Land of Betsy

Swinging together at the beach

2011-10-18T20:34:00.001-07:00

This is one of my top things about having twins.

Confession

2011-10-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

I like to take the boys to Costco just so they can both sit in the cart side by side and everyone will stop me to tell me how cute my kids are. I can't disagree.

Judah (8 months)

Asher (8 months)

Busy busy busy

2011-09-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

A few things going on

I have just 2.5 months to finish the class I've been working on for the last year for BYU's BGS program. It is Psychology of Gender, and very interesting, but difficult to find time to work on.
I've been reading the same book (for pleasure) for the last 6 or 7 months. I finally finished it last night. The last 2 pages blew my mind. In a good way.
I got called to serve in the Primary as a the chorister. It is way fun to be with the kids again, but a crazy time with the twins in tow. Everyone helps me out though, so it's all good. Plus I'm sharing the calling with another woman, so it's not every week, which is a good fit.
Work is good and busy. Busy busy busy.
Judah and Asher are busy busy busy little guys, which keeps me and Nick busy busy busy.

Alone with my thoughts

2011-08-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

Kids are asleep. Nick is at school. Work is done for the day. I am enjoying a few blissful moments of silence, which are few and far between these days. I can actually hear myself think.

Asher is pulling himself up on any and all things 24" or less in height. But his balance is still not that stellar so he's been falling over a lot too. He goes into the "ugly cry" at least 2 times daily. But he gets over it quickly, and goes about exploring the floor (and cords and shoes and bits of paper) with his mouth. I think he might be part puppy. He has started sticking out his tongue again a lot, which I am a big fan of.

Judah is not very motivated when it comes to mobility. He's saving all his energy to grow teeth and flirt with women. He has 2 bottom teeth, and a top tooth is about to pop out any day now. He is a social little guy and loves to be around people, loves attention, and does this thing where he lowers his head but keeps his eyes trained on his object of affection - which is pretty much any woman. I sometimes worry about what this means for his future - especially the teenage years, but mostly I'm just jealous that I'm not the only one he flirts with.

Nick started his last year of grad school today. There was much rejoicing. He will be shooting his thesis film this Fall. It will not be shot in my house. When I learned this fact there was much rejoicing. You should check out his fundraising site and kick a few bucks our way: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nickreddoch/space-garden-graduate-film-thesis

I love being a work-at-home mom. Even though I'm still working with Nick to establish what I believe to be a fair distribution of labor on the home-front, I think I've struck a pretty sweet balance between work life and home life. I enjoy my job tremendously, and I think I'm pretty good at it. I am challenged by new things thrown in my path, and I am able to handle them well. I really like and respect my coworkers and managers. Every time I think about my company I feel a swell of pride and it's pretty much a constant love-fest whenever I get to talk about my telecommuting arrangement or almost anything at all to do with where I work and with whom I work, not to mention our products. I hope I get to work there forevers.

Lately I've been noticing that my babies aren't little babies anymore. They're turning into little boys slowly but surely. I'm torn between wanting them to stay little forever and wanting to speed up time to skip to the next thing and the next. Sometimes I think about having another baby (or babies) and it scares me because my kids are in reality still infants. I have two stinking babies at the same time. And they are still babies. Even though they aren't the little peanuts I brought home from the NICU lo those many months ago. Mostly I just don't want to wait too long to have additional kid or kids. Nick and I are no spring chickens over here. I would love to be done having babies by age 35. That kind of limits my window. Also I don't want to have too much of a gap between kids because if my next kid is a singleton then they might be spoiled or have last child syndrome (you'll have to ask Nick about that one). And if it's twins again, might as well be full crazy for a few years instead of spacing out the madness. Then again, maybe I won't be able to have more kids. If I learned one thing from my pregnancy it is this: I am not the one in charge. I did not get to control the timing of that pregnancy (not to mention the fetal count), so I expect I won't be able to control the timing of any additional pregnancies - if I am lucky enough to have any more.

For the record, twins are the best. I love having twins and I feel so blessed to be entrusted with two beautiful and perfect little boys. Sometimes I try to imagine what it would be like to have just one baby. Then I do the mental equivalent of biting my tongue because I don't want to know what it would be like to have just one baby. I am in love with having two babies. Sometimes I feel like everything in my life up until this point has prepared me for having these kids. They are my blessing, my retribution, my make-up-for-lost-time, my everything. And I'm pretty sure Nick agrees.

Anyway, it's getting late. And I have to fold the clean laundry that is on my bed so I can get into it. Ah, bed, I love you.

9 on, 9 off

2011-08-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

I don't remember where I heard the expression, but I quickly embraced the idea of "9 on, 9 off" in reference to pregnancy weight. I had my beautiful twin boys almost 7 months ago, so if I am true to my word, I have just 2 months to go until I should be back at a comfortable pre-pregnancy weight - and more importantly, pre-pregnancy size.

I gained a total of 37 pounds during my twin pregnancy, which was not that much all things considered. I delivered almost 11 lbs of baby back in January, and lost ALL of the 37 pounds plus some within 1 week. At my 6 week check-up I was actually about 10 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight. Then I stopped pumping breastmilk. And my appetite which had been pretty low during pregnancy made a grand/unwelcome reappearance. Now I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight. But don't get me wrong, I am not at my pre-pregnancy size. I have a lot of extra belly, and appear to be about 5 months pregnant, which I can assure you, I am not. I want to see if I can dip below the 200 lb mark by the time my little boys are 9 months old, which is extremely doable.

Since I had twice the amount of kids do I get twice the amount of time to work off the baby body? I think yes. If I work hard and continue to TRY I can make huge strides by the time my kids are 18 months old. For the record I am about 75 lbs above my goal weight, however that might not be realistic for me post-baby and post-20's. My goal for now is to shed 50+ lbs in 11 months. Then I'll reevaluate a realistic and healthy final goal weight/size. Here we go!

