tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72529007897385817022024-03-14T01:37:46.329-07:00Baby RajehMaternity MusingsEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-51319644533590557512010-06-27T01:52:00.000-07:002010-06-27T01:59:19.435-07:00Lebanonhello everyone. i havent updated this thing in ages...so let's give it a go. my phone isn't cooperating, so there will be no caps. najib and i have been in lebanon for about a month and we have almost exactly one month left. i have never seen this little boy happier, and i haven't felt this fulfilled in a very long time. there is nothing better for the soul (at least mine) than to be surrounded by family and those who love you. abdallah's family is the best i could have asked for. i feel like i was born into their family, i am so comfortable and at home with them and feel that i have known them my whole life. najib's cousins play with him all the time and it fills me with joy to see them kissing on him and the way he lights up when they walk into the room as well.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-90506377804016988332010-01-01T18:15:00.000-08:002010-01-01T18:27:58.940-08:00Christmas & New YearI am exceedingly happy right now. Charlie FINALLY got a few days off for Christmas (the first in over 4mos of working 105hrs a week...no that's not a joke 105!), and then a couple more days for New Years. My brother, Jedidiah, flew in around the 12th from Germany. I hadn't seen him since I was 6mos pregnant, and of course, my life has completely changed since then and there is now a boy that is the center of my world that he had not yet met.<br /><br />My brother and sister went ahead of us to Tyler, so we got a couple days alone in the house to just rest and enjoy our time together with the baby. Then, we followed Christmas Eve with the baby and annoying dogs in tow. Laith had the time of his life, we took him to see the Christmas lights with Cort, Sarah's boyfriend's son. They had a blast playing together and Laith was all over the place, crawling everywhere.<br /><br />Then for New Year's Eve, my parents came to town, as did Jed. We had our good friends Moustapha, Assaad (w/kids) and Jim-Dear. We had tons of food and a constant flow of coffee and sparkling cider (we bought several bottles of wine, and it turns out no one wants to drink? except my dad? bizarre...). We gladly wecomed the new year and kicked the old year in the ass on its way out. I am not a fan of 2009...<br /><br />ALSO, I got a new car!! WooHoo! It's a 2009 Nissan Pathfinder - dark gray, beautiful! Finally I don't have to climb to the backseat of the car with the baby in Jed's little 2-door Civic! I'm so excited, those who know me know that I love novel things!<br /><br />Okay, I've run out of time to write. More later!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-34982195505209259602009-12-07T13:46:00.000-08:002009-12-07T14:08:04.299-08:006months 3 weeksLaith will be 7 months old on December 12th. That is CRAZY! I often find myself looking at his newborn pictures and wondering when he stopped being a baby baby. I find myself having such mixed emotions as he grows. On one hand, I'm overwhelmed with pride and excitement with every new accomplishment, but I can't help but feel this undercurrent of sadness and loss of dependence he once had on me. I am thrilled that he can entertain himself sitting up and crawl around and play with his toys happily, but I also miss him just sleeping peacefully and contentedly in my arms.<br /><br />FOOD:<br />He has been eating solids for about 3 weeks now, and so far has had sweet potatoes, oatmeal, banana, pears, carrots, butternut squash, peas...and probably other stuff that I can not remember. He loves eating in his highchair and took to it right away without any prompting. By the time he actually got the food in his mouth, he had already been grabbing at my food so much that I guess he knew exactly what to do with it.<br /><br />WORK:<br />So...blah. Don't know if I even want to go there. Um, yeah, I love working...I really do, but I have never had so much stress in my life as I do now. I feel like I'm in a rat race, with no finish line in sight...just frantically rushing through every day and by the time its over I am so wound up and still behind on everything I've set out to do that I can hardly sleep. I wake up with my mind reeling and tired. By the time I wake up with Laith and get him clean, clothed and fed, I take about 10 minutes for myself before rushing to work, making sure I have loaded everything in my car and all the products I need for the day. Did I mention that Laith is over 20lbs now and super heavy to carry?<br /><br />FALLING:<br />I have fallen 5 major times since I had Laith...2 of the falls happened this weekend. I slipped on the floor at obee's on Friday AND Saturday. I feel like I spent the night at the fair riding treacherous rides...I woke up completely sore all over. I have bruisy scrapes down my arms from trying to catch my fall on the counter, I feel like I have whiplash and like I did a thousand sit ups because of the deep muscle aches in my back and abs. Just feel sorry for me please!<br /><br />PROGRESS:<br />In terms of business, Charlie and I have both hired new employees that seem to be working out quite well so far. Hopefully we'll be seeing eachother a bit more soon.<br /><br />In terms of Laith, he sits up on his own for long periods of time, and scoots pretty dang well across the floor on his hands and knees. He now has his 2 front bottom teeth, which he uses....Lord does he use them.<br /><br />I am including the latest video of him crawling to the Christmas tree, which he is wildly fascinated by and can't help but try to get his anxious hands on those shiny ornaments!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSIuNwzPm6k">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSIuNwzPm6k</a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-24182441397524566452009-09-07T14:20:00.000-07:002009-09-07T14:33:50.874-07:00The Golden DaysAnnouncement! Big baby accomplishment this weekend! He held himself up on his forearms at 90 degrees and flipped from tummy to back. At first I thought he did it accidentally, but then he did it 5 times in a row, each time exciting himself and letting out a big squeal. He also was able to roll from his back to his side, which wasn't nearly as fun to watch, but I sure was excited!<br /><br />This weekend was fun with my parents. They couldn't believe how much bigger he is compared to just a few weeks ago, and how much he laughs and smiles. These days, I don't struggle with feeling as exhausted...which often turns into depression because I have no energy for anything. Laith is just so much more enjoyable and can entertain himself more. He is so content almost all the time, and all you have to do is look at him and he will give you the biggest smile ever.<br /><br />We are also really happy because we FINALLY got our hammock set up! I got it as a b-day gift from my brother, sister and Christine back in March - but we didn't have the stuff we needed to get it up and then it was a matter of just doing it. So we are looking forward to cool mornings and evenings to snuggle in it with Laith.