The reason behind the picts

I want you to know that I am publishing pictures of me because they have been requested by some of my pals that live far off. I do not want you to think, "Poor Ash, she thinks she is a hottie and she is tore up." Pregnancy is a blessing beyond words and I am not taking that lightly, but people, some ugly things have happened to me since I got pregnant. I have more stretch marks than I do fingers and toes. I have a heat rash on my bra line. Some issues that cannot be explained have overtaken my digestive system causing gas that can only be explained as "reactive and out of control". My acne is worse today than in 7th grade and due to the increase in melanin, several of my Lebanese moles are growing and growing.

It is all worth it and I am not complaining a bit. I just don't want you to look at these and think, "Poor delusional girl. Some one should tell her she is not cute". People, I know, you know, and the world knows. However, you are such good friends, you will probably tell me I am cute anyway, just because you are that nice. Thank goodness for you!

Big as a barge, I tell ya 

Here I am, big as a barn, at 6 1/2 months.  

first friends

One of my favorite things to hear Lauren talk about is her friends. She is two and knows all about her friends and really cares about them and tells really funny and random stories about them. Another one my my friends, Kyler, was really cute & caring this Spring because she noticed that one of her friends was missing from Sonshine School and was afraid he was sick for a long time even though he went to a different school. His absence really threw her off! These sweet little girls make me excited about who Carley's first friends will be.

I know she will love Kyler because Kyler will entertain her and make her laugh with her joyful spirit. I know she will love Kole because he is already the little teddy bear protector type and will be the sensetive guy that watches over her. You know she will love her cousin Lauren, because Lauren will show her the ropes and give her lots of kisses. We are already anxious to meet her cute little future boyfriend Charlie Bowman who will be a month younger than her. She will think Hunter is hilarious with a sweet little mischievious grin. Ellie is will play with her during nursery time and they can share clothes. (I am confident Carley will be tall enough to wear clothes of older kids). Kaitlyn and she will stand in the back row of Sing Song, just like their moms did. We are also excited because I know she will have new friends arriving in the next year that we don't know about yet.

I am already thankful for her little friends to be and their mommies who will laugh along side of me as they grow and change. Can't you just see them?

This is dedicated to the one I love....

This is Cody and Lauren last christmas! :)

There are many titles in my life right now that I feel blessed to own. I am a daughter to two wonderful parents whose picture should be in the dictionary next to the word "supportive". I am a sister to the most sensitive and caring person I know who also seems to get in ways that no one else does. I am a wife to truly the most selfless and encouraging person on the planet. I am a friend to the most rocking gal pals in the world. I have a job that inspires and motivates me. I am a member of a church that I really believe in. But this week, I am giving tribute to one of my most favorite people on the planet, my niece Lauren Ashley O'Rear who turns 2 years old on Thursday. Being an aunt is one of the coolest jobs EVER! Here are a few of my favorite reasons that being Lolo's "Aunt Cee" is one of my favorite titles.

1. I get to teach Lauren funny things that parents don't teach their kids. Lauren knows "Yes" from Napoleon Dynamite. I taught her to spit when she hears the word "coffee" because I think coffee is gross. I taught her to make funny faces. I taught her to fall backwards when she is being held (much to the surprise of her parents). All of these things are not things I want Carley to master, because I will be her mom, but things I taught Lauren because I am her aunt.

2. It seems like I visit Lauren often right before her checkups at the pediatritian. Apparently they say that at certain months kids should be able to do a list of certain skills. Two or three times I would visit during crunch time when it was about to be an appointment and get to baby sit her. I was part of her first successful game of peek-a-boo, throwing a ball, and jumping. Aunts get to come in during "crunch time" and save the day when it is their parent who works with them for hours on end.

3. Aunts get to laugh at things that parents have to be sincere about because they are the parent. (this story is a little inappropriate so stop reading if you want) One time we were at this really nice steak house in Lubbock and Lauren was constipated. She was sitting in her little high chair, literally white-knuckling the top of it and grunting during the ENTIRE meal trying to "work". Her parents and my parents were sad for her. I thought it was hilarious because she was making these funny faces and sounds. I will never forget it.

