Amelia's Firsts: Part III

June 21, 2012: First Time Meeting Grandpa Bob

My Dad came out a little bit later than my mom after he went to Texas to visit my brother and his family. It's so nice having your parents around. It's like being a kid again because they do stuff for you and it's almost like you can forget about doing all those adult things that you have to do for just a few minutes.

June 21, 2012: Amelia's First KU Apparel Items

We are KU fans in our family. Garret isn't really but in my immediate family we are because that's where my brother went to school and in Kansas, it's kind of a big deal that you pick a team. Chris and Lindsay sent us this awesome package with all these neat KU items in it.

June 22, 2012: Amelia's First Road Trip!

Early in the morning on June 22, we hit the road with my parents to go see family on the west coast. So, here she is just happy in her car seat embarking on the adventure of her life! (because you and I both know that she will remember every single minute of it)

June 22, 2012: Amelia's First Time Meeting Great Grandma Blaylock, First Time in OR and First Time on a Farm

On the first day of our trip we stayed the night at the farm in Nyssa, OR. I love this photo of my Grandma holding Amelia. It's just so sweet!

Amelia's Firsts: Part II

Amelia's First Binky Ever!

For the first week or two, every time we would put this binky that we got from the hospital in Amelia's mouth, she would grip it like that. There were even a few times that she would have the fingers of her other hand in her mouth with the binky while griping it with the other. Such a funny girl!

June 3, 2012: Amelia's First Time Using the Force

This Star Wars onesie just might be my favorite!

June 4, 2012: Amelia's First Time Meeting Grandma Becky

Lucky for me, my mom came out a week after Amelia was born and stayed with us for a whole month! It was so amazing because i didn't have to worry about  a thing. Now that she's gone, I don't really know what to do. I haven't had a good meal since.

June 8, 2012: Amelia's First Time Being Exploited by Grandma After a Rough Night

This is what I get for falling asleep on the couch after a very sleepless night. Thanks Mom!

June 10, 2012: Amelia's First Time Wishing Uncle Chris a Happy Birthday

Nothing beats a birthday wish from your brand new niece! I'm just amazed that we caught her with her eyes open.

Some time in June (I can't remember the exact date): Amelia's First Play Date in the Park

Clearly Amelia LOVES play dates and sun bathing. The truth is, I think that these play dates are more for me than they are for her. I am learning that it's good to get out of the house sometimes and socialize with people who are my own age.

June 20, 2012: Amelia's First Time Wearing a Bow that Is the Same Size as Her Head

Before I had a baby, I used to think it was so dumb that people would put all these silly bows on their children. Clearly I don't feel that way now. I LOVE THE BOWS! They are so cute and they complete the outfits perfectly. Having a girl is the best because the clothes are so cute!

June 20, 2012: Amelia's First Time Meeting Cousin Casey

Not only was this the first time for Casey and Amelia to meet, it was also Casey's first road trip. Tracee and Casey drove out from Colorado to see my parents and meet Amelia. Giving Amelia a nice tap on the leg with her foot is Casey's way of saying "Hi." I think these two girls are going to have a great time growing up together.

Amelia's Firsts: Part 1

Needless to say our lives have been officially changed. I went from being a full time student and having a full time job, to being a full time mom. It is insane how completely opposite my life is now from what it was just two months ago. Garret also got a new job about a week after Amelia was born and now travels. The pay is better, the benefits are better and we now have the financial security we need so that I don't have to work if I don't want to. The only down fall to this job is that he travels a lot. Luckily, Amelia and I can travel with him. Because of all these changes and all the things we've been doing, I've decided the best way to document Amelia's first year of life is to blog about her firsts. In just two months she has traveled across 5 states! Too bad she most likely won't remember any of it...

Amelia's Firsts: Part One

May 25, 2012 2:20 AM: Amelia's First Time Taking a Breath

Labor wasn't the easiest for me. After 14 hours of labor and two hours of pushing, my doctor, thankfully, decided that a C-section was the best option. I was totally relieved because giving birth vaginally scared me to death and with all the complications that were happening, I was relieved to know that there was now a plan in place for Amelia's safe delivery.

