NDSU v. U of M

NDSU tailgating is generally a fun time and a place where you run into people to talk to everywhere you turn.  When the weather is lovely there isn't a better way to spend a day.  This weekend NDSU played the University of Minnesota for the third time since 2006.  It is always an intense game for NDSU and a matter of pride because in the days leading up to the game the media and coaches are generally disdainful and never take the game seriously.  The U of M is in the Big 10 Conference but has been bad at football for years so I don't know why they are so surprised when they lose to us!  Haha suckas!  Blow this game off!  Then see what happens!

In the past the game has been at the Metrodome but recently the U built a beautiful new outdoor stadium.  The parking lot situation is limited since the stadium and campus are in the middle of the city so NDSU set up the tailgating area at the state fairgrounds and everyone took shuttles to the game.  It was quite a thrill to approach the huge parking lot and see the gold and green flags flying!  It seemed like there were more people at this tailgating than at home games.  The main drawback was waiting in line for the toilets (I spent wayyyy too much time doing that and I wasn't even drinking beer!).  Wow, I thought those lines would never end.  I always wonder what people do in there for more than 90 seconds.  For the love of God that should be the longest anyone stays in those things. 

I ran into so many fun people.  There were many KD alums there that now live in the Minneapolis area.  I love how I can run into those girls and we can talk like we did years ago and it is still the same.  Also, my uncle and sixteen year old cousin Kendra found us in the masses!  She is the blond one between Andrea and I.  It is not especially noticable but I am really taxing the seams of that t-shirt...we were supposed to wear green to stand out from the U of M fans, who also wear gold.  I recently bought a larger gold shirt and decided to get by with what I had for one last game.  I remember worrying about looking like I had a beer gut or looking pregnant in the past, sucking my stomach in for pictures, and favoring loose and flowing shirts for nights when I would be eating and drinking alot.  Wow, now I realize I had no need to worry during those years.  That bloat was nothing compared to real pregnancy! 

Here we are posing in that beautiful new stadium...after we WON!  Hahaha I hope you are feeling confident for your Big 10 schedule now MN!  It was an amusing game.  There was a delightful interception and touchdown right before halftime that had everyone going crazy.  Toward the end there was another interception that ended in a touchdown and a mass exodus of maroon and gold fans who had given up.  They left that new place to us so we could gloat and pose for pictures like the one shown above. 

Yeeeeahhhh....24 to 37!  That wasn't even close!  An interesting fact...my brother in law (Justin's step-brother whose family can be followed in the blog "Our Life" on my list") is an engineer for the company that designs and installs electronic displays like that and he had a hand in desinging that beast of a scoreboard.  It is huge.  Look at it compared to the goalpost in the left hand corner. 

It was a weekend that I wish had lasted longer.  Everything flew by.  The hours of tailgating were over in no time at all.  We ladies did alot of shopping and every time I looked at the time I thought "already"?  I am exhausted though.  Lugging around this extra weight is alot of work when you are on your feet all day. 

Hmmmmm...I can't wait to go to my job tomorrow and stare at pages of corporate drivel all day....At least next weekend is Homecoming so there is more fun in the future!

It's....A Girl?

This weekend I met my cousin's new baby, whose name is Grayson.  He is, indeed, a boy.  A very cute boy, I might add.  The title of the post refers to the Chinese Calender for predicting a baby's gender.  According to Grayson's mom, it was accurate when it said that Grayson would be a boy, and she has known others who have accurate results from it as well.  I looked at a message board on Babycenter.com and many women on there said it was accurate for them too!  I tried it and it said I would have a girl! 

Here is a link...

 http://www.immihelp.com/nri/chinese-lunar-calendar-gender-prediction.html

I tried to figure out the information to see if it had predicted my gender and my siblings' genders.  The month of conception aspect is a bit tricky without asking the person but it seemed like it might be correct!  Haha!  What do you all think?  Time will tell if it is accurate for us...

Here is a photo of me and the bebe.  I think the angle of this photo makes me look like a giant! 

What a nice family photo of my grandparents with their first great grandchild (and five of their grandchildren!) 

