My baby, the alien

So apparently the little Ludlow in my belly missed the memo ... "asian girl, asian girl, asian girl." I'm not terribly suprised seeing as the baby is not supposed to be able to hear noises until about 18 weeks. But yes, little Ludlow is going to be a boy.
Can I just say that ultrasound-ographers/doctors are very funny. In fact I couldn't quite get over how many times the stenographer kept saying, "Yah, girls definitely don't have that part." or "That thing is pretty unmistakable." I mean I'm glad my little boy has some serious manhood, and I realize that is the part most people are dying to hear... but give the little man some privacy! It probably didn't help that the first ultrasound we had done was by my spouse's father. He kept pointing out odd things like, "You see that little hand down there?" Rachel being oblivously dumb, "Yes, how cute." Dr. Ludlow, "Well it seems that the baby is scratching it's bum, definitely a manly trait. Must be a boy!" And these people truly must stare at screens for a long time, becuase they kept saying, "How cute." Have you seen 16 week ultrasounds? They are NOT cute. If you are thinking of adorable little pictures like this:
then you have not been in for a 16 week ultrasound in a while!!!
This: is a lot closer to what my ultrasounds look like. They ultrasound half way into the face, so you see this cross section that is basically a creepy looking, cone-headed skull. And then these grown men go, "How cute." COME ON!!! I feel like I'm watching some creepy sci-fi movie where the alien is going to crawl out of a hole and eat me! And becuase it is sound waves, you see the jaw bones really clearly. One thing the doctor/stenographer looks for is if the mouth opens and closes. So look back to the cone-headed skull, think about the little jaw bones opening and closing with only blackness behind... and try and spit out the words "How cute." My baby is an alien.

I really am very excited though about my little boy. My boy list of names at work keeps growing and growing. I realize that picking a name for a child, however, is a terrible thing to do while you are pregnant. There is no logic to the hormones, emotions, and tantrums I seem to have flowin. I write down the cutest name, read it a week later and think of the poor sap whose parents actually choose that name for their kid. Hopefully I will be smart and let Sean help me pick. I currently am working on looking for cute boy fabrics to cover the bumper and bed blanket. I mostly am getting my ideas from googling "cute boy rooms". Cheating? Yes, probably. Got any better ideas? I sure don't. Sean thinks we should go with a really bright Hawaiian theme. Definatley different, but not sure if I love it. The modern black and white is out because it looks really girly. And the walls downstairs are all dark brown panneling, so most browns in general are out.

Anyways. Ludlow is a boy. I am very happy. If he comes out blonde with blue eyes I will first kill my mother for cursing me, and then promptly give him to a lady at work who is dying for a baby (well that is the current plan... we'll see). Being pregnant is weird and I think I will blog about that next time :).

I really need to blog.. but..

OK, I know I really need to blog... BUT I HATE BLOGGING WITHOUT PICTURES. Sadly my camera is, what I like to think of as "slowing down with age". Really it is just old and no one wants to hold still long enough for me to actually get the picture, so I have next to no Redfish pictures.

BUT I LOVED REDFISH. It was pretty weird being pregnant (no tube wars), and still being in the first tri I was probably a little cranky (Sorry Hopkins children, wicked auntie Rachel will try to be better next year!). But as an adult, I really kind of love going up to see the Yankee Fork Dredge (maybe I'll hunt down a picture of it for this blog..mwa ha ha) and seeing Custer, the old ghost town. I even suckered up and bought a gold pan so we could pan for gold at Redfish. And look what I found!!!
OK maybe not!
But I did manage to get up on my first try skiing! And then abruptly realized I am WAY out of shape. I probably only made 4 cuts but I was still proud to be there. Even without a spouse I had a great time!

COMING HOME WAS SO SAD! Not only did we stand by the side of the road crying as the Avondet's minivanned off in tears, but coming home to Utah was seriously anticlimactic. I figured since I hadn't seen Sean in a week and a half he would be stoked to see me, but instead he had to finish a paper, take a test the next day, and the day after that. I went back and worked my 10 hour shifts and essentially didn't see my husband for a few days. It was good to come back and see the Ludlow clan (we currently have 7 adults and 2 dogs residing with us). They are very kind and respective. RAMSEY didn't even miss me :(. We had some serious bonding time yesterday though and I think he is back to fully appreciating me!

