duck…duck…goose

Sadie is 7 months old

2009-10-26T10:42:00.002-05:00

Wow, how times flies! It feels like just yesterday I was trying potty train her and now she roams the house like she's a part of the family. Enjoy the pictures of our baby girl!

My Nephew is a hoot

2009-10-26T10:39:00.002-05:00

Josh cracks me up. All the little things he says, like pbskids.org, to the faces he makes, he always manages to make me chuckle. And can this boy dance and he's only 2 years old.

Oh my, Sadie's 6 months old!

2009-09-24T15:12:00.005-05:00

My baby is now 6 months old. My how time passes. She's lost all her baby teeth and now weighs a whooping 35+ lbs. Every morning, I take her to a nearby dog park to socialize and exert her puppy energy. She's gotten so much bigger then when we first picked her up, but she's still a cutie. She recently graduated from puppy training class. It wasn't as easy as I would've liked, but she did well. Hopefully, what we've taught her will stick. Above are some pictures of our precious!

Health Update

2009-09-17T10:39:00.002-05:00

Since my last post of my health, I'm glad to inform all who are following that the new treatment is working well. I've already had 4 infusions since my first one and always look forward to the 3 hour nap. All of the blood work seems to indicate that all is going well. There are days that my knee feels a bit tweaked, but with a little rest and exercise, I feel like myself again. I think I made the right decision to move forward with Remicade. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Sadie's 4 months old

2009-07-27T17:02:00.004-05:00

Wow, has it been a month already since my last update on Sadie. Well, she's four months old and able to understand "sit", "stay", "wait", "leave it" and "come". Still working on "release" and "off". This past weekend we learned the command for "down", so that's the new task for the week. She's been a doll and getting bigger by the day. The week before last, however, my poor baby was sick. She had hookworms and then very bad diarrhea. After a week of meds she did not like, she's doing much better. We think she's mixed with weimaraner but you tell me, what do you guys think?

Sadie's 3 months old

2009-06-24T18:28:00.002-05:00

How time flies? It feels like just yesterday when we took our little darling home. She's grown so much in the month that we've had her. I'm going to miss her puppy age, when I'm not able to carry her anymore. Happy Birthday Sadie!

New treatment

2009-06-24T17:52:00.003-05:00

After 18 years with the same Rheumatologist, I've decided to change. I was not feeling any better even though I was told I was fine and in remission. I wanted a fresh new set of eyes on me, after all, it's my body and future that is at stake.

After a few visits with the new doc, she noticed a lot of things my old doctor was not doing, including TB tests. Because of the medication I've been on, Enbrel, I'm supposed to be getting these tests every year, however, after 11 years on this medication, I have never been given this test. Boy, was she shocked to hear that. Also, even after my knee surgery, my knee has never been back to 100%. She was able to remove some fluid from the knee and inject it with steroids twice. It was a good relief but still, only a temporary relief. After x-rays, MRI's and blood tests, my doctor realized I was not in remission, I actually have active disease causing flare ups. Not only that, the disease was not under control and eating away at my joints. I was not happy at all to hear this. My doctor recommended for me to go on Remicade.

After a lot of thought and research, the hubby and I decided it would be the best treatment for me. Today was the first treatment, though very nervous, everything went on without a hitch. The only thing that hurt was the needle to insert the IV, after that, it was lights out for me for three hours. Hopefully, this new treatment will help me with the progression of my disease.

She’s grown so much

2009-06-12T16:13:00.002-05:00

It's only been the second week with Sadie, but she's gotten so much bigger. So far, we've been able to teach her how to sit and stay. Still working on getting her to walk better and calm down.

Just added a new member to the family

2009-05-31T01:07:00.002-05:00

Welcome Sadie! She's a two month old lab/retriever mix we adopted from the Houston SPCA. Isn't she the cutest!

A little over a month…

2009-05-05T14:57:00.001-05:00

It's been a little over a month now and I've set a pretty good schedule for my work days. It's nice working from home, that's all I have to say.

And now it begins…

2009-03-23T16:40:00.001-05:00

A new chapter in my life is beginning to unfold and I can't wait for the page to turn. I'll keep you posted.

TIR 2009

2009-03-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

What an amazing adventure! I can't wait for it to come around again next year. Meeting new friends and seeing Texas, it was awesome. Pictures to come soon.

Missing my mom

2009-02-17T09:08:00.004-06:00

It's been over 3 years now and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her and wish she was here with me. It's makes me terribly sad to know that my children will not be able to know her and be in her presence. She was a great mother and I learned so many great things from her. We used to talk about how she would stay with me when I did have babies for her to show me the ropes. It will be very sad for me when that day comes, but I know she will be with me in spirit. At times I am surprised at the strength I have but then I remember, I am my mother's daughter. Even through the toughest of days she would have, she would never back down. I love you mommy!

Marathon #2 Down

2009-02-16T11:50:00.002-06:00

My hubby finished the half marathon in Austin in 1:49! Woo hoo. I am so proud of him. No matter the time I need to wake up, I will always be there to support my sweetie! Enjoy the pictures below.

Austin Marathon 02.15.09

When is enough, enough?

2009-02-11T16:33:00.004-06:00

At what point does it take for me to change directions and take a new path? When do I say, "the work I'm creating is not making me a better designer?" And at that time, when do I go? How would I know when it is time to say good-bye?

I've been toying with an idea for years now but was never sure when it would be a good time to jump on it. When is anything ever a good time to pursue? How has it been possible that I've let myself be in a situation where I don't know what I can do to change it for the better? I can't even remember the last time I was really truly happy doing what I do, even being remotely excited to get out of bed.

What do I do now?

Marathon #2

2009-02-03T15:09:00.001-06:00

It's just around the corner, the Austin Marathon. He's only running the half but I'll be in full gear, ready to support.

