random sarah

Church Treat Emergency

2011-07-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

As we were getting ready to leave this morning I heard my hubby say "oh crud!" all the sudden. It wasn't an obvious "the girls dumped nail polish on the carpet" type "oh crud" it was a bit less dramatic than that. My hubby had forgotten he promised his Deacons (12 & 13 yo boys) something special today. I whipped up a batch of these...Chewy Oreo Bars...during 2nd hour. (Shh, the baby needed to nurse too.) I'm so thankful for living 2 minutes away from the chapel.

The boys LOVED them. Just about as easy as Rice Krispie Treats, but with a nice chocolatey touch. They take about 5 whole minutes to make...and a few more to cool. Yummy!!!

Really???

2011-06-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

This may be a bit TMI, but its funny as heck.

Tonight I went to Walmart for a quick trip to grab some ice cream & s'mores supplies for camp. Down one aisle I passed a mom & several small children. I heard her son (about 4 years old) mention my chest after I walked by..."Mom did you see her boobs?" His mom replied with "Don't worry sweetie they're probably fake."

Seriously?!?! (He was pretty quiet about his question, but I was really close by still. It was his mom who was loud...RUDE!)

I am a nursing mom. My chest isn't small by any means, but really its not HUGE! Afterwards I started wondering...hmm. Did I have visible nipple? (Didn't check right then.) Was I leaking? Nope. I'm wearing a nursing bra & fitted t-shirt for goodness sake.

I'd say out of the mouths of babes...but its the mothers assumption that I had breast implants that sort of blew me away. It gave me a good giggle. What is with the things people have been saying lately?!?!

Catarina's Name

2011-06-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Catarina - A combo of Katrina (my aunt & cousin) & Catherine (my great grandmother). We did the great debate over the spelling. It had to be 8 letters long, but we like spelling it with a C so she can go by Cat. Which is totally appropriate because she made a purring sound while she was in the NICU. It was really cute & so is she. She also reminds me of a kitty cat. Shes pretty finicky, likes to be snuggled & stays curled up in a ball as much as possible. Some people don't like her nickname...fooey to them we say!

Avery - Jesse & I have been fond of this name forever & it was on our list of possible names to consider. We decided that it fits her & with the first name.

I'm Back?

2011-06-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sort of....

Its been a while since I've blogged. I used to consider myself decent about blogging every so often, but since the baby was born I've slacked off majorly. As most of my readers know I was preggo & expecting a little boy on May 15th.

Well on May 1st our newest addition Catarina Avery made her way into this world. You heard it here folks. Little Bradley wasn't a boy. It was a girl all along. HOLY HECK!!! Talk about the surprise of a lifetime. Not only was Catarina not a boy, she was not due on May 15th. She was only 5lbs 11oz at birth and based on testing which was done on May 3rd she was only at 35 weeks gestation. 5 weeks early. Her due date should have been June 7th!!! She is surely my tiniest baby ever.

Catarina Avery Patino

May 1st 2011 @ 0524am

5lbs 11oz, 18.5" long

The 1st 9 days of this kiddos life were nothing short of crazy. She was in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) due to her little under developed lungs. She was also born with a pneumonia & she also developed jaundice. Here are a few pictures from our adventure...

Tanning with the Bili Lights & Bili Blanket underneath trying to get a double dose.

Going home May 9th @ 5lbs 4oz:

Baby Names (Posted 2008)

2011-04-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

Just an FYI (honestly its for me mostly). It took me forever to find this on my old blog...so I'm moving it over here. This is a copy of a blog from 2008. It contains baby names we previous discussed/liked. I've added a few more, plus our current/expected childrens names.

We Already Have:

Victoria Michael (May 1999)

Brooklyn Genevieve (June 2004)

Isabella Mackenzie (August 2008)

Catarina Avery (May 2011)

Girls First Names (must be 8 letters long):

Carolena/Carolina, Gabrieta, Gianessa, Casandra, Breeanna, Leighton, Rachelle, Gisselle, Mirabell, Lilianna, Madeline, Giovanna & Calliope.

Girls Middle name options:

Shelby, Regan, Leigh, Liberty, Jorja, Peyton, Paige....but then again none of them may fit together so we may have to do some thinking.

Boys Names (1st & Middle name options) (No rules for boys names!):

Jesse, James, Cayden, Tyler, Preston, Dominic, Landon, John, Mason, Patrick, Logan, Giovanni, Brendan, Henry, Devin, Gabriel, Jonathan, Mason, Cameron, Bryce, Aiden, Brody, Avery, Sterling, Jameson, Liam & Declan.

In Sickness & Pregnancy

2011-03-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

The last 2 weeks or so haven't been fun. Actually I can't say its only been 2 weeks. Its been so fun that I think I've lost track of weeks. Its probably been 3 now.

