Calkin's Corner

O.MI.GOD.

2010-03-30T20:37:00.003-04:00

I so suck at blogging! But then again, I never claimed to be good at this stuff. :)

So, my sweet, chubby baby boy is knocking on the door of SIX....yes, SIX months old. WHEN IN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN? He is still as equally awesome as he was the last time I checked in. He really wants to sit unassisted and does fairly well until he lurches for a toy in front of him and topples over. He is eating solids these days too! Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast and rice, veggie and fruit for dinner. We haven't started the lunch solids yet - mainly because I just don't feel like it. :) Probably will start after his 6 month appointment on April 9th.

If I had to wager a guess, I would say Noah is weighing somewhere around 20 lbs. He is huge! We went to the neighborhood spring fling this past Saturday and he is twice the size of some nine months old. I mean he is long and he is just solid....like a brick. I am seeing an NFL star in my future. :))

He loves his exersaucer and his doorway jump n go! He is a trip to watch. I mean how lucky am I that I get to sit and watch him and just giggle at all the cute things he does!? Incredibly lucky.

Well, that is about it for now! Moral of the story....my kid is freaking awesome. :))

Lovin'

2010-01-07T21:03:00.003-05:00

Non-screaming baby during tummy time
Baby toes
Comfy sweats and hoodies
Tomato and mozzarella salads
Cooing and sweet smiles
Fat, pudgy legs and bellies (not mine :))
Sleeping for 8 hour stretches
Trying new recipes
Planning for Noah boo's baptism
Catching up with Bruce when the boo goes to bed
Hearing great news from wonderful friends

Three Months

2010-01-05T12:08:00.005-05:00

Noah is growing bigger and bigger everyday! He is such a cutie and I could not be in anymore love if I tried.

He smiles and coos all the time. He knows his mommy and daddy's voice and already has us pretty well figured out. For instance, he knows that if he raises his voice just a little more while up in his crib that we will come running and as soon as he sees your face, he smiles huge and laughs as to say "SUCKERS!" I live for those moments.

He has been sleeping pretty well. He teased us one day by sleeping from about 7:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. the next morning. We couldn't believe it! We haven't been so lucky since then, but he does sleep 8 - 9 hours stretches every night. So, I will take that any day of the week.

I love our days together and my new full time job is wonderful.

Just look at that sweet angel..........

Ringing in 2010!

2010-01-04T09:05:00.010-05:00

Wow, 2009 has come and gone and what a wonderful year it was. Just to recap some of the more amazing things that happened to us this year:

The first of February I woke up, decided to "waste" one more pregnancy test and saw this:

Yes! I was finally pregnant after 11 months of trying and one miscarriage later. We were so ready and anxious to take this journey, we could not wait!

I had an amazing pregnancy and I enjoyed every second of it. I felt good, I looked pretty good and the best part was that my baby was growing and was 100% healthy.

October 1st was an exciting day. My water broke around 4:45 p.m. and at 4:44 a.m. on October 2, 2009, we welcomed our beautiful son, Noah Allen Calkins to the world and our lives would be forever changed for the better.We began this wonderful journey into parenthood and I can honestly say that it has changed Bruce and I and made our relationship stronger and we have cherished every moment of the past 3 months with our son.

Shortly after going on maternity leave I was laid off from my job. My former company obviously saw my becoming a new mom as an opportunity to save on my income by splitting up my work and basically telling me a bunch of lies. But I digress.

After wasting a week being sad, shocked and upset over what they did to me, Bruce and I reevaluated our priorities and came to the conclusion that there were things we could do without, if it meant that I got to stay home with our son for at least a year, rather than shipping him off to daycare. It was the most fulfilling and liberating decision we were able to make together.

So, as I sit here typing this entry and my baby boy takes a nap, I am reminded of how lucky I am and how everything happens for a reason and with a purpose. Today I would have been sitting at my desk, upset that my baby was in the hands of a stranger and instead, I get to wake up and watch this sweet angel grow and share in all of his special moments. And for that I am grateful for all that 2009 gave us.

May 2010 be even better.

My baby is 2 months old ALREADY?!

2009-12-08T09:00:00.004-05:00

How is it possible? It is all so surreal and so amazing at the same time. He is everything and more that we could've ever hoped for or dreamed of.

Things are going really well. He is on a pretty good schedule already and with the exception of a few bad nights and days - he is a wonderful baby. We struggle during the day with naps and most of the time I walk in his room to see him staring at me with a huge smile and I cannot help but pick him up and snuggle with him. He goes down around 8 - 8:30p for his bedtime and normally sleeps for about 6 - 6 1/2 hours before he is ready for a little food. Then he sleeps until about 7a - i cannot complain about that at all!

He had his 2 month shots this past Friday and he handled them fairly well. He only cried for about a minute after getting them, but that night he was up every hour on the hour. And the next day he was crabby from the time he woke up until the time he finally went to bed. Mommy and daddy were exhausted by Sunday!

We are getting excited for Christmas! I have been shopping a little online and every now and then me and Noah venture out to see what we can get done. Santa is going to be very good to our little man this year!

Being a stay-at-home-mom takes some getting used to. It is definitely a lot harder than I thought to get out and about with a newborn in tow. And plus, once you get a schedule down, you hate to mess it up by him not taking a good nap or something. I said I'd never be one of "those" moms, but I am teetering dangerously on the edge. :)

Life is good. We are very lucky and enjoying every minute of our sweet boy.

Noah Allen's Announcment

2009-11-10T10:42:00.002-05:00

The Birth Story

2009-10-23T15:36:00.003-04:00

I figured that I better get this down before it all becomes a distant memory!

On Thursday, October 1st, 2009, I did not go into the office because basically I was miserable and tired of sitting at a desk for 8 hours. I worked from home and chatted with Heather on instant messenger and complained of my baby's awkward movements that day and my more than usual braxton hicks contractions. She joked that I would not make it through the weekend without having my baby. "Yeah right", I thought. Around noon, I left our house to meet Melissa for lunch at my favorite local mexican restaurant. After I finished eating, the braxton hicks contractions seemed to subside, so I did get a little bummed and figured at this point, I wouldn't have a baby until after 40 weeks.

I came home and relaxed on the couch until Bruce got home from work around 4:00 p.m. He asked me if I wanted to go for a walk and I agreed, so around 4:40 we went upstairs to change clothes. I bent over and Gasped! Bruce said, "what's wrong?" "I think my water just broke...that certainly wasn't normal." Bruce just stared at me as I hustled into the bathroom. Yup, this was definitely not normal. We hung around and waited to see if it continued to happen and also if any contractions would start. Two hours later, I continued to leak and the contractions kicked in, so I called the on call doctor, who told me to get to the hospital immediately. So, we packed up some last minute things, said goodbye to the dogs and we headed to the hospital.

We checked into the Northside around 7:30 p.m. and they hooked me up to all the proper monitors, started an IV and confirmed that my water did break and we'd be having a baby within 24 hours! YIPPEE!! Shortly after, the nurse checked me to see if I was at all dilated. That would be a negative...maybe a fingertip, but not much more than that. CRAP! My doctor came in and told me that that were going to start me on Cervadil that would start the process of "softening" my cervix and they would then give me some Ambien and Morphine so I could get some sleep and then the next morning at 7 a.m. they would start me on Pitocin. Sounds like a plan to me...but things don't always go to plan. :)

Around 10 p.m., my contractions were coming faster and stronger and I was literally climbing the walls. Holy Hell do they hurt! The nurse came in, took one look at me and said "Honey, that Morphine isn't helping with those contractions?" UMMM, NO, it is NOT helping! She decided to check me again for dilation and surprise, surprise I was already dilated to 3 almost 4 cms! The nurse said, "I better get you an epidural." PRAISE JESUS! The anesthesiologist a.k.a. my new best friend, showed up about 40 minutes later and stabbed me in the back with the best drug in the world! About 10 minutes later I was completely relaxed and able to get some rest. Phew!

