Ready....Set.....

Well things are coming together pretty well. I think I have everything that I have wanted to get for Riley and the Nursery. I am sure there is something I am forgetting...but I don't know what it is.

I have really been wanting to get a better stroller that will work for me better. Chuck had convinced me to get the Jeep stroller, and he wanted the Baby Trend car seat carrier (I liked Britax). I like it, but didn't want it because it had a fixed wheel. We also thought that we would be able to find a way to make the carrier snap into the stroller. But after a lot of fiddling with it....the carrier will just not attach to the stroller. Also it has a fixed wheel, and it will make it hard for me to take the stroller into stores in the mall, or shopping in town. The Jeep stroller is great for evening walks, and when Chuck wants to P.T. But I just feel it isn't what I need. So after Lot's of begging and pleading and probably to much whining......I got a new stroller that is the same make as the car seat. Chuck had told me that we couldn't afford to waste money on another stroller. So I went through our DVD collection and have now whittled it down from 700 to about 500. We took all the DVDs to Rasputin's music and DVDs and sold the movies. We got enough to buy the stroller I wanted. The Baby Trend stroller was listed at $149. And we had a good coupon for it as well. So late last night we went in and as we were headed back to the stroller isle....and passed the clearance section. I stopped as I saw a Baby Trend stroller combo that I liked. It didn't have a price on it, and so we took it to the front and asked. It turned out that the $220 stroller set was an extra display they needed to get rid of. It was brand new and was only $148!!! So I said why not. I know we already had the car seat, but basically we were getting another one for free. And we have two cars, so the extra base thrown in is a good deal. So now I have a stroller that will work perfectly for me, one that will work great for family evening walks. Also we have a base for each car so we don't have to keep taking the one out each time we want to drive something else, and won't run the risk of forgetting to remove it and then be stranded because we don't have the base.

Also today we ran around and found some last minute things I wanted to get to be prepared for baby. I also got a few things to stuff in my go bag for the hospital. So I really do feel prepared now for Riley. There are a few wants left on the list.....but nothing that is necessary for us to function I think.

Now all that needs to happen is some major cleaning in the house and some picture hanging. I have Riley's go bag done, mine is almost packed and done. And I have things set out in a way I think will be good for us. I am sure things will change a little as we find what our routine is. But I really do feel happy about how things are.

I am really ancy about being done with this pregnancy and starting to be a mommy. I have waited for so long for this and I just can't wait. I know that Riley really needs to incubate longer but I am just itching to meet him. lol I have noticed that I talk to him a lot now. When he wakes up in the morning I talk to him, and when he really starts kicking me.....I talk to him. lol I am really excited for this next step in our lives. ;0)

Well that is all for now. And this is my last post for 2010! It has been a life changing year, full of ups and downs, and a lot of growth and learning. Thanks all for reading my blog, and being a part of my life.

XoXo-Andrea Carla

Movies Review

So I thought I would do a combo movie review of things I have seen lately instead of doing each one individually.


Sorcerers Apprentice
This movie was great, and a lot better than I had originally thought it would be. It is funny and entertaining. You are rooting for the apprentice the whole movie and you aren't sure if he will be able to handle this huge responsibility he is given. It has a fun little romance in it, and you are cheering for that as well. I am not a major fan of Nicolas Cage movies, but he has managed to have a few good ones...this being one of them. I would recommend it as a good family movie. I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. Make sure you watch this one.....It even gives a shout out to the Mickey Mouse version.



The A-Team

I was completely convinced that this was going to be the biggest guy movie ever. I figured it would be all about checking out the ladies, burping, farting, and flicking boogers. Oh yah and I figured there might be a little action in there as well. I apologize now for making those assumptions. This was actually a really funny movie. It had a lot of comedy, some good action....and surprisingly none of the booger flipping stuff. It really was a decent movie. I laughed a lot and was really impressed. I would leave the younger kiddos out of this one, But think it's fine for the older teens. I also suggest you make it a fun date night movie instead. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. If you want something light and funny.....go for this one.




Inception
This movie really had me wondering. I know a lot of you have been disappointed in the movie industry lately with movies looking amazing or good and then you end up with a talking goat (Drag me to Hell reference) in the middle of your movie and it just ruins the whole thing. This movie looked just like that. It had the structure of being really good and having Lot's of potential.....but looked like it was more than likely going to be a flop.
Chuck really wanted nothing to do with this movie and after over a week of begging him to watch it with me he caved. ;0) This movie lived up to it's preview. It had you completely guessing the entire time. I am even a little confused at how the ending was. I liked it a lot and would actually like to see it again. I don't think I want to add it to our family collection, but it really is worth watching. It is full of action and keeps you on your toes. You really have to pay attention to everything in the film. I again would leave the younger kiddos out of this one but think it's just fine for the teens. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.


Easy A
This movie had a great trailer. It had some funny lines and looked like it was going to be great. I am a fan of actress Amanda Bynes and there is some other great talent in the movie as well. I really wanted to see this movie. Chuck got to see it before me and thought it was funny and said I would like it. Once it came to PPV we thought hey why not rent it for the night.
Well it was funny, but not a wow type of movie. It is just a real modern version of the scarlet letter. It was cute and funny but I do not feel like I have gained or lost anything by watching it. I felt it was a real blah type of movie. Good but not wow. I give this movie a 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. If it's free and you have some free time go ahead and watch it without the kids. But you aren't missing that much.


Prince of Persia
Again this movie trailer looked like it had the potential to be really good. It had a lot of action and what appeared to be maybe a little romance. I am not a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal but thought the film was worth a try. Chuck and I really wanted to see this movie, but opted to wait until it was released on video. This was a very fun date night movie, but think it is appropriate for teens as well. I think kids might find some of the scenes a little scary so would not suggest the youngsters watch it. I give this movie a good 4 out of 5 stars. It had great action, adventure, and tasteful romance.



Salt
This movie I figured was going to be another good Angi movie. I am a big fan of Angelina Jolie's acting and she usually puts out good movies. I heard a lot of mixed reviews on this one, so Chuck and I were really waiting on this one. We decided to watch it for our New Years eve movie to end 2010.
This movie keeps you guessing and on your toes the entire time. You want to have faith in her character and you start rooting for her. But as the movie keeps going and the more you learn about her past.....you aren't so sure if she is the good guy anymore and you start to lose a little faith in her. You really need to pay attention during this film and keep up. I really liked this movie, although I am unsure of what her full intentions were in the end. Again this is a great date night or older teen movie. It has action, tasteful romance, and mystery. Some great bad guys, and some great good guys. Which team are you really rooting for? I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. I found it very fun.

