Whitney Tamez: unpredictably...average

The Search for Satisfaction

2012-01-31T12:50:00.000-08:00

Excuse the poor quality of the picture...I had to be my own model and take the photo with my phone all the while trying to reign in my bubbling excitement...not a very easy task.

Excuse the poor quality of the picture...I took it with my phone.

For the past few months I have taken a short hiatus from doing anything really crafty because nothing really motivated me. I spent most of my time being ridiculously bored with no creative outlet and walking through my scrapbook room staring at things and wondering why I couldn't get motivated to do anything. Finally I cam across a pattern for a coat and decided I was gonna try and make one for myself. I got the pattern traced and cut out (which I have found is the worst and most time consuming process of sewing clothes) and finally started putting it together a few days ago. As I progressed with the pattern I became more and more excited about the project. Once I got the hood and upper body (minus the sleeves) of the coat done I was so excited I did my happy dance (yes...I have a happy dance...courtesy of my sister...she taught me) and proceeded to wear the partially finished jacket around for the next two hours. Last night I was able to get one of the sleeves done and attached ( the hardest part so far...with the worst instructions...guess I will have to youtube it...I love youtube) and did another even more excited happy dance to which Gunnar fell over on the floor laughing like crazy over. Then I wore it around again for a while...not quite two hours this time...but pretty close. Anyway, the moral of the story is that I have finally found some creative satisfaction...doing something new and something useful! I can actually wear this coat and when people ask me where I got it I can say: "Yep, I made it!".

Hope

2011-12-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

Through my life my only experience with pregnancy was with my mother and my sister. My mother had my brother when I was seven years old and so that bit of my experience is extremely limited to impressions of a growing belly and the wonder of a new baby. When my sister became pregnant in 2006 it was a whole new story. I was able to ask questions and see how things progressed but even then it was not the same as being pregnant myself. Finally in 2008 I became pregnant with my son Gunnar and started walking the long road of pregnancy. There were many things I was not prepared for and many things that I was and many things that I never imagined I would experience. Overall I was blessed with what my doctor called "a boringly perfect pregnancy", and when disaster stuck I was not at all prepared. I never even thought that something would go wrong.
In October 2009 I found out I was pregnant for the second time and in November 2009 I found out it was an ectopic pregnancy or a tubal pregnancy and was ordered by my doctor to take two shots of MTX (methotrexate) in both hips. Although I was aware at that point that it was not a viable pregnancy terminating it was the hardest thing I may have ever done. I remember sitting in the doctors office with tears running down my face trying to muster the strength to even stand up and walk out of the room. I felt utterly defeated, confused, and resentful. Why did this happen to me? Why after such a perfect first pregnancy was my second such a complete disaster? For months I was unable to look a pregnant woman in the face or feel real joy for their circumstances. It is a feeling that I have never quite been able to leave behind me. Still, I feel it a bit ever day.
In August 2011 I found out I was pregnant for the third time. After two and a half months of exhausting weekly blood tests, two ultrasounds, a viable heartbeat and baby picture...I miscarried in early October. "Again...this cannot be happening to me again!" was my only thought. With this loss came true despair and bitterness. It was all I could do to not feel real hate and anger when I saw a pregnant woman or a newborn baby. Now I just feel a deep gut wrenching sadness that I can hardly control. The kind that drives you to eat a whole bag of milk chocolate chips and cry until you cannot see and are gasping for breath. It has been two months and I sometimes find myself frozen in desolation with tears running down my face.
Recently a friend of mine has become pregnant for the second time. I am so completely happy for her and also ridiculously envious at the same time that it sometimes makes my head spin. I sat looking at the picture of the two pink lines and cried...and cried. It continues to be so hard for me to see any facebook posts, or blog updates, pictures of bellies, and pregnancy complaints. I feel like I die a bit every time I see them.
Still...I have hope. The anger and bitterness has faded to an exhausted memory, and I am now left with only the anguish and desolation. Everyday is still a struggle but I hope the struggle gives me strength. It is my wish that writing all this down and sharing it...facing it aloud will help with that struggle and give me hope. Hope to try and try again.

2011-11-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

About a week ago recieved my VERY early Christmas present from my amazing husband and after I signed the pad with the UPS man and did a very energetic happy dance I started unpacking it and set it up in may craft room. I have since only tackled a few projects and played a bit with the stitches...I have not really done a whole lot. Truth is...I am a bit intimidated by this machine. It is about 3 times bigger then my Kenmore Mini Ultra which I have been sewing on for the last seven years and does just about anything and everything you can imagine. I was completely awed by it when I saw them demonstrating it in HSN (yes...we are occasional HSN watchers) and it looked super user friendly but now that it is unpacked...I am just a bit overwhelmed. What is a woman to do? I guess I am just gonna have to dive right in and see where it goes. Maybe I just need to find the right project to get me going...maybe that new coat pattern I bought with do the trick!

The Empire Strikes Back

2011-10-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

After countless hours practicing his knocking on the door, saying trick-or-treat, and then thank you we left the house on our way out to collect as much candy as possible! We started out in one of the better neighborhoods in town with great expectations only to have them crushed when almost every house we visited ignored our knock on the door. I was a little peaked...ok, ok, honestly I was pretty pissed off over the whole situation. Really...you are gonna ignore your door on Halloween night with your cars sitting right out front in the drive when you live in one of the better neighborhoods in town? It made me miss my childhood when there were about 500 (or what seemed like 500) other kids out on the street walking from house to house and every house on the street had their door open, smiles one their faces, and bowls of candy in their hand ready for the hoard to arrive. Oh the good old days.

Despite the lack of show from the neighborhood he loved every minute of the experience and got as much candy as he could carry, but by far his favorite part of the night was growling at all the other little kids from behind his Darth Vader mask and getting bubble wrap from his Aunt April. He loves that bubble wrap...don't all kids?

Well...Happy Halloween!

Puddle Jumpers Pumpkin Patch Trip 2011

2011-10-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Gunnar had his first trip to the Pumpkin Patch this year with his preschool class and loved every minute of it! He had so much fun picking out his pumpkin that he can't wait to go back when daddy gets home this week! Once we arrived I was almost completely unable to pry him away from the vintage tractor they had that was surrounded by straw bales and pumpkins for the kids to climb all over until it was time to take the hay ride! It was the favorite part of the whole trip for him. Before we set out on the hay ride we were give a general announcement detailing all the rules and a little word of caution to "watch out for the black widows". Needless to say I was a bit freaked out about that...I mean really?

Apparently my thumb is greener then I thought!

2011-08-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Besides all the weeds in the background you can see that all my squashes, pumpkins, and melons are doing great! My peppers are looking good and my tomatoes are on their way. I still don't have more than a handful of tomatoes on but they were like this last year also. I didn't get tomatoes until late in the year and they never really turned red. On the up side I had a lot of green tomatoes for frying I guess. I also got my first five yellow crook neck squashes out of the garden yesterday and Gunnar has been begging me to make them for dinner tonight. All in all I am super excited with they way the garden is turning out!

Fair 2011

2011-08-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

It was time once again for the annual Malheur County Fair so Adam and I loaded Gun up in the car and headed for the fair grounds. We took Gun to see all the livestock and the pigs and horses (of course) were his favorites. While we were walking through all the stables for the horses we looked over to see Gun with his pants down in the middle of the isle going pee....yeah, pee. We were of course semi-mortified because we were in a public location but it is better then him peeing in his pants and really, we live in Vale so it wasn't that bad. After the livestock we sat down to eat something because I was not about to leave the fair with out getting a happy bowl, scone, and kettle corn...what kind of fair experience would that be without the basics? Then we ventured to the carnival where I was astounded to learn it cost three dollars per ride...OH MY GOD...and three dollars per carnival game. So we rode the two rides he was big enough to do and did the two carnival games that we could help him with. He left with a little teddy bear worth about 50 cents that actually cost us 6 dollars and memorable ride on the motorcycle merry-go-round. We left with these FABULOUS pictures which were completely worth the trip.

Deja Vue...

2011-07-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Gunnar and Belli were having a great time eating the apricots out of Alycia's tree. In fact it was Gunnars first experience at climbing trees...it made me really nervous but he took it as one of his greatest accomplishments. I am sure this will not be the only tree that he climbs in his life. The tree that he is climbing is the same tree that Adam used to eat apricots out of when he was a little boy! How I love that some things never change. It is comforting some how...

The Stand Off

2011-07-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

When we went to Salem in June for my cousins graduation party we spent two days with my sister and her kids. I learned two very important things about kids on that trip.

1. All boys are rotten antagonists

2. All girls are whiny drama queens

We took the kids outside to play in the backyard and Terrance had shown me her new princess bicycle she had gotten (I think for her birthday) and then they went to play on the swing set. The bicycle was quickly forgotten...that was until Gun when to go sit on it and Terrance noticed him. There was an immediate high piched screech and a standoff ensued. Gun stared at Terrance and all her theatrics provoking then when he could so finally I got up and just took the bike and put it away so neither of them could play on it. You would have thought that I ended both of their worlds. For the next five minutes (yeah, apparently that is all the time it takes to get over the end of the world) they both screamed and cried sand finally lost interest and started playing on the swings again. WOW! What a learning experience that was.

Gunnar at 31 months

2011-07-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

When I watch you while your sleeping it is in some ways hard to believe that you are only 31 months and in other ways hard to believe that you are already 31months. I sometimes catch myself getting frustrated with you because I expect you to act older then you are...I sometimes loose sight of the fact that you are still only 2 1/2.

You are so independent that if I try to help you put your clothes on you get mad because you want to do it yourself. You want to pour your own glass of water, get into bed by yourself, wash your hands by yourself, cut up your food by yourself, and even mop the floor by yourself. While at the same time if you drop you cup while on the couch you want me to get it for you, you can't go too far without your red blanket, and baby Elmo is still a regular at bed time. You want to wear you Buzz Lightyear rain boots everywhere (even if it is 100 degrees outside) and can't go a day with out strawberries. Needless to say we always have a large supply of them in our fridge. You have recently learned to pee in the toilet (which I am very proud and happy for...except now my bathroom smells like pee, oh-well...it beats changing diapers) but outside is your favorite place to go. And not an hour goes by when you are not being the "bad red power ranger" running around kicking and screaming HI-AAA! I often serve as your punching bag unless your father is home in which case I am happy to be put on the back burner for a while. You can say your ABC's, know your colors, can count to 20 and even know what the numbers look like. I am amazed every day at what you have learned and what you are able to do.

You have the best and worst of both Adam and I. You are as stubborn as I am, and have the Tamez temper to follow. But you are smarter than I ever have been and stronger then your father. You are our wonder and our greatest achievement and we love you very much.

Lets see if my thumb is green or black!

2011-07-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

For my entire life I have been convinced that I have been cursed with a black thumb. It is particularly bad when both your mother and grandmother could just about grow anything (like a pineapple or an avocado in Ontario Oregon). I have literally not been able to grow anything for as long as I can remember. Well, actually last year I had some limited success with growing tomatoes and peppers, and I have also been able to keep a house plant barely alive for the last couple years. A major accomplishment given my track record. For that reason alone I have tended to shy away from having a lot of plants around because it means their certain death but lately I have had this weird itch to have some greenery around and I completely and utterly detest fake plants. So I have decided it is time to have a yard (for Gunnars sake if nothing else) and to plant some flowers and a garden. Here is the results after the first three weeks...I already have one plant facing eminent death. A house plant that I accidentally scorched when I watered it with hot water instead of cold water...ok, ok, ok, scalding water. Ooops.

My yard is doing great! The grass is coming up with some weeds but we can always weed and feed it. And as you can see, my garden is up and running. I have four tomato plants, four bell pepper plants, one jalapeno plant, some cantaloupe, honeydew, butternut squash, yellow squash, and pumpkins of course. We will see how we do in the next few months. Hopefully my luck is even better then it was last year.

Bedtime Madness

2011-05-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Lately Gun has started this thoroughly infuriating and totally enduring routine. I sit him in his bed around 7:00 to start settling down and get ready for bedtime and watch part of a movie. I go in and out of the room getting him this and that, water, toys, blankets and books until I tell him that it is time to turn the movie off and then the world comes crashing down as we know it. He starts throwing a giant fit and I leave the room telling him to go to sleep and that I love him. Not a minute after I walk out of the room I hear a big thump and he comes crying out of the room saying:

"Gunnar fall...."(he flung himself out of his bed and onto the floor)

He is kinda dramatic a character trait only recently developed and more than mildly entertaining...especially when he is throwing a giant fit because he wants a pickle but doesn't want you to get it out of the jar for him he wants to stick his entire grubby toddler hand in the jar and pick it out.

