Had a Bad Day

Ever since 10:45am this morning I've had that Daniel Powter song "Bad Day" stuck in my head. But why? you may ask. Well let me tell you...

We had a baby. Babies cry - a lot. It's their only form of communication to us. I actually don't mind (yet) because I understand that fact. When Ethan cries and screams bloody murder at 3am, believe it or not, I don't get mad or irritated with him, because I understand he's trying to communicate with us what he's feeling. Sometimes he's hungry, or pooped and needs a change, and sometimes he just cries. So that's alright. I understand it, and I accept it, but I'm still really freakin' tired in the morning after a long night of a screaming baby. Hey, I may seem to be a Stellar mom, but I'm not perfect. I need sleep, too.

It's been a blessing that so far, in the two weeks we've had Ethan, he sleeps most of the day, starting at 7:30am when I feed him and put him in his bassinet. Well, today that blessing stopped, and Ethan decided he wasn't going to rest this time. Nope, instead he wanted to cry and scream. Again. Because the little booger kept scooching himself up to the corner of the bassinet where he would get stuck with his face crammed into the fabric. Frustrating, I know, but no matter how many times I pulled him down and handed him his Boo Bear (Bear blanket), sure enough, he'd be right back to that corner, crying because he was stuck yet again.

That's alright though. Babies change their sleeping patterns frequently in these first months (so I've been told), so I can deal. Again, I understand. I dealt with the situation and accepted he was going to be a little butt. So my solution was to take him out (since he kept getting himself stuck anyway) and cuddle with him for a bit. He still had an hour left until he would be fed again.

So we snuggled and he drifted to baby dreamland, and it was nice...until I felt extremely warm in my mid-section. The same section that happened to be in his pee-stream range. "But wasn't he in a diaper?" you may ask. Of course he was, I'm no fool. But Pampers diapers apparently aren't completely pee-on-mom proofed. Funny, a diaper that doesn't do its one job. Pampers = FAIL. And this isn't the first time I've been peed on. It's about the 12th or so. I lost count after 7.

I dealt with it until he woke up - I'd rather sit in a pee-soaked shirt than wake up a sleeping baby. If you're a mom, you know where I'm coming from. Once he riled awake, I fed him and went to the bedroom to change his diaper. All was going so well, and once I wrestled him into his little onesie, I started to hear what sounded like a waterfall coming from the living room. I'll tell you right now, I do not have a waterfall or anything sounding like a waterfall in my living room, so this was bad.

I ran out to find the sump underneath our currently-running 55 gallon saltwater fish tank was on the fritz. A return pump in the sump was spewing saltwater like a geyser in Yellowstone. I pulled it out to prevent it from spewing more, and fought with the damn plug to unplug it. By the time the battle was done, a good 3-4 gallons of saltwater polluted the carpet all around the fishtank - including the carpet under the stand. By this time, Ethan had also decided he'd gone far too long without attention, and started wailing from my room. And of course, as a new mommy, my initial thought was, "Please let that be a cranky scream, not a I-fell-off-the-bed scream." It was a cranky scream, by the way. No worries.

I was livid. I was throwing four-letter words around like nobody's business. "Crap! Dang! Argh! Blue!" What? Were there other four-letter words you were thinking? Shame on you!

Anywho, after taking care of Ethan, I went to get the three crap-towels we had and started soaking up as much as I could. Oh, and I forgot to mention at this point, I had 45 minutes until I had to take him to his pediatrician, and I was still in my pajamas, with wet hair from a shower. On my hands and knees, I soaked every towel to its last fiber and threw them in the washer. I went to our bathroom to grab the towels in there to wash (you know, kill two birds with one stone) and the towel rod, wouldn't you know it, broke off the wall. I stood there for a minute, staring at the towels in my hand that had a rod sticking through them. I took a deep breath, and I laughed. The day had officially become a Sitcom Day.

"What's a Sitcom Day?" It's a bit self-explanatory, really. Today, the things that went awry were things you'd see in a sitcom like Everybody Loves Raymond or Big Bang Theory. Comedic accidents that would get an audience roaring with laughter. But alas, I had no audience laughing at my misfortune. Just me. And maybe the animals that were watching.

