Last Day of Work

Sophie & Nate posing for the camera...my last day was January 30, 2007.

I worked as a nanny with this family for a year and a half. I started August 2005, and Sophie was 10 months old at the time. She is now over two years old...her birthday is October 1, 2004. Her little brother, Nate was born August 17, 2006. He's five and a half months. I had fun for the most part, but the end was getting to be very difficult with me being pregnant and all. I won't get into my beefs, because the job is over and it just doesn't matter anymore. I wish them the best. :)

Guinness the yellow labrador. She's a sweet dog although she would get extremely needy at times. I guess I really couldn't blame her given her circumstances. It would get to be annoying, especially when I was feeling very overwhelmed, but I tried to be nice to her. I would give her treats and pettings. Before I was pregnant, I would sometimes take her for walks with Sophie and I. She enjoyed a couple of trips to the park on rare occasions. I never knew yellow labs shed as much as they do. Cute dogs, though.

Smiling Nate!

Spunky Sophie...it's true what they say about red heads. She gets the red hair from her grandfather. She's a very smart, little girl. I was always impressed by her ability to speak with such an extensive vocabulary at such a young age.

I'll miss them, but I'm ready to move on and start preparing for my little one to make his appearance into this world. I can't wait to me a mommy! I already love Cedric so much...that love will be ten fold when I finally meet him for the first time. :)

Baby Shower

John and I attended our baby shower for Cedric Shea on Saturday, January 27, 2007. I was 33 weeks on Saturday...only 7 more weeks to go.

We had my brothers with their significant others, except Kevin is single and Michael didn't show up. My parents hosted the shower at their house, and my friends Jackie and Amanda put the shower together. Amanda brought her five and a half month old baby, Isabel, over. We also had our friends Sean, a.k.a. Mobat, and his girlfriend, Athena (also our friend) were there as well.

We had lots of fun, and Cedric made out nicely with some great gifts. He will undoubtedly love all his presents when he is finally out to see them.

John and Isabel mugging for the camera. Look how natural it is for him, and he didn't even mind too much that she kept drooling. John is going to be a great daddy. :)

Me looking at some of Cedric's presents. My mom made Cedric a knitted version of Lumpy the Heffalump from Winnie the Pooh.

Angel(pictured) and Ariel kept loving on Isabel. I think the fascination was mutual. :)

Funny picture of my nephew, James with Isabel. James keeps asking his dad when is Cedric going to be done...hehehehehe, cute!


To see more on the baby shower go here: http://zablanc.blogspot.com/2007/01/baby-shower-pics.html

Is January Over Yet?

I wish John and I had our new Honda CR-V today. It's snowing...yes, again...and it would be nice to be able to get to Childbirth Prep class without having to deal with this white crap. The 4x4 would have come in handy. At least Chester has fairly new tires on him, so I'm not too concerned. I'm just so sick of snow! I've seen more snow this season than I've cared to, but that's what happens at times when you live in a state that has winter. Generally, we've been pretty lucky with avoiding a lot of snow in Colorado...usually the mountains take the brunt of the storms. All I have to say is....I can't wait until it's spring for lots of reasons. ;-)

New and Exciting

First off, my dad is now home. He was able to go home after six days from the start of his surgery, so he went home on Monday the 15th. He is improving everyday, so it is great that everything has gone so well for him.

Next up...John and I bought a new car this evening. We have to wait until mid-February to get it, because it is still in Japan waiting to be sent. We ended up going with the 2007 Honda CR-V LX in Royal Blue exterior with a black cloth interior. We are very excited! John had his heart set on the Toyota Rav4, but it just wasn't going to work for us...sorry Boo Boo. :(

Tomorrow, we are going to exchange Adventure Club presents with our fellow ACers. We are looking forward to it! We weren't able to do the cabin like we originally planned (it was flooded), but this will be just as good.

John goes to his second and last Daddy Bootcamp class tomorrow. On Sunday, we attend our very first Childbirth Prep class. I'm looking forward to all the fun and new things were are going to get to do. I can't believe how close it is getting to Cedric's due date...less than two months to go. :)

Next Saturday the 27th will be our Baby Shower. I wonder how many people will actually show up or respond to invitations we sent out...mostly New York's response. I guess we will just wait and see.

And finally, last but not least, we will be getting snow AGAIN come Saturday and Sunday. When will this crap ever stop?! I wish it would just go away and melt.

The Week in Review.....

