Gargoyles have nothing to do with this blog.

The snow has finally hit Central Indiana! We were snowed in yesterday with a house full of people. And when I say FULL, I mean FULL. Andy stayed home from work because his commute to the northside would have taken him close to 2 hours and it's just not safe to be in your car for that long. Jonah's elementary school closed for the day, so he was here. Jack and Chloe were both here. And we also had Joey who shoveled his way out of our driveway at some point to go visit his girlfriend, Amanda, who was really sick yesterday. Our kind neighbor came over at about 1pm and snow-blowed the rest of our driveway for us, which was just so nice of him. This weekend I am going to bake him some goodies for his efforts. Today is less treacherous and we are all out and about with no problem. After growing up in Northwest Indiana my entire life, I got spoiled when I moved to Indianapolis, where it's usually 10 degrees warmer and we get more ice than snow. I definitely do not miss the "lake effect" winters or shoveling my driveway in Griffith - I had the longest driveway ever. They never called school off up there either! Down here, you get an inch and everything closes down. But, I guess in a small town, we didn't ride buses like every kid here does. I remember walking to school with Tara when I was in third grade through all the snow. Yuck. I do remember school being closed once and that was the big storm of 1998, when I was a junior in high school. I think school was closed for three days. We lost power in our house and Tara, Joey, and I stayed with my high school boyfriend and his family at their house because they had heat and electricity. My dad stayed home at our house and slept on the kitchen floor with a bunch of blankets and boiled water on the gas stove all night to stay warm. Our three cats also slept there with him. Point is, BOO to snow and bad weather!

The kids did go outside yesterday and they had a blast playing in our backyard. Jack had alot of trouble walking through the drifts and was pelted with snowballs a million times by Jonah. They were all bundled up, though, and looked just like the Christmas Story kids. I told Andy that the baby wanted to play in the snow, too, so he told me to go stick my belly in the snow. I considered it, but figured I would fall down or something and hurt myself!

Speaking of our precious baby girl, she has been kicking the crap out of me lately! She is definitely inheriting my amazing cheerleader kicks. I'm also starting to feel like a cat. Everytime I lie down on the couch I have either Andy or Jack or both lying with me and rubbing my belly. Believe me, it's very sweet and I love it, but man, I could never be a cat and get pet all the time.

Our next appointment is in 2 weeks, but it's just the boring glucose test. I'm also getting excited for the first round of baby shower invites to be sent out this weekend! Thank you to Nicole for working on them! I'm sure they will be absolutely lovely. The next set will be sent out by Feb. 15th for the Indianapolis shower. Andy and I have also been working hard on baby names. We have been narrowing it down, but we are still not there yet. We are going to Barnes and Noble this weekend to find a couple more baby name books to see if anything else jumps out at us. We are getting more and more excited, though, and have been having many conversations revolving around the baby, how she will look, her and the boys together and the plans we have for them, etc. I, myself, am more excited then I ever thought I would be and Andy is gonna have to pry her out of my hands. Even though he thinks he will be the one holding her all the time, I have news for him. We are both just thrilled about having her and making her part of our family.

He keeps me on my toes....

Well, I jumped on here to write a blog about registering and it looks like Andy has beat me to it. And yes, everyone, his words are true. I do make him suffer through 2 hours of The Bachelor each and every week. I think he forgot to tell you, though, that he has already picked his "favorite" and his "runner-ups". We agree on the favorite - the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader named Melissa, so we'll see who gets the final rose in the end. ANYWAY, not here to talk about The Bachelor! Thankfully, LOST starts up again this week and that is one show we don't fight over.