My Year in Review

As the year seems to be ending I have been thinking back on all the events that have happened to my friends and I. Things that have happened to others that I have heard about or read in the news. Some people I know some I don't. But the thing that really dawned on me.....is that even though I have felt like I had a pretty tough year and have been really sick for most of it. It really hasn't been bad.

I wanted to show a list of the things I have felt my family and I were blessed with this year.

1-I was able to attend the Temple whenever I wanted....sometimes daily. I was also able to attend multiple sessions.

2-Chuck and I decided to start a family and I became pregnant right away.

3-Chuck was able to go to Norway for work and had a great time.

4-Chuck and I were able to go home during the summer for the 1st time in 10 years together.

5- We have a roof over our heads and Chuck has a steady and consistent job. Like some families we felt on some days like we might be sinking, but we still managed to swim.

6-We have an amazing ward that we are a part of.

7-Even though our car got stolen, it was recovered and it gave us the opportunity to purchase a newer safer car for the family.

8-We made some amazing friends with the Sister missionaries.

9-Chuck's lifelong dream to own a Harley Davidson motorcycle came true and he is now the proud owner of a FatBoy Lo

10-I have been able to get to know one of my Aunt's a lot better.

11-I have been able to almost buy everything I have wanted or needed for our Son when he is born.

12-Chuck and I reached our 10 year anniversary even though people thought we wouldn't make it.....we did! That was a majorly huge milestone for us.

13-A friend of mine finally got approved for a surgery she has needed for some time.

14-I have reconnected with long lost friends on facebook. Even though I laugh at that statement.....It has been amazing to be able to talk to people again whom I haven't seen or talked to in years. And it has been amazing to find some of my girlfriends who I love and have always wondered what happened to them.

15-I have become better friends with people on facebook than I ever was with them in my younger days. It is really great to be able to cast off the immaturity of adolescence and really get to know someone and truly see how amazing they really are.

16-Some days I thought I was really and truly miserable and sick. Some days I thought I had it pretty bad and felt very depressed. But I have had a lot of blessings in my life and in Chuck's. And to be able to look back on that and see all the good things instead of the bad is truly amazing.

17-I know I complained a lot while I had morning sickness....and just plain pregnancy sickness, but the truth is....I was able to get pregnant, I may have felt bad, but I have a baby that is growing very well in my tummy. He seems to be doing well and is healthy. We won't know for sure until he is born. But it's a lot to be thankful for regardless.

18-Chuck and I are thankful that even though we were young and immature when we got married.....we have stuck through it together and have not given up. Granted we have our days where we question our sanity.....but I don't know of anyone who doesn't have challenging days with each other.

For those who know me, I have always suffered from seeing things as the glass is half empty. But this year has really been a turn around for me. Chuck and I seem to reach new milestones every year, and I love how this year has really changed us and how we have grown together, and become a better couple. This year has been a huge year for us.

I am also really looking forward to the things that are to come for 2011. Granted I am scared of our upcoming new orders and PCSing.....but it will be a new adventure. And you know as much as I whine about it....it always seems to be a fun adventure. I am however UBER excited to become a mommy. I have waited for this for so long and as the clock is ticking closer.......I am getting more and more excited about it.
Well.....Here is to the closing of a good year. And to the start of something new. ;0)

XoXo-Andrea Carla

Shop Christmas Party

So this year Chuck's work had the annual Christmas party that we always attend. But instead we only held the party for the active staff. No reserves this year. And you know even though it was a much smaller crowd....I thought the party turned out a lot nicer than it has in years past. Normally the gift exchange is one of the of those things that ends up who gets the best bottle of alcohol. And then when it is your turn to choose your gift....you can either steal someone Else's, or just pick a new one. This year instead the staff chose names and bought a gift that way. And you know it turned out really nice. Gifts were chosen that meant something to the person instead of just all being bottles and bottles of alcohol. I got some good pictures of everything and we ended up having a really good time. The party was more personal that it usually is. Here are a few of the pics I got.











XoXo-Andrea Carla

Our last little Christmas

So this year marked our last little family Christmas Chuck and I will ever have. We didn't to anything yesterday. We were both so happy to be able to just vege out and be complete couch potatoes all day. Chuck and I had agreed that we would not spend anything on each other for Christmas. We thought that it would be best to save the money instead for things we will need for our little Riley bug.

Chuck bought a great Christmas tree, but we lacked the time, energy, and ability to get to our Christmas decorations. So we used what we had to decorate. Yah I know it looks a little pathetic. But it is better than our Ivy plant tree we had a few years ago. lol It is the best we could do at this time. Since my craft room got packed up and made into our Riley bugs nursery.....all my craft stuff went into boxes and filled the rest of the garage. Well that made it impossible to get to things like Christmas decorations. But you know it is probably for the best. That way we can get things cleaned up and out of the way so that I can really get working on making the house look nice.

So since we weren't doing anything for Christmas this year, Chuck let me sleep in a little. I was so happy to be able to get some more sleep than I have been as of late. I woke up about 8 a.m. and stumbled to the kitchen to make some chow. Then I came back into the living room with Chuck, and we talked a little while I ate my breakfast. Then we opened the gifts sent from my family and in the middle of it I noticed something on our Christmas tree. I turned to look at it and noticed a Tiffany's bag hanging from the branches of the tree. I wasn't sure what to think or say. I mean we had agreed not to spend money on each other. It was killing me that I wasn't getting something for Chuck, but I was really thinking I can make up for it for his birthday. A thousand things were running through my mind. Did he just grab one of the old Triffany bags that I had kept? Is it really Tiffany's? Should I be excited? I wasn't really sure what to do or how to react. I was just looking at Chuck for some guidance on what to do. He got up and went to get it for me. Mainly because my jumping off of the couch days are gone for now. I really have a hard time getting off of the couch. He brought over the bag and I looked inside Sure enough it was that pretty blue box with a red ribbon on it this time. ;0) I couldn't believe it!!! I kind of gave a little squeal. ha ha I mean how did he do this? When did he do this? Nothing had shown up on the bank account so how did he pull this off? Well apparently he is very sneaky!!! So I opened it all up and thought it was pretty awesome what he got. It is a beautiful pendant that can be attached to my Tiffany charm bracelett, or I can use it as a necklace. It says Mom on the front, and then he bought engraving so I can have Riley written on the back. ;0)
What Chuck did is so sweet and loving. He didn't want anything for Christmas so he convinced me that it was best if we didn't go all out for Christmas. lol So that gave him the opportunity to do something all sneaky and sweet!! I still felt horrible that I didn't get him anything. And I wish I could just pull something out and give it to him. He can do things sometimes that completely catches me off guard. I really wasn't expecting a gift from him....let alone something from Tiffany's!!!! He can really surprise me when he wants to. lol And to top it all off......he just hid it by placing it on his workbench in the garage. lol Since I am so large and pregnant.....I don't fit well in the narrow little isle in the garage anymore. So he was literally able to put it in plain view, and I would never have found it. lol Sneaky guy!!!

