Welcome to the Third Trimester!

It is hard for me to believe, but I am officially now in my third trimester! In 12 more weeks my son will be here, and I feel like I am nowhere near ready for him, at least materials wise. I need his bassinet still, and a lot more clothes then I already have, plus the essentials like diapers and wipes. But I have to keep telling myself to just take it easy and that by the time he is here, everything he needs will be here too, and to just pace myself. I am just getting so excited, but more nervous as well. What has been keeping me up at night, besides the aching back and the baby dance party in my belly, is my thoughts of, "Oh my God, he has to come out!!!!" I have read so many baby books, and read up on labor and delivery, but I know when it actually comes time for me to go through it, everything I have read will go right out the window and I'll just do whatever I need to do to make sure he comes into the world safe and healthy.

Today was my 28 week prenatal visit and we had another growth ultrasound (pictures to be coming soon). He is at 2.6 pounds and the doctor says he is healthy and on schedule. We were able to try another shot at the 3D/4D ultrasound and we were able to get a little better picture of his face, but he wouldn't get into position so we could see his face straight on, and then he kept putting his hand and arm in his face. I can't believe how big he has gotten from the first ultrasound we had done at 8 weeks, and I can't believe he is going to have more room to grown when it seems so cramped in there already!!

The only trouble I had run into lately with the pregnancy is that my arthritis flared up twice in a week while I was at work, and I had to go home to rest. I told the Dr. and she wrote me a note for my manager stating that she wants me to work no more then 20 hours a week, instead of the 30+ I have been. She said she wants me to be able to get more rest, get my feet up more since I've been having some foot swelling, and says flares may be common because of my body working overtime these last three months, but she doesn't want to see me on bed rest because I work too much and don't get enough rest. I was actually wanting to take down my hours anyway because I am getting more tired easily, so this isn't upsetting to me. Other then that, though, my health is great, and from now I will be going to the Dr. every two weeks until my 9th month, when I go every week.

On another good note, Phil had an interview for a job today at my work and got the job!! I haven't really blogged about it, but he was laid off from his job at his school, and trying to find work has been hard, but they are starting to hire at my work after having a large hiring freeze, so he starts on Thursday. It will be nice working with him, we won't be working the same area, but we'll see each other a lot.

Well, I'll be uploading the newest ultrasound pics soon and will get those posted soon. Until then...I'll still be puffy and preggo! Hahahaha....

Happy 30th Birthday Kimbo!

Today is my 30th birthday and I honestly can't believe that I am 30! It feels like just yesterday I was just starting my 20's, with my whole life ahead of me and a future filled with unknowns. What really amazes me is that I had such dreams and ideas for myself, and where I thought I was going to be when I hit my 30th year, and how different my life actually is today. I have to say though, I am very happy with the direction my life has taken and where I am today. I am married to a man who loves me so much, who would do anything for me and takes such wonderful care of me. Although our life isn't always perfect, I know that I can always count on him to be here at my side. And the best present I could ever have for my birthday is this healthy, amazing baby boy inside me, whose little kicks and punches are getting stronger and stronger every day. I am so proud and honored to be John's mother, and I can't wait to see where our life takes us with him in our family. He is so loved already and I know that all his family can't wait to finally meet him in November!

So happy birthday to me!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has never been a good day for me in the past, I've either been single on the day, or I was even dumped on the day once, many years ago. So I sort of make it a point to not even try and recognize the day. But now I have Phil, and the day isn't as bad as it used to be.

For him, I bought him a fishing pole this year, and yes, as silly of a Valentine's Day present as it seems, it is what he really wanted. The funny thing was trying to roll around Wal-Mart with this fishing pole, which I was able to pull apart, but it was still tall, and having all my co-workers laughing at me, making jokes about my "big catch". That day was also extremely windy and stormy, so trying to make it home across the parking lot, in 20mph winds, holding onto a fishing pole for dear life, was quite a sight too.

Phil got me a big box of chocolate's, the one thing about Valentine's Day I love, because I love the chocolate assortment, and he got me a beautiful card. He went to work that morning, I went to work at night, but my real present was when I got home, for he had cooked me a big dinner, and it was so good! It was nice to be pampered like that, especially after a long night at work.

Now I am enjoying two days off, after working five days in a row, and I am definitely needing the relaxation. I was able to finish the book, Twilight, and I have to say I am totally hooked, and can't wait to start in on the next book in the series. I can't believe it has taken me this long to finally get to reading these books, and now I am looking forward to seeing the movie, which I am sure Mindy and I will end up going, because I don't see it as Phil's type of movie, and she is in love with it too, and has already seen it like two or three times. I am sure I can convince her to see it one more! Haha

Today is President's Day, and something strange I found out, is that Obama is going to be visiting my old high school on Wednesday, Dobson High. As my friend Tori says, he just wants to close to where Kimbo has been Hahaha!!

Well, nothing else to really report. We were thinking of heading out to the park tomorrow and letting Brandi run around and explore, and have a picnic, but rain is coming in again tonight, so I think we'll just spend another quiet day at home together before our work week begins again.

So much to do....

I really hate moving. Your whole life has to be packed up, then unpacked at a new place. You have to find a place to put everything and when your working all the time, there just isn't time to do it. We still have a bunch of stuff over at the house to bring over, the majority of our things are here, but our bedroom there still has clothes and boxes that contain everything that goes on our bookshelves in the living room. I have been working most days, and having only one or two days off and like today, I am just so tired and trying to get some energy so I can work the next four days in a row. The actual work isn't stressful, but I can get flare-ups just by doing too much, so when I do have a day to myself I have been trying to take it as easy as possible.

Phil headed over to the house a bit ago to get what he can, but he was injured at work the other night and can't lift anything big. He was unloading a truck and the guy helping him took a box from the bottom of a big pile, and a box of irons fell on Phil, landing on his right thumb and taking it down with it. He ended up going to the doctor his work sent him to, and they said he didn't break the thumb, but he has either broken the ligaments or stretched them really bad. He is wearing a cast right now as he can barely move it and its so swollen and he has an appointment on Thursday with a hand specialist they are sending him to. They will be able to do more tests to see whether the ligaments are torn or broken, and if they are broken he is going to most likely needing surgery. So I might have to find someone who can help us move out anything heavy or bulky in the house because I don't want him injuring his thumb anymore.

