Category Archives: Operation Baby

White Devil…. White Devil….

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Updates!  Updates!  Updates!!  As much as I would love to go downtown to see all the pretty lights and what not, we haven’t gone that way since the city is getting the last touches on the Super Bowl arrangements.  Also, I hate finding parking downtown and have not been in the mood.  The weather has been nice and not too cold, so I don’t know why we are so lazy.  Since we will be out and about most of next weekend, I figured this weekend would be a perfect time to clean the house from top to bottom. 

-So what’s been going on?  This weekend kind of turned into the Asian Variety Hour.  With our new diet/exercise plan, Matt and I have done really well with both money and calories.  On Friday, we went to the Outback (God, I love that place) and then grabbed my comic book stash since it is next door.  Lately everyone has talked about Christmas baking which we do not do in my house.  Instead we make Lumpia aka egg rolls.  So I decided I was going to make some egg rolls, which meant we had to go to the Asia Mart.

-So yeah, I took Matt to the Asia Mart in Castleton for his first time visit.  I knew exactly where the lumpia wrappers were, so I didn’t think we would be in there very long.  When we walked in I thought Matt was going to gag by the fish smell.  As my friend Santiago said, “When the stench hits the whities…”  hahaha I miss that broad!  So we go to the frozen aisle.  Matt saw the weird aquarium/fish stand and starting shaking his head.  “You know those people just stick their hands in and grab the fish and eat them whole… bones and everything!”  I grabbed the lumpia and went in line.  So we are just standing in line as you would expect when this SENILE old Asian lady just PLOWS into Matt and shoves him out of her way!!!  Unreal!  Matt turns and was like, “I’m sorry, excuse me” since he is a bit of a bulky dude, but that senile old lady was just walking in circles muttering “White Devil… White Devil….” under her breath and scheming.  Seriously???  I called my mom to tell her of our adventure and she had not so nice things about the people who run the Asia Mart.  Apparently she feels as if she is treated differently too.  Lord.  It was pretty funny!

-On Sunday I made my version of my mother’s recipe.  Unfortunately, I told my mom I was making Lumpia so she came over in a frenzy and started fixing my recipe.  **sigh**.  “Your Lumpia isn’t going to be as good as mine!”  Well, no kidding.  I’ve only made Lumpia about 3 times- the last time being Matt’s 24th birthday in 2004.  After I served the egg rolls at work (at 9:30 AM no less, haha) she even called to see what people said.  If there were an egg roll police, she would be the chairwoman!

- I finished Batman: Arkham City and of course loved it.  Matt and I got every single riddle, which was insane!  I loved the game… so much fun!  I’m glad they had a Catwoman part.  Speaking of Batman, I also saw the new “Dark Knight Rises” trailer and had mixed emotions about it.  Anne Hathaway is poorly cast as Catwoman.  Marion Cottilard is a WONDERFUL choice for Talia.  Anne Hathaway is just not sexy or cool for that matter.  Where was Megan Fox?  Mila Kunis?  Those ladies have sex down to a science.  Just look at them.  I think Christopher Nolan always casts stupid women characters though.  Look at the past two movies, sucky women.  Oh well, we will see how it is over the summer.  The Avengers is going to be better, let’s be real here.  I’ve got Assassin’s Creed: Revelations waiting to be played.  I started it but Ezio looks so old in it.  Meh. 

- Everyone is pregnant.  EVERYONE.  Yesterday I found out my cousin’s wife is expecting #2!  Then we’ve got my two besties in preggo land and then everyone else.  Don’t drink the water, people!!!  It seems like everyone will start hatching in February.  It is still weird to me that people are actually having kids.  Well, I still have the college-accidental pregnancy-mentality.  If I would get pregnant, I would think I would react in that way.  Oh the babies.  I’m excited to see Jess tomorrow for our fun gift exchange and see her bad preggo self! 

- I turn 30 in 2 weeks.  Shit.

- I love Ham Cubes trivia.  Every two weeks, a group of us meet up at RAM for some awesome fun and drinks.  I’m kind of obsessed with this appetizer called the “Armadillo Eggs” which I have no idea what they are or what is in them, but so tasty.  We got 3rd place last night after losing the bonus.  Stupid Linkin Park question!!!  I hate Linkin Park!!  I have been clutch for the nerdy questions involving Ancient Rome, boy bands, and celebrity knowledge.  My favorite part of trivia is when I know an answer and Tim doesn’t know it.  For example: “What Harry Potter actor/actress went to school at Brown University?”  The answer: Emma Watson.  How much to bet?  I said bet the highest amount we could.  Tim:  “Are you POSITIVE?”  Yes, I am POSITIVE.  He went up and came back and I was like, “Oh crap, I think it was that ginger kid…. crap!” and I thought his face was going to explode.  Oh Tim is my favorite!!!  I am sad he won’t be doing a New Year’s Eve party this year.  BOO.  As for NYE, I think we are going to Travis and Kara’s house.  WOO! 

