Float On...

Happy Birthday Megan

2012-02-17T07:10:00.002-05:00

This is Greg, her husband, sneaking into her blog quickly, to say Happy Birthday to the most amazing girl. Although you have tough competition now, you are still my number 1 girl.

Love,
Greg

Valentines And Lin

2012-02-15T08:44:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers! Happy Wednesday. Raise your hand if you've already been pooped on today! What... only me? Really? Ahh, the joys of being a new mom = )

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day. We definitely did! Greg came home from work and Charleigh and I had gotten supplies to whip up some Swiss cheese fondue and a little dark chocolate fondue too. We got an old movie and had the best night. Anyone ever seen An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant? It's a classic and we've always loved watching the oldies but goodies!My funny Valentine!The spread!
Nothing says romance like video games... at least in Greg's eyes = )I hate the NBA, but this Jeremy Lin story is starting to be pretty amazing. Lin, who plays for the New York Knicks, keeps making buzzer beaters and game winning 3-pointers after riding the bench with the Rockets. His stats are impressive and he is basically shocking everyone right now. He kicked Kobe Bryant's butt last week and I detest Bryant. Beating Kobe makes him okay in my book. He leads the league with the most ever points in his first 5 games as a starter. Pretty cool.

Can you believe it? I said something nice about the NBA. My brother-in-law Joe would be proud = )

Float on...

Happy Valentine's Day From My Little Valentine

2012-02-14T09:51:00.002-05:00

Baby Goes To Belgium

2012-02-13T09:01:00.002-05:00

Good morning readers. Thanks for stopping by today. It finally got cold here in Baltimore! Call me crazy, but I love winter. These 50 degree days have been a nice treat, but it's nice to experience all four seasons. I can't imagine living somewhere like California that didn't have the changes of all four season. We had a nice weekend with Greg's mom in town from Florida . It was great to have another set of hands to help take care of the little one. Thank you, Amy! As you can see from the picture above, Charleigh girl is smitten = )I need some advice from you moms out there. We may be crazy, but when Charleigh is about 4 months old, we are going overseas. We are going to fly to Belgium for my brother's wedding. If you've been reading for awhile, you already know my brother got married in November of this year, but his wife is from Belgium and they've decided to have 2 ceremonies - one here, one there. I don't know much about babies, but I know this is a very long flight to manage with an infant. I imagine this trip will be challenging, but fun. Any tips out there? How should we prepare? What advice do you have?

Any help would be great! Have a great week and here are some of the latest shots of my baby girl!Snuggle timeOut like a lightNap time with papaMorning story time. Look how alert she is!

Float on...

Sunday Comic (A Nataliedee Comic)

2012-02-12T07:37:00.002-05:00

A Long Night And Some Comic Relief

2012-02-08T07:56:00.000-05:00

Good morning readers! Welcome to Sunshinemeg. It's a good place to be! Has anyone seen winter around, because we sure haven't here in Baltimore. We may see some snow flurries today, but it is still way too warm for anything to stick. Where are the cold temperatures?
This is not a political blog in anyway, but I was really happy to see that Proposition 8 was over turned in California yesterday. I don't believe that anyone can judge or discriminate against same-sex couples. I think it is wrong and that's all I have to say about that.

It's funny how I posted about our schedule yesterday and last night it all fell apart! I talked about Charleigh not crying, but she likes to remind us who is in charge! After a LONG night of tears (yes, from mom and baby) I was never so glad to see morning come along! C'est la vie. When I got up this morning and turned on my computer, I had all these windows open with things like, "12 reasons your infant may be crying," and "what you should do to soothe a crying infant." I was desperate! Ha!

You want to know what makes me laugh after a rough night with little sleep? This right here.

Float on...

My First Week As A Stay At Home Mom And What A Typical Day Is Like

2012-02-07T09:47:00.001-05:00

I am a worker. I love to work. I love going to the office. I love organizing my desk and making a task list. I love crossing items off that list each day and preparing another list for the following day. I love achieving goals and having meetings. I love my paychecks. Now I am not in the office each day. I am a stay-at-home mom for the next 3 months.
I miss work a little. I miss the social interaction and the hustle and bustle of office life, but being with my daughter is a true treat (Even if it is exhausting!) Excuse me for being completely honest here, but before I had Charleigh I thought I would feel bored at home. I thought I would feel resentful of my husband for getting to leave and go off to work. I know that is wrong, but it's honestly how I felt. I'm happy to say that is not how I feel now. First of all, I'm so busy with this baby I don't have time to think straight. Secondly, I actually love being here with her and I love soaking her in. I can't get enough! I think I actually work harder being home with her!

I kind of feel empowered, like a super hero = )
My task list as a stay-at-home mom is much different than my business world task list.

6am - Up and at em! Time for a feeding and a diaper change. We feed Charleigh every 2 hours during the day and every 3 hours at night. It's funny because we figured we would have this crying baby all night when she is hungry, but we are always the ones that have to wake her up. She does NOT cry in the night at all, at least not for these first 2 weeks. We are VERY lucky. Now that I've said it out loud, I've probably jinxed things. Greg does the 12am feeding and I do the 3am and 6am since I am not leaving for the office each day. While Charleigh is having breakfast, Greg gets up for work around 6:15 and showers and eats breakfast. He is out the door by 7ish.

7am - Charleigh goes back to bed and I catch the news, wash bottles from the night feedings, catch up on blogs, and take a shower.
8am - Feeding time (Each feeding takes about a half hour) Then we do a diaper change and typically, she has some awake time here! I love awake time. She seems to be so alert and wide-eyed! I read her a story and we play in her "little gym." I use the term "play" lightly. She's 2 weeks old and basically just squirms around. I move her arms and legs around and shake the rattles on the gym. It's really cool to watch her look around and take it all in. We also have a baby swing and after the little gym, she swings.
10am - Feeding time. Diaper change. Nap time till 12pm. This is errands time. If we need to go anywhere that day, this is the best time to do it because she sleeps hard. This is also the best time to go workout. We live in an apartment complex that has a gym. I put Charleigh in her car seat and take her down to the gym with me. She sits right next to the treadmill so I can walk a bit. I am not allowed to run for awhile still and I can't wait for that. I start spring football in the beginning of March and need to get back in shape asap!

12pm - Feeding time. Diaper change. Sometimes she is still super tired and will go right back to sleep and sometimes she may stay up for a bit. So we feed from 12 to 12:30 and then she occasionally stays up with me until 1ish. I like to rock her while she is awake. She stares right at me and I feel like it is our bonding time. She will then sleep until 2pm.

2pm - Feeding time. Diaper change. If she went right back to sleep after the 12pm feeding, she will usually be awake now. If she didn't sleep, she will sleep now. We do afternoon story time. She likes Winnie the Pooh books and Dr. Seuss (And when I say "she likes," I mean me = )
4pm - Feeding time. Diaper change. This is normally the time I like to try to put in a load of laundry and fold a load. It's amazing how many clothes she goes through in a day. She is a sneaky little devil who likes to wait till we take her diaper off at changing to pee everywhere! Ha! She ruins more outfits that way. You know how you always lose socks in the wash? Baby socks are a million times worse! Last night I made dinner in this time frame too.

5pm - Greg typically leaves work close to 5pm. That is subject to change depending of what projects he is working on. He will be home between 5:30 - 6pm.

6pm - Feeding time. We do a big bottle here because we make the change from the 2 hours feedings to the 3 hour feedings. Diaper change. If she is sleepy, she sleeps. If she is awake, she swings! Greg workouts some nights and others we have dinner here.

9pm - Last evening feeding. She gets another big bottle and a diaper change. I rock her or Greg rocks her and she goes to bed. Greg and I may watch a few shows and then call it a night. We call it a night pretty early these days = )

Float on...

Charleigh's Birth Story

2012-02-06T09:51:00.005-05:00

Hey there readers! Thanks for stopping by today. It's Monday again, but keep those heads up! I'm on maternity leave for the next few months and it's strange not getting ready for work in the morning and not being stuck in a big Baltimore traffic jam trying to get to the office. I'm not complaining! Being a stay-at-home mom is much different than I thought it would be. I'll admit that I was naive and thought it wouldn't be as challenging as a day in the office... ha! (Someone should smack me for that)

Today, my baby girl is 2-weeks-old! Time flies when you get no sleep = ) I've been working on her birth story and thought I would share today. Enjoy.Baby McNamara was scheduled to come Wednesday, January 25th, but baby was calling the shots. Sunday, January 22nd, started like any other Sunday. I was pretty uncomfortable and hadn't slept well the night prior. Greg and I watched the football playoffs all afternoon. My Ravens suffered a devastating loss to the Patriots and then the 49ers lost to the New York Giants. Boo! I kept thinking how cool it would have been to see a super bowl with Baltimore playing when we live in Baltimore. It would also be cool to watch the super bowl with my very own baby while cheering on the Ravens, but that didn't happen.

After a heartbreaking day of football, Greg looked at me and said, "we need this baby to come now." Little did he know what was about to happen! Ha! I decided to turn in for the night at around 10:45pm. I climbed into bed and felt this strange sharp pain. It was like a tiny lighting bolt in my lower abdomen. It only happened once and then all of sudden I felt my water break. For anyone wondering what that feels like, it simply felt like a rush of water coming out that you couldn't stop if you wanted to. In my head I figured I would panic if I ever had this experience, seeing as how only about 13% of pregnant women will have their water break prior to labor. Plus, if you've ever seen it on TV or in a movie, they all seem to freak out! However, I was pretty calm. I told Greg what had happened. He asked me if I was sure? I said yes and told him to finish packing his bag. His bag was mostly packed already. I quickly gathered my things (that had been packed for weeks) and we scurried out the door. Ladies, pack your bags in advance! It will help keep you calm. I called my mom and my godmother on the way to tell them both what was going on and Greg called his peeps. We listened to Kenny Chesney on the way to the hospital. Mama's choice = )

We got to the hospital, parked in the parking garage, and walked in. I soon realized that I had forgot the camera in the car. Greg ran back to the car and I sat in the hallway of the hospital going over things I had yet to take care of before the baby came. I had this check list on the counter with things like, "clean the ceiling fan in the living room," and "mail thank you cards." Seems silly now, but that was all I could think about.

My knight in shining armor soon returned WITH the camera and we went right up to labor and delivery. We checked in, did some paper work, and then 2 nurses came in to check and make sure my water had officially broken. It had. They admitted me and started an IV. I've never had any problems getting an IV, but for some reason my veins kept rolling around and causing issues during this pregnancy. We had had a false alarm earlier that week and I ended up getting stuck 6 times for an IV! The exploded two of my veins and I had the worst bruises on my arm. Every nurse that saw them would gasp and ask what had happened? I basically looked like a pregnant junkie. Nice mental image, huh? The nurses were able to get me on the second try this time around. It was around this time that we found out that there was another girl in labor and delivery who was farther along than us and who was having a c-section that night. It had been pre-determined that I was having a c-section myself and since we weren't as far along as the other girl, we would most likely not have the baby until later in the morning. The took us to our own room at around 1:30 am Monday morning.

I was having contractions off and on and those things suck! Wowza! They told me to sleep, but that seemed impossible. The contractions continued to get stronger and at around 3:30 am I opted for the epidural. The epidural hurt some, but the relief was pretty instant. It felt like burning in my back for just a minute. Soon after that, everything went tingly (is that a word?) and I couldn't feel much from my ribs down. After all was said and done with the epidural it was close to 5am. The nurse said we would head to surgery around 7:30, so to try and get some rest. I could not sleep - not one wink. Greg slept for maybe an hour, if that. They had this chair for him that was supposed to be a "sleeping chair," but the recliner part was broke and the foot rest got stuck. I wish I had taken more pictures of him fiddling with that chair. It was cracking me up and a great distraction. I started to feel a little drowsy around 6am and then all of a sudden the lights came on in our room and about 8 people came running in. They said the baby's heart rate had dropped and they needed to check on it. All dramatics aside, within 15 seconds we heard people yelling, "STAT" and I was being wheeled into surgery. I didn't even see Greg. I remember that I kept asking for him. I kept asking if the baby was okay and a nurse leaned down and said, "if the baby wasn't okay, it would be out already." I had to trust them. We turned corner after corner and then I finally saw a nurse helping Greg get into scrubs. I've never experienced such a rush of relief as I did when I saw him there in that moment.
I went into the operating room and they checked the baby's heart rate again. It had improved. They called my doctor, who wasn't going to be there till 7:30am, to see what she wanted to do. She said as long as the baby's heart rate was stable, we should wait for her. I was laying on a table with lots of blankets and Greg was sitting up by my head. I remember being really scared at this point that maybe the baby wasn't okay or maybe I wasn't ready for all of this. He did a good job of keeping me calm and talking to me. I don't think I broke eye contact with him for over an hour. I told him to please take as many pictures as he could because we would only get this moment once in our lifetime. My doctor finally came in and they got the show on the road. I felt a lot of pressure, but no pain. The doctor told me what they were doing as they did it. I was awake and coherent, but couldn't feel anything going on. Soon after they started the doctor told us we were about to hear a cry! Those few seconds, while we waited full of anticipation for that cry, were the longest few seconds I've ever experienced. It felt like time had stopped. I kept my eyes on Greg the entire time and all of sudden we heard a cry! It was the tiniest, cutest cry I've ever heard. I immediately started to cry and kept asking Greg, "is it a boy or a girl, is it a boy or a girl?!" He looked, paused, and said... "IT'S A GIRL!"

