1st Annual Neighborhood Bar-B-Que & More Pictures from the Wedding

Saturday evening, just 30 minutes before the Neighborhood bar-b-que, a storm rolled in. At first I thought we would have to cancel it, but Matt and Janet said we should move the party indoors, to their house. We all agreed and an hour later 25 people showed up with food and drinks.

It was wonderful to get to know everyone in the community. We started a master list of people’s names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. This has already come in handy. Now I can stop referring to people by the type of car they drive or the type of house they live in. I’m so glad Trey and I initiated this community gathering. It makes me feel safer knowing that I know who lives around me and knowing that they know me.

Next year, I plan on organizing another event like this, but I’m not quite sure how it will progress with more people moving into the neighborhood.

On a side note, Nathan emailed me these pictures.

Wedding Season

Saturday afternoon, I had a chance to see 2 friends get married. Trey was out on a call and didn't get a chance to attend.



It was strange going to a wedding by myself, but I'm glad I was able to support two friends as they exchanged marriage vows.

Breanna and NathanielLater that evening, we had our neighborhood get together. More on that later. I'm tired and I need to get some sleep.

I'm Not Giving Up

I'm not giving up on the front yard even though the weeds are out of control. I always see people in the neighborhood religiously taking care of their yards. And then I come home and I'm greeted by mini trees. The yard itself isn't bad it's just those darn weeds, but hopefully we've seen the worst of them.

This picture was taken after we did yard work.

Trey and I took turns mowing and I planted some colorful flowers.

Trey cooling off in the shade.

Maybe in a few weeks my tomatoes will be ready.


I see dead spots...grrrrr

Looks the Same to Me

Okay, so I'm over the whole "your face looks puffy" conversation, but I couldn't help but compare the 2 pictures.

So, Trey is still out of town, but he should be in tonight. It was nice having some quite time to myself. Yesterday, Corky and I went on a 3 mile walk, right before it sprinkled and then I had a chance to read a book.

For dinner I made nachos, which makes that 3 nights in a row, I've had the same thing to eat. Trey says I'm going to give birth to a nacho if I keep it up. What can I say, I love mexican food and it's easy to include my veggies, like lettuce and tomatoes. Oh and I can't forget to include the hot sauce and lime juice. Yummy.

Okay, it's lunch time and all this talk of food is making this prego hungry.

Never Tell a Pregnant Woman Her Face Looks Puffy

This morning a lady who knows I'm expecting, told me my face looks puffy. Who says that? That's not very nice! I'm not convinced, but Trey is always blunt with me, so I'm going to ask him tomorrow or whenever I get to see him.

He's been working so much lately. He's out of town and I won't see him again until tomorrow evening. Maybe by then my face will look normal.

Neighborhood Bar-B-Que

Trey and I are planning a neighborhood Bar-B-Que. It's kind of funny because we don't even own a grill, but we made sure Tim and Robin would be able to make it with theirs.

Last week, I made the invitations and Trey and I drove the scooter door to door to pass them out. While we were out, we had a chance to meet some new folks. I hope we have a good turn out. Everyone we talked to seemed interested and some even asked what they needed to bring. Currently, there's roughly 15 completed houses in the neighborhood and before passing out the flyers we had only met about half of the families living in the area. I recognized more folks than Trey because I'm always running around the block and I see them coming and going and walking dogs etc.

It should be a busy day for us on Saturday. We have a wedding that day and then I have to come home and make some cold dishes for the party. It should be fun.

The Invitation

Surprise Party, Hello Maternity Clothes, Visiting Family and Friends and Other Stuff

So, we made a trip to Abilene this weekend. It was a good one. My mom and Natasha were out of town, so we spent the majority of time with Trey's family. Trey's Dad turned 50, so Trey's mom organized a surprise party for him. He had no idea and was caught off guard.



Even though we got into Abilene Friday evening, the weekend went by fast.
Trey's mom and I went shopping Friday night. Her and Dad got me some maternity clothes, which I'm really thankful for because my pants are starting to hug me a little too tight. I think I might have a few more weeks in some of my old pants, but I do have two pair that I've decided to say goodbye to, until after pregnancy. Bye-Bye pants. Some of the maternity shirts fit me real loose but the pants are elastic so they'll grow with me as my belly expands....oh, boy/I mean girl.

Saturday night, we had a chance to hang out with Brandon, Amy, Hillario, and my adorable niece Angelica. We met up for dinner at Chilis and then they dropped off Angelica and we met up at a pool hall. We went in there and I guess I must look 16 and pregnant, because I was the only one in the group that was asked to show my ID, but it was no big deal. The good thing about Abilene is that now you can go to a pool hall and not come out reeking of cigarette smoke. I love smoking bans in public places.

Sunday, we met up with friends, Johnny, JoNell, Joann, Tim and their kids for lunch. We then made our rounds saying bye and then headed back home.

We're Having a Baby Girl!

