Aghhhhhhhhhhh!

So, all the excitement that came about from our game against Nebraska (See Think Pink game) is COMPLETELY gone! Since then, we have dropped our last 3 games (Missouri, Texas Tech and Texas). There is ABSOLUTELY no reason why we lost to any of these teams, except for the fact that all three teams wanted a win more than us. I don't get it!?!? We put ourselves in a position where we could make the NCAA tournament, something that has not been done in quite a few years. It's as if our players just expect that it will happen without doing the work that is needed .... well, unfortunately, it won't happen now unless we WIN the Big12 Tournament. To do that, we have to beat out 5 ranked teams. It is so incredibly frustrating, that is all I can say!

On a happier note, I went to the doctor again yesterday. We have hit the third trimester and all still looks good. We are set for a late May birth, but will have another ultrasound somewhere around May 1 to decide if that will stick. I think that it will be earlier :) Still feeling good, but I will say that this season has taken a toll on me and that I am exhausted at night. My "cankles" have had enough too! But, I guess that if that is all I have to deal with, then I am doing pretty good.

My sister, Theresa, will be coming for a visit. She is going to fly out to Kansas the weekend of March 14th to visit for a few days. While she is here, I am hoping to get some work done on the nursery and to complete baby registries. We will be going to KY the weekend of April 3rd for a shower and then to IL the weekend of April 19th for another one. I have been advised not to travel at all in May since we aren't sure if this little one will make an "early" arrival.

Well, wish us luck in the remainder of the season. We go to Iowa State this weekend for a Saturday game and then return home for a Wednesday game against K-State. It will be two very tough games for us, but both are winnable if our team decided to show up and play with some pride ... at this point, I just don't know!

BIG SUCCESS!!!

Our "THINK PINK" game on Sunday was a huge success! Not only did we win (on a free throw with 1.4 seconds left), but we also had over 6,100 fans at the game. It was great! The gym was pink! Above is a picture of our players before the start of the game. They LOVED their pink uniforms and looked great in them. Below is the team celebrating at half court following the BIG win!

Teddy and Lindsay also made a surprise visit to KS this weekend! Eric told me that he was going to detail my car on Saturday morning, when in fact, he drove to the airport to pick them up. It was great having them here! They were able to see the MBB game on Saturday. Not much of a game (Colorado wasn't very good), but it was the 110th anniversary of Kansas Basketball weekend. Over 200 former men's players were back in town for the event so I think they enjoyed seeing all of the festitivities wrapped into that event. On Sunday, then, they were able to catch our game. I had some unexpected appts that I had to tend to yesterday, but I think they had a good time. After dinner last night, they headed to the airport to catch a flight back home to IL. I am always glad when family is able to come visit. With the craziness of season, it is sometimes hard to really have a relaxing weekend, but it was sure great to see them and be able to hang out together!

We leave for Lubbock, TX, today. We play TTU tomorrow evening. Let's hope we can can get win #16!

**photos by Jeff Jacobsen, KUAC Photographer

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day. I got to work and just a few minutes later a HUGE arrangement of lilies (my favorite) arrived from my hubby. He knows that I love getting flowers (even though they cost a fortune, especially today) so that was very sweet of him to do. He will be broke for the next week or so!! I tell him not to spend the money, but I do love getting them. Eric did VERY good this year :)

Today is also the third birthday for our nephew, Eli. He has been celebrating all week, but I am sure today will be extra special for him! It is hard to believe that three years ago, Eric was out visiting me in KS and looking for a job so that he could move out here and get settled with me. No more long distance relationship :) We got the call from Wayne that Eli had made his grand entrance late in the night (or early in the morning, one of the two). He was a few weeks OVERdue so I know that Jen was much relieved for him to finally be in the world, happy and healthy. It has been amazing to watch him grow. It will be neat to see him with his new baby cousin in just a few short months. Happy Birthday Eli!

Make sure to tell your hubby (or wifey) that you love 'em today ... even if it is just a "Hallmark" holiday. Everyone loves to be told they are loved :)

Think Pink!

This week, women's basketball teams from around the country are showing their support for the fight against breast cancer. The WBCA, our coaching organization, is sponoring THINK PINK week. This Sunday, we will be taking part in the effort by wearing pink uniforms in our game. We will be decked out in pink from head to toe (literally!) Players will have pink shoe laces, pink uniforms and pink hairbands to go with their pink warm-up t-shirts. We have also planned a pre-game reception for breast cancer survivors and are expecting a huge turnout for the game. Several high school teams have already called to let us know they are coming and KU fans are excited about the event. Pink t-shirts are being given away to the first 5,000 fans in attendance!

