ombre, hombre

i totally stole that title from Heatha!  while i'm so behind on blogging and trying to reintegrate myself, i figure i'll catch up with my summer (which absolutely flew by).

around my birthday i decided i wanted my hair highlighted.  i have never highlighted my hair before- although I am no stranger to a box of hair dye (unforch) all over my hair- and not because i want to try something new either...  i deciding i was getting my hair done- professionally- and that was that.  I was a real good girl, and i saved my birthday money, and i got a couple of awesome gift certificates from dave & my bro- and it was off to the salon i went (nervously) for my consultation. 

i had never been to this salon before (only passed it, longingly), so i was matched with someone over the phone.  this girl was my soul mate- she loved my top- and we had the exact same idea of what we wanted to do- we went through a few magazines- found the right coloring and we were ready to schedule the appointment!  she loved the ombre and had just done one a couple weeks back and wanted to do another!  yay!

the appointment was a week out and i was on pins and needles with excitement.  all i had to do was color my roots and she'd do the rest.  during this time- my phone was acting a completely fool- first, i broke a piece on it- so i had to go all 2005 with the moto razr.  second- we renewed our contract and my new phone arrived- only to not work.  so i arrived at the salon to be greeted with a surprise- my stylist was sick- and they had someone in her place- didn't you get our voicemail?

no i did not, phone.  and sure enough, while i sat and waited (now anxiously), i checked my vm and i had 4 messages.  by this point, i felt like i had to let the new stylist do my hair- wouldn't she be insulted if i didn't?  and wouldn't my other stylist be insulted if i just let someone else do my hair?  so off with the other stylist i went (yes, i get i can say no- but i'm just too nice- i can't do it). 

things started bad- first i couldn't find the photos we used as a reference- then the girl didn't think that the number of the color i was giving her was right.  at this point we were both nervous, and probably a little edgy (i know i was).  we walked to the front in defeat- ready to reschedule with girl 1 when the receptionist pulled up my account.  girl 1 was so smart.  she put extensive notes on my account- we all felt relieved and i was ready to just get it over with. 

so, ombre highlights are different than regular highlights- first, they have to tease the ever loving mess out of your hair.  next- they put the foils in.  and finally- you sit forever looking like you're picking up a signal to mars...

ground control to major tom

but, if you thought sitting in one place for 45+ minutes was bad- no one even told me what was coming next- and that was COMBING all of my teased hair.  after the color was rinsed, the stylist had to comb through all of my hair, and i have a lot, and it was all teased bigger than a toddlers & tiaras episode.  that took another 45 minutes.  at one point in the combing- the poor stylist was treating my hair so gingerly b\c of all of my cries of pain- i asked her if I could comb it myself and save her the trouble.  she practically threw the comb in my face.  after that, it was just the dryer, some oohing and aahing from her fellow employees and i was on my way.  and in love.

this is definitely not this best picture, as the lighting isn't great- but you can definitely tell it's lighter.  i actually have some super blonde pieces underneath too.  i definitely spent the first week or so doing a double-take at my reflection- oh yeah, that's me!  

i wish i could say i have more photos of it... but... i don't ...   i will say that next time i won't waste so much time before getting pampered again- although i haven't had my hair or my eyebrows done since... so... 

(gentle) opinions needed

the jason wu for target collab came out about a month or so ago, and i once again dragged myself out of bed and woke the baby early for crying out loud to check it out.  i had my eye on the pink/yellow striped dress, blue floral dress & the blue poplin dress (google them b\c i'm too lazy to link)- neither of which i could find in the store when i arrived about 15-20 min after it opened.  when the missoni collection was at target last year i went to the tiny target by dave's office and was able to snag the one thing i wanted before anyone in the illinois suburbs found out what a missoni was.  jason wu was a little different, and i live near a different target- so the collection was picked through in just that short amount of time.  they didn't even have either of the dresses i wanted, so i grabbed a few things to try on that i thought might work.  in the end i went home with a black pleated skirt, a blush-colored tie top, a pale blue cardigan and a red striped dress.  

initial thoughts-  skirt- could barely squeeze into a size 8 (?!), but wanted a basic black skirt.  tie top- cute, but not bowled over.  cardigan- size small seemed to swallow me, but loved the color and snaps.  dress- my favorite, but shapeless. 

