jet lag hit us hard this time around.. we had to keep busy all day to make sure we didn't pass out too early.. we went to the city and walked around.. i have been having some strange but painful belly button pain.. after some research online i found out it's ligament pain.. stretching the belly button (wtf right?) lessens the pain.. however, stretching the belly button = a really sore belly button..

the weather was beautiful today.. warm enough for shorts.. i was pinching myself for not listening to david and at least bringing one pair.. he gave me the, "i told you so" look every time i mentioned how freaking hot i was.. ::rolls eyes:: i can't wait for it to rain so bad he needs his rain jacket and i can play the, "i told you so" game..  LOL. i was actually in the mood to take some pictures today to share with everyone..

rathaus (city council) in schweinfurt.. 

such a beautiful building.. 

our first ice cream of the trip.. trust me there will be many more ice cream shots lol.. 

david ordered some hawaii thing.. david doesn't speak german so i ordered for him and the waitress almost didn't let me get it.. claiming i was pregnant and not allowed to have liquor.. who knew ice cream could have liquor and who knew a german stranger would care for the well being of my unborn child haha! 

i always get the spaghetti ice cream.. omg so delicious! it's vanilla ice cream.. strawberry sauce.. topped with white chocolate shavings and whipcream.. heaven!

my mother ordered some kiwi, raspberry, and strawberry cup.. it look delicious.. i might get that next time..

farmers market in downtown shweinfurt.. i could eat salads everyday here.. 

we toured the old wall in schweinfurt.. i felt the need to be "creative".. the point is i tried.. 

my mom peeking over the old wall.. 

david finishes every single day with a beer.. no matter where we are.. 

made it to germany safe and sound.. we had an awesome flight.. arrived an hour early.. too tired to post anything else.. just wanted to update.. 

you will never believe where i am blogging from.. Macy's the department store in Chicago! this place is freakkiiinngg huge.. 9 floors!!!!!!!!!!!! the building is BEAUTIFUL! they have a wine cellar.. everything you can think of.. it's crazy! david and i have gotten lost looking for a new backpack.. our old one broke.. TWICE in Dallas on the way to the airport (we took the train).. david has had to carry allllll the carry on himself.. so it sucks.. 

obviously, we stayed in Chicago overnight.. or i would already be in Germany.. we volunteered our flight (the flight was overbooked) we received $1600 in flight vouchers.. a hotel stay.. and $40 in food vouchers.. our flight is leaving tonight at 7:30pm (hopefully).. so we figured we would spend a few hours in downtown Chicago.. the weather here is awesome.. perfect! anyway.. here are a few pictures i was able to snap last night.. i was going to get the Internet at the airport but Macy's has it for free.. so this will be my only time to update it before we leave for Germany... we are having a great time already!

cheap backpack = crap.. david showing off our now worthless backpack

waiting for the sky link at DFW airport.. 

smoothie stealer!

david kept saying "ashton is going to wonder why you never have pictures of yourself in public places while pregnant with him".. so.. now he can shut it.. yes.. i am huge.. yes everyone has noticed.. yes it's starting to make me feel fat.. and yes.. i hate this picture.. and yes.. that is my lovely/sexy tush-cush coccyx pillow that has been a huge relief!

one of the reasons why i love david sooo much, david begged me not to post this on the Internet.. last time we flew into Chicago (summer 2006) i was amazed how the toilets change the seat covers themselves.. i was soooo amazed i vowed if i ever found myself at the Chicago airport again i would snap a picture of it.. lol.. i pleaded with david to pose funny and he said "i am going to only do this once.. so make sure it counts".. lol.

the long underground tunnel at the airport in chicago

waiting for our flight.. that we ended up volunteering on.. tanna i am on the phone with you as i snapped this picture.. feel special! :o)

the hotel american airlines hooked us up in.. not as nice as the last one they hooked us up in but still nice never the less.. 

tons of freebies at the hotel.. thankgoodness.. considering we left our luggage at the airport so we wouldn't have to lug it around.. i am in clothes that i have worn for two days.. i feel gross.. dirty and i want a hot shower and nice clean clothes.. but for the $1600 vouchers it was totally worth it.. 

bye bye..

i wanted to properly update this blog before yesterday.. you know.. in case the plane crashes and what not.. :o)

but i am running out of time..  i still have tons of stuff to do.. we are taking the train to the airport so that means we have to leave like two hours earlier than we would if we had someone drop us off..  we already have to be there two hours before the flight leaves.. so we  are travelling around 5hours before we get on our plane for the 10hour plane ride.. oh well.. what can ya do? that's the downside for having family that lives across the big pond.. but other than that i am SUPER EXCITED about this day finally being here.. my mom and her husband, mike, are already there.. and i can't wait to see my family! it's much cooler there than here in texas.. which i  think is going to be a shock to us.. especially david.. he was freezing a few days ago when a cold front of 75f came through here.. lol..  it's around 60f in germany right now.. we leave for paris on september 11th.. o__O i don't like travelling on that day ..i am not sure where else we are going just yet (other than germany, obviously).. but wherever it will be it will be awesome.. and i will be sure to blog about it when i can! 

