Taking the bad with the good....

Well, I haven't been around much.  Having a rough couple of weeks, but it will get better eventually.

Long story short, I caused an accident where I totaled our car.  Everyone was ok.  Found out that I have to retake my dirving tests and have a medical report before they will deteremine if I get to keep my license.  Well, the next day I found out that I lose my license on Sept. 29th and don't get it back until Jan 27th.  Not a happy camper her, as I'm not sure what we are going to do.

I had big plans to sub teach all fall, and it looks as though that won't happen as much as I want.  My mom has offered to help us out, so I will still be able to teach a couple days a week, but not like I wanted to. 

Big Bummer.....  So I've been gone for awhile, in a bit of a mood to tell you the truth.

I'll be back next week with Adam's 8 month update!  Which is all good news, thankfully! :-)

OCD

I'm a bit ocd when it comes to a few things around these here parts.  I don't know if it's because I've trained myself to be this way or because my mom is the opposite and I unconsciously have a need to do these things differently than she did while I was growing up.

Whatever the case may be, my name's Kayla and I'm a little bit OCD.

I have a fear of running out of specific items around the house.  When we get low on these items, I immediately feel a need to restock my supply.

Maybe I should be an extreme couponer and have my own room to keep and organize these items, as to not run out. Plus, then I'd probably be getting them for free which would be way better anyway.

The things I fear of running out of?
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Body wash
Toothpaste
Dish soap
Deodorant
Etc...

I HATE running out of these things.  They are all necessities, right?

Seriously, you'll catch me buying not one, not two, but probably 4-5 bottles of body wash at one time (whether they are on sale or not) because I CAN NOT run out of it.

It's a bit odd when you think about it.  I guess growing up, it really sucked when we ran out of toilet paper because Mom forgot to pick it up... Granted, she was a busy woman (Not only was she a mom to two, she worked 12 hour days 5 days a week, did all of the shopping, cleaning, etc...), so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.  If we did run out, it's not like we went days without it, she promptly ran out and got whatever we ran out of.

There you have it.  One of my many odd habits quirks.  If you find me at the store, don't be surprised to find items in multiples of 5, because honestly, who wants to run out of toothpaste??

Wife/Mommy fail and weekend plans

I got so completely wrapped up in Adam's Baptism and brunch this weekend that I didn't even stop to take a picture of Adam and Hubby on Hubby's first fathers day!!!  Major Fail.......  Sorry Hubby.... better luck next year! :-)

In other news, I can redeem myself for Hubby's b-day on July 2nd.... any suggestions for a cute inexpensive homemade gift?  He already got his big gift.

We've got big plans this weekend.  It's suppose to be pretty nice (mid 70's and no rain) for a chance, so we're going to take full advantage.  Hubby's big thing is cars and he wanted to go to a car show for his b-day but the closest one he could find around his b-day is this weekend, so we'll be spending the majority of Saturday at said show.  After we return home, we have a BBQ lunch/dinner thing at a friends house.  I'm so excited for Adam to get to "play" with other little kids.  Our friends have a 1 year old and their friends have a couple kids as well.  I'm hoping nap time goes well tomorrow so that he can have some fun!

Sunday we will probably go out for breakfast and attend church.  So it's a pretty relaxing day and we're excited about that.  Hubby's been super busy with homework for his masters and with work, so we haven't gotten to see him much this past week.  He's definitely working hard and we're so proud of him, but we also cannot wait until he's finished with classes! Come on May 2012! :-)

Have a great weekend!

I'm here!

It's been over a month since my last post, and I figured it was about time I update you all!  We've been busy around these parts.  Getting ready for my parents to move into their new house (for those of you who didn't know, we traveled back to my hometown 1.5h the day Adam and I were discharged from the hospital to live).  So far we've been living with my parents for 12 weeks +- a few days.  Their new house will be done in about 2 weeks, so it is coming to an end!  We are all excited, that's for sure.  However; they have been such a big help with Adam that I will miss them.  It's a good thing they built their new house only about .3 miles from their current one which we are buying.

Adam is now 12 weeks old! Yeah :-)  He is growing up so much.  He rolled over for the first time on March 15th at 11w5 days. He did it three times, but hasn't done it since.  He is talking so much more, it's amazing!  Every morning when he gets up, he is so happy for about 1.5 hours until he needs to eat and take his first nap.

