Officially a Family

We recently had professional photos taken of our new family!

I am in love with the results. <3

Thanks Lucy and Steven for such a fun time and great photos.  

Even Hubby enjoyed himself.  ;) 

Please visit Smitten & Hooked to see how fabulous they are at photography!
We attended their Spring Mini-Session on a gorgeous day.

Here's the proof: Our first professional family portrait.

Battle for a Turtle

This was stirred up in my thoughts this morning thanks to a new IG follower of mine, Tonya.  After getting the notification that I had a new follower I looked her up and saw that she had a blog site (and a son also named Lucas!)  Of course I checked it out, added it to my Google Reader and came across a recent post which of course brings me to write this now.  If you choose not to click the link and view her post first (or at all) I'll give you the gist of it.  It's about Infertility, the struggles and emotions as a result, and a support group for women.

As I may have mentioned previously {in my PREGNANT post}, it took us five years to get pregnant.  We struggled with infertility.  We had made the decision six months into our marriage that we wanted to try to have kids.  (Buh bye birth control.)  We had no success.  This is about my lengthy struggle with infertility, and lengthy it is so bare with me.

Now, at the time we were both getting started with our careers and had moved to a new place (Wisconsin) far away from our families.  After months of failure I was very disappointed but knew it could take quite some time, especially after getting off of birth control.  Then three years went by.  And by that time I was distraught and blamed myself for our infertility.  

Even though we struggled so many years we still didn't seek out professional help aside from my regular GYN visits.  I was eventually diagnosed with PCOS and since that is a popular cause of infertility I placed all the blame on myself.  Needless to say it put a strain on my marriage and Hubby and I went through a rough patch.

After reconciling we moved back home to North Carolina - a fresh start.  Re-establishing ourselves and careers yet again became our focal point.  After our fourth year of marriage we just tried not to think so hard about conceiving, even though the disappointment was still running in the background.  But we finally talked about it again and decided to get serious, meaning seeing and talking to the professionals.  I saw my GYN and got a referral to an Infertility Specialist.  

But before my referral appointment my GYN scheduled me for a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) at a local lab.  They insert a dye and x-ray your uterus and surrounding areas, checking for any abnormalities in your uterus, ovaries and tubes.  I went to the lab and had the procedure done.  It was PAINFUL.  And the results were not good.  It showed that only half of my uterus was "lit up" and thus only one tube.  The technician thought I had an abnormal uterus.  Of course, this upset me greatly.  If I had been able to conceive then my chances of carrying a fetus to term are not high.  This had me doing a lot of research online and getting me even further and further depressed.

Finally I go see the specialist.  The result of that visit was another diagnosis for me, Hypothyroidism.  Another factor in my infertility.  Another strike against my ego.  She pulled the test results from the HSG and was confused.  She said it told her nothing and questioned the test validity.  So I had to have it redone, this time at their lab with her performing it.  I was unhappy about having to go through it again since it was extremely painful.

This time around Hubby was there with me, holding my hand, and they actually gave me a sedative before the procedure, something the previous lab neglected to do!  They inserted the dye and we watched the screen as it flowed through my body.  Hubby actually said I gasped once we saw it spread throughout my uterus AND into my ovaries.  I had a perfect uterus and neither of my tubes were blocked!!  You just can't imagine the RELIEF of this.  It was one less strike for me and very good news to hear that if we did succeed in conceiving that I shouldn't have any difficulties carrying a child.  {Not to mention this time around the procedure barely hurt at all, this lab did it right.  Whereas the other lab must have inserted the balloon instrument too far, blocking off so the dye couldn't spread throughout.}

But we aren't out of the clear yet.  Hubby still needed to be tested, and he was.  It was unexpected to learn that he actually had a problem too.  No, it wasn't his sperm count.  Ha, that could have been fixed more easily from the research I found.  It was actually his mobility that was slow, or Low Motility.  As I recall it, it means the sperm are abnormally shaped.  So basically the tail is curved instead of straight, causing them to swim in circles.  So they never make it to the egg because they can't get very far moving in circles, now can they?  Here's a brief explanation about Low Motility.

So now it's not just me, it's the both of us.  Double Whammy.  I can actually spread out some of the blame for our infertility.  But that's not gonna help us any.  But I have to admit it did take some of the pressure off of me.  Unfortunately, there aren't many treatments for men's infertility like women have.  And my issues can be treated with the medications I began taking.  So our doctors kept telling us to "hurry up and wait".  About a year later we went back to the specialist.  What do you know but she was out on maternity leave.  (Bruise my ego again.)  So we saw her counterpart and he reviewed our case.