please pray for a safe trip.. i know flying is safer than any other form of travel but it still makes me nervous.. 

nicole and stefanie.. do you (or someone else) want me to bring something?  let me know here or email me at david-laney@sbcglobal.net

hope to see both of you soon! 

anne marie

i promised a belly picture and here it is.. i had some issues taking the picture this evening.. for one.. my camera is freaking heavy with my new flash and lets just say it's a workout holding my camera with one hand now.. i told david he could just buy me a bunch of new fancy camera stuff and i will be in shape in no time.. and second.. i used my flash and had to reset all my settings (yet i still failed at getting it just right.. i was a)sweating and b)exhausted after a hundred shots.. so, i decided to give up).. then while downloading my pictures to the computer my camera died. i had to wait to charge the battery.. what a pain in the butt.. i need a vacation from taking a silly uncreative belly picture.. lol... i want to get some creative belly shots in sometime.. i just need the right props.. hopefully germany will inspire me.. until then.. 

23 week belly

 

11week ::: 14 week ::: 18week

i want to start off this post praising david.. this weekend i broke down in tears telling him how overwhelmed i felt.. he showed sympathy and laid off the to do list.. he spent all day yesterday finishing his own to do list and more than half of mine! leaving the things that i can only do.. like go find a coccyx cushion for my horrible coccyx (tailbone) pain.. he cleaned the entire apartment.. did all the laundry.. he did so much yesterday on his paid holiday.. he didn't have to.. but did because he wanted to make sure i wasn't stressing out too much.. is that not the greatest husband or what?! 

i don't show him enough appreciation.. i was overwhelmed on saturday and became quite agitated with him because he was trying to help me while i was getting ready to meet up with his college friends.. i am very particular when it comes to things.. he doesn't do things the way i normally would want them done.. after about 10mins of me stressing out i realized.. what's the point?! he is only trying to help.. he's only trying to make my life easier.. just because he doesn't do things the way **i would** have done them, doesn't mean i should stress out about it.. i was just overwhelmed and felt like everything was closing down on me.. today, not so much.. i should be oh so grateful i even have a husband who does so much housework around the house without making me feel like i complete failure as a housewife.. david has never once complained having to do the dishes.. or laundry.. he does it with a smile and lots of affection.. he does it because he cares. (just for the record.. i hate how he loads the dishwasher lol.. but i have gotten better about accepting it and leaving it alone.. if i wanted the dishwasher "properly" loaded i should have done it myself.. nuff said). the point is.. i need to sit back and relax when he does my chores for me.. the fact he doesn't have to do them and does them with a smile on his face means i should get over it the petty crap and be thankful that david cares enough to help! same with our kids.. i know for a fact they won't clean like i want them too.. i don't want them to feel like i don't appreciate their help.. i will just have to be happy they are helping and secretly redo what i didn't like lmao.. 
 
i still have lots to do on my to do list.. thankfully it isn't as much as it was before.. we canceled our gym membership this weekend.. i was shocked how sad i was about it.. when our kids are older and can enjoy the gym, we will rejoin.. until then, we save $100 a month!  

FOUR more days until we leave for germany!!!! i would be lying if i didn't admit that i am still freaking out about flying :o). i know why i am freaking out more than usual this time.. it's because of ashton.. i feel like it took us for-ever to get pregnant with him and now that i am more than half way done with this pregnancy, something is going to happen (i.e. a plane crash) where i will never get to meet him and be a mom.. it's an irrational thought, no doubt about it.. but i can't help the way i feel.. i am still more than excited to be heading to germany though.. omg i can't wait.. my family makes me feel so calm and put together.. plus the food.. omg.. i can't wait for the FOOOOOD! baby ashton can't wait either lol! it's the perfect time since his taste buds are working now.. he can taste my food through the amniotic fluid.. i love this boy so much.. i wish he was here in the outside world to experience our trip with us.. but there will always be other trips for him to enjoy and explore! i am just impatient! it will be our last vacation together without kids..

baby ashton is still as active as ever.. always moving.. yesterday while watching DEAL or NO DEAL i felt him have hiccups for the first time.. david felt it too.. so stinking cute! (btw can you believe someone FINALLY won the $1million?! crazzzzzzzy).. david put together the baby's amby bed yesterday afternoon.. he wanted to see it all put together.. we decided to just leave it up and not take it down.. so, now we have the empty amby bed sitting in our bedroom.. we had to put our bedroom chair in storage to make room for it.. david loves messing with it.. i have a toy that makes noise hanging from the bar as sort of a mobile for ashton to focus on.. david is always messing with it lol.. he is so excited.. i can't stop messing with it either.. this amby bed seriously rocks.. i wish they made adult size amby beds.. 

