Girls Gone Wild

Second go around with the girls (This is actually my third time seeing Kenny live).

Last year around this time, two girlfriends and I went to the Kenny Chesney Concert (Somewhere in the Sun Tour 2005). I was several months pregnant and showing big time. This concert was a landmark moment in my pregnancy. Baby kicked for the first time. I believe this concert laid the groundwork for what later became Mathews favorite music. Several months old, Mathew would fall asleep in my arms every night. Some nights he fell asleep in my arms as we danced together to his music, country music mixed with the sounds of seashore. One year later, Kenny is back in town and the girls reunite (with additional chicas).

The girls rounded up at Chilis for some finger foods and drinks. Chowing away, mingling, flirting, and guzzling down drinks, the night started off right. When we made it to the arena for The Road & The Radio Tour 2006, the girls split up. Two went to the bathroom, two went to get more drinks, and the other two had seats in another section. We all gathered back to Section 101, Row 3 (courtesy of my husband's connections). The seats were so close to the stage we could smell Kenny's sweat. Okay, maybe not that close, but we were so damn close. The fat guy in front of us took up two seats and obstructed our views at certain angles. Otherwise, the view was amazing. Camera phone pictures to prove it (forgot the disposable camera in the car).

We missed most of the first opening act, Sugarland. So I can't comment too much about that. The second act was Dierks Bentley. He is such a soulful and passionate performer. Singing with deep emotions; "I'll Settle for a Slowdown", "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do," and "What was I Thinkin'". And the one song that just got me all hot and bothered was "Come a Little Closer." That was so sexy and hot! Yummy!

Then, the one we all came for Kenny Chesney. His grand entrance got us all to our feet, never sitting back down. There we were standing the whole time in our jeans and cowboy boots, dancing and singing to his songs: "Summertime," "Anything But Mine," "I Go Back," "Keg in the Closet," "The Woman with You," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems," "Old Blue Chair," "Living in Fast Forward," "Beer in Mexico," "Island Boy," "The Good Stuff," and so much more.

I had moments of tears and pimply bumps throughout my body when he sang "There Goes My Life" and "Who You'd Be Today."

We also got a special treat with the appearance of Uncle Cracker. He and Kenny goofing around on stage like little boys. Singing songs and ad-libbing the words to "When the Sun Goes Down," such as "Uncle Kenny's hotter when the sun goes down." Uncle Cracker even added a diss to Kennys ex-wife, Renee Zellweger. The crowd went wild! It was great.

The highlight of the night: "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" started playing, I got so excited (one of my favorite songs of his), I stood up on my chair, screaming and flailing my arms up in the air. Kenny spotted me in the crowd being 3 feet taller, points to me and says "I love you too!" woo-hoo!!!!! What a feeling! Kenny loves me!!!! That was awesome! I screamed like a teenage schoolgirl with a crush on a superstar.

Kenny rocked the house!

The result of last nights outing: red eyes, scratchy voice, sore feet, and exhaustion. But this time it was ALL worth the girls night out!

Before I go, let me invite you to take a chance on a genre you may have stereotyped before:
Visit and watch the videos of the songs aforementioned. Let the music enrapture your body and soul. Read the lyrics. And just feel the music. Let me know how your experience goes.

Growth Spurt

How frustrated was I last night? Oh you have no idea. The last few days Mathew has been waking up at least 3 times. Did you hear me 3 times!!!!! I try to help him fall asleep with music, caressing, teddy bears, pacifiers, lastly picking him up. But the only thing that puts him back to sleep is my breast. He was only waking up once before (which was not a problem for me).

So after my frustration settled down, I realized it can only mean one thing: growth spurt. Hes a long, lean, and heavy baby! So here we go again...this should end soon thankfully!

Excited about 2 things:

Today: Walk-through in our future town house, which means the closing date is right around the corner. YAY! (Thanks to Bridget for watching with Mathew while we do the walk-through).

Tonight: Kenny Chesney concert with the girls. YAY! Repeat from last year with one additional chica. Tell you all about it tomorrow. Wishing Michael an easy night with Mathew.

Before I go, let me leave you with this thought:
Mathew had pureed corn last night, do you think I will find whole pieces of corn in his poo-poo today?

My Rest in Peace Place

So now that you know my happy place, let me share with you my rest in peace place. In my happy place I am lying on my back and drifting away peacefully. Well when I die, I want to be doing the same thing. I want to spend my eternity in that same serenity. That's why they say rest in peace, right?

