2012 Resolutions

Let's see how many of these I can break in the first week. In all seriousness, there are a lot of things I need to change and now is as good a time as any...

• Lose 10 pounds. Ugh, I hate to even admit it out loud that I have let myself go, but I have. Not sure why, really, but since July I have gained at least 10 pounds. Emotional eating is the most likely culprit, paired with the fact that my feet are so bad that I can't do cardio at the moment. Feet are undergoing treatment and hope for that to change soon.
• Exercise at least 3 days a week. I am an all or nothing person for the most part, so this will be hard for me. I know I can do it though.
• Live in the moment. I spend a lot of time thinking about the future and that what-ifs. I need to spend more time being and less time thinking. I know that if I can do that, I will enjoy life more.
• Spend less money. Okay, so this has been a resolution of mine for years and I've never really been conservative about the way I spend money. The problem is that my husband has become less conservative over the years as well. We need to tighten up. I am going to try to take the words, "It's only x dollars" out of my repertoire.
• Keep juicing. I never feel healthier than when I juice regularly. Lately, I've been doing it about 3x a week - would like to increase that if I can find the time.
• Feed the kids healthier foods. It's tough working full time and trying to get them to eat what they are supposed to and not junk. Especially when J refuses to eat ANYTHING green. I am going to have to break out Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, methinks.
• Cook more often. I started baking over the holidays and for the first time ever, had a few successes. It made me realize that I actually enjoy baking. Maybe I will like to cook as well. I think I am finally ready to learn.
• Attend church (on days that are not Easter and Christmas). When I was a kid, I loved going to church. My parents didn't go, so my Sunday school teacher would come and pick me up. Since we are getting close to when J will need to attend CCD, it's time to get back into it, though we will likely have to sit in the crying room for awhile.

I think this is enough for now, though there are other things I'm sure I could improve upon.

Happy New Year!

Would you like another size?

Thanks to the Blog Hop, I've seen some pretty incredible blog designs, which led to blog envy.

While I'd love to pay someone hundreds of dollars to create a professional blog for me, I figured I could do it myself and make it look halfway decent by only spending $12 on images. Plus, by upgrading my template, I was able to get the new Blogger widgets, which are pretty effing cool.

I was going for "chic," but think I ended up with "Victoria Secret dressing room."

Introduction: Blog Hop

Allygator Alley is proud to be a part of the first MckLinky Introduce Your Blog blog hop!

I've been blogging for many, many years now. Started officially in 2000, though I lost many of those posts. Back then, I was using a site called Diaryland, which really wasn't a blog, per se, but the concept was the same.

What do I blog about? Anything and everything. Initially, I blogged about health and fitness (or my lack thereof), then, I blogged about my quest for baby #1 (which took several years), then, I blogged about being pregnant and becoming a mom, and now I am blogging about my IVF journey for baby #2. Of course, these are not the only things I blog about. I also cover some pop culture and political events and issues, my love for Duran Duran (yes, you heard that correctly), my childhood, and other life events.

So really, it's a menagerie. A blogagerie.

Got a blog? Participate in the Blog Hop...

Who's Sad?

When Brian Williams came on the television to announce that Michael Jackson had died, I admit it...I cried. My husband looked at me like I was nuts, but it was a gut reaction. Sure, I'm pumped full of hormones, but even so, I was sad.

I first fell in love with his music in the fifth grade with the release of Billie Jean - they played the video on the debut of Friday Night Videos and I will never forget sneaking to stay up late so that I could see it. I received Thriller on cassette as a gift for my birthday and played it until it fell apart. I had a crappy tape recorder and used to bring it to school with me. As a Safety Patrol, I would blare it from my post. I played it on the bus ride home. I played it on my way home from the bus stop. I played it in my room after dinner. I played it in the morning getting ready for school.

Another kid on my bus, Ryan, had the Off The Wall cassette. He sat in the last seat on the left with his little brother and I sat on the last seat on the right with my little sister. We would take turns playing our respective Michael Jackson tapes. The other kids all wanted to sit close to us so they could listen. We ruled the bus that year.

