Thursday, July 29, 2010

Pink or blue?

Ahhh, I just love my trips to my doctor, where I feel loved, appreciated, and celebrated.  And no, I'm not kidding.  I was more than delighted to hear how adorable I look pregnant, and how it's about time I started showing because I'm just so cute.  And I was ecstatic to hear multiple times how tiny I am (nobody will say no to that, right?).  But most of all, I couldn't help smiling when it took not one but two nurses to find the heartbeat on my little peanut, because that baby is a tumbler and a tease.  One of them kept saying, "How is this baby hiding?  She's so tiny, there's nowhere to go!"

The best part of my day, though, was when Nate pulled some strings at the hospital to get me in for my ultrasound appointment today.  He called a friend, who called a friend, so as soon as I had the order in my hand from my doctor, I marched myself straight into the hospital and to the admissions window.  It felt oh-so-good, although I did have to pee almost immediately because the nurses at the office gave me tons of cold water to make the baby extra active.  I think they were as excited for me as I was!

Nate and I were as giddy as kids, excited beyond belief to find out whether this wiggly little peanut in my tummy is a girl or a boy.  Are we doing a nursery in airplanes or polka dots?  Should we look forward to yellow or green?  What's the verdict?

And the ultrasound was amazing.  I saw our precious little baby's face... well, that is, when the peanut was still enough to see the face.  I marveled at each little part of the spine, and the incredibly large and healthy brain (HECK yes), and the fact that the peanut was waving at Nate and moving and squirming all over the place.  And then we found out the absolutely fabulous news that this little peanut is...

...a BOY!!!!  Bring on the mohawks and messes, the bugs and the boogers, the rough and tumble wrestling matches in our living room.  We're having a wiggly, cuddly, big-cheeked (yes, I could tell in the ultrasound), busy little boy!

And thank goodness, because my mom's self-esteem has shot up a ton today.  She predicted a boy, and this was the first time she's been right.  I could, in fact, hear her screaming that as I held the phone out as far as my arm could reach.  "A boy!  A boy!  I knew it!  This is the first time I've ever guessed right!!!"

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

I didn't actually sniff it...

So it was another eventful evening at the Dant home.  We stopped by for a few minutes after church to say hi, and we weren't there more than five minutes when Chloe crept up behind Nate and hovered around him.  She was apparently trying to be a puppy, and you may know what that means...  But apparently Nate didn't.

Nate: "Chloe, what are you doing?"

Chloe: "I'm trying to smell your butt.  You know, like puppies do."

Now I didn't hear any of this exchange.  All I saw was Nate, stifling laughter, saying, "But Chloe, we're humans, not puppies."  Somehow I knew exactly what had happened, as did Jen and Mike, who were both mortified and sent her off to her room.

Chloe came back, quite penitent, after a long conversation with her daddy.  She beckoned to Nate to squat down so she could whisper to him.

Chloe: "Pippin, I'm sorry I tried to smell your bottom.  I didn't actually sniff it.  But I was trying."

As soon as the word "bottom" left her mouth, Nate almost didn't make it through the rest of the apology. She and her extra-satiny pajama bottoms sauntered off into the other room, and the rest of us were left to our own hysterical laughter.

Oh, and I didn't mention that while all this was going on, Conner was drinking orange juice straight from a pitcher and Alex was playing air guitar, and later telling us that he hoped he found a friend at school this year who "also has dreams of becoming a genius."

Got to love those Dantlets.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

So you think you can...

It never fails.  Every time we watch So You Think You Can Dance, I do...  And more importantly, our kitchen turns into So You Think You Can Hip-Hop... But it's been a long time since high school and the early years of college, and it is no longer happening for me.

Last night I tried to surprise Nate when he turned around from throwing something away.  It seemed like a great idea to quickly drop and come up with a fabulous booty pop.  Until all of a sudden, my gigantic booty could no longer make up for the fact that I'm growing a gigantic tummy.  I almost keeled over forward, and then had such a hard time getting back up it probably took 15 seconds to get myself unstuck from that intense squat.  Nate couldn't even hold back a laugh...

