Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A jicama and hopefully T-8 weeks!

Your pregnancy: 32 weeks

How your baby's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama (A WHAT???)) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus (WHICH MEANS I KNOW WHERE EVERY BATHROOM IS AT ALL TIMES). You're gaining about a pound a week (FABULOUS) and roughly half of that goes right to your baby (WHERE IS THE OTHER HALF GOING? YUCK!). In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails (YES, I KNOW...I THINK I HAVE FELT THEM), and real hair (HENCE THE AWFUL HEARTBURN) (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth (I CANT WAIT TO TOUCH HIS SOFT, PLUMP SKIN).


So, really, what exactly is a jicama? I love the comparisons to food every week as the baby grows but maybe it's time to go to sports items like a footballl, soccer ball, baseball??? A jicama! In case you are interested or concerned about the baby's growth see below:


Jícama (Spanish: hee-kah-mah, from Nahuatl xicamatl hee-kah-mahtl), also Mexican Potato and Mexican Turnip, is the name of a native Mexican vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root. Jicama is one species in the genus Pachyrhizus that is commonly called yam bean, although the "yam bean" sometimes is another name for Jicama. The other, major species of yam beans are also indigenous within the Americas. It very much tastes like a sweet pea pod.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

And, NO, his name is NOT DENNIS!!!

I've had more people ask so I had to clarify the insanity circulating around the little booger's name. No names yet. For real...none. We are no closer to a name for this little child than we were last fall. Actually, we were probably closer to a name before we learned of our surprise news of pregnancy than we are now. We have now eliminated every name I ever liked as a growing young lady for various reasons - mostly unreasonable reasons but somehow they make sense to us......too many "B's" in our family already, too few letters in a name, too many boys in his class with the same name, too many syllables in case he has a speech impediment, too many celebrities with tainted reputations with that name, too girly, too long, too short, too rare, too known.....you name it. We've used the excuse and now we are down to nothing. No genuine options. Who knew this would be so hard? A co-worker of mine mentioned auctioning off the ability to name him on Craigslist. We could maybe raise $10 or $20 and be done with the process?
Kidding! We are so honored to get to name this little boy. It's crazy to think that this is the one thing that will literally follow him and precede him the rest of his life. What pressure!

But, NO - there will be no Dennis or Rascal or Lucifer Bagwell!

April showers bring May flowers!

I know it's not quite April but I am pretending. I LOVE the month of April! April and October are probably my two most favorite months. April in Athens was always so heavenly. Everyone did everything outside and I was able to extend my long runs and run the whole city just to see everything in bloom. April's at the Terrace were just the same. There were birthday's galore to celebrate and we needed no solid reason at all to sit in the front yard on a blanket in our 12+ inches of grass just to soak up a little vitamin D. October is a favorite for other reasons but the most recent one on the list is that it is the month of our anniversary not to mention cookouts and football and perfect evenings on a porch somewhere in the metro area.
This April though will be no exception. Actually, I don't think there has ever been such hype around an April as there is this one. The weekends are packed full of baby showers for baby B and trips from all of Baby B's favorite "aunts" plus a mini-trip to the Florida panhandle. Baby B already loves to travel I can tell so he, too, can't wait for mama to enjoy some seafood and sunshine at the shore!
It seems that all of the April "showers" should certainly bring a May flower in the form of a baby! But that is the question......will baby B make his grand entrance in May as we have been told? Or does he think he might follow in our fashion and be super late by arriving in June? When carrying around nearly 20 extra pounds the earlier the date the better but of course we want him to come when he is good and ready.....go figure....that's how Brad and I work anyway! So I know April will whirl by and then it will just be a few weeks of waiting and "nesting." By the way.... I've always thought the nesting instinct was just a term women gave themselves to account for extra spending on things around the house that aren't needed. Now I can confirm that this is true but I think it is more than just an instinct - it is a disease. I spend hours aimlessly wondering about the internet for antique things that I didn't know came in antique. I write lists galore and list every task down to making the bed and I try hard to check all the things off in any of my free time. I search for recipes that I may never cook and I look through magazines looking for something that I might need to want. I am your ultimate gullible pregnant consumer right now - paying attention to all adds and and shopping around for unnecessary things! HELP! I am glad that I am still working for the most part or we would be in trouble with any extra time on our hands. This instinct/disease truly does cause severe side effects. I dream about organizing things! No joke...last night I was on an organizing high in my dreams and I woke up just smiling and probably drooling- but still with messy, chaotic drawers!

