The End of an Era

Well as you all know now I am pregnant. That brings about with it some changes. Some obvious, some you all might not think of. To understand the latest change and how weird it is, we need to go back to 1997. My roommate Stacy and I were sophomores in college and we decided that the coolest thing we could possibly do was to get our belly buttons pierced. I was very proud of myself because I am pretty much a huge wuss. Forget the fact that I blacked out and almost fell over after it was done, I was still very brave. =)

So for the last 11 years I have had a round piercing in my stomach. I have not once removed it, and honestly most of the time I forgot I even had it. It has just always been there, but I knew once I got pregnant it was time to take it out. I had tried on my own to just pop out the little ball that connects the circle with no luck. So last night Jason got some pliers out and after many attempts, I put one pair on one side and another on the other side and just twisted until the little ball popped out! We removed the circle and now my stomach is bare. It is amazing how I would almost forget I even had it over the years, but now, when I look at my stomach it looks so weird to me. Like something's not quite right. Thanks for the years of decorating my stomach belly button ring. You will be missed!

Got a little story for ya Ags....

Ok, that line is what is said before some cool or exciting story in Aggieland, and what should follow by any Aggie Fans is a big ol' 'WHOOP'! The reason I use this line is because I have some exciting news. Now I am pretty sure that 99.9% of the people who read this blog already know this, but I also welcome any and all who find my blog interesting, so I don't want to exclude you guys! But the exciting news is that I am a little over 3 months pregnant! That's right, on April 12 (or thereabouts) the Trent family will be plus one more!

Now if anyone reading this is actually like a friend of mine or someone who I should have told by now and they just didn't know, I seriously apologize. I have tried to make sure I told everyone, but I now have what they call 'pregnant brain' which basically means I can't remember anything that I should and my brain has basically turned to mush. But I am telling you now! =)

So here is what I know. I am almost 14 weeks pregnant. My official due date is April 12, 2009. I now have a little pooch in the front of my stomach that basically right now just makes me look fat and makes my pants not be able to be buttoned. We can find out the sex of the baby in about 5 weeks I think and yes, we will find out. I canNOT wait. We are super excited and so far everything is going well. I had my first trimester screening yesterday and will know more results in about a week. Sort of depressing stuff, but basically they screen for birth defects like down syndrome and trisomy 18. So just say a little prayer that everything comes back ok if you don't mind.

I guess that is about it. I have been feeling really tired the last few weeks. I haven't felt too nauseous as long as I am eating something, but lately not much has sounded very good to eat. Sort of a catch 22, but I am starting to feel better. I have a bit more energy and I hear soon I should have a surplus of energy. That will be very nice!

So that's it, just wanted to make the formal announcement. Once I start looking pregnant and not just pudgy I will post belly pictures and keep you updated on the status.

ACL - Day 3

Our last day at ACL. Always a bit sad, but after walking miles and miles the days before I was feeling like someone had beat me up. I haven't been working out much lately (more on that in my next post) and was not used to it. We decided to take it easy this last day since the first person we wanted to see that day was Adele at 1:50. We slept in, took our time getting around and went to eat at Maudie's, which I had always heard was really good. Well, maybe some people would think it was good. I have an ex boyfriend who I used to argue with over enchiladas because he liked cheese enchiladas made with American cheese (ew) and I like cheddar. So we could never agree on a place to eat Mexican. Well, he would have loved these probably. They were made with American cheese, which makes them automatically gross to me. Oh well.

We finished eating and the boys dropped us off close to the park so we wouldn't have to walk the whole way. They were going to meet up later. So we walked over to see Adele and set up our chairs right before it started. Well, a girl came out who was not Adele. Apparently Adele had cancelled a couple days before, we just hadn't heard about it and Adele was still printed in the schedules. Boo! I have decided that British female solo acts are cursed. Last year Amy Winehouse cancelled and this year both Duffy and Adele cancelled. Bad luck.

We were planning to go over to the AT&T stage and get a close spot so we could camp out all day and be close for Foo Fighters that night. I am not a huge Foo Fan, but Jared and Jason were really excited about them, so we got close seats and stuck around to see Flyleaf. I had heard one of their songs on the radio, but didn't know much about them. Amanda and I went over to the AT&T tent where there is air conditioning for a while to cool off. When it was time for Flyleaf to start we walked that way, and as we were walking up the lead singer came out and started singing a praise song. I can't remember it now, but if you go to church ever you would know it. She just sang it a capella and Amanda and I looked at each other in surprise wondering if this was a Christian band. The song I knew played on regular top 40 radio, but I guess they do crossover sometimes so we just said 'ok weird' and had a seat. Well, this is the band that is nominated for the most strange/interesting/weird award from me. After singing a beautiful version of a praise song, the band starts jamming out and they turn out to be like this hard metal type band. Like screaming the lyrics type songs. I really dislike screaming of lyrics most of the time so I was once again in shock. Then she would stop and tell some inspiring story about something that had happened to her and most were spiritual in nature. She even dedicated one song to Jesus Christ - the song I knew from the radio - but again, even this song was a lot harder than it is on the radio even. I mean I guess everyone worships in different ways and more power to her, it was just all very strange.

