What 70 mph feels like

It can be incomprehensible - how quickly Life can change.

This is the real world; everyone has exceeded the speed limit at some point... and some more recklessly than others. What I have always wondered is what it would feel like to go that fast without a car shielding me from the air slicing by.

Foolish me, I got my answer.

Since accepting my new position at work, I have found myself with triple the responsibilities and what seems to be no way of slowing down. It doesn't help that the person before me basically played "pick-and-choose" with their duties for a few months (read: SIX), leaving the me with a whole pile of late fees, late filings, and lost investments. Allow me just this quick moment to bemoan my fate before I move on: It is difficult enough to learn (and master) a new position without having to play catch-up, and having emotional ties to the work that wasn't getting done, i.e. our 401(k) plans... retirement benefits... etc. *breathe*

On the other hand, I have found that I love what I do. I genuinely have an interest in my line of work - yes, it IS possible to care about water/sewer districts - and having three other people relying on me to get their payroll right has had a pretty good effect on my punctuality and decreasing procrastination. I get to travel more, make more money, and overall just enjoy doing a job that matters. I love my company.

Bruce is now well into toddler-dom, complete with all of the mountains and pitfalls that come with the territory.

Example: What seems like an amazing afternoon at the science center can easily lead to an overtired he-devil with crap running down his legs.

That being said, I am in awe of my little spawnling. His ability to grasp concepts and turn them into action is sick; I have lost track of how many times I look at him and think "Huh. Genius. Where the HELL did he get that?!" Oh, and yes... I know... every mother supposedly thinks that their little darling is carrying the cure for cancer in their perfect little craniums, and I don't doubt that most people would see my son as 'ordinary', and that is perfectly fine with me. All that matters is that Bruce will be growing up with a mother and father who love him unconditionally, and think he is amazing just by being himself.

Is that sappy enough for you?

With all the work that needs to get done at the office, I'm finding myself with less and less energy to fully engage Bubba when I get home. Thank God for Stephen; that man is a fountain of endless entertainment for our little man. Bruce is in that fun climbing stage, and Steve is more than willing to lay on the floor and let the midget scale "Mount Daddy" as often as he wants while Mommy curls into a ball and drools.

As with any feeling, hormones are produced. When under stress, your body naturally produces cortisol, the "stress hormone". Cortisol counteracts insulin, thereby raising your blood sugar levels (hello, fatty)... increases gastric acid secretion (hello, diarrhea)... increases water retention (hello, puffiness)... weakens the immune system (hello, perpetual sore throat)... halts the reproductive system (goodbye, womb-raider)... and more. Fun, huh? I tell you that to tell you this: Enough stress in your life feels like a damn high-speed zoom down the freeway.

When you don't know what to do...

... do what you know.

What happens when you don't know what you know?
Life, I guess.

She works hard for the money...
Things have picked up at work, so that the pace is akin to that of a the Road Runner on crack, with a battery pack shoved up an inconvenient location. Seriously. We just hired a new Executive Director (after 6+ months without one), and lost our Management Analyst that same week. In a 3.5 FTE (full time employee) office, you tend to notice the changes a lot better than at a larger office. Since one employee is new and one is leaving, that puts a lot more on my plate than usual... and with a couple big events coming up (Exec. Committee Retreat on 1/13 - 1/15, Semi-Annual Meeting on 3/18, and PRIMA conference in Orlando, FL on 6/6 - 6/9). GAH!

Home life is... difficult.
Bruce is amazing, as always, and has started showing more and more personality. Whether he's being goofy to get a reaction, concentrating immensely on whatever game he created for himself, or throwing a tantrum of epic proportions when he can't communicate what he wants, I am so incredibly blessed to have him as my son.

Living with Steve's parents for the last year has proven to be a great decision. I know a lot of married couples couldn't imagine living with their in-laws for a weekend, let alone a year, but I honestly love Russ and LaVada as if they were my own parents. I notice more and more, however, some areas where we're all trying to parent Bruce... so that's going to be interesting to address.