First Isabella started having allergy flare ups. (The poor thing already has food allergies, but she also has seasonal allergies, which in turn makes her food allergies substantially worse & show up faster. She knows its allergies & isn't afraid to tell you she needs her meds. She typically has wheezing, hives, watery eyes & a runny nose.)

Then Jesse got sick. (Minimally sick...not the usual whiny/big baby/man sick. Thank goodness. I think he missed one college class.)

Then I caught whatever Jesse had. (Amazing what happens when you sleep in the same bed with someone & you breathe the same air. Gotta love the perks of marriage, right?!?!)

Well, whatever I have is H.A.N.G.I.N.G on....forever!!! So annoying.
Its worse in the morning & evening. Achy throat, swollen glands, stuffy sinuses, an occasional tickle in my throat leading to a lame cough...some minimal phlegm thats just a pain in the butt. (I hate spitting!)

Being pregnant, but in my 3rd trimester, I can luckily take some otc medications. Minimal stuff, but a few more than what I could take in my 1st or 2nd trimester. However, with this crud still dragging out I'm tempted to go to the Dr & see if prescription antibiotics are necessary at this point.

During this whole 2-3 weeks I've been belligerent, mouthy & tired. Wait...thats not really any change from the usual.

Today (now yesterday) however was a rocky day. I got up early since Jesse made an appointment for the truck to get new shocks & I had to get up with him to drop it off & then bring him home so he could go to class. After his first class it was finished so we went to pick it up. Then we took Victoria (our oldest) shopping for gang attire....yeah yeah its a costume for Roadshow. Shes all set, but we needed lunch & Jesse needed to get to his afternoon class. Then on Wednesdays we babysit for a lady at church. She brings her 5 month old to us...but she is slightly needy (to say the least) as far as a baby is concerned. Today however as she was dropping her off I decided to trip & fall out the front door. Yes, I fell. With a BIG hard landing...luckily not on my belly. Its amazing how we know how to protect what is important. My left knee & hands however took the brunt of the fall. I was achey & tired the rest of the afternoon. I decided to pick up my hubby from school & escape the girls for a bit. We needed something from Lowe's & a deposit needed to be made at the bank. Then we realized our timing was getting pretty late so we grabbed dinner, headed home & ate with the girls. I showered (finally) and then did Victoria's costume touch ups, hair & makeup. We needed then to run to church for Mutual for our final Roadshow practice. Did I mention I'd been having irregular contractions since the afternoon??? My evening was less than enjoyable. The kids have the skit down really well, but I feel like I was in a haze.

Today (Thursday)has been going pretty well. Lets hope it keeps up.

January Running Log

2011-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

January 2011:

2nd - 21 weeks pregnant
6th - 3.13miles
7th - 1.31miles
Total this week: 4.44miles

9th - 22 weeks pregnant
10th - 3.16miles
11th - 2.26miles
12th - 1.01miles
Total this week: 6.44miles

16th - 23 weeks pregnant
17th - 6.28miles (did 8.53miles, but my cell phone died part way through our hike)
I slacked this week....
Total this week: 6.28miles (8.53)

23rd - 24 weeks pregnant
25th - 1.03miles

Recent Running...aka Wogging

2011-01-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

Back in July I was convinced to buy a Nike+ sensor. Considering I didn't have an iPod I wasn't able to just buy the basic sensor & chip. I bought the Nike+ Sportsband with sensor. It was a watch with the chip in it. The chip section removes & turns into a USB that can be inserted into your computer & then directly links to your nike running account. Luckily a few months ago I was able to get my very own iPhone. I still have my Nike+ stuff, but now I also have Nike+ GPS app. I am now able to track my runs without having a sensor on my shoe...which is sometimes very, very nice. Plus it shows my route. My hubby always asks "where" I went running & with Nike+ GPS I can easily show him as soon as I get home.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a runner by any means. I didn't mind running in high school. I actually ran track...but not cross country. I like "shorter" distances at faster paces. Not longer distances at a slower pace. The off campus mile was my favorite...but it was best during my Junior year when I was in "Sports Conditioning" with all the boys from the wrestling & football teams. Yeah yeah. Since my accident in 2007 I've lost the ability to truly run...or at least at a pace that I'd consider running. I'm now running at a slow cross country pace instead of a fast track pace. I've definitely got no sprinting material left in me. We like to call what I do wogging. I mix walking with jogging. I can hope that one day I'll be back in physical shape & my knee/leg can sustain longer/faster runs.

So back to recent times. Between July & now I've gotten out a bit here & there, but nothing too serious. Back in mid November I ran just over 3.5 miles. I was about 14 1/2 weeks pregnant then. Between then & now I've been a total slacker. Well Thursday I decided its time to start running again. After almost 2 full months I went out for a run.

