:: Brinna's ::

:: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 ::
:: yet another week in korea ::

Merry Christmas, belatedly! It was an o.k. Christmas here. Not a whole lot is going on, really. We did host a little Christmas get-together at the apartment we're staying at, on Christmas Eve. I cooked dinner for about 12 ppl. Nothing too fancy, just a ham and green bean casserole, as well as a version of my aunt's mac&cheese. Quick, easy, delicious. I also made 2 pumpkin pies and we had snack food out, like veggies and crackers and cheese. It went pretty well, the only food that didn't turn out was the cinnamon rolls for the next morning, and it turned out everybody left and went home that night instead of sleeping over, so only Andrew got to suffer through a couple.

I did go to the Coex mall, I spent most of the day there. I wore flat shoes but my feet still ached, they didn't have much cushioning in them. I got a pair of jeans, a couple of shirts, not much. I did get a coat, I'm not sure how warm it is really, but it is very nice. It cost a ton in my book (178,000 won, which is about $175), but it's real fur/suede, and the design is very nice. I don't know what type of fur, but does it really matter? Here's a couple pics:




I also have some long-awaited pics of my dresses. Hopefully we can get some pics of us all dressed up together at the New Years' formal. Did I mention Andrew and I got a digital Canon Rebel XT? We got the camera and basic lens on sale, as well as a tripod and some other accessories, for under a grand. It has 8 megapixels. That means massive pictures. The pictures I'm posting today are 15-20% original size. Andrew has posted a few good pics of Alice taken with the camera on his website, www.dragro.com.
Anyway, here's the original project, the dark red dress. Yes, I sewed it. Not the scarf though, what a pain that would be. $20 is worth not having the hassle of edging chiffon ruffles. Also, here's a close-up of my Bebe shoes.




And, the second dress I sewed, which was even harder to find the fabric. I had a specific color to match, and the pattern called for a fabric no one carried. Also, I could not find satin ribbon 1" wide, even close to the right color. I had to get sheer wired ribbon at Michael's, then strip the wire. Turned out o.k. I think...doesn't look much like ribbon though.



Hmm, what else...oh yes, the black silk dress from Express. A bit wrinkled in this picture, but I didn't feel like doing anything about it at the time. I got the boots at a subway station, for 15,000 won (exchange rate is roughly 1,000 to the dollar..I think yesterday it was 1040=1), I doubt they're real leather but they're nice enough. There's a cord that wraps around the ankle and ties in a bow, makes me think of corsets but it's not really. I really need to smile in my pictures... :)



For Christmas I didn't get much yet, just what was in the box the Samsons sent to Korea. My favorite gift, of the ones I can think of, was the makeup palette from Debbie. It's Sonia Kashuk from Target. Debbie's the coolest person. (And not just because of what she gave me, although I had been wanting a good, portable makeup palette for awhile.) But it was nice to be with my husband. Only a couple more months and he'll be coming out of Korea. Here's a pic of us all together. The second is of the restaurant mentioned last entry. You cook your own meat. It's pretty tasty.




Well I can't think of anything else at the moment. Hopefully I'll write again soon.. :)

:: Brinna 7:16 PM [+] ::
...

Here I am, a whole week later...that dinner was pretty nice. It was my first real experience eating with chopsticks. I've tried before, intermittently, but this time I was in an actual Korean restaurant, and eating with forks is a major no-no. I picked it up pretty quickly in my opinion. The most interesting thing about the restaurant (other than the top floor, huge window views of Seoul in all its neon brilliance) was the restroom toilet. Some bathrooms in Korea are rather archaic, basically a basin set into the ground (feels like camping, but you flush), which is interesting. And maybe this nice type of toilet is common in higher class places, I don't know. But using a toilet that has a warming seat, built-in bidet, and a warm-air fan to dry you post-unmentionable seems pretty nifty to me. As well as amusing to see how the bidet works when you're not sitting on it...juvenile, I know, but amusing. (A little rod extends from underneath the toilet seat, in the back of the bowl, and sprays water upward (which makes a nice little arc and lands on the floor in front of the seat when you're not sitting on it), then retracts out of sight when you push the off button.)

Other happenings...we went to a company Christmas party (as in, Andrew's company in the Army, akin to a battalion, not an office), that was fun, I wore the silk dress I got from Express. The dresses I'd sewed were a bit too formal for that one..it was supposed to be semi-casual. I can wear at least one of the dresses still, though, to the New Years Eve party. Not sure which one.

Also, we went shopping a bit, I haven't bought any clothes yet. I'm kinda proud of myself. There's a huge mall called the Coex Mall, which is under the Coex, a large convention center. Here's the link: http://coexmall.com/foreign/english/ I mean, this place is huge. Apparently the largest in 'the Orient'. The nice part is, it's got expensive brands (Chanel, Kate Spade, Burberry, Escada, to name a few) upstairs, and cheaper shops downstairs. Kinda makes up for the fact that in Denver, the shuttle took us to the Denver Pavilions instead of Cherry Creek, which was a large mall but it didn't have the same shops, and I was really looking forward to browsing Bebe. Anyway, I didn't buy anything at the Coex Mall, but I'm going back today via the subway while Andrew's at work. He wanted me to wait until we went down to Osan, a city about an hour south of here, before I decided to buy anything. The shops there weren't much cheaper for the clothes I wanted. They did have some nice things down there...we got a nice silk embroidered comforter/sham set for cheap, a silver chopsticks/spoon set with roses engraved on them, a mini kimono type outfit for Alice, and a lovely four panel painting. Great prices for souvenir type things.

It turns out Andrew will have to go somewhere else (like another base) for awhile a week before I leave, he's trying to get my tickets changed so that I can leave before him so I won't have to be in Korea a week by myself. I'd have to get some help from somebody, I've got too much stuff to haul around by myself. I suppose if I mail some of the large stuff back it would work, like the painting. I could go back with my suitcase in the expanded mode and pay oversize charges on the bag. I couldn't handle 2 bags and a carryon. We'll see..

I was kinda hoping to get a nice coat here, they have a stellar selection, because it really is cold here. Forget what they say about a temperate climate, it's freezing. Although, it's really no colder than Colorado, right now anyway. Very dry, which is odd because it's so humid in the summer. The temps have been at the highest, 30's, and the lowest, single digits. No neg #'s yet I don't think, but there's a hefty wind chill factor. Good thing I leave before it's supposed to get really cold!

:: Brinna 5:42 PM [+] ::
...

Here I am in Korea, the "Land of the Morning Calm". It's pretty nice, it doesn't feel that much different than the U.S. Looks like California really.

The first two nights I stayed at the hotel in Yongsan, the main Army base here, near Seoul. It was pretty nice really, and not that expensive. Their breakfast buffet was great--not many choices of food but half of it was fruit. Pears, pinneapple, grapes, nectarines, peaches, and more. It was wonderful because I'd been hoping they'd have a decent fruit plate.

Where I'm staying now is not in Andrew's barracks, as planned (he got a roommate after all), but in someone's apartment off-post. He's house-sitting somewhere else. It's much better than in the barracks really, we'd probably have ppl coming in all the time. That, and he has a nice sound system and lots of movies. I heard Korean apartments were puny and odd, but I find them very nicely done, and they don't feel small, even though they are. Not like other large cities' apartments I've been in and seen in movies.

Andrew seems to like Alice well enough, :) and she really likes him so far. That is, she accepts him as normal in her life, and smiles at him all the time, and doesn't cry for me when he holds her.

Not much happening yet, tonight we're going out to dinner at a Korean restaurant with other ppl he knows. I have to get ready for that..it's not formal though. I don't know when the first formal event is.

I'll write more at a later date!

:: Brinna 10:16 PM [+] ::
...

Today is the 5th day of December. It's the second to last day before I leave Grand Junction to go see my husband. Hopefully I don't have too much stuff crammed into my suitcase, the limit is only 50 lbs. I'm only taking one so I can buy a suitcase there and take a bunch of stuff I don't need home with me.

Not much has been happening...we got a Christmas tree yesterday, but we haven't put it up yet. I'm trying to get the kids to clean the house.

It snowed a bit the last few days, off and on. For some reason it's been below freezing, but the snow hasn't stuck. Oh well, it means there probably won't be a problem getting to Korea. Today here in Whitewater (next to Grand Junction, CO) the temperature is 19, and the high is supposed to be 29. The day I'm supposed to be in Denver all day, Wednesday, is supposed to be really cold. The hotel I'm staying at has a free shuttle to the airport and to downtown, where they have a great shopping center, called Cherry Creek. It has Bebe, A Pea in the Pod (expensive maternity clothes...I'm not pregnant, but it'll be fun to look, and they might have killer nursing tops), A&F, Adrienne Vittadini, Ann Taylor, Arden B., Banana Republic, Body Shop, Hugo Boss, Burberry, Anthropologie, Cache, Diesel, Forever 21, Fossil (clothes, not just watches), Guess, Lucky Brand, MAC, Ralph Lauren, Steve Madden, Urban Outfitters, and of course, many more. But like I was saying, I think it's supposed to be really cold. The forecast has a high of 15 and low of 4. :) Not sure if it will stop me though. When else would I have the chance to spend a bunch of extra time walking around a great mall? I just have to be back in time for Lost... :)

:: Brinna 9:58 AM [+] ::
...

I am now back from Thanksgiving in Arizona, and have recovered mostly from the trip. I took Alice to her 4 mo. checkup last Wednesday, and in the early afternoon began the long drive with Kristi and Katie. Long being operative...we got to Tucson about 4am. We all slept on the floor in my uncle's living room. I'm not as young as I used to be... :) Mom got to sleep on the couch, and Dad got to share the guest bed with Daniel and my grandad.

The next day we drove to Yuma and had T-giving meal with my dad's side of the family. I talked to Rochelle (spell?) and Caroline (also spell?) Poe (got that one right, I think), my dad's cousins. They're always enjoyable. I won't call it a feast, and I didn't feel like it was Thanksgiving, either. I felt a bit full, but not a raucous event like I remember holidays as. Too stressful for them I suppose...they prize calmness, apparently. I see why I prefer my mom's side. Can you believe I always thought 'raucous' was pronounced 'racious'? That's what I get for never checking the dictionary.

