Happy Father's Day!

It's Father's Day and I have a pretty awesome Dad.  So naturally, I would like to brag about him just a little bit.

Here are some reasons why my dad is so awesome:

- We used to read together every night.

- He taught me how to change a flat tire in order to get my learners permit.

- He helped me pick out my prom dress.

- He instilled the concept of cost per wear when buying clothes or shoes. Claire and I still use this justification to this day.

- He didn't yell. He has a really great deep voice he used when you were in trouble.  It works better than yelling. To all those teacher out there, it works well in the classroom too.

- He came to all my sporting events to cheer me on even though I was not a sports star.  He even coached the Wild Things, my softball team.

- He always told me there was another street car around the corner or more fish in the sea when I was upset over some stupid boy.  My dad was right about this. I'm not sure I believed him in the moment, but I should have.

- Packers, MASH, Wheat Chex, baby pies, and Amtrak are just a few things I like because of his influence.

- My dad is very spiritual and religious. He always encouraged me to question and think for myself about religion.  We regularly had theological conversations about the Catholic Church and God.

- He used to tell me in college to eat ice cream before going out because it would coat my stomach and help prevent me from getting sick. This worked as an excuse to get DQ of Friday or Saturday night until the DQ closed on Marquette's campus.

- He loves me no matter how sassy I am at times. I am still out growing this phase.

- He is pretty good at teasing.

- He knew how much I loved all my American Girl Dolls.  He also knew about the dolls so he could talk about them with me.

- He follows through on his word. When I was 5, I wanted the Middleton Gator team swimsuit that Claire was getting. My mom bought it for me. My dad made me join the swim team. (most kids joined at 6 or 7) Maybe he knew that swimming was the only sport that I was somewhat good at.

- He is very patient. I'm pretty sure I helped him become so patient.

I love this picture of my parents. This is when they came to visit me when I was studying in Spain. 

Packers Hall of Fame with the Sladky family was so much fun!

Happy Father's Day Dad!  Claire and I are very lucky and thankful.  I love you! If you are a dad with daughters or a daughter, you must read this. http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters ( 50 rules for Dads with Daughters) I think my dad did a great job at following them.

Oh and he is a rocking grandpa too! Can't wait for our little girl to meet him.

Grandpa with Baby O

Olin just like grandpa loves trains and hates getting his haircut. 

Baby V Update

We are back from Spain and are readjusting to our daily routines.  So it's time to start writing some blog entries. I figured I would start with a baby update.  My following posts will be about our trip and summer in NM.

The bump is a growing...

Taken in one of the towers of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Baby V with a few of Messi's multiple balón de oro/ golden ball awards. (Chris is says Messi is arguably the best soccer player ever. Even better than Pele. I smile and nod. I'm proud I know who Pele is now. If you disagree with Chris, please take it up with him. No hablo soccer.)

You are probably thinking I look small. Sweet, keep it to yourself! :) I'm a little sick of people and strangers telling me I look small or questioning if I eat enough - HA! Those that know me well know I have a hearty appetite.  I've never been considered small before for anything so I guess this is a little special, but it gets a tad annoying. Maybe I'm overly sensitive for some crazy reason and feel like people are questioning if I'm doing what's best for Baby V. Anyhow, the lesson to be learned is don't tell a pregnant lady she looks big or small just tell them they are beautiful. And by the way for all those people who are still thinking I'm small, my past 3 appointments I'm measuring a week bigger than I am. So take that! I'm actually big, but with a REALLY really l  o  n  g  torso. (end of crazy pregnant lady rant.)

Updates:

- We are currently in week 26.  Almost to the 3rd trimester...time is flying by really fast!

- Baby V is a mover and a kicker now.  She was late to start, but she is making up for lost time. Chris has felt her kick and you can see my belly move. (Very weird and cool at the same time)

- I'm feeling good a little achy or back pain at times. My lower back hurt regularly in Spain because of all the walking and my hips were out of alignment, which has been fixed.

- I'm staying active with swimming laps daily, walking, and prenatal yoga.

