Happy Birthday Future Mrs. McNair!!!

Happy Birthday Katie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just think on your next birthday you will be Mrs. Tom McNair!!! We have been friends for just about 10 years and I am so lucky to have you in my life! From Tri-Delt to $1 vodkas to weird landlords and air conditioners being put in backwards (ha!!) to Dukes of Hazard jokes (oh lord!) to sitting on the "window seat" discussing life to weddings and more, you have always been a friend I could count on! I am so glad you stood by me on my wedding day and I can't wait to stand by you on yours!! Thanks for always loving me enough to making me brownies or cookies (even when Mo and I had laughing fits that drove you crazy!) Here is to the next 10 years!!! Happy birthday KT!!!!!!!!!!! Love you!

Beaming with Pride . . .A Must See Documentary

I am very open about the fact that I am so proud of Jeff that sometimes I can't contain it. When we met in college I knew he wanted to be a Navy pilot and I have been blessed to watch and be part of the journey. What a journey it has been . . . we have had incredible heartache and loss with our squadron VS-32, and the loss of two great men, Tom and Scott. With that same squadron we have had tremendous love and joy. Some of closest friends or who I call family have come from our time there. We have been through moves, goodbyes, work-ups, deployments and more. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not proud of our country, our servicemen and women, and our Navy.

Now that Jeff has embarked on his new journey of flying the Super Hornet I always have mixed emotions. Incredible awe at the incredible piece of machinery and that he lands it on a carrier. With those same thoughts come the apprehension of more deployments and fear of the obvious fact that he has a dangerous job. I am beyond proud of every single person who devotes their life to the military. They are the braves souls who fight for us, who dedicate themselves to our safely, and who give up months and years away from their families so selflessly.

In ending . . . PBS has completed a 10 hour documentary titled "Carrier" that has started airing tonight. Below is the website with information and times. Lets just say I had teared up in the first 5 minutes after seeing all the families say goodbye. It is an amazing program that is the most in depth documentary I have ever seen on life on the carrier. I just wanted to spread the word so everyone can watch it (you can ever watch full episodes online). I also want to thank every single serviceman and woman. Thank you and God Bless you!!!!!!!

http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_1_carrier_2008-04-27

Happy Birthday J9!!!

Wow!!! We have some April birthdays!! Todays is Janine's (J9) birthday! I wish I was in J-actionville to celebrate with you, even though you are younger!!! You are such a sweetie and I hope you are having a great time and I miss you!! Love, Kitty

Babies, Boozing and Naps!

Our friends Matt and Kim are here this weekend!! Everyone including Cooper and Bailey (their weimaraner) are napping (too much food and booze for the boys at 4pm . . . they are getting old) and I am up and thought I would post some pictures from today!! Kim and I are both pregnant except she still looks skinny!!!! Lucky, it is crazy how pregnant I look and feel just in these last 2 weeks!! I am at 26 weeks and she is at 14 weeks!!! We have had fun comparing notes and I am stating for the record I think she is having a girl (and Caroline is having a boy), we will see how good I am at guessing!! We are trying to talk them into taking us to see the movie Baby Mama while they are here!! We will see if they cave to even more baby stuff!!

Happy Birthday To Chloe!!

It is Chloe's 4th birthday today!!!!!! Not only is she the cutest and sweetest thing in the world but she is the coolest!! She will be all dolled up because she is such a girly girl but will want to play with dinosaur's and sharks!! She has a heart of gold which just gets bigger every year and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. I still remember the first day I met her when she was only a couple of months old . . . with her little trumpet socks! It seems just like yesterday! We love you Chlo-Chlo!!! Love, Aunt Kitty and Uncle Jeff (Uncle Jeff says "GOOOOOOOOOOO")

Happy Birthday Sta!!!!

Another April Birthday Girl!!! It is my friend Stacy's birthday! I have known her since 5th grade and she is still one of the sweetest people I have ever met! I hope you have an amazing one!! Drink one for me! :-) Miss you and love you lots!!

Whoa!!!! There is a baby in here!! 25 weeks/ 6 1/2 months

So I woke up a couple of days ago feeling very pregnant . . . however . . . I wear sweats 99% of the time, so I don't really notice the belly. It wasn't until I got dressed that night to meet the Patricks and The Whittingtons for dinner that I realized my pants are a little tight and my long tee-shirt is getting shorter and tighter. I am still fighting the maternity clothes purchase and plan on just stretching all of my normal clothes till they will give no more!! Word to the wise: invest in belly bands! They are my best friend!