We kinda had a day off on Friday, we talked a lot to Aunt Bonnie, who had arrived during the night. We had lunch at Aunt Laurie's, then Kristi and I went shopping at the new mall. I got Alice a onesie at Hot Topic that says 'Don't Kick the Baby', with Ike on it. Also, at least 5 pairs of awesome knee high socks. One is fishnet-ish, a pink mesh sort of thing that looks more Victorian than slutty. There was matching leg warmers that I'm using as armwarmers (who needs leg warmers when you've got knee-highs, anyway).

Saturday we went to a little reception dealie at Barbara Senko's house, not sure how she's related. Dad's cousin maybe. Anyway, that had finger foods and sparkling apple cider. It was in honor of Dad's dad and his long-time girlfriend getting married. I like him, but his new wife seems a bit controlling. Not sure though. That afternoon we drove back to Tucson and that night I slept in the recliner, which while still not optimal was definitely more comfortable than the floor. The next mornine we met Uncle Earl's new girlfriend, Leigh, who has a son whose name I don't recall presently. She was nice. I didn't talk with her that much so I don't know much about her but if they get along, fantastic. If she likes him she'll have no prob fitting in with the fam. She's coming to Colorado for Christmas which I unfortunately will miss. I wouldn't mind spending more time with her. Anyway that night we got home about 2am, not too bad. I got to sleep in my own bed with its wonderful pillowtop. (Next time you have a crummy mattress, simply buy a pillowtop, under $50 at Walmart...does wonders.)

The past couple days I've been sewing lingerie. I know, I'm so talented.. :) I saw a cool set at Victoria's Secret in purple (eggplant) silk shantung and saw the price tag. Eek! It was simple enough to make, it seemed, so I bought some fabric ($13/yd) and trim and sewed up a bra and undies for a fraction of the price. It's basically a corset/bustier, with boning. Cost me at most $15...to buy, it would have been at least $70. While I was at it I bought some very good quality velvet-type material in the home decor section, and I'm making a similar set. I actually got the velvet in eggplant and the silk in a bluey/periwinkle. I was surprised with how easy it was to make.

I also made some pumpkin pie with some fresh pumpkin. It tasted very good, but was a bit chunky. We had mashed the pumpkin but not blended/pureed it, next time we'll have smoother pumpkin. We're also going to try cooking the pumpkin over the stovetop, to make it thicker, like in Laura Ingalls Wilder's cookbook and Little House in the Big Woods.

Hmm, what else...did I mention I got Alice's passport in the mail finally, whew! I'm all set for my big trip. I fly to Denver and pick up my bags, then stay overnight in a hotel, lug them back and check in to fly to LA and then Korea. It will be ok (although a pain) to take my bags overnight on the way over, because I'll have Alice in a carrier and the suitcases have wheels, so I'll pull one suitcase per hand with a diaper bag over my shoulder. Tiring, yes, but I'm not that old yet! :) And certainly worth going to Korea. Especially if I get to wear fancy dresses to a fancy ball!

I bought a nursing bra from Australia, they didn't sell the color I wanted in the U.S. and it was cheaper from them. I measured myself and I am apparently a 32DD. Holy cow. My aunt actually asked me if I'd gotten a boob job. As if! My baby's 4 mo. old and I'm getting augmentation already?? I told her nursing IS a boob job. I used to be a 32B. And I was happy with it. I looked at my old bras and whoa do they look small. Anyway, I don't think I'd ever get cosmetic surgery. Especially since I'm still nursing and my body is still changing. I buy a couple pairs of jeans and lo and behold they get too loose. I'm now a size 7, I think. I was at least an 11 postpartum. Quite a size difference when a person hasn't been formally exercising regularly..

Today I went to town (literally, not as in the expression...I live 20 min away from ANYTHING) and returned a couple things to Victoria's Secret. I'd thought I'd bought a pair of dark red undies to match something but they didn't match. So they got the boot. And I got some plain black undies. Cause they match everything. Including what I'd been trying to match. I think. Maybe I'll go check. (But not right now.)

Tomorrow, I have nothing planned. Maybe more sewing. I can't sew non-stop with Alice. Tonight I watch Lost, if possible. I love that show. The last show I watched all the time was Star Trek: Voyager, and only to make sure Tom and B'Elanna got together. I don't like to watch TV that much. I liked 3rd Rock and That 70s Show...also Arrested Development. But not enough to make sure I watched it every week.

I was just reading one of mom's books about being a helpmeet to your hubby, like the Bible tells us to be. (Submit, woman!!) It was saying there's basically 3 types of men: Controlling/Leaders, Visionaries, and Steadies. I always thought Andrew was kinda steady cause he's so quiet, and he can be a bit controlling, but I realized he's really a visionary, who just doesn't talk to ppl that much. Which is getting better, since he's been married to me. Not trying to claim credit, just an observation...I know I could be better about how I react to his ideas. I'm not usually negative, I'm just too quick to strew a little reality. :) The book said that visionaries will usually toss out their own ideas after a bit more thought, so you don't need to...it will only keep him from sharing his ideas. Not sure if it's true, but I don't want it to happen. Negativity should always be stayed away from, anyway. But supposedly I'm already a good match for him, cause I'm flexible and I like adventure too. Can you imagine how bad life could be if I reacted to being in the Army and having a baby on my own as if it was the worst thing ever instead of an adventure? I mentioned it to my mom and she agreed, and mentioned that the situation had the potential to be hell and marriage destroying. Which is what happens to 90% of military marriages, according to a statistic.

Well, thank God I'm not a statistic, and I don't intend to become one. I feel like I'm not a newlywed anymore because we're close, but I guess 3 years isn't much compared to 50, or even 20. Just like I feel really old and really young at the same time. Welcome to life, right?

:: Brinna 3:39 PM [+] ::
...

Hello all,
I am now back home, and it's definitely more 'exciting' than at the Samson house. No offense to the occupants, but it got a bit boring towards the end of my stay. I was lonely. :) It seemed like no one was around, and I was always waiting for something to happen. It was a quiet house. Here there's always someone around (it's very freaky if you come home to an empty house), and lots of noise. It was wonderful to have a break from this house, but I'm also glad to be home. Also, there's been less stress going around than when I left for some reason, not sure why...especially considering Dad's threatening to cancel the trip to Yuma if we don't get the house painted on time.

On the upside, Alice's passport is in the mail and should arrive sometime next week. I was checking the passport site and it said it will arrive around the 21st. Woohoo!

Last week before I flew we didn't go to Charlottesville after all. Debbie got a flu or something and didn't feel well enough to go...so I went to the local mall by myself, because they don't have Express around here. I looked around carefully for some nice item to get, and I really didn't see a lot that I liked...which was probably a good thing, I'm trying to stick to a budget.. :) It's funny that I didn't see a lot I liked, I used to have a love/hate relationship with Express because I would love so many things in there, but hate that it was so expensive. And the store across the way, New York & Company (which is not Express's sister company...that's Lerner New York I believe), I used to dislike shopping in because they never had anything I really liked, and the employees were not friendly...but I found lots of stuff I liked there. Unfortunately it was as expensive as Express. Anyhow, I bought a little black dress. I didn't own one before, and they say every girl should have one. So I splurged. I'd seen it every time I'd gone in but hadn't even tried it on, because it was so expensive. I put it on my Express card...I'll pay it off a bit at a time, like $25 a week. It cost $100, but it's real silk, and Express clothes are like an investment...they last forever, I know from experience. Some ppl buy $500 clothing 'investments', I went for $100. :) I also bought a camisole type thing at Victoria's Secret. Pricey but I'm sure Andrew will love it.

Anyway, got to go, dinner is soon, and Alice is fussing. :)

:: Brinna 5:31 PM [+] ::
...

Today may be the last time I get internet access before I fly away home. Not much going on...today I plan to call Andrew's old 'employers' and visit with them. They're very nice old people, they came to my wedding. Which is saying something...maybe 15 ppl came to my wedding that weren't family. For a max of 50 ppl. Probably much less. I'm not bitter about that # at all, by the way.

Wednesday, my mom-in-law and aforementioned sis-in-law, Debbie, are going to Charlottesville to her appointment with her doc about her leg. Afterwards we'll do a last bit of shopping before we head south for Greensboro, NC, where I fly out of the next morning at 7:30 (so I better be there at 6am at the latest). We're staying the night over there. It will be kinda nice to go home, but of course sad too. Looking forward to the next adventure--driving to Arizona!

I have my dresses all done and I found gorgeous shoes to match them. That reminds me! I didn't say that I made TWO dresses. The first is the one I mentioned. Andrew said I should bring two in case, and I was like YAY! because there was a great pattern I'd bought when I'd gotten the materials for the first dress. It was a test finding the material for this dress too because I wanted to use georgette and there wasn't any except for HOT pink and BRIGHT colors like green, orange, blue. And I'd found some lovely pink/mauve heels on clearance that I wanted to match it to, that were the same color as a dressy scarf on sale at Hecht's department store. The scarf was the same style as the dress, it's hard to explain. I hope to have pictures at some point. I don't want to post any now because I don't know who all DOES read my blog and I don't want Andrew to see pictures of them before he sees them in person. Anyway, the closest fabric to the right color and texture/sheerness was in crepe. They didn't even have chiffon. So I got some satin and crepe and it will have to do. I think it looks nice enough. Also, I got fantastic shoes to go with the red/black dress. I was looking for black, or dark red, but I was at the Burlington Coat Factory and some dark purple ones that had rhinestones/crystals on the toe strap caught my eye. They were in the clearance rack, I'm not sure why...they were $40 but they were so pretty I had to get them. They're the perfect height to go with my dress without being too high. The color difference isn't noticeable because of the darkness of the colors. After I got them I peeled the sticker off the shoe box and saw that they retail at least $150. (The company is bebe.)

Not much else happening..Alice's passport is finally being processed, talk about a hassle...the Grand Junction passport office said my power of attorney would be enough (for the consent of the non-applying parent), but it wasn't, so they sent a form to me for Andrew to sign. After mailing it to him and him mailing it back, they sent another form saying it had to be notarized, they sent the wrong form the first time. So he got it notarized and now it's in God's hands, because God is the only way the passport will get back in time for our trip to Korea Dec8. Ack. It's possible to expedite but at this point there's not enough of a time diff to bother expediting. So here's hoping..and praying...


