3 more days...

Until my bestie Julia comes to Cali!!!

I still can't believe she's coming down. Plane tickets being ridiculous & her hectic job schedule (government jobs aren't always what they're cracked up to be). She's tried planning trips before but they've always fallen through. When she first left to Denver I was the first to visit. I believe 99.9% of the trip Julia drove me around town to show how wonderful & safe Denver would be for us & our family when we decided to have a child. :p I'm a Cali girl so that was a no go. But I did fall in love with the art & clean air. Not only could you feel the difference but you could see blue in the sky! crazy. After that trip she drove down for the wedding. That time frame was beyond chaotic. I loved having her in town but hated not being able to make time for a beach trip or quick dash to downtown L.A.. Being the greatest bestie a friend could ever have she was truly god sent. She was supportive & helped in any & every way she could. I couldn't have asked for more. :) Her last attempt out was nipped in the bud (a day before she was going to order plane tickets!) when her company decided to send her out to D.C. for some training. :p

So needless to say when she asked if coming down 4th of July weekend I didn't get my hopes up. But OH EM GEE she's flying in on Thursday! I can't wait to see her. We're dedicating her trip to quality time full of weird jokes, gabbing, reminiscing of old times & checking everything off of our "Julia's must!" list. :)

Bakers

Mexican Food

Beach

Citywear

Fireworks

Bakers

We use to spend all the time together even if it was a quick run to Target for a "Ugh I have nothing I need a new shirt!" pit stop! Including quick changes in the car making sure no one was peeking & running off to Bakers for a quesadilla MmmMmmm...


Julia moving was truly hard. I know it was hard for her leaving her church, friends & where she grew up but it was hard to know she wouldn't be there (physically). We've remained the best of friends even with the distance but at times it's hard to not wallow a little that she's not around. Still to this day we'll joke around & say to meet each other at Target or how about a quick trip to the beach?! So even though we can't do it all the time it's nice to know for 4 days (some shorter than others) we'll be able to re-live in a bubble where she lives back in Cali. :)


Here's to enjoying every moment, laugh & trip to every little hole in the wall mexican restaurant & picking up every last seashell! I can't wait to see you Juuuuuuuuliiiiaaaa I miss you & can't wait to check, check, check!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Pills suck!

I've never been good at taking pills.

1. I forget to take them.

2. I'm a gagger.

I've come to find out being preggo doesn't make pill taking any easier. I'm usually nauseous & brushing my teeth w/out gagging has become a victory in itself. Since I found out I was with child my doctor immediately put me on Prenatal & Calcium pills. I'm a vegetarian (even though this baby is trying to turn my taste buds elsewhere) so since I don't drink milk she advised I take 1000 mg of calcium. Not too bad but that equals 2 pills. Then to top it off my prenatal pills stink. I don't know what that smell is but it makes me want to hurl. At first it reminded me of vanilla (which I love) but it was a weird rotting vanilla smell. Now it's turned into the stench of death. As if taking these 3 lovely pills wasn't enough I added Fish Oil to the mix. My friend took it while pregnant with her first baby. He's been tested by the Preschool he attends & has been said to have remarkable memory & is gifted in many other aspects. Say no more! I'm sold! Not that her personal experience guarantees a gifted child but hey it can't hurt. :)

Aren't they abnormaly large?! BLECH!

My lovely husband supports me so much. He's been my little cheerleader & yells out, "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" as I gag & try to swallow the juice I just threw back up into my mouth. Isn't that a delicious thought to process?

His constant support is rather sweet. :) This past week he even offered to take the pills with me. I thought he was joking so I agreed & handed him 4 pills. Together we chugged away & I was smitten. How he loves me & I love him so. :) Just for the record the fish oil pill was the worst for Pauly. For me the nasty stench of prenatal takes the cake every time!

Two down one to go!

My middle brother Phillip graduated on Thursday from Pioneer High. I can't believe that they're growing up so fast. *tear* Actually, I did cry alot at the graduation. I cried when they started to walk & we weren't seated yet (this is a happy post so I won't go further into why that happened). I cried when I thought I saw Phillip. I cried when I saw Richard playing the intro song. How cool is that? My brother was graduating AND my other brother was performing their graduation music? Too cool.

