Caroline Blog

2006-08-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone who still bothers to read my blog! I know it's been a long time, but things get a little crazy when you have a baby! And from what I hear, it just gets crazier!
Things are great here! Little Oscar is not very little anymore; he's 18 lbs and is 26 in long. He laughs all the time! He's beginning to take on the world of solid foods! So far, he loves pear. Carrots aren't too bad either.

I've started back teaching at the Conservatory this semester. Things are getting off to a somewhat slow start, but once I get in my groove of things, I know things will pick up. I only have 8 students since I've cut my schedule back.. I'd prefer to have 10, but they also hired another voice teacher. I really miss singing! I am so out of practice it's not even funny! I will definitely have to start singing everyday again to regain the stamina I once had. I want to take lessons again, but there's no time right now.
Nic just got a new job with a new electrical company, since his previous place of employment is going belly-up. He's working for Bright Future Electric, just in case anyone needs any electrical work done in the future. He likes it. We're just glad he's home! Before, he was staying in Rome, Georgia for weeks at a time, just coming home on the weekends! It was rough for all of us, so we're really happy to all be together again! We're both staying pretty busy.
I'm just trying to keep my head on straight these days. I want to go back to school and get another degree, or possibly a masters. We'll have to wait and see.
Anyway, just thought I'd post since I had free minute! Hope everyone is well! Music, I miss you!!

It's a boy!

2005-12-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a boy!..just like I predicted! I must be getting pyschic lately..and dyslexic..man, this pregnancy thing has me on another page, if you know what i mean.
Anyway, just wanted to fill everyone in!! We're naming him after my father: Oscar Baviera Lopez Spears. We'll either call him 'Oscar' or 'Bavi' (Bah-vee).
Oh, and I can feel him move around in me now too!! It's really weird!
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!!

Mulan!!

2005-12-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

You Are Mulan!

Strong and spirited. You' a center>
<>Which'>http://www.greatestjournal.com/quiz.bml?Q=16354">Which Disney Princess Are You?

Hello Again

2005-10-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello again.. It's been a long time. Been busy being pregnant and all.
Things are going well; my nausea has mostly subsided and I'm starting to feel like myself again, which is nice. Nic and I find out the sex of the baby in 3 weeks..not sure if we really want to know though. I think Nic wants a girl! I'll take either one!!
So, what's been going on...just work and teaching. I haven't been going to EWTN for the past 3 weeks; I just can't get my ass up that early anymore! Need sleep! I've really enjoyed being able to get 9-10 hrs of sleep at night, let me tell ya! I just don't feel rested if I don't get those hours; it's crazy!
Well, Nic's been working 7 days a week, so I don't get to see him too much. This weekend we're finally going to Mobile too see my family!! Yea! I haven't seen them in months! They're really excited about the baby too! My mom turns into Dr. Lopez when we talk about my pregnancy. I get all the medical facts and tips; she's so smart! She says it's bad luck to know the sex of the baby beforehand. Mom's very superstitious..like mother like daughter!
Okay, enough about the baby! That's all I can think about these days!
Anywho, I had the best reunion w/my girls this weekend! It's true what they say though; you don't really appreciate something til it's gone. I don't get to see the girls very much anymore. We're all in different places in our lives, doing different things. We're all pretty different from each other, too, which is funny b/c we seem to get along really well! I really appreciated that Saturday brunch; I think we bring out the best in each other. Rissa's so sweet and sensitive; Delia's so determined and driven; Erin's so funny and honest; Malia's so open-hearted and a great listener. I'm sorrry Sarah couldn't be w/us, though. She's a kind heart. Hope she's doing well! We missd you, Sarah. These girls are so supportive of each other, it's just amazing. We all need that kind of support system, y'know? I don't feel like I'm being judged by them at all. I love you, girls! I wish you could all be godmothers to the baby!! (tear) Okay, getting too emotional.
I also had great yard sale shopping spree w/my mother-in-law earlier that morning!! We just had a blast! I think she may be more excited about this baby than anyone else in this world! She ecstatic! She is also another wonderful support I have.
Well, gotta start cleaning my house some time.