He later tried to make me feel better (after doing several exaggerated impressions).  "Baby, it's okay.  Nobody should drop it like it's hot when she's pregnant.  Don't you think that's how lots of people get in to that situation to begin with?"

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Okay, today I'm hosting show and tell time, because I have so many cute shots of my nieces and nephews from the last few days.  So here we go...

First of all, the Dantlets already have some school kids, and lucky for me, I'm not the only school nerd in the family!  Check them out - modeling their brand new stuff.  And it's only July!  Love the enthusiasm they have, and I'm remembering how much I used to adore getting new school clothes.  I would lay them out on my bed, gazing at the different outfits and planning which one would be for the first day...  I'm remembering a pair of gorgeous LA Gear high-tops, white, lime green and hot pink with not one, but two sets of laces.  Oh yes, I lived dangerously and laced them up with both pairs.




Now check out Baby Kaylee, Sar's recent contribution to the flock.  I babysat her today and had a heck of a time trying to keep that girl awake after she ate.  All she wanted to do was take a nap, and she seemed very offended that I wouldn't let her!  But yay for me (and Ann), I kept her up for at least an hour and a half after, and she slept extra soundly as a result.  I told Nate he's going to have to help me keep the peanut awake when he/she is born... after all, Nate is an expert tickler.



Lucky for Kaylee, she also has some cousins who are quite enamored with her.  And just because I only caught shots of Alex and Chloe holding her, don't think that Conner doesn't love holding her as well.  He's just so quick I can't catch him.  All the Dantlets are prepared for the peanut as well.  They've taken to talking to the peanut, just to let him/her know that we are the nicest parents in the whole world and he/she is going to love being in our family.  Conner even likes to pat my stomach (or whatever else is in reach) to say hi.  Babies are pretty lucky in this family!

And last of all, I have to include a shot of Lily, our resident diva-in-training.  We took her to the park for some swinging, and she had the time of her life.  Too bad it started pouring about five minutes after this photo!  Considering that Lily is the spitting image of Sarah as a girl, I can't wait to see how much she continues to look like her as she grows... And to see if she turns out as sassy (love you, Sar!).


So there you go... Hope you enjoyed my nieces and nephews.  I know I do!  

Monday, July 19, 2010

A Jackson Bible lesson

Scene from my house:

Me:  "Hey Nate, do you think we get the word 'bath' from the story of David and Bathsheba in the Bible?  I mean, she was kind of known for catching his eye while bathing on her roof."

Nate:  "Hmmmm, I don't know.  I think that word was already around, from the Roman baths."

Me:  "Oh.  Good call.  Well don't you think it's ironic, then, that her name included the word 'bath'?  That's really funny!"

Nate:  "Maybe her name was just Sheba, and people described her that way."

Me:  "What do you mean?"

Nate:  "You know how sometimes we'll be talking and say something about someone, and then you have to use a characteristic to describe them?  Like 'crazy so-and-so,' or 'blonde Lauren' or whatever?"

Me:  "Oh yeah."

Nate:  "So maybe people around the palace were busy talking about her and saying, 'Sheba who?'  'Oh, you know, BATH-Sheba.  Haha.'"

Me:  "That's brilliant!  You're totally right!  And HO-Sheba was probably already taken!"

Oh, don't we think we're so clever...

Friday, July 16, 2010

Might I just add that, although today was horrible and I spent a good deal of the afternoon crying (Nate's blaming pregnancy hormones), my hubby did indeed move heaven and earth to get me my medicine.  That's right, he sweet talked not one but two pharmacies and made it happen with his employee prescription discount.  I'm pretty darn lucky to have such a fabulous man.

Ferocious Friday

Student loans, oh student loans, why won't you leave me alone?

Somehow I feel that, because I deal with rowdy teenagers and the future of our country on a daily basis, I should be given some sort of break.  And because I was young and dumb and had absolutely no one to counsel me on lending, plus I had to pay for school on my own, I should be given some grace.  And because Sallie Mae and AES call me more than my own mother, I really could use a Xanax... I suppose everyone has their own reason for why their students loans should be forgiven, right?