After Flyleaf, Jason and I walked over to see Against Me!. Now I have always thought if I ever see these guys in concert they better bring it. I mean any band who puts an exclamation point after their name had better be some high energy peeps. I would say they didn't disappoint. It felt really hot this day and we were facing right in to the sun so I definitely was not as high energy as I would have liked to be, but they were all in black and jamming out. I would say good show and would probably have been better if I hadn't been so hot and tired.

After that we stayed at the AT&T stage to see Silversun Pickups. I had never seen them live and liked what I had heard of them, so I was pretty excited to see them. Well, I would like to nominate this band worse show of the festival. I feel like something was wrong with these guys. Like they were on something. They were incoherent and the music sounded awful I thought. We ended up leaving early to get some grub.

Next up was Raconteurs and Gnarls Barkley. Jared and I wanted to see Raconteurs and Jason and Amanda wanted to see Gnarls so we split up. Now, if you don't know who Jack White is, he is a lead singer for Raconteurs and I have a teensy crush on him. So I was really excited to see them. He was supposed to play last year with the White Stripes, but they cancelled last minute. So Jared and I wanted to see as much of them as we could, but we still wanted to get some more food before Foo Fighters and didn't want to not be able to get back to our seats. So we stayed at that show for like 45 minutes and it was great! Poor Jack had like a sort throat and slipped disc in his neck, but he sounded great to me and I really enjoyed this show.

So Jared and I grabbed some food and headed back to our seats to see the Foo Fighters. Now I said earlier I am not a huge FF fan. I do like the songs I know of theirs that have been on the radio, but I couldn't really think of that many and I figured a band like that would play more unknown songs rather than their biggest hits ya know? So I was looking forward to them, but not super duper excited. Ok, well here is my third nomination of the day. Show that I was most suprised that I loved and thought was completely awesome. First, they did play all their hits - and maybe the 'true fans' didn't like that, but I did! I forgot how many songs I like of theirs and I knew all but like one song. Also, Dave Grohl - lead singer - is hilarious and awesome. He talked to the crowd a ton and was really funny and the whole band just seemed so cool. They have a percussionist who was kind enough to do a triangle solo. Haha, yes like the metal triangle. A solo on it. It was funny. They ended up playing like 20 minutes later than they were supposed to and it was still PACKED. Last year for Bob Dylan - nominated for worst show I have ever seen in my LIFE much less ACL - I am pretty sure half the people left by the third song. So this more than made up for that and I had a great great time.

So that was my ACL festival for this year. Overall it was greatness. I hope I get to go next year...again more on that in my next post...

ACL - Day 2

So I slept for about 12 hours and was feeling good. Amanda and Jared had gone out the night before with some friends and got in around 3. I don't know how they do it. I am too old for that stuff now. =(

Amanda wanted to be at the festival this day at 11:15 to see Bonnie Bishop. She is a Texas country singer and Amanda loves her. She and Jared even named their new dog after her. They were a little slower getting around that morning so Jason and I headed out in search of breakfast and some supplies for the day. We were staying downtown and my google maps assured me there was an Einstein Brothers just four blocks away. There wasn't. But we did find a taco place that sold breakfast burritos. So we grabbed a few of those and also found a CVS to get some more water for the day. I just loved being downtown and being able to walk everywhere. Reminds me of being in New York, albeit on a much smaller scale. But we always say we are moving to Austin, sometime around 2010/2011 and we agreed it would be awesome to be able to rent a place downtown while we look for a house. Probably won't happen since the idea in renting is to SAVE money, but it is a fun idea.

After scarfing down our breakfast burritos, Amanda and I head towards the park. We found a pedicab guy right outside so we were lucky enough not to have to walk all the way there, which just seemed to start the day off better than the day before. We weren't already tired and sweaty by the time we got there and we actually got there before it was even open. Bonnie Bishop was the first act of the day so when they opened the gates we hurried to get a wonderful seat in the shade right close to the stage. Go us! It was a great show - that girl can sing! - and we had great seats and it was a great, beautiful day with awesome weather and we were just feeling pretty happy, but we decided we needed caffeine after the show was over.