None of the scandals really made me question my loyalty to his music. Did I think he was strange? Yes, but his personal life had no bearing on the fact that he was a musical genius. Do I think he molested kids? Actually, no. I think he was just a lost soul with mental problems who, in his mind, was still 10 years old. I think people took advantage of that to make money, which is sad. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but he was never convicted and his interviews always seemed very genuine to me. I don't think he had the mental capacity to be malicious. He was just a really messed up person. The plastic surgeries were another indication that something was very wrong. Had he just stopped with the first nose job, he would have lived his life as an attractive black man and not the monstrosity he became. Something was surely missing.

As to his death, it's tragic. What's really tragic to me over everything else though is that all of the sudden, everyone is buying his albums, playing his videos, and talking about how gifted he was. Yes, we are supposed to do those things with someone of his talent dies, but my point is that it is too bad we couldn't appreciate him in this way while he was alive. I am guilty of this as well. I broke out all of my old faves and listened to them all the way to Jacksonville and back last night.

My top 10 faves of all time:

1. Off The Wall
2. Rock with You
3. PYT
4. Human Nature
5. Billie Jean
6. Thriller
7. In the Closet
8. Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
9. Beat It
10. Black or White

Pardon my dust...

Got a wild hair and decided to give the blog a new look. Still playing with it, though I think it will do for now, considering that I am late getting ready for dinner.

Weirdest Thing Ever...

Okay, well maybe not EVER...but still, pretty weird.

When I got pregnant with J., I took out my belly ring, then forgot where I put it. For over a year now, I've been trying to find it. I looked absolutely everywhere with no luck.

Today, I found it on the floor in my bedroom.

We moved into a new house six months ago.

WTF?!?

The Year(s) of the Gator

Well, my prediction came true, which is pretty damn cool! Too bad I fell asleep during the second half and missed the fanfare.

Even so, it sure is great to be a Florida Gator!!!

Go Gators!!!

As you can see, J. is all ready for the Final Four tournament this weekend!!! My hope is that it ends up being Florida and Ohio State in the championship game and that we kick their ass in a second sport!!!

Will it happen?!? You just never know!

Go Gators!!!

Not a good week...

to be the spouse of someone I know.

On Monday evening, I got an email from one of my colleagues in Arizona saying that his wife died in her sleep. They are looking into why it happened.

On Wednesday morning, I got an email from my friend, Angie. Her husband had died in his sleep on Monday. She said she won't know what happened to him for at least 6-8 weeks because the Medical Examiner's office is so backed up in Palm Beach County.

On Thursday, I found out that a former colleague's wife had died the day before. She was mentally ill and people speculated that she overdosed on something.

I guess the only good thing is that bad things tend to happen in 3's...that means anyone else I know is probably off the hook.

The coolest baby on the block

We just got J. one of these. Now he can rock out to lullabys (or SexyBack) whenever the mood strikes him.

New Design, New Name!

I've had umpteen blogs in the past and have always called them "Allygator Alley" -- I had wanted to do something different when I was pregnant, but after I learned that I could back-date entries and bring all of my old blog entries over to Blogger, I decided to go back to the title I love best.

For those not in the know, when I was younger, my friends called me Ally. I am also a die-hard Florida Gator (#2, baby!), hence the name Allygator. The section of I-75 that connects the east and west coasts of Florida is called Alligator Alley, so my blog title is a take on that.

Now you know the deal.

You should also be very proud of me, for I redesigned this blog all by myself -- okay, not really (since the template is essentially the same), but I made all of the changes all by myself and borrowed the cute stripes from 2 Girls Design.

Welcome to mi casa! Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the festive colors!

How to tell if you're ready to have children:

Author unknown

MESS TEST
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST
Obtain a 55-gallon box of LEGOs (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk barefoot to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake a child at night.

