MERRY CHRISTMAS!

To all of our Blogger friends, Merry Christmas from Liz, Nate, Enid, and Anna!

Nathan Is Nesting

So, I'm 99% sure that my husband is nesting. I've heard of sympathy pains and sympathy weight when a baby is arriving, but nesting?

This weekend he accomplished so much that I started to kind of feel bad about not helping out and just sitting on the couch with my ginormous cankles propped up.

He managed to:
* Do the dishes AND clean the counter tops
* Fix our front doorknob from sticking
* Put two layers of Kilz on some water stains in our hallway.
* Paint two coats of paint over the Kilz in our hallway.
* Clean the air intake vent with our new Dyson.
* Vacuum the entire house including the furniture and our bedspread
* Listen to me gripe and complain about how I want this alien out of me

I managed to:
* Discover the Starbucks chocolate advent calendar in my cabinet

Thanks, honey, for all of your hard work and putting up with me. I love you.

VERSA-tile

Saturday Fence Repair Project:

4 Bags of Quickrete- $8.00

2 New Fence Panels- $65.00

2 New Fence Posts- $28.00

Loading the 8 foot posts into your subcompact hatchback, propped up on the dash, a few inches from your head, and holding them with your right arm so they don't scuff the dash- PRICELESS

For Emily. And me.

Straight No Chaser. Know what I love about these guys? I think their exactly my age. Enjoy.

Teen Sensation Medley


Sitcom Medley


My introduction to the group: 12 days of Christmas

A Christmas Story, The Response Post

First let me say, WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH PEOPLE CALLING ME OUT ON THEIR BLOGS?!

Where's the Christmas love, people?

Will someone please just let me borrow this freakin' Christmas movie about some kid with a gun and maybe I'll understand what is so significant about the hideous lamp sitting in Jessica's living room? I mean, I know we have slightly different tastes in decor, Jess, but seriously. That thing is gawd-awful.

And Emily. Chick, you just had to give in, didn't you? You're supposed to be the strong one. Now, I have to sign up for yet another thing that is just going to get me in more trouble for not keeping up with to others' liking. Technology is taking over my life. Where do you people find the time for it all?

I think I have come to the conclusion that none of you sleep. You just don't. There's is no way that you can read your book club book, Twitter, blog (on multiple blogs, I might add), Facebook, text constantly, drink Starbucks, shop, wrap gifts, watch your DVR and still have time to work and deal with your children. Mine's not even here yet and I'm worn out already.

Thus readers, I will try my very hardest to meet all of your expectations by the New Year. But this weekend, I'm doing nothing but propping up my freakishly swollen feet (I have to by Crocs, people!) and finally finishing the 913 thank you cards and Christmas newsletters I need to send out. Hmmm... Can you send a Christmas greeting via Twitter or text and it be just as meaningful? I'm sure my Grandmother would understand since she and I are the only people on the entire planet that only use our phones to (gasp) CALL people.

Dear Book Club,

I pinky swear to read the assigned books if we can go here, sometime.

It's like Sprinkles, only local.

Puh-leeeease???....

Virus? Is there a prescription for that?

Sorry for the lack of posting the past couple of weeks. I'm sure you're all in suspense of the latest Blais' happenings. Rest assured that blogging will continue once we get our computer back from the Geek Squad. Nathan and I broke down and took it in yesterday to fix a virus or whatever on it.

According to the guy behind the counter with greasy hair and glasses from the 1970's, "It's a nasty one." I believe he then mumbled something about it "Being popular with the kids this season." Whatever Buddy! Just fix it. This (insert air quotes) virus (insert air quotes again) you speak of is causing me not to be able to keep up with Brooke's tweats and Jessica's important emails about Britney Spears. Not to mention, now that I have absolutely no connection to the outside world, I have had time to complete 11! Thank You cards already. That! is a prob-lem.

PS to greasy hair geek guy: Can I take a spin in your ride? I think your Bugs are kinda hip. Your see-through shirt with no undershirt however...

I'm a genius! Jessica said so.

Wanna know what I've been doing the past couple of weeks? This. It's pretty much been my every evening and too many hours during work than I would care to admit. I loved every minute of it. I'm kind of sad it's over.

This was probably the most fun I've had planning a baby shower to date. I think it's because the theme was sooo, sooo? Jessica! I have to give most credit for the theme idea to my fellow party planning genius, Brooke. The second reason this was one of my favorites. Shower planning with her makes everything so much easier. She and I like to think that we have impeccable taste and almost always we like the exact same things. And. And! I didn't cry even once! I ALWAYS cry at least once during an event planning opportunity. That's huge, folks. Ask my husband.

I'm excited that it's over because that means that Jess' little Baby Colton (I refuse to say "Colt" until my Titans beat Indianapolis the last game of the season) is gonna be here super soon. I'm disappointed that the shower has passed because now I no longer have an excuse for not writing the thank you cards for my shower the week before.

Congratulations Jess! I hope you enjoyed your special day as much as I enjoyed hosting it for you. And as much as I enjoyed the leftover pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing. Yum!

A few of my favorite pics from the day:

Hehe. Behind that logo is my big clock that has been set to 9:40 for the past two months. Nathan and I had plans to change the batteries when the time changed for Daylight Savings. I figured it would just be easier to put a big green circle over it.

(Note: almost a week after the shower, it's still there.)

My Starbaby Chalkboard. I LOVED doing this. Nathan said it was good enough that I should work at Starbucks. I told him I would if the chalk dust didn't make my contact lenses suction permanently to my eyeballs. (This is also still sitting in my dining room. I can't bring myself to take it down and erase it.)

Note to self: Preggos should NEVER wear big green aprons. Ever.

All of these people love Jessica. I've never seen my living room shrink so fast.

Birthday Love

Nothing says Happy Birthday like a super sweet card from your husband in the front seat of your car before leaving for work. Except maybe a SpotBot. Or a piece of cheesecake the size of your head.

Pardon me while I de-throne

Well, as the self-proclaimed "shower-queen", it is now time for me to turn my crown over to a few other people. My baby shower this past Saturday absolutely blew me away. Let's just say I cried TWICE in the first 10 minutes. Some may blame the pregnancy hormones, but I know me best and I was simply overwhelmed by all of the love and hard work that went into every single detail of that afternoon. Nothing! was overlooked and I will never, never forget how I felt. Here are a few pics of the big day:

The Hostesses and THE BELLY. How will I ever repay these ladies for all they have done? I really don't think I have ever felt more loved and blessed to have such wonderful women in my life.

