Who says SAHM's watch soap operas all day?

Not much soap opera watching for me. However, I do watch Barefoot Contessa while I'm feeding Evan.

Today I: 

• Cleaned the toilets.
  
• Baked a two layer rainbow sprinkle cake with orange flavored frosting dusted with orange zest.
  
• Tended to the constant demands of a teething 4 month old.
  
• Cleaned up after Trevor's mess with the Bath & Body Works Wallflower. 1
  
• Did the dishes twice
• Changed the nastiest of all diapers in the history of babies. 2

1 Long Story. Let's just say he was curious of how it worked and decided to investigate, which lead to potpourri being smeared all over our walls.

2 He had what looked like camouflage colored mud smeared up his back. It took 12 wipes to clean it up.

It's Official...

I'm Mrs. Joe Christopher!

I married my best friend yesterday. The ceremony was short but sweet. Everyone came, mom & dad, Jen & Brian, Trevor, Evan and all the boys. Kira came and took the pictures, (which I can't wait to see!)

The after party was great. I got to drink champagne and eat salmon and tell everyone how much I love them.

I feel married. I even feel like I look married. I like it.

Joe's Dopplegänger

Evan's cry is different than Trevor's. Trevor had a sweet little cry. "Mmmm-wah. Mmmm-wah." He sounded like a kitty. Evan has a piggy snort and a loud scream-like cry. It's like, "Eh, Eh, WAAAAAA!!! Snort! Snort! WAAAA!"

It's difficult in the middle of the night to have a baby screaming at you, as any parent would agree. I'm looking forward to the next stage of Evan's life, the discovery stage. I'm a little afraid of what he'll sound like when he's teething though.

<-- Isn't he cute? I think he's Joe's dopplegänger. Evan doesn't look like me much at all, (other than the fact that he's Caucasian.) Luckily, he looks like Joe or I'd think there was a mix up at the hospital. It's OK though, that's my baby and I love him. And besides, I already have one mini-me, Trevor.

Things I Look Forward To

I have so many things I want to do once this baby is born. Last night, in my sleep, I woke up in pain every time I needed to roll over to the other side. I want my body back. I want my normal life back.
This is a list of things I'm looking forward to after Evan's birth:

• Losing weight. I like to be around 115 pounds. I think I look good when my ribs are well defined and my cheek bones are pronounced.

• Being able to eat or drink what ever I want. If I want coffee, I get coffee. If I want wine, I get wine.

• Going for walks with Evan and Trevor. Maybe getting a dog and taking him with us.
  

• Getting my teeth fixed. I'm getting myself used to the idea I'm going to look funny for a little while, but once they're fixed, I'll be so happy.

• Getting a job and making some friends.

• Last but not least, Sex. Gonna have lots of sex :)
  

Halloween Photos

Trevor & Joe

Last night, Joe's mom called to tell us a story about something Trevor said. Trevor went to a birthday party last night and Joe's foster sister, Sheila drove him. Someone at the party asked Trevor if Sheila was his mom, to which Sheila said, "No, I'm his Aunt."

Trevor said, "I didn't know you were my Aunt."

Sheila said, "Well, Joe's my Brother and he's going to be your Step Dad, so that makes me your Aunt."

Trevor told, "Well soon, he's going to be my real Dad."

That story makes me so happy I could cry. Maybe it's the emotional side of pregnancy, but knowing that my family unit is real and it's all coming together for us, well... it make me want to cry.

I'm so happy Joe and Trevor get along. Trevor really does need a "dad". I actually told myself that he didn't need one simply because I just couldn't provide one for him. I decided it was better for him to not have a dad than have some jerk in his life that would constantly let him down.

But I've seen a real change in Trevor since Joe has come along. Trevor's drastically more confident and seems to have a lot more fun just being a boy.

I'm not sure if I've ever told Joe in words, but I really appreciate him for being good to my son.

Thank You, Joe. I love you.

Trevor & I Made a Deal

Trevor and I made a deal.

I told him I'd rather reward him for good behavior than punish him for bad behavior.

