The Womacks

"Underground" Tour of Sacramento

2010-09-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Mom came into town a couple of weeks ago and I decided that we would go and do some site seeing while she was here. She is always asking to go and do something fun in Sacramento, so I did some research and found an underground tour of the city. Many people are unaware that Sacramento was actually about 10-15 feet lower than it now sits. They had to raise the entire city because of flooding.

Here we are SUPER excited for the tour... At this point we are thinking "HARD HATS, AWESOME!!! This is going to be a great tour."

"UMMMMM... Does the baby need a hard hat for this CRAZY adventure? We don't want her to get hurt while we are scaling the undergound mines of the city" (We should have had a clue when I actually asked this question and the lady at the reception area actually started to laugh.

A this point we were still hopeful... You would have thought that the woman dressed in period clothing in and talking in a southern accent would have been our first clue.

Alright... not bad we get to see the oldest theater in California. That's pretty neat right? YES... This was the HIGHLIGHT of the tour.

"Okay... we are 90 minutes in. When are we going to go and see the underground city, and the Chinese opium dens, and the underground gambling rings....etc etc etc? Ummm... your not telling me that the basement we went into was the "underground" part!?!

What a rip off... there was a wheel chair ramp and an elevator. That wasn't even a dingy basement... it was finished. ARGH. If I had known that was the "underground" part of the tour I would have at least taken a photo of it - and why is that lady still acting like she is from the South"

Even the baby was bored to tears.

And this was the BEST part of the tour... an awesome lunch and an even better Margarita!

Bath Time is Getting to be So Much FUN

2010-09-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Reagan has really begun to enjoy her baths. It is so much fun to see her learn and play. Here is a short video of bath time. She was a little shy with the water kicking tonight.. but still plenty cute. Usually she loves to kick kick kick her chubby little legs in the water, splashing me like crazy. You can also see in the video that she is putting EVERYTHING in her mouth. I think we may be seeing some little teeth soon!

Great Grammy's Birthday

2010-09-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Reagan got to help celebrate her Great Grammy's 87th Birthday. We drove up to Apple Hill with some flowers and yummy cake and had the nicest lunch. It is so much fun to see Grandma and Reagan together. Grandma Anita is so in LOVE with little Reagan. She brags all the time about how "advanced" she is... she says that Reagan is so smart because she can hold a rattle, and coo, and she is starting to sit on her own. (I am not sure how "advanced" drooling and sitting is but it makes me giggle)

Helping Mommy with Laundry

2010-08-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

Where's Reagan !?!

There she is under all the clean clothes.

"Hmmmm I wonder what these blankets taste like?"

"Holy Cow... what was that?"

"There it goes again!"

Such a good little helper.

Happy Fourth Of July

2010-08-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

State Fair August 1, 2010

2010-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Spent our Saturday night at the state fair. We had a lot of fun walking around and looking at the exhibits, farm animals, and rides. We also got to try some great fair food... fried snickers, artichoke hearts, and zucchini.

(Here we are embarrassing our daughter already. They last one really cracks me up. She is looking at Jeff thinking "Oy Vey" - that one's for you Kimmy)

First Trip to So-Cal

2010-07-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

Reagan went on her very first plane ride to see Grandma and Grandpa and all of her friends down in Southern California. I was nervous flying with her especially on my own but she was a VERY good baby and everyone on the plane were very helpful. We had a great vacation and can't wait to go back!

Bows Bows & Bows

2010-06-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

I have been going a little stir crazy not leaving the house so I decided to take up bow making. This is the first bow that I made for Reagan. We took her out in it to dinner last night and she got a ton of compliments. That has only fueled the fire and now I am on a quest for every color ribbon imaginable. Jeff thinks our house has turned into a 1980's crafting room with all of the sequins, hot glue guns, and ribbon all over the house. If you know anyone with little girls that LOVE bows let me know because Reagan just might be overloaded with hair accessories by the end if my maternity leave!

More Newborn Photos!

2010-06-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Yay... Went to the mail today and waiting for me was the most wonderful gift. A CD of images from my fabulous and ubber talented friend Christie Hobson (www.christiehobson.com). Words can't even describe how grateful I am that she captured such sweet moments for us. These photos were taken when Reagan Grace was just shy of 5 days old. I am falling in love with all of the photos of our sweet little girl!

Now This is What I Call Multi-Tasking...

2010-06-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Feeding Baby, Petting Penny, Chatting on the Phone, and Laundry in the Background

Mother's Day 2010

2010-06-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

Better late than never... I have been going through some of my photos from the last couple of months and wanted to update the blog with a couple of my favorite pics from my first Mother's Day. For Mother's Day my mom came to visit. We had a wonderful time and she allowed me to get some much needed sleep, that was the best gift anyone could have given me!

Our Little Angel

2010-05-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Reagan at one month... time is flying!

I don't think I'll ever grow tired of staring at her sweet little face. I am in LOVE!

Rockin' Out with Auntie Gibbler

2010-05-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to update on the blog, I will try and catch up this week. Sorry I have been lagging in this department. We've had a lot of friends and family visit Reagan over the last couple of weeks (plus Jeff came down with shingles). As you can imagine we have had our hands FULL. Kelly, Mom, Christie and most recently crazy Aunt Gibbler came to visit. It was so nice to have so much help!

Here is a video from our most recent guest Kimmy and Reagan rocking out to Justin Bieber. Reagan is his youngest fan ... she has Bieber Fever

Bath Time for Reagan

2010-05-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

This photo made me laugh so hard. Penny is so attentive to the baby. She barks whenever the baby cries and she tries to comfort her by licking her. Penny even conquered her biggest fear - bath time - to be by Reagan's side. I wonder if she was worried about the baby, or simply thinking "better you than me, kid"

Photos From the Hospital and Heading Home!

2010-04-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Womack ... after a long day in the waiting room

Grandpa Wolff and Great Grandma Wolff

Auntie Laura

Snuggling with Grandma Middleton

Last diaper change a the hospital, under the warm heat lamp

Ready to go home! Wee - eeee, this is going to be a FUN ride.