The Fam: Pam (SIL), Jane (Big Sis), Me and Mom ("The Nana" as she prefers to be called):

Jess and the Anna-grams. So cute! Little note cards for people to write messages to Anna. I swear that shirt of mine looked way better at home:

I love this pic of Brooke and I:

Samantha made the fruit bouquet. Can you imagine? I know it takes her 3-4 hours.

The details. Nothing less than jaw-dropping.

The food table:

The Cake. Made by Brooke AND Derek. No Kidding. It was perfect:

Sparkling Pink Lemonade. Yummy!:

Crying section #1, Anna's Banana Split Bar:

Room decor/party favors. My sister and SIL know my taste all too well:

Just a few of the guests. I am so lucky.

Work friends: Denae, Missy and Jenny

Renee and Jenny. Game partners:

Laura, Courtney and Alberta:

High School Buddies:

The aftermath. And a note.

A certain someone is way confused as to why her world is surrounded by gift bags and crinkly tissue. It's like she's in heaven:

A note to Anna's Memere (french for Grandma and pronounced "meh-may") in Maine:

Sue,
I just wanted to let you know that although you are many miles away, you were still at Anna's shower in spirit on Saturday. I wish you could have been there, but know that I thought of you often as did many others there. Your granddaughter-to-be knows you love her and can't wait to meet you!

Love You and Miss You,
Liz

AACCCKKK!!

I freakin' hate blogger!!! I just want to posts four different entries in opposite order of how I wrote them. Why is this so difficult?!

I'd do it all over again...

I hate that it has taken a tag from Emily to get me writing about something that crosses my mind every single day; just how lucky I am to be married to my best friend. It will be nine years in January that I met Nathan for the first time at McDonald's of all places. Although I was actually there for someone else I was "totally in love with", it was Nathan that captured my heart for good.

Now, almost a decade after watching him pick his tomatoes off his hamburger and thinking to myself, "This guy is the slowest eater of all freakin' time," we're preparing for the arrival of our baby girl in just a couple of months. It's hard to believe that so many years have passed. But, I take comfort in the thought of all the wonderful years to come. Together.

I thought I would list some of the things I love about Nathan that he may not be aware of. Even though we get busy, I get cranky, and responsibilities tend to take over our days, I still take notice of the wonderful things that Nathan brings to my day. To my life. I love you Nate! And if I had the choice, I'd do it all over again.


Random things I love about my husband:

*His obsession with chap stick. And how it makes me laugh that he gets so annoyed when I ask to borrow it while he's driving.

*His commitment and effort to go back to school to get his CPA. I know that his main motivation/goal in doing so is to be able to provide everything he could for me and for our future children. And he's done it in all A's fashion. I'm so proud of his hard work.

*His patience. I know I am not the easiest person to live with.

*He thanks me every single time I make dinner. Even if it's just Hamburger Helper.

*He never gets annoyed when I have questions about football.

*If I'm already in bed, he'll bring me a drink of water, turn my light off, or fix the covers for me. I'm spoiled. I know.

*I love when he calls me every weekday morning when he gets to work and tells me some random fact about the economy, the weather, our football stats, or just checks in to work out what we are doing that night. I hate the days he has an early meeting or is at an audit and I don't hear from him.

*I secretly adore that he is so passionate about the weather. I wish I was as passionate about something.

*I love that if there was something that I really, really, really, really wanted, even if kind of expensive, he would find a way for us to afford it.

*He never makes me clean the bathrooms. Get in line ladies!

A Shower and a Shave?

My first baby shower is in about 24 hours from now. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. I'm glad that this first one will be co-ed and thus Nathan will be there with me. It's so hard to have all of that attention on just you. Granted, I'm usually an attention hog, but for some reason opening gifts in front of a room of people can be a little intimidating.

I am SO wearing pants. There is no way I can concentrate on unwrapping a gift, smiling the whole time for pictures, making sure to use lots of different adjectives other than "cute" AND keep my legs crossed the entire time. It's just not gonna happen, folks. So pants it is.

This brings me to my second shower which is scheduled for next week. I'm really looking forward to it as it will be the shower with all of my girlfriends. The shower invitation (which I adore, btw) even says "Please join us for a day of girl time...". Is it bad that my very first thought was "Hmm... What are they planning? Do I need to shave my legs?"

I mean with the five ladies that are hosting the event, there is no telling what they have up their sleeves. And they sure like to keep me in the dark. So, needless to say, I will be shaving my legs for that one. Cause if "girl time" involves anything with nail polish or lotion or something like that, the woolly mammoth look I'm currently sporting just ain't gonna cut it. Oh God! Nail polish. Now, I have to shave that little patch on my big toe too. Shut up. You know you have one too.

Henrietta the Hippo

Dear Daddy,

I neeeeed this, whilly, whilly, bad.

Love,
Anna ( your devoted daughter who will never get in trouble and will always clean her room)

Go Vote!!

That is all.

Quick Halloween Update

Well, we came through Friday night with no eggs and no t.p. in the trees due to our non-chocolate candy assortment. We had a great turnout on trick or treaters this year compared to last year. A few observations:

* Some of these kids need bigger buckets. Those tiny plastic pumpkins are full after just a few houses. Maybe I give more candy than other houses?

* I was impressed that almost every single T-or-Ter said thank you before leaving our doorstep. All in the world is not bad.

* Enid was the hit of the night. Almost all of the kids made some sort of comment on how much they liked our cat or how cute she is. Like my little Enner-Beener needs any more attention or praise than she already gets. Puh-lease. Can we say spoiled?

* Homemade costumes are still the best. And thus, still receive more candy.

* My favorite thing is when the 4 and under crowd comes to the door, rings the bell, and then they don't quite understand that they have to scoot back for me to open the screen door. It takes a little coaching from me or their parents to show them how the pros do it.

* My second favorite thing is when it's Nathan's shift to answer the door and I get to listen to the comments he makes on their costumes. We're talking about the person who was scared that "one of them" would talk to him while we checked out day cares. I can't wait to see how he is with our little one.