A little before 4:00 a.m. I woke up to my nurse and doctor standing over me and my doctor said to me "Carrie, we have a choice to make. It seems as though your baby's heart rate has been elevated in the 180's and 190's for quite sometime and we are not sure what is causing it. Right now, I am leaning towards having an emergency c-section because I do not want to have you labor for a long time and put your baby in anymore unnecessary distress. I am going to check you one more time to see if you have dilated anymore and then I will make a decision." She checked me and I was dilated to 10 cms and our baby was ready for me to start pushing. My doctor left the room and came back minutes later and said "we're having a baby via c-section tonight." I asked, how much time we had until we went to the OR and she answered "30 minutes". Oh hell! We made 2 phone calls, one to my parents and one to Bruce' and they started wheeling me down the hall.

I was prepped in the OR around 4:30 a.m. and 14 minutes later I heard Bruce say, "It's a BOY!" and I got the first glimpse of my beautiful baby boy. He was just splendid, wonderful, PERFECT.

Noah Allen Calkins born October 2, 2009 at 4:44 a.m. weighing 8 lbs 0 oz and measuring 20.5 inches.

The c-section wasn't all that bad! I recovered nicely and my doctor did an amazing job with the incision. We are all healthy and happy and completely enamored.

Noah Allen Calkins

2009-10-13T20:36:00.002-04:00

Born October 2, 2009 at 4:44 a.m. via c-section after laboring for over 9 hours and reaching 10 cms. He weighed 8 lbs and was 20 1/2 inches long. Our sweet boys heart rate climbed into the 180's and 190's and I was told at 4:00 a.m. that they would not take the chance of me trying to push and putting him in anymore distress. So, I was wheeled to the OR at 4:30 and 14 minutes later I heard the words from my husband's lips "It's a Boy!" I can now say with absolute certainty that it was totally worth it to not find out what we were having ahead of time! Nothing beats that moment.

So here he is...and he is as perfect as I ever could have imagined. He is amazing.

Eggplant Parmesan from Scallini's = FAIL

2009-09-28T15:17:00.002-04:00

No Scallini's baby for me. Although the dinner was delicious and the company wasn't too shabby either. :-)

12 days until our due date. Maybe the doctor will have a plan at Wednesday's appointment!

*fingers crossed*

Almost 38 Week Belly picture

2009-09-25T10:53:00.003-04:00

We are ready for you baby Calkins!! Even Mia is ready... :)

We are even going tonight to Scallini's for the eggplant parmesan! We'll see if that shit works!

(Excuse how tired I look...eesh!)

"Any Time Now, Really."

2009-09-10T13:40:00.003-04:00

35 week belly shot with Mia-dog!

That is what my doctor kept saying at yesterday's appointment! Bruce and I just kept looking at each other with blank stares. They checked to see if I was dilated and the answer was no, but according to our doctor, "the baby is low and has already started navigating his/or her way down and out." :)

He also thinks that we will have a "healthy baby"...meaning he or she will be around 8 - 8 1/2 lbs. Hahaha - craziness!

We are now just in a holding pattern! We cannot wait to meet him or her and also see if we have a September baby instead of an October baby!

So Wonderfully Spoiled....

2009-09-03T11:04:00.010-04:00

That is what I keep saying in my head, over and over again. This baby, myself and Bruce are all so spoiled by our family and our friends that it is really surreal.

A shower was hosted in our honor this past Sunday by my best girlfriends in the world. I really hit the jackpot to have all these ladies in my life. The shower was held at my friend Tiffany's beautiful house and was also hosted by my 3 sister-in laws -Maria Mehok, Kimia Mehok and Kristina Mehok - and my beautiful friends - Heather Thompson, Joanna Odom, Melissa Bollins and Tiffany Parker.

(me with all my hostesses!)

I walked into a beautifully decorated house and the dining room table covered in really some of the cutest baby related things I have ever seen at a shower! Heather keeps telling me that she stole all the wonderful ideas...but I think she is being modest! She had the most adorable boxes of favors with my name and the shower date on them and they were filled with candy fishes! (my nursery decor is a fish theme) She also had mini diapers that were filled with almond candies! Yum! There was the cutest green fish piggy bank too with a note that read, "A penny saved is a penny earned, it's true! Let's start baby Calkins college fund long before it becomes due!"

She also had midnight diapers, where all my best wrote cute and funny notes for Bruce and I to read when we are changing those diapers in the middle of the night! :) She also framed a picture of our last ultrasound and had the shower invitation matted and everyone that came to the shower signed it too! So cute!

Tiffany made a precious diaper cake for us! I hate to even think about taking it apart! And all the girls gave us a book for baby Calkins! I cannot wait to read them all!

The shower hasn't even started and already we've gotten all of these things!

Next comes the amazing spread of food...chicken salad, pasta salad, pigs in the blanket, fruit salad, spinach dip, cheese/crackers, bacon wrapped water chestnuts and of course a yummy and precious cake!

So many of my girlfriends were able to come and share in this special day with me too. I was overwhelmed by every one's generosity and I left there in absolute awe of the whole day.

Thank you all so much from the bottom of our hearts! It really was everything and so much more than I ever expected!

Baby and I are still doing really well! We had an ultrasound last Friday and s/he is already measuring at 6 lbs. 4 oz.! Holy Crap! They are estimating that if I make it to my October 10th due date that I will have an 8 or 8 1/2 pounder! I can handle either one of those 2 options, but let's not get any bigger than that...mmmkay? ;)

Here is another and the last close up profile shot of our baby until we get to meet him or her in person....
So, now we just wait until she or he decides to make their grand entrance into our lives! To say the anticipation is killing us would be the understatement of the year. We are so ready to meet you...whenever you are ready, of course! ;)

30 Weeks, 3 Days

2009-08-04T15:31:00.004-04:00

67 days left...that can't be right???

It is just craziness. We are really in the final stretch of this pregnancy - it is truly unbelievable. Had my 30 week ultrasound this past Friday and everything is still looking great! Baby is measuring at 4 lbs already...or so they tell me. I have to go back in 4 weeks so they can take another look and just make sure that I am not going to have an enormous baby, but I am not rushing to schedule a c-section anytime soon. I'd rather only have a c-section when and if it is absolutely necessary, so we will just wait and see what baby Calkins decides is best for him or her! But I am totally psyched that I get to see my sweet baby again at the end of this month!

30 week profile

I am feeling pretty good still. I am uncomfortable at night, especially when I am trying to "relax" and watch TV. Aside from that, I really cannot complain. I am definitely feeling the extra weight in my belly (see Exhibit A below) and tire easily, but I make up for it with naps and sleeping pretty soundly through the night!

Bruce and I got back from Akron, OH last week where I had another wonderful shower! I will post pictures and updates from that soon!

30 week belly shot (with Mia sneaking around the corner)

Eeeesh...maybe I can believe my baby weighs 4 lbs already....YIKES!

Belly Shot time!!

2009-07-17T08:56:00.003-04:00

I need to keep up with this better, so here is one taken with the camera phone this morning!

