Taco Bell, you know me too well

Nothing much to report from the Bogart household today, so I figured I'd just share a tiny bit of humor with you all compliments of Taco Bell... Enjoy!

With my overall general love of Mexican food and my increased craving for it with this pregnancy, we've been eating at Taco Bell more frequently as of late. And you know how they have those taco sauce packets there with the funny/clever little sayings on each of them? I love those! And it's pretty much the highlight of the trip for me picking out a handful to put on our food and reading which ones I get while we wait for our food. Well, somehow the past three (yes, three!) times we've been there, I've managed to get exactly one with this saying:

The first time it happened, Ryan and I both had a good chuckle. The second time, it was even more funny. By the time it happened a third time last week, Ryan insisted that I take a picture and post about it on the blog because he thought it was so funny. It might just dumb luck that I keep getting this message and it might be the employees strategically placing it on the top of the pile for me to grab as they watch me waddle up through the parking lot yet again... either way, it's still pretty funny.

I feel your pain, Mr. Hot, I really do.

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree!

This Monday night, after a long weekend of Thanksgiving festivities in Walker, Ryan and I finally put up our Christmas tree. I know what you're probably thinking - "Finally? It's not even December yet, you're way ahead of the game!" And you would be right. It isn't December quite yet, and it is only the first week after Thanksgiving, but I have been itching to put up and decorate a tree since it hit November.. so for me it felt like I had waited about two lifetimes.

We decided to go with a fake tree this year despite my hesitation. It just makes sense for us with all the uncertainty of having a baby around the holidays because Lord only knows how long it will stay up past December 25th. I figure taking down Christmas decorations probably won't be my first priority with a brand new baby in the house and exhaustion to go with it. But it still does make me a little sad on the inside... it's just not the same! I miss that delicious pine tree smell! I just have to keep reminding myself about how much less maintenance it's going to require - no crawling under the branches and getting poked by the needles in order to keep it hydrated and no daily vacuuming to pick up those pokey needles either. My tired, pregnant body appreciates that part for sure.

To Ryan, it's not an issue. His family has had a fake tree for many years and so that's what he's used to anyways. Not me.  For this northern Minnesota girl with fond childhood memories of picking out a real tree every year with my family the day after Thanksgiving, it is slightly heartbreaking. But there's many more years of Christmas yet to come! And in anticipation of future years filled with great-smelling, pokey pine needles we got our tree on Black Friday for 50% off at Target. That way we won't have to feel guilty if it only gets used for a few years. :)

What's even more heartbreaking than not having a real Christmas tree this year, though, is not having a fireplace to hang stockings over. To a lot of people, I'm sure I must seem crazy. But being the daughter of a fireplace manufacturer, that's a pretty big deal! I was out buying Christmas decorations a couple weeks ago and I got all excited when I found these super cute stockings because we didn't have any and of course everyone needs stockings... and then I got home and realized - "We have nowhere to hang them!" But have no fear friends! Ryan helped me find a suitable place on the wall for them and they still look super cute.

Now if only we could get some snow to go with my stellar Christmas decorations, it would feel like it's almost December... Plus, rumor has it that low pressure systems can help induce labor. I don't know about you, but I could definitely go for this baby being born in time to enjoy our fake Christmas tree and a white Christmas. Just saying.

Happy Hump Day!

Remembering to Give Thanks

Recently, and this week in particular, I've found myself grumbling and complaining a lot. But, in my defense, it's hard not to when you're 9 months pregnant... I'm achy, I'm hormonal, and I'm SO ready to meet this baby! But I shouldn't make excuses for it... Really, it's a bad habit to complain all the time. So today I finally decided to stop and give myself a reality check. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - a day devoted entirely to giving thanks for the all good things in your life that you may take for granted the rest of the year. I realized today that I should spend less time complaining and more time remembering the abundance of things I have to be thankful for. Especially this year. Because I have so many.

So I played this game today. It's called "What I Say vs. What I Mean". Basically, every time I had a complaint throughout my day, I stopped and thought of a good way to say the same thought so I seem more grateful for my multitude of blessings and less like a spoiled brat. It went something like this:

What I say: "Wow, my back hurts again this morning. Imagine that."
What I mean: "Back aches suck, but I'm so thankful that a few aches and pains are all I can complain about when it comes to being pregnant. It could be so much worse."