- Whiskey is so smart, and I forget that sometimes.  He knows so many words like the obvious “sit” (which he doesn’t listen to); “ball”, “walk,” “Brody,” “car,” and so forth.  However we can add bi-lingual words that he understands.  So we have this neighbor (Monkey Truck) who either has a cat or at least takes care of a cat.  It is a stupid cat that likes to run on our roof and be cat-ish.  This cat has a death wish since it likes to sit on our front porch or sit in our backyard.  Well, I call it “el gato” since I am weird.  The other day I was holding Whiskey and looking out the window and I said, “Look, el gato!” as it walked across the street to come sit on our porch.  The weird thing was Whiskey looked at me and cocked his head and was like, “I want to kill el gato!”  So now anytime I say “el gato” Whiskey runs to the closest window to look out and find the cat.  It has been a fun game.  After reading that one dog book “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” I now sometimes leave the windows open so Whiskey can look out when I’m at work.  Sometimes I find him in our guest room just stalking the neighborhood doings.  I tell you, if that dog could talk, I wonder what secrets he would tell.  Haha, that randomly just made me remember Nikki and my code in college, “Don’t press enter, Phoenix!”  hahaha, I miss that crazy dog!!!

So yeah, that’s what has happened.  Not too much.  I’m excited for my California trip in January.  Matt and I have been plotting our travel points for next year.  I think I get to pick one and he’ll pick one.  We will see!  I probably won’t be blogging much in the next 2 weeks since I’ll be out and about, but Happy Holidays to all my readers!

Summa Summa Summatime!

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So it is week #2 of Matt being on first shift.  We’ve really come into a good routine, which is always good.  Last week we just didn’t know what to do other than play L.A. Noire and walk Whiskey every night.  Unfortunately, Matt has to go to bed around 9:30, so I do my exercising after that and go to bed around midnight.  I physically can’t sleep when there is even a sliver of sunlight outside.  This week has been different since I now expect him to be home, so now he teases me every night by trying to stump me in X-men trivia.  He found some website on his phone that has different character bios and quizzes.  I think in the three days we have played the game, I have missed 2 questions but to Matt, that is like I’m missing all of them.  “You’re supposed to be an EXPERT!”  Guess what, I am an X-men expert but these questions are obscure and about stupid characters.  Apparently I don’t care much for Archangel.  *sigh.  This is what we do, we play stupid X-men games in my marriage.  Haha.

Last weekend was really fun!  On Saturday night, we BBQed some steaks and got a little too drunk while watching “Cyrus.”  (Terrible movie).  I love that when I get drunk I decide to take off my shirt and try to hit my husband in the face while pitching half-naked.  You’d think I needed a hobby!

On Sunday, Matt’s parents and youngest sister, Kelly, came over for an impromptu BBQ.  We were originally going to go out to eat, but there was a time crunch and we had plenty of food.  They loved my potato salad (I tell you, it is clutch).  After that, we watched Game of Thrones (which I am completely giving up on.  I didn’t like the show from the start and should have never started watching it!) 

In awesome news, Matt and I planned one of our vacations for the summer.  Originally, we were planning on going to Jamaica for a week.  However, we are really trying to pay down debt, and I didn’t think it was smart to spend $3K+ for a vacation which could suck.  I did get my way, and we are going to Vegas for Matt’s 31st birthday.  I don’t know why, but I just love Vegas.  I am already planning our entire trip.  We got a helluva deal on Southwest and will stay at the Mandalay Bay.   We are probably going to go to Cedar Point in the next few weeks too.  I looked at other fun places like San Diego, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle, but man, Vegas is just the best price and most fun all the way.  I’ll be in Ft. Lauderdale in July and San Diego in January anyway, so no worries there.  I need to arrange something with Mina.  I am hoping she’ll be in Los Angeles for the New Year and we can possibly have a 30th/31st birthday extravaganza in California in January.  That would be awesome.

She’ll be back next week for an extended period.  Chicago in 3 weeks!  Wow, I can’t believe it’s almost here!  So yeah, the year of 29 is going along swimmingly.

July- Katy Perry concert and fun in Chicago with Mina, NSM in Ft. Lauderdale and then BOOM back for the wedding of the century in Chicago.

August – My annual trip to the State Fair with Mina.  Yum!

September- Possibly a Purdue game and then Vegas!  Unfortunately, we are going the same weekend Mary is coming to Purdue.  Sigh. 

In other news, I am desperately looking for a good picture of my Dad and me.  I love holidays-Facebook-style, since you post a fun picture of the past.  Sure, I have a lot of pictures of me and my dad but they all include either alcohol or puppies.  I hate puppy pictures since that makes me want to buy another puppy.  So far I have the picture of us playing “Uno Poker” back in our old house.  We were in his wrestling room/office.  I love how he is wearing a Vegas hat as Matt puts it. 