keitth's quiz

2005-09-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

3 Things you like about yourself:
1. i'm pretty musical
2.i know when to have fun and when to work
3.i'm approachable and easy to talk to

3 Things you hate about yourself:
1. I tend to procrastinate
2. I'm vain
3. I watch too much TV

3 Parts of your heritage:
1. Chinese
2.Spanish
3. Filipino ( does that count?)

3 Things that scare you:
1. losing family or loved ones
2. not living life to the fullest
3. roaches..yep, they're terrifying

3 of your everyday essentials:
1. ponytail holder
2. cellphone
3. lip gloss

3 things you are wearing right now:
1. lip gloss
2. the oh-so popular flip flops
3. weddding band

3 of your favorite musical artists:
1. Sheryl Crow
2. Billie Holiday
3.Aerosmith

3 of your favorite songs at present:
1. My Lump, Blackeyed Peas
2. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
3. Dream On, Aerosmith

3 things you want to try in the next 12 months:
1. give birth to a happy, healthy baby
2. recording my music
3. building furniture

3 things you want in a relationship (besides Love)
1. Respect
2. Humor
3. Support

2 truths and a lie:
1. I frequently get gassy
2. I'm having twins
3. My husband wants be Benjamin Franklin

3 Physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
1. Dark, entransing eyes
2. big forearms
3. musicianship.

3 of your favorite hobbies:
1. song-writing
2. cooking
3. making music!

3 thing you want to do really badly right now:
1. go back to bed!
2. eat a sausage biscuit w/grape jam
3. call nic at work and bug him!

3. Careers you want
1.singer/songwriter
2.food critic
3. paid musician!

3 places you want to go on vacation:
1. Greece
2. Italy
3. New Zealand

3 kids names
1. Oscar Baviera (Bavi for short; after my dad) Lopez Spears
2. Caroline Rose Lopez Spears
3. Sophie Bay Lopez Spears

3 things you want to see before you die.
1. Nic's face
2. the Holy Land
3. I dunno what else!

tight jeans..yikes

2005-09-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

okay, so I'm into my 8th week of pregnancy and my jeans are starting to feel a bit tight..and I'm not liking it. I'm starting to feel very self-conscious and sensitive about my weight. On the plus side, my ass and boobs have grown in size, which is really nice, but my waistline is just stretching out..and out..and more out. Yikes! Anyhoo, it's not all bad, I guess.
Nic and I are struggling with whether or not we want to know the sex of the baby. We both really want to know, but know that it'll be more exciting if we just be patient and wait..ugh! Patience, a virtue I'm still working on.
So, aside from all the baby stuff, my life is pretty much the same. I'm less sleepy during the day and my nausea has gotten a little better. I'm really getting tired of going to work, though. I'm ready to just stay home for a while. For our three-day weekend, we just lounged around the house and had our usual Sunday lunch at Taj India!! Yumm!!
I'm not too sure what I'm going to do about teaching in the spring, though. The baby's due in April, so I don't think I'll be able to really teach for the whole semester. Any suggestions, anyone?? I really like to teach, but I don't know if my body will allow me to keep up w/it.

Yes, it's true

2005-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't already know: I am pregnant. Yes, it is true. I've gotten various phone calls and emails from you guys and I'm sorry I didn't tell everyone. So, here's the scoop:
Nic and I were sort of trying to get pregnant, and surprise! We are! I am 7 weeks and our little beanie baby is due April 14, 2006, so write that in your calendars! We went for our first prenatal appt yesterday and the dr. said everything is perfect so far! I'm in perfect health, the perfect age, and we have all the signs of a healthy pregnancy! We saw our very first images of the baby and it is 1 cm in length. It's basically a bean with a heartbeat! that's why we refer to the baby as our "beanie baby", or as nic calls it "mr. bean." clearly, nic thinks it's a boy. anyway, the nausea and allday fatigue is so draining! I'm tired all the time, but on the plus side my nausea has gone down some. I can only eat about half of what i used to..for those of you who know me well, you know i used to eat like a teenage boy. so, now it's crackers, fruit, and yogurt..ok, and the occasional fried chicken or hot dog..or ice cream..ooh, blackberry cobbler sounds sooooo freakin good right now..
anyhoo, just wanted to let everyone officially know that i'm a preggy!
i'll post more later!

