Baby Preparations Are Underway!

My husband has been exhibiting signs of pregnancy sympathy symptoms. And I am not talking about a sympathy belly. Nope - he has to pee when I get up and go in the wee hours of the morning, he has insomnia and is even nesting! :)

Usually I have to bribe this man to help me put together anything. If he had it his way it would sit in the box for ages. I am always a much too excited let's put it together right this second kind of person. But he did this all on his own - and the stroller, carseat and bouncy seat too! I think he's getting excited - we're down to 37 days to go!

All the extra help with these things has taken so much worry off my shoulders - it is amazing how much just seeing the swing set up in the living room and the carseat installed in our car puts me at ease knowing things are ready!

Languages of Love

I know we've had this book before, but I've recently heard more about the Five Love Languages both on the radio station I listen to in the mornings on my way to work and from my Dad who's getting married here in a few short weeks (yay!) :)!

So, of course it prompted me to figure out what my love languages were again since I couldn't remember and made me wonder what my hubby's was - though of course I had an idea of what they were for the both of us - but, sometimes it take a little stepping back to analyze exactly what makes us tick.

So, here it goes!

My love language scores:

5	Words of Affirmation
9	Quality Time
6	Receiving Gifts
3	Acts of Service
7	Physical Touch

My love language is: Quality Time
In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there--with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby--makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

My hubby's Love Language is: Words of Affirmation
Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important–hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

Here's his scores:

11	Words of Affirmation
10	Quality Time
2	Receiving Gifts
3	Acts of Service
4	Physical Touch

Want to find out your love language or learn more? Check out the Five Love Language website!

Celebrating 5 Years!

Very happy to get to spend the whole day today with my love - celebrating five years of marriage! Possible plans for the day include: komodo dragons, swim trunk shopping and dinner downtown. Pics of our adventures to follow as usual.

Love you, Matt!

My Loves

Matthew and Lola - two of my loves! :)

Flowers From My Love

Matthew surprised me today with these! :) He's wonderful!

Friday Foto Fiesta 2009!

Wow, haven't done a FFF post in a long while! Here's a pic of my husband trying on his Christmas present from his parents! Metal gloves - haha! If you don't know why this is funny and the oh-so-perfect present for my husband - you need to read up! :)
Also, be sure to visit Candid Carrie for more Friday Foto Fun!!

Thursday Night Freak Out

Matt's Injury Recap

Pin Pictures

Oh My Goodness!

Hubby Hand Update

Bright Cooper Kettles

My most favorite thing! No further explanation needed. :) Visit his blog!

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

Today is my husband's birthday!

He is 26 and already so accomplished in life.

Has a house. A wonderful fur-family and me! ;)
A management position in a great corporation.
Graduated with his BS and MBA before he was 25!

He's my husband.
My partner in crime.
My friend.

He is strong, brave, loving and kind.

He always supports my crazy ideas and always sings my praises. He lifts me up when I need a boost. He is there for me when everyone else turns away.

He is wonderful. I love you, Matthew!

Hubby Hand Update

My hubby's new hand contraption to help stretch his tendons. He is having mobility issues after his surgery and may have to go back and have a second surgery to remove scar tissue and to check if the tendons healed properly. Doesn't look fun does it?

Sorry the blogging material is a little light lately...just feeling a little burnt out.

4 Year Anniversary Presents Revealed!

As I predicted my husband walked right by his presents that I had set up on the kitchen counter and came straight for the computer. So he read my blog post before seeing the goods...hence why I did not post the pics until AFTER I knew he got them first.



First off, let me explain....we treat pretty much every occasion like Easter...giving each other a basket full of goodies instead of wasting time wrapping it, etc - also this ensures that we get more one present, because how pitiful is a basket with only one thing in it!?

Anyways, he got a brand new stainless steel gas grill from his family for Christmas and hasn't really had the chance to get into grilling this year what with his hand injury and crazy work hours, etc. So, to get him excited about it all again I got him basket full of grill goodies! There's two books about grilling, a cedar plank to grill on, and a smoking tray complete with wood chips and to stay with the theme I found two fruit marinades. I also threw in fruit flavored beer (Lemon Shandy that I know he likes), a note pad with lemons on it and some clever saying about life handing you lemons, and a car air freshener that smells like mangoes!




And this was the grand finale - and also more of a present for the both of us than just for him. Willow Tree's Welcoming Angel - holding a pineapple (fruit!) which is our reoccurring house decor theme. Perfect huh?! ;)

Operation Fruit-Themed Anniversary Present - COMPLETE!

Yes, I have FINALLY completed my quest for finding my husband a manly and enjoyable 4 year anniversary present that STILL kept with the traditional theme of "fruit."

Wasn't quite what I was going to get before - but that idea was going to take over 2 week to come in and would have been way too expensive for just one item.

70% of the items I got him were fruit themed and the other went with the fruit themed items but weren't really fruity. :)

Bet you want to know what it all was, huh?

Well, just in case he comes home and checks his blogs BEFORE he comes looking for his present, I will have to keep it on the down-low.

But I CAN share with you the presents he got me (besides our trip to Cincinnati and dinner at Morton's).