Blog by email?

2011-08-04T11:30:00.001-07:00

I'm testing out the ability to blog via email (via my phone). If this is possible you may *may* see more than 1 post every 6 months from me. Get excited.

As a reward for your continued patronage of the blog I have attached a pic of the twins from when they were itty-bitty things. You're welcome.

Sleeping

2011-07-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

The most common piece of advice that I received while I was pregnant was some variation of a) get some sleep while you still can! or b) sleep when the baby sleeps. Unfortunately the way the human body is designed stockpiling sleep "while I still could" is not really a helpful option. I had gotten plenty of sleep for the past 30 years, so I was all good on that front. As far as those jokers that recommended sleeping while the baby sleeps - clearly none of them have twins. Nick and I have decided that we concur with the sentiment we heard on the Father's Day episode of This American Life. The word "twins" should be abolished from the dictionary and replaced with "two f-ing babies at the same time" because "twins" doesn't really adequately convey what is going on. "Twins" is adorable. "Two f-ing babies at the same time" is adorable yet terrifying. Anyway, in those early weeks when it is important/possible to catch up on sleep during the day while the baby naps our boys were on totally different schedules, rendering that advice useless. I think I remember one day time nap in the first six weeks, and that is just because Judah was still in the hospital. After 6 weeks I returned to work making weekday napping something that I look forward to doing on vacation. In like 10 years. Maybe.

We read a book on sleep training, gleaned tips from other parents and blogs and such, and just used a series of real life experiments to find the sleeping routine that works for us. Over the past month Asher has slept through the night maybe 5 to 10 times. Judah slept through the night once, but it was sadly not on an Asher-sleep-through-the-night-night. Nick and I have worked out a shift system for night feedings, and I almost never end up stumbling around at 2am swearing and crying and looking for a bottle. We have "double trouble" about once a week when both babies wake up to eat simultaneously. Other than that, our sleep life is pretty descent. What I once considered to be a modern day miracle (both babies sleeping AT THE SAME TIME!) happens pretty regularly now for daytime napping and night sleeping. Just ask Nick - as a summertime stay-at-home dad he has taken full advantage of this routine.

They're Here (and critically awesome)

2011-02-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

My beautiful baby boys are here, and have been for the last 6 weeks. I am officially the worst blogger in the world, but I've been busy adapting to my new role of mom.

Judah James (on the right above at 3 weeks) was born first via c-section weighing 4 lbs 6 oz. Asher West (on the left above also at 3 weeks - duh) was born two minutes later weighing 6 lbs 5 oz. Both boys were born crying with full heads of hair.

We totally lucked out with these awesome kids. They don't give us too much trouble unless they're hungry or uncomfortable. Judah is a bit more of a dramatic little guy (dramatic chipmunk) compared to the ultra laid back Asher. We're excited to start sleep training soon so we can reclaim some of our sanity, though honestly it really hasn't been too terrible on the sleep deprivation front (but ask me again at 3am, and I'll give a different possibly curse-word-filled answer).

A few lessons I've learned in the first few weeks of motherhood:

Leaving preemie babies at the NICU is a blessing and a curse. It was so great to have time to recover from the birth knowing that they were receiving expert care, but so so difficult to leave the hospital day after day without those little darlings.
Huggies leak like crazy on my boys. I can't wait to finish the boxes I have. I want to try out Luvs, Costco and Target store brand diapers to see if they work for us, but if not I am totally sold on Pampers (which we have never had a leak with to date.)
Little boy parts should point DOWN in a diaper, and the ruffles around the legs should be OUT. And no, this wasn't the problem with the Huggies.
Judah is calmed by the vocal stylings of Celine Dion (learned this one tonight while watching the Academy Awards).
Asher loves to eat and smells like toast.
Always accept help/meals/hand-me-downs when offered.
Boppys are my lifesaver. The boys happily sit in them, sleep in them (for daytime naps), and use them as props for tummy time.
Both boys hate baths so far, which is why we delay and delay giving them. Maybe that explains the toast thing.
Swaddling is tops.
I am totally in love with all of my boys. I can't believe how blessed I am. And I can't believe how much I love being a mom to boys.

Festivus Bed-Restivus

2010-12-24T08:54:00.001-08:00

Festivus was yesterday, December 23rd. I was expecting a relatively quiet Festivus holiday, but instead got the following.

This is what my feet look like normally.

This is a dramatic reenactment of what my feet looked like on Wednesday night.
(Sadly I didn't have the wherewithal to take a photo - thanks Google Image "pregnancy cankle" search!)

So, I have had some mild swelling in my feet through the last few months of my pregnancy, but nothing serious at all. That is, until a few nights ago. I noticed that my feet were looking mighty fluffy popping out of the top of my cute flats. I lifted my pant leg and saw the true horror of the situation: my ankle had entirely disappeared and had been replaced by a fleshy tree trunk instead. Also, my shin had developed what appeared to be fat rolls. Really? Although this is a regular thing in most pregnancies, mine came on so suddenly that I decided to give my doctor a quick call, just to be on the safe side. I was told to stay off my feet for the rest of the night and then head in for a blood pressure check in the morning (as the sudden swelling can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia).

When I got to the doctor my blood pressure was slightly elevated (but nothing out of this world). I had gained 4 cm in the last week, and 6 pounds! I am now measuring as large as a 40 week singleton pregnancy (40 weeks is full term, btw) even though I was a day shy of 32 weeks. I also had a little protein in my urine, which is what got me sent to labor & delivery for some labs and a non-stress test. Note, I was by myself and I had no idea that I was being admitted into the hospital. I thought I was just getting a blood test. Silly me.

