Yep, I'm going straight to hell.

When I saw this headline, I laughed.  Out loud. 


I believe this is the pure definition of irony- billionaire owner of the Segway company mistakenly drives his Segway off a cliff.


Oops.

We simply couldn't resist.

Yes, I know it's not Monday.  But I couldn't wait until then to share this cuteness!

We got confirmation yesterday that we are indeed having a boy.  A son.  Sigh.  Happy hearts all around at the Anderson house.

But you know me.  What have I been most excited for?  THE SHOPPING.

Believe it or not, up until this point I have not purchased one single thing for baby.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.

I needed the confirmation before I could commit to blue.  J though it was a little weird when I said I drank some orange juice before the appointment to get the baby moving around, to ensure I'd get to "see the goods."  Not his favorite word choice.  He felt better when I said I needed to see my baby's "private parts."  How that is better, I'm not exactly sure.

But I digress.

I will give you one sneak peak of the newest pictures.  You'll have to tune in Monday for the rest!

The money shot.  Love how the arrow leaves nothing to the imagination.

So obviously, there's no longer any speculation about the sex of the peanut!


This meant I was officially allowed to shop.  I told J before the appointment that I was longing to buy something for the baby.  Not any crazy shopping spree (yet), but something.  Anything that signified that I am a Mommy providing for my child.  He suggested that we take a little field trip after the appointment, and make our first baby purchase.


It was a happy surprise that J wanted to shop with me...again!


So off to Old Navy we went.  Shockingly, J was the first to find something.  And yes, when he showed me the tiny Star Wars onesie, I cried.  I cried because I'm pregnant and hormonal, yes.  But I also cried because J was picking out his kind of stuff for his son.  It was a definite Daddy moment.

This was J's total purchase.  Baby is still in the womb, and he may already be a nerd.

After J found these, I realized that I wanted my first baby shopping experience to be extra cute.  So I decided that a visit to Baby Gap was in order.  This is what I picked out.

Gap's famous cable knit sweater- baby style.

Now that that's taken care of, we'll rely on the grandmas to supply the rest of year one's wardrobe!

My mission = accomplished.

I couldn't possibly be more excited!

Yes, this may make me a little nerdy.  Or at the very least, a Harry Potter Super Fan.  But I embrace that.  Because it's true.  I DO love Harry Potter, in a serious way.

Watching this literally gave me chills.  Yep, I'm THAT excited for the next chapter.  I know lots of my readers are fans, too...so if you haven't seen this yet, dig in.  My bet?  You'll have chills, too.

November 19th can't come soon enough.

From the Peanut Gallery: Week 18- The Bell Pepper

To clear up any confusion, as the bell pepper is clearly not as large as last week's turnip- no, baby did not shrink this week.  Last week, he weighed as much as a turnip.  This week, he is the length of a bell pepper.  Sheesh.  Baby Center should really not try to confuse us preggos.  We're confused enough as it is.

Big news this week...WE HAVE MOVEMENT!

Last Monday night, as I was laying in bed getting ready to go to sleep, I felt something that didn't feel like my normal tummy rumblings.  I looked over at J with a smile on my face and told him I was pretty sure I had just felt the baby move.  This was the first time I didn't really wonder whether it was baby or gas (sorry if that's TMI, but such is life for a woman with child).

I went to sleep oh-so-happy.  The next day I waited, and waited, and waited to feel it again.  Nothing.  Zip.  Nada.  Bummer.

But I didn't get too discouraged.  Apparently it's completely normal to go several days in between feeling those first movements.  And several days it was.  I felt one more movement later in the week.  One measly movement. 

And then Friday hit.  As I sat at my desk that morning, going through my emails and starting the daily grind, I felt him again.  And again.  And again!!  These were not the movements that I had read about.  These did not feel like butterfly wings, or popcorn popping.  These were not flutters- no, these were kicks.

Oh, how joyous it was to sit there and feel my little man kicking away!

It was then that I realized what may have caused this sudden burst of movement...

As I was kinda dragging on Friday morning, I decided to have a cup of fully-leaded Starbucks coffee.  It tasted delicious (I don't think I realized just how much I'd missed coffee, as it was utterly disgusting to me in my first trimester...okay, well, almost everything was utterly disgusting to me in my first trimester)...and it really got me up and moving and ready to face the world.  Apparently, it also got little man up and moving!

I felt guilty at first...then I remembered that, per my doctor, some caffeine is totally okay.  Then I realized that I would be starting EVERY day off with a cup o' joe if it meant that I could feel the amazing bumpity-bumps going on in my belly.

