We're having a girl!

It's a girl!!! We've having a perfect little girl!!

Oh my god, it has been an amazing week!!! Today we had an almost 2 hour ultrasound to just stare at our little puncher.

We saw toes, fingers, belly, profile, her mouth open, legs, kidneys, her eyes, the whole she-bang!! I have movies and pics on the DVD-R so I will get some uploaded tonight. She was laying so her little tushie was up in the air in one as well. The tech said, "Aw, she's got a cute tush!" Her feet were fascinating to me! I just kept picturing me smooching them. Also, apparently in 4 short weeks I'll be in my third trimester. Good lord this is blasting by.

I had to take a break in the middle of it to chug some juice to get her to flip over which she wouldn't do. The tech. had me lay on both sides and even was trying to agitate her to get her to flip. All she would do is punch the air and snuggle in. Ha ha The stinker, so now I get to come back in a another week for another ultrasound to get better pics of her heart (like I mind seeing her again so soon). Although they ones they got they said looked fine, all chambers accounted for, etc. This kid likes her picture taken apparently, as this is my 6th ultrasound. Ha! Good thing, her dad already has about 1,000 of her from just today!

Perfection.

In other family news, theMan is on his way to the hospital, Jamie and Yorke are being let out today! Coen was an absolute blast all week. I even cried last night because I missed him. He was stoked to see the house all decorated for his birthday. His little face lit up. I can't wait to see him open his presents tonight! What a perfect week.

So yea...world, get ready to meet Adelaide. :)

She's here!

I am now the proud Auntie of a new niece, Yorke Thessaly, 5 lb. 15 oz. and absolutely gorgeous!

This week with my nephew has been wonderful as well. Even though he's been sick and didn't sleep well the first night, he wants to cuddle with me and laugh and I just feel so lucky to be his aunt. I can only imagine motherhood is 500 times better, but it's hard to imagine anything being cooler than being an aunt.

Tomorrow we find out what we're having too....eeep.

Welcome new baby

This weekend I was lucky enough to help take the nephew out trick-or-treating in the Square. He was so cute and clearly the best Batman there. He also picked up on the getting candy fairly quick for being 2. Stinker.

Posting may be light this week as I'm staying with my nephew to care for him full time while my sister has her new baby! Yay! Expect adorable newborn pics shortly.

In pregnancy news, I'm 20 weeks today and feeling it move and flip around! theMan loves to talk to the baby now and put his hand on it when we are snuggling. Everything I had always daydreamed about when I thought I might be lucky enough to be pregnant one day. Thursday we HOPEFULLY find out the sex. If it's a girl, I'm going directly to Babies R Us and buying this outfit I found. I can't help it. I got the bug.

Anyway, will report back on new niece/nephew status. Stay tuned!

Budgeting, Be Damned

Emily from "Not that You Asked" has put up a great post about how to live on a budget, or well, possibly a little "please help us live on a budget" discussion. Either way it's a great post, the commenters are very helpful, and the subject is something very near and dear to my heart.

As I've mentioned a few times here and there on this blog, we have followed the Dave Ramsey snowball way since February 2007. In that time we have paid off a considerable amount of debt (nearly all of it), reduced the amount of money we would have paid in interest by the thousands, and reached a point where we could live on one income so theMan can stay home with our kids (our most important goal to date), all the while building our retirement fund for our future.

I didn't ever get to see Dave Ramsey in person, but his books and the help of two of my best friends (Jen and her eerily expert skills at Excel and Heather & Nick's overall "don't be an asshole and just pay off your bills" pep talks) have put us on the right track. Yes, we had a few ups and downs, but so far we have shaved 7 years off of our overall debt and brought us to an overwhelming sense of calm and glee when we look at our cashflow going out every month.

Let me just reiterate: WE SAVED OURSELVES 7 FREAKING YEARS WITH NO ADDITIONAL INCOME OR LOTTERY WINS. We shaved off 7 years where we could have been paying cash out the door every month on interest on shit we bought like 5 years ago, just using the money we had (with a cost of living raise thrown in here and there). GOD. That keeps me up at night.

Plus, bonus, I just paid off our Mastercard (1 of 2 cards left) and am getting ready to call and tell them to suck my balls. Let me tell you, that feels good. That is worth not having a new car or $100 jeans. I love hearing them squirm and beg while the power is finally in my hands.

SOOOO....since I've had such great luck with it, I thought I would offer something to you guys, just for putting up with my blathering. I have a blank debt snowball spreadsheet that my expert Excel pro gave me, tweaked by me, and I will happily send it to you and answer any questions you might have about using it.

You plug in your budget and bills every month and it's all color coded so you know exactly what to pay, when. How much cash to put in each "envelope" and you can clearly see when things will be paid off if you do x.y.z. with your money. The best part, should you get extra money or less money during the month, it's very easy to adjust.

Email me at mizvoid(at)gmail(dot)com if you'd like me to send it to you. I'd love to help everyone tell debtors to get fucked. It's a dream of mine. We could all stand in a field, holding hands, around a big pile of cut up credit cards and financing agreements. Sigh.

