The Walker and Chloe

Well since I dont keep an up to date journal or have time to write things out it only comes to the conclusion of "blogging" about Chloe and her walker.

We had the walker originally for Mark then it has been passed down to her. Mark was not very good with it . He could push himself with one foot but only moved because he thought he was going to "bounce" . In other words he sucked at it . It was ok though because he was walking at 8 months so he kinda skipped it. Anyways , Chloe now at 5 months is a little speed demon. At first she only pushed herself forward. Not really knowing how to control what she was doing. To her it was just being put somewhere so Mama could get some dishes done. Slowly I noticed that she was "walking" in it . I let her go up and down our alley kitchen. Then last week I saw her lean forward and put some effort into it and was running ( as fast as a baby can run) down the kitchen. I stood there amazed, in my apron and dish washing gloves. I always encourage her and she gets more excited and picks up a little speed. I can see how she is trying to figure out how to turn. Our kitchen is small but one moment she will be stuck on the end of the kitchen , then the next she is bumped into my feet. There are times that she gets stuck trying to get out of the kitchen. She starts her whimpering/crying but Im usually trying to finish the dishes. This is where Mark comes in and tries to "help" her. With helping her he almost tips her over , with her feet off the ground she is still trying to push herself forward , till I catch them and scream " BECAREFUL. Which Mark then drops her says " uh oh!" and then runs off , leaving her looking over her shoulder at me with either a tearful face or she is laughing.

There are also times that I put her in the hallway so I can put laundry away in the rooms and Mark just pushes her up and down the hallway. Sometimes I think she likes it , others I think she gets mad because she wants to walk by herself.

With all this I think my child is a genius. Or she is just getting older and its inevitable that she will advance. It may be more of a shock that she is just doing things Mark never did or cared to do. She is my lil pumpkin burrito. I will have to catch her on video and post.

Sense and Sensibility

About a month. With kids and boredom , it took me about a month just to get half way through Sense and Sensibility. But as with all Jane Austen books Ive read so far they dont seem to pick up till half way through. Then you are sucked into the scandal and soap opera like story. Last night I picked up the book determined to finish it just so I could buy Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Right as I started I was finally sucked in and about an hour and a half later I was done. Now the ending did seem extremely rushed , I had to read a page twice because in the matter of half a page the whole thing changed! Ahhh, if youve read the book , its when Edward goes to Elinors cottage in Barton with only one thing on his mind , to propose. Just the page before it you were lead to believe he married the lil hussy Lucy , but she ran off with his brother. AHH! Do you see how it seems like a soap opera? At times like this I am just amazed and in awe of the literary mind of Jane Austen in the 1800 ( or 1700's) I definitly see how it is a classic. Just as with Jane Eyre , you have to read that one to believe it.

Well since I have a book shelf of a couple of classics still left to be finished I will start with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland untill my Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters comes in the mail.

Please try and read the book! I now hope that the movie is as great as the new Pride and Prejudice. I did leave it in New Orleans and its driving me crazy.

With Sleepless in Seattle going on in the background it may be a little hard to start this book.

One more thing , I do not have the copy of the book with the cover that is above.... that cover is just ... Im sorry to say the women are lil .... well not very attractive.

I Love My Family

"i like seeing pictures of u and ur family :)"

Reading that post made me smile. Because I like seeing pictures of my family as well.

Looking back at some of the pictures you only see the good times that happened that day. Yes, there may have been a lot of walking involved. Or the kids were acting crazy , or my blood sugar was so low that the Hulk emerged but with all the crap that really went down, all I remember is the time that I had with my little family.

Run Away Mom

I found this .... check it out . Run Away Mom

Long Lost....

Oh my long lost love of a blog how Ive missed you!

So long , but that is always the case with my blogs. Months since my last post and I dont know where to begin.

Im sitting here at nearly 11pm on a Monday night. Exhausted... in pain.... starving , but Im always starving. Ive spent most of the day in bed , not wanting to move and hoping the kids would nap all day. A half marathon will do that to you , I dont even want to imagine what a full marthon will do.

There is one thing that happened yesterday as I was running... first off once the pain started kicking in I was getting extremely emotional. I missed the kids so much. I kept magically hoping that my mom would be on the side of the road with the kids , I would pull my butt over and give them big hugs. I saw a couple of women stop and give the hubby and kids a kiss. Mark was with me though and that made me so happy. I really was thrilled to have him there with me to run my first half marathon.

Another thing... all the Team in Training women .... well reading who they were running for on the back of their shirts , well it was depressing. It really made me come to realize all the the men and women out there that are battling cancer. I took it the the heart , and teared up . Also I got a big bang to the heart when I was running behind a group of sisters that were running in memory of their dad. I shed a tear , and really wanted to say " I love you too Dad!" . Even though I was only beside , behind and in front of these supporters I felt as though I was with them, because I was being emotional and also because I felt as though I was being sucked into the purple... it was ALOT OF PURPLE.

