Live Mega Doppler 7000 HD

As I've stated before, I've been kinda neurotic about wanting the worst pregnancy symptoms; any sign that the baby continues to be healthy and growing. And for the past few weeks, I've been feeling lots of movement and that gives me the peace of mind that I need. At work, man, our baby goes to town, kicking me and moving around like it's redecorating. At home, from 7:00 PM on until 12:30 am-ish, that baby is already warning us that he/she will be entertaining us late into the evening/early morning.

But there are days when I DON'T feel any movement, and I understand that it may be because the baby is sleeping or just not at a place where I can feel it moving. If any of you have seen the ultrasound, though, you will see that this baby does not sit still.

Needless to say, I remain neurotic and try to find new ways to ease my worries. So I came across the perfect solution: a fetal doppler!

This is the same device that doctors use to hear the baby's heartbeat. It's pretty much a microphone and speakers, but it's the best thing ever to us! We have been renting one for the past month and will continue to rent it until a) I can physically see and feel kicking and b) my mom decides she will not fund this anymore, although she finds it very necessary for us to keep it through the whole term and has offered to pay for the remaining months. Like mother, like daughter, she is as obsessive about this as I am.

The first few days we rented it, we brought it over for the families to hear. It didn't work so well at the Valtier house, and as the minutes passed, the fam lost interest. But I hope to bring it over again soon so they can hear how strong our little Ziggy's heartbeat is! Emily, our youngest niece, seems to be most fascinated by her Auntie Annie being pregnant and I want her to be able to hear it. Then we went over to the Paraiso household, and lucky for us, Ziggy was ready to entertain! The heart beat loud and strong.

So you can't give Anthony and I a new toy for long until we abuse it and find other uses for it. Aside from turning off the lights at night and listening to our baby's heartbeat in the dark, we also use it to check if Anthony's alive and if I'm alive. We have yet to put it on Bennie, but that will be our next activity for sure!

So every day, our baby continues to grow and I am comforted by the fact that I am able to hear he/she whenever I want to. I love that Anthony amuses me and wants me to have everything I need so I can feel comfortable that we have a healthy pregnancy. And I love our new tradition of listening to our baby before we go to sleep. :)

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Cramp of the Century

I am always proud to brag about my high tolerance for pain. I'm usually the one to tell people to "suck it up" or "it doesn't sound that bad". But this morning when I woke up, I had the world's worst leg cramp. I'd never had leg cramps before being pregnant, so I wonder why I get them so frequently now. But this morning was the worst. It was my usual routine: after Anthony gets out of the shower, he wakes me up so I can take my shower. I cry for a little bit (I absolutely hate waking up early in the morning), then realize that I can stall no longer, so I stretch and get up. But this time, the cramp from demon-land stopped me. It was like someone was pulling my leg muscle with all their strength and as the seconds went by, the pain worsened. I started sweating and tears started forming. Anthony tried to help by stretching my foot and massaging my calf, but nothing was working. Finally it went away, but with the pain subsiding came a realization:

If I can't even survive a leg cramp, how the hell am I going to go through labor pains?

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I feel the earth move under my feet. I feel the sky tumbling down.

Never has Carole King's song ring more true than it did today!

An earthquake rumbled across the Southern California today registering 5.4 on the Richter scale. The shaker was centered in Chino hills, about 20 miles from Rancho Cucamonga. Although it wasn't the biggest rocker in history, Kate Hutton (seismologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California) dreams about days like these.

Annie was at work in Universal and felt the tremble of her building hard enough for her to wonder if she should get under her desk or not. She didn't, but if needed, she was prepared. Sure the emergency disaster team was nowhere to be found until one man made a quick walk through to ask if everyone was ok. Sure people in her building were getting conflicting reports whether to evacuate or not. Rest assure, Universal Studios is on top of things. On a side note, Ziggy rode out his/her first seismic activity without any worries :)

I was enjoying my day interning at Sequoia Middle school in Fontana and felt the earth thrust beneath my feat with such force and intensity. We all looked at each other for confirmation that what we felt was indeed an earthquake. All agreed it was and continued our task to pull schedules for students. Some old teacher in the office had to make his joke loud enough for all to hear. "Well this is a great way to start this school year with a bang!" I did not laugh.

All families have been accounted for and everyone seems to be ok! Word has it that Bennie heard the rattle of bottles and instinctively ran to his safe zone...under the computer desk.