What I say: "Did these stretch marks grow more over night, or is it just me? Either way, my stomach sure does itch!"
What I mean: "I'm thankful that my son is still inside growing big and strong even if it means getting more "battle scars". I'm so thankful for whoever invented Palmer's Cocoa Butter. It's like heaven on itchy, stretched skin."

What I say: "I really wish Ryan didn't have to be gone all day, everyday with work and school. I get lonely all day at home alone."
What I mean: "I am beyond thankful that I married such a motivated, hard-working man. It's so great that he can go back to school for something he loves and get paid to do it.  It's only because he works so hard that we can afford for me to stay home with the baby after he's born and I'm really looking forward to that."

What I say: "How is it possible that our laundry has piled up so much? I really don't feel like washing, folding, and putting away clothes ALL DAY."
What I mean: "I'm so glad to have a closet full of clothes (even though half of it doesn't fit right now). It's awesome to wake up in the morning and not only have something to wear, but to have a choice about what I want to wear."

What I say: "Bills, bills, and more bills! I hate checking the mail and finding bills almost as much as I hate paying bills."
What I mean: "I live in a heated, lighted apartment that has internet and Netflix and I have enough money in our checking account to pay for all of these luxuries. I am one lucky girl."

What I say: "This child has SO. MUCH. STUFF. It's not even fair. He probably has more things than Ryan and I combined. I'll never have his nursery organized and cleaned before he's born at this rate."
What I mean: "We have been beyond blessed by our amazing friends and family with almost everything we could ever need or want for our baby boy. We'll never be able to fully show our gratitude for their extreme generosity and kindness even if we tried. Our son is already loved and he isn't even born yet. My heart is so full of love for him and our support system that it might burst at the seams right along with his dresser drawers."

You get the idea now? It's a great game. I felt a heck of a lot more upbeat and positive today than I have in a while when I just took a couple minutes to gather my thoughts and get a new perspective. And how could I not? When I just sit back and look at all the things I have to be thankful for this year, it makes me teary-eyed. Yeah, yeah, I know part of that is the hormones talking... but seriously!

Okay, enough with the mushy-gushy talk for one day! It's time for me to pack my bags and prepare for the trip to Walker tomorrow where I'll get to see my amazing family and friends and stuff my face with good food. Oh! I almost forgot! That's another thing that I am thankful for this year! I don't have to restrain myself when eating Thanksgiving dinner for fear of gaining a pound or two... I'm already "fat" and I'm allowed to get "fatter" for the next three weeks until this baby is born! God bless being pregnant over the holidays!

Thankfully Yours,
-Big Mama Bogart

The Week of The Baby

You know how the Chinese calendar has every year represented by an animal? Like "The Year of the Dragon"? Well, I feel like this week in the Bogart family is "The Week of The Baby". It all started last Saturday with another wonderful baby shower thrown at my mother in law's house by Ryan's aunt, Wendy, and my sister in law, Jen. There was delicious food, baby-themed games, and many more presents for little Baby Bogart. Seriously, this kid's stuff is going to overtake our apartment before he finally decides to make his grand entrance. No joke. Who knew such a little person could have so much stuff?!

After our busy weekend in Rogers, it was back up to Duluth for a week jam-packed with baby classes. Last night was the first class of the week: "Bonus Night" aka Infant CPR and Carseat Safety. The class was "free" if you signed up and are taking the Labor & Delivery courses at the hospital. It was super informative and slightly terrifying at the same time. Although I do feel much more informed and better prepared, I'm also terrified that I will be one of the 80% of parents to incorrectly use my car seat or that I will actually have to do CPR on my own child. What? I'm actually going to be responsible for this life that we've created? Holy. Crap.

And as if the class last night wasn't enough to make me sweat a little, this weekend Ryan and I will be taking the actual Labor & Delivery classes as well. It is going to be a long Friday night and all-day Saturday spent in good company with other soon-to-be-parents learning about all the "fun" we'll have sometime within the next month or so. I'm sure that these classes will also make me feel better prepared and more informed, and really I wouldn't want to not take them, but I guess I'm just a little terrified in general of the whole daunting task of delivering a baby. I hear that's normal though, right?