Steve and I seem to be mired in a rough patch that just won't go away. Starting back in late-June/early-July, we thought we had worked through it enough in August after attending counseling (independently and together), but it's all still there, bubbling into something dark and sinister. We're putting extra effort into seeing what can and can't be fixed, with the deadline of March 31st of this year; at that point, we'll decide what we should do. While I'm not remotely pleased with this particular aspect of our lives, or the idea of sharing it with x-amount of people online... but I have to get things out or else I explode. It's just the way I am.

Derby Girls and Book Smarts
Roller derby hasn't taken as primary a role as I'd like, so that's why it's near the top of the list of things I want to get back into this year... along with school. Thanks to bills, starting classes was pushed back to Spring Quarter. Meh. I just want to get the next two years over with, education-wise, so I can start earning the kind of money needed to make some of my dreams a reality. *breathe*

Bowing out (not so) gracefully...
I'm focusing on the positive, and hoping that gets me where I need to go. Granted, I don't know "where" that is, but chances are it's better than here.

All things BRUCE

While 2009 has kicked our collective ass more than any year should be able to... I'm still alive. So, it's mid-December... and my son is turning ONE in only 10 days. I think I'm going to have a heart attack - and that IS something that will likely carry me to the grave.





I plan on posting my traditional 'Year in Review' blog here in a couple of days, but wanted to give a quick Bruce-update!






1. WORDS:
"Dada", "Mama", "Dung" (yes... "dung"), "Down", "Uh-Oh!", "Shoe", "Cat", and a mix of whatever it is he's saying when he babbles.

2. WALKING:
Yep. He does it! Bruce started walking a couple weeks ago, right around Thanksgiving, and has a pretty good grasp on it. The only time he tumbles is when he gets too excited, or is overly tired. He can stand, stoop, squat AND walk backwards! I'm so impressed by my little man!

3. TEETH:
The Squish is now the proud owner of 6 baby teeth! He's still cutting them, though, and it seems pretty painful this go-round. He has two more coming in on the top, bringing the total to 8... and I'm sure he's going to practice sinking them into my hand any day now. Oy.

4. OTHER:
He's awesome. That is all. :)

Go, go, go!

What better way to start a post, huh?

Go, go, go...
Times they are a-changin' at the Bishop household. In the month since I last posted, Bruce has gained one more tooth (on the bottom), learned to stand on his own - albeit briefly - and how to use his lion/walker toy to walk himself across the living room. My favorite thing? He now says "Uh oh!" whenever he drops something, and can make the sign for 'all done' right along with me! It is the most magical thing, being able to communicate with your child and knowing that they can communicate right back!

Go, go, go...
Because there is always a second side to every coin... I have to announce that I had a miscarriage last month, on my 26th birthday. I was 12 weeks that day, and started cramping and blah blah blah. We're all okay now, but it was definitely a horrible experience that I had hoped to never go through again. Because of this, we may be a one-child household; my health has been crappy enough as it is, and Bruce is more than enough for us in every (good) way possible.

Go, go, go...
Because working full time, being a mother and a wife, and trying to find time for friends isn't enough, I decided to go back to school for my BSBA (Bachelors of Science in Business Administration) at Central Washington University's Des Moines campus. Before I can jump into that, however, I have about three quarters' worth of pre-requisites to get through... and then two years of classes at CWU. The way I see it is this: I enjoy my job. The insurance field makes sense to me. People will always need property/liability insurance. If I play my cards right, I can get a good degree, and move up in the salary brackets enough to help our little family to live comfortably. I just had that realization while I was driving around Meydenbauer Bay a couple of weeks ago, seeing all these amazing houses, and wondering what the differences between 'them' and me were.

Go, go, go...
The flu, swine or otherwise, has hit the Bishop house it seems. Steve's dad was puking his guts out last night - you're welcome for the visual - and now Steve is texting me that he's not feeling well either. Bruce was puking yesterday morning and then in the middle of the night last night... and I may be joining him in that in just a few minutes. Blech.

Go, go, go...
We are definitely going to Florida for the first weekend of December to visit my Grandpa Chet and his wife, Darlene...! We'll only be in Florida for one full day... oh, the jet lag... but plan on visiting with them for the morning/early afternoon, and then hitting the Magic Kingdom with Bruce for the evening. It will be his first time on a plane, and our first time to Florida!