27 weeks - 6 days pregnant

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

~ Carrie

Would you like some sugar with your baby?

2009-07-16T16:22:00.002-04:00

Passed the 1 hour glucose test! Thank Jesus! No gestational diabetes for me! Woot! The experience itself was not too terrible - the drink tastes like flat orange Fanta and the worst side effect was trying to keep my eyes open!

The only thing that came back off was that I showed slight anemia, but that is nothing some iron supplements can't handle! Going to pick those up after work!

Thanks for being nice to your mom, baby. :)

Time keeps on passing me by...

2009-07-16T09:56:00.003-04:00

Where is the time going? Bruce and I sat on the couch last night staring at our calendars and wondering where all of our time is going. Got got home from Michigan this past Sunday (more on that trip in a minute) and we are home this weekend, but the next we fly to Ohio and then the following week we were taking off to have some "us" time. Ha! Not so much! The whole week is now filled with doctor's appointments, hospital tour and a visit from life insurance exam people. So, much for relaxing and enjoying each other's company. Ugh.

The best part of all of our time going bye-bye is all the fun showers that are being thrown in Baby C's honor! We had our first in Michigan last weekend and it was A LOT of fun! It was a very laid back cookout hosted at Mom and Dad Calkins and almost all of the Aunts, Uncles and cousins were there! It was so great seeing everyone and catching up! We got lots of great things and we cannot wait to put them to good use come October! Here are some pictures from the festivities!

How cute is this cake made by Bruce's cousin, Holly?

Us with Holly and the precious cake!

Us with Aunt Rhoda and the adorable handmade blankets they gave us!

Us with Grandpa Calkins the next day!

I wish we had taken more pictures, but that is what I get for putting Bruce in charge! ;) It really was a wonderful time and so nice to have all of the Calkins together in one place.

So, we had to Ohio the weekend after this and visit with all the Conways, Mehoks, Tavoliers, etc from my side of the family! We cannot wait to see everyone.

I have less than 12 weeks and 2 days left, if baby decides to make an appearance on his/her due date! Craziness! Still feel great and cannot complain one bit about any of it. We are both very lucky and blessed.

Double Digits?!?!

2009-07-06T11:13:00.004-04:00

Yup, we are in double digits. 96 days until our baby is finally in our arms. We couldn't be more excited if we tried!

Here is a picture of me last week - 25 weeks, 5 days pregnant.

Also, here are some pictures of the nursery so far. The glider/rocker came in over the weekend! It is so comfortable and I am very happy with the way it turned out!

Aside from getting ready for our trip to Michigan this week, we are finalizing daycare, pediatricians and child birth classes this week! Exciting and scary shit, I tell ya! ;) ;)

23 Weeks 5 Days

2009-06-18T10:44:00.002-04:00

I am still in shock how fast this pregnancy is going by! Yesterday we had a regularly scheduled OB appointment and everything is still looking great. Blood pressure was normal and I am now up 10 lbs in weight gain. I am actually back to my starting weight before getting pregnant - I actually lost 9 lbs. when i first became pregnant and sadly I attribute this to not drinking beer and wine anymore. *sigh*

Baby Calk is moving A LOT and I love it. S/he is in the breech position currently and makes that very obvious by kicking me in my bladder regularly.

Next OB appointment I am scheduled for my 1 hour glucose test and I am praying that I pass that without any issue. I also need to schedule my 30 week ultrasound in the next week or two!

Beginning in July we start getting really busy! July 4th weekend Bruce, my sister-in-law Maria, my brother-in-law Robbie and Maria's 72 year old father are running in the Peachtree Road Race here in Atlanta. There are 2 people listed above that have been training regularly for this race and the other two...not so much. Let's just say that the 72 year old will be smoking Maria and Bruce in this race. :) Him and Robbie will be running together, while Maria and Bruce bring up the rear. They are crazy! Bruce has train a whole one day...yep, one day. Thank God they have medics working the race. ;)

The weekend of July 11th we are heading to Michigan where my in-laws are throwing our first baby shower for us! We are too excited!

The weekend of July 24th we are heading to Akron where my relatives are hosting a second shower for us. It has been too long since I have been to Akron and cannot wait to see all my aunts, uncles and cousins!

When we return, Bruce and I will be taking a week off of work to be with each other. Probably go to the pool a lot and working on these nasty tan lines that tennis has given me and enjoy yummy dinners around Atlanta.

At the end of August, my favorite girls are hosting a shower for me in Atlanta. And in September, my mom's friends are hosting another shower for me. I am a lucky girl. And from the looks of it - Baby Calk will not be without everything s/he needs.

I think that is it for now! XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I love...

2009-06-02T20:31:00.001-04:00

feeling this baby of mine kick and tap dance all over my tummy. Best.Feeling.Ever.

The Latest and Greatest!

2009-06-01T14:35:00.006-04:00

We had another ultrasound on Friday at 20 weeks 6 days! I sound like a broken record, but everything is still going great! Baby Calkins is measuring right on schedule and weighs a whole pound!

Here are some pics from the ultrasound:

Baby's face arm and tummy!

Whole Bunch of pics of the babe!

Baby flexing his or her muscles

We are working on the nursery right now too! It is looking so cute, in my opinion! :) I will take some good pictures and post them soon! I want to buy the rocker soon and get some decorations up!

I feel great too. My stomach is starting to get hard and bending over is getting challenging, but that is about the most of my complaints!

If you want to make a guess on the gender, weight, date of birth, etc. click here:

http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyCalkins

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Wow, I am bad at this.

2009-05-22T10:10:00.006-04:00

It has almost been a whole month since my last blog entry.

Let's see...I am knocking on the door of 20 weeks! Yup, almost halfway through this pregnancy!! It is so hard to believe and so surreal. Mainly I think because I have felt so great since the beginning of everything! I have really been lucky and I hope it continues for the next 20 weeks.

We had a follow up OB appointment this past Wednesday and everything is still progressing wonderfully. I have only gained 4 lbs. which is fantastic considering my insatiable cravings for hamburgers and all things ice cream! ;)

We are beginning work on the nursery - it is so exciting!! We went this past weekend to order the furniture that we had decided on from Georgia Baby and fully expected that there would be the normal 6-8 week delivery time. But we totally lucked out and they had it in stock! It was in my house and set up the following day and is beautiful! I took a couple blurry pics with my phone - but you get the idea...

the dresser combo

the crib!

We are also beginning the process of checking out day cares around the area. It is very overwhelming and quite scary at the same time. However, I know we will find the perfect place for our sweet baby.

I am also lucky enough to already have some showers being planned in my honor! My mother-in-law is throwing one for me in early July in Michigan and my Aunt Helen and cousin Molly are having one for me in late July in Ohio! I am a lucky girl.

I think that is it for now! Next ultrasound is a week from today - May 29th! I can't wait. My mom is coming too and I know she is excited! More updates after that for sure!

xoxoxoxoxo

16 Weeks, 2 Days Ultrasound

2009-04-28T11:41:00.001-04:00

Bruce and I had another ultrasound yesterday and everything is looking great! Baby’s spine, heart, brain, stomach, etc…are all growing perfectly and s/he is right on schedule at 16 weeks 3 days and weighs a whopping 6 ounces!

We had to cover our eyes during the ultrasound so the doctor could scan the bottom half of our baby and make sure everything was developing below the belt! He confirmed that we definitely have a healthy boy or girl! :) And it was SO HARD not to peek!!