For anyone who has been reading the past 10 months, you know that I hoped for a girl. I've only ever pictured myself having girls and I know that I would love a boy too, but there is just something about having a daughter.They took the baby past me to clean her up and I remember seeing this full head of dark hair go whizzing past me. I thought to myself, "is there more than one baby in here?" Greg and I both were bald babies and had light hair when it came in. There is no way we have a baby with a head of hair, let alone dark hair! But WE DID! I heard several little cries and then they brought her to me. It was the most magical, overwhelming, sensational, powerful moment of my entire life. I was thrilled and I was so very in love with my daughter. I felt like I had always known her.Now she is 2-weeks-old and working on tummy time = ) She is such a good, happy baby. I can't believe she is all mine! Talk about being blessed.

Float on...

These Are The Days

2012-02-02T08:09:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers! Happy Thursday. Sorry I have been so MIA, but I have been busy soaking up my baby girl. I can't believe I ever lived without her. She is perfection. I'll do some updates in bullet style since my brain is still so jumbled up.
*Charleigh is doing great. She continues to grow, eat, and sleep. She was born with the longest finger nails I've ever seen on a baby. We can't cut them yet, so she wears these little mittens to protect her from scratching herself. It's ironic because I have the shortest nails ever.
*Last night my mom babysat and Greg and I went on our first date since Charleigh was born. We had a gift card to the Olive Garden and had a great night out. Yes, it was a bit difficult for me to leave and Greg and I both agreed that it felt strange, but we are committed to keeping our relationship number one. I didn't expect it to be hard at all, but once I got in the car and we drove away, I had to fight back some tears. Damn hormones. *Today is my moms last day here. I am going to miss her, but not as much as she is going to miss this little girl. They already have a bond = ) My mom lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, so when we say goodbye, it is normally for awhile. Lucky for us though, my birthday is this month and she is coming back in a few weeks with her fiance, my brother, and his wife!
*Babies require a lot of stuff. It is hard to keep it all organized. They also require a lot of outfits. Charleigh always makes a mess and has to have a change. We got some really great storage bins at Target and are working on keeping things neat.*It is really fun to watch Greg with a daughter. He honestly did not think we were going to have a little girl, but he couldn't be more smitten with her. He always jokes and says, "ladies there is only so much of me to go around!" Ha!*We had a high of around 65 degrees here in Baltimore yesterday. My mom and I loaded up Charleigh and went for a great big walk. We got to break in the stroller and Charleigh basically slept the whole time. We did about a mile and a half and came home. Once we got back I got reminded that I did have major surgery last week with some aches and pains around my incision. Note to self - don't over do it.

Float on...

Happy Day

2012-01-31T09:33:00.001-05:00

Good morning from me and my girls = )

Life As We Know It

2012-01-29T00:28:00.000-05:00

Hi there folks! Just checking in. I'm still adjusting to life with a newborn and I have to tell you, it rocks! Yeah, I'm tired and I can't remember if I've eaten today, but it is the most wonderful experience I've ever had. I'll try to not get all sappy on you. Here are some pictures of life lately and I'll update more when I can. Hope you are all well!

Float on...

Charleigh's Birth And First Few Days In Pictures!

2012-01-27T14:16:00.035-05:00

Hi there readers! Thank you for all of the kind words about the birth of our sweet baby girl. We are on cloud 9 right now. I am working on her birth story and will share that in time, but for now I'll let these pictures tell the story. Went to bed Sunday night around 11pm only to have my water break the minute I laid down . This was right before we left for the hospital. Thank goodness are bags were packed.

And for the record, I'd just like to point out that I always said it was a girl = )

Float on...

Readers, Meet My Very Own Daughter

2012-01-24T05:56:00.003-05:00

My dearest friends and family, it is with an overwhelming sense of pride and joy that I introduce you to my beautiful baby girl. Yes! It's a girl!

Charleigh Liana (Lee-ah-na) McNamara. Born 01/23/12 at 7:51am. She weighed 6 lbs. and 11 ounces. She's 20 inches long and a very calm baby. I couldn't be more in love.

"Charlie's waking me
To my core
and Charlie's shaking me
Tell my story
Charlie's making me,
And Charlie's making me smile.
My heart
Your skin
This love I'm in
We don't arrive, without a surprise"

- RHCP "Charlie"

Float on...

Big Game For Our City

2012-01-22T10:08:00.002-05:00

The Packers are out of the Playoffs. It sucks. I'm still in denial, but my second favorite team needs me today. Go Ravens! I'd love to live in a city that goes to the Super Bowl! People around here are going nuts and it's really fun to be a part of.

The Long Awaited Bump Pictures Before I'm Not Pregnant Anymore

2012-01-20T08:31:00.000-05:00

Good morning readers. I hope you are all doing great. I've been caught up in myself lately as I'm still pregnant. I've been pretty private with the baby bump pictures. I honestly didn't think I would share the bump at all, but then started to worry I might regret that. With only 5 days left to go, I realized that I haven't taken any bump shots in a LONG time.This is where we started. I was only around 8 weeks here. That green t-shirt is (incredibly old) my most favorite t-shirt and I can't wait to wear it again. This was the last bump picture I took. I think this was about 16-18 weeks. Considering we are pushing 40 weeks now, it's been forever.

Today, you get the bump! Here I am. Here is the bump in all of it's glory - 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant. We report to the hospital next Wednesday the 25th as long as baby doesn't come earlier.
Whoa mama! Is that a watermelon in your shirt or are you just happy to see me?

Side view. It's so strange carrying this baby around all the time. To be 100% honest with you, I've loved it and hated it at the same time. I hear women say how much they love being pregnant and that they can't wait to do it again... me, not so much. I still feel very blessed to be able to have this baby, I think I am just very ready to be done.

I am no longer working, but found out that my work had planned a going away party for me yesterday that I missed. I have been so lucky to work with some great people and although I enjoy a weekend more than anymore, I actually like going to work each day. I don't know if I'm more sad I missed my very own surprise party or this cake... = )Float on...

Piglet's Letter

2012-01-17T09:38:00.002-05:00

Dear Baby,

Your papa and mama love you so much. We haven't seen you, we don't know your name, and we don't know if you are a girl or a boy, but our love for you is infinite.

When I first told your papa that you were coming into this world he has never looked happier. I will cherish that single smile of his for the rest of my life. I will also cherish the times that we spent reading you story books while you were still inside mama's belly. I suspect that your papa may like Berenstain Bear books more than you and that he is better at doing voices when reading. I can't wait to tell you tales of learning how to swaddle a doll before you got here or your how your papa tried to put together a baby swing and a pack-n-play. I'm anxious for you to meet your entire family. You have a BIG family and so many people who already love you. Everyone is dying to meet you. My hope is that you never feel alone when you have a family like this. You have truly hit the family jackpot.

I wonder if you will be stubborn like me or hot tempered like your papa? Will you have his ears or my nose? I think your papa is most concerned with the big question - will you like sports too? (I'm not sure you have much of a choice on that matter = ) We watch a lot of sports in your new house. I'm sure that over the past few months you've been listening to all of the baseball, basketball, and football. You and I have also been listening to mama's CD collection on our ride home from work. We've made it through all of my CDs now, so you can come anytime. I apoligize for making you listen to "Now That's What I Call Real Music" Volumes 1-5, but it had to be done. Ha! (And by the way, that is NOT real music!) I will never forget listening to Christmas songs in December while you danced around or how when I put my hand up to my belly you calmed yourself.

I hope you know that this world is yours for the taking and that you can do anything you put your mind to. I will help you every step of the way and try to catch you when you fall. I'm not saying I won't make mistakes, because I will and so will your papa. You will make your share of mistakes too, but, we will all grow from them. Mistakes are okay. No one is perfect. When you get a little older you will learn right from wrong. Doing the right thing is not always the easiest, but what is right is right.

We are so excited to meet you.

With all my unconditional love,
Mama

T-Minus 9 Days!

2012-01-16T09:17:00.000-05:00

You guys see that countdown up there? 9 DAYS TO GO. 9... AS IN SINGLE DIGITS! Holy smokes. Today is my last Monday at work and my last full week before maternity leave. I've got doctors appointments and daycare visits planned for this week. I'm as uncomfortable as can be and totally pumped to meet my baby boy or girl. Next Wednesday is going to be the day of all days.
Waiting to find out the sex of this child has been a true test of will power, but I have no doubt that the sheer bliss of that telling moment will be unbelievable. We've bought gender neutral everything and I realized that if it's a girl, she's going to look like a tomboy right from the start. Ha! Nothing wrong with that. But just in case we have a little baby girl, I may or may not have picked up a package of hair bows over the weekend = )

The Packers lost yesterday. I'm in denial. My husband is devastated. The fumbles and drops were just too much. Now it's time to focus on the Baltimore Ravens who play the Patriots this weekend. Should be an intense game.

Float on...

Happy Playoff Weekend!

2012-01-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

Football Weekend And Unused Gift Cards

2012-01-13T08:32:00.000-05:00

Good morning wonderful readers. Welcome to Sunshinemeg today. Thanks for being here. It's Friday! (Que the party music...) It is a HUGE football weekend. My Packers and my Ravens both play on Sunday in hopes of advancing on. My fingers and toes are crossed for 2 victories come Sunday. I think my favorite Packer, BJ Raji, is going to have a monster of a game. You heard it here first. Raji, you are the man!

I heard the most crazy statistic on the radio this morning. They were talking about how so many people give gift cards and Christmas time and how most of those gift cards haven't been used yet. Greg I and I have a handful we are holding on to. You probably do too. We all have intentions of using them over the next few months. Well, they said that a staggering $2 BILLION, not million, BILLION dollars will go unused in gift cards. People will throw them into the bottom of a bag or stash them somewhere and forget all about them. Holy cow! That is a TON of money. Take inventory of your gift cards today and for the love of all things free, store them in a place you won't forget!!! (Or just send them to me)

Float on...

Warm Winter And Twinkies

2012-01-12T11:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning readers. Happy Thursday. Can anyone tell me where winter is? These 50 degree days are confusing me. It is 52 one day and 32 the next. It's impossible to dress right with this craziness. (It might be the weather or it might the fact that I am 38 weeks pregnant... potato, potato)

This baby crap is getting real now. My replacement started at work yesterday. I will be working through next Friday, so only 7 business days to go until I can focus on Piglet. (That is unless le bebe has plans to come earlier) In sad news, Hostess is apparently filing for bankruptcy protection. The Twinkie maker is in debt. A lot of debt~ Did you know they are an 82-year-old company?! Those darn Oatmeal Creme Pies have been around the block! Did you know over 21 million Twinkies were sold last year?! I can't remember the last time I had one of those things, but now that we are talking about it, I'm thinking they sound pretty good.

If I ever want to lose this baby weight, I better run away from anything Hostess related = )

13 days to go! Float on...

Pancake Injury and Goo Gone

2012-01-10T10:52:00.001-05:00

Hey there readers! Thanks for stopping by today. It's not Monday anymore so we've got that going for us!Delicious? Or injury inducer? Lol.

Yahoo has an article about NHL's Dustin Penner getting hurt eating pancakes. Yes, you read that right. He got hurt... eating breakfast. HA! Apparently his back locked up and he had to get some assistance. I suppose it wasn't tied to eating pancakes, it was just one of those fluke things. It's funny to see a headline that a star athlete gets hurt with pancakes.

Now I am in the mood for pancakes.

Another thing that caught my attention from Yahoo is an article about "9 Items Every Homes Needs." I skimmed the article and realized that Greg and I have 2 out of the 9 must have items. Whoops! They had some crazy items listed like a garden trowel, Goo Gone Spray Gel, and a Swiss Army Knife. I don't have a garden to use a trowel (whatever a trowel is). I don't have any goo to use Goo Gone Spray. And I don't have a Swiss Army Knife because I am not a 15-year-old boyscout. I do however have a level to hang pictures and a flashlight. I'm thinking that list is just a bit off.

Good thought of the day: in 15 days, I'll be holding my baby = )

Float on...

What Does Family Means

2012-01-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers. Welcome to Sunshinemeg! It's Monday (sigh) but the Steelers are out of the playoffs so all is well. Time to get all deep on you. Baby brain makes me think of crazy things, I tell ya. Periods of insomnia trigger my head to go to strange places.

Ever since Greg and I got married, I've considered us a family of 2. Greg, however, feels completely different. He insists we are not a family, because to him, a family is more than 2 people. It drives me nuts. I asked him if when the baby comes will we fall into his "family" category and he said yes. Duh Meg, 3 is the magic number!

Everyone had their own definition of what "family" means to them. Some people, for whatever reason, don't like their real family or don't see their real family. Some people live incredibly far away from their family so they make their own wherever they go. To each his own! Everyone has a select few friends that truly feel like blood relatives. I think that is the beauty of "family" - it's your prerogative. You are given one set of family members by blood, but you can create your own extended family for yourself.
Some folks feel the need to have a stick figure made of each family member (including the pets) to put on the back of their car. I don't think I understand this trend.

Some folks feel the need to take family photos like this. That's a keeper!

I still say that Greg and I have been a family of 2 for the past few years, but come to think of it, you really don't hear people talk about their family of 2. Now I'm confused.

The family of 3 adventure will begin in 16 days or less. Float on...

Sunday Comic (A Nataliedee Comic)

2012-01-08T08:05:00.002-05:00

37 Weeks And Some Days. I'm About To Have A Kid Y'all!

2012-01-06T08:31:00.000-05:00

Good morning folks from a very pregnant Sunshinemeg! We are so close! It's times like this that make me think of the movie Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

Due Date: Baby is coming January 25th! It is set in stone! I report to the hospital at 6am that day! AWESOMENESS!

How Big is Baby: Freaking huge! He/she is the size of a watermelon and just hanging out on my bladder all day and all night.

Symptoms: Just when I announced publicly that sleep had gotten better, it changed again. I wake up and that is it. I'm wide awake. At least I'll be used to getting up all night for feedings and snuggle time.
Cravings: Ice ice baby! I so wish we had a Sonic near by. Anyone who has been to Sonic knows they have the best ice in the world. I grew up in a small town in East Tennessee and there was a Sonic right down the road. I'm kicking myself for not going there more now. Now I'm thinking about cherry limeades...

