Sleepless in Dallas

I have always been a heavy sleeper. My dad jokes about the huge hail storm that did significant damage to our roof when I was a kid and I slept through it.  One of my roommates from college, Delicia, used to throw parties in our room after I had gone to bed.  She would have music blaring and people hanging out and I would sleep right through it. 

Not anymore folks.  Where I once used to lay my head and drift into a deep slumber I am now awoken in the middle of the night by Spencer's symphonic snoring.  I never knew he snored until this week.  I wonder if he has always snored. I'm surprised he doesn't have bruises on his side from me kicking and nudging him all night long.  If I am now going to be a light sleeper because of the baby this snoring thing has got to stop!

Baby Room pt. 1

As I ventured down I-35 this past weekend to catch up with college friends, Spencer and his mom Sherrie slaved away in our bedroom and baby room painting.  I was going to leave the baby's room the way it was but after a little persuasion I decided painting would be a good idea.  Here was the wall color before:

and after

I think it is a good contrast.  Spencer put the crib together and I just placed the bedding in the crib to see what it will look like.  It's so cute.  We don't have a mattress yet so the bumper looks really low in the crib.  I can't wait to start decorating. 

The only issue from the whole weekend was when they unwrapped the dresser two of the drawers had cracks in them.  We should get a new dresser in two weeks and I will finally be able to start loading the drawers with all the baby clothes my co-worker has already given me.  (She has given me enough clothes for Vivian to last until she is six month old.)

Spencer and Sherrie went to the store and bought a basket and wooden letters for her name.  Sherrie also brought the valance and diaper stacker she purchased that matches the bedding.  We are such a lucky family. 

I need to say thank you again to Spencer and Sherrie for all their hard work.  This couldn't have been done so quickly or perfectly without them. :)



Expect More. Pay Less

I've heard that when you are preggo women tend to have crazy dreams.  Two nights ago I dreamt I was going into labor so Spencer grabbed my bag and we headed out the door.  In reality you would drive to a hospital but not in dreamland.  We pulled up to Target and checked in at the pharmacy.  They had three beds setup in one of the aisles and I laid down on one waiting for my turn.  The lady right next to me had her legs in the air and pushing a mighty force out of her who-ha.  As this is going on people are just continuing to shop, picking up prescriptions like this was nothing new.  I saw some friends from high school and they walked over to me with their shopping cart and gave me a pat on the back and wished me luck.  Then it was my turn and I popped out a healthy baby.  They handed me the baby and Spencer checked us out.  We then grabbed our things and walked out of the store and went home with our new addition. 

I'm not sure if this dream is a foresight into the future of retail or just a realization that I shop at Target way too much.  I must say, I do expect more from Target than I do other retailers.

99 bottles of milk on the wall

I can't believe there are only 99 days until my due date.  I know the odds of me actually giving birth on my due date are slim to none but knowing that she could be here in less than 100 days seems overwhelming.  We have the furniture in but it has been in our living room for two weeks because we need to wait for the baby room to be painted.  Spencer's mom is coming to the house this weekend to paint while I go visit my friend Kristi in Burnet, TX.   I think once the room is painted and the furniture is in place I will start to feel more prepared for Vivian's arrival.

Did you feel that?

For the past few weeks I have really been able to feel Vivian move.  Each time I feel her moving I grab Spencer's hand and make him try to feel her.  He just rolls his eyes and tells me he doesn't feel anything.  Last night as I was sitting on the couch I felt her moving again and grabbed his hand.  He sighed and started to go on how he couldn't feel it and that he was sure I could but that it was too early for him.  Then suddenly his eyes widened and he stared right at me.  He felt her kick.  He got a big grin on his face and then said, "Was that her or was that your gas?"  He thinks he is so funny sometimes. 

