I love Christmas!! We had a lovely day yesterday. All the Goodmans here got spoiled- especially Emma. We started the morning around 9:00 when I FINALLY convinced the two other sleepy heads to come out and see what Santa had brought. Emma was actually a little frustrated with us at first. We have spent all month instructing her to not touch the presents under the tree. It took a few minutes for her to understand that it was now not only allowed, but encouranged to touch, handle, and rip apart the packages that had been so closely guarded. Ross and I were excited to see her rip open all of her presents, and maybe even some of ours. Unfortunately- she found no real pleasure in opening presents. She LOVED playing with all of her new toys and trying on all of her new clothes- but only after we had opened them for her. The highlight for Emma was her new baby doll from Aunt Dana, and her new animal ABC set from Grandma Jones. After opening those two- Ross and I were pretty much able to enjoy opening our own gifts without toddler interuption. Ross and I were also grateful for the wonderful (and cute!!) winter wear that Grandma Goodman and Aunt Stephanie sent for her. Well, technically the cards said that they were from Grandma & Grandpa, and Clay & Stephanie, but I have a sneaky suspicion that the end result was due mostly to efforts on the female part. I guess I could be mistaken though- maybe Grant and Clay both have a hidden affinity for home-made handicrafts. If that is the case, then I apologize, and will simply say here that I love the coat, hats and scarf that were created, whoever the responsible parties may have been.
Now let me say that Ross is the sweetest and sneakiest husband ever!! Because we have been saving up for a down payment on a house, and because Ross had another couple months of unemployment there, we set a budget on each other for Christmas. On Sunday, we went to my Grandma's house for pizza and for our yearly chaos-filled Nativity re-enactment. When we got there, Ross led me down to the basement to reveal my first Christmas present. He bought me a beautiful new rocking chair. It is solid wood with an arched back and beautifully intricate carvings all over it. I LOVE it. I didn't have a rocking chair with Emma- and I really wish I had. I guess 2 years of complaining about that gave a deep enough hint :) This is way more than I expected though. I figured we would wait until right before the new baby, and then get the most steeply discounted glider available. I guess when we were at the Festival of Trees, there was a rocking chair by one of my favorite trees that I just raved about. That was when Ross got the idea. It was a good one. I was reallly touched- but I was also a little suspicious about all the other packages under the tree for me, because I knew the chair alone was probably over the budget. When I started opening up the Pleasures Exotic gift set (that new perfume by Gwyneth Paltrow- yum!!), the long sweater from the Gap, and the new necklace and earing set, I KNEW that he had broken the rules!!! When I told him this, he responded with, "No I didn't!! The chair is for the mother of my children, and the rest is for my wife!! If anything, I am under!"
I suppose I can't point my finger too strongly, because I got around the budget by putting the shirt & tie set, and the slippers from Emma and Sara when I couldn't fit them into my budget after buying the Christus statue and Elf movie Ross had been eyeing. I think we both enjoy getting presents for each other too much to have strict budgets. They are more like guidelines than anything else.
After our beautiful morning of AMAZING gifts and cinnamon rolls, we went over to my Grandma's house for free food and GREAT company. We introduced my uncle Jay and Aunt Lara to my new favorite game. It was a lot of fun, and I was glad to catch up with some family that I haven't seen in a while. Congratulations to my cousin Kandra and her husband Brad on their new upcoming addition!!!! Later that evening, my sisters came over to our apartment to play a few more rounds of Bohnanza (it is really addicting!) while Ross enjoyed the Transformers movie and old fashioned popcorn maker we got from my mom. All-in-all, it was a rather enjoyable day filled with love, food and really thoughtful gifts!! I love Christmas!! I love my family!!! I love the chance we get to remember the humble beginning to the perfect life that leads us to our salvation. I hope all the family and friends that we were not able to see or talk to are all doing well. We love you and pray that your holidays were as fulfilling as ours.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The Canned Film Festival
On Saturday, Ross and I were able to be part of a really cool event that his company was sponsoring. AFLAC got a local movie theater to open their doors early on Saturday morning, and let us admit people into their movies for the bargain price of 3 cans of food per person. This year has found the Utah Food Bank in high need. They have not had this high of a demand for their resources in over 30 years, and they have been having a really hard time keeping up. Ross, Emma and I contributed to the cause by going to see the new National Treasure movie. It was fantastic!!! We highly reccommend it. We also reccommend that anyone out here attend the second and final installment of the Canned Film Festival this Saturday. It is being held at the Water Garden Cinemax. That is the one in Pleasant Grove, across from the Macy's on State Street. Ross and I will be there to take Emma to Alvin and the Chipmunks, and we would love to see all your smiling faces there at 9:00 am. It should be a lot of fun!! If you can't make it for some lame reason, then please remember the Food Bank at the tail end of this holiday season. If you see a chance to donate to them- please do. Everyone can make-do with one less can of peas or one less box of mac & cheese.
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Thursday, December 20, 2007
Yay!! Another Survey!! Thanks Tracie :)
Do you have any pets? I have a husband and an almost two year old- do either of those count? I also have a cat that has adopted me, but I don't have to take any responsibility for him because he isn't mine.
What color shirt are you wearing? Cream with pink flowers.
Name three things that are close to you: Ross, my coffee table, pillows
What is the last book you read? Redwall by: Brian Jaques
What's your favorite sport? Ballroom Dancing (is too a sport!!!)
Do you enjoy sleeping late? Absofreakinlutely!!!
What's the weather like right now? Wintery and Blustery- the weather outside is frightful, but the warmth on my lap from the laptop (and from Sara doing her nightly acrobatic practice) is delightful!
Who tells the best jokes? Carrie- she can make anything funny, and I love it.
What was the last thing you dreamed about? Last night I had a couple of very vivid dreams. One was about Sara and Emma playing when they are older. They had a white puppy that was chasing them around our backyard in the snow. Sara fell down and scraped her knee and needed a band-aid, but refused to take the plain old flesh-toned ones that were available. My other dream was not one I care to remember. It featured a scene from a movie Ross was watching the other night, only I was the one getting shot in the head, and not the guy Jason Bourne was trying to protect. That kind of thing happens all the time to me- that is why I try to avoid movies with violence in them. My mind just can't let go of images like that.
Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? Yes and no (knock on wood).
Do you believe in karma? Yes I do!! Hopefully all this stuff Ross and I have had to go through in our first 4 years will allow us to have some kind of luck in the future- "Thy trials shall be for a small moment. . . ."
Do you believe in luck? Yup- that is pretty much what keeps me going. I usually use a different term for it though- I like to refer to my luck as tender mercies from the Lord.
Do you like your eggs scrambled or sunny side up? Scrambled is pretty much the only way I will eat eggs.
Are you reliable? I like to think so.
Have you ever given money to a bum? Many times.
What's your favorite food? Steak and potatoes.
Have you ever had a secret admirer?Not that I know of- but if I did know about them, I suppose that they wouldn't really be secret anymore. This must be a trick question.
Do you like the smell of gasoline? Yes.
Do you like to draw? Yes- but I don't do it very well. One of my goals in life is to take some art courses.
What is your favorite invention? The automobile.
What do you like better, oranges or apples? I think I am kind of obligated to say apples.
Do you give in easily? Not even a little bit- and I am OK with that.
Can you read other people's expressions? I think I am pretty good at it- but I have been known to read people way wrong in the past, so I try not to base everything on appearances anymore. I say try because I usually don't succeed very well.
What time did you wake up this morning? 9:30. Ross is the best husband ever and let me sleep in. I heart him!
What did you eat for breakfast this morning? Grape juice and Kix- kid tested, mother approved!!
What do you plan on doing tomorrow? Potty training Emma- wahoo!
What's your favorite day of the week and why? Saturday. I can sometimes get Ross to stay home all day on Saturdays, and then we can actually spend time together. That has been quite the rarity lately. It is also easier for us to find babysitters on Saturday.
Have you ever been scuba diving? No.
What's your least favorite color? Puce.
Would you ever go skydiving? In a heart beat!
What's the worst injury you have had? I broke two of my toes during a dance routine in high school and had to finish the routine before attending to them. I also had a big marching band competition the next day. It was awesome in its black-and-blueness (and I really mean that- I love a good bruise)!!!
What's the last movie you saw? The Swan Princess
What do you want to know about the future? If Ross will be able to continue doing what he loves for a living, or if he will have to find a job where he is not his own boss. I am pretty positive he will make it. . . most of the time I am at least :)
What does your last text message say? Probably something like, "Your Verizon bill of (wouldn't you like to know!!) has been posted, and will be automatically deducted from your account in 3 days unless we hear from you."
What's your least favorite school subject? Math.
What is your dream vacation? Some kind of cruise with no kids, and all the free food I can try to not eat.
What is your favorite animal? Owls.
Do you listen to the radio? No- there are way too many commercials to make it worth it. I listen to CD's.
Where were you when 9/11 happened? In my front room. We were trying to have family prayer when the TV turned on for no reason at all. We kept trying to turn it off, but it always popped back on. We figured the remote was trapped under something, but we didn't have time to find it because we were late for the bus. We just turned the sound all the way down and had a quick prayer. When we were done, I realized the the TV was turned to CNN, and it looked like one of the twin towers was on fire. When we turned up the sound, the news lady kept saying something about a plane hitting it, and I just laughed. I said that was impossible- it was probably a bomb of some sort. Just as I was saying that, we watched the live footage of the second plane hitting the second tower. Suffice it to say that we missed the bus.
What do you do when vending machines steal your money? This has never happened to me. If it did I suppose I would get mad and try to post a note on the machine so no one else would lose their money.
Have you ever caught a butterfly? Yes.
What color are your bed sheets? White.
What's your ringtone? Just the standard little ditties that come with the phone.
Do you like things that glow in the dark? Yes I do. When I was in high school, the ceiling in my room was plastered with glow-in-the-dark stars and planets and stuff. It was fantastic!! Unfortunately Ross wont let me do that now. He said something about it being tacky and childish- JERK!! I guess I will just have to wait for one of my girls to get old enough for me to convice her to do it!
What's your favorite fruity scent? Peach or Pear.
Have you ever sat on a roof? Many times.
Name three things in the world you dislike: 1. The prominence of scantily clad women- in print and in person. 2. The dramatic growth in the homosexual population and the ever-increasing acceptance of homosexuality. 3. The fact that people who commit horrible crimes in America are not punished severly enough.
Do you like sushi? I have never actually tried it.
Do you believe in magic? Yes- but again, I have different terms for it besides magic. One is the Priesthood, another is child-like innocence, and still another would be pure ignorance.
Do you hold grudges? Unfortunately, yes. I really really try not to, and I do think I am getting better about it. It's that whole forgetting part of forgiveness that gets me all tied up. I have a very accurate memory- especially in moments when my emotions are running high. (Anyone who just thought of the saying 'an elephant never forgets' is evil and stupid and will burn for such a horrible thought about a pregnant woman who just admitted she holds grudges!!)
What color shirt are you wearing? Cream with pink flowers.
Name three things that are close to you: Ross, my coffee table, pillows
What is the last book you read? Redwall by: Brian Jaques
What's your favorite sport? Ballroom Dancing (is too a sport!!!)
Do you enjoy sleeping late? Absofreakinlutely!!!