 Adam 10 weeks

So far he is sleeping between 6-8.5h in one stretch, then eating and then sleeping about another 2-3 hours.  It's been great. He's eating 5oz of formula, he was on Soy for about 8 weeks and we finally switched him back to Similac Sensitive and he is doing well on it. 

 Adam 9 Weeks

He still hates belly time, but is getting better at using his arms to hold himself up.  We try to get him on his belly 3-4 times a day so that he starts to like it. 

 Adam 10.5 weeks- His head is getting up there!

At his 2 month check up, he was 22.5" (25th %), 12lbs 4oz (50th %) and head circumference was 40CM (50th %).  Sorry little guy, for the lack of height... That comes from Mommy's side.

 Adam- 2 Months

I just weighed him at 11 weeks and he was already up to 14lbs 5oz.  He sure loves to eat and is putting on the lbs, but that's ok for now, because he is one happy guy!

Hubby is on his way home from China right now.  He left last Friday, March 11th, the day after the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  Needless to say, I am very happy to have him in the air flying home right now.  I have been scared the entire time he was there.  He had to go for work and he said that his hotel and the food was amazing, but being there sure makes him appreciate living in the U.S. 

That is all for now, but I promise I will be back soon to update again.  We're planning to take Adam swimming in a couple weeks, so hopefully he likes it! :-)

Our little family.  Adam 9 weeks

Adam and Mommy :-)

Time

Time has a way of getting away from me.  These days I'm either trying to finish up my internship in a hurry,  doing laundry, cooking dinner or too tired to do much of anything.  I've definitely put blogging to the back burner and have only been using it as a scrapbook of sorts for this pregnancy.  I know it's all well and good, because it's my blog, but there are other things I'd like to write about.  I often think up things to write about, but when I get the chance to sit down to write, I just don't feel like it.  I read through the blogs I follow, but am too lazy to get out of google reader to comment half the time (make that 90% of the time). 

I'm tired and I'm warn out.  I'm nervous about what is to come both in labor and in moving with  newborn.  Not to mention we're trying to get our house up for sale... It's just a lot to do and think about. 

So, I'm taking it one step at a time.  I'm still trying to enjoy being pregnant and doing what I can to make my house look presentable. 

I guess my time seems more stretched now than ever.  I cannot wait until this little baby boy joins our family, but everything is making me so exhausted! 

I only have 6 weeks left, 6 WEEKS! And only 8 weeks left before we move.... Yikes, not sure how it's all going to happen, but I suppose it will.  Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is, if you're wondering where I've been, I've been busy and if you're wondering when I'm going to come back to write more often than just my weekly pregnancy update, I just don't have an answer for you.

That's all for now :-)

It's time.....

It's time to go private.  I've thought a lot about it and I've just decided that it's the next step.  I may be back to the real blog world eventually, but right now, I just need to keep things a little less all over the internet.  With that said, I would love some of you, any of you, who want to continue reading to e-mail me at kaylajcrane at gmail dot com to let me know and I'll add you.  Thanks! 

I'll be going private starting Thursday, Sept 30th.  So just shoot me an e-mail and you're in!  Hope you're all enjoying the last week in September!

Bits and Pieces

-Can you believe that I've never had coffee?  I usually start my days off with honey nut cheerios and some milk and then just drink water throughout the rest of the day.

-I'm almost 1/4 done with my internship!! Yeah!  Thank the Lord!

-I'm in my 6th month, holy crap!  When did that happen?  I just realized that the other day when someone asked me how many months along I was and I had to quick figure it out.

-I'm starting to pick up things here and there for our Little Mr.  I'm trying not to buy too many clothes, because I know we'll probably get some for shower gifts (even though I secretly hope we get most the stuff off our registry instead!)

-I'm loving the beautiful weather we're having here in Iowa.  Breezy & high 70's.  Just wonderful!

-To those who were disappointed because I forgot the picture in the week 23 post, I'll make sure to post one for week 24!

-I have an unhealthy secret addiction to One Life to Live.  Seriously, I DVR it and watch it after work even though I know how horrible and stupid it is.

-I CAN NOT WAIT for the fall shows and football to start up. 

-That's all for now, have a wonderful Wednesday night!!

Deliciousness

This might be the death of me....

