Well, things are honestly going better right now on many levels than they have in over a year it feels like. So many positive things happening which I'll cover for you below so you'll have the inside scoop on the exciting lives of Andy and Lea! ;)
Our business, A&L Concepts, produces websites for ourselves that bring in ad, affiliate, and subscriber revenue of their own, but we also have clients we do web work for as well. When we first started out with this whole idea over 5 years ago, I was working for Network Associates, a company that dealt with a many computer software packages, one being the Sniffer Protocol Analyzer. It was a tool that network analysts and administrators could use to "sniff" the packets on the actual wires comprising the network. If I sat between your computer and your cablemodem with one, I would be able to see in various ways many, many details of what your computer is sending out as you browse the web. I can see URL's you are vising, pictures or videos brought up (any files really), how much congestion there was on that link, how long each packet took to get to it's destination and back, all *kinds* of stuff. Really, really geeky stuff. While it paid very well, had great benefits, and even flew us both to New York for a business trip, it had zero creative outlet. It became more and more depressing for me to spend so much time on such an in-depth technical product with very little room in my life for anything creative. Something had to be done, so after teaching myself PHP and the basics of HTML, we started our first website. It was nothing more than a website where I would post and share the jokes, pictures, and other things I would recieve in emails and find across the internet. I had so much fun learning programming again like I did when I was 10-15!
Our first website was getting popular and eventually grew out of it's hosting and thanks to a friend in Canada, we landed some storage up there for a fresh new, better, faster, website with a forums this time! Building a sense of community is something I've been fascinated with since I saw my first web forums and the new site had it's own. It grew to be so large and started making a bit of money so with our savings and a great leap of faith, Lea and I agreed I would walk away from making $50k a year to persue web development even more. I quit Network Associates after 2 years of work and started working full force on a new website built from the ground up with everything handcoded. From the login and profiles system, to the forums, to the front page system, everything was built by me from scratch using nothing more than a text editor. This would be our 3rd iteration of the same concept website and from there, it grew into a large community site with links, videos, pictures, articles, games, flash, all kinds of things and *THAT* site spawned off sites like CombatVids.com, ContentBin.com, NWSGaming.com, NWSDeals.com, and PoliceVids.com.
That decision to start our business, A&L Concepts, was made nearly 5 years ago and now we work on 15 sites of our own and as of today we have 4 clients we are working with to assist them with their websites. We just signed our newest client up yesterday and now have a portfolio of working with a realtor, a car sales business owner, a cafe/natural goods shop owner in Baltimore, and a fashion design video house in LA. This is great news as our own websites pretty much run themselves, like little money machines that bring in their own revenue streams while the contract work we do brings in a whole other source of cash. It sure is going to help out with things during the pregnancy and on through the years of having baby Goin.
Lea recently quit her job so we could both stay home, enjoy each others' company, work on the house duties together, and even develop websites together. She does wonderful work on some of our clients as well as running the deals and bargains website we have. NWSDeals is about to go through a major redesign as well and she is designing what she wants and doesn't want for the website. Her quitting the job she had is something we've both been aiming for and hoping wouldn't take too long. We felt comfortable enough with the business as it stands and the future it holds to agree she would be better off staying home and helping with it, both of us focused 100% on it and enjoying life.
We're more in love and closer together than we've ever been and so excited about the baby and spending time with the family! Thanks for reading if you've made it this far! :D
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Still making it...
Things seem to be going well. We are not approved for Medicaid yet, and probably won’t find out for at least another week. So we decided we can’t wait much longer, and we may have to try and see a doc next week even if it’s just someone from Parkland with their Help program. My mom says she may have a number of a doc who would cut us a bit of a deal also. I just want to see a sonogram or ultrasound or something. I’ll feel so much better about the whole deal once I see a heartbeat.
We do have an appointment next Saturday morning for a free sonogram, so I may have to just make myself wait one more week. :(
As for me, I am doing… ok. I get pretty emotional and although I don’t have morning sickness, I seem to have afternoon sickness. I cannot eat much as far as choice goes. I can eat just the things that appeal to me are limited. Most things make me nauseous. Especially strong smells. I manage to eat a decent breakfast despite my overwhelming morning-mucous-battle but by afternoon my stomach seems to turn sour. The saltines help. Yesterday I got so dizzy in the afternoon Andy had to help sit me in a shower. It may be from what I ate as well, or lack of. I try to keep drinking water, but water doesn’t taste the same to me as it used to. I always have been a big water drinker but this last week the taste in my mouth has made it difficult. As for the phlegm, it’s driving me crazy. Especially in the mornings. If I do get sick in the AM which has happened a couple of times, it’s from the mucous draining. It’s totally gross.