What's the weather like right now? Wintery and Blustery- the weather outside is frightful, but the warmth on my lap from the laptop (and from Sara doing her nightly acrobatic practice) is delightful!
Who tells the best jokes? Carrie- she can make anything funny, and I love it.
What was the last thing you dreamed about? Last night I had a couple of very vivid dreams. One was about Sara and Emma playing when they are older. They had a white puppy that was chasing them around our backyard in the snow. Sara fell down and scraped her knee and needed a band-aid, but refused to take the plain old flesh-toned ones that were available. My other dream was not one I care to remember. It featured a scene from a movie Ross was watching the other night, only I was the one getting shot in the head, and not the guy Jason Bourne was trying to protect. That kind of thing happens all the time to me- that is why I try to avoid movies with violence in them. My mind just can't let go of images like that.
Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? Yes and no (knock on wood).
Do you believe in karma? Yes I do!! Hopefully all this stuff Ross and I have had to go through in our first 4 years will allow us to have some kind of luck in the future- "Thy trials shall be for a small moment. . . ."
Do you believe in luck? Yup- that is pretty much what keeps me going. I usually use a different term for it though- I like to refer to my luck as tender mercies from the Lord.
Do you like your eggs scrambled or sunny side up? Scrambled is pretty much the only way I will eat eggs.
Are you reliable? I like to think so.
Have you ever given money to a bum? Many times.
What's your favorite food? Steak and potatoes.
Have you ever had a secret admirer?Not that I know of- but if I did know about them, I suppose that they wouldn't really be secret anymore. This must be a trick question.
Do you like the smell of gasoline? Yes.
Do you like to draw? Yes- but I don't do it very well. One of my goals in life is to take some art courses.
What is your favorite invention? The automobile.
What do you like better, oranges or apples? I think I am kind of obligated to say apples.
Do you give in easily? Not even a little bit- and I am OK with that.
Can you read other people's expressions? I think I am pretty good at it- but I have been known to read people way wrong in the past, so I try not to base everything on appearances anymore. I say try because I usually don't succeed very well.
What time did you wake up this morning? 9:30. Ross is the best husband ever and let me sleep in. I heart him!
What did you eat for breakfast this morning? Grape juice and Kix- kid tested, mother approved!!
What do you plan on doing tomorrow? Potty training Emma- wahoo!
What's your favorite day of the week and why? Saturday. I can sometimes get Ross to stay home all day on Saturdays, and then we can actually spend time together. That has been quite the rarity lately. It is also easier for us to find babysitters on Saturday.
Have you ever been scuba diving? No.
What's your least favorite color? Puce.
Would you ever go skydiving? In a heart beat!
What's the worst injury you have had? I broke two of my toes during a dance routine in high school and had to finish the routine before attending to them. I also had a big marching band competition the next day. It was awesome in its black-and-blueness (and I really mean that- I love a good bruise)!!!
What's the last movie you saw? The Swan Princess
What do you want to know about the future? If Ross will be able to continue doing what he loves for a living, or if he will have to find a job where he is not his own boss. I am pretty positive he will make it. . . most of the time I am at least :)
What does your last text message say? Probably something like, "Your Verizon bill of (wouldn't you like to know!!) has been posted, and will be automatically deducted from your account in 3 days unless we hear from you."
What's your least favorite school subject? Math.
What is your dream vacation? Some kind of cruise with no kids, and all the free food I can try to not eat.
What is your favorite animal? Owls.
Do you listen to the radio? No- there are way too many commercials to make it worth it. I listen to CD's.
Where were you when 9/11 happened? In my front room. We were trying to have family prayer when the TV turned on for no reason at all. We kept trying to turn it off, but it always popped back on. We figured the remote was trapped under something, but we didn't have time to find it because we were late for the bus. We just turned the sound all the way down and had a quick prayer. When we were done, I realized the the TV was turned to CNN, and it looked like one of the twin towers was on fire. When we turned up the sound, the news lady kept saying something about a plane hitting it, and I just laughed. I said that was impossible- it was probably a bomb of some sort. Just as I was saying that, we watched the live footage of the second plane hitting the second tower. Suffice it to say that we missed the bus.
What do you do when vending machines steal your money? This has never happened to me. If it did I suppose I would get mad and try to post a note on the machine so no one else would lose their money.
Have you ever caught a butterfly? Yes.
What color are your bed sheets? White.
What's your ringtone? Just the standard little ditties that come with the phone.
Do you like things that glow in the dark? Yes I do. When I was in high school, the ceiling in my room was plastered with glow-in-the-dark stars and planets and stuff. It was fantastic!! Unfortunately Ross wont let me do that now. He said something about it being tacky and childish- JERK!! I guess I will just have to wait for one of my girls to get old enough for me to convice her to do it!
What's your favorite fruity scent? Peach or Pear.
Have you ever sat on a roof? Many times.
Name three things in the world you dislike: 1. The prominence of scantily clad women- in print and in person. 2. The dramatic growth in the homosexual population and the ever-increasing acceptance of homosexuality. 3. The fact that people who commit horrible crimes in America are not punished severly enough.
Do you like sushi? I have never actually tried it.
Do you believe in magic? Yes- but again, I have different terms for it besides magic. One is the Priesthood, another is child-like innocence, and still another would be pure ignorance.
Do you hold grudges? Unfortunately, yes. I really really try not to, and I do think I am getting better about it. It's that whole forgetting part of forgiveness that gets me all tied up. I have a very accurate memory- especially in moments when my emotions are running high. (Anyone who just thought of the saying 'an elephant never forgets' is evil and stupid and will burn for such a horrible thought about a pregnant woman who just admitted she holds grudges!!)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Potty Training!!!
Ross and I feel that the time has come for Emma to kick her diaper addiction! We would really like to avoid having to buy diapers for two kids. I know that most of you veteran moms reading this are going to say things like, "She is too young!", and "It's not that bad- we all did it." My response to all of you is that I am much more lazy and cheap than most people give me credit for! There is no part of me that wants to change diapers for two kids, and I really don't want to have to buy diapers for two kids either. The reason for this post is to ask some of you mothers who have been through the struggle that is potty training for some tips.
Right now I have the timer set for 20 minutes. Whenever the timer goes off, Emma has to sit on the potty for at least 5 minutes. She will usually stay there longer than that because now the only time she gets to watch her puppy movies (Lady and the Tramp, Milo and Otis, Fox and the Hound, etc.) is when she is sitting on her potty. She also gets to eat popcorn from a giant Christmas tin with a puppy on it, and drink capris sun juice pouches. I know, I know- puppies and popcorn on the potty- that wasn't meant to be so alliteratively cute. She just really likes puppies and popcorn- so the motivation is a good one I think. We are getting some success from this so far- but she still wets her diaper about twice a day in the 20 minute spaces between her potty times. We have also never gotten a bowel movement on the potty. She always knows when she goes, because she will take her dirty diaper off herself and bring it to me saying, "Yuck, yuck!" I need to know how to get her to tell me she needs to go before she wets herself. We still have 7 weeks- so I think there is enough time for Emma to get enough into the habit that she wont regress when the baby comes.
Again- let me say that I am NOT looking for any kind of negative comments or discouragment of any kind. All comments of that nature will be promptly deleted, and the authors of said comments will be put on the naughty list! Anyone who knows my penchant for reading should obviously assume that I have done my research. I know the signs to look for in order to determine if she is ready or not for this. She is. The reason I am asking for advice is that most of the tips and strategies out there are for kids a little older than Emma. She is not ready to understand a doll that wets herself, and motivating her to keep characters on panties dry is a little abover her as well.
I am also very aware of the possibility of her regressing when little Sara comes along. I have found a lot of tips to both prevent and correct this if it does occur, but I would LOVE to hear anything on that front as well. I really, truly believe that Emma can do this. I just want it to happen as fast as possible so that the habit is more deeply ingrained before the baby comes. Thanks in advance for any tips that do come. We are very excited about this next step of development for Emma. We love her so much and are so proud of her, but I think both of those thinge will be much easier to do when we don't have to change diapers anymore! :)
Right now I have the timer set for 20 minutes. Whenever the timer goes off, Emma has to sit on the potty for at least 5 minutes. She will usually stay there longer than that because now the only time she gets to watch her puppy movies (Lady and the Tramp, Milo and Otis, Fox and the Hound, etc.) is when she is sitting on her potty. She also gets to eat popcorn from a giant Christmas tin with a puppy on it, and drink capris sun juice pouches. I know, I know- puppies and popcorn on the potty- that wasn't meant to be so alliteratively cute. She just really likes puppies and popcorn- so the motivation is a good one I think. We are getting some success from this so far- but she still wets her diaper about twice a day in the 20 minute spaces between her potty times. We have also never gotten a bowel movement on the potty. She always knows when she goes, because she will take her dirty diaper off herself and bring it to me saying, "Yuck, yuck!" I need to know how to get her to tell me she needs to go before she wets herself. We still have 7 weeks- so I think there is enough time for Emma to get enough into the habit that she wont regress when the baby comes.
Again- let me say that I am NOT looking for any kind of negative comments or discouragment of any kind. All comments of that nature will be promptly deleted, and the authors of said comments will be put on the naughty list! Anyone who knows my penchant for reading should obviously assume that I have done my research. I know the signs to look for in order to determine if she is ready or not for this. She is. The reason I am asking for advice is that most of the tips and strategies out there are for kids a little older than Emma. She is not ready to understand a doll that wets herself, and motivating her to keep characters on panties dry is a little abover her as well.
I am also very aware of the possibility of her regressing when little Sara comes along. I have found a lot of tips to both prevent and correct this if it does occur, but I would LOVE to hear anything on that front as well. I really, truly believe that Emma can do this. I just want it to happen as fast as possible so that the habit is more deeply ingrained before the baby comes. Thanks in advance for any tips that do come. We are very excited about this next step of development for Emma. We love her so much and are so proud of her, but I think both of those thinge will be much easier to do when we don't have to change diapers anymore! :)
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Calling all Goodman Bloggers
So, apparently my little blog is read by more people than I originally thought. Ross just informed me that two of his sisters are regular readers which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!! I suppose that could have something to do with the 32 week old fetus in there kicking like a buckin' bronco, but it does make me feel good to know that they have a small idea of what is going on with us. The only problem is, we do not know what is going on with them. Ross and I are not privvy to their blogging information, and their profiles are blocked to little ole me! So- the reason for this post is two-fold. First- thanks for reading Gena and Melissa!! I hope you find useful information and not just reasons to mock Ross later (although I am happy to supply you with all the information you want on that front). Second- give us your blog sites!!!!!! Please.
The Joys of Mormondom
Ross and I were just out grocery shopping when we saw something that I felt was totally blogworthy. I wish I had taken my camera with me, because really, it speaks for itself- and I am afraid that the immediate comic-effect will be totally lost when I try to explain it in words.
It has become a trend in Utah for family cars to have little decals in the back window that display members of the family. We have seen this with turtles, shoes, puppies, and other such things- but the most common ones are the stick figures. Families get one decal for each member- some are even personalized with missionary tags, baseball bats, soccer balls, instruments, dance shoes, etc. Ross and I saw a van today with 8 stick figures on the back with the name of the family members below the alloted decal. Cory, Lory (Mom & Dad), Tory, Mory, Glory, Dory, Rory, and Story.