April 15, 2010

2010-04-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

4:30am: Alarm sounds, get out of bed after sleeping in 15 minute intervals. Both excited and nervous
5:00am: Dressed and ready to go to the hospital, Jeff goes to pick up coffee
5:40am: We leave the house and are off to the hospital
6:00am: Arrive at UC Davis Medical Center

6:10am: Check in and wait to be escorted with all of our stuff to the room. It looks like we are moving in!

6:30am: Get settled into the room, unpack and familiarize ourselves with where everything is
7:15am: Nurse goes over all paperwork, sign, sign and more signing of paperwork
7:30am: Nurse puts in IV of fluids, tries once and then twice - No luck. She calls in another nurse - tries once and gets it in the second time. Only 4 tries for an IV.

7:45am: Dr comes in to see where we are starting from 3-4 cm dilated and 90% effaced
8:00am: The pitocin is administered to start the induction
8:00am - 10:00 am: Waiting, waiting, waiting - Not much is happening
10:20am: Small contractions are starting to come on but not in a constant pattern
11:00am: Dr comes in and checks me again - No change

12:00 pm: All grandparents have arrived and hanging out in the room
1:30pm: Nap time to prepare for the long journey ahead
2:30pm: Dr comes in and checks progress - very little change
2:30pm - 3:30pm: Start walking the halls to get labor to progress
3:30pm: Resident Dr. decides to try and break water (He is not sure if he was successful)
4:00pm: Resident Dr. returns and breaks water for a "second" time - now the water is flowing!
4:15pm: Whoa Mama... the contractions are really starting to get strong
4:20pm: Call for the anesthesiologist, time for that epidural
4:45pm: Anesthesiologist arrives and not soon enough - puts in the epidural after only 3 tries.
5:00pm: Nurse puts in catheter on second try
5:10pm: Nurse checks dilation - am now at a 6cm dilation
5:30pm: Contractions are REALLY strong, yell at Jeff to get the anesthesiologist, new one on duty, she notices the first one never hooked up the drugs. Ugh - that explains the pain
6:00pm: Dr Gillott stops by and says hello, decides to check again and I am 7 -8 cm dilated
7:00pm: All drugs have worn off - in a lot of pain, ask nurse for some more pain meds - they can't give anymore because I am too far along
7:30pm: 10 cm dilated and ready to push
7:30pm - 8:50pm: Pushing, pushing, pushing
8:50pm: Dr Gillott rushes in with a staff of at least 10 people (nurses and residents)

8:58pm: Reagan Grace Womack is born weighing 7lbs 11oz and measuring 19 inches

Tired Mama after 15 hours of labor!

Tour of the Nursery: Take Two

2010-04-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Tour of the nursery: Take Two, the final version. I jumped the gun and posted an early video of the nursery before it was complete and clean. Jeff decided to host this video and he did a great job. A solid mix of drama and comedy. ENJOY and please let us know what you think!

40 Weeks and 2 Days

2010-04-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here I am 2 days over due... Baby Womack is not ready for her debut yet. If she doesn't arrive by Thursday we are going in to be induced. Hard to imagine we'll be parents in less than 3 days! (Watch out Penny you don't want to be sat on, LOL)

39 Weeks... Whoa Mama

2010-04-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here we are almost ready for the baby. This picture was taken on Tuesday 04/06 - during our "practice" run to the hospital. The next day we went to the doctor and he said I am almost 4cm dilated and 60% effaced. We are hoping that baby girl comes SOON!

Tour of the Nursery

2010-03-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video of the nursery... I LOVE it. Jeff said I've made my dream room. We still have some work left. Grammy Shirley is making more pillows and a valance. You'll also see that at the end of the video we have a few things to find homes for!

Penny in Her New Seat

2010-03-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

We were unpacking some of the gifts for the baby this morning and Penny was SO curious about the Bumbo chair. She got right inside of it and just sat there. We couldn't resist taking this photo of her enjoying "her" new seat. All I can say is "enjoy it now - because you only have a few more days as an only child!"

Baby Shower Highlights!

2010-03-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of our family and friends for all of your support and generosity. Baby Womack is going to be so blessed to have all of you in her life. We truly appreciate everything that everyone has done to prepare us for the arrival of our little girl. Words can not begin to describe how lucky we are to have such amazing friends and family.

Here are some photo highlights from our baby showers:

More Photos...

2010-03-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

EVEN more Photos...

2010-03-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

Baby Shower Highlights, Cont.

2010-03-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of my Nor-Cal girlfriends for showering Baby Womack with so many cute clothes and gifts. Nichol was an amazing hostess... I am so happy she has become such a GREAT friend. It was also so nice to see my college roommates the Torres sisters, Nicole & Melissa. It felt like just yesterday we'd seen each other! Also - thanks to all of my co-workers who have supported me through my daily aches and pains, LOL.

(Read what the pin says..."I'm Next"- a week later she found out she's pregnant)

A beautiful day for brunch. Thanks Pat and Angela! I couldn't ask for a better company to work for.

Time for a Hair Appointment!

2010-03-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

I don't know how Jeff wakes up next to me on mornings when I look like this!!! I can't believe I am even posting this photo on here, it was just too good to not share with you - Ha Ha.

Aches, Aches & more Aches...

2010-02-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

I guess people forget all of the aches and pains you experience during pregnancy. Or some women are just luckier than others. It seems to me that if there is a pregnancy symptom... I have experienced it in one way or another.

It all started with the morning sickness. Five and a half long, long, long months of throwing up every morning. That wouldn't even be that bad if it ended there. It was coupled with a feeling of being out in the deep sea with sea sickness and land nowhere in sight. Okay - maybe I am exaggerating a little , I got a couple of hours of relief a night right between dinner and going to bed. I should probably count my blessings, because the morning sickness probably helped curb quite a few extra pregnancy pounds.

The second trimester did offer quite a bit of relief. I should have appreciated every day that I had symptom free coupled with the great "I can do anything hormone", because it is all catching up to me.