What an exciting season this is for us! Thank you to our sweet friends and family for your phone calls, emails, and prayers over these last 7 months! I can't believe we are beginning to near the end! We take a tour of the Women's Center at Northside tonight. You know you are old when you are so excited about your date with your mate to tour a hospital!

Friday, March 20, 2009

New things we like

Since Baby B nestled himself inside of my no-longer flat tummy things have changed around our household. Here are a few of the new things that Brad, Amos and I enjoy fairly regularly. Don't judge us....
*Pop-tarts. You haven't seen me eat a pop tart since 5th grade but the last 31 weeks have invited low fat strawberry pop-tarts back into the diet and my taste buds rejoice!
*Late walks with Amos at night around the golf course. We figure we won't be able to do this as freely come the summer so we should take advantage now. Some of our best conversations, ideas, dreams are born around the golf course. And of course Amos is a very important part of these monumental conversations.
*Cold sips of beer. It's true. I was never a beer drinker before this thing set up residency inside but now.....watch out! I LOVE a cold sip of beer. Just a sip - no worries. Brad really hopes this hankering hangs around so he has a buddy enjoy a cold beer.
*Confession. Baby talk. All I know is I hope this goes away. I haben't said a word with a "V" or an "L" in it to Brad since earwy wast year. It's much more fun to go to the "moobies" and go to "seep" on the sofa! Brad, we have to stop this! We have 9 weeks to kick it!
*Playing house. Brad and I could be thoroughly entertained playing with the empty stroller and figuring out all of the different kinds of pacifiers. On more than one occasion Mr. Brad has asked if we could take our stroller with us around the block without a baby. I draw the line somewhere.
*Bubble baths for mama. I take a bubble bath every night and sometimes in the morning too. This is truly my favorite time of the day. Brad gave me the best bubble bath for Valentines day, too, so I smell so yummy afterwards. I don't think these will go away.
*Desserts after every meal. The kiddo is definitely going to have a sweet tooth that is all I can say. Don't blame just me!
*Stopping anyone and everyone with a bump under their shirt or a kiddo in a stroller. I love hearing people's stories and more so, seeing how this amazing miracle of pregnancy changes people. We've met so many fun new friends due to the approaching idea of a new person in a family and you know I love meeting people!
*NAPS! I've always hated sleeping when it wasn't time for bed but I have grown to LOVE a good 30 minute nap! Why does the couch have to greet me so perfectly when I really should be getting things done? Amos and I love a nap on the couch.
*The motto - if we want to do it - do it! Even though we vow to not let our lives be dictated by an infant's schedule I know the reality - our lives are going to look completely different. So, for now, if we want to do it - do it! This has been the best motto and has lead us to impromptu trips to the beach, lots of dinners with friends, driving all over Atlanta to meet a craving for dinner...you name it!
*Talking to a bulging belly. I know this seems instinctual if your belly stuck out past your toes but I never thought the growth of a belly would have me talking to my body but I was wrong. I just can't help talking to him everywhere. He has started to know my patterns during the day and I am convinced he kicks and gets excited after a good kickboxing class, a pop-tart or a walk with dad! So, naturally, I talk to him throughout the day and especially when I am in the car. Pregnancy will certainly make you do the strangest things but I am so grateful for these crazy changes.

The biggest thing is my (at times) stubborn heart just softening to make room to love this new life! This is just one of those changes that I can't explain and can't control but I welcome the change. We are getting so anxious, baby.......

Monday, March 16, 2009

Dennis, Rascal, or Lucifer?

I think after nearly 7.5 months with a nameless child meandering through my belly we have narrowed down the options for names....and they are all very fitting. The process began nearly 72 hours ago but ended easily this morning. Friday we met a couple friend of ours for what other's are claiming as"Atlanta's Best Burger." The verdict is still out but it was pretty dang good but we'll save my reviews for another post. Needless, after we got home I was a bad mama. I ate nearly a whole log of homemade cookie dough that I made for Charlsie's arrival (she was staying with me on her way to New Orleans). The calories and gobs of fat aren't the problem - it's the raw eggs that our 30 week old still forming child didn't seem to like. From that point on baby decided he wasn't going to talk to me.

