Inevitably Keely

So, I'm giving in and giving you not just 1: but 2 shots of me (and Daniel) in all my pregnant glory. :) As you can see, we're both pretty darn happy. Aside from being exhausted from our day at the SD Zoo yesterday, I'm feeling great. 19 weeks down, 21 more to go!

Greetings from San Diego! Daniel and I got to my parents house last Friday and have been having a nice time away from home. Regardless of the friends we've made in Bakersfield, it's always nice to escape to a new environment for a while. My parents left on Christmas Eve for their timeshare on Coronado, so we've had their house to ourselves for the past few days. Well, not really. We're sharing their house with their dog, Buffy, their African Grey, Palucci and our own dog children. So far we've just been relaxing. We went and saw Night at the Museum during the afternoon on Christmas Eve and had a nice dinner out. We've spent a lot of time in a local coffee house writing and relaxing. We cooked at home last night and plan on doing so for the next couple nights as well. In between all our relaxing we've gone baby shopping with some of our Christmas money. We've decided on a crib and changing table in black. I've decided I don't need an ottoman to go...

So yesterday evening I asked Daniel if he had learned anything new about me from my post yesterday. "I didn't know you lived in Bellevue, Washington." And then my eyes popped open. "Because I didn't! I lived in Ballard, Washington...a neighborhood in Seattle!" Ack! I felt like a big old liar, but I was too tired to go back and correct it on my post for yesterday. Also, I haven't found photographic evidence of my adult blondeness yet...so this is my lame excuse at still posting for you. You, my loyal non commenting readers. *Wink* Wink*

Nanette tagged me, so here goes! Five things you may or may not know about me - depending on how long you've known me, whether or not you pay attention, etc. 1. I've moved around a lot since I was a little baby. Reno, Nevada. Bellevue, Washington. Various cities in California. Various cities in Illinois. Someday, we'll probably end up in Texas. While I don't have any complaints about all the moving, I do hope my kids can grow up in the same area. Plus, I'm tired of moving. 2. If you were looking at me right now, you'd be able to tell from my lovely roots, (that I haven't touched up since I was about 4 weeks pregnant) I was not born a brunette. I was actually quite the little blondie until I started dying my hair for shows in 8th grade. When I was 22, I started going blonder again and eventually started to get gutsy. Well, gutsy for me. First I went really blonde on top/black underneath. Then I went all dark, dark brown. Then I added bright red streaks. If ...

So, last night Daniel and I are eating our very low carb meal (more on that later) watching an episode from season one of Smallville ($15.99 at Costco!). We're entertained. I'm savoring every bit of rice I'm allowed to eat. The show is entertaining. We finish dinner and keep watching. Max jumps on my lap and leans against my belly (and Zoe) while he switches back and forth between staring longingly at my empty plate and tries to lick my face (for food remnants?). Clark and Lana are on Lana's front porch and Clark is just about to kiss Lana when her aunt comes out and sends him home. Score one for the aunt. Teenagers kissing on porches! Geez. As the future mother of a teenage girl, I cringe at the thought. We keep watching. Lana is waiting for Clark in the barn loft. They're going to watch the sunset together. They're supposed to be playing freshman, but the actors clearly look like seniors, at least. I mean, I know Clark is Superman...but the actor playing him i...

Even after me having a tiny cup of coffee this morning, Zocon was just not budging for the ultrasound tech, me, or Daniel. It seems our baby is a hard sleeper...and we're liking that just fine. :) After a whole lot of pushing and shaking by all of us, Zocon stretched the legs out straight and crossed them making it extrememly difficult to see what was what. When I saw the umbilical cord I mistook it for "something else" and was speechless for a moment or two since it was as long or longer than the legs. Luckily, the tech noted for us that we were seeing the umbilical cord. I don't know how they're able to distinguish everything so quickly. With a little more movement, we were finally able to see what we were there to see: ZOCON is a Zoe! Zoe Angeline Emery. We're having a girl and we are so excited! :) The tech pointed out to Daniel that not only is she a heavy sleeper, (I just think she's stubborn like her mom) but she is also private and shy. We were bot...