<br /><br />A little gripe: I went to the store with my mom and Laith in the stroller. He hadn't had a nap all day and was starting to be fussy when he finally fell asleep. About five minutes later, this lady walks up to him and starts practically yelling "LOOK AT THE BAAAABY!", which of course resulted in both Laith and I jumping. Then when he opened his eyes, she exclaimed, "OH LOOK, NOW HE'S AWAKE!!!"---That was the first time I've ever been REALLY annoyed with anything a stranger does with the baby. I'm just going to believe she's mentally handicapped...Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-2372252787565232072009-09-04T07:06:00.001-07:002009-09-04T07:28:15.666-07:00Happy- Happy- Joy- JoyThings have really taken a bit of a happy turn in my world. Not only is Laith SO much more interactive and fun, but I have also reconnected with a girl I met when we were both 3 months pregnant looking for the maternity section in a store. We had dinner shortly after that, but due to my working and being utterly exhausted, we just kept in touch via text for the remaining 6 months. She had her baby girl Audrey just 2 days after Laith was born, and now that the little ones are old enough, we've been getting together. It has been SO nice to be able to help eachother out and talk about stuff that is unique to our babies' stage of life. I'm learning alot from her and hopefully helping her out as well.<br /><br />LAUGHTER<br /><br />Yesterday morning just when Baba was leaving for work, he gave Laith his morning kisses. Usually we get huge smiles and Laith will jump and squirm with excitement...but this time it set off a string of laughter that sounded like a sqeaky mattress...and it didn't stop! So then the rest of the day he would just look at me and start laughing! Oh these are the little things that life is made of...<br /><br />I'M A MORON<br /><br />So, yesterday I was getting out of the car and walking up to Melissa's house with Laith's carrier, when suddenly I stepped and rolled my foot on a waterhose stretched across her steep driveway. Laith and I went flying. I had the subconscious sense to swing Laith safely to the grass - and when I stood up I realized that I had taken all the jeans and skin off my knee and there was a blue streak on the pavement. I bled alot and couldn't walk on my right foot! Needless to say, I felt the humiliation alot sooner than the pain of the actual fall...but I certainly felt it eventually. I hobbled around all last night, and this morning the lower half of my body feels like it was run over by a truck or something. My hips, knees, feet...all hurt. Please feel sorry for me. It makes it feel better...<br /><br />LABOR DAY WEEKEND<br /><br />I'm sooo excited about this weekend! My parents are driving up again tonight, and though I see them practically every other weekend, I am always so excited to have them. They are the only people as infactuated with Laith as Boudee and I. I can't wait to see how they react when they see how much he has changed in 2wks and when they hear him laughing. He is such a sweet and social baby. Obee's will be closed for the holiday, so I will have Abdallah to myself (whenever he isn't dove hunting). We will of course be barbequeing...which we love. YAY!<br /><br />DIET<br /><br />So...I gained 60 pounds during pregnancy, 30 of which I lost at the hospital. That leaves me with 30lbs...and I naively believed that it would just melt off after a month or two, considering I was finally able to eat normally (during pregnancy my preferences completely changed and I couldn't stomach most foods). But I was wrong. I have exercised and lived off lettuce for way too long and my body is haaanging onto every ounce. I have pretty much given up. I am eating well because I enjoy the healthy foods and the way they make me feel, but I have decided to just plain love the skin I'm in. Even if it is kinda loose these days! So, I'll keep on drinking my almond milk veggie/berry smoothies and salads and doing my 30day Shred! haha!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-89349497875784085722009-08-16T17:02:00.000-07:002009-08-16T17:06:58.702-07:003 month pictures taken 8/16/09<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhxpEyA3Jcz7gW2W6YaY3U7_-mRwDLQNsOpTgz5phbu0WbznGExUlxt5HMtrjRYXGKeaX638biqfTZRcvkMj1UILRf_PYGgL71vokiDia9gzYmEHUrzGhH5Qpf5YXGBaVdS_O79EHk2g/s1600-h/bath1+044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370717370724209106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhxpEyA3Jcz7gW2W6YaY3U7_-mRwDLQNsOpTgz5phbu0WbznGExUlxt5HMtrjRYXGKeaX638biqfTZRcvkMj1UILRf_PYGgL71vokiDia9gzYmEHUrzGhH5Qpf5YXGBaVdS_O79EHk2g/s400/bath1+044.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5dp4oEkrGvnKc_j3PRs0nSXA_iSgisTgLRvsB2mUxf4yOou6uVbWytS4e3X0zU21Wko5p12tpdjOYyvTtzE5AnIf84yhToK9lsKDT0Eeq_Oj8XKIOSp5O3sDVuqI5pNyyBdBgRhh47U/s1600-h/bath1+033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370717366090386178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5dp4oEkrGvnKc_j3PRs0nSXA_iSgisTgLRvsB2mUxf4yOou6uVbWytS4e3X0zU21Wko5p12tpdjOYyvTtzE5AnIf84yhToK9lsKDT0Eeq_Oj8XKIOSp5O3sDVuqI5pNyyBdBgRhh47U/s400/bath1+033.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBL0m1DcAfYAO5VaUrntsYussYH9PaMkaF72czsyBvUnlVphamf1B8-b-8cKLc8S0_6QNF-qF4q11zdzQaE8twihiLUPLmYjK0RyEBgGsXhodu-5DyQ1NPCPyH8fv3Xx0iNua52tmgxM/s1600-h/bath1+030.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370717359047425554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBL0m1DcAfYAO5VaUrntsYussYH9PaMkaF72czsyBvUnlVphamf1B8-b-8cKLc8S0_6QNF-qF4q11zdzQaE8twihiLUPLmYjK0RyEBgGsXhodu-5DyQ1NPCPyH8fv3Xx0iNua52tmgxM/s400/bath1+030.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBk-a8H6gno7R83utmf7B08Q_KTTIR0HWDWSfsTkclgnj2jEGYedjUc2WETmjlY5CsIM1bD69gtK3xyioHz5gNwWqxTIXG_WK-Xib4aTXps38tMLcs95uJnPJ4uKGC8wdbV81LUfT954/s1600-h/bath1+038.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370717345662264546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBk-a8H6gno7R83utmf7B08Q_KTTIR0HWDWSfsTkclgnj2jEGYedjUc2WETmjlY5CsIM1bD69gtK3xyioHz5gNwWqxTIXG_WK-Xib4aTXps38tMLcs95uJnPJ4uKGC8wdbV81LUfT954/s400/bath1+038.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOrbECZXg3d_D2HeR6Z0pDYYzqlVSLvWf6r279T6WtaEBqG7o41nqRAwH0dAtLsrvD2CuQJsVgE1IVVMwSfnqEsySFP1jsPdegUReamKwVrDRrLj-wscxAJgqX2dnBfJR8eJdHetRhPM/s1600-h/bath1+031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370717340866573266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOrbECZXg3d_D2HeR6Z0pDYYzqlVSLvWf6r279T6WtaEBqG7o41nqRAwH0dAtLsrvD2CuQJsVgE1IVVMwSfnqEsySFP1jsPdegUReamKwVrDRrLj-wscxAJgqX2dnBfJR8eJdHetRhPM/s400/bath1+031.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-77652826510340830582009-08-16T10:39:00.001-07:002009-08-16T13:04:32.388-07:003 monthsTomorrow Laith will be 3 months old! That is INSANE! As I write, he is cuddled up in my sling that a friend sewed for me. I really can't emphasize enough just how much love we have for this little man. Every new thing he does is like Christmas morning. I get giddy with excitement and I feel like my heart could just burst.