I go to him and pick him up and put him back in bed and comfort him and he says:

"Mommy lay with Gunnar and rub back..."(how can I resist that with his puppy dog look)

So I lay down with him for about fifteen minutes and rub his back and then he falls asleep. It has been going on like this for about a week. Tonight...I fell asleep with him. There really is nothing like being mom and I wouldn't change a single thing about it. He makes my life special.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was a WHOLE lot better then last year...Gunnar actually got the point! He loved everything and by the end started opening presents that weren't even his just to open them. It was such a joy to watch.

Dad bought him a Thomas the Tank Engine train set which you can see he loved.

Not as much as his vacuum though! Sheesshh.

Woody and Buzz made a definite appearance!

Our tree was beautiful...all red and gold, Gunnar had an amazing day, and the food was fabulous! A sure success in the Tamez home and a Christmas to never forget!

Winter 2010

2011-01-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

Yes...I am a bit late with this post...about a month but who is counting. Anyway, as you can see winter finally arrived and with a vengeance. I haven't seen this much snow for more years then I can count! It was wonderful! Here are some of my favorite pics.

Probably my favorite photo...ever!

His first snow man...as you can see daddy goes big or goes home!

Yes, Granny Good Witch...those are socks on his hands...I have not forgotten.

Gunnar's 2nd Birthday 2010

2011-01-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Gunnar's 2nd birthday was a huge success! He loved every second of it!

We had a funfetti cake with raspberry filling and ice cream, a blue pinata, and all the candy he could eat...(it was is birthday I could hardly refuse).

The cake and pinata were my greatest triumphs! I think I was more excited than Gunnar was! Can't wait until next year!

My purpose: to re-purpose!

2011-01-04T04:38:00.000-08:00

So this blog totally speaks to me! She is a genius...check out her gallery! The headboard and dresser benches are amazing. I could totally do this...maybe!

First Snow and the Fit that Followed!

2010-11-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing all day here and finally it stopped this afternoon so I thought that I would take Gun out for just a few minutes to play in it. I was not quite prepared for the snow so he had now waterproof gloves or snow boots but I decided to try it anyway. Well you can imagine how that went...he walked out was super excited and stuck his hands right in the wet snow...not the dry stuff...the wet stuff. So he lasted about five more minutes before he was making faces about his fingers being cold so we came inside in proceeded to throw the biggest fit thus far of his career. It was amazing...frustrating...funny...and adorable!

Guns Favorite Hat...uhhhggg!

2010-11-21T16:14:00.000-08:00

As you can see we have entered the stage where Gun now has favorites. His favorite doll, his favorite toys, his favorite shoes, his favorite vacuum, and yes his favorite hat...uhhggg. As you can also tell I am not exactly excited about it! The only thing that could be worse was if he was a girl...LOL!

Christmas Ahoy!

2010-11-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

So I am totally gonna try to make my own Christmas Cards this year...ambitious I know. Here is the design for the front. The card is 5 x 7 and the back will have a 4 x 6 piece of cardstock with a nice Christmas phrase printed on it. My theme is Country Christmas so we are gonna do dark green, deep red, cream, copper, and tan. I am not sure how many I am gonna make yet but we will see if I even get there. Every year I say I am gonna make my own cards and just never get to it. This year I will probably get them made but not get them sent. I will post one as soon as I get it made.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

This was his first REAL dress-up Halloween and he did so great! He was very calm and very polite always saying thank you and sometimes please instead of trick-or-treat. Also while other kids were sticking their hands into the buckets of candy grabbing as much as they could he took his time and picked only one piece of candy and then saying thank you walked away onto the next place. It was so sweet!

First Layout in....Forever!

2010-10-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is actually the first layout that I have made since before Gunnar was born. What a sad admission that is! Anyway here it is and I am super proud of it! It lists the five things I remember most about the day Gunnar was born as well as his birth date and weight.

Number One Baby!

2010-10-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

22(UO) to 3(UCLA) in the beginning of the second quarter...National Championship here we come!

Shoes...Shoes...Shoes Galore!

2010-10-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am totally in a shoe type mood! Check these lovely ladies out:

These chunky heals are AMAZING! Love the open toe and only $15.99.

These are so major! I totally heart them!

Definitely a necessity this year!

These are super sweet!

These boots are so fabulous! Need me some!

Holiday's Ahoy!

2010-10-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

I am super excited because my favorite time of year has just arrived. Cool weather, a warm fire, a good book, and lots of family and food! Who doesn't like the autumn? With all the events closing in on us (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Gun's 2nd birthday, and Christmas) my plate is definitely full not to mention I plan on making my Christmas cards this year, bake day, and homemade Christmas presents! Sheesh...good thing I already have my Christmas cards designed. Now I just need the pictures for the cards.

My brother turned 20 today...holy crap I can't believe my little brother is 20! Probably because he still acts 14 but I think it is genetic...it definitely runs in the family! I still picture him running around outside barefoot in that fringed leather vest and shorts. What a dork! Wish I had a picture of that...hum...I bet I can did one up...wait till you see this!

Ice Cream with Daddy

2010-08-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

How sweet is he! It is kinda funny though...he doesn't really like the actual ice cream as much as the cone. In fact he likes it if you eat all the ice cream on top and just leave what is in the cone! My kind of sharing!

Good God!

2010-08-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been busy, busy, busy! I have just finally gotten all of Adam and I's stuff rounded up for Financial Aid Verification and Admissions...good god is that a process. First off you are always selected for verification...why do they even say it is random, I have never known anyone that was not selected for verification...and then you have to request official copies of all your transcripts which you can't do verbally...you have to fill out this form and then pay them anywhere from 5 to 10 dollars! How ridiculous...I paid how much in tuition and you want $5 for transcripts....whatever.
On top of all that I am trying to get ready for this crop that I am throwing on Friday...looks like it might be successful so cross your fingers. Then there is the Sportsman Show at the end of September! I have been trying to get some stuff crossed off my to-do list but I just seem to be adding to it! Guess that's life.

Busy Beginnings

2010-08-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

August...already there is a ton of stuff to do this month and Gunnar is not even close to being old enough to think about starting school. The fair starts this week, we have a lot of stuff to get ready before Sumpter, I am hosting a crop on the 20th, and I was hoping to get some canning done this month. I guess it doesn't sound like a lot but it really is. Well, lets hope that I can get it all done! But first I think I will spend some good quality Sunday time on my couch. Love that Sunday flop time.

Gerard Butler

2010-07-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ok...so first of all I want to say I am getting sick and tierd of hearing about Mel Gibson and how crazy he is already...but one good thing did come of all the publicity...I found out that he is making a movie about Vikings and that Leo Decaprio was going to play the lead but backed out due to all the bad publicity Mel is getting. The first thing I thought of when I heard this was nice a Viking movie and..."please...please...please let Gerard Butler play the lead and please...please...please let him be half naked!" As I reflected on this train of thought later I realized how utterly sad it all is...but very, very funny...and then I repeated that quick little prayer. LOL.

Big Love Fanatic

2010-07-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Thank god for Netflix!!!!! I have been watching Big Love Season 1 and I am so excited...now I can catch up...NICE!

I Am Finally Doing It!

2010-07-11T11:03:00.001-07:00

Well, here I go again. I always new that I would go back to school I just didn’t know when and I didn’t think that I would be this nervous about it! I am going back to EOU to finish my Bachelors. I am going to get a Liberal studies degree with dual majors in Chemistry and Biology. NICE! It is going to be awesome…I just hope that I can fall back into the swing of things again. The good thing about it is that I don’t need any more math so I can focus on my majors. I hate math with a passion that is almost obscene. I have applied at EOU and have also got my FAFSA stuff going so hopefully soon I will be able to talk to an advisor and get all my classes picked out. I only have to take 45 credits to graduate so I am going to start off at half time and see how it goes from there. I have to take all upper division Biology and Chemistry to finish so I am not sure if I will be able to handle that full time online. I do have Mr. Huston (my crazy high school chemistry teacher) to help though if I need and I am very thankful for that. I am trying to do so many things right now with Adam’s business, my business, work, school, and Gunnar that I hope I can balance it all. I will just remain positive and remember that the harder you work the better things become, and the more you are rewarded!

On a different note we are going over to Middleton tonight to see Megan, Blake, Hunter, and the babies Heath and Tucker. This is the first time that I have gotten to see them in person so I am really excited about that! They look so adorable online. One definitely looks like Blake and the other Megan…it is funny!

We had a great time on the 4th even though we didn’t make it to the family reunion in Walla-Walla. We took Gunnar to the park to see the petting zoo and all the booths, and then we took him to the parade with he loved…once all the princess in their dresses and crowns came down the road. He is such a ladies man and a flirt that it scares me to think of him as a teenager. Anyway, he had a great time and I have tons of pictures I will share once I have had a chance to go through them.

Movie Madness

2010-07-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that I love and will always love movies. Even the really crappy 60's and 70's adventure movies with ridiculously bad graphics and acting such as The Voyages of Sinbad, Conan the Barbarian, and Red Sonja...all classics. Someone has to appreciate them I guess so why not me. Anyway I am always happy to have a new saga to follow, first it was Lord of the Rings, then Harry Potter and now the Twilight series. It leaves me wondering since Harry Potter is about over and now the Twilight series it about over what will be next? There is always the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean, and the third Transformers movie but I am talking about the epic stories of battle, love, and betrayal. What will be next? Anyway, I went to see the Eclipse movie on Thursday and it was awesome! I think it is my favorite thus far. The acting was much better, the makeup and wardrobe was a billion times better and it was funny. The rivalry between Jacob and Edward is well illustrated and colored with humor. I am so ready for the next one. I also saw the trailer for the new Harry Potter movie and am super excited for that one also. It is going to be epic I know. There is also The Expendables, and The Switch, and Paranormal Activity two (the first one about made me pee my pants I was so scared) coming up and will probably be amazing. Well, I guess that is enough movie talk for now...I sometimes forget that not everyone is obsessed.

Wilcox Family Blog

2010-03-27T21:27:00.001-07:00

We have a new blog dedicated to the family! Check it out!

www.wilcoxfamily1936.blogspot.com

2010-03-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Lord help us we have entered the tantrum stage!! Honestly I was not quite prepared for it as you always hear about the "terrible two's" and I was under the ridiculous assumption that that term was quite literal and I sill had another 8 moths of that sweet baby that easily goes with the flow. He has now developed a mind of his own (dammit) and has decided that when he wants something he wants it now and he better get it. It is quite an experience to be standing there above your 14 month old watching him fling himself on the ground roll around, kicking and screaming with mixed feelings while others are stopping to stare. On one hand you want to stand him up and beat him for it, on another hand you just want him to stop so that everyone will quit staring, but yet you want to break out in belly laughs at your son's antics. I sit down everyday, look at him and wonder how he will surprise me as he grows up...so far I have not been disappointed. Everyday has definitely been an experience.

2010-03-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures to catch us up:

2010-03-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Well...it is official...I have finally rejoined the digital world. It is so nice to be back. Just wish I had more time to post...but I guess I should be thankful for what I get with a 14 month old.

2009-10-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

We took Gun to the Pumpkin patch last weekend to pick out his first pumpkin and he loved it! It was sure a beautiful day I just wish it wasn't so cold. The pumpkin patch we took him to was at Purdum's Produce stand near New Plymouth...I love that place. The vegetables are so fresh...obviously...and the prices are amazing. We ended up getting three HUGE pumpkins and a bunch of mini pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn for the Thanksgiving table for $23.00. It was awesome.

Alycia and Terrance's Visit

2009-09-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

The HOTTEST 12 celeb men!

2009-09-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how good it feels to waste my spare time doing absolutely nothing but crap...so her you go...the Twelve hottest guys ever:

1. Gerard Butler...in anything but especially in 300. Bronze helmet, long red cape, leather, and lots of skin...who can resist? Really?

2. Orlando Bloom. Not really my type...you know tall, dark, hansom, and extremely masculine but there is just something about him!

3. Prince William. Definitely the hottest royal to date.

4. Val Kilmer. Hot, Hot, Hot, Hot, until the late 90's at lest.

5. Kevin Costner. It must be all the leather because I know it is not the mullet! LOL! 6. Harrison Ford. Yeah, pretty much the hottest old man on the planet. 7. Robert Pattinson. Yeah...sad I know but when his hair is not too big he is pretty hot.

8. Sean Connery. The James Bond one...not the First Knight one. 9. David Duchoveny. Yeah, I saw his naked but once on the Red Shoe Diary's. Thank you late Friday night HBO.
10. Johy Depp in the Astronauts Wife. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a southern accent what girls blood wouldn't boil? LOL. 11. Jonathan Rhys Meyers. With those intense eyes and fabulous jaw line...mmmmm.

