Make that 13 times an aunt

Two babies in two days. That can only happen when you have a family as large as mine. Today, my sister Recca welcomed Lowell Bruce Jr. (I've chosen to call him "Pound"—LB=pound, get it?) to the world at 6lbs., 6oz., and 20in. And he has red hair just like his cousin. I have a feeling they're going to be great friends. My aunt cup runneth over.

12 times an aunt

Welcome to the world Abigail Catherine. We've been expecting you. I can't wait to meet you in person—all 6lbs., 12oz. of you. I'm wondering who's holding you. Jealous of anyone besides Mommy and Daddy who get to snuggle love you up. But I'll be there soon. I hope you can't wait either.

Listening to: Fisher's You

The return of the ring

I almost lost something very precious to me this week: my promise ring Jonathan gave me a year after we started dating. I've worn this ring for 9 of the almost 10 years we've been together. And I was heart broken to see that it wasn't on my dresser one day. I searched the floor. I searched my drawers in hopes that it fell in with my socks and unmentionables. Nothing. I thought I was going to have to come to terms with losing my precious ring. Then, while Jonathan was bagging up our bedroom trashcan, a miracle happened: Some of the trash slipped out, along with the ring. Someone was truly watching over me and answering my prayers. I can only guess who. Maybe the person who made Jonathan wait to give me the ring until we'd been going out a year even though he bought it three months into our relationship. Thanks Mom. I owe you one.

Oh mama!

I started my daily shot this week, and I'll I can say is: OUCH! That hurts, that hurts, that seriously freaking hurts! Although I don't experience the flu side effects that I did with my three-time-a-week shot (Yippee!), this shot is very painful. I get a nice size lump and a patch of redness around the injection site. It goes away after a while, but like my other shot, the area feels bruised days later and some of my lumps have last days. I'm still not sure how my body/skin is going to react to daily shots (i.e. if the injection reaction starts lasting longer), and because of the frequency, I'm probably going to have to start giving them in the thigh so I have a wider rotation of places to inject. I'm not a fan of giving a shot in my thigh because it's the most painful place for me. I think it's because my thighs are all muscles (yoga!). I must remember: Things could be worse.

But enough about illness before you all think I've become a complainer and a hypochondriac. I'm so excited to be counting down the days until my niece Abby arrives on Friday. I go meet her on Sunday, where I'll stay week snuggle loving my nephew and the new baby, and pampering the new mommy. To prepare for my trip and a week away from my yoga studio, I've downloaded the Prete-a-Yoga application to my iPhone. My plan is to take myself away for an hour or so each day and take a "class."

Etsy anyone?

I've been trying to fulfill my mission to find A Capricious Perspective a cool Etsy shop so I can post another comment to her 100th Blog Giveaway. (If you haven't commented yourself to win her cute tote, go do it now! It's free. It's fabulous. It's fun. Plus, Capricious is preggers. Don't piss off the hormonal woman by not trying to win her fun tote. I won't hear the end of it! Go comment! She loves her comments like she loves her Starbucks Chai Lattes.) I really want to win, but more than anything, I want to impress Capricious with a fabulous find. I've searched Etsy. And searched. Typed in words in the search function I think would be of Capricious's liking. For over an hour. No luck. I know cool shops exists. I know a handful of them. Tell me, what are your favorite shops? How do you "shop" Etsy?

Creative genius

There's a certain bloggy person I know who really takes the cake in creative genius. She's busy all the time dreaming up projects, but unlike me, she actually carries them through—in like a day. (Trying not to be jealous here.) And now she's giving away part of that creative genius in the form of one of her stylishly funky and fun totes. Wanna new bag that makes people ask, "I love your tote! Where in the world did you get that?" Then click over to A Capricious Perspective's blog to get registered to win! She's giving away one tote to one lucky winner—I should know because I have one her of creations, and I love it. And not just because it happened to be designed by my sister. This is a completely unbiased review. You can find a link to the giveaway to the right by clicking that cute blog giveaway button.

Design note: If nothing else, admire the blog button I created for A Capricious Perspective's blog giveaway. Indeed, creative genius just might run in the family.

In need of inspiration

I'm supposed to be writing. And not in this favorite little space of mine. Real writing. For work. By day, I'm a magazine editor for Sound & Video Contractor (SVC), millimeter, and Digital Content Producer. I'll have been at this job for four years in July. In that time, I'm gone from strictly an editor to writing and becoming more involved with SVC's industry. Some days, I really love my job and how far I've come in my position. Some days, I really hate my job and wonder why I even want to write in the first place. I think it comes down to the fact that if I ever want to go to another job, I have something to show for it. Most editing position require that you write, which wasn't something my current job required. Now I know why: It's hard to find the time to write! Which is why I'm writing on my days off, trying to find some motivation and inspiration to write about the video and sound systems at a casino theater. If only I could make money laying around blogging all day. If only.

No more magazine subscriptions

I'm down to only having one magazine subscription—Yoga Journal. I love magazines. It also means I have a hard time getting rid of them when I'm through with them. What if I someday want to look back at them? Yesterday, I decided that the ones in my craft/guest bedroom haven't been looked at in months, so it was time to let go. I was really tempted to hold back a few issues. But I was strong. The only magazines I'm keeping in my archives are Yoga Journal. That's enough. I just need to remember that.

Ombama

Lululemon athletica's latest ad campaign cracked me up, and gave me a little hope. If only all our political heads would incorporate a little om into their lives...

