Reflection?...Nah, Looking Ahead

Most people would agree that New Year's Eve is a day to reflect on the past year. Whether the year has held times that were good or bad, joyous or sad, failures and disappointments. This is done in preparation of setting resolutions for the new year. Resolutions encompass stop smoking and losing weight to everything in between.

Well, I have decided that I will not reflect on 2007. The major positive was that I completed my undergraduate work but most of the year was filled with disappointments and frustrations.

2008 promises to be a very exciting year for me. NyCee will turn 2 years old, her little brother is due in April and I will complete my graduate studies in September. Also, 2008 is a year of change; in that, the completion of my graduate work will open doors for employment opportunities that were once closed due to the lack of a college education. I will be moving to a new city that offers not only a career for me but an environment for my children to grow and develop.

I woke up yesterday morning so excited as if it were Christmas day all over again. I was excited because I can clearly see that I have a bright future. 2007 held several dark days and tear filled nights. But the key concept for me was to learn why Jesus prayed, "Give us THIS DAY our daily bread" (Matthew 6:8-13 is the entire Lord's prayer.) He prayed that way because we can only deal with one issue at a time. When I stopped looking at what I had lost and focused on what I have, my entire outlook on my life changed.

As of today, my circumstances have not changed but my view of them has; which helps me to overcome them and not let the circumstances overcome me. I encourage you to put into practice the words of the Apostle Paul, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, FORGETTING those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead," Phil 3:13

Set your sights on what lies ahead instead of focusing on things that occured. May God bless you in this new year with prosperity, health and all the desires of your heart.

After Christmas Angel

How cute is she, huh? She is wearing a dress that she received as a Christmas present along with her gold hoop earrings.

And when I said, "Smile," she responded with, "Cheese." She was the bell of the Baby Zone at church this morning.

These are the moments we treasure.

Artwork

I bought NyCee a floatable puzzle for the bathtub. The purpose of the puzzle was to improve her hand/eye coordination plus aid in teaching number recognition. She is supposed to practice putting the puzzle together in numerical order.

However when I walked into the bathroom, I discovered that she had another purpose for the pieces. Somehow she figured out that while wet, the pieces will adhere to the bathroom tiles.



I am still trying to figure out how she got them so far up the wall. She is tall for her age but not that tall.

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!

I received a call today that all the issues surrounding my financial aid package and the transfer credits has finally been resolved. The funding has been released from the lender, my registration has been completed & the voucher needed to purchase books has been processed and faxed to me. And all of this was completed with four days to spare in the year. (My prayer to God was that this would be resolved before the end of the year.)

Now, I will spend the next week resting my brain as I am enrolled in Accounting and Statistics next quarter. (I thought I would take the hard courses while little Tyler is still in the belly.)

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me during this very tumultuous time in my life. GOD IS AWESOME!!!!!!

Christmas Morning 2007

Last night was the first year that I played Santa and oh, was it fun. I had a good time with my parents putting together NyCee's toys. When we were finished, all her toys were lined up in the front so that she would see them as soon as she woke up.

This was her reaction when she saw the toys: how cute, huh?

She really enjoyed unwrapping presents. Notice how she ripped the paper off this one? I think she had pinned up aggression that was being released.

But like all children who wake up on Christmas morning, there is one toy that steals the show. For NyCee, it was her bike. Check her out. She is a stunt double already.

Christmas is such a joyous time of the year. I really enjoyed watching the baby open her gifts and clap her hands every time a gift was opened. Seeing her face today really helped me to understand the magic in playing Santa Claus. This year was easy because NyCee is so young but I believe that although it is a tale passed down through the generations, the joy it brings to children helps to create priceless memories.

As I gathered her toys and placed them out, different Christmas' flashed in my memory. Remember to celebrate CHRIST this CHRISTmas day as you gather with friends and family.

Finger Food

Why I even bother giving my daughter a utensil to eat with is beyond me? It is obvious that she'd rather eat her food, including waffles with syrup, with her fingers.