So, yes, we did register for our baby showers on Saturday. As someone who has never registered for anything, this was quite an overwhelming experience. I had a seasoned veteran with me, which helped alot, because I think if we had both been first time parents we would have been there for 8 hours instead of 4. We had alot of decisions to make and we spent so much time comparing items and going back and forth throughout the store as we thought of things we might want to change. We had fun, though, both of us picturing in our head what our little girl would look like sitting in her stroller or sleeping in her crib. We did the clothes last - onesies, sleepers, etc., and I think this is where it really got Andy imagining holding a teeny tiny baby girl. I heard alot of awww's and saw that look in his eyes that I have loved since I met him - the look of a dad who truly and unconditionally loves his children and would do anything for them. He makes me melt...still. : )

If you wish to look, you can check out our registry online at Babies R Us. I believe you just find it under my last name - VAZNONIS.

On the non-baby front, we are just looking forward to the Superbowl and hoping the Steelers win. If we can't have the Colts, we have to at least have a team we respect, so Go Steelers! Today is the inauguration of our new President and I made Jack watch it, even though he doesn't really understand. He was impressed by all the people at the Mall, though, so maybe it will be something he will remember when he is older. My boss at the pharmacy gave me an amazing set schedule and it will really relieve all my aches and pains. I will do anything to avoid muscle relaxers, as I am not the sort of person who likes to be medicated in the first place. Jack and Jonah are both doing well. Jonah has had a few days off from school with snow days and MLK Day, but he went back today to endure the madness of the 4th grade. His Nana has been at the house helping him get his room in order and that was a huge relief off our backs. Thanks, Ann!! Jack is doing Jack things, which are always just super cute and fun to watch. I wish I could videotape his entire toddler years. My brother is here staying with us for a bit, trying to find a job and get his own apartment. I'm taking my big Pharmacy exam in March, so hopefully after I have the baby, I can take my Certification to a hospital and get out of retail pharmacy!

I've had a few takers on seeing Mall Cop with me, so Marcie and Lindsay - I'm holding you to this. Today I am cleaning the house, but I promise to take down the baby gates before I start mopping. : )

And yes, we will get to the whole name thing soon. I don't agree with taking a poll because if you know me and if I ask you for your advice or your opinion, I will listen but I still do whatever I want. So, if you wish to give your input, please do, but in the end it will be me saying yes or no. And Andy...maybe.

legoland looks boring...

i know my posts seem to be media based, but it's just what i've been dealing with lately. so i hope this baby knows how much i love her. she needs to understand that i love her so much that i have had to sit with her mom and watch "the bachelor" for the last 3 weeks straight. i won't even go into why this is an issue for me, as that should be obvious, but what show is 2 hours long EVERY WEEK? jesus. i just hope that since the shows are 2 hours, the season will be only be half as long. did i mention i was allowed to catch the tail end of "desperate housewives" before watching "the bachelor"? it was an amazing night to say the least.

on the baby name front, still undecided. maybe i should start a poll? i think we will have the name soon, within a month. serious negotiations are about to begin. she was moving a lot last night, which is always good. seems like she's easier to catch now that she has moved sideways. good stuff. We also spent about 4 hours saturday doing the baby registry. it was a bear, but we picked out some awesome stuff. i also picked out some cheesy activity stuff that i'm sure she is going to love. i'm sure jenni will go more into all of that. just so you know, today jenni and the baby are 6 months and 1 week. in case you all are keeping track. which i know you are.

I'm getting concerned....

this is andy this time. you'll know it's me in the future cause i can't be bothered to capitalize usually. so i'm new to this blogging thing, but last night i was moved to make a post. i want to go on record as saying that i have some concerns with how jenni is going to influence and raise our daughter. for the last 2 weeks, she won't stop talking about how funny she thinks Paul Blart: Mall Cop looks (opening today, check the poster). to me, this is the kind of movie that my dad would rent from the crappy video stores you find in groceries, and jenni is all about it. i would like to impart upon our sweet girl some of my interests (questionable as they may be), and i feel that jenni is going to sabotage all of this. with that said, someone please take jenni to see this stupid movie so i don't have to. she is particularly excited about the scene where he (paul blart: mall cop) tries to slide on the floor behind the sign, can't quite make it, and has to keep scooting his way across the floor to it. she laughs at it like she laughs at fat cat videos on afv. i can't be a part of that. and i don't want my baby to be a part of that. just voicing my concern for the welfare of my child to anyone listening.