i wasn't 100% crazy about them, but i felt i wanted something from the collection.  i ended up letting them sit in the tgt bag on my floor for almost a month.  i got everything out about a week ago and tried it on again.  i ended up swapping the blush top for a modcloth dress, i put the dress in the laundry to be washed and was still undecided on the other items (now leaning toward returns). 

so like i said, i washed the dress.  to the instructions- machine wash cold, tumble dry low.  i even did delicate cycle with the wash.  i should've listened to my gut and not dried the dress, but our low dry does really well with things... big mistake. 

my dress is now pretty short, but since i'm short it's too long to be a tunic...  this is where i need you dear reader...  is this a keeper, or should i try to sell/swap it?

dress: jason wu for target

belt: target

sandals: sperry topsider

see- it's short.  i feel like it has to have the belt though or else it has no definition to it.  now without belt:

just kind of hangs like i'm wearing a sack.

b-t dubs.  i have my hair in a milkmaid braid- totes cute

 man, my back part is awful... and my hair is not the greasy hot mess that it looks- i promise.  just dark & shiny.

your thoughts on the dress though... belted, unbelted or see ya later?

happy birthday bb

5 things i'm loving right now (march)

how in the world is it march already?!  cray.  i get my hopes all up because in georgia- march means spring is coming (and from the sound of it- it's already been spring all winter back home).  here in illinois, that's just not the case- today it was 60 degrees- how delightful, right?  by that evening it was 35 and sleeting.  boo.  all i know is that warmer weather is definitely around some corner & spring begins in march + daylight savings time begins!

here's what i'm loving this month...

modcloth!  i love modcloth every month, but there's extra love for them right now.  i'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my stylish surprise.  omg- what am i getting?!?  i guess we'll find out this weekend.  i can't wait to see.  i love that modcloth does surprising little treats + they have top notch customer service.  i'm so excited to be apart of their modsquad again this year!!

this book!  i've just started reading it and i'm really excited to see what's in store.  i'm sure i'm in for a rude awakening.  we're always making small changes to make our diet better.  for lent i've decided to give up coke.  so far i'm 1 week in and i really haven't had any cravings for it yet.  we'll see how the next 5 weeks go!

the hunger games movie!!!  i just finished reading the trilogy earlier this week.  i loved it.  i'm really excited to see the movie.  dave wants to read the series too, so i'm hoping i can at least get him to finish the first book in time to see the movie opening weekend.  anyone else a fan?

hair tutorials (not my own- but from other people).  they are the source of my greatest joy and my greatest frustration.  there are a few that i've mastered quite easily and some that i just can't get no matter how long i try.  seriously, i need someone to teach me the secret to back combing (just can't seem to get it right) and how to pull the top part of my hair up (just can't ever get that right either).  and i hated my long hair so much- but  now it's too short...  

i am obsessed with iced coffee (and coffee in general right now).  i go through stages with coffee- i drink it for weeks and then i quit drinking it for months.   right now i'm drinking hot coffee and iced coffee.  i have to say how much i love mcdonald's iced coffee.  we don't go there very often- rarely, but lately i've been making a stop there for some delish iced coffee.  i usually get a small with cream only & vanilla sugar-free syrup.  only 60 calories in that.  yesssss.  

what are you loving this month?  

linking up.

oh, and for crying out loud, have you entered my totally awesome giveaway?  i guess at least 2 people read my blog!!

hair diaries: no heat curls (photos)

one of my dear readers requested that i do another post about my hair.  i apologize for not sharing any fancy 'dos lately- my hair has gotten really long- and when it gets too long and hasn't been cut in oh, say, 8 months (which is torture for a pre-baby religious every 6-8 weeker) it starts to get a little cray-cray.  when it gets too long, i need to start doing as my grandma used to and sleep on a silk pillowcase... but i don't have one, so i wake up with crazy matted hair every morning... therefore, it's lots of ponytails for me.  gosh, this sounds like an argument for more hair tutorials instead of less...