The rest of the day was literally spend being as lazy as possible. I mean we really didn't do anything. My amazing man husband made the entire Christmas dinner. My body has really been aching the last few days and so Chuck let me take a small nap and relax. He got the turkey in the cooker, cooked and mashed up the potatoes, and made the stuffing and corn. He opened up the can of olives, and made everything perfect!! He is so sweet. Normally I am the one really pushing for Holiday spirit, and the one to get things going. I thought it was very sweet and amazing for him to really make things happen where I did not have the energy or motivation to do it this year. I am really thankful that he did this for me. He is such a great an amazing man!!

So this is our last year to have a Christmas with just the two of us. For 10 Christmases I have struggled a little to be able to make Christmas feel like it did when I was a kid. But next year I will really be able to start some of those big traditions that I had growing up. Our little Riley bug will be 11 months or so by then and so he will be at a good age to get that he is getting a gift. Granted he won't understand thw whole Santa thing yet......but the year after that he will be at the perfect age to understand it more. I am so excited to make a big deal out of Santa and his reindeer next year. And to start those fun traditions of opening one gift on Christmas Eve and such. It is really going to be fun.

Well that is all for now. I hope everyone had an amazing holiday with their family and friends.

XoXo-Andrea Carla

Just call me Scrooge!!

I have not been feeling the holiday spirit this year. I wish I was, but for Thanksgiving I wasn't in the mood for the whole dinner thing. My sweet Husband really came through, and he cooked the entire Thanksgiving dinner all by his onesies!! ;0)

And unfortunately this year for Christmas I am just not feeling the spirit. Sure I want to buy my husband tons of gifts, and such. But the desire to decorate the tree and have to clean it up after, and even thinking of making a huge Christmas dinner for the two of us just seems a little overwhelming. I am just not feeling it. So we have a HUGE wonderful smelling Christmas tree right now with one ornament on it, and one strand of Tinsel. lol Yah we are pretty festive here. ha ha ha ha

Chuck and I decided to not do the whole presents thing this year. We wanted to catch up on Bills, and just get last minute things for our Riley bug. ;0) I hate that I won't be able to give Chuck a huge Christmas, but we don't need to really spend a lot of money on junk we don't need. ha ha ha

This year we have received more family Christmas cards than we have in the last 10 years!! It has been so fun to get all of these cards. I only wish we had been able to get a card made this year. But next year we will really have a cute card as Riley will almost be a year old.

Well that is all for now. I really hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays, and a Wonderful New Year!!!!

XoXo-Andrea Carla

"She held the baby on her head."

I stumbled upon this article on a blog and found it interesting.


I've been reading the story of last month's arrival of the new baby gorilla to gorilla mom Kiki at Boston's Franklin Park Zoo in the Boston Globe magazine. I've been learning about species survival plans and the ethics of breeding endangered animals in captivity.

This new baby is Kiki's third, and she's now a pro at nursing. But the article described what happened with her first baby, born eleven years ago:

"Eleven years ago, when Kiki was pregnant with Kira, things weren’t nearly so relaxed. One concern was that Kiki had been hand-reared at the Bronx Zoo and later the Philadelphia Zoo. This wasn’t unusual in the early ’80s, but zoos now operate on the principle that gorillas learn best from other gorillas. So the zoo staff was frantic that Kiki wouldn’t know what to do with the newborn. One zoo staffer’s wife had just given birth, and they brought her in twice a week for a month to breast-feed in front of Kiki, just to show her how it was done. Keepers camped out at night next to the gorilla holding area in case the baby came in the middle of the night.

They were right to be afraid. Kira arrived healthy, but Kiki didn’t know how to nurse. “It was painful,” Jackle says. “She was a good mom, she held it, but she didn’t know what to do with it. She’d never held a baby before, so she held it on her head, she held it everywhere she could put it, but not on her breast. And then finally 36 hours later the milk came and somehow she got the baby in the right position by accident.”

Wiessinger offered this story: A female gorilla, born and raised in the zoo, gave birth to an infant. In an attempt to nurse it, the mother held the infant incorrectly, with the back of the baby's head toward the nipple. The keepers feared for the infant's life and took the baby away. During the gorilla's next pregnancy, the keepers tried an experiment. They lined up a group of breastfeeding humans outside the cage and allowed the mother gorilla to observe. When her next infant was born, the mother gorilla, too, turned the baby toward her breast and everything went fine.

I love how this shows that feeding is a social act, learned at least in part by watching others. For more stories of how other mammals feed their babies, check out this podcast - one of my favorites.

Toys for Tots 2010

This year hasn't been as eventful for me in the Toys for Tot area, mainly because I have this huge pregnant belly that has really limited my ability to help. I have been able to help a little, and I got to go shopping with them once....which was super fun!!

Last year I got to go on one of the huge shopping trips that the Marines did for Toys for Tots. We had to be there at like 4 or 5 in the morning, and it was so much fun. We took a medium size box truck (like the type you use to move with) and met up with the Marine Corps League in Brentwood, Ca. We were all assigned an age group to shop for and I volunteered to shop for the baby items.....(little did I know we would be expecting the next year. lol) We shopped for a few hours filling every shopping cart we possibly could.
Once we spent about $20,000.00 in donations on the toys..... We loaded up all the toys and put them in the back of the box truck to take back to the shop.
Once we got back to the shop it was all offloaded and sorted into individual bins separated by ages and if it was a boy or girl toy. Then pallets and huge pumpkin boxes are brought into the middle of the warehouse and orders are filled and then taken to a waiting area for pick-up by the company that placed it.