I want to be buried under a huge oak tree in a quiet cemetery.
~Picture *Arlington National Cemetery* without all the tourists~

To me, the oak tree symbolizes life and eternity. The roots of the tree are planted so deep it is forever. I want to be buried under an oak tree side by side with my husband forever!

Have you ever noticed that cemeteries seem to be always located on busy streets? I want to find a cemetery off the beaten path. It really doesn't matter where or what state. It should be simple and green (lots of green). This place should not be where I am remembered. It is just my rest in peace place. When I am gone, I will be in your hearts and memories, hopefully

P.S. If I do not happen to find this place before I die, please help me find it.
Before I go, let me leave you with 2 quotes:
Thank god for pictures, how else am I supposed to remember my memories. ~ Sol

As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

My Happy Place

Remember the movie Happy Gilmore? Great Movie! Remember when Chubbs was teaching Gilmore how to let go of his anger in order to putt better. Chubbs told him to picture a perfect place where all his anger would disappear.

My Happy Place:
I am lying on my back, looking up at the crystal blue sky. I'm under the shade of a mammoth oak tree. The field around me is an ocean of green with yellow wildflowers sprouting everywhere. I close my eyes and relax. I take deep breaths; slow methodical breaths. You can see my chest and stomach rise and fall. I focus on relaxing each body part, one at a time; head, shoulders, arms, hands, all the way down my body. My body slowly floats amidst this field of wildflowers. The more I breathe, the more relaxed I feel and I just drift away. This is my happy place!

~ my mental get-away
~ my peaceful retreat
~ where I go when I'm unhappy
~ what I dream of to relax my tension (anxiety attacks)

This Happy Place is also similar to my Rest In Peace place...more on that place next time.

Before I go, let me leave you with my favorite quotes from Happy Gilmore:
"The price is wrong, bitch."
Shooter McGavin: "I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast."
Happy Gilmore: "You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?"

"You little son of a bitch ball! Why you don't you just go home? That's your HOME! Are you too good for your home? ANSWER ME! SUCK MY WHITE ASS BALL!"

Jeep Liberty

We finally got the call. They are ready to fix our Pilot. The dealership collision center had a waiting list for repairs. The repairs to our Pilot are from Hurricane Damage. Yes, its taken this long to finally repair the car. Our car will actually be repaired before our roofs. Just a few weeks ago the homeowners association/management company started putting up the blue roof tarps. Can you believe it? Six months after the Hurricane and then they decide to put up the blue tarps. Dumbasses! Why not just freaking repair the shingles on the roof. Hurricane season is just around the corner. Blue tarps are not holding up to category 1 hurricane winds. I'm so glad we are leaving that association (not that others are any better). They've changed management companies like three times in the last year. What a mess! Anyone interested in buying? Im doing a great job selling the house huh? We do have a showing today at 2:30pm. Woo-hoo!(keep your fingers crossed).

Anyway, back to the car, it will take 14 business days (in essence 3 weeks) to complete the repairs. So we rented a car, the Jeep Liberty. Its cute, but very stiff, boxy, and not such a smooth ride. I would never buy one. But its still fun driving something new and different. That's why I lease. I love new cars, and I love change. In a couple of years, our lease will be up. I want to see what the new Honda Pilots will look like. I will also look into the Honda Odyssey. And even though I never want to be caught driving a minivan, I will give it a chance. Don't tell Michael. He is dying to get the minivan. It will depend on what the Odyssey can give me that the Pilot cant. Anyone driving a minivan that prefers it over a mid-size SUV?

Before I go, let me leave you with this thought:
Anything worth having, is worth fighting for.
Anything worth having, is worth working for.

Carnival Games

Carnival Games; we all love to play them. We always think we can beat the odds. These games are fun to play. We always feel so close to winning, but in the end, we are defeated. The games are rigged so you have very slim odds of winning or none at all.

Feeding Mathew is like trying to win a game at a carnival. My goal is to contain the mess to a manageable disaster. Its a whole process; before, during, and after. When playing carnival games, we first start off with a mental image of our victory. So I start with a mental picture of me cleaning up just a small area of mess. Then I start by physically warming up; I sit him in his high chair. Set him up with a bib and a play spoon. I bring the prepared food and the tub of wipes (a must!). The games are always a tease; you start off great like you are going to win. The first few bites are clean and neat. No mess. He opens his mouth, I enter the spoon, and he eats. But then, Boom! the odds of the game shift to his corner. Game on!