The slip in plate tectonics appeared to have hit some places far worse than others. As one eyewitness described on the news, "It was anarchy in the office." Not sure what he meant by that, but it sounds scary!

The aftermath of such a catastrophic event is always the toughest part. I came home to a substantial amount of damage. It's amazing they didn't condemn the building. I think my pictures speak for themselves.

Ok maybe this last picture wasn't caused by the earthquake. Truth be told, the babies room is still under construction. However, now I can blame the mess on the devastating rupture of the fault.

Notice the vast array of words and phrases I've used to describe today's earthquake. All taken from the over dramatic news reports for the day.

Just another day in California. It may take weeks, it may take years, but we will overcome! The clean up begins!

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Fieldwork begins!

So I just finished my first week of fieldwork at Sequoia Middle School in Fontana and I must say I had a blast. At times it was a little boring stuffing folders for their AB1802 students who are in danger of not passing, but the training on their computer system was well worth it. I got to do my first scheduling for some students and learned more about Zangle. Everyone complains about the new computer system, but I like it. Looking forward to next week when school starts.

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Happy Birthday Annie!

Today is Annie's birthday and I just want to wish her a day filled with love and happiness. Although today is her actual birthday, today marks the end of her birthweek. Lots of fun and relaxation was had.

I'll fill you in on the details later but just know the quote to this weekend's activities was..."Annie's worth it!"

I love you Annie! Happy birthday.

**Update**

We headed off to Indian Wells this past weekend to enjoy a stay of relaxation and pampering at the Miramonte resort and spa. Annie's proud of herself because she got such a great deal on the room. Nevermind the insane price it was for our massage. Actually I'm happy Annie got one! She was treated to a maternity massage which was much needed on her part. I on the other hand could have done away with my massage from Kerry...my male masseuse!

Although it was very hot and humid outside we did venture out to try some of Palm Springs finest restaurants. First stop, "The Nest". Billed as a french cuisine restaurant, this place was anything but french. More Italian then anything else. It's safe to assume we were the youngest people in that place. Average age of their guests had to be 50...maybe 60. Food, not so great! Although Annie did enjoy the bean soup which came in a cool looking kettle(Something easy for their elderly guests to eat)The piano lounge singer added interesting entertainment for the night. Those people know how to shake a leg!

Saw Mama Mia that night at the local cineplex. I was quite impressed with their outdoor shopping complex called "The River" Nice river flowing throughout the complex. Movie theater was crowded with teenagers. I guess they have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.

We went back to "The River" the next night and ate at some sushi place that was less than thrilling. Of course, when you've had the best at "Kens", it's hard to like anything else. Saw a cool BBQ place I wouldn't mind going back to visit and eat at. Called "Babes" Annie was not amused.

We continued Annie's birthday extravaganza back home with a Mass for her. Went out eat with the fams at "BJ's". One would think this would bring Annie's birthday to a close...nope! Ate came over in the evening and of course we had to celebrate with her, so the family headed off to the "Melting Pot" Love their cheese and chocolate fondue! Mind you, we had reservations for 6:30pm and we did not leave until 10:30pm! It takes a long time to eat fondue.

Regardless of how much I tease about the extended birthday celebration and the cost of this entire weekend, in the end, I guess "Annie's worth it!"

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Happy second heart Birthday!

Today my dad turns 2! Today marks the second anniversary of my dad's life saving heart transplant. Today marks another year I am grateful my dad is still around and better than ever.

It still feels like yesterday when Annie and I received an early morning wake up call that my dad was on his way to UCLA to receive his new heart. I can still remember clearly my dad being wheeled down the hallway after we said our goodbyes. I can remember the countless prayers Annie and I said in the waiting room. I can recall the gift from God and Our Lady of Mount Carmel when the doctor came out and said everything went just fine.

So many countless memories I still have and many more to look forward to. One being this December, the day I see my dad hold my child in his arms.

Happy Birthday Dad. We love you!

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Baby "Ziggy's" Debut!

Baby "Ziggy" is very frustrated with his/her living space!

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The Art of Racing in the Rain

So I've taken up some summer reading. Actually is happened by mistake but I'm glad it did. You see here I am in Starbucks with Andrew buying a tall mocha frap, and while I wait for my drink to arrive in my hands I see a book on display. So naturally with nothing else to do but wait, I pick it up. Now I'm not usually a reader but I do like to read when given the right book.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is one of those books! For any dog lover, this book is for you. A philosopher and man's best friend, this book is narrated by Enzo, a Labrador retriever who is obsessed with opposable thumbs and race car driving. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes the reader back through his life and recalls his ups and downs.