Luckily, I was still able to dry my hair, put on an appropriate outfit for the public, and get Ethan to his appointment on time (despite an asinine van parked next to me at the doctors who wouldn't move so I could *easily* get my baby out of the back seat. Five struggling minutes later, I had the baby out, and the van reversed and drove away. Bastards).

So now, after a grueling morning, I am planted on the couch, everything at arms reach, because I really don't want to know what may happen to me if I attempt to do anything else today. Wish me luck...

A Son Is Born

Our beautiful son, Ethan Riley Harrold, was born last Thursday, September 9th at 9:26 pm. The 16.5 hours of labor (3.5 of which was active pushing) was completely worth it once the nurse handed me my son and I saw his face for the first time. Something woke up inside me the minute his eyes met mine, and I now know that that Something was me officially becoming a woman. I had achieved my last goal in life - becoming a mother.

Childbirth was an eye-opening experience for me, and nothing like what I expected. I don't mean that in the "It was SO painful!" way but in the "I just wasn't expecting it to happen as it did" way. Allow me to explain.

The night before we went in to the hospital to be induced, I was lost in thought about what was to come. I thought about all the other women who explained their childbirth experiences (all very different in their own way) and wondered if mine would be anything like theirs, or completely different. I thought about the fact it would no longer be just Sean and I, but a baby as well. I wondered if I had made the right decision, and if I was truly ready for what was ahead of me. I was scared I couldn't be the mother I should be to this new child. I was afraid of not only letting Ethan down, but letting Sean down as the mother of his child. To be honest, I was petrified at the thought of what was in store for me the next day. It was fear of the unknown.

As expected, neither Sean nor I got much sleep the night before. We were both so agitated. We knew Thursday was going to be a very long day - and we had no idea how to prepare for it, because honestly, how can you prepare for something you've never been through? We got up, got ready, and left, arriving at 5:00am at the hospital. The receptionist checked us in, and a nice Russian nurse named Luba took me to the room I would be spending the next 24 hours in. It was a lovely room, and a lot more cozy than I expected. It felt like a hotel room without carpet and with an adjustable bed. I was impressed and could tell this hospital made it a point to ensure its patients were as comfortable as they could be. I appreciated it very much.

After donning the lovely open-back hospital gown, I was hooked up to an IV that would pump fluid and other medicines into me until I gave birth. After asking a few questions and checking my blood pressure, the wait began. My doctor came around 6:45am to check on me and go over a few things. I still had about 6cm to go before I could start pushing, and my baby was not down far enough for that to happen safely without c-section.

So, I was up on my feet doing laps around the hospital, wheeling my IV monitor with me, and when returning to my room, I sat on a large green ball and bounced as much as I could. My contractions were getting closer together, and they kept offering me the epidural, but I didn't want to just yet. I wanted to stick it out until the contractions were unbearable. Why, you may ask? Think about it this way - as soon as I would get the epidural, I'd be bedridden and could not go anywhere. I wanted a natural childbirth and did NOT want a c-section. If sticking out the pain so I can walk around and help move my baby down to the right spot meant giving me that natural childbirth, then I'd do it. So 8 hours after arriving at the hospital, when my contractions were less than 2 minutes apart and were extremely painful, I finally gave in to the epidural. The very nice anesthesiologist set it up, and half an hour later, the pain was gone. And by the grace of God, my baby had moved down just enough so c-section was no longer in the picture.

I tell you, it's the weirdest thing not having any feeling from the waist down. Epidurals are a wonderful thing! For me, however, epidurals are a bit tricky. My body apparently goes through it rather fast, so after about 30 minutes I'd start to feel pain again, and would have to push that button to shoot more of that numbing goodness into my back. The nurse (a different gal at this point since my first nurse's shift was over) helped me stay ahead by timing out when I should push the button to prevent the medicine from wearing off.

