2006 December archive at Filtering Life

Archive for December, 2006

This is my confession…

Published by Kelly December 29th, 2006 in Kellyisms. 17 Comments

Okay I got tagged with one of those “spill your secrets” posts from Candace.
I had to think long and hard about how vulnerable I was going to be. I know I rarely hold back on my blog which some find endearing and others get a little shocked by. After talking it over with Ryan, I have decided to come clean. You are suppose to tell 5 things about yourself that people don’t generally know.

I will start out with the least embarrassing:

1. I have always wanted to be a singer and dancer. When I was little and all alone I would crawl under my bed with a tape recorder and sing my heart out. My favorite song to belt out was from Annie, “The sun will come out TO-MORROW…..bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, they’ll be sun….” Then I would rewind my masterpiece and give myself my critique. Truth be told….I have a heck of a stage voice and can sing LOUD and on-key! I was only missing confidence to try out. In my next life I have decided I am coming back as a singer, dancer, surfer chic….all the things I wish I had done while I was young.

2. Growing up I had a doll that sat on the center of my bed. I wasn’t allowed to play with her, she was for decoration. I have always had a fascination with babies…love babies! Each night I would take this doll and roll her into a ball and stick her inside my nightgown and pretend to birth her. I am serious! I would grunt and act like I was pushing, because this is what it looked like on TV. (Man was I naive!) This baby was born so many times over the course of my childhood…no wonder the nurse at the hospital told me I was a good pusher, look at all the practice I got.

Okay, now onto my more embarrassing ones.

3. In 6th grade my body started to hit puberty. As so many girls at this time encounter…one boob grew faster than the other. I was really sensitive about this (who wouldn’t be?) I used to take tissue and stuff the one side to make it even. Well one day on the bus ride home my tissue worked it’s way up and was peeking out the top of my shirt, unbeknownst to me. This is the point where Jim Fallon (pronounced “Failon”, I will never forget him, the little jerk) looks over at me and sees this and begins to announce to the whole bus, “Kelly stuffs her bra, Kelly stuffs her bra, Kelly stuffs her bra.” I tried to stand up and say some lame excuse about crying that day and putting the tissue inside my shirt….nobody bought it. I thought my life was over that day.

And drumroll please. This one is so secret that only Ryan knows about it and it will be my #4 and #5.

4./5. Cue “This will be…an everlasting love for MEEEEEE.” I did E-Harmony for 3 months. (GULP) Yup, coming off a horrible 2 year relationship a little email came to me, at work, from E-Harmony to take the 40 question survey. I thought, what the heck, my love life sucks right now, and filled it out. I have to say, I met an awesome guy up in Ohio, he was hilarious. The only problem was I had zero attraction to him. Ironically, at the time I was starting to have feelings for Ryan…so my time with E-Harmony was short lived and my life with Ryan was about to begin. I don’ t know why I am so embarrassed about that. I actually have very good things to say about their “system”. I guess it is that stigma that only lonely losers go to dating services. Maybe that was true of me at the time. Little did I know that the love of my life was under my nose for many years and I was too stupid to see him.

So that is it….my confessions. I have opened myself up to terrible scrutiny from my brothers-in-law…but I can take it. I mean after all….I now sing in public, I have birthed a real baby, my boobs evened out, and I am married…..none of these things hang over my head anymore…I am free, free at last.

Remembering 2006

Published by Kelly December 25th, 2006 in Life in General. 4 Comments

Seeing as the holiday/vacation season is officially here…I want to take a mini-blogging break. That is, of course, if nothing incredibly funny happens to happen. Then I will make sure I post. I decided to take a look back at 2006. In reading through many entries I found myself either amused, happy or grateful at what 2006 brought me and my family. I decided to post my favorite memories for those of you wanting to reminisce.

January:
6th- When the Numbers Seduce You: This was a gross misunderstanding of one of my students. The comments made by my brother-in-law Joe are hilarious
26th- Contentment of a clean desk: This is my admission of my type A personality

February:
7th- You can only make fun of yourself: You will find a fantastic picture of me in the 7th grade and a long list of things I make fun of myself about. The comments are worth the read as many many people call themselves out.
9th-Learning To Be A Portnoy: By far the worst picture of the Portnoy’s from childhood and all I’ve learned since entering this “colorful” family.