Does this make me a bad mom already?  Maybe.  But that certainly has not stopped me from funneling said stimulant to baby every morning.  I think he likes it.  I take his kicks as his way of saying "Thanks for the morning pick-me-up, Mommy!"  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Here we are on Monday, a few short days later, and I feel movement several times a day.  I think now that I know what I'm looking for, it's easy to recognize his kicks.  J is JEALOUS...understandably so.  But with the strength of these kicks, I don't think it will be long before he can feel them from the outside and take part in this magic, too.  My heart can't wait for that day.

This week also brought us a trip to New Bern to visit with J's family.  Believe it or not, this is the first time we've seen them since I've gotten pregnant (again, blame it on the yucky first trimester).  It was fun to walk into their house belly first!

Grandma is just a little excited.  Here are a few of the baby goods we brought back with us.  She may have started shopping for this baby before he was even conceived.  (Seriously.  I'm not kidding.)  Like I said, a little excited.

How stinkin' cute are these???

It is SO fun to be hitting this stage of pregnancy, where things are really happening!  He's moving, Grandmas are shopping, baby registries are (mostly) taken care of, and plans for a baby shower are in the works!  I've got one lucky little man growing inside of me.

Speaking of growing, that's just what he's been doing this week.  His biggest job from this point on is...well, getting bigger!  He's not so much forming anymore as he is just growing.  Pretty amazing to think that in just 18 short weeks a whole human was formed, right?  This week, his skeleton is turning from soft cartilage into bone, and his joints are fully movable.  Both of these developments explain why I can now feel the kicks!

Can't wait to get another look at my little guy TOMORROW!  After this ultrasound, I can start shopping, too.  (I need to hear the word BOY twice before I can start buying blue...after tomorrow, it's on!)

Look for updated baby pics in next week's report!

If Facebook Existed Years Ago...

I've been seeing this little funny pop up everywhere lately, so maybe many of you have already seen it.  But J had not, when I asked him about it last night.  I then proceeded to try and explain to him the humor in these images.  He failed to laugh.  Or even chuckle.  Apparently my retelling skills suck.

SO, I thought it best that I just post it for all to see!   Happy Friday, everyone!

Aww, shucks. I missed it.

I wanted to commemorate the special occasion that was my 100th post!

You see, when I started this here blog, I wasn't sure if it would be a passing fad, merely a phase I would go through, only to abandon it a few short posts later.

BUT, my friends, I have stuck with it.  And I kinda like it!

So, congratulations to the blog on surpassing 100 posts!  (This is post 103...SO sorry, dear blog, that I missed your big day...please forgive me!)

American Idol Announcement: An Expert Opinion

All the deets for the new season of "Amerian Idol" were released yesterday.  As an expert (i.e. someone who believes herself to be a singing diva and wishes she had her own glittery microphone someone who has watched the show from the very beginning), I definitely have some opinions.

First, new judges.

I think these choices are okay.  First, Jennifer Lopez.  I mean, Jenny From the Block clearly knows how to claw her way to the top, and I think that experience will lead her to give some good advice to the hopefuls.  And Steven Tyler?  Yes, please.  I happen to love him in a way that is completely inappropriate given the fact that he looks a little like a monkey.  BUT, can you think of anyone else who simply epitomizes rock star like this man?  He seems to me to be a little kooky and unpredictable, and that always leads to good TV.

I have gotta admit, though, that I will miss some of the old judges.  I was a little saddened when Paula left.  I mean, she was the cheerleader for the contestants in a way that no one else ever could manage to be.  Maybe J.Lo can take over this role?  Kara, well honestly, I could care less about Kara.  I never liked her.  I LOVE me some Ellen, but certainly not as an AI judge.  You could tell she just felt too bad to ever say anything critical.

And Simon...oh, Simon.  I believe that the show will NEVER be the same without Simon.  In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if his departure means the end of the show.  We could always count on him to tell it like it is, without any sugar coating.  Simon, you narcissistic, British bastard, you.  You will be missed most of all.

And what of Ryan Seacrest now?  I fear that he may be like a lost puppy dog without Simon.  Whose chest hair and tight, v-neck shirts will he make fun of?  And who will be around to make fun of his height?  The end of an era, to be sure.  At least we still have good ole' Randy.  I don't think I could live without hearing things like, "I dunno, dog, for me it was a little pitchy."

And now for the format changes: me likey.  The contestants get to focus on and hone their skills in THEIR genre.  Enough bouncing around.  We'll just call a spade a spade, every week.  Carrie Underwood does not need to sing hip-hop, nor does Kelly Clarkson need to experiment with her country twang.  Instead, each week the contestants will work to strengthen their own, unique craft. 

Looking forward to January 2011! 

 

Shopping Adventures!

I had the most amazing shopping experience in California.

This is all thanks to J...who is a (self-proclaimed) sucky gift giver.  I do not find this to be true, however, he believes that he is terrible at this particular endeavor.  You see, J thinks that if I've already realized that I want something, then it's not a good gift.  It's also not a good gift if it's something useful (like a new vacuum cleaner), or something that I might buy for myself sometime in the future (like new pots and pans...which also happen to be useful...clearly a dreadful gift).