So we made a written contract that says...

For every subject - Reading, Writing, Math, Science, History, P.E. Etc.
The reward system is as follows:
*Every O = $5.00
*Every S = $1.00
*Every U = -$10.00

If he can make a perfect report card, He will receive $50.00.

I told him he can do whatever he wants with the money he earns. He said he'd like to save it for a Nintendo DS. (Which is what I was planning to buy him for Christmas anyway) He said he's been really good in class too. He said his card has never gone to yellow, (which means he's on warning for a timeout.) I'm excited to see what he can do.

I know I always work harder when there's a prize involved. It's even how I quit smoking.

Speaking of prizes... There is no Pumpkin carving contest at Trevor's School. They encourage you to bring a pumpkin, but there will not be a winner, and everyone gets a ribbon. I asked Trevor if he knew about this, he said no. I asked him if he still wants to go through all the trouble of carving another pumpkin if there is no 'winner'. Luckily for me he said no.

I do not like the way the schools are eliminating competitions. We had contests in school, and we all turned out OK. When did some screwball hippie decide it's bad for kids to lose? It's great for them to lose. It teaches them how to be a gracious loser and it also teaches kids that if they work hard, they can achieve. I would never enter my son into one of these "everyone who participates, wins" contests. It would teach him that he doesn't have to try hard, all he has to do is show up and get a ribbon. Life doesn't work like that.

We all know who would have won that Pumpkin contest anyway ;)



Elementary school grades are different than other grades if you don't know:
* O is the equivalent of an A+
* S is the equivalent of a B
* U is the equivalent of an F

My Tooth

I would have been emo all day if it wasn't for my wonderful family. :)
I had some bad news related to my teeth today,
I don't really want to get into it right now lest I become emotional again.

Trevor picked my spirits up immensely. I watched him do his last Karate lesson of the year. He was actually pretty good. I'm so glad I got to see it.

Joe was super duper sweet and let me use the comfortable car to drive to Placerville in. He said, "Don't get used to it." I know he was playing.

My Mother-In-Law was also great when she got me in this morning to see the dentist on short notice. My Abscess hurts a little, but not as much as it would if I had to wait another 11 days for my first appointment.

I have such a great family. I love them all. :)

8 Things About Trevor

Trevor has so many little quirks that make his personality great.

He has developed into a very unique little boy.

Even if he wasn't my kid, I'd still hang out with him... that's how cool he is.

Yes, I'm proud to be his mom.

Some of the things I've learned about Trevor:

1: When playing or designing new games, he makes up new rules in the middle of the game; or sometimes completely changes the rules all together.

2: He has a very sophisticated palate. He is known to enjoy most seafood varieties. His favorite being shrimp, he also likes king crab and salmon but not lobster. He brags about eating roast duck and is never afraid to try new foods.

3: He likes to relax with a warm latte. He even slurps it correctly as not to burn his tongue. His favorites are chai and vanilla. Don't worry, I give him decaf.

My favorite moment at Starbucks was when he sipped his chai and said, "Ah! There's nothing better than a hot drink on a cold day!"

4: He's very aware of other peoples feelings and is sensitive himself. He is also nice to animals and said he wishes he wouldn't eat them.

5: He wants to be a video game designer when he grows up. He already has an idea for one game; Spongbob Square Pants - rated M for Mature. Joe and I told him adults might not want to play Spongbob video games. He said they would if there was more blood.

I'd say that's a good point.

6: He doesn't like to wake up early on his days off. He considers the weekends to be his days off and expects us to let him sleep as late as he wants.

7: Trevor is the only little boy I've ever known who at 6, is planning for a family. He says things about the kind of wife he's looking for and says he's saving some of his toys for his kids to play with.

So far he has a small collection of hot wheels and video games for his sons.

8: He is somewhat of a philosopher. When playing golf with Joe in the yard, Joe's ball was set back quite farther than where Trevor placed his ball. When Joe Complained Trevor said, "well, you start where you start."