GROCERY STORE TEST
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST
Prepare for the arrival of the child by filling a small cloth bag with 8-12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00 p.m. begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 p.m. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 a.m. Set alarm for 5:00 a.m. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

INGENUITY TEST
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn it into an attractive Christmas candle using only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a Ping-Pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

AUTOMOBILE TEST
Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

PHYSICAL TEST (Women)
Obtain a large bean bag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans.

PHYSICAL TEST (Men)
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Proceed to the head office of the nearest food store and arrange for your paycheck to be deposited directly to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you have all the answers.

Excitement for the Weekend!!!

No, I didn't go into labor, but I did discover that Bath and Body Works brought back their line of Strawberry Lemonade products.

Another bonus?!? They are over 50% off!!!

I've been waiting for them to bring back this scent for years! Reminds me of my crazy days in college. Plus, it smells really good!

Yay for me!!!

Dis n' Dat

***Yahoo! has this thing call the Buzz Index that lists what people are searching for most on the internet. Yesterday, the number one listing was Jaleel White. Yes, that would be Steve Urkel from Family Matters. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out how he'd manage to beat out both Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie for the number 1 spot. Hell, I can't figure out how his name was even there in the first place!

***My husband and I were psyched that we'd be having J. after all of our favorite shows were over for the season. Yes, it's sad for me to admit, but television is a priority in our house (not that it will be for long). So what does NBC do? They create a summer show that stars Jason Gedrick. I don't know why, but he is almost as yummy as Patrick Dempsey to me. Thank God for digital video recording, I suppose!

***I am horrified by the newfound knowledge that most celebrities sell their baby's first pictures to the highest bidder. Even if it's for charity, it's still exploitation as far as I'm concerned. Or maybe I'm just jealous because I couldn't get $4.1 million for J.'s first picture.

I think that's all that's been on my mind this week. Yeah, pretty sad. I know. I'll take any distraction I can get right now though, so cut me some slack.

Go ahead and laugh...

Cory thinks she has an embarassing list of songs on her iPod, but I promise that mine is worse.

Decide for yourself (you may not even have ever heard of half of these songs, but trust me, they are pretty pathetic):

• Time Passages - Al Stewart
  
• The Only Woman - Ambrosia
  
• Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
  
• Secret Lovers - Atlantic Star
  
• I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
  
• Emotions - Bee Gees
  
• Key Largo - Bertie Higgins
  
• On Our Own - Bobby Brown
  
• Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
  
• Genie in a Bottle - Christina Aguilera
  
• Best That You Can Do - Cristopher Cross
  
• Foolish Beat - Debbie Gibson
  
• Let's Hear It for The Boy - Deniece Williams
  
• Come Go with Me - Expose
  
• Strange Way - Firefall
  
• Love is Alive - Gary Wright
  
• What is Love - Haddaway
  
• Maneater - Hall & Oates
  
• Flashdance...What a Feeling - Irene Cara
  
• With Your Love - Jefferson Airplane
  
• On The Wings of Love - Jeffrey Osborne
  
• Torture - Jermaine Jackson
  
• Believe it or Not - Joey Scarbury
  
• I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man) - Kenny Loggins
  
• I'd Still Say Yes - Klymaxx
  
• You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
  
• Ultimate - Lindsay Lohan
  
• Lady - Little River Band
  
• Candy - Mandy Moore
  
• Hearts - Marty Balin
  
• All I Need is a Miracle - Mike and the Mechanics
  
• Bye Bye Bye - N'Sync
  
• Buffalo Stance - Nenah Cherry
  
• Physical - Olivia Newton-John
  
• Crazy Love - Poco
  
• Tonight - Ready for the World
  
• Endless Summer Nights - Richard Marx
  
• Glamorous Life - Sheila E.
  
• Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls
  
• Two of Hearts - Stacey Q
  
• I Wanna Be The One - Stevie B
  
• Stay Gold - Stevie Wonder
  
• Hooked on You - Sweet Sensation
  
• All This Time - Tiffany
  
• 99 - Toto
  
• They Don't Know About Us - Tracey Ullman
  
• Spread My Wings - Troop
  
• Magnet & Steel - Walter Egan
  
• Careless Whispers - Wham!
  