You can see how this limits the playing field.

So as our first anniversary approached, J began to fret over what he would get me.  We nixed sticking with the whole "paper anniversary" theme (mostly because I already knew I would be getting him the coveted iPad, which is clearly not made of paper), and said to buy whatever you feel like buying.

This didn't stop J from asking lots more questions.
"Does the gift have to be timeless?"
"Should it be mushy and sentimental?"
"Should we stick to a price range?"
"If I ask a million more questions to clear up my confusion, do you think a great idea will just appear before me as if by magic?"  (Okay, he didn't really ask that last one...but I think he was hoping that might happen nonetheless.)

J also questioned friends and family.  Maybe they might know of something that I don't know I want and hence won't buy for myself in the future!  And if we're all lucky, maybe it will also be useless!

As it turned out, J gave a GREAT gift... AND, it was technically paper after all.

No, it wasn't money.  (Well, not technically.)

When we exchanged gifts (at 6:30 am, because I was so excited to give J his iPad that I couldn't fall back asleep), I was presented with a shirt box.  I really didn't have a clue as to what would be inside, as I know J SURELY didn't buy me clothing.

Inside was a map...of a little slice of heaven known as Fashion Valley Mall.

J had printed a basic picture of the mall, and filled in all of the designer shops that he thought I might like to visit!  (I mean, REALLY.  SO cute).  I realized that this meant I had been given permission to shop.  WITHOUT having to spend my allowance.

I was positively giddy as I looked at the stores J had listed.  Louis Vuitton...Jimmy Choo...Michael Kors...Hermes...Burberry...Carolina Hererra...Kate Spade...Betsey Johnson...not to mention Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks, all of which carry every designer you can think of.

When we arrived in San Diego, we couldn't check into our hotel quite yet.  So, we hit the mall.

I nibbled on some chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva as we wandered.  (I mean, it was all about the decadence, right?)  I was completely overwhelmed by all of the choices.  I browsed through boutique after fabulous boutique.  And the best part?  Since this was a present for me, J had to be tolerable whilst shopping.  This is a difficult feat for him to accomplish, as he is normally obnoxious and annoying on shopping trips...which makes me miserable...which is why I leave him at home unless ABSOLUTELY necessary.

I looked at bags, tried on shoes (and some maternity jeans...even though they were useful...), and perused the jewelry at Tiffany.

And then we left empty handed.

It was just too much!  I couldn't decide.  But I did narrow it down to a few choices: designer diaper bag, from either Coach or Kate Space, bracelet from Tiffany's, or clutch from Michael Kors.  (I know you are all SHOCKED to hear that no shoes made the cut, but the ones I really loved were completely, utterly and outrageously out of the agreed upon price range.)

Over the next few days, I thought and I thought about what I would choose.  And finally decided on a Kate Spade diaper bag.

We went BACK to the mall, J as pleasant as ever, and picked up this adorable baby bag.

Will I be the most chic mommy on the block, or what?

 BONUS: In the two days since we had been there last, the bag had gone on sale!

So we strutted on down to Michael Kors (at least I strutted...I mean, I was already carrying a large shopping bag from Kate Spade) and we picked up this cute little number, too!

Yay for two bags!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this shopping trip, and I give J an  A+  for his gift giving skills!

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 17: The Turnip

Again with the weird produce...anyone out there ever eaten a turnip?

This is the week I have been waiting for.

I think I'm finally at that stage people have been telling me about.

I've reached The Promised Land.

I feel great 98% of the time, I have energy (although I still totally rock a nap everyday...because...well, because I can), I have a true baby bump, AND...I can eat!!

I've actually been hungry.  A LOT of hungry.  Every two hours hungry.  But instead of forcing my self to eat two bites of something to avoid barfing every two hours, I actually WANT food every two hours.  I'm definitely not over-eating.  I still don't really clean a plate, well, ever.  But it's oh-so-exciting to enjoy my favorite meals again.

I am also back in the kitchen!  The smells there are no longer my enemy.  I can handle cooking a meal.  J and I even made a trip to the grocery store to stock up on some refrigerator and pantry essentials (and three cake mixes, two different types of cookies, and the makings of an apple pie...apparently baby wanted dessert).  This was a truly monumental feat.  You see, for many, many weeks now, the grocery store has also been my enemy.  I actually could not step foot in the door, lest the sight and aroma of food, food, everywhere food send me running for the little trash can in the meat aisle.  It was nice to browse up and down each aisle, throwing unnecessary treats into the cart at every turn.

