DIXIE AND PREGO PIXS

Due to popular demand (my sister Betina), I am posting a couple additional pictures of little Dixie Mae. Included in this cornucopia of images are a few pregnancy shots taken by the aforementioned sister back in October. Enjoy!

Liz, Eve, and little Dixie

Daddy with his little girl

Uncle Rob at the hospital with a yawning Dixie

The star of the show

Angel and Dixie Mae

Angel and Sean after Dixie Mae had a bit of an explosion

EARLY CHRISTMAS

This is Sean, reporting in Eve's behalf as she is taking a much needed rest. I told Eve that her nap was limited to a half hour, but she laughed knowing I was jesting. So for those of you seeking the details of Dixie's entry into the world, here is my biased report.

On December 8, 2009 at approximately 0945 hours, Eve and I were in our one bedroom apartment preparing to make a double batch of an amazing sugar cookie recipe. I say we, but Eve was the one mixing the cookie dough and making the other necessary preparations. My lone responsibility consisted of tasting the product through the various phases of its creation. These caloric delights were to be distributed among the masses in order to prevent Eve and I from partaking of their buttery content exclusively. We also wanted to share a little bit of the Christmas cheer with our friends and acquaintances as we help to add inches to their waistlines. Just as we were about to start the process of rolling the dough, Eve informed me that she had just experienced a couple of cramps in her abdominal region that came and went. Ever the planner, Eve wanted to take every precaution in case these "cramps" turned out to be an announcement that Dixie was indeed on her way. With that, Eve hurriedly jumped into the shower so she could exercise her cosmotology skills on herself with a blowdry and makeup application. I was left to preserve the sacred sugar cookie dough by wrapping it with care for its storage in our freezer. The tasty treats would have to wait for another day.

As Eve finished her shower, she advised me that the cramps had been occurring at regular intervals and that she thought that Dixie was coming. With that news, I started keeping track of the length between contractions and how long they lasted. I was doing it all in my head, but Eve insisted (very strongly) that I write down the exact times onto a piece of paper. As the contractions started happening with greater frequency, I called the nurse in the labor and delivery department of our hospital and apprised her of our situation. She recommended that we start heading to the hospital. We grabbed our ready bags and hurried down the steps to our car at about 1040 hours.

We arrived at the hospital around 1100 hours and were met by a logjam of people fighting over parking spaces. Eve wanted to be dropped off in front so that she would not have to walk very far. By this time, her contractions were pretty long and appeared to be causing her excruciating pain. I dropped her off and entered my own world of chaos and pain, of course, nothing comparable to Eve's. By the looks of things, I thought that it might be the Black Friday of the hospital world. Perhaps the hospital had a one time deal on the H1N1 vaccine that caused everyone and their mother in the Bay Area to congregate to this lone hospital at this exact time, such was my luck. After ten minutes of sweaty palmed, angry parking maneuvers to avoid a flurry of morons, I saw a saintly woman walking through the parking lot. I pulled up next to her and pleaded my case telling her that I was a dead man if I did not find a parking place immediately. She smiled and motioned as if to show a man dying of thirst the location of a lush oasis. I thanked her profusely as I claimed the spot she vacated and ran back to my waiting wife. The two bags I was carrying made the run quite awkward as I rushed to my wife's side fifteen minutes after I first left her. As I approached, I saw that she was away from the crowded hospital entrance, trying to be as inconsipcuous as possible as she was hunched over in pain. We entered the hospital at 1115 hours.

In an attempt to take her mind off of the pain, I told Eve that she was a pansy if she took the elevator instead of climbing the stairs to the third floor. It was then that I realized humor would not be playing much of a part during the labor process. We checked in and were sent to an observation room where we were informed that Eve was already dilated 5 cm. The nurse stated that she thought Eve's labor was going to be "fast and furious", a hint of things to come. The nurse whisked us into a delivery room as my poor Eve experiencied increased pain during her contractions. Although she initially thought she was going to go the natural route, the labor pains caused her to reconsider. Eve emphatically told the nurse that she wanted some drugs immediately. They put an IV in her right arm and gave her a dose of phentanol at 1200 hours. The pain subsided for only 15 minutes and came raging back with a vengeance. Eve pleaded for another hit, but the drug dealing nurse mercilessly refused. All the while I played the part of the waterboy/cheerleder; doing the bidding of the star athlete as I watched her in action. Chapstick, consoling words, caresses, and a cheery personality were the tools of my trade.

As 1230 approached, the star athlete began to succumb to the pains inflicted upon her by the stranger in her tummy. She begged the dealer of the narcotics if she could have an epidural. Again, the sinister nurse declined her pleadings, laughing and scoffing at the pain my poor wife was experiencing (actually the nurses were amazing...I am just altering the story a bit to make it more dramatic). The nurse actually told Eve that the baby was going to arrive before the anesthesiologist. At 1245 hours, my cool demeanor was caught off guard by the sounds of primal grunts emanating from my wife. The nurse turned to me and said the sounds I heard were pushes. She rushed off to inform the doctor that the baby would be coming soon. Sure enough, after 45 minutes of pushing, little Dixie Mae took her first breath.

While the day started off with the prospect of delicious sugar cookies, it turned out that we got our Christmas surprise a little early. Eve did an amazing job and Dixie, like her mother, came into the world as quickly and efficiently as possible.