Since voyaging into the third trimester I have experienced a lot of little annoying side affects of pregnancy and quite a few big ones. It all started out with the snoring. My poor husband Jeff is now forced into sleeping next to what must sound like a lumber jack. I didn't believe his complaints at first, until I actually woke myself during an exceptionally loud snort. This has happened more and more as the baby gets bigger. I must also be carrying the baby really high because I am having a really hard time breathing. I told my doctor about it and he says it is the baby pushing up on my lungs. Nice.

Another "fun" part about being pregnant that I have learned through personal experience is my joints hurt, hurt, hurt. I feel like a 90 year old woman when I get up to walk around at night. Plus is feels like arthritis in my fingers and joints. I had a hard time squeezing the shampoo bottle this morning. I assume most of this is because of the SWELLING. Where have my ankles gone? My poor feet and hands look like they belong to the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. By the end of the day my shoes don't fit and they are literally oozing out of my shoes.

Boo Hoo. I just felt like complaining... Now that I have gotten some of the frustration out I can focus on the positive. Only 46 more days until this little one is officially here. Let's just say - I CAN'T WAIT!

Penny

2010-02-16T17:18:00.001-08:00

I was cleaning out our closets this weekend and came across this photo of Penny. I couldn't help myself from posting a baby photo of Penny... our original little girl!

3D Baby Photos 30 Weeks 6 Days!

2010-02-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some 3D ultrasound photos of our little girl. She was shy at first hiding behind the placenta and then her foot and her sweet little hands. For only about 30 seconds out of 45 minutes she peeked her precious little face out for us to see. I can't wait to see our sweet baby girl in person.Jeff says she has my nose... I am not sure, it is hard to tell for real because of the placenta surrounding her. The one thing I did notice is that she has chubby chubby little cheeks for only being 30 weeks!

Here is the foot that she held in front of her face the entire appointment. She even stuck her toes in her mouth!

30 Weeks and 3 Days

2010-02-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of me at 30 weeks AKA 7 1/2 months pregnant. Sorry I have been lagging putting photos on the blog. The real reason is I am usually tired after work, or my hair isn't done. (Most likely the later. I had my hair styled yesterday -hence the pic posting, LOL.)

Only 65 days until this little one is due. I cannot believe it... We have so much left to do! The only thing we have right now is her crib. Jeff put it together the other night while I was at work. The crib is absolutely adorable, traditional but modern. (Thanks - Gma and Gpa Middleton). It is surreal to walk by her room at night and see a crib all set up waiting for baby.

I was a little concerned though when he had an entire bag of bolts and screws left over. I kept asking him about it and all he did was giggle. I really hope he didn't resort to super glue and duct tape. That would not be good.

Dear Baby...

2010-01-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Baby...

It's me your Mommy. I just have a few things that I would like to say. First off, I already love you more than you could know. Every day I dream about what you are going to look like, seeing your smile, and holding you for the first time.

I also dream about temper tantrums and teenage fits. I guess it is normal to already worry about these things. Dr. Gillott said the worry will never stop. I am sure that I will worry about you, your happiness and your safety my entire life. I have already pictured how hard it is going to be to drop you off at college - I know I am ahead of myself but I constantly find my mind wondering to these places. I promise that once you are born I will try and live in the moment. Maybe I am thinking about all of these things now so when you are born I can focus on enjoying the day to day.

Every night I lay on the sofa with your Daddy and Penny (your four legged sister) and we wait to feel your kicks. Usually you are most active between 730pm and 830pm. Most likely you are bouncing around because I have just finished dinner and you are receiving a rush from the food. You also LOVE it when I eat Junior Mints. It feels like you are doing a happy dance in my belly when I supply you with this delicious treat!

Feeling you move around always brings a smile to my face...I promise that I will not take it for granted for the next 3 months. The last couple of nights you have definitely been making it know that you are in there. Last night I saw you physically moving around in my tummy from the outside for the first time. I called your Daddy over to watch and we stared at my stomach and laughed as we saw you thumping around for almost 20 minutes.

I am sure over the next couple of months we will start seeing more and more of you moving around. I have been doing some research and as you get bigger there is less amniotic fluid to hide your feet, elbows, and hands. Maybe we'll be able to see them through your strong kicks. That will have to do until one day I get to hold them and shower them with kisses. Okay...no more gushing mommy (for now)

Love You Already,
Mommy

Baby Photos from 12/08/09 (23 Weeks)

2010-01-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

Here are tow more photos from my last doctor's appoitment. These were taken when they finished oour genetic screening and verified that the baby is perfectly healthy!

Baby Photos from 11/25/09 (20 Weeks)

2010-01-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the baby at 20 weeks 4 Days. We had them take the photos before Thanksgiving to make sure she was still a girl!

Here she is covering her ears when my mom said "Hi - It's me your Grandma, LOL!"

Yep - Three lines means it's a girl. (She only put the ? mark for legality)

She is giving her Dad a big thumbs up!

26 Weeks... or 6 1/2 Months!!!

2010-01-03T20:12:00.001-08:00

Holy Cow... where has time gone? I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. Before we know it we'll be parents! I have been lagging taking photos and I promise to get better. Here is a pic that Jeff snapped really quick after dinner. I am one day past 26 weeks...Sorry for looking so tired! Thought you'd enjoy seeing how big I am getting. It seems like all of a sudden my belly just popped.

The baby is moving around a TON. She is mostly active at night and in the morning. Yesterday I was on the computer and I swear she was playing soccer in my stomach. I actually had to stop what I was doing because she was so awake. It made me laugh. I love feeling her move throughout the day, it lets me know that she is a healthy girl.

Penny seems to be a little worried about all of the changes. The other night she was laying on my tummy and the baby moved. Penny got up and looked down like "what the heck was that?" Than she went onto Jeff's lap. Uh-Oh... she is in for a real shock.

They Said it is a GIRL!

2009-11-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Okay... So I am feeling a little guilty for cheating and finding out what we are having ahead of schedule. Everyone says that it is super exciting to find out after delivery... but now i am so happy that we found out early. I wouldn't want our little GIRL to have a yellow or green themed room. This may be the only time I can decorate an entire room crazy girlie and pink, pink, pink.

So here is what happened during our ultrasound....

