10 Day Challenge: 9 Loves

So, of course, after posting the last blog, I have discovered like 5 more (better) secrets I could have listed instead of some of the ones I picked. But alas, on to 9 loves! (...in no particular order!)

9. First and foremost: My husband! And with that, comes my baby girl!

June 26, 2011

8. My friends and family. To me, they are one in the same. If you are a friend of mine, you've become my family, and I value that with the utmost respect.  Our little circle of friends, has grown to quite literally, friends becoming my family. One of hubby's best friends from high school is now dating one of my best friends from college,  and another of his friends from high school married my cousin. I only wish the hubs and I still lived in the area, because it is so difficult keeping in touch from so far away!

June 2 or 3, 2010. This is not the picture I wanted, but it's close enough. All our friends & family in a circle belting out the Beatles while slightly (or highly) intoxicated.

7. Traveling! I love living in Europe because of the opportunities it has given us to see the world! We have been to Paris, Italy, Bavaria, and various German cities, and driven through Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. How many Americans can say they took a spontaneous trip to Disneyland Paris exactly 1 year ago? Not many. But we did!

6. My favorite way to travel? Road trips! Yes, I love sitting in the car for hours on end and just seeing things. Our beautiful country has so much to see! SO MUCH, and one of my goals in life is to visit every single state! My favorite road trip? Left Pheonix, drove through Salt Lake City, into Idaho, over into Wyoming, visited the Grand Tetons & Yellowstone, then into Montana, across in Washington state, up into British Columbia, Vancouver is AWESOME by the way, then toured Seattle, and then around the Olympic Peninsula (yes, I have been to Forks, Washington), Mt. St. Helens, down into Oregon, then into California to see the Redwoods & San Francisco, and then south to head home. 8 days. We saw SO MUCH, and yet missed out on so much. Got to see a beach sunset in every state on the west coast. Learned that in Oregon, it's illegal to pump your own gas. My car drove through a tree. We saw snow in June, and then discovered the car had no heat (or defrost). It was so, so awesome. I hope we get to do it again, someday.

June, 2009. Wyoming, USA.

5. Harry Potter. Yes, I am a geek. I do enjoy reading, when the mood strikes. The books are amazing, and I have read the last 3 multiple times each, though I can't recall how many time, exactly, and I want to read the entire series back to back (soon!) The movies are awesome, until you realize how much they changed stuff from the book, so I try not to think about it. I will have my last and final copy of Harry Potter on DVD November 11th.

4. Driving. When there's no one else on the roads, and I don't have to worry about speeding.

2010 Ford Fusion in front of a graffiti wall in Germany

3. My shows. I don't have as many as I used to back in high school, but I love me some Glee, How I Met Your Mother, and Big Bang Theory!

2. Music. With this comes dancing. Even though I can't dance. Definitely love any kinda of music that makes me want to move! Or sing...

December, 2008. See, I can't dance. And the look on my face says I know it, but just don't care...

1. Chik-fil-a. What was the one thing this chick wanted while she was preggo? Chik-fil-a. Never once could satisfy that craving, and now, I have it about once a week... Same with Starbucks... (Europe has its downsides!)

10 Day Challege: 10 Secrets

I stole this from Adventures with Alexandra, who stole this from Connecticut Cupcake! It sounded like a good, fun idea, so here we go!

10. I hate being scared. Really. It's not fun. There is no point. If you were ever in a situation where being scared was for real, it would hinder you from getting out of said situation and back to safety. I also think anger is pointless - usually stresses you out, and really doesn't get you anywhere.

09. I want a tattoo. Or two. Or three. I was going to get my first one on my right foot (Huskie paw print!) when I was in Illinois. I even had a friend to get a tattoo with, so I wouldn't be all alone. But we sorta ran out of time, and had a lack of transportation to get there.

08. Long distance relationships really can work. Just look at me and the hubby. Still have spent more time apart than together. (Depressing, but true.) It's not easy, it's not fun, it's not ideal. But, he's worth it. (On a side note, it also drives me insane when people complain about being a 2 hour drive apart, and not being able to see each other every weekend. I want to inflict a all-knowing bitch-slap across their face so they just "Get it" and shut up, and then cherish what they have.)

07. I absolutely do not want an electronic book thingy. This is because I love the way real new books smell, and feel. (I am also pretty against Blu-rays as I have everything on DVDs - and even more on VHS's that I will never be able to watch, thank you very much.)

