Quickie

This is gonna be short (or a collection of short thoughts) because I REALLY need to run out and get some errands done and this morning just took WAY too long.


My hair isn't always my best friend, but now it's like it's trying to be my worst enemy. Well, my cowlick is. I'd finally decided to come to terms with it and embrace it as part of me earlier this year. Then I got pregnant and thought "hey! Perfect timing. I didn't want to have bangs while I was pregnant anyway." (Don't ask) But now, instead of the moderately attractive swoop they do, they're swooping back away from my forehead like they've got something against being anything remotely close in proximity to my face.


My belly keeps getting bigger. It's kind of awesome. Mostly because now it's pretty obvious even at first glance that I'm pregnant. Though I tend to think that if I hadn't been overweight to begin with, I might still be looking tubby at this point. I just feel like that extra insulation I'm carrying is helping in the visuals department, y'know?


Speaking of, I've gone down a pant size, while working my way up to roughly 190lbs. I think, anyway. Last time I checked (when I went to the doctor about my sinus infection) I was this close to 190, so I figure - with how I eat lately - that I'm pretty well over by now. Which is good. My OBGYN was VERY insistent that I start gaining weight, especially more consistently.
But anyway, I know about the pant size because I happened to be wearing my Old Navy jeans from pre-pregnancy when Pooh took me shopping with a Groupon for maternity stuff (because I only have one pair of preggo-pants), and the jeans I ended up fitting were 12s when I had been wearing 14s (and that was AFTER some significant weight loss!). It was a happy discovery.


I'm excited and nervous for Christmas in Cali. It'll be nice weather, we'll miss the snow, but that's ok. I'm not terribly used to snow at Christmas, anyway. I AM however wary of the warmth. I've become somewhat adapted to the whole 65 degrees inside being 20-50 degrees warmer than outside. I don't know how I'll handle it being roughly 60 degrees outside in my condition.


Caffeine affects Piglet. A LOT. Within 30 minutes he's squirming away at my insides like there're ants in my uterus. When I discovered this, I kinda decided to not drink Dr. Pepper anymore. Especially when the effect on Piglet, in concert with me staying up past midnight, made for an unpleasant following morning. My mom will read this and think "finally!", and it has been a long time coming. My sisters will probably smile in a polite but smug way, or chuckle, and maybe text me and say "welcome to the club" or something like that. The mission was the only time I'd ever been off caffeine for any decent amount of time (and sugar, for that matter), and it wasn't so bad then. I should get off the drugs before this kid is born so I won't be as tempted later. Not that I've been drinking it a lot. On the contrary, I only have a few sips when I DO have it. It'd just be best to be off it entirely.


Enough ranting. Get on with your lives.

Guard your heart, bro.

This is one amazing post and I'll be forever grateful to Pinterest for bringing it to my attention.

Jamie the Very Worst Missionary: Guard your heart, bro.

Confrontation

Oh so good. Oh so very, very good.

Hello, Sir

Yes, I'm wearing pajama pants. I put them on as soon as I get home from whatever errand I run, or I just don't change out of them if I'm not leaving the house. You can be jealous. It's allowed.

At 23 weeks, Piglet is doing good. He's movin' and shakin' and generally making his presence known at all times. He's apparently just over a foot long now and over a pound. I wish I knew what position he's in, but I guess I'll be able to tell soon enough when he gets even bigger and moving even more emphatically.

I'm SO excited for his cousin, Mack, to be born! He's coming soon and it just gets me so excited for - well, for everything! It could be Christmas, too, though. I've always loved this time of year.

I did make gingerbread the other day and it was aMAzing! Pooh and I are going to finally bake the cookies today. I might make more gingerbread (it was so easy and so delicious), and some chocolate chip cookies while I'm at it.

I apparently love baking and IBC rootbeer when I'm pregnant. Ah, the mysteries of life.

Don't Mock Tim Tebow from CNN

Couldn't say it better myself, so I'll just let Mr. Bennett take it from here. Just sorry that it's CNN.com and not on CNN itself.

Don't mock Tim Tebow - CNN.com By William J. Bennett , CNN Contributor 2011-12-06T17:02:06Z

CNN.com

Quarterback Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos delivers a pass against the Detroit Lions in October in Denver.

Editor's note: William J. Bennett, a CNN contributor, is the author of the newly published "The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood." Bennett, the Washington fellow of the Claremont Institute, was U.S. secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 and was director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush.

(CNN) -- Sports loom large in the public's mind today. From the Penn State and Syracuse scandals to the upcoming BCS Bowl Series and the NFL playoffs, much attention is being paid to our athletes and coaches.

These men have enormous impact on the lives of our children, which makes the focus on actions at Penn State and Syracuse universities necessary and the mockery of the actions of honorable men, such as Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, so disheartening.

Tebow continues to win games. This Sunday he again led the Broncos to victory. He's now 6-1 this year as a starter, the Broncos are in first place in their division, and he has led the team to the most road wins in a row since John Elway.