One can't help but read this book and look at your dog a whole new way. You begin to wonder what your dog is thinking inside his/her head.

As Annie and I get closer to the arrival of our baby, we often think how Bennie is going to react. Her parents tell us that Bennie will not be allowed in the house when the baby is inside. However, we want Bennie to love our baby and we want Bennie to be a part of his/her life. granted we would never leave Bennie alone with our baby but we definitely want our baby to grow up with Bennie. Nevermind the fact my dog ran away when I was born and my family still teases me about the loss of Fritos to this day.

This brings me to a part in the book where I'm given hope that Bennie will love our baby. So Enzo's owner, Denny, just came back from a race (He's a race car driver) but he missed the birth of his daughter, Zoe. Hanging out with friends for a celebration, Denny isn't all that into celebrating given the fact he knows he did wrong by not being there for the birth of his daughter.

"I don't care about that," Denny said. "I should have been there."

"She came early. You can't know what's going to happen before it happens."

"Yes, I can," Denny said. "If I'm any good, I can."

"Anyway," Mike said, lifting his beer bottle, "to Zoe."

"To Zoe, " Denny echoed.

To Zoe, I said to myself. Whom I will always protect.

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Regarding the Idiot I Unfortunately Work With

So I told my team at work about my news finally, even though I am not showing all that much yet. But I thought it best to tell my core team, but I also knew that someone would take this information and use it for his own personal conversation starter.

There's an idiot I work with and of course, he's got no life of his own, so he must resort to telling other co-workers my good news. If anyone knows anything about announcing baby news, it is that it should come from the one who is having the baby. I was going to post the email thread I sent telling him to knock it off, but I may get in trouble if I repeat verbatim, so let's just leave the story as he replied twice to apologize because he didn't mean any harm.

Of course he didn't mean any harm. He just does what he wants every day, doesn't think about his actions before he sends out stupid emails or makes his stupid comments, and doesn't get disciplined properly for inappropriate behavior. And when he's disciplined, he turns it into a joke, like it's everyone else's problem that he's a piece of crap. I just don't get how someone can be that unprofessional and unknowledgeable that all of us have to constantly spoon-feed him instructions on how to behave in a workplace. And why he is still employed with this company.

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I Make Good Panannies

So as I sit down for lunch, I realize that I make a smokin’ Panini sandwich, or as Anthony and I call them, Panannies. I feel bad because despite my love for cooking, I don’t get to do much of it at home. But when I do get to cook, I love seeing Anthony enjoy his food. And the Panannie gets him every time! I can’t wait to spend more time at home in a couple of months, so I can cook more and also to get used to our new little family.

I am now 15 weeks pregnant. My nausea has gone away (I only had it for like 2 weeks). Today in particular, I don’t have very many symptoms. Although I feel blessed and grateful that I don’t have more symptoms, it doesn’t ease my worries. I love feeling all of the side effects; it assures me. I have a doctor’s appointment at the end of the week, so I can’t wait to talk to her about what I’m feeling.

I am loving lemon and salt together. Instead of the primitive way of shaking some salt on a lemon wedge, I have now mastered art of making a lemon and salt “soup” in a saucer, bowl, or anything that has a bowl-like function. The ratio is usually 70 % lemon juice to 30% salt (I love salt; always have, always will). I proceed to sip with a spoon. That is my craving for the moment, and I cannot get enough of it. I ate 6 lemon wedges worth in an hour one day, and as a result, I had a bad leg cramp that night. I need to stop.

Poor Anthony is beginning take a beating. If I say I’m hot, he offers to turn down the air conditioner. I say no, I’ll get too cold. If he offers the fan, I say no, I hate the way it blows my hair in my face. If I say my hips are aching, he offers to massage them. I say no, because it’s in my bones, and his massage won’t do any good. I have trouble getting into the truck, out of cars in general, into bed, up the stairs, and walking far distances.

As a personal rule, I hate summer, even though my birthday is in the summer. I hate how stifling hot it is, how it seems as if you can’t breathe because it’s all hot air. I hate how it makes you sweat and feel uncomfortable, even though you could be wearing the lightest of clothing. I hate that we use so much of energy indoors just to keep things cool and comfortable; all I can think about is how our fossil fuels are diminishing and no one cares. I hate when I hear of stupid owners who leave their poor dogs in their cars in 110 degree heat. How can you forget about a living being inside of your car? Now, I’m not sure if all of these comments are amplified by my condition, but either way, I never look forward to the summer.