Marathon #1 complete, more to come this year

2009-01-21T09:51:00.005-06:00

The Chevron Houston Marathon went without a hitch. The weather was beautiful and the number of participants high. It made for some great picture taking. As for the hubby, he did wonderfully. He finished the full marathon in 4:19, beating his old record and Oprah! Here are some pictures.

marathon ready

2009-01-15T11:45:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again where runners get geared up for back to back marathons. My husband will be running the Houston Chevron Marathon this weekend, the Austin Marathon in February and the TIR in March. It should be 3 whirlwind months!

New Gadgets

2008-12-08T11:18:00.006-06:00

I love my new gadgets, early Christmas gifts. Check out the photos below, using my Nikon d80 and Canon PowerShot SD1100. Love them!

San Antonio Marathon

2008-11-17T15:46:00.001-06:00

My baby did awesome. Finished 13.1 miles in 1 hour and 49 minutes, his best time yet. I’m so proud of him. Pictures will be posted soon.

halloween

2008-10-10T15:14:00.001-05:00

It's just around the corner and I don't know what I'm going to be. I narrowed the choices but it just all depends on what I find at the store this weekend. Wish me luck.

we are safe

2008-09-16T17:24:00.001-05:00

We survived Ike and finally got power back Sunday, cable back Monday! Woot woot. That doesn't mean all of Houston is back to normal. A lot of people are still without power and food. It's quite side and devastating. Hopefully, we get to our feet sooner than later.

feeling great

2008-09-05T16:11:00.000-05:00

It's been almost a year now since I've been able to say, “I feel good.” Well, now I can say, “I feel great!” I feel like I've finally peaked my plateau. I've been feeling alright since my knee surgery, not 100%, but this week, I've been feeling like myself again and it feels awesome!

Our short trip to Salt Lake City

2008-09-02T23:32:00.008-05:00

We decided to go out of town for Labor Day weekend. Since we had credits left from Delta, we decided why not Salt Lake City. We were not disappointed. It is a beautiful city where we'd like to visit again in the winter.

We arrived on Saturday, quickly checked into our beautiful hotel and drove to Thanksgiving Point Village. We checked out the dinosaur museum as well as watched a 3D movie about them. Very interesting. Then we drove to Park City, were the 2002 Winter Olympics were held. It was a cute little town. We were a bit late to ride the ski lift up but glad we took the short drive out there, it was beautiful.

On Sunday, we woke up pretty early to go to mass at The Cathedral of the Madeline. It's a gorgeous Gothic style church, with hand-painted windows and high vaulted ceilings. We then made our way down to Snowbird Ski and Summer resort to go for horseback riding. Unfortunately, when we checked in, we were told we could not go because it rained on the trails the night before and it could be dangerous, if the horses slip on the mud. We opted to do the ATV guide instead, supposedly safer. We took a short tram ride up to the top of the mountains. It was about 70 degrees before departing, however, getting to the top it was 45 degrees. Wowsers, was it cold. We were not prepared at all. Thank goodness the guide let me borrow his jacket and gloves or else I would've freezed my buns off. I was a bit nervous at first, I wasn't comfortable driving such a machine. I couldn't wrap my hands around the brakes and I didn't feel strong enough to turn the sharp corners going down the mountain. But after a bit, I got the hang of it and it wasn't that bad. We had some specatular views of the mountains and the city of Alta. We were told you could ski from Snowbird, through Alta and into Park City in one day. Crazy! We our tour ended, we headed back down to the festival, Okterberfest. There were all sorts of people and beer to be had at every section of the park. We got some goodies and munchies, although I was not a fan of the bratwurst. When we were finished, we decided to head back into town, pick up some food and head to Antelope Island to swim in the bay, which happens to be the Great Salt Lake.

Recommended to us by my cousin, we stop into Little World Chinese Restaurant for some steamed sea bass and fried dumplings. We were told this would be the best sea bass ever from a whole in the wall dump. We take it to-go and anxiously await eating it while on the island. On our way to the island, the weather starts to look grim. It's windy and grey and starts to sprinkle a bit. By the looks of the outside, you would think it would of been pouring, but it was just a slight drizzle. It wasn't until we were farther into town, that it started pouring. But we forged on, we drove this far already, we'll just drive around the island a bit. We finally get there and the ranger at the gate looks at us like we're crazy, but we go in anyways. It clears up a bit, but still not weather you would want to be outside in. We drive the 7 mile causeway to the island and look back and no one else is coming. Maybe we are crazy. Oh well, we veer left to check out the ranch. On the way to the ranch, we see a bison to our left. Wow, he/she is big. We keep going, and there's another on our right. Amazing. Now, we're just looking for herds of them. Haven't seen any yet. As we keep driving down this road, we keep seeing signs that the ranch is up ahead. It seems like we've driven many, many miles and still no sign of a ranch or building. As we decide that once we drive over a heel and don't see anything, we will turn around, lo-and-behold, it's the ranch. We were expecting something grand and spectacular, we drove all that way, but it's just a little ranch. Oh well, now we can say we saw the ranch on Antelope Island. As we drive back, we finally see a herd of bison. It's amazing to me to see wild animals roaming around, it's such a different feeling than seeing them in captivity in the zoo. They just seem happy. As we inch closer to where we started on the road, we see another bison, probably the same one we saw earlier, but this time it's 5 feet from our car. I rapidly start taking pictures and my hubby tells me he's taking a whiz. Nice, I just took pictures of a bison doing it's thing. At least it wasn't mating, man, he would not be happy if pictures were taken of that. :D We head to the visitors center to learn more about this awesome island. Then park at the peak of the beach to have our food. Boy, was it good. The fish was seasoned to perfection and had a wonderful texture. We wished we had more.

