It's A......

BOY! We had our 20 week checkup on Monday and had a sonogram performed (pictures will be forthcoming when I decide to get off of my lazy bum and scan them in). Because someone doesn't like surprises, we decided to find out the sex and were pleasantly surprised to be blessed with a boy. Sean's mother suggested we name him Justin...as in Justin Other Sparkman. Not only did we shoot that idea down, we buried it 12 ft under. Covered in duct tape. Never to be seen in the light of day again.

George Preston Alexander is his name, and yes there are two middle names. Most people I talk to think that the middle names are fine but wonder where on earth we picked "George" from. George is named so in honor of my late grandfather, George Ambrose, affectionately known to my sister and myself as "Opa". Opa died of a heart attack when I was six. Some of my favorite memories of him include sitting on the edge of my grandparents' waterbed and watching Road Runner cartoons on the old black and white television with him, and sneaking up behind him in his chair at bedtime to give him a kiss goodnight on his bald spot.

I know Opa loved us grandkids very much, and perhaps my best memory of him was shortly after his death that December. On Christmas morning I opened the gift he had purchased before his death...a small pink children's Bible. I still have that Bible, although now it's wrapped in a large rubber band to keep the pages from falling out. I would like to think that Opa would be honored to know that his first great-grandson will be named after him. I may not be biologically related to him (my mother was his step-daughter until he adopted her), but he will always be my Opa and I can think of no better way to honor him than to name my son after the most important man in my young life. May you rest in peace, Opa.

So blasted hot

As I type this, I'm staring out the window at the pool below, wondering if it's worth it to stuff my growing belly in a bathing suit and go take a dip. I just got back from Wally World with a couple of weeks worth of groceries, half of which are juices and bottled flavored water. It is 92 F in the shade of my porch which means it's a few degrees warmer in the sun. I just hauled up 6 heavy loads of groceries from my car up the stairs and into the apartment, then shoved the frozen stuff in the freezer before it could melt any more than it already was. My next action was to strip my sweaty clothes off and stand in the kitchen with my head over the sink and spray myself with the vegetable sprayer to cool off. So now I'm trying to figure out how I could devise a pulley elevator system to haul groceries up and down the stairs so I wouldn't have to make 6 trips....

Don't forget I had to get all the groceries inside, couldn't leave anything out in the car for Sean to bring in tonight. Leaving a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper inside the back of my hot dark blue SUV isn't a good idea. I know very well what a Texas oven...er, I mean the sun...can do to an unopened can of soda in a hot car. It's feasible to leave them in the car in the winter or when it's raining, it doesn't get quite as hot then.

So I'm going to go now and sit in front of the AC in the living room for an hour...

Jack in the Crack does it again...

Have you seen those Jack in the Box commercials lately, the ones about their new "Sirloin Burger"? And the next question, am I the only Texan offended by it?

If you haven't seen the commercials, the JitB crew (including Jack himself) are having a laugh at their competitor's expense over the fact that most fast food restaurants use "Angus" beef in their hamburgers while JitB uses the "Sirloin" cut of beef.

Now, anyone familiar with the bovine species knows that the sirloin is a specific cut of meat near the hindquarters and is a preferred cut for steak. Those familiar with the bovine species will also know that Angus is a TYPE OF BOVINE! One can get a sirloin cut from an Angus cow or bull. Angus cattle are the best kind of cattle to get meat from but not milk. In fact, I would not be surprised if JitB got their sirloin cut from Angus cattle.

I just detest those commercials, they sound so ignorant.

HEARTBEAT!

Oh yeah, by the way, we did hear the heartbeat last Monday. It was 170 beats per minute and came in loud and clear from the doppler thingy. While that may seem fast, remember that this is early in the pregnancy and that tiny little heart is still developing. Dr. said it was normal to be that fast right now, even if it's a bit on the high side. The speed of the heartbeat, he said, might indicate that we should be expecting a girl, although that is NOT a definite. We still need to wait until the ultrasound indicates how many legs the baby's got (if you catch my drift).

And I must repeat, if this baby is a girl, and you give me anything pink, I will know where you live. You can't hide, and I stock an arsenal of water balloons. I detest pink, and I detest the happy/fluffy sentiment that has developed in the past 50 years concerning gender based coloring. I long for the days when women wore blue (a serene and calming color) and REAL men wore red (the color of blood and war).

Many Things

So, I have been following a shocking situation brought up by Stand Firm, and feel the need to mention some thoughts on the subject. First of all, I am keeping the Kennedy's in my prayers, as well as Ms. Kaeton.

So now I thought I'd touch on a cooler part of Ms. Kaeton's post, that of NFP (Natural Family Planning). To me it seems as though NFP is seen by most people as a form of contraception without drugs or barrier methods. I do not see NFP as that at all. NFP is a tool that EVERY woman of childbearing age can use to further her understanding of her own body. NFP is useful for sufferers of PMS, knowing exactly what one's body is doing can better help one prepare for the inevitable wave of moodiness that comes with the cycle. Women who use NFP can plan activities around when they KNOW they'll be a bit testy.