Sleep: Sigh. I really wish we could be friends instead of enemies. I still love you, sleep. Come back!

I Can't Live Without: Comfy clothes and Friday Nights Lights (the TV show) to pass the time. I adored that series and Greg had never seen it, so for Christmas, "Santa" brought him the first season. We started season 2 last night. Texas forever! I'd also like to thank cocoa butter for being awesome. It has kept my skin smooth and stretch mark-free. Thank goodness.

I Miss: On New Year's Eve I did miss having a champagne toast with my love, but I mainly just miss being comfortable.

I am Looking Forward to: I don't know if you've noticed, but in 19 days I'm having a baby! My last day of work will be January 20th (unless baby comes earlier). I will most likely be taking 10-12 weeks off to raise the babe. Too bad it won't be old enough to watch Friday Night Lights with me ; )

Milestones: 37 weeks = full term!

Awkward Moments: Hmmm... can I just say the past 37 weeks and some days? Ha! Getting scolded at the doctor's office for wearing high heels. I wear them to work and normally change before my appointments, but forgot shoes this week. Doc wasn't amused.

Exercise: Walking on the treadmill for about a half hour. I'm slower than molasses. Can't wait to get back to running and doing some local 5ks.

Movement: A kick or punch here and there. He or she is getting pretty mellow now.

Gender: No matter if it's a girl or boy, this baby will be so very loved!

Labor Signs: Having some mild contractions, but nothing consistent. 5 minutes apart or less I went to the doctor's office yesterday and was 1 1/2 cm dilated.

Float on...

Baby On Board And Gary Busey

2012-01-04T08:28:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers. Thanks for stopping by Sunshinemeg today. How is your 2012 going? After having a very mild winter, think 40's and 50's, it got cold here! Today it was 15 degrees when I left. Brrr! I am one of those wierd people that love winter and enjoy the cold weather. I'm digging it, but the rest of Maryland is pissed judging by their aggressive driving on the beltway. Sigh. We've got a baby on board here people! Perhaps that is why people put these stickers on their cars?Speaking of baby, it's baby doctor day! I went last Thursday and found out that I was 1 cm dilated! Yay for progress! I've also been having some mild contractions here and there, but nothing consistent. That crap is not fun, but there is so many positive things to think about right now, I just can't be grouchy.
Starting in February, Donald Trump is doing another season of Celebrity Apprentice. Yes it's terrible TV, but man I love it! I don't know how this season will fare without Gary Busey being... Gary Busey. Ha! Speaking of Gary, did you know there is a now a Celebrity Wife Swap show and that he is going to be on it?! I feel sorry for the family that gets Gary Busey in a swap.

Float on...

Starting The New Year Off Right... By Not Working

2012-01-02T08:24:00.007-05:00

Hey there readers. Happy 2012 to you and yours! What's the best way to start a brand new year? Enjoy a Monday off from work! Score! I have enjoyed this long weekend so much. It might make it tough to go back tomorrow since I've been sleeping in for four days straight. I've had a lot of trouble sleeping while pregnant up until these past few weeks. These past few weeks have knocked me out. I love sleep.
Today is a day for a "new year" cleaning. Perhaps it's just my crazy nesting mode that has taken over, but this baby could come anytime and I want to make sure that floors are mopped and the bathtub is scrubbed. Christmas stuff needs to be packed up too. It always is a little sad to see it all go, but this year it's more exciting with what is to come.
Did you all have a nice New Year's Eve? We took it easy, played cards, and watched the coverage in New York up until about 11pm. We then decided to go out to a local bar to ring in the year. Let me sum it up for you - 9+ months pregnant, a half hour before midnight on New Year's Eve, in a college town... It was insane. I people watched the entire time and was cracking up. Greg even looked at me at one point and said that he felt older because all he could think about was if he had a daughter, he hoped she wouldn't act like the girls we saw. Ha!

Anyways, I'm off to clean. Tomorrow it is back to the daily grind. My last day of work before maternity leave is January 20th. Not much longer!

Float on...

Twenty Twelve

2011-12-31T17:33:00.002-05:00

2011 was a great year. We celebrated 2 years of marriage, found out we were expecting our first baby, worked hard at our career paths, and had plenty of time to be silly. Cheers to 2012 being even better! Float on...

9 Months... Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me You're Actually Pregnant For 10 Months?

2011-12-29T07:33:00.003-05:00

Good morning folks! It's time for a baby update seeing as how I will hit 36 weeks this week! 9 MONTHS!!! Yee haw! All you hear about is "in 9 months you'll have a baby," and there is even a movie called "9 Months," but you're actually pregnant for 10 long freaking months. I find this to be a very cruel joke. Someone should have warned me. First of all - Thanks to everyone who gave us Target gift cards this year! That is where we are registered and we have been able to get a lot of last minute things. Plus look how cute this is! Socks for papa and socks for Piglet. Melts my heart. We did get some books for Christmas. Ha! His and her cookbooks = ) I wanted to show our Christmas tree, but I realized that an unflattering shot of yourself 9 months pregnant trying to bend down to pick up wrapping paper when there are no gifts under the tree makes for a pretty lame photo. I can justify it by saying that the tree at night, WITH presents under it, looked awesome. Maybe next year we should get one of those skirt things to cover the base. Our Christmas palace! See all the baby things back there. Kids come with a lot of stuff! So advent calendars are pretty cool. You get candy every day in December up until Christmas! I did not know about this. How did I miss this? Greg got these for us and I think he started a new tradition!So back to baby things... where were we? Oh yes, 36 weeks! It's "crenshaw melon" week. I had no idea what one of these fruits was. Check out the picture above.

Due date: January 28th!

How big is baby: 6 pounds.
Maternity clothes: Like I'm going to buy anything else with only a few weeks to go! Paa-lease. If only yoga pants were work appropriate...

Cravings: I still want ice cubes all of the time. I am also on a mustard pretzel kick. Ice and mustard seem to be the clear winners for the pregnancy cravings category.

Sleep: Bad last night, but better this week. I don't want to jinx it though, so let's not talk about it anymore.

I miss: My favorite pair of jeans. Running. Not feeling a watermelon where my stomach used to be.

I am looking forward to: Holding/naming my child. Also, tomorrow I took the day off from work to check out some day cares and pediatricians. Apparently we were supposed to have done that already... whoops. I'm looking forward to it and hope that my "mom intuition" kicks in for which is the best options for Piglet.
And we just so happen to be going to see THE Harlem Globetrotters tomorrow night!!! I've never seen them and am so pumped. Thanks Greg for a great Christmas surprise.

Milestones: Making it 9 months. Holla!

Exercise: After going so slow on the elliptical that I paused it, I've resorted to becoming a walker. I walk on the treadmill and a low incline for a bit (nothing strenuous mom!)

Diet: Switched from larger meals to multiple small meals. I get full pretty quick.

Movement: Not as much as there is no more room in the inn! Take the hint baby.

Gender: Dying to know.

Labor Signs: Few sharp pains here and there. Nothing big yet.

Float on...

Growing Family!

2011-12-27T08:35:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers. Welcome back to Sunshinemeg. I just have a quick update for you today as it is back to the grind at work. Isn't Christmas just the most fun time of year? Santa was very good to us this year and Piglet made out like a bandit! This baby is already so loved by our families, it is wonderful to see. Things are getting close folks. We really don't have that much longer (at least that is what I keep telling myself) I've heard the last month is usually on the tougher side and so far, I agree. One day at a time... Besides our baby making it's debut in the next few weeks, my family is also growing in other ways! On Christmas eve, my mom's long time boyfriend proposed and she said yes! She is now telling everyone how she is going to be a grandma and a bride = ) Congrats moma and Rod. I am thrilled for you both!

Float on...

3 Years Ago Today

2011-12-24T08:57:00.001-05:00

3 years ago today...This caring, intelligent, handsome boy, who was my neighbor in college, got down on one knee and asked me to be his girl forever... Saying "yes" was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Cheers!

Gifts: What Not To Buy

2011-12-23T08:33:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday friends. Good morning! We are only a few days away from Christmas! It is all very exciting. Safe travels to you all. Take your time getting where you are going.

Lately I've seen a lot of people posting lists of things they want or are hoping for for Christmas. I'm going to do opposite of that and tell you some things I don't want for Christmas. If you are reading this post and it turns out you got me something that is listed here... well, this is awkward isn't it?1. Fruit cake. If I had wanted a brick for Christmas, I would have asked for a brick.

2. This shirt. If people still have questions as to whether or not I'm pregnant they must think I'm smuggling a watermelon in my shirt...
3. Anything Jersey Shore related.
4. I'll be honest here - I haven't really figured out what this is for. I'm 99.9% positive I don't want it.
5. No one needs pajama jeans. Since when did throwing on a normal pair of jeans become too hard?And for an added bonus, for any dudes reading, I did not buy you this. Your are welcome.

Float on...

AFV- American Funniest homevideos Christmas Special Part 2

2011-12-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

Because it's the season...

A Christmas Survey

2011-12-21T10:47:00.001-05:00

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Did you read my post about eggnog being creepy? HOT CHOCOLATE! DUH.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? If the present isn't wrapped, then Santa didn't bring it! Are you kidding me? Do some people just put unwrapped presents under the Christmas tree?! Maybe at Scrooge's house. 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have colored lights on our tree, but I think the white lights are the absolute best. They seem so classic and magical. Next year.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. Never really thought of it until this question, but I like that idea.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The day after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Probably my mom's mashed potatoes.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? My mom never liked video games. She didn't want us wasting our time inside playing them. She wanted us to run and play outside, so we knew not to even ask. However, when I was around 8 and my brother was 11, one last present came out for us to open together. It was.... A SEGA GENESIS!!!! My brother balled like a chick and I was in shock for a good hour. It was all caught on tape and is a cherished family moment.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I had my suspicions about the big guy the year after the Sega. I asked my mom to tell me the truth and she did. I remember after crying for an hour or two, I went to ask her about the tooth fairy and Easter bunny desperately hoping there was still some good in the world. Needless to say she stuck the knife in further by telling me they were frauds too. Devastation!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. In my house, my brother and I always gave our gifts to our parents on Christmas Eve and we exchanged our gifts to each other. That is it though! Santa's presents don't appear until Christmas morning!
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? It's funny this is a question because we are currently missing a box of ornaments. We live in a tiny apartment with tiny closets, but somehow the box has vanished. We were able to find about 5 miscellaneous ornaments and so our tree is... lacking. On our behalf I must say that the lights look very pretty though = )

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love!!! I love winter and cold weather. I grew up in the south and didn't get much snow so I appreciate it now. 12. Can you ice skate? Can I?!? Yes and I love it! I took ice skating lessons for years and years (I was never as good as I thought I was in my head) I asked for those lessons every year for Christmas. 13. Do you remember your favorite gift? The earliest thing I could think of was a pair of Cabbage Patch Kid pajamas with a matching gown for my Cabbage Patch Kid. If Piglet is a girl, this momma will be passing down her beloved Cabbage Patch Kid "Baby Mae Mae" She was secred in my house.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Classic decorated sugar cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? This year, Greg and I are making our own! Growing up, my family would go out to dinner every Christmas eve and then drive around to look at lights.

17. What tops your tree? Remember how we only have 5 ornaments this year... it's pretty bare folks.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Can I say both? Who doesn't like getting a present? If you don't - let me know and I'll send you my address and you can just ship them my way = ) However, it is just too fun when you know you've given an awesome present and you wait in anticipation for that person to open it.

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum? Yuck. Not a fan. In my younger days, I had my paws all over those cherry ones.
20. Favorite Christmas show? I look forward to the Christmas episodes of current shows like Modern Family and The Middle.

21. Saddest Christmas song? I'll Be Home for Christmas ("if onnnnly in my dreaaams")

22. What’s your favorite Christmas song? The Trans Siberian Orchestra can do no wrong in my book... except for their hair. Those dudes could use a chop if you ask me.

Merry Christmas and float on...

Christmas Giving - It's Not Too Late

2011-12-20T10:28:00.000-05:00

Good morning folks. Thanks for stopping by today. I'm glad you are here. I saw a commercial last night about it being "the season of giving" and it made me realize that we hadn't really given this year. Typically, we like to save our change throughout the year and then count it up in the beginning of December to go out and buy toys for donation centers. That hasn't happened and here it is 5 days before Christmas.

We have been incredibly blessed this past year and giving back is something that should be even more important around Christmas time, at least in my house. I'm not trying to preach to the choir about what you should do by any means, I just can't believe I forgot about the real meaning of the season.

It turns out that there is still time to give! The Toys for Tots Foundation is going strong with only 5 days left till Christmas! It isn't too late to go to their website (found here) and make a donation. Most toy donation drop off centers have stopped collecting toys to allow time for delivery. When you make a donation through their website, you can choose where you want it to go. For instance - if you want your money to go to those in need in your community, you can select that or you can simply click "use my gift where it is needed most."
Did you know that "from 1991 - 2005, the Foundation supplemented local toy collections with 64.5 million toys valued at $344 million!" (Taken from their website) That is pretty awesome, but there is still a great need for the underprivileged children of your community to have a nice Christmas. Every child deserves to feel special on Christmas.

Float on...

Santa Doesn't Bring Presents Until Christmas And A Cooking SOS

2011-12-19T08:32:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers. It is the last Monday before Christmas!!! We are less than one week away from good old Santa coming to visit! Hope you all survived your last weekend of Christmas shopping. As I have mentioned before, Greg and I are celebrating in Baltimore this year - just the two of us. We've never done a Christmas alone and are about to make our own traditions! I'm looking forward to it.

Could there be a video game in there?!?