Diary of a Mad Pregnant Woman

So I finally snapped at someone outside of my immediate family for the first time today.  I woke up this morning completely congested and exhausted.  It's hard to feel like you had a good night sleep when you had only one nostril to breathe through and even that one was clogged.  While I'm getting ready Spencer asked me to take him to work which isn't a huge deal but it is out of my way and causes me to be slightly late.  As we are on the highway I notice I'm out of gas and will have to stop after I drop Spencer off.  I hate filling up the gas tank when it is so cold outside.  I pulled into the Exxon gas station on the SE corner of Lemmon and US75.  For those of you who know this gas station know that it is filled with bums begging for cash.  I didn't want to stop here but I was already late for work and it was right off the highway near my office.  As I'm pumping my tank I see a woman walking towards me.  I'm already agitated and know this will not end well.  She starts to get close and I turn around and put my hand up and say, "Stop, I don't have any money for you."  I start to turn back around and she keeps coming closer and tells me that she doesn't have any gas money and just needs a few dollars.  I turn back around and realize this is the same lady who tried to pull this scam on me the last time I was at this gas station.  So like any hormonal woman would do, I let her have it.  "I wouldn't have any gas money either if I spent it all on crack last night but I didn't.  Now shoo and go sucker someone else."  I wish I could say that I phased her but I didn't.  She just carried on asking everyone that pulled into the gas station for money with her glazed over eyes. 

Is it sad that telling someone off made me feel better?  Probably, but hopefully it will help me sleep tonight.

My sweet rutabaga

According to the internet Miss Vivian weighs about the same as an average rutabaga.  Not exactly something you want to curl up next to so I'll keep my own images of her development in my head.


I had my first emotional meltdown on Friday night.  Spencer and I were watching TV before he was to head to the gym and I just started bawling.  He asked me what was wrong and I gave him a response which was sure to reassure him that I'm crazy, "I don't know".  I think I had realized how big I really was that day.  Now that I'm wearing maternity pants that fit snugly under my boobies I need to make sure I take a double look at myself in the mirror before leaving the bathroom.  I apparently tucked not only my shirt but my sweater into the back of my pants and since the back of my pants reach all the way to the top of my bra everyone at my office got quite a kick out of it before someone said something.  It's more humiliating knowing that other people saw you and said nothing rather than someone saying something right away.  I was also up to this point still trying to wear my pre-pregnancy bras.  After my nipple popped out three times during the day because my knockers were trying to make a break for it I realized I was indeed pregnant and growing at an alarming rate.  To top it all off all my co-workers gathered in the conference room to celebrate my boss's birthday and as I'm eating my cupcake people are barely touching theirs talking about all the weight they are losing and what diets they are on and there I am blowing up like a balloon. 

Poor Spencer was defenseless to my inconsolable tears.  He just did what anyone loving husband would do, he called my mom and made me talk to her.  Probably best because he knows no matter what he says I'll find a way to twist his words and become more irrational.

After eating a double dip ice cream cone and buying some new, much larger, bras I was feeling better.  I just need to relax and remember my little rutabaga will be here before I know it.

There is a GOD!!!

As I'm sitting at my desk thinking of how I can convince Spencer that leftover chicken from Wednesday night sounds disgusting for dinner a package arrived.  The box was shipped for someone else in the office who no longers operates out of our Dallas office which means its contents are fair game.   I checked to make sure this wasn't a personal gift from someone and it wasn't.  I carefully opened the box to find 4 pints of ice cream inside.  God does exist and he does love me.  Meeting the love of my life, having good health and carrying my unborn child have all lead me to believe that he exists but this is proof!  So as I begrudgingly chew each bite of my dinner I will know that a wonderful frozen treat will be waiting for me just a few feet away.

Thank Goodness Its Friday!

What's in a name?

We have been so eager to share the name we have picked for our precious little girl but wanted to make it known to family first and figured Christmas was the best time to share.  We went to the ranch on Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with Spencer's parents and brothers.  We had a wonderful dinner that night but felt announcing the name was just not the appropriate setting.  Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents and still didn't feel the timing was right.  Right after lunch Spencer went upstairs with his dad and grandfather to watch TV and tinker around with Chris's new record player.  Spencer decided he wanted to ask his father and grandfather privately because the name we chose has special meaning to them.  Spencer said his grandfather perked up and smiled and said he would be honored to have us name our baby girl Vivian.  Vivian was his first wife's name, Chris's mother, who unfortunatley passed away at an early age soon after Chris and Sherrie got married.  I think the name is timeless, beautiful and has special meaning.  Spencer then came downstairs to share the news with Sherrie and I and then we all went upstairs and shared the middle name, Grey.  Grey is Spencer's middle name.  I love that name as well.

That afternoon we drove to my parents house and shared the news with them.  I wrote each letter of her name on a piece of paper and had each family member pick a letter out of a hat.  Then I made them put the letters together to come up with her name.  My parents are excited about the name too.  Maybe our next child will carry on some Skarsten/Cheek names.