Short, Sweet, Plus Pictures

I'm trying to make this snappy.

DONE VOTED - I did early voting yesterday. Thus my mind has been made and there's no taking back my decision. We shall see how this all turns out next week. On a side note, the voting method in Reeves County seems a bit out of date. It wasn't punch-hole and it sure as hell wasn't electronic. No, instead I had to color in a circle next to the candidate's name, much like I was filling out a scantron for a test. It made me question how reliable it was.

TOO MUCH SHOPPING - But yet not enough. We went shopping at this new little shopping center in Lubbock and spent the majority of our shopping time there. I wanted to take a stroll through the mall, but the only store we visited was Mervyn's. (I had too spend a gift card before the store officially goes out of business.) I was quite happy with the purchases made over the weekend, though I'm pretty bummed that I didn't make it to Forever 21. I can say with certainty that little Lucero's fall/winter wardrobe is complete. Let me tell you, she will be shutting it down this holiday season. Oh yes, it's bananas. (And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you obviously missed the Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo.)

OLD CELL PHONE - Did I ever mention I got a new cell phone? Well, I did, along with a new phone number to match the new area code I'm in. Tear, but whatever. One problem, I still have pictures on my old cell phone, but I have no idea how to retrieve them now that the phone has no service. Obviously, the phone still turns on and off and has all my old information stored on it, but like I said, I have no idea how to retrieve my pictures off the phone. Does anyone know how I can do this?

PICTURES - Here's the latest and greatest. Enjoy.

Tummy time for two


So overused, but so perfect for this picture: "I just threw up a little in my mouth."


Yes, that's my hummer in the background. (Ok, it's not.)


Harvest pics and there's a lot of them. I'm a new mom and I can't determine which picture of my wee one is the cutest, so sue me! (And by the way, yes, I'm totally THAT mom.)












Now together let's take a jolly, ol' gay photo.


Me loves her so much!

(Oh, and can we talk about how I saw other parents taking pictures of their children wearing plain ol' cartoon T-shirts and jeans posed next to the pumpkins? I'm talking about their clothes not matching the theme of the setting. Seriously? My mother says only I think about stuff like that. I beg to differ, but whatever.)

A Different Meme

I stole this from Places Never Planned.

1. Is the last person you kissed mad at you?
Lucero? Probably not.

2. Is your hair up?
No. I just had it cut and it's short, making the pony ridiculous to wear.

3. Do you still talk to the person who hurt you the most?
I'm really not sure how to answer this question. I've never thought about who hurt me the most, but now I guess I will.

4. Are you an argumentative person?
Oh, yes. Arguments - bring them on. But only if I'm feeling like it.

5. Is your phone right beside you?
Wow, how did you know that? It's in my robe pocket.

6. Will this weekend be a good one?
That's to be determined. I'll be in Lubbock visiting my brother. I'm excited, because they have stores there.

7. What jewelry do you wear all the time?
Earrings. Usually diamond studs, but always earrings.

8. Have you ever had a difficult relationship?
Yes, they suck.

9. Have you ever driven in the ghetto to buy drugs?
Drugs? No. Pickles? Yes.

10. Can you read other people’s expressions?
I try, but I wouldn't consider myself an expert on it.

11. Have you ever hugged someone named Joe?
Easy question. Yes, my grandpa and my uncle.

12. When was the last time something bothered you?
Today.

13. What/who's bothering you?
A couple of things, but I'd rather not disclose them at the moment. I will say this though: I'm bothered that I don't have a closet. I need to see my clothes, all of them, right in front of me.

14. Are your ears gauged?
Huh? I guess that's a no.

15. Have you ever stayed in a hotel?
Yes, who hasn't?

16. Do you miss someone?
Yes, lots of someones.

17. How did you feel when you woke up today?
Pretty annoyed. The phone rang and the stupid answering machine, which for whatever reason is in my bedroom, had a blaring, pre-recorded message from Hillary Clinton, of all people, asking that I vote for Rick Noriega. This message caused Lucero to be stirred from her sleep, which meant I was forced to wake up. Grrr. I'm considering not voting for him for that reason alone.

18. Have you ever driven without a license?
Yep, happens pretty often by accident.

19. How long does it take for you to fall asleep at night?
Depends.

20. Have you ever had a best friend who was the opposite sex?
I don't call anyone my best friend, so I guess the answer is no.

21. Have you ever kissed just a friend?
Yes.

22. When was the last time you shot a dirty look at someone?
I don't remember.

23. Are you happy right now?
I'm content. Is that the same thing?

25. When is your birthday?
October 13

26. Where did you buy the shirt you’re wearing now?
I'm not wearing a shirt. It's a robe and it's from X.

27, 28, 29.