We are assuming that they will stop there because the only other ones we can come up with are Gory, Pory and Hory- none of which are very flattering. Mormons make me laugh sometimes :)
It has become a trend in Utah for family cars to have little decals in the back window that display members of the family. We have seen this with turtles, shoes, puppies, and other such things- but the most common ones are the stick figures. Families get one decal for each member- some are even personalized with missionary tags, baseball bats, soccer balls, instruments, dance shoes, etc. Ross and I saw a van today with 8 stick figures on the back with the name of the family members below the alloted decal. Cory, Lory (Mom & Dad), Tory, Mory, Glory, Dory, Rory, and Story.
We are assuming that they will stop there because the only other ones we can come up with are Gory, Pory and Hory- none of which are very flattering. Mormons make me laugh sometimes :)
Friday, December 14, 2007
Things That Should Never Be Said to a Pregnant Woman (Yes, all of these are true stories!)
1. Hey there Big Stuff!!! This is how my Grandpa Wallace greets me now.
2. Wow, my daughter just had her baby, and she never got that big. Are you sure you are only 24 weeks along? You may want to ask next time you go because really- she was 2 weeks late and she was much smaller than you are right now!! This was from an old temple worker in the ladies room.
3. Wow- you look really uncomfortable. They shouldn't let women work when they get that far along- it slows all of us down. This was from one of my favorite people from work. . . you know, the one whose mistakes I was asked to take care of all the time even though it wasn't my job because my boss knew that she wouldn't be able to handle it and be nice to the customer. Sorry- she just managed to call me slow and fat in the same sentence just as I was putting a band-aid on a monster of a paper-cut after I had spent 2 hours searching through some files for a job that she had misplaced.
4. Because I am your friend, I feel obligated to tell you something that most people wouldn't. . . you are putting on a little weight there! OK- in all fairness, coming from Barry- one of my friends from work, this actually would have been really funny if he had chosen the right morning. That particular morning it just made me cry!
5. Does your husband still think you are pretty like that? This one was from a client at work.
8. You could be Santa this year!! A little girl in nursery said this to me one week. It was the same girl who I think taught Emma to say, "NO! I don't want to!" to everything we ask her to do. We have since gotten that mostly out of her system- but it was still pretty frustrating.
11. Sorry- I just thought of one Ross said the other day when I was getting up. How pregnant are you today? I have a favor to ask of you, but I don't know if I should say it now, or wait until the pregnant beast dissipates a little bit.
2. Wow, my daughter just had her baby, and she never got that big. Are you sure you are only 24 weeks along? You may want to ask next time you go because really- she was 2 weeks late and she was much smaller than you are right now!! This was from an old temple worker in the ladies room.
3. Wow- you look really uncomfortable. They shouldn't let women work when they get that far along- it slows all of us down. This was from one of my favorite people from work. . . you know, the one whose mistakes I was asked to take care of all the time even though it wasn't my job because my boss knew that she wouldn't be able to handle it and be nice to the customer. Sorry- she just managed to call me slow and fat in the same sentence just as I was putting a band-aid on a monster of a paper-cut after I had spent 2 hours searching through some files for a job that she had misplaced.4. Because I am your friend, I feel obligated to tell you something that most people wouldn't. . . you are putting on a little weight there! OK- in all fairness, coming from Barry- one of my friends from work, this actually would have been really funny if he had chosen the right morning. That particular morning it just made me cry!
5. Does your husband still think you are pretty like that? This one was from a client at work.6. Lady from my ward: Wow- you are either having twins, or one VERY big baby!!!
Me: Actually, my doctor said I am right on track- I think I just look bigger because I am short.
Lady from my ward: Oh- the doctors always say you are on track as a way of being nice and to keep from scaring you. Trust me- you've got a biggun' in there!!
7. Are you ready to get your old body back? Here's something they never tell you- but it aint gonna happen!! You are gonna be big now for the rest of your life- especially with how much it has affected everything else on you! That's why you got that ring though- just hope he keeps it on unlike my ex-husband! Ladies and Gentlemen- Gaylene S. Ucker!! Yes, that is her real and unfortunate name. I suppose this is why we pretty much excuse most of what comes spewing out of her mouth before going through even a minor mental filter.
8. You could be Santa this year!! A little girl in nursery said this to me one week. It was the same girl who I think taught Emma to say, "NO! I don't want to!" to everything we ask her to do. We have since gotten that mostly out of her system- but it was still pretty frustrating.9. Hey, we've all been there- you have no right to complain about anything! Some lady in my ward said this when I asked Ross if he could hold Emma for a minute because she had just kicked me in the stomach, and I was afraid I was going to throw up. Our ward has a large population of divorced and widowed women who are all old enough to not have to employ tact in their conversation anymore. It can be rather entertaining!
10. You look like you are about to pop! OK- this one isn't that bad, but I wanted to finish it off with an even 10. My little sister Caulene said this one- but in all fairness, she did say it after I told her to look at how much I had grown since I had seen her last.
11. Sorry- I just thought of one Ross said the other day when I was getting up. How pregnant are you today? I have a favor to ask of you, but I don't know if I should say it now, or wait until the pregnant beast dissipates a little bit.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Christmas Questions
This is to make up for not posting last week. I was really sick and busy and any other excuse that will save me from the wrath of Brittany. I know she looks all cute and cuddly, but I have no doubt that she could find some ingenious way to make me pay!!! Have you seen her new header?
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags. I am a huge recycler of gift bags as well. I LOVE getting presents in gift bags, because it pretty much means I get two presents in one!
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial all the way!!! Pre-lit!! I love Christmas, but I hate stringing lights on trees, and I hate needles all over my carpet, and I hate trees that dry out before the season is over (real trees never make it until February!!)
3. When do you put up the tree? Around Thanksgiving- usually a couple weeks before. Ross and I both get a little excited!
4. When do you take the tree down? The end of January.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes- but I will NEVER drink home-made eggnog if I can help it. When it comes all bottled up with pictures of mistletoe on it, then I don't have to think about what actually went into making it.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I got a bed on my tenth Christmas. Before that I had spent a few months in a sleeping bag on a foam pad- it was awesome.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? A few. . .
8. Hardest person to buy for? Ross. He has the same reaction to everything I get him, and I can never tell until months later if he really liked what I got him or not. This is when I see him either using and enjoying what I bought, or trying to sneak it into the D.I bag without me noticing.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Judy. My mother-in-law melts for anything with Emma's face on it.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Well- never anything terrible, but I do have one pet peeve of gifts that my mother gives. She is notorious for not getting what she wants to get in time for any occasion. She always has great ideas, but she is so crazy-busy that it is hard for her to find time to go and get what she wants before the gift-exchange event. This means that we get little notes telling us what she wants to get for us, and when we can expect it. This is also fine- but then she forgets to give us the gift when she finally does purchase it. I have had numerous gifts wrapped under the tree for Christmas that were really meant as birthday presents back in August that just never quite made it to me.
11. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I don't really do either- just call me Ebeneezer!!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Nester the Long Eared Donkey
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Christmas. I am one of those gift hoarders who has gifts hidden all throughout the house all year long.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Absofreakinlutely!!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Orange Sticks
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? Mary, Did You Know? and Silent Night
18 Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year there will be no traveling!!!! We FINALLY get a Christmas all to ourselves. I love all our family- but I am tired of always being a guest at Christmas. It means I have to be all clothed and . . . supported all the time!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Who can't? Honestly? Oh- here is another holiday pet-peeve for me though. The name is Donder- not Donner!!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People who hate Christmas. I am so tired of that debate! It isn't hurting anyone- leave it alone you Athiest pricks!!
23. Favorite Christmas tradition? The Mouse!!! When we were growing up, we had an advent calendar with a little mouse that fit in all the little pockets. There was a picture of Santa and his wife sitting in front of a fire at the top, and my mom told us that every day the mouse would watch us from his little perch to see if we were being good or not. At night, he would climb into the picture and give Santa his report. If we were good, then he would send the mouse back with little treats for us to find in the morning. It was awesome!! My mom never had trouble waking us up in the morning when December came around. It was so much fun, and it really set the mood of the whole day. When I moved away to college, my mom called my favorite roommate in the apartment and arranged to send her a package with a mouse and 20 brown bags with dates on them. On the morning of December 1st, I woke up to find a tiny mouse and a brown bag on my TV. Wow- I am totally crying right now! I cried then too. It was the perfect little touch of home- something much needed that year especially. I remember feeling so loved and reassured. (That was the semester that I got walking pneumonia because I had 21 credits, a job that started at 4 in the morning, a missionary I was waiting for, and a fairly active social life.) This is something she did every year I was away from home before I got married because she is the best mom ever and she loves me!!!! When I got married, she made a calendar of my own for my mouse to live in. It has a cute little sailboat all covered in holly so that the mouse can sail away to the North Pole every night. I tried to get Emma excited about it this year- but she is still too young. I was sad. Sometimes Ross (I mean, the mouse) will leave little presents in it for me.
24. Up early or sleeping in? Up early!!!
25. Who hands out the gifts? It depends on which house we end up at. This year Ross will probably hand all of mine to me.
26. Does Santa wrap your gifts? He didn't when we were growing up, but he will for my family. He wraps things in white tissue paper so that we can see which ones are from him under the tree.
27. Do you tell the Christmas story? I own 106 Nativity sets. . . I will let that speak for itself.
28. Do you leave cookies for Santa? Yes. Well, last year I think we left brownies. They were still there when we woke up, so Ross ate them while we were waiting for breakfast.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags. I am a huge recycler of gift bags as well. I LOVE getting presents in gift bags, because it pretty much means I get two presents in one!
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial all the way!!! Pre-lit!! I love Christmas, but I hate stringing lights on trees, and I hate needles all over my carpet, and I hate trees that dry out before the season is over (real trees never make it until February!!)
3. When do you put up the tree? Around Thanksgiving- usually a couple weeks before. Ross and I both get a little excited!
4. When do you take the tree down? The end of January.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes- but I will NEVER drink home-made eggnog if I can help it. When it comes all bottled up with pictures of mistletoe on it, then I don't have to think about what actually went into making it.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I got a bed on my tenth Christmas. Before that I had spent a few months in a sleeping bag on a foam pad- it was awesome.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? A few. . .
8. Hardest person to buy for? Ross. He has the same reaction to everything I get him, and I can never tell until months later if he really liked what I got him or not. This is when I see him either using and enjoying what I bought, or trying to sneak it into the D.I bag without me noticing.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Judy. My mother-in-law melts for anything with Emma's face on it.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Well- never anything terrible, but I do have one pet peeve of gifts that my mother gives. She is notorious for not getting what she wants to get in time for any occasion. She always has great ideas, but she is so crazy-busy that it is hard for her to find time to go and get what she wants before the gift-exchange event. This means that we get little notes telling us what she wants to get for us, and when we can expect it. This is also fine- but then she forgets to give us the gift when she finally does purchase it. I have had numerous gifts wrapped under the tree for Christmas that were really meant as birthday presents back in August that just never quite made it to me.
11. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I don't really do either- just call me Ebeneezer!!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Nester the Long Eared Donkey
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Christmas. I am one of those gift hoarders who has gifts hidden all throughout the house all year long.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Absofreakinlutely!!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Orange Sticks
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? Mary, Did You Know? and Silent Night
18 Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year there will be no traveling!!!! We FINALLY get a Christmas all to ourselves. I love all our family- but I am tired of always being a guest at Christmas. It means I have to be all clothed and . . . supported all the time!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Who can't? Honestly? Oh- here is another holiday pet-peeve for me though. The name is Donder- not Donner!!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People who hate Christmas. I am so tired of that debate! It isn't hurting anyone- leave it alone you Athiest pricks!!
23. Favorite Christmas tradition? The Mouse!!! When we were growing up, we had an advent calendar with a little mouse that fit in all the little pockets. There was a picture of Santa and his wife sitting in front of a fire at the top, and my mom told us that every day the mouse would watch us from his little perch to see if we were being good or not. At night, he would climb into the picture and give Santa his report. If we were good, then he would send the mouse back with little treats for us to find in the morning. It was awesome!! My mom never had trouble waking us up in the morning when December came around. It was so much fun, and it really set the mood of the whole day. When I moved away to college, my mom called my favorite roommate in the apartment and arranged to send her a package with a mouse and 20 brown bags with dates on them. On the morning of December 1st, I woke up to find a tiny mouse and a brown bag on my TV. Wow- I am totally crying right now! I cried then too. It was the perfect little touch of home- something much needed that year especially. I remember feeling so loved and reassured. (That was the semester that I got walking pneumonia because I had 21 credits, a job that started at 4 in the morning, a missionary I was waiting for, and a fairly active social life.) This is something she did every year I was away from home before I got married because she is the best mom ever and she loves me!!!! When I got married, she made a calendar of my own for my mouse to live in. It has a cute little sailboat all covered in holly so that the mouse can sail away to the North Pole every night. I tried to get Emma excited about it this year- but she is still too young. I was sad. Sometimes Ross (I mean, the mouse) will leave little presents in it for me.
24. Up early or sleeping in? Up early!!!
25. Who hands out the gifts? It depends on which house we end up at. This year Ross will probably hand all of mine to me.
26. Does Santa wrap your gifts? He didn't when we were growing up, but he will for my family. He wraps things in white tissue paper so that we can see which ones are from him under the tree.
27. Do you tell the Christmas story? I own 106 Nativity sets. . . I will let that speak for itself.
28. Do you leave cookies for Santa? Yes. Well, last year I think we left brownies. They were still there when we woke up, so Ross ate them while we were waiting for breakfast.
Fuzzy's Name
I have been very secretive about the name of our new little addition because I have been scared (OK, maybe even paranoid) that someone close to me would steal the name, and that would have made me very sad (and possibly terribly angry depending on the intensity of my pregnancy hormones at the time). Now that I am about seven weeks away from having my little girl, and no one close to me is pregnant with a girl, I feel secure in sharing the name with anyone who cares to know. I have a few reasons for being so picky about the names of my children. The main reason is that I HATED having such a common name growing up. I feel that my name is too ordinary for such an extraordinary person :) No- seriously there has always been another Amanda Jones at every school I have ever gone too. Amanda also has no inner meaning to either of my parents except for the fact that they both liked the name. I decided a long timed ago that my kids would have unique names that reflected something personal about their parents. I have always wanted them to be able to draw strength and meaning from their names.
First, let me share how we ended up choosing our name for Emma. I had always wanted to name a little girl Emma ever since I read Jane Austen's book- I really relate to Miss Woodhouse, and I don't care how many people insist that Pride & Prejudice is the greatest of her books- I find Emma much more believeable. Also, Emma Smith is one of the strongest women I have ever read about. She endured so much, but continually supported her husband. Her gentle strength is something I wanted to give to Emma. This also meant a lot to Ross. His GREATEST hero in life is Joseph Smith. His testimony of Joseph is incredible, and is one of the reasons that I fell in love with him. The name Emma means hard worker- and we wanted to give her a middle name that would balance that out. Roses are beautiful and delicate- we want Emma to work with all her might, and yet retain a gentle femininity.
Our new little girl will be Sara Belle. Sara in the bible is the epitomy of the power of women. She helped her husband be who he was and establish what he established. Sarah from "A Little Princess" is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. I love the confidence she had in her father's love- no matter where her current circumstances had placed her. Her loving heart touched so many people and the world she created through the powers of positive thinking have really gotten me through a lot. Belle means beautiful and Sara means princess- and what girl wouldn't want that kind of a title? My only concern with this name is the possible nick-name of Sara-bellum, but as the cerebellum is a part of the brain, I think it would only be given if she is a genius like her mom :)
First, let me share how we ended up choosing our name for Emma. I had always wanted to name a little girl Emma ever since I read Jane Austen's book- I really relate to Miss Woodhouse, and I don't care how many people insist that Pride & Prejudice is the greatest of her books- I find Emma much more believeable. Also, Emma Smith is one of the strongest women I have ever read about. She endured so much, but continually supported her husband. Her gentle strength is something I wanted to give to Emma. This also meant a lot to Ross. His GREATEST hero in life is Joseph Smith. His testimony of Joseph is incredible, and is one of the reasons that I fell in love with him. The name Emma means hard worker- and we wanted to give her a middle name that would balance that out. Roses are beautiful and delicate- we want Emma to work with all her might, and yet retain a gentle femininity.
Our new little girl will be Sara Belle. Sara in the bible is the epitomy of the power of women. She helped her husband be who he was and establish what he established. Sarah from "A Little Princess" is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. I love the confidence she had in her father's love- no matter where her current circumstances had placed her. Her loving heart touched so many people and the world she created through the powers of positive thinking have really gotten me through a lot. Belle means beautiful and Sara means princess- and what girl wouldn't want that kind of a title? My only concern with this name is the possible nick-name of Sara-bellum, but as the cerebellum is a part of the brain, I think it would only be given if she is a genius like her mom :)
Sunday, December 02, 2007
The Festival of Trees
Yesterday Ross and I had an amazing and VERY tiring day walking around the South Towne Expo. Center to see one of my very favorite parts of the Christmas season- the Festival of Trees. I LOVE this event with all my heart. It is always fun to see all the trees- but more than that, I love to read the touching stories behind the trees. Basically, over 700 groups and organizations decorate trees in some intricate fashion- usually to a theme. Some of these are just pretty decorations- but others go all out including furniture, motorcycles, gift certificates, plane tickets, signed jerseys and other sports memoribelia, action figures, and I think we even saw a real ski lift chair. Ross's favorite was a tree that had half BYU and half U of U. Now don't worry- we are still BYU fans through and through- but this display was pretty fantastic. There were 2 four wheelers- one red, one blue, signed jerseys and balls, recliners for each side, season tickets for BYU's basketball season, and next year's football season, and a lot more. Then, in big block wood letters it said Peace and Joy to All. :) My favorite was not nearly as exciting- but it was very very cute. It was actually a little cluster of 5 trees all decorated with bears. Next to them was a 3 foot bear carving and a really nice antique rocking chair. The final touch that won me over was a beautiful bookcase and desk with some cute figurines and classic books.
When all of these trees are on display, the public gets to walk through, and there is something like a silent auction placed for the trees. The minimum amount to bid is $500 but some of these displays go for more than $50,000. All the proceeds from this event go to the Primary Children's Medical Center, so a lot of the trees are donated and purchased by people whose lives have been touched by something that has happened at the hospital. This makes for a very sweet spirit of love and devotion.
I was a little worried to go there with Ross because I was afraid that this would not really be his kind of thing. I got even more worried when we realized that we had forgotten to switch the stroller from his car to mine, and we were looking forward to walking through the whole thing carrying Emma. I figured that if he really hated it, we could just leave early. While walking around and seeing all the pictures of the people the trees were dedicated to, I found myself getting really emotional. I figured this was due mostly to my pregnancy hormones finding a good excuse to make me cry, so I didn't say anything about it. A few minutes later I was really surprised to look over and see Ross with tears in his eyes. He pointed out that Emma kept pointing into the air and saying "Baby! Baby!". I figured she was pointing to other babies there- something she does all the time now that she knows that a baby is coming to our house soon. Ross said that he was pretty sure she was seeing the beautiful spirits of some of the babies that were in these touching stories because she really was pointing into the air. This was just the first of a few VERY touching experiences that day- mostly for Ross. I will leave those for him to tell though- they are kind of personal. Let me just say that the Church is true, and we are so very grateful for the knowldge that we have. The spirit was so strong there, and it was such a wonderful thing to share that with Ross in such a public place. It was truly a beautiful way to get the Spirit of Christmas into our hearts. We went home feeling humbled and blessed and so grateful for each other. I love Ross- he is such an amazing husband and father and his heart is so tender and pure.
We have decided that next year we will be donating a tree to the festival. I think I am going to do a 12 days of Christmas theme (700 trees, and there was not even 1 with that theme this year). If anyone has any ideas for me, or if they would like to donate decorations or money to go towards decorations, let me know.
When all of these trees are on display, the public gets to walk through, and there is something like a silent auction placed for the trees. The minimum amount to bid is $500 but some of these displays go for more than $50,000. All the proceeds from this event go to the Primary Children's Medical Center, so a lot of the trees are donated and purchased by people whose lives have been touched by something that has happened at the hospital. This makes for a very sweet spirit of love and devotion.
I was a little worried to go there with Ross because I was afraid that this would not really be his kind of thing. I got even more worried when we realized that we had forgotten to switch the stroller from his car to mine, and we were looking forward to walking through the whole thing carrying Emma. I figured that if he really hated it, we could just leave early. While walking around and seeing all the pictures of the people the trees were dedicated to, I found myself getting really emotional. I figured this was due mostly to my pregnancy hormones finding a good excuse to make me cry, so I didn't say anything about it. A few minutes later I was really surprised to look over and see Ross with tears in his eyes. He pointed out that Emma kept pointing into the air and saying "Baby! Baby!". I figured she was pointing to other babies there- something she does all the time now that she knows that a baby is coming to our house soon. Ross said that he was pretty sure she was seeing the beautiful spirits of some of the babies that were in these touching stories because she really was pointing into the air. This was just the first of a few VERY touching experiences that day- mostly for Ross. I will leave those for him to tell though- they are kind of personal. Let me just say that the Church is true, and we are so very grateful for the knowldge that we have. The spirit was so strong there, and it was such a wonderful thing to share that with Ross in such a public place. It was truly a beautiful way to get the Spirit of Christmas into our hearts. We went home feeling humbled and blessed and so grateful for each other. I love Ross- he is such an amazing husband and father and his heart is so tender and pure.
We have decided that next year we will be donating a tree to the festival. I think I am going to do a 12 days of Christmas theme (700 trees, and there was not even 1 with that theme this year). If anyone has any ideas for me, or if they would like to donate decorations or money to go towards decorations, let me know.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Blogging Idiot Needs Blogging Help!!
OK- I finally figured out how to not have every post in creation all on the same page, but I can't figure out how all of you got that nice little 'older posts' link. Someone PLEASE throw a digi-bone to this poor computer-illiterate blogging wannabe!
There's One in Every Bunch
OK- I must begin with a formal apology to my one and only faithful reader. I am sorry for my blogging lameness as of late! After leaving work, it has been harder for me to find time for this kind of nonsence. I think we have a good schedule going now though- so I should be able to fulfill your mandatory weekly update request.