I’m also not sleeping well. Which doesn’t make the tired-all-the-time thing any better! I go to sleep pretty early but start waking up within a few hours to pee, blow my nose or cough something up.
I have a new found admiration for pregnant women. I feel like I bitch a lot. As beautiful of a thing as this is and as special and fortunate I feel, there’re a lot of annoyances. I do know that at the end of this journey when I hold a perfect healthy baby in my arms, it will be so worth it, I will want to do it again.
I also know that because it is all new to me, I had no real idea what to expect. And my body isn’t used to all this. My uterus is already bigger than it has ever been. Next week starts my 9th week and things should really start growing soon. I can’t wait to get big! I know that will start a whole new onslaught of issues and annoyances but then it will feel more real.
We’re so excited everyday. Thank you for joining us in this journey!
We do have an appointment next Saturday morning for a free sonogram, so I may have to just make myself wait one more week. :(
As for me, I am doing… ok. I get pretty emotional and although I don’t have morning sickness, I seem to have afternoon sickness. I cannot eat much as far as choice goes. I can eat just the things that appeal to me are limited. Most things make me nauseous. Especially strong smells. I manage to eat a decent breakfast despite my overwhelming morning-mucous-battle but by afternoon my stomach seems to turn sour. The saltines help. Yesterday I got so dizzy in the afternoon Andy had to help sit me in a shower. It may be from what I ate as well, or lack of. I try to keep drinking water, but water doesn’t taste the same to me as it used to. I always have been a big water drinker but this last week the taste in my mouth has made it difficult. As for the phlegm, it’s driving me crazy. Especially in the mornings. If I do get sick in the AM which has happened a couple of times, it’s from the mucous draining. It’s totally gross.
I’m also not sleeping well. Which doesn’t make the tired-all-the-time thing any better! I go to sleep pretty early but start waking up within a few hours to pee, blow my nose or cough something up.
I have a new found admiration for pregnant women. I feel like I bitch a lot. As beautiful of a thing as this is and as special and fortunate I feel, there’re a lot of annoyances. I do know that at the end of this journey when I hold a perfect healthy baby in my arms, it will be so worth it, I will want to do it again.
I also know that because it is all new to me, I had no real idea what to expect. And my body isn’t used to all this. My uterus is already bigger than it has ever been. Next week starts my 9th week and things should really start growing soon. I can’t wait to get big! I know that will start a whole new onslaught of issues and annoyances but then it will feel more real.
We’re so excited everyday. Thank you for joining us in this journey!
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
We're expecting!
Thanks for stopping in at the ol’ Goin blog! We’re glad to have you! For those of you who don’t yet know, I am pregnant. This was quite a surprise to both Andy and I, but we are thrilled.
When we were first together we toyed with the idea of having kids and wanted to at the time, but I suppose my body wasn’t ready and the greater being wasn’t ready for us to have one because we never got pregnant. Despite our lack of “preventing” it.
After the first year or so we realized we were in no shape financially or emotionally to parent, and we gave the idea a rest. A big rest. Even started to plan our lives as if we’d never have our own kids. My mom began adopting grandkids thinking she’d never get one out of me! We considered someday maybe even fostering because even adoption was too much of a commitment!
Then right before the holidays last year, we were discussing raising children and just basically influencing a child’s life someday, and we decided it was something we really wanted to do. I think it may have been something we always wanted; we just knew the time wasn’t right. Admittedly we aren’t in the greatest position right now with me still in school and working part time for eight bucks an hour and Andy trying to get our business off the ground and to a point I can stay home and help him with it more. But our relationship is the strongest it’s ever been! We’ve had a lot of time together just us, almost 7 years! And a lot of time to discuss and come to agreements on things I am sure most parents don’t get the chance to do. We have come to a place in our love where we are beyond selfishness and see ourselves as a team that works together for a common goal rather than two separates that come together on occasion to hang out. I could spend every minute with him. I don’t know that he could with me, I’m the crazy one! ;)
It really couldn’t be a better time for us emotionally, and as I know from many friends and people that I have met through the years, the money thing works itself out. Plus with a kid on the way, it’s a whole new level of motivation for us to be better at what we do.