I've been having a lot of trouble with my right ankle ever since I had to have my chair go in for repairs. My chair shorted out of me about two weeks ago, and I actually had to call in to work because I didn't trust the chair to run since it would run a bit, then it would just flash its lights at me and would stop moving. I found a place in Gilbert that could not only fix my chair, but also could give me a rental chair, since Medicare covers a month rental of a chair. Well, this chair is very different from mine, the seat is shorter, which makes keeping my feet and butt on the seat hard, and it is putting a lot of strain on my right ankle, which is my bad one. It is locking up on me and causing me so much pain that at times I think it must be broken because I won't be able to move it. It has also been very swollen and something sitting at work for even a few hours has just been unbearable because it hurts so bad, but then I come home and put it up with some heat or ice, take a few Tylenol, and it will start to relax. They said my chair should be ready this week and I can't wait!! Because I am so uncomfortable in this chair, I haven't been able to do anything here, and because this chair doesn't lift up like mine does, I haven't been able to do dishes or really cook well because everything is so high here and I can't reach. Phil has been a sweetheart doing dishes for me and helping out, but I feel so bad complaining all the time about how much my ankle hurts and such. He is so understanding, I just hate sounding like a whiner.

So, as soon as I get my chair back I know I am going to feel a lot better, and with being able to raise the chair up, I'll be able to really get in the kitchen and get things put away and go back to cooking like a normal person. I'll also have the ability to start unpacking more things and getting this place looking like home.

As soon as I get everything settled in around here, I'll take pictures so you can see our new home. I was going to take pictures before we got things moved in, but silly me packed the camera!

Working Kimbo

So I've officially started working my new Wal-Mart job, and today is my first day off.

Thursday was orientation, which meant me made up our name badges, filled out paperwork, watched movies all about the company, and even played a game. There was only three of us, two were going to be cashiers, and then me, the people greeter.

The next day I started my new schedule of working 7am-4pm. I figured out though, that by working a 32 hour a week schedule, it would put me over the $940 a month that I have to stay under or else I will lose my benefits with disability. I spoke to my manager about it, and she said she totally understood because she has a few other associates who are also on disability and need they work 30 hours a week, so I will start that after this coming week, so she wouldn't have to change my schedule.

The first part of my Friday was sitting on a computer in the training room, doing computer based learning, where you watch videos and slideshows of different things, like how to clean up chemical spills and such, and you have to take an online skill assessment after each lesson, and pass with an 80% or better. I had 18 to watch, and it took all morning until my lunch. After my lunch, I was finally able to go out on the floor and learn my job, because I had to pass the lessons first.

The job itself it not very hard. There are two doors, grocery side, and general merchandise. The grocery door is the side that is the most busy. Basically, when people walk in, you said hi, or good morning/afternoon/evening, and pass out smilie stickers to the little ones. Also, you have to check customers reciepts when the leave if they have anything under their cart, or have anything is their cart, such as electronics. Also, when someone comes in with a return, you scan the item and it will print out a sticker you place on the item, then direct them to customer service. Plus, you get asked questions about where things are in the store, and other misc. stuff. we also have radios that we can use to contact supervisors and managers if we need assistance with a customer, or need to alert them of something. Yesterday was my first full day on the floor, and it really was quite easy, just getting used to working long days like that again. Plus the job is pretty much unsupervised. They come over to tell us when to take our breaks, because you can't have a door unattended, but other then that the supervisors are busy at the front with the cashiers. I know they check on us, but the job is pretty simple, so it doesn't require much supervisors, which is nice because you can just focus on welcoming customers.

Today is my day off, and then I will also have Thursday and Friday off. Phil also has today off, so we have to spend most of the day packing, since we are moving a week from today into our new apartment, and we really havent' had time to do a whole lot of packing. The good thing is I was able to quit doing the rebate job, since I make so much at Wal-Mart. Doing rebates would push me over the $940 a month to make. And with Wal-Mart I am just about there.

I have a cute picture my mom took of us in our wal-mart dress attire, since Phil works at another store doing instock (which is recieving) and will now be the one in charge of assembling bikes and furntiure. I will have to upload it from my camera, we are a wal-mart family, or at least until he finishes school or something else comes along in his field.

Wish me luck packing!

Happy Birthday Phil!!

Today is my husband Phil's 30th birthday. He says he feels old, but I told him that he is still a spring chicken. I wish I had the money to give him a really fantastic birthday and maybe even a party, since turning 30 is a big birthday, but my parents are taking us out to dinner tonight to the new Texas Roadhouse that just opened up not too far from here, and since we all love that place, it should be fun.

Speaking of Phil, he has decided to go back to school and further his education. Work has been really slow in his trade and he wants to finally get out from being the low man on the totem pole and actually make it up into the big leagues. So we found that ITT Tech has a Bachelor program in Construction Management, so we made an appointment and went through the whole process of getting him enrolled. He starts school on Sept. 8th, and will be entering at first the Associates Degree program in Drafting and Design. He'll learn such programs as Autocad, and will learn how to draft up housing plans and do 3D modeling and such. The recruiter said that after the two year program, he will be able to enter the job market working for an architect or even for the city designing plans for commercial buildings. After he receives that Applied Sciences Degree, he will do another year and 9 months in the Construction Management Program, where he will get his Bachelor's Degree. This is really a great step he is taking not only for his future, but for our future, and the future of our family down the road. I am very proud of him and can't wait to see him succeed as I know he will.

With me, I am still here, processing those rebates. It is definitely turning into a job where I am spending a lot of nights up late trying to get my work done before my deadline, which is mainly because I have had so much to do during the day that I don't get a chance to do my work until after dinnertime. Like today, I picked up new mail, 330 pieces of mail due by Thursday at 4pm, and I won't get a chance to do any until maybe later tonight because we are going to dinner for Phil's birthday. I just need to get into a good schedule where I work during the day and have less work at night, so I don't have the tired and bloodshot eyes that I do today.

