The everyday life of living like Kings...


Saturday, January 30, 2010

John has stolen my blog before... without my permission.... so here I am going to steal his... because it is full of good information... and I am hoping Austin will read it..... :)

Good day everyone. My name is John and I’m filling in today for "Browyn." She’s out grabbing some lunch and doing her nails while skydiving. She told me they dry faster that way. I write a blog called Fatherhoody.

I wanted to get the word out to all you ladies and to any husbands that might be reading though, there are certain things you must do to handle a pregnant wife. My wife and I found out we were pregnant way back in 2009. That’s like… a year ago (2010-2009 = 1). That also means we’re getting closer and closer each day to her popping out a small human. (The human will grow to be a larger human and eventually go on to play right field for the St. Louis Cardinals, make millions of dollars, and place me into a very nice retirement home.) Anyway, as we approach A-Day (arrival day) a husband must care for his pregnant wife in a very different way than one would care for a non-pregnant wife.

You see, the Pregnant Wife (Wifius Pregnasius), is a creature like no other. She can be emotional. She will always be tired (and will always use the word exhausted to describe her current state). She will also always be uncomfortable. She’ll be uncomfortable standing, sitting, sleeping, driving, walking, running, jogging, especially jump roping and always when mountain climbing. Therefore, as the helper of Wifius Pregnasius the Husband of Pregnant Wife (Husbandian Wifius Pregnasius) must use the following advice to keep things happy in the household.

  1. Act Excited About Everything. A request to do the dishes for her on a night should be met with the following: “You want me to do the dishes? I’D LOVE TO DO THE DISHES!” During statements such as these keep your voice pitch an octave higher than usual to show extra excitement. Also, be extra excited about doing anything outside the home. It is very difficult for Wifius Pregnasius to get the energy to leave the nest, so if the opportunity arises make sure you act like she just asked you to be her date to every single game of the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals season and you get to sit right behind home plate and wave to it throughout the whole game while on your cell phone. “WHAT?? You want to go to Target to look at maternity tops?? Oh my GOSH!!! I was just thinking how I’d love to go to Target and do some shopping! I’m so glad you thought of it too!” If Husband does not act excited, there could be tears involved.
  2. Strength Training. As Wifius Pregnasius enters into the third trimester, the Husband must be prepared to help her with every larger scale movement. This means any movement that is more than one step forward. Getting up from the chair? A Husband must have an arm extended. Getting up from the floor? Husband must have arm at the ready. In the middle of the night and she needs to turn over? Husband must have arm raised throughout night for her to grab onto. (If arm is not raised, she will punch you in the face. It’s happened to me.)
  3. Help Out a Little More. Wifius Pregnasius is growing a human. Husbandian Wifius Pregnasius had no pain in making said human (in fact, he had a pretty good time creating said human). Therefore, it’s the least Husband can do to take on a couple more chores than usual and maybe even make the bed… even if it is his most hated chore in the world.
  4. Entertain. Wifius Pregnasius will encounter incredible mood swings. These will mostly occur when she is “exhausted” and it will usually end with her being quite depressed for no reason. There is very little Husband can do to prevent this sadness. (“Hi honey! I just brought home a million dollars!” will lead to “That makes me so sad…” which will lead to “Why are you sad?” which will lead to “I don’t know!!!!” and a tear.) Therefore, it is up to Husband to find someway, anyway, to make Wife happy. It’s a difficult task, but for my wife, there’s one thing that can put a smile on her face. Me dancing. (Now, before you hit play, I should have you know that this was a very big debate in the house about whether this was for the “internet” or just for the “family”. I sided on the side of “internet”. Wife sided on the side of “family” fearing she will be forever embarrassed by sharing my incredible talent with the world. I’m not quite sure one would be embarrassed when they are met with award winning style points.)

    John Dancing for Pregnant Wife

And people… I want you to realize that that was pure talent without any music or a beat. Eat your heart out dancing reality show peoples.

So there you have it folks. Four suggestions to help both Husband and Wife make it through nine incredible months of amazing joy, amazing trials, and an absolutely amazing journey. God bless.

See you at the hood… Fatherhoody that is. (That was a dumb way to sign off)

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Fighting Multiple Sclerosis

MS WALK 2007

Well.... My little sister has shown me up.... and I am so glad she has. You see, every year I do the MS walk for Multiple Sclerosis. We started a team after my father-in-law got diagnosed. Our team was "Allen's Awesome Ambulators," and our team has grown each year, and each year we raise even more money than the previous year. Here are some pictures of my late father-in-law, Allen King.
Austin's father passed away about a year and a half ago. Though cancer is what ultimately took his life, I believe that the MS disguised many of the cancer symptoms and they were left untreated until it was too late. As you can see, raising money for this cause is near and dear to my heart.

