A-mazing!

We had the pleasure of going to see "The Blind Side" this weekend, and were shocked by what a great movie it was. Eric had told me the first time he saw a preview a few months ago in the theater, and I knew that since it had his favorite actress, that we would be seeing it soon after the release.

Sandra Bullock was MADE for this role, and continued to keep the audience's attention throughout the film. She has always been one of my favorite actresses, and I was thoroughly impressed by her last film, The Proposal, but all her films pale in comparison to this performance!

It is based on a true story about a young man that is adopted by a family, 'because it's the Christian thing to do,' and his rise in football and the changes in his life.

This is definitely going on my must-buy list when it comes out on DVD, and I suggest that you ALL take the time to see it in the theater. You will not be disappointed!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I have been thinking a lot about what I wanted to say on this wonderful day, and no matter which way I looked at what I was ultimately thankful for, it always came down to one thing...people. I'm thankful for my family, friends, and everyone I have had an chance to come into contact with.

I have had the opportunity to work with a new hire at work who is from Japan and has only been in the US for a short time. Her English is coming along great but she is still very unsure of herself, as I'm sure I would be too, so I took every opportunity to celebrate every accomplishment. There were ups, downs, freak-outs (by patients & families), but also quite a few high-fives and smiles. I try to take the time to congratulate her and remind her that she is a smart person, and one time she said something along the lines that 'if I only knew.' So I said, "there are more than enough people in this world that will drag you down, don't be a part of it!" After a further explanation she said she will always remember that.

I am so thankful for chance I have to interact with the public, even when the outcome is less than desirable. Just this week I ran into a family whose baby I helped care for, and they remembered my name and were so excited to see me and interested in how I was doing.

I am so thankful for my calling at church and those AMAZING teenagers I have the chance to interact with every Sunday. We have such great conversations about applying the gospel to our everyday lives, and they can all recite my own personal mission statement: approach each situation with love.

But, when all is said and done, I am most grateful for my Eternal companion, Eric. He drives and motivates me to be the person I want to be. He is my best friend and confidant. He is my partner in crime...and I am a better person with him by my side.

I am a people person, and I want to thank everyone that reads my blog for letting me express myself and fulfill my innate desire to interact with people everywhere.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary's Baby Shower

To all that read Mary’s Blog posts and that are as amused as I am by her outlook on life,

My name is Vanessa and Mary is one of my dearest friends. Mary and I met in nursing school a few years ago, but it feels like we’ve known each other a lifetime. I’m not sure I would have made it through nursing school without her. You see….she was the other half of my brain many a days. I have 3 crazy children, was working part time during nursing school and had a husband who was always gone (military). On the days that we had school, Mary would always show up to my house early and jump in to do whatever was necessary to get me out of the door. She made sure my kids were fed, their teeth were brushed and their clothes matched (a feat within itself with my daughter, Jayden). She would find my misplaced keys, books, homework or all the above and she even plucked a kid or two out of the bathtub a time or two. She did all this never complaining (maybe under her breath, but I never heard it)…. and never expecting a thing in return (except for me to carry her unborn child if she couldn’t get pregnant... thank God she did… but I so would have!) She has helped me paint, completely remodel my daughters room, lay hardwood floors, driven me to the ER and even made sure I had my favorite Starbucks white chocolate mocha delivered to the floor on my first day of clinical 4th semester(I was crazy nervous because I was the first one to be team leader). Not to mention she has also been a “fill-in” parent for my kids soccer/ballet/school orientation when a “real” parent was unavailable.

Needless to say, Mary has been a great friend over the last couple of years, so I want to return the favor by throwing her a super awesome baby shower. This is why I am writing to you. I am a silent stalker on Mary’s blog page, so I know how much support and encouragement you provide her and I can see how much you all care about her. She would be thrilled if you could all be a part of this special time in her life. I am having her baby shower on December 12th, so if you would like to send a small gift, donate a couple dollars towards a bigger gift (stroller, car seats etc) or even just send a card with some words of encouragement… (she is having twins… and boys at that) then please email me at vrittle@gmail.com and I will send you my address. I promise I will post tons of pictures after her baby shower. Mary is truly blessed to have friends like you.

Thank you,
Vanessa

Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby

While shopping at Wal-Mart or Publix, I often find myself grabbing the generic brand of almost everything because I can be quite frugal. This is often the better choice because of the price difference, and most times the brand name product isn't visibly that different. I practically lived off of the Publix brand of Diet Ginger Ale the first 15 weeks of this pregnancy, and don't mind grabbing a Wal-Mart brand soda if it is available.

I'm not sure if you could call them "cravings," but there are certain things that I have started to prefer. Orange anything being the main offender. I have always loved orange juice, but now I have to keep Sunny D in my fridge and a case of Diet Sunkist in the pantry.

Our last trip to the store I decided to give the cheaper brand a try:


They are both the most disgusting soda ever!! I don't have to worry about them going to waste because Eric will eat or drink anything that hasn't spoiled, but now I'm CRAVING 'good' orange and grape soda.

So, take heed, and stay away from these drinks!!! Your mouth will thank you!

What off brand have you bought, and then regretted???

Now, they're smiling!

About a year ago I did a post about how babies were out to get me. I thought I had a very good point, and I am currently believing my initial thoughts more and more each day.

Babies used to just glare at me with blank stares, and now they are smiling and waving. I know that can't be a coincidence! The word is out that I'm finally pregnant, and I think it's the fact that I'm having twins that makes a few of them wave :o) So, babies of the world, I hope this is a truce, and you won't use your telepathy to tell the twins to misbehave...please!