Greg did try to pull a fast one yesterday when he casually mentioned that he thought he should open any present that looked like a video game on Saturday, so that if it was in fact a video game, he would have the entire weekend to play it... Nice try. Santa doesn't come till Sunday. I grew up with one older brother who used to drive me crazy trying to open presents on Christmas eve. My mom didn't even put our presents from "Santa" under the tree until the middle of the night on Christmas.

Greg is still insisting on his logic. Ha!

Since we will be on our own for Christmas, that means that no one is going to make Christmas dinner except for us. So I am going for wife of the year and attempting to make my first "rib roast." I am a strict vegetarian and have no idea how to pull this off? Can you buy a mini rib roast? What exactly is a rib roast? (I probably don't want to know) I do know it's one of Greg's most favorite things and we live across the street from The Fresh Market. Do you have a Fresh Market near you? They are an amazing grocery store and I know they can help me. They have a very helpful meat counter. That will be a good place to start. Any rib roast roasters out there that can teach me a thing or two? SOS!And with all this talk of Christmas, how funny are the Best Buy commercials with the moms buying all the presents and leaving no room for Santa? Great campaign this year. Game on, Santa!

Float on...

Last Weekend Before Christmas (A Nataliedee Comic)

2011-12-17T10:13:00.001-05:00

God speed readers, god speed!

Is It White Or Wheat And A "Twerp"

2011-12-15T08:55:00.002-05:00

Buenos nachos friends. Happy Thursday. Raise your hand if you are too sleepy to function and just want Friday at 5pm to be here at this very moment (HAND RAISED)

I was at the store yesterday picking out bread and I saw the kind known as "white wheat." Now, I know it has been around for awhile, but what is it? Is it white bread or is it wheat bread? How can it be both? That is like saying I want my eggs over hard/over easy.
You know how it is the end of the year and there are all those countdowns about "top 5 internet searches" and "most searched people of 2011?" Can guess who the top searched person was? I wanted to say Gabrielle Gifford or Steve Jobs, but I was way wrong.

It was... Justin Bieber. Seriously?!? I must be getting old cause that little twerp drives me crazy (plus I just referred to him as a "twerp") My grandpa always used to (lovingly) call me a twerp. I just looked up what twerp meant to make sure I was using it correctly for the Biebs and it is a "younger kid who is an annoying pest." Thanks grandpa = )

At least it wasn't a Kardashian.

Float on...

Scary Shipping, Gift Bags, Parents Texting

2011-12-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Welcome to Sunshinemeg today. It's a good place to be! So... Christmas is LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AWAY! It's time to say hello shipping charges. Nothing like buying a $40 present for a loved one and then spending $65 on shipping. Aye curumba.You know what may be the best invention ever, speaking of shipping charges? Flat rate boxes. Those are awesome! If you have out of town folks that are expecting presents, just head to the post office, buy a box, and stuff it for a set rate! Brilliant.I heard a segment on the radio this morning about "things men would change about Christmas." One of the top items on the list was abolishing wrapping paper for gift bags. Now I get suckered into pretty wrapping paper each year, but after I wrap a gift... it's not so pretty. Gift bags aren't as exciting to open, but I do see their point = ) And last, I leave you with some funnies from "When Parents Text." This stuff cracks me up!

*Dad: Rothlesberger
Me: ?
Dad: Accident. Meant to search that. He’a a football player. Bye.

*DAD: Quick. Text your mother. She’s threatening not to make Christmas cookies. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.

*MOM: I’m at the basketball game. They’re playing dynamite but I’m sitting still. Be proud.

*ME: Snooki is on HSN with all kinds of holiday gifts! I WANT IT ALL!!! Please tell Santa! :)
MOM: You will not get ANYTHING snooki is pedaling!

Float on...

33+ Weeks And Thoughts From A Pregnant Chicks Head

2011-12-12T10:09:00.000-05:00

Good morning wonderful readers! Thanks for visiting today. Today we are just doing a baby update. I haven't done any of these yet, but thought what the heck! Piglet is doing very good.

Now far along? 33 weeks last Saturday.

Size of baby? Pineapple express! Perhaps I should not reference that movie when referring to my baby?

Maternity Clothes? I did not want to spend money on the junk that is maternity wear. However, I did buy one pair of black pants, one dress, and a sweaters for work early on. I mostly still wear my old stuff just can't zipper my pants. That's what longer shirts were invented for!

Gender? No clue. No mother's intuition. No idea! It's killing me now. I can't wait to know. This will truly be the biggest surprise of our lives.

Movement? I went 28 weeks without feeling this babe. I was concerned to say the least, but after multiple tests and waiting so long, I now have a mosh pit baby! I love every single movement and promised myself, when I was scared from not feeling it move, that I would enjoy this. I do!

Sleep? What is that? Is that where you lay down and feel heartburn crawl from the tips of your toes to the hair on your head? Is that where you find a comfy spot and then realize you have to get up to pee... again? (And again?) Is that where you admit defeat and watch a few hours of Law and Order at ungodly hours of the night?

Food Cravings? ICE! All I want is a tumbler filled to the brim with ice cubes morning, noon, and night! I'm weird.

What I Miss? Sleeping on my stomach or just sleeping in general.

Symptoms? Sore ribs. Knock on wood, but I've had no back pain at all.

Best Moment of the Week? Last weekend I washed all of the baby clothes to fold and put away. It was the cutest pile of laundry I have ever seen in my entire life.

Some funny happenings and my thoughts lately.

Some of you saw this gem on Twitter already, but on Wednesday I sent Gregorio a text and asked him if he wanted "sloppy joes" for dinner, only spell check changed "joes" to "hoes" .... um, yeah.

When I go to the gym I like to do the elliptical before I do my weight circuit. However this week my pride took a BIG hit when the elliptical kept putting the machine in "paused" status because I was going too slow. Yeah, my poor ego. (*I bet Edna up there doesn't "pause" her machine)

I got caught singing "Mr. Grinch" as work Friday. It was more like I got really into the song on the radio before belting (out loud) the last line for all to hear without thinking about it. After that all I heard was crickets...

That funny line about "the seasick crocodile" cracks me up.

Float on...

Egg Nog Is Creepy And Let's Tango 2012

2011-12-08T08:51:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers. Happy Thursday! Yahoo has a story this morning about the 7 worst holiday foods. Can you name them? I thought of egg nog and fruit cake, but fruit cake wasn't on the list. They had peppermint mochas from Starbucks, egg nog pancakes from IHOP, and more. Egg nog in pancakes sounds disgusting anyway! I've never been a big egg nog person. It creeps me out for some reason. It seems like one of those things you either really love or really hate - there is no middle ground. You can see Yahoo's complete list here.

Did anyone see the "Color of 2012" has been named? Did you even know there is a color named as color of the year? Well there is, and for 2012 it is "tangerine tango." Interesting. I don't remember seeing that in the old box of Crayolas! What happened to yellow, red, or blue? We could even get crazy and go with "forest green." Time to tango apparently! Speaking of colors and Crayolas, has anyone ever figured out why there were white crayons made? Those were the worst! They didn't even show up on black paper! It was like getting handed a candle to color with! You feel me?

Float on...

Santa's Flat "Tire"

2011-12-06T12:45:00.001-05:00

Hahaha!

Ornaments MIA And Adios Jaws

2011-12-05T10:28:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers. Hope you all had good weekends. We got our Christmas tree put up and somehow, between this year and last, we lost our ornaments. Ha! We found a bag with 6 ornaments in it, but the rest are M.I.A. Now, technically we haven't looked for them very hard yet, so they may turn up, but how do you lose something like that?!

Doesn't everyone have that one scary closet where you put decorations and miscellaneous things. You know, the one that you are terrified to open because a mountain of trinkets could fall down on you? I have my suspicious the case of the missing ornaments can be solved in that closet.

CNN had a story about Universal Studios closing down their infamous "Jaws" ride. If you've ever been to Universal Studios, you must have ridden it! The park is saying that the ride is outdated. Looking at the picture above, I suppose it is a bit outdated, but man it's fun (and not to mention classic!) It is closing January 2nd. If only I could get to Universal Studios before then! (Do they let pregnant chicks go on rides?)And lastly, I just wanted to show you all how close we are getting to the end. YAY!

Float on...

Sunday Comic (A Nataliedee Comic)

2011-12-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

What? This isn't what you eat for lunch?

Milwaukee Bucks ESPN commercial

2011-12-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

The only nice thing I will say about the NBA coming back is that we get to see commercials like this again. They never get old.

Baltimore's Miracle on 34th Street

2011-12-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday friends. Thanks for visiting Sunshinemeg today. Fridays are always a fun day to stop by.Speaking of fun, aren't Christmas lights awesome?! It is so cool to see a home that is decorated when you are driving along. Everyone knows of at least one home in their area that goes above and beyond and turns their home into a real life gingerbread house around this time of year.

So I've been living in Baltimore for about 3 years now and l adore the city. Love finding news things to go see and do and last week, on Yahoo's homepage, my mind was blown! They had a list of the 10 best places to see Christmas lights across the US. #10 just so happened to be right here in Baltimore! They called it the "Miracle on 34th Street!" A block of beautiful old row homes decorates like they were in the North Pole for all to see! That is the kind of tradition that I love.

You can check out some of the pictures here, but Greg and I are going to see it first hand tomorrow night! There is even a Wikipedia page for it and it says this tradition has been going on since 1947!
Float on...

December And Being Humble

2011-12-01T09:44:00.001-05:00

Buenos nachos pals! Happy December to all! I love me some December time. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, put on The Grinch, and enjoy the lights of your Christmas tree! What's that? You've got 10 million errands to do, a list of 30 people to buy gifts for, and you work a 50+ hour work week? Well, just go to that happy place in your mind = )

Have you ever expeirenced a moment that humbled you to the core? I had one of those moments this week. This guy called me at work who had just found out his wife was pregnant. You could almost hear his smile through the phone. He was concerned that she does not have health insurance and wanted to see if we could offer it to her. Unfortunately I couldn't help him, but it made me realize how truly lucky I am to have insurance with this baby. I complain about the $20 bills for the blood work here and there or the $16 dollar bill for an ultra sound, but now I will count my blessings a little bit more.

Tis the season to do just that. Float on...

Christmas Is Coming

2011-11-29T09:41:00.000-05:00

Good morning readers! Welcome back to Sunshinemeg after a great Thanksgiving break. Hope you all enjoyed your family and friends. We sure did! We had a wonderful trip to Tennessee and had a great time at the wedding. It is always fun to catch up with old friends that you haven't seen in years.
Can you believe Christmas is less than a month away?! I can't! Being super pregnant has forced me to get my butt in gear and not procrastinate this year. I wanted to be done by the beginning of December so that I could kick my feet up and relax during the normal hustle and bustle (yeah right!) I still have some work to do, but not as much as normal. Greg and I are doing our first ever Christmas just the two of us. It will be low key, but fun. The anticipation of Piglet's arrival is increasing every single day.

I have 2 doctor's appointments today. One is just a normal 2 week check up and one is to visit the hospital where baby will be born. We only have about 8 weeks to go and the realness of it all is setting in. I don't sleep good these days and lay awake just wondering what this kid will be like. It's all very exciting!

Float on...

Happy Wedding Day Zach And Sylvie!

2011-11-26T07:48:00.007-05:00

Today is a very special day here at Sunshinemeg, as today is my brother's wedding day! Yup, the day has come for Zach and Sylvie to say, "I do!" It is shaping up to be a beautiful fall day here in East Tennessee. Zach, you are the best big brother I've ever had (and I'm probably just saying that because you're the only one I've ever had = )You have always been there for me and you make me laugh all of the time.
Of course I'm laughing at you, not with you. Ha!Happy Wedding Day, Zach and Sylvie. I love you both very much!

Float on...

What I Am Thankful For Today

2011-11-24T18:32:00.001-05:00

I am thankful that I have a healthy baby that is currently kicking up a storm. Only about 8 weeks to go till we get to hold him or her in our arms.

I am thankful that in about 8 weeks I will know if it's a him or a her = ) I still say GIRL! Greg still says BOY!
I am thankful the Packers are 11-0. I am not thankful for Ndamukong Suh on the Detroit Lions. He is a dirty player and should be benched.
I am thankful for my brother Zach, who just so happens to be getting married on Saturday! On this note - I'd also like to say I'm thankful for all of our families. Family really is the most important thing. Today my godmother (besides making a huge Thanksgiving spread for a house full of people,) made Greg and I a Funfetti cake complete with Piglet in the center. Thank you Rudi!
I am thankful that in a matter of weeks I will once again be able to sleep on my stomach. What's that? New moms don't get to sleep?! Well, crap. I'll revise it - I am thankful that in a few *years* I can sleep on my stomach again = )

I am thankful that thousands of people made the pledge to NOT eat turkey this year at Thanksgiving. The end of December marks my first complete year as a vegetarian. I believe in animal rights.You can pledge the same here or on Facebook here.

Happy Thanksgiving and float on...

Busiest Day Of Travel

2011-11-23T08:30:00.001-05:00

No matter how you plan on getting to your holiday destination...

Here is wishing you

safe and speedy travels (as in no traffic/delays!)Enjoy your family and friends and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Float on...

Self-Checkout Lines For Idiots

2011-11-22T10:18:00.002-05:00

Good morning readers! Only 2 days until Thanksgiving! Don't forget to stop and smell the roses during this holiday hustle and bustle. (And by smell the "roses" I mean the Thankgiving dinner of course)I heard a radio show discussing the self-checkout at grocery stores and how a lot of stores are doing away with them. I don't know how I feel abou this. Sometimes they are awesome and you can zip right in, pick up a few items, and get right out. Other times - not so much. Have you ever noticed how when you are doing the self-checkout thing and it tells you to place an item in the bag, it always messes up at the worst possible time? Let's say you have a house full of guests but you have forgotten that one key ingredient. You run to the store, grab the item, dash to the self checkout, scan it, and set it in the bag. The next thing you know the machine is telling you to put it in the bag again, so you take it out to set it back in. Then it starts freaking out that you've removed an item. Lights start flashing, you turn red as red can be, and the people standing in line give you dirty looks. You have to wait on the one person who is helping 6 other self checkout patrons and time feels like it has stopped.