I love Nutella sandwiches.  It doesn't get any better than that!  Have you ever had it?  You must try some! Hubby loves it with chunky peanut butter on wheat toast, I just enjoy it plain on wheat toast.  Apparently there are tons of recipes you can make with Nutella..... Um, Nutella Cookies??? Don't mind if I do! :-)

Sorry for the lack of title. I really couldn't come up with anything at all today.  I'm just exhausted! 

Anyway, the internship, o... It's going alright.  I didn't have to do one in undergrad and THANK THE LORD!  It's just ridiculous working and not getting paid, but at the same time it is a great chance to gain valuable experience.  I'm a few days in and I'm exhausted.  Students started yesterday (yes, very early) and I'm at a very at-risk middle school.  I look like one of the students, with the exception of the dress code and that makes it hard to get respect.

I'm slowly learning and getting through, but it's making me tired and unproductive at home.  I haven't been sleeping well at night, not sure what the deal is.  I even tried a pillow between my knees, but alas no relief yet.  My back's also been bothering me, but I'm sure it will only get worse and just comes with the territory!

Sorry for my nothing but negative Nancy post.  I'm sure it will get better and I will try to have a more positive post tomorrow or Thursday!

Have a great Tuesday night :-)

Blogging

I started blogging a little over a year and a half ago.  It was mostly just to share lives happenings, favorite things, about Hubby and our fur babies.

Back in April, our lives changed, drastically. 

And we are o so thankful for that.

Though, in the process of writing about the pregnancy and all things babies, I've lost a few followers.

That's ok, I wouldn't want to force anyone to read anything they don't want to.

I just want to say that this is my blog and I'll write what I want to.  (Kinda like it's my party and I'll cry if I want to)

Anyway, I think we each blog because we want to share our lives and we want to remember every little detail of our lives through this blog.  The one's we want to remember anyway.  So, I will continue to blog about anything that comes to mind, and right now in our lives, it's the little monkey growing inside of me.  We are head over heals for this little one already and for me to act any differently would be a lie to all of you and most of all a lie to myself.

I am sorry for those of you having trouble in the department of pregnancy.  I cannot imagine how you must feel and I'm sure reading peoples blogs about pregnancy can be very  hard.  So, I can see how reading someones blog, purely about pregnancy can not be easy, but remember, we are each fighting our own battle.  So with that said, please please please do not read my blog if it's going to hurt your feelings, I'd rather you take a break and come back later if it can save you some grief because I cannot promise the rest of my posts for the next 5 months won't be about pregnancy.  Most of them will.

So I apologize if my postings haven't been very in depth in terms of content, but right now, we're eating, sleeping and breathing baby.

And that's ok with us.

I hope you continue to read along and comment because I LOVE your comments.  They have been so helpful because as you all know, we're new at this.

While you're at it, all of you lurkers out there who have never commented, come out of the shadows and show me who you are! I'd love to get to know you and I'd love to check out your blogs if I'm not already a follower.

Thanks to all of you followers out there, you're all amazing, even if you are hiding in the shadow's.

Maternity Clothes and some tidbits

I just bought some maternity clothes and now, I'm not sure if I'll ever go back to wearing regular clothes.  Holy comfortable!  Just saying :-)

Happy Wednesday!!!

Last weekend we headed to Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells.  If you've never been there, you're totally missing out!  It's America's Largest Waterpark and is O SO FUN! 

Hubby is building his own telescope.  You've seen his handwork before on speakers, now he's moved to a whole new level.  Here's a picture of his latest speakers that he built and designed, for my Brother & SIL's Wedding gift.

I think they turned out great!

I'm enjoying my time home during the month of July, but I've noticed that it's soooooo easy to get lazy while being home all day long! 

I'll be 19 weeks tomorrow!!!

I start my internship on August 4th and need to get 400 hours in, hopefully before baby comes.

Do any of you own a Flip Video camera?  I'm thinking of purchasing one because I need to do 3 video tapes for my professor of counseling sessions and I think it'd be neat to have around once Baby Crane arrives.

I cannot believe it's almost August.  Where has the summer gone???  

I get to see my bestie Pam next week while she's riding through our town on Ragbri!  Yippy!!!

That's all for now.  Enjoy the beautiful day!!

Rain Rain go away!

It was my complete intent on writing a post this morning catching you all up on pregnancy related news, but alas something else came up.  I'll be 17 weeks tomorrow, I can hardly believe it! We had an appointment last week and all went well.  We're scheduled to find out if it's a boy or girl on August 2nd! CAN.NOT.WAIT! We are super excited and these three weeks cannot go by soon enough!

