New Baby!

37 days (until the move)

Good morning Bloggers!

As the title says, we have a new baby! Well...my best friend does! He is absolutely beautiful and though I missed his birth, I am a relieved I didn't have to see her in that much pain again (I was there for her daughter's birth). Without further ado, let me introduce to you...

Daine Joshua Edward Kimlin! He got a lovely middle name (Joshua) from his sweet uncle that passed away July 2, 2011.

7lbs 15oz (and the doctors all said he was going to be small) and 21 1/4 in!



I actually thought they were going to spell his name Dane, but they wanted to spell it differently!

He's so teeny. He has long fingers, a short little face, and loves stretching out!

Now I will just bombard you with some pictures I snapped.


Scrunched up little face :) I die!


He is so long and didn't have any room to stretch, so he was all out!



I wasn't paying attention for any of these - but we have some better ones of his favorite aunt ;) and him snuggling! He's so beautiful and I am so blessed to have Kristin in my life.

The doctors had told her that though her due date was April 1, her baby had stopped growing (puh-lease) even though he was already over 6 pounds. Her stomach doesn't get big like a normal pregnancy and so that's probably why. So they scheduled to induce her on Tuesday morning around 8am. I requested off of work and arrived at her house around 6:30am to stay with her 2 year old daughter, Kailin until it was time to go up.

I know my best friend like the back of my hand. I had a feeling around 1 that we should be leaving and her grandmother had stopped by with food and Kristin's little sister from school and told me it would probably be a while. Well...I know Kristin, and with Kailin, she had her in about an hour.
When she had Kailin, she called me at night saying she was going to the hospital with pains but said it was probably nothing - I knew then, also. I told my boyfriend to leave and hauled my ass up the interstate going at top speeds, and arrived about 20 minutes before she gave birth to their daughter.
This time was no different, except I had to drive her daughter, two sisters, and her brother to the hospital as well. We ended up getting there around 20 minutes after he was born. I was really sad I missed it, but now I have this bond with Kailin in a way that I don't have with her two brothers - I was there when she was brought in this world.

I was also the third person to see the baby - as her mom and husband were there the whole time. When we got there, he had just latched to feed and Kristin said only I could go back as she was pretty exposed. Ugh, it was amazing. He was such a natural. I just hope that he continues to breast feed - its a great bonding experience for mom and baby. Lots of family showed up and I knew I had to sit back and let them pass him around to everyone, but by 630pm we had to leave and I took one last hold and squeeze. I want to give her the weekend with him, but I will be there on Easter - early before everyone else - just to get my (new again) auntie squeezes from his little baby face!

Aside from loving on my new nephew, my friend gave me a book to read - and I am pretty damn sure that she should have had me read it sooner - like say THREE YEARS AGO when I went to New Orleans for the first time!!!



The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells (secrets of the yaya sisterhood)

This book is so utterly amazing, I cannot describe it well enough. It takes you through chapters of years starting in 1961 and ending in 1984. I am not finished yet, but know I will be this afternoon. I cannot put it down! It's a coming of age story about Calla Lily and her learning to love, to create and maintain friendships, her mother and father and growing up in LaLuna Louisiana, and is a great story of her love for doing hair! My mom would enjoy that last bit. The way the characters talk, the activities they do, the reminders of all things we do as children and adults, the love making, the friendships, the drinking, the fun...ahhh I cannot get over it. The book is TRULY special. It gives me such a great inspirational feeling knowing that in four short weeks I will be leaving to move to Louisiana! Calla Lilly moved from LaLuna to New Orleans and talks about her reasons and not knowing anyone and getting a job and exploring and I can only think about myself doing that also and trying to make it with nothing. It's a great book for the time in my life right now and I suggest it to everyone (over 18). It's fascinating and I just cried my eyes out last night over a certain part that is heartwrenching - I love books that make you laugh and cry. Hopefully the ending doesn't let me down and I highly doubt that it will. I will be suggesting a copy to the woman I stay with while I'm there. It's from the time period in which she grew up and I think she would really enjoy the story.

As of yesterday, I have one month until my last day of work! April 26th is coming up very quickly, but I am ready. I am ready to pack up and move on to see what awaits. If I don't get a job down in Louisiana and have to return, I will still be a different person - I know this because the experience is TO change me. I want to live and see things differently than I do here. As long as that happens - it will have been a success.

My friends want to have a going away party, so I should get a list together of who to invite. Will go do that!

Ciao dears!

xoAmanda

16

43 days..

'ello there,

So I figure I will start my posts with a number from now on - before my hello's - and it will signify how many days until my MOVE date.