In an effort to focus more on the positively wonderful things happening in our lives, Daniel and I have begun to seriously look at our options for Zocon's room. Cribs (convertable to toddler bed and full size). Changing tables. Gliders. Oh, my! We looked around a bit yesterday and found some nice options...less expensive options than the gorgeous, GORGEOUS crib we found at a local baby boutique for $599. The one we are so not getting because it's beyond our budget and the baby will probably grow up and hate it anyway. So, today I surfed. I typed in 'baby furniture' in the good ol' Google and lists and lists of options appeared. My favorite of all of them was the Fantasy Crib . Not because I really want a fantasy crib for our baby, (I'm just not that frilly) but because the price of it sent me into hysterical laughter. Daniel and I scoff at $599 and there is actually a crib for the price of a car. And it doesn't even convert! Seriously, what is the world comi...

I don't get some people. And that's OK.

After dinner last night, Daniel and I set about on the hard task of continuing to combine the office and guest room into one. We decided the small bookcase we’d kept writing books in would become a bookcase for the baby’s books. The difficult part was, Daniel had to pack away some textbooks that he enjoyed having accessible at his whim, and he parted with a few paperbacks. We’re recognizing these adjustments as the small sacrifices we must make to make room for baby. As Daniel sorted and reorganized his books, I became absorbed in keepsakes from our past. Yearbooks. Wedding memories. Photo albums. I was particularly swept up in a small purple album that I had put together not long after Nana had passed away. To me, the color purple will always be synonymous with my Nana. She looked beautiful in purple, and I think she knew it. Plus, she loved that book: ‘When I’m an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple’. The pages of the purple photo album were filled with my family and Nana in her last days....

I know I promised you all a picture of our 'Charlie Brown' tree. It's coming, just not today. I struggled with the lighting in our living room last night when I tried to snap the photo and now I'm just not in the mood. Hey. It will give you something to look forward to. Um. Yeah. I got a call from our OB/GYN office this afternoon informing me that I failed my glucose test. We had sort of prepared ourselves for this, but it's still kind of upsetting to me. I worry. I worry all the time, and this compounds that worry times ten. Daniel and I go back to the office tomorrow for a 3-hour Glucose test. I need to not have anything but water after 8 o'clock tonight to prepare for our 8 am testing. They'll take a fasting blood sample and then I'll drink a disgusting orange drink that does not taste like flat orange soda despite the lab techs urging. An hour later they will take more blood and then the hour after that...and the hour after that. Yep. You read that c...

I've been out of touch lately. It's true. Since the holiday, I've been taking it easy. Daniel and I have been enjoying our time away from rehearsals for a show and really enjoying this part of the pregnancy and each other. We've even gotten to socialize with our friends, which has been nice. We love theatre, but there are so many other things we'd like to be able to do as well. I thought I'd try to bring you all up to speed on a few things and tell you about some things that have been occupying our last couple weeks. Daniel and I went to the mall two days after Thanksgiving to have our iMacs* looked at. Mine was especially wonky and was highlighting things I'd typed if I touched anything other than the keyboard and then would erase my words. It was doing this paragraphs at a time and driving me nuts. Blogging had been a chore with this impairment. Turned out the wait time to have a "Genius" look at our laptops was just over two hours, so Daniel and...

I’d blame the hormones, but I’m pretty much always this way…I thought today would be a good day to share some things I am thankful for. I’m thankful for…. Daniel. He is an amazing husband, and my best friend. The first time I saw him and he smiled at me, I knew I wanted to know him. The first chance I had to actually sit and talk to him, I knew that he was someone I would always want to be a part of my life. His smile is my favorite sight. His support is unwavering and complete. He is my partner in every sense. We’re lucky to have found each other. Mom & Dad. Not many people can say that their parents are also their friends. They raised me to be strong and to have a sense of humor. They’ve encouraged me in whatever endeavor I have chosen to give my time to. They’re fun people, and I admire them immensely. It’s nice to know that they are always just a phone call away. Nana. Even though she’s been gone for almost a year now (on November 30th) she is with me every single day. I’m tha...

