ak40sarah

Baby Maia is here....

2011-09-21T14:44:00.000-05:00

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

August's Toys

2011-03-16T11:10:00.000-05:00

So the other day, before leaving the house, I told August to pick a toy to bring with him. He brought a can of tomato paste. He actually played with this tomato paste all day. The next day it was a sponge. Here he is with his paste and sponge.

Even More Bergen fun

2011-03-16T11:05:00.000-05:00

Zilker Park Kite Fest

2011-03-16T11:02:00.001-05:00

Potty Training...

2011-03-16T10:57:00.001-05:00

We've begun potty training and the best way for him to learn seems to be as a nudist. So all week he's been a free bird.

August contemplates his next move

2011-02-22T22:40:00.000-06:00

Water, row boats and ducks create moments of unusual stillness and silence.

Ride the choo choo train

2011-02-22T22:36:00.000-06:00

This was shot a little while back too. He gets so excited when we go to Zilker and ride the choo choo train. After we got our tickets, he sat on the train for about 45 minutes (waiting for it to go), instead of playing on the playground that's RIGHT NEXT to the train.

Chinese New Year

2011-02-22T22:32:00.001-06:00

We went to a Chinese New Year celebration by the "chinatown" shopping center. They set off fireworks outside of each shop to protect it from evil spirits. They also had dancers and music.

DANCE TIME!!

He was pooped after all that gettin' down:

Learning I'm sorry

2011-02-22T22:22:00.000-06:00

August decided that when he does something wrong, he will give a BIG HUG and that makes it all better. For some reason he put his stuffed bear, Corduroy, in time out. Afterward they do a "big hug."

More Bergen Fun

2011-02-20T15:00:00.004-06:00

August is so happy!

August Helps Daddy Walk the Dogs

2011-02-20T15:00:00.002-06:00

Picnic

2011-02-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

We had a picnic in the backyard the other day. He was happy. He keeps pointing to the area we had the picnic in saying "picnic! Picnic!" now.

Dance!

2011-02-20T10:15:00.002-06:00

This video is a little older, but still cute. He gets down to some M.I.A.

August and Daddy Wash The Car

2011-02-20T10:10:00.002-06:00

Make Belive Party

2011-02-19T21:08:00.000-06:00

August and Bergen had a party with the stuffed animals. They got a bunch of bowls filled with cupcake toppings and went to town on the zucchini "cupcakes" with cream cheese frosting. :-)

August Flies a Kite

2011-02-19T20:44:00.002-06:00

He actually gets it off the ground and flies it. Yay August!

Too Full...

2011-02-19T20:41:00.003-06:00

August and daddy ate way to much at dinner...

We finally figured out a good use for the iPad

2011-02-19T20:36:00.010-06:00

Potty training...

August has a new friend...

2011-02-19T20:27:00.002-06:00

Meet Bergen. August's new friend. August is TOTALLY smitten over Bergen. He gets so giddy when she comes over to play that he can hardly contain himself. Here are a few videos...

Time once again for...Holiday Cards!!!

2010-11-19T21:41:00.001-06:00

Well it's that time of year again, HOLIDAY CARDS! I've been collecting addresses and filtering through the wonderful photos Melinda took of August this year. The selection of holiday cards at Shutterfly is almost overwhelming! Here are a few of my favorites this year...

One is the Frosted Frame Card above.
Very simple, mod and still elegant.

Or this Give Joy design.
I guess I'm just in the mood for simplicity this year. And Mel's photo will look great with a clean design. Decisions, decisions.

Here's a link to all 289 of their holiday cards
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

I also ordered a photobook from them for the first time this year. The online tool was sooo much easier to use than some of the others I've looked at. I'm excited to see all my holiday loot which should be arriving soon!

Some useful coupon codes:
FATWALLET5 gets you 25% off cards
SHIP30 gets free shipping with $30 purchase
UPROMISE5FREE gets you 5 free cards (only good till Nov 20)

Yay holidays!!

August's First Best Friend

2010-11-11T15:20:00.000-06:00

These two are so cute I just want to eat them up!!!!!!

Pumpkin Time

2010-10-18T15:26:00.000-05:00

Last year, the pumpkins were tiny, just like August.

This year they're both so much bigger!

Aunt Melinda Rules!

2010-06-28T10:32:00.007-05:00

Melinda took some awesome photos of August when we were in Dallas last. What an awesome photographer she is! These are just great!

Little Drummer Boy

2010-06-26T08:15:00.004-05:00

Awww, daddy and August partake in a friendly drum session together...

Daddy's getting scared now...

Wait for it...

BAM!

new art

2010-06-25T19:55:00.002-05:00

practicing clouds...
need to take a better photo...