06. I am addicted to facebook. Seriously, I miss facebook lite.

05. I still watch cartoons. Not for my child, for me. (My excuse is that I didn't have cable growing up.)

04. I wish I had more motivation. For everything. There is just so much to do everyday, that I get overwhelmed and kinda shut down. I make lists, and they're so long, I can never accomplish enough, and then sometimes feel even worse!

03. I'm pretty sure something's wrong with me. In my head, I mean. (Adult ADD, maybe?)

02. I want to re-read the entire Harry Potter series, back to back. Talk about amazingness!

01. I am basically a nomad. I have been for years. College in one state, my home in another. Now, I live where the military sends us. (Germany!) But I still have all my stuff in multiple places... I would love to get them all in one place, and finally make that place a real home! I can't wait!

Evelyn is 5 months!

Evelyn turned 5 months on October 13! I know I haven't done this AT ALL for the first few months, but I'm gonna try to keep up from here on out!

Evelyn can:

Roll both ways

Shake a rattle (with great enthusiasm!)
Put everything in her mouth

September 21, 2011

Sit with support

Sleep all night (when she wants to)

Eats 5-7 oz bottles

Open her mouth when hungry

Stand in your lap with surprising strength in her legs (yikes!)

Babble - a lot!

Kick - a lot more!

October 11, 2011

Lift her head all the way up while on her tummy

Evelyn likes:

September 23, 2011

Toys that make noise
Movement

Food!

Music - she always turns her head when Glee is playing and a song starts!

September 23, 2011

Attention! From anybody! She definitely loves to flirt with the boys, though!

Evelyn:

is swaddled when she goes to bed.
discovered her tongue.

September 21, 2011

went from size 2 to size 3 diapers this month.

wears 6 month clothes, but is moving into 6-9.

is 27.5 inches (99% ile) and 16.5 pounds (75% ile) as of 10/10/11!

October 8, 2011

sits in the bath tub now (with support)
is very active - always wants to move, and does not like being contained.
notices everything!
started balding all a sudden at the end of September, and it's finally coming back!
ate rice cereal for the first time on October 12, 2011!

October 12, 2011

Travels:

This month, we were in Illinois, San Antonio, Texas, and Arizona!

Exhausted

Man, I really hope to get some good sleep tonight... It's been weeks, if not over a month, since I've had a good nights sleep...

San Antonio, Texas!

This trip was the second time I flew from Chicago to San Antonio for the purposes of an Air Force Basic Graduation. This time, my nephew, Anthony graduated.  We were in San Antonio from Sept. 22-25. My sister, Laura and I flew together and met my mom at the airport.  We then took a cab (yes, all 3 of us and the baby strapped to my front in her carrier) rode in the PRIUS in the back seat to our hotel. Laura and I then proceeded to go to the pool, and waited for my sister and the family to get back from base.

It was a crazy weekend, very busy, and we got to travel in a 15-passenger bus with all the kids. Actually more fun than it sounded!

Friday was the graduation, got to see his barracks, had lunch/dinner, he wanted to go the mall off-base.

During the ceremony. He is somewhere in that group of guys holding the flags.

Saturday, we chilled at the hotel, went to the Riverwalk/The Alamo (it was sooo hot), and had dinner out.

Anthony, my mom, myself & the baby, and my sister Laura posing on the Riverwalk!

It was SUPER HOT that weekend, especially Sunday when we were taking pictures. And even though the whole weekend was supposed to be about my nephew, I'll admit, I was very reminiscent of the fact that four year prior, I was walking around the same places with my then boyfriend... I just kept thinking, "Four years already?!"

Sunday we all had to stay on base, so checked out the BX, shoppette, the bowling alley, and then had to say our goodbyes and head to the airport.

My sister and her husband with their 6 kids all together once more! 

It was so great to see everybody! With all my family spread out all over the country (and me not even IN this country usually), it's really hard to see everybody from Atlanta anymore. Hoping to make it there before I head back to Germany, but for now, I'll take what I can get!

So blessed we had the chance to make it to Anthony's BMT Graduation!

Stomach Bug!

My 100th blog...

...is about my poor sick baby girl.

I am pretty worried about her. Poops in every diaper for 48-72 hours now. She's definitely not eating very much. Took her to the doctor yesterday. She puked [literally] all over the both of us this morning (ew! and also, double EW - I HATE puke...)

So, this has been my enjoyment for the week. Only puke once, but the rest is a warm, not-herself baby, and lots of poopy diapers.

Oh, the joy of being a mother!

(I think I just provided some extra birth control for some people, huh?)