Your Vote Counts!!

Actually, it doesn't, but that's a much more exciting title than "You can say what you think, but it's already been decided..."

I've been delaying this post for a while, but I guess it's about time... You see, I didn't think I'd be one of those people who post the "Yay! I'm pregnant" post (and there's nothing wrong with the people that write those posts) since I'm not the type of person who likes a lot of attention and an announcement like that definitely draws attention. Yet, here I find myself writing this post...and you can all thank the wonderful Piper for encouraging me to do so. So here we go...

In case you haven't figured it out, Shane and I will be adding a new member to our family in December. Many of you already know this--some from us, others from Facebook, my mother's mass emails, etc.--but if you didn't know, you do now! So first, here are some answers to the FAQs:

1. How far along are you? 17 weeks (and 1 day...but who's counting?)
2. When are you due? December 8 (when the doctor measured at 9 weeks, they calculated the 11th but they never changed it, so I'm sticking with the 8th)
3. Have you been sick? Nope. I've only been sick once and that was because I let myself get way too hungry and then ate some berries, which I think were too acidic for my already hungry stomach.
4. Do you have any pictures? Not quite yet...we should probably be more dilligent in documenting, but I'm not really showing much yet so I don't know how fun it would be...
5. Are you going to find out the gender? Absolutely. That's actually the point of this post...read below for more details.
6. Have you started getting ready? Yes, but if you ask Shane he'll tell you he's done most of it...which is very true. He reads all the baby development websites and can tell you the appropriate fruit/vegetable to illustrate the approximate size each week. We already have a crib and a glider chair (both awesome craigslist deals) and we may have a dresser/changing table soon... Obviously we haven't decided on colors or things like that just yet because that may depend on gender...we'll see.
7. Have you thought about names? Surprisingly, we have already agreed on first choice for either a boy or a girl (granted, the boy's name was decided when we were first married so really the girl's name was what we agreed on). I don't know if I want to share them yet...but maybe once we know which we're having...stay tuned.

That seems to cover the basics, but if you have more questions, feel free to call, email, or post a comment. Now on to the main purpose of the post. Next Tuesday (July 7) I have my 18-week appointment, which includes finding out the gender of the baby. If you are so inclined, please feel free to chime in on whether you think we will be having (a) a boy or (b) a girl. No votes for one of each...the doctor already checked for twins...

Here's a brief overview of some of the views of those I've spoken with. (Note: Shane and I have discussed the fact that we are excited no matter what the result. We would just love a healthy baby first and foremost!):

• Shane: Would definitely like a boy, but feels that it's a girl.
• Jessica: Would definitely like a girl, but feels that it's a boy.
• My mom: Boy--she says every girl needs a big brother, so we need to start the family with one.
• Shane's mom, sisters, and neice: GIRL!!

Those are the only ones I've been privy to. Every time she sees me, my cute neice Paige says, "Who thinks Jessica is going to have a girl?" And then she raises her hand and won't put it down for quite a while. She's tired of being the only girl grandchild on BOTH sides of her family. I told her I'd think girly thoughts...

There you have it folks...the big news. Sorry to those we didn't tell personally. Life's been crazy with figuring out our plans for the future, family, work, and everything else... Stay tuned for the results next Tuesady!

Whirlwind

{Sorry folks, another post with no pictures. My parents have been involved in the most recent events, which means all pictures were taken by my mom}

Whirlwind sums up the last week for me. Here's the rundown:

Sunday, 10:00 PM (PST): Board my red-eye flight to Syracuse, NY via Newark. I try my best to fall asleep (and stay asleep). Surprisingly, I got quite a bit of sleep, but I just woke up every hour or so.

Monday, 6:08 AM (EST): {{MY BIRTHDAY}} Arrive in Newark. I eat some breakfast and find my gate. I read my book while waiting to board.

Monday, 7:45 AM (EST): Board flight to Syracuse. I think we sat on the runway for at least 30 minutes waiting to take off. I don't notice, I just sleep...and sleep...

Monday, 9:30 AM (EST): Arrive in Syracuse. Wander to the cab station. Receive a full education regarding weather in Syracuse...

Monday, 10:00 AM (EST): Arrive at client site just in time for my first meeting. Good thing someone else decides they can lead the meeting!

Monday (remainder): Struggle to produce some form of work and stay awake at the same time. Talk to my mother and discover that my granddaddy passed away that morning. This was an expected event, but still sad news to receive. I spend my evening researching potential travel routes to Dallas.

Tuesday: More meetings, more struggling to stay awake... Drive to Buffalo.

Wednesday: Finally book flights for me and Shane to get to Dallas for the funeral. More meetings, lots and lots of flowcharts. We drive up to Niagara Falls (the Canadian side) for dinner. It was a little difficult to see much through the rain and the mist (we were soaked), but it was fun nonetheless.

Thursday - Friday: More meetings, more flowcharts...

Friday, 2:00 PM (EST): Leave Buffalo on a flight for Atlanta after stopping for some buffalo wings (I couldn't leave the city without saying I did...)