THE END

To fill the waiting period I've been doing alot of baking and cooking. I've been filling my freezer up with shepard's pie, lasagna, monster cookie dough... you know, the essentials.

I've tried out a few new recipes, all of which have been raging successes (including my very first Turkey dinner !!) .... until today that is.

Today I found a recipe for blueberry creamcheese muffins on cooks.com...... sounds delicious right? Just the thing for a cold winter's day... or so i thought. (california cold = 5 degrees celicus for my canadians comrades)

Well my friends, when a recipe sounds TOO healthy, it means it probably IS. And they are really nasty. Yuck... these are going straight in the trash. Sometimes a little white flour and sugar are necessary ingredients!

Here's the recipe for your viewing pleasure only. Do not attempt these at home!


BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten3
/4 c. honey
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 c. milk
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed & drained
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into 16 pieces

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix together in a separate bowl egg, honey, oil and milk. Add to dry ingredients. Mix until just moist, fold in berries. Fill greased muffin cups 1/3 full. Place a piece of cream cheese on each cup. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

ARGHHHH Im going insane waiting.....I Miss Working!!!!!!!

Last Day

So today was my last day of work before baby Dixie arrives! It was a super busy day- I had about 20 emails to go through from the 4 day weekend (apparently not everyone took the weekend off!), and then I had several other things that needed to be done before I left, so I ended up working through lunch, and then leaving at 5:30pm.

I’m so glad it was a busy day though. I hate boring, slow days, and since it’s my last day, it would have been super depressing. Instead though I left on a high note, feeling confident in my accounting abilities and satisfied because I was able to tie up all the loose ends before my departure.

I’m kinda sad though, as this feels like the end of an era! I’ve been at this job (in various roles) for 4 years…. That’s a whole year longer than my public accounting days! It feels like home there. Everyone was really nice, sent me well wishes, and told me to leave early because they didn’t want me to go into labor!

There is something so fulfilling about a job well done, and let’s not lie, the paycheck is really nice too. I love that I am at a place in my career that I have experience (6.5yrs!), I have confidence that I’m actually doing it right, and surprise surprise, I can actually answer a lot of questions sent my way from the auditors, managers, and co workers. I’ve become the go to girl in the GL department, and I LOVE that. I’m really going to miss being “good” at something.

I’m a little nervous about being a mom. I mean, I really sucked at swaddling the plastic babies at my newborn care class. I’m probably going to hate breast feeding, and I’ll feel like a failure feeding the baby formula bottles. Plus to top it all off, its going to take a while to loose the baby weight, so in the meantime, I’m going to look and feel like a heffer.

So, wish me luck in my next life adventure. I sure hope I can be as good at the mom thing as I am at the accounting thing. Here’s to the next 3 months of maternity leave!

Our New Baby!!!

ok- Not to dissapoint, but its not "THE" baby Dixie I speak of. A few weeks ago sean and i invested in an ellipitcal machine for our apartment. The rational is this- He works 24 hours shifts, at which time i will basically be house bound, so i needed a way to get a really good work out at home. Afterall, sweat is my happy drug, and If im not happy, Sean isnt either :) So, we put the couch in storage and made room for the new machine.

The last 3 weeks have been SO NICE being able to work out at home after work without having to leave the house. Especially since it is now dark outside so i cant go for walks. Anyhoo, this is me, 9 months pregnant on the ellipitical for 60 minutes. Im really hoping this new baby will help me bouce back after THE baby. (editors note- the following pictures are not pretty)

Best Jacket Ever

I bought this jacket from lulu lemon about a year ago. Its my favorite. Its warm, snuggly, sophicated and stylish. It fit me when i was a solid non-pregnant size 6, and it still fits me as a lumpy bumpy pregnant size 6 ++ . (I've been wearing maternity size 6, but i think its acutally more like a size 10, its just sized down to make me feel better about myself).

Anyways, it was slightly expensive for a sweater, but worth every penny. I highly recommend this jacket/wrap to all women, pregnant or not. It will last a lifetime, it doesnt loose its shape, and its pretty darn stylish if you ask me.

http://shop.lululemon.com/Savasana_Wrap/pd/c/550/np/550/p/1107.html

Enjoy!

Eve

Going Private... (again)

So as soon as baby dixie is born, im making my blog private... I know I was private before and then changed back to public, but I've decided I dont want baby Dixie exposed to the World Wide Web unfiltered.

Plus i got this random comment from someone i didnt know a few posts back- it wasnt a weird comment by any means, but just the fact that i didnt know the person kind of freaked me out. So, if you wanna read me- either leave a comment to this post, or send me an email.

XOXo

Eve

ps- Twilight comes out Friday!!!

Second Thoughts...


So i've been thinking that i would go au natural (ie- no epidural) for dixie's birth. You know, so i can get the full experience without being drugged up and without complications.

Well my friends, I had to go to labor and delivery yesterday to drop off my pre-admission paperwork, and now im having second thoughts.

There was a lady in labor that was screaming bloody murder the entire 10 minutes that i was in there.

i think i looked freaked out bc the admission clerk said to me "dont be alarmed, shes in labor"... .and she was totatly non chalaunt about it... like that amount of screaming was totatly normal.