Our first family photo

May 27, 2012: Amelia's First Photo Shoot

Garret's sister in-law takes great pictures so she came to the hospital and took some pictures of Amelia for us.

From the moment she was born, Amelia preferred to suck on her fingers. She doesn't do it as much now, but when she was this small she did it constantly.

May 27, 2012: Amelia's First Time in her Car Seat and Riding in a Car (also the first time with a pacifier)

On the day that we took Amelia home, it was raining and we couldn't have been less prepared for that. Luckily, my cousin just so happened to be visiting us and let us use her little boy's blanket.

May 27, 2012: Amelia's First Night at Home

Garret and I didn't get a bassinet because we didn't want to waste money on something that she would only sleep in for a few months so, we decided that we would just start her out in her crib from day one. When we were putting her to bed that first night in her room, we both looked at each other and decided that we didn't like her to be so far away because she just looked so tiny in that big crib. Garret then said, "the crib has wheels!" and immediately started to push the crib towards the door. When it wouldn't fit through the door he proceeded to take the door off of her room and our room so we could get the crib into our room. She didn't actually sleep in her room until a week later when my mom came to town.

And so it Begins...

I only have one week left (according to my due date. Really that could mean nothing) until this baby comes and so the comments begin. Although, I guess I've been getting comments the entire time, they just go in phases, so really a new phase of comments begins. Here are some of the awesome things people are saying to me:

"Oh, look at your feet!" (yes that's right. My feet are like memory foam, but that doesn't mean that I enjoy you pointing that out to me. If I point it out to you then you can comment on it, but you cannot comment on them before I do!).

"You look so tired..." (wouldn't you be if for the first time in your life ever you weighed 200 Ibs?!)

"If you want to induce labor, this is what you have to do....." (lets face it, I don't believe any of that stuff. I mean really, how is drinking pineapple juice going to make my water break?)

"You're still pregnant?" (gosh you are so observant!)

"Getting close aren't you?"

"It's almost time isn't it?"

"Are you dilated? How much?" (Do you understand what you just asked me? You are asking me about the inner workings of my vagina. Do you really want to know? Really?!)

And my all time favorite that seems to mostly be mentioned by perfect strangers or people that I don't know very well...."Don't go into labor here, I don't want to have to deliver that baby!" (OK, listen, I don't think that I would allow my labor to progress enough that I would let a complete and total stranger who wasn't some kind of a medical professional get even close to my yoo-hoo! So, why would I depend on you to deliver this baby?)

The worst thing about all this is that most of these comments are from people who I hardly know, or don't even know at all. I just don't understand what makes a perfect stranger think that they are allowed to comment on ANYTHING involving my large girth that also happens to be a baby.

So, the next time you see a pregnant woman, don't ask dumb questions, compliment them and make them feel good about themselves. Pregnancy is not unicorns and rainbows, so chances are the are feeling pretty miserable.

Yet Another Silly Comment from Someone Encountering a Pregnant Lady

The other day I was at the grocery store mulling over an ice cream purchase. I'm certain that I might have looked deep in thought or maybe just focused, but I don't think that I had a look of discomfort or pain on my face. I just take my ice cream purchases pretty seriously these days, that's all! A random women came rushing over to me in a fit of panic saying, "OH MY GOSH I KNOW THAT LOOK! Has your water broke?! You're not going to give birth right here are you?!"

"Oh no, I'm totally fine, I'm just trying to decided on which ice cream to buy. No worries," I replied (very calmly I might add).

"Are you sure?! Sometimes you never know when it's going to happen!" she replied, certain that she was going to be the lucky lady to save the day.

"No really, I'm totally fine. I'm just really serious about my ice cream purchases," and then I quickly walked away...

Too Legit to Quit!

I finally feel like all my hard work has paid off! It's only been almost ten years, but I'm finally graduating, woot woot! AND I am also, officially, a certified interpreter. I have the paper to prove it! 

I took my secondary educational interpreting test in March and received the results in the mail this last Saturday. I'm still waiting to get my Utah Level 1 results back, which will be far more useful, but that doesn't down play the Secondary Educational Certification that I have!