Well thats my tid bit on that. Other things I thought of were ; having to pee, pain in groin , pain in calf , having to pee again, poundage on the knees , where the heck are the bathrooms! , give me that gatorade, where are the gu's!? , this hill is forever long , to bad I cant see the bridge, I can so make this without stopping , thank God Mark is here , this is alot of purple , tons of Canadians, I love this pace , this person is to slow, didnt I pass her at mile 5?, I miss chloe & Mark , I wonder what the kids are doing , I think its cold outside because I can see my breathe but Im pretty warm , love this song , again Im loving this pace, I dont think Mark believes me about the pain , how do people push through 26 miles?, I love this race , really great route , wish I could run this everyday ..... well it goes on and on. For almost 3 hours of running you can think about alot

The Heberts New Blog

"Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others...By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves." — Gordon B. Hinckley

So I think I complain to much. This blog of mine , well I complain alot cause I have been uncomfortable. Then I thought this blog is a little selfish.

My family needed something just for them , friends that visit this site dont need to come and read my meanderings (sp check). So please check out my family blog.

If you like to read this one , continue to follow. It will be just me here. LoL.

Plus my family blog has a links on the side for mine and Marks running log. Please check out Marks running blog he would love the encouragement from EVERYONE!

http://thea-bears.blogspot.com

You guys are so cute. I love you.

Remember

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little moreand thegetting it done a little less”

I was just reading a blogger , who quoted this. This leads me to wanting to capture more memories by writing them down. Mark is only 15 months old and there are so many things I dont remember. I wish I could remember so much. Because we I do randomly remember things , its the greatest feeling. I have been terrible with jotting down all of Marks firsts. Just yesterday I remembered and brought up to the hubby about Marks first favorite toy , it was a green hanger. I used to think that people would thing I was crazy letting my baby play with this plastic hanger , but he loved it. He wouldnt play with anything else. I cant even find a picture with the hanger , again probaly because I didnt want anyone thinking I was a bad mom.

Now this picture I love. It was the beginning of November and Mark was 6 going on 7 months old. I was doing something in my bedroom and put Mark on the floor , he then crawled out of my room across to the room my sister was staying in and found her "journal" she had tryed to start on computer paper next to the door. As you can see he had a field day with it and it was everywhere. I remember walking out of my room and saying "uh oh!" and he thought it was soooo funny. Camera moment. Im so happy to have this picture , it makes me laugh. He was such a cutie pie, and so curious getting in to everything.

So try to take the time to sit down and remember and record. Or blog , so one day you can be sitting there and can look back at older blogs and remember.

I can never think of a title....

I just came across this picture and found it hilarious. I dont remember anyone (other than my mother in law) telling me about the pain. BUT I am the person that will tell you it is painful. There is no need to sugarcoat it. Or else you leave that poor women thinking everything will be ok. I didnt know how painful it was going to be untill 3 hours before Bubba came into the world. The women in the room next to me was SCREAMING, I made Mark stick his head out the door to be nosy , then I got really scared . I think maybe at that time I might have shed a tear or two because I had no idea what was waiting for me.

The second one is how I feel everytime someone asks how Im doing. "Fine" ? No , not really. We all get past that point of "fine" or some of us are VERY blessed and really can be "fine" untill they have the baby. I just had a lady at the commisary yesterday asking about my entire life. What makes women ask certain questions to strangers?

Well to catch up on the past 1 or 2 weeks ( dont really know or care at the moment). Last Saturday Mark ran the Henry Coe 10k over in Morgan Hill, he came in first for his age group. They actually had medals this time. It was great to get out and be there as support/cameraman for him. Though while Mark was running I hid with the baby in the truck. We were in a dirt parking lot and it was not fun trying to chase him around plus dealing with super dirty man. Bubba had a good time in the truck though , playing with his cars and staring at the steering wheel as though he might be able to drive away.

Last Friday I had my 34 week check , I was supposed to post the day after about it but... yeah no time. Well maybe not "no time" but I forgot. Thats my life. All was smooth and the doctor said my tummy is measuring a week ahead. So Chloe can come into this world sometime before the 23rd? Who knows. I dont really mind when , Im really expecting and preparing for ANY time. Im 35 weeks now , but IF the measuring is correct that must mean 36 weeks? 4 more weeks! It really has gone by so fast being busy with Bubba.

This past week , not much as happened. Mark had a final and started vacation! We arent doing anything but preparing/organizing to move. Though alot of people I know and around us are all off to vacation. Its a little sad, it would have been nice to do something. I just remember its not that we didnt want to , its just that I cant fly pregnant. I think we will have a good time checking out parts of Monterey we havent checked out yet. I have 2 weeks of Mark being home and I really dont know what to do with him . So far, we have completed the garage and backyard. Tomorrow is Sunday , which leaves us chasing Mark around church for 3 hours then Monday we pack the kitchen.

Again so many more things happen , or Bubba does something so cute or funny but I never remember and never post. Quite sad , because I want to remember all memories forever. AH! Just remembered. This past Thursday one of Marks classmates had a lil get together. It was a GREAT time. Bubba had a blast , there were so many kids there. Though only the only one close to him in age was 2 1/2, but he loved it. He kept giving everyone hugs. He seems to do that when he is really happy and having a good time. It just made me so happy to him that way. Even some of the kids looked at him like he was weird , not knowing how to react to this baby hugging them. I got to know the wifes better , and they are awesome. It was just an all around good time with good food. There have been times with get togethers ( not here) when things can be awkward. But everything went along so smoothly. Cant wait to have another one. Its great for us to all get out and we can all socialize. Also the fact that it was kid friendly and Mark could run around made the evening much more relaxing. I did bring the camera ( it was Bubbas last swim class that night as well) but took no pictures. :( I do have pictures of my men in the pool though , they will come soon.

