Introducing Little Lueders

Ahhh it feels so good to type the title of this blog.

Even better without my eyelids being so heavy.

Little Lueders has arrived!



It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Campbell Lyn was born on December 20th at 5:35am. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7lbs. 15oz.

Her mom and dad are pretty smitten. I have tons to say and blog regarding the experience and some funny Randy stories. However, I'm too tired to even think.

More to come...
Right now we are content with being completely in awe. And changing poop diapers, lots of them.

Thank you Jesus for a beautiful, healthy baby girl who arrived early:) and safely. Thank you for this gift. And most of all thank you for letting us have the opportunity to be her parents.

Between now and February...

I feel that we will never get to meet Little Lueders.

I'm not even due yet.

I'm 10 days away from my due date, but it feels like it'll happen sometime in oh, say February.


I'm extremely ready.

And my husband is so level-headed, it's downright nauseating.

Can't for once he be dramatic with me?

"Penny, in the end we'll still have a baby. It's not like it won't ever happen."

True, but still...stop being so right...

Gosh it's annoying!

So Proud!

Randy passed his Professional Engineering exam.

What a relief!

We got one of our two Christmas blessings. (The other one is still wiggling in my tummy.)

I'm so proud of him. He worked so hard, and he put in so much time and energy studying.

He not only passed, but he blew it out of the water.

Congrats to my PE!

highlights

This week is going to be fabulous! As my old teaching partner use to say, "I can feel it in my bones."

Tonight was the premiere of "Fear Factor." I was completely sucked in for two whole hours this evening. And we had tator tot casserole for dinner. Not the most nutritious meal, but it sure was delicious. Don't worry, we had green beans too.

Tomorrow, I'll be 38 weeks!
And...we have Randy's company Christmas party at Dave and Buster's. The baby is going to be so jealous of all the fun we're going to have tomorrow night that it'll HAVE to come out and see what he/she is missing.

Besides your mom is a pro at skee ball. Do you really want to miss that?

Wednesday, I get to hear your heart beat and hear how things are progressing. I'm thinking positively.

Friday is our tacky sweater Christmas day at school AND the last day of the semester. And it's the last day before my maternity leave!!!

Oh it's going to be a great week!

Not to mention we could be meeting LL at anytime.

There's lots of excitement in the air.

Baby Letter

This weekend I've spent some time working on the baby book. I am having so much fun!

Little Lueders you have no idea how nuts your mom is about scrapbooking and recording life events. Your high school graduate friends are going to be so jealous when they see what I have cooked up for you. And I'll have 18 years to get better and better at it:)

I finally wrote your letter. I had a blank page in the book and decided I needed to write you a little something. I can't wait for you to see it!

"Dear Baby Lueders,

Your mom and dad prayed for you for a very long time. We haven't stopped smiling since the day we found out you were growing in mommy's tummy. We have spent these nine months praying that you would grow big and strong. We are praying for a safe delivery, but most importantly we are praying for you to arrive safely AND to grow into a healthy, happy person. We are so thankful for you. We can't wait to see all the great things God has in store for you!

We love you!
Mom and Dad

P.S. We'll never stop praying for you!"

Still...

I am still pregnant.

In case you were wondering, things have started to progress.

But I'm still pregnant. The little one is loving my tummy. He/She is not quite ready.

I went to my weekly appointment this past Wednesday, and I left with my doctor saying, "I'll see you next Wednesday if you're still pregnant."

Whoa!!

But...here I am.

Waiting...

There are so many surprises and unknown. First is the gender. Secondly is when will the debut be.

My doctor said it could be this weekend (well, I'm pretty sure we're safe to say that it won't be this weekend) or in two more weeks.

You just never know.

Do you know how difficult it is for someone who NEEDS to know? I'm a planner.

There is no planning. We sit and wait and pray and walk Mopac and walk her some more:)

I feel like the girl who cried wolf. My mom calls me about a gazillion times a day to ask if I'm in labor.

We'll see what this Wednesday's appointment says. I'm not expecting anything to have changed. I don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

So we sit and wait and pray and walk Mopac and walk her some more.

Hopefully, it'll be soon!!!

AnYtImE

I'm at 37 weeks.

This means the baby could arrive at.any.moment.

Insert panic/enthusiasm here.

At 37 weeks, the baby is no longer considered pre-term. Little Lueders is just hanging out.

Come hang out, like out, out with me instead...please?!!?!?!?!

Typical

Randy: "I saw your Facebook status about the baby."

Penny: "Oh the one about never being this scared and excited at the same time?"

Randy: "Yay, but what about when we were at the Rose Bowl for the National Championship game?"

Penny: "Umm, I think this is a little different love."

Randy: "But we were down 11 points and came back to win."


oh how i love my rands!

Things I know...(part 6)

-I only have 4 weeks left!

-I'm not sure how the baby is going to have any room to keep growing. My organs are crying, "Mercy!"

-We have the most active child. The kicks and punches ALL.DAY.LONG wear me out. It's fun to feel the big lumps (bones) through my skin. My doctor is thrilled over all of this movement. An active baby is a healthy baby!

-Putting on my shoes is the equivalent of how I felt after running a mile pre-pregnancy.
(Running? Who am I kidding? Power walking a mile is probably a little more truthful.) But seriously, everything takes an enormous amount of energy.

-I am a walking hormonal heater. My cold nature self has taken a vacation to a sweltering hot and sunny beach. Needless to say I am loving the cooler weather and Randy's freezing feet. He is a walking ice cube. See how well we compliment each other:)

-I think it's a boy. My last "Things I know" post, I felt a strong girl sense. Today, I'm seeing lots of blue and dump trucks in our future. I even catch myself using the "he" pronoun.

-I no longer fit in a school desk.

-I already have been thinking about the baby's stocking. What if LL comes early? We won't have a monogrammed stocking yet! I know...calm it down Penny.

-It's hard to calm it down when I get to meet our child in four short weeks (or sooner). I can't wait to snuggle and kiss all over it's precious little face. I can't wait to find out if Little Lueders is going to be a spunky little boy cheering on the Longhorns and being best buds with his daddy, or if Little Lueders will be his daddy's princess snuggling on his chest. I picture her wanting to wear a tiara and a tutu. Gosh, I hope so. I want to wear a tiara too. But it's really not about me. In fact all of my thoughts are about the baby. I don't really care about any gifts this year. The gift I want the most is our blessing from God. It's the gift that I'm counting down the moments to meeting.

I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET YOU LITTLE LUEDERS!

I didn't think it was possible to love something you've never met.

But I am head over heels in love. And with every kick or punch, I fall a little harder.

Product Love

I am a sucker for new items at the grocery store. I sometimes buy things just because their new items waiting for a sucker like me to either fall in love or throw it out. Here are my newest newbie loves...


This is amazing! It's dessert in a mug. But do not use water; milk is so much better. I even was tempted to sprinkle a little salt in my mug, but I think I get enough salt in other things- just ask my wedding rings.


This is the perfect size to handle your craving. And you don't feel like you "have" to keep eating the 9 x 13 version because you don't want it to go bad. Five bites and it's over! Luckily, they give you two servings.



Randy even raved on this one. I hate the salsa aisle. I have spent a fortune trying all the different brands and versions. I usually end up dumping the entire bottle minus the two tablespoons I tried into Spanish rice or soup. And people are proud of their salsa recipes. Like 5 dollars a bottle proud.
But this salsa has me skipping down the hot sauce aisle. I love it. It sorta tastes like Pappasito's salsa.

One Month

Today is November 27th!

My due date is December 27th!

I hate math, but even I like the, "How many more days until the baby?" equation!

Thankful

Last night I was searching for Bible verses that deal with being thankful. I love how God's word sums up all the emotions and gratitude for this holiday season.

I don't deserve all of His blessings. Randy and I have so much to be thankful for this year. The most important blessing is the child we are anxiously waiting to meet. I cannot, cannot, cannot wait to kiss his/her sweet little face.