- We're going to a birthing class on Saturday, which should be interesting.

- Baby V's crib is all set up.

- My sister bought her ticket (and her baby's coming too) to come out and visit after baby's arrival!!

- I took the glucose test this week. I haven't heard back from my doctors so that means good news. :)

Thanks again for all positive vibes and well wishes for our little girl! 

Happy Birthday Claire!

Many of you know that I have an older sister, Claire.  And it's almost her birthday so I wanted to write a little something special about her!

Claire picked out a great hat for me on my birthday

Check out how blonde her hair is! Jealous!

Oh the matching outfits...

Trip to CA with Dad while Mom was in Spain. If you look closely these are coordinating outfits too.

The first thing you should know about Claire and me is that we know how to have fun/getting along and we know how to fight too. I would not have it any other way.  We are both really talented at annoying the other. Then that gets old quickly and we move on. (If you have a sister, I'm sure you understand.) She is an amazing sister and great friend.  I'm pretty lucky to have a big sister. She has always been very protective of me and watched over me. She has always been one of my biggest supporters.

Ever since I was little, I have looked up to Claire and wanted to be just like her (still true to this day.) I bugged her to death for many years by following her like her shadow - sorry. I've learned so many things from her. I remember the day we dropped her off at College.  That was one of the worst days ever! I cried most of the way home.  Luckily, she didn't like it there and she came back home to finish school. :)

French braids with our cousin Meg. I think Monica did all of our hair.

Matching dresses from Spain. 

Christmas Eve

We haven't lived in the same city for over 11 years, but we are still close.  I feel closer to her now than ever. She is always a text message or phone call away. (She is my go to pregnancy resource.)  I absolutely love that she knows I'm a little crazy/worry too much/a spaz and she accepts it. Don't worry she tells me so I know I'm being ridiculous.  Luckily she is the level headed one, which is good for me. She is really good at calming me down and making me laugh when I need it.

Do you think we still look alike?

I have to say the coolest thing I've witnessed is seeing Claire become a mother.  She is a superb mom! Not that this is surprising in the least.  It is just fun to see her in action with her kids. Her kids are too stinking cute and so well behaved.  Her husband needs some credit here too, rock on man!

More blondes!

The Sladky/Thingy girls

I love this one...life at age 2 is rough especial while enjoy a carriage ride in Central Park.

So Claire HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I love you and I hope you have a wonderful day. Can't wait to see you in July! Now I have one wish that we live in the same city or closer someday.

xoxo Bane

It's a ...

 We had the ultrasound tech put a photo with the gender labeled in an envelope. Chris wanted to wait to open it, and I couldn't stand to wait any longer.  So we opened up the envelope the two of us later that same night and it said...

It's a Bucky Badger Baby!!  

Thanks Hank the Tank for the sweet cozy lamb.

Ok maybe it didn't say that, but it is clear that this baby will love Bucky just like Mom and Dad.  Also this kiddo is going to love sports (Fantasy Football) too, we hope.  And Baby Valley may even like dolls and pink.  Yep that's right. Many of you didn't think it was possible, but it is.  Baby Valley is a

XX ~ Girl

For the record her mom and dad bought her flowers first not someone that will dump her someday.

I was convinced she was a he.  We are both happy and would have been just as happy if we were having a boy.  Once we learned we are having a daughter, I think that brought on a new set of worries. (mean girls, periods, birth control, me as a teenager, dating, etc)  The same thing but different worries would have hit us as well for a boy. Luckily, we don't have to worry about these things just yet.

Everything looked good on the ultrasound. We will hear more tomorrow after we meet with our doctor. (Fingers crossed for the ok to travel!!)  They tried to get a 3D photo of her face, but she wasn't cooperating with her position. They had to push on her a bunch and she just pushed back without changing her position.  It was also a struggle to get Baby Valley to uncross her legs to show her lady parts.  To me this already shows us that she will be as stubborn or more so than both Chris and I, and she is clearly a lady by crossing her legs. 

Here she is!

Baby Valley at 21 weeks - Hi Cute!