When Jeff took these 25 week pictures we were like "Whoa! There is a baby in there!!!!" This is my first expoused belly picture so if you get sick from it I apologize!! Perhaps all the front weight is how I pulled my back out again this week!!!! It is a good thing I don't have a job bc after the first 3 months of morning sickness, 2 weeks of "bed rest", 2 bouts of my back failing, and strep and the flu, I would def. have been fired :-) However, for some reason when people aks me how the pregnancy is going I still respond "great!", I think you really do forget the bad and only remember the good. (Wow I wish I could say that about some other experiences I have had in life! Ha!) They say that about child birth too but we will see . . . It is still a daily shock to us. I spend most of my time just kind of in awe yet panic that I may not have everything done in 14 weeks for her arrival but I can't wait!!

Up next pictures of the nursery . . . Jeff says I am micro-managing every little step but, hey . . . it's me we are talking about!

IT IS RAINING BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big News!!!! The Biggest!!! I now have 3 friends I love dearly who are NEWLY PREGGERS!!!!!!!! One is still in the closet . . . but the other 2 are officially out and I am doing back flips, jumping jacks etc.

This one has been driving me crazy keeping it inside but I haven't been that good at hiding it since people picked up on her birthday message (wink, wink)!! Caroline and John are pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cougie is going to be a mommy!!!!! I know . . . I know she will have to tone down her "cougar ways". I guess we will not be doing this anymore !! At least not until August for me and November for her!! We are hoping the next baby will be from Sahara and Cooper, our dogs, but the vet gods may not allow that!

My friend, Kim Halbert is also preggers!!! We have known each other for 6 years (Kingsville was that long ago????), been at each other's weddings and more and I am so glad we get to do this at the same time! She and Matt are moving to Corpus when she is 5 months!! That is the navy timing (oh sorry Marine timing) for you!! Even though we will be far apart, i think I have her convinced to blog so I can always see Baby Halbert!


I am so excited for you both!!!!!!!! Now with some of the big weddings coming up this year . . . I am already plotting babies!! My best friend, Kathryn and her fiance John (who met at my house thank you!) are getting married in April and I told her I expect a neice or nephew to be brewing by May! No pressure or anything! I think it could be the wedding present she gives to me and her mom and John's mom since we are all about it!!! Kathryn is going to be the godmother to Gracie though so hopefully we don't scare her too much and make her want to wait to have a baby! Ha!! My sister in law Jenny is also getting married in April so who knows maybe it will be babies all around!! OMG . . .I am turning into one of those people who wants everyone to have a baby now!

Ta Ta To Tammy-Lynn the Tahoe . . .Hello Molly the Mom Mobile

Let me take you back to Feb 2000 in Charleston, SC when I was a sophomore at CofC . . . I met a Sig Ep named "Harper" who was a boozing egotistical preppy southern boy who had declared he would never "fall in love with a yankee", let alone at that moment because he "was leaving for the navy to fly jets". All of this was very funny to me because I had little interest in him and he was so sure of himself that I had already fallen in love. Through out the years, that same southern boy has always had two sides. The sweet, charming DSG (a name his Kingsville friends gave him), Distinguished Southern Gentleman who loves coastal living and still treats me like a queen (example after 8 years he still opens my car door every time) and then the is the other side . . . the scotch drinking, hunting, fishing, GA football fan, whose laugh can be heard 2 states away. My friends have learned that the "neck" Jeff comes out after scotch and that the ample teasing that follows is "only out offfff looooovvvveeee".

Well as any good ol' southern boy knows to be the full package you must have a truck or SUV. Any any SUV won't do. You must by the biggest one you can find and get just the right lift on (apparently too much is trashy and too little is suburbs). You must then put mud tires on it and a brush guard. Then of course there is the Ducks Unlimited sticker that must go on the back corner. If you are or ever have been a Charleston boy (my favorite type by far) you have to put the palmetto moon on the other side. While all of this is great . . . you take this car out of any true southern city and be prepared for reactions.