(I hope the world doesn't think I am raising a barbarian.)

The Pressure Is On

After all the drama, tears and stress, the final grades are posted. Here are the stats:

Name: Dayna Thompson
Degree Program: MBA
GPA: 4.00
Credits Attempted: 13.5
Credits Earned: 13.5
Total Credits Earned: 13.5

That's right-a 4.0 GPA. Earlier this week, I completed the first 3 (each class is worth 4.5 credit hours) of the 12 courses needed for my MBA. Here is the catch-22: once the standard has been set, then the pressure is on to maintain it. In graduate school, you can not receive a grade lower than a B or credit will not be given for the course. So now, I will be required to work/study more intensely to keep my grades up to meet this standard that I have set.

I thank God that He gave me "...the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16b) and I was able to set aside my personal drama and stress to focus on school. Now, a mental rest break until winter quarter begins in January 2008. WAHOO!!!!!!

The Pork Chop Caper

Why my daughter felt the need to grab the pork chop off of my plate...


hold it in her hands and smirk...

all the while ignoring the cut up pieces of pork chop in her bowl?

I will never know.

Can I have anything?

The Result

Well, the winners are:

Cari, Tarisa, and Aunt Nita.

The baby is a boy!!!!!!!



SHHHH! Don't tell my dad as he doesn't want to know.

Surprise!!!!!!!!!

Boonie and Tarisa decided to throw my parents a surprise party for their 50th birthdays. Tarisa took my parents to dinner as a way to get them out of the house. All the guests arrived promptly and well before my parents returned. Tarisa kept me informed of their progress to the house through text messages.

Everyone hid in the kitchen and when we heard the garage door open, we prepared to yell "Surprise!" Well, we were the one's surprised because my father dropped Tarisa and my mother off and pulled away. We yelled surprise to my mother (and she was truly surprised.) Then, we had to persuade my father to return to the house. After many text messages and pleas, he returned to a resounding "Surprise!" Both, were truly surprised at the party that Boonie and Tarisa put together for them.

My mother commented that she was so glad that it was a quaint celebration-just family. Thank you to all the family members who made the drive to Port Huron for the celebration!

Cast your votes

On Monday 12/17, I will be 23 weeks and will have an ultrasound to confirm/reveal the sex of the baby. I had an ultrasound at 16 weeks but that was to confirm how far long in the pregnancy I was. The technician advised that the sex can not be confirmed until at least 23 or 25 weeks when the fetus is larger. (So does the sex change during that 9 week waiting period?) Anyhoo, moving right along....

Tarisa says, the baby is a boy.
Mom says, the baby is a girl.
Father doesn't want to know.
I am indifferent.

So in the spirit of humor, I thought I would let the public vote on the sex of the baby using the old wives' tale method-carrying high, low, etc.

(Warning, these pictures are quite unattractive and may hurt your eyes. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Right view:

Left view:

Front view:

The sex of the baby will be revealed on Monday's episode of "Wiferhood."

I have decided on names:
Girl: Brooke Elizabeth
Boy: Tyler Frederick

Let the voting begin.

Restored

I received an email this morning that I was placed back into my statistics class. This was before I made any phone calls or sent any additional emails regarding this matter. (I have saved the email as confirmation.)

God is an awesome God.

Now, I just have to exercise a little more patience and I am confident that the matter regarding my transfer credits, which is holding up my financial aid award, will be resolved before the end of the month.

"For with God nothing will be impossible." Luke 1:38

50! Wahoo!

Today was my dad's 50th birthday. Again, we had a small celebration with just his children and grandchildren at the house. Of course, I had to take several pictures of my dad with the cake to ensure the picture was just right before posting.

I am very proud of my dad for working hard for so many years to provide for his family and selflessly putting aside his dreams. My father now holds a Master's of Education, is the assistant principal at a high school and has returned to school to pursue his degree in theology.