We finally make it home on Monday, with a hour and a half delay from storms in Utah and turbulance in Houston. It's nice to take mini-vacations and learn about little towns in our great country. I wish we could do it more often, but the times we do, I treasure.

Enjoy some of the pictures we took.

all is well

2008-08-04T11:36:00.003-05:00

As some of you may know, I've been in and out of hospitals like a mad woman this year. It has not been fun, I guarantee it! I'm tired of hospitals. They do a great job and all, but how many times does a person need to be pricked and prodded. For real now, I just want to be healthy again!

This last week I had outpatient surgery and it went as planned. Nothing was removed that wasn't planned to be removed and I'm recovering quite well. We were really nervous about how my knee would react with constant laying in bed and not a lot of motion, but it faired pretty well. I'm anxious to get back on the bike to get it moving again, but all in due time.

Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers!

the 4th

2008-07-17T22:16:00.006-05:00

We had our very first experience at a neighborhood block party and we had a great time. We got to meet our neighbors, finally, and had some fun times together. Enjoy some of the fireworks.

thank you all

2008-07-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for the well wishes. It's been great knowing that we have a close knit of family and friends that care dearly about us! We'll keep you posted on what's going on.

breakthrough every day

2008-06-24T09:52:00.002-05:00

It's been a roller coaster ride with my knee. Some days it'll feel great and others it'll be in so much pain that I can't walk without support. It gets so painful that I just want to give up and say this will be the best it could be. But I always have my hubby there to help me through it and my prayers to God. I've been given such strength and courage to keep going that it would be selfish of me to throw my hands up and say no more.

This past weekend my knee was not doing too well. We traveled to Louisiana for a friend's wedding and being in the car made my knee pretty stiff. I was in a lot of pain, even after taking Tylenol. Even on Monday, after doing my exercises and stretches, I was still in a bit of pain. I wasn't happy at all. I was getting discouraged because I was thinking, it was only one weekend in the car and my knee is swollen and in pain, come on now.

But today, at physical therapy, still in a bit of pain, I pushed myself to feel better, stretch my knee and muscles around it. I know I can do it. Each time I've been measured, I've been degrees away from 0. Either 6 or 5 or 3, never at 0. Before I stretched, my therapist measured by knee and it was at 3 degrees. Not too bad, since every time before it always starts higher. Then they put me on the "extensionator," this horrible contraption that makes my leg straight. Then he measured me and I was at 1 degree. My leg felt a bit tight today so he tried me on one more stretch before measuring again. After that stretch, I was able to get my knee down to 0 degrees. It got straight! I was so ecstatic, still am actually. I've been up and down for two months now and finally it's gotten straight. This doesn't mean I'm stopping my exercises, it just makes me push even harder. Woo hoo!

i did it

2008-06-13T08:39:00.002-05:00

I finally chopped my hair off. I wanted a new do and now I love my sassy, sexy haircut.

can we say bad timing?

2008-05-30T22:46:00.002-05:00

It was a regular Thursday, my hubby went to the gym, I had my rehab. All was well.

I was chatting with my hubby online, when he tells me that he has a company meeting. Alright, no big deal, he has those all the time. Well, then I started noticing that he logged off without saying "brb" and then his co-workers logging off. I thought they were having internet issues. It happens occasionally.

Then, at around 12:30 pm, I get a call from my hubby. Usually, he doesn't call me, since we chat online, unless there's something up. The first thing he says is, "I have really good news, well bad news, but I think it's good news." Initially, I thought he was going to tell me he got a raise, but not a great one. He was up for his review and he just got a gift from the company for working there for 5 years. However, was I in for the shock of my life. He told me that he just got laid off, not only him, but his entire company. I couldn't believe it, I never would have thought he would ever be out of a job. A wave of worry washes over me. I had so many questions but he kept reassuring me not to worry, that we'll be okay. Surprisingly, he took it better than I thought he would.

I will try my best not to worry, but I cannot guarantee that will happen, I am a worry-wart.

progress of the knee

2008-05-30T22:44:00.003-05:00

It has been a little over a month since my knee scope. If you asked me 2 weeks ago how I felt, I would have told you, not so good still. I was still having difficulty walking and bearing weight on my left leg. I was starting to worry that it would stay that way until I get a knee replacement. Those were not happy times.

However, if you asked me today how I feel, I would tell you great. Right before our trip to Belize, I started to notice major improvement. I am able to walk almost like before and can bear weight on it. My quads are still weak, but I am working hard on getting those muscles stronger. Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers. It means a lot to me to have a bunch of supporters out there! Thanks!!!!

home sweet home

2008-05-28T13:16:00.004-05:00

We're back from our short trip to Belize and we are glad to be home. It was nice to get away and just be with each other, but boy was it hot. We got off the plane in Houston and said, "Man, this feels good." Do you believe that? Houston weather feeling good. Belize was hot and humid with attacking mosquitoes.

Our trip began on Saturday afternoon with a short flight to Belize, then a puddle hopper into San Pedro, then a short boat ride to the resort. I got pretty nauseas when on the little plane but was a-okay once my foot touched ground. It was a nice, small resort with 12 units, with 4 condos in each. The first night we decided to order room service because we were just too pooped to go out to get food.