12. Matthew Mcconaughey. The hottest Cowboy I have ever seen.

2009-09-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, my bi-weekly posts have quickly turned into monthly posts if I am lucky. How sad that is for me...if only there were more hours in the day. A few months ago I mistakenly thought to myself how nice it would be when Gunnar and crawl around well and play with his toys then I will have more time to do things like scrapbook, post on my blog, and read. How wrong I was. I have only gotten busier because he is busier. Always hungry, or board, or needing his diaper changed, or into something, or ready for a nap. It is a marvelous thing to be a mother and I am so thankful that I have him...and I know I have said this a thousand times...but they really don't prepare you for how little time you will have left to do...well, anything. He now has four teeth. Two on the bottom and two on the top. He hasn't got his front teeth on the top yet though...his eye teeth are the ones coming in. I think it is adorable, he is going to have vampire teeth...and just in time for Halloween. LOL. He has also developed a fascination with the bathroom...probably because he only gets to go in when he takes a bath and that is it but still...I can't keep in away from it. And he thinks he is sly by pretending to crawl into his room to play and when he thinks we aren't paying attention he will make a break for it right down the hallway to the bathroom. His personality is developing more every day and I LOVE it! I also think his eyes are going to stay bluish gold because it has been nine months without even a hint of them changing. I was certain they would be brown like his fathers.

2009-08-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Gun that I took about a month ago....yes I know I have been neglectful...but I can't really help it. Gun is cruising around the entire place, falling every other five seconds, and getting in to everything. Plus he has also started throwing true fits when he doesn't get what he wants. Like throwing himself on the floor, kicking his legs, and screaming fits. Right now it is hilarious but it is going to be a whole different story when he gets a bit older. I can only imagine it and I place complete blame on Adam because everyone knows I was an angel as a child.

Look at those cute little lips. Awweee! He has his first two bottom teeth now...just barely poking through. They are so adorable but are also a constant reminder of how old he is getting. He turned 8 months on Friday. I can't believe we have only had him for eight months. It seems like he has been with us always but was just born yesterday. Weird hun? Well anyway, like I was saying he is eight months old now and getting so big. We are trying to decide what to dress him up as for Halloween. It is a tie between the lead singer of ACDC or Lord Helmet. LMAO! I am leaning toward Lord Helmet. I would be Princess Vespa and Adam would be Lone Star. It would be hilarious. Now we just need to find a really big Darth Vadar Helmet!

Today I cooked and froze 4 dozen ears of corn. After a removed it from the cob I mixed it with butter, salt and pepper and then vacuum packed it. It was so good. I got nine pounds of corn from it. NICE. I think I will do some more on labor day weekend when Adam is gone goose hunting. I am also going to pickle some green beans and can some salsa that weekend. It is going to be great. I can't wait till next year when I have my garden and I can can and freeze all sorts of things. I am also going to buy an apple-peeler-corer-slicer and dehydrate A LOT of apples this year. It will be a great snack for Gun in the next year. I am hoping that this will all save me a bunch of money in the long run. I guess that we will find out. I have this really LONG list of stuff I want to grown in my garden next year so I hope that we can get it in. I also saw this garden in Italy that grew it's tomatoes tied to really tall posts. They were six feet tall and they just tied them up like you would a bean plant or something. They were really cool and the tomatoes were HUGE. I think I might try it that way. I figure they have been growing tomatoes for hundreds of years so they must know the best way to do things. I need to find a website that has templates for planning out your garden. If anyone knows of a good one let me know hun?

I also have been working on some new paper and stuff and have gotten a new sketch for you. It is supposed to be for September but I will post it early since I haven't posted one in so long. Here it is.

Again it is supposed to have an outside line all the way around it not just on two sides but you get the point. I am not sure why it does that? Oh well. It is a simple layout meant to emphasize your photos. Use a nice funky handwriting font or better yet your own handwriting for the journaling and bright little bits of bright bold colors to really make the simplicity of this design snap.

On a different note we finished our City League Softball season with our usual tournament and I guess we did okay. I think we placed fifth but I am not sure. I was really pissed by the end of our last game so I didn't really care all that much. I wasn't mad because we lost...there are a lot of good teams in our league so it I knew it would be difficult. What I was mad about was that our outfield kept playing rover positions on guys that could easily hit the fence and the balls kept going over their heads letting the hitter get to third or even make it home. It was ridiculous. Our coach, who plays in the outfield, kept telling everyone exactly where to stand and he would change it with every swing of the bat, and the balls kept being hit over their heads. One game our outfield gave up 9 runs for that reason. It was so stupid and I kept my mouth shut all season but when it came to the tournament I had had it. So when the first one went over their heads after out coach told everyone to play basically the rover position I turned around and shouted to everyone "come on guys any one of them can easily hit the fence." and our coach turned to me and said "Whitney I need you to be quiet!" so then I said "I need you to learn to play the game!" Needless to say I was pissed. Anyway the inning ended and when he came in out of the outfield I was sitting in my chair waiting for my turn to bat and he said "I am sorry, I just got pissed off!" and said "yeah, that its okay." but I was done for the rest of the day. Every single person on our team has played softball competitively at some point in our lives long enough to know what we are doing. There is no reason for our coach to keep telling everyone where to stand when they can figure it out themselves and when he is always wrong. It is basic ball that it is better for the ball to land in front of you and give a single then to go over your heads and give a triple or home run. I have never in my 26 years of life played a game "just for fun." It has always been to win and it will always be to win, that is just my personality and so when stupid crap like that is going on I can't help but say something about it. It is just the way I am. The guys that I usually play with and the reason I played on this team even had a problem with it but never really said anything about it. They like to win as much as I do I just think that they didn't think it was their place to say anything because they were not to coach. I didn't care, if I am part of the team I have a right to an opinion and I will always voice it when I think I need to. Maybe it is a bad point of mine but that is the truth of it. Needless to say next year I won't play for them if our coach this year is still the coach. I can't stand it. Maybe I will start my own team. We will have to see how it goes. I have had one before and we did really well but we will see.

It is now 10:30 and I have to get up at 4:00 so I better get to bed. Crap...I still have clothes to fold.

2009-07-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Wow...it has been so long since I posted...over a month...I can't believe it. Well, with Adam always gone to Portland to work I have been a bit busy. Gunnar is practically crawling now and he keeps me running most of the time. If it is this bad already when he is not even really crawling I can't imagine how crazy it is going to be when he starts walking.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Salem visiting my sister with Gunnar and we took some of the cutest pictures. Terrance didn't know what to think of Gunnar at all. She asks for him and says "baby" or "Gunnar" but when you ask her if she loves her baby cousin Gunnar she says "no". It is pretty funny. I think she wants him to play with her but not take any of her toys and he is just too small to play the way she wants to. It was also cold, windy, and rainy...not any of the things the weather man said would happen...the entire time we were there and did I bring any jackets, sweaters, or pants. No. So Gunnar borrowed Terrance's pink and flowery jackets all the time and her sweat pants. The ones she wears right now fit him almost perfectly. It is pretty funny how big he actually is now. And not chubby at all...I keep wondering where that came from...but I guess I will never know. Anyway, we took these really cute pictures of him out in Alycia's backyard in Terrance's green and flowery sweater...I thought he could pass for a girl with the eyelashes but he was cute anyway. He also got his first real fever while we were there and of course me being me and being away from my pediatrician I freaked out. He had a 102.2 fever and I rushed him to the ER in Salem. While standing in line they have a nurse there asking questions to get a general idea of what is wrong and to assess the need for immediate action. I told her he was six months old and had a 102.2 fever. At that point everyone in line starts talking about how scary and bad that is when they are so young and wouldn't shut up. I about burst into tears and started screaming at everyone in there to shut the hell up you are not helping. Somehow I was able to restrain myself long enough to get into see the doctor without a complete meltdown.

Note to self: if ever in the line at the ER and a first time mom brings in her baby with any sort of problems say reassuring things like it is going to be okay...they are young and bounce back easy...I am sure it is nothing and he will be fine...NOT...Oh my god that is sooo scary when they are that young and you have to be really careful because fevers can be really dangerous in baby's so young.

Back to the point...it turned out that Gunnar had a mild ear infection probably set off by the damp and windy weather. The doctor...who was okay, but not my doctor...went off on this rant about how some parents don't want to medicate or treat their children because the infection will clear up on it's own in a couple of days anyway so what is the point. The entire time he is talking to me I am thinking...parents will actually sit there and let there children suffer for two days when they can treat the problem and see significant improvement over night. Now I can see why you wouldn't want to give babies Tylenol every five hours every day for a month but not to give them azithromyacin when they have an ear infection?...that is like not treating a yeast infection because it will eventually go away on its own. What? So then he says that he is going to prescribe the medication anyway and then I can either choose to treat or not treat, it was up to me. I looked at him and said..."well, I want the medication...I am going to treat him."

All this happened in the morning on Wednesday of that week and I was supposed to drive home that afternoon but there was an overturned asphalt tar tanker on I-84 right after Troutdale and they shut down both the east and west bound lanes and were diverting traffic to hwy 30 or something like that, that takes you out behind mt. hood and then you would have to cut back in to get to I-84. It was like a 4 hour detour. So there I am driving Adam's big white Chevy down Powell and Division (aka the Ghetto...not even kidding) with Gunnar in the back who is feeling like crap and Preston sitting in the back with him asking me how long it is going to take to get home. Now when I say the Ghetto I am not even exaggerating a little. I couldn't use the bathroom at the gas station I stopped at because someone kept steeling their toilet paper. See, the GHETTO! I finally get back on the road get stuck in even more traffic, start crying, call my boss and cry to him on the phone about how I can't get back for work the next day because Gunnar is sick, they closed the freeway, and I am stuck in traffic. As you can see it was a rough day. So I drove back to my aunts house and stayed another night and left the next morning when Gunnar was feeling much better and made it home without incident. What a trip that was. It only took Gunnar a week to get back into his schedule once we got home. He had a bit of a time adjusting. He travels in the car well, he just doesn't adjust to strange places all that well. But he finally started feeling better and things were back to normal. Here are some pictures from the more sane moments of that trip. Check out this Hi-Larry-Us (inside joke) one of Terrance!

Since then he has turned seven months and is eating like a pig. Is that a boy thing or just a kid thing in general. He used to eat about 5-6 bottles a day (around 38 ounces) and only one thing of baby food. He now eats around 6-7 bottles a day (about 44 ounces) 2-3 things of Gerber 2 foods in the big tubs and some snacks. Holly cap kid...you are already eating me out of house and home. I am still on wic and thank god for that because I know I could not afford the NINE cans of formula they give me...I can barely afford the THREE now FIVE extra cans I have to buy as it is. To me it seems like Gunnar should be eating more baby food on a regular basis. You know three meals a day or something like that but he is still really irregular with it. It is just whenever he is in a good mood and I offer it to him. He never really wants it...you know what I mean? Anyway, it seems like he should be wanting it more if he is eating that much formula but maybe I am wrong. What do you all think? I will ask my ped. next time I am in there but he will probably give me the stock answer..."it's normal". I think we have talked about that one before so I will just let that one lie, but I will talk to him about it and see what he says.

I am so glad that tomorrow is payday! Did this month seem especially long to anyone but me? I swear it lasted forever. Anyway, I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow and really the only place to go is Wal-mart so I am going to get up early and try to beat all the 1st of the monthers, but I doubt I will. I am sure it will be packed anyway. This month I swear I am only going to buy the basics. It is so sad how you get in there and before you know it you have spent $300.00 in one go. Sick I tell you. We also have to start thinking about buying Gunnar a bigger car seat. I am confused though whether it is 20lbs AND a year or 20lbs OR a year before you can turn them around. I don't really want to buy a transition car seat the he is going to use for another three months and then have to buy ANOTHER one to last him the rest of the time plus the booster for after that. I would rather buy a three-in-one but they face forward in the car. I have to decide soon though because his feet are hanging farther and farther out of the one we have now. I think I am going to buy the Alpha Omega Three-in-one from Safety-first.

Looks pretty nice right? It has the three point harness and goes from 20lbs to 70lbs or something like that. Plus it still tilts back for the smaller ones. There is another brand that starts with an B...Bitax, I think that are supposed to be the best ones on the market but they are also $300.00 and who can afford that right now. We will probably have to make our decision by next month...Gunnar is just getting to big for his other...it looks kind of sad with his legs hanging out the end of the car seat we have now. They also have a green one just like this but the orange is cooler...I think.