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service."
1 Timothy 1: 12

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but it's one where we always miss my brother. He is cooking for everyone else's families instead of being with his. He has amazing cooking talents and is a chef at a fancy smancy country club. He's making 250 turkeys! This week he's been working 15-18 hour days. I talked to him twice this week, and he sounds so exhausted. I feel so sorry for him.

To give you a better idea of the magnitude of how many people they will be feeding, his staff cut up 100 lbs of onions and 100 lbs of celery on Monday in preparation.

Insane!

If you go out for lunch or dinner this Thanksgiving, please thank the people preparing/serving your food. They're missing their family's functions to ensure you have a great one.

I'll talk to my brother probably on Friday, in which he'll tell me all about how great his Mexican or Chinese food was he picked up to eat. He hates Thanksgiving!

Productive turned Lazy

Today I had lots of things planned- things I can't take care of due to the J.O.B.

Originally, I had a dentist and eye doctor appointment and an oil change scheduled.

Well I wake up and am excited for the opportunity to wait at least an hour at the dealership for my car. I'm not being sarcastic, because this would force me to write thank you notes.

I arrived, get all settled in with my slice of pumpkin break and nonfat, decaf caramel macchiato only to be told that my car uses synthetic oil. Which means that my oil doesn't need changing until every 10,000 miles. This is why Randy takes care of these things for me.

Why is my "Maintenance Required" light on glaring at me every time I turn on the ignition? Apparently, because all Toyota's have this light come on every 5,000 miles.

They reset my sensor and off I go. Thank you notes written= 0

Next, I get a phone call from my dental hygienist. My last dentist appointment was in the spring. I was 4.5 weeks pregnant then. In fact I found out the day before my appointment that I was pregnant. No x-rays for me!

Well, she called saying that they really can't just clean my teeth because it's been almost 1.5 year since I had x-rays. I would need x-rays.

Umm...

Hygienist: "So if you want to call your ob/gyn and have them fax over consent for the x-rays, we can go ahead and proceed with your appointment."

Umm...

Hygienist: "It's usually okay. We'll just put 2 double lead weighted aprons on you instead of one, and do six pictures."

Umm... she just said "usually."

pause, pause, pause

Hygienist: "Or we can reschedule until after the baby is born."

Umm... we WILL DEFINITELY do that one!

I can't even eat cold lunch meat!!!! I have to microwave it until it steams. Speaking of microwaves, I take at least 3 giants steps backwards every time I hit the start button. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to wear 2 or 20 lead weighted aprons to have x-rays done.

I'll just brush my teeth an extra 30 seconds each time until January.

So instead I went to Babies R Us, and used some of our baby money! I had an amazing coupon for our car seat. I scored big with almost 40 bucks off the original price.

And check this out...



I TOTALLY parked here. Don't worry I rolled my own eyes at myself. These spots are ridiculous. But... it was drizzling. I had to do it at least once. And I couldn't help snickering the whole way into the store.

The car seat needed to be bought pretty pronto. I'm focusing on what we MUST have, so the hospital will let us take our sweet bundle of joy home: name, pediatrician, and car seat.

Well, 2 out of 3 is not bad.

Progress...we're making it!

Worn Out

Whoo Wee! I'm feeling very pregnant. I wear out pretty early now. I have trouble walking long distances or up hills or inclines. Doing the laundry and making dinner is the extent of how much I can do on a typical afternoon. This is very abnormal for me. I can usually cook/clean/organize circles around people. Not anymore!

I think we might need a maid.

:)

I kid. But not really... One would be nice. My house is not nearly at the cleanliness standard I like to set.

And for the first time in my life, I'm okay with it. Granted it's not spotless, but it's completely liveable. I've been ignoring the dusty baseboards since August at this point, and nothing horrendous has happened.

In hopes this blog post doesn't have too much of a "womp, womp, womp" feeling, here is what gives me energy!

-Fear Factor is coming back on TV! Woot! Woot! I love Joe Rogan!

-Peppermint ice cream is back in the grocery stores. Why can't this be a year long thing?

-I love the smell of Dreft! This weekend I washed two loads of baby stuff. I was completely giddy folding and admiring all of LL's little things. (Although everything looks really small. Did I shrink everything and earn my first "bad mother" tallies or were the clothes that small to begin with? I can't remember. I've never had baby clothes to wash! Oh how I hope my baby doesn't come out weighing in the teens.)

- Seeing my family over the break.

-Having the entire week off to get things done. The nursery is starting to look like a nursery.

- The pedicure I'm treating myself to sometime this week.

- Going to bed! Nighty night!

Money Talk

We are officially becoming old.

We met with a financial advisor.

We are responsible people.

A couple of months ago, we created a budget. I don't even want to talk about it.

But I do have to give us some credit. We are doing well with it. When I say "we," I mean me. Randy could pinch a nickel. I needed a little more discipline and the budget helps keep me in check. I guess it's a good thing. I guess...

Well since we are about to be parents, we have some changes that need to be made in addition to adding a "daycare" column in the budget. We also need life insurance! We want to make sure Little Lueders has plenty of opportunities available to him/her if something were to happen to Randy or me.

We were referred to a very sweet man who was tasked with three goals. I laid out the goals because I'm super solution-focused. I wanted to get in there at 6:30 and leave by 8 pm.

1) Set up a life-insurance policy.
2) Discuss retirement plans and options for investments.
3) Discuss and set up a college fund for Little Lueders to attend the greatest university in the world (insert hook'em here!)

Well at 8:30, we still didn't have anything accomplished. It was the most boring 2 hours of my life.

Oh my goodness, I hate finances. I hate discussing budgets, pre-taxes, interest rates, etc. And this guy was plum nuts about discussing all these different options. He wanted to start from square one! Square one was "the value and importance of saving money."

We know. That's why we were there.

My head was spinning. My back was throbbing, and I couldn't get comfortable in my wooden chair of comfort. I even went to the restroom in mid-discussion just so I would have something more fun to do.

He was intense. He was drawing pictures of cash registers, bank bags, and step ladders. I wish we were playing "Win, lose, or draw" instead. I love that game.

But instead the pictures were to prove another boring money saving principal.

Then he moved on to analogies.

He started comparing saving money to "Jurasic Park."

How do dinosaurs relate to money? Maybe it has to do something with extinction? I never quite got the analogy. The only thing that peaked my interest was when he said that T-Rex could be named IRS-asaurus.

What in tarnation was he talking about?

Randy is going to meet with him on his own for the next steps.

I think this will be best. Just tell me where to sign. Although I will be sad if he has more prehistoric money creature stories.

Not to brag but...

I passed my National Counselor Exam!!!!

I can barely believe it!

I haven't even posted that I was going to be taking it, because to be honest, I didn't want to have to post the follow up "I failed" post.

This exam is one of the steps needed to become a LPC, license professional counselor.

Randy has been encouraging me to take this exam all summer long.

"You need to take the exam before the baby. You won't have time to study later."

Oh alright! I signed up for the test, and then realized I didn't have the energy or motivation to study as I rounded out my second and began my third trimester.

I basically "studied" for approximately 15-20 hours. I spent my other "studying" time looking at Pinterest, shopping Etsy, and daydreaming about the baby.

I tried to cancel the exam, but I couldn't get my 250 bucks back. So it was just going to be an opportunity to get some exposure to the test.

You can imagine my surprise when the proctor handed me my print out from the computer test with a smile.

"Congrats! You passed!"

Me: "No, I didn't!"

Proctor: "Yes, you did!"

Well hot dog! Look at me being all smart and stuff!

It feels so good to have this marked off my list.

And to be a slacker...My mom always told me that I over studied for tests. I think she might be right! Too bad, I'm at the end of my tests/quizzes career. Wait, that's not a "too bad" statement. That's an alleluia statement!

Girl Vibe

Well, I think I have some reasons that I have a strong girl vibe going on right now.

Everyone is saying I'm carrying a little girl.

My principal, who has never been wrong in guessing the gender of babies, even predicts a girl.

Me: "Randy, she's never been wrong! She thinks it's a girl!"

Randy: "Well there's a first time for everything."

hehehe

I'm so anxious and excited to find out if Little Lueders is going to be my sweet princess or my handsome hunk!

This is so much fun! I love not knowing the gender!