2005-08-19T03:41:00.000-07:00

ladybug and me

2005-08-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

my family (minus one)

early

2005-08-17T03:24:00.000-07:00

so, it's about 5:30 right now, and i want to go back to sleep, but know that if i do, i won' t be able to get my sorry ass up! i got up w/nic this morning b/c i had a bunch of stuff i needed to get done around the house today. God knows I won't be home anymore til about 9:00 pm. So, I've just bought some $50 worth of music for my voice lessons at the conservatory. i really shouldn't have spent the money, but i think it will benefit me too, as well as my students..which, by the way all thought i was probably about 12 yrs old! half of my students are adults (well into their 40's) and here i am, all fresh out of college, with this deer in the headlights look in my eyes! i was so nervous teaching these people! they all wanted to learn technique so badly..so, of course, i've turned to art songs, broadway, and the oh so popular purple book! so, we'll just have to see!

went the the outlet in bessemer yesterday w/nic's sis, jennifer. i got nic new clothes, and man, does he look delicious! i really should dress him all the time! he'd never spend any of his time or money on good clothes, that's for damn sure! you can't buy all your clothes from the thrift,...as much as i love the thrift store, you should still expand your horizons and get some good quality clothing! i got me some new threads too! really cute gray slacks and a flowy blouse..oo, and this perfume that the Gap discontinued but still sell at their outlet..it's heaven, and it's the best-smelling stuff you could possibly put on your body! man, i love it!

so, over the weekend, i sang just about every mass at OLS! Nic worked overtime. Friday night we had a great time jamming at Jeff's house! I got to play drums b/c the real drummer wasn't there, and i loved it!! i hadn't played in years!! it's so much fun! the guys said i was almost just as good as carson,..which, i guess i'll take as a compliment! i can't wait til nic gets the studio done so we can finally set up the drums!!

finally got me some fast internet and cable this weekend too! it's just a total luxury!!

ok, i'm out! and i'll promise i'll try to post a pic of my new furniture, kat, and my new hair, tara! no telling when, though!

vivid

2005-08-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

goodmorning world! well, it's been an interesting day! this whole lung cancer plague, if you will, is really getting to people, in a good way. i found out that a friend from UAB's mother has been diagnosed with lung cancer and is in the advanced stages, which is little to no clear communication. it just breaks my heart to hear that! and, my sister and her boyfriend are going to finally quit smoking, which i'm so proud of them for that!! and my boss had surgery just this past June to get some spots on his lung removed, which they were unable to find once they sliced him open. so, it's just been a very awakening summer for smokers, i guess.
well, i titled this blog vivid b/c i had the most vivid dreams last night. well, i woke up at 3:30 w/Nic, had breakfast w/him, and helped fixed his lunch, then of course, went back to bed! i dreamt that patrick had these mt. brook high school cheerleaders who would visit him all the time at the bagel shop, back when he used to work there. anyway, so these cute girls would call him up, and in my dream, they went over to his house..his and laura's house..yeah, laura didn't seem the least bit bothered by it..as a matter of fact, she looked particularly fabulous in this dream..wearing this classic champagne colored silk blouse! man, she looked so classy..as usual! so, the boys were at my house having band practice while the cheerleaders were hanging out at la and pat's house..it was just weird to me..that's all i can really remember of that dream..another dream i had consisted of kat getting really drunk w/our cousin, elaine..it was quite comical. oh, and there was this one where nic and i were out bar-hopping ( b/c we do that sort of thing all the time) and we went to this awful bar called Frugal, which was just so cheesy w/ over-the-top decor..nic complained that they only had one kind of beer and as we were walking out, the owners tried to get us to stay, since we were the only ones there..the owners were an old Greek family..
yesterday, nic and i made bluebird houses for nic's grandmas. it was really fun! i actually used power tools..w/safety goggles and everything! nic was so proud of me! it only took us a couple of hours. I hope the like them!!
yea, i'm getting fast internet at the house tomorrow morning! i'm so excited!
have a great weekend!
spears, out!