I'm really glad I'm having a girl. Originally, I wanted a girl. I think I'll know how to handle her more naturally. I have 2 sisters and I remember taking care of Natasha when she was a baby.

Awww, little girls are so cute.


This morning the nurses had the hardest time drawing my blood and the doctor walked in and had no problems. Other than that, the appointment was wonderful.

Trey and I saw our baby. She was moving like crazy in my stomach, kicking her legs and moving her arms all over the place. It was strange to see her being so active because I still haven't felt any significant movements. Every now and then I feel flutters, but they come and go so fast.

I did mention my back problems with my doctor and he said I can take some Tylenol, but other than that there's not much I can do.

Snapshot at 4 Months

From Pregnancy

Looks like my baby bump is starting to show. For the most part, I'm still in normal clothes. However, I did purchase one pair of comfy work pants, which are 2 sizes bigger than I normally wear. I want to make sure I have room to grow and no I don't wear them everyday...not yet :) Yeah, gaining one pound since the second doctors visit, is definitely a thing of the past.

I've noticed my appetite and cravings have increased. For the most part, I pace myself throughout the day. High fiber breakfast with fruit and a small glass of orange juice, an apple mid morning, lunch, another snack at mid-day and then dinner. I stay hydrated throughout the day, but then again I've been toting water with me for years, so that hasn't changed. It's pretty easy to stay on my food routine during the work week, but the weekends can be unpredictable.

I'm still eating as healthy as I can, in fact, I've increased my vegetable and fruit intake. For the last 5 weeks, I've been eating two apples a day. Don't get me wrong, I'm human and I do succumb to some of my sugar and fast food cravings. Last week, Trey ran out at 9 pm to get me some Mc Donald's fries and the other day I HAD TO get my Taco Bueno fix.

While Trey and I were eating at Taco Bueno, I was practically moaning. I tried to explain to him that food tastes better when you're pregnant. He didn't get it. Maybe it doesn't taste better, but there's nothing like obsessing over food and then finally getting to sit down and eat it.

I'm still exercising. Now that I'm into the second trimester, I feel like running again and my doctor says it's good for me and the baby. My running pace is a lot slower, but nonetheless, I'm moving. The most I've ran in one single work out is 2 miles, which takes about 30 minutes. Last week I ran a total of 4 miles and walked 2. It feels good to be running and walking again because during the first trimester just the thought of running would make me nauseous.

I think my running during pregnancy makes some people nervous. Every time my neighbor, Wendy, sees me running she yells out, "Aren't you suppose to be walking?" I usually yell something back like, "It's okay, the doctor says it's fine, it's all good." But the bigger my belly gets the more uncomfortable it may be for me. Right now, I'm not that big, but I may have to start walking in the weeks ahead. I'm not really looking forward to that, but I'll do whatever I need to, in order to stay comfortable for the baby.

Only Two More Days to Vote

Thursday we will find out the sex of the baby, so if you still haven't had a chance to vote on the baby poll you might want to do that soon.

A few people have asked me why I want to know the sex and it's simple, because I'm getting tired of calling the baby inside of me IT.

IT deserves a name.

Massage at the MAC

This morning I went to the Mavericks Activity Center, on UTA's Campus. The building is fairly new. The MAC houses the campus gym and massage therapy unit.

When I first started working at UTA, I had a gym membership, but that was during the remodeling process. So, today was the first time I had a chance to walk around the renovated space. The reason I stopped my membership was because I started running in my neighborhood. There is something about running outside, but after seeing the MAC I would rejoin in a heartbeat.

As for the massage, it was wonderful, but I'm still feeling a tiny amount of pain in my lower back. I'll talk with my doctor soon and see what he recommends. It may just be something I will have to deal with...the joys of pregnancy.

The Lobby Area

Cardio Equipment

Custom Unit in the Nursery: Day 2

I think we're almost done!

When Trey first drew up the diagram of this wall unit on a piece of paper, I knew it was going to look good and now I have to say, "Wow, it looks amazing!" Trey still has to do some trim work and put some crown molding on top and lets not forget paint. I want the unit to be painted the same as the trim, in the house, a nice clean white color.

We have a small storage compartment under the window seat.


A nice window seat, where the baby and I can enjoy the view.


Trey admiring his handy work


Corky watching Trey


That was a heavy piece. I told Trey, sorry but I won't be able to help you carry that.







Nice Face


Somebody should really take that out of my hands

Custom Unit in the Nursery

Trey is building a custom window seat and bookshelf unit in the nursery. Last night, we went to Lowe's and picked up all the materials and today we've spent the day working on it. Most of the morning was spent building the main frame that will support the entire bookshelf and seat. Trey is doing most of the work and I'm just assisting in any way that I can.

This project may take a week or two for us to complete, not to mention...painting the thing when it's all done. Trey and I prefer not to paint this, so we're going to hire some professional painters.

Oh, and about our room, it's obviously on the back burner. Some mornings I wake up and just stare at the unfinished paint job and I have no choice but to laugh.