We wake up Saturday and I head to the gym for some kickboxing. Baby usually loves kickboxing! He even keeps kicking after I have stopped and he typically doesn't let up. Not this Saturday. He was still hungover from the sugar I guess so he still didn't budge all day Saturday. Now, I was busy and working so I wasn't too alarmed. Maybe I just didn't notice him throughout the day?? Well, Brad takes me out Saturday night for a nice dinner complete with appetizer and the perfect piano bar. We both thought baby would like some fish because he hadn't had any in awhile so I order salmon. I only finished half the dinner because I was a little hesitant that the salmon was still swimming and I surely didn't think baby would like that. So now it is Sunday am and baby still hasn't even elbowed me or made any slight movement in 36 hours. We headed to church and I just knew he would start dancing around because that is when he normally likes to shake it....right in the middle of a 35 minute sermon. A quick jab to the ribs is his favorite move on a Sunday morn. The music was especially loud this morning which I thought would have had our little rhythmic baby bouncing but still - nothing. Brad said the music was just too much for him this morning and he was just scared. Anyway, Sunday continues and I poke my abdomen where I think his little head is.....I even push my entire belly to one side and nothing. I mean, not even a twinkle of the toes. By Sunday night I am noticeably alarmed so Brad steps in and tries to push on baby from all angles. I call my soon to be MD (yay, Matt!) brother and my dearest doctor friend and ask for any tricks of the trade. Brother MD says there is probably nothing wrong but I should call my doctor in the am. My dearest doctor friend in Charleston says I should lay on my tummy and just make the little booger mad.

So I do everything I know how to do. I lay on my belly. I eat way too much sugar. I massage my belly and yes, at one point for maybe 4 minutes I tried to relax and not think about the fact that the thing that has been causing such a ruckus in there the last month hasn't even winced in the last 48 hours. No worries, right? I figure once I get to bed he'll start tossing and turning like he usually does.

I don't like doctors. Though two of my favorite people are doctors I still don't like them. I always feel like I am in the way because I tend to be seeing a doctor for problems that don't seem to be problems to them. I know there are people with real conditions out there and I just hate to waste their time. Needless to say, when I woke up this rainy Monday morning and realized baby hadn't awakened me with his dance moves during the night I did begin to worry. I pretended to be calm and lay on my side for an hour to try to count his movements but after 50 minutes with no signs I started to fall apart. I fake-calmly called the doctor and they asked for me to come in right away. Brad and I both begin to pray all morning for our sweet little baby that didn't seem to be very happy as of late. And admittedly, I was really worried. But I also didn't want to be "that lady" in the Ob/GYN office. You know the overactive one that you watch out of the corner of your eye as she acts like the only female to ever had had a child in her? There is always one in the waiting room when I am there and I didn't want to be that one. So, I sit. I read. I write a few cards and inside I panic. And what do you know.....I get hit with an uppercut to the ribs. Ouch, baby! Within a quarter of a second my fear turns to humiliation as the nurse calls my name and my unborn baby's footprint is noticeable in my side.

The staff treats my with extra care as they all know that I haven't felt the little menace move in a few days....like they were awaiting the dreaded news. I had mentioned the 1/2 bowl of raw cookie dough and the half cooked salmon and they gave me half smiles telling me everything should be fine. I told them my entire routine over the last few days. They proceed in giving the baby a stress test. At the mention of this I get a roundhouse kick to my left side and I just smile as the nurse hooks me up....thinking "yes, baby, you are in trouble....you are going to be stressed when I get a hold of you!"

Sure enough - she hooks me up and leaves the room and says she will return in 20 minutes and before she could get the door shut our precious little angel kicks my belly so hard that the apparatus falls off of my stomach. Are you kidding me? This kid is going to breathe his first breath and be sent straight to timeout! I am not kidding. I am growing furious at this little stunt. He hasn't moved an inch in 3 days and the moment I get to the doctor he throws a party in the womb! The nurse and doctor come back in and assure me that they think everything is fine and that our baby was just being stubborn. Of course, I am more than apologetic and offer to send them cookies or take them to lunch and I beg them not to add me to their list of crazy soon to be mothers. They said they wanted to do an ultrasound just to check on the fluids. I was happy about this because I haven't seen our little rascal since he was 17 weeks grown so this was a good treat. But wouldn't you know that as the doctor is trying to find him she has to make several attempts because he is moving around so much!!!! Aghhhhhh......I am going to tell his daddy when he gets home and the little kiddo is going to be grounded I just know it!