The doctor asked if we wanted to know what we were having and I we both said yes. So she started to look between the babies legs and immediately said, "i think it's a girl". My heart stopped beating and then I started to shake. I couldn't believe my ears... we had been expecting that it would be a boy. So the doctor continued to check around for any missed parts and had a second opinion with the ultrasound helper and they both agreed that we were having a girl! We couldn't be happier, but we are still waiting to buy anything until our next appointment on 12/03 for confirmation that nothing has "sprouted".

Boy or Girl?

2009-11-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

We have an appointment today for genetic counseling and another ultrasound as a precaution for Down's Syndrome. I am both excited an nervous... The Dr. told me that we have nothing to worry about and that he truly believes that the baby is perfectly healthy. But is still hard to not worry about the endless possibilities of things that could go wrong.

On the bright side, they should be able to see if our little peanut is a boy or girl! When I first found out that I was pregnant I didn't not care to know what we were having. Either way I was excited about becoming a mom. As time has gone on my curiosity has grown... and now I can't stand the suspense. I want to know so I can start buying cute little outfits and planning the nursery. Every time I walk by the baby aisle I wonder... blue or pink!

17 Weeks on 10/31/09

2009-11-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, time is flying by. It seems like just yesterday our little peanut was actually the size of a peanut! Now the baby is already getting so big. I only have one pair of pants that fit (button) all the rest are too uncomfortable to wear. I had my 16 week doctor's appointment last Monday and everything seems to be going along perfectly. They said our first trimester screening results came back and everything looks normal. Phew.

Kelly was in town for Jeff's 30th Birthday, so she was able to come to my appointment with me. Because I had a rescheduled appointment my Dr. was off and I had to see a nurse practitioner . She kept looking at Kelly and asking her questions, like we were a couple. Finally when she asked if I was carrying my own ovum or a donor's I had to clear the air, that we were not a same sex-couple. Jeff was at work and Kelly was visiting from out of town, LOL. (I told Kelly it was her cowboy boots that threw the nurse off).

Anyways - We were able to hear the heartbeat loud and clear. It was registering between 150-160 bpm. We could also hear the little guy kicking around... every couple of seconds you would hear a swoosh, swish. It was amazing to be able to experience something so incredible. My next appointment is on 11/17 with my Dr. and then we have our 20 week ultrasound on 11/20... when we get to find out what we are having. (Only 18 more days!!!)

Here is the update on the development of our little one:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Video of Our Peanut 12 weeks 4 Days

2009-09-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Today we had our first trimester screening. It was a rough start to the day. I had to drink four 8 ounce glasses of water at hold it until the end of my appointment. It was like torture for a preganat woman... combining morning sickness, with a full stomach of water, plus not being able to go to the bathroom. Aggh.

Anyways - We were lucky enough to have a medical student sit in on our ultrasound. The doctor wouldn't let us tape... but once she left the medical student said we could take a short video. It was her first time doing an ultrasound so it is not the clearest. But hey, at least we got around hospital policy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0bBmYLyR6A

A Day In The Zone

2009-09-27T12:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went to a concert at Discovery Park. It was a great location to have a concert... right along the river. The only downfall was the 101 degree weather. Right by the stage there was no shade. We ended up camping out on a picnic bench under the shade. Nichol and I ended up spending half the day trying to take pictures with "famous" people... it was slim pickings this year.

Us with the newest Sacramento Kings player... he was nice and soooo TALL

Colbie Caillat's guitarist

Jeff and Melissa

Us before we all melted!

Lot's of people out in the heat

Nichol and Tony

Nichol and Melissa

12 Weeks on 09/26/09

2009-09-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Newest Baby Photos ...

2009-09-25T18:15:00.001-07:00

I think this is the best one so far... look really close and you can see the little face forming and some stubby arms and legs.

10 Weeks on 09/12/09

2009-09-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

How your baby's growing: Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature. He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy. If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

9 Weeks on 09/05/09

2009-09-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

Ugghhhh... I feel icky

2009-09-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

So I hit week 8 on Saturday and my morning sickness is in full swing. I have not been feeling good. I have tried EVERY suggestion that people have mentioned. Here are a few of the things I have tried:

1. Saltine crackers - not working. The dryness of the cracker paired with the salt make me want to yack even more
2. Hard candies or mints - they seemed to help a little bit in the beginning, but now they just aren't strong enough
3. Morning / Motion Sickness bands - I paid $10 for these things. They work if the goal is to be so uncomfortable around your wrists that you forget about be nauseous

If you have any other remedies for me to try, leave me a comment. Hopefully this will pass soon.

Baby's Very First Photos

2009-08-25T09:13:00.001-07:00

Okay, So I know at this point you can't see anything at all. We went in for our first doctors appointment last Friday and I got an ultrasound. It was more of a reassurance than anything. The little "bean" had a heart beat and looked pretty cozy in his new home. So it made me feel a lot more confident in sharing the news. I woke up this morning and was thinking about how this truly is the babies FIRST photo. A pretty amazing thought that you can have a photo so early in your development. The little guy is not even 7 weeks.

7 Weeks Today

2009-08-22T12:55:00.001-07:00

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs -- although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

It's Official... We're Having a Baby!

2009-08-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

So we finally started to tell all our friends and family the great news. It is still surreal to tell people that we are pregnant. Here is how our story began:

Jeff and I decided to start trying for a baby around our two year anniversary, June 16th. We feel like the timing is perfect and we had always discussed having a baby around 30. Jeff turns the big 3-0 in October and I turn 30 on April 11th. My due date is April 10th!!! Talk about timing. I don't think we could have gotten any closer to my 30th even if we tried.

Anyways, the first week into August I started to feel different. My breasts were really tender and I was having slight cramps. I thought I was going to start my "friend" at any time... but it never came. Every hour I was using the restroom but my "friend" never visited. I started to consider the possibility that I was pregnant on Monday, August 10th.