My two strong men!

I called Phillip & asked him what he wanted for graduation. Yes, I'm ghetto like that. I'd rather get you what you want unless you spark a huge hint or I get all creative. None of these wonderful things happened (at the moment) so I had to make the call. What did he ask for you wonder? A Wii? A card full of cash? Oh no, no he wanted boxers. Yes, boxers. Stocking stuffer I understand but grad present? OMG. Ok, my little orphan I'll get you boxers. Hee hee I bought him only the best.


While Paul & I were going through the racks I saw an Ipod case.


*Light of awesome gift goes off*


Oooo! I'll get him an Ipod Nano! He's never had one. About a year ago he found one on the public bus & within that day was approached by some punks (with a knife no less) threatening his life for a stupid Ipod.

*sigh* Ahhh the ghetto thug life.

After the ceremony we made a mad dash out to the field. It took us quite awhile to find the graduate but when we did we were all full of happy tears. Congrats Phillip!!! We're all so proud. :)

This was a sweet moment. Of course I had to interrupt with my flash. Paul was giving him a manly pep talk filled with tears. :) You're #1 in our books Phillip & we're so proud of what you've already accomplished. All our love & support!

Thankfully he doesn't live in the ghetto neighborhood any longer. So I though an Ipod would be a surprise he would love. :)
And believe it or not..........he did :)

xoxoxoxo

Introducing Baby J!

Today was our 2nd appt. At the first one they ran a bunch of test. Blood, urine & pap. It was a very informative appt. but at the same time it was all very scary & new. Dr. Samudio has been phenomenal. She took the time to answer all our questions (whether they were silly or not) & even cracked a few jokes. By the end of our appt. I felt more at ease & couldn't wait to return.

Little did I know how nerve wracking the 2nd visit would be. I'm a very nervous person to begin with so it wasn't too uncommon for me to freak out a little. I just wanted to hear the heartbeat. I knew once I heard my baby everything would be fabulous.

And it was :)

On our way to the doctors office we began our first (of many) dvds for Baby J. We told him/her how much we loved him/her & how excited we were for this day & many days to come. :) It was a nice ice breaker before arriving to her office. We waited a short bit & then I was called in for another urine test & to check my . As soon as Dr. Samudio came into the office she remembered us. YAY! I'm sure she has many patients so you never know. She went over all my test (100% perfect), confirmed I'm 10 weeks pregnant w/a due date of January 6th & I finally learned my blood type. O positive. How I went 26 years never knowing this bit of personal information is beyond me.

After our quick update she said we were going to listen to the baby J's heart & next month we would get an ultrasound. I'm sure it didn't take long to find but WOW it felt like forever until we heard it. Baby J's perfect little heartbeat. I didn't cry but I could feel the relieve come over my whole body. We're having a baby!!!!

After the heartbeat she said, "let's do an ultrasound now!" YAY again! I was kind of sad when she said we'd have to wait but now we didn't. :) So we went to the next room, started up the camcorder & saw the cutest mini baby ever. Baby J was bouncing around like a gymnast! It all felt so surreal but very calming all at once. I can't describe it but after our appt. I started to cry.

We're having a baby. :)

So the larger version came out very blurry :/

The baby's head is on the left with his/her little arms crossing over. I swear w/all my might that I can make out an eye & little nose. Paul said I'm crazy but I'm the mama so I can see these crucial details!!!

My little hunter

Oscar is a Dachshund through & through. Not only does he love to dig & is a stubborn little sh*t but he loves to "hunt". Before bringing him home our Uncle said he caught quite a few mice from the bushes. EW. I think it's more curiosity than wanting to kill. In the past he's caught a bird. It was the weirdest moment. A little baby bird was just hopping on the grass & Oscar put his paw over his little wing. He sniffed the birdie, lifted his paw & let it fly free. It was so sweet. Another huge Dachshund trait is their huge sniffer. I swear he loves to smell anything & everything. When I bring home new clothes he wants to sniff each & every piece. I wouldn't doubt if his goal is to one day snuggle w/a cat. We've yet to find a cat that will let him do this. I don't understand why. He has such a loving non-intimidating face. :)