Yes, Thursday I ran a 5k. Now lets admit the insanity that is me. I'm 22 weeks pregnant. At the 1.25 mile mark I had an asthma attack. I texted Jesse & had him bring me my inhaler, since I didn't have it with me. It was 41 degrees outside & for 3-4 blocks the wind was blowing straight into my face. Instant asthma attack. Jesse was sure I was going to let him pick me up in the truck & drive me home...like a failure. Lets all admit that Sarah doesn't fail or at least I wasn't in the mood to fail that night. Jesse pulled up the road about 1/4 mile & waited to make sure I made it at least that much further. At that point I told him I'd be fine & to head home. At the 2.3 mile mark Jesse passed me after having gone to get gas & he didn't even notice me. I texted him thinking maybe he was looking for me. He asked me why I was still running & I told him I had 0.8 more miles till the 5k mark. He was concerned & of course turned around to check on me. I made it, but my body was telling me I was an idiot for running 3.1+ miles after not running at all for 2 months. I could barely move, let alone walk. Climbing the stairs almost took an act of God. No, I'm serious. I fell over on the stairs and the only thing that kept me going was prayer. I pushed through going to Sacramento about 15 minutes after my run. I did squats at Barbershop rehearsal to try loosening up my legs a bit. I was a mess. Being pregnant I am also more susceptible to leg cramps. After going to bed that night I woke up with the worst leg cramps ever. Screaming in pain, I woke up my hubby & he helped me massage my legs until I was able to sleep again. Pitiful.

Friday I felt pretty good. Semi sore, but good. Something told me I needed to go running. I posted to Facebook that I was thinking about going on a run. My husband...who gets my automatic FB updates looked at me & said I was insane.

This all started 2 weeks ago...well I guess 3. I'll be posting mileage updates here with what I manage to bust out.

Pay It Forward 2011

2011-01-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this going around Facebook?

I promise to send something homemade/handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. *You must in turn post this and send something you make to the first 5 people that comment.*The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 commenter's *sometime* in 2011.

Heres the deal...
I've already posted on Facebook. But I'm posting here as well. Yes, I'm going to make items for 10 people! 5 from Facebook & 5 from Blogger.

Please note...
If you were #1-5 on Facebook then you are not eligible to comment here. If you do, you will not receive 2 items. I will not count your comment. I think thats pretty fair.

My FB 5:

Diane Fisher
Eileen Johnson
Rachelle Saldate
Heather Christensen
Carol Shaw

Good luck!

Oh and please make sure I can link back to your email or have some way of contacting you to get your address if I don't already have it.

Random Confessions (Hair Cutting)

2010-12-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

I cut my husbands hair.
I have for years now.
It all started in San Diego in 2003.
We were broke, between pay days & Jesse was in dire need of a hair cut.
Jesses Gunnery Sargent, (bless him) was being very meticulous about uniform inspections and was insisting on hair being cut typically 3 times per week. This went on for several months.
(Most of his early military career he would get hair cuts 1-2 times per week.)
Thats $30 per week!!! (Average of $10 per hair cut)

So I was taught how to cut his hair. By Jesse himself.
He'd love for me to learn how to do a flat top...but even after almost 8 years that hasn't happened. He is happy to exist with his medium reg (regulation style) hair cut. Even today as I was cutting I thought about messing around to see if a flat top was possible...I thought about it, but didn't do it, nor did I even try.

So lets do the math...because people think I'm insane for still cutting my husbands hair. (Guess Again!)

Marine Corp years 2001-2002 (1-2 cuts per week...1.5 average)

1.5 hair cuts x 52 weeks = 78 hair cuts per year x 2 years = 156 hair cuts x $10 ea = $1560 SPENT in hair cuts for 2 years.

Marine Corps years....2003-2005 & 2006 Federally Employed (3 cuts per week)

3 hair cuts x 52 weeks = 156 hair cuts per year x 4 years = 624 hair cuts x $10 ea = $6240 SAVED in hair cuts for 4 years.

Civilian life....2007-2010 (1 cut per week)

1 hair cut per week x 52 weeks = 52 hair cuts per year x 4 years = 208 hair cuts x $10 ea = $2080 SAVED in hair cuts for 4 years.

Yes folks! That means between 2003 & now (2010) we've SAVED $8320!!!! Just by me cutting his hair.

What would you do with $8320???

Oh and lets not confuse ourselves by mentioning that most places for the past 4 years would probably have actually charged $12-15 per hair cut if I didn't cut his hair. This would have messed up all my math...so $10 average it is.

Did I mention the countless hair cuts I gave his buddies & our friends little boys??? They've saved too.

What did this all cost us??? 2 pairs of hair clippers since 2003. One pair was $60, one pair was $80....the $80 pair is still going strong.