Well my friends....i think i might opt for modern medicine to ease the pain... isnt that what its there for anyways???

Lucky Lady

Little Dixie is a lucky lady- not only did my friends throw me a baby shower on saturday (see previous post), but a few weeks ago my very good friend marjie threw me a surprise baby shower, and yesterday my work also threw me a surprise baby shower. i have soooo much baby stuff now! I am so greatful for the abundance of love I've been showered with. its nice to know that people care :) its also nice not to have to buy a ton of stuff. i have all the baby clothes im going to need for the next 12 months of dixies life! Not to mention several beautiful homemade blankets, recieving blankets, burb clothes, baby books, shoes, wipes, diapers, oh and the carseat my work purchased, and the awesome jogging stroller my Dad bought for me! Wowzers...i am one lucky mama, and so is baby dixie. i'll post a picture of my baby loot shortly.

XOXO
Eve

My Baby Shower!
My good friends Jenny and Sarah threw me a beautiful baby shower on Saturday. I was hesitant at first to have a shower, as Im not a big fan of being in the spotlight, but i relented, and these ladies did such an amazing job! Everything was perfect. I am so lucky to count them as friends:) Thanks to everyone for coming and making me feel so loved. Only thing that could have made it better would be if my sisters and mom could have come too.... maybe next time :)

Lots of presents for dixie- tons of pink!
me, sandra, sarah & Jenny (sarah and jenny hosted)

Alecia, me Liz, Lindsey & Adrienne. such hotties :)

My work friends! Friends at work make the work week fly by- thank you ladies!

My Cake- 32 more days till D Day!

First

I had a realization this weekend. At my age (28), there arent alot of "first's" left in life. I mean, I've done all the really important stuff already, first step, first word, first kiss, first time driving, first college class, first real job, first paycheck, first (an only) marriage ect ect ect......

Well my friends, on (or around) Dec 11, I get to experience another of live's "firsts"- First Delivery of my first child! How exciting, I cant wait to meet little Dixie!


And on that note, you'll all be happy to hear that i am already in a much better mood this week. I think the fact that i worked out at the gym twice, and walked the dish this weekend really helped my mood. I am a big proponent of exercise. It pumps those seratonin's through your body, which is my "happy" drug. So, next time I post 3 depressing posts in a row, all in the same week, im going to do myself a big favor and jump on the ellipitical machine for an hour. (the elliptical machine has been my saving grace in this pregancy, since i can no longer run so the treadmill is off limits).

XOXO
Eve

WANTED

Cute pictures of my neices and

nephew in halloween costumes

Outstanding warrants for:

Eden

Oakley

Ivy

Georgia

Abby

Mina

Sam

REWARD OFFERED

I Commit to be in a good mood ALL day today. NO matter what unforseen issues come up at work, no matter how fat I feel, and no matter how much I hate training new staff. I will be happy.

co worker: How do you feel today?

me: I feel like a big fat cow with meat slabs instead of arms.


Was this an appropriate response? Or should i have said " im fine" instead? Maybe i need to learn some social ettiquite... or maybe people should stop asking me. I mean, Hello, i look like im about to explode... how do you THINK im feeling?

Do I REALLY have to birth this baby? Does it REally have to come out of me?????

I think that it is probably going to hurt ALOT, so im wondering if i can change my mind. Is there any room for negotiation here?

Worst Day Ever!

I've had quite possibly the worst day ever! Even worse then 2 weeks ago, when my car broke down in the middle of lunch hour traffic on el camino and my phone went dead at the exact same time, while on my way to meet liz for lunch... yes its WORSE than that people!!

Heres what it included:

1) An 8 hour training session at work, stuck in a conference room all day with no email, no phone, and uncomfortable chair and no where to put my swelling feet up. It felt like an extended version of church... well maybe a little better because at least it was catered. I have Adult A.D.D. and I really do not do well at these all day trainings. I think they are counter productive, and I think that one really cannot learn for more than 1 hr stetches. Plus NO EMAIL... can you imagine the agony??

2) After my eight hour training session I had to go back to work to do a 7:30pm webex with our accounting staff in India. So, inbetween the end of my regular work day and my India call I decided to go walk the stanford dish to get some exercise (see #5 below) . Well, people when i started out it was sprinkling rain. But i thought, what the heck , i am a trouper and I LOVE the rain. The rain got progressively worse as i proceeded up the large hills, but it was too late to turn back. I was completely soaked by the end, including my feet. There is nothing worse than wet feet in squishy wet sneakers.

3) Now Im back at work, waiting for my Call to India to start. WAITING. i hate WAITING. And then once it does start, i have to teach the people on the other end of the phone how to run a new software application that my company is implementing. I am not a good teacher, and i am not patient in the least bit. (just ask my sister patience, she will confirm this), so you can imagine that this is not my favorite activity.

4) I'm wet and starving, and there is no food in sight for me until my 2nd shift ends and I get to go home

and finally, this is the kicker...

5) today during the training session a male manager who i've talked to maybe twice in my life says to me "so when is your due date?", to which i reply "December 11". and His response is " Wow, you look like you're due already!". I glared at him with my very best evil eyes and gave him a sarcastic "Thanks", and quickly turned around and walked away. The only good thing is that i could hear the ladies that were sitting beside him say " That was not the right thing to say". Gawd... some men are such idiots.