Maybe they should make on of those "Self-checkout" books for idiots...

Float on...

Thanksgiving Week Has Arrived!

2011-11-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving week all! Woo hoo for short weeks, family, food, and fun! This is the best time of year. Only got to make it thru Wednesday this week and then freedom! Wednesday is still known as "the busiest travel day of the year," so be careful out there. Highways are scary, scary places. This morning on the news, I heard that the best time to travel on Wednesday is before 9am or after 9pm. We'll defintely be traveling long past 9pm with an 8+ hour drive to good old Tennessee. It's also the perfect time of year to see this movie again! If you have never seen it, well that is just a tradegy! As a child of the 80's/90's, I LOVE John Candy. Uncle Buck is perhaps one of the funniest movies ever. All of his movies are good for large groups of all ages (like your family gathering at Thanksgiving!) Also, don't forget about good old board games! This time of year is also primetime to break out Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit and have day long marathons!

Float on...

A Chocolate Glow And American Horror Story

2011-11-18T09:09:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday all! We made it! It's the last weekend before Thanksgiving, so I'm sure most everyone is busy preparing for a fun-filled holiday.
Yahoo has an article about foods you can eat to help your complexion and it names kiwis, yogurt, nuts and seeds, sweet potatoes, and dark chocolate! Chocolate can lead to glowing skin?! Say what? Apparently a small piece (not that king size bar you have in your shopping kart) can help soften your skin. I don't know how accurate this article is, but another reason to eat chocolate, I'm sold = )I have become addicted to the scariest show I've ever seen on TV. American Horror Story started a few months ago on FX. The show is mind blowing. It is something you would expect from HBO or Showtime, basically a premium channel that you would have to pay extra for. It has Connie Britton in it who, if you've ever watched Friday Night Lights, you can't help but love! (Don't watch it expecting to see her in the same FNL role though) I end up covering my eyes at least 2-3 times during an hour long episode. (Don't tell him I told you, but I pretty sure Greg covers his eyes too = )

It tells the story of a family struggling to stay together that moves into an old mansion in California. Little do they know the home has been deemed the "murder house'' due to the its wicked past. The show comes on on Wednesday nights, but if you haven't seen it yet, head over to FX's website and start from the beginging. You learn so much each episode that it's best start with the first episode. If you like scary movies or being scared, you'll probably like this. Don't blame me when you need to sleep with a night light though...

Float on...

Open Later Target!

2011-11-16T09:53:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday friends. Thanks for visiting Sunshinemeg today. I'm glad you are here.

Anyone hear about the Target protest going on? Apparently Target is now opening at 12am on Black Friday. (And I thought it was crazy when Toys-R-Us opened at 4am last year?!) This kind of bothers me. Retailers don't seem to care about their employees or their families, just the all mighty dollar. Come on Target! You are better than that. If you open at 12am, your workers will have to leave their homes at 11pm on Thanksgiving night. That is not right!

I've worked retail during the holidays (American Eagle almost killed me) and after the scar that left, I'm a firm believer you should let the staff be with their family. IT IS A HOLIDAY! Opening at 5am on Black Friday is good enough for all of us deal hunters. If you are a crazy deal hunter, (props to you) but spend Thanksgiving with your family. Don't cut dinner short because you need to go stand in line for 4 hours at Target for a discounted iPod. Isn't Thanksgiving about giving thanks for what you already have and the family gathered around you? (Not to mention mashed potatoes) It is not about scoring a laptop for half price in the middle of the night. Don't get me wrong here, I am a Black Friday lover! But last time I checked Black Friday is on FRIDAY! Nearly 100,000 people have signed the petition at change.org to have Target change their plan. I hope it works!

Float on...

Some Necessities While Pregnant

2011-11-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

Good morning all. The good news is that it isn't Monday anymore, but the bad news is that it is only Tuesday. Thank goodness for Modern Family tomorrow night to help us through. I missed it last week and am having withdrawals at this point.

So I am pretty darn pregnant at this point and I am remain clueless about most of this baby stuff. That is not to say that I haven't learned some things. I've learned that there are a few necessities that I couldn't live without while pregnant. 1. This guy. Duh.

2. Help. I am typically one to handle my business myself, but there comes a time when you just have to admit defeat and cherish a little help here and there. (Shout out to the first time grandma-to-be in the above picture. We wouldn't be as prepared as we are now if it weren't for her and her help) 3. My only real craving throughout this process has come from the unexpected source above. I've always liked mustard to an extent, but I am now in love with it and I judge how much I like a food by how well it goes with mustard... I'm sick.
4. Ice. I can't tell you why, but during this last month, ice has seemed like the best thing in the world (besides mustard of course!)

5. Twitter. There is nothing like talking to complete strangers about being pregnant. Ha! All joking aside, a lot of you bloggers and Tweeters (spelling?) know your stuff. You can almost always find someone who has gone through what you are or who can offer good advice. How awesome is that!?6. Law & Order. God bless the mindless drama that is Law & Order. When I can't sleep and it is a ridiculous hour of the night, Law & Order is always, ALWAYS on. I'm pretty sure you can find this show on 24/7 if you look for it. I'm getting really good at picking out who the culprit is.

7. The Berenstain Bears. We read to Piglet a lot. It turns out The Berenstain Bear books are just as good now as when I was 6-years-old. I also discovered that my husband and I share a love for these books and get way too excited for "story time." Too Much Junk Food is still the best book ever! (And I must be behind the times because I did NOT know there is a 3rd baby in the picture... I always thought it was just sister bear and brother bear. I need to get to reading!)

Float on...

2 YEARS! (And 80 To Go)

2011-11-14T10:31:00.000-05:00

November 14th is a wonderful day. It is the day of our anniversary! Greg and I have been married for 2 years today. I remember sometime after Greg asked me to marry him, I randomly made a statement about our "November" wedding. He looked at me and said "are we are getting married in November?" I don't know why I had said that or where it came from, but after we discussed dates, months, and times, November 14th appeared the winner.

Greg and I had a small wedding with our families present on the most beautiful November day you could have imagined. We had Greg's grandfather marry us, as he had done for Greg's 2 older brothers. It was was the single, most important detail in our wedding. We will forever cherish that.

Greg is one of those people who is just fun. He makes me laugh all of the time. We have some of the best times when we are doing absolutely nothing at all. I don't even know how it is possible, but I love him more each day.
In about 10 weeks or so, we will have our first child. It still blows my mind to think about and to say out loud. It's definitely a new chapter in the book of Meg and Greg. And something tells me that this will be our best chapter yet = )

Float on...

The Greatest Article I've Read

2011-11-11T08:41:00.001-05:00

Good morning and happy Friday readers! I'm so glad you are here today, because we need some positivity! With all of the negative sports coverage going on right now, it's easy to feel bummed out. That is why today, when I found this diamond in the rough, I had to share it! This is an article by columnist Willie Geist, who broke down how he took his 4-year-old daughter to a football game. It is the funniest, sweetest, most hilarious story I have read in awhile. Even if you don't like sports, or you aren't a parent, you will understand once you've read it.

Hope you enjoy as much as I did and that you all have a great weekend. It's pretty long, but once you start reading, you can't stop. You can find the article here on Grantland's website. *Disclaimer - I did not write the following article. It was written by Willie Geist

"When you live in New York City, you run up a long list of things you've been meaning to do. You've been meaning to get to some off-Broadway theater — your trip to see Blue Man Group with relatives in from Schaumburg doesn't count. You've been meaning to get out to Ellis Island, which you hear has a database that allows you to track the immigrant history of your family. That sounds cool. You've been meaning to dust off the tuxedo and see Don Giovanni at the Met. You'll probably have some champagne and light hors d'oeuvres while you're there. And you've been meaning to get over to Brooklyn to see what all the fuss is about. Maybe pick up a porkpie hat and some skinny ties or something.

But you don't do these things. You will drive by the places where these things could happen very easily and you will be reminded that you've been meaning to do them. You can't really explain why you haven't done them. You'd like to think it's because you're so busy, but you somehow keep finding time to do things every weekend like watch that noon, Saturday ESPN2 game between Northwestern and Iowa with the winner remaining right in the thick of the TicketCity Bowl conversation.

High on the list of things I've been meaning to do since I moved to New York in 2004 is going up to a Columbia University football game. I blame myself for the failure to make this happen for seven years, but I will say it's tough to find a wingman for a trip like that, and a solo mission to watch an Ivy League school with which I have absolutely no affiliation always felt like a bridge I didn't want to cross. I also struggled, when raising the idea every year, to answer my wife's fundamental question, "Why the hell am I going to sit in the cold to watch a football game between Columbia and Brown?" This year, I stopped asking my wife. Instead, I found a wingman who does not ask the kind of questions that reduce a man's long-held dreams to trivia. I invited my helpless 4-year-old daughter.

Granted, my sales pitch was vague. I told Lucie we were going on a "subway adventure." That could have meant we were going to the Museum of Natural History, where she's on a first-name basis with the life-size elephants and runs a tab at the gift shop. It could have meant we were going to live out some wild 4-year-old fantasy, like swimming in a pool full of Jolly Ranchers while Angelina Ballerina and Handy Manny cheered us on. Or it could have meant we were going to watch the winless Columbia Lions play host to Harvard at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. Luckily, she didn't ask for details.

Lucie was a great date. She enthusiastically packed the giant, pink Dora the Explorer backpack that consumes three-quarters of her body with two apples, some Goldfish crackers, a scarf, and a hat. I threw in some toys on the off chance the Ivy League football game somehow didn't hold her attention. My wife was happy to see the two of us off, mainly because she knew that after seven years of kicking the can down the road, she was off the hook forever. She stayed home with our 2-year-old son, whose naptime didn't jibe with the 12:30 p.m. kickoff. Come to think of it, he may have been faking a nap so he didn't have to come to the game.

Lucie and I stepped out of our apartment building into the chilly afternoon (game-time temperature was 45 degrees) and hopped on the 1 Train. When you get on the subway to go to a Yankees game, you know you're on the right train. Everyone is in jerseys, drinking, and talking loudly about how A.J. Burnett sucks. The subway to the Columbia game is different. And by "different," I mean "empty." For 12 stops and about 20 minutes, it was just me, Lucie, and a shoeless, sleeping gentleman who I suspect was not headed up to the Columbia alumni tailgate. Might have been a Harvard man.

By the time we got off the subway at the 215th Street station — the last in Manhattan before you cross over into the Bronx — you finally could tell there was something going on. A small crowd was marching up the hill on 218th Street. We followed the trail of powder blue and white balloons that signaled either a college football game or a 5-year-old boy's birthday party.

At the gate, guards dressed in the familiar yellow "Event Security" windbreakers asked to take a peek inside Lucie's Dora backpack. This seemed excessive on a number of levels. If Al Qaeda had been targeting sparsely attended Ivy League football games, it was news to me, and a little pathetic if you don't mind my saying so. And I know jihadists have been on the ropes lately, but are they really using Scandinavian-looking New York City preschoolers to carry out their missions? If so, shame on them. Luckily, the Honeycrisp apples checked out, and we walked up to the ticket booth, Lucie slid a crisp $20 bill through the window, and back came two light-blue tickets that would announce forever, on the front of a refrigerator and probably later in the bottom of a shoe box, that I had been to a Columbia football game on November 5, 2011. I officially was doing the thing I'd been meaning to do. I was unreasonably excited to be there.

Lucie set the tone for the day when she asked almost immediately after we sat down on our cold, metal bleacher seats, "How long do we have to stay here?" It was time for some quick appeasement.

"They have hot chocolate," I said.

"Where?!" she shot back.

"They sell it at halftime," I told her, but she wanted more.

"Do they have Swedish red fish at this football game?" she asked.

"I bet they do," I replied. Satisfied for the moment, she settled into her seat. I had just bought myself two quarters of football with the promise of a halftime sugar buy.

I guess I hadn't considered beforehand how entertaining it would be to have a 4-year-old little girl breaking down the game at my side as she ate Goldfish and pounded juice boxes. Columbia was wearing its home blue jerseys. Harvard was in white with shiny gold pants. Lucie quickly dubbed this a battle between "The Golden Pants" and "Light-Blue Shirt Guys." For the record, I will call Harvard "The Golden Pants" for the rest of my life.

I told Lucie we were rooting for Columbia because they're the New York team (she's too young for me to explain that no one roots for Harvard in anything — in sports or in life). But she didn't care what I told her about Columbia: She was blinded by "The Golden Pants." That was her team. Those were her pants. After every play — and I mean every play — she asked if "The Golden Pants" had won the game. At this rate, it was going to be a long day. Everything changed, though, on a fateful pass-interference call in the second quarter. Columbia threw a deep ball over the middle. The defensive back gave a little shove, the receiver went down, the flags flew, and the home crowd (the reported 4,153 seemed about right) booed, then cheered loudly. Lucie asked me what had happened.

I told her "The Golden Pants" guy pushed down the "Light-Blue Shirt Guy" and broke the rules. She whipped her head around, mimicking the stern look her mother gives her when she's caught smacking her little brother around.

"He pushed him?" she asked. She was ready to call The Hague.

"Yes," I said. "And that's against the rules."

Lucie glared at the field, and with pursed lips repeated a line she herself had heard many times before in her own home, "We do not push." You have never seen someone switch a sports allegiance so quickly. Suddenly, she was a dyed-in-the-wool Columbia fan, if such a thing exists. The pass interference was more than a penalty. It was a violation. A moral failing. Grounds for a timeout at her preschool, so why not here at Lawrence Wien Stadium? How, pray tell, would a little yellow flag deter that kind of behavior in the future? It was a scandal. Lucie had placed her trust in that Harvard team some 32 minutes earlier, and now, as far as she was concerned, it was over. Lucie didn't even know "The Golden Pants" anymore.