I suppose I should post my youtube link here for anyone that wishes to watch the two videos that I've posted about my "move" from Michigan to Louisiana. I have tons of questions and hope for any advice anyone can give me about what the differences may be. For example: last night I was playing with my dog and - as usual - praying to God that he would live through the relocation to a different climate. He's especially old and adopted and he follows me everywhere I go. I am worried he might take the move hard, even if I am with him. But I was thinking about how I heard someone say there are scorpions there as well as the spiders and alligators that are big. I don't know how common it is to find scorpions in Lake Charles wandering about or alligators for that matter. Does anyone know whether I should be keeping an eye on him constantly? Or is this something that isn't common? Ahh, I feel so ignorant. I've done so much research for myself, but now my dog has me worried. I bought him a chain for the yard as I expect to be outside a lot working and he won't be used to anything besides me for a while - I want to keep him close.

Here's my YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv7kTfGx4pcoi3h1XKlm1kQ

It's not the greatest quality, but I plan to record when new things happen or when I come up with questions.

I am still sick and it's starting to really anger me. It's been a week and a half now that I've been sick. I don't have a sore throat or anything, but my nose still gets congested a lot and I have a horrible hacking cough that gets really bad when I go outside. Hopefully it will abate soon..

On Monday I used my 50% off coupon at Value World (thrift store) here in Ann Arbor and I bought:
2 Pairs of jeans, 2 shorts, and 2 books for only $9.00! Awesome. Except one pair of shorts don't fit. But still, it's better than paying 18 bucks for used stuff. The pants are great. They are dark wash and have that fancy look. I have been wanting a dark pair of jeans for a while now and I finally have them! I'm wearing them now, yes.

Most likely today I will be going through more stuff to donate to the salvation army and probably taking pictures of my white loveseat and chair to sell on craigslist...I really don't want to sell them because they are so adorable and the chair is so comfy but I could use the money and don't know if they will be sitting in that room for a while or not. Hopefully I can sell them for $150-200 together. I bought them for $100 together, so making money would be nice, as they are practically brand new.

I will link up my instagram account for the last week.
I hope you all had a safe St. Patrick's Day celebration - it was Sunday and I was sickly so I just stayed home and cuddled my Jellybean baby.

Sitting at work thinking about moving - can't you see the sadness ;)

When I am sick ... I read entirely much more than I do while not sick - which is definitely saying something - so I decided to re-read Beth Pattillo's Jane Austen Ruined My Life, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, and of course, The Dashwood Sisters Tell All! I love these three and any fan of Austen or Austen era movies/books will also. They are about secret letters, hidden diaries, and fictional possible loves that Jane may have had that no one except her sister Cassandra knew about. I love these books and because of them Beth is one of my favorite authors. I hope to meet her one day so that she may sign them and I also hope she has a few more books to come our way ;)

My best friend is having her son in the next week - she's 38 weeks now and she looks about as big as someone that is around 28-30 weeks pregnant...this doesn't do her size justice. She fits into size 6/7 pants and this picture makes her look like she's full term but I assure you, she is teeny. Maybe it's her boobies :) she's a double/triple D and so that should put to account how small her belly is.

Hopefully she has him when I'm not at work - that would be great. I'll guess that she will go into labor on Sunday, March 24 and have him then. I don't know why I guess that, I just have a feeling. We shall see. I can't wait to hold him and see him. I love love love newborns - it's their two year old demon sisters that I can't tolerate hehe ;) I love my niece.


I was going through my smash book that I am working on (scrapbook) and as an avid reader I have about four pages -i think- dedicated to books/reading. I have this little pocket with a picture of Libba Bray, Cate Tiernan, and Louise Rennison in it. I took a picture of Libba and Cate as I know they are friends and posted it to twitter (not sure if they saw it) but I just love the two of them and their books.

I actually just received an email response from Libba that I wrote her on Valentine's Day. It's been a few weeks but I am SO excited that she wrote me back. My favorite authors mean absolutely the world to me, they are the reason that I am who I am. The books they wrote helped me through a lot of younger turmoil and still do. Knowing that they care enough to respond to their fans really makes my day.
Promtly I printed that email and plan to put it in my notebook with the other print off replies I have had on Facebook with Cate Tiernan and also the 'Happy Birthday' from Beth Pattillo (so nice). I have about ten print off's so far and they always make me so giddy. I will have to re-read Libba's Gemma Doyle series soon as I haven't in a while. But first, as I am moving to Louisiana, I must indulge once more, into Thais and Clio's world that Cate Tiernan produced based in New Orleans (my whole reason for going there and falling in love with the state in the first place).