"This is my wife, Keely. She's pregnant and having trouble breathing." These words came out of Daniel's mouth (quite calmly, I must say) at 1a.m. Sunday, in the ER near our house. But let me back up a little: Saturday night had been busy. We got to the theatre at six to eat an early dinner. Daniel's call time was 6:45 and we like to get to the theatre early so he can be relaxed before having to be on stage all night without a break. I gave the actors their photo CD's filled with the best 162 out of 300 photos I took during their dress rehearsals. I goofed around with my friends in the cast. I sat in the lobby talking with friends and blushing a little when they noticed that the preggo belly is starting to become visible. I was complimented on how healthy and happy I looked. I stocked up on snacks and drinks and headed up to the tech booth to watch the show. "Assassins" is a two-hour plus show with no intermission, so the tech booth became my favorite...

Daniel has his last performance of "Assassins" tonight, a strike of the set afterwards and then...then our nights and weekends are free! Ha...like a cell phone plan. There's been a lot of drama (that crappy kind) that we've been dealing with lately and we're done. While it's not completely within our control, Daniel and I have decided to try to eliminate unnecessary stress where ever we can. This includes (but isn't limited to) too many time commitments, and interacting with people who seem to relish in conflict. Life is too short, and we've got better things to do with our time. Like take Max to the dog park. We're leaving Bailey at home tomorrow and going for a "Pug Meet up" at one of the local dog parks. We think the interaction with other pugs (without his overbearing sister) will be good for Max and I feel like it will be good for our morale to see cute, fat pugs frolicking in the grass. I love puppies. I've found a OB/GYN. A cou...

So, I woke up yesterday with some extreme back pain in my shoulder area. At first it was a constant dull ache, but as the day progressed the pain became shooting. It hurt to raise my arm and there were many points where I yelped out in pain. At bed time, Daniel helped me by surrounding me with pillows - in front of my stomach, behind my back, between my knees. I was a pillow taco. Hmmm. That's a weird phrase I will try never to use again. Anyway, I woke up this morning and the pain had not magically disappeared so Daniel called and made me an appointment for a prenatal massage for this afternoon. Now I've never had a full blown massage before so I didn't know what to expect, really. I expected dim lights, pleasant scents, (I was hoping for lavender)and relaxing music. I thought there might even be a rock fountain, but I was hoping not because the sound of water would probably make me think I had to pee constantly. I thought I would lay on the table and close my eyes. I worr...

This photo was taken in February 2001 of the cast of the cast of “Commedia del Arte”. For those of you who know us (or have been reading this blog for a while) the show title may sound familiar. Daniel and I “officially” met and started dating during rehearsals for this production. Notice Daniel (in the navy blue tunic) with short hair. Notice me (in the red corset) trying (and perhaps succeeding) to look like a tart – it was my character. Oh, time…how it does fly. Our younger selves never would have imagined we’d be on our way to being parents four years after this photo was taken. Anywho. That’s all I got for you today. Hey, two posts in two days…not bad. I wanted you to know I didn’t get lost in the abyss of the office. There’s a ton to do still, but I certainly got a lot done. Stay tuned for more words tomorrow, maybe.

Before I sequester myself in our extremely unorganized and cluttered office, I thought I would check in. Part of me thinks it's important to post a message so you all know where I am just in case I get sucked into the abyss/mess that the room has become. I've got art and photography supplies and miscellaneous office stuff piled up on the table, a filing cabinet that is a mess and a closet full of clothes that Daniel and I have barely glanced at in almost four years. In the months that have gone by my answer to this dilemma has been to just keep the door shut and stay out of there as much as possible, but things....they are a changin'. I've decided it's time to sift through the mess and clear the room out for Zocon. I know, I'm only 12 weeks 4 days into my pregnancy, but I like to get things done early and the disorganization is like a thorn in my side. Plus, I've been moving a little slower than usual lately and I feel like there is a plethora (I LOVE that w...

So, I've been "Slacker Blogger" as of late. I know, I know....I get pregnant and then I ignore my blog. What is this world coming to? The important thing to remember is : I haven't been ignoring your blogs - even if I have sort of been lurking and not leaving you comment love. I feel bad about the whole thing, really. Mainly, I feel bad about ignoring one of my best outlets...but I'm going to try to be better about that...from now on. What have I been doing? Oh, you know.... Supporting my husband and the musical he is performing in (Assassins) by going to every performance for the last two weeks (except last Sunday's matinee - I wasn't feeling well). Watching three days of rehearsal so that I would know the show and lighting for when I photographed 2 days of dress rehearsals. The photos turned out awesome, all 200 of them. Talking to my parents nearly every other day. Getting over morning sickness and embracing my need for very small meals 10 times a day. ...