We woke up bright and early Sunday morning and decided to go into town for church and see the city. We rented bikes for the day. It was a 4 mile ride into town and the roads were not paved. Lots of bumps, lots of rocks and lots of sand. It was a hot ride into town but we made it in, however, missed mass. We were able to go into the church and say our prayers. Afterwards, we went into a few shops and tried to find a lunch spot. Little did we know, we were riding on the roads the wrong way. I just couldn't figure out why everyone was looking at us crazy until one man finally said to me "Wrong Way." Opps. The roads are not marked with street names nor "one way" signs. We finally see a map to lead us to where we should eat. While my hubby is looking at it, I'm waiting next to a shop called "The Salty Dog," when a local comes by and says hi and asks me if I'm from California. Then he talks to my hubby and gives him suggestions on where to eat. Then he asks, "is that your lady?" How funny, huh. We end up eating at Fido's (fee-dos) along the beach. Pretty good food, but not mind blowing. We finally make our way back to our resort, but my this time, my knee was getting pretty tired and worn down. I almost fell about 3 times. Not good at all. We did see two iguanas on the road that I thought were rocks, until they moved out of the way. I did scream like a baby. But we made it back without scratches or cuts, only mosquito bites. We decided to cool off in the pool and have dinner at the resort. The best key-lime pie I've ever had, well the only one I've had, but it was delicious!

On Monday, we decided to stay at the resort and kayak out to the coral reef, the second largest in the world. We first dipped into the pool to warm up a bit then headed out towards the ocean. We brought our own snorkel gear but rented life vests and fins. The guy told us where we could paddle to and warned us to make sure we tie the kayak up real tight and put the oars under our seats, because if we lose them, we would be paying for them. I was a bit concerned since he didn't take our names or room numbers down. If we were to be lost at sea, no one would know since our information wasn't taken. But we went out to sea anyways, it was about a 100-225 meters out and was told the water was only 6 ft deep. We got to the buoy and I made sure the kayak was tied up pretty tightly. After tying it, I waited about 5 minutes before I was sure it wasn't going anywhere. I was the first to jump in. Mind you, the water was a bit choppy, it had been seriously windy for the last 2 days. I was doing fine, swimming along and seeing school of fish. My hubby finally jumped in and were doing great. Then I had to readjust my goggles, and once I did that, I couldn't get it to sit right again. Water kept going in my goggles and I kept floating farther away from our kayak. Then I started panicking. What if a shark comes up to us, what do we do? Who will know what to do? It was just me and my hubby out in the ocean and no one knew of this. I kept thinking about that movie "Open Water" and I just wanted to get back in the kayak at that time. I didn't tell my husband my concerns until after we were safely in the kayak again. Once I told him, he said he was thinking the same thing too. Dude, that was scary. Next time we snorkel, we're going in a group. Like my hubby said, the percentage of us getting attacked is less if more people are out there. Too funny.

So, we lift ourselves back in the kayaks. I was worried about this part because I didn't know if I had enough upper body strength to pull myself up. No worries needed, I was able to get on and my hubby did too. However, we did throw off the balance of the kayak and tipped off, this time we didn't have our fins on. Now, more of my body was exposed. Eek! I quickly jumped in the kayak again and balanced it for my hubby to jump on. Whew! Safe and sound in the kayak. We paddle around in the ocean for a little while longer then decide it's time to head in.

All in all, we enjoyed our short time in Belize. Traveling together has always been great, no matter the destination. For us to spend great quality time together, exploring new sites and sounds, that's always exciting and fun!

off to belize!

2008-05-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo, I can't wait for our trip. Sunny and fun Belize for 4 days and 3 nights. Pure relaxation!

post-op

2008-04-28T09:13:00.002-05:00

It's been 4 days since the surgery and things seem to be moving according to plan. I was able to walk without my crutches today, but I can't quite bear a lot of weight on the leg just yet. The hubby has been great, I couldn't ask for a better person to take care of me. Thank you all for the well wishes and calls checking on me. It means a lot! Now, for a speedier recovery!

8 hours

2008-04-24T00:23:00.000-05:00

Alright, it's about 8 hours til I go in for my surgery. Yes, I'm nervous, scared and anxious. I hope and pray that this will help me a lot, which I'm sure it will. Wish me a speedy recovery!

nervous about thursday

2008-04-22T13:50:00.003-05:00

Okay, okay, I know I've done this twice before, but I'm still super nervous. It's a new surgeon at a different facility, but the same old knee. Questions keep lingering in my head. What if the surgery doesn't help? What if my knee still hurts afterwards? What will be my next steps?

Hopefully, it does help. I'm hoping and praying that this helps a lot. I'm not anxious to get total knee replacement. I'm only 28 years old, I don't need bionic parts just yet. I'm pretty happy with the real parts that I have now.

the all clear, well sorta

2008-04-18T16:44:00.002-05:00

I went to see my Gastroenterologist and he gave me the all clear to eat what I want. Well, sorta. I still have to get rescoped next Friday to make sure all ulcers have healed, but the wait is over. I can't wait to start eating non-bland foods again. Woo hoo!

almost time for surgery

2008-04-15T17:04:00.002-05:00

Alright, my surgery on my bum knee is next Thursday and I'm nervous as anything. Even though I've had this done two times in the past, this still scares me. I have to be put under and that always makes me nervous. I know my hubby will do an excellent job taking care of me, but it's at these times I really wish my momma was here to take care of me.

what a disappointment…

2008-03-27T22:48:00.003-05:00

Well, I had an all-nighter at work last night, so today I leave work early and crash. By 3 pm, I was already getting delirious and my eyelids were wanting to shut for the night. I took a nice little nap on the couch and when I woke up, I ask my hubby, "today is friday right?" He tells me, "no, it's thursday." I'm like, what, no way and say "you're kidding, right?" And he's not. Man, I was all ready for the weekend and come to find out, I'm a day early. Don't you hate it when that happens. Oh well.

tournament recap

2008-03-17T11:49:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I didn't do too hot for my first tourney, but hey, at least I tried. We got to the event at 12 p.m. and the place was packed. It's a small space to begin with and now it's jammed with a bunch of kids and adults waiting anxiously for the start of the tournament. They finally did roll call and had the bracket laid out on the large flat screen. I was towards the bottom of the bracket playing I forget who now. Boy, was I nervous. My heart was pounding hard. People were practicing on the three systems they had set up and they were good! I think my jaw dropped a few times.