We use to live by a huge empty lot that rabbits use to home in. Oscar loved going by the lot & staring at his prey err friends. I would name each animal & insect he saw so he would become familiar w/the words. Funny enough fly became the first common word. We would leave the patio door open so he could lay in the sun while we were off at work. Leaving the door wide open would let in a few flies. It was sick. So I decided to let him exercise his hunting abilities & say, "go get the fly!" & Oscar would run around the house looking for his kill. Funny enough after awhile we stopped getting flies & even until this day we rarely get any. Oh but when we do Oscar is ready.

When I came home yesterday I opened up the patio. Which let in a huge, HUGE fly. I didn't say anything because Oscar & Sadie were panting from our long (ok it was like 5 mins.) walk in the heat. The fly was on the glass door & kept buzzing so Sadie ran to the door & Oscar followed. The only noise to follow were two loud *BAM* *BAM* which was Oscar slamming his nose against the door.

Poor fly never had a chance.

Oscar on the other hand couldn't have been prouder of his kill!

Good job Pop!

On a side note: I let the fly out after taking the pics. He was a little stunned but alive & well. :) I'm sure he's off to tell his fly buddies the fly killing machine rumors are true.

Yay he loved it!

This past Sunday was Pauly's first Fathers Day. Even though Baby J hasn't arrived he's very proud of taking care of me & keeping up w/around the house. I have to say that Paul is the absolute best. When I first met Paul I loved how attentive & respectful he was to me. He'd open doors, get me a plate of food (gasp! the man serving the woman!) & even cooks. He cooks people! Thank you GOD for sending me a good man. :) Even before we found out I was preggo & was going through my weird sleeping phase (oh wait I'm still there :/) he would clean the house, take the dogs out & help out in any other way he could. I know he's going to make a terrific father & teach our baby EVERYTHING about sports. Oh help me.........touchdown? That's good? I thought that was illegal if you were underage? Oh my I have so much to learn.

The morning started off w/presents! I bought him The Expectant Father. He's been reading my pregnancy books so I thought one directed toward the daddy might help him understand why I'm psycho & cry all the time. :)

I was really excited to see his reaction of the photo w/his daddy but I didn't realize he'd be so shocked. After pulling away the wrapping he started to cry. :( awwwwwwwww it was so sweet. Oscar was so worried about his daddy he jumped up to give him lovings (lots of kisses). After awhile he finally just sat & stared at the picture. It's amazing how pictures can do that to you. You just want to stare & take in every little detail. Which of course he did. We talked about Bill, how cute baby pauly was & how much hair brother Jeff had. hee hee The ride also made some changes. It was all very nice & interesting to see his reaction & our reaction to the picture together. :)



After opening up gifts Paul made pancakes. MmmmmMmmmm I've never been a big fan of breakfast. It's always grossed me out. Apparently Baby J loves breakfast! Every morning I have to have either cereal, bagel, pancakes, you name it I want it. Doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary but a read meal before 11 a.m. is unheard of. The new craze is hash browns. Oh the glory of the fried potato. Mmmmmm



Then it was off to Barstow! Good lordy that was a long & HOT drive. We haven't been out there for so long I forgot about the miles & miles of desert scenery. We finally approached the cemetery which was actually pretty busy w/visitors. The last time I had been there was right after his headstone was placed. So that tells you quite a long time ago. I've mentioned to Paul that we should go visit but Bill was the first person (family-wise & that he was very close to) to have pass away. That's seems so un-real, lucky & truly sad all in one. So he wasn't too keen about visiting the cemetery. When we first arrived it was really sad because well it's a cemetery & two his headstone was covered in weeds & just looked a mess. :( Nobody had been there in awhile & you could tell. So what did we do? We headed to Wal-mart for gardening tools & a special surprise for Bill.

Pinwheels just ooze w/happiness don't you agree? It was nice to spend time w/Paul & "talk" to Bill. I told him since we made him look pretty he had to watch over Baby J. Deal? Deal ;)

Can't wait to visit soon Bill!

xoxoxoxo

Oh happy day!