On Monday Ross finally got to see what he has been waiting for since I was pregnant with Emma. He was finally able to witness a real-live ultrasound that lasted more than 2 minutes. It was really quite fun. It is not good that we had to wait until I was 29 weeks along to do this- but things are finally all in order, and we can pretend like we are a normal couple with normal coverage for the next 10 weeks. Everything looks good- we are right on schedule.
Now that all that boring stuff is out of the way, let me preface the real reason for this post by saying that 2 of my biggest pet-peeves in life are people who are rude to receptionists, and receptionists who are rude to other people. Now, let me also say that these were things that bothered me greatly before I ever became a receptionist. The last seven months as a receptionist have only served to prove to me the justice of choosing those things as pet-peeves. I had my fair share of people being awfully rude to me because someone else in the company had upset them in some way. It is never fair to make a poor little secretary pay for the misdeeds of someone else in the company! That being said- it is even more inappropriate for receptionists to be rude to clients and customers that call or come to their area. It is the job of secretaries to be the face of an establishment. They are first thing a client hears or sees, and as such, should be obliging and welcoming and ready to go out of their way, and their game of computer solitaire to help said client. The other reason that it is so important for a receptionist to be warm and endearing- or at least one or two levels above rude and dispelling- is that (and remember this is coming from a girl who was told by no less than 4 people when putting in her notice that she was "The most kind and professional receptionist this company has seen in at least 5 years!" and who accomplished that feat while spending no less than 2 hours a day surfing the internet and reading), the job is not that hard. It is fairly easy and mundane. Honestly- if you can't handle the stress of a job whose main requirement is to be nice and transfer calls in an accuarate and appealing manner- then a job as a secretary is probably the wrong fit for you!
OK- the reason for that outburst lies in the fact that we were very badly treated by one receptionist at my doctor's office. My CNM had planned for an ultrasound and a glucose test (yuck) for the same day. She did this because after drinking the orange sugar drink of doom, I have to wait an hour before they can draw my blood and get the glucose results back. Heather (my awesome CNM) decided to have me take the drink, get my ultrasound in the hour wait, and then get my blood drawn and have an appointment. Because I am having another C-Section, Heather, as a CNM, wont be able to perform the actual surgery- but she will be there as an assisting nurse, and she will most likely be the one to sew me up. She decided to have me do this one appointment with the doctor who will be doing the actual delivery so that we could get somewhat accquainted with each other before he cuts me open. Ross and I thought this was a great plan, and were happy to do as she had directed.
When we showed up at the desk, Nasty Old Secretary Lady took my name and said that my appointment wasn't until 10:40 and that, "We aren't going to let you in early just because you came early." I explained what was happening, and showed her my little ticket thing telling us when our appointment was. She then said, "Well, we don't do ultrasounds here- we send you over to the hospital most of the time- we only do them here on Mondays." I tried to stay nice as I reminded her that it was Monday, but I would be happy to go over to the hospital if that was where I was really supposed to go- I just didn't want to walk all the way over there when I was fairly certain I was supposed to get it done there. Finally another secretary stepped in and offered to call over to the hospital so that I didn't have to waddle myself on over there and then back if Nasty was wrong. As she was dialing, she looked up the office ultrsound schedule on the computer of Mrs. Lady, and found that there was indeed a 9:30 appointment for A. Goodman. She hung up the phone before the hospital answered, apologized for the misunderstanding, and went to get my orange vomit inducing fluid of death. When she came back with said muck she told me to drink it in the next 5 minutes wihtout throwing it up and to let her know when I was finished, and that in the mean time, she would let the radiology lady know that I was there. She apologized again for the mix-up and said that, "Whoever was in charge of placing all the appointment files up here must have just left one out last night." Nasty Old Lady replied to her that she had been the culprit but added on to the end, "They shouldn't have me do it any more if I keep messing it up like that."
After I choked the orange goo of glucoseness down 3 minutes later, I took the bottle up to the desk to let them know I was finished. Lucky for me- the only secretary not busy with other tasks was my good friend Nasty Old Secretary Lady. I let her know I was done and ready for the ultrasound. She said "Well, your appointment was for 9:30 and now it is 9:41- promptness is really important here- we are very busy. I'll see if she can still fit you in" and then walked off in a huff. I was a little put out with that little lecture since I had gotten there 5 minutes early only to be harassed by her for something that she later admitted to be her fault. If I had followed her freindly advice, I would have still been walking around the hospital begging someone to take a picture of my baby!
Now, cut to the end of my fantastic appointment (that part is not sarcastic- it really was fun to see her in there!) As we were leaving, Dr. Baxter told us to make an appointment for 3 weeks later. I stepped up to Mrs. Nasty (who we saw playing solitaire) to make the return appointment. She asked when, and then said, "OK- Dr. Baxter has an opening for 10:00 on the. . ." but I cut her off and told her I was seeing Heather. Nasty asked why I had seen Baxter that day, and I explained that I was having a C-section and Heather had wanted me to meet Dr. Baxter once before the day. Nasty then said "Well, you aren't allowed to see two doctors at the same time, and you can't just get a c-section because you are afraid of labor." I was shocked- she was being condescending and rude and way too personal and grumpy for someone who was currently busy with a solitaire game. While saying in my head, "Listen you old hag- first of all I am not afraid of labor- I actually have some medical reasons for having a C-Section. I had a C-section with my first baby (also for medical reasons) which makes for some inherent risks in natural delivery the next time around, my baby is breech, and my cervix is small enough that any delivery I do try has an 80% chance of resorting to a massive epesiotomy or an emergency C-Section after hours of hard delivery. Second of all- yes- I CAN have a c-section even if I didn't have a medical reason to- it is my body and my baby and my choice!!!", I said in person, "Well, I would like to continue seeing Heather until the delivery date, and she knows this. She and Dr. Baxter have things all arranged. When is a good time to meet with Heather in 3 weeks?" Nasty responded, "I have been instructed not to let patients see any doctor they want just to get a more convenient appointment. You have to choose one." I said, "I have- please set an appointment with Heather." She did so- rather grudgingly, and we were on our way.
We spent the whole walk to the car talking about how astounded we were at her behavior when we realized that we had left Emma's bottle in the examination room where they drew my blood. Ross ran back in to get it while I got Emma all strapped up in her seat. He came back just laughing and shaking his head. Apparently, when he asked Nasty Lady to get the bottle from exam room 10 (the door was locked from the outside, or he would have just run back himself) she said that she would go and try to find it as soon as she was finished with what she was working on (her solitaire game) and then pretended to answer the phone that hadn't rung. Ross said he knew there was no one there because not only had it not rung, but she answered with, "Hello." when every other time the phone was answered (Nasty Old Secretary Lady included) they said, "Orem Community Obstetrics, how can I help you." One of the other pleasant secretaries then stepped up, asked which room, and came back with it in about 30 seconds.
Whatever happened to customer service?
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OK- a little update is needed here. Today I got a voicemail on my phone from my doctor's office asking me to call them back as soon as possible. I assumed that it had something to do with my glucose test since I had problems with gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Emma. When I called them back I was surprised to find that Laurie- one of the nurses at the office, was calling to apologize for the bad treatment I had received from Nasty Old Secretary Lady. I was a little surprised at this because although I had considered reporting her, I had not actually done it yet. Laurie told me that she had been turned in by two of the other secretaries. Laurie apologized profusely, and made sure that I knew this was not acceptable behavior for anyone in that office. She also wanted me to confirm the name of dear old Nasty so that the complaints from her co-workers could be confirmed by the party involved. This was the only way for Nasty to be confronted by management and for her actions to be corrected. I was happy to do so. Then, as a thank-you for my cooperation, and as a peace offering for how we had been treated, she said that she was putting 2 movie tickets in my file for us to enjoy as a couple before the baby is born. I just wantd everyone to know that I really like my doctor's office, and I was really happy to know that this kind of behavior was not appalling to only me. My faith is entirely restored in that office, and I would be more than happy to refer any of my friends there.
On Monday Ross finally got to see what he has been waiting for since I was pregnant with Emma. He was finally able to witness a real-live ultrasound that lasted more than 2 minutes. It was really quite fun. It is not good that we had to wait until I was 29 weeks along to do this- but things are finally all in order, and we can pretend like we are a normal couple with normal coverage for the next 10 weeks. Everything looks good- we are right on schedule.
Now that all that boring stuff is out of the way, let me preface the real reason for this post by saying that 2 of my biggest pet-peeves in life are people who are rude to receptionists, and receptionists who are rude to other people. Now, let me also say that these were things that bothered me greatly before I ever became a receptionist. The last seven months as a receptionist have only served to prove to me the justice of choosing those things as pet-peeves. I had my fair share of people being awfully rude to me because someone else in the company had upset them in some way. It is never fair to make a poor little secretary pay for the misdeeds of someone else in the company! That being said- it is even more inappropriate for receptionists to be rude to clients and customers that call or come to their area. It is the job of secretaries to be the face of an establishment. They are first thing a client hears or sees, and as such, should be obliging and welcoming and ready to go out of their way, and their game of computer solitaire to help said client. The other reason that it is so important for a receptionist to be warm and endearing- or at least one or two levels above rude and dispelling- is that (and remember this is coming from a girl who was told by no less than 4 people when putting in her notice that she was "The most kind and professional receptionist this company has seen in at least 5 years!" and who accomplished that feat while spending no less than 2 hours a day surfing the internet and reading), the job is not that hard. It is fairly easy and mundane. Honestly- if you can't handle the stress of a job whose main requirement is to be nice and transfer calls in an accuarate and appealing manner- then a job as a secretary is probably the wrong fit for you!
OK- the reason for that outburst lies in the fact that we were very badly treated by one receptionist at my doctor's office. My CNM had planned for an ultrasound and a glucose test (yuck) for the same day. She did this because after drinking the orange sugar drink of doom, I have to wait an hour before they can draw my blood and get the glucose results back. Heather (my awesome CNM) decided to have me take the drink, get my ultrasound in the hour wait, and then get my blood drawn and have an appointment. Because I am having another C-Section, Heather, as a CNM, wont be able to perform the actual surgery- but she will be there as an assisting nurse, and she will most likely be the one to sew me up. She decided to have me do this one appointment with the doctor who will be doing the actual delivery so that we could get somewhat accquainted with each other before he cuts me open. Ross and I thought this was a great plan, and were happy to do as she had directed.
When we showed up at the desk, Nasty Old Secretary Lady took my name and said that my appointment wasn't until 10:40 and that, "We aren't going to let you in early just because you came early." I explained what was happening, and showed her my little ticket thing telling us when our appointment was. She then said, "Well, we don't do ultrasounds here- we send you over to the hospital most of the time- we only do them here on Mondays." I tried to stay nice as I reminded her that it was Monday, but I would be happy to go over to the hospital if that was where I was really supposed to go- I just didn't want to walk all the way over there when I was fairly certain I was supposed to get it done there. Finally another secretary stepped in and offered to call over to the hospital so that I didn't have to waddle myself on over there and then back if Nasty was wrong. As she was dialing, she looked up the office ultrsound schedule on the computer of Mrs. Lady, and found that there was indeed a 9:30 appointment for A. Goodman. She hung up the phone before the hospital answered, apologized for the misunderstanding, and went to get my orange vomit inducing fluid of death. When she came back with said muck she told me to drink it in the next 5 minutes wihtout throwing it up and to let her know when I was finished, and that in the mean time, she would let the radiology lady know that I was there. She apologized again for the mix-up and said that, "Whoever was in charge of placing all the appointment files up here must have just left one out last night." Nasty Old Lady replied to her that she had been the culprit but added on to the end, "They shouldn't have me do it any more if I keep messing it up like that."
