Thanks to the Tulsa World, I was made aware of a cool new blog from here in Tulsa.
http://carlessintulsa.blogspot.com/
Dustin and I have given serious thought to becoming a single vehicle family. The idea is that we would have the two cars but really make a serious attempt to only use one to save money & lower our carbon footprint.
Ironically enough, after talking about it, the Saturn broke down (3 weeks ago) and that has put us in the position to live our lives with just one car. If it were up to me, it would have been at the mechanic and fixed by now. However, my loving & good intentioned husband believes he can fix it and so I am allowing my car to sit in the driveway til the day when he had time to tend to it :/
But, I digress.....
Carless in Tulsa is a phenomenal blog. I love how honest they are about the joys and not so joyful moments of living without a car. They certainly don't make it sound perfect but prove that is completely doable :)
Enjoy!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sprout's 30 week check up
Sprouty and I had our 30 week check up yesterday and like every appointment prior to this one, it ended with the doc saying "Wow, you certainly are just motoring through this pregnancy."
My belly is measuring exactly 30 weeks.
Sprout's heart rate was 148. It has been in a really tight range of 146 to 154 all pregnancy.
My blood sugar from my glucose challenge two weeks ago was perfect.
My blood pressure was 126/76.
I gained 5lbs in 2 weeks bringing my pregnancy gain to 19lbs total (7 in the first 6 months, 12 in the past 6 weeks). The amazing thing to me is that at one point in my life, I was 13 pounds heavier than I am right now!
And so the boring pregnancy continues :)
In addition to the doctor's appointment, we also went in for our pre-admission paperwork and testing which was interesting on several fronts.
Let me say this, there is not enough money in the world that would make me want to be a hospital billing person. No amount could ever compensate for what those individuals have to deal with on a daily basis. How our "financial counselor" (and unfortunately for the life of me, I can not remember her name) was so nice and so patient in explaining everything to us and for helping us to recover from our coronary when we saw the bill by explaining that in actuality we don't OWE that much is beyond me. Kudos to St John's for having such an incredibly pleasant, understanding and intelligent person doing that kind of work in the women's center :D
We also got a tour of Labor & Delivery which was pretty cool and very surreal. Despite the fact that they were busting at the seams, every nurse there seemed perfectly relaxed and friendly. That was a great source of relief to me :)
So, as this pregnancy continues to truck along (2 1/2 months to go), I took Gracie on a walk today since the temp was above 40 degrees and the sun was shining. We have one more day of this pseudo-spring weather before Valentine's Day turns cold, blustery and miserable so I might as well enjoy it :)
My belly is measuring exactly 30 weeks.
Sprout's heart rate was 148. It has been in a really tight range of 146 to 154 all pregnancy.
My blood sugar from my glucose challenge two weeks ago was perfect.
My blood pressure was 126/76.
I gained 5lbs in 2 weeks bringing my pregnancy gain to 19lbs total (7 in the first 6 months, 12 in the past 6 weeks). The amazing thing to me is that at one point in my life, I was 13 pounds heavier than I am right now!
And so the boring pregnancy continues :)
In addition to the doctor's appointment, we also went in for our pre-admission paperwork and testing which was interesting on several fronts.
Let me say this, there is not enough money in the world that would make me want to be a hospital billing person. No amount could ever compensate for what those individuals have to deal with on a daily basis. How our "financial counselor" (and unfortunately for the life of me, I can not remember her name) was so nice and so patient in explaining everything to us and for helping us to recover from our coronary when we saw the bill by explaining that in actuality we don't OWE that much is beyond me. Kudos to St John's for having such an incredibly pleasant, understanding and intelligent person doing that kind of work in the women's center :D
We also got a tour of Labor & Delivery which was pretty cool and very surreal. Despite the fact that they were busting at the seams, every nurse there seemed perfectly relaxed and friendly. That was a great source of relief to me :)
So, as this pregnancy continues to truck along (2 1/2 months to go), I took Gracie on a walk today since the temp was above 40 degrees and the sun was shining. We have one more day of this pseudo-spring weather before Valentine's Day turns cold, blustery and miserable so I might as well enjoy it :)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Great Sand Springs Civil War of 2010
I grew up in the 19038 zip code. Glenside, PA pride :D
But don't tell that to people who live in Ardsley, PA. They use "our" zip code too but according to the US Postal Service "19038 (ARDSLEY, PA IS NOT ACCEPTABLE - USE GLENSIDE". Oh and same goes for my friends in North Hills "19038 (NORTH HILLS, PA IS NOT ACCEPTABLE - USE GLENSIDE).