While this all was happening, periodically my doctor would come in to see how I was doing and check my dilation. Once I got to 10cm, things started happening rather quickly. I began pushing with each contraction, and making great progress. After about 2 hours of pushing, I started getting a bit tired, but something else became apparent - Ethan was not face down. He was facing sideways, which isn't a huge deal, it just means it would be a little trickier when it came time for him to come out. The bigger problem was the fact he was stuck in my pelvis. He wasn't moving down anymore with my pushes. A c-section became part of the picture again, and that's when I lost it. I truly lost it. I started crying and adamantly stating I did not want a c-section, oh god how I didn't want that. I began pushing harder than I'd ever pushed in my life. Even the nurses were shocked I wouldn't subside. It was hour 3 of pushing at this point, and instead of being exhausted, like most first-time mothers they'd dealt with, I had a new strength awaken and my Irish stubbornness would not allow the baby to be born c-section. Dammit, he would come in to this world as he was meant to by me, even if that meant pushing until my veins in my head popped.

Apparently, I had a whole audience in my room at one point of an emergency unit (in case of c-section) and nurses with the vacuum they would be using to help move him from the pelvis - all people I couldn't see because I was laying flat, pushing, and crying, "I don't want a c-section! I don't want a c-section!" while Sean was counting how long I had to push. It was a crazy mess, and all I remember was pushing and praying.

Finally, at hour 3.5 and one really hard push, I heard my doctor say, "Oh hey! That did it! No c-section guys, she's got this," and I felt so relieved. Then it was go time. I had Sean to the left of me counting, and a nurse to the right telling me to push and breathe. I had my doctor telling me just three more good pushes. On the second push, she had me stop because his chord was around the neck, but she got it taken care of, and by push three I felt my baby leave. My, how relieved I felt. I can't believe how relaxed my body became after that. I heard my baby sputter and start crying, and all I could think was, "Ahhhhhhh thank you God!"

And then they handed him to me...I will never forget the feeling I had when I first saw him...It all finally made sense. All the times I'd asked my mom, "How the heck did you put up with that from me?" or "How could you have still been so caring to me after all I did to you and dad?" I finally understood when she'd respond, "Because you are my child, and I love you unconditionally no matter what." And even though I'd only been holding him a few moments, I already loved this child unconditionally and would do anything for him.

It's amazing what changed in me after I had Ethan. I became a different person - a more selfless person, because now I had someone else depending on me, and that person was and is so much more important than any of my needs and/or wants. My focus had shifted from what made me comfortable to what made and makes him comfortable. It was and is no longer about me, but about him.

Looking back a week and thinking about everything I went through, I am so proud of my body. My body adapted and worked with a growing child for 40.5 weeks. It worked for 16.5 hours to deliver my child into this world healthy and with no problems, leaving me with only two minor stitches as battle wounds that will be completely healed in 2-3 weeks. It's working its way back to where it was before Ethan and is progressing with flying colors. I am in awe of the capabilities God gave to the female body so we could have babies, and I've never been more proud of each stretch mark on my stomach. They each represent the 40.5 week trek my body made through pregnancy, and the success it had with delivering my baby.

Looking back at my labor and delivery, I'm surprised it happened the way it did. I was expecting more pain, big rips and tears in unpleasant places, hemorrhoids, extreme soreness, etc. And I came out with none of the above but two minor stitches that are more uncomfortable than they are painful. I didn't expect it to go so well, and I suspect that isn't usually the case for most first-time mothers. I count myself lucky and again, am grateful to my body for everything.

And I'm grateful to my mother for having gone through childbirth to have my brother and later have me. She had it worse than I did, with no epidural and nurses that weren't so caring. Navy hospitals aren't exactly the best for giving birth, but she did it and I have never respected and loved her more than I have now, having gone through what she's gone through twice.

