it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me...

go nina!



quite a few things on the dance card today. corporate voice work and another VO gig, then I'm doing a shoot for a teaser for a film being produced locally - the only catch is, the audition was by personal request last week before we'd made it publicly known that we're expecting (so I didn't feel wholly comfortable saying 'oh, you should know that I'm pregnant, just in case that monkeys with any schedule issues or whatever - but don't tell my folks, 'cause they don't know yet), but I figured that since it was shooting this week it wouldn't be a big deal. sooo... one more day of trying to suck in my stomach for them, but after this I'm not playing for anyone else. or if I do, it's with my whole belly.

-m.y.

december musical shenanigans...

so, whilst driving back to Houston from Dallas tonight, I was shuffling through songs on my iphone (too loud, but that's how I roll) and had such a good time I decided to bring the funk to my blog this month. I know I've been remiss in posting, but for awhile there it felt hard because I couldn't talk about *whisper* 'thepregnancy' *end whisper* yet, and to NOT talk about it seemed weirdly semi-duplicitous, so it was easier to not post much at all. anyhoo, it's all out in the open now, so let's kick off the month with the title track from The Young Machines, an album by Her Space Holiday.



items of note:

I've eaten more junky today and last night than in the rest of the past 11 weeks. yikes, it really does make a huge difference. sorry, baby, I'll do better for both of us.

our little bambino is the size of a fig.

we've bought two - count 'em - two Christmas presents so far.

tomorrow night we have a date to go get the tree!

it's hard to live fully in the present right now... I keep wanting to think ahead and plan...

my sister-in-law is seeing New Moon as I type this... did I mention that, based on the movies alone, I'm totally on Team Jacob? I think it's just because Edward is so hard to translate to film well... and, for me, Bella is profoundly maddening in print or on screen... Jacob gets to be a good, interesting, character-driven dude with personality. and then there's how he's totally gorgeous and all in his boy-werewolfdom - oh, sorry, I'm WAY to mature to think of such shallow things... especially about children so, SO much younger than myself...

but don't get me wrong. Bella and Edward are 4-ever. fated. sealed. done.

I LOVE the stuff with the Volturi.

Mama needs some new books.

I'm thinking of starting the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. I put the first book on my Christmas List. and I asked for Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I'm currently rereading my well-worn copy of Little Women, and it's like visiting old friends.

husband is singing 'where's my wife' in the other room. must fly to him.

-m.y.

finally!

a Monday shocker for my friends... now that all families have been told, I'm now at liberty to share that mr. bell and I are totally pregnant. :)



(Jones soda is a perfectly awesome celebratory beverage, btw)

I'd so much rather tell you all in person... in my head, it's a total girls' night scenario that involves copious amounts of pizza... but the week is really busy, I'm out of town for a part of it so I'll miss church Wednesday night, the phone is such a boo thing, and I simply can't wait until Sunday. we've been biding our time, attending doctor visits and ticking off the days... we're eleven weeks, and our due date is June 19. I'll elaborate on the story of it all later, but the short version is that I had a hunch and the doctor confirmed we were pregnant at 5 weeks, and we've been watching and waiting and praying for the last six. we decided to tell our families at Thanksgiving, so we could share the news personally with all of them, and everyone is so happy and excited. our last sonogram was last Tuesday, and the baby was pronounced to be healthy and developmentally perfect for where it should be so far. we have a nuchal translucency test next week and all sorts of other stuff coming up (since I'm in the over 35 category those tests seem to be more important)... we keep reminding ourselves that God is knitting this baby together, and we have faith that He is good.

a few tidbits of note:

I feel mostly really good (except for the fact that some of my jeans aren't cool anymore around the waist). I've had a little nausea, but nothing major. the worst is when I have to drive early in the morning, blech. the only time I've been actually sick was one morning while driving to Dallas... at around 7a I had to pull over and yak on the side of I-45, butt in the air, truckers blazing by. which is why I'm driving up a day early this week... I'll do anything to avoid that sickness. I'm really forgetful lately, just sort of bubble-headed. I've also had fits of intense, violent emotion... I mean, I'm a little weepy by nature to begin with, but there have been a few instances when my emotional life surprises me with it's need to express itself so FORCEFULLY. it passes quickly and it's honestly kind of funny, but I feel like I've been knocked out afterward.

mostly, I'm just so glad to be able to share the news, as it's been really hard to keep it to ourselves. we feel so blessed and grateful, and we're ready for the people we love to know and help us celebrate and prepare for parenting this little person.




love,

the bells

a continuing gratitude list...