Are naps coming to an end so soon?

2010-06-24T13:35:00.004-05:00

August attempts to climb out/escape from crib...

splash pad and park

2010-06-24T08:09:00.002-05:00

August and a flower

2010-06-22T09:36:00.002-05:00

Salutation to the Dawn

2010-06-20T12:17:00.003-05:00

Painted this over the weekend...

Salutation to the Dawn:
Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendor of beauty
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow only a vision
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore to this day!
Such is the salutation to the dawn.
- Kalidasa, Indian Poet

Sign Language for MORE

2010-06-19T14:35:00.004-05:00

Aug teaches us the sign language for MORE

On my Potty

2010-06-17T07:57:00.006-05:00

All the things I like to do on my potty...none of which actually include USING the potty.

Flute playing...

Ahhh, maybe I'll take a load off and drink some water...

Blue Painting

2010-06-15T13:47:00.001-05:00

This one is pretty big. I think 4'x4'.

And a few others

2010-06-14T22:48:00.005-05:00

This one didn't really work out like I wanted. My cherry blossoms are WAAAY OFF. But it was still fun to paint. It think the tree trunk and grass worked out okay.

Painted this last year. I still can't manage to get a good photo of it. Looks so much better in person.

Kirk and Italy

2010-06-14T22:45:00.005-05:00

This was from a photo of Kirk looking out at the ocean when we were on our honeymoon in Calabria, Italy. I painted it a few months ago...

Painting of branches

2010-06-14T22:41:00.004-05:00

Finished this tonight...

August and the Giggles

2010-06-13T10:32:00.002-05:00

August Reads

2010-06-13T10:29:00.002-05:00

new painting

2010-06-11T20:42:00.002-05:00

I like the birds...

An Interview with August

2010-05-11T08:29:00.004-05:00

Parliament

2010-02-14T10:43:00.003-06:00

Over 200 Parliament cigarette boxes with 3 coats of heavy resin...the canvas is done.

Next step, the painting on the canvas...

Doggie Time Out

2010-02-12T09:46:00.001-06:00

What August does when Buster is in time out...

Story Time

2010-02-10T11:32:00.003-06:00

We went to a free story and song time at a local library. It was a tantrum disaster and ended in me carrying a screaming, kicking toddler through a library (shhhhhh). Within the last few days, we have officially entered into a new stage of development. Oh goodie.

SPIN CLASS

2010-02-10T11:28:00.005-06:00

More Spoon Training

2010-02-08T10:50:00.001-06:00

Requires no explanation...

CHICKEN DOG!

2010-02-08T10:44:00.003-06:00

We took August to a free kids show at a coffee house on Sunday. The performer was a guy with three dogs who called himself Chicken Dog. August was on a RAMPAGE yesterday, so we didn't stay too long. But he did have fun watching for a few.

Box on head

2010-02-08T10:42:00.003-06:00

Lately we've been putting stuff on August's head and telling him to BALLLLLANNNCE balance baaallllance. Totally cracks him up. Sometimes I find him trying to do it by himself. Here he's trying to balance a box on his head. :-)

Loco-Motion

2010-02-08T10:39:00.005-06:00

We went to an inflatable bounce house on Saturday called Loco-motion. Whooo!

We'ved moved to Austin! YAY!

2010-02-01T07:44:00.003-06:00

This is what August thinks about it...

In my spare time...by August Chatawanich

2009-10-17T10:11:00.005-05:00

In my spare time, I enjoy pulling all the Tupperware out of the cabinet.

I also enjoy, looking at books, or having mom read them to me. Letters and flash cards are the best!

August's First Wedding...

2009-10-17T10:04:00.009-05:00

August got to attend his first wedding on Friday. Congrats Dana!!

Sunday Funday!

2009-10-11T21:08:00.002-05:00

Aug kicks it with the Chata Clan!

August learns to walk!!!

2009-10-11T15:10:00.002-05:00

He was so GIDDY when he first learned to walk!!!

August plays the drums! Well, kind of...

2009-10-11T13:55:00.002-05:00

Yay Large Fields of Grass!

2009-10-11T13:07:00.004-05:00

Boy I'm on a roll today...

Aug and I went to the PARK down the street for a quick romp. He falls on his butt and puts his hands up in the air...because 1) he's too lazy to get up and wants his mommas help and 2) he would prefer natures elements (dirt, grass...) be removed from his hands.

He pushed the BOB around and overall had a jolly good time.

ACL!!

2009-10-11T11:20:00.006-05:00

The School Of Seven Bells

El and I

The Knux...best unknown band seen at ACL.

Medeski, Martin and Wood ... I could actually feel the acid taken by audience members kicking in.