I'm fussing with all the mess of trying to consolidate, and it's not just federal loans, but there are some crazy private loans in there as well.

On top of all of that, my insurance has decided NOT to cover any more of my magic medicine, so all the worry is giving me a bad case of the pukes (Wait, is that the worry or the peanut? There's no telling.).

In other words, I am just plain cranky right now, and using my poor little blog to vent for a second before I go sit on the couch, sulk, and watch tv.  Aren't you glad you tuned in today?

For the sake of some discussion, let me mention that I completely skipped every day of my Texas History class at SFA (remind me to tell you why sometime) except test days, so I don't know much about the lone star state.  Last night Nate and I were trying to figure out how many different states were represented at the Alamo.  Does anyone know off the top of your head?  I googled for a while in the car on the way home from Houston, but never came up with anything.  And the only people we could think of who were there were Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett (way to go, Texas - you killed two of our national heroes on the same day).  Care to weigh in on this one?

I may go google it some more.  Or I may find myself some ice cream and a re-run of According to Jim.  Wish me luck.  I've got a nasty attitude to tame.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Finally!

I did it!  I did it!
After 10 weeks of puking my guts out, with not a bit of physical activity in sight, I finally did it, and it felt so amazingly wonderful.
This morning I went for a run.  

Now granted, at least half of my run was a walk, and I felt a little off-balance and unsure, but I really and truly ran.  Thank you LORD.

I do have to mention that the day after I found out I was pregnant, I ran 8 miles.  And that I continued to run 3-5 miles every day for a while until I got so horribly sick... Wait, that's just too sad to think about.

And I also have to admit that I'm a little devestated that all of my running buds are going to run a marathon this year, and I'm the only one on the outs (now I have to quickly run one on my own after I have the baby and before I turn 30).

And let me finally add that I was extremely excited about taking a Zumba dance/aerobics class at the local hospital, until I called my doctor and he told me that I would absolutely NOT, under any circumstances, subject myself to that much bouncing around.  Nor can I ride roller coasters, ski, go on a cruise in November, slide down water slides or ride a four-wheeler.  

But I can run.  And by golly, I'm going to.

  

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Two Confessions

Well, I have two confessions.  And don't be disappointed in me for either.

The first is that, no matter how much I love my precious dog Berkley, our home is not the fun, inviting, horse-friendly home that she needs.  Bella and Bruiser would never accept or play with her.  And half the mornings I woke up puking may have been me sick with worry over what I'd have to clean in her crate when I went to let her out.  And so, after bawling my eyes out for an entire afternoon, Berkley went to live with my older bro-in-law Michael and my sis Jen and their fabulous family.

Now when I think about it, this is perfect for OH so many reasons, three of them being Alex (9), Conner (7), and Chloe (5).  I'm not sure who is wearing out whom at this point, but I do know that free-spirited Conner spent yesterday evening careening recklessly around the backyard with Berk.  I'm sure they both slept well last night.  Also, Michael has vowed to start running again, and Berk will be the perfect running partner, fantastic for both of them.

On top of that, Berkley has already found two hidden tennis balls in the yard, which for her is the equivalent of winning the million-dollar lottery.  And good for me is the fact that the Dants live approximately 3 minutes from me, 2 if I just run there and hop the railroad tracks.  Besides, why would a puppy want to live with two old souls like Nate and I when she could be busy chasing three kids around with a smile on her face (I'm not even kidding - the dog smiles when she's chasing the Dantlets).

And so I'm sad, but I know that it's for the best for everyone involved.  (sniffle)  In a few days I may stop feeling so heartbroken about losing my big ol' girl.

So that brings me to Confession #2, which I swore I would never tell anyone (but I just can't hide it anymore)...

I love Texas Country Reporter.  It is, in fact, one of my favorite tv shows.  I love the host, Bob Phillips, and have become a fan of the show on Facebook.  I'm using the show to make a list of places in Texas I want to visit.  I even (shhhhhhhh) TiVo the show so I can watch it whenever I want, and have started devising a plot to lure him to Lufkin.  Oh, it's bad, friends.  I was moved literally to tears by the episode with the Dinner Garden (if you haven't seen it, you should really look it up).  I'm blaming it on the fact that the show was just so darn comforting to me on a few really sick days, and now I'm just plain nostalgic.  It's true.  I love this show and I'm not even from Texas.

