Random Stuff

1) Thanksgiving had me reflecting on many things... but mostly on blessings because that's pretty much what the season is all about. I was thinking about how life is a garden and I am surrounded by so many flowers. Some strong, some weak, some bright, some little, some big, some calming, etc. etc. etc. There are so many wonderful people in my life and they all bring such different gifts. I love to walk through this garden and enjoy the flowers all around me.

2) We are now entering the 8th month of pregnancy. It is less than 2 months until our due date. Andrew and I are getting very excited. We were surrounded by babies over Thanksgiving... our beautiful niece Avery... our amazing little cousin Ethan... and we even got to see Baby David at Rosary last night. The more I'm around these little ones, the more excited I get about having Baby U to hold and play with and teach. I'm already playing games with him by poking back every time he jabs out at my tummy. It's fun to watch baby's reaction!

3) I've been reminiscing a lot lately about being married and pregnant. I still think it's pretty darn crazy that we found out we were pregnant only 24 days after our wedding. God is great. This picture cracks me up:













4) Preach on Fr. Shane:
Women & Evangelization

5) Christmas is coming and the more I think about it... the more I wish and wish that it wasn't about the presents. I read a Christmas quiz the other day that asked whether I liked giving or recieving more. I don't really like either.... Well, that's not totally true... I like both giving and receiving when the gift is really needed and appreciated or when it's just some small fun thing that says "you're neat," or "I'm thinking about you." But mostly, I think both giving and receiving gifts can be awkward and frequently stressful and very often wasteful. And I mostly only feel this way about Christmas... not as much about birthdays. I just think this gift-giving part of Christmas has completely taken over the true meaning of it. I know that's probably a weird idea to most... but... hey... when am I not weird?

That's all I've got for today. I'm like super exhausted at work, because, for some reason, I COULD NOT SLEEP last night... at least not any good deep sleep. Perhaps the last 2 months of pregnancy prediction that you get less sleep is starting to apply to me. I'm not too thrilled.

Anyways... Love and Hugs from Ta Town!

Turkey Day not far away

Hello ladies and gents,

This may be my last post before next week with the festivities of Thanksgiving coming up. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with much food, love, hugs and good times.

Besides Turkey day festivities, my dear hubby's birthday is tomorrow!!! YEAY FOR BEING 26 (okay... not really... because I turn that same age in exactly 4 weeks and really... what is there to celebrate at 26?) But I'm excited for him and we might go to Red Robin to eat yummy burgers. AND birthdays are just fun even if you don't do a whole lot because you get told HAPPY BIRTHDAY and hugged A LOT. I love hugs. Happy Birthday, Husband!! I love you!!!

This year Andrew and I are headed to my parents' house for actual thanksgiving day. Big Brother Joe won't be making it home which kinda sucks but middle brother Tom, the fabulous Kimmy, and my precious niece Avery will be there! Wahoo!! I'm super looking forward to it. Last year, I remember crying Thanksgiving morning because it was the first Turkey day when I wasn't with my side of the family. And we actually didn't see Andrew's family that day either... but some awesome family friends took us in and made us feel right at home which definitely stopped my tears. I'm super afraid for Christmas this year because the Doctor said I shouldn't travel any more come the end of December, and I can't imagine the emotional rollercoaster I'll go through if I miss out on Rausch Christmas. I'm NOT looking forward to that AT ALL.

After Thurs and Friday with my fam, we're coming back to ta-town to spend some quality time with Andrew's fam. This usually involves much fun card or charade playing and more food, of course. It should be a good time.

So anyways... that's our run down. Did everyone see on the side bar that Baby U and I are at 30 weeks??!!! That means we're 75% of the way to full term... 10 weeks to go... okay... I have to go puke now.

:)

Love you all!

:)

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So does everyone remember how much I used to LOVE cows? They were all over my room and apartments and house, etc. Well... I don't really collect cows anymore, but this is the CUTEST cow I've ever seen.



My niece Avery in her all Halloween grandeur

The Bulge

This little quarter-sized patch of skin, just below my rib cage keeps randomly bulging out.

Baby U... you cannot get out that way... and even if you could, it is not the time or the place for that. So perhaps you should stop punching your mommy.

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Today my second boss insisted that Baby U will be born on the 27th instead of the 26th because that is his birthday along with my other boss. I once again told him that I would see what I could do... and then I said perhaps if the baby is a boy and he's born on the 27th, we could name him after my bosses. His name would be Jimmy John.-- he he he-- I then told my boss that would require a hefty raise. He chuckled.

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Andrew read a story to Baby U last night before bed. It was this book called "The Hair Book". Baby seemed to like it because he/she kicked quite a lot as daddy read.

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I look like I swallowed a basketball.

What's Up with That?