Best Photo of the Day

Alex and Ellen

Dior actually had a butterfly come and land on her finger during MMW. Such good luck!!

Sweet Dior enjoying a TALLLLLLLL frosty beverage :-)

Sea of people during Phoenix

I'm tired of labeling these...

The Cuz!!

2009-10-11T11:00:00.004-05:00

On my way back from the Austin City Limits music fest this year, I had the pleasure of grabbing a quick bite with my cousin Tony and his totally awesome, adorable son Trevor. Thank you for driving an hour and a half to meet me!!! I can't believe I haven't seen this Trevor since before he could even sit up!!

Trevor is a sweet, gentle doll who LOVES GIVING HUGS!!! And just laying his head on your shoulder.

Mash-up ART!

2009-10-11T10:02:00.006-05:00

Alex + Sarah = ROUND ONE RESULTS...
I sent a piece of art to my dear friend Alex in LA...he added to it and mailed it back.

Now, I have finished round two and am mailing it back this week. I put a heavy resin glaze on the piece and added a few fish. I didn't glue the fish down, so the resin got underneath it and made them look like they are floating there above the piece. After that dried I added more fish and more resin. You really can't get what this piece looks like by the picts...but I am very pleased with the results...tiny bubbles formed in the resin which I liked even more...

Excerpt from The Prophet by Kalil Gibran

2009-09-11T13:52:00.010-05:00

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backwards nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

Happiness

2009-09-07T22:01:00.009-05:00

Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower, but is already present, in open relaxation and letting go. Don't strain yourself, there is nothing to do or undo.

Whatever momentarily arises in the body-mind has No real importance at all, has little reality whatsoever. Why identify with, and become attached to it, passing judgment upon it and ourselves?

Far better to simply let the entire game happen on its own, springing up and falling back like waves, without changing or manipulating anything and notice how everything vanishes and reappears, magically, again and again, time without end.

Only our searching for happiness prevents us from seeing it. It is like a vivid rainbow which you pursue without ever catching, or a dog chasing its own tail.

Although peace and happiness do not exist as an actual thing or place, it is always available and accompanies you every instant.

Don't believe in the reality of good and bad experiences; they are like today's ephemeral weather, like rainbows in the sky.

Wanting to grasp the ungraspable, you exhaust yourself in vain. As soon as you open and relax this tight fist of grasping, infinite space is there open, inviting and comfortable.

Make use of this spaciousness, this freedom and natural ease. Don't search any further looking for the great awakened elephant, who is already resting quietly at home in front of your own hearth.

Nothing to do or undo, nothing to force, nothing to want, and nothing missing.
Emaho! Marvelous!

Everything happens by itself.

--Lama Gendun Rinpoche

I'm ONE!!! YAY!

2009-08-14T12:07:00.002-05:00

Grandad will be missed

2009-06-23T14:34:00.007-05:00

Today was my Grandfather's funeral. He was a great man. He bought me my first computer. I am so appreciative of him and his life. It was a long life, well lived. He left happy and fulfilled. I will miss him and love him always.

I am so sad. I am just so very sad.

This is a photo of him meeting August for the first time. What an amazing blessing it was that he was able to meet him before he died.

August helping me stretch a canvas...

2009-06-02T19:00:00.006-05:00

:-)

testing 1-2-3...

2009-05-26T12:30:00.003-05:00

So I had an idea for a new series of paintings that will be done on plexiglass. So here is a test piece that I did just to test out the material and get an idea of the best way to proceed with the larger pieces.

New Art...Finally

2009-05-24T22:13:00.008-05:00

I've finally started getting to work in the studio...I mean really getting to work. My freelance work has been pretty slow lately, so I'm spending the downtime painting again. It feels so great. I get to hang out up there while August crawls around my feet and chases after the cat giggling. The weather has also been nice, so I've been able to open the many windows, feel a cool breeze, and really take advantage of this awesome space. I love it.

Here are a few new and old pieces in the works...I've been painting on the super breakout piece on and off for years. I made a lot of progress lately and can actually see the end in sight!! :-D I'll post some close ups when I'm done perfecting. It's been quite a journey getting the lines perfectly straight...I've even resorted to using razor blades for help. :)

The piece below is made up of Parliament cigarette boxes. I still have about 100 boxes left to assemble before the canvas of boxes is done. Then the painting will begin...so expect many months of fun updates here.

Letting the cycles flow

2009-05-24T21:23:00.002-05:00

Life is cyclical, not static. Our relationships benefit when we allow them to follow their own natural cycles.

Like the tide ebbs and flows, so do the cycles in relationships. We have periods of closeness and periods of distance. We have times of coming together and times of separating to work on individual issues.