All in all, my pregnancy, the labor, and delivery, have all been a very moving experience for me, and I am happy I had them. They helped me grow as a woman and made me a better person. And I am reminded of that every time I look at my son's adorable face. I feel confident I made the right decision to become a mother, and I am so excited with each day to see what becomes of our new family :)

Roger and Rose

Here are two links to youtube videos of Roger with his new anemone, since it seems I cannot upload them here :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4pR8ZUQN0U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzQSzXkt-7U

He is rather lackadaisical in these videos because he is comfortable and all settled in his new home, as opposed to the spaz he was when he first got it :P

As the Tumbleweed Blows

So not too much has been going on with us. We had a lovely baby shower thrown last Sunday by friends and Sean's co-workers. That was a lot of fun! And we got a good load of baby shtuff :)

Last Saturday we went to our local fish store. They were having their annual anniversary event where everything is marked down incredibly low in price. Last year, we were able to buy Sean a 72 gallon bowfront tank and stand at store cost. But this year we were even more excited to go. Why you may ask? Because this year, we were able to take advantage of their 30% off all saltwater fish, since we now have a saltwater tank! *insert sinister laugh here*

Now, before you start placing bets to see how much we spent, keep this in mind - I am my mother's daughter. By that, I mean I am in the mindset of, "We can take advantage of this sale and get a FEW things we need/want, but we DO have a baby on the way, and that is the primary financial focus right now." So we didn't spend a lot of money, and we didn't go crazy buying a bunch of fish and corals and whatnot. We actually only bought two things: a maxima clam and a rose bubble-tip anemone (RBTA) for our clownfish Roger.

There are several reasons why this RBTA is so awesome. Reason number one: the store mis-labeled it. Normally, an RBTA is about $100.00 at most fish stores. Regular bubble-tip anemones are anywhere from $25-50. Our fish store was selling regular BTA's for $40.00, and the kid that sold us the RBTA labeled it at $40.00, mistaking it for a regular BTA (this is what happens when you hire kids for your sale weekend who don't know a darn thing about fish. When we asked the kid what kind of anemone it is he responded, "Uhhhhh...that pink thing you mean?"). After the 30% off markdown, we ended up paying $28.00 for this anemone that should have cost us around $70.00 after the sale. I'd call that a win!

Reason number 2: It has feet and moves! I knew BTA's were mobile after researching them, and reading several people's experience with going to bed and waking up the next morning to have their BTA on the other side of the tank. I had no idea I'd be able to witness it in action, though, which was pretty fun to watch. After two hours of watching it move from its original post on top of one of our dark brown rocks to under another tonga rock, it finally ended up in between our large tonga rock and a smaller piece of liverock. It has resided there since.

Reason number 3: Roger has never been happier ^_^ So here is a little marine lesson on clownfish for you all. Clownfish (all types) do better when paired together with other clownfish or when paired with an anemone (or best of all, both). The problem is, though, when you have a clownfish that has been by itself for a while, it's harder than hell to pair them with another clownfish. Why? Because it becomes a territory issue. The longer a clownfish has been solo, the more aggressive they are towards new clownfish introduced to the tank. It can be done, but it's a difficult process in which you may lose a few clownfish along the way until your original inhabitant decides one of them is a suitable mate. We decided that instead of getting another clownfish for Roger (who has been the only clownfish in the tank since the beginning), we would get him an anemone. We had heard that if we REALLY love our clownfish, we'd get them an RBTA. So when we saw one on sale - especially at the "incorrect" price we were quoted - we jumped at the opportunity and I'm so glad we did. I have never seen a clownfish so happy in my life! He took to the anemone right away and began "hosting" it, meaning he rubbed against the tentacles and cleaned some of them with his mouth. The only downside to his new home is that he is now very protective and territorial. He will attack the other fish in the tank if it swims too close, and he has even come close to nipping Sean's hand if he feels it is too close. It's all fine and dandy, though, because the other fish is fine and has learned to back off, Sean is fine, and Roger is super happy :) I will soon post a video of him in his anemone - it is one of the most adorable things in my life!

Speaking of adorable, we have less than three weeks to go until Ethan is due! It's all very exciting, and I can honestly say I am ready to be done being pregnant. It has been a wonderful experience, and I don't regret a single kick, punch, or pound gained. But I am ready to be back in control of my body. I want to be able to eat the foods I enjoy again, like caesar salad and sushi and fruits and vegetables - all the foods this baby hates. All he's let me eat without gagging has been carb-and-sugar loaded, which my poor body does not appreciate. It will be nice to be in control of my diet again. I will probably be taking a good long vacation away from sugar and sweets for a while - I'm actually getting burnt out.