Another 2 weeks

Another 2 weeks has gone by. There have been blog worthy times , but by the time we get home it has passed my mind.

Bubba started swim classes this week here at the Monterey Sports Complex. He is having a great time , crying everytime class is over and they get out of the pool :( . I have only taken one photo with the camera , which came out pretty bad since I was so far away. Then Mark waved me over and I took pictures with my phone , which I dont know how to get the pictures from the phone to my computer. I will sneak up next week and take photos with the camera. On Monday I had met up with a playgroup from church. Which in my mind was terrible, only because it was a big kid park and Mark wanted to play on the play structure , which was far to dangerous , which I kept hitting my big ole belly on things and wiping kids out. Just pulling up to the park I was saying to myself this is not going to be good. Had a mini breakdown on the way home , just cant stand not being able to take Mark out and do things . All was well when that night he had his first lesson. Mark goes into the pool with him , and wow was he happy. I was sitting in the stands with tears in my eyes the whole time . Pathetic? I dont know. When you spend the whole day feeling as though you are a bad mom for not being able to physically do something for your child and you see his frustration of not being able to play , then to see and hear him screaming out it in joy... well it was a great thing.

Im just sitting here thinking to myself " What the heck happened last week?!?" . Its frustrating to sit here and not be able to think of a thing! Maybe when I remember and can pick Marks brain I shall post it .... I think Mark hit a milestone of some sort.... I should write these things down , but then I think I will remember!

Yesterday Mark was promoted to Lieutenant! He doesnt make a big deal about it , but maybe he should have? We did celebrate by going to our favorite restaurant here in Monterey, Islands! Yeah , its a chain but its the best of anything we have come across here.

The ceremony was quick . Mark just had to sign official paperwork then they took us outside and the Captain of the school swore Mark in to another 3 years of Navy life ! YaY! Then I got to "pin" him . Didnt actualy get to pin because he wore his whites , but I changed his shoulder boards out.

Marks buddies from class made it and of course the little one and I were there. Mark actually had to carry Bubba while being sworn in because he didnt want to be put down and was screaming bloody murder.

Im very proud of Mark though. I know he doesnt look at this as such a big deal , but Im proud of what he does and how he does it.

Mark has a 10k this weekend that we are looking forward to going to. Well I am excited for Mark , but Bubba might be a handful to chase around.... because I have no clue where this race is located. Wish Mark luck , I think he is hoping to place in his age group in this race. Then Im not sure if he said he wasnt "racing" he was just going to "run". Yeah right. Once he gets out there and there are other people running I know he will race , even though he has been to busy to train the past 2 weeks.

Also tomorrow is my 34 week checkup. I not looking forward to it . Only because right before I started this blog entry I got settled into bed thinking that I would get to sleep in and I had nothing to worry about doing tomorrow... then I was rereading last blog entry and realized that I had an appt tomorrow. I will update tomorrow along with a pregnant shot of the tummy.

The Past

While going through photos with my mother one weekend , we came across an old negative of my grandparents. We had come across some older polaroids of them but everything was very blurry. On Friday I went to a local photo shop to see if they could develop the negative. This is what I got... I was breathless first seeing it. Its such a great picture of the both of them. Its the greatest feeling to have something tangible from your past. I know some families have so much to look back on , this picture and a handful many are all I have. At least I can say I have something.

San Fran Air and Checkup

Last night we went up to San Francisco airport to meet up with Nena ( Marks Mom) from Singapore. It was a good short visit , most of the time we were running around the airport. We had a little dinner , and that was about it . While waiting for her flight to get Bubba was all over that place. Even having a flight attendant tell how adorable and a flirt my son is. Thanks. I know.

We were able to see Marks mom and Unlce Jose. Bubba didnt seem that shy and acted pretty goofy for his Grandmother. I took no pictures.

Well I took 2 , and they were only from the airtran ride into the terminal when we first got there. It is ok though , she will be here to visit in a couple of months and many more pictures will be taken. Along with just visiting Nena in the airport, Mark was able to take a suitcase of " treasures" off her hands. I bag full of Polo shirts. I was very surprised and thankful to see a handful for both Bubba and I! Of course it will be a while before both of us can wear them , but they are great. Also the purses... I love. When we went to put them in the car I was scared someone would break the window trying to get in thinking they hit the jackpot of LV/Gucci/Coach purses. The time we spent was great. The ride there and back were not so cool. Well getting there I didnt think much of it , but getting home late.... well no one told me that crap is far! LOL , so is San Jose Airport which is not far from San Francisco. I know now that I would rather fly into Monterey straight away then have to make the trip out there. Not a pretty trip. We are home and safe though , and mentally survived.

Today I had a 32 week checkup. The doctor did an ultrasound, we really didnt see much. She is just getting to big... and so am I. It is always great and reassuring to here that everything looks great. We did get a bit of a side shot , and I will be the first to say she has a round nose. Marks nose was pointy , and hers is well round. The thing that drives me crazy the most is I have no clue what she will look like! I can only imagine, but there are so many different outcomes. The doctor recorded the 2 min ultrasound on VHS , yes, VHS. I didnt know they made those anymore.

" Alone Time "

Most of the time when he does leave I sit there and stare into space for about 10 min , then the cleaning begins.

So much in the past 2 weeks has happened. First Mark got a stock car bed , so cool , he loves it , c'mon its a giant toy. We had him sleeping in it , THEN he got sick and was stuck with us , and still has been stuck with us due to clingy issues coming up since the sickness. Yes I think I posted before that we had been staying inside due to some sickness going around , we stayed away from people but it still found my lil baby.