Happy Birthday Daddy! And may God bless you with many, many more.

Comedy, sheer comedy

I seriously think that I am being Punk'd. Punk'd is an updated version of the old television show Candid Camera.

So, I've told you about how God opened a door for me to be enrolled in the statistics class that I need for the winter quarter. Well, I learned today that I have been dis-enrolled from the class and put into a business class. I need both but I don't know who dis-enrolled me from the coveted stats class. Of course, I don't have a print out confirming that I was enrolled in the class because I was waiting from the print out from the school. Every quarter I receive a notice advising me of the courses in which I am enrolled. Of course, I don't have that this time. (There is a huge lesson learned in that.)

Moving on...

Then I received an email from my school's financial aid department which stated in part, "We have attempted to reach you several times via phone regarding your financial aid with Strayer University Morrow." Well, we know that is not true because I have been trying to reach the contact person there to no avail.

I am at the point where I have to laugh. Between the drama in my personal life and school life, I could really end up on an episode of Snapped if I let this stuff get to me. But 2 Cor 2:11b reads, "...for we are not ignorant of his (satan's) devices." You have to see and appreciate the comedy in all of this.I know that God has something wonderful in store for me and my children so I laugh in anticipation of the blessing.

You may not be going through anything today. But keep this in mind the next time the enemy tries to attack your life: "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. STAND THEREFORE..." Ephesians 6:13-14a.

Last week, this would have set me off. Today, not so much. It's funny to me because I know that God is not only going to answer my prayers but go exceedingly and abundantly above all that I could have even asked for. Ephesians 3:20.

'Twas a night of tree triming

As a little girl, we always had real Christmas trees. As part of our family tradition, we decorated for Christmas the weekend preceding my father's, sister's and oldest nephew's birthday. This year was no exception. Well, there was one exception. The tree is out of a box! AGH!!!!!

Every one in the family remembers the constantly growing Christmas tree. One year, we had a tree that grew and grew and grew. It eventually covered the entire front window (actually it was four windows). The tree was so large that it had to be cut into several pieces in order to be removed after the festivities ended.

Then there was the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. One particular year, my father decided to purchase a different type of tree and literally half the needles fell off the tree before Christmas. Every time someone walked passed the tree, needles would fall to the floor. We vacuumed pine needles well into June.

Although the tree came out of a box, I am pleasantly surprised. It turned out really nice and doesn't look like a "fake" Christmas tree at all.

I was even kind enough to let NyCee stay up past her bedtime (way past her bedtime-2 hours past her bed time to be exact) but she had so much fun helping to decorate the tree.

Oh so good!

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine, who lives in a suburb of Chicago, about a few of my favorite foods that I remember from living there.

1. A Chicago style hotdog . Who knew that a hotdog could taste so good? And they are made from 100% beef. Bonus!

2. Giordano's deep dish pizza. This is an awesome slice of pizza pie. Yummy!

3. But the thing that I missed the most was walking down Michigan Ave with a bag of Garrett's Popcorn. This is the best popcorn Ever! It is a wonderful blend of caramel and cheese popcorns mixed together and nearly melts in your mouth. How sinfully awesome!

Yesterday, she surprised me by having a can of Garrett's Popcorn delivered to me as a Christmas gift. How sweet, huh?

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. I consumed 1/2 the tub yesterday while watching Grey's Anatomy and ER.


I was doing so well this month as I had not gained any weight. Well, that is going to go right out the window because I will eat this entire container and dare anyone, including my 20 month old daughter, to come near it. That could be very dangerous for them as I cannot responsible for my actions.

So after several days of endless phone calls to various entities and explaining the same situation over and over and over again, I have uncovered the mystery concerning my education.

When I enrolled at my current university, I transferred in 81 credit hours which were to be applied toward my undergraduate work. In theory, they were. However, the computer system is reflecting that 64 of the credit hours were applied toward a graduate degree. Well, if the school wants to issue a MBA based on that information, fine with me. But in reality that is a clerical mix up.