After waiting in the hall for a while and exchanging confusing calls and texts with Nick, my mom and Malia, I was given a hospital bracelet and one of those sweet hospital gowns that flap open in the back (a first for me). I decided that Nick should probably get down there just in case (and that incredible journey is a whole different story because of our car breaking down the prior day.) Anyway, after being stabbed in the arm 3 times my labs came back and showed no pre-eclampsia. Great news! However, my non-stress test (which monitors the babies heart beats and uterine contractions) showed that I was having a bunch of contractions. I wouldn't have known because they weren't painful at all, but they were regular enough to be of concern to my doctor. Then I got to have my cervix swabbed to check for preterm labor (fetal fibronectin test for those keeping tabs). That one also came back negatory, which means that it's highly unlikely that I'll give birth in the next two weeks. My doc also measured my cervix with ultrasound, and it was still in a normal range, but getting shorter than she would like to see at this point. I'm also not dilated at all, which is good.

After all this fun I got a shot of something to stop my contractions. Also around this point Nick showed up (about 3 hours after I had been admitted). My contractions actually responded to the meds, so my doc decided that I could go home (yay) but on bed rest (boo). I'm popping pills every 6 hours to keep the contractions away, and chilling in my bed. Nick is doing a great job of getting me food, beverages with straws, books, dvds, and everything else my heart desires. He also cleaned up the house so my family can come visit us for Christmas later today (since I am now house-bound except for doctors appointments).

If you need me in the next 2-6 weeks, you'll know where to find me! Happy Festivus!

Let's talk about sex, baby!

2010-10-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

A big congrats to Tyler, Dean, Alex, Kristine, Rachel, Todd and my subconscious for guessing the correct gender combo for the Nitsy Twins. That's right kids, we found out at our detailed ultrasound today that Twin A is a boy, and Twin B is... another boy! Sorry LC, we're all snips and snails and puppy dog tails over here. It did not come as a huge shock to me as I had a dream very early on in my pregnancy when I first knew about the twins that they were both boys. I was hoping for one girl, but I guess I'll have to try again for my girl.

Both babies are developing well, and still have healthy heartbeats and growth. Twin A weighs 13 oz, and Twin B weighs 14oz. For those keeping tabs, my cervix is still long and strong.

I also took the dreaded gestational diabetes test this last week... and failed. So I have to go in for a more extensive 3 hour test. Yuck!

In other fun news, I joined a podcast called Pregtastic. It's an online radio show where pregnant moms from the area get together to discuss different pregnancy topics. I have recorded 3 episodes so far, and the first came out today! If you're interested, check it out here: http://www.pregtastic.com/category/podcasts/ or just search for "pregtastic" on itunes.

Vital Stats:

How Far Along? 20.5 weeks - over half way there!

Maternity Clothes? I still fit in a few of my larger regular shirts and stretchy pants, but I'm wearing mainly maternity clothes now.

Weight Gain? 12-ish pounds, but I haven't been weighed at the doctor in a few weeks.

Stretch Marks? Oh yes. Though I think they might have been there pre-pregnancy... but I'll just go ahead and blame the twins from here on out.

Feeling Movement? Only a few times each day, but we saw that both twins were quite active during their ultrasound.

Sleep? I am sleeping 9-10 hours per night. I discovered the wonders of the body pillow, and now I'm loving my sleep again.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in. I have a belly button aversion, so we'll see how I feel if/when it pops out.

Cravings? Hotdogs and rootbeer. Weird, right?

Best Moment of the Week? Finally learning the genders of my little guys!

Genders? Boys

What I Miss? Sushi! Also, walking and taking stairs comfortably. I feel mildly disabled.

What I Love? Looking at baby clothes. Deciding on nursery decor. Feeling the babies move.

What I'm Looking Forward To? Reaching 24 weeks (viability).

Milestones? Over half way there!!!

Other Thoughts? Nick and I both feel so blessed to have such a mild and healthy pregnancy so far. Keep growing babies!

Lots of love to you all!

Nitsy

Fun Game!

2010-08-26T15:08:00.001-07:00

We will be finding out the genders of the Nitsy Twins in the next few weeks (so long as they're not modestly hiding the goods). We've started a game to get your Nitsy Twins gender guesses. To enter, simply leave a comment below. Boy/Boy, Girl/Girl or Boy/Girl. The prize for guessing correctly is bragging rights, pride, and big props for being so intuitive.

Happy guessing!

Betsy is Great

2010-07-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

...with child. Well, children really. That's right folks, I'm in the family way, and baking a double batch of awesome. The Nitsy Twins are scheduled to make their appearance some time in January (though my due date is about halfway through February). We are super excited to become parents of two now that the shock has worn off. And for those of you that are wondering (which seems to be most) this little miracle was achieved without any fertility intervention (100% natural). Also there are no twins in my or Nick's immediate families (maybe some distant third cousins or something?) so this was the SHOCK OF MY LIFE!

During my first prenatal appointment my doctor did an ultrasound to measure the baby and see how far along I was so the due date could be set (like a lot of things about me, my cycle is irregular). As soon as the ultrasound began she said "I need to tell you something, and I need you to brace yourself." I thought for sure she was going to tell me that I had lost the baby. Oh no, not at all. She informed me that we had been doubly blessed!! My reaction was to sob uncontrollably for the next 5 minutes. I was really really relieved, and clearly surprised. And here's the kicker - Nick wasn't even with me, so he got to hear the incredible news over the phone. I had to assure him that I was "not even close to kidding."

I'm a little over 11 weeks along now, but I feel pretty confident in sharing the news since I've had 3 solid ultrasounds all showing healthy growth from both babies as well as super boss heartbeats. And I don't mean to brag, but I pretty much rock at being pregnant. No morning sickness, no vomiting, and no real complaints so far. Amazing. We don't know the genders of the Nitsy Twins yet, but we'll likely find out at my next appointment in about a month. Also, there is a 99% chance that they are fraternal (from 2 eggs) because they are in separate sacs with their own placentas.