We have times of love and joy, and times of anger.

Sometimes, the dimensions of relationships change as we go through changes. Sometimes, life brings us new friends or a new loved one to teach us the next lesson.

That does not mean the old friend disappears forever. It means we have entered a new cycle.

We do not have to control the course of our relationships, whether these be friendships or love relationships. We do not have to satisfy our need to control by imposing a static form on relationships.

Let it flow. Be open to the cycles. Love will not disappear. The bond between friends will not sever. Things do not remain the same forever, especially when we are growing and changing at such a rapid pace.

Trust the flow. Take care of yourself, but be willing to let people go. Hanging on to them too tightly will make them disappear.

-- Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go

ART! ART! ART! YAY!

2009-03-19T22:09:00.004-05:00

I'm finally in the new house!!! What a heck of a year I just had. 12 months of madness, babies and building a house from scratch. Probably one of the most stressful times of my entire life...but it's done!

We moved in about a week ago. It's amazing here. My art studio is just the coolest. I've been unpacking this week and coming across stuff I haven't seen in two years. Almost all of my stuff has been in storage since I moved here. So this is the first time i've seen a lot of it in TWO YEARS!!! I'm so inspired to get moving on those projects I had to set aside for a while. It feels great.

I am just so happy to be here and have such a beautiful studio to create in. It's got to be around 900 square feet of pure open space. :) Joy.

Art will be coming again soon...

Happiness.

What tha?

2009-01-24T12:18:00.002-06:00

So, we're just about at the six month mark and thought we'd give solid foods a try. He's not so much into it, which is a total shocker since he loooooooves boob milk and almost weighs 20lbs already.

He seemed to have fun with the food, but not much went into the belly. :)

2.5 Minutes of August Giggling

2008-12-28T23:54:00.002-06:00

I love this. It makes me crack up every time I see it. :)

First Annual Non-Denomination Cruelty-Free Winter Festival Tree

2008-11-30T22:56:00.005-06:00

We went to Mainstay Tree Farm outside of Fort Worth and cut down our first annual Christmas tree...or as Kirk is calling it, our First Annual Non-Denomination Cruelty-Free Winter Festival Tree. Whatever, it's awesome. It was so much fun. You get to ride a trailer pulled by a tractor out to the farm area where you are given a saw. You walk through rows of trees, pick yours and then you get to cut it down yourself.

We had hot cocoa cause it was FREEZING. August had a blast. He was just amazed at everything! What a fun tradition. :)

Me and my buddy.

2008-09-13T21:03:00.002-05:00

More picts of August

2008-08-17T19:40:00.001-05:00

My sis came over and took a few picts yesterday. He's so cuuuute. :)

MILK EVERYWHERE!!

2008-08-16T12:33:00.003-05:00

So apparently when your milk comes in it's like someone attached a few hoses to your chest and they just turn on whenever they want. I think I've gotten milk on everything i own. You're walking around, everything is cool, then all of the sudden you realize you, the baby, and half of your house is covered in milk.

Breastfeeding is triiiick-keee! It really takes a while to get used to. I had my first public breastfeeding experience yesterday when we took him to the pediatrician for the first time. (which by the way he is great...already back up to his birth weight :) ). In the end, I had given up any shyness, my boob was all over the place and the hooter hider was on the floor. There has got to be a method to this madness. :)

photos from past shower

2008-08-16T12:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry i think the photos from the baby shower in LA are buried pretty deep. You can find them here:
SHOWER PICTS

My life has changed.

2008-08-15T00:01:00.004-05:00

Wow. What a joy. My son has finally arrived. My water broke Sunday afternoon and he joined us here at 1:09am on Monday morning. I had a natural childbirth at the Allen Birthing Center. The nurse and midwife there were incredible. I couldn't thank them enough for the experience they helped to create for me. It was possibly the best birth I could have ever hoped for. I was in active labor for only 3 hours...one of which I was pushing.

August, Kirk and I worked together to get him out without tearing and without drugs. He came out 100% perfect. Kirk caught him and laid him on my chest. He just sat there, so alert and wide eyed, and starred at me and Kirk. We let the cord pulse until all the blood had transferred from the placenta to him. Afterwards Kirk cut the cord and I was able to nurse my son for the first time.

It was hard work, but so very worth every bit of it. Kirk was amazing. He was there for me every second of the experience. He was just so supportive and took such great care of me.

I feel so blessed. This entire pregnancy and the delivery was perfect. Absolutely perfect. And out of it I have the most precious gift I could have ever asked for. This was by far the best experience of my life. I love this boy so much. He has changed my life.

Less than a week till...

