Hearing...

So apparently this little girl inside of me can hear what's going on outside of her surroundings. While I have some obvious questions about this, like does it sound like the things I can hear under water while scuba diving? The white noise of water in my ears? If so she has to be the most relaxed baby ever, I LOVE that sound. Last night my basketball team played Buckley Air Force Base as the buzzers went off, whistles blew and shoes squeaked I smiled on the bench thinking to myself what this little one will be like at her first basketball game. I already have several invites to play on teams next season so she'll be just 6 months old...I wonder if the sounds of basketball will be as soothing to her as they are to me.

Both our men's and women's teams won last night against the base teams, of course I was rooting for them but I have to admit there is something amazing to watch when people my age organize basketball teams. Most of the base teams out there are people that play because they love the game, they have normal jobs in the military but have the opportunity to play in a college like setting for 20-30 games a season. You can't take that kind of love out of someone and it shows in the way they play. Our teams had more injuries, more subs and more general whining while their teams didn't even call timeouts much less plays. But boy oh boy did they give our teams a run for their money.

A Beautiful Day!

It is going to be 68 degrees today in Colorado Springs. Yesterday Joe replaced an exterior door of ours, working the day away without a shirt on. On Sunday J and I spent 4 hours sitting on a patio drinking coffee in the sun. Yep I love Colorado. I love that we have seasons but have breaks like these throughout them to remind us how lucky we are.

Speaking of replacing doors, we are in the process of remodeling one of our living rooms. What started out as a good place to start scraping the popcorn off the ceiling has turned into replacing doors, carpet and tile. While I loath living in a construction zone, it will be nice to have it all done. Of course once we are done with one room I am sure we will tear into another, but that's life.

Our New President

So this morning as if it were fate, I was paged to work at 4AM. I truly was not that excited about the new president taking over. Perhaps it is because the process takes so long but what ever the reason it was going to be a lack luster event today. And then while I was waiting on some processes to clear up with nothing better to do at 4AM I read my local paper.

Apparently there was a giant group of people that volunteered here in the Springs during the Obama campaign. Well yesterday Michelle Obama sent them an email asking these people if they have extra time on MLK Day to give back to the community. The city of Colorado Springs heard this loud and clear. Yesterday as if the city was taken over all of those volunteers poured into the city painting, cleaning and feeding our community. Everyone reading this knows how I feel about volunteering, needless to say I was encouraged by the new "first" family. My favorite quote from the news paper article was from one guy that said "change cannot happen from Washington down, it has to happen from the community up". I could not agree more. So yes I am actually excited about the new change in power, but for the first time it has nothing to do with my tax bracket.

Sunbeams

I love sunbeams, in fact I am absolutely positive I was a plant in a former life. This morning before the vampire boys get up and around I was able to get all of the all blinds up and let the sun treat the animals and I. We love it, of course by the time I come back from the gym I am sure the place will be closed back down into a tomb...but for now it's amazing.

Speaking of animals, they must be able to tell that I am a new mommy because they all gather around me at night while we are watching TV. And trust me if you have ever seen our living room and the small corner I sit in there is not enough room for me and my glass of water much less both dogs and cats, but we make it work.

For the mom's reading this, we built snow igloos out of sugar cubes last night at my family night. Turns out Elmer's school glue dissolves sugar cubes...good to know. Not sure how you are supposed to get them to stick, perhaps frosting but trust me when I tell you that glue with make it even more messy.

The first part of the year at work is always the busiest for me, the projects that everyone had forgotten about are now surfacing...well at least the ones not on other people's to do lists. Those projects on people's to do lists came up during the last week of December...thank you to all of those procrastinators out there. I am talking about all the projects that were only mentioned in meetings as "sure would be nice if...". Those are the ones that I am starting to work on now, at least I feel busy most of the time and that sure does help time pass.