The gathering was on Sunday and before that I got to spend the weekend with Allan.  Since we started portioning his food he has lost a bit of weight.  As a result, he has been very frisky and naughty.  I feel kind of bad that he must not have been feeling his best with those extra pounds!  Fat cats are cute, but I wouldn't want him to be unhealthy! 

Yes, he is feeling like a kitten again!  That toy he is knawing on is his current favorite...a neon orange mouse with a long tail. 

Jakey, Jakey...

I just went up stairs to get a glass of water and noticed this sight...

That is the baby Meyer Spruce sapling that I described in the post from two days ago. I had brought the trees indoors for the night because of the cold weather (although I don't know if that is necessary or not...they are trees after all!) and apparently Jake thought it looked like a fun thing to carry around in his mouth so he pulled it out of the pot and carried it around in his mouth.  Poor tree!  I have replaced it in the pot so hopefully it will be fine. 

Why would a dog want to carry a tree with needles around in their mouth?!  It was kind of strange...Andrea has plants all over the house and he ignores them.

Trees Bowl!

Every year an NDSU football game is designated as the "Trees Bowl".  This Bowl is sponsored by the ND Forestry service and they give awards to communities for planting trees during halftime and they also give away little baby trees to the fans!  For many years, I have obtained a sapling (or two) and tried to raise it in a pot indoors.  Every time I have done this it hasn't worked out...Does that stop me from trying again?  NO! 

The last year I did this was 2009.  In 2010 the game was in November so they gave out Christmas ornaments shaped like trees because the forestry service thought it was too late in the year to plant trees outdoors.  It was a fun change.  In 2009, we brought home a sweet little kitten named Allan who thought the trees were toys.  They didn't last very long!  I really liked that wacky looking long needled one that he is abusing!

Doesn't he look tiny?

This year Justin and I each got a tree.  Usually, the trees are some sort of evergreen.  This year they had oak trees and pine trees!  We got one of each!

I thought taking a picture of the trees on these rocks would be nice and look artistic but it actually is very hard to see them...oops! 

I planted them in some pots with the help of my favorite friend Jakey clinging to my side the whole time. 

They are so cute!  The pine tree variety is called a Meyer spruce.  This is what they look like when they grow up...

What a perfect Christmas tree shape!  So fluffy!  Hopefully mine will grow so I can plant it at the farm (Justin has issues about pine trees for some reason.)  I like them.  Evergreen trees hold symbolism of immortality and fertility in mythology and religion.  I read somewhere that the pioneers planted then in cemeteries to remind people of everlasting life.  I know I like seeing green anywhere in the winter. 

9-11

Everyone knows what today is...9-11...what was, until 10 years ago, just another day.  I believe I had an extensive account of exactly where I was and what I was doing when I found out on here last year so I won't go into alot of detail again...the short version is that I was in my dorm room during my third week of college and I went next door to walk to our 8:00 am class with my next door neigbhor and saw it on their TV and I went back to my room to wake up my sleeping roommate.  Then I went to class (Fitness and Wellness) which met in the NDSU library that day for some silly computer lab activity dealing with alcohol abuse habits and when the class had ended the first tower has fallen. 

What a day that was.  I am watching the replay on MSNBC right now and it is still terrifying to hear the panic in the background of the footage recorded on the streets.  What a nightmarish scene.  I can't believe that was 10 years ago...10 years!  In a few more years, kids who are college-aged won't remember this day at all.  It's crazy. 

Football Season!

I didn't mention this in my last post because I was too busy announcing my pregnancy, but last weekend was the first Bison football game of the year!  It was a home game, so that meant tailgating!  Last year we had an extra long season due to playoff action so it seems like the time since the last game flew by!  It was in mid-december!  I don't have any good pictures from tailgating because it was SO windy and my hair looked so bad that I didn't even want to take the camera out.  Next time...I promise! 

Tailgating was still fun without the beer, although I will admit I longed for one!  O'Douls doesn't really cut it!  There were lots of people around to talk to so I had a great time catching up with people and socializing.  And, of course, the game was fun because it was a huge blowout. 