When I called my sister her she was over the moon, but her oldest son, Olin, was upset.  Her daughter, Aurelia, was so excited to have another girl in the family.

Showing off their Big Cousin t shirts

Other side notes:

- I'm sick of people telling me I look small.  I have a long torso and I'm tall. I workout 5 times a week still. What do you expect? 

- I now have the power to get crazy freakish hungry.  It is scary to see.  Sadly Chris has observed this twice already in one week, and is pro at handling me in this horrible state. (I'm sorry!)

- We had a great visit with the Valleys! Can't wait for them to come down and visit us again.

Here we are strolling down Canyon Road in Santa Fe.

Chris captured this beautiful adobe style shop with pretty flowers on Canyon Road . 

Happy Mother's Day!

Moms are pretty amazing.  I love my mom.  I'm actually a little sad that I haven't seen her on a Mother's Day in years.  We usually stayed in MN with the Valleys.  I miss her and wish we lived closer. I know I will see her this summer. We have learned to live far apart, but it can still be hard sometimes.  We are really good at talking on the phone.  I wanted to share with all of you a list of important things I have learned from my mother.

Important Lessons from Mom:

1. Chewing gum usually is unattractive. - I finally agree with you mom.

2. Be open minded

3. Thank you notes are important

4. Speak up, be confident, your opinion matters aka protesting is a good thing.

5. Peanut butter and milk should be consumed daily.

6. Always pack a swimsuit and extra set of clothes in your carry on.

7. She can make almost anything all better - still to this day!

8. Always call home before leaving anywhere - Chris now suffers these phone calls and text messages.

9. The Royals and Kennedys are fun to follow.

10. Popcorn or ice cream can be a meal occasionally. 

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Had to share this quote

I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day! I'm excited for this day next year. :)

The Cat's Out of the Bag

Where does that saying come from?  I don't know, but it's about time to let that cat out of the bag.  As Chris would say it is becoming more and more obvious.  Chris and I have been working on a top secret project (Chris calls it his personal cell culture experiment) that we are really excited to share with all of you. We are having a BABY!! We are so happy and have a healthy dose of fear too.  This is the only reason I am a little nervous about traveling to Spain. Our doctor and Chris are sure it will be fine.

Baby Valley has done a lot of hiking. And yes the doctor says it ok!

We didn't start bump pictures until you could tell.  

I'm not really a fan of posing for these photos, but I think documenting the progress is pretty cool.  Also I don't see most of you so I thought you would like to see me expand.

My sister and my mom have been nagging me to post something on Facebook for a long time, but we have been ok with keeping it a little quiet.  We wanted to try to we emailed or called as many people as we could before we share the news with the social media world.

FAQ:
1. When is Baby Valley due?
9/16/13

2. Did you have any morning sickness?
Not really...I can't complain. I was exhausted in my first trimester.  I am loving this second trimester right now. I have all of my energy back! (Let's see how long that lasts.)

3. Who is the most awesome photographer?
My handsome baby daddy Chris. :)

4. Are you going back to work?
Yes, I will hopefully teach for the first month.  Our plan is for me to work up until Baby Valley's birthday.  After which, I will take a leave and return to work later in the year.

5. How far along are you?
21 weeks as of 5/5/13 (over halfway!) 

6. Are you finding out the gender?
Yes, in a week or so we will have our 2nd trimester ultrasound. We will probably keep that information hush hush for a while so we can tell our family first. I think my sister is more impatient about waiting for this appointment than I am.

7. Any cravings?
Not really... I'm really in to milk! 

8. What do you miss most?
Sleeping on my back!!!

9. How is Chris doing with the exciting news?
He is doing awesome!  He is the sane one around our house - thank god! He has been extremely helpful, positive, and understanding. He comes to all the appointments, and he has been doing more dishes. I feel very lucky. He is going to be a great dad. I've know that for about 9 years now...part of the reason why I picked him.  It's crazy to think we will have been married for 5 years this summer! 