I think that it will be a really neat event, and I encourage you to check out the other WBB games going on this week as many are participating as well. You may have seen the Georgia/LSU game -- both teams had pink uniforms. NC State had THINK PINK shoes. Their coach, Kay Yow, has become the face of THINK PINK as she is currently battling breast cancer while coaching! After a brief absence last year, she returned to the sideline and has been fighting strong ever since. Recently, the Jimmy V foundation has joined the effort and created the Kay Yow foundation to promote awareness of breast cancer. It is amazing how women's basketball has embraced this effort and has taken a stand to help in the fight.

I encourage you all to take a look at the http://www.wbca.org/ website this week and see how the events are going. I will make sure to post pictures as well from our game on Sunday!

THINK PINK!

Baby News

Just wanted to let everyone know that Eric was able to feel the baby move for the first time last night. After a long day of being up and about, I laid down and relaxed in front of the TV. I noticed that the baby was moving ALOT last night so I started to see if I could feel him from the outside. Normally, it was just the movement on the inside. Sure enough -- I felt the baby move, roll over, punch, kick or whatever the heck is going on in there.

When I told Eric, of course he wanted a "turn." The first time he couldn't feel anything. A few minutes later, I told him to try again and sure enough he got to feel movement. The little one moved several times and you should have seen Eric's face. He was trying to concentrate to feel for it, but at the same time, he was amazed at what was happening.

It was really a cool thing and I am amazed at the changes that keep happening!!

The Big H!

Huey as a baby ... look at that face!

Wendi, a teammate from WKU, asked an interesting question the other day. She wanted to know if our English bulldog, Huey, can run and jump with other dogs. She has a dalmation who is very active and ran into another English Bulldog at the dog park the other day that held his own.

The answer ... YES! Huey is, by far, the most active english bulldog I have ever seen. He is a bit tall for his breed (maybe an inch), but is incredible with his strength. My mom has a hard time walking him because he wants to go so hard, so fast. (He has already broken a leash!) He has leveled off at about 70 lbs, but he can't come to terms with it. I firmly believe that he thinks he is a 15 lb lap dog. Those who have been around him can verify this. I lovingly refer to him as a "billy goat" because he loves to climb. He starts at the floor and then proceeds to make his way to the highest point of the room that he can manage. Like a cat, he gets on the back of chairs and the sofa and scales his away across the tops of them. One morning, I was getting ready for work and came out to the kitchen just in time to watch Huey climb onto the kitchen table!!!! There was a chair pulled our from under the table and he proceeded to climb onto the chair and then onto the table. At the time, he was probably about 50 lbs, but still!!! He is incredibly nosey too!

Huey now as a Big Guy!

He loves to go for walks and run and play. We don't let him loose in dog parks with other dogs because he would never stop. He likes to run and run and run and he sometimes can't figure out his limits. He will start to pant when he is tired, but he will just keep on going. So, we try to refrain from letting him go long times with other dogs. Eric is great at walking him and when it is warm (no rain and and above 30), I too join in the festivities. We can be found around the neighborhood quite often on excursions! We have a fenced in back yard, but Huey loves his leash and loves to be walked. In addition, he loves to be in control on a walk. If he wants to stay in one spot for awhile, he will put his entire body down to the ground and "bare down." He can be impossible to move so you have to get some tension on the leash and give it an old heave-ho to get him moving again.

Having grown up around English Bulldogs all my life, I have been accustomed to raising them this way because it is best for their health to keep the active. Many people think of fat, lazy, wrinkled dogs when they think of the breed, but ours have never been that way. We keep them quite active and they have better lives because of it. I love reading Wendi's stories about Scrubs (the dalmation) because you can tell he is truly part of the family. Huey is the same way. Just last night, we spent a great deal of time together on the couch snuggling. Huey will get up with me and lay his head on me so that he is close and can be petted. Here recently, he has taken to my belly and wants to put his head on it. (Must be those keen senses that he knows something is going on in there).

He cannot stand to be left out and wants to be with us and much as possible. If Eric and I are on the couch, most likely Huey is on the couch. If we are going on a trip, he will get MAD if he gets left. One time, I was packing for a bball trip. I made the mistake of leaving my suitcase on the floor and leaving the room. When I got back to the room, there was my suitcase with no clothes in it ... only Huey. He had proceeded to pack himself :) We have gotten smarter and now put our bags on the bed when we pack, but he still knows. Many times he will go climb in his crate and turn so his backside is facing us. When you try to get him out, he just looks at the wall. Or if he is really mad, he will go somewhere in the house and pee (thank goodness this doesn't happen often).

So, to answer your question Wendi, yes, Huey is incredibly active. I don't have any recent pics of him here at work with me, but I will try and post some of him in "action" for you when I get home. He is a great pet and I am so glad that we added him to our family.