So subtract $140 and we've save $8180. Still not horrible right???

So thats about an annual savings of just over $1000!

We don't drink coffee or alcohol & we don't smoke....so we can't give it up to help save $.

What can you give up to save $1000 per year???

Competitive Much???

2010-12-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have a friend who is constantly competitive?
Someone who has to "one up" you at every corner of the road?
Someone who tends to take your happy moment & deflate it by announcing their own happy thing...oh maybe just hours later?
Someone who makes a randomly rude or inappropriate comment in order to overshadow your happy conversation and turn it crappy?
Someone who constantly needs to attention on them, or their life sucks?
Someone who makes excuses in order to make their actions seem "better"?

I'm dealing with one of those "friends" right now.

It sucks.

I really wish this friend was a bit more humble and knew that the world didn't revolve around her situation.

What else can I do but treat her with kindness & act like she isn't kicking me.

Its a.....BABY!!!

2010-12-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the big ultrasound!!!
Its a BOY!!!

All my predictions were correct, as were the hubbies.
We are stoked.
Blue is a nice change.
Oh and if pregnancy is this easy with boys then I'm stoked.
Being exhausted is totally cool with me.

Pregnancy So Far (1-17 weeks)

2010-12-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

Well this pregnancy has been pretty much uneventful so far. Thats a good thing.

Below I'll give you a basic outline of how things have gone. I'll put things into basic terms people who have never been pregnant can understand...because sometimes I get comments that people think are cute, but really they don't know what the heck they are talking about. I'm not getting too personal...the first 4ish weeks are pretty basic for most women.

Week #1...Regular Female Cycle Issues
Week #2...Nothing Much, ovulation late this week OR
Week #3...Ovulation occurs early this week, which means sperm & egg must meet within 24hrs. Implantation occurs. The egg must bury itself into the uterine lining to survive.
Week #4...Normal stuff, at the end of this week normal women usually miss their cycle & decide to test.
Week #5...I tested early this week, because my cycles are different. It was VERY positive. The only symptoms I had were minimal constipation & gassiness. Not bad really. Easily solved. By the end of this week I was exhausted... totally & completely exhausted.
Week #6...Exhausted.
Weeks #7-11...I won't bore you. I had mild nausea which was solved by an occasional cup of peppermint tea. I won't describe this as "morning sickness"...because I've HAD morning sickness & this wasn't it. Other than that...exhaustion. Shear exhaustion.
Week #11...We announce our pregnancy.
Week #12-14...Nothing new. I'm exhausted.
Week #15...Exhausted & measuring 3-4 weeks ahead (18-19 weeks).
Week #16...Exhausted & still measuring 4 weeks ahead (20 weeks).
Week #17...Exhausted & still measuring 4 weeks ahead (21-22 weeks).

Fuming Mad

2010-10-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well its official. Today we received our first rude comment about being pregnant/adding to our family. Technically it came via email last night...I just didn't read it till today. Its amazing the balls some people have! Yep I said it. So sue me. People can be SO rude.

Its unfortunate that this person has chosen & made decisions that have previously taken them out of our lives & they continue to try to alienate themselves further by saying such rude things. We've all had our issues with family I'm sure.

The comment we received today "wondered if we actually have room for another child in our lifestyle"....oh and that "you already have your plates full."

YEAH. Thanks. Thats so supportive & loving of you. Makes me want to fix all the problems we ever had & come visit right away. Oh wait...I'm too busy anyways.

For what its worth...ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. But at least we tried keeping you informed.

Oh and if it wasn't obvious before, it is now: You know NOTHING about our lifestyle! Nothing.

Oh and lets try to remain positive & remember what our Moms taught us...If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all.

I cut out a full paragraph here in order to make this post worthy. I added the following...

FYI....Its hard to teach our children to CTR (Choose The Right) if we allow them to be exposed to the wrong....I mean willingly exposed, knowingly exposed.

Ahh vent complete....I think I feel better now. I'm sure I'll get flamed for this.

The News...& some personal info

2010-10-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Well its true. I'm pregnant! The new addition is due around May 15th....just in time for Daddies Birthday. Victoria said she wouldn't mind sharing May, or her day (the 23rd) either but I'd prefer earlier than later.

May is already BUSY....but the timing isn't really up to us. Which always brings up a couple of touchy subjects. However I will deal with them now and get over it. Maybe forever.

If you always wanted the dirt on my reproductive life, then here goes!

Why do we have the gaps between our children that we have?
If you didn't already know our pattern goes as such:
Victoria.....5 years....Brooklyn.....4 years.....Isabella.....almost 3 years (33.5 months).....NEW BABY!!!