So this year I wasn't able to be as involved....meaning I couldn't help out everyday. But I was able to make it to the shop a few times and help sort toys, or fill orders. It was fun working with the Marine Corps League again. They all know who Chuck and I are, and so they were all concerned about me helping and being pregnant. It was kind of funny. A few of the older guys have got in the habit of calling me Mama now. lol
So here are a few pics from this year that I took while helping out. These are from last week.



And then here are a few pics of what it all looks like after filling what I believe is the last of the orders today.


As you can see they were cleaned out. It is hard to believe that all those toys that were overflowing in the other pictures are now gone. But when there are enough volunteers, they can really fill all the orders in a hurry, and get things moving.
So here is a photo of what we hope is happening from all the hard work that our Marines and Volunteers put into Toys for Tots each year!

So I just wanted to say Thank You to everyone who helped out this year. Whether it was volunteering your time, your truck, or donating toys. Thank you for helping make Christmas a little brighter for kids in need.

XoXo-Andrea Carla

Nesting VooDoo Powers

So everyone has told me about this nesting thing I will get as it gets down to the wire and baby is about to arrive......all the mommies have raved about how nice it is to get that little burst of energy at the end to help them complete everything. But you know...I have yet to see any of this nesting Voodoo power of energy everyone talks about.
Last night Riley did let his mommy sleep for a little bit, and I can tell you it was greatly appreciated. I have been hurting pretty bad with sleep happening here and there. I was able to get some dishes done yesterday, and a few things picked up...but that is all. I really need the help from a maid before Riley comes. I have no clue how I am going to get everything else done.

Here are some things that need to be done, or bought still:

1- Stroller for Riley......I found one I love, but have yet to get the funds for it. It's the Baby Trend Expedition LX- Elixer

2-two crib sheets, and 2 mattress protectors.

3-changing pad cover

4-2 bobby covers

5-The amazing Pee Pee TeePee's

6-warm mist humidifier

7-baby book

8-Nursing bra (how do you size these things?)

9-baby first aid kit (what do I need to have on hand?)

10-a piddle pad

Now those 10 things are what I deem we need before baby arrives. Granted to some of you they may not be necessary, but for a first time mommy they seem a little important to me. Of course we still have our wants Like a car seat base for the baby carrier for the Yukon. And fun little things like that, but for the most part we are almost set!!

For the things that are left to do....Here are a few things:

1-Deep clean kitchen

2-Deep clean both bathrooms. Floorboards and all

3-make sure no bugs are in Riley's room

4-floorboards and dusting upkeep in Living Room

5-Upkeep in Master bedroom

6-finally get caught up on laundry

7-finish nursery

8-hang pics sitting on dining table

9-upkeep in kitchen

10-clean out cars, and install car seat

I have tried to narrow down the things to do, and the things to buy down to 10 things each. But to me it seems soooo overwhelming!!! I mean I have only 5 weeks left until Riley will be making his big Debut!! That seems really soon to me, and I feel so unprepared.

WHERE ARE MY NESTING VOODOO POWERS I WAS TOLD I WOULD GET?!!!!!

So I am just mildly starting to freak out. I am one of those people who really wants to be as prepared as possible. I try to plan ahead for all the little bumps along the way. I know I can't really be prepared for all of this, and it is going to hit me like a ton of bricks and there will probably be lot's of crying and exhaustion on my part......but hey one can try right? lol I just wish I had a little extra help to get me as close as possible to my goal. Where is my fairy god mother when I need one? And not to mention this whole getting new orders soon and the thought of having to move just months after having a baby is weighing heavily on me now. Is there any hope? I just need someone to help a little, and to keep me going. It is so easy to just lay down when I start to hurt and then not get back to doing chores....I need someone to help me by cracking the whip a little and make me work! lol HELP!!!

Well that is all for now. I will keep you updated on my not so sane journey! lol
XoXo-Andrea Carla

Sleep schmeep!!

Last night was a very lively night! lol I did not get any sleep really at all.....And Chuck got a lot. But Riley was Uber active the entire night. Chuck woke up and I put his hand on my tummy....I would say for about an hour Riley was just jamming out in my tummy and Chuck got to feel the whole thing. It was fun to feel, but at the same time my whole body was aching. Riley was jamming out, or having a pretty intense karate lesson in my tum tum!

It went on all night long!!! So as much as I needed it and wanted it......I did not get good sleep last night. However for a few hours this morning he toned down on his rocking out, and let me sleep for just a little bit before he started being active again. lol
I love my little Riley Bug, but gosh......He is wearing me out!

XoXo-Andrea Carla

What have I been up to this week?

Chuck and I bought a couch last month because our other one was a hand me down, and was so worn out that when you sat on it, it would swallow you. Also it had metal sticking out of it that I seemed to always hurt myself on. So the couch really needed to go. Especially with our new little man making his big debut soon. Also it just didn't feel like a clean couch to be on. So we shopped around for a little while and then found one we liked. We waited until black Friday and got a good deal on it. The couch just got delivered this week. It took forever for it to get here. But it looks so nice and we are really trying to keep the dogs off of it so that it can stay nice and no dog nails go through the fabric. It is going to be a challenge to keep the dogs off of the couch, but we are working hard at it.

This week I have gone to Chuck's work several times and helped out with Toys for Tots. I can't do to much, but I am able to help a little. I help as long as I can until my back starts to hurt really bad or my leg goes numb. Then I sit for a bit and once all is well again I get back up and go help again. Everyone has seemed to be freezing out in the bay where the toys are kept, but I have a built in heater lately and can't even stand to wear long sleeves. So I am warm as can be working outside even though it has been raining most of the week.

On Thursday this week our friend and fellow Marine Sgt. Masterson got the award for NCO of the year. We drove to Brentwood to see him receive the award from the Marine Corps League, and they also had a dinner catered for the meeting. It was really nice and fun. Masterson has really worked hard since he has arrived at this unit. He is a good Marine, and a good guy. Those are hard to come by sometimes. We really like him and respect him. So we hung out for dinner, and One of the Marine Corps League's wives crocheted me a beautiful baby blanket and hat for Riley! I thought that was so sweet of her. I have only met her once before really and I guess she thinks well enough of Chuck and I to count us as family since that is what she called us. lol ;0) It was a good evening....and what made it even better.......The Captain was rooting for the 49 Niners game and we were rooting for the Chargers....and the Chargers killed the Niners!!! lol It was a massacre! And it was fun to give the Captain a hard time about it. lol But it was fun hanging out with the Captain and getting to know him better. He seems like a good guy who is pretty laid back, but is still interested enough in his job that he wants things to run well at his shop.