Now I have to go and cry myself to sleep.... but only after i train the India employees and have something to eat.


I sure hope tomorrow is a better day!

Eve

D.I.N.K.S

Holy Moley... Only 38 Work days of Left until maternity Leave on Nov 30!!

Sean and I joke that these are the days of bounty, you know because we are
"D-I-N-K-S"- double income no kids. I'm quite sad that this phase of our lives will be over soon... its been quite fun! I remember making my first purchase once I landed my first real job after BYU. I bought myself a $50 armband radio for exercising, and since i had a $25 gift certificate, it really only cost me $25. I remember feeling so free when i bought it... i had my very own money, no strings attached! I felt like an adult for the very first time, and it was exhilerating. I love being financilly independent, knowing that if something ever happened, i can support myself.

This child had better be worth loosing my independance. So Long Disposable income, hello disposable diapers, sleepless nights, and an Ulgh... Budget.

Dont get me wrong though we are both very excited for Dixie's arrival. A new phase of life, a new adventure, a new challenge to concur.

so i bought this awesome winter jacket on line in my pre pregnancy size..... is this wishful thinking? I sure hope not cause its hella cute, and i have no plans to re-do my wardrobe in a larger size post baby.

Sweet Release...

Things are slowly winding down at work. Still busy, but not working weekends or staying past 6:30pm during the week, so actually its just how i like it to be. I hate it when things are slow, as the days take so long to pass. I much prefer to be a busy bee all day long, but able to clock out at 6pm and enjoy the weekends to myself.

Anyhoo, after working the last 2 weekends including labor day (which the rest of the company had off as a stat holiday), but boss said that I should take some vacation. I told her that I was taking 2 days off next week to go to Mexico on my babymoon. She said, "Good, Dont Book it." Which means that I dont have to use my vacation hours, and it is essentially a free vacation, as I will be paid out the hours that I would have used up during my maternity leave in December! Bonus $$. Not that I havent worked for it... but its just nice to be recognized sometimes. It makes the long hours worth it in the end. She also called me her "right arm" during the past week, which is also nice to hear, because sometimes I'm just not sure if I'm cutting it in the corporate world!

So, anyhoo, next Thurs, Friday, Sat & Sun I will be in Peurto Vallerta Mexico hanging out at the Marriott Casa Magna pool, ordering room service, watching pay per view, walking on the beach, and just being a beach bum. Its our mini break before the baby :) I Cant Wait! I probably wont post any pictures because lets not lie here, a 7 month pregnant lady does not look good on the beach.

XOXO
Eve

Tis the Season


Ok, so i really should not be wasting time on blogger right now... as it quarter end close at work coupled with a last minute acquisition.... so I'm extremely busy in the land of accounting... we're talking public accounting days busy... but my eyes are getting blurry from too much excel... so they needed a break.

Anyhoo.. i just had to say that in order to make it into work this morning, i had to motivate myself with a yummy pumpkin cream cheese muffin for breakfast from starbucks. They are seriously Delicious. I only ever allow myself one or two a season (they are the fall specialty item), as they are full calorie, full fat... and full of deliciousness. The promise of having one for breakfast got me out the door this morning at 7:15am... so i think it was well worth the calories. Plus i had a salad for lunch.. so maybe that evens it up a bit.

Oh, and i DONT have gestational diabetes. My glucose test was perfect. My doctor is a hypochondriac.

Ode to joy, only 3 more months left of this!!


XOXO
Eve

Dixie's Cousin!

So we just found out that Dixie Mae is going to have a cousin born in April 2010! This is sooo exciting, she's going to have so many cousins close in Age. Little Georgia who will be 11 months older that Dixie, and now Adrienne's baby (sex unknown) that will be 4 months younger! Wow.. there must be something in the water. I wonder who's next??


Horray for cousins! Congrats to Rob & Adrienne!

XOXO
Eve

It's a Girl!!!

It's official, we'll be welcoming Dixie Mae Werner to the world on Dec 11, 2009, which is also our 5 year anniversary!

To anyone who Really knows me... you know that I am a type A planner extraordinaire. To some this is extremely annoying, and to others it is helpful. The point is, that when we got married we planned to wait 5 yrs to have a baby-- so it looks like we are right on Schedule. Now to cook up the next 5 yr plan :)

Oh, and I have to get tested for gestational diabetes as I've gained 23 lbs so far, and I should have only gained 16 pounds, leaving me 7lbs overweight and my Dr. is concerned. Looks like I'll have to cut out all of my extra curricular desserts (see previous post).

Otherwise all is well!

XOXO
Eve

Quit your Complaining

For a girl who is constantly complaining about "pregnancy" weight- you're really not helping the matter by consuming delicious desserts EVERY day.

par example

sunday- homemade brownies & icecream from sandra
Monday- dairy milk minis from boss' trip to the UK
Tues- left over brownies & icecream from Sunday dinner
Wed lunch- flourless chocolate torte @ work cafe

its only wednesday people! There is no way my baby will have an allergy to chocolate. She is busy building plenty of antibodies in her prenatal life. And I say "she"... bc if it was a HE... im sure i wouldnt be possessed to consume quite as much chocolate.