8 Questions - just for the fun of it....

2009-04-27T11:37:00.002-04:00

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1.) Our ultrasound at 3:30 today
2.) Buying baby furniture
3.) Buying baby bedding and starting on decorating the nursery
4.) Feeling the baby move
5.) Our tennis playoffs
6.) Bruce feeling the baby move
7.) Getting some color on this white skin
8.) Taking a trip before the baby comes

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1.) Had brunch at J. Christopher's with Bruce and my cousin Erin
2.) Played tennis and won :)
3.) Planted some flowers
4.) Watched the end of the Nascar race
5.) Spent some quality time with Brie
6.) Got a milkshake at Steak n' Shake with Maria after our match
7.) Had dinner with Brie and Bruce
8.) Slept like a baby!!

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1.) Spend a whole summer in Hawaii
2.) Dance any style
3.) Not sweat the small stuff
4.) Get Marley to calm down...just a little...when people come over
5.) Afford to finish our basement right now!
6.) Make people in Atlanta better drivers
7.) Avoid junk food
8.) Sing well

8 TV Shows I Watch:
1.) American Idol
2.) The Office
3.) Biggest Loser
4.) Law & Order SVU
5.) Grey's Anatomy
6.) 90210 reruns ;)
7.) 30 Rock
8.) Anything on Food Network

Baby C's Heartbeat!!

2009-04-21T20:12:00.002-04:00

That is our baby's heartbeat - nice and strong between 155-158 bpm!!

There it is....

2009-04-20T21:01:00.004-04:00

Yup, I officially have a baby bump. It became a necessity to purchase some maternity clothes over the weekend - what a godsend those pants are!

Here it is in all it's glory....

We had another doctor's appointment this past Friday and everything is still going great! Baby's heartbeat is steady at 160 bpm!! We have another ultrasound on Monday and we can't wait to get another glimpse of our baby!

Pictures of our Baby

2009-04-03T15:14:00.002-04:00

Baby C at 7 Weeks

Baby C at 9 Weeks

Baby C at 12 weeks 2 days

Yup, We're having a Baby!!

2009-04-03T15:00:00.004-04:00

Gosh, it has been a hot minute since I posted on here. Well, I have good reason...I've been totally and completely consumed with the wonderful news that we are going to have a baby!!

Bruce and I have been trying for just under a year to have a baby and to say that we finally are having one, is still so surreal. Back in September of 2008, I got my first positive pregnancy test - only to miscarry a week and a half later. That was one of the toughest things I've ever gone through, but the reward of having a healthy pregnancy right now, is the best thing ever.

February 2, 2009 is the morning that everything started lining up for us. After wasting about 10 pregnancy tests the whole week and weekend before - I thought what the heck? Why not waste one more. Although this one turned out not to be a waste at all.

Bruce had already left for the morning to head to work, so I texted him the above picture and asked, "do you see what I see?" Needless to say, it did not take him long to call me.

So, fast forward to a now, I am 12 weeks and 6 days pregnant today. After many panicked trips to the doctor, I am happy to report that I am indeed pregnant with a very healthy and very active baby (according to my last ultrasound).

To say that we are thrilled, would be an understatement. There isn't a word invented to describe what we are feeling.

My due date is set for October 10, 2009 and we will not find out the gender of our baby prior to the birth.

I am will do my best to keep this blog better updated than I had before - we will see!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Happy Birthday Bruce!!!

2009-01-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

Happy 31st birthday baby!! I love you more and more every day! xxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Stolen from a friend!! ;)

2008-12-29T15:05:00.002-05:00

My 2008 Summed Up!!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you had never done before?
We bought our first house together and loving it!!

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
CRAP NO! And yes I will make one this year, but i am not telling anyone what it is, in hopes of sticking to it! It worked when I quit smoking, so we'll see!

My new resolutions:
Again...it's a secret! :)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Allison and Heather - 2 of my besties!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My sister-in-law's mom passed away. :(

5. What countries did you visit?
Just the good ol' USA

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Hmmm, a baby maybe? ;)

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 28th - it's a secret. And my 30th birtday!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Buying our dream home and making it ours!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Gaining weight and not exercising enough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our home!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All of my friends and family!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Many that shall go unnamed!

14. Where did most of your money go?
Into our home - new paint and new bedroom furniture!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Buying our home and the pregnancies and births of my friends babies!!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Ugh...I am bad at this kind of questioning :)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? HAPPIER
b) thinner or fatter? Ugh, FATTER, unfortunately!
c) richer or poorer? Richer, i suppose...

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercised

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating so much cheese dip! lol

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my brother and sister-in-laws home in the morning and dinner at my parents!

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Everyday!

23. What concerts did you attend this year?
Stone Temple Pilots!!!!

24. What was your favorite TV program?
The Office

25. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year?
nope

26. What was the best book you read?
Twilight!!!!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
RockBand :)

28. What did you want and get?
A home, a puppy, new bedroom furniture

29. What did you want and not get?
A fenced in backyard

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don't think i've seen any good ones!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 30 and my hubby had a little get together for me at our house! So fun!!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Nothing really! Life is good.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Trying to had the fatness! LOL :)

34. What kept you sane?
My Bruce, for sure. :)

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Still is Ryan Gosling...

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
the economy

37. Who did you miss?
No one really.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
hmmm....I have to think on that.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Patience REALLY is a virtue.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Old song, but "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of " - U2

Trying to catch up!

2008-12-02T15:37:00.004-05:00

My goodness, I am really bad at this blogging stuff. I am certain that stuff has been going on since October 20th…let’s see if I can get things caught up.

We had a big project at our house in the month of November. We had every room in the house repainted, including ceilings and all the trim! It turned out great! We are so happy with it. The people that lived there prior to us apparently really liked bright yellows and blues and that was pretty much our whole house and we could not stand it. We ended up getting a really great deal to do the whole house so we just went for it. The best part was that they completed it in 3 days and in time for a party we were having that weekend. I need to post some before and after pictures, but they are not on this computer! So I will update soon!

As previously mentioned, we had a party at our house and it was for my 30th birthday! Insert tears here. L hahahaha Yes, I turned 30 and to celebrate my cute hubby invited our family and friends over to celebrate with me. It turned out great and a wonderful time was had by all. I have such wonderful people surrounding me – I am truly a very lucky girl.

Greg is a terrible influence. ;)

Thanks to Eric and Maria for the "I'm 30" t-shirt! lol

And last but not least, there was Thanksgiving!! It is really my favorite holiday. I don’t know if it is Mama Mehok’s awesome cooking or just having all the family together, but I love it. We had a really great time eating, drinking, playing and just being with each other. And for all that I am thankful.

Yuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmm

Mom, Me, Aunt Honey & Kristina

Other than that, we are trying to get ready for Christmas and decorate the house. We are both so excited and are probably spending entirely too much money on decorations, but whatever, I am loving it.

We fly to Michigan on December 11th for a long weekend with Mom and Dad Calkins and hopefully we’ll be able to see some aunts, uncles and cousins too!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

YIPPEEE!!!!!!

2008-10-20T15:31:00.003-04:00

Heather and Matt gave birth to Charlotte Lillian Thompson this morning at 10:07 a.m.

She weighed 7lbs, 12oz and was 18.5 inches long! Mom and baby are doing wonderful!! I received this beautiful picture this afternoon of the precious little girl too! I see a lot of Heather in that face!

Congratulations guys - she is stunning!! We love you!