30. Are you a forgiving person?
Yes. Grudges are not healthy.

31. Ever kissed someone who smokes?
I laughed as I read that. X smokes like a train. Yay, me.

32. When you shut off your alarm clock, do you tend to fall back asleep?
My alarm clock is Lucero and there is no shutting her off, so falling back to sleep is out of the question.

35. Did anything weird happen in the past 3 days?
I'm gonna say no.

36. Your number one tells you they’re pregnant, you say?
Once again, we must first determine who this number one is.

37. Do you want someone you can’t have?
Yes, but he's already mine.

38. What is the biggest secret you know about your 2nd top friend?
I don't know that I know the biggest secret.

39. If you could change your eye color, what would it be?
I'll go with green, because I like the song by Coldplay.

40. Last person you told a secret to?
I usually keep my secrets to myself. Isn't that what deathbeds are for?

41. Do you listen to your friends when they tell you that a guy/girl is bad for you?
Not always. Only I know the ins/outs of the relationship, so it's best for me to listen to myself. Still, that doesn't mean I won't listen to what my friends have to say. I love getting other points of view.

42. What do you usually do right when you wake up?
Look at the beautiful girl lying next to me.

44. Have you told anybody you loved them today?
No.

45. Any plans for tomorrow?
Drive to Lubbock. I hate sitting in the backseat of my parents' car for long periods of time.

46. What’s a fact about the last person who had their arms around you?
Her poop is really starting to stink.

47. What do you hear right now?
The hum of the computer. A clock ticking.

The Good News and Then Some

Yay, my stuff is here with me. That's the good news. Unfortunately, it's still stuck in boxes and stored in my parents' garage. As far as moving the stuff into some sort of residence, that's still to be determined. Have I mentioned the housing shortage here in West Texas? Well, there's a housing shortage in West Texas, which means the few houses that are on the market have ridiculous asking prices, considering the kind of home you get in return. Most of them, if not all of them are at least 25 years old. And they're not old, in that quaint sort of way. No, they're just old, with their non-central AC, ugly windows, and bad pipes.

But I'm very grateful to have my stuff here in the same zip code with me. In a day or so I'll have to go through my clothes boxes and switch out my summer stuff for fall/winter items. That should be fun.

In Lucero news, the little one has figured out how to roll back on to her back from her stomach. She's also doing these mad crunches as she tries to sit up from the laying down position. We got her a walker recently so she can begin practicing being erect. Seriously before the walker, her day was spent laying around or being held. Now she can get the feeling of what it's like to stand on her own two feet. She's not walking in it, but she is pushing herself back in it, so I guess that's something. And right now I'm typing with one hand as I hold her in the other. Not exactly an easy task, which is why I must cut this post short. Later days.

And You Want To Be My Latex Salesman?

(haha - I couldn't resist.)

Awarded. Woohoo!

I've been awarded by my dear friend Golightly at Tidbits of Drama.

In acceptance I must list six things that make me happy:

1.) Sleeping a solid eight hours or more

2.) Sitting on a patio either sipping coffee or micheladas

3.) Reading my favorite blogs

4.) Magazines, anything fashion or home design related.

5.) Tulips

6.) Sitting in a comfortable recliner watching Oprah

And I now pass the award on to Yamell, Finding Him Bigger, Table for Four, Woodrow and Mimsies.

30

My, my, who knew thirty would come so quickly. It's like they say, the days are long, but the years are short. They most certainly are.

My Fall Wishlist

I was saddened last year when I was unable to wear a lot of my favorite fall clothes since I had to resort to shopping for oversized tops and pants with an elastic waist. So this year my brain's been busy dreaming up new fall outfits. Below are just a few of the items I'm coveting to add to my wardrobe.



Cardigan from Forever 21. Yes, kinda basic and (yawn) boring, but I don't have a red cardigan and I think it would go perfect with this white ruffle top I have in my current possession.






Love the blue! Love the sleeves! Love the turtleneck! From the Gap.






Another cardigan from Forever 21, but what can I say: my wardrobe lacks cardigans. Plus, I love the color and it would look great with a leopard print belt around the waist.




From Target. Kinda casual, but not too casual where it borders on lazy looking.





Also, from Target. And even though I already have a trench in basic khaki, I think this berry-colored one would be the perfect burst of color on those grey days of fall.





I love, LOVE this dress. Except that I would want it in red. Sadly, I think Victoria's Secret has it overpriced at around $75 bucks.





Again with the yellow, but still. The chunkiness of the cableknit is calling my name, even though I would probably look like a librarian and not sexy chic back at the ranch like the model. Also from Victoria's Secret in case you couldn't recognize the model.





I want the grey ones and have been wanting grey boots since last year. I have big dreams for grey boots mixed with my wardrobe. Also from Victoria's Secret.





I've always wanted coats like the ones shown below. I'm talking about wanting them for years and years, like when I was a child and was dreaming of my grown up wardrobe. Both are from Victoria's Secret.




Sadly, it's just a wishlist, 'cause now is not the time for me to be shopping. Sigh.