so, the big blog thing this summer in hair that kept catching my eye was the "no heat curl."  i have to admit, i never actually viewed any of the tutorials, or did anything more than look at the pictures of girls with their curls.  of course i kept thinking "no heat curl... isn't that what i do with my hair every day simply by letting it air dry?"  of course, i then realized that not everyone is cursed with has curly/wavy hair.  some people have to work for it...  so i went to the first place that i saw the nhc- the paper mama (view her photos & tutorial by following the link) and realized that this was probably the easiest thing in the world.  it's a style you make simply by sleeping (and i love to sleep).  ready to see how it's done?

step 1

start with hair that is mostly dry.  you can see how long my hair is getting + how it curls on its own.  

step 2

channel your inner mischa barton circa 2008 and wrap a headband on the outside of your hair (i use goody's no slip headbands).  

step 3

 starting from the front and working your way around take strands of hair and loop them around the headband until you're all the way around your head (see video tutorial on the paper mama's blog for help).

step 4.

 go to sleep!!  zzzzz  (bonus points with me if you can name the film whence this mask was originally seen)

step 5.

good morning- time to take the hair down!  (very carefully)

here at is at 1st glance- very curly.  now i'm going to shake it out a bit...

yikes... it got a little pageant-y....

then i had this one crazy piece that refused to curl that i ended up having to pin curl for a few hours

but overall... i'm impressed.  this is something you can tweak to fit your needs- pull thinner strands for more curls and thicker strands for less (i'm trying that next time).

these last 2 pictures were taken around 5:30- so for me it lasted ALL DAY!  if your hair isn't naturally curly like mine, i would suggest that you spray it pretty generously with hair spray and let that dry (i saw that in another no heat curls video).  as far as how you normally style it before you do the curls- i guess that would be up to you.  i stopped using hair products on my hair back last year when i stopped washing my hair for a while- however, i did use a pea sized drop of dave's gel and lightly ran it over the top, since it was a little fuzzy from being slept on.  i'll definitely be trying this again and experimenting with the types of curls i can get and ways i can style it.  

have you tried the no heat curls before?  do you think this is a look that will work for you?  let me know!

i have a problem

earrings: forever 21

jacket: loft

top: loft

pants: loft

shoes: havaianas

seriously, i get that i have a major problem w\ this 30x30.  everything i own is from the freaking loft.  this used to not be a problem.  but there are several major contributing factors:  1.  they have a petites section.  2.  they always have a sale going on, or i always have a coupon.  3.  they are convenient to my home.  4.  their clothes consistently fit me.  there are plenty of other places that i like or would like to shop at but... target- not a great size selection for/don't like a lot of what they have/can't find what i want.  forever 21- closed the one closest to our house, the next one is at woodfield, and i hate going there.  h&m- same- also @ woodfield.  so i will accept any & all ideas to get me out of my "rut."  i seriously am thinking about just shopping @ goodwill b\c i can probably afford it + more variety... but i'll accept any ideas (or donations)...  

today i did this with my hair and it was super easy & pretty... only problem, it was hard to keep pins in w\ nothing to really pin it to, but i will try this again.  you get to see how this hair style looked after 6 hours and 2 pina coladas...  mmm.  by the time we snapped the photo, it was looking a little mullet-esque

last minute

jumper: old navy

sweater: loft

shoes: seychelles

baby: adorable

this outfit wasn't supposed to be this outfit.   meaning, i was wearing something else when i got something all over myself and had to change.  not cool.  i only say not cool b\c i had to scramble for 15 minutes trying to work another outfit together.  this works though b\c i get to wear this jumper again and it is totes comfortable.  

hair:  today i tried this.  please don't be shocked when you see that my hair looks nothing like that.  i feel like my hair is just as long as hers, but i couldn't pull off the loose french braid- mine are always tight..  plus, by the time we took this photo, i had been running errands for 2+ hours... at least.  and i swear, i'm getting clear hair bands one day... it just looks weird w\o them

knotted up

top: loft

dress: old navy maternity

shoes:  full tilt

i have seen kendi pull of the shirt knot many a time, and thought i'd give it a try too.  does it work for me?  not so much...  i felt like the knot kept coming untied.  ok, i didn't feel like it, it did.  of course, kendi also isn't carrying around a baby that i know of- and every time i would pick ian up to carry him, it would untie the knot  so, problem solved.  i also didn't like these wedges with this long dress.  i didn't like today's outfit needless to say... but i did like what i did with my hair - the french roll twist & pin.  again, needs more work, but stayed pretty well. it was definitely coming a bit undone by this point though...

