Baby Belly

As requested, here is a recent picture of my ever growing abdomen. We are about 7 1/2 weeks from D-Day. Diana's wedding is next week...so once I make it through that, I'll deal with more of the "baby stuff"

We're getting very excited and her room is pretty close to ready. I have a few more things to clean etc...but we'll get there.

Lots of love

Security at the Bridal Boutique

With Diana's wedding swiftly approaching (just 4 weeks away), we were all getting very anxious for the bridesmaid dresses to arrive. We bought them from a store up in the suburbs about 40 minutes from my house. I knew my dress was going to need serious altering and I had some one specific who I wanted to do it, who lives down in El Paso. My sister had 2 bridal showers in the Gridley area on Saturday, so we made an appointment in between to get fitted for the alterations.

One of the bridesmaids lives out in D.C., Amanda is down in Gridley, and I didn't want to make too many trips so I volunteered to go pick up these 3 dresses so we could get things started. I arrived on Friday afternoon to pick them up. What the shop didn't tell us is that to pick up dresses for other people you either have to be
A. The Bride
B. Have permission from the others to do so.

I asked what "permission" entailed. The shop ladies said that the bridesmaids needed to call into the shop and just let them know that I would be picking them up. Now it's in the middle of the afternoon. Amanda is in school and Emily (the one from D.C.) is at work. But never fear, a little family scheming is always in order.

I told the ladies I thought I could get a hold of Amanda and Emily to have them call in. I then proceeded to call Mom- asked her to be Amanda....then called Diana- asked her to be Emily and express their desire to have me pick up the dresses.

To make the act even better, I went back in and asked to look at my dress while we waited for them to call. Sure enough within minutes "Amanda" and "Emily" both called. The shop ladies asked neither of them for any identifying information to confirm they were who they said they were. It was all I could do not to laugh when they gave me a thumbs up with each call.

Anyone with any tenacity could have duped their system. Now I really did have permission to pick up the dresses...but if I wanted to steal/destroy/hold hostage the dresses I easily could have.

They then proceeded to share some stories of people who actually did steal/destroy etc... other's dresses. Crazy bridal world if you ask me.

All is well...I have the dresses and we're one step closer to the wedding.

Wouldn't you love this story to be about you

Comcast Cable Guy Weight Breaks Pole
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tue-problem-box-27jan27,0,3124066.story

I found this story absolutely hilarious. It's sad because if Comcast had just done the right thing by fixing the pole in the first place, this guy wouldn't have to be so embarrassed. I don't know if you have ever worked with Comcast but their service is typically very bad.

Often when I make service calls I do their whole automated system and at some point in the process it hangs up on me. Got to love that.

One time I had a guy suggest I use their online chat to set-up my modem and router. That would be pretty challenging since I need to the modem and router hooked up to have an Internet connection.

Oh well, this incident happened not far from our house (next town over). It's good for a laugh :).

Much less depressing that reading about our crazy governor. I seriously believe the man is mentally gone.

I don't have to do my taxes

This is because Mark does them.... :)

I always did my own taxes (prior to getting married) and it was one of my least favorite chores of the year. Some years I was motivated and did them them really early. Other years...I waited until late.

Mark (as an accounting student) I believe truly enjoys doing the taxes. Now with the house and such it is more complicated than in years past. He's excited about this. Strange I know.

I'm thankful that until death do us part...I won't have to do my taxes. Plus I have the best accountant ever!

Lots going on

Sorry it has been so long. We've had a very busy (and very blessed) holiday season. We've spent lots of time with family and friends. Mark has been battling a head cold since just before the New year but he's making it.

Today my Amanda is having her tonsils taken out. She really needs this done as they were basically so large they were touching in the back of her throat. Hopefully all goes well.

I'll post more about our holiday w/pictures soon.

Sharing my waistline

I commented to my sister that I no longer have a waist line...

She said "Yes you do, you're just sharing it."

Here is a recent picture of Mark and I on our trip to South Bend. My work had its annual holiday party. We had a wonderful time in South Bend over the weekend. Mark also got some much needed rest.

If you are ever in South Bend and need a hotel, I'd highly recommend the Inn at St. Mary's. The service, the rooms, the BREAKFAST, everything is fabulous.

It snowed the entire time we were there, just like it does in South Bend :).

SHE is beautiful

Mark and I went to the doctor this week for an ultrasound. We are pleased to see that our little girl, Zoie Jean is doing very well. The tech said everything looks healthly and normal. We feel so blessed to be part of this miracle.