So, now you can see why our heads exploded back in June. We've almost pieced them back together, and hope to have intact skulls for the next few weeks of craziness: our move to Oceanside, the start of grad school for Nick at SDSU and more gestating for me.

So

2010-06-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

My head just exploded. That is all.

I Feel You, Sally.

2010-06-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

All this time I've been saying that he didn't want to [be married]. But the truth is that he didn't want to [be married to] me. He didn't love me.

If you could take him back right now, would you?

No! But why didn't he want to [be married to] me?

Thankfully I have Nick who doesn't mind too much that I am in fact clinically insane.

Unexpected

2010-05-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

I've observed it in others over the past few years, but in no way did I expect to have complicated, almost panicked and somewhat sucky feelings about turning over another decade. I always shook my head at people dreading the big 3-0 knowing that I would never behave in such an undignified manner. Well kids, I'll be the first to admit that as the blessed event drew near I began to freak the heck out. I've always wanted to have a super boss party for my 30th - mostly something involving lots of breakfast cereal. But then it all started to sound like the dumbest idea in the history of the world. And I discovered to my surprise that I was not into having a party this year (like Goldie, the idea exhausted me). Instead Nick and I took a long weekend in San Diego. We stared out the hotel window at a view of Coronado, relaxed by the pool, played some shuffle board, took in some movies, and walked all over the downtown area searching out the most delicious foods. It was completely relaxing, and just what I needed to cure my case of the crazy-face.

While I'm not exactly doing a joyful dance about being 30, I'm not having a mental break about it either. Well, not anymore. I'm fine, the train of life chugs right along, and nothing is really different than it was a few weeks ago. The thing is, much like JD of Scrubs, I too had a list of things I wanted to accomplish by the time I was 30. It's true that I made that list about 4 years and about a billion life-changing events ago making it mostly null and void. But some things stand out from the rest as big fat failures, regardless of my ability to control them. You see, I really expected to be expecting by now. The fact that I'm not is really unexpected.

Open Letter

2010-02-24T11:41:00.001-08:00

Dearest Fatty,

Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

xo,
B

Abe Lincoln: The Original Hipster

2010-02-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to our country's first bearded president, Abraham Lincoln!

He has always been and will always be my hero of facial hair.

January 2010

2010-02-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to tackle 12 monthly resolutions instead of the usual one or two annual new years resolutions, which are statistically abandoned by January 15th (Truly. Statistics don't lie.) Another bonus of doing resolutions in this manner is that if I lost my resolve after just one month on the wagon I would still be a success. Anyway, January's resolution was NO SODA. Period. At all. This would be the most difficult resolution for me to stick to, so I decided to take on this one first as I would have the new years momentum behind me. I am proud to announce that as of the writing of this blog I have not had ANY soda ALL YEAR. Yay me. I'm not making any promises that I'll stay off the sauce for the whole of 2010, but I'm enjoying the side effects of abandoning my vice of choice as I've lost about 5 pounds and have saved probably about $100. Score!

We're already a few days into February, and I'm still sticking to my crazyily lofty resolution for this month. Hint - you won't be seeing any photos of me like the following from Feb 2010.

Happy Groundhog Day!

2010-02-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.

I want to go to there

2010-01-28T23:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Everyone I Know,

Please go to here (www.rachelthurston.com - website to an amazing photographer) so I can go to here (Pacific Northwestern awesomeness). Seriously, do yourselves a favor. I love gawking at Rachel Thurston's photos on a several-times-a-week basis. A bonus was when I saw that she had photographed my friend Haylie's wedding! Without my knowledge! It's fun when two things you think are unrelated come together like that. Anyway, long story short, be aware that you should go to www.rachelthurston.com. If you do, spread the word, and you too could be in the running to win a super sweet vacation to beautiful Seattle!

xo,
The Coolest Girl In the Room (the whole wide room)

I've kept you waiting long enough

2009-11-19T18:43:00.001-08:00

Whenever any blogger hasn't blogged in a while, it is next to impossible to start the first post back in any other way besides the following (What I'm trying to say is that I'm cliche and I know it): It's been a while since I've written anything on here. Of course I try to post something over at the Land of Nitsy on a quarterly basis, but this little bloggy buddy has suffered some pretty severe neglect since the inception of Nitsy in June. I won't lie and say that I'll be more diligent with my posts, but I will say this - I've missed writing. I guess I have fewer diverting shenanigans now that I'm a Sadie (note - not every girl can get herself a guy who looks like Nick). But I'll see if I can muster up some material for my fans in waiting.

Updates:

Tomorrow night Nick and I leave for a road trip to Texas/Nick's mom's house. Redd will tag along with us. Boopie arrived there earlier today. Angi gets in on Monday. Fun times are about to ensue. The fact that I've already been married to Nick for 5 months and have yet to meet either of his parents or his sister is pretty interesting. I'm slightly nervous but mostly just excited.
Nick and I have been called as ward missionaries. I'm excited to be in a calling where I can serve with my new husband.
Work is work. Last night I had a dream where I got laid off/fired because the company got sold and my position became redundant. It was like a sucker punch to the gut to realize that those dream-jerks chose to keep a different dream-assistant that dream-works in my dream-office instead of dream-me! I was bitter and upset most of the day. How dare they! But again, it was just a dream.
I need to dye my hair. Meeting your new mom-in-law with 3/4" roots is not a good plan. First impressions are important. Now I just need to figure out how to lose 50 pounds between now and Saturday night...
I'm going to the New Moon movie tonight with the Irvine gals. Should be a fun time, but I'm yawning just thinking about it.

Hopefully those updates are enough to tide you over for the next 6 months or so. You're welcome.