Things I know...(part 5)

-The baby is a strong little kicker. The other day I almost jumped out of my chair. And then I started giggling uncontrollably! If I'm not giggling, I'm wincing in pain. Sometimes it takes you a little off guard.

-Tylenol PM is like crack. I savor them. I look forward to taking them. I am in love.
I have been so good about the "no medicine" rule. Granted, I always take my thyroid medicine. That's a must. But for over the counter stuff, I'm pretty strict. Well when I hit 30-ish weeks, sleeping became impossible. I was so drained and fatigued, I could barely stay awake at work. So I asked my ob/gyn and he told me it was completely safe.

Of course I asked, "Define completely." After getting the clearing and some major guilt, I have allowed myself one pill on occasion. Stop judging me. I've taken a total of about 5 pills in the last six weeks. And it's the equivalent of waking up on Christmas morning for presents.

-I can't get out of the passenger side of my car when it's in the garage. I, umm, sorta don't fit anymore.

-I bump so many chairs and squeezing down aisles is downright difficult.

-I have not had a single stretch mark...yet. Someone please knock on some wood. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

-I'm starting to get a strong girl vibe again. Next week, it might change, but for this week, I'm thinking pink.

-My wooden bangle that I tried to wear this morning didn't fit over my big puffy man hand.

-I have to accessorize to the max now, as I can't even stand to look at my maternity clothes. I'm pretty tired of wearing the same thing all the time.

-I answer the "How are you feeling question?" about 10 times a day.

-I can't see my feet or paint my toenails anymore.

-Randy's excitement is my favorite thing in life right now.

Seuss Shower!

Little Lueders is the luckiest little one ever. I have such amazing friends and family members who helped celebrate this sweet little life that's just growing away in my tummy.

My Dr. Seuss baby shower was incredible!

Seriously, Theodor Geisel would be so proud!

Check out how crafty the hostesses are!



Yah my baby shower had a candy bar!








the food table was my favorite...you'd expect the pregnant lady to say that though!


Gotta have green eggs! I'm telling you, they went all out!




Nana and Mimi!!!!


Whoa! Look at that glow:)

Kara, Jana, Lauren, Hannah, and Kari blew me away with this baby shower. I wish I could show more pictures, but this blogger photo uploader is ticking me off. These girls thought of everything. I had a jar of jelly beans layered to resemble the cat's hat. Kari made me Seuss thank you's to fill out. I had a baby advice book decorated with Seuss stickers.

In the words of my aunt, "Your friends have it together. They impressed me."

I couldn't agree more. I love you girls so much! Thanks for helping to spoil my little one. I'm so glad they have been apart of my journey. I don't know what I would do without each of you!

Blessed beyond belief!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, Randy got a big, no huge bag of Skittles. It might have been his favorite baby shower gift:)

Still Need to...

-write shower thank you's
-post about my fabulous shower
-decorate the nursery
-pick out a name


Oh my list keeps growing...

What am I doing right now instead of all the above plus twenty other things that need to be done?

I'm watching "Swamp People."

Why?

Because this show makes me feel like Einstein!

If you've never watch it, tune into the History Channel. These people can make anyone feel like a genius.

And what other show with subtitles is this enjoyable?

But let's not discredit all of our accomplishments recently.

-We have a sweet lady who is going to be watching our little love bug! I'm so pleased with how this all turned out. I have a warm heart feeling. Praise God!

-We toured the hospital. The labor and delivery suites are posh. (My doctor used this term to describe it. I love him, so we'll use his phrase too.)

-We met our pediatrician. I love him too. In fact, at Wednesday's ob/gyn appointment, my doctor said, "Oh, who have yall decided on?" After supplying the CORRECT answer, he said, "That's who our pediatrician is. He's the best. We drive really far to see him." I picked the doctor our baby doctor picked. I just gave myself a high five. I'm 3 for 3 (daycare, ob/gyn, and pediatrician).

-Mopac is still the cutest dog on the block. Oh my goodness I love how she lays on my stomach and responds to all the kicks and wiggles. She even gave my stomach the head tilt. She's super confused, but oh so precious all at the same time.

-Randy has finished his PE test. I can't believe that nightmare is over with! Oh it's so nice to have my husband back. This past weekend was all about Randy. We went out for lunch on Saturday, ran errands, and cheered on the Longhorns at DKR. The sweet lady behind me was not only a Longhorn fan but obsessed with pregnant ladies. I told her I was due in December, and she responded with "You're so tiny!" She clearly knows a lot about pregnant people:)

Randy's college roommates were also in town, and we had such a great time hanging out and going to dinner. We ate after the game at one of my all time favorite college places. The Alamo Bowl at EZ's might be the best thing on earth. It's a scrumptious bowl of rice, black beans sauce, grilled chicken, pico de gallo, cheese, and a southwestern sauce. I know that sounds like a burrito bowl at Chipotle, but it's way above this. I can't even tell you how great it is!

I know you're concerned that I ate dinner too late. No worries, Randy and I shared nachos at the game.

Randy: "Do you really want nachos and dinner later?"
Penny: "Umm yah I do!"

Heck the lady behind me called me "tiny." At this point the nachos are non-negotiable. I was actually debating whether or not to add chilli.

Things I know...(part 4)

-We have exactly 15 stairs in our house. And I know this because I cheer myself on after tackling each one of those bad boys.

-Mopac LOVES sleeping/laying on my tummy.

-Rib pain is the most uncomfortable part of pregnancy.

-Walking and chatting has become more like gasping and gesturing.

-Hot chocolate should only be made with milk and not water. Bonus: extra calcium

-I have a new found respect for momma elephants. Bless them and their 22 month gestation period.

-I'm getting big...like really big. I'm pretty sure my baby is going to come out 3 feet long.

-Third trimester fatigue feels like first trimester fatigue...expect the blogging to greatly reduce:( I come home, cook dinner, shower, drink hot chocolate with MILK, and fall asleep.

-The baby is getting bigger because each movement is stronger and more powerful. I absolutely love this part! I will miss feeling the baby because I get a kick out of counting those sweet kicks. The guideline for me is 8 movements within an hour period. Tonight we had a new record, 8 movements in 2 minutes. I'm growing such an all-star!

Another Soup Recipe

Smoky Tomato and Couscous Soup Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

A norther blows in, and soup is on my stove top.

I love this recipe. It was my second time to make it, and it's so easy.

I omit the ham because I'm not a huge fan of pork. I mean I like bacon and pepperoni because it doesn't taste too porkish. Weird, I know. But I hate ham, pork chops/tenderloin, etc. It's too much. It all started with my love for Wilbur in 4th grade. I think I just pretend bacon and pepperoni are not from pigs.

I also was lazy this time and didn't blend the cilantro and sour cream. I didn't want to have to wash the blender. Just dollop and sprinkle or omit.

Happy Soup Weather!

Looking forward to...

-writing the best post ever about the best baby shower ever! This past weekend, some lovelies in my life threw a Dr. Seuss baby shower in honor of our little one. I have to think this post out, and I don't want to feel rushed. Plus, I have some pretty stinkin' cute pictures to upload as well. Stay tuned.

-Randy taking his test on Friday! You have no idea how exciting this is for my little family. Even Mopac is feeling the pressure. She is desperately missing her play time with her daddy. Their game of "chasing each other around the house" has been on a drastic decline.

- Tomorrow's last childbirth class. We're discussing newborn care! I'm pumped. It's a reward for having to watch the videos.

(P.S. You're probably wondering if I'm going to post about the labor and delivery/cesarean classes. Well, to be brief, I'm not. It is something that they make expectant mothers watch to scare them. And to ensure their hubbies will take them to Sonic after class to get an Orange Cream Slush.)

-Thanksgiving Break! I definitely have hit that fall wall! What do normal people do when they can't look forward to school holidays? I'm so excited about my entire week off!

-Speaking of Thanksgiving, looking forward to fried turkey, cornbread dressing, and pecan pie. My ribs hurt just thinking about it.