2008-08-05T18:23:00.002-05:00

Well, it's less than a week till my due date...which is August 11th. I still feel great and am loving feeling this little buddy in my belly. It's so neat to feel him wiggle around. Getting little indicators here and there that the time is coming. But he still seems pretty comfy.

I think I'm ready for him...whenever he decides to come. Could be anytime in the next few weeks, so I'm not trying to get too overly anxious. It will be great to see his little face. :)

Seriously?!

2008-08-04T19:08:00.003-05:00

It's 106 degrees here today. I'm not being sarcastic either. It is literally 106 degrees. WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT? It feels like you're walking around in a heater. There's an awesome breeze...which is extremely hot...almost like you stuck your head in the oven right when you pull the door down. So, yeah it's a breeze, but it still burned your face off.

Clothes no longer has a place in my life.

Baby Shower picts

2008-07-18T11:09:00.002-05:00

Here are two photos from the baby shower that my mom and sis threw for me here in Dallas. It was so cute and such a great time. They put so much work into it and I really had a great day. I'll update with more info and photos as soon as I get some. But here are two photos that Melinda took of me. I think they're my favorite photos of this entire pregnancy.

Whaa happened?!!

2008-07-02T18:59:00.003-05:00

Our house is now GONE!! Totally demolished. Now we just have some brand new, fancy piers and beams in the ground.

34 Weeks and Counting!!

2008-07-02T18:42:00.003-05:00

So here's a few shots of my gargantuan belly these days. What a hilarious difference from 12 weeks when, in a previous post, I said "wow my belly is huge!" It was not huge. It was the opposite from huge. I can now claim with some confidence that my belly is now HUGE.

He's moving around and having fun in his little cocoon in my belly. I went to see our midwife today and told her about some cramps I was having this past weekend. Apparently those were contractions...and it's too early for us to have contractions. So my idea to "walk it off" and go for a 3 mile walk was not the best idea. Apparently, until this baby reaches term, I need to rest when I feel that. Go figure.

Anyway, as of now, mommy and baby are doing great and feeling good. I still have a million things to do/buy before he arrives. It'll all get done at some point though.

Baby Chata doing ok!!

2008-06-11T20:19:00.008-05:00

Went today and had a sonogram to make sure my little boy was still doing okay in my belly. I wasn't hurting, so I thought he probably was okay, but better safe than sorry. We got to see his cute little mug. He was just so cute in there...squirming around and sleeping it off. :)

Here are the photos...

This one is a side view...you can see his little lips puckering.
Awwww...

This is a front view...
Whose lips are those?!!!!

A cute little foot. :)

He's still a little boy. :)

Baby Tobin is here!

2008-06-09T22:57:00.009-05:00

I'm getting caught up with a few other posts right now since I'm sequestered to the couch (Kirk won't allow me to get up for a few since I fell). Tracy's baby was born over the weekend!! Super healthy and totally cute.

How cute is that baby?!!

On an unrelated note, I finally uploaded some photos from my trip to Los Angeles. I had such a great time. You can see all of them here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ak40sarah/LosAngelesTripBabyCelebration

I'm still waiting for Raj to hook me up with the rest. Baby classes are going really good. We are 31 weeks pregnant now and I'm huge all of the sudden. I have a lot to do and buy before this baby comes.

Last but not least, our house was FINALLY demolished. We should have the new one going up soon enough. Here is the photo of the bulldozer in our front yard the day before it went to town...

Scary Night :(

2008-06-09T22:51:00.004-05:00

So, I am getting much larger and apparently am loosing my ability to balance and walk at the same time. Tonight I tripped over our child-gate that blocks the dogs out of part of our house (for the cat and our bedroom). My foot caught on it and I went down...face and belly first.

So I feel directly on my stomach, face and arms...feet up in the air. This has got to be the scariest thing I've had happen in my pregnancy so far. I know the baby is living in a bubble that's supposed to protect it from these kind of things, but it doesn't make it any easier or any less scary.

I just love this little baby so much. I want to do everything I can to protect it and keep it safe...and then I go and fall on it. :(

I'm not having any pains, so I think everything is okay, just really scary. Kirk now thinks I'm a retard and won't let me do anything.

Baby Hiccups

2008-06-02T12:06:00.004-05:00

I've been so busy these last couple of weeks that I haven't had much time to post. We moved out of Waxahachie (thank God) and back to Dallas. I went to LA for a week and had an awesome baby shower. It was so great to get to see everyone and hang out. I've really been missing my Los Angeles peeps A LOT, so it was a really great time. I'm going to post some photos of that very soon too.

I'm 30 weeks pregnant now...so 7 1/2 months along. It feels like it's all so close now!! A baby is considered full term as early as 37 weeks! I am so not ready yet!