<br /><br />Just a couple days ago, Charlie and I were talking about what a blessing he has been for us this year. If it weren't for the arrival of Laith, this would have been one blot of a year on our lives. This has been such a tough year for us in so many ways, but all I can see is the utter joy of our family. No matter how bad a day may be, or how empty our bank accounts, or late our bills, there is our child - and we can't help but be happy.<br /><br />I'm trying to think of all the things that have changed in this past month. First of all, he has already doubled his birthweight, making him around 16lbs at least right now. My arms are really tired...really tired. I would say he has overall just become so much more alert and aware. He is eagerly checking things out. I have a hard time getting him to nap because he is so busy exploring his ever expanding world. He has been standing up for a while (with help of course) and now he likes to bounce and hop up and give us a little Jackie Chan move. People are surprised when they are around for a while and see that he almost never cries. He is not one of those babies that smiles all day, but he is certainly content.<br /><br />Speaking of smiles, everytime he hears his baba's voice he just freezes and stares at Charlie wide-eyed and this gigantic smile comes out of nowhere and he bounces with excitement. I can't get over how good Charlie is with Laith. It gives me so much joy to see how much they enjoy eachother. I only wish things were different and Charlie could be around Laith more.<br /><br />Today is Sunday, and Charlie is in San Antonio all day. I couldn't go with him because there isn't a place for the baby there. I really really hate being apart so much. We have never been away from eachother like this before. For sooo long we drove to work together, worked side-by-side for up to 15hrs, drove home and spend everynight together. We quickly learned how to survive like that, and now we have to figure out how to do things differently. I miss my partner! We're used to being able to depend on eachother to help with any little thing. Oh well!<br /><br />Unfortunately, I do not have a picture. I need to get my camera out and take a 3 month pic of Laith. Coming soon!<br /><br />More later - EmEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-26620443615304764062009-07-30T11:09:00.000-07:002009-07-30T11:27:48.639-07:00A brief update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxYFkoOvVpoBbLlmvI8len_yKbbNCKufjc5UAkYT0_4UgOzXDWWMhasWKm5CE3Wy-yzbdQbCQ1LLnb_6IVLbIDGWvnM4tgvfsHXFQNoqGzBS2HL6Rzvm5muij2euIrLfcnfAMBNC-xsU/s1600-h/IMG_5399.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364320959758399282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxYFkoOvVpoBbLlmvI8len_yKbbNCKufjc5UAkYT0_4UgOzXDWWMhasWKm5CE3Wy-yzbdQbCQ1LLnb_6IVLbIDGWvnM4tgvfsHXFQNoqGzBS2HL6Rzvm5muij2euIrLfcnfAMBNC-xsU/s400/IMG_5399.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlGrCnlvwJqwTHYfCBvQXf2MY8vgGlRY7aTuHbvTqCJhnSD0_6UECkxXHKIoy0_gIvGGYKwT4aPETrQpr5i16amlMAmYi7axhnsUs8fliz1W6c1u1_VDQnqWnBXA6MUKwrAA-C4XfcMk/s1600-h/IMG_5523.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364320955319655938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlGrCnlvwJqwTHYfCBvQXf2MY8vgGlRY7aTuHbvTqCJhnSD0_6UECkxXHKIoy0_gIvGGYKwT4aPETrQpr5i16amlMAmYi7axhnsUs8fliz1W6c1u1_VDQnqWnBXA6MUKwrAA-C4XfcMk/s400/IMG_5523.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8WRs-kbQLqCuvg-OFCe3xXshmJc1BHV3Ss4pHu-8HeLJa2LWLW9pVSOkbCoM2jYcKOtUtyU5Rq9UK3kEKo1TKhsa-t8ksPxSbH9OVuMFMtMGqsxgXLZ1b3Z43pDq9RWdTxi0Emx3owI/s1600-h/IMG_5462.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364320946912028930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8WRs-kbQLqCuvg-OFCe3xXshmJc1BHV3Ss4pHu-8HeLJa2LWLW9pVSOkbCoM2jYcKOtUtyU5Rq9UK3kEKo1TKhsa-t8ksPxSbH9OVuMFMtMGqsxgXLZ1b3Z43pDq9RWdTxi0Emx3owI/s400/IMG_5462.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGa7HOx34AOSsIiR4qmyzRbsnbqY5U9QdKOK30CEMAvv4VOP7L5B0wLZuAPvXC34RiQ-ouU7p6clwAAh188Y0PYLjMG9NZYiYIVmQqAEV4A2hOzSRs7wLIzx7bv619A8acGOjWnJUYzs/s1600-h/IMG_5434.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364320939945276546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGa7HOx34AOSsIiR4qmyzRbsnbqY5U9QdKOK30CEMAvv4VOP7L5B0wLZuAPvXC34RiQ-ouU7p6clwAAh188Y0PYLjMG9NZYiYIVmQqAEV4A2hOzSRs7wLIzx7bv619A8acGOjWnJUYzs/s400/IMG_5434.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>So, Laith is going to be 11wks old this weekend and MAN has he been changing. At his last pediatrician visit June 21, he weighed 14.5lbs and was 24 inches long. That puts him in the 97 percentile for his weight! He like his food! </div><br /><div>A couple weeks ago he started pushing himself up with his legs whenever I would hold him. He now loooves to be stood up, making everyone who holds him pretty tired. It's been great to hear him make such a wide variety of sounds...makes me feel like he's talking to me about stuff (when you're home alone all day, everything looks like its talking to you about stuff).</div><br /><div>He smiles alot, and a few days ago he gave his first attempt at a laugh. It sounded more like a snorty gasp than anything, but it was still dang cute!</div><br /><div>My friend Claire took some pictures of him for an announcement, so I'm going to include some of those. </div></div></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-7308403578643827952009-06-27T07:11:00.000-07:002009-06-27T07:13:08.016-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46KU-N0R-lBMYSZ4KdnrPdLitaSEP6h8Bz6rgo3hl9XtfI4F3Xq83DPAC6qJzrga6aGTAjVP8O33oHssJ0bpO3VIPfW1x5-8IfTm2ae8HIZPBHUcgtKHax7aUaLVDv-9U11gbKCaLI_o/s1600-h/Laith6-19-09.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46KU-N0R-lBMYSZ4KdnrPdLitaSEP6h8Bz6rgo3hl9XtfI4F3Xq83DPAC6qJzrga6aGTAjVP8O33oHssJ0bpO3VIPfW1x5-8IfTm2ae8HIZPBHUcgtKHax7aUaLVDv-9U11gbKCaLI_o/s400/Laith6-19-09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352010195600770210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-5tKMKZTx8gzXQXEOud-mvR5joZ7I2YoWYgH_4BfRf1CKDI7RAQQGk5H8Uom7QYGjJC1t7ryZmexbiii_Ksm3_euGzHEg37F8pepeOrjPBEfDHUnR524TmUwmccl74J_o8MSjOJgbQc/s1600-h/Laith6-19.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-5tKMKZTx8gzXQXEOud-mvR5joZ7I2YoWYgH_4BfRf1CKDI7RAQQGk5H8Uom7QYGjJC1t7ryZmexbiii_Ksm3_euGzHEg37F8pepeOrjPBEfDHUnR524TmUwmccl74J_o8MSjOJgbQc/s400/Laith6-19.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352010191553402242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmisny_txFOaMUtVpCbjzYWtvK-z4jjeONumwtb0hb_jAuDojGCZJ7BJupt1adlICN3TD3kHGHxNNHYasT4hbzdVCaC4vnGJynq6_MW3ZZnRnizObuYrceflZebanaduo-NNUA6XeIaiQ/s1600-h/JediKnight.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmisny_txFOaMUtVpCbjzYWtvK-z4jjeONumwtb0hb_jAuDojGCZJ7BJupt1adlICN3TD3kHGHxNNHYasT4hbzdVCaC4vnGJynq6_MW3ZZnRnizObuYrceflZebanaduo-NNUA6XeIaiQ/s400/JediKnight.