-Holding my sweet baby! It's starting to become more of a reality. There's a baby coming soon. Our baby, a baby to love and adore and spoil rotten. I can't wait to meet this blessing. I can't wait to hold it and give it tons of kisses. I can't wait to be a mom! A teacher at work sent me a quote the other day at work, and I couldn't help but get all giddy.

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone

Great Story, Great Example

Iowa Couple Married for 72 Years Dies Holding Hands, 1 Hour Apart - ABC News

Hubby Love

Last night Randy came home with a joke to make my day a little better. I know I could definitely use a joke after a Monday.


"What do you call a one-eye deer?"

The answer...


"I have no i-deer."

It's the little things. :)

Lately, I've been reflecting back over the pregnancy. I've been working on the baby book, can you tell? And I'm just really looking forward to seeing Randy become a dad.

I know, I know it's a much better read when I'm poking fun of his last antics, but seriously, maybe it's all the hormones, but I have to have a hubby brag post. If you don't like sappy, stop reading now.

I am so proud that he is going to be the father of our child.

He has been so involved throughout this whole process. He drove me to Houston to see my endocrinologist several times. He's attended ALL my appointments even when I tell him it's just going to be a blood draw. He has rescheduled meetings and appointments to attend things for the baby. He has sat through a breast feeding class (with a straight face) and 3 child birth classes so far. He helps me remember details and facts from appointments. He takes me to Sonic when I have an orange cream slush craving. He prays for the baby with me. (Although one prayer he actually had a request that certain male anatomical parts were present and developing. Seriously?!)

We were watching the UT football game on Saturday afternoon, and he made the comment that he can't wait until we have our little row of kids lined up sitting on the floor with their UT game day gear on cheering on the Longhorns.

Did you catch that too? He said "row." As in that means more than 2! Row means several. One at a time, one at a time Rands. Apparently all that pain that was alluded to during our labor childbirth class didn't affect HIM. He just gets to pat my shoulders and coach me on breathing. So, the "row" definitely sounds doable :/ and completely unscary at this point.

I love his excitement, and I'm so thankful to have him by my side through all of this.
I have never been so in love!

I'm beyond excited to see what God has in store for us.

Buffet Rules

Mr. Gatti's pizza is amazing!

I love living in Austin just so I can have access to my favorite pizza.

Today after church we went to GattiTown for lunch.

We had a coupon.

Buffets need to have patrons sign an agreement upon entering. People have no manners. It's just downright disgusting. Someone almost ruined my Gatti blissfulness today.

First off, you need a plan to navigate the area. It's too crowded to not know where you're going or what you want. It's pizza, pick a line and get moving. I hate when browsers just stand in the middle of the chaos. Get your food or get out of the way. People are hungry, and we don't have time for you to fan yourself with your plate smack down in the middle of everything. It's called, "You're in the way."


Well, I always tackle the salad bar first. No chaos here. The madness is at the pizza line.

After my salad, I usually get some spaghetti and one slice of pizza as a sampler slice.

I'm still feeling pretty calm at this point.

When I eat at Mr. Gatti's, I must have three slices of pizza.

These are my favorites for various reasons...
1) Hamburger (It's by far Gatti's best topping!)
2) Pepperoni and Jalapenos (I'm married to Randy, and he's a one topping kinda guy. Reason= $$$, it's like a dollar more.)
3) Hawaiian (I love Canadian bacon and pineapple, and I never get to have it. There are two reasons, A) it exceeds the one topping limit and B) Randy hates Canadian bacon. I know, I know, this is as befuddling as him hating Cool Whip.)

So, I'm standing in line, and I have accomplished favorite pizza slice number 1 and 2. I have my eye on slice #3. Yes, there's a Hawaiian pizza out. I'm standing in line waiting my turn. (This is another thing people don't know how to do.)

There are two people in front of me. I'm bound to get a slice of heaven.

Okay, the girl took 2 slices. Fair enough. I'll give her two. The slices are small. Besides, there's only one more person in front of me, and there are 4 slices. Even if he wants to be a pig and get three, I'll still get that last one.

The anticipation was mounting as she handed the spatula off. (Another rule broken. Just put it down. I really don't want to touch your germy hand and the germy spatula. One germy thing prior to my lunch is all I need.)

I had that ebay feeling in my stomach. You know when you're about to win but still nervous someone will swoop in with one minute left to outbid you.

Well this guy totally swept in. He took ALL FOUR SLICES!!!

Are you kidding me?

Seriously?

Does he not know they have a salad bar and spaghetti line too that's equally as delicious?

More nerve wracking is the fact that I was so ticked off. It's pizza for crying out loud, but I felt like I had been cheated. Why am I so dramatic all of a sudden?

Pregnancy does that to you. Simple things get easily blown out of proportion.

I already had the other two slices that I like so much. But, it's the principle. Did he not see me standing behind him?

Just turn around and look me in the eye you big pig!

Oh yah, and guess where his eye was drawn to first? That's right, my big, round, pregnant tummy!

Yah, now you feel bad. I'm with child and you totally robbed my child of that nutritious pineapple.

Why am I still so mad?

He gave me the "Oops, my bad" look, and I gave him the "Now my baby hates you" look.

Lucky for him, the employee swapped out the empty, YES EMPTY, tray with a piping, fresh Hawaiian pizza.

Don't mind if I do. The pregnant and over dramatic lady still wins.

expiration date

I got really excited today at the grocery store. Items are starting to have expiration dates with the month of December listed.

This totally made me giddy! I've been waiting for December for a long time. It's exciting to see it near enough to have unspoiled food.

That means baby is coming!!!!

The PE

I cringed when I wrote this blog title.

The PE is equivalent to hell.

It stands for the Professional Engineering exam.

And I hate it.

Randy is taking this exam on October 28th (approx. 3 more weeks of hell)! You can't take this exam until you have 5 years of work experience. Just long enough for you to forget everything you learned in college.

After passing this test (fingers crossed), Randy will earn his seal for drawings and plans. This will allow for people to sue him if he screws anything up.

This test has become his life. Everything and I mean everything has taken the back burner for this test. I could be bleeding to death downstairs, and if I called out for help, he would probably respond from his studying station upstairs with, "Penny, just apply a compress. I'm studying."

He is the most dedicated and hard headed person I know, which is a strength and weakness. I'm getting a little jealous of this test. He studies ALL weekend long. I bet he averages 20 hours a week studying.

Truth be told, I miss my husband. I'm pretty much ignored and all my "the nursery needs to be done" requests.

I haven't eaten dinner yet because on Monday nights he studies until 8pm. Meaning, he works from 8-5, then stays at work to study with a colleague for 3 more hours.

Take.a.freaking.break!

I'm not starving because I stopped at Target on the way home to return something. And I was lured to the food court. That fresh popcorn was calling my name. And you can't just have popcorn. So I got a would-have-been small icee. But, no the lady ringing me up replied with, "No you don't want a small, it's cheaper to get a combo and that comes with a medium icee."

I really wanted to say, "No, it's fine, charge me 20 more cents. It's better that I don't consume those extra 4-6 oz. of sugary syrup." I really only wanted a couple of sips.

But, I just smiled and politely said thank you. And then drank the whole darn thing.

But I didn't eat the whole bag of popcorn. For some reason, I think it would have been better to eat all of the popcorn than drink the Icee. And it was really sweet. Usually I can only drink about half because it's soooo sweet before I give it to Mr. Cavity, but I kept gulping. Looking back, it was a disappointing choice and now my stomach kinda hurts. Bad choice. I'm going to blame it on Randy's test.


I need to think of really fun things to do with Randy after his test. This is my new mission!

Childbirth Classes

We have successfully finished class #1 without passing out or throwing up.

Go us!

I did however laugh too much.

Randy cannot, cannot, cannot be serious. He just can't. I think however, this week will be different. We will be discussing the actual labor and delivery process. There's even a video. I think I should pack a orange juice in my purse for when he passes out.

His reaction to last week's class, "That was a breeze. Plus I like sitting in the back because I really couldn't see all the posters and handouts she was pointing to."

My favorite part, where I got the look from the instructor, was during the breathing exercises. She did what I used to do in my classroom. She stood right next to us. Proximity is better than disciplining. I so knew her trick. It's the "I'm standing by you because you're misbehaving."