• Silly Love Songs - Wings
  

Most of these songs have some kind of nostalgia attached to them, but I only play them when I am by myself for fear of being laughed at. I promise that I also have some very good songs on my iPod as well. You may not believe me after seeing the above list, but trust me, I do.

Oh, and yes, the Joey Scarbury song is the theme to tv show, The Greatest American Hero. You can stop laughing now.

I'm only happy when it rains

After 29 dry days, it's FINALLY raining! Sure, it's great because of the risk of drought and fire hazards where there's a lack of rain...but even more important than that, it means that I will finally have some relief from my allergy problems!

Thank heaven for small miracles!

New Profile Pic

I decided to post this pic in my profile because a) it's kinda freaky cool, and b) it reminds me of what my figure looked like before I got pregnant.

This picture was taken at my friend, Kristy's wedding in July of last year. A friend of mine was the photographer, so she took a bunch of really crazy action shots of my husband and I dancing. I couldn't tell you what the hell kind of dance move I was doing in this particular shot, but let's just suffice it to say that I had a good buzz on.

Poor Kitty!

This may gross some people out. Just giving you fair warning...

As my husband was pulling into the driveway this afternoon, he saw something stuck at the top of the next door neighbor's garage door. At first, he thought it was a joke, but then he heard a cat crying, so he walked over to investigate.

Apparently, our next door neighbor's cat had climbed up into the garage door when it was up. When my neighbor left the house, he closed the garage door and the cat got stuck up top...his legs were dangling from the top outside, but he was pinned inside.

My husband, bless his heart, was getting so upset by this (while I, on the other hand, wasn't sure whether to cry or throw up). He called the sheriff's department and animal control to find out if there was anything they could do. I believe a deputy was on his way out when suddenly we saw the neighbor pass our house. My husband ran outside like a bat out of hell to try and stop him from opening the garage door, but it was too late.

Luckily (or unluckily), the cat fell from the garage door when it opened and wasn't crushed to death. He was still alive, though he wasn't moving from the middle down. My husband went with my neighbor to take the cat to the vet. We're not sure what will happen at this point, but the cat might end up paralyzed and possibly have to be put down. The good news is that they ran x-rays and there were no broken bones. The vet is keeping the cat overnight for observation.

Apparently, my neighbor's wife was livid when she found out what happened. My guess is that she will likely beat the crap out of her husband tonight for not checking on the cat before closing the garage door. Something tells me he has it coming to him.

I'll post an update in the "comments" -- poor kitty!

I'm It (you might be too)

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they are any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

1. For You I Will - Teddy Geiger
2. Brighter Than Sunshine - Aqualung
3. Wildflower - Sheryl Crow
4. Touch The Sky - Kanye West
5. Crooked Teeth - Death Cab for Cutie
6. Last Chance on the Stairway - Duran Duran
7. Everybody's Changing - Keane

You're it:

1. Illuminations
2. Evelena
3. BlueSleepy
4. Frykitty
5. The Good Geeks
6. Just for Future Reference
7. Don't Know How Ya Do It

Girl Scouts are Evil (but in a good way)

I'm starting to believe that Girl Scouts can sense a pregnant woman the way that dogs can sense fear in others.

First, let me say that Girl Scout cookies are a weakness. They always have been. Especially the Caramel Delights/Samoas. Since I don't know any Girl Scouts, I decided that I would buy 4 boxes off of eBay.

No sooner do I do this, a few days later I come across a Girl Scout cookie stand at Wal-Mart. So I buy 2 boxes. My eBay cookies arrive yesterday, and what happens? Two cheery little Girl Scouts come knocking on my door to sell me some cookies.

Before yesterday, I'd never in my life had a Girl Scout come to my door to sell cookies. It's like they knew that I was easy prey. Because hey, who am I to say no to little girls selling cookies, even if I do already have 6 boxes staring me in the face?!?

So I bought 4 more boxes. Because this is the one time in my life when I can eat them without too much guilt. So there!