My dream now would be to not go to a shitty part time job and just stay home taking care of the house and working on the things on our websites that Andy has just gotten too busy for until the baby comes. Now that he takes clients and builds and maintains web sites for them, the ones he built for us can’t be updated as regularly. He needs me! And I want to help.
As for the baby, we couldn’t be happier. I know our close by family is also thrilled, Aunt Tressie, my mom, his mom, they can’t wait to watch ME grow, and then have a new baby to play with. I can’t wait for this adventure. We have no idea what the immediate future will hold. Where we will live. I want to live closer to our moms for the birth, but it’s hard to prove income and get apartments when you’re self employed so we may have to stay here. But one of Andy’s clients buys and sells houses so we kind of have a hook up with that option.
As for me, I am feeling fine. I am scared of what my body is going through, it’s all new to me. I taste metallic blood in the back of my mouth from my increasing blood volume. I have more mucous coming out of my nose and throat everyday than I ever had from my allergies, also from increasing fluid volumes. My boobs have doubled in size, much to Andy’s joy, unfortunately they also hurt! I have the worst gas and my belly is already expanding… could it be twins? And I’m so damn tired I sleep for 9 hours and could still have an afternoon nap, but who has the time?
The biggest unfortunate situation we are in at the moment is the lack of maternity insurance. We signed up for personal health insurance with outrageous rates over a year ago, but the company couldn’t offer maternity something to do with the state of Texas. We would have had to add about 25% to the bill and go with a whole other company to get it, and at the time we weren’t even considering pregnancy. And honestly when we talked about it 2 months ago as an option, neither of us thought it would happen this fast! So yesterday, we applied for Medicaid. We won’t find out until Friday when we see a case worked whether or not we can be approved. I don’t’ think it’ll be a problem because this state takes care of its pregos. Wish us well with that. If we don’t get it, I’ll be on the phone with various doctors trying to find someone who will cut us a deal and work out a payment plan. I’ll let you know.
Thank you for being a part of our lives. Please comment here and email me if you like! We love you!
When we were first together we toyed with the idea of having kids and wanted to at the time, but I suppose my body wasn’t ready and the greater being wasn’t ready for us to have one because we never got pregnant. Despite our lack of “preventing” it.
After the first year or so we realized we were in no shape financially or emotionally to parent, and we gave the idea a rest. A big rest. Even started to plan our lives as if we’d never have our own kids. My mom began adopting grandkids thinking she’d never get one out of me! We considered someday maybe even fostering because even adoption was too much of a commitment!
Then right before the holidays last year, we were discussing raising children and just basically influencing a child’s life someday, and we decided it was something we really wanted to do. I think it may have been something we always wanted; we just knew the time wasn’t right. Admittedly we aren’t in the greatest position right now with me still in school and working part time for eight bucks an hour and Andy trying to get our business off the ground and to a point I can stay home and help him with it more. But our relationship is the strongest it’s ever been! We’ve had a lot of time together just us, almost 7 years! And a lot of time to discuss and come to agreements on things I am sure most parents don’t get the chance to do. We have come to a place in our love where we are beyond selfishness and see ourselves as a team that works together for a common goal rather than two separates that come together on occasion to hang out. I could spend every minute with him. I don’t know that he could with me, I’m the crazy one! ;)
It really couldn’t be a better time for us emotionally, and as I know from many friends and people that I have met through the years, the money thing works itself out. Plus with a kid on the way, it’s a whole new level of motivation for us to be better at what we do.
My dream now would be to not go to a shitty part time job and just stay home taking care of the house and working on the things on our websites that Andy has just gotten too busy for until the baby comes. Now that he takes clients and builds and maintains web sites for them, the ones he built for us can’t be updated as regularly. He needs me! And I want to help.
As for the baby, we couldn’t be happier. I know our close by family is also thrilled, Aunt Tressie, my mom, his mom, they can’t wait to watch ME grow, and then have a new baby to play with. I can’t wait for this adventure. We have no idea what the immediate future will hold. Where we will live. I want to live closer to our moms for the birth, but it’s hard to prove income and get apartments when you’re self employed so we may have to stay here. But one of Andy’s clients buys and sells houses so we kind of have a hook up with that option.