On Saturday I planned on going to my friend Kristen's house for her husband's 25th birthday party. I'd never met him or his friends and we planned to go to a bar, but soon we decided after pre-gaming at home, that we should just stay there. While her husband and his best friend got thoroughly drunk, I had a blast. It wasn't anything different than any other hang out/drinking party, just less people. The only thing is that I had to stay the night - because I drank and also because I would have gotten myself lost driving home as it was an hour and a half drive there and I had never been in that city before (except for a TLC concert in 97). So it was nice to spend the night but I missed my dog Jellybean so so SO much. I felt like a mother that needed her child. So I left before 11am and raced home to see him. He missed me and jumped all over me licking my hands and face and then we both snuggled down in bed and napped on and off all Sunday. It was nice.


While I was at Kristen's, I opened her fridge and saw an egg kind of hanging out of the holder because it didn't fit and I told her she should draw a "suicide egg" face on him and she did. Her husband had a bit of a laugh at it and so did I! He's so cute.

And lastly, I took this when Jelly fell asleep next to me - sitting up of course - we had a great Sunday lazing about. Hopefully his mama can feel better soon. I was hoping I'd be better by Wednesday - too late, it is Wednesday.

Happy first day of SPRING y'all! It's cold and only in the upper 20s°F (-4°C) so it's really really cold and feeling like a normal first Spring day in Michigan. Everyone always jokes that the "Last day of winter in Michigan is 60° and the first day of spring is 20°" because our weather is so unpredictable and randomly gets super warm when it should be cold or vice versa. Hopefully the snow flurries and ice rain will stop and the sun can start to warm us up. Soon enough, Louisiana will keep me wishing I were in the cold ;) and I cannot wait!

So my mother has told me that she's going to be in Vegas May 5-10 and I am leaving to move on May 2, so my mom can't drive down with me now. Hopefully my friend Linda is able to, so that I have someone to direct me and talk to and sing with, and especially get lost with (I know I will freak out). I need someone with me and the flight back is only around $123 for a one way which is super cheap and will be great for a vacation from this cold.

That's all I have for today, will update soon hopefully.

xoAmanda

15

Good morning sweetums,

Today has already been a pretty quick paced day for me.
It's pay day (hooray)....but I had to pay two of my auto insurance payments that was $360 and depleted a vast percentage of it. At least that is taken care of. Now I just have to pay one of my therapy sessions and I'll be good for the next two weeks.

I re-planned out my payment schedule for the big move to Louisiana.
See since I am going with nothing but some of my possessions and my dog, not a job in sight, I am taking a HUGE risk. I financied a car last May and have monthly payments a little over $200 and have to have full coverage insurance which is around $180 each month. I have to be sure that I have the money to pay it, so I made a schedule for paying these for at least four months (May, June, July, August) and my phone as well (and my therapy bill $360). It's perfect. I just have to make sure that I don't sway from it at all.

So since I told my boss and supervisor that my end date is April 26 (sounds strange to say end date), I decided to finally start going through my clothes and take whatever I won't be taking with me or storing to the Salvation Army. My best friend needed to take a few bags up there as well, so after work I sorted through it all and realized that I still have many band shirts from High School that I cannot part with. One is my From Autumn to Ashes shirt that I bought probably in 11th grade in 2004-2005. It is so teeny but still fits and is black but definitely has seen lots of washes in it's time. My bestie Kristin and I used to rock out through the hallways of our school with a speaker listening to them jam...ahh. And the other is my Relient K TEAL shirt from 9th grade in 2001-2002. Holy SH#%! I LOVED them back then. They were my christian-alternative love and I saw them twice in concert (and ran into Matt T while we were singing on a hill waiting for our ride). Here are just little pics of the shirts, not mine, that I found online... le sigh, I cannot part with them. I might make them into a band shirt blanket/quilt one day.

This is exactly how mine looks...just a little more washed :)

And this one with the moustaches and the stereo, how could this not be awesome!?
Good times and great music. I put them to the back of the closet so they don't get ruined.

So I put all of my patterned shirts and tank tops on my bed to see what is coming with me and realized I am a huge weird pattern freak. This is not including my tie dye love.

Obviously. But I love color and they are all mostly coming with me! It will be hot there, I might as well bring the cute stuff if that's what is going to be seen the most. I won't be able to hide behind cardigans and light jackets.

Now I have to separate my jeans, shorts, shoes, knickknacks, pictures, toiletries, and anything else I am bringing (oy vey this is going to be difficult). I should probably get some boxes also...