I have been disowned

2009-06-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Since news of Nitsy's impending union broke I have slowly but surely been disowned by the members of my singles ward. The invitations to go out and do things have slowed from a virtual downpour to a light drizzle. I was shocked to learn that I was removed from the Visiting Teaching list for the month of June. I am getting released from my calling as a Family Home Evening group leader on Sunday. Further, I have not been asked out on one single date all month long! Jerks. But I have come to accept my fate. Tonight at FHE Mandy introduced herself to a new girl. That delightful girl asked my name and I said "it's Betsy, but don't bother remembering it. I'm getting married next week." This she accepted without even batting an eye. And that's pretty much the gist of it. I have been disowned. But it's all in the pursuit of something great and wonderful. The consummation of Nitsy and the premier of Fusion House. I was never happier to be excluded.

I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it.

2009-05-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

(not Nitsy)

Nick is awesome. And I love him. And we're getting married.

Allie was super cool (as usual) and wrote this post on her blog about him. Go there, for more scoop on the best guy ever.

Also, we have a blog together, Land of Nitsy. Nick + Betsy = Nitsy.

It's Nitsy!

Partial list of stuff that I like about Nick

2009-04-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

He looks a little bit like Nacho Libre
He likes good music, and insists on making me mix cd's
He sent a text to my dad saying that he owns strip clubs and makes good money
He will drive an hour each way just to spend some time with me
Once he left me a cute note under my pillow
He likes me just the way I am

What the What?!

2009-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

Someone alert the presses; I have a boyfriend. I know, right?

Nick!

2009-04-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yeah, Nick! Nick's a real name. Nick's your buddy. Nick's the kind of guy you can trust. The kind of guy you can drink a (root)beer with. The kind of guy that doesn't mind if you puke in his car. Nick. Oh, I'm sorry, vomit.

Financial Fast 2009

2009-03-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

When I was in Portland last week Malia floated the idea of a spending fast in which she would only pay bills and buy groceries for a month. No eating out, no shopping for clothes or stuff for the house. I was intrigued, but not fully on board. When the stipulation of $20/week of walking around money was added, the idea became much more palatable to me. And when I changed it from a spending fast to a financial fast, I kind of loved the idea (clearly, I heart alliteration). I ran the plan by Mandy (fellow Shady Lady and BFFF) and we decided to start as soon as we practically could, which is today! I expect the next four weeks to give both my bank account and my pants some much needed breathing room. Wish me luck!

Totally hypothetical

2009-03-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Happened once, it happened twice it happened three times, maybe four times, maybe five times, maybe, maybe it happened six times but it won't happen seven times. No no no no no no...

Don't call me past 11pm. It won't happen again... Oh, also, don't call me after you make out with a chick 10 years my junior. That's MY rule now.

Your Mom

2009-03-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

I got a new calling at church. That's right, I'm your mom. FHE mom, or group leader, as it's known around these parts. I am co-leading one of the professional groups (ages 25-30). The other group leader, Justin, and I will be teaching lessons out of the Preach My Gospel manual the first and third Mondays of each month along with other fun shenanigans.

Last night was my first FHE in this group (I had actually been attending in the other Pro Group). There were 10 people there including one to three dudes I could possibly be interested in. Nice. Justin taught an awesome lesson about Charity and then we played the Game of Things. When the thing was "Things that confirm that you are losing your memory" my answer was "I can't remember the last time I had a date." Although untrue, it had the desired effect of having a few of the guys in attendance offering to remedy this problem. We'll see if they step up to the plate with an actual date offer.

I won't lie, I think I have a new crush brewing here. I mean, who wouldn't have a crush on a cute laser scientist that enjoys a little Teen Girl Squad or 4 Gregs, and references a show/song that I like-like in casual conversation?

The answers may surprise you

2009-03-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Question: Am I really considering getting involved with a guy that does not own a car?
Answer: Yes, yes I am.

Question: Does said guy work at a movie theater?
Answer: In fact, yes.

Question: Wait... what?
Answer: I know, right? I clearly need help.

Special Redheads

2009-02-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

I was told once by a very wise person that everyone needs a special redhead in their life. I have several special redheads in my life currently.

Special redhead #1: Allison Pipkin Hite, my once girlscamp buddy and current sister-in-law of awesomeness. Karl and Allie are freakin' adorable together! I LOVE ALLIE. I pretty much can't wait for these two to start producing some super sweet ginger nieces and nephews for me.

Special redhead #2: Krystin Pipkin, pretty much my adoptive sister/niece-in-law. I love this kid. Between her twin obsessions (Twilight and HIMYM) and straight boy craziness how could I NOT love this chick? She is hot, and available. Tell your friends.

Special redhead #3: Mandy Shaff, roommate, BFFF and Shady Lady of super-awesomeness. It's kind of remarkable that even though I spend about a billion hours per week with this gal, I'm still not sick of her! Whether we're making a POA, puting in some facetime, scouting the Simbas, hanging with the faux-fam or making random phone calls at midnight on a Thursday, I relish our friendship like Mandy relishes froyo.

You'd think that with all these special redheads in my life that there simply isn't room for one more. But when a good, cool, attractive, nice, gainfully employed (not at a movie theater) redheaded man that is also fun, funny, and interesting enters the picture, you make room.

Would anyone like to take a stab at deciphering the meaning of this:

2009-02-18T00:24:00.000-08:00

Am I imagical enough for this to happen?

2009-02-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

I like it.

And like can lead to like-like, and like-like can lead to love.

She & Him

2009-01-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

Do yourselves a favor, and get this album.She & Him is Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward

...You're welcome!

That just happened.

2009-01-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

About once a week Facebook shows itself as a mystical place where astonishing and bizarre things happen.