Another new job for Phil, Brandi, and Surgery for Me

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Phil was offered a job working as a Maintenance Tech for an apartment complex. He was supposed to hear on Monday as to where he needed to go for his drug testing, then start taking his certification classes on Tuesday. Well, Monday morning he never heard, so he called and they said they were working on where to send him for the drug testing, and that the room he was supposed to be doing his classes was flooded due to the huge storms that came through here this past weekend. He called again yesterday morning, and they are still giving him the run around. So as we were leaving yesterday morning to take Brandi to get groomed, he gets a call from a guy who I had sent in his resume to a few weeks ago. Turns out, they had a job for him they wanted him to start right away, and come in for an interview that afternoon. The job...working for Intel, which is where he was working when I first met him. At the time he was building the Intel, and he has many certifications from his time working there. This job will be working in their Clean Room, which is where they make the Intel chips and processors, and a Clean Room means that you are working in a zero dust environment and when you have to be certified to know how to work in there, and where the whole suit and booties needed to make sure you don't bring any dust in. Lucky for him, he has all that certifications, and has worked in there before putting in all the machines and testing them He went to the interview yesterday afternoon and the pay is the same as the apartment job, and he signed a two-year contract with them, so this is a permanent position and he will be working there for the next two years, and on August 1st he will be able to start receiving full medical benefits.

So he started work today, he has two days of orientation on site, then Friday he will start working. Seeing as he has worked for Intel before, and this job is right up his alley and he has all the certifications, plus seeing as the apartment people still have not called him, he is taking this job. This is a great job for him, and a great opportunity for us to start making some good money.

Brandi was groomed yesterday, and looks so cute in her two little bows behind her ears. We dropped her off at 11am and at 4pm I still hadn't heard to see if she was done, since her pick-up time said 3:30. We were over on the other side of town, he was doing his interview so I was waiting for him in the truck, and I called to check on her, and they said that Brandi had gotten scared of the hair dryer, because it does get loud, and she pooped when they first turned in on her because she was so scared. So they towel dried her and put her in the kennel where there are dryers and the basically air-dried. So when I called she was just about dry and getting ready for her haircut. Poor thing! When we finally got back here, we picked her up and she was done and looking so pretty! As always, we take her into the store and let her pick out a treat, well I guess from all the excitement of the day, plus who knows when she last when potty, she pooped in the store! So being a good doggy mom, I went over to their pet cleaning area and cleaned it up. We got her treats and took her home, where she was so tired she just slept all night.

I also got the call I had been waiting for from my arthritis doctor. He said that the hardware in my elbow has healed well, but that there is significant deterioration to the joint and that he does suggest the elbow replacement, it is just up to me when I go get it done. So I am going to get a copy of the x-ray from the x-ray place, then call the orthopedic surgeon who did the original surgery and see if he will do the surgery for me. If not, then I will get some referrals and do a consults with other docs until I find one I feel comfortable with. So I know I need to get it done, and this really is the time to do it since I will have people here 24 hours a day to help me if I need it. Now its just a matter of finding all my worker's comp paperwork and deal with them to get my claim re-opened since they are required to cover any procedures needed for the rest of my life that has to do with my elbow.

On top of all these, I have to get oral surgery done again. I had 4 teeth removed in Nov. of 2006. and now I have two more broken teeth and a broken wisdom tooth. So I am going to have them remove the broken teeth, and the rest of my wisdom teeth, just to get it out of the way. Of course, I have a huge fear of dentists, the whole having someone I don't know put their hands in my mouth. But as long as I am under sedation, I can do it.

Well, I guess I better head off, seeing as Brandi has now climbed up on the bed behind me, put her two front paws on the arm rest of my chair, and is licking my face and pawing my arms. She's got her ball and I guess she's ready to play...how can I deny that!

Good news, and not so good news

As I've talked about before, Phil and I have been wanting to get a business starting, with him being an Independent Licensed Contractor. Well, we got past the hurdle of getting him licensed, only problem now is that the home improvement store he wants to work through is not hiring any new contractors at this time. They said with the economy as it is, they aren't getting a lot of sales for new door and window installations, which is what he will be doing. It's not to say they won't be hiring in the near future, but for right now we had to find something else for him to do work wise. I found a job for him a few weeks ago, an apartment company who was looking for a maintenance technician. The apartment company is fairly well known around here, so I knew it was a good company for him to apply too. He got a call back right away, they were impressed with his resume and wanted him to get in with the recruiter for an interview. So he went today and got the job! He is making good money, will have full medical, dental, and vision benefits after 30 days (which is great for me because I need to have more oral surgery done, and get either new glasses or contacts), and they are also going to pay for him to take classes this month to become HVAC certified (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning). These classes usually cost hundreds of dollars and to be certified for that is going to mean that a lot of job opportunities will be open up to him, and will work well for his licensing. After he passes those classes, in 30 days he will then be making $5 more an hour, and get a promotion. He goes tomorrow to walk through the property and meet the managers and other maintenance staff, then he should start on Monday. He will be working very early morning hours, so he will be home early in the afternoons, and working 50 hours a week, and every 3 weeks he will be on call 24 hours a day.

This really has taken a lot of stress off of us, because it was hard to hear we wouldn't be able to start our business right away, and harder that no one else seemed to be hiring, and if they were the pay was so low we were basically working for free because all of the money went into gas. So now we are going to be able to start getting back on our feet financially, and it looks like I may not have to go out and get a job either, which with being in the chair and only allowed to make a certain amount to still get my social security, it is hard to find anything.

As for me, I had two doctor visits today. First was to my OB/GYN to get my Depo birth control shot. I get the shot every three months and I love it. You don't have to worry about having that time of the month, and it has really helped with my arthritis because I would get mini-flares about a week before my cycle was supposed to start, and now it is not an issue.

I then went to my Rhuematologist, I had blood work done a few weeks ago, and I had to go in to get my results. I also had to tell him about the trouble I am having with my right elbow. In 2002 I shattered my elbow in three places while at work, and I have 2 plates and 14 screws holding it together. I have very limited movement in it, I can bend it up and down, but I can't touch my shoulder, and I can't put my palm up. They told me that within five years, I would need an elbow replacement. So far it has held up amazingly well, until a few weeks ago, when it has started locking up on me, popping, cracking when I bend it, and even now as I type it is popping somewhat and giving me some discomfort. So he wants me to get x-rays done tomorrow, and even though he didn't say definitely, it sounds like I am going to have to give in and get the elbow replacement. Of course, I am not happy about this at all, and very nervous about it, but realistically it is the best thing to do, because I will get more movement out of it, and range of motion, and won't have to worry about it again in the long run. So we'll see what the x-rays show. He also said my liver and kidney function is back to normal after the terrible bout of kidney infections I had, so good to hear, but my other numbers were off the charts, all the numbers the check to see how my arthritis is doing. He asked if I had been getting flares and I said yes, and he said I will keep getting them with my numbers so high. Like, one level they check should be at a 6.5, and mine was at a 65!!! So he put me back on the Enbrel, which is an injectable medication, I give myself a shot of it once a week. I have been on this medicine before, with wonderful results. Only problem is that for a month supply, it will cost you $2000! And Medicare of course, won't cover it. But not to worry, because he said that Enbrel has been sending him limited quantities of the medication for his patients, so I can get it from him, and they will just charge medicare, so that way I can get the medicine I need. So I took my first shot today, and he said this medicine will help get my levels back to normal and stop the flares.