Go, go, go...
... going, going, Gone!

More that CAN'T be said than can...!

Life is funny. Like hysterically, roll-on-the-floor-until-your-sides-feel-like-they're-going-to-burst hilarious. Unfortunately, that is also the kind of hilarity that brings on nausea after it has had its way with you.

That's where I am right now.

Between people breaking things (father-in-law: neck, grandfather-in-law: hip and/or leg), traveling for work, the insanely fast progression of my son from 'little baby' to 'ginormo', and a few other things I'm not entirely ready to share just yet, this has been one craaaaazy year.

But I am here to focus on the good!

Bruce had his 9-month check up yesterday morning, and is doing very well! He weighed in at a nice 23.75 lbs, with a 19.5'' head, and 30.5'' body. He's definitely a big guy, but not only is he proportionate, he is also extremely active! That ensures that his cute baby rolls stay "cute", and don't morph into "cankles" down the line. He has four teeth now (two on top have broken through, plus two on bottom), and is able to wave his arms and say "Eahhhh!" for "Yay!", clap his hands on command, and shake his head 'no' when asked a question... regardless of the real answer!

He is now a crawling machine, not content to stay put longer than about 1.3 seconds! I love watching him figure out what toy or book he wants to go after, because you can really see the thought process play out on his face. He has mastered pulling himself to standing, and has recently decided that he's ready to walk; he's not, of course (the poor guy keeps falling down...!), but it's still adorable to watch and help him waddle across the room by holding his hands. Cruising (walking along the edge of the couch for support) has also begun, slowly but surely.

As for food... he's a machine there as well! Not content to suffer through regular canned baby food, our little man prefers finger foods - prepackaged and not. Last night, he ate herbed chicken in wine sauce right along with us!

I'm loving my job, and may be up for a promotion (so to speak). We need someone to start doing some hardcore marketing to our members and potential members... and that's where I may come in! I'll find out more about that in a month or so, so stay tuned.

Steve is still considering a career in Radiology. After two years, he could be an Ultrasound Technician, and make some serious money... serious money that we could really use to pay for Bruce's ever-shrinking wardrobe, my coffee habit, and a house of our own!

Finally, we're in the early planning stages of an early-December trip to Florida to visit my Papa and step-grandma. They have yet to meet Bruce, and are in no condition to be flying across the country to do so. I hope to hear back from them soon about this, as there are some killer deals on tickets right now...!

The things a month can bring...

1. New job
2. Bruce - daycare, teeth, mobility, sheer size...
3. Family
4. FALL!

(Yes... I do need to organize my thoughts via numerical lists. So there.)

1. I GOT A NEW JOB!
- My last day at the college was August 14th - giving me my first free weekend in MONTHS - and I have never been happier with my career situation. I am the Office Assistant for an insurance and risk management pool specializing in water and sewer districts in Washington state. It's a public entity company, meaning amazing Government benefits. I run the office, plan the meetings, book the retreats, and go on business trips. I know I sound completely immature and gushing, but I'm truly happy here and feel like I might have found 'my place'. The only two down-sides? One, it's in downtown Bellevue, making my commute quite a bit longer than it was to the college. Two?

2. Bruce
- ... in daycare. After spending the first 7 months of his life with his Mommy, my sweet boy had to be plopped into daycare for roughly 9 hours/day. It's not all gloom-and-doom, however; Anita, who runs the daycare along with her husband, Dan, has been at this for 27 years... and lives across the street from us. Score! They really love Bruce, and he's thriving there.

- Teeth: My not-so-little man (8.5 months already?!) has his two bottom teeth, and will soon be the proud owner of his upper-chompers as well. His upper right tooth has broken through and is coming in nicely, and the upper left seems to be soon to follow. He loves being able to eat what we're eating... something that he couldn't do beforehand.