After crying and praying and exercising serious faith, I was put in contact with an individual who could provide the reason behind the hold up in my funding. I faxed in the documentation from the school verifying the placement of those credits and will be able to continue my education on schedule.

I love that so many people are concerned about me because I am an overachiever and tend to push my limits. But I know that it will be a lot easier for me to push myself regarding school while the newest Thompson addition is still in my belly, than to have two children, working full-time, and trying to complete my education.

Thank you for your emails, concerns, phone calls and prayers. This time in my life is very tumultuous (and being pregnant doesn't help my emotional state-HA!) but it makes the Bible very real. The people in the Bible are no longer characters in a story--but real life flesh and blood individuals who put their faith and trust in a God who is more than enough. This time in my life reminds me of Abraham who was promised a son when he and his wife were well pass the age of conception.

Romans 4:18-20 reads "who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken...and not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body...he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."

I know that there will be days when I cry and want to scream because life is not always full of bubble gum drops and ice cream cones. But I have comfort in knowing that Jesus loves me and will not leave me. Again, thank you everyone for the prayers and concerns.

NyCee, The Silly Little Christmas Reindeer

Are words even necessary? She is such a Silly McWilly but is the joy of my life.

Heavy Artillery

Tonight, we experienced the first real snow storm of the season. The weather forecasters are stating that winter storm advisories will be in effect tomorrow.

It snowed briefly a few days ago and the snowflakes were huge. Tonight, the snow is sticking to the ground and covering the cars. NyCee was so excited to walk in it and touch it as she has never seen snow before. I, on the other hand, knew that sticking snow and winter weather advisories meant one thing:



It was time to release the heavy artillery--feet in pj's to combat the cold!

A Day from Hell

Have you ever had a day when the world seems like its on your shoulders and your life seems like it's upside down? Today was that day for me. Since around 1100a I have received nothing but bad news. Over and over and over again.

I was alright with most of the news received. It was hurtful and devastating but not as much as learning that I may not be able to continue graduate school due to a lack of available funding. That was the biggest blow of all.

Over the past few months, I have lost all my material possessions. I have been embarrassed, humiliated, demeaned, and degraded. But nothing hurt more than learning that I may not be able to continue my educational pursuits which was my silver lining in a sky of dark clouds. That was the final blow to my TKO.

I have cussed, cried, and now I am calm. I don't know what I am going to do. But my spirit reminded me of the words of the Apostle Paul, "Yet, in all these things [I] am more than a conqueror in Him [Jesus Christ] who loved me." Romans 8:37.

Dress-up

Having a little girl is so much fun. I just love all the little outfits that NyCee has that just make her look so incredibly cute. But today just really topped it off. I bought her a pair of boots about a month ago simply because they were cute. These are not her winter time boots but just boots for fun.


How incredibly cute are these, huh? Don't you just love the little tassles?

50! Hooray!

Today my mother celebrated her 50th birthday. For most people, this would be a grand gala. Not for Sylvia. She didn't want balloons and fanfare. She simply wanted a nice dinner with her family.

After dinner, roast in gravy, mashed potatoes, greens, and cornbread, we enjoyed red velvet cake. Of course, no one remembered to get the 5 & 0 candles, so we improvised and used 5 small candles. Each represented 10 years.

My mother stated that she spent the day reflecting over her life and "she knows that she is blessed because a lot of people she didn't make it this far. She is 1/2 a century old."

50 wonderful years down; 50 more wonderful years to come. Happy Birthday Mommy!

"Mom, I can do it by myself."

"In the morning, I am learning to brush my own teeth."

"I can put lotion on my legs."
"Also, I know that my diaper has to go in the trash can."
"But I didn't know where to put these clothes. So last night before my bath, I just threw them in this round bucket like you do."

My guess is that she thought the bathroom trash can was the laundry basket. I spotted the clothes in there while I was preparing to take my shower. Thank goodness or I would have been looking everywhere for her bedroom shoes.