Then this past Memorial Day weekend my mom and brother came up to visit. Highlight of the weekend was Saturday morning we went to the Mushroom Mardi Gras Festival in Morgan Hill.

Mark ran the 5k and won for his age group! Im so proud of him , he didnt act that excited , but it was all over his face when they announced his name. He was given a little pin , which I know he was a little dissapointed there , he would have liked a medal Im sure.

At the festival there wasnt much but food. They did have a petting zoo though. I would have loved to have taken Bubba in myself but Im allergic to everything there was to pet. So Mark took him in , the whole time Mark was saving the animals from Bubba hitting,choking, kicking them. It was very sad and funny at the same time.

Other then these main things that have come up , nothing new and exciting has happening. It has been a fast and slow 2 weeks, the slow part was Mark being sick. We stayed in bed with him all weekend.

Tomorrow night we drive up to San Francisco to meet up with Marks mom ( and Uncle Jose )who is flying in from Singapore. Dont know where we are going to have dinner , but its going to be great to see her .

Found some....

Mark brought me a memory card from one of our cameras we dont really use anymore. First photo is from May 2008 at the Japanese Kitty Hawk Farewell. Took me all day to find a dress that fit! Its not easy trying to find a "big" size dress in Japan. Very little people.

The second picture is just something random of my sister and I from October 2008.

First Video!

The day after Thanksgiving Mark and I went out for the sales. One of our purchases was a little camcorder from radioshack. Now 6 months later here I am finally installed the program and have downloaded the clips from the camera. Here is a clip after we bought the camera . I had bought this headbed for the 100 yen storein Japan. He is just a little cutie pie. Mark is 8 months old. We are in our small but cozy apartment in Silverdale , Washington. Im the cameraman ( of course) , there is also my sister Vicki and Lil Miss Gidget. Of course the Marks are the stars.

I didnt really know you could upload videos. Thank you to Susan for letting me be a stalker to your blog and making get off my butt to get this done. Marks parents in Indonesia will enjoy wathcing some clips now and then!

Hidden Treasures

Today I set up my hotmail account in a Windows live program that works like Outlook Express ( dont know if computers come with that program anymore). This program has helped me delete emails so much easier. Well I was working on emails most recent and decided to go and start from the beginning. To begin with I pretty much keep all emails, I dont know why I just dont delete them right away after I have read them. When I first got my hotmail account was right before we moved to Japan. The first 20 or so have been between Mark and I . I sit here reading them in amazement.

Here is some info to help understand. Mark and I have only been married a couple of months when we moved to Japan. We were in Jacksonville, and to say goodbye to everyone ( and to store Marks truck with his Grandparents) we decided to drive into LA , then have Marks Grandfather drive us into Houston ,TX to visit his sister. Well after we were all packed out Me , Mark and Gidget loaded into the truck to make our first stop to Pensacola, FL. Stationed in Pensacola at the time was Marks college roommate Auggie. I got to meet him along with his wife and handsome 5 month old baby boy Diego. What I remember from staying there was that Gidget tinkled on their couch because she got overexcited , and that sleeping on the floor wasnt as easy as it used to be. We also found out that Vanessa was expecting. I was so happy for them , and after seeing the baby wanted a baby of our own. Sitting there on their couch after they told us I turned to Mark and said "Baby, I want a baby." Marks reply " When God thinks were ready , then we'll have one."

( Mark and I goofing off as we are preparing for our roadtrip to Lafayette. Isnt that moustache ugly ?)

From there we went straight into Houma , Louisiana. We had planned only spend one night , but Paw Paw ( Marks Grandfather) had other plans.

( Aunt Nicole and Dave )

Ended up making a day trip to meet Marks rock star Aunt Nicole in Lafeyette, and I was able to meet her family. There were all so nice , and I remember thinking that Nicole was just way to cool of a person , like she could be in her late 20s. After spending the day there we made our way back into Houma. Before we got back though we stopped at one of the many casinos. Now Paw Paw makes this the thing to do and we had to stop. It was my first time in a casino.

( First time ever on a slot machine . Once we took the picture we were informed that it is illegal to take photos in the casino. I felt so sneaky.)

It was nice to have that experience but I dont think I would do it again. First I dont like losing money , second that place was FILLED with smoke! I seriously felt like I was going to die. Along with having an asthma attack , I wasnt feeling very good. Just before we left Jacksonville I felt as though I had the flu and could do nothing to feel better about it.

( I remember exactly how was feeling when Mark took this picture. BLOATED. I thought the Gumbo we had gotten from the casino had been bad. Turns out that I was just pregnant. Im wearing Marks shirt cause everything on mine seem so tight and I couldnt button my pants. I have no shame , lol)

Along with leaving Houma , we left Gidget behind with Marks Grandparents. Since Mark was filling in a hot fill billet we did not have the time to get all of her paperwork to have her shipped to Japan. She was left in amazing hands , and now still walks around the house like she is a little princess. Her attitude of being the only child is getting old.

Paw Paw drove us into Houston ,TX. We stayed with Marks sister and her Hubby Justin. They of course know how to have a good time.