- Mobility: Squishy can crawl! Granted, it's still early (and by "early" I mean "hilarious part army-crawl, part launch-forward, part backwards movement"), but he can definitely get himself around now. He's also pulling himself up (something that he's been doing at various ability levels since he was 3 months old) and walking around, holding on to our fingers. I can't believe that MY offspring is so ready to get-up-and-go! Where's my lazy baby?

- Sheer size: Yeah. Um, Bruce is a little big. Not "fat"... not even "chubby"... just BIG. At 8 months, his stats are as follows:
Weight = 24.5 lbs (96th percentile)
Length = 30 in. (96th percentile)
Head = 19.25 in. (97th percentile)

3. Family
- Steve's dad fell and broke his neck in the garage two weeks ago, and is finally starting to realize that fact. To say that he has been 'stubborn' would be wildly inaccurate, but at least he's getting better. The plus-side (because there always is one)? Christopher, Steve's brother, has started talking to Dad again after almost 6 months of not. Progress.

4. FALL IS COMING...!
- Eee!
- On Tuesday, Sept. 22nd at 5:18 p.m., I will be the happiest woman alive... or, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Fall is, without a doubt, Krystal's Happy Time. Last year, I wrote a (MySpace) blog regarding all the wonderful things I have to look forward to, but this year I plan to do something different entirely:

Experience it.

This will be Bruce's first fall season, and that means I'll get to be as hyper and schmeepy as I want without Stephen making fun of me. Much.

That's about it for us. I have my first business trip next week (Lake Chelan... woot!), and then a couple of big projects to work on at the office.

Here's a list of what I'm brainstorming about now:
making a unique headboard for our bed,
fall wreaths,
Christmas wreaths,
fall cookie recipes,
finally tackling Alton Brown's Apple Pie recipe,
making a baby sling,
making Christmas blankets for family presents this year,

financial planning,

getting my AIS cert.,

the cost of a relatively new-ish Jetta/Passat (both TDIs),

headshots for voiceovers (thanks, Robert!),

voiceover representation and/or classes,
quitting Avon,
squeezing in skating time,

recipes using squash and any other gourds,
Halestorm (nothing in particular... I just love their music),

a trip to Florida with Bruce to meet his great grandpa and grandma,
start looking at houses by mid-2010...

(Internal) derby bruises, and my Bruiser

There have been more than a few occasions this week that I've found myself thinking, "What the HELL have I gotten myself into?". Then I remember that yes, while falling (and bouncing) on my ass while skating is painful and slightly humiliating, I want to do this.

My skating skills are nowhere near where I'd like them to be, but I'm working on it. That's all I can do, right? I've gone to as many Open Skates as a I can, even though I had to miss the PFM practice on Sunday due to exhaustion (read: 2.5 hours of sleep the night before). My main goals? Crossovers, crossovers, crossovers.

Tryouts for Rat City are Wednesday, August 11th. I have this sinking feeling that I will (1) not only be passed over, but (2) asked to get my ass off the track before I hurt someone. I wonder if my in-laws will let me skate indoors... or my work...

Happy topic anyone? (I'm bumming myself out with my pity-party crap.)

Bruce turns 7 months-old tomorrow...!
My sweet Bruiser; he's 22 lbs of drooling, grasping, stomping love and I can't get enough of him. He's learning how to wave 'Hi' and 'Bye' right now - he started doing it on his own! - and it's adorable, even if it's completely off. Seriously, he'll make this scooping motion with his hand, with his arm stretched out towards the person he's directing it to. Admirable, but hilarious!

What else? He's going through a mini growth-spurt... again... which means we've had to increase his food intake from one serving of baby food a day to two or three, depending on his mood. His favorite form of mush? Butternut squash, and anything with apple in it. He's also a big fan of the Pear & Mango combo his grandpa brought home. He's still taking more than a full day's worth of formula on top of that! He comes from healthy stock...? HA! His two bottom teeth keep shooting up, making his love-bites pretty painful at times. I don't see signs of any more teeth coming in, but basically once a kids starts teething, a tooth can come in at any time over the next two years. *whimper*

So, between work, family, derby, school, and attempting to see friends, my life has suddenly become very, very full. I'm amazed at how quickly things can change... and how some things never ever seem to.