Whenever he does come, we are so excited for it! I am ready to see his little face and hold his little hand with my finger, and nom on those little toes that are so fond of getting stuck between my ribs :P He deserves every tickle he gets! And Sean is ready to be an official daddy. Every day he gets more and more excited about meeting his son :) It will be a day we both will remember forever!

Other than that, days are spent with him at work and me incubating a baby. Thrilling, I know! But soon enough, we will have a baby to blog about! How exciting!!!

The Dreaded Isopod

It was a hot afternoon - mid 80's. The husband and I had slept in, enjoying the first day of the weekend. We decided it was time to get some chores done around the house - you know, vacuum, sweep and mop the kitchen floor, etc. But what we didn't expect to be on that list of chores was killing - killing a killer...

It all started around 12:45pm. We had eaten, brewed some joe, woken up best we could for a lazy Saturday. The night before, we had purchased a nifty little piece of rock for our salt water fishtank from the local pet shop. Cute thing it was, with brown and green zoanthids growin all over it. We knew we were taking home some new critters, but what we didn't know was that one of those critters wasn't so cute. One of those critters was an evil critter created to destroy...

I'm not an intellectual, I'm more of a street-smart kinda gal - a college drop-out lookin for more in life than textbooks and homework. So when the husband bought a salt water tank, I knew the only thing I'd be good for was tellin him what looked good, and what didn't. The chemistry and all that science stuff was on him. The best I ever did in chemistry, besides the kind between a man and a woman, was blowin up a gummy bear in high school (the teacher was impressed with the wide range in which the gummy bear goo landed).

So one day last week, while he's at work, I decide to peruse the internet, and see if my science-challenged brain could help out in other areas that weren't so scientific. I found a forum of other skirts and suits that liked this salt water tank hobby my husband and I had recently started. I'd come across a page that talked about "hitch hikers" in the tank, and what ones you did and didn't want. I thought to myself, "Alright, I'm good for reading and writing information down. Let's check this out." So I read through the list of goodies and badies, writing some stuff down here and there, taking a mental picture of these guys so maybe I can recall them in the future. If I'm good at anything, it's remembering what something bad looks like. When he came home, I tell him what I found out, and he's pleased at my initiative. We leave it at that, and continue on with our lives.

Well today, that initiative of mine came to the rescue. You see, in that list of badies is what is called the "Isopod." These are the nastiest of nasties - the worst if the worst, the one critter you don't ever want to see in your fish tank. This guy will attach to the fish and eat them alive, and if they're detached from the fish, they're very good at evasion. So you wanna get 'em when you see 'em, or your fish, even your corals and anemones, will be sayin hello to the porcelain god in a manner of days. And this critter, this demonic thing, reared its ugly head today on our newly acquired rock.

It all happened quick. I'm checkin out our new rock, admiring the colors of the zoanthids and watching a little crab poke its claw out of a hole. But next to this hole was something I didn't wanna see - something I never thought I'd have to see in my salt water fish tank keeper life - an isopod. I immediately alert the husband, who thinks it's just part of the rock, but I know better. I quickly run to the kitchen, grab a bowl we don't normally use, and he starts putting salt water into it so we can quarantine the rock with the offender attached. We fill the bowl, put the rock in, and take our business to the kitchen that had ample light.

My heart was racing as I tried to pry the devil off the rock with tweezers. The damn thing wouldn't budge - it's like it had armor on. But that wasn't gonna stop me from protecting my aquatic babies...So we moved to more drastic measures. I told the husband to get me a syringe - it was go time. He leaves and comes back with a needle (and in case you're wondering, we only have syringes in the house for these very purposes, not for any sort of "recreational" use, if you know what I mean). I grab the lemon juice out of the fridge, insert the needle, and suck out 10cc's of that yellow goodness. I carefully jab at the demon, finding it's one tender spot. The needle goes in, but I insert it only a little ways - if I were to go too far, I could ruin the lives of the zoanthids on the rest of the rock. I squeeze just a tad of lemon juice into the offender, enough to kill him, and wait. After ten seconds, I pry at the sucker again, and wouldn't you know? He detached right away, dead.