1. husband fixed our old Whirlpool dryer all by himself!!! taking things out, testing coils, replacing parts, the whole bit. he's totally handy.

2. the December issue of Real Simple came in the mail.

3. wheat blend rotini + safeway select vodka pasta sauce + freshly grated parmesan = much pleasure

4. WE MET OUR THIRD BABY STEP GOAL!! our 3-6 month emergency fund is now fully funded! whoop whoop!

4.5 that means we can start on our next goal!

5. gorgeous day out.

6. getting my hair cut tomorrow (finally). my stylist is going to look at my weird, multi-layered bangs/half-bangs/long-bangs-wings? and ask me what happened. all I can say is... it's been awhile. so I took the scissors to myself a time or two. oh, and then on that shoot the makeup artist went after them with a razor. *smile* now please fix it all, stephanie, and help me look cool again.

7. this dish, which is a staple every time I go work in the metroplex:



it's the curry tofu noodle dish, or N9B on the menu. it's so good, I can't tell you, and the fact that I usually try to polish off this huge plate is more than a little alarming. makes for drowsy, sleepytime afternoon recording.

over and out for now -
m.y.

if you're looking to get out of the house today...

why not come down to Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park between 10-2p? the City of Houston and the American Kidney Fund are hosting a Wellness Fest with free kidney screenings and such, and yours truly will be emceeing the stage. that means I'll be facilitating the three cooking demonstrations with local awesome chef Monica Pope, owner of t'afia. and she's sampling. yum. the event has usually been targeted to city employees and their families, but I believe the hope is to grow it into a larger festival. anyhoo, it should be a pretty day and I'd love to see you there.

-m.y.

kicking off november thanks...

rather than make some excuse for my lack of blogging insight lately, I'm going to plunge right into a list of current blessings. enjoy this happy song while you read! may there always be joyous public dancing.




to begin... my husband! I know it's hard to hear me blather on about his awesomeness, but really... he's the cat's meow. he's fun and good and takes such great care of us. plus he brought me two presents recently - some killer rubber rain boots that look like riding boots and a darling blue hat - for no reason at all, both of which blew my mind and made me squeal.

work! I had a slow September and October, which was both good and a challenge, and God has been bringing me some really great projects and people in the last couple of weeks to the point where I'm a bit overwhelmed. I'm so very thankful for it as well as for the downtime, and more aware than ever that everything comes from Him. I must learn to accept what's given and take it all in stride... I can really be the Queen of Wigging Out when things slow down OR speed up.

Chino! who's so funny and a precious lamb... and even more dear to us since Ripley isn't here.

by the way, I got a very sweet cremation certificate in the mail today from 'Fond Memories Pet Cemetery and Crematorium' today (which is the facility my vet uses to dispose of deceased animals). I sobbed for 2 minutes and then it was over.

Simply Apple Juice! I just can't quit you.



Flexibility! I know it's not a noun, but I'm still so thankful that my life is fairly malleable and people will usually work with me so everyone wins.

Mad Men! you turned out to be a truly wonderful third season. sniff. sorry you didn't make this photo, Betty, but I'm peeved at you right now anyway.



SWC! right now, I feel our church is teaching me ways to serve and develop better interpersonal skills, and I'm grateful for it.

M's homemade stuffing (the recipe was in Cuisine at Home this month)! for real, he even made the herb bread that ended up being toasted to go into the stuffing, and it was the freaking bomb.

Baby Step 3 is ALMOST complete! come on 3-6 month emergency fund, we're almost there...

the 'holidays' are almost here! I totally need family and parties and presents and gift lists and Bing Crosby and general merriment. I want to bake cranberry pistachio biscotti and cranberry coffee cake. I want LC's monkey bread. and Grandma's fudge.

there's more, but I'll stop for now. can't use up all of my praises all at once now, can I? off to record one more radio spot that dropped out of the sky today (thanks again, Lord!).


-m.y.

rock out!

sorry, I know I already had a memorial post for my cat but the husband just sent me this doozie of a picture, and I love it so much right now.



life goes marching on. long live rock and roll.