Die hard soda fan

As I sit here drinking my apple juice, I've reached an realization. I haven't had a soda in about three or four days. No reason, just haven't had one. Have had hot tea or coffee in the morning for my daily buzz, then after that I drink water or whatever else is around.

So here's the realization part: sodas make me tired! They make me bloat and swell and Lord knows I don't need help in the swelling department being 9 months pregnant!

All this is fine and good and sounds fantastic... dropping sodas is good for my health. The only reason I started drinking them again was because initially in my pregnancy coffee really turned my stomach, so I switched to soda for my jolt for the day. And it just kept going, I didn't revert back to coffee once I was able to get past the initial uneasy stomach part of my pregnancy.

BUT... But, but... I love soda. It tastes so good. Right now there are three Strawberry Fantas, two Ginger Ales and a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper sitting in my fridge.... very cold and they stare at me every time I open the door. The sound of the top popping, the fizz of the carbonation, the feeling as you take that first drink... there is nothing like it. (ok, except maybe beer) *sigh*

Let's get to the real reason I felt compelled to post this... I feel great! My swelling is not as prevalent and this morning I was able to put on tennis shoes. Tennis shoes, people! I am 9 months pregnant, swell like a walrus, it's the end of June and I was able to put on tennis shoes. Like the ones I wore prior to getting pregnant. This is a significant event! Do I equate all of these great things to not drinking soda? Yes, I do. Absolutely. I'm sure the lack of carbonated beverages in my diet has helped my swelling somewhat and feeling so stinking good... it just has to be.

I will try to banish soda from my diet. I will try to make soda a treat on a very rare occassion and opt for the less carbonate more nutrious beverages. I need to start making those decisions now, so I can breast feed my baby safely and lose this baby weight as soon as she arrives!

Just sayin' Friday...

There are so many things I think about during the course of a day, week, month and year that I feel I should share them. Most of the time by the end of the week I have lots of opinions floating, so I'm starting a series of posts called "Just sayin' Friday" It will be an avenue for me to express my opinions about things from family life to politics or current events. If the topics get heavy, hold on, because there are many times in which I will return to complete triteness. It's the virgo in me!  So, here we go!

Many of you may not know, I am a news junkie or savvy. I read the news non-stop. In fact, I do that for a living. I skim the newspapers in my area for articles related to my industry: energy. But I can't help but read other headlines and subscribe to RSS feeds like a fiend. There is not much that happens without me knowing about it.

So, this morning as I was reading the news I came across this article. Recently, during the Congressional hearings about the BP spill in the Gulf Coast Texas representative Joe Barton issued an apology to BP for the American government running a shakedown of BP and basically stated he wasn't proud to serve or live in a country in that would do that to a company or individual. Shortly after, from immense pressure from Barton's colleagues, he retracted his apology to BP with threat to remove his political power without an apology.

My problem is this... whatever happened to convictions and sticking with them despite the social, political or economic backlash? This is easier said that done, granted, but I was proud of Mr. Barton's conviction during his apology to BP, albeit I don't necessarily agree with him, but he was convinced this is what he should do. Instead, he turned on his convictions threatened with the removal of his political power. Why? I should hope most people would stick with what they believed in despite threats, despite the political garbage that happens in D.C., but I was wrong. I was disappointed and still am. I don't live in Texas, had never heard of Representative Barton before the hearings, but certainly have heard of a coward before and Mr. Barton did not disappointment.

Erin's moral of the story: If you say it and mean it, stick with it.

The countdown begins!

Three weeks from tomorrow I will have my daughter! I'm nervous, excited and anxious all wrapped up in one emotion. Since I am a scheduled c-section, we got to pick our daughter's birthday, which is kind of neat, but also takes some of the fun out of the mystery of having a baby as well. I don't really have a choice about the c-section, since my son was delivered via emergency c-section, I'm probably going to always be a repeat c-section. Good point about having surgery... no labor! yay!

Her nursery isn't quite ready for her to be here, however. Hubby painted her room a pretty shade of pink, but it turned out more purplish because the family that owned this house before painted the room a dark purple. So the walls clash with her bedding and all the decorations I have for her room. Don't think the hubby will repaint for me. Might have to deal with it and paint it one day during maternity leave.