Oh and technically....Glenside isn't a "town". It is a CDP, a census designated place, located in Abington, Cheltenham, and Springfield Townships. I grew up on the Abington Township side of the tracks, literally. There are train tracks that divide the two townships. If you are at the train station and waiting to go INBOUND to Philadelphia, you are in Cheltenham Township. OUTBOUND passengers load up in Abington Township.
(Incidentally, the boundary between Ardsley/North Hills and Glenside is also train tracks)
The trash talking that goes back and forth about which side of the tracks within the 19038 is pretty legendary :)
I have friends who live and grew up in Mt Airy, Roxborough, Chestnut Hill, Germantown, Mayfair, Frankfurt. These places don't exist either. They are all within the city limits of Philadelphia, PA.
I have had many friends who lived in Oreland, PA. That's a CDP of Springfield and Upper Dublin Townships.
There is a point here....I'm getting there....bear with me.
My husband opened up a hornet's nest, a hopping, mad, really angry hornet's nest here in Sand Springs. He wrote a column regarding Prattville vs Sand Springs.
http://www.sandspringsleader.com/articles/2010/02/10/opinion/doc4b6e44f4c9d8b329394089.txt
The history of the Civil War
A brief history, albeit not detailed, regarding this civil war.
Sand Springs is a town founded by Charles Page on the north side of the river.
Prattville was a town on the south side of the river founded by Henry (or is it Harry) Pratt.
At some point, I think in the 1960's, Prattville was annexed by Sand Springs. In doing so, Prattville became part of Sand Springs. And that chip has been held on the shoulder of generations (ok, one generation) of Prattvillians.
When I moved here, I only knew Sand Springs. I live on the north side of Sand Springs, when I cross the Arkansas River, I am on the south side of Sand Springs. When I do cross the bridge, it is generally to take Gracie to the vet, go to Braum's for ice cream, or to get on I-44 in Salpulpa. Everything I need is pretty much on the north side. Same goes for the Prattvillians. They typically only cross the bridge to go to Walmart. That's because each side has a QuikTrip, a Sonic, and a Mazzio's. All are staples for any Tulsa area community. Each side also has an elementary school and a library too.
What's your point, Katie
My point, here is that there is no need to get angry about this!
I'm used to growing up in "towns" that aren't really towns because in PA most of us live in townships. I identify myself as a Glenside gal, I'm proud of my 19038 roots just as someone from Ardsley and North Hills is proud to be part of their little corner of 19038 in Abington Township or Upper Dublin Township.
It's all about the sense of community that comes with having pride in where you are from and having FUN with it! Some good fun ribbing about which "side" is better is good and can help a community grow but carrying on about the economic advantages or disadvantages of one side over the other is just plain silly. I would gladly trade our Carl's Jr for a Braum's but I'm not going to complain about having to cross the bridge to get those decadent, gooey, wonderful towers of chocolate and fudge goodness....where was I?.....oh yeah.....
Sand Springs, both sides of the river, are the 74063 zp code. Whether you are in North Sand Springs, South Sand Springs, Prattville, Tulsa County or Osage County. It's one big...happy?...community :) The bridge isn't THAT long and, despite what you might hear, the traffic is virtually non-existent.
So, my advice to Sandites (both sides), take pride in being from Sand Springs. There are alot of good things starting to happen on both sides of the river. Heck, visit each other every now again. The walk across the river has a fabulous view of the city of Tulsa. You might want to check it out when the weather gets warm.
Bloggers note: sorry if this was a rambling editorial but I just had to get this out! :)
Second bloggers note: Way to go skate park organizers in Sand Springs...y'all are one step closer!