Here is a picture from ultrasound.

Thanksgiving in Georgia

Mark and I made the long 16-hour journey south for this Thanksgiving holiday. Since we haven't seen most of his family since we moved in May...it was a long anticipated trip. The weather is great (even though I heard it was nice in IL as well) and it's great to see everyone. It's a little weird driving around. It's familiar but it is no longer home. Funny how that transition happens.

Joel has already humored me many times with his perspective on the world. They were very concerned that since everyone was in bed when we arrived last night we would not know where to go to sleep. It may be a few months since we've been to this house but the general layout is still pretty familiar...so no worries Joel.

Rachel is quite fascinated with my baby belly and rubs it regularly. She has put her vote in for a girl...but Joel wants a boy. Mark said "Well we'll find out who wished harder"

I did not bring my cord to download pictures so that will have to wait until I return.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Wedding bells

It is with great pleasure I introduce you to the future Mr. & Mrs. Warnecke.

My sister is engaged to Nicholas (pictured below). The wedding is set for March 7th so we have a lot of planning to do. We picked out bridesmaid dresses Saturday. Fortunately one of Diana's favorites came in a maternity style. I will be 7 1/2 months pregnant at the time of the nuptials. At least I'll look pregnant...not just fat. It will be just very pregnant.

Just thought I'd share the good news!

Congrats Nicholas and Diana!

Shot in the arm

In the interest of protecting the health of my baby, I got a flu shot. I'm not so sure that was a great idea.



First mistake I made was to allow them to do it in the right arm. The asked my preference and I said I didn't care. Since she was on the right side that's just what they did.



It was sore for a couple of days and then got better.



The soreness is back now. I went to the doctor this morning and she thinks that I probably aggravated the soreness over the weekend. The only thing I can attribute it to is moving my arm in funny directions to try on bridesmaid dresses (this experience will be worth another post).



It's not infected so that is good.


The bad thing is I can't take any anti-inflamatory pills because I'm pregnant. Instead I'm icing 4 times per day for 20 minutes at a shot. I went ahead and turned the heat up a bit because I'm shivering now.



Hopefully this gets better soon. I'll be more careful with the arm for a while.

Envying the Chickens

I never thought that a white feathered bird would elicit feelings of green envy from me. Mark made the comment after we found out I was pregnant "wouldn't it be easier if you could just lay an egg."

After a nauseating evening yesterday and clothes shopping today, I think he may have been right.

First off, all the maternity clothes I've seen are not very cute and selection is extremely limited. I love clothes shopping and new outfits...so I find this challenging. I find enough tops that look cute enough...it is the pants/skirts area I'm having trouble.

They have plenty of jeans and some khaki type stuff (lots of capris which does me no good in the winter) but nicer pants and skirts...no such luck.

I also have a conference in two weeks. I'm not really quite round enough for maternity clothes but my normal dress clothes just aren't going to zip.

I bought some bigger pants today that should get me by.

I just found the experience to be frustrating and I have a feeling it will only worsen.

Wouldn't it be nice just to lay an egg?

Baby Lindberg Update

All is still well with baby Lindberg. I had another doctor appointment today. My tests were all normal and the heart beat is strong.

My doctor questioned me a bit because I haven't gained any weight yet (don't worry this will come). I reminded her when you throw up a lot...weight gain doesn't typically happen (I was polite when I said this). Now that I'm in the second trimester and not feeling nearly so icky, I should be able to gain as appropriate.

My mom says I shouldn't worry about it and just eat right. Dr. Huff always says "The baby is a little parasite...he/she will eat first."

Our next appointment is just after Thanksgiving. It is then we'll have an ultrasound and hopefully be able to tell if it is a girl baby or a boy baby. I really don't have a preference.

We just pray God will continue to keep our baby (and mama) healthy.

Kuntz Family Wiener Roast (or hot dog boil depending on the weather)

Last night was the Kuntz family wiener roast at my parent's house. This my family on my Grandpa Kuntz's side. It's like his siblings, their kids, on down. It also usually includes a few random people who know someone in the family.

I always enjoy this event and this year was no different. My dad did a fine job of embarrassing my sister and I with his public announcements. First he asked Mark to pray, which is fine. But then he introduced him to the crowd as the "Father of my future grandchild." Mark is no longer a individual person but the "Father of the grandchild."

Diana fared a little better when she and Nicholas arrived. He was given a name when their engagement was announced to the group.

We're glad dad likes to share about his kids...it just sometimes is a little more large-scale then I'd probably choose.