songs

2005-08-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

since i don't really have very much to say, i'll just leave the world with some song lyrics:
can you hear me? can you see me? i'm standing in your way. don't care what you've been thinking, or what you've got to say. this is what it comes down to; my heart lies in your hands. and still you pass right thru me, like it was part of your plan. i can't stop thinkin of what this world could be. we need compassion, maybe a little empathy. don't you care what your children are gonna think if we don't change the world? everytime i see someone struggling, i want to help them out. and yet we pass right by them; what's that all about? if you could put yourself in their shoes, would this then change your mind? don't you want to make a difference? don't you want to turn back time? i can't stop thinkin of what this world could be. we need compassion. maybe a little empathy. don't you care what your children are gonna think if we don't change the world? john said why don't we give peace a chance, hey man. put an end to this mean face then we can put our heart and mind in something better then..just give me your hand..just give me your hand.

so very sleepy..

2005-08-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

so last night, nic and i watched two movies..yeah, i didn't get anything done last night! he's such a bad influence on me! first was 'resident evil- apocolypse..?' it was the sequel to the first one..it was kinda hoaky but still okay..i mean, how scary can you make silly zombie people?! it's just not that scary anymore. second was 'the village' which was pretty good..slow start, but good twist in the end. while we were watching resident evil, there was this actor who was also in mr. deeds..y'know, the creepy tv journalist/bad guy? he plays the scientist who invented the t-virus in resident evil..nic was so convinced it was not the same guy...he is so bad at recognizing actors..if i won, he had to take me out on a date..i'm talking wine AND dessert!..that's right! of course, i was right and he was wrong, as usual! he even said, "yeah, you're right, i'm wrong..you're smart, i'm stupid. you're good looking, i'm..not attractive.." (Adam Sandler quote) so, i had to rub it in his face real good! i love being right..especially when it involves nic!!
anyway, so i got up at 4:o0am this morning w/him to do some cleaning around the house b/c i knew i wouldn't have a chance to do it today; meeting w/BSC and church choir. so, by the time i got on the road to work, i had a hard time just keeping my eyes open! my boss said "you look tired." i was all, "thanks.." on a good note, he gave me $65! see, i was supposed to sing yet another funeral today, but he said i couldn't go b/c he needed me here at the office, since he was going to that funeral(brother-in-law's mother-in-law passed away). so he felt bad, and asked how much i would have made, and just handed me cash..i was like 'snap!'
so, work's actually been real busy this week..which is good, i guess, but that means i have to actually work and stuff..woe is me!
just think, no coffee either..just greentea with a hint of peach..in my new pretty pink mug..ok, time for another cup (yawn)
peace out

funeral #2

2005-08-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

so, i sang my second funeral for the week. these poor families! today, a 93 yr old man died from getting his meds mixed up. how sad?! it's not too sad when they're old and it's kind of expected, though.. i did this one funeral where the girl who had died was 17 yrs old! the church was packed! it was so sad!!
anyway, on a brighter note, i got to spend the morning w/my hubby! he had a dentist appt. today, so he just took the whole day off. it was nice and relaxing; not really rushing to get out the door, y'know.
i'm learning how to manage my newly-waved locks! now, it's not so frizzy; more wavy, thanks to a little mousse and a blow dryer! me likee!
nic brought me lunch for a change today! he got to see my even-smaller-than-a-cubicle cubicle.. it's really quite sad..and sterile looking, which is why i put up pictures on my walls. i want to get all pink desk organizers to brighten up the place! wouldn't that be ultra-girly!?
i had an all organic sandwich from Organic harvest..not too shabby..pretty pricey, however!
and so another end to another somewhat pointless day..sigh..

(sigh...)