So some good news, and some not so good news today. I still have a lot of thinking to do about the elbow replacement, and I will want to have a consult with the orthopedic surgeon who operated on my elbow to begin with, because he did such an amazing job, and I feel comfortable with him. I'll see what he says, and what the surgery will entail. It's just such a huge surgery, and who wants to go through all that, plus the physical therapy. But maybe in the long run, it will be the best thing.

Happy 4th of July!

I hope all you blog friends out there had a very happy and safe 4th of July!

My 4th of July started off with a mid-morning trip to Wal-Mart, to get what we needed for dinner that night. Phil and I headed off, and couldn't believe how crowded and busy the place was. With this new Wal-Mart opening, it hasn't been super busy, even on the weekends, because there is another Wal-Mart about 20 minutes away. So people on one side of the town can go to that one, and everyone over here can go to the new one. So we ventured in and I swear, almost everyone there had a watermelon in their cart, including us. I never realized just what a 4th of July staple watermelon is. People were buying them so much, that while we were there, we saw four guys bringing out palettes of watermelon and refilling the bins, while people just stood around them in anxious anticipation, wanting to get their hands on the fattest melon.

We finally got home and unloaded all the groceries, and then it was time for mom and I to start preparing food. We made our homemade potato salad, and then we also cut up the watermelon into pieces for dessert. So mom is cutting up the melon, and she is giving me the rinds that have fruit still left on them, so I am munching away, and this watermelon was juicy! My shirt was all wet and I was sticky and with all the water in the melon, I got full fast! She finishes cutting up the rest of the melon and when she was done, she took her cutting board to throw away all the seeds on it, and I hear her say "Help me, Help me!", but too late, watermelon just flew off the cutting board and onto the floor. We were just laughing as we picked up the melon, and while she went to wash her hands, I decided to move the trash can out of the way, only to knock it over, so there goes more watermelon all over the kitchen floor! It was so comical! So I go get Phil and tell him I need him to take the trash out, not letting him in on the fact that I have now created a huge mess, so he walks in the kitchen and just shakes his head, because he knows me, and he knows I make a mess!

So after the watermelon fiasco, we make the potato salad and rest a bit before starting the hamburgers (turkey burgers for me). Out our kitchen window we can see that there are huge storm clouds brewing, so we tune into the Weather Channel to find there is a severe thunderstorm warning, and the storm seems to be heading this way. This storm looked huge, and since we all love storms, we were getting excited that perhaps this was finally going to be the first big monsoon storm of the summer. So we waited...and waited....and waited...the sky got darker, the wind kicked up a bit....but nothing! Once again, the storm just moved right past us!

The good thing about not getting a storm, however, was that Phil and I were able to go outside and see fireworks. About three miles from us is a farm called Schnepf Farms, they are famous for their peaches in the spring, and there is a lot of activities for kids and families there. Every year they have a 4th of July celebration, with fireworks going off at 9:15pm. The weather was nice and cool, about 87 degrees with a breeze, and lightening out in the distance from the storm that passed us by, so we decided to head down to the clubhouse. We live on a golf course and at the clubhouse you have a perfect spot to watch the fireworks, without paying the $10 a carload to get into event at the farm. We took Brandi, who had never seen fireworks before, and to make sure she was calm and wouldn't be scared by the fireworks and the loud noise, we walked her all the way there. And let me tell you, this was one happy pup! She loves walks anyway, but with it being so hot, she only gets short walks because the heat wears her out. But last night, with it being so cool, she was loving the long walk and fresh air. We got to the clubhouse and I poured some water into her bowl we brought along, and she took some big drinks and just sat next to me, watching the fireworks and the people who had also come down there to see the show. She didn't get scared by the noise at all, which I was so glad to see.

Once the show was over, we took Brandi back home, and she was out for the rest of the night, and in fact right now she is laying next to me on the bed, with her head on my pillow, sleeping away. She had a big night! And so did I, when we got home from seeing the fireworks we were watching a movie and I fell asleep, I was pooped! So today, and hopefully tomorrow, will just be a nice, relaxing weekend, and hopefully storms won't pass us by!

29 Years of Kimbo

Friday was my 29th birthday. I seriously can't believe that I am a year away from being 30. I guess in a lot of ways, I feel younger then I am, and I wonder where the time has gone, and why it has flown by so fast. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was in high school, playing in the marching band, with no responsibilities, not a care in the world. But then there are some days, when the bills are piling up, and work is hard to come by, and the stresses and pressures of life get to you, and all you want is a better life for you and your husband, that makes me really feel my age and see how life has changed from those carefree days if being a wide-eyes teenager, with the world at my fingertips and wild dreams of what adult life would be like. I find now that birthday's aren't as exciting as they used to be when I was a kid, when it was all I could do to contain my excitement for the upcoming day. This year, it really just sort of felt like any other day. But I did have a wonderful birthday weekend.

Friday, my actual birthday, I didn't go anywhere, just stayed in and relaxed. Phil has been working long hours, so by the time he gets home it is sometimes after 7pm and he is so tired from being in the intense heat all day that we made plans to go out Saturday. Friday morning though, dad came home that morning with a birthday cake, and a Pooh balloon, another balloon with a little felt bag with candy in it, and a beautiful card. For lunch, they bought us Panda Express, since I am always craving their Orange Chicken. And we had a simple dinner and cake at night.