My marvelous husband got me a Smith Hawken duck from Target that I have been wanting (isn't it darling!?), a card that brought me to tears and a beautiful photo album full of digital pictures depicting our year so far that he had gotten printed.

P.S. Yeah, I know...he kinda bailed on the whole sticking with the theme idea we had going - but that is ok because I saved the day with what I bought - one thing of which is for BOTH of us so in the end I still got my fruit themed present. And plus, just look at what he did instead - so sweet! ;)

Happy 4 Year Anniversary, Love!

Had a great anniversary weekend - we traveled to nearby Cincinnati and explored the zoo and Krohn's Conservatory. And tonight - our actual anniversary night - we went out to Morton's Steak House here in downtown Indy and enjoyed their lovely filet mignon, their chicken christopher and their famous hot chocolate cake - all very delightful! This was our first visit to Morton's and we were pleasantly surprised of course. Lovely atmosphere and excellent service - they even took this photo of us and all the staff signed the frame it came in - very nice touch for our special evening and a great momento. Overall we got to spend lots of time together reminiscing about the past, fantasizing about our future and most importantly - enjoying the present. Love you, Matthew!

Oh My Goodness!

So I think my husband is trying to do me in.

I woke up this morning and glanced over to his side of the bed and saw THIS peeking out from the covers.



I sat straight up in bed - wide awake after seeing that and grabbed his wrist and asked him why he was wearing it.

Well, I guess it is because of this....




He worked the 7pm-5:30am shift last night and being Memorial Day weekend it was busy and they got slammed at the restaurant and there wasn't enough people scheduled to help him out (being with only one good arm and all) so he started doing too much and hit his good hand on some metal equipment and cut himself open.

I am stressing out now - I have completely reorganized the house - thrown out expired medicine in the medicine cabinet, vacuumed the cushions on our kitchen chairs, did another two loads of laundry and a load of dishes, cleaned out the fridge, organized and filed our important paperwork - I clean when I am stressed and today I went all out.

And he is going back to work tonight 6pm to 4am...arg!- let's pray that it isn't too busy tonight and that he has enough workers and that he stops trying to do so much. :(

My husband isn't a clumsy man. He has never had stitches or broke a bone in his life. And now in the last two weeks he has had 21 stitches and hand surgery.

I think it is God's way of telling him to slow down and to start delegating more. He really loves his new job - he is finally doing what he loves - managing - but he is doing too much and trying to be everything to everyone because he is a great guy and will give it 210% - but people take advantage of that. And they are taking advantage of him - and he can only stretch himself so thin before something breaks - like it has :(.

So worried right now.

Pin Pictures!

So, I know you all have been dying to see pictures of my husband's pins in his hand! Right!? Right?! :) Well, today we had the awesome experience of actually seeing them when they removed his bandages at his follow-up appointment today - and, of course, I was ready with camera at hand to snap some pictures for your viewing enjoyment. Sadly, I did not catch the look on his face when they removed the last bit of gauze and revealed this...



Yeah, his eyes were as big as saucers and his mouth dropped. He pretty much looks like Frankenstein complete with crazy stitches from two different incisions and pins holding his thumb in place and sticking out of the skin.



Pictured above is the cut he made on accident.



In this picture, above, you can actually see part of the metal pin - goodness.




After they cleaned up his arm, Matthew was fitted with a brand spanking new plastic splint - much better than his old one - this one is custom fitted, made of lighter material, etc.

AND we finally found out today that work will cover expenses since it did indeed occur at work doing something the manager asked him to do - with the resources available to him, sigh.

Next week he goes back to get the stitches removed and a week or two after that he gets the pins taken out. And in the months following that he will need to undergo a few months of physical therapy.

Matt's Injury Recap

Ok, so I thought I should sum everything up for those reading the blog. :)

Matthew hurt his hand at 9PM Thursday - went into hand surgery at 3PM Friday.



Here he is all prepped and ready for surgery. He said what hurt worst was the IV when they started putting him under.



Two hours later his arm looked like this - though he wasn't as chipper or awake as he is in this photo - I think he took this picture Saturday.

Anyways - he is now sporting 4 metal pins in his thumb - two of which are sticking out of the skin - nice. We can't see them because off all the bandages - but if we get a pic we will put it up. :) He will have the pins in for 4 weeks and then undergo a few months of physical therapy. He actually cut through two tendons.

Amazingly enough, the doctor said he could go back to work on Monday! (but he if he doesn't feel well enough he said he would extend it for him) He just can't use his left hand for anything - in fact he wears it in a sling and has orders from the doctor to have it elevated above his heart 24 hours a day.

Saturday he was feeling pretty good - but today it started to hurt him more and he feels queasy - probably from his pain meds. So we have been taking it pretty easy. Though I know it is driving him crazy - we bought some plants for the yard yesterday (Lowes had a sale) but walking around the backyard to look at where we would put them made him all depressed. The grass hasn't been cut in weeks. It kept raining on his days off - and now this. He keeps insisting he can do it one handed - but I would rather not risk losing another one of his limbs thank you very much.