Here are some pictures of the nursery project.
This entire wall will host the new unit.

Trey working on the main frame.

Trey getting after it.

Here is the progress we made.

Trey is still working in the garage and I understand we have to make another run to Lowe's and get some kind of tool. Earlier, we ran out of screws, so I had to hop on the scooter and run down to Tractor and Supply. Oh, and it was so hot.

What I've Been Reading

I've been busy reading pregnancy books from the library. Here are just a handful of books I've managed to read in the last few weeks.

Out of all the books, this is by far my favorite.


This book was a dull read, but I can't deny it was full of helpful information.


I laughed so much reading Belly Laughs. Trey even read a few pages.


This is what I'm currently reading. Not all of the advice is very practical for me, but I can take bits and pieces of the information and apply it to my life.

I'm Doing Better

My back is feeling much better. It still hurts, but the pain isn't as consistent as it was like, last week. Even though I've been feeling a little better, I went ahead and set up an appointment to get a massage.

2008 Summer List

Each summer I have a list of things I want to do. I almost forgot this one, but it takes a lot for me to pass on writing any type of list, so here we go.


1. Park the car as much as possible
2. Attend 2 Wedding Ceremonies
3. Work out, often without killing myself in the heat
4. Work on the nursery
5. Register at a few baby stores
6. Try to become more involved in church activities

I know it’s not much, but Trey and I have agreed to take it easy. It should be a nice summer spending a lot of time in the comfort of my home.

Healthy Pasta Salad

I have this potluck thing for work and I didn't won't to go grocery shopping, so I looked in my pantry and fridge and this is what I came up with.

From Cooking

I really surprised myself and the recipe is simple.

-3 cups all natural whole grain fusilli pasta
-1/2 cup or organic shredded carrot
-1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
-3/4 cup sliced pepperoni
-1 1/2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
-1 tbs balsamic vinegar
-organic baby spinach for garnish

Boil pasta according to box directions. Drain pasta and allow it to cool. After it cools, add all the ingredients, except the spinach. Toss with your hands and finally garnish.

From Cooking

From Cooking

From Cooking

My Back is Killing Me

Here lately, my back has been giving me problems. I'm sure it has everything to do with the baby. I'm seriously considering going to Trey's chiropractor because I don't know how much longer I can deal with this. All of the pain is coming from my lower right side (kind of near my butt)...OUCH!

Personally, I think it's way too early in the pregnancy to be having back problems, but honestly I've been having pain there, since about nine weeks.

Trey wanted to know where it hurt and he rubbed it and said, "You have a bump right there." I felt it too. I'm not a back expert, but I think it's a knot that needs to be worked out. First, I'm going to get a massage and then if that doesn't help I really need to make an appointment with Trey's chiropractor. Trey's been going to the same chiropractor for months and seems to be pleased. Chiropractors sort of scare me, but I just want the pain to go away so I should suck it up.

A Video I Made about Pregnancy

Back in 2005 I made a short film about pregnancy. I hadn't watched this film in months and yesterday got a good laugh. I hope you enjoy the video.

Natasha's In Town

Natasha is spending a few days with Trey and I. Trey met my Mom half way between Abilene and Fort Worth yesterday and they got home kind of late. I didn't get to stay up late with her because I had to wake up bright and early for work.

She's staying at the house today, probably watching MTV, VH1 and BET (all day long). Yeah, that sounds like my sister. Meanwhile, I'll be at work interviewing several candidates for a new position. Maybe tomorrow, Tasha can come to work with me. I can set her up in my office and she can watch movies while I work. I think she'll be fine, but I don't think she'll enjoy waking up early.

Pano of The Dallas Cowboys Stadium

A few weeks ago Trey took a panoramic of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium and I finally got a chance to stitch the digital pictures together. So, here is the stadium and I must say, not a bad pano for Trey's first.

Baby Name Madness, Almost Fainting, Sex and the City, and More

I'm pleased at the baby poll response. It looks like it might be a close call.

This weekend Trey and I have loosely been throwing baby names around. Trey really knows how to pick them....One boy name he was throwing around was Jorge, pronounced HOR-hay. Trey's crazy, insane crazy if he thinks I'm calling my son that. I think he was just joking, I'm praying he was joking. We don't have any names written in stone, but I'm hoping we will come to some sort of civil agreement in the weeks ahead.

Other than trying to name my first born, I had an interesting weekend. Friday, I went to the library and nearly fainted while I was standing in line. It was a little embarrassing, but fortunately I made it through the line without falling down. I'm not quite sure why I almost fainted, but it really scared me. The following day I felt much better.

Saturday, I had a chance to hang out with Cortnee (faint free) and watched Sex and the City, the movie. If you haven't seen the movie and you're considering, go and see it while it's in the theater, you won't be disappointed.

And finally, today, Trey and I actually woke up early enough to go to the early Sunday church service. I don't think I've blogged this, but we joined the church down the street from us, a few weeks ago. It's about time, right? We finally have a church home.