After a few months of trying without any medical help other than my prescriptions of Synthroid we still hadn't conceived (apparently doctors want to see you fail before they actually prescribe you anything).  Finally, they got around to giving me Clomid.  I had actually tried it once while in Wisconsin but didn't take it more than the first dose.  You need to take it at least three months straight to see if it will even work for you.  I had only taken one dose.

This doctor I believe gave me a double dose along with the monthly refills.  Well folks, I got lucky with that first double dose.  We finally we're pregnant.  We finally got our "turtle".  End struggle here.

Now to discuss the other side to this struggle, the actual emotions.  I was never the type to broadcast my emotions so clearly to all.  I tended (perhaps still do) to keep things bottled up.  Throughout those five years of trying to get pregnant we never told our friends and families that we were trying to do so (there were a rare few that I did confide in of course).  Plain and simple: I just couldn't bare to broadcast our failure.  In fact, we tried to do the exact opposite.  I tried to play it off as us waiting to start our family and that we just weren't interested yet.  I was even uninterested in other people's babies, pretending to some extent to not want anything to do with them.  The truth was, it just hurt too much.

Eventually though, roughly when we finally got serious about trying, is when I revealed everything to my parents.  I had even discussed with them about IVF and how costly it would be for us, another reason we just kept trying naturally.  And shortly before we actually succeeded did we reveal it to Hubby's mom.  

Looking back I don't think I would have changed too much.  I still would have preferred to keep it to myself, mainly because I didn't want to hear everyone's advice.  Now that I've succeeded though I feel like I can share this.  What I would have changed however was our laziness. I would have gotten serious earlier on and pushed myself and Hubby to seek the professional help we needed.  We could have been on our second or third child by now.  But I'm not complaining.  I love my turtle, Lucas.  

Softball Patron

So some friends of mine have kids.  Wow!  No kidding.  :)

They are much older than my little Lucas.  The eldest, Kat, is on a softball league this Spring and they are about halfway through their season already.  They are struggling and haven't won a game yet.  :(

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I wanted to help out and get them motivated as well as cheer them up.  I also wanted to increase support from the families.  I decided to get them these cute little softball cinch bags I found online.  They shipped out super fast and the owner, Michelle, was great to work with.

I didn't let my friends know that I was getting these so it was a big surprise when they arrived at their house.  Hehe.  So now I've deemed myself a Patron for the Clover SWAT (Softball With AtiTude) 10U Girls Softball Team.

Unfortunately I don't live nearby so I couldn't really get to the games and support them that way.  So this was the best thing I could think of.  But then I had a cancellation in my weekend plans and was able to make it to their game this past Saturday!

I brought along my Mom (Nana) and Lucas, and I  brought his little baseball rattle to cheer on the girls.  He didn't care about the rattle so much, but he was looking around constantly and people-watching.  Nana said he just couldn't get enough.  He had a blast.  And to think he'll be doing this in a few years too!

I also took a ton of photos, 633 to be exact!  (A few dozen or so of Lucas.)  You can see them on their Facebook page if you're interested.  But here are some more collages to sample.  Including one of Lucas and I playing in the park.  :)

{I have to say that when I found this Grid feature in Picasa I've been having way too much fun with it, as you can probably tell from my recent posts.}

Afternoon Shoot, Duke Gardens

Another event for the second Photography Club I joined in the area.  {Another 101 in 1001.}

I've been to Duke Gardens once before.  It's where I had my Maternity Photos taken!

This time I got to run crazy and was able to do so being fifty pounds lighter.  :)  This place is HUGE with so much to see.  The first time around we were there for only an hour and only saw maybe a quarter of the gardens.  With it being Spring they have so many gorgeous spots that are photogenic.

And again I only walked around taking photos for an hour.  It was surprisingly hot.  I didn't see anything new from the last time.  I guess I'll just have to go back again.

Here are some of my favorites of 247 shots.  I had a lot of fun with the Sun this time and the way the light would shine.  Enjoy!

Evening Shoot, Downtown Raleigh

One of my goals for my 101 in 1001 is to Take a Photography Class.