Do you think Illinois feels like I'm cheating on it?

Monday, July 12, 2010

Love me some Ann

Anna Banana.  My delightful little sis.  She needed some attention after Nate got such a rave review, so I promised her the next blog would be all about her.

She lives with me and eats a remarkable amount for being so darn skinny.  I'll attribute it to the fact that she also uses more toilet paper than a gang of full-grown men (catch my drift?).  As previously mentioned, she has no trouble beating Nate in a farting contest, and puts all three of our dogs to shame when it comes to stench.

She also has no trouble sharing clothes with me, cleaning up after our dogs, and going to the store to get me food when I'm too sick to make myself eat.  Who else could get just as excited as me over the little things, like blizzards and gushers and leopard-print pumps?  Who else would spend an entire night anointing the whole house with oil and praying over every nook and cranny when I couldn't sleep?  And who else would be waiting as soon as we got home to watch tv, play tanks, and have family game nights?  It's Ann - our child, and one of the sweetest people I know (in competition with Jen "Mary Poppins" Dant).

The other day I told Ann we were going to get ice cream, and she just looked at me, seemingly puzzled. Since we had already mentioned how excited she was to have some, I was confused, and told her that after she got her shoes on, I was expecting her to look much more thrilled (joking, of course).  So she left the room to grab her purse, and came bursting out of her room like a tidal wave, door slamming against the wall, screaming, "WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!"  She scared the dogs, startled Nate, and earned a hug and a high five from me.  It was the most perfect, over-the-top fabulous reaction I could have gotten, and it was pure Ann.

I know sometimes Nate threatens to ground her, or tells her to go to her room, or gives her a ridiculously early curfew (please know that he's just kidding).  But how else could we protect the most beautiful, brilliant, wonderful and naive 20-year old we know?  If I didn't have an Ann in my house, I would spend a lot less time laughing, have a lot fewer adventures, and learn a lot less about myself and life.  I love my Anna Banana.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Jenebrate, Jenny, Jenebrate...

JENEBRATION!!!

Oh that's right.  Tonight we are celebrating the fabulous Jen and her most exciting recent accomplishment - a new job working as a deaf ed aide at Lufkin ISD.  We're about to be working for the very same employer, or as Jen put it, "Now we work for the same superintendent!"  I'm amazingly proud of my Jenny-Jen, and to show how proud everyone is, the family is getting together to play DDR, chase around Berkley (who got a bath, sort of for the occasion...), and devour snacks (which is one of the things we all do best).  In other words, P-A-R-T-Y.  Jennypalooza, here I come!

Okay, now take a deep breath and prepare yourself for a drastic shift in topic.

When I asked Nate what I should blog about today, he said, "Why don't you just write about how fabulous I am?"with a devious smile.  Well, baby, you asked for it.  Because yes, Nathan Allen Jackson is pretty darn fabulous, and I'll tell you why.

During the day, Nate calls me just to hear my voice... and to tease me mercilessly about hating karaoke, throwing tantrums, or forgetting an event on our family calendar (all this happened today).  He has brilliant ideas about worship and moments with God sitting at his desk at work, which not only baffles me, but makes me feel a little melty.  And sometimes at night, when he can't sleep, he sings at the top of his lungs in our bedroom, and only if I am already awake do I realize it.

He also farts along with Ann in our living room, tickles me when I'm trying to concentrate (or sleep, or cook, or just when he needs attention), and makes me laugh until I pee a little (I'm pregnant, remember?).  He laughs when I preggo cry for no reason and then immediately pulls me close for a cuddle.  He thinks that maternity clothes are adorable and loves that I'm starting to show.  He lets me talk and talk and talk his ear off when he's trying to fall asleep, no matter how exhausted he is.  And he not only gives me the best advice, but also gives me the hardest time of anyone I know.  Yes, my Nate is even more than fabulous and I love him with all my heart, even when he's being a dickens (which he's just so good at).