But don't tell that to people who live in Ardsley, PA. They use "our" zip code too but according to the US Postal Service "19038 (ARDSLEY, PA IS NOT ACCEPTABLE - USE GLENSIDE". Oh and same goes for my friends in North Hills "19038 (NORTH HILLS, PA IS NOT ACCEPTABLE - USE GLENSIDE).
Oh and technically....Glenside isn't a "town". It is a CDP, a census designated place, located in Abington, Cheltenham, and Springfield Townships. I grew up on the Abington Township side of the tracks, literally. There are train tracks that divide the two townships. If you are at the train station and waiting to go INBOUND to Philadelphia, you are in Cheltenham Township. OUTBOUND passengers load up in Abington Township.
(Incidentally, the boundary between Ardsley/North Hills and Glenside is also train tracks)
The trash talking that goes back and forth about which side of the tracks within the 19038 is pretty legendary :)
I have friends who live and grew up in Mt Airy, Roxborough, Chestnut Hill, Germantown, Mayfair, Frankfurt. These places don't exist either. They are all within the city limits of Philadelphia, PA.
I have had many friends who lived in Oreland, PA. That's a CDP of Springfield and Upper Dublin Townships.
There is a point here....I'm getting there....bear with me.
My husband opened up a hornet's nest, a hopping, mad, really angry hornet's nest here in Sand Springs. He wrote a column regarding Prattville vs Sand Springs.
http://www.sandspringsleader.com/articles/2010/02/10/opinion/doc4b6e44f4c9d8b329394089.txt
The history of the Civil War
A brief history, albeit not detailed, regarding this civil war.
Sand Springs is a town founded by Charles Page on the north side of the river.
Prattville was a town on the south side of the river founded by Henry (or is it Harry) Pratt.
At some point, I think in the 1960's, Prattville was annexed by Sand Springs. In doing so, Prattville became part of Sand Springs. And that chip has been held on the shoulder of generations (ok, one generation) of Prattvillians.
When I moved here, I only knew Sand Springs. I live on the north side of Sand Springs, when I cross the Arkansas River, I am on the south side of Sand Springs. When I do cross the bridge, it is generally to take Gracie to the vet, go to Braum's for ice cream, or to get on I-44 in Salpulpa. Everything I need is pretty much on the north side. Same goes for the Prattvillians. They typically only cross the bridge to go to Walmart. That's because each side has a QuikTrip, a Sonic, and a Mazzio's. All are staples for any Tulsa area community. Each side also has an elementary school and a library too.
What's your point, Katie
My point, here is that there is no need to get angry about this!
I'm used to growing up in "towns" that aren't really towns because in PA most of us live in townships. I identify myself as a Glenside gal, I'm proud of my 19038 roots just as someone from Ardsley and North Hills is proud to be part of their little corner of 19038 in Abington Township or Upper Dublin Township.
It's all about the sense of community that comes with having pride in where you are from and having FUN with it! Some good fun ribbing about which "side" is better is good and can help a community grow but carrying on about the economic advantages or disadvantages of one side over the other is just plain silly. I would gladly trade our Carl's Jr for a Braum's but I'm not going to complain about having to cross the bridge to get those decadent, gooey, wonderful towers of chocolate and fudge goodness....where was I?.....oh yeah.....
Sand Springs, both sides of the river, are the 74063 zp code. Whether you are in North Sand Springs, South Sand Springs, Prattville, Tulsa County or Osage County. It's one big...happy?...community :) The bridge isn't THAT long and, despite what you might hear, the traffic is virtually non-existent.
So, my advice to Sandites (both sides), take pride in being from Sand Springs. There are alot of good things starting to happen on both sides of the river. Heck, visit each other every now again. The walk across the river has a fabulous view of the city of Tulsa. You might want to check it out when the weather gets warm.
Bloggers note: sorry if this was a rambling editorial but I just had to get this out! :)
Second bloggers note: Way to go skate park organizers in Sand Springs...y'all are one step closer!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Lazy Monday
I'm sitting here watching the snow fall and occasionally looking over to check on my sleeping husband curled up with my sleeping dog. It's quite nice.