This is the bedding I picked out for her. Baby bedding apparently is the industry to be in, because this stuff is expensive, let me tell you! I was shocked, absolutely shocked when finding a beautiful set at Babies R Us that I could spend $150 and just get three pieces for the bed! OMG! I just couldn't part with that much money for something she will sleep in for about a year. So I settled on the below and let me tell ya, ebay is the way to go!

Manners, people, manners!

I think I've mentioned that I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant and it's the start of summer, which makes me (at times) a very irritable lady. Understandably, right? I'm in the process of moving and I'm pregnant, totally sucks.

Lately, it has come to my attention the complete lack of patience and manners on behalf of those non-pregnant individuals in the world around me. At first, when being run over by a young kid in Walmart was no big deal, I just thought nothing of it. BUT, as I am bombarded constantly by people walking in front of me, cutting me off in line at Walmart and being just down right disrespectful to me, I have to call foul! FOUL!

I'm not asking for everyone to move out of my way because I'm pregnant and give me the red carpet treatment, but I am asking for common courtesy. I have a heavy load. Don't cut in front of me walking down the aisle at the store, don't try to race me to the checks out or to get out of the store and for God's sake, say "excuse me" if you happen to do any of the above.

And this shouldn't apply to just pregnant people, this should apply all the time. Always say thank you, always excuse yourself, always let the other person go first... it works a lot better that way! In fact, it makes you feel better about yourself. Manners shouldn't be used when a pregnant or elderly person appears, it should be for all people. Seriously, let's get some manner people!

House progress...

The process of moving to a new house, while 8.5 months pregnant is so difficult, let me tell you. Hubby works an awful lot and many times is not home until 7 p.m. plus in the evenings. My kiddo is visiting his father in Minnesota and so I have lost my right hand man. (He's invaluable for moving things, taking things to the trash and just being my muscles while I can't comfortably bend over or stand for any period of time!)

Today, I have zero energy. When my feet hit the floor this morning, they started tingling. That's never a sign of a good day ahead. I tried to be positive thinking I could get some slip-on shoes on. Nope. Not happening. Really wanted to wear slip-ons since my heels are cracking. Yes, my heels are cracking. It hurts like no one's business. The only remedy is a weekly pedicure and super glueing the heel together and that doesn't feel so great initially. I have three cracks in my left foot and one in my right. But all I can wear is flip flops which makes the cracks worse because of the pressure and weight on my feet!

Anyhow, enough whining. I have four weeks left til my baby girl is here. I am getting nervous! Strange, but I really am nervous about it. We are getting closer to being ready for her. We have purchased the baby bed, but have not put it together, again with the whole hubby rarely home thing. Four weeks isn't that far away!

Shopping... all by myself!

So very excited! Came to OKC for a meeting which is fun, but one of the things I am looking forward to the most is shopping by myself tomorrow morning!

I had a to-do list in my head already prepared. 1. Target 2. Starbucks... preferrably located in a Target and maybe, just maybe Chick-fil-A.

Well, I already hit one of those items on my list, there is a Chick-fil-A near the Target I usually go to while in town and am thinking they might also have a Starbucks at that Target! So I had a late lunch at Chick-fil-A and a yummy sweet tea to accompany it. It was wonderful.

Tomorrow morning, I am hoping for a nice Target and Starbucks trip and then scooting back to my corner of the state where hopefully we'll be moving this weekend!

5 weeks to go...

I haven't blogged in... well a very long time. I have plenty of excuses: work, school, family, being pregnant, buying a house. What's the big deal, right?

Since my last post this is what's been up with me:

• Bought a house and dealt with all the stress that goes along with it (but haven't moved, yet)
• Started my last math class to finish my associates
• Have gotten hugely pregnant in which I swell to the size of a walrus, daily
• Taken my co-worker's job on while she's on maternity leave (I love being this busy!)

I have about five weeks to go before our little girl is here and we are anxiously buying all the stuff that goes along with having a little one. They are expensive! Seriously, you could spend mega bucks on a baby bed, but for what? The hubby and I finally landed on a nice bed that converts to a toddler bed and then to a full size headboard. Granted, we may only use it until she's in the toddler bed and may never use the full size bed option, but it's there and it makes spending a lot of money on a bed worth it, to me at least.

Need to be better about blogging more seriously, I have been very neglectful!