First up was John with a kid and Peter with a dude that had his personal strap for his guitar. We were thinking Peter had his work cut out for him. Long and I saw John's screen from afar and it didn't look like he was doing well at all. We looked at each other and mouthed, "oh no." We know he hasn't been able to practice, but come on, it's John, he's super good. Then we turn to look at Peter's screen and he's blowing his competition out of the water. Small applause for him after he finished his song. Yippee, one more song for him. Now we turn to look at John, I don't think he won. Oh, but wait, he did win, he was on the opposite side of what was on his screen. He did win his first song! Yippee for John. Both won the second song and moved on to the next bracket.

Now, it was my turn. I was up against some dude, kinda goth looking, he might be good, he might not. I had no idea until we started. At that moment, I was on my stool, heart beating uncontrollably, fingers unable to move like they normally would and I couldn't hear anything coming from the tv. Sweet, I won the coin toss and pick my song, which I feel pretty good at, Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones. The song starts and I'm doing pretty well, I think. But this kid, he was doing awesome, hitting all the notes. That's when I start messing up and freezing. What's wrong with my fingers? Did it get hot in here all of a sudden? I did not win on the song I picked. So sad. Now, it was his turn to pick his song and, of course, he went to the bottom of the list, songs I know I'm not good at. He picks 3's & 7's by Queens of the Stone Age and I know I am not good at that at all. I give Peter a very sad look and he gives me a thumbs up. I didn't fair so well and the better player won.

Oh well, as least I went out and did it. I just need more practice and determination and I'm sure I'll be as good as those kids there.

1 more day

2008-03-14T16:55:00.002-05:00

Oh geez, can you say nervous? The tournament is tomorrow and I've practiced 'til my fingers went numb. As of yesterday, there were only 11 people registered and me being the only chick. I know 2 more people will be registering, our cousin and good pal. Hopefully I don't get whipped by a 7 year old.

tournament countdown

2008-03-11T09:27:00.003-05:00

4 days and counting and I am super-duper nervous. I don't think I'm quite ready. I've been practicing like crazy when I have the time, between being in and out of the hospital and participating/supporting in relays and marathons, there isn't much time. I just hope I don't get whipped by a 7 year old, that would be quite embarassing. Wish me luck, hopefully I get passed the first round.

Texas Independence Relay 2008

2008-03-05T12:26:00.005-06:00

What an amazing weekend! I would've never thought I would have withdrawals from participating in the Texas Independence Relay race. All I could think of before going was I wouldn't be able to sleep that much and I was still recovering from my ulcers. Boy, it was awesome! We're already considering doing it again next year! Over 200 miles of running from Gonzales to San Jacinto Monument in 2 days, with 12 runners, 3 supporters and 2 vans. Pictures of our amazing feat will be posted soon.

unforgettable weekend part 2

2008-02-27T13:19:00.003-06:00

Man o’ man. Where shall I begin. It was a beautiful weekend. The sun was out and no rain in sight, except the rain coming down my face from tears of pain. Sunday night/Monday morning I could not sleep at all. I kept waking up every 30 minutes from pain. I was sweating but had the chills. What was wrong with me? I've never had cramps this bad before. It was around 4:40 am when I woke Phi up to get me one of my medications for my ulcers, hoping that would ease the pain. It did until my alarm woke me up at 7:10. I tried to do my regular work morning routine, but I was in too much pain. I just went back to bed, holding my stomach. Phi asked me if I was ok, I responded, “No, I'm not.” He tried calling my Gastroenterologists, but no answer because he wasn't open yet. So, he decided to call my primary physician. He described my pain to him and the doc thought it might be an UTI (urinary tract infection). I was like, it doesn't hurt when I pee though. I got an appointment at 9 am for him to take a look at me.

9 o'clock rolls around and I'm at the doctors office having to pee in a cup to see if I have UTI. It's so gross for a lady to pee in a cup, come on, shouldn't there be an easier way. Anyways, I went into the patients room and waited for the doctor. By this time, the nurse told me I had a fever of 100.4 degrees and I know my pulse was racing. The doctor made it in and I knew he looked concerned. I showed him where the pain was and he didn't think it was a UTI. He thought my ulcers had gotten worst. WORST!!! How was that possible. I've been taking my meds and taking it easy on the foods I've eaten. What does worst mean? All I know it was painful, not as much as the first time around, but it still hurt. So, he made a call to my Gastroenterologists and he ordered a STAT Upper GI and he prescribed Vicodin for the pain. He told us, if the Gastroenterologist thinks it's bad, then I would have to be readmitted to the hospital. The one thing I did not want to happen.

So, we left. First, we went to get the prescription filled because we were waiting for the call from the hospital to tell us when the Upper GI was going to happen. While waiting in line, I got the call, so we decided to drop it off and head over to the hospital. But, first, stopping at home to pick up some essentials just in case I had to be admitted. We weren't prepared the first time, so we wanted to be this time. We headed to Christus St. Catherine's for the test. We were worried that we had to wait long because the waiting room was packed. But they knew I was coming and in a lot of pain, so they hurried the process along.

At first, I thought it would be a similar procedure as before, where they scoped my stomach and such with a camera. But, it was totally different. It was kinda like an x-ray, but I had to drink barium, pretty gross, thick, chalky stuff so they can see what's going on on the insides of me. It was the nastiest thing I've ever had to drink. Good thing it was only like 5 sips of it. If I had to drink the whole cup, I think I would've puked! I rolled around to get the barium to coat my insides, took the test and they sent me home. They told me I should get a call from my doctor with the results and if I don't hear back by 2:30 pm, to give them a call.