And lastly BABY STUFF IS EXPENSIVE. I realize I am over planning things. But it never hurts to be prepared right? OK so I saw this crib at a yard sale for 3 dollars (unfortunately I was only like 5 weeks along and hadn't told anyone so there was no way I could have safely bought it), and there was a stroller for like $5-10. I'm thinking this is going to be the cheapest baby ever... and then I started looking at stuff online. Even on KSL.com you can hardly find a decent looking crib for under a hundred bucks! Not to mention changing table, port-a-crib, dresser of some sort, stroller, car seat, running stroller, crib mattress, crib bumper, diaper genie, bouncy toy, swing, walking toy, high seat.... the list goes on and on. Just when you think you have found a decent deal, you realize that it is only one part of a huge 17 part scheme. I work at a medical clinic so I really do understand the cost of actually having the baby, but MAN ALIVE, the baby stuff can surely get you in the end. I am getting nervous because apparently car seats expire like bad milk, garage sale season is "ending" in SF, and the more cute stuff I see, the more I know I am going to want to spend. Any ideas or great wisdom to impart on this first timer?

The Things to Remember

Ok, so I graduated from BYU in 2008-- I realized that Jimmer was still no where close to Utah by the time I left. But can I just say... when I think back on BYU there are a few things that made it great. The fact that LDS kids are sober means we have ... well... a little bit more time...
to appreciate the arts. :)

FINALLY

I'm back to blogging!!! OOh I have to admit it feels really good. Whenever Sean is home we have this silent truce: I get the TV/Wii/Netflix and he gets the computer. He beats me home every day of the week besides Thursday-- which means he always gets the computer.

The last time I tried to blog I had this whole write up done about how I never clean the bathroom (still haven't but it is on my computer post-it note to do list). I reread it to make sure it makes sense and go to look for a picture, becuase lets face it, a blog isn't really that great without a picture. I make one tiny click on the perfect picture and of course...VIRUS. Can I say I am soooo awkward with viruses becuase I have used a Mac for the last 5 years (or at work we have a tech that fixes anything we may break). So basically nothing works for a while, I do something that I remember my dad doing to our home computer... and it all ends with Sean pretty ticked and telling me not to touch anything.

Well of course he couldn't mean forever, right? So I'm BACK! And not much really has gone on. I've decided Spring is officially the worst season of the year. You get all your hopes up that the weather is going to be warm and sunny, sometimes you even get a day or two of sun, and then it dumps rain/snow/hail and gets cold again. I've discovered I really don't do well with being let down, and Spring is a constant set of let-downs. Plus with all the birthdays I end up eating and not wanting to work out a lot more. Which of course food is really only a let down.

We did have a baby blessing and I loved having everyone over! It is great to live in Grandma's big house so we can have visitors. I keep forgetting to take my camera to family functions, Sean doesn't love my camera and his is kind of bulky to carry around. But I really like Kim's family. They are so sweet and sincere. It is fun to see a whole nother family that is "normal"-ish. I see so mandy weird/broken families in our ward that it is nice to know there are other families that can keep a marriage working, and have oodles of kids that are pretty cool.

This past Sunday we had Jake and Stacy over for a family dinner. Kim brought a fabulous dessert and we played the wii trivia game (cuz we can beat Jake every time :) ). Of course Sean was antsy to try out his Japanese cuisine on a new person so he made deep fried pork (tongatsu) with a bunch of other side dishes and it turned out really good.

Other than that I have been busy at work, I am going to become the Billing Supervisor in July, which will be a good little pay increase!! (Shopping here I come!). I love watching The Biggest lLoser (but I think Olivia pulling the baby card was a little outrageous), and I've finally met and become decent friends with our neighbor lady. We go walking when it is nice outside and are trying to decide on a 5K to walk this summer. Hopefully this will get you (all 5 people who glance at my blog :) ) through for a while.

Oh and here's a picture to make this blog "good."

My Package

I really had no intention of making my birthday a big day -- but ...
This came in the mail!!


I felt like this...


I really wanted to do this...

to my senders;

But instead I decided to send them some

via blog.

THANK YOU.

You really are an amazing woman Jessica. Truly, you have been a huge blessing and amazing sister in my life. I doubt I tell you often enough (if ever) how wonderful you are. Even when I thought you wouldn't, you have always been there for me. I love you. I hope you know your worth.

spare time

ba da ta da ta da

ba da da ta da... du da du da dunna

pop goes the weasle.

Days Off

Work continues to change, and I now work four ten-hour shifts. This means I get one beautiful fabulous day off. Thursday. What a good day this Thursday should be.. and can I just tell you the plans I had?

Relaxing in my pj's.
Sleeping till noon.
Going to the gym.
Cleaning the kitchen.
Going to the bank.
Using the internet to do whatever I want.
Avoiding answering the telephone.
Looking at the bus routes to figure out how to take a bus ride to the temple. Going to the temple.
Pedicure with my new xmas gifts.
Getting out and organizing all my random gifts.
Finding a new radio for work.
Purchasing said radio.
Watching a girly movie by myself the night before.
Smiling... a lot.

All of these lovely thoughts floated through my mind and plans started to form, until about Tuesday of this week. Like an idiot I agreed to go into work for a few hours. I was hoping for overtime but of course they had me take time out of my week elsewhere - which, by the way, means the work I have to do just piles up.