What... so I can't get ANY comments unless I post something controversial? Come on people... where's the love??

I'm doing an update just cuz I've got nothing else to write. I'm sure you'll find something to comment about if you'd like to:

1) My child is a football star ...ooh... or maybe a futbol star. I get kicked all the time now, and my belly moves in gelatinous ways. It's strange and exciting.

2) I am glad I am not a man. Why?... you may ask... Because I could not EVER be married to a woman!!! Seriously, I have no clue how guys put up with us because we're freaking nuts. The mood swings, the emotional roller coasters, the PMS, the drama, the way we read BIG FAT STUPID THINGS into every little thing someone says to us. Yeah... no thanks. I'd much rather BE one of those than have to DEAL with one of those as a wife. And I think my awareness of other females has helped me to mellow out a bit in my crazy womanliness as well (minus those preggo mood swings that I can't seem to explain at least).

3) You know, I'm not super upset about these elections. I think it's a good thing that the democrats are taking over again. I'm hoping it will bring more balance to the government. Both parties have become far too polarized as of late, and you can't efficiently run a country that way. I also enjoy that a LOT of the democrats who were elected are moderate, pro-life, pro-family democrats. I just hope that the dems aren't so divided now within their party that they can't accomplish anything.

4) Two things I don't like about the elections and one thing that surprised me: One Dislike... Missouri legalized cloning. Way to use legal language to confuse the voter enough that they think they're banning something that they're actually legalizing. Stupid Coalition for Life Saving Cures. Yet another reason for me to dislike the state of Missouri besides the fact that it houses Missou. Second Dislike... Sebelius got re-elected. This was not surprising to me but a bit disconcerting. She has already mentioned how she'd like to get Amendment 2 passed in Kansas. BLECK. And the Surprise: Morrison actually said that he wasn't going to throw out the abortion records that Kline obtained!!! He's actually considering having a third party investigate them to see if the stinkin baby-killing clinics actually ARE doing illegal things. Yeay for Morrison! I did not vote for him... but I have a new found respect for him merely because of this statement.

5) Has anyone else noticed how if you took the hair off of Sebelius, she'd look like VERY much similar to John Kerry? It freaked me out the other night when I noticed it.

6) There are about 300 birds outside my windo in a tiny courtyard at work and they are knocking all the pretty red leaves off my pear tree. Stinkin birds!

7) It's the weekend!! I'm going home!!! Whoop Whoop!

Fall theme??

So fall is like over in a month... and I never gave it a theme! And I can tell you why I didn't them it too... it's because I'm not around my friends enough anymore to really get a vibe of what's happening in their lives. And the themes have always been based from a wide variety of people's experiences... not just my own. But as I was reading an old blog and sitting here feeling kinda tired and pukey... something suddenly burst into my head. And I think it works VERY VERY WEll.

So welcome, one and all, to

THE FALL OF FEELING FUNNY

... now I'm not sure if this is Funny as in "ha ha" or Funny as in "weird", but that's why I like it. It can go many ways. Perhaps things seem a little out of place to you. Or maybe you're loving life and laughing every day. Maybe it's even a mixture of both of those. Nevertheless, we have one month left of this funny feeling before we enter a winter of some emotion that I haven't figured out yet. I wish you luck and hugs for the rest of your Fall.

It could happen to YOU

So, at the halloween get together that Andrew and I went to, someone brought up that I didn't even KNOW Andrew 2 years ago. That's right... Halloween 2004... no Andrew in my life AT ALL. That struck me as a bit bizarre consider I'm now gestating his child in my womb.

But it also got me thinkin about this post from May 1st of 2005:

"But it's starting to hit that I'm actually old enough to start thinking about it. I could actually HAVE a family. I could like have my own children in 2 years or less if I wanted to. That's nuts. I could be a MOM. Kristi as a mom?? Yea... I know... sounds kinda bizarre, huh? And I think it's all very exciting and fun, but even more than that, i'm sorta baffled by how much talking and planning and thinking one has to do to prepare themselves for this time of life."

If you go back and looks at the links to that post and the one right after it, you'll find that most of the readers of this blog at that time were incredibly skeptical. Not that I blame them... I mean, seriously... who knows for sure they're gonna have someone's babies after only 2 months of dating? But... I still think it's a bit humorous that I said I could have babies in 2 years or less, and here we are a year and half later and baby will be here in like 3 months. Neat and crazy!


That post from May 2005

Research pays off

Seriously... researching candidates is way awesome. I just found a pro-life democrat who is fabulously amazing... and I would never have discovered more about her had I not done research.

So though it may not matter to you all... this blog is endorsing Jane Byrnes for State Rep for District 105. WOO HOO! I'm voting democrat!!



Campaign Jane

HA HA HA

I got this picture from 620wtmj.com