Follow the Adventures of Nicki Delone

Hey friends and family!
I just wanted to let you know that I now have a blog devoted solely to writing.
For a myriad of reasons, I have decided to go with a pen name, which is Nicki Delone. I believe that it will be more marketable and I don't have to worry about people misspelling or mispronouncing my name.
I'm not sure how I'm going to juggle yet another thing in my crazy day, but for the sake of promoting myself as a writer, it must be done.
This new blog comes as a recommendation from a local literary agent, who said you start promoting yourself WAY before your book ever comes out. Essentially, WAY before you're ever published to build up your fan base.
I'm excited and nervous. I don't want to have a blog that is poorly written or is just lame. I think that my writing is witty enough hold readers' attention. The biggest trick now is deciding what to write about.
Wish me luck. Please stop by for a visit. I'll make lemonade.
http://nickidelone1.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year!

Hello friends and family!

The beginning of a new year always brings with it New Year's resolutions. I haven't been the best at keeping mine in the past, but my goal this year is to set an achievable goal and run with it. This is specifically targeted at our blog.

I take full responsibility for its neglect and can only hope you accept my deepest apologies. I could give you a handful of excuses, but in the end, the blog is still lonely. Part of the problem is that I take a lot of pictures, because a blog without pictures is a bit boring. By the time I've downloaded the pictures from my camera, two weeks or more have gone by and with it, all the little details that make for interesting reading.

Another reason I have neglected things is that I don't have much to blog about. I could talk about every little thing that we're doing, but how interesting would that be? So here is my proposal for 2011:

I'm going to shoot for a writing series.

For the month of January, I'll be playing catch up with Christmas pics/video and Ariel updates. For February, I'm planning a dissected look at the Disney Princesses. Yes, all ten of them. I do a lot of research for my novels and only my critique group reaps the benefits. So why not apply the same technique to something that is so prominent (and profitable) in our culture? I'll be looking at the country of the story's origin, major differences between the original and Disney versions of our heroine, and moral/social implications of the tale.

I'm really excited about this. I know it'll be a ton of work, but perhaps if I have something to write about, then the blog will be updated more frequently. I hope you all will join us for a deeper look at the fairy tales we grew up with.

In between princess posts, I'll do my best to keep you abreast of the family happenings.

Shortstop Update: Weeks 38 & 39

So we are head into the ninth inning, this pregnancy is moving right along.
My 38 week appointment was April 23rd. My belly was measuring 38 cm and I had lost a pound. Woo hoo! After that 6 lb jump, I was getting a little worried. That brings my total weight gain to 14 lbs. Not too shabby. Shortstop's heart rate was 148 bpm. This was the week that my cervical effacement (thinning of the cervix) and dilation was checked. I was 1 cm dilated and 20% effaced. Really? That's it? How discouraging. For those who may not know, labor begins when the cervix is effaced 100%. Then the cervical opening has to be 10 cm before pushing can begin.
36 wks (9 months, 1 day)

39 wks (9 months, 22 days)

Had my 39 week appointment on Friday. Shortstop has descended into the birth canal is posts a heart rate of 150 bpm. My belly measured 38 cm, due in part to Shortstop dropping. I gained back that pesky pound I thought I lost, but I really shouldn't cry about 15 lbs when some women gain 50 or 60 lbs. My effacement and dilation was checked and I made some progress. 85% effacement and 2.75 cm dilated. Now that's much better. My last day of work was Monday, so maybe all the rest has been helping things along. Only six more days to go, if Shortstop is to arrive on time.

Shortstop Update: Week 36

Today marked our 36th week prenatal appointment. How did we get to 36 weeks? It just feels like I just told everyone we were pregnant. It goes to show you how quickly time escapes us.

Shortstop's heart rate was 160 bpm and my belly was measuring 36 cm, which is exactly where I need to be. My weight gain was a whopping 6 lbs! Yikes! I'm not sure how this happened, but I'll tell you that it's pretty stinkin' depressing. I was doing so well. My total weight gain is around 16 lbs, which is nothing to be sad about, but 6 lbs in 3 weeks is ridiculous.

Eric and I are doing great and looking forward to seeing what Shortstop will look like. I'm not tired of being pregnant, I'm just tired of being tired. I haven't been sleeping well and apparently this is normal. Figures. Our next appointment is April 23, so come back for the latest update in the Shortstop saga.

33 wks (8 months, 2 days)

36 wks (9 months, 1 day)

Shortstop Update: Wks 24 & 28

So it's been awhile since we've had an adequate update on our little All-star. Since our last update, we've been to two more doctor's visits.

Week 24: Shortstops heart rate was 147. This visit, they started measuring my little Buddha belly, from top of pubic bone to the top of the uterus. From this point on, my belly measurement in cm, should be equal to my pregnancy weeks. For example, at this 24 week visit, my belly should be around 24 cm. I was 25 cm. No harm, no foul and since my weight is good (7.5 lbs gained), I can indulge in more of my craving (watch out you tasty little sodas). She is starting to really move at this point. Sometimes when she really gets going, Shortstop manages to tickle me and I can't help laughing out loud.