So there you have it. This is how we named you, son. You were a little stubborn one rainy March day and we just fell in love with the name Dennis! Dennis Rascal Bagwell - you are sure to turn heads and break hearts in your day and I am sure it is going to start with mine. I have a feeling this little stunt is just a hint of what is to come. I just don't know if I am ready for this!

Truly,
Your crazy mama

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Amos and his playmate Cody


DST and 70 degrees

Amos had the best weekend of his life! Saturday he met his new friend, Cody - a Wheaten too, at the dog park. They were really pretty rude and enjoyed mostly playing with themselves and no other canines of any type. You see, when a Wheaten sees another fluffy headed dog with bear paws they are immediately attracted to only that dog. They wrestled and ran and chased squirrels and leaped over small stumps and dips in the ground like their lives depended on it. Amos, the white-fluffy dog, came home black and wet. Then, Mr Brad gave him a good Pantene Pro V bath and you should see him now! He is so yummy and snuggable. Unfortunately, I think the warmer temperatures may be a little much for his long hair so he may have to go back to see the crazy lady to get his haircut real soon.
Then, Saturday we took our perfectly groomed fluffball to Piedmont Park to see the rest of the crazies and their cousins enjoying the sunshine and nursing hangovers from the night before. Mr. Brad even got a little sunburned from the excursion but he doesn't mind because it means Spring is truly on it's way. You would have thought with so many people, doing so many different things, looking so many kinds of different, that Amos would have been in heaven meeting new people and sniffing out situations but I think he was just as occupied as we were just watching the spectacle. You had jugglers, sunbathers in bathing suits and nice white un-sunned Winter bodies. There were mini dogs, massive dogs, hairy dogs and the ugliest hairless dogs Amos had ever seen. You had pic-nics, badminton tournaments, bocce ball, soccer practices with overbearing parents/coaches. There were even two sets of aspiring musicians delighting the ambivelous crowd. There was beer and lemonade and burgers and ice cream galore. And then the people. You had purple haired, no-haired, yellow skinned, white skinned, dread locked hair down to the ground and all the sorts. Whatever you can imagine - it was there.....all within the small confines of Atlanta's truly only green space in the city. Despite the withered grass caused by the start of the drought two summers ago - they were there....all of them, everybody and their cousins. I promise you - if you went outside on Sunday to enjoy the first real taste of Spring - you were at Piedmont Park or so it seemed. Needless to say, Amos was as entertained as we were just watching all the people and their meanderings.

The perfect Atlanta weekend for a dog has now culminated in a 72 hour sleep fest for our four legged friend. As for me, here I sit and type.....7.5 month's pregnant and wide awake when I should be resting my rounded body. I have a feeling this is going to be the start of an unwanted but forewarned pattern until baby comes. I find my body and mind exhausted at the end of a day. I think of nothing but my bed the moment I walk in the door at night but within a few hours I am wide eyed and bushy tailed and wondering what I should do in the wee hours and if ever I will see 7 am again without first seeing 2, 3 and 4 am??? I guess I can start some projects and try to get things in order before order is long gone. Off to organize the book shelf or something else useful and exciting. HELP!!!!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I didn't know about the title but....

I'll take it as a complement.....I think. I hope you call it "charm", Charlsie, and not manipulation?

You've made my week this week with so much internet love! Oh to be laying in the front yard of the Terrace with you as the temps warm up today...I'd give anything! Cheers to lovely friendships!

Oh, and, Welcome HOME CHARLSIE! She bought this cute cute house in Augusta and I can't wait to come visit!

Nails and toes. Nails and toes.

Monday I had a snow day, too. I was set to tutor a middle schooler that I have been tutoring for several months that afternoon. When I pulled into the school parking lot it should have been obvious that no one was anywhere to be found but it just didn't occur to me that the light dusting of snow on Atlanta roads would keep the kiddies away from school so I waited and waited. Then, I finally see grounds keeper shoveling the 1/2 inch of snow at the back of the parking lot and it hits me - NO SCHOOL!! Other than the frustration of having to reschedule yet again I was thrilled to have a snow day, too!