First a recap on my b-day celebrations! My b-day weekend rocked! On Friday I had lunch w/a few of my absolute favorite people. :)

Then afterward my bestie Diana & I went to watch a little indy film. Not sure if you heard of it. It was opening day for Sex in the City. :) Call it what you want (hormones, being a sissy la) but I bawled my eyes out. From beginning (yes just hearing the music made me cry) to the wonderful end. I pictured myself in those same situations & just knew that I'd have someone to help me thought it all. I love being surrounded by wonderful & loving people. Even if some of them don't hug. ;)



The next day Paul had a surprise in store. What a wonderful surprise it turned out to be! We spent the day at the most wonderful place on earth Disneyland!!! Knowing that Paul chose this as a surprise truly shows how much he loves & adores (yes adores) me. Paul LOVES Magic Mountain & I LOVE Disneyland. We're both ehh about going to each others favorite park. Come to think of it since I'm preggo I can't go to M.M. for quite some time. oh darn...



Going to Disneyland while you're preggo certainly changes things up. We weren't able to go on rides that we normally do but at the same time we saw a few shows (the Tiki room & both parade showings) that we sometimes miss out on. The other change was I actually stared ALOT at all the kiddies & their parents. We spotted the good, the bad & the insanely cute. :) Paul said that every year we're taking our baby so that they knows all about Disneyland. Make my heart melt! Of course I'd love to come every year! Omg we're slowly turning into that insane couple that brings their newborn to Disneyland! FINALLY! hee hee

Here's a few pictures we took that day. :)

The ducks & various other birds are not camera shy. They walked up to anybody willing to share a fry! Must be that magical sugar goodness :)

Then shortly after we headed to City Hall to pick up my Birthday badge (hearing employees scream HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDY! Is the best!). On my way out of City Hall we saw Pluto. We were walking up to take a picture but he began to walk off :( I shoved my b-day badge in his snout & pleaded, "but Pluto it's my berfday!" Thankfully I got a hug AND a pic. Unfortunately Paul didn't get to pose in time. Hee hee this is my favorite picture by far.





On top of that we went on the kiddie rides (boo! Storybook land was closed :P). As we were waiting in line for Alice in Wonderland Paul told me that when he was younger he went on this w/this daddy. Bill passed away 2 years ago from Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). As strange as it might sound I'm glad he passed away. He's finally at peace. He was not himself & he was slowly disappearing before our eyes. There were times he would pretend to be sleeping to avoid our visits. To see someone you love so much in that type of pain & not have any control is horrible. Everyday we miss him more & more but at the same time it's comforting to know he's in heaven playing cards & enjoying a pain free afterlife. I know because of this man my Pauly is going to be a terrific father. We're going to share the stories of what a wonderful father, grandfather, friend & above all person he was to everyone that crossed his path. He treated me like a daughter & for that I'll always be grateful. :) After Paul told me that story I knew I had to get ahold of that picture!


As with every visit we arrived early for Fantasmic! & waited around for the firework Dreams Do Come True show. They just (or at least since I've last been) redid the whole firework show. It's amazing now! The music & all the colors are so fun. I loved every minute of it! Then afterward we window shopped & headed home. It was a wonderful birthday weekend.


To top it all off it gave me a good start to a future gift. Little did I know at that time it would be a perfect Fathers Day gift to Paul. Oh happy day!

We love & miss you Bill!!!

xoxoxoxoxo

I love Target & Target loves ME

Where else can you go intending to buy shaving cream but leave with 20 other items you didn't realize you couldn't live without?!

Ahhh the glory of Target. On my lunchbreak today I have to visit the Redlands location to refill my prenatal pills. Since the refill would take 30 mins I decided to "walk" around. First stop was the shampoo aisle "wait, I think I really need conditioner!" then I headed to the card section. I always stop at the card section just to see what's new & who I can send it to. It's usually my bestie Julia but on this occasion I began to look for Pauly. Fathers day is this weekend & I already have a gift set in mind (future blog to come). As I read over each card I felt as though a blank card would be a better choice. That way I could fill it will all the gushy I love you's & sentimental you're going to be a great daddy to our baby as I wanted! So I left the fathers day aisle & found this card.

