Giving Thanks

Well, we had a very nice holiday. Two of them, actually! Brian had to work Thursday, so Abby and I went to my sister's house and enjoyed a yummy dinner with her family and our Mom. We decided to skip going to the station to have dinner with Brian because there were about 40 people there, including many kids. Abigail is still too little to be around too many little ones (did I just break the record for the number of times "too" and "little" were said in one sentence?). We have to keep her healthy and strong for her upcoming surgery in February.

Friday Brian came home and we had ANOTHER Thanksgiving holiday with his family. Brian got to see a cousin he hadn't seen in over 20 years, so it was quite special. We missed you Jeff, Laura and cousin Leila!

We have so much to be thankful for. To much to mention here on my blog, in fact, but thankful we are indeed. Here's hoping you all had a wonderful holiday too!

Thanksgiving @ Bopmyspace.com

This is just weird.

So here I am on a Friday night blogging about my inability to take a decent photo and no sooner than me finishing my post, I decide to go check out my favs...one of which happens to be MckMama's blog. Sure enough, I find out when I get there that Small Fry is having a Small Fryday contest, whereby you can win cool camera stuff. And hello?!?! I just posted about how I need to work on my photography skills (or lack thereof)! I swear it's fate. And, she's also offering to design a new blog header for the winner...and boy could my (all too obvious) homemade blog header use a makeover!

Photography 101

That is the class I need to take. Photography 101. It probably doesn't come as a surprise to you...if you're a regular here on my blog...but I am not good at taking pictures. I'm not afraid to admit it. I mean, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? So today I spent much of the day stalking eBay. Looking at "fancy" cameras, contemplating buying one, in hopes that with a fancy camera, I would be able to take those fancy pictures.

And then I had a revelation. It went something like this: Maybe I should learn how to use the camera I already have. Maybe, just maybe, if I bothered to look at the user guide, I would find that my camera has the ability to take nice pictures, and I just don't know how to use it. Hmmm. I pondered this thought for a while, and then decided to actually dig the user guide out of the deep dark depths of the hallway closet, and actually READ it. Now mind you...I didn't understand most of it. Sometimes I felt like it was written in a foreign language, or at least, photography language. Damn. Why did I major in finance?

So I spent the evening reading the guide, then trying to snap a shot, then trying to enhance it with the fancy features. By the time I was done I think both Brian and Abigail had had more than enough of me. But practice makes perfect, right? Or at least better? So, my weary readers, bear with me as I practice taking pictures, and practice all the fun enhancements I can do with them on my camera. Or at least practice turning them from color to black and white.











And sepia tone.




And for the record, yes, that IS my dining room. And yes, the table IS set...well, sort of (paper napkins)...and yes, I DID cook, and force Brian to sit at the table. You see, we usually sit with TV trays in front of the, well, TV. I figured it was Friday night. And Brian had been working since Monday. I mean literally, since Monday. 96 hours straight. Fighting fires. And he has to go back in the morning. So the least I could do was make him a nice dinner, set the table, and light a candle or 2, so we could eat like normal human beings eat, right? But I digress. Back to the pictures. I know. Not too impressive. But I'll keep practicing. I promise.

And I'll keep reading that darn user guide.

Wordless Wednesday

(missing Daddy)

It's Time.

Well, the day has come. It’s been lurking out here for months. I’ve been avoiding it. And honestly, the day actually came…and went…8 days ago. November 10, 2008. Abigail and Madison’s due date. I knew from the get-go it was a date I likely wouldn’t actually get to with my pregnancy, but I certainly had hoped I would get close.

Most people probably won’t even notice, and for most it is probably not a big deal. But to me, it is a huge deal. It’s my ticker. That pesky little ticker that was counting down the number of days until “Corny’s Twins” were due. The one that constantly reminds me of how early they arrived. Eleven weeks and one day, to be exact. The one that constantly reminds me of what we have lost. And the one that constantly reminds me of what we have been blessed with. The odds she has defied. The fight she has endured. The miracle that is our precious little Abigail. And our forever Guardian Angel, Madison.

So today it’s finally gone. I’ll replace it with another ticker soon. I just have to decide what I want to count to now. Maybe the days left until Christmas…although I’m in denial that the holidays are upon us, as I am totally unprepared. So that might be too depressing. Or maybe I’ll get one of those cute ones that counts Abigail’s “days old”. Maybe I should go on a diet and count the number of pounds I want to lose. Ha! Who am I kidding! THAT will never happen. I don’t know. I’ll think of something. Who knows...maybe someday by the good graces of God, (or at least an infertility specialist), I will be able to have another pregnancy ticker on my blog. But for now, I must let it go.

Where did last week go?