sunday funday

tank: loft

shorts: loft

flip flops: havaianas

cuff: c/o mom & dad for my 1st mother's day!

today was busy.  we started out the morning watching dave play hockey, after that i whipped up a cheesecake, then ian had a 1st bday party to go to.  then we had a bbq to go to. then i still had to go grocery shopping.  insanity.  this was pretty darn comfortable and perfect for all my running around.  also: i bought these shorts while i was pregnant and was totes excited that they still fit me considering they weren't maternity.  now they're too big!  eee!  also, the aforementioned summer of hair continues.  today i tried the fishtail braid/plait.  finally...  success!  this one actually looks the way it's supposed to...  miracles do happen!  she can be taught!

tied up

 

sweater: loft

top: loft

trousers: loft

shoes: seychelles

the more we take photos, the more i hate this.  i am less and less pleased with the way i look as the project goes by #selfconfidenceissues anyone?  anyway...  i am really digging this sweater that i got for my birthday.  it's so light i want to wear it all summer long... so thankfully it's part of my 30 for 30.  i also tried something new with my hair today (oops, thursday)... this.  i did the full bow though, and i think my hair needs to be a little longer for it to fully work.  i also tried the half bow.  here's the picture- it's a mess, but this was at the end of the day mind you.  i declare this the summer of hair!

on the fence

sweater: loft

blouse: loft

trousers: loft

shoes: toms

scarf: pronta via giveaway

i'm still not sure about my feelings on this outfit.  i just felt really big when wearing it, and the buttons on the blouse seemed to show right through the sweater.  on the other hand, i just felt like my outfit was something i'd wear to work, if i had a real job that i went to.  but something seems off?  by the way, how cute is my little scene stealer?  and how creepy is my other scene stealer?  also, love my wind blown hair?  if kendi can bring her wind machine.. then so can i.

i also attempted my own photo as a practice if the need ever arises.  2 things.  1.  no, my bed is not made.  2.  little hand prints all over the mirror.  

for my hair, i attempted this.  believe me, it needs a lot of work, and i need little hair bands.  it would probably help if i wasn't doing it with an arm that just had a tetanus shot.  it's always hard to tell how things like that look in my hair anyway, seeing that it's so dark.  i'll keep trying or wishing for 2 more arms.

the hair diaries

it's now been 19 weeks since the hair project began.  it's not going so well...

here's what's been going on...

first a little extensive background info:
i started getting occasional grey hairs about 3-4 years ago (so sad)...  it wasn't anything i couldn't just yank out... and then i got pregnant, and they started going crazy.  midway through my pregnancy (september 2009) it had gotten so bad that i colored my hair for the 3rd time ever- and i've been having to do it regularly since then.  except that since i've had ian, it's gotten worse.  i can color my hair, and new grey hairs (or my preexisting hair) grows so fast that i'm already showing new greys in just 3 weeks (extremely sad).  so i try to go at least 4 weeks between coloring...

so i colored my hair right before thanksgiving- and my hair always seems to look a little better around that time (i think the chemicals zap any oil).  we went to husband's gma's house and while i was there, i felt like i had finally gotten to a turning point while washing (rinsing) my hair it actually felt clean!  it was all downhill from there.  the very next week my hair was already feeling heavy & greasy again- not a good look.  in a fit of desperation, i dragged ian and myself to ulta where i picked up devacare no-poo cleanser (i chose this instead of devacare since my hair is colored). the reason i went with this is because it was mentioned in the article that i had read about ditching shampoo- so i thought it would work.... i am not impressed.  at.  all.  1.  it smells funny (devacurl smells way better), 2.  the "no-poo" part is weird- it's like rubbing conditioner into your hair (which i was doing during my washing w\ baking soda).  it doesn't lather, but i can't figure out how to clean my hair with it.  3.  i spent $20 on it, and i'm supposed to be eliminating an "unnecessary cost" from my life.  4.  my hair as never been greasier.  i don't know what i'm doing wrong, but i washed and dried my hair with devacurl wednesday night and the back and under layer of my hair just hung in greasy strings.  5.  did i mention it was $20?!?!