We've applied this philosophy to our own lives and shared it with the other children.

Pumpkin Pictures

Here's some of my various Halloween pictures

Pumpkin gathering in apple Hill: This was great because we got to cut the pumpkins off the vine!

Pumpkin Carving With Trevor: We had a lot of fun. I think he has a knack for design.

Trevor Is Spiderman

We went to the pumpkin patch.
It was amazing!
We picked our pumpkins right off the vine.
Trevor got his costume.

Birthday Season & Trevor's Award

Jeri: "Do you want a bite of my salad? It's really good."
Joe: "No thanks. I'm a meatitarian."
Jeri: "What?"
Joe: "A meatitarian. You know? Bacon, Beef ...I have to stay committed. It's a personal thing."


It's Birthday Season!

Joe's birthday is October 8. He'll be 28. He's so hard to shop for because he says he doesn't want anything. I refuse to get him nothing. He hasn't liked any of the gifts I've gotten him thus far, so I've decided to him take out to dinner, where I will treat him to a steak. We'll be going to Cattleman's. It's for meatitarians, like Joe.

Kira turns 22 on October 18th. I bought her birthday present yesterday. I like it so much, I think I'm going to get one for myself. We're walking to raise awareness for AIDS on Kira's birthday. I get to make AIDS jokes, so I'll be happy,

Lance turns a year older on November 20th. I figured out what I'm going to send Lance for his birthday. I can't say what it is in case he reads my blog, but promise you this... it's freakin' awesome! He, like Joe said not to get him anything. I never listen to him anyway.

Trevor Got An Award!

I spoke with T-Dog last night and he told me that his teacher and principle gave him an award yesterday. He was awarded for good behavior and citizenship. I'm so proud!

He's such a good kid. He even does his homework without having to hassle him. As a reward, I'm going to get him the Star Wars movie. He said he wants to be a Star Wars character for Halloween. Me, I've never seen Star Wars, never cared to. I'm going to be watching it with him, who knows, maybe I'll like it.

Joe told me that there might be special treatment going on down at the school. He either got that award because they found out Trevor's a Christopher kid or because mom's got mob ties in the local school district. I'm telling your mom you said that, Joe. :p

Pregnancy Pain Update

The pain I'm experiencing is either gas, which I suspected, or round ligament pain. Joe recommends that I eat more fiber. He thinks it's constipation gas and says I don't go enough. Pregnancy is gross. I've had pretty diabolical gas for the last couple of days. Thankfully, Joe doesn't seem to mind the smell. He actually seems to enjoy it, which is weird.

Evan's measuring bigger than 30 weeks so I get another ultrasound. His head is snugly nestled under my left set of ribs so I'm going to have Joe try to turn him into the proper position. It's very disturbing to feel the baby kick low into your body. Very unnatural.

Something occurred to me this morning. What happens to Trevor if I die in surgery? I need to make a legal document saying I do not want him with my mother. I'd like it best if Joe and Lance collaboratively raise Trevor. Joe will eventually get remarried, then Trevor will have a mother. But until then, I think Paula and John have a more structured environment for Trevor than anyone in my family, (besides Scott) and I think it would be best if Trevor lives with his brother. I should discuss this with them before it's too late, 63 days until Evan's here. :)

Fishing & Picnicing Pictures

This is when Trevor, Joe and I went to Apple hill.
I've never seen Trevor as happy as when he caught that fish!

Fishing At Apple Hill

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak.
Jay Leno



Trevor, Joe and I went to Apple Hill on Sunday. I took the picnic basket with carrot muffins and sparkling blueberry juice and we went fishing.

All the boys from the lake crowd around Trevor and Joe, probably because Joe is the coolest big kid at the pond. Trevor catches his first fish and a look of pure happiness shines across his face. The fish gets away once it gets in Joe's hands and goes back in the water. Joe forgot how slippery they are.

Within minutes of trying for a second time, Trevor gets another fish, a rainbow trout I believe. I'll post the pictures of him fishing next weekend. I can't even describe how wonderful it was. He was so happy to take that fish up and watch it get cleaned. He brought it home for the family to have some for dinner that night.