We went out to eat , but also during the day .... well I dont remember. This is what I remember. I remember feeling like crap and realized that I was 8 days late... Mark had left me behind to go to the DMV to renew his license. I was bored and anxious so I took a run to a Walgreens I had seen down the street. I took 2 tests and yep I was pregnant. I cried and prayed , thanking God for such a blessing.

Then I told the Simon the cat. He was the only one there! Then Marks sister Ev called and I told her. Then I called my mom... Or did I wait till I told Mark ... I dont remember. Well I took a shower , while I was in the shower Mark came home, he came in and scared me and I pointed to the sink were the EPT were. He just stared at them , and I swear he was reading the directions to make sure he was understanding what he saw. " Great!" thats all he said , he was in a state of shock. He was very happy though.

We went straight to Barnes and Noble and bought a pregnancy book. Then had ourselves a mini celebration between the 2 of us at Cheesecake Factory. I got the first taste of my hate of food while pregnant while we were there. I remembered thinking that the Ceasar Salad was disgusting.

Then we fly out of Houston to Japan!

So you see all the excitment that happened just before we left?

Once we get to Tokyo we take the DOD bus into Yokosuka Naval Base. We stayed a night in a certain officers hotel , then got to check into the WONDERFUL NAVY LODGE ( it was terrible). First thing we found out about Japan is that it is just as hot and humid as Florida. Totally was not expecting that , then the A/C didnt work , and they were out of fans! We laid there , not even touching. So hot. Then the smell of Japan was making me so sick. Being pregnant ( at least in the first trimester) can do something else to your sense of smell. Then 3 days there , they fly Mark off to meet the ship. I dont see here for a month and a half.

I pulled through and was able to get us an apartment and a car. So back to the emails. They are full of all the emotions of both me being alone in Japan , to Marks emotions on being on a carrier. I find them funny now , but not so funny at the time they were sent. But also the love and support we expressed to each other, well it could make me cry.

My Child

Ah , My Child.

He is something else. Sometimes I think he is a monster at other times I think he is an angel. Most of the time though I think he is a monster. My husband has stated before that Mark is just like Stitch from the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch. I swear Mark even speaks the same alien language that Stitch does.

Lately Mark has been a monkey though. Not as bad as Curious George. Side note : I strongly dislike George. We still watch it everyday but he gives me chest pains to all the bad things he does. Just this morning I was watching him and he buried all of the Man with the yellow hat things because he thought they would grow like a seed. Once I would like the Man in the yellow hat to just throw in him in a cage where he should be kept while he is out of the house.

Back to Mark being like a Monkey. Well he is climbing the impossible and getting to the very top of the sofa and attempting to just walk off the top. He looks like a little pirate walking the plank, except he doesnt splash into water , he crashes into the floor. Just as a monkey he uses his fingers and toes to grip to whatever can to climb on. It really is quite frightening . I believe he was enjoying the look of agrivation/ terror I would give him when I would catch him. I now ignore him , but in the corner of my eye watch that he doesnt hurt himself. Some examples of things he climbs are ; entertainment center, stairs, stools, high chair , sofa, dining table , side of our king size bed, the moveable ottoman (which makes him look like he is surfing), coffee table .... I should just stop . He trys to climb everything and accomplishes most. Right now I am watching him climb up and down the stairs. We do have a gate that sits at the bottom but its not secure and he just knocks it down.

Now only 9:45 am and Im ready for naptime.

Mark is a little angel though. Not right now as he just runs up to me to let out a high pitch scream then runs after Gidget to try and take her ball from her. I couldnt be happier though , Mark is a happy little man and that just tops me off. There are times when he is just so happy and runs up to me to throw his arms around my neck to give me a hug. I just melt. Every morning he wakes up with a huge goofy smile laughing at me. Even at times when he is doing something bad/dangerous I cant help but smile because I know he is so happy. He is just a little boy. Every day he is more and more like his Dad. I dont know how to explain that one , but its the looks they give me. Like when they both know they are in trouble , or when they are laughing. Even though Big Mark has almost black hair , brown eyes, and tanned skin . With Bubba , light skin , light brown hair and blue eyes , they look exactly the same.

I just also want you to know at 13 months what are his favorite things; Trucks, cars ,books (with cars or trucks), strawberries, sticks, dirt, balls, making a mess, running away from you , slides, tools that make noise. Favorite tv shows : Super Why , and Sid the Science Kid. Favorite movie ; Muppets from Space. Favorite stuffed animal ; a soft monkey. Favorite blanket; brown fuzzy blanket. Favorite drink ; water ( hes not big on juice). One of his most favorite things is an ABC song from the tv show Super Why. Every night we listen to it . I have it on my favorites from youtube. Now he loves and I mean LOVES this ABC song , so when he hears people singing the ABCs the original way he looks at them really weird as if to say " Your totally singing it wrong, please fix it". Here is the video for it. It really is the cutest thing.

Pardonable Lies

Monday I sat around and stared into space. In to much bodily pain to do a single thing , including cleaning up from the boys being left alone all weekend. After an hour of watching Bubba run back and forth I remember of my book sitting next to my bed that I hadnt finished ,it was lonely all weekend.

Again , I really enjoy these books and have already started another one. Whais driving me crazy is this women not wanting to settle down. She doesnt have to quit her job but ... ARR! I know there are women out there that are totally independent and have no want of being in any way tied down. Do they not get lonely? Do they not want a family? Does it make them selfish ? I dont know the answers but for Maisie Dobbs, well she is driving me crazy.