Well, truth be told, the gap between Victoria & Brooklyn was truly unavoidable. Oh you didn't know? I was a single mom for a while, finally found true love (& gosh darn it he looked smokin' in uniform), got married, & then we got pregnant. Our first pregnancy together resulted in a miscarriage. Nothing to serious or scarey, but still disappointing & devastating. It only took a few more months & Brooklyn was conceived & then born in San Diego CA.

(Jesse has since adopted Victoria...and most people don't even realize it till they figure out that shes older than our anniversary & Jesse served a mission in Argentina while she was being born!)

Between Brooklyn & Isabella the 4 year gap was not by choice. Jesse got out of the USMC and we moved to Colorado. We stayed in CO for 20 months before heading home to Cali. We lived in Jesses parents home while they were on their mission, managed to get pregnant, got into a serious accident & miscarried. It was during my 11 day hospital stay & 3 surgeries later. To be honest that baby probably didn't stand a chance with the impact (literally) & then of course the very strong drugs & anesthesia racing through my system. My recovery went pretty well. I was in a wheel chair for 6 weeks, then used a walker for 6 more. Sometime in there my in-laws returned & we moved in with friends, mostly because I am (more so then) a not so humble & rather prideful, OCD, control freak. We'll leave it at that. During the end of my recovery I managed to get pregnant with Isabella.

Lets get this out there since you'll occasionally hear it be mentioned...but its still sort-of a hush hush thing. Isabella was a triplet. She was not alone at conception, but was at birth. There is an ultrasound picture in my file at my obgyn's office from 6 weeks where 3 fertilized "ovums" are visible. Around 7 weeks there were complications & I miscarried 2 of the 3 babies. Isabella...the strong little bugger, managed to hang on and we found out at 12 weeks we were still expecting. At 20ish weeks we found out it was just one little girl. Now I wouldn't bring it up, but everyone knows how tiny Bella is. She has a few allergies, but is perfectly healthy. After much debate & prayer I've decided that her siblings from conception are what is missing. If she was part of 3, then there would have been good reason for her to be so much smaller. Right? Her Dr is convinced this can't be the case, but I am not.

Anyways now between Isabella & Baby #4....33.5 months....can we just call it 3 years? (Good its close enough.) Why so much time? Well we didn't want babies 4-5 years apart anymore. We want a "larger" family, but would prefer 2-3 year gaps between kiddos. Anyways, because there have been multiple miscarriages, struggles & lots of Drs appointments there will now be 3 years between these 2. Its pretty simple. We haven't prevented anything from happening since Isabella was born.

So whats wrong with me?
The long story short.....
They cannot determine why I miscarry. I just do. Yes I've seen an RE....Reproductive Endocrinologist.

The long story, longer......
They've ultrasound-ed every female part of me possible. I've been told its all gorgeous. haha. Thanks Dr!

They've run blood tests of every single variety. Luckily it was determined that I do not have any form of Hemophilia or Thrombophilia, which oddly my sister in law does. (I do not envy her one bit. The Lovenox shots I had to take for 3 weeks after the accident were enough for me. I'm not sure I could deal with twice a day for 9ish months.) My thyroid is fine. Etc, Etc.

My uterus is slightly tilted...which doesn't prevent anything.

Several doctors would LOVE to blame it all on my weight. Sorry guys, I'm a bigger girl...but I've seen much bigger women get pregnant! Weight isn't always the answer. Although now I've lost 30lbs in the past 5 months prior to getting pregnant. I even gave up all soda products (caffeinated, bubbly, anything & everything) All for not? I eat healthier now, take my vitamins, exercise, etc.

Hormones? Possibly. We've never subjected me to the gamete of a full months (or more) worth of pokes to determine daily hormone levels, etc. The minimal hormone levels they can pull in a CBC + is what they know about.

High Blood Pressure??? I have never had HBP issues while not pregnant. However, during my pregnancies it typically is something we have to watch quite carefully. BUT....After giving birth to Bella my BP has been significantly higher than it was during my non-pregnant state ever before. I had been medicated for several months....and changed a few nasty habits. Its dropped to within a good range, we weaned me off the meds & my BP is doing fine! So could this have played a roll in the last 33 months? Sure. Would the Drs say "Yes" or "No" this is or isn't causing your miscarriages. No. So Hmmmm???

They know my cycle is regularly irregular (like that?) & suspected 2 things. 1- I possibly have a shortened luteal phase. Which means the baby/ovum doesn't have a chance to attach securely to my uterus lining before my next cycle comes around. 2- I might have a slightly incompetent cervix...meaning it doesn't like to stay closed when it should stay closed once I'm pregnant. Everybody likes to be called incompetent right?? They can't determine this unless timing is perfect for appointments, etc.