Kirk and I started our childbirth classes yesterday. We're doing the Bradley method (or husband coached) childbirth classes. Kirk has been having to help me learn how to relax a little more. Sometimes it's hard to shut my brain off...meditation has never come very easy for me. But he's been really, really great. He massages my back and tries to get me to relax myself for like 10 or 15 minutes every night. Since we've decided to do natural childbirth, it's going to be very important for me to chill and let my body do its thing.

We switched from a hospital birth to a birthing center for our natural childbirth experience. We choose Allen Birthing Center. Here is the website: http://www.allenbirthingcenter.com/ We are so excited about the opportunity to birth in a birth center. Since I've had a good pregnancy and am in good health, a natural birth in this type of environment seems like an appropriate option.

And finally, on Saturday night i felt my little boy HICCUPING IN MY BELLY!! It was the coolest thing I've ever felt. Like tiny little flutters in my tummy that were too light and too quick to be kicks. It was so awesome. I just love it when this baby moves around in my belly. It's so beautiful when he reminds me that he is safe and okay. This has been quite a journey so far.

I'm done traveling and going to start taking things a little easier for these last remaining weeks till I get to meet my son. :)

Hopefully I'll have time to post more often as a result of it.

St. John with my honey

2008-05-05T21:29:00.007-05:00

So, Kirk and I just got back from St. John and St. Thomas for 10 days. We had such a great time. We didn't think about anything work or house related. It was so nice. We rented a house in St. John with the most amazing view.

One day we rented a dingy and took it over to the various beaches on the island. Boat was the only way to get to some of the beaches, which meant they were totally deserted. So we were able to snorkel and swim without anyone else around. At one point we thought it would be a good idea to anchor the boat and jump off to do some snorkeling...however we didn't think about how we were going to get my pregnant ass back in the boat. So anyone who got to witness this hilarious site, was treated to a very comical show.

Here are the photos from the trip. As you can see, I'm getting mega pregnant. :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/ak40sarah/StJohn5508807PM

FOOOOOD!!!!

2008-04-07T16:28:00.003-05:00

I'm now 22 weeks pregnant, or in my 23rd week. I CAN'T STOP EATING! I'm friggin hungry all the time now! So far today I've had

1) bowl of cheerios with bananas
2) orange
3) cup of v8
4) small bag of baked lays
5) spinach salad with chicken
6) apple
7) granola bar
8) big vine of grapes
9) couple bites of cookies and cream ice cream :)

And it's only 4 in the afternoon. And I'm still hungry. Where the hell is all this going? This boy of mine must have a VERY healthy appetite. Kirk does eat more than anyone I've known and he never seems to gain weight, so he MUST be taking after daddy.

Lord have mercy...they're gonna know me by name in the grocery store by the time this pregnancy is over.

The Preggo Ding Dong Taste Test

2008-04-03T09:23:00.014-05:00

So, last night after dinner, I had this crazy urge for ding dong cupcakes. I couldn't shake it. I even had girl scout cookies in the freezer. But noooo, nothing else sounded quite like a ding dong cupcake at that moment. So Kirk and I ventured out in search for some good old fashioned ding dongs.

First we hit H.E.B. To our surprise, they only carried the Little Debbie variety, which are hardly cupcakes. Anytime you get a whole box of something for .99, you gotta be a little suspicious.

So the search went on to the local Exxon. Still, no good old fashioned ding dongs like we used to eat as a kid. I had a vision in my head of what it was I was desperately searching for, but it was no where to be found...and I would've thought Waxahachie (no health food stores in sight, but plenty of places to get a fat chicken fried steak covered in gravy) would have been the king of ding dong towns.

With my urge for the ding dongs quickly fading, we decided to do a ding dong taste test with the weird varieties we could find at Exxon.

Below are our results. The brands tested were:

1) Mrs. Bairds Cups
2) Pinguinos (the spanish version of the cream filled cup cake)
3) Bengel Traders Chocolate Cupcakes (I think the generic Exxon brand).

The winner by a landslide?
BENGEL TRADERS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES!!!
They were soft and moist and tasted very fresh.

********
Mrs. Bairds came in second.

Definitely a little older, these had a harder shell and harder cake innards. We expected a lot more from them...especially since there's a factory in Dallas.

********
Pinguinos came in third...it would've been less if we had more places. They were by far the worst ding dongs. I feel for the kids whose moms actually buy these for them. The shell was hard as a rock and the cake was just as hard. We barely stomached one bite before throwing the rest away.

If you ever feel the urge to buy Pinguinos, maybe you're real high and it sounds like a good idea, trust me...STAY FAR AWAY.