So, we went home but picked up my Vicodin first. I was in pain, I needed the pills. Little did I know, when I drink or eat, it causes extreme pain. After that first gulp of water, I was crying in pain for a good while. My poor hubby. It just hurts him to see me in pain because there's nothing that can be done to help me. The only thing he could do was hold my hand. He's such a great trooper. He has been great during this whole ordeal. I was finally knocked out, as was Phi, until around 3 pm when I realized I didn't get the call from the doctor yet. So, we called them and they said they haven't received the results yet and they would call when they did. We still did not receive a call by 5:30 pm, so I called them back and the offices were closed. I left a message for the on-call doctor. I finally got a call back from the on-call doc, who happens to be not my doctor, and he told me the Upper GI showed that my duodenum is inflamed but he can't tell me to change my meds or go to the hospital because he's not my doctor and doesn't know my history or have my charts. Nice, what do I do now? I took another Vicodin and crashed.

It's Tuesday morning and it still hurts, but not as much as the day before, thank goodness, but I still can't stand up straight when I walk. Time to call my doctor to see what the deal is. No answer, so I leave a message for the nurse and on the voice mail it says, "if you call before 12:30, you will receive a phone call before the end of business day." I called at 9 am. While I waited, I ate my breakfast and Phi stayed home and worked upstairs. I eventually conked out. I woke up right before lunch time and I still did not receive a call back. What is the deal with this office? They order a STAT Upper GI and it's been 24 hours and I still haven't heard from them yet. UGH! I called back and left another message, then ate lunch. It was around 4 pm and still haven't heard anything from them, so I called them back and finally asked to talk to a person about this situation. The nurse finally told me that she talked to my primary care physician and they suggested I change my ant-acid medication. It took them 2 days for them to tell me this. Oh my gosh! I called my primary care physician and he called in a prescription for me to pick up.

I finally went back to work on Wednesday. My goal was to be able to stay until noon, but I made it to 5 o'clock. Yay! I'm feeling much better now. I hope to be 100% very soon, it is my birthday next week. Come on now! Thank you all for the well wishes.

Thank you hubby, you are the best!

my new hobby

2008-02-21T08:49:00.005-06:00

I decided to take up a new hobby. Since my hubby took up running and I'm out there supporting him in the cold or hot, rain or not, I thought I should do something too so he'd come out and support me. Lots of ideas ran through my head. I could take up dancing, but with my bum knee and no dance partner, that doesn't really pan out.

While at the Austin Marathon Expo, waiting for my hubby to finish looking at running stuff, they had a XBox 360 set up for people to play guitar hero 3. Now, this isn't my first time playing, I am an avid fan. However, I haven't picked up a GH 3 guitar in quite a while due to my love of Rock Band.

So, after lots of waiting for my turn to come around, I finally got to play and show my stuff. I picked “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine at hard difficulty. At this point, only my husband and his friends were watching me shred. By the time I was at the middle of the song, I had a whole crowd watching. My husband tells me that they are in awe, with their mouths wide open, looking amazed. This was just on hard, could you imagine if I were shredding on expert? Once I was done, I put down the guitar and started walking away, but before I could, one guy says, “Man, you are awesome!” And that did it for me.

It was such a thrill to be to show off my talents. So, I have decided to enter Guitar Hero 3 tournaments. I've started practicing almost every night on expert, since most tournaments are on the expert level. My first tournament will be a local one at a game store on March 15th. Wish me luck!

unforgettable weekend

2008-02-11T14:01:00.001-06:00

Where do I begin? It all started on Wednesday, when I felt a slight pain in my stomach, only thinking it was heartburn. So, I popped two tums and it felt better. Sweet. I wake up on Thursday and ouch, pain already. Popped two tums right away and went to work. I was still hurting, so two more tums. I was going good until lunch time. I couldn't even finish my lunch before popping two more tums. I couldn't figure it out. Why was I having such horrible heartburn. I was trying to remember what I've been eating the last few days and nothing really added up. But for the rest of the day, I felt fine. Then driving home, eek, the pain shot up and and down my stomach like crazy, so two more tums. I was thinking, dang, what is wrong with me?

It was dinner time and I decided to make soup with rice since my stomach was not feeling too hot. It tasted great until I was half-way through my meal and I couldn't finish it due to more pain in my stomach. Ouch! More tums and laying down. I've never felt this much pain. Dude, it hurts! I think I had a total of 10 tums on Thursday. I think that's considered an overdose. ;)

I went to bed early that night because I just wasn't feeling well. Chills throughout my body as well as sharp pains up and down my chest. Thursday night I did not get much sleep, mainly tossing and turning and lots of crying. Poor Phi, I felt so bad for him because there was nothing he could do to make me feel better. I couldn't breathe, when I coughed it hurt like crazy and when I had to blow my nose, I thought I was going to pass out. Around 6 o'clock, Phi called our primary care to see what time they opened, and it wasn't until 9 am. I decided I could wait it out because urgent care would be way too expensive. I tried to sleep until then, but ended up waking up at 8 with more pain. I called into work letting them know I would be in after the docs if it wasn't so bad. Little did I know how my weekend would be.

Finally, 9 o'clock rolled around and we went to the docs. I could not stand up straight for the life of me and boy did I look horrible. The doctor could not do a full evaluation of me because I was so tense and sensitive. My stomach hurt with the slightest touch to it. He suspected that I had gallbladder stones due to the sensitivity and location of the pain. Because of this, he suspected that I may need surgery to remove my gallbladder. I was not ready for surgery. We thought it was really bad gas or indigestion. Surgery was the last thing on our minds. I was checked into the Christus St. Catherine Hospital in Katy immediately. It is a beautiful hospital, very pleasant and inviting, unlike most hospitals I've been to. Voted best place to work in 2007. Their big thing is customer service and it showed.