So why do you wait to till people you are pregnant?
I'm more of a suffer in silence sort of person. I feel its more of a husband & wife sort of thing to deal with. If something bad happens (which with us usually happens before 8 weeks) we keep it personal. We typically announce our pregnancies anytime after 10 weeks. Last time we waited till after the 12 week mark because thats when my 2nd Drs appointment was. This time we announced between 10 & 11 weeks because I'm feeling really good.

Do you use Birth Control?
Me personally NO. I no longer can.

I've previously used 3 different forms of birth control at some given point in my life & each one totally & completely jacks me up in some form or another. It screws with my hormone levels, makes me gain weight, makes horrible female things happen, turns me into a raging lunatic monster, causes tremendous pain OR elevates my blood pressure. Elevated BP being one of the worse results. There are more reasons why not & why I can't....but its a long, long post.

So in turn I'll finish this blog by summing up what we have determined...
The gaps are Heavenly Fathers way of keeping me sane.
Its also kept our marriage a bit in check. We pray together more & my hubby has become much more "in tune" with my needs than ever before.
When its time, then its time. All things will happen in Gods time, not ours.
Despite how much dealing with secondary infertility sucks, I know that we'll be strengthened by my struggles.
We strongly believe Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us.
We have received confirmation in the temple & through prayer that we will have more children.
We even know through that confirmation that we'll have a boy at some point.
We also strongly believe that we will be told that its time to stop in the same manner we were told to keep trying.

Dear EDD, VA & College Financial Aid Office...

2010-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dear EDD,

We knew my husbands unemployment would most likely stop coming as soon as he started college. I still think its total crap. He paid into the system but won't be allowed to get the remainder of his benefits why? Oh yeah, because he is now furthering his education. Because the job market stinks so bad that he had to register for college in order to do something with his life. His schooling doesn't qualify for CTB (CA Training Benefits...because he wants an actual degree, not a certificate.) He doesn't qualify for WIA...for the same reasons. When he was honest & checked the box that he "started school or training" that cut off all benefits from you. You scheduled a telephone interview between 8am & 10am last week...during his classes of course. When you called at 9:59am your number showed up as an "unknown/blocked caller". You realize that even if my husband had been home he probably wouldn't have answered? Are you kidding me? You can block the #, but still have the name show up. Or for goodness sake, make the 800 number or whatever show up! But don't block the flipping #. At any rate it wouldn't have mattered, his continued benefits would have been denied anyways.

Your most recent unhappy customer,

Sarah

---------------------------------------------------------

Dear VA (Veterans Administration),

Can you please speed the process along for my husband receiving his GI Bill Benefits? His enrollment has been certified for almost a month and we have yet to see a single penny of the money my husband is owed. We called the VA a week ago and asked when to expect a direct deposit or check to be mailed. They have no idea. They said that processing takes 17 days. They told us the day his paperwork had hit the system...which was 17 days prior. Umm ok. So wheres the beef? Or BAH payment we need to make our mortgage payment??? This is seriously a bit ridiculous.

Thanks for your swift & speedy service for our service-members (insert sarcasm here),

Sarah

----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Yuba College Financial Aid Office,

Your lack of concern and ditsy college age workers piss me off most times my husband even mentions you. Why can't an actual employee answer my questions or speak to me? You seem to find an "error" or question something on every single piece of paperwork turned in. You don't even look at the whole application, just toss it back & say to fill out another piece of paperwork. Now that all our items were successfully submitted for almost a month whats going on? We'd like an update please. You said that everyone would know by Sept 15th about their FA status. FAFSA online said we qualified for the full amount....so just cut the freaking check please! I know we'll only get 1/2 of it till later in the semester, but holy crud people. This is life or death....almost. How did you expect my husband to pay for books & his parking pass, or school supplies? How do you expect our family to survive? Don't give me the "Go get a job!" answer. If you were doing your job, then we'd have $ coming in and that would need to be an option.

If you could please expedite something (ie: get off your butt & hit print on that "issue checks" button) then maybe I'd be a little less stressed.

Thanks for nothing so far,

Sarah

Barbershop & My new phone...

2010-09-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here I sit at Jesses barbershop rehearsal. I am of course the youngest woman in the building. I don't mind because I enjoy the music. I actually sang the tenor part to all the songs as we were driving down. He was singing lead so it meshed pretty well in the car. I haven't been to rehearsal in the past 2 months so it was time for a barbershop fix for me.

So are you asking yourself: Self...What the heck does this have to do with Sarahs new phone? Well it's because this post is fully typed on my new celly! Duh.

Contray to popular belief iPhones are not as expensive as most people think. Luckily we were close enough to contract renewal that I got the discounted price. I also to get the 3GS instead of the 4. So I think my $99 was well spent.

I'll sign off now so I don't wear down my battery too much. Plus I want to listen to rehearsal too.