First White Hair

Sunday morning I get up and get ready for another long day of lecture. I roll ( well I can really roll but I grunt) out of bed and walk to the bathroom . While brushing my teeth I think I see something in my hair. Not untill Im trying to something with my hair do I realize that there is a white hair up in front! Im 23 , is this supposed to happen now. I yelped for Mark to come into the bathroom to see what montrocity I have found . How do I feel about it? To be completely honest I dont know. I blame husband for stress,LOL. He then points to the little one blaming him. I kinda of feel grown up , then at the same time I feel as though there is no going back to once was, whatever that is.

This picture is terrible , you cant really see it , its out of focus but my husband for some reason could not take a better photo. But I know its there.

The only real down fall is that now I HAVE to dye my hair. I have been dying it black for the past 4 years, this last time I dyed it the black didnt stick and only gave me a darker brown. At first I thought it was just the hormones in my body from being pregnant that was not allowing the color to stick. Now I know that my hair is just now to old and doesnt have the strength to be young and vibrant with black hair. Lol , Who knows. My husband cant believe Im posting this online , but as I have said before the is my sudo journal and this is a turning point in my life that has to be documented . So my children can look back and ask me when I started turning gray or white and I can say early 20's , so watch out !

P.S I would like to state that Mark has at least 5 white hairs growing on both sides of his head. Compared to him my one hair is gray. His hairs are the whitest things I have ever seen. He also blames me for them , telling me that they were not there till after we were married. Whatever, at least when he looks in the mirror he cant forget me.

Stroller Strides Training Seminar

Went to my first "seminar" this weekend. Did I enjoy it ? Yes. 2 days later though I am still recovering.

The training was to become a Stoller Strides and Fit4Baby instructor. We went over some great topics , and worked out butts off. Maybe it was just me but I know we were all feeling it. There was lecturing and there was constant examples of excercises that we did ALL day.

My favorite part of the whole experience was getting to know some of the women I workout with on nearly a daily basis. There was no children and it was just US all day , so you really get to see a different side of each other. Also meeting all the women that came from surrounding areas. To see that there are so many women like you that want to make a difference in other mothers lives through fitness.

The whole experience was uplifting. It wasnt a "pep" talk , but you just learn so much through hearing other peoples stories and to hear how and what Stroller Strides in achieving.

The first picture is with Faral and Jamie . Faral ( the tall one) is the Fitness director and she was our lecturer. Jamie owns the local franchise and is my stroller strides instuctor. The second picture of course if of the group. I made sure to do a side shot of myself for all those that want to see my massive belly.

Looking Forward to the Weekend

Started the day off early today . We did get to sleep in till 730 but not long afterwards we were eating breakfast and getting ready to get out the door. This morning stroller strides met up in Salinas for a "master class". The regional director ( Im not sure of her official name) came up from San Diego ( where stroller strides originates) to teach the Friday class along with doing the training seminar this weekend. This lady was AWESOME! Total and I mean TOTAL body workout in an hour. She covered everything and it felt like there was just no slowing down. I usually dont drink water after ( I know I should) but this time I just happened to have a water bottle with me and inhaled it when we were done. I was just so impressed. I guess they just have to be awesome to inspire you to get through the seminar!

The class was running a tad late and I had to miss out on the last of the stretching. I was in a rush to get back to the housing office to meet up with the hubby to go and look at one of the older homes. We currently live in home built about 3 years ago and is 1722 square feet. The house we went to look at was built in 1952 ( or somewhere around there) and is 1024 square feet. I deep down inside fell in love with it. Looking at the outside of the house ... well it is nothing to look at but inside was just perfect for us. One story , hardwood floors , and just enough storage space. That is the perfect place for us. Here in the home we live now is just to big. Unused space and nothing feels cozy. So now all we wait for is a intercommunity approval to move. Im already so ready to move out , with only living here about 5 months.

After checking out the house Mark went off to school for a Calculus class and then Bubba and I headed home. Im not sure what Bubba and I do when we get back but it seems to go by pretty quick. All that gets done is feeding him and then making sure he doesnt kill himself as he runs around with Gidget playing with his toys. Then 1:30 and we take a nap.

Only an hour into the nap Mark gets home from his test. He was to say in the least not a happy camper. I had to get a mouthful on how he somehow messed up his test , and it was coming across to have been my fault. ( now the only reason I bring this up is because I was talking to his mom today and she said type everything out , because its something to look back on, so here I am). We get into a tiff and I put down my point how it should in no way be my fault that he messed up on a question , then he states he wasnt trying to say it was my fault.... Then I dont know what happened . He walks out of the room , I get on Facebook because he has woken me from my sleep and then 10 min later he walks into the room with puppy dog eyes as if nothing had happened. While Im sitting there not even enjoying my stalker time because Im fuming. Now that I realize it I think all day has been like this. I think it might have been me now . Can I somehow being overewhelmed with hormones that I want any reason to get mad? I will say this though , he started everything . I dont get mad for no reason . It ends quickly because he always comes back with puppy dog eyes acting as though nothing has happened. That is how he says "sorry". Men.

The rest of the day ends is cleaning and chicken enchiladas for dinner. Along with a side of Golden Girls.

We also online chatted with Marks parents, which can always turn out to be a very interesting conversation.