Christmas Visit
I was lucky enough to be able to travel home to Philadelphia over the Christmas holidays (way long ago). Anytime I get home is a special blessing and this time was extra special because it had been 8 months since I had been there last and because Tulsa experienced its first blizzard while we were gone :)
Dustin and I decided to drive rather than fly and that turned out to be a fabulous decision given the fact the MidAtlantic got hit with a snowstorm right before we left for our trip. We would have most likely been so delayed getting into Philadelphia and possibly would not have gotten home til after Christmas Day.
The one disadvantage of driving is that if something goes wrong with the car, you better hope it is not bad. Fortunately for us it was bad but not THAT bad.
Long story short (as is usually the case with me)....our trip home went a little like this....
We decided to take the southern route home to Tulsa which consists of Philly to Knoxville, TN to Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN to Little Rock, AR and home to Tulsa.
We exited the PA turnpike in Harrisburg when my shift cable snapped. After playing the pregnancy card with both the tow truck driver and the Saturn dealership (which was to become a VW dealership on Jan 1st), we were back on the road within 5 hours making it to Bristol, VA/TN a down known only for its Nascar Race and for good reason :/ I am certain we stayed in the creepiest Motel 8 east of the Mississippi River that night but with the weather turning bad we didn't care!
We arrived home just in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with our puppy and be in bed by 12:15am....lol.
My Growing Belly
I swear I went from not pregnant to pregnant in the matter of 2 weeks!
Stupid Groundhog
Yes, it is still winter here in Oklahoma. Cabin fever is our house is reaching a dangerously high level. Spring can not come fast enough.
Christmas Visit
I was lucky enough to be able to travel home to Philadelphia over the Christmas holidays (way long ago). Anytime I get home is a special blessing and this time was extra special because it had been 8 months since I had been there last and because Tulsa experienced its first blizzard while we were gone :)
Dustin and I decided to drive rather than fly and that turned out to be a fabulous decision given the fact the MidAtlantic got hit with a snowstorm right before we left for our trip. We would have most likely been so delayed getting into Philadelphia and possibly would not have gotten home til after Christmas Day.
The one disadvantage of driving is that if something goes wrong with the car, you better hope it is not bad. Fortunately for us it was bad but not THAT bad.
Long story short (as is usually the case with me)....our trip home went a little like this....
We decided to take the southern route home to Tulsa which consists of Philly to Knoxville, TN to Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN to Little Rock, AR and home to Tulsa.
We exited the PA turnpike in Harrisburg when my shift cable snapped. After playing the pregnancy card with both the tow truck driver and the Saturn dealership (which was to become a VW dealership on Jan 1st), we were back on the road within 5 hours making it to Bristol, VA/TN a down known only for its Nascar Race and for good reason :/ I am certain we stayed in the creepiest Motel 8 east of the Mississippi River that night but with the weather turning bad we didn't care!
We arrived home just in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with our puppy and be in bed by 12:15am....lol.
My Growing Belly
I swear I went from not pregnant to pregnant in the matter of 2 weeks!
Stupid Groundhog
Yes, it is still winter here in Oklahoma. Cabin fever is our house is reaching a dangerously high level. Spring can not come fast enough.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The New 'Do Courtesy of Clary Sage College :)
So today I decided to treat myself to a little pampering and thanks to the girls at Clary Sage College (a cosmetology school here in Tulsa, http://www.clarysagecollege.com/clients), I am feeling so much better.
My sister Mandie gets her hair done by cosmetology students quite a bit in Manhattan and has always had wonderful experiences at a fraction of the cost. So while I was a little nervous about it, I figured that I can spend $12 at the Hair Cuttery or I can spend the same amount of money to have a student who is working with the best products available and being supervised learn something.
Britiney (I think I got that spelling right) was my stylist and she just really got it perfectly!
My hair was so super damaged from me not taking care of it and the fact that since I became preggers my hair & skin have no moisture. She ended up having to take 4 INCHES of wet hair off. That springs up to about 6 inches in curly hair. I also got a sensational deep conditioning. The final look is cute and sassy. I can't wait to start to playing with headbands and scarves and have some fun with my new shorter do :D
My sister Mandie gets her hair done by cosmetology students quite a bit in Manhattan and has always had wonderful experiences at a fraction of the cost. So while I was a little nervous about it, I figured that I can spend $12 at the Hair Cuttery or I can spend the same amount of money to have a student who is working with the best products available and being supervised learn something.
