California Scheming

Sausage Fest?

melissa — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:59:48 +0000

For anyone who hasn’t already heard the announcement – Shawn and I are expecting another BABY BOY in January! We’re very excited!

It’s actually the more convenient of the two options (male or female) for us right now because we already have all the clothes and a second-bedroom that is decorated in a more boyish style. We’ll shoot for a girl once we’ve moved into a house somewhere (hopefully in Michigan).

It has made me begin to wonder, though, if I’m forever to be outnumbered by weiners in my own home. My brother has all daughters and I wonder if I will only have sons. If Noah is any indication of how sweet sons can be, then I’m okay with that.

….although it would be nice to eventually have a little girl in the house. And by eventually I DO NOT mean by baby # 7. (Shawn sometimes talks about having seven children. That is pure madness and I have no intention of playing along with that little scheme).

But maybe by the third or fourth baby there could be a vagina thrown in there somewhere? Maybe?

If not, it’ll just be me and the boys and, as I said, I’ll be all right with that too. Although ever so slightly overwhelmed by testosterone.

Wild Child

melissa — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:50:54 +0000

Some Noah updates:

- he can now stand on his own

- he can walk while holding onto something

- he is getting four teeth

- he babbles constantly and says words that sound like “Mama” and “Dada”

- he’s become a little comedian!!

Noah has developed an amazing sense of humor (his babysitter calls him “little Seinfeld”). He’s funny and he knows it. He mimics us…and the dog. One of his funniest moves is that he’ll look at you and growl and go, “ROAR!” Well, I guess it’s a mix between an impersonation of Jake and a lion. And he makes the most hilarious facial expressions.

Sometimes he tries to break free from the prison that is his crib:

And sometimes he’s just stinkin’ cute:

Peer Pressure Works

melissa — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:28:44 +0000

My constant barrage of “fun facts” about Michigan seems to be paying off. Shawn is starting to be into the idea of a move back to my beloved home state. He started off by saying that he was “considering” it, then he said he was “seriously considering” it, now he says he’s “very seriously considering” it. Hooray! My lists, diagrams, and constant nagging have been a success. He even asked about the logistics of having my parents help us with the move back in the Spring.

It was fun out here for a while, but I’m so ready to go home. I love the idea of having Noah and Lima Bean grow up near their cousins, Uncle and Aunt, and Grandma and Grandpa. And I miss my friends back home. HOWEVER, I’m sure that I will spend the winters trapped inside saying, “What in the HELL was I thinking!!!” Oh well. There’s always fireplaces and cocoa and trips out to California to visit Shawn’s family.

I hope that he continues to get on board with this idea, because my heart is set on moving now and I’ll be really sad if it doesn’t work out….And Shawn will never know peace again

Lousy Pregnant Lady

melissa — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:32:11 +0000

(For some reason the spacing is all screwy on this post)

I’m the worst pregnant woman in the world. I totally don’t understand women who say that they love pregnancy. My grandma said that she never felt better than when she was pregnant. Not me!

I become the most tired, lazy, achey, grouchy thing on the planet. I’d be content to spend the remainder of my pregnancy alternating between watching movies on the couch and napping. Noah and I are getting in a TON of quality napping time together these days.

My house is disgusting. I can’t quite bring myself to clean – even on my days off. Cleaning would interfere with my agenda of eating and sleeping.

Speaking of eating – I’ve already gained 22 pounds. I shall be a whale by the time that Lima gets here.

Ahhhh….writing this has made me sleepy…and I wish I were kidding.

Very Bad Blogger

melissa — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:26:05 +0000

I know, I know – I’ve been the worst at posting new entries lately. Here’s a quick update of what I’ve been up to:

1. We took a trip up to Santa Cruz over my birthday weekend. We loved it! All of the trees reminded me of home. Hopefully we’ll be moving up there one of these days. Here’s a picture of Shawn frolicking amongst the trees on the campus of UC Santa Cruz.