Tomorrow Im up way to early to get to this seminar . I have a packet to look over but really cant soak anything into my brain tonight. Its just not happening. What has been my overall thought of the day? I really dont know . It was kind of a weird day with so much happening in the morning but then come afternoon felt as though nothing was done all day. I did find out that I can walk to Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. Its in 2 weeks , can I walk 7 miles 30 weeks pregnant? I really dont know , but I think Im going to try. Wish me luck or let me know if Im crazy , but it would be a big accomplishment in my eyes.

I wish I had some thoughtful advice to give or a funny story . Im sure something funny worth mentioning has happened today but I just cant remember , so it cant be that funny huh?

Ill post pictures tomorrow of the seminar , thats if I remember.

Left the House

We made it out of the house today. Went to stroller strides then let Bubba run around the playground like the wildman that he is.

So this is what came up... " So you ARE pregnant!" " I was never sure if you were pregnant or not" " I havent seen you for a week, and now I can definitly see a bump ".

All these things being thrown at me at the time I just smiled and said "yep". As Im cleaning my bedroom today and thinking to myself it hits me . What do I look like a blimp now? How much of a difference can there be? Not that I havent felt the difference in the past week. I can barely walk up the stairs without contractions.

Thinking of everyones comments makes me laugh though. They probaly have thought to themselves the last few months Ive known them that I was chubby around the middle with the previous weight I hadnt lost from having Mark. That was probaly the biggest reason they didnt think I was pregnant , because Bubba is so young. He is only 13 months and there will be only 15 months inbetween the kids. WOW.

So many times last week I looked in the mirror and would turn to Mark ( husband ) and say " Baby , do you notice me getting bigger? I feel so much bigger." His reply is always the same " You look the same as you did last week". Why cant we ever get an honest opinion out of them ? I know why. Its because they are scared. Well at least Im sure that my husband is scared giving me the wrong answer.

Today is only a little over half way done , and Im pooped. Ive been cleaning and doing laundry since before and after our outing and Im just done. I have a book club meeting tonight , that I have been looking forward to for a month . Now that the day is here though , I dont want to leave the house. Sorry ladies , I know I suck but I dont think Id stay awake . Ive been getting into bed at 8 pm and still dont get enough sleep.

What do I have left to look forward to today ? Humm. Mark getting home. I was thinking of making a dip for book club but since Im not going maybe I could sit here and eat it all . I really could eat it all to myself. In order for me to make that dip means I have to leave the house ... which I really dont want to do.

For the rest of the day I think I might stay in my room. I brought in a little recliner and Im happily am sitting here under the window typing away . I also have a book to finish.

As you can see I am rambling on , but I decided that this is my only form of a journal so why not just really put down what I am thinking.

Ok , now all I can think about is the dip , that MUST be done tonight.

Hermit Time

There are times in my life that I fall into "hermit time". It happens after really pushing myself to do to much in a short time , I get burnt out. Not that Im purposely staying indoors now . Bubba and I have stayed home all week , not that I really wanted to but I feel as though Im a hermit.

Along with going into my 7th month of pregnancy , I have not been feeling well and there is a little sickness going through our playgroup , that I admit Im really scared of Mark getting sick. Not that he couldnt handle it , its me. I just barely have the energy lately to get anything done.

Since staying in the pass couple days I have read a couple books and nearly have gone completely crazy. My craziness is an outcome of Marks craziness. That poor boy NEEDS to get out of the house or he ends up running back and forth or rolling around the living room. So for the past couple days I have been letting him run around like a wild man in the backyard. We bought a hose today just so I could sit there and spray him with it , he loves it.

I didnt realize how long Ive been indoors untill today when I noticed that there was a playgroup I had wanted Mark to attend . They went to the Pacific Grove Natural History museum... I thought it was next week. Then I get a reminder for a book club meeting , which again I thought was next week . THEN I realize that it is the end of the flippin month!! Where did it all go?

I feel as though Im an old woman when things like this happen! Time has been going by so fast , Im going into my last trimester and there are times that I feel Im not prepared .... but then I think to myself what am I really not prepared for?

Once you become a mother I think that there is something chemically released into your brain that makes your forget more .... and.... well there are to many side effects to state but I am sure all you mothers know what I am talking about.

Oh gosh , I really wish I could make this more of a journal entry and put down what we have done , but I really cant remember. We havent done ANYTHING this week. Mark and I did walk to the park this evening to let Bubba blow off some steam , he was down to throwing books at us.

Well off to a night full of spider solitaire till Im to exhausted to see the numbers.

By the way Im falling in love with the cartoons , its so funny to look through them all. So take time and look up some cartoons and have a laugh. I dont know if you find them as funny as I do , they may not be funny at all , but by 9 pm and Im exhausted everything is funny.

Pointless Post of a Weekend

This weekend was something else , it wasnt even a weekend! It was like it didnt even happen! On Saturday I just remember ( well now I dont know if I do remember) waking up , then looking at my watch and it already 6 pm! Sunday came around and waking up , of course I thought I had plenty of time to get ready for church then we were rushed. Time stood still come the second hour of church . It probaly stopped because I wore a pair a heels I hadnt wore yet , which I find out are the most terrible things to put on your feet. I felt ( and still feel ) 9 months pregnant , but the hardest part about that hour was that I had baby duty . We ended up with another dad in the gym watching these little ones walking around. Then of course Bubba has to be obessed with the ladder that was left there. Now that I come to think of it I had Baby Mark with me in R.S as well. At least we were able to box him in between chairs and a sister I sat down next to happened to have a little backpack full of racecars.