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352010187145390258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBTSNtGqg_ESjXgPw4ONTgDF0fMgFOMMyZOV9ICs_xnMc_AO3HuIPqHV_ehRU-XYnoEmkt-VJCr1MMEG3o1_lFg6wrIGnmbJ3UqVBualjLNrAKsxikm59lvB7bcBRSQitpcp8IKuJEn8/s1600-h/4688_94261307726_500372726_2370553_1117256_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBTSNtGqg_ESjXgPw4ONTgDF0fMgFOMMyZOV9ICs_xnMc_AO3HuIPqHV_ehRU-XYnoEmkt-VJCr1MMEG3o1_lFg6wrIGnmbJ3UqVBualjLNrAKsxikm59lvB7bcBRSQitpcp8IKuJEn8/s400/4688_94261307726_500372726_2370553_1117256_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352010186749235314" border="0" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-35840560478573235872009-06-27T07:07:00.000-07:002009-06-27T07:11:08.035-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURnjqU7SGsxbhygs_X96S-fDrqNNi7PjBl5hxbLxfoZkbK274_-3LT7aj4Sb21lgsXp_-TFLzQKoCZnoQtfSGoVAPil8splfO4t0o9a_kb6fS3Vl8qIM5fwc41iAWe9z-YxU8dGaUQqQ/s1600-h/4227_91912377726_500372726_2334547_3022100_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURnjqU7SGsxbhygs_X96S-fDrqNNi7PjBl5hxbLxfoZkbK274_-3LT7aj4Sb21lgsXp_-TFLzQKoCZnoQtfSGoVAPil8splfO4t0o9a_kb6fS3Vl8qIM5fwc41iAWe9z-YxU8dGaUQqQ/s400/4227_91912377726_500372726_2334547_3022100_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352009669759314450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0r1sJ-q4uEuK8FyE1ufD0hFQBR5Bj9m_V3kp9Pfy6j3MWjwbW2mInonCXT6N4_N3qk0sOlTX43JO1K5CEhAuLtK67BDOTI6FVubzNGq67R7P44Fj2mZo4y8OuFK-SSfPMzFsLZJDfPWw/s1600-h/4227_91910642726_500372726_2334525_1182685_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0r1sJ-q4uEuK8FyE1ufD0hFQBR5Bj9m_V3kp9Pfy6j3MWjwbW2mInonCXT6N4_N3qk0sOlTX43JO1K5CEhAuLtK67BDOTI6FVubzNGq67R7P44Fj2mZo4y8OuFK-SSfPMzFsLZJDfPWw/s400/4227_91910642726_500372726_2334525_1182685_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352009665840553698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbFWP7kXb4EmoLAB4DBETCgW7xV-uZ1sP3embU2ydY0-MQJqoTqTPs6ZHHfPmCNmo3ATph6h_a5WMaCQwePWgo-5YjuW0zkSYorzWKqoIEfmqDQdA-Gdf4brmXn8Rn-vFdDzy-5fuehE/s1600-h/4227_91910547726_500372726_2334508_2752208_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbFWP7kXb4EmoLAB4DBETCgW7xV-uZ1sP3embU2ydY0-MQJqoTqTPs6ZHHfPmCNmo3ATph6h_a5WMaCQwePWgo-5YjuW0zkSYorzWKqoIEfmqDQdA-Gdf4brmXn8Rn-vFdDzy-5fuehE/s400/4227_91910547726_500372726_2334508_2752208_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352009665503560530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqgz7VHjJeK797KxXeemA47pcc_ajJ6fWPmv_H0SqsMDmP5aYgm3DpI2JtiChY5yC7UIUBDMqHBDa2OB8w_YplBiWJSPnlx3sJvRPY9q8bQyGwoa17W8eHLnQhUvYh8vLti-9DTSmujg/s1600-h/4227_91910512726_500372726_2334502_5719930_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqgz7VHjJeK797KxXeemA47pcc_ajJ6fWPmv_H0SqsMDmP5aYgm3DpI2JtiChY5yC7UIUBDMqHBDa2OB8w_YplBiWJSPnlx3sJvRPY9q8bQyGwoa17W8eHLnQhUvYh8vLti-9DTSmujg/s400/4227_91910512726_500372726_2334502_5719930_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352009661140512146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqW2ObY-ZFQM3eIZQlO7B2szfhc-9Z73jmk27210NJVR2_F42AAtAlBY3TW7XXKSDp9dfm1rhrj23B4NoXagxMLDwRJvUXQZV8oHf79hX4_GbFFvo727546SY7y-OmtAUzItsLP62kotg/s1600-h/4227_91910322726_500372726_2334473_2199479_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqW2ObY-ZFQM3eIZQlO7B2szfhc-9Z73jmk27210NJVR2_F42AAtAlBY3TW7XXKSDp9dfm1rhrj23B4NoXagxMLDwRJvUXQZV8oHf79hX4_GbFFvo727546SY7y-OmtAUzItsLP62kotg/s400/4227_91910322726_500372726_2334473_2199479_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352009659582748754" border="0" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-49625238157610813502009-06-10T07:09:00.000-07:002009-06-10T07:33:28.751-07:00LaithWhere to begin...this is the problem with letting a month go by un-blogged during a time of so much activity!<br /><br />Well as you most likely already know, Najib Laith Rajeh was born May 17 at 1am. He weighed 8lbs and was 21.5in long. He will go by "Laith" but his technical first name is Najib, after his Lebanese grandfather who passed away in 2005. Ironically, he was born on his grandfather's birthday. Now we have 3 generations of Rajeh men born within 2 days of eachother. (Charlie is born on May15)<br /><br />I had been having what I figured were contractions for over 24hrs that were about 5mins apart. Then my AC conveniently decided to die, requiring us to fix it for $3,000!! BAD timing! I was super sweaty and irritated and decided to go to the hospital. They have air conditioning. My parents and sister and Brooke had come in town hoping that they would be there for the birth...so I willed myself into labor! Not really..I willed the doctor into breaking my water.<br /><br />I was so lucky that one of our close friends, Kelly Hamade, was the labor and delivery nurse on duty that night so I got all kinds of special treatment! It made a complete difference in my level of comfort. I don't think I would have made it so long without pain medication if it hadn't been for her. When the first super painful contractions began, I was so giddy with excitement that I was feeling substantial pain and things were moving along. Then...after several hours of what can only be described as torture, I was gone..in another world altogether. After about 8hrs of excrutiating pain, I didn't know who was in the room with me and had no sense of time or anything. I began having what I will call "hell-contractions" which are in the last stage of labor. I had 4 of them in a row and I literally thought I was going to lose my mind. The doctor ordered pitocin for me at around 10p or 10:30p insisting that he had to speed things up and at that point I broke down and got the epidural. I knew that it would increase the intensity of contractions and put them one after another and that I wouldn't have the ability to stay on top of the pain. Unfortunately I saved myself from only 1hr of pain. Betsy put on Simon and Garfunkel and I fell asleep for a little bit and woke up feeling incredibly uncomfortable but I couldn't move. I had so much pressure in my back and told Charlie to turn me over. The nurse wanted to check me again real quick and when she did, she said, "whoever is going to witness this birth needs to get in here now!". It was quite a sight because the epidural gave me the worst shakes ever and I looked like I was dying of hypothermia. I had to clench my jaws to keep from breaking my teeth! I had a sudden last minute bout of fear and burst into tears saying "I don't know what to do with a baby!! I can't have a baby!" But after a few pushes...I had a baby to "Scarborough Fair" and it all worked out :)<br /><br />So many of you know that one of my fears was that no one would let me eat. You all assured me that I wouldn't be thinking about food. YOU WERE WRONG. I was begging for food the entire day and as soon as I delivered I was eating a sandwich. I actually think the doctor was still working on me when I started eating. Never underestimate the hunger of Emily!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-56173528099879588682009-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:002009-05-07T10:01:04.730-07:00Fancy PantsWhen I was approximately 4 months pregnant, a very cynical girl told me that she hopes I won't be one of those obnoxious pregnant women that is like, "look at me I'm pregnant". My initial reaction, seeing how I was puking incessantly and didn't feel even almost happy about pregnancy, said "no, I'm more like 'look at me, I don't have to zip my pants anymore.'" I of course thought that was clever. It was true though...for a while. I now of course wish I had more than one pair of pants that still fit me...and I wish that they wouldn't fall down every 2 seconds. Or that my shirts were long enough to actually cover my whole belly without me constantly tugging on them.