Now she at least was rooting for the right team, but another problem arose: the lion at the game. Not the Columbia mascot — Lucie picked up right away that he was not a real lion and therefore not a threat. No, it was a sound coming from the loudspeakers on the scoreboard behind the north end zone over and over again. A loud, prolonged lion's roar. Lucie covered her ears in horror and turned to me with a stunning revelation.

"Daddy," she said ominously. "There's a lion at this football game."

I assured her there were no real lions at the game, but she had her doubts. She'd heard her share of lion roars on the iPad "Animal Sounds" app over the years, and this one sounded like the real thing. And, by the way, there were pictures of lions everywhere. There on the press box: a lion. There in the program: a lion. There on that lady's sweatshirt: another lion! They named the team after lions, for Christ's sake! The way Lucie saw it, it was only a matter of time before this lion burst onto the field and ate all "The Golden Pants" and "Light-Blue Shirt Guys." Lucie, not unreasonably from her point of view, wanted out of Lawrence A. Wien Stadium before we all were mauled. My long-deferred romantic dream of watching Columbia football under the autumn sun was in serious jeopardy. It was about that time that, as if sent from the heavens, a seagull swooped down and shit on my head.

There had been a good-sized flock of seagulls hovering over the stadium all afternoon, scattering away from punts and returning to mill around the large sections of unpopulated bleachers. One of these little bastards locked in on me and dropped one right on top of my dome.

Not great for Dad, but really, really great for 4-year-old daughter. My horror turned to relief. One laugh-out-loud, laser-guided seagull bomb completely neutralized the threat of the man-eating lion living in the scoreboard. That act of unintentional physical comedy and the halftime hot chocolate and candy (FYI, they do not have Swedish Fish at the Lawrence A. Wien Stadium concession stands) bought my way into the third quarter, but I knew my time was short. The M&Ms would wear off soon, and jacked-up Lucie would eventually stop running the stadium stairs like she was Walter Payton in an offseason training session. Plus my daughter, at the tender age of 4, had already figured out the difficult lesson that non-sporting girlfriends and wives eventually learn: Sports Time is a lie. The scoreboard said there were seven minutes left in the third quarter, so when she asked, "How much longer, Dad?" I lied and told her seven minutes. We all know Sports Time equals Time on Clock times three (ST =TOCx3). Now my daughter knows that, too. I tried it on her later in the quarter, and she called me out immediately: "Daddy, this is not three minutes! Did you forget I want to go home?"

After a tight first half, Columbia started to play like the 0-7 team it was, and Harvard, leading the Ivy League, remembered it was Harvard — the school that produced the Unabomber. (Note: If you are a Harvard admissions director reading this in some far-flung corner of the Internet 13 years from now, don't hold it against Lucie. It's her dad's fault.) A 41-yard touchdown pass from Collier Winters made it 28-14 in the third quarter, and Lucie was begging out: "The Golden Pants keep winning. Let's go!"

I stretched our day into the fourth quarter by letting Lucie draw in the game program — she colored in the head shot of Columbia University president Lee Bollinger. I did what I had to do. But when Harvard's Kyle Juszczyk hauled in a pass, broke two tackles, and dove into the end zone for another long touchdown, the score was 35-14 and we were done. "The Golden Pants" had the game wrapped up, the scoreboard lion was quiet, and there was the very real threat that another one of these goddamned seagulls was going to paint me up again. It was time to go.

We walked out of the stadium, past a Muslim fan who had stepped outside to pray (I'm guessing you didn't see that at the LSU-Alabama game that same day in Tuscaloosa), and up the steps to the subway station. The 1 Train was a lot more crowded going south to the city late on a Saturday afternoon than it had been going north to the Columbia game three hours earlier. Lucie, with her Dora backpack strapped on and her giant, blue no. 1 finger on her hand, put her head in my lap and fell asleep. Seven long years to do just one of the things I'd been meaning to do in New York and, at that moment, well worth the wait. Thank you, "Light-Blue Shirt Guys."

My Take On Penn State: Remembering What Is Important Here

2011-11-10T09:41:00.001-05:00

Sunshinemeg is a happy place to come and read about happy things. We have fun around here being silly and all, but today I am just so saddened by The Penn State scandal that has recently ignited. As a sport fan, it is a tragedy, but as a human being, it is unfathomable. You have this awful story of a predator, those who may have known what the predator did, but did nothing, students confused by their university, and most importantly - a number of victims whose lives have been forever changed. We won't go into any gruesome detail here at Sunshinemeg. If you haven't read the Penn State indictment, you can read it here.

Over the past few days I've read article after article and been glued to ESPN and the national news. No matter how much you see or hear, no one will ever know the entire truth of what happened during Jerry Sandusky's time at the university, except for those involved.

My biggest fear in all of this is that the focus will shift too much to familiar faces like Joe Paterno's or to the president of the university. A blame game will start, where everyone is pointing fingers saying he said, she said. We should all be focused on the victims and justice for those victims. It is my beliefe that our thoughts should be with them today and throughout the trials and tribulations of this roller coaster case.

I'm just another blogger in a sea of millions. This is just my opinion. There is so much that can be said about this story, but again, let's focus on justice for those hurt.

Float on...

Awkward Elevators And 5 Tough Sports

2011-11-08T09:18:00.001-05:00

Buenos nachos amigos and amigas! Welcome to Sunshinemeg. It's a good place to be.You know how elevators get a bad rap for playing corny elevator music? Have you ever been on an elevator with no music at all? Last week I found myself on the world's slowest elevator with way too many people and no music. I probably should have just caught the next elevator, but when the doors opened and the sardines all shifted, it appeared that there was room for me (baby bump and all)
The guy to my right stood as straight as a arrow l and didn't say a word, even after I got on the elevator and said a polite hello. Perhaps it was because I asked him to push a floor button for me? He was starring straight ahead with his arms crossed and didn't move for 14 floors.

Did I mention this was the world's slowest elevator?

And how come there is ALWAYS someone on an elevator that pushes floor 2 when they got on at floor one?! They are always the same person that is wedged in the far back corner of the packed elevator. The lady next to me was trying to find something in her purse, while simultaneously elbowing every single person in the tiny space. It was at that moment that I decided I would have been thankful for some Kenny G or Yanni to get the party started. Instead I starred at my shoes trying not to make a sound while Mr. I-don't-even-blink went on not blinking.

I'm not going to complain about elevator music anymore.

An article came out about the toughest sport in the world. It ranked the top toughest sports by speed, endurance, strength, agility, skill level and physicality. #5 is ice hockey, #4 is rugby, #3 is boxing, #2 is Aussie rules (which is apparently a cross between rugby, football, and soccer) and #1 is water polo.

Besides treading water for half an hour, water polo also requires intense contact. I've never played water polo, but when I first heard this list, I didn't know what to think. I laughed to myself that it was considered the toughest, as I have a stereotyped image of synchronized swimming in my head. After reading the article and hearing people talk about it on the radio who have played it, I'm not laughing anymore. I would get my butt kicked if I tried to do it.

Float on...

Too Long For School?

2011-11-07T13:53:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers. Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you all remembered to "fall back." If you didn't, you are probably kicking yourself for leaving for work too early!

In one week, we will be celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary! It's amazing how much can change in only 2 years and how many good things can happen to two people = )

In other exciting news, The Packers remain undefeated after a too-close-for-comfort sort of game against The Chargers yesterday. Our defense looked a bit shaky, which is not something you can say about them much. Everyone is allowed an off day. They still got the win and Aaron Rodgers still looks awesome.

Read a story from CNN about the Mayor of Chicago debating the length of the average school day and what it should be. It appears that some parents are against a 7 and 1/2 hour school day, saying that it is too long. In grade school, I always went from 8:30 to 3:30. (At least I think that's right, now I can't seem to remember... the ripe old age of 26 is catching up with me = ) I guess there are some schools that have 8 and 1/2 hour days and only go 4 days a week. I wish that is how work could be in the real world. I'd love to work 4 long days and get an extra weekend day.

I don't think 7 and 1/2 hours seems unreasonable for kids to go to school. The little guys in elementary may need less hours, but I guess I'll be better equipped to give my two cents once I actually have a kid.

Float on...

YouTube Challenge - I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy

2011-11-04T12:23:00.000-04:00

My poor kid will probably have to deal with this... for real = )

Fall Back And Car Care

2011-11-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

Good morning folks. Did you know this Sunday is "fall back" day?! That is just glorious! We all know we will have to pay the price come Spring, but let's just focus on the positive for now - more sleep!
Can you spot the car?

Yahoo had a story about tips for caring for your car during the winter months. They said that you should replace your wiper blades and that the normal wiper blades have a lifespan of about a year. I can't tell you the last time I replaced mine... hmm? It was also suggested that you have your car battery tested. Some car parts stores don't even charge you for this. According to the article, Costco is a good place to buy a battery, as their prices are typically lower. It's apparently not hard to change your battery yourself, but if you're like me, you leave some things to the professionals. Any of you readers know where to get maternity semi-formal dresses? Stores like Motherhood Maternity carry a bunch of crap. I'd like to wear a dresss, not a tent. Anyone?

Float on...

Living With an English Mastiff (ORIGINAL)

2011-11-02T06:30:00.000-04:00

Do you know who did it? I think I do = )

Happy November!

2011-11-01T10:51:00.001-04:00

Happy November all! November is my favorite month of the whole year. I love the start of the holidays, all the hustle and bustle, the leaves still changing, and the sense of excitement in the air.

Float on...

Halloweenie And Snow

2011-10-31T10:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloweenie readers! Man this day was the greatest day when we were kids! There were parties at school, excitement at home, and candy to be eaten. My mom always made me and my brother's costumes. She went all out. Thanks mom.

We saw snow this weekend, as a matter of fact, it sounds like a lot of east coasters did. It started at about 9am and continued throughout the day. It was rain, snow, and sleet all mixed into one. We only got a dusting, but some areas were hit pretty hard. My cousin in Conneticut (shout out Marcy!) got 10 inches of snow and is now without power. Wonder if an early snow foreshadows how the winter will play out? I don't want to see this again! (Baltimore Blizzard 2010)

It's ultrasound day around here... again. This should be one of our last ultra sounds until right before Piglet is ready to come. We are going to the high risk center to get some special photos with their high tech equipment. This baby better be ready to cooperate and show it's spine and it better not plan on flashing momma and papa = ) It sure has had a lot of oppurtunities at this point.

Float on...

Statue, Series, And A Surprise

2011-10-28T11:24:00.000-04:00

Yay for Fridays! Welcome to the end of the week readers. We made it! Happy birthday to The Statue of Liberty today. She turns 125! If you ask me, she doesn't look a day over 30... Ha! Did you know over 10,000 people go visit her every single day? Sometimes in the summer months that number can grow to around 20,000! And I thought my day was busy...
The damn Cardinals came out with a win in game 6 of the World Series last night. This is the first playoffs to require a game 7 in 9 years! It's still hard to get too excited about without the Brewers playing, but a game 7 is always cool.

Saw an awesome story on Yahoo today about a lady who got the surprise of a lifetime! She was having dinner at Chick-fil-A with her family on a normal week night. They sat down at a booth and were waiting for their food to be brought out by an employee. Everything sounds normal, right? Well when her food came out, it was brought out by her husband who had just returned home after his 3rd tour of duty overseas! How awesome is that? You can check out the video here.
Happy weekend pals!

Float on...

One Crazy Night

2011-10-27T09:54:00.001-04:00

Good morning folks. Friday is so close! You know how you always make "plans" to sleep in one Saturday or Sunday morning, but you always end up waking up at like 5am? Here's to hoping that doesn't happen this weekend. There aren't too many more weekends that I can sleep in and not worry about getting up to take care of a piglet = )

Yesterday we had a normal check up appointment for the baby. We have been going every four weeks. Most of the time, we don't say much and let the doctor do her thing, and then we head home. This time we had a lot of questions about their multiple requests for more ultra sound pictures (we will have our 4th ultra sound in 5 weeks come Monday) and their questions about the baby's spine and still feeling no movement.

Our doctor decided to send us over to labor and delivery as a precautionary measure. No, we aren't even close to having the baby yet, but it was to check on Piglet and make sure he/she is moving. I have felt the baby move once and only once about 4 weeks ago.

I looked like a science experiment and felt like one too. The heart rate stayed between 155-160 for the 2 hours we got to hear it. It only went above that when Greg came over and "talked" to Piglet. When he did, not only did the heart rate go up, but the baby started moving a lot. It sounded like he/she got excited. Melts your heart, doesn't it?
And that was the end of it. Can we say pooped? Baby is moving. Baby's heart is strong. We are all safe and sound. Greg and I both feel more at ease and appreciate all of the warm thoughts sent our way yesterday.

And as we are now creeping towards that finish line, we start going to the doctor every 2 weeks. Momma and Papa are over the moon = )

Float on...

Some Thing I've Learned Over The Past Few Months

2011-10-25T11:38:00.000-04:00

Good morning everyone! Thanks for visiting today. Glad you stopped by. So today, since it's far from Friday, let's talk about funny things. See I've learned some very important things while being knocked up that I figured we should discuss. Some of these things may be common sense to you, but if you are like me, they aren't = )

Some things that I've learned over the past 6 and 1/2 months - I've never thought of mustard as a food group until now... It should be in its own category on that good old food pyramid.
You don't need to take 8 pregnancy tests when one tells you that you are pregnant. Save your money. You are going to need to commit your life savings to diapers after all...
I was under the impression that I was going to start glowing and that my hair was going to turn into a Pantene Pro V commerical. My hair, skin, and nails have all stayed exactly the same. They have not turned all fancy and sparkly. I missed out on that bandwagon.