After I choked the orange goo of glucoseness down 3 minutes later, I took the bottle up to the desk to let them know I was finished. Lucky for me- the only secretary not busy with other tasks was my good friend Nasty Old Secretary Lady. I let her know I was done and ready for the ultrasound. She said "Well, your appointment was for 9:30 and now it is 9:41- promptness is really important here- we are very busy. I'll see if she can still fit you in" and then walked off in a huff. I was a little put out with that little lecture since I had gotten there 5 minutes early only to be harassed by her for something that she later admitted to be her fault. If I had followed her freindly advice, I would have still been walking around the hospital begging someone to take a picture of my baby!
Now, cut to the end of my fantastic appointment (that part is not sarcastic- it really was fun to see her in there!) As we were leaving, Dr. Baxter told us to make an appointment for 3 weeks later. I stepped up to Mrs. Nasty (who we saw playing solitaire) to make the return appointment. She asked when, and then said, "OK- Dr. Baxter has an opening for 10:00 on the. . ." but I cut her off and told her I was seeing Heather. Nasty asked why I had seen Baxter that day, and I explained that I was having a C-section and Heather had wanted me to meet Dr. Baxter once before the day. Nasty then said "Well, you aren't allowed to see two doctors at the same time, and you can't just get a c-section because you are afraid of labor." I was shocked- she was being condescending and rude and way too personal and grumpy for someone who was currently busy with a solitaire game. While saying in my head, "Listen you old hag- first of all I am not afraid of labor- I actually have some medical reasons for having a C-Section. I had a C-section with my first baby (also for medical reasons) which makes for some inherent risks in natural delivery the next time around, my baby is breech, and my cervix is small enough that any delivery I do try has an 80% chance of resorting to a massive epesiotomy or an emergency C-Section after hours of hard delivery. Second of all- yes- I CAN have a c-section even if I didn't have a medical reason to- it is my body and my baby and my choice!!!", I said in person, "Well, I would like to continue seeing Heather until the delivery date, and she knows this. She and Dr. Baxter have things all arranged. When is a good time to meet with Heather in 3 weeks?" Nasty responded, "I have been instructed not to let patients see any doctor they want just to get a more convenient appointment. You have to choose one." I said, "I have- please set an appointment with Heather." She did so- rather grudgingly, and we were on our way.
We spent the whole walk to the car talking about how astounded we were at her behavior when we realized that we had left Emma's bottle in the examination room where they drew my blood. Ross ran back in to get it while I got Emma all strapped up in her seat. He came back just laughing and shaking his head. Apparently, when he asked Nasty Lady to get the bottle from exam room 10 (the door was locked from the outside, or he would have just run back himself) she said that she would go and try to find it as soon as she was finished with what she was working on (her solitaire game) and then pretended to answer the phone that hadn't rung. Ross said he knew there was no one there because not only had it not rung, but she answered with, "Hello." when every other time the phone was answered (Nasty Old Secretary Lady included) they said, "Orem Community Obstetrics, how can I help you." One of the other pleasant secretaries then stepped up, asked which room, and came back with it in about 30 seconds.
Whatever happened to customer service?
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OK- a little update is needed here. Today I got a voicemail on my phone from my doctor's office asking me to call them back as soon as possible. I assumed that it had something to do with my glucose test since I had problems with gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Emma. When I called them back I was surprised to find that Laurie- one of the nurses at the office, was calling to apologize for the bad treatment I had received from Nasty Old Secretary Lady. I was a little surprised at this because although I had considered reporting her, I had not actually done it yet. Laurie told me that she had been turned in by two of the other secretaries. Laurie apologized profusely, and made sure that I knew this was not acceptable behavior for anyone in that office. She also wanted me to confirm the name of dear old Nasty so that the complaints from her co-workers could be confirmed by the party involved. This was the only way for Nasty to be confronted by management and for her actions to be corrected. I was happy to do so. Then, as a thank-you for my cooperation, and as a peace offering for how we had been treated, she said that she was putting 2 movie tickets in my file for us to enjoy as a couple before the baby is born. I just wantd everyone to know that I really like my doctor's office, and I was really happy to know that this kind of behavior was not appalling to only me. My faith is entirely restored in that office, and I would be more than happy to refer any of my friends there.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Tag- I'm IT
Four Places I've Lived
Orem, UT
Honolulu, HI
Reno, NV
Rexburg, ID
Four Jobs I've Had
Art Model
EFY Counselor
Elementary Special Education Teacher
Receptionist
Four Things I Want to Do Before Death
Own a home
Go on a mission
Visit Europe with Ross
Become a phlebotomist- or perhaps even a nurse
Four Favorite Desserts
Chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips
Pies- pumpkin, pecan, or any kind of pudding pie
Fresh peaches and homemade ice cream
Chocolate Peanutbutter ice cream from Baskin Robins
Four Interesting Facts (luckily this did not specify that the interesting facts had to be about me. If this makes you think I am cheating- look at the post below and see 101 semi-interesting facts about me.)
There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia as there are people. The kangaroo population is estimated at about 40 million.
A skunk's smell can be detected by a human a mile away.
Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump, even though they are the only animal with 4 knees.
Police dogs are trained to react to commands in a foreign language; commonly German but more recently Hungarian.
(Seriously- Emma and I watch A LOT of Animal Planet!)
Four Favorite Movies
Sleeping Beauty
Pride and Prejudice
The Ocean's Trilogy (I know that is 3 movies- but you can't split them up! George would cry.)
The Princess Bride
Orem, UT
Honolulu, HI
Reno, NV
Rexburg, ID
Four Jobs I've Had
Art Model
EFY Counselor
Elementary Special Education Teacher
Receptionist
Four Things I Want to Do Before Death
Own a home
Go on a mission
Visit Europe with Ross
Become a phlebotomist- or perhaps even a nurse
Four Favorite Desserts
Chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips
Pies- pumpkin, pecan, or any kind of pudding pie
Fresh peaches and homemade ice cream
Chocolate Peanutbutter ice cream from Baskin Robins
Four Interesting Facts (luckily this did not specify that the interesting facts had to be about me. If this makes you think I am cheating- look at the post below and see 101 semi-interesting facts about me.)
There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia as there are people. The kangaroo population is estimated at about 40 million.
A skunk's smell can be detected by a human a mile away.
Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump, even though they are the only animal with 4 knees.
Police dogs are trained to react to commands in a foreign language; commonly German but more recently Hungarian.
(Seriously- Emma and I watch A LOT of Animal Planet!)
Four Favorite Movies
Sleeping Beauty
Pride and Prejudice
The Ocean's Trilogy (I know that is 3 movies- but you can't split them up! George would cry.)
The Princess Bride
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
101 Amandaisms (thanks for the time-killing idea Britt! You Rock!!)
1. My name is Amanda Kay Jones Goodman.
2. I have NEVER gone to a school that did not have another Amanda Jones. Amanda Jones is the most common combined name in the United States, closley followed by Ashley Olsen and Brittney Andrews.
3. I have spent hours agonizing over the names I want for my kids. I started thinking about that the first time I got a failing report card that belonged to another Amanda Jones in junior high. I want them to have unique names that have special meaning to me and to them.
4. I have red curly hair.
5. I spent years claiming that I have auburn hair- and not red. I don't know why- it was a very touchy subject with me. Since then I have calmed down a little and am OK with the truth of my redness.
6. I HATE that my hair is curly. I truly did not feel very pretty until my best friend's sister introduced me to the wonder that is a hair straightener. This tiny object has really made me feel so much better about myself.
7. I do not like to get ready- for anything. I take pride in my ability to get ready in a very short amount of time. My morning routine is now as follows: My alarm goes off at 7:00 and I hit snooze. At 7:09 I hit snooze one more time and spend the next 9 minutes deciding what I am going to wear. At 7:18 I get up and put on the outfit I decided on in the previous 9 minutes, and quickly do my business, brush my hair and teeth, and jump back in bed- hopefully before the alarm goes off again at 7:27. I then hit snooze again, and rest my busy self until it goes off again at 7:36. At this point I hit the actual off button and force Ross into a sitting position so that we can have a morning prayer, and he can mumble that he loves me before he falls back asleep. I then grab something to munch on for breakfast in the car and get to work around 7:52. This leaves me with 8 minutes to do my make-up before business hours start.
8. I have very pretty nails. I don't know why- but my nails have always been very long and strong. I have long nailbeds, and I have never had the bad habit of biting them. I really love when people ask me where I got them done, because most of the time I don't even have nail-polish on them.
9. I am very shy- sometimes painfully so.
10. I have some OCD tendencies- and they can get pretty severe at times.
11. I am GREAT at organizing, and I have an unnatrual love for filing.
12. I have never dated a guy that was younger than me. The yougest guy I ever dated was exactly one week older than me.
13. I love to read. I would rather read than most anything else- eating included sometimes.
14. I do not love TV. There are a few shows that I get a great deal of enjoyment out of, but I now have most of those on DVD, so now I don't have to sit through commercials anymore.
15. I married a man who LOVES TV.
16. Sometimes our idea of a good night is Ross and I cuddling in front of the TV while I read a book and glance up often enough to know the story line of what he is watching.
17. I love water. I drink more water a day than pretty much anyone I know.
18. Even though I go through MASSIVE amounts of water every day, I get told at every doctors appointment I go to that I am dehydrated.
19. I want to be a phlebotomist- you know, one of those vampire ladies that draws blood and runs tests on it.
20. I discovered my desire for #19 while I was giving plasma for money in college. There was a guy there taking my blood that was on a dance team of mine- and I KNEW that I was smarter than him.
21. I am the odd one out in my family. Not necessarily in a bad way though. I love them, and they love me- but I have always been very different from them. I look different, dress different, and think differently from all of them.
22. Aside from being so different from them, I feel like I am fairly close to my family. I think they are closer to each other than they are to me, and that has been a sore spot with me for a while- but when I look at some of the other dysfunctional familes around me, I think mine isn't too bad.
23. I am pregnant with my second girl.
24. Even though I am pregnant, I find myself being EXTREMELY sensitive to comments on my weight. Some people think it is funny to say things like, "Are you putting on a little weight?", or "Hey there Big Stuff." It is not funny- it makes me cry.
25. I love kittens. I tolerate cats- but I love kittens. OK- I more than tolerate cats, I actually like them quite a bit, but if there were a breed of cat that stayed small like a kitten, I would buy a few dozen of them.
26. I have been without insurance for almost 2 years now.
27. My favorite outfit to wear is jeans and a white t-shirt. I always feel cute when I wear jeans and a white t-shirt.
28. One of my greatest ambitions in life is to own a house.
29. It doesn't bother me much when girls flirt with Ross (and that does happen quite often). I actually take it as a compliment.
30. I hate opening metal soda cans. I am always afraid that I am going to get cut. I don't know why. I can't remember ever being cut by one, or ever seeing anyone else get cut by one.
31. I am terribly afraid of spiders! I hate them!
32. I have some of the most crazy vivd dreams of anyone I know. There are times when I sleep all night, but I wake up exhausted because the dreams I had made the sleep very restless.