I texted Mr. Brad and told him I was going to treat myself on my snow day and that is just what I did! I am extremely low maintenance when it comes to personal grooming. I work .45 miles from my condo and without fail I am 10 minutes late to work and I am usually sporting wet hair. Why? You ask? Because I stink with "timing" and I hate to take longer than 9 minutes to get ready - head to toe. So whether that means no shower or wet hair all day I usually decide to get dressed 10 minutes before I am set to be somewhere. Hopefully a kiddo will help with this awful tendency???

Anyway, it is rare that I treat myself to any service having to do with my personal up-keep. I can't even keep a hair appointment because if I don't go the moment I want to then I don't want to go again til I get that internal hunch. (Is that how you spell hunch? ) But on this day - I was out of body because it was a snow day! I strolled into New Nails and Tan in Sandy Springs like I was a regular. The stale smell of rice and teriyaki sauce mixed with a little chemicals took over the place and I knew it would be a pleasant afternoon. The two nail technician's "Holly" and "lilly" started at once gnawing away at my over worked feet and odd shaped nails. And of course they started talking about me in a language I will never know. I interrupted them every 200th foreign word asking them questions just so I didn't start to get self -conscious that they were really talking about me and my big feet and over sized big toe! My Nana always said that I should never be ashamed of my big feet and that "someone would marry me anyways." Thanks, Nana.

So, I am there nearly an hour and a half which I think is about 3 times longer than it should take especially when I am the only client my entire stay. But I walk away with two new friends and the prettiest toes and strongest nails I have ever had. I love the prenatal vitamins for that reason - my nails actually grow and my unused-large hands actually look feminine for a change. But more than a pretty set of phalanges(sp?) - I have two new fans of the Rachel Ray show and a whole 3 episodes worth of personal soap opera type drama between sweet "Holly" and "Lilly." Holly "do not lob her husben but she stay with hem for de kidz." That's not ebonics or making fun of anyone it is just the line I heard over and over from dear Holly as she over filed my nail. She has three kids at home and is the size of Popeye's Olive minus a few inches but I could tell she has a huge heart - especially when it comes to her family. Lilly was a little more concerned with her lunch than Holly's drama but she certainly tapped in when she had an opinion.

Anyway, I left so happy. I was happy to have been able to listen to my new friends gab about their lives for 90 minutes. The good thing is the whole while they were telling me stories of their kids and their backgrounds - I was getting my calves massaged and you know how that feels! I could have let them talk to me for hours! More so, my toes look so happy and springy and they are now ready for a cute pair of wedge sandals that I need to find. It sure is a treat to do something out of the ordinary occasionally. Hopefully my bright toes will bring on the brighter skies and warmer weather! Baby is ready for flip flops and sundresses.....he knows that is much easier on mommy than boots and warm pants that don't truly fit!

Yay for the time change this weekend and the proposed 75 degree weather! I AM SO HAPPY!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Just don't eat the yellow snow!

You can't top it

There is nothing better than waking up to a fresh brewed cup of sweetness - brought to you straight from one of your favorite people on a bitterly cold morning. You don't even have to get dressed or brush your teeth to enjoy...just indulge. And that is what I forgot to tell you that I liked most about Charlise. Maybe not most but pretty close to "most" - she knows how to indulge on even the littlest things. When you are with Charlsie you can't not enjoy a clear sky in the afternoon or the size of ice in the Styrofoam to-go cup or the smell of even a hot dog or stale beer that reminds you of a favorite place, namely Athens. Charlise won't let you not fully experience something...how it tastes, feels, looks, looks on, smells, sounds, and pleases...with Charlsie you get the whole cake and you can eat it too! I have to go to work and all I want to do is sit here and tell you all of my other favorite things about my favorite people. You'll have to wait. I hope you have a Charlise in your life. And a few other things that I stole/share a love for:

-Husband pillows
-Obsession with Gone with the Wind...before I liked it but it wasn't an obsession
-CUPCAKE anything!
-Chilean red wine
-Owning a room when you walk in the door
-The Wisdom of the Enneagram
-Mean Bean burritos
-Panera bagels in the morning
-Memorable and useful quotes

Happy day after a snow-day! I'll be posting photos of Amos in the snow yesterday. Amos made the snow so much more fun!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Thankyou CKP1010