I was checked into room 278 and not allowed any food or water until they figured out what I needed. I got hooked up to the IV and finally got some good pain meds.

Man, I really don't like hospitals.

I meant the general surgeon, Dr. Tran and he suggested I get a CT Scan to see what's going on in my tummy there. Around 3 o'clock I went for my first test, x-rays, I guess to see if I broke any bones. My brothers came to visit and I know how much they hate hospitals as well. It was very sweet of them and they bought food for Phi to munch on. Phi and I pretty much slept until I had to go for my CT scan. Shoot, I was tired!

Then, for my CT scan, since I'm allergic to iodine, I had to drink this horrible contrast so my organs will glow for the scan. Two water bottles of crystal light with splenda and some horrible meds to make me glow. Gross, gross, gross!!!! I had to drink the two bottles within 3o minutes then wait 2+ hours for it to get through my system. It was so gross, but I was so thirsty. So, I drank and drank until it was all gone. Yuck! Finally, around 5:30 I was taken to get my CT scan. Only 5 mintues of breathe, don't breathe. Cute little icons on the machine as well to remind you of what to do. Yeah, all done, now can I eat??? Nope, I still need an ultrasound of my gallbladder. Now, this part, Phi loved. He said the machine looked like Rob the robot. I have no idea what he's talking about, but he did get a picture of it. Silly man!

By this time, Dan and Jess came to visit, brining lots of goodies for us. So sweet of them! Back comes my surgeon to tell me that the CT scan and ultra sound came back and he doesn't think it's my gallbladder or appendix but he wants to do one more test to rule out the gallbladder. He suspects that I may have ulcers but cannot be sure until Can I eat or drink anything now? Yeah, only water until midnight. H2O never tasted better!

It's Saturday morning and I haven't eaten anything since Thursday evening. 24 hours without food, now that's crazy talk since I love me some food. Now, my daddy came to visit and he hates hospitals. He's very glad to see me and gave Phi and me some li si for Chinese New Year's. Yeah, free money! :) Around 10 o'clock, I go and have my scan for my gallbladder. It takes 1 full hour of laying there and not moving my tummy. I just slept and jerked a bit. Still not able to drink or eat. Going on 24+ hours of no food. Almost 48 hours, I've never gone that long without food. Now it was time for my Upper Endoscopy, where they take this tube with a camera at the end to look inside my esphogaus and stomach area. The only thing I remember is being sprayed with something in my mouth twice and someone asking me to wake up. Was the test over? I guess so. The diagnosis, 4 ulcers total, 2 in my stomach and 2 in my duodenum. No wonder I was in so much pain. The cause, they think it's from my RA medications, but yet to be determined.

Sweet, sweet Ashley offered to stay with me while Phi went home to shower, eat and pick up some more things since I had to stay another day for observation. I finally got to eat! Yeah. 1.5 hours shy of 48 hours. Now, that was close. I was able to eat cream of mushroom soup, vanilla ice cream, popsicle, iced tea and some soy milk. As you can see, an all liquid diet. Still, food.

By the time Phi got back, his family came to visit. They brought some food for Phi and made sure I was doing okay.

I was finally discharged on Sunday around 1 pm. It should take about 8 weeks for my ulcers to heal. That means bland foods for awhile. It still hurts when I eat. I have to take in smaller portions and eat very slowly. While I was in the hospital, my knee swelled up to the size of a softball and my head got congested, maybe from all the crying. Please pray for me to have a speedy recovery!

Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers. Special thanks to Dan, Jess, the Twins, Ashley and Phi. Phi, you are my rock. Without you, I would not be. Thank you for being there when I needed you the most! I love you!

a new year!

2008-01-02T12:27:00.000-06:00

A new year, a new start! What a year it was. New Year's Resolution: to let things slide and not worry about things out of my control.

yeh mon!

2007-12-24T10:10:00.000-06:00

What a trip! It was more than amazing. We went when it was less touristy and boy was that a plus. The beach was superb, the food was great and the people were magnificent. All good things. We would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone looking for a relaxing and peaceful vacation!

finally to jamaica!

2007-12-16T19:46:00.001-06:00

Awesome…we finally get to go to Jamaica. The long awaited honeymoon trip has arrived!

happy 2 year anniversary!

2007-11-26T19:21:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness. Has it been two years already? It feels like I just got engaged. This year has been great. We've finally gotten adjusted to living with each other and knowing what little itty bitty thing ticks us off. So, we've learned to avoid those things. :) It has been a wonderful year. No complaints on my end!

first day of fun

2007-11-19T22:02:00.000-06:00

So, my first day on the job. If I said it was a piece of cake, I'd be lying. It was a bit overwhelming, but at the end of the day, I think I did okay. Meeting new people, learning their system and trying to remember people's names, it is a bit much, but in time, I think I will get it. Shoot, it's triple the size of my last place of employment, but I am a fast learner!

celebrate good times…

2007-11-12T16:04:00.000-06:00

I got two job offers in one day and won two Xbox controllers. Oh boy, what a day indeed! Time to celebrate.