P.S. I also thought I'd pass along an interview I did about how we became debt free.

Listen, I know I'm vain, but I'm just stoked I am now immortalized as 29.

Beautiful

There is something so stunningly beautiful about the photo of Angelina Jolie on the cover of W magazine, taken by Brad Pitt that I cannot help but comment. I believe it has something to do with her genuine smile, that she is breastfeeding (possibly) her child, that it was taken by her lover.

…but it’s not a technically great photo and guess what, it doesn’t matter. This is the type of moment I want to catch as a photographer. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not good with the technical side, lighting, etc. but I absolutely love catching people in their pure moments, making them feel gorgeous. This photo reminded me why I do it.

And this quote from her, doesn’t hurt either:

“I’m with a man who’s evolved enough to look at my body and see it as more beautiful, because of the journey it has taken and what it has created. He genuinely sees it that way. So I genuinely feel even sexier,” says Jolie…

Clearly her photographer for this picture feels exactly this way. I just think I’d like to make more people feel like this after looking at themselves on “film.” So I’m going to keep at it.

28?!?!

If you see this lady, before giving her your wallet...wish her a happy birthday!

Love you Sis!

Only in the Midwest

Can you go to a friend's house to pick up some used baby stuff to also be offered a "home-beer-brewing" kit as well.

I love my life.

Zeitgeist

Highly recommend watching either of these, more specifically the “The Addendum” one, as it addresses the current financial situation of the world and our culture, etc. of profits and corruption. VERY VERY awesome.

Check back to site for the free download.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/statement.htm

*End soapbox rant*

Urine Sample

16 week appointment today. Baby is fine, heartbeat was 149 and still way down there by my pubes. Also she said she was glad to hear I was feeling the "honeymoon" period of the second trimester (i.e. no more nausea, sleepiness, etc.).

She said my weight was fine, just keep an eye on it. When she said I should keep total gain around 15 I nearly cried but she said that doesn’t take into account for swelling or water. Whew. Also, I need to take pepcid instead of Tums (not sure why) and I will have to get a flu shot next appointment. Never had one of those before but she assured me it was the dead virus kind.

Also, we find out the sex on 10/30 (Coen’s birthday) and BONUS, if we bring a blank DVD-R they will record the entire ultrasound for us!!!!!! YAY!!!!

The best way to start out an appointment though? I managed to finally fill one of those stupid urine cups and went and dumped it all over the wall, floor, toilet paper, and my leg as soon as I hoisted it up on the shelf next to the loo. I screamed “NO F_ING WAY” really loud. I’m sure they thought I gave birth in there.

God.

Survival Kit

Sorry to leave you so long with that depressing entry. I ended up getting laid, fantastically (sorry parents if you are reading this), and had a great GWO to boot since that downward spiral. I highly recommend getting together with your girlfriends, giving yourselves pedicures and teasing your hair like it's the early 90's. You won't stop laughing. Especially with booze involved.

I also highly recommend buying this lube. I got it as a birthday gift from my BFF Jen and OH MY GOD.

Anyhizzle, I might or might not have a potential very close friend who is with child and all of her questions and concerns are sooo reminding me of myself 3 short months ago. So I decided to put together a pregnancy survival kit for her. I'll take pics when it's done but so far, here is what I found I cannot live without. In fact, most of these must be in my possession at all times.

-Tums (I started with the smoothie flavor, now the mint ones ROCK and double as a mint!)
-Water bottle (The thirst, my god. It looks like a fallen water bottle graveyard at our house with all the empties)
-Book: Your Pregnancy Week by Week (One of few books, minus the small section on miscarriage, that doesn't make me feel like the baby is going to die if I sleep wrong. Also recommended by my doctor for that same reason.)
-Book: Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy (No bullshit and has my favorite motto: 9 months on/9 months off concerning getting your figure back.)
-Bella Band (The only thing that kept my tight waisted pants up without having to get maternity pants at 8 weeks along. They also assure me I can wear it throughout and even right after giving birth.)
-Lube (Above linked lubricant. 2nd trimester orgasms feel like you found Jesus and he wants you to have multiple orgasms with visions of pyramids and naked men washing your car. Why not have some help.)
-Kleenex packets/purse-size (Apparently in pregnancy everything that can create mucous does, not only your vagigi, but also your nose. Constantly. Without end.)
-Pregnancy Journal (I found one at BabiesRUs I loved. It has a place for your thoughts from the first time you pee on a stick, ultrasound pictures, pictures of your belly, everything. Recommend getting one of these versus a baby book because this way you can write down throughts about your entire pregnancy, not just delivery. I mean, you go through a LOT more than just labor, might as well make it about you. May even be useful for your daugther one day, since they are supposed to follow their mother when giving birth to their own!)

So far, these I cannot live without. I didn't include the body pillow or stool softeners or even a nice vibrator for when your husband thinks his penis is going to somehow hurt the baby if he goes at you from behind, but mostly those things you will know if you need or not. The above, I cannot live without. They are either comforting (books) or maintenance required (kleenex/tums).

So I'll let you know how my hopefully very definitely pregnant friend likes her kit!