Britiney (I think I got that spelling right) was my stylist and she just really got it perfectly!
My hair was so super damaged from me not taking care of it and the fact that since I became preggers my hair & skin have no moisture. She ended up having to take 4 INCHES of wet hair off. That springs up to about 6 inches in curly hair. I also got a sensational deep conditioning. The final look is cute and sassy. I can't wait to start to playing with headbands and scarves and have some fun with my new shorter do :D
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sprout Update: 20 weeks and growing
Well, I've made it to the half way point in my pregnancy. I'm now a healthy 21 weeks and everything is looking great :)
Sprout is growing at an amazing pace! Right now he/she weighs in at approx 13oz and is resting quite comfortably on the right side of my tummy. I think the gurgling noises of my stomach are too much for the lil one to handle.
The ultrasound was amazing! The tech went from head to toe showing us each and every little part of our tiny sprout. Everything from all 10 toes to the heart to the stomach even onto the bladder! Sprout's head is way down low in my abdomen with the feet pretty much up by rib cage. Apparently the kid likes to stretch it out. And is now looking like a little person in there.....kind of.
Apparently our child is a little camera shy. While the tech was trying to get a good picture of Sprout's adorable mug, he/she was busy moving his/her hand in front of the face. We were able to get a couple of good pictures but, with the baby looking straight at the camera, our child looks more like an alien form of Skeletor than a cute lil baby :)
If you turn your head to the right, you can kind of see the shape of a face. I'm going to be honest, the tech had to point out all the features for me to really see it.
My favorite picture from the ultrasound came from the fact that the little one has his/her feet planted firmly under my rib cage. So far, he/she has been very kind in the not kicking me too hard but, the kicks are getting stronger. Dustin was actually feel a couple of good ones over the past few nights :)
So, that's the brief Sprout update. I should have a belly picture soon enough. I just feel weird having one taken of me for some reason but with Christmas coming up, I'm sure I will have some to share!
Sprout is growing at an amazing pace! Right now he/she weighs in at approx 13oz and is resting quite comfortably on the right side of my tummy. I think the gurgling noises of my stomach are too much for the lil one to handle.
The ultrasound was amazing! The tech went from head to toe showing us each and every little part of our tiny sprout. Everything from all 10 toes to the heart to the stomach even onto the bladder! Sprout's head is way down low in my abdomen with the feet pretty much up by rib cage. Apparently the kid likes to stretch it out. And is now looking like a little person in there.....kind of.
Apparently our child is a little camera shy. While the tech was trying to get a good picture of Sprout's adorable mug, he/she was busy moving his/her hand in front of the face. We were able to get a couple of good pictures but, with the baby looking straight at the camera, our child looks more like an alien form of Skeletor than a cute lil baby :)
If you turn your head to the right, you can kind of see the shape of a face. I'm going to be honest, the tech had to point out all the features for me to really see it.
My favorite picture from the ultrasound came from the fact that the little one has his/her feet planted firmly under my rib cage. So far, he/she has been very kind in the not kicking me too hard but, the kicks are getting stronger. Dustin was actually feel a couple of good ones over the past few nights :)
So, that's the brief Sprout update. I should have a belly picture soon enough. I just feel weird having one taken of me for some reason but with Christmas coming up, I'm sure I will have some to share!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Catching Up & Looking Back: A Year in Review
Wow....it has been a year. Slowly Oklahoma is no longer the strange land it was a year ago. Don't get me wrong. It is still very strange but at least there is some familiarity to it now.
Admittedly, I have been a bad blogger. It was kind of a topsy turvy summer but things are starting to even out and life is chugging. So let's catch up.
GRACIE
Our little 5lbs bundle of fur is now a 30lbs 6 month old chewing monster. If this mutt doesn't prepare me for having a toddler, nothing will! She is extremely lucky that she is not only cute but does manage to behave herself 70% of the time.
She still loves her naps and chewing on things but we have started to find less destructive activities for her to engage in.