Really though - I guess I'm not even that worried about him actually being here and taking care of him as much as I am worried about me having to get him here. Sure, I'll be exhausted for a while and it will be a major adjustment for our family, but at least I have a little bit of experience with babies. The labor and delivery part? Yeah, not so much. I wish we could just skip that part. Wake me up when he's here, okay? :)

Thankfully, after the fear-instilling classes this weekend I have something else to look forward to. My nerdy and totally awesome chemical engineering friends are throwing a party in honor of Baby Bogart on Saturday night. I guess, technically, they are calling it a baby shower but it's more just an excuse for all of us to get together, eat some food, and play some games. I'm just impressed that they found the time and energy with their crazy school/work schedules to fit in anything besides more sleep this weekend. But I'm so thankful that they fit me into their busy lives because I never get to see them anymore since I'm not in school and that's where they practically live. I can't wait! Hopefully I can stay awake past 8 pm to enjoy it.

So there you have it, folks! The Week of the Baby! So much celebration and preparation for such a little person. Hopefully with all this excitement he'll get antsy and want to come out sooner rather than later to join in on the fun. We can only hope...

35/35 on 11/11/11

Today is a big day Blogger World! I am 35 weeks pregnant today! Which means I only have 35 days left to be pregnant! (35 weeks down / 35 days left! Woot woot!) How super duper exciting is that? Sooo exciting! Here I am this morning being very excited to only have approximately five weeks left before I can finally meet our little boy:

And in honor of me making it this far without any major difficulties (thank The Lord!) and also in honor of my new friends, Stretch and Marks, who decided to rear their ugly heads this week for the first time (bleh! I thought for sure that I would get lucky enough to squeak by without any!)... I wanted to share with you all this beautiful pin that I found on Pinterest:

Granted, my stomach isn't nearly as marked (yet) as the pictured one is. But even if it was it wouldn't matter to me anymore. The caption is so true and it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. And that might just be the hormones, but it is very touching whether you're hormonal or not. There is something truly beautiful about a mother's marked stomach. But I didn't always feel that way... I used to be terrified of getting stretch marks because, well because, I'm still young and I'm selfish and I want to be able to confidently wear a bikini again darnit!  But if a few (or many) stretch marks is the price I have to pay for my baby to be born healthy then so be it!

Well, I'm off to lather on the coco butter! I'll take the stretch marks if I have to, but I won't go down without a fight!

TGIF!
-The Marked Mama

Christmas season controversy

Being that this is the second year of marriage for Ryan and I, and consequently the second holiday season we have spent under the same roof, it is also the second year that he and I have had a little "tiff" of sorts around this time of year. You see, as soon as it passes Halloween and hits November I sort of act like a department store - I immediately get the "Christmas itch" and have this burning desire to decorate my whole house, watch Christmas movies, and play Christmas music all. the. time. Ryan, on the other hand, would prefer to wait at least until after Thanksgiving to break out the Bing Crosby and "deck our halls"... and it causes some problems. (No, not the Kim Kardasian "irreconsilable differences", file for divorce after 72 days sort of problems... but problems none-the-less.)

Luckily for Ryan, this year I have restrained myself pretty well. I have yet to put up any decorations, I haven't watched a single Christmas movie, and I've only listened to Christmas music once. And it was even when he was gone at school! But it's not because I'm trying all that hard for his sake. Oh no, I haven't waved the white flag of defeat quite yet. It's just that the unseasonably warm weather (and lack of snow) has made it a little harder to get into the mood for Christmas. But have no fear boys and girls! The temperatures are dropping and there is snow in the forecast for later this week! I think my goal for next week will be to start hunting down some more inexpensive decorations, slowly start integrating  the good ol' clay-mation Christmas classics into my daily routine, and create a stellar Christmas playlist on Pandora. After all, it will be the third week of November! :)

Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Thursday!

Working on The Range

Okay, does the title of this post make anyone else feel like singing the "I've been working on the railroad..." song? Because that's what inspired me and I'm pretty sure I will have that in my head the rest of the day... and it's my own darn fault... haha dangit. Anyways, enough of my scattered pregnancy brain thoughts! I did a post a couple weeks ago now about Ryan having an interview up at Hibbing Taconite for Cliff's Mining and how excited I was for him because this job opportunity had pursued him, not the other way around. Well, I'm happy to report that I have yet another reason to be excited for/proud of my husband this morning as he officially accepted their offer and will be interning there starting in mid-May. Yippe!