Lovin'

2008-10-10T14:28:00.003-04:00

LOVIN':

The fabulous fall weather
Decorating our home for Halloween
Watching college football - especially the upsets!
Lunch dates with my girls; Melissa, Heather, Joanna & Allison! ;)
Buying new furniture (pics coming soon!)
"Trying" to pick out paint colors! (got an interior decorator coming soon)
The Office - "that's what she said"
Playing with my baby girls in the backyard!
Tennis on Sundays...when we win.

Slacker......

2008-09-15T11:15:00.007-04:00

I have totally been slacking on the blog lately, but I kind of have a good excuse. Things have been insanely busy in this little life of mine the past few weeks. I am not really sure where to start!

I guess I will start with my weekend away to Florida for Joanna's bachelorette party! It was super fun! They were all a great group of girls and we had a really fun time just sitting on the beach for hours and hours and then getting rowdy late night with a few different bar trips! That was one of the last "hurrah's" Jomama....November 8th will be here before you know it!

Great times with the girls!

The following weekend our friends from Michigan, Shane and Andi came down for a visit and so did Bruce's brother Robbie. There was a lot of grilling food, drinking beer and watching football involved in the weekend and it was a blast! It was so great to see them all and have them in our home! On a side note, Andi is expecting baby #2 in May '09! Congrats guys!! We love you!

Then this weekend, I was lucky enough to co-host a baby shower for Heather!! I think it turned out great and I think they got a lot of great stuff! They are almost 100% ready for baby Charlotte to make her debut!! :) I know that I can't wait to meet her!

Other than that, we have just been hanging out at the house and I am back to playing tennis on Sundays. I didn't realize how much I missed tennis until I started playing it again! It has been a lot of fun, even though my record hasn't started out so great! But Fall is around the corner and I am loving the cool mornings and evenings and drinking a glass of wine on the back deck.

Here is a picture of the girls from this weekend too! Marley is getting so big and I am afraid she is going to be much bigger than Mia! EEK!

That is it for now! I will try and not slack so much in between blog postings next time! :) xoxoxo

The Weekend of Champions!

2008-08-26T10:09:00.006-04:00

I had the best weekend EVER! It all started on Friday morning when I ended up not having to go into work! The night before I had gone out for a "few" beers with some co-workers and ended up not getting home until close to 11:00. Being the responsible adult that I try to be, I did not drive home so my car was stuck in Buckhead for the remainder of the evening and most of the next morning. Here is a tip for everyone - have your boss with you at happy hour so he tells you that you do not have to come to work the next day because he won't be there either! :)

So, I got to sleep in a bit and was able to get a cab ride to my car around 11:00 a.m. the next day and still have lunch with my friend Melissa! That evening I started to get ready for my hot date I had that evening. My hubby and I were finally going to celebrate our anniversary with a night out on the town!

Bruce had a wonderful surprise for me and had a driver scheduled to pick us up at 6:15 for our dinner reservations at 7:00. Of course, nothing ever works out perfectly!! Around 6:20, we got a phone call from Larry, our driver, that he was about 3 miles from our house at the Publix where his car was overheating. We just had to laugh! We asked him if he could guarantee someone could pick us up from dinner and we'd just leave our car overnight again. He said that they would be there with no problem, so we went ahead and headed out to dinner. Halfway down I-285, Larry called us back and said "Have a great time - call me when you are done with your evening and Mark & I will come and pick you guys up and also drive your car home so you don't have to leave it. And also, we'll do it for free!" We were totally stoked! How cool was that?

Us after dessert

So, we did just that - had an amazing time! We had dinner at Anthony's Fine Dining in Buckhead and it was delicious! We both had the surf & turf - beef tenderloin and lobster tail. So delicious! We had martinis and a bottle of wine and shared a yummy cheesecake dessert.

Afterwards, we decided we'd head to The Grape for an after dinner glass of wine. But that actually turned into a bottle of after dinner wine! Thank god for the driver!!! :) We were picked up shortly after that and taken safely home. It was wonderful.

The next day we sat around most of the day and recovered from our wine hangovers. But that night still had the best to come! STONE TEMPLE PILOTS reunion show!!!!!! Now, anyone who has known me for any length of time, knows that I am completely obsessed with this band and more importanly Scott Weiland. Yes, heroin addicted junkie, Scott Weiland. I know, I know - it doesn't make a bit of sense, but I love him! So, just let it be!! :)

My other man

The show was GREAT! My brother totally got us the hookup with free VIP tickets and STP did not disappoint at all! I hope they can stick together for the long haul, only time will tell.

So, that is it...my AMAZING weekend. I couldn't ask for more.

731 days ago today....

2008-08-18T16:13:00.010-04:00

I married the love of my life.

Today is our 2nd anniversary and life has been amazing. I feel like I woke up in the fairytale that every young girl dreams about having. And the fact of the matter is, it's real and it's mine - it's all mine.

Bruce is a wonderful husband. He's generous with his kisses and doesn't leave the house without giving one. My favorites are the ones on my forehead, that usually come during times of reassurance.

He still makes me giggle like when we first met - especially when he dances around the house to some "hip-hop" song I am playing, just to make fun of it because he really doesn't care for that music.

He is a generous soul and he loves me with everything that he has.

Happy Anniversary, Bruce. Thank you for loving me for all that I am and accepting me for exactly who I am. Thank you for pushing me to always be my best self and knowing when to push harder and when to let up. You are my best friend and I love you with all my heart and soul.

Thank you for loving me.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I don't do this enough......

2008-08-08T14:42:00.002-04:00

I LOVE to cook and I equally LOVE watching the Food Network and am a huge fan of Top Chef on Bravo.

The other morning I was watching Tyler Florence and he made this 'Cuban Style Pork' and it looked so yummy, that I just had to make it that night! It was just like making a Cuban sandwich, but without the bread and using a pork chop. It was a huge hit with the hubby and I loved it too!

Here is the recipe:

Butterflied Cuban Style Pork Chops

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup canola oil 4

(8-ounce) pork chops, butterflied and thinly pounded

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 8

(1/4-inch) thick slices Swiss cheese 8

(1/4-inch) thick slices boiled ham

2 sour dill pickles, thinly sliced (need about 16 slices)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

Heat the grill to high.
Whisk together 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons oregano, the garlic, cumin, and canola oil in a large baking dish. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chops on a flat surface, cut-side up and season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of ham, a few slices of pickle and another slice of cheese on 1 half of the chop. Fold over brush the top with oil and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Place the chops on the grill, oil side down and grill until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chops over and continue grilling until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Whisk the remaining orange and lime juices, oregano, and the cilantro with the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon over the chops and serve.

The only thing I didn't do was spoon the remaining orange and lime juices over the pork at the end - seemed like a little "much" to me. But it was definitely a keeper!

Here is what it looked like while we were grilling it!

Kayla turns 2!!

2008-07-24T15:22:00.006-04:00

Our sweet niece turned 2 on Thursday, July 17th! It is hard to believe that she has already been in our lives for 2 years!!! She is such a joy and she couldn't be any cuter! Here are some pics from the festivities over the weekend!

Happy Birthday Kayla!! We love you!

Another Congrats.....

2008-07-24T08:56:00.002-04:00

goes out to our great friends Melissa and Brian! They recently found out they were expecting their first baby together!! We are so thrilled for both of them and we cannot wait to meet the new addition to their wonderful family!

Congratulations guys! We love you! Happy and Healthy Nine Months! :)

The happy couple!

