Much Annoyance!

It all started last Thursday. We received a phone call, from our landlord, letting us know that our neighbor (we live in a duplex) had found fleas in her house, from a dog she had been dog-sitting. She was calling the bug spraying people and we needed to keep an eye out, in case the fleas had found their way into our side of the duplex.



We weren't too worried. We keep our dog treated with flea stuff and routinely vacuum and clean, so no worries, right? Wrong! Thursday evening, Jeremy decided that he would comb through Molly's fur and just make sure. Well, that was our downfall, sure enough, there were a few fleas. A quick call to the vet and we knew that Molly would be okay, since she receives monthly flea treatments. The fleas might hop a ride on her, but would die due to the flea treatment.

We called our landlord and him know that we too seemed to have a flea problem. Our theory was that Molly had picked them up outside when she went out that evening to do her business. No way were they in our house. We decided that it would be a good idea to have the bug spraying people come to our house, as a preventative measure. We scheduled a time for them to come on Tuesday, since they couldn't come any earlier.

Friday morning comes and I receive a phone call from our landlord's wife. She thinks (and I agreed) that waiting until Tuesday wasn't a good idea. That we needed to have the bug spraying people come out right away. She scheduled for them to come Friday afternoon and urged me to call my doctor to see what precautions a 7-months along pregnant woman should take. I quickly called my doctor and was told that while things would probably be okay, I shouldn't take any chances and should vacate the area for 24 hours. 24 hours? That's a long time. But I would feel terrible if something went wrong, so I agreed.

We thought about staying with my in-laws, but they live about an hour away and Jeremy needed to be near our house the next morning for a 5K race. We decided to just bite the bullet and checked into a hotel that would allow pets.

Saturday afternoon we returned to our house. Not a flea in sight, so we breathed a sigh of relief. We were in the clear....

What were we thinking? One day and all of our problems would be solved? Of course not! Sunday rolled around which meant Jeremy would be at work for most of the day. Throughout the day, I killed a few fleas that I spotted on Molly. She of course did not appreciate me coming at her with the tweezers, but it had to be done. By the time Jeremy was home and we were getting ready for bed, we had probably killed a dozen more. They weren't gone, they were simply coming out of hiding!

So, last night at 9pm, we were throwing all of the rugs and linens into the wash, vacuuming the carpets and the stairs, and making the decision that until further notice, Molly would have to stay in her crate, in the basement. We made another call to our landlord to let him know that sadly, our optimism had been in vain. He vowed to call the bug spraying people as soon as they opened to see what the deal was. Would we just have to spend a few days killing fleas? Would they eventually die? Would we ever be able to sleep in peace again?

Needless to say, much annoyance fills my soul. Fleas are gross and getting rid of them is consuming my time. What a pain!

21 Questions

I don't have a lot on my mind today, so I "borrowed" a meme from my friend Jen.

21 Questions to Break the Silence

1. I've come to realize the last person who held my hand...
was my husband, yesterday, as we wandered through Kohl's looking at really cute baby clothes.

2. I am listening to...
the radio, B-93, our local country station. I also can hear the guys down the hallway (I'm at school) who are replacing the carpet in the classrooms. And, if I listen real closely, I can hear the song that has been stuck in my head since Saturday. I won't tell you what it is, as I'm trying to get the song "un-stuck."

3. I talk...
when I have something to say, when the phone rings, or when I accidentally talk to myself. Truly, I probably talk to myself more than I should, but I tend to think out loud, which is fine when you're by yourself. When other people are around, apparently it can really annoy them.

4. I am dating...
my philosophy of writing paper, my multi-genre project, and the quilt I'm making for our little girl. I guess you could say I'm also dating the baby's room. All of those things are consuming all of my time.

5. My best friend(s)...
have been around a long time. They tend to have a similar sense of humor and care about me, no matter what.

6. My car...
is a messy, white Hyundai Elantra. This thing could really use a good cleaning, in AND out. It also takes about $30 more to fill it now, then when I bought it. Oh, the good old days of getting a full tank for around $10. I miss those days.

7. I hate it when people ask...
why we haven't bought a house yet. It really isn't any of their business in my opinion. We'll buy a house when we're good and ready. For now, our duplex is working out just fine. I also hate it when my students ask if whatever assignment I have given them is going to be graded. Does it really matter? You should always do your best, no matter what.

8. Love is...
the answer to all of the problems. Our former pastor put it best when he said that the answer to everything is simple, "love wins." If you're willing to love, things will be okay. You have to make the choice to do it.

9. Marriage is...
what keeps me going when I feel like I can't. Knowing I have someone to walk alongside me forever makes life so much easier.

10. Somewhere, someone is thinking...
about Abraham Lincoln.

11. I'm always...
moving my toes.

12. I have a secret crush on...
no one. My husband knows that I love him more than anyone else. Besides, my crush on Tim McGraw is hardly a secret at this point. :)

13. My cell phone...
keeps me entertained during my boring graduate class.

14. When I wake up in the morning...
I usually hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. Other times I am able to wake right up and start watching the news. Most of the time, I wake up to the dog reminding me that I should probably take her out or wake Jeremy up and have him take her out.

15. Before I go to bed at night...
I set two alarm clocks, just in case I sleep through one of them. I also try and read a little bit of whatever book happens to be on the floor next to my bed. Usually I fall asleep during this time and wake-up when Jeremy is taking my glasses off and turning off my lamp.

16. Right now I am thinking about...
The fact that I'm supposed to be working on the two projects that are due next week for my graduate class. At least I'm thinking about doing them, right?

17. Babies are...
about to enter my life. Well, one baby, but still. I'm sure our life will be turned upside down and a period of adjustment will definitely happen, but we're still really excited to become parents in October.