Well, they cost money for some reason.  So until I find the right class I came across this site, MeetUp.com.  I had done yet another Google search for "photography clubs" in my area.  I found two!  And one was meeting up in Downtown Raleigh for an Evening/Night shoot.

I removed all photos from my Canon after making sure they had all been uploaded.  Packed up the camera bag and drove in rush hour traffic into Raleigh.  It really wasn't that bad of a drive, but still, 30 miles in one hour is ridiculous.  I arrived at my destination meeting at a local bar.  I made it early since I gave myself plenty of time and was the second one there, after the organizer.  

I had myself a beer (first one of my 50 New Beers goal!) and we waited for other arrivals.  We had a total of seven club members appear.  Then we were off to walk around the city!  Here are my best of the 219 photos I took.

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Another post about Nicknames

So, after writing this post about a nickname I despise, I immediately thought about all the other nicknames I've had over the years. And I'm talking PG here...

Here is a list of all the nicknames I can come up with! Again, my given name is Patricia for those of you that need clarification.

Mama/Mom - This is my newest nickname!! I love it the most!! Even though I haven't actually heard those words from my own child yet but Hubby does call me that when speaking for Lucas. ♥♥♥♥♥

Pat - Ugh, hate it. Majority of the time that I hear this one is from Old Ladies. I use my official name for official purposes. Sometimes I am forced to use Patricia for work (as in currently), meaning since that's what's on my paycheck the company chooses to set up my email account as "patricia.lastname@company.com". So for example, when communicating by email to a new vendor sometimes they will respond back "Dear Pat", etc., even though I specifically have "Trisha" in my signature line. Read much? Or if I receive a call from my dentist's office reminding me of an appointment, the little old lady will call and ask to speak with "Pat". Dunno who you're talking about lady, no Pat here...

Patti - There was a brief period in my younger childhood that I actually wanted to be called "Patti". I can't for the life of me remember why! It was a phase of course, and yes, it had to be with the "i". Good grief, what was wrong with me? 

T (or Tee) - I used to work for this truck manufacturer and my last Manager there just one day referred to me as "T". I think it might have been in a staff meeting. Logical, right? Well, now-a-days I might sign a note to people with the simple "T" rather than writing out my name. I guess it stuck. And as far as "Tee" goes, you know those arcade games you play sometimes, like Silver Strike for example, where you actually score high enough to get on their list of top scorers? They only give you three characters to sign your name to your score. Most people use their initials. That's when I just started signing "TEE". :)   

Tricia - Just another spelling of my name preference. This spelling however, NOT the preference. Even people I've know for 10+ years still choose to spell it this way. Ahem, Sevi... 

Trish - Don't even think about it... Refer to this post if you are even considering it. 

Trish the Dish - Also mentioned in this post, yet acceptable, but usually only if you went to my high school. And now to insert an anecdote!... I was in marching band in HS, and was a section leader I might add. Woot woot! My HS hosted a band competition every year. The particular teacher who nicknamed me "Trish the Dish" was also the sports announcer for our school (for 30+ years!). He had a great voice for commentating. I still remember at our competition, when we were about to perform our exhibition show, as we march onto the field the Announcer will introduce the Drum Major and key people, such as section leaders. It totally threw me when I heard him announce my name as "Trish the Dish"! It was hilarious and made me smile big as I took my place on the field. He also went on to do this whenever we were introduced at our home football games, especially on Senior Night. You just can't hate that nickname and the special attention you are given in public when called it. 

Trish Trash - Ah...yes...this was not widely spread fortunately. It was what my brother, Nick, would call me affectionately (yeah right) when we were younger. I don't think he did so in front of other people, just at home, so it never spread like wildfire. That would have been very very bad! 

Trisha - This is my name. This is my preference. This is what you should call me. Period. 

Trishie Bear - Aww! This nickname was given to me by my HS sweetheart's younger sister, she was a toddler at the time. She preferred to call me "Trishie" rather than Trisha and I love bears. Hence "Trishie Bear". And it also got around to other friends of mine in HS who would start calling me it as well, like Heather. Yes, another HS nickname. 

Trouble - This was first spoken to me in the classic line you tend to hear, "Here comes Trouble..." It was at the company my dad worked for when I started college. I had taken a part time job there and one of the warehouse guys would always say that when he saw me. It just kind of stuck. Hence the "Trouble with Trisha" blog title. And yes, I even have it on the front plate of my car. 

The Diaper Bag

What's in my diaper bag?