For my birthday dinner Shawn and I had Afghani food. Noah opted for some delicious Daddy’s hat. Yum!

2. My old friend Kim and her boyfriend came out to visit us from Chicago. They stayed with us over the Memorial Day weekend and it was great to see them.

Big News: After they left us, Corey surprised Kim with an unexpected trip to Hawaii, where he proposed!!! Congratulations Kim and Corey!!!

Side-note: Whenever Noah throws up down the front of himself, I call it “pulling a Kim” due to an ill-fated night during college involving too much booze and the front of Kim’s outfit.

3. At the resident graduation party, Noah demonstrated that he’s already got a way with the ladies. She couldn’t keep her hands off him

4. And, finally, I’M PREGNANT!!!! Noah will have a baby sister or brother in January 2011. We’re very excited!

The Crib: How I Live

melissa — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:45:38 +0000

It occurs to me that most people who read this blog haven’t seen where I actually live now. I’ve included some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

The Living Room:

The Bedroom:

Noah’s Room:

The Bathroom:

The Backyard:

Now come visit and see for yourself!

As Promised

melissa — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:34:55 +0000

Thanks for the hat Aunt Stephanie (Michigan Stephanie, that is)

Michigan: America’s High Five

melissa — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:45:25 +0000

*** I will be posting pictures of the baby soon. No one yell at me! ***

Now then… I think I may be over this whole California thing. It was great for a while…before my friends started moving away en masse. And before I had a baby and wanted him to grow up with his family around – especially his three adorable cousins. Also, I miss my Michigan friends, those rowdy scamps!.

Plus Michigan is insanely beautiful. Don’t believe me? Check out this website:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/michigan/

(Whenever I’m feeling homesick, I click on all the different photo albums he’s posted…and then I end up feeling way more homesick. But it’s good to see a little bit of home and he’s an awesome photographer)

Anyway, let me clarify – Michigan is insanely beautiful DURING THE SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL.

Winter: You are an unholy bitch and I despise you!

I’m harassing Shawn these days to try to convince him that a move back to Michigan is where it’s at. He’s not convinced. I’ve got to figure out a way to sweeten this deal for him. Any suggestions? And don’t say sexual favors! My grandma reads this, people! Let’s keep it wholesome!

Into the Wild???

melissa — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:26:04 +0000

We LOVE the RV SO much! Actually, SO much that we’re considering moving out there full time. We’re thinking of trading in our current 32 footer for a 40 footer with multiple slides. The one that we like is actually a two bedroom with 1.5 bathrooms. I swear that it’s actually bigger than our condo. It has a sliding glass door, multiple entrances, and tons of storage. Plus everything is super swanky – totally more nicely decorated than the brothel-theme I came up with for our house

We’re going to experiment with staying out there for a while to see if Shawn can handle making the drive. It’s even further away from his work than where we currently live, but it just may be worth it. It’s amazing to be out there and have bonfires and listen to the creek that runs behind us and hear the frogs croaking. It reminds me of home and, dammit, I miss home!!

Condo Living Now and Forever

melissa — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:49:40 +0000

It’s official…we decided not to buy a house. Well, mostly I decided. Shawn was pretty into the idea and I crushed his dreams…as usual. I was dreading the drive and being far away from my friends and the ocean. Well, not actually that far, but it’s pretty sweet to live in the same complex as Awkward Stephanie and just a short drive from the beach.

Plus I realized that I’m a creature of habit and don’t really want to make any major changes right now. Sooooo we may end up living in the condo for a few more years and I’m totally all right with that. We can cram a few more kiddos in there, I’m sure. We’ll live like people in the Old Country.

And I love having the RV out in the woods and didn’t particularly want to give up that spot and the chance to escape from suburbia. We had a bonfire out there over the weekend and it was awesome. I love that Noah will be able to spend weekends out there as he’s growing up!