Right when I started my new job in JAX, I decided to drive Jeff's car one day when he was deployed (I also crashed it but that is another story). I was at work for an hour when I ran out on a call and my male co-workers saw me getting in and were speechless. They wanted to know where my "gun rack was?". Our new neighbors in VA asked why we had "snowtires in April", and looked at me like I had 10 heads when i said "oh those are muuuddd tires". A lot of people don't get it . . . My friends and I affectionately named the Tahoe "Tammy-Lynn The Tahoe" (no offense to anyone with that name) but it just seemed to fit our family" shoot it, stuff it, or marry it" mobile. So, one of our biggest arguments we ever had was one day when Jeff came home grinning ear to ear and showed me his new tires! I casually said "well how much were they?" thinking what $300 tops? $990!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I threw the biggest fit this side of the Mason Dixon line. Well 3 years later even Jeff has decided they are a little much and with Graysen on the way, we might need tires with more of a smooth ride (I would think so since every time we drive it I think the baby is going to be shaken out of me). So today this posting is a memorial to Tammy Lynn as we say TA-TA!! New tires have been ordered and the Z71 is slowly turning into a MOMMY MOBILE. I mentioned we might want to get rid of the brush guard too but he looked like he might cry so I backed down. Plus, it might be helpful for those days where I am sleep deprived with a screaming newborn and someone cuts me off . . .I could always ram them with the brush guard.

So in ending . . . there are many reasons why I love my Harper. I love the southern side, I love the "neck" side and now I love the daddy side. What a journey we have traveled! I caught him reading "what to expect" instead of Fly fishing Magazine yesterday and he is willing to part with a major part of his mistress, his "swampers", all for Gracie. Now that is love. :-)

It is not called unemployed . . . it is called Domestic Diva Who Creates Life and Wastes $40

OK . . . so that is the new title I am giving myself!! Only because Harper's new fave joke is "woman you should do it(this can be a variety of jobs such as washing the dog, moving furniture, scrubbing the toilet), you got no jobby job". He says this with not a demure southern Charleston accent but more with a inbred type of accent. He cracks himself up, repeatedly. Take goodness in about 5 years Gracie will be old enough to roll her eyes at him too. Or with my luck she will shriek "daddy you are the funniest man alive" and I will be hanging out with the dog for support.

The baby isn't here yet so I will give him that . . . I should have more free time on my hands now that i am self employed . . .but i think time is like money . . . the more money you make it seems you always find a way to spend it and the time you have the same applies. So with ALL THIS TIME i am supposed to have, where does it go??? Things aren't as clean as I would like them, there is laundry piled up, and my to do list is about 2 pages long with only 2 things crossed off, and my mission to organize my life has become disorganized. All of these thought have been my deep thoughts for the past 4 days as i lay dying of strep throat in bed. Well and once on the kitchen floor when i laid down out of self pity crying because Jeff wasn't being as quick with the meds as he could have.

So last night I felt a little better and decided to embrace my time!!! Why not make homemade ricotta, prosciutto, and spinach ravioli for dinner? So I did last night and they were fab!! Why not repaint my furniture, why not grown a garden!!!??? So, these are my new goals . . . I just want to be quicker, faster, and more like a Domestic Diva! Ha! So at 25 weeks I plan to become more time efficient?? Isn't that just going to make a very non-scheduled newborn seem more stressful. I don't know!! We will see!

We woke this morning to take on my next task!! Growing a garden!! We went out and bought cilantro, basil, oregano, parsley, arugula, bell peppers, jalapenos, onions, 2 types of tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and yes even grapes!! I am going to rock this garden!! Cooper and I pose with our new endeavour and the look on my face is because as J was taking the picture he said "and I call this one a HUUUUGGGE waste of $40". I am going to prove him wrong! Or if I fail I will by stuff from the grocery store and act like I plucked it from my garden! Ha!

And speaking of jobs . . . I have been working. Below are some of my new designs. The first one is called the Harper (only because it is his fave and when ever someone expresses love of a piece, it gets named after them!) It is Shell Lucite and Jade. Next is the Grayson (bc it is one of my faves) it is Black Chalcedony and Moss Agate, and last is the Crawford which is Black Onyx and White Topaz! I have to get my website up soon! I also have friends monogramming and sewing too so we will have a wide variety in the store!! Yea!

Proud Pill Popper . . . Seeks Available Pills

Mom, I hope you are reading this because i am pretty sure when you call tonight and I don't answer again you will call the police. I am writing this from the laptop in bed because I am so sick. Yes, this is my 3rd cold/flu/strep whatever since I got pregnant. I know they say that being pregnant reduces your immunity but you have to be kidding me . . . this child owes me big time. Between 3 months of morning sickness and this. . . I am over it. I can barely swallow apple juice. At least Cooper is laying in bed with me!! Jeff has run out to get me the 2 "ok'ed" drugs. This is the hardest part!! I am a proud pill popper! I love them all!! In pain? Take a pain pill, hell take 4! Got a cold? Give me 5 NyQuil and wake me up in a week! Can't concentrate . . . that is why they made my ADD meds!! So when I feel this bad and the doctor tells me I am allowed to "cure it" by juice and rest, I am not a happy camper!!! Anyway, mom I am alive (barely so feel bad for me) . . . so is your grandchild, grandpup and the "most amazing son in law ever" or your title for him every time he makes me mad and I come to you for sympathy!