He stirs to the left just as I attempt to plant the spoon in his mouth. I inevitably miss and get it all over his right cheek. Boom! OR he decides he wants to babble right after I place the teaspoon of pureed green beans in his mouth. The spit is minor but lengthy; it reaches my shirt. Boom! OR he locates his fingers in his mouth full of squash. The fingers ever so slightly move to his legs, shirt sleeve, and/or even sometimes his ears. Yes, the back of his ears. Boom! OR Mathew opts to look down with the spoon in his mouth, which leaves bananas up his nose. Boom! Half of the food going in is coming right back out. You can only wait to see which way or form its coming back out. But you know it is. You cant stop it. The carnival games and the infant feeding are so much fun. No matter how many times you play, the result is always the same; you lose! The loser gets to clean up Mathews face, ears, hands, legs, high chair, floor, and clothing items (for both mommy and Mathew). I will eventually win, but until then, I will have fun losing! I will get this on videotape, it is hilarious.

Before I go, let me leave you with this question:
When was the last time you laughed so hard you almost peed in your pants?

Expectations

Expectation
n 1: belief about (or mental picture of) the future [syn: outlook, prospect] 2: wishing with confidence of fulfillment [syn: anticipation] 3: the feeling that something is about to happen

In relationships, expectations are just a wasteful feeling. For example, when you expect flowers and get them, there is no amazement, just a prepared feeling. When you expect flowers and don't get them, there is just disappointment. BUT, when you don't expect flowers and you get them, there is great feeling of astonishment and wonder.

In relationships, its better not to have any expectations.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

By the way, for those of you wondering, lets just say the date was not what I expected.

Before I go, let me leave you with this:
'Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed'

Happy Easter!

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, which only means one thing to me: DAY OFF!

It's a day off from work, but not a day off from Mathew and house chores. Oh well! I'll enjoy the rest of the weekend. I'm looking forward to Saturday night. I have finally loosen my reigns and decided to give a babysitter a chance. Michael and I are finally going out on a date (since Mathew). I don't know what we're doing yet, but anything will be fine...just the 2 of us!

Mathew is now onto Green Beans and Rice...not his favorite.

Before I go back to my chores (and before Mathew wakes up), let me leave you with a little something about me:
I love the color purple...all shades of purple from lilac to eggplant. But for some reason I have been attracted to pink lately. It's such a girlie color and I'm SO not a girlie girl, but I'm starting to dabble into pink now. go figure!

Mathew Update

Mathew had his 6 month doctor appointment. He looks like he is coming down with a cold. He has a runny eye and runny nose. Good thing, the runny is clear and he has no fever, so hopefully it will just pass. Here are his stats:

18 lbs.
28 inches
Let's get him ready for football!

Got 2 shots today, was a champ!

He started three meals of solid foods today. We are starting with Squash! Doctor told us to save the fruits for later (once he gets used to the boring foods, like vegetables). We are doing the organic thing. I am a strong believer in all things natural.

Before I go to watch some mindless television, let me leave you with this:
To be content is greater than riches, so love what you have.

20 things that change when you have a baby

1. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

2. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

3. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

4. You're less self-involved and more self-motivated.

5. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

6. You respect your body ... finally.

7. You have stronger opinions and are stronger willed.

8. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

9. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

10. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

11. You lose touch with the people in your life that you should have banished years ago.

12. Your heart breaks much more easily.

13. You think of your baby 234,836,178,976 times a day. In fact, you're so busy with this that you forget everything else.

14. Every day is a surprise.

15. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you.

16. You think before you speak.

17. You become a morning person.

18. If you have a son, you no longer curse men.

19. If you have a daughter, you hope she won't endure your same heartaches.

20. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power. (AMEN to that one)

Before I go, I let me leave you with this:
Mathew
Meaning: Gift from God (and that he is)

Was it worth it?

So last night was a girl's night out. We went to Round up and danced the night away. Only problem Mathew didn't sleep through the night. So now I'm back to sleep deprived mode. I'll definitely have to catch up with a nap today and just vegge out. I had a great time, but I'd rather wait till Mathew sleeps through the night before I go out again.

We introduced Mathew's first solid food this week: bananas. He loves it. He's going to be such a pig!

Anyway, time for me to vegge, especially since Mathew is napping now.