Well, people are allowed to be wrong :o)

So, I had my appointment at Sacred Heart & didn't mention that I had been told it was a boy & a girl. I waited patiently until I was asked if I knew what I was having, and then told them I wanted to know.

And, it looks like 2 boys! I am more likely to trust this ultrasound seeing as it was done by an experienced tech that does them all day, and the equipment is far better.

So, I have some cute dresses to return...but that's why I always keep the receipt!

We are now thinking about Cooper & Carter for first names. We weren't trying to have them be matching names, but we both like them.

It's a...........................boy & girl!!!

Yep, it looks like the majority of you were right!

I had an appointment on Eglin AFB yesterday, and in the past the OB/GYN's I've seen have been anything but patient & informative so I wasn't even suspecting an ultrasound. But, I was delighted with Dr. Thomas!! I knew it was going to be a good visit when I walked in and heard Bob Marley playing :o) He was very attentive & personable. When we left Eric said, "Um, I would feel more comfortable if you ONLY scheduled your appointments with him from now on." And, I would have to agree. The babies were both head down & Mackenzie is on my right and Cooper is on the left.

I have another appointment with the Perinatalogist on Monday @ Sacred Heart in Pensacola which we should get measurements & confirmation of the sexes.

We are really excited and went shopping at the Outlet Mall in Destin after my appt and found a few cute sleepers. So, to all my friends out there that have baby clothes, PLEASE send them my way!! You would be amazed at how much you can fit in the USPS flat rate shipping boxes :o)

It only took 8 years!!

Most of you know about the awkward sleeping arrangement my husband and I have. He has lost a little bit of weight, which has helped his snoring a ton, but he also gravitates to the center of the bed...and I end up on the couch. Lately though, he has taken pity on me and has been the one to sleep on the couch.

When he re-enlisted last month, he also got a decent bonus. And, we knew this was our one chance to get the King-sized bed we so desperately needed. So, here it is:Eric didn't want a foot board, and this bed just happened to match the rest of our current set of furniture in the bedroom.

I'm LOVING the extra space, and so is Koa. He hopped up in bed with me Saturday morning when I came home from work and made his way underneath the covers. First he came to my side & did a couple turns, then he heads over towards Eric and makes a few more circles...only to end up back on my side trying to climb over me! I said, "Koa, what are you doing?" to which Eric grabbed him and replied, "but there's so much more room for activities!"

I laughed for about the next 10 minutes as we continued to make silly comments for Koa.

Oh, and I found out that the twins are being referred to as Eric's Fire Team. It started with Eric's 1st Sgt. referring to me as "[his] old lady carrying the fire team," and has spread throughout the rest of Battalion. You just have to love the Army!

If at first you don't succeed...

I have been VERY fortunate in the fact that every place we have moved, there have been loving people to adopt me into their family here in Florida. I still have many Ohana in Hawaii, and have grown very close to my friend Amber & her parents. They have always treated me like one of the family and I love spending time with them!

Every Christmas they have "Girls Bake Day" which I have been able to be a part of the past two years. The girls start baking early in the morning, but by about 2pm someone is normally drunk or passed out on the couch/some one's room.

This year we are starting early, and no boys are allowed until 4pm, so we can finish all our projects and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Everyone brings a fun treat to make, and we all have tins to take a little bit of each thing home. The only real holiday 'treat' that I do is a black bottom banana cream pie, but you can't really take that home in a tin. So, I'm on the lookout!

I got a recipe from a girl at work that looked VERY promising. And, seeing as the first time I do a recipe it takes me forever, I gave it a trial run last night. They are called Choco-Caramel Delights. It is a baked chocolate cookie rolled in pecans, with caramel in the center & chocolate drizzled on top. Here is how they turned out:.
They look awesome!! But, they don't taste so awesome. With all the potential I was hoping for something really sweet, but they were kind of bitter. And, I triple checked the ingredients before I added them, so I didn't add salt by mistake or forget the sugar. Also, I'm not a fan of pecans to begin with...I prefer peanuts. And, Eric wasn't a huge fan but said they were 'edible,' which by his standard is not saying much at all (this is the man that ate a worm to gross out boy scouts at a survival demonstration, and also ate a moth on a dare).

So, I'm debating on giving up on the recipe completely or trying to tweak it. I think there is potential there. I also thought of substituting the pecans for coconut, and trying to find a better chocolate cookie recipe. Any ideas??

Or, do you have a fun cookie/treat recipe that you do every Christmas that an amateur baker could handle?? If so, please email me at: way2cool2bcocky (at) gmail (dot) com

Halfway There!

Today I am officially to the halfway mark, and I'm getting really excited. The closer I come to 24 weeks (the point of viability) the less stress I feel.

I have been feeling the babies, or at least baby A (the bottom one) move quite a bit over the past week, and it just makes me smile!

I'm still working full time in Pediatrics and floating when needed to the Post-op floor, and my lower back is starting to talk back. I was walking to the bathroom last night & felt my lower back pop & my right leg tingled for about the next 10 min. No worries, I haven't lifted or moved a patient since I found out I was pregnant back in July...but I've definitely started to slow down.

I have always been a natural speed walker, probably because I am an impatient person, so this has been one of the hardest parts. I take longer to do everything at work, and when you are so busy it is hard to accept that you can't do everything you used to. AND, I have always been able to keep up with Eric's long legs (he's 6'5"), and I frequently have to tell him to slow down, or I'll meet him there :o)

I put a poll on the side bar to vote on what you think I'm having, so VOTE!!! I get asked this question at work all the time, and I'm just as anxious to find out as everyone else!!

Thanks for all the thoughts, notes, and prayers. Sending out big hugs :o)