Week 28: I missed taking the monthly belly picture at 24 weeks, which I'm still peeved about. Nothing can be done about it now. So Shortstop's heart rate was 150 and my belly was 28 cm. I've gained 1/2 lb since last visit and everything is going great. Little girl is getting bigger and therefore able to scare the hoozie-whats-it out of me when she kicks hard. Startling really. Eric's even mention how strong she's getting. What's really funny about our daughter right now, is that when she's in her dance aerobic groove, I call Eric over to feel my stomach. By the time he's placed his hand on my skin, she's stop. For reals? Hopefully, this is not a precursor of things to come--like she'll be a little whirlwind while Daddy is away and as soon as he come within a foot of her, she become his little princess.

Man, did I just jinx us.
21 weeks (5 months, 1 wk)

28 weeks (7 months, 2 days)

Shortstop Update: 21 weeks

Happy New Year. Last night, the moment we have been awaiting for, has finally arrived. No I don't mean that twinkling ball falling from the sky to ring in 2009, but we learned what type of buns were cooking in this here oven.

Ready? Wait for it . . . Wait for it . . .

Cherry Vanilla Girl Sweet Cheeks!

That's right ladies and gentlemen, we're having a GIRL! While we were surprised, I had a feeling this was a girl because I've had like 4-5 dreams about one. Maybe I'm psychic . . . or just psycho. We even had the sonographer check the gender twice, just to reassure ourselves.

Anywho, her heart rate was 153 bpm and she's as cute as a button. Shortstop was dancing throughout the entire ultrasound, which made the sonographer laugh. And our little girl yawned for us, which was the most darling thing ever. We didn't get a chance to ask about the weight, but developmentally, Shortstop is great and looking healthy. Now comes the daunting task of picking out a solid, yet beautiful name. Oh boy. . . I mean girl.

We wanted to thank all who participated in our gender poll. It was fun to check the blog everyday and count the new votes that came in. Here's how it broke down. Out of 12 voters, 7 voted for a girl, while 5 said "yeah" to a boy. We also wanted to especially thank all of you who have prayed and continuously pray for the health and well being of our baby. We love and appreciate all of you.

17 wks (4 months, 1 wk) 21 weeks (5 months, 1 wk)

Shortstop Update: 16 wks

Last Tuesday, we went in for our 16 week appt. We were able to hear the heartbeat for the second time at 146 bpm (last time was at 6 wks with a rate of 135). This was reassuring as I was starting to think that all this baby stuff was in my head. Crazy, I know. Everything looks great and Shortstop and captains are doing great.

We will learn the Shortstop's gender on New Year's Eve, but you will be able to read the latest information on New Year's Day ( maybe I will post early since I go to bed with the chickens). In the meantime, starting Sunday, December 21st, you will be able to cast your vote for Shortstop's gender. And as always, fell free to leave comments. We totally love hearing from you guys.

14 wks (3 months, 2 wks) 17 wks (4 months, 1 wk)

This year, my parents came up to Colorado for Thanksgiving. We had a house full of people as Eric's immediate family also joined the feast. We had a great day and ate entirely too much food, but hey, what else would you do on Thanksgiving?

These next few weeks are going to be crazy for us, but I'll try not to slack off too much with the updates. Hope the holiday season treats everyone well. Be on the lookout for your annual edition of the Sage City Sentinel due to appear in your mailbox soon.

Picture: I went to a friend's baby shower in November and made her a diaper cake. While you can't eat it, it's super cute and practical.

Sage City Presents: A Special All-Stars Announcement

For those of you who did not recieve this special announcement about announcing our PREGNANCY, you can read all about it below. Isn't our little Shortstop cute? This pics were taken at our 9 week appointment.

The Emerald Terrace Steakhouse in Sage City
Would like to invite you to celebrate the signing of the Greene Team
All-Stars Shortstop.

Join us in the month of November for our featured dessert:
“Play of the Day Shortstop Buns”

This delicious treat is baked fresh in our oven and made with
100% organic love from Mom & Dad.
There is just a sprinkling of grandpas’ spice and grandmas’ sass over top.

During the month of December,
we will exclusively highlight Shortstop Buns in either:

Handsome boy’s huckleberry smile
Or
Cherry-vanilla girl sweet cheeks

* Shortstop buns will be a permanent item on our menu starting in May 2009.

Here are some pictures of the baby bump . . . kind of.

5 wks (1 month, 1 wk)

14wks 3 days (3 months, 2 wks)

Welcome!

This is the official site for the GreeneTeam All-Stars. Sage City has decided to discontinue the main website and focus on this continually updated blog.

Please enjoy reading about our adventures again and again!