We headed to the food court and got a mocha frappucino with an all natural energy boost in it. Now, lets talk about why I love ACL in general, besides getting to hear lots of great music. The biggest reason is that you are outside all day for 3 days. I mean even the years when it is nearing 1000 degrees by 5 o clock, it still just feels good to be outdoors. I sit at a computer all day every day, and humans were just not meant to do that. So being in the sun with the trees and the breeze, and this year the dust but nevermind, it is just exhilarating. Now, you add a mocha frap and natural energy boost and I may as well have been on crack. I was in maybe the best mood of my life for like four hours. I could not stop smiling and whenever Jason and Jared got there I was so obviously overwhelmed with joy that Jason was like 'wow you're in a really good mood.' I am, by nature, a pretty happy, sunny person. So for him to point out what a good mood I was in, well you get the idea. I was in a good mood.

Once the guys got there, it was about time for Fleet Foxes to start so we just sat in the grass and listened to them. I had bought their CD recently and liked them from what I had heard, but I wouldn't say I was expecting a great deal from them. They are really mellow and sound like something out of the 70s. Sort of an America meets Simon and Garfunkel. Anyway, I thought these guys were AWESOME. The whole group agreed that they were great and they were the perfect band to be listening to early in the afternoon since they were so mellow. Sometimes at night mellow bands will put me to sleep.

After FF we were going to go see The Fratelli's, but none of us were huge fans and I decided that I needed some kettle corn instead. Last year I waited in line for this kettle corn for 45 minutes, no lie, and it was worth every minute. The place that sells it is called Children of the Kettle Corn, which just makes it even more awesome, and it was just as delicious as I remembered. We also did a little shopping and found some cool stuff, including a shirt that said 'Remember the Oilers'. I really wanted it and meant to go back for it, but just never did.

Jared wanted to see Band of Heathens and it was at the same stage as Bonnie was that morning and we had very cleverly left our chairs there in the shade so we all went back to see them. I hadn't heard them before but I would say this was one of the best shows I saw. They had sort of a Texas country/rockabilly sound and we all really liked it. Even Jason. I am going to make a country music fan of him yet. =)

After that we went to see Robert Earl Keen who is always fun to see, and after REK was one of the bands I had been most looking forward to - MGMT! I had bought their CD last spring and was so excited about them being there. Well apparently so was every other person at ACL. Here is where my happy high went away and I get on my high horse. Let me start by saying another thing I love about ACL is seeing new bands that I didn't know before. However, I think this can be a pro and con in general, and this is where it is a con. I seriously had no idea how 'popular' MGMT was. When they first had them on the schedule they were on a tiny stage early in the day. They had moved them to later in the day on a much bigger stage, but still not either of the biggest stages. I think they may have had more people at their show than some of the headliners. When I got there, 15 minutes early mind you, it was a SEA of people. I tried to weave my way closer to the stage, but I was still so far away that I could hardly even hear the music or see the jumbo tron, much less the stage. Now, like I said I am all for trying out new bands, and I guess MGMT had the buzz factor going for them or something, but if you have no idea who a band is and you could not care less about seeing them then leave! Everyone around me was laughing, talking, etc (and by etc I mean smoking pot), and not listening at all. Literally when a song was over, I was the only person in a 20 person radius clapping because I was the only one who noticed that the song had ended. I was so disappointed. I am sure it was a really good show and all the people at the front were jumping around and waving their hands in the air like they just didn't care. Looked fun. I will have to catch them again sometime. =(

After this I had planned to get some dinner, but by crossed communications I ended up tracking my clan down to the John Fogerty concert. For those who don't know, Fogerty was the lead singer for Creedence Clearwater Revival. I like CCR, but don't know any purely Fogerty songs so I had decided to skip it. Well he ended up singing, I would say, mostly CCR songs so I was really glad that I caught it. It was a great show. I didn't see all of it, my stomach was calling, but what I did see rocked my socks off.

After getting some grub, we settled in to our seats to get ready for Allison Krause and Robert Plant. I had been so excited to see this show. I had their CD and loved it and of course, I mean, it's Robert Plant! (If you don't know who Robert Plant is, please google immediately and go oohhhh!) I thought this was one of the best shows of the weekend. I have decided that if I figure out how to make a time machine I am going to go back to my childhood and pursue the same track as Allison Krause. She is so freakin awesome. She has the voice of an angel, she is gorgeous and skinny and can play the violin/fiddle (is there a difference in the two?). Oh, and she's friend with Robert Freakin Plant! Their show was awesome. They did this sweet version of Black Dog and it was just a beautiful show.

Amanda and I stayed for that entire show, but Jared and Jason bolted a bit early to catch some of Beck who was headlining that night. I am honestly not a huge Beck fan, so we figured we would just catch the last half hour. We headed over and got there about 20 minutes before he was supposed to be done. We caught the last half of a song that I know, but now forget. Then he left the stage. We are thinking 'oh great we got here in time for the encore at least'. Nope, no encore, he just ended 20 minutes early. Weird. After that we walked back to the hotel and Amanda and Jared went to meet up with some friends. Those two have the most amazing stamina I just don't know how they do it. They ARE younger than me, but still.

Tomorrow...most interesting band and band I was most suprised that I totally loved.