Jackpot! Not only does it have the infamous giraffe but it was blank inside & out. So I was about to leave the card aisle when I was stopped by a survey representative. She was super nice & said it would only take a few mins so I didn't mind. We gabbed about our significant other & I told her why I was purchasing this card & why I felt it was perfect (giraffe duh). Then at the end of the survey I received a $10 Target giftcard! Oh happy day!

Who says shopping is a waste of time? ;) Probably a man :p

Prenatal Pills $9.00
Awesome Card $2.99
Granola Bars $2.04
Conditioner $1.99
Sunny D $2.44
Deposit (boo!) $0.40
Skintimate $1.89

Getting paid for finding the perfect first fathers day card : PRICELESS

You can't see too clearly but the giraffe is full of peach fuzzes. :)

Save a life & adopt :)

I've never really been one to push adoption onto anybody. However, I will plant the seed. I'll offer websites & my own personal experiences in hopes that this will help them decide w/adoption rather than through a petstore &/or breeder. But as with any situation there's not only one clear answer. Wherever you decide to adopt or buy your next animal the root of your decision should involve love. You're not only going to receive the love & loyalty from your pet but you're also going to have to put alot of work, time & love into your new relationship. Sometimes this plan isn't fully thought out & the animal doesn't "fit" the family lifestyle or in the case of Oscar he wasn't the right fit (size) for my two younger cousins. They weren't aware of bountries & didn't fully understand that you couldn't be as rough due to his back. Thankfully my aunt was able to rehome him & didn't have to abandon or return him to the shelter. :) Happy endings for all.

On Saturday morning Paul & I went out to look at a few houses. First of all house hunting while preggo is no bueno. This was the 4th house of the day & I was already spent at 10am. Paul & our realtor Monica were inside the house & I decided to head out front to check out the full view. As I was standing outside I saw a small white dog out of the corner of my eye. Paul calls me the Dog Whisperess because of my ability to get dogs to trust me right away. Now, please keep in mind not ALL dogs trust me. I've met two dogs through my finance days that just wanted nothing to do w/me. But since they weren't in the middle of the street or homeless I didn't mind. Since this poopie was around the corner I knew if I went straight toward them they'd run away. So I made little noises & called him over gently while laying on the sidewalk. Yes there I was laying on the sidewalk babbling like an insane person. Thankfully he came over. Oh my what a sight! He's a white Maltese only a few years old. His teeth were pretty white but he was a mess! His eyes were closed shut w/gunk, since his hair was so long he had peed all over his coat & mattes galore! He trusted me enough so I could pick him up & inspect to see if he had a collar. He did! The only identification on the poop was an AVID chip. I called AVID & was informed that the chip was never registered :( but they were able to tell me he was adopted out of San Bernardino Humane Society. Oscars hometown! So I called them promptly & they took my information & released the only phone number listed along w/a name. No luck. :( Not only was the area code 714 (we were in Colton at the time) but the line was disconnected. I'm sure there was a reason why he had been loose for so long & why there was a leash tied around his hair (which can only be done if he was left tied up somewhere & he finally got loose) but at the end of the day he was malnourished & abandoned. Unfortunately with so many people loosing their homes right now it's very common for pets to be left behind. Common & heartbreaking. :(