* Best costume of the night: The cutest 18 month-old Frankenstein. Homemade costume of course. You can see pics here. I may or may not be a little bias.

* Worst costume of the night: The 14 year old girl from down the street dressed in a trench coat that after I gave her candy, asked me if I wanted to "see her goods." Then she flashed me!! Granted she had pajamas underneath. But, Are you kidding me?! THAT is NOT lady-like behavior. Where are her parents? Give me my Smarties and Twizzlers back!

Yeah, We're THAT house.

Ya know the one. That one house on the block that hands out the sucky non-chocolate candy? Yeah, that's us this year.

First let me say, when in the heck did a cube of sugar become so darn expensive? $4.98 for the smallest bag of Toostie Rolls I've ever seen is ridiculous. But this is not why we'll probably be cleaning egg off the front porch and toilet paper out of trees and bushes tomorrow morning. No, the kids in our neighborhood are going to hate us purely for my own sanity on the scale the next week or so.

This year, I'm following the Weight Watcher trick or treat plan. I bought all sorts of candy that I don't particularly care for (read as, the sucky candy). It's amazing how fast you can run out of those wonderful mini Snickers and Mr. Goodbars when you grab one every.single.time. you answer the front door on Halloween night. It's also amazing how you're reminded of it every.single.time. you step on the scale. Nope, not this year. This year - sucky candy it is.

So, if anyone particularly loves sucky candy, c'mon over. We have gobs of it. You can take your pick of three items (my usual handful for the kiddos). Four if I think you worked hard on your costume. We have Dum Dums, Now n Later packs, Twizzlers (ick!) and Smarties (upon Nathan's request). If we REALLY like you or you're name rhymes with "Man", we may or may not have a stash of hidden Kit Kats. I'm just sayin'...

Happy Halloween Everyone!! It's exciting to know that next year we'll have a little goblin of our own. And you better have chocolate to fill her bucket with!

Diaper Dilemma

Okay, you moms out there. Obviously, we need help.

Actual conversation at Babies R Us:

Nathan: Hey, look. They have big boxes of diapers. Maybe we should get some.
Me: Hmm... Yeah, maybe we should.
Nathan: What kind should we get?
Me: Hmm... I'm not sure.

Nathan: We have a coupon, right?
Me: Yeah, it's for like $5 off a mega box or something like that.
Nathan: What's a Mega Box? Do we need that?
Me: Hmm... I'm not sure.

Nathan: These boxes are $29.99. Is that a good deal?
Me: Hmm... I'm not sure.
Nathan: These are size four. Should we get these?
Me: Uh... I don't think so.
Nathan: What size should we get? Is this a good deal?
Me: How should I freakin' know?!! Can we go look at the $267 lamp I want?

Can you register for a Nanny at BRU? Does she come with that free umbrella stroller if you order her online?

Sunday Discover

I discovered Sunday morning that my little peanut REALLY gets excited during mass. She really likes the hymns and is a super-fan of our priest's voice in the microphone. I like to think that Nathan and I are already building a good spiritual foundation for her. It may or may not have anything to do with the cinnamon roll I downed right before leaving our house.

Dang it! Now, I want a cinnamon roll! Okay. Okay. Three cinnamon rolls.

Kansas City Trip - Day 2 or The Main Event

So, I've heard of a lot of couples that go on a "Babymoon" before the arrival of their little one. While this really wasn't the case, it was fun knowing that this would be the last out of town trip that Nathan and I would take with friends before either not having someone to strap in a car seat or having to drop off at The Nana's before leaving town.


If you're not aware, Nathan and I are pretty big Tennessee Titans fans. So, when Nathan scored some really good tickets for mad cheap, we had to jump on the opportunity to see them live. It doesn't hurt that we also got to see them with a 5 and 0 record thus far.

Apparently, I only had my camera for the second day of our trip. So, for day 1 events, you'll have to check out Brooke's blog. I don't know which day was more fun. Hitting the hot spots of KC on Day 1 or getting to see my boys up close and personal on Day 2. No, I'm lying. We won! Day 2 was definitely the best.

Pro #1 of being pregnant: Bartenders make you non-alcoholic drinks bigger than your head and sweeter than a pixie stick for only $2.

Brooke and I were born for life in a trendy hotel.



Game Day Baby!! Pimpin' our Titans gear.

Sidenote: Seriously, could Nathan get any luckier?! His wife is dressed in fan gear about to head to an NFL game AND she's watching ESPN at 9am. I deserve a shopping spree. Or a donut. MMM...donut....

The Adcox Couple. One Chiefs fan. One OU Gangsta.

Are you ready for this? Dun. Dun. Dun....

Sidenote: Arrowhead stadium was really nice. I swear the bathroom right after halftime is cleaner than any Target bathroom in OKC.

Jeff Fisher. My hero.

Boy versus girl. Winner versus loser. (Sorry, Derek. Thanks for being a good sport.)

Nathan's only attempt at using the camera all weekend.

All I Want for Christmas

About this time of year I start keeping a list of things I would like for Christmas on the side of the refrigerator. I write stuff down whenever I think about them so I won't be caught with that "Ummm,, a gift card?" response like many years in the past. Here's what I have so far:

* A SpotBot
* A big Tupperware bowl with a lid
* A PikePass
* A cheapie Ipod speaker dock
* To look like Julianne Hough and dance with Warren Sapp to Ice Ice Baby. He would be so fun.

Subliminal Message??

Things I thought or did an hour before falling asleep last night:

1. Added a few items to my baby registry suggested by an experienced mom.
2. Googled: "Adoption shower ideas".
3. Ate some Wheat Thins.
4. Read over the Baby Feeding Classes sheet I picked up at the doctor's office yesterday.
5. Read through (and subsequently freaked out at) a pamphlet on breastfeeding.

The result:

I had a very vivid dream about Jessica and I having a conjoined baby shower at the La Leche headquarters. It was an old house with cool modern lounge-like sections inside. The sections were separated by sheer panels separating those parts for baby showers (with wheat thin hors d'oeuvres trays) and those for baby feeding classes. I walked all around the headquarters and into each of the different classes; one on breast feeding exclusively, one on formula feeding only, and one for those who plan on going back to work and doing both. After not being able to decide on which class to join, I just went back to the baby shower and Jessica and I started opening gifts.