The task was to practice all these different breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. People were stressing.

Students in the class, "Is this correct? Am I doing this right?"

Randy to me: "For crying out loud, how hard is this?"

Randy was supposed to count out these pelvic tilts. I got on the floor, and I had to do 10 of them. Couldn't they call these exercises something else?

I started and apparently Coach Randy didn't think they were quality tilts.

He says, loudly I might add, "Nope, that one didn't count. Do it again!"

Is he for real? I started chuckling at this point.

R: "Penny, we're not halfway doing these. Start over."

Starting to really laugh.

R: "We'll do two sets if we need to. I'm not laughing. Nope, do it again. You didn't do that one correctly either."

Meanwhile, other husbands in the room are rubbing their wives' feet, cheering them on, and patting them on the back. I was on number 5 AGAIN!

And then the instructor came by us.
Way to get me in trouble Randy. Wait until this week buster. We're sitting in the front row for the video. She told us to don't forget our popcorn. I think we're her favorite couple!

And we started off so well. We were certainly the star pupils during the introductions. We were the only couple who didn't know the gender of our baby. We were nearly applauded when I said we're going to be surprised. So many people gave us the "congrats" and "Good for you!" looks! This was probably overshadowed by my uncontrollable laughter during the pelvic tilts. Just when we were going to be the teacher's pet.

Knocking things out

Whoa, I was busy and super productive this weekend.

It feels so good to get things crossed off my list.

Not to brag, but check out what I accomplished.

-Picked out fabric for window treatment.
-Picked out fabric for crib skirt (Hello, Hancock Fabrics!)
-Researched (some more) our pediatrician and made a prenatal appointment to meet Little Lueders' future doctor and tour the practice.
-Registered at the hospital.
-Picked a hospital tour date.
-Picked out paint and painted changing table/dresser (Thanks Kara and Randy!)
-Bought Dr. Seuss drawer pulls!
-Have a contact for a private insurance policy. This is Randy's job, he's going to contact and compare a private policy versus adding LL as a dependent on our current insurance plans. This of course will happen after that test I loathe so much!)
-Finalized some nursery ideas.
-Attended our breastfeeding class (Thank goodness Randy behaved!)
-Making closer progress in finalizing our daycare provider.

Whoa! I knew you'd be impressed.

I can't wait to debut our nursery. I can barely stand it. It's going to be amazing!

Pictures after...umm Randy's test. My dad and awesome electrician uncle are coming up in two weeks to complete some projects that involve but are not limited to installing a ceiling fan in both spare rooms, redoing the wiring, hanging the closet door in the nursery, and among many other things:) They don't have a test to study for, so I have a daddy-to-do list:)

Differing opinions

Oh I really want to see "Footloose." The preview just came on tv and before I could say, "hey lets go see that this weekend," Randy responded with, "well doesn't that look like a big, fat terd." I guess I'll be red boxing that one.

Behind...

I'm so behind. My things to do before Little Lueders arrives is growing by the minute.

Oh my goodness, I am stressed.

This week I did manage to blog twice, call my endocrinologist regarding my latest blood draw (My thyroid loves Little Lueders too and is cooperating-very good news!), and shop etsy/amazon/ebay for drawer pulls.

That's it, three things.

I still have to research insurance options for LL, finalize and tour our daycare lady's house, research and "interview" our pediatrician, the nursery (which has about 14 gazillion things to do), come up with a birth plan (no idea what this means, but everyone keeps telling me I need one. Doesn't the baby determine this? I will want drugs. I'm pretty sure that's all I need to know. Please don't scare me and comment regarding this item:), tour the hospital, pick out fabric for crib skirt and window treatment, Craigs list a rocking chair and paint it, pick out paint colors for soon to be purchased rocking chair, refinish and paint the changing table/dresser.

Did I mention that we still don't have a name?

Oh my goodness the list just goes on and on.

There is a bunch of stuff I'm supposed to be doing, but I'm not. Where is Type A Penny?

Why do I need to "Interview" our pediatrician? I mean I got two recommendations from friends who know tons of people who use this practice and love it! I have a teacher who I work with who knows one of the doctors and is a personal friend. If I can't get in with him, she's going to put in a call for me. I'm not sure why I need to meet him prior. I trust him. Want to know how? He has the letters MD behind his name, and my list is just too long as it is. Plus I have about 10 people telling me how wonderful he is. I think we're good here.

Want to know what Randy is stressed about?

His lost red skittle in my car. That and his upcoming PE exam.

I hate both of the above!

Candy Man

Randy took my car to work because he had to drive out to some projects. He came home today with a large Vanilla Dr. Pepper and a king size bag of skittles.

Then he wonders why he has so many cavities each time he visits the dentist.

And I wonder how he's so thin.

Randy: "Man I dropped a skittle in your car today, and I couldn't find it."

Penny: "Randy!!!" (with a groan, because now it will melt and stain my carpet)

Randy: "I know I was bummed too. It was a red one."

No worries, he promised to vacuum my car out for me. I guarantee you if he finds it before the nozzle, he'll suck that skittle up himself.

New Post and blissy things!

Okay, okay, I've been slacking.

Sorry guys!
This post will be a motley of things. I have lots to make up for!

Here's what I'm excited about currently...

-Tomorrow is the last day of sixth grade guidance. Sheesh! After tomorrow my colleague and I have given this presentation 16 different times. I'm tired of saying the same things over and over and over and over. Plus, it wears me out physically. At the end of the day, my corn bag and I have a date.

-My corn bag! It's this fantastic heating pad that you microwave. The corn kernels are in this nifty cloth bag. It kinda molds to your back. It's heavenly!

-This clip...
Saturday Night Live - Taste Test - Video - http://www.nbc.com

Hilarious! I loved "Bridesmaids" because of this woman! My favorite part is when she starts chanting HVR!

-The carrot cake in my fridge. My sister-in-law made the best carrot cake I've ever eaten for a family birthday celebration. And because she loves me, she let me take some home. Score!

-Tomorrow I start my third trimester:) Two-thirds done! Whoo! I can so do 12 more weeks!

-We also start our child birth classes tomorrow night. I will have tons of blogging material after this. Randy thinks he'll be the star pupil! Don't worry, I'll take great notes.

-And here it is people, my favorite gift from my parents:)



Isn't it fabulous? My mom's wording was, "He's so cute, I just want to give him a hug. But it's made out of wood."

This is going to be proudly hanging on the wall of our Seuss nursery. I can't wait to show you more. But we still have along way to go. We need to get busy!

Birthday Weekend

Well, it's official. I'm an old woman.

I turned the big 28 on Saturday.

Eek...30 is just an arm's length away.

The only thing that makes me feel better is Rands is an arm's length away plus 3 months ahead of me.

Mopac and I are officially the same age. Also sad.


But even though I'm getting older, this birthday by far was the greatest!

The best thing about it was this is the year I'm going to become a mom. Sometimes that's still hard to imagine. But it really is happening. Feeling the baby move all day long was the greatest gift of all. Thanks God :)

Friday, Randy and I had a fun pre-birthday celebration. I picked Texas Roadhouse because I love their steak kabob with all the veggies and their homemade salad dressings. Oh yah, those rolls and honey butter aren't terrible either. After we went to watch a comedy show at Esther's Follies on 6th street. We had a blast. It was nice to see Randy laughing and relaxing. He's been super stressed studying for his upcoming Professional Engineering exam. (The PE exam deserves its own post, more to come later.)

Saturday, My parents came into town. My mom and I share our birthdays, and I can't think of spending the day without her right next to me. I love, love, love the fact that we are birthday buddies. I'm pretty sure our waitress didn't believe my dad when he told her at dinner. But do you really want to prevent a pregnant lady from getting her free dessert? This is a rhetorical question.

My parents brought me these beautiful flowers...


(I love sunflowers and the yellow peppers!)

and the most amazing gift ever...it deserves an entire post in itself...stay tuned.

Hint: It's for the nursery!!! EEEK!!! Get excited people!!!


Birthday dinner fun!