Saturday, Phil and I celebrated my birthday together. My parents had given me a few gift cards for my birthday, one to Target, which I bought a new purse, because I needed one, my other one was falling apart. We then had a little lunch, and headed over to the movies. We got their early, so we shopped in PetSmart, where I fell in love with this cute tabby kitty that was so tiny, and the women let me hold it, of course as soon as I grab it, the thing starts purring. But alas, I am not a cat person, and I know that Brandi would probably chase it around the house. She is good with other dogs, but doesn't seem to take too kindly to cats.

By the time we finished browsing around PetSmart, it was time to head over to the movies. We saw Wanted, the new Angelina Jolie movie. Let me just say the movie was OK, very gory. People were getting shot in the head all the time and you would actually see it, with all the blood and such. And it was very unrealistic. But you get to see Angelina naked from behind, so the men seemed to like that.

After the movie we headed across the parking lot to have dinner at Olive Garden. It was a 30 minute wait, so we sat outside and Phil commented that he thought he was missing a diamond from his wedding ring. So I looked at it and told him no, then happened to look at my ring and noticed that I have a diamond missing!! On my engagement ring, the center store is a princess cut shape, made up of 6 diamonds. So I am missing one of the diamonds, and I feel terrible! So now I keep staring at it because I am upset and it just looks odd now, and now I have to tear this place apart to find the box and the receipt that is with it so we can take it in and get it replaced.

Dinner helped take my mind off it, however. The food was amazing. We had stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer, and they were wonderful. The came the salad and bread sticks, which I could have just had that for dinner and been happy. I got the Chicken Alfredo and he just got ready Alfredo, and we just sat and ate and enjoyed.

After dinner we headed over to the other side of the parking lot to the Wal-Mart. We had left Brandi by herself since 2 in the afternoon, and even though my dad took her out to go potty while we were gone, we wanted to get her a little something. She longs rawhide bones, and had just finished hers the other day, so we bought her a new one, plus a box of Mighty Dog with 12 cans of either Tenderloin Tips or Porterhouse Steak in a Savory Sauce. Tell me this dog isn't spoiled!

Today we decided to do one last birthday fun thing, and head over to the grand opening of Dick's Sporting Goods in the SanTan Village Shopping Center in Gilbert. The place was packed, but because my husband loves sporting good stores, I didn't mind going with him. Boy, was that a mistake. The staff was so rude, especially when we wanted to go upstairs and could not for the life of us find the elevator and we asked a girl and she treated us like we were stupid, directing us to this tiny space behind huge shoe racks that had a tiny sign that said elevator and the elevator barely could fit the chair. An woman almost sat in my lap, she was walking backward and not looking behind her and ran into me. And the aisles were so narrow that I could not get my chair down them. Plus, the prices were outrageous. We can get better prices for such things as ammo at Wal-Mart and even Bass Pro for cheaper. Needless to say, we were there maybe 20 minutes before we decided this was not a store for us. What I thought was sweet was Phil said that if a place isn't accessible for me, then it wasn't a place he wanted to be. He is so considerate of things like that for me.

So we came home and decided to spend the rest of the day and night just relaxing from our busy birthday weekend. I have to say, even though I feel old, it was a pretty good birthday, and so good to get out of the house and do something fun for a change.

Flare Time

Last night I had a really terrible arthritis flare, one like I haven't had in a long time.

Phil and I had plans to go fishing last night for catfish at the lake, but about two hours before we were supposed to go I started not feeling well. I told him to go on without me though, because there was nothing he could do to help me and my mom was here if I needed anything, and I was starting to feel better, but just thought it was best to rest.

About ten minutes after he left, I was in the kitchen helping my mom finish dinner, when my knees started to swell up and throb, and the pain went up my leg. And it go to the point where during dinner, the rest of my body started swelling up and getting very stiff and sore, and I could barely feed myself dinner because my hands and arms hurt so bad.

After dinner I decided to lay down in my bed, and took my anti-inflammatory pill and my muscle relaxer that I normally use for back pain. I laid down in bed and started getting the chills, which I knew right then that I was having an arthritis flare up. My temperature gets high and I get the chills because my body is fighting off the flare. I found some Advil as I was out of the Tylenol I normally take, and was able to get a few hours sleep, and when I woke up, I was drenched in sweat, which is what I wanted because then I knew my fever broke and I would start feeling better soon.

I was finally able to get to sleep around midnight and Phil came home from fishing around 6am and was so sad to hear what I had gone through during the night, but I was actually glad that I was by myself because when I get that sick like that, I really just want to be left alone and ride it out because I just like to be miserable by myself. That's why I didn't let him know I was going through such a hard time, plus my mom was here if I did need anything.

When I woke up this morning, my body was feeling so much better. Most of the time, by the next morning, I am feeling back to normal. But the index finger on my right hand was very swollen and tight feeling, and it has not changed all day. I have been putting ice on it to see if I could get the swelling to go down, and it hasn't. So if it is still the same way tomorrow, then I am going to call my arthritis doctor and let him know and see if he has any suggestions as to how to fix it, or see if he needs to see me. Phil is really worried about my finger being like this, as is my mom, and they don't want to see this finger turn into anything worse, but I really just feel like it is the last of my flare and keeping ice on it until I go to bed tonight will help the swelling go down in the night.

Brandi was such a good dog last night though. I really think she can sense that I wasn't feeling well. Her and I have gotten really close, I think mainly because I have really been working with her, training her on behavior and walking on the leash without pulling, and during the day when Phil is working it is just me and her hanging out, because with the weather above 100 degrees, I no longer keep her outside after noon. But last night she sat either right at my feet or up toward my head, sleeping with me and making sure I was OK, and sometimes just staring at me and putting a paw on me to let me know she was there. Even now, as I write this, she is laying on the pillow I have my laptop on just starting at me, I suppose to let me know she is here in case she needs me. I really lucked out in finding her at the Humane Society, she has really turned out to be an amazing dog, and companion.

Fun at the SSA

Part of newly married fun is getting to change your name to your new husband's last name. Only thing is, trying to get your name changed can be such a hassle, and one that makes you, according to my friend Kelly, never want to get remarried and have to do the process all over again (haha).

Arizona now has a new building in downtown Phoenix on 7th Ave and Van Buren that handles changing your name, you can no longer go into a local office near your home. For those that aren't familiar with the Phoenix Metro Area, let's just say this office sits in the middle of ghetto town, surrounded by illegal immigrants looking to get picked up for work. This office is about 40 miles from our house, so since Kimbo Husband had the day off, I made him take me down there to get this done once and for all.