March:
21- An inexpressible and glorious joy: This is one of the hardest and most amazing things that happened all year. This is the post where I thought we miscarried and God spared Chloe’s life.

April:
12- Our gummy bear looks like a baby: Ultrasounds, early belly shot and my modesty out the window.

May:
5- Indecent Proposal: One of my students solicits me in the most inappropriate way.

June:
7- Going out with a Bang: I signed up for the talent show at school and had HUGE regrets.
26- Introducing: This was the day we found out Chloe was a girl.

July:
7-Stomach gurgle, tightening colon…oh no…IBS attack: This was my tale of whoa at Panera Bread.

August:
8- 365 Days of sweet goodness: My one year anniversary with Ryan
28-Charlotte tested, mother approved: Great picture of Ryan and Charlotte and the Baby Bjorn
30-When pathetic meets more pathetic: A true story of Walmart, motorized carts and two swollen preggos

September:
5-Oh the Irony: Our lovers weekend gone terribly, terribly wrong
15-Paint Bomb: My clumsy mishap in Home Depot

October:
3- The end and the beginning: My realization that things were going to drastically change between Ryan and I.
12- Like a kid in a candy store: My pathetic playtime in Chloe’s closet making future outfits for her. I love clothes and shoes!

November:
7- The most rewarding day of my life: Chloe’s birth story through my eyes.
25- When poo attacks: Our tragic Thanksgiving and first family shots together.

December…well if you read me regularly..the stories are recent enough.

Those are just some of my favorites. Thank you all who faithfully read about our lives. I love to blog, I love to find the humor in life, and I particularly enjoy making others laugh.
Merry Christmas, see you in the new year!

Token Pictures:

Chloe taking learning very seriously at an early age

Chloe chillin’ with dad on the couch. She looks so old already! Her neck is insanely strong and steady.

“My name is Chloe and I’m here to say…I love Fruity Pebbles in a major way”

Acid Trips, Pickles, and Bears….oh my!

Published by Kelly December 21st, 2006 in Life Changes. 13 Comments

What in the world Kelly? I feel this pressure every time I go to blog to come up with something clever in the title. Self-imposed, I know. You ever just randomly pop on someone’s blog and the title is “About my day”….you are bored before you even start reading. Give me a title that is either bizarre or dramatic and I will take the time to read. That is just me and there is always a reason for each title I put. Let me explain this one.

The Acid Trip:
I was trying to buy some time the other night to get the house picked up and I thought I would put Chloe’s play yard IN her crib so it was softer to lay on. She also has this electronic mobile which I have adorned with several other toys and thing to look at. I had her under the play gym, with the mobile on, a mirror on the side, and classical music playing. Ryan asked me if I was trying to make her have a seizure. I just thought it was a buffet to the senses…a holistic play experience… and you know what….Chloe was hooked on my acid trip for 40 minutes….take that Ryan!

The Pickle:
I was at a Dirty Santa party a few nights ago with my girlfriends. One of the gifts was a pickle ornament. Now before you let your minds get all dirty….this is actually a German tradition. You hide the pickle ornament in the tree on Christmas morning and whoever finds it first gets a special present. Ryan and I have been talking about starting some traditions both fun and serious each year that Chloe (and future children) can get excited about and anticipate. I never really had anything, per se, that we did EVERY year. I am of German decent, so I actual “stole” this gift during Dirty Santa so we could start this tradition. I ask you, my readers, do you have any great ideas for kids that are either fun, food, or serious, that you would recommend? We would love some suggestions.
Here is the pickle, in all it’s glory, on our tree this year.