On to scrapbooking news. I am working on a few things to get put up on the Internet for you. I am really excited about some of them and can't wait to hear what you all think. Hopefully I will get something up in the next month. They could be potentially BIG! Also as you may have noticed I have decided to take the summer off from the monthly sketches...mostly because of time but also I am waiting for inspiration...so I will start those back up in September just in time for school. Here are some recent random pictures of Gunnar that I absolutely love. The first one is a bit blurry bit I love it anyway.

2009-06-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Holy crap....Gun just ate two tubs of baby food and a bunch of those little melt in your mouth star things from Gerber. He was totally starving I guess. He is so cute because he actually tries to chew those start things even though he still doesn't have any teeth. Does that mean he is ready to start the Gerber 2 foods? He has been eating Gerber 1 foods for almost two months now. This whole baby thing is hard...the doctors never give you any practical information and everyone else tells you something different. Oh well, I guess the second time around I will have a much better idea about all of this. LOL :)

2009-06-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ok so I have a question for everyone. I am looking to get family portraits taken but am not sure where to go. I have heard both good and bad about JC Penny and I know nothing about Sears or Walmart. Are there any other places? and Where would you go? What are you experiences?

I am also reading this book called the The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. It is really interesting and really makes you think about your life, present, past, and future. I am about 2/3 of the way done so I will fill you in on what I think when I am finished.

2009-06-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

Gunnar is 6 months old today and I can't believe it. Yesterday we went to the zoo to celebrate fathers day and Gun's 6 month birthday and he had a blast. He absolutely loved the cement sculptured animals and could care less about the real ones...except the sloth...for some reason he loved the sloth. At the gift shop after we were done walking through the zoo we bought Gun this tiger hat made of foam and I took some pictures of him in it when we got home...I laughed for about twenty minutes when I saw him in it. The first picture is just as we walked into the zoo where the animals are. I laughed when I saw it because it made me wonder what he was thinking. Probably..."I don't know about this place..." Here are some of my favorite pics...there are a lot so here we go.

2009-06-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

Five reasons why motherhood opens your eyes, surprises you, scares you and makes you complete.

1. Sitting on the kitchen floor for 20 minutes barking like a dog at your son sitting in his walker because he laughs hysterically at you.

2. Waking up ever 5 minutes during the night to make sure he is still breathing because he has been stuffed up lately.

3. Realizing what IMPORTANT really means...and what things in life really are IMPORTANT.

4. When you whisper "I love you" to him when you drop him off at the babysitters in the morning and while he is still asleep he smiles and reaches for you.

5. Jumping up and down and kneeling on the floor in front of him while he holds his stomach off the floor for the first time, or while he rocks forward for the first time and looks at you like, "I am coming mom!"

2009-06-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures to share. He is sitting up almost by himself. We use the bobpy to help support but he doesn't need it much...but it is sure fun to lay on. Isn't he funny.

2009-06-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

I just got finished reading this book called "The Red Tent". It is the biblical story of Dinah the daughter of Jacob with a bit of a personal twist to the story. I really liked the way that it was written...it made me want to read the bible and see what other types of interesting people there are in it...if only I could make it past Genesis. I loved the dynamics of the story except at the end I found myself wishing there was more. I wanted more detail to her life...I wanted to know more. I still thought that it was a great book and I plan on reading it again. It will definitely have a permanent spot on my bookshelf. See, when I read a book and love it I keep it forever...and yes Alycia, they become like my friends...I want to go back an visit them from time to time...yeah shut up Alycia I know you are laughing.

This next book that I started today is called "The Twentieth Wife". I am only in the prologue and I am already hooked. I can't wait to see what this one has in store. The only thing is that the names of the places and people are so odd. You find yourself just recognizing the name and not even reading it to yourself let alone out loud. It takes place in the 16th century in Persia so you can imagine the types of names already. Anyway it is already really good so I will let you know how it turns out.

I got both of these books at my local used book store...which I LOVE...they are so nice there and you can't beat the smell of a book store. Plus the books are fairly cheap and in pretty good condition. I always feel kinda bad because if I like a book...which I like most books I read...I keep them forever and so I never bring anything in like everyone else. I kinda feel like I am taking advantage of the system and not sharing my great finds by letting someone else have the chance to read them. Oh well, they are mine...sorry...I guess I will share this way. LOL.

2009-06-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the sketch for this month. I was inspired by a drawing Ali Edwards posted on her blog that was done by her son where each "petal" or "loop" represents a different part of you on today's date. It is a great way to document yourself. I didn't particularly like the whole flower thing so I added some more squares and circles to give the layout some versatility and some edge. Use the small squares and circles on the loops for photos or journaling blocks and the square in the center for photos or journaling blocks as well. Have some fun with this one and explore yourself a little.

2009-05-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

WoooHooo! it is payday tomorrow! I can't wait to not be broke for one day, because you know after you pay all your bills and go shopping for the month you have just enough left to buy gas for the month...ohwell such is life I guess.
I went and bought myself some new scrub pants yesterday for work and they are a size LARGE...how awesome is that...even thought they are a tiny bit tight still they will fit in no time. Yes! My goal when I started this whole thing was to loose the baby weight and a bit more. I started at 257 and am now down to 226! Awesome...that is 31lbs. Now I my scale...which is one of those programmable ones that tell you a bunch of information that you really don't want to see but need to none the less...says that I only have 46lbs. to my goal which is 180lbs. Will I make it there?...I better...I am! I will just take it five lbs. at a time. So me next goal is 220lbs. I weighed 210lbs. when I got pregnant with Gunnar and was looking might fine if I do say so myself so I am almost back where I started.
I also got a bit of my scrapbook room cleaned after walking in the door and standing there for about 20 minutes trying to decide where to start first. It is kinda hard not to get overwhelmed but once you get started you can get quite a bit done. I am hoping to get my first scrapbooking day arranged for the next couple of weeks...how great is that. Adam is going to watch Gunnar all day and I am going to sit in my scrapbook room with the radio...not the tv or I will never get anything done...and scrap all day. I have no idea where to start and what to work on first, and I am sure that if I make a plan I will never stick to it so I am just going to brainstorm for the next week or so and see what I am feeling like when it gets here.
This weekend Adam and I rented three movies, Valkyri, Taken, and Mall Cop. Taken was awesome, lots of action and Liam Neeson is great as usual. Mall Cop sucks...so Adam says and is not funny at all...he said he couldn't even make it through the first 45 minutes. We are watching Valkyri tonight so I will let you know how that goes...it looks great even though Tom Cruse is a bit annoying. It is funny most of the older people talk about how they hate Tom Cruse with a passion and I was always like "Why? I think he is good." and now as I am getting older I am finding that he is starting to annoy me as well. Weird.

2009-05-25T16:02:00.001-07:00

Ok, so it has been five months since I have even stepped foot into my scrapbook room and thought about scrapping. This week it is my goal to get a bit of it cleaned everyday I get home after work. Adam is gone to Portland to work again so this week may not be the best to be setting this goal but oh well, I am going to do it anyway. I really need this for myself I think...I am starting to go a little stir crazy because I don't have any creative outlets. Then once my room is clean I am going to spend a half an hour a week in there working on something...whether it be sketching an idea or working little by little on a layout I am going to do it. I AM GOING TO DO IT.

2009-05-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

OK, so there are a few things that I am super excited for. An an event today that is sure to entertain. First what all the excitement is about.

One: Harry Potter comes out in July...YEAHHHH! I can't wait. I was so sad when I thought that this was the second to last one they are going to make...there will only be one more and then that is it. Ohhhh :(. But then I found out that they are splitting the last book into two movies so I can put off my sadness for at least another year.

Two: New Moon comes out in November...now I know that it is a bit early to get all excited about the movie but I can't help it. Look...I already added a count down...YES! I need to reread the series so that I am prepared for the movie and won't miss a thing. "Obsess much?"

Three: the fourth of July is almost hear and Adam and I are going to go out will all of our friends for the first time in six months. My very good friend Denise is going to watch Gunnar over night for us and I am a bit nervous about him being away all night but it is going to be good for us. Besides...Denise and Todd (her husband) are so in love with Gunnar it is amazing...they act like he is there grandson or something...I love it. They are truly the greatest people.

Four: Adam and I's one year wedding anniversary is on the 25th...so exciting! The biggest change since we got married is Gunnar. We have been together for 11 YEARS on Monday and I we have considered ourselves married for so long that the actual event didn't change much. Still it is nice to be officially Mrs. Adam Tamez.

Five: I am going to start reading this true crime novel by Ann Rule called the Stranger Beside Me. It is the story of Ted Bundy the serial killer. She worked with him as a police officer in Seattle. It sounds very interesting.

Today was crazy all around. I had an episode of what my friends like to call "Whitney's World". I had a long day at work today filled with annoyance and disappointment and on my way home I had the privilege of getting stuck behind a line of twenty cars going...no shit...40 miles and hour. I was stuck behind this line of cars for the whole 20 minutes that it took us to drive 8 miles. It was completely ridiculous. You know when a semi pulling a double passes you in 30 seconds you are driving WAY too slow.

So after the 20 minutes it took me to get up to the person who was causing this ridiculous traffic jam I noticed that it was a Warrington Irrigation truck pulling a 12 foot trailer loaded with about 50 pieces of gated pipe. Now I realize that this is a farming community and that there will be tractors, swathers, trucks hauling loads, and other various pieces of slow moving equipment on the road from time to time. But in my experience the farmers of our small community stick to the back roads as much as possible and when they cannot they are courteous of the public and will pull over when the notice people behind them and let them pass. This was not the case with the driver of the Warrington Irrigation truck. He stubbornly stuck to his 40 mile and hour speed and let the line keep building up. This of course after the day that I had put me over the edge and so me being the person that I am, when I realized who was driving the truck I called the company to complain. This is how that conversation went:

Me: Hi, my name is Whitney (I didn't want to tell them my last name because Adam actually does business with them...a minor complication given my level of annoyance), you don't know me and I don't shop there but I have a complaint for you.

Joey: (she didn't say anything, so I continued talking.)

Me: I am on my way home from Ontario and have been stuck behind a line of 20 cars going 40 miles an hour because a man driving a grey Warrington Irrigation truck hauling a load of gated pipe is driving 40 mph on the highway. It has taken me 20 minutes to get from Ciaro Junction to the bottom of Trinkle Hill (approximately 8 miles).

Joe: Well, what we have found is that it is safer to drive on the highway then on the back roads because everyone is in so much of a hurry on the back roads that it is more dangerous.

Note: I realize that...at least I was annoyed so more then likely that annoyance showed in my voice...I however didn't expect the level of vehemence in hers.

Me: I understand that but you have to realize that because he was driving so slow he was a danger to traffic not to mention incredible frustrating, because all he was doing was causing others to pass him more recklessly then they normally would because of their frustration, and I would hope that a local company would be a little more courteous to the others in their community.

Joey: You have to understand that this is a farming community and there are tractors and machinery on the road all the time.

Me: I know that, but they often stick to the back roads as much as possible and if they have to take the highway they pull off the road when they notice people behind them and let them pass.

Joey: Well, are you in such a hurry that you cannot drive 40 mph? Do you need to get where ever you are going that bad?

Me: It doesn't matter if I am in a hurry or not...that is not the point. The point is that I would hope that your company would be a bit more courteous to the public and take the back road. (that runs parallel to the highway about a mile north and has about 20 crossroads that meat the highway in various places along the entire way from Ontario to Vale. It is not a great inconvenience to take the back road as far as you can and then get on the highway when you have to.)

Joey: Well if you are in such a hurry why don't you take the back roads?

Me: Because the highway is posted at 55 mph and the back roads are only 50 mph so why if I am going to drive the normal speed should I have to take the back roads.

Note: At this point we are both starting to get very angry and I am about to drive around the Vale butte and my cuts off. A couple of minutes later my phone rings and who do you think it was? Right...Warrington Irrigation. So I answer the phone and this is how it went.

Me: Hello?

Joey: If you are going to call me up and chew my ass then you better not just hang up on me when I am trying to respond.

Me: Actually I didn't hang up on you I was going around the butte in Vale and I lost your signal.

Joey: (a little pause) well, we pay our taxes too and there is no reason for us to take the back road. Blahh, Blahh, Blahh. What if our deliver is right off the highway?

Me: Well you can take the back road as far as possible and then return to the highway when you are closer to the delivery point.

Joey: At this point she is just going off...completely worked up over the situation and so I just say...OK what ever and hung up. She never called back.