I think from now on I'll just have to start watching Dancing With The Stars right before drifting off. Maybe it will result in a few better dreams of sequins and lights and not breast pumps.

PS: Do you think breastfeeding is going to be a problem if I still giggle every time I type the word "breast"? I am sooo doomed.

Is This a Great State or What?

The pros and cons of being a State employee:

Pros:
* Paid holidays
* Great insurance
* 8-5 Mon.-Fri.
* Job Security
* Casual Fridays

Cons:
* Having to have your coworker kill the cockroaches on your desk with yellow post-its.

How Ruuude!

In the words of Stephanie Tanner. (Does that date me?)

Nathan and I tried out a restaurant on Saturday night that we had a buy one/get one free entree for. It was a quaint little place with a warm, casual atmosphere and great waiters. You could really tell that this was no wham-bam get 'em out fast type of Italian restaurant. We loved it.

Everything had great flavor and we were both really hungry. Apparently, I was even more hungry than I thought as noted when the 17 year old Harry Potter look-alike of a busboy came to clear our plates and took mine while mumbling, "I can see you really enjoyed it."

What the heck does THAT mean?!! Was he implying that I ate a lot? I thought my meal was an average portion of two pasta tube things stuffed with chicken and wilted balsamic spinach on the side. Was it really that much food? How come he didn't say anything about Nathan's plate. Could he not tell I was eating for two? Did Nathan hear him? Did I hear him incorrectly? What did he mean by that? Do I look that fat?

...then I ordered the cheesecake from Carnegie Deli. (sigh...)

Blame Emily.

I've been tagged by my ex-BFF, Emily. She and I used to be BFFs until she took my blog off her blog-roll because I just happened to take a 2 month sabbatical from writing. Whatev. I'm over it. She makes great book club chocolate cake and I'm trying to be nice to her so she will clue me in on where she buys all of her hair bows. For her daughter. Not for her. That would be weird and we could not be friends if SHE wore the hair bows. So here are"Six Totally Random Things About Myself" :


1. I'm currently obsessed with starting a baby registry. It seems like it would be easy to just pick out things you like, but I've been seriously fretting for at least 3 weeks now if people will think bad of me if some of the items are expensive. I think I've discussed it with at least four others, seeking approval that it would be okay to register for these, even though they're super-pricey. But, gosh-darn they're beautiful.


2. I sometimes secretly wish I was the same size as my husband. Not so much because I want to be thin like him, but it would be really convenient to be able to wear the same size. I hate doing laundry and sometimes it would be awfully tempting to just grab a pair of his undies in a pinch instead of starting a load at 11:45 pm. I am so in trouble for just typing this...


3. I am so excited about the new season of Dancing With The Stars. I laughed out loud when I saw one of my faves so far, Warren Sapp, doing the signature Kid 'N Play dance in his second performance. It reminded of the time in high school that my friend Courtney spent the night at my house and for some stupid reason we decided that dancing in the kitchen in our socks in the middle of the night was a good idea. We discovered that we were really good at doing the Kid 'N Play funky Charleston-type dance. We also discovered that socks on a linoleum floor can be a little slippery.


4. I hate taking roads that I'm unfamiliar with. I'm pretty good with directions, but I live in fear of going the wrong way on a one-way street. And don't tell my husband, but I hate going down roads where I'm not sure if it is two lanes for me to drive in or one for me and the other for the other direction drivers. I know there's some rule about a white line or a yellow or a dashed or whatever, but I figure staying in the far right lane is safest.


5. I was so jealous of other girls talking to Nathan about sports, I started listening to The Sports Animal in the car so that he would be impressed. Now, I'm over the competition thing and just find it more relaxing and entertaining than the cringing music on other stations.


6. I get on the scale every. single. morning. Even while pregnant. I get mad if I forget to weigh before eating something, but I will still weigh and subtract the amount I think the food weighed. I even do a little fudging of the numbers if I forget to weigh until after my shower and my hair is wet. This in no way prohibits me from stuffing my face, but just knowing the number makes me feel better. Is that bad? Discovery Channel's not gonna put me on a food disorder show are they? I still eat french fries. And cake. And cookies. And all in the same day.

I'm going to tag Nathan (either this blog or his weather one), Denae, Charly, Audrey and Aubrey if she has time with her new little one.

Weekend Ups and Downs

This weekend was full 'em.

Friday:
Down: I had to sell a kidney at lunch in order to put down our first month's tuition at the daycare we chose to reserve our spot. It's crazy that one month of daycare will cost more for our daughter than for my husband's tuition bill at UCO.

Up: Dinner with Brooke and Derek was excellent. We had a buy one-get one meal coupon to a place that we had never been. Goldie's has really good fries. A drive-thru orange sherbet from Braum's afterwards was equally yummy.

Down: The four of us never ended up watching the Redbox movie we rented.

Up: Good conversation while watching Van sleep was better than Harold and Kumar any day. Plus added bonus: I remembered to actually return the video on Sunday morning.

Saturday:
Down: I went to visit a friend that works at Starbucks. She wasn't working that day.

Up: I left with a passion iced tea and headed to Ruth's Sweete Justice next door for a cookie. They had this thing called a Magic Bar. It was magical indeed.

Down: Jessica and I ran to see "The Women" at Tinseltown while our guys were golfing. I give it a rating of "ehh."

Up: I got to see the preview again for the movie I really want to see, "Nights in Rodanthe." Plus, I put Jess on song patrol to figure out who the song was by on the preview and she came through on Sunday.

Sunday:
Down: I woke up with a sore throat and a very sick and feverish husband.

Up: I used my emergency Gatorade run for Nathan as an excuse to buy a box of Captain Crunch I'd been craving for a week. I NEVER eat C.C., but it really sounded good.

Up: The Gatorade only cost $1.94.

Down: Somehow my Walmart receipt totaled at $57.86. How did that happen? I should never be allowed to go to WalMart Neighborhood Market unaccompanied.

Down: There was NOTHING on TV except for Nathan flipping between the Ryder Cup and football.

Up: Occasionally, I caught a glimpse of how my Titans were kicking some Houston boot-tah.

Quick Plug For The Colonel

I just have to break in and say that the new original recipe chicken strips from KFC are da bomb biggity. Go right now. Buy some. Buy some for me too. That is all.