After church who knows what happens , Mark and Mark went for a run and I think I sat there and zoned out ..... cleaned then went to bed.

Such an exciting life I lead! Just trying to think of what I accomplished this weekend makes me feel useless. When I actually have Mark here to watch the child , I sit down and zone out ...or grab a book. I know Im not the only one .

It is already Tuesday with no plans because Im feeling under the weather , plus there is a bug going through all the children in Marks playgroup. So we are in quarantine.

As Im here rereading this blog Im thinking to myself what happened to Monday ? Sunday night I didnt fall asleep till 330 then woke up 3 times then was up at 6 am , so I truly was a zombie throughout the day . I really cant say what I did yesterday.... all I know is that Bubba and my Husband are alive and were fed, so I must have done something.

Birds of a Feather

Drives me crazy that the book leaves you hanging. The story was complete but I will not find out who Miss Maisie Dobbs went to dinner with on Tuesday night! Of course I have another Maisie Dobbs book upstairs but I think it might be the fifth book. So I dont want to even look at it. Even though you really dont have to read the books in order , they sort of remind me of Nancy Drew books. You can start anywhere in that collection , the author always covers points of Nancy Drews past that will help you understand the story. The same goes for these Maisie Dobbs books.

Great read. Easy mystery novel , even though when she finds certain clues she keeps them to herself , so it leaves you in the air since she doesnt inform you of the missing clue till the end. I picked through this book this weekend. I was trying not to ignore the world and hide in my room with book. Im now sad it is over , this might make me get up and out of the house to get the next book.

2 Year Anniversary

2 years and I almost forgot about it. I cant even tell you what we did last year. We had Bubba and he was just 2 weeks 2 days old . Im sure I was sleep deprived and one step from being admitted to a coo-coo ward.

Yesterday morning I woke up at 3 am , woke up my husband and said " Baby , Happy Anniversary , I just had to tell you now because I dont think I would remember when we wake up".

Now , when people seem to know that is your anniversary or when they ask you how long you have been married and you say only 2 years ( or anything under 5 years) they say " let me know when you hit 10 years". They make it seem like , "oh thats nothing to be celebrating'. Well you know what I say ? " Whatever" , because I am sure at there 1 year , they were just as excited as we are. Do you know what I am saying? It doesnt really agrivate me , but I just want to say "We all celebrate in different ways" . So please do not be negative about it .

We participated in a Earth Day family fun run at the Naval Post Graduate School , then had lunch at Islands. Nothing big , but it was just enough for us. We were ( like last year) to exhausted to do anything . Though Mark isnt pregnant , he does have to deal with Bubba during the night and get to school. So I know that mentally he is burnt toast.

Its Saturday morning now , and we are walking around like zombies as Bubbba runs around the house like a mad man. If we were alone , Mark and I would sleep, eat , watch a movie. Now with the little one , we are jesters in his court and personal slaves.LOL.

Ahh , how things change in 2 years.

Maisie Dobbs

To celebrate our 2 year anniversary , I spent every free minute I had to read 'Maisie Dobbs'. I had been itching for a mystery and this quenched my thirst , well maybe not really quenching it because I cant wait to read the next book ( which is upstairs next to my bed , waiting for me to rescue it , but my husband will flip).

The book lets say covers a little bit of everything. Meaning that its covers just enough history of the sleuth , just enough of the mystery and just enough of blabbing about the country side of England. There is one thing that drives me nuts about English writers , they like to explain the country side to detail. Ive never been to England so Im not the person to be saying that it is or isnt the most beautiful country side you have ever seen. Though I am watching one of the tourist guide TV shows of England and there are very many beautiful places. As I said though , some authors just drag on with it and dont stick to the story . Jacqueline Winspear ( the author) covers enough of it , if she went any further with it I would have probaly put the book down.

One other thing that was just enough , was the love interest . The book constantly kept you on the curious side ( as a mystery should) of what was happening in Maisie Dobbs love life. There was not a whole love story that sucks you in and keeps you from the main part of the story , but then I didnt think there was a main part. The book was broken up into pieces. It was just wonderful though . I loved the ending , though it didnt make me cry . Which is great because I really dont like to cry.

I fell in love with Maisie Dobbs and the characters that live around her. Before I had started the book I thought they were written in the 50's , but this first book was written in 2003. The setting of the book was right before and after WWI.

I know Im not very good at explaining the book , but its my explanation that is running through my mind , and if you do every decide to read it I dont want to give anything away.

Wild Nights

Today during naptime I finished one of the many books I brought home from the library. It was not a book I had planned on picking up , but it was they only one written by the author of 'The Gravediggers Daughter'. I grabbed it just to see what her writing was like , to see if I could get through her book.

Turns out she is AMAZING. The books is composed of 5 short stories of the last days of famous writers. Edgar Allan Poe , Emily Dickinson, Samuel Clemens ( Mark Twain) , Henry James and Ernest Hemingway. WOW. A couple of them ended very weird. One I just didnt get. Another left me up in the air . Then the last left me to think that all these people were quite depressing.

I ended having to read on a little on every writer so I understood what was happening at the time of these writers lives. It helped me understand them tremendously. Except in the case of Emily Dickinson , I already had known a little bit about her , but her story was set in the future.

I would like to gush over what happened but would love if you took a chance to grab the book and sit down and enjoy some short stories.

'Wild Nights' by Joyce Carol Oates