Just in case....

2010-09-01T03:12:00.000-07:00

If you don't follow our family blog you might want to read Cell Phone Drama before feeling neglected.

Plus Sized

2010-08-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

I was clicking on some links and looking at some cute dresses the other day. This site, which is known for modest dresses has some gorgeous things. A lot of it is still a bit too short for my taste, to be honest. However I decided to peruse their website and look at pretty much everything. They have a plus sized section. The link above takes you to the plus sized offerings.

After browsing I need to get this off my chest....If you are going to offer PLUS SIZED clothing then get PLUS SIZED models. This is ridiculous. Just because you make something for a size 8 doesn't mean its going to look the same on a size 18. Let them both model it!!! Maybe if for just once I could see clothing on a woman my size I might be convinced to buy it.

I had a revelation a while back while wandering through Forever 21 also. I saw a "Plus Sized" sign up on a wall and wandered over to check it out. Their sizes? XL=11/12, 1X=13/14, 2X=15/16. Really??? Thats insane!!! And we all wonder why anorexia & bulimia are on the rise with teenagers...yikes. So despite the size of the average American going up the size of clothing keeps going down. That makes sense!!!

On another note....back a while ago I bought a bunch of patterns for $0.99. Yeah 99 cents per pattern! I'm about to dive back into sewing this coming week. Yay!!!

Really?!?!

2010-08-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Sometimes my blog is like my journal. However its a public "journal" and therefore I try to not use names in certain instances...like when I think that person was an idiot...etc. If I'm blogging to give you praise, talk about something you did fun with me, a meal we ate together, etc...you'll get your name mentioned.

2 recent incidents I need to get off my chest.....

Uno! (1) I had the opportunity to overhear someone talking about me today (I typed this Sunday). Not the good type of "talking about me" either. It was one of those "out of the mouthes of babes" moments. In case you're living in a hole, they aren't usually very good. I listened while someone called me "that big fat lady"...and the other laughed. I chose to walk out of the bathroom stall...while they were still standing there. Not sure they caught on that I heard the whole conversation since they were younger. It was awkward.

.......................My self esteem issues started back when they shouldn't have. I was in junior high when I became truly body conscious. In high school thats when it got really tricky. I was curvy & athletic & although I wasn't "Barbie-esque" I was rather attractive. Stupid teenage drama and bologna made me think I was fat back then. Oh how I would laugh in the face of my teenage self right now. I was tiny compared to a few girls I know. Body image as a teenage girl is all out of whack. I know what fat is now.

I'm done being fat. SO over it. So if you see me lamely running or jogging or walking...or doing some other form of physical activity don't laugh. Cheer me on instead please.

Dos! (2) I was able to reconfirm my belief recently that some people have no basic knowledge of etiquette. My hubby was on the phone with someone who not only called him a name (cough cough ~~scrawny~~ cough cough) but this person proceeded to ask "Well....hows Sarah & your girls? Have you had another baby yet or are you expecting again?"

YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME?!?!?! This is a person I've met maybe once or twice (ie: was properly introduced to, oh never, but recognize who it is) and been in the presence of maybe an additional 6 times...in the past 2ish years. This is someone my husband has "heard of" but never met officially. Although Jesse has a really hard time putting names with faces.

Anyways so back to the ettiquette....So 1st you insult someone...and then you ask personal questions about their family/children/wife trying to make small talk? Does this seem odd to anyone but me? It sort of weirds me out that this person has the nerve to talk like that and ask what seem like pretty personal questions.

Now don't get me wrong if you knew me well I wouldn't mind you teasing my husband....if it was teasing. But this person honestly was calling my husband names and thus was insulting his manhood in a way. Oh and PS it was confirmed that this person spoke poorly about my husband and used the same term to another person as well. Grrr.... Luckily this certain issue has become a total joke between us and our friends. We're thinking "Scrawny" might just have to be in the team name for our fall season of co-ed softball. hahaha

But how about the personal questions??? In my honest opinion totally out of line. Ok, yes I'll admit I'm sort of sensitive about pregnancy and babies and questions about my fertility. Due to my sensitivity and the emotion over the whole topic I've made Jesse sort of sensitive about it too. But really? This question rates up there with touching someones belly and asking when they're due...and not knowing if they're even pregnant!!!

I discussed this certain subject with a friend recently who also has fertility problems. She said that any time someone asks about "when they're going to try" or "if...blah blah blah" its like a kick in the gut. Thats what it feels like. Being kicked. Someone who so horribly wants something, but can't have it no matter how hard they try. It not that the subject is off limits entirely...but with a person who doesn't even know you (or what you're dealing with) its sort of a touchy subject.

Ok so anyways...thats my vent and opinion. How about you?

Itchy!