Our New Baby

2008-07-01T10:00:00.004-04:00

Last Tuesday, I opened the door from our garage into the kitchen and I was greeted by my sweet Mia, as usual. Isn't she precious? Anyways, I was giving her my typical dose of just got home from work lovin' and all of a sudden I noticed another sound coming from the other side of the kitchen. It was a curious barking and as I turned the corner I saw my husband sitting at the kitchen table and a little pup at his feet. Meet Marley - our new baby. She is 3 months old and as cute as a button. The first words out of my mouth to Bruce were "What did you do?"

Needless to say, I was in shock at first. But now that we have her I love her more than anything. She is a pretty good pup and is crate training pretty well. She gets into everything so I have to watch her like a hawk, but other than that she has been doing really well.

Mia is still getting used to sharing her house, but she is getting better every day.

Our family is growing!! :)

Things Lately....

2008-06-12T14:39:00.002-04:00

It has been a hot minute since I last updated my blog - I'm sure no one missed it too terribly! :)

Things have been going really great in our little world lately! We are both still enjoying our home and having a lot of fun trying to fill it up! Bruce has been working his booty off lately. Ever since the temps hit the 90 degree and above mark here in HotLanta, everyone needs their HVAC fixed ASAP! No complaints here though - it is great for us and for the business!

My work has been a ball of stress lately. We've been hit pretty hard with the recession and have had 2 rounds of major layoffs. I have been able to make my way through both (thank God) and I think I will be ok. I have taken on a lot of other peoples jobs since they were laid off - I am now officially: Executive Assistant, Office Manager, Marketing Assistant, IT Support and Receptionist. YIKES! Ha, Ha! It actually has not been that bad and hopefully they will want to keep me around until we get through this rough patch in our company. *fingers crossed* :)

I cannot remember if I blogged about this or not...so I may be repeating myself, sorry! BUT, our dear friends Heather and Matt are expecting! And it's a GIRL!! :) Might I add, that I called that one all the way!!! :) I am so excited for them both - they will be amazing parents!

Also, our friends Allison and Kirk welcomed baby # 2 and it was a GIRL too!!!! (I called that one too - 2 for 2 baby!) Her name is Abigail "Abby" Gibbs Thompson - she is gorgeous! Jack is going to be a wonderful big brother!

All these babies and GIRLS...is something in the water? :)

This weekend is Father's Day and my dad's birthday is June 26th - so we are celebrating both this Saturday at my brother Greg's house!

Hope everyone is amazing! Have a great rest of the week!
Much love, Carrie

Lovin'

2008-06-12T14:04:00.013-04:00

Precious nieces
Pregnant friends and new babies!
Taking walks with my cutie hubby
Grilling out
Cuddling on the couch
So You Think You Can Dance (yes, I am cheesy)
YogurBerry - YUM!
Eating healthier
Good friends and good times

Come on Get Higher...

2008-05-20T12:50:00.005-04:00

Love this song..... :)

Come on Get Higher by Matt Nathanson

I miss the sound of your voice
I miss the rush of your skin
I miss the still of the silence
As you breathe out and I breathe in
If I could walk on water
If i could tell you whats next
Make you believe
Make you forget
Come on get higher
Loosen my lips
Faith and desire
And the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
Come on get higher
Loosen my lips
Faith and desire
And the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
I miss the sound of your voice
The loudest thing in my head
And I ache to remember
All the violent, sweet, perfect words that you said
If I could walk on water
If I could tell you whats next
Make you believe
Make you forget
Come on get higher
Loosen my lips
Faith and desire
And the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
Come on get higher
Loosen my lips
Faith and desire
And the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
I miss feel the pull of your heart
I miss taste the sparks on your tongue
I see angels and devils and god when you come on
Hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on....(sing shaa la la la laaOuuu)
Come on get higher
Loosen my lips
Faith and desire
And the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
Come on get higher
Loosen my lips
Faith and desire
And the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me
Drown me in love
It's all wrong
It's all wrong
It's all wrong, its so right
Come on get higher
Come on and get higher
Because everything works love
Because everything works in your heart

My Celebrity Lookalikes??

2008-05-15T14:40:00.004-04:00

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-14T11:27:00.005-04:00

Well, we hosted our first family event at our home this past Sunday for Mother's Day! It was a huge success (in my humble opinion of course)! We had delicious food and plenty of bloody mary's and mimosas to go around!

Some of the dishes served were:

Ham and Cheese breakfast casserole
Baked French Toast
Cheese Grits
Hashbrown casserole
Cinnamon Rolls
Fresh Fruit

All was delicious! I made the first 2 and I think both are keepers! Especially Paula Deen's recipe for Baked French Toast - YUM! If you want the recipes, let me know!!

The boys with the lady of the day!

The day was perfect - sunny, warm and perfect for sitting on our porch. It was wonderful.

Us with a couple other hot mama's on Mother's Day :)

LOVIN'

2008-04-30T16:20:00.002-04:00

Sitting on our back deck with a glass of wine.

Watching TV on our new HD Flat Screen

Watching Mia Dog lay in our yard.

See our rose bushes bloom.

Taking baths in our big sauna tub - with bubbles.

Seeing my friends bellies grow from the miracle of conception.

Watching the Hawks...never in my life would I have thought I'd say that.

Planting flowers and watching Bruce mow the lawn.

Grey Goose dirty martinis.

Hanging things on our walls.

Being with my hubby.

Hump Day!

2008-04-30T15:30:00.003-04:00

I thought since work was quiet today and I was not feeling too motivated to accomplish anything that I would update this blog. I really, really want to get better at it!

Things have been going really well in our little world! Our house is slowly but surely transforming into "our" home. We bought a new TV for the den - it is a 52" Samsung HD TV and it is insane. We love it. We probably are watching more TV than usual because it is that fantastic! I never thought I'd love a TV so much - but now I cannot wait for college football to start! We also are so lucky that we are getting my oldest brother Mark's and Kristina's dining room table! And to make the house even more special...we got grandma and grandpa Mehok's bedroom furniture to use in one of our extra bedrooms. It is awesome - I love having a piece of them in our home.

We are also trying to plan a house warming party, but that has been more challenging than one would think! Just trying to pick the perfect date and figure out exactly what to provide...er, figure what we can afford to provide. :) It will be soon though - I promise!

My family is doing really well too! Eric and Maria have recently put a offer on a new home - so keep your fingers crossed for them! Also, our wonderful friends Matt and Joanna are closing on a new house at the end of May - and they will be closer to us!! YAY! :) And even better - our friends Heather and Matt are pregnant with their first baby! Check out the link to their blog on my page! :) CONGRATS everyone!! We love you!

On a totally different note:
As most of you know, from this blog or from MySpace - a dear friend of mine is very, very sick with cancer. They do not think she has much longer on this beautiful earth of ours. Please help me keep her and her family in our prayers.
Things like this always seem to put life into perspective. My aches and pains seem so insignificant, fights and grudges seem so childish and holding onto my family and friends is priority. Life is too short and I don't want to waste another minute....

Love always,
Carrie

Our dear friend Lynn

2008-04-10T14:10:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I am posting this bulletin for a very important reason - one that is near and dear to mine and many others hearts.Our good friend and my former co-worker, Lynn is very sick with cancer.

In July 2007, Lynn was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer. They also found additional bone cancer and a tumor on the base of her skull that was pushing the nerves on her left eye. After a CT scan, they found that although her lungs and pelvis were free of cancer, there was some found in her liver. This is Lynn's second battle with breast cancer.Please join me in helping some friends of mine as they take the journey to do the Atlanta 3-day walk in Lynn's honor and in the honor of all the women and men that battle cancer everyday of their lives.