What else is going on?  Oh, I am planning Natalie’s Baby Shower.  I don’t know why I volunteered since a) I don’t like babies and b) I hate bridal/baby showers but c) Natalie is awesome and I love her, and she needs a party!  I have no idea what to do about food.  I spoke to Natalie last week and she was so funny.  “We don’t need anything fancy!”  She didn’t know about food.  Hell, maybe I’ll get fried chicken or something.  Everyone likes fried chicken.  I might do the Barefoot Contessa recipe for turkey tea sandwiches since that was a huge hit at our Christmas party.  I have been crazy with all of this baby knitting, and I have two more projects until finished!  Then I can knit whatever baby things I want!  Woooo!  I got an awesome new baby knitting book, which I can’t wait to experiment with.  There are all kinds of hats, blankets, pods, etc. 

Speaking of Christmas, I’m going to a Christmas in July party soon.  What the hell do I wear to that?

So many parties coming up!  Woo!!!

And yes…. a new Fran Drescher comedy!  I LOVE HER!

Am I the only person watching the show “Single Ladies” on VH1?  Sure, it’s a bit cartoony, but oh so entertaining.

To Breed Or Not To Breed? That is The Question.

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What a week!  Where to begin?  Last week, we were anticipating the arrival of our new sectional for the basement.  We paid extra for Haul Away of the ugly furniture that was left for us.  Here is where the story gets totally FUBAR-ed and so my life.  When the delivery men came to bring the furniture, they automatically went to the basement to bring the old stuff out.  Well, the furniture in the basement was TOO BIG to fit through the staircase.  WHAT? How can furniture that is already downstairs not FIT and go up?  Apparently, the previous owners couldn’t get the pieces out, and that is why they left it there.  The furniture we bought was the same size as what was downstairs, so alas, they wouldn’t fit.  WONDERFUL.  Last weekend, we had to go back to the furniture store and buy something else.  We picked a different sectional that is bigger, has a chaise (for me!) and a recliner.  The big downside is that it is micro-fiber.  I fucking hate microfiber, but this couch was THE ONLY ONE that would fit.  I looked into customizing it, but it was too much $$ and too long time-wise.  Hopefully, I will like it once we have it.  It’s better than the floor.  I shouldn’t complain about it since it is nice furniture, but DAMN yo.  So tomorrow we get the new sectional.  Gualdoni already destroyed the furniture with a hammer.  Nice.  Nothing like coming home to shamble furniture.

Last Friday, Emily and I had a wonderous girls night.  We went and bought An Affair To Remember, which is one of my favorite classic movies.  She had never seen it.  I remember watching that in high school and vowing to drink pink champagne and be fancy.  So that is exactly what we did.  I bought some pink champagne and we got drunkity drunk drunk.  In perfect harmony, I then became extremely hungry and got the munchies.  I decided to call Charlie and beg him to go buy me Taco Bell.  Yes, I really did scream this into the phone,

“CHARLIE, I AM DISABLED!  YO QUIERO TACO BELL!”  Of course he hung up.  I would not stop.  I NEEDED TACO BELL.  I then called Mama Redempta.  She was in no mood to deal with my drunk ass, but I yelled, “I WILL DRIVE DRUNK AND BLIND TO TACO BELL AND DIE!”  For some reason, that worked.  She asked what Emily wanted.  Hilarious.  I am shameful.  She pulled up and had the tacos hanging out the window and wouldn’t talk to me.  Haha.  Love you, Mom.

Yesterday I had my annual Remicade treatment.  I took the entire day off since I have a few to burn.  It was bad scheduling since our District Manager came into town and took us out to a fancy dinner, which I had to miss.  I don’t drive at night especially somewhere I’m not familiar with.  It is a sucky truth, but the eye in winter sleeps.  I actually almost hit a duck the other night that was sitting in the middle of my street.  If I can’t see a white duck on my own street, I’m not navigating Broad Ripple.

I also had a doctor appointment during the infusion.  I usually just go in and get my treatment.  I am usually in and out in around 2.5 hours or so.  The appointment was interesting since we talked about having kids.  When I was first diagnosed, I was told I couldn’t have kids while on the medicine since it was an X rated drug, which means Baby = Dead or Deformed.  Apparently, the reason behind that was because there wasn’t enough evidence/testing on pregnant women.  Now the drug is Rated B, which means that I could have a baby.  Gualdoni and I have talked about it, and now that it is a possibility and not just an easy answer of, “This broad can’t have a kid unless I want it to come out like a cabbage,” I am actually a bit scared.