Tebow is a good man and a good football player. He's a man of character, faith and integrity. He's also a Heisman Trophy winner, a two-time BCS national champion and arguably one of the greatest college football players of all time.

Tebow is a role model for sports fans everywhere. But instead of lifting him up, too many commentators, critics and even fellow athletes mock and deride him and hope that he fails.

The latest example is "Tebowing," where one kneels in prayer with his or her head bent in mockery of Tebow's usual touchdown celebration prayer. Several weeks ago, Detroit Lions' linebacker Stephen Tulloch "Tebowed" after sacking Tebow and Detroit tight end Tony Scheffler "Tebowed" after catching a touchdown against the Broncos.

Critics like to pretend that it's Tebow's football style that bothers them. Tebow hasn't yet proven to be a natural pocket passer, but in his last start he threw for more than 200 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating near 150, and he continues to lead game-winning drives almost every week. There is always room for healthy criticism in sports, especially at the quarterback position, but Tebow is subject to something uglier. Sportscasters love to take extra shots at Tebow; take Merril Hoge, who at one point tweeted, "It's embarrassing to think the Broncos could win with Tebow!!"

Critics have a problem with who Tebow is as a man. They are bothered by his faith, character and conviction. Jake Plummer, former Broncos quarterback, said in a recent interview, "I wish he'd just shut up." They tell him to take his "holier than thou" faith off the field.

Too many in our culture deride good men such as Tebow because they make them feel uncomfortable. These same critics believe the Aha! theory of human behavior. This theory assumes that the real character of a person is always base and hidden from the eye and that all good actions are a front for ulterior and bad or low motives. Aha! Tim Tebow, you say you're Christian, but we know it's a facade for sympathy and attention. You're just like the rest of us.

C.S. Lewis warned us of this. He wrote in "The Abolition of Man," "We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst." We scoff at Tebow and all that he represents and are horrified at the scandals at Penn State and Syracuse. We are right to be horrified, but we shouldn't make fun of our good men.

Men such as Tebow are not in over supply. Despite what his critics say, he should not stop what he is doing. We need men like him, the type of men many fathers would want their daughters to marry and many mothers would want their sons to grow up to be.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William J. Bennett.

Winter Is Officially Here

It snowed! And stuck for most of the day yesterday. It was a powdery dusting, yes, but it was snow.
And now it's St. Nikolaus Tag (and I'm going to be celebrating late because I didn't bother to look up when celebrations start and I ALWAYS forget...), so when Pooh gets home we're going to go ornament shopping and maybe I'll bake some cookies. Maybe even gingerbread people (or as my mom and sister would say, gingersnaps, teehee)!
It's not going to get up to 30 degrees today (in fact, it's just 16 right now), so the plan is to stay indoors. I even turned up the heat a bit to see what it would be like to be warm in my house in winter. Just to see. I'm sure the baking will help.
Piglet has taken to squirming at the most interesting times. When I'm trying to sleep, when I'm driving, when I'm sitting/wearing jeans, just basically whenever I'd rather him not. 
Updated pictures to come soon. Growth has been made apparent by the fact that my innie seems to be having outie aspirations of late. Pooh loves it. It feels weird to me. I've always been a severe innie. This will take some adjustment.

Wednesday Night

Yesterday was an intense day. I'm gonna try to keep it short, but, it's me.
Pick up McKenna and Calvin at 9am and head off to the airport to pick up Natalie. She went into the MTC yesterday, and I was lucky enough to drive her around for her last errands, lunch, and the final drop-off. 
Well, things got a bit complicated when I locked my keys in the trunk of my car after loading up her luggage (I swear this kid is stealing every last brain cell in my head).
I called Pooh hoping to catch him on his lunch break. No dice. McKenna found an emergency phone which we used and got transferred around before being told someone would be out to give us the number for a locksmith. 
30 minutes later, still no one. It was FREEZING outside.
Went over to SkyCap and asked the guy there if he knew any numbers. We had to wait while he helped an actual customer. He said that we should use the phone and ask for a cop to pop the car. 
We found the cop and he said he couldn't do it because of airport liability issues.
Finally got someone on the phone who gave me locksmith numbers and the guy was out in 30 minutes.
In the meantime, Natalie had called ahead to report her impending tardiness and was informed that she should just arrive safely and preferably that day.
So, on to lunch! Zupas and more food than I've eaten in one sitting since Thanksgiving. Yum!
Errands were done and Natalie taken to the MTC (only 1 1/2 hours late!). 
Since I was already out and about I hit up Old Navy's maternity section. Disappointingly small for our area, but I managed to come away with some great stuff.
Met up with Pooh at WinCo (it's been so long and I love that store!) and managed to walk out after only $10.
THEN we met up with Megan, Kevin, and Virginia for the university's production of White Christmas. SO! GOOD!
I was grinning the entire time. So funny, so well acted, choreographed, sung... Just a great play. Different from the movie, too, so it was a nice.
Overall, nearly 2 hours of standing in the cold stressed out and being up and about with no nap and then up way past bedtime = No Movement Thursday.
I'm not doing a blessed thing. And it's beautiful.