Anyway,  this morning, I woke up to head to a dentist appointment and looked out the back door as I was letting Bear out.  Turns out, we had a creak running through the backyard.  We've had so much rain in the past couple days, it isn't even funny.  We've had about 7 inches of rain int he past two days and are suppose to get another 1-3 this evening  Talk about not fun.  Anyway, we have one corner in our basement that gets a little bit of water in it when it rains very hard.  Well, because of the amount of rain and the quickness in which it came, we got a LOT of water in our basement.  I mean, we probably had an inch in the "unfinished"* portion of our basement but it went further and was much more than we have ever had before.  The drain in our basement wasn't draining because the water table was full and that is also why our backyard had such a large amount standing water in it.  I had to leave to go to my dentist appointment, so I did what I could and hubby had to come home from work for a few hours to clean most of it up (bless his heart!).  I got back home after my appointment and helped clean up, then we cleaned the gutters (yes, in the rain) and finished cleaning the basement as best we could.  What a pain I tell ya! 

So, the basement is drying up, slowly but shirley, however; we are still suppose to get more rain tonight, so I have a feeling we'll be doing some clean up again tomorrow.  :-(

*I say "unfinished"* because it has those sticky tiles in it and now because of the water, they are all coming up and it doesn't really look very good. 

It's been yet another week, so I'm going to have to postpone the belly updates until week 18! so sorry!  Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

My apologies!

Hello all of you lovely ladies (and any guys who read this, doubt it),

It has been so crazy around here lately with class that I have been slacking in the commenting department.  It is nothing against any of you and I still try to keep up with your blogs, but I am falling behind... And by behind, I mean that, I have about 522 on my blog roll that have yet to be read.  So, if I haven't commented in awhile, I swear I'm still here and I'll try to catch up soon! 

  I've had class M-Th every day in June so far and I still have 2 more weeks to go!  I get home on the weekends and I have to catch up on cleaning & laundry and homework.  So, there isn't much time for anything else.  I'll be back soon! Promise! June 30th cannot come soon enough!!

Thanks for your patience!

Sincerely,

Kayla :-)

Well, here we are again!

I'm so sorry, but as of late.. I guess I've only been posting about our weekends or the fact that I'm very excited because it's Friday!  I'll try to get out of that habit soon, I've just been crazy busy finishing up at work.  This is officially my last full week of work and I have one day left!

Why one day you might ask?  Well heck, I wanted to get paid for The Memorial Day holiday, so I said I'd work through June 1st! :-) Sneaky sneaky huh?  Why not get paid for another 8 hours?!? 

Anyway, I should be able to post more after next Tuesday!  I'm hoping to share a whole lot more about what's been going on over here with our house, life, etc.. I do start class on June 7th, so that may take me away from time to time, but I promise to update often! 

Thanks for sticking with me during this rocky month.  I've been a bad blogger and I hope to be back soon!

On another note, I just want to say that I'm very happy and proud of my very own Hubby!  He got a promotion last week and I could not be more excited for him!( And talk about good timing when my job is ending on June 1st!)  So, way to go hubby!  You're such a hard worker and I truly appreciate everything you do!

Have a wonderful LONG holiday weekend! :-) Be sure to thank those who are the reason for this amazing holiday!

Day Dreaming

We've been talking about getting a new computer since Hubby's laptop may only last another couple years.  We both have laptops and have been thinking about purchasing a desk top.  So with that, comes the purchase of a new desk!  You heard me right, we'll be purchasing a new computer desk like this one.  Isn't it darling?  I love how it doesn't look exactly like a desk. 

As far as computers are concerned... I love my old Dell and I'm hoping to get another one someday.  What do you guys think?  Would you go back to a desktop or do you currently have a desktop and have been dreaming for a laptop?  Do you like this type of "Desk?  Personally, I think it looks more like a cute piece of furniture than a big bulky computer desk!  I love it!

It's Thursday!! One day closer to Friday!

Random Ramblings from Murdock's Mama!  Check her out..

-I’ve been exhausted the last few days.

-I've went to bed between 8:30 & 9:00 the last 2 nights, which means I’ve gotten anywhere between 10-11 hours of sleep!

-I am excited for Grey’s tonight

-My FIL is coming this weekend to help hubby finish the deck!