Besides the obvious moral concerns I have with medical contraceptives, I am concerned with the havoc wreaked on a woman's body by unnecessary hormone therapy. Women's bodies are designed to function a certain way with specific hormones in a specific order. Flooding the body with extra hormones for the "convenience" of no children just does not seem like a smart idea. I noticed that my general health improved once I stopped taking "the Pill". I had fewer migraines, my skin cleared up, and I did not feel so tired all the time.

I have had several people tell me that "that NFP thing didn't work for you, you're pregnant." To which I feel I must respond "When did I say I didn't WANT this baby?" Thanks to my knowing exactly what part of the cycle my body is in at any given time, I know the day conception occured. I know exactly how long I've been pregnant. While there are not many things I have a chance to control in life at least I can be comfortable in knowing what's going on. I may not be able to control what is going on, but at least I don't feel like I was blindsided by my pregnancy.

NFP is not for the lazy. Part of knowing exactly what one's body is going through at a given moment is the willingness to learn and understand the how and why and to commit to it. NFP is also not just for women. A woman's husband should also be involved in the process, if for no other reason than he can look at her chart and understand why he isn't getting any for a week. I do use the term "husband" here because I am a firm believer that all are called to chastity even if some do not heed that call. But that's for another post.

The last part about NFP I feel must be made known is that the "P" stands for Planning. Planning does not necessarily mean "no children". Planning means just that...planning. NFP gives women a perfect tool for spacing children out, waiting until their financial situation or even the marriage itself is slightly better prepared for children, or even for trying to have as large a family as possible (and if a couple is able to provide for such a large family, all the more power to them!). Too often what I hear from pro-choice advocates is that women have a choice...until they CHOOSE to have children.

Well guess what? I CHOOSE to have children. So there. :P

More Baby Stuff

Well, our next appointment is tomorrow (we'll get to hear the heartbeat for the first time!). I'm not one to actively ask for gifts, and this is not a plea for baby stuff. However, we felt that some of our family members and friends with internet access might like to know where we are registered so I am posting this for that reason. We are registered at both Babies 'R' Us and Target. Both registries can be found by either of our names (and even my maiden name for the Babies 'R' Us registry), the state is TX. Please be aware that there are different items on each registry as each store stocks a variety of baby stuffs. Again, this is not a call begging for stuff, just information I feel needs to be given for those who seek it.

BABY!!!!!!!

As for a pregnancy update, I am barely starting to show and can no longer fit into my old jeans ;) no morning sickness any more, now I just feel like I've lost my mind. Sean is still taking it very well, and he's still very very excited. More news (and possibly more sonogram pics) after tomorrow!

BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, like I said, we had news to tell and now I can tell it!!!



Please meet the soon to be newest member of our family.


So it is too early yet to know whether the baby is a boy or a girl, but as soon as we find it out, I'll post it. We have told all the grandparents so now we can tell the world. We already have names picked out:

For a girl - Ellen Rose
For a boy - George Preston Alexander

Sean and I are so excited, we are looking forward to this baby so much! Updates will be forthcoming throughout the pregnancy along with pictures.

New RAZR ringtone!!!

I have just discovered something awesome! Sean and I were feeling a bit down that our RAZRs came with just a couple of crappy ringtones, and having had them for almost two years, we were getting a bit tired of "Hello Moto" and the "Back in Black" that he had downloaded for his phone a while back. So I connected my phone to my laptop via the built-in Bluetooth and downloaded a couple of mp3's to the phone. I timidly checked my ringtone list and discovered....VOILA! There it was!

So it takes up a bit more space than a regular ringtone, but at least I don't have to listen to "Hello Moto" again. And I can always delete the mp3 from the phone if I want to download a new one. And the best part about it? It's FREE. There's no charge to download a ringtone if I do it myself. And I'm probably now the only person with the Animaniacs "I'm Cute" song as a ringtone.

Long Time, little post

I would like to first off apologize for not posting anything lately. Some things have come up (trust me, updates will be forthcoming) and I am not quite ready to address them yet. However, I am a bit excited about my mother and grandmother's trip to Washington via train.

Most of my family is in Washington, including my sister, and it sucks to not be able to see them as often as I would like. In fact, the last I saw of my sister was at my wedding almost three years ago, although I do get to talk to her on the phone every once in a while.

Mom has been given strict orders to take lots of pictures and give lots of hugs out since I can't be there.

Calling all Designers!

Due to the rather rude reception I and other designers received concerning this topic and constant attacks in the discussion, I am rescinding my offer of a design challenge. Apparently those who work in the advertising business are held to a higher "Christian" standard than the great theological minds who participate in Touchstone's Mere Comments.