And on one final note I was invited to a baby shower this weekend and in thinking about it, I haven't told one person who will be there that I am in fact pregnant too. Wow did I actually miss telling an entire group of friends that I have been close with for almost 10 years. Well that should be a nice awkward conversation when I am offered a glass of wine...I can hear it now "I am actually just about 2 months behind you...why didn't I bring it up before this, well you know how hard it is to write an email or pick up the phone, I mean nearly impossible." Perhaps I will skip the shower and deal with the awkward conversation when they see me at the store with a baby. :-)

Just because Anne mentioned my name...

The ones in bold I have done...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David - In Vegas!
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa - No but someday...absolutely!
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby – very soon though
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Previews.

I am sure someone else reading this has seen the previews for the movie "Marley and Me" and I can assume much like J and I did they thought this would be a funny movie featuring a rambunctious dog. Wow, were we wrong! The movie is entirely too real to be funny, just two short hours later J and I walked out of the theater with our swollen faces and makeup stained t-shirts. Perhaps can I suggest to anyone that is looking for a funny movie that they turn first to a slapstick like "Four Christmases".

And the sadness continues, the Broncos just hired a new head coach. After firing Mike Shanahan who had 22 years invested with the Broncos organization they have chosen Josh McDaniels from the Patriots. Keep in mind McDaniels is only 32 and was previously the offensive coordinator for Patriots, so he has been sucking air for about as long as Shanahan has been coaching. All I can say for this young man is that he had better be good, look at every poor sap of a quarter back we have tried since John Elway...I am just saying in Colorado we make the shoes to fill, BIG. Good luck McDaniels!

I Rode Mine In 2008!

That's what the patches say that you get in Sturgis when you ride your own bike there.

Yesterday it was 65 degrees in Colorado with motorcycles everywhere and it made me think about riding my bike. Just a few short years ago I was so terrified of motorcycles that I wouldn't drive in the same lane as them on the interstate. And then when Joe and I started dating all he would talk about is how amazing bikes were and that he wanted one again.

So for a Valentine's Day surprise I went and took a class on motorcycle riding along with getting my motorcycle license, I figured the best way to get over my fear was to understand what I was dealing with. After many stomach aches and even a nasty spill I passed the class and came home to Joe to let him know I was ready to try the back of a bike. Of course at this point I couldn't even imagine riding one of my own outside of the safety of my class but the back was going to suit me just fine. We needed a bike now, one big enough for both of us and one that I felt wouldn't break down...to the Harley dealership we went. I explained to Joe I wasn't really buying him a bike instead I was enabling him to be my chauffeur.

It worked that way wonderfully for nearly a year and then I got the itch. What would it feel like to be on my own bike? We found one in the paper in great shape that we could just pay cash for and my parking lot learning commenced. After a year of riding around here I was finally ready to ride my bike to Sturgis. It is a 1300 mile round trip through weather and adverse road conditions. All of this keeping in mind that I had never passed someone in traffic nor had I even rode on the interstate. But I did it, the whole way. Yesterday reminded me how proud I was when I got home soaked to the bone because it had rained part of the way home but still wearing my smile.

I wish everyone reading this that kind of smile...the one that allows you to show how proud you are of yourself. :-D

It's a girl...

We're bringing a new little girl into the world. Of course yesterday when we found out it was emotional for me, first because I am just that kind of person and second I am sure my hormones are going crazy. And then my mind starting panicking, both boys and girls pose difficulties but boys you make strong by letting them play and girls you make strong by making them believe in themselves. Instantly I was going through the ways in my head to make her never take a back seat and to always trust her first instinct.

I have since calmed down some and managed to not cry during basketball practice last night. How can I watch these 18-20 year old girls look at me for leadership and not be so proud, getting lost in the fact that someday it will be my daughter running sprints and looking up to someone to make her stronger.

I wonder how my volunteering will be affected when I have her, will I still be as effective at dealing with families of domestic violence? I suppose this is just one of the many questions I won't have answered until I have the opportunity to walk the mile in those shoes.

As far as how she looks right now, she is weighing in at a whopping 14oz 2 legs, 2 arms and is digesting amniotic fluid normally. I think it is fascinating the things they could tell us yesterday about her, like the fact that she has a fully formed upper lip so she won't have a cleft lip and she has two kidneys and a strong 4 valve heart that is working at 146 beats per minute.