PAYNE FAMILY REUNION 2009 in Disneyland!

Sean and I just returned from our family reunion in Disneyland. Besides our car breaking down in the middle of nowhere on the way down thus spending that night at the seediest hotel EVER, we had the best time ever! Here are a few photo highlights....

The Kiddies! (minus eden & abby who were too cool for this photo)

Sun bathing beauties

Ivy the pirate!

Laying out at the pool with the girls! We gave private lessons to Eden on how to properly sun yourself. This included a Q&A session. Eden asked "so do you ever go in the water" to which her aunties told her "Only if its really hot, but Never get your hair wet".

Mom after the grizzley ride in California Land! She was soaked head to toe!


The Boys!






The Girls!





WE LOVE DISNEYLAND!!

The Oakster-

Our #1 favorite nephew!! He's cuddly, energetic, adorably cute, and such a boy.

He shared all of his treats with us. He gave my tummy lots of kisses, and told me that it was

a boy cousin for sure, and he did lots of cannonballs in the hot tub at the hotel. Plus he wants to be a pirate when he grows up. Whats not to love about this boy?? We love you Oakley!!

Sean & Oakley playing in the hotel room

Lots of juicy kisses from the Oakster for auntie nunu

Oakley's main souce of transportation around Disney

Oakley & Sean, cuddling at the pool. Just look at that sweet face!

DISNEYLAND!

Whoop de Whoo!!! Disneyland for 3 days 4 nights with Mom, Dad, betina, Kenneth, Eden, Oakley, Ivy, Georgia, Serinda, Keith, Abby, Mina, Me, Sean, Patience & Nunu!!! Staying onsight in California Adventure Land with immediate access to the park and Downtown Disney. Oh, and a rooftop pool to cool off in the hot SO-CAL afternoons!

Does it get any better??? well, only if Anders, Celeste and Dan could make it too.

Party On Payne Family Reunion Summer 2009!!!
Pictures to come.

Best News EVER!!!

I just got this email from my dad, and It makes me jump for joy!!!! Note, this is an inside thing, so unless you've lived with Iron saturated Well water , you'll probably not be as excited as I am. But i KNOW that all my sibiligs are estatic Too!!

XOXO
Eve


From: Daniel Payne
Sent: Mon 8/10/09 1:44 PM
To: eve payne

10 AUG 09

EVE

we have town water NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

iiii

-----

Taste Buds??

So according to several pregnancy websites, my baby is now 10.5 inches long! No wonder my stomach all of a sudden "popped" out. And its supposed to grow to be 20 inches, which means Im only half as big now as I will be in December. This is crazy.. iIcan barely bend over to tie my shoes anymore. "Baby rolls" are much different that regular old "fat rolls", bc at least fat rolls squish up, allowing one to bend over to tie shoes, pick things up ect. I can barely touch my toes anymore!

Anyways, on to the taste buds- the baby is now swallowing aminiotic fluid and the baby websites say that the babies favorite tastes will be the foods that I am now eating, its very first flavor experiences. So basically my baby will be addicted to sweets (like unto his/her mom and dad), ketchup (mom), and carbs in general. I really really should be eating more leafy greens right now. Meh...i just cant seem to get it right. Oh, and I just had a pack of M&M's for lunch... healthy, i know:, but I tried to balance it out a little with a half hour walk around the hospital next to my work.

So anyways, Sean and I have determined that BOTH of our mom's were totatly eating desserts and sweets all the time in week 21 of our prenatal lives... as we both love our desserts. I plan on passing this same trait onto all of our babies, you know, for the sake of tradition.

XOXO
Eve

Bunny Art

You might be wondering why i am blogging so often as of late. It's because I've turned into an insomniac. I seriously CANNOT sleep!! I used to fall asleep in 10 mintues, and I could sleep for 8-9 hrs at a time... not anymore my friends. Same thing happened to Betina when she was with child- I hope it goes away soon. But in the meantime, I may as well do something useful like Blogging.

So, this is my first purchase for my baby room. I use the term "room" loosely, as its actually a baby corner. A corner carved out of my living room dedicated to future baby. Lucky kid, eh, imagine, and entire corner!

This is a set a prints that I bought off of my most talented baby sister Celeste (aka bunny). Shes in Art School in Nova Scotia Canada, and she is very talented. I dont like hanging up store bought prints on my walls. I like Art to be meaningful, and mass producted IKEA prints just dont cut it.

Instead of paying up the wazooo for custom frames (as they are not standard picture sizes), I just bought some frames with Large matting from target for $60, and cut the matts myself. Granted its far from a professional job, but i think it still looks pretty good. Im super excited to hang these babies up, thanks bunny! (on a side note bunny dearest, i'd REally LOVE a series of your faries in pastels, pretty please!!)

In case you're ever trying to matt a picture yourself... the trick is to use a really good and sharp exacto knife. My first try (ABOVE) was with the standard one out of our tool kit.. it was ok, but i had to re-cut several times- you can see the wobbly line on the RHS above. My second try I pulled out "the shark" that Sean got for christmas from my mom.. its AMAZING. I highly recommend the SHARK for all matting needs. Just dont let the kiddies get at it! (i used the SHARK for the following 2 matts, which turned out much better).