I was completely aghast at her reaction to the situation. As a consumer I have a right to voice my opinion on the practices of the businesses in my area...or any business for that matter. The normal reaction to a complaint by a consumer is to apologize and assure them that you will look into the situation. I know...I have worked in retail. That...obviously...is not what happened. When did it become common practice for a manager at a business to curse at a consumer or to call them back and continue to argue and harass them for having an opinion and voicing that opinion to them? I have worked retail for many years and never once have I been instructed in customer service to continue or even start an argument with a customer no matter the circumstances...no matter how rude or demanding they are being. In fact I was always told that it was grounds for release. I guess that times have changed and that common courtesy is not as important as it once was. Adam and I moved back to our home town from Salem because of the family like environment of a small town that we have all lived in for so long. This is not at all what I had in mind. I am completely disappointed in them. They are just glad that they are the only ones in the community to offer the services they do or they would probably not have any business...and they can be sure that I will never have anything good to say about them if anyone asks. I will also be sure to voice my opinion of them whenever I hear their name mentioned weather I am asked or not. It is completely ridiculous.

Normally I would have just grumbled about the situation, maybe flipped the guy off as I passed...at least gave him a very serious but probably ineffectually glare and move on with the day. Instead I called them to voice my opinion and that is what I got. What shit is that. Anyway...I should probably put an end to my ranting...for tonight at least...this is far from over between us. LOL.

2009-05-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

These are some of the newest pictures of Gunnar. Adam took them while he was eating and getting ready to eat. Look at how red his hair is in the sun in the last pictures. He is so funny now...he wants to eat all by himself and so I will give him the spoon and he puts it into his mouth and then gets mad when there isn't anything on it and when I take it from him so I can feed him some he gets pissed because he wants to do it. He has such a temper...I can just imagine it when he gets older...holy cow. Anyway he is just over four months old in these photos and I can't believe how fast time has flown by.

Things to remember at four months:

Your favorite food it bananas
I can't believe how independent you are already
Your eyes are STILL blue
Your hair changes from blond to brown to red depending on the light
You are eating two tubs of baby food a day and 6 6oz. bottles...WOW
You are 25 inches and 16lbs
Your thighs and feet are ticklish
You love your bouncer
You are obsessed with Diet Pepsi bottles...obviously and addict in the making
We love you more than anything else in the world

2009-05-07T04:13:00.000-07:00

I entered Gunnar's photo in the Great American Photo Contest for the cutest baby! He needs people to vote for him so please visit here:

https://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/index.aspx?referid=EmailFriends&p=1430629&x=.jpg

and vote for him. As many times as you can. Isn't he sweet?

2009-04-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

Gunnar is 4 months old today....wow! It really is hard to take pitures and make him laugh at the same time. lol.

2009-04-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I owe you a sketch for April so here it is!

Sorry for the lost lines...you can fill in the blanks. I love the simplicity of this layout and the room for creativity...what can you do with it?

2009-03-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

I am super sad lately because all the blogs I read are not getting updated. I am sure it is because everyone, like me, has just had a new baby and we are all super busy and the last thing on our minds is our blogs but i miss the new projects and stories about new products and stores they have visited. Some day soon I hope to have the time to get back into my scrapbook room and get immerse myself in the joy of it. Oh...how I have missed it.

Anyway, there is not a whole lot going on lately. Gunnar is getting big and doing so many more things it is amazing. Sometimes I forget that he is only three months old. I swear he is an " old soul". Sometimes the faces he makes and the way he looks at you makes me think he knows more than I can imagine. It is amazing how your world can shift so dramatically to revolve around the life and well-being of one little person. It is phenomenal.

Oh, one exciting thing that has happened lately is that Twilight came out. I have only watched it about 10,000 times since I got it on the 23rd. I can't wait for the second one now. Adam thinks I am crazy as well as a few others (sarah) but I love it anyway! How can you not?

Adam and I's first wedding anniversary is coming up and I have asked for a kindle 2. Does anyone have one? If so what do you think of it? The kindle is a digital reading device that holds books digitally and will actually read to you if you want. You can see it on amazon.com and it holds about 1,500 books. It is awesome. It is really expensive though...about $350.00 but the books for it run from $12.oo to free so maybe it balances out. Well, we will see.

2009-03-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

Today Gunnar turns three months old, and I find myself wondering where the time went. It seems like just yesterday he was a teeny tiny little babe. Now he can sit up when supported and stand almost by himself, he has even started jabbering...so cute! When I think back about being pregnant, it was almost like it was a dream. I've said it before and I will say it again...Pregnancy really is weird. We went to the doctor yesterday and he was 24 inches long, and weighed 13 lbs. and 2.5 oz. Holy crap...chunk!

2009-03-17T04:50:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day...my favorite holiday!

2009-03-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

The cutest cowboy ever!!!

2009-03-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Movin' on up!....we're getting a bumbo chair and an exersaucer! YEAAAHHH! We went to walmart last night and tried both of them out and Gunnar loved them. He is getting so big now and is finally starting to do things....know what I mean! I am so excited for this next stage of his life, sitting, crawling, and finally walking! What a miracle this is and continues to be. I have been trying to get him to say I love you and when he says something back after I have said it I would like to think it is something really close but I am a biased opinion.

2009-03-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

Here is March's sketch. First, notice there is not square outline around the layout...just pretend there is...my bad...LOL. I plan to use this one as a yearly record. The title is going to be: "2008: the year that changed my life." I will use the different blocks around the circle to record the events of certain months such as the month we got married, and the month we found out we were pregnant with Gunnar and so on. Also the shapes around the circle are just squares and circles but experiment with different shapes such as hearts or stars. I challenge you to do this layout with out photos, instead focus on journaling. See what you can do with it.

A lot has happened in the last few weeks.

1. Gunnar turned 2 months old

2. I got a new job

3. I turned down a new job

4. Gunnar laughed for the first time

5. Alycia and I started a new project that we are really passionate about...and hope works out.

6. I am going back to work

7. I am turning 26 in a few days.

8. We took Gunnar on his first road trip...what an experience that was.

I am amazed at how much Gunnar has changed in these short two months. It really makes me realize how important it is to appreciate and cherish each moment. It is funny how it takes a child to teach you that lesson. When it is just you it really doesn't seem that important. After two months off I am kinda excited to go back to work. It has been amazing staying home with Gunnar but I am ready to go back. Tomorrow is my first day so we will see how I do. I will probably cry for a while but it will be okay. At least Gunnar is staying home with Adam instead of going to a sitter.

Well, enjoy the sketch and I can't wait to see what you will create with it!

2009-02-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

There is definitely a resemblance there....don't you think. It seems CUTE runs in the family.

2009-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

unn..unnn.un.uunn.un!!! You know what that noise is? It's me doing my happy dance. You want to know why? Because I just ordered this:

and it will be here on March 21st! I can't wait. $23.00 at Walmart...you know it! I know what I am going to be doing for the next five days after it gets here. Just look at the cover....I am so excited! Yes...Sarah...I know.

2009-02-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this website with you called "You Are Beautiful". They are a non-profit organization that prints little stickers that say "you are beautiful" on then and distribute them free of charge. The idea is to place these stickers in random places to remind people that they are beautiful. What a fabulous idea! There is great wisdom in the idea of spreading self appreciation. They encourage you to design your own stickers or you can request some from them for free. They are also taking donations to help fund this endeavor. I donated and can't wait to get my stickers...how much fun is this going to be...to help change peoples perspectives. Wow. Here are some pictures of the stickers in action.

Here is the main website:

http://www.you-are-beautiful.com/

Here is the index where you can view more of the above photos...they are quite inspiring:

http://www.you-are-beautiful.com/STICKERS/

2009-02-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

As a new mom the list of things to worry about seems infinite. Are they sick, are they hungry, are they tired, are they too cold, are they too hot, are they breathing, in general...are they okay? These worries have recently gotten on Adams nerves...and the other day he turned to me and said "stop it...he is okay...he is not going to die...you are always looking at him like he is just miserable!" I got really upset and told him that he should just get used to me worrying about him now because I am going to do it for the rest of my life. Even when he is 40 and has his own kids I will still worry about him...it is my job now. Since then I have lightened up a bit and he has gotten over it. But I still worry about a lot of things. My recent worry is that he is too skinny. You always seem to grow up with the notion that babies are these cute little balls of jelly with rolls on top of rolls. You know rolls on their feet. I always imagined...with my propensity to be chubby...that I would have a "stay puff marshmallow" baby but Gunnar is astoundingly thin. It is not necessarily that I think he is starving skinny he is just not as chubby as I always imagined he would be. I guess that I should be happy...he takes after his father and will hopefully be really tall and relatively thin rather than unremarkably short and stout like me. I know it is not something I should be worried about...he is gaining like he should be and pediatrician called him perfect and told me we were doing a good job it is just hard not to worry.
We also decided to switch Gunnar to formula because we think that he has a sensitivity to milk. I don't necessarily think that he is allergic to milk just sensitive to it because he throws it up every time. He can't seem to keep much of it down and has to eat all the time. We started using formula at night to see if we could get him to sleep a little longer at night and saw such an improvement that we had to consider the possibility. And after yesterday when he was lying in a puddle of spit-up I decided enough was enough and he was going to formula. Although he has only been switched for a day the improvement is remarkable. He no longer spits-up and he seems to sleep better...more sound. Needless to say my boobs are KILLING me but if he feels better it is all worth it.
He is sleeping right now and he looks like a sweet little angle. I told Adam last night that I can't believe that we made him and he started from a teeny little sperm...what a miracle he is.

2009-02-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

Isn't he cute. I love the look on his face in the last one. Definitely scrapbook worthy.

2009-02-03T11:56:00.001-08:00

awwwww.....I want this(the picture is not great):

My Minds Eye always does a great job. I love 90% of what the they come up with. Check out the rest of their new releases at their website: http://www.mymindseye.com/

Also check out the new Cosmo Cricket. I love the Snorkel line.

2009-01-31T22:46:00.000-08:00

I just ordered this (bamboo fun tablet)...YAYYY! It will be here in three days.

2009-01-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some photos of a project that I was working on before Gunnar was born. They are of an owl chipboard album that I designed and the theme of the album is "Whoo will you become?" I used an outdoor paper line by Rusty Pickle...don't ask me it's name I have no idea...ask Alycia she will know. Anyway, I love how the colors contrast each other and I really worked at scraping in different levels...I love the look. I also added glitter to spice things up but not detract from the "Boy" look.

P.S.

There Alycia...now you can quit bugging me for pictures of it.

2009-01-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share these with you...isn't he cute?

2009-01-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well...five weeks (on Sunday) and counting. I can't believe it has been that long since Gunnar has been born. I almost can't remember the feeling of being pregnant or even the pain of giving birth and believe me that is not something that I thought I would ever forget. It is almost like a dream...something I thought up in my head and I try to imagine how it would feel. I actually miss it. After being pregnant for nine months it is hard to not be...to not have the belly...to not have him that close to me. Sometimes I look down and expect it to still be there. I know he is here with me everyday and I get to see him grow which is the most fabulous thing I have ever done in my life it is just not the same thing. There is something so special about being pregnant. Now that I have not been for a while I can really appreciate the beauty of it and not just focus on all the annoying little problems like peeing ever five seconds, no sleep, and heartburn that would kill a horse.

Gunnar is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. He has changed so much that he is almost not the same baby. We had some pictures framed the other day and they are awesome. It is amazing how much better a picture looks when it is framed. Anyway, he has gone through this phase where all he wants to do is nurse and then he over eats, throws up because his tummy is upset, then wants to nurse again. It is a hard cycle to deal with. We finally had to just let him cry which is so sad but it worked. He finally settled down and fell asleep. Usually I sleep with a lamp on so that I can see Gunnar's face easily and check if he is breathing...you know typical mom stuff. Last night I turned the light off and Gunnar slept for five hours straight...usually he wakes up every two hours. Maybe it is the light. It felt so good to get five hours of sleep...in a row. I almost feel like a new person. He fell asleep around 12:30 and woke up at 5:30, I fed him and then he fell back asleep around 6:30 and slept for about 2 hours. How sweet. I had forgotten what it was like to get sleep...of any kind. LOL.

Look at how sweet his is. See the scratch on his nose...he is getting a bit more coordinated and does not scratch himself much anymore...except when he is really pissed off and then I think he dose it because it bothers me. We bought him the sweetest Easter outfit yesterday. it is a blue polo onesie with a white sweater vest with dark green, light green, and blue diamonds on the front with like khaki slacks. I can't wait to get him in it and take some pictures. I think it will really make his hair look red...especially if we take them in the sun. Red hair and a sweater vest...could it get any better?