My other favorite part of the week is the bump.  Ah, the bump.  The outward sign of pregnancy that I've been waiting for.  It's here.  It's really, really here.  I've had lots of fun shopping for maternity clothes, and I think I've done an okay job of picking out things that are actually pretty cute.  It's so fun to be wearing things that showcase our little man, growing and growing.  J, being the ultimate supportive hubby, worried that I may be feeling less attractive with my growing figure.  (Yes, ladies, you read that correctly.  He wanted to talk with me about my feelings.)  In all actuality, I am feeling more attractive.  I have lost a lot of the self-consciousness that I had, and I feel good about rocking the bump.  In my cute new clothes.  With great accessories.  And 3-inch heels.  Yep.  I feel good.

Maybe I finally love being pregnant?  Yes, friends, I have been waiting for this week.  Yes I have.

Things I Heart: Shoes

I refuse to give these up, just because I'm pregnant. I'm just sayin'.

Vacation, Vacation!

Sorry this post is so delayed!  Getting back into the swing of things is tough.  Ever feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? 

In any case, vacation was WONDERFUL!  J and I had a great time on our west coast adventure.

I've mentioned before how I'm not the greatest at remembering to take pictures.  Of course, this vacation was no exception.  I started off strong, but by the time we got to the latter half of the week, my photographic instincts petered out.

Our trip started in San Diego.  I LOVE this city!  There was so much to do and see there!  Another trip there is a necessity.  The weather was definitely not the sunny California I was expecting, but it turned out to suit our purposes really well.  The gray, overcast mornings were perfect for venturing out and about in the city, and the sunny afternoons were perfect for lounging by the pool.

Our hotel was SUH-WEET!

Our living room.

Office- you know, for all of the business needs we had in San Diego.

The bedroom.

View from our balcony.

I neglected to take a picture of the bathroom, but it was nothing terribly special.  Although, the water pressure in our shower was ah-mazing.  Like standing underneath Niagra Falls, I tell you.

Although we really enjoyed our whole San Diego experience, we had two favorite parts.  First was the world-famous San Diego Zoo.  The animals were SO active and fun to watch!  It was really the most memorable zoo experience I've ever had- and I love me some zoo!  I can see why this zoo is so famous.  We were lucky to be there on a good day!

This gorilla was awesome.  At one point she came up and pounded on the glass several times, King Kong style.

Not sure if she was playing, or telling us to back away from her cutie baby!

This monkey didn't want anyone to take any of his leaves and grass, that he oh-so-carefully wrapped around himself.

The baby didn't care.  He's moving in for the steal.  We spent a good half-hour watching the interactions of these guys.  They were great!

Hello, Mr. Hippo!

Sleepy bear.

I couldn't resist this cheesy pic.  If you look at the title on the lab coat, it says "Extraterrestrial Impact Theorist."  Sounds just like J, no?

I believe this is the only picture of the two of us from the entire trip.  I am definitely carrying a baby around with me these days!

Our other favorite part of San Diego was the food.  Yes, I took pictures of several of our meals- they were that pretty!  We used tripavisor.com to choose restaurants, and it didn't let us down.  We had some truly incredible meals!

It was a little dark in here, but check out the size of this kobe burger!  Yum.

Seared ahi tuna, mango salsa, black rice.  J loved.

Is that the prettiest eggs benedict you've ever seen?

Guess what was inside my omelet?  Mashed potatoes.  That's right. 

J's "everything beer" burger.  Tons of crap on top of this thing, all cooked, basted, or broiled in some different flavor of beer.  I could still smell it on his breath the next day.  This thing was no joke.

One more thing completely amazed me!  And that was the sea lions.  We could hear them in the bay each morning, and I was so excited to see them in the wild!  Unfortunately, we couldn't get terribly close.  But look out into the distance, and you can see tons of big lumps chilling on that dock!

A few other pics from the grounds of our resort:

Marina- big boats!  I was hoping one of them was my anniversary gift, but alas, no.

Water slides at the pool!  Loved all the lush foliage.

After we left San Diego, we met up with Frank and Linda, J's dad and step-mom.  We headed to Palm Springs for a night to visit with J's brother Josiah, his wife Rosa, and their baby Linda!

Our niece Linda.  Adorable!

Baby Linda with Frank and Linda.  These grandparents sure love their grandbaby!

Baby Linda with her mom and dad.  (Sorry for the crappy cellphone pic.  This is the point where I started sucking with the picture taking.)

After we left Palm Springs, we headed to Tecate, Mexico (yes, Tecate like the beer- this is where it's made), to stay with the in-laws for the last two nights of our trip.  Again, very few pictures here...but here's what I got!

Tecate town square.  Lots of booths to buy Mexican goods!

These old men were serious about their dominoes. 

A Mexican "garden." 

So that was the trip, in a picture-heavy nutshell!  We really had a great time.  It was hard to come home!  (And even harder to adjust from east coast time to west coast time back to east coast time!)

Already looking forward to our next vacation!