By this time Paul already saw me w/the poopie cleaning off his gunky eyes (GAG), clipping his long bangs back w/my hair clippy so he can see & declared me crazy. :p Since, getting our new car (horrible blogger confession :( I didn't announce our new car. We bought a black sand pearl 2008 Toyota Matrix about a week before I found out we were having a baby. Coincidence or did my inner mommy know? You be the judge.) Our new car is wonderful & the gas mileage is to die for. I miss my truck but our new set of wheels is baby friendly. :) Since swapping vehicles I haven't gone through the bag o' stuff from my truck. Which included an extra dog leash. Yes, I carry an extra leash for such occasions. I also carry a water bowl but that was in the same bag. :( So I wrapped him up in our Disneyland throw blanket & kept him on my lap. He was amazing in the car! He loved hanging his head out the window & having the ac blow on his face. I tried giving him water out of a cup but for whatever reason he wanted no part of it. So I kept putting water in my hand & letting him lick it up. At some point the poor pooch got nervous & peed all over my lap :/ All I have to say it THANK GOODNESS it didn't get on the car & I'm really glad I grabbed the blanket when I did! Off we went to look at a few more homes & Moxie (courtesy of Paul) enjoyed the ride. Finally I called a co-worker who expressed interest in a Maltese. He already had a female & wanted a friend for her. Little did I know friend meant hump mate. No, no Moxie was fixed. All animals that come out of the shelter are (thankfully) spayed or neutered. So that was out. After having Carmen stay w/us for a few weeks our landlord wasn't too happy about the new addition so we couldn't take Moxie home. Honestly, I wanted him to get cleaned up & looked at asap. Since I knew we couldn't afford this right now I contacted Tanya's Inc. Tanya is amazing. I use to volunteer on the weekend for her adoption days at Petco in Redlands, Ca. It was the best experience. Week after week the rescues found a new home & it was always uplifting. In turn during those days Paul would receive several picture text Oooing & Aaahing over the newest arrival. :) Soon the responses of "aww isn't she cute?" turned into "NO BRANDY". well I never....

When I found Carmen I didn't call Tanya because I knew she couldn't take her in. Unfortunately the truth is smaller dogs are easier to adopt out. So luckily for Moxie not only was he super sweet (a little nervous) but he's a perfect lap dog. Plus he doesn't beg! Oh my a street dog that doesn't beg? Crazy. We stopped off at a gas station & picked him up a hot dog. Not the healthiest option but our only one. I was amazed how well behaved he was as I hand fed him. So patient. So after his snack we were off to Phelan! I've never been out to her house before so it was an interesting ride. After about 10 mins on a dirt road we found her house. :) Right away she gave Moxie eye cream, vaccinations, a snack & new name Boo boo. He was really nervous when we left but I know he's going to find a new home guaranteed! That's the beauty of no kill shelters. No matter how long it takes you'll live w/Tanya until your new family arrives. Unfortunately at shelters animals either have a week to find a home or if there's no room they are destroyed that day. :( Please no matter where you decide to get your new family member remember that you made the decision to bring them into your life. Pets are intended to bring you joy & sometimes companionship that you're lacking. :)

I swear he has two eyes! :) I guess he was winking for both photo shots. Boo Boo hasn't been listed as a new adoptable pet but check out the babies that are available today. They can't wait to be a part of someones loving family :) Sometimes she has goats! :) Just in case that's you're thing.

Thank you for sponsoring Team Jackson!

Yes the walk was awhile back but lets face it. I'm a horrible blogger. I'm more obsessed about reading other blogs & sleeping. But don't fret! I intend on recapping every big moment that's passed. :)

First up the walk a thon! With the help of online, mail in & in person donations we raised $563!!! We even donated more while at the event. :) Thank you to everybody! Every little bit helps & I know the animals appreciate all you've done. All proceeds will go toward cruelty investigations & humane education. Here's a quick peek of all the goodies the poops received for our donation plus a few souvenirs we bought as well. :) Now onto our eventful day! The poops loved every minute of it.
Oscar even met the most beautiful doggie ever!

Then it was walk time! We joined all the other participants & joined in a group prayer to bless the field. It was really corny, touching, moving all in one. There's were a few people that cried over lost animals. It was really cool to be a part of this moment.

Did you say they're giving away treats at the finish line?!

We walked & ran 4 laps! The dogs kept up & even enjoyed the run. :) I didn't since I wore sandals. :/ I'll be sure to wear vans next year.

Here's a shot of the "biggest dog" contestants. My camera died right after so I didn't get a shot of the smallest or best dress. :( Oscar was the best digger! Unfortunately they weren't giving out awards for such a talent.

Thankfully we found an outlet & charged it in time for Sadies 15 mins of fame!

She was so happy she couldn't keep her eyes open! hee hee I love this picture. Look at the proud daddy. :)
Our champ!
It was so much fun & I can't wait to join again next year. Hopefully we can raise over $600!

Don't be fooled the poops were happy to be a part of this event but they were definitely glad to be home!