2009-01-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

I always new that kids were a lot of work and took a lot of your time. What I was mistaken about was exactly how much time "a lot" was. I always thought that most of my time would go to the baby but I would still have some time to scrapbook, do my hair, take a shower, and eat. What was I thinking? I have only had time enough to look at my scrapbook room longingly as I walk by on my way to the bink, or another blanket, or diapers, or another of the million things it takes everyday to take care of a little baby. I have however had time...while chained to the couch feeding Gunnar the glutton...LOL...to sketch a lot of new ideas for projects and some layouts. I have one project coming up that I am so excited about...I think I am going to take a day off soon so that I can work on it. It is a planner of sorts and I will post it as soon as I get a chance to work on it...when that will be is anyone's guess. I did get Gunnar's swing today so we will see how much that helps. Maybe if he will sleep in it well I will set it right outside the door of my scrapbook room and see how much work I can get done before he wakes up.

Gunnar is a month (well four weeks) old tomorrow...I can't believe that it has been that long already. Sometimes Adam and I look at him and it is hard to believe he is ours and we are not just babysitting someone else kid. He is adorable and although he looks just like me he is definitely a Tamez at heart. He has the red hair, the temper, and the personality. He is also a really big daddy's boy...sometimes I think he looks at me like..."not this chick again...isn't 9 months enough". It is amazing...he can be fussy but as soon as Adam walks in and starts talking or takes him he calms right down. It is actually really cute and I am very thankful for the close connection between them. Some dad's don't connect with their kids for quite a while and it was never that way with Gunnar and Adam. I have known it would be that way for a long time...even while he was still in the tum he would quit kicking or settle down whenever Adam would walk into the room and start talking. He definitely knows who his daddy is.

My sweet little family...sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky.

2009-01-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

Here is the first sketch for this year. Sorry it is so late...for obvious reasons I have been a bit busy. I designed this layout for Gunnar's first six months and I will post something when I get it done. Use the tags for journaling or photos or mix and match. It is a two page layout and try to experiment with making the downward facing tags interactive...make them pull out or open up, you are bound only by your imagination.

2009-01-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

Being a mom has been eye-opening experience in so many ways.

Breastfeeding is an interesting experience...sometimes I absolutely love it but most of the time I could do without. It is a true testament to how much I love my son and want the best start possible for him. The closeness between Gunnar and I that comes from breastfeeding is by far the best and most astonishing thing that I have ever encountered. I could not before imagine how much it would affect me. The fact that Gunnar can recognize my heartbeat, and my smell is something that I could never have understood. On the other hand, being chained to the couch, sore nipples, engorged breasts and leaking through are aspects that I could do without and that no one seemed to talk a lot about while I was pregnant. I guess it is understood that a few subjects about pregnancy are off limits and are never to be mentioned in the presence of one who is or might become pregnant. Again...I really need to write a book..."The TRUTH about pregnancy...everything that you are not supposed to talk about." In reality there was not decision to make...if it is best for Gunnar and in my power to give him, then that is what I am going to do. I do have to go back to work on March 16th so I will not be breastfeeding until he is 12 or anything. (Holy shit...I can't believe that people actually do that...crazy) We are going to start introducing formula next month some time and feed him both for a while until he gets used to it. The hardest part about formula feeding is choosing the right formula. There are so many, how do you choose the best one. Fortunately I do not anticipate any problems with the transition, I have been pumping since the week he was born and we bottle feed it to him when we are in town for doctors appointments and such. He takes the bottle with no problem...thank god!

Sleepless nights are something that has not bothered me as much as I thought it would. (I love to sleep) There are those few minutes in the morning or late at night when you are not sure you can keep going but then the "mommy" hormones kick in and you forget all about being tired, hungry, or even having to pee. It turns out that two hours a sleep a night is enough...who knew?

Almost complete isolation is an aspect that I actually love...that is probably why I don't go anywhere that often. Gunnar is a good excuse to not leave my house. If people want to see me or Gunnar they can come over. I am one of those weirdo's who loves to be home. It is more convenient for me to be home where I have everything I need and where I can breastfeed in peace and not worry about who I am flashing or who is looking when Gunnar cries or who is going to want to touch or pick him up. I do have to admit though that after three weeks it is nice to get out of the house for a half hour or so but I love being at home. It is my little haven.

The state of constant worry is one that is going to take a while for me to get used to. Is he to cold? Is he to hot? Is he hungry? Is he getting enough to eat? Is he feeling okay? Am I doing everything right? Is he developing the right way? Is he on track? For example, Gunnar seems to be one of those baby's who get gas easily and he seems to have trouble pooping (a coordination issue which I am told is completely normal) so when his sleep is restless or he spits up a lot I of course begin to worry. On Saturday Gunnar spit up about 400 times and when he would sleep or his sleep was really restless all day and he was really fussy it stressed me out a bit. I always thought I was the rational one in Adam and I's relationship...the optimist who deals with stress well but when I can't figure out how to make Gunnar feel better or what is wrong with him to begin with I completely break down. I walk into the room clutching him as close to me as possible...balling because I can't figure out how to make him feel better. Adam looks at me and tells me to calm down...he will be fine...it is just gas. I don't like it when he is not feeling well and I can't do anything about it...it makes me feel...sick. Anyway, we rocked him and gave him some gas drops and rocked him some more and finally he started to feel better and I started to calm down. I guess this is just the beginning and it is going to be this way for the rest of my life so I just better get used to it...but that doesn't make it any easier...or make me look less idiotic.

Yes, motherhood is a definite life change. Some changes I love...and some not so much but no matter how I am feeling it is completely worth it. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life. Sometimes I spend hours just staring at him an awe...wondering how I got so lucky in life. He is so beautiful. Speaking of that Regis and Kelly are having their beautiful baby contest and if I can find a picture I absolutely love I might enter him into it. We will see.

2009-01-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Gunnar is now 16 days old and changed so much already. He had is 2 week appointment yesterday and gained a pound and the doctor said he was perfect and that we were doing a great jog. It was such a relief to hear that from him...as much instincts that you have you still have doubts. Anyway, here are some of the newest pictures. We caught him smiling...isn't he beautiful! The last photo is my favorite. Look at his jolly eyes.

2009-01-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post this really cute picture of Gunnar. It is his first New Years Eve...how sweet. Look at how big his eyes are...and how little he looks in Adams hands. He is starting to stay awake more and sleep longer...not by much but still. He is growing so fast...I can't believe he is almost two weeks old. Sometimes I still can't believe that he is ours forever.

2008-12-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

Well...I am just sitting here on the couch feeding Gunnar...again. I can't believe how much he eats for how small he is...where does he put it? I guess he is getting ready to have a big growth spurt...he is almost two weeks old. I have finally gotten into a little bit of a groove and have my computer out and ready for when he does want to eat...which is all he time. I also can't believe that 2008 is almost over. This is definitely one of the most memorable years of my life.

January: We decided that we were ready to start a family.
March: I turned a quarter of a century old...25...crap that's old.
April: We found out that we were pregnant.
May: Adam and I finally got married after ten years of bliss.
September: We found out that Gunnar was a boy.
December: I became a mom when Gunnar was born ahead of schedule on Dec. 21 at 11:24 p.m. and we had our first Christmas together as a family. We also decided to move back to Salem if I get my transfer to CCCF in Wilsonville.

As you can see...a lot has happened to change my life this year. I can't wait to see how 2009 goes.

2008-12-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

On Sunday morning I woke up about 8:15, sat there in my bed and thought to myself..."I really don't want to go to work tomorrow"...I then realized that I had to pee...whats new...and so I got up. When I was finished I was walking back to bed and there was a little drizzle...I said, "did I just pee on my self?"...so I stood around for a few minutes trying to figure it out. Adam woke up, saw the look on my face, and asked me what was wrong. I said, "I can't decide if I peed on myself or if my water broke." He just looked at me funny. After a few minuets of nothing went to get back in bed and as soon as I sat down you could hear the gush of water. Adam was up in a split second throwing clothes on and asking what we should do. I said, "get me a diaper" and as he was running out of the room I started laughing and told him to calm down. At this point I had not had a contraction. I told him to go out to the truck and get my suitcase so that I could put a few more things in it and then we could go. Adam went out to his truck three times before he could remember what he was getting. He was so cute. At about 8:45 we were off to the hospital...in the big white truck of course because Gunnar was just waiting for the BIG snow storm before he decided to make his appearance.

On the way we started making phone calls and while the weather was a hindrance at this point I was a little happy that it was so bad...most people didn't come to the hospital to see me flopped on a bed like a beached whale with enough tubing stuck to me to wrap the world twice. I also started to have contractions on the way, and while they hurt I did not think the pain was unmanageable.

About and hour and a half later we finally reach the hospital in Caldwell...which is only an hour at the absolute most away from my house...and the contractions are coming about every five minutes. We get out of the truck and Adam sits me in one of those wheel chairs, mine happened to have only one of the things for my feet and was sticking straight out (Adam was a bit nervous), and he wheels me inside where they basically just verify a bunch of information that they already have and make me sign a HIPPA form...like I really give a @#$% right now, and then give us really bad directions to the elevators. So Adam takes off like speed racer down the halls and then back again because we might be going the wrong way, and then...no, we were right the first time so we turn around again and go back. Finally we find the elevators and are on our way up to the O.B. ward.

Once we get up to the second floor the nurse puts us in this little room...with two beds...and so I sit there for and hour or so before they move us into my laboring room. Adam of course was getting all pissed because number one this was a tiny room and it wasn't a private room which of course is what we wanted, and second while we are there some other lady comes in and is in labor and all she wants to talk about it how her uncle just committed suicide. Yeah, that is super sad and I am probably going to hell, but I was thinking who the hell cares. Give me a break...the contractions are now about three minutes apart and really starting to hurt.

Finally they move us into our laboring room and there we stayed until the c-section. At about 4:00 p.m. my doctor comes in and checks me...uuuaggh...and says that I am about a 4 1/2. At this point the contractions don't just hurt any longer they are slowly killing me. When they say it hurts they are fucking lying...they are enough to kill you and drive you mad. So like any person with a firm grip on all there faculties I asked for the best drugs they could give me. The first thing they gave me was some Stadol which basically knockes you out enough so that you are physically unable to respond to the pain without making you unconscious. It was okay, I was still conscious of the pain just unable to do anything about it. My anesthesiologist came in about an hour later and gave me my epidural...which is on a drip, with a nifty button that lets me give myself more if I want...and thank god for him! I would not have made it otherwise I think.

At about 6:00 my doctor comes in and says that I am about a six and at 7:00 I am still a six so they start my on pitocin just to move things along. I am so glad I had an epi because I was watching those contractions come with the pitocin and holy shit. They must have hurt. Look at that last one...it is almost off the chart. Adam's sister Kathy is there and looking at me saying, "I can't believe you are sleeping through all of these..."

Anyway, the contractions keep coming about ever minute and a half to two minutes and are very strong until about 10:30 when my doctor comes back to tell me that I am not progressing and that Gunnar has not dropped below a -1 and that he recommends a c-section but he doesn't want to press me into it. At this point I have been in labor for 12 hours...true I can't feel much...but I am tired and just want to have Gunnar out already so I look at him and say "Great, let's do it." He smile and off we go.

They wheel me into the surgery room...which scared the crap out of me before...and moved me onto a bed, hung the little sheet by my face, and began. Adam was totally astounded that I didn't feel a thing and that they were pulling my stomach open with those things the dentist use on your cheeks only times 100 in size.

Finally at 11:24 Gunnar is born and handed to Adam so we could see him. He was so beautiful and when I heard him cry my universe tilted and my life finally made sense. I was here for him.

They finished sewing me up and all that jazz and wheeled me into recovery where Adam and Gunnar were waiting. After all the buzz and pictures I was finally alone with my tiny family. We looked at each other and cried. It was the happiest day in my...our lives.

The next day even drugged up on vicodin I was in so much pain that I was not sure I wanted to do this again...and that is a big deal coming from me who wants to have at least four kids. But true to form I soon forgot about the pain and want at least three others just like him. What the hell is wrong with me...glutton for punishment I guess. Oh well, what can you do.

Now my life is consumed with feedings every two hours, pumping when I can, ice bags in between and sleep...I forgot what that was. It is amazing though how two hours of fitful, interrupted sleep can totally get you through the day. Gunnar also likes to pee on us...must be a boy thing...and instead of changing him once we have to do it twice most of the time. I have also only broken down into tears once since I have been home...a fact I am really proud of...I thought I would cry a lot more. Adam is completely in love and I adore my tiny family. How life changes.

2008-12-24T20:10:00.001-08:00

Gunnar Eugene Tamez

December 21st 2008

11:24 p.m.

6lbs. 15 oz.