Please go to:

http://08.the3day.org/goto/katiemacavoy

http://08.the3day.org/goto/lynniespinkladybugs

Thank you for taking the time to read this and we appreciate any help you can offer.Please keep Lynn in your prayers.

Settling In......

2008-03-13T15:29:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been quite awhile since my last post and with good reason, I might add!
Bruce and I officially moved out of our condo on Saturday, February 23rd and not without some drama! The Friday before was "supposed" to be our closing on our condo and then we had the movers coming the next day to move all of our stuff into storage. BUT about an hour before the closing, I called our realtor to check in and make sure we were all set for 1 o'clock only to find out that we were in fact not going to close because the buying parties lenders had "lost the paperwork." WHAT?!?!?!?!?! How do you lose the lenders paperwork??? Was it handwritten - is there not a file saved on a computer somewhere? I don't understand! So, now we were going to reschedule for the following Monday. After a nervous breakdown, Bruce and I continued packing our lives into brown boxes and headed to my parents that evening to drop of our dog Mia. Around 6:30, I received another call from our realtor and this time the news was even worse! They hadn't lost any paperwork - there was NO PAPERWORK! The girl who was buying our place, we'll call her Susie, had tried to go through a brokers agency and it was a big fat scam! So, my realtor assured us that they had found a new lender that promised they could get it turned around in 1 - 2 days. So, let me just remind you that we were all set to close on our new home on Thursday afternoon (which we couldn't have done, had we not closed on our condo) and then board an airplane to take a vacation in Las Vegas. Needless to say, Bruce and I were both at our wit's end - not getting any sleep and worrying what would happen if we didn't close on the condo and we were living out of boxes for months.

SO, long story longer, they finally got the paperwork done we finally closed on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. - and Susie was a TREAT...no wonder we had so many issues. We proceeded to close on our beautiful new home on Thursday at 1:00 - celebrated with lunch and beers at Atkins Park. Headed to the airport and made our way to glorious Las Vegas, NV! The perfect ending to a truly maddening couple of weeks!
Vegas was great! We ate wonderful food, drank ourselves silly, lost some money and went to the Nascar Race too! It was a spectacular time!

Came home on the red eye (will never do again) on Tuesday morning and moved our things into the new house that Friday. Our house is outstanding...it is absolutely gorgeous! I am falling in love with it more and more everyday. I think we found the perfect place to begin the next phase of our lives together. Life couldn't be any better if I had written the story myself!

Another update - I am no longer having my knee surgery on March 24th as originally planned. Some changes have come down at my work and I am taking on a whole slew of new responsibilities, so we did not think it was in my best interest to take a month off of work. To be completely honest, I am relieved. I am so happy that I get to take some time and get settled into our new home and really enjoy it with Bruce. The surgery will happen eventually just not positive when! :)

I think that is about it for the moment! More updates coming soon!!
Carrie

Out with the Old....in with the New!!

2008-02-11T11:38:00.000-05:00

Omigod, Omigod, Omigod....we have a contract on a new home! It is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and I cannot wait for it to be all ours!!

Let me back up...first we close on our condo on February 22nd (Woo Hoo!) and then we have that weekend to get everything finalized and move out. We will be putting our stuff into storage and moving in with my parents for a week.

Then on February 28th we close on our new home!!! They have over the weekend to move out as well, but that is all good because our crazy ass selfs are getting on a plane that evening and going to the city of sin! Yep, Las Vegas! Talk about a celebration!

When we get back - we get to move into this beautiful house!!

It is 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths - and it is perfect!!!!

We couldn't be more thrilled if we tried! I will keep everyone updated on how the move goes and all the in between stuff!

Much love, Carrie

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-25T16:32:00.000-05:00

I want to send out all my love and heartfelt Congrats to our good friends, Joanna and Matt!!!
They got engaged last night!! WOO HOO! They are both wonderful people and we are lucky to have them in our lives!
CONGRATS TO YOU BOTH!! Love you!

So much stuff!!!!

2008-01-24T09:27:00.000-05:00

So much has been going on since I last blogged after the New Year! I am not really sure where to begin?!?!?!?

First things first, my cutie pie hubby turned 30 on January 15th! I took him out to dinner the Saturday before to Dante's Down the Hatch...it was alright. Probably would not go there again, but it was an experience and we had a wonderful time together. We celebrated again on his actual birthday at home. And then we had a little party at our condo to really help him ring in the big 3-0! It turned out really nice! As usual, I went way overboard on the appetizers that I made, but Bruce had a wonderful time! He became best friends with a bottle of Jager and was not a pretty sight by the end of the night...but I have to tell you it was quite hysterical! :)

My knee surgery date has been moved back to March 24th - instead of March 10th. Which in a lot of ways is great news! I get to go to my friends Melissa and Brian's wedding on March 22nd and dance the night away - and I couldn't be more excited about it! And it will also help because............ (drumroll, please).............

WE HAVE A CONTRACT ON OUR CONDO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can hardly believe it! It is so surreal! It JUST happened last night!! Now we just have to wait and hope that everything goes through! She has 10 days to secure her pre-approval and do her due dilligence and then after that it is officially "Under Contract". We are so excited and so nervous at the same time! It is a HUGE step in anyone's life and we are no exception!

We are going this Saturday to start looking at houses!! I am still in Shock! We get to look for our dream house!!!!!!

Everyone keep your fingers crossed! I will keep everyone posted!!!!!

Much love to all!

The New Year is off and running!

2008-01-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

Where do I begin?!?! So much has been going on...it is craziness!

Well, first off, Christmas was FABULOUS. We had the best time here in Atlanta and in Michigan over the holidays! It was so nice to spend time with everyone...I am just sad it is over so quickly!

New Year's Eve was a huge success too! We went out to dinner with friends and family to 2 Urban Licks. I am telling you...if you live in Atlanta and have never been there, you are missing something that is AMAZING! Yum! We had the best time and it was probably one of the best NYE's I've had in a LOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGG time! So fun!!

I came back to work after a very long and fantastic 13 days off of work, to find mine and my CEO's laptops stolen. UGH. Not good. All of the hard work I've done since February is gone. Yes, I know....I should have backed up and put everything on the shared drive. Well, lesson learned. Not only was my work gone, but all my photos and music...totally sucks. :(

Bruce and I are getting back into the swing of things of trying to sell our condo. It has been a rough market to say the least, but we are hoping better luck will come our way in 2008!

I think that is it for now! I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year!

Much love, Carrie

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2007-12-20T15:48:00.000-05:00

I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Bruce and I will celebrate first here in Atlanta with the Mehok family and then on the 26th we jet out to Michigan to celebrate AGAIN with the Calkins! (Two Christmas'...not too shabby, huh!)

I will have updates after the holidays and let you know what Santa brought us this year! Also, we have super fun plans for New Year's Eve - so I will let you all know how that turns out too! :) PLUS....OHIO STATE IS IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN!!!!

GO BUCKEYES!!!! (Please do not blow it like last year, I don't think my heart can take it!)

Again, Merry Christmas from our home to yours!!

Updates!!!!

2007-12-11T11:06:00.000-05:00

Well, Christmas is 14 days away....can you believe it? I can't! I am happy to say that I am almost completely done with my shopping though! I have never in my life been this organized at the holidays! I've got almost all the gifts wrapped and ready to go too! It is very exciting! We are here in Atlanta on Christmas day and then we fly out on the 26th to go to Carleton to visit the Calkins! It should be perfect!