Happy Birthday Sheils Twins!

Another April Birthday!! Will and Ted have birthdays today!! We have known each other since 5th grade and I love them both!! Two of my fave guys in the world!! Happy Birthday!!

Did Jeff Write This???

Below is a picture of quite possibly the most handsome wonderful amazing sweet , and perfect golden in the world!! He was enjoying munching on his tennis ball in the spring flowers in the front yard with daddy!!! I MEAN REALLY. . . I hope Graysen is half as cute as my Cooper!!

So, I if you read the post below about my Sonic desires and also my Sonic meltdowns (I ordered a Super burrito people and they gave me a regular . . . pregnant people have killed for less), you will understand why Jeff gets such a kick out of this.
This Sonic commercial came on like a week ago and Jeff was like "its you!!!!!!!! It is you!!!" Apparently, I am a little dramatic when I get hungry. check out the You Tube link below! It is a hilar commercial esp. if you are a very dramatic hungry person like me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46zOfk4l7-U
I haven't been to Sonic today but did I eat eggs in a basket, pancakes, bacon, and hashbrown casserole at Cracker Barrel this AM and it was the best thing ever!!! Then after our drive home I took a 4 hour nap and woke up and went to Diary Queen for a Blizzard, now I don't feel well so I am laying back down (the food perhaps?)!!! Not to mention, we drove 15 minutes for the Blizzard because i was dying for one and Jeff had to listen to the Masters on the radio (BTW, I thought golf was a drag to watch on TV, but listening to it on the radio . . . horrid!!!) and then I didn't even really enjoy the ice cream. Cruel tricks this baby plays!!! I write this so in 4 months when I complain about how fat I am after the baby is born, I can remind myself I brought it on myself!! Actually let's blame it on Graysen!!!!! It's all her fault!!

FYI: Liz, Caroline's wonderful sister whose blog is the O'Brien's to the right, sent me a package when I got pregnant (Thanks again Liz!!) that had the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. A must read!!! They have a whole section on food meltdowns and food emergencies . . . so it makes me feel better to know I am not alone!

MONTH 6 HAS ARRIVED!! WOW!

So, Jeff and I were looking through our baby info and guess what??? We are at Month 6!!! OK . . . not we, but me! I can't believe how quickly time has flown!!! It seems like just yesterday I found out we were expecting and now . . . we know it is a she! We know her name! We know her colors for her nursery! We know her schedule, at least in the womb! And we are 2/3's done! It is back to being rainy and freezing here so the sweater adds a little more puff on my tummy (that is my excuse!)

We had our big hospital tour a couple of nights ago!! It was so exciting but yet so scary at the same time!!! I saw one of the rooms I will be delivering in and the rest of the ward, including the nursery! They were so nice! I was scared by all the equipment though! Yikes!

We have started our baby classes and so far we haven't failed any . . . Ha! We have started painting the nursery and decorating! I have started buying shoes(my new weakness) . . . We talk about her by name now instead of "the baby". It is all a wonderful amazing thing. 3 months left!!!

Two of my Fave People . . . 2 Big Events!

Today is Caroline's Birthday!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday Twin Older Asian Sister(people think we look like sisters in pictures)! I miss you more then I can say and love you even more than that!!! We have been threw a hell of a lot together and the last 3 years and I am beside myself on this next endeavour in which we share!! (wink, wink). I hope you have an amazing 40th!!!
Yesterday was Bradley and Patsy's 2 year anniversary!!! Luckily, this year she actually got to spend it with her husband instead of me!! This is a picture from their wedding in Annapolis!! J/K this is a picture from our 1st Annual White Trash Christmas Party! Patsy is the one with the great abs next to Tina Turner (aka Caroline who got confused on the theme).Their wedding was gorgeous! I am so blessed to know you two!

How I Ruined Frankie's Birthday . . .