So much to talk about...well, to start my dad had major surgery on Tuesday, Jan. 9th. He had to have a part of his esophagus removed, the top part of his stomach removed so they could reattach it to the esophagus, and his gallbladder was removed because of gallstones. The other two parts were removed, because he had cancer on his esophagus. Despite it all, he is doing very well. All the tests he has had show all good things, and the cancer didn't spread. He was removed from the Critical Care Unit Friday evening to a regular hospital room. At the latest, he will be going home on Friday or maybe sooner.

In other news, John did his first baby class yesterday. He went to Daddy Bootcamp to learn all sorts of things related to babies. He enjoyed the class, and he'll be going back again for the second session next Saturday where they discuss safety, car seats, and such. On Sunday, the 21st, John and I will be attending our first childbirth prep class. There will be four sessions. It's definitely getting more real...we are only 62 days left, give or take a few, to go until our baby comes. Also our baby shower is in two weeks, and I can't wait.

Last thing to talk about is the final countdown to my job. I have three more weeks to go...works out to be an eleven and a half days. I only work four days a week, and one of those days is a half day because it is my prenatal appointment. I'm so happy to almost be done with my job...I don't want to get into a lot of details, but I've been very unhappy with these people for awhile. Pretty much since the second baby was born. They've been taking advantage of me a lot, especially lately. However, it is only eleven and a half more days and then I'm free. :)

5 Years Together

John and I have been together for 5 years. Here is the first picture of us together that was taken a couple of months after our first date. We were enjoying a hike at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.

It was a Saturday afternoon on January 12, 2002 when I walked through John's garage and knocked on his door. Little did I know that was going to be my future husband standing on the other end of the door. We should of took a picture together at the time, but you usually don't think to do that when you are on your first date with someone. Would have been cool to have that memory though.

Here we are 5 years later...happy as can be! Our next adventure will be bringing a life into the world. Our sweet baby boo, a.k.a. Cedric, will be making his appearance in two months, and we are excited and a little scared about becoming first-time parents. It's funny how things all work out...I love you, Boo Boo. :)

I think this song is fitting to our relationship...It's from the movie Shrek.

There is something that I see
In the way you look at me
There's a smile, there's a truth in your eyes

But an unexpected way
On this unexpected day
Could it mean this is where I belong
It is you I have loved all along

It's no more mystery
It is finally clear to me
You're the home my heart searched for so long
And it is you I have loved all along

There were times I ran to hide
Afraid to show the other side
Alone in the night without you

But now I know just who you are
And I know you hold my heart
Finally this is where I belong
It is you I have loved all along

It's no more mystery
It is finally clear to me
You're the home my heart searched for so long
And it is you I have loved all along

Over and over
I'm filled with emotion
Your love, it rushes through my veins

And I am filled
With the sweetest devotion
As I, I look into your perfect face

It's no more mystery
It is finally clear to me
You're the home my heart searched for so long
And it is you I have loved
It is you I have loved
It is you I have loved all along
Lyrics by Dana Glover..."It Is You I Have Loved"

Snow AGAIN!!!???!!

I know I've used this picture before, but I think it is very fitting to what has been going on in Colorado the past three weeks.

SNOW!!!!! We have had more snow than I care to ever see again. I think snow is pretty, but I'm tired of being paralyzed by it. I can't go anywhere! The only positive part of all this snow is being with my blizzard buddy...Boo Boo.

We have been playing a lot of Wii games, and we are already 14 hours into Zelda. I love this game!!! John plays, and I'm his wingman. I point out all the things that John doesn't see or think about. We make a great team!

John and I had a nice New Year's. We went to the Bronco game on New Year's Eve...disappointing loss. Although, it doesn't compare to the loss we found out about the morning of the new year. Go here to read the details: http://zablanc.blogspot.com/2007/01/darrent-williams-gunned-down.html
Very sad news about the Broncos, and one of their players. He sounded like a nicest guy you would ever want to meet, and now he is gone from this world. My thoughts are with his family and teammates. :(

In happier news, 2007 is John and I's baby's birth year. Cedric has 71 days to go, give or take a few, before he makes his appearance into the world. We're so excited to meet this little guy. He is definitely growing, because I feel more kicks and lots of moving around. We start our classes this month...it almost seems surreal that we will have a new person living in our house very soon. The time is flying! :)

My resolution for the year is to lose the baby weight after Cedric is born. I know I will, but I figured I would put it in writing on my blog. Happy New Year...2007 is going to be a great year!