2008-12-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

Well I went to the doctor and today and found out that I am 3 centimeters dilated, my blood pressure, and weight gain are fine. I also had to have an ultra sound to check Gunnar's size again and this time it said that he weighed 7lbs. and 4oz. with three weeks to go. The doctor said that everything was fine and that now we just wait. I hate that! "now we just wait". That is like saying you have won 297 million dollars but you just have to wait for it.

I was laying there on the table while he checked my cervix and was wondering why in all the baby books I have bought they never mention that when the doc checks your cervix it hurts like HELL! When I thought about it I realized there are a lot of things that they don't tell you in those books. For instance, they don't tell you that literally your crotch is going to hurt...I mean they tell you your hips hurt from the spreading but not your CROTCH! I guess I should read Jenny McCarthy's(spelling ?) book, maybe she will be more truthful. The normal baby books are vague like they don't want to scare you. What scares me is all the shit that I don't know because they didn't tell me that. A good example...your mucus plug will be a snotty ball of tissue that is white...or yellow...or brown...or red. WHAT THE HELL OTHER COLOR COULD IT BE! Why not throw blue or green in there for gods sake. Can they be a little more specific PLEASE!
I know that I would appreciate it.

I guess I have really made it into the final stages of pregnancy. I am testy, judgemental, and very TRUTHFUL! I was hoping to skip all that and keep my sanity but I am completely engrossed in the emotional pregnancy cloud. Like you can't tell from my babbling. Anyway, I wanted to post the new picture of Gunnar that the lady gave me today. It is a 3D ultrasound photo and you can see his little chin and his BIG lips. He has is fist in his face rubbing one of his eyes so you can only see half of his face but it is still cute. At least I think so! Here it is:

We are so excited for him to get here. I can't wait to hold him...in my arms, not my giant house of a uterus...and kiss his sweet cheeks and lips.

2008-12-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of new stuff to share with you so lets get started.

Fist is my latest work for Craftwarehouse. It is my last assignment and they have really come through this time with some bright and fun paper. Hambly...who doesn't' love them? I do want to say sorry though because I was unable to think of something fun and quirky to do with the moustache rubons...I guess my mind wasn't far enough out there for that. Anyway...I was charged with making two layouts, a tag or card, and something of our own choice. I decided to make the two layouts, a tag, and a card. I wanted the projects to be bright and chaotic just like the paper. Here are the pictures. Some of them are a little blurry and the overlays got a little dusty so there you go. I also didn't post a picture of the tag...it is just square and green. Not much to see.

Second. Adam and I finished Gunnar's room the other day except for the trim around the door and window and the curtain (which I have to make yet) but I wanted to post pictures of the color so that every can see it and the crib bedding. It is a green called Pesto and the Rain forest Bedding set from Fisher Price. Here are the photos.

Look at his little clothes in the closet...how cute is that. He doesn't have much to hand up...most of it is onsies which I guess is a good thing. I love the bedding set we got for the crib...the monkey, tiger, and tucan (which you can't see) is adorable. What do you think of the color? I think it is perfect.

I went back to the doctor on Friday and my blood pressure was perfect. 110/62. He asked me what has changed since then and I told him that Adam came home and he said, "well, I don't recommend that he leave again any time soon." I have to go back for my next appointment on Thursday and he will give me another ultrasound to check Gunnar's size because I am now measuring 39 inches. Almost full term. He then said, "if this baby is close to 10 pounds you might want to consider a c-section." I looked at him and said, "that sounds awesome." If Gunnar is ten pounds I don't think I will be able to deliver him vaginally. That is a huge baby.

I have also been really nervous lately because we are getting so close. Every time I feel any type of pain that is new to me...and there is a lot of them...I wonder if it is time or not. Every day I get up and every night I go to bed I wonder if it will be today or tonight. I guess that is normal...I just can't wait for him to get here.

We are almost ready for Christmas. Our living room is about done and we found a really great deal on carpet for the first of the year. I can't wait to have everything put back together again. It is so hard living in a house that you are remodelling. Nothing is clean, and as hard as you try it never will be clean until you are done. Well, we are almost there so I guess that is the best I can ask for now.

2008-12-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

Oh, I forgot...my sister sent these pictures of Terrance to me to show to our Dad. She said that she thinks Terrance looks just like me in the picture of her and the sticks. What do you think? I don't think she looks anything like me but she is still stinking adorable.

2008-12-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I went to my first weekly appointment today and of course had a ton of questions for my doctor. He...like always...answered them all in good humor. He checked my cervix and said that I was 2 centimeters dilated and that he wanted me to have another ultrasound in two weeks to check the size of the baby again. He also talked to me about bed rest and pre-eclampsia because my feet are pretty swollen and my blood pressure has gone up a bit. He said that when I come back next week, if my blood pressure has gone up again he was going to put me on bed rest. This of course scared the crap out of me because that is definitely out of the normal, and anything out of the normal is not good. He said that everything is fine and not to worry. That Gunnars heart rate is in the 150's and that is really good. He said that they don't really know what causes pre-eclampsia it is just something that happens. I asked him if it had something to do with me working and he said it could be because the more you do the more your blood pressure goes up but it is mostly just being pregnant. That your blood pressure automatically go up when you are pregnant it has only just now reached a level that he is starting to worry about. I also found out that when the top of my stomach gets really tight it is actually a contraction. I thought it was just Gunnar pushing on me because they don't hurt they are just uncomfortable. The nurse asked me how often they happen and I said anywhere from 4 to 10 times a day...just depends. She asked if they are coming with any regularity and I said....uhm...I am not sure, I didn't know they were contractions so I was really paying that much attention to them. I definitely will now. So far I have had two of them in the past 45 minutes. Some days it is like that and some days I will have none. I guess that means it is getting pretty close...that makes me nervous. I am really excited for him to get here but really nervous as well. I guess that is normal though.

2008-12-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here is the final sketch of the year. I did this layout in probably March of 2007 when Alycia was about six months pregnant with Terrance. Isn't she cute? The chipboard elements are designed, and painted by me and totally original. I used bright colors and contrasted them with some light neutrals to make them pop. One of my favorite parts of this layout is having the title run over onto the photo. I also loved developing and making the elements for this layout. You should definitely try this at home.

*look at how long her hair is...I can't believe she cut it...I wish my hair was that long*

2008-11-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

Besides the cheering teenage crowd the movie was awesome. I thought that Adam was going to get up and leave when the first WEEEWWW! went up when Edward finally made and appearance. It was funny. I thought besides being shorter than I wanted it to be it was really, really good. They did a good job making it funny and relateble to the teenage crowd without overdoing it. I am really excited for the next three though...I wish they were coming out all at once. They did have some really good movies coming up in the previews though. Besides the Harry Potter preview...which looked AWESOME...they had this new movie with Tom Cruise that looked really good. Most of them come out in December so I will hopefully be able to go to the movies...depending upon Gunnar and when he wants to make is great appearance. Even then I think that Adam would be only too happy to stay home with him and have him totally to himself for the night...the only question would have to be if I could bare to be away from him so soon. We will see. Anyway...GREAT movie, and I totally recommend for others to go and see it. If it wasn't so expensive to see a movie...$9.00, unbelievable...I would go and see it again. I adore the love story.

2008-11-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

YEAAHHH!!! Were going to see the movie tonight at 7:10! I am so excited. I can't wait...I wonder when the next three are coming out? Is that getting a little ahead of things? I didn't think so. I will let you know what I thought when I get back tonight.

2008-11-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

I went to play bingo with one of my friends from work (Denise) at the V.F.W. hall in Ontario last night and it was so AWESOME! It was so like that episode of Rosanne with the woman and her troll dolls and the old ladies with bags full of dobbers but I loved it. It felt like we were in a dingy church basement with crappy lighting, poor air circulation, and the entire elderly population of Malheur county all packed in one room deep in concentration. We loved it and are planning on going back once a month. It was nothing like the bingo hall in Salem that I used to play at but I like it better. It is more fun. The hall in Salem was all business...this one is terribly small town...and that is why I love it. The pots are considerably smaller (usually 500.00 blackout paid 70.00 here) but that doesn't bother me. Out of all the times I have been to play bingo I have never won anything until last night. Yeah it was a measly 25.00 but that means it only cost me 2.00 to play all night long. It was awesome. I do wish my sister was there to play with .us though...she probably wouldn't have liked it as much as I did. She hates that small town stuff...especially this small town stuff, but I love her anyway.

To get to the subject that has commanded my attention for the last eight months. You know when you really sit down and think about being pregnant...it really is a very STRANGE thing. You have a tiny human being just living in your abdomen with all your vital and not so vital organs. Kicking you...moving around...and generally feeling at home. Some days making life so much harder then you have ever known it to be and sometimes giving you more joy with a few kicks to the ribs than you could have ever imagined. To feel him move and the little life that we have created makes me cry every time I think about it. It is a beautiful gift....in a very strange package.

Now that I am winding down in this pregnancy...only 48 days left...I can't help but look forward a to a few things and wonder about some others. For instance: what do I do now? The waiting is about to kill me. It seems like every few minutes of the day I look down at my ginormous belly and wonder will it be today...tomarrow...or next week? What will my delivery be like? They are all so different. Did I do everything right, or the best that I could? Will he be happy and healthy? I guess these are all normal thoughts and concerns facing a new mom to be. On the other hand I am looking forward to A LOT of things that I have missed while being pregnant.

1. Being able to wear my jeans again! You have no idea how much I have missed that these past eight months. I didn't know how much I would miss it. Lately I find myself standing in front of my closet staring up at my pile of perfectly good, comfortable, and PERFECT jeans fantasizing about the day when I will get to wear them again. I even thought about taking a pair to the hospital with me just to see if I could wear them afterward even though I know that wont happen for a while.

2. A nice big ice cold glass of diet Pepsi...or a sugar free Rockstar. I guess it is just the caffeine that I miss the most but oh well. I am tired of hearing people complain about how they need to give caffeine up or that they can't believe how they have survived with out a drop of caffeine for the last TWO DAYS! What the HELL! It has been 8 months for me so shit twice and die for all I care. As you can tell I am a bit touchy about the subject. I guess it is true then they call caffeine a drug and talk of addiction.

3. Being able to breath or bend over. This hasn't necessarily been a big problem until just recently but it really is a pain in the ass. You can't do the things that you usually do and it is damn annoying. Simple things like putting on your socks or picking up one of the many things you drop during the day are a giant task and you have to hold your breath to accomplish them.

No...all in all pregnancy has been a blessing and I better get used to them if Adam and I want to do this at least three more times, it is just that after so long the end is starting to look so great. I can't wait for Gunnar to get here and to finally begin my new roll in life as a MOM. I have an appointment on Thursday with the doc where I get to see Gunnar again in an ultrasound so I will post what he said and any new pictures I have later. Gotta jet.

2008-11-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

With so many of my friends giving birth so soon I am really getting nervous. My count down says 51 days but I am sure it will be before then. I am not so scared of the pain of giving birth...although I know it is going to hurt like HELL...I have pretty much resigned myself to the pain and decided that it is what my body is made for so I should be able to survive...right? Anyway, what scares me the most is this whole MOM thing. Sometimes I am a little dorky and do things that are completely blond and...what if I do something like that with Gunnar? This is the most important thing that I will do in my entire life and what if I totally screw it up? My sister says that it is not as hard as you think and that once he gets here your instincts kick in and take over. I really hope that is true. I didn't have the best roll model when I was growing up so hopefully my instincts are stronger then that.
On a different note my next doctors appointment is on the 20th and my doctor has scheduled another ultrasound because he is a bit worried at how big Gunnar is. I have measured three weeks ahead of where I should be for the last three months and so my doc wants to see exactly how big Gunnar is. What he will do with that information I am not sure. What if he is going to be 10lbs? Holy SHIT! Oh well, one good thing is that I get to see him again and hopefully we will get some new pictures. YES!! If we do get some pics I will post them so you all can see how handsome he is!
I have also been working on some new projects and am almost finished with one of them so I will post some pictures as soon as I finish them so you can check them out. They are super cute.

2008-11-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Here is Novembers sketch! I love the idea of running two lines of photos vertically down the page like a photo strip and then intersecting them horizontally with two patterned strips and accenting them with the title and embellishments. It is one of my favorite designs. Try it for yourself.

2008-11-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

Well, there had been a lot going on lately. My baby shower was great. Quite a few people were there and by the time it was over, I was stuffed, sweating like I was going through menopause, and tired enough to sleep for three days. Here is my one and only pregnant picture so far, I am 30 weeks pregnant here. I know what everyone is going to say..."you should take a ton of pictures and document this time in your life."...trust me, i will never forget what it was like being pregnant and I don't need a thousand pictures showing how huge I have gotten. Not that I am whole heartedly complaining...I do get to eat a lot of stuff that I wouldn't because I am pregnant, it really isn't that bad. Plus when I get done breast feeding Gunnar (if I can) I am going back to see my doctor who helped me loose almost 40lbs in three months before. Dr. Radar. He is awesome and well worth the money.