When we first moved to VA and our new base, I was sitting in the med parking lot trying to keep from throwing up (love "morning sickness") when I saw something I never thought possible. A car pulled up next to me and across the back windshield said "My Other Ride is a Senior Chief". I of course called everyone I knew to share with them quite possibly the funniest yet most inappropriate thing I have ever witnessed in our military life thus far. I also got out to take a picture with my cell but was busted by the woman, who apparently really thinks that there is nothing wrong with this! One of the people I shared my encounter with was Frankie. This was in December. He has been plotting since then!

Last night at his birthday dinner the group kept whispering and laughing . . . upon exiting the laughter got heavier. I was very confused. then I saw this across sweet little bunny 's back window!!!! I was the one receiving the "most awesomest" gift ever. Then I had the joy of driving them to the bars downtown for everyone to see this!

So how did I ruin his bday? . . .because I reversed my car in the driveway so when my neighbors were having their morning cup of coffee and taking their kids to school I would not be the talk of the neighborhood. This may be the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me. Frankie actually had this custom made. Feel free to let me know if you would like this for your ride . . .I can ship it tomorrow, if i can peel it off.
Now Frankie would like to say something: (PS it is 2:30am and I am the only sober one)
I love my friends

Happy Birthday Hoats!!

Today is the birthday week!!! Happy birthday Hoats! Good Luck and we miss you! Hoats is starting Basic Traning for the ARMY today on his birthday!! Have fun!

Happy Birthday RUSSSSSSS!!!!!

It's Russ's birthday!!!!! Happy birthday Russ!!!! Jeff wishes you were around to get this drunk with him again!!! We miss you!! Sorry about the red eye . . . I can't get rid of it!! Love, Kitty and Jeff

Happy Birthday Ads!

Birthday Girl Announcement!! Happy Birthday Adrienne!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to find out what the new Baby Bledsoe will be!!! Is this the cutest shot ever!? We miss you Curran, Mike, and Ads!! Love, Kitty and Jeff

No Begging!!!

No, I am not talking about Jeff . . . I thought everyone would get a kick out of this picture. Everyone knows how much Cooper loves to listen to me! Well, this AM when I was enjoying my peanut butter and honey English muffin he would NOT STOP begging. He loves peanut butter!! So after the 5th time asking nicely I finally used my serious voice and also said "Jeff!" because even though he wasn't home Cooper only reacts when he thinks he is. Example 1: When Patsy, cougs and I were all sitting on one couch drinking red wine and watching Cheaters (best show EVER) and I told him to lay down but instead he lept onto the couch sending red wine down the wall, white couch, and all over all 3 of us! If Jeff had been home, never would have happened! I had to take this pic from exactly where I was eating at the counter because he arranged himself so he could seriously be hidden except his eyes still staring right at the prize!! I think he thought I really could not see him! It was too funny.

Nothing new on the home front other than the two nights ago we were laying in bed and I mentioned I had not felt Gracie since that AM. Usually at night she is trying out for the summer Olympics. So I started pushing on my stomach like the book says you can to try and get a reaction and I did!! So eerie in a great way! It was like she kicked back saying "excuse me!!!" We had fun with that for awhile!! Hey I figure she does it to me!

The mood swings have actually increased a little more. Jeff made the crucial mistake yesterday when I tried to snuggle him to him to say "oh I like this mood swing, this is a friendly one!" Well, that just set a evil one off!! Then on the night he played golf with Nick I got a phone call at 8:35 pm saying he was on his way home . . . I was ticked off because helllloooooo? 8:35pm when you were done work at 11am? Was I supposed to cook dinner? Eat without you? Give birth without you? (because every tiff must be taken to that level!) So I insisted to make it up to me he could stop at Sonic for a Super Sonic breakfast burrito and also a blizzard from Diary Queen, this after a 20 min online review with Kacee of what I should order, we take this very seriously!!). He gets home at 9:40pm with no blizzard!! Fine, lets just eat . . . well Sonic gave me a REGULAR breakfast burrito with just sausage and egg. No Super about it! No tater tots in it! No jalapenos! No Cheese!! My day was ruined!!!! I demanded he call the manager (he refused over $1) and so I sulked! Crappy Sonic. I know all my prego friends understand!!

Doggy Hotel

So today we have another visitor . . . here at Puppy Motel. Our friends, Colin and Christina, just got a 8 week old English Bulldog puppy. Colin is still and Jacksonville and Christina had duty back on the Enterprise for two days and since we love puppies we are watching her. She doesn't have a name yet though . . . so we just call her puppydog.

Jeff is playing golf with Nick who is in town and I spent part the day looking at fabrics and house stuff for Chris and Emily's new house they are renovating! I am so excited that Emily is officially living here now!