This new office was really nice, and luckily there wasn't that many people there, and after being searched by the security guard, it only took about ten minutes before they called our number. The guy asked for pretty much all my information; social security number, mother's maiden name, city and date of birth, everything except asking for my first born. He then asked if I would be changing my name to Fry, or a different name. I wanted to say, "Um, is there another name on that paper?". But I was polite. At the end, Phil joked with the guy asking how quickly I could get my name changed back to my maiden name, and the guy just gave Phil this dead on stare and we thought,"Wow, this guy is not to be joked around with!". Finally he says, "You know, I've been waiting for when my wife tells me my time is expired", and then started joking around with us..phew!

After this, we had to go downstairs to the Social Security District Office, because I had to make sure to get my name changed for my disability benefits and Medicare. This place was a lot more packed, so we go to sign in. The woman asks for my full name, so I said since I just changed it upsets, my name is...and I gave her my full name, using Fry. Then I kinda laughed and told her what my maiden name was and I said I guess I have to use my new name now and she looked at me and sternly said, "Not Yet!". I was like, whoa lady! So she enters me into the computer and tells me they will call my name, and then proceeds to tell me they will call me by my first name and my maiden name, just in case, I don't know, I forgot what my maiden name from ten minutes ago. I finally get called up to a window and everything gets changed over, and I ask the lady when I will be getting my new Medicare card and she says, "Oh, I guess I can order one of those to be sent to you". Hmm...ya think that might be a good idea.

So I got out of there and now I have to wait two days for their system to update before I can go and get my driver's license changed, and after that I can go through the process of changing my name at the bank, credit cards, and all that fun stuff. Who knew changing a name would such tough work!

It is strange though, because in a sense I sort of feel like I don't know who I am anymore. Well, I guess that really isn't quite true, but when you have had one name for 28 years, and then all the sudden you have a new name, and you have to learn to write that instead of your old one, and you have all your legal documents being changed, I sort of feel in the middle between two people, the old me and the new married me. When I have to write my new name, I have to take a second before writing it because I keep writing the old one, and when someone asks me my name, I have to correct myself because I forget. Don't get me wrong, I am not upset about having to change my name, on the contrary I am very excited about it. I just find it strange how in an instant your suddenly a new person with a new name.

Marriage: A One Month Review

Tomorrow Phil (also known as Kimbo Husband) and I will have been married a month. Surprisingly, it seems like it has been a lot longer. Not in a bad way, mind you, but I suppose because even though the entire year we were together we weren't legally married, we felt married to each other.

A few people have asked me if married life feels different, and honestly, I have to say not really. At first, it seemed sort of strange. We talked so much about being married, but when it happened I remember looking at him thinking, "Wow, I actually have a husband", and then "Wow, we've really made a huge commitment". But overall, we really stepped into marriage as if it were already a comfortable old shoe, it was familiar and nice, and seemed like it was just the right thing to be doing.

Life really hasn't changed for us, I don't feel differently about him then I did before, and our normal day to day routine hasn't changed. We sort of just got married, and then went back to doing what we do. We've had our hard times though since being married, and it is all due to finances, which what couple doesn't get stressed about money. Work is slow and the gas prices are killing us, and we get frustrated over it and can at times take it out on each other, but we have never been a couple to yell and scream and fight at each other. A voice may be raised, but we love each other enough to take a step back and say let's take a look at what's really bothering us, or letting the other know your not upset with them, but this is what is bothering you.

The one thing I do love, though, is being able to say I am married. My whole life I have always wanted a husband, and a family. When I was younger, say my early twenties, I felt that the whole purpose of life was to meet someone and get married and start a family. As I grew up, I realized that getting married wasn't the most important thing in life, which is maybe why I ended up finding Phil and fulfilling my dream. I no longer hold marriage up on some pedestal where I thought life would be easy and blissful. Instead I know that it is full of rough patches and ups and downs, but if the love is there, you can make it through anything. But there are a few things I love, such as being able to, in conversation, make mention that "my husband did this", or "my husband and I went here". And of course, I love wearing my ring and being able to look down at my hand and see that symbol of our love and commitment to each other.

Now, I know that as our marriage continues, the newness will wear off and I won't look at my ring all the time and show it off, and won't keep saying the word husband in every other sentence, but right now I am just enjoying being a wife and looking forward to where our life is going to take us.

I now pronouce you Mr. and Mrs. Kimbo

Well blog friends, I am proud to announce that as of 5pm yesterday, Phil and I were pronounced husband and wife. I am now officially Mrs. Phillip Fry.

May 9th was our one year anniversary of the day we first met, and we decided what better day to get married then on our anniversary. As much as we wanted to have a bigger celebration with our families, money didn't permit it, and instead we had a very small, intimate ceremony with my parents with a justice of the peace. He performed a very beautiful ceremony, he had some wonderful things to say about marriage and the commitment we were making to each other and he actually had a tear in his eye as he performed it. We figure after a day of having to deal with court and sending people to jail, it must be so nice to end the day by marrying couples.

After the wedding my parents took us out to dinner and we had a great time. There was a balloon artist there who came up to us and asked if we wanted a balloon and my mom told them that we had just gotten married, so he made me a balloon that looked like a whip and Phil one that was handcuffs haha! And my mom also told the waitress that we had just gotten married so at the end of the meal she brought the both of us a dish of ice cream, on the house.

It was a very fun day and night, and even though we didn't do anything special or have a big fancy celebration, it was perfect for us. We have already felt like we were married for the past year, but now we just made it officially. I never thought that I would have the chance to get married but now that I am it feels nice to know that I have a family of my own now. I have always wanted someone to stand by my side and support me through life's ups and downs and it is so nice to look at him and know that he loves me unconditionally and that we have our whole life together to make wonderful memories.

2007: A Year in Review

Happy New Years' Eve! I first want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday and if you are going out tonight, make sure to be careful on the roads and if you plan on drinking, make sure to use a designated driver.

This is always the time of year when you sit back and reflect on the year that is coming to an end, and see just how far you have come, and just how good and bad things have been. It is also a time to be grateful that we made it through another year, and are lucky to be able to see another one.