Here is a picture of our tree and mantle....aren't they pretty?

We are hoping this will be the last Christmas in this house.....

In other news, I went back for my follow-up knee appointment and my surgery is all set and ready to go. It will be on March 10th, 2008 (I have a vacation planned the last week in Feb.) and I will need 6 months of recovery. Ugh. Could that be anymore depressing? I had my breakdown after the appointment last week...I am doing better now. I thought this was so hard when I was a child at 12 and 13 years old, but that was a piece of cake! I mean, I got to lay around all day watching TV while my parents took wonderful care of me and waited on me hand and foot. But now, I am 29 - I have a husband, a job, a dog....ugh. Don't get me wrong I know Bruce will take amazing care of me, like he always does - but I am going to go NUTS not being able to do anything!!! I am expected to be home and out of work for a month.....A MONTH! Thankfully, I have an incredible boss who is letting me work from home and I do not have to take out short term disability and I still get my paycheck! I am a lucky girl! Anyway, I will keep you updated as it gets closer to the day and I am sure I will be blogging a lot from my couch that month I'm out of work! :)

Well, I think that is it for the time being...I hope everyone is having a very wonderful week!

Much love, Carrie

It's been a minute....

2007-11-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

since my last post, so I thought I'd get moving on it!

Thanksgiving was great as always! Mama Mehok can certainly cook some delicious food!! I was in the typical turkey coma afterwards, but no complaints here!! Thanks Mama!

Everything with work is going great! No complaints at all! I worked only on Monday the week of Thanksgiving and then my boss just said, go ahead and take the rest of the week off! You don't have to ask me twice! :) Bruce was able to take some time off too and it was wonderful to just be able to relax and unwind together.

In other news...I will have to have new surgery on my knees in the very near future. I went and had an MRI done on my left knee last week and I go back to my orthopaedic surgeon on Tuesday for him to tell me what they found. Either way, I will probably have surgery after the first of the year. :( The left knee will be done first and then the right knee after the left heals.

I had reconstructive surgery on both knees back when I was 12 & 13 years old....so over 17 years ago. And basically, the surgery has done all it can do up until this point. At first I was avoiding it like the plague, but now I am just ready to get it over with so I can spend the next 20 -30 years not having to deal with it and worry about it. I will give an update after I go back to the doctor on Tuesday!

Other than that, not too much going on! Jsut gearing up for the holidays and trying to get some Christmas shopping done before it begins to overwhelm me! Wish me luck!

Take care everyone!

29......

2007-11-16T11:12:00.000-05:00

Well, today is the day...I turned 29. Man, I never thought that I'd really start to dread birthdays, but the closer I get to 30, the more I cringe at the thought.

Tonight we have big dinner plans! I am looking forward to it! Bruce and I have the best time trying new restaurants and just enjoying each other's company. I can't wait!

My sweet husband sent me a gift to my office - see below....

That sweet puppy, plays Happy Birthday to me! Isn't he precious?!?! (and by he, I mean Bruce!) Thanks baby! I love you - thatnks for making me feel special everyday!

Thanks to everyone who called or e-mailed me to say Happy Birthday! It means a lot to me!!

Love you all!

Random Stuff for a Monday!

2007-11-12T12:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this weekend was good! Friday night we had Heather and Matt over for dinner! It turned out really good and as always, was wonderful to see them. :)

Saturday slightly sucked! BOOOOOO to Michigan and Ohio State for being big fat LOSERS this weekend! UGH! But we had people over and that was fun! Mom, Dad, Eric, Maria, Mac and Tiffany all came over for part or all of the festivities! It was fun, other then our teams sucking. And of course, it still was Bruce's fault just because he is a Michigan fan...as you can see from this picture!

Another random thing - is that we FINALLY got our wedding ALBUM!! I know - it's only a YEAR and 3 months later! It actually turned out really nice even though there was so much drama!

The pictures from my camera phone do not do it justice! So you'll just have to take my word for it!

Also, we lowered our asking price on our condo by $9,000.00 - YIKES. Hopefully it will get more people in the door and interested! We had an open house this Sunday and have 2 people that were really interested - one even more so than the other!! So keep your fingers crossed!

Other than that, not too much going on - just looking forward to Thankgsgiving...oh yeah, and I guess turning 29 too. Ick.

Here is a cute picture of my baby girl just for fun! Have a great week!!

CRAP.....

2007-11-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Well, we did it. We found the PERFECT house in Smyrna for the next part of our lives together to start. It has 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, a full basement, a huge fenced in backyard...everything is PERFECT. Only one minorly huge issue....we have yet to sell our condo! UGH! I am over it! We are working every angle we can think of to get out of our condo and into that house - it couldn't be anymore stressful - especially at the holidays! I will let you know how it turns out once we get it figured out!!
Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Chicken Tortilla Soup = YUM!

2007-11-05T11:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, I got this off of allrecipes.com and made it last night for dinner...all I can say is that it is a KEEPER! I wish I would have taken a picture of the finished product, but you'll have to take my word for it! :) I didn't use that much chicken broth, but I just eye balled it - it turned out perfect! ENJOY!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp margarine
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or a rotisserie chicken works and cuts down on the cook time)
2 poblano peppers, diced
2 anaheim chili peppers, diced
2 kernals of fresh corn cut off the cob
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 large onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can of black beans
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
Black Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp salt or to taste
1 1/2 bay leaves
15 oz tomato juice
3 qt. chicken broth
for garnishment: monterrey jack or cheddar, tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS
1. In a soup or stock pot, melt the margarine and add the next seven ingredients.
2. Saute until the chicken is cooked, the veggies are tender and the onion transparent.
3. Add the cumin, pepper, chicken broth, salt, bay leaves, and tomato juice.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Serve with shredded cheese and broken tortilla chips.

Halloween......ugh.

2007-11-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

MAKE THE HALLOWEEN CANDY GO AWAY!!!!!!
I really hate the holidays working in an office...I mean, everyone sends goodies and baked goods and crap! Making it that much harder for me to watch the waistline. I have been working out a lot with the help of my free gym membership that my boss hooked me up with. And I've been playing a ton of tennis - but I cannot lie...I love food. I love to eat. I think it is harder for me to give up my favorite foods, then it was to quit smoking 6 years ago.

PLEASE stop bringing your leftover candy into the office!!!

House 4 Sale

2007-10-31T13:34:00.000-04:00

I originally posted this on my MySpace page, but thought I'd move it...

Well, our condo is still for sale....could the market suck any worse? It was officially 4 months on the market on October 14th. UGH! We swore to ourselves that we were in no hurry to move, but I have to admit - we are in much more of a hurry than we thought! No only is it super annoying to have strangers coming in and out of your house on a regular basis, but Bruce and I are just ready to start that new phase of our lives together.
We have not lowered the asking price yet - but are offering 6 months of HOA's payments to the buyer - which is a small fortune in itself!

Here are some pictures:

Who wouldn't want that precious place?!? :)

Anywho...other than that life is great! Jobs couldn't be better and our relationship is stronger than ever! Life is good!

First Post!!!

2007-10-31T13:29:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I decided to enter the world of blogging...
To be completely honest, I haven't a clue what I'm doing, but thought it would be fun to try! My plan is to post general happenings and also post some recipes of things that I try in my kitchen!

I am certainly not making any promises that I'll keep up with all of this, but I am taking a shot!

Wish me luck!