<br /><br />I also dread going in public in fear of the inescapable situation where regardless of my downturned eyes, a stranger will approach me and ask me all about my due date and my weight, and then offer their comments and knowledge about how big I should be or how much weight I should gain or how they know a girl who is 6mos along and is bigger than me. And this happens several times in the grocery store or anywhere I happen to be. There are also silent supporters who just look at you and give you this huge smile as if to say "oh how special!". But then there are those that do NOT like seeing pregnant women. I have gotten so many terribly annoyed looks from people---which makes me want to yell at them, "I HATE BEING PREGNANT!!!" Instead I quietly curse them to be inflicted with the same disease. I don't know how to type an evil laugh...but just imagine that i did. Now that I reflect on that a bit...I am going to instead imagine that they can't get pregnant and they are very sad about it and everywhere they turn there's a bulging pregnant belly in their face...yes that is what I'm going to think.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-27793426732332312372009-05-07T09:30:00.001-07:002009-05-07T09:48:42.662-07:00Matrimony and CheeseCharlie just called me with news that after a catering "drought" of sorts, he received a timely influx of faxes for an unbelievable amount of orders beginning the 14th!!! I am actually concerned at this point that he won't be able to be there when Laith arrives. Despite all his talk about refusing to be in the room and not wanting to see the baby all gooey, I think he really would be sad to miss it.<br /><br />Maybe. Deep down? Okay, he laughs. It's a no.<br /><br />Okay I have to say that I am the number one hater of cheesy couples. I know that I sometimes will take a moment to indulge in rare cases of extreme husband-love, but it is rare. Of course I always love Charlie...and I adore him more than anyone can possibly know, but we usually would rather argue and banter than do the whole public touchy-feely, saccharine sweet game that I have far too often witnessed.<br /><br />People, kisses that cannot be termed "brief" and involve deeply engaging eye-contact and face to face lingering...INAPPROPRIATE!!! You make me want to kick. your. face. And if you refer to eachother as "darling" and "honey" with incredible frequency and inordinate meaningfulness...or thank eachother for everything...you make me want to kick.my.own.face.<br /><br />That's all. I'm done with that little bit. Just thought I'd let you know how I feel about that. I am seeing though how that was a bit random. But...I'm allowed because I'm pregnant. haha.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-26411647295911482842009-05-05T10:24:00.000-07:002009-05-05T10:35:33.915-07:00Many Many PicturesSince I have been so bad about blogging, I have been way backed up on pictures. I apologize for what is coming. You are about to see a million pictures of me, my belly and the nursery!<br /><br />Today is Cinco de Mayo. Several months ago, a crazy man walked in to Obee's and told me he is a prophet. He told me that something was going to happen on Cinco de Mayo. He went on to give an incoherent history lesson of questionable accuracy on the Mexican Revolution and Sam Houston and San Jacinto. He lost me at some point when I became utterly distracted by his unkempt appearance. The amount of hair bushing from his ears and nose was fascinating and he is notorious for hand-sewing mismatched pockets onto any given shirt (which he clumsily tucks into excessively large jeans that fall way below their designated station!). He ironically is the son of an extremely wealthy old oil tycoon and he drives a new and different fancy car every few months. All this to say, he told me that while he doesn't know what will happen on Cinco de Mayo...I will know. So as you can imagine, I am anxiously awaiting some exciting occurence.<br /><br />Or not.<br /><br />Other than the disappointment of another dull day of sitting around looking at the things I am too tired to take care of...I am feeling well. I had some sort of meltdown again yesterday because I feel overwhelmed by the things I need to do, yet lack the energy or motivation to do them. That, my friends, is a sad feeling-- especially when you combine it with sitting at home alone for hours on end! AH!<br /><br />Enough of that. Just look at the pictures. I am actually going to try to venture out into the world today.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-40775478358490535002009-05-05T10:19:00.001-07:002009-05-05T10:24:51.011-07:00Babys Room!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_D-XQb4rAm_yBMNGOsz0mjD1y405wtgVkGTgKC9C97QS-o03TI_ga6IgdmNia4HzviFTxnUf5wB2VxC8Z1A-_wKOT9Riga7iCtYuE4klP-wWr8SSsZpqlVlLQ2wRBFcdoEY9cmzTH34/s1600-h/babyroom,+baby+shower+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_D-XQb4rAm_yBMNGOsz0mjD1y405wtgVkGTgKC9C97QS-o03TI_ga6IgdmNia4HzviFTxnUf5wB2VxC8Z1A-_wKOT9Riga7iCtYuE4klP-wWr8SSsZpqlVlLQ2wRBFcdoEY9cmzTH34/s400/babyroom,+baby+shower+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332392071921683474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzyC26k2203VJ0gHtpk6hXTa35eQdTl6k8lZyIg77oLCvgv8P7PD1V9Y2ORUaZCHys-adGm1awbi7Uchi-U13EORyqn8Vhdg4GeZskBOI10ODYbP9qjzh7aaQ1Vp1hrhYgFJ_uNB7bqg/s1600-h/babyroom,+baby+shower+013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzyC26k2203VJ0gHtpk6hXTa35eQdTl6k8lZyIg77oLCvgv8P7PD1V9Y2ORUaZCHys-adGm1awbi7Uchi-U13EORyqn8Vhdg4GeZskBOI10ODYbP9qjzh7aaQ1Vp1hrhYgFJ_uNB7bqg/s400/babyroom,+baby+shower+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332392069437422034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcMs-ZQTOhQerXftK1SqclkN_Vtc5Lrwogn8475E3hb9jAERF4UhOwsp0O4rikOa4qIDT4TASZQe5Myr3S_pN4MxCeza5Mmquk5GzaEEaWVei3Lsb80qZFuXQiopSFnfhFO9aBamLY78/s1600-h/babyroom,+baby+shower+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcMs-ZQTOhQerXftK1SqclkN_Vtc5Lrwogn8475E3hb9jAERF4UhOwsp0O4rikOa4qIDT4TASZQe5Myr3S_pN4MxCeza5Mmquk5GzaEEaWVei3Lsb80qZFuXQiopSFnfhFO9aBamLY78/s400/babyroom,+baby+shower+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332392063039523026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgJwZDLIGyrNsCEg5l-7BCK_DjaGIQ68-6D4tnAUhFr4ameTgq8fAy9ImJLrd8jfYdez81NxPrNLvRm3Bd1Mv7885wh5jW1G_MM4NG5FPxbGS0HioPaItiVmmjPxmVnGNhSkok6Wt9eM/s1600-h/babyroom,+baby+shower+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgJwZDLIGyrNsCEg5l-7BCK_DjaGIQ68-6D4tnAUhFr4ameTgq8fAy9ImJLrd8jfYdez81NxPrNLvRm3Bd1Mv7885wh5jW1G_MM4NG5FPxbGS0HioPaItiVmmjPxmVnGNhSkok6Wt9eM/s400/babyroom,+baby+shower+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332392058558163810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7ef7R7c-tlNchVgOautUNLmuAGELi6D1zCNfTsr_PtLqpBBUvYHbyRNuZZIUb3LonzUiORaRwBIV8Cg1sT__Y9BjrV6BK7GVqbJrBdVzc1T1S5chdHdf-0MFXRWK2LZqbVIs-cfG8b8/s1600-h/babyroom,+baby+shower+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7ef7R7c-tlNchVgOautUNLmuAGELi6D1zCNfTsr_PtLqpBBUvYHbyRNuZZIUb3LonzUiORaRwBIV8Cg1sT__Y9BjrV6BK7GVqbJrBdVzc1T1S5chdHdf-0MFXRWK2LZqbVIs-cfG8b8/s400/babyroom,+baby+shower+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332392053954372466" border="0" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-11910475983591614472009-05-05T10:09:00.000-07:002009-05-05T10:18:26.365-07:00Belly