I set a reminder in my phone last night as I couldn't sleep. It says "thank you to Charlsie about Amos - 11:45am" I write about any thought that comes to my head in my phone as a reminder if it is a thought that I don't want to forget and yesterday I didn't want to forget this. You see, I am obsessed with my dog. Amos the Famous dog makes me so happy. I have never been a huge dog person and honestly when we started looking at baby soft coated wheaten terriers this time last year I didn't really think we'd follow through with our initial plans for a puppy. We are a little too practical and at the time a little too on the go to have anything tying us down. Then Brad drove up in his truck with the pup in his lap. He sat in Brad's lap the whole hour drive to meet me and I immediately melted. And, yes, in the last year I have had moments where I wonder why we ever took the plunge to get a dog - which is really just like a child... at true extension of our family! So, anyway...Charlsie, my dearest of friends and possibly longest of friends found Briscoe, her Wheaten a long while before Amos was even a thought. Briscoe was the only puppy I ever really saw grow up. She was first a black little fur ball and then a brown and tan fluffy mess and then she grew into her perfect ivory, playful stature. When the "dog" thought even crossed our minds last year we looked at nothing but Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers. We loved their puppy=playfulness that follows them for years - not just as a puppy. We loved their medium size - not too yappy and mini and not too big for a 1300 square foot condo. We were infatuated with their adorable bear paws and most of all, we loved their somewhat stubborn but mostly confident demeanor. The character description all over the Internet was quite pleasing.....and reminded us of our humble selves....

The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is an alert and happy animal - graceful, strong and well-coordinated. A playful and friendly terrier. They make great watch dogs and bark at the arrival of guests. They are usually very loving with children and get along reasonably well with other dogs. They have a puppy attitude that remains with it throughout its life. Sweet-tempered, easy-going and self-confident. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers bond closely with their family. They seldom bark unnecessarily.

(Okay, it is snowing as I type. This is the first real snow in Atlanta since we got little Amos. They supposedly love the snow! I can't wait to take him out to explore!)

But back to my overcoming gratitude. I LOVE MY DOG. I know you probably love your dog and think they are the coolest and I'll give you that. But I LOVE my Dog!!! Amos snuggles with me when I am just not wanting to get out in the world. He licks my hands in the morning when they fall off the bed just to let me know he is there. "Wag" doesn't even describe what his tail does when he sees me or Brad. I am surprised it hasn't fallen off from all the action! He barks only when scary people look at us. He never acts a fool when we are walking him like most other dogs in our neighborhood do...he is just too sophisticated for that nonsense. But then if you want nonsense - he can go nuts over a chewing antler or a tennis ball or a piece of bacon. Yes, he gets to eat from the table at times. I LOVE AMOS! Last night we came home to our sweet pup just waiting to wrestle and snuggle and cuddle. I had this troubling thought that one day hopefully many many years away, after our first little boy has fallen head over heels for Amos, too, and after he has been through all the ups and downs with our family, Amos will be old and one day he may not want to be here anymore. Oh my goodness, I have this terrible thought as we are in the elevator waiting to come home to him and I just start crying. I couldn't imagine Amos not being a part of our lives. Sorry for the sad moment but I guess this what brought on the cheesy-thankful feelings. Thank you, Charlsie, for turning us on to SCWT. I love Dr. Amos. He is my favorite purchase I have ever made. I can't wait for the little baby to meet my favorite thing!

And while we are thanking Charlsie, I must tell you that I have many things to thank her for. Most things that are remotely cool about me or my tastes came from her. I think she might say the same about me too but luckily for her - she wears off on me more than I do on her. Here are some tastes that Charlsie has passed to me over the years:
-Mini milk chocolate Cadbury eggs in the spring time
-Bruce Hornsby
-Cashiers
-Trish McEvoy make-up
-Palm pilot's (well, not anymore but several years ago)
-Bojangles biscuits
-Strawberry cake with cream cheese icing
-Michael Franti
-Ultra mini skirts
-the perfect chocolate chip cookie
-the smell of old books
-Rainy days with a movie or a good book. I was never good at enjoying these unless Charlise was around.
-Vertical Horizon
-Cheesy songs sung by cheesy artists like Miley Cirus, NSYNC or Kelly Clarkston turned up too loud in the car with the windows down
-Cheap sandwiches at the Masters
-Blogging
-Running hills
-Anything from Fresh Market
-And lastly, SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIERS!

Ciao, Bella!