2005-08-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

well, the weekend did not last quite long enough, now did it?!
friday, nic and i washed our cars right before it started to pour, at which nic decided he'd go and unclog the gutters. that was the breaking point for his back. he crawls back in the house soaking wet and lies on the floor in the entryway..he looked so pitiful! so, i called his massage therapist to reschedule for the next day b/c he was in such bad shape.
saturday, we went to taj india for lunch w/La and patrick. then while nic was in his massage, la and i went shopping! it was such a good girly time! then we ended up spending the rest of the evening at La's house. we rented national treasure and ordered a pizza. ahh..good times..
sunday was very short! mass, cleaned the house, cooked chili dogs and fries for nic and his guys, played some piano, then had the in-laws over for supper..yeah, just a lazy sunday..
i'm just so tired today for some reason, but i can't have coffee..i can't start back drinking it every morning..so, i've opted for greentea..doesn't have quite the same kick, but it's better than nothing!
oh well..

perpetually code orange

2005-08-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

So, we're experiencing yet another code orange alert. our nasty polluted air is particularly hazy today. (Deep breathe, ahhh) Yeah, this really pisses me off b/c I can never get a break here! I've been wanting to work in the yard this weekend, but it's either raining or code orange, I kid you not! So, this weekend, I'm just going to have to wing it and be outside, whether or not I have a heat stroke, damnit!
Bert's having meatloaf for lunch today and man, it smells good..what's not to like about meatloaf? it's meat in loaf form..yumm.but seriously, i've decided i'm going to cut back on all sugars and try to modify my diet to something close to a macrobiotic diet. it'll be expensive, but if you're gonna spend a lot of mulah, it may as well go towards your health, right??
I went to Birmingham-Southern today to get my parking decal and get my fingerprints done. the decal thing is funny b/c the lady charged me $25 and gave me a student decal..i was like, "uhh, ma'am, i'm a faculty member." and she was so embarrassed! I was like, 'that's right, bitch!' no really, it was flattering, i guess. so, needless to say, i got my $$ back and all was forgiven. The fingerprints are funny though. clearly, i had never done this before, so Chief Wilson had to give me this big shpeel. My fingers are still a little stained..poor digits.. everyone at BSC was super nice and the campus is just gorgeous!! and huge! i got lost several times.. yes, i have no sense of direction! i got lost in my own hometown once...but this was a couple of years since i've lived there, so that justifies that one, right??
tonight's delia's last night. she will be back in Mississppi, helping out her family. i'll miss her a lot. sure, she gives me a hard time sometimes, but i still love her! i emailed her this morning and practically started crying..at work..yeah, i'm definitely a woman!..anyway, tonight we may go out for a drink. bailey's, i hope! knowing me, i can't ever really go out for one drink..i mean, one drink? what's the point of that? if it was dinner, then one drink makes sense, but at a bar? i'm not a lush, really..i've become more of a lightweight since i've graduated!..working more, waking up early..ah, the workforce..

new hair

2005-08-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so yesterday, I got my first body wave. For those of you (boys) that do not know what the hell I'm talking about, a body wave is like a perm but with big loose waves instead of the jerry-curl nastiness. This experience took a mere three and half hours! That's right! That was half of my day! Luckily, my boss was kind enough to let me off work for my hair appointment; man, I felt like such a girl for having to ask off early to "get my hair done!" Yeah, I totally felt like Dr. Mathes! Ha!! Well, pints of nose-burning chemicals later, my hair is big and wavy! I've always loved big hair! Mission accomplised!! I'll post a pic when i get my computer fixed! I know my siblings are dying to see the outcome!! I was the only one of the four of us that didn't get the perm back in the 80's!
Thanks everyone for the sweet words of congrats on the new job, by the way!! (Score!)
Peace out!