Before I go, let me leave you with an old proverb that is now in the lyrics of a country song:
If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.

On My Mind

Some people say I think too much. I like thinking. It gets in the way sometimes, but I like to think, it's a major quality about me that I like. My mind is like the energizer bunny, it keeps giong and going. It never stops.

It takes a while for me to fall asleep because I always have something on my mind. Whether it's profound, silly, scary, or simple...there's always something. I guess that's why it's easy for me to write these blogs, I always have soemthing to say. Anyone who knows me knows I have a lot on my mind (and that I talk a lot - ha ). Please stop me if my blog topics suck or if I get too weird. I don't want to lose all my readers.

I love long drives by myself. It's the best alone time for thinking (trips to Carrie's house were the best 4 hours). The music blaring and my mind wanders and just drifts away.

Television. it's the best non-thinking time...it actually relaxes me. My husband says "it's mindless." which is exactly why I love it...I get to stop thinking. TV does all the thinking and imagining for you, it frees my mind temporarily. This is my veg mode. It's not a great medium for creative thinking, but sometimes you just don't want to think.

I read...I read a lot. Fiction mostly. Reading pushes my mind into more deep thoughts and endless possibilities. Scary...like I need more to think about.

I can't imagine how it would be to have nothing on my mind. You know when someone has that far away look in their eyes, you can't help but wonder what they're thinking...I always ask. Some people say "nothing." How can that be? Are they lying? Do they not realize what's on their mind. I dunno...it's too weird for me.

Before I go, let me ask you:
What's on your mind?

Special Bond

I feel a special bond with my son that my husband says he is still working on. It must be hard for a dad who didn't get to experience the thrill of a tiny life growing inside, needing you, totally depending on you for its own life. Where does a father's bond come from? How does their bond materialize?

Is that special bond created only during the 10 months of pregnancy? Is it just an innate female trait that even if a man can carry a baby wouldn't feel? Do dad's feel guilty for not feeling that bond? Can the connection between mom and child be the same between dad and child? Or are these connections meant to be different? Can they be developed down the road? Sometimes I just feel lucky to be a mom and not a dad.

A mothers bond is apparent from the moment of conception. The bond continually grows each day during your pregnancy. Once you bring your baby into this world, the bond is set forever! Its an unexplainable feeling. Its natural. There is a link between the two of you that cannot be replicated.

Dad's are not as lucky. The bonding period for a dad comes after the birth. Some dads need longer periods of adjustment, while other dads feel the bond immediately. Its a different bond from a mothers. One can never explain.

But I think the parents bonds are meant to be different. Your baby will thrive on this difference.

Just remember that even though the bond might be different, its a bond that cannot be replaced. This bond is a lifelong experience that will grow and change with each passing day. Enjoy every moment!

Before I go to sleep, let me leave you with this:
There is no wrong or right in feelings. So don't be ashamed of how you feel.

Did you know?

Did you know that my middle name is Sol? This was my grandmother's name. It's short for Solange (Angel of the Sun in French). So can you imagine if my mother named me Fleur (Flower in French). I would have been Sunflower in translation. She did think about it. Scary! Good thing my dad named me, Nancy.

Well to some people S.O.L. stands for Shit Out of Luck. But to me it's more like Smiling Out Loud!

My motto: Life is Good! You can decide to be happy or not! You can decide to take the bad with the good (or vice versa). How you live your life is up to you. I choose happy! What do you choose? "Life doesn't wait for you to live it!"

Before I go, let me leave you with another life motto of mine:
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade -or- ask for salt and tequila! Either way, yummy!

6

Today Mathew is 6 months old! Time is flying by!

That means I am only 6 months and 4 days away from turning 30. But who's counting?

Just Friends

First about yesterday:

Michael took Mathew in the morning so I could sleep in. I had to ask for that, but at least he complied. It was nice sleeping in for once. Sleeping in for me is till 9am. Sick, huh? Remember back in the days when sleeping in was till at least noon. I don't think I can ever sleep that late now. Anyhoot, when I woke up I baked some cupcakes (chocolate of course) for our friends. We went to their house to eat, swim, and be merry. Mathew absolutely loved the pool. We bought him this kiddie float with a canopy, it was so cute. He was in the float and kicking his feet like crazy. Pictures coming soon. Mathew also got to play with another one of his girlfriends, Sophie. She is about 7 months and they adored each other. It is so cute seeing two babies interact with each other.

