Mini Saltines.

Have you ever noticed how miniature foods can taste better? If not, I have. My husband noticed this too so I know I'm not the only crazy one. His latest find and mini purchase are mini saltine crackers. They are fabulous and have been a staple item throughout the past couple of months. They seem to cure almost anything but have been especially great for heartburn and a rolling stomach. Add some sprite and you have a fantastic cure-all snack! Yesterday, I was craving them in a bad way. This scenario transpired over blackberry messenger:

me: i am sneaking out of work 14 minutes early. i cannot fight my mini saltine cravings any longer!!!

blb: you are wild and crazy!

me: i know! a real dare devil mixed with evil knievel.

me:

finally!! nom nom nom

blb: do you eat them alone?

me: no, i fed some to the pups too. but they were fabulous!

blb: ha! i don't mean by yourself. i mean with anything else like soup!

me: oh haha! nope, plain.

It was definitely a Monday and I had a one track mind. By the way, my doggies did tricks for these babies too. A real family treat!!

The Money Shot.

Hello everyone. Happy Monday! I am in a great mood this Monday. This is strange for me. I ALWAYS have a case of the Mondays. I think its the sunshine and knowing that I will have a fantastic four day weekend with friends and family ahead. So, happy early Memorial Day to everyone. Please have a beer, cocktail or one of each for me. I have been craving a mimosa lately so for those of you who like a little bubbly and champagne, have another round for your sober friend. I will be the designated driver for my hubs and allow him to partake in the first official "lake season" holiday of 2009. Awe. He better behave. :)


I believe I am also in a good mood bc I have a sneak preview of the maternity photos Ben and I had taken last Friday. So, for all of you who have been curious to see the growing belly, today is THE day. Andrea had enquired about doing a maternity photo shoot and honestly I hadn't considered taking one but I am SO thankful I let her talk me into it. I have been pretty insecure about my changing body. The swelling, cankles and chubby cheeks have taken their toll on the ol' ego. Therefore, lack of documentation. Big mistake. Big. Huge. (what movie? weird, i was typing that and it just came out. totally unplanned.)


Anyway, Ben and I had a fun evening taking pictures that then led to a dinner date. Overall, we had a fantastic date night and would do it all over again. We were so curious to see the results and got a sneak peek today on Andrea's blog!! I'll post a couple of pictures that I'm stealing off her page...only bc I know she won't care. If you want to see a few more, click on her link and check them out. I'm a little over 30 weeks pregnant in these pictures. That is 7 1/2 months pregnant to all of you non-pregnant readers who don't measure you life in weeks. Wait until you're pregnant, it's all about the weeks.



I love this shot. Ben and I are kissing for it but I think it is precious and really shows James off.



Me: Whoa! I look like I have a big pregnant belly.
My mom: Amanda, you do have a big pregnant belly. You're pregnant.

Yes, I am aware but sometimes I still have to pinch myself.

i really like this picture. it will match my, i mean james', nursery too.

Below: Warning! THE money shot. My bare belly.






Yes, it's real. No, my belly button has not "popped" out and no it isn't really an innie anymore either. I'm in betweenie with no button. If it does decide to pop out within the next several weeks, I'll blog about it. I think it will freak me out.

OOh, and another thing to be happy about today is that Zeigler's called and my wedding photo is framed and ready to hang in my house. Happy picture day for the Hale household! I wish all Mondays could be this much fun.

Thank you Ben for being a great husband. Thank you Andrea for doing such a wonderful job of documenting our special moments. We truly value all of your efforts to make us look fantastic and memorable.

Dear UPS,

Please visit my home on or before Friday. For those (few) of you who don't know, I have been dreaming about ordering a SLR digital camera to capture baby James when he arrives. I asked for advise from some friends who post the most wonderful, clear pictures and had decided that I NEEDED to own a better camera of my own. Yes, needed. You can ask my husband how obsessed I've been about getting one in time to practice (a word of advise) before JP arrives. Today I DID IT!!!

This baby will be mine, all mine:


Thank you US Government for my tax return. I will not be saving my money today but doing my part to stimulate the economy.
Thank you in advance to my pups and hubs for being my practice models.
Thank you to those I will ask a million more questions about how to make this beauty work.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm just too excited for words.

Yes, I might post a belly picture with my new camera. Please, don't hold your breath though...but I will make an effort. Truth be told, the last picture I've had taken was at 20 weeks. Yep, 10 weeks ago. Yes, I'm feeling the guilt now. BUT taking a picture and posting one are two entirely different things. I've had good intentions but keep forgetting to ask someone to take pictures of me and my growing baby bump. Well, I'm past the "bump" phase. It is a big baby belly now.

Friday Funny....

I love my pups, Waylon and Utah. Waylon is a dumpster diving basset hound and Utah is Ben's "prize winning" white german shepherd. I got Waylon 2+ years ago to be a cuddly, porch dog and instead I got a stubborn, hyper, howling, long-eared terror. I truly think that he believes his name is "Waylon No". I call him piggy, rub his belly and say "nom nom nom" and really thinks he is in heaven. He recently has put on a few pounds. I think it is sympathy weight for me and my pregnancy. Ben got Utah almost 3 years ago to be his watch dog and bark back at the yappers next door. Utah is a cuddle bug, spoiled rotten and deathly afraid of storms. He refuses to be in the backyard and whines when he doesn't get his way. Needless to say, we are head over heels for our furry friends....or as Ben would say, "his homies".

I received this joke via email from my friend, a fellow dog lover, and I still laugh when I think about it. I hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend!

This is literally a 'church signs' debate, being played out in a Southern US town, between Our Lady of Martyrs Catholic Church, and Cumberland Presbyterian, a fundamentalist church. From top to bottom shows you the response and counter-response over time. The Catholics are displaying a much better sense of humor! You get the impression that the Presbyterians are actually taking this seriously and are getting a bit upset...

I think my pups will definitely go to heaven.