Now I'm not an egotistical kinda person, or someone that gloats about every little thing they done right, but this was a small victory for me. For the first time with this tank, I was able to do something useful, and save the lives of our other creatures. So this little victory is goin down in the books, and our salt water critters can live to swim another day...

A picture of the deceased when it was on the rock, highlighted in red:

And here's a image of the deceased after death by lethal injection (of lemon juice):

The Small Creature Crew

One thing you will learn about Sean and I is that we LOVE animals. In fact, love is not a strong enough word... Adore? Are enamored with? I'd say Deify, but I don't think God would approve. Anywho, you get the picture. Animals = Awesome.

Currently, we live in a tight-arse Condo Association that limits what type of animals we can own. Normally, I'd have an issue, but then I think about my neighbor having the ability to own a Canadian Goose, and while I adore our winged friends from up north, I don't adore the loud honking noises they frequently make. So, I can respect the restraint on what we homeowners can and cannot have in regards to animals. It may put a temporary damper on things, but we deal. I've already started my wish list of animals to get once we get a house and Ethan is old enough that it will be safe to expose him to such critters. Wanna see my wish list? I thought you'd never ask!

1. Golden Retriever. This is one of our favorite breeds, and is an excellent family dog. Yes, they're hyper, but I'd rather have a dog with energy than a couch potato. Ideally a golden retriever will be the next big animal we purchase after getting a house.

2. Husky. They're smart and beautiful, and somewhat majestic to me. They are a good breed as well. And I love big dogs ^_^

3. Sugar Glider. Reason? Besides the fact they are freakin ADORABLE and will sleep happily in my pocket, I can train it to jump from me to another person! Now that's just COOL!

4. Green-Cheek Conure. Now we could technically get one of these now. I have the cage (most expensive part), so all we would need is food, toys, and said bird. And we could afford it. However, these birds need lots of attention, like a small child. Oh wait! I'm going to be having one of those soon! So not a good idea to bring a bird into the picture that wouldn't receive the proper attention it would need.

5. Pot-bellied Pig. That's right. A freakin' pot-bellied pig! Why? Because they are awesome.

That's about it. I'm sure there will be additions later on.

These are the current members of our family:

Xavia, our kitteh

Evie, our schnauzer/ poodle mix

Charlie, our Figure 8 Puffer

Benny and Joon (green one on the left), our Fire-bellied Toads

Bluega the Betta

Delta, another Betta (he's camera-shy)

Bob, the Crowntail Betta

Roger, our Maroon Clown

Emo, the Bengai Cardinal

We have a few neon tetras and a bottom feeder in the freshwater tank with Bob the Betta, and we have a ton of hermit crabs and snails, as well as a few anemones in the saltwater tank with Roger and Emo. But these are our main guys.

Just thought I'd give you some faces to names, so if I mention them in a later blog and say something like, "Joon almost tore Benny's leg off getting to a cricket today," you won't be confused thinking, "I don't remember that in the movie!" You'll know what I'm talking about :)

So that's our small creature crew! Once the saltwater tank is properly equipped with a better light, we will be adding some more fishie, coral, and anemone additions. Stay tuned!

Muffin Success!

Holy cow! My muffins turned out so well! They are DELICIOUS!!!

You're probably thinking, "It's muffins. Calm down."

But there is a long story behind it, starting with all of my epic FAILS in baking over the last year or so. It all started with the Fat City Chocolate Chip Cookies...

It's a family recipe. And I am (or was) well-known for my chocolate chip cookies amongst my friends. I made the best darned chocolate chip cookies EVAR. And then I moved. And now, I make the worst chocolate chip cookies ever. They used to be fluffy and soft and delicious. Now, they melt like tar in an Indiana summer after 5 minutes of baking in the oven and look like flat, nasty things with giant brown warts (those would be the chocolate chips). I can't for the life of me figure out what I did wrong!