Blessing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDHYnhgeEYX-ibIuEHNpofqEKYNi1p1tVG3UeUyu2mv6XzHcy3nRixUI4uSTzuoc6DRYOZe5hEQM5ZcJQniTPfx4SDDco-B53WhVn9R6W-sRozKSKnRaPEgFyPpkEwE05RnXUVcSUrGY/s1600-h/baby8.jpg">I had a really cool opportunity to yeild my big white canvas of a belly to a henna artist last Friday to help her build her portfolio. You can see more about the artist Anju Garg on her website www.mehnditime.com<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDHYnhgeEYX-ibIuEHNpofqEKYNi1p1tVG3UeUyu2mv6XzHcy3nRixUI4uSTzuoc6DRYOZe5hEQM5ZcJQniTPfx4SDDco-B53WhVn9R6W-sRozKSKnRaPEgFyPpkEwE05RnXUVcSUrGY/s400/baby8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332390237251326434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznlAr_M9y3dmmb-bX0XK7oDFy9B3g5LWDwZgzuStg7QjJSDUK5yxEcj6sk2MYv-NFjfmHzU-WDYCC35PGELfWX8wF1EePIMeLQkxUo_xrzmOLNZm5HlIxrtGktVS4mPDXg8Ac0CwYsSU/s1600-h/baby9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznlAr_M9y3dmmb-bX0XK7oDFy9B3g5LWDwZgzuStg7QjJSDUK5yxEcj6sk2MYv-NFjfmHzU-WDYCC35PGELfWX8wF1EePIMeLQkxUo_xrzmOLNZm5HlIxrtGktVS4mPDXg8Ac0CwYsSU/s400/baby9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332390234306231202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqY3QrJl1A4yY1oa9hdZUZ7g17xIidoYkNI2oIg1tz_VpwIm9G2YixHWOF417kQmicoixA6uVP2PBy6gXqWDzBkqr7uydxo-f3R5UIW3Ap0Jb3cbilD74rc0B5dAeFOXpj3FUS8-waW8/s1600-h/baby13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqY3QrJl1A4yY1oa9hdZUZ7g17xIidoYkNI2oIg1tz_VpwIm9G2YixHWOF417kQmicoixA6uVP2PBy6gXqWDzBkqr7uydxo-f3R5UIW3Ap0Jb3cbilD74rc0B5dAeFOXpj3FUS8-waW8/s400/baby13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332390229443634130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4kK_seAfIZ8elMHqkPcI96kPdwR5ciciwrzPrmn-nWkxCXwzFxFGC4ltxcpYd8Qir-awNDuOoyjB7extuNl2dXtkqRVW3wMna8Y9ivniQ8dX0gJKbZyxIxeIKFaky-TPNtr-SynzWCI/s1600-h/baby14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4kK_seAfIZ8elMHqkPcI96kPdwR5ciciwrzPrmn-nWkxCXwzFxFGC4ltxcpYd8Qir-awNDuOoyjB7extuNl2dXtkqRVW3wMna8Y9ivniQ8dX0gJKbZyxIxeIKFaky-TPNtr-SynzWCI/s400/baby14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332390228089905986" border="0" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-72023589527875732012009-05-05T10:05:00.000-07:002009-05-05T10:09:36.899-07:00and more<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6rh_KYrt4msIuthWwiqJCdOliNoRHnE56n3WOZqY2tpXTjOfocQ9t8QWxCCAsYyB54nNTYXW2aJaFw_OPcBn_pQ5vA6C1AvK_CMn5fs216CF8YO8yYeosP0DkDda6BUsFcg91ZhVDM0/s1600-h/baby7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6rh_KYrt4msIuthWwiqJCdOliNoRHnE56n3WOZqY2tpXTjOfocQ9t8QWxCCAsYyB54nNTYXW2aJaFw_OPcBn_pQ5vA6C1AvK_CMn5fs216CF8YO8yYeosP0DkDda6BUsFcg91ZhVDM0/s400/baby7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332387374751303186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-1ExRb_JO8tmCOWBen5YVYavp9y-0pTM2l5jZIIu0wN4BvSZzS2sxo406GjyWGhCEP5qid200Iz7L0EXRmn46qUOcI1xuMuJ0ktZMhtjSdxSDVaTm8WwvFywiZ30ngLH2X3zEa19md8/s1600-h/baby6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-1ExRb_JO8tmCOWBen5YVYavp9y-0pTM2l5jZIIu0wN4BvSZzS2sxo406GjyWGhCEP5qid200Iz7L0EXRmn46qUOcI1xuMuJ0ktZMhtjSdxSDVaTm8WwvFywiZ30ngLH2X3zEa19md8/s400/baby6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332387368936576882" border="0" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-45444626257831005152009-05-05T09:53:00.000-07:002009-05-05T09:55:09.669-07:00More Pregnant Pictures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghszx72wm3bt5vFzW6Z2H_wSl5lPUVnTZMXuRiaIKmv3QudnRN3f2NchdfA8eisa2_gU2KJcQnXP9aZBpneyYjCy70SiyTcLM_exThrR6w20_yfBRzxG_gqV8PkQNlpYemXNTfwAmniM/s1600-h/baby5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghszx72wm3bt5vFzW6Z2H_wSl5lPUVnTZMXuRiaIKmv3QudnRN3f2NchdfA8eisa2_gU2KJcQnXP9aZBpneyYjCy70SiyTcLM_exThrR6w20_yfBRzxG_gqV8PkQNlpYemXNTfwAmniM/s400/baby5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332384418708874450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGeJxughfrziGLCQTWWGVGEIwz5HF1Vxq4yrvVsPPtFv3ADM4roJAKhyOOcQGf-EmFaz2DXbsWw-CvEwjQUa1h6dRqihubGMK079YR9bz3zdEq4p40iK0hpyKHMJJKxJj_MwjiZmnR68/s1600-h/baby4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGeJxughfrziGLCQTWWGVGEIwz5HF1Vxq4yrvVsPPtFv3ADM4roJAKhyOOcQGf-EmFaz2DXbsWw-CvEwjQUa1h6dRqihubGMK079YR9bz3zdEq4p40iK0hpyKHMJJKxJj_MwjiZmnR68/s400/baby4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332384418461551010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIRwg3yQtkyt2gWYZzlHK5gQkvnTrCJwznQ0qL5hIgsWbIYMuWTfsYUYZJKZsQ-Xds156tze534EuBuF86nrqVeJa_LNbeQBej-218yO47vPeoxaXJKP6QCeghk0UZ3kGwxs4iUO-Vog/s1600-h/baby3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIRwg3yQtkyt2gWYZzlHK5gQkvnTrCJwznQ0qL5hIgsWbIYMuWTfsYUYZJKZsQ-Xds156tze534EuBuF86nrqVeJa_LNbeQBej-218yO47vPeoxaXJKP6QCeghk0UZ3kGwxs4iUO-Vog/s400/baby3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332384417040812738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmnJEthw0_693KEkWebihe0Lk5uVYVVALjTowqDSuqU6hFp4z0M43kYXzOGybzops1Z5uwldfTYDWM2S37LImDNCsDjFirNIFuVs9VfGWIhca5ZKiAOi2DhzweIAIGk9X_s3c-WRi_g4/s1600-h/baby2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmnJEthw0_693KEkWebihe0Lk5uVYVVALjTowqDSuqU6hFp4z0M43kYXzOGybzops1Z5uwldfTYDWM2S37LImDNCsDjFirNIFuVs9VfGWIhca5ZKiAOi2DhzweIAIGk9X_s3c-WRi_g4/s400/baby2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332384412899286162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIO0wZ5eg-QbcGLsNFouXdu4UwI8bZUhsOjgGwFwJOv6AyNH_z27nLPjo75_-1ofKIbnB1WYhUSd-xRvUbYqTg41fAHhVkRqIRiIQBgK2i7YC1BN2sQAGlgVUC81u1RoHQ_khLStzDLs/s1600-h/baby1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIO0wZ5eg-QbcGLsNFouXdu4UwI8bZUhsOjgGwFwJOv6AyNH_z27nLPjo75_-1ofKIbnB1WYhUSd-xRvUbYqTg41fAHhVkRqIRiIQBgK2i7YC1BN2sQAGlgVUC81u1RoHQ_khLStzDLs/s400/baby1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332384409472562770" border="0" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-16173447266200829532009-04-25T10:02:00.000-07:002009-04-25T10:20:13.160-07:00ooo baby baby!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-oiC2tU6obOyERdoPN7AhT-Mp9D6FjzxWqcoBPYwiHOtNetfRemLiqw_PoGxiXbH9QS3lQT6jQPZfWFbdsdjSPQqV7vIxfAlwkbiQFWNGZVCgDiTBT7E9ZaeBEKAo_nmHkQ7llSDNXY/s1600-h/preggers!.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-oiC2tU6obOyERdoPN7AhT-Mp9D6FjzxWqcoBPYwiHOtNetfRemLiqw_PoGxiXbH9QS3lQT6jQPZfWFbdsdjSPQqV7vIxfAlwkbiQFWNGZVCgDiTBT7E9ZaeBEKAo_nmHkQ7llSDNXY/s400/preggers!.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328680052646946242" border="0" /></a><br />I can NOT believe how close I am to holding my baby in my arms rather than tightly between my hips and ribs! As I am sitting here now I can hardly focus due to the constant jolt of jabbing up into my ribcage!<br /><br />Me and my peoples have been incredibly busy wrapping up last minute projects, setting up the baby's room, and trying to take care of logistical details before Laith arrives. Claire and I worked hard to paint antique furniture for the room and it turned out SO WELL. I can't wait to post pictures for you to see.