4. Since Lauren doesn't live in my town, she gets full attention when she is here and usually this means a trip to the firestation to visit "Uncle Coco". Lauren associates fire with the word "hot" (and she saw Cody grill one time) so on the phone she will start talking about Cody and say, "Coco Hot!", "Coco Hot!". I can't argue with her. He is a hottie. Only aunts think that is funny.

5. I can buy Lauren funny clothes that she wears only when I am around. She has a "Drama Queen" onesie and a onesie that says, "If you think I am cute, you should see my Aunt Ashley". What parent would buy that for their kids.

6. I will never have to spank Lauren or get onto her. It won't bother me if she eats too many sweets or learns lines from urban romantic comedies. And I can teach her how to make fun of her parents without her knowing it. I LOVE BEING AN AUNT.

This Saturday will be the first big event in Lauren's life I will miss. She is having a "Ladybug Brunch" for her 2nd birthday party and Cody and I have to be in Lubbock. We are so sad.

This blog is for all the aunts and people out there who spoil other people's kids because you can. Any other reasons that it is great to be an aunt or funny stories?

5 years.....the fear is setting in & seasons greetings

First off, let me comment on this joyous, blissful season that I call "Seasons Greetings". This has nothing to do with the Christmas time festivites, but it is the time of year where my dear friends that have been on vacation for 3 months come home to me to fill me in and finish their stories. The friends I am most excited about seeing are Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy. Some of other very special friends have already come home to me and they are Lost and Biggest Loser. Sadly, I am also finding a place in my heart for "My Fair Brady" and the beloved "Laguna". I have not been disappointed in one single reuinion yet and I have faith that Wysteria Lane and Seattle's Grace Hospital will not disappoint me either. Their new seasons are beginning so....Happy Season's Greetings everyone!

Now, for the deep truth. I have been receiving mailers for my big 5 year reunion of dear old ACU. I loved, loved, LOVED my time there and I cannot say enough wonderful things about it. (I think deep down I believed it was Ashley Core University) My sweet husband has already taken time off from the firestation for us to go. We have a hotel room ready. Who hoo! Yet, now I am starting to get nervous. What if I don't know anyone there or what if they forgot me? I have this vision of me walking into Siggie Breakfast and looking for a place to sit and not knowing anyone. There I stand with my tray searching and searching and feeling like a Junior High newbie on the the first day in the cafeteria. It makes me really nervous. So I ask you, cyberspacers, are any of you going? Will you save me a seat at the breakfast table?

Ahh....Estrogen

I love having gal pals. It seems like most of my life, I always had really close friends that were guys. I seemed to always have funny conversations with them and they always seemed to know how to make me laugh. It seemed like guys were lower maintenance and easier to understand. It doesn't mean I didn't have girl friends, but not really gal pals. You know the difference. In the past few years, I have really been blessed with gal pals. If you are reading this blog, you are a gal pal. The kind of girl who looks for humor in life and loves to point out the funny, quirky moments that make up our days. Girls who want to have happy days and really love to smile and love for their friends to smile. You are all my Phoebe's & Rachel's. My Bree's, my Gabrielle's, and my Lynette's. My Carol Vessey's and my Molly Hudson's. My Kelly Taylor's and my Donna Martin's. You are my sunny-side of life friends who are constantly provideing the joy and humor needed to make it through the day. I truly blessed and honored to be part of a bible study that meets on Monday night comprised of 9 of my gal pals. We are studying a book called "Creative Couterpart". Last night we studied the ever unachievable Woman of Virtue in Proverbs 31. That is one mighty gal pal. Well, one verse that popped out to me was verse 25 where "she is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come". Don't get me wrong. True gal pals are there for the rough days too. They are sincere and wonderfully supportive when the dark clouds arise. However, lately I have really appreciated the way my friends help me laugh about the future. I am a true worry wart at times. I take life way too seriously way too often. Life and my creative mind brings enough gravity to all situations. Praise the Lord for gal pals who bring light to dark days, find humor in swimsuit shopping, appreciate mood swings, support your addictions to reality TV and People magazine, and are always ready to go see a movie that was truly intended for girls at least 10 years younger than you! Where would we be without them?