Life lessons

It doesn't mean anything

Last night, I dreamed I had a baby. At one point, I'm fairly certain it was a girl, but in another part, it was a boy. Named Liam, which, in my dream, I was berating myself for naming my child that when my friend Amanda just named her cute little tyke Liam. Like I couldn't come up with a name on my own, even if it is a great name. The most disturbing part of the dream: I went shopping with my baby, and upon loading up the stroller, I realized that I couldn't hold the baby in my arms and load the stroller at the same time. The solution: to hang onto the baby with one hand by its arm! Two things I know for certain: I'm worried what kind of parent I'll turn out to be and I may be coming down with a baby itch, which I'm sure will only get more aggressive once I see my unborn niece in February and my other niece or nephew later that month. I just need to think of all the yoga and sleep I'll miss out on. That'll heal up the baby itch for a bit longer.

Did someone say yoga?

Warning: Yoga addiction may cause blog neglect, family neglect, and an extreme sense of euphoria (especially when discussing yoga with others).

Yesterday, I took three yoga class, one at lunch and two last night. My body is surprisingly unsore, maybe a little noodle-like, but who couldn't use a bit of noodle in their body?

My company is doing a 12-week program where you tally up your miles of exercise, weigh yourself, get your blood pressure, and measure your body fat mass, hence the extreme yoga-takingness. At the kickoff meeting, I announced to the group that unlimited passes to the studio I go to are only $95. The looks I got! It amazes me that people will spend that much on junk food every week and not bat on eye, but God-forbid they actually bring exercise, peace, and well-being to their lives. Glad I'm learning compassion at the same time!

Eesh, I sound like a yoga snob, but really, is that a bad thing?

Not good, but not horrible

My latest MRI wasn't as bad as the one I had done 6 months ago, but it wasn't a completely clean MRI. I do have an active lesion on my left frontal cortex (I think I'm getting that terminology correct), which probably accounts for the mild numbness in my calf and the burning that is still lingering in my toes. Because of my track record of lesions and physical symptoms I had in the last year, my doctor and I decided it was probably a good idea to go ahead and try another medication. The daily injection kind. Good news is that I'd eventually be switching to this medication sometime in the next year or so because it's the one I'll be on when we start trying for kiddos, so I won't have to worry about that transition when the time comes. That's a silver lining.

Here's the stick

When you get blood drawn, get an IV, get a shot, or, heaven forbid, a MRI with contrast, do you like it when the nurse says, "Here's the stick"? I usually push my mind away from the inevitable—not knowing and just accepting without thinking feels better. More calm. No use worrying about something that hasn't happened yet, especially when it might be easier and less painful than predicted. That's how I operate in life, and yet, here I am mentally prepping myself for the results of my most recent MRI. Imagining nothing but bad. It's like a little nurse in my ear saying, "Here's the stick. Here's the stick. Here's the stick." At least I have yoga to take me out of my mind. I've already taken seven classes this week. I wonder if I can ask my doctor if she minds if I sink into half pigeon while she delivers the news.

My scary face

I couldn't resist showing one of my MRIs. How scary is this? If I was a radiologist I would have nightmares.

Shopping spree

I've been needing to go shopping for some new clothes for some time now, but usually I find things I like only to talk myself out of them because of the price. Buying usually requires shopping with someone can talk me into it. But today, a backup wasn't needed.

The Limited at Town Center is closing. Something about the lease is up, but the way the sales clerk said it made me think something else is up. I didn't mind though. I told her stores can close more often—Almost everything was 60% off. So I got seven tops for less than $100. My kind of shopping!

So very special

This afternoon I got a call from a very special person. It was so unexpected, and just what I needed to cheer me up. She had a request: to Skype and see her beautiful little boy. Boy did I just want to reach through the screen and snuggle that little bundle. Mom, of course, looked fabulous. Like she had merely exchanged her basketball for a real baby. I'm pretty sure CostCo can do that for you, by the way, or I'm sure certain people (hem, hem, you know who you are) would have me convinced. Baby was sporting some spikey hair. Much potential does that hair have. Thanks Amanda! It was so very thoughtful. I can't wait to Skype again. Skype friends with cute babies are the best!

New Year's Resolutions?

Here we are at the start of another year. Usually I'm excited and motivated to find myself with a clean plate. Well, my holiday blahs are lasting into the new year, but I'm determined to put a positive, bright, and motived foot forward. With further adieu, here's my 2009 resolutions. Here's to keeping them!

1. Exercise daily. I've almost got this one down with going to yoga, but now I want to start getting up early and running on the treadmill.
2. Get rid of junk and organize the apartment. It would be nice if my extra/guest bedroom was more of a respite, but it's cluttered, there's videogame wires all over the place, magazines, and crafting stuff all over the place. Goal: trash the magazines, find a way to make the gaming system more hidden (I really hate the sight of wires, don't you?).
3. Send out birthday cards on time.
4. Find healthy recipes that are quick and easy to make. I've relied on pasta too long, and you can so tell.
5. Craft more. I envy so many of my blog friends who make the most amazing things, and I think, I should do that. Projects for the new year: knit soon-to-arrive niece a baby blanket and Valentine's Day cards.
6. Socialize more. This one is a BIG one for me, because I get lazy and comfortable either being at home watching DVDs or Hulu or doing yoga. I need to get out more, before all my social skills deteriorate. Blog readers, I give you a task and New Year's resolution: Get Jess out of the house!
7. Bake bread. I received a breadmaker for Christmas last year. It's about time I make some fabulous bread!
8. Make homemade croissants and ice cream. For some reason, both of these foods scare the crap out of me.
9. Bake and decorate a cake using the cake-decorating tools I received last year.
10. Travel. Maybe the east coast or europe. Don't care just as long as it happens.
11. Blog better. More often, more pictures, and possibly more bling.