so while i was in ga for christmas, my mom let me use her "shampoo."  she has been occasionally washing with loreal's everpure, which is sulfate free (anyone know why eva longoria has her hair around her neck like a noose?), so i gave it a try and my hair looked and felt amazing!!  i felt like i was cheating though, so i went back to the devacare, and things have been pretty much the same (see #4 above)...  after that happened, i bit the bullet and bought the everpure, even though i just found this article...  i haven't used it again yet, and i wore my hair up today....  ugh.  what to do?!

what should i do now?  just go back to rinsing w\ plain water or doing the baking soda?  keep trying with the devacare (3/4 a bottle left)?  or just give in and go with the everpure (although it's pretty much a no-poo).  A- i know that you've been using devacurl and really like it- what's the secret to your success?  how much are you using, how are you using it?  what might i be doing wrong?

thoughts?!

nappy roots pt. 2

so remember here where i talked about doing this (again)?  it has now been 11 weeks (nearly 3 months!!) since i have last shampooed my hair.  how's it going?  it.  still.  sucks.

the oily stage is over.  my hair is now no longer completely greasy, and that is a relief... but...  it just still seems so.. dirty.  my hair has the consistency of straw- it feels like i could twist it into dreadlocks at any second and that they'd stick.  it seems like it's full of build up (of what, i don't know).  when i straighten it, it straightens well, but needs to constantly be brushed.  when i wear it curly, i have more springy curls, but it hangs so limp and the crown gets frizzy!  i don't know what's going wrong.

i started doing the baking soda wash once it got too oily, and it seemed to help, but now doesn't seem like it's working as well.  the simple mom article recommends washing daily with baking soda, while the mother nature network article says not to use it more than once every few WEEKS.   i've also started doing a once weekly "wash" with my conditioner.  since i color my hair, i'm supposed to use the conditioner once weekly anyway, so this has been a big help as far as making my hair a little more manageable.  and on the hair coloring front- i know these two aren't related, but it seems like my grays have multiplied!  aaaaah. 

i hate that i feel relegated to wearing a pony tail almost EVERY day.  especially with the holidays around the corner, but i don't know what else to do.  i don't want to give up.  i've come this far- i can't give in! 

 Seven months later, my hair has never looked better. It’s shinier and has more body, and my ordinarily flake-prone scalp is noticeably healthier. Plus, I get the self-righteous buzz of having beaten the system: I washed The Man right out of my hair and it stayed clean anyway.

mnn.com

so it's possible that i have 4 more months of crazy hair to put up with, but in the end i have the satisfaction of knowing that i did it. ::sigh::

here is my hair a few weeks ago.  ian seems disgusted, but it's not that bad!

updating

a few updates on my recent posts

wedding guest dress - i couldn't decide.  plus, half the dresses went into "out of stock" or "size 2 available mode.  and since most forays into the dressing room for me have a 17% success rate i decided this:  purchase 7 dresses that i liked best ie: were most affordable, try them all on, and send back the 6 losers, hopefully keeping 1 very awesome winner.  my husband frowned upon this idea, wanting me to purchase 2  instead and choose from those.  next time, you can have the baby and jack your body up.


ditch the shampoo - this got worse before it got better.  not only are my grays sticking out and holding up little "look at me" signs; i was wanting to shave my head and vomit every time i saw my hair, which stayed perfectly placed in a ponytail every time i removed my hair band.  gag.  when i was begging for my shampoo, husband suggested i follow the baking soda wash- it made a major improvement to my hair from first wash, and my hair is gradually starting to look cleaner.  i'm hoping that holds up, because it's time to color it... AGAIN. 


shredding - ugh.  epic fail.  i got through 10 days, then hubby's gma died and we were out of town for the long weekend, and it was just so difficult to get back into it.  i may start up again, but for now husband has a big plan for us that i'm keeping to myself for a while.  good news is while i didn't lose any weight, i haven't gained any since then either...