For me, 2007 turned out to be a year of surprises, and full of things I didn't expect. At the first of the year, I was out on the dating scene, meeting a few nice people, but unfortunately, a lot of unsavory fellows. I had truly gotten to the point where I did not think there was any good men out there and figured I would just spend my days being alone. But that all changed on May 9th, when I met a man who in an instant changed my life in so many ways, and that was Phil. Our romance was definitely whirlwind, on our first date we both knew we were meant to be together and fell in love with each other, and exactly a week after our first date, he asked me to marry him, to which I said yes. I know that many thought we were crazy and that our relationship would fizzle out, but next Sunday we will have been together for 8 months and we're still going strong.

2007 also saw me finally being able to move out on my own, as I never had the ability to live on my own financially. Phil and I moved into a small, but cozy apartment that we have made our home, and as much as I miss being able to spend everyday with my parents, especially my mom, since her and I are so close, it is nice to be able to finally start my life and have a home of my own, one where I can decorate how I want and can take care of.

Unfortunately, despite all the good things that have happened this year, there have been some bad. Besides some financial hardships we have encountered, I have dealt with a few medical problems that have put me in the hospital twice. I developed a kidney infection in November and while in the hospital, I had a miscarriage at 7 weeks. It was devastating and it is still something that we are getting over, but everything happens for a reason. Then a month later, the infection came back and I was back in the hospital. For now I am feeling good, and I have a doctor appointment this week to get checked out to make sure the infection is gone or is going away, and hopefully 2008 will be a better one medical wise, and no more hospital visits.

We also welcomed a new addition into the family, our 8 month old Australian Shepard Mix puppy, Brandi. She is definitely a bundle, but she is so adorable and she really is a good puppy.

I hope that on this New Years' Eve, as you reflect about the year that has passed you, that you have had more good times then bad, and that 2008 will be a good year for all of us. For me, I am looking forward to getting married and having a good new year with my family and friends.

Happy New Year blog friends!!!

Christmas Celebrations

Hi there blog friends! I hope you all had a happy and safe Christmas. I don't know about you, but I am glad that it is finally over. As much as I love the season, now we have 11 months to relax before doing it all over again.

This Christmas was the first one that Phil and I spent together, and it was a busy weekend. It started Saturday with dinner at my Grandma Beth's house. She made us dinner and gave us some great gifts, including the fish pen for Phil (now he can fish whenever, where ever), and for me a scrap booking kit that I can't wait to open up and start using as soon as I print out some pictures, and the new Harry Potter movie, which I was so happy to get since I missed seeing it in the theater.

Sunday we spent at my Grandma Joan's house with my mom, where we had another dinner and Phil and I received an amazing gift from her, a 26 inch LCD Flat screen HDTV. It is a Christmas/Wedding Present, and let me tell you, you haven't really watched TV until you have watched it in High Def. I swear, it is like you are right there. When they say you can count blades of grass, they really aren't kidding!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we spent at my parent's house. Mom and I made dinner together, just like we used to do when I was living at home, and it was just a fun and relaxed holiday.

So needless to say, Phil and I were happy to be able to spend the holiday with family, but very glad that Wednesday we had no where to go and could just spend the evening at home. Of course, this is when I decided I needed to get a cold, and have been dealing with it for the past few days. It doesn't seem to be a very long cold, seeing as I am feeling a lot better then I was yesterday, and it seems to be just a head cold, but it is never fun. At least I wasn't sick for Christmas like I have been the past few years. And I should be all better by New Years'. We are staying in New Years' Eve, since there are so many drunks out there on the roads, but I am going to make a nice dinner and then some snackie type foods for later in the night while we ring in the new year. It should be fun.

I am also working on a blog, sort of a review of my 2007. A lot has happened in my life over the past year, some good, some bad, so look for that blog to come out in the new few days.

Peanut

It is truly amazing how your life can change in an instant. How when your least expecting it, things happen in your life that make can either make your world a better place. For me, there are two instances in which I can look back and say my life changed in that instant. The first was the first day Phil and I met, in person. The minute I looked at him and he smiled at me, I knew my life would forever be different and better because he was a part of it and I was right, life hasn't been the same since that day, and I wouldn't change it for the world. The second time that happened to me was Oct. 24, 2007, when the pregnancy test came up positive.

That's right, blog friends, Kimbo is expecting a little one. My cycle was supposed to start on Oct. 23rd, and it isn't rare for me to either be early, or be late. But something felt different this month, and Phil ran off to get me a test, even though I figured I should wait a week before doing so. I took the test, which frankly is sort of degrading, sitting there peeing on a damn stick, but I did it and immediately a plus sign started forming. I sat there, shaking, not believing my eyes. It wasn't a faint line, it was a very visible "Your knocked up" plus sign, and I took the test out to Phil. He looked at it and I saw his eyes water and a shocked, yet happy look on his face and he got up and started dancing around, calling all his family and friends. I called just my mom, and decided to wait to a week and take another test, just to be sure.

A week later, on a Wednesday morning, I took another test, with the same result. It was official. I know people say it is bad luck to tell people during your first trimester, but I am excited and I want to share my news with the people I care about most, because if God forbid something does happen (which I am praying it doesn't), it is those people who I want at my side supporting me.

It seems that there are some people who are not happy about this news. I understand the concern over money and the fact that right now Phil's job isn't always steady, such that happens when working in the construction business. I know some would have liked to see us wait and be married for a year before starting a family, and although that is ideal, sometimes things happen. And I know others worry about my arthritis and whether I am going to be able to care for my child once it is born. And I appreciate every one's worries and concerns, but I wish people seemed to be a little more happy for us. Having a child is truly a blessing in my eyes, and something that I have always wanted. As far back as I can remember it has been my dream to have a family of my own, and I know that not only will I be a good mother, but that Phil is going to be an excellent father. It is at this time that although I know people have concerns, I wish I could get a little more support and happiness and well-wishes, instead of hearing nothing but negative comments, or no comments at all.

At this moment, according to the first day of my last period, I am 6 weeks and 2 days pregnant. My first prenatal visit is Nov. 15th, at which we will have our first ultrasound and get to hear the heartbeat. I am doing pretty well, my breasts are very very tender, and I have had some nausea, and my sense of smell is definitely heightend. And my boobs seems to get bigger by the day (which really isn't a bad thing), and I can cry at the drop of the hat, or turn into the biggest bitch with no notice (which is not a good thing). I am also really tired all the time. Some days I find I have the energy to clean up around here, while other days, like today, I just feel like napping all day long and doing absolutely nothing.