Like I had said before, the location for the internship isn't the most ideal because the mine is about an hour and a half away from our apartment and it will mean many long days for Ryan... but it's such an amazing opportunity and he's genuinely excited about working there. (Plus, it pays really well too!) In fact, on top of the generous hourly wage, they pay their interns who live 60+ miles away from the facility an extra $500/month to cover the expense of either driving every day or living up there.

We still haven't hashed out the specifics about whether Ryan will get a small studio apartment up there during the week and come home on weekends or if he'll drive there every day - but we'll figure it out. Ryan is leaning towards wanting to drive even if it means leaving for work at 5:30 am (because they start their days at 7:00) and not getting home until after 6:00 at night. Bless his heart, he's too worried about leaving me home alone with the baby and missing out on too many milestones in Brock's short-lived infant stage. Man, do I have a keeper or what? :)

And that's about all I know on this chilly November morning! All it takes is a little hard work and persistence and a whole lotta praying to get where you want to be in life. Even in this tough economy, and barely two years after getting turned town for every single summer job he applied for (including Walmart) the summer we got engaged, my husband is employed to a fantastic company six months before his job is even set to begin. We are so blessed. God is so good.

Happy Day!
-The Bogarts

Wittle Baby Hiccups

Hiccups are so weird. What purpose do they serve and why do we get them? And why do some people get them more often and more violently than others? I guess it's something that has always bothered me, but I never bothered to look it up - until today. And so, with the help of the Google machine and WebMD, here are some fun facts about hiccups for your viewing pleasure that may or may not enlighten you:

What are hiccups?

Hiccups occur when a spasm contracts the diaphragm, a large sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. This spasm causes an intake of breath that is suddenly stopped by the closure of the vocal cords. This closure causes the characteristic "hiccup" sound.

What causes hiccups?

A very full stomach can cause bouts of hiccups that go away on their own. A full stomach can be caused by:

• Eating too much food too quickly.
• Drinking too much alcohol.
• Swallowing too much air.
• Smoking
• A sudden change in stomach temperature, such as drinking a hot beverage and then a cold beverage.
• Emotional stress or excitement.

How long do hiccups last?

Hiccups usually stop within a few minutes to a few hours. <--- A few HOURS?! Holy moly! I get annoyed after about five minutes!

Hiccups that last longer than 48 hours are called persistent hiccups. Hiccups that last longer than a month are called intractable hiccups. While very rare, intractable hiccups can cause exhaustion, lack of sleep, and weight loss. Both persistent and intractable hiccups may be a sign of a more serious health problem and must be checked by a doctor. (How do you sleep if you have hiccups for longer than 48 hours? Do you just hiccup in your sleep then? So bizarre.)

How are hiccups treated?

Most bouts of hiccups go away on their own within a few minutes to a few hours and do not require any treatment.

Many home remedies are used to treat hiccups. Most of them involve increasing the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which usually stops hiccups. Some of these remedies include:

• Holding your breath and counting slowly to 10.
• Breathing repeatedly into a paper bag for a limited period of time.
• Quickly drinking a glass of cold water.
• Eating a teaspoon of sugar or honey.
• My personal favorite is taking a drink of water while standing up, holding it in your mouth, putting your head between your legs, and then swallowing the water. You look like a complete idiot doing it, but it works for me about 90% of the time...

Who is affected by hiccups?

Hiccups affect males more often than females. (Haha guys!) Hiccups occur in practically every human being, including babies and older adults.

That's it! See that bolded part up there about hiccups effecting everyone, including babies? Yes, that right there ladies and gentlemen would be the reason for my sudden increased interest in hiccups. You see, little Baby Bogart apparently has a full stomach very often these days because he gets hiccups everyday... multiple times a day. And it is incredibly annoying. It used to be sort of cute, back when he only got them every now and again, but now that it's happening everyday it's starting to grate on my frazzled pregnant nerves. (On a side note, Ryan wants me to mention here that he still thinks they're cute.. and yes, that irritates me even more haha.)