********

Ahhh the joys of being pregnant, unable to drink and temporarily living in a town like Waxahachie.

21 Weeks of Belly

2008-03-28T10:02:00.004-05:00

On Sunday I'll be 21 weeks preggo. I've been meaning to take some shots of the ever growing belly for a few weeks now, so here ya go. As for me...I think this past week I really became PREGNANT. I mean, PREGNANT. All the sudden I'm getting winded easier, my face is starting to get all sorts of crazy looking (oh what pregnancy does to the skin), and my body is growing and changing so fast. I'm just glad it's less emotional now. Maybe getting the move behind us helped remove some stress from me too.

I'm really enjoying a little time in the country. It's actually pretty peaceful and calm. The dogs seem calmer too, which really helps my state of mind. :)

The flutters in the belly are continuing. I think pretty soon I'll be able to tell where the baby is in my belly and which direction he's facing. I think the next few weeks are going to be pretty cool.

Flutters in my tummy!

2008-03-24T09:31:00.002-05:00

I'm finally feeling some little flutters in my tummy. It's really cool to get to feel the baby after 5 months of anticipation. I'm now 20 weeks along, just at my halfway point.

We moved out of our house this weekend, which was extremely exhausting. We are now in the process of preparing to demolish the house and build a new one. It's been in the works since before we were even pregnant, so it feels really good to finally see something coming of all the work and time we've put into it.

I'll post some new photos of my belly this week. It's really changing now!!!

IT'S A BOY! IT'S A BOY!!

2008-03-13T18:52:00.005-05:00

Yay! We got to see our little baby today. He's 100% perfectly healthy and weighs about 10oz. It was so beautiful and exciting to get to see the baby moving around. We got to see it's tiny little toes and fingers, the heart beating, the brain and more importantly...his little boy part! :)

Below are some photos of the baby today and a little video of our entire sonogram today. We are ecstatic! Little baby boy Chatawanich is on his way!! I am 18 1/2 weeks along and counting. :)

UPDATE: The video isn't uploading, I'll troubleshoot it later.

Tomorrow's the big day!!

2008-03-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

The baby and I took a trip down to Austin this past weekend for SxSW interactive. We attended lots of talks about the interwebs, design and development. It was pretty inspiring, but I don't think it was worth the money. Lots of the panels were just not what they were described to be. So, next year, I'm gonna skip out on this one. Nonetheless, we had fun.

We finally find out the sex tomorrow!! I am soo excited. I have a lot to do between now and then, so I'm pretty sure the time is gonna fly. Place your bets now. The baby can hear now too!! It's little ears are formed and signals are going to the brain. So it will be able to begin recognizing Kirk and my voice. Awwww...

Yay!!

Camping at Dinosaur Valley State Park

2008-03-04T11:36:00.002-06:00

We went on a last minute camping trip up to Dinosaur Valley State Park this past weekend. The weather was amazing! It was only about an hour or two away from where we live, but lots of pretty trails and creeks and the like.

Since it was such a last minute trip we didn't have reservations. And I thought, really, who goes camping in Texas? It's not like this is Big Sur or anything. But alas, the park was sold out! They had one spot left but it was about a mile and a half to two mile hike with all our gear to get there.

But we did it!! It took about two very tiring trips to get all our gear out there and three to get back. We even had to carry all our stuff over a flowing creek/river with some spaced apart rocks in the water as your only means of crossing.

It was quite an adventure. I am soooo sore now!!! Good times.

Heading to SxSW on Friday!

Heart Day

2008-02-17T16:48:00.003-06:00

We got to hear the babies heartbeat for the first time on Valentines day...very fitting for the day. Apparently everything sounded healthy and was progressing along as expected. I was relieved to hear that and know the baby is healthy. I'm 15 weeks preggers now and starting to really show.

I made our next appointment for march, when we find out the sex!!!! So exciting. :)

TWELVE WEEKS OF BELLY

2008-01-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

I'm 12 weeks pregnant now. I've had a couple of people ask me to take some photos of my belly now, so here's the first one. I've been surprised at how fast my belly has been growing. I wasn't expecting such a change in my body so quickly. I'll be honest, it's hard to deal with just feeling like you're getting fat, especially when you can't actually feel the baby yet.

But you know what, who cares, it's not about me right now. It's all temporary and for a purpose. I just want to make sure I'm getting enough nutrients and exercise to create a nice little habitat for the little one growing inside me. Everything I do and eat is for the good of the little buddy.

Apparently the baby is able to wiggle it's fingers and toes and is moving all around in me. I just can't feel it yet. I love this little baby so much. :)

I'd like a single plum floating in perfume served in a mans hat...