My uncle Steve though also joined in by introducing Jen, Zach's fiancee...so we weren't alone :).

It was chilly last night but with the heated shed we did just fine. They did have a fire and some brave men pretty much cooked all the hot dogs and brats.

I don't have any pictures but everyone seemed to have a good time.

Cheers until next October!

Back from Florida

I love Florida. I love the weather, the beach, the people...it's just great. We had a fabulous vacation. Unfortunately my camera battery was about to die, so I don't have much for picture. Besides, I don't usually feel pretty in beach pictures.

First we went to the Lakewood Retreat with the Sarasota church. We had a wonderful time. We got to see some friends, see a new baby, and chat about pregnancy with folks in like condition.

Then it was off to Tampa to spend time with my cousin and her family and go to Busch Gardens. I couldn't do any roller coasters but they have some very mild rides and shows, so it was a good day. It worked well because my cousin has a 3-year old son so we hung out all day and Mark, Dad, and Mom did the roller coasters.

Then we went down to Siesta Key Beach. If you ever are trying to decide what beach to visit in Florida, this one comes with my highest recommendation. It has beautiful soft white sand. It has a lot of quartz in it, which keeps the sand from getting very hot even in the Florida sun. We did a few hours there with my parents before they flew back home.

Mark and I also rented a kayak and kayaked in the lagoon. Very relaxing and fun. It was difficult to find a "fun activity" that would be safe for this pregnant lady but we managed.

We had a wonderful trip. I finally have a slight tan which I know will fade very quickly.

The morning sickness wasn't too bad over our trip which I was very thankful for.

It's good to be home but I'll always love sunny Florida.

Baby update

I had a doctor appointment on Friday. She said our baby's heartbeat is nice and strong. It sure makes this mamma's heart warm to hear that.

My morning sickness has definitely improved. I was truly hungry (not the I have to eat or I'm going to be sick kind of hungry) for the first time in 2 months yesterday. It was a great feeling. This is just in time for our trip to Florida which is great.

We praise God for his faithfulness and strength thus far in our journey.

Best wishes to you all!

Drinking the same water

It seems there has been a recent rush of people annoucing their pregnancies. It may just be my perception due to the fact many of my friends are married and hence now having children.

Mark and I are happy to announce we are joining in. We are expecting our first child next April.

Things are going fine. I have definitely felt decieved by the term "morning sickness." No one told me it would last all day. But it has improved and I hear it should continue to get better.

As I tell the baby "Mamma loves you even though you make her sick."

We're just thankful for our new little one on the way.

2 years!!

It has been two wonderful years since I married this fabulous man!!

Happy Anniversary Honey!!

Why fixing the ceiling is so important

If you haven't already heard, Mark and I have been re-securing all the ceilings in our new house. When we were putting lighting in, we discovered that the drywall was sagging pretty bad. When they built the house, they used glue and a few nails. Well as the years roll by, that glue loses some of its ability to hold.

Mark discovered that there were places he could stick his hand between the drywall and the support beams in the ceiling. We want to add more insulation before the winter for energy efficiency, but if the ceilings aren't secure...they might not stay where they should.

Here is a picture of a nail that popped out as the dry wall jumped back into position after Mark added the screws. It really doesn't do it justice, how much we needed to add to the security of the ceiling.

I'm just glad I can rest easy knowing that it will take an awful lot to bring that ceiling down now.

More fun with Joel

Today I called down to Georgia to talk to the Lindberg family. As often is the case, Joel answered the phone. I always enjoy talking with Joel as you never know what he'll say. After a brief conversation, he asked me if I wanted to talk to his mom. Sure I replied. He then said "She just went to take a nap." I quickly had to let him know that he didn't need to wake her to talk to me.

He then offered several other people, who also happened to be sleeping. I told Joel I was just calling for fun, so let's limit it to those who he can see are awake.

He first offered Hannah to me but then decided he was reading with her so that wouldn't due. I ended up with Rachel, which was great.

It is important to be very specific when you make requests of Joel and assume nothing is understood (like to don't wake people up).

Hole/Crack in the Ceiling

Mark and I recently redid the ceiling in the living room. After re-securing it, texturing, and painting we realized the large crack that was in the hallway just at the entrance to the living room was rather ugly. We tried several patching techniques. Finally we had to go purchase a new piece of drywall and make a large patch for the ceiling. I don't have a picture of the finished work right now but it turned out pretty good. Here are some of the beginning pictures.