Drumroll Please...

I can't believe 58% of you got it right!! It's a boy :) From the day I found out I was pregnant I had a feeling it was a boy, but now there's proof!! Thanks to everyone for your love and support!!
I absolutely love this picture!! It says that he is sucking on his thumb but it is actually his foot the doctor said :) He was doing somersalts (sp?) throughout the whole ultrasound. I can't wait to see how cute this little guy is in person!

HALFWAY

Today marks the halfway point of the pregnancy!! I feel like I just found out that I was pregnant last week, and now I am 20 weeks :) It is such an incredible feeling and its going by so fast. In recent weeks I have started to feel movements, its strange but cool. I am really starting to feel pregnant!! We are both so excited to find out what we are having next week, be sure to vote for what you think it is, I am interested to see the majority :)

Sorry the picture is in the bathroom, it was the best light :) I really hate taking pictures by myself!!

I got tagged...

All about my husband:

1. What is his name? Mark
2. Who eats more? Normally he does, but right now I am eating for 2!!
3. Who said I love you first? I did after waiting forever.
4. Who is taller? He is, even when I wear my 5 inch heels!
5. Who is smarter? Depends. I think Mark is smarter but I am usually right.
6. Who is more sensitive? Definitely me. Especially right now!!
7. Who does the laundry? Me. He is the breadwinner now and I am the homemaker. Of course, while he was a student I still did both!
8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? In our own bed, he does. He's usually closer to the door or window.
9. Who pays the bills? I do. Apparently since I worked at a bank for 3 years, I should handle the finances!
10. Who cooks more? I do. He only ever grills or bakes apple pies.
11. What meals do you cook together? None. We would fight in the kitchen.
12. Who is more stubborn? As much as I hate to admit it, ME.
13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? Him. He is so quick to apologize cause he doesn’t like when I’m mad. I hold a grudge for a while :)
14. Who is more clean? That’s tough. I do all the cleaning, but Mark is a perfectionist when he does it. He does a more thorough job, but I do it more often.
15. Who has more siblings? He does, by one.
16. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Last year I would have said it was too close to call, but now I am proud to say, he does!!
17. What do you like to do together? If we had more time together…eat, movies, theme parks, traveling and sports games.
18. Who eats more sweets? I do. He only eats them if he can find them!! I know where they are though :)
19. Guilty pleasures? I almost answered for me…his: naps and reading every sports article ever published on the internet!!
20. How did you meet? We would both answer this differently. He says at church but I say at a party. Apparently I didn’t remember him the 1st time we met :) We met through church you could say!
21. Who asked who out first? I think I did. Again, the technicalities may be confusing on that one.
22. Who kissed who first? He definitely kissed me first. At my front door after our 2nd date. I was terrified!!!
23. Who proposed? He did and he did an excellent job! I was completely surprised. Looking back I can’t believe I was dumb enough not to figure it out :)
24. His best features? His smile and he has great legs:)
25. What is his greatest quality? Greatest?!?! He is so dedicated to everything he does: school, work, church, family and ME!!! I love you.

Now I tag: Michelle, Bonnie, and Nicole. Whoever else want to pay a tribute to their wonderful husband, feel free!!

Smile!!

Amidst all the craziness, we have had a little fun. We are so excited to be living in AZ again for many reasons. Good food, warm weather, big cities and lots of family. Mark has so much family here and its so fun to see them again. His cousin who just moved to Vegas came down for Memorial weekend and brought their adorable daughter. What a difference a year makes, last time she was a new baby, now she's a talking! She was having non-stop conversations with Mark. We have no idea what she said but she loved talking to him. Here are a couple pictures, just thought you'd like to see at least one thing we've been up to since our place is nowhere near done.

Grandma Karen kept putting the toys away in the bucket but she pulled them out again before she could finsh. She wasn't done I guess!

I think her haircut looks just like Suri's but Madison is way cuter!! And, yes, that is my huge upper-half in the background!