As for me, I am feeling fine. I am scared of what my body is going through, it’s all new to me. I taste metallic blood in the back of my mouth from my increasing blood volume. I have more mucous coming out of my nose and throat everyday than I ever had from my allergies, also from increasing fluid volumes. My boobs have doubled in size, much to Andy’s joy, unfortunately they also hurt! I have the worst gas and my belly is already expanding… could it be twins? And I’m so damn tired I sleep for 9 hours and could still have an afternoon nap, but who has the time?
The biggest unfortunate situation we are in at the moment is the lack of maternity insurance. We signed up for personal health insurance with outrageous rates over a year ago, but the company couldn’t offer maternity something to do with the state of Texas. We would have had to add about 25% to the bill and go with a whole other company to get it, and at the time we weren’t even considering pregnancy. And honestly when we talked about it 2 months ago as an option, neither of us thought it would happen this fast! So yesterday, we applied for Medicaid. We won’t find out until Friday when we see a case worked whether or not we can be approved. I don’t’ think it’ll be a problem because this state takes care of its pregos. Wish us well with that. If we don’t get it, I’ll be on the phone with various doctors trying to find someone who will cut us a deal and work out a payment plan. I’ll let you know.
Thank you for being a part of our lives. Please comment here and email me if you like! We love you!
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Welcome to the Blog!
First things first, welcome friends and family to Lea's and my blog! We will be updating this occaisionally so be sure to check back often. I will also post funny or interesting family safe videos hosting from Google for you to laugh at or ponder. But most of the time, we will be using this to let you know what's going on in our lives and we'll be sharing pics of it as well.
For those that don't know, Lea and I own our own web developement business, A&L Concepts. This is something we've been working on for around 4 years now and started by building our own websites and recently has expanded to working for other professionals on theirs. We aim towards small business owners and right now we have 3 clients we are contacted with bringing in a good wage. Lea handles the backend of things with the paperwork and office stuff, while I work on the actual coding and designing. There are links on the sidebar to a couple of examples of our own sites and you can see our company site right here. It's still being worked on but does have a simple form interested parties can use to inquire about our services.
Lea is also going to school at Brookhaven Community College taking classes on "Nutrition" and "Microbiology: this semester. We both went there last semester and while Lea stuck with the easy classes like "Anatomy and Physiology", I figured I would take a class that would strain my brain and took Weight Training. We also took an introductory Spanish class together to work on our communication skills. We live in Addison, TX which is a suburb of Dallas in an apartment with our four cats; Tyler, Thunder, Raven, and Sami. There will be plenty of pictures coming of the cats in various poses as we go.
It's been a great start for this new year so far, our business is picking up and we recently got some very good news in which I will let Lea post and tell you about. By the time you read this, you probably have already read her post as well, so let me just say I am exteremly proud and excited! It's going to be a very fun ride from here on out and Lea and I couldn't be happier.
More to come later, thank you for visiting!
For those that don't know, Lea and I own our own web developement business, A&L Concepts. This is something we've been working on for around 4 years now and started by building our own websites and recently has expanded to working for other professionals on theirs. We aim towards small business owners and right now we have 3 clients we are contacted with bringing in a good wage. Lea handles the backend of things with the paperwork and office stuff, while I work on the actual coding and designing. There are links on the sidebar to a couple of examples of our own sites and you can see our company site right here. It's still being worked on but does have a simple form interested parties can use to inquire about our services.
Lea is also going to school at Brookhaven Community College taking classes on "Nutrition" and "Microbiology: this semester. We both went there last semester and while Lea stuck with the easy classes like "Anatomy and Physiology", I figured I would take a class that would strain my brain and took Weight Training. We also took an introductory Spanish class together to work on our communication skills. We live in Addison, TX which is a suburb of Dallas in an apartment with our four cats; Tyler, Thunder, Raven, and Sami. There will be plenty of pictures coming of the cats in various poses as we go.
It's been a great start for this new year so far, our business is picking up and we recently got some very good news in which I will let Lea post and tell you about. By the time you read this, you probably have already read her post as well, so let me just say I am exteremly proud and excited! It's going to be a very fun ride from here on out and Lea and I couldn't be happier.
More to come later, thank you for visiting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)