i think it's time to finally do a belly shot.. i haven't done one in forever! i have a real baby bump now! it's awesome. i am going to be HUGE when the 8th month rolls around.. lol.. i started off slow but now my belly is getting bigger by the day! my clothes still fit, so neener neener! i promise i will post a belly picture TO-DAY..

i am soooooo tired today.. i am feeling a bit better though.. i am glad we went to dallas to meet up with his friends.. amy and chris (david's ex-roommate) brought their 5month old son, andrew, and O.M.G. a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e! maybe one of the cutest little boys i have ever seen.. amy and chris are such amazing parents!  gave us great advice.. however, let me just tell you how much i hate dallas traffic.. with a passion.. 

i will also need to purchase a donut pillow to take along with us on our trip.. i am getting extreme tailbone pain from sitting too long.. it's getting so bad i was having a hard time walking around the mall this afternoon (we went to another mall to look for a bellaband.. no luck).. i feel like i need so many things i don't have for this trip.. i need to make a list of things i need to buy so i won't forget..

today was the first time in a long time that i felt i could use a nap.. i have been tired since i got up early this morning.. now that i think about it.. i didn't get any good quality rest last night.. i was tired but something just kept waking me up every hour for a few mins before i would doze off again.. and when david woke me up at 8am this morning i remember thinking "only a few more hours.. pleeaassee" lol.. i bet that's my problem today.. TIRED=not my normal self.. i am fighting really  hard to stay awake right now.. i don't want to go to bed too early but i dont' know how much longer i can last.. :o(

starting to feel overwhelmed.. 

we are having lunch with davids college buddies today over in dallas.. i really don't' want to drive all the way out there :o( i feel fat and blah.. i haven't been feeling myself for a few days so i really just want to stay home and sleep or something.. instead we have to meet up with them.. don't get me wrong.. i like visiting his friends.. i just don't feel like it today..

david is getting on my last nerve too.. he always acts "funny" when we have to be somewhere.. he will just keep listing off things that need to be done even though i have told him to keep it to himself. i have my own list and it's organized the way it needs to be.. i don't like feeling overwhelmed and that's exactly where he has put me today.. then he wonders why i am in a weird mood.. um because you won't shut up about all the crap that needs to be done.. just chill the eff out for a few minutes while i collect my thoughts instead of springing all kinds of crap on me at once and expecting me to act all chipper and happy about it.. sorry but i don't function that way.. you would think in the 9 years he would have figured that out by now..

i really do have a lot i need to do this week.. i have to clean this place up.. ::looks around the house:: ugh.. then i have to start packing by thursday.. on saturday we have to take the train to the airport.. and that means we have to get up super early and leave super early.. everything needs to be finished.. I STILL haven't found a bella band.. it's getting frustrating.. i think i have passed the time limit i needed in order to order one online.. i just feel so overwhelmed and the more david tells me all the things we need to do the more overwhelmed i am going to become and the less chance i will get it done on time.. he needs to stop.. seriously.. putting me like this can bring down my immune system and that is the LAST thing i need right now.. i have never not had it all together.. i always get it done.. i have my own to do list.. he needs to shut up and be patient enough for me to get it together and just stick to his own list.. don't share it with me.. tia! 

have i mentioned how overwhelmed i feel today?! i want to stay home! i'm not depressed but i want to cry right now thanks to how i feel.. ugh.. let's hope a cool shower will help me feel better..

ugh.. another one

every time i fly and i mean every single time i fly.. it's nothing but plane crash this.. plane crash that.. or 'omg we came close to colliding in mid air and killing everyone'.. every.single.time. it never fails! fourth story in the last two and half weeks of huge airliners (delta.. american airlines etc etc) crashing or almost crashed.. getting worried again lol. 

i don't really believe in horoscopes.. i read them for fun every once in awhile.. and sometimes it's eerie how close it is.. but then i remind myself that it could really imply to anyone.. 

that said.. out of boredom tonight i decided i would research aquarius (my zodiac) and to my surprise i could not believe how much was right about me.. good and bad.

AQUARIUS:

these are my associated traits.. anyone who knows me (mostly my mother and tanna) will tell you i am almost all of these things..

anyone find it odd that it said my idea careers are computer technology and photography? i am going back to school (not this year) to study graphic/web design and photography is a huge hobby of mine.. i  read a lot about astronomy.. the universe other galaxies.. planets etc..  i also love to research things about science.. ::shudders:: scary.. lol

so then i was wondering what it would say about david's zodiac (a gemini).. again EERIE!