She smiles and poses perfectly for pictures, but our camera was too slow to catch just the right moment, like 95% of our pictures were her face going back down.

Looking up at me with those beautiful blue eyes. Mark started missing her the moment we left!

I know I know, I have been absolutely terrible. In all fairness, life is crazy!! Its not fair that when I have a thousand things to post about, I have zero time. Here's the update: we found a place and we are slowly getting settled. For those who don't know we sold ALL of our furniture on Craigslist when we moved so we didn't have to deal with shipping it across the country. Needless to say, we are starting from scratch! So far we have had no time to unload boxes because of all the furniture shopping (it's tough on a budget). So far we only have a bed. We have also ordered a sectional. We got to custom design the shape and size and fabric so it can take up to 6 weeks to get it :( We are still looking for the rest but Mark starts his Bar review courses on Wednesday and I will be all alone, literally. I don't really have pictures of the place yet, but here is one of the front door and one of the patio/balcony above the garage. I will have many more to come and hopefully more posts in the near future.

We Have Arrived...

Just a quick upate: No photos, not much info, but we have safely arrived in Arizona! I don't have my computer or anything and we are desperately trying to get out of Mark's Aunt's hair (pregnant belly and air mattress on the floor, not a good combo). We will keep you posted on our new lives in AZ once they really begin.

To be continued...

We soon begin our trek across the country :) We are so excited, and sooo busy!! I will be signing off the blogging world until we get to Arizona. Hope to find you all well when when we return!
-Mark and Jacki

Congratulations!!

Not much time to blog but I had to get a congratulations out to my husband who graduated law school today. I am so proud of him, for all of his hard work. I love you soooo much Mark!! Now let's go to Arizona :)

Also, thanks to our families for making the long trip to share the love!! Also I want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to you tomorrow. Happy travels :)

It rains...It pours...

I have had nothing to post about for a while, so I've just been putting up anything. Suddenly, I have a million things, tons of new pictures and no time to update. So, sorry to put so many subjects in one post, but like they say, "When it rains, it pours."

We had a farwell BBQ last weekend for all the graduating 3L's (seniors in law school basically) and it was such a fun night. There was supposed to be a giant rainstorm, but it was gorgeous, just for us :)

My favorite little guy...you gotta love that face!!

We also spent a day in DC. I took a day off from work and Mark took a study break. We wanted to make one last trip to the temple since we figured it will be a while til we ever get back. Again, a gorgeous spring day.
It was a chance to wear my first "maternity" dress. And we got to see Ashley for dinner, yeah :)

Last, but not least. I finally did it :) I cut my hair. For those of you who don't know, I vowed to cut my hair when I got pregnant and well...


Before and After


Sorry the post was so long. Everything all at once, kind of like our lives right now though. Thanks for scrolling all the way!!

You Have Stolen My Heart

Today I got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was so exciting. The doctor warned me right before not to be alarmed if it takes some time to find it. He set the device on my stomach and not even a second later we hear a "thump thump". We both laughed. I was so excited! It was 155, I am not exactly sure what that means but the Doc said it was healthy! At the next appointment (not til June) we will find out if its a boy or a girl?!?!

Also, today marks the last day of my first trimester. Time is flying. I will post pictures of the belly soon. Hopefully I can take some this weekend :)

ONE DOWN-TWO TO GO!!!

I totally want these...

Would they look silly on a pregnant lady? Are they worth a little splurge? What do you think?

What a peach!

Can you believe the little baby growing inside of me is now the size of a peach? It is amazing how fast this little one has moved through the produce section. It seems like just yesterday we were being told it was the size of a raspberry. Life as a pregnant woman is crazy! I had to go shopping for bigger clothes already, yes already! Everyone says its too soon, but there is no denying the belly and the un-button-able pants. I'll post pictures soon!

Senior Dinner

I cannot believe that law school graduation is right around the corner. A month from now, we will be done with 3 years of, well, memorable experiences. Last night we attended a banquet for the seniors with some friends of ours at a country club nearby.