I also did my internship at Weber State this semester. I worked with some amazing people and I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to work them. They have offered me a job pending my Level 1 results (which is where I would prefer to work because it's close to home and the hours would be more flexible). 

It only took me ten years to get on the track that I wanted and have some kind of focus, but at least I figured it out right? Some people never do!

It's so nice to officially say that I am a sign language interpreter/transliterater.

A Crumb-less Cracker

I have decided that crackers need to be crumb-less. The other day I was enjoying some Ritz crackers and cheese for my afternoon snack while I was at work. I made the mistake of wearing a black shirt that day. Everything shows on a black shirt. When I was done enjoying my crackers and cheese, I looked down and realized, I had made a HUGE mess. There were crackers all over my desk, my lap and of coarse my black shirt. Later I started to feel itchy on my stomach (which I guess is normal when your stomach triples in size over a very short time) and every time I scratched my stomach I will feel something digging into my skin, which was very irritating. I then took the opportunity to look down my shirt (don't worry, I have my own office so it's not like I was doing this out in the lobby or anything) to my surprise I must have found at least 5 crackers worth of crumbs down my shirt! How they got down my shirt, I have no idea. It's not like I chew with my mouth open or anything like that. Maybe I was just enjoying those little round pieces of salty goodness a little too enthusiastically and that's what I get for it, a ridiculous amount of crumbs down my shirt.

So, now I ask you, are the crumbs necessary? Could we invent a crumb-less cracker? A cracker that possesses all the goodness that a cracker has to give, specifically a Ritz cracker, with out the mess of crumbs. Especially during this time when I have a large food catcher attached to the front of my body...

The Two Questions I Dread/Hate Now That I'm Pregnant

I went to a gathering of sorts last week with a number of people who know that I'm pregnant (and really if they didn't know, all they have to do is look. It's pretty obvious). Anyway, at least twenty people came up to me, looked down at my stomach and then asked, "how are you feeling?" The first one or two times it was fine, but after every person at this gathering did it, I'm pretty sure I wanted to start saying, "I'd be better if you would ask me that at least two more times!" Naturally, I did not, that would have been rude, I of course said that I was feeling fine. What's even more sad is that they didn't want to know about anything else like how school was or how was work or what have I been up to. After I answered that question they would just walk away. Am I really that dull and uninteresting? There isn't anything they would like to talk to me about? What if I had some questions for them? This question doesn't come up at only gatherings, it's everywhere. And sometimes they say it with such a concerned look on their faces. Like they are sorry for my bad health or something. It makes me want to run to the mirror and look at my face to make sure that I don't look incredibly ill. I mean I see myself everyday when I get ready. I don't think I look ill or downtrodden.

The next question that I HATE is, "how is your pregnancy?" Just something about it makes me want to scream. My pregnancy? Who actually asks that anymore? Clearly people do or it wouldn't be something that bugs me so much.

Whatever happened to, "Hi, how are you?" or "What's going on?" These questions were never a problem before I was pregnant, so why are they so hard to use now? Is everything else in my life suddenly put on hold now that I am? I'm not an invalid. In fact my life has been just as busy, if not more since I have become pregnant and that business has nothing to do with my current pregnant condition.

Mustard

Those of you who know me, know of my love for mustard. All kinds of mustard. And really, what's not to love? Recently I ate at a sandwich shop that so many people rave about (mostly because of their bread). Anyway, I ordered a sandwich without mayo and asked them to add mustard. They informed me that they would not be able to put any mustard on the sandwich, but that they could give me some mustard packets and I could put it on the sandwich myself. Really? You are a sandwich shop, why wouldn't you have mustard to put on your sandwiches? This leads me to a very valuable question: Why is mustard always the forgotten condiment when there are so many varieties of it? I mean really, ketchup only has one kind and that's tomato.

Mustard varieties include, but are not limited to: Regular or "American" mustard, Dijon, Brown-spicy, German, Chinese, English, Sweet, Meaux (whole grain) and the list goes on...

So, with so much variety, why is mustard left out so often? Since my sandwich shop incident, I have taken mental note when I go to eating establishments of there mustard options, or lack of mustard options. I noticed that many places will have bottles and bottles of ketchup, but no mustard, or only that packets of mustard. Wouldn't it be cheaper to just have bottles of mustard like you do your ketchup, instead of the packets? Not to mention the amount of waste that is produced by the mustard packets.