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36 inches

Measured Annie's tummy yesterday. 36 inches to be exact. Picture will come soon.

So I'm on break now. Last week was eventful. I finished off the school year with my class and I miss them dearly. I also walked this past Saturday to receive my fake Masters in Educational Counseling. Need to finish up in the summer with my big comp exam scheduled for August 27th. Should be studying right now.

While Annie slaves away at work I'm here at the house staring at the computer screen or t.v. screen. Like I said I should use this time to study. I begin my last fieldwork at the end of July. Between now and then I plan to clear out the computer/junk room and make room for Ziggy. Should be fun. I like to decorate believe it or not.

ok off to browse the internet...I mean study.

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Annie the Nauseous and Juror #9

Awww, Anthony' s post made me smile. We are excited and Anthony has been the greatest pregnant husband so far! If anyone else ever wants to have a baby with him, trust me, he'll take care of you! Anthony is the best baby daddy.

Yes, it seems as if ever since the two grandpas began to announce the news, I have finally been getting all the great symptoms that I thought for the first three months I wouldn't get. I have had some major nausea, when I wake up in the morning, or from a nap, or right before I go to sleep. I have been ralphing on and off, depending on how well I was able to stave off the urge to purge. Milk seems to help a lot. Eating slow and not rushing around helps, too. I no longer sleep throughout the night; I am interrupted by at least 4 trips to the bathroom during the night. I also am uncomfortable beyond belief when I sleep. My legs ache, my back aches and I have an anxious feeling that prevents me from relaxing enough to close my eyes. Of course, Anthony sleeps right through all of this.

But you know what? I love every minute of it. All of these yucky feelings really help me confirm that there really is a baby on the way and I'm totally fine with whatever this pregnancy throws at me. BRING IT ON.

So for the last two weeks, I have been Juror #9, fulfilling my civil duty. I actually wanted to be picked because I was interested in the process of it all. I served on a criminal trial, with a UPS guy who had a bunch of DVD players and recorders in his house, presumably delivered, but somehow ended up in his house. Definitely guilty, you say? Nope, I was one of the majority who found him not guilty. I don't want to get into it here, but there were just too many missing pieces of evidence that were never provided. I couldn't, with a good conscience, aid in convicting someone when I felt that the other party was keeping information from me. So we ended with a mistrial, and I'm proud of that. The jury all had strong feelings and we stuck to them.

Next up, we run the Mud Run this weekend! By we, I mean, Anthony, DJ, and Virgil, my cousin. Virgil is running in my place because I signed up for it early and then got knocked up later, so no more mud run for me. Oh well.

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The word is out...We are expecting!

Slowly the word is getting out via proud Lolo and proud Papa.
We are in fact expecting our first child this December (Christmas baby!). Annie is now about three months pregnant and we are so very blessed and super excited. We thank those of you who have sent your congrats and well wishes. We now ask for everyone's prayers. We believe the power of prayer will bring this baby into a healthy life.

Couple of things to add. Annie is finally feeling pregnant and by that I mean she is finally feeling nauseous and she's tossed it a couple of times. POOR ANNIE! We received our first clothing item in the form of "onesies". So cute! Thank you Susie and Manny. With our gift we've decided we want our theme to be organic. Annie and I, as most of you know, are very environmentally conscience...or try to be at least. Our "onesies" is made out of organic material and we just thought that was so awesome. My new summer project awaits me. This summer I will tackle getting our second bedroom together for the baby. I feel like I just got it organized with our junk and now I need to move all of it. Should be lots of fun!

Lastly, it feels really good to finally be telling everyone. I was super happy to share the news with the school staff. I loved being able to share the news with my class. Slowly I'm enjoying telling all our friends (I'll eventually get around to all).

That's it for now. We read the other day that our baby is the size of a plum. I like plums. Next week it will be the size of a peach. I'm glad they're comparing my baby to fruit.

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2 years later!

Finally, I figured out how to get back on this damn blog! I'm back!

So let's see. What's been going on? We are still at our humble little condo. We are always wishing and hoping and praying for a bigger house, but we always come to the conclusion that it's just not in the cards right now. We spent last weekend cleaning the house and it's sad how proud we are of that fact. I actually cleaned our patio and our bbq in anticipation of going outside more often. We swear our upstairs neighbors run a meth lab.