Lid Licker

Warning: This post is completely random. If you have brain cells that you want spared, I would just click the red X at the top right of your screen now. I've looked back at my posts from a year or so ago and realized I used to be witty and insightful. Now, I've stooped to this:

Confession. I am a lid licker. I know that some people have big executive working lunches. Others shovel in a cheese cracker between dropping the kids off at preschool. I, however, sit at my desk and contemplate the reason that I always lick the lid of my pudding cup before throwing it in the trash. Why in the heck do I do that?

It's not like there's not plenty of pudding ready to dive into in my little snack pack. In fact, the pudding in the cup is ultimately better than the tiny bit hovering on the under surface of my lid. It's creamier and freshly stirred. So why would I choose every.single.time to lick the lid first.

This brings me to question other things that I lick. I've realized that I like to lick the peanut butter off the safety seal of my beloved Jiffy (creamy in case you're wondering). I like to lick yogurt remnants off my Yoplait. And I like to lick the inside of mini snicker bites if they've been in the car too long on a hot day. I definitely love to lick the knife after strategically applying butter and jelly to toast before placing the knife in the sink. Oh. And licking the ice cream scooper before going in the sink is good too.

Why do I do this? And why do I only lick certain things? I LOVE ketchup. But, I would never lick the safety lid of that. And you couldn't pay me to lick the safety seal of my fat free mayo. Yet, I wouldn't hesitate to load up my sandwich with it.

Am I alone in this? Are there any other lid lickers out there? Would anyone like to send me a list of blog topics to write about in which I won't have to talk about my tongue?

Dinner Rut...Help a Girl Out

I'm no Aubrey. I don't really like cooking and currently I'm in a dinner rut. I'm tired of making the same ole thing night after night and thus I've fallen into the trap of skipping cooking all together. I can only make pancakes and some form of Hamburger Helper so many times. Go ahead. I'll wait while you feel sorry for my husband. I'd feel sorry for him too if I wasn't so busy feeling sorry for myself and the lack of funds to hire a personal chef.

So, I'm sending out a plea to my fellow dinner cookers for your tried and true recipes that your family likes. I only have 3 stipulations:

1. The entire meal needs to be complete or ready to go in an oven within 30 minutes. And that includes any required chopping, peeling etc. Spare me the Rachel Ray lecture. Her 30 minute meals do not count. There is no way I can chop an onion in four seconds and although I'm not really a picky eater, I don't really keep capers, polenta, and things of the sort in my pantry. I need regular people food! Ya know, canned goods. Lots of preservatives. High sodium stuff. And I need it to be ready before it's time for me to sit down and watch the latest episode of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. (Stop judging me!)

2. The less the amount of ingredients and pots required, the better. I tend to be a little messy when I cook and my dishwasher (aka loving husband) gets kind of snarfy when it appears that every pot we own is piled in the sink, yet dinner is served in one big bowl. Go figure.

3. No Meatloaf!! That's just nasty. Whoever thought mixing together raw meat, crackers, ketchup and eggs together with your bare hands and forming it into a loaf shape was just plain crazy. Blech.

I do the basics. Spaghetti. Chicken and rice. Beef and Bean Enchiladas. But, I'm wondering if any of you have some other fast recipes I could try out. My husband is shrinking away. And you've seen him. He's not really in the category of "those that could stand to lose a few."

The Top Things I learned From The RNC

1. Republicans canNOT dance.
2. Old people love balloons. And buttons.
3. "Maverick" is more than just Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun.

Okay, I promise no more political posts. This week.

Pit Bull with Lipstick

So, apparently after watching her speech last night at the Republican National Convention, Sarah Palin and I are now BFFs. At least that's the best explanation I can come up with as to why the Alaskan Governor was in all of my dreams last night.

When I woke up for bathroom break numero uno (pregnancy is so much fun), I realized I had been dreaming about being on a welcome committee with my mother, and we were to escort Mrs. Palin around the city during her stay. The first order of business was to find her and her family ( 5 kids?! Obviously, they need more to do in AK) a place to live during her time here. Of course a hotel was not in order. It was a dream after all. And, ask Nathan. My dreams are rarely rational. No. No. We had to find the Palins an apartment to live in. So, of course, no regular apartment would do. I had to take her for a viewing of the new penthouse apartments in Bricktown, OKC. We found a great furnished one with easy access to a Starbucks, the airport (for ease of travel) and to the new home of the OKC Thunder.

Then when I woke up this morning I realized I had had another dream about Sarah Palin the same night. This time my mother and I were taking her to a restaurant (Lottinville's) and while we were ordering from our waitress (which just happened to be a lady I work with in real life), I remember it being a big deal that we were going to pay for ourselves instead of having Palin pay for us all. Then when the check came, she admitted that she couldn't pay for everyone because she was "getting rid of all excess spending in her state." There was also some episode involving Palin, myself, and hair brushes in the restaurant bathroom, but that part of my dream-recall is fuzzy.

I thought back today to figure out why I had dreamt the certain things I did, and this is the best I could come up with:

* Why Sarah Palin?: Because I watched all of her speech last night.
* Why Bricktown apartments?: Because I had flipped through a "Downtown" magazine at work.
* Why Starbucks?: Because I had been craving a pumpkin spice latte all day.
* Why OKC Thunder?: Because I had convinced my boss we needed to leave work 5 minutes early to catch the official news conference announcing our new NBA team.
* Why Lottinville's Wood Grille?: Because I had been thinking about wanting to go back with Nathan if we could afford it. Their bread is A-Mazing.

So, I guess you could say Sarah Palin is definitely the women of my dreams. I'll ignore the fact that if I was going to dream about someone I watched on TV the night previous, I wish it had been Anderson. Of course, I would've made him pay for me.

Because someone asked...

So I've had an inquiry from a faithful reader as to when I was going to "show pics of the baby process." Naive as I am, I assumed she meant pictures of the ultrasounds we have had done so far. Then when she mentioned a "weekly/monthly update, " I soon realized she was talking about wanting to see pictures of ME! Are you freakin' serious?!