I went to CVS and bought a pregnancy test. The whole time I was thinking that I was wasting my money, because there was no possible way it would have happened so fast. I would probably spend $20 dollars, take the test and within an hour my "friend" would visit. I got home and put the bag on the table. Jeff got home from work and noticed my recent purchase. He asked when I was going to take it and I told him that it is more accurate in the morning. So I had to wait over twelve hours, torture.

The next morning I took the test. The first one returned "no result"(because I flooded the stick). As soon as a drop of urine hit the second test a second line popped up. I grabbed the box to make sure the results were what I thought they were... Sure enough I WAS PREGNANT.

A rush of emotions ran through my body... I was excited, shocked, nervous, happy, worried. I never knew that it was possible to feel all these different emotions at once. I walked into the bedroom where Jeff was ironing his clothes for work, holding the test. I said "It came back positive... we're pregnant." The look on his face was priceless, the room was silent and Jeff looked like a deer in the headlights. I knew he was experiencing the same emotions that had just flooded through me a couple of minutes ago. Then he said "Well, there you go."

Wow - not at all what I thought he would say. My already hormone flooded system just broke down. I stared to cry and Jeff came over and gave me a big hug. He assured me that everything would work out. A much better reaction, definitly the one I had been looking for originally. Since finding out I was pregnant Jeff has embraced his role as the supportive husband.

Sorry It has Been So Long... Facebook Was Holding Me Hostage.

2009-08-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hello? Is there anyone out there? I don't think anyone ges to Blogs anymore, simply because Facebook is so much easier. I do want to continue to update this site (hopefully more often). It serves as a nice journal on my day to day life... It is fun to be able to look back at old posts and see my progress.

Anyways more to come later...

Michael Jackson Tickets

2009-07-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your registration.

Sorry, we regret to inform you that your registration to attend the Public Memorial Service for Michael Jackson was not selected.

Hundreds of thousands registered, but only a few can be in attendance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What a bummer... I signed Jeff and I up for some MJ Memorial Tickets and we were not selected. I thought we stood a chance until I called my mom and she had signed up too! I guess over 1.8 million people had the same idea.

The thing that bothers me though is this... why was the raffle open to anyone outside of California? People all over the world signed up and now have no use for the tickets. You have to be in LA by this afternoon to be able to attend. So now you have all of these Jack Donkey's trying to sell their tickets on Ebay for $100,000 and they will be useless unless the bidder takes them down to get a band by 6pm tonight. Ugh.

Wow - Time Has Flown

2009-06-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

(I know that there are only two people that really read this so I apologize to Mom & Dad (my devoted followers) for not updating this site.)

Today is Jeff & my 2 year anniversary. I cannot believe that it has been two years already. It seems like not that long ago we were getting ready to be married. Mom reminded me of how excited Jeff was on the morning of our wedding and it made me smile. I had completely forgotten about him waking up at 5am and coming over to my parents house to help out with all of the last minute items. I am truly blessed being married to such a wonderful man!

Tonight for our anniversary I get to go to Stockton. Jeff has his second softball game and he can't miss it because they'll have to forfeit if he's not there. So I'll be sitting on the sidelines cheering him on like a good little wife. I really hope that they do better than last week. You can't get much worse than a 13-1 loss.

To make up for him having a game tonight Jeff cooked me dinner last night. His dad gave him a delicious recipe for Chicken Parmesan. OH MY GOSH. Words cannot even begin to describe how good this was... the homemade sauce was to die for! If anyone wants this recipe let me know and I will be happy to send it on. I was going to say that this was all we did for our anniversary. A nice simple meal together. That's all I think anyone really needs to celebrate. But then I remembered our trip to Reno 2 weekends ago.

We went to Reno for a "pre" anniversary vacation. This is what you call vacationing on a budget. The Peppermill had sent us an offer that we could not turn down. A free room in a suite, and a $100 free playing money. We also got a free room for our friends Joe & Amanda. Even though the weather did not cooperate we had a blast. Jeff and Joe got to gamble and Amanda and I went bargain shopping on Saturday. We also had some drinks and tried our luck at the tables. We ended up breaking even. So the trip didn't really cost us anything. Now that's what you call a dream vacation, a free one!

Beautiful Sacramento

2009-05-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

We live close to downtown...but the rural areas of Sacramento are only 10 minutes away. I went out on an photo taking adventure today. I was all over Sacramento scouting some new locations for inspiration. I was everywhere from the farms to the rivers. I will post more on here later... for now I need to get back to my homework. I am so behind! I never would have thought I would say this again but, "I have a final next week!"

New Photography Website!

2009-04-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

It's Official. I have a new blog for my photography. Clink on the link below and let me know what you think!

http://melissagracephoto.blogspot.com/

Just for Fun

2009-04-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Last night Jeff and I went to High School field across from our house. We set up the camera and had a lot of fun experimenting with light. Penny had fun running around too!

Remembering 28 Things About Being 28:

2009-04-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

I am turning 29 this weekend. I don't know why this thought it so scary but I can't believe I am going to be 365 days away from 30 years old. So as I sit here I am going to remember 28 things about being 28.

1. Started learning Photography
2. My first year wedding anniversary
3. Brock & Luke's 1st Birthday Parties
4. I officially became a blogger
5. Went sightseeing in San Fransisco for the first time
6. Made a lot of new friends
7. Threw Kelly a Baby Shower in TN with Kimmy and my mom
8. Moved to a duplex...Hooray for extra bedrooms
9. Got a nice shiny new car
10. Received a raise at work!
11. Participated in my first 5K (Run to Feed the Hungry)
12. Planted a garden, tomatoes, peppers, & strawberries
13. Tried to get Penny pregnant with no luck
14. Had a Yummy Thanksgiving with The Womack's
15. Spent Christmas with in Surfside with all of our family
16. Celebrated New Year's in Joe & Amanda's new house
17. Went to my first Giant's home game
18. Grew my hair out and went light again
19. My vision got better not worse!
20. Went sightseeing in my own city
21. Gave away a pair of rabbits, learned my lesson
22. Got locked out of our house on moving day
23. Saw famous people's houses in Nashville
24. Photographed my first family portraits
25. Shannon peeing on my mom's carpet at Christmas
26. Became addicted to Catan (the board game)
27. Met the Governator Arnold
28. Celebrated my 29th Birthday with friends

Here's to another great year full of fun, friends & family!

