Check out my bump

Here are the before and after photos of the growth on my shoulder. I wanted to get a photo of the fatty tumor after its removal, but Melanie didn't have the stomach for it.

Create

My friend sent me a link to a quick, motivating movie clip.

(clip can be found on this website)

Speaking of "creating something from nothing"--here is what Sam "created" for a little valentine's surprise. He even found my box of scraps of scrapbook papers to use.With Sam, you never know what you'll get next, or where you might find your shoe (or other item) that he has hidden, or what he'll say or do that will just make me laugh. He's great fun to have around.

6 Months

Today marks the 6th month of pregnancy (3 more to go!); 27 weeks along tomorrow.

Here are some photos of me and my growing tummy, as well as of Sam and his growing tummy.

Who Needs to Be a Kid to Enjoy a Toy Store?

In Vegas we visited FAO Schwartz in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace (and then dined at the Cheesecake Factory for my third time that week...oh! All that scrumptious food!).

My mom is truly just a big kid at heart, and I wish I had taken more photos (or, actually, a video) of her in that store. Here are some highlights of that grandiose store.

My mom with her new monkey friend. Sam playing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on the enormous keyboard. Sam in the mirror-boxed room. More photos on this blog here (thanks Laura).


This photo is of me and Sam trying not to breathe in the smoke-filled air as we waited for our valet car to come back. I can't tell you how sick I was of smokey air by the time my conference was over. It was nice to spend the rest of the weekend at Laura's house in the suburbs and away from the filthy strip. Ick.

Hair Play

While visiting family in Vegas, Sam starting twisting my hair. What started as this:Turned into this (with the help of my cousins): It took a couple of hours to twist it all up, but surprisingly not very long to un-twist it. This is probably as close to a "fro" as I'll ever get.

Why Just Any Name Doesn't Work

My mom forwarded me an article about real names given to real people in Britain (and a few in the U.S.).

Check it out here.

Honestly, names like Stan Still, Rose Bush, Hazel Nutt, Paige Turner, Anna Sasin, Bill Board, should never exist. Sure they make us laugh, but those poor individuals who have to deal with it every time they introduce themselves and become the butt-end of yet another person's joke (who thinks, of course, they are the only person who has ever noticed the humor in their name).

And then there are names like John Johnson, Peter Peterson, Sandra Sands, Harris Harrison.

I think I would forever go by my middle name or change my name if any of those names belonged to me.

Hoover Dam

Over President's Day weekend, Sam and I were in Vegas visiting my cousin Laura and her family. We took a trip out to Hoover Dam and forgot our camera. But thankfully Russell had his and took some of us.
The Dam Tours were closed because the elevators were not properly working. But we were still able to see the dam and watch movies about how it was made. It's pretty amazing.
Random fact: about 97 lives were taken while constructing it.