ian and i are flying to the atl tomorrow.  i'm so excited.  i need some south in my life.  we are flying, and did i mention it's just going to be the two of us?  after we get to atlanta, we'll be driving to nashville for the weekend for a family reunion (a little counter-productive) and then it's loads of fun in c-town.  this will be the first time husband has been away from ian- and he's a little bummed (so are we).  thank God for skype.  i'll be sure to include a post on traveling with baby. 

i won't be posting much during my vacay, but i do have some guest posts lined up- so keep checking in!!

nappy roots

so, remember back here when i talked about doing this?  well, i ran out of my delicious rosemary & mint shampoo about a week ago, and haven't looked back.  now, of course, i've become the shredder, i'm a little scared about what a daily (very sweaty) workout is going to do.  so i'm at least a week in, if not longer into this experiment, and let's just say it's going to be interesting.  today, i had to re-read the article plus this article because my hair is looking a little... well, limp.  i've also been rocking the ponytail for the last week. 

i'm not sure if i'm supposed to be still using conditioner or styling products.  i have been doing conditioner just on my ends, and i've used styling products a couple times.  i think i may just go to conditioner once a week and try to wean myself completely from my styling products.  sorry bumble & bumble.  

it looks like it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to several months before your scalp stops overproducing oil to make up for it's non-shampoo shock.  i'm hoping for me that it's closer to the former, and not the latter.  lulu asked me to post/take a daily photo of my hair.  i don't think i'll do daily, but how about weekly.  so, here is my rat's nest after week one of being "poo-free"

note:  these photos were taken after a workout, before my shower.  it's also been in a ponytail for around 24 hours.

 so you can definitely tell my hair is very oily

here's all of my hair.  at least it's so shiny it's got serious camera flash on it!

mish mash

here's a mish mash- or things that would never stand alone as a blog post!

1.  i hate vampires.  seriously, i am ready for twilight to go away.  i just don't get it.  no, i've never read the books- i just don't have any interest.  everyone keeps carrying on about trueblood, but 1.  i don't have hbo or whatever, and 2.  it's vampires (i am prepared for an onslaught of comments from saying this).  i think harry potter is stupid too.  can you tell i just don't really like science fiction or fantasy? 

2.  i am seriously, seriously thinking about doing this.  my scalp is always super dry and itchy- and nothing seems to help.  plus, my  hair has been in shambles since it got all jacked up on hormones.  i stay at home with the baby- so i could probably get away with it.  gross or maybe i'm on to something?

3.  i hate lilies.  let's put that more specifically. stargazer lilies.  they remind me of funerals- the smell will knock you halfway across the state.  ugh.  i however LOVE calla lilies.  husband however, doesn't know a lily from his butt, and often comes home with the former rather than the latter.  this sends me into a frenzy, to which he responds "well, it said 'lily.'"  indeed it did.

4.  seriously, how is it already time to color my hair again?!  i feel like my hair hasn't grown at all in the 3 months since my hair cut, but the grays are growing like weeds

5.  i hate vertical blinds- they are an eyesore, and they are annoying.  they are also in our rental house- the inventor of vertical blinds should die of gonorrhea and rot in hell.  speaking of our rental house- it needs a major overhaul.  i hate moving, and i said i didn't want to move again, but this place blows, and i'm ready to leave. i guess i'm going to have to get used to living in someone else's house b\c after the atl incident, i don't think we're going to get to own our own place for a while.  :(

6.  we didn't win the baby contest.  i knew it was a long shot, but i'm still really bummed.  we have been busting our tails to pay off our debt via the dave ramsey plan (only 2 student loans + the remainder of my hospital bill) and that money would've almost cleared out dave's loan.  guess that's what i get for spending in my head, but seriously- when are we going to catch a break.  boo. 