More Robie

2009-04-04T11:44:00.001-07:00

I love this photo of Rob. What a great location... I will have to drag some more models out to shoot here! (Hopefully I get to photograph my first newborn this weekend!) I am so excited.

My Newest Model...

2009-03-23T15:16:00.001-07:00

For my last assignment I needed to find a human interest subject. Robie volunteered to be my model and he did a REALLY good job. He was patient and didn't rush me through the long and sometimes boring process. We drove around the city scouting some new backgrounds and found this amazing door in front of a church. I am really happy with how this one turned out! I will post more up here but I am rushing out the door to go to class...

Logan

2009-03-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

What a great smile... I absolutely love that he is missing so many teeth!

Black & White: Brock

2009-03-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

I am in L-O-V-E with Black & Whites right now! I am officially addicted to them. Let's call this my Black & White phase...

Brock & Penny

2009-03-03T12:25:00.001-08:00

This weekend there was ten minutes of sunshine. So I grabbed Brock and let him play outside. The first thing he went for was the tennis raquet and ball. Of course Penny saw the ball and wanted to play too. But Brock wasn't having it, he DID NOT want to share.

I can just image Penny thinking, "Come on kid throw the ball, throw the ball. throw the ball".

I snapped this photo of him trying to get away from Penny!

In the end Brock won, Poor Penny.

Black & White Kegan

2009-03-02T16:03:00.001-08:00

After looking at this photo over and over again, I decided to convert it to black & white. I think it is more impactful this way. I just love his expression and the depth in this photo. What do you think?

Kegan

2009-03-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

It is definitely fun to take photos of all of Laura's kids. They each have such different personalities and it is so fun to see them shine through the camera. Here is a photo of Kegan, by far the hardest kid to photograph. I only had about 3 minutes to take his photos before he started climbing the trees!

One More of Our Favorite Niece

2009-03-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

Izzy

2009-03-01T17:28:00.001-08:00

I took some shots of Laura's kids this morning, after babysitting them all weekend. None of them were thrilled that their Auntie Lissa was forcing them outside in the rain to take pictures. But most of them did what they were told... I will post more up here as I get time to edit. For now here is a photo of the little girl that woke us up at 3 o'clock in the morning.

Being Silly.

Being a Ham.

Finally. A photo that shows our cute niece Izzy, and how sweet she really is!

Front, Back & Side Lighting

2009-02-18T10:55:00.001-08:00

Having fun with lighting... For my first assignment for my new photo class we have to take three photos to show the different light. Jeff got me this beautiful orchid for Valentines Day and I thought it made the perfect subject!

Front Lighting
Back Lighting

Side Lighting

At Least Penny is Having a Romantic Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T12:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to all of our friends and family. As most of you are enjoying your weekend with a loved one, I am working at a Boat Show. Not the most romantic way to spend February 14th. I just can't imagine how any of these husbands convinced their wives that there could be nothing more romantic then boat shopping.

Penny on the other hand is having a very romantic Valentines Day.

She is on a date with her new stud Teddy. Teddy is a much younger dog, almost a year. Penny is a little over five. They met online through a "Yorkie dating site". We had been thinking about breeding Penny for the last year and finally decided to give it another try. Jeff posted a profile, and Teddy seemed like the perfect match. So Jeff dropped her off this morning and will pick her back up this afternoon. Penny didn't even care when Jeff went to leave. He said it was like love at first sight. (I really hope we get some puppies this time!)

And people say online dating is hard.

Babysitting Brock

2009-02-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

After 20 minutes of crying... Brock calmed down and I was able to snap this sweet shot of him.

You know you live in the ghetto when....

2009-01-21T10:36:00.000-08:00

Someone steals your outgoing mail on Martin Luther King Day, because the post office is closed
Your husbands unemployment benefits form was one of the pieces of mail stolen
A birthday card for a friend that made a joke about having a one hundred dollar bill inside (thank goodness it did not) was also taken

What a loser. Did they really need to take our mail? Good luck to them if they think they’ll find cash. They’d have better luck looking under our sofa cushions.

Christmas 2009

2009-01-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

No excuses... I should have had these photos up weeks ago. Thanks to our wonderful parents for such an amazing Christmas. It was so nice to have both sets together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Here are some photos of our family for everyone to enjoy!

Almost impossible to get Jake to smile in a photo

Mom & Dad Womack

Dad & Shannon

Yummy Turkey.

Mom & Robie in the kitchen

Karen & Karl

Drew & Shannon

Dad & one of mom's crazy presents

Ringin' in 2009

2009-01-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

I finally started my New Years Resolution (or as Jeff calls it "torture"). We have been back to eating only high protein low fat foods. Yumm-O.

For those who are scared of making resolutions here are some resolutions that just may be attainable...

Spend more time watching TV / movies.
Chat more over phone / Internet.
Read less.
I want to gain weight. Put on at least 30 pounds.
Stop exercising. Waste of time.
Procrastinate more.
Drink. Drink some more.
Start being superstitious.
Spend less time at work.
Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.

Sacramento Zoo

2009-01-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I went to the Sacramento Zoo a couple of weekend's ago. It was the perfect opportunity for me to try out my new lens. Here are a few of the better shots I took. I hope you enjoy...

My favorite photo so far... barely has to edit this one!

Thinking about life. (FYI: This was shot through a glass wall - hence the shadows)

Is he sticking his tongue out at me?

Theo & Mom

2008-12-27T23:42:00.001-08:00

Over Christmas at my mom's we took some photos of her and Theo. He is her adopted child... she got him the year I went away to college. I remember spending Thanksgiving with him at the Penthouse apartments. Taking a photo of a black dog was not easy (and it started raining). Plus, Theo gets camera shy.

He spent most of his Christmas avoiding the camera.

Except when Drew was in the room. Maybe it was the yummy treats Drew brought him?

Mom, I hope you like the photos I'll be posting. Let me know if you want me to make changes.