Dayna's Vagina Monologue

This morning, I had a doctor's appointment to check on the baby four weeks after the ultrasound. The baby's heartbeat is strong and stable.

But that is not what intrigued me about the visit. As I sat in the waiting room, holding my urine in a cup inside of a plastic bag on my lap, my mind began to wonder what in the world my cousin Max does at work all day long. He is on OB/GYN in Minnesota.

Women no longer had faces but were old vaginas, young vaginas, fat vaginas, skinny vaginas, clean vaginas, stinky vaginas, white vaginas, and my lonely black vagina. I was the only black person in the entire building. But that was not my original focal point. I began to wonder was everyone's vagina broken or sick in some way? Let's face it, that is the only time you go to the gynecologist. I know that somewhere in the world someone is having a baby everyday but not in this office I presume. What would make anyone want to fix vagina's all day?

I guess the same could be asked of the heart surgeon, eye doctor or brain surgeon. But honestly, I just don't know if I could stand to wake up in the morning knowing that I was going to have a day filled with vagina looking. Weird.

The other weird thing was that I was carrying my urine around in a container that I placed inside of a plastic bag. It was not an inconspicuous container so that no one would know what it was. Nope, that would have been too easy. It was a clear container filled with urine that sat on my lap in the waiting room.

So now, not only am I self-conscious about the urine on my lap and wondering if every vagina in the room is wondering why I am carrying it around-I am consciously aware that I am the only black person in the building. Not just in the waiting room. In the entire building. Then I begin to wonder why I was the only person with urine on her lap and why I was the only black person in the entire office? There are black people in Port Huron. Am I the only pregnant black woman in Port Huron? Or are there no sick or broken black vaginas in Port Huron? And, was I made to bring my own urine in a cup because I am the only black pregnant person in Port Huron? Strange.

After all of that, I was called to the back to see the doctor who is a white man but very nice. He was a bit late for my appointment as he had to go across the street to the hospital and deliver a baby. So I guess in between healing sick and repairing broken vaginas, OB/GYN's take a break to assist in the miracle of birth.

But after thinking about all of that, I realized that I really need to get out of the house and join the workforce again to keep my mind from wondering toward such ridiculous thoughts. I did ask why I had to carrying my urine around in a cup and was told that for pregnant women, the test conducted on the urine sample provides the best results from a sample taken first thing in the morning. Okay, that makes sense. Next, I just have to figure out how to tactfully ask about repairing vagina's all day and if I am the only pregnant black woman in Port Huron.

Thanksgiving dinner, over and over and over again.

All day, I have had the pleasure of re-living Thanksgiving day dinner. Every two hours, NyCee walked up to me, patting her bottom saying, "poo-boo." (Her combination of boo-boo and poopie,) Sure enough, when I opened her diaper, there was Thanksgiving Dinner.

I am guessing it was good but a little too rich for her stomach to handle.

I just hope that I will not have to re-live the leftovers tomorrow.

After Thankgiving Day Dinner

Well, I guess this is evidence that everything prepared for dinner was very good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Worn Out

I don't know what the heck goes on at the learning center every day but all I have to say is:

"KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!"

NyCee has been going to the learning center for nearly a month and bedtime is no longer a battle. Prior to going to the center, she wouldn't fall asleep until 9:15 or 9:30p after whinning and crying for an hour. That was cutting into my "Mommy Silence Time."

Now, she gets a bath at 7:15p and I let her play in the tub for about 10 or 15 minutes, pj's on, story & bible verses are read, good night hugs and kisses are given, and by 8:15:



The center is closed for two weeks over the Christmas break. Whatever I am going to do to wear her out for two whole weeks?

Bedtime Chat

So tonight, I decided that I had to talk to NyCee about the baby. I sat her down and gently explained that she will be a big sister which means that she will have to be more responsible and a "big girl." We also discussed the fact that when the new baby arrives she will have to share mommy's time but it doesn't mean that I don't love her--she just has to share me like she does her toys.