When it all comes crashing down....

Last night we were about to leave to hit the drive in and Casa Ole with 2 of my favorite people, Andy and Amy B., when I was installing a program from work on my home computer. Some of you may not know, but with my job one of my responsibilities is technical support and minor trouble shooting on our campus. I have become quite a computer pro/dork (you choose) in the past year and can fix just about anything now. The program was installed like a champ. I restarted my computer and then BAM, crashed. My operating system completely died on me. We left to go eat and see the Reese Whitherspoon and Mark (hottie from 13 going on 30) movie which was really cute. (not as cute as a pregnant Amy B., but cute) When we got home about 10:30 I called my trustee Dell Support pals and began the process of formatting my harddrive and erasing everything that had been done to this little lap top since August of 1999! We finally finished at 2:48 am, 9 technicians and transfers, and $107.56 later. To say I was a little hacked, frustrated, tired, grumpy, and sad is an understatement. It was not my finest hour.

Luckily for me, my life has Cody in it. My sweet husband waited up with me, brought me water, and kept giving me hugs until it was over. He had to be at work at 8:00 this morning, but he wouldn't leave my side because he knew I was disheartened. Granted I am a little hormonal these days, so it doesn't take much to touch my heart, (or set me off), but isn't that the blessing of life? Knowing that you may be tired and frustrated, but feeling blessed because God has provided you with people to accompany you on your journey. Blogging this week has reminded me of that. I have stumbled on blogs for people that I really do love that I have not seen in over 5 years. Reading their thoughts and catching up on their daily grind, blesses me along the journey. We are also so blessed to have been given some precious friends in the past 1-2 years that encourage me on a daily basis, yet still log in to my blog to throw some encouragement and happy thoughts at me just to brighten my day. Even when it all comes crashing down, we are blessed to have friends and family there to listen, care, hug, and even refresh you and get you ready for tomorrow's journey.

I hope your journey is blessed today.
Ash

maternity clothes woes

So, my best store Tar-get' says it is having a sale on Maternity clothes. Off I go to spend some cash and get some t-shrits. That is all I want, T-shirts. I go to my beloved store and I was completely disappointed. Who wants see-thru, strapless, skin-tight maternity clothes. Maybe you are a size 2 or 4 and reading this thinking, "What other types of clothes are there?". Well, let me tell you, there are other sizes in the world and other body types. Noone needs to see clothes that tight on a pregnant body, at least my pregnant body. Things are shifting now in a weird way that only you who have experienced it can understand. Any-who, no purchases were made by me at Target. Instead, my cash went to the over priced, but reasonably made, Motherhood where a maternity t-shirt costs $15.00 instead of the normal $5.00, but there was not a see-thru, strapless, skin-tight shirt in sight. Am I alone in my pain???

Do I really need a blog

I am caveing into the peer pressure of the world and starting a blog. Here is my question? Do I really have enough going on in my life that I need a blog. My guess is no, but we will see. At least this might be a fabulous way for my friends to look in and see what is going.

So....what is going on? Well, thanks to my sister, I have been exposed to the world of the ABC show "Lost". What can I say, I am an addict. Between Lost, Grey's Anatomy, and my beloved Desperate Housewives I am anxiously awaiting season premiers in the next two weeks. Sadly, this is the highlight of my day.

Also, Cody and I have for sure decided on a name for our little one. Carley Alyssa is slated to arrive first week of January. Who knows if she will make it before Santa....either way, her nursery is well under way and I am well chubby.

Back to work...have a Marvelous Monday.