Here's a good quote:
He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression: for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach unto himself. -- Thomas Paine

:: Brinna 9:19 AM [+] ::
...

Here's a little survey thing I copied off my dear sis-in-law's Xanga site...hardly anyone reads my blog anymore because I stopped updating it (so sue me, I have a newborn AND extremely limited internet access), but a person has to do some things if only for herself.



You are
[] short, under 5'2
[] 5'2 -5'6"
[x] 5'7" - 6'0 (tall for a girl)
[] tall 6'2 and up

NATURALLY
[x] blonde
[] redhead
[] brunette
[x] dirty blonde/brownish(not sure how dark a blonde I am)
[] dark brown
[] black

[] blue-eyed
[] brown-eyed
[] green-eyed
[] hazel eyed
[] gold/gray/green-eyed
[] silver/gray- eyed
[] blue/green-eyed
[x] blue/gray-eyed
[] they change colors

[x] glasses
[x] contacts
[] neither

[] short hair
[] medium
[x] long hair

Your favorite color(s) are?
[] red
[] khaki
[x] pink
[x] hot pink
[] yellow
[x] black
[] green
[] lime green
[x] blue
[] white
[] turquoise
[x] silver
[x] purple
[x] brown (only if chocolatey)
[] orange
[x] grey (if charcoal)
[x] maroon
[] gold
[] clear
[] don't really care

Some things you've done?
[x] ice skating
[X] hiking
[] kayaking
[] rafting
[] water skiing
[x] camping
[x] horseback riding
[] surfing and skim/wake boarding
[x] snowboarding
[] skiing
[] skateboarding
[x] cheerleading
[] lacrosse
[] street hockey
[x] gymnastics
[] martial arts
[] bmx
[] baton twirling

Your personality is sometimes...
[x] talkative
[X] shy
[X] funny
[X] serious
[X] laid back
[x] grumpy
[x] strict
[X] hyper
[X] weird
[x] ditzy
[X] sarcastic
[x] slow

you can't stand listening to?
[] pop
[x] country
[] christian
[] classical
[] techno
[] oldies
[] opera
[] reggae (not sure what this is)
[] emo
[x] 80's (most of it)
[] disco
[x] rap

The pets you have had?
[x] cat
[X] dog
[] lizard
[] rat
[] ferret
[x] bunny
[x] fish
[] duck
[] horse
[] bird
[] frog
[]hermit crab
[] prairie dog
[] turtle
[x] hamster
[] snake
[] gerbil
[] guinea pig
[] pig
[] goat(good milk)
[] chinchilla
[] tarantula
[] geese
[] chicken(parents did anyway)
[] none

Clothing Brands you like?
[x] Delia's
[x] American Eagle
[x] Hollister
[] The Buckle
[x] Abercrombie & Fitch
[x] Target
[x] Wal-mart
[] Wet Seal
[x] O'neill
[x] PacSun
[x] Aeropostale
[] Dickies
[x] Quiksilver
[x]Roxy
[x] Anchor Blue
[x] Guess
[x] Lucky
[] Champs (?)
[x] old navy
[x] Salvation army/goodwill
[x] Tommy Hilfiger
[x] if i like it i'll wear it
[] only name brand
[x] dont really care

Shoe Brands?
[x] Nike
[x] Adidas
[] reebok
[x] Etnies
[x] Converse
[] K Swiss
[x] Steve Madden
[x] vans
[] New Balance
[x] LEI
[x] Payless
[] Basics
[x] Skechers
[x] if i like something ill buy it no matter what
brand

States I have been to.
[x] Alabama
[] Alaska
[x] Arizona
[x] Arkansas
[x] California
[x] Colorado
[x] Connecticut
[x] Delaware
[X] Florida
[x] Georgia
[] Hawaii
[x] Idaho
[x] Illinois
[x] Indiana
[x] Iowa
[x] Kansas
[x] Kentucky
[x] Louisiana
[x] Maine
[x] Maryland
[x] Massachusetts
[] Michigan
[] Minnesota
[x] Mississippi
[x] Missouri
[] Montana
[] Nebraska
[x] Nevada
[x] New Hampshire
[x] New Jersey
[x] New Mexico
[x] New York
[x] North Carolina
[] North Dakota
[x] Ohio
[x] Oklahoma
[x] Oregon
[x] Pennsylvania
[x] Rhode Island
[x] South Carolina
[] South Dakota
[x] Tennessee
[x] Texas
[x] Utah
[] Vermont
[x] Virginia
[x] Washington
[x] Washington D.C.
[x] West Virginia
[] Wisconsin
[] Wyoming



your confessions:
[] im afraid of the quiet
[] I am really ticklish
[x] I'm afraid of the dark sometimes
[] I've collected comic books (use to)
[x] I shut others out when I'm sad
[x] I open up to others easily
[x] I read the news
[] I love Disney movies
[x] I am a sucker for eyes
[] I don't kill bugs
[] I have "x"s in my screen name
[x] I bake well
[] I have worn pajamas to class
[] I love Martha Stewart
[] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS
[x] I am self-conscious
[x] I love to laugh.
[x] I have tried a cigarette
[] I can't swallow pills
[] I bite my nails
[] I want your mom
[x] I play computer games when I'm bored
[] Gotten lost in the city
[] Gone out in public in your pajamas
[] Made out in an elevator
[] Been skydiving
[] Been bungee jumping
[x] Bitten someone
[x] Dressed up like a guy/girl (well duh)
[x] egged a house/car
[x] Crashed into a car
[] Been fired
[] Been skinny dipping

Have you ever...
[] stolen a sign
[x] danced in the rain
[x] Seen a shooting star
[] proposed to anyone
[x] Gotten stitches
[] Eaten Sushi
[X] Gotten the chicken pox
[x] Ridden in a taxi
[] Been on a cruise ship
[X]Driven over 400 miles in one day (far, far, far more than that...)
[x] Been on a Plane by yourself (and with my baby)
[x] had surgery (kinda...does getting the skin on your knee repaired count?)
[x] seen a movie more than 3 times in the theater (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory..go Johnny Depp!)
[x] been on stage
[x] peed somewhere other than a toilet
[] gotten a black eye
[x] memorized all the dialogue in a movie
[] watched an entire baseball game on tv

Do you like...
[x] old movies
[x] musicals (only the good ones)
[x] blasting music in your car
[x] foreign foods
[] anime
[x] christmas time (I LOVE Christmas time!!)
[x] donuts (only Krispy Kreme kind..)
[X] animals
[x] coffee

:: Brinna 8:16 AM [+] ::
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hello to all, including those who read my blog. :)

Today I got my hair cut. At Regis, which is splurging for me. I like it so far. Not too different but a bit nicer (last time it was at the school of beauty...$5). I browsed the mall after that and spent a pretty penny. I bought a new suitcase for my mum...I borrowed her oldish red one she'd bought at Walmart and Sarah borrowed it for her trip to India. Either they've got terrible baggage handlers or she seriously overloaded it, because it came back with the zipper dead. Hopefully she'll pay for at least half of my new one.. I bought it at Value City, and it's quite nice. Hard to find a suitcase you can buy separately, as opposed to a matching set. Anyhow, it's Dockers and blue and pretty. It has a garment feature...good for taking my new fancy dress home with me. Maybe Mom will let me take it to Korea? :)

:: Brinna 1:29 PM [+] ::
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Hello all who don't read my blog... ;)
Today not much is going on. Sarah returned from India last night, she got to have a 25 hr (approx) layover in Munich. Muy jealous. I long to visit Europe. Since she has returned I feel different. I woke up this morning and I realized, I feel like I'm on vacation!! After two weeks of babysitting Reagan, her daughter, who took the whole 2 weeks to stop hating me, has been wearying. I got used to it I guess but it wasn't very fun.

Not sure what I'll do today with all my new time...I can't post more cause my bro-in-law is home.

:: Brinna 7:17 AM [+] ::
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(Written Oct26 at 10pm...I was unable to post at the time, John unplugged me from the phone line...rrr...as if our turn is 'up' after about 15 min, even though he's on the entire rest of the day...I'm serious, if he's not at school or eating dinner with the fam he's online)

Here I am once again, writing my blog. at least it's only been a week or so since I've written. Alice is sleeping right now, I should be too. I have had hardly any time to myself since Sarah left, I've watched Reagan all the time. All I have time for online is a quick check for new personal email. Sarah returns this Friday!

Tomorrow we're going to Roanoke to shop. Woohoo! I've already been doing a bit of shopping lately..but I've basically stayed within my 'allowance', and we've saved a couple thousand over the past couple months.

Today I shopped for fabric for my dress. I was going to wait until I got home and shop at Hi-Fashion Fabrics, which has a great selection of fabrics for formals, but I realized I won't have time to pick out fabrics and sew my dress if I wait. I decided to put an embroidered chiffon over satin for the skirt and use a velvety patterned fabric for the bodice. I'll have to post pics when I get done. It's all dark red (except for the velvety stuff--it's black). Also if I get it done in a couple weeks (it all depends on Alice--pre-baby it would take me a couple days), I can have my old sewing boss pin up the hem for me. I used to work under her altering formal dresses at a bridal shop. The job burnt me out but I liked her.

My jewelry came in a week and a half ago, the Saturday after I last posted. A couple pieces were not as I imagined (or quite as pictured in the magazine) but I adjusted to the one and was more pleased with the other than I imagined it would be, so it worked out.

Debbie's doing well, we've started doing things together again. I enjoy her company. We're quite similar, we both enjoy designing things.

I get along with John, my bro-in-law, much better than I used to. I used to dislike him, and I don't think he liked me much either. Although when you're staying in the same room for 2 months (well divided of course...we made a wall of bookcases and shelves, but there's still a couple feet between the 'wall' and ceiling...sort of like a cubicle! hehe) you get used to each other. He went with me to Kings Dominion (the amusement park) instead. It was ok...he's quiet and indecisive, but we got along fine. It was all decked out for Halloween. Looked kinda cool, but very irritating in that they didn't have all the rides open. The best ones, the woodens, were closed because the workers were at the Halloween type attractions. There was a maze and a haunted house, and on the derby car track people would jump out at you randomly, in costume. In my opinion the woodens are the best part, if you're in the back seat it's quite a ride. Last time I rode for at least an hour in the back seat, there was basically no line so we went round and round. And when there was people wanting on, they got on in the middle or front. Crazy people...woodens are only painful unless you're in back.