This was right before they put these huge sombreros on our head, which my mom reported as a huge potential for messing up her hair. But hey, sometimes it's the price you gotta pay for the free brownie. Bring on the messy hair!


On Sunday, Jana and I went to Pecan Street Festival. Sixth Street twice in one weekend. I'm one crazy pregnant lady!

Pecan Street Festival is one of my favorite Austin festivals. There are arts and crafts, live music, good food, and samples of those delicious sugar coated pecans. We shopped at all the little booths, and I desperately wanted to buy these flower clips for those cute little newborn headbands. But, we might be having a boy, and Mopac wouldn't really be a fan, so I just browsed. Waiting to find out the gender is the best shopping intervention ever.

After, we opened the 2011 Broadway season with "Rain," which is a tribute to the Beatles. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I generally like plays with characters and a plot. But this was so fun! I knew a lot of songs! And the energy from all those baby boomers was infectious. The people behind me were even older than the baby boomers, but boy did they have the moves on "Twist and Shout." The sweet couple next to me tapped their feet the entire time.

It was really cool to see a glimpse into their fans' lives. People were singing and clapping along as if they were still a teenager. I can't wait until I'm attending a concert that's a tribute to the Backstreet Boys. I'll be singing "Everybody, rock your body" for weeks on end.

My favorite part was all the costumes and old clips of their concerts. The lighting and special effects made me feel like I was part of the 60s. The Long Center even had a smoke smell (but not that type of smoke) from all the special effects and stage smoke. I was waiting for Austin Powers to jump on stage at any minute and shout "Yah Baby!"

The band was impressed with how many young people were in attendance. All people under 19 years of age were asked to stand up and pledge they would keep the Beatles alive. How bad would it have been if they would have said, "Everyone under the age of 27, please stand up?"

The bad thing was they didn't play "Penny Lane." Umm, that's really why I was there.
Can you really do a Beatles concert without that song?

It was a crazy busy and super fun birthday weekend. My family and friends mean the world to me.

I'm just a lucky gal! And wait until you see my parents second birthday gift. Our nursery is going to rock!

I just have to...

Okay, sometimes my opinions just have to come out.

I'm sitting here, and I'm in shock.

What is wrong with people?

I think there are certain parts of your pregnancy you should share, and there are other parts that don't need to be advertised.

This has always bothered me.

I try to be really careful about what I put on Facebook and my blog. I usually stick to funny stories.

One of the big things I'm questioning right now is whether or not take maternity pictures. I know this is a momentous occasion, and one day when I don't feel like the ugliest and chubbiest person on the planet, I'll want these as a keepsake. And I will not, will not, repeat- will not, take any pictures with the heart forming around my belly button. That pose makes me kinda throw up a little in my mouth. (I know I offended some people. Sorry, but that pose drives me insane. Randy will come up behind me and do that because he thinks it's funny. Mainly, he likes being a punk.)

Anyway, I'm leaning towards getting some done. But they will be extremely tasteful.

Here comes the disbelief part. Have you ever googled maternity pictures?

Wow, don't do it at work. It is not safe people. It is borderline porn. Don't lose your job looking at maternity pictures.

To sum it up, it is gross!

How will you feel when your child is a teenager and runs across mommy's maternity pictures with her being totally exposed?

It.is.gross.

ponderings

I'm so anxious to meet Little Lueders.


I want to know so many things about him or her.

For starters, the biggest question is whether it'll be a him or her. I don't like to call the baby "it," but sometimes its hard to come up with a descriptor. We're going with LL (for Little Lueders) in this post.

I also think of how different Randy and I are. The baby will be a blend of both of us, but I wonder what traits will stand out.

Will LL be outgoing and talkative like me or quiet and introverted like Rands?

Will LL have a silly sense of humor or a sarcastic/dry humor?

Will LL like to play sports or read a book?

Will the baby have curly hair like Randy's sisters (One is even a blondie!). Oh I hope so, I love curly hair children. Or will it have black, straight hair like my mom?

It's fun to think about all of our differences and what we each bring to the gene pool as far as relatives go and our own traits.

Randy and I are pretty much day and night. Hopefully LL will arrive healthy and happy.

Then eventually, we'll see LL turn out to be just like me;)

Pain

Today I'm 26 weeks along.

Insert happy dance here.

My body is definitely feeling every bit of 26 weeks. I'm not sure how some women are pregnant 5, 6, 9 times. We might have an only child. This past week has marked some minor challenges and new aches.

My biggest concern is the sudden emergence of rib pain. Oh my goodness, I have this constant aching pain in my ribs. In fact, my ribs are sore to the touch. I called my doctor about it because there have been several times that I wanted to leave work early because of the pain.

It basically could be a lot of things. It ranges from the uterus pushing on the rib cage to baby putting pressure/kicking ribs. I read something about nerves being pinched. Who knows? What I do know is that the pain leaves me almost in tears.

So I'll try hot and cold compresses next. I feel like that Operation board game guy. It feels like someone is poking around and snapping rib bones.

Yes, definitely thinking one child.

14 more weeks...
Keepin' on, keepin' on!

Nursery Excitement!

This weekend was the first weekend I really started working on the nursery.

I'm so excited about this project, I can hardly stand it.

I have so many ideas it's a little overwhelming. I got my sketch book out and started drawing and planning and practically peed in my pants with excitement.

Did I mention I was excited?

I've been searching craig's list for some good deals and I have three pending emails out there. Come on sellers, respond with "Yes, it's still available."

My crib came in as well. We would be picking it up today, but no!!! It's college football Saturday. Randy studied all day and watching football tonight is on the agenda. We're picking it up tomorrow, and I will probably try to assemble it.

R: "Penny, I will put it together."

Umm, in about 2 weeks. I can't wait that long. I can read instructions. It can't be that hard.

I have so many cool things I want to share, but I'm keeping it mum.

Here's a sneak peak of what's to come...



Dr. Seuss crib sheets:)

Happy Things

Today was a great day!

I conquered the glucose drink. People are big babies. Everyone told me how awful it was. It wasn't bad at all. It's like Orange Crush with a couple tablespoons of sugar poured in it. It's extremely sweet, which I wasn't a fan of but it was extremely doable. I've never liked really sweet drinks though. I hate Texas sweet tea and kool-aid. Yuck! I always add water. Hopefully I passed, so I don't have to do the 3 hour test.

The baby was precious today. We got to see some expressions on it's zoomed in face. Little Lueders was grinning. It loves me already! I knew it, but this confirmed it;)
25 weeks and 2 days!

I asked my doctor if the theory of how you carry the baby predicts gender is true. He laughed and with a grin said, "I missed that day of medical school." Oh how I love him!

Chick Fil A is going to have a spicy chicken tortilla soup come out next year. That's right, you heard it hear first. The most friendly Chick Fil A employee informed me of this today as he handed me my chicken noodle soup. I'm super pumped!

Then I started thinking how much I love soup right now. I want it all the time.

Here's my top 10 list of soups.

1. chicken tortilla
2. tomato basil
3. French onion
4. chicken and rice
5. vegetable
6. cream of potato
7. broccoli cheese
8. chicken noodle *unless it's Ramen- then it would be higher
9. Italian wedding soup
10. minestrone

Man, I wish we were having soup for dinner tonight.

Made My Day

7th grade lunch is getting a little uncomfortable. I haven't officially announced to the kids that I'm pregnant. I just think that would be an awkward conversation. I was hoping they would just all guess or figure it out.

Maybe they just think I'm fat.

Whenever I have a conversation with a student, they no longer look at my face. They stare at my tummy.

It's an awkward turtle moment for sure.

Well, some are starting to get really curious and brave.

Here's what totally made me smile today.

A seventh grade boy walked up to me at lunch and said, "I have a question."

Me: "Sure, go ahead."

Boy: "Are you married?"

A little surprised he didn't want a schedule change, I said, "Yes I am."

Boy: "Okay, then are you pregnant?"

Me: "Yes, I am pregnant also."

Boy: "Okay, good. Because I wouldn't have asked the second question if you would have said no to the first question. Because that would have been, ummm, a little uncomfortable. You know where I'm going with this?"