Here's a walk along the river at 10 weeks old.
Her first camping trip in Keystone State Park
Her first hike at Turkey Mountain
And the always favorite activity, lounging with Dustin :)
A VISIT FROM MY SISTERS :)
In August, I was incredibly fortunate to have my sisters visit for a couple of days. We picked them up in St Louis and did some local touring but, really it was mostly just a chance to relax and enjoy time with them since it had been so long.
Maggie enjoying a beverage Joe Momma's in downtown Tulsa.
Mandie & Maggie at Pops in Arcadia, OK
A visit to Oklahoma City
Playing at the 41st Street Plaza
Back in St Louis
OTHER SUMMER HAPPENINGS
It's official. I despise and do not look forward to Oklahoma summers in any way shape or form. When the heat index is 110 for three or more straight days, I call that excessive.
Dustin and I did have the chance to take in a bunch of Driller's games this summer which is always a great time :) We were able to take in the second to last game played at the old Drillers stadium. They will moving to their new ballpark, Oneok Field in downtown next for the 2010 season.
Other than that, it was a pretty quiet end to the summer but for one last little bit of news......
DRUM ROLL PLEASE
Dustin and I found we were expecting on August 18th.
Sprout is due to make his or her Tulsa debut around April 22nd.
So far I've had a relatively boring pregnancy which is always a blessing. We are not going to find out what the sex of the baby is until his/her arrival in April so, we've spent a good bit of time guessing with absolutely no scientific data to back up our beliefs :) Next ultrasound is in 2 weeks on Dec 3rd so be looking for a new picture!
LOOKING FORWARD
Dustin and I have had some challenges over the course of the past month. Mostly regarding my job situation but I can honestly say that I'm incredibly optimistic and excited about the next year :)
Hopefully I'll be a better blogger in sharing it with the few readers I have left :)
Admittedly, I have been a bad blogger. It was kind of a topsy turvy summer but things are starting to even out and life is chugging. So let's catch up.
GRACIE
Our little 5lbs bundle of fur is now a 30lbs 6 month old chewing monster. If this mutt doesn't prepare me for having a toddler, nothing will! She is extremely lucky that she is not only cute but does manage to behave herself 70% of the time.
She still loves her naps and chewing on things but we have started to find less destructive activities for her to engage in.
Here's a walk along the river at 10 weeks old.
Her first camping trip in Keystone State Park
Her first hike at Turkey Mountain
And the always favorite activity, lounging with Dustin :)
A VISIT FROM MY SISTERS :)
In August, I was incredibly fortunate to have my sisters visit for a couple of days. We picked them up in St Louis and did some local touring but, really it was mostly just a chance to relax and enjoy time with them since it had been so long.
Maggie enjoying a beverage Joe Momma's in downtown Tulsa.
Mandie & Maggie at Pops in Arcadia, OK
A visit to Oklahoma City
Playing at the 41st Street Plaza
Back in St Louis
OTHER SUMMER HAPPENINGS
It's official. I despise and do not look forward to Oklahoma summers in any way shape or form. When the heat index is 110 for three or more straight days, I call that excessive.
Dustin and I did have the chance to take in a bunch of Driller's games this summer which is always a great time :) We were able to take in the second to last game played at the old Drillers stadium. They will moving to their new ballpark, Oneok Field in downtown next for the 2010 season.
Other than that, it was a pretty quiet end to the summer but for one last little bit of news......
DRUM ROLL PLEASE
Dustin and I found we were expecting on August 18th.
Sprout is due to make his or her Tulsa debut around April 22nd.
So far I've had a relatively boring pregnancy which is always a blessing. We are not going to find out what the sex of the baby is until his/her arrival in April so, we've spent a good bit of time guessing with absolutely no scientific data to back up our beliefs :) Next ultrasound is in 2 weeks on Dec 3rd so be looking for a new picture!
LOOKING FORWARD
Dustin and I have had some challenges over the course of the past month. Mostly regarding my job situation but I can honestly say that I'm incredibly optimistic and excited about the next year :)
Hopefully I'll be a better blogger in sharing it with the few readers I have left :)
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