As my dad noted in a recent newsy email, God has flipped the switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' outside, and not only in Colorado. Here in Virginia, one day it was high 70's, the next low 50's, and it's stayed there. Near freezing in the mornings. I don't know what my favorite season is (other than Christmas season, and that doesn't quite count). I love them all, although fall is probably my least favorite if I had to choose. Winter is wonderful for its snow and cold (despite getting cold easier than most people, I still enjoy the cold on my face), and spring for it's freshness, as well as being warm and cool at the same time. Possibly I'm the happiest in spring, I feel so optimistic in the spring. Summer is great for its warmth, I love heat. I can rarely get enough heat. When I was pregnant I could, but not normally. Fall I like for the holidays and that's about it. I could skip it and go straight to Christmas. ;)

:: Brinna 6:56 PM [+] ::
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Today is going okay so far, yesterday wasn't that great. Sarah has left on her missions trip to India and I'm the designated caretaker of her 15 mo. daughter Reagan. It all went ok, but Debbie (my other sis-in-law) scared the crap out of me, the day before she had pulled a muscle or something and her leg (which she'd recently had surgery on--they had to put a rod in her bone because it didn't develop properly) was hurting all day, pain killer didn't do a thing for her. Late last night while I was on the phone with Andrew, I heard her start shrieking/screaming. I went in after a couple (wasn't sure if she'd been watching a scary movie--it is October after all) and it was obvious she was in a great deal of pain. I've seen her handle pain well--she was in recovery from surgery still after all. I ran and got her dad, and they went to the ER. Turns out she didn't pull a muscle, she broke her leg. I guess it just finally shifted out of place last night. Not too surprising, her bone was pretty weak after all..and we recently bought tickets to a Christian concert at an amusement park. Well, if she feels ok after this (it's still over a week away) we'll probably still go, we'll have to see. At least we'd get to the front of the lines!

:: Brinna 8:31 AM [+] ::
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Ack, I feel like crying. Wait a minute, I AM crying! I had half of a long post typed out and wouldn't you know it I hit some key and it vanished in an instant. How do these things happen? I was in such a good mood and pouring out the post that you have all been wondering where it's been, and then it's gone. I sometimes feel that I'm not supposed to post anymore because this is not the first time I've taken hours to write a post and it's been wiped out. That's why it's been so long since I've posted, with a baby I don't have time to write for hours, much less rewrite it!! But I shall try.

I'll start with where I am: since Sept21 I've been in mid-Virginia, Lynchburg area. I flew out with Alice, visiting my husband's family until Nov17. Not much happens around here. I stay in half of my brother-in-law's room. He's a withdrawn sort that uses a quarter of his space, basically a space to sleep and a space to be on his computer. His computer is his best friend. I'm on it right now...I can't complain about him even if I want to because I took away his big brother, and now I've taken half his room, use his computer while he's gone, and generally make life miserable. ;) Not quite, we've gotten along a ton better this trip. It's the first time that I remember right now that I've visited without my husband. I really start to feel like part of the family. I usually feel just like an add-on, but when I mentioned lately that I came by my surname second-hand, my dear mother-in-law reminded me that so did she. It really made me feel welcome, because even though she's a good friend, I'm still just a kid really. She's the backbone of the family and it seems odd to think that she's not a Samson by blood. It really meant something.

After I fly back home it will be Thanksgiving time! I give thanks year-round but this season is tied with spring as my favorite (spring has great weather and feels so fresh and happy) because of parties and food! Presents fell by the wayside after I matured (somewhat-- I (somewhat) matured and they (somewhat) fell), but yummy food and getting together with ppl still lightens my heart. I am a social butterfly, though I dislike the term. This year T-giving is stationed in my birthtown of Yuma, Arizona. I'd post a teeny banner saying 'Arizonan' like my sis (http://luinel.blogspot.com) if I knew where to find them and took the time out of my baby's livelihood to post them. Anyway, this year we're combining celebrating the holiday and that my grandad finally married his girlfriend. Everybody's coming down (I hope) and for many people, it will be the first time they meet the new great-grandchild, the first on my dad's side besides his cousin, I believe. I hope it will be a grand occasion; every year I hope just about everything will be a grand occasion and that I'll be gifted with numerous invitations to parties both tgiving and christmas, but generally I have to be happy with one or two. Maybe this year will top them all: a family reunion in Yuma, and...a trip to Korea!

My hubby managed to persuade his CO to not assign him a roomie till I leave, mostly successful because he hasn't met Alice yet. There's usually a couple parties on bases that are quite formal (or so Andrew reports--he said to make sure to bring evening wear), and I'm very excited about going to one. I've wanted to make a lovely gown for awhile now, especially since seeing a gorgeous one at the fair that a 4-H person sewed. It was nearly like the dress of my dreams, and I was stupid enough not to take a picture of it with my handy dandy camera phone. I have drawn up a similar dress that I'm happy with so far, but there's still a few details to work out. I'm trying to decide whether to use a satin for the skirt or a chiffon overlay style. The chiffon makes a gorgeous iridescent-like color but satin is unparalleled. I'm already using chiffon a bit in the bodice but I don't want to overdo it; at the same time I don't want to have too many differnt types of fabric.At least I'll have lovely jewelry to wear with it. More on that later.

While in Korea Andrew plans to take me out to try delicious cuisine from the other side of the world, travel about seeing the land, and shop at the authentic Hello Kitty stores which I hear are priced significantly lower than American ones. Hoorah.

Alice is coming along quite nicely, a shabbily done measuring by moi says that she's about 26 inches now! Her cousin Reagan (Andrew's sister's daughter) is 15 months and about 30 inches. I don't know about you, but it sounds like Alice is going to be quite a bit longer than that. But, then, if you look at their parents, who's surprised? Our children look exactly like their parents. Me and Andrew: tall and thin. Sarah and ex-boyfriend: short and stocky. Also, Reagan has curly blonde hair and blue eyes. It looks like Alice will have blue eyes, but her hair is a mystery--neither of us had dark hair when we were born. (In fact, I had none.) As children, we were blonde-mine startlingly so, I was white blonde until junior high, I'm now dark blonde. (I think..my hair is currently red, but that will change I'm sure..for the meantime everyone who doesn't know, thinks I'm naturally red-headed. Woohoo!) Anyhoo, back to Alice. She smiles beautifully and she's very strong. If I hold her hands and pull forward then up, she pulls against my hands and sits up to a squat, then stands. Her head is quite steady, her standing increasingly so. She could use a bit more tummy time, but when she wants to she can hold her head up quite well. I'm not going to stress about it; when she realizes the worth of being on her tummy she'll be great at that too. ;)

Well what's going on...my sis has a link on her blog to a site called 43 things, where you basically record your goals and thoughts about them. A great site from what I can tell, I dont' know yet if you can only have up to 43 things or not. I love lists--I rarely make them but when I do just about everything goes on there. What's better, on this site ppl comment on your lists. I love it already. There's also a sister site, 43places.com, which as soon as I get a chance, I'm all over it. I love seeing new places!

Andrew and I want to do the same things in life, it's great. We both want a house with character (from the days when architecture was actually an art), and we want to live in the Pacific Northwest (Colorado or central Cali will do in a pinch). We like the same music, we like the same movies, we have the same (wacky) sense of humor. Only God could have made this match. I don't thank God everyday for my husband, but I should. Maybe I see a different side of him than other people, but he's my favorite person. And even though I still do (who doesn't), I'll never need to worry that he'll leave me. Because even though I'm paranoid (who isn't), I know I don't have to be, and that's what's important. I know he loves me, and he knows I love him, and we love each other all the more because of it. Isn't love grand?

Now, about the jewelry...my sister-in-law, Sarah, started selling jewelry for Premier Designs, a Christian company, sometime last year. She's done alright, she doesn't have the time for it really. Plus Lynchburg isn't exactly a great market to sell to. Mostly penniless college students and ppl trying to make ends meet. Sure, everyone tries to make ends meet, but some ppl have cars newer than 02's, and a car nicer than a Kia while they do it. The jewelry is real nice and she let me order some things half-off (her cost) because Andrew and I donated around $600 to her mission trip to India. I've been considering getting into it..it's direct sell like Avon or something like that. It's a bit steep of a start-up fee, but I think the only roadblock is getting people to host parties. That's Sarah's prob, people always buy jewelry, she just doesn't have a big circle of friends that aren't penniless. I'm thinking Colorado might be a better market. I'm going to take a catalog with me back home and see what ppl think before I decide for sure...but I have been coming up with oodles of great ideas to help market the stuff lately. Anyway, what I bought. 4 necklaces: one star charm that I already have a black leather cord for; a 60" pearl and silver necklace (pearls are spaced out), a three strand necklace with rhodium plated loops and a few pearls scattered in, it looks like David Yurman; and a little silver heart with a pinkish red crystal in it that looks a lot like the one in Love Actually. I also got earrings to match the 60" necklace, a silver ring with crystals similar to my engagement ring, and a gorgeous bracelet with crystals and real amethysts. A splurge, but I'm sure I'll wear it. I must remember to post pics when I get my order in!

:: Brinna 12:53 PM [+] ::
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Well, obviously it wasn't tomorrow that I posted pics...but here's a couple. I've only got so much time, you know.