So I tried substitutes. Original recipe called for margarine or butter. I used margarine before, so I used butter this time. I had read that several other people had "runny" cookies as a result of using margarine, but that it was better when they used butter. Okay. Didn't help me. The cookies looked the same. I had also read that cookies were more fluffy if you use Bisquick instead of flour. So I did that. No dice.

Then I read on a few sites that freezing the dough for 10 minutes prior to putting them in clumps on the baking sheet helped them stay fluffy, too. So I did that. And still failed.

So, after about 4 different batch attempts, I gave up on the cookies. I moved on to cakes. Long story short, the Pam spray and I never saw eye-to-eye. Either too much or not enough was used. And again, I seemed to have to bake the cake for a LONG time in order for it all to bake, which resulted in a perfect center, but a crispy burnt edge. *sigh*

And then there were the muffins... I found a recipe for banana nut muffins. It was different from any other recipe I'd tried, and sounded tasty. So I tried it. My old foe Pam struck again. I was out of cupcake wrappers, so I had to Pam the bottom of the pan. She must not have gotten along with the bottom of the pan. I baked these lovely-looking muffins, and was so excited - until I tried to get them out of the pan, and they crumbled to pieces because it's as if the Pam was sucked into the center of the muffin, making it gooey and gross. I wanted to cry.

So I made my husband take me to the store for cupcake wrappers. I wasn't going to lose again. We picked up wrappers and new bananas. I put the bananas out and once they were quite spotted, put them in the fridge for a week to get brown and gushy (makes for the sweetest banana bread and muffins).

Today was the day I won the war.

I put the wrappers in the pan. I mixed the mix according to the recipe, adding my secret ingredient (that will remain secret). I plopped the dough by spoonfuls into the pan. I baked it for the allotted time. I checked the centers with a toothpick. I pulled them out and let them cool. I approached the pan, and liberally lifted a muffin from its place, holding my breath. The muffin came out without a fuss. BUT...would it stay in tact once the wrapper is removed?? I slowly removed the wrapper, breath caught in my throat, and lo and behold...it was the most beautiful banana chocolate chip muffin I'd ever made! And it stayed in tact! I took a bite, and victory swelled all around me! HA!

So I attached a picture of these beautiful muffins, because today is an epic WIN day for me, and I thought I would share it with you all. Because it's the little things in life that make me happy :)

An Introduction

Hi! We are The Harrolds.

There's my husband, Sean:

Me, his wife Shawna:

Our soon-to-be-born son, Ethan:

And many, many critters, including one cat, one dog, two fire-bellied toads, and a plethora of fish.

Sean is a Producer for Big Fish Games (website here: http://www.bigfishgames.com/ ), the biggest and best source for online PC games. He loves his job, and so do I, because I get the "Wife Benefits" (as I like to call them) of playing his games for free! Bwahaha! You may be jealous, that's okay :) He has a wonderful team of super-awesome co-workers, and he works with game developers around the world to help them finesse their games to their best potential so they will be successful. And I love to brag - he does an AMAZING job!!! *sniff* I'm so proud!

As for me? I am a stay-at-home mom-to-be. I used to be an Assistant Manager at a hotel, but the hours (and crazy stress levels) did not equal the pay. After Sean and I found out I was pregnant, we didn't want anything to prevent this pregnancy from being healthy and happy. So I quit! Now I spend my days cleaning around the condo, writing blogs, and incubating our son. ^_^ It's a wonderful life!

Sean and I just recently married on June 4th this year (d'awwww, sweetness!) and decided to start a blog to record our life and all it's fun adventures. We figure in this way, we are leaving a "virtual footprint" and are also providing a way for our family to check in on us from time to time to see how we are doing.

And let's be honest, it's fun uploading pictures of our family! We've got a LOT to post about already, with a baby due in early September. Oh! And we recently added a 35 gallon saltwater fish tank to the family, a project we will be working on. So keep an eye out, we will be updating frequently!

As for now, I must go make some banana chocolate-chip muffins while "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen" (as the Hubby likes to say). :)