, eh? For someone who's barely even been AROUND kids?

Well, my mom managed it.

Mark my words, effers. :)

Jamesport

For quite some time now, Dallas has told me about a little town in Missouri called Jamesport. It's an Amish community with lots of neat shops he thought I'd like. It's one of those little day trips that you keep meaning to take, but never think about it once you have a free weekend. Until this weekend!



We had a perfect fall day to make the trip and walk around the little town. The downtown itself doesn't have many Amish stores, but they did have a cool little coffee shop, a store with lots of neat natural soaps and lotions, etc., and more antique and home furnishing shops than I could shake a stick at. We limped around the downtown area first, then headed out to the Amish shops. (Why was I limping, you ask? Oh, just because I fell down in front of an entire stadium full of people on Friday night. Thanks again for my sweet balancing skills, MOM!)

Anywho. To get to the actual Amish stores, you had a bit more driving to do as they're out of the town a ways.



These folks are super friendly and nice, and let me tell you what - make you feel pretty dense. Wandering around one of the stores, I commented on how hot the light bulb above my head was. Looking up, Dallas realized it was gas powered. "How kitch", we thought. Then, "Oh, duhhhhhhh..." They don't use electricity. Of course it's gas powered.

Another thing - their furniture is freaking amazing! (Signs were posted around asking that you not take pictures of the Amish, as it's against their religious beliefs.. so I didn't take pics of their stores or furniture either, so as to not seem disrespectful.) But everything is hand made and top notch. They had some of the heaviest, largest pieces of furniture I'd ever seen. And again, they will put you to shame with their ingenuity. Almost every piece had more than one use, and those uses were somehow hidden. Some of the tables had ridiculous numbers of self storing leaves, and what looked like a small bar table with a couple stools pulled out far enough to seat 10. So cool! And beautiful!

We had passed several high chairs, and thought they were pretty cute, but one of them had a sign on it that said "3 in 1 high chair". What the? We inspected it, then stared blankly at each other, then inspected it some more. "Does it also serve as a booster seat some how?" "Here, does this piece move? Nope." Huh. We did finally figure it out, and once we did... we had to have it.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our new 3 in 1 high chair.

#1 - the high chair.



#2 - the rocking horse.



#3 - the desk.



Pretty cool, right?

This was probably our most prized purchase of the day, but we also loaded up on their goodies - those folks can BAKE! We brought home bread, cinnamon raisin bread, homemade cheeses, all kinds of goodies. Such a fun day and totally worth a 2 hour drive. Highly recommended, folks!

Schendelize Em Part Deux

Back in the spring I told y'all about the terrible insect infestation in my spankin new office. It had gotten better through the summer months, but the cast of Arachnophobia decided to pay me another visit today.

I'd just had lunchie lunch with Mom and Dallas, gotten back to my office and was doing the normal post-lunchie lunch routine: put purse away, apply chapstick, take sip of Pepsi, unlock computer. But mid-keyboard stroke, I spied the furry little devil sitting on the edge of my desk eyeballing me.

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." He said.

I thought back to March when my evil co-worker declined to assist me, so I called the only other person I could think of. My boss.

Me: "Can you come here for a second?"

Boss: "Sure."

~Boss walks five feet from his office to mine~

Boss: "What's up?"

~Amy points to furry spider.~

~Boss rolls eyes and declares:~ "You're just like my kids, don't even want me around unless you need something."

~Smashes spider and takes his leave.~

Me: "Thanks Boss!"

~Five minutes pass, boss comes back.~

Boss: "Haven't heard from you in a while, wanted to make sure no insects had carried you off! Bwahahaa..."

Har dee har har...

Yeah, ok, so I have a great boss... But maybe if I didn't have to worry about spiders crawling on me, I wouldn't have to look like such girl around here!

Hmpf!