Well, we rarely use it so I'll have to go through it to remember...

I usually just pack a small bag with Lucas' baby food and bottles of formula during the week for school so I never grab the diaper bag.  And we avoid going anywhere in the evenings so we don't have to drag all that stuff.  So it's usually just on the weekends whenever we trek to the grandparents' or happen to actually go out somewhere (which is rare).

So, when we actually use it, here's what it typically contains.



I keep the shot record handy for doctor check-ups so I can make sure they are updated.

I've got lots of sample size items - easy for travel.

Bottle, formula and food get added last minute, of course.

Alphabet Scramble: U is for...

This week's Alphabet Scramble is brought to you be the letter U!

We're officially starting the back half of the alphabet.  It's downhill from here.

Uncles {and Aunt!} - Lucas has several of these!

Ultrasound - I first found out I was pregnant with the simple home test.  It was important for me to confirm this surprise with the Doctor.  So when we had our first ultrasound it was a mixture of emotions.  I think Hubby and I both held our breaths.  And then once we saw the sack on the screen the Doctor gave us the confirmation and finally came the excitement.  Hubby actually told me he heard me release the breath I was holding.  Below are some of the pictures over the months, when my turtle was growing in my belly.  :)

Elijah's Heart

I recently took my two kitties, Eli and Oli, back to the vet for a follow up visit due to their ear mites (and Oliver was due for another vaccine).  It was Eli that was worse off.  And I have to admit that shortly after the initial visit we went off to our Easter weekend trip and Eli didn't get his ear treatment.  I cleaned them up real good the first few days but since we've been back home I've forgotten about it.  He's not exactly an enthusiastic patient either!

So needless to say Eli failed his follow up ear swab and still has very dirty ears.  Bad Mama.  

But this particular Vet, actually took more time with my kitties looking them over.  She took an awfully long time listening to Eli's heart and lungs.  She then asked me, "Did you know Elijah had a heart murmur?"  Uh, no.  And then she went on to tell me that she thinks he may have Hyperthyroidism and went on to explain that to me.  Now I have Hypothyroidism so I know what both are.  But she basically opened my eyes that that could be the reason why Eli's coat is so coarse.  It would be one of the symptoms.

You see, I adopted both my kitties when they were about six months old.  Eli, as long as I've had him, has had coarse hair rather than nice fluffy fur.  So he's not the cutest guy, but he was drawn to Hubby and I when we went shopping around.  I always just assumed he was some sort of special breed of cat.

After saying that, I've had my kitties for over three years now and been diligent about taking them for their check-ups.  Not one of those other vets ever took the time to look Eli over enough to notice this heart murmur (assuming he didn't recently acquire it).  And as I've said, he's always had a coarse coat of hair.  So all these other vets must have been ignorant or apathetic, because none of them ever explored why his hair was the way it was.

So I asked the Vet, "So if we get it treated successfully, you mean he could have nice fluffy fur like Oliver?"  And by that I meant, "be beautiful?"  Harsh, I know.  But I really want my kitties to be healthy.  That's what is most important.

So the Vet is doing some blood work on Eli to confirm her suspicions of Hyperthyroidism and his heart murmur.  Once this initial set of tests comes back hopefully we can work on treatments.  I already know that part of the treatment will require a special diet.  Do you know how difficult it will be to have to feed both kitties separately?  And to make sure they eat up all their food, then put it away so that Oliver doesn't eat Elijah's and Elijah doesn't eat Oliver's?  It's already difficult enough keeping Miley away from their food.  But I'll figure that out when it comes to it.

Oliver and Elijah

Going on Nine Months of Discomfort

There are books that you just can't put down {The Hunger Games trilogy for example} and then there are books that you just struggle to get through.

On August 2, 2011 I purchased/downloaded a book to my Kindle, Home Improvement: Dead Edition by Charlaine Harris, Toni L. P. Kelner, et al.  It's a collection of short stories from several authors selected by Charlaine and Toni.  I've read several other of their collections they have edited and enjoyed them very much.  However today is April 23, 2012 and I am only, at this very moment, 69% through this book.  That's nine months of uncomfortable and painful reading, not unlike the discomfort of a pregnancy.

I have been struggling terribly to get interested in this one.  I've gone back and forth between it and other novels.  I even started and completed a twenty book series since then.  It's my "filler" book I suppose.  When I had nothing else to read I would make myself read yet another short story.