Hopefully I can get JellyBean in to be groomed the weekend before we leave (it's expensive but I don't want him dying of heat exhaustion when we get there and it's 80° while he has a fro. This is how cute he looked when I got him groomed a month ago (now he's a fro again).

He was so fluffy and soft, such a pie!

I'll have to make that appointment for him shortly..

I'm still feeling worse for wear. My ears are constantly popping every time I talk to move my mouth I cannot stand it. I hate fluid in the ears from sinus infections, I cannot stand it. Medicine has been coursing through me, this virus needs to leave me be already.

Tonight I plan to go to Value World and use my 50% off purchase coupon that I have, pick up dinner, and get my hair done by my friend Linda. We are having a girls night and much needed wine (wine should heal me, right?) so hopefully the day ends smoothly and I can start feeling better so that I can enjoy my weekend.


Lastly,

I was thinking about this on my drive home from the Salvation Army and listening to music. Before I leave, I want to make a mix cd (I'm old school okay?) for all of my friends before I leave, filled with songs that remind me of them or of my moving away and friendship. I want them to know how much they influence me and how much I will think of and miss them while I am 2500 miles away dying of humidity and mosquito bites. I need to pick up a stack of 10-15 cd's for my close friends/family and will make them. Since I am a list person I will post it here to refer back to: Kristin, Mom, Dad, Todd, Lincoln, Alisha, Linda, Bean, Sam, Keith, Kristen P, Kristen D, is that all? Sounds good so far.
One song that really resonates with me (weirdly as I am not an American Idol watcher or a fan of him) is Phil Phillips song Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoRkntoHkIE

I don't know what it is, but the "Settle down, it'll all be clear, don't pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear. Trouble it might drag you down, you get lost you will always be found" bit reminds me of the people that said I was nuts and crazy to move like this. I know I am not and I have tons of people supporting me. He is also very charming. I remember when I'd go to my da's house and he'd watch the show, I'd always get chills watching him sing, such a lovely voice. I said he should win. He did!

Other than that, I have nothing... end of the week, happy Friday to you all. Happy Saint Patrick's Day to those Irish men and women out there and to all who celebrate the meaning of it.

Cheers,

xoAmanda

14

Hey there,

So I have been super busy and full of excitement!

In the last week I have had my lazy sick days, happy bursting with excitement days, and lazy work filled days.

I''ve currently been sick with some sort of bug since Sunday morning. I've had a terrible sore throat, lots of coughing, and a congested/runny nose. It has been pretty tough having to work with it. I stayed home Monday hoping to get rid of it before the next day. No go. I'm getting so sick of being sick lately. It's like my immune system is nonexistant. I'm constantly sick. Ugh! I need to go home and change into comfy clothes, sip tea, and watch movies.
Which is exactly what I have been doing since this onset of symptoms.
I couldn't fall asleep Sunday night or Monday night at all. I literally got in the shower at 4am (I shower at night always) and then left for work at 5, getting there at 6. I usually leave around 6:30 and get there at 7. I was so sleepy but couldn't sleep. I have a hard time sleeping while sick.

My mum dropped me off some night time medicine and apparently it worked well. I passed out for sleep last night and had to drag my bleary eyed ass out of bed this morning at 6:10am. I was a bit behind. Now my coworker just said that each time she comes into the office I look paler than the last time. I think that means I get to leave early right? Right?! I emailed my boss and asked if I could leave around 2pm (an hour early). I have been coughing something fierce all day. Hopefully they don't mind if I leave.


Last night I had my tea, my medicine, and my lovely book to read and comfort me.
 Tea has saved my life these past days...

Before I got sick, I had a real craving to go to the thrift store here in town and in particular wanted to find a jean jacket. I got one really nice one for $5 and one that was more shirt-like and a button down thin jean material that I cut into a short sleeved version here:

I got the second shirt one for $2.80 so it was a nice little haul. I found a 50% off purchase coupon for this week and have been wanting to go but since I've been sick I haven't had the will. I'll probably end up going tomorrow. Hopefully I feel better.

One thing that I AM happy about is that my boss finally knows I am quitting in April! I was SO nervous to tell him, but he actually told us he was offered a job in Texas at the Texas City Refinery that our company bought and he's transferring. His last day is Friday so he's (my supervisor Frank and I) have been packing up his office. He actually gave us a $50 gas card today for packing his office for him which was really nice. Well it's kind of a long story about someone from work letting it slip that I was moving out of the state during our Monday meeting (thank god I was home sick or that woulda been awkward) and he said he didn't know about it. So I went to tell him and he was all for it telling me I am a great worker and yada yada. He said he was pleased that I am giving them almost 2 months notice because usually people here give the 2 weeks thing. I just didn't want my supervisor struggling to do both of our jobs if I just quit without a replacement.
So anyway....my friend who did her internship here got a call saying that she might be hired in my position (she wasn't hired after her internship) and year it's only an admin job but it's better paying than her job she went back to after the internship and she has more connections here.
Hopefully they give it to her :) I'd be really happy. Plus since I will be training the person replacing me, it will be a TON easier since she already knows what I do and mostly everything about our workplace. It will be a huge relief.