Owen Williamson

2008-12-27T18:07:00.001-08:00

We got to meet Owen for the first time over Christmas... he is the cutest baby . I miss them already!

Brock

2008-12-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

First Snow of the Year

2008-12-15T17:56:00.001-08:00

Last night we got our first snow of the year. We decided to drive up to see my grandma and take our Christmas photos.

Penny had never been to the snow and we weren't sure how her reaction would be. To our surprise she loved playing in it.

Grandma & I in her front yard

I thought this was so sweet and innocent

My handsome husband & Penny in Grandma's driveway

I took this photo for my mom and dad... it reminded me of them... beach chairs covered in snow. A far cry from where we'll be celebrating Christmas this year! I can't wait to see everyone.

Gutierrez Family Photos

2008-12-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I had the pleasure of taking the Gutierrez's Family photos for Christmas. What a beautiful and fun family. They were the easiest family to photograph. I don't know if it was because they wanted to get through the portraits quickly (it was 30 degrees out!) or they are a naturally photographic family.

My Favorite photo of them in Old Sac. I can't believe how great the background turned out. Jeff says it looks like I placed the background there from a green screen.

Weird Guy at the Park

2008-11-26T12:46:00.000-08:00

For my last assignment, self portrait, Jeff modelled the locations for me. He wasn't really taking me seriously while I was shooting. But I did capture this image...he either looks like a cop or a weird guy hanging out at the park. We were dying laughing.

Assignment #8 - Self- Portrait

2008-11-26T12:44:00.000-08:00

Cute Babies...

2008-11-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

Our 1 Year Old Nephews

Can't I have my cake and eat it too?

2008-11-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

Our nephew Luke's 1st Birthday was last weekend. It was a great party. I was so excited for the opportunity to take a bunch of photos. I thought I had captured so many "prize winning" shots at the party. I was almost certain they were all going to turn out amazing...

Once I got home I noticed all of the photos with the kids ended up blurry! The little ones can't sit still for even a second! The only photos that turned out well were of the beautiful cake the Shirley made. I am glad that at least a couple of the bunch turned out...good thing the cake didn't move.

Run to Feed the Hungry

2008-10-30T15:45:00.001-07:00

We are ~~running~~ walking in the Run to Feed the Hungry ~~10K~~ 5K on Thanksgiving morning this year. If you would like to support this great cause please go to the following link. Even donating a dollar would help!

https://secure2.merchantcart.net/fth/MyWebPage.cfm?pID=340906&eid=24429

Thanks!!!

The Move...

2008-10-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend (on Jeff's Birthday) we spent our entire Saturday packing and moving. We got the keys to our new place on Friday the 24th and have to officially be out of our current place by the fifth of November.

Naturally we wanted to get most of the moving done in one day so we rented a Uhaul and recruited some friends -(thanks Troy and Andrew). We started the big move at nine in the morning and did not stop until 95% of our apartment had been moved. By 4 o'clock we were ready to return the Uhaul and call it a day.

We dropped off the truck and headed to our old place for a couple of last minute items. We needed to pick up some soap, toiletries, etc. We grabbed the last little things we needed and drove to our new place. Excited at the thought of showering and sitting down to relax for the remainder of Jeff's birthday night. We would order dinner and watch a movie, simply enjoy what was left of his day.

Once we got home we started to unload the remaining few pieces from our car and headed inside. On our final trip inside from unloading the car I noticed that Jeff had stopped dead in his tracks before entering the house. I could not figure out what he was doing. Then suddenly he looked over glaring at me with a worried look on his face.

"Please tell me you have a set of house keys on you" he asked.

"Uh Oh" I replied, "Did I lock us out?"

At this point I have never seen Jeff so angry! The blood was pumping to his face and he looked over at me furious, "Well, now what do we do?"

Our keys, phones, and everything else we owned were now locked inside our new place with absolutely no way to get inside. The only thing that I had on me was a single car key. We walked around the house searching for a point on entry. There was absolutely we were going to be able to break in. (Now, I am actually grateful for this fact) . We walked to our neighbors house to see if we could use her phone- no answer.

Finally we came up with a plan. We would drive to Safeway, get a phone book and call a locksmith to let us in. Once we got to the store we felt like homeless people walking in asking to use their phone. We were covered from head to toe in dirt and sweat from moving all day. We called a locksmith to meet us at our house (for only $60). As we sat on our front porch waiting to be let into our new home I couldn't resist looking over at Jeff and saying:

"Well, Happy Birthday"

Assignment #7 - Landscape

2008-10-30T10:16:00.001-07:00

Assignment #6 - Close Up

2008-10-30T10:14:00.001-07:00

Bark

Jeff Lucked Out...

2008-10-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Jeff's parents called last night and wanted to know if we wanted to go to see Celine Dion last night. Their friends, Art & Vicki, who were planning on going with them had something come up. Jeff asked me if I wanted to go. I was so excited. I am not a huge Celine fan, but I do know a lot of her songs and I heard she puts on a great show. Plus, whens the next time we would ever get tickets to see her?

So, I was pretty excited. Then I remembered that I had my photography class. I already missed class last week. Jeff informed me that I could not miss another one. I could hear his sigh of relief from the other end of the phone. Jeff knew he would not have to sit through two hours of Celine Dion. Although I have been singing "My Heart Will Go On" for the last 24 hours.

BTW: Can you believe it has been over 10 years since this movie came out?

Assignment #5- Action (w/ subject blurred)

2008-10-14T12:45:00.001-07:00

Always a good model for the camera. Although not as easy to get the photo as I thought it would be. Imagine this... I threw the ball while laying on the ground with the camera. Then I had to call her back to me while taking a picture. My neighbor's must think I am crazy.

Avoiding Packing

2008-10-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

I am still working on some of the photos we took last week. I am officially addicted to photo shop. Amazing. Anyways I have my class tonight and I am excited to go. I missed last week because we were looking at a house to rent. We found one and signed a lease on Sunday. We are excited because it has a lot of the things we were looking for (but it's teeny tiny).

We are moving on Oct. 25th (Jeff's B-Day) and have to be completely out of our current apartment on the 5th of Nov. I think working on Luke's photos has been helping me avoid the thought of packing. Yuck, is there anything worse than moving???