Lastly, the Bear:
This is just one of those mom things. I was changing Chloe a couple nights ago and while she is on her “happy table” I like to torture her by trying things on her when she is the most tolerant. This is also where I get shocked at how big she is getting so fast. Candace had bought this super cute winter hat for her that was huge when I first got it. I decided to pull it out and try it on her and it pretty much fits her now. Of course, I yell for Ryan to go get the camera because I am smitten with how cute she looks…and we DO need more pictures of her! So here she is modeling what will be her 2006/2007 winter hat. Thanks Candace!

There, title explained.

The reason for the season?

Published by Kelly December 19th, 2006 in Life in General. 11 Comments

This year Ryan and I decided we would not participate in gift giving on either side of the family. This was a purely financial decision as, for some reason, the doctors did not feel they should deliver Chloe pro-bono! Go figure…you actually have to pay them for their services. Things are tight right now to say the least. The thing is, I can’t believe how relaxed and enjoyable the month of December has been. We are going into this weekend with the comfort of enjoying some great meals with our families and spending time with people we love…THAT’S IT! No fighting check out lines, parking a million miles away from the front doors at the mall, people in your face, spending money you don’t have and sweating it out for months afterwards to pay everything off, wrapping gifts, etc…

We were at the mall yesterday and I hardly saw a smiling face…including my own because:

we were at the mall…I hate the mall
Ritz screwed up the printing of our baby announcements TWICE and we left empty handed after 1.5 hours of waiting!
we were at the mall…I hate the mall

This afternoon I found myself rocking my daughter and the song “Silent Night” popped into my head and I started to sing it to Chloe. This song is so “old hat” that I haven’t actually listened to the lyrics and thought about them in years. As the words started to sink in about Christmas being a “holy night” where all is calm and all is bright and the whole nativity scene of Christ’s birth is painted vividly in lyric. I started to get very reverent in my spirit. I finally got Chloe down for a nap and had the choice of throwing a movie in and reading blogs or writing emails…or spending some quiet time with the Lord. I chose the latter and I am so glad I did.

It’s funny, I have never been ashamed of my faith nor unabashed about talking about it. It is who I am, I can not be separated from it. In fact, I lived in Central Asia (Kazakhstan) for 6 months as a short term missionary working with special needs children and teenagers and shared my faith daily. There is something about being in America that has desensitized me over time. As much as we are supposedly a “Christian” nation….I say that loosely, I think we all know that anything goes in the U.S. Anybody is free to be and believe what you want…and I agree with that right. I think God has given all of us the choice to seek and love him in this lifetime or to live a life apart from him. I don’t normally make my blog a place for serious discussion…but today I want to. I want it to be known to the hundreds of people who read this blog each day to know that I for one believe the reason for the season is the birth of Christ. I know in my own life I would still be in the pit of bad decisions, relationships, and emotional hardship if it weren’t for the love of Christ. My life is in no way perfect or free from strife….but I have a peace that comes from my relationship with the Lord, that nobody can take away from me, and no circumstances can diminish, and this is what makes my life so rich, fulfilling, and satisfying.

Chloe will never know a mom who doesn’t pray for and with her. A mom who doesn’t sing songs about Jesus, who reads the Christmas story out of the Bible every year instead of making it all about Santa Claus. She will know that her mom and dad love each other and pray together regularly. We will break cycles from our past and our families and start our home founded on a biblical heritage. We will seek God for wisdom in our lives and family.

I don’t know what your reason for this season is? I know some people will write this post off or be annoyed with my words…I can’t help that. I know going through pregnancy and birth has deepened my faith even more. How in the world is it possible for my body to make and sustain a human life and eternal soul and bring it into this world? It is the most miraculous thing I have ever experienced in my life! This Christmas will mean more to me than others past. Thinking about Mary holding her precious baby and me holding my first child…it is too much for me to think about right now. I will leave you with the Chloe shots of the day….her chilling in her very 80’s style bouncy seat.

To suck or not to suck

Published by Kelly December 18th, 2006 in Adventures in Pregnancy and Uncategorized. 14 Comments

That is the question! Ahhhh…pacifiers…the great debate. Do they enable? Do they cause bad teeth? Are they evil? We have made our decision… It’s hogwash! (what does that word mean?) God bless them!