<br /><br />Claire even did a preggie-belly photo shoot for me which was actually quite fun. I only have one picture in my posession currently, but many more will be to come. We went to Mayfield Park which was densely populated with male peacocks, who seemed to be continually showing off for us. We got tons of pictures with peacocks...infact I think it would have proven difficult to get a picture WITHOUT one haha!<br /><br />Charlie and I are incredibly excited and we get more and more anxious with every day that passes! It is a funny experience to buy diapers..to look at them and know that in a couple weeks my baby's bottom will be in them. I have not enjoyed being pregnant for the most part, and I can't wait to see our child, but I believe I will really miss the way Charlie looks at me and kisses my belly every morning before he leaves me for work. There is no way to describe the way a father/husband looks to the mother/wife when she is pregnant. There is an air of mystery, pride, joy, and anticipation that makes me feel so loved and satisfied.<br /><br />My shower is tomorrow and I am looking forward to spending time with the people I love. My mother has been here since Wednesday working tirelessly on my house and helping me do things that I could not have done otherwise. My dad showed up last night at midnight and my sister will be here today. So much to be excited about!<br /><br />I officially quit working at Obee's this week due to me hitting a very definite wall. I just knew I couldn't do it anymore. The pressure in my back and pelvis is too great and I need to be able to lay down at any given point. I also just began writing news articles for a website (www.redorbit.com) and am slowly getting the hang of using my brain and not just making sandwiches.<br /><br />Okay, more to come!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-10990112944900003992009-04-07T17:23:00.000-07:002009-04-07T17:25:02.385-07:00Birthday and Belly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMei2KdQJ6-UKGM9UJehF3E9ZE8ohsThjAH6SeqkT_j5g2jDQ4VAIIACd340iGCd0ku7M-D8XNUA6SVfx-KvLX2-0AOyIo9taxHv21V_Zt-dKuEJ2cX5X1soEvIGbxM7VrOMW8cUpNw0/s1600-h/em5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMei2KdQJ6-UKGM9UJehF3E9ZE8ohsThjAH6SeqkT_j5g2jDQ4VAIIACd340iGCd0ku7M-D8XNUA6SVfx-KvLX2-0AOyIo9taxHv21V_Zt-dKuEJ2cX5X1soEvIGbxM7VrOMW8cUpNw0/s400/em5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322109837171263730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLroDWl-bLkhkGZ_vrqLDgyzSSTjvLZ9tUlZaHNH7zE_I3YnxENAVFll-FsDlc-9N2FGfBcVTCl-zxuaQF_EMdPwiPs3OYz4uZiFAgTT1Wl3znZG0k4s3U0VdmJ41TGfvjq_DpwvGCbfU/s1600-h/em4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLroDWl-bLkhkGZ_vrqLDgyzSSTjvLZ9tUlZaHNH7zE_I3YnxENAVFll-FsDlc-9N2FGfBcVTCl-zxuaQF_EMdPwiPs3OYz4uZiFAgTT1Wl3znZG0k4s3U0VdmJ41TGfvjq_DpwvGCbfU/s400/em4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322109833299032242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTECIDyQ7Kf-ITjHCOsypFvogn8UR2QDtCuvDrNFkroo8zH-G0OGYNcDq1Y4V6is-Tff6wiW0tAhWSOZcHFP2asjkAOrtS7HdhBQgk9yOVurliPf5cey8INo53cdys-6nXl9Kmv8a4KPQ/s1600-h/em3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTECIDyQ7Kf-ITjHCOsypFvogn8UR2QDtCuvDrNFkroo8zH-G0OGYNcDq1Y4V6is-Tff6wiW0tAhWSOZcHFP2asjkAOrtS7HdhBQgk9yOVurliPf5cey8INo53cdys-6nXl9Kmv8a4KPQ/s400/em3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322109829427635410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0kacg7t2qkJoGY7V5oKKbZQQa92tanu3ntwyzwvbFfF3MHhHtRTf54eKZ2x9dzbed1M6fHwVsng18WBHtJcNh7vI6SJb2EHmHsf0o7ieTn1jcvnq0fNL7zQH5RDNkMNsRttluYNHg6k/s1600-h/em2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0kacg7t2qkJoGY7V5oKKbZQQa92tanu3ntwyzwvbFfF3MHhHtRTf54eKZ2x9dzbed1M6fHwVsng18WBHtJcNh7vI6SJb2EHmHsf0o7ieTn1jcvnq0fNL7zQH5RDNkMNsRttluYNHg6k/s400/em2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322109828268875858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAQWP1AcWGIA69p29KfmOJEo2EC11d7v4yzZ0_AGYYQeg94QoykkhhhyQW5v8JXZJZMGZdnGTdVjZGAWjeCjNNPF00ju5AYLkP9bm2L749g18OFKSYatZpC9RPm0N-e_Z4YlTaY3rcGA/s1600-h/em1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAQWP1AcWGIA69p29KfmOJEo2EC11d7v4yzZ0_AGYYQeg94QoykkhhhyQW5v8JXZJZMGZdnGTdVjZGAWjeCjNNPF00ju5AYLkP9bm2L749g18OFKSYatZpC9RPm0N-e_Z4YlTaY3rcGA/s400/em1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322109826758742290" border="0" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-86051183745068458702009-04-07T16:46:00.001-07:002009-04-07T17:17:51.771-07:00I'm back!So sorry it has been so long since I have last blogged. I know all 3 of you are missing my baby blurbs, but my computer has been down at the house and I am now using Claire's to do this. Things are going pretty well lately. I am feeling decent and giving myself the permission to not push myself anymore or feel guilty about not being able to work 80hr weeks! I have to add that Charlie insists that I stay home or leave early, but I am stubborn and get really stressed when I think of him working hard and I'm resting.<br /><br />We really enjoyed having my brother here for what seemed to be a very brief 2 weeks. He and his Christine helped us out alot and my parents and sister came down to help us change the carpeting upstairs. This is something we would NEVER have gotten around to doing without them. We also got to see Nathan and Stephany who came down for several days to visit. They were with me as I celebrated my birthday for the 3rd time haha. Okay, so here is the update on MEEEEEEE.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My BODY:</span> I have been having a LOT of pressure in my pelvis area with the ever increasing weight of the baby. My body is really ready for this baby to get out. Laith has gotten big enough to where all of his movements are uncomfortable for me. When I slouch, I get a hard jab in the ribs. When I lay on my side, I feel like he is pushing out from both sides of my stomach! Sleeping has become something I only vaguely remember experiencing before. I am miserable at night, waking up all sweaty and hot - not to mention the terribly frequent trips to the bathroom and the increasingly sore hips and shoulders. My arms are always numb and weak feeling because of the carpal tunnel - so as you can imagine, I'm having loads of fun here. I keep thinking...if ONLY I could sleep well, I would feel GREAT. I also have resigned myself to the fact that I will never like my pregnant body. There is just simply nothing about it that I like...nothing. Except that there is a baby in there somewhere.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My MIND:</span> I have been stressing out about registering for the baby shower. There is no checklist detailed enough or friend knowledgable enough to make this process easy. I am CLUELESS when I look at baby stuff. I don't know what all these things are and I am too ashamed to ask most of the time! I mean, how can I know whether or not I will ever use any of this stuff? I am trying to swallow my pride and just ask people what the heck is a boppy or a bumbo or whatever those things are called.<br /><br />I am so scatter brained these days. One of the reasons work has become so difficult for me is the constant need to think/move quickly and talk to customers and juggle a million "to-dos" in my head whild delegating tasks to employees. I STUTTER...A LOT. Mostly people are so kind, but there are alot of mean people out there who don't care if you feel like a jackass. I get easily confused and there are people who will just look at me like I am so stupid. Ohhhhh wellll.