Well that is all for now
XoXo-Andrea Carla

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in

I know this is Uber late.....but hey at least I am getting it done now right? he he he



1-What is the best gift you have ever received or given? Well I have a few. And I can't just name one.....So I will just tell you about them. lol

First was when my dad gave me 2 horses. It was such an amazing gift, and I have Lot's of memories from them. Second-For Fathers Day this year, I made up a pregnancy announcement and sent it to my dad for his card. My parents had no clue we were expecting, and it was so fun to surprise them like that. Third....last year for Christmas I was able to give Chuck a real Christmas. I loved seeing his face when he saw his loot from Santa. ha ha ha Fourth.....On our 8th Anniversary Chuck and I decided that we would save our money and just go out for a nice lunch together and see a movie. I got off of work at noon, and he came to pick me up. We headed to The Old Spaghetti Factory and sat in the Trolley in the middle of the restaurant. Chuck said he forgot something in the car and so left for a minute. When he returned he was holding a little blue bag!!! Then in the little blue bag was a little blue box with a white satin ribbon. I squealed!! I opened the box to find a Tiffany necklace that I had seen on Legally blond years ago and have always wanted. Then he pulled out some paperwork, and showed me that he had bought me a car!!! He got me a Honda CRV!!
Probably the best gift I have ever been given....is getting pregnant. After 10 years of waiting.....I am so excited to meet my little man, and embark on this new adventure.



2-Do you celebrate holidays differently when your loved one is deployed/gone or do you keep tradition?
I don't really bother with holidays when he is away. I haven't really seen the point when it was just me. But now with my little man on the way, we will for sure celebrate holidays for him.



3-If you celebrate Christmas, do you put an angel, star or something else on the top of your tree?
Chuck likes one and I like the other. So for our first Christmas tree, we got an Angel surrounded in a star. Last year it broke....so I bought a Tinkerbell Tree Topper....But alas this year the tree is so tall there is no room for anything.....and we aren't going to decorate it. lol


4-What are your three favorite websites?
I am for sure a Facebook junkie, I check it everyday if I can and some days multiple times. I also try to check my blog once a day to see if anyone has become a follower, and to check out all the blogs I follow. And I have two fav's for my third....one is my sisters website.... www.caitlandphotography.com I love looking at her work, and reading about it. the other website is the MSN, or Military.com website to keep up on the news and such.


5-On your man do you prefer... boxers, briefs or boxer briefs? Or commando?
Well normally I am a very open person about my life....But that is me. I really don't think my man husband would care if I told you.....but I think I will just keep this one my secret. lol Oh but I do have an opinion on bikini's for men.....it's wrong.....sooooo wrong!

Well that is all for now.

XoXo-Andrea Carla

Why do I Try?

I haven't really written lately, but here is some catching up I will fill you in on.



On Tuesday the 14th I had another Dr. appointment. Things went pretty well. The Dr. was going to do a girly exam on me and I wasn't having it. All I ask for is a little warning you know! It's not that hard for someone to give you a heads up!! lol So I will be having some tests done to make sure I am doing well in getting ready for D-Day. ;0) The heartbeat was good and strong, and I even lost a few pounds. lol
After my appointment, Chuck got me some Taco Bell and took me home so he could go back to work. I needed to run some errands in town so I was going to attempt to drive around town. I haven't really been driving lately as I didn't feel safe to do so. But I had signed up for a Military Wives secret Santa swap and so I needed to pick up supplies to make my gift for my Secret Santa. So I ate my lunch, and rested for a little bit then headed out to my car to hit up Michael's. I tried to unlock my car with the key ring clicker, but it wouldn't work. So I did it manually. Then I turned the key.....and got nothing!!! I tried and tried to turn over the car and it just wasn't even making a sound...not even a clicking sound. I called Chuck, and he figured I had a dead battery. I figured it was that, or maybe our pet squirrels had chewed something off on it. If squirrels were the problem...I was really thinking of making some squirrel soup for dinner. lol
So Chuck got out of work and came home without his usual workout and jumped my car. As it turned out the Man Husband had left the hatch open on my car, and it left the light on, which in turn drained my battery. But to be fair.....he opened it because he was getting donation items out of my car that I couldn't lift. lol
So we ran around town and bought some craft supplies at a few craft stores, and then came home and crashed. It was to late to start my projects so I would just have to punch them all out the next day.

The donation items were picked up outside despite the rain...but they left our couch we had donated outside!!! So the couch was ruined!! Luckily our Home teacher came and helped us by carrying it out of the house, and then disposing of the wet thing when it wasn't taken. ;0)

I woke up the next morning ready to start my crafting day. I had woken up and and was still sitting in bed. I wanted to check my e-mail first so I leaned over the bed to pick up my laptop, and ended up hurting my stomach really bad. It was sooooo painful! I have no idea what I did, but I had to lay down for a while because I was hurting just when I moved. So when I started feeling a little better I sat on the floor in the living room and started my crafts. I crafted literally all stinking day. I had so many great ideas and followed all the directions perfectly. Well at the end of the day the ornaments I made did not turn out so well. They looked really awful! It looked like a kid made them not an adult! ;0( I was near tears as I looked at everything and realised that these could not be given as a gift as they looked horrid. So I caved and bought my secret Santa some Scentsy from my website. I had remembered reading that she liked it. I e-mailed the person in charge of it all, and told her that I had completed my end. She e-mailed me back and said.....You do know this person is also a Scentsy consultant right?!!!!! Aughhhhhh I am such a failure!! I had thought I had picked out something cute and nice for her and in reality I hadn't!!! Why do I even bother to try? I feel like such an idiot!!! I hadn't noticed that she was also a consultant. Oh well.....she will either like it, or be able to add it to her stock and sell it. lol

Well that is all for now.
XoXo-Andrea Carla

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

Last month a friend who is a photographer posted something on her facebook about something she is a part of. I had no idea about it, and so opened the link. I cried through the video, and was so moved by this that I think about it all the time. Here is the link. I wish I knew how to make it so you could just click on the site, but alas I have no clue. So here it is:
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/


About Us - Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

This is such an amazing thing these photographers do. Please pass the word around so that more people are aware that this is an option for them. Everyone who has such a tragedy happen should also know they can have such a sacred keepsake.

Thanks
XoXo-Andrea Carla

Praise for Amazing ?