After the game, Justin and I went to our favorite post-game bars where everyone was very glad to have a sober person in the group to get behind the wheel.  Also, I was surprised to see some members of the football team enjoying a few drinks after the game!  Save the negative thoughts...when I told my co-workers about it they all immediately thought the worst and assumed they were wasted, rowdy, and wanting to start fights.  It was the opposite actually.  There were about 10 players and they all seemed to be of age and they sat around the bar and had a few drinks and were friendly and smiling with everyone.  And holy crap...those guys are huge in person.  It's not the height that gets to me...I have many male family members that are tall like that...it is the massive necks and huge arms and shoulders...raaarrrrr....I couldn't stop staring!  Haha...and I know they were all checking out the 28 year old married woman with a bulging abdomen whose hair looked like a rats nest from being in 40 mph wind all afternoon.  I tell you I was fighting off attention all night....hahaha.  There were two guys with surfer hair that looked like this guy except they had bigger necks and arms...he is one of the main characters on the TV show "Sons of Anarchy"....





I wonder if they will show up there after next weekend's game...and the NFL starts tomorrow!  Uh OH!!!

We're Having a Baby!

Sooo...there has been something I have not mentioned since...oh...June 29...on that day I found out that I am pregnant! We are having a baby!  Allan will have a human sibling!  I think alot of people who read this know already because many people do. For example, our family members know and so does anyone who has tried to do any activity or attend any event that involves alcoholic beverages with me.  My cousin Katie knew within two seconds when she offered me a drink before we went to a dance over the 4th of July weekend.  The positive result came right before the 4th of July weekend, which included big family get togethers and also my 10 year class reunion so word got out pretty early, before the typical first trimester secrecy window.

I think people might have been surprised that we decided to give up the selfish, freedom-loving lifestyle that we have enjoyed during the first four years of our marriage.  And, it is true, I did love those days of doing whatever I want and am enjoying my last months of them, even without the beer swilling and rollerblading and tight jeans that I enjoyed so much before. 

It all started for me when my 28th birthday approached in April.  I realized I would be in my mid 40's before I ever saw a child of ours play in a high school sports game.  When in stores, cute baby outfits started catching my eye when I would usually not be too interested in that section.  So I told Justin we should think about stopping preventative measures and so I stopped and less than 2 months later, unknown to me for the first month, and to my shock, it came to pass! 

Everyone has asked if we are finding out the gender and the answer is....we don't know yet!  That appointment will take place at the end of September so stand by...Also, everyone asks how I have been feeling.  I am delighted to say that I didn't have a single vomiting incident although there were a few days that felt like a hangover, with headaches and fatigue that made work a huge drag.  For about a month I had lower back pain that would shoot down the back of my right leg but it has been better lately.  Also, I have had some digestive...ummm...issues...I won't go into details to spare any men out there (I would spare women but every woman I have spoken to has had no problem discussing every aspect of pregnancy in detail and it is a big relief!  You really can tell another woman anything about pregnancy, especially one who has been pregnant, and they won't even flinch!) but I thought I should mention that because I don't want to be one of those people who hides problems and tries to make everything seem perfect.  But anyway, overall, the dreaded first trimester wasn't too bad.  The beer ban and caffeine cutback has not been fun but I know those things will still be around on the other side!  Now I am two weeks into the second trimester and my clothes are getting tight and I almost wish I would just pop out already so people know for sure I am pregnant and not just packing on pounds! 

Oh, and the official due date is February 15th or 16th, depending on the calculator.  The Dr. says the 16th and babycenter.com says the 15th.  I hope there isn't a blizzard on whatever day it happens to land on! 

I have several months worth of stories about this that I have been sitting on and I will try to incorporate them into later posts.  Also, I will try not to make this whole thing a big pregnancy and baby fest.  By this I mean that I will try not to completely forget about poor Allan!

He thinks he is our baby!  I bought this baby bathtub at a garage sale a few weeks ago and after I had cleaned it up and washed the seat cover he made himself at home!  It was pretty cute.  He loves to snuggle into small spaces.  I was pretty excited to find that tub!  It cost $1 and was at an older ladies house.  She said she had bought it when her grandaughter was visiting for a few weeks and so it only got used during those few weeks.  Like new!  It meets my qualifications for a second hand purchase...non upholstered and able to be laundered or sanitized.  I am sad that rummage sale season is coming to an end!