In Her Cabana Ware

A couple of months ago when Lucero was just a wee little thing she received a package in the mail from her soon-to-be aunt Kat. Included in the package was a lovely floral onesie with matching sandals - not the typical baby outfit, but that's what made it such a favorite. My brother instructed that I was to take Lucero's picture wearing it and post it on the blog. For months I've been attempting this feat, but it seems every time Lucero would wear the onesie she would poop on it. Every time! And it was always a major poop that required a fast-action cleanup before the onesie got ruined permanently. Well, finally I made time to take her picture before she outgrew it (and before she pooped on it).

In my attempt to capture the outfit from head to toe, I struggled to not have my arm or hand showing, but Lucero is a wobbly and wiggly little thing, so it was difficult to avoid. After it was all said and done, I couldn't decide on one single photo to post: Lucero is just too cute.

Seriously, don't you just want to bite into her chubby thighs and taste her cuteness?

Five Months Young

It's so hard to believe Lucero is already five months old. Where does time go? X and I just love her to pieces and we both agree if there was a way to keep her this size a little longer, we would so take advantage of it. She's growing up before our eyes and it just seems to be happening all too fast. How come when I was pregnant five months took forever?

So life at five months? Well, she's getting real good about grabbing for stuff you put in front on her. When offered a bottle she reaches for it and sometimes she can put it in her mouth. Sometimes not though. Sometimes she hits herself in the cheek, but even when she does get it into her mouth, she still hasn't figured out that she has to angle it up to get the liquid. She rolls over from her back to belly, as you might have seen in the video, but she still has yet to roll back the other way and I've noticed she can only roll to the left. She's shows frustration after too much affection, something her father constantly gives her. It's not that I don't show affection for her. I do, just not like her father who gives her so much of it that she eventually gets cranky from the constant hugging and kissing and squeezing. She actually braces herself when she feels him moving in for her neck. I'm still nursing, but now she's more easily distracted. She pulls herself off and turns her head if someone in the room speaks, which is why I now try to breastfeed her in a quiet room where it's just the two of us. Overall, it's just amazing to me to see how much she develops from week to week, month to month.

Here she is at five months.
Weight: 15lbs, 2oz,
Height: about 26" (I measured her while she was nappping, the only time she is still, so it may not be exactly accurate.)

Behind the Times

Ok, I'll be the first to admit I'm not exactly on the cutting edge. I don't know who the best new artists are or which new TV shows will become instant classics, nor do I even know who the most awesome of the awesomist blogs are, and I'm not exactly up with the latest gadgets, so it should strike many of yall funny that I just barely got on board with the whole Google Reader tool.

What's funny to me is that I would wonder how in the hell people were reading and commenting so quickly on my blog posts at times. It's like I would post a blog and on some occasions a comment would be left within five minutes. I would think it was sheer luck that this person just happened to "check" my blog sheer minutes after I posted it, but in reality they probably were sitting at work bored to tears, staring at their Google Reader just waiting for someone on their blog subscription to post a new a blog. At least that's how I imagine I would be if I still had a job I had to sit at for eight hours of the day.

And the other funny thing is some of my fellow bloggers would mention this very lovely little tool in their own blogs and still I was oblivious about it. I would read things like, "Oh my God, I'm so behind on my Reader." Or "I had to mark my Reader as 'all read' just to catch up." After a couple more mentions I began to question what the hell yall were talking about and then I noticed a link at the top of my Gmail for the Reader. Even still I went on about my ways, forcing myself to visit my fave blogs every so often to see the updates. Some blogs take time to get updates (much like mine) and other blogs have posts like every day, but it would absolutely drive me crazy if I got too behind on some of my favorite blogs and I thought to myself, "there has to be an easier way to know exactly when everyone is posting so I'm not constantly checking every blog every day." And sure enough there is. Google, be glad I don't work on your innovation committee.

I finally took the time to explore the Reader tool to see what it was all about and what it could do for me. For those of you who are even more behind than me, Reader is like your Favorites, it's a list of all the websites/blogs you frequent often. Basically, if there's a new post or change to the website/blog you subscribe to, you're sent an update letting you know about the new post, so no more going back to check on a daily basis if there are any changes to your favorite blogs or sites. All you do is subscribe to the sites you want and any time you open your Reader you can see all the sites that have new updates or posts. I love it so much. In fact it's become almost a little game in my head, where I try to guess how many updates there will be in my Reader once I open it. (Much like Gmail, where it shows on the tab the number of new e-mails you've received, Reader also displays the number of new posts to read.) So then I go on my merry little way, scrolling down my blog list, reading each new post off each blog that is highlighted with updates. (By the way, I think Yahoo! also has a similar tool, but I'm not 100% if they do and what its called.)

So did anyone learn anything today or am I that behind the times? And if I am, what other cool tools are out there that I'm not using?