I've heard chicks talk about "pregnancy brain." Apparently your supposed to forget more things and talk gibberish from time to time while pregnant. This is actually a normal thing for me, on a day-to-day basis, when I'm NOT PREGNANT, so.... yeah.

I will NEVER be on Awkward Family Photo's website... especially not for maternity pictures. Here are some real gems for your enjoyment.

Nobody better mess with her mellon.

Float on...

Yes, Everyone Does

2011-10-24T10:53:00.002-04:00

Friday, Harrison, Baby

2011-10-21T10:05:00.001-04:00

Hahaha! Happy Friday readers. Welcome to Sunshinemeg. It's a good place to be! The only thing better than a weekend, is a fall weekend. There is just something about the fall that is so fulfilling - open windows, cool breezes, pretty colors, and the list goes on.
Anyone hear about Jerome Harrison? He is an NFL player that was being traded from team to team. The Detroit Lion was in the process of being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, but he failed a routine physical. The NFL requires any player traded to have a physical. Harrison failed his after they found a brain tumor. Had he not been traded and had that physical, they may have never found that tumor until it was too late.

In baby news, I would just like to point out that we have made our move into the double digits and are now looking at only 99 days till baby's due date! Excitement is starting to set in.
When I first found out I was pregnant, it all happened so fast. We expected the "trying" process to take around a year. It seemed that most family and friends around us, who had gotten pregnant, had been trying for 9 months to a year. So naturally when it happened as fast as it did, there were a lot of nervous feelings for me like "am I ready for this" or "are the finances there?" It truly is a roller coaster of emotions. Take that "roller coaster" and add on crazy a** hormones and it can seem like way, WAY too much.

The good thing is that you get 9 months to prepare. We've gotten baby supplies, worked on our budget, learned some baby things, and continue to take things one day at a time. Pretty sure that is all any new parents-to-be can do.
Float on...

Biggest Loser And Please Listen As Options Have Changed...

2011-10-19T00:16:00.000-04:00

Good morning folks. Thanks for visiting today. Glad to have you here.
So I am a huge fan of The Biggest Loser and MSNBC had a great article about the show and some past contestants. It was an update on a handful of contestants and about how they were doing since being on the show. If gave their initial weight, their finale weight, and their current wieght. It was amazing to see most of them were in a 20 pound range of their finale weight. If you want to see some of the "where are they now" pictures, go here.

Game one of The World Series is tonight. The Brewers will not be there. Tear. Guess I'll go ahead and pull for the Rangers to win. The Cardinals are just too annoying to get behind. In other sports news, The Packers are the last team in the NFL to be left undefeated = ) Awesome.Have you ever noticed how when you call a voice automated machine for a company they always tell you to "listen carefully as options have recentely changed?" Every machine does it! Have you ever called one of those recordings and just been given the options? No! So weird. How often to they updated the "options?"

Float on...

Actually Waiting To Celebrate Christmas Till It Is Christmas? Unheard Of.

2011-10-18T09:34:00.000-04:00

Good morning folks. Thanks for your support yesterday in my moments of worry. The doctor finally called and said there is one area of the baby's spine that they are concerned about and that they need to get a clearer picture of. It sounds like they are only "concerned" because they haven't been able to see it. The high risk center has machines that can help get what they need. Perhaps next time something like that takes place, they should write THAT in the letter and not leave a mom hanging... or even make a phone call. That would have been better.
Anyways - thank you.
Read an article on Yahoo's homepage about how Nordstoms doesn't decorate for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. It has been a tradition with the company for years. They want to celebrate each holiday in the fall and not put Christmas items out before Labor Day. I think that is pretty cool. It is very strange to walk into a drugstore in the middle of July and see a display of Christmas Snuggies.
Updates came out yesterday about the missing Missouri 10-month-old, Lisa Irwin. The baby's mother has now said that she was drinking/drunk at the supposed time of the infants disappearance. Now there is nothing wrong with drinking, but if your baby goes missing and you lie about something so simple, you have to be hiding more. Wouldn't you disclose every single bit of information no matter how small? You feel me? We are on to you lady.
Remember how last week's reports indicated that she had lied on her lie detector test? Well, she just happened to fail on the simple question "where is your daughter?" Talk about a bomb going off. This woman's story is now changing with different facts like when did she last see the child? She originally said 10:30 and that has now been changed to 6:40 pm. Dispicable.

Where is this baby?

Float on...

Help: Calling All Moms, Mom-To-Be, Or Anyone Who Knows Anything

2011-10-17T10:26:00.000-04:00

We had our normally scheduled ultra sound at 20 weeks and it was awesome. The baby was squirming around and being adorable. They sent us home with the best pictures ever, but then a week or two later we got a letter that the doctor did not get pictures of the spine/heart that she needed, and that we need to go back for another ultra sound.

Okay, I thought, I get to see my kid again. This is fun. We did another ultra sound at 24 weeks and it went well. We got to see baby waking up and strectching and being ever so cute. The tech knew that she has to get more accurate pictures of the spine/heart. That was a week ago.

This morning I open up a letter I got on Saturday and we are now being sent to the "Center for High Risk Obstetrics..." Now as a first time mom-to-be, I did what anyone would do, I panicked and called my mom before the sun came up. I've been reassured that they probably have better equipment at a high risk center and this is all strictly routine. So I need you mommas out there to say this is normal... it's normal, right?

I don't want to overreact, but it did scare me. And I am pissed at my doctor's office for sending that note and not including any sort of place I can call for appointments or any further information. I have already left 2 messages this morning and haven't heard a thing back. I'm about to turn into one of those crazy pregnant chicks here. There is just something unnerving about the term "high risk." Plus besides 3 kicks (over two weeks ago) I haven't felt this kid move... like at all.

I'm freaking out man...

Updates And Infant Care Class

2011-10-14T09:08:00.001-04:00

Friday is here! I didn't want to jinx the week by saying it out loud earlier, but this week has really flown by. I am not complaining! Hoping to carve a pumpkin this weekend and relax!

So there are some updates on the old baby front. (Sorry if you don't give a crap, but yay, if you do!) As you can see, the baby countdown is in full swing. We have another whole week to cross off. (Sometimes we slack during the week, plus it's more fun to cross off a bunch of days at once!)

Last weekend we officially put our dining room table in storage to create a "nursery." We've actually already gotten most of the furniture we need for the kid. (Thanks to grandma)

If you are a long time reader, you know that Greg and I live in a 750-square-foot apartment and we are in the process of saving as much money as possible to get a house down the road. I know things will be tight with a baby, but we will make it work, one step at a time. You feel me? We attended our hospital's Infant Care Class and Greg got a baby girl! Ha! We had to change it, swaddle it, and learn to burp it. I will admit that there were moments my immaturity was showing as I had several fits of giggles that were hard to control. I could not look at Greg or I would have lost it! People - we had to talk about baby poop and look at a "poop color chart..." I kid you not!

(And no, no one else in said class had any giggles = ) Immaturity rocks!)Our little friend for the night. (Who was a little creepy if you ask me) Do you see the hardcore concentration going on here? Greg snapped those snaps like it was his job!I swaddled the crap out of the kid! Never "swaddled" before in my life, but something tells me it won't be so easy with a roly poly (fussy) infant. Let's just say if the baby was a doll that didn't move - I would have it in the bag. My tiny family is kicking major butt! Float on...

Where Is Baby Lisa And We're Clueless

2011-10-13T09:48:00.001-04:00

Buenos nachos readers. Happy Thursday!Has anyone been following the story of the missing Missouri baby, Lisa Irwin? The 10-month-old was supposedly taken from her crib over a week ago. Her mom checked on her at 10:30pm and her dad was working a night shift and checked on her when he came in around 4am. That is when he discovered she was gone.

At first reports were very straightforward in saying that the family had cooperated from the start and that they weren't suspects, but now it is said that Lisa's mother failed a polygraph test. The family said they were questioned for hours and hours and it is not clear how the mother failed the test. I'm sucked into this case like no other and keep hoping for her safe return. I'm also hoping that this is not another story where a family member hurt one of their own. Here is a link to a story CNN did about the case.

Tonight, at the hospital we will be delivering baby at, we are going to an "Infant Care Class." Guess what 2 parents-to-be have never changed a diaper in their lives? Don't know? Guess what 2 parents-to-be don't know how to give a baby a bath? Guess what 2 parents-to-be are completely clueless about infants in general...?

Shamefully, that would be us. Hoping we learn a thing or two tonight. Got to give my husband a shout out for missing part of The Brewers playoff game to attend said class. Father of the year right here!

Float on...

Speech, Dummies, And Another Baby = )

2011-10-12T09:27:00.000-04:00

Good morning readers. Welcome to Sunshinemeg. It's a good place to be! Half way through the week already - go us!

You know what is hard to do? Write a wedding speech. My brother is getting married next month and I have been feverishly working on something brilliant, but am in no way close to that "brilliant" stage.

In college there was the occasional 5 minute speech about something particularly boring and it was over before it started, but wedding speeches are a whole other level. You have to be a comedian, but not over the top. You have to be serious, but not debbie-downer. Aye curumba. I think they should make one of those dummy books, like "how to write the perfect wedding speech for dummies..."

Did you know that since the first "dummie" book came out in 1991, over 1,600 books for dummies have been made? That series really took off, no? The have enough topics to make your head spin!
It's a special day here! Got to give a BIG shout out to my cousin Erin who is being induced today! Erin and her husband Eric are welcoming a baby girl named Charlotte! Congrats Erin! This will be the second baby girl addition to my family in the last few months! Can I keep the streak alive?!?

Float on...

TV Anchor Falls off Chair

2011-10-11T10:03:00.000-04:00

Because sometimes we all just need a good laugh now and again. Watch that office chair today... it can be tricky = )

Hot Dog Thrower And Baby

2011-10-10T10:07:00.001-04:00

Good morning readers! Welcome to Sunshinemeg today. Glad you are here. (Hi Ryan and Steph! Shout out = )

Did anyone see where someone threw a hot dog at Tiger Woods at a golf event over the weekend? He was getting ready to putt and a person watching just launched it right at him. Talk about hilarious! If I ever see Tiger Woods, I can only hope that I too, have a hot dog to throw.
You know what yanks my chain? Why do maternity shirts/dresses have big bows on the front? Have any of you pregnant chicks noticed that? As if having a cantaloupe or watermelon shoved in your gut isn't enough, these dumb shirts want you to tie a big bow on the front like you are some sort of gift. Barfaroni! Attention clothes designers - I'm having a baby, I don't need to be gift wrapped.

At least it's not this bad anymore!

We had an ultra sound at 20 weeks, but they were unable to get clear pictures of the baby's spine so we got to go back this weekend. We have had the same lady do both of the ultra sounds and she is awesome. She gave us an extra 4D picture and you can see the baby smiling. Be still my heart = )

Sunday Comic (A Nataliedee Comic)

2011-10-09T10:26:00.001-04:00

I am strictly against putting vegetables in cake anyway... cake is cake. No veggies allowed!

All I Wanna Do This Weekend Is...

2011-10-07T08:50:00.002-04:00

See The Milwaukee Brewers advance in the playoffs tonight. Beast mode!
See Piglet's big ears again tomorrow = ) Hang with this guy for a few days.

Do a little nesting.Try a new recipe or two.
And sleep! Sweet glorious sleep!

Have a great weekend all! Float on...

Fall In Full Swing And A Not So Classy Dude

2011-10-05T08:50:00.001-04:00

Good morning all! Thanks for visiting Sunshinemeg today. We are now in the heart of fall and it is glorious! The temperatures are much cooler, but you don't need 10 layers of clothes to stay warm. The leaves around Baltimore are just starting to change and they look beautiful. I can't get enough fall!

Did you know that more Americans have birthdays on October 5th than any other day of the year? Happy birthday to those who do! (Perhaps coinicdence that it comes about 9 months after New Year's Eve? Ha!Did you see the comments Brette Favre made about Aaron Rodgers? Favre commented on how he was "surprised Rodgers didn't win a Super Bowl sooner" and said "he fell into a good situation. I don't think there is any pressure on him now, the talent around him is even better than when I was there..."

Are you kidding me, Favre? Rodgers just won a Super Bowl! There is more pressure on him to perform well than ever before. He just sounds like a bitter old man and it is pathetic. A humble/good man would have said something like how great Aaron Rodgers has done or what a leader he has become. Obviously Favre is neither of those things.
End rant.

Float on...

Pink Month, NFL, And The Kicker!

2011-10-03T10:56:00.000-04:00

Good morning readers! Happy October! October is a great month as it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and NBCAM is celebrating 25 years of awareness! That is awesome. If you are looking for a way to donate or to share your story or to simply get involved, check out the Susan G. Komen website here.

Dudes are welcome too! I'm sure you fellas have been affected by this tragic disease in some way (even if you don't have boobies) (Also boobies is a funny word that makes the inappropriate/childish side of me want to giggle) I don't know about your town, but the Baltimore area sponsors a lot of walk/runs and other charity events around the city. Look in your local paper and hop on board! Anyone see the amazingly talented Aaron Rodgers kick butt yesterday against The Broncos? He almost single handily won the game for the team and I'm sure there are a lot of fantasy football fanatics that would say the same. The Lions won again, which surprises me. I really do hope they keep it up. I'm always a fan of a Cinderella season.

Finally got to feel this baby kick last night. I don't want to be someone who freaks out about every little thing, but it's been 6 months and I hadn't felt one little flutter. I felt 3-4 kicks last night and even got to let Greg feel it. It was one of those surreal moments in your life that you know you will never forget. This will probably sound silly, but it made things seem a lot more real. Yes, I know this baby is coming, but I think I needed a little sign. Greg just got freaked out and ran around the apartment shouting (and I quote) "whoa" and "holy crap".......

<Float on...

Kicked Out For Standing? Say What?