I'm still working at Universal. I love all the perks and my benefits are really good, so I guess I can't complain. I won't waste any energy or negative thoughts on co-workers who obviously don't know what they're doing yet, are still employed. But I just did. I hate stupid people and I hate people who are suck ups.

Happy anniversary to the A-Team! It's been two years! I have to be honest; it hasn't been easy. But what's great is that Anthony and I both know we really are made for each other. Circumstances have been rough, but aside from a few big arguments, we don't really fight or hate each other. We really are a team and if we don't like our current situation, we just leave it up to God and just pray a little bit more. And we make a lot of jokes. I know that's the annoying thing about us; that may be why we don't have many friends. No matter what, there' s nothing I love more than hanging out with Mr. V; it could be when we travel or just at home in our jams watching The Hills.

We spent our anniversary at Coachella again. I must say, though, we are getting old. We were really bothered by the smoke and the late nights this time around. But we're troopers and we vow to stick with it every year, contrary to the disapproving remarks of the parental units. It's our tradition! Nothing beats looking up at the desert stars as we listen to live music. For our anniversary day, we had a very crappy dinner at a gay bar in Palm Springs, not because we were at a gay bar, but because the food was almost government grade. I'm a terrible critic, so I take that into consideration, and I think I've turned Anthony into one, but this food was really bad. Nonetheless, we had a very relaxing six days away from everyone and everything, which was something we needed for a while now.

So what's next? Start a family? Yes? Stay tuned for that.

For the near future, I am looking forward to Anthony and DJ both graduating with their Masters this year. I look forward to getting acquainted to life with Ziggy, my new family friend.

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Famous Dad

Transplant recipient and his family give back for gift of life

By Wendy Leung, Staff Writer for the Daily Bulletin
Article Created: 12/27/2007 07:12:39 AM PST


When the Valtier family watches TV in the living room of their Rancho Cucamonga home, a small figurine of Tinman from the "Wizard of Oz" perched on top of their entertainment system watches back.
The once heartless friend of Dorothy is a daily reminder of Henry Valtier's second chance at life.

Of course Valtier, 57, doesn't need much reminding of his bout with congestive heart failure, which placed him in the hospital in 2006 in need of a heart transplant. An experience teetering on the brink of death doesn't escape the memory easily.

As he was wheeled away to the operating table, Valtier remembered looking down the hallway at his wife and three children.

"I thought, this could be the last look," he said.

It wasn't.

Valtier's transplant was successful thanks to the doctors and the 23-year-old donor whom he never met. He hopes to someday meet the family of his donor. Last year, he wrote a letter to the family through the organization Donate Life and hopes to hear from them in the future.

"Not a day goes by when we don't think of the young man," said Valtier's wife, Sandy.

She called the donor's family her "heroes."

While Donate Life keeps donor and recipient information private, it does the job of delivering letters.

Lisa Bernfeld of Donate Life said it can take a few weeks or a few years before the other party responds. Sometimes the exchanges are a single letter. Other times the two parties become as close as family.

This month, the Valtier family helped with the Donate Life Rose Parade float. Henry Valtier said it was an emotional experience seeing relatives of donors decorate the float. In the weeks leading to the Pasadena parade, these relatives work on floral portraits of the loved ones they lost. The portraits will be featured on the float.

Members of the Valtier family are now all registered organ donors.

Henry Valtier now celebrates July 5, the day of his heart surgery, like a second birthday. Relatives give him a cake and heart-shaped balloons and the house looks like Valentine's Day in the midst of summer.

"I don't know whether to make a big deal out of my biological birthday anymore," he said.

wendy.leung@dailybulletin.com

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Merry Christmas / Happy New years

Still trying to fix my camera upload to the computer so I can share new pics. In the meantime suffer. We hope Christmas brought lots of family time togetherness and love to everyone. Annie and I enjoyed ours with the family. Stressful but always worth spending quality family time for. New years will either be celebrated with friends or with parents. Annie and I are determined to lose weight. We've been packing it on since we got married even though everyone says we haven't.

Annie is enjoying her last few days of vacation. She goes back to work on Wednesday. Don't mention it around her though cause she gets very sad. I'm enjoying my break still. Go back on the 7th. Sad day that will be. Miss the students though...well some of them. Annie and I have had lots of time to enjoy each others company. We have fun! I'll miss my best friend when she goes back to work, even though she says I'll be happy. Take care. Enjoy the holidays.