The funniest part of the experience was when Trevor and Joe caught the second fish, an "adult" came up and helped them secure the fish. Second funniest part, Joe got fish-slime all on his pants and smelled like the pond for the rest of the day.

As Long As We Don't Buy Him A Leotard...

♫I decided that you are the him for me!
Oh boy!♫
Song by Solange



I love milestones. Today is the 300th day of our relationship. This morning I woke up and said to myself, "I love it when Joe puts my coffee cups on the bottom shelf! I love him so much!" That man makes me so happy.

We're going up to Placerville tomorrow, I'm looking forward to that. Trevor's going to show me some of his Karate moves. The school canceled Art so he's going to do gymnastics anyway. I think as long as we don't buy him a leotard, it's safe. Who knows, maybe he'll be the next Kerri Strug?

I think I'll go to Trader Joe's today and buy some of that sparkling pear juice. It's in a wine shaped bottle so it'll fit in my picnic basket. A Saturday picnic sounds like fun and I know Trevor likes to do fancy little things like that. I'll bring some sandwiches and fruit. We can all just kick back on a blanket and catch up on the week. That will be nice.

The house thing is moving along quite well. We have an expected move in date of November 30th. That means we might be staying with the parents for a little while. I'd like to bring Evan home and have a comfortable place for us, especially because I'm going to breastfeed. It's not that Joe's mom and dad's isn't comfortable, but it's hectic with so many boys running around, (and I'm very modest about them not seeing my breasts.)

I'm supposed to get a glucose screen by next week but you can't eat anything sweet for 12 hours before the test. I haven't been able to do it, all of my cereals are sugary. I guess Monday, I could boil some eggs. I would be very surprised to find out that I have gestational diabetes. It's the only disorder I'm not paranoid about getting.

I downloaded some new music yesterday. Beyonce's little sister, Solange, has a new album out. It's good, she sounds like a modern Diana Ross. I like it, it makes me want to dance. Ooh, speaking of dance, wouldn't it be cute if Trevor learned how to dance? I think I'll look to see if Placerville has any kids dancing lessons. As long as we don't buy him a leotard, It's not gay.

My Most Favorite Picture Ever

Heavy Babies & Sugar Plum Fairies

♫ "When I wake in the morning love..
And the sunlight hurts my eyes..
And something without warning love..
Bears heavy on my mind.."


This baby's starting to weigh me down. I read he weighs over 2 pounds, though it feels like 10.
I go to sleep early, wake up late. Eat a lot. Life is good. (one would think)
I'm tired all the time. I'm tired of being tired. :( Hurry up and finish cooking baby, I'm ready for you. :)

On a cute note, Trevor is going to start Karate next week! I'm so excited for him. He can do Karate or Gymnastics. Joe, (who I trust to make the manly decisions) says gymnastics is girlie. He says, "what if Trevor found out he's really good at gymnastics and starts prancing around the house like a sugar plum fairy?"

What would I do without Joe? Trevor's so lucky to have him, too.

I love how Joe kisses me every morning before work! I remember this morning it startled me, but I was so excited once I woke up enough to see it was my honey.

It's been a long time...

Timbaland : ♫
It's been a long time
I shouldn't a left you
Without a dope beat to step to...


Can you believe it's already September? I can't.

Journal update:

Joe Christopher proposed to me this July; I said yes of course; It's a half Karat Tiffany; We're madly in love.

My Sweetie knocked me up on March 8th of this year; It's a boy; His name is Evan Joseph; I hope he looks exactly like Joe; Evan's due date is December 2 2008.

We are moving to Placerville; It's so beautiful up there; I'm truly the luckiest girl in the world; we picked out a great home.

My little Trevor is in 1st grade; He loves to read; he has an impressive imagination and has learned how to put it to good use where he lives as a mountain child, (which I now affectionately refer to him as.)

I have been ready for a long time to build a future with someone. I have the best family and am finally, genuinely happy.