33. I love to kiss. Kissing is honestly one of my favorite things to do. I would even put down a good book to engage in some good kissing.
34. I used to play the flute. I say used to not because I got hit on the head and suddenly forgot how to- but because it is rare for me to ever pull it out and use it now.
35. I was just given a very nice piano for an early Christmas present, and I am THRILLED about it. I am hoping that having a piano of my own will motivate me to learn how to do more on it than play the 5 hymns I know.
36. I LOVE piano music. I could listen to piano music all day and not get tired of it. Some days I actually do listen to piano music all day- especially Jon Schmidt.
37. I am eating a particularly wonderful burrito from Costa Vida right now.
38. I am enjoying this lovely burrito because my best friend Carrie is pretty much one of the sweetest people I know. She really is one of my favorite people on this planet, and I feel so blessed to have her in my life.
39. I have never had a professional manicure, pedicure or massage- EVER.
40. If anyone is looking for an appropriate present to give me for Christmas, baby day, or for any other reason you can find to get me something- take a look at #39, and know that I do not care to have that particular statistic remain that way.
41. I am short- 5 foot, 1 1/2 inches.
42. Few people ever realize just how short I am. This is because I wear lots of tall shoes, and I have very good posture. There have been lots of times when people who have known me for years stand next to me and realize for the first time just how short I am.
43. I have very short legs. I know this sounds redundant after #41- but honestly, my proportions are really messed up. I have an abnormally long torso, and tiny little midget legs. When I am sitting I am a normal height. When I stand up, I am shorter than most people around me.
44. There is a weird dent in my left shin. It really is weird- there is not a lot of muscle in one particular spot. It just goes straight to the bone.
45. I love Disney movies- the animated ones. The other ones can get kind of cheesy- but the animated ones rock my world! I even play the sound tracks in my car when I am feeling a little low.
46. The Little Mermaid soundtrack is in my car right now- I was listening to it on the way to work to get me ready for the long day.
47. My love language is Words of Affirmation. This pretty much means that the best way to tell me how wonderful I am, is to tell me how wonderful I am :) No- honestly, I love being told that I am loved, and it means the world to me when someone thanks me. I would rather get a heart-felt thank-you note than a present.
48. Ross is not very good at speaking my love language. We have really had to work through our different ways of communication. (his is gifts)
49. I really enjoy being alone. Not for too long mind you- I get nervous and jumpy when I am alone for too long.
50. I am very very ticklish.
51. Somehow I hid from Ross just how ticklish I am until about two weeks ago.
52. I love to sing. One of my favorite things to do is blast broadway musicals on my CD player and sing along to them. I also like to sing all the different harmonies for hymns at church.
53. I am a terrible singer.
54. I like to cry. I find it very thereputic to let my emotions (pretty much any of them- happy, sad, angry, confused, etc.) out through tears.
55. 5 is my favorite number. I always organize things in stacks of 5- or some other number that is divisible by 5. It really irritates me when the numbers come out in some other way.
56. I do not like to cry in front of other people. This means that my crying episodes are usually limited to under a blanket, in the shower, or while I am driving.
57. I do some of my deepest praying while I am in the shower. I have seriously had some of my most spiritual moments, and the best personal revelations while in the shower.
58. My favorite color is red.
59. My favorite song is Lady in Red.
60. I look terrible in most reds.
61. I really enjoy using staplers and shredding machines.
62. I am a very prompt person. I get physically ill when I am late for things, especially when I know I am making someone else wait for me.
63. It doesn't really bother me when other people are late, unless their tardiness is making me late for something.
64. I just gave my two weeks notice to my job because I have ANOTHER bladder infection. They said it could be attributed to stress, and suggested me finding a way to get some extra sleep. Also- Ross just took on a third job and will start that in 2 weeks.
65. I like flowers. Ross has learned that it is very hard for me to stay mad at someone who has just given me flowers. This also absolves him of trying to form the words for what he is trying to say as this can be very hard for him to do.
66. I do NOT like the number 6.
67. I don't have very many friends- I think this is mostly because of my shyness, but also because being in large groups- even groups of people whom I enjoy- is very restricting and uncomfortable for me. The few friends I do have are VERY close to me.
68. I love games. Board games, are the best, but I like games in any variety.
69. I can be very competitive when I play games. I am not trying to brag- but it is a verifiable truth that there are very few games that I do not win almost any time I play them. Some members of my family refuse to play games with me EVER unless they are on my team. This means that as much as I love games, I usually don't get to play them that often.
70. My daughter Emma is the cutest little girl on the face of the Earth!!! I think she is so smart and sweet and is the best darn snuggler EVER. I am putting this on a list about me because my life pretty much revolves around her now.
71. I am 6 months pregnant with my second daughter right now, and I FINALLY broke down and bought a pair of maternity jeans yesterday.
72. I am married to a wonderful and funny man who loves me- but we are pretty much polar opposites in every way except for our sense of humor.
73. I still dress up for Halloween every year even when I don't have a party to go to.
74. I LOVE school. Well, not so much school as learning I guess. I love to learn- thus my love for reading.
75. I think my aversion to television is something that I passed on to Emma. She will not sit through any kind of children's program on TV. She will, however, watch full documentaries about any animal- and I mean ANY animal!!
76. I know all there is to know about skunks now. :)
77. I have a very . . . dirty sense of humor. I wish I didn't. . . sometimes! This was partly why Ross and I got to be such good friends. He is one of the few people who doesn't make me feel like a bad person for having a mind that likes to wander down to the gutter every now and then.
78. I hate bad breath.
79. I brush my teeth about 4 times a day to avoid having bad breath. I also carry gum and mints with me pretty much every where I go.
80. My husband owns more clothes than I do.
81. I collect Nativity scenes. I started this back in junior high, and I now have over 100 of them. I love getting new and unique ones, and I buy them all year round. There are a couple that I actually have on display all year round.
82. The Nativity story is my favorite from the bible. I see so many paralells and symbolism in it. It is beautiful and I love it.
83. I hate the sound of balloons popping.
84. I love burning candles in my house. They don't even have to smell nice- although those are the best kind. I think candles make for a good atmosphere.
85. I love to shop for and buy new shoes.
86. I have abnormally small feet, and there have been times when shopping for shoes that I have found shoes in my size that feature little kid cartoon characters on them.
87. I own a lot of different shoes- but I almost exclusively wear the black flip-flops that I bought for a dollar at DI.
88. I am one of the best baragin shoppers you will ever come across.
89. I love to star gaze. One of my favorite things to do at night is lay snuggled on a blanket watching the stars. Meteor showers pretty much rock my world!
90. Ross and I met in an astronomy class, but we didn't ever star gaze until we got married.
91. I LOVE to make to-do lists. Sometimes if I do something that is not on my to-do list, I will add it just so that I can cross it off. The down side of these lists is that I will literally lose sleep over not being able to accomplish one of the items on the list.
92. I really love Christmas music, and it makes me giddy inside that there are 2 stations here in Orem that started playing Christmas music the day after Halloween.
93. There is one black hair on my chin that I have to pluck out every two weeks or so.
94. I like working. I never had a space of unemployment from the time I was 14 until the time I had Emma. It was really hard for me to stay home that first year of Emma's life. I am having a hard time thinking about the fact that I only have a week and a half left before I am back to being home all the time again.
95. I do not cope well with silence. I always have to have some kind of noise in the background. That noise is usually a CD- but sometimes it can be a movie or TV show.
96. I love fall colors. Looking at the leaves in the Fall always makes me very happy.
97. I am obsessed with family pictures. My family never did family pictures, and that always bothered me. Emma will hopefully have so many pictures of her and us as a family that she will complain about having too many. The sad thing is that Ross does not like to have to pay for any pictures- so unless I can get an AMAZING deal at a studio, I usually have to rely on the mercies of friends and family.
98. I love to do surveys. Usually my survey taking is limited to the ones that I get paid for- but when those are not in demand- I will take whatever I can get. That is kind of why I am doing this right now.
99. I really hate going to stores and not being able to find the price of the items I want.
100. My grandma told me once that when your nose itches it means someone is thinking about you. I have always believed this, and even now when my nose itches I wonder who is thinking about me, and I hope that they are nice thoughts.
101. It was really hard for me to come up with all of these, and I am wondering if that means I am boring. I have a fear of being a boring person.
2. I have NEVER gone to a school that did not have another Amanda Jones. Amanda Jones is the most common combined name in the United States, closley followed by Ashley Olsen and Brittney Andrews.
3. I have spent hours agonizing over the names I want for my kids. I started thinking about that the first time I got a failing report card that belonged to another Amanda Jones in junior high. I want them to have unique names that have special meaning to me and to them.
4. I have red curly hair.
5. I spent years claiming that I have auburn hair- and not red. I don't know why- it was a very touchy subject with me. Since then I have calmed down a little and am OK with the truth of my redness.
6. I HATE that my hair is curly. I truly did not feel very pretty until my best friend's sister introduced me to the wonder that is a hair straightener. This tiny object has really made me feel so much better about myself.
7. I do not like to get ready- for anything. I take pride in my ability to get ready in a very short amount of time. My morning routine is now as follows: My alarm goes off at 7:00 and I hit snooze. At 7:09 I hit snooze one more time and spend the next 9 minutes deciding what I am going to wear. At 7:18 I get up and put on the outfit I decided on in the previous 9 minutes, and quickly do my business, brush my hair and teeth, and jump back in bed- hopefully before the alarm goes off again at 7:27. I then hit snooze again, and rest my busy self until it goes off again at 7:36. At this point I hit the actual off button and force Ross into a sitting position so that we can have a morning prayer, and he can mumble that he loves me before he falls back asleep. I then grab something to munch on for breakfast in the car and get to work around 7:52. This leaves me with 8 minutes to do my make-up before business hours start.
8. I have very pretty nails. I don't know why- but my nails have always been very long and strong. I have long nailbeds, and I have never had the bad habit of biting them. I really love when people ask me where I got them done, because most of the time I don't even have nail-polish on them.
9. I am very shy- sometimes painfully so.
10. I have some OCD tendencies- and they can get pretty severe at times.
11. I am GREAT at organizing, and I have an unnatrual love for filing.
12. I have never dated a guy that was younger than me. The yougest guy I ever dated was exactly one week older than me.
13. I love to read. I would rather read than most anything else- eating included sometimes.
14. I do not love TV. There are a few shows that I get a great deal of enjoyment out of, but I now have most of those on DVD, so now I don't have to sit through commercials anymore.
15. I married a man who LOVES TV.
16. Sometimes our idea of a good night is Ross and I cuddling in front of the TV while I read a book and glance up often enough to know the story line of what he is watching.
17. I love water. I drink more water a day than pretty much anyone I know.
18. Even though I go through MASSIVE amounts of water every day, I get told at every doctors appointment I go to that I am dehydrated.
19. I want to be a phlebotomist- you know, one of those vampire ladies that draws blood and runs tests on it.
20. I discovered my desire for #19 while I was giving plasma for money in college. There was a guy there taking my blood that was on a dance team of mine- and I KNEW that I was smarter than him.
21. I am the odd one out in my family. Not necessarily in a bad way though. I love them, and they love me- but I have always been very different from them. I look different, dress different, and think differently from all of them.