Will someone please explain to me what it is about ketchup that makes it so special and why mustard is always left out?

Perseverance

This weekend I'm taking my first of what will be, I'm sure, many certification tests for interpreting. If all goes well I'll be able to interpret in a secondary educational setting next fall. If it doesn't go well, then I'll just have to try again, and keep trying until I pass. I feel very calm about these tests. You would think that I wouldn't because it's literally what stands between me and working, but I'm not. This is the conclusion that I have come to. I've talked a lot about this failing and passing business with many of my teachers and mentors. Many of them are some of the best interpreters that I know. They are very skilled and respected in the field. Many of them also did not pass their tests on the first try. So, who's to say that just because I don't pass on the first try, I can't be just as successful as they are? This what is allowing me to be so calm. If I pass then great, it's only what I can hope for, but if I don't, sure I'll be disappointed, but that will just give me the opportunity to improve.

I found a website that talks about Abraham Lincoln and perseverance. He had more failures than successes before he was elected to be president at age 51. In spite of all those failures, he still became one of the best presidents this country has ever seen. Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to become president, but I am saying that there is clearly something valuable to be learned from good old Abe. There is something to be said for a person who doesn't give up when they have been defeated.

Nobody Cares if you Have a Mac!

Just a disclaimer before I begin, I am not a Mac hater or a PC lover or vice verse. Just remember that as you read this post.....

Recently, my office replaced all our computers with brand new ones. This was a well needed upgrade considering that most of the computers we had were still running on Windows XP and a dial-up. They were so old that new software would have just caused them to run even slower than they already were. Because of this my company is upgrading ALL the computers in the ENTIRE company, not just our office. So, you can imagine that this was not an inexpensive upgrade.

My office mate is from California, LA to be exact, which gives her the, "I'm from California and I am amazing! Anything else is just sub-par to where I am from," attitude. We'll just call her Sally (because I really should not mention her name). Often I refer to her as Sally from California just to kind of mock that strange complex that she has. Anyway, Sally from California also has a Mac. Let me be clear again, the company is replacing ALL the computers in the company. This is in no way a cheap expense. You can safely assume that all PC's were purchased because they are less expensive. Could you imagine how much it would have cost to buy everyone Macs? Macs truly are great, but that's also why they are not cheap. Plus, most people are more familiar with PC's. It would have been a logistical nightmare for someone to come in and retrain everyone on how to use a Mac, no matter how easy they are to use. Old habits die hard, you know?

The entire time the IT guy was here installing our BRAND NEW computers with our BRAND NEW Windows 7 software, Sally from California repeatedly said,

"Mac's are better"

"that application is nothing new to me, my Mac already does that"

We had a glitch with the installation of one of the new computers (which is bound to happen when you are installing a large amount of computers) and Sally from California responded with, "I never have this problem, I have a Mac"

"Maybe if they bought us all Mac's we wouldn't have this problem"

"I never get viruses, I have a Mac"

Really Sally from California? Do you have a Mac? Is that what makes you so amazing?

To all self-righteous, pretentious Mac users (not including the humble Mac users, you guys are totally off the hook): we lowly PC users are totally aware that Macs are better than PCs. We know that by owning PCs we are just opening ourselves up to a world of heart break, frustration and trojan horses every time we turn our computers on. Yes, we are aware that we are wasting our time with anti-virus software because in the end, they just won't work and that virus will most surely will get us anyway. If only we were as smart as you and had known better. *sigh* Alas, we are not as amazing as you are. We can only hope that some day we will see the error of our PC using ways and be released from this prison which now holds us captive. One can only hope....

Until that day comes, please refrain from continually reminding us of your superiority because WE DON'T CARE!

Just Following the Trend....

I feel the need to make my blog private. I'm not really sure why, but I do. Maybe it's because everyone else is doing it so I feel the need to follow some kind of a trend. We are having a baby soon so if I'm posting pictures I really probably should make it private for those reasons. Sometimes I get a little concerned when I see that people from random countries have viewed my blog......