2011-09-30T08:39:00.002-04:00

Pardon the interruption, but it's FRIDAY!!! I don't know about you, but this week kind of dragged by. Thank goodness we made it. Our good friends Scott and Melissa are coming in from Cincinnati for the weekend! Can't wait to see some familiar faces and have some adventures.
I read a story about a Cleveland Browns fan getting kicked out of their stadium after... standing up too much at the game. Now you thought I was going to say something like disorderly conduct or too much profanity, didn't you? Nope. Reportedly he was told to sit down while standing up during a 3rd down play at last weeks game. He obliged and then stood up again later during the game. It was at that time that he was escorted out of the stadium for "a second offense."

Are you kidding me?! This guy is a 25-year season ticket holder! The Browns are lucky they have even held on to one fan for that long! (Yeah, I went there) You are supposed to be allowed to stand up at football games, and cheer, and wave big foam fingers - that's what it's all about. (Or so I thought) Perhaps The Browns team, staff, and personnel should focus more on winning some games... Booyah!

And now I know you are all excited to get home after work on Fridays, but let's be careful okay? None of this -

Float on...

Predictions: Boy Or Girl?

2011-09-29T09:41:00.006-04:00

Good morning readers. We are so close to Friday! Must keep going...

Got to give a BIG shout out to one of my best readers Ali, who welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world on Tuesday night. Carson Wesley Gibson made his debut and both mom and baby are doing good. Congratulations Ali!

Yesterday I was doing my morning routine of reading blogs and came across a fellow pregnant chick over at Elefantitas Alegres. She was sharing some ideas as to whether her baby was a boy or girl, so I thought I would do the same.

My Rookie Intuition: Girl...
Greg's Prediction: Boy...
Family Matters:
My brother thinks boy.
My mom refuses to say because she doesn't want her future grandchild to think she wanted the opposite. So I'll take the liberty to say girl for her = )
Most of Greg's family thinks a boy (boys run in the family)
Chinese Gender Chart: (based on my age and month of conception - found here)
Girl

Old Wives Tales:
Boy - I'm craving more salty foods over sweets, carrying my bump low, belly looks like a basketball (not a watermelon)
Girl - fast heart beat, (they say boys are 140 or less, baby is at 155 beats per minute) morning sickness galore, skin, nails, and hair have all stayed the same, crave orange juice

Want to know the icing on the cake? I took this silly gender prediction quiz online and it told me that I had a 50% chance of having a boy... Ha! I even tried the string test with my co-worker. That is where you dangle a wedding ring over your belly to see if it sways back and fourth (boy) or spins in a circular motion (girl) and I kid you not, the darn thing was swaying back and fourth while spinning.

Guess we really won't know until January. Float on...

Squash Is Gross

2011-09-27T10:27:00.001-04:00

Good morning all. Thanks for visiting today. Raise you hand if you need the week to start picking up the pace and moving a little faster towards weekend... (hand raised high)Today in Washington DC, engineers are going to rappel down the side of The Washington Monument to assess it's damage from the earthquake we had last month. Apparently the structure is sound, but there are cracks around the top that light can be seen through. The monument is over 550 feet! How would you like to have that job? I had to Google how many stories 550 feet is and they said it's roughly 55 stories tall. Aye curumba! Talk about being scared of heights. I have decided that no matter how old I get, I will never like squash. It is the grossiest vegetable ever and it is that time of year where it is everywhere! I can remember my mom making it when we were little and dreding it like you would dred homework. That is one of those veggies that you had to attempt the napkin wrap to get it into the trash without having to eat it. (My mom always caught me)

Did you know that you can take the grossiest vegetable ever and make it even grossier?! Well you can. I saw a recipe on TV for stuffed squash and about fell out of my seat. Even if you told me you were stuffing it with chocolate and birthday cake, I'd still pass. Barfaroni!

Looks like I better get going, I have to go give 23% at work today... Ha!
Float on...

A Good Week Ahead And Sportsmanship

2011-09-26T08:22:00.002-04:00

Buenos nachos pals. Welcome to a brand new week around Sunshinemeg. It's an exciting week because 1) My good friend Ali just *might* be having her first baby boy! Come on Carson! 2) Some pals from Cincinnati are coming to visit this weekend. 3) Get to head to the doctor tomorrow for a baby check up. I still haven't felt the booger move and everyone keeps telling me how I should have by now. Maybe my kid is just nicer than yours and doesn't want to kick his/her momma... so there! The Packers are 3-0. I'll pause for any haters reading today. Love seeing Jay Cutler get his butt kicked.

A story out of Minnesota caught my eye this morning, after seeing that a high school cross country runner carried his hurt opponent in part of a race. Apparently a boy got hurt when a group of the runners bunched together and ended up spiking him in his ankle. There was heavy bleeding and the boy couldn't get up. An opponent came along shortly after that and asked if he could help. He picked the guy up and ran for a half mile to get the injured runner to his coaches.

I don't know about you, but I don't think running is that easy, not to mention running while carrying a high school boy. (Tot that I've ever tried it) The injured dude ended up needing over 20 stitches and as far as the boy who carried him, well he finished his race a little slower than normal. Good sportsmanship is a good thing. It would have been easy for the guy to run by and just yell to someone about the injured runner on the course, but he went above and beyond. You can read the full story here.

Float on...

Here's To The Weekend

2011-09-23T10:51:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday friends! We have worked hard all week to get to this glorious day. You know how on Friday, while still working, you get even more excited for the weekend and all the possibilites it holds?

You think of how awesome it would be to finish up those errands that have been in the back of your mind since Monday or the cleaning that has been neglected around your house. You are filled with good intentions of productivity, but then you finally sit your butt down at the end of a long week and realize how good it feels to actually do nothing...

Here's to one of those weekends = ) Float on...

Answering "If"

2011-09-22T10:30:00.006-04:00

Good morning readers. Happy Thursday! I don't really have much to talk about today. Shocking, I know. Lucky for me though, Heather over at Live.Love.Laugh had a great post idea yesterday. Nothing like a good list of "if!"

•If I were to get pregnant again I would think - "Houston, we have a problem" (considering I am already pregnant) One at a time people!

•If I could have any job in the world - I'd have my own shop. I want to sell my postcards!
•If I had a day to myself - I would pinch myself that I must be dreaming. I'd still wake up at 5:30 because that internal alarm clock is permanently set.
•If I could get married all over again - I'd redo the rehearsal dinner. The dinner had this weird u-shaped table for our family to sit and eat, so no one could really talk to anyone who wasn't sitting right beside them. The room was just awkward to maneuver in. I wouldn't change one thing on our actual wedding day. It was perfection and went off without a hitch. •If I could live anywhere in the US - I would probably stay here in Baltimore. My job and life are here. Now if only I could make Ohio, Wisconsin, and Maryland closer together so we could be around our families more...
•If baby is a girl/boy what will she/he be named - wouldn't you like to know?!? I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you. TOP SECRET!
•If I could have any talent in the world - I suppose I'd like to know how to dance. I'm in awe of break dancers and ballerinas.
•If you met me in real life - you would realize how bad my jokes are and how much I crack up at my own jokes.

•If I could go back to school and get a different degree I would major in - Umm... I'm done with getting that degree! If I could go back to school to spend more time with my friends and live in a house with 7 of them again, I would do that!

•If money were not an object - I'd have a house with a nursery for baby. I'd buy Greg another Xterra. (His first true love) I'd buy my mom some stuff. (What do you want, mom?) I'd make a hefty donation to The Baltimore Human Society and perhaps get myself a cat and dog.

•If I could meet one celebrity - I would want to meet Ellen Degeneres and then I would want to dance with her up the aisles of her audience.

•If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life it'd be - Who doesn't love Target?

•If we get another pet - I would want another cat. Maybe Tupelo would be nicer if she had a friend (wishful thinking)
•If I had to chose between a house cleaner and a personal chef - I'll take the chef. Cleaning doesn't bother me much, in fact I like to do it myself most of the time. I would love for a chef to come in and make big hearty meaty dinners for Greg and delicious vegetarian meals for me. •If I could go on a trip, RIGHT NOW - Let's go overseas, possibly to Australia! We are going to Brussels in May for my brother's wedding. That will be Greg's first trip out of the country!

•If I had the option of plastic surgery - not for me.

Ha! Float on...

It's Called The "Express Lane" For A Reason You Jerk (Or What I Should Have Said)

2011-09-21T08:26:00.000-04:00

Morning readers! Thanks for visiting Sunshinemeg today. Happy Modern Family season premiere day! Yes! I am so looking forward to another season of that show. If you haven't ever seen it, tune in tonight. It's worth it.So we need to talk about something - we need to talk about the "express lane" at the grocery story. Monday night I had to run into the store after work to pick up 2 things. (Literally 2 items) I hurry to the express lane, you know the one with the big sign hanging from the ceiling that says, "15 ITEMS OR LESS?" Well there is this jerk face in front of me unloading his buggy and he has WAY more than 15 items! We are talking a full conveyor belt of his junk. I was hoping he would look at my measly 2 items and politely ask if I wanted to go ahead of him, but I was way wrong. I wanted to ask him if he knew he was only supposed to have 15 items or less, but then I felt like that would make me the ass. That would probably feel the same as being the class tattle tale. He would have probably just brushed off any negative comments I made and blame it on me being pregnant. He was dressed in a dark business suit and enough hair gel for Carrot Top to control his mane. It seems to me, it was his world, we were all just living in it.

The other checkout lines at the store were all swamped (apparently 6pm on a Monday night is prime grocery store time) so I waited. The employee who runs the express lane (whom I was hoping would address the situation) didn't say anything to the guy, but you could tell she was a bit ticked off.

She even put his bananas in the bag with his box of cereal. (Call it spiteful, but I really do hope his bananas are all bruised and mushy!)

It is now Wednesday and I still regret not saying something to this dude. This probably isn't that big of a deal. Perhaps it is due to crazy hormones, but if you don't have "15 items or less," get the h*** out of the express checkout line.

Float on...

Our Trip Home (With Pics!)

2011-09-19T09:48:00.000-04:00

Good morning readers! Hope you all had wonderful weekends. We had an awesome trip home to Cincinnati and got to see family and friends, but it was way too short. (Like always!) We've gotten really good at fitting as much into one weekend as possible. Now if only there were more hours in a day... Here is a picture of the city that my good friend Adam took with his phone. Cincinnati really is beautiful!My mom has always been a quilt-maker and she surprised Greg and I with a quilt for Piglet. She made it with pink and blue squares with a center "special" square. The special part is that it is a Piglet square! The back of the quilt is all blue with tiny white polka dots. Also, see the baby bump? We did some assembling of baby things. They may try to make that stroller look all easy and fun, but that thing was a pain in the butt! Good thing I sat back and mostly took pictures during the actual "assemble" part = )
We got to go see my Cincinnati Reds play The Brewers Saturday night. If you like baseball and like visiting different stadiums, this is one of the best stadiums in the world. It's right on the river and so fun. (I may be biased though)
Got to meet up with some old college pals. We all had a reunion after a year of not seeing each other. These chicks are all awesome!
Thanks Kristy for the awesome baby basket. Piglet will love all of the stuff you got him/her. We may or may not have opened some toys to test them out = )
My 2 favorite girls. Marissa (in the middle) is leaving in January for the Peace Corps. She will be in Costa Rica for over 2 years teaching the children there!
My people! Some things change over time, but these friendships are timeless.

Float on...

Home And Reunion Time!

2011-09-16T08:25:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday readers! We made it to that weekend finish line. (High fives all around!)

I got a letter from the ultrasound tech that I have to go back for another ultrasound. They said they didn't get a clear enough picture of the baby's spine. They assured me that this is not uncommon and strictly routine. Did any of you have to go twice after the 20 week mark? We are looking at it as a positive because we get to see piglet again and get more pictures!
Heading to Cincinnati this weekend. Not only do I get to see my little momma, but I get to see my college buddies too! We haven't all been together since last summer during wedding season! Can't wait. Shout to each of you that may be reading today. It is absolutely crazy how much things have changed in a single year for all of us (marriages, houses bought, new jobs, one baby on the way... soon more hopefully = )

I'm hoping to have lots of pictures to share with you next week (including the baby bump for all who have asked!) I've been saving the baby bump growth to surprise my mom in person. She hasn't seen any baby bump yet, besides a few pictures on the old blog and now that I'm 21 weeks.... Let's just say there is a BIG difference.
Hope you all have a great weekend and float on...

Fall TV Lineup... So Awesome!

2011-09-15T09:28:00.000-04:00

Good morning folks! Thanks for stopping by today. Temperatures are finally starting to drop a bit and a hint of fall can be felt!
Speaking of fall - how sweet is fall TV? I'm loving it. Survivor came back last night and yes, I am one of the only ones that still watches it after 129 seasons. Ha! (For anyone who still watches, Greg and I made a bet for how long it would take Russell's nephew to say that he is in fact Russell's nephew. Looks like it won't take long at all)
Modern Family will be back next week with an hour premiere! This may be my favorite show on TV. It's absolutely hilarious. Can't wait to see what Phil gets himself into this year. And who doesn't love Cam?! I have a love/hate relationship with Parenthood. Sometimes I think that show is great and I love the family, other times it's way too predictable and I want to tell them all to shut up. I do wish that I had a big outdoor table and backyard decorations like they do though.
The new show that I am most excited for is Up All Night! It premiered last night, but ironically I got too tired and couldn't stay up for it. The premises for the show seems hysterical and since we are about to be new parents, it's fitting. Plus I am a huge fan of Christina Applegate. Anyone ever watch her on Samantha Who? I adored that show! Dexter comes in second place (behind Modern Family) as my personal favorite. I know the concept of the show seems creepy, as he is a serial killer, but it is done in a Robin Hood sort of way where he kills those that are very bad people. The show is brilliantly written and mesmerizing.

Float on...

Float On...

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