I would like it clearly stated now, that under no circumstance will I will be taking pictures of my growing stomach and posting it for the world to see. I don't even like looking at my own big belly. Why would I make all of you look at it? Granted, I have been guilty of looking at other people's "bumps" and comparing the growth week by week . But most of those people were skinny to begin with and let's just be honest, I hate those people. ( I don't really hate them. I mean I kind of do. But, I don't really. Yeah, I can't stand them).

There are some very fortunate ladies that when preggo have that cute little basketball perfectly set right there in the middle of their tummy. At this point I'm just hoping my two rolls will eventually become one. (Wasn't that a pretty picture for you.) So this ONE pic is for you, Jenny. I took it this past weekend at the lake. It's the last one I'm taking until February 2009, so you better enjoy:

Lake Bums

Nathan and I will be headed off to Lake Texoma for some family fun. Thank goodness my husband loves me so much that he sprang for a motel instead of making me sweat it out in the tent. When it's hot, that thing makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in cellophane and someone is blowing a hairdryer on me. Not to mention the fact that EVERY time we stay in our tent, it inevitably rains; no matter what my handy weatherman predicts.

It should be fun. I love going to the lake. This year will be a little bit of a downer, though, since I won't be able to partake in all the jet-ski action. I totally asked the baby-doc and he looked at me kind of strange and mumbled, "uhhh.. No." Whatev. More snacks for me as I lounge in the shade of my sister's boat.

What fun things do you have planned for this three-day weekend?

Does this make me a bad person?

I was driving home from work and when I turned on our block I saw one of the neighbor kids leaving my next door neighbor's house with some sort of pamphlet. I just knew she was selling something. So instead of pulling into my garage and going to get the mail on the curb as usual, I drove right past my house and all the way down the block until I thought it was safe to return home without her seeing me.

Does that make me a bad person? I hate saying "No" to people. Especially little girls with pamphlets and their cute dog on a leash. Even though I know its a ploy, the dog makes a difference and I inevitably buy some candle or coupon book to a restaurant I never eat at. So, this time I just avoided the situation all-together.

Now, cookies? That's a different story. I will always answer the door and fork over half a pay check for those insanely expensive but undeniably tasty Thin Mints. Forty dollar wrapping paper? Not so tasty. So, I ask again . Does THAT make me a bad person?

Politics for Dummies

Does anyone have this book I can borrow? Because, I apparently just don't get it.

I fully admit that I am not politically savvy in any way, but I am completely bamboozled over the point of political party conventions. Why is it necessary to spend A LOT of money to gather a bunch of people who are already in your party and are already going to vote for you to spend a week or so listening to you tell them why they should be in your party and why they should vote for you? This seems completely pointless to me.

I would much rather have the candidates spend that time to have a good ole-fashioned debate with their opponent so I can actually figure out what they stand for and who I should vote for. And while I'm making requests, I would like it to be led by Anderson Cooper. That man melts my heart like peanut butter and honey on hot toast*.


* I think pregnancy has made me start comparing people to food items. If I like you, you're probably something sweet. If you're ugly, you may be compared to my ultimate preggo aversion: a big hunk of grilled chicken. Blaach!

Let's talk about sex, BABY!

Audrey,
You need to have another free giveaway. It looks like we're going to be needing a lot of hair bows at our house in the near future.

OBSESSED

I am currently enthralled in the Men's USA/Russia volleyball match. The indoor variety. It's live, so I have to watch it, right? They are trying to get to the gold medal match and win a medal for the first time since 1992. Up 2 sets to none.....

My sleep deficit has become out of hand since the Olympics began.

It's all about me. (in bullets)

Due to such a long blogging hiatus, I thought it may be helpful to catch you all up on the latest with me. I've made a helpful list for you because I tend to get a little wordy (shocking! I know!) and lists help me to stay focused.

Here goes:

* Nathan started back to school on Monday and Tuesday nights. So, I'm completely open for Starbucks gatherings on those nights. hint, HINT.

* I'm going to have to get the non-fat version of anything though, because I only have one pair of pants that I can zip and still have the ability to take half-breaths.

* I'm still trying to squeeze into my regular clothes because that strap-on belly thing at Motherhood Maternity FREAKED ME OUT!!!

* I'm completely obsessed with this. And so is Jessica, thanks to me.

* I'm also completely obsessed with finding out this Friday if we will be having a boy or girl. You can put your bets in now. Topping the "hope it's a girl" list is Brooke. She's trying to live vicariously through me.

* I'm reading "The Last Lecture" for my book club. I'm so in love with my book club and all of its new members. We've had such a good time the past couple of meetings. And, get this. We actually are reading the books.

* I've also been reading the free InStyle magazines that I've been getting the past several months. They started showing up mysteriously in my mailbox and I just found out a few days ago who the culprit was. My brother is awesome.

* I went golfing recently. I only played 7 holes. I'm convinced that my hubby put some bad mojo on my favorite driver/wood/iron. I use it for everything but chipping and putting and now I can't do anything because he keeps stealing it from my golf bag.

* I heart the Olympics. I've watched it every. single. night since the opening ceremony. I also heart Aaron Peirsol. That man is pure yumminess.

* I began therapy this week. I am going to force myself to go detox one hour for every thirty minutes of The Hills I watch. Hi, my name is Liz and I'm obsessed with "Speidi" and Lauren. Oh. And I often get the urge to off Lo in her sleep.

* In trying to be prepared and to take advantage of 20% off both pieces, Nathan and I ordered the furniture for our nursery last weekend. The first lady told us 10-12 WEEKS so we thought we should go ahead and get it. But, when we ordered it, the lady told us 7-14 DAYS. Ummm, does anybody have a truck? or a storage unit for that matter?

* I am in need of a haircut and color in the most terrible way. I caught a glimpse of myself at work and the first thing that came to mind was Tim Allen in "The Shaggy Dog."

* I'm having serious issues my cat. Enid has gone berserk the past couple of weeks. If she tips her water bowl over one!more!time! I've told her she's going to be sent away. She responded by chewing the blind strings off of two windows and annoyingly licking the edge of a book on my nightstand for two hours last night.

So that's me. I know, nothing too interesting. Just trying to get back in the swing of things. Hopefully, I'll come up with some jaw-dropping, fascinating post soon.

Houston, We have a baby! aka That's the best excuse I can come up with.

Hi blog-world buddies! Did you miss us?