You know....I thought maybe for the new year I would start a praise for blog once a week. Each week I will write about someone whom I think or you may think is amazing. I can be because of talent or the trials they have been through. Then I will post the blog, and send an e-mail that you have provided to them so they can see the post. It will not contain their name, just the 1st initial.

All you have to do is send an e-mail to: Married-to-the-Military@hotmail.com and tell me a little about this person. I will not reveal who you are in the blog, and it will be pretty private for this person. Just tell me what makes them amazing to you. What you have seen them do or go through that makes them so strong and amazing. It can be a trial they have encountered, or just their everyday life.
You can submit as many people as you like, and each week I will post in order that I receive them. If you want it posted on a specific date....please submit it with enough time that I will be able to save it for that day and bump others up. If you have any questions feel free to ask...
I just thought this would be something fun and nice to do.

XoXo-Andrea Carla

Blog to Book

So I have for sure decided to publish my blog to a book for the year of 2010. I looked around at a few sites that publish, and only found one that I really liked. I uploaded my blog to one of the sites to see how much it would cost, and so far for about 200+ pages, and Lot's of pictures in a hardbound format with color it is looking to be a little over $100. It does seem a little pricey to me, but so far it is looking really nice. And You know it is better than my hand written journals. It isn't as personal as my normal journals, but I think it will do just fine. I also know now that I can upload movie tickets as pictures and post those in as well like I would normally glue them into my journal. The only difference is I normally have a picture as my backdrop in my journals and I don't think I can with this.
Normally I take some of my coloring books, and clip out some of the pics I like. Then I trace it onto my journal page before writing, and then color with colored pencils. Then I write my entry alternating in a Pink, Purple, or Turquoise color (each day a different color with the 3). I love hand writing, but lately I find myself so uncomfortable with being pregnant that I can't really sit still long enough to get a good entry in. But thanks to my Uber fast typing skills, I can whip out a blog entry pretty fast. Also I can type laying on my side, back, or even sitting up. I can't stand my handwriting in some of those other positions. lol

If anyone else has tried this, let me know how your book turned out. I would love to hear your tips and advice on what you like and didn't, and what you would have done differently. I am also thinking of creating a softbound book of some of my favorite craft ideas from others blogs. That way I have all those awesome ideas in one location. ;0)

That's all for now.
XoXo-Andrea Carla

Military Wives Secret Santa!

I have been really up in the air on what to get my person for the wives Secret Santa swap. We are a little tight on funds this year, and I wasn't sure how to swing this. But I saw something today, and it really inspired me to make her something. I have really been spending a lot of time on crafty blogs lately, and I have been aching to do something crafty. So......why not give this a try right? I haven't decided on one thing for sure yet, but we will see what I come up with. lol

Wish me luck
XoXo-Andrea Carla

Elizabeth Smart

Many of you might remember the story of Elizabeth Smart. She was kidnapped from her home when she was just 14. She was forced to be some mans wife for 9 months and taken from Utah to California, and back to Utah again. Luckily someone recognized her and she was freed from that man. Now 9 years later she was serving a mission in Paris for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and flew back to Utah to testify against this man at his hearing.
I remember feeling so horrible that this happened to such a sweet and beautiful girl. I felt like I understood some of her pain. Something was taken from her that she is unable to get back. But she has been such an inspiration. She is very resilient, and strong. Here is the story of the verdict.


Elizabeth Smart says she's 'thrilled' after guilty verdict
By JENNIFER DOBNER
msnbc.com news services
updated 12/10/2010

SALT LAKE CITY— Elizabeth Smart waited
more than eight years for the word she heard
Friday.

"Guilty," after a federal jury deliberated five
hours to convict street preacher Brian David
Mitchell of snatching Smart from her bed, at
knife point in the dead of night, and having sex
with her while he held her captive for nine
months.

Smart smiled as the verdict was read, while a
bedraggled, bearded Mitchell sat at the defense
table, singing hymns with his hands before his
chest, as if in prayer.

“Today is a wonderful day,” Smart said outside
the courthouse hours later, adding “I am so
thrilled to be here, so thrilled of the verdict."

"I hope that not only is this an example that
justice can be served in America, but that it is
possible to move on after something terrible
has happened," Smart said.

Ordeal
It was a dramatic end to a tale that captured
the nation's attention since she disappeared in
June 2002: A 14-year-old girl mysteriously
taken from her home, the intense search and
her eventual discovery walking Salt Lake City's
streets with her captors.

Smart, now 23, flew back from her Mormon
mission in Paris to take the stand, and recount
her "nine months of hell."

"The beginning and the end of this story is
attributable to a woman with extraordinary
courage and extraordinary determination, and
that's Elizabeth Smart," federal prosecutor
Carlie Christensen said outside the
courthouse.

"She did it with candor and clarity and a
truthfulness that I think moved all of us," she
said.

Smart described in excruciating detail how she
woke up one night to the feel of a cold, jagged
knife at her throat and being whisked away by
Mitchell to his camp in the foothills near the
family's Salt Lake City home.

Within hours of the kidnapping, she testified,
she was forced into a polygamous marriage
with him. She was tethered to a metal cable
and subjected to near-daily rapes while being
forced to use alcohol and drugs.

The thinly built, gray-haired Mitchell was
routinely removed from the courtroom after
loudly singing hymns and Christmas carols
and taken to another room to watch the
proceedings on closed circuit TV.

He kept his eyes closed in court and never
spoke to anyone, including his lawyers.

His lawyers did not dispute that he kidnapped
Smart but wanted him to be found not guilty
by reason of insanity. Such a verdict would
have sent him to a prison mental hospital.

'Predatory chameleon'
Prosecutors countered that Mitchell was
faking mental illness to avoid a conviction,
labeling him a "predatory chameleon."

Smart testified she believed Mitchell was
driven by his desire for sex, drugs and alcohol,
not by any sincere religious beliefs.

Jurors did not buy the insanity defense,
deliberating for roughly five hours to find him
guilty of kidnapping and unlawful
transportation of a minor across state lines
for the purposes of sex.

As the verdicts were read, the shackled
Mitchell sat singing about Jesus Christ on the
cross. Smart then turned to her mother and
both smiled. Elizabeth Smart later hugged
prosecutors.

"It's real!" father Ed Smart said on his way out
of the packed courtroom, giving a thumbs up.

Smart and her family had hoped for the guilty
verdict and a long sentence.

"(Mitchell) has left a trail of misery behind him,"
Ed Smart said.