I just don't know why it is.  Who am I kidding, of course I do.  I'm not a book critic by any means but I suppose I find the stories dry, or maybe just flat out don't care for some of the author's writing.  Aside from a few of the author's stories because they tie into other books I've read, like Charlaine's Sookie Stackhouse series.  Those, I remain interested in.  I even felt the need to write a brief review on Amazon for this book similar to what I've written here.

So now that I'm doing this 101 things in 1001 days list I am back into this book.  I am GOING to finish it!  It is my first book for the 50 that I plan on reading during this time frame; even though technically I started it way before my start date of this goal.  I already have my next book lined up in my Kindle that I downloaded earlier this month.  So I say, No more filler book!

Find it on Amazon.

So Long Hammy

You remember the Hammock I raved about here and here?  Well, it's finally time for Hammy to move on.

Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper

Lucas has literally started to roll over in it this month.  It's not that easy to do considering the way it's made, form fitting and all.  And Lucas has been sitting up more in it as well.  That's the sign that he's getting too big for it.  And I'm not surprised, this is about the time frame I was expecting this to happen.

So time to pack up the Hammock - it's been a wonderful six months!  Now what are we going to use in the living room to house Lucas when we are running around trying to get other stuff done?

We had just packed up the Pack 'n Play before Easter after finally removing it from our bed room.  Guess it's time to pull it back out!

We had to do some furniture rearranging since our living room isn't that big.  And actually we aren't using the dining room at all for its intended purpose so it's becoming a storage area.  So we just moved the loveseat into the dining room along with the coffee table that's been in their since we brought Lucas home.  Then we moved the recliner into the spot where the loveseat was.  And the recliner used to be in front of the fireplace...  Yeah, we never use it and like I said, the room is small.  So now the Pack 'n Play is in front of the fireplace.

Baby Prison!

Now I really do think that Lucas considers it a prison.  The few times that we've used it for traveling he has not liked it at all.  He just wouldn't sleep for very long and would want to come out.  So it's taking some getting used to for all of us.

But we're Happy!

He actually leaned into my kiss here.  :)

Bake Sale for Childhood Hunger

It was about 5-6 weeks ago that Lucas' daycare sent out information that they were going to put together a Bake Sale.  It wasn't to raise food for themselves but for Starving Children in the world.

It's actually called the Great American Bake Sale and it's an event hosted this very weekend nationally.  Apparently we are the very first organization in North Carolina to host.  Please see the website for more information.

So our daycare created a team, Sweet Smiles and I joined up to donate my wonderful baking skills.  Since they announced the event I had gone through my coupons and set aside all the baked goods.  I would do my grocery shopping and pick up this and that.  And before I knew it I had a stash of cupcake mixes and frostings.  I went a bit overboard.

But I still signed up on the little sheet of everything that I was going to make.

It's a cell phone picture so it's blurry, but it's A LOT!

I spent FIVE hours baking and invidually wrapping each cupcake, brownie and set of 3 cookies.  I even tried a new recipe from Pinterest, Tie-Dye Fruity Cupcakes.  I ended up having to throw about half the batch away unfortunately.  I overfilled the cups so they muffin-topped out of the pan.  And I also felt that some of them were way too moist and fell apart a bit.  But my second batch was a bit better and the right consistency, so SUCCESS!

Also from the phone. 
But they are colorful, and I added SweeTarts Jelly Beans on top.

I also made those FUN da-Middles and they are YUMMY.  I had a few extra of those so I brought them to work.

Yummy gooeyness inside!

The ladies at the daycare were very grateful from my overzealous baking.  :)  I sure broke my back doing it all but I was glad to do it for a great cause.

This morning we went over to the Bake Sale and snatched up some goodies for ourselves.  Even though Hubby isn't into sweets...so I'll most likely have to eat the treats myself.



Our goodies we purchased.  Hubby likes the peanut butter balls.



It's not too late to donate to fight Childhood Hunger!  If you missed our Bake Sale you can also donate money online.  Here is the link to my personal page which is linked to my team, Sweet Smiles.  Thanks to several people who have already helped me exceed my personal goal of $30 - I have reach $70!  The team goal is $600.  Thanks for your help.  :)

**UPDATE 05/02/12: The team raised over $1400 and donations are accepted throughout the year.  Thanks to all those who help support this bake sale.

Alphabet Scramble: L is for...