I still figured there would be a lot I could do... like shower, blow dry my hair, sleep in etc. until last night. Sean stayed up later than me, sort-of watching TV so the movie idea was out. I went to bed early so I would be less grouchy, and get woken up by my supervisor calling to ask a trivial question. My work meeting rolls around and was completely useless. I get home, am very happily playing with the cat etc when I get another call, then another, and another, oh and I think one more. The in-laws have planned a dinner at MY house and wanted to let me know/let me know what to bring/ask if I was home/ ask if I stirred the soup. I probably won't make it to the gym due to cleaning, hosting, then cleaning again, so no fat comments from the general populace please.

Really I am just laughing inside because when you look at it glass full... I don't have to cook dinner tonight! I was probably going to clean the house anyways! Sean will be entertained by his family! I can go to the gym later tonight! I don't stink anymore! My hair is done! I get to blog/have something to blog about! And best of all, from sitting here baby Ramsey has fallen asleep on my lap, which rarely happens during the day!

Oh and I have smiled... a lot. :)

New Computer!!!

oh my gosh I am so excited to be back online. My poor little macypoo was on the last straw for about a year -- it still will boot up for me every now and then but it is missing about 30 or so screws and I have to hold the keyboard just right -- and i really can't do much with/about it. SO... Sean and I held to the great black Friday tradition and bought a freakadillin awesome computer for cheap. I don't know all the geeky parts but I know it holds 1 terabyt (which is huge) and is a quad-core so I can blog while moving all my music over... hahaha! I just downloaded all my pics and realized I don't have any new ones to put up... but it still feels good to blog. The computer itself came really quickly, and then we really quickly how much you NEED the internet to make a computer useful. We have a wireless router and I guess desktops don't come with wireless cards, so after a few weeks of daudling we bought a wireless receptor, which didn't work. And then I bought a really really long wire... which Sean still couldn't get to work correctly, BUT I DID. so this is my gloating!!!!! ha ha !!! Anyways here is about the only stuff you missed in the last few months.

I HAVE A NEW JOB. Ok well it is not very new anymore but I'm no longer the Administrative Assistant, but am only now a billing personnel. I guess I officially have been in the billing office since August, but was only filling in for a girl on pregnancy leave until one of the ladies quit and now I officially am a billing personnel. I realized the other day all I really do is data entry, but I work with some fun ladies and the job in general is much easier and less stressful.

WE LOVE OUR KITTY. I know this is kind of bad, but I feel even less pressure to have a child now that I have a little kitten to keep my occupied. He even sits in my little sling (i got for free go to www.sevenslings.com and use the code valpak and you only have to pay shipping and handling! About $12) OK he doesn't really like the sling but it is cute to put him in -- i will try to get a picture soon.

XMAS IS COMING! And I'm excited to go to Idaho. Shopping was all done before Thanksgiving, which makes Black Friday so much more dull btw. And now I just need to finish wrapping up the presents (luckily I have plenty left over from last year). Well I think I'm going to go mess around on the internet -- becuase now I can!!!

Halloween

I like Halloween.

Pumpkins...


Pumpkin seeds...
(This year garlic salt seeds were my favorite!)




Dressing up like a crazy person....

Dressing up other people like crazy people!!! I attacked a coworker and made her a geisha.


Eating lots of candy... we had a table at work that had a new treat every day of October!!! :) :)

And scaring small children who come to the door... mwahahaha.


What oh, WHAT could be better?

I finally get it...

No... not how to blog every week, month, quarter -- that I obviously struggle with still -- But I FINALLY get all those crazy couples who fall in love with their little pets. For the longest time I thought it was absolutely RIDICULOUS that people would bring pictures of their pets to work, talk non-stop, get babysitters, spend A LOT of money, and even call their friends crying about pet illnesses... BUT I FINALLY GET IT.

Say Hello to Ramsey!!!!!



No I am not totally obsessed and this is just a crumby picture I took with my cell phone, but I love having another little "thing" around to keep me entertained. He is our little pharaoh -- and we already spent too much on taking him to the vet.
We got him from this lady at work; she has at least 17 cats running around her backyard/farm and was wondering what to do with some of them. Her daughter lives across the street and had a whole nother batch of indoor kitties that were living in the closet and about to burst. SO I asked if I could keep one for a year, and then if we moved, give it back to live in her backyard. She said yes and I ended up with the cutest little thing living in our house! He is fully potty trained FROM DAY 1. How many people can say that about their children?! Even when he was sick and had what my dad calls "the squirts" he did all his business in the kitty litter! He is great and likes to sleep in our bed, though inevitably we have to kick him out because he gets bored/hungry around 2 AM and thinks biting my ears is a good way to get attention. OK, now I'm done rambling about my kitty because I am not, repeat am NOT totally obsessed.

Yes, eventually I will have children and not be ever so thrilled about the cat. But in the mean time I love my little pussy!!!!