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My EMOTIONS:</span> While I do not cry as frequently or as profusely as I have through the rest of my pregnancy, I still have a very very VERY low level of tolerance to extend to anyone. I have only a certain amount of niceness alotted to me each day and I have to be very careful how I ration it. There have been days where I simply had to go home because I ran out of it early and was apparently causing people to entertain thoughts of suicide. If it weren't for my husband making me laugh...we wouldn't have any employees anymore. We wouldn't have any customers either. I'm not sure my own mother would still love me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My MARRIAGE:</span> I have never appreciated my husband and our relationship more than I do now. Okay, I just got off the phone with him and I can't remember why I love him...I'll have to continue this later when I don't feel like kicking him in the face! haha<br /><br />Anyway here are some pictures...Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-12279292578883274472009-02-25T13:22:00.000-08:002009-02-25T13:39:23.670-08:00Silly Random Pix<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5PEulD0SlxxVBdcRcJgyBuPOTdO7CPugKjJg9XFVZblplFYNe0N9KWtoH51e9XOGdDAPyRLXL8ICvjfM7yqz2251waydYDjUEMw4CWev1pJnWSAFplwijUeL2Qh8TkPhdHX9h7emzrM/s1600-h/charlieprofile.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306852744904165186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5PEulD0SlxxVBdcRcJgyBuPOTdO7CPugKjJg9XFVZblplFYNe0N9KWtoH51e9XOGdDAPyRLXL8ICvjfM7yqz2251waydYDjUEMw4CWev1pJnWSAFplwijUeL2Qh8TkPhdHX9h7emzrM/s400/charlieprofile.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFde7BSu6SnLSEmuuCq45HbceYlp5VLbamPwf653MXxqv_VjcmY8U72HqyHarn_fXeGhVq3vmDSE-yqqqc6YKT4-jy0TCFBy-iwHRotECTDPk2ypSJpW_eIa9Yu5OwGWtNCHKmE34meR8/s1600-h/sillyus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306852576010841842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFde7BSu6SnLSEmuuCq45HbceYlp5VLbamPwf653MXxqv_VjcmY8U72HqyHarn_fXeGhVq3vmDSE-yqqqc6YKT4-jy0TCFBy-iwHRotECTDPk2ypSJpW_eIa9Yu5OwGWtNCHKmE34meR8/s400/sillyus.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMA39jkmvqaoMS9OSRiNVhwQd2wT-6mJU9sYN5D6vKfUBmm5D7qnuK1tOmvlYwyZT-b32GokSTrZBUeZBHUZwMz5DR5V9F8cF_z2yAaly9K5g4BSiECpEcdi4gSedgYE6fGR0KssHck8/s1600-h/6halfmonths.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306852574738925682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMA39jkmvqaoMS9OSRiNVhwQd2wT-6mJU9sYN5D6vKfUBmm5D7qnuK1tOmvlYwyZT-b32GokSTrZBUeZBHUZwMz5DR5V9F8cF_z2yAaly9K5g4BSiECpEcdi4gSedgYE6fGR0KssHck8/s400/6halfmonths.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDX__Sor4RUZrKLDQ5R-Azu9Zq9biV7Ri5ZpdYsHhtqN_ZGKgIS5KD1VnmCyGwLKgCtb7ZEp4eNJ1B0bVrRn7Y6eafSHQMxEqVLlJgom9M-r1OD4NYlkVkAV5FSjDhb0L2iQEOz8ujQg/s1600-h/coldEm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306852574511499778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDX__Sor4RUZrKLDQ5R-Azu9Zq9biV7Ri5ZpdYsHhtqN_ZGKgIS5KD1VnmCyGwLKgCtb7ZEp4eNJ1B0bVrRn7Y6eafSHQMxEqVLlJgom9M-r1OD4NYlkVkAV5FSjDhb0L2iQEOz8ujQg/s400/coldEm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-29369455036808564382009-02-25T07:58:00.000-08:002009-02-25T08:02:54.051-08:00coupons...much larger in real life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Rfvdsv443X_80jNHHyuCPZ__lDbdCU7jXcEeqEaL71DC31pfDjsSeiT9ek5wx2GmV9RNBOvEjZv7h7H2tPA7mqWRfeuXL1zuWAkas3X2bAHC3ETiUXbebG8vb9-cgY4vvjTXCbbeAZg/s1600-h/coupons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Rfvdsv443X_80jNHHyuCPZ__lDbdCU7jXcEeqEaL71DC31pfDjsSeiT9ek5wx2GmV9RNBOvEjZv7h7H2tPA7mqWRfeuXL1zuWAkas3X2bAHC3ETiUXbebG8vb9-cgY4vvjTXCbbeAZg/s400/coupons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306766099881351842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQu_NOEZF8Fzl_T_eWUJhZ8kvn9CKz-sBW-lopaGShyExAk2MFbPy-lUjoRkPnigG2g5rVUvdQROILxSy5-vA4N1WPsXrFY6WxA9XJRKk52wzQLZ14S1gWRJPlHXuTIxZrYwzi80lKh1o/s1600-h/coupons.jpg"> well, I tried. HEY why is this blue and underlined??? UGH I hate computers....<br /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-56019060576924345852009-02-19T13:52:00.001-08:002009-02-19T14:27:35.685-08:00Intro to 3rd Trimester!!!Yes, that's right - it's official, I am in my 3rd trimester. I know it's just one day closer than I was yesterday...but mentally it's a huge step. I feel the clouds parting and a glimmer of hope trickling through. Huge sigh of relief in saying goodbye to 1st and 2nd!!! We have officially named our son Layth...we only now have to agree on the spelling of it. We don't know if it should be Layth or Laith. Let me know what you think...all of you 3 people who read my blog -haha. It means "lion" and my dad has taken up calling him the "lion of Lebanon". It's an old arabic name that is rarely used anymore. I like it.<br /><br />A couple I know is just days away from delivering their baby girl and I couldn't be more excited. I am living vicariously through them...imagining that these 2 wks are my last of feeling this way. I am so excited for them. I remember when they first told me they are pregnant - it feels like it could have been last week!! Little did I know when I was bemoaning my non-impregnation that I was probably already pregnant! I hope these last 3 months go by as quickly. I can see how a woman may miss the child being inside her. It is a constant comfort that your baby is in a safe place. I still am kinda freaked out when I think how well babies turn out generally and we have little to no conrol over their daily growth. I think the biggest issue I have had to overcome is accepting that I have virtually no control over anything in my life. I have hardly felt such a loss of control in my life - over my body, my behavior, my feelings etc. Interesting hmm.<br /><br />One last thing having nothing to do with baby. I get excited about the little things in life....mostly novelties. My friend Claire has mad skills. She's the one who put together the design/design board for my baby's room and has navigated through the internet finding fabric and all kinds of things that I really have no skill for. Anyway, she made some coupons for Obee's since this month has been the slowest possibly EVER. They are pretty cool, and since I just figured out how to post stuff like that, I'm gonna show ya! THANK YOU CLAIRE!!!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252900789738581702.post-65494809138515410202009-02-07T15:37:00.001-08:002009-02-07T15:38:15.264-08:00Room Ideas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlshp9gzFDQrcZYJrSE6-yOTvRmkISijEmrt8oE4zv-neuKyUOutr3h24I6f3wbHLwn3k2P_z5-6S5eOs4DznMSUXp4ifWO17p-Z0PcJeDxb1JTeVVPMeB_1xoD_tfUkKdVVEfDVFcFc/s1600-h/ChigsRoom_copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300203886399988802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlshp9gzFDQrcZYJrSE6-yOTvRmkISijEmrt8oE4zv-neuKyUOutr3h24I6f3wbHLwn3k2P_z5-6S5eOs4DznMSUXp4ifWO17p-Z0PcJeDxb1JTeVVPMeB_1xoD_tfUkKdVVEfDVFcFc/s400/ChigsRoom_copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06874071005404016444noreply@blogger.com0