So, what do you think of my sister's artwork???? Shes a starving art student, so if you wanna buy anything from her i can hook you up with her info :) Plug Plug.

Aishia's Wedding in LA 7.25.09- the most beautiful Indian Bride ever!!

There are only a few times in one's life when you get to meet someone you truely connect with. One of mine is Ms. Aishia Premji (now werber). We met at our very first "real" job at PwC San Jose in 2003. In an area as huge as "the bay area", it was pretty amazing that we only lived 5 minutes away from eachother. We spent most evenings & weekends together roadtrippin to LA, shopping, cooking, watching SATC on sunday nights (yes, she had cable!) & hanging out in SF. She taught me to play the "game" and lure my seany-sean into my girlsh traps, and together we co-miserated our jobs. She moved only one short year after we'd met, back to LA (for a boy of course- why else would anyone leave their friends, job & northern cali??). I was heartbroken. Oh my dear aishia, how I will always love and miss you! Luckily we've stayed in touch over the last 5 yrs, and last weekend I went to her wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding ever. Seriously, perfection! I love you AIshia!! Aaron is a VERY lucky man indeed.

The reception was at this beautiful country club. This is the view!

The Bride walking down the Aisle. So pretty!

Me, kissing my most favorite man.


Deepy, Aishia & Eve- we all met working at PwC in 2003!

My long lost Love- Ashia.

**** editors note for future reference...I am 5 months pregnant in these pictures, so please excuse the plumpness, and bad dress. Its really the ONLY dress in the store that fit me. Who wears Khaki to a wedding anyways?? Maternity sections are way to small. *****

Roadside Chatter...

Senerio: Sean is surfing craigs list for furniture deals even though we are in the process of clearing out our ONE bedroom apartment to make room for baby stuff, (namely making space to put a crib and rocker in the living room) while He SHOULD be looking for a crib...

Sean: Eve, its such a great deal... check it out, a pottery barn couch for only $200- and its really nice!!
Eve: SEAN- We dont Need another Couch!
Sean: But its just such a great deal... we'd find a place to put it
Eve: Ok, where are we going to put it?
Sean: In our living room (note, we already have one large couch, 1 recliner and end tables)
Eve: Ok, where are we going to put the baby?
Sean: The Baby can Find its Own Place!
Eve- laughing histarically


Seriously??? This boy has ALOT of learning to do!

Here are my ultrasound pictures from yesterday July 27, 2009

Patience….

So Sean and I have had our very first lesson in patience from our unborn child. Today was a highly anticipated day, and has been marked on our calendar for many weeks (9 to be exact). Today was the day we were to find out the sex of said child. Today was the day we could begin looking for baby bargins on craigslist. Today was the day we could finally refer to the child by name instead of by “it”. Unfortunately, today was also the day that said unborn child decided to have its legs crossed for the entire ½ hr ultrasound. So today my friends, is the day that Sean and I have had our first lesson in patience. I’m sure there will be many more, as I’m sure said child will not be quite as fast and efficient as we’d like “it” to be.

Sorry folks!

Bedtime Stories

So Sean and I are talking the other night, and this is how the conversation went:

Eve: So, what if i go into labor and you're working?

Sean: Oh, I can just leave work right away, its called Emergency Medical Leave

Eve: Oh good

Sean: Yeah, and I'll have a head start from Sunnyvale, so i can just meet you at the hospital

Eve: What!?! How am I going to get to the hospital??? I cant DRIVE MYSELF, I'll be having contractions!!

Sean: Oh yeah......

Sometimes boys are such idiots!


XOXO
Eve

Orange be Gone

Hallelujah, my hair color is finally back to normal! In fact, it’s even better than normal, as I am blonder than ever before! This last year has been a very bad hair year for me. This was a year of transition from Bright Red/Violet back to cool Blonde. It was a hard journey… one that I don’t recommend to anyone.


BEFORE


AFTER

Timeline-

March 2008: I first colored my Hair Bright Violet Red while attending Hairschool. I THOUGHT it was a good idea at the time. It looked super fierce… but I had to refresh it every 3 weeks to keep it bright red, as it faded fast. But my plan was to go work in a Salon upon graduation, and I wanted to look the part for job interviews.

Aug 2008: My last time coloring my hair bright Red. I decided to go back to work in accounting- (that’s right, I sold my soul to corporate America). This would be my last Red Color Job, as it just doesn’t fit in with the corporate setting like it does in a salon.

Nov 2008: I have noticeably blonde roots w/ dull Red hair. I chop about 6 inches of red off. I also book an appointment with the master colorist for color correction, but I find out it’s going to be like $400, so I immediately cancel and weight my options.

Feb 2009: I can no longer handle the dull red w/Blonde roots- I go to a less expensive salon in SF for “color correction”. My hair ends up Orange. I was going to go immediately back to get it re- done, but my hair was in such a fragile state that I decided to live with it and let it grow out for a month or so before attempting color again.

April 2009: I really really want to go back to the salon, but I am in my first trimester, so I opt to wait it out until 2nd trimester, when the pregnancy is not such a fragile state. This baby had better be worth the wait!