Oh me! Oh my! Out of the mouths of babes.
I wanted to write him a positive referral for being so dang cute and totally making my day.

Because we could all use a little laughter!

Changin' It Up

I have no idea what to cook anymore. It is becoming more and more difficult to make my weekly menu. It all sounds the same or involves me buying every ingredient because I don't have it in stock. I'm in a cooking rut.

My new goal is to grab a cookbook I never look at and make one recipe from that selected book each week.

This week's recipe was a winner!!!

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tbsp. chopped onion (I used 3 or 4 Tbsps. If I was going to mess my knife and cutting board up for 1 Tbsp., I'd probably just omit.)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (I used the Italian diced tomatoes.)
2 c. fresh broccoli florets
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch dried oregano
16 oz. dry penne pasta
1/4 c. fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil, add chicken and cook until slightly brown. Drain. Add onion and garlic to cook for about 5 minutes or until garlic is golden and onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, broccoli, salt, pepper and oregano; stir well and bring to a boil. Cover and turn down heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender, drain and add back into pot. (I add some pasta water to the chicken mixture so it coats the noodles better.) Pour chicken sauce into pot and mix well. Add basil, toss well and top with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.

Serves 8

Enough to take for lunch the next day! And have a big pot left over. I think I should have went halfsies on this one.

Heavy Hearts & Proud Spirits

When I took my sociology class in college, I had a project that involved interviewing people.

Sociological theory states that people will remember the most specific details regarding a tragic event.

I interviewed several adults regarding the assassination of JFK.

My mom even remembered what she had for lunch that day.

The human brain is an extraordinary thing.

It's been 10 years since 9/11. I remember it happening like it was yesterday. Listening to the radio and news over the last couple of days, people continue to support this theory.

One person was studying for a French exam when they heard. He even remembered what was on the test.

Another person posted the specifics of what they were wearing on that day.

I was sitting in WHS's library. I didn't have a first period class my senior year because I took a course at Blinn Community College. A student aide rushed into the library and shouted out, "A plane flew into a building in NYC." We all raced out of the library to Ms. Nelson's room. Ms. Nelson, our government teacher, had her classroom t.v. on, and we all stood in disbelief as the second plan hit the World Trade Center.

Prove the theory right!
Where were you when you heard the sad news?
What were you doing?

Regardless of these details, one thing is certain.

No one can forget the events of 9/11.

Today, we remember the people who lost their lives in this tragic event. So many children lost a parent that day. And so many parents lost a child that day. These lives have been so different the last ten years.

With a heavy heart, we lift these people up to you Lord.

God, please put your loving arms around them. Comfort them and hold them near You.

Bless our nation and the courageous armed forces who ensure this is still the best dang country in the world.

Bless the USA!!!

Things I know...(part 3)

My feet are becoming Peggy Hill feet. None of my shoes fit. All of them are tight. In fact, I stretch and pull on all the sides of my shoes before I cram my foot inside. No one tells you your feet grow when you are pregnant.

My balance is a little off these days. I tend to walk into people.

I'm out of breath after everything I do. I pretty much am panting after opening a bottle of water. I was so worried about this, I did some research. Apparently as my uterus continues to grow, it pushes up against my lungs causing a shortness in breath.

I use a heating bag every night to soothe some of my back pains. It started out with lower back pains. Now the muscles that run on both sides of my spine under my shoulder blades throb constantly.

Sleeping is becoming more and more difficult. I've started using the word "uncomfortable" when people ask how I'm feeling. I don't generally like their response back, "Oh just wait."

Everyone lets me pick where we're going to eat out. Umm, Mexican food please, duh!!

Babies make you want to buy things. I think it's good that we don't know the gender. If so, it would be out of hand at this point.

My growing tummy makes me giddy!

I don't know if I've ever been more excited about anything in my entire life.

The Great Name Debate

The most popular question we get these days is, "Do you have a name picked out yet?"

Yet, as in, "You've been pregnant since April. You surely have a name by now."

The answer is a big fat no. I'm pretty sure our hospital discharge papers will be placed in a pending folder somewhere as we continue to debate our first born's name.

Why is this so difficult?

Because Randy and I have completely (let me emphasize the word COMPLETELY) different ideas. I like very unusual, uncommon names. He likes very common names (and names that are identical to every former annoying student that I taught in the past.)

Just to give you an idea of how are conversations usually go...

P: "Randy, I really like the name 'Landry' for a little girl."
R (with a disgusted face): "You mean, like Landry Jones, the OU quarterback."

Never mind...

That's a no-go. No sooner names here apparently. It's not like we're naming it Stoops. (Man, he's annoying with his visors!)

So we usually don't discuss names. It's a dangerous topic that leaves me feeling defeated.

I came up with a plan. I placed a baby name book on our dining room table. As we're eating, Randy would undoubtedly start flipping through the book, and we can get the discussion going."

Well...I need a new plan. Here's how that went last night during dinner.

What about...
R: "Samson?"
P: "Really?"
R: "He'd be strong. Strong, like bull."

What about...
R: "Zeus?"
P: thinking, "How can that be in the book?"
R: "How cool would that be?"

What about...
R: "Saber? Our kid could be an American Gladiator."

Here's the best one!

What about...
R: "Mack?"
P: "As in Mack Brown? Randy, we don't need to be that fanatical."
R: "It's a cool name."
P: "It's in the phrase, "about to get your mack on."
R: "Oh our boy will be doing that." (with this silly little grin on his face because he must be thinking "like father, like son." PUUHH LEASSEEE!!!!!)

Let me point out three things.
1. The name book apparently was a terrible idea.
2. Randy only seems to be interested in finding a boy name.
3. We only have 12 weeks until I'm full term and have to figure this thing out.

Yikes!

Tea Time

I' always on the look out for cool kitchen gadgets. I love quirky little things. Quirky usually means expensive.

I'm not going to buy these. Believe me, we are working on a "budget." Oh how I hate that word. With a baby on the way, we're going to have to change how we spend our money. When I say "we're," I mainly mean "me." Randy sent me a working rough draft two days ago, and I haven't even opened the email yet. It just sounds scary and depressing. But I'm completely off topic, and besides who wants to read about budgets?

Yah, exactly!

So on to the lighter, airier topic, cool kitchen items.

These tea gadgets were featured in my Food Network Magazine.



The robot holds the tea bag!


Who wouldn't want a robot sticking out of your tea mug?

What a conversation piece!

Or check this one out...



These people are fishing for your sponge, I mean tea bag! Love it!!!

God please bless Texas!

The last two days have been filled with sadness, fear, worry, and an uncontrollable feeling of helplessness.

The wildfires in Central Texas can't even be described. I can't even look at the pictures online anymore. The pictures look like they came out of a movie. Unfortunately, they are real. It makes my stomach hurt.

Everyone in the area is just sitting on pins and needles. Bastrop has always been my favorite part of the drive between my parents house in Weimar and Austin. Those beautiful pines are now fuel. My friend said it best when she said, "I haven't been this sad since 9/11."


This is a bad nightmare, and it seems to be getting worse. We know people who have lost their homes. If you don't personally know of anyone, you know someone who knows someone else. I recognize the last names of people being interviewed on tv. I know where the subdivisions are that are being evacuated. I know that places I remembered going to as a little girl are now gone or being threatened.

Randy has many fond memories of Bastrop as his Grandparents live here. He learned to play golf with his Papa at the golf course in Bastrop State Park which unfortunately is no more.

This evening because of the crazy winds, the fire was approaching the Fayette County border line. Oh how I love Fayette County! Randy and I know that one day we will move back and raise our family there. We loved growing up in that area, and we're just sick about the fires that are threatening the area. We are waiting and praying for some good news. But the fire remains at 0 percent containment as it continues to spread. Luckily the winds are dying down.

Please pray for Texas! Please pray for the families who have lost their homes and the brave people fighting these beasts. The unknown is so scary. Bastrop, Texas is on my mind constantly as people are facing this nightmare dead on as they evacuate and wait and wait some more for the news of whether their house, belongings, and treasures have been spared. I know these are just "things," but it doesn't make it any better.