Exhibit A
My former fiance from 7 YEARS AGO and I had a delightful chat last night. We haven't been in contact in about a billion years, so it was interesting and odd and kind of great to hear from him. I'm glad that we'll have an easy rapport should we ever meet in a social setting, which is likely considering the cross-over in our friend pools.

Next.

2009-01-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

So, that was quick. This week started out with two suitors in contention for my affections, and it is heading into the weekend with none. Crushes come and go pretty quickly around the Shady Lady Hideaway. It likely has something to do with the fact that I think it's ridiculous to waste time hiding how I feel about men. I know there's a place for seduction and a chase in relationships, and I am not inept at flirting. However, generally speaking, I have a no-nonsense approach to dating. If I like a man, I will tell him so. It's true that this approach leaves one emotionally exposed and open to all kinds of rejection. But I figure that I'd rather have the rejection happen NOW than weeks or months down the road. Sometimes I'm the one doing the rejecting, and sometimes I'm the one getting rejected. Either way is just fine. When the rejection happens early on, they aren't really rejecting me, they're rejecting the idea of me, which may or may not coincide with the actual me. This distinction may only exist in my mind, but it's an important one. Anyway, so long as the guys seem to be attracted to me like moths to a flame, I don't think there's cause to change my approach.

In other news, I still kind of have a crush on that one guy. You know the one.

Listamania!

2009-01-15T15:50:00.001-08:00

I have recently started attending a singles ward for church. It's been fun and funny. My Bishop is a funny and genuinely delightful man. He has been troubled lately by the lack of proper dating between the members of the ward, so he adopted a plan that he has seen work in other singles congregations in the past. Each ward member filled out a slip of paper with his or her name at the top followed by a list of 5 people they would like to go out with. Once the lists are in, the process of comparing and contrasting can commence. If there is any cross-over in lists (you have written the name of someone that wrote your name as well) Bishop would contact the dude to inform him that he should ask that specific girl out on a proper date. Matchmaking at its finest.

My list was simple as I'm new and still trying to diversify my dating portfolio. I listed three men that I had hung out with in a group setting, one man that I talked with briefly that I find attractive, and one man that had spoken in Sacrament Meeting that day that I found both attractive and well spoken (important qualities in any sort of friend.) So far I know that I had one instance of cross-over (see previous post). We'll see if I get any dates out of the deal.

Triangulation Station Textation

2009-01-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

JK: Hey I was just thinking about last night and I'm sorry if it was awkward.

BHS: How's this for awkward? It seems we've got a bit of a triangle going here. I'm interested in M and I'm sensing that you are interested in me. Am I wrong?

BHS: Just thought I'd throw that out there. Nothing like clearing the air via test message. Ha.

JK: I wouldn't lie but I do like you. But I can tell you like him.

JK: Amen I'm glad you put it out there.

BHS: Yeah sorry to disappoint... But just so you know, you did make my list :) I'm just obviously interested in M right now for some unexplained reason.

BHS: Well let's agree to be friends without any awkwardness and just a hint of attraction and tension. Agreed? :)

JK: LOL totally agreed! Just to let you know you made my list too :)

Double Trouble

2009-01-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

I'm in a bit of a pickle, kids. This week I have been hanging out with these two dudes, and we all have been having a really fun time together. I really like hanging out with men. They are less petty, more relaxed and typically easier to read than women. Plus, if there's a chance for some action, that is also preferred. Just sayin. Anyway, here's the thing - I can't tell which one of my new buddies (if either) likes me. I mean like likes me. I'm usually pretty intuitive about these things, but in this case I can see signs of interest in both of these dudes. They are pretty close, so I don't think that either would stand in the way of the other's possible happiness with me, so I just don't get it. Perhaps they are just trying to see who I like before proceeding. If so, best of luck to them. I'm a tad on the boy crazy side as of late, so I'd date either. But I won't lie - there is one that I'd be a little quicker to say yes to. There's really something to be said for mystery. And dreaminess. And classically good looks. And being able to build a house by hand from the ground up. And laser tag proficiency.

In addition to the above, I have a couple other possibilities on deck. One Jane Austen lover (say it with me: HOT.) Plus I was asked out via facebook chat by another acquaintance yesterday. Interesting.

Soy un perdedor?

2009-01-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

"In every breakup there is a winner and loser -- with the very rare tie."

At first, I was the clear winner. I moved in to my own awesomely furnished place, maintained my good job, and maintained proper grooming habits. Plus, everyone (including his family) "sided" with me. And I was happy. Really happy. Finally, and for the first time in years. He was a messed up, horrible horrible wreck that had to move in to his parent's house when he realized he couldn't afford the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed without me footing the bill.

Nine months later...

Oh, man. He has moved on in a big way. He has resumed showering. And wearing pants. And shoes. And brushing the teeth. He has a new place, a "new" girl (GIRL) with a rockin bod, and seems happy. I know, right?!

Me? I'm 40 pounds overweight, at the same job, same place, same same same. Sigh. Class has its place, for sure, but I'm about ready to be a classless hussy. I want to do something crazy and interesting and spirited. A small percent of me wants to show him up and make him regret it all. But mostly I'm just ready to get back to being me.

A temporary break from the classiness I have come to be known for.

2009-01-06T23:24:00.000-08:00

Suck it, shameless hussy.

Operation: Place Holder

2009-01-03T23:40:00.000-08:00

As a teen my siblings and I would come up with code "operation" names for the people that we were currently crushing on. Who could forget Operation: Rio Salsa, Operation: Huff n Puff, or my favorite, Operation: Fill 'er Up!? In my current incarnation as a single person I have had a few active operations including the ill-fated Operation: Red Dragon, the revisitation of Operation: TP Salsa, as well as the dead-on-arrival Operation: Taco Bell. I hit pause on Operation: J2.0 when he moved out of state. I diverted myself with the internet thing for a while, but it was a dead end. So I began looking around closer to home. Enter Operation: Place Holder.