It was fun, and the food was good. I always worry about what to wear when the invitaion reads, "cocktail attire" so after much consideration I chose a little black dress (never fails).

The best part was my shoes that never made it in a picture, so I took one when I got home :)
I was excited because I never get to get all dressed up and I felt great, until...

DUN..DUN..DUN

...the friend I was with asked "Are you pregnant?" I replied, "Can you tell?" Yes, at only 3 months I have a baby bump!!

Although it is way too early, I hope it gets bigger, faster at this point so people don't just think I am getting fat :( Here's to a growing baby and a growing belly...CHEERS!!

Probably our last...

Maybe the only good thing about living on the East coast has been how close we are to such fun places. When my sister Aubrey said she was taking a trip to NYC for her birthday, it was a no brainer when she asked if we would join her for the weekend. We had a blast, thanks for the invite. It was probably our last weekend trip to NY, at least for a while. Here's a fun picture of us skating at Rockefeller center and she will have more fun pics on her blog shortly.

COULD IT BE TRUE?

Yes! We are pregnant!! It was kind of a surprise to us as well, but we are sooo excited. My apologies to those who didn't receive a personal phone call, it has already been quite the experience. After 2 positive pregnancy tests, morning sickness, fatigue, cramping, growing, nausea, pimples, swollen boobs (should I say that online?) and every other symptom that comes with early pregnancy, I didn’t really believe it myself until I saw this…


We were so excited to see a picture of the little one growing inside of me. It really made me anxious to be able to see the adorable little face this baby will have soon. Although it looks more like a peanut than a baby at this point, it’s our baby and we can’t wait to watch it grow!! We’ll keep you updated.

Also, normally I don't like music on my blog, but Aubrey found me this cute theme song for baby. If it's not already playing, scroll down to the bottom of the right hand bar and click play. Enjoy!

The Bachelor: Idol is calling?

Is it just me or last night did it seem as though some of the bachelorettes maybe made a wrong turn on their way to the American Idol auditions? This is not a talent show folks!! I really like Matt though, he seems so real, like he is not afraid of doing or saying something embarassing or even something that might hurt someone's feelings. I just don't understand some of his choices. Does he just not know that the one girl sells hot dogs for a living? Does he not care about they way some of these girls act? I'm just glad my favorites are continuing. Can't wait until next week.

happy easter

the easter bunny is not stopping at our house this year, i guess we've been naughty this year. thanks to grandma we at least got chocolate bunnies. hope everyone close enough to family enjoys spending the holidays with them, don't take it for granted. happy easter to all we love!!

London is calling...

I had a feeling after seeing the previews for this season of the Bachelor that it was going to be a little nuts...I had no idea how right I was!! No wonder foreign men thing American women are skanky. HELLO!! Some people need to learn how to say no thanks to alcohol :) Hopefully now that the first night is over, things will improve and the romance will kick in. So far my favorites are: Holly and Robin. My least favorites: the girl from middle of nowhere PA (which unforunately due to my current situation, I know exactly where it is), the girl whose acting career consists of "red bikini girl" on General hospital and finally the girl whose profession is hot dog vendor, WHAT?!?! How do these men choose? Beats me! I am so excited for Monday nights and will once again be doing my Bachelor voting polls, just leave a message if I leave your choice off and I'll add her. Hope you participate :)

Short Sweet Spring Break

Our spring break this year was spent partly in El Paso, TX and partly in Phoenix, AZ. We spent some time with Mark's parents, brothers and Grandma who was briefly home from her mission for surgery. Our flight was delayed so a short trip was cut even shorter, but we covered all the important things: really good Mexican food, homemade apple pie and a UTEP basketball game. Then off to AZ. There we met up with our bestest friends from law schoool, Ethan and Heather. We spent a day with them shopping, eating and miniature golfing. The reason we went to AZ was to look at housing and to attend a Penn State University Alumni reception. All in all, it was a good trip, busy and short but most importantly warm!!