Monday I went with Kristi to Gene Taylor's, the family-owned sporting goods store that everybody keeps thinking is going out of business. They might not be doing as well since 'Sportsman's Warehouse' came to town, but they certainly aren't dead yet. I used to work for them and they're much better than Sportsman's Warehouse. Anyway, I'd been thinking on whether I wanted to do ballet or snowboarding this year, and after a lot of pondering I decided on snowboarding. Cheaper in the long run, as well as better for my relationship with Alice--ballet is on a set schedule, and snowboarding I could go any day, and someone can babysit at the lodge so I can still feed her. (My mom is there a few times a month because my dad likes to take the children skiing.) I can go as sporadically as I feel like according to my baby. After all, it's generally not recommended to take the baby down the slope in a carrier. Anyway, we went to the store and checked out boarding equipment. We'd already done a bit of comparison shopping, but when we returned to buy it the sale was over. But my old boss (Duke, one of Gene Taylor's sons) was there that day (we'd gotten along great) and he not only gave us the sale prices, he gave us lower prices than the sale prices. So I got a (pink) Lamar Ainjel board for $125 (orig. $480), Lamar MX-5 bindings for $50 (orig. $100), and k2 Luna boots (chocolate colored :) ) for $80 (orig. $190). I was thrilled. My sister got a similar setup...different Lamar board, same bindings, mens k2 boots (she has wide feet). He's giving us a free wax and sharpening too, and he'll mount them for us, so it'll be a while before we can bring them home. Both of us almost feel like going back to the store so we can just look at them. :)

Today I'm going to Mom's chiropractor because I noticed the other day that a bone, i think part of my pelvis, is sticking out in back. Kinda like at the top of my butt, at the end of my spine. I first noticed it when I tried to do a roll-up from Pilates (basically a full situp). It used to be smooth all the way up/down, now it's like I have a bump sticking out. She (the doctor/chiropractor) said she's probably going to x-ray my back. Better get that fixed before my exercise program.. :)

Speaking of exercise, I'm still technically in recovery. My baby's barely 4 wks old, not even a full month yet. On the 25th is my checkup at my regular doctor, and after that she'll tell me whether I can swim and work out and all that good stuff. I was still bleeding last time I was there at 3 wks, because I hadn't 'taken it easy', but the next week I stuck myself on bed rest somewhat and now I don't even have to wear pads. I'd just bought a box too...sigh. At least I've finally found which brand is good, this last type I got is so comfy I forget I have them on. The paper feels super soft and flexible.

And on that note, :) here's the pictures:

:: Brinna 7:30 AM [+] ::
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lol, for some reason I've always found that commercial's line funny. Let's see, what's going on... today I gave Alice her first bath. Terrible, I know...almost a month old and a first-time mom is practical about the fact that babies don't need daily scrubbing. I've given her a shampoo or two and of course wipe her well during a diaper change, but that was it so far. Not even a sponge bath!

I'm having no problems at all with depression...I didn't think I would but you never know sometimes. It helps that she's taking after her dad somewhat, she almost enjoys laying down during her quiet, alert times better than being held. Also, she sleeps through the night already, by the medical definition. (5-6 hours without needing feeding) I have to wake her up to feed! Even if she doesn't feel like she needs to eat, I do! (I'm breastfeeding) Anyway, I was feeling so well overall that I was overdoing it, my bleeding still wasn't really slowing down much after the initial decline. I put myself on bedrest somewhat, I laid down basically all day for a couple days. It helped immensely, now I'm hardly bleeding at all.

I've got some more pics of Alice, I'll post them tomorrow. We ordered DSL (high-speed internet) and it will supposedly be activated by tomorrow noon. We have all the equipment but someone somewhere down the line missed our order and didn't type a couple things into their computer and so our service wasn't activated. Sigh...

More on the crib mess: I bought a crib from Walgreens.com right after receiving my refund. The next morning, lo and behold, Fedex delivers a crib to my front doorstep. No, I didn't get it overnighted; the company I originally bought a crib from appear to have gifted me with a free crib. I checked the invoice and it said that it was paid in full, by credit card...not my credit card though, I checked my accounts and there's no record of it. Just the original debit and following refund. I checked my account on the company site and there's no record of it either. Different order # than the one I paid for. It's a couple weeks later and no news from them, so I guess I got a free crib! Weird, huh?

Even more: I called Walgreens after receipt of the crib, and they said the order would be cancelled and I wouldn't be billed. They sent an email to the crib supplier and that was the end of it. Right? Well, I got an email saying my crib was shipped, and a tracking #. I called Walgreens and apparently the crib supplier ignored the email. They said I should just refuse shipment, and I did. Hopefully I'll get yet another refund soon. What a mess! Andrew says he's never going to let me buy furniture again, it's always a fiasco. (Remember the couch and chaise in Monterey?) Although it always comes out well in the end...it's just the middle that's interesting. But there is an exception! The changing table I bought from JcPenney.com, that went ok. Speaking of, I never posted the pic!



Did I ever mention, Alice gained back her birth weight in 4 days. Very fast, especially for a breastfed baby. No doubts about my milk supply. At her 2 week visit she weighed 8 lb, 2 oz. She's bound to be more by now. They're not worried about inadequate weight gain. :) But she's definitely a long and lean type, so far: she still barely fills out her newborn size clothes, and is still a bit too small for the 0-3 mo. size. She is getting too big for newborn diapers, though. On to size 1!

:: Brinna 6:07 PM [+] ::
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Well yesterday came and went with no response, so, I've got my money back! Woohoo! It's about time...

:: Brinna 6:02 AM [+] ::
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Hello all!

I hope you're doing well, I am. So much stuff has happened lately...it's amazing. First, of course, Alice came along. She's one of the skinniest babies I've seen in awhile. Sure, she was an average weight, but she's so long! Her fingers amaze me every time she actually has her hand out of a fist. She's a bit underweight, I think, although the doctors didn't say anything...I know because if you pinch the skin on her legs, instead of being nice and plump, it wrinkles a bit and folds. I wonder if it might have to do with her legs being wrapped up in the cord? It would explain why my belly measured the same, 38cm, for the last month of pregnancy Instead of increasing a centimeter every week, it stopped. She's been gaining weight fast though, she had her first checkup yesterday and she's already back at her birth weight. That's only 4 days after birth-super fast. Most babies take a week at least, and some take 2 weeks. There's no doubting my milk supply...

Another thing that happened was, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came out in theatres. Very good in my opinion, true to the book (except for adding a bit, most notably the ending) and Johnny Depp was definitely perfect for the role. That same night Kristi and I went and bought the newest Harry Potter book, which Kristi of course finished overnight. I did that with the last book, but this time I read all of the first chapter. I was going to read when I got up to nurse, but Alice did so well that night (no crying, just eating and sleeping) that I got the most sleep I'd had since birth. And I'm still sleeping well. I don't hardly feel tired most days, although I guess it'll probably change when she gets older. I can sleep when she sleeps during the night right now, and I don't feel the need to nap in the day. Although I do still have to take it easy as far as activity goes...I did just give birth, after all!

Today is the last day the crib seller has to respond to my ebay/paypal complaint. I finally got tired of waiting for what might be a scam and filed with the company I paid through...it gives them 10 days to respond to my complaint, and if they don't, I automatically get refunded. The company takes the money out of their account, puts it back in mine, and takes the matter up with them. I'm doubting that they'll respond if they haven't yet, but we'll see. It would be wonderful if getting my money back was that (relatively) hassle-free!

It's the first Sunday since being pregnant...I feel fine, so I'm going to church. I wonder how many people will bombard me and Alice? Good thing she's breastfed, it's much more likely she won't get sick. A sick baby would not be fun....

:: Brinna 6:29 AM [+] ::
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Well here I am! Back from nowhere. I'm sure everyone will love this post.

First! Here I am as big as I got.


Here's Alice:


Look at all that hair! My mom's kids were always bald. And why is it so dark? Even my hubby was blond as a kid...

Me, postpartum...


And Alice in her going home outfit, which she was too small for despite being 7 lb and the tag saying 'up to 7 lb'.


Well, here's the birth story: I was 41 weeks to the day, and they'd scheduled an induction. Turns out I was in early labor when I went in, at 8am. They still decided to use the gel, though, because the baby's heartbeat wasn't accelerating with movement. It worked to speed up my labor, and I was lucky enough to get the only room that had its own hot tub. I used that all day, but unfortunately I wasn't really progressing past 4 cm. They put me on the monitor for a bit around 9pm or so, and the contractions were a whole lot worse out of the tub. I couldn't really relax between them. Then my water broke and I dilated from 4 to 8 cm in an hour. Too much for my own body to handle...I was having series of contractions, 5 really strong ones on top of each other and then about a minute or two inbetween. They decided to use Pitocin to try and 'regulate' them, and that actually made the contractions less intense. Pretty bizarre. I still had to get an epidural though, because of how fast my labor was suddenly going, and because after the pitocin I couldn't use the hot tub. Also, my blood pressure had shot up. After the epidural it was a lot easier to deal with the contractions. I'd gotten a low dose, so I could still feel a lot. It took only about one more hour and I was fully dialated. I had to wait to push though because they were concerned that I might have this disorder? condition? where if you start pushing with high blood pressure, you get seizures. Fortunately I didn't and so at 12:45am I had my new baby. She weighed 7 lb, 11 oz, and was nearly 21 in. long. It turned out the cord was wrapped around her feet and legs twice, and I'd guess that's why she wasn't moving in me. The midwife said she'd never seen it before.

Anyway, she's doing really well, took to nursing right away...I'm feeling really well too, my only problem is swelling. I'll probably even go to church on Sunday!

:: Brinna 5:20 PM [+] ::
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Well apparently my midwife was wrong...I'm overdue. :) I don't know why the midwife wants to induce so early though, only a few days after my due date. I'm praying I go into labor on my own before then.

I better post a picture, I took one last night. It's probably the worst quality shot my whole pregnancy. So here I am at term:



Not a whole lot going on. We went to see the fireworks in Mack where they do Country Jam...quite disappointing. It wasn't a very good show this year, and there was no traffic control in leaving. It took us 2 hours to get out of the parking lot, and we got out ahead of half the ppl in the place. People were not letting each other merge. The fireworks we had at home were much better even though they were really short.

Sorry to be so boring, but life has been pretty slow lately..

:: Brinna 10:25 AM [+] ::
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Wow, I'm getting quite large...not too much longer now. Here's my pic from 38 1/2 wks:



So I'm in my 39th week. One week left on Monday...the midwife says she doubts I'll go overdue, we'll see. Regardless, I'm adamant about not being induced. It's a snowball effect if you do. Especially if you break the water artificially, then you have to have it born within 24 hours, and what if your body wasn't actually ready for labor? They have to give you chemicals to induce more contractions, and labor gets really hard, and then you need an epidural, and then you tear or get an episiotomy, or worse, a C-Section because your cervix won't dilate. So no thank you, I'll wait until my body starts things up on its own. I may be huge but I can still function. I'm more patient then my family to get the baby born...they're all excited about her. The midwife thinks she'll be a small baby at 6 or 7 lbs. (I say small because I was 9 lb 6 oz and one of Mom's smallest.)