I also finished my last birthing class last Tuesday and it was all about infant care. The nurse took out the bulb sucker and it immediately scared the crap out of me. I mean I know that it is not likely to hurt the baby but the whole "sucking" thing and sticking it up his nose and in his mouth is a bit terrifying for me. I guess that I will get over it but I don't know. I also wasn't thrilled about the umbilical cord thing. What if I bump it and it hurts him or something. When they were talking about it I looked at Adam and said "I think you got this one".

Now that Gunnar is ONLY at the MOST 62 days away from arriving and his room is so full of stuff it is getting more real and I am getting both really excited and really nervous. I keep imagining bringing him home and looking at Adam and going "Now what?". I got a lot of great stuff at my baby shower. Mostly blankets, and warm sleepers. I got some toys, sippy cups, diapers, and a vibrating table top chair in the fisher price rain forest theme that I just love. I also got some cash so I went and bought him a bath, it is blue and has a net for him to sit in that sits in the water for when he is a newborn and then you can take it off when he is a toddler. I also got a cover for his car seat that will help keep him warm. Adams dad bought us a travel system and it is really great. I am so glad we have it. Adam looked so funny literally jumping up and down on the stroller and car seat in the middle of the store. Everyone was staring at us and I looked at him like, "what are you doing?" he said, "I just want to make sure it is safe." Ten minutes later he stands up and goes, "I'm impressed!" I said, "you should be." It was funny. Today I bought a white and blue glider on sale for 75.00...what a deal, and a bobby pillow. It is so fun shopping for him. It will be better when he is here and I can dress him up and hold him, and play with him.

Adam also went hunting this last weekend and the first day he sat down in his spot and shot a bull within ten minutes. He got to spend the rest of the day (12 hours) packing it out. He is a big 6 x 6. I would be proud of him. He got to come home on the same day and I was super happy because it is hard for me to have him gone for any long period of time. Guess it is the pregnant thing coming through. It was always hard but not THIS hard. Here is a picture of him.

2008-10-19T11:11:00.001-07:00

I was shopping yesterday for my friend Megan who is do on November 21st. That is next month and I can't believe it is already here. Before I know it she will be having her baby and then I am next...holy crap! Anyway, I was shopping and I fond the sweetest little beanie and gloves. They are brown knit with little ears. Gunnar is going to look so sweet in them. Check them out.

I couldn't decide what to get Megan for her sweet little baby. I walked around the clothes for a while but didn't find anything that I couldn't live without except a little onsie with a little hand turkey ( you know the ones you paint your hand and make in the first grade) on it...it was adorable and I figured he would probably be born before thanksgiving so he could wear it. I did finally settle on a diaper genie and refill since I heard you can't live without them. I also made her a blanket with that sweet owl print flannel I bought about four months ago. I hope she likes them.

2008-10-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

OK...I have a lot to share and talk about so here we go.

First. Today is my brothers first Home Coming Dance...oh my god am I getting old. He wanted to rent a tux that was all black, white, and red so that he could look like the Hit Man(you know the movie). He looked so handsome it about made me sick. We also decided to let him use our $30,000 truck with the lift and tinted windows to drive himself to the dance(god help us) but we did give him a 5 mile limit and we wrote down the mileage so maybe that will help. Here are his pictures. The second one is my favorite.

Second. I wanted to share with you my latest assignment for Craft Warehouse. We had to decorate a jewelry box. They wanted us to seal the box which would make it look shiny and I didn't like that so I left it alone and let it look like a chalkboard. I thought the look was much better. They gave us these new bead things from 7 Gypsies and also some flowers from them and I loved them all. Here are the photos.

Thirdly. I also wanted to share the pictures of my latest layout. I absolutely love it! The monochromatic theme and the glitter really stand out for me. It is titled "Wondering about you". The journaling says: "We wonder...who you will look like more? What color is your hair? Will you be and athlete or a scholar? How tall will you be? What will be your favorite color? What we know is we love you more than life." I used products from Making Memories, American Crafts, Karen Foster, Rusty Pickle, Imaginesce, and Bazzill. The lace stamp was made with a sculpy texture plate that I painted and stamped with. They are my favorite things lately. I found one with coursive writing on it, a grid pattern or graphing paper pattern, this lace one and a few others. I also got them on clearance for about 0.95 cents...how can you beat that? Here check it out!

2008-10-14T15:35:00.001-07:00

Well, the countdown begins. Only 10 days left until my baby shower and it seems like there is so much to do. I do have all the prizes, the location set up, the games planned, the cake ordered and the invitations out. Whew! I still need to get decorations and arrange the food thing with the restaurant we are having it at. I chose a local Mexican restaurant for three reasons.

1. I don't have to clean up or do any dishes. THANK GOD!

2. The girls can drink if they want to. Who doesn't like a good margarita after all?

3. I get to have Shrimp of the Devil for dinner! YES!!! Even though I will probably melt like the wicked witch of the west from the heartburn it is totally worth it.

I also have to make these little diaper things that you pin on every ones shirt and then at the end of the night you open the little diapers and whoever has the DIRTY diaper wins a prize. How disgustingly funny! I can't wait. We are also going to play a game where you take five different types of baby food and take the labels off them. You pass them around and everyone has to taste them and guess at what they think they are. The person with the most right guesses wins a prize. We are playing two more games, the can't cross your legs game and a game where everyone cuts a length of yarn that they think will fit around my belly without going over. The closest guess wins. They were the funnest games I could find.

My sister, mother, grandmother, and friend Megan have been helping a bit so that is nice. I like being the one to plan things and make the decisions...

Ohh...Gunnar is kicking and my stomach is moving back and forth...how cute!

...I just wish I could pawn the work off. Who doesn't?

I also have my third birthing class tonight. I can't believe that it is already the third week of class...it has gone by so fast. Adam goes to every class with me and he is hilarious! He asks all the questions that no one ells wants to ask or is afraid to ask.

Last week we watched a video on the "Stages of Labor" that was actually very informational. At one point we're watching the video and it is showing a woman who is having a baby early so it is covered in the white cheese looking stuff so I look over at Adam to see how he is handling it and he is seriously about to hyperventilate! It was so funny. Also every woman in the video who is having a baby is completely naked and you can see everyone looking around whispering to their partner..."why are they all so naked...do you have to be naked like that?"

My nurse who is teaching the class Sue was also showing us the positions of the baby in the hips and so she was holding up this little baby doll and a model of the pelvis and immediately I look at her like...you have got to be kidding, that is never going to work! I know logically that it has to work and has worked for thousands of years but every time I imagine that baby and the pelvis it freaks me out a bit. I guess it is normal to get freaked out. Adam helps out a lot with the questions that he asks and the jokes that he makes. He is like the class clown and it really helps to keep me calm and tone down the seriousness of the class. I don't know if I will be able to do this without him. I am so glad he will be there.

2008-10-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am overwhelmed at the range of emotions you feel when you are pregnant. Sometimes life is so great...especially now that I am pregnant...but at the same time life can be really shitty for the same reasons.

1. Back Pain: Oh my god...I thought my back hurt after a long day at work before. Now that Gunnar is HUGE my back is killing me. My boobs are getting bigger FINALLY...which by the way is awesome especially when the ones you have had all your life are almost nonexistent...you just have to deal with the back ache all the time.

2. Mood Swings: One second I am completely fine and my day is going great and all it takes is a look or a tone of voice...even if the other person is not aware of it...it doesn't matter all that happiness goes out the window and I am replaced with super bitch. After that there is no turning back.

3. Heart Burn: For GODS Sakes...where did that come from. I swear I could look at a piece of food and get heart burn. It doesn't matter if the food is and acidic one or not...I get heart burn regardless. Fruit, cheese, chocolate, soup, just about anything. It is particularly annoying when you wake up with the burning in your throat at about 2:oo in the morning, knowing that you have to be up at 4:30 to go to work. The only thing that helps is water, milk, and tums. I should by stock in tums...I would be a millionaire.

4. Peeing every FIVE seconds: how annoying...every time you take a step or sit down and stand up again you feel like you are going to pee your pants. Then you try to hold it because you seriously went only five minutes ago and it gets seriously UNCOMFORTABLE. When you finally do go you get...trickle, trickle, trickle. Are you fucking kidding me? All of that for two seconds of peeing. Give me a break.

5. Worrying: With everything that I am experiencing now there is a lot to worry about. With every little twitch, pain, movement or lack there of, and new occurrence I worry. I feel him move and he instantly has my attention. I don't feel him move when I am used to and he instantly has my attention. I feel a twinge or sharp pain anywhere in my stomach and instantly I am thinking, "What in the HELL does that mean?" Most of the time I want to call my Doctor with all these little questions but I also want to avoid the, "Oh...this is her first one." statement. Like all of the questions that I have are stupid and if I new anything I wouldn't be asking it. What the FUCK! Honestly.

Pregnancy is an awesome experience...truly eye opening. Not only do you learn a lot about life...a lot about yourself...and a lot of stuff about your body that you would rather have not known. LOL. Seriously...I wouldn't trade little Gunnar for any of these things or more. He is truly now my life...so I better get used to all the trouble he comes with. He is a Tamez after all.

2008-10-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Octobers sketch. I did this layout quite a while ago and when I revisited my layouts and saw it again I wanted to share it all with you. I love the contrasting colors, the involvement, but also it's simplicity in design. Try it out and see what you come up with.

2008-10-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

These are some photos of my new kitchen. It was originally a blue color but we changed it to the red to match the counter tops a little better. I think it looks more "homey" also. As you can see we don't have any of the trim, crown molding, or flooring in yet but we will soon. Both the trim and crown molding are going to be white and the flooring is a vinyl that looks kinda like vintage wood. I am really excited to have it finished. It is like a brand new home with just the kitchen done. It is amazing how much difference it makes. The cabinets are a natural maple finish with all the grain showing. We really like them...they cost around 3600 dollars but they were well worth it. We also got a new stove, fridge, and kitchen table. I just love them.

2008-09-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Here is what I am working on right now. A mini book titled "Waiting for you". It will go month by month and what I felt during that time. The front and back cover are chipboard covered with cork and the inside pages are covered in felt and blanket stitched around the edges. So far all I have completed is the front and back cover and one inner page covered with felt. I think it is turning out super cute and can't wait to get it finished.

Sometimes when you have not had a family yet and you scrapbook you find you feel like you have run out of things to scrapbook about and everything you do scrapbook feels redundant. Now...it has all changed...I feel like I have a purpose again. A scrapbooking purpose. To remember every feeling, every thought, and every thing that happens during this time. You only have your first child once. I hope to be able to document them all.

2008-09-17T19:38:00.001-07:00

Oh....I wanted to post my baby baby shower invitation that my sister made for me. She made it as a photo and we are printing them off at wal-mart. They are super cute and the cardstock texture comes through and prints out on the photo. They are also going to be super cheap so that is a plus.

2008-09-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos that I have taken and I wanted to share them with you:

A sunset of the countryside on the way out to the local reservoir:

The sunset in the hills at elk camp in La Grande:

Preston's latest game against Ontario...I love this photo:

Preston's blood bruise that he got in football practice tackling people:

My sweet puppy Sterling...look how big he is...108lbs and barely a year old:

2008-09-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest pictures of the L.B.! Isn't he just precious? I think he is the most beautiful think that I have ever laid eyes on...but of course I am going to think that...he is mine. I can't wait to finally meet him in three months. The first photo is the best profile that we could get. The second is the next best profile and the third photo is of him sticking his tongue out at the lady who was doing the ultrasound because he was mad at her for pushing on him so much and making him move around. He already has the temper of his father and I can tell he is going to be a daddy's boy.

The other night I was laying in bed waiting for Adam to come in when the L.B. started kicking me really hard. I was thinking, "I hope there is nothing wrong because he sure is kicking hard." Adam walked in after that and started talking about something...I was only half listening because I was focusing on what the L.B. was doing when he stopped kicking. Adam then took a pause in whatever story he was telling and the L.B. started kicking hard again. As soon as Adam started talking again he quit. I must have had a funny look on my face because Adam looked at me and asked, "What is wrong?" I said, "I see how it is...every time you started talking the L.B. quits kicking and listens, when you stop talking he starts kicking again." Needless to say Adam was quite thrilled with this new development. I thought it was adorable and it made me "all warm and fuzzy" inside. Adam is going to be such a great dad. I am really excited to see him in action.