I think this would be our.... 4th year.... doing the MS Walk. Right now I am still up in the air on if we will get a team together again.... and this is because of my little sister, Bridget.My little sister is graduating from college in May of this year... and then she is doing something big.... really big. She is biking across the country to raise awareness and money for the fight against MS. Why am I debating doing the walk? Because I want all donations that would normally go to me for the MS Walk to go to her instead. She needs to raise at least $3,000 to make this possible. Here I ask you to check out her website and donate even a small amount to her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My name is Bridget and I am currently attending St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. I'm graduating in May with an Advertising/PR degree and I have absolutely no idea what I want to do after graduation. I've only recently gotten into biking, within the last year, but I absolutely love it. Whether it's riding around the city or going for long rides, I'm all for it. After graduation, I want to do something filled with risk, beauty and meaning before having to start life in the "real world". I started thinking about riding my bike across the country but didn't want to do it alone. (I mean, what better way to start the rest of my life than by riding my bike across the US?) I found the website for 'Bike the US for MS' and applied right away. I can only imagine how unforgettable of an experience this will be and not only that, but also doing it for a great cause. I don't think I really know what I'm getting myself into, but I'm ready to find out.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Not so Identical Pregnancies....

The first rule my doctor gave me, and probably the most important, was as follows: Do not compare your pregnancy to anybody elses.

In this blog I will break that rule. I mean, is it REALLY possible to NOT compare my pregnancy with my sister? Who, if you didn't know, has the EXACT SAME DUE DATE as me? No. It is not possible. So, here I go comparing. Most of this will be the down-sides of pregnancy. Though it may seem like I am complaining in this post, I am not. I realize that everything I am going through, have gone through, and have yet to go through, will all be worth the little prize in the end. I am very happy to have every ache, pain, crack, kankle, and every stretched out piece of skin.

Well, this past weekend Molly was in town for her Nebraska Baby Shower. I have not seen her since November... so we have both.... grown.... a lot since then. This was our first time seeing eachother after we were pregnant. This was at the end of October....
As you can see, we are not too big at this point... but boy we thought we were big. I am hardly showing and I am already in a maternity shirt! ha! Little did I know.... This past weekend, THIS is what we looked like....And pretty soon we will have one of THESE pop out....

As you can see, we are both already pretty big. It is amazing to think we have 9 weeks left.... and people are NOT shy to tell either one of us that they CANNOT BELIEVE we STILL have 2 months left (if you didn't already know... this does not make a pregnant girl happy... see Molly's blog: http://www.consideringcampbell.com/2010/01/molly-is-getting-upset.html)

Well, when Molly was in town we compared pregnancies... a lot. Mostly because I think I feel "more" pregnant than her. I have hip pain, leg pain, beginning stages of kankles, killer heartburn and it is getting nearly impossible to put my shoes or socks on. Molly.... none of this. She has an itchy tummy and feels "uncomfortable." Not me.... I am already beyond the stages of "uncomfortable." Which REALLY worries me because people keep reminding me I have 2 months left!!

Molly states that it is all "fair" because she "got sicker" in the first trimester then me. Notice how it is "sicker" and not "sick"..... I still got pretty dang sick... it just took a couple weeks longer to start up.... but it lasted a bit longer than Molly's. There was one point at work I was running to the toliet (to throw up.... sorry).... and I leaned over so fast I ripped my work scrubs right down the center!

Anyway.... Since I always compare and contrast every aspect of me and my siblings life... and everything is a competition... I must say... Molly, I've got you beat on this one.

But... Look what I did get her for her Baby Shower. It may be the most amazing thing ever. Not quite sure yet if Molly agrees.....


"Make that a double!"

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Things that make pregnancy just a wee bit better

This blog is all about little things I have found that have made my pregnancy a little more tolerable. Let's start....
1. Zantac. As reported in a previous blog.... heartburn is a killer. This stuff works amazingly well. However, I have learned that just because you take this magical little pill does not mean you can go out and eat tomato sauce, nachos, and spicy nachos in one day.

2. Snoodle. I just got this wonderful little pillow and it has made my nights so much more pleasant. Wait.... pleasant is never the right word for pregnancy sleep.... it is more like, "tolerable." I broke down and bought this $50 pillow though and it has made my nights so much better. I strongly suggest getting this to any pregnant woman, or not pregnant, because it is delightful. The only thing that is not so nice about it is trying to turn over in the middle of the night (already trying to turn a "few" extra pounds with you) and being tangled up in this pillow. Yes, it is true... you get tangled up in a pillow.







3. Switching cars. Austin & I have a Saturn Vue & a Nissan Altima. The Altima is my pride a joy... and still new. I had to give up this little beauty a month or so ago because it was getting too hard for me to get in & out of it. It was really quite sad. The Vue treats me just right. I have noticed that getting in a car that is TOO high can be as hard as a car that is too low, however. Recently we have been "car sitting" for my mother-in-law, who owns an Xterra. This is a great 4 wheel drive vehicle that has come in handy over the past couple snow storms, but it is awful to get in & out of as well.














4. Handicap bathroom stall. This is my most recent discovery. Like I have described in #3, it is hard getting my pregnant butt up when I've been sitting. This goes for the bathroom too. I found that the bathroom stall was amazing by mistake... all the other stalls were taken. Since this event, I will never go back. Try it ladies.... it will make your bathroom experience so much better.