Phil is really getting into the whole thing. There is a website called www.babycenter.com, which when you sign up, it will send you an update each week telling your what week you are in, how your baby is developing that week, and what is going on with you. Each Saturday we get the new email update, and he will sit right next to me with his hand on my tummy while I read what's going on with the development, and also show him the picture they have of what the baby looks like that week. He sits there with a big grin on his face and tears in his eyes. He is a proud and happy daddy already, and I feel so very lucky to have him and have him be so involved.

Now, you might be wondering about the subject line of "Peanut". Well, since it is too soon to tell if it is a boy or a girl, I've been calling the baby Peanut, and Phil has now started calling the baby Peanut as well.

Well, enough of my ramblings for today. I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but it has been quite a busy time around here, and I haven't been online as much as I usually am, but now that things are getting back to normal around here I will be back to regular blogging, and video blogging as well. Until next time, bye blog friends!

Our newest addition

First off, sorry I haven't blogged in a bit. Phil got home Tuesday night and it was so great to see him. Even though he had only been gone for 8 days, it still seemed like longer. He came home with a dozen red roses for me, so sweet.





Other then that, things have been pretty busy around here, we've been out and about running errands and the past two days I have been feeling pretty sicky, so I have been in bed a lot, resting and trying to feel better. Right now Phil is up in Show Low, about 4 hours north of here, camping with his dad, I told him to get even though I didn't feel good because all I am doing it resting and napping and he might as well see his dad, who he hasn't seen in months.





But, during our busy week we did get a new addition to our family...introducing...Brandi....








We adopted her from the Arizona Humane Society. She is a 6 month old Australian Shephard mix, and it also looks like she has some collie in her. When I saw her, all the other dogs in the kennels were barking and she just sat there staring at me. We went around a few times, but we kept getting drawn to her, so we just had to get her. She already knows some basic commands like sit and stay and lay down, and even though they told us she was partially housebroken, she seems completely housebroken to us, hasn't messed in the house once and will go get her leash and bring it to us or scratch at the front door when she needs to go out. Very quiet dog, and very smart, and so sweet. She loves to give us kisses and she really is no trouble at all, at night she will lay at the foot of the bed on the floor, but with Phil being out of town, she slept last night on the bed with me. And she is a heavy sleeper, anytime I moved or got up to go to the bathroom, she never moved, she was dead asleep. Only thing that bugs me is that she will wait forever before going number 2, especially when it is cold outside at night and I am ready for bed. She is a great addition to the family and it is nice to have the company actually. Phil has been wanting a puppy and frankly, while he is at work during the day or if he goes out of town again, it is nice to have her. I planned on doing a video blog of her, but seeing as I have been feeling pretty crappy the since yesterday and have spent most of the weekend sleeping, I will video blog her when I am feeling better.

YAY!!

Guess whose coming home tomorrow!!??

Yes, blog friends, Phil is coming home tomorrow and I am so excited. Turns out his work really screwed him over on the whole deal down there, not sending his check to him on time, and now not paying his per Diem for food and motel cost, meaning that the extra money he makes that we could save away to start our business will go to pay for his motel and food. He might as well come back home and work a normal work week instead of working long hours on the weekend for basically nothing.

Even though its only been a week today since he left, it has been a long week for both of us. We are miserable without each other, and the nights around here have been pretty lonely. I was starting to get used to being alone though, I didn't like it, but I was handling it better then the first few days he was gone. But I am so glad he's coming home, now we can go back to our routine, and there is so much we want to do now that the weather is nice that we had to postpone, so now we can do things again. Plus he will be here to help with wedding plans, and I feel better knowing he's here to help me make decision, so it feels like his wedding too.

Speaking of which, I got the invites to the reception done today and they are so adorable! All I have left to do is address then envelopes and then mail them out in the morning. Once we get married then we will do the same thing but as announcements to send out to the rest of our family and friends.

Well, I am off to start some dinner, and also start watching as many shows as I can on the DVR. I have been going through all my shows each night, trying to get caught up, since he doesn't like all the same shows I do, but I was behind a couple weeks because I just didn't have the time to watch. So hopefully I can get caught up so I don't get behind anymore.

First Night Alone

Phil left this morning a little after 11am. When we woke up this morning we packed all his things and loaded the truck. I tried to make that time go by slowly, and we just kept looking at each other with that look that meant we knew we were going to have to say goodbye soon, but neither one of us wanted to talk about it. Unfortunately, though, that time came and even though I had tried so hard all morning to not cry, the minute he hugged me goodbye I couldn't help myself. Our goodbye wasn't long, because I don't think either one of us could have handled anymore tears, from both of us, and I think it was better that way. Watching him drive away was so hard though. I knew I wouldn't be seeing him for a month and going back into the house alone just broke my heart. I know, its only a month, 30 days, but it is still so hard. Its amazing how someone can come into your life and just change things for the better and make such a difference on who you are. The days I am actually OK being alone, as I am used to it when he is at work. But it's the night that is hard, when I get lonely, when I look over at his chair to tell him something or laugh over something that is on TV and then I remember he's not there. But the night just means he is one more day closer to coming home. I am thinking positively. And it helps that we talk all the time, he calls and checks in, and I call his motel room to check in. He took my laptop to have Internet so we could email, but there is no Internet in the place he's at, so at least we have phone calls, and we both plan on sending letters to each other.

The good thing is that we are finally going to get the money we need to get our business off the ground. He can get licensed and bonded so he can be an independent contractor and I will run the office end of the business from here. As hard as it is to be away from each other, the payoff is worth it.

I should try to lay down and get some sleep, its after midnight and I am usually in bed by this time, but I can't sleep. I am used to him being here, and its hard sleeping alone. Funny how a few months ago when we moved in together I had a hard time sleeping because he was in the bed and I was used to sleeping alone, now its the opposite. But the sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I can stop missing him at least for a few hours.

I promise tomorrow will be a better, happier blog. I am just sad tonight, but as the days go by and I get used to being alone here, I will be better. But I have some good news to blog about, so check back tomorrow! For now...goodnight!