Mitchell could face up to life in prison when he
is sentenced on May 25. However, a judge also
could impose an unspecified, lesser sentence,
prosecutors said.

'Upset and frustrated'
To the chagrin of the family, the case was
delayed for years after Mitchell was declared
mentally incompetent to stand trial in state
court and a judge refused to order involuntary
medications.

Federal prosecutors later stepped in and took
the case to trial.

Christensen, the U.S. attorney, said one of the
biggest challenges of the case was the six
advertisement

years between the time of the kidnapping and
the time the case came into the federal justice
system.

A parade of experts took the witness stand to
say Mitchell had an array of diagnoses, from a
rare delusional disorder and schizophrenia to
pedophilia, anti-social personality disorder
and narcissism.

Mitchell's former stepdaughter told reporters
that she was shocked that jurors didn't see
that he was mentally ill.

"He honestly believes God tells him to do these
things," Rebecca Woodridge said. "He's upset
and frustrated that the Lord is making him go
through this."



I am so glad she will be able to return to her life knowing that he can do no more harm to her or her family.

Thanks for reading
XoXo-Andrea Carla

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in

1-What do you see your life like in 10 years?
Wow in 10 years Riley will be 10 years old, Chuck will be close to retirement if he chooses to from the military. It makes me wonder where we will be stationed. I hope that we will have 1 or maybe 2 more kids by then. And I hope that Chuck will be MSgt. My nephew will be almost 22 years old! Wow...and I will be 40!! Aughhhh that just hurt to say!

2-What do you like most about your job?
I am a stay at home wife, and soon to be mom. I enjoy it, although sometimes I miss the fun we had at the Y.

3-What are three things you do every day, no matter what day it is?
I check my facebook! lol I feed the dogs, and pick up the house a little.

4-What would you do with an extra five hours in your day today?
If I felt better, I would be a cleaning machine!!!!

5-What is your favorite Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate) cookie recipe (please share!)?

Buckeye's (Peanut Butter Balls)

1 1/2 Cups of peanut butter
2 1/2 Cups of Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup of Butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla
Add Honey as needed.
melted Chocolate in a bowl for coating(optional)

1-Mix Peanut Butter, Powdered Sugar, Butter, and Vanilla until mixed well and semi dry and crumbly.

2-Drizzle generous amounts of Honey over ingredients and mix well. Have a little taste, and then add some more Honey as desired.

3-Shape into half inch balls

4-Dip balls into melted Chocolate, leaving the top of the ball uncovered to resemble a buckeye.

5-Place balls on wax paper lined pan and refrigerate until set.


Thanks for reading!!
XoXo-Andrea Carla

Marine Toys for Tots - Are You Santa?

I love this commercial! Don't forget that this year is especially hard for some families. If you can, please donate to your local Toys for Tots, or toy drive.



Remember when you were little what it was like finding toys from Santa? What if you were a child who came down and found nothing? One year my Aunt who is a retired operator received a phone call at the center from some children early Christmas morning. It was a young child who was worried because when they woke up Christmas morning there were no gifts......Her single mom was busy and still at work and this child didn't know what to do. Santa had forgot to come, and she didn't know what to tell her siblings when they woke up why Santa didn't come....they had all been good! The call center got together, and had Christmas delivered to this family. But what about all the other kids who think Santa forgot about them? They were good all year, wrote Santa a list, and waited patiently. What will they tell the other kids at school when asked what Santa brought them?

Please donate a new unused toy this year, and make this Christmas amazing for a child and family! ;0)

Thanks all
XoXo=Andrea Carla

Praise for amazing J

A friend of mine just had her baby last week. Now I have never hung out with this girl, nor did I ever go to school with her. But....Chuck did, and I even think he had a crush on her when he was a kid. lol (Sorry for ousting you babe.) I first met this girl when we took Jenny to drop her off at the Army recruiters. I saw a kid I went to middle school with and we said hi. We had dated in early middle school. And it was that note passing kind of dating......you didn't talk to your boyfriend.....and you would never even think about holding hands with him.....ewwwww! So when I saw him as an adult at the recruiters, he introduced me to his wife, and we said hello. He said he was in the Marines, and that was about the extent of our conversation. I saw her again at Jenny's graduation, and that was it. Next time I heard about her, Chuck had told me that he had seen her working at our Bank at Camp Pen. We would see each other every time we went to the bank and I would purposely go to her window because she was a familiar face and she knew Chuck. The next time I saw her was back in Logan. We ran into her over Christmas break and she was working in a store we stopped into. She told us she had left her jerky husband and was now making it on her own as a single mom. I thought very highly of her for doing so. It's not easy being a single mom, and to do it in Logan I am sure is even harder. Every time we would travel home Chuck and I would try to seek her out and see how she was. We would talk about her sometimes and wonder how her life was going. A little over a year ago we found each other on facebook and I have to say this woman has spun gold out of the straw she was given. I think she is amazing. She went back to school got a degree and has made herself a nice career for herself. She has gracefully handled things with her Ex, and has become a beautiful independent woman. She could have chosen to live with the folks forever, and become an overweight depressed person. But she never did that. She is amazing. Then she found herself a good man who would treat her right, and respect her. Who would hold her up high, not be threatened by her light and success. Last week they had a baby boy together....and he is amazingly handsome. And I am not just saying that. He has fat little Cheeks that you just want to pinch, and perfect skin. He is soooo handsome. So I just wanted to say Congrats beautiful lady. I think you are amazing! You always seem put together, you always have something funny to say, and I must say your style is beautiful! I look up to you and all your accomplishments and think you are a good person. ;0) Enjoy your new little man...he is handsome!


XoXo-Andrea Carla

Tick Tock...Tick Tock...

Well the clock seems to be moving very slowly for me here. Of course it is 1 a.m. and I am no where near sleepy yet. I decided to try a vaporizer tonight to help reduce my coughing...hopefully it will work. I think because I am so congested I can't breath through my nose, and so I breath through my mouth which dries my throat, and makes me cough. So here is to hoping!