For all the two of you who have continually checked back here for the past couple of months, Congratulations! You're the only two who will ever see this post. All of my other "blog BFFs" have abandoned me. Some have even removed me from their blog lists (EMILY!! not to name any names). They'll be punished. No worries.

I really have no excuse for not blogging, so all I can say is I'm SORRY! This is a fresh start and I'll try to do better. Below is a post that I actually started on July 8th. I'll just leave it as is with promises to be a better blogger in the future. Missed you!!

(written July 8th and never published)...

Well, seeing as most of the rest of the free world seems to know, I thought I'd clue my Internet buddies into our little secret. Nathan and I are having a baby!! See, aren't you excited? Didn't it just make you totally forgive me for not blogging in almost a month?

I'd go into this long explanation of everything that happened this month, but I know most of you just. want. to. see. the. good. stuff. already! So I'll skip all the details about what all this month's calendar entailed and go straight for this month in pics. There's even a video of how I told Nathan that he was going to be a daddy. (okay, that still sounds really weird.)

Just a warning for future posts. Nathan's parents have officially packed up all of their belongings and are making the trek across 1/2 the country to their new home in Maine. Well, really they're returning home from their 30-year "visit" in Oklahoma. So, as they won't be here for all the Blais' Going-Ons, we've promised to keep them updated on all things Baby Blais via blog. Never say I didn't warn you.

Video of how I told Nathan I was pregnant. I title it "Are you serious?!"

Ya never know what may be waiting for you when you sink one in on the green.

We revealed our little secret to Nathan's parents during a scrabble game after a family dinner.

I made a t-shirt to sneak on Van so he could help us surprise Brooke and Derek.

By the look on his face, I think Van wanted to remain the baby of the group.

A sweet treat for coworkers was served with a side of surprise.

Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up in the joy of telling my side of the family, I forgot to take any pictures. But, it was just as fun. For my mom's bday we wrapped up the BNL children's cd that she wanted and put a note on it that said: "A little something to listen to with your new grandbaby due in January." Her reaction along with everyone else was overwhelming and wonderful and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Grown-Up Date Night

5:15pm Haircut/Style ... Because you always have to have sexy date hair.

6:15pm Dinner at City Bites w/ Brother in Law ... Because candlelight is overrated but CB cookies never are.

7:05pm $1(.75) Movie ... Because old people are nicer at this theatre than the 15 year olds at the other one.

10:15pm Bed ... Because being a grown-up is tiring.

6:30am Wake up ... Because we went to bed at 10:15. Duh!

We're livin' on the edge people.

Good Morning Sunshine!

Know what I love more than an 87lb. cat catapulting off of my full bladder every morning at 5:30? Spilling an equally heavy, brand new $14 bag of cat food all over the carpet I just had steam cleaned two weeks ago. Oh, and I love the smell of the weight/hairball control nuggets still on my hands after three hand washings, a shower, and two bouts with the hand sanitizer on my desk.

Maybe if I stick my hand in this tiny cup of sugar-free syrup I have to go with my leftover pancakes, I won't want to gag anymore. It's gonna be a GREAT day!

I hope I win!

I really need a blog makeover! I want a cute one like Jessica's.

So, I suppose you could head over to http://www.seemydesignsbyshauna.com/ and sign up to win a free blog makeover of your own, like I did. BUT if you win, you have to pay for one for me. I'm generous like that.

You know you're old when...

...you start getting graduation announcements in the mail and you feel obligated to send a card WITH money in it. Ugh! It was way easier when my Mom just wrote the check. Oh well, I guess one day I'll have a little graduate and we'll send out announcements requesting money too.

Graduate from the bottle, graduate from diapers, graduate from Kindergarten.... oh yeah. I could be totally down with that.

PS: Two days in a row blogger! Holla!

Tell me lies...Tell me sweet little lies

I've finally recovered from waking up at 4:30 IN THE MORNING! on Saturday to take some friends to the airport for their big vaca. I wish we were going to Cali with them. But, it was totally worth getting up that early to get a good chuckle at watching how Brooke wakes Van up in the morning. Army barracks style comes to mind. But, it was pretty funny. Plus, it makes me very anxious to be able to see how I will wake up our little one of these days. I imagine it will probably be a little more subdued than screaming "Wake Up Jelly Bean!!!"

It was also worth getting up that early to head to WalMart before the weekend rush to look for a new 3-wood to try and improve my golf game. Now, I'm kinda new at the whole hit-a-tiny-ball in-the-small-hole-whole-way-far-away-that-you-can't-even-see thing, but I am starting to see how you can get hooked.

Nathan, John and I showed off our mad skillz in a round a couple weekends ago and I didn't do too too bad. For me, I would say I did pretty darn good. Especially when I out-drove Nathan on two holes and John on one. (They both love when I tell that story at any opportunity.) But, I realized that both times my tee-shot surpassed the "experts," were the times that John (Anderson not Daly; although he thinks otherwise) let me use a couple of his clubs instead of the 9.75 lb mammoth driver that Nathan didn't even want anymore. They don't call it "The Killer Whale" for nothin'. That thing weighs as much as a whale and it will kill your game. And Lord knows I don't need any help to do that.

So, after dropping of the Adcox gang, we went and bought a new Tight Lies 3-wood at WalMart. Score!! It was a $69 club on clearance for $17 bucks. I tested it out at the range and I must say, I AM AWESOME!! I'm pretty sure Nathan was making me use that whale club because he was afraid I was going to start being a better golfer than he is. I guess only time will tell.

I'll get another shot at him when we head to Chickasaw Point near Lake Texoma this weekend for a match with my sister and bro-in-law. Should be fun times. We have to find something fun to do since all of our friends are on the beach or going on cruises and crap like that. Whatever! I have a new 3-wood to go in my super sweet golf bag. It's all about the accessories, ladies.

P.S. I would like to be referred to as Annika from now on. Thank you.

Shameless Biased One-Sided Album Review

As Liz mentioned in her previous post, the Barenaked Ladies have recently released their 12th studio album. This time they decided to give a children's CD a try, and it is titled Snacktime! Liz and I weren't overly excited about the release. I mean, of course we were going to buy it, but it was going to be geared towards kids. How much would us grown-ups enjoy it?