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

What to expect

So I've been reading the book What to Expect When You're Expecting, and I have a few things I'd like to add that they don't seem to mention anywhere...

1.  Expect to feel sick ALL THE TIME.  In fact, expect to spend every single day of your pregnancy puking.  That way, if you don't, it's a delightful surprise.  But if you do, at least you won't have counted on feeling better your 12th week, or your 14th week, or now your 15th week...

2.  Expect to stop feeling like you know your own body AT ALL.  It will surprise you every day.

3.  Expect people to stop meeting your eyes and stare at your chest instead.

4.  Expect to wear things you'd never imagine yourself in, just because they fit (for example, you might find yourself ready to go out in public in your husband's giant San Diego t-shirt and a pair of baggy maternity denim shorts.  I certainly don't know anyone who's done this, though...)

5.  Expect to cry at the most ridiculous things, like the last two minutes of Dan in Real Life or random sporting events (hey - the World Cup is really emotional), or when someone says something kind to you, like, "Of course you're fun, even if you do fall asleep every 15 minutes and you hate karaoke."

6.  And finally, expect to feel like the miracle of life is a not miracle AT ALL (refrain from telling anyone who's never been pregnant this fact) until you look at a baby and think that you're about to have one of your very own.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

p.s. HELP

Does anyone have any idea what to do about THIS?  
Yes, it's red candle wax, and yes, it's all over the floor and the wall.  It looks like there was a small massacre in my living room, but it was actually just my utter clumsiness after being awakened from a long nap on the couch.  How do I fix this???

The best part is that when Nate drove Ann to work this morning (he had just woken up) she said, "Ummm, maybe it's too early in the morning to talk about this, but did someone spill something?"  

Anyway, please please please help me if you have any good ideas how to get this out.

Lil' B

Well, it's been a few days since I promised new pictures of Berkley.  And here's a thought - ever tried to take pictures of a 6 month old puppy with your camera phone?  I'm sure you can imagine how it turned out...  First of all, here I am, trying to get her to hold still so Nate could snap a photo.  The dog on the left is Bruiser, my miniature french poodle, and in the foreground is Bella, the schnorky.  They were both quite pissy to not be the center of attention for that moment.  Note: Berkley is just smiling away, delighted with the whole situation.  (sidenote: can you tell I'm starting to get a preggo pooch?)

Now here I am, smiling like a special needs child because Berkley had just licked all over my face and entire left side.  At least she was sitting for the moment.  And believe me, it lasted only a moment.  I truly wasn't planning on being in ANY of the pics, but it was the only way to keep her still enough to snap a shot.


I'm pretty sure this is my favorite shot, simply because we have a similar one from when she was a tiny puppy.  (sniffle sniffle)




My little baby is growing into a... huger baby.  50 pounds now, and the vet is predicting between 70 and 100.  WHEW.  Nate has taught her to sit, stay, fetch, and from the sounds of it, is working on lying down right now.  That is, if he can get her to let go of her tennis ball.  I think it might be similar to a security blanket for her, although we wouldn't have to retrieve a blanket from under the couch every few minutes...

Lil' (big) Berkley.  She's making life quite interesting, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Not the usual morning chit-chat

Well, I sat down to write something brilliant, witty, hilarious...

And what I can't get off my mind today is how mean women are to each other (and to ourselves).  I have several tiny, gorgeous, wonderful people in my life who can't stop obsessing over weight, and it breaks my heart because I used to be in the very same place.  I starved myself almost literally to death because I just couldn't make myself "perfect" enough to live in our society.  At least I have the luxury of a husband who constantly affirms me and would never pressure me to become a stick figure - most people don't have that (And why the heck not, husbands? Get your act together!)

So this morning I got myself all worked up (which Nathan highly cautions against).  I'm protective of people because I lived that life and it's not worth it!  And I'm frankly quite angry about it at this point.  I'm not entirely sure what to do about it, but seriously, does anyone else agree with me that it's time for something to change?