My little man is growing fast. He is almost 17 inches long, and weighs about 4lbs. His quarters are getting a little cramped now, and so I feel when he shifts around. When he kicks my intestines....they give some interesting sounds in response.....do you think it is in protest? ha ha ha This evening Chuck and I were sitting in the living room talking when Riley gave me a pretty hard kick in the tummy parts. In response my stomach started making these really loud rumblings and gurgling....lol we were both laughing pretty hard. I mean it was really loud. Later tonight after I had showered, and we had read our scriptures, Chuck put his hand over my tummy to feel Riley. We poked and prodded and got him moving for a little bit. We laughed as my belly was making wavy movements and Chuck started humming the Jaws theme.....lol He gave a few good kicks that Chuck felt, and we both enjoyed it. I love that Chuck is able to bond with Riley somewhat right now. I have been feeling happier and happier than I ever have.....and I know it is just going to get better. I know I will be sleep deprived and hardly be able to form sentences sometimes I will be so exhausted....but I know that I will be happy! I just wish time would hurry on up and my little man would get here!! I am so excited to meet him.

Chuck and I agree for the most part about raising Riley with the tv....I think we both agree that most of today's kids shows are crap. We were raised with Tailspin, Duck Tales, Smurfs, and so many other great shows. And in each episode The characters have a morale to the story. Like they are helping a neighbor, doing a good dead, just something good in general that isn't selfish. We have noticed a lot of shows now don't even have that. They focus on an adventure, not a good morale for the story. Sure a good adventure is needed....but it should be because they are on a good deed mission or something. We really aren't fans of a lot of the newer cartoons these days. And so I am guessing Riley will be raised with shows we were raised with. Now as he gets older, he will see the things that are on tv.....but by then he will have already been taught a good foundation. ;0)

Chuck got a Christmas tree this weekend, but time and energy has made is impossible to decorate it yet. But from what little ability I have to smell....the house smells great! I am still not in the holiday spirit but I am thinking maybe it is because I can't get anything amazing for my husband this year. I mean granted he just got a Harley, but I just want to see his face light up like a kid when he finds something he wanted under the tree. Maybe next year. lol Chuck and I did decide for this year instead of gifting that we should get a few movies, some of our favorite treats, and break out the board games. So we are to choose a movie we would like, one the other person would like, and one we would both like. I have a few ideas of what he would like....but I want it to be great.....not good, GREAT! I hope I can find him something that will fit that category.

Is it sad that tonight I started to think of what I should make for Riley's first birthday cake? lol Yah I know I am a nerd.....but I really am excited for all these fun little milestones he is going to have. And I want each one to be awesome. It doesn't have to be big and amazing....just awesome! ;0)


Well that is all for now.
XoXo-Andrea Carla

Winter and hot flashes

It is once again 12:30 a.m. and I am not even remotely tired. This is getting old. I am tired. My whole body aches, but when I turn out the light and put on my face mask so I can't look around....all I do is lay there and toss and turn. I just can't seem to fall asleep. I have suffered from this for years. I am a night owl. I prefer the night. Bad things happen at night, and so if I am up and active during the night....then I guess I have a better chance of catching, stopping, or preventing whatever bad things are going on around me. Paranoid much?

As I lay awake I think of so many things. It is really hard to turn my mind off at night. Every once in a while I will find something that helps me sleep....and then it is like my mind learns how to get around it. ANNOYING!!! I have tried listening to Enya, a hypno CD, tapping, 4 Ambien and 2 muscle relaxers, warm milk and hot toast.....and even as a child I remember my sister making me a hot potato with cheese, or putting a little cinnamon in hot/warm milk for me. Nothing seems to work. I do feel like a freak most of the time because of this.

The things I think about while laying awake range in differences so wide. Like tonight, I have been thinking about failing with Riley. Will I be a good mom or a bad mom? Will I be able to be successful at breastfeeding, or have to resort to formula. And can we afford formula? I worry about money issues. I worry about remembering to pay bills on time since I have become pregnant I have forgotten on more than one occasion. I worry about my family getting the opportunity to meet Riley as a baby when Chuck does not want me to drive home alone. I worry about our move that is coming up and if we will be stuck with 29 palms, or get lucky and get San Diego like we are praying for. Will my grandma be able to meet Riley before she passes like I have always dreamed? Will I be able to get the stroller before Riley is born? Will I be okay being a single new mom when Chuck has to leave for training shortly after Riley is born for 3 months? Will I be okay when he has to deploy? Will I get the house clean enough before Riley comes? Will I be able to enjoy Riley's delivery? Or will I be in so much pain and misery that I can't enjoy him once he arrives? Am I always eating good enough? And of course I get songs stuck in my head. For this evenings entertainment I have Beyonce's Ring song, and that weird commercial song with the hamsters and the cars...Yah! Also my back has been really hurting me lately, and Riley has found my bladder a fun thing to push on. So even when I do fall asleep.....I wake up within an hour because I have to use the restroom. Poor Chuck says my constantly getting up doesn't bother him, but I know it does and so I worry that I am always being to loud at night around him. I always have a craving for food around midnight and 7a.m. and then I can finally sleep well once the sun is up. And of course one of the biggest things I worry about is......Will Riley be made fun of in school for his name? I hope it is a good name that he can carry over with him as an adult. I worry it doesn't sound sophisticated enough. I worry about Riley meeting the In-laws, I worry a lot. I wish I had a switch I could just turn it off at night. I guess there isn't much I can do.

It is funny because I have always been a cold person. That doesn't sound right, but I am always running cold. I am always freezing is what I mean. Everyone else would always be fine, and I would be wearing a jacket. Well it seems now that the tables have turned on Chuck and I. He is always wearing a jacket, and has been pretty cold this winter. Me on the other hand I swear I am having hot flashes. For no reason at all I will suddenly feel like my face is flushing hot. Like I am sitting in front of a space heater or fire. I will feel like I am on fire and melting. It will only last a short while, and then it goes away. It is soooo weird. But every time we go outside or into town I don't bring a jacket. I am so hot that I don't need one. In fact I usually end up sitting down and having to fan myself because I have sweat running down my face. I am weird I know. But I am blaming this one on Riley. ha ha ha

I have really grown fond of the tapping game with Riley. He kicks me in the side....and then I tap or press firmly where he kicked a few times, and then he kicks me back. It is a fun game for us. He has also done it for Chuck. It was pretty fun to see him bonding with Riley. I mean sure I am having a whole different relationship with him than Chuck gets right now. And so when Chuck can actually be a part of Riley's interactions, I find it pretty cool.

I have been putting a lot of thought behind having this years blog published into a book. I think this online journaling is pretty awesome. Although I have to admit my real journaling has suffered from it. I used to love sitting and writing page after page in my journals, I have I think 14 from the last 10 years....but since I got prego, I have slacked in the journal writing a lot. Who knows.....maybe this will become my thing for a while.

Well this is all for now.
XoXo-Andrea Carla