Not the best picture but the only one we got. You can't even see my cute new shirt from Nordstrom. Oh well :)

New Card Products...

Hey everyone-

If you get a chance check out some of the new products on my card website. Be sure to scroll all the way down to see new card designs just added. Thanks for your support!

Gift Card Holders:

Money Holders:

Earring Cards:

What's Life Without Laughter?

I got this in an email (that claimed its real) and thought I'd share...

Okay so this is how I imagine this conversation went:
Walmart Employee: "Hello 'dis Walmarts, how can I help you?"
Customer: "Yes, I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week."
Walmart Employee: "Whatchu want on the cake?"
Customer: "Best Wishes Suzanne." And underneath that "We will miss you".

Happy Birthday Little Bro...

I have no idea if you ever look at our blog, but just in case you do, here's a shout out to you: Happy Birthday Scotty!!! I cannot believe my little brother (who finally made me the shortest in the family) is 16 years old. Good luck on your drivers test and be nice to that car...maybe I'll buy it off you when you go on your mission!! Love you bro!

Weekend Getaway...

Mark and I just returned from a wonderful Valentine's weekend in Arizona. Mark was sent by his school for a Law Conference at ASU in Tempe and I was lucky enough to tag along. We spent our Stupid Cupid day at a really good Mexican restaurant in Mesa. We got to eat out in the back garden and I got a rose :) I spent most of my time shopping with his aunt and cousins, and eating at all the good food stops we don't have here in PA. All in all it was a good trip. Thanks babe for letting me come along!!

Valentine's Vote...

Which princess are you?
HAPPY LOVE DAY TO ALL!!

A New Season...

I can't wait, the new Bachelor season starts Monday March 17th and I have a seat on the couch reserved in front of the television. Mark probably won't be too pleased with this post but I am excited. Apparently the Bachelor was on the Dance Wars show to advertise for the show but I had to find the picture and bio of the new Bachelor, Matt Grant from MSN and I am so excited. Don't worry there will be plenty more posts about the show come March :)

Surprise!

So we threw a surprise birthday party for one of our best friends last night. Her husband, Dave, and Mark and I put together a great party for the big 3-0 at our house last night. She was so surprised, it was so cute! We had a blast. To see more pictures and the video of her surprise face (coming soon) click on the link to their cute blog in the Family and Friends section under Vassilaros. Happy Birthday Bonnie, we love you!!

byme-foryou.blogspot.com

In case you were wondering or in case you’ve been waiting, I am finally finished updating my card website. There are more new card styles and an easier way to select and purchase products. I am still making new styles and cards whenever I have free time and will update my site as often as possible. Please, tell your friends about it and feel free to post a link in your emails or on your blogs for those of you who have them. This has been such a fun project thus far and I hope I can keep it going for a while. Thank you so much for your support so far.

You can access the site through the link in the "Friends and Family" section under By Me*For You and the link in the "Favorite Links" section on the right hand side.

Wanna see something embarassing...

Visit my friends blog (link under Vassilaros in list of family and friends) and watch the boxing buddies video. It's classic!

A Christmas to Remember...

Warning: This slide show is really long. To look at the pictures at your own pace or select only certain images, click on the slide.com link that says "View all images".

So sorry about the delay in posting pictures of the trip, but unfortunately I had a rude awakening back from the trip by getting sick in the car on the way home from the airport. Other than that, the trip was amazing. We had such a good time. We spent a day at Pearl Harbor, a day on the North Shore, a night at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and everyday was spent basking in the sunshine. Spending Christmas day on the beach was such a treat. We had a blast! Thanks again for the trip Mom and Dad, we love you!

Mele Kalikimaka

Friends and Family:

Sorry we didn't send out a Christmas card this year, you can consider this it if you'd like. We want to wish all those we love a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We will be spending Christmas in Hawaii, so we will be checking out of the blogging world until the new year. It's been a wonderful year for us and hopefully for you too and we're are so looking forward to 2008. Have a great holiday!

Love,

Mark and Jacki