10. What have you been reading?
I can tell you I am not reading What to Expect When you are Expecting anymore!  That book just makes you paranoid! Do not buy it! If you really want a copy of it, email me and I will mail you mine. I'm currently reading Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy. I disagree with her stance on vaccines, but she can do comedy. It is a funny and realistic book. (Thanks Janelle for mailing me a copy!)   

Shout outs:
I want to thank my sister, my OBGYN girlfriend (I'm so lucky!), friends who are mommies, and my pregnant  friends. I feel fortunate that I can just send you a text message or call you to find out if something is normal.  I feel like something different is happening almost everyday.

We are also so thankful for all the kind and supportive words our friends have shared with us.

La gringa

I have a funny little story to share with you.  I had to stop at Walgreens this past week during my prep period so I was trying to rush a little.  I overheard a couple speaking in Spanish and I continued on with what I was doing. No big deal, I will just keep on shopping and eavesdrop on their conversation. I'm not trying to be rude, just practice my comprehension and listening in Spanish. (Yes, I know this is a bad habit.)

The Spanish speaking couple went up to a clerk at Walgreens that appeared to be Hispanic.  They asked if this person spoke Spanish. Unfortunately, this employee didn't speak Spanish.  Another employee that appeared to be Hispanic walked by and asked they other employee why they weren't helping the couple. The first employee explained the language barrier. So the 2nd employee then started to guess what the Spanish speaking couple wanted or needed.  This was hilarious and I enjoyed listening to this greatly!

I starting thinking to myself maybe I should go help them because even though I do not appear to be Hispanic, because I'm not, I do speak Spanish.  I had to think about this for a second since I had to hurry to get back to work.  Then finally I realized I should be helpful.

I went up to the couple and told them I spoke Spanish.  The women's first reaction was to laugh.  She laughed pretty hard. I pretty sure she wasn't laughing at my Spanish. So I said "Sí la gringa* habla español/ Yes the white girl speaks Spanish." She laughed even harder and I had to join her. I explained to both employees what they needed and headed on my way.

New Mexico can really make me laugh sometimes. Everyone here thinks it is so bizarre for a white girl from the Midwest to speak Spanish. They are usually shocked or in disbelief. I don't think it is that surprising. I know lots of white people from the Midwest that speak Spanish. (see photos below - All WI or MN natives that speak Spanish.)  I even know a great number of nonhispanic kids that are learning to read and write first in Spanish in MN.  This just makes me smile and laugh a little.

Juernes (Jueves + Viernes - Thursday + Friday) @ the Reindeer Run

Juernes running Irish for a Day 5k

After an amazing game of Mexican Dominos - a Juernes must!

Juernes ladies celebrating dos bebes!

Now I am familiar with their reaction and can understand it a little more.  Most of the Spanish/Mexican/Latinos of New Mexico have been in the USA longer than my family.  Yes they have darker skin and a Hispanic last name, but many (not all) were taught long ago to assimilate to the majority culture so many don't speak Spanish. Just like the Sladky family stopped speaking Czech to blend in more.  The families that immigrated more recently speak Spanish still.

There are certain areas in ABQ where you will hear more Spanish than English.  I have visited some of those places, and they make me feel like I am in Mexico.  I love listening to La Kalle the Spanish radio station.  Something about listening to Daddy Yankee "Rompe," any Reggaeton, Sharika/JLo in Spanish, or Juanes before school wakes me up and gets me ready to teach! :) (Seriously... this music especially helps me prepare for conferences)

Where I grew up there were a ton of Polish and Irish surnames. Sladky wasn't that crazy of a last name. Here of course my names were a struggle for everyone at first, which they have all mastered now. People grow up here with a plethora of Spanish last names and can pronounce all of them perfectly, but when it comes time to say Bosque they say Basque. It hurts my ears a little, but I just have to smile.  When Chris said Basque, I correctly him as fast as I could.

I have to admit I really enjoy living in a place where there is a lot more diversity throughout the whole state not just in certain neighborhoods in the big city.

*Some people feel that gringa can have a negative or derogatory meaning. I don't feel that way. To me it means a English speaker that speaks Spanish.*