on the baby name front, i am still pulling for the name stella, but we still need to put pen to paper and hammer everything out. stella was my suggestion, and i think sometimes that first instincts are best. jenni's belly continues to get rounder and cuter, and she continues to drive me insane with her fickleness for food items, which changes on a daily basis, usually resulting in tears. but we're at 6 months now (!!!), so i think i just might make it. i know, poor me. everyone pray for me that i can find something in the kitchen tonight that will appease the jenni. see ya.

I believe "pug" and "pig" are interchangeable...

Well, today I had another mid-wife appointment and that went really well. After falling almost 2 weeks ago, it was amazing to hear the heartbeat again. She also went over the ultrasound results with me and our little girl is just absolutely perfect so far. She was in breech position 4 weeks ago and now she is lying from side to side, so she is making her way head down. Hopefully she is not breech, because I was and I have a lovely large dent in my head from the forceps. At least I think this is where it came from. Maybe my mom or dad dropped me and never told me the real story. : ) But, we'll go with the forceps. Other than that, everything else was routine. I gained another 2 pounds, which is good, so my total so far for my pregnancy is 4 lbs! My mid-wife think I am getting the flu, as I am extremely nauseous (and not the pregnancy kind) and I have a fever of 101. Hopefully I won't get it, but we'll see.

In other news...the baby showers are underway! Nicole (my BFF), Tara (my sister), and my grandma have been working on mine up north and we have set a date for March 14th. I can't wait to see everyone. Last night, I met with Autumn (our daughter's aunt), Amanda (my BFF), and Andy's mom, Ann. We started planning my Indianapolis area baby shower and have set a date of March 28th. Ann was gracious enough to provide us with her very lovely home for the location and Amanda and Autumn are on a search for invitations. Andy and I are going to register on Saturday and I can't wait! I will be registering at Babies R Us.

Last weekend we took Andy's boys to the Indiana State Museum. It was actually my first time there and it was really interesting. Andy and I are both history buffs, so it was just as fun for us.

Speaking of the boys, they are both getting really excited for their new little sister. Jack kisses my belly 20 times a day and "talks" to his sister all the time. Jonah is always asking if the baby has moved any and we had him feel how hard my stomach feels right now and I think it sort of grossed him out, but it was funny.

Right now we are just trying to survive the winter months. We don't get much snow here, but alot of ice and freezing temps. My younger brother, Joey, will be here soon. He is moving down here to be closer to his girlfriend and family (me!). It will be so nice to have him here and to be an uncle to his new niece. Other than that, I'm just engulfing myself in my favorite TV shows and trying to relax as much as possible during the winter. I've also run out of baby books to read, as I've read them all already. I think I had at least 6 of them.

We are still deciding on names for her, so we'll let you know when we know! Lots of people ask, but this is a tough decision for us. We agree on at least 4 names, so that's a pretty good start. I'm obsessed with "A" names, so I've got Abigail, Ava, Anna, Allison...and Andy agrees on all these, too. Other possibilities are Ella and Stella, which we both like, too. I'm just sick of finding a name I really like and then seeing online that it is in the Top 10 names! Seriously. Annoying!

I hope everyone stays warm and is careful on the ice!

Love, The Absent-minded Pregnant Girl...

I took a pretty bad spill on Friday afternoon, but the good news is the baby is okay. I tripped over a baby gate while carrying a bucket full of dirty water (I was mopping the kitchen floor). I have about 15 bruises and scrapes, but I'm just glad everything else is okay. I was pretty upset and scared and after talking to my nurse and my pharmacist, I felt better. Andy came home early that day and we had to do self-observations for the next 6-8 hours. We had to check for movement, spotting, or cramping. Thankfully I did not have any spotting or cramping. We had a hard time trying to feel the baby, though, but that is because I have an anterior placenta and will not feel much movement throughout my entire pregnancy. She does like to kick my sides, though, when she feels her daddy's hand on me.