7.  i'm tired.

bye bye greys

So the whole routine of glancing at my hair and seeing something shiny glistening from the roots that isn't blonde was getting a little old. From the tiny grey hairs that were only about an inch long, to those that were full-length- they had spread on my scalp like wildfire. I feel like I'm too young to have grey hair anyway- and I had them prior to becoming pregnant, but pregnancy seems to make my scalp a breeding ground for greys. They've probably at least doubled since becoming pregnant. Here I've been waiting for my hair to grow longer, stronger, more luxurious, and it's growing- in grey. I finally reached my breaking point the other night, when I had just spent the previous night pulling out several greys and there were even more! I decided I was going to color my hair. I did all the research and found that it was safe to color, and off I went. It was fairly easy, just stinky! I now appear to be grey-free, and that I can live with! Anything that makes a pregnant woman look/feel better I'm all for!

names, insurance, and other nonsense

my sister in law's results were confirmed: it's a girl! the first girl grandchild. although, i was hoping it would be me, I digress...

with finding out the sex of your baby, (and even when you don't) you must pick names. i just recently bought 100,001 baby names, or as it should be called 99,999 stupid baby names. I guess I shouldn't say stupid just b\c i'm not going to name my baby some Scandanavian name, but I am having a really hard time with names. I used to have all these names picked out that I loved, but now I am older, and some of those names could be catagorized with "Apple Martin" rather than being a good baby name. Anything I seem to pick out, Dave hates. Dave also is dead set that we're having a boy, and therefore has vetoed every girls name I have suggested to him; even going so far as to refer to our child as the boy name that he has picked out. The one I told him was "ok" and that hasn't been set in stone yet... So as the field of names that I like (i'm in "J" in the baby book and have selected maybe 5 names) is getting smaller and smaller, I'm trying to figure out what to do. I have ridiculously made a list of everyone I know who is expecting since we have found out we were expecting. From that list I have tried to list whether they are having a boy or girl, and from there what name they have picked out if they have made it public. My list is at 30 people. THIRTY. So far, 4 have given birth. Also, so far, only 7 are having girls, 1 isn't finding out the sex and 10 aren't far enough along yet to know. Also, in more craziness: only 5 of these people are due after me. This presents my problem. People are so weird about baby names. Some people don't tell (i have considered this), but most people don't want you using their name. This means I've got to wait out 25 people worth of baby names and pray to God above that none of these people use my names. Because I'm telling you now, once I pick out a name that I like, and husband agrees on, nothing is changing my mind. NOTHING.

Of course, we also have 5 weeks to go until we find out the sex, but still...

Today is week 15. Threw up yesterday, hoping that by NEXT WEEK that this is all behind me. Of course, my sister in law is still throwing up at 22 weeks. I'm also waiting on my hair to start growing Rapunzel-style. I had these really long Freddy Krueger-like nails, but they started breaking off one by one, and yesterday I had to trim them all down to a suitable length. Now they just feel weird.

I'm sleeping better at night, thank the Lord. Yesterday at my appointment I asked my Dr. about sleeping on my back. She said eventually I wouldn't be able to because it wouldn't be comfortable, but for now, i'd be fine. She also said that women labor on their backs, and that non-pregnant people sleep on their backs all the time, and none of them are dead yet, so that I would be fine, and that she wishes those books wouldn't have some of the info that they have in them.

The worst thing to come out of this may be with our insurance. We just switched to United Health Care from Blue Cross/Shield of GA with our move. My doctor's office has 2 locations: 1 at Sherman Hospital (which is completing construction on a new state-of-the-art building due to be finished in December), and one at St. Joseph-Provena. I chose Sherman for obvious reasons. My Doctor is awesome. Not only is she young and very friendly, and knows her stuff, but she looks like Uma Thurman. She's great! When I was leaving the office yesterday I saw a sign hanging in the waiting room that I wish I hadn't seen...

"Attention All United Healthcare Patients" (you know this can't be good)

Basically, the sign says that contract negotiations between Sherman and UHC have reached a stand still. On June 15th Sherman sent UHC a letter to cease operations between the 2. The contract expires in October. We will be continuing to try to reach an agreement with UHC.

By this time I will be 6 months pregnant, and will not be wanting to look for a new hospital or doctor. I don't even want to do that now at 3 months. To top this all off, there was an article in the local paper a few weeks ago saying that St. Joe's will no longer be delivering babies and sending all their patients to Sherman.

Should having a baby really be this difficult?! Just be praying for an agreement between United & Sherman b\c starting all over with a new Doctor\hospital would be the pits.