So, today has been considerably better than yesterday. I'm still tired, but at the same time refreshed. I got up and went for a Razzmatazz at Jamba Juice (with femme boost for Zocon) and then went and got my hair cut. Nothing exciting, just an inch off the bottom and my bangs trimmed up again. I was supposed to be having my roots covered, but I'm going to try to hold out until my second trimester (like, the first day of) to add more color. I'm not worried about dark dye hurting Zocon. According to my doc there is no danger because Mercury is not in the dye anymore. I heard the color stays longer once you've gotten past the first few months. This could all be propaganda, but we could stand to save the money. After my hair appointment (wherein she tried to pressure me at least three times to just let her dye it today) I walked around the outdoor shopping area a bit and then called Daniel. He came and met me for a nice lunch. We sat on the patio, ate chips and salsa and en...

So, Baby "Zocon" is throwing me for a loop this week. I'm moody and more tired than I was last week. I get cranky very easily and just about everything sets me off into tears. There are moments where I think I should just lock myself up in the house until the second trimester (I hear things settle down then). Don't get me wrong, I'm happy. I am so excited to be pregnant and to have this baby...but I'm not having an easy time of it. At all. If one more person tells me they "never had morning sickness", I think I might scream. Really, I'm happy for them but can we not rub it into the lady suppressing the need to go get sick? That would be great. I feel guilty for complaining. I worry that my venting will be construed as not being grateful or happy. I'm happy. I'm grateful. It's just...well, my boobs hurt (and itch) and I feel so nauseated all the time. Heartburn sucks and watching movie trailers should not make me burst into sobs. Also,...

Generally speaking, I've been eating healthy since finding out about the pregnancy. It's been kind of easy when I naturally seem to crave things like fruit and vegetables. Occasionally, I feel the need for something else. Like my peanut butter, raspberry jelly and cheddar cheese sandwiches. Or, Doritos! Usually though, it's something far better for me (and the baby)like a baked potato or chicken. This morning, I woke up wanting pizza. Pizza with mushrooms and olives, from Domino's. If I could have had it my way I would have loved to have some deep dished pizza from Gino's East in Chicago with hot giardiniera on top, (YUM!) but you know...distance was an issue. Domino's is convenient, fast and cheap...so I dialed the number around 12:30. I was told the delivery would take 45 minutes so I read more blogs. I found a blogger in NY who is also pregnant and due the day before me...so I emailed her. I got myself a big glass of water. I relished the fact that I wasn...

And when I say "we", I'm not kidding. Daniel and I are going to have a baby! We knew when I did my last post, but we decided we wanted to wait until we saw the heartbeat before we released the news to the masses. This was my main reason for a brief hiatus. I didn't think I'd be able to resist blogging about our news if I continued posting daily. I've come to see that in regards to my pregnancy, I am horrible at keeping secrets. I know a lot of people keep the news to themselves until they reach the second trimester, but we're of the mind that we would rather people know what we were going through and have them to lean on instead of having to explain later why we are sad. It's a personal choice, and this decision feels right for us. Not posting for so long has not been easy. So much has happened that I wanted to tell you all about. I got really sick (viral/sinus infection) and missed a weekend of "The Full Monty" performances...and there were ...

First of all, our opening weekend of "The Full Monty" went great. The audiences seemed to love us and we all had a great time. Secondly, I'm exhausted! So...I'm taking a brief hiatus from the blogging. The time will be spent performing "TFM" for three more weekends, rehearsing "Assassins", hosting friends & family over two different weekends, and trying to find time for some R&R. I'll probably (definitely!)check in on your blogs and I'm likely to post Photo Friday submissions, but consider this lady on blog vacation until possibly the end of October**. Til then, I leave you with the dog children: **Let's make it October 10th. That gives me 2 days to recover from "TFM". I just can't stay away from this blog for too long!