Luke Womack

2008-10-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Shirley and I had a photo shoot with Luke. He was such a good baby to put up with everything we made him do. We tried to keep still but all he wanted to do was crawl and play. He was a good sport and sat still for some good shots. I learned a lot about how to keep toddlers still while trying to take a photo.

I haven't had time to go through all of them, but I couldn't wait to put this one up. The lighting was a little harsh because of the time of day... but overall I think it's a cute shot. I'll post more up here when I get time to make some edits.

Assignment #4- Action

2008-10-06T16:24:00.001-07:00

Action- There were so many choices. Jeff and I rode our bikes down to Old Sac for a mini-photo shoot. I thought it would be a great shot to get Jeff riding his bike along the river, and I just love this photo of him!

Taylor Frey

2008-09-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Andrew and his son Taylor came over last weekend for a full Sunday of football. I took some photos of Taylor (I resorted to bribing him with candy). I haven't yet mastered taking photos of kids!

Farmer's Markets

2008-09-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Being off work on Tuesday's has it's advantages... there is a cute Farmer's Market 2 blocks from our house. Tiffany and I rode our bike's there and she bought some fresh fruit and veggies. I on the other hand had to take a picture for my class of "someone doing something". This assignment has been stumping me all week. So I decided this would be the perfect opportunity (and my last because I have class tonight) to take a picture.

"Tiffany supporting her local farmers" I am so glad that this picture turned out so well because here was my back up option for the assignment: "Jeff making pizza"

I thought a nice action shot of Jeff would be a great choice to take some photos, until I looked at them afterwards.

So I instructed him to "remember his face" a phrase I think I learned on ANTM (America's Next Top Model) I felt like one of those mean judges yelling at him. "Look natural, but not too natural, and act like your having fun but not too much fun."

He was a good sport and posed until I captured this shot. So I don't think Jeff has a modeling career ahead of him...but he sure does make a GREAT pizza!

Brock's First Birthday

2008-09-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Our nephew Brock turned one two weekends ago. I can't believe how fast time has gone. It seems like just the other day I was babysitting him...

... a teeny tiny little baby. Now he has gotten so big, and he won't even let us hold him!

Assignment #2- Building

2008-09-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Building on the opposite corner from our house.

Penny

2008-09-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Best Dog in the world!

Assignment #1- Portrait

2008-09-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

Here is my first assignment for my photography class. A portrait of my grandma on her 85th birthday.

Better Late Than Never

2008-08-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

(Here are some photos from our anniversary. Sorry it has taken me so long to post the photos on here!) For our one year anniversary on June 16th Jeff planned a romantic weekend in San Fransisco. Even though we live so close to the city, I have never really had an opportunity to see all of the amazing sights. We had a BLAST...here are some photos. I hope you enjoy!

First stop Chinatown for lunch.

We ordered way too much food, and ended up giving some to the people sitting next to us!

Walked around the pier to burn off all of that great Chinese food.

We took a sightseeing cruise around the harbor.

My first time under the Golden Gate bridge. It started to get really cold. Who would have known it was 105 degrees in Sacramento?

We had dinner in Fisherman's Wharf...

... and stopped in to Ghirardelli for a piece of chocolate.

We still left room for some cake! One year later and it still tasted delicious. (Thanks Mom!)

Thanks to Rick and Kelly for the champagne and chocolate covered strawberries too!

Cheers. Here's to an even better next year, full of more love and laughter!

Definitely NOT the Ritz

2008-08-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

I am staying at a hotel for my event this week in Nevada City. I searched long and hard for a hotel that was available for 5 nights. This was the only one I could find...

The Nevada City Inn:

There is only one employee that I have seen doing the following jobs: Front Desk, Housekeeping & Room Service (He is also probably the pool guy, maintenance guy, gardener, the cook at the continental breakfast , etc. etc. etc.)
Room Service... Kinda? (He did mention "if you need anything call #37 from your phone, but the phones are shut off after 9:30pm, so make sure your friends or family call you on your cell" - Wait. What? They shut off the phones at night, who does that!?!
MY FAVORITE: He gave me the "brand new room" because there was a FIRE in it and it was completely "remodeled". Yes they consider the room that was once destroyed by a fire, "The Deluxe Suite".

Tonight is my first night... I will fill you in on more details this week. Wish me luck.

Just for Fun

2008-07-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Jeff looked at our blog the other day and was not happy with the picture I chose to post I think he looks great in every picture. I on the other hand can't seem to find one that I look decent in. So the other day we snapped a picture before we went out and I think I look pretty good in it. So of course this is the new picture I want to use. Jeff said that he won't let me use this picture because he doesn't like himself in it. We just can't seem to find a photo where the two of us are both happy. In order to use the picture that I look good in, I told Jeff that I would "fix" his. So here is the solution I came up with:

Before

After

(He seems to be pretty happy with the results. After all who wouldn't be happy with an awesome pirate for a husband? Arrrg matey. )

Body for LIFE

2008-07-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

I started a new diet this week called "Body for Life". It is a simple way to change your eating habits to incorporate healthy carbs and proteins with every meal. It has only been one week and I already feel great! Check out my amazing transformation below**:

**not actual results- actual results may vary

Adventures in Babysitting

2008-07-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This video may contain material that some may find annoying. It may not be suitable for couples without children to watch this video. Headaches or any other side affects from watching this video are not the responsibility of this poster. - No babies were harmed in the making of this film.

Directors Comments: The beautiful angles Jeff chose to shoot this video in were entirely intentional. He wanted to capture the chaos of babysitting five children. Melissa tried to edit the video but ultimitly decided to not take away from Jeff's vision.

Rick & Kelly + One

2008-07-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Rick and Kelly Willamson had their baby yesterday. We are so excited for the two of them! I talked with Kelly throughout the day and she was amazingly calm. Here are some of the pictures they e-mail us.

Kelly- already back to work

Proud Dad!

Owen Scott Williamson
Born at 4:39 pm July 10th 2008
Weighs 8 lbs 1 oz
20 inches long