GEMINI:

now i will mention david and i aren't all these attributes.. but they are pretty darn close in comparison.. david also loves music.. he often tells me how he wishes he could play the piano professionally.. maybe he should consider it.. now that it says it's something he would be good at lol.. i am telling you this is creeping me out a bit lmao!.. david is very witty and finds humor in anything..

after reading both our personalities.. i wondered what our son, ashton, be like.. if everything sticks to schedule he will be a capricorn.. after reading about capricorns.. i hope ashton does come on time lol.. this is exactly the type of person i would hope for my son to become..
 

CAPRICORN:

it's a weird thought.. but considering how eerily our zodiacs represent david and me.. anything is possible i suppose.. i find it hilarious that it says capricorns are good in math.. i often tell my mother how i PRAY my kids will not have the trouble in math as i did growing up.. whether he is a capricorn or not, i really do hope he is good in math.. that part scares me :o( haha

i also want to add that gemini's and aquarians are a compatible match apparently.. which is probably why my best friend and husband are gemini's lol.. they are the two people i get along with the most.. strange?! coincidence? hmm..

i was messing around with my flash again this evening.. i almost blinded myself permanently by accident.. i was fooling around with my camera settings and had the flash close (less than 5inches away) to my left eye, when i accidently pushed the trigger and it went off.. i was blind for a good 15mins.. :o/

anyway. velveeta always makes sleeping look so cute.. i tried taking some pictures of her while sleeping. only after taking one shot she woke up.. and well, this is what happened..

click here to view larger

this was the picture i took right before i blinded myself with my own flash (i beez a smart onez).. i was trying to capture catch lights in her eyes.. i managed to get them but i wanted to be seen in her eyes.. i will need to work on it.. 

click here for larger to see the catch lights.. 

don't know what a catch light is? click to read..

ashton really is an active little baby.. i bet i will have my hands full with him when he gets here in four short months.. i'm starting to feel the kicks above my belly button..   i can't believe how high he is.. i keep forgetting he isn't the size of a little tadpole anymore.. 

i just read that my baby is sleeping  12-14hours a day now.. he is also the size of a papaya.. papayas are huge btw.. 

how boring for him to be awake for that long and have NOTHING to do.. no wonder he is always kicking... lol.. i should start reading outloud when i feel him kicking so he has something to listen too.. 

after reading the manual and researching tutorials on the speedlite 580ex ii.. i still have no idea how to use the flash properly or to it's full potential.. that said, it's still 150% better than the built in flash!

i used to consider myself a 'natural light' girl (meaning i only used natural light.. NO FLASH ever!).. i hated using flash on cameras.. they always make the picture look washed out.. harsh.. yadda yadda yadda.. but now, with my new external flash, i think i have been converted into an 'any light available' girl lol.. i love this flash! i needed this flash for ashton's arrival.. our apartment has horrible natural light and our CFL bulbs cast off a horrible gross green color in pictures.. the only options were to use a built in flash or never take pictures inside my apartment (i'm sure our first house won't have any natural light available either).. this new flash is going to come in handy when baby ashton gets here.. i am glad i got it before our trip to germany.. no telling when i might need it there and regret not getting it before the trip lolz.

i took a picture of velveeta in a dark room.. it was 10pm outside and the only light available in the entire room was a 30watt bulb.. this is the result..

poor cat lol.. blinded by the built in flash.. notice how harsh and uneven the lighting is?? i am at her eye level so you can't really see the harsh shadows usually casted off by built in flashes.. 

taken with my new external flash.. the flash was bounced off the white ceiling and it illuminated the entire room evenly without the harsh look of a built in flash (doesn't it look like i have great lighting in our apartment!?)and poor velveeta's eyes were able to stay open.. though, clearly she was not impressed.. 

btw.. no editing was done to either pictures.. these were SOOC.. did i mention how much i love this flash?! 

my flash is here!!! a day early.. purchased online yesterday and didn't pay for fast shipping either.. amazon.com rocks..

this flash is seriously the coolest thing ever.. i was too impatient to read the manual first.. instead, i ripped open the box, stuck four fresh batteries in, slid it on to my camera shoe, and chased the cats around testing it out.. it's way neat! now that i have the, "OMG MY NEW FLASH MUST PLAY WITH IT NOWWWWWW" itch out of my system i can read the manual and learn how to properly use it lol..

now i understand why it's important to invest in a good sturdy tripod.. add all the stuff you need to get the best shots and you got yourself a camera that weighs more than a newborn! just with my new flash it weighs a TON.. i can't imagine how much heavier it's going to get once i am able to get a new lens..