The week isn't over yet!  Although it is Saturday and I waited to the last minute but here is your Alphabet Scramble for this week, the letter L.  The best letter there is!










Laughter - check out this recent video of Lucas.  Grandpa really got him going.

Lotion - This is a definite to keep our baby baby smooth. After bath time I always lather him up with Aveeno baby lotion. Sometimes he'll giggle about it. Hubby usually comments about how slippery he gets. :)

 

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Lucas - That's my boy!!

 

 

Lullaby - I have several CD's with lullabies on them - with one currently in Lucas' boombox in his room. But we get the most use out of the two musical toys that are fastened to his crib.

 

This one lights up and moves!

 

Stirring the Pot: Part Two

Continuing the conversation via text from this post...   My friend then questioned the proper name to call my Lucas.  Lucas versus Luke? 

You see, when my baby was just a "Turtle" swimming in my belly Hubby and I had a set of names picked out.  When we finally had the Big Ultrasound and found out the gender we were proud to reveal our choice of names for our little boy - Lucas Glenn.  And we had every intention of nicknaming him Luke.  A lot of the references on Facebook and our additional ultrasound pictures we even referred to him as Baby Luke.

So needless to say at our baby showers and conversations with family and friends he was called Luke quite a bit.  It even made it onto some of his gifts/clothes, etc.  Although some items did get his formal name, Lucas, as well.

 

So my friend asks me if she's not supposed to call him Luke anymore?  Because you may have noticed that now on Facebook, this blog or in conversations with us that we always call him Lucas and not Luke.  It turns out that Hubby and I don't call him Luke at all, at least very rarely.  What changed?  Somehow meeting our baby boy changed that.

Once he came into this world he was simply Lucas to us.  It just felt right.  It's who he is.  To us, Hubby and I, he isn't really a Luke.  Some times he is if we refer to him in the possessive, such as, Luke's hat rather than Lucas' hat.  (I tend to hate the double S.)  But even then majority of the time I just go with the Lucas' hat.

So my answer to her was this: If he feels like a Luke to you then by all means call him that.  It's just a preference of mine and Hubby's to call him Lucas.  But we aren't opposed to Luke.  (I'm not throwing fits with his nickname as I do my own.)  Plus, I told her she gets special privileges since she's such a dear friend and thus an "Auntie" of his.

And when he's old enough to have his own preference between Lucas and Luke then he can do so.  I can't promise that he won't be picky like his Mama!

And this brings me to a few other thoughts.  First, when you're pregnant you tend to see a lot of other soon-to-be mom's and new mom's discuss in online forums about naming their baby.  There are always questions or concerns or stubborn opinions about having a name picked out before you actually meet your baby or waiting until they come into this world to give them their name.

My thoughts?  I've known my son since he was a little swimming turtle in my belly.  Once I knew he was a boy was the moment I knew he was my Lucas.  I may not have known that I would prefer his formal name to his nickname but that's why I chose to give him a name he can shorten if wanted.

Now by saying that I would be contradicting a friend of mine who feels the opposite, to what degree I'm not sure.  And I get so much inspiration from her blogs so I hope we can have this difference of opinion!  :)  You see, when she revealed her daughter's name on her blog she had made a point to mention how she doesn't like shortening names.  If she's planning on calling her child a nickname she would rather it just be their name.  You can read her post here.

So I feel differently about that.  Because if I had just initially named my son Luke then maybe I would have felt like I named him wrong.  Or maybe it would have felt right.  I really don't know.  But I'd rather have the option of a nickname, and for him to have that option as well.

So call him Luke.  Call him Lucas.  Just don't call him Lukey.  Trust me, I've tried to call him that in that cute baby voice but it just sounds like Loogie, and Hubby and Grandpa just cringe at the possible consequences of that when he gets older.  Hehe.

75. Get my handwriting analyzed

101 Things in 1001 Days

I have to admit that when I first thought about doing this one I searched "Get my handwriting analyzed" online.  The first two site listings that I saw mentioned $300 and $290 for their analysis.  No way I'm paying $$ to complete a task in this challenge!  So then I re-searched as "Get my handwriting analyzed free" and got a hit.  I came across this site, The Hand Behind the Word. 

It lets you hand-write your own sample and self-evaluate.  Then they give you the results in a report.

Here is my Sample.

And here is the free report result of my self-evaluation from The Hand Behind the Word.