-It has rained every day since Saturday and I am so sick of it!

--------------

Outside my window..still raining

The time is..about 10am

Today I feel..exhausted!

I am thinking..lots of fun happenings in the next few weeks

At the moment, I am thankful..only 12 more days of work after today!

I am going..to put my PJ’s on early tonight and probably go to bed early again… I’m cool like that

I am wearing..black dress pants, grey top, and flats.

I wish..I could snap my fingers and it would be June 1st

I am reading..just blogs at the moment.  Didn’t have time for books while I was in school.

I am working on..trying to get some work done… Do you see how well that is going?

I am hoping..to start feeling better soon!

I am hearing..the hum of my computer and a quiet office

Around the house..there is always something to get done.

I bet you didn't know..I talk in my sleep and grind my teeth.. Lucky hubby!

One of my favorite..things to eat is Chinese egg rolls (from the right place!)

Join the Fun!  Copy & Paste and fill it out on your blog!  

*Make sure to leave a comment so I can check yours out!

Have a great day Everyone!

Facebook thoughts

What's your take on facebook?  Is it the root of all evil for our society?  Is it a nice place to catch up with old friends?  Is it the new stalker capital of the world?

Until recently, I've never really thought too much about Facebook.  I've been on Facebook since it "came" to my college.  It was a fun way to keep up with friends who attended different colleges than you, it seemed harmless.  Now everyone and their brother has it. 

It's scary.  To think that that many people can see a lot about you.  I never post when Jesse's gone for the weekend or long periods of time, because I figure, what if somebody reads that?  After all, most crimes are committed by someone you know. (I swear, I heard that somewhere and really, I think it's true).  Now days with places like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc... stalkers are able to gain access about your whereabouts.  It's scary to think that someone reading my status updates on Facebook may be looking for just the right time to stop by my house to rob it while nobody's home.

The other day, I spent about 45 minutes deleting Facebook friends because I figured 900 people don't need to know what I'm doing with my life and if they need to know, they can use the old fashion way of calling, e-mailing or just word of mouth.

I deleted over 200 people and still need to do some weeding out.  I would hate to think that any of those "friends" would actually be using my information against me.  Afterall, I'm sure they probably aren't, but what if they were?  So anyway, I've decided to be more choosey when it comes to who is my "friend" on Facebook.

I'm sure one of these days when we have kids, I may decide to go private with my blog, but then again, maybe not.  Who knows.  I know where there is a will, there's a way for most criminals, I just think we should make it a little harder for them.  I'm not a twitter'er (?) and I haven't "myspaced" in about a year, so I'm trying to limit those things as well.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid and thinking everyone's a creeper, but better safe than sorry I always say! 

So what's your take on these Social networking sites?  I think it can be awesome and scary all at the same time.  Thoughts??

Addictions

Hi.  My name is Kayla and I'm an addict....

I can't lie, I'm in a love/hate relationship. 

There's this guy, he's my source of all information.

I go to him with happy questions, sad questions, information about what water bottles are good, what food is the best to eat, why this happens or this doesn't...

He's my go to man.

I am in love with him.  Until I get obsessed with him and then I hate him again.

Do you know who this man in my life is?  It's not my wonderful hubby, no.... Sorry babe.

It's GOOGLE.  Yes, I've decided google is a man, why not?  I trust him with all sorts of things and sometimes he lets me down.  (Again, not you hubby). 

Do any of you overuse this source of knowledge, good or bad?  I am a Google freak, I am obsessed and I can't stop.  If someone has a question or says something that I think is false, I look it up on Google. 

I am addicted to Google.  I am not ashamed to admit it and there is no help for me.

Are you as crazy as I am?  Do you Google everything, to death?  What did we do before the days of Google and the internet?

A week...

Yes, It's been a whole week since my last post.  I have to apologize, but school has gotten in the way among other things.  That's ok, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and before we know it, summer will be here!  I may pop in and out, but have no fear... I will return!  Also, I'm still reading your blogs and staying up to date on your lives, but I haven't been able to comment as much.  I'll try to get better, I swear!  Hope you are all having a fabulous week, until next time!

The amazing Cucumbers

I had no idea that Cucumbers were so wonderful!  Check out this list.

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.
 

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite.  Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?  Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8.. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes?  Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?  Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?  Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake?  Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Looks like I'll be adding some cucumbers to my grocery cart next time!