Baby Bump Alert- 16 weeks

Today I am 16 weeks into my pregnancy. And although I still have some toliet kind of moments, overall I am doing much, much better.

It is typically outside of my comfort zone to post photo's of myself on a regular day, much less a preggo day... and I always want to rationalize the way I look (you know, like, by telling you that this was taken at the end of a long day where I know I look tired, with dark circles under my eyes). But, I figured that it was getting to be time to share with some of my family... the bump. So here is the bump.
From the front (I like to tell myself that you cannot really tell THAT much)





From the side (See, there is no more denying it- it's there... and I am tired of sucking in all the time)



I will try not to bore you with pictures of the bump all the time, but since I do publish this I am going to try every now and then to put one up so I can remember, because truly it is a marvelous thing.

How you know you have let your kids watch too much TV...

You know when your kids decide they want to name "the baby" and the names they come up with are all characters on Di$ney or NIckled0n. The list they have come up with... Drake, Josh, Zack, Cody, Miley, Hannah, Selena...

Or when you show up to pick up your 3 year old child from their Sunday School class this morning and their teacher tells you that your child has told them that you are having a boy, and that his name is Josh. Then when Daddy thinks it is funny, he ask Silas what he are having and he says "a boy" and then he ask if he knows what we are naming him, and he says "Josh"... then Silas proceeds to say that there is another boy coming too and his name will be "Ja-rake"

My new friend

I met a new friend today. Her name is Bella. You see, I had some time to myself today and tried to go shopping "for a few things" just to get me through this feeling fat but not yet true baby bump (although it is there, and some of you know it because I catch you staring to see if you can see something... yeah, I get paranoid when I catch you looking at the belly and not the face... but I know it is inevitable) ANYWAY... it was hard for me. It kind of stunk actually. I mean the trend is kind of convenient right now with the baggy shirts and stuff, but MY GRACIOUS someone forgot to tell the fashion industry that Dec-March are COLD. I really cannot get away with the shirts they put out there these days and try to pass of as winter wardrobe... you know like these



So, I am wandering around trying to figure out how long I can make the few pants I have (that fit) work without looking silly... and I meet her. BELLA! I had heard just a tad about Bella, but had never really paid attention. So when I went into 2 maternity shops today and they both mentioned her, I thought I would have a little talk with her myself. So she and I disappeared into the dressing room and became the best of friends. Now, don't get me wrong. I have not actually taken Bella out in public yet to go for a test drive. But I did come home (before slipping into my PJ's) and try her out with a pair of jeans that were to uncomfortable to button. VOILA! All my pants *should* fit just fine now. There is just nothing like a girlfriend that helps a struggling sister out!

Scam

So I was laying in bed this morning at 7:15. Minding my own business, trying to pretend that a 2 year old, 3 year old, and 5 year old were not in bed with me fighting about the space, the covers, the dog, and the TV.

The phone rings.

It is a man with a foreign accent calling to tell me that I had just won a drawing and that $10 million dollars and a 2009 Mercedes Benz were waiting in Memphis to be delivered to my home by 10 AM. I asked if he were crazy, that it was 7 AM and that I was on the "Do not call list". He tried to confirm my address and continued to explain to me that because I purchased my groceries on credit or debit that my name was randomly entered into a drawing from big name companies (like he said...do you know Arm*n*Hammer) and that I had won for January. I told him "this is a scam, I am calling the police" to which he said "I do not understand your confusion, please ask me any questions to clarify your winnings."

By this time, I had spent enough time on the phone to be curiously miffed. So I began playing his game (uh... I mean scam). I asked how to claim my prize so that my new Benz would be sitting in the drive by lunch. He gave me a number in Memphis (with an extenstion to call) to confirm my winnings. All I had to do was confim the ability to accept the winnings by agreeing to pay the ( I cannot remember what he called it but I'll say ) legal fees. I told him I did not have that ability, that I would have to have my husband do that (that is always my scapegoat for telemarketers and salesmen when I get cornered). He asked to contact Brent. I of course refused to give him his numbers. So instead he gave me his name and all his numbers in Florida (and one in Memphis) so we could call and confirm it all. I laughed and laughed as he told me congratulations on my winnings and I hung up the phone. Of course I called Brent. I did not know if he would answer, being that he was in the woods in a tree stand somewhere, but he did... and laughed. While I was on the phone with him, I looked up the phone numbers on G@@gle.com. I won't go into the details of what all I found, but really it is quite elaborate. The Memphis number is a real number that evidentally most anyone can use as a free in the area number. You must subscribe to it where you are given an extenstion number that will re-route the number anywhere in the world. Best I could tell, this was a Jamacian phone scam (from what I saw on the internet). How in the world did they get my info... should I call the Police?

Funny enough, I will admit. There is a little piece of niave little Ashley in me that is thinking... what if I really won something?

Fit Pitching

Yes, this is another post about my daughter. She has decided that she is well enough into the two's to try her hand at a little fit pitching (or pit fitching as we sometimes call it). I guess she thinks I do not know all about this little game of who has the upper hand. But, I have some news for her... Daddy left town to go hunting for a few days and Mommy is holding Baby Fit Pitching Boot Camp. If I could only think of all the reasons she pitched fits today. The few that come to mind...(and mind you she spent 5 hours at Mom's Day Out today)
* I would not let her walk around (and thus feed Stella) her breakfast
* I had poured her milk into her green cup and not her "fish" cup.
* I would not let her come out to the bus stop with me and the boys.
* I made her wear a coat over her jacket (that went with her velour outfit).
* I put her lunch box in her school bag, before she approved.
* I would not let her sit in the seat she wanted to in the car on the way to school.
* Silas would not give her his treat for being a good boy at school.
* I would not let her sit in the seat she wanted on the way home from school.
* Silas would not let her have his treat from school (still)
* Stella would not let her use her as a pillow.
* Baylor would not give her his apple.
* Silas would not let her lay on "momma's side" of the bed.
* I would not let her get in the shower with the big boys.
* I put the wrong color toothpaste on her toothbrush.
* I finally put her to bed and WALKED AWAY.

I am afraid that perhaps we have let our sweet little Eliza fool us into her being in control. She gets what she wants from everyone. Have I just now noticed? Or has it just gotten bad enough where I realize UH-OH... WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

Just to show you (because I know you are here for hard evidence). This is Eliza when I let everyone pick 2 treats from the treats Muber sent to us over Christmas (a few weeks back). This is what we got when she picked her 2 treats, ate them, and then decided what she really wanted was something else.

Stitches

This may not be as funny to you, but this is our dinner entertainment. She is a stinker, this girl... and a stubborn one at that. You cannot tell her something, she won't believe you. It is what she says it is, and that is that.

That's all folks

Well, I have told myself that I am not allowed to post new things for 2009 until I close out 2008 so that I can send it to blurb to be published.

What a year that 2008 was! A year that ended with a cherry on top in so many ways. I AM BLESSED beyond measure. I love the life I have been given, and the people sent to share it with me.

My prayer is that 2009 will bring as much blessing not only to my family but to all of you as well.