2008-01-26T23:01:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh food. My stomach is getting much better! I feel way less icky and can eat a bit more healthy. I'll be 12 weeks pregnant tomorrow!! This week marks the end of the first trimester. THANKS GOODNESS!!! Apparently my baby is about 3 inches in length. I can totally feel the baby come over my pelvic bone. There's like a water balloon inside of me.

Unfortunately Kirk is pretty sick right now, so we've had to keep our distance. Poor thing, I think he has pneumonia. :( No bueno.

I've had a lot of energy at the end of the night lately. Last night I was up till like 2:30 am just learning more about action script 3.0 while watching Splash simultaneously. My baby is gonna be such a retro nerd. :)

Ick

2008-01-22T16:04:00.000-06:00

The past few days have been pretty rough. I guess I'm feeling the first real feelings of the morning sickness and exhaustion. I've had a few days of the dreaded first trimester sickness scattered here and there, but not continuously. For the past few days, it's been every day. I still haven't puked, although there's been a lot of dry heaving and gross pukie feelings.

I'm soooooo tired too. I don't take naps well either. I feel like I'm being lazy if I take a nap and count the minutes of the day that I've missed when I could be doing one of the million things on my to do list. BUT, I've been trying to be a little nicer to myself and let the body sleep when it's tired and relax when it's not feeling good.

Every muscle on my body aches. I have to sleep on my left side at night cause apparently sleeping on the back and stomach are no good for the baby - and the right side is just less beneficial. It's making my entire body sore from head to toe.

Apparently this goes away at like week 12 or 13...and I'm currently around 11 1/2. I've been lucky that it's just started like this recently since most people get it for a few months straight.

But, nonetheless, I CAN'T WAIT for this phase to be over. Blaaaaa.

What a beautiful day!

2008-01-17T15:22:00.001-06:00

What an amazing day! I got to really see my baby for the first time. You could see it's little heart beating away. It was just sitting there sleeping cross legged. It's about 2 inches long right now. She tried to wake it, but no luck. It's too cozy in that belly of mine. :) Apparently the baby is totally healthy and doing great!

It was just so cool to get to really see it. Up until now I've just been feeling slightly crappy, getting fat and being hormonal. There's been nothing to really help me connect with the experience.

We left the doctor and started driving home and IT STARTED SNOWING!! Crazy! It was just a magical, beautiful day altogether. I've can't get this stupid grin off my face.

9 weeks along

2008-01-05T12:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm just about nine weeks along now. It feels like I've been pregnant for years already. Since I'm not getting morning sickness, it's almost like I'm just me, except I can eat my favorite foods (sushi, herbal teas, soft cheeses, etc) and I can't drink.

My hormones are nuts. I've had a few cry fits where it just seems like the world is closing in on me and a minute later I've switched tracks and I'm asking Kirk if he got around to returning those shoes. No one told me the first few months of pregnancy would bring on such depressing feelings. I don't like that part. It's like I'm about to start my period every day.

That's really my only tell tale sign that I'm pregnant. Oh that and I'm getting a pot belly. It's hard for me to fully connect since I can't feel anything happening inside of me.

I love reading what's happening in my body every month. My baby is the size of a grape right now and weighs about an ounce. Apparently it's swimming around in my uterus and has fully functioning organs of it's own. So crazy. I have a grape swimming in me!!

I'M PREGNANT!!

2007-12-27T22:44:00.001-06:00

I'm just about 8 weeks preggers! We had our first sonogram the other day and there's only one little baby in there...no twins or multi-duplicates. It has a healthy heartbeat and seems to be doing fine so far.

Not much activity with me. I'm not sick, just a little more tired than usual, and I get dizzy easy, so I can't do a whole lot of jumping around in my workouts. I was really emotional at first, but that too seems to be calming down. I could cry from a commercial I was so emotional.

It's a little scary, but the future of the unknown always is. I'm so happy though. It's such an amazing experience to have a living creation forming inside of you. :)

I'm trying to take it one day at a time, remind myself to slow down and breathe when I'm feeling overwhelmed, and send my baby good, calming, loving vibes.

Work in Progress

2007-11-24T16:14:00.001-06:00

This is a photo of the new art piece I'm working on. It's pill bottles transferred onto canvas with an acrylic painting on top. Started it a week or two ago. Probably going to have to put it on hold for a few days so I can take care of some much needed business.

My New 2008 Audi TT Coupe

2007-11-24T15:05:00.000-06:00

Traded in the mini cooper yesterday and got me a fancy new car. She's a 2008 Audi TT Coupe and she's soooo much fun. What a car. Never driven anything like it. I couldn't be happier!