Good news!! I did get a refund on the first crib I bought. I'm no longer out $300. And it looks like I'll be able to get a refund from the 2nd crib seller too. If it's not shipped by the end of June I'm getting my moola back. And I'm ordering from somewhere reliable like Walmart. Thank the Lord I have my parents' cradle to lay Alice in! Not to discourage anyone from using ebay, I've used ebay a ton and it's great. This was my only prob with it, and technically it's not the seller's fault if the manufacturer doesn't have the product available.

Today was the church picnic, and it was at a lake. My dad's friend had a boat, so we went out on that a bit. Nice and bumpy. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have induced labor at all (I'm okay with giving nature a push...after all, it won't work if the body wasn't already ready), but that's ok. I've still got some crocheting to do!

:: Brinna 9:14 PM [+] ::
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Wow, it's been so long since I've written you might all think I've had the baby. Not yet...

Not much has happening really. I got a serger at a yard sale and have been sewing all day. I finished 4 shirts for nursing and most of a baby sweatsuit. The serger is great...quick and easy. As long as it's threaded... :)

Last night we thought I might be going into labor, I felt absolutely terrible. My menstrual cramps always felt like a mild flu/bug and they say labor feels like your cramps. I sure hope not, that was misery. It felt like a really bad flu/bug. The nurse at the hospital said nothing was happening, or at least enough for me to be admitted, so I went home again. I finally got to sleep, but woke up again 2 hours later feeling just as bad. I tried to take a shower to feel better, but it didn't really work so I made myself puke. Worked like a charm. Not for labor, but I felt better right away. Still no labor but at least I don't feel like I want to die. :)

My husband has been in Korea for over a month now and he still hasn't been given his normal job. He's doing a whole lot of nothing, I guess. Oh well, it makes time pass I'd guess. Only 11 mo. till he comes home! :)

:: Brinna 8:00 PM [+] ::
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It's now the second week of June, as I'm sure you all already know. I haven't remembered to start walking, but that's okay...there's a reason she's still in there. And I haven't gotten very impatient yet. There's still some crochet and cross-stitch and sewing to do.

I never thought it would be quite so hard to get a crib! I bought the one off ebay that's just like what I ordered before and waited for, and I'm having a hard time with the seller. I'd be more patient if I had more time left, and it's not my fault I don't have more time. Anyway, the problem is, the seller didn't even acknowledge that I'd bought the item (I'd paid right away), so 2 days later I emailed them to ask what was happening. I got a very generic email that said they'd be shipping it ASAP and to allow 4-6 weeks. 4-6 weeks, off of ebay?? You buy from ebay to get instant results. So I waited again, and decided to email them again a few days later (a week after I'd bought it), telling them my situation and asking if it really takes that long?? They haven't replied yet. I've had a real time buying stuff off the 'net lately...when I ordered a footstool for my nursing chair, I found out later it was back-ordered/out of stock, and I asked to cancel my order. I went straight to Target.com and bought it and it's arriving today. I'd really like to give business to some of these home business people, but it really hasn't been working out. I think I'll have to stick to major company websites, they've been much more reliable. JCPenney told me right away my changer would be back-ordered, and it got delivered a bit earlier than they said it would. It irritates me how for a long time, weeks, the site that I ordered the crib from never changed the site to say 'back-ordered' or 'out of stock'...I had to call to find out why the heck I hadn't received it yet. And of course they'd already billed me before it had been shipped, or in stock, so I'm still out $300 until they get around to my refund. Rrrr.

Well, I still have no stretch marks on my belly. I do have some lines on my hips that we're wondering if they are or not, but they're not very bad, and they're covered by my underwear, so as long as I wear a bathing suit with thicker legs or boy-shorts instead of ties I'll be fine. Whether or not my belly will have any tone to it after the baby is out is another story. But I did have good abs before, so that's something...

:: Brinna 11:40 AM [+] ::
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June! So fresh and summery. The weather is erratic though. Today is very hot and sunny, with no wind. Yesterday was beautiful, cloudy and breezy. I could take a long walk in yesterday's weather. Although I'm not going to start walking every day until I hit week 37 on Monday so if I go into labor they won't stop me.

Something finally happened with my crib...I called them again a couple days ago and they'd said it should be coming soon, but today I got an email saying they were giving me a refund because the demand on it was too great and that there was no way they could fulfill everyone's orders in the near future. The nice thing is, the same crib is at Walmart.com but without the drawer underneath, so I can always buy that. However, I checked ebay before I purchased at Walmart, and there's a store that has 12 of the cribs with a drawer underneath in the color I want. Walmart will always be there...I'm trying for with the drawer first. It's the same price anyway. Hopefully it will be here next week. Because I could pop any time, you know! :) Thankfully I've got Mom's cradle I can use if necessary.

Today (finally :)) is my birthday party. I'll get a chocolate cake and hopefully some ice cream. I can't expect too much by way of presents I'd guess, especially since Mom already bought me a glider/rocker for my bday. Mom was saying how it probably feels like ppl don't care about my bday because I've been back nearly 2 weeks and we haven't had a party yet. But I'm okay, there wasn't any fanfare at my in-laws, either. We barely found a time everyone could be together for it. We ate dinner, I opened my one present, everyone had a brownie and then split. Not to say I didn't get more than just the one present (remember all the stuff my mom-in-law kept buying for me...and Andrew let me go shopping), but nothing was wrapped, and I certainly didn't get anything from most people in the family. Only my mom-in-law and one of my sisses-in-law. It's a good thing I'm not as big on bdays as I used to be!

:: Brinna 9:47 AM [+] ::
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Well, hello all, I hope everything's well. Everything is...interesting at my house. It was lovely seeing my husband for so long, but I got used to the quiet and being by myself, and coming back to a full house is a bit overwhelming. Thankfully everyone's gone on a campout, so I have a bit of a break. I was feeling kinda down the past couple days, and wondering if it's from overdoing it some, being in my 9th month (well, close enough) and so active, so I'm tired, or if it's because I miss my husband, or simply because I'm near the end of my pregnancy. Or everything together. I felt better today. But then, I also had a particularly good conversation with my hubby over the phone. Everything is basically set up for my baby, except the crib is still backordered! Rrr. If it's not on it's way by June 1st I'm calling them, because they said by the end of May. I'll call Friday I think.

Since I deprived you all the experience of looking at my bare belly last time, I'll show you it this time. I'll have completed 35 weeks tomorrow, and I'll call myself 9 months, because I'm tired of waiting to be able to say I'm in my last month. Who knows how long it'll be until I give birth anyway? It could be tomorrow. One week from now they won't even bother stopping my labor if it happens, because the baby's lungs are usually ready by then, and the only thing the baby will do after that is put on weight. All the major construction is done. In fact, she's been basically complete since last month, she's just been getting fatter.



Hmm..not much going on, it seems...my life has already begun to revolve around my baby. The only problem is, I don't have much to brag about yet except that I don't have stretch marks! :) Yet....

:: Brinna 1:53 PM [+] ::
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Hello!
Today it's about 2 weeks since I've written. Quite a few things have happened...I'm currently in Madison Heights, Virginia at my in-laws house. We have a great bed to sleep on...it's one of those Sertas, I think, with a pillowtop. It will be Debbie's (my sis-in-law) after we get to sleep on it. My in-laws have finally sold their old house on the other side of town! I know that selling a house can do wonders to finances. My parents are now completely out of debt, except for their current mortgage. Before, they were close to going under. That was a couple years ago. Same thing seems to be happening here...in fact, I think they were under. But now, when I go to the mall with my mom-in-law, she buys my baby about 7 cute different outfits that were on sale. I'd object, but she'll be living on the other side of the country and won't be buying us stuff very often. Plus I offered to give her some money and she didn't want any. She also bought me the car seat carrier I wanted...it's like the strollers you snap the seat into, but it doesn't have a seat. It's just a frame. So you can choose what sort of stroller is best later on. That means that everything I registered for, I got...except the little dishwasher basket that cost all of $4. What, it wasn't cute enough?? :) Anyway, looking at the UPS tracking info, it appears that it will arrive at my house in CO today, which is pretty cool cause today is my 21st birthday!!

So I'm now 21, and I can't even go out and use my newfound legal ability. I'll have to wait a few months before I can have even one drink...sigh. Oh well, I'm sure my baby will be worth it! I had my first odd dream the other day. I dreamed that I had my baby, but that I couldn't have her yet. They kept her somewhere, I guess...anyway, what I did get for my effort was a frog. I was to take care of the frog for a week, and I guess if I did well I'd get the baby. Anyway, I nursed the frog the first day and it went really smoothly, but it wouldn't eat after that. Finally, the next day the frog said to me after he'd learned how to talk (apparently frogs can talk now, and they learn to talk quickly) that my milk had given him indigestion and that's why he wasn't eating. :) I can now kinda claim I've had a bizarre pregnancy dream. But, I think it is good to have dreams about having the baby, because it gets you used to the idea that you're pregnant for a reason, and sooner or later the baby's gonna have to come out, and you're gonna have to take care of it. :) So far I've kind of put aside the fact that I'm going to have a baby, which is kinda good in the way that I enjoy the pregnancy while it lasts, and I'm not so impatient to have it over with. That will probably change in the next month. I'm really cutting it close, being on a road trip this late in my pregnancy, but actually, that's what I do in most aspects of my life. :) And so far it's worked out okay. If God wants me to give birth before I get home, then I will, and if He doesn't, I won't! :)

Speaking of being near hatching time, I've got my latest belly shot. My apologies for it being a whole month after the last one...I would have liked having another in there, but I have been a bit busy the last month, and not many opportunities have come up for internet access. Here we are, me and my belly when I've just completed 33 weeks of pregnancy.



The plan for the next week is tentative, but here we go. Today I'm going out to lunch with my parents-in-law and my husband at some Indian restaurant (as in food like they eat in India). Around 5pm we'll have dinner, which I hear will be homemade mac & cheese and some little ham/bacon/prosciutto/PORK-wrapped beef? steaks. For my birthday cake I decided to not go with cake, because although everyone here likes chocolate cake, it would be a pain trying to find a frosting everyone would like. My father-in-law doesn't like mint (I love mint chocolate), and others don't like coffee (one year my sister mixed coffee grounds in with some white frosting...it was really good), and so on. Besides, we didn't really have time today to whip up a homemade cake and homemade frosting, and I don't like the packaged frosting, so we're going with fudgy brownies. It's been too long since I've had a good brownie. Months! :) And they're one of my favorites. Cause who doesn't like fudgy brownies?