          You're at a place where you wouldn't really mind eeking out there a little more and making yourself more known and seen, but still you're not sure that the Patricia Newman you know is ready for the Grand Stage or the Big League of public attention. Your general outlook on life is positive and you tend to be optimistic. Do people ever say you're stiff and stoic? Is it hard for you to get a move on yourself when it comes to social situations? Seems you might want to loosen up a bit! Since you pretty much like to keep yourself the same most of the time, you're probably apt to be as approachable at any give time as you would any other.

          Lone Rangers often keep a bit of distance between themselves and others. Do you ever hear people define Patricia Newman as a Lone Ranger? Or is it that you're more of what some might define as "a creative force of the next generation!" Either way, you don't mind straying from that straight and narrow path, shall we say, so you get good marks for originality! I guess that you must be something of a sentimentalist, eh? Do people ever say, "Oh, yeah: Patricia Newman can really be an old softie sometimes! A real kind soul." But then, this can get you into trouble sometimes, too, though, because you can have a difficult time saying "No!" and can feel guilty for not being All things to All People!!You likely tend to be a quite quiet person and don't like to rock the boat. You probably are a careful reader, and don't like to jump to conclusions about anything.

Yes, I have to admit I had to look up what "eeking" meant.  Altogether, I guess it's pretty accurate.  If you know me would you say so?

Stirring the Pot: Part One

So this post had some friends of mine question if they were in trouble with me or not.  And possibly question our friendship as well.

A very good friend of mine just sent me this image of our text conversation...

"For the record..." She wanted to make it clear to me that she didn't call me the wrong name, probably so she can earn brownie points!  And she made a point to tell me this past weekend that she has always called me Trisha. That's why you're a VERY GOOD friend!  Because you listened as I introduced myself to you way back in the day.  :)

And then she suggested that on a near future road trip that we will be going on with some other ladies, that she and I (the Insiders) should play a drinking game to have fun with this...  Unfortunately the other ladies do not read my blog (SHAME ON YOU!) so they likely have absotively no idea my feelings on my name.  AND one of them does in fact call me "Trish".  So the game: the Insiders are to drink every time they say my name as "Trish".  Hmm, how do I feel about that?

Stay tuned for Part Two.  And no, it won't be about my name!

Green Thumb?

No, I do not have a green thumb.  I managed to finally kill an ivy-type plant that I've had ever since I got married (2005) about a month ago.  That was my longest plant-commitment!

I'm making the plunge again though.  We are having a field day of sorts here at work and they have a Gardening station.  Your choice of four herbs to pot and take home: Mint, Rosemary, Parsley and Basil.  I use the last two herbs the most in my cooking at home.  And I actually recently had used up the last of all my parsley!

So here is my new plant.  I shall call him/her/it "Parsil".  :)

Parsley + Basil = Parsil

On a side note, I'm here inside working while everyone else is outside playing.  And that is definitely my choice.  I went out there for five minutes to do this and came back inside real quick.  It's just too cold out at the moment.  (Is 55 degrees cold??)

I will however go back outside for the FREE LUNCH!!  Heck yeah!  

Something I don't like (Pet Peeve)

The definition from Wikipedia:  A pet peeve (or pet hate) is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to him or her, to a greater degree than others may find it.

The reason I bring this up is because for my Photo a Day challenge from fat mum slim for April 17 is "Something I don't like".  And well, there are plenty of things I don't like.  But one thing in particular has been brought up recently, and well, really it lingers in the air all the time for me.  And because this post is about a Pet Peeve you can expect to hear me rant, so be forewarned.  However, I will try not to get heated!

Hi, my name is Patricia.  But you can call me Trisha.  

Trisha (or Tricia) is a derivative of the name Patricia, a "nickname" if you will.

Those are the ONLY two names I introduce myself as.  Don't think you know me well enough to call me anything else.  Particularly Pat or Trish.  This particular Pet Peeve is geared toward "Trish".  You see, the Trouble with Trisha, is that it further gets shortened to Trish.  I don't hear Pat that often because professionally I choose to go by my nickname, Trisha, just for that very reason.

So, as I was saying.  I don't like to be called Trish.  I never introduced myself to You as "Trish", so why are you calling me "Trish"??  Don't think you have the right to shorten my nickname any further because chances are you don't know me well enough to do so.  Even if you THINK you know me well enough.  My marrying into your family still does not give you special rights to call me that.  Nope, not at all.