Now to this morning: his tooth is completely showing now. Its the lower front left tooth. Its so cute, but he still wont let you see it. Every time I try to lower his bottom lip, he sticks his tongue out. :-)~

An old friend found me on myspace yesterday. I was so excited. I knew David back in high school. I met him freshmen year, and he came into my math class, and I told him he could sit next to me. I helped him out with his English, he is from Brazil. He had a crush on me that year, and then I had a crush on him the next year, then vice versa one more time. We never dated, because we never liked each other at the same time, but we were always friends. Anyway, we agreed one year that if we didnt have someone for prom, we would go together. We ended up going to prom together, still we never hooked up or anything. Just good friends!

Some people think there is no such thing as a platonic friendship. I agree to an extent. For a male and a female to become platonic friends, they must first pass a certain stage. In every male and female friendship, there is some physical attraction (one to the other or sometimes both). So you can either date and fail in the relationship or admit your attraction to the other and face the rejection of I only like you as a friend. And only then can you get pass the failed attempt of a relationship and become just friends.

And then there is the story of Michael and me: To make a long story short, we went on a date, had a great time, but I decided not to continue dating him (I found out he had a girlfriend back home). After a couple months passed Michael wanted to be at least just friends and hang out. So we did. I dated here and there. But after a couple of months of just friends it turned into friends with benefits. And after another couple of months of friends with benefits, I told him that I could not continue being just friends with benefits. We had to take the next step forward or be just friends with no benefits. The rest is history. we took the next step forward and here we are today with a beautiful son.

Before I go, let me leave you with the lyrics of a song that rang true to us when Michael and I were just friends:

If you can find it, try to listen to it; it's a beautiful song.

What If I Said by Anita Cochran & Steve Wariner

We've been friends for a long long time
You tell me your secrets and I'll tell you mine
She's left you all alone
And you feel like no one cares
But I have never failed you
I've always been there

You tell your story
It sounds a bit like mine
It's the same old situation
It happens every time
Can't we see it oh maybe you and me
Is what's meant to be
Do we disagree

What if I told you what if I said that I love you
How would you feel what would you think
What would we do
Do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine
Or would I lose a friend or find a love that would never end
What if I said

She doesn't love you oh it's' plain to see
I can read between the lines of what you're telling me
He doesn't hold you the way a woman should be held
How long can I go on keeping these feelings to myself

What if I told you what if I said that I love you
How would you feel what would you think
What would we do
Do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine
Or would I lose a friend or find a love that would never end
What if I said

Oh we've both had our share of lonliness
So whose to say that we can't have a little happiness
And if I found that in you
It would make my dreams come true
Or would you walk away
Hear what I have to say

What if I told you what if I said that I love you
How would you feel what would you think
What would we do

Do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine
I've always wondered from the day we met
What if I said

My Day

Let me start off with a Mathew update:

Mathew's tooth is breaking through on the other side. I can see a little white cap and feel a sharp edge. He's also on his hands and knees ready to crawl, but hasn't quite figured out how to move his hands forward. Today was his last day of mommy and me class (for 0 – 3 months). In class today, he did the cutest thing. He was in this play area with another girl and he kept reaching for her. The cute part was that he was reaching for her with his mouth open like he wanted to kiss her. He would finally grab her shirt and put his mouth on her. I think he just wanted to put her in his mouth like he puts everything else in his mouth, but I'd like to think he was giving her kisses (get your mind out of the gutter- we're talking about babies here). Anyway, he loves these classes so I signed him up for the next session 6 – 9 months.

After class, my girlfriend (Lauren) and I went to the spa. I got a manicure and pedicure. The place was nice. It was relaxing not having to worry and tend to someone else (even if it was only for a couple of hours). I need more time like that.

My girlfriend (Carrie) and I had an enlightening conversation about men tonight. Without going into many details, we believe all men come with broken parts. Being in a relationship is hard work, and I think it's worth it. It's a women's job to sculpt the broken pieces. My husband calls it nagging. Ha! No really, some things come easy while other things are real difficult. But you get through them as a couple by communicating openly and honestly. No relationship is perfect or what you expect it to be. All relationships will have its downs, but think you wouldn't get to enjoy the ride back up. So take the downs in strides and enjoy the ride back up! Love is worth it all!

Before I go to milk the cow, let me leave you with these quotes I found about marriage:

Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate. ~Barnett R. Brickner

More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. ~Doug Larson

In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. ~Robert Anderson