What a busy week! Between errands, doctor visits, home health nurse visits, another wedding, a birthday party...my goodness did the week go by fast! Friday we attended Kevin and Mandy's wedding, and what a party it was! It was my first night away from Abigail, and I think it was much more traumatic for me than her. Grandpa Gary and Grandma Jean stayed with her and Abby did great. She even gave them about 5 straight hours of sleep! Where's my 5 hours Abby? Thank you Grandma and Grandpa! The wedding was a blast. We stayed at the Marriott Laguna Cliffs Resort. It was beautiful. Here's the view from our room.



It's amazing how being 30 minutes from home for 1 night can feel like, umm...a vacation. The weather was perfect...in the 80s. Can't complain considering it's the middle of NOVEMBER!

Here are some other random pictures from our busy week.

Mommy and Abby snuggling after a night away.



They were having a very serious discussion. Believe it or not, the "little one" on the left is 3 weeks YOUNGER than Abby.



The cousins...Happy Birthday Hannah!

Wordless Wednesday

French Dip Heaven

So Friday I was craving a French Dip sandwich. Yummy. I needed one. And I needed one right then. Going out to a restaurant wasn't really an option. So the next best thing was to google a recipe to see if it is easy enough for me to make. I know what you are thinking...it's a roast beef sandwich for goodness sake. Not exactly rocket science. But my cooking skills (or lack thereof) are minimal at best. I definitely wouldn't put it past me to completely screw up something as simple as a roast beef sandwich.

Anyways, when I googled a french dip recipe, the first one I found was by Rachel Ray. I read the reviews. There were 97 of them I think...and all gave it 5 stars. Perfect! At the top of the recipe it said "Level of Difficulty: Easy". Awesome. "Cook time: 10 minutes". I am SO all over this. So off to the store I went to get what I needed for the au jus, and of course roast beef. Which by the way, is ridiculously expensive. I'm talking $10 bucks per pound. Ridiculous. But whatever.

Anyhow, long story short (well, sort of)...this sandwich turned out to be the best french dip I've ever had. Not because of the roast beef per se, but because of the au jus. It was awesome. And SO easy to make. Brian agreed it's the best he's had too. So there you have it. A delicious lunch. In 10 minutes. Here is the recipe.

Bon Appetit!

We have a winner!

Well, sort of. No one guessed her exact weight, but Mark, Kristi and Luke came the closest with their guess of 6 pounds 9 ounces. Yay for them!

Abigail's actual weight yesterday was a whopping 6 pounds 10 ounces! She gained almost a whole pound in just one week. The doctor was very pleased, as was I. She is now 19 1/4 inches long (tall?). She's really growing like a weed. Daddy even put her in her first newborn sized onesie today, although it IS Carters, and they run a little on the small side. But still...our baby's gettin' BIG! Her chubby little cheeks are absolutely irrestible. I mean seriously. Don't you just want to pinch those?



Boy oh boy am I in love.

Shall we play a game?

Ok...so let's try a little game. Are you ready? I want to know if anyone can guess Abigail's current weight. She is going to the doctor today, so I will post the answer tomorrow. Leave a comment if you dare to take a guess. Here are some clues:

She weighed 2 pounds 4 ounces on her birthday...10 weeks and 4 days ago.

One week ago today she weighed 5 pounds 12 ounces.

Yesterday she graduated to Newborn sized diapers (Yay!).

And here's a visual clue...this picture (from Wordless Wednesday) was taken yesterday.

Now...what do you think her weight will be today at the doctor??? Winners will get...well...bragging rights. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

Eyes Wide Open

I figured I should post a couple of pictures tonight because tomorrow Abigail has another one of those yucky eye exams. She gets all red and puffy-eyed afterwards so I probably won't take any pictures tomorrow. But tonight, she was crackin' me up with those BIG beautiful eyes.

Wedded Bliss...

Congratulations to my stepbrother Jeff and his beautiful bride Susan! We attended their wedding this weekend, and I really don't think it could have been a more perfect day.



At one point in the ceremony the Priest made reference to the late family members of Jeff and Susan, who are missed every day, but especially on a day like this. They included Jeff's Mom and Dad, Arlene and Larry, his sister Sherry, and his niece Madison. WOW. His niece Madison. It took a second for my brain to register that they were talking about MY daughter. And I thought I could make it through the whole thing without shedding a tear. Silly me. What was I thinking? An amazing tribute, I must say.

Anyhow...on to the reception. Let me tell you, Susan really knows how to throw a party! It was absolutely perfect. And the details...she really didn't miss a beat. Here are some pictures from the festivities...

The many faces of Nick...







And here's Hannah...my niece...



It was quite a celebration...







They even had a photo booth, so the guests could embarrass themselves...



All in all it was a GREAT night, and to Jeff and Susan...THANK YOU for allowing us to share it with you. We wish you a lifetime of happiness.