2010-07-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

During my battle with Poison Oak I've noticed I've been really REALLY itchy. Ok before you all say "DUH Sarah, you have Poison Oak...it ITCHES you dummy!" Bare with me.

I've been itchy in places I didn't have a rash. Itchy in places that never got Poison Oak. Its horrible. I'm still sort of itchy now. I chalked it up to my body just being frustrated and that it would go away soon. Then I realized I was taking steroids. I had read the side effects....not too closely, but had read them. Itchiness was a side effect of the steroids!!! I've taken these steroids before, but in a smaller dose and don't remember ever having itchiness. But its the dosage thats doing it. Its SO much fun!!!

So seriously....I took steroids to get rid of the PO and the itchiness and rash it caused, only to be given MORE itchiness due to the steroids!!! You gotta be freaking kidding me. So Wednesday was my last day of steroids. I'm still itchy. Why you ask??? Because the steroids will remain in my body for up to another 11 days!!! Yay me.

I'll let you all know when I stop scratching. For now I'm just happy I have my eyeballs back to normal. I can see again and wear eye makeup. Woo Hoo for being girly!!!

24lbs, Steroids & Water

2010-07-21T00:10:00.001-07:00

24lbs
I've lost 24lbs as of the 9th. I need to lose a lot more. A little bit faster would be nice please. My feet hurt when I wog. I admit that my walk is faster than most peoples and my jog/run is slower...so its a wog. I do intervals of wogging and then jogging for 50-100yds. Its helping build up my knee I think. I can go a little bit further with each jogging interval. I've lost more than my youngest daughter weighs....looking at it that way makes me feel accomplished. Gotta keep going.

WATER!!!
Who wants to join me in tracking how much water they drink each day? Its HOT around here and not much fun. I've been tracking my water intake the last 2 days. Yesterday I filled my 24oz water bottle 5 times. Thats 120oz. I'm finishing off my 4th bottle right now also. So thats 120oz again today. I might break that by bed time though.

STEROIDS
I've been battling poison oak for 3 weeks now. I've been taking steroids to get rid of that now for 10 days. One problem with the steroids is that it increases appetite. The super high dose I had to go on has also given my some migraine issues and a bit of a battle with nausea. I've tried to continue watching what I eat and how much...but I've watched my calorie intake by increasing my water instead of snacking. Tomorrow is my last day of meds thank goodness.

Thus continues the journey...

Tecnu Extreme, Hydrocortisone & Corn Starch

2010-07-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

I've recently found out I am HIGHLY allergic to poison oak in my old age. I never got this crap in 12 years of Girl Scouts, at Yosemite or working at BSA Camp Lassen for 2+ years. I know I walked through it several times before! If you get poison oak, plan on getting outdoors this summer or already know you are allergic then go buy some Tecnu Extreme Scrub!!! This stuff works wonders.

Some of my rashy spots were on places that were less desirable. Aka...my underwire bra line. Its still there and a few other small spots. But when it gets to itching so bad that I'd like to crawl out of my skin...or rip off a body part, I can jump in the shower and scrub this on and rinse off with cool water. Its great!

If I had know I was even exposed and washed my whole body with this upon returning home...I might not have had issues to begin with. Other than re-exposure. Ugh....another story.

Don't put hydrocortisone on your cheeks, eye lids or even thin sensitive skin near your chest. Just a warning. To be honest, it was the least helpful thing (anywhere on my body) during my now 3 week battle with poison oak.

Cornstarch is amazing! Yeah I'll have to add to that story, but not now. Just remember that nice spot that got rubbed a lot.

Motivation...

2010-06-16T01:42:00.000-07:00

I need some weight loss motivation....so lets hope this helps.

I know I'm not a teeny tiny girl, even when I'm at my smallest. But its a lot smaller than I am now. For all you twiggy girls....thats not me, so don't expect me to ever get there. I'm curvy & athletic, even when at my smallest. I'm all calves & booty. I always pray NOT to lose my chest when I diet.

Jesse met me when I was rather petite. Despite already having a baby I was in amazing shape for me. I'm not sure I was entirely "healthy" at that point but I sure looked great. I'm proud to have had 2 more babies since then and worry about body changes with subsequent pregnancies if I put in a ton of effort to get healthy now. Its so worrisome to think about having to lose all that weight again & again.

Now that people have seen this maybe they can help with some encouragement too.

Romantic date @ Del Mar State Beach before dinner @ Il Fornaio..late Summer 2002

Marine Corps Ball @ Sea World...November 2002

Christmas in Grass Valley...Dec 2002

Another Birthday!

2010-06-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

Check out my little cutie! She just turned 6!!! Its really hard to believe....really.
http://thepatinofamily.blogspot.com/2010/06/happy-birthday-brooklyn.html