On Sunday, I was backing the car out of the garage and I slammed it into the frame of the garage door and ripped it right off. I could tell Andy was a bit perturbed, but realized I am just so out of it these days, and he let it go. Thanks, dear. : )

Then yesterday I completely forget to go to work in the evening. I even looked at my schedule yesterday and thought, oh good I don't have to work tonight. I got a call around 7pm from the pharmacy and realized I had looked at the schedule completely wrong. Andy and I were laughing about it and then I just started to get upset and frustrated because I am not a ditz, I am not a klutz, and I am a good driver! Being pregnant can be amazing, but it also makes me feel so not myself anymore. Thankfully I have a very sweet boyfriend that reminds me that it's okay and he laughs with me about it.

Tonight Andy is taking me on a shopping spree....sort of. It's not really any clothes that I want to buy, but I need to. I am very uncomfortable in my clothes when I am at work, so I need to find clothes with more comfortable materials. I am vowing to not wear maternity clothes, as I cannot stand them, and hoping to just find some cute, stretchy outfits in juniors. I also need new shoes because all my shoes feel really small.

The baby showers are being planned as we speak and I am very excited for them! Tara and my Grandma have been discussing plans and they are going to coordinate with Nicole on her ideas. Amanda has just started working on my shower details for the Indianapolis area and I also talked with Autumn about being a part of it, tool, and Amanda is going to also involve Andy's mom, Ann. I think with all these fantastic people involved, they will be great showers! I am super excited about them and I appreciate my friends and family offering to do these things for me. My mom would have thrown me an amazing shower and since she cannot be here to do this, I know these ladies will step up into her place and make me proud. : )

I'm not one to keep a resolution...

but, I figured my sacrifices for this new baby might as well start now. So, my resolution for 2009 is to blog about my pregnancy and post-pregnancy. With my family all over 2 hours away from me, I hope this can help with updates and filling those voids of not being able to be there.

At work yesterday, a co-worker and I were talking about our resolutions. She told me that last year she vowed to not drink one ounce of pop. This was quite amazing to me, as I am a slave to the stuff. She kept her resolution the entire year and she had her first drink of Coke yesterday and hated it. I told her I could never do that to myself, so I would have to come up with something else. So, let's see. I've already given up drinking for the sake of the baby, so that's out. I've become a more habitual person with having to take my prenatal vitamins everyday, so resolving to stick to a routine is not necessary.

And then it came to me...I would become a "blogger". This is something I have attempted a few times and failed. But, now I have a subject to write about everyday and I don't have to sit here and try to think of something interesting. When you're pregnant, everyday is new and interesting.

Oh, and might I add that I also resolve to have Andy participate in this blog, though I have no idea if he will. He will laugh and tell me "No way, babe, you know I don't do that sort of thing". And then I will remind him of my motivation and I will send him this link and and he will comply like the good boyfriend that he is.

So, if you are reading this, you received an email link from me to check out my blog. I will try to update it as much as possible. I mean, if I can update my Facebook status every day, three times a day, then I can definitely commit to this. And if you are reading this because somebody we both know sent you the link, it's because I asked them to because I didn't have a way to contact you.

So, thanks for reading about us and our little shrimp. This is the name we gave her before we knew anything. I had read in one of my books that she was the size of a medium-sized shrimp and we both thought this was pretty funny and we also thought that she probably also looked like a shrimp, since babies so young in the womb look like aliens.

Enjoy our pictures and funny, but amazing, life we share together. I wish you were all here with me everyday, but I know it's not possible. Life isn't fair and I know this firsthand, but I look forward to hearing from everybody when I can't be there with you.

Happy New Year!

Love, Jenni