UPDATE :: I've accepted the job at Freed Advertising and start on Monday! Woo hoo!

nailed it part 2

2007-11-12T12:09:00.000-06:00

Hip hip hooray, I got the job offer. But…I had another interview today. Both places have pros and cons, now it's up to place #2 to give me an offer I cannot refuse.

nailed it

2007-11-06T13:22:00.001-06:00

Had my first interview for a potential job and nailed it. I should be hearing back by Friday, so keep your fingers crossed.

birthday fun weekend

2007-11-06T13:02:00.000-06:00

So, we had a fun filled weekend. It was Phi's 27th birthday and boy was it a packed one. First we went to Dan and Jess's post Halloween, Halloween Surprise for Phi party. We were Princess Peach and Dr. Mario. We had a blast. Thanks guys. Then off to the Rockets home opener against Portland. Boy do I hate parking downtown, especially when you forget to get cash. Now, that was a real drag. We managed to get in before tip-off, but they ran out of free shirts, oh well. Surprise #2, I got his friends to all meet us at the top of our section at half-time and boy was he not surprised. Dude, he was thinking about his birthday plans for like ever, "I wonder what she will do, will it be like this or that?" I don't know if I'll be ever to throw him a surprise party again. Then on Sunday, he had a feast to remember. I made him breakfast in bed, which included turkey bacon, hashbrowns (I grated a potato myself), pancakes, two types of eggs (sunny side up and scrambled) and a fruit salad. He was full right until a lunch feast at his parents house. I would say his birthday was grrrrrrape!

to jamaica we go!

2007-10-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

Awesome news! Delta Airlines finally contacted me back and they've waived the $200 fee for canceling our trip in August, due to Hurricane Dean. Man, what a headache that's been. Never, ever book a trip to the Caribbean at the peak of hurricane season. Now we can take our trip, worry free, before the end of the year. Hooray! Writing mean letters do work, thanks Jessica!

i'm done…well almost

2007-10-19T16:34:00.000-05:00

Yippee. My online portfolio is complete. Now to tackle my physical portfolio. So many steps needed just to get an interview, sheesh. But it's all for the good!

the hard part is almost done

2007-10-18T16:09:00.001-05:00

Yippee, woo hoo, oh my my!!! My online portfolio is 90% complete! Sweet molasses! Check it out! Enjoy!

first day of freedom

2007-10-15T17:50:00.001-05:00

What an amazing weekend! My first taste of freedom and it tastes yummy. Where do I begin? Friday night, my hubby took me out to eat at one of our favorite eateries. It was nice to unwind and be with each other. Saturday night, we feasted at Ichiban Sushi and Tapioca, pretty good. It is a small, quaint restaurant, and when we ordered our feast, the waitress let us know that we were ordering way too much food. Good thing, because we were stuffed by the end of the meal. And on Sunday, we became godparents to our little nephew Joshua. Well, not so little, but he's so adorable. So, today begins my first day free of, well free of everything! I feel good!

celebrate, it's my last day

2007-10-12T16:36:00.000-05:00

T minus 1 hour. I don't know if I should be happy or sad. I am sad that I don't get to see these people I've grown so close to, but I'm ecstatic that I am starting a new chapter in my life. So, I've decided, I will be happy. No need to let the tears roll...I'm in a great place in my life.

1 more day!

2007-10-11T13:59:00.000-05:00

"Your financial outlook is excellent."
{From a fortune cookie at my farewell lunch.}

what to do?

2007-10-10T17:21:00.001-05:00

I am bored out of my mind. Yesterday, I played games most of the day, very little work and today, pretty much the same. Surfing the net can get boring, believe it or not. So, a little less than 2 days left and I will be free. It's such a great feeling knowing that my creativity can grow elsewhere. But, I can say, it's not as bad as it could've been. Looking back, I've grown as a designer, but now I'm looking forward to grow in a new, brighter direction.

weekend full of babies...

2007-10-08T22:58:00.000-05:00

This weekend we had our hand full of babies. Joshua on one side and little Sammy on the other, while Ally continually jumps into a box full of packing supplies. The box is like triple her size, and she still manages to jump in there. So adorable! But Nathan just sits back and observes, no need for him to start trouble, there will be time for that later.

we're godparents!

2007-10-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

How fortunate are we to have been asked to my our nephew's godparents? It's an honor to have been asked!

my new mac!

2007-10-08T22:53:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo!!! My software came in and I am a happy camper! I am now running Mac OS X 10.4.10 (Tiger) and CS 3 Design Premium. I had to back everything up on my external harddrive, which has USB 2.0, however, my mac does not…it was a slow and painful process, but it is done. Now I will upgrade to USB 2.0 before moving the files back. I can't wait to start playing/working.

happy friday!

2007-10-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

Awesome Friday indeed. No traffic on a cool, crisp morning. The Office was hilarious. I am now a Dunder Mifflin Infinity employee for the TX-Beaumont branch. Everyone should be an employee!!! Schrute bucks and all. It's the greatest. I'm also a winner on blingo.com, won myself + a friend $5 to amazon.com and all I did was do a search for Sugar Land. How amazing is that??

the chicken dance

2007-10-04T14:09:00.001-05:00

You know you've heard the song. It's always played at weddings, just a silly little song to get people to start dancing. Well, on my way into work today, my usual 40+ minute drive down the Westpark Tollway, sitting in the usual traffic that I pay to sit in, I decided to keep my windows rolled down, it was a lovely morning. Driving by me on my right, with windows down and music blaring, was a big, burly, black truck, with a man's man in the driver's side bobbing his head up and down to music he was listening to. He was enjoying the sounds of The Chicken Dance. I couldn't help but crack a huge smile.

new beginnings

2007-10-02T14:13:00.000-05:00

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” That about sums up what the last few weeks have been like. I've finally taken a step, a step towards the right direction. I put in my two weeks notice last Friday. I've been here for 2 years & 8 months and it was great, until this last year. Things just haven't been quite right; I've just been very unhappy and unmotivated. Which, as a graphic designer, doesn't bode well. I need to create and design, but how is that possible if I'm gloomy all the time. So, on to bigger and better things. I'm in the process of upgrading my Mac and revamping my portfolio site, so wish me luck!