Well, it's finally here. After weeks of rehearsals and trying to juggle everything going on in our lives right now...our show is opening tonight. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. My character is fabulous. Boisterous. Fun. Loving. She's got a zest for life and she is a hoot to play. It's an excuse to wear leopard print with no abandon, have big hair (it's sort of flat in the pic below), and lots of sparkling jewelry. I get to Cha-Cha and sing two songs. I've been having a blast. If all goes according to plan, this will be my last show for a while. At least the last one I have such a big role in. I'll be content with just being the photographer for the theatre and getting to be in the audience fora change. Ha! As I type this, I remember we start rehearsals for the next musical (Assassins) on Sunday night after our matinee for "The Full Monty". I'm assistant directing this one though, so it should be a little less stressful. Anywho. I...

Five years ago, I was living in San Diego. I was married to a horrible person and working 50 hours a week as a manager for a furniture/decor store. On the morning of September 11, 2001 I was driving my 40 minute commute to the mall I worked at. I had a David Gray CD blaring from my stereo. Traffic was going somewhat faster than normal, but things were strange on the road. Military vehicles were racing down the freeway. I remember coming to a stop on the road and looking around to see people staring at their radios. People were crying. Men and women had their heads buried in their hands and I had been oblivious to it all listening to my CD. I quickly switched to the radio and was shocked at the reports. Terrorist attacks? San Diego on alert? Other cities bracing themselves for possible attacks? I kept driving the additional 15 minutes to the mall. I unlocked the store, shut off the alarm and put my stuff down. I turned on the radio we had in the back and I unlocked our safe. As I was co...

After having a wonderful birthday last Thursday, Daniel and I got to help celebrate a very special birthday for our good friends daughter, Ellie. She turned two and I had the fun task of documenting it all on film. She's such a precious little one and I had a blast taking photographs at the "Princess Tea Party" and later that evening while she swam around like the bathing beauty that she is. I'll have to talk to her Dad about me posting a couple on here to share. In the meantime I'll share the photo I'm thinking of putting on my Mac as a screensaver : Oven roasted cherry tomatoes & ricotta cheese on top of garlic & oil brushed baguette slices. Our friends' mom made these Sunday night and I ate about half of the tray. SO good, I think I could eat these daily. My mouth is watering just thinking about them! Anyway...Besides getting to give my photography as a gift, the experience made me think that I really could do this. There is a lot for me to lea...

Daniel and I were in San Diego visiting my parents for a couple days and celebrating my thirtieth. We'd planned on going to the Zoo, but we were short on time this trip. Instead, we went to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. In all my years visiting the area and living nearby, I'd never been. It was beautiful and I took tons of photos. Here's one of the sardines. I thought they were a good example of the theme for this week: Silver

Today is the day I've been half dreading for a few years. 30. Thirty years old. The more I say it, the more accepting of it I am. And really, I don't get what made me so anxious about turning thirty. So far it's not so bad. Grey hair did not suddenly sprout from my head. I still feel young. I still get carded! I still get carded! Sorry, I felt the need to say that twice, it's fun to say. So, I kiss my twenties goodbye. It was quite a decade. Marriage. Life of retail management. Home ownership. Divorce. Travel. Relocating to Bakersfield. Tons of mistakes and learning experiences. Bankruptcy. Theatre. Falling in love with Daniel. Getting diagnosed with RSD. Lots of doctor appointments/medical procedures. Marriage. Losing Nana. Trying to extend our family. Photography. Getting paid for my photography. There were some really tough times in there, but looking back: the good outweighs the bad. The wonderful memories are more vivid than the crappy ones. I'm proud of who ...

I think it might have been my early exposure to late night showings of 'The Legend of Lizzie Borden', 'The Exorcist' or 'Gremlins'. It might have been those freaky Vincent Price movies I caught glimpses of. I'm pretty sure seeing 'Critters' when I was eleven years old was a bad idea. Those"critters" still freak me out. The fact is, I hate scary movies. I don't like the gore. I can't stand the screaming. That tight feeling I get all over my body : tension, panic. I can totally do without all of it. Honestly, I don't get the fascination people have with spending money to be scared. Lucky for me, I married a guy who shares my distaste for the horror genre. Daniel and I have a good friend that says we "secretly love scary movies". Um. No. No we don't. He says that our affinity for 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel' proves that we at least like scary movies. I argue that Buffy & Angel are tele...