So now that the bossman knows that my last day is April 26, I can officially begin packing my stuff to store and what I am taking with me. Should be interesting... I will have to sell some stuff online also. I really don't want to sell my couch or chair but they will give me extra money. Will have to think about it...

 My sweet snuggle buddy.

Since my last day of work is April 26, I plan to leave for Lake Charles, Louisiana around 7pm on Friday, May 3. My little brother, Lincoln, turns 21 on April 28th so I want to party a bit with him before I go andI want sufficient time to finish packing, moving stuff, and saying my goodbyes to family and friends. Pray I make it out by then.

That's about it for the last week. I just received confirmation that I can leave at 2pm today. My dad's having me pick up a cake for his step son after work so I have to do that before resting. I should go finish my work for the day before I leave!

Toodles,

xoAmanda

13

Hello there fine folk!

It's been a few days but I have been quite busy and trying to relax when I get the opportunity.

I've been planning for my "move" to Louisiana and last week received a $360 psychologist bill (that I just started to see for GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder) and I pushed my move date two weeks (a pay period) back so that my other bills don't get messed up. But then she told me yesterday that they should reimburse me if I send the receipts in for a claim...idk it is super aggravating and I just want to know for sure they will reimburse me. Either way, I will have this extra two weeks and I will not, indeed, be leaving until the first week of May. I planned before to leave the second week of April and now my last day of work will be around April 26 (hopefully) and since my little brother turns 21 two days after that (28th) I figured I would stick it out another week to celebrate and then I can pack everything without work tiring me out.
I contacted Renee (who I am work-exchanging for) and she said there is a Labor of Love gathering or something in May so it's better that I can come later so that I can help with that.

I also decided to vlog about my moving experience and things on my mind about it or questions that I have. I posted one on youtube, but the quality is horrible so I might have to re-record it. I will post it in here eventually if you would like to follow along.

My dad's wife had surgery Monday so I have been watching the kids after school for a few hours and getting dinner ready and helping with homework. My last night doing that is Friday I believe.

Also, yesterday I went to my doctor's office to discuss being put on anti-anxiety medication. I don't know how much I explained my anxiety on here, but it is pretty bad. Bad enough that I went to talk to someone about it. I actually thought I was just the only weird strange thinking scared person in the world or that there weren't a lot, but one day I googled something like "I feel like everyone is watching me" creepy, right? But anyways it took me to this page about Social Anxiety Disorder and I was reading all of the symptoms about feeling like if you do one wrong thing everyone will see and judge you, people are constantly watching you (esp while driving I get this), having to be on the phone with friends when shopping alone, finding excuses why you can't go out with coworkers for lunch and what not. I literally was crying when I read the list because for about the past five or six years I thought I was just made wrong. I thought something in my brain was messed up and no one would understand. But there was a term for it. And I have watched a few youtube videos and there's one that makes so much sense to me about a woman and how she feels. I'm not afraid of people, I just am afraid that they are always watching me and judging me for some reason. Like when I stop at a light in the summer with my windows down, I will turn down the music so no one can hear it and judge me. It's so so dumb and I wish I didn't think like that but I am working on it. I cannot see the therapist anymore because I don't want to go through this dumb reimbursment thing anymore, but I learned enough so that I can work on exposure therapy, and with internet, I think I can figure it out on my own. I don't want to feel this way anymore. During my last appointment my therapist said she'd write a letter to my doctor to prescribe me medication and he did. Today is the first day that I started taking Buspirone which is mostly for anxiety with underlying depression (I tried to tell my doctor it's not depression because he was saying he wanted to give me ZOLOFT which is mostly for depression and he doesn't ever fucking listen to me when I say I have anxiety issues. I told him that I lost about 6 people in the past three years and he automatically assumed depression and while I am sad, I've mourned). I have anxiety and I'm working on it.
So I started with 10mg twice per day, I've taken both today and they made me a little lightheaded and anxious (not in a bad anxiety way, but like you're in a hurry way). In a few days I up it to three 10mg per day.

I will keep you updated, but I am done at work, so I must leave.

Ciao

xoAmanda