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Donate Life - Rose Parade float decoration

I have a new appreciation for the people who work really hard every year in designing and decorating the beautiful floats we see every year in the Rose Parade. On December 8th, my Dad, my Mom, Annie and I participated in decorating the float for Donate Life. The day was supper fun with many memories. Annie wants a pig. I know I never want to see a Lentil bean again. It was supper cold in there. One hot dog was not enough. My Dad was interviewed by Channel 22 (Spanish station)! I can't wait for January 1st and see my hard work on T.V. Would I do next year? Yes!

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Coachella Annie-versary!

While my dad and the rest of the fam were out participating in the run/walk for donors, Annie and I were off to Indio, CA for Coachella. After a two year hiatus, Annie and I were returning and celebrating our 1 year Anniversary (April 29) at the same time.
Since Coachella is always held on the last weekend of April, it looks like we'll be celebrating our anniversary at Coachella for years to come.

Highlights for me during the three day fest were Arcade Fire, Rodrigo y Gabriella, LCD soundsystem, the Rapture, and Travis. There were countless other great moments from other bands new and old, but these seem to stand out.

I can't believe a year has flown by and I have yet to find out what it takes to be the perfect husband. Friends and family say it takes a while to find our groove, but continuing to love each other is one way to find it. I love Annie so much and I thank her for being patient, yet again, while I try to finish grad school. Although our lives are busy beyond belief, I want Annie to know I'm never too busy to think about her and love her.

We so were busy this whole weekend running around from stage to stage and from tent to tent, that little time was left to celebrate us. We ended our anniversary on Monday with a nice romantic lunch in Palm Springs and it gave me time to stare at Annie and see how beautiful she is and how special she is to have as a wife. I pray this next year as husband and wife to be filled with many blessings. Maybe a new home? Maybe a family? I can't wait! I love you Annie.

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My celebrity Dad

Thousands gather for donors event
Record crowd at 5th annual Donate Life Walk made up of many individuals touched by organ transplantation.

By ERIC CARPENTER
The Orange County Register

FULLERTON - About 5,000 runners and walkers formed a massive crowd at the starting line to the 5th annual Donate Life Walk on Saturday at Cal State Fullerton – by far the largest attendance in the event's history.
They came for a common cause – to spread the word about the dire need for more organ and tissue donors.
But among the crowd were countless personal stories of participants who had their own reasons for coming.
Some wore T-shirts with the image of a loved one who had died, but also gave life to others through organ donation. Others were organ recipients who wanted to show off their health and celebrate a second chance at life.
"This wouldn't have been possible for me a year ago, I couldn't have walked a few feet," said Henry Valtier, 56, who received a heart transplant last July. He walked with about 20 friends and family members, carrying a small Tin Man like the character that travels to the Wizard of Oz in search of a heart.
"I've been given another chance," Valtier said, "and I want others to see what's possible."
The event began in 2003 with several hundred people. This year, council members representing 11 Orange County cities participated. And it has also become a more regional event with about 60 percent of its participants from outside the county.

On a side note, Annie and I were trying to think of a gift for my dad when he got out of the hospital. While walking around Citywalk the idea hit Annie. A Tin Man from Wizard of Oz! It was perfect. He wanted a heart, my dad wanted a heart. He finally got a heart, my dad finally got a heart! Good times!

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Almost 1 year!

I can't believe Annie and I are quickly appoaching one year. I can't believe so much time has flown by since my last post. Our lives have been busy since August. Annie's job is becoming more demanding and stress is a frequent visitor in her life. School is kicking my butt more than ever, with it becoming more demanding of time and energy. Work is moving right along and doesn't seem to stop. My class is full of character (that's a good thing I think?) and I hate the days I'm away from them. Needless to say, with all this going on in our lives, little time is left to enjoy our marriage. I feel horrible that I've led Annie into my world of work and school. Free time is hard to come by these days and this obviously takes a toll on our marriage. Our love for each other keeps us going though and her support and love keeps me going through work and school.

So how is it that I have free time right now you ask? Easy, I'm on spring break from school! Also looking forward to my spring break from work.

Recently I was asked to make a sacrafice for a friend who was attending a retreat. In my letter to him I expressed my willingness to put aside my work and spend more time with Annie. It seems silly to have to say that, but sadly, it's the truth. I've since made a better effort towards showing Annie I think about her night and day and loving her the way she deserves to be loved. The quarter in school appears to be a tough one requiring lots of fieldwork hours, but I hope things find a way to work out and time with my wife is not compromised.

Annie keeps telling me it's all about time management. Now if I can just find time to figure it out...

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