July 2009: I am DYING to get my hair done immediately, so I go to a spa in San Jose where I normally just get waxed, and I am randomly assigned to an open stylist. I was nervous going to someone new without a recommendation, but like I said, I am DYING! The girl (Kate) ends up doing a fantastic job. I haven’t been this happy with my hair in ages, and I finally feel like me again. ( I never felt like myself as a redhead-it was just too edgy for me). I immediately rebook with her for a cut in Aug. Yippeee, I’ve found a new stylist that does not charge me a fortune!

Moral of the story: Don’t ever color your hair bright red if you are a natural blonde. Just don’t. It’s so not worth it. You can do some peak-a-boos of red if you must, but steer clear of the all-over red. It will save you 12 months of heartache and pain in the transition phase. Blondes have way more fun anyways!

My Dad's Response to my Last Blog Entry (hes an MD)


17 JUL 09

eve

cream to prevent stretches does NOT work

do not waste your money

neither does cream after the fact work to make them go away

another lie by cream manufacturers



iiii


.... But the sales girl at A PEA IN A POD was so convincing! Too bad you didnt come shopping with me :)

** This is a coupon code for the gap online***

Maternity Clothes-

So I've been slowly buying maternity clothes over the past few months. I started at 10 weeks, and although I wasnt showing then, my regular Express Editors that I wear for work virtually every day (i have several pairs) no longer buttoned up. Rather than buy a larger "normal" size, I decided to just jump straight to maternity, as they would fit me the rest of the pregnancy, an not just for another month. I started at Valley fair mall and went to Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in a Pod, Old Navy and the Gap.

Motherhood Maternity Sucked. Everything was cheaply made, had WAY to many patterns, and just looked like dowdy "mom" clothes. Plus when i put them on, i truely looked pregnant...and Im trying to disguise people. I only spend about 1/2 in there and left empty handed. C-

The Gap in store had a very small selection. The stuff they had there was ok, but there just wasnt enough to choose from, so again, i left empty handed. B-

A Pea in A Pod had a ton of cute stuff. Designer maternity jeans, awesome tops, wraps, belly creams you name it- they have it. It was all high quality- but very very expensive. As this was my only success of the day, i spent a little more than i should have, but it made me feel good so whatever. I got a pair of jeans, a pair of black work pants (that i've been wearing everyday since), 2 shirts and belly cream that is supposed to prevent stretch marks (we'll see about that in coming months). Overall, great success, nice stuff, but expensive. A-

Old Navy in store had a larger selection than the Gap... however, as Im really not an Old Navy fan in the first place, I didnt find anything I liked. They cut their clothes really large, and nothing fits properly. That said, i did buy a few regular sized Large T-shirts, and they are pretty awesome. I love Old Navy T's, but the maternity clothes are so-so at best. B

Target- Target's selection really sucks. I was sadly dissappointed bc I am a big fan of Target's young adult women's section (mossimo & Xileration). I always get several tops, bathing suits, and tanks from Target- so i expected more from the maternity section. They have like 2 racks of clothes and its all pretty dowdy. C

Nordstroms in store- Doesnt even have a maternity section so dont try. How can such a huge department store that caters to the rich palo alto moms that lunch not have a maternity section?? D-

Since visiting the mall stores, I've jumped on-line- and have had much more success, as the selection is far superiour to the mall stores.

Old Navy Online- Huge selection of stuff at great prices. Again, Im weary of buying anything Old Navy, bc it never fits my shoulders right, but i did get a cute Maternity tankini Top for like $12 that is really cute. There is absolutely ZERO breast support though, and i find this funny bc hello people, maternity boobs are like 4 times the size of normal boobs. but i guess that is what you get for 12 bucks. B

Nordstroms Online- Huge selection of stuff, but nothing is on sale, thus you are forced to pay full price, which at norstroms is usually too much. But if you're looking for a nice dress for a wedding or something like that, this is the place to go. Lots of designer brands, nothing looks like "mom clothes", its all pretty chic. I havent actually ordered anything from them, as I just cant pay that much for clothes that will only last me another 4 months. B

The Gap OnLine- Ok so I've saved the best for last. I absolutely LOVE GAP ONLINE MATERNITY. They have a huge selection, there is a ton of stuff on sale, the prices are reasonable, and I can order with confidence bc the sizing is the same as your pre-pregnancy gap size, and the quality is decent. I've ordered several tops that are all cute, more black work pants and a pair of maternity jeans. One caveat on the jeans- I've never really been a fan of Gap jeans as there is not enough "wear" in the pants- ie fading ect. But they were cheap, they fit well, and I guess i can take some sand paper to them to give them the worn in look that expensive designer jeans already have. I've definatly had the most success at GAP online, and Since i dont have to try them on at the store, i dont feel all big and fat in their oversized mirrors. A+.


If you need any maternity clothes shopping advice- just ask me. I've done my research and I feel like an expert. Oh and in case you're wondering, Nike, Speedo & TYR DONT make a "Sport Maternity Racing Suit". Speedo has a couple of "casual wear" maternity suits--- but why would you pay $80 for a casual wear suit?? So if you're looking for a maternity racing swimsuit... just buy a size 40- its working out pretty well for me thus far.


XOXOo
Eve

Mom’s SF Visit

This weekend my most favorite mummy came to Cali for a visit! Here’s the breakdown:
1- Bucca De Peppa family style Italian dining- yummy

2- Sprinkles gourmet cupcakes for dessert- because who doesn’t want a $5 cupcake?