Look at what we found on our doorstep when we got home from the hospital Friday night! Cookies with love all the way from Michigan! Thank you Ben, Megan, Allison and Quentin - you guys are the best! We really needed a smile and that did the job - thank you!

Thursday Night Freak Out

So, why do I have these tools posted on my blog? A pair of tiny scissors and some tweezers? Well, they aren't a helpful gardening or knitting tip - or even a lesson in crafting - oh no, they were the tools that a doctor used to stitch my husband up after he lacerated his tendon in his thumb last night at work. The doctor gave him the tools - said they are good for fishing. LOL.



AND today...after not eating since midnight and keeping his splinted hand elevated - my husband will need to visit a hand specialist and go into surgery to fix his severed tendon. Sigh.

I about had a heart attack last night when I got the call at 9 PM - the time my husband should have been getting off of work to come home - and the person who was on the other line was not the voice of my love - but the freaked out voice of a coworker who was driving him to the ER - my heart sank - he didn't tell me why at first so I was envisioning all sorts of terrors - finally all I knew was that he cut his hand pretty bad.

So I turned my car around - was on the way to the grocery store- and made it to the hospital before he made it back to see the doctor.

Oh it was a gross sight - blood down his arm, on his shoes, everywhere - and then the cut itself - an inch long and a 1/4 inch wide and deep. I guess you could see the severed tendon right there - but it was freaking me out so I didn't look too close or I would cry.

There is talk of workman's comp and physical therapy - but we won't know more until today when we see the hand specialist - wish us luck.

Photos My Husband Jumps Into

While I was going through our photos for my husband's post - I started to notice a trend. Photos my husband jumps into when I go to snap the shot.



Here he is gleefully jumping into a picture I was trying to take at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.



And here he is jumping in front a photo of he niece Daytona at Easter last year.



And here he is jumping in front of the sign I was trying to take a picture of at the Adult Easter Egg hunt we went to this Easter.

I love his facial expressions in each one...lol!

My Marvelous Matthew

Haven't posted about my wonderful husband - it is definitely about time. :) First a little history. My husband and I went to high school together. My family and I moved when I was in the 7th grade - so I was walking the same halls as him for a good 6 years. We both had high school sweethearts or significant others that obscured our paths from crossing until our college years. Having, by chance, gotten each other's AOL or AIM chat names in high school - we started chatting one day and both realized we were single and decided to set up a date. And the rest was history. We have been inseparable ever since that first date. Got engaged a month later in the sunny, sandy dunes of Michigan and eloped in the Marion County courthouse a year later complete in our dress, suit, sandals and bouquet of flowers. :) We are getting ready to celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary here in July.

Even farther back in our history, his parents were great friends with my mother's parents - and his mother even babysat for my mother when she was little. How kooky is that?! :)

Anyways, my Matthew is the culmination of everything I ever could possibly want in a man - who knew such a man existed? I am so glad I found him! He is incredibly sweet and caring - never once belittling my feelings or off the wall ideas. He is so encouraging and supportive of my work and my hobbies - he has really helped me grow as person by helping me feel more confident about myself and what I do. That may sound silly - but I needed that boost. I am a perfectionist and always tend to over think things a lot - often to my own demise as my thoughts and doubts can easily get in the way of the action I want to take. Having him in my life to further reveal my strengths to myself has made me into who and what I am today.

He is such a light in my life, when we are together all we do is laugh and have such a great time (unless we are tired of course - grouchiness gets the best of anyone). We have our inside jokes and our own sense of humor that I am sure no one else could get - just walking down the grocery aisle is fun with him beside me.




And did I mention he is the sweetest guy ever? He made this for me for Mother's Day - or as he put it "Mother's To Be One Day - Day" - I like to think that it is "Mother of a Crazy Lot of Pets Day" :) - either way he loves the excuse to make me or buy me a present. And he is good at it - knowing the things I love and my current passions. He got the idea out of a garden book we got from the library and used field stones I picked up from nearby fields while taking our dogs on their walks.

And he takes very good care of me - I am quite spoiled. Now that he works such awful shifts at work I find myself sitting at home in such a blah mood. Not having him home to make me laugh and smile is just torture. But bills got to be paid and this new job is the stepping stone to his career goals that he has been working so hard to achieve - so I try to be positive about it.

Anyways, this post is a tribute to my husband - the love of my life - and his unbelievable amount of love and support he has given me over the years. I love you, Matthew!

P.S. He has his own blog too - Matt's Miscellany - check it out!


More Reasons Why He is the Best Ever



He loves to read as much as I do - we can spent one too many hours at the library or the local Barnes & Nobles. And he loves the sun - and traveling. We are definitely beach bodies landlocked here in Indiana.



He is always up for a good game of Scrabble - and I always win.



He values education as much as I do - here he is with his parents on his graduation day receiving his MBA in Business Management.



He also loves animals as much as I do - and makes me laugh :)! Love this pic of him getting caught off guard by having Showbiz so close to his face. :)



He is quite debonair and ruggedly handsome. Here he is looking oh so suave at our good friends' wedding.



Did I mention how he makes me laugh? Such a light hearted spirit! :) Here he is with his good friend Quentin at his wedding! Such goofs!