I have been going out on dates with Operation: Place Holder for the past few weeks. I realized practically from the beginning that it was going nowhere fast. Let's face it; I was never super attracted to this guy on any level, but I thought I would give him a shot. What did I have to lose, right? The dude was intoxicated by my free spirited ways, and I will admit that I was loving the attention he heaped on. For about two days. Then I was like -- hey, ease up bro. I wanted to keep things casual, while he showed signs of wanting to lock this down (and really, who could blame him?) One friend pointed out that I was way out of his league. Another mentioned that I was probably just rebounding. Possible, I guess. Historically speaking, I don't do rebounds, that is, unless I'm using the classic "Want to get involved in a really unhealthy rebound relationship?" pick-up line. Anyway, whatever the motives for dating Operation: Place Holder were, they are no more. I mercifully cut him loose last night before he had the chance to get even more attached. As much as I love free meals, I don't relish the idea of breaking hearts. And as his operation name states, he was really nothing more than a place holder for me.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Relationship Analysis

2008-12-30T16:23:00.001-08:00

Don't plan the plan if you can't follow through
This is perfect for me, so they say
I guess he's pretty okay
Tell you how, how you make
Make me feel, what's the phrase
Like a fool, kind of sick
Special needs, anyways
The only doom that's looming is you loving me to death
So please give me a sec to catch my breath

One, Two, Three, FOUR.

2008-12-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

That's the number of single men that have contacted me in the last 24 hours. When it rains, it pours, right? Here's a quick recap:

I call shenanigans on this one.
I suspect this will end badly.
I WISH!
Really? You're hopeless.

Have fun trying to decipher my code!

Speaking of Awesomeness...

2008-12-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

Not only is my little sis the equivalent of 3-4 attractive women when it comes to being a stone-cold fox, she is also AWESOME!

Love you, Caitlin-Landy-Cotton-Candy!

Single life is...

2008-12-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Exhausting! I haven't had a more eventful, more fun or more delicious weekend in a long time. Friday night I had a proper date. Good times were had by all. The food was delicious. Saturday night I watched a movie with friends. Good times were had by all. The food was delicious. Sunday I went to the singles ward in Huntington Beach and stayed for their Thanksgiving break-fast dinner. Good times were had by all. The food was delicious. Afterward I went back to J&J's house for another movie with friends. Good times were had by all. The food was... well, I couldn't bring myself to eat anything more at this point, but I'm sure it was delicious.

This coming week promises to be no less busy, and no less fun. And speaking of fun, yesterday I met an attractive single doctor. HECK. YES.

All those that worship at the throne of Mother's Circus Animal Cookies...

2008-12-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

Our prayers have been answered!

Critically Awesome

2008-12-02T23:45:00.000-08:00

The preceding image was sent to me by a man that stated that I fall well within the red portion. As he may or may not know, flattery will get you everywhere with me. True story. So, it pretty much goes without saying that I wasted no time scheduling a date for this weekend. Awesome! Also, he said that I am tops. I know, right?!

Oh, and I know you're all wondering -- no, this is not an internet dude. I actually know this fella.

(Not So) Secret Message

2008-11-30T22:26:00.000-08:00

That was really uncool, dude. Really. Uncool.

Requirements

2008-11-20T14:19:00.001-08:00

A prospective mate must be:

1) Good
2) Cool
3) Attractive
4) Nice
5) Gainfully Employed

All the things that I really want in a dude fall into one of those broad categories. Honestly! For example, being a current temple recommend holder falls under the "good" category. Being interesting and adventurous falls under the "cool" category. Showing affection in tender ways as well as all those thoughtful gifts or gestures fall under the "nice" category. I could go on and on. As far as specifics, if any interweb stalkers are poring over my blog for hints on how to be my ideal fella, well, let me just point you in the direction of this article.

So, tell me ladies and gents, what is/was on your list?

Word.

2008-11-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

You have to answer the following questions with one word, one word only...

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse

2. Where is your significant other? Unknown

3. Your hair color? Brown

4. Your mother? Teacher

5. Your father? Engineer

6. Your favorite thing? People

7. Your dream last night? Amazing

8. Your dream/goal? Family

9. The room you're in? Office

10. Your hobby? Fun

11. Your fear? Cats

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Settled

13. Where were you last night? Friends

14. What you're not? Unemployed

15. One of your wish-list items? Degree

16. Where you grew up? California

17. The last thing you did? Work

18. What are you wearing? Smile

19. Your TV? Awesome!

20. Your pet? None

21. Your computer? Dell

22. Your mood? Happy

23. Missing someone? Embarrassingly

24. Your car? Ho-Cart

25. Something you're not wearing? Ring

26. Favorite store? Target

27. Your summer? Lame-ish

28. Love someone? Lots

29. Your favorite color? Yellow

30. When is the last time you laughed? Now

31. Last time you cried? Unsure

Desperate? Well... you be the judge.

2008-11-17T00:07:00.001-08:00

So, I have "resorted" to internet dating. True story! It can only be described as totally diverting, and pure comedy.

Hilariously, I have been contacted by the following men:
1) A man from/currently living in Lima, Peru.

2) A man aged 47 who had this to say: "okay, i know i'm well outside your preferred age range, but i just had to tell you that i think you're adorable!" You know who else thinks I'm adorable? My dad. And he can use the shift key. Just saying.

3) A man aged 43 who had this to say "... I love reading, working out, drives up the coast, Salsa dancing, watch a sunset when I have someone special in my life, movies, fine dining and listening to live Jazz. May I call you? Ciao." Is it just me, or does this individual sound like the most boring/cliche middle-aged single dude ever? I bet he also likes long walks on the beach and cuddling in front of a fireplace. Seriously.