I have read that it's a good sign for babies to get hiccups in utero because it means that their lungs are maturing and it's strengthening their diaphragm in preparation for breathing, and I try really hard to remind myself of this, but it's still incredibly annoying. Plus, I feel bad that he doesn't know any of the "tricks" to get rid of them and he has to suffer through them everyday! I try to tell him to hold his breath and plug is nose, but I don't think he really gets it. I wonder why? Haha ;)

So there is the update from the Bogart household today: Brock gets the hiccups too much and it's driving mommy bonkers.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the gorgeous November weekend and all the deer hunters in Minnesota are having some good luck! My mama and sister are coming to visit tomorrow because my sister has the day of from school Monday and I'm super excited. Now if only those darn bathrooms would clean themselves before they get here...

Super Mom to the rescue!

This past weekend was jam-packed with celebrations all hosted by my mother, and she did one (pardon my language) hell of a job throwing them all if I do say so myself! The woman knows what a good party is, it's as simple as that, and so she always does a great job brainstorming ideas and organizing shindigs even though it causes her blood pressure to sky rocket. She's pretty much like my party planning super hero. And so, in honor of all her hard work, here's a quick recap of my weekend and all that my mom had to do in order to make things run smoothly:

Saturday afternoon from 2-4 pm was my sister's confirmation party at my parent's house. Now, for those of you who have never been inside my house, it is not big by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it's pretty small. My mom spent the whole last week deep cleaning the entire house and rearranging things in preparation for 40-50 people to cram in and mess it all up again. She also planned out and prepared a fabulous menu of snack foods to be served during the two hour party. There were deviled eggs, cream cheese pinwheels, chips and dips, bacon-wrapped cocktail weenies, and more! Plus, there was even a delicious and equally gorgeous Kathy Smith cake. Mmmm my mouth is watering just remembering it all!

The party was a great success. Both my mom and dad's extended family were there along with a few of my sister's friends and their families as well. And the million times we repositioned the kitchen table was well worth it because we manged to fit 40+ people in the lower level all at one time. It was a small miracle. There was, of course, leftover food because mom always over-estimates how much people will eat... but it's better than running out. Plus, that meant the guys would have food to munch on for the Viking's game the next day. So it all worked out...

After everyone finally cleared out Saturday evening, we had to clean up the house quick and head on down to good ol' Cafe Zona Rosa to make final preparations for the Halloween party down there. Yes, on top of both the confirmation and baby shower, my mom managed to fit in a costume party at her restaurant too. I told you she's the best! She even had an adult pinata filled with "adult" prizes like scratch-offs, mini alcohol bottles, cigarettes, etc. And let me just say... watching intoxicated adults in costumes smash open a pinata and fight over the prizes might very well be some of the best free entertainment there is.

Are you tired yet? Yeah, we were by this point too. But there was still one big day left in the weekend!

Sunday morning we had my sister's confirmation service at church and then immediately went over to Zona's for my baby shower. Talk about a great party... my mom, my girlfriends, and Kathy Smith did a phenomenal job decorating and planning. (Thanks again girls!) It was perfect.

We had games, good food, and lots of giggles throughout the afternoon. It was great to see all the women who came and both Baby Bogart and I were showered with love, encouraging words, and tons of gifts once again.

Ryan joked after spending over half an hour hauling our loot into the house that he'd have to spank Brock as soon as he was born because he's spoiled already! :)

I really am beyond blessed to have so many great friends though. On top of throwing me the perfect baby shower, the girls also got all the employees at Zona Rosa to pitch in and buy us our stroller and carseat. How lucky are we?? This kid is going to be smothered with love by all his "aunties".. and I'm so grateful for that.





So there ya go, folks! That was my hectic weekend in a nutshell. Sunday evening my whole family fought to stay awake past 7 pm because all four of us were exhausted. My poor mom did end up hanging up her Super Mom cape and going to bed right around 8:00 because she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, and I can't say that I blame her. The woman did a great job hosting two very important events for her daughters this weekend. I hope she can teach me her party planning ways so I can do the same for my children over the years. Up first will be Brock's baptism! At least I have a couple months to recover from all the parties this weekend before I have to plan that... oofta.

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

- The Bogarts