So, if you would like to be included on the list please send me your email address jenny.preece00@gmail.com or put it in the comments for this post.

Why are Boy Razors Better than Girl Razors?

This morning, Garret got mad at me when he caught me using his razor to shave my legs.

"Use your own!" he said.

"Mine sucks, I like yours better!" I said.

"Well that's just too bad." he said.

Unfortunately, I did not win this battle today, but what Garret doesn't know is that I use his razor all the time when he's not around.

The reason I like his better than mine is because it gets a much closer, cleaner shave AND hair doesn't get all clogged up in between the blades. I know that you might be thinking, "well Jenny if you rinse the blades out regularly then they won't get clogged." I do rinse them out, but the thing is with a girl razor you have to rinse them out with EVERY stroke and even then they are still clogged because there is no opening in the back. When I use Garret's razor I can go at least 3 strokes before rinsing and there is not one speck of hair left in the blades.

With all the fancy things they are doing with razors these days, you would think that they could create a lady's razor that has both the awesome effects AND the ability to go 2 or 3 strokes without getting clogged.

The perfect razor would be a combination of the men's Moch 3 and the lady's Shick Intuition (you know that one that has the soap all around it so that you don't have to use shaving cream and it leaves your legs silky smooth).

Until this one is invented I shall have to continue to use Garret's while he is not looking.

The Monopoly that is Maternity Clothes

I have been on the hunt for a good pair of maternity jeans that aren't totally lame and from the 1980's. I finally found a pair at Target, although I was deeply disappointed when the price was pretty much double the price in that exact brand of jeans that weren't maternity. What makes these jeans so special? The extra elastic waste band that extends up to my bra line? Alas, I submitted to this ridiculously priced pair of jeans (keep in mind that what I think is ridiculous might just be normal. Ever sense I have started couponing, buying anything at full price is a tragedy) because if I didn't I would be doing the jimmy-rigged rubber band apparatus to my not maternity jeans (which doesn't work that well) or leaving them unbuttoned with the belly band, which ultimately meant that my pants would be falling down all day (I might not be big enough for that yet, because a lot of people have told me that it really does work).

This leads me back to my original question/complaint. What makes these jeans so special? NOTHING! Other than the fact that they give ultimate comfort and are the only thing that I can wear these days. Clearly the retail Gods have discovered that being pregnant never goes out of season which means that no matter what, this kind of clothing will always be in demand. To the retail Gods, I call you all jerks! (because that's the only thing I can do about it) We pregnant women are sacred vessels, how dare you take advantage of us in such a way?! I complained to my cashier while purchasing these jeans and he gave me a look of terror that said, "please don't shoot, I'm just a cashier," but still scanned my jeans and swiped my Visa card. sigh

Being Pregnant is Awkwardly Awesome

First off, I just have to say that whoever said that being pregnant was a wonderful experience because it was the beautiful miracle of life, totally lied. I mean yes, it is the miracle of life, but it's not beautiful and wonderful. Unless they enjoy puking all do or feeling like you are going to puke all day, wishing that you would and then when you finally do, not feeling better. At least with the stomach flu you feel better after you throw up.

Currently I'm at that awkward phase where I'm clearly bigger and unable to fit into any clothes, but maternity clothes are just too big and people don't know how to approach me because they think I might be pregnant, but asking would be too weird. I mean what if I weren't pregnant? It's no fun to be that dumb person who just assumes that you are pregnant and asks when really it's just an obscene amount of weight gain so now that person is just a jerk for calling you fat.

The other day at church a woman in relief society was probing about my rapid weight gain. This is how the conversation went:

Lady: So, how long have you been married?

Me: Two years

Lady: How many kids do you want to have (awkward stare at my stomach)?

Me: A few

Lady: How many kids do you have now (awkward stare at my stomach)?

Me: None right now.

Lady: When are you going to have kids (yet another awkward stare at my stomach)?

At this point I figured I better say something because it was clear that she was struggling with the inner conflict to ask or not to ask.

Me: Oh well, I am pregnant now.

Lady: I KNEW IT!

I hope to have many more awkward conversations just like this one with so many more people.