Bastrop's fire is by far the largest, but it's not the only one. I'm also praying for my school's community. 25 homes have been burnt down and more damaged in the area where I work. We don't have school tomorrow due to the fires. People are hoping to return to their neighborhoods tomorrow, and we will know more about the damage then. I believe our school has been spared.

What a roller coaster day! Randy has monitored my access to all the pages on Facebook. Can I give a shout out to Mark Z? He is amazing for his Facebook invention. I have been more informed than ever. Facebook is about 2 hours ahead of the Austin news update. Fayette County EMS has been extremely helpful if anyone is looking for a good site to follow. I'm probably too informed for being an expecting mom. My baby is probably so stressed out right now (hence the monitoring). Tomorrow, I will need to find some distractions. Maybe I'll work on my geography skills. I can't even tell you how frustrated Randy is with my compass skills. So I might get a little confused with all this east and west stuff. He even gave me a lesson tonight on Google maps. I'm just concerned and worry gets in the way with all this north/south/east/west lingo.

Just please make it stop!

Peanut Butter Please

I love peanut butter!

My biggest craving currently has been a peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie.


Best- Homemade!


But it's too dang hot to bake!

And if I make a batch of cookies, I'll eat all of them. No can do!


Okay- Bakery!



Too bad the bakery didn't have any. Apparently, not EVERYTHING is better.

Bad- Nabisco!



What's a girl to do? Do I eat these with a handful of chocolate chips?

What a bummer!

Old Person Purchase

Today I bought my first ever box of moth balls.

I always think of an attic when I smell those.

That and old people.

Well we needed to purchase because we have a rodent.

There is a possum under our deck.

True Story!

Mopac was just nuts about being outside on Sunday. I now know why. It wasn't the great weather. Austin broke a record on Sunday with it's 112 degree heat. (As one of my seventh graders told me today, it feels like a blow dryer is on when you are walking. Well said!)

She was doing her hunting tricks. She goes absolutely insane when she's on a smell lead. Well at night Randy got out the flashlight and shined through the cracks of our deck boards.

We think it's a possum. This animal had course grayish black hair...SICK!

Randy called my dad, and we ruled out a raccoon and a cat. He was poking it with a stick, and it barely was moving. It was playing possum. Ha!

My dad told us to get some moth balls and throw them under the deck. They apparently hate the smell (who knew?) and will leave.

Well of course, my mom's main concern was her baby. Not me, but Mopac. "Penny, you better not let Mopac outside. She'll crawl under that deck and get bitten. Larry, who can they call to get rid of it?"

My dad in the background, "Mary, it'll leave. It's cool and dark under the deck."

My mom: "Penny, call the fire department. They'll come out."

Umm maybe if I still lived in Weimar. The volunteer fire department would love to come out and help. I don't see them being as eager here though.

Mom: "Well shoot it."
Penny: "Mom, I'm pretty sure we can't shoot it. The neighbors will call the cops."
Mom to my dad: "Larry, is it going to get Mopac?"
Dad: "Mary, it's playing dead right now."
Mom: "Well, what if it plays alive?"

Hahaha! I love my crazy parents!

Well, I had a pregnancy brain moment tonight when I purchased them. We can't put moth balls under the deck. The possum apparently crawled under the deck, which Mopac can too as well. Moth balls are lethal for domestic pets. What a waste of 2 bucks!

Any other ideas?

Just What I Needed!

Can You take me by the hand?
Can You use me as I am?
Break me into who You want me to be.
When the time is finally right, will You open up my eyes?
Show me everything You want me to see.
This life is not my own.


To God alone be the glory.
To God alone be the praise.
Everything I say and do, let it be all for You.
The glory is Yours alone
Yours alone


Take the offering I bring.
You want more than what I sing.
Can I give You every part of me?
Turn these pennies into gold.
Take this life I call my own,
Until I’m running after Your heart.
I’m needing to let go.


We will rise and we will fall,
But You remain after all.
You’re glorious and beauti-ful.
You’re beautiful.
The glory is Yours alone, Yours alone, Yours alone.

This came on the radio on my way home from work today, and it totally made my day!

(That and my free Spicy Chicken Biscuit for breakfast from Chick Fil A. Check it out! There's a new breakfast item each day. I'm only allowing myself one pass through the most friendly drive through in America, and today I worked extra hard on the elliptical to make up for the best breakfast I'll have all week.)

But back to the post...

To God alone be the glory! Amen!
I think that every time I feel Little Lueders move. I shoot my "thank you Lord" prayer up each time I feel our love bug.

Not surprising

Penny: "Randy, how would you feel if our child doesn't want to go to UT for college? What would you do?"

Randy: "I don't know. I guess they could always get a loan."


bahahahaha

O' Happy Day

It happened!

It finally happened!

A complete stranger asked about the baby!

A stranger as in I've never seen her before.

It was incredible!!!!

I was standing in line at HEB checking out, and this sweet lady behind me asked, "So when is that baby due?"

I was just standing there. I mean I did happen to maybe, sorta, kinda touch my stomach. Oops, that means there was an assist. I couldn't help it. I want someone to ask me!!! This lady looked like she just needed a little prodding.

So I did that annoying thing pregnant ladies do, I touched my stomach.

No worries, we're still counting this as THE first time I was asked even with the little hint I dropped.

After the question was posed, my face lit up! I turned to her and said, "You're the first person to ask me that!!" I left out the "congrats" part. But I did go on to tell her how she made my day, and how I couldn't wait to tell my husband when I got home.

She said "well I could tell you are pregnant with your cute little bump."

Oh stop it! Or else I might just offer to buy your groceries sweet little, new favorite person on the planet!

Yah, she thought I was a loon.

But who cares, I've been asked!

Texas Swagger and my boyfriend!

Wow! I love this video!

It makes me want to sing "The Eyes of Texas."

Is this video extremely cocky?
Yah, I'll give all the anti-longhorns that one. In fact, it's extremely arrogant.

See, you either love us or you hate us. No one is on the fence about UT.

But I absolutely love that Texas swagger.

Not a fan? Least we all got to hear the sexiest voice on the planet!

Hook'em! and you're welcome!

Registry Fun

Well we did it! We finally finished the baby registry. Wow, was that stressful!

The wedding registry was fun! I loved picking out dishes, soft towels, and serving platters.

But this registry was different. It wasn't that we thought it was un-fun. It was just so much more important. Put me in front of an aisle of Fiesta dishes any day over a 100 brands of bottles.

It was extremely overwhelming. Every beep of the hand held scanner (which Randy had way too much fun with by the way) made me gasp.

"Was that right?"
"Will we use that?"
"Is that brand durable? safe?"

Randy always asked, "Is there something cheaper?"

But the registries are done! Knock that off the list of things-to-do.
And we did have fun doing it. Especially because Randy was with me.


The Target Adventure:

Penny: "I think we need one of those little seat things. You know, there not bimbos, but kinda sound like it. What are those called?"

Randy: "Wait did you say bimbo? I think we missed that aisle! Maybe we should go back!"

hardy har har... it's a bumbo! And I just had a pregnancy brain moment.

Randy: "Hey this looks cool. I don't know what it does, but it looks cool!"

We also have a football toy and a blue bumbo on this registry. Hmmm...

The Babies R Us Adventure:

We get home from scanning, and I sign in online to review all the stuff that I have no idea if we need/will use/etc.

Wait, why are there skittles on our registry?

Penny: "Randy, did you scan skittles at the store?"
Randy: "What are you talking about?" (with a big grin on his face)
Penny: "Well we have a "concession" category on our registry with skittles under it."
Randy: "What, I like Skittles. They're good!"

I guess he thought he should get something too, since everything was for the baby."

We also have a set of boy bibs on the registry. Okay, okay, I know I should have put my foot down. But you should have seen Randy's face light up when he saw these.

Randy: "Look Penny! These bibs have concrete trucks, cranes, and bridges on them."
Penny: "Randy, those are for little boys."
Randy: in mid scan "I know plenty of girl civil engineers."

Well there you have it! You certainly don't want to discourage an engineering profession from solid foods and on, do you?