Friday, 7:00 PM (CST): Arrive in Dallas (via layover in Atlanta). Was greeted by Emma, who kindly drove me very much out of the way to the funeral home in McKinney. I'm glad we had the hour to catch up. I even dragged her inside the funeral home (in her capris and t-shirt) to say hi to my mom and Shane {{Sorry Em}}. Lots of hugs from aunts, uncles, and cousins I haven't seen in years. It's strange being one of the oldest. I feel like I've stopped growing up and they're all catching up!!

Friday, 8:30 PM: Eat dinner at Braum's complete with a hot fudge sundae (made with Blue Bell ice cream, of course)!!!

Friday, 10:00 PM: Arrive at our awesome room at Motel 6 for the night.

Saturday: Funeral, interment, quick tour of my old stomping grounds in Duncanville, a quick drive past the Grassy Knoll and the Schoolbook Depository, luncheon, relaxation time (this time at my parent's hotel...a little cozier than the Motel 6), dinner / movie time with cousins.

Sunday: Church, lunch (leftovers from viewing and luncheon) with cousins, dinner in Southlake thanks to an awesome family friend, and craziness at Love Field airport.

Sunday, 7:40 PM (PST): Arrive in Phoenix just in time to enjoy ice cream with Shane's family.

Sorry for the detailed play-by-play, but this was my week... I never changed the time on my watch or my work computer to have some form of constancy, but it caused some confusion. I'm glad to be home and hoping to catch up on some much-needed sleep this weekend!!

Happy Birthday to...

...me!!

Monday was my birthday, but really the celebration began last Thursday. My parents showed up at our front door with gift-wrap bows stuck to their heads. Too bad it was a surprise, or I would've thought to take a picture of my awesome presents. They stayed the weekend with us, which was full of good food from good restaurants, movies, hikes, cooking for the party, celebrating, and just spending time together. Luckily, Shane had convinced me that it was important to change my 7:30 AM flight on Sunday to a 10:30 PM flight instead. This allowed for maximum parental time, even if I only got 3 hours sleep on my flight to Syracuse :).

On Saturday, we had a birthday party with Shane's family. We had steaks, grilled chicken, and all sorts of yummy sides. I even got MY birthday cake this year--chocolate cake, chocolate fudge icing, chocolate chips... My mom and I made it together and, in the tradition of Richards family birthday cakes, we ended up with an awesome crack in the shape of a Y on top. Sadly, all pictures and video taken are on my parents' cameras so I don't have anything to post as of yet.

For my actual birthday, I flew all night to Syracuse via Newark. I slept about 3 hours total on my flights and showed up to the client site just in time for my first meeting. Due to my lack of sleep and the work I had to do, the day didn't really feel like my birthday, so I'm glad I had a whole weekend to celebrate with my family.

That's all for now, folks! I think I'm supposed to get some work done before I get to bed... {After posting this and looking at the timestamp, I noticed that it says I posted at 5:36 PM, which makes me sound like I'm planning to go to bed at 7. In my defense, it's almost 9 in New York and I need to review a report before I can think about going to sleep... There, I feel better!}

Fascinated

Lately, I have been fascinated by this book:


I thought for a while before deciding on the correct word, and I've decided fascinated is the best way to describe it. In 1993, my grandma compiled my grandpa's journals, pictures, and other significant items from his life (certificates, newspaper clippings, letters) into this book. Sadly, I don't believe I paid much attention to it until lately. I used to just flip through and look at pictures, usually for pictures of my dad. But when I was in Salt Lake in March I began reading my grandma's book (she compiled one more recently) and decided to bring my copy of my grandpa's book home (I don't have my own copy of my grandma's book or hers would've come home with me too...).

Now I read a portion of it almost every day, and once I pick it up it's very hard to put down. Generally after reading a funny story, I feel the urge to pick up the phone and call my dad just to tell him I read it (he sat through some of this retelling on Sunday night), but generally I don't since he already lived all these stories...

What's interesting is his entries are generally very factual in nature (he was an engineer after all) and at some points entire years are skipped, but I can't seem to get enough of it. Maybe it's because I never got the chance to really know my grandpa--he suffered from Parkinson's that started before I was born and he died when I was only 9. Maybe it's because I know my aunts and uncles and it's fun to see the journey they took to get to who they are now. Maybe it's because I love remembering their house in Dallas as he describes the phases of construction. Maybe it's because it's fun to picture my dad as a 3-year-old playing with his dad's tools. But mostly I think it's because I'm fascinated with the man that was my grandpa--the love he had for my grandma (shown through many wonderful letters), the love he had for his children (shown by the details he included in his entries), and the love he had for his grandchildren (as far as I've read, only one has been born, but I can sense it even from just one).

It makes me sad that I never had the chance to really know this man in person, to hear him retell these stories, to see him interact with his family. But I am thankful that I have this book to give me a glimpse into his life and who he was...and I'm glad I still have 300 pages to go!