5. Someone to put socks on & off. Austin is amazing at this. He is always a good sport about putting my socks on for me in the morning. I do not usually have to ask him to tie my shoes... because I have learned to keep them tied. Luckily, at work Brittany has been my saving grace when I need a good double knot. These small tasks really do wonders for a pregnant woman.... so gentlemen.... listen to this advice.....
(This woman is OBVIOUSLY a model with a fake tummy on. This position is impossible while pregnant.... or if it IS possible... it would not be "painless" like she is portraying it....)


I will keep you all informed if I find new things to help you out as my pregnancy progresses... And if you have any tips for me I would love to hear them!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Top 10 in 2010

Top 10 things to do in 2010........


1. Have a baby.
(Maybe not THIS baby.... but one just as cute!)

2. Take 3 months off of work. :)

(I found this when I searched for "Relaxing photos," and had to post it.....)
3. Lose weight (this number changes day by day.... and will keep increasing until March 21st). This goal also does not start until April 1st, 2010.

27 1/2 weeks.... wow... I've grown a lot in the 2 weeks since then.....


4. Support my little sis in the MS Bike Ride. Please go and donate to her!!




5. Try to get away from this white stuff.... I am quite tired of it!


6. Stay married.
(Hopefully this one won't be tooooooooo hard.....)
7. Increase my blogging.
Did YOU feed the cats?!?
8. Increase my savings.


9. Sell my house.


Want it? New paint throughout the house.... fenced in backyard... back yard patio.... Ours has a red front door though.....

10. Go watch my best friend get married in Denver! :)

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Beggers can't be choosers.......

In our very first post I introduced you to our family.... by our "family," I mean Vincent, Boat-Rider, Hannah & Mylie... These are our cats & dogs. We have too many.... but now we love them & there is nothing we can do about it now. I can only imagine how they will feel when they get a new little "brother" in just 2 1/2 months.....

My sister, Molly, hates it when people refer to their pets as their "children," and how I refer to her as my animals "Aunt Molly," and how her dog is my dog's "cousin." So, I, of course, do this even more often since she's told me that.....

We started off with just Vincent. I got him before Austin & I were married and Austin was living in France. He was living in a little town called St. Vincent de Tyrosse. Then, right before we got married, we decided he needed a friend... that is when Boat-Rider came along. Austin named Boats.... apparently it goes back to a childhood memory... Poor cat....

Well.... Vincent originally wasn't too keen on the idea of having a "brother," but eventually warmed up and now they are.... best of friends.... to say the least.... When Hannah came along (the black lab) Vincent was not too happy.... We've had Hannah now for 2 years now... and they still do not get along.

Here is a little video to show their love-hate relationship.

But there is a time when they always DO get along.....

And they lived Happily Ever After......

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas at the Kings

This is our second Christmas without either set of our parents. Last year we were unable to make it to Texas for Christmas and I believe Austin's mom was out of town. We did make it over to my sister, Molly's house, for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner....

In my family there are two holiday traditions that I refuse to give up. One of these is Fondue on Christmas Eve, the other is a Christmas movie at the theatre. I suppose the Christmas movie was always a big deal for our family because when we were younger, my parents hauling 5 kids to one movie had to have been quite an adventure.... and then picking out a movie that we all would like was another story.....
Well... On Christmas day I had to work from 7a-3p, so we knew that we would be celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve. I went out on Wednesday during our freezing rain storm and got all the ingredients for Fondue, artichokes, and apple pie. The best meal ever..... and my first attempt at all 3.....

I made chocolate chip cookies last week that did not turn out so good.... so I was worried about my apple pie....

I made Fondue for the first time.... and it turned out delicious. Nothing like stuffing your face with a tiny piece of fruit layered in thick, beautiful, delicious cheese.... Seriously... I think Austin and I ate 1.5 pounds of cheese between us... It was the best decision ever. I think we need to make this a weekly tradition.... 365 days is just too long.....




And the apple pie turned out delicious as well....

I can always tell how much Austin likes my cooking by how long he must sit on the couch afterwards before engaging in activity.... Let's just say we ate at 3pm and he did not get off the couch until it was time for bed. :)

Christmas dinner was a bit different. Austin picked me up for work (since we were in ANOTHER blizzard....) and we had no groceries for dinner. Apparently I was so focused on the Fondue I forgot that I needed to feed him for the ACTUAL holiday too.... No grocery stores were open.... just the gas station.... so.... we got THIS gourmet meal.....



Almost as good as the Fondue.....


However, the MOST disappointing thing about Christmas (though the birth of Christ is not disappointing at all.....), was not our gas station holiday meal, and not even that I had to work for 8 hours, but that this weather CLOSED DOWN THE MoVIE THEATRE! How are we supposed to watch our Christmas movie when the THEATRE closes? That NEVER happens! Oh well.... maybe next year! So... instead we found this 3D puzzle to do.... which turned out awesome. It will be our new centerpiece. I mean, who does not want a 3D cardboard sculpture puzzle of a Bald Eagle as their centerpiece?!?



Merry Christmas everyone and God Bless you all!