great start

2005-08-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I got the teaching job at BSC!! I got the call just a few moments ago and so far, I have eight students! I am so excited!!
I sang this Faure duet w/Adrianne Price this morning on EWTN, so if you can catch it, it'll air on TV again at 11:00am and 6:00pm, I think. We did pretty well. It was really fun!! Adrianne has a beautifully large voice, so I was intimidated to sing w/her at first, but I think we evened each other out after all!
What a great start to the day!! I even got a chance to do my yoga! Thanks to Francesca, I'm going to start back doing my yoga every morning. I did everyday for about two years and got really good, but then I slacked off and quit for several months. So, needless to say, I'm super-tight..not cool super-tight, but like really tight! But, I'm getting there!

i don't know why

2005-08-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I continue to do the blog..that sounds like the blog is like a dance move, like the twist or the monkey..I'm lame..
Anyway, busy weekend in Mobile; got to spend time with the fam! Had a great time! I don't know why, but everytime we go to my mom and dad's, my mom wants me to wait on Nic hand and foot. I'd do anything for him, but I don't like it when someone's pushing you to do it MORE! Sheesh!!
My ex-brother-in-law got in a bad car accident this weekend. I feel bad for not visiting him in the hospital, but he was never all that nice to me anyway. Still, he was scared and I felt guilty for not being there for him.. damn the guilt!! Went swimming Saturday; Nic burned, as usual! That night, Angela and I went to Target, and I went crazy!! I don't know why; it's not like I don't live right by Target! Bought new sheets and a quilt and some clothes! Sunday was shortlived; went to church then ate lunch Morrison's style! It was good!!
So, I had this job interview this morning at BSC Music Conservatory and the lady was super nice!! I think it went really well! Turns out the kids I'll teach will be really young, like 11 - 14 yrs old, and possibly some adults too! That sounds fun! I'm so psyched!!! I may end up teaching some introductory theory classes to 7 year olds! I hope I have the patience to do this! I realized I've only been out of school for a couple of months, but I feel like my life is going nowhere! I feel like I need to accomplish something! Agh!
Anyway, I'll end with the lyrics to the last song I wrote; my friend Patrick wrote the guitar riff and I wrote the lyrics; here goes:
Mr. Pretender-
Hey there, mister
Are you just another pretender?
You can't fool me, so don't look at me
I'm already a married lady
Well, you can look all you want
but no touchy and no small talk
Can't you see I got my man with me
and my shiny ring, it's my bling-bling
He says the boys are always looking at me
I'm blushin inside, but you can't see
Cuz clearly I'm his baby
He'd never hurt me, like you'd do me
Me and La get all the boys
get em all stirred up and makin some noise
we'll walk right by, then they sigh, we wink an eye and wave bye bye!
Boys play the most silly games
Don't seem to know how to behave
need to be shown the way, ok?
Take or leave it, like it or not
he'll never get one like he's got
clean up your sh*t maybe she'll talk
Listen up, all you ladies
Go get yourself a good man, if you please
Like my La and me, lucky girls are we
We'll never have to leave our dear sweeties.
So Mr. Pretender, take my advice
clean up your sh*t, you'd better do it twice
remember let your girl be your world
love her good and keep your word.

another day...

2005-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

okay, Delia, I'll try to post more.
since i've been a college grad, i feel as though my life is going nowhere. i know, i know, it's only been two months, but what can i say? i'm impatient.
lots of things on my mind..not sure i want to blab them on my blog, though.. but i'll blab a little..
nic and i have been talking about having a baby a lot lately. we're both aching for a family, but we know we're not really ready. it's hard when you both really want something and feel so ready, but at the same time, what have i accomplished?? yeah, sure, college, but i have nothing to show for myself. i just don't know what i'm meant to do, y'know? what's my purpose? i want to write music and i know i want to help people, so music therapy seemed like a good route. but, once you're married, there are sacrifces that have to be made at some point. nic is electrian school and i really want him to finish something, so i've decided to wait three years to pursue music therapy. who knows what will happen in the next three years, though. i will continue to write music and hopefully put out an album(even if's a mediocre one) by the end of the year. of course, my dream is to be a professional songwriter, but i don't know if that'll ever happen.
how's that, delia??

hello

2005-07-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

okay, this is all new to me..the whole concept of "the blog."
i don't know what the hell i'm doing.