So I did what you’d think.  I called Nikki, my bestie through and through up there in Alaska.  It was perfect timing since she was shopping for lamb meat for an Irish stew.  She cracks me up.  She and her husband are in the race to have a baby.  They’ve been trying.  It is crazy to me.  10 years ago when she was mute in Chemistry class, I never thought I would call her for re-producing advice while she shopped in Alaska.  The future trip to Alaska is tentatively scheduled for summer 2011.  Oh the things I do for love.  Haha.  Next year will be spectacular travel wise.  I’ll be in Arizona in a month for NSM, Alaska in June, Summer NSM at undisclosed location, and then Hawaii in the fall.  I’d say I’m a pretty lucky girl, wouldn’t you?  I have to make time to visit Suzy out in So Cal soon too.  Once I’m suitable for beach weather that is.  Ha.

I so love my job.  Today was amazing.  I was a bit bummed to miss out on yesterday’s festivities, but I was welcomed back with our Holiday Luncheon!  Good catered food, great co-workers and friends, and a Free Door Prize of a $15 Target gift card!  They had a photo booth, which was great.  We had so much fun.

In other news, I have mostly been doing lots of knitting.  I am getting pretty good if I say so myself.  I finished an AMAZING hat yesterday, which I got a lot of compliments on.  It was my first experiment with cable knitting, and I’d say it is pretty kick ass.  See for yourself.  I think I’ll make Mina one since she is always my hat muse.  Only two more weeks until she is back!  I have only two hats left to knit for Christmas gifts.  After that, I think I might have to go crazy on knitting for myself.  We’ve got a pregnant friend, so once I hear what they are having, I’ll be on blanket mode.  I love making blankets, but they sure do take a long time.  I am a lot faster now, so hopefully it won’t take as long.  It took me 6 months to knit Gualdoni’s (but I was in college) and only 4 months for Nikki’s blanket.  Maybe I can crank one out in 2 months?

Babies… The New White Meat

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Babies, babies, everywhere!  At the ripe age of 28, I am starting to feel like I am left behind in the baby race.  I know people who are just beginning their families.  Then I know others who are on BABY#2!

Let me start fresh here.

I don’t really want to have a baby.  At all.  No crying, screaming, kicking, terror-induced spine munching baby.  I have always somewhat been in the minority on feeling this way, but hey, it’s how I roll.  However, when I got married, Gualdoni said how much he would one day want to be a father.  I have a wonderful family, and I had a great upbringing.  My parents were older when they had me (age 30) and they were even older when they had Charlie (42).  Also, I feel as if my younger brother was somewhat of a learning curve for me as well.  I was almost 12 when he was born.  Now he is 16.  Sure, I would like to see what our child would look like (come on, isn’t that the #1 reason why people have kids?)  Also, I am afraid of how the kid could look like my parents or his parents (shudder!!)

The largest reason of the fear of baby-dom is my health.  With my crazy eye malady condition, I take Remicade every 6 weeks.  My rheumatologist told me long ago that the drug was considered a “Rated X” drug, which means it will have major negative fetal developments for a fetus.  Aka No Baby just Mush.  With that in mind, who could even think of having a baby?  The drug is what keeps me able to see.

I went to the doctor yesterday and had a long discussion with her about pro-creating.  I told her about the situation and wanted to see what she would recommend.  Here is a play-by-play:

“Well, if Remicade is indeed a Rated-X drug, you would have to be off of it during your entire pregnancy.  On top of that, you would need to be off of it, I’d recommend at least 3 months prior to actually conceiving.  Also, you’d be off the pill for that amount of time too.  In that time, you would be on pre-natal vitamins and such.  Then you would be ready to try.  Once you are with child, we would recommend that you not take anything for at least 11 weeks while in the development stage so that your baby can grow.  After that, you should be clear to take Prednisone (steroids) to keep your eye flares in check.”

I sat up and said, “So what you just told me took the entire joy of having sex.”  With that, she kind of chuckled.  She said, “Well, I can see your point, but that would be my first observation of your situation.”

Seriously.  I think every woman who WANTS to get pregnant dreams of when she can tell her husband, “We’re having a baby!”  with the mandatory cry, belly patting, screams of happiness (or sheer terror).

Who wants to be the nag who says, “Guess what?  We have to have sex RIGHT THIS MINUTE so we can have YOUR BABY!”  That leads to a terrible start for any baby.  No joy, just bone.  No thanks.

I thanked the Dr. for all of the information, and I was on my merry way back to the office.  As I am driving, the Dr. calls me not ten minutes after I had left.

“Jennifer, I have some potential great news!”

“Oh, my ovaries won a contest or something?”

“Haha, no.  I looked up Remicade in my pregnancy manual, and it looks like it is now a Rated B drug, which means that you can take it during pregnancy.  We would still need to have a discussion with your primary eye doctors to see their recomendations, but I think this is great news for your condition.”

So right there, all of my bullshit is out the window.  Good news?

Seriously, where is Nikki when I need her?