Answer: The CD has been playing constantly since last Thursday. BNL has managed to write a children's album that adults can listen to without pulling their hair out. In fact, the CD is full of moments that only those of us who grew up in the 70's and 80's could truly enjoy. I realize Liz and I are hardcore fans, but if you have children and enjoy melodic and harmonious pop, I promise that you AND your children will have a great time listening to this CD. There are a couple of tracks that I don't care for, such as Allergies and Vegetable Town, but other than that this album is a gem. I can't believe I am saying this, but this album displays the purest form of BNL since their debut album, Gordon, back in 1992. How many bands can say that?

OK, so judge for yourself. I have included links to my favorite tracks listed on AOL Music. The audio quality isn't the best, but you'll get the jist.


Pollywog in a Bog: http://music.aol.com/song/pollywog-in-a-bog/10587035
-If you don't bop your head and smile to this song, then you're just in a bad mood.


Eraser: http://music.aol.com/song/eraser/10587041
-How can you combine Speed Racer, Queen, and a Church Choir? Listen to find out.


A Word For That: http://music.aol.com/song/a-word-for-that/10687051
-Pure BNL.....plain and simple.


Louis Loon: http://music.aol.com/song/louis-loon/10587043
-A great original children's song. This will definitely be played for our baby.....someday.

P.S......Just noticed that BNL is #2 on the children's music chart, behind Hannah Montana. Didn't think I'd be saying that a few years ago!

I'm taking volunteers...

To follow me around and write about my life after I've lived it.

Hi Blog readers! Did you miss me? I'd like to say that my heart was aching the almost month I went without blogging, but honestly it was a great break. The only downfall was the unending guilt I felt with not keeping you updated on the most fascinating details of the Blais' household. I mean, I know how important it is to keep you updated on pictures of Enid looking out the window or what sort of jelly I had on my biscuit at Jimmy's Egg. Good Gosh! Those suckers are tasty.

Partially, I blame Nathan for tying up the computer most every night while finishing (okay, starting) his school projects and getting ready for finals week. The truth is, Nathan and I have been pretty busy with various things and I just haven't had the energy to come home and type all of it out. Seems like every week night and weekend has been crammed with a visit to a friend, breezing through my book club book by deadline, visiting with family, planning other visits with family, finding a reunion dress, and blah blah blah.

Things I'm currently addicted to other than blogging (obviously):

1. Frozen grapes. Holy freakin' Toledo! Where have these been all my life? If you've talked to me in the past week, you know I'm truly hooked (obsessed, whatever) on this healthy treat.

2. Snacktime! In more ways than one. It's only fitting that the new BNL cd that's playing in our house all the time is titled with my favorite time of day (see #1). It's okay to own and memorize every word to a children's cd when you technically don't have children, right? I mean, how old could Enid be in cat years? 10? Seriously.

3. Checking my mailbox for this. It's like fabulousness, only in a smaller size. Why did God have to make me have such great taste with such a small wallet?

4. Clinique's eye makeup remover. That stuff is like a Magic Eraser for your eyes. Now, if it would just come with a nice buff bald guy in my bathroom...

Tooting My Own Horn !!

You seriously have to check out the post I did here on Jess's blog. I crack myself up. Even if I am laughing by myself. Toot! Toot!

I got nothin', people!

I know. I know. What the heck is she doing? Why hasn't she blogged? Well, I do have a few excuses. But, I'm guessing that none of them are going to satisfy you. So, if you really really need a little fix, you can check out the two guest posts I contributed to over here. I'll be doing another one tomorrow too.

Don't worry though. I will return. Maybe I'll even catch some good blog juju from Jessica's blog while she's swimmin' with the fishies in Hawaii. I better get one darn good souvenir, that's all I'm sayin'.

Lord, Help my I-pod

Well, she may be the only Cyrus to make one of my playlists. Even if it is the "Hi my Name is Liz and I am the 27 year old who screamed on the radio when I won backstage passes to Ashlee Simpson and I'm completely addicted to 12-year old girl music" playlist.

Ladies: Grab your turkey baster, wisk, hairbrush or other faux microphone of your choice and crank it up.

Gentleman: Be sure to wipe up your drool puddle after watching the newest Britney in the making.

Miley Cyrus : "See You Again"

On second thought...

It may be quite possible that an all night marathon of Jon and Kate +8 episodes may not have been the best choice of entertainment the night before our first infertility appointment.

If I ever make 10 children hold on to a string of colored rings while trekking through Chocolate World, please smack me repeatedly until I swear to never do it again.

Pancakes, Brackets, and Hail-Cores, Oh my!

Nothing like a carb-filled brunch to start off a day full of basketball and storm watches. Don't worry, Aubrey. Right after this picture was taken, I put the Wild Blueberry Syrup from Maine back in the refrigerator. I need to preserve all of it's yumminess until my in-laws make their big move back to Maine in July. Then, I can have them ship all of my Maine favorites to me anytime I want. They have some monks up there that make THE BEST seedless raspberry jam on earth.

Needless to say, Nathan is in his happy place. March Madness brackets surround him as he flips back and forth between Gary and Rick. Oh how I miss my cute little red-head weatherman. Aaron T. was way more fun to keep me advised than that new guy they replaced him with. Enid, however has already taken her tornado precautions in the guest bathroom. Do they make teeny-tiny pink bicycle helmets?

***************
This weekend wrapped up the Elite Eight and pretty much wrapped up my only chance of winning our family/friend tournament to be if Kansas takes it to the end. According to the scenario calculations that my slightly obsessive husband has drafted, I could also get second place if Memphis faces Kansas in the final game and the Tigers happen to win.

Whatever. I've put my money on both of these teams in the past, and I've yet to come home with the money the past four years we've been doing this. The hope of being able to have a professional design a new background for my blog with my winnings is the only thing that gets me through this month of weird names, weird tattoos and penetration. (Can they not come up with a new term for that? Seriously.)

Here are a few pics from the latest March Madness get-together at B and D's. Three down, two to go.

"They walk alike. They talk alike."

He looks cute folks. But, I'm convinced that all that Sooner blood dressed in orange tainted one of my final team picks from continuing on.

"Please welcome the President and V.P. of the Double-Chin club."

Exactly at what age do you lose your baby fat? Twenty nine?

"Is this guy gonnna share that ice cream or what?"