After all that talking, she just sat there and looked at me.



From the expression on her face, she does not give a flying rabbit's rip about me, the new baby or anything else but her Thomas the train book that she was enjoying before I rudely interrupted with my "chat".

NOT a good idea...

It is not a good idea to try and sleep on your stomach at nearly 5 months pregnant to avoid smashing your hair against the pillow resulting in flat spots after having just had it done.

I did NOT get a good night's sleep.

But more importantly, I did NOT mess up my hair.

The simple things.....

This morning, I read my cousin's blog, Undomestic, and she wrote a beautiful, heartwarming entry about enjoying the simple things in life and being grateful for the things we have.

Well, as you know, I am in graduate school and I take courses on line. I had to take a statistics course in the spring last year and it nearly wore me out. I ended up with a "B" so I was happy. I tried this quarter and next to enroll in the other statistics class that I need for my graduate program taught by this specific professor. (Students have raved about his teaching abilities and how he is an awesome teacher.) Both times, I was seemingly unsuccessful in trying to secure a spot in his class. There are 17 sections of this statistics class and his two sections were closed.

Well today, the retention manager from my school called and stated that she had good news. A spot opened in the stats class that I need and she was able to enroll me. WAHOO!!!!! That may not seem like a lot but it is the simple things that make you smile. I wanted to get that class out of the way before the baby is born because I know that it will take a lot of concentration. (I am living in the house with a math wiz but she is trying to complete her Master's program also so she will not be readily available to help me.)

That little bit of good news put a bounce in my step, a smile on my face, and the remembrance in my heart that God truly cares about the simple things in our lives.

All Gone

For the past several months, I have been under a tremendous amount of stress. I have heard of people being "stressed out" but never really understood its effects. Stress can have horrible side effects on the body. In my case, I noticed that my hair was shedding like a cheap fur. In the beginning, it was just a few strains. Then, it began coming out in comb fulls. So, I decided that I had to cut it to salvage any remaining healthy hair and let it grow out from that point. (Actually my sister decided for me.)

When I first came home in August, my sister cut just the parts that were broken off. Well, last week, the breakage was very evident and could not be hidden anymore. So, here is the before shot:



And the after shots:




I am very pleased with the cut. It is easy to manage and my sister decided against cutting it all off. She saved what was healthy and cut only what was necessary.

When I was pregnant with NyCee, my hair was full of body, was bouncy, and healthy. I am taking pre-natal vitamins again so I anticipate that it will grow back rather quickly. It was hard when she made the first cut (hence why my eyes are closed) but in the end, I think she did a FABO job!

No guilt..it was good for me

While sitting in front of the computer working on an assignment, I managed to consume a 4.60oz box of Skittles. (You know the jumbo box.)

Initially, I felt guilty.

Then, I read the nutrition facts on the box and learned that there is 35% Vitamin C in the box of Skittles that I consumed.

Guilt? What guilt?

23 years later...But it was well worth the wait!

Finally! After a 23 year courtship, my Aunt Rosalyn Marie and her beau Leslie Jermone tied the knot on Saturday, November 10, 2007. They looked so adorable and everyone had a good time celebrating with them.

My aunt was NOT the typical bride: she catered the event herself (because she is a caterer and stated that she will not run out of food), well she DID NOT run out of food. My cousin, her daughter, was the head chef. I, and all of my belly and 19 month old toddler, did the best we could in the kitchen to help Phebe get the food organized and out for serving.

Everyone lended some sort of helping hand to be sure that the occasion when went. My aunt has been a part of every occasion, in every one's life, in my family. This day belonged to her and was well deserved.

Congrats to the happy couple.

Let the festivities begin....

Tonight, was my aunt's bridal shower. Although she protested and cited that she didn't want a shower, she seemed to have had a really good time.