Tomorrow, we're going to try and go to the midnight viewing of Star Wars, but we're not going to freak if it's sold out. Then Thursday night is probably when we'll leave here, because Andrew has to fly out Saturday morning. Another night on the road...yay. At least I'll be able to stop along the way when I drive home! :)

This past week was fun. We went to visit Andrew's old employers, who are 2 retired people who are very very nice. The guy works in antiques. Andrew went around town when he was about 15 to see if anyone needed help sticking stuff on ebay and they were the only ones who took him up. They're really nice people (I know I just said that, but they are!), and they were thrilled we came to visit. When they closed their shop two years ago they have us quite a few nice pieces, like the top to a cherry china cabinet, and an old old couch that is similar to the one on display in Williamsburg. The kind with velvet upholstery and beautiful wood carvings. It needs a lot of work..it'll have to be reupholstered. But that's ok..when we have the time we've got the money.

Last Friday we went to my mom-in-law's pinning ceremony, which was kinda a graduation ceremony for her class. She went through college again to become a nurse..graduated this weekend. She's got the personality to be a nurse, that's for sure. Some people have it, some people don't. I know I don't! :)

Then Saturday we hit the road again, this time heading north. We took Chris, the blond one in the wedding pics, and stopped right outside of NYC to see Andrew's roommate from Ft Rucker. We went out to dinner at TGIF, after hanging out a bit, said our goodbyes and drove up to Maine. At this point it was 4am, so we stopped and slept a bit. We drove as far as Portland, and checked out a small cape (Cape Elizabeth, I think) that had a couple state parks on it. They have some very interesting beaches up there. Yes, I did get my feet wet...how can you go to the ocean and not stick your feet in? It wasn't much colder than Oregon ocean. Then we went south again. We kept driving until we got to Pennsylvania and saw a Red Robin, which they don't have where we live, so we stopped, and decided to just spend the night in a hotel. The next day we went to Hershey, PA...the museum was okay, Chocolate World was better. I bet Hersheypark would have been great if it was open (only open on weekends at the moment) and if I wasn't pregnant so I could actually ride the rides. But we got some chocolate there...the prices were actually really good, no more expensive than Walmart, and they had sales. Kinda like an outlet store. Anyway, after that we drove home, and here I am. Until Thursday.

:: Brinna 5:13 AM [+] ::
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Hello,
it's been a bit since I've written, but that's okay. I've got a picture of the crocheted blanket/afghan I finally finished that matches my layette set. I'd already finished the layette and left it at home.

I think I'm on the longest run I've ever had with reading the Bible every day. I started with Ecclesiastes, which is a fascinating book. I really liked it. Now I'm going through James, tomorrow will be the last day of that. I'm not sure what book I'll do next. Something that really caught my attention in James was the verse (James 4:4) that says that if you're friends with the world, it is hatred towards God, and that anyone who chooses to be a friend to the world becomes an enemy to God. There are many fine lines in Scripture and this is one of the places where not only is the line fine, but where the heck is it?? We're supposed to love the people in the world, but not be of the world or like the world itself... I kinda understand about being an enemy to God. More like being on the other side...like working against Him. But I've never understood where the line is between being in the world, being content, and enjoying life, and being friends with the world. Because to be honest, overall I love life. I'm one of those people who lives more in the moment, not worrying about tomorrow (although not to the point of not having a basic plan for the future), and I try and stay on the bright side. A generally realistic optimist, I guess. :) Remember in Matthew 6:34--don't worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself, each day has enough troubles of its own. And I think that basically I am content with my life. Sure, I'll be raising a baby alone because my husband is in Korea, but I'm living for free with my parents (until they decide if they're charging rent)! Sure he's in Korea, but it's better than Iraq! Sure I'll be like a single mom, but I've got one of the most experienced baby-raisers I can think of in the next room who's thrilled to be a grandma. I've got a room full of stuff given to me at a baby shower, and a nursery/bedroom that has (almost too much) quality furnishings and decor for far less money than most nurseries. We're to be content, and to enjoy life. That's said many times in the Bible. So how do you enjoy life, AND not be too into the world? Why does God give us so many material things if you're not supposed to have them? Many people enjoy surrounding themselves with nice things. Is that wrong, as long as you don't make them more important than God? Why does God bless people profusely if He doesn't want people to enjoy their time on earth? I know He says we're supposed to give to others out of our abundance, and that's part of the reason He gives things to us. But seriously, we're supposed to enjoy life here on earth...so how the heck do we do that without being friends with it? We're not supposed to be enemies to the world! I mean, I know we're persecuted and all, but that doesn't mean we are enemies to the world, does it? The nearest I can figure is, keep God above your material possessions and desires, and follow whatever plan He has for your life, not what you want to happen. But that still doesn't answer the question of why we're supposed to give all our stuff to the poor. Is the point just to be willing to get rid of it? The verse before the one about not worrying about tomorrow, Matthew 6:33 says, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and...da da...all these things will be added to you. He's telling us He's going to give us material junk. The verses before this one talks about Him clothing the lilies of the field, and how He knows we need (and want) all these things that the pagans run after. (So stop running after 'em, you pagan! Yes, you! just kidding.. :)) Therefore...does it all just go back to keeping God on top? Fine lines, people, fine lines...but at least I can say that if that's is the way it is, especially since I've been reading my Bible everyday, then it is well with my soul. :) For the moment. Sigh. (I won't even get into the 'I don't do what I want to do, and what I don't want to do I do' passage.)

A car alarm just went off outside...awesome. It was from thunder. It's raining pretty hard. Today is Saturday, and in a nearby town some festival was happening that Andrew was supposed (required) to attend. I was going to go too, but there's no point now. It's probably been canceled. Andrew called and told me not to go over there, because it's been delayed, and we'll find out if he has to do anything today or if he's free to do stuff with me. As far as I know, they're still holding him hostage. Hopefully they're keeping them in their rooms, cause Andrew said he's hoping to get all his packing done before he goes out for field training next week...Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday he'll be out somewhere doing something and I won't see him. In the meantime, I'm still keeping busy. Very nice maid on my floor. Friendly, but not overly so. A black lady. Overall, I like black people. They've got personality. I'm not racist, but it's hard not to be in some states in the South. And it's not the white people that make you racist, I'm sorry to say. It's not the old attitudes of the rednecks or what-have-you that have been passed down from the plantation owners and all. It's the black people. All that talk about welfare leaches and people with no respect for themselves, it is, in general, quite deserved. And mind you, I did not feel this way at all until I lived in central Virginia, but your eyes are opened when you live right on top of it. I've known many, many respectable, friendly black people, with ambition and drive and whatever makes America great. But there are so many that are what make America poor, and it's as a whole their own fault. And I would have never believed it until I lived in VA. It seems unjustly rude and mean to say things like that about them, but sadly it's true. But I can also honestly say I am not racist at all towards them. It's not racism by a long shot. I've seen Mexicans (excuse me...Latinos) that I'd be ashamed of. And plenty of white people too. But don't get me wrong--I don't hate them. I'm sad for them. God says to love everyone, and of course I have issues with that just like everyone else--but if we were to look at each other in the face I wouldn't be mean to them. (I wouldn't be mean to their back either, if you were wondering.) Of course if they're threatening my life or trying to harm me in another way, that's a different story!

Moving on...here's that picture of the afghan.





And...that's a picture of a trench coat (or pea coat, or whatever length it officially is)--it's slightly wrinkled around the bottom, but oh well--that took me about 2 years to finally finish. I would work on it every few months or so but never get around to actually finishing it. Until now! :) I got the fabric for it about the same time I got Moby, my love-him-or-hate-him Yorkie. Well, he is for some people, anyway. I love him, of course, and most of the people in the house like him alright, but he does have his faults. And his unexplainable bad deeds. But don't most dogs do bad things sometimes? Here's a pic of him taken en route to Christmas '04 in CO...the only pic I can find of right now.



I also have pics from my wedding, which was in my in-laws' front yard in Virginia. They have a lovely old house that was built around the time Jackson was president, I think. I was looking through all the pics on Andrew's computer, and there's a ton! Pics of me when I thought I was showing...silly me. :)



Dad taking me down the 'aisle', obviously...doesn't he look like he's about to cry? How sweet... On the left is my father-in-law. It was his idea to wear the shirts that Dad and him are wearing, the style that has embroidery down the front. I liked it a lot, because I wanted the wedding to be kinda informal.

Notice the 'guest of honor', 'President' Bush. The front yard was basically open and flat under these huge trees, which are actually in the historical register. Except for this small bush in the middle that we can't exactly uproot for the ceremony. So we put the chairs around it and stuck a sign on it saying 'President Bush'. My idea...hehe.

On the right is Mom... sitting down is Daniel, my only brother, who later was labeled 'suicidal' for picking up a rock the size of his head (or so I heard) and then holding it above his head, as well as climbing up the side of the arch and a few other things. Well I guess he was only 2 or 3, but still. :)

Speaking of the arch, that was also decorated the morning of the ceremony (by the way, the ceremony was supposed to start at 11am), by yours truly. You'll see it in the next pic.

Oh, before I forget, also on the right in the photo is my father's mother, my grandmother who has always insisted on being called Frankie. One of her daughters, my aunt Laurie, I believe took these pictures, and her other daughter was sitting behind Mom. My mom's parents couldn't come because of health reasons, and my father's father (who's divorced from Frankie) was in Idaho being a volunteer forest fire fighter, or a driver of a bus for the fighters, or some such.



In the thick of it. Again, notice my veil safety-pinned together on the back of my head...I hadn't wanted my face to be covered so only bought a single-layered veil and superglued it to my tiara. But Dad insisted I have a veil over my face, so there I am. It's funny what happens on a day like that...Dad also insisted I stay far far away from the window I was trying to peek out of, lest my future hubby glimpse me.

Speaking of which, check out Andrew's hair!! I much prefer the close-cut look the Army makes him maintain...