Side note: The book also gives me some encouragement. My journal entries are a bit more sporadic than his were and he has better excuses for his lapses, but the fact that I still find so much joy in the entries he did make helps me realize that every little bit counts, even if it's only once a year!

More Mother's Day Love...

So after a delay of 1 hour and 45 minutes in Phoenix, we missed our connection in Dallas and the next available flight is now delayed 45 minutes. So, I will arrive in Lubbock around 11:30 when I was originally scheduled to arrive around 7:45...awesome.

In happy news, American Airlines gives you a whole can of soda...and they carry Dr. Pepper! The flight attendant was very annoyed because she only put a few DP's on the cart because apparently it's only a popular choice for flights originating in Texas (so she had to keep running back to the galley to get them)...then she said, "There must be a lot of Texans on this flight..." My father would be proud :)

Happy Mother's Day?

I hope you are all having a wonderful mother's day--spending time with the ones you love and expressing your appreciation for the wonderful women in your lives. I, however, am sitting at the airport....waiting for a plane that has now been delayed an hour, which means I'll probably miss my connection, which means I won't get to my final destination until 10 or so instead of 7:30...thanks American. It's bad enough that I have to spend my entire Sunday travelling, and all of this Saturday sitting in training, but now I have to waste my time sitting at the airport. Awesome.

Anyway, we did an accelerated Mother's Day this year. We took Shane's mom out to dinner last night and had a wonderful Skype celebration with my parents this morning. At least we were able to talk to both of them--I even got a present to my mom ON TIME! I'm sure she was proud that I finally learned to plan ahead.

Take some time to love your mothers today. I wish I could. Okay...I'm done feeling sorry for myself.

P.S. Still no ring... :(

A plea...

A plea to the little elf that snuck into our house Monday night and "moved" my wedding ring:
Please, please, please put it back where you found it tonight! We won't be mad and we won't try and catch you...we just want it back.

Confused? Let me explain the events of Monday afternoon and evening...

5:50 pm - Before cutting up the chicken for our shake 'n bake (yes, the most convenient way to produce fast, flavorful chicken), I remove my watch and rings (who wants chicken guts on their ring??). I place them in the far corner of the counter, near Shane's plant.

7:00 pm - Talk to my parents (not related to the story, just an event of the evening).

8:40 pm - I pull in the garage after working out. I notice that Shane left the garage open (weird). I press the button as I walk in the house (I swear the garage went down).

9:10 pm - We watch 24 with Hilary.

9:55 pm - As I'm putting together some things for our lunches, I look over at my watch/rings (still in the same place) and think to myself, "I wonder if I"ll remember that's where they are in the morning while I get ready... Of course I will! I'll see them while I eat breakfast." And I leave them where they are...

10:15 pm - Hilary leaves (apparently our garage door is wide open at this time...we have no idea).

11:00 pm - Off to bed...

1:30 am - I wake up (rare for me)...quick trip to the bano...back to sleep

5:00 am - Doorbell rings...Shane shuffles out of the room...doorbell rings again. Shane opens the door. I hear "Do you know your garage door is open?" I come out of the room to find out what's going on. Apparently a police officer has been called to our neighborhood after someone saw a "suspicious person" walking down an alley down the street. On his way out of our neighborhood (after not finding anyone), he noticed our garage door and wondered if maybe the "suspicious person" had opened it and wandered in (or just took advantage of the open door). Shane looks through the house and closes the garage door while the policeman searches our backyard. Nothing is found. We go back to bed (which means I lay wide awake staring out our open bedroom door to see if anyone walks by...yes, I'm paranoid).

7:20 am - While making breakfast, I reach for my watch/rings and notice my watch is in the exact same place I left it, but WHERE ARE MY RINGS?? I look at Shane to see if he's playing a joke (the first time he lost his wedding ring, he told his coworkers he thought I had hid it to teach him a lesson...). He promises he didn't do anything with it. We search for a bit, but both have to leave for work.

We have searched and searched and searched for the ring... we looked through the garbage, we put away all of the dishes that were drying on the counter, Shane felt around our garbage disposal, I crawled around the floor with a flashlight looking in and under everything it could've rolled under, we've looked in places that would've required me to put them there (for example, a bag of Boy Scout badges up on top of our entertainment center). We're still thinking of where they could've gone, but have no idea where else they could be.

Shane and his dad say there's no way the "suspicious person" could've wandered in our house, walked past everything that we had out (car keys, a computer bag, purse, TV, etc.) and only end up taking my ring (our kitchen is the farthest room away from our garage door). I just have no idea where else it could've gone... The only theory I have to explain the "suspicious person's" actions would be that our kitchen is the brightest room in our house at night (thanks to the wonderful orange KMart lights) so maybe my ring was the only thing he saw. The whole thought of someone being in my house (even if nothing actually happened) is quite terrifying. Last night I checked that the garage was closed 2 times before going to bed and locked the door from our garage into the house...

We haven't declared it completely lost yet, but I'm running out of places to look. Any suggestions?