I think Daniel and I are good neighbors. One, we don't leave clutter out on our porch or lawn (like the guy down the street who has a VERY large model of a battleship). Two, we make sure our yard looks good by paying a nice gardener to take care of it weekly. Three, we 're friendly...you know, we wave every once in a while. Four, we don't throw wild, crazy all night parties. Five, we don't play our music loud. Six, we don't argue so the whole neighborhood can hear like the crazy people across the street. Seven, I try to keep the dogs quiet. Eight, we don't park in front of their house even if they park in front of ours (and steal Daniel's spot). Nine, the dog children don't use other lawns as their bathroom area. And ten...I can't think of a number 10, but trust me we're good neighbors to have. I guess that's why I get so annoyed with our neighbors. On one side of us we have a very old couple who is barely ever home. Aside from this one time ...

This past June marked my fourth year in Bakersfield. I moved here from San Diego after sleeping on an old futon in my parents’ living room for 7 months. I'd left behind a horrible marriage and was ready to start a new life. Bakersfield seemed like the logical place to go. Why? That was pretty much everyone's question. No one understood, least of all my parents or my former employers. I was leaving behind a good paying job, friends, my family and San Diego for Bakersfield? Why not L.A. or Chicago (where I had job offers)? Why not stay in San Diego? What was there to do in Bakersfield? The main draw for me was that I'd be living with my best friend from high school. We'd be able to do all the things I missed out on doing before. Moving in with her and her roommate was instant family, instant friends. It was living in my own space with two girls I thought the world of and being included in theirs. It was late night Rusty's delivery, Ouji board nights, eating out almost...

What were you doing 1 second ago? Leaving a comment on Nanette's blog about quickies. What? She tagged me. What were you doing an hour ago? Locking the dogs up in their crate because they wouldn't stop harassing the gardeners. What were you doing yesterday? Attending a "candle party". Shut up. It was fun. What were you doing a month ago? Starting a plethora of hormones to help us make a baby. Going to ComicCon. Just so you know: Hormones + Heat + 1000's of people at a comic book convention = Cranky Keely. Don't get me started on that damn green stroller . What were you doing a year ago? Recovering from our wedding and honeymoon. Thinking very seriously about getting another dog child to keep Bailey company help Bailey destroy our house. What were you doing five years ago? Living in San Diego. Managing a furniture store. Getting a divorce. Good times. What were you doing ten years ago? Living in Chicago. Who would you like to tag? Jen. Mel. MatildaKay. A...

I love our dogs. Some people might say I love our dogs too much...and to that I'd say: maybe. It's no secret that I consider these dogs family. They are my pseudo children. I know, it may sound a little silly...but part of me feels like I'm a mom already because of these rascals. And when I say rascals, I mean evil spawn. It's gotta be motherly love that gets me through the havoc they reap in public and on our home. For example: Just a few days ago, we came home to find a two inch hole in our new sectional. We know it was Max because he had sofa stuffing stuck to his lip. I also have a sneaking suspicion that this was retaliation for taking his blessed Lazy Boy recliner away. He loved that thing. I could have screamed, but instead I just laughed. Screaming wouldn't have turned back time and saved my couch. It might have felt good, but laughing felt better. In all fairness, Bailey hasn't done anything bad in quite a while...most of her episodes were when she was...

Last Saturday afternoon, Daniel and I checked into the Hilton Gaslamp in downtown San Diego. We relaxed and then got ready to go to the theatre to see Wicked. My husband ironed his shirt for the first time in ages and I did my hair and makeup. It was an event. We looked good. I should have taken a picture of us. When we got down to the lobby, we asked the guy at the front desk what the quickest way to the Civic Theatre was. He suggested we walk since it was just a turn to the left and then 4 blocks away. Four blocks later, we were at the Pacific movie theater. Clearly, I need to annunciate better. We kept walking for a few more blocks, made another left and arrived at our destination with time to consume bottled water and a cheese tray for two before we took our seats. The show was fabulous. It was an amazing experience to see those characters come alive after being a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz movie and the Wicked book. I felt like a little girl watching every scene with anticip...