18. Today I...
will work in the school office until 11am, then go to class until 3pm (eating lunch in the car on my way to class), then tutor a student until 5pm. After that I'll finally go home and think about what we should have for dinner.

19. Tonight I will...
probably work on these two projects for class and watch last night's, "The Next Food Network Star."

20. Tomorrow I will...
work in the school office until noon, tutor two students, and then go home and work on stuff for class.

21. I really want...
the temperature outside to become more comfortable, the next couple of months to go well, for this stupid class to be done, and to be a good mom.

Cauliflower

Throughout my pregnancy, I have been receiving weekly email updates from a couple of different websites. These websites exist to keep parents-to-be in the "know" about what is currently going on with the pregnancy. How the baby is developing, what to expect at the doctor's appointments, etc.

They also like to try and give you an idea of what your baby looks like. Each week and/or month, my growing child has been compared to some sort of food, usually something from the produce department. At first, this didn't seem strange to me. It was helpful and was a good visual for me. As I wandered through the grocery store, I would see a lemon and think to myself, "Ah, the baby is that big right now."

However, this week, when reading my weekly email, I was a little disturbed by the contents. Apparently at this point in the pregnancy (a little over 27 weeks) my baby girl, who is approximately 15 inches long and weighs a little over 2 pounds, is the same weight as a large head of cauliflower. Cauliflower? Really? That's the food we decided to go with? I absolutely despise cauliflower. How it looks, how it smells, how it tastes, everything about it I can't stand! And this is what my sweet baby girl is being compared to?


I am not okay with this! Today, when I am at the grocery story, I will find something else that weighs approximately 2 or 2 1/2 pounds and that is what I will compare my baby girl to. She will not be a head of cauliflower!!

39 Years

I forgot to mention in my last post that today is an important day for my parents. Today they celebrate 39 years of marriage! What an amazing thing to be able to say in today's world. In a society where a marriage that lasts 5 years is highly celebrated, I think that 39 years is definitely something to be proud of.

Do they have the perfect marriage? No. I don't think any marriage is truly perfect. Has it always been sunshine and daisies? No. There have been plenty of rocky places. But my mom and dad are truly committed to each other. In their 39 years of marriage, they have raised 3 daughters, paid for 3 weddings, welcomed 2 grandchildren to the family (with their 3rd coming in October), traveled back and forth across the country too many times to count (they're actually doing this right now), supported each other through the deaths of their own parents and grandparents, supported my sisters and I through many hard and challenging times, and many other things.

I can only hope that 34 years from now, Jeremy and I will be celebrating our own 39 years of marriage. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

The Plastic "Cup O' Happiness"

Yep, turns out it's true. A happy morning and a good start to your day can be found in a plastic cup. As long as that plastic cup contains a Mint Mocha Chip Frappucino from Starbucks. Now, part of that happiness involves not paying attention to how bad the drink is for you. You have to be willing to drink it in complete denial. That part is very important or else the whole happiness buzz could be ruined. Of course if you're with child, it's important that you order this wonderful "cup o' happiness" in the decaf variety, or else the unborn child will start practicing their Olympic gymnastic routine a little too early. Some of you are thinking, "If you have to drink decaf, why even bother?" It's simple, because decaf or not, your body will thank you for indulging in this wonderful bit of happiness.

So, as I finish my morning "Cup O' Happiness," I wish you a wonderfully happy day as well. May you all find your own morning "Cup O' Happiness."

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy Independence Day! July 4th is definitely a favorite holiday of mine. I've loved it since I was a little girl. It's always a good day of fun, food, family, and fireworks.


I love that it's usually not super hot, but just about right. I love that as Americans, we haven't completely commercialized it yet. We haven't really changed the meaning of the holiday by encouraging giving gifts or making special candy just for this holiday. For the most part, we've kept it about America. A day to celebrate the amazing freedom we have in our country. This is the day to celebrate that I can worship whatever God I choose and you can worship whatever God you choose. As a woman, I can celebrate the freedom to vote, to work, to have the same rights as men.

So, have a wonderful 4th of July. As you decide to BBQ or play baseball or watch fireworks, remember that because of the events of this day, many years ago, you have the freedom to do those things.

And, a Happy Birthday to my nephew, who 11 years ago today, came into our family. He's definitely our family firecracker! :)

New Addiction

A few weeks ago, Jeremy and I decided to change cable companies. We had a plethora of reasons for changing, but mainly to save money. With our change in companies, we are now getting many more channels and spending less money. To me, that is a win-win situation. However, with the addition of new channels, comes the addition of a new addiction. I have discovered the fun that is Jon & Kate Plus 8.

If you have never watched this show, you should. It is so refreshing and enjoyable to watch because this couple, along with their 8 children (a set of twins and a set of sextuplets, all under the age of 8), are so real. The parents get frustrated with each other and aren't afraid to show it. The kids aren't perfect and discipline is key to teaching these children right from wrong. You can also tell from the very beginning that these parents love their children and desire nothing more than to give them a good life.

While I sing the praises of this show, the problem is that it has sucked me in! I'm addicted! I believe they are on season 4, so I've been busy trying to catch all of the reruns of past episodes. I think it's safe to say that Jeremy thinks I have a problem. I do feel guilty sometimes, sitting there just watching TV. But then, I remind myself that I am on summer vacation. I have worked hard all during the school year, many times 12-14 hours a day. Even now, during my "vacation," I am taking a grad class for 6 hours a week, tutoring 6 students, and working in my school's office every morning, M-F. So I think it's okay if I want to sit and watch a little mindless television. :)