22. Aside from being so different from them, I feel like I am fairly close to my family. I think they are closer to each other than they are to me, and that has been a sore spot with me for a while- but when I look at some of the other dysfunctional familes around me, I think mine isn't too bad.
23. I am pregnant with my second girl.
24. Even though I am pregnant, I find myself being EXTREMELY sensitive to comments on my weight. Some people think it is funny to say things like, "Are you putting on a little weight?", or "Hey there Big Stuff." It is not funny- it makes me cry.
25. I love kittens. I tolerate cats- but I love kittens. OK- I more than tolerate cats, I actually like them quite a bit, but if there were a breed of cat that stayed small like a kitten, I would buy a few dozen of them.
26. I have been without insurance for almost 2 years now.
27. My favorite outfit to wear is jeans and a white t-shirt. I always feel cute when I wear jeans and a white t-shirt.
28. One of my greatest ambitions in life is to own a house.
29. It doesn't bother me much when girls flirt with Ross (and that does happen quite often). I actually take it as a compliment.
30. I hate opening metal soda cans. I am always afraid that I am going to get cut. I don't know why. I can't remember ever being cut by one, or ever seeing anyone else get cut by one.
31. I am terribly afraid of spiders! I hate them!
32. I have some of the most crazy vivd dreams of anyone I know. There are times when I sleep all night, but I wake up exhausted because the dreams I had made the sleep very restless.
33. I love to kiss. Kissing is honestly one of my favorite things to do. I would even put down a good book to engage in some good kissing.
34. I used to play the flute. I say used to not because I got hit on the head and suddenly forgot how to- but because it is rare for me to ever pull it out and use it now.
35. I was just given a very nice piano for an early Christmas present, and I am THRILLED about it. I am hoping that having a piano of my own will motivate me to learn how to do more on it than play the 5 hymns I know.
36. I LOVE piano music. I could listen to piano music all day and not get tired of it. Some days I actually do listen to piano music all day- especially Jon Schmidt.
37. I am eating a particularly wonderful burrito from Costa Vida right now.
38. I am enjoying this lovely burrito because my best friend Carrie is pretty much one of the sweetest people I know. She really is one of my favorite people on this planet, and I feel so blessed to have her in my life.
39. I have never had a professional manicure, pedicure or massage- EVER.
40. If anyone is looking for an appropriate present to give me for Christmas, baby day, or for any other reason you can find to get me something- take a look at #39, and know that I do not care to have that particular statistic remain that way.
41. I am short- 5 foot, 1 1/2 inches.
42. Few people ever realize just how short I am. This is because I wear lots of tall shoes, and I have very good posture. There have been lots of times when people who have known me for years stand next to me and realize for the first time just how short I am.
43. I have very short legs. I know this sounds redundant after #41- but honestly, my proportions are really messed up. I have an abnormally long torso, and tiny little midget legs. When I am sitting I am a normal height. When I stand up, I am shorter than most people around me.
44. There is a weird dent in my left shin. It really is weird- there is not a lot of muscle in one particular spot. It just goes straight to the bone.
45. I love Disney movies- the animated ones. The other ones can get kind of cheesy- but the animated ones rock my world! I even play the sound tracks in my car when I am feeling a little low.
46. The Little Mermaid soundtrack is in my car right now- I was listening to it on the way to work to get me ready for the long day.
47. My love language is Words of Affirmation. This pretty much means that the best way to tell me how wonderful I am, is to tell me how wonderful I am :) No- honestly, I love being told that I am loved, and it means the world to me when someone thanks me. I would rather get a heart-felt thank-you note than a present.
48. Ross is not very good at speaking my love language. We have really had to work through our different ways of communication. (his is gifts)
49. I really enjoy being alone. Not for too long mind you- I get nervous and jumpy when I am alone for too long.
50. I am very very ticklish.
51. Somehow I hid from Ross just how ticklish I am until about two weeks ago.
52. I love to sing. One of my favorite things to do is blast broadway musicals on my CD player and sing along to them. I also like to sing all the different harmonies for hymns at church.
53. I am a terrible singer.
54. I like to cry. I find it very thereputic to let my emotions (pretty much any of them- happy, sad, angry, confused, etc.) out through tears.
55. 5 is my favorite number. I always organize things in stacks of 5- or some other number that is divisible by 5. It really irritates me when the numbers come out in some other way.
56. I do not like to cry in front of other people. This means that my crying episodes are usually limited to under a blanket, in the shower, or while I am driving.
57. I do some of my deepest praying while I am in the shower. I have seriously had some of my most spiritual moments, and the best personal revelations while in the shower.
58. My favorite color is red.
59. My favorite song is Lady in Red.
60. I look terrible in most reds.
61. I really enjoy using staplers and shredding machines.
62. I am a very prompt person. I get physically ill when I am late for things, especially when I know I am making someone else wait for me.
63. It doesn't really bother me when other people are late, unless their tardiness is making me late for something.
64. I just gave my two weeks notice to my job because I have ANOTHER bladder infection. They said it could be attributed to stress, and suggested me finding a way to get some extra sleep. Also- Ross just took on a third job and will start that in 2 weeks.
65. I like flowers. Ross has learned that it is very hard for me to stay mad at someone who has just given me flowers. This also absolves him of trying to form the words for what he is trying to say as this can be very hard for him to do.
66. I do NOT like the number 6.
67. I don't have very many friends- I think this is mostly because of my shyness, but also because being in large groups- even groups of people whom I enjoy- is very restricting and uncomfortable for me. The few friends I do have are VERY close to me.
68. I love games. Board games, are the best, but I like games in any variety.
69. I can be very competitive when I play games. I am not trying to brag- but it is a verifiable truth that there are very few games that I do not win almost any time I play them. Some members of my family refuse to play games with me EVER unless they are on my team. This means that as much as I love games, I usually don't get to play them that often.
70. My daughter Emma is the cutest little girl on the face of the Earth!!! I think she is so smart and sweet and is the best darn snuggler EVER. I am putting this on a list about me because my life pretty much revolves around her now.
71. I am 6 months pregnant with my second daughter right now, and I FINALLY broke down and bought a pair of maternity jeans yesterday.
72. I am married to a wonderful and funny man who loves me- but we are pretty much polar opposites in every way except for our sense of humor.
73. I still dress up for Halloween every year even when I don't have a party to go to.
74. I LOVE school. Well, not so much school as learning I guess. I love to learn- thus my love for reading.
75. I think my aversion to television is something that I passed on to Emma. She will not sit through any kind of children's program on TV. She will, however, watch full documentaries about any animal- and I mean ANY animal!!
76. I know all there is to know about skunks now. :)
77. I have a very . . . dirty sense of humor. I wish I didn't. . . sometimes! This was partly why Ross and I got to be such good friends. He is one of the few people who doesn't make me feel like a bad person for having a mind that likes to wander down to the gutter every now and then.
78. I hate bad breath.
79. I brush my teeth about 4 times a day to avoid having bad breath. I also carry gum and mints with me pretty much every where I go.
80. My husband owns more clothes than I do.
81. I collect Nativity scenes. I started this back in junior high, and I now have over 100 of them. I love getting new and unique ones, and I buy them all year round. There are a couple that I actually have on display all year round.
82. The Nativity story is my favorite from the bible. I see so many paralells and symbolism in it. It is beautiful and I love it.
83. I hate the sound of balloons popping.
84. I love burning candles in my house. They don't even have to smell nice- although those are the best kind. I think candles make for a good atmosphere.
85. I love to shop for and buy new shoes.
86. I have abnormally small feet, and there have been times when shopping for shoes that I have found shoes in my size that feature little kid cartoon characters on them.
87. I own a lot of different shoes- but I almost exclusively wear the black flip-flops that I bought for a dollar at DI.
88. I am one of the best baragin shoppers you will ever come across.
89. I love to star gaze. One of my favorite things to do at night is lay snuggled on a blanket watching the stars. Meteor showers pretty much rock my world!
90. Ross and I met in an astronomy class, but we didn't ever star gaze until we got married.
91. I LOVE to make to-do lists. Sometimes if I do something that is not on my to-do list, I will add it just so that I can cross it off. The down side of these lists is that I will literally lose sleep over not being able to accomplish one of the items on the list.
92. I really love Christmas music, and it makes me giddy inside that there are 2 stations here in Orem that started playing Christmas music the day after Halloween.
93. There is one black hair on my chin that I have to pluck out every two weeks or so.
94. I like working. I never had a space of unemployment from the time I was 14 until the time I had Emma. It was really hard for me to stay home that first year of Emma's life. I am having a hard time thinking about the fact that I only have a week and a half left before I am back to being home all the time again.
95. I do not cope well with silence. I always have to have some kind of noise in the background. That noise is usually a CD- but sometimes it can be a movie or TV show.
96. I love fall colors. Looking at the leaves in the Fall always makes me very happy.
97. I am obsessed with family pictures. My family never did family pictures, and that always bothered me. Emma will hopefully have so many pictures of her and us as a family that she will complain about having too many. The sad thing is that Ross does not like to have to pay for any pictures- so unless I can get an AMAZING deal at a studio, I usually have to rely on the mercies of friends and family.
98. I love to do surveys. Usually my survey taking is limited to the ones that I get paid for- but when those are not in demand- I will take whatever I can get. That is kind of why I am doing this right now.
99. I really hate going to stores and not being able to find the price of the items I want.
100. My grandma told me once that when your nose itches it means someone is thinking about you. I have always believed this, and even now when my nose itches I wonder who is thinking about me, and I hope that they are nice thoughts.
101. It was really hard for me to come up with all of these, and I am wondering if that means I am boring. I have a fear of being a boring person.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
My little sister Heather was kind enough to take some time out of her crazy schedule to come and take some family pictures for us before all the pretty fall leaves dissappeared. She got some really cute shots, and we are very grateful for her willingness to put up with Emma's craziness and my pickiness. 
It took a while for Emma to warm up to the whole picture idea. It's a good thing Aunt Dana was there to cheer her up.
She did love the leaves though!
It took a while for Emma to warm up to the whole picture idea. It's a good thing Aunt Dana was there to cheer her up.
She did love the leaves though!
More Riverwoods Pictures
Ross can be such a ham!!
But I like him anyways.
This is a nice shot of my giant pregnant belly! 
Saturday, November 03, 2007
These are some pictures from our visit to the petting zoo at Thanksgiving Point. We had a lot of fun introducing Emma to the real versions of all the animals she loves reading about in books and watching on animal planet.
Unfortunately, she tried to steal one of the bunnies and was placed in prison. At first she thought it was a blast and enjoyed her time as a rebel. . .
but then she realized the severity of her crime and found some remorse.
After she was released we went to celebrate at the local saloon and dance hall.
Emma and this turkey had a long and meaningful conversation.
Emma also got to have her very first pony ride!
Sorry Brittany, I don't like the cows- even the baby versions- as much as you do.
Unfortunately, she tried to steal one of the bunnies and was placed in prison. At first she thought it was a blast and enjoyed her time as a rebel. . .
but then she realized the severity of her crime and found some remorse.
After she was released we went to celebrate at the local saloon and dance hall.
Emma and this turkey had a long and meaningful conversation. 
Emma also got to have her very first pony ride!
Sorry Brittany, I don't like the cows- even the baby versions- as much as you do.
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