Yeah, so part of that problem was that when Hubby and I started dating he introduced me to his family as "Trish" and being the great gal that I am and trying to impress the family I never corrected him or them.  Well, I've been doing a LOT of correcting lately.  I had that talk with Hubby way back to never introduce me as "Trish", but unfortunately the damage had been done and it stuck.  And whenever his family introduces me to yet more family or friends I again get introduced incorrectly.  So, as I've said, I've been doing a lot of correcting lately.  I've tried to make it clear to them now and I'm not afraid to do so.

Now, after having said all this, there is a very short list of those that I allow to call me "Trish", and that would be my family.  My family, as in my blood relatives.  They've known me all my life.  Again, not the in-laws.  And maybe, just maybe, some very close personal friends of mine.  The only other exception to this "rule" is a nickname I earned in high school from a teacher, who gave EVERYONE nicknames.  Usually it was just adding "Sue" after their name for the gals, but I was lucky I guess.  I had something to rhyme with my name.  Thus, I was called "Trish the Dish".  :)  That, and only that, is an acceptable use of the form "Trish".  It is flattering, so why not?  Thanks Coach Johnson!

Do you have a pet peeve?  Please share - I don't want to be in the wrong when it comes to you.  :)

Day 17 Photo a Day April Challenge

Alphabet Scramble: E is for...

This week's Alphabet Scramble should be obvious. The letter is E!

Easter - We had a great Easter trip. See my previous post for all the details and pictures.

Baby Einstein - We have a ton of these infant products in Lucas' toybox. I have to say that at my baby showers I received THREE of the Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes. They are popular! And we have the Shapes & Numbers Discovery Cards which he really likes to chew on. :) The Catepillar is big at our house. And I know we have more toys stashed away for when he gets older.   [ images ]

Elijah - This is one of my kitties!

Engineer - Hubby is one of these. And I've worked with many of these. They think they are so smart but some times they can be a big pain. :) But there is another definition for this word. And this photo is of Lucas' engineer outfit; I love the hat!  It's too big for him right now so I couldn't snap a picture of him in it.  But I'm sure you'll see pictures of him in it in the upcoming months.  An "engineer" just like Daddy, well, almost!

Easter Travel

Yay for four day weekends!

Hubby, the Boy and I all traveled to West Virginia this past Easter weekend to visit Hubby's Great-Grandmother.  He was very well-behaved on the ride.  We caravan-ed up with Hubby's parents and brother so it was a packed house.  (It's a little house, with like, six foot ceilings!)

    

And just to make sure I point out, this would be Lucas' Great-Great-Grandmother!  She just turned 96 this year and still going.  :)

I took several photos with my phone (while playing with Instagram) as we drove up.  And I have to say I got several cool scenery shots from the back seat of a moving vehicle.  AND the window wasn't that clean either.   [SEE PHOTOS BELOW]

We mainly just stayed around the house, except for Saturday where we went out to eat lunch (Quaker Steak & Lube) and then took Granny out to Walmart (a rare treat for her) and stocked her up on some stuff.  We also dyed a few eggs.

On Sunday, I made my Mom's baked macaroni and cheese to go along with the ham that was served for Easter dinner.  I can't give the recipe because I'm selfish but I will say that it's made with Velveeta instead of other cheeses.  YUM!  If you really really want to try it then maybe I'll make it for you.  My in-laws seemed to enjoy it.  :)  We were all dressed up to go to church but Granny decided she wasn't feeling up to it.  Just after dinner (we actually had it at lunchtime), some church members showed up at Granny's house and gave us communion.  So fortunately we didn't miss out completely.

And the Boy was SPOILED rotten with his Easter baskets.  He got a basket from his Grammy and Granddaddy, which was overflowing outside of the basket.  And then he got a Turtle basket from Mama and Daddy with a few things as well.  (For those of you who don't know me well enough, I love turtles thanks to my DZ days.  And when Lucas was just a little thing swimming in my belly, before he was "Lucas", he was my "Turtle"; hence anything turtle related/referenced you may see on this blog or my Facebook.)

  

And then it was time to trek back home.  We made very good time too.  Enough time to settle down for the evening, although I didn't feel like doing a darn thing!  So I just finally unpacked my suitcase and did a few loads of laundry.  I haven't unpacked Lucas' suitcase yet, although he's got his share of laundry to clean.

Below are some of the scenery photos. 

West Virginia. Pennsylvania. And the rest Virginia.