My mother taught me...

Photo taken July 4, 2009

(among other things)

...that anything made from scratch tastes better, especially pancakes.

...that pumpkin pie includes all the ingredients for a healthy breakfast.

...that "when in doubt, do without."

...that if you like a shirt in one color, you should buy at least two more of the same shirt in other colors.

...that you don't really need to wear shoes outside, even if you're gardening.

...to love all animals, even bees.

...to take a nap when you're tired, no matter how old you are.

...that it is a waste to take a sick day from work if you are really sick, you should save those days off for when you feel like doing something fun.

...that family is the most important thing in life.

But most of all, my mother has taught me that a woman CAN survive an Oroville summer when she is pregnant and due at the end of August. And this is the lesson I need most of all right now.

Thank you Mom, I love you.

A Year Already?

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Tummy Takes

For the record, she is obsessed with taking pictures of my tummy. Unfortunately, I have to thank her for it. I'm sure someday I'll appreciate the documentation.

We're Past the Halfway Mark!

We had another ultrasound a couple of weeks ago (about 20 weeks along). It was very cool to see the baby kicking and moving around, and literally, that is all it did the whole time. It appears to be a VERY active baby. As you can see in the first picture, parent abuse is real and starts at a very early age.

Notice the foot kicking me in the bladder.

We caved and did find out the sex of the baby, but I am understanding that some of you out there are still not wanting to find out until it is born. So, in the spirit of surprises, I will try my very best to keep all posts gender neutral so that no surprises will be ruined. If, however, you are dying to find out if peanut is a HE-nut or a SHE-nut (and you haven't already heard), leave me a comment and I'll let you know privately.

It is so exciting that it looks like a little person now, instead of the blobby thing from 10 weeks earlier. I can feel it moving around all the time now, and can even feel the kicks through my skin sometimes. Ryan is still waiting for his opportunity to catch a kick, but I'm sure it will be soon. The human body is such an amazing thing. Speaking of human bodies...

In response to an overwhelming request from my audience (that's you, Aunt Jen), here are some pictures of my growing tummy.

(22 week photos courtesy of photographer Rebecca Silva, taken yesterday)

I hope you are feeling more connected now :)

And the World's Worst Blogger Award goes to...

...ME! I am here to tell you that, despite my long absence from blogging, I have not fallen off the edge of the earth or abandoned my blog. The fact is...I'm just a terrible blogger. I have missed posting about Christmas, New Years', Valentine's Day, and two birthdays (my sister's and my husband's), not to mention the countless amazing things I do everyday (hmmmmm). Needless to say, it is a good thing life keeps happening even when you don't write about it. So...I am making an April 3rd resolution. Yes, I can do that, it is my blog. This resolution is to blog more. How much more that means, I'm not really sure. Of course, my ambitious brain says to write something everyday, but let's face it, I'm just not that inspired. However, I am going to try to post more than once every two months, which is just completely unacceptable. Since this is my blog, as I've mentioned before, I thought it would only be appropriate to start by writing about myself. I am assuming that the only people reading this blog (if there are any) already know me either through friendship or family ties, but do you really know me? If you are my mom, yeah you probably know me, but if you're not my mom, here is a list of ten random facts about myself. 1. I love to watch Jeopardy! It is a near obsession, I feel that I have a physical need to watch it every night at 7:30. 2. I am left-handed. 3. I have lived in Oroville my entire life and I DO NOT have all of my teeth. 4. I am pregnant for the first time, which has been an eye opening experience. People just don't tell you everything about pregnancy until it is too late. My mother reasons that if she had told me everything there is to know I never would have agreed to have a baby...she is probably right. As a side note, for those of you waiting to see a baby bump...keep on waiting. We are almost halfway and at this point, I just look like I've been letting myself go. The bloat that has accumulated in my mid-section resembles neither a Baby or a Bump, so you'll just have to wait a little longer for pics. 5. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting which I am currently not using at all. 6. I work for Mary Lake-Thompson Ltd. People always ask what I do there and it is nearly impossible to explain. If you are interested, visit the website. Whatever you see there, I probably had a hand in making at least some piece of it. 7. I call almost all of my pets "Peanut" when I talk to them, and yes I talk to all of them. Guess I'm just practicing my motherhood skills. 8. I absolutely HATE grocery shopping. If I could somehow magically produce groceries in my fridge and pantry I would cook dinner every night, but I can't, so I don't. 9. I like pulling weeds. Ryan finds this fact weird and possibly disturbing, but it is so rewarding to see your progress as you work. 10. I am a terrible singer, but love to sing. So here's to hoping I can stick to my resolution. Tune in again to find out.