4) An old dude aged 64 that commented "I loved your profile, what do you think of mine?" I think yours shows that you are a 64 year old bald wrinkly dude living in Canada!! Which part of that is supposed to be attractive to me?

5) And, my favorite so far, my profile was viewed by a 70 year old. Maybe he was searching for/trying to reconnect with his grand kids? One can only hope.

Yes! Comedy gold, I tell you! SO WORTH the small fee I paid. My profile has been viewed by over 170 men in addition to those listed above. Not bad for a little over a week. Anyway, there are a few dudes that I would actually consider going out with, but I'm not holding my breath. It was more of a social experiment/distraction while the man that I really want to date is currently unavailable. I don't anticipate renewing my subscription at the end of the month. I'd guess that it can't be as much fun once the novelty has worn off.

The Four Day Rule or The Like-Like Cycle

2008-10-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Days with no contact or un-returned contact via text message, phone call, voice-mail and/or email from a man that I like like.

Day one: Let down. I feel bummed that my current squeeze didn't acknowledge me during any given 24 hour period. I feel especially let down if I contacted the dude with no response.

Day two: Annoyed. By this time, I have likely contacted the man du jour, and he has yet to return my contact. My typical sentiment during hours 25-48 is either "What's the deal, dude?" or "I guess he's probably busy. Hmph."

Day three: Unacceptable. If you are a man that wants to have any sort of relationship with me, going 48-72 hours without contacting me does not bode well. I begin to wonder if he is playing some sort of weird mind game, and start thinking "Thanks for nothing, sucker."

Day four: Over it. Yep, over it. Meaning, after day four (72+ hours without contact), I stop trying. I begin to accept the fact that maybe this man is just not that into me. Day four is a good place to be. Day four is freedom from the mental agonizing. Day four is the enviable "que sera sera" day. Day four is where the confident "his loss" mentality is born. Day four is a day of liberation from the emotional prison where I have been shackled by handcuffs of boy-craziness for the last three days.

And just when I start to feel really good and mentally sound, he'll contact me. Of course he will. And the cycle starts all over again.

Fun image tag

2008-10-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

The rules: Answer each of the following questions with a picture from google images. You may only choose a picture from the first page of your google image search.

My age:

Place I've been:

Place I want to visit:

Favorite Place:

Favorite Item:

Favorite Food:

Favorite Color:
Place of Birth:
Current Hobby:

Favorite Memory:

Bad Habit:

What I am currently doing:

Public Service Announcement

2008-10-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

KISS ME YOU FOOL!!!

Getting Intimate:How To Give A Goodnight Kiss

You're welcome, Stud.

I'm not crying, it's just been raining on my face.

2008-10-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm almost clothes-rentingly upset, dudes. As of today Mother's Circus Animal Cookies are no more. This is one of the first effects of the economic breakdown that has touched me personally. Goodbye, Mother's Circus Animal Cookies. I will mourn your loss, little pink and white sprinkled buddies.

UPDATE!
No news is apparently not good news. No takers for the failed cookie company as of right now. Excuse me, I'll be publicly weeping for the next few weeks.

9.29.08 in pictures

2008-09-29T16:11:00.001-07:00

As stated earlier, today it is official.

The lovely Malia sent me flowers. What a great sister!

Here's a close-up of the cards. I personally feel that congratulations are in order.

Now, what to do with this?

Announcement

2008-09-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

For the record - I am now single.

Now Accepting Reservations

2008-09-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

So, the countdown has now begun in earnest. Only two short (long?) weeks until I'll be hitting the town as an eligible single woman. I don't expect to be on the market long, so I suggest asking me out now.

You have been warned.

Now taking suggestions

2008-08-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am now accepting suggestions for future craft nights in the Shady Lady Hideaway.

Ready

Set

Comment!

Craft Night II - Real American Heroes

2008-08-24T23:28:00.001-07:00

Heroes of Facial Hair mini-book

Happy birthday to one of my real American heroes! Now if only you could be a true hero of facial hair...

She's Crafty.

2008-08-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

Friday night was craft night in the Shady Lady Hideaway. Here are a few pictures from my latest exploit, which I believe I will make something of a tradition.

Letters waiting for my craftiness to ensue.

The paint selected for the project.

Painted letters.

Everything drying.

A green star.

The ugly under-belly of my project.

Might.

And here's the finished project. I love the idea of seeing the word "might" as I head out the door. It reminds me that each day holds both power and possibility.

I also added a green star to my New York collection, as an accent piece.

My house just gets cuter and cuter with each and every project. Next up for craft night is a mini-book for my friend's birthday.

I have a fever...

2008-08-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

...And the only prescription is more cupcakes!

For additional information on my fair-food crimes, go here.

Earthquake!

2008-07-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

There was just a magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered in Chino Hills, CA - about 30 miles from my office. I'm on the second floor, so things up here were rattling a lot - probably more than on the ground floor. I thought briefly about "ducking and covering" but decided to wait it out when it seemed like it wouldn't get too crazy. Once the shaking stopped (probably quaked for about 5-10 seconds total), we all grabbed our little emergency kits and evacuated the building. Notably, I remained calm throughout, though once it was over, my legs did feel a bit like jelly, and I had an increased heart rate. Also notably, one of my coworkers was so intent on calling his family that he disregarded any and all safety precautions and darted in and out of the building trying to locate a working phone. Of course no quaking was happening at this point, but the man seemed a little crazed. Note to self - don't get stranded with this dude in a true emergency.

Apparently...

2008-07-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

One post per year is not cutting it for my newly blog-happy family. So here it is, post number 2.

The end.

ps: Obviously, I lead a very exciting life.

5 year old Betsy

2007-06-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

"I want a pet. I want a cat. If I get a cat I will play with it."