3- Girls Spa Day! Facials, Massage, Mani & Pedi complete with nice robes and a spa lunch- We were in absolute heaven. Such a great way to spend a day! If you live around here, I recommend Plum Spa in San Jose.

4- Movie Date to see “My Sisters Keeper”- a perfect chick flick to see with your mom. Complete with popcorn & diet coke- Because a movie just isn’t the same without it.

5- Wal-Mart * 2- because the states have so many more As Seen on TV items for sale than Canada
a. Items purchased: Slap Chop & Debbie Meyer’s Bread Bags
b. Items I convinced my mom she didn’t need: The bump it and these bra strap holders that keep your straps in place.

6- Target- lots of clothes were purchased by both parties. 2 new sports bras for me, and 2 cute skirts for my mom.

7- In & Out- Classic California Take out. Kicks McDicks ass any day of the week!

8- Pool Day- One of the perks about being an apartment dweller- Lounging by the Pool Reading trashy mags & drinking diet cokes with Lots of Ice. We pretended we were in Mexico.

9- Sweet Home Alabama- Enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon nap/movie after the pool

10- Pizza- For Sunday dinner we ordered Pizza and chatted the night away

11- Caltrain- Mom took Caltrain by herself up to SF for a city tour. I gave her maps and directions and I really hope she makes it back in one piece! I told her not to look any one in the eye and keep her hand on her purse at ALL times.

Coming up

12- Last dinner at Fresh Choice- I figure we should probably throw in something healthy to eat

13- Fire Station Tour- Tonight we’re visiting Sean at the fire station for an official tour complete with photographs with my sexy fireman.

Thanks for coming mom!! I always love your visits and our chats.

Photos to come…


XOXO
Eve

Vancouver Trip

So- I visted my BFF Iris in Vancouver over July 4th long weekend and we had a blast.

I still havent found my camera, thus there are no pictures. So Sad, bc it was sooo beautiful. If you ever make it to Whistler BC, i Highly recommend the Peak-to-Peak Gondola. So pretty (and high). But skip the 1/2hr line for the one with the glass bottom... the other one is just as great.

Vancouver has great food. I had the best Margerita pizza ever! Authentic Itilian, Lots of sauce, chewy crust, and just a little mozza (the real kind). Plus it was only $13- a steal!

Skip Victoria Island- the best part about it is the ferry ride to and from, which is insanely beautiful, but the actual city is like RedDeer Alberta. Just a regular city with a bunch of chain restaurants... in fact, i think that the BYU campus is far prettier and more lush than Victoria, and its in the desert people.

Next trip is to LA to see Aishia get married! I love Indian weddings- so colorful, great food, and lots of people.

Then Disney with the family for 4 days, yippeeee-- i love summer!

XOXO
Eve

Here is a picture of me and my sisters that ran the Seattle Rock n Roll Half.

Yes, this picture is borrowed from Serinda's blog

and yes, that is my big belly :)

My Rockstar Moment

So this weekend was one of my most fantastic weekends ever! I met up with all 5 of my sisters (Betina, Serinda, Patience, Nawana & Celeste) in the beautiful, clean city of Seattle. We all travelled there from different places to run the First Ever Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon. After becoming pregnant 4 months ago my ability to run has been greatly hampered by several factors namely exhausting, nausea and cramps. So I decided about a month ago that I was just going to Cheer them on, but not to race. In fact, in the last 2 months I have been on one 5 mile run, and that is it. Running had just become far to tiresome and uncomfortable. Besides that I have been swimming a couple of times, and to spin class a couple of times, but in all honestly, I’ve been a complete lazy ass.

So, in packing for Seattle I brought my gym clothes including shoes, shorts & sports bra, but not my running specific items (sunglasses, hat, fuel belt), as I was only planning on going to the gym. But Im not going to lie… in my heart of hearts, I really did want to run the race.

We got to the expo on Friday to pick up our race packets…. and I got a little caught up in the race excitement and I too picked up my number and purchased a new fuel belt and visor just in case I changed my mind about racing on Friday morning. From that point, my fate was sealed…. I was running that damn race, like it or lump it! My sisters also encouraged me to do it, and I was a little jelly that I wasn’t going to run with Poo and Nunu for their first ever race!

Saturday morning came along and I was ready. I was running the race! We all started out running together, and then Poo, the rockstar jetted out ahead of us at about mile 5. I was not going fast. I was taking it easy as I didn’t want to get any cramps, and I knew that I was pregnant and ill prepared for the race. I ran a nice easy jog pace, adding ½ hr onto my last half marathon time. We finished at 2 hrs 26 minutes-- And it was super super fun. I ran with nunu and betina the whole time, and we all crossed the finish line together! There was a point when betina and nawana were ahead of me, but I was so lonely behind them that I pulled out my old running legs and caught up to them just in time to finish the last mile together.

Even though this is the slowest I’ve ever run, it is the most proud finish I’ve ever had! Come one people, I am 4 months pregnant and have not been running! So… that’s my rockstar moment. Crossing the finish line and running the race with my sisters.

And a special thanks to Serinda and Celeste for being the best cheerleaders ever and taking care of baby Georgia while we ran. Go Team! Way to go Girls! I love you!


XOXO
Eve