There's all the wedding party, minus a temperamental flower girl (Sammy) and plus the pianist, who I've since heard was high on that day, but I don't know if that was true or not. It would explain why it took so terribly long for him to start playing again after the wedding was over, so we could walk back down the aisle as 'husband and wife', but when he did play, he didn't play badly, so I don't know. Maybe he was just in his own little world?

(Last time using this word, I think) Notice the beautiful bouquets, which were very inexpensively purchased the day of, at the local farmers market. Freaking everyone else out, my mom-in-law (who's the best mom-in-law anyone could ever ask for) and I went down an hour or two before the ceremony, bought what looked nice, came home and made some bouquets by arranging them a bit and then tying a ribbon around them. Certain people will remember feeling stressed at this time because I also took a shower and had my hair in a towel while I was arranging them. My aunt (mom's sis) blow-dried my hair and I did my makeup, and while everything was done somewhat at the last minute (heck, the whole wedding was at the last minute...we put it together in 3 weeks or so), it was still ready on time. Why it didn't start on time wasn't my fault. I still don't know why it didn't!



Here's my gorgeous cake, which I was lucky to get with a week's notice to the baker.
We used the leftover rose petals that didn't fit in the flower girl's baskets and a little bear figurine glued onto a little clear plastic box. I think it turned out quite well...the icing flowers weren't the type I was hoping for (I like the type with 5 little petals), but when you give the decorator a week's notice, what do you expect? I was probably lucky to get the mile-a-minute 'squeeze and lift' drop flowers.



This picture is of the California coast nearby to where we lived in Monterey. I think I actually took this out of the side window while Andrew was driving. Not bad, eh? Where we lived in Monterey was the first place we'd lived alone as a couple since we were married. It was at least a year and a half into our marriage. It was also the happiest I can remember us being. Coincidence? :)

Since hardly anyone got to see my lovely house in Monterey (which was testament to the fact that God has blessed me and my hubby with material things, as is the amount of baby things I have...and we still have a few thousand in the bank...we're seriously considering a digital SLR camera, the type with removable lenses, since we both enjoy photography), here is a picture of my living room.



The acquiring of the couches was a major headache....we went to a place where you choose the fabric and the style of couch and they custom make it for you. It took eons to get them (about 3 months or so) because we kept going back to pick different fabrics, because every time we picked a fabric, we'd find out later it was discontinued. So eventually the store sent out to the companies for brand-new swatch books, because they were also pretty frustrated and embarrassed at our trouble. Andrew wanted to go elsewhere with our business, but I persevered, and I'm glad I did. We got a really good deal in the end, they let us upgrade our couch style and fabric quality, and I got a chaise lounge instead of a loveseat, for the same price we started out with. I think we paid $1200, maybe a hundred or so more, for them both. Anyway, you can't really see in the pictures, but they've got bronzey metallic-like floral fabric, and an olivey green corduroy-like fabric, and striped pillows to match. I designed the color scheme. The wood around the frame is almost a perfect match to our coffee and end tables, and has carvings in it. The rug we also got at that store, it was on closeout and matched quite well I think. Another cool thing was that the curtains were an almost perfect match, although I'd bought them long before. One of the coolest things was how well it matched the recliner you see in the front of the pic...that's a Barcalounger, a very good brand of chair, that is nearly new from what we can tell. We got it at a thrift store for $100. We figure, by looking around online, that it would cost about $1000 new. By the way, that hairy thing on the couch is Moby, in case you were wondering. :)

Here's a better pic of the chaise and fabrics etc. (and also to rub it in how well off we are at 20...how well off were you at 20? Hmm? just kidding...:) ).



One thing that thrills me about God and my house is that all the things you see in the pic I got at discounted prices...thrift stores, Ross, or by just sticking it out. So it didn't cost near as much as it could have to have such a nice looking house. And yes, I'm still happy to be living in one small room in my parents' house instead of living in Monterey, CA! God gave me all that stuff and now He's temporarily taken it away. And I'm still content. In fact, I almost miss being at the house. I am happy to be here seeing my husband (nearly) every day, and I never get bored, but I'm also ready to move on! At least to my in-laws in Virginia, where we're going for Andrew's leave before he goes to Korea (sniff). To keep myself from getting bored I streaked my hair pink again. Andrew liked it. :)

Well, you all better be happy with the massive entry I just finished typing, it took me all morning. I could have been crocheting, or knitting a baby-sized suede Ugg bootie! :) And if there's any weird grammatical or continuity issues, well sue me, because I've been working on this blog for hours, and I couldn't just let my past work lie...I previewed and added things and rewrote sections a jillion times and I'm not about to sit here another 15 minutes to reread the darn thing as a whole. :)

:: Brinna 8:13 AM [+] ::
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Not much going on...I've been crocheting more than sewing today, trying to finish my layette set I got when I found out it would be a girl. I ran out of pink yarn halfway through the last flower...rrr. Fortunately I was at a point where I was able to use a scrap I had left over and just finish the round I was on, and it looks okay. It's like a flower bud instead of a full flower. No way am I buying 6 more ounces just to finish one flower! :) I already had to buy more white about 5 times. I don't know why, but I used waaayy more yarn than it said I'd need.

I'm really, really glad I convinced Andrew to go ahead and let me order the crib and dresser ahead of time last month, because they're not here yet. The dresser I can understand...JcPenney told me it would be back-ordered until late April. April 27th or something...anyway, I got an email today saying it just shipped! Woohoo! I haven't gotten charged for it yet, though, oddly...my crib, on the other hand, I didn't know it was back-ordered, and yet it's paid for. I called the company today to find out what's up, and they checked on it. It's not supposed to ship until mid- to late May! Like I said, I'm glad I got it ordered last month. I'll be freaking out if it's not there in June. Fortunately, the smallest amount of painting goes on the crib...just a couple flowers and leaves. If it didn't have a drawer it probably wouldn't get any painting.

I've been reading my Bible every day. It's great...it's been a long time since I've read it every day, when I wake up. And it's all because of my glasses. I decided to put my glasses on my Bible next to my bed when I go to sleep, and when I wake up, the perfect reminder! Since my vision is so bad I always remember my glasses.

:: Brinna 9:34 AM [+] ::
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Well, here I am in Ft. Rucker, Alabama. I'm in my inexpensive but actually very nice motel room. Andrew brought his desktop computer over from his room, because I get free internet access included in the room.

The trip went very well, no problems...I did get pulled over once, but I'm not sure what for. I guess it's like the times when Mom was driving on the road trips and we got pulled over for no reason. Maybe they were looking for someone. The only other interesting thing was, I was passing a semi at night and nearly killed myself because another car came out of nowhere from the other direction, speeding. Hopefully it wasn't as close as I felt like it was, since it's hard to tell headlight distances at night. All I know is, they weren't there when I started to pass, and that I won't be passing at night for awhile. :) On a brighter note, I passed a cheese factory and got some cheese curds. Yumm!

Alice is doing well, and I still have no complaints about pregnancy. Especially once I discovered that my back/rib ache issue I'd been having sometimes when I sat in one spot for a few hours (like a car seat :)) could be alleviated usually completely by pushing down on my stomach. Apparently she just kept creeping upward and I didn't realize it. Rib cages may be expandable, but that doesn't make it comfortable! :) It's amazing to me how easily they can be moved. I always thought it sounded difficult and painful to try and manually turn a baby to be head down instead of breech, but now I know it can't be that hard. She doesn't do lots of gymnastics (like flips) inside of me, but it's really easy for me to shift her position if it's uncomfy. It only takes a couple seconds of pushing down for my rib cage to stop hurting. It may get more difficult the larger she gets, but at least for now everything works out.

I haven't gotten bored at all yet. I arrived Friday morning, and saw Andrew at lunch time. Then we went out to dinner with some of his friends at a Mexican place. Not bad tasting, either, considering we're really far from Mexico! I had a virgin frozen margarita. Usually they don't appeal to me at all but I've really enjoyed the taste of citrus lately. It was like a lemon-lime slushie. No cravings to speak of..apparently my vitamins are doing the trick. I only have slight changes to my tastes.

Anyway, the next day I didn't see Andrew until the afternoon because they had to clean their building. He thought he wasn't going to get to see me at all, but he was, as usual, overly pessimistic. We went to the nearest large town and his friends all got a room at a motel. It was funny, there was about 8 of us in one hotel room watching tv, and some of them had a couple beers, and everyone was basically doing nothing they couldn't on base, but the fact that they were off base made all the difference. The next day all we did was roam about town browsing stores.

Despite spending so much time outside of the room, I feel like I've gotten a few things done. I'd brought my sewing machine with me, and I cut out and sewed some fabric I got at Walmart. It's pink and white stripes with little blue and pink flowers, and it's really pretty good fabric. I got it from the discount area, $2/yd. But it feels like good decorating fabric. I made it into a crib sheet, crib bumper, and crib skirt. You'll see it when I take pics of the room. I loved working with it, it's got a great feel to it. I'm not sure if it's totally cotton but that's ok. I'm going to make a diaper stacker too, sometime soon. I also brought my trench coat to work on if I feel like it, and a Hello Kitty fleece pieced blanket kit I bought at Joann's a while back. I have plenty of handwork too though, for when I tire of sewing! It's just been so long since I've sewed very much, it's nice to sew again. Handwork is portable, but sewing isn't.

Oh, I forgot to tell what happened with my brakes...well, I told my dad about what they said, so we took a wheel off on the weekend to check it out for ourselves. He said they were getting somewhat low, yes, but I had a good 5-10 thousand miles left on them. Certainly not 'you're going to die tomorrow' or taking my life into my hands sort of thing that they conveyed. But Dad thought we might as well change them out anyway, seeing as how I was about to go cross-country. We went down to Auto Zone and bought some brake fluid and pads for all of $40. Much better than $240 that Midas wanted! So I've got new good quality brakes now. I drove them all the way to Alabama and no problems yet!

Last but not least, I'm going to post a picture of my belly, because I have no idea when I'll get around to it next or have an opportunity next. For all I know, my baby will hatch prematurely in the next week and I can say, look! that's as big as I got! :) (Although I have to say, it is starting to look pretty big.. :)) I'm getting close to my 8th month already. Today I've completed 29 weeks, and I'm in the 30th. Eek! But anyway, here you go, and until next time...

:: Brinna 8:50 AM [+] ::
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