As she began to open her gifts, there was one that she wouldn't let us see...(I wonder what that was.)

There was a gift titled, "Roses for Rosalyn." It was beautiful silk bathrobe set...

Bath scents to accent that silk robe...

My aunt's all time favorite---cold hard cash....

And an another silk bath robe set, just to name a few items.

My aunt Roz has been apart of every special occasion in every one's life in my family. I am so happy that it is finally her turn to be the bride and enjoy the spotlight. It is well deserved.

Countdown to the wedding..just a little over 48 hours.

Pregnancy Misery

Being sick--icky.

Being sick and pregnant--yucky.

Being sick, pregnant, & caring for an active toddler--miserable.

Being sick, pregnant, caring for an active toddler, and in graduate school---I don't even have a word to describe how I feel.

Just worn out.

Pregnancy Perks

Hot apple pie.
Swedish fish.
Cold pizza.

At bed time.

Zero guilt.

The baby was hungry.

Strike a pose

I forgot that I had this picture in the camera when I posted the blog showing off her Halloween costume.

How sassy is she with her hand on her hip or should I say imaginary hip?

Proof

I guess it's true what is said about every pregnancy being different. When I was pregnant with NyCee, I found out because I went to the doctor about a week before my monthly cycle should have commenced but immediately my body began changing. I had to wear maternity clothes at 7 weeks! (I was a lot smaller then.)

Everyone keeps asking how could I have not known that I was prego with this baby because my monthly cycle would have stopped. Well, not in this case. I was on a birth control pill which caused the cycle to be extremely light. Mine was lighter than normal anyway so the pill made it almost non-existent. My breast were not tender neither did my belly poked out of from under my clothes. In fact, until about a week ago, I was still wearing regular clothes.

Well, there is no more denying it. Whether I feel my body changing or not, a little Thompson is growing inside there. And here is the proof:



I guess I can no longer be in denial citing that the original doctor lied to me because I don't "feel" prego. Well, whether I "feel" prego or not--I am in fact prego. According to the ultrasound taken on Tuesday, I am now 16 weeks and 5 days prego. (Isn't it amazing how technology has evolved? I wonder how they can figure out the exact date. I will have to ask my cousin Max who is an OB/GYN. Hopefully, he can explain it to me in layman's terms and not medical terminology.)

Everyone keeps asking about the sex. Well, I can't find out until about 25 weeks into the pregnancy. But the images that I received of the baby are very clear. (NyCee's pictures are smaller and you can not see any details.) The machine used at the hospital gave excellent, very clear images. I saw the face, the toes, fingers, nose, etc.

Ready or not, my little Thompson is arriving in April--some time around the 15th. I told the doctor that I am free to have the baby any day except for a Thursday because I have to watch Grey's Anatomy and ER. I hope my little one is listening!

"I taught I taw a NyCee tat."

This was the first year that NyCee had a costume for Halloween. Her Ti-Ti Boonie bought it for her and isn't she just adorable?

She went over to see her cousins and her aunt put on the nose and whiskers.

Yet, trying to get a full body picture was impossible as she would not cooperate. So I just said forget it and stopped trying.

She has a ridiculous amount of candy that I will never allow her to eat. The learning center had a party for the kids this afternoon and she was so hyper so did not go to sleep until 11:30p.m. So if she thinks she is getting anymore candy for the rest of her toddler years, she has another thought coming.

Abonimable Snow NyCee

In preparation for dropping NyCee off at the learning center this morning, I decided that she needed to don her winter gear as it was extremely cold. It was only 30 degrees around 730a.

The first time that she wore the coat was to church on Sunday morning. She was having a hard time walking so I began to wonder if she was too top heavy. This coat was so adorably cute so I could not resist buying it for her. But I think once I add the snow pants and boots, she will look like the abominable snow baby.

How darn cute is she, huh?

Yumm-a-licious

"Wow that waffle was good! Now if I could just lick all the syrup off of my plate, I will be nice and full."